South Africa: Tourism can do more for jobs and growth President Cyril Ramaphosa says tourism is a thriving sector with tremendous potential for further growth and job creation. We tend to think of tourism as being associated with pleasure motives such as visiting iconic sites and getting involved in recreational activities, but it can also embrace business, education, health or religion as a basis for travelling, President Ramaphosa said. Speaking at Africas Travel Indaba at the International Convention Centre in Durban on Saturday, the President said there is growing global consensus on the need for countries to pursue paths of sustainable development in order to grow and transform economies, while minimising the impact on nature. We need to expand tourism in our countries to contribute to economic growth, increase our foreign earnings, bring more people into the mainstream of our economies and to boost related industries. Tourism is one of the most international of industries, for it is an industry that tends to showcase a countrys identity and offering to the world. Tourism has an extensive value chain, stimulating economic activity in manufacturing, in the services sector and in the creative and cultural industries, President Ramaphosa said. The President said the influx of visitors means more people get employment as tour guides, drivers, as caterers and as producers of memorable artefacts, to name but just a few. Local people are able to show off the attractions with pride for their history, their culture and traditions. President Ramaphosa said visitors to the many countries on the continent are able to engage in a range of sporting, recreational and leisure activities. He told delegates at the Indaba that as part of efforts to revitalise the economy, South Africa is focusing its energies on labour-intensive sectors such as agriculture, the oceans economy and tourism. We have set ourselves a bold target to raise over $100 billion in new investment over five years, he said. Promoting tourism throughout Africa In his welcoming remarks, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom told delegates that tourism is an industry that is resilient. Our country and our continent have unique stories to tell, unique stories to unite people. This Indaba is the biggest annual Tourism Indaba in Africa and has the potential to create jobs, he said. KwaZulu-Natal acting Premier Sihle Zikalala called on all the delegates attending the Indaba to be ambassadors of Africa. Zikalala said the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has committed to hosting the next four Indabas in the province. We want to pledge our commitment that these Indabas hosted in our province become one of the best in Africa, he said, adding that tourism contributes greatly to the province. Thokozile Khambule, a delegate at the Indaba from Inanda, told SAnews that as a small tourism business operator, she hopes that her business will grow as she has made contact with other business operators from other countries. Me being here has helped me a lot, as I have met with other business owners from other countries and we discussed how we are going to work together to grow our businesses, she said. Echoing the same sentiments was Mulalo Malada from Limpopo, who said the Indaba came at the right time, as she needed to expand her business. As a B&B owner, I need to expand my business outside the country. Tourists must know that in Limpopo there is accommodation and places they can visit. The four-day Indaba, which is hosted in Durban annually, provides a platform for African countries to showcase and market themselves as tourist destinations. It also offers an opportunity for a dialogue on the collective positioning of Brand Africa to attract more tourists and grow the African tourism market. The Indaba featured exhibitions from countries including Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Rwanda and Uganda. At the end of the Indaba, President Ramaphosa visited a number of exhibition stands interacting with the visitors. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. ABC News(CARACAS, Venezuela) -- Amid political unrest in Venezuela, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that President Nicolas Maduro is "ruling for the moment," but cannot be part of the country's future, adding that the Venezuelan people "will demand" that he leave office. "Maduro can't feel good. He's ruling for the moment, but he can't govern," Pompeo told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl on "This Week." "There's enormous poverty, enormous starvation, sick children that can't get medicine, Jonathan. This is not someone who can be part of Venezuela's future and whether that change takes place today or tomorrow or a week from now, one can't predict." Pompeo added, "Maduro cannot feel good about the security of his position today, and he shouldn't. Because the Venezuelan people will demand, ultimately, that he leave." Karl asked Pompeo if Maduro would still be in power if he did not have the support of the Cuban and Russian governments. "Without the Cubans, there would be no possibility he would still be in power. They are -- they are at the center of this," the secretary said, noting Cuban security forces are guarding Maduro. Karl pressed, "You said the Cubans. How about the Russians?" "Oh the Russians -- the Russians need to get out, too," Pompeo said. "We want every country -- Iran is in there today. They need to leave as well. Every country that is interfering with the Venezuelan people's right to restore their own democracy needs to leave." Earlier this week, Pompeo charged that Russia had blocked U.S. efforts to get Maduro out of the country, persuading him at the last-minute not to take a waiting plane to Cuba. The opposition-controlled National Assembly declared Juan Guaido interim president in January, but months of demonstrations and U.S. sanctions have not forced Maduro from his grip on power -- even after a major uprising Tuesday. That's in large part because of Russian support, according to U.S officials. Russia sent at least 100 troops to rendezvous with Maduro's security forces in March, and Russian officials have shielded him from sanctions or penalties at the United Nations Security Council, transferred his government's assets to protect them from U.S. economic pressure and appear to have convinced Maduro to stay in power this week -- after Guaido and the U.S. prematurely claimed that he'd won the allegiance of some top Maduro aides and a key portion of the military. Venezuela has been intertwined with Russia through oil, arms, debt and geopolitical imperatives for decades. Russia owns a significant portion of Venezuelas oil fields through a state-backed oil firm, Rosneft, has sold billions in military equipment to the South American nation and loaned Maduros regime billions more much of it reportedly still outstanding. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. News / Local by Methusi Ncube Police in Bulawayo yesterday arrested about 120 teenagers who had gathered at various points in the city centre allegedly to go to Vuzu Parties or cause general nuisance.The sting operation netted two kombis that were allegedly taking the school children to party venues and drugs and alcohol were recovered from the teens and vehicles.Vuzu parties are wild affairs where school children take alcohol, experiment with drugs and have unprotected group sex.Teens usually organise most such parties on the first Saturday after schools close and the last one before schools open.Yesterday, Saturday 4 May, police were in full force monitoring hotspots where teens gather for collection to go to Vuzu Parties.A police source told Bulawayo24.com that most of the arrests were made at the Bulawayo Centre. "The kids often gather at the Bulawayo Centre, City Hall or Haddon and Sly complex where they are taken to party venues mostly in the Eastern suburbs. Drunk school children are often sexually abused by kombi crews while some girls are given drugs then groups of boys have sex with them. Most of the children that were rounded up were gathered at the Bulawayo Centre," said the source.Sources at Bulawayo Central Police Station said large quantities of alcohol and drugs that include mbanje and ecstacy pills were recovered from the teens.By last night most of the children had been released into the custody of their parents or guardians. Bulawayo residents blamed the spiraling decadence of youths on lack of parental guidance."Zanu-PF has failed to run the country so most parents have fled to the diaspora to be able to take their children to school. Unfortunately the children are left with no one to instill moral values in them. Most grow up with plenty of money that parents send from the diaspora but without moral guidance. That is why we are having increased incidents of drunk teens being a nuisance everywhere and exposing themselves to abuse that may scar them for life. They can become drug addicts or alcoholics at an early age," said Mrs Mary Moyo of Sizinda suburb.Ms Sibongile Sibanda who lives in the City Centre said police were doing the job of failed parents by trying to whip the wayward youths into line."Letting your children do as they please or giving them too much freedom is the worst parenting strategy and it is not love, as some parents seem to think. If you really hate your children, adopt this strategy. Police are now trying to clean up the mess caused by poor parenting. Parents wake up please because your children will catch incurable diseases like HIV get pregnant at an early age. A proper parent would not let children be out and about after dark and they would know where their children are during the day," she said.Last week Saturday during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Shut down, police rounded up 49 drunk and rowdy school children who were said to be a danger unto themselves and others in the City Centre. News / National by Staff reporter A 38-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo has been arrested for assaulting his wife who had denied him sex after he got home drunk.Victor Gandiya of Emakhandeni suburb punched Pauline Katakwa several times on the face.Gandiya appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Dube facing a charge of physical abuse.He pleaded guilty to the charge and awaits his sentence on Friday.The prosecutor Thembeni Mpofu said on April 12 at around 9.30 pm, Gandiya got home from his drinking spree and woke up his wife demanding sex.Katakwa refused and her husband held her by the collar of her pyjamas and punched her several times on the face," she said.In her testimony Katakwa said she denied her husband sex because he had a tendency of going to bars leaving her with no food."On that day in question, my husband got home while l was already sleeping. He woke me up demanding sex and l refused."He assaulted me and we exchanged words. I told him why l was denying him sex and l think that got him angry. He held me by the collar and beat me up on the face," she said.The court heard that Katakwa screamed and ran outside. Her husband locked her outside and she spent the night there.Katakwa reported the matter to the police and Gandiya was arrested. News / National by Staff reporter Ukuthula Trust, which was responsible for the recent successful exhumation and reburial of a Gukurahundi victim in Tsholotsho, says it is ready to assist families rebury their loved ones as part of efforts to find closure and ensure national healing.An expert in the field of pathology and exhumations, the organisation last week assisted in the exhumation of the remains of a couple that was killed in Tsholotsho at the height of the disturbances in 1983.The exhumation was done at Nkwalini Village in Sipepa, Tsholotsho.In an interview yesterday, Mr Josphat Tshuma, a legal practitioner with the organisation, said families and communities were free to approach them for assistance in exhuming the remains of their loves ones.His remarks came as Vice President Kembo Mohadi, speaking at the National Defence University, said the national healing and reconciliation process has contributed to the country's security by removing social threats while building and fostering sustained peace and national cohesion.VP Mohadi is responsible for the National Peace and Reconciliation portfolio in the Government. The portfolio ensures that peace-building and conflict resolution are given the prominence they deserve nationally. He said people who live in peace and tolerate each other and reconcile after disputes would do it to move the country forward."People who are at peace with each other and reconcile after disputes are not a threat to national security. The threat to national security in such a social environment is from external forces and an element, as there is peace and tranquillity within," he said.He said in the Second Republic, national healing and reconciliation was a vital block to peace-building."National healing and reconciliation is a major building block in the national peace building architecture which contributes to preservation of national security."In the new dispensation, the national peace building architecture originates from the Zimbabwean Constitution. Chapter 1 gives the founding values and principles of Zimbabwe which is a unitary, democratic and sovereign republic", said VP Mohadi.The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) presupposes that there have been conflicts in the past and the Government strives to ensure post-conflict justice healing and reconciliation as well as developing and implementing programmes to promote national healing, unity and peaceful resolutions to disputes. The Government of the new dispensation has clearly articulated its peace building architecture which is part of Vision 2030.Mohadi said he would embark on a peace building programme in the country's eight provinces starting with Mashonaland Central province."I am going to engage in dialogue with our traditional leaders. As I carry out my outreach programmes with chiefs in the provinces, a consensus on the traditional building blocks of peace and conflict resolution will emerge."A template on peace building and conflict resolution that is based on our tradition and culture which is inclusive will be crafted," he said.He said he would be accompanied by the President and Deputy President of the Chiefs Council and leaders of Provincial Assemblies. Mr Tshuma said families should approach his orgnisation for expert help."The exhumation exercise is not our own initiative. We have the expertise in pathology and exhumations and we work with affected families who need assistance in exhuming the remains of their loved ones and everything is above board."We then advise the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission because this exercise falls under their portfolio. In Tsholotsho, the commission, the community leadership, the police and the media were all invited to witness the exhumation," said Mr Tshuma.He said his organisation's focus was on assisting communities."If people approach us and ask for help to exhume their loved ones for reburial we'll be pleased to assist. We, however, do a lot of investigations before the exhumation exercise and DNA testing is also done to avoid wrong identification," said Mr Tshuma.The deceased couple, identified as Justin Tshuma who was aged 32 and his 21-year-old wife Thembi Ngwenya were buried in a shallow grave a few metres from the railway line where they were shot dead.A local villager, Bernard Mpofu who later changed his surname to Mahlangu, with three other villagers were summoned by two police officers and ordered to bury the bodies. Mr Tshuma said the late Tshuma who worked in Bulawayo during the disturbances, grew fearful for his family's safety and travelled to his rural Tsholotsho home to pick up his wife, who was said to be pregnant with their second child."In an effort to flee, the couple made a dash for the train station so they could board a train to Bulawayo but they were killed before they could board the train."Tshuma was from Tsholotsho and his wife was from Plumtree. They left their two-year-old son in the care of his paternal grandmother. The relatives were keen to have their relatives exhumed and reburied and as an organisation, we're happy that we have been able to assist with the exhumation," said Mr Tshuma.The couple's surviving son, Xolani, is now married with three children. NPRC chairperson, Justice Sello Nare (Retired) commended Ukuthula Trust for its work and said villagers were now free to give decent burials to their relatives."This is part of the healing process. President Mnangagwa said people are free to talk about Gukurahundi, discuss the way forward and even ask for assistance if there's need for exhumations," said Justice Nare. President Mnangagwa signed the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill into law in January, which operationalised the commission that was appointed in 2016.The Act provided for the functions, powers, operations and removal from office of the members of the Commission, manner of conducting investigations and staffing of the Commission, among others. The NPRC was established under Sections 251 to 253 of the Constitution to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation, to develop programmes to promote national healing, unity and peaceful conflict resolution. News / National by Staff reporter POLICE in Bulawayo will today arrest any rowdy youths found in the central business district and have increased deployment of officers to deal with the scourge of vuzu parties.Teenagers take drugs and often engage in risky unprotected group sex at the parties.Police said there is a growing trend of youths causing anarchy in the city centre or organising the infamous parties on the last Saturday before schools open and first Saturday after schools close.Schools open for the second term on Tuesday. Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said cops would not only target the rowdy youths but also kombi crews that usually transport them to party destinations."On May 2 Officer Commanding Bulawayo Central District Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Phiri held a meeting with several stakeholders including social welfare, National Aids Council, Bulawayo City Council land inspection officers, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and two representatives from parents' bodies," said Insp Ncube."Of concern was the risky behaviour by these youths, who will be drunk, a nuisance in the city centre and making noise while riding on kombis and hanging from the windows of the cars. There is also a concern that these kids would be abusing dangerous drugs."He said in the meeting they resolved to arrest those youths who would be found to be disorderly, drunk and causing commotion in the city centre."We want to warn all the youths that we have resolved to increase police deployments in anticipation of their rowdy behaviour. We will also arrest kombi drivers who provide these teenagers transport and impound their vehicles. Therefore, we are appealing to parents to pay closer attention to their children's activities so that they will not be found on the wrong side of the law," he said.Insp Ncube said they will also be conducting an anti-drugs campaign in the city centre as they worry that teens were abusing dangerous substances. Last week on Saturday, police arrested 49 youths aged between 15 and 25 years for criminal nuisance and public drinking.Meanwhile, parents in Bulawayo have been urged to create a culture of dialogue with their children in order to preserve the moral fabric of the city's communities and the future of youths.At a #AntiVuzu stakeholders' meeting organised by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) at City Presbyterian Church yesterday, it was resolved that intensive research be undertaken to find the root cause of teenage delinquency and moral degradation, as evidenced by the rise of vuzu parties.The meeting was attended by various youth-centred non-governmental organisations. Speaking at the meeting, Junior Chamber International Bulawayo chapter local president Mrs Sinqobile Demadema said sexual immorality among the youth was worrying, adding that some girls as young as 13 years are selling their bodies for jiggies and recharge cards.Thamsanqa Ndlovu, chairman of Parents Youths Association of Zimbabwe said that parents must work with the Bulawayo City Council and MPs in implementing policies that are meant to safeguard the future of the youth."The city council, through its housing and community services department made a policy document on February 9, 2012, named the Sustainable Economic Development Initiative and is meant to benefit youths. As parents, we need to implement the document to alleviate the scourge of drug and sexual abuse among youths."We need to engage the youth and find ways of modernising Youth Centres so that they meet their needs. Members of Parliament must also be put to task because the country's constitution has provisions for reasonable measures and affirmative action that should be taken to deal with the youth," said Ndlovu.Ndlovu added that the generational gap between children and parents and technological advancements cannot be blamed for youths engaging in wayward behaviour as parents have a duty to engage their children on issues that affect them. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has threatened to come hard on civil servants who yesterday snubbed the national clean-up campaign, saying they would find themselves out of jobs.Addressing Chitungwiza residents, Mnangagwa said some of his staffers did not participate in the national clean-up programme and opted to stay put in their offices."As I was leaving office, I saw some civil servants seated in their offices as if they did not know we have this programme. I said, okay, let me go since I want cleanliness and thesepeople (act as if they) do not know that I had declared this day as a national day. But let me say this; we shall see. They will find themselves in their rural areas. I don't know how they will live there since they will also find people there busy with the cleanliness programme," Mnangagwa said.Government last year announced that every first Friday of the month should be a national clean-up day as a way of promoting clean cities for tourism and economic growth.Mnangagwa has religiously led the event.He said since the launch of the programme in November, Harare central business district had changed its outlook and this he attributed to the support being given by residents.Mnangagwa came face-to-face with the water situation in Chitungwiza.He was told by the new town mayor Lovemore Maiko that the dormitory town was receiving water supplies from Harare at least twice a week, a feat the President said should be corrected.He invited the new mayor to his office so they could share the town's problems and see how government could assist."Mayor, when you find time, may you pay a visit to my office so that you tell me all your problems and we find out how we can help each other," Mnangagwa said."If there are problems that we can solve, we solve them and if they are problems that we cannot solve, we will put them aside."Maiko said he was prepared to engage Mnangagwa. News / National by Staff reporter CONTROVERSIAL businessman Shepherd Tundiya signed a contract between Hwange Colliery Company (HCC) and his brother's company called Philcool to ferry coal despite not being a director of the company.This was revealed by Tendai Muza, a forensic auditor and investigator with Ralph Bomment Greenacre and Reynolds, who said that it was suspicious that Tundiya signed a contract for a company in which he was not a director.Philcool Investments (Private) Limited's directors were Wilfred Tundiya, Talent Munyoro and Thethelesa Musarurwa. The company is based at 3623/17 Extension at Mbizo in Kwekwe and was reportedly contracted by Hwange to load coal into trucks using front-end loaders.Muza said it was shocking that at Hwange Colliery, several companies performed incompatible functions of loading coal instead of the company repairing conveyor belts at a cost of $2million and save money."Philcool entered into a contract, whereby, it took responsibility for functions at the metallurgical operations department for clearing and loading coal at Chaba Mine plants and to doopen cast mining and any other works as assigned by the mine," Muza said."The charge per hour was fixed at US$103,65 and the payment was at the agreed terms set out in the contract, on a monthly basis and calculated using time sheets as compiled and agreed to by the contractor and HCC representatives."However, not any one of the directors of the company signed this contract between Philcool and HCC. A person, Shepherd Tundiya, who is not a director of Philcool, signed this contract on June 26, 2017."Muza said, in his attempts to link Tundiya (Shepherd) with Philcool, it was established that there was something strange goings on because the actual contract was signed by Tundiya, who is a director of another company, Avim.When Muza gave oral evidence before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines last year, he said: "This means that Philcool and Avim are linked and were doing the lifting of the coal into trucks and delivering it to other places without using weighbridges, which are not consistently used and it creates room that while Hwange is mining, someone else iseating their produce because the ICT (information communication technology) systems at Hwange are not functioning properly, and there is no completeness of records."He said Philcool took control of the loading of coal when it was raw.Muza said one C Munyamane, who is a sectional engineer (electrical services), signed for HCC, but there was also no documentation that gave Munyamane the authority to bind the mine."Given that Tundiya (Shepherd) is not a director of Philcool Investments, we did not find documentation at the mine which would authorise a person from another company where he is not an official to come and enter into a contract with HCC."Accordingly, two possibly unauthorised persons entered into an agreement that bound HCC to a contract of works. Philcool owes HCC $170 852, 67 in prepayments for works contrary to the agreement. There are payments to Philcool that are not supported by invoices," the forensic audit said. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration is bankrolling the memorial service of the late former Zimbabwe Prime Minister and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, which is being held at his Buhera home today, NewsDay Weekender has gathered.Tsvangirai's family yesterday paid tribute to Mnangagwa, saying his government had stood with the family even from the days when he was ill.The former trade unionist, who died last year after battling with cancer of the colon for two years and was accorded a State-assisted funeral, rose to international prominence, first as the secretary-general of a militant Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and later as leader of the MDC, which has provided the sternest challenge to Zanu-PF hegemony in local politics since independence.He was arrested and tortured countless times under the regime of former President Robert Mugabe, who was overthrown in a November 2017 coup, paving way for Mnangagwa.In an interview yesterday, Tsvangirai's brother and family spokesperson, Manase, said they were grateful for the gesture by the government."As a family, we want to thank the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the support. Had it not been for them, we don't know how we were going to manage," he said."They helped us since the time when Tsvangirai was ill by paying hospital bills. When he died, they assisted us with repatriating the body and getting air tickets for the family members who were outside the country, and food at the funeral."Now, government is saying it is committed to feed the 5 000 people that are expected to attend the memorial. They are providing food, water, mobile toilets and other things. Otherwise, as a family, it was going to be very difficult to manage."Yesterday, Manase said government had also provided equipment to repair roads leading to the homestead.He also paid tribute to some individual MDC party members who contributed towards Tsvangirai's tombstone.He said they approached the MDC and were told that there were limited resources, but there were individual party members who decided to pool their resources together for the tombstone.Manase said it was all systems go for the memorial and all logistical arrangements were in place."This is a very big day. We expect people to be disciplined and peaceful. If they say Tsvangirai was an icon, then we don't expect them to be indisciplined," he said.Manase also thanked MDC leader Nelson Chamisa for his assistance and desire to see a successful memorial for the late Prime Minister.Chaos reigned during the burial of Tsvangirai last year after rival MDC factions turned on each other because of fights over who would succeed the late founding leader of the party."We would like to thank Chamisa for actually cautioning renegades that he would not tolerate rogue behaviour by those who may want to cause problems. He assured us that security would be guaranteed. He has pre-warned some party members over behaviour unbefitting of the icon Tsvangirai," Manase said.A few weeks before the death of Tsvangirai, Mnangagwa made a surprise visit to the former Premier's Highlands home, where he also pledged assistance. News / National by Staff reporter INDIVIDUALS aggrieved by the outcome of specific elections for particular positions, are the ones likely to be affected by any re-runs in the opposition MDC congress, if their appeals are upheld, party spokesperson Jacob Mafume has said.There have been widespread reports that the MDC internal elections at lower levels, set to culminate in the national congress to be held later this month, have been marred by a host of irregularities including ballot stuffing, intimidation, violence and manipulation of procedures.A group of disgruntled party members from Bulawayo has already petitioned the party's national executive council seeking to overturn the provincial elections outcome.Reports also indicate there will be re-runs in at least five districts in the Midlands while there is growing likelihood that provincial outcomes in Mashonaland Central and Manicaland could be contested or better still overturned.But Mafume scoffed at suggestion these numerous complaints or appeals could have material effect to the nomination of senior leaders to top jobs including that of party leader Nelson Chamisa."Its not possible for anyone to wake up and say we must overturn a provincial outcome. How do they do that? The issue is, if for example an individual who wanted to contest for treasurer have grounds that they were prejudiced of a win, they would appeal and that will be heard on its merits."Even if their appeal is successful it would not have a material effect on the delegates who made up the provincial congress to nominate the national leadership. The same people including the losers were party to that process," said Mafume.Chamisa was nominated by all 13 MDC political provinces, effectively meaning he will not be contested despite earlier indications that secretary general Douglas Mwonzora might spring a surprise and bid for the presidency.But insiders argued that, if as is the case in the Midlands five districts were to have their results overturned on the basis of electoral fraud, this would mean the provincial council that sat to nominate national leaders was irregular."If the results of these districts are overturned on the basis of manipulation, fraud, disenfranchisement and such other malpractice then the net effect is that the whole process was a charade."Let alone if we have one or two provinces having their results overturned," newzimbabwe.com heard.But Mafume was adamant that it would be "stretching it too far to expect this.""It is like a national election. You cannot say the Zimbabwean election has been contested. One needs to be specific and point to a particular outcome like Mt Pleasant Ward 17 were I represent. If I think there were anomalies that would not be taken to affect all council elections," Mafume added.However, newzimbabwe.com is in possession of numerous letters of complaints and appeals regarding the manner in which the congress was held. Mafume would not say when the appeals will be heard. News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been commended for availing financial and logistical support for the memorial service of the former Prime Minister and MDC founder, the late Mr Morgan Tsvangirai who died in February 2014.In his address at the memorial service for the latter held at Makanda Primary School in Humanikwa village, Buhera, MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa paid tribute to President Mnangagwa and the government for the assistance saying it is consistent with President Mnangagwa's commitment to unity and peace.Government availed two graders to clear the road leading to the venue and also provided food for the delegates who attended the memorial service.Government also gave the Tsvangirai mansion in Highlands to his widow, Elizabeth two years after the death of the MDC founder Mr Tsvangirai.Meanwhile, poor attendance from party supporters and the diplomatic community marked the memorial service for the late MDC founder.For a man, the rank and file of the MDC Alliance claims to revere for his contribution to the party and its mother, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions' attendance to the memorial service of Dr Tsvangirai must have left many wondering how quickly he has become a distant memory.An impatient crowd that attended the event could not wait for the MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa to complete his speech before starting to disperse.Mr Chamisa had to plead with them to wait until the guest of honour, Zambian trade unionist Faxon Shamenda delivered his speech.In his address, Mr Shamenda made a plea to government and the MDC Alliance to continue taking care of the family.Only two ambassadors from European Union and Angola attended the event. News / National by Staff reporter A SELF-STYLED Chipinge traditional healer is lucky to be alive after being given a thorough hiding by a male neighbour whose pregnant wife he allegedly snatched and tried to terminate the pregnancy.The matter came to light during the appearance of Nicholas Moyokudu, of Chibuwe Communal Lands, before Chipinge magistrate Mr Joshua Nembaware facing assault charges, this week.The matter was remanded to May 8 after Moyokudu requested for the services of a lawyer.Moyokudu pleaded not guilty, arguing that the traditional healer Enoch Mabure (55), eloped with his wife and children."I assaulted him (traditional healer) after he ran away with my wife. She was pregnant and he wanted to help her abort. I do not have my wife at home; she ditched me together with my minor children for him,'' he said.Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube told the court that on November 21, 2018, Moyokudu's wife went to the traditional healer's homestead seeking his services since she was unwell.The two are close neighbours."Mabure told the woman that he could not help her in the absence of her husband, and she return home intending to return with Moyokudu. The woman did not return to the traditional healer place since Moyokudu had refused to accompany her."The following day Mabure visited Moyokudu's homestead asking why he had not accompanied his wife as he had instructed. A misunderstanding ensued where Mabure produced a sjambok and demanded to see the woman."However, Moyokudu disarmed Mabure and went on to whip him using the sjambok. Mabure escaped and made a police report at Chibuwe police station, leading to the arrest of Moyokudu," she said. News / National by Staff reporter HUNDREDS of people have visited the late popular traditional healer Sekuru Ndunge's homestead in Chipinge since his death a month ago seeking permission to carry on using his paraphernalia from his family, his eldest son Jabu has said.Born Charles Ndunge Makhuyana, Sekuru Ndunge, as he was fondly referred to, not only by his kith and kin in the sprawling tea estates of Chipinge but nationwide and beyond, succumbed to diabetes and was laid to rest early last month at his homestead.The Weekender caught up with Jabu last Friday in Chipinge and after moments of prodding the late traditional healers' eldest surviving son opened up to The Weekender about events unfolding within the family a month after his father's death.Jabu confirmed that hundreds have visited their homestead seeking permission to continue using his late father's paraphernalia.He said others visited them to confirm whether they are supposed to return the money-spinning or luck-enhancing charms they obtained from his departed father, as widely purported through social media messages."I can safely say we have met hundreds of people who were my father's clients. They visited our homesteads in the past four weeks after the death of Sekuru Ndunge. They came to us asking whether it is true that they should now surrender the paraphernalia they got from my father. We told them that the choice is theirs. If they feel they can carry on using what they got from our father we have no problems with that. Those that wanted to surrender, we went through the necessary rituals."However, most of those that came to us said they wanted to continue using the paraphernalia they got from our father and we have no problems with that. They actually returned with whatever they got from Sekuru Ndunge," he said.Jabu was quick to complain about misrepresentation of facts in newspaper stories about his father's death."It is sad that some people are reporting falsehoods about things that have been going on since my father died. I have read that we have a list of people that sought help from my father but that is not true at all. It is news to me."Such misrepresentation of facts is actually damaging to the name of the family. Yes, my father was a famous traditional healer but that should not lead people into writing falsehoods. We are engaging our legal advisors on steps to take," he said.Sekuru Ndunge died at the age of 87.In a trade that spanned more than seven decades, Sekuru Ndunge gained popularity as he served people of different races and background from almost all parts of the globe.Nonetheless, Jabu could neither confirm nor deny that there is animosity between him and the eldest daughter of Sekuru Ndunge distribution of their father's tools of the trade."I really cannot say whether there is bad blood between me and my elder sister. She has not come out in the open to me about any of her alleged grievances so I cannot be the one to go out of my way to ask her whether she has any complains."What I simply did as the eldest surviving son was to ensure that everything is done in a proper traditional way. I stopped the process to distribute anything that belonged to my father until the appropriate time comes and that includes the things that he used in his work as well as all his belongings."I have received calls from as far as South Africa from people that want to buy those old vintage vehicles that belonged to my father but I turned down their enticing offers. We are not parceling out anything that belonged to my father at the moment, not even the money that he left behind. If that did not go down well with anyone within the family, so be it. I am only doing what is supposed to be done."Once again I will have to reiterate that the issue of succeeding our father is purely a traditional matter that has to be done in a traditional way. No one has the moral right to declare themselves my father's successors when there are traditional processes to be followed," he said.The eldest surviving child of Sekuru Ndunge, Jane did not mince her words as she literally declared herself the successor on the sidelines of her father's funeral wake early last month."I am now a fully fledged traditional healer and I am based nearby across the border on the Mozambican side. During the time that my father was not feeling well, I even assisted him on a number of occasions. There could be some among my siblings who would want to practice but they have not been open about it. I can safely say I am the one who is carrying on with my father's work," Jane Ndunge said.Vintage vehicles from Bentley, Datsun 120Y to Peugeot 504s as well as SUV vehicles scattered around his homestead were part of gifts that Sekuru Ndunge received from a wide range of clients that included prominent politicians, businessmen, clergymen and other traditional healers. News / National by Staff Reporter AN increasingly flippant MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday desperately reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa by calling for dialogue between his beleagured party and Zanu-PF.He said the opposition party, which is currently in the throes of internecine power struggles ahead of its congress this month, will try to rope in regional countries to facilitate the envisaged talks. Chamisa's overtures - made at the memorial service of the late MDC president and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at Humanikwa Village in Buhera, Manicaland, yesterday - come barely three days after he threatened to roll out protests, which have often been turning violent."We do not want to remove Zanu-PF by force, but for our agenda to move forward (as a country), there has to be political dialogue. Dialogue between Zanu-PF and the MDC, dialogue between President Mnangagwa and us. After congress, I am going around Sadc lobbying for the regional bloc to come and assist us and work with us," he said.The MDC-Alliance has been snubbing the national political parties' dialogue initiated by President Mnangagwa with 18 other opposition parties that contested in last year's general elections. However, for the first time since the 30 July harmonised elections, Chamisa acknowledged President Mnangagwa and thanked him for extending support towards the memorial service."Whenever something good has been done, we have to acknowledge. If you accept me as a leader you listen to me, allow me to thank the presence of members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) who are maintaining order here . . . I differ with (President) Mnangagwa in a lot of things, but when good things have been done, we should acknowledge," he said.The memorial, which degenerated into a political rally of the opposition party, also brought to the fore current tensions within the fractious party.The party's high-ranking officials, vice-president Engineer Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, were sidelined, with the latter seated at the back row. Speaking at the same event, Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java daughter to the late politician and Glen View South Member of Parliament described her father as a unifier. She also thanked Government for supporting her late father's memorial."Our father was a unifier who managed to bring all Zimbabweans together. This memorial is important to us as we celebrate his life. It helps in bringing closure to the sad chapter of losing him. I reiterate the call in thanking Government for the logistical and material support they rendered during this memorial, we are very appreciative of that," she said.Mr Tsvangirai succumbed colon cancer in February 2018 and was buried at his rural home. News / National by Staff reporter THE delivery of the Embraer ERJ-145 last week, with two more Embraers and two Boeing 777-200ERs set to join the fleet this year, marks a major milestone in the revival of Air Zimbabwe, and crucially, it demonstrates the new administration's desire to resuscitate critical State-Owned Enterprises.Air Zimbabwe's Embraer touched down at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Tuesday mid-morning, and gives the company an opportunity to fly right sized equipment on domestic and regional routes.Its commissioning is expected in the next few days as the Embraer, which has Zimbabwe Airways colours and logos , has to get Air Zimbabwe livery in the next 21 days.Air Zimbabwe corporate services manager Mr Tafadzwa Mazonde told The Sunday Mail Business last week that the coming of the Embraer dovetails with the institution's strategic plan."The arrival of the Embraer is a key step and a major leap in terms of the journey towards the revival of Air Zimbabwe. In terms of the strategic plan that we have developed, one of the key pillars upon which the revival of Air Zimbabwe is anchored on is the procurement of right sized equipment," said Mr Mazonde."What we are saying is that we need equipment which is appropriate for the route network that we are operating. The current fleet that we have, the Boeing 767s, they are designed to fly for a minimum of at least six hours going upwards but we are flying them on distances of 30 minutes (and one and half hours)."That on its own has costs to it and therefore becomes an inappropriate piece of equipment in relation to that route network. So the delivery of the Embraer would then mean that gradually, we are getting within our fleet the properly sized equipment which will enable us to increase our revenue and at the same time reduce operational costs, which will in the long run translate to profitability for the airline."Mr Mazonde said two more Embraers are expected this year but could not be drawn into giving timelines.He said procurement of aircraft, particularly pre-used ones, was difficult as one waits until the desired aircraft that matches the available resources, was on the market."But in total, we are saying that within this year, we are expecting to have two aircraft and maybe some of them (would be) the Boeing 777s and then in the course of the journey, once we have got approvals for the procurement of the other Boeings 737-700, they would come."So there are a number of processes that will precede the arrival of those aircraft and that on its own makes it difficult for me to give you an exact date," said Mr Mazonde.The B777s, which were acquired from Malaysia, have been paid for in full and await delivery any time soon.These would be deployed on long distances such Harare-London, a lucrative route for the national airline as many travellers preferred it to other airlines since it would fly directly to Gatwick International Airport due to the country's colonial ties with England.Meanwhile, Air Zimbabwe has begun the process registering the Embraer.Once the registration, repainting and all the mandatory procedures are concluded, the Embraer would be ushered into the skies. News / National by Staff reporter BELARUS has set sights on establishing a state-of-the-art dairy facility in Zimbabwe as part of efforts to improve milk production in the country.Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Retired Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri said following a state visit to the Eurasia nations in the company of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in January he had the opportunity to stay in Belarus for another week familiarising himself with that country's agricultural sector. He said during his stay he was impressed by Belarus' dairy industry and engaged officials from the Eastern Europe country to consider setting up a relatively similar model in Zimbabwe."I also had the opportunity of visiting a state-of-the-art dairy farm and there was only one individual employed to work on the farm, which had over 2 000 milking cows and everything else was computerised and I hope one day we will have something close to that here in Zimbabwe. From there we went to a factory where they produce a whole range of dairy products and after that we persuaded them to come and have a similar set-up here in Zimbabwe for both dairy farm and a dairy processing facility or milk processing facility," Minister Shiri said.He said a delegation from Belarus recently visited the country on a feasibility study."We have since received a delegation going around the country and they promised that they are going to establish such a facility. So we are looking forward to that day that our friends are going to invest in the dairy industry, though we wouldn't want it to be highly computerised because we need a lot of our people to be employed. While technology is a good thing, I don't think we have reached that stage where we will want everything to be done by computer or to be automated . . . ," said Minister Shiri.The country used to produce about 260 million litres of milk in the early 1990s, but the figure has dropped to 70 million litres of raw milk produced last year against a national demand of 120 million litres. Dairy experts estimate that the country is spending more than $7 million per month on importing powdered milk and butter as raw milk producers continue failing to meet demand owing to a myriad of challenges chief among them being lack of foreign currency for the procurement of inputs as well as a depleted national dairy herd.Minister Shiri said the Government would also consider engaging Belarus for the supply of fertilisers as it was one of the biggest producers of fertiliser potassium in the world. Fertiliser potassium is sometimes called "potash", a term that comes from an early production technique where potassium was leached from wood ashes and concentrated by evaporating the leachate in large iron pots ("pot-ash")."I also learnt that Belarus is a major producer of potash, which is a raw material used for the production of fertiliser and the fertilisers that we use are NPKS . . . and in Zimbabwe we only have phosphate. We need a lot of potash, our soils are lacking in terms of potash," said Minister Shiri.He said farmers should seize the opportunity to explore the existing horticultural produce market in Belarus."There is an opportunity for our people to go and open shops in Belarus, so that they can order vegetables from Zimbabwe and distribute them in Belarus and there is no law of nature that states that Belarusians should come and invest in Zimbabwe but we cannot go and invest in Belarus, we have got some competitive advantage in a number of areas," said Minister Shiri. News / National by Staff reporter THE Government has started working on modalities to compensate former white commercial farmers who lost land during the country's agrarian reform programme on improvements they made on the farms with payments expected to be made before the end of this year, a Cabinet Minister said.Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said plans to compensate the farmers were at an advanced stage and further reaffirmed the Government's position and commitment of ensuring the completion of the process this year."It is in the Constitution that we are going to compensate farmers. We allocated $53 million in the National Budget (for that purpose) and we are busy now looking for the farmers, the right names so that we can pay them off in the next few months," he said.Prof Ncube said the Government had reached an agreement pertaining to the compensation procedures."We have moved towards the grand agreement with farmers to conclude this issue and move on and support our agricultural sector. So the debate about not compensating farmers is misplaced we have to compensate the farmers it is in the Constitution," he said.Last week it was reported that at least 900 white former commercial farmers who lost land during the land reform programme had registered for compensation."We have about 900 farmers who have responded to the call and registered. We are now verifying with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. Those people will be notified of the final outcome around the 10th of May and working with the ministry, payment modalities will be known," Commercial Farmers' Union director Mr Ben Gilpin was quoted as having said.Prof Ncube, as part of ensuring improved production in the country's agricultural sector, said there was a need for banks to start accepting farmers' 99-year leases to enable them to enhance their productivity at farms.The 99-year lease can be used as collateral for borrowing from financial institutions and can be registered at the Deeds Registry."I still hear bankers have issues with the 99-year leases please finalise that . . . I don't know what the hold-up is with bankers all I can say is that please help us so that we can close that issue of 99 year leases and move forward," said Prof Ncube.Despite getting 99-year leases from the Government, farmers are still struggling to get access to credit on the basis of these documents because most financiers still deem them as not legally acceptable. News / National by Staff reporter A Bulawayo woman Aquilinia Kayidza Pamberi, who at one time was among different women suspected to be in a relationship with the late MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, is facing jail after a Bulawayo magistrate issued a warrant of arrest against her after she failed to pay a fine.Pamberi was convicted of fraud on 12 April and ordered to pay $500 fine by 30 April or face three months in jail.Bulawayo magistrate Miss Gradmore Mushove issued the warrant on Thursday after Pamberi failed to deposit the fine. In addition to the conviction, six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.Last year, two of Pamberi's luxury vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and Nissan Hardbody were attached and sold by the Sheriff of the Court over a $5 000 debt.The debt, which instigated investigations into her conduct, led to the discovery of her scam, leading to her subsequent arrest.According to court records, sometime in January last year Ms Chinyanda met Pamberi in the city centre, where she told the latter that she was seeking to raise $575 to pay the Deputy Sheriff for a writ of execution for a case that was ruled in her favour at the High Court.It was then stated that on 16 July, Ms Chinyanda and Pamberi met outside a boutique in the city centre, where Pamberi asked about her issue that was in the courts.Ms Chinyanda reportedly told Pamberi that the defendant in the issue had paid part of the money owed to her and also made an urgent chamber application at the High Court. Pamberi is then reported to have told Ms Chinyanda that she had a connection at the High Court, who was able to make a follow-up on the case. Pamberi is said to have later phoned Ms Chinyanda, saying that her contact had checked on the file at the court.On 18 July, Pamberi again phoned Ms Chinyanda requesting for a meeting over the issue. When they met Pamberi told Ms Chinyanda that the said connection had requested $10 000 in cash, so that he could assist her with the matter.Ms Chinyanda is reported to have told Pamberi that she did not have $10 000 but had $5 000, which she transferred to her bank account.Pamberi is then alleged to have phoned Ms Chinyanda telling her that she should instruct her lawyer to go to the High Court and apply for a sit down over the matter. Ms Chinyanda then requested to meet the alleged contact but Pamberi declined, saying the contact was not at liberty to meet her, assuring her that "all was in order".On a later date Pamberi phoned Ms Chinyanda telling her that her contact had not seen any opposing affidavits in the said case. That is when Ms Chinyanda's suspicions were raised and she demanded her money back, saying she should write an affidavit acknowledging that she owed her $5 000, which Pamberi refused to do.On 7 August, Pamberi is alleged to have sent a picture of a bank transfer, where she purported to have transferred $2 900 to Ms Chinyanda's account. However, upon investigations it was revealed that Pamberi had actually not done any transaction of that sort but allegedly forged the document. News / National by Staff reporter GOVERNMENT on Friday congratulated the Financial Gazette for standing the test of time and making an immense contribution to the country's economy.The iconic weekly, popularly known as the Fingaz, started operating in 1969 and celebrated 50 years in business on Friday.Speaking at the Financial Gazette's landmark Golden Jubilee dinner held in Harare on Friday evening, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa lauded the 'Pink Paper' for its distinguished reportage, pointing out that the paper has consistently retained its market share since its opening.The Information minister also applauded the paper's contribution to the economic growth of country.She also encouraged Modus Media, which owns the weekly, to grow its media portfolio - taking advantage of the new dispensation which has opened up the airwaves. News / National by Staff reporter Police have arrested 131 young people including a 13-year-old boy in Bulawayo over the infamous vuzu parties that were held in the city over the weekend.The youths who are being held in custody will appear in court tomorrow. ZRP Acting Spokesperson for Bulawayo province, Inspector Abednico Ncube told reporters that police rounded up the youths on Saturday evening.Some of the young people are alleged to have been drunk on alcohol and drugs. Among the arrested are 15 girls while the youngest of the juveniles is said to be 13 years old."We discovered alcohol, drugs and used condoms," said Inspector Ncube. Besides alcohol which the youths are said to have been drinking, the police also found sex enhancing pills.Meanwhile, the ZRP has appealed to parents and other members of the community to assist law enforcement agencies in dealing with the vuzu parties scourge which has rocked Bulawayo. Opinion / Columnist After many Zimbabweans' lives have been plunged into deep impoverishment and great uncertainty by a series of price increases which have nearly become the order of the day since the declaration of Mnangagwa into office by the Con court last year, it is unfortunate that Minister Mathema saw it fit to hold a press conference only to announce that the government throne was under threat from unnamed foreign nationals in connivance with some civic societies in Zimbabwe. This effectively showed Zimbabweans that the government is not concerned about their plight and welfare but instead they care much about power.Mathema went on to assure the nation that they were ready to defend their throne from any threat.It is very unfortunate that the government can only assure it's citizens the safety of their throne while it cannot assure economic and price stability, better living standards or simply a life tomorrow. It is neither surprising nor a new phenomenon that Zanu-PF government has prioritised power at the time its citizens are swimming in poverty.To make matters worse the government has chosen to blame the MDC-Alliance and the business for its shortcomings. Minister Mathema in his press statement said,"It must be known that those economic challenges facing the country were brought about by the MDC. The sanctions were brought about by the MDC-Alliance, so it is laughable that we should be accused, as Government, of causing the economic challenges." The Zanu-PF government have been known for not accepting responsibility for any economic misfortune which bedevils the country since the era of Mugabe but instead they shift the blame to others. When prices of commodities skyrocketed in October 2018, the government blamed everyone except itself. Consumers were blamed for panicking, the business community for hoarding goods while the MDC-Alliance was blamed for sabotaging the economy. This time the government has again blamed MDC-Alliance and the business community for yet another wave of price increases. This shows the magnitude of the lack of responsibility and accountability from the Zanu-PF government. Surely a bus driver can't blame his failure to negotiate a curve on passengers.Zimbabweans deserve better. We deserve a more responsible and accountable government. A government whose policies are people-centred.--------Terrence Wuragu writes in his own capacity and can be contacted on 0775524121 or wuragut@gmail.com. Opinion / Columnist Each year the 1893 Mthwakazi (Matebeleland) Human Rights Restoration Movement (1893 MHRRM), in partnership with stakeholders, will be organising and encouraging the organising of Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide Memorial Day (MGGMD) Commemorative Events in Matebeleland, United Kingdom, South Africa and in other parts of the world to remember 50 000 to 100 000 Matebele who were murdered by the state of Zimbabwe between 1980 and 1987 using a North Korean trained exclusively Shona ethnic brigade called the 5th Brigade of Zimbabwe or Gukurahundi.For those not in the know, Gukurahundi is a word from an ethnic Shona language in Zimbabwe that means the early rains that washes away the chaff before the spring rains.In UK, the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide Memorial Commemorative Day will be on the 29th June 2019 at:St Martin's Church Centre, 33 Parkstone Road, Desford, LE9 9HY, LeicestershireTime 12:00 noon to 18:00 pmThe Memorial Commemorative Day will feature personal testimonies from survivors of the Genocide, films, poetry and music. It will also feature shared testimonies from other surviving genocide victims of other Nations of the world. It will make a strong call for the Zimbabwean government to stop exhumations and reburial of the dead without international forensic work being done by forensic experts leading to destruction of crime evidence.Our Declaration Statement of Commitment- We painfully recognize that the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide was the first Genocide of its kind in post-colonial Southern Africa and that it must be universally condemned by the international community.- We value all those who made sacrifices to expose the Genocide to the world and all those who sacrificed their lives to protect Matebeleland people from the evils of Gukurahundism or those who have given sanctuary to the people of Matebeleland around the world- We commit to working with all stakeholders in Matebeleland to agree on a Memorial Day that will be chosen by all our people for future yearly Commemorative Events- We commit to the Collective Memorization of the Genocide by the people of Matebeleland in public spaces in Matebeleland and in other parts of the World in honour of the dead and surviving victims of the Genocide.- We commit to campaign against planned burial site exhumations of the victims of Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide without an Independent assembled team ofForensic anthropologists and archaeologists to investigate and gather evidence of this crime against humanity- We commit on calling on the international community, through the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to support the people of Matebeleland to attain Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing and this support will speak to the United Nations' Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide adopted 71 years ago.- We profoundly commit ourselves to use Commemorative Memorial Days to campaign for the UNHRC to establish an independent and competent Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry into the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide for the purposes of establishing Truth and achieving Justice, Reparations and Healing for Matebeleland.- We pledge our fervent or deep-seated and principled commitment to campaign for Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing for Matebeleland people and all who have suffered from the evils of genocide in other parts of the world- We strongly affirm the Rights of the people of Matebeleland to be free from tribalism, racism, discrimination, prejudice, mass displacement from their lands, cultural imperialism, educational and economic genocide in Zimbabwe- We condemn the evils of tribalism, racism, discrimination, property rights violations, prejudice, mass land displacements, cultural imperialism, educational and economic genocide faced by people of Matebeleland and others- We commit to equip our generation and generations to come with education/studies and research about the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide and genocides in other parts of the World so as to understand causes and consequences of genocides around the World in order to prevent them- We invite individuals, diverse traditional leadership, diverse organizations, the media, various institutions, various faith-based groups, diverse human rights organizations, political organizations and their leaderships in Matebeleland and in all parts of the civilized World to join us in our unshakable commitment to achieve Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing for the people of Matebeleland and for all those people who have suffered the brunt of killings and displacements in Zimbabwe for being who they are.For more details about the planned Memorial Day please email or telephone us on the following details:Email: 1893informationpublicitysecs@gmail.com Tel: +44 (0) 7889 422 695Released by 1893 MHRRM Information and Publicity Department, May 2019 Opinion / Columnist THE last article looked at the way one obtains a Prospecting Licence and gets to peg a mine. Today's article will look at starting your gold mining company. After considering all the requirements for starting a gold mine business, we have to take a look further at analysing and drafting a business plan. The gold mining business is indeed a profitable business but you must be ready to scale through very high barriers before launching this type of business.Mining activities include the on-site development of ore into a concentrate or bullion. Gold mining companies typically retain ownership of the semi-processed gold products and pay further refining on the toll-charge basis. The first point is to come up with an Executive Summary which looks at the company's goals and how they will achieve the set goals. The Executive Summary also looks at the market in summary and seeks to demonstrate all the activities that will be carried out by the company.The next point of call is stating the Product and Services that will be provided by the company. The aim is mainly to maximise profits in the mining industry. In small-scale mining the products can be gold ore, silver ore, gold ore beneficiation, silver beneficiation and gold and silver bullion, ore and concentrates.After talking about the Product and Services, the next stage is coming up with the Vision Statement. This may be to become the number one brand in the gold industry. There is then the Mission Statement which can be to build a gold mining company that will be listed among the top five gold mining companies in Zimbabwe. The Business Structure is the part that looks at the different positions within the company. The Chief Executive Officer is mainly the owner followed by the Mine Manager, there is the Human resources and Administration Manager, Accountants, Gold and mining casual workers, truck drivers and the customer service executives.------The writer Trynos Khumbulani Nkomo, an Insiza miner, writes in his own personal capacity. Opinion / Columnist Mnangagwa has failed to lead the country in the interests of all Zimbabweans. He has continued to be in election campaign mode and thus prompted him to act as a Zanu PF leader who is there to only look after the interests of the ruling party supporters.ED is forgetting that after his "controversial win" in last year's election, he was elected to be the leader of all Zimbabweans despite political, racial or religious differences.In fact, Mnangagwa is failing on five fronts as follows:Corruption and looting have taken root during his nearly two-year rule.Lack of Rule of law as citizens continue to have their democratic rights stifled with unarmed demonstrators being gunned down on the streets of Harare.Political reforms continue to be deliberately undermined as ZEC is unreformed and undemocratic laws continue to be used against political opponents.No generational succession plan is in place as exhibited by the three old men occupying the presidential seats.Economic reforms have been lukewarm and have failed to benefit the person on the street albeit with wasteful expenditure caused by Mnangagwa's thirst for foreign trips.Unless ED acknowledges the need for visionary leadership anchored on deep and meaningful reforms, he will continue to be the stumbling block to the country's prosperity.Moreover, there is no sovereign equity in Mnangagwa's deals with foreign investors. This resource auction is why any future looking Zimbabwean should be weary. In any case it has been proven elsewhere in other countries that when politicians carry out a coup and they do not step aside; government institutions are weakened by murky resources deals and poor leadership caused by factional patronage.Zimbabweans cannot continue to applaud Mnangagwa for keeping them in the past when the future beckons economic prosperity if democracy, good governance, proper institutions, participatory citizenship and visionary leadership is given a chance. Businessperson's Hand Putting Coin In Piggybank Back in March, Id discussed three strategies for TFSA investors. I tend to value an aggressive strategy in a TFSA, especially for young investors, but an income-focused strategy can be highly lucrative. This is especially true when investors lock up equities that pay monthly income. Today, we are going to look at three stocks to stash in your TFSA. Each one offers a monthly dividend payout that can help you scoop up tax-free income at a nice clip. Chorus Aviation (TSX:CHR) Chorus Aviation is a Canadian holding company that aims to deliver regional aviation to the world through its many businesses. Shares of Chorus had climbed 32.9% in 2019 as of close on May 1. The stock was still down 3.7% from the prior year. Chorus recently announced that it will release its first-quarter results on May 8. In 2018, net income increased $6.4 million from the prior year to $121.8 million, or $0.89 per share. Adjusted EBITDA surged 19.4% year over year to $342.7 million on the back of increased earnings in the regional aircraft leasing segment. Chorus last paid out a monthly dividend of $0.04 per share. This represents an attractive 6.4% yield. Chorus stock boasts a high valuation ahead of its next earnings release, as the stock is trading close to 52-week highs in early May. Still, income investors can feel good about the nice yield going forward. Pembina Pipeline (TSX:PPL)(NYSE:PBA) Pembina Pipeline is a Calgary-based integrated energy infrastructure company based in western Canada and North Dakota. Shares of Pembina had climbed 17.7% in 2019 as of close on May 1. The stock was up 16% from the prior year. The company announced that it will deliver its first-quarter results on May 3. As of this writing, those results have not been made public, but readers today will have access to the Friday earnings. In 2018, Pembina achieved record results as total revenue rose to $7.35 billion compared to $5.40 billion in the prior year. Net earnings climbed to $1.27 billion, or $2.28 per share, over $883 million, or $1.87 per share, in 2017. Story continues On April 9, Pembina declared a common share dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a 4.7% yield. Extendicare (TSX:EXE) Extendicare is a Markham-based long-term care facilities company. Early last year, Id discussed why changing demographics were on the side of companies like Extendicare. Aging demographics in Canada will see the consumer base for Extendicare balloon in the coming decades. It is a fantastic long-term growth option and made even better when we take its dividend into account. The company is set to release its first-quarter results after the market closes on May 14. In 2018, total revenue increased to $1.12 billion compared to $1.09 billion in the prior year. Net operating income from Canadian operations rose 2.3% year over year to $3 million. Extendicare last announced an April 2019 dividend of $0.04 per share. This represents a tasty 5.9% yield. Extendicare is a bit on the pricey side ahead of its next earnings report, but once again the income boon makes it a suitable target in early May. More reading Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Chorus, Pembina, and Extendicare are recommendations of Stock Advisor Canada. Chorus is a recommendation of Dividend Investor Canada. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019 CBC journalists in Montreal and Quebec City have won two awards for excellence in reporting from the Canadian Association of Journalists. Quebec City reporter Catou MacKinnon has won the inaugural APTN/CAJ Reconciliation Award, created to "recognize the work of a non-Indigenous journalist whose reporting has broadened the understanding of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples." Her reporting over the course of several months went beyond the testimony at the Viens Commission the Quebec public inquiry called in response to allegations that vulnerable First Nations women in Val-d'Or, Que., had been mistreated and abused by provincial police officers. MacKinnon connected the dots between various allegations and unnamed officers to track results and find out what, if anything, happens to a police officer who breaches the police Code of Ethics. Verity Stevenson/CBC Read highlights from Catou MacKinnon's continuing coverage: The shadowy world of temp agency work A team of Montreal journalists has won the CWA Canada/CAJ Award for Excellence in Labour Reporting, honouring reporting on the social, economic and political factors that impact the labour environment in Canada. The team, which includes Verity Stevenson, Jaela Bernstien, Jessica Rubinger, Jean-Philippe Robillard, Daniel Boily, Antoni Nerestant and Meeker Guerrier, told the story of a Haitian asylum seeker recruited into black-market work in a meat plant who suffered a serious injury in a workplace accident. Paolo's story showed how recruiters exploited gaps in Quebec's labour laws. As a result of the CBC News team's reports, changes to the law were introduced, and several government agencies, including Quebec's workplace health and safety board, launched investigations and conducted raids on the companies involved. Earlier this year, Paolo was finally granted compensation for his injury. Read more on Paolo's ordeal and the repercussions: Story continues Emelie Rivard-Boudreau/Radio-Canada The CAJ awards recognize the best in investigative journalism across the country. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says federal-provincial legal battles are becoming a normal part of intergovernmental relations in Canada. "It's sure unfortunate that that does seem to be the case," he told Chris Hall, host of CBC Radio's The House. Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal ruled Friday that the carbon tax imposed on the province by the federal government is constitutionally sound and falls within the legislative authority of Parliament. Almost immediately after the ruling, Moe said his government plans to file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Friday's court ruling was a split decision, with two of the five judges dissenting from the ruling. Moe said that dissent gives him reason to believe an appeal could be successful. "We had two judges that had put forward that they did believe this was not constitutional, that the federal government should not have the ability to to implement this tax on hardworking Saskatchewan residents," Moe said. The province has about 30 days to appeal, according to Saskatchewan Attorney General Don Morgan. The provincial government would act as an intervener in other court challenges against the carbon tax, the premier said. "We'll be intervening in any and all of their cases that they put forward against this policy," Moe said. Manitoba and Ontario have launched court challenges against the carbon tax, which was implemented by the federal government on April 1 in provinces that did not have their own carbon pricing plan that satisfied criteria laid out by Ottawa. National unity crisis? But the federal carbon tax is not the only catalyst for legal battles. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney warned the Senate against passing the federal Liberal government's environmental assessment bill in its current form, saying it risks inflaming a burgeoning national unity "crisis" in his province. In an appearance before the upper house's energy committee Thursday, Kenney said that if Bill C-69 passes in its current form, he'll launch a constitutional challenge to kill the legislation. Story continues Bryan Eneas/CBC Moe echoed Kenney's point: C-69 and bills like it, he said, "are directly targeted at industries that are important to the province of Saskatchewan." Ontario Sen. Frances Lankin told The House she agrees the bill could create some unity issues, but added that Kenney isn't helping matters by calling it "crisis." "I would say with great respect to the premier, he has a leadership role," she said. "He needs to play a role and dampen down the rhetoric." Earlier this week, Kenney touched off another legal battle this one with the government of British Colombia. On Wednesday, Kenney confirmed that Bill 12 which purports to give Alberta the power to cut oil and gas exports to other provinces has become law. In response, British Columbia filed the legal paperwork in Alberta Court of Queen's Bench for an injunction and a constitutional challenge of Bill 12. Kenney insisted the new law will only be used if B.C. continues to obstruct the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. For his part, B.C. Premier John Horgan denied that his government was doing anything to delay the pipeline. He said his government has issued 309 of the 1,182 permits required and will continue to issue new ones in future. There are few places in the world like Skagway, Alaska. It's a remote town of about 1,000 year-round residents, but built to serve several thousands daily visitors through half the year. "Skagway is the eighteenth most visited cruise ship port in the world," said Mayor Andrew Cremata. "When you do the math on that, we have to support a town of 20,000 people. So it's pretty complex process here." The cruise ship season officially kicked off in Skagway on Monday, with the arrival of the first big, white behemoth the 3,080-passenger Ruby Princess. It was followed a few days later by a similar mega-ship. A steady parade of monstrous floating hotels will continue for the next five months, each one disgorging a stampede of daytrippers into Skagway's small downtown. Streets are packed with pedestrians for a few afternoon hours, before emptying out when it's dinnertime back on board. Claudiane Samson/Radio-Canada The number of visiting cruise ship passengers has been steadily increasing over the years, and this summer the town could hit a new record. "It's going to be a busy season," Cremata said. "We should have somewhere around a million passengers off the cruise ships this year just passengers, not including crew." He said the town's economy is about 99 per cent cruise ship industry. That kind of visitor traffic can pose some challenges to the town's infrastructure and Cremata said it's something the town council is thinking about more and more. Claudiane Samson/Radio-Canada "On some of these cruise ship days, the impact is such that we have to look at doing some upgrades. But we can't look to the short term, because it's estimated that in 10 years there'll be another 50 per cent increase in passengers," he said. "So what we're trying to work on here now is to figure out what our saturation levels are." Yukon not that interested Some work has already been done by a cruise ship on one of the docks it owns in Skagway, to accommodate more ships and bigger ships. Story continues We're trying to attract companies that are selling the Yukon first. - Robin Anderson, Tourism Yukon Cremata said the town also needs tourism infrastructure that helps get cruise ship passengers out of the downtown core, on different day trips and tours. One popular trip is into Yukon a relatively short and scenic bus or train ride through the White Pass to the town of Carcross. Claudiane Samson/Radio-Canada But Yukon is not exactly keen on courting more of those cruise ship visitors, for the same reason too much of a good thing is not necessarily good. Robin Anderson of Tourism Yukon said the territory is happy to welcome visitors from Skagway cruise ships, but it's "not a market that we're actively promoting." "We're focused on our efforts around sustainability, and ensuring that the tourism industry doesn't negatively impact Yukoners." Anderson said Yukon is more interested in a "higher-yield client." "Our strategy is to invest in attracting visitors who come here for multiple days, and who are likely to spend more when they come," he said. "We have very little influence on those cruise ship companies. They're really buying an Alaskan experience with a Yukon add-on. So we're trying to attract companies that are selling the Yukon first." The family of a high school student charged with assaulting an Ottawa police officer says the 15-year-old boy was defending himself. Police officers were dispatched to Tillbury Park on Sherbourne Road to break up a fight Monday afternoon between female students from Notre Dame High School and nearby Nepean High School. Ottawa police said the fight involved more than 40 youths. Videos shared on social media show several girls punching and kicking each other at the park before police intervene. The teen's family is angry that an officer zeroed in on the Grade 10 student, since he was not involved in the initial brawl that prompted the 911 call and was in fact watching from afar, near his bike. 'My son is not a criminal' "He reacted out of fear," said the teen's aunt. "He had nothing to do with the fight. He's a minor. He's 15 years old. That officer had no right to question him and put his hands on him." Video footage shows the teen and the constable in the middle of a conversation when the constable touches the teen's right arm and appears to tap him on the chest. The two begin to grapple, and the teen takes a few swings at the constable before the constable punches back. The constable is later filmed on top of the teen on the ground. "Imagine in my place how you'd feel?" asked the boy's father. "My son is not a criminal that he needs to face this type of force. Does this officer have kids? Does he know how old my son is? He is not supposed to put his hands on my son." CBC News cannot name the teen because he is a minor facing charges, and therefore cannot identify his family members, either. Radio concerns The teen also faces charges of causing a disturbance and theft. In a letter to its members, the Ottawa Police Association initially said the patrol constable was "swarmed" and that his radio emergency button failed to work, putting his safety at risk. Story continues However, Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau later wrote to the force that tests showed the officer's radio was functioning properly but was turned off for several minutes at the time of the teen's arrest. "We have spoken to the officer and he does not recall turning the radio off and on," Bordeleau wrote. "The reality of a dynamic scene and arrest, as seen on the video of the incident, may have contributed to the radio not being on." The teen's family has lived in Canada for more than 13 years after fleeing South Sudan. His father said his son doesn't have a criminal record, and that he's respectful. The family doesn't deny that the teen was rude to the officer, but says he was upset at being accused of a crime he didn't commit. The family now wants Ottawa police to investigate the constable's actions. They're also concerned with how school officials have dealt with the matter, as the teen has been suspended for 20 days and may be expelled. Both the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board declined interviews, saying they were co-operating with the police investigation. Submitted Abdi coalition involved The teen's family has reached out to the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition a group that was created after a fatal encounter between police and Abdirahman Abdi in 2016. Const. Daniel Montsion is currently on trial for manslaughter in Abdi's death. The coalition is advocating for the teen's suspension to be shortened and has been collecting video from students who witnessed the incident. They plan to share the videos with the teen's lawyer. Coalition spokesperson Dahabo Ahmed Omer said this incident shows Ottawa police have not learned any lessons from Abdi's death. "The first thing I wanted to know was if he was alive. I wanted to know that he was still breathing. That was the first thought that came into lots of people's heads," Ahmed Omer said. Response 'completely appropriate' Ottawa Police Association president Matt Skof said appropriate force was used to bring the scene under control. "Every action that the officer took was completely appropriate and part of our training," said Skof. "This narrative around de-escalation has some sort of intimation that whispering sweet nothings is part of de-escalation [and that] is an absolute fallacy. Everything that officer did there was de-escalation." CBC News has learned that the constable involved in the takedown has more than 15 years of experience on the force. CBC is not naming the officer because he is not under investigation. U.S. officials have opened an investigation after a female diplomat faced a barrage of anti-abortion text messages from an advocacy group, disrupting a major UN summit on women's rights. Koki Muli Grignon, Kenya's deputy ambassador to the UN, received about 3,000 anti-abortion text messages in 12 languages during meetings at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March. She was vice-chair of the conference, but the messages forced Muli Grignon to suspend the negotiations and leave the UN building in New York City to get a new phone number. "It was totally impossible to work," Muli Grignon told CBC News of the incident. ''The UN should be a safe space nobody should be intimidated.'' Campaigners say the incident is part of a broader trend, where groups opposed to abortion rights and other women's reproductive health services, are targeting the UN. "The atmosphere was a lot more polarized and divisive, that is for sure," Lopa Banerjee, from UN Women, said of this year's CSW conference. "We saw, definitely, hostile tactics, intimidation tactics." The text alerts were sent by CitizenGo, an anti-abortion organization based in Spain, which describes itself as "a community of active citizens who work together, using online petitions and action alerts as a resource, to defend and promote life, family, and liberty." 'Strategy of distraction' The text messages to Muli Grignon demanded that any mention of ''abortion, sexual orientation and gender identity, and comprehensive sexuality education'' be removed from the final text at this year's CSW. All these terms have appeared in multiple global agreements over the last 25 years. ''They make it sound as though there's some covert plan to slip in abortion,'' Francoise Girard, president of the International Women's Health Coalition, said of conservative religious groups like CitizenGo. ''There's no secret plan. It's totally up front.'' Story continues The Kenyan envoy believes she was singled out because of a mistaken belief that, as the facilitator of this year's CSW, she had influence over its agreed conclusions. Melissa Kent/CBC ''I have absolutely no control over the content of the outcome document. Only member states were able to negotiate the paragraphs,'' Muli Grignon said, calling the harassment an attack on diplomacy and the UN itself. The document is used by governments around the world as a road map for issues involving women, including: health, education and employment rights. Jessica Stern, executive director of the LGBTQ rights group Outright Action International, said anti-abortion groups and conservative activists attempted to use a "strategy of distraction" including cornering delegates to hold up business at the women's rights conference. "We've really seen an increase of participation from religious right actors who come into the CSW with the intention of narrowing the definition of women, removing or re-interpreting the definition of gender equality, and attacking any LGBTIQ participation,'" said Stern. The CSW is an important forum for women from around the world to meet and swap strategies, she added. "It's not a coincidence that the [religious] right has seen the potency of the CSW, and the potency of multilateralism and said 'that's the place where we are going to attack women's rights.'" British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce said it's public knowledge certain religious groups at CSW have made common cause with conservative countries sympathetic to their beliefs, but targeting the personal phone of a "neutral facilitator" in an effort to "'hijack the agenda crosses a line." CitizenGo/Twitter The president of CitizenGo later apologized to Muli Grignon. The group wrote that it "will use this experience at CSW to learn, grow, and become more effective, so you or any person working in the UN system never have to feel this way again." CitizenGo, which is not a UN-accredited NGO, is among the co-sponsors of a high-level event on the role of the family taking place at the UN later this month, along with more than two-dozen countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Pakistan. The Kenyan envoy said she filed a formal harassment complaint ''to prevent this from happening again ... You can't come to the UN and bully one of us." U.S. officials are investigating the incident, rather than the UN, because the targeting was done on an American mobile phone network, CBC News has learned. For her part, Muli Grignon is waiting for the investigation report, and on Tuesday she is among the keynote speakers at a UN event on tackling cyber-bullying. Torontos Mayor John Tory didnt mince words this morning when he spoke with the CBC, to discuss the continued encroachment of the Ontario government on the citys municipal affairs. They are doing these things out of the blue that are going to effect peoples lives, said Tory, speaking on a recent decision by Doug Fords government to cut funding to Torontos child care, a move that will cost the city $84.8 million this year. It will also jeopardize more than 6,000 daycare spots in Toronto. Tory said hed call his relationship with Doug Fords government as uneven, unpredictable and volatile, as sometimes they have open communication, but other times decisions just come down the pipeline with no warning. He said the child care decision came via a memo and was a surprise to his office. It is about deep cuts to actual provision of child care to families in the City of Toronto, he said. Why does this government insist on taking programs like this that are necessary for a healthy prosperous city....and just one after another, do these things?, said Tory, adding that the provinces cuts seem to disproportionately target Toronto. Premier Doug Ford meets with Toronto Mayor John Tory at his Queen's Park office in July 2018. (Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star via Getty Images) Cuts to child care is one decision on a list of provincial policies that are set to impact Canadas largest city. Discussions about how to use the Ontario Place space and whether to include a casino ruffled feathers with Torontonians who want a public space, meant for those of all ages. In April, the Ontario government announced $1 billion would be cut from Toronto public health over the next ten years. City councillor Joe Cressy said those cuts to funding would impact disease prevention, water quality testing, immunization monitoring and surveillance, prenatal support, overdose prevention, food safety regulation... and more. At the time, Tory called the decision a targeted attack on Toronto. Ontario is also currently in the process of uploading the Toronto subway expansion to the province, a negotiation that Tory says is going fairly well and where communication lines are open. Story continues At least were sitting at a table and were having discussions, he said. In the case of these other cut backs....its out of the blue, said Tory. In terms of child care and health care, Tory told Galloway that his government is currently trying to convince the province otherwise. Its time to take a hard second-look at these things, he said. They are certainly trying to have their way on a number of issues. Were not going to stand by and put up with this thing going on without any discussion. As the battle continues for funding for city programs, do you think the Ontario government is correct in making these kinds of cuts? Share your opinion in the comments below! While speaking to reporters after the province announced a new plan to boost housing supply, Tim Hudak could barely contain his glee. Wide-eyed and grinning, the CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association and a former leader of the Ontario PC party said the current Ford government clearly listened to his organization's recommendations, which came during a round of stakeholder consultations last winter. "[We] put 10 ideas on the table on how we can make home ownership more affordable for average families," Hudak said. "And we're really excited because the government took up eight of those ideas." Ideas like speeding up housing approvals, reducing red tape and controlling development charges funnelled to municipalities it's all in the legislation. So are recommendations on building above and around transit stations, building more secondary suites, and building on surplus government land. With that, one thing is clear: there are winners and losers through the province's housing plan, and there's no doubt the real estate and development industries are coming out on top. So who's not? Concerns raised by councillors, housing advocates While Hudak had reason to smile, city officials from Toronto and likely other municipalities aren't so cheery. "Municipal cost-recovery tools such as development charges must be left alone," reads the Association of Municipalities of Ontario submission to the winter consultations. No dice. Instead, the province is overhauling those fees, which are collected by roughly 200 municipalities to fund infrastructure ranging from transit to community centres to roads. The changes include lumping together several avenues to collect that revenue into one new "community benefits" fee coupled with the creation of an overall, yet-to-be-determined upper limit on what can be charged. "The interpretation for the cities is we're going to see less revenues," Toronto Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, a critic of the Ford government, told CBC Toronto on Thursday after the province announced the plan. Story continues She's just one of the city officials alarmed by the changes Toronto Mayor John Tory cautioned that taxpayers shouldn't be "left on their own" to pay for city infrastructure and it's hardly the only area of concern. Graeme Roy/Canadian Press Wong-Tam, along with other councillors and residents' groups, called for years to get Toronto out from under the thumb of the controversial, quasi-judicial Ontario Municipal Board, a body capable of ignoring council and resident concerns on development projects. Two years ago, the previous Liberal government reformed it into the current Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), granting critics their wish for a more municipality-friendly system. Now, the PCs are keeping the name but reverting back to the "old Ontario Municipal Board ways," as Tory puts it. Both issues changes to development charges and the LPAT concern tenant advocate Geordie Dent. But what's more jarring for him, he says, is that the province didn't listen to his organization's recommendations to boost not just housing supply more broadly, but affordable units in particular. The process was a "complete waste of our time," said Dent, the executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations. "There are things the government could have done today to bring thousands of units on the market today," Dent continued. "They could've regulated Airbnb. They could've brought in a vacant unit tax. They didn't do any of it." Developers 'won,' but what about residents? Other organizations shared concerns before the province's legislation was even released. In January, both the the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness noted the consultation process didn't touch on affordable community housing, including social or supportive options. And the focus on supply alone, both agreed, wasn't going to address the current housing crisis. "All [the province is] doing is actually making it cheaper for developers to build," Wong-Tam said. It's a sentiment echoed by her fellow Toronto council member Josh Matlow, who lamented on Thursday that the "development industry won." CBC News So, amid all the winners and losers, where do Ontario residents fall? It depends on whether or not the province's plan to boost supply actually achieves it. And, in turn, what type of supply it could create: Diverse options that are affordable and attainable for the masses, or developer-driven stock that's plentiful but out-of-reach to anyone but the "average families" Hudak cited on Thursday. It's worth noting the province has already earmarked more than $1 billion to repair Ontario's dilapidated affordable housing offerings and reduce the long waits for social housing through its previously-announced Community Housing Renewal Strategy. But some housing advocates worry another provincial change made months before this week's announcement could set affordability efforts back: the scrapping of rent control for all new units hitting the market. Like the rest of their plan, the PCs claim it will encourage development and boost supply; critics warn it could mark a return to sky-high increases for tenants. And in Toronto, where cranes fill more of the sky than in any other North American city, there's no shortage of new supply already hitting the market yet an affordable housing shortage persists, leaving some of the city's most vulnerable residents on social housing wait-lists, on friends' couches, and on the streets. Until that situation improves, it's a loss for the entire province. As more people travel with smartphones loaded with personal data, concern is mounting over Canadian border officers' powers to search those phones without a warrant. "The policy's outrageous," said Toronto business lawyer, Nick Wright. "I think that it's a breach of our constitutional rights." His thoughts follow a personal experience. After landing at Toronto's Pearson Airport on April 10, he said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) flagged him for an additional inspection for no stated reason. Wright had just returned from a four-month trip to Guatemala and Colombia where he studied Spanish and worked remotely. He took no issue when a border services officer searched his bags, but drew the line when the officer demanded his passwords to also search his phone and laptop. Wright refused, telling the officer both devices contained confidential information protected by solicitor-client privilege. He said the officer then confiscated his phone and laptop, and told him the items would be sent to a government lab which would try to crack his passwords and search his files. submitted by Nick Wright "In my view, seizing devices when someone exercises their constitutional right is an affront to civil liberty," said Wright who's still waiting for the return of his phone and laptop. Meanwhile, he said he has spent about $3,000 to replace them. Officers can search your phone According to the CBSA, it has the right to search electronic devices at the border for evidence of customs-related offences without a warrant just as it does with luggage. If travellers refuse to provide their passwords, officers can seize their devices. The CBSA said that between November 2017 and March 2019, 19,515 travellers had their digital devices examined, which represents 0.015 per cent of all cross-border travellers during that period. During 38 per cent of those searches, officers uncovered evidence of a customs-related offence which can include possessing prohibited material or undeclared goods, and money laundering, said the agency. Story continues submitted by Nick Wright While the laws governing CBSA searches have existed for decades, applying them to digital devices has sparked concern in an era where many travellers carry smartphones full of personal and sometimes very sensitive data. A growing number of lawyers across Canada argue that warrantless digital device searches at the border are unconstitutional, and the practice should be stopped or at least limited. "The policy of the CBSA of searching devices isn't something that is justifiable in a free and democratic society," said Wright who ran as a Green Party candidate in the 2015 federal election. "It's appalling, it's shocking, and I hope that government, government agencies and the courts, and individual citizens will inform themselves and take action." 'Out of date' laws Consumer advocacy group, OpenMedia is already taking action. It has launched an online and ad campaign to raise awareness about digital border searches and pressure the federal government to update the rules that govern them. "These laws are incredibly, incredibly out of date," said OpenMedia privacy campaigner Victoria Henry. "The way they treat our digital devices are as mere goods and that's the same classification as a bag of T-shirts." She wants to see separate border rules for digital devices which stipulate reasonable grounds for a search. Henry also said those rules must be clearly laid out to the public. "We need to have clear and transparent policies and mechanisms for recourse." Mark Blinch/Reuters The federal government says that its current policies are both reasonable and necessary to keep Canadian borders secure. CBSA officers are directed to disable any internet connection and only examine content that is already stored on a device, said Scott Bardsley, spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, in an email. He also said that digital searches "should not be routine" and that "officers may only conduct a search if there are multiple indicators that evidence of contraventions may be found on a device." Wright said, in his case, no rationale was provided why his phone and laptop needed to be examined. "There were no factors that I'm aware of that would justify the searches." 'Respect for privacy' Public Safety spokesperson Bardsley also said that CBSA officers understand the importance of solicitor-client privilege and are instructed not to examine documents that fall within that scope. "CBSA officers are trained to conduct all border examinations with as much respect for privacy as possible." Wright said that wasn't his experience. Instead, the officer he dealt with neither expressed knowledge of, nor responded to his concerns that his laptop and phone contained solicitor-client privileged documents, he said. "His response was only to demand the passwords to access both." Bardsley said that if travellers have issues or concerns, they can submit a complaint to the CBSA. He added that the government is investing $24 million to enhance oversight by creating an independent review body for the agency. Wright has already submitted his complaint to the CBSA which includes a demand for the immediate return of his phone and laptop, plus compensation for having to temporarily replace them. If and when he gets them back, his battle may not be over; Wright is now considering legal action. "I think it's important that we all stand up for our civil liberties and our charter rights," he said. Watch: What border officers can search on your phone Photo credit: WPA Pool From Harper's BAZAAR As the excitement (and hysteria!) for the arrival of Baby Sussex continues to build in the town of Windsor, all is calm over at Frogmore Cottage. Sources tell BAZAAR.com that despite being past her due date, Duchess Meghan is taking pregnancy overtime in stride. Comfortable and content, says a friend of the mom-to-be. Shes got this. With mother Doria Ragland and husband Prince Harry by her side, the source adds the three are virtually unaware of the growing media presence in Windsor. Theyre in their own bubble at the moment, the pal adds. Meg is with the most important people in her life shes calm. Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images Earlier today Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke of Sussex has postponed his May 8 trip to Amsterdam, cutting his two-day Netherlands visit down to one. He will now fly to The Hague and back on Thursday to launch a one-year countdown to the 2020 Invictus Games. While suggestions have been made that the date was postponed due to Baby Sussexs late arrival, palace aides explain the cancellation is simply to prevent logistical conflicts for press covering Prince Charles and Camillas diplomatic trip to Germany from May 7 to 10. Charless four-day visit is not only important to the future monarch but also for Britains Foreign Office, as the U.K. works to secure its exit from the European Union. One of the couples appointments includes a private meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. There is, of course, a chance that Harry may not travel at all. While he has every intention of flying out to the Netherlands on May 9, a palace source says he would most likely stay in the U.K. if Meghan is in labor or their baby has just arrived. Its a unique situation, but hes doing his best to make it work, says the source. ('You Might Also Like',) Gadi Yarkoni is head of the Eshkol Regional Council Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Israel Hayom..05 May '19..The citizens of Israel are paying a bitter price for the last 18 years of an absence of a policy on the Gaza Strip and the containment approach to the events of the past year.As deterrence erodes in the face of rocket fire, arson balloons, and terrorism along the border fence, Hamas is raising its head. It is expanding its rocket fire to communities far from the border and lobbing insane barrages at the Israel-Gaza frontier. All this is taking place at a sensitive time for Israel, when the country wants quiet more than anything: Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, Independence Day, and the Eurovision song competition. Hamas knows it.If the decision-makers had meted out an unequivocal response a year ago, or a year and a half ago, when the border incidents began, this wouldnt be our reality now. For a year, we near the border issued repeated warnings: Today, its us tomorrow, it will be you. And you doesnt just refer to residents of Ashdod and Kiryat Gat, but to all the citizens who are now getting excited for the Eurovision.Terrorist attacks against residents of the Gaza border communities began more than a year ago. Since then, an entire region of the country has become the victim of a terrorist organization that is extorting our entire nation. This equation has to change.This is a region that played a historic role in the founding of the state. A part of the country whose pioneer elderly were the ones that laid down the countrys borders. This past year, they have seen their grandchildren and great-grandchildren exhausted by terrorism. This reality has gone on for 18 years straight and increased over the past year.Israel cannot allow it to go on. We must change it. We have been patient, we trusted the decision-makers considerations and allow them to explore various ways of restoring quiet throughout the area. A 10th escalation is too much. Its time to act bravely and daringly to bring about a change.The prime minister received a mandate for another four years in office from us, the citizens of Israel. I am calling on him to honor that mandate and live up to his obligation to us. On Saturday evening, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported that a 14-month-old Palestinian child, Saba Mahmoud Hamdan Abu Arar, had been killed and her mother, Falastin Saleh Abu Arar, when an Israeli airstrikes hit their house in Gaza City. Several hours later, the ministry said that Falastin had succumbed to her wounds. On Twitter, the Israel Defense Forces Arabic-language spokesman said the mother and child did not appear to have been killed in an Israeli attack. Adraee indicated that the deaths may have been caused by a failed rocket attack against Israel, noting that many of the projectiles fired at Israel were launched from within populated areas. There are more and more indications reaching us from the Gaza Strip that put serious doubt on the truth of the statement from Hamass healthy ministry about the death of the baby Saba Mahmoud Hamdan Abu Arar and her mother Falastin Saleh Abu Arar, Maj. Avichay Adraee wrote in a tweet. According to these indications, the death was caused by terrorist activities by Palestinian militants and not by an Israeli strike, he said. A University of Wisconsin-Stout Summer STEAM Experience camp will welcome younger students this year for day camps. Sixth- and seventh-graders can take part in the summer youth camp in the following tracks: Industrial Design; Infinite World of Plastics; Sculpture Design; Wood is Good. Camp is Sunday, June 16, through Thursday, June 20, and has 13 tracks overall focusing on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Younger students are welcome as day campers in the designated tracks. Students in eighth to 12th grade may choose to take part in the day camp or stay overnight on campus. This is a great opportunity for students to experience campus life with all these amazing program offerings taught by our expert faculty, said Anna McCabe, program manager of the Summer STEAM Experience Camp. We have a lot of fun activities planned. It will be a great experience for all campers. On Sunday, June 16, an introductory day camp in the afternoon lets campers experience the Ropes Challenge Course. Day camps run from 8:35 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.; campers will be in labs and classrooms with faculty. Overnight campers stay in dormitories and experience cafeteria dining and on-campus living. A STEAM Camp showcase is scheduled from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, for parents and other family members to see campus and what campers have been working on all week. The STEAM Camp started in 2018 after two camps that started in 2016 STEM, and Art and Design combined. STEAM day camp is free to students in the Menomonie school district through a partnership with the district. Students can choose to stay overnight for an additional $150. The Eau Claire school district also allows some students to attend free based on funding available. However, the number for this years camp has been reached, McCabe said. Cost to attend the camp is $450 for overnight and $300 for day camp. New tracks this year include Human Anatomy Exploration taught by Dr. Alexandra Hall, staff physician and senior lecturer in the biology department, which will teach students about human anatomy and working with specimens and cadavers in the Cadaver Lab. The track has already filled for the camp. Another new track is 3D Modeling in Maya: Robot Design taught by Nathan Clark, animation and 3D modeling instructor in the School of Art and Design. Students will learn to model, texture and render memorable, believable robots in 3D space. A track on technology engineering taught by Paul Craig, lecturer in the engineering and technology department, and David Ding, associate professor in the operations and management department, will focus on technologies used in future manufacturing such as robotics and automatic inspection. Other tracks that are still open include: Interior Design, Maureen Mitton, design Sculpture Design, Molly Uravitch, art and art history Wood is Good, Jerry Johnson, engineering and technology Industrial Design, Jennifer Astwood, industrial design The Infinite World of Plastics: materials, mold and processing, Wei Zheng, plastics engineering program Board Game Workshop, Jay Little, design 3D Printing and Jewelry, Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, art and art history Tracks already filled include: Classical Drawing Techniques and Zine Making, Tamara Brantmeier, art and art history Video Game Design, Joshua Seaver, design Human Anatomy Exploration, Alexandra Hall, biology Zheng, director for the plastics engineering program, believes the STEAM camp helps UW-Stout promote and showcase the universitys programs to the community and helps attract students. Exposing the programs to younger kids allows them to start thinking about their interests and their future career paths, Zheng said. In the plastics engineering tracks, students will learn basic material selection, product design and make some plastic products using various techniques, Zheng said. Registration is here. For more information, contact McCabe with the Professional Education Programs and Services. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The story of Julian Assange is a complicated one. Unless youre are in the CIA, chances are you dont know what has really happened, is he really a rapist? Is he rebel who just does not want to face the consequences of his actions? Has he really destabilised Governments? Did he really convince Chelsea Manning to steal information from Uncle Sam? Or is he just a journalist, like myself, who merely was shown information that needed to be released in the public interest? Lets look at the facts. There is no doubt the Ecuadorian Government betrayed him. Assange applied for political asylum from Ecuador in 2012 because he felt the Australian Government had abandoned him. He was a refugee who was abandoned by his own Government and persecuted by the United States Government due to Wikileaks publishing evidence of American war crimes and corruption in the Middle East. He was not worried about being wanted for rape in Sweden which was the pretext to go after him. In fact his father, John Shipton, said in an interview on UK television (Good Morning Britain): Julian had constantly been offered to be interviewed by Swedish Police and in fact he did not travel to England without permission from the Swedish Prosecutor, The minute he left she (Swedish Prosecutor Marian Ny) issued a warrant for his arrest, he sought protection from the embassy because his offers which contained promises that he would not be extradited to the United States or any country were constantly ignored. In 2013 the Swedish Prosecuting Authority wrote to the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK suggesting they dropped the case. The CPS under Paul Close wrote back saying There is more to this extradition then a simple extradition. All these emails are available in the witness statement of Stefania Maurizi.(The journalist pursuing information relating to Assanges extradition to Sweden), Shipton said. He was concerned that should he then be extradited to Sweden he will then be extradited to the United States where he could face the death penalty for his activities with Wikileaks. His fears have been proven to be correct, as he now faces an extradition request from the United States on charges of conspiring to steal classified documents and hacking into a secret Pentagon computer network all relating to his activities with Wikileaks. The very thing he was granted political asylum in Ecuador for is now his reality. There is no doubt the Ecuadorians betrayed him by handing over to the British Government. If Assange was seeking asylum from a country, say Syria? Into Australia for exposing corruption in Al-Assads regime and we handed him back to the Syrians because he was a difficult house guest, the outrage amongst our refugee campaigners would be unprecedented. So, it is for this reason that his arrest inside the Embassy is an attack on our liberty and freedom of the press. A bit of our liberty has died It is a sad day for press freedom and a sad day for whistle-blowers. It appears there is little protection for whistle-blowers out there that expose high level atrocities in the deep state and you would be right to think that perhaps it is just easier to perhaps let things go rather then hold Governments to account. After all, they are committing acts all over the world that is done in your name. Sadly, the liberty we have to hold Governments to account has somewhat died during the Assange tale, but sometimes doing what is right is often the hardest things to do. Why we must stand up for our convictions. It would have been easier for some of the early church martyrs to just renounce their faith when they were burning at the stake, but living a life without a conviction is not a life worth living. Maybe it would be easy for Assange to just let it go, but that is not an option for a man with his conviction. As an outsider I look at him being carried out of the Embassy, his freedom gone, he certainly has not taken the easy option in life. But like several Christian martyrs before us, sometimes the right road for us is not the safe option. But as Christians we can take hope in the power of the Cross, where our freedom was brought. That whatever we may go through victory will be ours in Jesus. So, for the price he paid we must live our life with the same conviction he had for the lost, the marginalised and the broken. Whatever Assange takes hope in, I hope and pray that he never stops fighting for his convictions. Just like I hope anyone reading this also never stops fighting for their convictions. Ben Kruzins is the Campus Pastor of The Hub Baptist Church in Ocean Shores on the North Coast of New South Wales. He is also a Journalism graduate who has written articles in The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald. Photo - Sam Gillespie (Chair of the Brains Trust) and Wes Tronson founding member of the group. On Saturday 4 May in Melbourne the young writers Brains Trust met - led by chair Sam Gillespie, a gathering that has met since 2015 as a consultancy body for Press Service International and Christian Today. 2019 Brains Trust who met were Melbournes Capt. Peter Brookshaw of Craigieburn Salvation Army and Rev Mark Rusic; Sunshine Coasts Rebecca Moore; Sydneys Sam Gilliespie; Wes Tronson from Brisbane; and the two in-house video producers Amy Manners Adelaide and Cartia Moore Sunshine Coast. Photo - Mark Rusic, Wes Tronson, Sam Gillespie, Cartia Moore, Peter Brookshaw, Amy Manners, Mark Tronson, Rebecca Moore PSI Videos First up, after self introductions, the two in-house video producers Cartia Moore and Amy Manners initially spoke of their roles and the value of such videos. Cartia does the PSI News while Amy does the newsy bits - both are usually 5-7 weeks apart and published in the young writers weekly Thursday memo and the closed facebook page. The discussion went further afield. Issues such as additional videographers, the value of videos to inspire, uplift and encourage young writer peers, keeping videos as a special item, to aid the program. An in-house style guide for video production, creating a public vimeo for bespoke videos made by PSI writers for use in their articles. Photo - Rebecca Moore, Cartia Moore and Amy Manners Many other ideas came forward, with a segment of the annual young writer conference in the afternoon session devoted to an explanation on video production for use in young writer articles. Annual conference 10 August Capt. Peter Brookshaw led the meeting to the logistics of the 2019 young writers conference combined with the annual One Day in Melbourne conf at Craigieburn Salvation Amy (Melbourne). Peter and his wife Jo in ministry, who is a graphic artist are working on the existing One Day in Melbourne flyer with Peter and Jo along with Mark Rusic leading the two morning plenaries for both the young writers and the mission delegates for One Day in Melbourne. The young writers afternoon session will include a video session, Josh Hinds the web master of the PSI web site and a small-group discussion time. A billet arrangement is just not available for the young writers conference on 10 August, but a list of local motels and accommodation options will be provided. Interstate young writers will be provided a list of similar arrival time so as to share Uber / Taxi to Craigieburn. In May 2018 the cost with Uber was quite reasonable from the airport shared cost be very fair. Photo - Peter Brookshaw and Mark Rusic the two plenary speakers at the 10 Aug combined young writers conf and One Day in Melbourne conf. PSI young writer program Discussion arose on the Mail chimp option for the weekly E-Blast making it easier for people to view media in the body of the email. There was discussion on the Weekly system and the drain on everyone behind the scenes with late articles and the idea of revamping the mission statement so as to sell this young writer writing program as a mission and a calling. The current communication with new young writers focuses on structure and logistics. There was a discussion on Christian Today who are keen to see the young writers continuing after they turn 30 into the Over 31s writing ministry. There was an explanation to place the - two international weeks currently (18-30 Week 1) and the (Over 31s Week 5) in 2020 as Weeks 4 and 5, placing them together therefore sharing the numerical numbers between Weeks 4 and 5. The New Zealand Over 31s would then be placed in Weeks 1-3 to build the current Kiwi young writer numbers in those weeks. The Australian Over 31s would likewise be placed in Weeks 1-4 and then collated for those separate Panellists who mark the Australian Over 31s. The Brains Trust has agreed to meet in May 2020 at the same convenient venue, The Melbourne Airport ParkRoyal. Photo - Cartia Moore and Amy Manners the young writer video producers Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html Back in 2017, Royal Agio Cigars announced it would set up its own distribution operation in the United States. At the time of the announcement, the company had one premium cigar line, the Balmoral XO Anejo. As the company was heading into the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, it wasnt a surprise that Royal Agios go to market strategy would involve a portfolio expansion and thats exactly what happened. The company launched two new blends under the Balmoral XO line, a new value-priced line called San Pedro de Macoris, and a collaboration platform known as Balmoral Serie Signaturas. For the first collaboration in the line, it would be a project done between Royal Agio Cigars CEO Boris Wintermans and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. known as Dueto. Today we take a closer look at the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto in the Gran Toro size. At the time the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto line was announced, Wintermans commented on why his company opted to produce a collaborative line: I am honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside Ernesto on this very special collaboration project for Balmoral. I want to push the boundaries of what can be discovered in premium cigar blending, and it is this desire that inspired the creation of the Balmoral Serie Signaturas (Signature Series) and initial conversations with Ernesto. This collaboration platform offers another avenue for us to explore, discover and release completely new and exciting cigar blends. The resulting blend for Dueto behind Ernestos blending genius, makes this first release nothing short of exceptional. The Serie Signatures is also be positioned as a line where other collaborations will follow. Without further ado, lets break down the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro and see what this cigar brings to the table. SPECIFICATIONS Blend and Origin While the Balmoral XO and San Pedro de Macoris lines are produced at the companys San Pedro de Macoris factory in the Dominican Republic, the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto is one being produced at Perez-Carrillos Tabacalera La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic. Royal Agio Cigars CEO Boris Wintermans is known for his affinity of using Brazilian tobacco. For the Dueto, no doubt Wintermans influence on this project is seen with the inclusion of Brazilian Mata Norte Stalk-Cut tobacco in the blend something not commonly seen in a Perez-Carrillo Jr. blend. The Mata Norte tobacco has been allocated exclusively for this project. The remainder of the blend features all Nicaraguan tobaccos, including a wrapper from Jalapa. Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Jalapa) Binder: Nicaraguan (Esteli) Filler: Brazilian Mata Norte (Stalk-Cut), Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza Vitolas Offered The Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto is available in five sizes. Each is presented in 10-count boxes. Robusto: 5 x 50 Ovacion (Figurado): 5 12 x 50 Gran Toro: 6 x 52 Gordo: 6 x 60 Churchill: 7 x 49 Appearance The Jalapa wrapper of the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro had a dark wood color to it with a touch of Colorado red. There was a very light sheen of oil on the surface. This was a smooth wrapper with any visible veins on the thin side. The darker color of the wrapper did a good job of minimizing the visibility of the wrapper seams. There are two bands on the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto. At the top of the primary band Is a white shield with gold trim and font. Inside the shield is a large B surrounded by an inner shield border. Above that inner shield is the text BALMORAL SERIE SIGNATURAS with the text BALMORAL in larger font. To the left and right of the shied is a charcoal gray background. The left side of the shield has the text ERNESTO PEREZ-CARRILLO in gold font with his signature below it in white font. The right of the shield has the text BORIS WINTERMANS in gold font with his signature below in white font. The far right of the band has gold adornments. Below the shield are red and charcoal gray adornments with the text DUETO in white font. The secondary band is located near the footer. Most of the band is covered with more red and gray adornments. On that background is a red circular badge with gold adornments. On the badge going around the circumference is the text BLENDED BY ERNESTO PEREZ CARRILLO in gold font. The lower part of the secondary band has a white background with the name of the vitola in gold font. In this case, the text was GRAN TORO. PERFORMANCE Pre-Light Draw A straight cut commenced the smoking experience of the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro. After the cap was successfully removed, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of chocolate, fruit, and a combination of cedar and floral. Overall this was an excellent pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to remove the footer band, light up the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro and enter the smoking phase. Tasting Notes The Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro started out with a combination of wood, mixed fruit, white pepper, and creamy chocolate. Early on the creamy chocolate, wood and fruit notes moved into the forefront. As the cigar burned through the first third, the fruit notes subsided into the background with the white pepper. Meanwhile the retro-hale produced additional pepper notes, but these were more of the black pepper varietal. Toward the end of the first third, the creamy chocolate and wood notes remained in the forefront varying in degrees of intensity. There was an occasional time the fruit sweetness also surfaced in the forefront. This continued into the second third. By the midway point, the fruit settled into the background completely. It was during this stage where a mineral note joined the fruit and white pepper in the background. Toward the end of the second third, the mineral notes began to increase in intensity while the fruit sweetness continued to diminish. The last third saw the creamy chocolate notes also recede joining the mineral, fruit, and pepper notes in the background. The wood notes remained grounded in the forefront and were now joined by some earth notes. This continued until the cigar experience came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature. Burn The Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro maintained a relatively straight burn path and had a relatively straight burn line. The cigar had an even combustion and didnt warrant any excessive touch-ups. The resulting ash was skewed toward the firmer side. This was an ash light gray in color with some darker spots mixed in. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal. Draw The draw to the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro was a low maintenance one to derive flavor from. This was a draw that I would describe on the open side. While it wasnt a loose draw, it had less resistance than what I prefer. At the same time, I didnt find the draw had any adverse effects on the combustion rate of this cigar. Strength and Body When it came to strength levels, the Dueto Gran Toro is a cigar that started out medium and stayed in this range for the duration of the cigar experience. There wasnt much variance in the intensity levels of the strength throughout the smoking experience. The body of the Dueto Gran Toro was a different story. This was a cigar that started out medium to full-bodied and by the second third moved into full-bodied territory. The weight of the flavors with this cigar were definitely felt when the retro-hale is factored in. In terms of strength versus body, the body had the edge throughout the smoking experience. OVERALL ASSESSMENT Final Thoughts If you are seeking out a cigar that can deliver a full-bodied experience without a big nicotine kick, the Balmoral Serie Signatures Dueto Gran Toro is going to be the cigar for you. The flavors produced by this cigar are also quite good. These flavors also balance each other nicely throughout the smoking experience. Perhaps the best bonus is that this wasnt a cookie cutter flavor profile. Its a unique cigar and something that is definitely out of the box for what Balmoral and Tabacalera La Alianza has produced in the past. This is a cigar I would recommend a seasoned cigar enthusiast. Its certainly a great cigar for the novice to graduate to something full-bodied. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again and procure multiples of for my humidor. Summary Key Flavors: Creamy Chocolate, Wood, Fruit, Mineral, Pepper, Earth Burn: Excellent Draw: Good Complexity: Medium to High Strength: Medium Body: Medium to Full (1st Third), Full (Remainder) Finish: Very Good Rating Value: Buy Multiples Score: 90 References News: Royal Agio Cigars and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Team Up for Dueto Price: $10.50 Source: Royal Agio Cigars Brand Reference: Royal Agio Cigars Photo Credit: Cigar Coop The other day on a Florida beach south of us, a young dolphin in great distress washed ashore. After she was euthanized, biologists discovered her belly was filled with trash, including two plastic bags and a shredded balloon. While the reason for her stranding has yet to be determined, the sad story from Fort Myers Beach highlights the growing problem of throw-away plastic bags, bottles and straws. A World Economic Forum study estimates that by 2050, we'll have more of it in our oceans by weight than fish. So it makes sense that some Florida cities particularly near our gulf and Atlantic coasts have taken action against the platoons of plastic polluting the waters, threatening wildlife and ending up in landfills. Down in Coral Gables, stores are not allowed to pack your groceries in single-use plastic bags and somehow, life goes on. Here at home, progressive St. Petersburg has been busy phasing in a ban on restaurants and cafes handing out plastic straws through an ordinance passed last year. To which your Florida Legislature just said: Who cares what cities want for themselves? We know what's best for everyone. We got your home rule right here. In just their latest obnoxious pre-emptive power grab, lawmakers in Tallahassee passed a bill that says local governments around our state can't ban plastic straws for the next five years. Oh, don't worry in the meantime, they've ordered the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, insert joke here, to do a study of such ordinances around Florida and, you know, get back to them. A similar moratorium against our cities and counties banning plastic bags already exists, though everyone's waiting to see where the courts come down on that regarding the rule in Coral Gables. So to summarize, your elected officials have yet again decided for you regardless of the personality and sensibilities unique to where you live, instead siding with the likes of the Florida Retail Federation. And why exactly shouldn't cities be allowed to decide for themselves what's right for the people in them? "Our coastal economy is vital to the success of our state," says St. Petersburg City Council member Gina Driscoll, who championed the straw issue. "You would think everyone would want to do all we can to protect that." You would think. At the news of the ban banning bans, Mayor Rick Kriseman tweeted this: Plastic straws, bags should be phased out in FL. You dont need to do a study to understand the harm plastic does. But St. Pete gonna St. Pete regardless of any preemption. Our business owners and residents get it and will do right. And maybe that's the good news beyond short-sighted and greedy lawmakers. Dozens of St. Pete businesses appear to be all-in for getting rid of straws. At the chamber of commerce, locally made pouches that carry reusable straws and a handy cleaner are sold. And if you have experienced St. Pete's particular vibe, you would not be surprised. Driscoll says what they've started is bigger than banning straws. "We've started a conversation about real ways that people can reduce single use plastic. And I think we've gotten a lot of people thinking about those everyday choices they can make that are better for the environment." "It's part of who we are," she says. Good thing. Because clearly, Tallahassee couldn't care less. Contact Sue Carlton at scarlton@tampabay.com . 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. " " When you Google your cold symptoms, you're helping point to patterns in the spread of illness. Madhourse/iStock/Thinkstock In a word, yes. As it turns out, if you head for Google at the first sign of illness in your household, you're definitely not alone. In 2008, a team at Google realized that search terms such as "cold or flu" and "how to treat the flu" could reliably be used as indicators of flu levels in a given region [sources: Mohebbi, Stefansen]. This discovery was used to launch Google Flu Trends, a tool that uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity all around the world. Advertisement To identify the search terms that correlate with flu activity, Google worked with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comparing the popularity of individual Google search queries with historical data about flu outbreaks [source: Google Flu Trends]. Once they identified the most closely correlated search terms, Google researchers determined that spikes in flu-related Web searches actually preceded the flu outbreaks reported by the CDC by about two weeks, suggesting that Web activity was not merely tracking flu activity, but might in fact be able to predict regional outbreaks. In 2011, Google used data provided by the Singapore Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to create Google Dengue Trends, a tool that works in the same way to help public health officials predict and prepare for outbreaks of the mosquito-borne dengue virus [source: Sahai]. A study published in 2013 in the journal The Lancet confirmed that Internet-based surveillance can detect outbreaks of infectious diseases such as influenza and dengue fever one to two weeks sooner than traditional reporting methods, which rely on health professionals informing authorities such as the CDC or the WHO only after patients have identified their symptoms and come in to seek treatment [sources: Milinovich, Nauert, QUT]. The Lancet study also revealed that search data was able to detect the SARS outbreak more than two months before any WHO publications, but as of August 2014, Google has no plans to add reporting systems for diseases other than influenza and dengue fever [sources: Google Flu Trends, Nauert, QUT]. Of course, Google and other Internet-based approaches have their limits, the most obvious being that they work only in areas with Internet access and a large population of Web users [sources: Milinovich, QUT]. Web searches are also susceptible to false alerts caused by non-illness-related queries, which could be prompted by factors like medication recalls or news reports about outbreaks in other regions. However, Google is continually updating its model as it finds ways to identify and account for these outside influences [sources: Ginsberg, Stefansen]. Advertisement Advertisement UGI named environmental champion UGI Utilities Inc., was among 29 utility companies nationwide that were named a 2019 Environmental Champion in a recent study by Cogent Reports, a division of Market Strategies InternationalMorpace. This is the second consecutive year that UGI has been named an environmental champion. The Utility Trusted Brand and Customer Engagement: Residential, study measures such company attributes as its dedication to supporting the environment by promoting clean energy, enabling consumption management, facilitating environmental causes, encouraging environmentally friendly fleets and buildings, and consistently seeking ways to protect the environment. College program granted accreditation The Messiah College master of occupational therapy program has been granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education for the American Occupational Therapy Association. The program was granted the status of accreditation for a period of seven years, the longest accreditation period granted to new programs. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist. After successful completion of the exam, the individual will be a registered occupational therapist. Catering officer inducted to board The International Catering Association inducted Steve Sanchez, chief sales and marketing officer of The JDK Group, as secretary. The induction was made offiicial at Catersource 2019, a tradeshow and convention for catering and event professionals. As part of his new position, Sanchez will assist in directing, organizing and leading the association into the future with the help of the rest of the board. He will ensure the associations brand is represented appropriately, both through the association and through individual companies that comprise its membership. Sanchez said the promotion marks a huge step in Central Pennsylvanias contribution to the international catering industry. The Sentinel Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Thailand officially crowned its new King Maha Vajiralongkorn with Great Crown of Victory (one of five Royal Regalia i.e. symbols of kingship). He received a symbolic nine-tiered umbrella conferring him as King Rama X of Thailand. This coronation ceremony marks first ascension of a new monarch in past seven decades. King Maha Vajiralongkorn He became crown prince and official heir to throne in 1972. He has been on throne since 2016, but according to Thai tradition he cannot be considered a divine representative on Earth nor main patron of Buddhism until he is consecrated (declared sacred). For this three day coronation ceremony began in Bangkok on 4 May 2019. He is now titled Rama X , (or 10th monarch of the Chakri dynasty). , (or 10th monarch of the Chakri dynasty). Chakri dynasty, has been reigning since 1782. The last coronation was held for kings father Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950. He recently married to his royal consort who would now be new Queen Suthida. This is kings forth marriage. About Thailand Thailand has a constitutional monarchy, but royal family is highly respected by Thais and holds considerable power. The country also has strict laws, known as lese majeste, which bans public criticism of monarchy. It thus shields royal family from public view and scrutiny. Current Developments It's the reason why the group Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty want to abolish the death penalty for good. How much money our legal system is spending on capital punishment? A study just released by a retired Chief Judge from New Orleans and a Loyola law professor really delves into the numbers. They say over the last 15 years, Louisiana has spent more than $200 million on its death penalty system. It has had only 1 execution during that time. Then, factor in prosecution, defense, court, corrections and everything else that maintains the system. The study says it's costing you, the taxpayers, more than $15 million per year. The study also says housing someone on death row costs about $58,000 a year. Thats in contrast to the around $7,000 it costs to house someone in a typical prison. It's the reason why the group Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty want to abolish the death penalty for good. "I think we need to be focused on pursuing criminal justice solutions that are actually going to cut costs and cut crime, said Marcus Maldonado with Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. "Other states that have abolished the death penalty have saved money by doing so cause there's so much cost in the legal system. You get appeal, after appeal and I think that we have to have that buffer between someone's life and the government taking it from them," he said. Not all conservatives agree, like Attorney General Jeff Landry. "I've seen those reports--and really and truly the only place they're fit for is the trash can, Landry told Eyewitness News in a telephone interview Friday. He's extremely passionate about keeping the death penalty right where it is. I did not know that we placed a dollar amount on life and justice," Landry said. "The same people who write these reports tell us about the extreme amounts of costs and tax dollars for social engineering and programs. Yet they seem not to worry about tax dollars at that point but all of a sudden become fiscal conservatives when there's justice involved." So what's next? The entire state senate will take an up or down vote on Monday, May 6 on a measure that would end the death penalty in Louisiana. | 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 WWL TV news, Staff, May 4, 2019 The issue of the death penalty in Taiwan is expected to be tackled when Taiwanese and European Union (EU) officials hold the annual Human Rights Consultations later this month. Taiwan and the EU agreed to hold their 2nd annual Human Rights Consultations in Brussels in mid May, and the meeting will be attended by high-ranking representatives from both sides, an EU official who spoke on condition of anonymity told CNA. The EU will raise the issue of the death penalty and gender equality this year, the official further revealed, adding that it was the EU's position to ask Taiwan to put a moratorium on carrying out capital punishment, with an ultimate goal of abolishing it. Taiwan and the EU held the 1st installment of the meeting in Taipei in March 2018, in which death penalty and gender equality were also on the agenda. However, Taiwan's Ministry of Justice executed a man convicted of murdering his ex-wife and daughter just 5 months after the 1st Human Rights Consultations. In response, the EU issued a statement expressing its concerns over the execution. In that statement, the EU described the death penalty as a "cruel and inhumane" form of punishment which failed to act as a deterrent to crimes and represented an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity. Some Taiwanese people rejected the EU statement, saying European countries should not impose their values on Taiwan. Nonetheless, the EU said it will continue its dialogue with Taiwan on this issue. It has been consistently advocating the abolishment of the death penalty, even making it a requirement for countries to join the regional bloc. | 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 focustaiwan.tw, Staff, May 4, 2019 Public budget committee meetings to review the city of Albanys proposed budget are set to begin next week, the first at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at at City Hall. The meeting will provide the only opportunity for oral public comment prior to the June 12 public hearing before the City Council. On April 2, City Manager Peter Troedsson said that staff had been working to balance the budget in the face of revenues projected to increase but not outpace expenditures. Notably, the proposed budget notes labor cost increased attributed in part to a 33% increase in Public Employee Retirement System costs. Health insurance costs for city employees are also set to jump 17.8%. The city was able to negotiate the expected 8% increase in health insurance or firefighters down to 4%. The general fund, Troedsson said, was expected to grow from $41 million to $43 million but the increase is not enough to maintain current service levels, prompting the city to make cuts. Proposed cuts ranged from pullbacks in emergency services to the closure of Maple Lawn Preschool. At the Albany Fire Department, possible cuts included freezing three positions. Six dual firefighter/paramedic positions, the technical team and a deputy fire marshal position were also proposed to be cut. Albanys budget is a two-year cycle and Troedsson said the second year would include additional cuts to the department unless the financial landscape changed significantly. Response times for the Albany Police Department may also be affected by proposed budget cuts with three officer positions and one lieutenant position eliminated in year one. Year two would see two additional officer positions frozen, as well as another lieutenant position and the street crimes traffic unit. The proposed closure of Maple Lawn garnered passionate public comment at a subsequent City Council meeting from parents and school staff. The school has been a part of the citys Parks & Recreation department for 40 years and currently serves 89 students. The direct cost of running the school, minus building expenses, is $488,500. Revenue for the school is projected at $210,000 leaving a deficit of $278,500. Other cuts could include a cutback on community programs and the freezing of one position at the Albany Public Library and the possibility of returning to a four-day week at the municipal court. The court may also end its amnesty program. Troedsson said the budget had improved slightly since the April 2 presentation and that staff will be recommending measures to the budget committee Tuesday night that could enhance revenues, mitigating reductions in city services. Those measures would have to go before the City Council to be approved. Tuesday night's meeting will feature a presentation of the budget from Troedsson and the chance for public comment. Residents can still submit written comment on the budget after Tuesday by emailing Marilyn.smith@cityofalbany.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 If the governor and state Legislature get their way, no matter how the presidential vote goes in Oregon, we as a state will be supporting Trump for president. To bypass the Electoral College, the state of Oregon is considering changing the way we vote for president of the United States. If they get enough states to pass the same legislation, these states will give all of their electoral college votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote. So whoever wins the popular vote wins. It sounds good but the consequences of that is, if Trump wins the popular vote, Oregonians votes will be supporting Trump no matter how the vote in Oregon turns out. Are the voters of this state going to be okay with that? Philip Brown Albany (April 29) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I, for one, will be quite happy with it. That Electoral College has deprived the American people of our choice twice in my lifetime (so far). And both times have resulted in catastrophes for this country. Not a good track record. It's a relic that desperately needs to be, if not abolished, at least marginalized. Throwing electoral votes one way or another is not throwing a state's support, or its votes, the same way. Asserting that it does is a bogus equivalency. Electoral votes are very different than popular votes. 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 The only chance the Ohio GOP has to continue winning congressional majorities is if the US Supreme Court allows extreme partisan gerrymandering-- and most people say it will Early yesterday, a federal court unanimously struck down -- as unconstitutional -- one of the most corrupt congressional maps any Republican legislature has ever passed-- Ohio's. The court ruled that the new boundaries must be in place for the 2020 elections and the 3 judges gave the state until June 14 to show them a fair map. If the court isn't happy with what the legislature comes up with it will appoint a special master to draw the districts. (This is very similar to a court ruling in Michigan 2 weeks ago.) The 3 judges who ruled were appointed by Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Although Hillary was so fundamentally wrong for Ohio that the state is lately looked at as a red bastion-- it's a actually a contestable swing state. She lost to Trump-- after giving up on the state-- by a whopping 2,841,005 (51.69%) to 2,394,164 (43.56%). Hillary only won in 8 of Ohio's 88 counties. In 2008, Obama took Ohio 2,940,044 (51.49%) to 2,677,820 (46.92), winning in 22 counties, including all the big ones. Obama took Ohio again in 2012-- 2,827,709 (50.67%) to 2,661,437 (47.69%). Last year Sherrod Brown was reelected convincingly-- 2,358,508 (53.4%) to Trumpist Jim Renacci's 2,057,559 (46.6%). Brown won 16 counties, exactly double the number Hillary won. A PPP survey shows that Trump would beat Hillary again in Ohio-- 50-42%, but the same poll shows that either Bernie or Status Quo Joe would beat Trump next year. All that said-- and the GOP gerrymandering of the state gave the Republicans 61 seats in the state House to the Democrats' 38. And in the state Senate it was 24 for the GOP and 9 for the Dems. In the Congress, Ohio has one Democratic senator and one Republican senator-- but the state's 16-member House delegation has 12 Republicans and just 4 Democrats, just like it did since these districts were drawn. As Rich Exner wrote for the Clevland Plain Dealer yesterday, "In each of the four congressional elections with this map, Republicans have won the same 12 seats and Democrats the same four-- just as designed. And the GOP has won those 75 percent of elections with just over 50 percent of the vote." The court didn't beat around the bush; their ruling stated that "invidious partisan intent-- the intent to disadvantage Democratic voters and entrench Republican representatives in power-- dominated the map-drawing process... Ohio Republicans understood that Speaker Boehner would have considerable input in the 2012 map and were committed to enacting a map that he supported... In some cases, it was clear that national Republican operatives had the authority to 'sign off' on changes before they were implemented by the State-level team'... We are convinced by the evidence that this partisan gerrymander was intentional and effective and that no legitimate justification accounts for its extremity... the 2012 map dilutes the votes of Democratic voters by packing and cracking them into districts that are so skewed toward one party that the electoral outcome is predetermined. We conclude that the map unconstitutionally burdens associational rights by making it more difficult for voters and certain organizations to advance their aims, be they pro-Democratic or pro-democracy." This hypothetical map was created by Kos redistricting expert Stephen Wolf . All things being equal (no wave elections) it would result in 8 Republican mostly rural seats and 7 Democratic seats, with one very swingy district (OH-09) in Lorain, Medina and Erie counties. Ungerrymandering the state would be expected to bring Democrats a safe Cincinnati seat (OH-01), two Columbus seats, instead of one (OH-02 and OH-12), a Toledo-based seat (OH-05), and three of the four seats in the northeast corner of the state, instead of two (OH-11, OH-13, OH-16). An old friend of this blog and of Blue America, former Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, was successfully targeted in the last round of unconstitutional Ohio gerrymandering. This morning she told me that "Ohio voters deserve the right to elect their congressional representatives without having the votes of democrats being diluted. For the last 7 years, results have been preordained by a map that both 'cracks' and 'packs' creating 12 very safe Republican seats to 4 safe Democratic seats which doesnt truly reflect voting patterns in Ohio. Republicans and their corporate sponsors have used their power to choose who our representatives will be. Extremes of gerrymandering contribute to the dysfunction in Washington where too often the needs of working class and low income people are ignored and those of the big banks and big Pharma are served. These unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts suppress Democratic turnout and have an impact on other state and local races." We didn't get a chance to ask her if she noticed that that potential new district just north of Columbus (OH-12), looks like it would love to be represented by her. Politico The Status Quo Joe Campaign says it wants to be transparent and will allow the media to attend all his fat-cat fundraising events, which Natasha Korecki of wrote is "designed to address the Democratic bases increasing discomfort with the role of big-money donors in politics." But, as with most things Biden/Trump, the bullshit has to be examined to for about 1.5 seconds to catch the basic underlying deceit. Don't blame poor old Biden. That's the way he was in the 70s, in the 80s, in the 90s-- and ever since. The deceit-- like with Trump, if not as blatant and not as pathological-- is built into the cake; there's no getting around it... other than to retire him. Prediction: if Biden fails to get the nomination this time, there will be no 8th Biden presidential bid. Anyway, what the fake transparency really means is that the speeches his speech-writers write for him will be distributed to the media and if there's a Q&A session with his fat cat friends who write him the big checks, his answers to those questions will be send to the media. Reporters don't get to ask questions. In fact, no TV cameras allowed and the journalists who want to go, have to elect a rep from among themselves to be the "pool" attending. "When Biden attends a private fundraiser at the home of a South Carolina supporter [Dick Harpootlian; cheapest ticket is $1,000] this weekend during a brief swing through the state," wrote Korecki, "only pooled print and wire reporters will be allowed inside." Biden spokesperson: "Its reflective of Joe Bidens longstanding commitment to transparency." Yes, it is. Apparently some of the people running the Status Quo Joe Campaign wish Status Quo Joe himself was a better candidate. So... "At least some of the calculation behind Bidens approach, according to a donor close to the campaign, is putting the gaffe-prone former vice president on notice that his remarks will be public." His campaign is putting him on notice? Is this another dysfunctional Trump-like presidency in the making? Several veteran fundraisers who have worked on national presidential campaigns called Bidens move unusual, given that the rule of thumb in fundraising, especially in private homes, is to respect the privacy of the homeowner. Another fundraiser, who is acting as a bundler to a competing candidate in the field, dismissed the move as little more than smoke. At the end of the day, the transparency is disclosed on everybody. Theyre required to disclose who the people are in [Federal Election Commission] reports, the fundraiser said. To me, its more optics than anything else. Either way, the Biden campaigns move is unlikely to be welcomed by the donor class. When you organize people will ask: Theres not going to be press there, right? one veteran national fundraiser said. A lot of these things are people in their own circles. I dont think donors want everyone to know who theyre schmoozing with reported. One campaign insider explained that there will be a private area set up at each fundraiser, where, for really big donors, there will be private face time with Biden and no one from the media will be allowed anywhere near the guarded room. "That's where the dirty stuff happens," she told me, laughing. Dirty stuff? Oh, yes-- and for that we have Branko Marcetic . Last week he noted that Biden courageously told a crowd of union supporters that "The country wasn't built by Wall Street bankers, CEOs and hedge fund managers." This is likely a different message than what Biden has been sending to hedge fund managers themselves, whom he has spent the two years leading up to his announcement aggressively courting. These titans of finance capital have also been among Bidens early supporters. In fact, the first time Biden publicly opened the door to a possible 2020 run, he was standing among figures from the hedge fund industry. After months of flat out denials, Biden first admitted he may very well do it at the Skybridge Alternatives (SALT) Conference in May 2017, where he appeared as a keynote speaker. SALT is an annual conference bringing together hedge funds in Las Vegas organized and run by Anthony Scaramucci, the hedge fund operator who briefly served as President Trumps White House communications director in 2017. While Biden is not listed as a speaker for this years SALT, his picture is still featured prominently on the front page of its website. Attendees at the 2017 conference included billionaire investor Sam Zell, The Carlyle Group co-founder and Co-Executive Chairman David Rubenstein, hedge fund manager James Chanos, Milwaukee Bucks co-owner and Avenue Capital Group co-founder Marc Lasry, as well as a host of celebrities and political figures such as Karl Rove and Donna Brazile. Much of the coverage of the event at the time focused on Bidens teased presidential run and his testy, possibly misreported exchange with billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. But Biden was well-received at the event, receiving a standing ovation from the 2,000-strong crowd of Wall Street bigwigs. Bidens speech reportedly painted an image of the kind of unified, cooperative American polity that tends to animate his worldview, one where competing interests work together and the country functions more as a singular team than one marked by class divisions. The United States had a plethora of research universities and the most nimble venture capitalists, he told the gathering. And while hoarding their wealth wouldnt enrich the economy, he said, investing in education and other public goods would. This wasnt the only time Biden spoke alongside such an ultra-wealthy crowd that year. At an event at the University of Delaware in April 2017 to promote his Biden Institute-- which describes itself as a a research and policy center aiming to influence, shape, and work to solve the most pressing domestic policy problems facing America-- Biden convened a panel called Win-Win: How the Long View Works for Business and the Middle Class. At the panel, Biden was joined by various corporate executives and figures from the investment industry. He kicked things off by expounding on the virtues of a strong middle class, whose fate, he said, depended on what companies decide to do with their profits: invest them in research, training, equipment or plow them back into shareholder payout. The eight-member panel-- consisting of Biden, various corporate executives and two university associates-- was critical of both corporate America, which they argued was driven to short-term thinking by fear of poor quarterly performance, and of hedge fund managers who pushed executives into such behavior. Yet several of these panelists were themselves members of the hedge fund world: Carsten Stendevad of Bridgewater Associates, which recently topped the list of the worlds biggest and most profitable hedge funds; Sarah Williamson, a former partner and 21-year veteran of hedge fund manager Wellington Management Co. who sat on its Hedge Fund Oversight Committee; Charles Elson, a finance professor at the university who just months before was nominated to run a hedge fund; and Mark Wiseman, the Global Head of Active Equity at BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager with billions of dollars invested in hedge funds, in which the firm is increasing investment. The following year, Biden looked partly to the hedge fund world to fill out his institute's Policy Advisory Board, adding former hedge fund boss and major Obama bundler Eric Mindich as well as a number of employees and veterans of firms such as BlackRock, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase. The Advisory Boards mission involved drafting a set of new policy ideas to make sure Americans are able to obtain quality jobs that will grow the middle class and our economy. Mindich, for his part, has also promised to help Biden raise money for his current campaign. Such events continued into 2018. Early that year, Biden reportedly attended a fundraiser at the home of Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, a career-long hedge fund executive, and was the special guest at a $10,000 per person dinner for House Democrats at the aforementioned James Chanos home. Chanos, a billionaire who made his fortune by betting on the fall in value of company stocks, has said Biden would make a great president and hits a chord with the middle class, pledging to support him any way I can. Meanwhile, Florida billionaire Marsha Laufer, whose husband Henry served as an executive at the $57 billion hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, had kind words for Biden before he joined the race, saying he represents stability of government, truth and values in a traditional sense that people are longing for, while expressing fear about the Democrats leftward shift. It appears Biden may be returning to this well even after taking a rhetorical jab at Wall Street bankers, CEOs and hedge fund managers. Some of those slated to attend an LA fundraiser for Biden next month include: Richard Blum, hedge fund manager, private equity investor and husband of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein; James Costos, board member of PJT Partners Inc.; and Martha Karsh, whose husband, Bruce, co-founded private equity firm Oaktree Capital. Bidens closeness to the industry is nothing new. A 2015 letter signed by nearly 50 Democratic Party donors and activists urging Biden to run for president the following year featured longtime hedge fund manager Jim Torrey as well as other finance executives. Bidens 2008 presidential campaign was fined $219,000 by the FEC partly because three members of the campaign took a flight on a private jet owned by the Clinton Group, a New York-based hedge fund. And Bidens son Hunter was previously chairman of Paradigm, a now-defunct fund of hedge funds he ran alongside Bidens brother, James. Alongside this relationship to hedge funds, Biden has been heavily courting labor union support for his presidential run. He opened his campaign with an endorsement from the International Association of Fire Fighters, has spoken in union halls and in front of union audiences in the lead up to his run (including on the day he announced), and recently said that I make no apologies-- I am a union man. This is despite union antipathy toward hedge funds, which have a history of depleting pension funds through poor performance and exorbitant fees. These events suggest the contours of what Bidens campaign and potential governing style may look like. Biden will likely continue seeking the support of unions while playing up his working-class, Scranton roots in public speeches, while quietly courting hedge fund managers and other corporate and Wall Street executives for funding. Meanwhile, unlike Bernie Sanders, one of his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination who frames the relationship between corporate America and working people as antagonistic, these episodes suggest Biden sees this relationship as a fundamentally cooperative one. As Biden said at the Brookings Institution in May 2018, Im not Bernie Sanders. I dont think 500 billionaires are the reason why were in trouble. He went on to say, The folks at the top are not bad guys wealthy Americans are just as patriotic as poor folks. In this view, Wall Street and corporate executives serve as key stakeholders who must help shape government policy, with Biden acting as a kind of broker between them and the rest of the public. Its an approach not dissimilar from that taken by previous Democratic presidents in the post-Reagan era. But can such a coalition of the working class and ultra-rich executives hold together throughout the campaign, particularly at a time of populist anger and historic wealth inequality? With a dangerous billionaire real estate mogul in the White House, thats one risky proposition. and Biden. This seems to be the image we use to illustrate Biden that his supporters who feel masochistic enough to wander over to DWT seem to hate most for some reason: Repeat: Biden is better than Trump. Tangentially, almost anyone running for the Democratic nomination is better than TrumpBiden. This seems to be the image we use to illustrate Biden that his supporters who feel masochistic enough to wander over toseem to hate most for some reason: Kentucky is a weird and intriguing state when it comes to politics. Just watch the great explanation of what's going on there in the Samantha Bee video above before you read another word. It's one of the reddest states in the Union (PVI is R+15-- worse than Alabama, Mississippi, Texas or Kansas) and Trump beat Hillary there 1,202,971 (62.5%) to 628,854 (32.68). She won just two of Kentucky's 120 counties. Hillary even managed to lose Elliott County, which had never-- in its 150 year history-- voted for a Republican before, not Reagan, not Eisenhower, not Harding... just Trump. Anyway, that's not what's intriguing. What is, is how much Kentucky voters hate their Republican politicians and vote for them anyway. Kentucky voters, for example, hate Mitch McConnell more than the voters in any state hate their senator. Every year since dinosaurs roamed the planet McConnell has been rated the most hated senator in America. His approval from Kentucky voters was 36% this year, an actual improvement over the 30% it was a couple of years earlier. Unlike in other states, though, Kentuckians keep reelecting the politicians they detest. Alex Isenstadt, writing foryesterday, reported that Trump has his own people racing to save Matt Bevin , a Trump loyalist in a red state who's deeply unpopular and on the ballot in November. "Bevin," he wrote, "is a presidential phone-buddy and White House regular whos become one of President Donald Trumps loudest surrogates. Hes also one of the most unpopular governors in the country, facing a treacherous reelection in November. And the White House, fearing that an embarrassing loss in a deep-red state would stoke doubts about the presidents own ability to win another term, is preparing to go all-in to save him." Trump keeps sending Pence down to Kentucky to raise money and to fire up gay-haters among the evangelical base. The Trump team has watched with growing concern as Bevins approval ratings have plummeted to the low 30s. With the presidential campaign kicking into gear, the Kentucky governors race is likely to be the most closely-watched contest in the run-up to 2020, and Trump aides acknowledge alarm bells will go off if one of the presidents closest allies loses in a state that Trump won by nearly 30 percentage points. You want to be winning and not losing in red states ahead of your reelection bid, said Scott Jennings, a Louisville-based Republican strategist who served as a top political aide in the George W. Bush White House. I think having the president come and remind everyone whats at stake is important. Bevin has visited the White House so frequently that his presence in the West Wing has become a running joke among some Trump aides. Since Jan. 2018, the Kentucky governor has visited the White House 10 times, according to a count provided by an administration official. Over the past year, the White House has dispatched at least nine cabinet heads and top officials to Kentucky to promote the Trump agenda with the governor. First daughter Ivanka Trump has gone twice. ...The governors plight has caused unease across the party. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who defeated Bevin in a bitter 2014 primary, has put aside the past rivalry and instructed his political team to be helpful to the governor in any way he wants. Aides to both men have been in touch. McConnell, who wields a formidable political apparatus in the state, has much at stake in the governors race. Like Trump, the GOP leader is on the ballot in 2020 and a Bevin loss could further energize Democrats who are eager to take McConnell down. The fact that Democrats are even competitive in the Kentucky governors race represents a remarkable turn of fortunes. Republicans control both U.S. Senate seats, five of the states six congressional seats, the governorship, and both chambers of the state legislature. Barack Obamas aggressive efforts to address climate change, many believe, deeply undercut the Democratic Partys prospects in the coal-dependent state. But Bevin in nonetheless in jeopardy. After narrowly winning the 2015 gubernatorial primary, he picked a series of high-profile fights, most notably with public school teachers. Last week, Bevin, whos waged an intense campaign to reform the states pension system, came under fire for blaming striking teachers for the shooting of a 7-year-old girl who had stayed home because school had been shut down. The governor has a tough reelection, largely because hes not a part of the political establishment and has ruffled feathers and gotten into fights in Frankfort, said Nick Everhart, a Republican strategist with extensive experience in the state. The governors political standing is so precarious that he's being forced to spend campaign funds more than six months before the election. Bevin on Thursday purchased about $500,000 worth of May commercial airtime. State Attorney General Andy Beshear, the son of popular former Gov. Steve Beshear, is widely considered the front-runner in a May 21 Democratic primary that also includes state House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins and former state Auditor Adam Edelen. People close to Bevin say his general election campaign will focus heavily on the president. The hope, they say, is that the president will help win over many of the blue-collar voters who backed Trump in 2016 but whove soured on the governor over his push for pension reform. And theyre eager for Trump to savage Bevins eventual Democratic opponent. I hope the president uses his political capital in Kentucky because hes got it here, said Steve Robertson, a former Kentucky GOP chairman. I think he could make a huge difference. Group of victims protested for refund at pyramid-scheme company Modern Tech's headquarter in Ho Chi Minh City on April 8, 2018. Photo acquired by VnExpress. A spate of multi-level-marketing firms are downing shutters amidst thousands of clients claiming they have been cheated. The Ministry of Industry and Trade recently received business termination requests from two Hanoi companies, G10 International Commercial Franchise Co Ltd and Med Media Co. The companies, which operate multi-level marketing schemes, have cited poor business results as the reason for the termination request. Another company, Khang Loi Thai Co Ltd in Hanois western district of Cau Giay, said it has ceased all its multi-level marketing activities since last November. The company is said to be a successor to Thien Ngoc Minh Uy, a major multi-level marketing company whose license was revoked in 2017 for engaging in illegal activities. It is estimated that 17,000 investors were left uncompensated after the company went down. The trade ministry also said it has recently revoked the business licenses of five other companies that did not comply with Vietnams laws on multi-level marketing - CNI Vietnam, Sen Viet Group, Rain International Vietnam, World Vietnam and Tam Sinh Yofoto Vietnam. In recent years, a number of companies in Vietnam have operated pyramid schemes under the guise of multi-level marketing, taking money from tens of thousands of people and leaving them in the lurch. Last April, investors claimed they have been scammed by Ho Chi Minh City-based startup Modern Tech which used a cryptocurrency pyramid scheme to commit fraud worth estimated at VND15 trillion ($645 million), affecting 32,000 people. In July, HCMC-based Sky Mining, a self-proclaimed largest cryptocurrency mining firm in Vietnam, was also accused of fraud. Its CEO Le Minh Tam absconded just five months after the company was established. Over 800 people have petitioned for the mans extradition from the U.S., where he is believed to be residing. There are 23 companies operating multi-level marketing schemes in the country, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Vietnamese villagers attend the 50th anniversary of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War in My Lai Village, Vietnam, March 16, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kham The labor ministrys proposal to make July 27, War Invalids and Martyrs Day, a public holiday has drawn a mixed public response. Khuat Thu Hong, head of the Institute for Social Development Studies, said: "The wars have been over for decades. If the public holiday falls on War Invalids and Martyrs Day, it would be a reminder of people's losses. "We should choose another meaningful day that would not cause hurt." To this day families that lost members in wars, as well as many others, feel hurt when remembering wars, she said. Furthermore, Vietnam already has a public holiday on April 30 to commemorate the country's reunification, the end of the Vietnam War, so having another public holiday that recalls wars and losses could bring even more sorrow, she claimed. Ngo Duy Hieu, vice chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, agreed that July 27 should be public holiday since it would mean expressing gratitude to those who have contributed to the revolution and the country. Vietnam has gone through many wars and lost millions of lives while many others have become invalids, he said. July 27 could therefore be a symbol of the Vietnamese culture of being grateful to one's benefactor, he pointed out. Many other countries also have public holidays to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice and so the ministry's proposal is "appropriate and humane," he said. He added that a survey found that many workers were happy with the proposal since the number of public holidays in Vietnam is lower than in other countries. Ha Dinh Bon, head of the ministry's legal affairs department, said the number of public holidays in Vietnam is only 10, while it is 28 in Cambodia, 15 in Brunei, 16 in Indonesia, 12 in Malaysia, and 14 in Myanmar. Increasing the number of holidays is therefore needed to enable workers to rest and regain strength, he said. Vietnam currently has no public holiday between Labor Day on May 1 and National Day on September 2, and so July 27 would be an appropriate addition, he said. "Our country has had millions who have fallen for independence, and they need to be commemorated. The commemorations on this day are not to recall painful memories but to express gratitude to those who made contributions." The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is still collecting public comments and will incorporate them in proposed amendments to the Labour Code before submitting to the National Assembly at the end of this month. Vietnamese fishing boats are anchored off the south central coast in Binh Thuan Province, April 29, 2019. Photo by Le Dang The foreign ministry has condemned China for violating Vietnam's sovereignty by imposing a unilateral fishing ban in the South China Sea. China's agriculture ministry announced the ban on Wednesday, which it said would apply to both Chinese as well as foreign vessels, warning violators would be detained and fined by Chinese authorities. Vietnam calls the waters the East Sea. The ban is for three and a half months and covers the area between China's Fujian and Guangdong provinces, which includes Vietnam's Paracel Islands, parts of the Gulf of Tonkin and the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by the Philippines. "Vietnam opposes and resolutely rejects China's unilateral fishing ban decision," foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on Saturday. The ban violates Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands and its legitimate rights and interests in its waters, as well as international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It also goes against the spirit and text of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) between ASEAN and China, and violates the Vietnam-China Agreement on the Basic Principles Guiding the Resolution of Maritime Issues, she said. Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, as well as its legal rights over its waters in accordance with UNCLOS, she said. China has been issuing similar fishing bans every year in recent times and Vietnam has always condemned them. China had seized the Paracel Islands from what was then South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has since been illegally occupying them. In 2012 it established the so-called Sansha City with the archipelago's Woody Island as its seat. The "city" also covers a number of reefs in the Spratly Islands that China seized by force in 1988 and the Scarborough Shoal. Indonesia to sink scores of boats from Vietnam and others to deter illegal fishing Indonesian authorities sink an impounded Vietnamese fishing boat at Datuk island, on May 4, 2019. Photo by AFP/Louis Anderson Indonesia began sinking dozens of impounded foreign boats Saturday to deter illegal fishing in its waters. Up to 51 foreign boats -- including from Vietnam, Malaysia and China -- will be scuttled at several different locations over the next two weeks, officials said. Over a dozen were scuttled Saturday near Pontianak, in West Kalimantan Province. Fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the action was necessary to warn neighboring countries that Indonesia was serious about fighting illegal fishing. "There's no other way," she said. "This is actually the most beautiful solution for our nation, but yes, it's scary for other countries." She said Indonesia suffered great economic loss from lax regulations that gave leeway for foreign boats to fish in Indonesian waters. Since president Joko Widodo took office in 2014, hundreds of captured foreign fishing vessels have been sunk -- more than half from Vietnam. The practice was suspended for several months, but has resumed since last week when a Vietnamese coastguard boat rammed an Indonesian navy ship attempting to seize an illegal trawler. A dozen fishermen were detained and remain in Indonesian custody. "If we don't act firm, they will be even more daring. I believe these collisions will get worse one day, this will escalate," Pudjiastuti said. Jakarta claims the area in the southernmost reaches of the South China Sea as its exclusive economic zone and two years ago changed its name to the North Natuna Sea in a bid to show sovereignty. More recently, it inaugurated a new military base in the chain of several hundred small islands to beef up defences. The moves prompted criticism from Beijing, whose claims in the sea overlap Indonesia's around the remote Natuna Islands. This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami says Iran is engaged in an "intelligence war" and that the "Iranian Intelligence community" is active around the clock. "We are engaged in a serious global intelligence war with the enemies around the clock," said the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) commander during a meeting with Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi and his deputies. The delegation from the intelligence ministry visited the IRGC headquarters on Sunday May 5 to greet the Revolutionary Guards' new commander, who was appointed in April. The meeting was also attended by IRGC Intelligence Chief Hossein Taeb and Counter-Intelligence Chief Mohammad Kazemi. According to the Guards public relations office, Alavi said at the meeting that the Intelligence Ministry and IRGC Intelligence Organization complement each other as "two intelligence powers." Meanwhile, Salami said that "while carrying out their critical responsibilities, the intelligence community, including the two organizations, do not think of anything but their friendship and brotherhood." This comes while ironically, IRGC intelligence once arrested one of the aides of the intelligence minister as a spy, and the Intelligence Ministry denied last year that the environmental scientists IRGC arrested were "spies". The two rival intelligence agencies have at least another dispute as IRGC intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence hold diametrically opposing views about the nature of activities of nuclear negotiator Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, who is also branded as a "spy" by IRGC Intelligence organization. On the other hand, while the Intelligence Ministry maintains that espionage cases should be handled exclusively by the Ministry, IRGC Intelligence organization says it can intervene in such cases based on an order issued by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The two agencies are often referred to as "parallel intelligence agencies", but at least in some instances they act as rival entities. Meanwhile, although the Intelligence Ministry operates under President Hassan Rouhani, it is known that Khamenei must approve the appointment of intelligence ministers once they are nominated by the President. He often rules out credentials of nominees and Alavi is said to have been Rouhani's 11th choice for the post. Although IRGC Intelligence existed since the establishment of the military force, it dramatically developed and expanded following the victory of reformist Mohammad Khatami in the 1997 presidential election. It arrested scores of political activists including members of the "nationalist-religious groups" and the liberal Freedom Movement members in the year 2000. Following widespread unrest in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential election, which reinstated hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's president, the IRGC Intelligence was further elevated into an Organization, based on Khamenei's order, and played a major role in suppressing the reformist Green Movement alongside the Ministry of Intelligence. The Islamic Republic of Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi has expressed concern over Iranian Muslims converting into Christianity in various parts of Iran. Speaking on Saturday May 4, Alavi said that the Intelligence Ministry and the Qom Seminary have dispatched individuals and institutions active in "countering the advocates of Christianity" to areas where there is a potential among the people for being influenced by Good News missionary campaigns. The Iranian Intelligence Minister, however, did not give any further details about what the ministry has been doing to address the concern of the clerically dominated elite. According to Alavi, in one of the cities of Hamadan Province in Northwestern Iran a number of people running ordinary businesses such as sandwich parlors have shown interest in Christianity, but the Ministry has "summoned" them. Alavi quoted some of these individuals as saying, "We are looking for a religion that could give us peace of mind, " adding that "We told them Islam is the religion of brotherhood and friendship, but they said Muslim scholars are constantly speaking against each other. If Islam is the religion of friendship, you should first create peace and friendship among your own religious scholars." The converts speaking to the Intelligence Ministery must have been referring to ongoing disputes between the clerics ruling Iran over political gains and financial interests. Hardliner clerics have at times even questioned President Hassan Rouhani's Islamic credentials although he is a Muslim scholar who has studied at both the Qom Seminary and the University of Tehran. During the past years, Iranians who converted into Christianity have been sentenced to long-term jail terms and often accused of "acting against national security by operating or taking part in congregations at churches set up in people's homes." At least 6 Iranian Christian leaders have been killed and hundreds of Christians have been interrogated and imprisoned for their beliefs since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The Islamic Republic regularly persecutes people who convert from Islam to Christianity and most converts try to worship secretly at home-churches. The Islamic Republic of Iran has banned the publication of Persian (Farsi) versions of the New and Old Testaments in Iran, some churches have been shut down and holding congregations and preaching in Persian are prohibited. The Iranian Constitutional Law recognizes Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, nevertheless, converting into any religion other than Islam entails death sentence for the converts. Even conversion from Shiism into Sunni Islam is frowned at and is rarely made public as hardliner clerics' reaction is not hard to predict. United Nations organs and committees, as well as international human rights organizations have repeatedly urged the Islamic Republic to respect the right to choose ones religion and beliefs, which are supposed to be protected by Irans international obligations. The Islamic Republic Attorney General has once again lambasted what he called "out of control cyberspace", describing two popular messaging apps, Telegram and Instagram, as "infernal," and called for restrictions on social media. The ultraconservative mid-ranking clergyman Mohammad Jafar Montazeri also explicitly threatened the Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, with judicial consequences. The minister should amend the situation of the internet in Iran before the judiciary's final decision on the case, Montazeri warned, adding that Azari Jahromi has only weeks for the reforms demanded by the judiciary. The warnings by the prosecutor came while various Iranian officials including the head of the Judiciary are active on social media. Recently, in compliance with U.S. sanctions, Instagram blocked several accounts belonging to Iran's top officials and military commanders. Introducing the newly appointed Prosecutor-General of Tehran on Saturday, May 4, Montazeri lamented that while cyberspace has its benefits, it is a field for a myriad of corrupt activities and crimes. The Prosecutor-General had earlier repeatedly called for further restrictions on the internet, but it was for the first time he explicitly warned the Minister of Communication, insisting that current status of how the internet is accessed and used in Iran should be revised; otherwise, the judiciary will step in to control it. However, Montazeri immediately played down the threat by calling Azari Jahromi to a TV debate, and respond to the questions of an expert picked by Montazeri. Insisting that he is the people's advocate, Montazeri said that Azari Jahromi should be accountable for not "launching a national internet," "disregarding guidelines passed by the Cyberspace Council," about "allocating broadband to foreign networks," and not replacing the "infernal Instagram and telegram Channels." The idea of launching a "national internet," inspired by the Chinese model, was primarily tabled under Iran's hardline former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration backed by the security organizations and conservatives dominating the country. However, the idea was never implemented. Instead, responding to the widespread protests against the 2009 controversial presidential election, the authorities blocked access to favorite social media apps, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Nevertheless, many Iranians have access to blocked apps by using internet blockage circumvention tools, such as VPNs and proxies. Tehran's newly appointed Prosecutor-General, Ali Alghasi-Mehr also blasted the cyberspace, and maintained, "This space should not turn into a base for questioning the Islamic regime's values, disgracing people and smearing their characters." As a rule, whenever economic conditions worsen in Iran, the Islamic Republic authorities voice more concern about possible unrest. Experiences in the last ten years show that social media can be used effectively to mobilize protesters in Iran. Controlling social networks at the time of crises is a "must" that should "seriously be considered," the head of the Islamic Republic's Passive Defense Organization (PDO), Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali said on April 28. Echoing repeated calls of the Islamic Republic's conservative authorities for more restrictions on using the internet in Iran, Jalali asserted, "During crises, social networks provoke people against the governmenttherefore, it should be controlled." In the meantime, international organizations have repeatedly condemned Iran for restricting access to the internet. Based on the latest report by Reporters Without Borders on media freedom around the globe, out of 180 countries of the world, Iran ranks 170th, dropping six grades in ranking since the last survey. The restriction is so damaging that even the Islamic Republic's President, Hassan Rouhani lamented last February that there are "no free media in Iran," adding, "We made a mistake by filtering (social media and other internet outlets)." However, it was reported nearly three months ago that the Rouhani Administration had decided to hold an "internet disconnection drill." Nonetheless, attacking free access to the internet and social media is spreading among the conservatives dominating Iran, as fear of unrest seems growing. An ultraconservative clergyman, officially recognized as a Grand Ayatollah, Nasser Makarem Shirazi recently labelled the internet and social media as "swamps" and an environment made for corruption. "The reason behind most divorce cases and teaching misappropriate behavior is cyberspace and the temptations hidden in social media," Makarem Shirazi insisted. Currently, almost all major social media websites and apps, save Instagram, are blocked in Iran, while conservatives call for blocking Instagram, as well. Reports from Tehran say an Oil Ministry official who was arrested over spreading a rumor about gasoline rationing in Iran has been freed on bail on Sunday May 5. According to Fars News Agency, Ziba Esmaili, the public relations manager of the Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company was arrested on Saturday for breaking the news that had led people to rush to gas stations Thursday night to tank up. The Rouhani administration had filed a complaint against Tasnim and Fars news agencies, both affiliated with IRGC, for spreading the rumor about gasoline rationing before it turned out that that the news was leaked through the Oil Ministry. The report on Sunday afternoon did not mention any name, but Fars and Tasnim had already disclosed Ms. Esmaili's identity as a former Fars news agency reporter who joined the Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company as their Public Relations Manager. Long lines of cars were formed at gas stations in Tehran and some other cities as people rushed to refill their oil tanks for the last time at a lower price and as much as their tank's capacity allowed. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the publication of that news story, which was later characterized as "fake," was "a dangerous act," adding that "the plan for rationing and increasing the price of gasoline has not been finalized yet." Administration officials are to discuss the matter at a closed door session at the Iranian Parliament on Monday. In the meantime, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told reporters on Sunday that more people have been detained for giving the news about rationing to the two news agencies. Asked about Ms. Esmaili's arrest, Zanganeh said, "I have no idea why she was arrested," adding that "the Ministry is not in a position to question Judiciary decisions." The Israeli government has announced that in a targeted attack a man who had been helping transfer millions of dollars from Iran to Gaza militants was killed. Israeli tweets in Persian and Arabic identified the person as Hammed Ahmad al-Khudari (Ghudari) , who apparently was a senior Hamas military field commander. The Israeli government has also published the photo of a demolished car, in which it said al-Khudari was killed in. Extensive exchange of fire has been going on for three days between the Gaza strip Palestinian groups and Israeli forces in which three Israelis and twelve Palestinians have been killed. Gaza militants have been firing rockets into Israel, which has responded with its own attacks, targeting militants. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israeli forces to conduct all-out attacks against Palestinian militant targets. As the Israeli army has struck nearly 300 targets, a Palestinian commander vowed to continue rocket attacks and not to agree to a calm for calm agreement. Iran on Sunday condemned what it called Israel's "savage" attack on Gaza, and blamed "unlimited U.S. support" for Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. "Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran strongly condemned the Zionist regime's (Israel) savage attack ... which martyred and wounded dozens of Palestinians, including women and children," Fars reported. "Due to unlimited American support for this regime and the embarrassing silence of some Islamic governments, there is no end to Zionist crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories," Mousavi was quoted as saying, referring to a surging cross-border fighting. With reporting by Reuters Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 22 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 5, Trend reports. 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, May 5 Trend: Azerbaijan has repeatedly proved its ability to determine a model of mutually beneficial cooperation, considering the interests of its partners, Hikmat Hajiyev, head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Trend News Agency during Interview with Sahil Karimli. He was commenting on the success formula of Azerbaijans foreign policy. He noted that in the most difficult and troubled times in the international arena, Azerbaijan managed to build mutually beneficial friendly relations both on a bilateral basis and on a multilateral one. He added that Azerbaijan is full of determination and in practice proved its ability to develop on a bilateral basis friendly relations with countries that have some contradictions with each other. Sometimes representatives of foreign media ask the question: what is the secret or what is the success formula of Azerbaijans foreign policy? Hajiyev said. First of all, in this sense, the personality of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev should be noted. A major role in establishing Azerbaijans relations with other countries belongs to the head of state, his political dialogue or friendly relations with the leaders of the countries. There are specific examples, he noted. Lets look at the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. In the development of these relations, the personalities of the leaders and the political dialogue between them are of great importance. To same extent, this can be said with regard to the relations of Azerbaijan with Iran and Belarus. These principles are one of the main criteria for the formation of a model for the success of Azerbaijans foreign policy and bilateral cooperation. He added that just like the Azerbaijani president said, Azerbaijan pursues an open, transparent foreign policy. The national interests of Azerbaijan lie at the core of this foreign policy, he said. This policy is predictable. The national interests of Azerbaijan include a complex set of approaches that contain the interests of every citizen. Our country has repeatedly proved the ability to determine, considering the interests of its partners, a model of mutually beneficial cooperation. That is why the number of countries willing to cooperate with Azerbaijan is growing. Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan demonstrates the ability to represent a successful model of cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral one, and this serves the mutual interests of the country and its partners. Lets take, for example, relations with neighboring Georgia, he said. Today, Azerbaijani companies are leading investors in Georgia. Tourists of Azerbaijan, visiting Georgia, contribute to the economic development of this country. He noted that in the political arena, Azerbaijan is always guided by the rule of international law. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 Trend: The 52nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) ended on May 5, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Finance. The Azerbaijani delegation participated in the meeting. During the event, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation - Finance Minister Samir Sharifov held a number of business meetings. The minister at separate meetings with ADB President Takehiko Nakao, ADB Regional Vice President Shixin Chen, Head of ADB Central and West Asia Department Werner Liepach and Executive Director representing Azerbaijan in the board, Australian Tony McDonald informed the parties about large-scale economic reforms implemented in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and about the success achieved, strengthening of the financial and banking system of the country, as well as the recent decisions regarding solving problem loans and indicators of socio-economic development. At the same time, the minister said that according to the instructions of the countrys leadership, Azerbaijan will participate as a donor country in the programs of international financial organizations, as well as the Asian Development Fund of the ADB. The president of the ADB and other officials hailed the ongoing reforms in Azerbaijan and highly appreciated the growth of the countrys socio-economic indicators in a short time. At the same time, Nakao asked to convey his greetings to President Ilham Aliyev and gratitude for Azerbaijans joining the list of the banks donors. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: Construction of a plant for the production of light trucks and minibuses in the Hajibagul industrial district of Azerbaijan is expected to be completed by next summer, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijans Azermash OJSC Emin Akhundov told Trend. "We believe that this facility will be fully completed and ready for operation in June 2020," said Akhundov. He noted that the share of Azermash OJSC in the construction of a plant for the production of light trucks was 100 percent. The official opening of the Azermash car plant took place March 29, 2018. The plants founders are Iran Khodro and Azerbaijans AzEuroCar. The plant is located in the Neftchala industrial district in the south-east of Azerbaijan. All cars produced at the plant comply with Euro 5 standards. In 2018, over 1,000 Khazar cars were produced at the Azermash plant, and 95 percent of them were sold. The cost of the Khazar LD car is 18,000 manats ($10,600), Khazar SD 16,000 manats ($9,400). The Azermash plant plans to produce 3,000 cars in 2019. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 By Sara Israfilbayova, Aysham Rustamova Trend: In the future, if necessary, other sources of gas may be connected to the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project as well, EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas told Trend. "In the future if there will be a bigger demand and more possibilities to expand and transport more, it could be done with several additional pumping stations," he said. "And then, of course, the question on additional gas may come on. And looking Further East, towards Turkmenistan it is potentially interesting." "Secondly, last year and this year at the ministerial meeting of the SGC Advisory Council there were talks of potential demand and possibilities for expansion, but also about additional sources of the gas," he noted. "If you look and the demand and potential expansion, I think it is primarily the countries of Western Balkans, there is an interest from their side. I think some projects have been developed to that extent. So, the SGC is not the end, it is an enabler and a beginning." The Southern Gas Corridor project envisages the creation of a pipeline infrastructure for the transportation of Azerbaijani gas, which is extracted as part of the development of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 field, to Europe via Turkey. The main components of the project are Shah Deniz Stage 2, expansion of the South Caucasus pipeline Baku-Georgia-border with Turkey, construction of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) from Turkeys eastern border to the western border and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) connecting Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. Supplies of Azerbaijani gas to Europe are expected in early 2020 in the amount of 10 billion cubic meters. In addition, 6 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas will be supplied to the western regions of Turkey. Deliveries to Turkey began in the summer of 2018. Occidental Petroleum Corp. agreed to sell Anadarko Petroleum Corp. assets in four African nations to Total SA for $8.8 billion, contingent on the Houston-based oil producers long-running effort to buy Anadarko, Trend reports with reference to Bloomberg. The assets that would be sold are in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa, Occidental said in a statement Sunday. They would represent about 6 percent of Occidentals proforma expected net production and 7 percent of the cash flow after capital expenditures for 2020. Occidental is locked in a bidding war with Chevron Corp. to win control of Anadarko and become the leading producer in the fast-growing Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. Woodlands, Texas-based Anadarko agreed to resume talks with Occidental over its $76-a-share bid two weeks after announcing a $65-a-share deal with Chevron. The $8.8 billion value to be received for Africa represents an attractive value based on our extensive evaluation over the last 18 months, Vicki Hollub, president and chief executive officer of Occidental said in a statement. Total has extensive experience working in Africa and is well positioned to maximize value from these assets. The French energy giant is a major player in the LNG market, and has a network of gasoline service stations in Mozambique. Read: Occidental Jet Flew to Paris After Anadarko Offer, Data Shows Should the deal be finalized, it would largely wrap up the $10 billion asset divestiture plan Occidental has targeted to complete the acquisition of Anadarko, according to the statement. Occidentals Hollub has been pursuing Anadarko for 15 months and recently recruited help from billionaire Warren Buffett to bolster the bid. Buffett invested $10 billion in Occidental last week after Hollub flew to visit him in Omaha, Nebraska. Read: Occidentals Winding Path to Anadarko Bid Led to Buffett China and Iran have enhanced their publication cooperation during the 32nd Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) concluded Saturday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. During the 11-day book fair held at the Mosalla exhibition center, around 2,400 Iranian publishers displayed 300,000 book titles, while about 800 publishers from about 30 other countries showcased 137,000 of their latest publications. As the guest of honor in this event, China has brought a delegation of 200 authors, illustrators and publishers representing the country's active print industry. While attending activities at the book fair, Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office, noted that China brought nearly 4,000 titles for a China-themed book exhibition discussing such topics as Chinese politics, economy, literature, history, culture and children. "This exhibition, which is content-rich and of high-quality, will help promote mutual exchanges between China and Iran," he said, adding that the event could serve as a window for Iranian readers to experience Chinese history and culture and know more about modern China. Chinese Ambassador to Iran Pang Sen said that China and Iran have always kept friendly relations with each other. China's participation as the guest of honor during this annual book fair will further promote bilateral relations and cooperation in areas of culture, publishing, academics and art, Pang added. According to statistics from Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the organizer, this year's fair has achieved fruitful results in domestic and international cooperation in the fields of publishing industry and cultural exchanges. As the guest of honor, Chinese publishers brought 15,000 book titles of diversified themes in total for display and sale in an exhibition area of 600 square meters, attracting more than 50,000 local visitors. Meanwhile, the Chinese delegation held more than 50 cultural exchange events including photo exhibitions, seminars and donation to libraries. As part of the book fair's series of activities, Iran's first "Chinese Bookshelf," which aims to provide local readers with access to Chinese books, has been set up in the Shafagh Book House in central urban area of Tehran. The "Chinese Bookshelf" is a major overseas publication promotion project sponsored by the Chinese government. So far, such bookshelves have been established in eight countries such as Cuba, Thailand, Germany and Canada. In addition, Chinese and Iranian publishers signed copyright agreements for the translation and publishing of Chinese books in Iran. Mohsen Javadi, director of the TIBF, said that China having been selected as the guest of honor served a major goal, which was "to revive the relations between China and Iran during the ancient Silk Road time through reading." The fair is aimed at encouraging Iranian people to know more about China through reading, he said. Since its launch in 1987, the TIBF has provided a good opportunity for Iranian readers to buy new books and helped promote the cultural exchanges between Iranian publishers and their foreign counterparts. Last year, "Day of Iran" show, organized by Iran's Cultural Center in China, was held on the sidelines of the 25th Beijing International Book Fair. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Irans cement exports to Iraq have been suspended, said Hamid Hosseini, secretary general of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, Trend reports via Tejaratnews. He said that Irans cement exports to Iraq have been suspended for more than a year. He added that Iraq claimed that Iranian export companies were engaged in dumping. This is while Iranian export companies didnt have facts to prove the opposite, he said. Thus, Iraq has first increased its fees for imported cement from Iran, he noted. Then imports of cement from Iran were periodically banned. He added that presently, Iraqs imports in Irans construction materials sector are limited to clinker. He noted that Iraq created conditions for production of 40 million tons of cement and sees no need in cement imports from Iran. Only imports of clinker from Iran are envisaged, he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Considering Brazils need in petrochemical products, Irans Kermanshah province is ready to export petrochemical products to that country, governor of the province Houshang Bazvand said at a meeting with Brazilian Ambassador to Iran Santiago Irazabal Mourao, Trend reports via ISNA. Bazvand said that Brazilian investors can use the opportunities of the Kermanshah province. He noted that if Brazilian investors are interested in investing, they can get guarantees that their investments will be protected, and they can also receive the areas for planting medical herbs, soybeans and corn. Last Iranian year (started March 21, 2018), more than 160 million euros were invested in the Iranian province, he said. This year, the program on foreign investments in the agricultural sector is being drafted as well. The Afghan Special Forces killed a senior militant leader who was in charge of activities of Daesh in northern Afghanistan and Central Asia, local media reported, Trend reports citing Sputnik. The militant, identified as Mufti Uzbek, was killed during an operation in Dahana-e-Ghori village of Baghlan province in the north-east of the country on Friday night, the Khaama Press news agency reported late Saturday. Conflict-struck Afghanistan has been long torn by fighting between government troops and Taliban militants, groups affiliated with al-Qaeda*, Daesh and other insurgents. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, supported by the US-led coalition, have been conducting joint operations to combat terrorism across the country. A 60-year-old man was killed after a rocket slammed into his house in the town of Ashkelon, a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel, Superintendent Micky Rosenfeld, an Israel Police Foreign Press Spokesman, said on Sunday, Trend reported citing Sputnik. "Rocket struck Ashkelon causing damage to houses. Man age 60 dies in hospital of injuries. Police units continue to respond to rocket attacks", he tweeted. The incident comes as air-raid sirens sounded across southern Israel less than a day after militants in Gaza fired over 250 rockets and Tel Aviv responded with airstrikes. Police of Vietnam's northern Son La province have detained three local people who traded and possessed nearly 1.5 kg of heroin and over 3,000 pills of lab-made drug, Trend reported citing Xinhua. The detainees include a 19-year-old woman, and two men aged 26 and 29, all from Son La, Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. An army soldier, two militiamen and four civilians were wounded in an attack Saturday by suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) insurgents in Camarines Sur province, south of Manila, a military spokesman said Sunday, Trend reported citing Xinhua. Joash Pramis, public affairs chief of Philippine Army's 9th infantry division, said the government security forces and civilians were repairing a busted water pipe in a remote village in Camarines Sur province when at least 10 NPA rebels opened fire at them around 7:30 a.m. local time on Saturday. The rebels cut the pipes and used explosive to blast the "cave" which serves as the water source, he said. A firefight ensued for about 15 minutes until the insurgents fled. The seven troops and civilians were all hit by shrapnel from an improvised explosive device that the rebels detonated during the firefight, Pramis said. The NPA rebels continued their small-scale armed attacks against the military after the Duterte administration scrapped talks with the armed group in 2017. Afghan forces battled for hours against Taliban insurgents who stormed a police headquarters in the northern city of Pul-e-Khumri, after a suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car, killing at least 13 people, officials said on Sunday, Trend reported citing Reuters. A Taliban militant detonated his Humvee vehicle at the entrance of the police office before a group of eight attackers armed with machine guns rushed in the building, two Afghan officials said. Thirteen policemen were killed and 35 others injured, said Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry in Kabul, adding that 20 civilians were also wounded. The complex attack on Baghlan police headquarters has ended with the death of all nine attackers, including the suicide bomber, he said. The Taliban, which is seeking to restore strict Islamic rule and expel foreign forces from Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a busy area of the city with many other residential and commercial buildings. Taliban fighters frequently capture U.S.-made armored Humvee vehicles from Afghan forces to load with explosives and use as car bombs to breach military fortifications. Abdul Aleem Ghafari, deputy provincial health director in Pul-e-Khumri, said women and children were among those killed by the blast. Sundays raid was the latest in a series of high-profile attacks that have killed and wounded hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan this year and put heavy pressure on the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani. 13:33 (GMT+4) A Taliban fighter driving a Humvee packed with explosives blew himself up outside a police headquarters in the northern Afghan city of Pul-e-Khumri and other fighters opened fire on security forces there, the Taliban said in a statement on Sunday, Trend reported citing Reuters. Several other Taliban fighters are presently clashing with the Afghan forces, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Government officials in Baghlan province confirmed the explosion in the provincial capital. India has started talks with the UK over its plans to build a copycat version of the British Royal Navys aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, Trend reported citing Sputnik. The Indians are said to be mulling the purchase of detailed plans for the 65,000-tonne warship and construct a new version, INS Vishal in 2022. According to the report, an Indian delegation has already visited the birthplace of the HMS Queen Elizabeth Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland, which is also where the second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft, HMS Prince of Wales, is now being assembled. Discussions have begun with India. The design can be modified to meet Indian Navy and local industry requirements, a spokeswoman for BAE Systems, a British aerospace giant that owns the design for UK aircraft carriers along with the French concern Thales Group, said. If a deal is sealed, the new version of the warship would be built in India, although UK companies could supply many of the parts. In the meantime, the Mirror reached UK Minister for Defence Procurement Stuart Andrew, who declined to provide any details on the alleged talks with India. We have regular discussions with India on a range of equipment and capability issues. It would be inappropriate to comment further, Andrew told the newspaper. In the event of a potential deal, the modified version of Britains largest warship would join Indias 45,000-tonne carrier INS Vikramaditya that was purchased from Russia in 2004 after years of negotiations, and the 40,000-tonne INS Vikrant, which is currently under construction in the Indian port city of Kochi. The Russian firm Kosmokurs, which is currently developing suborbital space tourism flights, has begun testing its rocket and space technology, the company's General Director, Pavel Pushkin, told Sputnik, Trend reports. "We began a strength test of the engine wall samples, they were manufactured and sent to a laboratory", Pushkin said. Kosmokurs received a license to carry out its space projects from the state corporation Roscosmos back in 2017. The company will offer tourists a 15-minute flight in groups of six people. The tourists will be able to stay in zero gravity for five to six minutes, moving freely inside a cabin. According to Kosmokurs, a ticket for a space flight aboard Russia's first reusable suborbital commercial system will cost around $200,000-$250,000. In March of this year, the company said that it planned to complete the construction of its own space centre in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region in 2023. A Sukhoi Superjet 100 was forced to make an emergency landing earlier in the day at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport due to a fire on board, which ultimately destroyed the aircraft on the ground. Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot has confirmed that the fire is now extinguished, Trend reports referring to Sputnik. The Russian Investigative Committee confirmed on Sunday that at least 13 people, including two children, died in a fire that broke out on board an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft shortly after taking off from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow at 2:50 pm GMT. Moscow-Murmansk Flight SU1492 carrying 78 people on board quickly returned to the airport as soon as the fire was identified. "The investigation currently is aware of 13 killed people, including two children," the official representative of the Russian Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, said. The fire ultimately destroyed half of the aircraft. Russias flagship carrier Aeroflot has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished. A commission has been created to investigate the cause and circumstances of the incident, while Aeroflots crisis headquarters has been promptly convened, the statement read. 21:35 (GMT+4) Sukhoi Superjet 100 caught fire as it touched the ground at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday, Trend reports citing Sputnik. A Murmansk-bound Sukhoi superjet, flight SU1492, caught fire during a hard emergency landing, with the Russian Investigative Committee stating one died and four others sustained injuries in the incident. The plane carrying 6-strong crew and 73 passengers took off at 2:50 pm GMT from the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, and shortly afterwards requested an emergency landing. Russian Investigative Committee representatives have arrived at the emergency landing scene. The press service of the Russian Investigative Committee said that an investigation into the violation of safety rules that led to the death of two or more people had been launched. At least 41 people died after a Russian Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet plane made an emergency landing due to fire on board in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, investigators said in a statement, Trend reports citing Euronews. "There were 78 people on board, including crew members," the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website. "According to updated information, 37 out of them survived." Earlier on Sunday, the investigators said 13 people had been killed in the plane crash. Television footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash bouncing along the tarmac at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the rear part of the plane suddenly bursts into flames. Many passengers on board SU 1492 then escaped via the plane's emergency slides that inflated after the hard landing. The plane, which had been flying from Moscow to the northern Russian city of Murmansk, had been carrying 73 passengers and five crew members, Russia's aviation watchdog said. TASS said some people on board remained unaccounted for. Earlier on Sunday, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said it was investigating the case and confirmed reports by Russian news agencies that 13 people were killed in the burning plane, including two children. No official cause was yet been given for the incident although some surviving passengers spoke of a lightning strike. "We took off and then lightning struck the plane," the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily cited one surviving passenger, Pyotr Egorov, as saying. "The plane turned back and there was a hard landing. We were so scared we almost lost consciousness. The plane jumped down the landing strip like a grasshopper and then caught fire on the ground." Russia's Investigative Committee said it was looking into whether the pilots had breached air safety rules. "Soon, investigators will begin interviewing victims, eyewitnesses, airport staff and the airline carrier, as well as other persons responsible for the operation of the aircraft. Required technical documentation will be examined," the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said. President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed their condolences and ordered investigators to establish what had happened. The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed "informed source" as saying the evacuation of the plane had been delayed by some passengers insisting on collecting their hand luggage first. Russian news agencies reported that some passengers had been injured, some of them seriously, and were being treated in local hospitals. A rescue team was combing through the charred wreckage of the rear of the plane on Sunday evening looking for survivors, the Interfax news agency reported. Aeroflot said in a statement that the company had activated its crisis response team. The plane had registration number RA-89098. Flightradar24 tracking service showed that it made two circles around Moscow and landed after about 45 minutes. A chemical plant explosion in the U.S. city of Waukegan, Illinois, on Friday night has left one killed and two others missing, local media reported Saturday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. One body has been recovered from the burnt out AB Specialty Silicones plant that exploded in suburban Waukegan, according to Chicago Sun Times. The person was found dead Saturday morning, and authorities have had to suspend their search for two more people who are still unaccounted for, Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi was quoted as saying. Lenzi added that the search for the other two was suspended due to concerns about the stability of the structure. Four people were sent to area hospitals due to the explosion, Lenzi said. Their conditions were unknown. Residents were urged to stay away from the scene. The explosion damaged at least five other buildings in the area and damages are estimated to be at least 1 million U.S. dollars, the fire department said. The US State Department has condemned the recent rocket attacks on Israel and called upon the responsible parties to cease aggression immediately, Trend reports citing Sputnik. "The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel. We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self defence against these abhorrent attacks," Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement released late Saturday. The statement added that as noted in the State Department Travel Advisory, US citizens should "exercise caution and remain alert to emergency situations" in the area. Tensions in the Gaza Strip escalated early Saturday when Israeli military said they detected dozens of rockets fired from the area. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) responded by hitting Hamas and other targets. Late Saturday, Israel said that at least 250 rockets were fired from Gaza over the past 24 hours. To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry. Disclaimer Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. Srinagar: On Saturday, IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman meets his colleagues in Jammu and Kashmir. A short video of his interaction with his colleagues in Srinagar has since gone viral on social media. In this 1.59-second video clip, the Wing Commander can be seen talking to his colleagues who are congratulating him and taking selfies with the IAF pilot. also read: Should drop your first name: Shiv Sena On Sitaram Yechury's Ramayana Comment In a short speech to his colleagues, Abhinandan says, These photographs are not for you but for your families. I have not been able to meet them. I am standing in front of you today because of their prayers and well-wishes. #WATCH Viral video from Jammu & Kashmir: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman interacting with his colleagues in Jammu and Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/rLwC4d1GUA ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2019 After coming back from Pakistan the wing commander was hospitalized as he had sustained injuries during his captivity in Pakistan. Abhinandan was admitted to the Armys Research and Referral hospital in Delhi after which he returned to his squadron in Srinagar, despite being advised a four-week sick leave by his doctors. After his MiG 21 Bison was shot down while chasing a Pakistani fighter jet during a dogfight the IAF pilot was captured by the Pakistani Army. Before that, Abhinandan had successfully brought down PAFs F-16 fighter plane. Later, Pakistan PM announced that the captured pilot would be returned to India as a peace gesture and after spending 60 hours in Pakistan, Abhinandan was back in India. While remaining in captivity in Pakistan Abhinandan was praised for his attitude, grace and the way he handled himself in that challenging situation also read: Everyone knows the color of Owaisis Chaddi, it's saffron: Salman Nizami On Saturday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut advised Sitaram Yechury to drop his first name after the CPI(M) general secretary said Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana were replete with violence. He also asked Yechury if he would term as "violence" the action of security forces while defending the country against Pakistan-backed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. also read: Arvind Kejriwal Slapped in Roadshow; AAP Accuses BJP If this is the meaning that they interpret, tomorrow they will say that our jawans fighting against Pakistan is violence. When we defend ourselves against Pakistani acts of terrorism in Kashmir, is that violence?" asked Raut. Raut said, "What do you mean by saying Hindus are violent? The Ramayana and Mahabharata conveyed a central message -- victory of good over evil, truth over falsehood. Ram, Krishna and Arjuna are symbols of truth." He further alleged that Yechury has just one ideology and that is to attack Hindus and make oneself the premier secular person. In an article for the CPIM mouthpiece, People's Democracy, Yechury had said the BJP's decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur as its candidate from Bhopal is an expression of its efforts to consolidate the Hindutva "communal" vote bank. Yechury also took on Narendra Modi for his claim that Hindus can never be violent, alleging that the Prime Minister erases Indian history replete with gruesome battles and wars. "It is a fallacy to say that Hindus cannot engage in violence," Yechury had said. also read:Mehbooba appeals Centre to announce ceasefire in J&K for Ramzan 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 " " Colorado Springs-based American Kenny Rackers celebrates winning the first race at Cooper's Hill during the annual tradition of cheese rolling on May 27, 2013, in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, England. Matt Cardy/Getty Images On the last Monday in May, a huge wheel of cheese goes hurtling down a hillside in southwest England. And if that weren't awesome enough, people chase it. The annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire County has been going on for centuries. It's not the only cheese-rolling event in Gloucestershire, and there are at least a couple outside England, but the Cooper's Hill one in the town of Brockworth is the most famous. Thousands of people show up to watch racers fall their way down the course. Advertisement It's an extreme sport. Few, if any, of those chasing the cheese remain on their feet. Cooper's Hill is bumpy and might as well be vertical the slope is 70 degrees in some stretches so racers basically lurch, roll and tumble their way to the finish line. That's about 220 yards (200 meters) of falling hard. Bruises, scrapes, sprains, dislocations and broken bones are common. A bouncing cheese wheel once sent a spectator to the hospital. " " Get that cheese! Participants in the 2013 cheese rolling tumble down Cooper's Hill. Matt Cardy/Getty Images But one hardy runner from each race walks away with a roughly 8-pound (3.6-kilogram) wheel of traditional Double Gloucester, a firm cheese described by the British Cheese Board as "mellow, creamy or buttery." Gloucestershire residents have been producing Double Gloucester since about 1500. When exactly they started chucking it down Cooper's Hill is hard to say. Mysterious Beginnings The first known written account of the annual cheese rolling dates to 1826, but it was likely already a long-standing tradition by then. One enthusiast dug up a 1902 news clipping (date confirmed) that has the event going back "at least 200 years" before then. The "why" of cheese rolling is pretty elusive. The 1902 article simply calls it a "rustic sport," but some think it may have its roots in ancient pagan festivals or religious rites. Gabrielle Roman writes in the cheese magazine Culture that, allegedly, "pagans would roll bundles of burning brush down a hill to represent the birth of the new year," and scatter "buns or cakes across the top of the hill as a sort of fertility rite, in an effort to bring in a good harvest." A local paper suggests it could stem from an ancient ritual related to securing rights to common pasturage. The British Cheese Board wonders if the supposed habit of early Double Gloucester buyers to "jump up and down on the cheese to assess its grade and suitability" might come into play. However cheese rolling came about, the goal, at least, is simple: Catch the cheese. But you can't actually catch the cheese. For one thing, it gets a head start. The master of ceremonies counts to four to start the race, releasing the cheese on three and the racers on four. A wheel also dramatically outperforms bipeds on steep, uneven terrain. The Double Gloucester has been clocked at up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour. So in practice, the goal is to be the first nondairy entity across the finish line. And preferably without sustaining any major injuries. " " In this shot, also from the 2013 cheese rolling, you can get a sense of what the infamous Cooper's Hill looks like. Matt Cardy/Getty Images "A Most Dangerous Game" Cheese rolling can be treacherous. The 1902 article observes that the Cooper's Hill race "appears to strangers to be a most dangerous game, but the hill people appear quite unconcerned." The racers seem to take a "throw-yourself-off-the-top" approach, as Jean Jefferies, a resident of Cooper's Hill and the author of "Cheese-rolling in Gloucestershire," once put it. A Fest300 reviewer from San Francisco who attended the race in 2013 compared it to "throwing your childhood Raggedy Ann and Andy down the stairs." Thus the paramedics and the "catchers." Traditionally from the local rugby team, catchers tackle any racers who cross the finish line on their feet so they don't keep speeding down the hill. The town canceled the 1998 cheese rolling over safety concerns. At the 1997 event, at least 33 people were injured, some of them spectators. One spectator was hospitalized for head injuries after a cheese bounced into the crowd and he tried to dodge it, lost his balance and fell down the hill. The race returned in 1999 with some safety improvements, including better fences, a mountain-rescue team on hand and a noon starting time, reasoning the former 6 p.m. start may have allowed contestants too many hours in the pub beforehand. Going Rogue But after the 2009 cheese rolling, the town finally gave up. That year, 15,000 people showed up to watch, considered more than three times the safe capacity of the venue. In March 2010, the town announced the official end of the centuries-old event. On hearing the news, one cheese racer told The Guardian, "I have no idea how I'll hurt myself this year now." He needn't have worried. Rebel cheese racers took over the planning, organization and liability, and the unofficial annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling was born. In 2015, Brockworth local Chris Anderson won his 15th cheese. Here's some footage of the 2015 event that BadgerBotherer1 posted on YouTube. The Double Gloucester next rolls unofficially on May 29, 2017. Now That's Cool During England's period of World War II food rationing, racers chased a wooden cheese replica, which contained a sliver of cheese, down Cooper's Hill. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease describes several liver dysfunctions of varying severity, characterised by the accumulation of fat in hepatic cells and not caused by high alcohol consumption. This disease, one of the most common in developed countries, affects around 25% of the population worldwide. A team at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has identified one of the factors that confer protection against this condition, namely the protein Mitofusin 2. "Mitofusin 2 emerges as a possible therapeutic target to tackle fatty liver, a disease for which no treatments are available. Early diagnosis of this disease is difficult and physicians are currently only recommending weight loss to alleviate the condition," explains Antonio Zorzano, head of the Complex Metabolic Diseases and Mitochondria laboratory at IRB Barcelona. One of the most serious forms of fatty acid is non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), in which the accumulation of fat is accompanied by inflammation. In this study published in the journal Cell, the researchers have observed a decrease in the levels of Mitofusin 2 in patients with NASH, even in early stages of the disease. Like humans, mice also develop this disease when the levels of Mitofusin 2 decreases. By injecting a mouse model of NASH with an adenovirus enconding Mitofusin 2 protein--a virus modified to artificially express proteins--the team headed by Zorzano, senior professor at the University of Barcelona and researcher of the CIBERDEM Programme, has observed the amelioration of NASH. "We are now studying different approaches that will allow us to enhance the levels of Mitofusin 2, without producing side effects, and that could be relevant in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," says Maria Isabel Hernandez-Alvarez, postdoctoral fellow at IRB Barcelona and first author of the study. This work has been supported by funding from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (previously known as MINECO), the Catalan Government, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERDEM, "la Caixa" Foundation and the Pere Virgili Institute (IISPV). ### Reference article: Hernandez-Alvarez MI, Sebastian D, Vives S, Ivanova S, Bartoccioni P, Kakimoto P, Plana N, Veiga SR, Hernandez V, Vasconcelos N, Peddinti G, Adrover A, Jove M, Pamplona R, Gordaliza-Alaguero I, Calvo E, Cabre N, Castro R, Boutant M, Sala D, Hyotylainen T, Oresic M, Fort J, Errasti-Murugarren E, Rodrigues CMP, Orozco M, Joven J, Canto C, Palacin M, Fernandez-Veledo S, Vendrell J, Zorzano A. Deficient endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial phosphatidylserine transfer causes liver disease. Cell (2019) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.010 ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The drug eculizumab, a synthetic antibody that inhibits the inflammatory response, significantly reduced the risk of relapse with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). This rare but severe autoimmune inflammatory disorder can cause blindness, paralysis and death. Mayo Clinic researchers and international collaborators report their findings in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Their work also will be presented in the Emerging Science Platform session, part of the American Academy of Neurology's 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia May 4-10. Neuromyelitis optica, also known as Devic's disease, occurs when the body's immune system reacts against otherwise healthy nervous system cells in the optic nerves and spinal cord, and sometimes in the brain. Neuromyelitis optica often is misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS), but neuromyelitis optica is a distinct condition characterized by more severe attacks and a less complete recovery. A single neuromyelitis optica attack can leave a patient blind or paralyzed. With each relapse, disability can worsen. It affects up to 10 in 100,000 people. Currently, the immunosuppressive therapies used to prevent neuromyelitis optica relapses have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Furthermore, 25 to 60 percent of patients receiving these medications continue to have recurring attacks, the authors note. In the Prevention of Relapses and Evaluation of Eculizumab in NMOSD Treatment (PREVENT) study, 143 adults were enrolled at 70 sites in 18 countries. All patients had aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG), an antibody associated with most neuromyelitis optica cases. Patients could continue on their prior therapy if desired. In addition, patients were randomly assigned to receive regular doses of a placebo or IV eculizumab. The study found that treatment with eculizumab reduced the risk of relapse by 94 percent, compared with a placebo. At 48 weeks, nearly 98 percent of patients treated with eculizumab had not relapsed, compared with 63 percent for patients on the placebo. "This study offers hope to patients, since each attack in NMO can cause loss of visual or motor function," says Sean Pittock, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and first author. "Stopping attacks can prevent disability and allow patients to maintain function and a better quality of life." Mayo Clinic is a recognized center of excellence for diagnosing and treating neuromyelitis optica. In 2002, Mayo Clinic researchers led by Claudia Lucchinetti, M.D., and colleagues described the unique pathological features of NMO and proposed that NMO is an autoimmune disease caused by one or more harmful antibodies. In 2004, Vanda Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., Brian Weinshenker, M.D., and Mayo colleagues reported the discovery of the AQP4-IgG biomarker, a blood test that differentiates neuromyelitis optica from MS and similar disorders. The AQP4-IgG antibody was subsequently shown to be able to cause nerve cell damage consistent with what Dr. Lucchinetti and colleagues reported, and AQP4-IgG is now widely considered as the cause of NMO. "The Mayo Clinic team subsequently demonstrated that when the antibody binds to the water channel AQP4 on nerve cells, a substance called 'complement' is activated and kills the cells, causing significant injury. We thought that if we could block complement activation, then perhaps we could prevent attacks," says Dr. Pittock, director of Mayo Clinic's Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology and Mayo's Neuroimmunology Laboratory. Eculizumab has been used to treat disorders where complement activation causes harm, such as myasthenia gravis, a muscle disease, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a genetic disease affecting red blood cells. In an early phase clinical trial, the Mayo team observed a near complete cessation of neuromyelitis optica attacks. Based on those early results, this large multicenter, international study was performed. "These new study results confirm the important role of complement in neuromyelitis optica and advance our understanding of how the disease works," says Dean Wingerchuk, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and senior author. "This study provides clear evidence that we can favorably alter the course of this often devastating neurologic disease." Side effects of eculizumab include risk of meningococcal infections. Study participants were vaccinated against meningococcal infections, and no cases were reported. One person receiving eculizumab died of an infection that was not associated with complement inhibition. This study only enrolled patients with AQP4-IgG antibodies, so the findings cannot be extrapolated to other inflammatory central nervous system disorders. The long-term effect of eculizumab in patients with neuromyelitis optica requires further study, the authors note. ### Coauthors involved in this study are from institutions in Munich, Germany; Sendai, Fukushima City and Koriyama, all in Japan; Goyang, South Korea; Baltimore, Maryland, and Boston, in the U.S.; Oxford, England; Samsun, Turkey; St. Petersburg, Russia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Taipei, Taiwan. For a complete list, see the New England Journal of Medicine. The study was supported by Alexion. Dr. Pittock reports grants, personal fees and nonfinancial support from Alexion; grants from Grifols S.A. and Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance; and grants, personal fees, nonfinancial and other support from Viela Bio. Dr. Pittock has patent No. 9,891,219 (application No. 12-573942), "Methods for Treating Neuromyelitis Optica by Administration of Eculizumab to an Individual That Is Aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG Autoantibody Positive." Dr. Wingerchuk reports grants from Alexion and Terumo BCT Inc., and personal fees from Viela Bio, Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Celgene Corporation, and Novartis AG. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. FILE PHOTO: Passengers board an Air France plane at the Nantes-Atlantique airport in Bouguenais near Nantes, France, April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo PARIS (Reuters) - Air France-KLM will propose a voluntary redundancy scheme that would affect nearly 400 ground staff at French airports, La Tribune said on Saturday, a day after the airline posted a deeper first-quarter loss. The Franco-Dutch company, which blamed higher fuel costs and price competition for its operating loss of 303 million euros ($339 million), will present the redundancy plan to a union and management meeting on May 13, La Tribune said on its website. Another 200 departing staff would not be replaced, it added. An Air France spokesman confirmed that a voluntary plan to cut short-haul ground staff would be presented on May 13 but declined to give details on the proposals ahead of the meeting. He also said that a company review had pointed to a need to hire more than 1,000 people across the company's business this year. Air France-KLM has trailed rivals Lufthansa and British Airways (part of Intercontinental Airlines) on profitability, held back by restrictive French union deals and strikes that last year wiped 335 million euros off earnings and forced out its previous chief executive. Under CEO Ben Smith, who joined last September from Air Canada, the airline is seeking to boost efficiency in part via better coordination of the Air France and KLM networks, but his task is complicated by the arrival of the Dutch government as a major shareholder keen to preserve KLM's autonomy. (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by David Holmes) When Elizabeth Warren released her sweeping student loan forgiveness proposal, many borrowers imagined how their lives would transform with less debt. CNBC spoke with people about how Warren's proposal would change their circumstances. "If I didn't have that debt I could retire in the next few years," one woman said. "With it, I'm going to be in the workforce another 10 years, if not longer." When Elizabeth Warren released her sweeping student debt forgiveness proposal last month, many borrowers imagined how their lives would transform if their loan balance shrank or disappeared. "Emotionally, it's the biggest thing in the back of your mind," said Dominic DeFelice, 23, who owes more than $100,000. "To have Elizabeth Warren actually come out and have a plan for it felt really good." On Twitter, people described what student debt forgiveness would mean to them and included the hashtag #cancelmydebt . Nearly 45 million Americans hold student loans. Average debt at graduation is currently around $30,000, up from $10,000 in the early 1990s. Repayment is a challenge for many: Every day, 3,000 borrowers default. Warren is the only presidential candidate to issue a detailed plan on student debt forgiveness. Under it, borrowers with household incomes under $100,000 would have $50,000 of their student debt canceled, and those who earn $100,000 to $250,000 would be eligible for relief on a sliding scale. "The time for half measures is over," Warren writes. "My broad cancellation plan is a real solution to our student debt crisis. "It helps millions of families and removes a weight that's holding back our economy." Critics of the proposal, which could cost $1.25 trillion over 10 years, say much of the money would go to borrowers with high incomes who are capable of repaying their debt. Others say the plan only throws money at the larger problem of rising tuition. Still, more than half of Americans say student debt is "a major problem" for the country, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll. Story continues And it's no wonder people saddled with student debt can't help but dream of a different life (even if the candidate with the proposal trails in the polls) : 67 percent of people with student debt say the loans delayed them from buying a house, car or large appliance. Forty percent claimed the debt caused them to put off having a child or getting married. CNBC spoke with borrowers about how the Massachusetts Democratic senator's proposal would change their circumstances. DOMINIC DeFELICE'S bachelor's degree in geology left him $120,000 in the hole. "That amount of money is incomprehensible to someone like me," said the 23-year-old DeFelice. "I should have known that at 17." The entry level jobs to which he's been applying since he graduated last year from Juniata College in Pennsylvania offer annual salaries of around $30,000. After taxes, he calculates, he'd have $2,200 a month to live on. His student loan bill is more than $1,300. (The loans are currently on pause, accruing interest.) "I invested in an education and I don't see a return in sight," DeFelice said. He said his brother, who is 2 years younger and never went to college, makes more money as a security guard. DeFelice noticed a lot of the environmental jobs he hoped to fill require a graduate degree. And so thanks to a grant he received, he recently enrolled at Brooklyn College to get his master's degree in geology. However, he decided to leave school after just one semester, realizing that, given the high cost of living in New York, he'd still have to take out some loans. "It could really amplify my earning potential, but I just can't," he said. "I'm just digging myself deeper when I'm already at rock bottom." Education loans, ironically, can be a barrier to education: One study found that bachelor degree recipients without debt are 70% more likely to enroll in further schooling than those with debt. Under Warren's plan, DeFelice would have $50,000 of his federal loans wiped away, and potentially some of his private loans, too. With a smaller debt load, he said, he could likely finish his schooling and not have to move back in with his parents or his girlfriend's, a reality now on his horizon. "I could actually plan my life," he said. KANU MENDOZA wishes she could work less, but she owes more than $50,000 in student loans. When a disk in her back ruptured, the 52-year-old had to leave the Navy after a two-decade career. To advance in the Navy, she pursued a bachelor's degree in leadership and then a master's in public administration at Bellevue University in Nebraska. Currently, she's a supervisor at an aerospace manufacturing company in San Diego. "If I didn't have that debt hanging over my head, I'd probably find a less demanding job," Mendoza said. "It's difficult when you're in so much pain you don't want to move, but you have to get up and go to work." Student debt is growing fast among older people : In 2018, Americans over age 50 owed more than $260 billion in student loans, up from $36 billion in 2004, according to the Federal Reserve. Mendoza said her $400 monthly student loan bill makes it hard for her to save for retirement. Her pension is just $1,500 a month. "If I didn't have that debt I could retire in the next few years," Mendoza said. "With it, I'm going to be in the workforce another 10 years, if not longer." MORGAN HOPKINS would like to start a family. But she owes more than $75,000 in student loans, for her bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology and women's studies. "If I could understand the implication of having this debt forever, I might have made a different choice," Hopkins, 31, said of her education. Today, she works as a national field manager at a nonprofit in Denver. She said it's going to take years of planning for her and her boyfriend to be able to have a child and buy a house and even just a financial cushion should one of them lose their job or fall ill. "If I didn't have half-a-rent payment in student debt, I'd have an emergency savings plan," she said. Her monthly student loan bill is more than $900, most of which she said just goes to interest. "I haven't seen any significant reduction," Hopkins said. Under Warren's plan, half of Hopkins' debt would be canceled, and all of her boyfriend's loans would be forgiven. The result: She could see a future. "I have a lot of financial stress now, as a lot of our generation does," Hopkins said. "How am I ever going to get to these goals I have for my life?" MADELINE FENING , 27, studied communications at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and has long wanted to tell stories about autism. Her sister is on the spectrum. After graduation, she moved to Texas to intern at the Austin Film Festival. She wanted to continue working in media, and reporting on the disorder, but her $50,000 in student debt weighed heavily on her. "It feels like before I can do anything else, there's this huge wall I need to knock down," Fening said. She worked as a bartender and told herself that she could develop a documentary on autism at the same time, but she found herself exhausted after shifts. "I'm on my feet and using my body the whole time," Fening said. And the expenses of making a film are hard to come up with last year she made $28,000. "I've been trying to work on it with limited resources," she said. More than half of student loan borrowers say their debt informed their career choice, according to a study by American Student Assistance, an educational nonprofit. Recent research found that an additional $2,500 in student debt makes someone 5 percentage points less likely to be employed in a field related to their studies. Soon, Fening is moving back to Ohio, where she grew up, to live with family and ultimately secure a cheaper apartment. Most of her debt would be forgiven under Warren's plan, in which case Fening said she could put more time and resources into her work on autism. "You shouldn't have to choose between starting a project and paying your student loans," Fening said. More from Personal Finance: The motherhood penalty is alive and well Teens don't think they'll be financially independent by 30 Democrats push to roll back "anti-consumer" measures More From CNBC Aurora Cannabis' (NYSE: ACB) growing cannabis empire spans five continents. The company operates in two dozen countries. But the U.S. isn't one of them. The problem with Aurora's lack of a U.S. presence is straightforward. Currently, nearly 80% of the world's total legal marijuana sales are made in the United States. That amount will decline as the Canadian adult-use recreational marijuana market and international medical cannabis markets pick up steam, but the U.S. is likely to dominate global marijuana sales for a long time to come. Don't think for a second that Aurora isn't exploring angles to get into the U.S., though. In fact, the company already has a backdoor strategy for entering the U.S. market that has flown under the radar for many investors. Walkway with U.S. and Canadian flags over the railing Image source: Getty Images. A capital idea Aurora announced in June 2018 that it planned to spin out its subsidiary with the intent for the new entity to focus primarily on the U.S. marijuana market. In September of last year, that subsidiary, Australis Capital, began trading on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE), with its headquarters in Las Vegas. As long as marijuana remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S., Aurora can't expand into the U.S. marijuana market and retain its stock listings on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). But the CSE, which is much smaller than the NYSE or TSX, doesn't have any prohibitions against member companies doing business in the U.S. marijuana market. After the spin-out, Aurora didn't have any direct ownership interest in Australis Capital. However, the company did get two warrants that give it an option to regain a significant stake in Australis if the way is cleared for Aurora to enter the U.S. marijuana market within the next 10 years. The two warrants combined, if exercised, would give Aurora a 40% ownership interest in Australis Capital. In the meantime, Australis Capital has been busy investing in U.S. cannabis businesses. Last year, Australis acquired a 15% interest in Nevada-based cannabis technology company Wagner Dimas. It made a significant investment in another Nevada company, medical cannabis producer Body and Mind. In 2019, Australis acquired California recreational cannabis brand Mr. Natural Productions. Story continues Hesitant on hemp Thanks to the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill into law, hemp is now legal in the U.S. Both hemp and marijuana come from cannabis plants. However, hemp, unlike marijuana, contains very low levels of the psychoactive ingredient THC. Australis Capital has already expanded into the U.S. hemp market. In January, it invested $3 million in Folium Biosciences, the largest vertically integrated producer, manufacturer, and distributor of hemp-derived phytocannabinoids in the United States. But what about Aurora? So far, the company has hesitated to make its move. Aurora CEO Terry Booth stated in February that the company would enter the U.S. hemp market "when it's proper to enter, and when it's legal to enter into the United States market." However, two of Aurora's top rivals, Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC) and Tilray, have already taken big steps to expand into the United States. Canopy announced in January that it was building a large-scale hemp industrial park in New York state. Tilray followed up the next month by announcing that it was acquiring leading hemp food products company Manitoba Harvest, which has a significant U.S. presence. From back door to front door Like many cannabis investors, Aurora's executives are no doubt anxiously monitoring the progress of the STATES (Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States) Act. The bill has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. If it becomes law, the STATES Act would keep the federal government out of the way of states that have legalized marijuana. And it would likely pave the way for Aurora to jump headfirst into the U.S. marijuana market. So far, though, Aurora hasn't given any hints that it might follow in the footsteps of its main rival, Canopy Growth, in buying the right to acquire a U.S.-based cannabis company that already has significant operations. Canopy recently announced a deal to buy Acreage holdings that's contingent upon the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. at the federal level. You can probably expect if the effort to change U.S. marijuana laws is successful, Aurora will move quickly in exercising its warrants to buy the 40% stake in Australis Capital. The company's backdoor strategy for entering the U.S. just might become its front-door strategy in the not-too-distant future. More From The Motley Fool Keith Speights 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. TORONTO, May 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitbuy, one of Canadas leading cryptocurrency companies, released its Proof of Reserve and Security Audit today, along with announcements of new products and services. With a forward-looking approach to foreseeable regulatory oversight and the recent QuadrigaCX fallout, Bitbuy believes that additional efforts are needed to promote transparency to users of their platform. The Proof of Reserve and Security Audit was conducted to evaluate Bitbuys cryptocurrency storage methodologies, asset segregation, solvency, security, and included a team risk test on all management and staff. To conduct the Proof of Solvency and Reserves Audit, Bitbuy engaged CipherBlade; a US-based blockchain forensics, investigative, and cybersecurity company. Bitbuy and CipherBlade have made the report available in full on the Bitbuy homepage . Some of the key findings include: All fiat holdings (custodial or otherwise) reported by Bitbuy were verified by bank statements and accurately reflected in the Bitbuy administrative backend. The sum of digital assets held by Bitbuys cold and hot wallets matched the total amount of digital assets held across Bitbuy user accounts resulting in a 1:1 match of custodial assets. Bitbuy also passed evaluations of cold storage procedures, client information handling, company registration, licensing, and team background checks. Bitbuy was extremely forthcoming in the information they provided, and this information was provided in a timely and complete matter. This commitment to transparency is something that should be both a consumer expectation and self-regulatory best practice. A new dawn of higher expectations and accountability is something that will be great for both the Canadian space and blockchain industry in general, said Rich Sanders, from CipherBlade. In partnership with CipherBlade, Bitbuy has committed to conducting these audits regularly moving forward. Along with the completion of the audit, Bitbuy has rolled out their new state of the art Pro Trade platform which includes advanced features, crypto-to-crypto trading and a proprietary low latency order matching engine designed for high-frequency trading. Since launching the Pro Trade beta in early April, the platform has processed over 10,000 trades. To celebrate the release of Bitbuy Pro Trade, Bitbuy is offering 0% trading fees on its Pro Trade platform until May 31st. By building this product in house, we maintain complete control over every facet of the business, giving our customers confidence in the transparency of our operations. We are not only a cryptocurrency exchange with proprietary technology and full back-office services, but also a technology company. We are excited to start the next chapter of Bitbuy with our Pro Trade platform, said Adam Goldman, President at Bitbuy. Story continues Additionally, today Bitbuy officially announced the launch of their institutional grade OTC (over-the-counter) desk for larger size digital currency transactions. Bitbuys OTC desk soft-launched in late 2018 and since then has completed transactions valued at more than $10,000,000. For more information on Bitbuys OTC desk, please visit their site here or reach out to otc@bitbuy.ca Bitbuys position in the digital currency market in Canada is strong. They have sustained growth through dependable customer service, a trusted brand, and reliable products that are used by over 50,000 registered users. Through the ongoing steps Bitbuy is taking from a financial, security, technological and regulatory perspective, Bitbuy is poised to lead the industry not only here in Canada but in new markets internationally. Bitbuy Links Website: bitbuy.ca Twitter: twitter.com/bitbuy Facebook: facebook.com/bitbuyca LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bitbuyca Telegram: https://bit.ly/2FI89p9 Instagram: instagram.com/bitbuyca About Bitbuy: Originally founded in 2013, Bitbuy is a platform for Canadians to buy and sell digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP. Bitbuy has three main business divisions: Bitbuy Express Trade, Bitbuy Pro Trade and Bitbuy OTC, which all cater to different segments of the market. Bitbuy is a division of First Ledger Corp; a Toronto-based fintech and blockchain company. About CipherBlade: CipherBlade is a US based blockchain investigation & security consulting agency. Offering a range of services, CipherBlade has partnered with dozens of top international blockchain firms as well as government agencies. CipherBlade has recovered millions of dollars of stolen funds, prevented dozens of ICO scams, and professionally handled PR disasters and other emergency situations. SOURCE: Bitbuy & CipherBlade For further information, please contact: jordan@bitbuy.ca or rich@cipherblade.com Cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex has published the official white paper for its planned $1 billion initial exchange offering (IEO).Bitfinexs exchange tokens, called LEO, will be offered to private investors first, as per previous reports.The post Bitfinex releases white paper for $1 billion token sale appeared first on The Block. Crypto exchange Bitfinex will conduct an initial exchange offering (IEO), aiming to raise $1 billion, according to details from an upcoming white paper reviewed by The Block. The final version of the white paper is still under review. Bitfinex's exchange tokens, dubbed LEO, would first be offered to private investors, then subsequently opened to the public after May 10 if there is any allocation left, according to the information shared by shareholder Zhao Dong. According to Zhao Dong, Bitfinex has already raised $600 million in private, verbal commitments. Since last week, it has been rumored that Bitfinex would raise money via an IEO, a red-hot fundraising mechanism that allows crypto firms to sell tokens on an exchange to raise cash. As per the white paper details, the firm says it is issuing the exchange tokens to cover the $850 million currently frozen in several accounts controlled by the payment processing company Crypto Capital. A week ago, the New York Attorney General (NYAG) sued Bitfinex and Tether for allegedly commingling funds to cover the loss of that $850 million. In documents described as "information from the white paper," Bitfinex says it is actively collaborating with the legal investigation and applying to unfreeze these funds through legal procedures. The company is confident that it will retrieve these funds, according to the white paper details. As for the specifics about the new tokens, they will be bought back on a monthly basis at market price, with at least 27% of Bifinexs profit from the previous month akin to stock buybacks on Wall Street. Notably, Bitfinex also reserves the right to buy back the tokens within 18 months after its funds are unfrozen. In fact, at least 95% of the unfrozen funds will be used to redeem and burn the LEO in an equivalent amount. Zhao Dong said that even if the seized money cannot be retrieved, according to the projections from Bitfinexs profits in 2017 and 2018, the company should be able to buy back all of the tokens within 4 years. Story continues If Bitfinex were to retrieve a portion of the hacked 119,756 bitcoins (~$72 million at the time) from 2016, at least 80% of it would be used to buy back and burn the tokens. Market observers, however, tell The Block this would be nearly impossible. Like other exchange tokens, such as Binances BNB, LEO will also offer discounts on trading fees. In addition, LEO holders will have access to a 15% discount of taker fees for crypto-to-crypto trading, discounted lending rate, and discounted withdrawal fees. Bitfinexs profit in 2018 was $404 million, and it paid out a dividend of around $261 million. Update: This article has been updated to clarify that the information contained within this report was pulled from documents related to Bitfinex's white paper, not the official white paper itself. HONGKONG, May 5 (ChinaMil) -- A Chinese naval fleet made a port call to Hong Kong on April 30 after completing the mission of naval parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and was warmly received by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the Peoples Republic of China and Hong Kong residents. The naval fleet consists of the guided-missile destroyer Haikou (Hull 171) and the guided-missile frigate Huangshan (Hull 570). Nearly one thousand people attended the welcoming ceremony, including Wang Zhimin, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Peoples Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Yang Yirui, Deputy Commissioner, Commissioners Office of Chinas Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, Major General Yao Yongliang, Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Department of the PLA Southern Theater Command, Rear Admiral Li Xiaoyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command, Major General Chen Daoxiang, Commander of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong, and Major General Cai Yongzhong, Political Commissar of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong, as well as representatives from various associations and youth groups. Captain Wang Xianjun, Commander of the fleet, pointed out in a media interview that currently the PLA Navy has entered the golden age of construction since its founding 70 years ago, and the port call will be presented to Hong Kong residents with brand new features. After the welcoming ceremony, the guests of honor and representatives of the citizens took a tour of the ships. Chen Daxin, a Hong Kong citizen, said after the tour that he was very impressed with the advanced naval equipment and the vigorous, strong-spirited officers and soldiers. He was proud that the PLA Navy has become stronger and stronger, and grateful to the Navy for consolidating the national defense and safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. During the stay in Hong Kong, the PLA naval vessels were opened to the local communities and youth groups from May 1st to 4th. Its reported that since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, the Chinese naval fleets made port calls to Hong Kong in 2001, 2004, 2009, 2012 and 2017 respectively, during which some ships have been opened for public tours. Bitfinex shareholder Zhao Dong has released a marketing document detailing the Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchanges upcoming initial exchange offering (IEO). Bitfinex Official document about the LEO token pic.twitter.com/YR5FdS4iUY Dong Zhao (@zhaodong1982) May 4, 2019 In it, iFinex the company behind Bitfinex and Tether (USD) discusses the availability of up to $1 billion worth of the exchanges LEO tokens for purchase. LEO tokens are intended to be the utility token at the heart of the iFinex ecosystem. Token holders will experience immediate benefits across iFinex trading platforms, products, and services, the document, which isnt a whitepaper, states. In a New York minute The move comes shortly after the New York State Attorney General targeted iFinex for misappropriation of funds tied to Bitfinex shareholder Zhao Dong has released a marketing document detailing the Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchanges upcoming initial exchange offering (IEO). Bitfinex Official document about the LEO token pic.twitter.com/YR5FdS4iUY Dong Zhao (@zhaodong1982) May 4, 2019 In it, iFinex the company behind Bitfinex and Tether (USD) discusses the availability of up to $1 billion worth of the exchanges LEO tokens for purchase. LEO tokens are intended to be the utility token at the heart of the iFinex ecosystem. Token holders will experience immediate benefits across iFinex trading platforms, products, and services, the document, which isnt a whitepaper, states. In a New York minute The move comes shortly after the New York State Attorney General targeted iFinex for misappropriation of funds tied to Tether (USD) to cover an $850 million loss. Our investigation has determined that the operators of the Bitfinex trading platform, who also control the Tether virtual currency, have engaged in a cover up to hide the apparent loss of $850 million of co-mingled client and corporate funds, said Attorney General Lelita James. New York state has led the way in requiring virtual currency businesses to operate according to the law. And we will continue to stand up for investors and seek justice on their behalf when misled or cheated by any of these companies. Bitfinex claimed that the New York State Attorney Generals filings were written in bad faith and riddled with false assertions. On the contrary, we have been informed that these crypto capital amounts are not lost but have been, in fact, seized and safeguarded, it fired back. We are and have been actively working to exercise our rights and remedies and get those funds released. Sadly, the New York Attorney Generals office seems to be intent on undermining those efforts to the detriment of our customers. The post Bitfinex looks to raise $1bn with exchange token offering appeared first on Coin Rivet. China plans on bringing a massive delegation to Washington, DC for trade talks starting Wednesday -- the eleventh round of face-to-face talks between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. The Chinese are bringing about 100 people to the talks this week. The group will consist of department heads from every enforcement agency in the Chinese government, according to Chinese trade sources. The Chinese are trying to show they are serious by having each department head verify, in person, to Lighthizer that they will enforce the agreement if the U.S. and China come to a deal, the sources said. Lighthizer previously said during March testimony in front of the Senate Finance Committee that the Chinese have failed to follow through on about every deal they have ever made with the U.S. The U.S. Trade Representative adds that any agreement with China will have a heavy enforcement component attached to it. Trade sources told FOX Business the enforcement will be tiered: There will be a series of meeting to settle disputes, and the first meetings will be monthly with the staff from the U.S. Trade Representatives Office and its counterparts in the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. If a dispute could not be settled, it would be kicked up a quarterly meeting at the deputy level. If the dispute still could not be settled, Lighthizer said it would be sorted out at the minister level during semi-annual meetings between the U.S. trade representative and the Chinese vice premier. The Chinese are very happy with the plan to use tariffs as a way to make sure Beijing follows through with the agreement. Those sources say under the plan being considered, the tariffs would roll off of China as the Chinese meet certain benchmarks enacting the agreement. China has already passed a new foreign investment law that will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. The law bars government agencies and employees from demanding intellectual property of companies, although the Chinese have not laid out exactly how that law will be enforced. Story continues Enforcement of this new law will fall to some of the people the Chinese are bringing in the delegation to Washington next week, according to the sources. They plan to tell Lighthizer how that will be enforced, along with other proposed provisions in an agreement. Intellectual property theft is a major concern for members of the Business Roundtable, which is made up of companies that employ 15 million people in the United States. According to the National Bureau of Asian Research President Richard Ellings, the theft of U.S. intellectual property, mostly by the Chinese, costs the U.S. an estimated $225 billion to $600 billion a year. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP The Chinese want to make an impression at the trade talks next week and the large delegation is one way they hope to come to an agreement with the U.S., the sources said. Related Articles UK prime minister Theresa May at the Welsh Conservative party conference. Photo: Aaron Chown/PA via AP David Harding, the Conservative Partys only elected representative in Northern Ireland, looks set to lose his council seat in this weeks local elections. Harding, who represented Coleraine on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, received just 1.6% of first-preference votes in the six-seat constituency. He was eliminated after the second stage of the count. However, following a discrepancy in one of the later stages, there will now be a full re-count of the votes in the constituency. Hardings loss represents a wipe-out in the region for prime minister Theresa Mays party, which lost almost 800 council seats in total across the UK in the elections. The huge losses widely seen as a backlash over Mays handling of Brexit will force the party to cede control of at least 28 councils. Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party lost more than 80 seats, while the Liberal Democrats gained more than 450. Harding, a veterinary surgeon by profession, had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Mays decision to strike a deal with the DUP, which props up her government in the House of Commons. Though he acknowledged she had no alternative, Harding told the Belfast Telegraph last year that it made it very hard to promote the idea of an independent Conservative Party in Northern Ireland. In October, Harding blasted the DUP for its portrayal of the reasons behind an increase in funding from Westminster for Northern Ireland, saying the party presented it as a victory they have screwed out of the Conservatives. (Refiles to use Meng Wanzhou's family name Meng in 9th paragraph, instead of Wanzhou) By Karen Freifeld May 2 (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies said it will "vigorously oppose" a motion filed by U.S. prosecutors on Thursday to disqualify its lead defense lawyer from a case accusing the Chinese company of bank fraud and sanctions violations. According to a filing in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York, the U.S. government sought to remove James Cole from the case. Cole was the No.2 official at the Justice Department between 2011 and 2015, a period when the United States was obtaining information on how Huawei might have been doing business in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The filing did not make public why it is seeking to remove Cole from the case. In a letter to the court, prosecutors said they had filed a sealed, classified motion to disqualify Cole and expected to file a public version by May 10. Cole, the former U.S. deputy attorney general, is now a partner at law firm Sidley Austin in Washington. He declined to comment. Huawei said in an emailed statement to Reuters that it chose Jim Cole as its lawyer in 2017. "We have seen no facts from the government that would justify disqualifying him and denying Huawei its constitutional rights. Huawei will vigorously oppose the governments motion," it said. The case against Huawei has ratcheted up tensions between Beijing and Washington as the world's two economic powers try to close a trade deal. Angering the Chinese, the company's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada in December at the behest of U.S. authorities. Huawei was charged with bank and wire fraud, violating sanctions against Iran and obstructing justice. Meng, who must answer to some of the charges, has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition. She is due in court in Vancouver on May 8. Cole entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the company and its U.S. subsidiary on March 14 in Brooklyn. Story continues The crux of the case is that Meng and Huawei allegedly conspired to defraud HSBC Holdings Plc and other banks by misrepresenting Huaweis relationship with Skycom Tech Co Ltd, a suspected front company that operated in Iran. Huawei has said Skycom was a local business partner, while the United States maintains it was an unofficial subsidiary used to conceal Huaweis Iran business. U.S. authorities claim Huawei used Skycom to obtain embargoed U.S. goods, technology and services in Iran, and to move money via the international banking system. U.S. prosecutors said last month they planned to use information about Huawei obtained through secret surveillance in the case. In March, Reuters detailed how U.S. authorities secretly tracked Huawei's activities, including by collecting information copied from electronic devices carried by Chinese telecom executives traveling through airports. In February, Reuters exclusively reported how an internal HSBC probe helped lead to the U.S. charges against Huawei and its CFO. The indictment references reporting by Reuters from six years ago that Skycom offered to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator. The reporting detailed links between Huawei and Skycom, including that Meng had served on Skycom's board of directors in 2008 and 2009. (https://reut.rs/2sUq8RT) (Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York; Additional reporting by Sijia Jiang in Hong Kong; Editing by Leslie Adler, Lisa Shumaker and Muralikumar Anantharaman) Low bidding of jobs is squeezing freelancers struggling to get a fair wage for their work. There are 15.8-million independent workers who are full-timers, according to The State of Independence in America 2018 report by MBO Partners. The Department of Labor clarified on Monday that these workers are to be classified as independent contractors that are not entitled to health insurance and other benefits that would force companies to follow federal minimum wage laws. For Emmanus Stephen, an Uber driver from Asbury Park, New Jersey, earning enough to pay the bills means strategizing carefully about where he will work each day. Local, short-distance rides near his home on the Jersey Shore are convenient for him, but they don't pay well "You drive all day and you can make $100," says the father of six. So to pay the bills, he'll often drive the 45 miles to Newark Liberty International Airport, where he can shuttle travelers on longer distance, more lucrative trips. He works all night to beat the New Jersey traffic, then heads home at 4 a.m., dropping his children off at school before getting some shuteye. With Uber preparing for an IPO, the issue of whether gig economy workers like Stephen can earn a living wage is likely to reemerge. For publicly traded companies, the issue of social impact is a growing issue. Many gig economy workers are part-timers doing freelance work on the side, to supplement paychecks from full-time jobs. There are 15.8-million independent workers who are full-timers, according to The State of Independence in America 2018 report by MBO Partners, which studies the freelance economy. For those millions of full-time gig workers, getting recognized as a full-fledged employee at Uber, Lyft and elsewhere is not coming anytime soon. This week the Department of Labor clarified that these workers are to be classified as independent contractors that are not entitled to health insurance and other benefits that would force companies to follow federal minimum-wage laws. (However, companies still have to abide with local minimum wage requirements.) Story continues Making a living wage Steve King, an analyst at Emergent Research, which studies independent workers, says Uber and Lyft drivers net $12 to $15 an hour after costs, based on his firm's calculations. "That is substantially below what you need to earn to have a middle-class job," says King. The median household income in the U.S. was $63,378, according to Sentier Research, which bases its calculations on U.S. Census Bureau data. But many ride-share drivers don't have the skills required for jobs where they could earn more and would otherwise have to take a minimum-wage position somewhere, notes King. For them, gig work offers a benefit they would not have in a lower-skilled, hourly job. "They have more flexibility and freedom driving," he says. More from At Work: 4 gig economy trends transforming the job market What's key for workplace happiness That said, many gig workers earn far more than ride-share drivers do. "A lot of them are highly skilled and paid that way," says King. The Freelancing in America 2018 survey, run by the giant platform Upwork, found that 31% of freelancers earn $75,000 a year or more, up 15 points since 2014. Among respondents who left a traditional job to freelance, 73% said they earn more now freelancing than they did at their prior, traditional job. Julie Ewald, founder of Impressa Solutions, a marketing firm in Milwaukee, got her start as a solo freelancer on Upwork eight years ago. She made enough to quit several part-time jobs she was juggling and has since expanded her business by bringing on a small army of contractors she found on Upwork. Being very specialized has helped her to command healthy fees, she says, and she does not find she's an anomaly in the world of freelance workers. "Some of the folks I meet are doing really, really well," she says. Jeff Brown, a radio veteran turned podcaster from Nashville, Tennessee, who runs an online event for freelancers called The Boss-Free Virtual Summit, says the best paid freelancers generally aren't "trading time for money" like Uber and Lyft drivers but instead are creating products or recurring services that tap into their knowledge. "Create something once and sell it hundreds, if not thousands, of times," he advises. In his own case, he started a paid, subscription-based book club. The talent chase heats up But not every freelancer knows how to make the leap from gig worker to solo entrepreneur. Some freelance platforms have taken proactive steps to make sure that freelancers can earn enough to pay their bills by doing traditional gig work. Upwork, the largest freelance platform, has in recent years focused on attracting enterprise clients who want to hire freelancers on a steady basis, and changing its pricing structure to reward work done on a long-term, recurring basis. "Enterprises struggle to attract highly specialized talent for rapidly shifting project needs, especially with the current low unemployment rates," says Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork. "This need to find better ways to get work done is creating more opportunities for freelancers with some of the world's biggest brands." To make sure freelancers in markets with a high cost of living can compete, Upwork has created a site featuring only freelancers based in the U.S. It runs similar sites for freelancers in Australia, Canada and the U.K. Fivver, whose name is based on small jobs that freelancers will do for $5, now offers Fivver Pro, where professionals who have been vetted by the site can go after higher-paying gigs. "It's a balancing act for the platforms," says Andrew Karpie, research director, service and labor procurement for Azul Partners, which studies procurement and the supply chain. "The platforms' challenge is to create a marketplace where the two parties benefit." More From CNBC Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Statistically speaking, long term investing is a profitable endeavour. But no-one is immune from buying too high. For example the China Smarter Energy Group Holdings Limited (HKG:1004) share price dropped 53% over five years. We certainly feel for shareholders who bought near the top. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 52% over the last twelve months. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 16% in the last 90 days. See our latest analysis for China Smarter Energy Group Holdings China Smarter Energy Group Holdings isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth. Over five years, China Smarter Energy Group Holdings grew its revenue at 44% per year. That's better than most loss-making companies. In contrast, the share price is has averaged a loss of 14% per year - that's quite disappointing. This could mean high expectations have been tempered, potentially because investors are looking to the bottom line. If you think the company can keep up its revenue growth, you'd have to consider the possibility that there's an opportunity here. You can see how revenue and earnings have changed over time in the image below, (click on the chart to see cashflow). SEHK:1004 Income Statement, May 5th 2019 We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. This free interactive report on China Smarter Energy Group Holdings's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 2.2% in the twelve months, China Smarter Energy Group Holdings shareholders did even worse, losing 52%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 14% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. 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. Chinese and Russian naval ships participate in the joint drill on May 4. (Photo by Li Ziheng) PORT OF DAGANG, QINGDAO, May 5 (ChinaMil) -- Chinese and Russian naval ships participating in the Joint Sea-2019 exercise left the port of Dagang in Qingdao, east Chinas Shandong Province for the designated drill area on the morning of May 1. This marks that the China-Russia joint drill has transferred from the joint preparatory phase to the joint maritime implementation phase. Zhao Yao, deputy chief of the Operations Division in Navy Department of Staff under the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)s Northern Theater Command, introduced that there are two breakthroughs worth paying attention to in the maritime live-fire drill. First, it was the first time that the sub-mergence rescue vehicles of the two navies docked each others submarine and actually transferred the sailors out. Second, it was the first time that short-range ship-to-air missiles had been used in the live-fire drill. On May 2, both navies of the China-Russia Joint Sea-2019 exercise conducted a joint submergence rescue drill in waters of the Yellow Sea, aiming at improving that capability which plays an important role in the combat effectiveness of naval forces. Carrying out in-depth military cooperation in the field of submergence rescue requires not only mutual-trust in each others rescue equipment and capability, but also a considerable degree of mutual-openness on the submarine performance parameters. The Chinese Navys integrated submarine rescue ship Haiyangdao (Hull 864) and the Russian Navys search-and-rescue vessel Igor Belousov participated in the drill. On May 4, both navies launched short-range ship-to-air missiles to attack incoming targets. This was also the first time for the Chinese Navy to conduct joint training with a foreign military on actual missile launching by surface ships. The drill, involving live-fire sessions, was carried out on the joint air defense, joint anti-submarine, joint submergence rescue and other subjects. Russian Pacific Fleets guided-missile cruiser Varyag, the anti-submarine warship Admiral Vinogradov, the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Tributs and corvette Sovershennyy, as well as the PLA Navys guided-missile destroyers Harbin (Hull 112), Changchun (Hull 103) and guided-missile frigates Wuhu (Hull 539) and Handan (Hull 579), participated in the drill, according to news released by Russias news agency Sputnik. Boulder, CO, May 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Naropa University is pleased to announce that author and educator Rhonda Magee will be the keynote speaker at the universitys 2019 Spring Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. in the Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado, Boulder Campus. Magee is Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and is an internationally-recognized thought and practice leader focused on integrating mindfulness into higher education, law, and social justice. A student of a wide variety of Buddhist and other wisdom teachers, including Norman Fischer and Jon Kabat Zinn, she trained as a mindfulness teacher through the Oasis Teacher Training Institute of the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. She sees mindfulness and the allied disciplines as keys to personal, interpersonal, and collective transformation in the face of the challenges and opportunities that social change represents. Naropa University President Chuck Lief: It is our honor to welcome Professor Rhonda Magee to Boulder and to address our Naropa community. Her lifes work has been focused on integrating mindfulness and compassion training into the fields of social justice and the law. She is both exceptionally kind and uncompromisingly fierce in the face of bias and misuse of power. Her influence on new generations of lawyers is regarded nationally as cutting edge and transformative, and we are delighted that Rhonda will share her passion and her wisdom with our graduates. Recognized as the worldwide leader in contemplative education, Naropa University will confer degrees to hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students this May. The 2019 graduating class will receive BA, BFA, MA, MFA, and MDiv degrees in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology, and religious studies, to name but a few. The full schedule of events is available at www.naropa.edu/graduation. Story continues ##### About Naropa University: Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a private, liberal arts institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Naropa University is a leader in contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that integrates Eastern wisdom traditions and traditional Western scholarship. Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Media inquiries, please call Kelly Watt, Director of Marketing and Admissions, at (303) 546-5285, or email Kelly. Attachment Kelly Watt Naropa University (303) 546-5285 kwatt@naropa.edu The South Korean military says Pyongyang has fired "several unidentified short-range projectiles." The objects were launched from Wonsan's Hodo Bando area on the east coast of North Korea between 9:06 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. KST. A senior administration official told NBC that National Security Advisor John Bolton has "fully briefed" the U.S. President Donald Trump on the situation. North Korea launched "several unidentified short-range projectiles" on Saturday, a South Korean military official told NBC News. "We confirm that what North Korea launched today was not ballistic missiles," the official told NBC News. The official said the projectiles were launched at about 9:06 a.m. to 9:27 a.m. Korean Standard Time from Wonsan's Hodo Bando area in a northeastern direction. The official said the projectiles traveled about 70 to 200 kilometers (about 43 to 124 miles). Officials had originally said there was one missile launched. "The National Security's chief, the Minister of National Defense, the head of the National Intelligence Service have gathered at South Korea's presidential office and are monitoring the current situation and are sharing information closely with the U.S. counterparts," a South Korean's presidential spokesperson told NBC. The Associated Press reported that Japan's Defense Ministry does not see any immediate risk to the country's national security as the missiles did not enter the territory. South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing the situation, the military official told NBC, adding that the South Korean military has upped its surveillance and on the look out for more launches. A senior administration official told NBC that National Security Advisor John Bolton has "fully briefed" President Donald Trump on the situation. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said "We are aware of North Korea's actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary." Story continues The Pentagon did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. This incident comes a little over two weeks after Pyongyang said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of a new type of tactical guided weapon. Saturday's launch is the second time North Korea fired a missile since talks collapsed between Trump and Kim in February. The two men had met in Hanoi to discuss the possibility of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, but those talks ended abruptly without a deal . That summit had followed the historic meeting between Kim and Trump in Singapore last June. In April 2018, North Korea had pledged to cease its nuclear and long-range missile tests. But suspicions about that promise flared when satellite images surfaced suggesting that a long-range missile test site was undergoing "rapid rebuilding." Saturday's missile launch risks reigniting tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. The Trump administration has been pressing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons but so far Pyongyang has resisted. On Friday, Sanders said Trump pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to encourage Kim to denuclearize. But the Russian leader responded by urging the U.S. to ease its sanctions on the isolated state. The North Korean leader had his first meeting last week with Putin. The Kremlin said Friday that Putin discussed that meeting and his takeaways with Trump. CNBC's Amanda Macias contributed reporting. More From CNBC The semi-cooked chocolate dessert slouched in the bowl like a kid not wanting to get called on in class. Fresh whipped cream and grated bittersweet chocolate capped the confections dark, amorphous dunes and waves, the final plate in a four-course pre-fixe at Niche Niche, a curious two-month-old restaurant in New Yorks SoHo. Was it a molten cake? A mousse? A fallen souffle? The nights menu sat behind me, written on a long rectangular mirror in what looked like silver lipstick. I turned around to check, but the striving early evening light streaming in from the windows of this corner storefront made the words shimmer and twist like enchanted hieroglyphics. Theres more than a little magic at Niche Niche. How else does Ariel Arce, the owner and host of this charming enterprise, pulls off throwing a dinner party for 40 with a new food menu and new wine menu every single night, twice a night? Heres the elevator pitch: For $80, you get four courses paired with four wines chosen by the evenings co-hosts, usually one of Arces wine industry pals. Seatings are at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. After 10:00 p.m., Niche Niche opens to the public for wine and snacks. Special Club, a live music lounge in the basement, opens this summer. Ariel Acre of Niche Niche. | Noah Fecks I cant think of any other restaurant with this kind of breakneck programming. Every night is like the annual Restaurant Wars episode on Top Chef for co-chefs Zachary Fabian, who has been cooking at Arces other Lower Manhattan hangoutsTokyo Record Bar and Airs Champagne Parlorfor two years, and Aaron Lirette, formerly of GreenRiver and Free Rein in Chicago. The pair develops the menus during weekly brainstorming sessions with Arce and the wine partners, tailoring the food to the bottles in regard to geography (Italian with Italian) or expression, like a Japanese menu for a suite of light, crisp whites. The night of the chocolate mystery, Lirette (he and Fabian alternate cooking) was running with a French menu, and the second I stepped into the restaurant, the first greeting I receivedeven before an affable welcome from Arcewas the luscious aroma of crackling roasted duck. Story continues The warm, homey aroma matches the interior design, whose lived-in details (tortoiseshell flatware, cane furniture, ceramics by CB2 and Grannies, Inc.) balance a Scandinavian backdrop of blonde wood and wishbone chairs. Set with hand-blown glasses by Zalto, a king among kings of stemware, the marbleized concrete tables are especially cool. resembling the spotted hides of a psychedelic metallic animal. A shared snack platter is the first course to land on them. Mine included prosciutto, Piave (a gooey, triple-creme cheese), marinated olives, cornichons, zingy apple mostarda, cheesy chive butter, and the airiest squares of focaccia. The bread is the only item Lirette and Fabian repeat night to night, and nobody should be mad about it. Not Your Typical Wine Tasting Natural wine is farming first, farming always, says John Connolly, general manager of the acclaimed neo-bistro Frenchette, from the center of the dining room, holding a bottle of Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc petillant-naturel. The ascendant categorygenerally (but not legally) defined as wine made with organic grapes and minimal human interventionis currently showcased at Frenchette, a short stroll down Sixth Avenue from Niche Niche. Arce posts her roster of wine partners a month in advance. The calendar includes winemakers, importers, sommeliers, writers, so, Not only do the [wines] change, but the perspective on wine changes as well, she says. Some people keep it regionally specificwines from South Africa or Greece. Sometimes the wines are tied heavily into the restaurant somebody works at. Then we have people who are just like, I want to show you what Im drinking right now. While the style and educational content varies co-host to co-host, Niche Niche is definitely not selling a formal tasting experience. Its more about the sybaritic and social aspects of enjoying wine because, as the website states, Wine should be fucking fun. Connolly and Arce roamed the room with open bottles, refilling empties all night. When I crushed the sprightly pet-nat (produced by new winemakers from old vines at ) before the first course arrived, there was more. Some people drink more, some people drink less, Arce shrugs. It all becomes an average. We just keep topping off until we run out of our allotment. Every night, the food and wine menu changes. | Noah Fecks I balanced the extra pet-nat with less of the next bottle, the weird, steely, saline Pearl Morisette Metis Blanc chardonnay from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, which Lirette paired with a textbook Lyonnaise salad whose bacon lardons seasoned the entire bowl of greens with smoke and salt. When I went to splash some water in my glass to clear it before the next wine, Connelly poured a mouthful of Domaine les Fauvettes From Dawn to Dawn Burgundy, which turned lilac upon hitting the leftover chardonnay. Dont rinse with water, rinse with wine, Connelly said, and after doing as instructed, he poured a full glass of the pinot noir, my notes for which exclaim in all caps, BUBBLEGUM. The wines bright, fragrant, juicy fruit character balanced the fat and umami of the roasted duck breast I had been smelling all night. The duck had crispy amber skin and rosy flesh, which Lirette flavored with nothing more than salt, black pepper, and sweet-and-sour sherry vinegar gastrique. Served with bitter roasted escarole and a homey rosemary-and-thyme-scented potato gratin, it was a zero-ego dishone that reminds you what a singular pleasure it is to eat simple, well-prepared food. A Perfect Pairing Czech winemaker Richard Staveks Vesely Oranzove was originally slated for serving with the duck, but Arce made a last-minute swap and pushed it to dessert. This is Italian Riesling and probably 100 other grapes, said Connolly, filling glasses with the unfiltered skin-contact blend. (For the record, those grapes include Gruner and Malvasia, as well as some lesser known Eastern European types like Neuberger and Muller-Thurgau.) Hazy and orange, like an August sunset, it tasted like breakfast in a damp French barn after a rainstorm, brioche toast and citrus marmalade and wild yeast and pollen swirling around in the rafters. The whirr of twin stand mixers manned by Lirettes sous chef entered the soundtrack of clinking glasses and silverware. She was whipping cream to order to finish the chocolate desserts, which arrived a minute later. After failing to classify it, I went in. Parts were airy like a mousse. Others had the crispy-chewy quality of brownie corners quality. Still others were on the border of batter. Later, after the sun went all the way down, I could see the menu described it as a souffle. But it was unlike any chocolate souffle Ive ever had. Noah Fecks Pairings are often pleasant enough, but its the rare and special combination that makes the food and the wine taste better, taste greater than the sum of their parts. This was that. The intensity of the chocolate buried the wines top notes of toast and wood and funk, distilling it to a sparkling expression of grapefruit. It was as if the wine revealed a message Lirette had tattooed on the souffle in invisible ink. It made the dessert taste like the zest of an entire grapefruit had been added to the batter. Pink grapefruit, the woman at the next table pointed out, and you know what, she was exactly right. And in the next moment, we were yammering about the knockout pairing like new friends at a dinner party, which is what Arce intended all along. Summer is coming. So is graduation season. Much like the holidays, its a prime time for giftsand gift guides. But shopping for graduates and young professionals might not be as simple or easy as it might have seemed in years past. Frankly, a fancy pen wont cut it anymore, especially if countless studies are accurate that millennials and members of Generation Z prefer experiences and services over tangible objects. That said, that could be because younger consumers are more concerned with a purchases utility and longevity rather than having something that sparks joy for a few days or weeks. Thus, heres a gift guide curated for those setting off on their own and into the workforce, with an emphasis on function, practicality, and usefulness. UnPakt Moving Services After finishing college, now comes the hard part: finding a place to live. (And yes, finding a place to work, but lets focus one issue at a time here.) Then comes the next hard task: moving. There comes a certain point in ones life when you have to stop asking your friends to help you move and hire movers. After a comparative pricing and booking website for moving services, debuted a few years ago and is still seemingly under the radar. (Case in point: I brought it up with several decade-long residents of New York Cityarguably one of the hardest cities in the world to move to, from, or aroundnone of whom had heard of it.) Well, secret is out: UnPakt is one of the easiest ways to find a mover save someone you know and trust actually telling you face-to-face. You simply plug in all of your inventory as well as details about your current and next residence (i.e. Is there an elevator? How many flights of stairs are in your walk-up building?), and the system gives you a quote, which locks in only two days before your move and really fluctuates based on your inventory, not anything else. Note that UnPakt is not an actual moving company itself. They connect you with more than 600 local moving services in 47 U.S. states. That said, they do the heavy lifting (pun intended) when it comes to coordinating your move as well as if you have a (nearly always inevitable) damages claim after. Story continues Framing Framing the diploma is a basic but obligatory task. After years of work (and thousands upon thousands of dollars), that piece of paper deserves a proper home in a dignified framenot just something you pick up at the local hardware store. That said, you dont have to rely on just the college bookstore for suitable and sophisticated options. A number of online framers, such as Artifact Uprising and Framebridge, offer a variety of frames, customizable down to the frame size, material, matting, and delivery. Shoppers can opt to upload the prints they want framed or, as in the case of diplomas, either mail the diploma to the respective company for mailing and return or just have an empty frame measured to size sent to the buyer. Weezie Towels In the year 2019, even towelsamong the most mundane of household goodshave gone viral. Specifically, the quantity of how many one should have at any given time. Turns out its a touchy subject, but what about the *quality* of your towels. There might not be anything else that induces the feeling of a fresh start more than towels. (Except bedding, but more on that in a minute.) Enter Weezie, a new luxury direct-to-consumer towel company based in Savannah, Ga. and founded by two women: a former creative director at Bustle along with a New York-based angel investor and BlackRock veteran. To say these cotton towels are fluffy is an understatement. Theyre unbelievably soft and, most importantly, super absorbent. Perhaps the most useful are the navy-hued hand towels, perfect for removing makeup or face masks without ruining your washcloths. SRP: A starter pack with four bath towels and two hand towels starts at $230. Parachute Bedding You might have seen this bedding advertised on the subway. Or on Instagram. Its everywhere. But far from the D2C, social media-friendly bedding brands that are bent on selling one thing and one thing only, Parachute has goods to outfit an entire home, from the kitchen to the bathroom to the living room to the bedroom. Among its newest offerings is the cloud cotton duvet cover set, an airy fabrication made from 100% Turkish cotton. Light and fluffy, its summers answer to the weighted blanket. Most importantly, its machine-washable. Buyers are treated to free shipping and returns as well as a 90-day trial. SRP: Starts at $259 for full/queen. Nectar Mattress Direct-to-consumer mattresses is a big business these days, but there are so many options now that they could collectively fill out a mattress showroom of their own. The Nectar mattress is a dense memory foam mattress, which promises to cradle its guests in every direction. Specifically designed to be medium-firm, its is recommendable for sleepers with lower back pain. Nectar also offers one of the longest, if not the longest, free trial period of the bunch: 365 days. Nectar provides free shipping and returns, and a white glove service is available for taking your old mattress away while dropping off your new one. SRP: $599 for a full-size mattress. More options available. Inside Weather Small Space Furniture Chances are that a new graduate and younger professional without a disposable income is going to be moving into a very small space. That could mean a studio or a multi-bedroom apartment divided up into even more bedrooms. One way to make the most of a small amount of space is multi-purpose furnitureor better yet, furniture with multiple configurations. Perhaps the most economical (when it comes to space, albeit not price tag) is the wall bed, also known as a Murphy bed. You cant find these at Ikea, but a number of online sellersnotably Wayfair and AllModernhave a bevy of options in bed size, color, attachable furniture, such as a cabinet or nightstand. Truly a bedroom in a box (or a few boxes delivered together). But given that this is not Ikea furniture, Murphy beds are not easy to assemble. Thus, another gifting idea this time comes in the form of services, such as TaskRabbit or Handy.com. Whether it be for assembling furniture or hanging frames on the wall, you can easily reserve and in chip in for a few hours of professional handiwork with minimal work on your own part. For new apartment dwellers who also want to shun the standard Ikea (or even CB2 or West Elm) furniture aesthetic, a number of D2C furniture brands are sprouting up, promising a palette of customizable options from the paint and print to fixtures. Inside Weather, a Bay Area-based startup, is hawking all of the apartment basics (seating, storage, and tables) with dozens upon dozens of options of which customers can configure. Its almost a bit dizzying, but for the truly creative types who want something beyond white, black or birch tree, its a dream. Inside Weather also promises that you dont need professionals to assemble its products, which ship free and buyers have a 365-day free trial should something not be satisfactory. Tea Forte Matcha Sampler Set Sometimes its the simple things in life that bring the most joy. Tea certainly fits into that categorynot to mention its one of the few gifts that seems to satisfy just about anyone. Matcha is still as popular with younger consumers as ever, but if you want something a bit elevated, Tea Fortes matcha gift set truly dives deep into the Japanese art of preparing matcha green tea. Matcha, a finely ground powder of green tea leaves, dissolves in water or steamed milk, dairy or non-dairy. The gift set is a sophisticated introduction to proper, ceremonial tea with one ceramic tea bowl, one measuring ladle, and one bamboo whisk. Tea Fortes single-serve pouchesin five blends: chocolate, chai, coconut, ginger, and pure matchaare also extremely portable and travel-friendly for anyone in a rush or constantly on-the-go. There are 30 of these in the sampler set. SRP: $128. Leatherology An old graduation standard, but its a classic for a reason. Despite smartphones and countless apps that have tried, nothing has quite replaced the paper business card in networking. But not only do the business cards make an impression, but the card holder often does as well. But again, this doesnt have to be boring. Leatherology offers a number of different standard-sized card holders, carrying up to 30 business cards or a dozen credit cards if you want to go for a petite wallet, which can be customized by color as well as monogrammed. JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A Swiss anti-corruption lobby group has filed a criminal complaint against Credit Suisse over alleged fraud in the arrangement of $2 billion of loans to Mozambique, the group said on Monday. Mozambique, one of the most indebted countries in the world, in 2016 admitted to billions of dollars of undisclosed borrowing, sparking a debt crisis and leading to the arrest of government officials and international bankers in the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa. Three former Credit Suisse bankers were arrested in London in January on U.S. charges of conspiring to violate anti-bribery law and to commit money laundering and securities fraud, while former Mozambique finance minister Manuel Chang was arrested in South Africa as part of the same case. Public Eye, a Switzerland-based advocacy group focused on financial crimes, said even though the transactions were facilitated by Credit Suisse's UK subsidiary, the bank should also be investigated in its home jurisdiction. "With its criminal complaint, Public Eye is calling on the Office of the Attorney General to investigate whether Credit Suisse Group AG fulfilled its corporate responsibility to oversee its subsidiary and prevent unlawful conduct as required of companies by the Swiss criminal code," the pressure group said in a statement. The Office of Attorney General, which previously said that no criminal proceedings had been opened in Switzerland, confirmed it had received the complaint and would review it to see whether it warranted opening a criminal case. Credit Suisse said it continued to cooperate with regulatory and enforcement authorities in connection with multiple investigations related to the Mozambique maritime transactions. "Credit Suisse is not currently in a position to disclose details of those processes, given pending investigations, a spokesman for the bank in London said. The maritime transactions, or so called tuna bonds, refer to a fleet of sea vessels bought by Mozambique using loans arranged by international banks for a self sustaining fishing program that never materialised. The cash came in the form of a government-backed bond to state tuna-fishing company Ematum. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London and Michael Shields in Zurich; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Pyongyang's statement did not contain any explicit threats or even mentions of the United States or South Korea. Seoul on Friday condemned the launch as needlessly provocative and a violation of an inter-Korean military agreement. The test is North Korea's latest attempt to gradually increase pressure on and signal its frustration with the United States and South Korea, since the breakdown of nuclear talks. "The purpose of the drill was to estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons," KCNA reported. Analysts say one of the weapons fired appears to be a newly developed short-range ballistic missile. If confirmed, it would be the first North Korean missile test in a year and a half. Kim Jong-un personally "gave an order of firing" of the projectiles into the sea off North Korea's east coast, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. Pictures posted in North Korean state media show Kim peering through binoculars during the launch, then smiling as he points at a screen apparently showing an island target being destroyed. North Korea tested "multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons," state media confirmed Saturday, the first comments on a launch that has further raised military tensions. Missile or Projectile? There had been confusion about the exact type of weapons North Korea launched. South Korea's Defense Ministry initially characterized the launch as a "short-range missile" test. Later statements referred to the weapons as "projectiles." "That's no projectile," Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said in a tweet. "That's the new SRBM (short-range ballistic missile) that North Korea paraded in February." At least externally, the missile appears similar to the Iskandar, a short-range, ballistic missile developed by Russia, analysts say. Under a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions, North Korea is banned from conducting ballistic missile launches. Seoul says the weapons traveled from 70-200 km, which would be classified as a short-range test. North Korea has not carried out a missile test since November 2017. The self-imposed moratorium has helped facilitate nuclear talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. In Kim's view, the moratorium, which was never formalized, does not cover short-range tests. But by launching multiple short-range projectiles, Kim may be attempting to test the limits of how Washington interprets that moratorium. Last month, North Korea said it tested a "tactical guided weapon." Commercial satellite images have also detected increased activity at some North Korean nuclear and satellite launch facilities in recent weeks. Trump: Deal Still Possible So far, Trump has played down the provocations. But he has also not signaled a change in his negotiating stance. Reacting to the latest test, Trump said he still believes a nuclear deal with North Korea is possible. Kim, who wants the removal of international sanctions hurting his economy, has said he will give the United States until the end of the year to become more flexible in the nuclear talks. Trump says he will not relax sanctions until Kim agrees to completely abandon his nuclear program. Deadlocked Talks Trump and Kim have held two summits over the past year. At the first meeting, in Singapore, both men agreed to work "toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." But U.S. officials later acknowledged the two sides never agreed on what that means. At the second meeting in Vietnam, Trump rejected Kim's offer to dismantle a part of North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for major sanctions relief. Since that meeting, the two sides have struggled to even hold talks, U.S. officials say. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, will visit Seoul later this week to help advance the talks. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose liberal government has prioritized engagement with the North, says he is willing to hold a fourth summit with Kim anytime, anywhere. Last week, Japan's conservative prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he is willing to meet with Kim "unconditionally and talk with him frankly with an open mind." (Adds details, background) By David French May 5 (Reuters) - France's Total SA said on Sunday it has agreed with Occidental Petroleum Corp to acquire the African assets of Anadarko Petroleum Corp for $8.8 billion, should the two U.S. oil and gas companies clinch a deal to combine. The agreement with Total is the latest move by Occidental in its effort to convince Anadarko to accept a $38 billion cash-and stock acquisition offer and abandon its agreed $33 billion sale to Chevron Corp. On Tuesday, Occidental secured a $10 billion investment from Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Inc in support of its bid for Anadarko. The bidding war for Anadarko underscores the value of its assets in the lucrative Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. The vast shale field holds oil and gas deposits that can produce supplies for decades using low-cost drilling techniques. If Occidental's bid for Anadarko succeeds, Total has agreed to purchase Anadarko's properties in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa. Among the assets to be sold to Total are a 26.5 percent interest in a Mozambique liquefied natural gas project, which is moving closer to a final investment decision, and stakes in two offshore fields in Ghana. The sale to Total would account for the majority of the between $10 billion and $15 billion of divestments Occidental said it would seek to fund the proposed Anadarko acquisition, while easing the amount of integration work, Occidental said. Occidental added that the proposed sale does not impact the planned $2 billion of annual cost savings and $1.5 billion of annual capital reductions already outlined as part of its potential acquisition of Anadarko. Total's previously outlined plan to increase its dividend by 10 percent and buy back 5 million shares by the end of 2020 will not be impacted by the deal, the company added. On Monday, Anadarko said that it would engage in negotiations with Occidental to decide whether its offer is superior to the deal with Chevron. If the bid is declared superior, Chevron will be given four days to match Occidental's offer, according to the terms of the contract between Chevron and Anadarko. Should Anadarko abandon Chevron for Occidental, it will have to pay Chevron a $1 billion deal breakup fee. (Reporting by David French in New York and Philip George in Bengaluru; Additional Reporting by Bate Felix in Paris; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Bill Berkrot) FILE PHOTO: The logo of French oil major Total on a flag at La Defense business and financial district in Courbevoie near Paris, France. May 16, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo By David French (Reuters) - France's Total SA said on Sunday it has agreed with Occidental Petroleum Corp to acquire the African assets of Anadarko Petroleum Corp for $8.8 billion (6.7 billion pounds), should the two U.S. oil and gas companies clinch a deal to combine. The agreement with Total is the latest move by Occidental in its effort to convince Anadarko to accept a $38 billion cash-and stock acquisition offer and abandon its agreed $33 billion sale to Chevron Corp. On Tuesday, Occidental secured a $10 billion investment from Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Inc in support of its bid for Anadarko. The bidding war for Anadarko underscores the value of its assets in the lucrative Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. The vast shale field holds oil and gas deposits that can produce supplies for decades using low-cost drilling techniques. If Occidental's bid for Anadarko succeeds, Total has agreed to purchase Anadarko's properties in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa. Among the assets to be sold to Total are a 26.5 percent interest in a Mozambique liquefied natural gas project, which is moving closer to a final investment decision, and stakes in two offshore fields in Ghana. The sale to Total would account for the majority of the between $10 billion and $15 billion of divestments Occidental said it would seek to fund the proposed Anadarko acquisition, while easing the amount of integration work, Occidental said. Occidental added that the proposed sale does not impact the planned $2 billion of annual cost savings and $1.5 billion of annual capital reductions already outlined as part of its potential acquisition of Anadarko. Total's previously outlined plan to increase its dividend by 10 percent and buy back 5 million shares by the end of 2020 will not be impacted by the deal, the company added. On Monday, Anadarko said that it would engage in negotiations with Occidental to decide whether its offer is superior to the deal with Chevron. If the bid is declared superior, Chevron will be given four days to match Occidental's offer, according to the terms of the contract between Chevron and Anadarko. Should Anadarko abandon Chevron for Occidental, it will have to pay Chevron a $1 billion deal breakup fee. (Reporting by David French in New York and Philip George in Bengaluru; Additional Reporting by Bate Felix in Paris; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Bill Berkrot) Trump said he believes the North's Kim Jong Un will do nothing to interfere with the "great economic potential" of his country. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me," Trump said. "Deal will happen!" Hours earlier, Pyongyang had launched several unidentified, short-range vertical objects, according to the South Korean military. A South Korean military official told NBC News the projectiles were not ballistic missiles. President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with North Korea 'will happen,' hours after the South Korean military said Pyongyang had launched "several unidentified short-range projectiles." Trump said he believes Kim Jong Un will do nothing to interfere with the "great economic potential" of North Korea. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me," Trump said. "Deal will happen!" Trump tweet: Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen! The South Korean military originally said the North had launched a single missile, but later changed its language and said Pyongyang had launched several unidentified, short-range vertical objects. A South Korean military official told NBC News that North Korea did not launch ballistic missiles. The South Korean president's office said Seoul and Washington are sharing detailed information and analyzing the material used in the projectiles and what exactly they were. "In particular, we do notice that North Korea's action this time has taken place when the de-nuclearization dialogue is in lull state," presidential spokeswoman Koh Min Jung said. "We do hope that North Korea would positively participate in efforts to resume the dialogue." Story continues A senior U.S. administration official told NBC News that National Security Advisor John Bolton had "fully briefed" Trump on the situation. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the administration is aware of North Korea's actions: "We will continue to monitor as necessary," she said. In April, North Korea claimed to have "tested a powerful warhead" in the first public weapons test for the regime since Trump and Kim met for a historic summit in Singapore last year. Trump and Kim held a second round of talks in Vietnam February of this year, but negotiations collapsed after Trump reportedly handed Kim a note demanding he turn over the North's nuclear weapons and bomb fuel . More From CNBC By Mircely Guanipa PUNTO FIJO, Venezuela, May 4 (Reuters) - Two of Venezuela's four crucial crude upgraders, needed to convert extra-heavy crude from the Orinoco oil belt into exportable grades, remained shuttered a month after a major blackout, according to a document seen by Reuters on Saturday. State-owned oil company PDVSA nonetheless boosted its production of upgraded crude to 313,000 barrels on May 2 and 326,000 barrels on May 3, up from 298,000 in early April, as its two other upgraders and the Sinovensa mixing facility - a joint venture with China's CNPC - came close to or exceeded expectations, the PDVSA document showed. The OPEC nation's crude output, the lifeblood of its economy, has fallen this year due to a wave of blackouts and U.S. sanctions on PDVSA. Despite the uptick, the upgraders' total production remained well short of their combined capacity of some 700,000 barrels per day (bpd). Neither PDVSA nor Venezuela's Oil Ministry responded to a request for comment. A PDVSA document seen by Reuters last month showed PDVSA did not expect the upgraders to increase production in April. It said Petromonagas, a joint venture with Russia's Rosneft , would undergo "cleaning and repair" since its furnaces were blocked by waste products, and that Petrosanfelix, fully owned by PDVSA, was unlikely to restart. The more recent document showed both those upgraders were still not producing, noting that activities at Petrosanfelix were "paralyzed." It said Petromonagas had cleaned one of its furnaces, but that the re-start would be determined by "corporate strategy." Petrocedeno, a joint venture between PDVSA, France's Total and Norway's Equinor, was producing 71,000 bpd, or 99 percent of its planned output. Petropiar, part-owned by Chevron, produced 125,000 barrels on May 2 and 138,000 on May 3, above expectations, according to the document. Petrosinovensa, which produces Merey crude, was producing 117,000 bpd, or 88 percent of its plan, it said. The document also showed PDVSA had reduced its deficit of naphtha - a light oil product that it uses to dilute its crude - to 46,300 bpd, down from 70,700 last month, as the functioning upgraders boosted the rates at which they recovered used naphtha. It said a tanker carrying 1 million barrels of imported naphtha had arrived in Venezuela in late April to help cover the deficit. (Reporting by Mircely Guanipa in Punto Fijo; Writing by Luc Cohen; Editing by Daniel Wallis) FILE PHOTO: ASML Holding logo is seen at company's headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Januari 23, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File Photo (Reuters) - Dutch chip equipment maker ASML Holding NV said on Saturday a U.S. court had issued its final judgment in favour of ASML in an intellectual property theft case against U.S. software maker Xtal. The Santa Clara County Superior Court in California awarded ASML $845 million along with an injunction, ASML said. The Netherlands-based company said the judgment would be uncollectible as Xtal is in bankruptcy, but under a settlement arrangement ASML will end up owning most or all of Xtal's intellectual property through the bankruptcy process. As part of the injunction, the court ordered Xtal not to conduct development activities on its software products that ASML says contain the Dutch company's intellectual property. ASML said the injunction also bars Xtal from continuing to work in the same field of business as Brion, ASML's computational lithography product, for a period of time. In April, ASML disclosed that former employees took company secrets to Xtal, which is funded by entities in South Korea and China and set up to sell a competing product to an existing ASML customer in South Korea. (Reporting by Ishita Chigilli Palli in Bengaluru; Editing by Gareth Jones) FILE PHOTO: The GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) logo is seen on top of GSK Asia House in Singapore, March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Loriene Perera/File Photo (Reuters) - British drugmaker Vectura Group Plc said on Saturday that it won a patent infringement litigation case against GlaxoSmithKline Plc in the United States and has been awarded $89.7 million in damages for the period from August 2016 through December 2018. A jury trial in a Delaware district court on Friday found that one of Vectura's U.S. patents was infringed by sales of three of GSK's Ellipta products in the United States, Vectura said. The jury found that GSK, which is also a UK-based pharmaceutical company, willfully infringed the patent, which Vectura said gives it the right to seek enhanced damages. Vectura expects to seek application of the 3 percent royalty to sales of the infringing products through the end of the patent term in mid-2021, it said. Vectura started legal proceedings against GSK in July 2016 after a patent license agreement between the two companies expired and GSK declined to license additional patent families under the original agreement. GSK did not respond to Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours. (Reporting by Ishita Chigilli Palli in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft) Warren Buffetts sprawling Berkshire Hathaway posted a big profit in its first-quarter earnings on Saturday, hours before the conglomerates annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. The companys net earnings were $21.66 billion, or $13,209 per Class A share, compared to last years net loss of $1.14 billion, or $962 per share. Earnings were boosted by unrealized gains of $15.1 billion in the companys stock portfolio. This excludes the losses from Kraft Heinz, whose shares plummeted at the beginning of the year following an SEC probe into the companys accounting policies. However, Buffett has previously said that a better metric for the companys success is its operating profit, which rose 5 percent to $5.56 billion. Berkshires financial reach extends to almost every sector of the economy, and it owns a number of marketable, blue-chip stocks that are valued at $170 billion (excluding the companys shares of Kraft Heinz). Some of those stocks include Apple, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Southwest Airlines, American Express and General Motors. Berkshire ended the quarter with a cash pile worth $112 billion. Related Articles Its that time of the year again. On Saturday, an estimated 40,000 Berkshire Hathaway investors will gather in Nebraska to hear the Oracle of Omaha himself, Warren Buffett, recap his holding conglomerates successes and cast an eye to what the future may hold. Both Buffett and his deputy, Charlie Munger, have already made headlines this week in advance of the meeting. On Thursday, Buffett revealed that Berkshire Hathaway has purchased shares of Amazonfinally investing in a company that Buffett himself has long admired and has famously kicked himself for not betting on earlier. The news prompted Amazons stock to climb 3% on Friday. Munger, meanwhile, gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal in which he defended ousted Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan, calling him a very good bank lender and saying he would would have kept Sloan, myself, but nobody asked me. Berkshire Hathaway, of course, is Wells Fargos largest shareholder, owning a nearly 10% stake in the beleaguered bank. While the past year wasnt a good one for Wells Fargo, it was definitely good for Berkshire Hathaway. Buffetts conglomerate held roughly 3.5 billion shares in 48 different companies at the end of 2018, according to the most recently available data found in Berkshire Hathaways 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While the firms various positions have certainly changed since then (including its recent Amazon investment), the stocks that were in Berkshire Hathaways portfolio at the end of last year have appreciated 6.7% and delivered total returns of 8.5% over the past 12 months, according to a data analysis by Fortune. In total, the companys year-end position across those 48 stocks is now valued at more than $210 billion as of May 2; by contrast, its various positions at the end of 2017 were value at more than $178 billion at this point last year. Story continues Of the Berkshire Hathaways largest holdings, none other than Apple continues to be a standout. At the end of last year, Buffetts firm owned around 250 million shares (or a more than 5% stake) in the Tim Cook-led tech giant, whose stock has climbed 18.5% in the last 12 months and delivered a total return of 20.3%. American Express, in which it held 152 million shares (a nearly 18% stake), has also performed exceptionally wellwith its stock up 20% and a total return of 22% since Berkshire Hathaways last annual meeting. The same goes for Coca-Cola, which has seen its shares rise 15 percent in the last year and a total return of 19%; Buffetts firm owned 400 million shares, or more than 9%, in the soft drink behemoth at the end of 2018. Less successful among Berkshire Hathaways big bets has been Wells Fargo, which in the midst of an array of scandals has seen shares fall 7.5% in the last 12 months with a negative return of -4.5%. Yet no investment has hurt more than its position in Kraft Heinz; unsurprisingly, given the well-publicized issues at the food-and-beverage giant, its stock is down nearly 41 percent over the last year and it has delivered a negative return of nearly 38 percent in that time. Buffett himself admitted earlier this year that Berkshire Hathaway overpaid for Kraft. Moving away from the heavy-hitters, it is some of the firms relatively smaller positions that have delivered the most robust returns. Take its investment in internet domain name registry VeriSign, in which Berkshire Hathaway held nearly 13 million shares at the end of 2018 and which has seen price appreciation and total returns of more than 65% in the last 12 months. An even smaller position is Proctor & Gamble, which has climbed nearly 49 percent in that time and delivered a return of almost 54 percent; Buffetts firm held only 315,000 shares in the consumer goods company at year-end. Other investments that have resulted in double-digit price appreciation and returns over the past year include STORE Capital (total return of 40%), Mastercard (34%), United Continental Holdings (30%), Visa (28%), Costco Wholesale (26%) and Delta Air Lines (14%). Meanwhile, the likes of American Airlines Group (negative total return of -19%), Suncor Energy (-14%) and Goldman Sachs (-11%) have been among the more notable underperformers. As Buffett himself noted in his annual letter to shareholders, managing such an expansive portfolio means he will make expensive mistakes of commission and will also miss many opportunities. But on balance, its hard to dispute that the Oracle of Omaha has still got it. Over 300,000 tourists visit Beijing horticultural expo during May Day holiday From:ChinaDaily | 2019-05-04 21:18 BEIJING - Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition welcomed its first tourist peak by serving more than 320,000 tourists during the four-day May Day holiday, the organizer said Saturday. Lei Lei, an official with the organizing committee, said the Chinese Pavilion, the International Pavilion, the Life Experience Pavilion, the Botany Pavilion and the Guirui Theater were among the most popular destinations, which have received a total of over 734,000 visitors during the holiday. Some 132 activities, including float parades, world ethnic and folk cultural performances, and culture and art carnivals staged by central and eastern European countries, were held during the holiday. With the theme of "Live Green, Live Better," the expo opened to the public on Monday at the foot of the Great Wall in the capital's Yanqing District and will last until Oct 7. Warren Buffett said his $10 billion investment to back Occidental's bid for Anadarko is a bet on the Permian Basin. "I mean the Permian Basin is four million barrels a day. It's incredible," Buffett says. The "Oracle of Omaha" doesn't consider it to be a hostile deal because Anadarko wanted to sell their properties. Warren Buffett has shown a bigger interest in the oil industry with Berkshire Hathaway's recent $10 billion investment to back Occidental Petroleum OXY 's bid for Anadarko Petroleum APC , and he said it's a bet on the Permian Basin. "I mean the Permian Basin is four million barrels a day. It's incredible," Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick in an interview before the start of Berkshire's 2019 annual meeting at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. "Remember it was the last great find in the United States 40 years ago or more...The United States is producing 12 million barrels and four million" are from the Permian, he added. Occidental revealed this week that Berkshire BRK.A has committed to invest $10 billion in the company to help fund its proposed acquisition of Anadarko. Berkshire would make the investment by purchasing 100,000 shares of preferred stock, which pays out an 8% annual dividend. Backed by Berkshire, Occidental's bid topped an earlier bid by Chevron CVX . However, the "Oracle of Omaha" doesn't consider it to be a hostile deal because Anadarko wants to sell its properties. "I mean it's not a hostile deal in that Anadarko had been talking to Occidental about the sale of their properties...It's different than Coca-Cola or something like that. You are buying physical assets...Anadarko wanted to sell...It wasn't like a private company being sold or a management controlled company," Buffett told Quick. When asked about why Buffett didn't buy Anadarko outright, Buffett said he's not an expert on the oil industry. Story continues "Charlie is quite impressed with the Permian Basin. He knows more about oil than I do, which isn't really much praise, but we both follow that," Buffett said. The Permian Basin, which is 250 miles wide and 300 miles long, stretches from New Mexico to Texas and holds more than 20 of the top 100 oil fields in the country, according to Chevron. "You can mess up oil fields very easily. A lot of that was done in the early days, so you can take a field that is huge and by foolish production techniques you can reduce the recoveries dramatically," Buffett said. At a Q&A session at the annual meeting, when asked if Berkshire will do other large financing transactions in the future, Buffett said "Maybe there's one three or four years from now, it won't be identical. I hope it's larger. The point is we are very likely to get the call because we can do something that really no institution can do it." "Well I like it," Charlie Munger, Berkshire's Vice Chairman and Buffett's longtime partner, said at the annual meeting, referring to the Occidental investment. More From CNBC A lot can happen in five decades. And the roots of a local church stretch back even farther than the date it was formed. St. Timothy Lutheran Church which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month was received as a congregation by the Nebraska Synod, Lutheran Church of America, on May 19, 1969. Here are other facts about the church: The church building is situated in an area that once was the home of the Western Theological Seminary, which started in 1893 in Atchison, Kan. The seminary came with Midland College to Fremont in 1919. In 1949, the seminary became independent of Midland. The seminary then became known as Central Lutheran Theological Seminary. The building that houses St. Timothy was dedicated in 1952. In the 1960s, the Lutheran Church in America (which later became part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) decided to merge some seminaries and locate them in a university setting. Central Lutheran Theological Seminary in Fremont entered a merger with other institutions which formed the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. As seminaries were consolidated, plans were made to plant a new congregation in Fremont. Other information gathered by Wanda Samson, stewardship chair, includes: In 1967, the board of American Missions conducted a survey of 1,050 homes in northwest Fremont. The board decided a mission church should be developed. The late Elmer Sasse came up with the idea of having a Lutheran church on the west side of Fremont and became a charter member of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. In June 1968, the present property consisting of a chapel, library, offices and classrooms was purchased from the seminary. The first service took place on Sept. 6, 1968. Pastor Lorin Wolff, the first minister at the church, preached. There were 216 people at the service. Wolff would serve as pastor until 1975. Samson noted other things about those early days. Imagine starting a new church with no budget. There were no crayons, scissors, childrens chairs or Bibles for Sunday school. People brought whatever they had that was needed, Samson wrote. For Fellowship Hour, coffee pots were loaned by members until some were donated Also donated were church flags, radio markers, cribs, offering plates, duplicator, 35 mm projector, record players and fans. One member made all the baptismal napkins. Other churches came forward with items and even non-members contributed. In 1972, Lucille Hendrichson, Ione Norenberg and Barb Shanahan went to the Ministerial Association in Fremont asking for a religious service for special needs children. The association offered a service on Wednesdays. Pastor Wolff offered an opportunity for Sunday school classes and worship on Sundays at St. Timothy. It took about three years before the Sunday school classes were called Special Classes. Working through Bethphage (now known as Mosaic) and ENCOR, the group expanded from five adults to about 40. Tenth and 20th anniversary celebrations took place in 1979 and 1989, respectively. In May 1990, the long-awaited mortgage burning took place. The initial building debt was paid off. Several improvements would be made to the church building and grounds by its 25th anniversary. A St. Timothy member made an anonymous gift, financing the computerization of the church office. The celebration for 45 years took place in May 2014. Since then, the F.A.C.E. (Faith-Action-Caring-Extraordinaire) was approved by the congregational council in 2016. F.A.C.E. expands Special Classes activities. In her writing, Samson also paid tribute to the late Mavis Heidemann, remembered for her commitment to working with Special Classes, organizing funeral luncheons and involvement with the Women of the ELCA, among other activities. Samson also spotlighted the late Ray Carstensen, who made delicate butterflies and crosses cut from wood with a scroll saw. The crosses went to people in the hospital and butterflies to those whod lost a loved one. As the first 50 years end, the church still has 14 charter members on the books. The membership includes 199 baptized members and 146 confirmed members. 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. When the pregnancy test turned up positive, Vikki Walton couldnt have known she would give birth to her muse and future collaborator. Jori was a surprise to her mom, who at 41 was a grandmother of two. I thought I was going through menopause, said Vikki, a nonprofit consultant who writes grants for ministries and nonprofits. I said, Theres no way I could be pregnant. But it has kept us young. Its a big blessing in our life. As Jori grew up, it became clear that art would feature largely in her life. When she turned in a paper without her name, teachers recognized the drawings she scribbled on the page. She graduated from Pine Creek High School and is now a sophomore at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, working toward a bachelors degree in comic art with a minor in creative writing. While her daughter was finding her artistic voice through imagery, her mom continued to find hers through words. Before Jori was born, Vikki lived in San Antonio, where she started a Christian writers group and wrote a childrens book to break out of her comfort zone. She took it to a writers conference, where a Christian publishing firm expressed interest. But when that didnt work out, she stuck it in a box and left it to languish. Many years later, as she cleaned out her home office, she came across the manuscript and had an epiphany. I said, Wow, God has given me the illustrator, Vikki said. While Jori was excited about the idea, there were compromises to be made between the two creatives. My style is much darker than we had anticipated for a book like this, she said, so I tried to make it lighter and more colorful, but keep it true to my own style. The 19-page childrens book Will God Still Find Me? is the result. Based on Romans 8:39, a Scripture about how nothing can separate one from the love of God, the story features a young boy who considers running away from home, and all the careers he could explore, all while wondering if God will be able to keep track of him. The self-published book is available through Amazon. Beautiful, simple illustrations will hold your childs attention, and also provide a starting point for discussion. The simple rhymes will help your child to join in with a main question. This book would be a welcome addition to any childs book collection, wrote a reader from Christian Bookaholic on Netgalley.com, a site that helps connect manuscripts to publishers, reviewers, librarians and booksellers. Vikki, who worked for a local Christian literary agency and freelanced for the San Antonio Express-News and The Gazette many years ago, was an old hand at self-publishing. She has five other books available online: Work Quilting: Piece Together Diverse Income Streams, Live an Insanely Awesome Life, The Smart Womans Guide to Travel and her three-part, standalone cozy mystery series. Cozies are a popular subgenre of crime and fiction in which sex, violence and foul language are eliminated, and the mystery takes place in a small community. Her daughter again inspired her to finally try fiction writing, after Joris high school creative writing teacher had students participate in NaNoWriMo, an internet project in which people try to write a 50,000-word manuscript during November. Vikki joined her daughter for the 30-day session. Id been saying I would write a mystery forever and will do the same as you do, said Vikki. She kick-started my writing career, as I wouldnt have done it probably. It would always be tomorrow, tomorrow. City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. Tensions at a Colorado Springs town hall with Gov. Jared Polis erupted Saturday to the point that security guards had to intervene, and a middle-aged woman reportedly was injured. The question-and-answer session at Sierra High School started cordially. Polis recapped notable advances in his agenda for free all-day kindergarten, reduced health care costs and affordable college. He fielded questions from two Sierra High students on all-day kindergarten and ensuring that students will be prepared to apply and pay for college. Polis focused on equity how all Coloradans of all backgrounds, political beliefs and family upbringings deserve to have equal access to tools for success. Reporters then asked about public option health care, the governors role in revitalizing southeast Colorado Springs and state support for capital projects at schools with a volatile tax base. But as soon as a moderator began to read questions submitted by the audience, noisy cheers and boos resounded through the auditorium. Asked how the diluted sex education bill passed Friday can accommodate people with strong religious values, Polis emphasized school districts power to set educational agendas as they choose. The bill focuses on teaching what consent means and closes a loophole that allowed abstinence-only curriculum, the governor said, eliciting boos and shouts of Liar! and Wrong! from some in the crowd. When Polis said he wants a flexible cap on money the state can take under the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, the critics yelled more. But Polis did not falter. He spoke through interruptions, whether praise or rebukes. We all love this state. It doesnt matter where you fall on the political spectrum, he said. We have more in common than we think. Polis final words to the audience, vowing to build a Colorado for all, generated mostly rapturous cheers and applause, but a few chanted Recall Polis. As the governor left the stage, Harrison District 2 security guards tried to eject a protester whose scarf read Recall Polis. Some bystanders said she was hoisting it like a sign, which broke the town hall rules. Her acquaintances, who asked not to be identified, said it was merely wrapped over her shoulders. They said the guards grabbed her arm and pushed her to the ground, a claim corroborated and discounted by others nearby. The guards declined to comment, deferring to school district spokeswomen Christine OBrien and Jennifer Rexrode. Neither was immediately available. Paramedics later assessed the woman, whose name could not be confirmed. She was limping as a friend helped her out of the auditorium. Before the town hall, 10 protesters lined the roadside with signs calling for Polis to be ousted from office. One of them, Sid Gordon, lambasted the governor, saying, Hes not listening to conservatives at all. I moved here in 1992 and saw the state go from red to purple to blue. We need to get it back to purple ... and stop copying California and New York. He said he never was involved in politics until Polis was elected, but he takes issue with the red flag bill and new restrictions on oil and gas development. Twitter: @lizmforster Phone: 636-0193 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 China's Mount Huangshan woos global tourists in NYC From:Xinhua | 2019-05-04 09:29 A visitor tries traditional Chinese costume at a Huangshan tourism promotion event at World Trade Center in New York, the United States, on May 3, 2019. A tourist promotional event featuring China's Mount Huangshan, or the Yellow Mountain, was held at New York City's World Trade Center (WTC) on Friday to demonstrate the charm of this renowned tourist destination. The event was organized by China National Tourist Office in New York and the Huangshan City. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) NEW YORK, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A tourist promotional event featuring China's Mount Huangshan, or the Yellow Mountain, was held at New York City's World Trade Center (WTC) on Friday to demonstrate the charm of this renowned tourist destination. Featuring photo displays, local opera performances and a Chinese tea ceremony show inside the Oculus, a transportation hub and shopping mall of the new WTC, the event made a comprehensive presentation of the scenery and cultural connotations of Mount Huangshan. Located in east China's Anhui Province, the mountain range is famous for its magnificent scenery of granite peaks, rocks, pine trees, sunrise and sunset amid clouds. Travel brochures and local style cookies were handed out to passers-by, who were also encouraged to try on traditional Han Chinese costumes and have a taste of this year's fresh tea from Anhui. Mayor of Huangshan City Kong Xiaohong told the media that more than 2.62 million foreign tourists visited Mount Huangshan in 2018, and the number of U.S. tourists is growing steadily year by year. As a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site, Mount Huangshan aims to attract more tourists worldwide, said the mayor, who came to New York to promote his hometown. The event was organized by China National Tourist Office in New York and the Huangshan City. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next DES MOINES Gov. Kim Reynolds gave her approval late this week to two emotionally charged measures that surfaced only in the final hours of this years legislative session one exempting Medicaid from covering transgender medical procedures and another banishing Planned Parenthood from being involved in state sex education programs in public schools. Those provisions are included in a sweeping nearly $2 billion budget that funds state departments covering health care, public health, veterans affairs and aging Iowans in fiscal 2020. When lawmakers debated that budget, most disagreement was not over funding amounts but rather over the hot-button policies also included in House File 766. One such provision states that state and local governments are not required to cover gender reassignment surgery under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Republican lawmakers previously passed legislation banning the use of public funds for gender reassignment surgery sought by transgender individuals. But that was struck down by Iowa courts, which cited the states Civil Rights Act that includes transgender individuals as a protected class. The new measure puts into state law that the Civil Rights Act does not require government bodies to cover the surgery. This narrow provision simply clarifies that Iowas Civil Rights Act does not require taxpayer dollars to pay for sex reassignment and other similar surgeries. This returns us to what had been the states position for years, Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said in a statement. The new law, however, likely also will be challenged in court. Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, executive director of One Iowa Action, in a statement described the provision as cruel and outdated language that enshrines discrimination in Iowa law. One Iowa Action is a nonprofit organization that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iowans. By signing this cruel legislation into law, Gov. Reynolds has told every transgender Iowan that they are second-hand citizens and unwelcome in our state, Hoffman-Zinnel said. Make no mistake, this law threatens peoples lives. It also wont stand up to legal muster, and will stick taxpayers with the bill for ensuing lawsuits. Today is a shameful day to be an Iowan. The budget bill Reynolds signed into law also contains a provision barring Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from being state contractors for the personal responsibility and sexual risk avoidance grant programs. Statehouse Republicans in previous years stripped other funding to Planned Parenthood over their objections that the womens reproductive health care provider performs abortions. Statehouse Democrats, during debate of the budget bill, decried the lack of a funding boost or new policies to address continued issues with the private management of the states $5 billion Medicaid program. They said the Planned Parenthood restriction would actually lead to more unplanned pregnancies, and Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines appealed to Reynolds to veto those two items. Senate Democrats remain committed to expanding civil rights for Iowans, supporting policies that will result in fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortion, and making Medicaid accountable, affordable and sustainable again, the caucus said in a statement Friday. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 OSAGE -- Bernie Sanders outlined his plan to rebuild rural America during a presidential campaign stop Sunday in Osage. "While corporate profits are soaring in agribusiness, while merger after merger gives even more power to a handful of giant international conglomerates, family farmers in my state of Vermont, in Iowa, in rural America are being driven off the land every single year because the prices they receive will not keep those families intact," he told a crowd of around 300 people at the Mitchell County Fairgrounds. Sanders, an independent in the U.S. Senate who is seeking the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, said if he is elected he will impose an immediate moratorium on agribusiness mergers. Sanders said whoever he nominates for attorney general "will aggressively address the growing monopolization of the American economy in general, and specifically break up large agricultural corporations." Sanders said as president he would strengthen antitrust laws as well as reform patent laws "to protect family farmers from predatory patent lawsuits from companies like Monsanto." "Working together, we will restore the agency that enforces anti-trust laws in the meat-packing industry, an agency that Donald Trump eliminated," he said. Sanders said industrial farming is having a "horrific environmental impact" on both rural and urban areas. "These factory farms are a threat to the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and to the communities in which we live," he said. These factory farms should be regulated under the Clean Air Act as industrial factories, according to Sanders. The federal government should "help family farmers who are struggling, not make the CEOs of agribusinesses even richer with more federal subsidies," Sanders said. Sanders wants to restrict foreign ownership of American farmland, which he said not only poses threats to farmers but also raises national security concerns about the food supply. He also said undocumented immigrants are important to farm production, and should not be "demonized." Sanders said he supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and expands visas for undocumented workers "so they can live in dignity and security." At the beginning of his speech, Sanders introduced a guest he brought with him Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. As Sanders talked about how Ben and Jerry's pays good prices to dairy farmers for their products, a protester from the animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere loudly interrupted him. "I've got the mike and I'm louder than you," Sanders said, to cheers from the crowd. The protester was escorted out of the swine arena where Sanders was speaking, but he could be heard yelling outside for a time during the rest of the candidate's speech. Protesters from Direct Action Everywhere also disrupted a campaign appearance by Elizabeth Warren another candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for president on Saturday in Mason City. Love 1 Funny 14 Wow 0 Sad 0 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. More than 190 students from 25 North Iowa high schools were recognized Sunday as the area's best and brightest during the 2019 Star Class awards. The annual event held at North Iowa Area Community College put the students in the spotlight in nine categories, including arts, female athletes, language, male athlete, math, music, science, social science and technical. Two high school students Kyle Armour from Newman Catholic and Megan Adams from St. Ansgar received the 2019 Globe Gazette's Partnership in Education Money to Learn Scholarship from editor Jaci Smith. Each will be given $500 toward their education at NIACC. After hearing from NIACC president Dr. Steven Schulz, who said there has never been a better time to chose a community college, Tom Oswald was introduced as the featured speaker. Oswald is a motivational speaker and lifelong educator with 55 years of teaching experience. He told the hundreds in attendance at the event a story from when he was a teacher in Mason City that resonated today. "A goal without work ethic is nothing but a wish," he told the award winners. "Star students, you are special, but you can always learn. Go out into the world and do good things." Reach Jerry Smith at 641-421-0556. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by IMT LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Maximum Security led all the way in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, only to become the first winner disqualified for interference in the race's 145-year history. After a long wait, Long shot Country House was declared the winner Country House, a 65-1 shot, finished second in the slop before an objection was raised, causing a lengthy delay while stewards repeatedly reviewed several angles of video footage, before he was elevated into the winner's circle. The stunning outcome gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his first Derby victory at age 65. Jockey Flavien Prat, who originated the claim of foul, also won his first Derby. Country House paid $132.40 to win the second-highest payout in Derby history. It was a crushing turn of events for trainer Jason Servis and jockey Luis Saez, who already had begun celebrating what they thought were their first Derby victories. Instead, Maximum Security was dropped to 17th of 19 horses. The colt was the 9-2 second choice in the wagering. Prat claimed that Maximum Security ducked out in the final turn and forced several horses to steady. War of Will came perilously close to clipping heels with Maximum Security, which could have caused a chain-reaction accident. The stewards reviewed race footage for nearly 20 minutes while keeping the crowd of 150,729 in suspense, clutching their betting tickets. Trainers and jockeys involved stared at the closest video screen waiting for a result. Code of Honor was moved up to second and Tacitus was third. Improbable was fourth and Game Winner fifth, two of trainer Bob Baffert's trio of entries. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Trump Is Guilty as Not Charged The report by US special counsel Robert Mueller shows that a criminal approach to links between President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russian interference on his behalf never made much sense. An independent commission would have conducted a more realistic and comprehensive investigation. Elizabeth Drew WASHINGTON, DC The political situation in the United States is more unsettled now than at any time since I began covering it, including the Watergate era. President Donald Trump is a desperate, wounded, and unstable figure a bloated, increasingly red-faced presence railing against the indignities to which he feels subjected by haters with nefarious motives. Despite Trumps seemingly unhinged rants, he appears to have understood from the start that his presidency was highly vulnerable. The report by US special counsel Robert Mueller, released last Thursday by Attorney General William Barr, cites Trumps reaction to the news on May 17, 2017, that Mueller had been appointed to investigate his and his campaigns links with Russia. This is the end of my presidency, Trump said. Im fucked. Muellers appointment came nine days after Trump, urged on by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, recklessly fired FBI director James Comey. Kushner argued, dimly, that because Comey had harmed Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, his dismissal would be popular among Democrats. Mueller, a widely respected former FBI director, was to pick up Comeys investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaigns relationship with those efforts. By the time Comey announced the investigation in March 2017 (and introduced the word collusion into the Russia discussion), the FBI had opened another investigation, not covered in Muellers report, into whether Trump or others around him had been compromised by Russia. That investigation reportedly continues. Trumps reaction to the appointment of Mueller was perhaps the most honest thing hes known to have said about his situation. From then on, he fought and maneuvered to prevent Muellers team from finding out how involved his campaign had been with high-level Russians. Muellers redacted report about 10% was blacked out, much of it presumably because it could affect ongoing prosecutions hit Washington like a nuclear bomb. Its cautious approach was the source of its power. Although the report declined, mainly on narrow or technical grounds, to recommend that Trump be indicted either in connection with the Russians 2016 efforts or for obstructing justice in his numerous attempts to block the counsels work its dry, methodical, relentless recitation of why Trump was vulnerable on both fronts was devastating. And through his restraint, Mueller prevented his report, rather than Trumps behavior, from being the issue. Barrs pathetic efforts to spin the report favorably to Trump as he did via an unwarranted press conference 90 minutes before the report was released to Congress or the public was all the more embarrassing when it became clear that he had lied about several points. He must have known that his lies about the reports contents would be exposed immediately. Whether he thought he was helping Trump by drawing some fire himself, or was following orders, he disgraced himself. Barr, the kind of attorney general Trump had been wanting, is now subject to congressional chastisement in some form. In fact, Mueller clearly indicated that he thought Congress should act where he was prevented from doing so by a peculiar Justice Department rule, and that Trump should be prosecuted after he leaves office. Muellers team rejected the term collusion as having no legal meaning, and settled on coordination, which it then defined narrowly as an agreement tacit or express between the Trump Campaign and the Russian government on election interference. Thus, the report does not conclude that there was no interaction between the Trump campaign and Kremlin-connected Russians or, as Trump had been claiming repeatedly, no collusion. It says only that it could find no evidence to establish that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. (Note the words establish and government.) It also rejected conspiracy on these narrow grounds. And yet the report highlights the heavy traffic between members of the Trump team and Russian intelligence agents and oligarchs close to the Kremlin. It also disclosed that Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, had given his close associate Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian/Ukrainian intelligence figure, detailed internal polling information and briefed him on the battleground states crucial to Trumps victory. Trumps razor-thin margins in three states crucial to his victory Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin which he carried by only 80,000 votes combined, suggests that Russia might indeed have played a defining role in the election. But, though the narrow definition of what was beyond bounds may seem to defy common sense, Mueller was constrained by what he thought he could prove in court. At the same time, the report indicates that Mueller believes Trump is guilty of attempting to obstruct the investigation. But he couldnt recommend filing those charges, he wrote, because of a Justice Department rule against indicting or prosecuting a sitting president. The rationale for the rule first established in 1973, when Richard Nixon was in legal jeopardy, by a Justice Department that was beholden to him is that court proceedings would take too much of the presidents time. However questionable that justification, the rule reaffirmed in 2000, in the wake of Bill Clintons impeachment scare has taken on the aspect of holy writ. But, exemplifying the maxim that where one stands depends on where one sits, two special or independent counsels came to opposite conclusions. But even if Mueller, a by-the-book man, had been inclined to challenge the rule in the courts, doing so could have taken a great deal of time. And Mueller indicated that fairness required him not to indict Trump without following that up with a trial, because the president would be marked without having a chance to clear himself. The report did, however, suggest that charging Trump after he leaves office would be proper, and Muellers team has spun off 14 other cases to federal prosecutors concerning the presidents business activities and fundraising for his inauguration in 2017. Between those pending cases and others alleging abuse of presidential power for private gain, Trumps post-presidency looks bleak which implies that he will fight all the harder for reelection, hoping to beat the statute of limitations on a number of these charges. A criminal approach to the Russia scandal never made much sense. An independent commission, like the one Congress established to investigate the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, would have been able to examine more realistically and comprehensively the possibility that an illegitimate president and profligate crook is in charge of the US government, as well as the ongoing threat of corruption by an ill-intentioned foreign power. Now the ball is back in the court of Congress, which is deeply divided over what, if anything, to do about it. Elizabeth Drew is a Washington-based journalist and the author, most recently, of Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall. The United Kingdom has until April 12 to avert a no-deal Brexit. If the British Parliament is unable to pass a negotiated divorce by then, the U.K. will leave the European Union without a deal in place to govern their economic relationship. A no-deal departure is bad for both sides, though, and so remains one of the least likely scenarios for how this extended drama will play out. It is more likely that the U.K. will request (and be granted) an extension or that the House of Commons will reach a consensus at the 11th hour. Even so, the hour is late, and Britain has elected to squabble internally over what its national interest is rather than ruthlessly pursuing that national interest. The possibility of a no-deal Brexit is now real enough to consider what such a departure would mean. Impossible Negotiations Britains internal politics have complicated a process that, on paper, should have been relatively simple. Two and a half years after the U.K. voted to leave the EU, theres no consensus on what leave actually means. Unlike the EU, which has been able to articulate its demands without recourse to popular approval, the British government has had to articulate and pursue what it believed was in the best interests of the British people while building consensus for that position in Parliament. The British government succeeded at the former and failed miserably at the latter. The deal Prime Minister Theresa Mays government negotiated was rejected by the Parliament, as was virtually every other permutation of the agreement . As a result, instead of a single British viewpoint expressed by a duly empowered and legitimate British representative, the U.K.s most important decision in a generation is now being endlessly debated by lawmakers interested primarily in demonstrating how important they are to their constituents. That's not a knock against the lawmakers that's how representative democracies work. Representative democracies also elect political executives to make the difficult decisions something as fraught as Brexit requires. Every decision here for the U.K. is a tough one, and it is unreasonable to ask a lawmaker to risk pain for his or her constituency even if the country would be better off in the end. This dynamic has helped tilt the deal Mays government negotiated in the EUs favor. True, the EU is a much larger economy than the U.K., but Mays government has been negotiating with both hands tied behind its back since the very beginning. Mays greatest political strength her pragmatism became her worst enemy as she managed to produce a deal that everyone hated and that she did not have the authority to sign. Hard bargaining for key compromises in the best interests of the British people turned out to be only step one of the process; British negotiators also had to consider what kind of agreement would be palatable to Parliament. That was a recipe for disaster. Mays instinct to accommodate and build consensus doomed her from the beginning; a tough negotiation turned out to be the arena least suited to her political virtues. Economic Disarray The United Kingdom and the European Union now stand at the edge of a precipice of a no-deal Brexit, the ramifications of which would be many. Some are even predictable. In both the short and medium term, the British economy will be worse off than if it had stayed in the EU. It's true that many of the pre-Brexit prognostications suffered from overactive imaginations, but an April 16 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development did a decent job at predicting the practical import of the U.K.s vote to leave. It said that the U.K.s gross domestic product would be 3 percent smaller by 2020 than if it stayed in the EU; that comports with both the Bank of England and Centre for European Reforms estimates that the U.K.s GDP is roughly 2.5 percent smaller today than it would have been had Britain voted remain. (PwC and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research also had reports that were close to the mark.) The OECD report predicts that by 2030, the impact will be even greater. It estimates that the U.K.s real GDP will be somewhere between 3 and 8 percent smaller than if it remained in the EU. It also predicts a decline in foreign direct investment, an increase in the current account deficit, and a decline of nearly 6 percent in exports to the EU even with a free trade agreement in place. Of course, predicting these kinds of macroeconomic developments given the current uncertainty is something of a fools errand thats why so many of the predictions after the Brexit referendum were wrong. But even some Brexiteers admit that a no-deal Brexit would in the short term hurt the British economy, which has in recent decades become a services-focused economy that leverages its proximity to the EU and Londons position as one of the worlds most important financial capitals . It is possible to negotiate new trade deals and to reshape the British economy. But even in the best-case scenario, that kind of fundamental reorientation will take years and will negatively affect the livelihoods of millions of British workers. The British government has various plans to attempt to mitigate the damage. On trade, for instance, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the British government might remove tariffs on 92 percent of imports from the rest of the world and on 82 percent of imports from the EU, aiming to increase trade with non-European countries while protecting British companies in key sectors from European competition. But, like all things in the U.K. right now, these measures are highly controversial. Of course, if a no-deal Brexit happens, trade between the U.K. and the EU will not simply stop. A no-deal Brexit means the two will trade under World Trade Organization rules and tariff levels. For the U.K., that will mean specific sectors like car manufacturing and agricultural production will lose unfettered access to European markets. For British consumers, it will mean higher prices on some goods and services. The WTOs director general perhaps said it best last August when he said a no-deal Brexit is not going to be the end of the world but its not going to be a walk in the park either. British Disunion The bigger and more problematic issues, however, are political. Remember, the United Kingdom comprises four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Only in England and Wales did a majority vote for Brexit. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, large majorities voted remain. For the English and the Welsh, even a no-deal Brexit could arguably reflect the will of the people. The short- and medium-term economic uncertainty and dislocation was the price London paid for reclaiming its sovereignty from the EU. Not so in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. The majorities in these countries did not choose to suffer economic hardship in return for British sovereignty they would have preferred to keep relations with the European Union as they were. For them, a no-deal Brexit would be just the latest in a long list of English impositions. Millions take the train for a break From:Shine | 2019-05-04 19:29 Railway stations in the Yangtze River Delta Region sent off over 3.3 million people on May 4, the last day of the May Day holiday, China Railway said. It added 245 extra trains. About half a million passengers arrived in Shanghai on May 4, with around 430,000 departing from the city's three railway stations. Shanghai Metro put on after-hours services at Hongqiao Railway Station on Line 2 for passengers arriving late. The last train will leave at 12:30am on May 5. Over the break, rail routes passing tourist attractions sawa major increase in passenger flow. The Thousand-Island Lake Railway Station in Zhejiang Province sent off 11,720 people on May 3, a record high since the station opened on December 25 last year. There was one problem that stood out. Many passengers buying tickets for a short section of a route stayed on for destinations further away after paying the extra fare on board. Train K8372 from Jiangshan in Zhejiang to Huaibei in Anhui was found to be overloaded at Nanjing Railway Station on May 1. Many passengers with valid tickets couldnt get on because their seats were occupied by passengers who had paid the extra fare to stay on. The station had no choice but to give those at Nanjing Station a full refund and ask them to take another train. An official from China Railway told Shanghai Daily that overloading could lead to an insufficient power supply and affect a train's braking capability. The company apologized on May 4, promising to improve services in the future. It also urged passengers not to take journeys longer than shown on their tickets. Grand Old Partisan honors Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard, born in Massachusetts this day of 1809. Soon after graduating from Yale, he taught at schools for the deaf. Over the years, this extraordinary polymath became a professor of mathematics and chemistry and geology and literature. Outbreak of civil war, Barnard resigned from the University of Mississippi and relocated to Washington. He wrote an open letter to Abraham Lincoln, A Letter to the President by A Refugee, affirming loyalty to the U.S. Government and denouncing northern collaborators with the rebels. His brother was a Union Army general. Slavery he denounced as "that relic of primeval barbarism, that loathsome monument to the brutalities of the ages of darkness, that monster of injustice cursed of Christian men and hated of God." Barnard analyzed astronomical observations and published maps for the United States Coastal Survey and served on the board of the American Bureau of Mines and headed the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He co-founded the National Academy of Sciences. More than four decades, he was president of what is now Columbia University. Barnard College is named for him. Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e8fdXpSIros 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 See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party. "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" 1. Fill in your name or an alias. Do not leave blank or use the name 'guest' or 'anonymous'. 2. No Nivul Peh. Profanity will be deleted. " " A new study draws conclusions about the benefit of vaccines by examining internet searches. Sean Gallup/Getty Images While the efficacy of vaccines to prevent disease has been proven many times over, new research has taken a particularly interesting approach: analyzing Google searches. Researchers have compared online inquiries for information about chickenpox symptoms and country vaccination policies. By finding correlations between the searcheses of thousands of people and the timing of seasonal outbreaks, the new study shows that Google searches for the common childhood disease drop sharply following mandatory vaccinations. Advertisement The technique of analyzing data to understand real-world disease outbreaks is called digital epidemiology, and is becoming more common, identifying instances of influenza and rotovirus, for instance and this study is the first that's proven the effectiveness of a vaccine. Researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed Google Trends data culled from 2004 to 2015, examining results spanning three dozen countries and five continents. And since chickenpox has such idiosyncratic symptoms, rather than broadly applicable ones like coughs or rashes, the scientists behind the study were able to link the disease and the online activity with a high level of confidence. "These results demonstrate that if you institute nationwide vaccination for chickenpox there is a very clear reduction in searches," said doctoral student and study lead author Kevin Bakker in a press release announcing the findings, "which is a way to infer a strong reduction in total disease incidence." The researchers also found that by analyzing the Google searches for "chickenpox" in countries that require reporting but not vaccinations places like Thailand, Mexico and Estonia a forecasting model could predict outbreak timing and magnitude. The scientists say that the data from Germany was particularly revealing, as that country did not roll out a large vaccination plan at one time, but instead gradually increased implementation over years and the searches for information about chickenpox symptoms decreased over time as the vaccine program grew extended its reach. "It is really exciting to see human information-seeking behavior Google searches being reduced by vaccination implementation," said Bakker. "It's a very clear signal, and it shows that the vaccine is having a strong effect." Now That's Interesting Since the United States implemented chickenpox vaccines in 1995, the number of cases has dropped by more than 90 percent, and hospitalizations and deaths due to the disease have similarly decreased. " " Some study subjects' fecal stool samples contained as many as nine different types of microplastics, with polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) being most common. Flickr (CC BY-2.0) Microplastics tiny bits of plastic waste less than 0.197 inches (5 millimeters) in size are an increasingly worrisome phenomenon in the world's oceans, where scientists have found them in the bodies of dozens of aquatic species, including shrimp, mussels and fish that end up on human dinner tables. Scientists have suspected for a while that the miniscule pollution was getting into people's bodies as well. And now for the first time, in a pilot study presented at the United European Gastroenterology conference in Vienna, researchers have found evidence of just how widespread human ingestion of microplastics might be. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna and the Environment Agency Austria gathered stool samples from eight human subjects in eight different countries: Finland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom and Austria. All eight of the subjects turned out to have microplastic in their poop on average, 20 particles per 0.35274 ounces (10 grams) of feces. In some cases, the subjects' fecal stool samples contained as many as nine different types of microplastics, with polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) being most common. Advertisement We Are Eating Plastics The study didn't pinpoint how the microplastics got into the subjects' gastrointestinal tracts. That said, each subject kept a food diary in the week leading up to the stool sample being collected. The records showed that six of the eight ate seafood, and all either consumed food that had been wrapped in plastic or else drank from plastic bottles. "We don't know, but food and food packaging are likely sources of ingested microplastics," Dr. Philipp Schwabl, a gastroenterologist at Medical University of Vienna and the study's lead author, says in an email interview. Microplastics have been detected in liquids stored in PET bottles, Dr. Schwabl says. And a study published in the journal Water Research in February 2018 found that microplastics were present in 38 different bottled waters. In addition to packaging, another big source of microplastics may be indoor dust containing plastic fibers, which we're inhaling and eating as it settles onto our food. Exactly what the findings mean is still unclear, since relatively little is known about the effect of microplastics on human health. "There is no evidence yet that microplastics do any harm to humans," Dr. Schwabl says. "However, animal studies showed that orally ingested microplastics might transmigrate through the gut, as microplastics have been detected in animals in blood, lymph and liver. Maybe patients with inflammatory bowel diseases might be more susceptible to microparticle uptake. However, larger trials are needed to elucidate this." The small-scale study isn't meant to be the last word on the subject. "Now that we know how abundant microplastics are, we aim to perform follow-up trials to analyze microplastics contamination on a larger scale," Schwabl says. Another scientist not connected with the study wasn't surprised by its findings. Rolf Halden, director and professor at the Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering at Arizona State University, says that humans have been exposed to plastic fragments since the 1940s. There is now so much plastic in the environment "that the exposure is almost ubiquitous," he adds. Advertisement A Cancer Link? Halden explained that one big concern is that tiny particles might accumulate in human tissue, where they would cause inflammation and potentially lead to cancer. "But there aren't a lot of studies right now," he notes. Halden, who participated in the 2014 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency forum on possible human health risks from microplastics in the marine environment, says that while seafood might be a possible source, it's more likely that people are inhaling and ingesting microplastic directly from consumer products. Those include the synthetic textiles that often cover our bodies, as well as carpeting and plastic items in our indoor surroundings. Humans are part of the environment in which they live, and our bodies are constantly interacting with it, Halden explains. "We're in constant chemical communication with it, wherever we are," he says. Halden emphasizes that the study "does not need to be a reason for alarm, but it certainly constitutes an incentive to study exposures and associated effects in greater depth." Now That's Disturbing According to a study published in Science Advances in 2017, an estimated 9.149 billion tons (8.3 billion metric tons) of plastic have been produced since the mid-20th century, and 79 percent of it has accumulated either in landfills or the natural environment. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana First in a two-day series A lawsuit from a Kalispell woman alleges that a Butte psychiatrist's improper drug treatment has left her with an incurable physical ailment. The psychiatrist, Dr. Bennett Braun, has settled multiple lawsuits for millions after former patients said he convinced them in therapy that they had engaged in cannibalism, child abuse, satanic rituals and even consumed meat loaf made of human flesh. Braun, 78, never admitted wrongdoing when he was sued 11 times for claims such as that he put women into an Illinois psychiatric hospital, put them on high dosages of drugs not always tested on animals and hypnotized them a couple of decades ago. Braun faced some disciplinary action in Illinois as a result, but was back in good standing by the time he relocated to Montana. Ciara Rehbein, 33, went to Braun on referral for anxiety and post-concussive syndrome starting in 2014 after a bad motorcycle accident on Front Street. But Braun diagnosed her with a more extensive and serious list of conditions: bipolar 2 disorder, acute stress disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, traumatic brain injury (post-concussive syndrome) and alcoholism in remission. Braun the only psychiatrist in Butte, according to the Department of Labor and Industry prescribed her an antipsychotic medication called Geodon, which is known to cause serious and permanent movement disorders. After a while, Rehbein says, she began to experience uncontrollable facial movements. She says she told Braun. I tried to talk to him about that, Rehbein said during an interview late last year. He said, Thats just a little dyskinesia. Dyskinesia refers to tardive dyskinesia, a disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary and purposeless movements and caused by prolonged use of neuroleptic drugs like Geodon, according to WebMD.com. In response to her issues with Geodon, Rehbein says Braun told her, Well try something else. That "something else" was Seroquel, according to the complaint. And Seroquel is another drug that has been identified as a potential cause of tardive dyskinesia, according to WebMD.com. Seroquel is also a neuroleptic drug. In time, Rehbein says the facial movements got worse. Eventually, tension in her neck kept her from being able to turn her head down. After nearly a year of taking those drugs under Braun's care, Rehbein also had trouble walking and controlling her tongue and torso, according to court documents filed as part of a lawsuit she is pursuing against Braun. By the time she went to a neurologist, Rehbein says she had no reflexes. He (her neurologist) was shocked I could stand there with the Seroquel I was being prescribed and Geodon way over what I shouldve been taking, she said. And now Rehbein says she faces a lifetime of Botox injections in her neck and shoulders to make her muscles behave normally. According to her current doctor, Rehbeins condition is irreversible. Now, Rehbein is suing Braun in Butte District Court for negligence, lack of informed consent and failure to warn. She is seeking punitive damages from Braun. The suit also accuses the Montana Board of Medical Examiners of negligence for licensing Braun. Braun and his attorney, Mark Thieszen, declined to comment or be interviewed for this story, citing the pending litigation. Medical Board lawsuit According to the complaint, Braun participated in Medicaid, which means taxpayer dollars helped to pay for his services. The complaint says 74% of Brauns patients received subsidies for treatment in Butte. The complaint also says that Braun overprescribed medications to his patients. Braun prescribed 29% of his patients controlled substances with a high potential for abuse in 2013 compared to an average of 9% for the norm, according to court documents. The same year Braun prescribed 27% of his patients mildly addictive substances in 2013. But 2% was the norm that year, the court record states. Rehbein and the Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees the Montana Board of Medical Examiners, faced off in District Judge Kurt Kruegers courtroom last month. Rehbeins argument is that the state knew or should have known about Brauns past before licensing him in Montana. Quinlan O'Connor, special assistant attorney general, argued before Krueger that the board's licensing process is irrelevant because the board has immunity from legal action. The state has judicial precedent for that argument on its side. The state is seeking to be dismissed from Rehbeins suit. But Justin Stalpes, Rehbeins attorney with Beck, Amsden and Stalpes in Bozeman, contended during last month's hearing that the states licensure gives a stamp of approval to a doctor in the mind of patients. Further, if a hospital credentials a bad doctor, a patient who has been harmed by that doctor can sue the hospital. If the state licenses a bad doctor and the patient is harmed, the patient should, likewise, be able to sue the state, Stalpes argued. Its not just the stamp of approval that matters, says Stalpes. Because Braun accepted Medicaid, and the majority of his patients are on subsidized care, the states taxpayers are funding a doctor who allegedly harmed a patient. Before Rehbein can go to jury trial, Krueger must make a decision on that aspect of the case. So for now, Rehbein waits. No malpractice insurance Rehbeins lawsuit will not be an easy one. And her odds of success are complicated by the fact that Braun lacks medical malpractice insurance as a result of his issues in Illinois. Montana is one of 32 states that allow doctors to go without malpractice insurance, according to Deirdre Gilbert, national director of the National Medical Malpractice Advocacy Association in Texas. One of the biggest barriers they (the patients) face is not a lot of attorneys will accept these cases, Gilbert said. She said there is no federal law requiring doctors to have medical malpractice insurance and that its not something most patients would think to ask about when visiting a physician. Gilbert says the lack of medical malpractice hurts patients because if they are harmed, they have no legal remedy. Without medical malpractice insurance, a negligent doctor can potentially dodge a patients suit even despite potentially catastrophic medical bills, irreversible injury or lost wages due to botched medical care. Its catch me if you can, Gilbert said. Prescription questions Its not clear why the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration obtained a search warrant to search Brauns office in the summer of 2017, but the agency found Braun practicing outside the scope of his license, according to Stacy Zinn, DEA agent for Montana. Zinn didnt provide many details about the search, but she did say Braun subsequently surrendered his narcotics license in a deal with the DEA and that the agency did not pursue criminal charges against him. While its not clear how Braun ended up on the DEAs radar, Rehbein says that there were occasions when Braun gave her drugs directly out of his office instead of sending her to a pharmacist with a prescription. On her first visit to Braun, she says he gave her opioids out of his cupboard and that he gave her large amounts of highly addictive opiods. He would say, Try this and see how this works for you, she said. He would also ask Rehbein to bring prescription medications to him that she didnt finish, she says. Anthony Jackson, her lawyer also with Beck, Amsden and Stalpes, alleges that Braun recycled the used prescriptions to other patients. Erin Loranger, public information officer for the Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees the Montana Medical Board of Examiners, said she cannot comment on whether the board is investigating Braun due to the DEAs actions. The fact that the board may be investigating any licensee is confidential unless the investigation results in a disciplinary case, she said in writing. Whether other patients have filed complaints against Braun with the board is also confidential, Loranger said. Braun denies wrongdoing Although Braun would not be interviewed, his position is set out in court records. He denies wrongdoing and claims he complied with the appropriate standard of care in treating Rehbein, according to the defendants answer to the complaint for damages. Braun says his patient failed to follow his medical advice and didnt inform him of her illegal drug use and visits with other physicians. He says an unrelated medical condition, the motorcycle accident and her undisclosed use of methamphetamine are the cause of Rehbeins disease. Rehbein admits she used methamphetamine in the past and that she relapsed while under Brauns care. Rehbeins path Rehbein had an idyllic life once. At 18, she found herself married to her high school sweetheart with a brand new baby, living on her grandfathers ranch in Arlee, north of Missoula. But tragedy struck when her baby died of sudden infant death syndrome when the child was about a year old. The grief was too much for Rehbeins young marriage, and it was too much for her. Divorced, her infant buried and only 19, Rehbein self-medicated the pain. I got lost for a while, she says. In 2008, Rehbein was arrested for writing bad checks and possession of dangerous drugs in Kalispell. In the intervening years shed become hooked on methamphetamine. The court sent Rehbein to Buttes Womens Transition Center, which tries to help convicts transition back into society. After she got out in 2012, Rehbein remained in the Mining City and tried to forge a new life. She got a job and started taking business classes at Montana Tech. She found a new relationship and got a dog. She joined Alcoholics Anonymous. The day of her motorcycle accident, she was coming back from an Alcoholics Anonymous Fathers Day barbeque. I was in a pretty good place, she says. But the crash was a setback. The driver was badly injured. Rehbein, who was riding on the back of the motorcycle, lost part of her middle finger. The very visible injury left her feeling self-conscious. She became consumed with anger and self-blame. She needed help. She talked to a doctor who referred her to Braun. She says that on her first visit, she told Braun about her previous methamphetamine use and that he handed her opioids out his cupboard anyway, despite her troubles with addiction. She also came away after 45 minutes and a cursory evaluation with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, she says. And after that initial 45-minute therapy visit, she says Braun usually spent only 10 minutes with her. At one point during the year-long treatment, Rehbein slipped back to using methamphetamine one night. She says she was overly sedated and that the many negative side effects from wetting the bed to falling asleep with food in her mouth from all the drugs Braun had put her on, plus the increasing movement problems, were taking a toll on her relationship with her new life partner. I was sad, alone, she said. She says she told Braun about her relapse. She says it scared her and soon after she got rid of even the opiods Braun had her on. He didnt talk to me very much, she said of Braun during her year of therapy. He told me to be quiet a lot. If I was emotional, he would tell me to button up. Whats next Rehbein has regained at least some control over her life. Although she faces a lifetime of living with tardive dyskinesia, she has found happiness. She and her life partner worked things out and now the pair have a new baby. But, Rehbein says, she still cant work. She says she has trouble leaving the house. She still struggles with anxiety and says she has both memory problems and concentration issues. She blames the high dosages of drugs Braun put her on while she was still healing from her motorcycle accident for her ongoing issues. I wish I could get back to how I was, she says. But she realizes that is wishful thinking. I dont care so much about him finally hearing me anymore, she says. But I want people to know who and what he is. I hope this never happens to anybody else. MONDAY: The state board of medical examiners is under fire for licensing Braun. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Developing former Asarco lands in East Helena has been a challenge as prospective buyers wrestle with cleanup of contaminated soil, but officials are cautiously optimistic following the sale and development of several properties and another potential sale on the horizon. The East Helena area was designated a federal Superfund site in 1984 due to contamination from the lead smelter, which triggered extensive cleanup including removal and replacement of nearly 1,000 yards of dirt. In 1998, a century of pollution from the smelter and other facilities, including a zinc fuming plant, resulted in a settlement between Asarco and the Environmental Protection Agency for violations of environmental laws. The smelter closed in 2001, and after later declaring bankruptcy, Asarco placed about $96 million in a trust managed by the Montana Environmental Trust Group to pay for cleanup with both the state of Montana and EPA as beneficiaries. EPA is in the final stages of formalizing its cleanup plan for the smelter site in a document called a corrective measures study. The plan includes measures already in place to control ground water pollution, as well as a plan to cap the slag pile. The roughly 2,000 acres of former Asarco land the trust received in the settlement is a mix of major cleanup of the former smelter site as well as open space that saw varying levels of contamination. The trust is tasked with liquidating those properties and putting proceeds toward additional cleanup but marketing properties in federal Superfund sites has proved difficult. Contaminated property sales are something of a quagmire, said Cindy Brooks, the trusts managing principal. Dartman Field, located on East Helenas north end along Prickly Pear Creek, offered a prime location for development but also unsafe levels of pollutants such as arsenic. In 2016, the trust negotiated a donation with the East Helena school district the district would take 50 acres and also the cleanup liability. You need a catalyst, somebody to be the first and to win over the disbelievers, Brooks said. With cleanup of the 50 acres and construction of Prickly Pear Elementary in full swing, in 2017 East Helena taxpayers voted for a $29.5 million bond to build their own high school. With that came the purchase of another 35 acres of Dartman, with the deal including a discounted price in exchange for the district again assuming cleanup responsibility. Superintendent Ron Whitmoyer recently praised the progress contractors have made at the high school site. "They've already significantly reduced the lead levels in the soil, he said. We are going to have a really great playing field when they are done." Brian Obert, with Montana Business Assistance Connection, has been working in East Helena since before the trust was formed and agreed with the importance of the school district donation in catalyzing later purchases. The first one is always a tough one you hear that word Superfund and it scares everybody, he said. You start to think about the potential of soils that are contaminated, but if you manage the risk, it can be a really good opportunity in East Helena. Next to the schools, developer Gary Oakland purchased 100 acres. The purchase included the trust spearheading the environmental cleanup, and this summer crews expect to break ground on the 319-home Highland Meadows Subdivision. Marketing for the subdivision includes its proximity to area schools, and Brooks notes that the district and developers are working together on infrastructure, including water supply. Finally, Oberts organization received a planning grant from the Montana Department of Commerce for a feasibility study of the 254-acre Lamping Field on East Helenas west end. In 2018 that property sold to Town Pump Inc. zoned for a mixed-use development. Town Pump has not come to the city yet with plans, but along with convenience stores the company develops hotels and other commercial properties. With a little bit of planning money here and there I think the picture that shows is what can be done when you think opportunity instead of thinking Superfund, Obert said, and I also think its an indicator of pent up demand for property in this area. All told, the land sales total nearly $3 million that goes into the trust for other environmental cleanup work. Of the original settlement, Brooks says the trust still has nearly $50 million. Brooks praised both the school district and the city of East Helena for their engagement in the land sales. Our partnership with the school district goes back to the appointment with the trust and the city is (also) a critical partner, she said. Everything weve pursued out there in terms of redevelopment is done in close consultation with the city and were really pleased theyve been able to make great progress in helping them achieve their goals, of increasing the East Helena tax base, creating jobs and improving quality of life. East Helena Mayor James Schell said the city is excited to accept new subdivisions and work on zoning, but also wants to be cautious that current residents are protected during and after development. Its very exciting to have the development because one thing the city hasnt had in many years is subdivisions, he said. The citys water and waste water infrastructure has capacity to handle the new subdivision at Dartman Field, but development at Lamping Field has not been included in that assessment, Schell said, and the city has not yet received a subdivision application from Town Pump. The next major land transfer the trust hopes to see is about 350 acres along Prickly Pear Creek to Prickly Pear Land Trust for the proposed Greenway Project. That project would include a trail from Montana City through East Helena and for conservation in undevelopable areas such as the flood plain. Thats going to be a spectacular area and a kind of natural asset for the whole community, Obert said. Twenty years from now were really going to see a difference. If the Greenway project goes through, that would leave the trust with about 1,200 acres of former Asarco land primarily east of the former smelter site called the East Fields. Were hoping to get some traction on those parcels, so we have no shortage of land, Brooks said. What may be developed at the East Fields remains to be seen, but Obert notes that the fields lie directly downwind of the former smelter site, which could complicate residential development. Schell said the city would also prefer to see larger developments on the East Fields that could help with expansion of water and sewer capacity rather than smaller developments with septic systems. The Independent Record's Tyler Manning contributed to this story Love 3 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. On Saturday, we will be celebrating our graduates from the class of 2019. It is hard to believe the academic year is nearly over. These last several weeks have been a wonderful time to celebrate our students, their achievements, and the incredible work our faculty and staff do on a daily basis to make Carroll College the Catholic College of the American West! My inauguration as Carrolls 18th president was simply a good opportunity to celebrate these achievements which I am reflecting on via this column. The Student Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) The 2019 SURF provided our students with the opportunity to fully display the research projects they had been working on over the past year. We highlighted 84 poster sessions and 59 individual presentations. I have included a sampling of some of the topics below: Got Phthalates? Analysis of Plasticizers in Popular Consumer Products Ethics and Being: A Comparison of Thomistic and Nietzschean Metaphysics and Ethics Math Modeling Contest: Optimized Plan to Leave the Louvre (This project, incidentally, was part of an international math modeling competition of over 25,000 entries worldwide; it came in in the top 7%. Im in awe, and also took notes on the most efficient escape routes to make sure Professor Anneliese Renck and the students studying in France this summer are aware!) The week of SURF offered three outstanding and diverse keynote lectures: the annual Faith and Reason lecture, The Physical Nature of Christian Life, delivered by Dr. Warren S. Brown of Fuller Theological Seminary in California; a Montana history lecture, Copper, the Capital, and Carroll from Dr. Keith Edgerton of MSU-Billings; and a lecture by Dr. Mark Kassis from the W.M. Keck Observatory, Technology Thats Improving Our Vision of the Universe. There were topics and perspectives of interest to everyone, and all three lectures were well attended and enthusiastically received. Its also worth noting that while on campus, Dr. Kassis participated in an interview of Carroll student, Terry Cox, class of 2019, who will be our first Keck Fellow for 10 months beginning this coming fall. Through the generous support of Roy Simperman 62, Carroll students will be able to work on site at the W.M. Keck Observatory on the Big Island, assisting with interpretation of data captured by the telescopes. Carroll is the only undergraduate institution in the nation to have such a relationship with the Observatory. Also included was a beautiful sung Evening Vespers service on Wednesday evening which involved the Carroll College Choir under the direction of Jason Phillips. Vespers, also called Evening Prayer, takes place as dusk begins to fall. Evening Prayer gives thanks for the day just past and makes an evening sacrifice of praise to God (Psalm 141:1). The SURF event ended with a SURF Party on the Trinity lawn which was delightful and included a wonderful mix of faculty, staff, students, and many inauguration visitors and guests. Inauguration Day Inauguration Day was truly a magical day which began with a stunning Inauguration Mass at the Cathedral of St. Helena which was concelebrated with 15 diocesan and visiting priests. The Mass homily by Monsignor Kevin ONeill, administrator of the Helena Diocese and chancellor of the college, was very meaningful. The monsignor gave a wonderful homily and at the end he spoke directly to me and asked me to consider drinking de-caffeinated coffee from now on. Once again, the Carroll College Choir was stunning and Carroll student, Karen Hoffmans vocal solo of Schuberts Ave Maria was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. Holding our Honors Convocation immediately before the inauguration ceremony was another highlight for me. I so enjoyed the opportunity to personally greet 319 students who were receiving their awards and honors. I never cease to marvel at how accomplished our students are. The Investiture ceremony itself was an incredible honor. It began with a presentation of the flags representing our ROTC, international, Native American and veteran students and then opened with the Carroll Drumline and Bagpipes. The ceremony itself was led by ASCC Executive President, Kennedy Bahm and included a wonderful poem which was read by Ed Noonan. Greetings also included Gov. Steve Bullock, Mayor Wilmot Collins, as well as representatives of the board, faculty and staff. My brothers and over 30 family members from both my side of the family and Victorias side came to the event. My longtime family friend and mentor, Dr. Harley Jolley, who at the age of 98, is one of the last survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, came with his family which was both an honor and surprise. Victoria and I were both moved and amused that our friend Andrew McGregor was willing to sing the National Anthem despite being British, and therefore on the other side of the historic battle it commemorates! One of the many highlights for me was the beautiful introduction Montana State University President Waded Cruzado made prior to my investiture. She spoke about the parable of the talents (Matt. 25 14-30), a wise lesson for the day. The ceremony was capped off with a wonderful performance of the Carroll College Choir followed by the Jazz Bands rendition of When the Saint Go Marching In. Every component of these celebrations has been about our students. We celebrated their achievements and involved them in every aspect of the planning. It was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on a college which is truly making a difference here in Helena and throughout the Pacific Northwest! Go Saints! John E. Cech, Ph.D., is the president of Carroll College. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Home Just In Nepal pleads with ADB for additional support Kathmandu, May 5 Nepal has appealed to the Asian Development Bank leadership to increase the amount of aid to the country. Minister for Finance Yuba Raj Khatiwada met ADB President Takehiko Nakao in Nadi of Fiji and pleaded for the support. Khatiwada is currently in the South Pacific island country to take part in the to 52nd meeting of the ADB Board of Governors. Appreciating the ADB support to Nepal, the Minister informed that the country was heading towards a speedy economic growth and stability; hence needed more support, according to Khatiwadas press coordinator Yaman Paudyal. He also stated that Nepal needed to mobilise additional resources in both public and private sectors. Likewise, the government needed to increase investments in education, health, drinking water, sanitation and social protection so as to ensure implementation of basic rights as envisioned in the constitution, according to him. Meanwhile, Khatiwada returned home on Saturday night, Paudyal informs. LAS VEGAS Conservationists say they will fight a federal government proposal to allow oil and gas drilling in remote northeast Nevada, including open range that's home to a dwindling species of ground-dwelling bird. A Center for Biological Diversity official threatened lawsuits after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management opened a one-month comment period on Thursday about plans to lease eight parcels totaling about 25 square miles (65 square kilometers) west of Ely in White Pine County. "If it goes forward with this plan, the BLM will end up in court yet again," said Kieran Suckling, executive director of a center that frequently takes the government to court over conservation issues. "Covering 25 square miles of Nevada's last, best sage grouse habitat with oil rigs, roads and fences ... will push the grouse closer to extinction, worsen our climate crisis and cause massive air pollution," he said. The government acknowledged in its announcement of a planned September land lease that the patchwork of parcels includes habitat for the imperiled greater sage grouse. It called plans to lease land in the West for drilling part of a Trump administration effort to promote American energy independence. "The oil and gas industry on public lands in Nevada contributed $2.7 million in total economic output" in fiscal 2017, the bureau said. However, Andy Maggi, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, put the value outdoor recreation in Nevada, including in greater sage grouse habitat, at $12.6 billion a year according to the Outdoor Industry Association. "This move simply makes no sense," Maggi said Monday. "Nevadans ... have repeatedly said they do not want to see sensitive and treasured areas harmed by extractive industries." The leasing plan announcement came just days after four conservation groups asked a federal judge in Boise, Idaho, to block a Trump administration plan to allowing drilling, mining and other activities they say will harm sage grouse in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, California and Oregon. Western Watersheds Project and other groups sued Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service over changes to land-management plans involving sage grouse. Last month, the Trump administration finalized plans to ease land-use restrictions on energy companies and other industries in a way officials said would still protect the chicken-sized bird. Sage grouse range across parts of 11 Western U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. They're known for an elaborate mating display that includes puffing out air sacs in their chests as they strut around breeding grounds known as leks. Their numbers have plummeted due to energy development, disease and other factors. In Nevada, the U.S. Forest Service concluded in March that oil and gas leasing was not suitable in a northeast Nevada mountain range that is popular with hunters, fishermen and conservationists. The agency said the potential for significant economic benefits was outweighed by grave concerns about the potential impacts on wildlife and the environment in the stream-laced Ruby Mountains home to mule deer, sage grouse and numerous trout species. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO 5G, the fifth generation of wireless, promises lightning-fast download speeds and could lay the foundation for high-tech advancements like self-driving cars. But like many new technologies, it's sparking concern about potential health issues. The first generation of wireless ushered in mobile phones and 2G brought texting. 3G laid the groundwork for smartphones, and 4G allowed video streaming and more. 5G is expected to download data 20 times faster than its predecessor, and some experts argue it could be much faster. And it's not just about streaming data faster, it's about streaming more of it. On a 5G network, a user can download a movie instantly and data will flow between connected objects without delay. The amount of data people use on mobile devices has gone up 40 times since 2010, and is only expected to increase. 5G networks are wireless companies' attempts to satisfy that demand. 5G taps into millimeter waves at the top of the radio spectrum, which have not previously been used for telecommunication. The higher waves allow for faster transfer of data, but they also don't travel through buildings, trees and rain like previous generations of wireless, which operate on lower wavelengths. That means wireless companies must install more equipment with 5G than they did with previous generations of wireless. That includes new base stations and antennas on parking garages, or equipment on light poles that fill gaps for cellular coverage. The untested nature of 5G, and the extensiveness of its infrastructure, has some worried that the increased exposure could have serious health effects. Wireless safety advocates have called for more studies on the effects of the exposure, and one group is trying to stop the rollout of 5G networks in Chicago's neighborhoods. Verizon and Sprint turned on their 5G networks in parts of Chicago earlier this year, putting the city among the first in the nation with access to 5G. AT&T plans to turn on parts of its Chicago network later this year, and T-Mobile is aiming for 2020. The federal government has safety rules that wireless companies must abide by that limit human exposure to radio waves, including frequencies used with 5G. Wireless industry association CTIA says typical exposure to 5G infrastructure is comparable to Bluetooth devices and baby monitors, and there is no scientific evidence of adverse health effects. The companies, for their part, say they abide by the wireless network standards set by the Federal Communications Commission. Still, assurances from government agencies and industry operators are not enough for Chicago resident Judy Blake. Additional studies on 5G's health impacts likely wouldn't soothe her either, she said. People can't choose whether or not to be exposed to this radiation. "I don't need another test. The only test that's going to happen now is people's lives," said Blake, 67. Though little is known about the long-term health impact of the millimeter waves that 5G operates on, some research has shown short-term exposure could be problematic, said Joel Moskowitz, a public health expert at the University of California at Berkeley. The eyes and sweat glands are among several body parts studies have shown could be at risk, Moskowitz said. Insects and plant life could also be affected, he added. Additionally, studies on the impact of radiation from radio waves used by previous generations of wireless have raised health concerns, and some 5G networks will operate in part on those lower-frequency waves too. The findings concern Chicago resident Kristin Welch. "We absolutely need to study these high-frequency waves ... before you put (this new equipment) in front of someone's home or a school," said Welch, 39. "We're putting the cart before the horse here." Cellphone radiation study finds biological changes in animals; human implications unclear The mother of three recently co-founded a Facebook group called "Stop 5G Chicago," aimed at halting the rollout of the network in residential areas. Welch said she is especially worried about the impact the radiation could have on vulnerable populations, like children and pregnant women. "This is not an unreasonable thing to be concerned about," Welch said. "We are now in a position where this untested technology is going to be widespread throughout our city." The wireless companies are using different technologies and techniques to achieve the new 5G standards. Sprint, for example, is building out its 5G network mostly on top of its 4G footprint in Chicago. It's installing new radios and other equipment on existing stations. The millimeter waves used in 5G are absorbed by the upper layers of skin, potentially causing the temperature of the skin to rise, said Suresh Borkar, senior lecturer in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The effects of extended rises in skin temperature "becomes a big unknown," he said. Wireless industry association CTIA said in a statement that cellphone users' safety is important, and it follows the guidance of experts regarding health effects. "Following numerous scientific studies conducted over several decades, the FCC, the FDA, the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and numerous other international and U.S. organizations and health experts continue to say that the scientific evidence shows no known health risk to humans due to the RF (radio frequency) energy emitted by antennas and cellphones," the CTIA statement said. This isn't the first time people will come into contact with millimeter waves: They're also used in airport body scanners, said Lav Varshney, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Still, it's the first time the high-frequency waves will be used on such a scale, and concerns surrounding new technologies are common throughout history. "When cars first started replacing horse-drawn carriages, people were afraid of what the health impacts of traveling at high speeds would be," Varshney said. "There has always been occurrence of this fear." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON It's increasingly likely that someone you know has the opioid overdose rescue drug naloxone in their pocket or medicine cabinet. In fact, a new mobile app, NaloxoFind, will tell you whether anyone nearby is carrying the lifesaving drug. In the last five years, at least 46 states and the District of Columbia enacted so-called good Samaritan laws, allowing private citizens to administer the overdose-reversal medication without legal liability. And all but four states Connecticut, Idaho, Nebraska and Oregon have called on pharmacies to provide the easy-to-administer medication to anyone who wants it without a prescription, according to the Network for Public Health Law. But a handful of states are going even further by requiring doctors to give or at least offer a prescription for the overdose rescue drug to patients taking high doses of opioid painkillers. New naloxone co-prescribing laws in Arizona, California, Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington state also call on doctors to discuss the dangers of overdose with these high-risk patients. Tennessee lawmakers this year passed a similar bill, which is awaiting the governor's signature. Patients are free to decide whether to fill the naloxone prescription. But pain doctors who endorse the initiative say that even if patients don't fill their prescriptions for naloxone, the offer of a rescue drug underscores the dangers of long-term opioid use and creates a "teachable moment." "By offering a naloxone prescription to a patient, the physician is saying 'I'm so concerned this medication might kill you that you need an antidote in the house, so a family member can rescue you.' That gets their attention," said Andrew Kolodny, co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University and director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, an organization that promotes safe painkiller prescribing. Legal experts say these new laws which have been endorsed by the federal government as well as the medical community are likely to spread. Last April, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams recommended widespread use of naloxone, and since then, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has called on physicians to co-prescribe naloxone to patients taking relatively high doses of opioid painkillers and to educate patients on the risk of overdose. In 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, the Co-Prescribing to Reduce Opioid Overdoses Act, that ultimately was included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Although never funded, it would have provided $5 million in federal grants to support co-prescribing naloxone. In addition, an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted in December to recommend that all physicians co-prescribe naloxone for patients on high doses of opioid pain medications. People taking more than the equivalent of 50 mg of morphine a day are more than twice as likely to overdose compared with those taking lower doses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even physicians, who typically object to government-mandated medical rules, have signed on to the initiative. Following the surgeon general's directive last year, the American Medical Association announced that it also encouraged physicians to co-prescribe naloxone for all patients at risk of overdose. From 1999 to 2017, nearly 218,000 people died in the United States from overdoses related to prescription opioids. And in more than 40% of those deaths, bystanders were present, yet naloxone was rarely administered by a layperson, the CDC reported based on medical examiner reports. Ensuring that naloxone gets into the hands of people who are most likely to witness an overdose, namely the family and friends of people taking long-term, high doses of pain medications, could change that, Kolodny said. Most often sold as a nasal spray known as Narcan, naloxone was approved by the FDA in 1971. Local drugstores in 2017 sold about 800,000 doses of naloxone to individuals who wanted to be prepared if someone close to them lost consciousness and a drug overdose was suspected. And thousands of doses have been given away free to anyone who signs up for a quick training session at local health departments, community health centers and harm reduction centers. Police and fire departments, emergency medical services, schools, harm reduction centers and other nonprofits receive the drug at no cost from manufacturers and purchase additional supplies as needed. The federal government also offers grants to purchase naloxone. But most naloxone doses go to hospitals, nursing homes, health management organizations, community clinics, prisons and universities, which purchased roughly 5 million units of the drug in 2017, according to market research data analyzed by the FDA. Requiring all doctors to prescribe naloxone to everyone who takes prolonged high-dose opioid medications would sharply increase the number of naloxone doses in the hands of bystanders and potentially inflate the cost of U.S. health care substantially, some critics have said. Mary Ellen McCann, a member of the FDA advisory board and associate professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, voted against the co-prescribing proposal. She described co-prescribing as "an expensive way to saturate the population with naloxone," according to news reports from Reuters and other media outlets. "I'm concerned about a person going in with a broken arm and ending up with $30 of a codeine product and a (naloxone) autoinjector at $4,000-plus," she said. Rather than purchasing an autoinjector, people can choose to buy the much less expensive nasal spray. Americans filled more than 190 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers in 2017, according to the CDC. If even a fraction of those patients were to fill a prescription for naloxone and give the drug to a designated family member or friend, the number of doses in the hands of average people would skyrocket. An FDA advisory panel estimated that 48 million more doses of naloxone would be needed if all states required doctors to co-prescribe naloxone for patients on high doses of opioids. Thom Duddy, vice president of corporate communications for Emergent Biosolutions, the maker of Narcan, said the company is prepared to meet that demand. Already, the company has seen a spike in sales in the eight states that have enacted co-prescribing laws, he said. In California, for example, retail sales of the drug more than quadrupled in the first four weeks after the law took effect, according to company sales data. A two-pack of Narcan costs $125; an off-label nasal spray that requires some assembly costs around $40; and an EpiPen-like dispenser sold as Evzio costs $4,100. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Today's Highlight in History: On May 5, 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the island of St. Helena. On May 5: In 1494, during his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica. In 1818, political philosopher Karl Marx, co-author of "The Communist Manifesto" and author of "Das Kapital," was born in Prussia. In 1862, Mexican troops defeated French occupying forces in the Battle of Puebla. In 1891, New York's Carnegie Hall (then named "Music Hall") had its official opening night, featuring Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky as a guest conductor. In 1892, Congress passed the Geary Act, which required Chinese in the United States to carry a certificate of residence at all times, or face deportation. In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.) In 1934, the first Three Stooges short for Columbia Pictures, "Woman Haters," was released. In 1942, wartime sugar rationing began in the United States. In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children. Denmark and the Netherlands were liberated as a German surrender went into effect. In 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7. In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland on his 66th day without food. In 1994, Singapore caned American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism, a day after the sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton. In 2009, Connie Culp, America's first face transplant recipient, appeared before reporters at the Cleveland Clinic. (Culp underwent the procedure after being shot by her husband in a failed murder-suicide attempt.) Texas health officials confirmed the first death of a U.S. resident with swine flu. In 2014, a narrowly divided Supreme Court upheld Christian prayers at the start of local council meetings. Philadelphia guard Michael Carter-Williams won the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award. In 2018, Russians demonstrated in scores of cities across the country against the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin to a new term as president, and police responded by reportedly arresting nearly 1,600 of them. North Korea readjusted its time zone to match South Korea's, saying it was an early step toward making the longtime rivals "become one." NASA launched the Mars InSight lander from California on a flight of more than six months to the red planet, where the robot geologist would dig deeper in to the Martian surface than ever before. Justify, on his way to a Triple Crown sweep, splashed through the slop at Churchill Downs to win the Kentucky Derby by 2 lengths, becoming the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Derby without having raced as a 2-year-old. Thought for Today: "Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." Hermann Hesse, German-born Swiss poet and author (1877-1962). Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BETHANY Okaw Valley High School's senior class has only 41 students, but they have accumulated an impressive 300 college credit hours among them. The school has offered dual-credit classes for several years, said Principal Matt Shoaff, through cooperative agreements with Lake Land College and, in the last two years, with Eastern Illinois University. Students from Okaw Valley who attend Heartland Technical Academy also earn dual credits through Richland Community College. Students can take three semesters of college English classes, including Composition I and II and speech, calculus and trigonometry. The ones who attend Heartland can study welding, cosmetology, auto body repair, culinary arts and other trades and in some cases leave high school with a certificate, ready for employment. In the 41-member class, 30 students have earned college credit. Okaw Valley's 12 seniors who attend the tech academy have a combined 85 dual credits earned there. That's probably a small amount compared to Cerro Gordo or Decatur public schools, Shoaff said. It's an unbelievable experience. Some of those kids will come out of there with welding certificates, OSHA-certified. Depending on the class, Okaw Valley teachers can create their own curriculum or use a a syllabus that matches the one used at the college or university sponsoring the class, said Martin Call, who teaches two of the English classes. He holds a master's degree and is qualified to teach those college-level classes without having to seek extra certification. Bella Benning has 21 college credits with plans to major in biology and minor in music at Millikin University. She hopes to eventually complete the veterinary technician program at Heartland Community College and teach music on the side. It's really nice to have your (high school) teacher there, because you can have one on one time with them, and you're really close to teachers and they can help you out, Bella said. You have your classmates around you who can also help you. With 22 credits earned already, Sadie Zimmerman plans to head to Lake Land College in the fall, to begin studying pre-med. Eventually she wants to be a physician assistant. After Lake Land, she's looking at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Calculus was the toughest class so far. I just wanted to get (these classes) out of the way, and I'd have my teachers here that I'm familiar with, and my classmates, too, Sadie said. I'm going to the (University of Illinois) and majoring in media and cinema studies and kind of seeing what opportunities that opens up for me and where it leads me, said Shelby Hagerman, who has earned 23 credits already. She doesn't have a specific career in mind at this point, she said. Shelby and Sadie are both following older sisters into college and chose their schools because they were familiar with them through their sisters. In Shelby's case, she was also sold on the U of I because it's not too close and not too far away from her hometown, she said. While the classes are rigorous, Bella said, the fact that they're small and in familiar surroundings makes it a little less intimidating. She'll still be a freshman upon entering Millikin, she said, but they will accept the credits she's earned. And it's a whole lot cheaper (to earn them in high school), she said. That's nice. Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter Love 0 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. GENEVA, Ill. A former Marine is trying to locate, repair and catalog 100 years' worth of historical items at an American Legion Post in northern Illinois ahead of its centennial celebration. Matthew Lutz, 34, said he's excited to find items from past battles, adding that he has already discovered a beret that belonged to a Geneva native who survived Pearl Harbor. Some items at the Geneva American Legion Post 75 have mildewed because of exposure to moisture over the years. Post Cmdr. Brian Noonan recruited Lutz several months ago to help with the project, the Daily Herald reported. Lutz added that he feels it's his responsibility to preserve the post's history. "I feel it's my duty to do it," said Lutz, who served in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2012. "Part of joining the post is to bring back some of the brotherhood I had in the service." The goal is to complete the project by the post's charter anniversary on Aug. 14. The Geneva History Center will host a lunch at the post on May 14 so community members and veterans can share their legion stories. "They grew quickly and had 100% participation in 1928. Every veteran in Geneva was a member. They were the only legion in the state to have that," said Terry Emma, the museum's executive director. "This is the hub for old-town Geneva. The celebration is a big deal. Let's make it 100 more." Lutz said he hopes more area veterans will get involved with the Geneva post. "We need veterans in the community to come out and join the post and help us get going," he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Chicago Police Department reported last week that the number of people murdered in the city fell 10 percent during the first four months of 2019 compared to last year during the same period. While that's good news and part of a two-year downward trend, lost in much of the coverage was a worrisome murder spike in the month of April. The Chicago Sun-Times counted 62 Chicago homicides in April, up from 37 in April of last year and 48 in April of 2017. It's too early to tell whether this is an aberration or a trend. The city's mayor-elect, Lori Lightfoot, has been busily meeting with law enforcement officials over the past several days in an attempt to develop a plan before she takes office on May 20 and before summer starts, when street violence tends to increase as the weather warms. Gov. J.B. Pritzker spent over a year on the campaign trail talking about his strong belief that violence is a public health issue. I happen to agree with him on this. We cannot police ourselves completely out of this problem. Violence often spreads like a disease and research has shown that when it's treated as such, the contagion can be slowed or even halted. As an integral part of treating violence as a public health issue, Pritzker touted his support for violence interruption programs, which do things like mediate conflicts between rival individuals and groups and try to prevent retaliations from spiraling out of control. After then-Gov. Bruce Rauner blamed the city's crime problem on the lack of jobs and even illegal immigrants, Pritzker countered during a debate last October by laying at least some of the blame at Rauner's feet. "Gun violence across the state of Illinois has gone up in the very same period that Gov. Rauner refused to compromise on a budget," Pritzker said during the debate. "So many of the violence interruption services, human services that people have as their last vestige of connection with civilization, have gone away." Indeed, the General Assembly had appropriated $4.7 million for violence interruption programs in Fiscal Year 2015, Rauner's first year in office. But Rauner stopped spending that money and then nothing was appropriated for the following fiscal year, which began July 1. Shootings spiked almost immediately. In all of 2014, before Rauner took office, 415 people were murdered in Chicago. Rauner, who didn't recognize the connection between violence and public health, was inaugurated in January 2015 and the number of murders rose to 468. The city saw another huge increase in violence in 2016, with murders soaring to 750. But violence prevention funding was mostly restored after taxes were raised over Rauner's July 2017 veto. The murder rate began to decline, dropping to 650. Not all of this trend can be attributed to violence interruption services, of course. But the one Chicago community which managed to secure non-state violence interruption funding in 2015 was the only one spared from that year's bloody surge in killings. On his first full day in office this past January, Pritzker told reporters he wanted to expand violence interruption programs. "Those programs have been decimated across the state. And so we should be focusing on interrupting violence as much as possible," the governor said. And as he approached his first 100 days in office, Pritzker told ABC 7's Craig Wall: "The fact is violence interruption programs addressing the issues that prevent violence before it occurs, that's the most effective thing that we can do." Pritzker also touted an increase in anti-violence funding during his February budget address. "This budget adds funds for community-based violence interruption," he told lawmakers. The governor never actually said how much he was proposing to add to the program, but it turns out his requested increase is a mere $2 million. Every little bit helps, obviously, and nobody is complaining yet, but the money doesn't appear to match the governor's soaring rhetoric. When I asked the administration why more wasn't appropriated, I was told there just isn't enough available state money to go around to fund all of the things the governor wants to do, ergo his push for a graduated income tax. Pritzker is right that these programs work, and Chicago isn't the only Illinois city that has benefited from them over the years. Somehow, we need to find a way to do more. Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The following companies are subsidiares of Jones Lang LaSalle: 225 Fitness Inc., 360 Commercial Partners, ACREST, AGL, AMAS Limited, AVM Partners, Advanced Technologies Group Inc., Alaska UK (GP) Ltd, Alkas Consulting, Aoyama Holding Limited, Australian Valuation Solutions, Avenue9, BRG, BRG International LLC, BRG Resource Group ULC, BRG WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS (EUROPE) LIMITED, BRG Workplace Management Solutions (India) Private Limited, BRG Workplace Management Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Beijing Dazheng Zhongheng Enterprise Consulting Co. Ltd., Beijing Guotai Zhongheng Enterprise Consulting Co. Ltd., Beijing Jones Lang LaSalle Property Management Services Co. Ltd., Big Red Rooster Flow LLC, Bill Goold Realty, Bradford McCormack & Associates, Brune Consulting Management GmbH, Building Services Network Inc., Business Products Group Inc., Business Resource Holdings Inc., CIG III Technoparc Nominee II Inc./Fiduciaire CIG III Technoparc II Inc., CMM Projekt & Office Solutions GmbH, COBERTURA - SOCIEDADE DE MEDIACAO IMOBILIARIA S.A., CTH, Capital Realty LLC, Carolyn House (General Partner) Limited, Charter Oaks Financial Services Inc., Churston Heard Ltd, Claygate Residential (General Partner) LLP , Claygate Residential (Nominee) Limited, CoR Advisors, Cobertura, Colliers Baltimore, ComRef LIM Co-Invest LLC, Corporate Concierge Services Inc., Corporate Concierge Services of Hawaii Inc., Corporate Realty Advisors, Corrigo, Corrigo Incorporated, Credo Real Estate (Singapore), Creston Residential (General Partner) LLP, Creston Residential (Nominee) Limited, DST International Property Services, Dalian Jones Lang LaSalle Services Limited, ECD Energy and Environment Canada, ECD Energy and Environment Canada Ltd., EID (General Partner) LLP, ELPF Lafayette Manager Inc., Eleven Eleven Construction Corporation, Environmental Governance Ltd, Europe Fund III Alberta GP Inc., Europe Fund III GP LLC, FACILITY ASSOCIATES RECRUITMENT LIMITED, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (NSW) PTY LTD, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (NT) PTY LTD, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (QLD) PTY LTD, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (SA) PTY LTD, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (TAS) PTY LTD, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (VIC) PTY LTD, FIVE D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (WA) PTY LTD, Five D Holdings Pty Limited, Five D Holdings Pty Ltd, Five D Property Management (ACT) Pty Ltd, Fox RPM Corp., GFN Property Investments L.L.C., Guangzhou Jones Lang LaSalle Property Services Company Limited, Guardian Property Asset Management, Guardian Property Asset Management Limited, H Park Germany LP GmbH, H Park Germany Verwaltungs-GmbH, HALL AND KAY FIRE HOLDINGS LIMITED, HFF, HFF Holdings Limited, HFF InvestCo LLC, HFF Partnership Holdings LLC, HFF Real Estate Limited, HFF Securities L.P., HFF Securities Limited, HG2 Limited, HUB PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LIMITED, Halcyon Real Estate, Hall & Kay Fire Services Ltd, Harry K Moore, Hentschel & Company LLC, Hercules Property Manager (Jersey) Limited, Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P., Holliday GP LLC, Hunter Facilities Management (HFM), Huntley Mullaney Spargo & Sullivan Inc., Huntley Mullaney Spargo & Sullivan LLC, IFM Services Finland OY, INTEGRAL UK HOLDINGS LIMITED, Inmobiliaria Jones Lang LaSalle Limitada, Integra Realty Resources, Integra Realty Resources - Dallas, Integral, Integral Facility Services Limited, Integral UK, Integrated General Administration Services K.K., J P Sturge Limited, J.L.W. 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LLC, LaSalle Land General Partner Limited, LaSalle Land Trustee Limited, LaSalle Logistics GP LLC, LaSalle Mariner Co-Investment Fund Carryco L.L.C., LaSalle Mariner Co-Investment Fund G.P. L.L.C., LaSalle Medical Office Fund III GP LLC, LaSalle Mexico Advisors Inc., LaSalle Mexico Fund I Investors A G.P. LLC, LaSalle Mexico I (General Partner) LLC, LaSalle Mortgage Real Estate Investors Inc., LaSalle North American Holdings Inc., LaSalle Paris Office Venture General Partner L.L.C., LaSalle Partners (Mauritius) Pvt Ltd, LaSalle Partners International, LaSalle Partners S. de R. L. de C. V., LaSalle Partners Services S. de R.L. de C.V., LaSalle Property Fund GP Holdings LLC, LaSalle Property Fund GP LLC, LaSalle Property Fund REIT Inc., LaSalle RECC GP LLC, LaSalle REDS GP Inc., LaSalle REDS III GP Sarl, LaSalle REDS TSA GP LLC, LaSalle REIT Advisors K.K., LaSalle Ranger Co-Investment Fund G.P. L.L.C., LaSalle Ranger Co-Investment Fund II G.P. 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About a week ago I was reading some information with regards to... Not sure I would have picked this book up had I not just enjoyed the first two books in Signe Pikes 'The Lost Queen' series. You know how you find an autho... 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 How did we get here? Last May, Donald Trump pulled the US out of the horrible, disastrous, incompetently negotiated, and laughable Iran nuclear deal and vowed to reimpose sanctions on Iran, which he did over a six-month period. In November, Trump issued temporary sanctions waivers to the eight biggest importers of Iranian oil China, India, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, Greece, Italy, and Taiwan in order to steady the oil market and give them time to find new suppliers. These expired today. The US expects all eight countries to honour the deadline and three (Greece, Italy, and Taiwan) had already stopped importing Iranian oil, while Japan and South Korea had paused their imports while waiting for word from the US and are unlikely to resume. China and Turkey have come out against the sanctions, but they are broadly expected to comply. This is part of Trumps maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian government in order to change the mullahs behaviour, like ending its support for terrorist proxies and regional expansionism. The US has steadily increased nuclear and non-nuclear sanctions against Iran since leaving the nuclear deal and last month it designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a secretive military force that controls the majority of the economy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Irans reaction The Iranian Regime has responded to all of this with threats and not much else. They threatened to: quit the nuclear deal and restart its nuclear program, which doesnt mean that much considering they never really shut it down in the first place close the strategically important shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, but theyve threatened this multiple times and never followed through Importantly, there is no sign that Iran is modifying its behaviour. Of course, this is not surprising. The Regime is built on terrorism, warfare, and repression. Foregoing those would mean the end of the Regime. However, the Iranian Regime is showing clear signs of stress and is losing the ability to pay its terrorist proxies, leading Hezbollah to ask for donations. Every dollar that the Regime is deprived of is another dollar that wont be used for terrorism. This pressure needs to be kept up though, so more sanctions are needed from the US and the rest of the world. May 4, 2019 POCATELLO Idaho State University graduates were encouraged to continue their Bengal roar as they head out into the world at ISU spring commencement ceremonies May 4 in Holt Arena. After graduation you will have the right to forever to call yourself a Bengal. The right to tell the world, proudly, that you are a graduate of Idaho State University. That is your right, said Kevin Satterlee, ISU president. Now, here is your responsibility, and I charge and task you with this, right here and right now go out in the world and make us proud. Live that better life and never forget your roar. Graduate and Associated Students of ISU President Logan Schmidt, spoke about the challenges he and other students met on the way to earning their degrees and thanked those who supported them. I want to challenge all of you to continue your roar, and be a mentor, a leader or a hero for someone else now, Schmidt said. Give them the love and support your family did. Show them the possibilities a college degree can provide for them. Show them the path of excellence and bring as many individuals up in this world as you can, because that is what Bengals do. A total of 2,553 graduates received 2,714 degrees and certificates. One hundred fifty-nine students received multiple certificates and/or degrees. The breakdown of graduates included 38 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, 11 Doctor of Education degrees, four Doctor of Arts degrees, six Doctor of Audiology degrees, 14 Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees, 25 Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees, 78 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees, 11 Educational Specialist degrees, 508 masters degrees, 53 academic certificates, 1,259 bachelors degrees, 472 associate degrees, and 235 certificates from the College of Technology. ISU student Tara Cluff performed the national anthem. The faculty mace was placed by the 2019 Distinguished Teacher, Marco Schoen. Satterlee greeted the audience and conferred the degrees. ISU Executive Vice President and Provost for academic affairs Laura Woodworth-Ney recognized the distinguished faculty who are Schoen, Distinguished Service Cindy Seiger and Distinguished Researcher Kathleen Lohse. Presentation of graduates was by the University deans. Alumni Professional Achievement Award recipients for 2019 are: Doug Butler, Dallas, Texas, College of Arts and Letters - Social and Behavioral Sciences; Stefanie Pemper, Annapolis, Maryland, College of Arts and Letters Fine Arts and Humanities; Brent J. Stacey, Idaho Falls, College of Science and Engineering; Rick K. Eskelson, Pocatello, College of Technology; Dan and Barbara Fuchs, Twin Falls, College of Pharmacy; Kelly Rae, Reno, Nevada, College of Education; Dan Mills, Salt Lake City, College of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences; Heidi Halverson, Missoula, Montana, College of Health Professions; Joan Agee, Nampa, College of Nursing; Larry Bird, Boise, College of Business; and Bruce Kusch, Salt Lake City, Graduate School. Outstanding Student Award recipients for 2019 are Kirby Kinghorn, Idaho Falls, College of Health Professions; Cassandra Smith, Idaho Falls, College of Health Professions Dental Hygiene; Trager Hintze, Purcell, Oklahoma, College of Pharmacy; Jenna Strop, Boise, College of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences; Whitney Heuer, Idaho Falls, College of Nursing; Eighdi Aung, Yangon, Burma (Myanmar), College of Science and Engineering Engineering; McKenzie Mangun, Caldwell, College of Science and Engineering Natural and Physical Science; Brittany Garrett, Riverton, Utah, College of Education; Logan Schmidt, Pocatello, College of Business; Jessica Hamway, Boston, Massachusetts, College of Technology; Rachel Godin, Eagle, College of Arts and Letters Social and Behavioral Sciences; William Veloso, Meridian and Gold Beach, Oregon, College of Arts and Letters Fine Arts and Humanities; Alyssa Millard, Merrill, Wisconsin, Graduate School Masters Recipient; and Omid Heidari, Ghaenshahr, Iran, Graduate School Doctoral Recipient. Graduates are encouraged to share their memories on social media at #isugrads. Photo information: ISU President Kevin Sattterlee addressing graduates and guests at commencement. Westpac and National Australia Bank customers will have to wait awhile to use Apple Pay, with both banks unwilling to give any indication when they would provide the digital payment option. A Westpac spokesperson did not refer to any factor that was holding the bank back from offering Apple Pay, but told iTWire in response to a query: "We continually review how we help our customers with their mobile banking needs and remain open to considering Apple Pay for our Australian customers." The spokesperson said the bank offered Google Pay, Westpac Banking Skill (Amazon Alexa) & Westpac for Google Assistant, Siri for Westpac, PayWear, and Beem It. Brent Southey, NAB general manager Digital Channels, gave no direct answer either, saying: "We continue to look at all options to provide our customers with access to safe and secure ways to make digital payments, and to provide choice to customers no matter what device they own. When we have more to say about options like Apple Pay well let our customers know." iTWire understands that NAB offers Google Pay, NAB Pay, Samsung Pay, along with FitBit Pay and Garmin smartwatch capability. The inquiries were made following Commonwealth Bank's announcement last week that it would be extending Apple Pay to its business card holders. The bank also offers Google Pay, Alipay (in-store) and Samsung Pay, and also payment on the go with Garmin smartwatches. The CBA, along with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, NAB and Westpac, attempted to cut a deal with Apple over Apple Pay in 2017, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission denied them the right to negotiate collectively. The banks had sought authorisation to bargain with Apple for access to the near-field communication controller in iPhones, and reasonable access terms to the App Store. Such access would have allowed the four to offer their own integrated digital wallets to iPhone customers in competition with Apples digital wallet, without using Apple Pay. Subsequently, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank quietly adopted Apple Pay. ANZ was not part of this cartel, and has been offering Apple Pay since April 2016. A spokesperson from Bendigo and Adelaide Bank told iTWire that it was the first of the banks to have Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay and Osko as the full suite of digital payment options. Southey added: "We continually listen to customer feedback which helps inform us on how we can make banking simpler and easier. Its this feedback that helps guide our decision-making on the new features and services we deliver, giving customers greater convenience through the channel of their choice, at the times convenient for them. "To achieve this we make a significant and ongoing investment in our digital banking channels; whether that's through new features into our mobile banking app like real-time payments transfers, improved credit card management controls, payment notifications or through voice assistants like Amazon Alexa. He claimed NAB was the first of the big four banks to commence a pilot with Alipay. "Weve commenced pilot testing with a group of our business merchant customers and planning for a full roll-out later this year," he said. The Westpac spokesperson said: "With more than 2.5 million Westpac customers using mobile banking, it is part of our ongoing strategy to provide our customers with the technology and tools to make their banking simpler and faster. "We are committed to giving our customers more choice through supporting a range of convenient payment solutions. This includes Westpac for iMessage, wearable payment devices and our recently launched Siri for Westpac, as well as our joint venture with Beem It." ANZ was also contacted to find out what digital payment options it offers apart from Apple Pay, but the bank's media contacts did not respond to iTWire's query. This lack of a response appears to be due to a technical glitch which blocked an email from arriving; an ANZ spokesman pointed out to iTWire that the bank had indeed responded and well in time. In that email, the spokesman said: "In 2016 ANZ was the first major Australian bank to offer Apple Pay and Google Pay to customers. We followed this up in 2017 with the launch of Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay. "In 2018, ANZ made it possible for customers to withdraw cash from its 2400 ATMs across Australia using a smartphone or watch with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay or Garmin Pay. "Over the past 12 months, ANZ has maintained its position as a leader on mobile payments with more than 88 million transactions completed." As you drive or walk along the western side of Mound Cemetery about an hour before sunset, you can often spot the special insignia markers that denote the affiliations of the dead while they were alive and an active member of their community. The bronze medallions placed on the graves of women who proved their lineage to patriots of the American Revolution are easily seen by the trained eye as the green patina catches the light of the late afternoon sun. During Memorial Day weekend, the markers may also be decorated with a small U.S. flag. The official marker, which duplicates the insignia pin worn by members of National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution, is in the shape of a spinning wheel with thirteen spokes. The spokes are highlighted by 13 stars representing the 13 colonies that rebelled against the British to form the new union of the United States of America. The staff in the center of the spinning wheel represents the flax that colonial women spun to make thread to weave in with the wool they used to make their clothing. Every female member of the family had to work the spinning wheel. Shortly after World War I, the women in Coles County organized two chapters of National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution. The Sally Lincoln Chapter in Charleston was started March 12, 1921, and the Governor Edward Coles Chapter met for the first time on March 16, 1921. The two chapters merged on March 21, 2000, and began meeting as the Governor Edward Coles-Sally Lincoln Chapter. At Mound-Roselawn Cemeteries there have been at least 46 markers installed for local members of the National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution, including 44 for members of the Sally Lincoln Chapter and two for those from the Governor Edward Coles Chapter. Fifteen of the markers are for founders of the Sally Lincoln Chapter. One of the first National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution markers installed at Mound-Roselawn was for an acquaintance of Sarah Bush Sally Lincoln. Mary Frances Carman Freeman (1832-1923) is a charter member of the Sally Lincoln Chapter named for her friend, but is also known as a real granddaughter because her maternal and fraternal grandfathers were enlisted members of Revolutionary War military units that fought against the British. Her husband, Dr. Nelson Strange Freeman, was the physician for families living in Pleasant Grove Township, including their neighbor, Sally Lincoln, widow of Thomas Lincoln. In 1861, Mary helped organize the dinner neighbors prepared and served the day President-Elect Abraham Lincoln stopped in Coles County to visit with his step-mother before leaving Illinois to go to Washington, D.C. Marys granddaughters, Emma Irene Freeman (1895-1983) and Agnes Mabelle Freeman Duffy (1888-1978), were also charter members of the Sally Lincoln Chapter. The bronze medallion that is mounted on the Freeman family monument honors Mary, Emma, and Agnes, as well as another granddaughter, Mary Andrews Freeman Gibbons (1906-2006), who are buried in the family plot. Mary Gibbons joined the chapter in 1930. Any woman who has ever been a member of the National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution may have one of the markers placed on her grave. All markers have to be approved by the regent of the members chapter and registered with the National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution Historian General. More information about the society and its goals of preserving history, fostering patriotism, and providing educational opportunities can be found at dar.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted. 2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks. 3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown". 4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam). I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published. For Laura Weber, nursing is in her blood. She comes from a long line of family members who were nurses and caregivers. When Laura discovered a passion for science, she dedicated herself to the health care industry and found nursing was the perfect fit for her desire to help others. After receiving her bachelor's in biology from the University of Nebraska, Laura worked in a lab and went to nursing school at Creighton University. Wanting to take her skills even further led Laura to pursue a master's degree at Nebraska Wesleyan for nursing administration. Laura loves nursing because there are so many opportunities to explore. The wide field allows for people to work in an educational, hospital or community setting, and nurses can be full or part time. More than anything, Laura has loved all of the people she has gotten to work with over the years: patients, co-workers and physicians. Laura says that the key to being a great nurse is to care. She credits the ability to put the pieces of the puzzle together and being able to provide a positive face for a patient during a stressful time as some of the qualities that make a great caregiver. Office foot traffic and requests to vote early by mail point to possible record voter turnout in Lincoln's general election Tuesday, Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively said. Last week an average of 90 people a day cast their ballots in person at the election commission's office, and Shively's staff mailed out more than 20,000 ballots to early voters. The interest could bump turnout for the election to as high as 35%, following a primary election where more than 31% of registered voters cast ballots, Shively said. Voter's Guide: Lincoln city election candidate profiles and more See full coverage on the candidates and ballot issues Lincoln voters will consider. In 2007, 32% of registered voters cast ballots in an election where Beutler narrowly won his first term as mayor over then-City Councilman Ken Svoboda. Then-Mayor Colleen Seng opted not to seek re-election. More than 49,000 people cast ballots that year, and the turnout set a Lincoln election record, Shively said. Since then, city growth has added about 14,000 voters to the rolls, he said. More than 52,000 people voted in this year's primary. Voter interest in a city election that will choose Beutler's successor and decide four Lincoln City Council seats seems high, he said. Voters could expect a leader who would work to bring opposing sides together as closely as possible if they choose Leirion Gaylor Baird as their next mayor in Tuesday's election, she said. For proof, Gaylor Baird said, look to her work on Lincoln's City Council last year enacting an initiative to improve school safety and add student resources over funding concerns. Last April, Mayor Chris Beutler and Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel had proposed creating a new taxing authority to fund new school resource officers, community learning centers and student mental health services. Quickly though, some on the City Council and in the community voiced concern about creating a new political subdivision to fund these goals. Gaylor Baird's mayoral race opponent, Cyndi Lamm, was among the critics then and pitched interlocal agreements as an alternative. "I listened to people in the community, the reservations about that structure," said Gaylor Baird, a Democrat. So Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Board of Education President Lanny Boswell, a Republican, directed city and school board attorneys to draft an interlocal agreement that would do the same things as the proposed joint public agency. After her proposal, the City Council passed a guideline introduced by Carl Eskridge that asks the mayor's office to disclose to the council what city money would be spent on ballot education before it's put to voters. Lamm has made increased City Hall transparency a focal point of her campaign, which has included a proposal to put the city checkbook online. "Those are just some of the things I'm going to do for transparency in the future as well," Lamm said. As mayor, Lamm said she'll remember that it's the "people's money." Lamm believes she's the only candidate on the ballot who can end what she calls a decade of tax-and-spend city budgets. Her approach to city challenges will look to new taxes and higher fees only as a last resort, she said. Lamm believes voters know the differences in the two candidates' approaches to government, and "the only surprise to anyone will be how far we go with those philosophies," she said. "Now the people have to evaluate: Who has your back?" she said. Reach the writer at 402-473-2657 or rjohnson@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSRileyJohnson. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 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. Seeking redress for her concerns, she was bounced between the Health Department and city regulators, and often was informed to simply contact her landlord, she said. She wanted to give her landlord a chance to get the work done, but corrective work languished. The final straw came when the shower started to fall apart in August, and she didn't have a functional bathroom for two weeks. She bolted after her landlord sought to raise the rent in a new lease. Sometimes tenants need the city's help, she said. "When the city doesnt take care of it, you have nowhere to turn," said Mayhew, who has since moved in with family. She believes the proposed ordinance is reasonable. "Youre not going to have them knocking at your door every five minutes," she said. The ordinance wouldn't apply to short-term rentals, like those listed on Airbnb, according to the city. It has the support of Nebraska Appleseed, Collective Impact and the South of Downtown Community Development Organization. Just feet away, the Dairy Sweet was lifted clean from its foundation and flipped upside down. Fixtures from the bathroom topped a pile of jagged wooden frames, refrigerators and ice cream machines. Spoons and cups littered the ground. Catty-corner at another Lincoln icon, Lee's Chicken, Patrick Lohmeier was standing on a second floor landing on the north side of the building watching the storm roll in and recording the scene on his iPad. "I watch storms come through here all the time," Lohmeier said. "Everybody was out in the parking lot watching the storm, but I started to see the clouds rotate and it just got wild. Everything happened so fast." Lohmeier clambered across the roof to the south side to get a better view, but the intensity of the winds convinced him to turn back and seek shelter. Inside, the winds and changes to the atmospheric pressure caused the windows to shake. Debris staff are not sure entirely what broke through several windows on the south side of the packed dining room. The power went out, causing the kitchen to fill with smoke as the vent hoods shut off. A charitable foundation has promised to match the first $500,000 donated to a new recovery fund for Nebraskans affected by March flooding. The Nebraska Community Foundation has joined the Ethel S. Abbott Charitable Foundation in establishing the Nebraska Flood Recovery Fund. Priority will be given to those who want to remain in their damaged communities. Money donated will be granted to local and regional charitable organizations. Eligible uses may include housing, transportation and health and wellness. An advisory committee is being assembled to oversee granting decisions. Jeff Yost, president and CEO of the Nebraska Community Foundation, said the advisory committee will be making grants "that are high impact and supportive of projects and programs that are sustainable long term." Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 1939: A petition for reorganization of the Gage County Electric Co. under Chapter 10 of the Bankruptcy Act was filed in federal court. The petition asked permission for the company to continue operation. 1949: The Legislature was considering recommendations for a record-breaking state appropriation of $130,471,251 for 1949-51. 1959: Political newcomer Bartlett E. "Pat" Boyles defeated incumbent Mayor Bennett Martin in the city election by 4,000 votes. Boyles had won nomination for the general election as the result of a write-in campaign in the primary and thus became the first successful write-in mayoral candidate in Lincoln's history. 1969: Attorney Dick Hartsock, instructor/public relations executive Harry Peterson and retired telephone company executive Merle Hale were elected to the City Council. Peterson was believed to be the first black councilman elected by voters of a Nebraska city. 1979: Bills legalizing but restricting the use of Laetrile, which some believed was effective against cancer, and imposing a tax to fight litter stalled in the Legislature. Some members felt Hansens bill was about as common sense as it got, given that itd pay for itself if just six more Nebraskans filled out the census. Others, however, feared a sunk cost, as residents who wanted to avoid being counted would find ways to dodge the form largely because of the Trump administrations insistence on reinstating a citizenship question that was scrapped in 1960. Undocumented immigrants have expressed worry that a response to that query could alert authorities to their status in the country and lead to deportation. But federal law prevents for 72 years the release of any personally identifiable information from the census which would be 2092. The questions fate will ultimately be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments on it last week. Still, the Census Bureau has estimated as many as 6.5 million people the population reported by Massachusetts, then the 15th-most-populous state, in 2010 may elect to not participate. Pat Wing always knew she wanted to be a nurse. She has always known she was called to help others, and the chance to help out as a nurse's aide in high school sealed the deal. She went to Bryan's School of Nursing right after graduation and earned a bachelor's degree in allied health from UNL. Recently retired, Pat's 41-year career touched many facets of the nursing industry. However, she spent the bulk of her career in the emergency department at Bryan Health. Over the years, Pat has been able to help mentor hundreds of new graduate nurses as well as offer advice and experience to other team members. The qualities of empathy, compassion and patience were not only characteristics that Pat emphasized to the new nurses; they were attributes that she modeled for them every day. Pat acknowledges the friendships she has made as part of why her career has meant so much to her. "I loved my job and felt fulfilled and rewarded by it many, many times. Due to (the) busy, challenging and stressful nature of the emergency department and the intense life experiences we see, we form close bonds with our colleagues. I worked with lots of amazing people and have many cherished friendships from my 41 years of working at Bryan." Pat was nominated by a former co-worker and friend, Sharon Lee, who says, "Her ability to comfort the ill/injured, provide emergent/urgent/nonurgent care without delay and establish the positive relationships among patients, families, co-workers and everyone in between is what makes her the most memorable registered nurse I have ever had the privilege to work with." 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. April 17, 1926 April 27, 2019 RACINEGlenn Alan Christensen, age 93, passed away peacefully at Ascension All Saints Hospital on Saturday evening, April 27, 2019, surrounded with the love of his family. Glenn was born April 17, 1926 to Henry and Hansine (Hansen) Christensen. He was united in marriage with the love of his life Carole Ruth (Hansen) on September 16, 1949. Born to fly, Glenn knew he wanted to be a pilot at 6 years old. He enrolled in ground school at the age of 14. Glenn learned to fly in 1943 and was half owner of a Welsh aircraft before he owned a bicycle or a car. He eventually purchased a bicycle to get to the airport. Glenn enlisted with the Army Air Corp at the age of 17 as an aviation cadet, but WWII ended before he was able to complete his training. He returned home, attended flight school and received his commercial pilots license. In 1949, Glenn became a Civil Air Patrol Squadron Commanderbuilding it from a team of 8 into 130and became Group Commander for SE Wisconsin. He built the Civil Defense Group into 480 volunteers and supervised the Defense Early Warning System, eventually being promoted to Major by Col. John Batten. Glenn was in business as a crop duster from 1953-1956, flying an open cockpit, bi-wing Stearman aircraft. He began his career in corporate aviation as a co-pilot for the J.I. Case Company. In 1961 he was hired as chief pilot for Bucyrus Erie Co, now known as Caterpillar Inc. A pioneer and advocate of corporate aviation, Glenn joined an elite group of Lear Jet pilots who flew at an altitude of 51,000 feet. In 1987, after retiring, he received an award from the National Aircraft Assn. for 7,872,000 accident free flying miles and was inducted into the SE Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. Glenn had a very strong faith in the Lord, all his life, for which he was blessed. Most recently he attended Evangelical United Methodist Church for many years. He was also active with Kiwanis Club of West Racine, Bucyrus Erie 25 year club, and a 70 year member of American Legion Post 310. Mostly, he cherished spending time with his family and his many lifelong friends. Glenn was an intelligent, compassionate and generous man, who always wanted the best for everybody. He also loved a good practical joke and would go to great lengths to pull it off, thus earning his nickname Bozo. He will be deeply missed by his loving wife of almost 70 years, Carole, their daughter Sandy (Darrell) Wright, son Chris (Gigi) Christensen, grandchildren Jordan and Ellie Christensen and Katherine Wright. Brother in law Merlyn (Helen) Peterson, and many other dear relatives and friends. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his brother Gilbert( Lois) Christensen and Caroles parents Hjalmer and Ruth Hansen, many aunts, uncles, cousins, and niece Dana (Christensen) Stellman. In accordance with Glenns wishes a private service with military honors was held at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Glenns very good friend, Rev. John Fleming, officiated. Also, in accordance with his wishes, in lieu of memorials he would like everyone to take your sweetheart out to lunch. A heartfelt note of thanks to Ascension All Saints Hospital and to all our friends and relatives for the compassionate care, support and prayers given to Glenn in his time of need. May God bless you all! DRAEGER-LANGENDORF FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY 4600 COUNTY LINE ROAD 262-552-9000 Tony Evers squeaked his way into the governors mansion last November in part by tearing into the Trump-Walker trade agenda and its greatest Wisconsin triumph the landmark Foxconn deal. When President Trump took office, he set the United States in a completely new direction on trade. He tasked Robert Lighthizer, Peter Navarro, and the rest of his trade team with a specific mandate: hold China to account for the unfair tactics they use to take advantage of us on trade, and bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. Emboldened by this clean break with the prior administrations free trade fundamentalism at the national level, then-Governor Scott Walker set about doing what he could at the state level, and came away with a big win. Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant with a massive manufacturing base in mainland China that produces iPhones and many other staples of the high tech economy, agreed to open an LCD screen factory in Wisconsin at the urging of both Governor Walker and President Trump. As a candidate to succeed Walker, Evers promised to unravel the deal, vowing to renegotiate over concerns about tax breaks and environmental concessions that didnt comport with his agenda. Sure enough, Walkers 2017 deal is now in serious jeopardy. With the Evers administration very publicly criticizing Walkers original deal, Governor Evers announced that, just as he promised on the campaign trail, the deal was being renegotiated. Ironically, that move blew up in his face, immediately drawing a wave of criticism. So Evers turned around and blamed Foxconn, accusing the company of changing the terms of the deal, just as he promised to do on the campaign trail. Foxconn insists the plans are moving forward, but regardless of who is really to blame, one thing is clear: Evers heart is not in this fight. The governor recently tried to downplay his previous criticism by insisting that he has always been supportive of the Foxconn deal, and was merely questioning whether it would actually deliver the 13,000 jobs that the company has promised. He didnt exactly ooze enthusiasm, though, when he remarked that it could be less, it could be more, to me it doesnt matter. Evers and the neoliberal free-trade class to which he belongs subscribe to the idea that in the global economy, Americas days as a manufacturing giant are history. The well-paid, high-skill manufacturing jobs that traditionally underpinned the American middle class? Those arent coming back, they claim. Donald Trumps administration has exposed this lie for what it is. Under his watch, America is experiencing a historic manufacturing boom fueled by his America First agenda on trade, immigration, deregulation, and pro-growth tax policy. Further proof of his success is the First Quarter GDP growth, which came in at a rate of 3.2 percent, well exceeding the 2.3 percent economists had expected. Reports suggest that part of the reason for the quarterly boom is the declining trade deficit thanks to President Trumps new trade policies. Luckily for Wisconsinites, theres little that state-level politicians like Evers can do to stop this march toward growth, the unfolding Foxconn failure notwithstanding. It would be a shame for Wisconsin to miss out on those 13,000 jobs even if its no big deal to Gov. Evers but Donald Trumps policies have created more than five million jobs nationwide in just over two short years. Trump trade is not a matter of crony capitalism or corporate welfare; its based on ensuring that American workers are able to compete with their foreign counterparts on a level playing field. Trump trade is certainly not about picking winners and losers; its about ensuring American workers and not just multinational executives reap the benefits of the U.S. economy. Thats the philosophy that guides American trade policy under President Trump. For further proof, look to Vice President Mike Pences pronouncements on the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreements improvements over NAFTA for the American auto industry. By eliminating artificial advantages for Canadian and Mexican auto producers, government officials project that the USMCA will add $34 billion in domestic investment, increase auto parts sales by $23 billion, and support 76,000 new jobs in the first five years after it takes effect and thats just in a single industry. Across the entire economy, the United States International Trade Commission expects the USMCA to add $68.2 billion to GDP and create 176,000 new jobs once its enacted. The jobs that the USMCA brings back could still come in addition to the 13,000 promised in the Foxconn deal. Thats the kind of growth Wisconsin deserves, unimpeded by a politician who lacks the vision and dedication of Donald Trump when it comes to great trade deals that bring manufacturing jobs back to the hard working men and women throughout Wisconsin. Anthony Scaramucci is the founder of the global investment firm SkyBridge Capital. He served in President Donald Trumps administration as White House communications director from July 21 to July 31, 2017. He was communications director when the Wisconsin Foxconn deal was announced July 26, 2017. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RACINE In 1991, Racines violent crime rate was among the highest in the state even Milwaukees rate was lower, according to Wisconsin Department of Justice Assistance data. That is no longer the case. Due to the crack epidemic and related migration of gang members from Chicago in the late 1980s and early 1990s, local crime trends often mirrored crime in Milwaukee and Chicago, Racine Police Chief Art Howell explained. (Violent crime) in Racine has dropped to record lows each of the past six years, while this has not been the case in neighboring major cities. Reports of violent crime fell by 17 percent within the Racine Police Departments jurisdiction between 2017 and 2018, according to new statistics reported to the FBI and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The total number of arrests carried out by the RPD rose from 2,336 to 2,492 during that same time frame, a 6.2% increase, while the combined total of reported violent and property offenses fell from 2,289 to 2,116, a 7.6% decrease. Arrests for property crimes theft, vandalism and fraud rose by 13% last year, while the total number of reported property crimes fell by 5%. Burglaries continued to become less common with only 351 reported incidents last year, less than half of 2015s total. Reports of arson in the city have grown from only six in 2014 to 16 in 2018; five arson arrests were made by the RPD in 2018. Howell said that the positive shifts can be largely attributed to the departments two-pronged approach when it comes to crime reduction, as well as the improved technology available to law enforcement. Police: Crime again at an all-time low in 2017 RACINE COUNTY Burglaries hit an all-time low in Racine County, with 579 reported incidents in 2017, according to data reported to the FBI fr Long-term change In the 1960s, police officers didnt even have radios. Theyd have to go to a police call box to radio something in, Howell said. Now, the officers can talk to each other with radio and we have computers in the squad cars technology has really assisted law enforcement. Even 40 years ago, Howell said, it would sometimes take weeks to identify patterns in crimes, such as a series of shots-fired incidents or robberies. Police would do this through placing physical pins in maps, hoping to identify patterns or clusters that could lead to identifying suspects and catching a culprit. Now, we have a computer database that will show us in real time if there is an emerging trend, Howell said. Advances in tech have really changed how policing is done. Racine Police Chief focuses on opioids, cocaine RACINE While violent crime has reduced significantly in Racine over the years, drugs remain a problem. The 10% The first prong of the departments approach is targeting past lawbreakers. 10% of the criminals are responsible for 60% of the crime. Were most successful when we target that 10%, Howell said. Anyone who has presented a threat to public safety is tracked all the way through the criminal justice process. Focusing on those suspected or convicted of burglary has paid great dividends, according to Howell, who became chief in 2012. In 1974 alone, there were 2,617 burglaries reported. As recently as 1992 there were more than 1,900 in a year. Howell said that the city had averaged more than 1,000 burglaries yearly between 2008 and 2013. In 2018, only 351 burglaries were reported. Howell said two other things, besides improved tracking of suspected burglars, have contributed to the severe reduction in burglaries. Introducing the Northeastern Wisconsin Pawn Shop Reporting System, where certain items purchased by pawn shops are logged into a database, making it easier to find stolen items that a thief ended up selling. Connecting police commanders and local judges to raise awareness regarding the rising threat of home invasions. Connecting and relating The other prong of the RPDs crime-reduction efforts is relationships. That starts with the citys six Community Oriented Policing Houses, aka COP Houses. Howell said that the presence of a COP House on Anthony Lane (formerly Jacato Drive), as well as collaborations with other city departments, has played a major role in reducing crime on Racines northwest side. The key there is, you cant develop relationships at the time of a crime. You have to have trust and equity already built, and the way you do that is through our programs. The department also is planning on partnering with the Dr. John Bryant Community Center for summer youth programming, as well as introducing some social-media initiatives to make it easier for residents to connect with law enforcement. Through all that, Howell said, he hopes that strengthened community relationships will bring about more efficient and effective police responses, leading to an overall reduction in law-breaking communitywide. Were excited about the support we have locally. They dont often get enough attention, but the community has been very supportive in terms of using Crime Stoppers (to make anonymous tips), Howell said. We get phenomenal support from the community on active crime Were often notified in real time. (Violent crime) in Racine has dropped to record lows each of the past six years, while this has not been the case in neighboring major cities. Racine Police Chief Art Howell Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 1 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. MOUNT PLEASANT A front-page story last week in the Wall Street Journal with the headline Foxconn Tore Up a Village to Build a Plant, Then Retreated got a lot of attention. The story appeared in the April 30 edition of the newspaper and among several sources often quoted in The Journal Times, it had a quote from Racine County Supervisor Nick Demske of Racine, which stated At some point, were talking about things that are just imaginary Were pretending. That quote stood out and some may have read the quote as stating that the Foxconn development itself is imaginary but Demske said he was speaking hypothetically. I certainly said the words that (were reported), I think like with most stories its maybe a little decontextualized to their purposes but not in a horribly misleading way, Demske said. Demske said he spoke with the reporter of the piece for about 20 minutes and his point was that the thousands of jobs Foxconn has committed to have not materialized yet, but it does not mean it wont happen. I dont think the author, for reasons of word count or whatever, put that in the context of what we were talking about, Demske said. But everything to some degree is imaginary until its not, and that was kind of what we were talking about. However, when it comes to Foxconn, Demske said government officials need to keep that perspective in mind and realize that the jobs and $10 billion investment have not technically arrived in the state. Recently there has been a flurry of Foxconn news. On Wednesday, Foxconn Chairman and CEO Terry Gou met with President Donald Trump to update him on the development in Wisconsin. Then the next day, Thursday, Gou flew to Wisconsin and had his first face-to-face meeting with Gov. Tony Evers. Gou is running for president of Taiwan and has since stepped back from the day-to-day operations at Foxconn. In his conversation with Gou, Evers said they discussed how the the development will continue during the transition from Gou to other executives at Foxconn. Demske said there is a fetishization with the Foxconn project. Were constantly talking about 13,000 jobs, were constantly talking about a $10 billion investment and all these other numbers that we keep reciting over and over again like theyre meaningful, Demske said. As anyone who has ever made a budget even knows you project numbers out and then real numbers come and the two might have very little to do with each other. Demske has driven past the Foxconn site in Mount Pleasant recently and acknowledges that work is being done in the area. I had to have seen nearly 100 people on the site and plenty of machines doing work, Demske said. Having perspective But Demskes real problem is people talking as if all the promises have come true. We are still nowhere near out of the woods, were still in the baby stages of this, Demske said. So when people come to Foxconn, when the President of the United States comes and puts a shovel in Foxconns ground and were looking at a plastic representation of what we hope this looks like one day. Foxconn is often brought up during county meetings and some supervisors might make deacons based on the potential of Foxconn, which is something Demske warns against. When were bringing up Foxconn in the conversation, I just want it to be very clear OK, thats fine to have that be part of our conversation, but lets just remember that shouldnt be all of our consideration because thats not a done deal, Demske said. In general I dont think Im saying anything that I havent heard over 1,000 people say when I knock on peoples doors in my district, so its interesting to me that one statement like that would get so much attention. Demske represents County Board District 1, which includes Downtown and the southside near the lake. Normally when it comes to commenting to reporters about Foxconn, many local officials rely on an outside spokesman to craft a response. Theres only a few of us willing to speak to media outlets, partially maybe because of issues like this because of fear of things getting decontextualized and twisted toward a different purpose, Demske said. Demske said occasionally some reporters will ask him questions similar to what do you think is going to happen with Foxconn? Theyre just asking people to guess about stuff and as helpful as that is, again, we need to remember All right, this is only so helpful to your reporting because youre just asking a random person with a title to use their imagination about the future, Demske said. Thats a little arbitrary. Theyre just asking people to guess about stuff and as helpful as that is, again, we need to remember All right, this is only so helpful to your reporting because youre just asking a random person with a title to use their imagination about the future. Thats a little arbitrary. Nick Demske, Racine County Board supervisor Love 0 Funny 2 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. SOMERS Nine University of Wisconsin-Parkside students from five departments attended this years National Conference on Undergraduate Research on April 10 and presented research on an array of topics. NCUR is an event dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity in all fields of study by sponsoring an annual conference for students. This years NCUR was held at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. It was the best-attended NCUR event of the conferences 33-year history. There were about 4,600 attendees and roughly 4,000 student research, scholarly and creative art presentations from across the country. The nine student presenters from UW-Parkside included: biological sciences majors Faith Adekunle, Johanna Ackmann and Nicole Chapman; molecular biology and bioinformatics majors Nicholas Bielski, John Tuttle and Julia Williams; psychology major Kevin Stearns; psychology and sociology major Marissa Greathouse; and physics major Nathan Arndt. Along with the nine student presenters, there were also two UW-Parkside faculty members who attended this years NCUR event: assistant professor Jessica Orlofske and associate professor David Higgs, both of the biological sciences department. NCUR creates a unique environment for the celebration and promotion of undergraduate student achievement; provides models of exemplary research, scholarship and creative activity; and helps to improve the state of undergraduate education, Higgs said. In addition to the research and scholarly presentations, Higgs said, Students also have opportunities to explore different campuses and communities programs and get to know students from other disciplines both at their home institute as well as other institutions from across the country. They also hear from national and international researchers and community leaders through the plenary talks. Chapman, whose research focused on using probabilities to predict taxonomic identification, found the exact benefits Higgs referenced after presenting at NCUR. This experience has been incredible, and it sparks inspiration in all who attend, alongside peers in alike and different disciplines to share their prideful hard work, Chapman said. There are also opportunities to speak with graduate school representatives and speak with professional speakers in your field. She continued: I was lucky enough to have an incredible marine biologist speaker who really enlightened my passion of wanting to pursue higher education. Ive also had an incredible amount of support from faculty mentors who have joined us on this trip, Orlofske and Higgs, and witnessed their unwavering drive to see us all succeed. NCUR provides a great networking environment that allows students to meet and share their work with peers and faculty from around the country and the world who are working in similar and different research fields. A valuable lesson students learn from NCUR is that their scholarly work is just as good of quality as others, from institutions either larger or smaller, which is both confidence building and motivating. Arndts research focused on the thin-film deposition and electronic characterization of metal-doped praseodymium barium copper oxide. This was a great opportunity to get myself and my research seen by many that would have otherwise had no chance to experience it, Arndt said. Arndt said the experience also got me exposed to a lot more research in my fields and introduced me to new options for graduate school where I will be going for a Ph.D. in material science. The experience was just as impactful for the nine student researchers of UW-Parkside as students from any of the hundreds of other institutions in attendance, large or small. Student abstracts for next years NCUR can be submitted in December which are then reviewed by expert faculty from their discipline prior to a students abstract being accepted for presentation. Student presentations at NCUR are welcome in all fields and disciplines which range from anywhere to the creative and performing arts to biological, chemistry, nursing, physics, psychology, and social science research. Student participants in NCUR may present in one of the following formats: oral, poster, visual arts, and performing arts. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MADISON Perhaps none of Gov. Tony Evers cabinet picks had more bipartisan support than Democrat Peter Barca for secretary of revenue. But politics can creep into the most routine of votes. At the time of the nomination in early January, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who was opposed to several of the cabinet nominees, said Evers finally got one right in choosing Barca. Barca was serving in the Assembly when he was chosen and was a former minority leader for the Democrats. State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, testified at Barcas committee hearing in favor of him. State Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Salem Lakes, whose district includes part of Somers, said at the time that she will miss Barcas contributions in the Assembly but added I am glad to note that the State of Wisconsin will continue to benefit from his leadership. Ive always appreciated Rep. Barcas experience and statesmanship and have valued our good working relationship in serving Kenosha County, Kerkman said. I look forward to working with Rep. Barca in his new role. Despite being approved 9-0 in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions in February, Barca has not not received full confirmation as secretary of revenue. Barcas confirmation is waiting to be scheduled on the state Senate floor for a confirmation vote. It has been there since Feb. 22. Waiting for their vote Barca isnt the only one waiting. All of Evers Cabinet picks have been operating their departments without officially being confirmed by the state Senate. State Sen. Bob Wirch, D-Somers, whose 22nd District includes past of southeast Racine County, said the secretary-designates have been working with a dark cloud over their heads. Republican leadership is playing games with all of Evers appointments, Wirch said. The public wants us to work together and this doesnt help. Not all the secretary-designates could go back to the jobs they had before they were nominated. On Tuesday, Democrat Tip McGuire won the election for Barcas old seat, which Barca vacated after he was tapped by the governor. Theyre just being good soldiers and working on their jobs, Wirch said of the secretary-designates. They could be worried. Republicans control the Senate and on a simple party-line vote, theyre out of a job if their appointment came up. On Thursday, Evers told a joint session of The Journal Times and Kenosha News editorial boards that the secretary-designates are running their offices as they would if theyre confirmed. Evers said he suspects the confirmations have been held up because of the issue of 82 appointees to various state posts under Gov. Scott Walker during the lame-duck legislative session held before Evers was sworn in as governor. The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday voted 4-3 to restore all 82 appointees. The ruling affects 15 people Evers had not reappointed after a lower court said it was legal for him to, essentially, fire them. Evers argued the appointees were invalidated after a lower court ruled that the entire lame-duck session, where Republicans took powers away from Evers and the incoming Democratic attorney general, was unconstitutional. Days later, an appeals court put that ruling on hold, creating more confusion about the status of the 15 people Evers did not reappoint. The underlying legal case over the validity of the lame-duck session continues. The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in that case for May 15. Wanggaard said the situation with the appointees affected the confirmation timeline of Evers cabinet. When Gov. Evers took away the pay and positions from 82 validly appointed and confirmed individuals, he created a chaotic situation with all appointments, including his own Cabinet, Wanggaard said in a statement. When that court case gets resolved, Im sure well see confirmations for the individuals that are qualified to serve in those positions. Despite the issue with the appointees not being directly connected to the cabinet picks, Evers said the Senate could have voted on his nominations, but Republicans held things up. Evers said he is confident his Cabinet picks will get their confirmation votes. The Senate hasnt been in session much, Evers said adding Its just a matter of time. Wirch said he has served under five governors and this has not happened with any of the governors before this. I think its sour grapes that carried over from the election, Wirch said. We should get back to doing the peoples business and stop fighting among ourselves. Journal Times editorial: Legislators should confirm Barca as revenue secretary On Tuesday, Tip McGuire won the special election to represent Assembly District 64 and fill the seat that former Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, Scott Bauer of the Associated Press contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 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. On Tuesday, Tip McGuire won the special election to represent Assembly District 64 and fill the seat that former Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, vacated to become state secretary of revenue. That was about four months after Gov. Tony Evers appointed Barca to be secretary of the Department of Revenue. Even though four months have gone by, Barca and the other Cabinet secretaries that Evers has appointed have yet to be confirmed by the state Senate. Despite the lack of confirmation, they are able to still do their jobs as they have since Evers took office on Jan. 7. But its a formality that Republicans should grant at least as a gesture to show they are willing to work with Democrats. When Barca was appointed as secretary of revenue, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was among the first to congratulate him. Vos jabbed Evers in his congratulatory news release, saying Governor-elect Evers finally got one right. But he continued with praise for Barca: Barca is a reasonable Democrat who is more than willing to work across the aisle and has the political courage to do whats right for the people of Wisconsin. The Assemblys loss is certainly the administrations gain. I want to wish Peter the best of luck in his new position and thank him for his friendship and service in the state Assembly. Barca deserves confirmation. As a legislator, he showed that he could make the hard decisions even if it didnt please everyone in his party. In 2017, Barca voted in support of the Foxconn deal, despite Democratic opposition. He ultimately lost his minority leadership role because of it. He said he voted in support of the deal because he believed it was the right thing to do for his constituents: When my father immigrated to the United States and settled our family in Kenosha, it was a factory job that gave him the chance to eventually buy his own business and achieve the American dream. But as time passed, manufacturing left my hometown and communities all across Wisconsin. If we can create new good-paying, family-supporting jobs in a high-tech industry, it could give future generations the same opportunities my family had. As I traveled my district over the last few weeks, I spoke with countless constituents and heard from nearly every major local leader in Kenosha and Racine that they supported this plan. Thats why I voted yes today. Republicans and Democrats are not going to agree on everything. But a Democrat governor gets to appoint whomever he chooses for Cabinet posts, just as a Republican governor gets to appoint his choices. Confirming Barca, and Evers other secretaries-designate, is the right thing to do. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With the income tax deadline April 15, I feel its important to point out the tax policy differences between the past several state budgets and Gov. Tony Evers proposal. In his request to the legislature, Gov. Evers is looking to increase taxes by $1.2 billion. The largest increase would be on Wisconsin manufacturers who employ one-sixth of the states workforce. He increases taxes these companies by capping the important Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit, which has been an effective tool in attracting and retaining businesses in our state. Evers proposal serves as a stark contrast to the positive, pro-growth reforms made by Republicans over the last eight years in Wisconsin. According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, weve cut taxes by more than $8 billion since Republicans took the legislative majority in 2011. Reducing the tax burden on Wisconsin families has been a top priority for us. Here are a few of the important policy changes that we made: reduced all the income tax rates as well as the number of rates, eliminated the state property tax (the forestry mill tax), and decreased the states personal property tax. In fact, the tax burden in our state is now at its lowest level in nearly 50 years. Having a favorable tax climate has made a difference in the states bottom line. As we provided more tax relief over the last eight years, income and franchise tax collections have increased by 24 percent and overall state tax revenues have increased 25 percent. During that same time, Republicans have expanded the states rainy day fund to $320 million. Were now seeing historically low unemployment rates and more people are working than ever before. Im proud that our economic policies have benefited the state and its hardworking families and small business owners. As you file your tax return, ask yourself, do I really want to pay more to the state of Wisconsin next year? I think we all agree on the answer: no. Republican Robin Vos, Burlington, represents the 63rd state Assembly District and is Assembly speaker. 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. If youre anything like me, youre relieved when another Tax Day comes and passes in mid-April. For most people, this is really the time of year when individuals and families pay the most attention to what theyre paying in taxes, who theyre paying taxes to and how their earnings throughout the previous year itemized up with the taxes they paid on those earnings, and Im no exception. With this awareness around the early part of the year, a lot of folks will more closely scrutinize where some of their money is going or did go in the previous year. I know because sometimes I receive calls about it, and I know that our municipal and county officials do, too. As this legislative sessions state budget process moves forward, I want to share some of my thoughts on government spending and this sessions biennial budget. One of the reasons Im compelled in my role as a legislator to closely scrutinize our states finances throughout the entire year is because I know how hard families work to bring in and earn their money. People throughout our communities work tremendously hard for their families. But another reason Im compelled in my role as a legislator to closely scrutinize our states finances throughout the entire year is because I know where some of the investments that are made with tax revenue go, too. Both sides of this equation are important. I think its a fair request from families across the state to want their hard earned-money to be spent in the same careful manner and with the same integrity they treat expenses in their household budget. Ive said it before and Ill say it again, it is absolutely possible, under responsible budgeting, be it for ones home or business, or in this case, government, to save for the future, be fiscally responsible, and make investments where investments are due. For example, one only needs to look to the states current 2017-2019 biennial budget to find the largest investment ever in K-12 education with an increase of state aid to school districts over the previous cycle by $639 million, all while directing additional money to the classroom. In the current fiscal year, K-12 education is funded at 65.35 percent. In addition to that, the current budget includes increases for town general transportation aids, and two new programs related to student mental health were created. A two percent personal care worker rate increase was included, and investments in dementia care specialists and family care were made. As my colleagues and I work with this sessions biennial budget, its important to note that Gov. Tony Evers has proposed a glaring $6.2 billion in new spending and $2.4 billion in new borrowing for the state. His budget proposal includes an increase in overall spending (including bonding), by 12.4 percent. To put it in perspective, the most recent/current 2017-2019 budget included a 4.3 percent increase in overall spending (including bonding), and the 2015-2017 budget included a 4.2 percent increase in overall spending (including bonding) over the previous fiscal cycle. At a time when our overall economy is strong and there are more jobs than workers to fill them, the governor has proposed a budget that creates a $1.7 billion shortfall for the next budget and raises taxes by over $1 billion, not including property taxes. On top of that, the proposal requires the state Public Service Commission to develop a plan to increase taxes on utilities, which will increase energy costs. The governor also proposes raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, repealing drug testing and work requirements for welfare programs, and putting limits on a successful Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax credit, which will adversely affect the roughly 25 percent of claimants directly involved in the agriculture economy. There are also a wide array of non-budgetary proposals in the governors budget, ranging from repealing voter ID and in-person voting reforms to issuing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. There are some policy issues included in the proposal that warrant debate and discussion, but within the budget is not the place for them. If taken as proposed, Gov. Evers budget will completely deplete the over $600 million of surplus funds were currently fortunate to have. Earlier this year, I supported a middle class tax cut that would have returned the surplus to taxpayers, but the governor chose to veto that legislation as one of his first significant acts in office. Its hard to deny the reality that the Peoples Budget, as proposed, would leave the people of our state with a budget deficit, wondering who was scrutinizing the states budget at tax time. In order to avoid that gloomy reality, Ill do my part and continue to scrutinize our states finances and your hard-earned money, today, tomorrow and every day of the year. Republican Nancy VanderMeer, Tomah, represents the 70th state Assembly District. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly 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. A multifamily dwelling was left with minor smoke and fire damage after flames broke out Friday morning. The La Crosse Fire Department was called to 704 Division St. at 7:31 a.m. Friday for reports of a possible fire. Fire crews arrived in less than two minutes and found smoke and flames coming from a stairwell doorway leading to a second-floor apartment. The fire was quickly extinguished and all residents were safely evacuated, firefighters said, with one resident evaluated and released by Tri State Ambulance at the scene. No other injuries were reported. Damage was confined to a stairwell, door threshold and steps, firefighters said, and extensive ventilation of smoke from the basement and two apartments was required. Firefighters determined careless use of smoking materials caused the fire. The La Crosse Fire Department received assistance from La Crosse police. Emily Pyrek can be reached at emily.pyrek@lee.net. 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. Visitors to All Abilities Trane Park will have quiet places to calm down thanks to a nearly $100,000 donation from Trane employees and the Ingersoll Rand Foundation given to La Crosse Friday in a ceremony at the park. Our whole Trane La Crosse and Ingersoll Rand family really believes in the value of this park and are so humbled to be able to help make it a reality, said Trane employee Anna Balkonis. The Ingersoll Rand Foundation, the charitable arm of Tranes parent company Ingersoll Rand, gave its largest-ever grant, $85,000, to the project a grant that also marked its first donation to a place, rather than an activity. That grant will pay for what park designers call respite pods, designed to give people on the autism spectrum who are sensitive to noise and activity a place to calm down. People who are feeling overwhelmed or overloaded can have a private place to regroup. These pods will be a safe haven for people who are overstimulated or even people who just prefer a quiet place, Balkonis said. In addition to the grant, Trane employees joined together to raise $10,000 for the $6 million project at 1500 Chase St. in La Crosse, and the sales office joined in, donating the heating and cooling equipment for the shelter that will house the bathrooms and serve as a gathering space for events. As you can see, this park is changing and improving things well beyond our community, Balkonis said. This park and all of the people it is bringing together are putting in small changes to better our world by creating paths to help empower individuals or groups to make even larger changes. It is already bringing more people to our area just knowing that it will be built. The park has been in the works since 2014 and broke ground last year. Its designed to give people of all ages and abilities, including those with mobility challenges and on the autism spectrum, a place to play together safely. There are several specially designed activity zones focusing on the senses. People sometimes say that this is a want, but its not a want, its a need. Children of all ages need a place to go. Everybody has a right to play, said Fran Formanek, president of the All Abilities Trane Park Committee, which is spearheading the project with the city of La Crosse. The partnership with Trane cements the legacy of the company and the city, he said. By having that marriage, we have a better community where people of all different kinds of races, creeds, disabilities, whatever, can enjoy the city of La Crosse and the area, Formanek said. La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat thanked Ingersoll Rand and Trane employees for their dedication and hard work to raise funds for the park, which will breathe new life into the nearly 7-acre facility, turning two of those acres into an outdoor recreation area with fenced-in play zones and a walking trail. Well be seeing this park filled with kids of all abilities, all different backgrounds, having a place where they can play safely and having moms and dads and caregivers maybe just get to exhale for a minute to know theyre safe here, Kabat said. This is going to be a great place for them. Parks director Jay Odegaard also expressed his gratitude to the volunteers and community partners working to turn the ambitious goal into a reality. One of the things we talk about in parks and any facility is, the higher the hill, the better the vision, Odegaard said. As we climb the hill trying to get this park built, every once in a while we run into places where we need a hand. The project is fortunate to have community funding, he said. This is exactly what we need to get us that next hump so we can start climbing again, Odegaard said. The first phase of the project is under construction and Formanek said he hopes the second phase will begin this summer. We need more donations to make that happen, but were very close to that, Formanek said. Visit tranepark.com for more information or to donate to the project. People who are feeling overwhelmed or overloaded can have a private place to regroup. Anna Balkonis, Trane employee Jourdan Vian can be reached at jvian@lacrossetribune.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jourdan_LCT. Love 3 Funny 1 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. The weather has been tough on the city of La Crosse utilities department so far this year. The department has already spent nearly $100,000 on flood mitigation this spring, and thats after spending weeks clearing ice from street corners. We got through the snow and ice that we had and clearing catch basins. On that Friday then we went right to the La Crosse River coming out of its banks, said Jared Greeno, the citys wastewater treatment general superintendent. The next day, a Saturday, utility staffers were working overtime because the Mississippi River was starting to come up. According to the National Weather Service, La Crosse has been in a flood warning since March 23 and the Mississippi River has been in flood stage continuously since March 26, which makes this week the sixth week of high water. Typically, the spring flood stage lasts two to four weeks. If we look back at some of the larger flood events in the recent history here, its been a little bit longer than those, NWS meteorologist Logan Lee said. This year marks the fifth highest the river has ever been, and the last 12 months have been the wettest ever recorded in Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. Weve never been this high for this long ever before, utilities manager Bernard Lenz said. For the utilities department, high water means putting pumps throughout the city at strategic locations where they need to pump water and having staff members available 24/7 to keep those pumps working. Weve put our staff through the test lately, Greeno said. The staff is out there fueling pumps, monitoring hoses, making sure they have oil and coolant at all hours of the day. When were out there, were making sure certain intersections arent showing water on the street, Greeno said. As soon as water comes on the street you know, 6-8 inches the phone is ringing. Keeping water out of the street is a priority for emergency vehicles, as well as avoiding an inconvenience for La Crosse residents. Theres also a potential for property damage. The fact that weve not had any issues really is a testament to all of the staff have been working on this, La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat said. Weve got some cooperation from Mother Nature too, but obviously having the river level this high is an ongoing concern. It comes at a cost, however. The utility has paid $35,000 in labor, including $13,500 in overtime costs, plus $58,000 in equipment costs, for a total of $94,000 spent on keeping water out of the streets. There has just been a lot of water to deal with, Lenz said. Not included in that cost is the added costs at the wastewater treatment plant to treat river and ground water that infiltrates the system. Groundwater seeps into cracks or floor manholes into the sewage system or from illegal connections draining or pumping water into the sanitary sewers. Typically, the plant handles about 11 million gallons of sewage per day, but the plant has been averaging 16 million gallons per day since the flood warning began and peaked at 20 million gallons per day. The river water and ground water that enters the sanitary sewer pipes gets mixed with the raw sewage, and it all has to be treated at the (wastewater treatment plant). There is a significant cost to treat that much clean water, Lenz said. Not only is the flooding expensive to manage, it means the citys stormwater utility has had to put off its state-mandated annual maintenance. That includes cleaning sanitary sewer mains, cleaning the sand and junk out of storm sewer catch basins and replacing worn or failing catch basins and manholes. That will impact our work for the rest of the year, and well have to figure out how were going to get ahead of that work that were not getting done, Greeno said. That could lead to contracting that work out, Lenz said. The city needs to get that work done to meet the terms of its state-issued permits. Thankfully the cold, wet spring has delayed construction start times too, or this would be a bigger problem. But when construction gets going full and everyone is trying to catch up, we will have more crews on construction and less available to help us catch up on the sewer cleaning and catch-basin vacuuming, Lenz said. The city of La Crosse has also installed a temporary levee at Copeland Park that the engineering department is monitoring, and the parks department is monitoring flooding in Copeland, Riverside and Pettibone parks. Thankfully, the end of flooding is in sight, according to the National Weather Service. Were expecting the river around La Crosse to fall below flood stage around Tuesday morning, Lee said. Jourdan Vian can be reached at jvian@lacrossetribune.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jourdan_LCT. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 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 Sustainable La Crosse Commission will host a public program about issues related to ground and surface water quality in La Crosse County and surrounding areas. The forum will be 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, in the basement auditorium (Room 0430) of the La Crosse County Administration Center, 212 6th St. N, La Crosse. Two topics will include nitrates in private well water and its impact on health, and the reduction of phosphorus in the La Crosse River watershed. The first topic will include a discussion on groundwater nitrate contamination from animal production units and other sources. This topic has received attention lately because of the results of studies conducted in the towns of Onalaska and Holland on nitrate levels in the private wells of local residents. This issue plagues numerous citizens across the state. The presenter will be Jennifer Rombalski, director of the La Crosse County Health Department. In early 2017, about 2,000 residents of La Crosse County were notified that they should test their wells due to elevated nitrate levels from monitoring wells in La Crosse County. It was revealed that detected indicators of water pollution had been ongoing since 2005 and residents wondered why they had not been notified much earlier. Under current law, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is not required to notify municipalities or private well owners when a holder of a Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System WPDES permit in their area violates the conditions of the permit. This poses a health risk for families in every part of our state; there are 293 WPDES permits held by concentrated animal feed operations alone, and hundreds more wastewater plants hold them as well. According to a 2015 report by Wisconsin Public Radio, nitrates pollute one of every five private wells in Wisconsin, making the water unsafe for drinking and cooking. The second topic will include a discussion on opportunities to use nutrient credits derived from shoreline improvements, establishment of buffer zones, and the implementation of successful conservation practices to reduce phosphorus levels. These practices can be used as nutrient credits to offset more stringent output water phosphorus levels that the La Crosse Sanitary Sewer Utility will be facing in the future. The presenter will be Karl Green, community natural resource and economic development agent, UW Extension, La Crosse County. Phosphorus has long been recognized as the controlling factor in plant and algae growth in Wisconsin waters. Small increases in phosphorus can fuel substantial increases in aquatic plant and algae growth, which in turn can reduce recreational use, property values and impact public health. Changes to administrative rules aimed at cutting phosphorus coming from farms and industrial and municipal wastewater dischargers were adopted by the state Natural Resources Board in June 2010 and are now in effect. Phosphorus entering our lakes and streams comes from so-called point sources and runoff pollution. Such pollution occurs when heavy rains and melting snow wash over farm fields and feedlots and carry fertilizer, manure and soil into lakes and streams, or carry phosphorus-containing contaminants from urban streets and parking lots. Phosphorus also comes from the point sources piped wastes such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants that release liquid effluent to lakes and rivers or spread sludge on fields; and from natural sources, including past phosphorus loads that build up in lake bottom sediments. How much these sources contribute to phosphorus problems in a lake or river varies widely based on land use in a watershed and the number of point sources discharging into that lake or river. Both point sources and nonpoint sources contribute to increased levels of phosphorus sediment building up in the La Crosse River watershed. This topic is directly related to a goal that has been established by the Sustainable La Crosse Commission-Water Work Group. The goal is to restore water quality of the rivers, streams, lakes, ponds that make up the La Crosse River watershed by concentrating efforts to reduce nonpoint source phosphorus pollution and to advocate for stream bank protections, restoration and permanent easements to remove the La Crosse River from the impaired water classification, as established by the Wisconsin DNR. The Sustainable La Crosse Commission was established in 2009 and it created a strategic plan for sustainability for the city and county. It works to advise and make recommendations on policy and funding related to sustainability and to educate the public about sustainability issues. To learn more about nitrates in private wells and reduction of phosphorus via nutrient trading, join panelists Jennifer Rombalski and Karl Green and the Sustainable La Crosse Commission Thursday, May 16. Carolyn Mahlum-Jenkins of La Crosse is a member of the La Crosse Sustainability Commission. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The worst thing that Attorney General William P. Barr did last week arguably had nothing to do with possible contempt of Congress or the Mueller report. It had to do with health care. On Wednesday, amid the circus over alleged special counsel snittiness, the department that Barr oversees formally asked a federal appeals court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing access to health care for tens of millions of Americans. If the Trump administration prevails, everything in the law would be wiped out. And I do mean everything: the protections for people with pre-existing conditions, Medicaid expansion, income-based individual-market subsidies, provisions allowing children to remain on their parents insurance until age 26, requirements that insurance cover minimum essential benefits such as prescriptions and preventive care, and so on. The administrations rationale was laid out in a policy brief supporting a lawsuit challenging Obamacare by 20 red states. Their logic: When Congress, as part of President Trumps 2017 tax cuts, set the penalty for not carrying health insurance to zero, that effectively made it no longer really a tax, and therefore made it unconstitutional. Somehow, that rendered the rest of the law unconstitutional, as well including lots of provisions having nothing to do with the mandate. This reasoning has been rejected even by conservative legal scholars otherwise opposed to the law. But legal merits (and demerits) aside which are likely to be ultimately adjudicated by the Supreme Court its also not clear what political upside Republicans could possibly see in mounting yet another overt attack on Obamacare. The GOPs November congressional losses were largely motivated by voter rage over the partys attacks on Obamacare, after all. Trump has, of course, more recently proclaimed the GOP the party of health care, and he and other party leaders continue repeating the obvious fiction that theyre cooking up something terrific to replace the ACA. Yet Trumps party has never been able to come up with (let alone pass) a viable replacement plan, even when it had unified control of government. There are more productive things Trump and lawmakers could do to improve the health-care system that dont involve dismantling the ACA. Obamacare, after all, did a lot to expand coverage and not nearly enough to improve affordability. For instance, the latest version of a plan known as the Medicare for America Act introduced Wednesday by Reps. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. would create an expansive public insurance option to compete with the employer-sponsored system. The public option would cap premiums and out-of-pocket costs and have no deductibles. The bill would allow employer-sponsored plans to continue, as long as they covered a minimum average share of enrollees health expenses. Other options might include refundable tax credits to offset out-of-pocket spending, as have been proposed by Democrats before. Trump administration officials may not like these alternatives. Fine. But if theyre going to persist in trying to blow up the current system through administrative sabotage, funding cuts and bogus court challenge the onus remains on them to propose better ways to rebuild it. Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell can be reached at crampell@washpost.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sunday, May 5, 2019 The Intercept has published Bodies in the Borderlands, a long-form feature by reporter Ryan Devereaux focused on the prosecution of Scott Warren, a humanitarian aid worker volunteering with the immigrant rights group No More Deaths (also known as No Mas Muertes) in Arizona. Arrested on January 18, 2018, in Ajo, Arizona, at a barn where two Central American men, Kristian Perez-Villanueva and Jose Arnaldo Sacaria-Godoy, were taking shelter, Warren is now accused, of providing the men with food, water, clean clothes, and a place to sleep over three days. These charges amount to two counts of harboring and one count of conspiracy and, if convicted, Warren could serve up to 20 years in prison. (Warrens first trial for a misdemeanor offense begins in Arizona this coming Monday, May 7; a second trial connected to more serious felony charges is scheduled for May 29.). Devereauxs reporting points to new guidelines issued during the Trump administration that explicitly criminalize humanitarian aid at the border, and writes about the mention of Irineo Mujica as an unindicted co-conspirator in the charges Warren is facing. Mujica runs a migrant shelter in Sonoyta, a Mexican town in the state of Sonora, and is perhaps better known for his role in running Pueblo Sin Fronteras, an organization that has been instrumental in working alongside the migrant caravans to the U.S. border. Humanitarian assistance and solidarity with migrants and refugees is a common thing along the border region, said Warren. The U.S. government is trying to criminalize all of that. According to Devereaux, Like No More Deaths, Pueblo Sin Fronteras has been a favorite villain of the Border Patrol union. KJ https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/05/scott-warren-worked-to-prevent-migrant-deaths-in-the-arizona-desert-the-government-wants-him-in-prison.html Sunday, May 5, 2019 The Trump Administration and the War on Immigration Diversity by Rose Cuison Villazor and Kevin R. Johnson University of California, Davis - School of Law, Wake Forest L. Rev. (forthcoming 2019) This is a contribution to a symposium on the Trump Administration's War on Diversity. Abstract As candidate and President, Donald Trump has expressed his disdain for immigrants of color and an unmistakable commitment to restrict their immigration to the United States. Contemptuous words about immigrants have translated into concrete policies designed to limit immigrants from entering and remaining in the United States. The Trump administrations implementation of the Muslim bans, zero tolerance policies directed at Mexican and Central American noncitizens, and an assortment of other policies all further the goal of decreasing the population of immigrants of color. Moreover, proposals to restrict legal immigration underscore that the current administration seeks to substantially reduce the ability of noncitizens of color to immigrate to the United States. This Article critically analyzes the Trump administrations immigration policies. First, we argue that the Trump administrations policies reveal the executive branchs war on immigration diversity in both admissions and deportations. Second, when situated within the history of immigration laws and policies in the United States, the current war against immigration diversity furthers the administrations broader goal of returning to pre-1965 immigration policies designed to maintain a white nation. Third, and most importantly, we contend that the Trump administrations immigration policies must be met steadfastly resisted. Just as activists in the past fought discriminatory immigration policies, activists today must engage the racism animating the Trump administrations policies. The Article concludes that legal and political attention must be paid to these policies in order to avoid the countrys return to its pre-1965 immigration-law policy of establishing a white nation. KJ https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/05/the-trump-administration-and-the-war-on-immigration-diversity-by-rose-cuison-villazor-and-kevin-r-jo.html A generation ago, in early 1996, China fired missiles in the waters around Taiwan as the island was preparing for its first presidential election. The United States intervened. It deployed two aircraft carriers to guard in the Taiwan Strait area. It was the biggest show of American naval power since the Vietnam War. And it succeeded. Missile fire stopped and Taiwan held the election. In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping again threatened force, if necessary, to regain control of Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province. Although the U.S. still supports Taiwan, the country is showing more restraint in reaction to Chinas messaging. Since last July, the U.S. Navy has sailed seven times through the Taiwan Strait. Each time, only two naval boats were involved and none were major ships such as aircraft carriers. Chang Ching, a retired Taiwanese naval captain, is now a researcher at the Taipei-based Society for Strategic Studies. He says the Trump administration has a problem. They want to send smart, calibrated signals to Beijing without causing an overreaction or misunderstanding, he explained. In just over 20 years, China now has built one of the strongest naval forces in the world. China now guards what it calls the San Hai, or Three Seas: the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea. The National Defense Strategy Commission (NDSC) is an expert group set up by Congress to examine national defense policies. In November, the Commission released its final report. It discussed possible results of war between China and the U.S. Americans could face a decisive military defeat, the group reported. James Holmes teaches at the U.S. Naval War College. He told Reuters, We thought China would be a great pushover for way too long, and so we let them start the naval arms race while we dawdled. Chinas Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Defense Department did not answer questions from Reuters. Fast expansion of the Chinese navy Between 2015 and 2021, Chinas military budget is expected to jump 55 percent from $167.9 billion to $260.8 billion. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission says Chinas navys share of this budget is expected to increase 82 percent, from $31.4 billion to $57.1 billion. The Chinese navy now has about 400 warships and submarines. The U.S. Naval War College projected that it could have more than 530 warships and submarines by the year 2030. In comparison, The U.S. Defense Department said the U.S. Navy has 288 warships and submarines at this time. The Chinese military and its leaders, however, say that while their navy has more ships, America has more powerful ones. They say Americas sea power is greater. For example, the U.S. has 11 aircraft carriers, 88 powerful surface warships and 69 nuclear-powered submarines. China only launched its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, last year. A retired Chinese naval officer spoke to Reuters on the condition that he not be identified. He said the Chinese navy is at least thirty years behind the U.S. He said it is too early for the United States to worry. For now, many of Chinas warships are smaller boats. But experts say the divide between China and other countries navies is narrowing in terms of size, quality and capability. Admiral Harry Harris was leader of the U.S. Pacific Command. He told American lawmakers last year that China would have more big surface warships and submarines than the Russian navy by 2020. Some experts believe China could match the U.S. Navy in numbers and quality of major surface warships by 2030. Ending Chinas humiliation In his November 2012 speech as the new leader of the Communist Party, President Xi said, I believe that realizing the great revival of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times. Last spring, Xi watched a major exercise in the South China Sea. Forty-eight warships sailed in formation with the countrys first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. The Chinese navy has since launched a second carrier that is expected to join the group this year. The U.S. Navy and other foreign navies still sail near the Chinese mainland. But they avoid shows of force that would increase the risk of clashes with Chinese warships and submarines. The last U.S. carrier to pass through the Taiwan Strait was the USS Kitty Hawk. Its battle group sailed there in late 2007 after being denied a port visit to Hong Kong. In recent years, the U.S. has also avoided sending carriers to the Yellow Sea between the Korean Peninsula and the Chinese mainland. The U.S., however, continues to send aircraft carriers through the South China Sea where many nations have claims over the waters. A large, unsinkable carrier People with ties to the ruling Communist Party leadership say Chinas new navy is defensive in nature. They say it is to protect against a hostile United States that sees China as an enemy. The U.S. Navy is a worldwide force with operations to fight wars in the Middle East, support European allies, answer Russias navy, and control international shipping paths. To do this job, the U.S. Navy has to be present in all the worlds oceans. The entire navy of China is based on its own coast. In a conflict near the Three Seas, the Chinese mainland would serve as a large, unsinkable aircraft carrier. Chinas warships would have the firepower of land-based missiles and aircrafts. Most of this firepower was unavailable to China when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton deployed the two carrier battle groups off Taiwan in early 1996. That was a turning point for China to build its modern navy. The country is also building ships and expanding forces that in time could permit it to land on Taiwan or other disputed territories. These include the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China. Im Anna Mateo. And Im Jonathan Evans. David Lague and Benjamin Kang Lim reported this story for Reuters. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story calibrate - v. to measure something in an exact and precise way pushover - n. an opponent that is easy to defeat dawdle - v. to move or act too slowly match - v. to be the equal or to be as good as revival - n. the growth of something after a long period of no growth In the United States, a college education has long been one of the best ways to become a member of the middle class. A college degree usually leads to higher pay, stronger job security, a greater chance of home ownership and comparatively secure family life. These qualities have long been seen as worth the sacrifices often required. Those sacrifices can include the money spent paying off student loans and the years waiting for a return on ones investment in higher education. Yet U.S. college graduates are not as likely as they once were to feel they belong to the middle class. That is a finding of the 2018 General Social Survey, or GSS. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and GSS researchers jointly examined the study. They found that 35 percent of college graduates described themselves as working or lower class. Thats an increase from 1983 when only 20 percent felt that way. Not surprisingly, Americans without a college degree have long felt even less connected to the middle class. Last year, six in 10 of them described themselves as working or lower class, about the same as the percentage who said so in 1983. The study did not define middle class. Those questioned gave answers based on their own opinions. The U.S. economy has been expanding for nearly 10 years. And the nations unemployment rate is at 3.8 percent. Yet the financial concerns that affect many college graduates point to the widening divide between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else. Dan Black is an economist at the University of Chicago. He suggests that over time, this general trend could lead to delayed family formation, lower levels of spending by graduates and, eventually, slower economic growth. Concerns like this will definitely have impacts for the economy, Black told The Associated Press. Widening economic inequality Released in March, the 2018 GSS survey found that as the country recovered from the 2008-2009 recession, many Americans have benefited. Both college graduates and those without degrees are earning more money now. But across age groups, a college degree has become less of a guarantee of rising to a better position in society. Last year, the Pew Research Center reported that in 2016, a middle class household was one earning between $45,200 and $135,600 a year. It also reported that about 52 percent of American adults lived in middle class households. Higher education still offers a path upward. But that path has been narrowed by student debt, rising housing prices and widening economic inequality. Differences in pay go well beyond the divide between the top one percent of earners and everyone else. Differences are widening even within many career fields, including financial advisers, legal experts and medical doctors. The result is that what may seem like a middle class job description may provide a pay level more often linked with a lower middle class job. Martha Gimbel is research director for the jobs website Indeed.com. Using information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gimbel studied the divide between what the top 10 percent of a career field earned compared with the bottom 10 percent. The top 10 percent of U.S. lawyers earned more than $208,000 last year. That amount of money makes the legal occupation look extremely well-paying. But the bottom 10 percent earned less than $58,200, which could make it difficult to repay law school debt. People might seek to become a lawyer, doctor or financial adviser because they see big salaries, Gimbel said. But there is a lot of range in what those workers make. They need to remember that they could be one of the unsuccessful lawyers or real estate brokers. Americans are also more likely than they were before the 2008-2009 recession to say they feel overworked. Eighty percent of college graduates say they work more than 40 hours per week. That is 10 percent higher than those who did not finish college. Graduates are also 10 percent more likely than non-graduates to say they have more work to do than they can complete. Among college graduates who feel disconnected from the middle class is Justin Provo of Chicago. At age 28, Provo says student debt has blocked his move to becoming middle class. He borrowed a total of $58,000 to attend Roosevelt University in Illinois. In 2017, he earned a degree in economics and philosophy. Now working for a loan servicing company, Provo says his earnings-based loan repayment plan is not enough to fully cover the interest on his loans. So while he is making monthly payments on his student loans, his debt level keeps rising. Im making some progress, but I dont feel like Im getting anywhere, he said. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that U.S. student debt now totals nearly $1.5 trillion. That is more than five times what it was in 2004. Researchers suggest that rising levels of student loan debt between 2005 and 2014 have prevented home ownership for about 400,000 young people. At the same time, some studies have shown that student debt has also delayed marriages and household formation. Economists have noted that rising college debt has, in a way, become the cost of entrance into the job market. Nearly 80 percent of the 2 million overall job gains last year went to college graduates; just a third of U.S. adults hold a degree. Soncia Coleman is a senior director at Young Invincibles. Her group works in support of the current generation of college-aged young people, often called millennials. Coleman said that millennials are facing difficulties like no generation before them. These difficulties are preventing them from reaching what we all consider to be the American Dream, she added. They need the education, but the cost to get it is astronomical, said Coleman. Im Pete Musto. And Im Dorothy Gundy. Josh Boak and Emily Swanson reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional information from the Pew Research Centers. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. How connected to the middle class do college-aged young people in your country feel? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Quiz - Many College Educated Americans Feel Disconnected from US Middle Class Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story degree n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university graduate(s) n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university trend n. a way of behaving or proceeding that is developing and becoming more common impact(s) n. a powerful or major influence or effect benefit(ed) v. to be helped beyond prep. more than something broker(s) n. a person who helps other people to reach agreements, to make deals, or to buy and sell property, such as stocks or houses astronomical adj. extremely large Repeat after me! To be together with who I want. Those instructions come from a family of Romanian witches, who are doing a video call with a person in India. The person is paying the witches to cast a spell - a group of secret words that are believed to have magic power when spoken. The Internet and the Witch Community Witchcraft is traditional in the eastern European country. The rise of the internet and social media have helped to grow the business of Romanias witch community. Many the countrys estimated 4,000 witches are now getting customers from Europe, Asia and the United States. A truly powerful witch can solve problems from a distance, explains 20-year-old witch Cassandra Buzea. Buzea said her generation had persuaded the older one about the powers of the selfie, referring to images people take of themselves. Her mother quickly supported the idea. Nothings changed, the craft is the same, but now its much easier for us to be in contact with clients from other countries, said Mihaela Minca, who taught her daughter Cassandra the family craft. The witches hold many of their online meetings in a small building about 15 kilometers north of Bucharest, Romania. They would not say how much money they earn, but they did say that a tarot reading starts at around 50 euros, or around $56. Other more complex services, however, last weeks and can run into the hundreds. Involvement in Politics Minca said she connected online with nine witches and wizards from across Europe and the United States. Their goal: to make magic against Romanian lawmakers seen by witches as corrupt. Streamed online, the group performed a magic act with their overseas partners. The act was to punish those who dont do their jobs, those who have bad intentions, Minca said. She said those targeted by the magic will lose their positions and suffer health problems. The non profit anti-corruption organization Transparency International, says Romania is one of the EUs most corrupt states. The European Commission, based in Brussels, has kept the countrys judicial system under special monitoring since it joined the bloc in 2007. Romanias ruling Social Democrats proposed changes to the countrys crime laws last year. The European Commission said the proposed changes could undo years of democratic and market reforms. Minca said she and her fellow witches plan to use the power of the internet once more ahead of Mays European parliament elections, for the good of the country. I'm John Russell. Emily Wither reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Catherine Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cast v. to send or direct (something) in the direction of someone or something craft n. a job or activity that requires special skill tarot n. a set of 78 cards with pictures and symbols that is used to see what will happen in the future ritual n. a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. On this program, we explore common expressions in American English. And today we talk about something many people like to eat candy! I want candy! I want candy! Candy comes in many flavors and textures. Some taste like fruit. Some taste like flowers. Some are chewy, like taffy and gum. Hard candies are, well, hard! So, they last a long time. But, in spoken English, there are some types of candy that you cannot eat. For example, you cant eat eye candy. Eye candy is a person man or woman who is very good-looking. So, looking at this person is a treat for the eye, just like candy is a treat for the taste buds. Arm candy is also non-edible candy. It is another term for a good-looking person. In this case, the good-looking person is someones date or romantic interest. The two might even link arms to show they are together. That is why we call them arm candies. So, all arm candies are also eye candies, because they must be good-looking. But not all eye candies are arm candies, because they can be alone. And beware of someone calling you arm candy. It suggests you are only being pursued because of your good looks. There. I said it. I did not candy coat the truth. What does candy-coating something mean? Well, some pills are covered with a coat of thin, sweet candy. The coating makes swallowing the pill easier, and it may hide a bad taste. So, candy coating a difficult truth or situation means you dont directly discuss its bad parts. For example, lets say you work in a chocolate factory. You hear your boss accuse a co-worker of stealing some candy. You do not want to make the situation worse. So you tell your colleagues, I think Louisa will be leaving the chocolate business very soon, instead of, Oh Louisa? She is being fired right now. Okay, after all this talk about candy you may crave something sugary. If you do, you can say you have a sweet tooth. People with a sweet tooth love to eat sweets -- not just candy, but also cakes, pies, cookies, ice cream you name it! If it has sugar, they like to eat it! Or maybe that is not you. After all, some people dislike things that are very sweet, especially adults. But even if you do not like candy or are no longer a child you can still be called a kid in a candy store. This expression means a person is very excited and happy to do something or to simply be somewhere. Imagine a child going from one candy display to the next, not knowing which candy to choose! This expression also suggests the person is acting in a somewhat childish and silly way. And he or she does not care! Talking about children brings us to our last expression: as easy as taking candy from a baby. Think about a small, helpless baby holding a piece of candy. Taking it would be very easy -- mean, but easy. So, use this expression when you are talking about something that may be simple to do, but probably not right. On the other hand, if something is simple and your intentions are sweet, you can say easy as pie or easy as cake. Now, we talked about those last two expressions in an earlier Words and Their Stories. I used them again because repetition is important when learning a language. And Im not going to candy-coat it: You need to practice too. That brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Until next time Im Anna Matteo. The candy man, the candy man can The candy man can 'cause he mixes it with love And makes the world taste good. Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Earlier in the story, you heard the pop group Bow Wow Wow singing "I Want Candy." The song at the end is Sammy Davis Jr. singing "The Candy Man," which was first heard in the famous 1971 movie "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." Do you have candy expressions in your language? Let us know in the Comments Section! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story flavor n. a particular type of taste texture n. the way that a food or drink feels in your mouth taste bud n. one of many small spots on your tongue that give you the ability to taste things non-edible adj. not fit to be eaten romantic adj. of, relating to, or involving love between two people pill n. a small, rounded object that you swallow and that contains medicine, vitamins, etc. crave v. to want greatly intention n. the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Western Interlock scholarship, news and new ideas in legal history Copyright These pages are copyrighted as they appear by John Z. Guzlowski. All content on these pages is his sole property and cannot be used without his permission. A shareholder asserted that Berkshire would have expanded its cash pile to $155 billion from $118 billion if it had kept the cash in a stock index fund versus U.S. Treasury bills. Its a perfectly rational observation, Buffett said. Buffett expressed a willingness for Berkshire to change its investment strategy around its excess cash in the future. He said the change would be something his successor might wish to employ. Buffett said he and Munger have liked having a lot of money to be able to make big moves fast. Opportunities tend to come in clumps when other people dont want to deploy cash, Buffett said. The two believe the capital on hand will be well-deployed and be better than an index fund. Munger said its not a sin for such a large company to be strong on cash. Were not going to change. Online competition for Berkshire retailers Buffett said the jury is still out on how rapidly growing online retailers will do over time. Investors so far, he said, seem willing to look at losses as OK as long as sales are increasing, hoping better days are ahead. BISMARCK, N.D. | North Dakota plans to invest $33 million in the unmanned aircraft systems industry in an attempt to establish the state as a premier location for drone research, testing and commercialization. Gov. Doug Burgum is expected to sign a bill authorizing the investment in a ceremony Monday with state leaders. The majority of the money will go toward building out infrastructure to support operations to fly drones beyond the sight of the pilot. About $2 million will be used to support an unmanned aircraft test site in Grand Forks that's been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones without chase planes to observe the flight. Another $3 million will upgrade infrastructure at Grand Sky, the country's first unmanned aircraft business park located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The first trans-Atlantic flight of a medium-altitude unmanned aircraft flew from Grand Sky to England last July. Burgum lauded the state's strong commitment to supporting researchers, entrepreneurs and technology in the field when announcing the decision this week. "The exciting work made possible by our statewide UAS infrastructure network and beyond visual line of sight capability will diversify our economy and create lasting benefits for taxpayers, businesses and industry alike," Burgum said. The new commitment will raise North Dakota's total investment in drone research and development to $77 million. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHARLOTTESVILLE Two members of a white supremacist group pleaded guilty Friday to federal rioting charges in connection with the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and political rallies in California. Benjamin Drake Daley, 26, of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Michael Paul Miselis, 30, of Lawndale, Calif., each pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to riot. Daley and Miselis are the last of four members of the Rise Above Movement indicted in Virginia to plead guilty. The militant white supremacist group was known for having members who train in mixed martial arts street-fighting techniques. Two other members Cole White and Thomas Gillen each had pleaded guilty to the same charge. All four admitted they punched and kicked demonstrators who showed up to protest against white nationalists during a torch-lit march at the University of Virginia and the Unite the Right rally in August 2017. The men were indicted in October on two charges: traveling to incite riots and conspiracy to riot. When I was a child, my mother took us to the movies all the time. It was the 50s, and movies were air-conditioned. We lived in Brooklyn and it was really hot in the summertime. And movies were cool. She had this idea, I dont know where she got it, to see all the great movie theaters in New York. That must have been an influence. I think she would let us go to the movies. Sometimes she would take us to the movies and leave us there with the matron, and give the matron a little bit of money, and go off and live her life. I remember one time I saw Tarantula, and it scared the crap out of me. I went home and blamed her. How could you let me go see a movie like that? In college, I discovered foreign films in my first year. I went to Knife in the Water, a Roman Polanski film. I was sitting in the back of the theater and everyone was responding to the movie. I was just baffled. I didnt understand a word of it. I thought These people must speak Polish. And then I sat up in my seat and saw the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. What an idiot. I started going every week to the film society. And by sophomore year I was running it. And then I wanted to go to grad school to study film. We told him, Slow down youll end up like Belushi and Candy, Sandler sang. He said, Those guys are my heroes, thats all fine and dandy. Sandler also recalled seeing Farley listening to a KC and the Sunshine Band song in the SNL offices and crying, thinking about his father back in Madison. But a few months later, the party came to an end, Sandler sang. We flew out to Madison to bury our friend. Nothin' was harder than sayin' goodbye, 'cept watchin' Chris' father have his turn to cry. In the song, Sandler imagines Farley instead surviving. You're a legend like you wanted, but I still wish you were here with me/ And we were gettin' on a plane to shoot Grown Ups 3. Saturdays show was Sandlers first as host since he left the show 24 years ago. Farleys name also came up during the opening monologue, in which Sandler and Rock sang about getting fired from the show. I told my buddy Chris Farley I got fired, and he said, Sandman, they fired my ass too. The resulting bill, Senate Bill 50, addresses such aspects of police body camera policy as training, equipment and records retention. Much of the discussion in drafting the proposal focused on public access to recordings. Wisconsin has a long-standing standard of presuming that all public records are available for the public to view. The committee built on this standard in drafting the proposed legislation, as well as on the experience of other states that have dealt with this issue. To address the privacy concerns, the committee proposed adjustments to the balancing test as it applies to police body cameras. Records custodians must weigh the privacy interests of victims, minors and witnesses in deciding whether a video should be released. Redaction technology can be used to protect victims, minors and those with a reasonable expectation of privacy. The study committee worked hard to reach this agreement. Committee members listened sincerely to those who disagreed with them. Sen. Testin and Rep. Taylor deserve credit for their work leading this committee. Dear Editor: Mr. Healy's radical insistence in his recent column on "keeping government out of the way" so private industry can build 5G networks is consistent with the FCC's promotion of a "fast plan to 5G," which seeks to "streamline" the regulatory process, makes auctioning of the high band millimeter spectrum a priority and foresees the rapid deployment of thousands of small cell antennas capable of handling high volumes of data. Installed on lampposts and utility poles in close proximity to homes, businesses and schools, such antennas are considered necessary to support IoT, smart cities and autonomous vehicles. What is missing in the FCC strategy is an update to its own 1996 guidelines, which do not reflect what we now know about the biological effects of radiation exposures. And 5G could be a source of massive amounts of unprecedented radio-frequency radiation. In the absence of updated standards by which to evaluate new 5G-related products, simply letting the unimpeded marketplace "charge ahead" may have unintended, possibly disastrous results. Only 12 years after their entry to service, crews have begun dismantling two Airbus A380s for scrap at a French airport. The ex-Singapore Airlines airframes were the first to carry passengers in 2007 and were returned to a leasing company by the airline after their 10-year term expired. The leasing company made the call to part them out after it couldnt find any buyers. The cannibalization began last week at Tarbes Lourdes Airport near the Spanish border. First to go were the Rolls-Royce Trent engines. Both aircraft have empty nacelles, already. One is missing its radome and the rudders are gone on both. The Singapore livery was painted over before their flight to the mountains more than a year ago. Singapore still has 19 A380s but the airline is opting for volume over luxury with older 379-seat versions (with 12 private suites) being converted to carry 471 passengers. LODI A wave of resignations has left officials at the Lodi Police Department to wonder how they are going to ensure public safety in the Columbia County city of just over 3,000 people. In a matter of weeks, the department of six sworn officers expects to lose three, including both supervisors. Police Chief Scott Klicko resigned from his position April 25. Patrol officer Michael Andrews has accepted a job at the nearby Sauk Prairie Police Department. His last day in Lodi will be May 13. In a Facebook post Friday, Clintonville City Administrator Sharon Eveland said Lodi Police Lt. Craig Freitag has accepted a position as that citys next chief of police. She said he will start his new role in the small northeastern Wisconsin city at the end of May. Before Clintonville reached out to him, the Lodi Police Commission recommended appointing him as interim chief of police to fill the vacancy left by Klickos resignation. However, Freitag also will be leaving Lodi and said members of the department felt confused by a lack of communication with city officials regarding the sudden changes. He worked at Trane Co. until being laid off in 2010 and then enlisted in the U.S. Army when he couldnt find other work. He spent a year at a Forward Operations Base in Afghanistan where he was found in possession of child pornography. The Army didnt charge Olson with possessing child pornography until after completing his overseas tour. He was convicted by military a tribunal. During the course of his incarceration, his sentence was reduced to six months at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and he received a General Discharge under honorable conditions, according to Olsons attorney Kirk Obear. Released without any court-ordered supervision or sex-offender treatment, Olson returned to collecting child pornography until he was caught, authorities said. Had Olson been convicted in a state or federal court, he would be facing a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to the possession charge in February. Altman recommended a sentence within the advisory guideline range of 57 to 71 months. She justified that, saying Olson was a registered sex offender at the time of this offense, and that his interest in young girls escalated since his 2012 conviction. HOUSE KEEPING AMERICA IN CLIMATE ACCORD: The House on Thursday voted, 231 for and 190 against, to continue U.S. participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change. The bill (HR 9) would deny funding to carry out President Donald Trumps plan to withdraw the United States from the global pact in November 2020. The bill also requires the administration to develop a plan for achieving voluntary carbon-reduction goals to which America subscribed when the Obama administration joined the agreement in 2016. Those goals would be reached primarily by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Signed by 195 nations, the Paris Agreement is designed to limit the increase in the average global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial (about 1850) levels. Each participant is responsible on a voluntary basis to meet emissions targets it negotiates with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The United States is the only signee nation to have disavowed the agreement. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Asked about where he stands on the other bills following a news conference last week, Evers said he didnt know what they did and refused to allow a reporter to tell him about the measures, saying he wanted to see the bills himself. Evers has said in the past he supports a womans right to choose. Signing any anti-abortion measure into law would spark serious questions about his loyalty to the Democratic Party. Eye on next year For Republicans, its all about energizing the conservative base in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. Most Republican legislators face little threat from Democratic challengers since the GOP redrew district lines in 2011. But they dont want to face primary opponents. Proposing the anti-abortion bills is a way to reassure their base that theyre true conservatives. Wisconsin Republicans arent the only ones advancing anti-abortion legislation. Republicans are sending born-alive bills to liberal-leaning governors in other states, too. You stride purposefully into the living room and then your mind goes blank. You cant remember what you planned to do. Or you memorize a short grocery list. But when you arrive at the supermarket all you can recall is yogurt. What else were you supposed to buy? Then there are those times you bump into whats-his-name at work. Or struggle to dredge up the title of that book you wanted to buy or movie you saw last week. Such lapses are presumed to be a normal feature of the aging brain. They cant be helped. Or can they? Researchers at Northwesterns Feinberg School of Medicine and Boston University report tantalizing progress in related experiments to boost short- and longer-term memory. The first type is working memory. Thats whats used to remind yourself of a phone number you just heard, or to take your medication. Then theres longer-term memory that helps you recall something that happened weeks or years ago. In one set of experiments at Boston University, researchers jolted the brains of people over age 60 with a mild electrical current. Study participants donned what look like shower caps with electrodes protruding (Think: Grade Z 1950s sci-fi movies). 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. I picked up the State Journal on Wednesday morning to read that the Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with the Republicans in the "lame-duck" session case. Three weeks ago a Wisconsin appeals court sided with Evers, ruling that he had the authority to withdraw the appointments. The court that the Republicans have bought over the years sided with the Republicans. At least we are now stable and know how every Supreme Court decision will be made. It should save citizens a lot of money, because we all know any case with political questions will be decided before the money is spent to appeal a case. How long is it going to take for Republican lawmakers to stop pretending that the November election in Wisconsin never happened? The latest example: Republicans on the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee have already rejected Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' state budget proposal to accept $324 million in federal funding for an expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Gov. Evers' proposal would provide much-needed health care coverage to 82,000 people in Wisconsin. Gov. Evers strongly supported the Medicaid expansion in his campaign, while Republican incumbent Gov. Scott Walker consistently opposed it. Gov. Evers won the election. Walker lost. A Marquette poll in April indicated strong 70% support for the Medicaid expansion, with only 23% opposed. Voters clearly wanted change in 2018. They still do. They want a bipartisan approach, not one-party rule. It's time for the arrogance of Republican lawmakers to stop in Wisconsin. Providing health care coverage to 82,000 of our fellow citizens is a great place to start. John Finkler, Middleton BOISE Its Monday night and the Basque Center is crammed with nearly 175 dancers, musicians, actors and stage crew. Its organized chaos, for theyve been rehearsing every Monday night since January. There was no shortage of volunteers, either, for this is a historic event. Seventy years ago, the Basque community was asked to put on a show for the 30th Boise Music Week festival. These days, that wouldnt be an unusual request. But back then, land for the Basque Center had not yet been purchased. The Oinkari Dancers wouldnt be formed for 11 more years. There was no museum and no Basque studies program. The biggest Basque dances and gatherings were at boarding houses. The first show was a big deal to produce and its success resonates in the second show. Thousands throng to greatest Basque spectacle ever seen in U.S., said the May 10, 1949, Idaho Statesman headline, with a side story saying there were 3,000 turned away who could not fit in the Boise High School auditorium, the premier venue then. By popular demand, a repeat performance was held May 20. That Music Week invitation and the communitys overwhelming support laid the foundation for the thriving Basque community of today, including those Monday night volunteers at the Basque Center. The original show was called Song of the Basque, and this weeks show will follow in its footsteps as Song of the Basque 2. It is part of the 101st annual Boise Music Week and will have one show at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Morrison Center for Performing Arts. Tickets are free but must be reserved. The original performance was a variety show, featuring performers from around the Treasure Valley. The 2019 show, however, is less variety and more of a story of the Basque migration, the likes of which the world had ever seen, says Aitor Amuchastegui as the storyteller and narrator through the play. The play, in fact, parallels his own familys story. We came here, we didnt know how to speak English, we knew very few people here, he said in an interview. But he also remembers forming bonds with other Basques. Those people became our family, our extended family, central to the strength of the Basque community today. Were trying to capture and make people aware of whats happened since 1949, says Juliana Jausoro Aldape, who, at two years old, was the youngest performer then. Her granddaughter will play Aldapes part in the contemporary show. Aldape, who is on the organizing committee, laughs and predicts her granddaughter will also take her role on the same committee in the next 70 years. Thats just another part of the shows family connection. Among the many photos in the 1949 Idaho Statesman article is one showing Ramon Ysursa and his sister, Ruby Ysursa, dancing the traditional jota to music by their father, Benito Ysursa. In the 2019 version, the siblings children, John Ysursa and his cousin, Marie Basabe Alder, will dance. Its a special jota, for their grandfather played it on a guitar; traditionally its on an accordion. Its a very gypsy-flavored jota, Alder says. To make it extra special, the Basque boarding house scene will include a recording that Benito Ysursa made after the 1949 show. Were going to pretend that our grandfather is playing through the radio of our boarding house 70 years ago, Ysursa says. Its just a special opportunity to relive those memories. The second show is written and directed by Doug Copsey, who grew up in a Basque neighborhood, Aldape Heights, in Boises East End. The play includes photos from the original play, interspersed with interviews of the original 1949 cast members who are still living. Theyre so dedicated. They so want to make this a good show like the 1949 show was, Copsey says. And everybody wants to be a part of it. Its neat to see the memories theyre honoring from the 49 show and yet taking it another step forward. Thats the third act: The four generations, leading into the fifth. The purpose of the third act is to highlight those generations and how theyve evolved here in Boise and in Idaho. Ysursa reflects on the passing of those generations and the honor it is to dance the jota. Both his grandfather and his father and aunt, who danced in the 1949 play, have died. This is a very special way to really remember (them) and pay tribute to our family, he said. ... As the subtitle of the show says: The legacy continues. So were a part of that ongoing story. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TWIN FALLS Benjamin Behm, a senior at Twin Falls High School and son of Julie Behm who works in the Twin Falls County Prosecutors Office, was awarded one of seven scholarships from the Idaho Association of Counties. Behm will receive $1,000 for his college education. The fund was created to provide scholarships to children of county elected officials, county employees and grandchildren of county elected officials. County elected officials and employees contribute to the fund through personal donations and fundraisers such as auctions. This is the 16th year the scholarships have been awarded. The selection was made from a pool of 72 applicants. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New video has emerged showing the Aeroflot Superjet 100 that burned at a Moscow airport was not on fire when it landed but caught fire on the runway after an extremely hard landing and bounce. The right engine erupted in flames on the second impact in the fuzzy surveillance tape. At least 41 people were killed and an unknown number injured in the accident at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday. The aircraft was almost fully engulfed in flames by the time it had rolled out. The aircraft had just taken off on a flight to Murmansk with 79 people on board. Initial reports said an inflight engine fire occurred early in the flight but the video clearly shows the fire started on the ground. The aircraft erupted in flames in full view of the main terminal and Russias main investigative bureau has been called to investigate. The crew reported a lightning strike shortly after takeoff and returned to Moscow. There were reports the crew aborted one landing attempt and the accident happened on the second try. After the aircraft stopped, passengers jumped to safety on the front emergency slides and fled from the runway. Some of them were carrying baggage. The Superjet 100 has been in service for eight years and Aeroflot is the main operator. About 300 are in service. As alarming as the video shot from outside is (first video), the 21 seconds shot by a passenger is even more frightening. Volunteers Light of Hope, formerly Safe Harbor, is a nonprofit run by volunteers in helping those in need in the Magic Valley. Hot homemade meals are served at 5 p.m. Sundays and at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Light of Hope is in need of nonperishable food items. Food boxes are handed out and donations are received from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays at the center, 213 Fifth Ave. W., Twin Falls. To volunteer: Zandra, 208-735-8787. Volunteers The donation of your time will have an impact on the life of one of the clients served by Interlink Volunteer Caregivers that live in the area. As a volunteer, you choose how much time to share. The biggest need for volunteers is with Transportation Services for medical appointments, treatments and pharmacy pick up. IVC reimburses mileage monthly. Information: interlinkidaho@gmail.com or 208-733-6333. Volunteers Idaho Home Health and Hospice is looking for volunteers who are willing to donate their time, to bring compassion, support and dignity to loving patients and their families. Volunteers can choose to read, sit with patients or write letters and help with a patients legacy. Volunteers can assist with crafts, office tasks and support community events. Volunteers can provide bereavement and help to appreciate and celebrate veterans. Information: Diana Lerh, 208-734-4061 or Diana.Lerh@LHCgroup.com. Volunteers Hospice Visions Inc. is looking for volunteers to spend an hour or two a week visiting and sharing time with patients and their families. Volunteers are also needed to help with crafts and activities with patients at assisted living centers. Hospice Visions is also looking for men and women to serve as Veteran-to-Veteran volunteers for veteran patients. All ages of veterans from all branches of service are welcome to join the volunteer forces as part of the We Honor Veterans program. Information: Nora Wells, volunteer coordinator at Hospice Visions, 208-735-0121 or nwells@hospicevisions.org. Volunteers The Twin Falls County Historical Society is seeking volunteers for various programs and general support. Volunteers are needed to clean or work on docent projects and fundraising. No minimum amount of hours, commitment is flexible. Fill out an application at the Twin Falls County Historical Museum, 21337 U.S 30, open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: 208-736-4675. Volunteers The Jerome County Historical Society is looking for volunteers to help at the Depot Museum, 212 E. First St., Jerome, and also to help with clean-up this spring at the Idaho Farm and Ranch Museum before the Live History Day event June 8. IFARM is at 520 S. 450 E., Jerome, near the U.S. 93 and Interstate 84 junction. The Depot Museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: 208-324-5641. Volunteers St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center is in need of volunteers for a variety of positions from shuttle drivers to gift shop volunteers. Volunteers will have opportunities to meet new people and learn new experiences and challenges. The medical center is looking for friendly individuals with an interest in voluntary services offered to patients, visitors, employees and guests. Information: Kim Patterson, 208-814-0861 or kimpa@slhs.org, or visit the Volunteer Services Office on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. Applications are available at the Front Information Desk at the hospital. Volunteers Pomerelle Place Senior Living in Burley is looking for volunteers to play bingo, games and cards with the residents and complete crafts. Information: Carla Thompson, 208-677-8212. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on May 2. BOISE State superintendent Sherri Ybarra spent more than $35,700 on consultants who worked on her failed school security proposal. The $20 million Keep Idaho Students Safe initiative went nowhere at the 2019 Legislature after Ybarra spent much of 2018 promoting the plan and making it a centerpiece of her successful re-election campaign. The consultants bills obtained by Idaho Education News through a public records request nearly equal the annual starting salary for one teacher. A Ybarra spokeswoman defended the contracts. It is common practice for constitutional officers and state agencies to hire outside contractors on an as-needed basis, Kris Rodine said in an email. The money went to three parties: Scott Phillips received $20,362.50 last fall, to work on communications on the KISS proposal. The work ran through Nov. 26. The next day, Phillips joined Ybarras State Department of Education as a stakeholder communications officer, at an annual salary of slightly more than $90,000. Forward Movement Training LLC received $7,875 last fall. The SDE hired the Meridian security consultants to work with law enforcement agencies and the states Office of School Safety and Security and to help develop training plans for school security officers. The SDEs contract maxed out payments to Forward Movement at $20,000. Peppershock Media received $7,500 to produce a public service announcement touting KISS, and securing airtime for the spot. The last payment to the Nampa-based company was processed on Jan. 23. The following day, the Legislatures Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee met to scrutinize Ybarras budget request. KISS did not come up in the committees lengthy question-and-answer session. A key JFAC member said she was concerned by the consulting costs. That seems like a lot of money, when they already have a lot of staff to do that kind of work, said Rep. Wendy Horman, a vice chair of the budget-writing committee. Horman, R-Idaho Falls, plays a key role in writing the states K-12 spending bills. The consulting costs do not account for staff time spent formulating the KISS plan. Thats harder to quantify, especially since State Department of Education staffers can wind up wearing a number of hats. Matt McCarter was Ybarras point person on the KISS rollout. As the departments director of student engagement and career and technical readiness, McCarters responsibilities also include the advanced opportunities program, college and career advising, drivers education and training and suicide prevention and response, among other items. McCarter earns $92,600 annually. Despite Ybarras push, other state leaders did not embrace KISS. Gov. Brad Little rejected the KISS budget request which included $19.1 million for school security grants and safety courses for educators and school staff. The House Education Committee held one hearing on the proposal, but while the education committees have a big say in policy, they hold little sway over the budget. In essence, when KISS went unfunded, it also went ignored. Nevertheless, Ybarra continues to tout KISS in a banner on the top of her departments home page. That banner links to a dated KISS webpage that makes no mention of the 2019 legislative session or the plans quiet demise. This week, Rodine said Ybarra will continue to gather input on her plan, meeting with lawmakers and education groups and holding a school safety forum this fall. Superintendent Ybarra is continuing to refine her student safety initiative and continuing the conversation around how she can support schools in addressing safety issues, Rodine said. Idaho Education News data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 If you don't think you need an all-seeing doorbell, that's bad news for Amazon, which is selling one called Ring. So now the company is trying to recruit a reporter to make sure that stories of scary crimes (or noncrimes, such as "stranger alerts") get to you as fast and as often as possible. The goal is obvious: fear, fear, fear, fear, fear. Not only will you be grateful for your doorbell-cum-security detail (or hurry up and buy one), you also might no longer want to go outside, because now it seems so terrifying. Instead, you'll want everything delivered straight to your bunker ... er ... home. Hmmm. Is there a company that delivers everything to your doorstep negating the idea of community? "Home security like never before" is how Amazon describes its product. The promotional video features stocking-capped young men (different races -- collect all 24!) casing a house and a happy blonde lady in her driveway, radiant in the knowledge she is not about to be clobbered. The video also shows two school-age kids coming through the door while Mom is out, joyful as puppies, and monitored as closely as maximum-security prisoners. Josh Benton in The Atlantic has written an engrossing piece on doorbell dystopia, including a deep dive into why the majority of people believe crime is going up though it has been going down for decades. As he points out, what Amazon is doing by hiring a crime editor is not gathering information, in the traditional news sense. Amazon is not trying to frame the world in any kind of robust, meaningful way. In fact, "A company that sells security-optimized doorbells has only one incentive: emphasizing that the world is a scary place, and you need to buy our products to protect you." Benton continues that, judging by its marketing, Amazon "encourages people living in bucolic suburbs with wrought iron gates to feel as if they're in the last un-zombified neighborhood in 'The Walking Dead.'" But in truth, the more you believe in your community, the safer it becomes. You go out, you send your kids out, everyone gets to know each other, and the streets teem with life human eyes rather than Amazon's on the street, protecting everyone on it. When Benton used the neighborhood update app, Ring alerted him that a lawn care guy had knocked on someone's door (terrifying!), a fire had happened two towns away (so relevant!) and two people in matching T-shirts with clipboards had been wandering the neighborhood (clearly nefarious). Regarding those clipboard carriers, one app user asked if anyone knew them "perhaps concerned about Islamic State infiltration of the Boston suburbs," writes Benton. "Call the police," a commenter replied. Note to Amazon if you're listening (and I'm pretty sure they are): Streaming stranger danger and a "Call the cops!" mentality into the collective bloodstream is not a new kind of neighborliness. It's a new level of lockdown, as calming as "Hit the floor!" Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow, founder of Free-Range Kids and author of Has the World Gone Skenazy? She may be reached at lskenazy@yahoo.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With 40 percent of Idaho covered in trees, the management of our forests affects us all. All Idahoans benefit from the clean water, abundant wildlife habitat, recreation and wood and paper products that healthy forests provide, along with many positive economic impacts. Arbor Day was April 26, a time to celebrate the benefits forests provide us, but also a time to reflect on how forests depend on humans for their continued health through active forest management the sustainable cycle of harvesting followed by replanting of trees and using fire as a management tool to reduce overgrown vegetation. There are 21.4 million acres of forests in Idaho. About 10 million acres of federal forests in Idaho are overgrown, unhealthy, and prone to devastating fires. Impaired forest health conditions and wildfire know no boundaries. As Land Board members, we oversee the management of one million acres of forested state endowment lands. The lands are a gift to Idaho in all they offer. Timber sales on endowment lands generate millions of dollars in revenue for Idahos public schools annually. Sustainable forest management practices ensure these lands will continue to benefit public schools and Idaho citizens for years to come. However, 94 percent of forested state endowment lands border federal national forests in Idaho. Wildfire, insects, and disease move freely between federal, state, and private lands. To address the forest health crisis in Idaho and maintain healthy state endowment forests for public schools, we directed the Idaho Department of Lands to work with the U.S. Forest Service, forest industry, conservation groups, and others to help improve forest conditions on a scale that matters. The recently inked Shared Stewardship agreement recognizes that different land owners federal, state, and private need to work together to reduce the risk of fire and infestations of insects and disease in our forests. The state and federal government are using spatial planning tools to identify, coordinate, and treat priority landscapes across ownerships. The result will be reduced fuels to protect Idaho communities from wildfire, improved forest health, and job creation in the private sector. We are just getting going with Shared Stewardship in Idaho, but we are anchoring to our success with the Good Neighbor Authority, a related program that encourages collaboration, resource sharing, and a get it done approach to land management. We all love forests. But most of Idahos forests need to be conserved, not preserved. Active, sustainable forest management is part of conservation. The steps we are taking with your support will ensure our forests are healthy for future generations. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The way SNAP is being run is a recipe for crime. SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and its become an indispensable anti-hunger program in the last 80 years. Last Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard an oral argument in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media. Back in 2011, the Argus Leader, a South Dakota newspaper, filed public records requests with the United States Department of Agriculture the agency that runs SNAP for data on how and where SNAP benefits are used. Reporters wanted to trace which companies make the most money from SNAP. The USDA and food lobbyists have fought the reporters requests for eight years. One of the main objections to releasing information on the taxpayer-funded program is that it may stigmatize businesses that cater to people who qualify for food assistance. As of 2019, SNAP serves as many as 38 million adults and children and pays about $64 billion for their food. If theres a grocer out there that hasnt served one of these people or received a piece of this government pie, its because it chooses to refuse SNAP payments. Smart stores welcome SNAP customers because its good business. I cant swallow the USDAs stigma story. I spit it out because, right around the same time as the argument before the Supreme Court, the USDA announced a pilot program through which beneficiaries can use SNAP with online grocery retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and ShopRite. Its designed to help single and working parents and other beneficiaries who cant get to the store. I guess Amazon and Walmart are either so big that stigma cant stick to them, or they see a potential in a federal contract that outweighs the label particularly since its possible no interested citizen armed with a Freedom of Information form will ever uncover how much these corporations make off SNAP if the Supreme Court rules that USDA data cant be disclosed. Ive been around the system long enough to know that when government aligns with private interests against transparency, its usually to cover dirty deeds. I predict a scandal will reveal itself within the SNAP program in the next two years. Well find out that some corporate executives or government administrators have been breaking SNAPs bank. It wont be the recipients, even though theyre usually blamed for entitlement hijinks. The right-wing boogeyman of welfare treachery wakes up every Congress and scares conservative lawmakers into trying to limit social spending. In the process, he demonizes the poor by implying that theyre perpetrators of crime just because theyre in need. The truth about the SNAP program is actually the opposite. It has one of the lowest rates of mispayment technical term for receiving benefits youre not supposed to get of all federal programs, and it is usually a caseworker error, not deceit of the beneficiary, that causes it. The country spends more money trying to ferret out SNAP fraud than it actually loses to SNAP fraud. Those facts wont stop the continuing cuts to the program. Stopping deceit and abuse is what motivated the Trump administration to propose cutting $17.4 billion from SNAP for fiscal year 2020. The reduced budget allocation appeared alongside a rule proposed by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to take back SNAP benefits from people whove been out of work. The USDA is looking for newer, bigger commercial food frontiers for fewer SNAP beneficiaries. That smells rotten to me. The irony of these SNAP plans is that food security is a potent crime fighter, particularly for those whove been released from prison, as nearly 650,000 people are every year. Because they emerge jobless and essentially penniless, its estimated that as many as 91% of released prisoners are food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to food. Food insecurity correlates highly with a return to illegal activities, according to a study conducted by Dr. Emily Wang and others at the Yale School of Medicine. A transparent, properly administered SNAP program has the potential to reduce crime. Protecting the USDAs opacity while slashing the number of people who can receive the agencys benefits isnt just dumb. Its ultimately dangerous, as well see someday. Chandra Bozelko is the Vice President of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and writes a nationally-syndicated column for Creators Syndicate. You can follow her on Twitter at @aprisondiary. Bozelko describes herself as a freelance thought leader, writer and formerly incarcerated woman. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This was America when I was born: No one had to lock their windows or doors. Car-keys were left in the ignitions. No knee-wrecking concrete; we walked on wooden floors. Agreements were sealed with a handshake; No need for the contracts of today. Self-respect made people's word their bond; It was understood, "I mean what I say." Only in circus side-shows could one see Odd folks and freaks by the score. Now they fill our landscape, head-to-toe Covered in weird, pagan symbols galore. In my school days, the worst infractions were Chewing gum in class and running in the hall, Not slaughtering children by deranged madmen Programmed for violence by modern cultures, all. How has our country fallen so low? Depravity was enshrined by atheists in control. Over sixty million babies murdered since 1973. Virtue ridiculed. America is losing its soul. America, founded upon God's commandments, The most prosperous nation earth has ever seen, By and for the people, the first time in history, Oppressed by neither dictator nor king. Darwin's finches changed bills to fit each island. They didn't tum into an alligator or a cow. Marx wanted a system run by godless men. Their philosophies are destroying the world this is how: Create divisions and hatred where little existed before. Incite mob violence, set groups against their fellow man. Control schools with brainwashing, not education. Control all media, let no differing opinion stand. When the foundations of a God-honoring nation are destroyed, He allows children and women to rule over them, as we now see, In our House of Representatives since the last election, In the swamp we call Washington, D.C. (Isaiah 3:12) Christine Riker Buhl Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 That is my recent essay, adapted in Foreign Policy, from my new book Big Business: Love Letter to an American Anti-Hero. Here is the opening: The basic view that big business is pulling the strings in Washington is one of the major myths of our time. Most American political decisions are not in fact shaped by big business, even though business does control numerous pieces of specialist legislation. Even in 2019, big business is hardly dominating the agenda. U.S. corporate leaders often promote ideas of fiscal responsibility, free trade, robust trade agreements, predictable government, multilateral foreign policy, higher immigration, and a certain degree of political correctness in governmentall ideas that are ailing rather badly right now. To be sure, there is plenty of crony capitalism in the United States today. For instance, the Export-Import Bank subsidizes U.S. exports with guaranteed loans or low-interest loans. The biggest American beneficiary is Boeing, by far, and the biggest foreign beneficiaries are large and sometimes state-owned companies, such as Pemex, the national fossil fuel company of the Mexican government. The Small Business Administration subsidizes small business start-ups, the procurement cycle for defense caters to corporate interests, and the sugar and dairy lobbies still pull in outrageous subsidies and price protection programs, mostly at the expense of ordinary American consumers, including low-income consumers. overall, lobbyists are not running the show. The average big company has only 3.4 lobbyists in Washington, and for medium-size companies that number is only 1.42. For major companies, the average is 13.9, and the vast majority of companies spend less than $250,000 a year on lobbying. Furthermore, a systematic study shows that business lobbying does not increase the chance of favorable legislation being passed for that business, nor do those businesses receive more government contracts; contributions to political action committees are ineffective too. If you are looking for a villain, it is perhaps best to focus on how corporations sometimes help poorly staffed legislators evaluate and draft legislation. But again, national policy isnt exactly geared to making businesses, and particularly big business, entirely happy. 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. In this Wednesday, May 23, 2018 file photo, German Health Minister Jens Spahn arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting of the German government at the chancellery in Berlin. Jens Spahn is proposing fines for parents of school-age children who haven't been vaccinated for measles. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Germany's health minister is proposing fines for parents of school-age children who haven't been vaccinated for measles amid concern that the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease could make a comeback. In an interview published Sunday with German weekly Bild am Sonntag, minister Jens Spahn said parents who can't prove their children have been vaccinated for measles should have to pay up to 2,500 euros ($2,790). The minister also proposed that children without measles vaccinations be banned from going to daycare facilities, to protect others who are too young or medically unable to receive a measles immunization. Compulsory medical procedures, including vaccinations, are a politically sensitive issue in Germany and it's unclear whether Spahn's proposal, which has yet to be discussed by Cabinet, will be implemented. But worries that a disease once thought under control could re-emerge as a major threat has experts calling for vaccinations to be stepped up. The head of the German Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, on Sunday welcomed Spahn's proposal, telling Germany's RND media group that it was "an important step at the right time." Germany had 203 reported cases of measles in the first 10 weeks of 2019, more than twice as many as in the same period last year but fewer than in 2017. Neighboring Switzerland last week reported two adult deaths from measles this year: one in an unvaccinated man of about 30 and another in a man of about 70 whose immune system had been compromised by cancer. Experts generally say if more than 95% of the population is properly immunized, measles cannot spread easily and is effectively contained. But pockets of unvaccinated children or adults can cause flare-ups, as has recently been the case in the United States , which has over 700 cases this year in an outbreak that has not been halted. According to the World Health Organization, Europe as a whole had 82,596 cases of measles last year and 72 measles deaths. Most of those infections53,218were recorded in Ukraine, where an armed conflict with separatists is hurting medical care in its eastern regions. Popular European tourist destinations such as France and Italy had more than 2,400 measles cases each from March 2018 to February 2019, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an EU agency. Greece had more than 1,400 measles cases and Britain reported over 900 during that time. Explore further Los Angeles county measles outbreak under investigation 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This week, the Missoula Public Library hosts Talk Saves Lives, a community presentation that is part of a suicide prevention program series at the library which will cover what we know about this leading cause of death, the most up-to-date research on prevention, and what we can all do to fight suicide. This discussion is presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and occurs on Monday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the librarys Large Meeting Room. Participants will learn the common risk factors for suicide, how to spot the warning signs in others, and how to keep ourselves, our loved ones and those in our community safe. Spring programming series begins with Mushroom ID classes The Missoula Public Librarys Swing into Spring programming series kicks off this week with the class Mushroom Identification 101, which occurs on Wednesday, May 8, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the librarys Large Meeting Room. This introductory class will teach the basics of mushroom identification, including how to use a mushroom field guide, the characteristics of various mushrooms and the language used to describe them. This class is brought to us by the Western Montana Mycological Association and taught by long-term member Egan Jankowski-Bradley. Egan is a microbiologist specializing in fungal research and the utilization of fungi to solve issues in agriculture, forestry and land restoration. Those planning on attending are encouraged, but not required, to bring their mushroom field guide with them to this class. The series continues with the class session Mushroom Identification 102 on Wednesday, May 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in our Large Meeting Room. During this second class, you will gain further knowledge of how to utilize your field guide, learn how to take constructive field notes and build more confidence with mushroom identification. Both class sessions are free and open to the public, and do not require registration. Memory Cafe The Missoula Public Librarys Memory Cafe which offers a safe, welcoming, and supportive space for individuals experiencing memory loss, along with their caregivers and family members meets this week on Wednesday, May 8, at 2 p.m. in the librarys Large Meeting Room. This month, Rebecca Morely the Eat Smart Coordinator for Missoula County will lead a discussion about nutrition, exercise and sleep. World Wide Cinema Experience a moving picture through an international lens when the library hosts Mays installment of its World Wide Cinema film series with a screening of the film I Am Not A Witch on Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room. From the country of Zambia, this satiric feminist fairy tale is in English and Nyanja with English subtitles and runs 93 minutes. The movie follows a 9-year old orphan who is accused of witchcraft, and is exiled to a witch camp. As the only child witch, she quickly becomes a local star. Soon she is forced make a difficult decision whether to resign herself to life in the camp, or take a risk for freedom. MakerSpace classes Carvey Demonstration Wednesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. Learn about how you can make simple ornaments, signs and other cool things during this workshop that features a demonstration of Carvey a desktop carving machine that can carve designs and text into a variety of materials. Space is limited to 6 participants and online registration is required. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/mplcarveydemomay2019 Zentangle Drawing Workshop Friday, May 10, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room Learn the process of Zentangle drawing during this workshop. Supplies are provided. This class is appropriate for ages 8-108, but any children attending must be accompanied by an adult and should feel comfortable in a quiet classroom environment. Space is limited to 12 participants, and online registration is required. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/zentanglemay2019. Weekly MakerSpace Offerings: Open Hours Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m., Friday from 1 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. Open Hours allows users to explore the resources of the MakerSpace, or to work on a project of their choice. Community Creative Writing Workshop Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Drop-in environment focusing on the creative writing workshop process. Computer Classes Excel Thursday, May 9, from noon to 1 p.m. This class features an introduction to the basic features of Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program designed for the Windows environment. Topics include entering data and formulas. This class assumes the student has some experience with Windows and using a mouse. Registration is required to attend MPLs Computer Classes. Please call 721-BOOK (2665) to register. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 His service as an ace for the Flying Tigers in Burma and China buried by time, his Missoula ties long forgotten, Percy Bartelt received his due last weekend in North Dakota. A third of a century after his death in 1986, Bartelt was awarded the Order of the Resplendent Banner, one of Taiwans highest military awards, at a ceremony at the Fargo Air Museum. It was an impressive ceremony, Bartelts son, Ed Bartelt, said Friday from his home in Helena. They had the North Dakota governor there and a representative of the Chinese government. We enjoyed it. I think everybody did. Taiwan Air Force Lt. Col. Tung Kao, an attache based in Washington, D.C., presented the medals to Ed Bartelt, his brother Rick and sister Sue Schechter, according to an account in Sundays Fargo Forum by Gigi Wood and Emily Driscoll. The family also received a certificate of recognition. Ozzie Groethe, a World War II aviation enthusiast in North Dakota, helped track down and flesh out Percy Bartelts service credentials. He wrote a letter to the Taiwan government to set the award ceremony in motion. Percy Bartelt was one of just 19 P-40 fighter plane pilots among the Flying Tigers to achieve ace status with five victories or more. He was credited with five, but his son said Friday he might have had more. Some of the stories say he actually shot down seven, but he gave the money for the other two to families of Flying Tiger pilots who were lost, Ed Bartelt said. The First American Volunteer Group became known as the original Flying Tigers. The AVG was comprised of fighter pilots from the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps who were recruited before the U.S. entered the war, though they didn't see action until after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Tigers were needed by China to help fend off Japanese aerial assaults. Their aircraft wore Chinese colors but were under American control. Percy Bartelt had spent more than three years as a Navy pilot on the USS Saratoga before he resigned his commission to join the AVG in the summer of 1941. He was discharged the following March. Hed left the Navy as an ensign, his son said, but when he rejoined it in September 1942 he was bumped up two ranks to a full lieutenant. In the meantime, he came to Missoula to visit his wife Josephine and Ed, their 15-month-old son. Josephine Power was a Minnesota girl whose parents, Albert and Mabel Power, moved to southeastern Montana during the early Depression years. She graduated from Colstrip High School and went to the University of Iowa, where she met and married Percy. Meanwhile, the Powers cattle ranch had gone broke and Josephines parents moved to Missoula, Ed Bartelt said. She and young Ed were living with them on East Pine Street when Percy returned from Burma, after what Ed Bartelt said was a harrowing return through India with another Tiger and future Medal of Honor winner, Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. A Page 1 photo in the Missoulian on July 22, 1942, had the over line Flying Tiger Visits in City. Percy stood alongside Josephine, clutching Ed in the crook of his arm and smiling down at him. The following night, a Thursday, he was at Dornblaser Field for a double Heroes Day celebration to raise war bonds. His companion on the platform was Ed Saylor, one of two Montanan aviators to take part in the famous Doolittle Raid over Tokyo earlier that year. "If I can sell only one bond through my being here today, I'll feel that my day has been well spent," Saylor remarked to several thousand people gathered at the stadium at the base of Mount Jumbo. They sold more than $11,000 in war stamps and bonds. Saylor, a soft-spoken man from Brusett in Garfield County, was inducted into the Flathead Indian tribe as the bonds were sold downtown. Eneas Granjo and Louis Combs, in full feathered headdress and regalia, christened him Oh-Kah-Wi Escapes the Bullets. His father kept an even lower profile, said Ed Bartelt, who has an article from a similar Heroes Day in his fathers hometown of Waseca, Minnesota. Percy told the reporter he wasnt a public speaker but he would answer questions like I did in Missoula. He became a Navy instructor until he was hospitalized with a lung infection for more than two years, leaving the service in 1951 with a disability retirement. The marriage didnt last. Ed Bartelt said his parents were divorced after the war. Percy remarried and settled in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, retiring from the state of Minnesota in 1974. Josephine stayed in Missoula and ran the Bartelt Convalescent Home at 416 E. Pine St. from 1949 until she retired in 1982. Thats where Ed Bartelt grew up. He dropped out of Missoula County High School in 1958 and joined the Marine Corps, rising to the rank of master sergeant. Bartelt served two tours and accumulated two Purple Hearts for wounds received in Vietnam near the Demilitarized Zone. One was a head wound, so that didnt hurt me any, Bartelt quipped. Then I took some shrapnel and lost my spleen. After retiring from the service in 1979, he and wife Donna lived in Missoula while Ed went to the University of Montana, earning a degree in communications in 1981. He became regional marketing manager for ITT in Denver and after 25 years retired to Las Vegas, where the Bartelts lived for 21 years. For the past couple of years theyve been in Helena, where Donna is in a convalescent home and Ed, 78, volunteers for the Disabled American Veterans. Theyve been married 57 years. Jennifer Bartelt lives with her father in Helena and accompanied him to Fargo last week. When my grandfather passed away in 86, my dad went to Detroit Lakes, she said. He passed away the night he got there. Thats when (Ed) met his younger brother Rick and a lot of the rest of the family. They started talking about the military and the Flying Tigers, and my dad and Rick ended up going to Texas and getting a lot of stuff from the museum there. Siblings and cousins were all in Fargo last Saturday, as good a bunch of the family as we could get there, Ed Bartelt said. Shed never met some of them, Jennifer said. "This is what brought our whole family together, is the way I look at it." The wife of one of Rick Bartelts sons is the granddaughter of Ozzie Groethe, the aviation enthusiast. Spurred by Percy Bartelt's story, Groethe helped create a Flying Tigers exhibit at the Fargo museum. Percy Bartelt "hasn't gotten the fame and attention that other pilots and heroes have gotten," Groethe said at the presentation. Among other treasures, Groethe discovered magazine and newspaper articles proclaiming Bartelts actions in Burma. Dubbed the Tiger from Waseca, he was one of just 18 Flying Tiger pilots left behind to defend Rangoon against more than 100 bombers and fighters. Bartelt shot down three of the bombers in a very short time and helped scuttle the raid, Groethe wrote in a 2015 article. Leland Stowe of the Chicago Daily News interviewed Bartelt shortly after his return in 1942 and came away impressed. You need not know that this quiet, unassuming young man who stands before you, better than six feet tall with keen gray eyes, is one of the famous Flying Tigers, just back from the hell of war in Burma and China, Stowe wrote. He reflects the sureness of the man who has been around and done important things. In the past five months, he has packed a lifetime of experience, and hes going back for more. Those guys were all crazy, Ed Bartelt said of the Flying Tigers. But they were dedicated, good pilots. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. 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. GREAT FALLS The Montana police officer who shot a man to death in Shelby two weeks ago has been identified as Senior Police Officer Kevin Supalla of the Great Falls Police Department. The Great Falls Tribune reports that the Great Falls Police Department's High Risk Unit was asked by the Toole County Sheriff's Office to assist in the April 22 incident in which a 50-year-old homicide suspect had barricaded himself in his Shelby home with a female hostage. The Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is still investigating. Authorities say Richard Allen Moench of Shelby was suspected of killing 43-year-old Jeromy W. Bryant of Kevin before taking a woman hostage. Police say Moench fired at the officers, injuring one. ___ Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Last month, the Missoula City Council and Missoula Board of County Commissioners, with the support of hundreds of local residents, businesses and community organizations, adopted a goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula urban area by 2030. We are proud to join more than 130 local governments across the country with similar goals. And we look forward to working with NorthWestern Energy, our primary electricity provider in Missoula, as we transition to 100 percent clean electricity. Unfortunately, a recent proposal from NorthWestern would take us in precisely the wrong direction. NorthWestern has proposed changes to customer rates that would make it much more difficult for Montanans to choose clean, renewable electricity to power their homes. The proposed changes, which must be approved by the Montana Public Service Commission, would increase all customers electric bills by about 7%, and would have much greater impacts on customers who install renewable energy systems. Montana law allows homeowners to install small renewable energy systems, such as rooftop solar arrays, and hook them up to the electric grid. When their solar panels generate more electricity than they use in their homes, the excess flows out onto the grid, and customers get credits on their electric bills. This arrangement is called net metering. NorthWesterns proposal would impose a new demand charge on net-metered customers. This charge could not be offset by the energy produced by the customers renewable energy system. The result? It would be nearly impossible for homeowners to save money on their electric bills by investing in solar. Demand for rooftop solar, which has accelerated as the price has dropped dramatically over the past decade, would plummet. Business would dry up for the dozens of small businesses that install solar in Missoula and around the state. This would be a tremendous loss, since solar installation is one of the fastest-growing employment sectors in the nation. NorthWestern has never imposed a demand charge on residential customers before, and customers who want to make a private investment in renewable energy should not be singled out for discriminatory treatment. NorthWestern claims the change is needed because net-metered customers arent paying their fair share. However, expert testimony before the PSC demonstrated that current net-metering rates are fair, and that under the proposed change net-metered customers would no longer be fairly compensated for the energy they provide to the grid. Private investments in small renewable energy systems are a critical component of our efforts to reach 100 percent renewable electricity. Hundreds of Missoula County residents have already installed rooftop solar arrays and are reaping the benefits of clean electricity and reduced electric bills. And the growth potential is huge. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that by taking advantage of all suitable roof space, as much as 28 percent of the electricity used in Montana could be generated by rooftop solar. But if the PSC approves NorthWesterns proposal, investment in rooftop solar will come to a standstill. Missoulians will have fewer options to generate their own clean energy. And our 100 percent clean electricity goal will be that much harder to achieve. We urge the PSC to protect rooftop solar by rejecting NorthWestern Energys proposed change to net-metering rates. We encourage concerned residents to speak up at the PSCs meeting in Missoula from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Partnership Health Center. You can also submit written comments at http://psc.mt.gov/Documents-Proceedings/Comment-On-A-Proceeding (reference Docket #D2018.2.12). This opinion is signed by Missoula Mayor John Engen, Missoula City Council President Bryan von Lossberg, and Missoula County Commissioners Nicole Cola Rowley, Dave Strohmaier and Josh Slotnick. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Its a fact that women in Montana, as elsewhere in the nation, hold fewer leadership positions than men, fill more lower-paying jobs and earn less money for the same work. The reasons for this are complex, varied and longstanding. And while some progress has been made the number of women-owned businesses has grown exponentially over the past two decades, for instance its painfully clear that much more could be done. So the University of Montanas recent announcement that it is launching a new initiative to support women should be hailed as an important step toward closing the opportunity and achievement gaps between men and women. We look to our institutions of higher learning to thoroughly research societys most difficult problems, evaluate potential solutions and lead the way forward through effective policy. UMs acknowledgement of the unique challenges facing women in the workforce and its pledge to help overcome those hurdles therefore holds a lot of promise, not just for Missoula but for all of Montana. And as the nation recalls the history behind the 19th Amendment in advance of its centennial anniversary, its also an opportune time for the university to closely examine its own obstacles and come up with a focused, concrete plan of action to eliminate them. The universitys new initiative is called S.E.A. Change, and it is aimed at creating a campus environment that is safe for women, that empowers women and that accelerates them in their careers. Importantly, it includes a commitment to advancing societal change toward equity for all, according to the universitys announcement. Drawing attention toward gender equity as a shared value is a critical starting point. Next, the university plans to draw more attention toward efforts already underway on campus, and also invite the campus community to share ideas for crafting specific goals. As UM Chief of Staff Kelly Webster noted, "We fully recognize that working toward equity for all means persistent effort, and we recognize that there is a lot more work to do. We are not afraid of that work and want to use this effort as a chance to understand what that work looks like and what we need to do to get it done." As part of this important work, the university must start to untangle the reasons why a woman who is a full professor earns less than a man in the same position. Chronicle of Higher Education data shows that a female professor at UM is paid an average of $79,275 while a male professor is paid $83,146 a difference of nearly 5%. And unfortunately, the gap appears to be widening. As the Missoulian recently reported in a news story announcing the S.E.A. Change Initiative, in 2007, male professors received an average of $2,492 more than their female counterparts. Ten years later, they received $3,871 more. Compounding the problem, while 71% of staff were women, only 34% of full professors were women at last count. Overall, men tend to hold more of the higher-wage positions while women hold more of the lower-paying jobs. This gap is not unique to UM, and in fact, its even worse off-campus. Last month, the Womens Foundation of Montana noted that women who hold down full-time work make only 78% of mens wages which is actually progress, because in 2013, women made only 73% of mens wages. That dismal number put Montana in 29th place on a national scale of pay equity and prompted Gov. Steve Bullock to establish an Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force. The task force is comprised of state government officials, private business representatives and other key leaders in the state including UM President Seth Bodnar. Its mission is to share expert advice on how to ensure pay equity, and to that end its website (equalpay.mt.gov) offers information on wage negotiation for employees and best practices for employers, among other helpful resources. Members of the task force were among those marking this years National Equal Pay Day on April 2, the date by which the average women has earned as much income as the average man did just last year. But on the same day they gathered to pay homage to a century of equal pay laws in Montana, a legislative committee killed one of the task forces key recommendations. House Bill 547, sponsored by Livingston Rep. Laurie Bishop, proposed to level the playing field for women by prohibiting employers from requiring job applicants to disclose their previous salary, and allow employees to discuss their wages with coworkers without fear of reprisal. The Paycheck Transparency Act, as it was initially called, withstood torturous amendments designed to eliminate any obligations on employers before it squeaked through the House on a 52-47 vote. The Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee then tabled it. Perhaps it matters that this 10-member committee includes only three women legislators, and is chaired by a man: Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick of Great Falls. Its also worth noting that a previous bill to establish a Montana Pay Equity Act, introduced by Missoula Sen. Sue Malek in the 2017 legislative session, was also tabled in the same committee. But that year, the committee included only one female legislator: Sen. Dee Brown of Hungry Horse. Montana law has required employers to provide equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex, for 100 years. At the time, the law was both groundbreaking and in step with burgeoning efforts to advance womens rights across the nation. Montanans take pride in our states role in helping to ratify the 19th Amendment, which recognized the right to vote regardless of sex, with its vote on Aug. 2, 1919. The amendment was certified one year later, on Aug. 20, 1920, and on Nov. 2, 1920, more than 8 million American women voted for the first time. Montanans can proudly celebrate our states role in this historic milestone. But as we do so, we must not lose sight of the important work that remains. Montana clearly has a ways to go toward achieving full equality between the sexes. UM should be applauded for stepping up, encouraged to make measurable improvements and joined in its efforts by public, private and nonprofit leaders throughout the state. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Montanans are compensated if the state takes their private property, but not if it unjustly takes their freedom. We are board members of the Montana Innocence Project, which works to exonerate innocent people who have been wrongfully convicted. Our client Cody Marble was a teenager when he was convicted in Missoula of a rape that never occurred. He spent the better part of 14 years incarcerated, losing opportunities to build a career, save money and start a family. In 32 other states, Marble would be eligible for monetary compensation. However, Montana law provides only for tuition assistance for DNA exonerees, and even that limited program has not been funded. Now is the time for Montana to revisit the exoneree compensation law. HJ 36 calls for an interim study on exoneree compensation. Our state lawmakers will be ranking their interim study priorities very soon, and HJ 36 should be at the top of their lists. You can help by asking your state senator and representative to prioritize this interim study. Andrew King-Ries, Clem Work, Missoula You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Our great Montana Attorney General Tim Fox will be my choice for Montana's next governor in 2020. He has done an outstanding job as attorney general for all Montanans since first being elected to this office in 2012. He has a proven record of defending our rights, guaranteed under the Montana Constitution, and has been a strong supporter of our dedicated men and women in law enforcement, who risk their lives each day they put on the uniform. Upon hearing of Montana Trooper Wade Palmer being critically wounded, he was one of the first to arrive at the hospital in Salt Lake to support Trooper Palmer and his family. Attorney General Fox is a true Montanan, having lived and worked in Montana his entire life. Born in Hardin and graduating from Hardin High School, he went on to earn a bachelor of science degree from the University of Montana and later returned there to earn his law degree. He served as a clerk to former Associate Justice Leslie Gulbrandson of the Montana Supreme Court, has been a public defender for the City of Billings and has served on the board of directors of low income and disabled housing projects in Billings. Jay Stanford, Missoula You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Browsing Bison Books in Deer Lodge is changing hands after 17 years, but the new owners vow it will remain a treasure for readers of all ages. The bookstore was established by Nancy Kelley and Cris Walrath 2002, but they have decided to retire. Enter Jesse and Sasha Mullen, who officially took the reins of the store at 515 Main Street on May 1. They plan to keep the name, and they say they are eager to meet current and new customers. While visitors wont see many changes to the store for a couple of months, the Mullens hope to expand Browsing Bison's offering over time. Some of those changes will be small, such as adding book signings, featuring regional books as much as possible and creating a section for vinyl records. But some of their ambitions are bigger, such as adding a coffee bar that features coffee from the Coffee Cabin and creating a special area to showcase regional musicians, artists and craftsmen. Even Jesses 14-year-old daughter Charlie-Anne plans to get in on the action with dreams of expanding the comic book section. The Mullens also look forward to working closely with schools in town and in surrounding rural communities, coordinating with writing groups, book clubs and Kohrs Memorial Library, helping people find books of every genre and continuing the store's existing online book sales and trade programs. Jesse said he has a love for the printed word that he inherited in part from his father, as he worked with him in the newspaper business, and that he cultivated while working as a volunteer at libraries during a childhood that saw his family move often. While living in Laramie, Wyoming, he was a volunteer at both the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center Toppan Rare Books Library and the local county library. We are millennials who defy the odds because we like newspapers and books with paper pages," he said. "It might surprise you, but many people our age and younger are coming back to newspapers and books in spite of the internet and e-books. "Many of the large box bookstores have gone out of business, but because of the trend with younger people there are more and more independent bookstores popping up all over the place," Jesse added. "People can find information on their smart phones, but I believe printed information has a presence and is more real. Sasha added that digital information is too easy to manipulate and change to misrepresent facts. Last September, Jesse purchased the Silver State Post newspaper in Deer Lodge and the Philipsburg Mail from his parents, Tom and Annie Mullen. The Mullens say they are enthusiastic about their new hometown and the people who live here. Jesse noted there are a lot of people in Deer Lodge who volunteer in the community and that they are looking forward to doing their part to help the town be successful. In addition to working with the schools and Kohrs Memorial Library, they anticipate being involved with other community organizations and activities. Since moving to Deer Lodge last September, Jesse has become a member of the local Rotary Club and is chairman of the commerce committee under the Discover Deer Lodge Development Group. Sasha grew up in Ohio and works as a veterinary assistant at the Clark Fork Veterinary Clinic. Nancy Kelley and Cris Walrath said they deliberated for three years before deciding to retire and close the store. When they finally decided to do so, Jesse stopped them. According to Cris, In February, when I took a notice about the closure to the Silver State Post for publication, Jesse said, 'Lets not run the notice and well discuss another option. Over the years Browsing Bison Books has served readers of all ages in the community and a large number outside of it, through their online book sales. So many people have told us we need this (the bookstore), and we are surprisingly busy even in the winter," Cris said. "It has been fun to watch customers tell each other about a book. The ladies noticed a drop in business when e-books first became popular, but after a year people began coming back to the store saying they wanted to be able to hold a book, close the book, think about it and then return to it. Nancy and Cris said it has been a joy meeting people and working with the schools and library, and wish Jesse and Sasha much success in the future. Browing Bison's business hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The Mullens will honor gift cards and accounts in the system. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Butte loved Burton K. Wheeler, and he loved Butte back. Now, an important new book the definitive political biography of the fiercely progressive and iconoclastic senator has been published. "Political Hell-Raiser: The Life and Times of Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana," was authoritatively researched and written by longtime Western journalist, political aide and consultant Marc C. Johnson, and he will be at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives this Wednesday to talk about it. (See attached information). Wheeler, an ambitious young attorney, was elected to the Legislature to represent Butte in 1910 but as Johnson explains, when he found out just how beholden he was expected to be to the Anaconda Copper Company, he bowed his neck and became a one-term legislator. Wheeler was deeply moved by the murder of Frank Little in 1917, and the attacks on freedom of speech and civil liberties that followed in the Mining City during World War I. That experience was the crucible of a career that Wheeler spent fighting the concentration of power in all places. Deeply influenced by Wisconsin Republican Robert LaFollette, Wheeler became one of the leaders of a bipartisan progressive Western faction that included Idaho Sen. William E. Borah. Wheeler became the first senator to endorse Franklin D. Roosevelt for president in 1932. Both Wheeler and Montana's senior senator, Thomas J. Walsh of Helena, had significant roles in Roosevelt's campaign. Johnson makes the case in the book that Montana never played such a pivotal part in a presidential election, before or since, as it did in 1932. Walsh was ticketed to be Roosevelt's attorney general, but died before he could assume the office. After the election, Wheeler would be increasingly disillusioned and disappointed that he wasn't able to exert more influence on the Roosevelt presidency. As Johnson relates, FDR and Wheeler had "a long and bumpy relationship." Deeply antiwar, Wheeler fully expected to capture the Democratic nomination for president in 1940, only to be further disillusioned and disappointed by Roosevelt's cannily crafted "draft" to run for a third term. Throughout his illustrious career, Wheeler was never afraid to buck his own party or the president on principle. And Johnson's skillful telling of Wheeler's story is particularly apt given the political situation today. That seemingly perfect timing is at least partly accidental; Johnson has been working on the Wheeler book, on and off, for nearly two decades. "It certainly took a long time to put together," Johnson says with a self-deprecating chuckle. "But Wheeler's story is absolutely relevant now even more than when I started." Johnson credits the University of Oklahoma Press, which published the volume, for "wonderful assistance. They have a great tradition of publishing Montana history, starting with K. Ross Toole." Johnson, who now lives in Oregon, was a longtime broadcast journalist and a top aide to Idaho's longest-serving governor, Cecil Andrus. The Wheeler research wasn't particularly easy. Wheeler was not a diarist nor a document pack-rat he apparently destroyed many of his own papers. But with visits to the Montana Historical Society, the library at Montana State University, the Hoover, Roosevelt and Truman presidential libraries and the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives Johnson painstakingly "rebuilt the archival record," he says. The enormous influence on Wheeler of the tumultuous World War I years in Butte became very clear to Johnson. "At a time when dissent against government, even at the margins, was considered unpatriotic or un-American, Wheeler's values were forged in Butte, America," Johnson says. "People ask me what current politician reminds me the most of Wheeler," Johnson says, "and my answer is, "Frankly, nobody." Johnson acknowledges that the current political climate "makes it difficult to be as courageous" as Wheeler was. "Independence of party is just not a characteristic you see in politics today." Johnson maintains that Wheeler was "the most powerful politician in Montana's history," adding, "It must be something in the water but Montana has certainly produced more than its share of gutsy, independent politicians. Wheeler is not unique in that respect, but he is at the center of it." Butte and Silver Bow County was Wheeler's political base throughout his career. Time and again, the county would vote for him by heavy margins. "Organized labor being what it was, it was clearly a political boon to him," Johnson said. "He very closely identified with Butte's Irish population and enjoyed its political support." Did he come away liking Wheeler more or less after so many years of research? "I like him more," Johnson said. "I believe aspects of his foreign policy were unfortunate and could have been disastrous. But he was a man of amazing courage and principle." Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Oct. 25, 1937 - May 3, 2019 In loving memory of a husband, father, brother, uncle and friend who went to be with the Lord on May 3, 2019 in Butte, Montana. He is joining his mom, dad and his sisters Frances and Patty. Donald was born to Lorraine and Frank Hall on October 25, 1937. He was the second oldest of eight children and graduated from Butte High School. He will always be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, his thoughtful and kind approach to family and friends, and his skills for carpentry and mechanics. Donald was born and raised in Butte, Montana; he served our country in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War from 1957 to 1968, then Donald and his wife accepted a position at Many Glacier as year-round caretakers of the property from 1970-1978. Returning home to Butte, he worked at Montana Tech as an Engineer from 1980-2001. He is survived by his loving wife of fifty years Shirley Hall, his son and daughter in-law Ted and Jodi Rivera, six grandchildren, Ashlyn Schamber, Victoria Rivera, Aaryn Schamber, Echo Hereford, Ariona Rivera, and Theodore Rivera Jr.; his brothers and sisters include Lorraine Abhold, Ruth and Lee Latimer, Clara and Jack Whooley, David and Peggy Hall, Jim and Stanette Hall and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends are asked to call at Saint Anns Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 7th, beginning at 11 a.m. and then to join the family for the Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 12 noon. Military Honors will be accorded by The United Veterans Council. Axelson Alternative Cremation is privileged to serve The Hall Family. Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries 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. Nov. 2, 1927May 1, 2019 With the passing of Sylvia Delaney (nee Davis), the world has lost another shining source of joy, kindness, and spirited fun. Coming from a humble, loving, and close family, Sylvia relished her Welsh and Austrian ancestry, but is most remembered for her staunch pride of Montana heritage. With a lilt in her step and an easy smile, Sylvia was the mother everyone would be lucky to have. Kind, reasoned, patient, and adventurous, she took everything in stride; challenging life to prove her wrong. Hiking, day trips to mining ghost towns, or snowshoeing the east ridge, were her favorite alternatives to nap time. Instilling a sense if pride in family, friends, and heritage was a lesson. If you were hot, go outside was an answer; if bored, read a book was a cure. Not having much, we were rich. Taking care of the family, making sure everyone was happy first, creating warmth and ease was her vocation. Winter born with brilliant blue eyes and the wanderlust of an Alpen adventurer, the snow was never too deep, January was never too cold, the forests never too vast, the mountains never too remote. Knowing Sylvia was knowing yourself and all your possibilities. Being born, and growing up, in Butte was her cherished triumph. The third daughter of a Welsh miner and an Austrian homemaker, she was blessed with the warm embrace of a loving and caring family. Her two sisters, Rosemary and Joan, were Sylvias role models, compatriots, confidants, and best friends. Sylvias many nieces and nephews were like her own children. They are her family, and together with her own three children, sister, parents, and husband, embody everything she ever wanted. Sylvias home was always the center of activity, the place where family gathered at holidays, where friends always felt welcome, and even in later years, where people would just stop in, sometimes without even knocking, to feel the loving embrace and joy of just being around her. Ahead of her time, Sylvia was champion of the environment, teaching a care of the natural world that is somehow forgotten in recent times. Nature, the outdoors, living animals of every kind (but especially dogs) were her spirit. She was one with the natural world and would have spent all her days on a mountain top if she could. Sylvia married John (Sie) Delaney soon after the War, and quickly assumed the role of loving wife and homemaker. Being married to a Jack-of-all-Trades and master of all, we are sure was not easy, but Sylvia relished in the sense of having and building a new family, the life that Sie enabled and created with the love of his life. A daughter and son in law, were welcomed and embraced. Grandchildren (and oh my gosh, a great grandson) were doted upon and bragged about. Family, ever important and blessed. The past was cherished and remembered, the present never wasted, and future always bright. The indignities of old age would not define her. Not even blindness could break her spirit; it could be worse was her refrain. Those of us who remember Sylvia do so with the awe of wondering how a woman of such humble means could create such a gravity of being. Kindness, love, and most of all, spirit is how we answer. We will miss you Sunshine. A celebration of her life will be held in the summer and will be announced closer to the date. Please visit www.retzfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence or share a memory of Sylvia. Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries 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. Rep. Bob Brown, the Thompson Falls Republican whose amendment watered down legislation this year to increase oversight of programs for troubled teens, was once a counselor and supervisor at a program himself. But thats hardly the exception to the industrys hands-on approach to state policy ever since regulators got involved. The private teen treatment industry is moving under new state oversight following Gov. Steve Bullock's signing on Friday of Senate Bill 267, which eliminates the self-regulating board in the labor department the only program of its kind so classified and brings the troubled youth residential programs under the health department. In a House Business and Labor Committee hearing last month, Brown successfully amended the bill to strip the health departments ability to set standards for program employees' training, credentials, qualifications, character and suitability. Such terms might have applied to Browns former employers, the director and the principal at the now-shuttered Spring Creek Lodge, examples of high-ranking staff from these programs who were defending their actions 12 years ago and are doing so today. Industry administrators have held state agency and legislative positions, as well as provided employment opportunities for some of northwest Montanas most impoverished areas, where logging and mining employment are shadows of their former selves. At every turn the industry has had a significant handle on how policies are shaped. Program owners in this years session, easily the most pivotal for their industry in the last 12 years, never testified at a public meeting, even as former students and staff gave tearful accounts in front of the committees hearing bills to reform oversight. But an undisclosed number of program owners spoke with Brown the night before he made the amendment eliminating the minimum standards, a change to the bill he said he initiated. He said program administrators reached out when the legislation gained momentum in the Senate. One thought it would pretty much shut his program down, Brown told the Missoulian. When asked what parts of SB267 he felt would be so fatal, Brown said the state's authority over the programs became too broad under the proposal's early drafts. Brown echoed the same points program owners used in their pleas with legislative committee members in 2007 to keep regulation in the programs' hands: That their programs unique nature is key to their success. That a relaxed regulatory environment lets them develop propriety treatment methods a way for them to stand out in a field where consumers typically find them through referral services or consultants. And that state mandates chip away at their business model. Character of my employees," he said, circling the word on an early draft of SB267. "How is it the department makes that decision for a private business? Campaign money Campaign finance records from 2006 show Spring Creek Lodge directors Cameron and Chaffin Pullan both donated to Bob Lake, a Republican representative from Hamilton and member of the House Education Committee. At the time, the Pullan brothers were being sued by the mother of a girl who died by suicide at the program two years earlier. The committee in 2007 heard two bills concerning the programs. One was from Sen. Trudi Schmidt, D-Great Falls, to create what she called meaningful oversight of the programs by expanding the board to include more members from the public. (A majority of board members were from the industry.) The Senate passed Schmidt's bill, but the House Education Committee killed it. The other bill came from Lake, and officially established the licensing rules and regulations written by the Private Alternative Adolescent Residential or Outdoor Programs (PAARP) board during the previous two years. Those rules remained in effect until recent legislation. Cameron and Chaffin Pullan contributed to the 2006 campaigns of several lawmakers on that committee. Whether the donation established a genuine connection or not is hard to tell in his donation to Winifred Republican Ed Butcher's campaign, Chaffin Pullan listed his occupation as program director at Spring Creek, while his twin brother Cameron listed his own as house wife. The Pullans werent alone in their campaign contributions to key legislators. Patrick McKenna, whose Monarch school closed abruptly in 2017 and who settled with students' parents a year later for nearly $1 million, donated to five lawmakers on that House Education Committee in 2006. None represented Sanders County, where Monarch was located. All the donations were near the maximum $180 allowed. Chaffin Pullan is currently accused in civil lawsuits of grooming teenage girls at a different Thompson Falls program last year. If another piece of legislation enacted this session had been in place at the time of the allegations, he could have been subject to criminal charges. Asked about the donations from the Pullans, Lake told the Missoulian in February he did not recall any specific encounters with the Pullan brothers in 2006 or knowing that they were amid litigation. After the fact, theres a lot of things you find out about these programs, he said. You don't have any control over who donates. The fact is, I was involved in that mainly because I was on the Education Committee, he added. Lake carried the bill at the request of Jim Elliott, another Trout Creek legislator. Elliott wasn't sure about the terms of his involvement in drafting the legislation, but said in a phone interview on Friday he remains close friends with Paul Clark, a former legislator who ran his own program and whose bill established the self-regulating model. Elliott, who served eight years in both the Senate and the House, remembered the oversight debate as "intense" between the programs and the Department of Public Health and Human Services in 2007. Not unlike today, program owners and their legislative representatives expressed some cautious distrust of the health department. "I don't think that's usual," Elliott said about how hands-on the programs were about steering state policy. But, "given the level of trust that the program schools had toward the department of health and human services, a distrust which I shared, I supported their move to be under the Department of Labor, along with the other occupational boards." Twelve years later, 58 complaints had been made against programs and individuals with no significant action by the PAARP board, a yearlong investigation by the Missoulian found. Meaningful oversight, Elliott said Friday, requires someone who's "not involved economically or emotionally with the industry that they're regulating." "There's an even better word; you need someone who's objective," he said. "If you're in the same industry and writing the rules, you can't be objective about them. On the other hand, one might say they actually know the industry. If someone wants to be seen as being respectable, they make every attempt to hire or get people who are objective." First steps In an interview outside the House chamber on the last day of the 2019 Montana Legislature, Brown told the Missoulian he was a carpenter before he began a job at Spring Creek Lodge in Thompson Falls, where he worked with special needs residents and led labor projects. In his four years at Spring Creek, which ended in 2004, he was also a daytime supervisor. He called Chaffin Pullan, former Spring Creek Lodge director and most recently a supervisor at Reflections Academy, also in Thompson Falls, a "good friend," and said he never saw any actions that pointed toward predatory behavior. "It kind of blows me away I guess," he said of the allegations against Pullan. "But, like I said, it's human behavior and people get caught up in things and do stupid mistakes. I certainly didn't know of anything like that." Brown floated the idea that perhaps the program owners should stay involved in an advisory board capacity to make recommendations to the DPHHS. "I just thought, well, maybe the (oversight board) is not a bad thing, maybe it's just in the wrong spot right now," he said. The programs will come under the DPHHS Quality Assurance Division. As previously reported by the Montana Standard, the head of that division, Carter Anderson, is also former CEO of a facility with a checkered past. Most recently, Acadia Montana, a psychiatric residential treatment center for kids already under the health department's watch, was criticized by Oregon officials for injecting a child with medication. Anderson left Acadia in mid-2018. DPHHS has not commented on whether the Administrative Rules of Montana permit or prohibit such medications; department spokesman Chuck Council did not return an email seeking that answer on Friday. In fact, the rules overseeing such programs already under DPHHS are administered by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' 2017 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Behavioral Healthcare. As reported by the Standard, a copy is available for purchase from the organization for $320, but is not publicly available through the department. Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, who carried the bill moving troubled youth programs from the labor to the health department, said on the last day of the legislative session that she will continue to monitor the transition process. SB267 mandates state officials involved in that transition report to the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee, on which Sands sits. "I would say it's one of the first steps toward regulation," she said of SB267's passage into law. "This is not the last step. It's the beginning of a process of paying very focused attention to both the implementation of that law, but to other potential activities that will bring these programs into compliance with every other residential treatment program." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The 2019 legislative session turned out to be a success for wildlife and habitat. We look back at a session that had more than 80 bills affecting our core issues of wildlife, habitat and access, and see many wins and a handful of losses when it comes to improving public access to public lands. First off, our best conservation and hunting access program, Habitat Montana, came out of the session intact and fully funded. Habitat Montana uses hunting license dollars to protect important wildlife habitat through conservation easements and targeted land purchases. For over 30 years, Habitat Montana has been a vital tool to ensure that family farms and ranches stay how they are, while providing meaningful protections for prime wildlife habitat and access to those lands. In addition, Montana FWP comes out of this session with the best budget its had in over a decade. The agency will receive the needed equipment and personnel to properly manage wildlife, including two new permanent grizzly bear management specialists, a statewide deer and elk planner, upgrades to hatcheries, a new Automated Licensing System to keep up with the times, and new boats, snow machines and ATVs for wardens and biologists so they can safely do field work. The Legislature also passed the first significant increase in funding for our state parks in well over a decade. SB 24 will pump an additional $2 million per year into our state parks and recreational trails, and was passed after a broad coalition of public lands advocates, trail users, community leaders and health advocates came together. Montanas fair chase hunting heritage also won. SB 349 makes it illegal to use wildlife location data to hunt or harass wildlife. SJ 30 lays out an interim study to look at how FWP can better manage wildlife data in the digital age. Hunter-landowner relations received a boost with two bills that build on incentives for landowners who open their land to public hunters, including updating the 454 program that lets FWP negotiate better access with landowners in exchange for non-transferable permits and licenses, and another that gives the required base hunting license for Block Management participants. We strengthened the sage grouse conservation program while providing more surety for industry, and Montana also renewed the Aquatic Invasive Species program in order to protect our world-famous waters. Public access to public lands had a mixed bag. SB 341, the Public Access Land act, is designed to open opportunities to access landlocked public lands. This program will undergo rulemaking which MWF will be participating in to ensure that the program is instituted as envisioned. Public access advocates were disappointed that the Legislature failed to pass SB 224 and SB 301. Those bills would have gone a long way toward addressing the difficult issue of when people cut off access to our public lands. It was also disappointing to see the Legislature pass HB 265, which reinjected politics into the decision making process of Habitat Montana after all hunting and angling organizations opposed the bill. Still, Montanas hunters, anglers and recreational users can look back at the 2019 Legislature and see a lot of wins. Its what happens when Montanans work together on the key conservation issues that are important to all of us. Bill Geer is president of the Montana Wildlife Federation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Economic Development Week is a time to reflect on the many successes of public-private partnerships to grow businesses, create jobs and strengthen the economy. This year, Montana has something extra to celebrate with the bipartisan passage of House Bill 52. HB 52 reauthorizes Montanas suite of integrated economic development programs until 2027 tools like Certified Regional Development Corporations, Small Business Development Centers, the export trade program at the Department of Commerce, Growth Through Agriculture at the Department of Agriculture and others. These programs have assisted more than 15,000 businesses and created or retained more than 12,000 jobs since 2012. With another eight years to continue this important work, the impacts will continue to multiply across the state. HB 52 passed in-part because of overwhelming support from Montanas small business and economic development community. More than 100 Montana businesses sent in letters of support, and some representatives even traveled to Helena to vouch for the importance and effectiveness of these programs at legislative hearings. These businesses supported the legislation because they have experienced firsthand how economic development helps hard-working Montanans achieve their dreams. Because of economic development, a new pulse crop processing facility opened and created jobs on the Blackfeet Reservation. An entrepreneur in Billings obtained financing to follow her dream of opening a restaurant. A Stevensville business made connections at an industry trade show that allowed it to expand to a global market and grow its annual sales by 20 percent. Similar success stories can be found in every corner of Montana, and economic development is the thread that ties them together. Every day, local, regional and state resources support the growth and sustainability of industries and small businesses that strengthen our economy. Were proud to have a hand in this work and watch business grow from idea into job creator, international exporter, and economic driver. Tara Rice is director of the Montana Department of Commerce. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 For the last 14 years, Montana Historical Society officials have been trying to secure funding for a project to protect and preserve some of our states greatest treasures. Their hard work has finally paid off. On the final day of the 2019 legislative session, the Montana Legislature passed a bill to authorize funding and construction of the Heritage Center project, which will add a 66,000-square-foot wing to the existing 93,000-square-foot MHS building near the state Capitol. The project has been a priority for Bruce Whittenberg since he became MHS director in 2011, and officials from Gov. Steve Bullocks office said the governor is a big supporter of the effort and intends to sign the legislation into law. Of course, this will allow the public to see many more of the artifacts in the museums care. MHS is currently able to exhibit only about 5% to 8% of its collection at one time, and it acquires another 500 to 1,000 artifacts every year. By bringing more artifacts out of storage and into the publics view, the museum will create a richer visitor experience that will undoubtedly help bring more tourism dollars to our city and state. Perhaps more importantly, the project will also help protect real treasures with real value. While its impossible to pinpoint the exact monetary value of the museums collection, we know the items are worth far more than the $48 million the state expects to spend on the Heritage Center project. The artifacts also foster a deeper understanding of the history of our state and its people, which is worth more than money can buy. Many of the items are currently being stored in inadequate conditions in the museums basement, which is prone to leaks and flooding. However, the Heritage Center project will help ensure that these and other items in the collection are protected for future generations to enjoy for many years to come. Earlier in the session, lawmakers turned down a bill that would have required the state to construct the Heritage Center where the Capital Hill Mall once stood. While this proposal would have helped revitalize a part of town that desperately needs it, we recognize that the location near the Capitol is much more convenient for the museum staff and safer for the artifacts in their care. The offsite location would have forced the staff to remove delicate artifacts from a climate-controlled environment and truck them back and forth across town. At the site near the Capitol, the new and old wings of the museum will be connected by an underground concourse so the artifacts can be moved between the two locations without ever leaving the building. Additionally, the state will save millions by building the Heritage Center on the land it already owns near the Capitol. Sponsored by Sen. Terry Gauthier and carried in the House by Rep. Julie Dooling, both Helena Republicans, the bill approved by the Legislature is expected to generate about $34 million for the Heritage Center and additional funds for smaller museums throughout Montana by raising the state lodging sales and use tax. This will ease the financial burden on Montanans by spreading some of the costs to those visiting our state from other places. MHS has committed to raising $10 million in private funds, and the rest of the project will be funded by previously approved bonding. We are relieved to see the Montana Legislature finally supporting this critically important project, and we cant wait to see it come together. This is the opinion of the Independent Record editorial board. Helena Independent Record Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Its very personal, she told those who attended her panel discussion with people who work with addiction and mental health issues in the Iowa City area. She talked about her father, Jim Klobuchar, an author and longtime sportswriter with the Minneapolis Star and Star Tribune. He has struggled with alcoholism his entire adult life. The issues need attention, Klobuchar said, because half of American adults have an addiction problem, or someone in their family or circle of friends is affected by addiction. About 20 percent have a mental illness issue. Ive led my campaign with the issues that I think arent being discussed enough, and where we need to pay attention to them and where I think we can get things done, she said. Klobuchar noted that infrastructure also is a focus of her campaign. Both of them are doable, she said. Both of them are things where people on both sides of the aisle who want to do something about it. Judging by the number of questions she asked about those issues, voters want a president with a plan to help them with those topics, Withholding ICASAs quarterly funding, withdrawing the draft ECA Amendment Bill and negating on the promise to publish a revised communications policy by 30 April are turning plans for South Africas broadband and communications for all in disarray. After ICASA told South Africa on Tuesday (29 April) that it would take the Minister of Communications to the High Court in Pretoria to compel the Department of Communications to transfer the funds that ICASA is entitled to, the Department released the funds. Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams withheld the funds because she said she had not approved ICASAs Annual Performance Plan. ICASA claimed that it is not within the Ministers mandate to approve or disapprove the plan, but the Minister still maintains it is. While nobody can confirm what the issue is, ICASAs acting chairperson, Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng, suspects it is about the inclusion of a 5G spectrum plan. Soon after the State of the Nation address and the Finance budget speeches, which both included statements that the release of spectrum for broadband would be a priority, the newly-appointed Minister of Communication informed the Portfolio committee that, given the fact that Parliament was unlikely to finalise the ECA Amendment Bill during the remainder of the current term, it was her decision to withdraw it so as to enable further consultations and to align it with the drive towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Minister concluded by emphasising that we need a holistic forward-looking approach instead of ad-hoc amendments to the existing legislation. Did the industry misread the Ministers intention? From comments the Minister made while on a community outreach campaign in the Eastern Cape, it appears that the contested Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) is still high on the agenda despite persistent assertion by industry that the concept has not proved successful anywhere in the world and was discarded by most major communication agencies. So, we are back to square one! About a new communications plan, the Minister said it will only be released after the election and the inauguration of the Sixth South African Government. The question is now, will Thembisile Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams not be the Minister of Communication in the next to be elected government? This is a topsy-turvy situation which is likely to lead to more delays. The #DataMustFall cry has become louder and is gaining support. The quickest solution is to release more spectrum which will remove the barrier which industry claims keeps data cost high. Does the DoC not understand this or does the department have other plans? Whatever they are, it is now beyond just urgent! Source: EngineerIT Now read: Turning broadband upside down Steve Hofmeyrs supporters are following his lead by cancelling their DStv accounts and destroying their DStv satellite dishes and decoders. On Thursday, Hofmeyr posted a video on Facebook where he cancelled his DStv account, destroyed his DStv decoder by driving over it, and took his satellite dish off his roof. He also offered a R10,000 cash prize to encourage people to do the same and cancel their DStv subscription. This follows MultiChoices decision to remove all content featuring Hofmeyr from DStv, Showmax, and other platforms it controls. MultiChoice Group Executive for Corporate Affairs Joe Heshu explained that the company made this decision because Hofmeyrs views are not aligned with MultiChoices values. We welcome a society where freedom of speech is celebrated, however we take a stand against racism, said Heshu. Big impact on Afrikaans movies and actors The Rapport newspaper reported that MultiChoices decision was slated by other Afrikaans artists and movies producers. Andre Frauenstein, who co-produced the movie Treurgrond which features Steve Hofmeyr, said he is considering legal action against MultiChoices decision. He said MultiChoice purchased the rights to exclusively show the movie on its platforms for the next 10 years, but the ban means no one will be able to watch the movie now. Frauenstein added that MultiChoices short-sighted decision impacts the actors and has serious financial implications for the sponsors and companies with product placements in the movie. Pretville producer Linda Korsten shared Frauensteins concerns, saying they are losing money and exposure because of MultiChoices decision. How can MultiChoice punish the producer of the movie and all the other actors because they have a problem with one person who plays a character in the film? she asked. Unique situation Well-known movie reviewer Leon van Nierop told Rapport that while content has been banned from platforms, it is unique to ban content where a person is featured in the content. MyBroadband asked MultiChoice whether it has previously banned content featuring a person because their views were not aligned with that of the company, but the company did not answer this question. MultiChoice would also not say whether it is considering banning further content from people whose views are not aligned with that of the company. DStv boycott With many people saying they have cancelled their DStv subscription because of MultiChoices decision, it raises the question if the company is feeling the impact of its decision. Spur, for example, suffered significant reputational and financial damage following a race incident at one of its restaurants. MultiChoice was asked whether it is concerned about the DStv boycott, but the company did not respond. It also did not say whether it has seen an increase in DStv cancellations in recent days. Video about DStv cancellations The videos below, posted on social media, form part of the DStv boycott following MultiChoices decision to remove all content featuring Steve Hofmeyr. Others doing the same The photos below come from videos posted by supporters of Hofmeyr who followed his lead. The Tourism Amendment Bill which was recently gazetted which means short-term home rentals will now be legislated under the Tourism Act in South Africa. Under the amendments, the minister of tourism will have the power to specify certain thresholds when it comes to Airbnb rentals in South Africa. These thresholds can include limits on the number of nights that a guest can stay, or even how much income an Airbnb host can earn. According to the department, this would ensure that everyone gets their fair share and that both private users of Airbnb and hotel groups get to enjoy a shared economy. The department also plans to give more oversight to local government when it comes to zoning and where an Airbnb may be located. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom explains Speaking to Business Day TV, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said there is no reason for angst from people who use Airbnb. The proposal is that the minister will be able to regulate short term rentals. It is not about killing Airbnb, but rather to address the concerns from guest houses and hotels, he said. Hanekom said guest houses and hotels have to abide by certain rules, while the Airbnb establishments dont. This amounts to unfair competition, he said, because Airbnb hosts do not have the same overheads as guest houses and hotels. This means that guest houses and hotels are often more expensive, and they therefore lose out to cheaper Airbnb competitors. Airbnb wants regulation minister Hanekom said the regulation of Airbnb is not uncommon, highlighting that it has been done in Greece, Paris, and London. He also revealed that Airbnb told him two years ago that they preferred to be regulated because it creates certainty for the company. They dont want to be regarded as an anomaly which is unfair competition to established tourism businesses, he said. Hanekom said Airbnb therefore wants appropriate regulation, which may include limiting the number of days a year when it can operate. Microsoft is working hard on its new Edge browser, which is overhauled and based on Googles Chromium web engine. Not only does this increase general compatibility while browsing, it also allows for faster navigation and better integration with Googles search engine. This move is motivated by a desire to improve the native web browsing experience on Windows 10 devices, and Chromium is the best engine to choose to reach this goal. The new Edge browser will also offer better battery life and hardware integration across all Windows devices. Following the announcement of the browser, Microsoft released a preview build of the new Edge and users appear to be migrating to the new platform. Replacing Chrome with Edge According to Softpedia News, users are migrating to the Chromium-based Edge thanks to its improved speed on Windows 10, new features, and a curiosity to test out the new software. It is important to note, however, that the browser is only in a testing phase and has not been officially launched as yet. This is backed up by NetMarketShare data, which shows a decline in the number of people using Chrome with Edge market share increasing. This data does fluctuate, but trends over the last few months show a shift towards other browsers including Edge and Firefox. The market share of the top five desktop browsers is detailed below. Browser Feb 2019 Mar 2019 Apr 2019 Chrome 66.89% 67.88% 65.64% Firefox 9.39% 9.27% 10.23% Internet Explorer 11 6.69% 6.65% 7.49% Edge 4.79% 5.20% 5.53% Safari 3.56% 3.69% 3.58% Reasons to switch While a stable version of the new Microsoft Edge has not been released, the preview build allows users to learn about and experience the new browser. Google Chrome users would find migrating to the new version of Edge relatively easy, as it is built on the same core and behaves similarly. However, there are a number of Microsoft-specific advantages such as support for both Googles Widevine DRM and Microsofts PlayReady DRM. This support allows users to watch 4K Netflix content within the browser when running on Windows 10, something standard Chrome is incapable of doing. Microsoft Edge also includes integration with Windows Defender SmartScreen, allowing for safer browsing and protection against malicious downloads. The browser also allows users to use their Microsoft Account as a single sign-in option and authentication, and users can install extensions from either the Chrome Web Store or the Microsoft Store. I did not authorise payment for ... 19202019 Leo Lopez was born July 17, 1920 in Silver City, New Mexico. His family relocated to Los Angeles, California when Leo was about five years old. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, Leo went to work and attended high school at the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Northern California and was stationed at various forests between Klamath and the Seiad Valley working on public works projects and forestry. Leo joined the U.S. Marine Corps in February 1942. He was in the 4th Marine Division during World War II and was in combat on Kwajalein Atoll, the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian, Mariana Islands, Volcano Islands and Iwo Jima. Leo returned to Los Angeles and married Aurora Ilizaliturri on August 31, 1946. Leo worked in sales and eventually changed his work to social services in the early 1970s. He was employed with the Oregon State Welfare Department as a case worker with over 200 clients. The family later relocated to Santa Barbara, California where he worked for the Community Action Commission and began the Senior Nutrition Program where a daily meal was provided to senior citizens at various sites. His last job in social services was working with the Tri-County Area Agency on Aging serving Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties as Community Consultant. In 1987, Leo and his wife, moved to Sonoma County. His wife, Aurora preceded him in death in November 1993. In October 1999, Leo went to live independently at the Yountville Veterans Home in the Napa Valley and later, due to frailty, lived in skilled nursing. Leo is survived by a son, Gerald Lopez, daughter-in-law, Laura, grandchildren, Jennifer and Christopher, great grandchildren, Angelina, Zander and Zoey, and daughter, Judy Lopez. Semper Fi Dad! Memorial Service will be held Thursday, May 9, 2019 at 10am at the Monthly memorial service at the Veterans home of California Yountville Chapel, Yountville, CA. Arrangements are under the direction of Treadway and Wigger Funeral Chapel. Two weeks ago I wrote a column lamenting Napas worsening congestion. The column was a laundry list of my favorite traffic gripes. For local resident Brent Farlie, my woes were just the half of it. The reality for most drivers is far worse, he said. In contrast, James McCeney, a winemaker/transportation enthusiast, suggested I look on the bright side. Bright side? When it comes to traffic, theres a bright side? Farlie said locals have been sacrificed on the altar of tourism and greed by public officials who arent looking out for them. Signals on Soscol arent synchronized. Downtown hotels are usurping public parking spaces. The issue in the end is the complete and utter lack of balance between tourism and the needs of the citizens of this city, Farlie wrote. I understood where Farlies coming from. In 2009, I wrote about his campaign to get the city to replace the crumbling asphalt in front of his home on Harding Avenue. I wore them out, he said as the paving machines went to work. The only chance you have is if you never ever let up. Ten years later, Farlie is giving up on Napa. Hes moving to Oregon, in part because of our worsening traffic. McCeney is not giving up. He called my traffic column overly pessimistic. When I worried about the traffic impacts of more apartments coming to First Street and Freeway Drive, I was being myopic lacking intellectual insight, according to the dictionary definition. In his email, McCeney did not deny the often soul-crushing reality of commuting in and out of Napa, but he said there were reasons for optimism. He ticked off the following projects: Traffic lights on Highway 29 in American Canyon are going to be synchronized, an overpass is planned to carry Highway 29 over 221, roundabouts are going to reduce tie-ups at First and California, the Vine Trail is being expanded to get people out of their vehicles and a pedestrian/bike path is planned under 29 at First. As for my concern about more apartments on First, he suggested I look at the big picture. My drive to work might be slightly impeded, but the regions overall congestion would be lessened by having workers living closer to their Napa jobs. I wondered what kind of Pollyanna would write an email such as this? His optimism ran against the spirit of our time. Did the man even own a car? To find out more, I invited McCeney to call me. McCeney turned out to be a Napan with motoring frustrations just like everybody else. For example, it slays him that the lights on 29 in north Napa arent synchronized for better flow. Weve put a man on the moon. Why cant we sequence these traffic lights? he asked. Why are we punishing ourselves? While he doesnt deny the traffic negatives, McCeney doesnt obsess on them. He sees positive forces at work. It takes the sting out of sitting in slow-moving traffic if you realize its caused by a good economy and so many people having jobs, he said. I hadnt looked at the situation this way. Id only been thinking about ME. McCeney displayed an uncanny amount of knowledge about projects intended to reduce our traffic misery. I, too, knew of these projects. Am I not the city editor of the Register? Yet I hadnt put much hope on their adding up to much. Why was he such a highways-half-full kind of guy? What emerged was our conversations little aha moment. It seems that McCeneys wife, Rebecca Schenck, is a policy analyst with the Napa Valley Transportation Authority. This is all dinner conversation, he said of his traffic talking points. Its part of the reason we love each other. Shes very civic minded. When our chat ended, I felt better about things. McCeneys optimism had improved my outlook. As for the future, he suggested I join him and listen to podcasts when driving in Napa and the Bay Area. I try to zone out and focus on what Im listening to, he said. Its certainly easy to get bent out of shape. Kevin can be reached at 707-256-2217 or Napa Valley Register, 1615 Soscol Ave., Napa, 94559, or kcourtney@napanews.com. 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. American Canyon wants to charge patients $500 for paramedic care provided by its American Canyon Fire Protection District, but only if the money comes from insurance. City Council members sitting as the Fire District Board discussed the issue last week. The four present chairman Leon Garcia, vice chairwoman Mariam Aboudamous, Mark Joseph and Kenneth Leary told Chief Glen Weeks to come back with an ordinance at a future meeting. The district since 2014 has had firefighters provide basic or advanced life support care, with the service paid for by property taxes. Firefighters often arrive at a medical emergency faster than an ambulance and begin treating the patient. The district responded to 800 medical calls in 2017 and was the first responder in most cases, a district report stated. Charging $500 for first responder medical calls would raise $70,000 to $90,000 annually for a paramedic program that costs taxpayers more than $100,000 annually. That could fund such things as more medical equipment and a battalion chief for training, fire district officials said. But this would be what the district called compassionate billing, meaning only the patients insurance company would receive a bill and have to pay. A patient who has no insurance wouldnt be charged. The insurance companies would have to pay out more, Garcia said. How are they recovering that? District officials said these types of fees have no impact on insurance policy rates. A higher level of emergency service care provided at the outset lowers the cost of medical care in the long run. Do property taxpayers necessarily want to help subsidize for insurance companies that are budgeting for and expecting to pay, but theyre not paying? Weeks said. Similar fees are charged by more than 130 fire departments in California without changing insurance policies, a district report said. For example, the Moraga Orinda Fire District charges $600, Fairfield Fire Department $402 and Salinas Fire Department $363. The city of Napa Fire Department charges no fee for paramedic service, but Weeks said it has a paramedic tax. On average, a medical response by American Canyon Fire Protection District costs $517.49. That includes the salaries of the personnel, the dispatch service cost, supplies and an average round trip of four miles, a district report said. I think if we can deflect some of the cost we incur for that level of service to an insurance company, it seems like the right course of action, Joseph said. The decision isnt up to the Fire District Board alone. Weeks said Napa County Emergency Medical Services Agency must also approve the proposed fee and has expressed support in principle. 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 California News Publishers Association has recognized the Napa Valley Register in 29 categories in its 2018 Better Newspapers contest. Honors announced late Saturday included a second-place showing for General Excellence in its circulation category. The Register won first-place awards in four categories: In-Depth Reporting, Land Use Reporting, Columns, and Inside Page Layout and Design. The awards recognize reporting done during the 2018 calendar year. First- and second-place honors were announced Saturday at a CNPA gala in Long Beach. Judges named the Register the second-place award winner for General Excellence based on the issues published Feb. 4 and 5, 2018. Reporter Barry Eberling received first-place honors for In-Depth Reporting for the story 20 years of flood control: The remaking of the heart of Napa, a look at the effects of the Napa River flood control project that paved the way for downtown growth and development. Excellent reporting, but the writing puts this entry over the top. Clearly the class of the competition, judges wrote. Another story by Eberling, Will Napas 50-year-old agricultural preserve continue to protect the Napa Valley?, won top honors in the Land-Use Reporting category. Two columns by Register reporter Jennifer Huffman received first-place recognition Our houzz on a daughters preparation to leave for college, and Dad would have loved this, recounting her fathers funeral. In these two columns, writer Jennifer Huffman takes her readers through primal experiences, the growth of a daughter and the death of a father, judges wrote of Huffmans back-to-back columns published in July and August. She does so with poignancy, humanity and where appropriate, humor. She clearly reflects the human condition. The final first-place showing, for Inside Page Layout and Design, was given to Kelly Doren and Sasha Paulsen for the Registers Food section. Judges also recognized the Registers work covering several emergencies during 2018. In the Breaking News category, the newspaper received second place for its coverage of the Pathway Home shooting in Yountville in March 2018, third place for the death of Napa native Alaina Housley in the Thousand Oaks attack in November, and fourth place for covering a fatal officer-involved shooting by a Napa Police officer in December. Other second-place honors went to Eberling in the Coverage of Local Government category for his story on Bremer Family Winerys land-use dispute with Napa County and to former Register reporter Maria Sestito in the Profile Story category for her article on an Australian woman who discovered a previously unknown sister in Napa. Meanwhile, Napa Valley Publishings two weekly papers won a combined five first-place awards from the CNPA. The St. Helena Star received four of the prizes, with reporter Jesse Duarte recognized for best business story for his coverage of the closure of Montelli Construction; best profile for covering a St. Helena resident who walked from Selma to Montgomery in honor of the 1960s Alabama civil rights march; and best feature for his story on a group of St. Helena women who have walked together daily for 31 years. Star editor David Stoneberg received first place in the Editorial Comment category for Election results are worth the wait. The Weekly Calistogan took first place in Agricultural Reporting for former editor Anne Ward Ernsts story on Calistogas volcanic past and its influence on grapegrowing. 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. NANCHUAN, ChinaWhen she started her job nine years ago, Liu Fangs work involved making sure the women from her village did not have unauthorized babies. If they had a girl or a disabled child, they were allowed another chance. If they already had two children or a boy, Liu handed out condoms and urged the women to get an intrauterine device. If they got pregnant again, she would encourage them to have an abortion. As the representative of All-China Womens Federation for Nanchuana township of 6,000 people on the outskirts of a small village, on the outskirts of a small city, on the outskirts of a provincial capital in central ChinaLiu was entrusted with keeping down the population in her little patch of a country with 1.4 billion people. Her job performance was evaluated by the number of births in her districtthe fewer, the better. Today, her job could hardly be more different. After the Chinese government abandoned its one-child policy three years ago, Lius mandate has changed from making sure local women dont have too many babies to actively encouraging them to have more. Theres just one problem: Now, most people dont want to have more than one child anymore. Raising a child just costs too much, Liu said with an air of resignation. For 36 years, the ruling Communist Party enforced an extreme form of social engineering to regulate birthrates. It was part of a strategy to simultaneously grow the economy and improve living standards. It was easier to increase income per head, the policymakers decided, when there werent so many heads. Across China, propaganda slogans carried messages such as: If you want to become rich quickly, have fewer children. Although it was commonly known as the one-child policy, it was, in fact, more of a 1.5-child policy. In the countryside, where children had long been necessary to help with farm work, couples were allowed to try again if their first child wasnt an able-bodied boy. The policy was applied more strictly in the cities, where property and school spaces came at a premium. Additional children would not be allowed to go to public school or receive public health care. There have been almost 400 million abortions in China since the one-child policy was introduced in 1980, according to health commission statistics. The idea worked. Today, there are 100 million only-children under the age of 40. Income has risen from about $200 per capita in 1980 to about $10,000 today. But it worked too well. Chinas population is forecast to peak at 1.45 billion as early as 2027, then slump for several decades. By 2050, about one-third of the population will be over the age of 65, and the number of working-age people is forecast to fall precipitously. Who will power the economy? Who will look after the elderly? Who will pay the taxes to fund their pensions? Where China once blamed all its problems on having too many people, it is now facing new problems associated with having too few young people. The significance of a Chinese population that has started to decline and is rapidly aging cannot be overestimated, said Yi Fuxian, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. A great nation with thousands of years of history and a brilliant civilization is rapidly degenerating into a small group of the old and the weak thanks to these wrongheaded population-control policies, he said. Authorities in Beijing have come to the same conclusionalthough they have not expressed it in the same termsand done a sharp about-turn. They moved to a two-child policy in 2016, then last year they suggested they would drop limits all together. Where they were once told it was a couples patriotic duty to have only one child, now good Chinese people should have at least two. To put it frankly, giving birth is not only a family matter but also a national issue, read a commentary last year in the Peoples Daily, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party. Not wanting to have kids is just a lifestyle of passively giving in to societys pressures. But it turns out that government policies have little influence on procreation in modern China. The countrys family-planning authority had forecast 20 million births in 2018, anticipating a baby boom after the end of the one-child policy. Instead, there were only 15.23 million births in China last year, a whopping 2 million fewer than in the previous year. It all comes down to the economy. As China has transformed, living costs have skyrocketed, especially in the big cities, and long work hours have become the norm. The 20-somethings of today, knowing their quality of life is better than their parents generation, want their children to experience a similar leap in living standards. All of us want another child. We want someone to keep him company, said Zhou Jing, 29, a mother in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. Her 2-year-old son Xiao Kaixi, nicknamed Liuliu, was ricocheting around a bright childrens recreation center, where he had just finished a $30 class conducted in English. Some parents spend $15,000 a year bringing their toddlers to English, piano, dance, art and gymnastic classes, the manager said, noting that Wuhan isnt Beijing or Shanghai. Despite her means, Zhou worries about the economy. She and her husband run a T-shirt business, and it has not been stable. If we have a second child and our business is not good, our quality of our life will go down, and I wont be able to offer such good things for both of them, she said. Plus, it will be harder for me to go to work with two. Many Chinese parents prefer to channel all of their resources into just one child. Wang Feng, a sociologist at the University of California at Irvine, said many Chinese parents have one goal in mind: Wanting their children to move up the social ladder, or at least not get stuck. Its not that people cant feed their children. Its how can that child be successful and have a better life, he said. Everything becomes a rat race. It starts at a young age. Zeng Yulin, 32 who has a masters degree in international economics, takes her almost-4-year-old daughter Yuewei to art classes and skating classes twice a week. Then there are the singing classes and the public-speaking lessons. In addition, Zeng will teach her English at home. I just hope she can maintain my level, my standard of living, Zeng said, sitting on the floor of the centers library. If she has a chance, I hope she can progress. Zengs husband, who works in the construction business, wants more children, but she told him he doesnt earn enough. Zhou and Zeng feelings are representative of a broader sentiment. In a 2017 survey of working mothers by zhaopin.com, one of Chinas biggest job websites, only 22.5 percent said they wanted a second child. Nearly three times that number said they did not want more than one. Realizing their policy prescriptions are not having the desired effect, Chinas leaders have gone back to the drawing board. At the National Peoples Congress in March, a gathering of representatives from around the country, one deputy suggested the legal marriage age should be lowered by two yearsto 20 for men and 18 for women. Another proposed that families who have a second child should receive a special allowance for living expenses. Yet another suggested the creation of a new public holiday, Chinese Babies Day, on May 28. Some have even promoted taxing or otherwise penalizing couples who do not have children. Women worry that abortion may become restricted. Provincial authorities are also taking measures into their own hands. Hubei, which includes Wuhan and Nanchuan, is considered one of the most forward-thinking provinces in terms of baby promotion. It has built more than 2,500 nursing rooms. Some cities will deliver a second baby free, and others pay a onetime bonus of $180 for a second child. In the municipality that includes Nanchuan village, where Liu works, the authorities offer free pre-pregnancy health checks and subsidized pregnancy care. But even in this rural area, authorities have their work cut out for them. There were 504 babies born in the town in 2016. That fell to 477 in 2017, and then to 460 last year. Liu cannot even persuade Tang Xu, a local Communist Party official, to have a second child. She tells me that the nation has a new policy, but having children is so expensive, he said. Because it is not enough for Chinese parents to pour their earnings into art classes, piano lessons and later cram schools, they also usually buy a house for their son, who is expected to carry on the family line and look after them in their old age. Daughters are considered to belong to the families they marry into. The idea of having to buy two additional properties is a good contraceptive. In China, if you dont buy a house for him, he will not have a wife, said Mrs. Zhang, who was driving a taxi to help earn money to buy her 20-something son an apartment but did not feel comfortable giving her full name. Having two children is, she added, using a Chinese idiom, like peeling off your skin. The Washington Posts Liu Yang contributed to this report. It was only a month ago that many Democrats were hoping Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election would lead to indictments -- perhaps even of President Donald Trump's family and inner circle -- for conspiring with the Russians. That did not come to pass, nor will it, so the focus has turned to "the narrative." The term itself is a sign that this story is now entirely about politics. The narrative is what the latest scandal regarding Attorney General William Barr is all about: How he summarized Mueller's report, who he talked to about it, when he released it. Yet there is no disagreement about the central facts of the investigation: It found no conspiracy, and while it did find many possible instances of obstruction of justice, it did not recommend prosecution. In his March 24 letter to Congress, Barr provided lawmakers and the public with his two "principal conclusions" of Mueller's report. Three days later, Mueller wrote to Barr that his letter "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his team's work. Mueller asked Barr to release summaries he had earlier provided to the Justice Department. Barr declined. As he told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Mueller's report became "my baby" after the special counsel sent it to him. He also said he did not want to release the redacted report to the public piecemeal. Had Barr taken the next two years to comb through Mueller's report to determine what information should be redacted, Democrats would have a point. But that's not what happened. On April 18, the public and Congress got a chance to read Mueller's report, with only about 10 percent of it redacted. Yes, the full report is more damning to the president than the conclusions shared in Barr's letter. It describes sordid scenes where the president asks subordinates to lie. It says Trump had advance notice of the WikiLeaks disclosure of emails stolen by Russian hackers. It shows how Trump's campaign built up a communications strategy around those stolen emails. As Barr's letter said, "While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." As my colleague Noah Feldman has noted, Barr was only following Justice Department regulations when he issued his letter. He was not violating any procedures or rules. Some Democrats have said Barr lied to Congress when he told the House that he did not know why Mueller's investigators were perturbed about his March 24 letter. But on Wednesday Barr had a plausible, if slippery, answer: He was asked about Mueller's staff, he said, and Mueller himself had told him in a phone call that he did not believe his letter was inaccurate. Senator Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would be asking Mueller if Barr accurately described their phone conversation. So what are Democrats so upset about? Is it that they lost a precious 25 days -- from March 24 to April 18 -- to spin Mueller's findings to their liking? This is worse than Watergate! They will never get those news cycles back. This complaint is not only picayune but also hypocritical. Since Trump won the 2016 election, the narrative (that word again) that he might be a Russian asset or may have conspired with Russia has been a near article of faith for the resistance. If Democrats can chastise Barr for spinning Mueller's report for 24 days, then why can't Republicans ask why Mueller didn't end all the speculation about a Trump-Russia conspiracy as soon as he found out it wasn't true? None of this is to say that Mueller's report makes the president or his campaign look good. It doesn't, despite Trump's own narrative about it. A version of the report was always going to be made public, but it was by no means assured it would be so prompt or detailed. The only reason the public -- and, not incidentally, members of Congress -- know those details is because William Barr released the report with few redactions a little more than one month after the Justice Department received it. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. Three of Bangladeshs best known anti-fundamentalist and human rights campaigners have sought police protection after receiving death threats. The first to receive the death threat was Sultana Kamal, a Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist, who serves as the executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, a civil rights organisation. In 2006, she served as adviser in the military-backed caretaker government of Bangladesh. Sultana Kamal filed a general diary over the death threat and sought police protection. Police officials said she will be provided with necessary security. The two others, who received the death threat, are Dhaka Universitys history professor Muntasir Mamun and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee chief Shahriar Kabir. Also Read: Myanmar, Bangladesh need to redraft agreement, involve UN: Human Rights Watch But while Sultana Kamal is seen more as a pro-western and anti-Awami League rights campaigner who has pulled up the present government for its poor human rights record, Kabir and Mamun are said to be close to the ruling party, despite being often critical of it. Kabir has led a powerful movement under the banner of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (Committee for the Elimination of the Killers and Collaborators of 1971) demanding death penalty for the pro-Pakistani war criminals who perpetrated horrible atrocities during the Bangladesh Liberation War. With Mamun, Kabir forms a strong coterie of Bengali intelligentsia who uphold secular values and the spirit of 1971. Both are passionately pro-Indian, while Sultana Kamal is closer to the West. A militant group called Lone Wolf, in its publication, detailed possible ways to kill the three, said police officials. This is believed to be an Islamic State front, possibly a subterfuge for the neo-JMB formed with the remnants of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh. Mamun told Northeast Now that he was out of Dhaka when informed of the threat and would also file a General Diary seeking security after returning home on Sunday. Shahriar Kabir said he had already written to Bangladesh Police chief Mohammad Javed Patwary seeking security for himself, Kamal and Mamun. The death threat published by the militant group was being widely circulated on social media, Kabir said. This is an alarming issue. The government really has no control over social media, he told media persons. Armenia PM says he will attend non-official summit of CIS countries, will have contact with Aliyev Armenia's Pashinyan: We returned the captured Azerbaijani servicemen without preconditions Azerbaijan to deploy special military detachments in Karabakh's Hadrut region Azerbaijan President is blatantly threatening Armenia again Armenia FM meets with members of ruling parliamentary faction Armenia PM giving press conference (LIVE) Armenian PM attends Requiem Service for wife of National Hero of Armenia Karen Demirtchyan Analyst clarifies what will disturb Turkey and Azerbaijan from opening so-called corridor via Armenia NEWS.am daily digest: 24.12.21 Republican Party of Armenia: Authorities are creating barrier between Diaspora and historic homeland with their policy Turkey, Qatar sign memorandum on joint management of Kabul International Airport Armenia ex-defense minister Davit Tonoyan to remain in custody Representatives of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities meet in Moscow for first time after Karabakh military conflict Dollar still losing value in Armenia Parliament vice-speaker receives American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia board chairman Republican Party spokesperson: Armenia authorities decided to smoothen ties with Turkey after defeat in war Armenia Health Ministry Legal Department head: Decision of Constitutional Court is ministry's victory MFA: Russia welcomes international efforts to normalize Armenian-Azerbaijani relations Armenia President receives group of parents of deceased servicemen Armenia Security Council holds session Iran FM: Tehran is ready to participate in next stage of negotiations with Saudi Arabia Zakharova on Armenia-Azerbaijan railway link: Substantive discussions continue on trilateral working group Kremlin: US may consult with Ankara over settlement of situation in Ukraine Zakharova: Moscow believes Ankara will take Russia's signals seriously Non-official meeting of leaders of CIS countries to be held on Dec. 28 Audit Chamber official: Armenia banks have misused state subsidies they received Armenia health, labor inspectorate to inspect 700 economic entities in 2022 Russia peacekeepers ensure safe travel of more than 2,000 people to, from Karabakh in one day Azerbaijan's Aliyev celebrates 60th birthday in occupied Armenian city of Hadrut Russia MFA: Not only Turkey ready to hold 3+3 regional consultative mechanism meeting Maria Zakharova wishes Yerevan and Baku peace and patience Valerie Pecresse posts comment on Facebook: I visited Armenia - France's fraternal country Putin, Aliyev confirm readiness to strengthen Russia-Azerbaijan strategic partnership Middle East Eye: Turkey encouraged by Armenia PM Pashinyan's reelection, aims to normalize relations Armenia government: Constitutional Court decision does not lift requirement for employees to submit PCR test result New program shall develop Armenia metrology Armenia opposition MP: Corridor is spoken of as established fact in Azerbaijan Armenia Constitutional Reform Council to include 2 representatives of international organizations Putin expresses Aliyev readiness to continue dialogue, joint work to strengthen regional stability, security 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh 135 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Lavrov: Involvement of Kiev in NATO poses serious risks, even large-scale conflict in Europe Newly elected Vanadzor city council first session not convened NATO to approach Russia borders in case of aggression against Ukraine President thanks Russia peacekeepers, Putin in terms of Artsakh security Newspaper: What is actual Covid death toll in Armenia? Newspaper: Details became known from closed meeting between Armenia PM, parliament majority faction US arms exports fall 21% in 2021 Diaspora Commissioner: More than 1.5 million people left Armenia in 30 years High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: Armenia won't build relations with Turkey at expense of interests of nation High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: Fifth Turkish Column is very active in Armenia Armenia High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: We Armenians don't know our enemies well Biden administration welcomes 'small' steps toward diplomacy with Russia Blinken, Stoltenberg discuss NATO's 'dual-track approach' to Russia Armenia ruling faction MP: Talks in Brussels were discussed during meeting with PM Armenia Health Ministry responds to Constitutional Court's decision on COVID-19 testing Armenian High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs: Living in Armenia is safer than in developed countries Analyst shares information about growth of sales of Armenian wines Analyst: Artsakh wine export indicators have dropped Karabakh President: Presence of Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh needs to be guaranteed and termless Iraq calls for launch of direct talks between US and Iran Hayk Marutyan bids staff of Yerevan Municipality farewell Moscow State Institute of International Relations to introduce Armenian language courses Armenia PM: Digital processes should have daily practical significance for people Iran FM expresses willingness to assist Azerbaijan in restoring Karabakh's occupied territories Turkish vice-president tests positive for COVID-19 Lights of main Christmas tree in Yerevan switched on Aram Vardevanyan: Armenian employees no longer obliged to pay for PCR tests, this is unconstitutional NEWS.am daily digest: 23.12.21 Azerbaijan addresses Bosnia & Herzegovina for identification of remains Armenia's Pashinyan is in a meeting with ruling faction MPs Armenia Constitutional Court: Employees don't need to pay for COVID-19 testing Baku is still complaining about Valerie Pecresse's visit to Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia Constitutional Court announcing decision on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations and testing (LIVE) Turkish court rules to leave Osman Kavala in custody Anti-Corruption Committee: Armenia Prosecutor General's Office's instruction under Aghvan Hovsepyan's case is groundless Dollar drops in Armenia Tumo mobile center to be built in Armenia's Kapan Price of Russian natural gas being supplied to Armenia to remain stable for 10 years Armenia FM presents to Stanislav Zas situation on country's eastern border Putin lets reporters shout from their seats at his press conference More exchange of fire on Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border Stanislav Zas visits Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex French presidential candidate visits Artsakh Biden states condition under which he will run in 2024 presidential elections Armenia premier receives CSTO Secretary General Turkish minister informs which airline company of Turkey will carry out flights to Armenia Iranian FM: New chapter has begun between Azerbaijan and Iran, with positive effects Armenian deputy parliamentary speaker: Armenia reaffirms its support to India regarding Jammu and Kashmir Biden says those responsible for storming US Congress must be held accountable Armenia PM to answer media, NGOs questions live on Facebook 275 million people test positive for COVID-19 globally Armenias Pashinyan: Next wave of Covid will inevitably come Death penalty abolished in Kazakhstan White House says the time to restore the deal with Iran is running out Biden will enjoy Christmas evening at White House with his family and friends Pashinyan to new mayor of Yerevan: You enjoy government and my full support Health minister on Covid inoculations: 1,591,809 people vaccinated so far in Armenia Armenia Police special forces forcibly apprehend Parakar village residents who closed off motorway YEREVAN. Military serviceman Aganik Zoroglyan, who was severely wounded Saturday at a military unit in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), will be transferred to Armenias capital city of Yerevan. Artsrun Hovhannisyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia, informed this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He also noted that Zoroglyan continues to be in severe condition. On Saturday at around 4:05pm, Artsakh Defense Army contract serviceman Aganik Zoroglyan (born in 1998) sustained a gunshot wound at a Defense Army military unit outpost, and from shots fired from Azerbaijan. The serviceman was immediately taken to a military hospital, where his condition was assesses to be very severe. According to the information which Armenian News-NEWS.am received, Zoroglyan was operated on and taken to the Artsakh capital city Stepanakert Military Hospital. The serviceman was wounded in the head. Aganik Zoroglyan had come from Russia last year to voluntarily serve in the army. YEREVAN. Serviceman Aganik Zoroglyan, who was severely wounded Saturday at a military unit in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), has been transferred to the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia Central Clinical Military Hospital in capital city Yerevan. Artsrun Hovhannisyan, spokesperson of the MOD, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. Also, he noted that Zoroglyan continues to be in severe condition. Its necessary to find out how the dynamics of the health condition of the military serviceman are, after which the further steps will be determined, Hovhannisyan added. As reported earlier, on Saturday at around 4:05pm, Artsakh Defense Army contract serviceman Aganik Zoroglyan (born in 1998) sustained a gunshot wound at a Defense Army military unit outpost, and from shots fired from Azerbaijan. The serviceman was immediately taken to a military hospital, where his condition was assesses to be very severe. According to the information which Armenian News-NEWS.am received, Zoroglyan was operated on and taken to the Artsakh capital city Stepanakert Military Hospital. The serviceman was wounded in the head. Aganik Zoroglyan had come from Russia last year to voluntarily serve in the army. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Fu Yu Corporation Limited (SGX:F13), which is in the machinery business, and is based in Singapore, had a relatively subdued couple of weeks in terms of changes in share price, which continued to float around the range of SGD0.20 to SGD0.22. However, is this the true valuation level of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Fu Yus 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 Fu Yu Is Fu Yu still cheap? The stock is currently trading at S$0.21 on the share market, which means it is overvalued by 24.34% compared to my intrinsic value of SGD0.17. Not the best news for investors looking to buy! In addition to this, it seems like Fu Yus 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. Can we expect growth from Fu Yu? SGX:F13 Past and Future Earnings, May 5th 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. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 13% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Fu Yu. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in F13s positive outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question is now the right time to sell? If you believe F13 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. Story continues Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on F13 for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means theres no upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for F13, 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 Fu Yu. You can find everything you need to know about Fu Yu in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Fu Yu, 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. Eat This, Not That! The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has surged worldwide in record timeit was only three weeks ago that the first case was identified in South Africa. Last week, it accounted for 73% of new COVID infections in the United States, according to the latest CDC data. It's highly contagiousscientists estimate it's twice as transmissible as the Delta variant, which itself was twice as transmissible as the original COIVD strainwhich calls for an abundance of caution. How do you know if you've been infect 1834 Mission Ave. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in University Heights? According to Walk Score, this San Diego neighborhood is friendly for those on foot, is very bikeable and has good transit options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in University Heights is currently hovering around $1,495. So, what might you expect to find if you've got a budget of $1,500 / month? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental listings, 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. 4170 Park Blvd., #12 Here's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit located at 4170 Park Blvd., #12. It's listed for $1,495/month for its 449 square feet of space. The building offers on-site laundry. In the unit, there are hardwood floors and lots of natural light. Neither cats nor dogs are allowed. (Check out the complete listing here.) 4479 Maryland St. Next, check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's located at 4479 Maryland St. It's listed for $1,450/month. In the unit, you'll have a balcony, storage space and carpeting. The building has on-site laundry. Animals are not permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental, but there is a $35 application fee. (See the complete listing here.) 4360 Alabama St. Located at 4360 Alabama St., here's a 650-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's listed for $1,425/month. Building amenities include on-site laundry. The unit has a ceiling fan and carpeting. Good news for cat lovers: Kitties are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee, but there is a $37 application fee, $1,425 deposit and $100 pet deposit. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 1834 Mission Ave. Also listed at $1,425/month, this 475-square-foot studio with a bathroom is located at 1834 Mission Ave. Story continues When it comes to building amenities, anticipate on-site laundry and a carport. The unit has laminate floors and storage. Pet lovers: Cats are allowed. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental, but there is a $1,425 security deposit. (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. (Adds quote, background) DUBAI, May 5 (Reuters) - Iran has mobilized all its resources to sell oil in a "grey market," bypassing U.S. sanctions that Tehran sees as illegitimate, state media quoted Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia as saying on Sunday. The United States, which last year withdrew from a 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers, has told buyers of Iranian oil to stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. Iran says it will continue to export oil in defiance of U.S. sanctions, part of a campaign by Washington aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile program and curbing its regional power. "We have mobilized all of the country's resources and are selling oil in the 'grey market'," state news agency IRNA quoted Zamaninia as saying. Zamaninia gave no details about the "grey market," but Iran is widely reported to have sold oil at steep discounts and often through private firms during sanctions earlier this decade. "We certainly won't sell 2.5 million barrels per day as under the (nuclear deal)," Zamaninia said, giving no figures for current sales. "We will need to make serious decisions about our financial and economic management, and the government is working on that." "This is not smuggling. This is countering sanctions which we do not see as just or legitimate," Zamaninia said. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Dale Hudson) (Corrects Cortizo's first name in paragraph 3 to "Laurentino" instead of "Laurentio") By Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY, May 5 (Reuters) - The polls opened in Panama on Sunday for a presidential election following a campaign led by a former farm minister whose promises to fight corruption and inequality resonated in the wake of bribery scandals and the canal nation's role in hiding the wealth of global elites. The next president will inherit one of the world's fastest-growing economies, in which China has an increasing interest. But there is also mounting pressure to reduce the wealth gap and clean up politics after the corruption scandal involving Brazilian builder Odebrecht and the Panama Papers documents leak. Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo, the 66-year-old former agricultural minister, has wooed the country's 2.8 million voters with promises to improve government services such as water and healthcare by clamping down on alleged embezzlement of public funds in the Central American country, whose trans-oceanic canal handles some $270 billion of cargo each year. "The corrupt and incompetent are stealing our money, threatening our future," Cortizo said during his final campaign rally in the capital on Wednesday, as thousands of supporters waved the red, white and blue flags of his moderate left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). Cortizo has said he would continue to deepen ties with China, but has suggested he might move more slowly than President Juan Carlos Varela, who angered the United States by signing several major infrastructure projects with the Asian power. Cortizo has said he would examine the payment structure of one such deal to build a high speed train. Varela is barred by law from seeking reelection. Panama's image was tainted by a corruption scandal involving Brazilian builder Odebrecht and the Panama Papers leak of 11.5 million documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca that detailed how the world's rich evade tax through offshore centers. Story continues Promises to curb white-collar crime have featured prominently in the race. The leading candidates presented proposals that would change the way public contracts are awarded. Cortizo's main challenger, Romulo Roux of the center-right Democratic Change (DC) party, offered a constitutional reform to strengthen the independence of the judicial branch. "Romulo Roux is thinking more about the economy and how to create employment," said Abigail Mejia, 28, a nurse who said Roux would have her vote. The World Bank forecasts Panama's economy will grow 6 percent this year, surpassing every other country in Latin America. "There is a division between those who have a lot and those who have little," said Carmen Gomez, 68, as she cleaned the entrance of her apartment block in the capital's impoverished El Chorrillo neighborhood. Gomez said she was planning to vote for Cortizo and hopes that his government would punish everyone for their crimes, including the rich. "We want a president who is not going to get involved in corruption," said Felix Calles, 56, a construction worker, adding that he would vote for Roux. "It is not just about Odebrecht and the Panama Papers. There were many more corruption scandals that went unpunished," he said. Others expressed some caution. "As Panamanians we have to see how far we want to go in terms of sanctions and punishments for people or companies when there is proof of corruption, to ensure punishment without losing competitiveness," said Severo Sousa, president of the National Council of Private Companies in Panama. Still, many argue that not enough has been done to fight graft and impunity. "The general sense in Panama is that the powerful and the mighty can get away with anything," said Olga de Obaldia of Transparency International in Panama. Polls close at 4 p.m. on Sunday (2100 GMT), with preliminary results expected around 6 p.m. (2300 GMT). (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno Editing by Leslie Adler and Bill Berkrot) (Updates with comment from government communications office) By Eric Knecht DOHA, May 5 (Reuters) - A Qatari tourism official said the country would not grant visas to those it considers "enemies" in reference to Egyptian nationals seeking to enter the country amid an ongoing dispute, a remark that was later disowned by the Qatari government. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the allegation. While citizens from the three Gulf states were recalled to their home countries due to the rift, Egyptians, who make up the largest Arab minority in Qatar, have remained and comprise a sizable portion of the tiny but wealthy country's workforce. Speaking at an event to promote a summer tourism campaign, the tourism council's Akbar al-Baker said Qatar would not let Egyptians enter the country to take part in promotions aimed at boosting its tourism industry. "The visa will not be open for our enemies - it will be open for our friends," Baker said of Egyptians looking to come. "Are visas open for us to go there? No. So why should we open it for them? Everything is reciprocal." The comments were the first by a Qatari official since the nearly two-year rift began suggesting Qatar would no longer grant visas to people from Egypt, the most populous Arab country. Qatar's government communications office later said in a statement that Baker's comments did not reflect the state's official policy for issuing visas and that it welcomes "all people of the world." "Qatar's position has always been clear that people should not be involved in disputes that arise between nations," the statement said. Many Egyptians say, however, that the visa process has been effectively closed to them since 2017, with narrow exceptions made for the immediate family members of residents and for specifically approved events. Qatar has a population of around 2.7 million but just over 300,000 nationals, and does not publish statistics breaking down population by nationality. A 2017 report by a private consultancy estimated Egyptians at 200,000. "When you open your arms to Qatar, Qatar will open its arms even bigger for you. But if you become an adversary of Qatar, then we will also treat you as an adversary," Baker said. (Reporting by Eric Knecht; Editing by Dale Hudson and Daniel Wallis) (Adds comments from worshipper) By Alexandra Ulmer and Omar Rajarathnam BATTICALOA, May 5 (Reuters) - A dozen rifle-toting soldiers guarded a small community hall as day broke in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa on Sunday morning. Around 9 a.m. local time - roughly the same time a suicide bomber killed 29 of their fellow parishioners at the evangelical Zion Church two weeks ago - worshippers streamed silently into the hall. Survivors of the attack on Easter Sunday ambled in on crutches or with an eye patch. Some clutched bibles. Many wiped away their tears. Inside, several hundred worshippers knelt on the tile floor, addressing Jesus Christ in prayer. "Come to our protection in this world where we are being hit by waves," their voices sang out in Tamil. More than 250 people were killed and nearly 500 wounded in the attacks by Islamist militants on churches and hotels across the Indian Ocean island on April 21. The suicide bombers were identified as members of Islamist militant groups based in Sri Lanka, but Islamic State claimed responsibility. Although Islamic State gave no evidence to back up its claim, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena told Reuters in an interview on Saturday that he believed the group orchestrated the attacks that plunged Sri Lanka in a nightmare. The government has warned that the militants were plotting more attacks, and police and military were conducting a security sweep of schools ahead of the staggered re-opening of state institutions on Monday. "Save us from the Satans who are trying to destroy our nation," the Christian worshippers in Batticaloa chanted. Zion would need more repairs before the church could be used again. There were also no services at St Sebastian's Church in Negambo, where at least 102 people perished. But a mass was held behind closed doors at St. Anthonys Church in Colombo, the third church bombed that day. The suicide bomber who attacked the congregation in Zion Church was from the neighboring town of Kattankudy just across a lagoon from Batticaloa. Story continues Witnesses say Mohamed Nasar Mohamed Asath had stood close to a generator when he detonated the bomb in his backpack, amplifying the force of the blast. Fourteen children, many of whom were having breakfast in the church portico, were killed and several dozen worshippers in this largely low-income congregation were wounded, according to Zion church officials. "Why does the Lord take us through this fire? Reverend Roshan Mahesan said, his voice breaking, after about an hour of singing. Mahesan, who was traveling on Easter Sunday and missed the bombing, praised parishioner Ramesh Raju, who reportedly kept the bomber from entering the main church hall because he grew suspicious of him. Raju died in the blast. Worshippers also prayed for the injured, like 30-year-old Arul Prashanth who helped others before collapsing from his wounds. Shrapnel had pierced his shoulder and back. Sumathi Karunakaran, a 52 year-old homemaker, received a volley of shrapnel on the upper left side of her body before she escaped by climbing over a wall. She attended service with a bandaged eye and an arm in a sling. "I will keep on coming, said Karunakaran, whose 22-year-old daughter Uma Shankari was still undergoing emergency care from injuries sustained in the blast. "In fact, my husband is here for the first time. He came for our daughter," she said as parishioners walked out of the three-hour service. (Reporting By Alexandra Ulmer and Omar Rajarathnam in BATTICALOA, additional reporting by Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron-Moore and Raissa Kasolowsky) (Adds background and detail, Bashir questioned) CAIRO, May 5 (Reuters) - Sudan's Transitional Military Council said on Sunday it would publish its views for the country's transitional period on Monday, its latest move in negotiations with opposition factions after the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir. Protesters and activists have been negotiating with the TMC to form a joint civilian-military body to oversee the country until elections. But the parties are deadlocked over who would control the new council and over the features of a transitional government. The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF,) an alliance of activists and opposition groups, sent the military council a draft constitutional document on Thursday containing its vision for the transitional period. The DFCF was expecting a response in order for negotiations to proceed. The constitutional draft, seen by Reuters, outlines the duties of a sovereign transitional council which the opposition groups hope will replace the TMC, but does not specify who would sit on it. It also outlines the responsibilities of the cabinet and a 120-member legislature. Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi, a spokesman for the military council, said the document was "good," adding that while the council agreed on some of its points, it had its reservations on others. The military removed Bashir on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his 30-year rule. He was questioned for the first time on Sunday over suspected money laundering and financing terrorism, the general prosecutor said in a statement. Since Bashir's departure, protests have continued and demonstrators have camped outside the headquarters of the Defense Ministry to demand a handover of power. "We have said repeatedly that we will not forcefully disperse the sit-in and that we will continue to negotiate," Kabbashi said on Sunday. Kabbashi also said that the council is "serious" about arresting corrupt individuals, and could permit journalists and human rights activists to visit those already in custody. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy Writing by Nadine Awadalla Editing by Frances Kerry) (Adds background) By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to appoint Mark Morgan, a border patrol chief under former President Barack Obama who supports Trump's border wall, to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Morgan, who headed U.S Border Patrol for six months after a career at the FBI, came out in support of Trump's border wall in January, urging Trump in an interview with legal news website Law & Crime to "stay the course." "I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE," Trump wrote on Twitter. When Trump took office in January 2017, Morgan was ousted from his post as head of the border patrol. The union that represents border patrol agents had criticized Morgan for supporting Obama's plans to protect certain undocumented immigrants from deportation. Morgan will have to tackle a sharp rise in migrants from Central America that has frustrated Trump, who campaigned in 2016 on a tough immigration stance and construction of a wall that proved popular with his base. Immigration is likely to be a top issue in the 2020 presidential election, but Trump's wall has so far failed to materialize amid opposition from Democrats and lack of an agreement on how to fund it. One of ICE's main roles is to detain and deport people who entered the United States illegally, while the border patrol's task is to prevent people from crossing the border illegally. Trump has said he wants to adopt a tougher approach to immigration amid complaints that his previous team was not doing enough to enact his policies. In April, Trump withdrew his previous nominee for the post, Ronald Vitiello. The position requires U.S. Senate approval. The Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is part, has seen a series of departures this year, including its head, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Her deputy, Kevin McAleenan, is now the acting secretary. Immigrations officials have been tasked with stemming the rising numbers of immigrants arriving at the border, many of them families fleeing violence and poverty in Central America. The U.S. government said it arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border in March this year, more than double the March 2018 figure. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! For long term investors, improvement in profitability and outperformance against the industry can be important characteristics in a stock. In this article, I will take a look at Premier Investments Limited's (ASX:PMV) track record on a high level, to give you some insight into how the company has been performing against its historical trend and its industry peers. View our latest analysis for Premier Investments How Did PMV's Recent Performance Stack Up Against Its Past? PMV's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 26 January 2019) of AU$94m has declined by -16% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of -2.7%, indicating the rate at which PMV is growing has slowed down. Why could this be happening? Well, let's look at what's transpiring with margins and if the entire industry is experiencing the hit as well. ASX:PMV Income Statement, May 4th 2019 In terms of returns from investment, Premier Investments has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 6.8% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 5.7% is below the AU Specialty Retail industry of 6.7%, indicating Premier Investments's are utilized less efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Premier Investmentss debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 8.6% to 9.9%. What does this mean? Premier Investments's track record can be a valuable insight into its earnings performance, but it certainly doesn't tell the whole story. Usually companies that endure a drawn out period of diminishing earnings are undergoing some sort of reinvestment phase in order to keep up with the recent industry growth and disruption. I recommend you continue to research Premier Investments to get a better picture of the stock by looking at: Story continues Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for PMVs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for PMVs outlook. Financial Health: Are PMVs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 26 January 2019. 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. 1335 Folsom St. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in SoMa? According to Walk Score, this San Francisco neighborhood is quite walkable, is easy to get around on a bicycle and has excellent transit. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in SoMa is currently hovering around $3,890. So, what might you expect to find with a budget of $2,300 / month? 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. Brannan Street Listed at $2,300/month, this 500-square-foot studio apartment is located at Brannan Street. In the furnished apartment, you can anticipate hardwood floors, high ceilings and in-unit laundry. Cats and dogs are not allowed. (See the complete listing here.) 574 Third St., #123 Next, there's this studio apartment over at 574 Third St., #123. It's listed for $2,295/month for its 441 square feet of space. The building offers on-site laundry, storage space and on-site management. In the unit, there are hardwood floors and high ceilings. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the complete listing here.) 1335 Folsom St. Here's a 219-square-foot studio at 1335 Folsom St. that's going for $2,290/month. In the unit, you'll get a balcony. Building amenities include on-site laundry, outdoor space, a roof deck and secured entry. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are allowed on this property. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (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. * Results based on 66 percent of votes counted * Pendarovski won 54 percent of votes * Turnout was 44 percent (Recasts with partial vote count results) By Ivana Sekularac and Kole Casule SKOPJE, May 5 (Reuters) - Early results from North Macedonia's presidential election on Sunday showed pro-Western candidate Stevo Pendarovski on course for victory after a campaign dominated by divisions over a change to the country's name that was agreed to mollify Greece and open the way for EU and NATO membership. The State Election Commission results based on 66.4 percent the votes counted showed 53.8 percent of the votes going to Pendarovski, who is the candidate of the ruling coalition and a long-serving senior civil servant and academic. His rival, the candidate of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, got 42.7 percent of the votes. The two finished neck-and-neck in the first round of voting two weeks ago. In Sunday's run-off, Pendarovski had been expected to win support from voters of the second largest ethnic Albanian party, whose candidate Blerim Reka came third in the first round. "I expect a massive victory in the run-off," Pendarovski told reporters after casting his ballot. "I expect the election day to be calm and that we - the country which is expecting to get the date to start the EU membership talks - are capable of organizing free and fair elections," he said. Greece had for decades demanded that the tiny ex-Yugoslav republic change its name from Macedonia, arguing that it implied a territorial claim on a northern Greek province also called Macedonia. The new name was formally ratified earlier this year. But the accord continues to divide North Macedonians and has eclipsed all other campaign issues. In contrast to Pendarovski, Siljanovska-Davkova, a university professor, opposes the name change, although she is also pro-European Union. She has accused the government of dragging its feet on economic reforms. Story continues "I expect big turnout and I expect to win," she said after casting her ballot. Asked what she plans to do about the name agreement she said: "Now it is the official name, it is embedded in our constitution. I will respect that, but I will never use it." The presidency is a largely ceremonial post in North Macedonia but he or she is the supreme commander of the armed forces and also signs off on parliamentary legislation. The refusal of outgoing President Gjeorge Ivanov, a nationalist, to sign some bills backed by parliament has delayed the implementation of key laws, including one on wider use of the Albanian language. But Ivanov had no authority to block the constitutional amendments passed earlier this year by a two-thirds majority of parliament that enabled the name change to North Macedonia. Turnout on Sunday was 44 percent, above the 40 percent threshold needed for the election result to be valid but still low, which analysts attributed to voters' disappointment with a pace of reforms. Once a part of Yugoslavia, the country peacefully seceded in 1991 but came close to civil war in 2001 when ethnic Albanians launched an armed insurgency seeking greater autonomy. NATO and EU diplomacy pulled it back from the brink of civil war. Zizi Markovic, 74, was the first to vote at a polling station in Kole Nedelkovski school in the capital, Skopje, when it opened at 7 a.m.. "I am proud to have been the first voter. I expect that after this election North Macedonia will move faster towards the EU and NATO (membership)," she told Reuters. (Editing by Gareth Jones and Frances Kerry) (Updates toll, adds detail and quotes) By Abdul Qadir Sediqi and Rupam Jain KABUL, May 5 (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and 55 wounded after a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car at a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, with officials saying clashes between gunmen and security forces continued. An interior ministry official in Kabul said the bomber blew up a Humvee loaded with explosives at the entrance gate of police headquarters in the city of Pul-e-Khumri. "At least seven civilians and security officials have been killed. We have also received bodies of women and children," said Abdul Aleem Ghafari, deputy provincial health director in Pul-e-Khumri. A member of the Baghlan provincial council said clashes were ongoing and that it had sought immediate deployment of security forces from neighboring provinces. "Clashes have not stopped," said Assadullah Shahbaz. The Taliban, which is seeking to restore strict Islamic rule and, claimed responsibility for the attack. "Several other Taliban fighters are presently clashing with the Afghan forces," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry in Kabul, said that several Taliban fighters had managed to penetrate the police headquarters. "Two of the attackers have been shot dead and operations are underway to eliminate militants engaged in a gun battle with Afghan forces," said Rahimi. The Taliban frequently capture U.S.-made armored Humvee vehicles from Afghan forces to load with explosives and use them as car bombs to breach military fortifications. INCREASED ATTACKS They have stepped up attacks on security installations, even as they hold direct talks with U.S. officials to end the war in Afghanistan. The hardline Islamists group holds sway over more territory than at any point since its ousting by U.S.-led troops after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. Story continues The group rejected appeals made last week by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, to declare a ceasefire in the 17-year conflict. Afghan-born U.S. diplomat Khalilzad is leading the sixth round of talks with the Taliban in Doha to pursue a deal that would bring the withdrawal of foreign forces in return for Taliban security guarantees. "All sides agreeing to reduce violence is a necessary step toward achieving that outcome and the morally responsible choice to make. We stand ready," Khalilzad wrote on Twitter on Saturday. Khalilzad's comments came a day after Ghani said he was prepared to call an "immediate" and "permanent" ceasefire. About 45,000 Afghan security forces have been killed since Ghani took office in September 2014. The Taliban said they will not lay down their arms ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. "A ceasefire will only get discussed once a deal about foreign force withdrawal gets finalized," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's Doha-based political spokesman, told Reuters. The Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan consists of 17,000 troops, about half of them from the United States. A smaller number of U.S. troops operate in Afghanistan under a counter-terrorism mission. The United Nations top official in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, on Sunday called on all parties to halt the fighting before Ramadan. ( Editing by Richard Borsuk, Raissa Kasolowsky and David Goodman) Koz's Mini Bowl. | Photo: Scott C./Yelp Looking to try the best dive bars in town? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top dive bars in Milwaukee, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fulfill your urges. 1. Koz's Mini Bowl Photo: Amber G./Yelp Topping the list is Historic Mitchell Street's Koz's Mini Bowl, situated at 2078 S. Seventh St. With 4.5 stars out of 82 reviews on Yelp, the dive bar and bowling spot has proven to be a local favorite. 2. My Office Photo: Christine F./Yelp Juneau Town's My Office, located at 763 N. Milwaukee St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the dive bar and traditional American spot four stars out of 49 reviews. 3. Mad Planet Photo: Christine K./Yelp Mad Planet, a dance club, dive bar and music venue in Riverwest, is another go-to, with four stars out of 48 Yelp reviews. Head over to 533 E. Center St. to see for yourself. 4. Y-Not II Tavern Photo: Chadrick J./Yelp Over in Lower East Side, check out Y-Not II Tavern, which has earned four stars out of 46 reviews on Yelp. You can find the dive bar at 706 E. Lyon St. 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. * Hundreds of attacks * Biggest flare-up in months * U.N. and Egypt trying to mediate ceasefire * Ramadan starts on Monday (Adds Trump tweet) By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 5 (Reuters) - Rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, while Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, in surging cross-border fighting on Sunday, according to Gazan officials and the Israeli military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the military to continue "massive strikes" against Gaza's ruling Hamas group and Islamic Jihad in the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November. Israel's military said that more than 600 rockets and other projectiles - over 150 of them intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system - had been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday. It said it attacked more than 260 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. Gaza officials said Israeli air strikes and artillery fire killed 27 people, including 14 civilians, since Friday. A rocket that hit a house in Ashkelon on Sunday killed a 58-year-old man, police said. He was the first such Israeli civilian fatality since the seven-week Gaza war in 2014. Another rocket strike killed a factory worker, a hospital official said. The military said a civilian was killed near the border by an anti-tank missile fired at his car from Gaza and a fourth died when a rocket struck the city of Ashdod. In Gaza, militant groups identified eight fighters killed in Israeli strikes, while medical officials said that nine civilians also died, including a couple and their baby daughter. In what it said was a separate, targeted attack, Israel's military killed Hamed Ahmed Al-Khodary, a Hamas commander. The military said he was responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Hamas confirmed Khodary had been killed. The attack on his car was the first such killing by Israel of a top militant since the war five years ago. Israel had suspended what Palestinians call an assassination policy in an attempt to lower tensions. Story continues Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement late on Sunday saying his group was not seeking a broader conflict and held out the possibility of a ceasefire, although sirens warning of rocket fire continued to sound in Israeli cities into the night. President Donald Trump expressed full U.S. support for Israel and called for an end to the rocket attacks, saying Gazans would only face more hardship and that it was time to seek peace. "Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens.... To the Gazan people these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!," Trump said in a message on Twitter. SIRENS AND EXPLOSIONS The sounds of sirens and explosions reverberated on both sides of the frontier on Sunday, fraying nerves and keeping schools closed. Israel halted supplies from its main natural gas field. The Tamar field's offshore production platform is in range of Palestinian rockets. Israel also stopped fuel imports into Gaza through the main Kerem Shalom crossing. The latest round of violence began two days ago when an Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. Islamic Jihad accused Israel of delaying implementation of previous understandings brokered by Egypt in an effort to end violence and ease blockaded Gaza's economic hardship. This time, Israeli strategic affairs analysts said, both Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants appeared to believe they had some leverage to press for concessions from Israel, where independence day celebrations begin on Wednesday. In two weeks, Israel is also hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, the target of a Gaza rocket attack in March. That attack caused no damage. On Sunday, sirens sounded in the city of Rehovot, 17 km (11 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv. Netanyahu, who doubles as defense minister, convened his security Cabinet, which issued a statement saying it had ordered the military "to continue its strikes and to prepare for the next stages." RAMADAN APPROACHING For residents in Gaza, the escalation comes a day before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the territory on Monday. It is traditionally a time for prayer, family feasts to break a daylight fast and shopping. Among the 14 Gazan civilians killed since Friday were a 14-month-old child and the child's aunt, according to the health ministry. Israel's military said the intelligence information showed they were killed by a misfired Palestinian rocket. In Gaza, two Palestinian human rights groups described the cause of their deaths as an explosion with an as yet undetermined source. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing of rockets into Israel and urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint." A U.N. envoy said it was working with Egypt to try to end the fighting. Israeli bombings in Gaza destroyed four multi-story structures. Witnesses said the Israeli military had warned people inside to evacuate the buildings, which it alleged housed Hamas security facilities, before they were hit. Saeed Al-Nakhala, owner of a clothing store in one of the buildings, said he had no time to save his merchandise. "I was together with my son in the shop, there was a big noise and then another and people started to run. We left everything behind and escaped," said Nakhala. Some 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, the economy of which has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas' West Bank-based rival. Israel says its blockade is necessary to stop weapons reaching Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since the group seized control of Gaza in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from the area. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; riting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, David Goodman and Peter Cooney) Photo: Zoes Kitchen/Yelp Looking for a mouthwatering Mediterranean meal near you? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable Mediterranean restaurants around Tulsa, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture when cravings strike. 1. Shawkat's Topping the list is Shawkat's. Located at 4123 S. Sheridan Road, the bakery and Mediterranean eatery is the highest rated inexpensive Mediterranean spot in Tulsa, boasting 4.5 stars out of 81 reviews on Yelp. The popular restaurant offers authentic Mediterranean eats such as chicken gyros, falafel and fresh baked pita pies. A variety of sides are on offer as well, along with classic desserts like baklava a sweet dessert pastry with layers of filo, chopped nuts and honey. (You can check out the full menu here.) 2. Gyros By Ali Photo: Michelle C./Yelp Next up is Gyros By Ali, situated at 8232 S. Lewis Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 67 reviews on Yelp, the Greek and Mediterranean spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for a cheap option. Mediterranean inspired sandwiches, salads and platters are on hand, as well as unique offerings like the gyro quesadilla with grilled onions, peppers and cheese. (See the full menu here.) 3. Shish Kabobs Photo: Altan C./Yelp Shish Kabobs, located at 11605 E. 31st St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the low-priced Mediterranean spot 4.5 stars out of 49 reviews. The family-owned restaurant specializes in healthy Mediterranean eats, from classic hummus and stuffed cabbage rolls to Greek salad and shish-kabob an entree featuring charbroiled top sirloin, saffron rice and more. (You can view the menu here). 4. Zoes Kitchen Photo: Zoes Kitchen/Yelp Over in Brookside, check out Zoes Kitchen, which has earned four stars out of 72 reviews on Yelp. Dig in at the Mediterranean and Greek spot by heading over to 3629 S. Peoria Ave. The national chain with outposts from Arizona to Florida offers appetizers such as harissa red pepper hummus, lamb kafta and French-baked feta. Entrees like Mediterranean chicken and shrimp kabobs are also available, along with desserts, a kid's menu and grab-and-go options. (You can view the full menu here.) 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. Los Olivos. | Photo: Dawn K./Yelp Looking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable Italian restaurants around Tucson, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fill the bill. 1. Roma Imports photo: michael c./yelp Topping the list is Roma Imports. Located at 627 S. Vine Ave., the deli, cheese shop and Italian spot is the highest rated cheap Italian restaurant in Tucson, boasting 4.5 stars out of 278 reviews on Yelp. 2. Los Olivos Photo: dawn k./Yelp Next up is Menlo Park's Los Olivos, situated at 937 W. Congress St. With 4.5 stars out of 128 reviews on Yelp, the Italian spot, which offers pizza and sandwiches, has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for a cheap option. 3. NYPD New York Pizza Department photo: christi t./yelp NYPD New York Pizza Department, located at 6546 E. Tanque Verde Road, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the inexpensive bar and Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, four stars out of 207 reviews. 4. Tony's Italian Deli Photo: kyle j./Yelp Tony's Italian Deli, a deli and Italian spot in Colonia Del Valle, is another low-priced go-to, with four stars out of 116 Yelp reviews. Head over to 6219 E. 22nd St. to see for yourself. 5. Jozarelli's Photo: henry p./Yelp Check out Jozarelli's, which has earned four stars out of 19 reviews on Yelp. Dig in at the food truck and Italian spot by heading over to 1001 S. Tyndall Ave. 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. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) The Taliban stormed a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing 13 police and setting off a six-hour gunbattle, officials said. The Interior Ministry said the attack in Puli Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province, began at noon with a suicide car bomber striking the entrance to the compound and eight gunmen rushing in after the explosion. It said 13 police were killed and another 55 people, including 20 civilians, were wounded before the attackers were all killed. A police official who was inside the compound during the attack said the insurgents all wore suicide vests and that three of them detonated their payloads, while the other five were shot and killed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters. Kalil Narmgo, a doctor at the main hospital in Puli Khumri, said more than 50 wounded people, both military and civilians, had been brought in, including "several" in critical condition. The Taliban claimed the attack, the latest in an unrelenting wave of assaults on security forces. The insurgents effectively control nearly half the country, and have maintained their tempo of attacks despite holding several rounds of peace talks with the United States in recent months. In the capital, Kabul, a lawmaker was wounded and his wife was killed in a shooting attack late Saturday. Police said Sunday it was unclear if the shooting inside Mohammad Afzal Shamil's home was due to a personal dispute or a targeted attack. Shamil is a member of the upper house of parliament representing northeastern Takhar province. In the western Herat province, a roadside bomb killed three children and wounded another two on Saturday, according to Jelani Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor. No one claimed responsibility, but the Taliban often plant bombs on the main roads to target government officials or security forces. The bombs often kill civilians. Story continues In a separate development, Pakistan says Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani spoke by phone to discuss efforts to end the conflict. "The Prime Minister underlined that Pakistan will spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two brotherly countries," the Pakistani government statement said. Afghanistan and the United States have long accused Pakistan of harboring militants, and many of the Taliban's top leaders are believed to be based there. Pakistan says it uses its limited influence over the insurgents to encourage peace efforts. The statement said Khan "reiterated his invitation to President Ashraf Ghani to visit Pakistan for a comprehensive exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest." The Afghan government said in a statement that Ghani accepted the invitation, but that a date has not yet been fixed. BERLIN, May 5 (Reuters) - Airbus is considering suing the German government as its freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia means the company is unable to complete a border security system for the Gulf state, two people familiar with the matter said. In October, Germany decided to reject future arms exports licenses to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to freeze deliveries of already approved equipment - a move that infuriated allies and defense companies. Airbus is looking at taking legal action against Berlin over the security system for the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen - a contract worth some 3 billion euros ($3.36 billion), of which around 1 billion euros remains open, the sources said. "We are looking at an action for failure to act," said one source familiar with the matter, speaking on Sunday on condition of anonymity. "We want to force the federal government to decide now." Airbus declined to comment. The German government has said it could not comment on any potential corporate compensation claims as a result of the Saudi arms export ban until any materialize. It was not immediately clear where in Germany or when any lawsuit would be filed. In late March, Germany extended the ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the end of September, with a few exceptions. The border system for Saudi Arabia consists of radars, drones and command posts for guards. "We are not talking about an offensive weapon here, but about a border security system," the source said. Airbus, which had to make risk provisions of 300 million euros due to non-completion of the contract, feels an obligation to take legal action to show its customers, shareholders and suppliers that it is doing everything it can to complete the contract, the source said. In February, company sources told Reuters that Airbus had decided to redesign the C295 military transport aircraft it builds in Spain to remove German components following Germany's freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia. ($1 = 0.8928 euros) (Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Tim Hepher Writing by Paul Carrel Editing by Frances Kerry) BERLIN (Reuters) - Airbus is considering suing the German government as its freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia means the company is unable to complete a border security system for the Gulf state, two people familiar with the matter said. In October, Germany decided to reject future arms exports licenses to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to freeze deliveries of already approved equipment - a move that infuriated allies and defense companies. Airbus is looking at taking legal action against Berlin over the security system for the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen - a contract worth some 3 billion euros ($3.36 billion), of which around 1 billion euros remains open, the sources said. "We are looking at an action for failure to act," said one source familiar with the matter, speaking on Sunday on condition of anonymity. "We want to force the federal government to decide now." Airbus declined to comment. The German government has said it could not comment on any potential corporate compensation claims as a result of the Saudi arms export ban until any materialize. It was not immediately clear where in Germany or when any lawsuit would be filed. In late March, Germany extended the ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the end of September, with a few exceptions. The border system for Saudi Arabia consists of radars, drones and command posts for guards. "We are not talking about an offensive weapon here, but about a border security system," the source said. Airbus, which had to make risk provisions of 300 million euros due to non-completion of the contract, feels an obligation to take legal action to show its customers, shareholders and suppliers that it is doing everything it can to complete the contract, the source said. In February, company sources told Reuters that Airbus had decided to redesign the C295 military transport aircraft it builds in Spain to remove German components following Germany's freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Tim Hepher; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Frances Kerry) By Lamine Chikhi ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian police have arrested Said Bouteflika, the youngest brother of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and two former intelligence chiefs, Generals Bachir Athmane Tartag and Mohamed Mediene, security sources said on Saturday. No more details were available, and there was no immediate comment from police. The sources were confirming an earlier report from Ennahar TV. Said Bouteflika, who served as a top advisor to the presidency for more than a decade, acted as Algeria's de facto ruler after his brother suffered a stroke in 2013 which left him in a wheelchair. Massive ongoing protests calling for a radical change to Bouteflika's regime pushed the ailing president to resign on April 2, but demonstrators continue to demand the removal of all those linked the former administration. "The arrest of Said is definitely the peak in the dismantling of Bouteflika's system," a top political source told Reuters on Saturday. Army chief of staff Ahmed Gaed Salah has promised to rid the country of corrupt politicians, oligarchs and military officials in order to restore confidence among the people. Last month Salah accused a former intelligence chief of trying to undermine the transition, in a clear reference to Mediene, dubbed "Algeria's God" because many saw him as the country's real authority. "I send to this person a final warning," Salah said at that time. Bouteflika had fired Mediene in 2015 in an attempt to weaken the intelligence services, but he is still seen as one of the most powerful figures in Algeria. Protesters are also calling for the resignation of interim president Abdelkader Bensalah, who is due to serve until an election on July 4, and Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui. On Friday, hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied peacefully in Algiers, chanting "we will not shut up!". The army remains the most powerful institution in Algeria, having swayed politics from the shadows for decades. It has so far patiently monitored the mostly peaceful protests. Story continues Last week Lieutenant General Salah, who helped push Bouteflika out after having him declared unfit for office, said several big corruption cases would come to light in a crackdown on graft. Several oligarchs, including Algeria's richest man Issad Rebrab, are behind bars with investigations ongoing. (Reporting by Hesham Hajali and Lamine Chikhi; Writing by Lamine Chikhi and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Jan Harvey) * GRAPHIC Rising global temperatures: http://tmsnrt.rs/2fd44vX * GRAPHIC Ocean tides and warming: https://tmsnrt.rs/2OZBykT By Simon Johnson STOCKHOLM, May 6 (Reuters) - Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other nations which border the Arctic meet in Finland on Monday to discuss policies governing the polar region, as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth. Countries have been scrambling to claim territory or, like China, boost their presence in the region as thawing ice raises the possibility of exploiting much of the world's remaining undiscovered reserves of oil and gas, plus huge deposits of minerals such as zinc, iron and rare earth metals. With time-saving Arctic shipping routes also opening up, the Pentagon warned on May 2 of the risk of Chinese submarines in the Arctic. That followed a sharp statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - who will give a speech at the Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland on May 6 - rejecting a role for China in shaping Arctic policy. "The U.S. has realized that they cannot leave the Russians and Chinese to carve up the Arctic as they see fit," said Niklas Granholm, deputy director of studies at Sweden's Defence Research Agency. The Arctic Council is made up of the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, with the region's indigenous populations also represented. China has had observer status at the Council since 2013, and has been increasingly active in the region, outlining a plan for a "Polar Silk Road" last year. Russia has reopened military bases closed after the Cold War and is modernizing its powerful Northern Fleet. In response, the U.S. has reconstituted its Second Fleet, whose area of responsibility will include the North Pole. The Arctic Council's remit excludes military matters, but participants have already clashed, with the Washington Post reporting that the U.S. had refused to sign off on a final declaration, disagreeing with the wording on climate change. (https://wapo.st/2VI80L4) Story continues MELTING THE ICE "There are different tones with which different countries want to approach climate change," Finland's Arctic Ambassador Aleksi Harkonen said. "It's not about whether climate change can be mentioned or not. It will be there, in the final declaration." Surface air temperatures in the Arctic are warming at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, and the ocean could be ice-free during the summer months within 25 years, according to some researchers. That could have a profound effect on the world's weather as well as on wildlife and indigenous populations in the polar region. President Donald Trump has frequently expressed skepticism about whether global warming is a result of human activity and has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. That agreement aimed to limit a rise in average global temperatures to "well below" 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times by 2100. Another flashpoint in Finland could be the meeting between Pompeo and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will discuss the political crisis in Venezuela. Russia has accused the United States of trying to engineer a coup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, one of its closest allies in Latin America. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton told Russia to stop interfering in what he called America's "hemisphere." India, South Korea, Singapore, Italy and Japan have observer status at the Arctic Council in addition to China. (Reporting by Simon Johnson; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner and Lesley Wroughton in Washington, Andrew Osborne in Moscow and Anne Kauranen in Helsinki; Editing by Jan Harvey) ZURICH, May 5 (Reuters) - The head of Austrian junior coalition partner and far-right Freedom (FPO) party pledged on Sunday to fight "creeping Islamisation," doubling down on his anti-immigration stance ahead of European elections on May 23. Heinz-Christian Strache, who serves as Austria's vice chancellor, also insisted he would not stop referring to immigration as "population displacement," a term used by far right groups in Austria who want to reverse the inflow of newcomers into the country. Most polls in Austria showed the Freedom party was in third place, with its senior coalition partner, the Conservative Austrian People's Party in first and the opposition Social Democrats (SPO) in second place. "There is a creeping Islamisation, a population change, or a population displacement," Strache told Austrian newspaper OE.24. Critics counter this view with government data on immigration, which shows that in 2018, roughly 16 percent of Austria's population has foreign citizenship, up from 10 percent a decade earlier. Austria's public broadcaster has compared anti-immigrant posters created by the FPO's youth wing of party to Nazi propaganda, while the vice-mayor of the Austrian town where Adolf Hitler was born resigned from the party after writing a poem comparing migrants with rats. Anti-immigration sentiment in Austria was stoked by the 2015 during Europe's migration crisis, during which thousands of migrants passed through the country on their way to other EU states such as Sweden and Germany. Many of them were Syrian war refugees. Austria took in asylum seekers numbering the equivalent of around 1 percent of its population during the 2015 crisis. "It is our goal to correct the legacy of the previous government's immigration policy and to stop immigration from Islamic countries and promote integration," Strache told the newspaper. (Reporting by John Revill Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Fidelity Investments has raided Barclays Investment Bank for a digital assets position. Chris Tyrer, who served as Head of Digital Assets project at Barclays, joined the US financial services giant in April, according to his LinkedIn profile. The profile does not go into detail about the new job, just mentioning digital assets. Tyrer did not respond to our request for further info. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Tyrer had started exploratory work on how the British bank could get involved in cryptocurrencies, and whether it should do so. Barclays sounded out clients earlier in the year to gauge interest in a cryptocurrency trading desk, people familiar with the matter said in April, Bloomberg noted. The UK lender said at the time it was monitoring developments in the digital currency market but had no concrete plans to start such an operation. It eventually halted work on the project, however, after a number of major challenges emerged and customers showed no real enthusiasm. The decision lead to the departure of Tyrer. Along with Barclays trader, Mattieu Jobbe Duval, he had written on his LinkedIn profile that he was involved in the initiative. Their employer, however, denied its existence. Duval said he had been hired to price a business plan for integrating a digital assets trading desk into Barclays markets business: revenue opportunity, competitive landscape, budgeting and planning for delivery, IT build out, capital & balance sheet impact. Yet, after media outlets approached the bank for more information, both Duval and Tyrer modified their LinkedIn profiles. Tyrer refused to comment, although Duval said the information posted had been accurate. Barclays denial contradicted a patent application, which described a system wherein amounts of digital currency may be created, destroyed, split, joined or transferred by adding suitable operation data to a digital currency ledger (for example, a blockchain). It also highlighted that some operations may be performed only by authorised entities (such as the create and destroy operations), and other operations may be performed by any entity that holds or owns the amount of digital currency on which the operation is to be performed (for example split, join and transfer operations). The post Barclays crypto banker Chris Tyrer joins Fidelity Investments appeared first on Coin Rivet. OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - A local guide for two French tourists who went missing on safari in Benin last week has been found dead in the Pendjari National Park, the park said in a statement. The statement did not elaborate on what happened, but two sources told Reuters earlier that the guide's body was found riddled with bullets and that the car that he and the tourists used was found burned out across the border in Burkina Faso. The fate of the tourists, who failed to return to camp after an excursion in the park on Wednesday, was unclear, the sources - a local official and a regional security source - said. France 24 television reported on Sunday that they had been kidnapped, citing unnamed regional sources. France's foreign affairs ministry could not confirm the information on Sunday, although it has acknowledged that two nationals and their guide had been missing since Wednesday. Government officials in Benin and neighboring Burkina Faso declined to comment. The French government had warned its citizens against traveling to parts of Benin near the Burkina Faso border where the park is located because of the risk of kidnapping. The country's military conducted anti-terrorism training exercises last year amid concern about militant activity in Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. Still, the disappearances and death mark a rare incident of violence in Benin, which is considered a pocket of calm in restive and impoverished West Africa where jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State have used local grievances to stoke violence and gain influence. The sources said the guide's car was found in eastern Burkina Faso, which this year has been overrun by jihadist attacks, forcing more than 100,000 residents to flee. (Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga in Ouagadougou and David Lewis in Nairobi; Additional reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris and Allegresse Sasse in Cotonou; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Jason Neely and Peter Cooney) Washington (AFP) - Attorney General Bill Barr had a solid reputation when he took over the US Justice Department in February, but his concerted efforts to downplay the Mueller report's damning allegations against President Donald Trump have left that reputation tattered. The veteran Washington lawyer, 68, encouraged hopes that, under his leadership, the Justice Department would shake off the taint of politicization in the first two years of Trump's presidency. But ten weeks later, he is being branded as more political than his predecessor, labeled a liar and facing calls for impeachment and a possible charge of contempt of Congress. Barr has stunned many who gave him the benefit of the doubt by declaring Trump fully cleared of accusations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. But Special Counsel Robert Mueller's full report on Russian election meddling, while not finding criminal behavior, detailed a disturbing number of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, and a deep pattern of obstruction by the president. Ignoring that, Barr has instead appeared to take part in Trump's attacks on the Mueller investigation and his own Justice Department. He belittled a letter from Mueller complaining that he distorted the report as "snitty." And echoing Trump's own complaints, he suggested that the investigation may have illegally "spied" on the president's campaign. - 'Diminished credibility' - After a stormy hearing in Congress on Wednesday, Barr took flack from multiple directions for his alleged determination to protect Trump at any cost. "Not in my memory has a sitting attorney general more diminished the credibility of his department on any subject," Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote in the Atlantic magazine. Former FBI director James Comey, whose May 2017 firing by Trump precipitated Mueller's obstruction investigation, suggested Barr sold his soul to work for the administration. Story continues "How could Mr. Barr, a bright and accomplished lawyer, start channeling the president in using words like 'no collusion' and FBI 'spying'?" Comey wrote in The New York Times. Critics maybe should not have been surprised. Barr has since the 1980s been a fixture of Washington's Republican establishment. When he sat in the attorney general's chair for a year in 1991-92, he protected president George H. W. Bush's powers, outraging Democrats when he engineered Bush's pardon of a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal involving illegal arms sales to Iran. He then spent nearly two decades representing the interests of Verizon, fighting any effort to expand regulation of or diminish the power of one of the largest US telecommunications operators. He was also a rising figure in the Federalist Society and politically active Catholic groups in the US capital, from where the most recent conservative justices on the Supreme Court have been chosen. - Early critic of Mueller investigation - Trump chose Barr to replace attorney general Jeff Sessions knowing Barr was a strong critic of Mueller's probe. In June 2018, with Sessions's job already known to be imperiled, Barr sent an unsolicited legal memo to the Justice Department and White House arguing that the investigation impinged on presidential prerogatives and was based on a "fatally misconceived" view of obstruction law. Those views appear to have guided his decision to unilaterally declare Trump cleared of wrongdoing, once Mueller's report was completed. Once Mueller's report was finished, "it was my baby," Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. But his determination to help the White House move beyond the probe has created a new problem. Earlier in April, Barr told Congress twice that he was unaware of any disagreement Mueller might have had with him on his initial March 24 summary of the report. In fact, a letter made public Tuesday showed Mueller complaining that Barr had distorted the report's conclusions. Outraged, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Barr of lying to Congress, a criminal offense. Others demanded Barr's head. "It's time to begin impeachment proceedings against AG Barr," said Democratic Representative Eric Swallwell. "At every step he has acted as Trump's lawyer, when he's sworn to be America's. He must go." Veteran of numerous tough legal battles, Barr remained unperturbed. His boss the president was pleased. Barr "was really, really solid and did a great job," Trump said after Wednesday's hearing. Federal investigators were hoping Sunday that information obtained from a flight data recorder would unravel the mystery of why a Boeing 737-800 rolled off the end of a Florida runway and into the St. Johns River. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Dan Boggs said his 16-person team recovered the data recorder Saturday. The voice recorder was in a submerged portion of the plane and was not immediately retrieved, authorities said Sunday. All 143 people aboard survived the accident Friday night during a thunderstorm at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. They climbed onto the jet's wings and were taken to safety by rescuers in boats. Hours earlier, passengers were warned that their aircraft might not be fit for takeoff because of an air conditioning problem, passenger Darwing Silva told the Tampa Bay Times. "There was the biggest bang" after the plane landed, he said. Silva was in the exit row, and he opened the exit door, stepped out onto the wing, looked down and saw water. Help soon arrived, and he was the last person on his side of the plane to board a lifeboat. A charter plane carrying 143 people and traveling from Cuba to north Florida sits in a river at the end of a runway, Saturday, May 4, 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Boeing 737 arriving at Naval Air Station Jacksonville from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with 136 passengers and seven aircrew slid off the runway Friday night into the St. Johns River, a NAS Jacksonville news release said. More than 20 people were treated for minor injuries, but only one was hospitalized a 3-month-old baby, and only as a precaution, authorities said. I think it is a miracle, base commanding officer Capt. Michael Connor said. We could be talking about a different story. Engineers were containing spilled fuel with booms and using skimmers to remove fuel from the water, authorities said. Bruce Landsberg, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said skid marks indicated the plane swerved to the right and hit a sea wall before rolling into the river. He said the runway pavement had no grooves that might have allowed rainwater to flow off more quickly. That would be just one of many possible factors investigators will examine, he said. Landsberg said a final report could take more than a year to complete. Boeing issued a statement saying it was providing technical assistance to the NTSB's investigation. Story continues A dog and two cats died in the military-chartered jet that had arrived from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Naval Air Station Jacksonville confirmed in a post Sunday. Although the Boeing 737 plane was not completely submerged in the shallow water, the bottom portion, where the pets were positioned, was under water. Casualties: 3 pets died in Boeing 737 plane that crash landed in Jacksonville, Florida Tips: Traveling with pets this holiday season? Read this first One animal that traveled in the cabin was safely removed, the station said. Connor said emergency responders looked in the cargo bay and did not hear any animal noises or see any crates, suggesting they were under water. The plane was considered unstable, and responders then withdrew for their own safety, Connor said. He said emergency personnel later completed a second assessment but again they did not see any pet carriers above the water. The flight's manifest recorded four pets on board, but LaRocque said it's possible more could have been boarded. "It's a very, obviously, rough situation," he said. "My sympathy and my heart really goes out to those families." The plane skidded off the runway around 9:40 a.m. Cheryl Bormann, a prominent defense attorney who was aboard, described a chaotic landing as the pilot appeared to lose control of the aircraft before it touched down, bounced and swerved. Naval Air Station Jacksonville is a military airport about 8 miles south of downtown. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Black box found after crash landing of Boeing 737 in Jacksonville, Florida; plane had a/c problems earlier A ViewBase report suggests crypto exchanges could be ranked based on a trio of different metrics. | Source: Shutterstock By CCN: Reported volume is the default metric that people look for when determining the ranks of crypto exchanges. Reported and adjusted volumes wildly differ on sites like CoinMarketCap.com. For example, if you look at the image below, youll notice a wild difference in reported and adjusted volumes at press time. Ranking Exchanges Beyond Their Volume Notice the difference between reported and adjusted volume on CoinMarketCap.com ViewBase, a market insights and community platform centered around cryptocurrency, recently published a report which details other ways we might rank exchanges. Rankings could be based on real facts, like how much crypto they hold or the value of all their tokens combined. The platform watches for large movements of various coins, including stablecoins, and provides traders the opportunity to discuss observations. Its a bit like TradingView but crypto-centric. Ranking exchanges purely by volume reported or otherwise may soon be a fallacy in and of itself, as the trend of initial exchange offerings gives rise to more transaction mining. Transaction mining is where users earn tokens for making trades; this may increase the volume but does it mean the exchange is more significant? Three New Ways to Objectively Rank Exchanges So ViewBase looks at three new ways to rank exchanges. The first way is by ether balances. Read the full story on CCN.com. By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - The body of a worker was recovered while two other employees remained missing on Saturday after an explosion at a silicone plant in a Chicago suburb, a fire official said. Fire officials were investigating what caused the blast at AB Specialty Silicones in Waukegan, Illinois on Friday night, Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi told CNN. "We are still gathering what went wrong," he said. Lenzi said the body of one worker was turned over to the coroner, while firefighters and company officials worked to bring in equipment to remove debris to be able to search for the other two victims. Nine employees were in the building at the time of the explosion that lit up the night sky in the community of some 85,000 people about 40 miles (65 km) north of downtown Chicago. The blast sent four workers to the hospital while two others did not require treatment, Lenzi said. "Due to the chemicals that were in the building and the structural instability, it has been deemed unsafe for us to continue any search for the three subjects that are still unaccounted for," he said during an earlier news conference. "We are shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy," Mac Penman, general manager of AB Specialty Silicones, said in a statement. The 30,000-square foot (2,800 square meters) plant operated around the clock, Lenzi said, and most of the chemicals on site were used to produce silicone. Images of the plant from local media showed its walls stripped away, leaving only a shell of a building with girders and scraps of roofing material. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Daniel Wallis) For Darwing Silva, the first sign that something was amiss when his flight landed in Jacksonville, Florida, during a thunderstorm was that it seemed the jet did not brake after hitting the runway. Lights zoomed by the window. He traded worried glances with other passengers. Then came the jolt. It was just the biggest impact Ive ever felt in my life, Mr Silva said. Like an explosion, almost. He lurched forward in his seat 14B, the middle seat in an exit row and hit his head on the seatback in front of him. Seconds later, Mr Silva felt water. Up to my ankles, he said. And there was water coming in from above the roof of the plane. The Boeing 737 had slid off the runway of the naval air station in Jacksonville and into the shallow waters of the St Johns River. All 136 passengers and seven crew members would be rescued, 21 of them with non-life-threatening injuries. But all Mr Silva knew at the time was that the flight, which had taken off from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had landed in water and that someone was yelling something about smelling jet fuel. I just kind of snapped into action, said Mr Silva, a civilian safety manager for a roofing company. He grabbed his backpack, which was hanging from an overhead bin that had popped open during the accident. He slipped past the female passenger in the window seat, who was bracing her head between her knees, opened the exit door, and found himself on a wing of the plane. Others began filing onto the wing, amid the darkness, rain and lightning. Mr Silva called his father to let him know he was OK. Eventually, the passengers made it onto an evacuation raft, children and women first, and emergency workers used a cable to guide them ashore. Ive gone over so many of those safety instructions preflight, Mr Silva said. You never really think youre going to be the one to have to open the door. His trip seemed cursed from the start. The charter plane, operated by Miami Air International, had arrived four hours late. The flight had been unbearably hot, said Cheryl Bormann, one of the Jacksonville passengers, and people had to fan themselves because the air conditioning was not working properly. Mr Silva had taken off his polo shirt and was sweltering in his undershirt. Story continues As the flight neared Jacksonville, the plane flew into a storm. There was some turbulence, but the crew gave no warnings about potential landing trouble. It felt as if the front part of the plane had hit the ground hard before the rest of it had, Ms Bormann said. It bounces and it swirls and it tilts and it tips, and you can tell the pilot is trying to control it and is not having much success, she said. Its literally bouncing up and down, from side to side. Things are falling down from the overhead bins. People are holding onto their small children. Miami Air International regularly transports military service members and their families from the base in Guantanamo Bay to naval air stations in Jacksonville and Norfolk, Virginia. Officials for the carrier did not return phone calls on Saturday about the accident. The mishap stranded about 125 passengers at Guantanamo on Saturday morning. They were awaiting the return of the Miami Air plane for a flight to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The stranded group included a military judge who announced this week that he would no longer preside over the case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men accused of plotting the September 11 attacks. Also among them were two brigadier generals, prosecutors, defence lawyers and journalists who had arrived a week earlier for a pretrial hearing in the case. Mr Silva said he had driven straight from the naval station to his home in Miami, arriving about 5:30 am. I feel my neck sore. My right eye is sore, he said. I am going to get checked out just to make sure everything is OK, but at that moment, I didnt feel much. The adrenaline, I guess. Ms Bormann, a civilian criminal defence attorney in the 9/11 trial, spent the day scrambling to get a change of clothes, a new phone and enough forms of ID to get on a flight home to Chicago. Her few remaining belongings were in a reusable grocery bag that she was now using as a purse. Im a criminal defence lawyer who handles capital cases trauma is something Im pretty accustomed to, she said. But you dont realise it until it hits you. I sat on my bed and cried this morning in my hotel room. I have to get on a plane tomorrow. And Im not looking forward to it. The New York Times David Pastrnak scored twice in a wild third period as the Boston Bruins defeated the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Saturday night. David Krejci and Brad Marchand also scored for Boston and goaltender Tuukka Rask made 33 saves, including a sprawling stop of a shot by Cam Atkinson with 14.6 seconds remaining and the Blue Jackets with an extra attacker on the ice after pulling their goalie. The Bruins took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. Game 6 is scheduled for Monday night in Columbus, Ohio. Seth Jones, Ryan Dzingel and Dean Kukan scored for Columbus and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 of 36 shots. The Bruins have won the past two games in the series by a combined score of 8-4. The winner of this series will face the Carolina Hurricanes for the conference title. Pastrnak scored the winner at 18:32 of the third period, redirecting a pass from Marchand just inside the right post. It capped a flurry of five goals in a span of 7:59. Krejci opened the scoring 1:39 into the second period, taking a pass from Jake DeBrusk and slipping a wrist shot along the ice and between Bobrovsky's pads. The score remained 1-0 until the third period. Marchand scored 4:51 into the final period, converting his own rebound after a spectacular glove save by Bobrovsky. Jones scored a controversial goal at 10:33. Jones' shot from the right corner went off defenseman Matt Grzelcyk's stick and lodged between Rask's pads and the left post. The play was initially ruled no goal, but Jones was awarded the score after a video review. The Bruins regained their two-goal edge at 11:16 as Pastrnak put a slap shot inside the left post on a four-on-one breakaway. Dzingel beat Rask from a sharp angle at 12:07 and Kukan tied the score at 13:58, taking a pass from Artemi Panarin and beating Rask with a slap shot from between the top of the faceoff circles. --Field Level Media Abuja (AFP) - President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Nigeria on Sunday after a 10-day private visit to Britain, his office said, with the trip sparking fresh debate about his state of health. The 76-year-old leader, who has previously been in London for long spells of medical care, did not say whether his latest visit was linked to health problems. "President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday returned to Abuja after a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom", having left Nigeria on April 25, his spokesman, Femi Adesina said in a statement. From May 2016 until mid-2017, the Nigerian leader 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. His victory is being contested in court by the main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party. Washington (AFP) - The unprecedented campaign of Pete Buttigieg, with husband and potential first gentleman Chasten at his side, is shaking up politics and promises to change perceptions of same-sex marriage -- and what it means to be a family in America. The Buttigiegs are the most visible same-sex couple of the moment, riding a wave of popularity as Pete, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, seeks the Democratic presidential nomination and the right to challenge Donald Trump in 2020. Should the improbable become reality, Buttigieg would serve as America's first openly gay commander in chief, and his 29-year-old husband of 11 months would become the first-ever US first gentleman. Together they would challenge expectations of what the first couple could or should be. While that remains a far-off dream 18 months from election day, experts say the pair is already having substantial cultural impact. Millions of Americans have now watched Buttigieg's televised town halls, seen the candidate and his husband in person on the campaign trail or viewed their television interviews. This week's Time magazine profile boldly titled "First Family" features a cover photo of the couple standing outside their home, sleeves rolled up -- an unremarkable image capturing a remarkable cultural moment. "Pete and Chasten are so... normal and American and relatable," Annise Parker, the former mayor of Houston and one of the first openly gay mayors of a major American city, told AFP. Because of heightened media coverage during Buttigieg's rising star campaign -- he was virtually unknown weeks ago but now polls in the top tier among 21 candidates -- "it's driving this mainstream middle-American image of a young happily married couple," said Parker, who now heads Victory Fund, which supports LGBTQ candidates. "It's hard to discriminate against someone you can relate to so strongly." Story continues The average American's position on gay marriage has evolved rapidly, said Brian Powell, a sociology professor at Indiana University who studies same-sex marriage. In 2003, his research showed, a traditional husband-wife-children view of family dominated. By 2015, the "inclusionist" ideal prevailed, and marriage equality was the law of the land. Much of that shift was attributable to television, notably shows like "Will and Grace," which helped normalize same-sex households to millions of viewers. But the real-life Buttigiegs could put even more Americans at ease. People are "seeing it in a very visible public figure," Powell said. "That can have a transformational effect." Buttigieg came out as gay during his mayoral re-election campaign, and three years after the Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage, he and Chasten tied the knot. During his campaign launch speech in South Bend, Buttigieg offered thanks to "Chasten, my love, for giving me the strength to do this and the grounding to be myself as we go." - Contrast with Trump - Buttigieg, according to The Atlantic, is "a model of conventional, bourgeois gay domesticity." He is a military veteran, a monogamous intellectual by all accounts, quick to show off their two dogs. Much has been made of the contrast with the twice-divorced Trump, accused by multiple women of sexual assault or harassment, and whom Buttigieg has branded as operating a "pornstar presidency." "If the public portrayals of the marriages are accurate, then I would say more American families are like the Buttigieg family than they are like the Trump family," Powell said. For under-40 millennials, sexual orientation is just another human trait, like race or gender, and "is not in any way a disqualifier" for the presidency, said University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire associate professor of sociology Peter Hart-Brinson. Not all are on board, particularly conservatives. Many in the LGBTQ community view Trump himself as hostile to their rights, and several states still allow employers to fire workers for being gay. Buttigieg is an Episcopalian with an abiding faith in God, but Christian evangelist Franklin Graham denounced him by name last week. "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," Graham tweeted. "The Bible says marriage is between a man & a womannot two men, not two women." By many accounts, the Buttigieg marriage is storybook, a symbol of what is politically achievable today. Chasten, sitting with his husband, told CBS News last week that they quarrel over who does the laundry or takes out the trash, just like most American couples. "I do enjoy going out there with Pete and showing people that gay marriage is just like a straight marriage," he said. LAS VEGAS (AP) Daniel Jacobs was bigger. Canelo Alvarez was better but not by much. Alvarez added another title belt to his collection Saturday night by winning rounds early and outboxing Jacobs in their middleweight showdown to take a close but unanimous 12-round decision. Two ringside judges scored it 115-113, while the third had it 116-112. The Associated Press scored it 115-113 in favor of Alvarez. "It was just what we thought," Alvarez said. "We knew it would be a difficult fight. We just did our job." Jacobs, who lost $1 million out of his purse by not making the contracted weight the morning of the fight, was clearly bigger than Alvarez and landed perhaps the biggest punch of the fight in the ninth round when he connected with a left hook. But Alvarez was fast and quick and kept Jacobs off balance with his movement as he won a narrow decision in the same arena where he fought to a draw and a close win over Gennady Golovkin. "He's a pot shotter," Jacobs said. "I felt I did enough to get the victory." The judges didn't, though, largely because Alvarez was more active early and was the more aggressive of the two fighters. Alvarez built a lead early, winning the first five rounds on one scorecard and four of the five on the other two. But Jacobs seemed to find himself midway through the fight and roared back to make it competitive on the scorecards. He won the 12th round on two of the three scorecards. Alvarez, a 5-1 favorite at fight time, was tested but did enough to win in a fight that had no knockdowns and no serious fouls. Neither fighter ever appeared badly hurt, though Jacobs landed some of the bigger punches in the late rounds. That included the left hook in the ninth that seemed to shake Alvarez, if only for a moment. "It was a hard shot but I went to the corner and they asked me and I said it was no big deal," Alvarez said. "I continued with the fight. What do you want?" Story continues Alvarez, the red-headed Mexican sensation, earned $35 million for risking his titles against Jacobs, a Brooklyn fighter who held a piece of the middleweight crown himself. He got another $1 million from the purse of Jacobs after Jacobs weighed in too heavy the day of the fight. Jacobs had weighed in at the class limit of 160 pounds at the official weigh-in on Friday. But the two boxers had agreed in their contract not to weigh more than 170 pounds Saturday morning and Jacobs weighed 173.6. Alvarez was aggressive from the opening bell, throwing punches with intent while Jacobs was content to try and fight from the outside while backing up most of the time. Neither fighter landed any sustained flurries, but Alvarez had more snap to his punches and landed them with more consistency. By the middle rounds, Jacobs was switching from conventional to southpaw and back again, trying to find a rhythm. But Alvarez kept moving his head and making Jacobs miss, and often found him with a counter. The two traded punches on several occasions, and Jacobs landed his biggest punch with a left hook in the ninth round that got the attention of Alvarez. Alvarez (52-1-2) had lost only once in his career, dropping a decision five years ago to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a fight he acknowledged later he was not ready for. He entered the ring a 5-1 favorite over Jacobs (35-3-1), who narrowly lost his own fight with Triple G in 2017. Jacobs, who beat the odds by beating cancer in 2011, had vowed he would beat them again by beating Alvarez but it was not to be. "I got the short end of the stick," said Jacobs, who insisted the week of the fight that he was not worried the judges would be influenced by the pro-Alvarez crowd of 20,203 at the T-Mobile Arena on Cinco de Mayo weekend. Alvarez was already guaranteed $35 million as part of his reported $365 million deal with DAZN, the streaming platform that has contracts with several top fighters. He got the flat fee instead of the usual share of pay-per-view proceeds because the fight was offered on DAZN for the cost of a subscription. Golovkin sat ringside for the fight, which set up a possible third bout with Alvarez, perhaps in September. "I'm here in Vegas because I want that fight," Golovkin said. Bartaco. | Photo Cindy N./Yelp Looking to uncover all that Melrose has to offer? Get to know this Nashville neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from tacos to seafood. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Melrose, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Bartaco Photo: Amelia L./Yelp Topping the list is bar and Mexican spot Bartaco. Located at 2526 12th Ave. South, it's the most popular business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,013 reviews on Yelp. "Absolutely amazing first time here," said Yelper Maygan N. "First of all, I would like to obsess over the ambiance of this place. Coming from the west side of the country, this beachy vibe is just what Nashville needs!" 2. Urban Grub Photo: Mark Z./Yelp Next up is cocktail bar and Southern spot Urban Grub, serving seafood and more, situated at 2506 12th Ave. South. With four stars out of 968 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. "This is my go-to restaurant in the Nashville area for a really nice dining experience," said Kenny S. 3. Edley's Bar-B-Que Photo: Gina L./Yelp Cocktail bar and Southern spot Edley's Bar-B-Que, which offers barbecue and more, is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 2706 12th Ave. South, four stars out of 829 reviews. Mike B. said, "The food is very good, service is always great and they have a pretty good craft beer selection." 4. Epice Photo: Jeff L./Yelp And then there's Epice, a local favorite with 4.5 stars out of 347 reviews. Stop by 2902 12th Ave. South to hit up the Lebanese spot next time you're in the neighborhood. "Another outstanding experience at Epice, one of our absolute favorites in all of Nashville," said Yelper Ken S. "Not only is the food great, but the design of the whole place is very comfortable and intimate." 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. BERLIN, May 5 (Reuters) - German Health Minister Jens Spahn has drawn up draft legislation to oblige parents to get their children vaccinated against measles or else face fines and their exclusion from daycare. Spahn's initiative comes amid a highly charged debate in Germany about whether the measles vaccine should be obligatory, and as the number of cases of the once-eradicated disease in the United States hit the highest levels since 2000. "I want to eradicate measles," Spahn told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "Anyone going to a kindergarten or school should be vaccinated against measles," said Spahn, setting out his plans, which would oblige parents to show proof of vaccination. "Whoever does not get their child vaccinated, faces up to 2,500 euros in fines," he added. Spahn believes he has broad support for his draft law in the ruling coalition of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, to which he belongs, and the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD). SPD health policy expert Karl Lauterbach spoke of a "very good basis" for a joint discussion. "It will not work without fines," he told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Dale Hudson) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Yuzhou Properties Company Limited (HKG:1628). Over the last twelve months Yuzhou Properties has recorded a ROE of 17%. That means that for every HK$1 worth of shareholders' equity, it generated HK$0.17 in profit. See our latest analysis for Yuzhou Properties How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for Yuzhou Properties: 17% = CN3.4b CN21b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) It's easy to understand the 'net profit' part of that equation, but 'shareholders' equity' requires further explanation. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does ROE Signify? Return on Equity measures a company's profitability against the profit it has kept for the business (plus any capital injections). The 'return' is the yearly profit. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, all else being equal, a high ROE is better than a low one. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses. Does Yuzhou Properties Have A Good Return On Equity? Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Yuzhou Properties has a better ROE than the average (9.1%) in the Real Estate industry. Story continues SEHK:1628 Past Revenue and Net Income, May 5th 2019 That's clearly a positive. I usually take a closer look when a company has a better ROE than industry peers. For example, I often check if insiders have been buying shares . Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. Yuzhou Properties's Debt And Its 17% ROE Yuzhou Properties does use a significant amount of debt to increase returns. It has a debt to equity ratio of 2.04. while its ROE is respectable, it is worth keeping in mind that there is usually a limit to how much debt a company can use. Debt does bring extra risk, so it's only really worthwhile when a company generates some decent returns from it. But It's Just One Metric Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company. But note: Yuzhou Properties may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The Council of Europe, a pan-continental rights watchdog, on Sunday marked its 70th anniversary at a time of mounting populism and a standoff with Russia as well as doubts over its own role in the modern world. "I didn't know about it at all, this is really completely new to me," admitted Zeinila, an 18-year-old student who was visiting the building hosting the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, in northeastern France, during an open day to mark its anniversary. The 70-year-old body suffers from being often confused with the European Union Council. But its 47-nation membership stretches far beyond the EU's reaches to include the likes of Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill was the first to suggest the creation the creation of such a body back in 1942, at the height of the war, when he expressed the hope that "the European family may act unitedly as one under a Council of Europe". The rights body was created through the treaty of London in May 1949. There were 10 initial signatories; Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, Their stated mission was to defend human rights, democracy and the rule of law, through international conventions and treaties. "The main success is that Europe today (the 47 member states) is a totally death penalty-free zone," Council of Europe Secretary General, Norwegian Thorbjorn Jagland told AFP. "If a member state wants to introduce the death penalty, it would have to leave immediately CoE within the session. These three articles -- no death penalty, no torture, no forced labour -- have in a way constituted the new civilised Europe," he added. - Human rights court - Perhaps better known than the council itself is its judical arm, the European Human Rights Court, which is itself celebrating its 60th birthday. Story continues It is a tribunal of final resort for those who feel their fundamental rights are being denied by a member state. Strasbourg -- a French city close to the German border -- was originally chosen to house the Council of Europe as a symbol of post-war Franco-German reconciliation. Germany joined the council in 1950, a year after it was created. From the Thirty Years War that began the 17th century to the mass destruction of the Second World War, the Alsatian city had been the focus of conflict and division. Now it is home to an organisation striving to bring harmony, safeguard the rule of law and to protect human rights. The rights court was also set up in Strasbourg. "We have in a way constituted the new civilised Europe after World War II" with the European Convention on Human RIghts (ECHR) going "much further than the universal declaration of human rights," said Jagland. On Monday he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, before France assumes the council's rotating presidency in Mid-May. - June, a crucial month - The host nation picks up the baton at a difficult time for the European Council. For years it has been in dispute with member Russia, which could reach the point of no return in June, notably with the election of Jagland's successor. After Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, the council's Parliamentary Assembly deprived the Russian delegation of its voting and other rights. In retaliation, Russia suspended its annual 33-million-euro ($37-million) payment to the Strasbourg-based council -- about seven percent of the body's total budget -- and has not participated in sessions of the council's Parliamentary Assembly. The assembly brings together 324 men and women from the parliaments of the Council of Europe's 47 member states. Moscow is threatening to quit altogether if its rights within the Council of Europe are not restored in time for it to participate in the election of the new secretary general. "The immediate consequence will be that we will get a new dividing line in Europe with most of European population living on one side and they have the right to go to the European court," Jagland told AFP. The "Ruxit" scenario -- a Russian exit of the Council -- remains a possibility. But the secretary general expressed optimism, speaking of "very good discussions" which give him hope of emerging from the crisis and into the next 70 years. Country House was named the long-shot winner of the 145th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday at Louisville, Ky., in a controversial finish after Maximum Security was disqualified from the top spot following a post-race inquiry. Maximum Security held off Country House over a sloppy track to cross the finish line first and appeared to win. But after a lengthy delay following the race, it was determined that Maximum Security veered in off the rail and toward the center of the track before the stretch and interfered with other horses -- specifically War of Will. Track stewards determined that Maximum Security, ridden by Luis Saez, had to yield the victory to the 65-to-1 betting choice Country House, resulting in the first disqualification of the top finisher in Kentucky Derby history. "It was an odd way to do it and we hate to back into any of these things," trainer William Mott said afterward on the NBC broadcast. "It was a bittersweet victory, but I have to say our horse ran very well, our jockey (did) very well, and I am thrilled to death for all of the connections." Ridden by Flavien Prat, Country House finished ahead of second-place Code of Honor and third-place Tacitus. Country House paid $132.40 to win. "I'm kind of speechless now," said Prat, a native of France. "It's a real feeling but it's a good one." Country House ended a streak that saw six consecutive favorites win the race. The winner will now move on to the second leg of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes on May 18 at Baltimore. "We will just have to prove ourselves in the future," Mott said after his horse was ruled the winner. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won last year's Kentucky Derby with Justify, had three horses in the race, but Improbable (fourth), Game Winner (fifth) and Roadster (15th) did not threaten the leaders. Justify went on to win the Triple Crown last year, following the victory in Kentucky with one in the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. --Field Level Media Bangkok (AFP) - Flanked by royal guards marching to a steady drumbeat, Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn was carried on a gilded palanquin through the streets of old Bangkok Sunday, in front of crowds who shouted "long live the king!" The monarch, Rama X of the Chakri dynasty, wore a bejewelled robe and a dark broad-brimmed hat with white feathers, on the second of three days of coronation ceremonies. The seven-kilometre procession brought the public into close proximity with the 66-year-old monarch for the first time, two years after he ascended the throne in an increasingly assertive reign. "When we looked at our king, he looked very smart and very great," Bangkok resident Donnapha Kladbupha told AFP, noting that he smiled. Fronted by riders on white horses, the slow-moving procession started around 5pm (1000 GMT) at the grand palace as trumpets blared, soldiers shouted commands and cannons fired a 21-gun salute. As night fell the king stopped to pay homage at several Buddhist temples. Thais wearing yellow shirts -- the royal colour -- and carrying umbrellas to protect against soaring daytime temperatures filled the streets, with many clutching portraits of Vajiralongkorn. The coronation, which started Saturday, is the first since Vajiralongkorn's adored and revered father was crowned in 1950. The highlight of Saturday's sombre ceremonies was the King's anointment with holy water, before he placed the 7.3 kilogram (16 lbs) golden tiered crown on his head. The rituals were "unique and reflect the tradition and history of Thailand and the monarchy", student Thanawat Muangon told AFP. Thailand's monarchy is one of the wealthiest in the world and is steeped in protocol centring on the king, who is viewed as a demigod. Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 after the death of his long-reigning father Bhumibol Adulyadej. A keen pilot who spends much time abroad in Germany, Vajiralongkorn is not as well known to his subjects. Story continues But any in-depth discussion or criticism of the royal family in Thailand is guarded by harsh lese-majeste rules that carry up to 15 years in prison. All media must self-censor. Early Sunday, Vajiralongkorn bestowed royal titles on family members who crawled to his throne in a striking show of deference to the monarch. He was joined by the new queen of Thailand Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya. Queen Suthida was deputy commander of the king's royal guard before her marriage to Vajiralongkorn, which was announced days before the coronation. During the procession she marched next to the palanquin in red and black uniform with a tall fur hat. Authorities sprayed mists of water over the crowds of onlookers whose numbers were bolstered by droves of "Jit Arsa" -- or "Spirit Volunteers" -- intended to project a show of devotion and fealty to the monarchy. But soaring temperatures threatened to thin out numbers. The coronation included a network of the most powerful and influential in Thailand. Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, took part in many of the key rituals and marched in the procession. - 'Focus on politics' - The coronation, broadcast on live television and cropping up on social media accounts of some royal family members, provided a rare glimpse inside palace walls. One of those who received royal titles Sunday was 14-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti -- the king's son from his third marriage -- who knelt and prostrated in front of his father as he was anointed with water. Vajiralongkorn has six other children, including four sons from two previous wives. The dazzling display of the monarchy's primacy in Thai life belies a simmering political crisis held over from elections in March. The junta that seized power in 2014 and has vowed to defend the monarchy is aiming to cling to power through the ballot box. Its proxy party has claimed the popular vote. But a coalition of anti-military parties says it has shored up a majority in the lower house. Full results are not expected until May 9, a delay that has frustrated many Thais. "When the event (coronation) is finished we will have to focus on politics," said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University. Since ascending the throne the king has made several moves that experts say reinforce the apex role of the monarchy. He brought assets of the Crown Property Bureau under his direct control and appointed an army chief from a faction close to the monarchy. In February, he scuttled a prime ministerial bid made by his older sister Princess Ubolratana with an anti-junta party. Though the royal family is nominally above politics, the king issued an election-eve message calling on Thais to vote for "good people" against those who create "chaos". Sri Lanka clamped curfews at a city outside the capital Sunday to contain religious tensions as the authorities prepared to reopen schools after Easter bombings that killed 257 people. A senior police officer said the night curfew was imposed to prevent an escalation of mob violence after attacks occurred in Negombo -- north of Colombo -- where over 100 Christians died in a church bombing two weeks ago. "At least two motorcycles and two three-wheel taxis have been damaged in the clashes," the police officer told AFP. "We declared a curfew till 7.00 am (0130 GMT) to contain the unrest." There were no immediate reports of casualties. The country's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption to airport traffic. Elite Special Task Force commandos were deployed to patrol the streets, police said. The senior officer said an investigation was underway into the clashes, the first violence between Muslims and Christians since the April 21 jihadist attacks targeting three churches and three luxury hotels in the country. Tensions gripped Negombo as the authorities prepared to reopen public schools after an extended Easter vacation following the suicide attacks blamed on a local jihadist group which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The country has been under a state of emergency since the suicide bombings. Security forces and police have been give sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of security personnel searched public schools for explosives ahead of their reopening Monday. -Foreign clerics expelled- The search for explosives and a security cordon thrown around 10,900 schools nationwide came as the government said it has expelled over 600 foreigners, including about 200 Islamic clerics, since the April 21 attacks. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said "police and soldiers combed school premises and the surrounding areas to make sure it is safe for children to go back" on Monday. Story continues As part of the clampdown after the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, the government announced a crackdown on foreign Islamic clerics operating in the majority Buddhist country. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said 200 clerics were found to have overstayed visas, for which fines were imposed and they were then expelled. "Considering the current situation in the country, we have reviewed the visas system and took a decision to tighten visa restrictions for religious teachers," Abeywardena told AFP. "Out of those who were sent out, about 200 were Islamic preachers." The suicide attacks were led by a local cleric who is known to have travelled to neighbouring India and made contact with jihadists there. The minister did not give the nationalities of those who have been expelled, but police have said many foreigners who have overstayed their visas were from Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistan. "There are religious institutions which have been getting in foreign preachers for decades," Abeywardena said. "We have no issues with them, but there are some which mushroomed recently. We will pay more attention to them." The minister said the government was overhauling its visa policy following the attacks. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. SAN FRANCISCO Cyberattacks by nation-states will soon kill people, either deliberately or unintentionally, a senior security researcher told attendees at the RSA Conference here this week. Credit: BeeBright/Shutterstock Credit: BeeBright/Shutterstock Sandra Joyce, senior vice president of Global Intelligence at the California-based firm FireEye, said that the May 2017 WannaCry attacks by North Korea and the NotPetya attacks by the Russian military in June 2017 shut down hospitals, disrupted shipping and cost hundreds of millions of dollars in losses much of it in the form of collateral damage. It is inevitable, she said during her RSA presentation yesterday (March 5), that future nation-state attacks on such scale will cause loss of life. "I rarely get to stand up in front of groups and tell them that the news is getting better," Joyce told the crowd. "But if you have purely destructive malware backed by a nation-state, then where does that leave us?" MORE: Best Antivirus Software and Apps NotPetya, which targeted tax-collection software that every business in Ukraine was obliged to run, masqueraded as ransomware, Joyce explained. But it was impossible to decrypt the affected data even if a ransom was paid. The goal of NotPetya was purely destructive, and the destruction streamed outward from Ukraine to infect companies and other institutions in 65 other countries. Part of the collateral damage was at U.S. hospitals, Joyce said, where some patients could not be immediately treated as a result. "A friend of mine who was suffering from throat cancer was turned away and told to come back next week," Joyce said. "If you have purely destructive malware backed by a nation-state, then where does that leave us?" Sandra Joyce, FireEye senior vice president Had anyone died as a result of NotPetya, that would have been an unintended consequence of a specific attack on Ukraine's economy. But nation-state malware already exists that is designed to deliberately kill people, according to Joyce. Story continues Malware that can kill She cited the Triton malware, which was found infecting the safety systems at Saudi petrochemical plants in 2017. It gave remote attackers the ability to shut off the fail-safe systems in case there was a poisonous-gas leak or a critical failure. Triton "messed with last layer of defense before human life is at risk," Joyce said. Fortunately, errors in Triton meant that it was discovered before it could be fully used in the Saudi plants. And while previous destructive, but non-lethal, attacks on Saudi oil refineries had been blamed on Iran, FireEye fingered a surprising culprit: Russia. "We have high confidence that this was supported by the Russian Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics," Joyce said. (A report published today in MIT Technology Review said that Triton is still being developed, and that its targets are now worldwide.) In September 2017, shortly after the Triton malware was discovered, FireEye detected a spear-phishing attack on one of its customers in the U.S. energy sector. The company's analysts quickly determined that North Korean hackers were trying to infect FireEye's client using malicious email messages, and released an alert jointly with the Department of Homeland Security. "North Korea was trying to get a foothold in the U.S. electrical grid," Joyce said, clarifying this was only a reconnaissance mission on the part of North Korea, but one that could easily have let to more destructive attacks. The United States' role It's not that the U.S. is completely blameless, Joyce said. The first well-known cyberweapon targeting critical infrastructure, Stuxnet, was a joint American and Israeli project. It infected an Iranian nuclear-fuel processing facility in 2010 and set back the Iranian nuclear-weapons program for at least 18 months. Stuxnet started as "a pretty noble idea," Joyce said it provided an alternative to a military attack on Iran. It didn't kill anyone. But it escaped from its geographic confines into the wild, and its code, targeting the same brand of industrial-control equipment that Triton does, is now available to anyone. The same loss of confinement happened with EternalBlue, malware developed by the NSA designed to spread other forms of malware rapidly among Windows computers. Either by theft or by accident, EternalBlue ended up in the hands of the Shadow Brokers, an online "hacktivist" group widely assumed to be a front for Russian military intelligence. After a cursory attempt to sell EternalBlue and other NSA hacking tools, the Shadow Brokers released the code online for free in April 2017. Both the WannaCry and NotPetya malware then used EternalBlue to quickly spread around the world in the following months. (Microsoft, presumably tipped off by the NSA, patched Windows against EternalBlue in March 2017, but many computers had not implemented the update.) What happens next The U.S. has taken some small actions against nation-state attacks, indicting North Korean hackers in the WannaCry attacks and knocking a well-known Russian hacker facility offline on the day of the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. But asked by Tom's Guide whether the U.S. should proportionately retaliate against future attacks on the scale of WannaCry or NotPetya, Joyce said the right solution would instead be diplomacy. "The Obama-Xi agreement [between the U.S. and Chinese presidents in 2015] drastically cut down the amount of China's commercial intellectual-property theft," she said, citing a temporarily successful peaceful solution. (Obama's and Xi's successors have set aside the agreement.) But Joyce thinks that the long-term solution should be an internationally recognized convention governing the rules of cyberwar and how such conflicts affect noncombatants. "This isn't the first time humanity has faced unintentional injury," she said, citing the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention that was designed to protect civilians, forbid the taking of hostages, ban expropriation of property and create other safeguards. Joyce advocated that the Fourth Geneva Convention be expanded to cover armed conflicts in cyberspace and protect civilians and their property from becoming unintended victims of destructive nation-state attacks. We need "to establish [military] norms and frameworks for the cyber domain," she said. Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed to a ceasefire with Israel on Monday to end a deadly two-day escalation in violence that threatened to widen into a fourth war between them since 2008. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the deal, but there appeared to have been no rocket fire or Israeli strikes afterwards, an AFP correspondent in Gaza said. Israel also lifted restrictions on civilian movements in communities around the Gaza border on Monday morning. Egypt brokered the agreement to cease hostilities from 4:30 am (0130 GMT), an official from the strip's Islamist rulers Hamas and another from its allied group Islamic Jihad said on condition of anonymity. An Egyptian official also confirmed the deal on condition of anonymity. It came after the most serious flare-up in violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since a 2014 war. The escalation began Saturday with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes, and continued throughout Sunday. At least 25 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four Israeli civilians were also killed. - Sensitive time - The flare-up came as Hamas sought further steps from Israel toward easing its blockade under a previous ceasefire brokered by Egypt and the United Nations. Israel at the same time faced pressure to restore calm and put an end to the rockets hitting communities in the country's south. It commemorates the country's Memorial and Independence Days later this week and is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18, which is expected to draw thousands to Israel. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began Monday. Palestinian officials in Gaza accused Israel of not taking steps to ease its blockade as promised under previous ceasefire deals. The Islamic Jihad official said the new truce agreement was again based on Israel easing its blockade. Story continues Among the steps, he said, were the relaxing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not address the ceasefire in a Monday statement, but said: "Weve forcefully struck Hamas and Islamic Jihad." "The battle is not over and demands patience and discretion," he said. Israeli opposition politicians -- and at least one from Netanyahu's own party -- criticised the agreement. Former military chief Benny Gantz, who challenged Netanyahu in Israel's April 9 general elections, called it "capitulation to blackmail". - Brink of war - Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and the escalation brought them to the brink of another. The Palestinian dead included a commander for Hamas's armed wing who Israel said it targeted due to his role in transferring money from Iran to militant groups in Gaza. It was a rare admission of a targeted killing by Israel's army, and Netanyahu spoke Monday of having "renewed the policy of eliminating senior terrorists". Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing some 690 rockets or mortars since Saturday, with air defences intercepting more than 240 of them. In addition to those killed and injured, the rockets repeatedly set off air raid alarms in southern Israel and sent residents running to shelters while also damaging houses. The army said its tanks and planes hit some 350 militant targets in Gaza in response. Several buildings in Gaza City were destroyed, including one Israel said included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said its state news agency Anadolu had an office in the building and strongly denounced the strike. Gaza's health ministry said the dead from the Israeli strikes included a 14-month-old baby and a pregnant woman, 37. Israel strongly disputed the claim and said errant Hamas fire was responsible for their deaths. The Gazan ministry reported late Sunday that another four-month-old baby was among those killed in Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip. Israel's army had no comment. On Sunday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their armed wings had targeted an Israeli army vehicle with a Kornet anti-tank missile. The army said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. - Calls for calm - Egyptian and UN officials held talks throughout to reach a truce, as they have done repeatedly in the past, and there were international calls for calm. US President Donald Trump, for his part, assured Israel on Sunday that it had Washington's full support against "these terrorist acts". The escalation followed a gradual uptick in violence that threatened a previous ceasefire, including Friday clashes along the Gaza border that were the most violent in weeks. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and the United Nations, had led to relative calm around Israel's election last month. That truce saw Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza, paying salaries and financing fuel purchases to ease severe electricity shortages. Nick Ahmed, Carson Kelly and David Peralta clubbed homers as the Arizona Diamondbacks rolled to a 9-2 victory over the host Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. Right-hander Luke Weaver (3-1) gave up one run and three hits over seven innings for the Diamondbacks. Weaver struck out eight and walked one while winning his third straight decision. Arizona has scored 19 runs while winning the first two games of the series. The Diamondbacks have won four straight and nine of their past 11 games, while Colorado has dropped five of seven. Peralta's homer was a three-run blast, and Ahmed hit a two-run shot. Kelly reached base four times on two hits and two walks, and his blast was his first as a major-leaguer. Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story were each 2-for-4 with one RBI for the Rockies, who had just five hits. Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland (2-5) served up all three homers and was trounced for eight runs and nine hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out one. Freeland has lost five of his past six outings. Arizona right fielder Adam Jones departed the contest after the top of the fourth inning because he was feeling light-headed. Wilmer Flores delivered a two-out single to left in the second inning and Ahmed followed with a 428-foot blast over the fence in left center to get the Diamondbacks on the board. Kelly was up next, and he pounded a 2-2 fastball 428 feet over the fence in center to make it 3-0. In third inning, Ketel Marte drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single by Eduardo Escobar. Peralta followed by sending a 1-0 slider 405 feet over the fence in right to give the Diamondbacks a six-run lead. Christian Walker and Flores followed with back-to-back doubles to make it 7-0. The Rockies got on the board in the fourth when Blackmon and Story hit back-to-back doubles. Weaver's sacrifice fly to right in the sixth gave Arizona an 8-1 lead. Blackmon's run-scoring triple in the eighth cut Colorado's deficit to six. Walker stroked an RBI double in the ninth to boost the Diamondbacks' lead to 9-2. --Field Level Media Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Long term investing works well, but it doesn't always work for each individual stock. We really hate to see fellow investors lose their hard-earned money. Imagine if you held Alexander Mining plc (LON:AXM) for half a decade as the share price tanked 99%. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 60% over the last twelve months. Furthermore, it's down 30% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. 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. View our latest analysis for Alexander Mining Alexander Mining didn't have any revenue in the last year, so it's fair to say it doesn't yet have a proven product (or at least not one people are paying for). We can't help wondering why it's publicly listed so early in its journey. Are venture capitalists not interested? So it seems shareholders are too busy dreaming about the progress to come than dwelling on the current (lack of) revenue. It seems likely some shareholders believe that Alexander Mining will find or develop a valuable new mine before too long. We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. It certainly is a dangerous place to invest, as Alexander Mining investors might realise. When it reported in June 2018 Alexander Mining had minimal net cash consider its expenditure: just UK238k to be specific. So if it has not already moved to replenish reserves, we think the near-term chances of a capital raising event are pretty high. With that in mind, you can understand why the share price dropped 58% per year, over 5 years. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Alexander Mining's cash levels have changed over time. Story continues AIM:AXM Historical Debt, May 5th 2019 It can be extremely risky to invest in a company that doesn't even have revenue. There's no way to know its value easily. Given that situation, would you be concerned if it turned out insiders were relentlessly selling stock? I'd like that just about as much as I like to drink milk and fruit juice mixed together. It costs nothing but a moment of your time to see if we are picking up on any insider selling. A Different Perspective Investors in Alexander Mining had a tough year, with a total loss of 60%, against a market gain of about 2.3%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 58% over the last half decade. 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. We will like Alexander Mining better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB 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. Trump urges Mueller not to appear before Congress - AFP Donald Trump is on course for a new clash with Democrats after he called on Robert Mueller not to testify before Congress. The US president intervened on Twitter, after it was reported that Mr Mueller had "tentatively agreed" to appear before the Democrat-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on May 15. Democrats are keen to hear from Mr Mueller, who carried out a two-year investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. But Mr Trump accused the Democrats of trying to "redo" the Mueller report which, while clearing his 2016 election campaign of colluding with the Russians, did not exonerate him of obstructing justice. "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Mr Trump tweeted. ....to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 The president's intervention is certain to escalate tensions with senior Democrats who are pushing to see a full unredacted version of the Mueller report. Democrats have opened a new point of attack, focusing on William Barr, the newly-appointed Attorney General, who they accuse of delivering a misleading summary of the Mueller report last month. Last week Mr Barr refused to appear before the Judiciary Committee, to the fury of Democrats. Attorney General William Barr Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg One Democrat, Tennessee congressman, Steve Cohen, mocked Mr Barr placing a ceramic chicken on the Attorney General's empty chair. Jerrold Nadler, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has accused Mr Barr of failing to do his job. "He has failed to check the president's worst instincts. He has not only misrepresented the findings of the special counsel, he has failed to protect the special counsel's investigation from unfair political attacks," Mr Nadler said. May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would raise tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion of Chinese imports by the end of the week. Trump has rattled the world trade order by imposing unilateral tariffs to combat what he calls unfair trade practices by China, the European Union and other major trading partners of the United States. The U.S. government hit China with the most extensive tariffs, starting a trade war between the world's two largest economies. Beijing has retaliated with tariffs on imports from the United States. Neither side has raised tariffs since Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Argentina in November 2018 and agreed to a truce while their teams negotiated an end to the trade war. Here is a rundown of major U.S. tariff actions and retaliatory measures since January 2018. U.S. TARIFFS ON CHINA - 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese technology goods including machinery, semiconductors, autos, aircraft parts and intermediate electronics components imposed on July 6 and Aug. 23 as part of "Section 301" probe into China's intellectual property practices. - 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods including chemicals, building materials, furniture and some consumer electronics, imposed on Sept. 24 as a response to Chinese retaliation. The levy on these imports is scheduled to increase on increase to 25 percent on May 10. - Trump said on Sunday he would impose tariffs on an additional $325 billion worth of Chinese goods. The U.S. imported just under $540 billion of Chinese goods in 2018. So tariffs on $325 billion on top of the $250 billion of goods already subject to the import tax would likely cover all 2019 imports- including cell phones, computers, clothing, footwear and other consumer products. CHINESE TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods including soybeans, beef, pork, seafood, vegetables, whiskey, ethanol, imposed on July 6 and Aug. 23 in retaliation for initial rounds of U.S. tariffs. China has suspended a 25 percent duty on U.S. auto imports during their trade negotiations. Beijing has resumed some purchases of U.S. soybeans but has not formally suspended those tariffs. - Tariffs of 5 percent to 10 percent on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, including liquefied natural gas, chemicals, frozen vegetables and food ingredients, imposed on Sept. 24. - Based on 2018 U.S. Census Bureau trade data, China would only have about $10 billion in U.S. imports left to levy in retaliation for any future U.S. tariffs. Retaliation could come in other forms, such as increased regulatory hurdles for U.S. companies doing business in China. U.S. GLOBAL TARIFFS - 25 percent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent tariffs on imported aluminum, imposed on March 23, 2018 on national security grounds. Exemptions have been granted to Argentina, Australia, Brazil and South Korea in exchange for quotas, and negotiations over quotas continue with Canada, Mexico and the European Union. - 20 percent to 50 percent tariffs on imported washing machines, imposed on Jan. 22, 2018 as a "global safeguard" action to protect U.S. producers Whirlpool Corp and GE Appliances, a unit of China's Haier Electronics Group Co Ltd. - 30 percent tariffs on imported solar panels, imposed on Jan. 22, 2018 as a "global safeguard" action to protect U.S. producers Solar World, based in Germany, and Suniva, owned by China's Shunfeng International Clean Energy Ltd. - Trump is considering tariffs of around 25 percent on imported cars and auto parts, based on a U.S. Commerce Department study of whether such imports threaten U.S. national security. The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement protects Canadian and Mexican production in the event of such tariffs through a quota system. Trump has pledged not to impose auto tariffs on Japan and the European Union while trade negotiations with those partners are underway. CANADIAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - Canada on July 1 imposed tariffs https://tinyurl.com/y8w5g895 on $12.6 billion worth of U.S. goods, including steel, aluminum, coffee, ketchup and bourbon whiskey in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. MEXICAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - Mexico on June 5 imposed tariffs of up to 25 percent on American steel, pork, cheese, apples, potatoes and bourbon, in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Mexican metals. EUROPEAN UNION TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - The European Union on June 22 imposed import duties http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/may/tradoc_156909.pdf of 25 percent on a $2.8 billion range of imports from the United States in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum. Targeted U.S. products include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, peanuts, blue jeans, steel and aluminum. INDIAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - India, the world's biggest buyer of U.S. almonds, on June 21 raised import duties on the nuts by 20 percent and increased tariffs on a range of other farm products and U.S. iron and steel, in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Indian steel. - Trump said last month that he would end preferential trade treatment for India, which would result in U.S. tariffs on up to $5.6 billion of imports from India. If that happens, India is expected to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods. (Compiled by David Lawder; Editing by Simon Webb and Daniel Wallis) By Kay Johnson BANGKOK (Reuters) - Animal lovers in Thailand were thrown into confusion on Sunday over whether a Siamese cat presented to the newly crowned Thai king and his queen was a living feline - or not. Thailand is holding three days of coronation events for King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, who was officially crowned on Saturday in elaborate ceremonies. It is tradition at royal coronations to present a cat - as well as several symbolic household items - to a new monarch as part of the private Assumption of the Royal Residence blessing ceremony, which was held on Saturday at the Chakrabat Biman residence. Cats are considered lucky by many Thais and the tradition of giving one as a housewarming gift signifies a stable home. On Sunday morning, several Thai media outlets carried a photo of two uniformed palace officials next to what appeared to be a docile Siamese cat and a fluffy white rooster. The image, distributed by the Bureau of the Royal Household, was not captioned. But by afternoon, the Thai-language news site Manager was reporting that the palace had used a "cat doll" instead of a live cat. A palace official, contacted by Reuters, said: "The royal ceremony required the use of a rooster and a cat. It should not be the focus whether the animals were real or not, but instead the ritual itself is important." Reuters was unable to independently confirm whether live animals were used in the ceremony or the photograph. A Facebook page Maewthai.com - "ThaiCat.com" - posted a copy of the palace photo with a message from a well-known cat breeder saying he originally had been asked to select two gentle male Siamese cats for the ceremony but his cats were ultimately not used. "I feel grateful for His Majesty's kindness for feeling compassionate about the cats, fearing that the animal would suffer from waiting too long during ceremonies, so the cats were not used," said the breeder, whose post did not identify him by name. The breeder did not directly address whether the cat in the palace photo was a doll. That ambiguity confused some Thais who posted comments online. "So is it real or fake cat?" a Facebook user called Niphawan Rakpontee asked. Another user named Krittaya Parichayanan said "It's a real cat isn't it? "This is likely a stuffed cat," user Prapaporn Tongprasan said. Thailand has strict lese majeste laws carrying prison sentences of up to 15 years for insulting the king, queen or the heir-apparent. Historical images of the 1926 coronation of King Rama VII, the current monarch's great uncle, show a group photo with female members of the royal family holding both a Siamese cat - a breed that originated in Thailand - as well as a rooster. The tradition of using cats in royal household ceremonies dates back centuries, said historian and writer Sujane Kanparit. "The meaning of having a cat is that it brings warmth to the household. It is an old court tradition that has appeared in the royal chronicles," he told Reuters. Asked if the cat in the palace photo was alive or a doll, Sujane said: "I have no idea." (Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Frances Kerry) Beirut (AFP) - Hundreds of foreign domestic workers demonstrated in the Lebanese capital Sunday to demand the scrapping of a sponsorship system that they complain leaves them open to abuse from employers. Lebanon hosts more than 250,000 registered domestic workers, the vast majority of them women, from countries including Ethiopia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. They are excluded from the labour law, and instead obtain legal residency though their employers' sponsorship under the so-called "kafala" system. The protesters marching in Beirut held up placards reading "No to slavery and yes to justice" and "Stop kafala". "We want the cancellation of this system. There are employees imprisoned in houses and they need to have days off," Dozossissane, a 29-year-old Ethiopian, told AFP. Lebanon's labour ministry introduced a standard contract for domestic workers in 2009, but the forms are often written in Arabic, a language many cannot read. Activists regularly accuse the authorities of failing to take claims of abuse seriously, with maids, nannies and carers left at the mercy of employers. Amnesty International last month urged Lebanon to end what it called the "inherently abusive" migration sponsorship system and change the labour law to offer domestic workers more protection. A report from the rights group that surveyed 32 domestic workers revealed "alarming patterns of abuse", including physical punishments, humiliating treatment and food deprivation. Michael Cohen, the former longtime aide to Donald Trump, is scheduled to report to federal prison on Monday to begin serving a three-year sentence. Cohen, 53, was sentenced last December for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations. He becomes the third former Trump aide to go to prison in the past 12 months. But thats not how he sees it. How come Im the only one? he said in an interview last month with the New Yorker, in one of his few recent public statements. I didnt work for the campaign. I worked for him. And how come Im the one thats going to prison? Im not the one that slept with the porn star. The one who slept with the porn star, of course, was Trump, according to everyone involved except Trump. But it was Cohen who illegally paid off Stormy Daniels, the actor, on the eve of the 2016 presidential election, and it was Cohen who subsequently lied to Congress and to investigators about a project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen acted, he said at his sentencing, at the direction of Trump, and out of a blind loyalty to him. But Trumps attorney general, William Barr, has declined to pursue charges against the president, calling evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller in his Trump-Russia investigation not sufficient. Sign up for the US morning briefing And so it is Cohens life, and not Trumps, that is about to be upended. Upon reporting to the federal correctional institution in Otisville, New York, about 90 miles north of his home in New York City, Cohen will trade in his favored Isaia suits for a khaki uniform, and say goodbye to his wife and two children. The prison, which houses about 800 inmates, has been rated among the countrys cushiest, thanks to its facilities for non-violent offenders which include bunkhouse-style sleeping and personal lockers. It is also especially set up for Jewish inmates, such as Cohen will be, with availability of such specialty foods as matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish and rugelach pastries, as well as access to a full-time rabbi. Story continues Prison consultants say Otisville has become a requested destination for Jewish inmates due to its proximity to New York Citys large Jewish population and upstate New Yorks Orthodox Jewish enclaves. But its still prison, former Otisville case manager Jack Donson said. Prison is disrespectful. Its impersonal, Donson said. Hes never going to get any sleep because theres always lights on, theres always inmates snoring. There are officers walking around jingling keys. You shower out in the open. Its very demeaning. The entrance to the federal correctional institution at Otisville, New York, where Michael Cohen will be imprisoned for three years. The entrance to the federal correctional institution at Otisville, New York, where Michael Cohen will be imprisoned for three years.Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Just nine months ago, Cohen was still misleading investigators in an effort to defend Trump, perhaps hoping for a presidential pardon. But after pleading guilty in the southern district of New York to charges including a failure to report more than $4m in income from his taxi and real estate businesses, to avoid taxes, Cohen began cooperating with Mueller. The results of that cooperation are visible in hundreds of footnotes and citations throughout a 448-page report Mueller submitted to Barr in March. In multiple interviews with Muellers team, Cohen described the Trump Tower Moscow plan, the existence of which Trump had long denied. He recalled conversations with Trump in which the candidate suggested that his campaign would be a significant infomercial for Trump-branded properties. Cohen recalled that Donald Trump Jr may have told candidate Trump about an upcoming meeting to receive adverse information about Clinton, without linking the meeting to Russia. In pre-sentencing court documents, Muellers team argued that testimony provided by Cohen had advanced the public good and could warrant leniency. The public good argument was apparently lost on the president. After Cohen began cooperating with the government in the summer of 2018, Mueller wrote, the president publicly criticized him, called him a rat, and suggested that his family members had committed crimes. That last accusation by the president that Cohen is a rat could represent a hazard for Cohen in prison, the Maryland representative Elijah Cummings, the Democratic chairman of the House oversight committee, warned at a hearing with Cohen in February. I know that its painful going to prison, Cummings told Cohen. I know its got to be painful being called a rat. And let me explain, a lot of people dont know the significance of that, but I live in the inner city of Baltimore, all right? And when you call somebody a rat, thats one of the worst things you can call them because when they go to prison, that means a snitch. Im just saying. But Justin Paperny, a former inmate whose consulting firm White Collar Advice has clients in the camp, reckoned Cohen is unlikely to face retaliation from Trump fans angered by his decision to cooperate against the president, because inmates in minimum-security prisons are serving relatively short sentences and want to keep them that way. Youll find that because prisoners have such clearly defined release dates, they don*t want to do anything that could lead to them staying in prison a longer period of time, he said. Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report Paris (AFP) - A veteran French war reporter who was a witness in Dallas to the fatal shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald has died at the age of 94, his family said Sunday In 1963, Francois Pelou, who also covered the wars in both Korea and Vietnam for Agence France-Presse (AFP), was the first French journalist sent to Dallas the day after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Two days later, he was a close eyewitness to Oswald's shooting in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. He was immediately interviewed by other reporters and covered Ruby's trial the following year. "Francois died on Saturday at his home in Conques-en-Rouergue," his wife Caroline told AFP by phone from the south of France. In Vietnam, Pelou met and got involved with one of Italy's most famous female journalists Oriana Fallaci, with the relationship lasting for many years. "Oriana Fallaci arrived in my bureau in 1967. We covered many events together, she would become very important in my life," he told Toulouse's La Depeche daily in 2016. During his career, Pelou also covered Mexico and Brazil, where he was jailed for having revealed the details of a ransom deal under which dozens of political prisoners were freed to secure the release of a kidnapped ambassador. Posted to Madrid in 1975, he covered the death of dictator Francisco Franco who had ruled Spain with an iron fist from the end of the country's civil war. While in Vietnam, he got shrapnel in one of his legs, leaving him with a lifelong limp. Paris (AFP) - A veteran French war reporter who was a witness in Dallas to the fatal shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald has died at the age of 94, his family said on Sunday In 1963, Francois Pelou, who also covered the wars in Korea and Vietnam for Agence France-Presse (AFP), was the first French journalist sent to Dallas from New York the day after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Two days later, he was an eyewitness to Oswald's shooting by nightclub owner Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters. Describing the killing, Pelou said he saw "on the chest, on the black sweater worn by Oswald... the small flash of the revolver of his assassin". Ruby "knocked into me in order to kill Oswald. He did not shoot to injure, in a fit of anger, but to kill", he said. Oswald "was the first to see his killer arrive, which is why I always felt like they knew each other", he added. Pelou covered Ruby's trial the following year and was called as a witness by the Warren Commission set up by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate Kennedy's assassination. "Francois died on Saturday at his home in Conques-en-Rouergue," Pelou's wife Caroline told AFP by phone from the south of France. - 'Bazooka fire shook our building' - In Vietnam, where he met the famous Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci with whom he had a long relationship, he covered the Tet Offensive -- the surprise assault launched by the communist north targeting more than 100 cities and outposts in southern Vietnam. "The bazooka fire shook our building... a few minutes of respite and tacatactac... the AK-47 opened fire straightaway," he wrote in a despatch. The offensive eventually prompted the US to withdraw from the war and was a military disaster for Hanoi which lost an estimated 58,000 fighters. "The American and governmental vulnerability demonstrated after the undeniable Vietcong victory in the first phase of their offensive, is likely to be an important factor in Vietnamese political life. American power has lost its prestige," he added. Story continues Fallaci dedicated her book "Nothing and So Be It" on the Vietnam war to Pelou. "Oriana Fallaci arrived in my bureau in 1967. We covered many events together, she would become very important in my life," he told Toulouse's La Depeche daily in 2016. Pelou was left with a lifelong limp after being hit in the leg by shrapnel while in Vietnam. During his career, Pelou also covered Mexico and Brazil where he was jailed for having revealed the details of a ransom deal under which dozens of political prisoners were freed to secure the release of a kidnapped ambassador. He was expelled in December 1970 for "activities contrary to national security". Posted to Madrid in 1975, he was among the first international journalists to announce the death of dictator Francisco Franco who had ruled Spain with an iron fist from the end of the country's civil war. Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Gaza City is a noisy place: street vendors holler and drivers blare their horns incessantly, but at the citys port an unfamiliar sound can be heard -- the rumble, grind and clatter of skateboards. The ramps and ledges a few hundred metres (yards) from the sea may not look like much, but they make up the first and only full skate park in the Palestinian enclave. The young men that come most days say it provides them a rare opportunity for fun in Gaza, hemmed in physically by an Israeli blockade and mentally by a conservative culture. On a recent evening, around a dozen young men were rattling forwards and back, perfecting new tricks. Rajab Reefi, 23, appeared to be the team's leader. He is officially a builder, but there isn't much work around due to Gaza's stagnant economy. Wearing a cap and looking more skater-bro than Muslim Brotherhood, he said the park is an oasis from the stresses of Gazan life. "We love skateboarding but more than that we love to live," he told AFP. "We don't just want to play here, we want to go from this place to international competitions to show the Western world that Palestinians, and us in Gaza, don't live just war and destruction." "We live for freedom, even though we are under a blockade." - Closed off - Skateboarding is also growing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the other major part of the Palestinian territories, with a number of parks built with the support of SkatePal, a UK-based NGO. But Gaza is largely cut off from the outside world, with Israel maintaining a blockade on the strip for more than a decade. Egypt's border had also been mainly closed in recent years, though it reopened a year ago and has remained so most of the time since. Israel says that the blockade is necessary to isolate Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, with whom the Jewish state has fought three wars, and stop it from obtaining weapons or materials to make them. Story continues Critics say it amounts to collective punishment for Gaza's two million residents. Reefi said that even getting skateboards into the strip was tough, often resulting in two or three people having to share the same board. They rely heavily on YouTube videos to learn new tricks. Gaza has also become more conservative since Hamas seized control in 2007 and many supposedly Western pursuits are banned or frowned upon. To build the park, which was completed in January, the Italian Cultural Centre in Gaza jumped through Israeli administrative hoops to be able to bring in a few dozen skaters a year. On each visit they stayed several weeks, building the park and also training young people. "The coordination needed to get 30 people through Erez (Israeli checkpoint) is not easy, with all their applications etc.," Sami Abu Omar, from the cultural centre, said. Andre Lucat, an Italian who was part of a group which visited Gaza in January, said they worked all hours finishing the park. He said that they were shocked by the conditions under which Palestinians in Gaza live and wanted to bring a bit of joy to the young people. "(Skateboarding) can allow them to live children's lives, even for only a little bit. That's the most important lesson I learned over there." - Release - Yasser Massoud, 13, sold tea and coffee along Gaza's seafront for a few dollars a day until, one day, by chance he heard the skateboards rattling by. He clambered down to join in and hasn't looked back since. More than a year later, his family allowed him to stop working to focus on studies, and he now spends most of his free time at the park. "I used to come down every day and play a bit and then it became more and more," he said. "But my dream is to leave Gaza." A group of women in hijab Muslim head coverings leaned over a barrier from a nearby road to watch. Conservative attitudes mean that the skate team is male only. "Till now there are no girls but we try because we all should have the same life -- not merely me living and having fun and the girls not," Reefi told AFP. "But (it should be) in the right way that we were raised with." Lucat said that Hamas authorities had at times been sceptical of the project, seeing skateboarding as a Western concept, though such concerns have apparently eased. The park, Reefi pointed out, is busiest on Friday afternoons when people are off school and work. It provides bored young men an alternative to joining the weekly Hamas-backed protests along the Israeli border fence. At least 265 Gazans have been killed by Israeli forces since the protests and clashes began in March 2018. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Ezzedine Mashharawi, another underemployed member of the team, told AFP that skating was his only release. "Here in Gaza you have a blockade, a lack of work -- psychological pressures on young people," said the 24-year-old. "We get rid of all that negative energy through skateboarding." We live in incredibly consequential times. Everything is up for grabs. The late, great Charles Krauthammer used to say that American politics was fought between the 40-yard lines, meaning the band of differences between the two parties was relatively narrow. Now it is being fought on the entire playing field, between outright, self-declared socialists and defenders of the traditional American order. The fight over what political and economic system we will live under is now well and truly joined, and at NR we are thoroughly committed to winning it. Which brings me to our 2019 Spring Webathon. At National Review, we live for the battle of ideas. A profound understanding of how and why the American project is special is written into our DNA. Our writers and editors care deeply about this debate, not just professionally but personally. This moment in time is literally why William F. Buckley Jr. created NR. He would surely be dismayed, though, that the fight against socialism is now as urgent and necessary as its been at any time since the magazines early years. We have spent years, nay decades, warning America where Democrats want to take us, always to their fervent yet unconvincing denials. But now they are openly embracing our longstanding indictment of them. It is the Democratic partys Perry Mason moment, when it suddenly breaks down on the witness stand and admits, Guilty as charged. Weve always said that Democrats want to impose socialized medicine, and here come Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris with their Medicare for All plan that, as Harris helpfully explained on national TV, entails eliminating private insurance. Weve always said that left-wing environmentalism is a cloak for an agenda of government coercion, and here comes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the it girl of millennial socialism, to propose eliminating the fossil-fuel industry by government fiat, as well as far-reaching changes in our buildings, transportation, industry, and farming (itd be better if we all grew our produce in our backyards, and, yes, if cows didnt pass gas). Story continues Weve always said that, at bottom, Democrats want open borders, and here comes Beto ORourke, the it boy of unsuccessful Texas Senate candidates, saying he wants to tear down the border wall around El Paso, Texas, because, of course, walls are immoral. Weve always said that Democrats are pro-abortion and favor any abortion in any circumstance, and here come Ralph Northam and legislators in Virginia, New York, and Vermont to remove any doubt that the Democrats are the party of infanticide. Weve pushed back against all of this, and more, as strenuously and often as we can. Im not sure any publication has written as frequently and as cogently against the left-wing vision of health care, and in favor of free-market reform, as we have. We have inveighed against and picked apart the Green New Deal at every opportunity, and recently featured AOC on the cover, alarmed by her least favorite bovine activity. We have consistently advocated not just for tougher border security, but for reforms to our legal immigration system to make it more truly accord with our national interest, and for a renewed culture of assimilation. It is a major cause of ours to protect the constitutional order from the left-wing assault against it as allegedly antiquated, unworkable, and unfair. Finally, we will never let anyone forget the horrors of Communism. Our next two issues are a twin special issue entirely devoted to the fight against socialism, the first (just out) making the case for markets, the second reminding people of the economic, political, and spiritual failures of socialism. It is our honor and pleasure and duty to do all this, and more. Im asking you to pitch in and support this work, which is shaping up as a defining, generational struggle. As youve heard me say before if youve ever read one of these pitches, journals of political opinion dont make money. They never have and they never will. They are too controversial and too small. Enterprises such as ours depend on the generosity of our readers to survive. We dont do the lowest-common-denominator clickbait stories necessary to driving mass traffic online. We arent The Atlantic, a center-left publication that influential New York advertising shops feel an ideological kinship with. We are an unabashedly conservative publication that never has trimmed its sails (and never will) on abortion or guns or marriage or immigration, or any of the other issues that the liberal elite considers out of bounds and disrespectable. People have the misperception that Bill Buckley was our sugar daddy when he owned the magazine, but he never was. Instead, he made these sort of pitches to our readers (although on paper, via snail mail). And year after year they responded. Im hoping you will, too. The fact is that if National Review didnt exist, no one would invent it today. Not when everything is geared to instant gratification on Twitter and other social-media platforms, not when the old-fashioned art of persuasion based on facts and reasoning is increasingly out of style. There is no replacing the wit, erudition, passion, and intelligence our writers bring to contemporary controversies in every issue of the print magazine and every hour online. In the fight against socialism, we need every piece of artillery available to us on the battlefield, and NR is an indispensable howitzer read by young people just figuring out what they believe, relied on by conservative radio and TV hosts, and impossible for the other side to dismiss. Please consider making a generous donation today of $50, $75, $100, or $250. And, if your means allow, perhaps a gift of $500 or even $1,000. Your donation will make it possible for us to continue our work, and continue to grow. Over the last few years weve made the transition from primarily a print publication to primarily a digital one. But the essential mission is the same. It doesnt matter if the socialist leaders are named Norman Thomas and Beatrice Webb, or Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez . . . if they get their message out via pamphlets, or Instagram posts from their kitchens . . . if they favor socialized medicine, or socialized medicine (some things never change) . . . we will point out the impracticality and immorality of their plans, never let them forget the woeful record of failure of their model, and insist on markets and the rule of law as the greatest inventions of the last 400 years and the keys to human flourishing. Here we stand, we can do no other. And we hope you will stand with us as we try to raise $175,000. Thanks so much for reading. More from National Review Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HTZ), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Buying? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. 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.' Check out our latest analysis for Hertz Global Holdings The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Hertz Global Holdings Mario Gabelli made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$378k worth of shares at a price of US$17.20 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$19.09. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 38000 shares worth US$636k. Hertz Global Holdings may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues NYSE:HTZ Recent Insider Trading, May 5th 2019 Hertz Global Holdings is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership of Hertz Global Holdings Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Hertz Global Holdings insiders own 0.9% of the company, worth about US$14m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Hertz Global Holdings Tell Us? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Hertz Global Holdings shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Hertz Global Holdings insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Hertz Global Holdings. But note: Hertz Global Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. Louisville (United States) (AFP) - Just a few months ago, Kentucky bourbon was taking the world by storm. Long a quaint drink for grandfathers, the quintessentially American spirit made with local corn and the bluegrass region's almost mythical limestone water at last was a hit with bar goers in Madrid, Tokyo, London, Sydney, Paris, Warsaw and Berlin. Hipster nostalgia revived the thirst for age-old bourbon and rye cocktails from the American South and the Jazz Age, like the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, the Sazerac and the Mint Julep. Distillers poured billions into new production, promotion and hiring. "The biggest problem in the last few years has been that we can't make it fast enough," Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers Association, told AFP. But then, in the middle of last year, came President Donald Trump's trade wars. To retaliate for stinging new US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union slapped import duties on American whiskies, causing soaring export growth to crash. Turkey raised tariffs on all US spirits to 140 percent from zero. After soaring 28 percent in the first six months of 2018, whiskey exports fell 11 percent in the second half, a period including Christmas and New Year's, when demand for liquor typically rises, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world's bourbon and the industry has been growing by double digits for years, Gregory said. "I don't think anybody thought this was going to be a long-term issue," he said. "We're continuing to get nervous, anxious, skittish, whatever adjective you want to use." Unlike the iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson, which announced last year it would offshore some production to get around EU tariffs, the bourbon industry cannot simply side-step the tariffs because by law bourbon cannot be made outside the United States, he said. Story continues - 'Collateral damage' - It was no coincidence that US trade partners targeted US whiskies, and bourbon in particular. Kentucky happens to be home to Mitch McConnell, the powerful Republican leader in the US Senate, and is a deep red state which Trump carried easily in the 2016 presidential elections. And Republican Congressman Andy Barr's district includes much of the industry and was handily carried by Trump in 2016. But Barr narrowly escaped defeat in November's mid-term elections at the hands former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, a Democrat who campaigned against Trump's tariffs, lamenting the harm suffered by bourbon distillers, farmers and auto manufacturers. Distilling is among the state's proudest job generators, employing an estimated 20,000 workers and creating $8.6 billion in annual economic output, making the sting of the tariffs especially acute, according to the distillers association. Nevertheless, with the US economy chugging along and American wages rising, the domestic whiskey market is still a strong business driver, according to David Mandell, president of Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky. Annual production has doubled in the last decade, with 1.7 million new barrels produced in 2018, the most since 1972. The volume dwindles as the bourbon ages in storage for years before sale. "We're full speed ahead. We see tremendous growth here in the US market," said Mandell, whose company performs what he calls "collaborative" distilling, designing new products with partner companies. But Bardstown sends comparatively little abroad, he said. Meanwhile, the sudden drop in exports is a painful bump in the road, 25 years after the United States and the EU agreed to drop all tariffs on the trade in spirits. "We're collateral damage in disputes that have nothing to do with the spirits sector," said Christine LoCascio, senior vice president for international affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council in Washington. "The longer this goes on, the more painful it is," she told AFP added. "We've heard story after story from small distillers. Once the threat of tariffs was announced...they stopped getting their phone calls returned." When the tip off came late on Monday night, Jesus Armas could hardly believe what he was hearing. Were going to have this situation, a fellow opposition politician confided over the phone, explaining how in six hours Venezuelan troops would sweep onto the streets of Caracas to topple their leader, Nicolas Maduro. A few hours later - at about 8 or 9am - the head of Venezuelas supreme court, Maikel Moreno, would make a statement announcing his defection and support for Maduros challenger, Juan Guaido. Related: The plot that failed: how Venezuela's 'uprising' fizzled I thought it was just their imagination or something like that, Armas said. But as dawn broke over Venezuelas capital, the 32-year-old politician found himself on a motorcycle racing towards the La Carlota airbase beside which Guaido had, in fact, just launched what was supposed to be a decisive mutiny against Maduro. This is the end, Armas remembered thinking. It was not. The dramatic predawn insurrection quickly unravelled, with Moreno and other top Chavistas reaffirming their backing for Maduro and troops remaining almost entirely loyal to their existing commander-in-chief. On Saturday, as small groups of protesters returned to the streets, members of Venezuelas opposition were left pondering what had gone wrong and what is next for their movement to dislodge Hugo Chavezs unpopular but so far immovable heir. At a protest in western Caracas, Armas insisted the toothless revolt represented a major advance and that Venezuelas strongman leader had come within an inch of his political life. I feel really hopeful They were close [to abandoning] Nicolas Maduro. They were really close to doing that, Armas said of the trio of alleged Chavista conspirators who reportedly reneged on a secret deal to switch sides at the last minute for reasons that remain unclear. A woman waves a Venezuelan flag in front of a line of riot police outside the Venezuelan navy command headquarters in the San Bernardino neighborhood in Caracas on 4 May. A woman waves a Venezuelan flag in front of a line of riot police outside the Venezuelan navy command headquarters in the San Bernardino neighborhood in Caracas on 4 May.Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images Story continues As police carrying shotguns and riot shields circled on motorbikes, some demonstrators voiced similar optimism that despite this weeks setback Maduros end was still nigh. We know this is the final phase, said Jesus Magdalena, an organizer from the Accion Democratica opposition party. Maria Sojo, 74, a retired chemistry teacher, said: For me, hope never dies I continue to think positively. But there were also signs of frustration, bafflement and even anger that a historic opportunity to depose a man widely blamed for Venezuelas economic collapse might just have slipped through the oppositions fingers. How do I feel? I feel confused, said Cecilia Navarrete, a 50-year-old administrator, lamenting how she still had not been able to understand the true truth of what had gone wrong. First Marco Rubio says something. Then someone from here says something. And you dont know who to believe in . you dont know what is true, Navarrete complained. Manuel Mir, a community leader, said he was troubled the mutiny appeared to have been poorly planned and the work of a tiny circle of opposition leaders including Guaido and his political mentor, Leopoldo Lopez. I think what is lacking is genuine unity without such a leading role being given [to a small group], Mir said. Others expressed concern that the high-profile involvement of Lopez who fled house arrest to lead the botched uprising - might have destroyed its chances by spooking conspiring Chavistas who consider him a toxic figure likely to pursue them once in power. Guaido has battled to keep his message positive following Tuesdays abortive uprising, perhaps aware of the emotional blow it has dealt to many. I cant tell you the exact date but soon we will be free, he insisted on Friday, claiming his peaceful push for change would continue. But some are losing patience. Maria Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader who supports foreign military intervention to remove Maduro on humanitarian grounds, said the unsuccessful uprising showed it was time to move to a higher stage. That means a credible, severe and imminent threat should be put in place immediately [by the international community]. This regime is weak but it is willing to produce a lot of damage before it goes, Machado warned. In order to reduce and control the damage we need the active action and support of western democratic nations. Related: Venezuela: Maduro thanks military and denounces 'senseless coup-mongers and traitors' David Smilde, a Venezuela specialist from the Washington Office on Latin America, said he feared the failure might empower the hawks around Donald Trump among them the US national security adviser, John Bolton who backed military options to eject Maduro. These are people who think sabre-rattling and tough talk and military intervention is a way for the United States to get what it wants around the world, Smilde said, warning: I think that would be a really disastrous policy and I hope they do not carry the day. Armas said that as a political leader it was his job to explain what had happened and indicate a way forwards. We tried to bring down Nicolas Maduro and we couldnt accomplish this plan, he admitted. But I think we are going to win The most difficult challenge we have is to keep alive the leadership of Juan Guaido. For all her optimism, Sojo said she felt less certain about the future and feared Maduro and his inner circle were determined to retain power. They wont leave unless we stick them in a space rocket and send them to the moon, she said. By Manoj Kumar NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's government sees little hope of a bidder emerging for debt-laden Jet Airways Ltd, two senior finance ministry officials said, even as thousands of employees plead with the government for a rescue. Parties that had initially expressed interest in Jet, which is saddled with roughly $1.2 billion of debt, have so far failed to make firm bids to bail it out, increasing the odds that it could soon face bankruptcy proceedings. "There is little scope in the revival of Jet," said one official, adding that if a bidder emerged, the government was still willing to return slots to the private airline which have temporarily been given to rivals. A second senior finance ministry official said it was only a matter of time before someone dragged Jet to the National Company Law Tribunal - India's bankruptcy court - for recovery of dues from Jet. It will most likely be one of Jet's creditors and not its lenders that do so, said both the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Unions have been pleading with the government to ensure the airline is rescued. Last week, in a letter to the prime minister seen by Reuters, its pilots union urged the government to intervene and speed up the bid process for the airline and stop the deregistration of its aircraft by its lessors. Jet had a fleet of more than 120 aircraft but more than half have been deregistered and repossessed by lessors. India's aviation authorities have also been temporarily farming out Jet's slots to rival carriers as airfares have soared in the wake of Jet's shutdown. Rival low-cost carriers have also been scooping up aircraft that were formerly operated by Jet from its lessors, and poaching hundreds of its pilots, cabin crew and other staffers. The airline halted operations on April 17 after its lenders refused to provide further funds to keep it afloat. Once India's largest private carrier, it had more than 16,000 employees and flights to dozens of international destinations. Story continues State Bank of India (SBI) said last month that it expected bidders to submit binding bids by April 30, and to complete the sale process this month. However, bankers involved in the process told Reuters last week that no binding bids had emerged. "The banks have been advised to wait for the formation of the next government ... before taking any decision on Jet's fate," the official told Reuters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently seeking re-election. His government has come under fire from critics and opposition parties for rising unemployment. Despite this, senior government officials have opposed any bailout package for the airline arguing it would increase pressure to support other failed private companies. The government is satisfied with the handling of the Jet crisis by banks and other institutions as it has thus far not become a major election issue, the second ministry official said. Jet's borrowings are small compared to those of other big defaulters such as Videocon and some steel companies, so lenders likely can wait for some more time before commencing bankruptcy proceedings, the official said. An official at ICICI Bank, which has to recover over 5.4 billion rupees ($78.17 million) from Jet, said the bank sees little chance of any recovery without the government coming up with a rescue plan. "We largely think our money in Jet is gone," he said. (Additional reporting by Aftab Ahmed in NEW DELHI; Editing by Euan Rocha and John Stonestreet) By Manoj Kumar NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's government sees little hope of a bidder emerging for debt-laden Jet Airways Ltd, two senior finance ministry officials said, even as thousands of employees plead with the government for a rescue. Parties that had initially expressed interest in Jet, which is saddled with roughly $1.2 billion of debt, have so far failed to make firm bids to bail it out, increasing the odds that it could soon face bankruptcy proceedings. "There is little scope in the revival of Jet," said one official, adding that if a bidder emerged, the government was still willing to return slots to the private airline which have temporarily been given to rivals. A second senior finance ministry official said it was only a matter of time before someone dragged Jet to the National Company Law Tribunal - India's bankruptcy court - for recovery of dues from Jet. It will most likely be one of Jet's creditors and not its lenders that do so, said both the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Unions have been pleading with the government to ensure the airline is rescued. Last week, in a letter to the prime minister seen by Reuters, its pilots union urged the government to intervene and speed up the bid process for the airline and stop the deregistration of its aircraft by its lessors. Jet had a fleet of more than 120 aircraft but more than half have been deregistered and repossessed by lessors. India's aviation authorities have also been temporarily farming out Jet's slots to rival carriers as airfares have soared in the wake of Jet's shutdown. Rival low-cost carriers have also been scooping up aircraft that were formerly operated by Jet from its lessors, and poaching hundreds of its pilots, cabin crew and other staffers. The airline halted operations on April 17 after its lenders refused to provide further funds to keep it afloat. Once India's largest private carrier, it had more than 16,000 employees and flights to dozens of international destinations. Story continues State Bank of India (SBI) said last month that it expected bidders to submit binding bids by April 30, and to complete the sale process this month. However, bankers involved in the process told Reuters last week that no binding bids had emerged. "The banks have been advised to wait for the formation of the next government ... before taking any decision on Jet's fate," the official told Reuters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently seeking re-election. His government has come under fire from critics and opposition parties for rising unemployment. Despite this, senior government officials have opposed any bailout package for the airline arguing it would increase pressure to support other failed private companies. The government is satisfied with the handling of the Jet crisis by banks and other institutions as it has thus far not become a major election issue, the second ministry official said. Jet's borrowings are small compared to those of other big defaulters such as Videocon and some steel companies, so lenders likely can wait for some more time before commencing bankruptcy proceedings, the official said. An official at ICICI Bank, which has to recover over 5.4 billion rupees ($78.17 million) from Jet, said the bank sees little chance of any recovery without the government coming up with a rescue plan. "We largely think our money in Jet is gone," he said. ($1 = 69.0790 Indian rupees) (Additional reporting by Aftab Ahmed in NEW DELHI; Editing by Euan Rocha and John Stonestreet) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Cooper Energy Limited (ASX:COE). What Is Insider Buying? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. 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 logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.' See our latest analysis for Cooper Energy Cooper Energy Insider Transactions Over The Last Year While no particular insider transaction stood out, we can still look at the overall trading. In the last twelve months insiders purchased 173k shares for AU$75k. But insiders sold 120k shares worth AU$50k. In total, Cooper Energy insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! ASX:COE Recent Insider Trading, May 4th 2019 There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Does Cooper Energy Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 2.4% of Cooper Energy shares, worth about AU$21m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About Cooper Energy Insiders? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Cooper Energy and their transactions don't cause us concern. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. Of course Cooper Energy may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. 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. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! In 2000 Malcolm David Pye was appointed CEO of Benchmark Holdings plc (LON:BMK). This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid. View our latest analysis for Benchmark Holdings How Does Malcolm David Pye's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing our data says that Benchmark Holdings plc has a market cap of UK254m, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of UK554k. (This figure is for the year to September 2018). While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK315k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of UK152m to UK608m. The median total CEO compensation was UK627k. That means Malcolm David Pye receives fairly typical remuneration for the CEO of a company that size. While this data point isn't particularly informative alone, it gains more meaning when considered with business performance. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Benchmark Holdings has changed over time. AIM:BMK CEO Compensation, May 5th 2019 Is Benchmark Holdings plc Growing? Benchmark Holdings plc has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 79% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 8.1%. Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. It's nice to see a little revenue growth, as this is consistent with healthy business conditions. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Story continues Has Benchmark Holdings plc Been A Good Investment? Given the total loss of 19% over three years, many shareholders in Benchmark Holdings plc are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation. In Summary... Malcolm David Pye is paid around what is normal the leaders of comparable size companies. We'd say the company can boast of its EPS growth, but we cannot say the same about the lacklustre shareholder returns (over the last three years). Considering the the positives we don't think the CEO pays is too high, but it's certainly hard to argue it is too low. Shareholders may want to check for free if Benchmark Holdings insiders are buying or selling shares. Important note: Benchmark Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's energy minister decided on Sunday to temporarily halt natural gas supplies from the offshore field Tamar due to a surge in violence with Gaza militants, the ministry said in a statement. Israel receives most of its natural gas supplies from Tamar. The field is located some 90 kilometers (56 miles) in deep waters of the Mediterranean, but its production platform stands just 25 kilometers off the coast of southern Israel. The Gaza Strip, where cross-border fighting between militants and Israel surged on Sunday, is visible from the platform and within range of Palestinian rockets. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz declared an emergency to ensure power generation is not interrupted, the ministry said. This typically means using more expensive fossil fuels like diesel and fuel oil. Tamar is owned by a U.S.-Israeli consortium including Noble Energy and Delek Drilling. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) - AFP or licensors Israel and Hamas were locked in one of the bloodiest rounds of fighting since the 2014 Gaza War on Sunday night as civilian casualties mounted on both sides and Israeli forces massed for a possible ground offensive. Four civilians were killed in southern Israel on Sunday after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired a barrage of more than 600 rockets, missiles and mortars into the areas around Gaza. In Gaza, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23. Among the victims were at least two pregnant Palestinian women and two babies, according to the Hamas health ministry. Israel and Hamas each blamed each other for one of the womens deaths. Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes against militant targets in Gaza and its warplanes tracked down and killed a Hamas operative in its first targeted assassination in several years. With no end in sight to the fighting, both Israel and the Palestinian armed factions warned that the situation could escalate into a full-scale war. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip Credit: Khalil Hamra/AP Israeli tanks deployed to the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground invasion of the strip, the IDF said. Islamic Jihad said it was prepared to raise its rocket attacks to a level that could lead to war. However, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late on Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war." He signalled readiness to "return to the state of calm" if Israel stopped its attacks "and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life." US President Donald Trump assured Israel it had Washington's full support amid the escalation. "Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in its defence of its citizens," Mr Trump tweeted. ....To the Gazan people these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 "To the Gazan people - these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!" Story continues The intense fighting flared as Palestinians prepared for the start of the Islamic holy moth of Ramadan while Israelis were getting ready to welcome thousands of tourists to Tel Aviv for the Eurovision song contest on May 14. The Hamas health ministry said two pregnant woman - Falestine Abu Arar, 37, and Amani Al-Madhoun, 33 - were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes 24 hours apart. However, Israel said its intelligence showed Ms Abu Arar had in fact been killed a Palestinian rocket which misfired and crashed inside Gaza on Saturday. A one-year-old baby girl was killed alongside her. Late on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their four-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. One woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat Credit: Tsafrir Abayov/ Tsafrir Abayov Source: AP In a sign of the escalating situation, Israel carried out its first targeted assassination in Gaza for several years. Israeli aircraft tracked Hamid Abdul Khudri, a Hamas operative, as he drove through Gaza City before blowing up his Toyota SUV with a missile strike. The IDF said Khudri was a financier who transferred money from Iran to both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas confirmed in a statement that Khudri was a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamist group. Israel warned that it was prepared to carry out more such assassinations against Hamas leaders if the bombardment did not stop. We have similar files on many other terrorists in Gaza, said Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, an IDF spokesman. Three civilians were killed in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon by rockets fired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. A fourth civilian died when militants struck a car with an anti-tank missile as it drove on the motorway. Israel and Hamas have fought three bloody wars in Gaza since 2008. Several rounds of fighting in recent months have been calmed when Egypt and the UN stepped in to broker a ceasefire. The brother of Palestinian militant Emad Naseer, who was killed in an Israeli air strike Credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/ REUTERS Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas agreed not to carry out attacks while Israel said it would ease part of the crushing economic blockade it has imposed on Gaza since 2007. Hamas has grown frustrated at what it says is Israels failure to implement the agreements. A spokesman for the groups said Israel needed to commit to the understandings and implement them without delay. Israel said the latest round of violence was sparked when Islamic Jihad snipers wounded two Israeli soldiers on Friday afternoon. The IDF said Islamic Jihad, which fights alongside Hamas but occasionally chafes under the larger groups leadership, was trying to destabilise the region. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he had ordered the IDF to continue with massive attacks against militant groups inside Gaza. Hamas bears the responsibility not only for its own attacks and actions but also for the actions of Islamic Jihad, and it is paying a very heavy price for this. The IDF moved one tank brigade to the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground assault inside the strip. An infantry brigade was also being called up while another infantry brigade was put on standby. Palestinian families huddled together in their homes as Israeli warplanes struck more than 250 targets inside Gaza. Israelis fled to bomb shelters as the sky filled with smoke from rockets and interceptor missiles. The Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted around 150 rockets fired into Israel, the IDF said. Of the 600 total rockets fired only 35 fell into Israeli cities and towns, according to the IDF. The rest were intercepted or fell into open fields. GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 5 (Reuters) - A rocket fired from Gaza killed an Israeli civilian on Sunday and two Palestinian gunmen were killed in an Israeli strike as cross-border hostilities ran into their third day. Air-raid sirens sent Israelis in the country's south, near Gaza, running to their shelters through the night as interceptor missiles blew up rockets in the sky. Israeli police said one of the rockets launched from Gaza hit a house in the city of Ashkelon, killing one man. Israeli bombings in Gaza shook buildings and sent Palestinians fleeing for cover. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its men were killed in an Israeli raid before dawn. Egyptian and U.N. mediators, credited with brokering ceasefires in previous rounds of violence, were working to prevent further hostilities. The latest round of violence began on Friday when a Palestinian Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two militants from the armed Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. Two other Palestinians protesting near the frontier were killed by Israeli forces on the same day, Palestinian officials said. Since Saturday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants fired more than 400 rockets at Israeli villages and cities, the military said, and Israel hit back with tank shelling and air strikes at some 200 targets in Gaza. Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the rocket barrages were a response to Friday's events and that Israel has been delaying the implementation of previous understandings brokered by Cairo. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said on Saturday that Israel was prepared to intensify attacks. He added that Islamic Jihad was trying to destabilize the border and blamed Hamas for failing to rein it in. In a joint statement on Saturday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said: "Our response will be broader and more painful if the enemy pursues its aggression." Story continues The escalation comes just ahead of both the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Israel's Independence Day holiday. Israel is due to host the 2019 Eurovision song contest finals in less than two weeks in Tel Aviv, towards which long-range rockets were launched in mid-March. Although aerial exchanges are frequent, Israel and Hamas have managed to avert all-out war for the past five years. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi) By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, while Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, in surging cross-border fighting on Sunday, according to Gazan officials and the Israeli military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the military to continue "massive strikes" against Gaza's ruling Hamas group and Islamic Jihad in the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November. Israel's military said that more than 600 rockets and other projectiles - over 150 of them intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system - had been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday. It said it attacked more than 260 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. Gaza officials said Israeli air strikes and artillery fire killed 27 people, including 14 civilians, since Friday. A rocket that hit a house in Ashkelon on Sunday killed a 58-year-old man, police said. He was the first such Israeli civilian fatality since the seven-week Gaza war in 2014. Another rocket strike killed a factory worker, a hospital official said. The military said a civilian was killed near the border by an anti-tank missile fired at his car from Gaza and a fourth died when a rocket struck the city of Ashdod. In Gaza, militant groups identified eight fighters killed in Israeli strikes, while medical officials said that nine civilians also died, including a couple and their baby daughter. In what it said was a separate, targeted attack, Israel's military killed Hamed Ahmed Al-Khodary, a Hamas commander. The military said he was responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Hamas confirmed Khodary had been killed. The attack on his car was the first such killing by Israel of a top militant since the war five years ago. Israel had suspended what Palestinians call an assassination policy in an attempt to lower tensions. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement late on Sunday saying his group was not seeking a broader conflict and held out the possibility of a ceasefire, although sirens warning of rocket fire continued to sound in Israeli cities into the night. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated Washington's support for Israel, saying in a message on Twitter: "We strongly condemn the attacks in Gaza by Hamas terrorists. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself & the U.S. stands by our great ally Israel." SIRENS AND EXPLOSIONS The sounds of sirens and explosions reverberated on both sides of the frontier on Sunday, fraying nerves and keeping schools closed. Israel halted supplies from its main natural gas field. The Tamar field's offshore production platform is in range of Palestinian rockets. Israel also stopped fuel imports into Gaza through the main Kerem Shalom crossing. The latest round of violence began two days ago when an Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. Islamic Jihad accused Israel of delaying implementation of previous understandings brokered by Egypt in an effort to end violence and ease blockaded Gaza's economic hardship. This time, Israeli strategic affairs analysts said, both Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants appeared to believe they had some leverage to press for concessions from Israel, where independence day celebrations begin on Wednesday. In two weeks, Israel is also hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, the target of a Gaza rocket attack in March. That attack caused no damage. On Sunday, sirens sounded in the city of Rehovot, 17 km (11 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv. Netanyahu, who doubles as defense minister, convened his security Cabinet, which issued a statement saying it had ordered the military "to continue its strikes and to prepare for the next stages". RAMADAN APPROACHING For residents in Gaza, the escalation comes a day before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the territory on Monday. It is traditionally a time for prayer, family feasts to break a daylight fast and shopping. Among the 14 Gazan civilians killed since Friday were a 14-month-old baby and the baby's aunt, according to the health ministry. Israel's military said the intelligence information showed they were killed by a misfired Palestinian rocket. In Gaza, two Palestinian human rights groups described the cause of their deaths as an explosion with an as yet undetermined source. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing of rockets into Israel and urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint". A U.N. envoy said it was working with Egypt to try to end the fighting. Israeli bombings in Gaza destroyed four multi-storey structures. Witnesses said the Israeli military had warned people inside to evacuate the buildings, which it alleged housed Hamas security facilities, before they were hit. Saeed Al-Nakhala, owner of a clothing store in one of the buildings, said he had no time to save his merchandise. "I was together with my son in the shop, there was a big noise and then another and people started to run. We left everything behind and escaped," said Nakhala. Some 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, the economy of which has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas' West Bank-based rival. Israel says its blockade is necessary to stop weapons reaching Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since the group seized control of Gaza in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from the area. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; riting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, David Goodman and Peter Cooney) Blantyre (Malawi) (AFP) - Malawi's high court has sentenced to death a man who murdered a young albino, an unprecedented penalty in a country which has seen a surge in attacks and killings of people with albinism. Willard Mikaele, then 28, was convicted of killing 19-year-old Mphatso Pensulo in the southern district of Thyolo in 2017. "He planned to kill an albino so as to get rich fast as advised by the herbalist," judge Maclean Kamwambe said in handing down the sentence on Friday in Thyolo. "It has been reiterated that there will be times when death sentence shall be unavoidable due to the circumstances and that it should be reserved for such occasions," the judge said. Malawi has not carried out any executions since 1994, with death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The verdict suggests a growing awareness by the Malawian authorities of the attacks on albinos, said Ikponwosa Ero, the UN independent expert on albinism. "I am watching with keen interest, what seems like an awakening on the part of the government of Malawi vis-a-vis the terrible crime spree that has been going on in the country against persons with albinism," she told AFP Saturday, while expressing strong opposition to the death penalty. Malawi, one of the world's poorest and most aid-dependent countries, has experienced a surge in violent attacks on people with albinism since late 2014. In many cases those with albinism are targeted for their body parts to be used in witchcraft rituals meant to bring wealth and luck. In a June 2018 report, rights group Amnesty International said that since November 2014 there had been 148 crimes reported against people with albinism, with at least 21 deaths. Just 30 percent of those attacks have been properly investigated, according to official statistics, with only one murder and one attempted murder case successfully prosecuted. President Peter Mutharika in March appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate the spate of attacks on people with albinism after coming under mounting criticism over his response to the attacks. Albinism is a genetic disorder that causes a partial or total absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. As a result, in addition to discrimination, many albinos often experience eye problems and have a heightened risk of skin cancer. With the Mark Hotel just around the corner, brimming with Met Gala buzz, the trio of women behind La Ligne, the purveyor of all things striped founded in 2016 by Molly Howard, Meredith Melling, and Valerie Macaulay, were putting the final touches on a new chapter in the brands story: their first brick and mortar storefront. The run-up to this momentous opening for the cult-favorite retailer began just five weeks before, when their coveted slice of Madison Avenue frontage on Manhattans Upper East Side, a former jewelry store, became available. From there, it was left to the women and their trusted interiors whiz, Lien Luu, to design a space that felt unapologetically La Ligne. They did everything, a modest Luu tells AD PRO in the shops lounge area, outfitted with a plush emerald velvet sofa and a pair of 18th-century French chairs reupholstered with candy stripes. We didnt want it to be old French. We wanted to mix in some modern themes. Photo: Rebecca Pollak / Courtesy of La Ligne Within the brushed brass racks, the space is dotted with precious objects sourced from the founders' own homes. Theres a Frances Palmer vase originally given to Melling as a birthday present, a vintage Goyard trunk, and a porcelain ashtray that may or may not have been pilfered by one of the women during a visit to Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris. Even the dressing room mirror, designed by Ettore Sottsass and framed with undulating, backlit pink panels, came from Howards own home after being long admired by Macaulay. I had been eyeing it for years, Macauley says. The fact that I suddenly convinced Molly to part with it for us is shocking, and it fits perfectly. If it didnt, we would have knocked down walls to make it work. Photo: Rebecca Pollak / Courtesy of La Ligne There are touches from friends, too, like handblown glassware created by Paul Arnhold, abstract paintings by Hanuk, vibrant silk hydrangeas by Jodie Chan, and another precious mirror, this one created by artist and poet Cleo Wade, who chose to ornament the gilded piece with the affirming words In case no one told you this today, you are loved and supported, in a lipstick-style font. Story continues "If you dont feel good about yourself, then it doesnt matter what youre wearing, even when it's something as beautiful as La Ligne," Wade tells AD PRO about her creation. "I think whats really amazing is that this is a company founded by three women, so they know that. I think when people open stores, theyre also opening community spaces. This is a place where you should feel loved and supported, so that you can make the dress; the dress doesnt have to make you. Photo: Rebecca Pollak / Courtesy of La Ligne Creative collaborators like these are in no short supply for La Ligne thanks to La Bande, the team of more than 250 women and men, immortalized on a gallery wall in the shops dressing room, who have been tapped by the brand to model their wares. Every little pocket of this space has some sort of influence from La Bande, Howard says. We love to put people into our La Ligne world and let them be themselves. Altogether, the result is equal parts New York pied-a-terre and Parisian hotel particulier, with an accompanying effortless wardrobe that traverses the two seamlessly. "We wanted to create an apartment rather than a store, Melling says. We obviously had a lot of support and advice when we launched La Ligne, but it was also just a lot of instinct and DIY. I think thats something thats really special about La Ligne. Its an authentic extension of who we are, and the store is a reflection of that. SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) The Latest on Pope Francis' trip to Bulgaria (all times local): 5:25 p.m. Pope Francis called for a "revolution of charity" based on God's love while celebrating his first Mass in the majority Orthodox nation of Bulgaria. The Vatican, citing local organizers, estimated 12,000 people attended the open-air Mass on Sunday afternoon in the capital of Sofia or watched it on giant TV screens in a nearby square. Catholics account for less than 1% of Bulgaria's population of 7 million. In his homily, Francis told the faithful God's love inspires all to work for the common good. He said: "This love enables us to serve the poor and to become protagonists of the revolution of charity and service, capable of resisting the pathologies of consumeristic and superficial individualism." Francis is scheduled to travel Monday to the Catholic stronghold in Rakovsky to celebrate 200 children receiving the sacrament of first communion. ___ 1:20 p.m. Pope Francis is seeking to build new paths of dialogue with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, noting Christianity's shared history of martyrdom and mission. Francis met Sunday with Patriarch Neofit at the headquarters of the Holy Synod, the Bulgarian church's governing body, before praying alone in the Orthodox cathedral. Relations between the two churches are cordial but hardly warm. The Holy Synod doesn't participate in official Vatican-Orthodox theological dialogue, and made clear that it wouldn't take part in any joint services or prayers with Francis. Francis referred to the "wounds" of division caused by the 1,000-year-old schism that divided Christianity and said he was "confident with the help of God, and in his good time, these contacts will have a positive effect on many other dimensions of our dialogue." Neofit, however, was clear that he felt the Bulgarian Church would remain the keepers of true Christianity. Story continues ___ 11:45 p.m. Pope Francis is urging Bulgarians to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to leave their native lands. As he arrived Sunday in the Balkan nation, Francis "respectfully suggested" Bulgaria recognize that migrants coming to their country are fleeing war, conflict and dire poverty to find safety and opportunity. He appealed to government authorities "that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands in accordance with your best tradition to those who knock at your door." Bulgaria's center-right, pro-Brussels coalition government has called for the European Union to close its borders to migrants and has sealed off its own border to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Human rights organizations and the European Commission have accused Bulgaria of violating EU asylum laws. ___ 11:20 p.m. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has offered Pope Francis a very personal gift at the start of his visit to the Balkan nation: A cup of Bulgarian yogurt. Borisov said Sunday after meeting with Francis upon his arrival in Sofia that on previous occasions he had been told by Francis that the first time he had heard about Bulgaria was during his childhood in Argentina when his grandmother gave him Bulgarian yogurt. Borisov gave Francis the yogurt when they met at the airport. The official gifts also included an Orthodox icon and a traditional episcopal vestment. The prime minister said: "I was happy to welcome a man who is the symbol of faith in our world. Pope Francis' prayers for peace are extremely important for our region that stretches from Ukraine to the east to the Western Balkans." ___ 10 a.m. Pope Francis has arrived in Bulgaria, the European Union's poorest country and one that taken a hard line against migrants. That stance conflicts with the pontiff's view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. On a two-day trip that began Sunday, Francis plans to tour a refugee center and dive into the Vatican's complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Later in the day, Francis is meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose center-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, is the bloc's poorest country, with the lowest average monthly salary 575 euros ($645) and the smallest average monthly pension of 190 euros ($213). ___ 9 a.m. Pope Francis is heading to Bulgaria, the European Union's poorest country and one that taken a hard line against migrants, which conflicts with the pontiff's view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. Francis is expected to visit a refugee center during his two-day visit starting Sunday, as well as dive into the Vatican's complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The trip ends with a daylong stop Tuesday in neighboring North Macedonia, the first by a pope. Francis starts his Bulgarian trip by meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose center-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. The Argentine pope has made the plight of migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy. His visit falls just three weeks before European Parliament elections across the EU's 28 nations in which nationalist, anti-migrant parties are expected to make a solid showing. Moscow (AFP) - A Russian passenger plane erupted in a huge ball of fire and black smoke after making an emergency landing at Moscow's busiest airport, killing 41 people including at least two children. Dramatic footage that went viral on social media showed Aeroflot's Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft crash-landing and then speeding along the runway at Sheremetyevo international airport on Sunday, flames pouring from its fuselage. Passengers could be seen leaping onto an inflatable slide at the front and running from the blazing plane as huge black columns of smoke billowed into the sky. Investigators said 41 people had died. "There were 78 people including crew members on board the plane," which was bound for the northwestern city of Murmansk, Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement. "According to the updated info which the investigation has as of now, 37 people survived." Eleven people were injured, Dmitry Matveyev, the Moscow region's health minister said earlier in the day. - 'Horror before our eyes' - Witness Alyona Osokina said she was inside the terminal when she suddenly saw a plane on fire rushing along the runway. "The blaze was devouring the plane," she told Rain TV. Osokina said that fire engines had arrived quickly but could not immediately put out the blaze. "This horror and tragedy happened before our eyes," she said, adding that those who managed to flee the plane then walked towards the airport. "I believe they were in a state of deep shock." The jet -- carrying 73 passengers and five crew members -- left Sheremetyevo at 6:02 pm (1502 GMT), and the crew issued a distress signal shortly afterwards, officials said. "After the take-off, the crew reported an anomaly and decided to come back to the departure airport. At 6:30 pm, the aircraft made an emergency landing," the airport said in a statement. Aeroflot, Russia's flagship carrier, said the plane had to return to the airport "due to a technical reason" and its engines caught fire upon landing. Previous reports had said the fire broke out in mid-air. Story continues The jet reportedly managed to land on its second attempt, hitting the ground with its landing gear first and then its nose. Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed the jet looping once in the air before landing. The plane's fuel tanks were full and a much bigger death toll could have been a real possibility, aviation experts said. Investigators said they were looking into various lines of inquiry and it was premature to draw any conclusions about the cause of the accident. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the victims' loved ones and said the investigation "should be as thorough as possible", according to the Kremlin. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered a special committee to investigate the disaster. The Murmansk region -- where many of the casualties are believed to be from -- will go into a three-day period of mourning beginning Monday. Some flights have been diverted to other Moscow airports or Nizhny Novgorod, some 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of the Russian capital. Numerous Aeroflot flights are expected to be affected in the coming days. - Blow to aviation industry - The country's aviation safety record has been chequered and the latest disaster is seen as a huge blow to its already struggling aviation industry. The Sukhoi Superjet-100 was the first civilian aircraft developed in the country's post-Soviet era. At the time of its launch, in 2011, it was a source of national pride and seen as one of Putin's pet projects. But numerous technical problems with the plane have been reported in recent years and Russia has struggled to convince foreign carriers to purchase it. The government offered subsidies to encourage Russian airlines to buy the Superjet and Aeroflot has became its main operator. In September 2018, it announced a record order of 100 Superjet-100s. A Russian Aeroflot jet landed in Moscow engulfed in flames and billowing smoke Sunday, a deadly incident captured in a dramatic video. At least 41 people had died in the fiery wreck, including two children, according to an initial announcement by Russias Investigative Committee. Later, Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said 38 survived, implying the death toll was 40. Video shows the plane in flames as it roars down the runway. After it stops, some passengers leap onto inflatable slides and stumble away from the raging flames, some fleeing with luggage in tow. The Sukhoi Superjet, which had 73 passengers and five crew members, requested an emergency landing, the Russian news agency Tass reported. Sukhoi said the hard landing may have ignited the fire. A correspondent for the Russian news website RT was on a nearby plane and saw the landing. We were sitting really close to the plane, which was completely on fire," Boris Kuznetsov told RT. "The flames were huge. It was very difficult for the emergency services to tackle the blaze." This handout picture taken and realeased on May 5, 2019, by the Investigative Committee of Russia shows a fire of a Russian-made Superjet-100 at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow. Aeroflot, Russia's largest airline, said in a statement that Flight SU1492 was scheduled to fly from Moscow to the northwestern Russian city Murmansk. The statement said the plane suffered an engine fire upon landing after being forced to return to Sheremetyevo International Airport because of technical issues. No details on those issues were released. The fire was quickly extinguished, and passengers were able to exit the aircraft via the emergency exits, the airline said. Medical assistance was immediately provided to those injured, the statement said. "An investigation has been launched into the incident, and Aeroflot has activated its crisis response team," the statement said. The Investigative Committee launched a criminal inquiry to determine whether any aircraft operation safety rules were violated. Such an investigation is standard in crashes that claim the lives of two or more people. Sukhoi said it was represented on the panel. Story continues The company said the plane was produced in August 2017 and received scheduled maintenance about a month ago. Aeroflot said the pilot had 1,400 hours of experience flying the plane. The airport, Russia's biggest and busiest, said it provided psychological assistance to families of the victims. This is the second fatal accident involving a SSJ100. In 2012, a demonstration flight in Indonesia struck a mountain, killing all 45 aboard. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The flames were huge': At least 40 dead in fiery Moscow jet landing caught on video TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan state oil firm NOC called on Saturday for the safe return of the national head of the oil workers' labour union, Saad Dinar, who was abducted by an armed group on Monday near the eastern city of Benghazi. "NOC is gravely concerned about Mr Dinar's wellbeing. He has not been seen since his seizure," NOC said in a statement. Dinar is also a NOC staff member. NOC is based in Tripoli in the west of Libya, home to the internationally recognized government. Benghazi is controlled by the forces of commander Khalifa Haftar, who last month launched an offensive to take the capital. Reuters was unable to reach eastern authorities for comment. A source close to Dinar's family said he was driven to an unknown location by people who seized him at around midnight on April 29 near his home in Suluq, close to Benghazi. Relations deteriorated last week between NOC, which handles oil and gas exports for the whole of Libya, and Haftar's forces. Last week, NOC said several Libyan warships had used the oil port of Ras Lanuf, and that military personnel had entered the nearby Es Sider terminal. It did not say who was responsible, but the two terminals, Libya's biggest oil export ports, are controlled by Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) force. The LNA said last week that it had sent a warship to Ras Lanuf for a "training mission". A spokesman for NOC told Reuters last week that the firm was "concerned by renewed attempts to divide the corporation" and was "particularly alarmed by evidence of staff coercion." The statement came after several NOC units and executives in the east expressed support for Haftar's Tripoli offensive. (Additional reporting by Hesham Hajali; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Daniel Wallis) PARIS (Reuters) - The party of far-right leader Marine Le Pen will top the upcoming European Parliament elections with 22 percent of the vote, just ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's REM party, an Ipsos poll released on Sunday. It was the first time Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) - formerly the National Front - overtook Macron's REM in an Ipsos survey ahead of the EU election this year, although other, daily polls have shown the RN in pole position before. EU elections will be held on May 26 in France. The poll of 1,500 people was conducted on May 2-3, after Macron announced a series of proposals, including tax cuts worth 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion), in a bid to appease the "yellow vests" anti-government protest movement. Macron's REM party would obtain 21.5 percent of the vote, the Ipsos poll for France Television and Radio France showed. On April 18-22, 23 percent of the people polled said they would vote for REM, against 22 percent for RN. Macron is facing the biggest challenge of his presidency yet in the "yellow vest" protests, which started nearly six months ago over the high cost of living but spread into a broader movement against the former investment banker's pro-business reform drive. Dissatisfaction over slow economic growth, security threats posed by Islamist militants and a backlash against migration across open EU borders have boosted support for nationalists in many member states. The RN and other eurosceptic anti-immigration parties in other EU states are planning to join forces after the EU parliamentary election. ($1 = 0.8928 euros) (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide) Csorna (Hungary) (AFP) - Never mind the EU-funded roads and hospital. In the sleepy Hungarian town of Csorna, there is only one European Parliament election poster on billboards and bus-shelters: "Back Viktor Orban's programme, stop immigration!" Csorna is staunch pro-Orban territory, 150 kilometres (93 miles) west of Budapest on the flatlands near the Austrian border. At the last two general elections, Orban's ruling Fidesz party gained its biggest wins nationally in the town of 10,000, where many locals are proud of their combative prime minister. "Orban stopped the migrants, thank God, and stands up for Hungary against Brussels," Istvan Balassa, 49, said from the hatch of a fast-food van parked outside the town hall. "Europe has been too liberal with the migrants, it doesn't need any more Muslims," he said while doling out "langos", a popular Hungarian snack made of fried dough. - 'Stop Brussels' - Orban has framed May's vote as a fight for "Christian civilisation" and warns that "Brussels bureaucrats" want to "replace" Europe's population with immigrants. His seven-point programme calls for Brussels to stop issuing refugees with what Hungary calls "migrant visas", despite the European Commission insisting it has "zero plans" to introduce such permits. Budapest also rejects pre-paid "migrant bank cards" that it says could be used by terrorists to travel and stay in Europe. Locals attributed the apparent lack of migrants in Csorna to Orban's tough measures, including a border fence installed in 2015. "The (southern) border is well defended and keeps them out," kindergarten worker Borbely Ferencne told AFP. "Why should my taxes go to migrant visas or bank cards? Brussels is not handling the migration issue well," the 56-year-old said. Orban's programme is just the latest in a series of anti-EU and anti-immigration campaigns waged by Budapest. Story continues In 2017, it urged Hungarians to "Stop Brussels" over its alleged interference in national sovereignty. A nationwide billboard campaign this year targeted European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros for allegedly encouraging illegal immigration. The posters -- which the Atlatszo.hu investigative website says cost more than 30 million euros ($33.5 million) of taxpayer money -- led to Fidesz being suspended from the European People's Party (EPP), its own centre-right political grouping in the European Parliament. Csorna's former socialist mayor Jozsef Papp said he detected a growing ambivalence about the EU since Orban and Fidesz swept to power in 2010. "The campaigns scare people," the 59-year-old told AFP in the town's leafy Saint Stephen's Square. "They also deflect attention from people's real problems, like young people leaving for higher wages in Austria." Meanwhile, opposition parties' election campaigns are noticeably absent in Csorna. The cash-strapped parties complain that businesses owning advertising platforms only accept Fidesz posters, or charge them inflated prices, making it difficult to get their pro-EU messages out. Last month, opposition politicians also protested outside the public broadcaster's headquarters in Budapest to demand they receive more airtime on news programmes. "Around 70-80 percent of Hungarians only hear the messages produced by the government propaganda organs," protester Akos Hadhazy told AFP. - 'EU money is squandered' - Still, support among Hungarians for EU membership remains high, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey. More than 80 percent of participants said they would vote in favour of staying in the bloc in a referendum, mainly for practical benefits like freedom of movement and financial aid. Trucks en route to Austria no longer clog up Csorna town centre thanks to a new ring road, partly built with EU structural funding. A wing of the local hospital and the town's drainage system have also been revamped. "Hungary opened its markets to EU firms who take out huge profits, so deserves any money it gets in return," a cyclist on a new EU-funded lane said before speeding off without giving his name. But some locals voiced suspicions about rampant corruption. "The EU money is squandered on unnecessary overpriced investments, given to circles of friends, without any competition," bus driver Gyorgy Szabad, 54, told AFP. Last March, the EU's anti-fraud agency OLAF opened a probe into a solar panel plant project that received around six million euros of EU aid. A sun-faded board outside the still-shuttered factory says the investment -- whose cornerstone was laid in 2014 by Csorna native and current Hungarian president Janos Ader -- was scheduled for completion in 2015. The investigation is "ongoing", OLAF's press office told AFP this week, without giving further details. Both the Fidesz member of parliament for the Csorna area and the party's local head declined requests for interviews. Suspected militants shot dead a local leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party in disputed Kashmir ahead of the latest round of polling, highlighting bloodshed that has marred India's mega-election. The killing in Anantnag district of India's only Muslim-majority state is the latest in a string of attacks to have marred the election which began last month. The militants opened fire on Gul Mohammad Mir, who belonged to a local unit of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), at his house in south Kashmir on Saturday night. Police called it a "terror crime" and Modi condemned Mir's killing in a Twitter post Sunday, saying "there is no place for such violence in our country." Police said a polling station to be used in Monday's voting was set ablaze in the nearby Shopian area. Voter turnout in Indian Kashmir has barely crossed 10 percent in the previous rounds, and Anantnag is expected to suffer on Monday -- the fifth round of voting in the six-week long election which ends May 19. Results are to be released four days later. Political killings are common in India's bitterly-fought elections with party and regional rivalries often boiling over. The National Crime Records Bureau says there were more than 100 political murders in 2016. Kerala state in the south and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north are the worst for political murders. The world's biggest election has been mostly targeted by far-left Maoist rebels. Last week guerrillas killed 15 police commandos and their driver in western Maharashtra state. The Maoists, who have traditionally boycotted elections as part of their campaign against the Indian state, killed two police in Chhattisgarh state last month. And on April 9, they attacked a political convoy in the same state, killing five people including a BJP lawmaker. - Gandhi letter - Monday's voting will be held in 51 constituencies across seven states, including Uttar Pradesh -- India's biggest state which accounts for 80 of the 543 lawmakers decided in the election. Story continues Amethi, the family borough of India's main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh, also votes Monday. Gandhi, who has focussed on attacking Modi's economic policies, is seeking to become the fourth member of his family to take the prime minister's office. He has pledged to end abject poverty by 2030 and give cash transfers to 50 million families. On Friday, Gandhi penned an emotional letter to the people of Amethi seeking support for his bid for a fourth straight term from the city, amid accusations that BJP supporters were giving cash handouts to voters. "Vote in large numbers to bring back this member of the family," Gandhi, 48, wrote. The BJP has put up a minister and former television actress Smriti Irani against Gandhi. In 2014, the BJP decimated Gandhi's Congress party, clinching 282 seats in the biggest landslide in decades. This election is predicted to be closer. Modi has been on a campaign frenzy across the country, portraying himself as as a strongman leader. Modi, 68, has capitalised on nationalist fervour since India's air strikes on Pakistan in February in response to a suicide attack that killed 40 troops in Indian Kashmir. That has drawn complaints from rivals that he uses hate speech and the armed forces for propaganda. On Saturday, India's poll watchdog dismissed a complaint that Modi had boasted about India unleashing missiles on Pakistan during a recent tense standoff with its archrival. 1770 Chestnut Place. | Photos: Zumper Union Station has excellent walkability, is a "biker's paradise" and is a haven for transit riders, according to Walk Score's rating system. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in LoDo look like these daysand what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in LoDo via rental site Zumper to find out what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Denver 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. 1770 Chestnut Place This studio, situated at 1770 Chestnut Place, is listed for $1,635/month for its 423 square feet of space. In the unit, which comes furnished, you're promised air conditioning, hardwood flooring, a balcony, a walk-in closet and in-unit laundry. Building amenities include a fitness center, a residents lounge, a swimming pool, secured entry and outdoor space. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 1490 Delgany St. Then, check out this 671-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 1490 Delgany St., listed at $1,717/month. In the unit, look for a mix of hardwood flooring and carpeting and in-unit laundry. The building features a fitness center, a swimming pool, a residents lounge and garage parking. Dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Here's the listing.) 1650 Wewatta St. This apartment, situated at 1650 Wewatta St., is listed for $1,750/month for its 495 square feet of space. In the unit, you'll find air conditioning, hardwood flooring, a balcony, a dishwasher and a walk-in closet. The building features a concierge service, a fitness center, a swimming pool and garage parking. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are allowed. Story continues (See the listing here.) 1750 Little Raven St. And here's an apartment at 1750 Little Raven St., which, with 633 square feet, is going for $1,785/month. The building offers a swimming pool, a roof deck, a fitness center, a business center and outdoor space. In the unit, you'll find high ceilings, hardwood flooring, a balcony, a walk-in closet and in-unit laundry. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (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. Washington (AFP) - Robert Mueller, the man who led the nearly two-year investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, has been asked to testify to Congress on May 15, a lawmaker said Sunday. David Cicilline, a Democrat and member of the House Judiciary Committee, told "Fox News Sunday" that Mueller's representatives had tentatively agreed to the May 15 date, but later clarified in a Tweet that "nothing has been agreed to yet." "That's the date the Committee has proposed, and we hope the Special Counsel will agree to it. Sorry for the confusion," he wrote. In the interview, Cicilline said that while there was no "absolute guarantee" that Robert Mueller would testify, "the White House has so far indicated they would not interfere." US President Donald Trump has said Mueller's voluminous report vindicated him of allegations of collusion with Russia, but Democrats want to ask Mueller about evidence the president might have obstructed justice. Mueller set forth 10 instances in which Trump sought to thwart the investigation, but the former FBI director did not reach a conclusion on whether a crime was committed. Attorney General Bill Barr, however, said in a four page summary of the report sent to Congress March 24 that the evidence was insufficient to support criminal obstruction. Mueller objected in a letter to Barr three days later on March 27, complaining that the summary "did not fully capture the context, nature and substance of this office's work and conclusions." But in subsequent testimony to Congress last month, Barr said he was unaware of any disagreement Mueller might have had with him over the summary. The public disclosure of Mueller's letter on Tuesday prompted Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, to accuse Barr of committing a crime by lying to Congress. The Washington Nationals' injury list keeps growing, with first baseman Matt Adams joining the group Sunday with a left shoulder strain. Adams landed on the 10-day IL after jamming his shoulder while making a diving out at first base in the second inning of Saturday's 10-8 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. He joins starting first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who was sidelined a week ago with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Outfielder Juan Soto (back), third baseman Anthony Rendon (elbow) and shortstop Trea Turner (index finger) are also on the injured list. Adams, 30, is batting .250 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 29 games this season. The Nationals recalled infielder Jake Noll from Triple-A Fresno in a corresponding move, the third time the rookie has been called up this season. Noll, 25, was in the starting lineup at first base for Sunday's game against Philadelphia. --Field Level Media Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he had ordered the military to launch further strikes on Gaza Strip militants in response to rocket fire from the territory, as an escalation entered its second day. "I instructed the (military) this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip and ordered (it) to reinforce the troops around the Gaza Strip with tanks, artillery and infantry forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. Israel said around 450 rockets or mortars had been fired from the Palestinian enclave run by Hamas since Saturday, and it responded with waves of air and tank strikes. Gazan authorities reported six Palestinians killed in the Israeli strikes, including at least two militants. But Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby, blaming errant Hamas fire. One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed overnight by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli police and the hospital said. Netanyahu is currently engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following his victory in April 9 elections. A ceasefire brokered by UN and Egyptian officials between Israel and Hamas had led to calm surrounding the elections. But the past week saw a gradual uptick in violence as Hamas seeks further concessions from Israel. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008. BANGKOK (AP) Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn made a spectacular public appearance in front of his countrymen Sunday, carried atop a golden palanquin by soldiers in ancient fighting uniforms in a procession through Bangkok's historic quarter. Hundreds of other soldiers marched in front, behind and alongside the palanquin in scorching heat as the procession set off from Bangkok's Grand Palace just after 5 p.m. with a marching band setting the pace. Also taking part in the slow parade were the prime minister and other senior officials in the military government as well as the king's wife, Queen Suthida, and one of his daughters, Princess Bajrakitiyabha. Slightly more than five hours after starting the day-into-night, 7.15-kilometer (4.3-mile) journey, the king reached the last of three prominent Buddhist temples the Temple of the Reclining Buddha where he stopped to pay homage to Buddha images. At the two temples he visited earlier, he also paid homage to the relics of his royal ancestors. After concluding his visit to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, also known as Wat Pho, the "Royal Procession on Land" traveled 1.5 km (1 mile) back to the Grand Palace, and the king's palanquin passed through a gate at 11:40 p.m., approximately six-and-a-half hours after the journey began. Vajiralongkorn on Saturday took part in an elaborate set of Buddhist and Hindu rituals that established his status as a full-fledged monarch with complete regal powers. Also known as King Rama X, the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty, Vajiralongkorn had been serving as king since the October 2016 death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was on the throne for seven decades. Though Thailand has had a constitutional monarchy since 1932, when a revolution ended absolute rule by kings, the country's monarchs are regarded as almost divine and have been seen as a unifying presence in a country that has seen regular bouts of political instability as it rotates between elected governments and military rule. Story continues Since taking the throne, Vajiralongkorn has tightened control over royal institutions and acted to increase his influence in his country's administration. Like kings before him, he is protected by one of the world's strictest lese majeste laws, which makes criticism of him and other top royals punishable by up to 15 years in prison and has dampened open debate about the monarchy's role in society. Onlookers who crowded the sidewalks along Sunday's parade route were almost all wearing yellow shirts, a color closely associated with the monarchy. The 66-year-old king wore heavy, gold-embroidered vestments and a soft, wide-brimmed hat with a feather on top. Some of those watching the parade clasped their hands in reverence; others took photos with their cellphones. Many waved small Thai flags or yellow royal flags. It was impossible to estimate the crowd size along the long, winding route. The crowds seemed to thicken after the sun went down and the weather cooled slightly. When Vajiralongkorn passed by, there were shouts of "Long Live the King." The palanquin was carried by five teams of 16 soldiers each, switching places at several points along their march. The 109-member marching band played tunes composed by the king's father, who was an enthusiastic musician, and a single musician played haunting sounds on a conch shell. "I love and respect the monarchy," said Sujitra Bokularb, a 43-year-old businesswoman who left home at 4 a.m. to get a place on the parade route. "We have been shown the importance of this institution since we were young and how much the previous king had done for us. I think the new king will continue his legacy." Vajiralongkorn was shielded by an ochre umbrella, and other royal symbols were hoisted high around him. After slightly more than an hour of marching, the king reached Wat Bovoranives, the first of the three temples visited. Earlier Sunday, the king began his second day of coronation activities by granting new titles to members of the royal family in front of an audience of dignitaries including top government officials and senior Buddhist monks. He launched the Sunday morning event in a hall at the Grand Palace by paying respects in front of portraits of his late father and his mother, who has been hospitalized for an extended period. His 86-year-old mother, known as Queen Sirikit, was granted a new official title of Queen Mother. Vajiralongkorn's son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, was one of the family members granted a fresh title and royal decorations for the new reign. He turned 14 on April 29 and is the heir presumptive. While Saturday's ceremonies were solemn and heavily tinged with age-old rites, including the prominent presence of Brahmin priests, Sunday morning's event was slightly more relaxed, though also steeped with traditional royal and Buddhist gestures. Live television coverage showed some glimpses of informality: Queen Suthida exchanging a brief aside with Vajiralongkorn; two of his daughters in a warm hug after the second one returned from receiving her new title. Monday will see the king greet the public from the balcony of the Grand Palace in the late afternoon and then hold a reception for the diplomatic corps. There will be a river procession around the end of October. ____ Associated Press journalists Tassanee Vejpongsa and Preeyapa T. Khunsong contributed to this report ___ This story has been corrected to say that cheers hailing king were "Long Live the King," not "Long Love the King." Abuja (AFP) - In Nigeria, being a young woman "is a crime", said a 25-year-old beautician, arrested two weeks ago while walking home in the capital Abuja. She says she was detained, assaulted and then raped by those meant to protect her. "Around 9:30 pm, or 10:00 pm, I was walking back home," she said. "The police arrested me in the street, accusing me of 'being out late'." The officers demanded she pay 4,000 naira ($11) but she did not have the cash. So the officers grabbed her, she said. "They took me to the bush behind a building," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "There were four of them. They molested me, and while three were holding me down, one of them raped me. He didn't use a condom." Several other women reported similar assaults that night. - Mass arrests - In two dramatic raids last month, dozens of women were dragged out of nightclubs, hotels and bars -- or simply taken off the streets -- in Abuja. They were arrested for prostitution, a charge many furiously denied. The sweeping police crackdown in the federal capital has sparked outrage in the news and on social media in Africa's most populous nation. Prostitution, although illegal in Nigeria, is still widespread in the cities and often tolerated in the Christian south, but less so in the Muslim north where sharia law applies in some states. Abuja -- situated slightly north of Nigeria's centre -- is a mix of southern and northern tribes and traditions. Testimonies from women given to AFP provide shocking stories of multiple and brutal sexual assaults. The women accuse officers from the federal police force. - Sex for freedom - Lawyer and activist Martin Obono happened to be at the Utako police station in Abuja on the night of April 26 for another case. "I was there when the girls got out of the vehicles, screaming, and some of them were bleeding," Obono said, adding the women said they had been attacked in the vehicles as they were brought to the police station. Story continues "They told me the policemen used objects, like sticks, to touch their private parts," Obono said. One of the women was a mother with a two-month-old baby. "She wasn't allowed to breastfeed her, despite continuous crying," Obono said. "It took the intervention of a female police officer for that." One of the women dragged into the station on that Friday was a 22-year-old who had been at a party in a hotel when the police arrived. "They dragged me out, accusing me of being a prostitute," she said, explaining how police suddenly arrived in a fleet of pickup trucks. Many of the women were later released -- after making forced payments. "Some of the girls paid bribes," she said. "Others accepted to have sex with them in exchange for their release." - 'Making noise' - A spokesman for the Abuja police told AFP he would not be available for comment "until next month", while multiple other calls and messages to other police officials went unanswered. However, Abayomi Shogunle, Assistant Commissioner of Police, posted a message this week on social media addressed to "those making noise on the clampdown on prostitutes in Abuja". Shogunle made no comment on specifics on the raids, and did not respond to allegations of rape. But he did say that prostitution was "a crime under the law" and a "lifeline of violent criminals". Some of the women have already appeared in court. On Monday, 27 of the young women were handed one-month suspended prison sentences and fines of 3,000 naira each for prostitution. Some were sentenced without access to legal representation, said lawyer Jennifer Ogbogu who represented two organisations at the trial -- the Nigeria Sex Workers Association and Heartland Alliance International. "Some were prostitutes, others not, but in no case can this justify their rights being violated," Ogbogu said. In an open letter, a coalition of 72 women's organisations, leading campaigners, civil society and human rights groups, said they "strongly condemn the recent raids, public humiliation, assault and sexual harassment of over 100 women" in Abuja. They demanded a government investigation. Nigerian security forces have faced such accusations before. In October 2017, a court of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, ordered Nigeria's government to pay 18 million naira in damages to three women. The court said the women had been illegally arrested and detained by the same police unit in Abuja accused of carrying out the recent raids. "They know we are vulnerable, and they don't treat us as human beings," said the beautician. "All this has to end. They should be punished for what they've done to us." By Cynthia Kim and Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the North's state media reported on Sunday. The purpose of the drill was to test performance of "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units," the Korean Central News Agency said. Photographs released by KCNA showed the tactical guided weapons fired could be short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, according to Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Korea's Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern (IFE)Studies. While such a missile launch would be in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, at least it would not involve long-range ballistic missiles that have been seen as a threat to the United States. "What was sobering for me was that unexpectedly, there was a photo of short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, otherwise known as the North's version of Iskander," said IFE's Kim. The new, solid fuel ballistic missiles can fly as far as 500 kilometers (311 miles), putting the entire Korean Peninsula within its range, and are capable of neutralizing the advanced U.S. anti-missile defense system (THAAD) deployed in South Korea, the military analyst said. The South Korean defense ministry, however, put the range of weapons fired from the east coast city of Wonsan around 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Saturday at between 70 to 240 km (44 to 149 miles). Giving orders for the test firing, North Korean leader Kim stressed the need to "increase the combat ability so as to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance" of North Korea in the face of threats and invasions, the report said. The statement came a day after the test firing, which analysts interpreted as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in negotiations to end the North's nuclear program after a summit in February ended in failure. North Korea had maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, which U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang. 'WE SHOULD NOT BE SHOCKED' "With North Korea never promising to completely stop all missile testing - it only promised a self-imposed moratorium of testing long-range missiles such as ICBMs that can hit the U.S. homeland - we should not be shocked by North Koreas short-range launch," said Harry Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest. The latest test firing prompted Seoul on Saturday to call on its communist neighbor to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula." Trump said in a Twitter post that he was still confident he could have a deal with Kim. "I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump wrote. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on "Fox News Sunday" the missiles were short range. The testing freeze has been "focused, very focused" on intercontinental missile systems, the ones that stand to threaten the United States," Pompeo said. The administration wants to "continue to work toward a peaceful resolution to achieve denuclearization," he added. The South Korean military initially described the test as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a vaguer description of "projectiles" and said it was conducting joint analysis with the United States of the latest launches. "Yes, the tests were the most serious since the end of 2017, but this is largely a warning to Trump that he could lose the talks unless Washington takes partial denuclearization steps offered by Kim," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "A resumption of long-range test could be next unless Kim gets what he wants soon." Talks stalled after a second summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi in February failed to produce a deal to end Pyongyangs nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. North Korea demanded Washington lift the U.S.-led sanctions against it in return for a partial dismantling of its nuclear weapons program, while the United States wanted the quick rollback of the Norths entire nuclear weapons program before removing economic sanctions. The North's last missile launch was in November 2017, when it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States. (Reporting by Cynthia Kim and Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler, Simon Cameron-Moore and Bill Berkrot) Kim Jong-un oversaw a major strike drill testing various missile components, state media in North Korea has confirmed. Several short-range projectiles were fired into the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. The purpose of the drill was to test performance of "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons," it said. Confirmation of the tests first reported by South Korea makes it the first missile launch by Pyongyang since November 2017. They are the first such launches since Mr Kim and US president Donald Trump held two summits in June last year and February aimed at easing tensions on the troubled peninsula. The drill carried out from the eastern city of Wonsan was immediately interpreted as an attempt by North Korea to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in negotiations aimed at denuclearising the region and lifting crippling economic sanctions. "What was sobering for me was that unexpectedly, there was a photo of short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, otherwise known as the North's version of Iskander," said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in South Korea. These new, solid fuel ballistic missiles can fly as far as 311 miles, he added, putting the entire peninsula within range. They are also capable of neutralizing the advanced US anti-missile defence system, known as THAAD, which is deployed in South Korea, military analysts say. The launch did not, however, strictly speaking, break Mr Kim's promises to pause nuclear and ballistic missile testing as the weapons did not fall into these categories. "North Korea only promised a self-imposed moratorium of testing long-range missiles such as ICBMs that can hit the US homeland [so] we should not be shocked by a short-range launch," said Harry Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest think tank in Washington. Story continues Mr Trump, himself, said in a Twitter post that he was still confident he could reach an agreement with Mr Kim. "I believe that Kim Jong-un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," he wrote. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" South Korea, which estimated the missiles flew up to 149 miles, called on its neighbour to stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula". - AFP Forty-one people have been killed after a Russian Aeroflot plane burst into flames as it made an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 took off from Moscows Sheremetyevo airport, destination Murmansk, at 6.03pm local time. Six minutes later the pilots transmitted a 7600 alert, signifying a failure of radio communications. Television footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash bouncing along the tarmac before the rear part of the plane suddenly burst into flames. "There were 78 people including crew members on board the plane," the Investigative Committee said in a statement. "According to the updated info which the investigation has as of now, 37 people survived." Two children and a flight attendant were among the dead, Russian media reported. The Russian accident was the second aviation disaster in two months, taking place eight weeks after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed six minutes after take-off, killing 157 on board. Footage shared on social media showed flames and black smoke billowing out of the aircraft as it made its emergency landing at Moscows busiest airport. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines is covered in fire retardant foam after an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow Credit: AP Some passengers could be seen using emergency slides to make their escape, before running away from the burning aircraft. Local news agency Interfax said the plane landed with full fuel tanks rather than risk dumping them over Moscow. Some passengers blamed bad weather and lightning. The plane went up in flames after the emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow Credit: AFP "We had just taken off and the aircraft was hit by lightning.... The landing was rough, I almost passed out from fear," one passenger, Petr Egorov, told the tabloid newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. State TV broadcast mobile phone footage shot by another passenger in which people could be heard screaming. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has also ordered a special committee to investigate the disaster. The jet carrying 73 passengers and five crew members had just left Sheremetyevo when the crew issued a distress signal, officials said. Story continues The plane requested an emergency landing shortly after take off Credit: Mikhail Norenko/Twitter via AP Aeroflot said: Malfunctions on board the aircraft were detected shortly after takeoff. The crew was forced to request an emergency return to the airport. The engines caught fire after landing at Sheremetyevo; the fire was swiftly extinguished. Passengers left the aircraft via the emergency exits. The aircraft was evacuated in 55 seconds, compared to the industry norm of 90 seconds. Several flights have been diverted to other Moscow airports or Nizhny Novgorod, some 310 miles east of the Russian capital. The Sukhoi Superjet-100 was the first civilian aircraft developed in Russia's post-Soviet era and at the time of its launch, in 2011, was a source of national pride. Ambulances are parked in front of the terminal building of the Sheremetyevo Airport outside Moscow Credit: AFP But it struggled to convince buyers from airlines outside Russia, and several foreign carriers that did buy it have since prefered to cut back its use or phase it out completely, citing its reliability. The Russian government offered subsidies to encourage Russian airlines to buy the Superjet and Aeroflot became its main operator. In September 2018, it announced a record order of 100 Superjet-100s. Sofia (AFP) - Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and doors to refugees as he began a visit to the European Union's poorest country, where the main Orthodox Church snubbed holding joint prayers with the pontiff. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met Francis at the airport, welcoming him with a large pot of kiselo mlyako, a mildly sour-tasting local yoghurt, saying: "This is your grandmother's yoghurt." "The first time I heard the word yoghurt was from my grandmother," the pope replied. The Bulgarian emissary to the Vatican Kiril Topalev had earlier quoted the pope as telling him: "I grew up with Bulgarian yoghurt. When I was two years old, my grandmother gave me Bulgarian yoghurt." Pope Francis's three-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. The Pope evoked a "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria and other European nations who face an an exodus of their people as well as falling birth rates, in his first address to Bulgarian officials. - 'Don't close your hearts' - The population has fallen to seven million against nine million in 1989, the year communism ended in Bulgaria, and is projected to plunge to 5.4 million in 2050. "Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said. This has "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities," he added. He also touched on the plight of migrants and refugees flocking to the country. "Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said. Story continues "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands -- in accordance with your best tradition - to those who knock at your door," he said. Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue a priority. But last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope in a Sofia square planned for Monday. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting which will be attended by at least one of the capital's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said. - Warming ties - While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries -- 44,000 in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia -- it is the interaction with their two Orthodox churches that will be most keenly watched. The Bulgarian church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visited Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Pope offered prayers there on Sunday afternoon alone. But the pontiff sought to stress on the unity of Christians, referring to their persecution irrespective of the church they belonged to. "How many Christians have suffered for the name of Jesus in this country, particularly during the last century," of which 45 years were under communist rule, he said. Bulgaria is the only Orthodox church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic church. Relations between Rome and other Orthodox churches have been warming, with February 2016 seeing the historic meeting between Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba. That was the first such encounter since the schism nearly 1,000 years ago that tore Christianity in two. - Pope 'open and sensitive' - "I am Orthodox Christian but I admire the openness and sensitivity of the Pope," said Dora Kraytcheva, a 48-year-old woman. "Why should we cling to dogmas from the Middle Ages?" The Argentine pontiff's visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia comes after the leaders of both countries extended an invitation to him following a traditional annual visit to the tomb of St Cyril in Rome. In April 2018, the Council of Europe voiced concern about Bulgarian efforts to integrate Middle Eastern refugees and the "generally negative public opinion" concerning refugees. Days before arriving in Sofia, the pope hit out at "conflictual nationalism" which "raises walls, even racism". "The way in which a nation welcomes migrants reveals its vision of human dignity," he said on Thursday. Currently Bulgaria's migrant reception centres have an occupancy rate of only 10 percent, while the entire 274-kilometre (170-mile) Bulgarian-Turkish border is blocked by a barbed-wire fence. cm-vs/ach/rmb ___________________ The video that appeared on Tuesday morning had the appearance of history in the making. In the purple light of dawn, it showed a group of armed men and a military vehicle on a road leading to La Carlota airbase in eastern Caracas. In the foreground, stood Juan Guaido the head of the national assembly recognised by most western countries as the rightful leader of Venezuela declaring the final phase of Operation Freedom with oratory seemingly destined for legend. Today, brave soldiers, brave patriots, brave men loyal to the constitution have heard our call. We have finally met on the streets of Venezuela, Guaido said. Related: Guaido supporters take to Venezuela's streets in new bid to oust Maduro Behind him, was the countrys most prominent political prisoner, Leopoldo Lopez who had been under house arrest since 2017. The fact that he was free as the uprising was being declared seemed proof that something significant was afoot. We now know that there was indeed a plan designed to resolve the dangerous standoff in the country between Guaidos assembly and the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro, heir to Hugo Chavezs Bolivarian revolution. Key members of the security apparatus were to defect. (Christopher Figuera, the head of the secret police, Sebin, had already done so, springing Lopez from house arrest.) That was supposed to be a signal to the armed forces the key to Venezuelas future to flip sides. Members of the Bolivarian national guard who joined the self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido fire into the air near La Carlota military base in Caracas on Tuesday. Members of the Bolivarian national guard who joined the self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido fire into the air near La Carlota military base in Caracas on Tuesday.Photograph: Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images Maduro was to fly to Cuba in dignity. Everyone else from his regime would keep their jobs while Guaido became interim president, pending new elections. All of this had been put down in writing, in a 15-point document, according to officials in Washington. But it is still far from clear whether this plan had any chance of working or whether some of the would-be defectors were simply laying a trap. Story continues Even if the plan was real, it was already going awry when Guaido made his speech to camera on Tuesday. It was a day earlier than planned. Operation Freedom was supposed to reach a climax with mass protests set for Wednesday. And in retrospect it is clear the Tuesday video had been closely cropped to mask the fact that there were only a handful of troops standing with Guaido. Vanessa Neumann, who was appointed Guaidos envoy to the UK in March, said that his camp had heard reports that Maduro had got wind of the plan and was going to arrest the national assembly president. The decision to go on Tuesday rather than Wednesday was an operational decision, taken in reaction to new reports from the ground that we got, Neumann told the Guardian. But how it unfolded in terms of the people, the military and calling on the people to join that was foreseen. The rattle of hundreds of pots and pans being banged woke Julio Bianchi on Tuesday morning. The Caracas architect thought it was yet another power cut, but his bedside light was still on. Then he looked on his phone and saw the Guaido video. We knew that this could be coming, but when I saw Leopoldo [Lopez] in the video, I had no doubt that this was it: Maduro had fallen. If Leopoldo was free this had to be big. Mariana Otero, a young mother of three sons, got the call from a friend who lives near La Carlota: Come now because the base has fallen. With a Venezuelan flag draped around her shoulders like a cape, Otero quickly headed out to join thousands of others heeding Guaidos call. A demonstrator throws back a teargas canister during clashes with government security forces in Caracas on Tuesday. A demonstrator throws back a teargas canister during clashes with government security forces in Caracas on Tuesday.Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters If Leopoldo is out there on the streets, I should be too. I want freedom in my country. The streets are ours and I want my children to be witnesses to the way we have come out to struggle for our liberty. She was not alone. As she headed towards Plaza Altamira in the affluent municipality of Chacao in eastern Caracas, hundreds of people were on the street around her. Related: They are murderers: special forces unit strikes fear in Venezuelans But there were fewer protesters from poor areas on the city outskirts perhaps because of the air of uncertainty and fear spread by paramilitary groups loyal to Maduro which have snuffed out dissent in poor areas of the city. At midday, those who had crowded into Plaza Altamira could not believe their eyes: on top of a truck in the square, a group of rifle-toting national guardsmen surrounded Guaido as he again told the crowd that the regime had fallen. Leopoldo Lopez. Leopoldo Lopez.Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images The troops wore blue ribbons on their arms to show they had defected to the opposition; one wore a bandanna across his face. Lopez and several members of the opposition-controlled national assembly were also there. Valientes, patriotas, si se puede, chanted the crowd. Brave patriots! Yes we can! But the momentum was already disappearing. After addressing the crowd, Guaido and his team melted away and the crowd which had expected to march on the Miraflores presidential palace were left milling in the square. Apart from the secret service chief, Figuera, no big names from Maduros government had switched sides. One by one, the big fish tweeted out vows of allegiance. Meanwhile, in downtown Cucuta, a Colombian border town, a group of Venezuelan army defectors watched news of the uprising in a hotel room TV. When we saw our President Guaido there with our brother soldiers and Leopoldo Lopez, now free, at his side, we immediately coordinated with troops here to see what we could do, said one defector. Unarmed and in civilian clothing out of respect to Colombia, the defectors gathered by the Simon Bolivar International Bridge that separates the two countries in hopes of an ad hoc invasion. We were ready to take San Antonio, one defector said, referring to the town on the Venezuelan side of the bridge. We were just waiting for the orders to join our brothers in arms on the other side. Juan Guaido climbs up a makeshift stage during a rally to commemorate May Day in Caracas. Juan Guaido climbs up a makeshift stage during a rally to commemorate May Day in Caracas.Photograph: Cristian Hernandez/AFP/Getty Images That order never came. Instead, defectors say, they received an order from Guaidos team to return to their hotels. It was a great letdown, one soldier said. We wanted to help free Venezuela. In Washington, Trump administration hawks who had hailed a moment of liberation watched in consternation as the uprising fizzled. Related: This man plotted Guaido's rise and still dreams of leading Venezuela It is far from clear whether the US communicated directly with Maduros circle in the buildup to Operation Freedom. Lopez, after seeking haven in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, told journalists that the key negotiations took place at his house over the past few weeks, but the claim has been treated by sceptics as grandstanding by an aspiring president anxious not to be outshone by Guaido. The Trump administration reacted as if it had been personally betrayed, and took the unexpected step of going public with its version of events, saying out loud the sort of details normally kept secret. John Bolton, the national security adviser, named the three powerful Venezuelan officials he claimed had been negotiating Maduros departure: the defence minister and head of the armed forces, Vladimir Padrino; the chief justice of the supreme court, Maikel Moreno and Ivan Hernandez, the head of the presidential guard and military intelligence. Bolton called out the men three times outside the White House and then again in a bizarre video that was supposed to be an appeal to patriotic Venezuelans but which was entirely in English apart from the single word libertad. To all the patriotic citizens of Venezuela: pic.twitter.com/qlByCPk7Qj The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 30, 2019 The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, claimed that Maduros plane had been on the tarmac waiting for takeoff, but that he had been persuaded not to leave at the last moment by the Russians, a claim the Russians denied. Donald Trump himself went on Twitter to rail against Cuban support for Maduro. And the US envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, a veteran of Reagan-era US covert operations in Latin America, appeared on a independent Venezuelan television channel, giving a detailed account of the 15-point document the defectors were supposed to have signed. So while the official line was that the uprising was the work of the Venezuelan masses, everything the Trump administration did reinforced the message that it had been made in Washington. Its idiocy. I dont know what they think they are doing but they are undermining the efforts of the opposition to achieve their goals, said Eva Golinger, the author of several sympathetic books about Chavez. By Tuesday evening, Maduro staged a show of unity and strength for the television cameras surrounded by a phalanx of soldiers, with defence minister Padrino, one of the supposed defectors, at his right shoulder. Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the Vente Venezuela opposition group, which openly supports the idea of foreign military intervention to unseat Maduro, admitted temporary defeat. Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro is accompanied by the defence minister, Vladimir Padrino, left, and a large body of loyal troops in Caracas on Thursday. Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro is accompanied by the defence minister, Vladimir Padrino, left, and a large body of loyal troops in Caracas on Thursday.Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images Of course, the final objective was not accomplished, she said. Our goal was to have an urgent transition to democracy in Venezuela because this human catastrophe will only stop or start to be solved the moment Maduro and his mafia regime leaves power. She partly blamed drug cartels and guerrilla groups that she said represent a shadow power network within the country for the failure of the uprising. In Washington, Bolton and Pompeo have hinted at the possibility of direct US military intervention to tip the scales to oust Maduro, but have so far been restrained by the Pentagon. The Washington Post reported a confrontation in the White House, between Boltons hawks and the vice-chairman of the chiefs of staff, Paul Selva. As Selva made the case against any risky US escalation, he was repeatedly interrupted by Bolton aides demanding military options, until the normally mild-mannered air force general slammed his hand on the table, and the meeting was adjourned early. Fulton Armstrong, a former CIA expert on Latin America now at American University said he was concerned that the generals could not hold out indefinitely against the calls for action. Armstrong said: These [Trump administration] guys are so desperate for a win and with so much testosterone in their veins, I am really worried they are going to do something really stupid. Skopje (Republic of North Macedonia) (AFP) - North Macedonia's pro-West candidate announced a victory over his nationalist-backed rival in a tight presidential run-off Sunday, giving a boost to a government that had divided the public by changing the country's name. The ruling Social Democrats' candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, captured 51.75 percent of the vote, with nearly all the ballots counted according to the state electoral commission. His rival Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a law professor backed by the right-wing opposition, was around 60,000 votes behind with 44.65 percent, the commission website said. "I will be a president for all of the citizens, no matter who they voted for," Pendarovski told a crowd chanting "Stevo! Stevo!" at the ruling party's headquarters, where music and dance erupted after his win. A political science professor who is coordinating the country's efforts to join NATO, Pendarovski has been championing the government's name deal with Greece. The accord, which was finalised this year and added "North" to Macedonia, ended a decades-old identity dispute with Athens that was blocking Skopje's EU and NATO ambitions. But it angered segments of the public who felt the move sacrificed the Balkan state's identity. The opposition-backed candidate, Siljanovska-Davkova, was also critical of the deal. In a speech after the election she conceded the numbers were "pointing to a defeat". Pendarovski's win helps steady the course of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's government, who is hoping that the name change will be rewarded with the opening of EU accession talks in June. The government also breathed a sigh of relief Sunday to see turnout pass the 40 percent threshold required to make the poll valid. According to the electoral commission, around 46 percent of a 1.8 million electorate cast ballots. While the presidency is a largely ceremonial role, the office can exercise some veto powers. Story continues The outgoing president, opposition-backed Gjorge Ivanov, has been refusing to sign bills in protest at the name change finalised earlier this year. - Albanian vote - Pendarovki's win is a "firm forward for the European integrations," said Macedonia-based analyst Albert Musliu . But he said it should also give the government a push to "finally take seriously their own promises" on reforms, such as cleaning-up the bureaucracy and cracking down on corruption. Earlier on Sunday, after casting his own ballot, Pendarovski said he expected voters to rally around his call for a "unified North Macedonia, with all ethnic communities being equal to each other". The country is home a large ethnic Albanian population, who form up to a quarter of the population. Pendarovski performed well in Albanian districts Sunday after their candidate had fallen out of the race in the first round of voting last month. But despite calls for unification, the close race captured a deep fault line in the Balkan country. There is also a wide swathe of society that has been snubbing the polls, reflecting disillusionment with a governing class that has failed to turn around a stagnant economy. Low wages, high unemployment and widespread corruption have been gnawing away at public faith in politics for years. Huge numbers of young people have left the country in recent years, sowing concern of a "brain drain" crisis. SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) Pope Francis urged Bulgarians on Sunday to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing so much of its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to seek better lives elsewhere. As he arrived in the Balkan nation for a two-day visit, Francis "respectfully suggested" that Bulgarians recognize that migrants are fleeing war, conflict or dire poverty "to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge." "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands in accordance with your best tradition to those who knock at your door," he told government officials at the presidential palace in Sofia, the capital. Bulgaria's center-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the European Union to close its borders to migrants and has sealed off its own frontier with Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. But the country is also losing its population at a faster clip than any other nation, according to the U.N. Bulgaria's current 7 million people are expected to dwindle to 5.4 million by 2050 and to 3.9 million by the end of the century. The Argentine pope has made the plight of migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy, urging governments to build bridges, not walls, and to do what they can to welcome and integrate refugees. His visit falls just three weeks before the European Parliament elections across the EU's 28 nations in which nationalist, anti-migrant parties are expected to make a solid showing. On Monday, Francis will visit a refugee center in a former school on the outskirts of Sofia. Human rights groups have criticized Bulgaria and the EU's executive commission has formally cited the government over its treatment of asylum-seekers, especially unaccompanied minors. The Vrazhdebna center the pope plans to visit, the flagship immigrant welcome center in Bulgaria, was renovated with EU funds. Story continues Radostina Belcheva of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria said Francis' visit will show solidarity with those in need. "But really, their whole acceptance is a matter for each of us and for our society," Belcheva told The Associated Press. Bulgaria's tough stance on refugees has been a deterrent: while some 20,000 people applied for asylum in Bulgaria in 2015, that number dwindled to 2,500 last year, according to the state refugee agency. From an economic standpoint, however, the EU's poorest nation may need more immigration to stabilize its future. Bulgaria has the EU's highest mortality rate and one of the bloc's lowest birth rates. That, combined with tens of thousands of workers leaving the country annually to find better-paying jobs, poses serious problems for funding the country's pension system. Bulgaria has the EU's lowest average monthly salary 575 euros ($645) and its smallest average monthly pension, at 190 euros ($213). In his speech Sunday, Francis urged the government to continue working to reverse this "new demographic winter," saying the shrinking population phenomenon had "descended like a curtain of ice on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future." He urged Bulgaria to "strive to create conditions that lead young people to invest their youthful energies and plan their future, as individuals and families, knowing that in their homeland they can have the possibility of leading a dignified life." Francis later met with the leader of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neofit, during a visit to the headquarters of the Holy Synod, the church's governing body. Francis kissed Neofit three times on the cheek and in a gesture of respect, leaned over to kiss his medallion featuring an image of Christ. The conservative Bulgarian church doesn't participate in official Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and even snubbed a pan-Orthodox council in Crete in 2016. The Holy Synod has made clear that it will not take part in any joint services or prayers with the pope, although a children's choir is expected to sing for him. Francis sought to encourage greater paths of dialogue in his remarks to Neofit, a reflection of the Vatican's longstanding efforts to heal the 1,000-year schism that split Christianity. Francis lamented the "wounds" of division and "fraternal nostalgia" of being unified. But Neofit held firm in his speech, saying that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church would remain the keepers of true Christianity: "We are firmly convinced that for all that concerns the faith, there cannot and must not be any compromises," he told Francis. Francis also prayed in the golden-domed Orthodox cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky before images of two of Orthodoxy's most important saints, Cyrill and Methodius, who spread the faith in this part of Europe in the 9th century. He sat in a chair alone before the images evidence of the Bulgarian leadership's refusal to pray together with him. Later in the afternoon, the pope ministered to Bulgaria's tiny Catholic community at an open-air Mass that organizers said drew some 12,000 people. Wearing vestments given by Bulgaria's prime minister, he urged the faithful to launch a "revolution of charity" inspired by God's love. Despite the country's small number of Catholics, Bulgarians are particularly fond of one of the 20th century Catholic Church's most important figures, Pope John XXIII. The former Angelo Roncalli was the Vatican envoy to Bulgaria from 1925-1934 and is known affectionately as the "Bulgarian pope" here. Francis was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who along with the vestments gave the pope a personal gift: a vat of Bulgarian yogurt. Borissov recalled that Francis had told him previously he first heard about Bulgaria as a child in Argentina when his grandmother gave him Bulgarian yogurt to eat. Receiving the gift, Francis exclaimed "You know my story!" ___ Valentina Petrova contributed from Sofia. By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A protest in the South Darfur city of Nyala ended in violence on Saturday, with security forces launching tear gas at protesters and firing gunshots, state news agency SUNA and Sudan's main protest organiser said. Around 5,000 protesters marched peacefully from the Atash camp for the displaced to a military installation housing the 16th Infantry Division, SUNA said, citing South Darfur's governor. Sudan has seen frequent protests near military buildings. The agency said protesters attacked military personnel and tried to seize military vehicles in the town, some 1,100 km southwest of Khartoum. However the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA), which spearheaded protests that led to the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir last month, said the protesters were peaceful, and made no mention of casualties. South Darfur Governor Hashim Khalid Mahmoud said four military and Rapid Support Forces personnel were injured, SUNA reported. He said the joint forces fired live ammunition into the air and used tear gas, but said no demonstrators were hurt. The SPA is locked in a standoff with the ruling Transitional Military Council over who will control a proposed joint civilian-military body to oversee the country until elections can be held. Protests have continued in a bid to push the council to cede power to civilians. The SPA, part of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance, called on people across Sudan to take to the streets "in rejection of the practices of the regime in its new version, its security apparatus and its militias, and condemning their attacks on the peaceful rebels in Nyala". "Let us go out to the streets and rally at the sit-ins to support our brothers in Nyala, in support of them and their right to recapture their glorious sit-in in front of the 16th Infantry Division," the SPA said in a statement. Mahmoud said he would "not allow again the presence of protesters" in front of the military's general command and the state government building in Nyala. Story continues "They have to choose any other place to sit in," he said. A widely circulated video that was shared live on Facebook from inside a hospital in Nyala showed several people with gunshot wounds to the limbs. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Jan Harvey) Khartoum (AFP) - Demonstrators camped outside Sudan's army headquarters may be baying for the military to hand over power, but Khartoum's key Arab allies are throwing their weight behind the generals, analysts say. Sudan's army ousted veteran president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 on the back of a popular uprising, and since then the military council that took power has resisted calls to transfer the reins to civilians. For weeks now, the 10-member council and protesters have failed to make a breakthrough at talks on forming an overall ruling joint civilian-military body. And while Western powers are backing protester demands for a transfer of power, Sudan's allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt seem to be angling for the generals to stay put. "There are clear signs that Egypt and Gulf Arab states have thrown their support to the military council, thereby emboldening the council," said Eric Reeves, a Sudan expert at Harvard University. Just days after Bashir's toppling, Saudi Arabia and the UAE voiced backing for the army council, calling for "stability". The regional powerhouses then offered a $3-billion aid package to Sudan, which is battling a worsening economic crisis -- the key factor that triggered nationwide protests against Bashir. Alongside the two Gulf countries is Egypt, analysts said, with Cairo appearing to use its diplomatic clout as the head of the African Union to extend a timeframe set by the regional body for Sudan to carry out a "democratic transition". "It certainly shows these countries find it necessary to keep the army in Sudan's ruling council," said Khaled Tijani, editor-in-chief of Sudanese economic weekly Elaff. - 'Dangerous example' - "One of the main interests of Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be in ensuring Sudan remains committed to its troop deployment in Yemen," said Willow Berridge, author of Civil Uprisings in Modern Sudan and lecturer in history at Newcastle University. Story continues Bashir deployed Sudanese troops to Yemen in 2015 as part of a major foreign policy shift that saw Khartoum break its decades-old ties with Shiite Iran and join a Saudi-led coalition fighting Huthi rebels. The chief of Sudan's ruling military council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Himeidti, have been the architects behind Sudan's troop deployment in Yemen, analysts and rights groups say. The Gulf countries "are likely to want to keep them in as powerful a position as possible", Berridge told AFP. It has remained unclear how many of Khartoum's soldiers are fighting in Yemen, but Sudanese media has reported that hundreds of soldiers and officers are deployed and have often suffered casualties, fanning popular ire against Bashir before he was ousted. Beyond conflict-torn Yemen the Arab powers may have a reason closer to home to back the generals -- a fear of the protests catching on. The crowds of Sudanese taking to the streets do not want the military -- who they see as a "copycat" of Bashir's regime -- to decide the fate of their country. For some authorities around the region, any chance of a repeat of the 2011 Arab Spring that roiled Egypt and the wider region is a frightening prospect. "Neither Egypt nor the Gulf states want a secular democracy in the region -- a dangerous example to their own people suffering under their repressive regimes," said Reeves. - 'Lot of hard feelings' - Neighbour Egypt also has its own special motives for wanting Sudan to remain in the grip of the generals. "Egypt's relations with Sudan are more complex than those with Gulf countries," said Tijani. The two countries have often had tense relations including over a border dispute and disagreements about the construction of a dam on the Nile by Ethiopia that Cairo says threatens its share of the water. Prior to Bashir's downfall, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had patched up ties with Khartoum, and analysts say the Egyptian leader sees the generals as his best bet to maintain that. The day Bashir was ousted, Cairo voiced its full belief in "the ability of the brotherly Sudanese people and their loyal national army to overcome the challenges of this critical stage". The manoeuvring by the Arab powers has not gone unnoticed on the streets of Khartoum. Protesters gathered outside Cairo's embassy in Khartoum last month, flashing "no to intervention" banners and calling on Sisi to "mind his own business". Demonstrators have also railed against Saudi Arabia and the UAE despite the aid package offered to support Sudan's weakening currency and provide food and fuel supplies. Many have carried placards reading "No to Saudi and Emirati aid" and "Leave us alone". Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE "are fighting hard on behalf of the military council, and in doing so are generating a lot of hard feelings on the part of the uprising", said Reeves. These feelings "will not go away if the uprising is successful", he cautioned. The Cincinnati Reds called up hard-hitting infielder Josh VanMeter from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday. VanMeter, 24, will be making his major league debut when he plays. He was batting .336 and slugging .736 with 13 homers, 31 RBIs and 27 runs scored in 30 games for Louisville. On April 29, he went 4-for-5 with three homers and eight RBIs in a 15-4 win against Toledo. Defensively, VanMeter has started games at first, second and third base this season. Originally drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Padres in 2013, VanMeter was traded to Cincinnati in December 2016 for catcher Luis Torrens. To make room on the 25-man roster, the Reds optioned left-hander Cody Reed to Louisville. Reed, 26, allowed one hit and fanned four in 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 9-2 win against San Francisco, his only appearance with Cincinnati this season. --Field Level Media 1017 E. 26th St. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring an apartment in Houston if you don't want to spend more than $1,000/month on rent. 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. 1601 S. Shepherd Drive, #5531 (Neartown - Montrose) First, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo situated at 1601 S. Shepherd Drive, #5531. It's listed for $1,000/month. Pets are not welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score, this location is very convenient for walking and biking, and offers a few nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 1017 E. 26th St. (The Heights) Here's a 437-square-foot studio unit at 1017 E. 26th St. that's also going for $1,000/month. In the unit, you'll get wood flooring, breakfast bar and a full bath. The building boasts garage parking. Animals are not allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is very suitable for walking and biking, and offers some transit options. (Take a look at the full listing here.) 2475 Underwood St., #612 (University Place) Next, check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo that's located at 2475 Underwood St., #612. It's listed for $1,000/month. Cats and dogs are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is moderately suitable for walking and biking, and offers convenient transit options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 1414 S. Dairy Ashford Road (Eldridge / West Oaks) Located at 1414 S. Dairy Ashford Road, here's a 728-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's listed for $1,000/month. Story continues In the unit, you can anticipate hardwood flooring, high ceilings and a walk-in closet. Building amenities include a swimming pool, fitness center and outdoor space. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. Walk Score indicates that the area around this address is moderately suitable for walking, convenient for biking and offers a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) Westheimer Road at Kirby Drive (Afton Oaks / River Oaks Area) Finally, check out this 670-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at Westheimer Rd Kirby Drive. It's listed for $999/month. In the unit, you'll get a mix of hardwood flooring and carpeting, air conditioning and walk-in closet. The building offers a fitness center, swimming pool and on-site laundry. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are permitted. Be prepared for a broker's fee equal to one month's rent. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is extremely suitable for walking and biking, and offers many nearby public transportation 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. 1809 E. Virginia Ave. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Phoenix? 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 Phoenix if you've got $800/month earmarked for your rent. 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. 1808 N. 32nd St., #108 (Camelback East) Listed at $800/month, this 829-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 1808 N. 32nd St., #108. In the unit, look for French doors, in-unit laundry and a fireplace. The building boasts assigned parking, outdoor space and secured entry. Pets are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is moderately walkable, is convenient for biking and has some transit options. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 4214 N. 10th St., #6 (Encanto) Next, there's this studio apartment located at 4214 N. 10th St., #6. It's also listed for $800/month for its 300 square feet of space. The building boasts on-site laundry; in the unit, the listing promises hardwood flooring and air conditioning. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that this location is moderately walkable, is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here.) 17017 N. 12th St., #1129 (Deer Valley) Here's an 849-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo at 17017 N. 12th St., #1129 that's going for $800/month. In the furnished unit, you'll get a dishwasher, in-unit laundry and air conditioning. The building has a swimming pool, a fitness center and on-site management. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Story continues Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is very walkable, is fairly bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 2928 E. Osborn Road (Camelback East) Located at 2928 E. Osborn Road, here's a 495-square-foot studio that's listed for $800/month. In the unit, you can expect hardwood flooring, a dishwasher and a balcony. When it comes to building amenities, anticipate on-site laundry, a roof deck and a swimming pool; both cats and dogs are permitted. Walk Score indicates that this location is somewhat walkable, is bikeable and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here.) 1809 E. Virginia Ave. (Encanto) Listed at $800/month, this 482-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom is located at 1809 E. Virginia Ave. In the unit, you'll get in-unit laundry. The building features outdoor space. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are allowed on this property. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Per Walk Score ratings, this location is moderately walkable, has some bike infrastructure 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. Boston manager Alex Cora will not be with his team Thursday when the Red Sox celebrate winning the 2018 World Series at the White House. El Nuevo Dia in Puerto Rico reported the news Sunday and said Cora has declined the invitation because his native land continues to struggle to recover from Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. Last year, Cora criticized President Donald Trump for his tweets downplaying the number of Puerto Ricans who died as a result of the natural disaster. Trump also has blamed the slow recovery on elected officials in Puerto Rico, especially taking aim at San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz by calling her "crazed and incompetent." "Although the government of the United States has helped, there is still a long way to go, that is OUR reality," Cora said in a statement to El Nuevo Dia, translated from Spanish. "I have continually used my voice so that we Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence is not different. Therefore, at this moment, I do not feel comfortable celebrating in the White House." Other Red Sox players already have said they will not visit the White House and meet Trump. They include Mookie Betts, David Price and pitcher Hector Velazquez, who told MassLive last month that the president "has said a lot of stuff about Mexico. I'd rather not offend" people in Mexico by going to the White House. --Field Level Media New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 80F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Republican legislators have pushed a tax relief proposal through the Kansas Legislature, ignoring predictions from Gov. Laura Kelly's fellow Democrats that she will veto it, just as she did with a larger plan. The House voted 83-41 late Saturday night to approve a bill designed to offer relief to individuals and businesses that have been paying more in state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. The House's vote came two days after the Senate approved it, so the measure is headed to Kelly's desk. Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature appeared to have the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a veto, something they couldn't say with the first tax bill. "Kansas should not take more of their money based on something the federal government did," said House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a conservative Kansas City-area Republican. "It's the people's money." The bill would save taxpayers roughly $90 million during the budget year beginning in July and about $240 million over three years. It's less than half the size of a GOP tax relief plan that Kelly vetoed in late March, partly because it doesn't attempt to make its changes apply retroactively. Kelly issued a statement early Sunday calling for a comprehensive review of the state's tax system. Her staff would say only that she will review the measure. Kelly likewise refused to say beforehand that she would veto the first tax bill. But she criticized that measure as a return to a tax-cutting experiment under former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback that made Kansas nationally notorious because of persistent budget woes that followed. Bipartisan legislative majorities repealed most of the Brownback tax cuts in 2017, and Kelly ran successfully last year against Brownback's political legacy. Democrats argued that enacting the GOP's smaller tax relief bill also would lead to budget problems within a few years, and Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, said it was "destined for a veto." Story continues "We can't afford it," said Sen. Tom Holland, a Democrat from northeast Kansas. "We need to buy ourselves some time and just see what's going on with our economy right now." Republican leaders have argued that failing to act represents a tax increase. "It's very important to us that we make sure that businesses and individuals keep that money in their pockets, rather than having it go to the state of Kansas for bigger, bloated government," said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican. Like other states, Kansas faced revising its income tax code because it is tied to the federal tax code. The federal tax changes championed by President Donald Trump lowered rates but also included provisions that raised money for Kansas, in part by discouraging individual filers from claiming itemized deductions. The measure would allow individuals to itemize on their state tax returns even if they do not itemize on their federal returns. The bill also cuts taxes for corporations, particularly large firms with operations outside the U.S. The measure also includes provisions aimed at helping the state collect more taxes from internet sales and start dropping the state's 6.5% sales tax on groceries. Kelly had promised during her campaign last year to lower the sales tax on groceries. Democrats scoffed at the incremental amount less than 1 percentage point, or $1 on a $100 grocery bill, in 2021. "I can hear the conversations at home: 'Honey, the Kansas Legislature has given us a tax break. What are you going to spend your quarter on this week?'" said Rep. Boog Highberger, a Lawrence Democrat. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Monstrous rumors stoke hostility to Pakistan's anti-polio drive His bearded face was half-covered by a shawl, but Hameedullah Khan's fear and ignorance was on full display as he delivered a chilling message for anyone who tries to vaccinate his children against polio. "I will stab anyone who comes to my house with polio drops," Khan growled, refusing to be filmed or photographed as he shopped in a fly-blown bazaar on the outskirts of Peshawar, a city scarred by years on the frontline of Islamist militancy in Pakistan. Tyson Foods recalls almost 12 million pounds of chicken strips over contamination fears Tyson Foods Inc significantly expanded a recall of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strips to close to 12 million pounds (5.4 million kg) over contamination concerns, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Saturday. The Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said it was aware of six complaints from consumers who found pieces of metal in the product. Few at risk for opioid overdose get potentially life-saving naloxone A tiny percentage of people at high risk for opioid overdose are getting prescriptions for naloxone, a medication that could potentially save their lives, a new study finds. Researchers determined that a mere 1.5 percent of high-risk patients were prescribed naloxone, which can reverse an overdose, according to the study published in JAMA Network Open. UK's Vectura wins patent infringement case against GlaxoSmithKline in U.S British drugmaker Vectura Group Plc said on Saturday that it won a patent infringement litigation case against GlaxoSmithKline Plc in the United States and has been awarded $89.7 million in damages for the period from August 2016 through December 2018. A jury trial in a Delaware district court on Friday found that one of Vectura's U.S. patents was infringed by sales of three of GSK's Ellipta products in the United States, Vectura said. Story continues Congo Ebola deaths surpass 1,000 as attacks on treatment centers go on The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in Congo rose above 1,000 on Friday, with attacks on treatment centers continuing to hamper efforts to control the "intense transmission" of the second-worst epidemic of the virus on record. The World Health Organization said it expected the nine-month outbreak to continue spreading though the east of Democratic Republic of Congo, and announced plans to expand vaccinations in the coming weeks once a new treatment by Johnson & Johnson is approved. Newly adopted children need specialized health exams Children who are adopted, whether domestically or internationally, have unique healthcare needs that should be assessed as soon as possible, according to new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians and other healthcare workers should play a significant role in the adoption process, the guideline authors emphasize. AIDS drugs prevent sexual transmission of HIV in gay men A European study of nearly 1,000 gay male couples who had sex without condoms where one partner had HIV and was taking antiretroviral drugs to suppress it - has found the treatment can prevent sexual transmission of the virus. After eight years of follow-up of the so-called serodifferent couples, the study found no cases at all of HIV transmission within couples. Scientology cruise ship leaves St. Lucia after measles quarantine A cruise ship quarantined for a reported case of measles left the Caribbean island of St. Lucia late on Thursday after health officials provided 100 doses of vaccine to the ship, media reports said. The Church of Scientology cruise ship was confined in port this week by island health officials after the highly contagious disease was detected on board. Scientology cruise ship faces renewed quarantine at home port in Curacao A Church of Scientology cruise ship quarantined by the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia for measles is due to arrive on Saturday back at its home port on the island of Curacao, where it will face similar restrictions, a top health official there said. A team of health officers in Curacao plans to board the vessel to determine who aboard may have been exposed to a crew member diagnosed with measles and who aboard has previously been vaccinated against the highly contagious disease, the official said. Maine Senate rejects ending religious exemptions for vaccinations An effort to end all non-medical exemptions for childhood vaccinations in Maine was in limbo on Thursday after the state Senate voted to amend it to allow parents to keep opting out on religious grounds. The bill had passed the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives last month, making Maine one of at least seven states considering ending non-medical exemptions amid the worst outbreak of measles in the United States in 25 years. Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Tyson Foods recalls almost 12 million pounds of chicken strips over contamination fears Tyson Foods Inc significantly expanded a recall of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strips to close to 12 million pounds (5.4 million kg) over contamination concerns, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Saturday. The Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said it was aware of six complaints from consumers who found pieces of metal in the product. U.S. doctors use medical records to fight measles outbreak U.S. doctors are tapping into their electronic medical records to identify unvaccinated patients and potentially infected individuals to help contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 25 years. New York's NYU Langone Health network of hospitals and medical offices treats patients from both Rockland County and Brooklyn, two epicenters of the outbreak. It has built alerts into its electronic medical records system to notify doctors and nurses that a patient lives in an outbreak area, based on their Zip code. UK's Vectura wins patent infringement case against GlaxoSmithKline in U.S British drugmaker Vectura Group Plc said on Saturday that it won a patent infringement litigation case against GlaxoSmithKline Plc in the United States and has been awarded $89.7 million in damages for the period from August 2016 through December 2018. A jury trial in a Delaware district court on Friday found that one of Vectura's U.S. patents was infringed by sales of three of GSK's Ellipta products in the United States, Vectura said. Get your children vaccinated or face fine: German health minister German Health Minister Jens Spahn has drawn up draft legislation to oblige parents to get their children vaccinated against measles or else face fines and their exclusion from daycare. Spahn's initiative comes amid a highly charged debate in Germany about whether the measles vaccine should be obligatory, and as the number of cases of the once-eradicated disease in the United States hit the highest levels since 2000. Scientology cruise ship faces renewed quarantine at home port in Curacao A Church of Scientology cruise ship quarantined by the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia for measles is due to arrive on Saturday back at its home port on the island of Curacao, where it will face similar restrictions, a top health official there said. A team of health officers in Curacao plans to board the vessel to determine who aboard may have been exposed to a crew member diagnosed with measles and who aboard has previously been vaccinated against the highly contagious disease, the official said. Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. U.S. judges order Ohio to revamp Republican-drawn gerrymandered districts A panel of three federal judges on Friday ruled that Ohio's Republican-drawn congressional map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and ordered the state to revamp it before the 2020 presidential election. The ruling comes a week after another federal court ruled that Michigan's congressional maps were unconstitutionally drawn by Republican politicians to dilute the power of Democratic voters. Trump's former lawyer heads to U.S. prison that offers matzo ball soup and full-time rabbi With a menu that includes matzo ball soup and gefilte fish, as well as a full-time rabbi and a chance at the occasional visit home, the U.S. prison where Donald Trump's former personal lawyer will spend the next three years is unique in the federal system. Michael Cohen is due to report to the Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City, on Monday. Former Trump staff chief Kelly joins board of migrant shelter operator John Kelly, former White House chief of staff, has joined the board of Caliburn International Corp, the parent of an operator of a shelter for unaccompanied migrant children, a company spokeswoman confirmed on Friday. Kelly left U.S. President Donald Trump's White House at the end of last year against the backdrop of changes to immigration policy. U.S. doctors use medical records to fight measles outbreak U.S. doctors are tapping into their electronic medical records to identify unvaccinated patients and potentially infected individuals to help contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 25 years. New York's NYU Langone Health network of hospitals and medical offices treats patients from both Rockland County and Brooklyn, two epicenters of the outbreak. It has built alerts into its electronic medical records system to notify doctors and nurses that a patient lives in an outbreak area, based on their Zip code. Story continues Body of worker recovered, two missing after Chicago-area plant blast The body of a worker was recovered while two other employees remained missing on Saturday after an explosion at a silicone plant in a Chicago suburb, a fire official said. Fire officials were investigating what caused the blast at AB Specialty Silicones in Waukegan, Illinois on Friday night, Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi told CNN. Exclusive: New training document for asylum screenings reflects tougher U.S. stance The Trump administration has revised training guidelines for asylum officers in ways that could make it harder for migrants seeking refuge in the United States to pass an initial screening. The revisions to a lesson plan used by hundreds of asylum officers suggest the Trump administration is finding new ways to narrow who can access asylum as bolder policy proposals with that same goal have been blocked by federals courts, said former government officials and immigration experts who reviewed the internal plan that was shared with Reuters. The changes could potentially lead to more denials and deportations before migrants' full cases can be heard, they said. Probe begins after Boeing 737 slides off runway into Florida river Federal investigators on Saturday began searching for what caused a Boeing jetliner with 143 people on board to slide off a runway into a shallow river while landing at a Jacksonville, Florida, military base during a thunderstorm, injuring 22 people. The Boeing 737-800 chartered by the U.S. military was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members when it slid into the St. Johns River at the end of the 9,000-foot runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night, authorities said. Minneapolis to pay police shooting victim's family $20 million Minneapolis city officials on Friday announced a $20 million settlement with the family of an Australian woman who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2017, just days after the officer was convicted of crimes associated with the killing. The settlement of a civil suit brought by the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, which came after two days of talks, includes $18 million for the family and $2 million to be donated to an anti-gun violence group, city officials said. Exclusive: Trump administration proposal would make it easier to deport immigrants who use public benefits The Trump administration is considering reversing long-standing policy to make it easier to deport U.S. legal permanent residents who have used public benefits, part of an effort to restrict immigration by low-income people. A Department of Justice draft regulation, seen by Reuters, dramatically expands the category of people who could be subject to deportation on the grounds that they use benefits. U.S. citizen arrested in Italy after shopkeeper killed A 22-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested on Saturday suspected of murdering a shopkeeper in a town near Rome, police said. The body of Norveo Fedeli, 74, was discovered in his clothes store in Viterbo on Friday. Police said he appeared to have been struck repeatedly around the head with a blunt instrument. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Turkey says it will not bow to U.S. sanctions over S-400 deal Turkey will never bow to U.S. sanctions over its agreement to purchase Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems, Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday regarding a deal that has strained ties between the NATO allies. Washington says the systems are not compatible with NATO equipment and may compromise its Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. It has warned of possible U.S. sanctions if Ankara pushes on with the Russian deal. Netanyahu pledges 'massive strikes' in Gaza in third day of border fighting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he ordered the military to continue "massive strikes" against militants in Gaza as a surge in cross-border hostilities ran into a third day. A rocket fired from Gaza killed an Israeli civilian on Sunday while four Palestinians, at least two of them gunmen, were killed in Israeli strikes in the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November. Deserted beaches, empty rooms: Sri Lanka tourism takes a hit after bombings Sri Lanka's $4.4 billion tourism industry is reeling from cancellations as travelers shun the sun and sand Indian Ocean island after multiple suicide bombings that killed over 250 people two weeks ago. Suspected suicide bombers from little-known Islamic groups in Sri Lanka attacked churches and luxury hotels in the country on Easter Sunday, killing worshippers, tourists and their families. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. North Korean leader Kim oversaw testing of multiple rocket launchers: KCNA North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the North's state media reported on Sunday. The purpose of the drill was to test performance of "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units," the Korean Central News Agency said. Story continues With focus on Hodeidah, Yemen's war rages on elsewhere With global attention on Yemen focused on a fragile truce in its main port of Hodeidah, fighting between rival forces in the country's four-year war has surged elsewhere. Escalating hostilities in the southwestern al-Dhalea area have disrupted the main south-to-north goods route, displaced thousands and complicated efforts to battle a cholera epidemic and feed millions on the brink of starvation. Pope says emigration, low birth rates have brought 'Ice Curtain' on Europe Pope Francis urged European leaders on Sunday to address wealth inequality and low birth rates which he said had created an "ice curtain" between Europe's richer and poorer states and was fueling emigration. Francis was speaking during a two-day visit to Bulgaria, his first and the first by a pope in 17 years. He also met with leaders of the Eastern Orthodox Church. He moves to North Macedonia on Tuesday. Get your children vaccinated or face fine: German health minister German Health Minister Jens Spahn has drawn up draft legislation to oblige parents to get their children vaccinated against measles or else face fines and their exclusion from daycare. Spahn's initiative comes amid a highly charged debate in Germany about whether the measles vaccine should be obligatory, and as the number of cases of the once-eradicated disease in the United States hit the highest levels since 2000. India cyclone kills at least 33, hundreds of thousands homeless Hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless after a cyclone packing winds of about 200 km per hour slammed into eastern India, ripping out tin roofs and destroying power and telecom lines, officials said on Sunday. At least 33 people were killed after cyclone Fani struck the state of Odisha on Friday but a million people emerged unscathed after they moved into storm shelter ahead of landfall. Woman with cancer dies in UAE jail after rights groups, U.N. call for release A woman with terminal cancer who was serving a 10-year prison sentence in the United Arab Emirates has died in jail, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday, two months after the United Nations called for her release on medical grounds. United Nations human rights experts in February called on UAE authorities to release Alia Abdulnoor to live her final days at home and said they were concerned about reports that she was suffering degrading treatment, including being chained to a bed under armed guard. Thailand's king to greet subjects in coronation parade Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn will greet his subjects on Sunday in a royal procession, a day after completing ornate rituals to become the country's first new divine monarch in nearly seven decades. The grand procession will cover 7 km (4 miles) in a route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples, where he will pay homage to each temple's main Buddha images, and back. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Gaza-Israel violence flares into second day with rocket attacks, air strikes Gaza militants fired more than 250 rockets into Israeli towns and villages through Saturday, while Israel hit back with tank shelling and air strikes that Palestinian officials said killed four people. Cross-border hostilities which broke out on Friday flared into a second day, with Palestinians fleeing Israeli strikes in Gaza and air-raid sirens sending Israelis running to shelters as interceptor missiles blew up rockets in the sky. Fighting in southern Tripoli kills 187, more than 1,000 wounded: spokesman Recent fighting in southern Tripoli in Libya has killed 187 people and wounded 1,157, a spokesman for the ministry of health said on Saturday. The government has also transferred a number of wounded to Tunisia, Turkey, Italy and Ukraine for medical treatment, said Tarek al-Hamshiri, the head of the government forces' Field Medical Centre. UK's May urges Labour's Corbyn to agree a Brexit deal British Prime Minister Theresa May said she and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn needed to put aside their differences to deliver a Brexit deal, following poor results for both parties in English local elections on Thursday. "To the Leader of the Opposition I say this: Let's listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal," she wrote in an opinion piece for the Mail on Sunday newspaper. North Korean leader Kim oversaw testing of multiple rocket launchers: KCNA North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the North's state media reported on Sunday. The purpose of the drill was to test performance of "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units," the Korean Central News Agency said, implying that the latest firing was not the long-range ballistic missiles that have been seen as a threat to the United States. Story continues 'I shall reign with righteousness': Thailand crowns king in ornate ceremonies Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Saturday completed Buddhist and Brahmin rituals to symbolically transform him into a living god as the Southeast Asian nation crowned its first monarch in nearly seven decades. The coronation of King Vajiralongkorn, 66, took place inside the Grand Palace throne hall in Bangkok after a period of official mourning for his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years. Exclusive: New training document for asylum screenings reflects tougher U.S. stance The Trump administration has revised training guidelines for asylum officers in ways that could make it harder for migrants seeking refuge in the United States to pass an initial screening. The revisions to a lesson plan used by hundreds of asylum officers suggest the Trump administration is finding new ways to narrow who can access asylum as bolder policy proposals with that same goal have been blocked by federals courts, said former government officials and immigration experts who reviewed the internal plan that was shared with Reuters. The changes could potentially lead to more denials and deportations before migrants' full cases can be heard, they said. Damascus presses Idlib attack, artillery hits Turkish position Syrian government forces and their Russian allies pounded the rebel-held northwest of Syria with air strikes on Saturday, sources in the area said, as artillery hit a Turkish military position there, underlining the risk of wider escalation. The upsurge in violence in Idlib and nearby areas in the last five days has strained a Russian-Turkish deal that has staved off a government offensive since September. The area is part of the last major foothold of the Syrian rebellion. North Macedonia holds run-off presidential vote amid divisions over name change Voters in North Macedonia will elect a new president on Sunday in a run-off vote dominated by deep divisions over a change in the country's name agreed with Greece that has opened the path to NATO and European Union membership. Greece had for decades demanded that the tiny ex-Yugoslav republic change its name from Macedonia, arguing that it implied a territorial claim on a northern Greek province also called Macedonia. The new name was formally ratified earlier this year. Lowest turnout for 'yellow vest' protests in France after May Day clashes France's "yellow vest" anti-government demonstrations recorded their lowest turnout yet on Saturday, days after a wider May Day rally was marked by violent clashes in Paris. The downturn in demonstrator numbers on the 25th straight weekend of yellow vest protests could be a relief to President Emmanuel Macron, who last week made a series of policy proposals to address the issues raised. Iran to keep enriching uranium despite U.S. move: parliament speaker Iran will continue with low-level uranium enrichment in line with its nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani was quoted as saying on Saturday, despite a U.S. move to stop it. Washington acted on Friday to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile program and curbing its regional power. Hass (Syrie) (AFP) - Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia on Sunday forced the closure of two hospitals and also damaged a third one in the jihadist-held Syrian province of Idlib, a war monitor said. It came as eight civilians were killed in bombardment by the regime and Russia across the northwestern province, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Idlib and other adjacent territories of Syria held by jihadists have faced intensifying bombardment in the past month. On Sunday, air strikes hit a hospital in Kafranbel and another located underground on the outskirts of Hass. The raids were blamed on Russia by the Observatory. An AFP cameraman filmed the two facilities hit by strikes. "The hospital in Kafranbel is out of order. The patients were transferred to other facilities in the region," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding one civilian was killed. In Hass, air strikes blamed on Russia halted services at an underground hospital, said Syria Relief and Development, a non-governmental organisation that runs the facility. "The hospital... is out of order because of the raids," said Ubaida Dandush, who works for the NGO. The facility had been evacuated shortly before the bombardments, he said, thanks to alerts from a warning system set up to analyse the flight paths of warplanes. Footage filmed by the AFP cameraman showed a white cloud rising over farmland where the hospital is located. The Observatory said the facility had been put "out of service" because of "bombing by Russian aircraft". It said a third hospital in the north of Hama province had also been hit by Russian strikes, but added that it had not been able to verify the extent of the damage. The war monitor says it determines whose planes carried out strikes according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions. On Sunday, the official news agency SANA reported the death of a civilian in a rocket attack by "terrorist groups" on a regime-held town near Idlib province. Story continues A military source cited by SANA accused "terrorist organisations in Idlib of planning attacks" against government areas and army positions. Idlib is under the administrative control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is dominated by a faction previously known as the Al-Nusra Front, before it renounced ties to Al-Qaeda. Late last month the United Nations condemned attacks in northwestern Syria that damaged a medical centre and put two hospitals out of service. 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 HTS took full control of it in January. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it began with the bloody repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Midi (Yemen) (AFP) - Standing amid the bullet-pocked ruins of a once rebel-controlled Yemeni district, Saudi officials unveil their latest multi-million dollar aid projects, seeking to blunt global criticism over a worsening humanitarian crisis. While leading a military coalition since 2015 against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels, Saudi Arabia is also ramping up aid projects across its southern neighbour -- from schools to greenhouses and desalination plants -- amid international pressure to end the conflict. The coalition's bombing campaign is blamed widely for pushing Yemen into what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with thousands of Yemenis killed and millions struggling to feed themselves. But pursuing development projects in tandem with war is a strategy that Saudi officials say is aimed at cultivating local goodwill while making Yemenis self-reliant in a moribund economy, even as activists question their effectiveness. Last month, officials from the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) -- established in May 2018 to lead this strategy -- drove across the southern Jizan border into the coastal Yemeni district of Midi to launch projects they said were worth around $7 million. Escorted by soldiers who repeatedly warned against walking astray in an area riddled with mines, the officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for 11 projects including a new school, health centre and a desalination plant to tackle rampant waterborne diseases. "These projects are an extension of the large and many projects carried out by Saudi Arabia in the brotherly (nation of) Yemen," SDRPY projects director Hassan al-Attas told AFP. It was unclear when the projects will be completed. - 'Mines are everywhere' - Midi, which bears signs of cataclysmic devastation after Huthi rebels were expelled in April last year, looks in need of a massive reconstruction and demining effort before the projects can be sustainable. Story continues Thousands of Midi's residents who fled the fighting fear returning to the wasteland of flattened buildings, rubble-strewn promenades and scorched vehicles. Ravaged boats and a fear of Huthi naval mines have crippled the fishing industry, the local mainstay. "Mines are everywhere," said Abdul Fattah, a 46-year-old teacher who now lives in Jizan. "People will return once the mines are removed, after the houses are rebuilt... once health, education, electricity and water are provided." Midi is located in conflict-ridden Hajjah governorate, vast swathes of which remain under rebel control. Despite assurances from officials that Midi was safe, a Saudi TV crew's attempt to report live on the ceremony caused jitters among other journalists who warned it could give away their location and prompt the rebels to fire rockets. - 'Bad to worse' - Saudi Arabia and the UAE, another leading member of the coalition, count themselves as the largest donors to Yemen, having provided more than $18 billion since 2015. Riyadh says it alone has offered around $12 billion. "All of this money has been pumped into Yemen, and the standard of living, health, and economy in Yemen is still going from bad to worse, creating questions about the effectiveness," Yemeni activists said in a change.org petition demanding accountability for all aid pouring into Yemen. However generous, the Gulf assistance does not make up for the losses Yemen has endured. A UN Development Programme study last month said Yemen's conflict, the most destructive since the end of the Cold War, will result in economic losses of $88.8 billion if it ends this year. That figure could rise exponentially if the war is further prolonged. "Even if there were to be peace tomorrow, it could take decades for Yemen to return to pre-conflict levels of development," said UNDP's Auke Lootsma. - 'Hearts and minds' - Many also question the viability of Saudi projects before the end of the war, which has destroyed much of Yemen's already-crumbling infrastructure. The Saudi blockade of many of Yemen's ports -- ostensibly to stop Iranian arms from entering Yemen -- has hindered much-needed humanitarian aid, relief workers say. "The Yemenis that I am in touch with see the Saudi intervention as disproportionately aggressive, self-serving, and politically naive," Sarah Phillips, a Yemen expert at the University of Sydney, told AFP. "The notion that the Saudis and the UAE will win 'hearts and minds' by providing reconstruction assistance or aid to fix a humanitarian crisis they are instrumental in sustaining is widely treated with derision." Saudi officials reject such criticism, saying it overlooks Huthi crimes. But Yemenis in some areas are also questioning whether the Saudis are using the projects to further entrench themselves militarily. While funding schools and clinics in Yemen's eastern-most governorate of Al-Mahra, the Saudis installed significant military personnel and equipment, fuelling suspicion about their motives, said Elisabeth Kendall, a research fellow at Oxford University who frequently visits the area. "There are some positives associated with the new Saudi presence," Kendall told AFP. "Investment in this long-marginalised area is much needed. But many locals now refer to a 'Saudi occupation'." By Alexandra Ulmer and Omar Rajarathnam BATTICALOA (Reuters) - A dozen rifle-toting soldiers guarded a small community hall as day broke in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa on Sunday morning. Around 9 a.m. local time - roughly the same time a suicide bomber killed 29 of their fellow parishioners at the evangelical Zion Church two weeks ago - worshippers streamed silently into the hall. Survivors of the attack on Easter Sunday ambled in on crutches or with an eye patch. Some clutched bibles. Many wiped away their tears. Inside, several hundred worshippers knelt on the tile floor, addressing Jesus Christ in prayer. "Come to our protection in this world where we are being hit by waves," their voices sang out in Tamil. More than 250 people were killed and nearly 500 wounded in the attacks by Islamist militants on churches and hotels across the Indian Ocean island on April 21. The suicide bombers were identified as members of Islamist militant groups based in Sri Lanka, but Islamic State claimed responsibility. Although Islamic State gave no evidence to back up its claim, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena told Reuters in an interview on Saturday that he believed the group orchestrated the attacks that plunged Sri Lanka in a nightmare. The government has warned that the militants were plotting more attacks, and police and military were conducting a security sweep of schools ahead of the staggered re-opening of state institutions on Monday. "Save us from the Satans who are trying to destroy our nation," the Christian worshippers in Batticaloa chanted. Zion would need more repairs before the church could be used again. There were also no services at St Sebastian's Church in Negambo, where at least 102 people perished. But a mass was held behind closed doors at St. Anthonys Church in Colombo, the third church bombed that day. The suicide bomber who attacked the congregation in Zion Church was from the neighboring town of Kattankudy just across a lagoon from Batticaloa. Witnesses say Mohamed Nasar Mohamed Asath had stood close to a generator when he detonated the bomb in his backpack, amplifying the force of the blast. Fourteen children, many of whom were having breakfast in the church portico, were killed and several dozen worshippers in this largely low-income congregation were wounded, according to Zion church officials. "Why does the Lord take us through this fire? Reverend Roshan Mahesan said, his voice breaking, after about an hour of singing. Mahesan, who was traveling on Easter Sunday and missed the bombing, praised parishioner Ramesh Raju, who reportedly kept the bomber from entering the main church hall because he grew suspicious of him. Raju died in the blast. Worshippers also prayed for the injured, like 30-year-old Arul Prashanth who helped others before collapsing from his wounds. Shrapnel had pierced his shoulder and back. Sumathi Karunakaran, a 52 year-old homemaker, received a volley of shrapnel on the upper left side of her body before she escaped by climbing over a wall. She attended service with a bandaged eye and an arm in a sling. "I will keep on coming, said Karunakaran, whose 22-year-old daughter Uma Shankari was still undergoing emergency care from injuries sustained in the blast. "In fact, my husband is here for the first time. He came for our daughter," she said as parishioners walked out of the three-hour service. (Reporting By Alexandra Ulmer and Omar Rajarathnam in BATTICALOA, additional reporting by Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron-Moore and Raissa Kasolowsky) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a testy exchange with Fox News host Chris Wallace on Sunday about the administration's response to Russian election interference. "You are looking at the administration that has been tougher on Russia than any of its predecessors, and yet you continue to be fixated on something that Robert Mueller wrote down," Pompeo told Wallace during an interview on "Fox News Sunday." Pompeo grew frustrated after Wallace shared a quote from special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report that said Russia "interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion." Wallace followed the quote with two clips of President Donald Trump answering questions Friday about a recent telephone conversation that he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S., Russian presidents char: Trump holds call with Putin, attacks Mueller's Russia probe as a 'hoax' In the first clip, Trump implied he agreed with Putin's assessment that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation which he again referred to as the "Russia hoax" "started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse." In the second clip, Trump was asked whether he told Putin not to interfere in the next election. Trump shrugged and said, "we didn't discuss that." 'A mountain gave birth to a mouse': Putin mocks Mueller investigation, again denies interference More: Lawmakers clash as Attorney General William Barr skips House hearing on Mueller report "Why doesn't the president get tough with Putin about what everyone seems to agree is clear: meddling in 2016 and the threat of meddling in 2020?" Wallace asked Pompeo. "Chris, this administration has been tougher on Russia than any of its predecessor administrations," the secretary of state said. "I could go through the list but there's not time in the show to talk about all the things we've done." Story continues Pompeo cited increased defense spending and the administration's effort to "make sure that every election is as safe as they can possibly be." He said the Department of Homeland Security and U.S.intelligence agencies are "all working" to "ensure" that "2020 will continue to be successful." "I take your point, because in terms of specific policies the U.S. ... " Wallace responded before Pompeo cut him off. "So, Chris, I don't get your point. I'm confused," he said, before calling Wallace "fixated on something that Robert Mueller wrote down." "I'm not fixated about Robert Mueller, I'm fixated on the president's conversation with Vladimir Putin, and the fact that in a conversation he doesn't even mention meddling in 2020," Wallace replied. "And the question I'm asking I think it's a legitimate one, a lot of people are asking it, sir is, 'Why not?'" Pompeo explained that as someone who often speaks to foreign leaders, he understands that "sometimes conversations just aren't long enough to include every issue that might be brought up." "But no one should misunderstand from your question today, your viewers should not be misled, this administration has taken seriously the threat of election interference and will continue to do so." Before that exchange, Wallace had asked Pompeo about an apparent discrepancy between Trump and Pompeo, as well as national security adviser John Bolton, about Putin's role in Venezuela's political and economic crisis. Bolton said last week that Russia "would love to get effective control of a country in this hemisphere." And Pompeo said last week that President Nicolas Maduro has been prepared to step down before "the Russians indicated he should stay." But on Friday, Trump told reporters that Putin "is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela, other than hed like to see something positive happen." Several commentators compared the discrepancy to the president's news conference last year with Putin in Helsinki where he appeared to accept the Russian president's denial of election interference over the conclusions of his own intelligence agencies. More: Donald Trump contradicts top aides by suggesting Putin not meddling in Venezuela When asked about the president's comment, Pompeo said Trump "has been very clear on this" and referred to a previous statement from Trump that Russia needs to "get out" of Venezuela. Wallace asked Pompeo what he plans to tell Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he meets with him in Finland on Monday. "I'm going to tell him the same thing the president told the world: that every country must get out, including the Russians," Pompeo said. "We don't want anyone messing around with Venezuela, because we want them to be an autonomous, independent, sovereign state." Wallace referred to their testy exchange later in the interview when he asked Pompeo about comments from North Korean officials who said the secretary of State has a "mean character" and that he should be replaced by someone more "careful and mature." "The immaturity thing I'm not so sure about. The rest of it, I'll let the world decide," Pompeo said. "There were some moments in this conversation where I thought 'mean' might be correct," Wallace said with a grin and a chuckle. Like what youre reading?: Download the USA TODAY app for more This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Secretary of State Pompeo calls Fox News host 'fixated' on Mueller during testy exchange Photo: Courtesy of The Brixton In this edition of SF eats, a Union Street staple expands to China Basin, a popular Chinatown spot launches new happy hour menus, and a beloved Mission music venue is slated to reopen under a new concept and ownership. Opening China Basin The Brixton on 2nd (701 Second St.) Photo/Grace Sager The Brixton on 2nd officially opens its doors today at 701 Second St., a fastballs' throw away from the home of the Giants at Oracle Park. Operated by Trick Hospitality, this will be The Brixton's second location; its flagship spot debuted in 2011 at 2140 Union St. On the menu, look for a selection of starters and pub fare, like roasted brassicas, fried baby back ribs, mac 'n' cheese, seared ahi tuna salad and more. (You can check out the full food menu here.) As for libations, The Brixton's bar will offer an assortment of signature craft cocktails, like The Love Brixton with Templeton rye, strawberry, lime, basil, egg white and bitters; and the Treasure Island with Leblon Cacacha, pineapple and coconut cream. Also on offer is a bloody Mary bar, with options like The Brixton's house-made original, barbecue or red pepper mix, and a selection of meats, cheeses and veggies as accouterments. Rounding things out is an extensive wine list and an assortment of curated spirits. (Check out the drink menu here.) In addition to the China Basin expansion, The Brixton's owners are also working on renovations to its Union Street space, which is slated to be completed sometime this summer. The Brixton on 2nd is open daily for lunch and dinner and in the coming months anticipate brunch service, live music and special events to join the lineup. Updates Chinatown Z & Y Bistro (606 Jackson St.) Z & Y Bistro/Facebook Chinatown's popular Z & Y Bistro recently launched a new happy hour, which now includes a discounted selection of wine, beer, sake and Japanese-style yakitori. As for the change in happy hour offerings, co-owner Michelle Zhang who runs the restaurant with her husband, Chef Lijun Han said that since Z & Y Bistro took over the former Chung King Restaurant back in 2018, business has been booming. We provide something unique in Chinatown a more modern dining experience for authentic Chinese food, and people are responding well to that, she said. Story continues Yakitori is our main offering at Z&Y Bistro and it's a great happy hour food because it's light and nutritious," she explained. "We also wanted to accommodate our financial district customers who can come in for a quick light bite and glass of wine or beer after work." On its happy hour menu, expect to see Kirin on draught for $4, wine for $7 and sake carafes for $10. Robata and yakitori bites run $3.506, and the combo plate with duck breast, chicken thighs, bacon-wrapped shrimp, asparagus beef and shishito peppers goes for $16. Happy Hour prices are available 36 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It's closed on Tuesday. Mission Valencia Room (647 Valencia St.) Photo: Omar K./Yelp There's been much speculation over the fate of the famed Elbo Room space since we got word that the Valencia Street music venue and bar had been sold to new owners late last year. Rumors had been flying that the building would be razed to make way for a new condo development, which turned out to be false. Now, the space is being reborn as Valencia Room, according to Eater SF. It just became public lore that Elbo Room was becoming condos, said Davin Che of Valencia Room. There's no official word as to when the new iteration of the venue will be ready to open its doors. The building's infrastructure is currently undergoing a refresh, along with its lighting and sound systems. The grand opening celebration has yet to be announced but the venue is already booking shows for next month. If you've seen something new in the neighborhood, text your tips and photos to (415) 200-3233, or email tips@hoodline.com. If we use your info in a story, we'll give you credit. Sri Lanka ordered tens of thousands of security personnel to secure public schools ahead of their reopening Monday, officials said, following the Easter suicide bombings. The search for explosives and a security cordon thrown around 10,900 schools nationwide came as the government said it has expelled over 600 foreigners, including around 200 Islamic clerics, since the April 21 attacks claimed by the Islamic State group. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said "police and soldiers combed school premises and the surrounding areas to make sure it is safe for children to go back" on Monday. As part of the clampdown after the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, the government announced a crackdown on foreign Islamic clerics operating in the majority Buddhist country. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said 200 clerics were found to have overstayed visas, for which fines were imposed and they were then expelled. "Considering the current situation in the country, we have reviewed the visas system and took a decision to tighten visa restrictions for religious teachers," Abeywardena told AFP. "Out of those who were sent out, about 200 were Islamic preachers." The suicide attacks were led by a local cleric who is known to have travelled to neighbouring India and made contact with jihadists there. The minister did not give the nationalities of those who have been expelled, but police have said many foreigners who have overstayed their visas were from Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistan. "There are religious institutions which have been getting in foreign preachers for decades," Abeywardena said. "We have no issues with them, but there are some which mushroomed recently. We will pay more attention to them." The minister said the government was overhauling its visa policy following the attacks. Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since April 21 and given wide powers to troops and police to arrest and detain suspects. About 150 people have been taken into custody. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. COLOMBO, May 5 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan government has reimposed a ban on social media platforms in an effort to stop the spread of rumors after violence erupted between groups of civilians in Negombo, north of the capital and site of one of the Easter Sunday bombings. The bombings by Islamist militants, which killed more than 250 people, have raised fears that Muslims could be targets of communal violence. A curfew has been imposed in the Negombo area until 7am local time. (Reporting By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal Editing by David Goodman) A city near Sri Lanka's capital was placed under curfew by police Sunday, following clashes between Muslim and Christian mobs two weeks after suicide bombings left 257 people dead. A senior police officer said the restrictions were imposed to prevent an escalation of violence after attacks occurred in Negombo -- north of Colombo -- where over 100 people died in a church bombing. "About two motorcycles and a three-wheel taxi had been damaged in the clashes," the police officer told AFP. "We declared a curfew till 7.00 am (0130 GMT) to contain the unrest." There were no immediate reports of casualties. The country's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption to airport traffic. The officer said an investigation was underway into the clashes, the first violence between Muslims and Christians since the Easter Sunday attacks targeting three churches and three luxury hotels in the country. The government has blamed the suicide attacks on a local jihadist group which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The country has been under a state of emergency since the attacks. Security forces and the police have been give sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. By Crispian Balmer ROME, May 5 (Reuters) - Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement said on Sunday the government would fall unless its coalition partner the League agreed to the sacking of a junior minister caught up in a corruption case. Relations between 5-Star and the far-right League have grown increasingly fraught in the run-up to EU parliamentary elections on May 26, with the two parties acting more like political enemies than cabinet allies. Their growing rivalry triggered an unprecedented spat between the interior and defense ministries as tensions grow over the fate of junior transport minister Armando Siri, who is very close to League leader Matteo Salvini. Siri last month was put under investigation for allegedly accepting a bribe from a wind farm entrepreneur who has been linked to the Sicilian Mafia. Siri has denied wrongdoing, but 5-Star has said he must resign for the good of the government. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who belongs to no party and presents himself as the mediator between the two cabinet allies, agreed last week that Siri must go. However, the League, which has surged in the polls over the past year and has easily overtaken 5-Star as Italy's leading party, has so far refused to back down, saying he has not been charged and not yet had a chance to speak to investigators. The 5-Star's Barbara Lezzi, who serves as minister for the south, told Il Messaggero newspaper on Sunday that the accusations against Siri were undermining the government, which took office last June promising radical political change. Asked if the coalition would fall if the League refused to let him go, she said: "Yes. I cannot accept that a government undersecretary investigated for corruption should stay on." There was no sign of a League retreat. Instead Salvini, who serves as interior minister, looked to shift focus with his ministry saying the defense ministry had wrongly tweeted that the navy had thwarted an attack on an Italian fishing boat. Story continues The interior ministry accused Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta, who comes from 5-Star, of putting out fake news. "The defense minister should act like a defense minister. The Armed Forces deserve much better," a statement said. The 5-Star said Salvini had "crossed a red line" by using his ministry to attack another for electoral purposes, and said it would not back down over Siri. "Show you have balls in the Siri case and make him quit," it said in a blunt statement on Sunday. Pointing to recent high-profile crimes, including the shooting of a toddler in Naples, it also suggested Salvini was spending too much time on the campaign trail for the EU ballot and not enough time behind his desk. Several Italian newspapers quoted sources within the League at the weekend as saying they were fed up of working with 5-Star and predicting the government could fall after the May 26 vote. Salvini denied the reports and accused journalists of generating "pointless" controversies. "The government will last for four years," he told an election rally on Saturday. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by John Stonestreet) By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement piled pressure on its government partner the League on Sunday to dump a junior minister under investigation for corruption, in a case that could pull the coalition apart. Relations between 5-Star and the far-right League have grown increasingly fraught in the run-up to European Union parliamentary elections on May 26, with the two parties acting more like bitter political enemies than cabinet allies. Their growing rivalry triggered an unprecedented spat between the interior and defense ministries at the weekend as tensions grew over the fate of junior transport minister Armando Siri, who is very close to League leader Matteo Salvini. Siri last month was put under investigation for allegedly accepting a bribe from a wind farm entrepreneur who has been linked to the Sicilian Mafia. Siri has denied wrongdoing, but 5-Star has said he must resign for the good of the government. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who belongs to no party and presents himself as the mediator between the two cabinet partners, agreed last week that Siri must go. However, the League, which has surged in the polls over the past year and has easily overtaken 5-Star as Italy's leading party, has so far refused to back down, saying he has not been charged and not yet had a chance to speak to investigators. 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio urged Salvini on Sunday to tell Siri to go before the cabinet meets on Wednesday to discuss the issue and hold a possible vote on his dismissal. 5-Star has more ministers than the League, so should win any such ballot. While he said his party would not abandon the coalition even if League ministers sought to protect Siri in a vote, Di Maio said ramping up tensions between the two parties risked taking it to the point of a breakdown. "I don't think the League wants things to get to a vote and to a rupture," Di Maio told Rai television. "What I say to Salvini is, that it's all very well being tough with the weak, but now is the moment to show some courage," he said. However, during a weekend of increasingly harsh exchanges, there was no sign of a League retreat. "I am not used to abandoning people who have worked alongside me," Salvini, who serves as interior minister, told a political rally on Saturday. In an effort to shift the focus from Siri, the interior ministry launched a broadside against 5-Star Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta after her office wrongly tweeted that the navy had thwarted an attack on an Italian fishing boat. The erroneous tweet was swiftly deleted, but the interior ministry accused Trenta's staff of spreading false news. "The defense minister should act like a defense minister. The Armed Forces deserve much better," a statement said. 5-Star said Salvini had "crossed a red line" by using his ministry to attack another for electoral purposes. Several Italian newspapers quoted sources within the League at the weekend as saying they were fed up of working with 5-Star, and predicting the government would fall after the May 26 vote. Salvini denied the reports and accused journalists of generating "pointless" controversies. "The government will last for four years," he said on Saturday. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by John Stonestreet and Jan Harvey) By Maria Caspani May 5 (Reuters) - The slain student hailed as a hero for tackling a gunman during last week's shooting at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) will be buried on Sunday with full military honors. Twenty-one-year-old Riley Howell was one of two students killed on Tuesday when a shooter opened fire with a handgun inside a classroom full of nearly 50 students. Four other students were injured. The gunman, who authorities identified as former UNCC student Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, has been charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. "The North Carolina National Guard will conduct military funeral honors today for cadet Howell. This action is approved by the adjutant general under state orders," said Wells Greeley of Wells Funeral Homes in Waynesville, North Carolina. Howell, an environmental studies student, was a cadet with the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. An online petition calling for him to receive a full honors military burial drew more than 33,000 signatures. An obituary posted on the funeral home's website described Howell as adventurous, passionate about life and all living things. He loved "anything Star Wars" and would have lightsaber fights in the yard with his younger brother Teddy. "Riley died the way he lived, putting others first. Our hope is that his example resonates with everyone," the obituary read. "We hope his example of loving, living large, being kind always and finding laughter in the little things will be remembered as Riley's gift to us all." Howell will be buried after a memorial service at Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. (Reporting by Maria Caspani; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bill Berkrot) KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) A Sudanese protester has died after being shot during clashes with security forces at a sit-in in the western Darfur region. The Sudan Doctors Committee, one of the groups behind nationwide protests that drove President Omar al-Bashir from power last month, says Saad Mohammed Ahmed, 18, was shot Saturday when security forces tried to forcibly disperse a sit-in outside a military facility in Nyala. He died Sunday. Maj. Gen. Hashim Mahmoud, the governor of south Darfur province, says around 5,000 people marched to the facility from a nearby displaced persons camp, and that security forces used tear gas to try and disperse them. The government launched a scorched-earth campaign in response to an insurgency in Darfur in the early 2000s. The conflict killed some 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million. KHARTOUM, May 5 (Reuters) - Sudan's ousted President Omar al-Bashir has been questioned over suspected money laundering and financing of terrorism, the state prosecutor said in a statement on Sunday. The prosecutor began investigating Bashir last month over accusations of money laundering and possession of large sums of foreign currency without legal grounds. Large sums of money were found in suitcases in his home. Bashir was removed from office by the military on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his 30-year rule. He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for war crimes over the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz Writing by Nadine Awadalla Editing by David Goodman) BAGHDAD (AP) Every evening at the Muntada al-Masrah theater on Baghdad's Rashid street, the cast and crew of the first TV drama filmed in Iraq in seven years take their places among the rooms and courtyard of this 19th-century building and shoot new scenes of their highly-anticipated series. The arts are coming to life again in Baghdad, bringing with it a touch of hope and comfort as the country works to rebuild after 16 years of war. And after two decades abroad, two of Iraq's leading actors have returned to take part in "The Hotel," the twenty-episode drama set to air during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "The Iraqi people are parched for drama," said Hassan Hosni, a drama star of the 1990s, who returned from Saudi Arabia to direct "The Hotel," a show about the seedy underbelly of Baghdad and its entanglement with human trafficking. It is the first Ramadan drama to be produced in Iraq since 2012, according to the cast and crew, and it heralds a return of an essential TV genre to the country. Across the Muslim world and throughout the month of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn until sunset and stay up late to digest their evening meals, viewers are treated to TV dramas that touch on romance, war, tyranny and other issues of the day. For years, Iraqis have been watching dramas from other nations, such as "Bab al-Hara," the blockbuster Syrian series set during the 1930s independence movement from France. With "The Hotel," Iraqis will have a home-grown series to watch for the first time in years, amid the longest stretch of stability Baghdad has experienced since the 2003 U.S. invasion. "We were all waiting for this moment writers, directors and actors with total impatience," said Hosni. "I felt it in the streets, when we were scouting for locations," said Hosni. Locals, shocked to see him back in their city, approached the star to ask about the series. Story continues "The joy was clear in their eyes, expressions and words," he said. Once the capital of the Islamic world, Baghdad is a city that proudly displays its affection for drama and poetry, boasting monuments that show scenes from Arabian Nights and avenues named after renowned poets such as the boastful Mutanabbi of the 10th century and his bibulous predecessor, Abu Nawas. It has held on to this pride through the contemporary era, even as the coups and wars of the 20th century, the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and the grip of U.N. sanctions drove writers, actors and producers out of the country. Mahmoud Abu Al-Abbas, the star of "The Hotel" and a famous thespian in his own right, went into exile in 1997 after he performed a solo play that spoke about harassment by the country's notorious security services. In Saddam Hussein's era, it crossed a red line. "I was interrogated for two days and then advised by the minister of culture to leave Iraq immediately," he said. The 2003 U.S. invasion dealt another blow to the arts. The ensuing war tore Baghdad apart, as car bombs tore through the city daily, and fighting turned Rashid Street, once a center of culture and heritage, into a valley of fear and destruction. A sputtering revival earlier this decade came to a halt, first as money for the arts dried up, then as insecurity gripped the country again with the 2014 Islamic State group insurgency. After Iraq declared victory over IS in December 2017, the atmosphere inside the capital began to change. The blast walls that protected against car bombs were lifted, and locals started staying out late again, patronizing cafes, malls, galleries, and theaters, where performances change from week to week. Abu Al-Abbas stayed in the United Arab Emirates for 20 years. But he kept acting, writing and directing plays, and he wrote more than a dozen books on his craft. In 2017, he returned to his hometown of Basra, the commercial capital of southern Iraq and the hub for its oil, where he founded a theater troupe of young, under-employed local men and taught them a play they went on to perform in other southern cities. But it wasn't until screenwriter Hamid al-Maliki called with the script for "The Hotel" that he agreed to return to the screen. "Violent drama takes a period of contemplation on the part of the writer so that he can give us a 'dose' of work that can treat our situation," said Abu al-Abbas. Al-Maliki accepted that "The Hotel's" transgressive material including prostitution, human trafficking and the organ trade would shock viewers, but said it was the responsibility of TV drama to start a conversation. "It's a current matter for Iraq," he said. "It's a message to the youth to beware of the trap of human trafficking, and it's a message to the Iraqi state to care for the innocent and the poor who are the victims of the trade." And al-Maliki said it was vital for the arts to confront the ideologies that have fueled extremism. "Culture alone is what will be victorious over Daesh thinking," he said, using the Arabic term for the Islamic State group. "Culture is life, and Daesh is death. So we must face death with life. We must face Daesh with culture," he continued. Hosni, the star-turned-director, left Iraq in 1996, looking to escape the pressure of the U.N. sanctions levied against Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait earlier in the decade. But he never felt far from Iraq, as he continued to work with other diaspora Iraqis in drama in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. "It was a separation in body, but not in mind or soul," he said. He was finally coaxed back by al-Maliki this year. The return of the TV drama, Hosni said, is reassuring. "It's a time for the Iraqi family to sit together at home, with their relatives and neighbors." DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Muslims in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, and much of the Middle East, including Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, will fast on Monday for the start of the month of Ramadan. Millions more, however, in India, Pakistan and Iran, will likely be marking the start of the lunar month on Tuesday based on moon sightings there. Muslims follow a lunar calendar, and a moon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart. Traditionally, countries announce if their moon-sighting council spots the Ramadan crescent the evening before fasting begins. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump raised pressure on China on Sunday, threatening to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods in a tweet that sent financial markets swooning. Trump's comments, delivered on Twitter, came as a Chinese delegation was scheduled to resume talks in Washington on Wednesday aimed at resolving a trade war that has shaken investors and cast gloom over the world economy. Trump turned up the heat by saying he would raise import taxes on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10% on Friday. The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified sources, said China's government was considering canceling this week's talks. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Brunei's sultan has said a moratorium on capital punishment is in effect for new Shariah criminal laws including stoning people for gay sex and adultery that sparked an international outcry. The United Nations has called the laws implemented April 3 "draconian" while the U.S. and several other countries have urged Brunei to halt its plans. Celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres have rallied for a boycott of nine hotels in the U.S. and Europe linked to Brunei. Even before 2014, homosexuality was already punishable in Brunei by a jail term of up to 10 years. Story continues BANGKOK (AP) Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn made a spectacular public appearance in front of his countrymen Sunday, carried atop a golden palanquin by soldiers in ancient fighting uniforms in a procession through Bangkok's historic quarter. Hundreds of other soldiers marched in front, behind and alongside the palanquin in scorching heat as the procession set off from Bangkok's Grand Palace just after 5 p.m. with a marching band setting the pace. Also taking part in the slow parade were the prime minister and other senior officials in the military government as well as the king's wife, Queen Suthida, and one of his daughters, Princess Bajrakitiyabha. Boeing said Sunday that it discovered after airlines had been flying its 737 Max plane for several months that a safety alert in the cockpit was not working as intended, yet it didn't disclose that fact to airlines or federal regulators until after one of the planes crashed. The feature was designed to warn pilots when a key sensor might be providing incorrect information about the pitch of the plane's nose. But within months of the plane's debut in 2017, Boeing said, its engineers realized that the sensor warning light only worked when airlines also bought a separate, optional feature. The sensors malfunctioned during an October flight in Indonesia and another in March in Ethiopia, causing software on the plane to push the nose down. WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration is energizing its campaign to counter China's growing global influence as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to Europe this week on a four-nation trip that will also highlight disputes with Russia over Venezuela and elsewhere as well as deep U.S. isolation on the cause and impact of climate change. With China seeking a greater presence throughout the continent, U.S. officials said Pompeo will renew warnings over the use of advanced Chinese telecommunications technology as well as blunt Beijing's aspirations to play a significant role in the Arctic, a region that is rapidly opening up to development and commerce as temperatures warm and sea ice melts. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean state media on Sunday showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over Saturday's drills and stressed that his front-line troops should keep a "high alert posture" and enhance combat ability to "defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of the country." The weapons launches were a likely sign of Pyongyang's growing frustration at stalled diplomatic talks with Washington meant to provide coveted sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australia's opposition party officially launched its election campaign on Sunday, putting health care and climate change at the forefront of its bid for election within two weeks. Center-left Labor Party leader Bill Shorten promised to spend billions of dollars providing free dental care for pensioners, reducing waiting times at hospital emergency departments and eliminating costs for cancer patients. "Cancer makes you sick. But in a rich country like ours, it shouldn't make you poor," Shorten told supporters at a convention center in Brisbane city. Shorten also highlighted Labor's pledge to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankan Catholics celebrated Sunday Mass in their homes for a second week as churches remain closed amid fears of possible fresh attacks by Islamic extremists. Cardinal Malcom Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, offered a televised Mass from his residence that was attended mostly by priests and nuns. A letter from Pope Francis addressed to him was read out at the end of the service in which the pontiff said he prayed that "hearts hardened by hatred may yield to His will for peace and reconciliation among all his children." At St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, one of the sites targeted by Easter suicide bombings that killed 257 people, a Mass was celebrated for a small group of children as a means for inner healing. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) The Taliban stormed a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing 13 police and setting off a six-hour gunbattle, officials said. The Interior Ministry said the attack in Puli Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province, began at noon with a suicide car bomber striking the entrance to the compound and eight gunmen rushing in after the explosion. It said 13 police were killed and another 55 people, including 20 civilians, were wounded before the attackers were all killed. A police official who was inside the compound during the attack said the insurgents all wore suicide vests and that three of them detonated their payloads, while the other five were shot and killed. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a long-sought trade deal by announcing he will markedly increase U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese goods. Trump had previously delayed the tariff increases earlier in the year, citing productive talks with China. Sunday's announcement casts into doubt previous expectations that China and the United States were closing in on a deal to end a months-long trade war that has slowed global growth and disrupted markets. Trump said on Twitter that tariffs will increase to 25% on Friday and that more Chinese goods will face additional tariffs. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump tweeted. U.S.-China trade talks are due to resume this week, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He due to travel to Washington. That follows talks in April in Beijing that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called "productive." As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China was going well. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, and Mnuchin had said he hoped that the U.S. negotiating team would soon be able to recommend a deal to Trump or tell him that one could not be reached. The administration has been insisting on a mechanism to ensure that China follows through on any promises to purchase more American goods. Administration officials have said both sides are expected to launch new enforcement staffs to police the agreement. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker) Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty In a series of tweets Friday night, President Trump lamented the plight of high-profile conservatives and right-wing conspiracy theorists who he claimed were being censored by social media platforms. I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. This is the United States of Americaand we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Trump wrote in a tweet. We are monitoring and watching, closely!! A number of figures were banned from Facebook on Thursdayincluding former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos, InfoWars contributor Paul Joseph Watson, and far-right figure Laura Loomer. InfoWars Alex Jones, who was already banned from Facebook, was also banned on Instagram. Trump came to the defense of Watson and actor James Woods in particular, writing in another tweet that he was so surprised to see conservative thinkers like them banished from social media sites. Watson has spread a myriad of misinformation across YouTube and InfoWars, including conspiracy theories about Barack Obamas birth certificate, chemtrails, the Virginia Tech mass shooting, and the Oklahoma City bombing. We've always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology, a Facebook spokesperson told The Daily Beast about the bans. The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts today. The president also claimed Woods was banned from Twitter. In reality, his account was suspended for abusive behavior after he wrote a tweet with the hashtag #HangThemAll. Twitter reportedly told BuzzFeed News that Woods could have his account access restored if he played by the platforms rules. He's been told that all he needs to do is delete the tweet that violates our rules and the account access will be restored, a Twitter spokesperson reportedly said. The president also complained that two popular Trump surrogates and sisters, Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson (AKA Diamond and Silk), have been treated so horribly by Facebook in another tweet, apparently referring to their oft-repeated claims that Facebook prevents their content from spreading. They work so hard and what has been done to them is very sad - and were looking into. Its getting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media! Trump wrote. Read more at The Daily Beast. Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent this week, because trade talks are moving "too slowly." Trump's action came as a major Chinese delegation is expected to arrive Wednesday in Washington for the latest round of talks to end the trade war between the world's two biggest economies -- a round billed as the last one and possibly leading to a deal to end the conflict. "For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods," Trump tweeted. "The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday," he said. The two sides have imposed tariffs on $360 billion in two-way trade since last year. But Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to a truce in December to refrain from further escalation. As recently as last week, the US had depicted the trade talks as going well. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump complained Sunday. Trump says he wants to reduce the huge US trade deficit with China, which in 2018 totalled $378.73 billion if you include trade in services. Besides a greater opening of the Chinese market to US goods, Trump is pressing for structural changes such as Beijing ending its practice of forcing US companies that operate in China to share their technology. Trump is also demanding that China halt theft of intellectual property and subsidies to state-owned companies. To pressure China, Trump has even threatened to slap tariffs on all Chinese products entering the US -- they were worth $539.5 billion last year. Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller "should not testify" before Congress on his Russia election meddling inquiry, setting up a confrontation with Democrats already irate over what they view as increasingly brazen administration stone-walling. Trump's statement represented a reversal; he had said two days earlier that he would leave the matter up to Attorney General William Barr, who had raised no objection to Mueller testifying. "There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify," Trump tweeted. "No re-dos for the Dems!" The report actually cited 10 "episodes" of potential obstruction of justice by the president, but it offered no verdict on whether he should be charged. Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has invited Mueller to appear before the panel "no later than May 23" to testify about the findings of his 22-month-long investigation. Trump's comment might have been prompted by a remark earlier Sunday from a Democratic member of the committee, David Cicilline, who said on Fox that Mueller was tentatively set to testify on May 15. Cicilline later stepped back from that, tweeting that "nothing has been agreed to yet." Regardless, Trump's tweet represented a hardening of his own position and seemed certain to infuriate Democrats already angered by administration moves to impede a series of congressional inquiries. Responding on April 24 to a congressional subpoena to one former aide, Trump said, "We're fighting all the subpoenas." - Open warfare - Some analysts predicted open political warfare over the constitutional division of powers, with Democrats defending Congress's right to conduct oversight and the president and his aides pledging to fight against what they describe as politically driven investigations. Story continues "These aren't, like, impartial people," Trump said of the Democrats' subpoena requests. "The Democrats are trying to win 2020." Trump's reversal on Mueller was sudden. When a reporter asked him on Friday whether Mueller should testify, he replied, "I don't know. That's up to our attorney general." Barr told reporters on April 18, just ahead of the public release of a redacted version of the Mueller report, that "I have no objection to Bob Mueller testifying." He reiterated that position in testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But Trump's tweet Sunday left matters in a state of confusion. Barr, whom Democrats accuse of shedding an attorney general's traditional independence to serve as a Trump defender, remains Mueller's boss in the Justice Department and presumably could block him from testifying. - Barr a no-show - Democratic lawmakers were already upset with Barr, who refused to show up for scheduled testimony Wednesday before the Judiciary Committee in the Democratic-controlled House, a day after his appearance before the corresponding Senate panel. Barr had objected to Democrats' plans to use outside attorneys to conduct part of the questioning; Democrats say this has been done before, notably in the Watergate hearings. Democratic demands for Mueller to testify swelled after a March 27 letter from Mueller to Barr surfaced in which the special counsel complained that Barr's public summary of the report "did not fully capture the context, nature and substance" of investigators' work. Democrats are also frustrated that Barr has yet to provide an unredacted version of the Mueller report to lawmakers. The Justice Department said last week that it was "unable" to provide the investigative files Mueller compiled during his investigation, due to a "compelling need to protect the autonomy and effectiveness of its investigations." Nadler on Friday gave Barr until Monday to reply to his request for a fuller version of the report. "If the department persists in its baseless refusal to comply with a validly issued subpoena, the committee will move to contempt proceedings and seek further legal recourse," Nadler wrote. Trump has also said he will not allow former White House counsel Don McGahn -- who was extensively interviewed by Mueller's team -- to testify. "I don't think I can let him... because he was the counsel," Trump told Fox in an interview aired Thursday. Mueller reported that Trump in mid-2017 ordered McGahn to have Mueller removed. McGahn also said the president later asked him to deny having made that request. Donald Trump has urged Special Counsel Robert Mueller not to testify to the US Congress about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The presidents latest comments arrived after he said he would not allow former White House counsel Don McGahn a prominent figure in the special counsels nearly 400-page report to testify to the House as it continues probing election interference and the Trump campaigns interactions with Russian operatives. After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents - all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION - why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify, Mr Trump said in a tweet. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? he continued. There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! The special counsels report found numerous examples of potential obstruction of justice on the part of the president, including instances in which he asked Mr McGahn to fire Mr Mueller after his appointment in 2017. Upon learning he would be investigated by the special counsel, the report says Mr Trump said Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. Im f****d. The report also outlined Russias sweeping and systemic interference in the election, conducting a multi-pronged influence campaign that favoured Mr Trump over his former opponent, Hillary Clinton. ....to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 This is a breaking story. More follows... WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify in Congress about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump said on Twitter that Democrats in Congress were seeking a "redo" of Mueller's report, which declined to conclude whether the president's efforts to impede the investigation constituted obstruction of justice. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque President Donald Trump took to Twitter Saturday morning to retweet a number of well known far-right extremists, some of whom were recently banned from Facebook. Among them, InfoWars London editor Paul Joseph Watson who was banned from the social media platform on Friday along with the program host Alex Jones. Trump retweeted Watsons Friday tweet, in which he linked to a YouTube video rant and wrote, Dangerous. My opinions? Or giving a handful of giant partisan corporations the power to decide who has free speech? You decide. On Friday, Trump had warned against censorship of American citizens. I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms, he tweeted. This is the United States of Americaand we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Trump wrote in a tweet. We are monitoring and watching, closely!! Watson, who is a British citizen, retweeted the presidents tweet. The presidents love didnt stop with Watson. Trump retweeted an incendiary missive by Mindy Robinson, host of Red, White, and F You: Unapologetically Patriotic in which she wrote of her disappointment that actor activist James Woods, was among those banned from Twitter. So James Woods was kicked off Twitter for quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson...but @TalbertSwan the racist fake man of God, thats SUPPOSED to be permanently banned for hate speech is back on? What have you to say @jack @Twitter ? Robinsons tweet failed to mention the real reason Woods was kicked off Twitter. His tweet that quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson ended on a decidedly non-Emersonian call to #HangThemAll. The hashtag violates Twitter policies about promoting violence. The president also retweeted Lauren Southern, a Canadian far-right extremist and self-described patriot who has spent time in Europe protesting the use of nongovernmental organization rescue ships. She was also part of a group that promised to hunt migrants traveling from the coast of North Africa to Italy. Story continues The president retweeted her Friday tweet, in which she wrote, Lmao at establishment conservatives who think they wont be labeled the new dangerous / extremist voices when those to the right of them are all banned. Good luck with that one guys. The tweet ended with an emoji sometimes associated with a white power hand signal. Trump also retweeted an anti-Muslim video by an account that promotes QAnon, a wild conspiracy theory that falsely accuses Trumps opponents of being involved in Satanic child sex-trafficking and cannibalism. Trump has previously retweeted the same account, which uses the spike in traffic to promote the authors fringe conspiracy books. Trump ended the Saturday morning tirade with his own warning. When will the Radical Left Wing Media apologize to me for knowingly getting the Russia Collusion Delusion story so wrong? he tweeted. The real story is about to happen! Why is @nytimes, @washingtonpost, @CNN, @MSNBC allowed to be on Twitter & Facebook. Much of what they do is FAKE NEWS! Read more at The Daily Beast. Tunis (AFP) - Tunisian security forces have killed three suspected jihadists from an Islamic State group affiliate in the centre of the country, the interior ministry said Sunday. A statement said "three of the most dangerous terrorists" from the Jund al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate) group were "eliminated" Saturday evening near the town of Sidi Ali Ben Oun, 230 kilometres (140 miles) southwest of Tunis. Security forces seized weapons, ammunition, explosives and suicide vests, the authorities said. The ministry identified the men as Hatem ben Aid Basdouri, 40, Mohamed ben Ibrahim Basdouri, 35, and Montassar ben Khraief Ghozlani, 31. Aid Basdouri and Ibrahim Basdouri were involved in attacks that killed dozens of members of the security forces in 2014 and 2016, the ministry said. It said they took part in a July 2014 attack which killed 15 soldiers on Mount Chaambi -- an area in the Kasserine region that serves as a hideout for jihadists. The ministry also said Ghozlani took part in attacks that killed a soldier in 2016 and a civilian in 2018 in Kasserine region, and laid mines targeting security forces in Mount Chaambi. In an earlier statement Saturday the ministry said authorities had managed to "thwart terrorist projects" planned for the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan after arresting another suspected jihadist. Tunisian security forces regularly conduct search operations in the mountainous areas near the border with Algeria to hunt down IS- and Al-Qaeda-linked militants. In March the interior ministry said security forces had shot dead three alleged Jund al-Khilafa member accused of involvement in the grisly killings of shepherds in the restive Kasserine region. Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has experienced multiple jihadist attacks that have killed dozens of members of the security forces and 59 foreign tourists. The country has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when an IS-claimed suicide bombing in Tunis killed 12 presidential guards. BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Turkey-backed Syrian rebels launched an offensive into territory held by the Kurdish YPG militia north of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Saturday, seizing some territory before heavy shelling forced them to retreat. The operation marked an escalation on one of the most complicated theatres of the multi-sided Syrian war. Though the rebels are targeting the YPG, Syrian government forces are also deployed nearby as are their Russian and Iran-backed allies. The Turkey-backed Syrian National Army took three villages before withdrawing "because of heavy shelling and the lack of an ability to sweep the area completely in the light of the targeting of our forces", said Yousef Hammoud, its spokesman. He said pro-Damascus forces had shelled the advancing National Army fighters. The YPG, which has fought alongside U.S. forces against Islamic State in eastern and northeastern Syria, has lost ground in the northwest since early 2018, when Turkish forces and their Syrian allies drove it from the Afrin region. A military source in the Afrin Liberation Forces, which is close to the YPG, told Reuters the Turkey-backed rebels had advanced into an area where the Kurdish forces had no presence before being forced out. "Now, after strikes from our forces, the opposition forces were forced to withdraw from those positions," the source said. The National Army was formed with Turkish backing from a number of rebel Free Syrian Army groups. Its main foothold is a chunk of territory northeast of Aleppo known as Euphrates Shield that is secured with help from Turkish forces on the ground. The FSA groups have long vowed to take the YPG-held territory north of Aleppo including the town of Tel Rifaat, taken by the Kurdish militia since 2016. The Turkish defence ministry said one Turkish soldier was killed and another was wounded in a YPG attack in Tel Rifaat on Saturday. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency on Turkish soil for autonomy in Turkeys largely Kurdish southeast since 1984. The PKK is deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The YPG is the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main Syrian partner of the U.S.-backed coalition against Islamic State. The SDF controls northeastern and eastern Syria, approximately one quarter of the country. (Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Khalil Ashawi in Turkey and Rodi Said in Qamishli; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Meredith Mazzilli) By Tuvan Gumrukcu ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's High Election Board will rule on Monday on an appeal by President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) calling for a re-run of the Istanbul local elections that the party narrowly lost, the AKP's mayoral candidate in the city said. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) won control of the capital Ankara and Istanbul, the country's biggest city, for the first time in 25 years in the March 31 local elections, in a major electoral setback for the president. Erdogan's ruling AKP and its nationalist MHP allies have since called for the results in Istanbul to be annulled and the election to be re-run, citing what they say are irregularities that affected the outcome. While those appeals have been pending for weeks, the High Election Board (YSK) ordered partial and full recounts across Istanbul. Istanbul's new CHP mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, took office last month as the recounts were completed. However, in its interim ruling on the objections, the YSK ordered district electoral officials to inspect their respective polling station officials. Prosecutors also launched probes into the alleged irregularities, calling 100 polling station workers in for questioning as suspects. "The YSK (High Election Board) has examined our party's and the MHP's objections to the Istanbul election results. I believe it will make a decision tomorrow," AKP candidate and former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters. On Saturday, Erdogan signalled he favours a re-run of the Istanbul elections, which he said were marred by controversy, and added that renewing the vote would allow the YSK to "clear its name". AKP Deputy Chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz later on Sunday told broadcaster A Para that the party was preparing to file criminal complaints on the irregularities, but that it would wait for the YSK's ruling. "With this many illegalities, the prosecutors won't be able to rest. We formed a team to file criminal complaints," Yavuz said. Story continues Yavuz also said the AKP would file a new appeal to the YSK to block individuals dismissed through government decrees after a July 2016 coup attempt from being able to vote. The YSK rejected a previous appeal by the AKP on the same issue. The state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday that authorities had found 43 polling station officials had links to the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating the failed coup, as a result of the investigations into alleged election irregularities. It said 41 of the suspects in Istanbul had deposited money into Bank Asya, a lender started by Gulen's followers, and two had used ByLock, an encrypted messaging system Ankara says was used by Gulen's network. Anadolu said the investigations were still underway. 'A COMEDY' While the CHP won the mayorship in Istanbul, the AKP won most of the districts and earned the majority of seats in the municipal council. The AKP says this proves the irregularities, but Imamoglu said on Saturday that the people could "only laugh at this". Speaking to supporters in Istanbul on Sunday, Imamoglu said the elections were over and the results were clear. He said he believed the YSK would make a decision to safeguard Turkey's future. "It has been 36 days since the elections ended. Some people are doing everything they can for the Istanbul vote not to be concluded," Imamoglu said. "You are elected, even if it is by one vote." "Appealing is a democratic right, we understand this. But they find new excuses everyday," he said. "The history of the world hasn't seen a comedy like this." CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has accused Erdogan's AKP and the MHP of putting political pressure on the YSK to re-run the Istanbul election. Erdogan dismissed the accusations, saying his party was only exercising its legal rights. The uncertainty over the results in Istanbul, which accounts for around a third of the country's economy, has kept financial markets on edge, as Turkey tries to recover from a currency crisis that saw the lira lose more than 30 percent of its value last year. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jason Neely and Frances Kerry) Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey on Sunday dismissed US threats of sanctions if it went ahead with a Russian missile purchase, saying it would not renege on a pledge to Moscow. Washington has warned its NATO ally for months that Ankara's adoption of Russian S-400 missile technology alongside US F-35 fighters would pose a threat to the jets and endanger Western defence. The US has said it will halt a joint F-35 programme with Turkey if it acquires the Russian missile defence system. A US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies. "The US threats of sanctions shows that they don't know Turkey," Vice President Fuat Oktay told Kanal 7 television. "The decision on the S-400 has been taken. Once a pact has been signed, one's word given, Turkey respects it," he said. The S-400 purchase is one dispute fuelling tensions between two nations also at odds over US support for Syrian Kurdish militias which Ankara brands as terrorists and Turkish backing for US foe Venezuela. Ankara said the first deliveries of the S-400 are scheduled for June or July. Last month, after repeated warnings, the United States said Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 system was incompatible with it remaining part of the emblematic F-35 jet programme. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States. Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations with Turkey, and suggested Ankara might be able to obtain a US missile defence system if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. COLON, Panama (Reuters) - Two Panamanians were charged on Saturday with murdering a New Zealand man who was allegedly shot and killed on his boat by pirates. Prosecutor Tatiana Aguilar said in an interview at the courthouse that she charged two men with aggravated homicide, robbery, criminal association and mistreatment of a minor in the death of Alan Culverwell. Culverwell was killed in the wee hours of May 2 after three men entered his family's boat, which was docked in Guna Yala, a cluster of islands off Panama's Caribbean coast. Culverwell died of gunshot wounds while his wife and 11-year-old daughter were injured in the attack, Aguilar said. The attack generated heavy news coverage in New Zealand. During the hearing on Saturday afternoon, the court identified the two suspects as Leandro Herrera and Avelino Arosemena. A lawyer who appeared in court for the suspects declined to comment. The third suspect, a minor, also appeared in court in connection with the case, said Aguilar, who declined to comment further about the suspect due to his age. (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno; Editing by Leslie Adler) By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. doctors are tapping into their electronic medical records to identify unvaccinated patients and potentially infected individuals to help contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 25 years. New York's NYU Langone Health network of hospitals and medical offices treats patients from both Rockland County and Brooklyn, two epicenters of the outbreak. It has built alerts into its electronic medical records system to notify doctors and nurses that a patient lives in an outbreak area, based on their Zip code. "It identifies incoming patients who may have been exposed to measles and need to be assessed," said Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health. Alerts in a patient's medical record also prompt conversations with their visitors - who may also have been exposed to the virus - about their own health, prior exposure to measles and vaccination history. Mount Sinai Health System in New York rolled out a similar program last week, said Dr. Bruce Darrow, its chief medical information officer. Darrow said it was important because although a patient who comes from a measles-affected Zip code may have passed the screening, family members who visit may have been exposed. He said the alert system raises awareness for doctors and nurses "to be on lookout not just for our patients, but anybody who comes into the building." U.S. officials have reported more than 700 confirmed cases of measles, the highest level since the virus was deemed eliminated in 2000. The measles virus is highly contagious and can cause blindness, deafness, brain damage or death. At NYU Langone, the alerts were developed using software from Madison, Wisconsin-based Epic Medical Systems. Epic, whose medical records software is used by thousands of U.S. hospitals and clinics, said other customers began requesting their help to address the outbreak. In response, Epic released a how-to guide last month that incorporated many of the best ideas from its customers fighting the outbreak. The guide walks health systems through ways to use medical records to identify and reach out to patients who are unvaccinated and helps inform doctors on how to screen, track and treat measles patients. "For example, we can find all those patients missing the MMR vaccine and send out a message to patients or providers," said Jordan Tucker, a member of the Epic implementation team, who is helping oversee the project. So far, Epic clients in New York, Illinois, Texas and California are using the system to fight the outbreak. Illinois has confirmed seven measles cases this year. In response to reports of a potential case in the Chicago area, two hospitals in the suburbs last month sent hundreds of letters to parents urging them to ensure their kids get their measles shots. "We wanted to do everything we could before it got to us," said Dr. Michael Caplan, co-medical director of a pediatric partnership between Advocate Children's Hospital and North University HealthSystem. Northern California's Sutter Health, which serves 1.7 million patients, last month introduced a screening questionnaire about potential measles risk for every patient who tries to book their appointment online. Dr. Jeffrey Silvers, Sutter Health's medical director of infectious diseases, said people with measles often seek treatment for symptoms such as cough, runny nose or fever before they develop the tell-tale rash. The screening program aims to identify early whether they represent a measles case. "If a person has a fever plus one of those symptoms, or a rash, they have to answer the next question, which is, 'Have you been outside of the United States in the last three weeks or been exposed to anybody with measles?'" Silvers said. Those who answer yes must call to schedule their appointment so that staff can take precautions to protect themselves and other patients. California so far has had 40 measles cases, most of them in the southern part of the state. Sutter plans to use Epic's software to develop a program to increase measles vaccination coverage, Silver said. According to the World Health Organization, 95 percent of a population needs to be vaccinated to provide "herd immunity," a form of indirect protection that prevents infection in people too young or sick to be vaccinated. CDC officials have said rising rates of vaccine skepticism are creating undervaccinated populations, weakening herd immunity. If herd immunity is not sufficient and exposures continue, the outbreak could take off, said Caplan, the Illinois pediatrician. "Everybody is a little concerned about that." (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Daniel Wallis) By David Milliken and William James LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday stepped up calls for Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to agree a cross-party deal to leave the European Union, following poor results for both parties in local elections on Thursday. The parties have been in negotiations for over a month to try to broker a Brexit deal that can secure majority support in parliament, after May's minority government suffered three heavy defeats on her preferred deal this year and was forced to delay Britain's departure. "To the leader of the opposition I say this: Let's listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal," she wrote in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. Labour responded by saying any deal should be done quickly, but accused May of leaking details of the compromise under discussion and jeopardizing the talks. May's Conservatives lost more than a thousand seats on English local councils that were up for re-election, and Labour - which would typically aim to gain hundreds of seats in a mid-term vote - lost 81. The talks with Labour are a last resort for May, whose party's deep divisions over Brexit have so far stopped her getting approval for an exit agreement and left the world's fifth largest economy in prolonged political limbo. The Sunday Times reported that the Conservatives would offer new concessions to Labour when talks restart on Tuesday, including a temporary customs union with the EU until a national election due in June 2022. "At that point Labour could use their manifesto to argue for a softer Brexit if they wanted to and a new Conservative prime minister could argue for a harder Brexit," a source cited by the Sunday Times said. Labour's Corbyn has made a permanent customs union with the EU a condition for supporting May's Brexit plans, while most Conservatives oppose a customs union as it would stop Britain from reaching its own trade deals with other countries. JEOPARDIZED The report on the terms of a possible compromise angered Corbyn's senior ally John McDonnell, who oversees the party's finance policy and has been involved in the Brexit talks. Asked if he trusted May, McDonnell said: "No, sorry. Not after this weekend when she's blown the confidentiality... I actually think she's jeopardized the negotiations for her own personal protection." Nevertheless, McDonnell said talks would continue this week and if a deal could still be struck, it must be concluded quickly. Even then, the parliamentary approval - required by law - is not straightforward. A customs union would upset the most pro-Brexit members of the Conservative Party who say it does not honor the terms of the country's 2016 vote to leave the EU. Euroskeptic lawmaker John Redwood tweeted on Sunday that a cross-party agreement that amounted to staying in the bloc was "the last thing we need." On the other side of the Brexit divide, the Observer newspaper reported that scores of Labour lawmakers had written to May and Corbyn to insist on a second Brexit referendum on any deal agreed. Veteran Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, whose new Brexit Party is predicted to make big gains in European Parliament elections this month, said a Conservative-Labour Brexit deal on a customs union would be "a coalition of politicians against the people." A temporary customs union would also be likely to raise EU concerns that it could lead to customs checks on the border between euro zone member Ireland and the UK province of Northern Ireland if it later breaks down - something Ireland objects to strongly. (Reporting by David Milliken and William James; Editing by John Stonestreet) Washington (AFP) - US and Chinese officials say a historic deal ending their ongoing trade war could be imminent, but a key question is how can Washington be sure Beijing will live up to its end of the bargain? With up to 100 Chinese officials reportedly expected next week in Washington, with the possibility of unveiling a grand agreement after months of tensions, that question is hanging over the talks. Beijing may make eye-popping offers to buy American energy and agriculture exports as a means of cutting the soaring US-China trade deficit ($378.7 billion in 2018, including services trade), but all eyes will be on whether the agreement has any teeth. US President Donald Trump increased pressure on the Chinese on Sunday by announcing that the United States will increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent this week, because the trade talks are moving "too slowly." US Vice President Mike Pence said Friday the enforcement mechanism would be key to the decision on whether to remove the punishing US tariffs which now cover more than $250 billion in Chinese imports altogether. "The reason enforcement has become central to this negotiation is the long history of China not living up to the spirit of the commitments it has made in the WTO and in bilateral negotiations with the US and other countries," Edward Alden, a trade expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP. Trump has repeatedly accused China of stealing from the United States by buying less from America than it sells. But Trump also has demanded structural changes to the Chinese economy, including an end to forced transfer of American technology, theft of intellectual property and the massive role the Chinese government plays in markets and industry. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is leading the US delegation along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, has insisted Washington will not accept empty promises and will demand verification Beijing is keeping its word. Story continues Reaching trade agreements with China can be especially challenging, given that its regulations are not transparent, Alden said. "China can change its laws in ways that please the United States, but then use regulatory tools to thwart implementation." - 'That's the core' - To ensure strict compliance, US negotiators have proposed monthly, quarterly and semi-annual meetings, with the twice-yearly meetings to involving the most senior officials. And should American businesses report violations of the agreement, Washington could begin a series of consultations with their Chinese counterparts, and then unilaterally impose new tariffs if no resolution is achieved, according to US media reports. But China also would have recourse to the same tariff tool in case of a US violation. "The enforcement mechanism is crucial to the agreement," Doug Barry, spokesman for the US-China Business Council, told AFP. "Without a credible, time specific, verifiable means to hold parties accountable, we will miss an opportunity to put the trade relationship on a new and better footing." Alden says the tool under discussion appears novel because bilateral free trade agreements typically resolve disputes through arbitration panels which oversee retaliatory tariffs, similar to the World Trade Organization dispute settlement process. Businesses on both sides of the Pacific want the talks to wrap up as soon as possible to reduce uncertainty in international commerce at a time when the trade war has weighed on manufacturing sectors in both countries. Among the top 15 US states exporting to China, many have been hit hard by China's retaliatory tariffs on soy, pork or in the aviation sector, including Alabama, Illinois and Washington State, according to the US-China Business Council. Companies are calling for the tariffs imposed last year -- which cover more than $360 billion in two-way trade -- to be lifted. But Washington hopes to retain the ability to resort to tariffs as a cudgel. "We have to maintain the right to be able to -- whatever happens to the current tariffs -- to raise tariffs in situations where there's violations of the agreement," Lighthizer said in Senate testimony in March. "That's the core. If we don't do that, then none of it makes any difference." But, according to Alden, that could create "ongoing uncertainty" for businesses unaware of when either side could seek to impose unilateral tariffs. Washington (AFP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the US still sees "a path forward" in its nuclear talks with North Korea, even after Pyongyang's latest round of test launches. "It's a serious situation for sure and we've known that the path to fully verified denuclearization would be a bumpy and long one," he said on ABC's "This Week." But, he added, "We still believe there's a path forward." North Korea's state media said that leader Kim Jong Un had overseen a rocket and tactical guided weapons test on Saturday, after the drill raised concerns Pyongyang was escalating provocations with US nuclear negotiations deadlocked. The tests have been seen as a sign of Pyongyang's frustration over the stalled talks, aimed at providing the North with desperately needed sanctions relief in exchange for its nuclear disarmament. Pompeo told "This Week" that the rockets fired Saturday were relatively short range, had crossed no international boundary, had landed in waters east of North Korea "and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan." He said US military experts were continuing to study the tests, but he was careful not to say whether it might violate agreements reached since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore in 2018. On Saturday, Trump had seemed to shrug off the importance of the tests, tweeting that Kim "knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen." The two sides have generally been at loggerheads since the collapse in February of a follow-up summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi. But Pompeo appeared on Sunday to strive for a conciliatory tone. "We still believe that there's an opportunity to get a negotiated outcome where we get fully verified denuclearization," he said. "We want to get back to the table." Story continues Pompeo played down the harsh language leveled at him recently by a North Korean foreign ministry official who said Pompeo had made "reckless" and "dangerous" remarks and that the North hoped the US side would appoint a "more careful and mature" negotiator. "The president gets to choose who his negotiators are," Pompeo said with a smile. "He is leading the effort." Kim was said to be deeply frustrated by the failure of the Hanoi summit. An ABC interviewer asked Pompeo about unconfirmed reports that four of the North's foreign ministry officials had subsequently been executed. Pompeo did not confirm the reports, saying however: "It does appear the next time we have serious negotiations my counterpart will be someone else." CARACAS, May 4 (Reuters) - A Venezuelan military helicopter crashed close to Caracas on Saturday morning, killing all seven people on board, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The helicopter was to fly from Caracas, the capital, to the west-central state of Cojedes when it "went to ground," the Defense Ministry said, adding that authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. President Nicolas Maduro was in Cojedes on Saturday to watch a series of army drills, which, in televised speeches, he said demonstrated Venezuela's military readiness against what he called the threat posed by the United States. Maduro accuses the U.S. government of trying to foment a coup against him by backing opposition leader Juan Guaido, who denounces Maduro as illegitimate and has assumed a rival presidency. "I profoundly regret this incident and express my heartfelt condolences to their relatives and friends," Maduro said later on Twitter. (Reporting by Angus Berwick Editing by Leslie Adler) CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan military helicopter crashed close to Caracas on Saturday morning, killing all seven people on board, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The helicopter was to fly from Caracas, the capital, to the west-central state of Cojedes when it "went to ground," the Defense Ministry said, adding that authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. President Nicolas Maduro was in Cojedes on Saturday to watch a series of army drills, which, in televised speeches, he said demonstrated Venezuela's military readiness against what he called the threat posed by the United States. Maduro accuses the U.S. government of trying to foment a coup against him by backing opposition leader Juan Guaido, who denounces Maduro as illegitimate and has assumed a rival presidency. "I profoundly regret this incident and express my heartfelt condolences to their relatives and friends," Maduro said later on Twitter. (Reporting by Angus Berwick; Editing by Leslie Adler) CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Seven Venezuelan military officers have been killed when their helicopter crashed while heading to a state where President Nicolas Maduro appeared alongside troops. The Cougar helicopter hurtled into a mountain outside Caracas in the early hours of an overcast day in the capital. The armed forces said in a statement the chopper was heading to San Carlos in Cojedes state. That's an hour away from a military academy where Maduro appeared early Saturday overseeing training exercises in a display of confidence in his armed forces following a week of intrigue that saw a small cadre of soldiers turn against him in an opposition-led uprising. On board were two lieutenant colonels as well as five lower-ranking officers. The statement didn't say if the chopper was part of the presidential delegation. BEIRUT (AP) Warplanes struck a hospital in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Sunday, knocking it out of service, as government forces continued to bombard the rebel-held region following insurgent attacks last week. The latest fighting has killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands in Idlib and nearby rebel-held areas, who fled to safer regions further north. It's the heaviest fighting in months, and has raised fears the government may launch a wider offensive to retake the country's last major rebel stronghold. Attacks on hospitals and clinics in the past have preceded major government offensives on rebel-held areas, including the 2016 attack on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo and last year's offensive on eastern suburbs of the capital, Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian warplanes were behind the attack on the main hospital in the rebel-held village of Hass. The opposition-run activist collective Baladi News also reported the airstrike on the hospital, adding that it was not clear if there were casualties. The Observatory said that since the early hours of Sunday, Russian warplanes carried out more than 50 airstrikes on Idlib and nearby Hama province. It said government and Russia bombardment killed at least six people on Sunday in different rebel-held areas. Turkey's Defense Ministry meanwhile said that two Turkish soldiers were wounded on Saturday when mortar shells fell near one of their positions in Hama province. Turkey and Russia, who back opposite sides in Syria's eight-year conflict, brokered a truce in September that averted a government offensive on Idlib. But the truce has been repeatedly violated, and parts of it have yet to be implemented, including the withdrawal of al-Qaida-linked militants from the front lines. Two major highways that cut through rebel-held areas were supposed to be reopened before the end of 2018 but remain closed. Story continues The latest fighting erupted on April 30, three days after al-Qaida-linked militants launched attacks on the positions of government forces in northern Syria, killing 22 soldiers and pro-government gunmen. "Any action taken by the Syrian Arab Army is legitimate since there has been no commitment to agreements reached," a Syrian security official was quoted as saying by the government-run Syrian Central Military Media. Pro-government media said insurgents shelled villages near the front lines, killing one civilian. State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that insurgents are preparing to launch an offensive on government-held areas, warning that such an attack "would mark the beginning of their end." Government troops and insurgents have been reinforcing their positions in recent days in a sign that violence is expected to continue as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan beginning Monday. ___ Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Zeynep Bilginsoy in Istanbul contributed to this report. New York-based data center automation company UiPath has secured $568 million in Series D funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced April 30 and led by Coatue Management. According to its Crunchbase profile, "UiPath designs and develops robotic process automation software. The platform offers foolproof development tool, automation of intricate processes, enhanced control, cloud and on-premise deployment, robust governance and multiple robots on a single virtual machine. UiPath also provides UiPath Studio that models automation visually, UiPath Orchestrator that manages critical enterprise duties and UiPath Robot that executes processes." The 14-year-old company has raised three previous funding rounds, including a $265 million Series C round in 2018. The round brings total funding raised by New York companies in science and engineering over the past month to $1 billion, an increase of $970 million from the month before. The local science and engineering industry has seen 201 funding rounds over the past year, yielding a total of $3.3 billion in venture funding. In other local funding news, training company Credly announced a $11 million Series A funding round on April 24, led by Zoma Capital. According to Crunchbase, "Credly is helping the world speak a common language about peoples knowledge, skills and abilities. Thousands of employers, training organizations, associations, certification programs and workforce development initiatives use Credly to help individuals translate their learning experiences into professional opportunities using trusted, portable, digital credentials. Credly empowers organizations to attract, engage, develop and retain talent with enterprise-class tools that generate data-driven insights to address skills gaps and highlight opportunities through an unmatched global network of credential issuers." Story continues Founded in 2012, the company has raised two previous rounds, including a $4.6 million round in 2017. Meanwhile, genetics and innovation management company Gencove raised $330,234 in grant funding, announced on April 26. The round was financed by National Institutes of Health. From the company's Crunchbase profile, "We make genomics affordable and accessible through a cost-effective, low-coverage, whole genome sequencing technology." Gencove last raised $3 million in Series A funding 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. Comments Policy Comments that are excessively crude, obscene or profane - especially when they consist of nothing more than gratuitous insults or aspersions upon the character of authors or other commenters - will be vigorously discouraged. Therefore, if you find your comment has been deleted, you will know why. In The Conversation this week, archaeologist Amanuel Beyin and his colleagues Ahmed Hamid Nassr and Parth Chauhan describe their work surveying the Red Sea coast of Sudan for early archaeological sites: Red Sea stone tool find hints at hominins possible route out of Africa. This is valuable work and Im happy to see the authors sharing it. They are exploring for evidence of ancient hominin activity in a place where hominins should logically have been abundant in the Pleistocene, and theyre finding sites: Recently we led a research team to fill the existing evidence gap about our ancestors route out of Africa. Our focus was on the western periphery of the Red Sea. This area links the fossil-rich Horn of Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, which is the only land bridge that could have facilitated direct hominin movement between Africa and Eurasia in the past two million years. We found evidence of hominin settlement in the area in the form of stone artifacts that suggests this region was a key early dispersal corridor and possibly the first. That evidence includes stone tools, colloquially referred to as handaxes or bifaces. These were associated initially with the first fully bipedal (upright walker) hominin species, Homo erectus, and subsequently with other species. Handaxes are highly recognizable evidence because they were not commonly produced in Africa after 150,000 years ago. For the archaeologist, they give a rapid indicator that sites of Early or Middle Pleistocene antiquity are presentalthough handaxes can erode out of older sites and lie on the surface for a very long time. In any event, the presence of a network of ancient populations on the Red Sea coast is a logical prediction and great to find. This may be a region that was important to the repeated connections between African and Eurasian populations during the Middle Pleistocene. Im skeptical about the concept of dispersal corridors for hominins. Ill reflect on that idea at greater length some other time, I dont want to detract from the value of these authors sharing their work. All Ill say is that I was worried when I saw the headline of this piece pointing to the possible route out of Africa that the work would have a lot of the usual nonsense about southern route and northern route possibilities for modern humans. So I was very pleasantly surprised that the authors were taking a broader view and filling in some important unknowns with respect to much earlier archaeological material. Attorney General Bill Barr had a solid reputation when he took over the US Justice Department in February, but his concerted efforts to downplay the Mueller report's damning allegations against President Donald Trump have left that reputation tattered. The veteran Washington lawyer, 68, encouraged hopes that, under his leadership, the Justice Department would shake off the taint of politicization in the first two years of Trump's presidency. But ten weeks later, he is being branded as more political than his predecessor, labeled a liar and facing calls for impeachment and a possible charge of contempt of Congress. Barr has stunned many who gave him the benefit of the doubt by declaring Trump fully cleared of accusations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. But Special Counsel Robert Mueller's full report on Russian election meddling, while not finding criminal behavior, detailed a disturbing number of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, and a deep pattern of obstruction by the president. Ignoring that, Barr has instead appeared to take part in Trump's attacks on the Mueller investigation and his own Justice Department. He belittled a letter from Mueller complaining that he distorted the report as "snitty." And echoing Trump's own complaints, he suggested that the investigation may have illegally "spied" on the president's campaign. - 'Diminished credibility' - After a stormy hearing in Congress on Wednesday, Barr took flack from multiple directions for his alleged determination to protect Trump at any cost. "Not in my memory has a sitting attorney general more diminished the credibility of his department on any subject," Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote in the Atlantic magazine. Former FBI director James Comey, whose May 2017 firing by Trump precipitated Mueller's obstruction investigation, suggested Barr sold his soul to work for the administration. "How could Mr. Barr, a bright and accomplished lawyer, start channeling the president in using words like 'no collusion' and FBI 'spying'?" Comey wrote in The New York Times. Critics maybe should not have been surprised. Barr has since the 1980s been a fixture of Washington's Republican establishment. When he sat in the attorney general's chair for a year in 1991-92, he protected president George H. W. Bush's powers, outraging Democrats when he engineered Bush's pardon of a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal involving illegal arms sales to Iran. He then spent nearly two decades representing the interests of Verizon, fighting any effort to expand regulation of or diminish the power of one of the largest US telecommunications operators. He was also a rising figure in the Federalist Society and politically active Catholic groups in the US capital, from where the most recent conservative justices on the Supreme Court have been chosen. - Early critic of Mueller investigation - Trump chose Barr to replace attorney general Jeff Sessions knowing Barr was a strong critic of Mueller's probe. In June 2018, with Sessions's job already known to be imperiled, Barr sent an unsolicited legal memo to the Justice Department and White House arguing that the investigation impinged on presidential prerogatives and was based on a "fatally misconceived" view of obstruction law. Those views appear to have guided his decision to unilaterally declare Trump cleared of wrongdoing, once Mueller's report was completed. Once Mueller's report was finished, "it was my baby," Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. But his determination to help the White House move beyond the probe has created a new problem. Earlier in April, Barr told Congress twice that he was unaware of any disagreement Mueller might have had with him on his initial March 24 summary of the report. In fact, a letter made public Tuesday showed Mueller complaining that Barr had distorted the report's conclusions. Outraged, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Barr of lying to Congress, a criminal offense. Others demanded Barr's head. "It's time to begin impeachment proceedings against AG Barr," said Democratic Representative Eric Swallwell. "At every step he has acted as Trump's lawyer, when he's sworn to be America's. He must go." Veteran of numerous tough legal battles, Barr remained unperturbed. His boss the president was pleased. Barr "was really, really solid and did a great job," Trump said after Wednesday's hearing. US Attorney General Bill Barr is being branded as more political than his predecessor, labeled a liar and facing calls for impeachment and a possible charge of contempt of Congress A model chicken sits on the empty seat for US Attorney General Bill Barr in the House Judiciary Committee room placed there by Congressman Steve Cohen after Barr failed to show Once Mueller's report was finished, "it was my baby," US Attorney General William Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee Flanked by royal guards marching to a steady drumbeat, Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn was carried on a gilded palanquin through the streets of old Bangkok Sunday, in front of crowds who shouted "long live the king!" The monarch, Rama X of the Chakri dynasty, wore a bejewelled robe and a dark broad-brimmed hat with white feathers, on the second of three days of coronation ceremonies. The seven-kilometre procession brought the public into close proximity with the 66-year-old monarch for the first time, two years after he ascended the throne in an increasingly assertive reign. "When we looked at our king, he looked very smart and very great," Bangkok resident Donnapha Kladbupha told AFP, noting that he smiled. Fronted by riders on white horses, the slow-moving procession started around 5pm (1000 GMT) at the grand palace as trumpets blared, soldiers shouted commands and cannons fired a 21-gun salute. As night fell the king stopped to pay homage at several Buddhist temples. Thais wearing yellow shirts -- the royal colour -- and carrying umbrellas to protect against soaring daytime temperatures filled the streets, with many clutching portraits of Vajiralongkorn. The coronation, which started Saturday, is the first since Vajiralongkorn's adored and revered father was crowned in 1950. The highlight of Saturday's sombre ceremonies was the King's anointment with holy water, before he placed the 7.3 kilogram (16 lbs) golden tiered crown on his head. The rituals were "unique and reflect the tradition and history of Thailand and the monarchy", student Thanawat Muangon told AFP. Thailand's monarchy is one of the wealthiest in the world and is steeped in protocol centring on the king, who is viewed as a demigod. Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 after the death of his long-reigning father Bhumibol Adulyadej. A keen pilot who spends much time abroad in Germany, Vajiralongkorn is not as well known to his subjects. But any in-depth discussion or criticism of the royal family in Thailand is guarded by harsh lese-majeste rules that carry up to 15 years in prison. All media must self-censor. Early Sunday, Vajiralongkorn bestowed royal titles on family members who crawled to his throne in a striking show of deference to the monarch. He was joined by the new queen of Thailand Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya. Queen Suthida was deputy commander of the king's royal guard before her marriage to Vajiralongkorn, which was announced days before the coronation. During the procession she marched next to the palanquin in red and black uniform with a tall fur hat. Authorities sprayed mists of water over the crowds of onlookers whose numbers were bolstered by droves of "Jit Arsa" -- or "Spirit Volunteers" -- intended to project a show of devotion and fealty to the monarchy. But soaring temperatures threatened to thin out numbers. The coronation included a network of the most powerful and influential in Thailand. Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, took part in many of the key rituals and marched in the procession. - 'Focus on politics' - The coronation, broadcast on live television and cropping up on social media accounts of some royal family members, provided a rare glimpse inside palace walls. One of those who received royal titles Sunday was 14-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti -- the king's son from his third marriage -- who knelt and prostrated in front of his father as he was anointed with water. Vajiralongkorn has six other children, including four sons from two previous wives. The dazzling display of the monarchy's primacy in Thai life belies a simmering political crisis held over from elections in March. The junta that seized power in 2014 and has vowed to defend the monarchy is aiming to cling to power through the ballot box. Its proxy party has claimed the popular vote. But a coalition of anti-military parties says it has shored up a majority in the lower house. Full results are not expected until May 9, a delay that has frustrated many Thais. "When the event (coronation) is finished we will have to focus on politics," said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University. Since ascending the throne the king has made several moves that experts say reinforce the apex role of the monarchy. He brought assets of the Crown Property Bureau under his direct control and appointed an army chief from a faction close to the monarchy. In February, he scuttled a prime ministerial bid made by his older sister Princess Ubolratana with an anti-junta party. Though the royal family is nominally above politics, the king issued an election-eve message calling on Thais to vote for "good people" against those who create "chaos". Thailand?s King Maha Vajiralongkorn was carried through the streets of Bangkok in a royal procession Profile of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The three-day coronation is the first since Vajiralongkorn's adored father was crowned in 1950 The 7-kilometre procession brings the public into close proximity with the 66-year-old monarch for the first time For many Thais, the procession is a chance to see the king in a country where the wealthy monarchy is the focus of reverence and veneration What happens when a craft Dutch Gouda mingles with a blend of avocado, lime juice, and chili? Cinco de Mayos dream snack is born: Guacamole Cheese! Try shredding it over nachos or melting it into queso for the ultimate festive dip. pic.twitter.com/97eKixfgBR The Fresh Market (@TheFreshMarket) May 1, 2019 The Fresh Market LOVE MY MIGOS Happy Cinco De Mayo Yessirr #CincoDeMayo pic.twitter.com/7FrYBCiYqg QuavoYRN (@QuavoStuntin) May 5, 2019 Happy #CincoDeMayo to everyone celebrating responsibly! And to everyone celebrating irresponsibly, put your shirt back on, sit down and have some water please. Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 5, 2019 Happy #CincoDeMayo!!! Have fun and create memories! I hope everyone is celebrating responsibly! Khloe (@khloekardashian) May 5, 2019 .@realDonaldTrump #CincoDeMayo celebrates the Mexican army's victory over France in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Unrelated you're trash and your legacy will be that of a fearmonger who used racist and xenophobic rhetoric to vilify the people of Mexico. Natasha Rothwell (@natasharothwell) May 5, 2019 Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Gringos over at Daily Dairy (a Dutch owned company) have created Amanti Guacamole Cheese. The company describes it as a creamy, Gouda-style, hard cheese that blends real avocados with lime juice, chili, tomato, onion and garlic and recommend melting it over nachos or into queso for a festive dip.It became available this past Wednesday in the U.S. at, with 161 locations in the States. You can purchase some at $25 per pound in wedges of various sizes, and will only be sold for a limited time while supplies last.A taste test video of the guacamole cheese behind the cut as well as celebrities tweeting about Cinco De Mayo. Ya know, to try and give this a celeb angle just in case.A Queen! Canada has plenty of oil, and demand is high, but the Canadian oil industry has nevertheless taken a major hit this year thanks to its persisting pipeline bottleneck. The Albertan oil industry has long been plagued by insufficient pipeline volumes but has not been able to fix the issue with any semblance of efficiency thanks to major bureaucratic and litigation-based delays on building new infrastructure like the long-delayed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. With pipeline capacity maxed out, Canadian oil producers have run out of storage space, leading to a major glut in oil reserves with nowhere to go. This has forced Canada to sell their oil at a major discount. In fact, a new study released this week by conservative think tank the Fraser Institute calculates that Canadian oil producers missed out on a whopping $20.62 billion more than they earned this year thanks to their severely depressed prices. Compared to the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, in the last year Canadian heavy crude traded, on average, at a discount of $26.50 U.S. a barrel. This is a huge dive from the five-year preceding, when Canadian heavy crude traded at an average of just $11.90 U.S. a barrel less than West Texas Intermediate. The pipeline capacity deficit has negatively impacted the Canadian economy in a number of ways. Canadas lack of adequate pipeline capacity has imposed a number of costly constraints on the countrys energy sector including overdependence on the US market and reliance on more costly modes of energy transportation, states the Fraser Research Bulletin. In 2018, these factors, coupled with the maintenance downtime at refineries in the US Midwest, resulted in significant depressed prices for Canadian heavy crude (Western Canada Select) relative to US crude (West Texas Intermediate) and other international benchmarks. Fraser Institute went on to say that their calculations also found that if Canadian oil had been able to be transported in volumes corresponding to their current levels of production instead of watching their oil glut balloon and prices drop accordingly, Western Canadian Select would have traded at an average price of $52.90 U.S. a barrel during 2018 instead of the actual average price from last year, which clocked in at just $38.30 a barrel. In September 2018, western Canadian oil production reached 4.3 million barrels per day but the takeaway capacity on existing pipelines remained constant at around 3.9 million barrels per day, the think tanks report states. Related: The Beginning Of The End For British Shale Gas These revenue losses pose a significant threat to the health of the Canadian economy. Since oil is one of the countrys most valuable commodities for export, the Fraser Institute reports that the overall loss of revenue from the oil industry in 2018 represents approximately one percent of the nations gross domestic product (GDP). Canada has not sat idly by as a significant portion of its GDP lays to waste, however. The Canadian government and the local Alberta government have made significant efforts to correct the price drops, with enforced production cuts among other strategies, and there were some immediate positive results stemming from these quick fixes, but ultimately these efforts are not sustainable as a long-term solution to Canadas pipeline to production gap woes. What Canada ultimately needs in order to solve its pipeline problem is just that--pipelines. There are a number of massive trans-national pipeline projects underway, but they have so far been hopelessly entangled in litigation and other persistent delays. Enbridge's Line 3 project is currently being held up by regulators in Minnesota, the Keystone XL expansion has faced one legal hurdle after the other with no end in sight, and the Trans Mountain expansion--which most experts consider to be the Canadian Oil industrys best bet--has been held back due to environmental violations and insufficient cooperation and consultation with the Indigenous peoples who rightfully own the land that the pipeline would need to pass through. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Shale production in West Texas continues to boom--so much so that shale oil and gas producers in the Permian Basin have more than they know what to do with. As production continues to outpace the expansion of sorely needed pipeline infrastructure, local operators in the Permian are letting approximately 104 billion cubic feet of natural gas go to waste each year by flaring, what is essentially just burning the gas away, instead of putting it on market. For many producers in the Permian, this has led to diminishing profits. One such company is Houston-based oilfield service company Baker Hughes. The companys first quarter profit also took a nosedive, clocking in at $32 million--less than half of its profits for the same period a year earlier, when Baker Hughes reported a profit of $70 million. On top of this major decline in profits, last month the company reported negative free cash flow for the first quarter at a time energy investors have been pushing companies to aggressively shore up capital for dividends and buybacks, sending its shares down as much as 8.5 percent according to Reuters. However, despite these dismal numbers, things are looking up for Baker Hughes. CEO Lorenzo Simonelli told investors in a call on Tuesday that he sees all of the burned off natural gas wasted by his company and so many others as a byproduct of their oil drilling as a major business opportunity. The company is debuting a new, cutting-edge technology that will harness this otherwise wasted gas to power their hydraulic fracturing equipment in the Permian Basin in West Texas. Simonelli announced to investors this week that his company will be forging a new path in fracking by introducing a revolutionary fleet of electric frack turbines that will use excess natural gas from a drilling site to power hydraulic fracturing equipment reducing flaring, carbon dioxide emissions, people and equipment in remote locations according to reporting by the Houston Chronicle. During a Tuesday call with investors Simonelli characterized the new strategy as an across-the-board win for their customer base, saying, Were solving some of our customers toughest challenges such as logistics, power and reducing flare gas emissions with products from our portfolio. Related: Rosneft Sees No Oil Deficit Looming As Iran Sanction Waivers End One of these logistical sticking points concerns the high volumes of diesel required to power hydraulic fracking rigs. Electric frack enables the switch from diesel-driven to electrical-driven pumps powered by modular gas turbine generating units, Simonelli told investors on this weeks call. This alleviates several limiting factors for the operator and the pressure pumping company such as diesel truck logistics, excess gas handling, carbon emissions and the reliability of the pressure pumping operation. According to the Baker Hughes research as reported by the Houston Chronicle, most standard hydraulic fracturing fleets are powered with diesel engines mounted on trailers. Each of these fleets--an estimated 500 approximately, spread across shale basins in the United States and Canada--use up over 7 million gallons of diesel each year, supplied by 700,000 tanker truck loads which have to be transported to the often-remote shale basins, resulting in an average 70,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. This poses a major problem, not just environmentally, but all for Baker Hughes specifically, seeing as the company has pledged to halve their carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve the even loftier goal net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2050. These new electric frack turbines are a good start. The approximately 500 traditional diesel-powered hydraulic fracking fleets scattered across the U.S. and Canada consume about 20 million horsepower of energy altogether according to calculations by Baker Hughes. This means that there is a massive market--about 15 gigawatts--for electricity generated by using the new gas-fired turbines. Instead of adding new carbon emissions these turbines will be powered with gas that is currently being burned off anyway instead of adding diesel emissions on top of the carbon dioxide from those flares. To date, eight of these groundbreaking electric frack fleets have been deployed in the Permian Basin, but if they are as successful as Baker Hughes seems to think they will be, we can expect a lot more in a hurry. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com Tesla says that there could be a shortage of the key metals used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles as a dearth of investment in mining fails to keep up with soaring demand. A shortage of nickel, copper and lithium could crop up in the years ahead as the sale of EVs continues to climb, Sarah Maryssael, Teslas global supply manager for battery metals, told a closed-door Washington conference of miners, regulators and lawmakers, according to Reuters. As a result, the prices for these minerals will likely shoot up. EVs require higher volumes of these metals than gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. For instance, EVs need twice as much copper. According to Reuters, Tesla is trying to cut its use of cobalt, a critical metal that is overwhelmingly mined in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo where its production is associated with human rights abuses. Instead, Tesla will need more nickel. In order to promote more mining, especially within the U.S., Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (WV) are proposing legislation that would ease permitting requirements on new mines. The legislation is positioned as a national security concern, clearly with an eye on China. China controls about two-thirds of the worlds battery electric manufacturing capacity, a figure that is expected to rise to 73 percent by 2021, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The U.S. only accounts for about 13 percent of global lithium-ion battery manufacturing capacity. Related: Saudi Arabia, UAE Draw The Death And Collapse Of OPEC Much of the worlds lithium is produced in Chile, Argentina and Australia, and a lot of that capacity has been developed by international companies, including American and Chinese companies. But even as China locks up lithium supply in South America, it has also developed lithium production at home. Bloomberg estimates that China has eight times the domestic lithium production capacity than does the U.S. It has been decades since a lithium refining facility has been built in the United States, said Eric Norris, the lithium president of North Carolina-based Albemarle Corp., according to Bloomberg. Any new project will take time to develop, as the regulatory bodies determine required permits, potential community impact, etc. Analysts argue that if the U.S. is to scale up EV manufacturing, it will need supplies of lithium and other metals. You cant build half a million electric vehicle battery packs without a secure supply of several critical raw materials, Chris Berry, a battery-metals analyst at House Mountain Partners, told Bloomberg. If the U.S. lags in the build out of lithium or cathode capacity, its supply chain dynamism and competitiveness around the new energy theme is put at risk. Lithium demand is set to more than triple through 2025, rising from 300,000 tons per year to over 1 million tons per year. Meanwhile, the World Bank just launched its Climate-Smart Mining Facility, the first-ever fund dedicated to promoting sustainable mining for the minerals needed for EVs and renewable energy. The fund will aim to ensure that countries that host much of the mining will actually benefit from the extraction. Related: $1 Billion In Iranian Crude Is Stuck At This Chinese Oil Hub The initiative will promote mining projects that incorporate renewable energy at their operations, crucial since mining accounts for up to 11 percent of global energy use. It will also seek to recycle materials and ensure that mining does not result in deforestation. The World Bank estimates that by 2050 demand for lithium, graphite and nickel will skyrocket by 965 percent, 383 percent and 108 percent, respectively. EV sales are rising around the world, and the deployment of solar and wind also continues to scale up. Bloomberg notes that many of these clean technologies actually rely on the same supply chains, and compete against one another for certain high-tech parts. As a result, some solar-component companies have to wait as long as 50 weeks for parts because EV companies are scaling up production, illustrating the bottlenecks that are beginning to appear. In short, the clean energy transition will require gargantuan volumes of certain metals and minerals, even as the supply of those commodities appears to be lagging behind demand projections. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Fighting between Chad soldiers and Boko Haram jihadists killed dozens, including 63 terrorists, in an overnight attack on a military base, an army spokesman said Monday. Seven soldiers were killed and 15 wounded when the terrorists attacked our forces at midnight in Bouhama in the Lake Chad region, Colonel Azem Bermandoa said. He added 63 terrorists were killed and the search for other attackers continued. Chads Defence Minister Daoud Yaya Brahim and army chief of staff Taher Erda were on their way to the scene of the fighting Monday to evaluate the situation, said Azem. Last month, 23 soldiers were killed in the Lake Chad region in the deadliest attack yet on the Chadian army by Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency in Nigeria a decade ago. The unrest has spread to neighbouring Niger and Chad with the Boko Haram revolt claiming more than 27,000 lives and uprooting more than 1.7 million people. Troops from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have been grouped into a mixed, multi-national force to fight Boko Haram. Since June last year, Boko Haram has struck inside Chad at least seven times. Post Views: 40 Tier 1 bank, Zenith Bank Plc, says it has introduced a feature that allows new customers to open an account without any initial deposit. Zenith bank, which is Nigerias largest bank by capital, disclosed this in a statement at the weekend. Reiterating its commitment to growing its retail arm by giving it the same attention that allowed it to become an influential corporate banking player in the country, it said the feature will give the unbanked more opportunity to open account with the bank This is in line with the Banks strategic focus of extending its exceptional service offerings to everyone hence encouraging the drive for financial inclusion, it said. Customers can now open a Zenith Bank account with a Zero Balance (N0.00) as opposed to its initial range of N50, 000 N250, 000. This move highlights the banks ability to adapt to the changing needs of the financial environment. The bank said intending customers can open an account by dialing *966*0#. The bank, which is Nigerias second-largest bank by assets, said it has introduced other features like *966# USSD EazyBanking, Social banking on Facebook. The bank recently announced that it had appointed Ebenezer Onyeagwu as its new managing director and chief executive officer. Onyeagwu will take over from Peter Amangbo, its current CEO whose tenure will expire on Friday, May 31 Musa said the army gathered that those involved are making concerted efforts to further induce Boko Haram insurgents and bandits with funds and other logistic supports. He said these individuals are also determined to cause mischief and exacerbate the security situation in Nigeria in particular and West African sub-region. In a statement on Saturday, Sagir Musa, army spokesman, said the unnamed persons are hobnobbing with foreigners to scuttle the countrys democratic process. With less than four weeks to the May 29 inauguration date for President Muhammadu Buhari , governors and other political office holders, the Nigerian Army has raised the alarm over alleged plot by some individuals to disrupt the May 29 inauguration. The statement read: Their body language and unguarded utterances seems to be in tandem with above and imply tacit support for the criminals. For example, credible source has shown that some individuals are hobnobbing with Boko Haram terrorists, while others are deliberately churning falsehood against the security agencies with a view to set the military against the people and the government. They are also demoralising troops and security agencies through false accusations and fake news. Therefore, it has become necessary to inform the public and warn such persons and groups to desist as the consequences of their actions would be calamitous to themselves and our great country. Some of these mischievous elements thought that we would not have safe and successful general elections but were proved wrong, hence they want to derail the scheduled handing over later this month and to scuttle the democratic process in the country. He said the army remains loyal to Nigerias constitution and we are determined more than ever before, to continue to uphold the constitution and defend the territorial integrity of this nation from both external and internal aggression. Nigeria is a sovereign country with clearly established judicial system, therefore all aggrieved persons and groups should take advantage of that and resolve differences amicably. The outbreak of Ebola epidemic has claimed over 1,000 lives as the government struggles to maintain adequate treatment centres in the country. The Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo had admitted that the death toll from the Ebola epidemic in the country is now over 1,000. The World Health Organization (WHO) Deputy Director, Dr Michael Ryan, had decried that mistrust and violence was obstructing efforts to tackle the disease as it spreads through the Eastern parts of the country. ALSO READ: Gunmen raid Adamawa villages, kill five Michael Ryan had further acknowledged that there have been 119 documented attacks on medical centres and staff in the country since January 2019. The World Health Organisation had declared that, there are plenty of vaccines and more than 1000 people have already been given treatment; lamenting: But continuing violence in the eastern part of the country where militias are present, as well as mistrust of doctors, is hindering the W.H.O s disease control programme, in the country. It was noted that the Ebola broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo in August 2018 and is still increasing the more eight months after it began. It is identified as the second deadliest in World history, so far. Between 2013 and 2016, Ebola had killed 11,310 persons in West Africa. Post Views: 59 There is rising tension in Sokoto State as gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked the residence of former Governor of Sokoto State, and former presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa in one of their violent operations in the state. ALSO READ: Gowon slumps at grave side in Delta The Director General of the Bafarawa Foundation, Suleiman Shuaib-Shinkafi, had confirmed the attack in Sokoto, narrating that the gunmen attacked the residence simultaneously with many other houses in Bafarawa village, extending to the nearby Kamarawa settlement in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Reports show that a security guard on duty at the former Governors residence was killed while the gunmen were said to have kidnapped one person at the residence identified as Abdulrasheed Saidu. It was highlighted that Bafarawa Village has been experiencing bandits attack for the first time since the upsurge of violence in the activities of bandits in Isa Local Government Area and parts of Sokoto east senatorial district. The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad Sadiq, was said to have remarked that the Sokoto State Police Command was not aware of the bandits attack.. Post Views: 98 Outgoing governor of Oyo state, Abiola Ajimobi, has been accused of awarding last minute contracts to family members and friends with just few weeks to the expiration of his tenure. The allegation was leveled against Ajimobi by the state Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Akeem Olatunji, who says the governor is siphoning state funds in his last days in office through an alleged contract spree. Speaking on Saturday, Olatunji corroborated the allegation of Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State Governor-elect, that Ajimobi has awarded a N30 billion contract to create hiccups for the incoming administration. He said; We dont make allegations when there are no evidence. In actual fact, we know that government is a continuum and we are not trying to stampede the incumbent government. Nevertheless, due process has to be followed in whatever is done. For the governor to just wake up one day and start to dash out contracts to cronies is more or less a way of siphoning the funds of the state. ALSO READ: I warned Aworis against outright sale of lands About 33 excavators were recently bought with almost N10bn for local governments. The needs of each local government vary and so the state government should not have embarked on such project now. This was at a time when many of the local governments are finding it difficult to pay their workers salary as well as those of the retirees. We believe that government should be able to prioritize peoples needs. He said a situation where more than N50bn projects have been awarded within the last two months calls for worry. When workers and retirees are being owed, where did they get the funds to execute those projects? If it were an ongoing project that funds were released for, no one will suspect any foul play. About N34bn excess crude fund belonging to the local government is in the Heritage Bank. This is not the time to spend such money anyhow because the incoming government needs to have something to fall back on. When government is winding up like this, the whole thing becomes bazaar with 10 per cent, 20 per cent being collected as kickback. That is why we are warning civil servants not to engage themselves in any transaction that can implicate them after the transition, he added. as Seplat inaugurates AGPC reconstituted Board By Chioma Obinagwam Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, a leading Nigerian indigenous oil and gas company listed on both the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) and London Stock Exchange (LSE), has announced the inauguration of the reconstituted Board of Directors of ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited (AGPC). The inauguration took place at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Towers in Abuja on Thursday, and is a targeted at delivering 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the Nigerian market. The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, inaugurated the reconstituted AGPC Board. The reconstituted Board reflects the 50 per cent shareholding of the Nigerian Gas Company Limited (NGC), which is a subsidiary of the NNPC, and SEPLAT. SEPLAT in a statement explained, Following the Partners completion of their first equity funding, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) applications were filed and approved for the change of Shareholders and Directors of AGPC in order to reflect the equal shareholding of NGC and SEPLAT. The members of the re-constituted Board of Directors are: Engr. Saidu A. Mohammed (NNPC Chief Operation Officer, Gas & Power); Austin Avuru (SEPLATs Chief Executive Officer); Babatunde Bakare (NGCs Managing Director); Stuart Connal (Managing Director, AGPC; Bala M. Wunti (NNPC Group General Managing, Corporate Planning & Strategy); and Gert-Jan Smulders (SEPLATs Technical Director). Following the inaugural ceremony, the new Board of Directors will proceed to hold its first meeting to consider and approve critical project activities. In his address at the inauguration, the Chief Executive Office (CEO) SEPLAT, Mr. Austin Avuru, appreciated the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and the NNPC for the support they have given to the SEPLAT brand over the years as well as the AGPC. I need to register our deep sense of gratitude for the nine years we have been in partnership with the NPDC. In the last three year under the current leadership of the NNPC, we have had a relationship that is non-acrimonious. For the first time, we are doing what people will probably be doing in the future, he said. Avuru, who is also the vice-chairman of the AGPC, noted that in less than 24 months the partnership was formed, substantial funding had gone into the project. He added, Half of the equity funding is already in the bank. Thanks to the GMD of the NNPC for making funding available. Responding, Baru said the move was in line with the Corporations aspiration of the Gas Master Plan, which is to increase the supply of gas to the domestic market, adding that the ANOH gas project was conceived to deliver that. The NNPC GMD said, We believe a private sector-driven project should deliver a mandate faster than a public-led one. According to Baru, finances should be provided not to only fund projects but to also acquire requisite expertise. The Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, NNPC and chairman of AGPC, Saidu Mohammed, on behalf of the companys Board of Directors, thanked the NNPC GMD for inaugurating the board. This is a journey we have started and we will continue to grow, he added. Post Views: 69 The federal government has approached Washington, USA based FINCA Impact Finance (FIF), a global network of 20 banks and microfinance institutions, to assist it (Nigeria) advance its financial inclusion and economic development in the country under the national social intervention programme (NSIP). FINCAs global network operate in several countries around the world, providing socially-responsible financial services that enable low-income individuals and communities to invest in their futures. In Nigeria, it established a base in Owerri, Imo State in December 2014. Today, nearly five years after, the FINCA Microfinance Bank Nigeria serves 30,000 clients with micro-credit loans in excess of N1 billion to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs). FINCA Nigeria (now four and-a-half years old) is a subsidiary of the FINCA Impact Finance (FIF), a global network of 20 banks and microfinance institutions. FINCA International, a US-based not-for-profit corporation, is the founder and majority shareholder of FINCA Impact Finance. The meeting was attended by Nigerias minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Chinedu Okpareke and Genevieve Mbama, both members of the management board of FINCA Nigeria. The talks centred on FINCA helping Nigeria to advance its financial inclusion drive, thereby foster economic development in the country. Mohammed sought for financial inclusion and social entrepreneurship. He made a presentation on the Federal Governments National Social Intervention Program (NSIP), a fund established in 2016 with the goals: to empower vulnerable sectors of society; improve quality of life; provide affordable credit for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); reduce inequality, and increase access to education and health services. He said the Federal Government would be pleased to have FINCA Nigeria partner with it to promote economic development by participating in the NSIP. Nigeria, with a population of 201 million people, according to latest figures by the United Nations Fund for Population Activity (UNFPA), has, as of December 2018, a financial inclusion of 39.7 percent adult population; while 36.8 percent of the people are excluded from banking and financial services. The country hopes to achieve financial inclusion of 80 percent by 2020. Mohammeds request requires that FINCA Nigeria gains additional capacity to support its purpose of expanding financial inclusion to low-income entrepreneurs in Nigeria, especially women who operate farms and MSMEs, said Genevieve Mbama. Scofield, FINCA chief executive shared how Nigerias NISP goal to promote financial inclusion align well with FINCA Ventures, an impact investment initiative of FINCA International that provides patient capital and pre- and post-investment support to early-stage social enterprises. Scofield said FINCA Ventures currently supports four innovative companies in Nigeria to improve access to basic services for low-income families in the areas of energy, agriculture and healthcare. The meeting ended with an agreement to hold further talks between FINCA Nigeria and the government of Nigeria on how to expand financial inclusion, and how the government can support the bank in providing innovative and impactful financial services. Okpareke, a management board member, gave an overview of FINCA Microfinance Bank Nigeria operations; stating the impact the microfinance bank has made in nearly five years. He said the bank currently serves over 30,000 customers with an active loan portfolio of over N1 billion, and voluntary savings N600 million. Also, he said the bank, since inception, has disbursed over N6 billion to entrepreneurs in Imo State. The FINCA Nigeria board member said, the bank has its proprietary agency banking network which cut across Imo State and the newly launched USSD mobile banking to serve the under-banked. Okparaeke informed that FINCA also offers Educational loans to school owners; as well as parents and guardians towards improving the quality of education in the country. Currently FINCA operates in Imo with five branches and one sales office; with plans of stamping its footprint across Nigeria, once it acquires its national license to deliver innovative and impactful technology-driven financial products and services. Post Views: 77 I was to be on the Saudi trip, says father The insistence of the father of Zainab Aliyu, the young Nigerian lady just let off the hook in Saudi Arabia over illegal drug trafficking on her innocence, played a key role in her vindication, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Habibu Aliyu Kila, a journalist, visited the NDLEA office in Kano soon after news reached him of his daughters ordeal in Saudi Arabia to vouch for her integrity. Kila said yesterday that only divine intervention prevented him from travelling with Zainab as he would not have been able to press all the necessary buttons had he not been at home. Convinced that there might be merit in his claim after all, the NDLEA launched into an investigation that led to the arrest of 10 suspects, the NDLEA Commander in-charge of MAKIA, Mr. Ambrose Umoru told The Nation. Umoru who described the investigation as not a days job said: when Zainab was arrested at Saudi Arabia, the father visited us here at the airport, insisting that his daughter was innocent of the crime she was being accused of. This informed our decision to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. The first thing we did was to look at the date they took off from the airport. From our records, we were able to establish that 10 people were on duty that very day. We went after them; we arrested the 10 of them and commenced serious interrogation. Initially, they denied being involved in the case, but after being detained for days, they started confessing their level of involvement. The number of the suspects was later reduced to six as the other four were confirmed to be innocent. These seven suspects owned up to the crime. In fact, the lady among them openly confessed to the father of Zainab and pleaded for forgiveness. Before they were taken to court, I remember how the lady held Zainab fathers leg, crying and asking him for forgiveness. He said the agency has since set up a committee to look at ways to avert future occurrence of such incident. Continuing, he said: From their report, we understand that the Departure Hall was always overcrowded, a situation which could pave the way for enemies of the nation to perpetrate their nefarious acts. We have taken measures to address the rowdy nature of the Departure Hall, because right now, passengers are allowed into the Departure Hall for screening in batches. We did this to decongest the crowd at the Departure Hall and make way for proper security checks. He also said that as part of the recommendation of the Committee, airline operators were instructed to provide a form where each passenger will indicate the number of luggage he or she is travelling with. The form is then duplicated. The passenger will have one and the airline operator will have the duplicate. This measure is also yielding results. Mr. Umoru also condemned the presence of lock-up shops and open shops within the Departure Hall, pointing out that such arrangement can aid the drug peddlers. More so, he noted that, we find it difficult to properly profile the large number of passengers due to inadequate number of security personnel posted to man the screening point. Going by the prescription of the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business, only two NDLEA officers are authorized to man the screening point, which is inadequate. According to him, the absence of modernized luggage scanning machine that can detect narcotic and psychopathic drugs specifically for the use of NDLEA at the airport has remained a big challenge. Divine intervention stopped me from going to Saudi with Zainab, says father Kilas friend and professional colleague, Yemisi Fadairo, yesterday quoted him as saying that only divine intervention stopped him from going to Saudi with Zainab on the ill-fated journey. Fadairo, writing on his Facebook wall said: When I served as Special Assistant, Media, to then Governor of Jigawa State, Senator Saminu Turaki, between 2003 and 2007, I worked closely with the Director of Press, Habibu Aliyu Kila. Habibu, who has since remained a brother, is the father of Zainab, an undergraduate, who God used President Muhammadu Buhari to save from being executed by the Saudi authorities, for allegedly owning a luggage, tagged in her name and which contained banned drug, Tramadol. Habibu and I met today (yesterday), at the 2019 Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in Lagos, and he narrated how a journey, meant to thank God for a blissful 25 years of marriage, nearly turned tragic. He believed his sudden decision to opt out of the visit, is divine, as he couldnt have pursued the case to a logical conclusion, if outside the country. Zainabs four months in prison, as should be expected, was traumatic, but efforts to secure her release, which began from the NDLEA office, in Kano, newspaper publications (kicked off by Mrs. Funke Egbemode, president of the NGE), public protests and petition to the Presidency, yielded result. According to him, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, SSA, Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to the President, made his request to see her boss possible, and it was the intervention of the listening and compassionate leader, that started the journey of Zainab out of prison. He acknowledged that God made a staff of the airport, one of the masterminds of the crime, who specialise in this wicked act, own up. The student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, had travelled from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, in company of her mother, Maryam and sister, Hajara, but was later arrested over the allegations. Policemen had invaded their hotel, in the early hours of the day, to whisk her away. Habibu made me speak to Zainab, who is still in Saudi Arabia, on phone, and I can confirm that like her father (as seen in the photograph), she is in very high spirit and eager to return home. I jokingly told Habibu to start paying Zainab royalty, for making him a celebrity, because most members of the NGE I told who he is (very few knew him as Zainabs father), after expressing their astonishment over the sad plight of his daughter, insisted on snapping pictures with him. He also received a clapping ovation, when his presence was announced to delegates, at the kick off of the convention. Zainab and her family, who still have hope in Nigeria, are thanking the president and all those who believe her innocence. The Wages of Electoralism This past week, the federal authorities briefly lost control of the major highway out of the federal capital to the core north. It was a profoundly symbolic moment for the Nigerian post-colonial state as it seems to buckle under the strains and stress of maintaining law and order in an increasingly distressed nation. It may well be a sneak preview of a historic meltdown. Armed robbers and kidnappers laid siege to the beautiful, scenic plains that unfold towards the iconic city of Kaduna spreading murder and mayhem. According to a major newspaper report, many were unaccounted for after the siege lifted and the acrid smoke cleared. The chairman of UBEC and his daughter were abducted after his driver was killed. They were released two days later. Many others were not so lucky. They would have been frogmarched for several hours deep into the forest until they arrived at a modern kidnapping complex; an African Pentagon in the jungle bristling with guns and hardware of the nefarious trade. According to a recent victim, listening posts and sentry nests dotted the route relaying information back and forth. The same victim noted that at a point during captivity, a low-flying Air Force plane attempted to bomb the abductors out of contention. But the trigger happy sadists simply lined their victim against the bank of a deep river preparatory to finishing them off should the aerial threat become a reality. It would have been a foolhardy misadventure. By the end of the week, in what could be described as the symbolic equivalent of an assault on a national Holy Shrine, the kidnappers struck at the hometown of the president taking with them the District Head of Daura, Magajin Garin Daura, Mallam Musa Umar. It doesnt get more humiliating than that. It will be recalled that a few months earlier, the Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Aminu Masari, had alerted the world that it was becoming impossible to venture out of the immediate precincts of the State House because armed robbers and kidnappers have laid a siege to the wider perimeter. This is arguably the most damning evidence of official paralysis and state-impairment that we have seen in Nigerias post-independence history. It is obvious that the demoralised police are hopelessly outmatched and ill-equipped for this new kind of social daredevilry. There is a report that policemen often act as ransom conduit to the kidnappers. A more scary report even suggested that police often pay ransom to kidnappers to secure kidnapped colleagues in what may well be a double-sting operation in which the kidnapping might have been faked in the first instance. We are in the realm of reality as outlandish fiction and it doesnt get more Kafkaesque. By midweek, it was reported that retreating Boko Haram insurgents had slaughtered over four dozen people in Adamawa State. When you add all this to the killing fields of Zamfara and Kajuru in Kaduna State, the renewed activities of killer-herdsmen in the middle belt, ritual savagery in the South West, and the mosaic of murder and mayhem that the country has become, you get a sense that the federal authorities are facing a unique, nation-disabling phenomenon of social, religious, economic and political insurgency. This past week in a widely circulated piece, a veteran columnist of The Vanguard newspaper, while chronicling our gradual descent into normlessness, has noted that what is happening in the north is a creeping revolution of the Almajiri underclass who seem to have had enough of their feudal master class. He then went on to thump and pooh-pooh the socialist and Marxist fantasy that revolutions can only occur in advanced societies with a well-crystallized and nobly envisioned middle class. To align with his argument and to buttress the point, one can only add that the revolution in Russia was famously dubbed the revolution against capital because it occurred in a backward feudal society of rudimentary capitalism. But there is a difference between revolutions and social revolts. There is nothing that has happened in the world so far that has disproved the foundational socialist thesis that revolutions require an organized middle class cadre to pioneer and power it. The lower masses do not do revolutions. Revolutions are a brisk and bloody affair requiring a disciplined and organized upper cadre to canalize and channel the volcanic rage. Social revolts by the lower masses can only end in messy and anarchic bloodletting which will eventually consume the entire society as state power gradually implodes, wracked by its own internal contradictions. The controlled explosions currently going on in Algeria and Sudan are possible only to the extent that there is a disciplined and organized civil force in the background controlling and orchestrating events. In Nigeria it is strange that all these social disruptions are happening so soon after a landmark election which seems to have settled the question of supremacy between the two major state parties. According to INEC, President Buhari trounced his opponent so decisively and by millions of votes to spare. Yet even before the inauguration, there are ominous echoes of a fundamental rupture within the political class and of a lurch towards regional and ethnic ramparts. These are the wages of electoralism, an overt and unwarranted reliance on elections as a mechanism for settling disputes among the political class without addressing fundamental national contradictions. As we have said several times in this column, elections do not resolve fundamental national questions. As a matter of fact, they often exacerbate them, leading to civil wars and national trauma: Algeria in 1992, Nigeria in 1993, Congo Brazzaville, Kenya, Cote DIvoire, CAR and now in Venezuela. On three different occasions, 1964/65, 1983 and 1993 disputed or aborted elections have led Nigeria to the path of anarchy and disintegration. On the few occasions that federal elections succeeded, they have always been preceded by elite buy in and substantial negotiation until the subsisting pacts collapse, 1958, 1979 and 1999. In stable democracies where major national issues have been settled, elections are mere elite mechanism for organizing and choosing state personnel. To that extent, they deploy substantial elite consensus and compliance to sustain the order of illusion and the illusion of order. That is until the nation faces fresh challenges and uncharted waters requiring fundamental re-engineering. It is when you have elite consensus on core national values that the less insignificant question of who actually rules is settled beyond controversy. Since the end of military rule, Ghana has oscillated between two political tendencies reflecting deep ideological divisions along the old Danquah versus Nkrumah fault lines but this has never degenerated into an ethnic or regional brawl. But in Nigeria despite the ideological flux within the state parties, elections are barely disguised warfare. Politicians must be able to read the political barometer of their society correctly. Otherwise, they plunge their nations into anarchy and chaos. When the hapless and heedless David Cameron called for a national referendum on Brexit little did he know that he was opening a Pandoras Box of elite indiscipline and loss of visionary nerve which would render Britain virtually ungovernable. Readers of this column would remember us warning several times that unless we take some fundamental decisions about the destiny of the nation, Nigeria may become ungovernable for whoever won the presidential election. We insisted that even if President Buhari is returned to power, his renewed tenure would be marked by wild tempests and political volcanoes unless there is a fundamental shift in the paradigm of governance. So far, there is no concrete evidence of this shift except for President Buharis promissory note of redress and restitution. Meanwhile and well ahead of the inauguration, the voices of rancour and disorder are drowning out the few sober and sane voices remaining. While some notorious agent provocateurs from the north are busy proclaiming from the rooftop the strange new doctrine of northern exceptionalism based on what they consider its electoral majoritarianism , some southern leaders are hitting the rooftop in bitter derision daring General Buhari to do his worst. This is not the best way to usher in a new government. Nigeras fledgling democracy has reached uncharted waters. By the way, is democracy Day May 29 or June 12? As elite rancour persists, as centrifugal forces lay siege to an already embattled state, the ground below is beginning to rumble. Elite cohesion is important for filtering discontents and disaffection. When that platform and buffer zone collapses, the stage is set for a direct confrontation between the affronted masses and the government. We are gradually approaching that point. Political crisis in Nigeria is fuelled by elite delinquency. The two state parties cannot agree on the way forward. This is what happens when there is no unified vision of the country. The dominant political party has been unable to achieve consensus on who to field for the principal offices of the National Assembly and there is the danger of its dissolving into its regional particularities once again. In the circumstances, the coming elections in NASS promise to be as messy and chaotic as they were in 2015. The results may even be more controversial, given the premature focus on the 2023 elections. In the intrigue-soaked chambers, ethnic loyalty trumps party affiliation. We have been here before and the auguries are not too good for fledgling democracy, or the nation for that matter. This is one national emergency where presidential good intentions, honesty of purpose and integrity are not enough to halt the drift to anomie and chaos. It is obvious that the kidnappers who struck in Daura have no use or respect for such presidential virtues. As class polarization and feudal contradictions sharpen in the north, the rest of the country has every reason to tremble in premonition. President Buhari needs a generous dose of inspiration in the coming weeks. By Alex Olise The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has urged commanders of troops currently fighting insurgency in the North East and other operations across the country to always boost the morale of soldiers under them by promptly addressing their needs. The Army Chief gave the directive at the 9th Brigade Officers Mess, Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos at the weekend shortly after commissioning some projects at the various military formations under the 81 division in Lagos. According to the Army boss, it is very important for commanders to always find out how troops under them are fairing in various locations where they are deployed to perform their duties. He assured that the Nigerian Army are doing their best to re-professionalize and re-strategize in their operations to tackle insurgency across the country. Buratai added that the menace of Boko-Haram and other banditary would continue to be addressed as they come and manifest. The insurgency we are facing is something that we will continue to address as they appear and manifest in different forms and shapes, he said. He also expressed worries over the role of some social media operators who go all out to eulogize terrorists by reporting issues aimed at demoralizing soldiers who are in the war front protecting the sovereignty of the Nation. The Army chief, therefore, urged the media to co-operate with the military by verifying facts before going to press. According to Buratai, We call on the media to be very cautious and careful in disseminating informations without proper verification. He cautioned that such nformation, sometimes wrong, affected the lives of the gallant soldiers deployed for operations which was also at the detriment of the countrys national security. The Chief of Army Staff was in Lagos to commission many projects which included Phase three of reconstructed, renovated and remodeled projects at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba. All projects are fully equipped with up to date standard facilities. He also commissioned the newly reconstructed and renovated Nigerian Army Post Exchange (NAPEX) which is equally equipped with standard facilities among others. Lt Gen Buratai while interacting with senior officers and soldiers urged them to maintain all the facilities including the Corps Commander Supply and Transport residence and Barracks which was also commissioned at Yaba. The Chief also visited Ojo Army Cantonment to inspect another project which are ongoing. He, therefore advised officers and soldiers to remain professional, committed, dedicated and loyal to constituted authorities while carrying out their assigned duties. Post Views: 132 The National Executive Committee (NEC) of Action Democratic Party (ADP) has expelled its former National Secretary, James Okoroma and 16 other executive members for alleged anti-party activities. ADC National Chairman Yabagi Yusuf Sani and new National Secretary Steve Uwajie announced the expulsion in a communique jointly signed and issued on Friday at a press conference after its NEC meeting in Abuja. Uwajie said that the affected officers and members were found guilty of anti-party activities, insubordination and actions causing disaffection and division among members in compliance with Article 52.1 of the ADP constitution. The officers expelled are as follows; Ikponwen Osaze, Ehigbor Johnson, Dennis Okatubo, Victoria Goodluck, Dahiru Yabo, Ibrahim Saulawa, Muhammad Ghali, Grema Musa and James Ude. The party also dissolved all executives at the state, local government, ward and polling units across the country. Subject to the provision of the party constitution, ethics and values, the council shall jointly with NEC dissolve all state executive committee, all local government executive committee, all ward executive committee, all polling unit executive committee, and appoint all caretaker committees to run the party until another executive committee is elected. The NEC meeting also resolved to adopt all legal means retrieve the partys Toyota Sienna vehicle given to Dr Okoroma, the former National Secretary as official car in his capacity as Director-General of the YY Sani Presidential Campaign Council and all other party properties in possession of any other person. Last night, comedian Akpororo held a comedy gig at his neighbourhood in Okokomaiko, Lagos. A video however surfaced online showing organisers slashing ticket price and at some point making the show free due to low turn-out. Daddy Freeze who once had a fall-out with Akpororo over paying of tithes has now reacted to the video. In his reaction, Freeze said, wasnt this the same comedian that insulted me and called me a wall gecko at the House of the Rock experience last December? Has his tithe stopped working for him or did he miss paying his tithe for a month? Read his post below.. Although he cursed me and said hurtful things about me, I have forgiven him and have nothing but love for him and wish he stopped paying or advertising this idolatrous tithe and worshiped God for who he really is in spirit and truth (John 4:24) Paying tithe is idolatry and harlotry, its the worship of demons, the veneration of mammon and the hero worship of Satan who according to 2nd Corinthians 4:4, is the God of this world. Christ our high priest never collected tithes and neither did the disciples, who were our first bishops and GOs. Kindly Share this: Like this: Like Loading Share this: Related Share this: 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. " " Children carry torches to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan, a time of fasting and prayer for Muslims. Oscar Siagian/Getty Images Every year, more than one billion Muslims around the globe observe the importance of the month of Ramadan. This time of the year is a time for reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims show their devotion to God by fasting, or abstaining from food. Many religions encourage some kind of fasting for religious purposes. For instance, Catholics give up meat for Lent and Jews fast during the holiday of Yom Kippur. For Muslims, fasting is a very important component of Islam. The benefits of fasting for Ramadan are numerous. The most important, though, is the idea that through the self-control of fasting one can pay special attention to his spiritual nature. Advertisement Ramadan is an important time for Muslims, not simply because it helps develop a closer relationship with God, but also because Ramadan is a time to think about those who are less fortunate. Another goal of fasting for Ramadan is to experience hunger in sympathy for those without food. It is a way that many Muslims learn thankfulness and appreciation for what they have. In this article, we will examine the meaning of Ramadan, the tradition of fasting, how the time of Ramadan is determined, Eid al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) and the benefits of observing the holiday. " " A passerby looks at newspapers reporting the death of Osama bin Laden hanging at the Newseum on May 2, 2011 in Washington, D.C. after President Barack Obama announced that U.S. special forces killed the terrorist leader. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Osama bin Laden was the notorious leader of the al-Qaida terrorist cell, and one of the FBI's most wanted for decades until he was finally cornered and killed in his secret hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan in 2011. With his lair raided and his supporters scattered, the world's curiosity became more about the man himself and the interests represented by his internet search history are fascinating. Behind the Bastards podcast host Robert Evans is joined by Ify Nwadiwe (from the podcast Nerdificent) and together they comb through all the information released by the CIA to uncover the Secrets of Osama bin Laden's Hard Drive. (Spoiler alert: It included tons of porn, anime, hentai and more.) Advertisement Bin Laden grew up consuming American media; like fellow despots Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler, his favorite film genre was westerns. When bin Laden became a wanted man, running from the U.S. government, he began wearing a black cowboy hat when out in public, thinking it would shield his identity from spy satellites and drones. Bin Laden was an intense and religious person, joining the zealous Muslim Brotherhood in high school. He became revered by Arabs because he used his family fortune to help fund the mujahideen fighters (Afghan rebels) during the Soviet Afghan War in the 1970s. When he returned from the war in 1980, he was celebrated as a hero for driving the mighty Soviet Army out of Afghanistan. He used this respect and infamy as building blocks for his al-Qaida organization and religious crusade. He grabbed the attention of the American public in 1998, when al-Qaida operatives bombed United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing more than 200 people and injuring more than 5,000. On Sept. 11, 2001, the World Trade Centers were destroyed and the Pentagon was attacked when airplanes flown by al-Qaida extremists crashed into the buildings, killing almost 3,000 people. Initially, bin Laden denied involvement, but in October 2004, he released a video claiming responsibility and decrying American intervention in the Middle East. Bin Laden managed to evade capture for another decade, until finally in May 2011, he was killed by U.S. forces in his compound in Abbottabad where all of his property was also seized. The CIA published a list of documents from the collection on May 20, 2015, March 1, 2016, and Jan. 19, 2017, which included everything from letters to family members and the American people to discussions on climate change. But it was the final release on Nov. 1, 2017 that featured what seemed like a treasure trove of data, including 79,000 audio and image files, plus al-Qaida "home videos." Also in the files? Hundreds of episodes of the cartoon "Tom and Jerry", YouTube videos on crocheting, a speech by retired U.S. Representative Ron Paul, children's movies, and (shocker) porn, video games and lots of anime. There was also plenty on the hard drive that is of interest to our national security, including more recent photos of bin Laden's son Hazma, the likeliest candidate to become the leader of the new al-Qaeda, and evidence that there are ties between al-Qaida and the Iranian government. But what seems to pique everyone's curiosity is bin Laden's obsession with hentai anime porn. Did he actually like it, or was he just using it to send coded messages to other terrorists? Robert and Ify dig deep into the files to try to understand, so join them to find out all you ever needed to know about bin Laden's porn predilections, the conspiracy theories he followed and more in this episode of Behind the Bastards. Israel's military carried out waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday after Palestinian rockets hit Israeli cities as a deadly escalation showed no signs of slowing, raising fears of war. Gazan authorities reported nine Palestinians killed, including at least three militants, by Israeli strikes in the fighting that began Saturday with massive rocket fire from the strip. Israel however disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant woman and a baby, blaming errant Hamas fire. Three people were killed in Gaza rocket strikes on southern Israel on Sunday. One was confirmed as Israeli, but police had not released the nationalities for the other two. The Palestinian dead included a commander for Hamas's armed wing who Israel said it targeted due to his role in transferring money from Iran to militant groups in the Gaza Strip. On Sunday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military "to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip." He said he had also ordered "tanks, artillery and infantry forces" to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza. The flare-up came as Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded enclave, sought further concessions from Israel under a fragile months-old ceasefire. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing more than 450 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli air defences intercepting more than 150. - 'Immediately de-escalate' - In addition to those killed and injured, the rockets repeatedly set off air raid alarms in southern Israel and sent residents running to shelters while also damaging houses. The Israeli army said its tanks and planes hit some 260 militant targets in Gaza in response. It targeted mainly militant sites and in some cases militants themselves. Targets included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, it said. Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were also destroyed. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said its state news agency Anadolu had an office in the building, and strongly denounced the strike. Israel said the other building housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices. The Gaza health ministry said the dead from the Israeli strikes included a 14-month-old baby and a pregnant woman, 37. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family clarified on Sunday that she was the aunt. Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that based on intelligence "we are now confident" that the deaths of the woman and baby were not due to an Israeli strike. "Their unfortunate death was not a result of (Israeli) weaponry but a Hamas rocket that was fired and exploded not where it was supposed to," he said. Islamic Jihad's armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. On Sunday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their armed wings had targeted an Israeli army vehicle with a Kornet missile. It was unclear if it was hit. Israel closed its crossings with Gaza for people and goods, as well the fishing zone off the enclave's shore, until further notice. Egyptian and UN officials held talks to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on "all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months." The United States said it fully supported Israel's "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks." Jordan, one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, urged it to "end its aggression against the Gaza Strip and respect international humanitarian law." - Visit to Cairo - The escalation follows Friday clashes along the Gaza border that were the most violent in weeks. Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the frontier. Israel and Gazan militants have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and the United Nations, had led to relative calm around Israel's April 9 general election. But recent days saw a gradual uptick in violence, placing the ceasefire at risk. A Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar visited Cairo Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The truce has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza, paying salaries and financing fuel purchases to ease severe electricity shortages. Israel has several reasons to seek calm. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following April's election and the country celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. Israel is also due to host the high-profile Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18, expected to attract thousands of spectators. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. Dries Mertens on Sunday overtook club legend Diego Maradona in Napoli's all-time Serie A scorers list after bagging his 82st goal in a 2-1 win over Cagliari which sealed second place in this season. The Belgian striker headed in the equaliser after 85 minutes in Naples to surpass former Argentinian ace Maradona, who hit 81 league goals between 1984 and 1991. Mertens is now the third best Serie A scorer in the club's history, behind Antonio Vojak, who hit a record 102 league goals between 1929 and 1935 and Slovakian Marek Hamsik, who achieved 100 before leaving to play in China this season. "I'm very happy to have overtaken Maradona and to be a part of Napoli's history," said Mertens, 31, who arrived in southern Italy in 2013 from PSV Eindhoven. "We must be proud of the our second place." "The future? If I want to score goals in Italy I have to stay. I have always said that I feel good here, I have a contract for next year and I am very happy to stay here." Hamsik has scored the most goals in all competitions for Napoli with 121, followed by Maradona on 115 with Mertens now joint third on 107 with Attila Sallustro. Mertens said he was enjoying playing under Carlo Ancelotti who took over from Maurizio Sarri this season. "With Ancelotti my role has changed. The place behind the striker is mine. I have more freedom and it shows." Mertens has scored 14 goals this season including the last three games. Both of Napoli's Serie A titles were won under Maradona in 1987 and 1990. The club are 16 points behind champions Juventus but 10 ahead of third-placed Inter Milan with three games to play. THREE teams each composed of five women led by Senior Insp. Ivy Bartolome, under the supervision of Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 7 Commander Hector Grijaldo Jr., participated in the Police Regional THREE teams each composed of five women led by Senior Insp. Ivy Bartolome, under the supervision of Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 7 Commander Hector Grijaldo Jr., participated in the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7s all-women shooting competition. The event was held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Central Commands firing grange in Cebu City on March 19. Engr. Fausto Gamallo, RMFB 7s advisory council chairman, graced the occasion to provide full support to the RMFB 7 teams. RMFB 7s Team 1 ranked second place in the overall ranking. It is composed of Martin, the team leader. Her members are PO1 Maningo Jhea May Buot, PO1 Garsula Jenelyn Ejercito, PO1 Omalza Lera and PO1 Caseres Liezel Libradilla. Teams from different PRO 7 units participated in the competition. (S) Morocco becomes the unlikely first stop for Chinese tea exports as they find their way into global markets through Belt and Road Jinli Tea, a small company in the Hubei provincial city of Lichuan, has become the first Chinese company to operate a branch in the northern African nation of Morocco, as it takes advantage of the Chinese governments Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to expand offshore in search of growth opportunities. Jinli now operates five packaging lines in Morocco with the annual capacity for 3,000 tonnes of tea, after investing US$8.2 million in the country since late 2015. The Moroccan branch contributed about 60 million yuan (US$9 million) of revenue last year, said Jinlis chief executive Wang Qimao. Our main products are still for export, so we went to Morocco and thought we must open the western Africa market through the country, Wang said in an interview with South China Morning Post in Lichuan. With a population of 36 million people, Morocco is the gateway to northern and western Africa, importing 77,562 tonnes of Chinese tea last year, about one fifth of Chinas total tea exports, according to the China Tea Marketing Association. INFOGRAPHIC: How One Belt, One Road will give Chinas developing neighbours easier access to Chinese-made products China shipped 364,742 tonnes of tea abroad last year. Most of the 20 largest export markets of Chinese tea except the US in fourth place and Japan in 11th lie along the BRI route, which mirrors the ancient Silk Road that links China with Europe and Africa. The biggest impact of the Belt and Road Initiative [for Chinas tea industry] is that China can have a stable export market, said Rabobanks beverages analyst Stacie Wan. Trade between the US and China accounted for 3 per cent (US$660 billion) of total global trade in 2017, according to World Trade Organisation figures. And the automotive industry was one of the biggest areas affected by the trade tensions after China increased the tariffs on US-made automobiles entering the country from 15 per cent to 40 per cent earlier last year. Story continues The tea industry is also one of the few industries that have been left largely unaffected by the US-China trade war, with exports growing 21 per cent to 364,742 tonnes last year, from 2014, according to customs bureau data. Even if the trade war were to crimp exports to the US, tea exports to the BRI-related countries in the past five years can offset the decline, Wan said. With extensive and continuously expanding geographical coverage, BRI can help rekindle the motivation of Chinese companies to invest overseas, said Derek Lai, Vice Chair of Deloitte China, Deloitte Global Belt & Road Leader. More from South China Morning Post: This article Morocco becomes the unlikely first stop for Chinese tea exports as they find their way into global markets through Belt and Road first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Outside the meeting, environmental campaigners 'Alter G7' demonstrated to highlight what they say is the urgency of the global crisis Environment ministers of the G7 nations met in France Sunday, a day ahead of the release of what is expected to be another alarming report on the state of the planet. Ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States gathered for the two-day meeting in the northeastern city of Metz. They were due to discuss measures to tackle deforestation, plastic pollution and the degradation of coral reefs and try to form alliances between nations to act on them. Joining the ministers were delegations from the European Union as well as Chile, Egypt, the Fiji Islands, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Niger and Norway. "We need to come out of this G7... with some very concrete things that go beyond speeches," said France's junior minister for ecological transition, Brune Poirson, as the meeting opened. On Monday, the UN will publish an executive summary of a 1,800-page tome crafted by more than 400 expertsthe first UN global assessment of the natural world in 15 years. Drafts of both documents obtained by AFP leave no doubt that it will paint a disturbing picture of widespread destruction wrought by man, some of it irreparable. "We will agree on the best ways to enhance the place of biodiversity on the international stage...," said France's Minister for Ecological Transition, Francois de Rugy. Activists from the 'Alter G7' group, some dressed as endangered animals, staged a 'die-in' as part of their protest But Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist appointed by President Donald Trump to head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told the meeting too much attention was being paid to the worst-case scenarios on climate change. Outside the meeting, environmental campaigners "Alter G7" demonstrated to highlight what they say is the urgency of the global crisis. Explore further UN biodiversity meet wraps up, report due Monday 2019 AFP 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. "Art is anything you can get away with." ~ Marshall McLuhan I find it interesting that nearly everyone who hears the above quot... April 5, 1941 May 2, 2019 ATHOL James Elliott Galusha, 78, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at the Glens Falls Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He was born April 5, 1941 in Olmstedville, to parents Leon and Estella Galusha. Jim grew up in Johnsburg, attending Johnsburg Central School with his siblings, Eugene, Myrna, Joseph, Georgia and Richard. On Aug. 1, 1959, Jim and Norma Jean Hastings were married in the United Methodist Church in Johnsburg. Aug. 1 of this year would have been their 60th wedding anniversary. They raised two sons, Randy and Patrick, on the family farm on Charles Olds Road in Athol. Jim worked in many trades during his life and was owner or co-owner of several businesses. In his early years and at various times throughout his life, he had a logging business, but he was mostly known as a heavy equipment operator. As a young man, he worked for the NYSDOT for seven years, and in the 1980s he joined with his son, Patrick, as they co-owned Patrick J. Galusha Construction until his retirement. Jim also attended the Fort Smith Auction School and ran an auction service for a number of years. He was well-known for doing charity auctions throughout the region. Jim was town justice in the Town of Thurman for six years, and town supervisor for four years. He also owned Toad Hill Maple Farm with his son, Randy, but he is probably best known for his passion for horses, which he developed as a young man growing up on the family farm in Johnsburg. In the 1960s, he began Toad Hill Stud Farm, where he trained, bred, boarded, bought and sold horses. Jim traveled throughout New York, successfully competing in horse shows and later competing in team roping at local rodeos. While he was known for the many good horses he raised, the one that was most special to him was Long Shadows Duke, an American quarter horse that he raised from a colt and trained as a reining horse. Shad, as he was known, was a black stallion, and James and he won many competitions in some of the biggest horse shows in New York. Jim loved to take Sunday drives and to travel out west with Norma, where they went to many horse auctions and rodeos. Besides his passion for horses, the thing that probably best defined who Jim was, was his willingness to do anything for his family and friends. He had a kind and generous heart and was always there to do anything his family or friends needed. He was a proud father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and he took great joy in helping his sons to be successful in their many ventures. Friends and family always knew there was a warm cup of coffee waiting for them when they visited the farm. Jim cared for Norma at home until her passing in January of this year. Jim was predeceased by his wife, Norma; his parents, Leon and Estella; and his brothers, Eugene and Joseph. Left to cherish his memory are his brother, Richard (Kathy) Galusha; sisters, Myrna Rhodes and Georgia (Richard) Kenyon; sister-in-law, Norma Galusha; sisters-in-law, Marylin Becker and Karen Deuel; sons, Randy (Jill) Galusha and Patrick (Katie) Galusha; grandchildren, Lindsey Galusha, Nathan (Kaleigh) Galusha, Taylor Galusha and Justin Galusha; great-grandchild, Ryan Marie Prosser; several nieces and nephews; and special family friend, Mary Kenyon. The family would like to give special thanks to the folks who cared for Jim on Tower floor 2 of the Pruyn Pavilion and at the C.R. Wood Cancer Center. Friends may call on Jims family from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Alexander Funeral Home, 3809 Main St., Warrensburg. A memorial service to celebrate Jims life will immediately follow the visitation at 4 p.m. at the funeral home, and burial for both Jim and Norma will follow at the Warrensburg Cemetery. A dinner will be held after the burial at the First Presbyterian Church of Warrensburg at 2 Stewart Farrar Ave. In lieu of flowers, a Tribute Gift can be made in Jims name to the Glens Falls Hospital at www.GlensFallsHospital.org/Foundation; or by calling 518-926-5960; or by mailing a check to the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation, 126 South St., Glens Falls, NY 12801. Donations can also be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Warrensburg, 2 Stewart Farrar Ave., Warrensburg, NY 12885. Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guest book, condolences and directions. Elmira names Deans List ELMIRA Elmira College released its Deans List for Academic Achievement for the winter 2019 term. The Deans List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who were registered for at least 12 computable credit hours and who earned a term grade point average of 3.6 or higher. Local students include: Amber Eggleston of Clemons; Adam Horey of Greenwich; Chelsea Kennedy of Diamond Point; and Anna Liebelt of Riparius. Wagner inducted into honor society BATON ROUGE, La. Paul Wagner of Wilton was recently initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, the nations oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Wagner was initiated at University of Michigan. Wagner is among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction. Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann, who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. Cutter honored at convocation OSWEGO Echo Cutter of Hudson Falls, a senior studying human development, was honored at SUNY Oswegos 2019 Honors Convocation, receiving the Award for Outstanding Senior in Human Development. Cutter plans to attend University at Albany to obtain a masters degree in higher education. SUNY Oswego honored more than 100 students at the formal ceremony, which featured a procession of faculty and college officers in full academic regalia. It is sponsored each spring at Oswego by Vega, the womens honor society. The audience included faculty, staff, students and students family members. Bennett presents at competition CONWAY, S.C. James Bennett of Wilton, a physics pre-engineering major, was one of 120 Coastal Carolina University students to present research at the Undergraduate Research Competition, April 16-17. Students represented various majors and research topics, and they presented either oral or poster presentations. Bennetts presentation was titled Prediction of Offshore Wind Speeds. The Undergraduate Research Competition is a spring tradition at Coastal Carolina University that celebrates the accomplishments of CCU undergraduate researchers and provides a venue for the dissemination of student research. Undergraduate research includes original research and scholarly or creative works, so all disciplines are represented. All CCU undergraduate researchers are eligible and encouraged to submit abstracts to present research that they completed during the previous year. Presentations are judged within broad disciplinary categories and the top presentations for each category win cash awards. HVCC engineering students honored TROY Nearly 30 high-achieving students were recently inducted into the Tau Alpha Pi academic honor society at Hudson Valley Community College. Local students include: Bruce Hall of Middle Grove, civil engineering technology; and Christopher Carpenter of Gansevoort, mechanical engineering technology. Molisani inducted into Oneonta society ONEONTA Kathryn Molisani of Queensbury was inducted into SUNY Oneontas Alpha-Kappa-Iota chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. The students were inducted during the History Departments Awards and Phi Alpha Theta Induction Ceremony last week in Le Cafe at Morris Conference Center. The special guest was Elizabeth Mosher, Daughters of the American Revolution state chairperson and SUNY Oneonta alumna. Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students and professors of history, and is the second oldest such society in the United States. In order to be inducted, undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours (four courses) in history, achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.1 in history and a grade point average of 3.0 or better overall. A maximum of three credit hours of online, transfer or AP credits may be applied to the membership eligibility requirement. Membership is not limited to history majors. Local students initiated into Phi Kappa Phi BATON ROUGE, La. The following local residents were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nations oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Tyler Moseman of Bolton Landing, initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburgh; Brittney Campbell of Corinth, initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburgh; Camryn David of Greenfield Center, initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburgh; Courtney Jaffe of Lake George, initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburgh; Kylie Shufelt of Lake Luzerne, initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburgh; and Stephanie McLain of North Creek, was initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. Students present research projects ONEONTA More than 100 students presented projects at SUNY Oneontas annual Student Research and Creative Activity Day event from April 18-19. Created to recognize and promote undergraduate scholarship and creative activity, Student Research and Creative Activity Day has become the premier on-campus event for scholarly student exhibition. A total of 152 students, supported by faculty sponsors from a variety of academic disciplines, displayed poster presentations in the colleges Hunt College Union during the two-day showcase. Local students include: Amy Rohrman of Granville presented a project titled Survey of Microsporidia in the Aquatic Invertebrate Taxon Glossosoma sp. in Otsego County N.Y.; and Eilean Underwood of Chestertown presented a project titled Waste Production, Energy Consumption, and Sustainable Practices within the Food Sector. St. Lawrence chemistry students honored CANTON Students have been inducted into Chymist, the chemistry honorary society at St. Lawrence University in Canton. This organization derives its name from Robert Boyles The Sceptical Chymist, a volume that solidifies Boyle as the founder of modern chemistry. To be eligible for membership, St. Lawrence students must have taken at least six courses of chemistry with a minimum grade point average of 3.5 and an overall grade point average of at least 3.2. Local students include: Gabrielle T. Davis of Glens Falls, a member of the class of 2020, majoring in chemistry; and Kellen M. Wolfe of Glens Falls, a member of the class of 2020, majoring in chemistry. Canton students awarded at Honors Convocation CANTON SUNY Canton recognized students with the highest grades at the William J. Mein Honors Convocation, held as a formal recognition of student achievement. It is named annually to honor a retired faculty member who has made significant contributions to the college. An award is bestowed to each student with the highest grade point average for their academic year in each of the colleges programs. Local students include: Elian L. Erickson of Hampton, game design and development; Jonathan A. Luse of Middle Grove, mechanical engineering technology; and Michael Wilson of North Creek, graphic and multimedia design. Dreher gets High Point University Award HIGH POINT, N.C. Michael Dreher, a senior from Lake George, received the University Award for Service from High Point University in High Point, North Carolina. Dreher, a business major and computer science minor, has been an involved member of campus and the surrounding community. At HPU, he is chief justice of the Student Government Association and a presidential scholar. He is also a member of six honor societies: Alpha Chi National Honor Society, Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society, National Society of Leadership and Success, Order of the Lighted Lamp and Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, of which he is the past president. Under his leadership, Beta Theta Pi was the recipient of the Chapter of the Year Award. Beyond campus, Dreher volunteers in the High Point community with organizations including the Boys and Girls Club, Open Door Ministries, the Salvation Army and Make a Wish Foundation. His nomination for the award called him an incredible example of a leader and said he has served as a valuable resource, guide and mentor to his community. On Campus is compiled by Gretta Hochsprung. Email submissions to her at ghochsprung@poststar.com or call 518-742-3206. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile But as the Mississippi River reached a record crest of 22.64 feet at 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, she said the flooding became an emergency. "Our block wall has shifted in about two feet from where we placed it; the water moved it two feet," she said. "And (Thursday), we had water at the very top of our blocks. If we had any other rise in the crest, that water was coming over." Managers, she said, had to make an immediate decision to reinforce the inside of the building with a sandbag wall. "It was a lesson we learned from the city of Davenport: You better have a back-up plan," she said. Crews brought in two truckloads of sand, sopping wet from the rain, then took them to the building by boat. "We pulled as many available crew people as we could. And friends and family came from Iowa City and drove in, and took off work, to come help," she said. "By 2:30, the sandbag wall was built inside the building to protect us in case water comes over the wall." By 4:30 p.m., she said, all they could do was "sit back and watch." May 16 is Q-C campus commencement The Black Hawk College Quad-Cities Campus Commencement Ceremony will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at the TaxSlayer Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline. Tickets are not needed to attend commencement. Parking is free. The facility is handicapped accessible. There will be a sign language interpreter at the ceremony. For traffic information related to the I-74 bridge construction, visit i74riverbridge.com/traffic. For an interactive map, visit i74riverbridge.com/map. For more information, visit www.bhc.edu/graduation. Create with clay in evening classes The beginner class Creations with Clay will introduce students to the basics of working on the potters wheel and creating hand-built projects using stoneware clay. The class will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursdays, May 16 to June 20, at the colleges Quad-Cities Campus in Moline. Cost is $99 plus a $20 materials fee. To register, call 309-796-8223 or visit www.bhc.edu/pace. Take daytime computer classes The people with buildings literally underwater are going to have to dry out first. We have to wait for the water to go down, Carter said recently. Its a significant impact on everyone down here. I dont know how else to put it. It certainly will hurt the economy. Meanwhile, city officials say they did everything possible to notify people in the area and react to a situation thats been described by Davenport Public Works Director Nicole Gleason as unprecedented and unpredictable. In an interview with the Quad-City Times, Gleason said itll still be a while before city employees can safely go in and repair the barriers downtown, something she said may not even be possible until the river recedes several feet. Shes said the heightened river crest which last week surpassed the historic flood of 1993 grew out of control following downpours that werent on the citys radar until roughly 12 hours before the barriers broke. With the way we received the flood predictions as the information came in, we reacted exactly as we could have, Gleason said, adding: Honestly we had no reason to believe the floodwall would not hold until we saw visible signs that something was going on, and thats when we made the notification. Last Sunday, I spent some time at one of my favorite places here in the Quad-Cities: Black Hawk State Historic Site, a state park that includes everything from wonderful hiking trails to an excellent museum preserving Native American artifacts from the tribes that lived in this area. It is one of the crown jewels of the Quad-Cities. While I have been to the museum several times, on this visit my time was spent hiking some of the well-maintained trails that are to be found in the 208-acre park. Last Sunday was a rare day of sunshine this spring, and I was determined to make good use of it. I was rewarded by finding a wide variety of wildflowers to photograph, among them Dutchmans breeches (Dicentra cucullaria,) jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllam) and red trillium (Trillium erectum.) The joy of digital cameras is that, unlike film cameras, it is possible to shoot pictures with abandon, without worrying about the cost. I ended up shooting several hundred pictures, only a few of which I posted on my Facebook page. I also saw a doe, who posed for a few pictures before flashing her white tail and bounding off into the woods, joined by her three companions. It was a great day to be in the park! After a week of heavy rain and a record crest for the Mississippi River that left a good chunk of Davenport underwater, Quad-City residents needed a break. Right on cue, beautiful weather held Saturday for the Village of East Davenport's Village in Bloom event, and people responded in droves. "It hasn't been too terribly bad," said Brew in the Village manager Jaymie Clark. "We're a lot more fortunate than downtown Davenport, but with River Drive being closed it has caused a lot of headaches trying to find room to park and accessing Jersey Ridge Road or Kirkwood or Middle Road. People still find a way down here, and the community's really good about it especially with the nice weather." During Saturday's sunny afternoon, Brew's interior resembled a slow day, but their patio was packed. Patrons sat on the roof of Rudy's Tacos, observing the festivities and enjoying Mexican cuisine. Bayside Bistro owner Latisha Howlett noted the weather had been gray all week. "But it's better than some places some places have snow. And the wall seems to be holding. The workers have been down maintaining it, so that's good." Too much power U.S. Attorney General William Barr says that President Trump should be able to end an investigation of himself if he (Trump) thinks the investigation is unfair. So any president would be able to do this, making a president above the law? By extension, Barr as the top cop would be able to extend this courtesy to himself, putting himself above the law. But wait theres more: Barr then would be able to extend that to his Republican senator friends or anyone else whom Barr felt had properly inserted their nose. Has anyone noticed how Trump has gone after the leadership in all our institutions? The effect is to weaken those institutions. This is similar to what Putin did. He did away with high level institutions of government in Russia so that no one would be close to threatening his power. Tom Hebbeln Davenport Freedom for all The Mississippi not only has been at major flood stage for 43 days as of today, but it has been out of its banks at Lock and Dam 15 since March 15 10 days short of two full months. That, to us, is staggering. And we wonder what might come next? It would be tempting to just think of this as a one-off. After all, its been 26 years since we set our last record. However, we have all watched as more frequent, heavier rainfall has pounded the Midwest. We have seen the predictions that climate change will present ever greater challenges in the future. We saw a report the other day that said it was a "fools errand" to try to link this years Midwest flooding to climate change. We think it would be foolish not to prepare for that very real possibility. We believe, when we get past the flood-fighting and recovery stage, there should be a comprehensive examination of how we have been fighting floods in Davenport. Such an examination should enlist downtown businesses and residents. Ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take part, along with state disaster experts. Lets look at what other communities have done. Bridge the gap One of the main challenges that media face in reporting on climate change is the disconnection between the scientific community and the media. No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. ~Mary Wortley Montagu Human hands have given the circle of life a faster spin for the past 16 years in a fire-ravaged pocket of the Black Hills National Forest. It begins in the fall when men heave themselves up the trunks of ponderosa pine trees to snip green cones from the branches. It continues 300 miles away in Nebraska, where the cones are dried and the seeds are extracted and grown into seedlings. In the spring, a truck covers the 300 miles again, this time returning the seedlings to South Dakota, where migrant workers implant them in the ground at the superhuman pace of about 1,000 trees per person, per day. It all happens one cone, a few seeds and one seedling at a time, but it has added up to 2 million trees planted since 2003 at an estimated cost of nearly $2 million to the Black Hills National Forest. And it was all made necessary by an arsonist who tossed a match in 2000 (she subsequently served 15 years in prison and was paroled in 2016). The match ignited the Jasper Fire, which burned across 130 square miles in the Jewel Cave area and blazed its way into the record books as the largest fire in the recorded history of the Black Hills. Today, much of the formerly forested area is covered with grass and littered with the desiccated trunks of burned trees that are slowly decaying into the landscape. The fire affected an estimated 239 million board feet of timber. In other words, if all the trees killed by the fire had been preemptively harvested and processed into boards measuring 1 foot long, 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick, the boards wouldve covered 45,000 miles when laid end-to-end almost enough to circle the earth twice. Compared to the fires giant footprint, the 2 million trees that have been planted since then are like specks of paint on a mostly blank canvas. But its a start. Without human help, reforestation would depend on the lonely ponderosa pines that survived the Jasper Fire. Their seeds dont spread far, and any new trees they spawn could take 60 years to produce viable seeds of their own. At that pace, it could take centuries for individual trees to multiply into groves. The U.S. Forest Service doesnt want to wait that long. So, every two to seven years, when conditions are cool and moist enough to produce a bumper crop of pine cones, fall is cone-picking season in the southern Black Hills. The cone pickers To learn that people are paid to collect pine cones in a national forest is to imagine a crew leisurely strolling through nature, stooping here and there to pick up a cone from the forest floor. To watch an actual cone-picker working in a national forest is something entirely different. Pine cones on the ground are no good for seed-collecting. Those cones have already dried out, opened up and released their seeds. To get the seeds before they flitter away, the cones have to be harvested while theyre still green, sealed up and attached to a tree. That requires climbing the ramrod-straight trunks of mature pine trees in the Black Hills, which is like trying to ascend a flag pole covered in scratchy, crumbly bark. Last September, Chris Cawley, of Missoula, Montana, demonstrated the technique on a 40-foot-tall tree. Using a thick rope wrapped around the tree and attached to his waist harness, Cawley used the ropes purchase on the bark to support his upper body while his knees and feet clamped onto the trunk. Then he slide the rope higher, used it to pull himself up, and clamped his knees and feet onto the trunk again. Pickin' cone in the Black Hills National Forest Scenes from a September 2018 pine-cone-picking operation in the southern Black Hills. The cones, which are picked every two to seven years dep In that alternating fashion pulling with the rope, clamping with the legs, again and again, all the while lugging extra ropes and a long-handled pruner hanging from his waist harness he violently struggled about halfway up the tree. There, he reached some branches strong enough to support his feet, paused, and wrapped another rope around the tree and affixed it to his harness, like a rock climber clipping onto a bolt. Its kind of just like a scramble to the first branch, Cawley said, and you use clip lines to keep you safe. From there he continued to the top of the tree, using the stronger branches like ladder rungs. At the top, he grabbed his long-handled pruner and began cutting off the tips of pine-cone-bearing branches, while working his way back down the tree. The branch segments, weighted by the living, greenish and surprisingly hefty pine cones, whistled toward the earth like bombs and thumped onto the ground. Soon the base of the tree was littered all around with branch-ends and pine cones, and Cawley descended to gather up the cones. Then it was on to the next tree. Cawley, a wiry-framed 39-year-old, said he can climb 10 trees and collect up to 18 bushels of pine cones on a good day. He started picking cones 20 years ago, after being a teenage rock climber. I figured nobody was going to pay me to climb rocks, Cawley said. But there were lots of people climbing trees. He now works for Roan & Associates, of Montana. Besides picking cones, the company does other land-restoration work, such as planting trees and sagebrush, and collecting pollen. Cawley supplements his income with construction jobs during the winter, but he otherwise stays in the woods as much as he can. One of the great things about this country is its forest and its public land, he said. Theres a lot of places in the world that didnt take care of their forests so well, and doing this work ensures that future generations have that opportunity. In September, Cawley was leading a five-man crew of cone pickers on the fringes of the Jasper Fire area, about 20 miles west and a little north of Custer. Cones are picked there because seeds will grow better if theyre picked at about the same elevation as theyll be planted. The crew picked cones all day, getting paid by the bushel, and slept in tents at a campground in Newcastle, Wyoming. Their stay in the Black Hills lasted a few weeks, and they picked about 1,000 bushels of cones, all of which were bagged in burlap and hauled to the last place anyone would expect to find a tree nursery: the mostly treeless Sandhills of north-central Nebraska. The seed sowers The U.S. Forest Services Charles E. Bessey Nursery was founded in 1902 and named for a botany professor who pioneered experimental tree-planting in the Great Plains. The nursery is just outside the town of Halsey, Nebraska, population 76. The broader setting is the Sandhills, a vast region of dunes created by desert conditions that existed centuries ago. Today the dunes are anchored in place by uneven grass cover, and the Sandhillls are a beautifully spartan place populated mostly by cattle. As improbable as the Sandhills seem for the location of a tree nursery, the region has some qualities that make it ideal for the job. Those include reserves of underground water that can be tapped with shallow wells to water the trees, and soil of a loose and sandy makeup that makes it easy to uproot young trees for transplantation. Growing seedlings at the Bessey Nursery in Nebraska October 2018 scenes from the U.S. Forest Service's Charles E. Bessey Tree Nursery in Nebraska, where seeds are extracted from Black Hills pine Each year, the Bessey Nursery supplies about 2 million young trees to state conservation agencies and the national forests of the Rocky Mountain region. Last fall, when the Black Hills pine cones picked by Cawley and his crew arrived at the nursery, they received an enthusiastic greeting from the nurserys hands-on manager, Richard Gilbert. Gilbert not only runs the nursery but also lives in a house on-site. Hes been there for 14 years and still views the life cycle of trees with energetic wonder. Its amazing, man. It really is, he said. Its really cool. Its awesome to be part of it, thats for sure. Upon receiving the burlap bags full of Black Hills pine cones, Gilbert and his crew of five full-time and six seasonal employees laid out the sacks in a storage building to dry. Pine cones can remain there for two to six weeks until the nursery crew is ready to process them. Next, the pine cones are spread onto wooden boxes with wire-mesh bottoms and are subjected to 48 hours of hot, dry propane heat to open them up. After the transformation from closed, green cylinders into open, brown cones is complete, the next step is the tumbler, which looks like an industrial clothes dryer for pine cones. The tumbling motion of the machines cylindrical chamber dislodges the seeds from the cones, and the seeds fall through openings in the cylinder to a receptacle below. Next, the seeds are processed by the de-winger another literally named machine that uses slapping leather flaps to bust the wings from the seeds. The reason they have a wing on them is if the cones still on the tree, and it opens up and the seed comes out, the seed will just whirlybird away from the tree, Gilbert said while dropping a winged seed to demonstrate. Finally, the seeds are run through other machines that clean them of clingy natural debris. The clean seeds are sealed inside plastic bags and cardboard cylinders and placed in a big walk-in freezer at 5 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit alongside 14,000 pounds of other seeds, mostly from national forests in the Rocky Mountain region while a sample of the seeds is sent to a lab in Georgia. The lab workers analyze the quality of the seed crop to help Gilbert determine how many seeds he should drop in each cell of dirt when he plants them. The lab analysis can take four to five months, so the seeds produced by last years Black Hills cone pickers could remain in the freezer until next year. When Gilbert and his crew needed to plant trees for the Black Hills in March 2018, they pulled a 2015 crop of Black Hills seeds out of the freezer and planted about 153,000 seedlings. The seeds were planted in squarish, Styrofoam containers with 112 small holes, each with space for about 6 cubic inches of dirt. The nursery grows some other trees in the ground, mostly for state conservation programs, but the national forests served by the nursery have better success with so-called container trees. The Black Hills container trees were grown in two of the nurserys greenhouses. From March to October, the seeds sprouted and grew into 6-inch-high, pine-needle-bearing seedlings. Around the beginning of November, the seedlings were removed from their containers and packed in plastic bags and boxes, at a rate of 300 per box. The boxes of seedlings were then placed in a freezer at 26 degrees until last month. They just think its winter, Gilbert said. They dont know any different. Several weeks ago, the boxes of trees were removed from the freezer and hauled by truck to the Jasper Burn area. The seedling planters Last month, a crew of 18 Mexican laborers under the employ of OC Forestry in Medford, Oregon, completed the final step in the long journey from pine cone to planted tree. Most of the laborers were migrants on temporary work visas, while the foreman was a Mexican-born U.S. citizen. Walking across a roughly 400-acre area burned by the Jasper Fire, with heavy pouches full of seedlings affixed to their belts, the crew members paused every 10 feet or so. They used ax-like tools called hoedads to quickly scrape a small patch of grass down to the dirt. Next, they swung the hoedad to chop the earth, pry open a small hole, and drop the seedling in. After a quick tamp of the dirt with one foot, they walked away to plant the next seedling. Planting as rapidly as one seedling every 10 to 15 seconds, members of the crew planted as many as 1,000 trees per person each day for two weeks until all 153,000 of the seedlings were in the ground. Many of the seedlings were planted near the fallen trunks of dead trees for protection from harsh sun and weather, and the seedlings were also encased in biodegradable tubing to prevent damage by hungry wildlife drawn to the seedlings green needles. Most of the seedlings will survive with favorable weather and adequate precipitation. If a drought ensues, many of them could die. Because of the abundant storehouse of Black Hills seeds kept at the nursery in Nebraska, seedlings are planted almost every spring in the Jasper Fire area, even in years when no new pine cones are picked. Thriving young trees have begun to transform the landscape in some areas within the fire's footprint, including alongside Mud Springs Road, where a hillside full of seedlings planted seven years ago has grown into a grove of 3- to 4-foot-tall trees. Blaine Cook, a longtime Forest Service silviculturist, stood gazing at that hillside during this spring's planting project and reflected on the Jasper Fire. It changed the forest and peoples lives, Cook said, for years and decades to come. Contact Seth Tupper at seth.tupper@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. 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. PIERRE | A former school principal is alleging he was wrongfully terminated from his job in a South Dakota Supreme Court case that one lawyer said could be an "absolute destruction" of tribal nations' sovereign immunity. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday for an appeal on a lower court's August decision to dismiss Timothy Stathis v. Marty Indian School. Marty Indian School, located on the Yankton Reservation in southeast South Dakota, hired Stathis in May 2017, then fired him months before his contract ended in June 2018. According to court documents, 1st Circuit Court Judge Bruce Anderson dismissed the case based on tribal sovereign immunity and immunity of tribal officials and employees, a doctrine reiterated in state and federal court decisions stating that sovereign tribal nations have the right to make and uphold their own laws. But Stathis' lawyer, James Taylor of Mitchell, is arguing that "tribal immunity as a doctrine should be abandoned or narrowed." In court documents, Taylor writes that tribal immunity is a "completely judiciously created doctrine" with no basis in the U.S. Constitution, which "often provides tribal defendants with a unique vehicle to avoid liability for their actions that is simply unavailable to other similarly situated defendants." In Stathis' case, Taylor argued that Marty Indian School should be held responsible in state court for prematurely terminating Stathis' contract even though the school is located on a reservation. He noted that the school is a registered South Dakota nonprofit, so they should be held to state legal standards as well. "This case shows that individuals who contract with tribal entities are left with no forum," he said Tuesday. Asked why he didn't take this case to federal court, Taylor said he "didn't see that we had jurisdictional basis in federal court." The defense lawyer for Marty Indian School, Rebecca Kidder of Rapid City, said that plaintiffs are arguing for "no less than the overrule" of several court decisions upholding tribal sovereign immunity, and for state jurisdiction over "any suits of any non-Indian against any tribal member for conduct of tribal members on trust lands, on the reservation." "Certainly, your honors, to enact that in this case would not just be defining the perimeters of immunity or infringement, but an absolute destruction of them," Kidder said. Kidder added that Stathis' contract was "crystal clear" in reiterating its tribal immunity and that the school was not subject to state laws or court. Congress decades ago passed the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 and the Tribally Controlled School Act of 1988 two laws that Kidder said were meant to provide tribes with control over their education. "That includes decisions about personnel whether to hire them, whether to discipline them, whether to terminate them," Kidder said. "If you cannot control your contractual relationships within the school, you cant control the education that youre providing to your children. "There's no field more important to the development of tribal governance and tribal communities." You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The firearms at our house are back in the gun safe where they belong, locked up and secure from hands that shouldnt touch them. I forget sometimes and leave them out down in my basement outdoor room. I shouldnt. We have grandkids around, after all, and their friends. That thought went through my mind and was crystal clear on my wifes face as we sat across the table from each other at the library the other morning during an organizational meeting of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. I was there because Mary asked me to be, because one of our neighbors was the organizer, and because Im a gun owner and a journalist. The meeting was about life-and-death stuff involving guns. When our neighbor mentioned the need to secure guns in our homes and vehicles, I blanched. Because at that moment I knew two of my guns were not where they belonged, in the safe. They were sitting out, waiting to be cleaned and put away. Ive taken care of that. Ive also pondered a more complicated safety issue brought up during the meeting: red-flag laws. Such laws have been passed in 16 states and are being discussed in others. Basically they allow judges to order the seizure of guns from people believed to pose a threat to themselves or others. The laws are popular with Moms Demand Action, a relatively new group here in Rapid City but with a more established presence East River. The South Dakota Chapter leader is Shannon Hoime, a pediatrician in Sioux Falls who got involved in the gun-safety issue because of jarring statistics from real-life tragedies. Based on CDC statistics from 2017, South Dakota is seventh in the nation in suicides, and firearms are the most common means people use, Hoime said. In South Dakota suicide is the second-leading cause of death in age groups from children to 44-year-old adults. My take is anytime were facing statistics like that we should use any and all available tools we have to help save lives, Hoime said. But she knows the idea of a red-flag law is a delicate matter in a state that loves guns and hates restrictions. She also believes gun safety and gun rights are compatible. I think the knee-jerk response is that any gun safety law will trample on Second Amendment rights, she says. But we can definitely respect the Second Amendment and still pass laws that improve public safety. Is a red-flag law needed here? I asked Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom, Rapid City Police Captain John Olson and Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead. They think current laws and procedures work pretty well in protecting the public. They said officers who are better trained each year in crisis intervention sometimes take guns from someone caught up in an emotional crisis. But typically the subject gives up the weapons voluntarily, often with the involvement of family. A court order is otherwise needed in most instances, usually tied to a temporary protection order issued by a judge. The three lawmen doubt a red-flag bill would be warmly received by most state legislators. Id be very surprised if our Legislature would go in that direction, Milstead said. Id be surprised, too. And Hoime understands the tough odds. She just cant forget the awful statistics. This is really such a public health problem that I think they (state legislators) need to look at ways to honor the Second Amendment but also improve the safety of our families and communities, she said. It's probably something we should at least talk about, maybe even in the Capitol. Kevin Woster writes a blog and offers radio commentary for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He can be reached by emailing kevinwoster@rushmore.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Freshman Ravalli County legislator David Bedey isn't your average Republican rookie. He's a 30-year U.S. Army veteran who served as a combat engineer and professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and now works as a senior executive at a start-up engineering firm. He holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. And before running for the Montana House, he served as a trustee on the Hamilton School Board for nine years, seven as chair. I was the new kid on the block as a freshman legislator, but Ive been around a little bit and done some things in my life, Bedey said. From what I saw, we really did not have effective leadership in the Republican caucus. We had almost an absolute void of leadership. This week, fellow House freshman Sharon Greef, R-Florence, and longtime Rep. Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, offered their views of the past legislative session. All three were encouraged by the sessions accomplishments, but discouraged about a rift in the party that they believe was unnecessary. Republicans held majorities in the House and Senate and House leadership talked about unity. But, Greef said, "as far as I could see, there was never any effort to work with all of us. Unity was only with those few who toed the line and if you didnt agree with them, you didnt matter. All three Republicans were members of what was widely called the Solutions Caucus. Its members chose to work across party lines to pass legislation in including Medicaid expansion and an $80 million bonding bill. Bedey said it really should have been called the "Conservative Solutions Caucus.'' I use the term conservative deliberately, he said. I refuse to let go of the principles I espouse. There was never a single time when the conservative Solutions Caucus voted with Democrats, Bedey said. Democrats voted with the conservative Solutions Caucus. Medicaid expansion is a good example. That was a Republican bill that neither the Democrats nor the governor liked. Matter of fact, they struggled mightily against it. Medicaid expansion passed by a vote of 61-35 in the House, with most Republicans voting against it. The bill was carried by Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, who was a member of the Solutions Caucus. In the end, Ballance said, they (Democrats) had to accept it because they knew it was the only thing that would get passed. Republicans were faced with the same challenge when it came to getting new laws passed. When you consider the fact there were 58 Republicans in the House this session, even if we could vote together all the time, we still (had) a Democrat governor who could veto, Ballance said. We did not have a veto-proof majority. In fact, the only way to get anything passed was to have Democratic support because there was no veto-proof majority. Ballance traces the roots of the Solutions Caucus back to 2015, when she served as the House Appropriations chair across the table from Senate Claims and Finance Chair Llew Jones, a Republican from Conrad. He and I did not see eye-to-eye on much of anything back then, Ballance said. In one instance, we were sitting across the table from each other and screaming. As a result, the House put together a budget and sent it to the Senate. The Senate added things and changed others. When it came back, it didnt look a whole lot like what I sent over. Ballance said she decided then something needed to change. She and Jones began to talk during the interim and began to understand each others positions. By the 2017 session, she said they used that new understanding to build a plan and put together a budget that resulted in only one change by the Senate. For the first time, maybe in the history of Montana, we accepted the Senate amendment and did not have to go into a conference committee, Ballance said. Everyone was surprised, including the governor. During the last interim, Ballance, Jones and maybe 15 other legislators worked to create a plan for the 2019 session. The plan included all the things that we thought we wanted to get done during the 2019 session, she said. We brought in anyone who wanted to be part of the group. We invited everyone. Some showed up, some didnt. After the leadership was elected, Ballance said the group offered leadership its plan, but didnt receive anything back from them. Probably 90 percent of what was in that plan was accomplished by the end of the session, Ballance said. Anyone who was interested or acted interested in actually doing something for the state of Montana was invited. They didnt have to agree with us. They just had to talk to us. Thats how we picked up Dave and Sharon along the way, she said. They were clearly interested in doing something while we were there. Bedey said he appreciated the opportunity to have thoughtful discussions about the serious issues facing the state and to search for ways that they could be realistically solved. While Bedey said he shared many of the same principles that Republicans with hard-right leanings espouse, the difference is their thinking stops as soon as they claim their principle. So, for them, its my way or the highway. The reality of the situation is immaterial. They are going to vote one way and they really dont have to think about anything, he said. If you look at the voting patterns, you will see theres no thinking. What differentiates people in the Conservative Solutions Caucus is they start with those principles, but then they look around and say, 'Here is the situation that we have to deal with now, socially and economically, and how do we advance our conservative principles within the real world?' Bedey said. Bedey said he believes that's what his constituents want. I think they sent us all to the Legislature to think through those issues and come up with solutions that serve both my constituents and the people of Montana, he said. Im not going to outsource that to whoever the leader is. Good leadership would look like having the Conservative Solutions Caucus applied to the entire Republican caucus, where we have meaningful discussions, where we have disagreements and where we put something together thats good for our state, he said. Thats what leadership looked like in this organization. Its not a dictatorship. Perhaps some people can be bullied by leadership, but there were 20-plus people there that did not feel that way. Bedey said there was a group of extremists on the right and another group of legislators in the middle who might vote one way or the other. At the end of the day, many of those people in the middle stood with those extremists, the so-called 38 Special or Special 38, he said. Im not going to question their motivation, but many of those people are not nearly as extreme as the leaders of that faction. There was not only a lack of leadership, there was positively an environment of people being ostracized and bullied. Good politicians may pay attention to that, but I guess Im not a good politician, Bedey said. The three agreed that theyll need to get out and talk with their constituents to explain their positions. They have already faced a storm on social media. They say the issues the Legislature faced were complicated and impossible to condense into a few short sentences that are often found on social media. People using social media tend to reduce very complex issues down to a few soundbites, Ballance said. The danger in doing that is you can go out and espouse your views without understanding what youre even saying. We see so much of that today. It just gets people riled up and inflamed. When you have the opportunity to talk with them face-to-face and you can get them to really think about things, it makes all the difference in the world in their understanding, she said. Its too easy to just use social media to hit and run, come out with short soundbites and then not bear any of the consequences for your actions or inactions. Greef said she was swayed on several issues after listening and learning during the session. Greef was elected to the legislative seat her husband, Ed, held until he was term-limited out. Ed Greef voted against Medicaid expansion in 2015. I went to the Legislature thinking I was going to vote against Medicaid expansion, but the more I heard about the tremendous numbers of people who would end up being treated in hospital emergency rooms and the potential of our hospitals being bankrupted, or from people worried about losing their health care, I had to vote for it, Greef said. One of the most important things that we need to do now that the session is over is meet with our constituents, Greef said. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding on votes we took and why we took the votes. Our job to communicate and get facts out there. Love 9 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 14 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. As the weather continues to warm, the river flows and reservoir levels at Painted Rocks Reservoir are continually increasing. By today, Painted Rocks has begun spilling water and the West Fork water levels will rise daily. The latest report from DNRC on Painted Rocks is that it will be full and start spilling on Saturday. Here is the report from DNRC on Wednesday, May 1st: "Here is the current status at Painted Rocks as of April 30: The reservoir is starting to take on storage at a steady pace. The inflows into the reservoir have slowed by about 50% from the April 17 visit. A small gate adjustment was made to increase outflows for reservoir management." "However, based upon the current inflows and the predicted warmer weather, it is expected that Painted Rocks Reservoir will be fill and begin spilling within the next three to four days." Fishing during the past week has been good. The river flows dropped for a little while because of the cooler weather and fishermen flocked to the river. Those that are able to fish found nymphing to be the best way to catch fish and some dry fly activity in the afternoons when the water warmed a little and the sun was out. The Fly Fishers of the Bitterroot will have their monthly meeting on Tuesday May 7, starting at 5:30 p.m. Kelsey Helfrich will be the main speaker and will talk about fishing rivers in Idaho and Oregon. Her family has been outfitting for four generations and she is well known in the fly fishing industry for her guiding and lifestyle fly fishing. May and June are traditionally high water months so if you want to take some trips during the next six to eight weeks you can find some fishing water in rivers where the water levels are controlled by dams. Reports from the Big Horn have been pretty bad for those who have been fishing the past two or three weeks. The water is cold and below 40 degrees. The best fishing there is yet to come when the water warms about five or six degrees. The upper Clark Fork River around the Anaconda area will be good and the water lower due to controlled runoff. There is some good fishing there in the spring when our river is blown out. The only drawback to the upper Clark Fork is there is a lot of fishing pressure and fishermen will come many miles to find the good fishing there. The tributaries including Skalkaho Creek are off limits for another three weeks so dont venture there until later this month. The East Fork has been fishing pretty well so if you can get there before the water goes up too much you should find some good fishing. For those who havent been out fishing be sure to put on your inflatable life jacket when you go out and make sure you have a current fishing license. Good Fishing, Bill Bean. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Several bills aiming to combat the crisis of missing Native Americans in Montana are now on the books, after members of the Montana Legislature's Indian Caucus fought to make them a reality. While the November 2018 elections were noted nationally for substantially increasing the number of women serving in elected office, Montana saw its largest-ever group of Native American lawmakers elected. For the first time in state history, the percentage of Native legislators mirrored that of the state population as a whole, close to 7%. Finally the Montana state legislature is looking like the state of Montana, Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning, said Friday. Webber, who was elected to her first Senate term in November after serving two terms in the House, draws a straight line from that increased Native representation to the success of legislation that will change how missing-person reports are tracked and investigated. Notably, lawmakers also secured funding for two of those measures. One of those bills, Hannas Act, passed the legislature nearly unanimously last month, and was signed into law Friday. Part of a package of legislation developed by the legislatures State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee, it will create a new position with the Department of Justice to track missing-persons cases in the state and assist families and law enforcement agencies to find those people. The new specialist position will be funded for the first two years out of a special revenue account. Despite ultimately garnering broad support, the bills journey through the state house was far from straightforward. It was briefly tabled in a committee and had its $200,000 appropriation stripped out, along with the job description. Those provisions were ultimately restored, but Republican lawmakers later tried unsuccessfully to tie its fate to a DUI bill that had died earlier in the session. I was fully prepared to kill Hannas Act, just because of the politicking. It hurt, Webber said. That was the only bill Ive ever cried when it passed. Rep. Rae Peppers, D-Lame Deer, who did not return phone calls Thursday or Friday, also successfully shepherded two other bills through the legislature that create stricter guidelines for how law enforcement agencies handle missing-person reports. House Bill 20 specifies procedures for investigating and reporting cases of children believed to be missing as a result of a custody dispute. House Bill 54 requires all law enforcement authorities in the state to accept missing-person reports, and sets out minimum time frames for the agencies to enter those reports into a national database. And a bill called Looping in Native Communities, introduced by Republican Sen. Jason Small, of Busby, will create a grant-funded network to collect and share data on missing people within Montanas seven Indian reservations. It will also create a task force within the state Department of Justice to oversee the new program. Rep. Shane Morigeau, a Missoula Democrat and member of the Indian Caucus, praised Smalls bill in particular for its focus on the states indigenous communities. In Montana, Native residents make up a quarter of all missing-person reports, despite accounting for less than 7% of the population. It actually gets the tribal communities involved, and its more focused on just missing Native persons, in the Native communities where we have a higher number of people who go missing, Morigeau said. And another measure that has now made its way into law is Senate Bill 40, which requires the Office of Public Instruction to create and maintain an electronic repository of student photos. Those photos would be made available to law enforcement to help them and the public identify missing children. Small called the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, probably the best one in the whole bunch. What we found in tribal relations a lot of people didnt have accurate photos of their children, they were 3 or 4 years old, he explained. Thats the one thats going to get constantly used. Gov. Steve Bullock signed House Bill 20 in February, and on Thursday gave his approval to Smiths bill to create a database of public school student photos, then signed Hanna's Act and House Bill 54 on Friday. In an interview Thursday, he called the high rate of missing and murdered Native people a human rights issue that we have a moral obligation to address," and said he expects to also sign Small's "Looping In Native Communities" bill. Each of them has something to help educate, inform and address the challenge of missing and murdered indigenous women recognizing that it is just really the first step, Bullock said. I think its never enough until were no longer dealing with the issue, but given where we were before the session to now, its a significant step. Members of the Indian Caucus agreed, however, that the 2019 sessions successes are only a first step toward curbing the rates at which Native Americans go missing. Many lawmakers and activists consider that to be intertwined with the equally high rate at which Native people in Montana are victims of homicide. Their homicide rate in Montana is about four times that of the states overall population, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Theyre all kind of reactive, and theyre all kind of focused toward (the) need to do more when someone goes missing and how do we make this system better, Morigeau said. We need to start thinking about ways we can make our communities safer really kind of identifying, hey, we know this happened, how could we have prevented this? But Morigeau acknowledged its a tall order to find solutions to what he called the underbelly of issues we see throughout the state. He said he views human trafficking, economic development in reservation communities, and with more robust programs to treat substance abuse and mental health problems as reforms that are still needed to address the crisis. Webber noted that the issue has been present for decades, despite only recently gaining attention from lawmakers and the media. The legislation passed this year has been meaningful, she said, adding that keeping the states Medicaid expansion alive was an important win for Native Americans. But solving the issues faced by those communities will take sustained, long-term leadership. Its past time that it starts getting recognition, Webber said. Were done having to live with this sorrow, live with the unknown, to live with our relevance just disappearing. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It was a few years ago that the Supreme Court granted the very wealthy the ability to use their vast amounts of money to control the elected officials that are supposed to run the government of the United states of America. They succeeded. The wealthy are now running the government of the USA. Who are they governing for? Why the wealthy people. Who are they ignoring? The vast population of the United States of America, the poor people and the vast middle class of the country. There are a huge number of poor people on this gob of mud that we live on. I dont know the number of poor people in Africa, but I know they are many. Their struggle for living is an unbelievable task. Properly raising their children is a task beyond understanding, but the children keep arriving and the ability to raise them is still not understood. Are we our brothers keeper? Deep in our hearts we all know that answer. We are Good Samaritans. We give aid to the traveler fallen at the side of the road. Yet a good portion of this world is made up of fallen travelers at the side of the road; and we walk right on by. Some of us have blue eyes and many of us have different colored eyes, but we are all sisters or brothers. It is our responsibility to care for our sisters and brothers who may be laying along side of the road. Listening to the news you must realize that we are not doing anything to help the many fallen brothers and sisters. I have often wondered why my fellow brothers and sisters involve themselves with dope. I have had a good life and have always been able to raise myself to the heights that I desired without the aid of artificial assistance. Within the confines of our brains we can construct avenues of existence to take us to places of learning and understanding. No one needs to be lost in the forest of ignorance. One of our great problems is that we dont use the vast wisdom contained within our skulls. Einstein once said that within our brains we can travel at the speed of light. There is nothing that a person cannot do within their brain. One spring day in 1946 I was sitting in a taxi on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania when I was fortunate enough to see Einstein walk by on the sidewalk across the street from the taxi. I did not recognize him at first but as he approached nearer, I observed his mouth was moving. He was looking ahead about ten feet at the sidewalk and talking to himself. When I thought about it afterward, I was sure he was attempting to solve some complicated physical problem on his way home from work. We should all be solving problems on the way home from work. If we are to survive on this little glob of mud, we call earth or on some other planet we must all begin to work our wonderful brains seeking the solution to our problem. I dont believe that the dinosaurs ever thought they would see the end of their earthly existence. Man is standing on the hill of atomic explosions that may carry us all to dinosaur land. John Robinson, Hamilton Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Construction of bridge along Postal Highway in limbo A bridge project to link the districts of Dhanusha and Siraha has been in limbo for the past eight years. I read with interest the session wrap-up this week from Speaker Hertz. Conspicuously absent were the major successes for Montana that must be noted and celebrated by all conservatives regardless of party politics. Conservative solutions for Medicaid expansion and reform, major school choice policy and a fiscal framework for infrastructure will deliver huge dividends for our constituents. When Medicaid was originally expanded in 2015, the sunset date was included to coincide with a potential change of power in Washington DC. While that power shift did occur and Republicans took control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress and the Presidency, Congress failed to deliver on its promise to address the Affordable Care Act. Partially as a result of that broken promise, Democrats have retaken control of the U.S. House and the President has stated publicly that there will be no movement on healthcare until after the 2020 elections. Faced with the stark reality that no help was coming from the federal government, the 2019 legislature was left to reform and build integrity into the only option available to the nearly 100,000 Montanans searching for affordable healthcare, addiction and mental health services and treatment for chronic conditions. A major overhaul was done to the existing Medicaid Expansion program to ensure effective work requirements and reasonable premiums payments were included. An asset test was enacted so that individuals with significant financial worth would not qualify for the program. And Montana residency was made a firm requirement for qualification. Montanans are still justifiably divided on the issue of Medicaid but without a major change at the federal level there is no real path to lower healthcare costs and access to medical care. The new Medicaid Reform and Integrity Act will allow our rural hospitals to remain viable and will slow the growth of healthcare premium growth in our state. Until the U.S. Congress displays the political will to address the Affordable Care Act, the reform of Medicaid Expansion is the right solution for Montana. School choice has been a topic of discussion in the Montana legislature since my first session in 2013, with precious little to show for the effort. Career and technical education received lip service while worker shortages continued to grow in industries requiring skilled tradesmen. Meanwhile the glut of college educated candidates for every entry level professional opening would indicate that our existing approach to post-secondary education is not balanced with the needs of our expanding economy. We have long recognized that a four-year college degree is not right for every high school graduate but our educational model has not been adjusted to incorporate the feedback from the labor markets. Several bills were passed this session to address this workforce imbalance. Expanded options in the proficiency learning program were enacted along with a revision to the community college funding formula, providing middle school, high school and post-secondary students with greater opportunity to pursue experiential, work related training that aligns with their chosen technical career path. Some of the costs associated with this path and the expanded number of programs and institutions can now be recovered by the student or the students family. Infrastructure funding has also been a major point of contention in every legislative session in which I served. Some legislators argued over which infrastructure projects to fund while others argued over the best monetary strategy to use to pay for the projects. These two arguments became entwined and major infrastructure needs remained unfunded for many years. Several forward-thinking legislators remedied the situation this session by separating the two arguments and creating a lasting infrastructure framework, based on sound fiscal policy, for funding major projects. No longer will political arguments control the basic fiscal question of what the state can afford to fund in infrastructure needs. So, congratulations to the legislators who set party politics aside to accomplish significant and lasting policy solutions for the citizens of our great state! Republican Nancy Ballance, HD87, House Appropriations Chairman, 406-363-8416 Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 I was shocked and infuriated to learn that an organization like the National Rifle Association, which contributed hundreds of thousands to Donald Trump's campaign, has tax-exempt status. They sell guns and have Russian oligarchs as members. Also, corporations like Amazon and their CEO, the richest man on earth, pay zero taxes. And because the richest people in America pay little or no taxes, the poor working class has to work and struggle to make a living and pay taxes. This administration is cutting out the very last shred of national health care and now insurance companies won't have to pay for pre-existing conditions. The so-called richest country in the world will have no health care for the majority of Americans while the wealthy senators are covered forever. People need to rise up and fight this corruption in our country. Also, check it out: Russian reconnaissance planes are allowed to fly over all our military bases, even Area 51, because of an old agreement when we were getting along with Russia. But this president allows it, even with the Russian hacking. Kay Gervais, Corvallis Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 3 hours ago Lufthansa, United, Delta cancel flights over Christmas FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) At least three major airlines said they have canceled dozens of flights because illnesses largely tied to the omicron variant of COVID-19 have taken a toll on flight crew numbers during the busy holiday travel season. Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the Christmas holiday period because of a massive rise in sick leave among pilots. Read Article 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. Deputy mayors, vice chairpersons in protest Deputy mayors and vice chairpersons of Rautahat are in protest citing that Shree Prasad Mukhiya, chairman of Yamunamai Rural Municipality, misbehaved with vice chairperson Gitadevi Sah. International Malvertiser Oleksii Petrovich Ivanov extradited from the Netherlands to face hacking charges in New Jersey The Ukrainian national Oleksii Petrovich Ivanov (31) was extradited to the U.S. from the Netherlands and is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and computer fraud. The man is suspected to have carried out malvertising campaigns between October 2013 through May 2018. Ivanov was arrested on October 19, 2018, by the Dutch police as a result of a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Secret Service Criminal Investigations, the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch National Police and UKs National Crime Agency. Oleksii Petrovich Ivanov, 31, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of computer fraud. The indictment was returned on Dec. 3, 2018, and unsealed upon his arrival in the United States on May 2, 2019. reads the press release published by DoJ. Ivanov ran the malvertising campaigns along with multiple co-conspirators. They used stolen identities to create fake companies and use them to register domains involved in the malvertising campaigns. This defendant engaged in an extraordinary and far-reaching scheme to infect and hack computers throughout the United States and the world, stated U.S. Attorney Carpenito. This malvertising scheme is especially dangerous because it uses online ads to target millions of unsuspecting Internet users engaged in activities as routine as booking their next vacation. The DoJ cited as an example of malicious activity carried out by defendants a campaign run between June and July 2014. The defendant posing as Dmitrij Zaleskis, CEO of a fake UK company called Veldex Limited paid a U.S.-based internet advertising company to spread malicious advertising. including two campaigns submitted on July 15, 2014 that were viewed or accessed approximately 17,328,129 times in a few days. The campaign ran by Veldex Limited was repeatedly flagged as malicious, for this reason, the advertising company reached out to Ivanov but he managed to convince the firm to keep it running for months. Ivanov and co-conspirators are also suspected to have run a malspam campaign that infected more than 100 devices in New Jersey. Cyber criminals who harm victims in the United States and around the world cannot rely on fake identities and international borders to evade justice, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. This case and todays extradition demonstrate that the United States and its international partners will find cyber fugitives and bring them to face justice in the United States, no matter where they commit their crimes. Pierluigi Paganini ( SecurityAffairs cybercrime, malspam) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On City Developments Ltd (CDL) and joint-venture partner Hong Realty, sold 115 units at Amber Park as at 5pm on Sunday, May 5. The figure translates to 77% of a total of 150 units released for sale on launch weekend. Based on an average selling price of $2,425 psf after an early bird discount, total sales over the weekend amounted to more than $240 million. It was considered the best-selling new, freehold property launch this year, says CDL. About 85% of the buyers at Amber Park are Singaporeans (Credit: CDL) The 592-unit project was launched for sale just one week after its sales gallery opened for viewing on April 27. Unit sizes range from 463 sq ft for a one-bedroom-plus-study apartment to 5,005 sq ft for the largest six-bedroom-plus-study penthouse. Prices started from $1.088 million for a one-bedroom-plus-study; $1.608 million for a two-bedroom-plus-study; and $2.18 million for a three-bedroom. Prices for a four-bedroom-plus-study started from $3.068 million and a five-bedroom premium from $4.98 million. All apartment types enjoyed a good take-up rate, and units sold included one of the penthouses, according to CDL in a release. About 85% of the buyers are Singaporeans, with the remaining made up of foreigners, predominantly from China, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. Amber Park's rooftop recreational deck that spans across all three towers (Credit: CDL) Many of the buyers are homeowners and savvy investors who took advantage of the attractive early-bird pricing, says CDL group general manager Chia Ngiang Hong. These included existing residents in the East looking to purchase an iconic property, he adds. The freehold projects location in prime District 15, and proximity to the Tanjong Katong MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, were also factors that drew buyers looking for projects with good investment value, he notes. We are very encouraged by the strong take-up at Amber Parks first weekend launch, adds Chia. Sales for this project are off to a good start, indicating healthy demand for well-located projects that are exceptionally designed. Amber Park is designed by acclaimed architect, Chan Soo Khian, principal of SCDA Architects, who is known for many of his luxury residences and resorts. Story continues Chan Soo Khian of SCDA Architects is the design architect, interior designer and landscape architect for Amber Park, his first luxury project in the East (Credit: CDL) Selling 115 units is an amazing feat in the current market conditions, says Ismail Gafoor, CEO of PropNex. We witnessed strong turnout during the preview stage in the lead-up to the launch over the weekend. Beyond the iconic design and freehold status, the large land plot of over 213,000 sq ft and reputation of the developers, CDL and Hong Realty, were key considerations for both homebuyers and investors, he adds. See Also: When Chinese President Xi Jinping made a commitment last weekend to ensure his pet Belt and Road Initiative operated in line with international norms and standards it was widely seen as a response to mounting suspicion and criticism of the multibillion-dollar trade and infrastructure scheme. While it was unusual for him to address such concerns so publicly, his closing speech at the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing was intended to do much more than appease the critics, analysts said. Indeed, it sent a strong message that China is prepared to shift its focus from investment to governance, and adapt its whole approach to the contentious programme. We will actively seek to be anchored by widely accepted international standards and norms, Xi told 37 state leaders and senior officials from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. We will adhere to the people-centred development concept and pursue harmony in economic development, society and the environment. A joint communique issued after the summit also pledged to bring the scheme in line with our national legislation, regulatory frameworks, international obligations, applicable international norms and standards. The statement, signed by Xi and the 37 dignitaries including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also emphasised the need for financial sustainability, pollution control and cooperation in fighting corruption. Since its launch in 2013, the belt and road scheme, which seeks to boost connectivity across Asia and into Europe, Africa, Latin America and beyond, has attracted 126 partner countries and 29 international organisations. While Chinas ruling Communist Party has been keen to trumpet its achievements, the programme has faced widespread criticism for its lack of transparency, allegations of neocolonialism and claims it saddles impoverished host nations with unmanageable levels of debt. Story continues Projects such as the construction of dams along the Mekong River which as well as China flows through the Southeast Asian nations of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have also brought into question the schemes environmental credentials. But Xis pledge was clear evidence of Beijings desire to give the plan a complete overhaul, said George Magnus, a research associate at Oxford Universitys China Centre. China is deadly serious about the belt and road. The softer line on governance and conformity to international standards is also aimed at countries like the US, Japan, India, Germany and France that have so far resisted acknowledging or signing up to the scheme. While European Union heavyweights Germany and France sent ministers to the forum, the United States and India unlike at the first event in 2017 did not. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent his special envoy Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to the event. When Abe visited China in October, he said that while Japan was interested in working with China on infrastructure projects it was bound by international rules such as open bidding and financial sustainability. Magnus said Xis speech was all about tackling those concerns. [His] motives revolve around being seen to right wrongs on the one hand, and winning credibility and support from lobbies, if not governments, in major developed nations on the other, he said. Xiao Gang, a former head of Chinas securities watchdog and previously chairman of the Bank of China, the countrys biggest foreign exchange lender, said Beijing was serious about rectifying the mistakes it had made and closing loopholes to prevent difficulties in the future. For instance, the belt and road plan lacked standards or norms for handling debt defaults, debt relief and other issues, he said, adding that its non-systematical, non-binding, flexible and optional approach had proven to be problematic. In his book, Institutional Openness: Building a New Investment and Financing System for the Belt and Road Initiative, which was published last month, Xiao said that while Chinas mature investment and financing mechanism worked well at home, it did not always apply in belt and road host countries, so projects had to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Also, as international standards on human rights and the environment were often too stringent for developing countries, China tended to apply its own or those of the host nation, he said. But because some Chinese standards in areas such as export credits, export credit insurance and foreign aid were quite opaque and those of host nations countries considered too lax, many developed countries were reluctant to cooperate on belt and road schemes, Xiao said. China and belt and road countries cannot simply copy international rules, he said in his book. Governance innovations should be made as soon as possible. Delay[s] will do serious harm, result in losses from sovereign debt defaults, and undermine Chinas global influence and reputation. Beijing has already been stung. When plans were announced in 2017 for a cross-country rail line in Malaysia to be built by Chinese companies and financed by Chinese money Kuala Lumpur described the belt and road scheme as a game changer. A year later, the newly re-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad slammed the deal as a corrupt and costly venture that would drown the Southeast Asian country in debt. He promptly postponed it until a new deal could be negotiated. That was achieved last month when Beijing agreed to slash the cost of the project by a third, or about US$5 billion. Chinese officials overseeing the project said on condition of anonymity that Beijing was deeply concerned about the renegotiation and feared other countries might follow suit. In a bid to offset that risk, China has been seeking to attract third-party partners to help establish and apply international rules to belt and road projects, which could then be used as an aid to arbitration in future disputes. Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said China wanted to set up a mechanism under which countries involved in projects were bound by international accords and standards. Some countries, for example, think that because China is so rich they should squeeze every penny they can out of it, he said. To stop that, Beijing needs to work with developed countries in third-party markets, like it is doing with Switzerland on assessment, supervision and arbitration in project construction and design. Switzerland recently signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate with China on belt and road projects, making it the third European country, after Italy and Luxembourg, to do so in the past two months. The aim of the MOU is for both parties to intensify cooperation on trade, investment and project financing in third-party markets along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas finance ministry said. Sourabh Gupta, a policy specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, said: With most developing countries already having signed on to the programme, the bulk of the rejectionists are, typically, advanced countries who will hold it to demanding standards if they are to ever cooperate in third-country markets let alone participate within the scheme. So its better to revise and improve the current approach. China was already locked into high standards arrangements with Italy, Austria and, increasingly, Japan, so it made sense to roll these out so that poor governance standards in certain host countries do not incentivise Chinese promoters and contractors to compromise on the project quality and thereby damage the overall initiative and Chinas image, he said. While a universal standard might be the goal, the programme would still have to be tailored to suit local tastes and sensitivities, said Zhao Kejin, from Tsinghua Universitys Institute of Global Development. Beijing did not want to be seen as force feeding its rules and regulations to host nations. When China talks about applicable international practice, it means it will not totally copy standards of the West, he said. The new arrangement would include raising standards and conformity with global rules on investment and project construction, but with the participation of third-party players, whether they were developed countries or international organisations, he said. But analysts remain sceptical about the extent to which Chinas approach will be in line with international norms. Jude Blanchette, a specialist in Chinese politics at Crumpton Group, a US advisory and business development firm, said: The central question is whether China will be able to create and capture sufficient strategic and economic benefits from the programme if the initiative is indeed placed on a more transparent and inclusive footing. Oxford Universitys Magnus said international rules, transparency, accountability and the rule of law often ran contrary to the self-proclaimed interests, values and beliefs of Chinas ruling Communist Party, and of the state-owned enterprises that were the principal beneficiaries of the programme. That said, some things like environmental protection are in Chinas interests and also not politically awkward. So there may be some a la carte options here for China, he said. Several European countries expressed cautious optimism after hearing Xis promises. The German embassy in China said it welcomed the commitments and considered them a turning point. What is crucial now is rapid implementation, it said. The Delegation of the European Union to China expressed a similar sentiment, with a spokesman saying the group was now expecting to see all these promises translated into reality as soon as possible. The US embassy in Beijing also voiced its support, but said it would closely monitor any developments. We encourage China to ensure its practices are sustainable and promote inclusive development, good governance, transparency and strong economic institutions, a spokesperson said. We will continue to raise concerns about opaque financing practices, poor governance and disregard for internationally accepted norms and standards, which undermine many of the standards and principles that we rely upon to promote sustainable, inclusive development and to promote stability and prosperity. In his opening speech at the Belt and Road Forum, Xi told an assembled group of more than 5,000 political and business leaders that we Chinese always honour promises. Amid growing dissatisfaction and impatience from the US and Europe, he also spent much of his time renewing his pledges to allow overseas investors greater access to Chinas markets. The question now, was whether Beijing could deliver on its promises, said Patrick Mendis, a former Rajawali senior fellow at Harvard University and a distinguished visiting professor of China-US relations at Peking University. President Xi speaks more like an American president in the absence of US leadership in the world [but] the reoccurring question is the trust deficit in Chinese actions, he said. With the speech, I hope that Xi honours this Confucian principle of sincerity. Additional reporting by Wendy Wu More from South China Morning Post: This article Can China really take the high road with its big, bold infrastructure plan? first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Hong Kongs opposition lawmakers on Sunday threatened to take legal action against the administrative wing of their own legislature over its handling of a controversial bill to amend the citys extradition laws. The latest front in the battle over the proposed amendment followed moves on Saturday to unseat a rival lawmaker seen by the pro-government camp as slowing down work in the committee scrutinising the bill. The law change would allow Hong Kong to hand over fugitives to jurisdictions with which it has no extradition deal, including mainland China and Taiwan. Government officials have stressed the urgency of passing the bill in time to extradite Hongkonger Chan Tong-kai, 20. Chan is wanted in Taiwan for the murder of his girlfriend, but could be released as early as October after he was recently jailed for 29 months on a related money-laundering charge by the High Court. Fears over the changes to the extradition law, which critics say Beijing could use to target activists, led to tens of thousands of Hongkongers taking to the streets last Sunday to show their opposition. Pan-democrat lawmakers have also opposed the amendment, slowing the process of choosing a chairman for the committee to vet the bill. In the pro-establishment camps sights is veteran pan-democrat James To Kun-sun, who presides over the bills committee. Because of his seniority, To heads the committee until a chairman is chosen. On Saturday, the Legislative Council Secretariat issued a circular that could lead to Tos removal and replacement with the pro-government Abraham Razack a move that sparked anger in the opposition camp. The bills committee was scheduled to meet on Monday afternoon for the third time, but there was unlikely to be a dramatic showdown because Razack would try to adjourn it to avoid a direct confrontation with the pan-democrats, according to a source. The opposition camp said those at the secretariat, a non-partisan body led by secretary general Kenneth Chen Wei-on, had been turned into political goons, launching what they likened to a coup detat to help the pro-Beijing bloc push through the bill. Story continues A lawyers letter is being drafted, surrounding the issue of misconduct in public office, lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching said on Sunday, without elaborating. In a joint statement, the 23 pan-democrats said the secretariat had overstepped its authority by directly sending a written request to lawmakers. The circular concerned a non-binding guideline on Tos removal and whether each of the 62 lawmakers on the bills committee was in favour of it. The pro-government bloc has a majority on the committee. The opposition camp also said it would not recognise Razacks role in presiding over the committee and questioned whether the House Committees decision on Saturday to issue the non-binding guideline was legal. To said he would preside over Mondays meeting regardless and had asked the secretariat to withdraw the circular. I am without doubt the presiding member and I will certainly go and chair the next meeting, he said. But in a letter to legislators on Sunday, Chen said he had acted in accordance with the rule book and that To was not the formal chairman of the committee. In order to fulfil its duties of supporting the bills committee, the only practicable and feasible way of handling the issue is to send written circulars to all bills committee members, he said. To rejected Chens argument, saying he had the responsibility and power to continue presiding over Mondays meeting. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, the citys No 2 official, said he hoped the issue could be sorted out as soon as possible so the work of scrutinising the bill could begin, adding the government was ready to listen to constructive and feasible views from the public. Meanwhile, the government was under pressure to explore alternative proposals for the bill, after prominent law scholar and Basic Law Committee member Albert Chen Hung-yee urged officials to seriously consider allowing Hongkongers to stand trial in local courts rather than being sent to the mainland. Chens colleague, leading human rights scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun, said the law should spell out that Hong Kong courts would have more say on rejecting an extradition request, if the requesting jurisdiction did not recognise international human rights agreements. Another two prerequisites would be for the requesting jurisdiction to guarantee it would provide sufficient protection in its criminal justice system, as well as to allow courts to turn down any requests that contravened the Bill of Rights. Were his three-pronged proposal to be adopted, it effectively could block rendition requests from the mainland as it has not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, unlike Hong Kong. Chan said his proposals were to ensure the accused would receive a fair trial and basic guarantees such as the right to legal representation after being extradited. This article Hong Kongs opposition lawmakers warn of legal action over controversial extradition bill first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and doors to refugees as he began a visit to the European Union's poorest country, where the main Orthodox Church snubbed holding joint prayers with the pontiff. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met Francis at the airport, welcoming him with a large pot of kiselo mlyako, a mildly sour-tasting local yoghurt, saying: "This is your grandmother's yoghurt." "The first time I heard the word yoghurt was from my grandmother," the pope replied. The Bulgarian emissary to the Vatican Kiril Topalev had earlier quoted the pope as telling him: "I grew up with Bulgarian yoghurt. When I was two years old, my grandmother gave me Bulgarian yoghurt." Pope Francis's three-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. The Pope evoked a "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria and other European nations who face an an exodus of their people as well as falling birth rates, in his first address to Bulgarian officials. - 'Don't close your hearts' - The population has fallen to seven million against nine million in 1989, the year communism ended in Bulgaria, and is projected to plunge to 5.4 million in 2050. "Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said. This has "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities," he added. He also touched on the plight of migrants and refugees flocking to the country. "Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said. "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands -- in accordance with your best tradition - to those who knock at your door," he said. Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue a priority. But last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope in a Sofia square planned for Monday. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting which will be attended by at least one of the capital's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said. - Warming ties - While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries -- 44,000 in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia -- it is the interaction with their two Orthodox churches that will be most keenly watched. The Bulgarian church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visited Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Pope offered prayers there on Sunday afternoon alone. But the pontiff sought to stress on the unity of Christians, referring to their persecution irrespective of the church they belonged to. "How many Christians have suffered for the name of Jesus in this country, particularly during the last century," of which 45 years were under communist rule, he said. Bulgaria is the only Orthodox church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic church. Relations between Rome and other Orthodox churches have been warming, with February 2016 seeing the historic meeting between Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba. That was the first such encounter since the schism nearly 1,000 years ago that tore Christianity in two. - Pope 'open and sensitive' - "I am Orthodox Christian but I admire the openness and sensitivity of the Pope," said Dora Kraytcheva, a 48-year-old woman. "Why should we cling to dogmas from the Middle Ages?" The Argentine pontiff's visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia comes after the leaders of both countries extended an invitation to him following a traditional annual visit to the tomb of St Cyril in Rome. In April 2018, the Council of Europe voiced concern about Bulgarian efforts to integrate Middle Eastern refugees and the "generally negative public opinion" concerning refugees. Days before arriving in Sofia, the pope hit out at "conflictual nationalism" which "raises walls, even racism". "The way in which a nation welcomes migrants reveals its vision of human dignity," he said on Thursday. Currently Bulgaria's migrant reception centres have an occupancy rate of only 10 percent, while the entire 274-kilometre (170-mile) Bulgarian-Turkish border is blocked by a barbed-wire fence. cm-vs/ach/rmb ___________________ Disease, hunger and chronic poverty kill people in Humla Humla, once the crown of the ancient caravan trade route, today has the worst human development index in the country. Its people are deprived of the most basic of necessities, such as clean drinking water, nutritious food, health services, basic education, and sanitation. And the peoples miseries, experts say, were not created overnight: they are a result of continuous neglect by incumbent and past governments. Smoke rises from the site of an attack in Pul-e-Khumri Smoke rises from the site of an attack in Pul-e-Khumri city, Baghlan province, Afghanistan May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. By Abdul Qadir Sediqi and Rupam Jain KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan forces battled for hours against Taliban insurgents who stormed a police headquarters in the northern city of Pul-e-Khumri, after a suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car, killing at least 13 people, officials said on Sunday. A Taliban militant detonated his Humvee vehicle at the entrance of the police office before a group of eight attackers armed with machine guns rushed in the building, two Afghan officials said. "Thirteen policemen were killed and 35 others injured," said Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry in Kabul, adding that 20 civilians were also wounded. "The complex attack on Baghlan police headquarters has ended with the death of all nine attackers, including the suicide bomber," he said. The Taliban, which is seeking to restore strict Islamic rule and expel foreign forces from Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a busy area of the city with many other residential and commercial buildings. Taliban fighters frequently capture U.S.-made armored Humvee vehicles from Afghan forces to load with explosives and use as car bombs to breach military fortifications. Abdul Aleem Ghafari, deputy provincial health director in Pul-e-Khumri, said women and children were among those killed by the blast. Sunday's raid was the latest in a series of high-profile attacks that have killed and wounded hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan this year and put heavy pressure on the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani. INCREASED ATTACKS The Taliban have stepped up attacks on security installations, even as they hold sixth rounds of direct talks with U.S. officials to end the war in Afghanistan. This week, the group rejected appeals made last week by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, to declare a ceasefire in the 17-year conflict. Afghan-born U.S. diplomat Khalilzad is leading the talks with the Taliban in Doha to pursue a deal that would bring the withdrawal of foreign forces in return for Taliban security guarantees. Story continues "All sides agreeing to reduce violence is a necessary step toward achieving that outcome and the morally responsible choice to make. We stand ready," Khalilzad wrote on Twitter on Saturday. Khalilzad's comments came a day after Ghani said he was prepared to call an "immediate" and "permanent" ceasefire. The Taliban said they will not lay down their arms ahead of the holy month of Ramadan and rejected to hold talks with the Afghan government which they consider an illegitimate puppet regime. Direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban collapsed in 2015. "A ceasefire will only get discussed once a deal about foreign force withdrawal gets finalized," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's Doha-based political spokesman, told Reuters. About 45,000 Afghan security forces have been killed since Ghani took office in September 2014. The hardline Islamists group now holds sway over more territory than at any point since its ousting by U.S.-led troops after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. The Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan consists of 17,000 troops, about half of them from the United States. A smaller number of U.S. troops operate in Afghanistan under a counter-terrorism mission. The United Nations top official in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, on Sunday, called on all parties to halt the fighting before Ramadan. PAKISTAN'S SUPPORT On Sunday, Ghani spoke with Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to secure fresh backing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, hours after Afghanistan's foreign ministry summoned a senior Pakistani diplomat over cross-border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan troops. Relations between neighbors, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been plagued by mistrust and at times hostility since Pakistans independence in 1947. For years, Afghanistan and the United States have accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban as a way for Pakistan to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies that. Pakistan's role in the ongoing peace negotiations is a delicate one, with Islamabad seeking to avoid showcasing any kind of broad influence over the Taliban. Khan's office in a statement said the two leaders exchanged views on matters relating to peace, security, and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region. "The Prime Minister (Imran Khan) underlined that Pakistan will spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two brotherly countries," it stated. Ghani is expected to travel to Pakistan, but travel dates were not made public. (Additional reporting by James Mackenzie in Islamabad, Writing by Rupam Jain,; Editing by Richard Borsuk, Raissa Kasolowsky and David Goodman) ETX Daily Up The internet avengers have struck again. Kim Kardashian West -- and over 4.5 million people -- are calling for justice for Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos. This young truck driver was sentenced to 110 years in prison for an accident that killed four people when his brakes failed. Since then, the hashtag #NoTrucksToColorado has gained momentum on social media. Turkey on Sunday dismissed US threats of sanctions if it went ahead with a Russian missile purchase, saying it would not renege on a pledge to Moscow. Washington has warned its NATO ally for months that Ankara's adoption of Russian S-400 missile technology alongside US F-35 fighters would pose a threat to the jets and endanger Western defence. The US has said it will halt a joint F-35 programme with Turkey if it acquires the Russian missile defence system. A US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies. "The US threats of sanctions shows that they don't know Turkey," Vice President Fuat Oktay told Kanal 7 television. "The decision on the S-400 has been taken. Once a pact has been signed, one's word given, Turkey respects it," he said. The S-400 purchase is one dispute fuelling tensions between two nations also at odds over US support for Syrian Kurdish militias which Ankara brands as terrorists and Turkish backing for US foe Venezuela. Ankara said the first deliveries of the S-400 are scheduled for June or July. Last month, after repeated warnings, the United States said Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 system was incompatible with it remaining part of the emblematic F-35 jet programme. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States. Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations with Turkey, and suggested Ankara might be able to obtain a US missile defence system if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States may review its ties with countries it deems as being anti-Israel after what a U.S. envoy said on Sunday was a shift in policy towards equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a March speech that anti-Zionism - opposition to Israel's existence as a homeland for the Jewish people - was a form of anti-Semitism, or hostility toward Jews, that was on the rise worldwide and that Washington would "fight it relentlessly". The State Department's special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, said this U.S. position could spell reviews of ties with foreign governments or leaders. "The United States is willing to review its relationship with any country, and certainly anti-Semitism on the part of a country with whom we have relations is a deep concern," he told Reuters during a visit to Israel. "I will be raising that issue in bilateral meetings that I am undertaking all over the world," he said. "That is something we are going to have frank and candid conversations about - behind closed doors." Carr declined to cite specific countries or leaders, or to elaborate on what actions the Trump administration might take. "I obviously can't comment on diplomatic tools that we might bring to bear," he said. "Each country is a different diplomatic challenge, a different situation, number one. And number two, if I started disclosing what we might do it would be less effective." Some U.S. political analysts say that President Donald Trump and other Republicans hope support for Israel will attract Jewish voters, including those disaffected by pro-Palestinian voices within progressive Democratic Party circles. At the same time, critics have credited Trumps confrontational, nationalistic rhetoric with encouraging right-wing extremists and feeding a surge in activity by American hate groups. The administration has flatly rejected that charge. Carr said the administration's equating of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism "certainly breaks new ground ... by making clear that something that a lot of us who are involved in the Jewish world and a lot of us who are proponents of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship have known for quite some time, and that is that one of the chief flavours of anti-Semitism in the world today is the flavour that conceals itself under anti-Zionism". (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) If youre like us, your bucket list is never truly complete. Tallying the destinations youd like to travel to someday is a task thats both fun and never-ending and one thats made infinitely more enjoyable by receiving recommendations from others. Thats why we took to asking Travel + Leisures A-List our collection of the worlds top travel advisors to see where they think we should go. Collectively, they cover every inch of the globe, helping to craft one-of-a-kind itineraries for passionate travelers. From kicking back in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora to glimpsing the out-of-this-world sands of Chiles Atacama desert, here are 13 destinations T+L A-List advisors think you should add to your bucket list. Elena Liseykina/Getty Images Moscow, Russia in Winter Moscow, Russia in the winter. Nothing takes your breath away like fresh snow at night on Red Square, the ruby red stars of the Kremlin lighting the horizon and the lights of GUM department store lighting the entire square. Greg Tepper, Exeter International Providencia, Colombia The paradox of travel is wanting an isolated experience, but being partly responsible for why they are increasingly rare. Providencia remains one of the few pure locations, unspoiled by mass tourism. Reaching this uncharted island by small propeller plane is not a journey many are willing to make, almost ensuring the place to yourself. Colombia isnt known for white sand or pristine beaches but Providencia is the exception. A sanctuary of vibrant marine life sets this Sea of Seven Colors ablaze. Colombian hospitality with an undercurrent of Caribbean ease gives this charming island a well-deserved place on our Amakuma-approved bucket list. Marc Beale, Amakuna Yunnan, China Yunnan should be on every travelers' bucket list and foodies in particular will love this part of China. Yunnan is a landlocked province in the country's southwest that sits on the border near Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Yunnan cuisine is a fusion of the famously spicy Sichuan food of the north, the light and seafood-oriented cooking of the east, and the fresh Thai flavors of the south. In Yunnan, farm-to-table is not an Alice Waters creation, its what millions of people do every day. Truffles, chanterelles, and porcini are just common summer mushrooms that farmers forage in the mountains and bring to market. A Yunnan truffle chicken soup demands a pound of truffle alone! Yes. You heard me right, a pound. Mei Zhang, WildChina Story continues Oscar Wong/Getty Images Marrakech, Morocco Definitely Marrakech. Go for the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum, which recently opened. Check out the design and artisanship in the unchangeable old souks and hip Sidi Ghanem. Be surprised by the nascent contemporary art scene. Marrakech is just about to host the second edition I:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Dont forget to visit MACAAL, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, and check out the newest exhibits. Michael Diamond, Cobblestone Private Travel Provence, France In the world, there are destinations that everyone should see once Egypts pyramids and Machu Picchu, for example. But then there are the places that make you want to return over and over. The kind of place where you feel like buying a house and moving there. Provence is one of those places. The quality of light captured by artists such as Van Gogh and Cezanne is truly special. Visiting the places that inspired them, Arles and St. Remy offer insight into the landscape and architecture that inspired them. The scents of lavender and thyme waft past when you are hiking and biking to stunning hilltop towns like Gordes and Les Baux. It is an experience that will keep you coming back. Kathy Stewart, Butterfield & Robinson Amankora, Bhutan Amankora, Bhutan. Going there is a spiritual and cultural safari where you can walk through ancient rhododendron forests, glimpse endangered black necked cranes in the wild, soak in a hot stone bath, interact with saffron-robed monks, and dine in a rustic stone potato shed. Where else can you do all of that on the same trip? Chad Clark, Chad Clark Travel Ventures %image1 Stay in an Overwater Bungalow in French Polynesia Staying in an overwater bungalow in the turquoise blue waters of French Polynesia is a must. I have been fortunate enough to spend time in this magical destination for the past 20 years and it never gets old. Combine the island of Bora Bora with one of the Tuamotu islands and you will experience the best of French Polynesia. The majestic Mount Otemanu in Bora Bora and the lagoon of a sunken volcano in Rangiroa, paired with some of the best marine life in the world, cant be matched. Susanne Hamer, TravelStore Primate Trek in Rwanda, Uganda, or Tanzania Primate treks are an unforgettable activity worthy of any travel bucket list. Embark on a gorilla trek in Rwanda or Uganda to witness endangered mountain gorillas in the wild, or be entertained by social chimps at a camp like Greystoke Mahale in Tanzania. For a unique safari activity in Africa, I love recommending fly camping with Kichaka Expeditions in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. Here, travelers walk miles through the African bush with two armed guides to find a private mobile camp awaiting their arrival, offering one of the most remote places in safari Africa. Craig Beal, Travel Beyond Igor Alecsander/Getty Images Atacama Desert, Chile I think the Atacama desert in northern Chile has to be part of any sensible bucket list. Sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean is this strip of desert which, according to NASA, is the driest in the world. They test their equipment here before they send it to Mars, and when you come here youll see why. Its positively extra-terrestrial! One valley is red and looks just like Mars, while another is cratered like the moon. Thats all before you get to the bubbling hot geysers, the volcanoes, or the vast white salt flats scattered with bright pink flamingos. All this from the comfort of a world class lodge? Put it on the list! Paul Irvine, Dehouche Expedition Cruise in Antarctica Boarding the Magellan Explorer in Antarctica is like James Bond on ice. This is my kind of expedition a mind-blowing ship thats part ice breaker, part epic contemporary design haven. There is nothing about this ship that doesn't scream 'Lets head south into the most uncharted landscapes on earth.' It makes me hold my breath. Going to Antarctica is one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips, and the Magellan Explorer is how to do it in style. Sandy Cunningham, Outside Go iStockphoto/Getty Images Maldives Of the worlds greatest island destinations, I recommend Maldives. Located just four degrees above the equator way out there in the middle of the Indian Ocean the atolls that make up this tiny nation are an exquisite natural wonder. The finely ground coral that makes the sand so eye-poppingly mesmerizing is soft underfoot, and makes a great seat for witnessing the places glowing red sunsets. The crystal clear waters are so clean that all kinds of life can be seen from outside the water. Its also one of the most pristine places on earth to go snorkeling colorful life in all forms: fish, reptiles, and mammals abound. Being in the water with 70 to 100 manta rays or a whale shark will leave an indelible mark on a travelers soul. Its magical. The atolls are small and most often have only one resort or property on them, which translates to an peaceful, uncrowded environment. Who wouldnt want to stay in an overwater bungalow? Malaka Hilton, Admiral Travel Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Santiago de Cuba is, for me, an absolute must. Its especially great for those who've already seen Havana and the more heavily visited parts of eastern Cuba. The town is rich in history and a heart of Afro-Cuban culture and music you can easily spend three days here or extend to hit Baracoa and explore eastern Cuba's beautiful nature. This all gets a lot more accessible when American Airlines begins nonstop service from Miami this May just in time for the steamy Carnaval at the end of July. Joe Sandillo, Almaz Journeys Naxos, Greece Consider Naxos, where old world Cycladic architecture meets white-sand beaches infused with local cuisine. The shorts-and-flip flop feel of the Greek Islands comes alive, walking through picturesque villages like Halki where the local artisans showcase their work. Put simply, visiting Naxos takes your breath away. Petros Zissimos, Hellenic Holidays 125 Years Ago Pavilion planned: The Riverside Park company has made arrangements for conducting an amusement pavilion at the park this summer. A stage will be built and the audience will be seated in a tent. Standard comedies and dramas will be presented, and Elmendorfs orchestra will furnish the music. In the news: The Interstate Fair is a go. That was the decision made at a convention held in the Woodbury County Courthouse with delegates from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota. Lieutenant Reeves, Third Infantry, has had his recruiting office open for 10 days and has signed up eight men to date. No bail for beer: Two patrolmen went into the kitchen of Mrs. Lowe, who lives and runs a saloon on Fourth Street between Court and Virginia. They found her presiding over a keg of beer with two men drinking beer. Mrs. Lowe was charged with keeping and selling intoxicating liquors and the men were charged with unlawful assembly. They were released on bail, but the beer was not bailable and is still being held at the station. 100 Years Ago Around town: Ethel Barrymore, the distinguished actress and comedienne, will perform at the Auditorium Wednesday in The Off Chance. Mrs. Cloid Smith of Sioux City presided over a 1 oclock luncheon Wednesday in her home for members of the Colonial Club. The first railroad carload of freshly frozen fish from Boston 40,000 pounds worth -- are selling for less than half the usual price, from 5 to 8 cents a pound. Name change: It is the intention of the Commercial club to change its name to Sioux City Chamber of Commerce, declared president E. J. Wallen, chairman of the Manufacturers Bureau. He made the announcement during the clubs annual meeting. Youthful follies: More than 100 youthful revelers, the majority of whom were 16, were dispersed at 3:30 oclock Sunday morning when police raided a dance at a residence in Emerson Heights. Police arrested A. W. Lynn for operating a dance after the closing hour of 11:30. Neighbors had complained about the disturbance. 50 Years Ago Guardsmen returning: The first contingent of members of the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron returned to Sioux City Sunday from South Vietnam, where they had been deployed for a year. The guardsmen flew about 6,490 missions in their F100 Supersabres, providing air support, bombing and strafing missions against the enemy. Back in Sioux City, the airmen will join other returning members of the 185th Tactical Fighter Group who have been serving at bases in Korea and elsewhere. Making news: Mrs. Strode (Beverly) Hinds of Sioux City has been elected president of the Iowa Dental Association Womens Auxiliary at the annual meeting in Des Moines. The Sioux City Singles Club will hold a picnic and steak fry at Scenic Park in South Sioux City starting at 6:30 p.m Thursday. Dedication ceremonies for the new fire station at 1828 27th St. will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, and open houses will be held at all stations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Out the window: A crane is being used to lift a truck trailer body to the fourth floor of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. warehouse at Third and Jackson streets. A hole was knocked in the wall so merchandise can be loaded directly into the trailer and then taken to a warehouse on Tri-View Avenue. The downtown building will be torn down to make room for a parking ramp. Between 80 to 90 truckloads will be needed. 25 Years Ago Wells expansion Le Mars, Iowa, leaders praised Wells Dairys decision to build its $10 million distribution center there, with construction to begin immediately. Doug Wells, senior vice president, said the center will be built as part of the overall $19 million expansion project. The distribution center will employ 50 new people. Community news: Gateway 2000 in North Sioux City has expanded its marketing operations into France. East High School teacher Royce Barnum has been elected chairman of the citys Human Rights Commission. ...More than 35,000 people visited the Dinamation exhibit featuring life-sized prehistoric creatures during its two-month run at the KD Station. Eclipse observed: Siouxlanders used a variety of viewing devices, from two pieces of paper to welders goggles to observatories, to witness the moon partially blocking the sun Tuesday. The sky dimmed and the temperature dropped 3 degrees at 11:45 a.m. when 80 percent of the sun was blocked out. The next total eclipse will be in 2019. These items were published in The Journal May 5-11, 1894, 1919, 1969 and 1994. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CLARION, Iowa Angie Rieck-Hinz, Iowa State University Extension field agronomist, started Agronomy in the Field in 2015 when women expressed an interest in learning more about agronomic practices and scouting techniques. She piloted the program at the Northern Research and Demonstration Farm at Kanawha, with 8 to 15 women showing up every other week for the program. We went through the growing season, Rieck-Hinz said. We started in April once the corn came out of the ground. We talked about planting, row and plant spacing, emergence and how to maximize all that. Participants learned to stage plants, identify weeds and insects, and diagnose diseases. We went through the whole growing season, and they wanted to continue to meet, Rieck-Hinz said. So they added meetings through the winter, talking about things like how to read a soil test and how to make fertilizer recommendations. The program has grown since then. In the fall and winter of 2017 and 2018, Rieck-Hinz partnered with her colleagues, field agronomists Meaghan Anderson and Rebecca Vittetoe, to offer sessions via ZOOM, a web-conferencing program, to women all over the state. The last session for this year was March 26. The topic was nitrogen management. In February, Emily Heaton, Iowa State University biomass expert, talked about perennial crops for energy sources. Another session was about identifying and managing stress in farm families. Seed and trait selection and water quality rounded out the curriculum. Last year, Rieck-Hinz worked with ISU field agronomist Aaron Saeugling and an equipment dealer to show how to get a planter ready for spring. A very popular talk we've done is with Dr. Ruth McDonald, ISU food scientist, talking about GMOS on our plate and what that means for the food supply, Rieck-Hinz said. Questions & connection A lot of women who participate are landowners looking for more information, Rieck-Hinz said. They want to be better informed to talk with their farming partners, whether it's a family member or a renter. Some of our women are on the farm, might be involved in certain aspects of farming but maybe not crop production, Rieck-Hinz said. Some run their own farms. We have a lot of people from the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, teachers and female seed dealers who take part. This year there were several out-of-state participants who joined ZOOM sessions. During the growing season, topics have included how to make replant decisions after it's been too cold, too wet or theres been a hail event. We bring in our female farmers who are using cover crops and let them talk about their experiences, Rieck-Hinz said. I'd rather hear it from the people who are doing it. While there is a planned agenda, questions sometimes throw things off track. You have to be flexible because I want people to ask questions and get their questions answered, she said. The programs give people hands-on knowledge and experiences. One women told us she saved a lot of dollars because she didn't have to spray for aphids, Rieck-Hinz said. She said she didn't need to because she knew how to scout and her scouting showed spraying wasn't necessary. Women get to know each other and build camaraderie. When I did this at Kanawha, people often talked in the parking lot until 10 p.m., she said. I might get home and be totally exhausted from answering so many questions, but I know I've connected with them and it's rejuvenating. Rebecca, Meaghan and I and enjoy this. Growing demand The numbers show there is pent-up demand for such a course, and its now designed to reach as many women as possible. Rieck-Hinz, Anderson and Vittetoe send out a newsletter that reaches 350 and host a Facebook group that has 126 followers. We have people all over Iowa, Rieck-Hinz said. They can sit at home on their computer and participate. The weather this winter has been challenging and most of the time I could sit in my basement office and present the program. This spring, Vittetoe is offering Agronomy in the Field in Iowa and Benton counties. Next year, Rieck-Hinz is planning a program at the North Iowa Area Community College farm in Mason City. To receive updates regarding meeting dates and locations, sign up at http://eepurl.com/cuBxdT. 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 Government officials dont have an official explanation for why government websites were down on Sunday Cybersecurity experts say the nearly daylong blackout of government sites could have possibly been the doing of malicious actors who tied up the sites resources and prevented legitimate users from accessing the sites by flooding the government server which, they say, is highly vulnerable to security risks. WASHINGTON -- While constitutional lawyers, ethicists and theologians -- in descending order of importance in the abortion debate -- have been arguing in the 46 years since the Supreme Court attempted to settle the debate, some technologists have been making a consequential contribution to it. They have developed machines that produce increasingly vivid sonograms of fetal development. This concreteness partially explains the intensification of the debate. Six states have passed "heartbeat bills" to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detectable, approximately six weeks after conception. Such bills are, indeed, unconstitutional given the court's Roe ukase that abortion cannot be restricted before a fetus is viable outside the womb -- which means, presumably, before the fetus is a child. But why should "viability" be the dispositive criterion? Viable means capable of surviving outside the womb, which no infant can do without constant help that others must give. Must. No infants are "viable" in that all are helpless, and the law requires that help be given by those responsible for the infant. A New York Times editorial (Dec. 28, 2018) opposing the idea that "a fetus in the womb has the same rights as a fully formed person" spoke of these living fetuses -- that they are living is an elementary biological fact, not an abstruse theological deduction -- as "clusters of cells that have not yet developed into viable human beings." Now, delete the obfuscating and constitutionally irrelevant adjective "viable," and look at a sonogram of a ten-week fetus. Note the eyes and lips, the moving fingers and, yes, the beating heart. Is this most suitably described as a "cluster of cells" or as a baby? The cluster-of-cells contingent resembles Chico Marx in the movie "Duck Soup": "Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?" The "heartbeat bills" are wholesome provocations: One of their aims is to provoke thinking about the moral dimension of extinguishing a being with a visibly beating heart. Furthermore, pro-life people are being provoked in different ways. Last month, Kansas' Supreme Court found in this from the state constitution -- "All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" -- a reason to overturn the state's ban on D&E (dilation-and-evacuation) abortions that involve dismemberment of the living fetus. In February, after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order to enforce taxpayer-funded abortions, Democratic legislators decided that not even that was enough. They introduced a bill to create a right to abortion for any reason at any point in a pregnancy, a bill similar to legislation enacted or advancing in other Democratic-controlled states. In February, all but three Democratic U.S. senators opposed, thereby killing, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse's Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act that would have required, in the rare cases in which a child survives a botched abortion procedure, that the survivor receive the standard professional care that would be given to any child born alive at the same gestational age. The 1850s debates that propelled Abraham Lincoln to greatness concerned not whether slavery should be abolished forthwith, which was neither a constitutional nor political possibility. Rather, the debates concerned two other questions: Would national policy stigmatize slavery as a tragic legacy and a moral wrong? And: Would policy confine slavery to its existing dominion by banning it from the territories, thereby, Lincoln thought, putting it on a path to ultimate extinction? Temperate pro-life advocates, practicing Lincolnian prudence, consider the abortion debate akin to the slavery debates for three reasons: Abortion shrinks the scope of the concept of personhood. The issue has been inflamed by judicial fiat (Roe v. Wade as Dred Scott v. Sandford). And confining a morally objectionable practice is a worthy, albeit not fully satisfying, objective. The changed composition of the Supreme Court, and the supposed imminent danger that Roe will be overturned, is the excuse that pro-abortion extremists have seized upon to do what they want to do anyway: to normalize extreme abortion practices expressive of the belief that never does fetal life have more moral significance than a tumor in a mother's stomach. (Most European nations restrict abortions by at least week 13. France and Germany are very restrictive after 12, Sweden after 18.) The court's new composition has encouraged some pro-life advocates in their maximum hope, that Roe can be overturned, which would not proscribe abortion but would restore its pre-1973 status as a practice states can regulate. This is not a foreseeable possibility; a more nuanced abortion regime is. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The day after Special Counsel Robert Muellers report was released, I was disappointed The Journal headline was not NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTUCTION in bold letters. The reason I expected this is the president of the United States of America had been accused of being a traitor by former Obama administration officials with no evidence to support it. That is a big deal and the news that our president is not a traitor should have had appropriate front-page exoneration. Attorney General William Barr was emphatic there was no collusion by the Trump campaign. He concluded the president did not obstruct justice. The Democrats in Washington, D.C., had nothing but praise for the selection of Mueller as special counsel - that is, until he finished his report. Now, they wont accept his results. Instead they are attacking the attorney general, who was just the messenger. The American people have lived with 24/7 news reports of how despicable this president is, calling him a Russian agent, treasonous, a dictator and a law breaker. Most of this misinformation came from former Obama administration officials and Democrats who were eager to go on the mainstream media to spew their distaste of this president and make unproven accusations. This was a fabrication and a disgusting smear job. As for questions about obstruction of justice in the wake of the Mueller report's release, my view is this: What most people do not understand is that the Mueller report is the prosecutions case. If you think of yourself at trial and the jury only heard the prosecutions case, not your defense, how would the prosecution paint you? Favorably? No. Would they include exculpatory information in the case? No. A prosecutors job is to lay out their case for why a person is guilty of a crime. That is what Muellers team did. Mueller had a prosecutors hat on which did not include providing exculpatory information he found throughout the investigation. This is a one-sided report without the benefit of the presidents defense team presenting their side of the story, which is every Americans right. Here are 10 facts I believe validate Barr's conclusion that there was no obstruction: 1. The president allowed Don McGahn, his then-White House counsel, to testify for 30 hours. 2. The president told all staff at the White House to cooperate with the special counsel. 3. The president provided over a million documents for the special counsel. 4. The president did not use his executive privilege to redact embarrassing parts of the report. 5. The president did not fire Mueller. 6. The president did not fire Rod Rosenstein. 7. The president fired James Comey on the advice of Assistant Attorney General Rosenstein. 8. The president did not destroy subpoenaed documents. 9. The Mueller report was extensive: 19 attorneys, 40 FBI agents, 2,800 subpoenas, 500 interviews, over a million documents supplied by the president (USAtoday.com). 10. The president did not fire McGahn when he refused to fire Mueller, if that part of the Mueller report is even the truth. The president said he never told McGahn to fire Mueller. I want an investigation of investigators who it appears abused their power against this president and his campaign team. Barr testified before Congress that he believes improper "spying" may have happened on the Trump campaign in 2016 under the prior administration, and he plans to investigate that further. This scandal may be the greatest in our countrys history. Innocent until proven guilty is a pillar of our system of justice. This is not what happened here. It was an investigation in search of a crime. This has been an attempt to oust a duly elected president. That should scare every American. Next week: Katie Colling Linda Holub, of Dakota Dunes, S.D., has lived in the Sioux City metro area for more than 40 years. She and her husband, Dave, have four adult children. A certified life coach professional with a master of arts degree from Liberty University in Human Services, Counseling: Life Coaching, Holub is co-chair of the Siouxland Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Love 6 Funny 6 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 5 SIOUX CITY -- The country school where Arlynn O'Connor began her teaching career 78 years ago, south of Obert, Nebraska, had it all: a single room, a furnace, a teacher. O'Connor was, in effect, also the custodian for the school and did pretty much every other job, since it was only her there. The gig paid $45 per month for the first semester, and a few dollars more for the next semester if she did a good job. "The first day of school, I was there, looking at things, opened my desk, and there was a big snake inside the desk," said O'Connor, who turned 98 in March. "I went and got (my brother-in-law), and the snake had curled itself under the back of the desk. I was a little leery of that desk." The snake wasn't some prank: "I think it just got in there, somehow." O'Connor ran a tight ship, and wouldn't have allowed such tomfoolery at the school. "There was a guy that I blamed. He said, 'Oh, I would never do that to you! I would never do that to you!'" O'Connor taught 14 students, some of them her relatives, at the school in 1941. At the time, she had one year of college under her belt. The students (of varying ages) learned their reading, writing, arithmetic and music all together, all from O'Connor. Some went on to high school. Their teacher lived a spartan, Laura Ingalls Wilder-style life. "I lived with my sister and her husband, and I walked three-quarters of a mile. Had to do the cleaning and dusting and everything, build the fires," she said. She probably would've taught a second year, but school officials in Cedar County wouldn't allow it. "I got married, went back to teach the second year, couldn't teach, because I was married," she said. This policy was common in those days. For several years after her teaching at Obert ended, she "had to learn to be a farmer's wife" -- driving a tractor and other farm duties. In the early 1950s, she got a teaching job at another one-room country school southwest of Newcastle, Nebraska. She stayed there for two years, and one mother told her she was "the best teacher we ever had." While there, O'Connor once had her hair singed off by the old-fashioned heat stove, when it woofed out a flame at her. "There I had some really rowdy kids," O'Connor said. "I was a pretty good tosser of the softball, and so we went to different schools and played games." The students there were probably under-taught by whoever was the teacher before her, O'Connor said. "One boy didn't cross his t's or dot his i's -- 'Well, the other teacher didn't have me do that!'" she said. The boy's name, oddly enough, was Timothy. She later taught in Wynot, Nebraska, for five years, followed by two years in Sibley, Iowa. Teaching in Sioux City, finishing her degree In 1962, the family moved to Sioux City, and O'Connor began teaching at Webster Elementary, followed in 1965 by Everett Elementary, where she stayed until she retired in 1986. Decades after her one-year stint at Wayne State College in 1940, O'Connor got her bachelor's degree in 1968, after years of summer courses. She was in her late 40s by then. "My oldest daughter got her degree from Augustana College 45 days after I got mine from Wayne," she said. She later got a Master's Degree from the University of South Dakota and took more classes at Morningside College. All five of her children got degrees, and four of them spent time as teachers. When the former Reading Lab instructor at Everett retired, O'Connor decided she'd like that job. The principal wanted her to continue teaching first grade, but she persisted and got the Reading Lab job over his objections. "I said, 'I think I can help more kids if I do that,'" she told the principal. In her new position, she helped students who struggled with reading: "I just loved it." No air conditioning, no cellphones Back in the old days, long before air conditioning came to school buildings, did officials ever cancel classes during a heat wave like they do today? "No, no, no!" O'Connor said firmly. "They came in spite of everything." "It was 100 degrees in that room, and my mother-in-law gave me a great big fan, and we tried to blow the heat around." O'Connor also has an old-school idea to combat cellphone distraction in classrooms, a problem she never had to deal with. "I would abolish them." Even after her retirement, she worked as a tutor for 17 students, continuing until she was well into her 80s. "I should've gone into subbing," she said. "A lot of teachers do that." A number of O'Connor's students -- the oldest of whom would now be in their late 80s -- have died. Some departed while she was still teaching, and she remembers the circumstances: one died young in a car accident, another was murdered, and one young lady passed in her early 20s of unknown causes. O'Connor makes a point of attending her students' funerals when she can. "I still look at the paper to make sure that anybody hasn't gotten into trouble," she said. "If they have died, I've gone to their funerals." Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. I recently returned from Italy, and it's a great place to visit. Just ask the more than 58 million other international tourists who traveled there in 2017, according to the United Nations' World Tourism Organization. In Florence, huge groups snaked down narrow roads or bunched up in squares behind guides holding flags. My sister likened Venice to Disneyland. In Rome, Italy's most visited city, police eyed the Spanish Steps, admonishing anyone caught eating on them. The Pantheon felt more crowded than the light-rail platform after a summer Minnesota Twins game. It's easy to become a cliche: the tourist who disdains other tourists for ruining their authentic experience. We tried to avoid that sentiment, even as we, naturally, tried to avoid other tourists. Worldwide tourism has shot up, from just 25 million international tourist arrivals in 1950 to 1.2 billion per year by 2017, reports the University of Oxford's Global Change Data Lab. I believe that everyone should marvel at the history of the Colosseum in Rome and the beauty of Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" at the Uffizi in Florence. (Or the "lady on the shell," as one American exclaimed when he spied the painting.) I don't mind sharing space at these world gems, but I still want quieter moments. There are ways to find that, I've discovered, in Italy or any other oft-visited place. Rise early: My husband runs most morning, so he had the Spanish Steps nearly to himself and watched as dapper Romans owned the streets on their way to work. Get lost: We wandered to our Airbnb one day without a map or a plan - and stumbled into some of the best shops of our trip, including one selling vintage costume jewelry. No tacky souvenirs sold. No English spoken. Embrace tours: Through Airbnb Experiences, my nephew learned how to pilot a gondola. In the process, he met young Italians intent on keeping the art of gondolier alive. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Human rights commission might withdraw its representative from recommendation committee The National Human Rights Commission could withdraw its representative from a recommendation committee formed to select new officials for the two transitional justice bodies as a last resort to put pressure on the government to revise the amendment bill to the National Human Rights Commission Act 2012 and to initiate the process to amend the existing transitional justice Act. 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #18 Posted on 5 May 2019 by John Hartz Story of the Week... Interview of the Week... Toon of the Week... Photo of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Biodiversity crisis is about to put humanity at risk, UN scientists to warn We are in trouble if we dont act, say experts, with up to 1m species at risk of annihilation Students protest in Adelaide. UN experts warned people alive today are at risk unless urgent action is taken. Photograph: Kelly Barnes/EPA The worlds leading scientists will warn the planets life-support systems are approaching a danger zone for humanity when they release the results of the most comprehensive study of life on Earth ever undertaken. Up to 1m species are at risk of annihilation, many within decades, according to a leaked draft of the global assessment report, which has been compiled over three years by the UNs leading research body on nature. The 1,800-page study will show people living today, as well as wildlife and future generations, are at risk unless urgent action is taken to reverse the loss of plants, insects and other creatures on which humanity depends for food, pollination, clean water and a stable climate. The final wording of the summary for policymakers is being finalised in Paris by a gathering of experts and government representatives before the launch on Monday, but the overall message is already clear, according to Robert Watson, the chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Biodiversity crisis is about to put humanity at risk, UN scientists to warn by Jonathan Watts, Environment, Guardian, May 3, 2019 Interview of the Week... Why Bill McKibben Sees Rays of Hope in a Grim Climate Picture The world has done little to tackle global warming since Bill McKibbens landmark book on the subject was published in 1989. In an e360 interview, McKibben talks about the critical time lost and what can be done now to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Bill McKibben CREDIT: NANCIE BATTAGLIA Three decades ago, Bill McKibben published The End of Nature, the first book on climate change aimed at a general audience. McKibben went on to found the international environmental group 350.org, help launch the fossil fuel divestment movement, and write a dozen more non-fiction books, as well as a novel. In 2014, McKibben received the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes referred to as the alternative Nobel, for mobilizing popular support for strong action to counter the threat of global climate change. McKibbens latest book, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, was published this month and debuted last week on the New York Times bestseller list. In an interview with Yale Environment 360 , McKibben talks about why the critical time for action on climate was missed, where he still finds hope, and what the world will look like three decades from now. Thirty or 50 years out, the worlds going to run on sun and wind, because theyre free, McKibben says. The question is what kind of world will it be? Why Bill McKibben Sees Rays of Hope in a Grim Climate Picture, Interview by Elizabeth Kolbert, Yale Environment 360, Apr 30, 2019 Toon of the Week... Photo of the Week... Source: FB Page of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) SkS Spotlights... What is the rationale behind Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP)? In an effort to serve as the hub for climate-related information, data, and tools, the World Bank (WB) created the Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP). The Portal provides an online platform for access to comprehensive global, regional, and country data related to climate change and development. The successful integration of scientific information in decision making often depends on the use of flexible frameworks, data, and tools that can provide comprehensive information to a wide range of users, allowing them to evaluate how to apply the scientific information to the design of a project or policy. What does the CCKP entail? The CCKP provides a web-based platform to assist in capacity building and knowledge development. The portal aims to provide development practitioners with a resource to explore, evaluate, synthesize, and learn about climate-related vulnerabilities and risks at multiple levels of details. Using climate science research results to inform the decision making process concerning policies or specific measures needed to tackle climate impacts, or even to understand low carbon development processes, is often a difficult, yet crucial, undertaking. The CCKP contains environmental, disaster risk, and socio-economic datasets, as well as synthesis products, such as the Climate Adaptation Country Profiles and Climate Smart Agriculture Profiles, which are built and packaged for specific user-focused functions in a particular country or sector. The portal also provides intelligent links to other resources and tools. The CCKP consists of spatially and temporally referenced data. Users are able to evaluate climate-related vulnerabilities, risks, and actions for a particular location on the globe by interpreting climate and climate-related data at different levels of details. What can users achieve using CCKP? Learn about climate and climate related datasets at the global, regional, and country level. Enhance knowledge on climate change related topics, including exposure, vulnerability, sectoral impacts, and adaptation options. Assess, visualize, and download resourceful climate data and information. Coming Soon on SkS... Former climate 'denier' regrets 'how wrongheaded but certain I was' (Karen Kirk) (Karen Kirk) Inspiring, not depressing, film fest messages (Daisy Simmons) (Daisy Simmons) State of the climate: Heat across Earths surface and oceans mark early 2019 (Zeke Hausfather) (Zeke Hausfather) Why my fears about climate change made me cross the line that separates academia from activism (James Dyke) (James Dyke) New research this week (Ari) (Ari) 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19 (John Hartz) (John Hartz) 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #19 (John Hartz) Climate Feedback Reviews... [To be added.] Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Theres a fierce debate going on inside the Democratic Party right nowmostly between Joe Biden and observable reality, to be honestover whether Donald Trump is some sort of dark aberration in American history or just a particularly exuberant expression of the greed, fear, and hatred that have powered the Republican Party for decades. But theres one way in which Trump undeniably represents a break from the past: His braying, cracking voice is impossible for comedians to resist imitating, and nearly as impossible for them to make funny, or even tolerable. Countless late-night monologues have run aground on this shoal, because its hard to write jokes about Donald Trump without quoting or imitating the absurd things Donald Trump says; but as soon as you give a comedian the chance to do his voice, theyll do it; and as soon as any version of Donald Trumps voice goes out over the airwaves, a significant portion of the audience will be involuntarily plunged into eyelid-twitching paroxysms of rage and sorrow. Thats not exactly a comedy sweet spot, but its interesting, because it represents a way in which the Republicans have actually disgraced themselves in the Trump era, as opposed to just being a little more honest about who they always were and what they always wanted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take Richard Nixon, for instance. Perhaps no Republican president before Trump did more to align the Republican Party with white supremacyalthough theres certainly stiff competitionand while every president of every party abuses their power to some degree, Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace, the very definition of overstepping your bounds. But although Republicans long ago abandoned their commitment to the rule of law and our common humanity, there was one responsibility Nixon took very seriously: He was funny in a way that insured basic minimum standards for Nixon impressionists. On Fridays Late Show With Stephen Colbert,* the host briefly took the audience back to the halcyon days of a more civilized era: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colberts Nixon impression alternates between not sounding much like Richard Nixon and not sounding anything like Richard Nixon, but its still funny: The victory sign, the hunched shoulders, and the basset hound jowl shake do most of the work. Even fictional characters can do a good Nixonsee, e.g., Mr. Burns Nixon on The Simpsons, in which Harry Shearer filters a Nixon impression through his Mr. Burns voice, itself a combination of Lionel Barrymore and Ronald Reagan. Tracy Morgan set out to do a bad impression of Nixon and still couldnt stop it from being hilarious, as this video, entitled Tracy Morgans Terrible Nixon Impression and previously hailed in the pages of Slate as the nations worst Nixon impression, proves. As a bonus, it also features Conan OBriens Nixon: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its true that a gifted Trump impressionist like Anthony Atamanuik can somehow turn Trumps unbearable personal affect into laughter, but this is expert-level work: For everyday, run-of-the-mill hosts of major network late-night television shows, Trumps voice is a tar pit where laughter goes to die. In Lincolns dayand even in Nixonsthe Republican Party was committed to helping all comedians succeed, backing a slate of candidates with silly, easy-to-parody affectations ranging from stovepipe hats to handlebar mustaches. With a simple, graceful shake of his jowls, Stephen Colbert reminded the nation just how far the GOP has fallen. Get Slate Culture in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Please enable Javascript in your browser to view Slate interactives. Trump on Sunday morning announced via tweet that hed be tapping Mark Morgan, who served as the chief of U.S. Border Patrol under Obama, to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Morgan must be formally nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE, Trump wrote. Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. The Washington Post reports that senior ICE leaders were taken by surprise, only learning of the selection from the tweet. Advertisement Morgan is a former career FBI agent who served as the Border Patrol chief for the last six months of the Obama presidency, but was then replaced when Trump assumed office. Since then, Morgan has spoken to various media outlets backing many of Trumps immigration proposals, such as building the border wall and sending migrants to sanctuary cities. I was removed. Im standing up and saying, I should have disdain for them, but I dont because they are right, he said in a January interview with Law and Crime. Morgan has consistently characterized current immigration trends as an unprecedented crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump withdrew the nomination of Ronald Vitiello, who had 30 years of experience with the Border Patrol, to head ICE in April. The Post reported at the time that White House adviser Stephen Miller had been lobbying against Vitiello. The president said of the move, Were going in a tougher direction. We want to go in a tougher direction. Former Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned two days later. Advertisement Advertisement Heres phase one of what tougher looks like, in my opinion, Morgan told the Los Angeles Times last month when news broke of Vitiellos nixed nomination, They have to stop expecting that Congress is going to do their job. DHS is going to have to address this issue all alone. Morgan claimed that there is an incentive for undocumented immigrants to grab kid, step one foot onto U.S. soil to bypass border laws. He further said that, while he doesnt believe that the White House will reimpose its family separation policy, it must take dramatic action even if we lose in the courts. The Trump administration has been ramping up efforts to tighten border security in recent weeks. The Justice Department directed judges late last month to deny bond hearings for asylum seekers, which would leave them in detention for months while they wait for their claims to be adjudicated. The administration is also asking Congress for additional border security funding to expand detention space and enact other measures. House Judiciary Committee member David Cicilline said on Fox News Sunday that the committee had decided on May 15 as a tentative date for special counsel Robert Mueller to testify about his investigation. Cicilline claimed on the program that a representative for Mueller had preliminarily agreed to the date, adding, We think the American people have a right to hear directly from him. The congressman sent out a tweet later in the day reading, Just to clarify: we are aiming to bring Mueller in on the 15th, but nothing has been agreed to yet. Thats the date the Committee has proposed, and we hope the Special Counsel will agree to it. Sorry for the confusion. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler also said last week that the committee was aiming to hold the hearing on May 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amid the confusion, Trump sent out a string of condemnatory tweets about the investigation and Congress on Sunday that included the lines, Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! This was an abrupt reversal for the president who, when asked by reporters on Friday whether Mueller should testify, said, I dont know. Thats up to our attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job. Attorney General William Barr previously told Congress that he has no problem with Mueller testifying. Cicilline also said on Fox News Sunday that the White House has so far indicated they would not interfere with Mr. Muellers attempts to testify. Testimony from Mueller could provide clarifying information about the reports findings and its handling by the Justice Department. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the investigation concluded there was no collusion and no obstruction, even though Mueller outlined 10 episodes of potential obstruction in the report. Many have also accused Barr of misrepresenting the contents of the report in the four-page summary he wrote prior to its release, and House Judiciary Democrats surfaced a letter last week that Mueller sent to the attorney general, which read, in part: The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Offices work and conclusions. Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Mueller said in a subsequent phone call that he did not think the summary was inaccurate, but was rather objecting to the medias coverage of it. Sen. Lindsey Graham sent a letter to Mueller on Friday ostensibly inviting him to testify before the Senate as well; it read, in part, Please inform the Committee if you would like to provide testimony regarding any misrepresentation by the Attorney General of the substance of the phone call. On Twitter Friday night, President Donald Trump railed against the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms and complained that conservatives were being unfairly pushed off social media. The president has on several occasions before complained of broad suppression of conservative voices by tech companies, but this time, Trump singled out a number of people, including James Woodswhom he called a Conservative thinkerand Paul Joseph Watson. He then proceeded to amplify the tweets of a number of conspiracy-minded accounts (including one bizarre video by an account called Deep State Exposed asserting that the elite proclaim America must submit to Islam or else!!!). Most of the tweets had to do with censorship. In total, he sent out more than a dozen tweets on the subject. Advertisement But the people he retweeted are not known for mainstream conservative thinking. Instead, many of them peddle right-wing conspiracy theories and overt white supremacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Twitter rant was sparked by Facebooks decision to bar seven users from its services, citing its policies against dangerous individuals and organizations. The purge included Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, the virulent anti-Semite Paul Nehlen, and Alex Jones. In particular, Trump focused on Paul Joseph Watson, an Infowars personality known also for his conspiracy-mongering. Trump mentioned Watson in his own tweet Friday, and he retweeted a video Watson made criticizing Facebook the next morning. Watsons conspiracies are not harmless. While it can sometimes be hard to see the ways in which chemtrails and 9/11 conspiraciesconspiracy theories he supports that have been popular for many yearsare harmful, his efforts to push the conspiracy theory about murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich directly brought anguish to Richs mourning family. Advertisement Advertisement Besides his conspiracy-mongering, Watson is also known for his racism and sexism. He once joked that the Womens March should be renamed handful of self-entitled, fat, ugly feminists trying to get arrested in desperate attempt to impress any man. He once said science proves African and Middle Eastern people have problems with aggression because of low IQ. He has asserted that theres no such thing as moderate Islam. Islam is a violent, intolerant religion which, in its current form, has no place in liberal western democracies. But the greatest harm likely has to do with his insistence on constantly amplifying absurd right-wing fake news stories without any apparent concern for the truth. Advertisement Trump also retweeted Lauren Southern, a far-right Canadian activist who has faked transitioning genders as a pretext to interview transgender activists. She claimed Black Lives Matter caused more deaths than the Ku Klux Klan. She showed up at an anti-rape protest with a sign that read, There is no rape culture in the West. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even actor James Woods, who has used slurs to describe Muslims, had his Twitter account briefly suspended because of a tweet that violated the sites rules, according to CNN Business. The president has amplified the voices of racists, misogynists, and white supremacists on his Twitter feed before. But in a dust-up between tech companies and extremists over those extremists right to say offensive and bigoted things on those platforms, he sided explicitly with the extremists in a shared sense of victimhood. Why is @nytimes, @washingtonpost, @CNN, @MSNBC allowed to be on Twitter & Facebook, he said, to conclude his rant. Much of what they do is FAKE NEWS! Students enrolled in an MBA program typically begin their course of study with a series of core courses, which may include marketing, finance, and organizational behavior. Upon completion of these foundational courses, students enrolled in a healthcare management MBA will focus on this specialization. Internships or other experiential opportunities may be a component as well. Read on to learn more about some MBA courses that students may take that concern healthcare management. Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Commercialization This course may provide a background in the economic and management issues that are faced by biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. Specific topics may include research and development, pricing, joint ventures, and governmental regulations. Attention could be paid both to established companies and to start-ups within this industry. Organization and Management in Health Care A course in the organization and management of healthcare may consider such organizations as a whole, and then move into individual leadership issues that arise in such organizations. Within this course, students could be introduced to the major challenges facing healthcare organizations, including organizational change. They may hone their leadership and communication skills in facing such challenges. Health Care Economics This course could provide an introduction to both the macroeconomic and microeconomic theories of health care. Students may review why it is different than other industry sectors. Students might learn about economic evaluation and an analysis of the current US or global heathcare markets. Legal Issues in Health Care Those with business leadership positions in healthcare organizations will be required to be cognizant of a range of legal issues that may be faced by such enterprises. Students may be presented with a range of legal concerns that are frequently encountered, such as quality assurance and resource allocation, through a case study method. The ethical dimension of these problems could be presented as well. The Health Services System This course will provide an overview of the current status of healthcare institutions in the United States. Payment structures, including HMOs, insurance, and federal programs, may be examined. Students could also be introduced to the providers of healthcare within the system. Students who wish to seek leadership positions within the healthcare industry may consider earning an MBA with a focus in healthcare. Students who pursue this degree will encounter coursework focused on developing leadership and knowledge of the industry, and may also have the opportunity to gain hands-on skills through MBA projects. University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts at Amherst has a 30-credit Master of Science (MS) in Mechanical Engineering (ME). The school also offers a fast-track, 5-year Bachelor of Science (BS)/MS program for undergraduates. The MS program has a thesis option and a coursework-only option that requires students to take up to 6 credits of independent study in place of 9 credits of thesis work. In addition to core courses, students can choose from electives in areas like materials engineering, biomechanical engineering, or design and bioengineering for further specialization. Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge offers 9 different graduate degree programs within the field of mechanical engineering. Students can choose from programs like a traditional Master of Science (SM) in ME, an MS in Ocean Engineering, a Master of Engineering in Manufacturing, or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Science degree. Students in the SM program must complete a thesis and students in the PhD program must complete a dissertation. The school does provide several ME-related student groups, including MEGA Women, the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association of Women. Merrimack College North Andover's Merrimack College provides an MS in ME that can be completed in 9 to 12 months. Students may also choose a slower, 18-month pathway and the program offers evening and day classes for flexibility. The program totals 32 credits and offers an optional specialization in management. Students in the program get to work on real-world projects, participate in an internship opportunity for hands-on learning, and compete for fellowship opportunities for funding. Boston University Boston University in Boston offers diverse certificate, master's and doctoral programs in ME, including a traditional MS and PhD in the field. Students can also choose from specialized graduate programs, such as a dual MS/Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Product Design and Manufacture. The master's degree programs allow students to finish in as little as 1 year, or take 2 years and include project-based experiences or an internship experience. The PhD program allows students to earn an MS in route to the PhD and does require a teaching practicum. Tufts University Tufts University in Medford has a couple of certificate programs, a dual master's program, a traditional MS and PhD in ME, an MS in Bioengineering, and an MS in Human Factors Engineering through their ME department. The dual master's degree program allows students to earn an MS from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and an MS in Innovation and Management in 2 years. The MS in ME and the MS in Human Factors Engineering programs have a thesis and non-thesis option. Students in the PhD program must complete a dissertation, attend seminars, and pass a qualifying exam. Prime ministers claim to complete reconstruction in a year far from reality On April 25, on the fourth anniversary of the 2015 devastating Gorkha Earthquake, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli took to Twitter to announce reconstruction of all the earthquake-ravaged structures will be completed within a year. Sugar in drinks is more dangerous than sugar in foods, according to a major new review of international evidence. Leading child health and obesity experts say this underlines the call for a tax on sugary drinks as a top-priority action to tackle Aotearoa New Zealands interconnected epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes and rotten teeth. Worldwide, it has estimated that there are 184,000 premature deaths per year due to sugar-sweetened beverages, mostly from diabetes. Dr Gerhard Sundborn, of the University of Aucklands Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, says experts have debated whether sugar across the food system should be targeted generally, or sugar in drinks specifically. A paper Dr Sundborn and colleagues have just published in Obesity, the official journal of The Obesity Society, reviewed the existing evidence from around the world. The researchers found that compared to sugar in solid food, sugar in drinks carries a greater risk of causing harmful metabolic changes that lead to chronic illnesses such as obesity and diabetes. This is due to its concentration, quantity and the speed with which sugar is metabolised when consumed in liquid form rather than solid, says Dr Sundborn, a senior lecturer in the School of Population Health. The review included eight studies that directly compared the metabolic effects of liquid and solid sugars. It is clear that sugar in drinks is more dangerous than sugar in foods, which means we should focus our efforts on sugary drinks initially, says Dr Sundborn. Dr Sundborn and his co-researchers, including Dr Simon Thornley also in the School of Population Health and Dr Bodo Lang, Head of the Marketing department in the University of Auckland Business School, say the finding provides more evidence for introducing a tax on sugary drinks to promote better health. Says Dr Thornley: We need to learn from what has happened in the UK, Mexico, Philadelphia, Berkley, Tonga and the Cook Islands and tax sugary drinks as they have done already. Another striking finding was that from 2002 to 2016, consumption of sugary drinks increased in New Zealand, compared to the United Kingdom and the United States, where the total sugary drink intake was steadily falling. Sales figures indicate New Zealanders are drinking less soft drinks but more juice, sports and energy drinks. The average daily intake in New Zealand in 2016 was 175ml per person, compared to 275ml per person in the UK and 460ml per person in the US. A typical power or energy drink contains 27 grams, or about seven teaspoons of sugar per 236ml of drink (roughly one cup), compared to 26 grams in the same volume of fizzy drinks and 24 grams (six teaspoons) each for sweetened teas and flavoured milk. Dr Lang says, Research has shown that some children are twice as likely to see advertising for junk food such as sugary drinks compared to advertising for healthy food. Our study suggests that the liquid sugar in such drinks is particularly dangerous because of its fast absorption. Dr Thornley: We have one of the highest rates of child obesity and adult obesity in the world, and our Government and Minister of Health, Hon Dr David Clark, need to implement a tax on sugary drinks to address this issue. The study was funded by New Zealands Health Research Council. Researchers were from the University of Auckland, Auckland Regional Public Health Service, the University of Otago in New Zealand, and the University of Colorado in the US. In Longview on Saturday night, nationally known conservative political firebrand Dinesh DSouza praised President Donald Trump and urged Republicans not to lose (their) nerve politically. In his 50-minute keynote address to 500 people at the partys annual Lincoln Day Dinner, DSouza acknowledged that the presidents Himalayan ego might be a personal flaw, but said it makes for a political strength. We have on our side this very strange warrior, Trump, DSouza said at the event, held at the Cowlitz Expo Center. This dude is in the political and culture war, both. He is, to be frank, a kind of a mud wrestler. But hes ... in a culture that has become a mud wrestling culture. He cautioned the grand old party faithful not to back off. Politics in those days (the Reagan era) was a kinder, gentler sort of politics. As conservatives, as Republicans there is a natural tendency to want that back. ... Trump is not the guy who caused the division. The division caused him. DSouza, 58, has written nearly two dozen books, including America: Imagine a World Without Her and The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left, in which he asserts that the Democratic left has had a long, cozy relationship with Nazism. He has argued that the American left-wing bears partial responsibility for many of the nations ills, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. DSouza pleaded guilty in 2014 to campaign finance fraud but was pardoned last year by President Trump. That pardon gave DSouza my American dream back, but it also gave a giant up yours to the Obama administration, he said to a round of applause. Among other speakers were Washington State House Rep. Jim Walsh, Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson and Republic, Wash., Police Chief Loren Culp, who last year made national headlines when he publicly announced he would not enforce gun control measure Initiative 1639. The process I went through was hard, Culp said. I didnt know that a police officer saying he would not violate citizens rights would be an anomaly and make national news. Joey Gibson is a right-wing political activist whose group Patriot Prayer has had sometimes violent conflicts with anti-fascist groups during its rallies in Portland. Saturday night, Gibson called on Christian leaders to be more active in changing their communities. Washington state is drowning. The United States of America is drowning. And I think its time that we reach up and we ask Jesus to save this state, to save this country, he said. During his speech, Walsh divided the room into the two things he believed the left in Washington is made of directing one side to yell Taxes! and the other to yell Lies! After asking the audience to yell both phrases loud enough for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson to hear, he asked if either is going to win the day? to which the audience yelled No! Linda Coe of Kelso, who attended the event, said she thought DSouza spoke with humor and truth, and added that he raised issues all American should be concerned of. Our freedom and liberty is at stake, Coe said, (but) to me, it shouldnt be if its Republican or Democrat. Love 19 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 9 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. As the fate of the Showbox remains uncertain, it appears another one of the citys long-running music venues is facing demolition. According to a notice on the city of Seattles Department of Neighborhoods website, plans for two mixed-use towers are headed for the South Lake Union site currently home to El Corazon, a scruffy metal and punk venue with a deep history in the Seattle music scene. In its grunge-era heyday, the club was known as the Off Ramp and hosted the earliest Pearl Jam show, in October 1990, when the band was called Mookie Blaylock. The plans from Canadian developer Arbutus Properties call for two residential towers built atop a podium that will potentially include office, retail and restaurant spaces. The upside for music fans is that El Corazon, and its adjacent Funhouse bar, has apparently struck a deal to reopen in the new development, according to the notice. Back in February, the Seattle P-I reported the filing of a demolition permit application to raze the longtime club, though at the time, El Corazon owner Dana Sims told the Stranger he had no plans to do so. Nevertheless, Arbutus project which would occupy several parcels near Eastlake Avenue East and Denny Way just south of REI appears to be moving forward. On Friday afternoon, Sims confirmed in an email that El Corazon and the Funhouse will continue operating in their current locations for at least another 2.5 to three years, if not more. Once construction begins, Sims plans to relocate to another location until the new facility is completed. The venues will have approximately the same capacity in the new building as they currently do 800 people in El Corazon, plus another 200 on the Funhouse side. The original Funhouse served as a beloved punk and metal haven near Seattle Center from 2003 to 2012, before it reopened in the side room of El Corazon in 2015. This [is] about the best outcome one could hope for two storied clubs who operate in a building that is nearly 120 years old and in need of substantial improvements! Sims wrote. Sims said that he will retain his ownership stake in the land and building, and has entered into a joint venture agreement in order to keep the clubs in the new development. Sims also said he plans to retain the clubs names and heavy metal and punk identity after reopening in the new development. Given the development boom around South Lake Union, its no wonder developers would target the El Corazon site. A little rough around the edges, the 120-year-old building has that moshed-in feel that makes Oly-swilling metalheads feel at home on a Saturday night, but sits on a desirable chunk of real estate valued at $5.3 million, according to the King County Assessor. The club has gone through various incarnations over the years, previously known as Graceland, Sub-Zero and other names in addition to the Off Ramp. The old Off Ramp sign is currently on display at the Pearl Jam Home and Away exhibit at MoPOP. According to El Corazons website, Sims has operated the club since 2005. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 When Larry Anders moved into the Bay at Burlington nursing home in late 2017, he wasnt supposed to be there long. At 77, the stoic Wisconsin machinist had just endured the death of his wife of 51 years and a grim new diagnosis: throat cancer, stage 4. His son and daughter expected him to stay two weeks, tops, before going home to begin chemotherapy. From the start, they were alarmed by the lack of care at the center, where, they said, staff seemed indifferent, if not incompetent failing to check on him promptly, handing pills to a man who couldnt swallow. Anders never mentioned suicide to his children, who camped out day and night by his bedside to monitor his care. But two days after Christmas, alone in his nursing home room, Anders killed himself. He didnt leave a note. The act stunned his family. His daughter, Lorie Juno, 50, was so distressed that, a year later, she still refused to learn the details of her fathers death. The official cause was asphyxiation. Its sad he was feeling in such a desperate place in the end, Juno said. In a nation where suicide continues to climb, claiming more than 47,000 lives in 2017, such deaths among older adults including the 2.2 million who live in long-term care settings are often overlooked. A six-month investigation by Kaiser Health News and PBS NewsHour finds that older Americans are quietly killing themselves in nursing homes, assisted living centers and adult care homes. Poor documentation makes it difficult to tell exactly how often such deaths occur. But a KHN analysis of new data from the University of Michigan suggests that hundreds of suicides by older adults each year nearly one per day are related to long-term care. Thousands more people may be at risk in those settings, where up to a third of residents report suicidal thoughts, research shows. Each suicide results from a unique blend of factors, of course. But the fact that frail older Americans are managing to kill themselves in what are supposed to be safe, supervised havens raises questions about whether these facilities pay enough attention to risk factors like mental health, physical decline and disconnectedness and events such as losing a spouse or leaving ones home. More controversial is whether older adults in those settings should be able to take their lives through what some fiercely defend as rational suicide. Tracking suicides in long-term care is difficult. No federal regulations require reporting of such deaths and most states either dont count or wont divulge how many people end their own lives in those settings. Briana Mezuk, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, found in 2015 that the rate of suicide in older adults in nursing homes in Virginia was nearly the same as the rate in the general population, despite the greater supervision the facilities provide. In research they presented at the 2018 Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Mezuks team looked at nearly 50,000 suicides among people 55 and older in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from 2003 to 2015 in 27 states. They found that 2.2 percent of those suicides were related to long-term care. The people who died were either people living in or transitioning to long-term care, or caregivers of people in those circumstances. KHN extrapolated the finding to the entire U.S., where 16,500 suicides were reported among people 55 and older in 2017, according to federal figures. That suggests that at least 364 suicides a year occur among people living in or moving to long-term care settings, or among their caregivers. The numbers are likely higher, Mezuk said, since the NVDRS data did not include such states as California and Florida, which have large populations of elders living in long-term care sites. But representatives of the long-term care industry point out that by any measure, such suicides are rare. The deaths are horrifically tragic when they occur, said Dr. David Gifford, of the American Health Care Association. But, he added, the facilities offer a very supervised environment, and settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding are required to assess and monitor patients for suicidal behavior. I think the industry is pretty attuned to it and paying attention to it, Gifford said, noting that mental health issues among older adults in general must be addressed. I dont see this data as pointing to a problem in the facilities. KHN examined over 500 attempted and completed suicides in long-term care settings from 2012 to 2017 by analyzing thousands of death records, medical examiner reports, state inspections, court cases and incident reports. Even in supervised settings, records show, older people find ways to end their own lives. Many used guns, sometimes in places where firearms werent allowed or should have been securely stored. Others hanged themselves, jumped from windows, overdosed on pills or suffocated themselves with plastic bags. (The analysis did not examine medical aid-in-dying, a rare and restricted method by which people who are terminally ill and mentally competent can get a doctors prescription for lethal drugs. That is legal only in seven states and the District of Columbia.) Descriptions KHN unearthed in public records shed light on residents despair: Some told nursing home staff they were depressed or lonely; some felt that their families had abandoned them or that they had nothing to live for. Others said they had just lived long enough: I am too old to still be living, one patient told staff. In some cases, state inspectors found nursing homes to blame for failing to heed suicidal warning signs or evicting patients who tried to kill themselves. A better understanding is crucial: Experts agree that late-life suicide is an under-recognized problem that is poised to grow. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65 and 1 in 5 U.S. residents will be of retirement age, according to census data. Of those who reach 65, two-thirds can expect to need some type of long-term care. And, for poorly understood reasons, that generation has had higher rates of suicide at every stage, said Dr. Yeates Conwell, director of the Office for Aging Research and Health Services at the University of Rochester. The rise in rates in people in middle age is going to be carried with them into older adulthood, he said. Long-term care settings could be a critical place to intervene to avert suicide and to help people find meaning, purpose and quality of life, Mezuk argued: Theres so much more that can be done. It would be hard for us to be doing less. In Wisconsin, Larry Anders children chose to speak publicly because they felt the nursing home failed their father. Anders, a taciturn Army veteran, lived a low-key retirement in Waukesha, outside of Milwaukee. He grew asparagus, watched Wheel of Fortune with his wife, Lorna, in matching blue recliners and played the slot machines at a Chinese restaurant. Following the November 2017 death of his wife, and his throat cancer diagnosis, he initially refused treatment, but then agreed to give it a try. Anders landed at the Bay at Burlington, 40 minutes from his home, the closest facility his Medicare Advantage plan would cover. The first day, Lorie Juno grew worried when no one came to greet her father after the ambulance crew wheeled him to his room. The room had no hand sanitizer and the sink had no hot water. In his week in the Burlington, Wis., center, Anders wrestled with anxiety and insomnia. Anders, who rarely complained, called his daughter in a panic around 2 a.m. one day, saying that he couldnt sleep and that they dont know what the hell theyre doing here, according to Juno. When she called, staff assured her that Anders had just had a snack, which she knew wasnt true because he ate only through a feeding tube. His children scrambled to transfer him elsewhere, but they ran out of time. On Dec. 27, Mike Anders, 48, woke up in an armchair next to his fathers bed after spending the night. He left for his job as a machinist between 5 and 6 a.m. At 6:40 a.m., Larry Anders was found dead in his room. I firmly believe that had he had better care, it wouldve been a different ending, Mike Anders said. Research shows events like losing a spouse and a new cancer diagnosis put people at higher risk of suicide, but close monitoring requires resources that many facilities dont have. Nursing homes already struggle to provide enough staffing for basic care. Assisted living centers that promote independence and autonomy can miss warning signs of suicide risk, experts warn. In the weeks before and after Anders death, state inspectors found a litany of problems at the facility, including staffing shortages. When inspectors found a patient lying on the floor, they couldnt locate any staff in the unit to help. Champion Care, the New York firm that runs the Bay at Burlington and other Wisconsin nursing homes, noted that neither police nor state health officials found staff at fault in Anders death. Merely having a suicide on-site does not mean a nursing home broke federal rules. But in some suicides KHN reviewed, nursing homes were penalized for failing to meet requirements for federally funded facilities, such as maintaining residents' well-being, preventing avoidable accidents and telling a patient's doctor and family if they are at risk of harm. For example: An 81-year-old architect fatally shot himself while his roommate was nearby in their shared room in a Massachusetts nursing home in 2016. The facility was fined $66,705. A 95-year-old World War II pilot hanged himself in an Ohio nursing home in 2016, six months after a previous attempt in the same location. The facility was fined $42,575. An 82-year-old former aircraft mechanic, who had a history of suicidal ideation, suffocated himself with a plastic bag in a Connecticut nursing home in 2015. The facility was fined $1,020. Prevention needs to start long before these deaths occur, with thorough screenings upon entry to the facilities and ongoing monitoring, Conwell said. The main risk factors for senior suicide are what he calls "the four D's": depression, debility, access to deadly means and disconnectedness. "Pretty much all of the factors that we associate with completed suicide risk are going to be concentrated in long-term care," Conwell said. Most seniors who choose to end their lives don't talk about it in advance, and they often die on the first attempt, he said. 'That was the case for the Rev. Milton P. Andrews Jr., a former Seattle pastor, who "gave no hint" he wanted to end his life six years ago at a Wesley Homes retirement center in nearby Des Moines, Wash. Neither his son, Paul Andrews, nor the staff at the center had any suspicions, they said. "My father was an infinitely deliberate person," said Paul Andrews, 69, a retired Seattle journalist. "There's no way once he decided his own fate that he was going to give a clue about it, since that would have defeated the whole plan." At 90, the Methodist minister and human rights activist had a long history of making what he saw as unpopular but morally necessary decisions. He drew controversy in the pulpit in the 1950s for inviting African Americans into his Seattle sanctuary. He opposed the Vietnam War and was arrested for protesting nuclear armament. His daughter was once called a "pinko" because Andrews demanded equal time on a local radio station to rebut a conservative broadcaster. In 2013, facing a possible second bout of congestive heart failure and the decline of his beloved wife, Ruth, who had dementia, Andrews made his final decision. On Valentine's Day, he took a handful of sleeping pills, pulled a plastic bag over his head and died. Milton Andrews wrote a goodbye note on the cover of his laptop computer in bold, black marker. "Fare-well! I am ready to die! I choose this 'shortcut,'" it read in part. "I love you all, and do not wish a long, protracted death with my loved ones waiting for me to die." Christine Tremain, a spokeswoman for Wesley Homes, said Andrews' death has been the only suicide reported in her 18 years at the center. "Elder suicide is an issue that we take seriously and work to prevent through the formal and informal support systems that we have in place," she said. At first, Paul Andrews said he was shocked, devastated and even angry about his dad's death. Now, he just misses him. "I always feel like he was gone too soon, even though I don't think he felt like that at all," he said. Andrews has come to believe that elderly people should be able to decide when they're ready to die. "I think it's a human right," he said. "If you go out when you're still functioning and still have the ability to choose, that may be the best way to do it and not leave it to other people to decide." That's a view shared by Dena Davis, 72, a bioethics professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Suicide "could be a rational choice for anyone of any age if they feel that the benefits of their continued life are no longer worth it," she said. "The older you get, the more of your life you've already lived hopefully, enjoyed the less of it there is to look forward to," said Davis, who has publicly discussed her desire to end her own life rather than die of dementia, as her mother did. But Conwell, a leading geriatric psychiatrist, finds the idea of rational suicide by older Americans "really troublesome." "We have this ageist society, and it's awfully easy to hand over the message that they're all doing us a favor," he said. When older adults struggle with mental illness, families often turn to long-term care to keep them safe. A jovial social worker who loved to dance, Ellen Karpas fell into a catatonic depression after losing her job at age 74 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Concerned that she was "dwindling away" at home, losing weight and skipping medications, her children persuaded her to move to an assisted living facility in Minneapolis in 2017. Karpas enjoyed watching the sunset from the large, fourth-story window of her room at Ebenezer Loren on Park. But she had trouble adjusting to the sterile environment, according to son Timothy Schultz, 52. "I do not want to live here for the rest of my life," she told him. On Oct. 4, 2017, less than a month after she moved in, Karpas was unusually irritable during a visit, her daughter, Sandy Pahlen, 54, recalled. Pahlen and her husband left the room briefly. When they returned, Karpas was gone. Pahlen looked out an open window and saw her mother on the ground below. Karpas, 79, was declared dead at the scene. Schultz said he thinks the death was premeditated, because his mother took off her eyeglasses and pulled a stool next to the window. Escaping was easy: She just had to retract a screen that rolled up like a roller blind and open the window with a hand crank. Pahlen said she believes medication mismanagement the staff's failure to give Karpas her regular mood stabilizer pills contributed to her suicide. But a state health department investigation found staffers were not at fault in the death. Eric Schubert, a spokesman for Fairview Health Services, which owns the facility, called Karpas' death "very tragic" but said he could not comment further because the family has hired a lawyer. Their lawyer, Joel Smith, said the family plans to sue the facility and may pursue state legislation to make windows suicide-proof at similar places. "Where do I even begin to heal from something that is so painful, because it was so preventable?" said Raven Baker, Karpas' 26-year-old granddaughter. Nationwide, about half of people who die by suicide had a known mental health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mental health is a significant concern in U.S. nursing homes: Nearly half of residents are diagnosed with depression, according to a 2013 CDC report. That often leads caregivers, families and patients themselves to believe that depression is inevitable, so they dismiss or ignore signs of suicide risk, said Conwell. "Older adulthood is not a time when it's normal to feel depressed. It's not a time when it's normal to feel as if your life has no meaning," he said. "If those things are coming across, that should send up a red flag." Still, not everyone with depression is suicidal, and some who are suicidal don't appear depressed, said Julie Rickard, a psychologist in Wenatchee, Wash., who founded a regional suicide prevention coalition in 2012. She's launching one of the nation's few pilot projects to train staff and engage fellow residents to address suicides in long-term care. In the past 18 months, three suicides occurred at assisted living centers in the rural central Washington community of 50,000 people. That included Roland K. Tiedemann, 89, who jumped from the fourth-story window of a local center on Jan. 22, 2018. "He was very methodical. He had it planned out," Rickard said. "Had the staff been trained, they would have been able to prevent it. Because none of them had been trained, they missed all the signs." Tiedemann, known as "Dutch," lived there with his wife, Mary, who has dementia. The couple had nearly exhausted resources to pay for their care and faced moving to a new center, said their daughter, Jane Davis, 45, of Steamboat Springs, Colo. Transitions into or out of long-term care can be a key time for suicide risk, data shows. After Tiedemann's death, Davis moved her mother to a different facility in a nearby city. Mary Tiedemann, whose dementia is worse, doesn't understand that her husband died, Davis said. "At first I would tell her. And I was telling her over and over," she said. "Now I just tell her he's hiking." At the facility where Tiedemann died, Rickard met with the residents, including many who reported thoughts of suicide. "The room was filled with people who wanted to die," she said. "These people came to me to say: 'Tell me why I should still live.'" Most suicide prevention funding targets young or middle-aged people, in part because those groups have so many years ahead of them. But it's also because of ageist attitudes that suggest such investments and interventions are not as necessary for older adults, said Jerry Reed, a nationally recognized suicide expert with the nonprofit Education Development Center. "Life at 80 is just as possible as life at 18," Reed said. "Our suicide prevention strategies need to evolve. If they don't, we're going to be losing people we don't need to lose." IF YOU NEED HELP If you or someone you know has talked about contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat, both available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People 60 and older can call the Institute on Aging's 24-hour, toll-free Friendship Line at 800-971-0016. IOA also makes ongoing outreach calls to lonely older adults. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 0 WASHINGTON In the normal course of events, the successful demagogue demands and receives cringing deference. But how about a little empathy now and then? Everyone loves heroic dissidents like Sir Thomas More, at least when canonizing them has no cost. They get all the best press and plays about them. Yet who stops to consider the predicament of the prince? He can always find some lickspittles who will do as they are told. But the problem with lickspittles is their darned undependability. Men or women who are subservient out of self-interest will turn against the prince when their interests change, or when they get a plea deal. One day they are drinking at a prince's open bar. The next they are talking to "60 Minutes" or congressional investigators. No matter how much the Michael Cohens of the world are favored and rewarded, their allegiance will go with a better bid. Deep down at their most honest and vulnerable what demagogues really want is sycophants who act out of conviction. Is it too much to ask for servants who grovel because they really mean it? By this standard, Donald Trump must be a very happy man. In Attorney General William Barr, he has finally found someone who licks his boots out of principle. Barr was clearly chosen for his position because he genuinely believes in expansive executive authority. But his performance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee went a step further. Barr made an argument for expansive and largely unaccountable executive authority. The attorney general essentially argued that if a president really, really, really believes he is innocent of a crime, then he can undermine an investigation of that crime without the "corrupt motive" required to prove obstruction of justice. Said Barr: "If the president is being falsely accused which the evidence now suggests that the accusations against him were false and he knew they were false, and he felt that this investigation was unfair, propelled by his political opponents, and was hampering his ability to govern, that is not a corrupt motive for replacing an independent counsel." This is a remarkable claim on several counts. The Mueller report does not provide evidence that the accusations against Trump were false. It found that the evidence was not sufficient to prove a criminal conspiracy. If the accusation is that the Trump campaign had extensive, disturbing contacts with a hostile foreign power in an attempt to gain political advantage, then the Mueller report comprehensively proves the charge. This tendency by Barr to equate the absence of a crime with vindication for the president is what makes him sound like part of Trump's defense team. It is also what seems to have rubbed special counsel Robert Mueller the wrong way, provoking his "snitty" letter of protest to Barr. It is the broader implications of Barr's view of obstruction, however, that should concern us the most. He is claiming that Trump's belief in his own innocence, along with his conviction that political opponents were out to get him, constituted a sufficiently pure motive to fire Mueller (and much else) without incurring the guilt of obstruction of justice. But what president Richard Nixon included does not believe in his own innocence until a smoking gun appears? What president does not believe that his opponents are unfairly accusing him? And how should an attorney general determine that such beliefs are sincerely held? The standard that Barr sets essentially makes obstruction of justice by a president impossible to demonstrate. And this amounts, for a president such as Trump, to preemptive permission. I have no doubt that Barr believes his own argument. But this is what should please Trump the most. Barr is not merely summarizing Mueller's findings. He is providing justification for Trump's whole approach to the Mueller investigation the president's charge of a "witch hunt," his raging paranoia, his belief that everyone who serves at his pleasure should do his bidding. Barr is bowing and scraping with complete sincerity. Finally, Trump has found a man of integrity to bless his corruption. Does this mean that Barr should resign as attorney general? He has diminished the independence of his office, not just in fact but in theory. He has removed a check on presidential power within the executive branch. This does damage to the effectiveness and standing of federal law enforcement. But Barr, by his own lights, is performing his duty. And his boss has every reason for satisfaction. Why begrudge a prince his fondest wish? Michael Gerson is a syndicated columnist whose work appears each week in the Washington Post. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Cowlitz County showed its best side in honoring slain sheriff's deputy Justin DeRosier. We held vigils and memorial services. We lined the streets for his procession. We collectively raised more than $100,000 for his family. But how quickly attention wanders. Already since DeRosier's death, there's been a fatal school shooting in North Carolina; the roof of Notre Dame burned; the Mueller report was released to the public. Those things deserve attention. There will be more tragedy, disaster, scandal and political intrigue in the months ahead. Justin DeRosier's name deserves to be remembered long after the flags have been returned from half-staff. Kelso is building two new schools with its recently-approved bond. One is a replacement for Wallace Elementary. The other is a 950-student elementary school in Lexington, replacing both Beacon Hill and Catlin. This new school should be named DeRosier Elementary, particularly because he attended Kelso schools. Local residents probably hear the names "Mark Morris" and "R.A. Long" 100 times more in connection with the Longview high schools than in connection with history. Justin DeRosier deserves this kind of lasting memorial. Naming the Lexington elementary after him is an ideal way to make sure his ultimate sacrifice is not forgotten. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly 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. Rautahat businessman out of contact for five days Relatives of a Katahariya-based businessman, who has been out of contact for the past five days, fear he might have been abducted. 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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine 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 Illinois State Police have arrested state Rep. Steven Reick on charges that include driving under the influence of alcohol. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports that records show the Woodstock Republican was arrested Wednesday. State police also ticketed Reick for allegedly driving 15 to 20 mph above the speed limit and committing a turn-signal violation. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell says Reick has bonded out of custody. Reick issued a statement Thursday, saying he made a "stupid and regrettable decision" and accepts full responsibility for his actions. He is due in court May 30. Reick is the second lawmaker arrested for DUI this spring. State Rep. Kambium Buckner was charged March 29 with DUI and driving below the speed limit. The Chicago Democrat has pleaded not guilty and has a pretrial hearing June 10. Associated Press Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 MARION Heartland Regional Medical Center announced Friday it will no longer offer inpatient labor and delivery services after May 31. The hospital also plans to discontinue its pediatric services. According to a statement from Director of Marketing Herby Voss, hospital administration made the decision because the demand for these services at the Marion hospital has been steadily decreasing. The statement also says a decrease in Medicaid funding contributed to the change. The hospital will continue to provide outpatient gynecological services, according to the statement, including 3-D mammograms, through its Center for Breast Health. The statement also says the hospital remains equipped to respond to patients who are experiencing a medical emergency, obstetrics-related or otherwise. Heartland Regional Medical Center is not affiliated with Heartland Women's Healthcare; a spokeswoman from Heartland Women's Healthcare said in a statement to the newspaper that her company is not a division of Heartland Regional Medical Center and its services are not changing. According to the statement from Heartland Regional Medical Center, the demand for obstetrics services at the Heartland Family Birthing Center has steadily decreased in recent years; deliveries have declined by more than 36 percent since 2014. The news release also states the hospital received significantly less Medicaid funding in 2018, and that funding was directly supporting obstetrics operations at the hospital. 060417-sbj-women-adkins-2.jpg Melisa Adkins, CEO of the Heartland Regional Medical Center "Illinois has seen a steady, statewide decline in the number of births beginning around 2010," Melisa Adkins, the hospital CEO, said in the news release. "Our community like many others across the country is changing, requiring us to think differently about how we serve the public," she said. "This was not a decision we reached lightly," she said. "But we are confident it is the right one given that expectant families will still have two options for birthing centers in Southern Illinois." Adkins referenced the nearest hospitals to Marion that offer labor services: SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and SSM Good Samaritan Hospitals in Mount Vernon. The news release states that all the impacted employees will be offered jobs elsewhere in the hospital system. Patients with specific questions about their upcoming deliveries are asked to contact their OB-GYN provider. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 5 TAYLORVILLE Construction work is set to resume five months after a central Illinois city was struck by a rare December tornado, officials said. The Dec. 1 tornado injured more than 25 people in Taylorville, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Springfield. Over 700 buildings in the town of about 11,000 were damaged by the devastating twister, rated an EF-3 storm with winds between 136 and 165 mph. It was part of a tornado outbreak that swept across the central U.S. and killed one person in Missouri. Mayor Bruce Barry said local ministerial alliances and fundraiser group Missions for Taylorville have raised $700,000 as recovery work continues, the Herald and Review reported. Barry added that their goal is to establish long-term reconstruction plans. "It's slow, but everybody is still rallying around us. It's amazing how much work has been done in the last month and a how much more still needs to be done. This recovery will go on for at least two years, if not longer."" he said. Missions for Taylorville organizer Bill Kerns said they are still figuring out how to fund the long-term plans. Construction work stalled during the winter months, which subsequently hampered efforts to repair some of the storm-damaged buildings. "Siding, roofing, painting, clean up yards, rebuilding and repairing that needs to go on," said Kerns. "Drive through Taylorville, you can see repairs, but also homes are still gone." Vickie Barker, a 67-year-old Taylorville resident, said she's rebuilding on the same lot where her first home was leveled. "We surely could have got another house, but this is my home," Barker said. "We are starting all over again." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 To the Editor: Gov. Pritzker and many in the media, including The Southern, have celebrated and congratulated each other for the passage of Illinois newest law banning the use of tobacco products by those under the age of 21. This law has been touted as a means by which our youth can be protected from the life threatening evils of tobacco use. Interestingly, in support of the new law, The Southern stated . reality and health issues overshadow uniformity . and . Judeo-Christian tradition tells us Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Horeb thousands of years ago. Among the commandments are edicts against killing. What amazes me is that while these same do-gooder, self-congratulatory legislators wring their hands over the health risks of youthful smoking, thus justifying their need for laws protecting our youth who apparently lack the necessary maturity to appreciate danger, they see no wrong in passing liberal laws allowing these same youth the right to consent to an abortion. Heres the absurdity an 18-year-old girl can get an abortion without parental consent, but cant buy a pack of smokes. These same youth who the legislature protects from the evil of smoking are allowed a hall-pass from the Mount Horeb Commandment against killing. Have we in Illinois lost our collective wisdom, minds and sense good vs evil? Do we no longer know how to discern the real God-given priorities of life? In all this the logical disconnect, the irony, the non-sequitur is that an 18-year-old is mature enough to terminate life but not mature enough to smoke. What is our real moral priority a pack of smokes or the termination of an innocent life both in, and now it would appear, out of the womb? Ron DaRosa Lake of Egypt Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 THE NOMINATION: Seven people Tee Hill, Judy Hutchinson, Ronald McCrea, Jovita Jenkins, India Murph, Myra Murph and Catrina Mack each nominated Claflin University nurse Dawn Burgess of St. Matthews. Energetic, caring, loving, passionate, friendly, professional and dedicated: Just a few of the words used to describe this nurse. She is a joy to be around and its obvious she loves nursing, Tee Hill said. Ronald McCrea said Dawn is awesome with a heart of gold and has a very giving spirit. Jovita Jenkins said, She has really touched the lives of her patients in ways we will never understand. While at HopeHealth, she was the nurse that everyone looked forward to seeing every day. Myra Murph said, She puts her heart in her work. She loves each and every student and patient. The students love her as well. Thats the true meaning of a nurse. DAWN BURGESS: "For the past seven months I've been employed at Claflin University Student Health Center as a staff nurse. Previously I worked at HopeHealth as a staff nurse for 10 years. I graduated from the Denmark Technical College LPN nursing program in 2015. I've been happily married to William Burgess for 2-1/2 years, I have two daughters, India and Tahtyana, a son, Mekhi, and two stepdaughters, Hailey and Lauren." BECOMING A NURSE: "Growing up in Calhoun County, I always saw a need to help my family and friends with health issues. My mom use to show me how to bandage scrapes and bruises on my family members. While in high school, I received my CNA certification and began working in the health care field. I attended OCtech to obtain certification in phlebotomy and shortly after received my medical assistant certification. "I began working in local doctors' offices fulfilling a dream. I soon realized that I could help my community by furthering my education and becoming a nurse. I attended Denmark Technical College and completed the nursing program in 2015. I have been in the health care field for over 28 years and truly enjoy what I do. "I have experience working with medical professionals in doctors' offices and as an infectious disease nurse. Currently, I am a staff nurse at the Claflin University Student Health Center. Being a nurse is very rewarding because I enjoy utilizing my skills in enhancing lives and encouraging wellness." ON BEING SELECTED AS A NURSING HONOREE: "When I found out that I was nominated for this award, I was ecstatic. To know that people value your line of work means a lot to me. Too often the work of nurses goes unnoticed. I am thankful to those that voted for me." MEMORABLE MOMENTS: "In the health care field there are a lot of ups and downs. There are days where everything can go perfect and days that it can be very hectic. There have been times when I've tried everything to help a patient and the simplest things make a huge difference. "Each and every day is a memorable one at Claflin University. I have the opportunity to care for students that are away from home. Many students look to me not only for health care but guidance in how to handle daily life issues. "Students look at me as a mother and nurturer when they visit the student health center for care. The most rewarding part of working here is helping to transform college students into visionary leaders that will aid society." THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE: "To me nurses are the heart of health care because typically we are the first one that interacts with the patient. We are tasked with retrieving vital information and caring for the patient. The nurse addresses all needs of the family and the patient. Without nurses, hospitals and doctors' offices would be chaotic. Nurses have a great responsibility to improve the health of the population and to contribute to the overall well-being of America." REWARDS/CHALLENGES: "The most rewarding part of my job is caring for students. While these students are away from home, their parents rely on quality health care. Knowing each and every day that I am caring for students is a blessing." THE FUTURE: "In the near future I plan to continue to grow in my profession by becoming a registered nurse. I look forward to continuously helping my patients and my community." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Shortage of staff hampers services at Province 1 local units The daily administrative works and development activities in the local units of Province 1 have been hampered by the shortage of staff. THE NOMINATION: A phenomenal work ethic, caring for others while sometime putting yourself and your family last, and helping patients feel better physically and mentally are all ways that Sonya Ehrhardt describes nurse Laura Fogle. Laura has been a nurse for 22 years. She is certified in wound care and ostomy, which take a special nurse, Ehrhardt says. I have witnessed her working long hours to always be there for her patients even when her family needed her. She has a heart for caring for others. When you step in to your place of employment, no matter what kind of night you had, what time you went to bed, how long you worked the day before the patient always comes first and you have to put away your issues and take care of those entrusted into your care. I witnessed Laura do this many times. Ehrhardt says that Lauras nursing expertise has impacted many lives in our community for the better. Laura is also involved community activities such as Relay for Life to support better health for our community. LAURA FOGLE: An Orangeburg native, she is a nurse in the field of wound care with Palmetto Infectious Diseases. She and husband Jason Fogle reside in Neeses. They have twins, Sarah Beth and Jacob. BECOMING A NURSE: I knew I had always wanted to be in health care to help people. My mom was a nurse and I loved how she made a difference in the lives of her patients and their families. It was always special when we were out in the community and her patients would come up to her and give her hugs and thank her for taking care of them. Some told her that she was their angel in their time of need. However, I did not want to be a nurse. I wanted to be a physical therapist. I was accepted at the College of Charleston. My plan was to receive my undergrad degree in biology and then transfer to MUSC for the physical therapy program. I was chosen to participate in the Regional Medical Centers Summer Enrichment program in 1992. This is a program that allows seniors in high school to work in the medical field for six weeks over the summer. I was placed with a nurse by the name of Marie Gehling for my rotation. She had just returned from Emory University and had completed a study in enterostomal therapy. She cared for patients with non-healing wounds, patients with ostomies and patients who had issues with continence. I was disappointed because I was not placed in the physical therapy department, but I decided that I was not going to let that ruin my internship. Those six weeks flew by and I was even able to spend several days with a physical therapist. I absolutely hated physical therapy! I fell in love with the nursing profession and knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had placed me exactly where he wanted me to be. I changed my major to nursing and now over 20 years later, I am still working with Marie Gehling in the field of wound care. It is my passion! ON BEING SELECTED AS A NURSING HONOREE: I was shocked when I got the phone call that I was one of the finalists. I don't feel like I do anything different than any others in my profession. I provide very good care to my patients and treat others as I would want to be treated. It is definitely an honor. MEMORABLE MOMENTS: I think all nurses have to have a sense of humor or we would never get through our days. Being a nurse is very stressful and tiring to say the least. I think all of us at some point in our career have been pooped on, peed on, thrown up on, etc. It is just part of the job. I have held the hand of dying patients, rejoiced with patients and their family when a biopsy result has come back benign, prayed with patients, and cried too many times to count." One situation comes to mind that my coworkers still laugh at me about to this day. We sometimes have to help patients have a bowel movement. I was checking an elderly lady and when I removed my finger, a volcano of BM erupted and went everywhere -- my scrub top, my shoes, the bed, the wall. Dr. John Samies said that when I moved away from the wall, you could see my outline. Needless to say, I was not amused at the time and went home to take a shower and disinfect myself. I can laugh about it now. One of my greatest accomplishments was winning the Daisy Award. I was nominated by one of my patients. Daisy recipients are chosen for personifying remarkable patient experiences and consistently demonstrating excellence through clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care. In my nomination, I was referred to as a shining star in one of the least glamorous fields in nursing. He described me as calm, reassuring and friendly. He said I never made him feel embarrassed and showed genuine and sincere concern not only for me but also for my wife. She "never rushed through my teaching and made me feel like I was her only patient. You see, this patient had a life altering surgery where his bowel movement was diverted through his abdomen through a stoma. I have taught hundreds of patients how to care for their new ostomy and I didn't treat this patient any different. But for some reason, I stood out to him and made him feel safe and secure with his new body image. I don't do my job to get recognition or win awards. Nursing is definitely a calling. I am proud to know that I matter and am making a difference in people's lives." THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE: Nurses are the heartbeat of health care. We know our patients inside and out. We are their voices when they cannot speak for themselves. We are their cheerleaders when they need that extra word of encouragement. We are their teachers when they get a new diagnosis and want to learn everything about it. We are their friends when they feel like the world is against them. We are their strength when they get bad news. We fight for them when they cannot fight for themselves. REWARDS/CHALLENGES: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing my patients get well and get to go back to living their life. I work in a busy office practice that provides wound and ostomy care. We provide care to children and adults with non-healing wounds or ostomies. I have worked with Dr. John Samies and Marie for over 20 years now. We are one of the best wound clinics in S.C. and we value our patients. Our patients become my family. I develop a bond with them because we see them regularly for wound care. We treat them with love and respect. They become part of our extended family. We celebrate when they get healed up. A lot of our patients will come back by our office to let us know how they are doing. The most challenging part of my job is having patients who have to choose between eating and buying their medicines or medical supplies. Some outpatients have very limited incomes and may not have the means necessary to get what they need. These patients want to do what we tell them to do, however, they can't afford it. Our office gives out food boxes at Thanksgiving and Christmas to patients that are in desperate need. We have also in the past adopted one of our poorer families at Christmas. FUTURE: "Nursing is not an easy job and it is not for the faint of heart. It takes dedication and you have to be able to make split-second decisions. Before every shift started, I would say a prayer that God would guide my hands each day so I could take the best care of my patients. I plan to stay in my current position until I retire. I love my job and all of my patients. I look forward to seeing them and seeing how they are doing. My mom once told me that if your job no longer brings you joy, you need to find something else to do. I still find joy in my job and cherish the nursing relationships that I have made. A patient asked me the other day that if I had it to do all over again, would I choose nursing as my profession. I didn't hesitate at all. YES! YES! YES! I would chose nursing again in a heartbeat." MORE ABOUT NURSING: Nursing has definitely changed since I started my career. The patients seem sicker and have more co-morbidities. We used to provide more hands on care than we do now. All we seem to do now is paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. Some days I feel like I have nursed the computer more than I have nursed the patient. Nursing is about touching people and I don't feel like we get to touch people enough anymore. It's all about documenting did we document their pain, did we document the medicine we gave, did we document their skin condition, did we document if they ate their lunch or not. The list goes on and on and on. "We don't have enough hours in our shift to do everything that we need to do. We barely have time to get lunch or go to the bathroom ourselves. We are constantly on our feet and we have to be able to multitask at any given time. Nurses have to take initiative and be able to stand on their own two feet. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 THE NOMINATION: Rosa Butler was appreciative of the care her dad received from nurse Priya Patel of Orangeburg after he had his leg amputated. From the beginning of his treatment to the day he was discharged, Priya did everything she could to make things easier for her dad. He is older, forgetful and impatient and can be difficult to control at times, Butler said. The genuineness in her demeanor showed in her smile and words. My dads constant need to make her job harder didnt seem to change her attitude. She offered clever approaches to overcome barriers. My dad was offered control in simple decisions about his day. The sense of confidence boosted by dads morale. Butler said her family felt relief when leaving her dad in Priyas hands at night and that on the night before his discharge, she hugged him goodbye and teared up as they all prayed for his fast recovery. PRIYA PATEL: "I work at RMC in Orangeburg. I've been working here almost three years now. I worked in home health for a year while I was finishing up school." BECOMING A NURSE: "After high school I moved to Clemson to start as a chemistry major. But I love interacting with people and couldn't see myself happy in a lab doing research. Then my adviser suggested trying nursing because it sounded like something I would enjoy. And it's the best decision I've ever made." ON BEING SELECTED AS A NURSING HONOREE: "I'm elated to be selected as an honoree. Sometimes as front-line health care workers, we get all the complaints and negative comments from our patients and families and they sometimes forget to show their appreciation. It's great to see nurses being honored for their work, not just me but all nurses." MEMORABLE MOMENTS: "I was emptying a colostomy bag for a patient and she realized I was trying to hide my facial expressions because it smelled so bad. She then said, 'Oh good lord dear! Did you just fart, cause that smells awful?' I busted out laughing. "We had a confused patient washing his clothes in the toilet. He got upset because we told him he couldn't do that. The same night, after he calmed down and fell asleep, he walked up to the desk to call me into his room. He had trashed his whole room and wanted an explanation as to why I would do such a thing to him. I had to apologize and clean his room so he promised not to press charges. I told his wife the next day and we had a fun laugh. "I had a patient on peritoneal dialysis. There's a draining bag that goes on the floor and fills up with about 15 liters of fluid. The clamp must not have been completely closed. In the morning, I saw my coworkers from afar in front of my patient's room. Didn't think much of it. After a while, I went to find out and saw my workers down on the floor with about 20-plus towels cleaning up the fluid that had leaked. They had already cleaned up all of it and didn't even tell me. I just love working with such great coworkers who treat every patient as their own. If I take nothing from this profession home, I've learned the importance of teamwork." THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE: Nursing is the heartbeat of health care. Yes, we give meds and shots to our patients, but we do so much more. We sit with our confused, impulsive patients at night and feed them a snack while we listen to their childhood stories. We hold their hand when they get bad news and can't be with the ones they love. We calm down our anxious patients before surgery and reassure them that we will be here when they get back. We listen to our 84-year-old patient play guitar for the first time after a stroke. Anybody can learn to give medication and shots, but it takes a special kind of heart to do what we do." REWARDS/CHALLENGES: "I might not know what a patient's story was when they came in but I get to be a part of their happy ending. Having a patient come in aphasic and non-ambulatory and watching them leave walking and talking, knowing that you had something to do with this process, has got to be the most rewarding feeling ever. The most challenging part is having patience. We are all human and get frustrated but sometimes we have to put on a fake smile and work through the shift with difficult patients." THE FUTURE: "I love being a rehab nurse! But I am moving to Tennessee next year, so we'll see what new opportunities I have when I get there. I do plan to go back to school, but for right now, I love bedside nursing too much." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 THE NOMINATION: When you read the words of Richard Ehrhardt, you can feel the pride and admiration he has for his wife, Sonya Ehrhardt, of Neeses. She worked two jobs to put herself through nursing school at OCtech. Throughout her nursing career, she learned all she could in almost every area of nursing care and worked at many different levels of nursing. After a long career in bedside care, she moved into administration after earning her doctorate in nursing practice. Richard said, She realized that nurses needed other nurses working behind the scenes to advocate for them. She also realized that younger nurses needed mentors and that more advanced nursing education was important to provide quality care that all patients deserved. After leaving the only hospital in our community after working there for 30 years, she still wanted to make a difference and applied and was appointed to the RMC board. Sonya is an advocate for other nurses and patients. She continues to use her nursing skills, knowledge and wisdom to make an impact on our lives, our loved ones and our community every day. SONYA EHRHARDT: An assistant professor of nursing at Claflin University, she holds a DNP from the Medical University of South Carolina, where she majored in nursing administration and leadership. She also holds an MSN from MUSC with double majors in nursing education and nursing administration. She has a BSN from the University of South Carolina Upstate and an AND from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. She is a member of the Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees. She was with RMC from 1990 to 2017, holding positions including director of nurse utilization and clinical administration, director of infection control, director of advanced wound healing, assistant chief nursing officer and assistant vice president. She and husband Richard have a son Zachary and daughter Madison. BECOMING A NURSE: "I wanted to be a nurse at a young age. I would always hear my Granny talking about how she wanted to be a nurse, but she wasnt able to go to nursing school. "I loved and respected her so much that I wanted to become a nurse. So after high school graduation, I enrolled in Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and my journey to becoming a nurse began." ON BEING SELECTED AS A NURSING HONOREE: "I was shocked that my husband nominated me, which I did not know until I was informed that I was selected as one of the 10 honorees. I do have to say that when you become a nurse, your family becomes your support. Being a nurse affects your family, when you have good and bad days in the profession of nursing. You work long hours and are exhausted, either mentally and/or emotionally and that plays a role in your family life. My husband and children have always been supportive of my nursing career." MEMORABLE MOMENTS: "There are many triumphs, tragedies and hilarious moments that I have experienced in my nursing years. Some would be too detailed to share. "Triumphs would include watching a 21-weeker be born and then progressing enough to leave the NICU and on the other hand caring for one that would die on your watch and have the mom tell you that her precious daughter was waiting for you before she died. "Triumphs would be serving others at their lowest and sickest points in their lives and seeing them get well and go home, while the tragedy would be watching a loved one sit at the bedside of their loved one and refusing to go home. I remember a few patients that would call me to come back and hold their hands while they died as they did not want to die alone (and I did). "My hilarious moments would come when I entered into a different role in nursing and became an infection preventionist. There was a leak in the ceiling and as an IP, we had to check out all environmental issues and worked alongside the engineering department. Well the pipes burst and my co-worker and I were covered in sewage (of course we had on protective gear) and it wasnt funny at the time but later brought much laughter." THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE: "Nursing is at the center and the heartbeat that connects all the players in health care. When you become a nurse, you are not just a nurse in your place of employment. "No matter where you go, everyone has a question for you. Nurses serve their families, their communities and every place they go. We are present at birth and at death." "We deliver the treatments and care the doctors order. We are there before and after the 'bad' news is delivered. Nurses are the heart of caring." REWARDS/CHALLENGES: "The most rewarding part of nursing is serving others. "The most challenging part of nursing is surviving the politics that surround health care." FUTURE: "Nursing has always been a science and an art. Nursing has changed through the years and will continue to change as health care becomes more and more complicated. "Nursing for me has been a labor of love and a realization of a dream. Nursing can be an adventure and there is always something new to learn. My path in nursing has taken many turns and will continue to do so. ... but my path in nursing has always been directed by my Heavenly Father. I have over 30 years of clinical experience, 11 years of leadership experience and five years of nursing faculty experience. I enjoyed being at the bedside when I could spend time with my patients; giving back rubs, educating them or just holding their hands; but that changed with all the new mandates you have to meet in health care. "I found that I didnt have the time I wanted to spend at the bedside and I then transitioned into leadership and mentorship roles. I found I was able to now make a difference and serve other nurses. For me, when I feel I can no longer make a difference, then it is time to move on. I now have transitioned into the academia side of nursing. Now I can take all the knowledge and wisdom I have been so graciously given and share with future nurses." "I have also learned that nurses are not just needed at the bedside but also need to be in health care policy and governing boards. Nurses have a lot to bring to the table when it comes to serving others and promoting patient care that demands safety and quality." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CORDOVA -- Edisto High School held its third and final Edisto Day for the year on Tuesday, April 23. The events recognize students who have received no behavioral infractions. Principal Brad Coleman and his staff feel that the Edisto Days have been a positive influence on students because they celebrate and reward good behavior. There were different areas set up with a variety of activities for all. There were board games and card games in the media room for those who preferred a more low-key environment. There was music in the court yard, where Spanish teacher Mrs. Caro and her students danced. Pelicans Snoballs offered frozen treats, and the South Carolina National Guard gave out popcorn, along with information for those interested. Contact the writer: ldhntr12@yahoo.com. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The decision to launch a nursing program at Claflin University was inspired by a shortage of nurses in the Orangeburg area, the state and at large. Claflin commenced a Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in August 2016, thereby becoming the only historically black university with such a program in South Carolina. Claflin launched this program to fill a gap, said Dr. Shannon Smith, chair of the Department of Nursing. With the reported nationwide nursing shortage by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, there is a high demand for more nursing practitioners and faculty to train them. This is especially vital to South Carolina, as the state was ranked fourth in a projected nursing shortage for 2030 in a report by RegisteredNursing.org. Citing the Institute of Medicine, Smith said more hospitals and health care institutions are seeking out BSN nurses because of their qualifications to handle more complex medical situations. Because they've recognized that patients who are cared for by a BSN nurse have better outcomes, and that's especially true of patients who are in intensive care, she said. This is a demand Claflin University is eager to supply. The RN to BSN program is a degree-completion program which allows nurses who have an associate degree in nursing to continue their education and obtain a bachelor of science in nursing, Smith said. Courses like nursing research and evidence-based practice, community health nursing and nursing leadership equip the students with the expertise needed in todays medical field, she said. These courses allow the students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world practice as they interact with members of the community. Smith emphasized the importance of community partnerships for the success of the program. These partnerships include collaborations with local hospitals, technical colleges and community councils. The university works with hospitals like RMC to ensure that students get adequate education on current clinical practices across the country, while an articulation agreement with Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College outlines a path for students to transition into Claflin after earning their associate degrees there. A nursing advisory council was also established to involve members of the community, from hospital employees to faculty at technical colleges to local radio hosts. It meets three times a year, Smith said. When you are a customer of health care, you see a different side than nurses see and we need to hear that side as well, she said. The goal of the council is to provide insight on what patient expectations are and how to meet them in order to provide quality health care. That's part of evidence-based practice. We take the best research; we take expert knowledge and patient preferences and put those together to form the best practice, she said. For a full-time student, the program could take less than a year to complete, with two eight-week sessions in the fall and spring and one session in the summer. There is a longer two-year part-time option for students that need more time. To graduate, a nursing student would need to complete 120 credit hours, with 30 of those being compulsory courses to take at Claflin. Students can transfer up to 90 credit hours from their associate degree programs, Smith said. Enrollment is open to only registered nurses with associate degrees in nursing. So far, Smith said, the experience for her has been amazing. She joined the university in 2016 as an associate professor of nursing and to lead the department as the chief nursing officer. It's been wonderful to see nurses who may not have had an opportunity to get their bachelor's degree in nursing come to Claflin and do that, she said. Part of this opportunity is a study-abroad program that includes community assessment of foreign health care systems and the factors that affect them. Once they complete their assessment, they have to identify two areas that can be improved using goals and objectives from the Healthy People 2020 Initiative, she said. The World Health Organization launched the initiative in December 2010 to improve the general health of all people by eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity. Claflins study abroad program started in May 2018 with a trip to Brazil. Smith and three nursing students will be traveling to Sierra Leone this May. Smith is a certified nurse educator and a board-certified adult health clinical nurse specialist. There are still more plans for the future. The university is planning to launch a Master of Science in Nursing with provisions for nurse administration, family nurse practice and nursing education tracks, Smith said. The aim is to attract more people to teach nursing. More than 75,000 nursing school applicants were rejected in 2018 because of a lack of a sufficient number of faculty, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Addressing the nurse educator shortage will also help us address the nursing shortage because part of the problem is there's not enough faculty to teach all the people who want to become nurses, Smith said. The masters program is expected to start in 2020, she said. The erroneous stereotype that nurses are not very important is one that is quickly breaking down. As health care and its requirements change, the roles nurses play in medicine today become complex, Smith said. Nurses are leading change in health care, Smith said. Our program is training these nurses to lead health care change, health care initiatives, evidence-based practice in nursing, and that is huge in today's care. Olanma Hazel Mang is editor of The Panther, Claflin University's student newspaper, and S.C. Collegiate Journalist of the Year for 2018. www.claflin.edu/news-events/the-panther. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Whaley Street man is recovering from a head wound after someone pistol-whipped him during an armed robbery at 12:42 a.m. Thursday, according to an Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office incident report. The man said he was robbed as he trying to unlock his door. An unknown man wearing a grey hoodie emerged from the rear of his residence saying, Hey, give me your money. He told the robber that he didnt have any money. At that point, the robber pulled out a pistol and began to assault him with it. The man told deputies that he dodged the first blow, but the gunman then hit him in the head with the pistol. As the man fell to the ground, the robber took the wallet from his back pocket. The man said the robber pointed the pistol at him and fired, but the man was able to move it away from his body. The robber then took off running toward Sprinkle Avenue. Deputies said the man had blood coming from his head and neck. The man didnt want to be transported to the Regional Medical Center. Medics treated his injuries at the scene. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 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. DENMARK -- Voorhees College was recently presented with a check for $5,000 from the South Atlantic Region (SAR) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. In support of Deltas Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiative, the SAR Education Awareness Committee (EAC) selected Voorhees to be an award recipient. The funds will support the GAP fund. The GAP fund was created to assist students with a financial need due to account balances that prevent them from returning the following semester or graduating. Lisa McCloud, South Carolina State Chair for the EAC, said the organization did an evaluation of all HBCUs in South Carolina and Voorhees appealed to their mission. This was an opportunity to recognize a smaller institution that is accomplishing great things. Many people may not know about Voorhees, but this institution has already done so much in just a short time, McCloud said. Marion Payne, SAR Co Chair for the EAC, said Voorhees has a financial need and the sorority knew they could assist. We are happy to be of service and make a difference in the lives of students, Payne said. Voorhees continues to make a positive impression in the community, so we wanted collaborate. President W. Franklin Evans said Voorhees recognizes and appreciates the SAR of Delta for their contributions. I especially want to thank the Devastating Divas for their undying public service to our institution and institutions alike, Evans said. Voorhees can better serve our students because of this gift. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Growing up in Enugu, Nigeria, located in the countrys southeastern region, Chiamaka Wendy Azih was accustomed to being surrounded by family and friends. Thus, when she arrived in the United States for the first time four years ago, she soon felt comfortable in her new home in South Carolina. Azih says the friendly, family-like environment at Claflin University, led to her swift adjustment despite being thousands of miles from home. Azih will be among the candidates who will receive degrees during Claflin's historic Sesquicentennial Commencement on Saturday, May 11, at 11 a.m. in the South Atlantic Conference Seventh-day Adventist Convention Center, 514 Neeses Highway, Orangeburg. Most surprising, was the weather, she recalled when thinking about her initial impressions of Orangeburg. When I left home, it was so hot, she said. When I arrived here in July 2015, it was summer and in the 90s, but I felt really cold. Azih came to Claflin based on recommendations from friends who either attended the university or heard about its programs. I wanted to get a high-quality education and heard that Claflin had excellent academic programs and courses in leadership, she said. I came here with all these expectations and Claflin delivered. Growing up, Azih always enjoyed tinkering with all sorts of mechanical objects not often found in a young girls hands. Doing so was a creative outlet for her, says Azih. I enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together, she said. Azihs curiosity led her to Claflins computer engineering program where she quickly immersed herself in courses such as Data Structures and Algorithm, Computer Organization and Architecture, and Digital Logic and Design. While such courses proved rigorous, Azih met the challenge, and will graduate with a 3.95 grade point average. At Claflin, Azih was a student in the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College and a four-year recipient of the Academic Excellence Award. She also served as vice president of the Claflin Chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery-Women. She attributes her success to Claflins professors and the small, private universitys ideal teacher-student ratios. You get to talk to the professors one-on-one and that helps, she said. Azih was able to share her own leadership and training skills while working in 2016 for the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. The program included mentoring elementary and high school students as they developed engineering projects. She was thrilled to see the students interest in science, technology and engineering grow as they created gliders, trebuchets, wind turbines and perfume. Prior to beginning the program, many of the youngsters were unfamiliar with the role of an engineer or how to create such machinery and fragrances, said Azih. We wanted to see if we could make progress and help them feel like engineers. Azih was further buoyed by summer internships that provided real-world experiences and, in her case, employment upon graduation. During the summers of 2017 and 2018, Azih worked in Charlotte, N.C. for Bank of America where she conducted research on how global-position-system timing poses risks to financial institutions, and created a web user interface that detects access-related policy breaches by terminated or on-leave employees. Although Azih was offered a position at Goldman Sachs, the global investment banking company, she will return to Bank of America in Charlotte due to its familiar environment and having friends in the city. Long-term goals include earning a masters degree in business administration and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, she says. Her ultimate plan is to one day return to her home in Nigeria to combine her academic and business training by starting her own business. Ironically, her path will closely follow that of her parents. Her father runs an auto parts business in Enugu, and her mother is a business administration professor at a university. A key component of her business, said Azih, will be working with young girls, who, like herself when growing up, enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together. You need to see their smiles when they see that they can create something. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 COPE -- High school students from Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 and Bamberg School District 1 recently attended an event presented by Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) at Cope Area Career Center. Students interacted with Ed Coull, admissions representative for UTI and NTI, as he shared educational and job market statistics. CACC school counselor Dee Edwards said, It is extremely important that students understand that not only are there numerous jobs and careers to pursue and secure out in the world, but that the old four-year college route is certainly not the only way or a fit for everyone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, UTI is the leading provider of postsecondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, CNC, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. With more than 200,000 graduates in its 53-year history, UTI offers undergraduate degree and diploma programs at 13 campus locations across the United States, as well as manufacturer-specific training programs at dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, UTI provides specialized post-secondary education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute. Contact the writer: ldhntr12@yahoo.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DENMARK -- The Rev. Al Sharpton reached back to the soul-stirring delivery of messages given when he was a boy in the Pentecostal church, applying the same passion during his address at Voorhees College's 122nd commencement ceremony on Saturday. The civil rights activist, author, minister and television/radio talk show host laid out a recipe for success for the 79 graduates, urging them all to embrace their own unique talents while relying on the power of God to sustain them through life's inevitable challenges. "Life's not about where you start, life's about where you're going. ... There is a God that will make a way out of no way, ... make the world keep calling your name!" Sharpton said. Sharpton asked the graduates not to forget the service and sacrifice of civil rights leaders like Denmark native Cleveland Sellers, particularly since they helped pave the way for the students to enjoy the freedoms that they have today, including the right to vote. "It's one thing to be uninvolved, it's another thing to be ungrateful. ... There was a time that we could not vote at all in South Carolina," Sharpton said. He also highlighted the strength and determination of Voorhees College founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, a humanitarian and educator who founded several schools for black children and whose character traits he said the graduates would need to excel in life. "You may have to take a more perilous route, but you will get there. Don't ever forget the roots that brought you this far. When you run out, God will pick up. ... We have come this far by faith. He's never failed me yet," Sharpton said. How the students embrace the downs in life and move to the next level "will be the story of your journey," he said. "As you graduate, realize that all of us have had to overcome some things. ... God tests you in life by what is not easy. ... You can pass a test and you can make a score in life," Sharpton said. He also encouraged them to be the ultimate you. God made us all unique and different. I don't have to be like you to be worthy," he said. God didn't make any mistakes, Sharpton said. "You are not a mistake. You are a decision God made. He brought you here for a reason. ... Embrace that reason and don't let nobody turn you around," he said. Sharpton was presented with an honorary doctorate of divinity degree following his speech. Among the graduates was Veronica Cunningham, who graduated along with her two daughters, Lakeisha and Kendra. All three graduated summa cum laude with a bachelors degree in interdisciplinary studies. A resident of Thomson, Georgia, the 65-year-old Cunningham always wanted to go back to school to get her bachelor's degree. "I went to broadcasting school, completed that and worked in radio and television. I just always had the desire to go back and get the four-year degree because broadcasting school was a two-year school," Cunningham said. She earned her bachelors degree while caring for her mother, Amy, who she had been assisting for more than a decade after her mother suffered a severe stroke. Cunningham touted the support and inspirational motivation she received from Dr. Dorothy Gandy, Voorhees' off-campus instructional site coordinator, while in the pursuit of her educational goals. "I had a young lady at church that told me she was going to Voorhees. She said, 'Well, have you thought about going back to school?' I said, 'Well, yeah,' but I couldn't see the possibility because of my mom," Cunningham said. "Every other week the young lady would say, 'Well, you need to call these people.' So I finally called Dr. Gandy. Once I heard her speak, I just knew I had to go ahead and do it then because she was so inspirational in how she spoke about the opportunity and the life-changing event of getting an education and how it would transform your family and everything. She was very instrumental," she said. Cunningham said Gandy didn't stop there. "She'd constantly say, 'If you know somebody else, give them the opportunity. Once you get it, give it to somebody else.' So I thought about my daughters." The rest, as they say, is history. Kendra, who lives in Augusta, Georgia, was already working as a licensed practical nurse, while Lakeisha, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, was a successful marketing manager. Kendra, who had almost given up on going back to school to receive a bachelor's degree, said she can now check off the goal of graduating from a historically black college and receiving that degree from her bucket list. "It's a generational achievement. My great-grandmother had her master's degree. So I had some big shoes to fill. My mom and my sister, we're all about education. Just to achieve a bachelor's degree, to say you've completed it, is really special," Kendra said. "And who would have thought that all of us would graduate at the same time? That's nothing but God. It's really unbelievable to me," she added. Lakeisha said, Its always a milestone, but this is something that levels the whole family up at one time. I feel like thats what this does for us. We all have our individual accomplishments that weve made, but to be doing this together and putting ourselves in a position to further ourselves professionally is huge. Kendra said it took perseverance to get where she and her mom and sister ended up. "You put one foot forward. God cannot work if you're not moving. If you're moving, he can move with you. But if you're standing still, he doesn't have anything to work with," Kendra said. Lakeisha said, Its never too late to improve yourself and grow and evolve. Education is never a bad idea, and its all about how you want to use your time. Veronica Cunningham's youngest daughter, Shay, graduated from South Carolina State University and has earned a doctorate in physical therapy. The proud mother said, "I'm just humbled by it. I'm very grateful. I just know that God is leading us on this path. I don't know what's going to come out of it, but I feel like it will be something great. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD. 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. After going through something as life-altering as a car accident, the best thing you can get out of it is... Stock market up 2.27 points on profit booking, investors gain Rs 2.81 billion Nepal Stock Exchange last week increased by a marginal 2.27 points to close at 1,294.39 points, after the initial wave of investors rushing to book profits from soaring stock prices receded from the previous weeks. DENMARK The campus of Denmark Technical College was filled with hundreds of happy squealing children as they attended the annual DTC Youth Fun Day. This year was a record breaker with close to 700 children, teachers, caregivers and parents attending the festivities. Public Service Dean Mrs. Rosaland Kenner and the ECE/ECD students spent many long hours preparing for the event and the children seemed to enjoy every minute. The theme this year was Disneys Doc McStuffins: Preparing the Mind for Tomorrows Cure. Booths included such items as gummy worm dissection; a pet vet check-up station equipped with stuffed animal patients; McStuffins coloring books and crayon packs; a blood drive where the kids could mix up slime; McStuffins operation games; and Doc McStuffins herself made a special appearance, posing for pictures and giving out plenty of hugs. Activities ranged from active to sedate as children enjoyed the bouncy house, story time, face painting, sack races, hula hoops, bubble catching and cotton candy. Students and volunteers patiently worked with the children, and Kenner was pleased with the outcome. This event gives our students real world experience -- we are celebrating early childhood development and hope that this event will help everyone recognize how important this field is, Kenner said. Early Childhood Development/Early Childhood Education students, participating Denmark Tech faculty and staff, and the Voorhees College Early Childhood Development program, under the leadership of Professor Pamela Smalls and the Barnwell County First Steps Office all contributed to the Fun Day. The event is an opportunity for all child care workers, families and students to be recognized for all their hard work and is sponsored by the Early Care and Education division at DTC. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Students from Orangeburg and Calhoun counties took home major awards from statewide competition in the 14th annual Jobs for Americas Graduates-South Carolina (JAG-SC) Career Development Conference on April 11 that drew more than 500 students from 22 schools. Anisa Hough of Lake Marion High School & Technology Center took first place honors in the Telephone Techniques competition. The Lake Marion JAG team, mentored by JAG-SC Job Specialist Sonya Allen, had two second-place winners in statewide competition in the form of KeErica Pauling, Words in the Workplace, and Brianna Holman, Interviewing Skills. The 2019 Executive Directors Award for demonstrating achievement and commitment through JAG went to Gabriel Mack of Lake Marion High School. Terry Parler was nominated by Lake Marion High School for the Golden Key Award. The Calhoun County High School JAG team, led by JAG-SC Job Specialist Justin Farmer, was declared a district champion. The teams Chase Donaldson secured a third-place award in the Public Speaking category. Jobs for Americas GraduatesSouth Carolina (JAG-SC) is the Palmetto States nationally recognized component of a 33-state, not-for-profit effort with core principles that have contributed to what Forbes Magazine describes as eye-popping results. The theme of the 2019 conference was The JAG Advantage, where formerly at-risk and/or disadvantaged youth displayed through their speeches, writings, and artwork the talents and skills they have learned in JAG-SC, a state-based organization dedicated to assisting students with barriers to obtain their diploma and secure a good job and/or advance to higher educational opportunities. South Carolinas program has been awarded the 5 of 5 Award for eight consecutive years, meaning it has exceeded five national standards in terms of graduation, school placement, positive outcomes, job placement and full-time jobs. The JAG Advantage delivers learner-centered instruction to ensure youth achieve their fullest potential by focusing on academic success and career readiness skills. The program is administered by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Area residents are encouraged to join the nation in saluting and remembering its fallen veterans at the annual Orangeburg Memorial Day Service at Veterans Memorial Park. The program will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 26. Veterans Memorial Park is located on Riverside Drive across the street from the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce building. The rain location will be Council Chambers at the County Administrative building. The featured speaker will be Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Anthony Louis Watson, who currently serves as the Battalion Recruiting Operation Officer for South Carolina State University's Army ROTC Program. Watson's military schooling consists of Field Artillery Basic and Advance Course, the Combined Arms Staff Service School and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Watson has served in a number of capacities through the years, including as the Headquarters and Service Battery Commander for 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment. He transitioned briefly into the Inactive Ready Reserves in 1995 and then to the Active Army Reserves with assignments in North Charleston in the 1189th Transportation Terminal Brigade, where he served as a Vessel Chief. He has combat tours in Iraq with Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In May 2012, he retired from the military with a total of 28 years. Watson has received a number of awards and decorations As a civilian, Watson worked as an Assistant Distribution Manager for Orangeburg's Heilig-Meyers Furniture for about six years. As part of the program, the family of the late Sgt. Thomas Grant, an Orangeburg native, will be presented the Prisoner of War medal. Grant, while a corporal in the U.S. Army, was a POW of the Korean War. He was later killed Dec. 8, 1967, while serving in the Vietnam War. The program will also include an opening and closing prayer by the Rev. Wayne Manning of Branchville Christian Church, the National Anthem by Jimmy Loftis and the welcome by Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler. Loftis will also provide a patriotic music selection. American Legion Post 4 will recognize the POWs and Missing in Action. The laying of the wreath will be done by the Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post 2779 and 8166. Taps will be played by Steve Jarvis. The service is supported by a number of local veterans organizations and by the city of Orangeburg and the city's Parks and Recreation Department. 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. While I Breathe, I Hope, a documentary feature film about former S.C. politician and CNN commentator Bakari Sellers, will screen for elementary, middle and high school students at Denmark-Olar School District 2 on May 7. There will also be a community screening that is free and open to the public at 4:30 p.m. at Denmark-Olar Elementary School on the same day. Sellers will be in attendance at all screenings. Directed by Orangeburg native Emily Harrold and titled after the South Carolina state motto, the film explores the history and legacy of racism in American politics through the experiences of Sellers. The film follows Sellers on his 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor, a position that hasnt been held by an African American since the 1870s. The film also traces Sellers through the slaying of nine parishioners at Charlestons Emanuel AME Church and removal of the Confederate Flag from the Statehouse grounds. Zelda Douglas, Denmark-Olar School District 2s career specialist, viewed the film during the Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia and decided to bring it to Denmark. The film shows the hard work and dedication of one of Denmarks natives and would be an inspiration to the community, in particular the students of Denmark-Olar School District Two, Douglas said. On screening the film for the Denmark student population and community, Sellers said, Bringing the film to my hometown of Denmark is very meaningful for me. I strive every day to be an example, and I hope my story will inspire the students of Denmark-Olar to dream big. The screenings of the film will also feature voter registration opportunities for high school students and community members for those interested in registering. The film team has partnered with Let America Vote and their initiative #CapGownVote to get younger citizens engaged and voting. The Opportunity Project SC, a non-profit group launched by Sellers, will man the voter registration tables. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With Dr. Harris Pastides preparing to retire as president of University of South Carolina, the presidential search committee has been hard at work looking for a replacement. Months of searching and screening candidates nationwide yielded 11 high-qualified semifinalists, which was then whittled down to four finalists. Arguably the most impressive of the four finalists was retired Lt. General Robert Caslen, who had recently served as superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy. His treatment by a number of students, faculty and then board of USC demands condemnation not only for the personal injustice to Caslen, but the demeaning of the military. Let me explain. Caslen's background and experience set him apart as the top candidate to lead USC. The U.S. Military Academy is one of the most selective and top-ranked institutions in America. Caslen not only spent five successful years leading USMA, but upon retirement from the military became a top civilian administrator and senior counsel to the president of Central Florida University. During his 43 years in uniform, Caslen led at the top strategic levels of command in peace and war before taking over at West Point. While superintendent, Caslen served on national boards and educational bodies like chair of the NCAA commission to combat sexual violence. He was known for his emphasis on the problem of sexual assault in his military commands and at West Point. For many of us in the military, watching the process and knowing the reputation of Caslen, we were excited about the leadership he would provide the university. Unfortunately, though he was the leading candidate going into the final stretch, Caslen was brought down by what appears to be a radical minority of students and faculty. That, and what appears to be the board caving to the pressure of the radicals. On April 26, while the USC board was meeting on campus to confer about the presidential search, around 75-100 students gathered to loudly protest Caslen being picked as president. One objection was Caslen's statement about tackling sexual assault given during a student forum. When asked about sexual assault, Caslen, again the former chair of the NCAA commission to combat sexual violence, said: "We went after this ... not only sexual assaults, but we want to take up the contributing measures toward sexual assault, particularly alcohol. We had to spend a lot of time, a lot of energy, toward educating students about the consequences of alcohol, binge drinking, things like that. He later caveated, Absolutely, absolutely, Im not saying (sexual assault) is the victims fault, Alcohol does not cause sexual assault. Many would wonder why such an obviously true statement could create enough controversy that Caslen be dropped as a presidential contender. The truth of the opposition became more clear during the protests. The real objection was not his statements about sexual assault, but the anti-military bent of the protesters and their contempt for Caslen's military career. The spokesman for the protest said of Caslen: "His entire career runs counter to the values of the university. ... We are not crusaders. This came after criticisms of Caslen's service in Afghanistan and Iraq and his service in the Army. The protesters were merciless in their vehemence against Caslen, a military man, becoming president, causing the USC board to end the search and dismiss Caslen from consideration. Gen. Caslen, who has seen combat throughout the world, was shocked by what happened. During the forum, Caslen had included progressives favorite term, "toxic masculinity," as a contributing factor, and mentioned his many actions fighting sexual assault. To no avail. According to Caslen: "After what I experienced last Friday, who would want to go back to an environment like that? Caslen said of the protests: We live in a world where it doesnt matter whats true, it matters how much support you can generate. According to The State newspaper, Caslen expressed frustration because he said none of the student protesters had contacted him to ask him to clarify his remarks before opposing his candidacy. No one even came to ask me what the truth was, Caslen said. He was quickly picked up as president of a top Florida university after the USC dismissal. The reality was that the protesters were anti-military and the board listened and gave in. Veterans in South Carolina, particularly we veterans with service in Afghanistan and/or Iraq, took the protest and dismissal of Caslen as a slap in the face. The protesters' claim that Caslen's "entire career" was "counter to the values of the university" was spitting in the face of the military in South Carolina. To make it worse, the USC board's refusal to condemn the remarks but instead dismiss Caslen was a horrible message about the "values of USC. Having attended USC law school, and knowing other USC grads who have served in uniform (including combat), the leadership of USC has undermined what should be the true values of USC: respect for service, and particularly military service. I would suspect that some members of the board felt the same, but the decision of the body was disappointing. South Carolina has one of the highest percentages of veterans of any state in the Union, as well as active-duty military members serving throughout the state. The leadership of USC, including the USC board, should now attempt to make amends for what has happened. Not only an apology to Gen. Caslen, but condemnation of the despicable remarks of the protesters about service in uniform and service fighting for the nation. During the next election of board members of USC, South Carolinians should send the clear message about the values of South Carolina. South Carolina is a conservative, pro-military state, and to allow the demeaning of military service at the state's flagship university cannot stand. Veterans in the state expect better, and the people of South Carolina expect better. Let's make this right. Bill Connor, an Army Infantry colonel, author and Orangeburg attorney, has deployed multiple times to the Middle East. Connor was the senior U.S. military adviser to Afghan forces in Helmand Province, where he received the Bronze Star. A Citadel graduate with a JD from USC, he is also a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Army War College, earning his master of strategic studies. He is the author of the book "Articles from War. Love 18 Funny 5 Wow 1 Sad 5 Angry 21 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. In 2017, the 28 EU member states spent a total of 31.2 billion on fire protection services, with Luxembourg spending the highest amount per inhabitant. This expenditure is equivalent to 0.4% of the total government expenditure, less than the amount spent on police services (equivalent to 2.0% of total expenditure in 2017) and law courts (0.7%), but similar to government expenditure on prisons (0.4%). The country with the highest expenditure was Bulgaria at 0.8%, with Denmark the lowest at 0.1%. Luxembourg spent an average of 0.3% of government expenditure on fire services, which equated to 113 per inhabitant - the highest across Europe. Other nations surpassing the 100 threshold were Finland (106), the Netherlands (104) and Sweden (100), closely followed by Germany (96) and France (93). Eurostat In contrast, the lowest fire-protection expenditure per head was recorded in Malta (17 per inhabitant), followed by Bulgaria (21), Croatia and Portugal (both 22). The size of the population in each country accounts for the variation in expenditure. Eurostat released this information in light of International Fire-Fighters Day on 4 May. Around 300,000 firefighters were employed across Europe in 2017 and 2018. Environment ministers of the G7 nations met in France Sunday, a day ahead of the release of what is expected to be another alarming report on the state of the planet. Ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States gathered for the two-day meeting in the northeastern city of Metz. They were due to discuss measures to tackle deforestation, plastic pollution and the degradation of coral reefs and try to form alliances between nations to act on them. Joining the ministers were delegations from the European Union as well as Chile, Egypt, the Fiji Islands, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Niger and Norway. Activists from the 'Alter G7' group, some dressed as endangered animals, staged a 'die-in' as part of their protest / AFP "We need to come out of this G7... with some very concrete things that go beyond speeches," said France's junior minister for ecological transition, Brune Poirson, as the meeting opened. On Monday, the UN will publish an executive summary of a 1,800-page tome crafted by more than 400 experts -- the first UN global assessment of the natural world in 15 years. Drafts of both documents obtained by AFP leave no doubt that it will paint a disturbing picture of widespread destruction wrought by man, some of it irreparable. "We will agree on the best ways to enhance the place of biodiversity on the international stage...," said France's Minister for Ecological Transition, Francois de Rugy. But Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist appointed by President Donald Trump to head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told the meeting too much attention was being paid to the worst-case scenarios on climate change. Outside the meeting, environmental campaigners "Alter G7" demonstrated to highlight what they say is the urgency of the global crisis. Teenage girls in Achham launch campaign against child marriage Teenage girls of Achham have launched a campaign against child marriage in the district. GLENROCKMary Frances Frankie Yung, 78, long-time resident of Glenrock, Wyoming, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2019, surrounded by her loving family. Mary was born on December 16, 1940, to Mary and Maurice Walsh and raised in Forest Grove, Oregon with her brother and two sisters amid an extended family. Mary enjoyed her time in high school at St. Mary of the Valley (Valley Catholic School) and attended college at Gonzaga University studying liberal arts, where she met engineering student Kenneth K. Yung of Hong Kong. Mary and Ken married in 1961 and relocated to Wyoming where Ken began his career and Mary raised their children. The family lived in Riverton, Jeffrey City, and Glenrock, Wyoming, and in Kingwood, Texas, eventually settling permanently in Glenrock. Family and faith remained the core values in Marys life. She devoted herself as a wife and mother, raising seven children who have vivid memories of nightly bedtime stories, tuck-ins with soothing songs, and being surrounded by love. The family enjoyed camping, backyard barbecues, board games, and vacationing in Wyomings beautiful state and national parks, where the kids would bring their fishing rods and Mary enjoyed a good book. Mary loved taking summer vacations to Oregon to visit relatives and expose her children to Dungeness crab, salt water taffy, strawberry picking, and the ocean. She loved the water. She loved singing, laughing, wit, wildflowers, literature, coloring, crochet, embroidery, words, and the arts. Her grounding presence extended to her sixteen grandchildren (all of whom she said were way above average) who experienced Nanas rapt attention and unconditional acceptance and love. Last summer, she celebrated the marriage of her oldest grandchild with all sixteen grandchildren and her great grandchild in attendance. As her children grew older, Mary received her teaching credentials and Master of Education degree from the University of Wyoming. She began a teaching career that lasted more than 20 years. This chapter of her life was enormously fulfilling. Teaching brought her great joy and was a natural fit. Mary first taught at a two-room country schoolhouse in Ogallala. Eventually, she taught fourth grade at Grant Elementary School in Glenrock. Mary cared profoundly for her students and enjoyed watching them grow up in the community. She developed long-lasting and meaningful friendships with her fellow teachers. Mary was a devoted member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Glenrock. She was involved in many activities, taught Sunday school, and had numerous friends among fellow parishioners and clergy. In retirement, Mary enjoyed water aerobics, tai chi, reading, drawing, music, tending her flowers, catching up with lifelong friends, playing with her dog Sam, visits to and from family, and many adventures with Ken. The family will miss her sage wisdom often displayed through life stories, the message of each would often hit you later. We will miss her generosity of time and attention, unfailing faith and unconditional love. She was completely selfless and content, joyfully immersed in family, friends, and faith. Mary experienced the beauty of life in every corner. Gentleness, wholehearted acceptance, and grace were truly some of her gifts. She is immensely loved by her entire family. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Frances and Maurice Henderson Walsh and her sister, Winifred Elliott. In addition to her devoted husband of 58 years, Kenneth Yung; Mary is survived by: sister, Maurine Duyck; brother, Jacob Walsh; sister-in-law, Joanna Vifquain (Jim); children, Kenneth Yung, Jr. (Nancy), Kevin Yung (Tammy), Gaelan Bisheh (Alex), Cameron Yung Johnson (Lars), Jane Yung, Andrew Yung (Carmen), and Matthew Yung (Julie); grandchildren, Mary Robichaud (David), Sahar Burns (Chris), John Yung, Natalie Bisheh, Riley Yung, Sarah Yung, Jasmine Bisheh, Rebecca Yung, Terry Yung, Veronica Yung, Alexander Yung, Margot Yung, Sophia Yung, Andie Yung, Harper Yung, and Hazel Yung; great-grandson, Elliot Burns; and many dear nieces, nephews, and godchildren. Thank you, Mom and Nana, for everything. Life is good. Donations can be made in her memory to Glenrock Senior Citizens Center (307-436-9442) or St. Louis Catholic Church in Glenrock. The family would like to thank all of Marys friends who have always made Ken and Marys life abundant. A rosary will be prayed on Sunday, May 5th at 7 p.m. and a funeral mass will be held on Monday, May 6th at 10 a.m., both at St. Louis Catholic Church (601 S. 5th St., Glenrock, WY). CASPER Nancy passed away at the Kloefkorn hospice house in Casper, Wyoming after a long fight with cancer. Surrounded by family and friends for days, she lost her fight at 10pm on April 20, 2019. Nancy Jane Berry was born in Casper on July 29, 1954 to her loving parents Fred Albert Berry and Leona Mae Berry Forsberg. She had three siblings; Phillip Richard Witt, Bonnie Lee Berry Heuschkel, and Ace Fred Phillips. She attended school at Park Elementary, CY Junior High, and graduated high school at Natrona County High School. She studied geology at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs. During high school she was president of Theta Roe IOOF Rebekah Lodge #139, where she was a 50 year member. She married Leslie Allen Shankland and moved to Laramie while Leslie finished school at the University of Wyoming. After graduation, they moved to Walnut Creek California where Leslie worked as an Electrical Engineer. While in Walnut Creek, Nancy gave birth to her first son, Adam Pax Shankland and her second son, Ryan Mark Shankland. In December of 1976, Les, Nancy and the boys moved to Colorado Springs. She started a chimney sweeping business in addition to working as a full time mother, and took classes at Pikes Peak Community College. Nancy always said that her time as a full time mother was the happiest in her life. It showed; every kid in the neighborhood had arts and crafts projects hanging all about the house, and the house was hub of activity for the local youth. After divorcing Les in 1980, she moved back to Casper. Shortly after spending an entire summer at Alcova Lake with her sons, Nancy rekindled a high school romance with Steve Grace of Casper. They were married for several years. In 1988 she landed a job with Nabisco in Cheyenne. It was here that a lasting passion for government was kindled; for a short time Nancy spent nights supplementing the Nabisco income tending bar at the Four Winds on Pershing Boulevard in Cheyenne. It was here Nancy befriended several members of the State House and Senate. Spending time all over the town with them, she met more legislators and lobbyists. She spent a lot of time at the Capital. Nancy hobnobbed with two sitting Governors as well during the following years. After surviving an attack by an ex-boyfriend and finding no legal recourse to have her case heard, she implored her friends in high places to initiate anti-stalking legislation. Nancy testified to the extent of her injuries, and her inability to control not being stalked further by her attacker with the existing laws. Legislation was successfully passed protecting individuals in danger of stalkers. The experience she had in Cheyenne weighed heavy on her. After moving back to Casper in 1992, one of her sons implored her to do something with her newfound passion. After hearing her talk extensively how special interests controlled the government and how the people were being left by the wayside, that son told her for the first and only time to shut up and do something. The next day her name was on the ballot running for State House under the Democratic ticket. She ran and lost. Two years later Nancy ran again and won. She spent two, two year terms in the State House as a Democrat. Endorsed by the NRA, and working across the aisle in every way possible, Nancy was a rare picture of bipartisanship even back in the 1990s. Clarene Law, long-time House Representative from Jackson, said of Nancy: She was a Democrat. I was a Republican. She was always a favorite of mine. We worked together on bills and committees. It was a wonderful experience to work with Nancy. I have great love and respect for my friend Nancy. We enjoyed a time and a state where legislators could work together, and to be friends first, always working on the common good. She worked hard to do what she thought was the right thing. God Bless her. She was an avid hunter, and worked hard towards the goal of keeping public lands in public hands. Antelope hunting was her favorite, though it was not uncommon to find fresh rabbit stew in the pot in her house for dinner. Before her time in the State House, she met and eventually married David Mark Shuck on May 19, 2001. They enjoyed the blues music scene in central Wyoming, and Dave played in the locally popular JD Blues Band. Nancy would be at nearly every performance, dancing, singing, and generally having a good time. David passed December 13, 2004. Sometime around 2010, John Mackie Massey, another member of the JD Blues band, joined Nancy in a mutual partnership. Though they would argue over whether they were roommates or partners or boyfriend and girlfriend they took care of one another until Nancy passed. Nancy also had a great love of reading. This spilled over into a love of writing that produced several cute childrens books, shared among family members. A favorite was a Christmas book about Santa having a rocket-powered sled. She also liked to write songs, her favorite was one written in San Franciscos Chinatown about sitting on a box of Sake and watching people, and how amazing life was. Nancy lived her life according to her rules, whenever she could. She fought hard for what she thought was important, from delivering May Day baskets to her neighbors, to bringing her young childrens community together, to saving victims of stalking from becoming victims of assault or murder. The Great State of Wyoming is better for her time spent there. The Planet Earth is a better place for her time. God bless her. May she rest in peace. She is survived by her sons, Ryan Mark and Adam Pax Shankland; sister, Bonnie Heuschel; brothers, Phil Witt and Ace; two grandchildren, Skyler and Zola; partner, John Massey; and her overactive border collie, Tank. From his living room couch, Jake Carlson can see trees speckling his neighbors yards. He can watch friends walk up his brick stairs and cars crawl down his suburban east Casper street. His couch once rested against the bottom frame of the living rooms four windows. When he sat down to watch TV, he did so with the street at his back. It is a quiet street in a quiet neighborhood and carries little traffic, but it is a street nonetheless. When car doors slammed, hed crane his neck to look. Not nervous, he says, just distracted. This winter, after months of slammed car doors, Carlson hauled the couch away from the windows. He had pushed it halfway across the living rooms carpeted floor when his wife, Tiffany, came upstairs to discover his interior decorating decision. It was the latest in a series of changes the 28-year-old retired cop has made as he adjusts to civilian life a year removed from a shooting that nearly killed him. When he wants to see out the window now, he doesnt have to turn his head. On May 6, 2018, Carlson pulled into a parking lot about two miles from his idyllic home. It was midway through his last patrol shift. He walked down a steep hill to assist Officer Randi Garrett on a traffic stop. When Carlson tried to grab the vehicles owner, David P. Wolosin, 38, by the forearm, Wolosin drew a gun and shot Carlson four times. One of the 9 mm rounds tore through Carlsons external iliac artery, the vessel responsible for supplying blood to his leg. Carlson returned fire and wounded Wolosin, who continued to shoot at the two officers as they ducked behind the cars wheels. Garrett rose from behind the front wheel of the car, shooting and killing their attacker. Paramedics rushed Carlson to Wyoming Medical Center, and in the days following, he received more than 100 units of blood and blood products. His heart stopped multiple times on an operating room table. He spent more than a month in the hospital. Carlson returned to work that fall before announcing his retirement in an early January email to the department. Physical and psychological challenges contributed to his decision. In a series of interviews last week, Carlson told the Star-Tribune the shooting still marks his life. Hes struggled with vigilance bordering on paranoia, irritability and isolation at times. He knows the injuries he sustained will limit his life expectancy he said hell be happy if he lives to 60. But its not all bad: hes in his late 20s and retired. Hed expected to mourn the loss of his job, but he doesnt. Hes still close with friends from the police department. And despite the sometimes challenging aspects of his psychological recovery from the shooting hes found a different perspective as he builds a new life. If I could go back and undo it, I dont know if I would, he said Tuesday. Although there is a bunch of heartache and crappiness involved with it, I think, ultimately, it has improved our lives. On Thursday, Carlson crouched on a concrete garage floor, stripping black paint off cabinet doors. A friend from the police force had recently bought a house and Carlson owed him a few favors. As he worked, Carlsons son, Zane, tried to dig a cinder block out of a nearby dirt patch. The retired cops posture did not give away the back injuries doctors have been treating with cortisone shots. Hes been diagnosed with degenerative disk disease. Doctors have identified herniated disks in his spine. He hasnt yet had surgery to correct the problem, but he said doctors have told him its only a matter of time. The medical professionals couldnt pin the origin of his back problems down to the shooting; it may also be related to time spent jumping out of U.S. Army planes and rucking packs in Afghanistan before he joined the Casper Police Department. The troubles with his vertebrae are the latest in a litany of challenges hes encountered since doctors discharged him after the shooting. He and Tiffany, who works as a sheriffs corporal at the Natrona County Detention Center, are trying to conceive a child but have thus far been unsuccessful, likely as a result of injuries Jake Carlson incurred when he was shot in the pelvis. Although he received an outpouring of support following the shooting, not all of his newfound local fame has been entirely positive: when he spotted someone following him through Walmart, the Carlsons left their groceries behind and started shopping at a new store. Last fall, when he was working for the police department, Carlson walked to the edge of a crosswalk and waited. It was in keeping with his typical routine at the time: wait until traffic had passed before stepping into the street. He couldnt shake the idea that a driver would accelerate and run him down. He hadnt been hit by a car before and it didnt seem like a sensible concern to him. But investigators havent identified why Wolosin shot him, either. The driver stopped and waved him across. An initial aversion to seeking help for his psychological symptoms kept him out of counseling following the shooting. With Garretts encouragement, he began seeing a counselor, whom he now checks in with on a monthly basis. A series of changes to medication resulted in hives and lockjaw, but hes more than a month into a new prescription, which thus far hasnt bothered him. Its helped relieve some of the nervous apprehension hed encountered when going outside. The irritability he felt while driving is gone, too. Crosswalks arent a challenge. The medication and counseling arent solely responsible for the change, he says. Part of it comes with leaving behind the daily stress of work. Waking up to an alarm. Getting in on time. Planning time off. He hasnt left the work behind entirely, however. Carlson now works on a contract basis for three local law-enforcement agencies including the Casper Police Department to help investigate the backgrounds of potential hires. Much of his free time is spent caring for his son, whose custody he shares with the boys mother, and maintaining his home. All my friends call me Suzie Homemaker now, he said. Its not bad. Tiffany Carlson was concerned following the shooting that her appearance alongside her husband in the media would make her an easy target for incarcerated people trying to get a rise out of a jailer. That hasnt been the case. She said inmates are frequently familiar with the shooting and often sympathetic. At work, she said, shes become more effective more patient and understanding. And when she waited and watched nurses and doctors restore her husband to health, she started to see how much of it was out of her control. Me of all people understands that, you know, (stuffs) going on in life, she said. And its not always fun. And its not always easy. Her husband has come to a similar conclusion, but from a different perspective. When he headed over to his friends house, prepared to strip paint from cabinets, he nonetheless described it as a vacation. Hes playing with house money now. Ive kind of taken on a new perspective of like: it can change in an instant, he said. Tomorrows not promised. I try to enjoy everything and every day that I can. When Carlson got out of the Army, he had a hard time leaving the uniform behind. Its part of why he joined the police department. He signed up in 2015 expecting to serve for two decades, which under more typical conditions, is when a police officer becomes eligible to retire. Carlson, as a result of his injuries, took a medical retirement instead. When he made the decision, he steeled himself for the possibility that he would have trouble adapting to a life outside of uniform. The change hasnt been as rough as expected in part, he thinks, because of his connections with friends still in the department and his contract work. His three years on the force, meanwhile, pale in comparison to officers whove done police work for decades and have become more accustomed to police life. I think it makes it easier because Im so young, he said. I thought it wouldve been harder than it has been. Friday, Jake and Tiffany who had the day off work visited family in central Casper to help with yard work. By mid-afternoon, the yard had been tilled. Jake and his brother, Aaron, stained a wooden tabletop, before taking turns pummeling it with a chain to impart a weathered look. Dogs did a lap around the patio before Jake took a moment to chat from a lawn chair. Then the brothers got in a pickup, setting out in the sunshine for topsoil and more stain. Carlsons retirement is constrained by certain conditions, including that he not take a full-time job. And hes not making any drastic changes just yet. The Carlsons said they plan to stay in Casper. Theyre looking at rescheduling their wedding ceremony, which had been set for about a month after the shooting and was thus postponed, for early next year. Theyll keep trying to have a kid. And theyll visit Washington for national police week. Aside from that, Jake Carlson doesnt have many hard and fast plans. Hed still like to open a Dunkin Donuts, but hes in no hurry. Hes got a whole life ahead of him. Follow crime reporter Shane Sanderson on Twitter @shanersanderson Love 2 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. Buck Urban patted the face of a wall panel he held as other volunteers secured it to the frame of a memorial bearing the names of the 58,318 U.S. troops lost in the Vietnam War. Hes here, he said. Later hed look for the names of a half-brother and his father-in-law among the names on the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Vietnam Wall he helped assemble Thursday morning at Casper College. The wall, on display through a closing ceremony at 3 p.m. today, is free and open to visitors in the lower parking lot in front of the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center. The Casper College Veterans Club arranged the walls stop in Casper, and members have remained on hand to provide security and information 24 hours a day. Books are available at the site to help find names. The memorial is 80 percent the size of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. and the largest traveling replica, according to a Casper College press release. Urban, who served 25 years in the Army, has traveled to the memorial in Washington D.C. and seen the traveling wall in Casper and Cheyenne in years past. Im always, always, always moved. For me, its every name you see is a life not lived. Other members of his family served in the Vietnam War, including his father, who returned from three tours physically unharmed but affected the rest of his life. Theres other wounds that people cant see, Urban said. In front of the wall rests a helmet atop a base made with a standing rifle and combat boots. Visitors across the country have added flags, POW bracelets, pins, beads and other mementos to the display. It had meaning for whoever left it there for the memory of their family or brother, said John Barron, director of operations for the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Vietnam Wall. He crowned the helmet Thursday with one of those offerings, a Purple Heart. Larry Winzenried joined fellow Casper Legion Post 2 members, who on Thursday morning posted 120 flags near the wall for every Wyoming serviceman who died in the Vietnam War. Wind whipped the flags as they fastened tags, featuring names and information about each fallen serviceman in the local organizations display they brought to complement the traveling memorial. It brings back a lot of memories, said Winzenried, who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, some hard memories in the sense of all the conflicts and everything that was going on about the Vietnam War. And yet it makes me very proud that they are recognizing the Vietnam veterans more now than when we came home. The wall rises 8 feet and stretches 360 feet across a corner of the parking lot, where volunteers and others mingled after Thursdays setup. Vietnam veteran Lionel Adams ran his hand along the names as he searched for friends hed made after he was drafted into the Army in 1969. They headed with all but a handful of his company straight from basic training to Vietnam. And I never heard a word from any of them ever again, he said. Adams doesnt know what happened to them, he said, though he was told the whole platoon was killed. When I look at all those names, all those people, its just too many, he said, just too many. Speakers during an opening ceremony Thursday at the Gateway Center included Gov. Mark Gordon and veterans including retired Marine Corps Master Sgt. Gary Cohee who served multiple tours to Vietnam. Keynote speaker Eric Distad spoke about his return home from Vietnam 50 years ago this month. During his time at Casper College and the University of Wyoming, he and fellow returning veterans tried not to draw attention to themselves as veterans of the Vietnam War, he said. It wasnt until 1982 when the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall became a reality that Vietnam veterans began to struggle to both proudly self-identify as Vietnam vets and to come together publicly as Vietnam vets. The wall became much more than a memorial, he said. It became a tribute and a remembrance of those that served and had made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. Those who survived the war and loved ones of those who didnt see not only numbers but faces of friends, classmates, fathers, husbands and sons, he said. Ultimately the wall is most often a healing place, a symbol of closure and reconciliation. To Vietnam vets, it is the ultimate personification of our brotherhood. Follow reporter Elysia Conner on Twitter @erconner 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. LARAMIE Legislators on the Government Efficiency Commission said Thursday the rest of Wyomings state agencies could learn from the efficiency measures currently being enacted at the University of Wyoming. We need our own David Jewell, Senate President Drew Perkins, R-Casper, said of the UW administrator who led the creation of the WyoCloud system while working with Huron Consulting Group. In 2016, Jewell became UWs associate vice president for budgeting and fiscal planning. The roll-out of WyoCloud the universitys cloud-based finance, administrative, research support and business intelligence reporting system has created some frustrations for employees in the past two years as kinks have been worked out. Meanwhile, administrators have been wholeheartedly enthusiastic about how WyoCloud has overhauled financial management at the university. UW was one of several state agencies that presented to legislators on efficiency measures its undertaken. Jewell said WyoCloud has allowed UW to consolidate more than 7,000 accounts at the university into a chart of accounts that only has 267. Perkins said UW is about 2-3 years ahead of the rest of state agencies in improving its financial operations. WyoCloud has provided UW administrators with the data they need to make the university more efficient and subsequently more affordable for students attending UW. I now get to spend more of my time doing the type of work to make sure that our business model is as efficient as possible so that kids can eat everyday and have a roof over their heads and dont have to work three jobs, Jewell said. A major component of making the university more efficient, Jewell said, has been to change the way UW buys goods and services. Jewell stressed the need to buy in bulk, and UW now has three major contracts with Office Max, CDWG and Fisher Scientific to supply the universitys computers, research supplies and office supplies. He estimates those deals will lead to $2.7 million in savings over three years. UW is also hoping to negotiate contracts with certain airlines and hotels to get cheaper prices for employees that travel, Jewell added. Jewell said a reorganization of the procurement and accounts payable offices has put the right people in the right roles. Jewell went on that UW would also be happy to work with other state agencies to leverage the entire buying power of the state. Adding more staff to the procurement office, he said, would also lead to more efficiencies. Candidly, we have the same number of procurement folks as we have at the state office. I dont think its enough. Jewell said the procurement handles about 14,000 purchase orders each year and about 14,000 expense reimbursements. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Several weeks after Donald Trump was elected president, Worland resident Amanda Weaver a Democrat decided to go to her first state party meeting. A relative novice to politics, she like many of the 65.8 million Americans to vote Democrat in that years elections felt shook up at the time, like the complacency that members of the party had shown throughout the Obama years would no longer cut it. Even in certified red states like Wyoming. It made us put a little more action behind our feelings and words, she said. I wanted to stop complaining about things or worrying about things or wanting things to change. I couldnt do that anymore. I had to start doing something to be the change I wanted to see. In Worland, Weavers efforts would be the first seen there in a long time. Considered a dark county at the time, Washakie County had zero Democratic presence in the area: no county party, no local activist groups, no mechanism to spread the Democratic message whatsoever. At the same time, the state party was just as sparse. The Wyoming Democratic Party, which has elected 10 of the last 24 governors, had just one member on its staff, with ground operations and political strategy relying heavily on volunteers. Fundraising was abysmal, with $100,000 in finances for the 2016 elections sourced primarily from out-of-state groups amounting to barely half of what the states Republican Party possessed on hand. Meanwhile, the condition of the partys in-state fundraising was just as sorry, as it barely raised enough that year to cover the cost of a used station wagon. In 2016, 61 Democrats ran for seats on the Wyoming Legislature, with only 12 being successful. Simultaneously, the party despite holding the governorship just five years earlier was continuing to bleed voters, seeing a gradual reduction in their numbers as the Republican Party, with competitive primaries and significant influence, continued to grow. In the spring of 2017, a faction of party members who had supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the presidential race ousted members of the leadership who had supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, symbolizing a significant change in direction within the party. At the time, newly elected chairman Joe Barbuto told the Star-Tribune, I thought it was time for the Democratic Party in Wyoming to become more organized. Two years later, Barbuto, who was reelected state chairman at a party meeting in Casper last weekend, appears to have helped breathe new life into the party. Though considerably smaller in number, in 2018 Democratic voters showed up to the polls at an 8 percent higher rate than Republican voters, part of a resurgent election for Democrats nationwide. Facing Republican incumbents in several state legislature races last year, Democrats managed to pull out several wins in places like Fremont and Laramie counties, while remaining competitive in numerous other races around the state. In the past several months, the Wyoming Democrats executive staff has expanded from one person to five, including a full-time field director, a communications staffer and directors for finance and analytics. Fundraising, according to first-quarter numbers shared with the Star-Tribune last weekend, has also outpaced previous years, with nearly $90,000 raised in the first three months of 2019 alone. Last time, we did obviously have some challenges for leadership, Barbuto said about the differences between 2017 and 2019. This time, I think we saw some of the signs of the teamwork and professionalization of the organization weve been working on for the last two years. Rebranding the party Weaver, who was named Washakie Countys first Democratic committee chairwoman shortly after that first meeting, knew from the start she would be facing difficulties. In a county with zero visibility, the first challenge was simply letting locals know that Democrats actually existed in their communities. She started with bake sales, donating a share of the proceeds to local groups in the community. In the 2018 campaigns, she and her team of volunteers 20 or 30 members strong now set to work knocking on doors, hoping to have conversations with anybody willing to listen. We were part of the ground game in a number of statewide races, Weaver said. I dont think Washakie County has ever done that, at least not in a very long time. Slowly, those conversations yielded results. When they were first starting out, Weaver said, they set up a table at an event where they tried to give away free water in an effort to have those conversations. At first, she said, people at the events refused to take the water on the grounds of it being Democrat water. But over the years, Weaver said that has changed. Sometimes, people will try to start a fight about Nancy Pelosi, and the volunteers will try to instead have a discussion about policies that affect them most directly. Ive noticed the change, she said. People will actually speak to us, instead of treating us like well infect them if they come by our booth. However, misconceptions about what Democrats actually stand for are still rampant, and something local committee chairs still regularly find themselves combating. On the national stage, Democrats are compartmentalized by Republican leadership as socialists or extremists, and are often depicted as anti-fossil fuel and adamantly pro-choice issues traditionally out of step with Wyomingites in general. Wyomings Democrats, however, are more moderate and in a conservative state often find themselves having to compromise the ideology of the national platform to adopt to what are commonly considered Wyoming values. Wyoming Democrats realize we have an uphill battle, and without negotiation and compromise were not going to get anywhere, Sublette County chair Tessa Miller said. Where the national platform is being called out for that, Wyomings Democrats are a lot more moderate. Obviously with any political party and much like religion there are extremists on both side, and I think trying to get back to that middle ground is something to aim for. I dont think weve seen that in a while on either side of party lines. That strategy has not been lost on the state party even with the Sanders faction succeeding in turning over party leadership in 2017. Last weekend, the party discussed trying to get their message out in very inexpensive ways, floating ideas like 30-second videos on why people are Democrats and how exactly Wyoming values can be Democratic values. They plan on highlighting perceived failures by the Legislatures Republican supermajority a lack of action on workplace protections and labor rights, failures to raise the lowest minimum wage in the nation and a lack of movement on a nondiscrimination law to appeal to people across the aisle and to directly challenge whether the Republican Party are representing the values of all Republicans in the state. Whether or not those efforts are successful, Weaver said, depends on the willingness of the other side to listen. We just need to get past the prejudice to actually have the conversation, Weaver said. We share goals, but we just disagree on how to get there at times, and there are a lot of misconceptions about Democrats and what we actually believe. Getting our message out is going to be one of the harder things were going to try to do, getting to the point where people will actually listen to us instead of just reducing us to labels. Thats tough. Opportunities from the other side As of April 1, only 47,000 Wyomingites are Democrats, constituting just under 18 percent of the states registered voters. That doesnt necessarily mean Democrats only have 18 percent of the electorate, however. In Wyomings GOP, party leadership has spent the past year in turmoil over the purity of its platform. Last June, the Laramie County GOP released a questionnaire for candidates that was construed by some as a litmus test to weed out moderates in the party. Recently, the Campbell County GOP raised the prospect of and later defeated passing a resolution that would allow the party to disqualify candidates who didnt vote with the party platform 80 percent of the time. Meanwhile in the 2019 legislative session, the Wyoming Republican Party wary of Democrats crossing over and voting in Republican Party elections made eliminating crossover voting its No. 1 priority during the session in an effort to further preserve party purity. But as the party makes strides to move further to the right and alienate moderates within the party Democrats have begun to see opportunities to capture traditionally Republican voters, who might be more willing to vote for Democrats with beliefs that align closer to their views. I think there are people who might be willing to vote for a Democrat who might never in their life have been able to see themselves voting for one, Weaver said. The Republican Party has changed from what I remember as a kid, definitely, and I know a lot of people who feel that way, Republicans and Democrats alike. Winning races Simply running candidates has given Democrats an understanding of where to focus their efforts. While 2016 was filled with fruitless campaigns, tallies at polls in places where Democrats had never run before gave the party an understanding where opportunities might lie in 2018, yielding levels of success the party hadnt enjoyed in years. You didnt even know how many votes you could get in a place if you never ran a candidate there, said Bruce Palmer, the partys former vice chairman and an instrumental figure behind Fremont County Democrat Rep. Andi Cliffords upset win last year. So for some races, it was just about seeing what sort of Democratic base you had in different spots, which then gave us better information in 2018 and 2020. Having permanent employees, many attested, has represented a huge change for the party, and something to keep momentum going, even in non-election years, and have allowed for more concerted analytics to gauge vulnerabilities county-by-county. Meanwhile, investment in the party bolstered by renewed interest from the Democratic National Committee has allowed the states Democrats to build a system that will allow them to have a truly coherent and consistent message across the state for the first time in years. Now, its just a matter of winning. Casper, for instance, lost a Democratic representative in November when Debbie Bovee lost to Rep. Art Washut by just over 300 votes. Bovee was elected chair of the Natrona County Democratic Party last weekend. Weve been out-fundraised in the past, weve been out-registered, but we wont be outworked and we wont be out-organized, Barbuto said. I think thats really where our potential lies. We have great candidates, we know how to win. Now we just need to transfer that to the rest of the state. Our group is pumped up to do that. Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds Love 9 Funny 8 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 6 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 stretch of North First Avenue is in the top 10% for pedestrian crashes citywide and was meant to be made safer in the coming years, but a funding gap has put it at risk. While the 87-foot-long Mach 4 tunnel which the UA got for the cost of shipping is useful, its roughly 4-by-4-inch test section is tiny compared with the 15-inch test area of the Mach 5 tunnel, he noted. KEY RESEARCH AREA Craig said hes encouraged by the support hes gotten from the UA administration, which has included hypersonics as a key research area in its strategic plan. Hypersonic research is a key research area for the UA and its revamped University of Arizona Applied Research Corp., or UA-ARC, an independent organization spun out from the UAs former Defense and Security Research Institute in January to focus on solving complex national-security problems. Austin Yamada, president and CEO of UA-ARC, said the new wind tunnels will help push the UAs hypersonics research to the next level, noting that schools including Notre Dame, Purdue and the University of Maryland are leaders in hypersonics research. I think the UA is carving out a niche for itself in certain Mach (speed) areas, but also with the breadth of the team, Yamada said. Its not just about mechanical engineers or aerospace engineers, its about material science and modeling and simulation, and its the collaborative team you build to do more than just publish an article it helps you solve a problem. Tucson Tech runs Thursday and sometimes on Sundays in the Star. Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz 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. After a "Wheel of Fortune" contestant lost out on a new Audi due to a technicality -- even though she answered the puzzle correctly -- the car company said it would gift her the vehicle instead. The numbers of calls are staggering. According to Consumer Reports, these monsters who blithely disturb our tranquility and train of thought in the privacy of our own home can make 1,517 calls per second. Or 131,066,390 per day. Why are the elderly targeted? We are usually at home. Some of us lack technology smarts. Many of us live alone and being alone makes any scary thing scarier. Fear escalates when we are isolated. Those of us with mild cognitive impairment or dementia may be easily fooled. What can we do? 1. Verify the emergency. 2. Familiarize yourself with the tricks scammers use. 3. Report a scam you have responded to so that the Federal Trade Commission and state attorney general will have the information. How do we verify? Dont panic. That is what they want you to do. Verify the persons identity by calmly asking things no stranger could answer. Call the supposed family member. If you are worried and alone, call a friend or family member even if the caller told you not to tell anybody. Never send money by wire or a check by overnight delivery. Note: Before the Family History Expo in November, The Star asked readers to submit family names to see what could be found on newspapers.com. We spent 30 minutes on some of them to see what we could find. Debra Sutherland Motzkin had a good start on her family history. She knew of Florencio Sotomayor, an ancestor on her mothers side who homesteaded in this area. She also knew about her paternal great-grandfather William Henry Sutherland, who was born in Maine but made his way to Southern Arizona by way of Minnesota. William Henry Sutherland was a cattle rancher, prospector and ran a stage line for a time. Early in his Arizona days, he was often called Idaho Bill. Sutherland died April 23, 1925, after having been ill for several years. He left behind a son, William Ray Sutherland, and his wife Matilda, according to obituaries printed in the Arizona Daily Star. Matilda, who died Feb. 9, 1932, was the daughter of Tucson pioneer James S. Douglas. The reason why the downtown (campus is expanding) is most of our students flow through downtown before they touch other campuses, Lambert said. PCC Taking a Very well-managed risk The college has long sought to purchase land surrounding the campus, but only recently did some of the properties including the Tucson Inn become available. That property owner there, I think, always had it in his mind that if he could sell to Pima, he wanted to do that, Lambert said. My understanding is there have been conversations, but they never went anywhere. Lambert said that despite an aggressive plan to commit to spending $65 million in new construction and renovations in the next three years, the Tucson Inn may sit vacant for years. He has heard estimates of between $8 million and $10 million to rehab the former hotel, but says the college may seek out private community partners who would be willing to help build a new facility, for example, to train the next generation of mechanics in emerging technologies. Three lives have been saved this year because of Pima County sheriffs deputies use of Narcan, which reverses the effects of opioids, officials said Saturday. A 25-year-old woman was saved by deputies who responded to a possible opioid overdose in the early morning of March 25. They found her unconscious and barely breathing before administering two doses of the nasal spray. The woman regained consciousness and was taken to a hospital, a department news release said. A month later, deputies responded to a business in the 6900 block of East Sunrise Drive for a man who reportedly used drugs in a restroom. When deputies found the 25-year-old man unresponsive in the womens restroom, they administered a single dose of Narcan. He also regained conscious when paramedics took him to be treated. At about 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, deputies were dispatched to an unresponsive 41-year-old man who apparently overdosed on opioids. They found him with bluish lips, faint breathing and an infrequent pulse, the news release said. After receiving a dose of Narcan, the man sat up without assistance and was taken to a hospital. At his computer in Oregon, Farmer was able to pin down where Howard had taken his photo on the hillside and tried to help police and volunteers in Tucson get there. If anyone is in Tucson Arizona and can access this area immediately please call me ASAP, he posted at 7:50 p.m., along with a picture of a map, his finger pointing to a hillside near A Mountain, just above Panorama Circle. The alarm also went out on a Facebook page for Marines called Mendleton. Stefan Rivenbark, 24, of Marana was one of the Marines who answered the call. As police searched closer to A Mountain, Rivenbark, who returned home from four years of service last year, walked in the darkness up the hillside just north of the road. I grabbed my light and started climbing up the mountain. I was running up, calling out to Kevin, Rivenbark said. Kevin, this is Sgt. Rivenbark, U.S. Marine Corps. I made it about halfway up when I heard two shots fired. In the echoey spaces, the shots sounded like they were further away, but as it turned out, when Rivenbark went back the next day, he realized he was only about 30 yards away. Howard had undoubtedly heard him calling. I would like to extend my thanks to Emily Bregel and Kendall Blust for their excellent reporting on the serious problems with sewage being fac Growing Pima County is an ongoing series from the Arizona Daily Star's editorial board. Below are each of the pieces in the series. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Copenhagen Imports 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. Your browser does not support the audio element. A group of farmers has volunteered to protect a nature reserve area that is considered the lung of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam over the last five years. Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve was established at the beginning of 2002 in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, with the aim of maintaining a natural habitat for several different animal species native to Vietnam. The reserve, hailed as the lung of Mekong Delta, spans 2,800 hectares and is home to over 300 kinds of plants and animals, some of which appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Floating down the small canals leading to the center of Lung Ngoc Hoang Reserve by motorized canoes, the main means of transport in the reserve, its common to spot a group of farmers happily guarding the forest and working to preserve its delicate ecosystem. A birds eye view of the forest in Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve in Mekong Delta. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre Duong Kha Ly, a 50-year-old senior on the amateur forestry team, said that he began conservation work in 2014 when there was a need of volunteers to protect the woods from intruders. It has been a part of his daily life ever since, with Ly having focused his efforts on catching intruders and lumberjacks. The forest is our second home, so we try our best to protect it no matter what, he shared with love and determination. Another farmer in the group shared that the teams creativity and teamwork during the last lunar New Year holiday that ended in February successfully led to apprehending intruders who had been burning beehives for honey and illegally fishing. Overall, there work has directly caused a 70 percent decrease in intrusion on the reserve. Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve is an ideal natural habitat for forest bees, which help bring in decent incomes for beekeepers like Nguyen Van Truong, the owner of 20 forest beehives. Truong shared that beekeepers can make a profit up to VND40 million, or over US$1,700, per harvest, a significant sum in the rural Vietnam. We raise bees and collect honey without burning their houses in order to protect ours, said Truong. Farmer Nguyen Van Truong holds a forest beehive in Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve in Mekong Delta. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre Lu Xuan Hoi, the director of Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve, shared that there are many families with low living conditions nearby that turn to illegal hunting and deforestation. Therefore, he had asked for provincial Peoples Committee permission for legal beekeeping to help people sustain their lives while helping to protect the forest. He also promoted canalization and strict forest patrols, as well as cooperating with families of the amateur forestry team to conserve local biodiversity and prevent forest fires. People here set their heart on protecting the lung of the Mekong Delta and they deserve an award for their dedication, Hoi praised residents of Hau Giang province. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! BANGKOK -- Crowds of Thais lined roads under Bangkoks blazing sun on Sunday for the royal procession of newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn, hoping to get a glimpse of the constitutional monarch who is revered in Thai culture as a living deity. Well-wishers all wearing yellow, the color associated with the king, gathered along the 7 km (4 miles) route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples, where the monarch, who will be appearing in public for the first time since his elaborate crowning, will pay homage to each temples main Buddha images. I want to see the coronation for once in a lifetime because the last one when it happened I was still very young, Samran Moryaidee, a 77-year-old man, told Reuters as he stood in the steamy heat. The Thai government, which is spending 1 billion baht ($31.35 million) on the weekends coronation ceremonies, has said crowds of at least 200,000 people were expected. I feel like I have to be here to show the world just how much we worship the king, said Donnapha Kadbupha, a 34-year-old woman, who had come eight hours early to make sure of her spot along the procession route. Many carried umbrellas to shield themselves from the burning sun. High temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius (96 degrees Fahrenheit), with high humidity putting the heat index at 44 C (111 F). The government provided free buses for people living outside Bangkok to come to witness the spectacle, and bus and train travel to the site was free in the capital. Royal titles The coronation of King Vajiralongkorn, 66, takes place from Saturday to Monday after a period of official mourning for his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years. During the 18 months of his reign so far, King Vajiralongkorn has moved to consolidate the authority of the monarchy, including taking more direct control of the crowns vast wealth with the help of Thailands military government. His official coronation comes amid the uncertainty of an unresolved election battle between the current military junta chief and a democratic front trying to push the army out of politics. On Saturday, the king sat on a golden throne under a nine-tiered umbrella and placed the 7.3 kg golden Great Crown of Victory on his head following an elaborate purification ritual. On Sunday morning, the king granted new ranks and titles to members of the royal family. The monarch was joined by new Queen Suthida after a surprise announcement three days before the coronation that the thrice-divorced monarch had married for a fourth time. One noticeable absence at Sundays title-bestowing event was his older sister Princess Ubolratana, 68, who in February broke with the royal familys tradition of remaining above politics by announcing a surprise bid to run for prime minister. The king issued a public command calling her candidacy for an opposition party inappropriate and the Election Commission disqualified her candidacy. The party that nominated her was later banned from the election, of which the official results will be released after the coronation. Princess Ubolratana, who gave up her royal titles when she married an American university classmate, has been at other coronation events. One of the many official titles King Vajiralongkorn is taking is Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782. Carried through streets For the royal procession, the king is to be carried through the streets on a gilded palanquin borne by 16 men walking at about 75 steps per minute and stopping to swap out personnel every 500 meters, according to the palace. More than 1,300 personnel are in the procession. Sundays crowds are expected to be the largest yet for the coronation events. Thai people have been encouraged for the past month by the military government to wear yellow to signify devotion to the monarchy but only in the last few days have people in Bangkok joined in on a large scale. When the late King Bhumibol died, Bangkoks streets and public transport were a sea of black for months on end. Although most coronation ceremonies for Thai kings follow Hindu Brahmin traditions, some Buddhist elements were added by the monarchs great-great grandfather King Mongkut, or Rama IV, because he spent 27 years in monkhood before inheriting the throne, scholars said. Because King Mongkut was a monk, he ordered that the procession should visit important Buddhist temples so the new monarch can provide alms to monks, said Tongthong Chandransu, an expert on Thai royal rituals. Thailand ended absolute rule by its kings in 1932, but the monarchy remains highly revered as the divine symbol and protector of the country and Buddhist religion. Vietnam opposes Chinas unilateral decision to ban fishing in the East Vietnam Sea from May 1 to August 16, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said in a press meeting on Saturday. Hanoi resolutely rejects the unilateral decision from Beijing, Hang made the statement while answering reporters query. The ban has violated Vietnams sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as well as the countrys legitimate rights and interests in its maritime areas, the diplomat asserted. It also infringed international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and went against the spirit and wording of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, as well as the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea, she added. Vietnam has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence proving its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa [Spratly] archipelagos, and legitimate rights over its waters, the spokesperson said. Measures to preserve organism resources should be taken in line with the 1982 UNCLOS and should not harm the sovereign rights and jurisdiction at sea of relevant countries, she noted. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Hanoi on Saturday, as part of the latters official visit to the Southeast Asian country from May 2 to 4. -- Vietnam resolutely rejects Chinas unilateral decision to ban fishing in the East Vietnam Sea from May 1 to August 16, 2019, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said in a press meeting on Saturday. Society -- The Ministry of Public Security has requested that the Supreme Peoples Procuracy indict Le Bach Hong, former Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, along with five other suspects for their roles in violations that led to losses worth VND1.7 trillion (US$73 million). -- Police in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa on Saturday arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Do Manh Chieu Minh, 25, for killing an elementary school student and injuring five others, including one teacher and four students, with a knife on Friday morning. -- The Ho Chi Minh City Media Center, located on Tran Hung Dao Street in District 1, is scheduled to be put into operation on Sunday, with Tu Luong, deputy director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, being the director of the venue. -- Doctors at a general hospital in the north-central province of Nghe An confirmed on Saturday they had been able to save a 42-year-old man suffering five stab wounds to his chest, one directly to his heart. -- The owner of a diner in the Mekong Delta province of Long An has shut down his business after assaulting two of his customers, who complained they had been overcharged by the eatery, on Wednesday. The venue was repeatedly vandalized by some unidentified people after the footage of the violence was uploaded to social media. -- Police in the northern city of Hai Phong have initiated a manhunt for a masked man who poured gasoline at a local clothing store and set it on fire on Saturday afternoon. Business -- Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, has confirmed that the agency would consider adjusting electricity prices after many residents recently reported a sharp increase in their power bills. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. The owner of an eatery in Vietnams Mekong Delta has shut down his business after he was caught on camera hitting a customer, which resulted in his venue being vandalized by a group of unidentified people. Tran Van Ngoan , 42, who previously operated a diner in Ben Luc District, Long An Province, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday that he had decided to close down the venue. Ngoan has also returned the space, which was leased to run the eatery, and taken his wife and five-year-old son back to his hometown in southern Tay Ninh Province. I have no new plan yet. Maybe we will find some other things to do for a living, the man said. Ngoans decision came after an incident on Wednesday evening, when he forced two customers to leave his diner and eventually injured one of them. On that day, a married couple arrived at the venue and was charged VND60,000 (US$2.5) for two bottles of water. They talked with a person in the next table and found the eatery once charged VND100,000 ($4.3) for a bowl of noodles. M., the husband, asserted that the owner was overcharging his customers, before Ngoan shouted at the couple, stating that he was falsely accused, and forced them to leave. M. contacted local police officers as he was afraid of being assaulted. As he waited for them to arrive, Ngoan and two other people attacked him and inflicted some injuries on his head. The incident was live-streamed by D., M.s wife, on her Facebook account and quickly went viral. The eatery was vandalized the following afternoon, while the owner was working with local police. Local authorities have been probing the incident, verifying whether or not Ngoan had ripped off his customers, and working to identify those who had damaged the eatery. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese police are seeking prosecution against a former Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, for his wrongdoing at the countrys social security agency that led to losses worth VND1.7 trillion (US$73 million). The Ministry of Public Security has requested that the Supreme Peoples Procuracy indict Le Bach Hong, former Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, for his role in violations at the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), which runs social insurance operations, and some relevant bodies. Hong had been subject to disciplinary action from the Party due to multiple wrongdoings in 2012. The ministry also ordered prosecution against Nguyen Huy Ban, former director of the VSS, and four other ex-officials of the agency. They are all charged for deliberate violations of state economic management regulations, causing serious consequences. The requests came after the Ministry of Public Security concluded their investigation into the case. Hong was arrested in early November 2018, as part of an effort to widen probes into wrongdoing at the VSS and ALC II, a bankrupt state-owned finance leasing firm. According to the case file, the VSS allowed ALC II to borrow more than VND1 trillion ($43 million) in 2011. Meanwhile, regulations state that the VSS can only lend its money to state-run commercial banks. ALC II, which declared bankruptcy in July 2018, has not been able to pay up the loan so far and the total amount of debt, including interest, has topped VND1.7 trillion ($73 million). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! I was stunned by Mueller's claim that his investigation uncovered "numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump Campaign." As I noted in a previous piece (i.e., Intel and Law Enforcement Tried to Entrap Trump ) the Russian "links" to the Trump Campaign were manufactured by the FBI, the CIA and British Foreign Intelligence. This is both disingenuous and dishonest on the part of Mueller. The alleged Russian contacts were initiated by the FBI and the CIA, not the Trump team. The real propaganda here, in my judgement, is what Mueller and his team put out in their report. It is clearly written to feed a meme and promote animus towards Donald Trump under the guise of being an "official" investigation. The Clinton campaign, Democratic Party and pro-Clinton expenditure committees and PACs spent a record $1.2 billion, twice as much as the $600 million laid out by the Trump camp, Republicans and pro-Trump groups, the New York Post reported. You have got to be kidding me? The Mueller team present the the Russian social media campaign as some sort of propaganda behemoth and claims it was wildly influential. The Mueller folks cite, for instance, the IRA spending $100,000 on Facebook ads as evidence of this great influence. Nothing is said, however, about the billion dollars the Clinton Campaign spent on media to influence the American public. Apparently, $100,000 dollars from Russia carries more punch than $1,000,000,000,000 from Hillary . The "Introduction" to the Mueller Report justifies the investigation of Donald Trump by claiming as undisputed fact that, "the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion." But, according to Mueller, this "sweeping and systematic" interference, consisted of: Notwithstanding Mueller's deception, the facts compelled him to conclude that the investigation established that members of the Trump Campaign did not conspire or coordinate with the Russian government. The structure and presentation of the Mueller report reminds me of propaganda programs I worked on while at the CIA. For example, Mueller reports Russian interference as something unprecedented and unique and strongly implies that this effort was instrumental to Trump's electoral success. Unfortunately, this meme has become accepted conventional wisdom. But it is not true. Those who unquestionably accept this view are guilty of ignorance with respect to our shared history with Russia. The only thing unique and exceptional about the 2016 election was the fact that pundits and pollster were wrong on a grand scale in failing to predict the Trump win. If the Russian social media campaign had actually been so widespread and effective, surely the intelligence community and the media pundits should have identified the activity and raised the alarm about the alleged Russian social media tidal wave. Here is the cold, hard truth--Russia (I use this as shorthand to include its predecessor, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) has been running intelligence operations inside America for more almost 100 years. These activities include recruiting Americans to gather classified information for Moscow, such as the Rosenbergs, creating front companies, and publishing and disseminating propaganda. At one point there was even a Communist Party of the United States (and former CIA Director John Brennan voted for its candidate). All of this falls under the rubric of espionage. And guess what? We have been and are doing the same thing in Russia. The American politicians and pundits who decried the Russian activity in 2016 as an act of war deserve either pity for being so stupid and uninformed or condemnation for engaging in such unjustified hysteria. Robert Mueller may not be eager to testify before Congress. His appearance will likely be a disaster for the Democrats and anti-Trumpers, who desperately hope that Mueller is sitting on info that could force Trump from office. But that will not happen. Instead, Mueller will have to endorse his own report and its conclusion that there was no coordination nor conspiracy between Trump and the Russians. The report released to the Congress and the public is Mueller's report. It is not Barr's. Mueller also will have to explain why he did not indict Trump for obstruction. We already know, courtesy of Attorney General Barr, that Mueller's decision to not indict was not guided nor influenced by DOJ policy to not indict a sitting President. Mueller will face tough questions on major gaps and omissions in the Special Counsel investigation. Take Joseph Mifsud, for example, who Mueller identifies as a 'London professor with ties to Russia." Even the most simple-minded investigator would want to know who Mifsud was and how did he have access to information on Hillary Clinton's emails. Not Bob Mueller. Not curious at all. Intrepid internet investigators, such as Disobedient Media and Wikileaks, uncovered evidence linking Mifsud to British Mi6 and the CIA. And there are three known FBI informants--aka Confidential Human Sources aka CHS--that targeted Trump and his campaign team--Christopher Steele, Felix Sater and Henry Greenberg. Steele's status as a fully signed up CHS was exposed in August 2018 when documents were released, thanks to a Judicial Watch FOIA request, showing that Steele received at least 11 payments during the 9 month period that he was signed up as a Confidential Human Source. The key is to look at the report forms; there are three types--FD-1023 (Source Reports), FD-209a (Contact Reports) and FD-794b (Payment Requests). There are 15 different 1023s, 13 209a reports and 11 794b payment requests covering the period from 2 February 2016 thru 1 November 2016. These reports totally destroy the FBI claim that Steele only came into contact with the FBI sometime in July 2016. It is important for you to understand that a 1023 Source Report is filled out each time that the FBI source handler has contact with the source. This can be an in person meeting or a phone call. Each report lists the name of the Case Agent; the date, time and location of the meeting; any other people attending the meeting; and a summary of what was discussed. What is truly outrageous is that Christopher Steele's status as a FBI CHS is not acknowledged and the anti-Trump dossier he put together at the behest of a firm hired by the Clinton Campaign (i.e., Fusion GPS) is referenced as follows: Several days later , BuzzFeed published unverified allegations compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele during the campaign about candidate Trump 's Russia connections under the headline "These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties To Russia." The Mueller team knew that Steele's Dossier was one of the predicates of the FBI investigation and the request for a FISA warrant against Carter Page. But now one word of explanation is given and no evidence is provided to show that the Mueller team investigated the matter. Similar reports, i.e., 1023s, should exist for Felix Sater and Henry Greenberg as well. You can bank on it. Why did Robert Mueller and his team not request these reports on Sater and Greenberg? Sater was the impetus for the Moscow Tower Project. But you would not know that from Mueller discussion of this aspect of the case in his introduction: 2015. Some of the earliest contacts were made in connection with a Trump Organization real-estate project in Russia known as Trump Tower Moscow. Candidate Trump signed a Letter oflntent for Trump Tower Moscow by November 2015, and in January 2016 Trump Organization executive Michael Cohen emailed and spoke about the project with the office of Russian government press secretary Dmitry Peskov. Once you understand that Felix Sater had been an FBI CHS since December 1998 (and was signed up by Andrew Weissman), you can see how dishonest and deceptive is Mueller's account of the Trump Tower Project. I am eager to hear Bob Mueller's answer to these and other questions. His investigation can be charitably described as sloppy, inept and inadequate. There also is a case to be made that it was corrupt given critical information that was excluded from the report. With the benefit of hindsight, it appears that Bill Barr made sure to publish as much of the report as possible in order to get the evidence of bias and error by Mueller exposed to the public. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has praised India for its accuracy of early warnings and effective evacuation of people in Odisha ahead of Cyclone Fani that saved many lives.To date, the death toll from the cyclone that hit first India and then neighbouring Bangladesh rose to 42 on Sunday.Emergency teams are still racing to fix water supplies and roads that were devastated by Fridays storm that landed first in Indias Odisha at 200 kilometres an hour before heading towards Bangladesh.Fani was the first summer cyclone to hit Indias Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years and only the third in the past 150 years Odisha state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik noted.In Odisha, thousands of trees and mobile phone towers were uprooted, while roofs were torn off by the storm. Many homes are still without power.High riskBoth Bangladesh and parts of coastal India are at high risk for climate-related disasters says Nayma Qayum, a specialist on poverty and development in South Asia at Manhattanville College. There are large, low-lying, densely-populated coastal areas that are also extremely poor.Although these regions do not see such extreme weather often, floods, storms and river erosion are fairly common. So when a cyclone of this intensity hits, storm surges push sea water inland, which then taints drinking water and destroys arable land.Long-term effects will also require planning in conjunction with well-planned warning systems and evacuations to minimnize the initial hit.PreparationThe UN did applaud India for its preparedness for Cyclone Fani, but Bangladesh also did a lot to stave off more damage through its forward-planning.Both countries improved their early warning systems with text messages and alerts.While in the field in coastal Bangladesh, Ive seen fishing communities rely on these texts as opposed to predicting the weather by observations adds Qayum.In addition to early warnings in Bangladesh, Qayum describes a massive NGO-infrastructure and multiple agencies, both government and non-government working on this along with efforts from the army.The army has historically played a key role in disaster management and recovery efforts in Bangladesh" along with additional efforts from the coast guard, police and local officials.Both countries learned hard lessons from previous experiences.Back in 1999, the Super Cyclone hit what was then called Orissa Odisha today- killing some 10,000 people.It was considered one of the worst natural disasters in India.And in 2007, Cyclone Sidr killed over 3000 in Bangladesh.Lessons learnedCountries that are prone to natural disasters need to remain vigilant and prepared before an event touches it, even if it is a rare occurrence.In the cases of India and Bangladesh, the international community can stand to learn from the way they amped-up their disaster preparedness says Qayum.Due to its early warning systems, India was able to rapidly evacuate some 1.2 million people, thereby minimizing the death toll.That mixed with improved forecasting models, public awareness campaigns and well-tested evacuation plans executed by some 60,000 responders and volunteers, all ensured that Odishas residents had a better chance of survival.Relief efforts used sirens, loudspeakers and sent more than 20 million mobile messages to affected people in Bangladesh and India said special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi.As more and more scientific reports flag climate change, more averse weather events are only like to continue rising.The recent case of the tsunami in Indonesia last year in October is a perfect example of a country that is prone to such disasters, given it sits on the Ring of Fire, but its early warning system failed to notify people.The World Bank has predicted that by 2050, we could see over 140 million people displaced due to climate-related events stresses Qayum.Such events include infertile lands, non-potable water, and storm surges bringing salt water inland. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has praised India for its accuracy of early warnings and effective evacuation of people in Odisha ahead of Cyclone Fani that saved many lives. To date, the death toll from the cyclone that hit first India and then neighbouring Bangladesh rose to 42 on Sunday. Emergency teams are still racing to fix water supplies and roads that were devastated by Fridays storm that landed first in Indias Odisha at 200 kilometres an hour before heading towards Bangladesh. Fani was the first summer cyclone to hit Indias Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years and only the third in the past 150 years Odisha state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik noted. In Odisha, thousands of trees and mobile phone towers were uprooted, while roofs were torn off by the storm. Many homes are still without power. High risk Both Bangladesh and parts of coastal India are at high risk for climate-related disasters says Nayma Qayum, a specialist on poverty and development in South Asia at Manhattanville College. There are large, low-lying, densely-populated coastal areas that are also extremely poor. Although these regions do not see such extreme weather often, floods, storms and river erosion are fairly common. So when a cyclone of this intensity hits, storm surges push sea water inland, which then taints drinking water and destroys arable land. Long-term effects will also require planning in conjunction with well-planned warning systems and evacuations to minimnize the initial hit. Preparation The UN did applaud India for its preparedness for Cyclone Fani, but Bangladesh also did a lot to stave off more damage through its forward-planning. Both countries improved their early warning systems with text messages and alerts. While in the field in coastal Bangladesh, Ive seen fishing communities rely on these texts as opposed to predicting the weather by observations adds Qayum. In addition to early warnings in Bangladesh, Qayum describes a massive NGO-infrastructure and multiple agencies, both government and non-government working on this along with efforts from the army. Story continues The army has historically played a key role in disaster management and recovery efforts in Bangladesh" along with additional efforts from the coast guard, police and local officials. Both countries learned hard lessons from previous experiences. Back in 1999, the Super Cyclone hit what was then called Orissa Odisha today- killing some 10,000 people. It was considered one of the worst natural disasters in India. And in 2007, Cyclone Sidr killed over 3000 in Bangladesh. Lessons learned Countries that are prone to natural disasters need to remain vigilant and prepared before an event touches it, even if it is a rare occurrence. In the cases of India and Bangladesh, the international community can stand to learn from the way they amped-up their disaster preparedness says Qayum. Due to its early warning systems, India was able to rapidly evacuate some 1.2 million people, thereby minimizing the death toll. That mixed with improved forecasting models, public awareness campaigns and well-tested evacuation plans executed by some 60,000 responders and volunteers, all ensured that Odishas residents had a better chance of survival. Relief efforts used sirens, loudspeakers and sent more than 20 million mobile messages to affected people in Bangladesh and India said special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi. As more and more scientific reports flag climate change, more averse weather events are only like to continue rising. The recent case of the tsunami in Indonesia last year in October is a perfect example of a country that is prone to such disasters, given it sits on the Ring of Fire, but its early warning system failed to notify people. The World Bank has predicted that by 2050, we could see over 140 million people displaced due to climate-related events stresses Qayum. Such events include infertile lands, non-potable water, and storm surges bringing salt water inland. By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - A whistle blower at Swiss asset manager GAM Holding AG who alerted UK financial regulators last year did so over concerns about the purchase of more than half a billion pounds of bonds from commodities tycoon Sanjeev Gupta, according to two people familiar with the matter. The bonds related to a biodiesel-fuelled power generating business, the people familiar with the matter said. But the employee who brought his concerns to regulators believed the operation was unlikely to make enough money to repay the bonds partly because of the high cost of the fuel it planned to use, these people said. A Reuters analysis of corporate filings, regulatory documents and market data supports that view. UK-based GAM fund manager Tim Haywood paid more than 550 million pounds in 2017 for the bonds that were due to repay about 1 billion pounds over 20 years, according to the people familiar with the matter and corporate filings. But the assets backing the bonds were generators and related equipment installed at a cost of around 22 million pounds, corporate accounts show. Those generators have largely sat idle for two years, according to public company accounts and Ofgem data. GAM has previously publicly said it suspended and then dismissed Haywood following an internal whistle blower alerting UK regulator the Financial Conduct Authority, but the company has not disclosed which securities it related to or what the concerns were. The details of the bonds, including how much GAM paid and the underlying business, also havent previously been reported. GAM has seen a more than billion-dollar drop in its stock market capitalisation and placed restrictions on client withdrawals following a wave of redemption requests. Gupta, an Indian-born British national, is executive chairman of GFG Alliance, which manages the industrial, finance and metals investments of the Gupta family. GFG, which encompasses the company that sold the bonds, said both the company and Gupta declined to comment. Story continues Haywood, via a spokesman, said he disputed GAM's allegations of gross misconduct, is appealing his dismissal to GAM and that he looked forward to clearing his name. LITTLE RED BOXES The business model behind the bonds was to generate electricity from biodiesel that would qualify for UK government-issued green energy credits, according to company filings. The proceeds from selling the green energy credits would be used to repay the purchaser of the bonds. It was a novel plan. No other company was commercially generating electricity from biodiesel, according to industry specialists and data from the UKs power regulator, known as Ofgem. Reuters' analysis is based on benchmark figures from published market data, equipment manufacturers and regulatory information, which it confirmed with at least four industry experts. They said the cost of biodiesel and the sale price of power can vary over time but said the business model was unlikely to be break even due to the high cost of the fuel, let alone generate sufficient profits to repay the bond holder. Diesel generation is not very common because its expensive. Given that biodiesel is even more expensive than diesel, its not really something that has been used, said Prashant Vaze, Head of Policy at advisory group Climate Bonds Initiative. GFG named the bond plan Project LRB, or Little Red Boxes, a reference to the red-painted steel shipping containers that held the generators, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. These had been installed at its factories in Wales, Scotland and Northern England in 2016 and 2017. GFG planned to run the generators on hydrotreated vegetable Oil or HVO, the person added; Ofgem data shows the generators did a short run with HVO. HVO is an expensive way to produce power, say industry specialists. GFG would have to spend around 180 pounds or more on fuel to generate each Megawatt hour unit of power, or MWh, according to a Reuters analysis of data from fuel retailers, Ofgem and generator manufacturers. Guptas generator business could potentially have sold power for as much as about 80 pounds per MWh by selling directly to a commercial customer if they found one willing to accommodate a generator on site, said Diane Dowdell, of energy consultant Ganninon Ltd. Guptas generator business could also have sold power wholesale to the grid, but that price would be lower, according to Ofgem data. Another potential source of revenue for Gupta was the green energy credits, called Renewable Obligation Certificates or ROCs, that the UK government issues to companies that generate power from renewable sources. Guptas biodiesel-fuelled power business could have sold these to electricity retailers on the market for about 64 pounds per MWh, according to data from regulator Ofgem. Based on this analysis, Guptas operation would face losses of at least 35 pounds for every MWh produced even if the power was sold to commercial clients and credits were sold. SILENT CONTAINERS GAM announced Haywoods dismissal in February, saying he didnt comply with due diligence procedures and had signed certain contracts by himself where internal policies required two signatures, but it hasnt specified the transactions that led to his dismissal. The FCA, the regulator, declined to comment on which individuals, companies or assets it might be investigating. U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley acted as placement agent of the bonds. UK-based financing group Greensill Capital structured the notes, according to filings with the Luxembourg corporate registry. Both companies declined to comment. Last week, GAM announced that GFG Alliance had agreed to repurchase the remaining assets in Haywoods funds at the valuation at which they were purchased, without elaborating why. Those assets were the biodiesel business bonds, known as Liberty Industries PPA Ltd. bonds, that GAM purchased almost two years earlier, according to people familiar with the matter. The bond repayments were made with Gupta funding payments from other companies that fall under the GFG group, as he is allowed to do under the terms of the bonds, the two people familiar with the matter said. GFG is now examining ways to allow the generators to operate profitably, according to Kerry McDonald, general manager of the Liberty Aluminium plant in Scotland. Walking across a yard where eleven of the red containers sit silently, McDonald said the group was looking at using less expensive biofuels and selling waste heat to commercial clients. You can produce a cheaper fuel using waste from animal processing he said. (Editing by Cassell Bryan-Low) As Israel responded with air and tank strikes to hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, French authorities strongly condemned the attacks on innocent civilians on both sides.According to Reuters quoted by French media, The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs "very firmly condemned" the rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on Israeli territory on Saturday."France affirms the right of Israelis, like the Palestinians, to live in peace, dignity and security.", the Foreign Ministry said."We deplore the civilian victims on both sides", the communique added.UN calling for peaceThe UN envoy to the Middle East called for a cessation of rocket fire by Palestinian militants in Gaza.Nickolay Mladenov tweeted on Sunday that enough Palestinian and Israeli lives have been lost, people injured, houses damaged and destroyed, and called for a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late.Israeli retaliatory airstrikes have killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded over 110, while Palestinian rocket fire has killed three Israelis and wounded over 100.Israels military said more than 450 rockets, many intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system, have been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday, and it attacked some 220 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups.A rocket that hit a house in Ashkelon killed a 58-year-old Israeli man, local police said. He was the first such Israeli civilian fatality since the seven-week-long Gaza war in 2014. Separate strikes on the southern Israeli city killed two men, a local hospital official said.In Gaza, at least four Palestinian gunmen were killed in Israeli strikes, health officials said.In a separate strike it described as a targeted attack, Israels military killed Hamed Ahmed Al-Khodary, a Hamas commander. The military said he was responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza.'Massive strikes'On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had ordered Israeli forces to press attacks against militants in the Gaza Strip and deploy in strength around the Palestinian enclave after a two-day surge in cross-border fighting.This morning I instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip and I also instructed that forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces, Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement.The United States condemned the rocket attacks on Israel and said it fully supported its "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks."(With AFP) As Israel responded with air and tank strikes to hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, French authorities strongly condemned the attacks on innocent civilians on both sides. According to Reuters quoted by French media, The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs "very firmly condemned" the rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on Israeli territory on Saturday. "France affirms the right of Israelis, like the Palestinians, to live in peace, dignity and security.", the Foreign Ministry said. "We deplore the civilian victims on both sides", the communique added. UN calling for peace The UN envoy to the Middle East called for a cessation of rocket fire by Palestinian militants in Gaza. Nickolay Mladenov tweeted on Sunday that enough Palestinian and Israeli lives have been lost, people injured, houses damaged and destroyed, and called for a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late. Israeli retaliatory airstrikes have killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded over 110, while Palestinian rocket fire has killed three Israelis and wounded over 100. Israels military said more than 450 rockets, many intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system, have been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday, and it attacked some 220 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. A rocket that hit a house in Ashkelon killed a 58-year-old Israeli man, local police said. He was the first such Israeli civilian fatality since the seven-week-long Gaza war in 2014. Separate strikes on the southern Israeli city killed two men, a local hospital official said. In Gaza, at least four Palestinian gunmen were killed in Israeli strikes, health officials said. In a separate strike it described as a targeted attack, Israels military killed Hamed Ahmed Al-Khodary, a Hamas commander. The military said he was responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Story continues 'Massive strikes' On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had ordered Israeli forces to press attacks against militants in the Gaza Strip and deploy in strength around the Palestinian enclave after a two-day surge in cross-border fighting. This morning I instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip and I also instructed that forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces, Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement. The United States condemned the rocket attacks on Israel and said it fully supported its "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks." (With AFP) Environmental ministers from G7 countries gathered on Sunday in the French city of Metz, to discuss concrete climate actions and adopt a charter on biodiversity. This was on the eve of the publication of a major report on the current state of the environment by the United Nations.The G7 countries of France, Canada, Germany, the United States, Japan, Italy, the UK, along with delegations from Mexico, Chili, Niger, Gabon, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Fiji, Norway and the European Union, are all attending the summit."We will agree on the best ways to enhance the place given to biodiversity in the international scene and to achieve an ambitious result at the COP15 meeting in China at the end of 2020," promised Francois de Rugy, Frances Minister of Ecological Transition at the opening of the summit.During the two day meeting, participants will look at concrete initiatives that aim to combat inegalities, deforestation, drought, plastic garbage along with coral reef protection and adopt a charter on biodiversity.Questions surrounding financing, along with climate change and scientific warnings, will also be tackled.I hope we will witness a collective commitment come Monday evening on concrete and resolved action, added de Rugy.Bombshell reportThe summit is due to wrap up Monday afternoon, which will then be succeeded by the public release of UN report on the current situation of the worlds ecosystems.Following six days of negotiations in Paris on Saturday, diplomats and scientists finalized the wording of what they are touting will be a landmark report.The report, due to be unveiled on Monday, was written by more than 400 experts and will be the first UN global assessment of the natural world in 15 years.According to drafts seen by AFP, the report will likely reveal that up to one million of the Earths estimated eight million species face extinction, many just decades away.The evidence is incontestable, says Robert Watson, chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).Just before negotiations got underway, Watson told delegates that the current destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached levels that threaten our well-being at least as much as human-induced climate change. Environmental ministers from G7 countries gathered on Sunday in the French city of Metz, to discuss concrete climate actions and adopt a charter on biodiversity. This was on the eve of the publication of a major report on the current state of the environment by the United Nations. The G7 countries of France, Canada, Germany, the United States, Japan, Italy, the UK, along with delegations from Mexico, Chili, Niger, Gabon, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Fiji, Norway and the European Union, are all attending the summit. "We will agree on the best ways to enhance the place given to biodiversity in the international scene and to achieve an ambitious result at the COP15 meeting in China at the end of 2020," promised Francois de Rugy, Frances Minister of Ecological Transition at the opening of the summit. During the two day meeting, participants will look at concrete initiatives that aim to combat inegalities, deforestation, drought, plastic garbage along with coral reef protection and adopt a charter on biodiversity. Questions surrounding financing, along with climate change and scientific warnings, will also be tackled. I hope we will witness a collective commitment come Monday evening on concrete and resolved action, added de Rugy. Bombshell report The summit is due to wrap up Monday afternoon, which will then be succeeded by the public release of UN report on the current situation of the worlds ecosystems. Following six days of negotiations in Paris on Saturday, diplomats and scientists finalized the wording of what they are touting will be a landmark report. The report, due to be unveiled on Monday, was written by more than 400 experts and will be the first UN global assessment of the natural world in 15 years. According to drafts seen by AFP, the report will likely reveal that up to one million of the Earths estimated eight million species face extinction, many just decades away. The evidence is incontestable, says Robert Watson, chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Just before negotiations got underway, Watson told delegates that the current destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached levels that threaten our well-being at least as much as human-induced climate change. Kim Jong Un watched the recent launch of what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, North Korean state media has confirmed. The country's leader was pictured watching Saturday's drills and expressed "great satisfaction", according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He was also quoted as saying that soldiers should keep a "high alert posture" and strengthen their ability to defend the country. KCNA said: "Praising the People's Army for its excellent operation of modern large-calibre long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, he said that all the service members are master gunners and they are capable of carrying out duty to promptly tackle any situation. Pyongyang has been frustrated in recent months with the lack of progress in talks with the US. The talks were meant to move towards sanctions relief for North Korea in return for nuclear disarmament. But despite the show of goodwill between Mr Kim and US president Donald Trump during two summits, there has been little achieved and the talks have largely stalled. On Saturday, several projectiles were launched from near the eastern city of Wonsan , flying up to 125 miles before falling into the sea. The distance is roughly that between Wonsan and South Korea's capital Seoul. South Korea said it was "very concerned" and described the weapons launches as a violation of an agreement signed last September to cease "all hostile acts" against one another. They also urged North Korea to join diplomatic efforts. Kim Dong-yub, an analyst at Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said: "The North tried to clearly demonstrate its abilities to strike any target on the Korean Peninsula, including US troops stationed across the country in areas such as Seoul, Pyeongtaek, Daegu and Busan." Despite the increase in military tensions, Mr Trump has insisted he could still strike a deal with the North Korean leader. Story continues He wrote on Twitter: "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea and will do nothing to interfere or end it. "He also knows that I am with him and does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" North Korea's last major missile test was in November 2017, with an intercontinental ballistic missile which showed it was close to being able to reach deep into the US mainland. By Ritah Kemigisa President Yoweri Museveni has criticized police over the manner in which they arrested the Kyadondo east Mp Robert Kyagulanyi after his music concert at Busabala was cancelled on Easter Monday. On the fateful day, police broke the window of Bobi Wines car using pistol butts and a hammer and fired teargas to drag him out of the car and also disperse his followers. In a statement on public assemblies issued today, Museveni disproved the method used by police to arrest Bobi Wine saying they should have towed his vehicle to wherever they wanted him to be. Museveni also insists that only public assemblies and processions that have legitimate reasons will be allowed to take place while those that seek to preach hate and de-campaign government investments will not be allowed. He also advices those who plan to hold such public meetings to do so in gazatted places and not markets and crowded streets. He quickly adds that working with police is important to ensure safety of people and their property. In a three-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia, Pope Francis appealed to Bulgarians to change their attitude towards migrants. While Bulgaria's orthodox church refused to hold joint services, a commemoration ceremony is planned on Tuesday in North Macedonia for Mother Teresa, who was a native of Skopje.Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and doors to refugees as he began a visit to the European Union's poorest country.The three-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje.While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries - 44,000 people in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia - it is the interaction with their two Orthodox churches that will be most keenly watched.Bulgaria's declining populationIn his first address to Bulgarian officials, the Pope evoked the "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria and other European nations facing an exodus as well as falling birth rates,The population has now dropped to seven million as compared to nine million in 1989, the year communism ended in Bulgaria. It is projected to plunge to 5.4 million in 2050."Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said, adding that this had "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities".Migrants: Pope evokes Bulgarian tradition of hospitality Pope Francis also touched on the plight of migrants and refugees flocking to the country."Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said."To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands - in accordance with your best tradition - to those who knock at your door," he said.Orthodox church rejects joint prayerBut last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope which had been planned for Monday.The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting, which will be attended by at least one of the capital's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said.The Bulgarian church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visited Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Pope offered prayers there on Sunday afternoon alone.It is the only Orthodox church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic church.(With AFP) In a three-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia, Pope Francis appealed to Bulgarians to change their attitude towards migrants. While Bulgaria's orthodox church refused to hold joint services, a commemoration ceremony is planned on Tuesday in North Macedonia for Mother Teresa, who was a native of Skopje. Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and doors to refugees as he began a visit to the European Union's poorest country. The three-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries - 44,000 people in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia - it is the interaction with their two Orthodox churches that will be most keenly watched. Bulgaria's declining population In his first address to Bulgarian officials, the Pope evoked the "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria and other European nations facing an exodus as well as falling birth rates, The population has now dropped to seven million as compared to nine million in 1989, the year communism ended in Bulgaria. It is projected to plunge to 5.4 million in 2050. "Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said, adding that this had "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities". Migrants: Pope evokes Bulgarian tradition of hospitality Pope Francis also touched on the plight of migrants and refugees flocking to the country. "Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said. Story continues "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands - in accordance with your best tradition - to those who knock at your door," he said. Orthodox church rejects joint prayer But last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope which had been planned for Monday. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting, which will be attended by at least one of the capital's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said. The Bulgarian church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visited Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Pope offered prayers there on Sunday afternoon alone. It is the only Orthodox church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic church. (With AFP) Two French tourists were kidnapped and their local guide was killed in Benin on May 1, regional sources told FRANCE 24 overnight. "Mauritanian and Malian sources confirm that the driver was found shot dead. The vehicle carrying them was burned and was found less than a hundred kilometres from the border in Burkina Faso," according to FRANCE 24's correspondant in Benin, Emmanuelle Sodji.Diplomatic and security sources confirmed on Friday that two French tourists and their guide had been missing in northwestern Benin since Wednesday.The French couple were expected to return Wednesday evening to their hotel in Benin's Pendjari National Park, a remote area some 550 kilometres (340 miles) north of Benin's economic capital Cotonou.They are being "actively sought" with the help of authorities in Benin, a source in France's foreign ministry said.Benin is generally considered an island of stability in West Africa, a troubled region where many jihadist groups operate, but Pendjari lies on the porous and remote border with Burkina Faso, which has been hard hit by militant violence.In recent months, security sources have warned that Atlantic coast countries such as Togo and Benin were vulnerable to the expansionist strategies of militants linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.Pendjari, one of the largest remaining sites for elephants and lions in West Africa, is a vast area of 4,800 square kilometres but also part of a far larger wilderness area spreading into Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.(FRANCE 24 with AFP) Two French tourists were kidnapped and their local guide was killed in Benin on May 1, regional sources told FRANCE 24 overnight. "Mauritanian and Malian sources confirm that the driver was found shot dead. The vehicle carrying them was burned and was found less than a hundred kilometres from the border in Burkina Faso," according to FRANCE 24's correspondant in Benin, Emmanuelle Sodji. Diplomatic and security sources confirmed on Friday that two French tourists and their guide had been missing in northwestern Benin since Wednesday. The French couple were expected to return Wednesday evening to their hotel in Benin's Pendjari National Park, a remote area some 550 kilometres (340 miles) north of Benin's economic capital Cotonou. They are being "actively sought" with the help of authorities in Benin, a source in France's foreign ministry said. Benin is generally considered an island of stability in West Africa, a troubled region where many jihadist groups operate, but Pendjari lies on the porous and remote border with Burkina Faso, which has been hard hit by militant violence. In recent months, security sources have warned that Atlantic coast countries such as Togo and Benin were vulnerable to the expansionist strategies of militants linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Pendjari, one of the largest remaining sites for elephants and lions in West Africa, is a vast area of 4,800 square kilometres but also part of a far larger wilderness area spreading into Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) Benjamin Pollak has taken down the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT 25,000 High Roller after defeating German Koray Aldemir heads up. After an exciting final day's play, and over two hours of heads-up, the pair agreed to a deal splitting the remaining prize money and guaranteeing themselves 655,840 with 50,000 additional reserved for the winner. Pollak won all three all-ins whilst heads-up, once to get back into contention, the second to wrestle the chip lead away from Aldemir - who had sensationally grabbed it earlier from Laszlo Bujtas - with Pollak's third all-in seeing him secure the title and 50,000 extra in prize money. "You're a tough one to play against," Pollak said to Aldemir shortly after his victory. "You gave me a headache for two hours." Final Table Results Place Name Country Payout (EUR) Payout (USD) 1 Benjamin Pollak France 705,840 $787,012 2 Koray Aldemir Germany 655,840 $731,262 3 Marton Czuczor Hungary 364,460 $406,373 4 Laszlo Bujtas Hungary 300,340 $334,879 5 Michael Addamo Australia 241,290 $269,038 6 Sergio Aido Spain 188,980 $210,713 7 Laurynas Levinskas Lithuania 141,730 $158,029 8 Daniel Dvoress Canada 104,610 $116,640 9 Joao Vieiera Portugal 80,990 $90,304 Final Day Recap Joao Vieira was the first elimination of the day within the first level. Coming into the day as the shortest stack, he got ace-four in against the ace-jack of Sergio Aido to hit the rail. Less than twenty minutes later, Daniel Dvoress followed him in dramatic fashion. Getting eight-nine in against the pocket jacks of Laszlo Bujtas he made a straight by the turn, but the river improved Bujtas to a full house and Dvoress was eliminated. By this point, Bujtas was pulling away as Benjamin Pollak and Marton Czuczor both doubled behind him. Lithuanian Laurynas Levinskas went next in seventh place. After flopping top pair with ace-king, he looked set to double before Koray Aldemir rivered a set with pocket jacks and was eliminated. This strengthened Aldemir's position and he moved into the lead before the second break of the day. Sergio Aido Three players returned from that break with 15 big blinds or less, and Super High Roller Champion Aido was next to be eliminated. He was in good shape with pocket aces, but they were cracked by the queen-nine of Bujtas who flopped two pair to regain his chip lead. One elimination became two in quick succession as Michael Addamo ran ace-six into the ace-ten of Pollak after failing to recover from Czuczor's earlier double. Aldemir with the Hero Call What had been a fairly ordinary final table thus far changed completely with an extraordinary herocall from Aldemir. Blind on blind, Aldemir limped and called a raise from Bujtas. The German check-called all three streets against Bujtas, with the Hungarian turning over Doyle Brunson's hand: ten-deuce. Aldemir had flopped top pair and soared into the chip lead with over half the chips in play four-handed. Bujtas failed to recover and was eliminated in brutal fashion shortly thereafter as compatriot Czuczor went runner-runner to make a straight. Three-handed Aldemir remained in the lead up until the tournament went on dinner break. On resumption, Czuczor's river call with top pair went wrong when Aldemir turned over a full house, and the second Hungarian at the final table was eliminated. Heads Up Aldemir built an early lead and was one card away from sealing victory. However, Pollak made his flush draw on the river to double back into the match. And although Aldemir opened up a gap once more, Pollak's second heads-up double saw him take over the chip lead after his aces held against the jacks of his opponent. The pair then agreed to a deal, securing each player 655,840 with the winner receiving an extra 50,000. By the third, all in Pollak's run good was on full display. He got it in with middle pair and a flush draw against the top pair of Aldemir and rivered a set to secure the second EPT High Roller title of his career after winning the 50,000 High Roller at EPT Barcelona last August. In the final minutes of Level 24, Rainer Kempe was crowned the winner of the 25,000 No-Limit Holdem after defeating Joao Simao heads up for 400,850. There were 53 entries in total, 36 unique players who reentered 17 times in total, creating a total prize pool of 1,272,530. The top seven players were paid. With the win here in the Monte Carlo Bay Resort & Hotel, that makes five tournaments Kempe has won in 2019 already with all his cashes this year amounting to almost $2,500,000 in total. His biggest win so far this year took place during the PCA in January when he took down the 50,000 Single-Day High Roller for $908,100 where he defeated Alex Foxen heads up. For Simao, the cash of 289,500 is his second biggest ever to take him to almost $3,000,000 in lifetime earnings according to The Hendon Mob. The star-studded field meant that the final table was filled with renowned poker players like Jean-Noel Thorel, Richard Yong, Seth Davies, Steve ODwyer, David Peters, Adrian Mateos, and the PokerStars Ambassador Andre Akkari. Not all of them would make the money though. Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize (EUR) Prize (USD) 1 Rainer Kempe Germany 400,850 $446,322 2 Joao Simao Brazil 289,500 $322,341 3 Andre Akkari Brazil 184,520 $205,452 4 David Peters United States 139,980 $155,859 5 Steve O'Dwyer Ireland 108,170 $120,441 6 Seth Davies United States 82,710 $92,093 7 Richard Yong Malaysia 66,800 $74,378 Todays Action The day started with some delay here at the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT as no fewer than fourteen players entered the tournament before they could kick off. Alexander Uskov, Mikita Badziakouski, Sam Greenwood, Andras Nemeth, and Simao were the ones to reenter while the rest were fresh to the field. Simao was off to a great start when he found aces and hit the nut flush on the river to leave Bryn Kenney with almost nothing and he busted shortly after. The action was swift during the earlier stages until the final table was reached. Ramin Hajiyev was eliminated when he shoved his last 13 big blinds in with nine-eight suited and was called by Timothy Adams who held ace-king. Adams flopped trip aces to win that one, but he would later bust with ace-king when he failed to get there against Ivan Leow's pocket nines. Leow was also responsible for busting Nick Petrangelo with ace-nine holding against Petrangelo's ace-four. Ole Schemion started the day fourth in chips but ran his pocket eights into the ace-queen of Simao who flopped trips. Sean Winter bubbled the final table running his king-eight into the eights of Mateos. Even though the final table was reached, they still weren't in the money yet; they needed to lose two more players. Thorel would finish in ninth place when his ace-four failed to beat the pocket fives of ODwyer who had turned a set, and they were on the bubble. Adrian Mateos & David Peters during the bubble Kempe was short and shoved his last six big blinds in with ace-king and managed to double against the king-queen of Akkari which was the point where things started turning for the German. The Day 1 chip leader Mateos lost it all on the bubble when he got it in from the small blind with pocket sixes and was called by Peters in the big blind with the shorter stack who had ace-king suited and rivered top two pair to double up. After losing that hand, Mateos shoved his last chips in with ace-ten and was called by Simao who had ace-queen. Simao hit two pair on the flop to burst the bubble and leave Mateos empty-handed for today. Yong was the first to go to the payout desk to collect his cash for 66,800 when he failed to win with ace-queen against the pocket queens of Simao. Davies was the next to leave the final table when his last nine blinds went in with pocket jacks and Peters called with ace-king. The board ran out five-six-trey-ace-king to give Peters two pair and Davies chips. It would take another twenty minutes before ODwyer was done for the week as his ace-nine couldnt beat Kempes ace-king. Andre Akkari - Joao Simao Peters finished in fourth place when his ace-seven couldnt beat the king-ten of Kempe who ended up flopping a pair of kings. Forty minutes later, Akkari jammed with ace-deuce in the small blind and was called by Kempe who found ace-king in the big blind. Kempe turned a flush to bust the PokerStars Ambassador in third place for 184,520. Kempe began heads up in the lead which he never gave up. He ground Simao down to his last six big blinds which he then shoved with jack-five. Kempe made a quick call with ace-six and stayed ahead throughout the runout of the board which was queen-trey-eight-six-ten to give him a pair of sixes in the end to claim the win. This concludes the coverage of this two-day event but make sure to stick around as the 25,000 EPT High Roller and the 5,300 EPT Main Event are still playing down to a winner today! The flagship event of the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino European Poker Tour (EPT) festival has come to a conclusion and a new champion has been crowned in the 5,300 Main Event at the Monte-Carlo Sporting. Throughout two starting days and the following four days, a field of 922 entries has seen a new winner emerge on the ever-popular poker tour and it was Manig Loeser that lifted the trophy for the winner shots in the third-biggest EPT Main Event in the principality of Monaco on the French Riviera. Final Table Result 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event Place Player Country Prize (in EUR) Prize (in USD) 1 Manig Loeser Germany 603,777* $676,890 2 Wei Huang China 552,056* $618,906 3 Viktor Katzenberger Hungary 529,707* $593,772 4 Ryan Riess United States 265,620 $297,745 5 Nicola Grieco Italy 206,590 $231,576 6 Luis Medina Portugal 152,800 $171,280 7 Rustam Hajiyev Azerbaijan 109,510 $122,755 8 Timothy Adams Canada 78,030 $87,467 *reflects deal of the last three players Loeser went heads-up against Wei Huang from China, who narrowly missed out on becoming the first-ever EPT champion for his home country. Huang was railed by Haoxiang Wang, Yan Li and Pete Chen, his roommate Wang having come close to winning an EPT Main Event in Barcelona last year only to also finish in second place. You can read more about their story on the PokerNews homepage. Down to the last three players, Loeser and Huang cut a deal with Viktor Katzenberger and left 78,061 and the elusive EPT trophy up for grabs. All three remaining players secured themselves a big portion of the 4,471,700 prize pool, and it was Loeser that received the most of it for a top prize of 603,777 and his second major victory on the live poker circuit. According to his Hendon Mob profile, Loeser currently sits in 10th place in the German all-time money list and will cross $10 million in cashes. While most had expected a rather short day with six players remaining, it took a total of 273 hands to play down to a champion. Five-handed play lasted for more than nine hours (including breaks) and the final day also featured Luis Medina, Nicola Grieco and 2013 WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess, who once again went deep in one of his European exploits. Riess narrowly missed out on becoming the first player to win the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas and an EPT Main Event. Kevin MacPhee, John Juanda and Adrian Mateos claimed WSOPE Main Event titles in Europe and also have the EPT Main Event trophy to their name. Ryan Riess Action of the Final Day While Luis Medina ran out of chips rather quickly, the battle of the final five contenders turned into an endurance challenge. Ryan Riess, Wei Huang and Nicola Grieco ended up all in and at risk several times without any player running out of fortune for the next nine hours - including breaks and a 45-minute dinner break to double when urgently needed. Ultimately, start-of-the-day chip leader Grieco had to settle for fifth place. The Italian had clashed with Wei Huang when his move with six-five suited for second pair was called by Huang, who burned all his remaining time banks with ace-five for the same pair and better kicker. Grieco then got it in with ace-king for six big blinds with ace-king on the button Manig Loeser called with eight-seven. An eight and a seven on the flop gave Loeser two pair and Grieco was left drawing dead on the turn hand #198 of the six-handed final table. Riess had been short several times and cracked aces with pocket sevens to double up. He also called a shove by Manig Loeser on a double-paired jack-high board with ten-high and was good against six-high to double. However, his run came to a cruel end in 4th place when his queen-trey flopped best against jack-six suited only for Wei Huang to hit a runner-runner straight. Riess had the following to say in his interview after the elimination. I enjoyed it a lot, Im super grateful. If youre not happy when you dont get first place, youre always going to be miserable. Theres a lot of luck in tournament poker; I got really lucky today to get fourth, to get as far as I did so Im very grateful. Ill be back. Down to the last three players, Manig Loeser dominated at the top of the counts and took a commanding lead. That all but changed when Wei Huang made a move with a pair and nut flush blocker on an ace-high river and jammed into the bet of Loeser, who had rivered a seven-high straight with seven-four. Two time banks were invested by Loeser and he folded the best hand. Wei Huang and his rail from China Huang pulled into a small lead before the next break and the final three players then entered another endurance challenge, as ICM deal discussions lasted for almost an hour before the trio came to an agreement. Once the cards were back in the air, Loeser won a flip with pocket treys against the ace-jack suited of Viktor Katzenberger. The Hungarian, who was railed by fellow countryman Laszlo Bujtas, Marton Czuczor and Andras Nemeth, bowed out shortly after with ace-eight against the ace-king of Huang to set up the duel for the title. Heads-Up The chip lead changed a few times until Loeser pulled into a comfortable 2-1 lead. In the final hand of the event, Huang jammed a jack-high turn with king-eight for an open-ender and gutshot. Loeser called with queen-eight suited for the queen-high straight and a blank ace on the river brought the tournament to an end at just after 3 a.m. local time. While the EPT takes a summer break until the grand spectacle in Barcelona in August 2019, the next PokerStars live events are just around the corner with the EPT Open Madrid in late June, followed by the APPT Manila festival at the end of July. This concludes the PokerNews live updates from Monte-Carlo and the highly anticipated 50th edition of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas is right around the corner at the end of May 2019. Manig Loeser wins the 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event Pictures courtesy of Neil Stoddart / PokerStars For new mum Diane Kruger, the chance to spend a weekend in Paris with Formula E was a very appealing prospect. But it wasnt just her love for the city and the opportunity to experience the eco-friendly car race that appealed it was the chance to sleep, uninterrupted, for the first time since her six-month-old baby daughter was born that really clinched the deal! "I have slept more in the last 48 hours, than I have in the past 6 months," the German-American actress laughed as she chatted to HELLO! during her high-velocity weekend. "Its been amazing! It took a lot of planning, my boyfriend is at home so he is taking care of the baby, and I have a nanny who thankfully is very reliable plus I have only been gone for two nights. But its been totally amazing!" MORE: Holiday Inspiration: Enjoy a Formula E race weekend in New York The boyfriend in question is Dianes partner of the past few years, The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, with whom she welcomed her first baby back in November (Norman is already father to son Mingus, 19, with ex-partner Helena Christensen). And while the couple are fiercely protective of their daughters privacy opting not to release her name or any photographs on social media - the 42-year-old actress cant help gushing about her new role. diane-kruger-in-car Diane drove a lap around the Paris Formula E track "Im really happy," she says. "Im really enjoying my time with my baby. I waited long enough to have one, and I am so happy, you know!" Of course, as well as napping, there were other reasons the Troy actress decided to zoom across the Atlantic to attend Formula Es race weekend in the French capital. For one thing, despite growing up in Germany, she considers Paris where she got her first job aged 15 and attended drama school - her European home. MORE: Liv Tyler hits the Formula E race track "I spend a lot of time in New York now because my family is there," she says. "But landing in Paris is like coming home. There is never going to be a version of me, not having a place here or you know, not being in France." Shes also a huge supporter of electric car technology. "I remember watching Formula 1 with my Dad as a kid, and even back then I kept thinking what a waste to spoil natural resources just for fun," she says. " Story continues diane-kruger-formula-e "I think Formula E is great its so much fun and its a place for the public to see how cool e-cars can be." Since becoming a mother, shes even more aware of environmental issues and is acutely conscious of wanting to leave a better world behind for her daughter. She and Norman do not currently even own a car although she reveals they plan to purchase an electric vehicle in the near future, now theyve bought a country home in New York state. "Itis not always easy," she admits of her eco-desires. "Like diapers for example, but I try to use bamboo diapers. You do your best. I am not Miss Perfect, but I try like buying her food in glass containers rather than plastic. You buy orange juice in cartons rather than plastic bottles. Little things." Diane spent the weekend partying and racing - she dined with chairman Alejandro Agag at the official pre-race dinner, and joined him for a lap in an electric car. She even mingled with drivers on the grid before the race. PHOTO: Prince William gets behind the wheel of a Formula E car One aspect of Formula E that some people find hard to adapt to is the lack of noise. Rather than thundering around a track like a Formula 1 car, Formula E cars make a high pitched hum, more like a scalextric race. "I know a lot of people say 'Oh I miss the sound', but I think thats one of the best things," Diane explains. "Personally I am dreaming about a city that doesn't have noise. I am mostly in New York, and my kid wakes up twice a night from sirens, noises outside, people talking loudly. I would just love cities to be quiet!" diane-kruger-moulin-rouge Diane looked stunning at the post-race Moulin Rouge party While clearly enjoying every moment of her time in Paris, there's no denying Diane is eager to return to her daughter. "Tomorrow Im going home to see my baby," she says with a grin, and admits shes in no rush to get back to her acting work. "Im still on hiatus. I have movies coming out this summer, so I am doing promotion, but in terms of filming - I think next year will be very busy, and I might do a movie this fall, but I havent been rushing back to work. "I waited a long time to have a baby and I feel like I was so ready for this. Id made my career, I have been working since I was 15 years old and I just feel that it is time to stop and smell the roses. I want to be there, and I am excited to go back to work but I haven't missed it for one day, you know. I am really enjoying being home. I mean, it's not downtime because it is full on and actually, going to work sounds like going on vacation. But every day is different and in the first year there are so many changes I just want to be there." 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. Even before former first lady, Laura Bush, came to Today for her May 3, fourth-hour, welcome from her daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, and co-host, Meredith Vieira, there was a little explaining to do. No, this time no one was wearing a bathrobe in front of the conscientious Mrs. Bush. When Jenna Bush Hager announced, earlier in the week, that her mother was making room in her very busy schedule, to stop by the Today set, Meredith Vieira inquired about what she was doing. I don't know-- a lot, responded Hager, who has followed in her mother's footsteps in many regards with campaigns for literacy and learning. Certainly, no offense was intended by the answer, but it did leave an impression of a much more laid-back Laura Bush than anyone remembers, particularly when it comes to her many personal initiatives for charity and social good. Another issue prompted Laura Bush to get some loving instruction to her daughter on another intimate subject, and as usual, nothing seemed to be left unsaid between the mother and daughter this morning. Delightful and distinct changes Naturally, Laura Bush talked of being thrilled to soon welcome the first male grandchild to the expansive Bush brood. She even reflected on the benefits of having twin daughters, saying, you get to babies with just one pregnancy. An added bonus was that there was always a baby for dad to hold as well as her through their toddling years. She did admit that it wasn't so easy having 13-year-old girls in exactly the same throes of adolescence. Speaking of remarkable adolescent milestones, mom Laura Bush did say that she sent Jenna some proper information when the daughter had mentioned to Meredith last week that the change that she understood while growing up in Texas referred to puberty. Discuss this news on Eunomia Laura Bush made it very clear that menopause was the correct indicator of the change. Jenna was still committed to the idea that her teachers used change because puberty was sort of a shocking word. Her mother gently disagreed. Timing became a bit of a sticky subject, too. When Jenna Bush Hager flat-out asked if her mom watched her hour of Today (apart from the change conversation), Mrs. Bush said I watch, but explained that by 10 o'clock, I've already gone to work, with her calendar of commitments. At least Jenna Bush Hager can take comfort in knowing that her mom watches enough through a week to catch little things. Pets and permissive grand-parenting Laura Bush offered her husband's quotes; Grandchildren are the great part about old age, and that his philosophy is that they can have whatever they want while in grandparent custody, even if Jenna contends that it takes a week to get her daughters back on track after a visit. Mrs. Bush noted another special visit, via an invitation from Melania Trump following the death of matriarch Barbara Bush. The family was able to visit with all of the White House butlers and maids, still living, who served in her lifetime, and each offered personal memories. The former first lady was gracious enough to share a few images from her Instagram, one was of a rare owl contentedly resting on her arm at an Asian animal refuge. Another was a painting from her husband of their cat, Bob, who was catching rabbits on the ranch one day, and the next was on top of our bed, smoking a cigarette, per the words of President George W. Bush. Another cat, Bernadette, was brought into the chat, and Jenna Bush Hager recalled that her mother loved the feline so deeply that she hardly noticed that her daughter's eyes were swelled shut from allergies and constant watering. She didn't care, Jenna insisted. Well, I loved you, too, but I LOVE cats, responded Laura Bush Among the activities that Mrs. Bush enjoys. and employs, in order to keep physically and mentally fit are her hikes with a close circle of female friends several times a year, bird-watching, and mental stimulation such as that promoted by Women Against Alzheimer's like; word jumbles, jigsaw puzzles, and visual acuity exercises. Fittingly, mother and daughter feasted on vegetarian Mexican tacos and enjoyed a pre-Mother's Day fashion show to finish off the first ladys special visit in complete harmony. With the history, the heart, and the ever-growing numbers of the Bush family, no one will run out of ways to stay youthful or occupied. By Prossy Kisakye The Uganda Muslim supreme council has announced that the holy month of Ramathan will start tomorrow, Monday 6th may 2019. The director of sharia at the Old Kampala, Gadaffi Mosque sheikh Yahaya kakungulu says fasting automatically begins tomorrow because given the moon was not sighted on Friday and Saturday. He says Taraweeh prayers will be held every day at the national mosque throughout the holy month while Darass prayers will be held every Sunday. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Ramadan and its s necessary for every Muslim that has reached puberty unless he/she suffers from a medical condition which prevents him/her from doing so. During Ramadan, strict restraints are placed on the daily life of a Muslim for example,they are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke or engage in sexual relations during the day. Kim Jong-uns regime apparently wants to revive its missile program, which puts a question mark on the effectiveness of the two summits between Donald Trump and the supremo of North Korea. The launch was from the east-coast town of Wonsan, directed towards the East Sea and covered a distance of nearly 125 miles. A South Korean news agency disclosed this. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Our military has been closely watching North Korea's movements and has maintained a full-fledged posture in close coordination with the U.S." Officials of South Korea were interacting with officials of the U.S. and were sharing relevant information. North Korea fires short-range projectiles into the sea, South Korea's military says https://t.co/mH1ZW1LbSF Jmds Course (@JmdsCourse) May 4, 2019 Fox News reports that while the Pentagon did not confirm the information, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed it and added that it was aware of the actions and is monitoring the situation. Last month, the hermit kingdom had test-fired some sort of weapon which turned out to be a guided weapon for ground combat. The situation should not spiral out of control Tension was building up in the Korean peninsula until 2017 with threats on a nuclear war looming on the horizon. Suddenly, Kim Jong-un made overtures of peace with his southern neighbor Moon Jae-in. All through 2018, there were extensions of the peace initiative with the first ever summit between Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore in June that held promises. However, the second summit in Hanoi in February this year was a failure because Kims demand of relief from sanctions clashed with Trumps demand of denuclearization. Discuss this news on Eunomia North Korea fires a BARRAGE of unidentified short-range missiles amid diplomatic breakdown with US https://t.co/MUKTcZJZyN News and Java (@newsandjava) May 4, 2019 Fox News says the latest flurry of activities of North Korea launching missiles could lead to escalation of tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. Media reports estimate that North Korea has 30 to 60 nuclear warheads, and could be in possession of an ICBM that could strike the U.S. In 2017, it had fired an ICBM into Japanese waters and launched a missile that flew over Japan. Incidentally, with regard to the latest missile launch of Pyongyang, Japan's Defense Ministry has clarified that they did not pose any security threat because they fell far short of the country's coast. North Korea could be fine-tuning its arsenal According to Sky News, the military of South Korea confirmed that North Korea did fire multiple unidentified short-range missiles from its eastern coast. The South has intensified its surveillance and is analyzing details with the U.S. authorities. In case the missile falls in the category of a banned ballistic missile, the interpretation could be a renewal of Norths ICBM activities that was on hold since November 2017. In the opinion of analysts, the North could be having in its inventory some arsenal that needs fine-tuning. Norths activities are developments subsequent to failure of second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February and meeting between Kim Jong-un and Russian president Vladimir Putin in April. On his Twitter, Philipp Rosler showed a photo taken in front of a Hanoi fashion store with an attached note, My friend said this store is like me: Made in Vietnam. In 2006, former Vice Chancellor of Germany Philipp Rosler visited Vietnam for the first time to see the land where he was born. After 13 years, he returned with the promise of contributing to the countrys development. With a busy working schedule, Rosler only had a short time to talk with the local press before he went to HCMC National University and then to the airport where he took a flight to Germany. It was the first official meeting with the mass media after VinaCapital announced the former Vice Chancellor of Germany would act as chair of the advisory council to VinaCapital Ventures, which supports startups. At the meeting, he stressed that he returned to Vietnam this time not as a politician to attend conferences, but as a supporter of the startup community. This is my destiny, he said. It is not enough to copy 100 percent of the US Silicon Valleys model, because the business environment in Silicon is different from Vietnam. The application of the model in a flexible way will bring success. During his years of working as Minister of Economics and Technology and member of the management board of the World Economic Forum, he acted as the bridge linking German startups and Silicon Valley. He decided to continue this work in Vietnam. He said the most valuable assets of Vietnam were not oil & gas, natural resources, infrastructure and technology, but the youth. No where else in the world had he seen young people so dynamic and industrious. What Vietnam needs to do is give them opportunities, a good environment and improve the national education system, he said. Rosler, at the meeting, repeatedly emphasized that making investment in youth is his top priority task. Vietnamese youth lack a bridge that connects them with the world. So, the mission he set when returning to Vietnam was to help Vietnams enterprises reach beyond their territory. During the meeting with the press, Rosler continually praised Vietnamese food,saying that it was little known in the world. Why? Because many people still have not heard of it. And the same is true of Vietnamese startups. So, he plans to bring a high number of foreign investors, not just several, to Vietnam, and give support to companies not listed in VinaCapitals investment portfolio to bring value to the Vietnamese community. The startup ecosystem is good in Vietnam. Da Nang and HCMC have Silicon Valleys of their own. However, it is not enough to copy 100 percent of the US Silicon Valleys model, because the business environment in Silicon is different from Vietnam. The application of the model in a flexible way will bring success. RELATED NEWS VinaCapitalVentures names VN-born former German vice chancellor advisory board chairman Xuan Mai To Vietnamese, Chinese contractors means low quality. However, they are not be the fatal problem of Vietnams infrastructure works. Construction works implemented by Chinese contracts face doubts from the public because of execution quality, capital, construction quality and labor force. The Cat Linh Ha Dong urban railway project explain the concerns. The execution time was prolonged, the real investment capital of the project turned out to be 1.6 times higher than initially estimated, and accidents occurred. All these factors raised questions about the safety and quality of the railway. However, Vietnamese agencies and investors need to reproach themselves first in regard to these Chinese contracted projects. China has the second largest road systems in the world after the US, with 20,000 kilometers of high-speed railway and subway networks in large cities. The quality of infrastructure items in China is better than many Vietnamese think and they are in no way inferior to ones in western developed countries. The problems in construction and infrastructure projects in China are mostly seen in less developed areas instead of big urban areas. Vietnam is not the only destination of low-quality Chinese contractors. A bridge in Kenya implemented by Chinese contractors collapsed last year one month after inauguration, injuring 27 workers. A hospital in Angola had to evacuate amid risks of collapse in 2010. The common aspect in Vietnam, African countries and underdeveloped areas in China, where low-quality Chinese contractors are present, is institutional weakness, which means the lack of transparency in selecting investors and contracts, the low capability in supervising execution quality, and observation of the laws. Chinese not only develop infrastructure projects in developing countries, but also in Europe and the US. However, the biggest concern there is not the quality of Chinese works, but sovereignty and national security. They acquire large airports and seaports in the countries, and build bridges and roads, as well ascompete directly with prestigious European contractors. This shows that the poor quality of Chinese infrastructure projects does not originate from their low capability, but their assessments about the importance of investment environments. The quality of the works implemented by Chinese contractors is problematic. However, other works implemented by contractors from other countries and developed with non-Chinese capital also have problems. Of the five biggest projects that cost more than initial estimates, the three subway projects implemented by Japanese contractors top the list. The subway section No 1, for example, required real capital 2.7 times higher than initially planned. The figures were 1.8 and 1.7 times for sections No 2 and 3. Even the Nhon-Hanoi Station subway section funded by France and executed by many contractors, including South Koreans Posco, also had the same problem, while the execution process went very slowly. Everywhere in the world, investors and contractors will try every possible way to optimize their profits. The aim, if accompanied by mismanagement, will lead to disadvantages to host countries. Therefore, it is necessary to set up a mechanism that controls infrastructure works more strictly, especially ones developed with ODA (official development assistance) or foreign capital, to improve the supervisory capability of state agencies and ensure the enforcement of the laws. Nguyen Khac Giang In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the global economy is entering a period of growth mainly based on technology and innovation. Asian Development Bank economist Dominic Mellor Asian Development Bank economist Dominic Mellor writes on how Vietnam needs a more dynamic and innovative private sector fuelled by home-grown entrepreneurship. Vietnam remains one of the worlds most dynamic market economies. The countrys GDP has grown at an impressive 7 per cent over each of the last 15 years. Yet disruptive technologies are exposing long-term vulnerabilities in agriculture, manufacturing, supply chains, and other verticals. Responding to the Fourth Industrial Revolution will require Vietnam to recommit to a dynamic private sector-led economy fuelled by innovation, entrepreneurship, and domestic companies that can adapt quickly. Foreign direct investment in manufacturing can continue to be a valuable source of jobs and investment in the short term. In the long term, however, home-grown small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must feed the economys hunger for innovation and productivity. Fortunately, the Vietnamese public has an entrepreneurial temperament. If given sufficient incentives to innovate, they will be up for the challenge. The government is doing its best to provide those incentives as well as a policy framework for private sector growth. Resolution 35 set an aggressive goal for new business startups. The SME support law implemented last year liberalises taxes for small, medium, and micro-enterprises. Municipalities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, have frameworks and five-year action plans to support startups and innovation. Thanks to these changes, Vietnams standing in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index has climbed from 99th in the world in 2013 to 69th last year. Informing continued reforms Vietnams well-intentioned entrepreneurship policy reforms must continue to evolve. For example, the government needs to do more to simplify licensing and permits, and to reduce the regulatory burdens on Vietnamese SMEs. In the face of heavy paperwork and compliance costs, many businesses would rather stay small and informal than grow big enough to pop up on the governments radar. Informal businesses therefore do not operate efficiently, struggle to attract new talent and innovate, and cannot participate in international value chains. While the government has made significant strides in reducing licensing and permitting requirements for business, much work remains to be done. Under current regulations, SMEs must still navigate more than 6,000 mini-permits. To help the government prioritise reforms, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting the Central Institute for Economic Management to develop a new tool. This tool will measure the compliance cost of enterprises for every licence, permit, and regulation. With this data, the government will be able to target and prioritise reforms more effectively. Reforms will yield the best results when they receive input and feedback directly from SMEs themselves. Historically, though, SMEs have been struggling to be heard in the public-private dialogue. Through the Australian-funded Mekong Business Initiative (MBI), the ADB has worked hard to involve SMEs in policy dialogue. In 2016, we helped launch the Vietnam Private Sector Forum in partnership with the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association. We have also supported dialogue between the government and womens business associations, and have involved entrepreneurs in frameworks and action plans to support entrepreneurship at the municipal level. We hope that based on private sector feedback, the government will continue to reform and modernise support for SMEs. Innovations in finance Small- and medium- sized enterprises need to embrace change to thrive in a wholly transformed world Policy is no cure-all. SMEs also need better access to private sources of financing. Unlike lenders in highly developed economies, banks in Vietnam typically do not extend credit without collateral. Nor do they offer cash flows or invoice financing. Thus, Vietnamese SMEs must turn to non-bank sources for funds to expand or cover short-term cash flow requirements. The alternative financing instruments available to them have historically been limited: mainly loans from friends, family, and community-based networks. Here too we are beginning to see green shoots of change. Vietnam-based fintech startup Kiu Global has developed a credit scoring tool that analyses a given SMEs finances against a variety of risk factors. Banks can then use this information in order to make risk-appropriate decisions on collateral-free SME loans. The ADB has been working with ABBank to de-risk onward lending to SMEs based on Kiu Globals credit scoring technology. In April, the ADB and the MBI supported the launch of the new Vietnam Angel Network. The angel investor group, which has built network connections with similar groups throughout the ASEAN, will grow Vietnams capacity to offer early-stage investment and mentorship to startups and SMEs. Meanwhile, venture capital investments grew sharply over the last 18 months. These investments in Vietnamese startups tripled last year from $291 million in 2017 to $889 million last year, according to the Topica Founders Institute. Accelerating SMEs access to finance will continue to be critical in the years ahead. The recent worldwide explosion of fintech promises to fill the remaining gaps in enterprise financing. But before these solutions can be adopted in Vietnam, the government must warm to emerging technologies and offer sandboxes for testing, verifying, and regulation. Since 2016, the ADB has been facilitating workshops with officials from the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Finance, and other financial regulators across the Greater Mekong Subregion. Step by step, both regulators and commercial banks are warming to fintechs potential. And last year, the MBI partnered with the state bank on a fintech challenge that for the first time invited international fintechs to test solutions for the Vietnamese market in partnership with commercial banks. Sourcing innovation from abroad Much has been written in recent years about Vietnamese startups and the imperative to drive home-grown innovation. But home-grown innovation is not likely to be enough. The Global Innovation Index ranks the innovative capacity of domestic companies in Vietnam only at 101st, with private companies investing only 3 per cent of their budgets into research and development (R&D). While growing Vietnams capacity to produce innovative, high-quality SMEs, we must also consider how to make its larger enterprises more competitive. It is a growing global trend for large corporations to align with innovative startups to fuel their need to innovate. Startups tend to be highly specialised, focussing on specific problems in their industry verticals. By their very nature, they are innovative and willing to take R&D risks that larger enterprises cannot. But unless a large corporation is located in a very large innovation source market such as Europe, North America, or China, it is unlikely to find the exact startup technology to meet its needs close to home. There is an emerging global infrastructure, driven by consulting firms and Silicon Valley stalwarts such as Plug and Play, to help companies scout globally for startups, pilot solutions with them, and facilitate commercial agreements. Sometimes commercial agreements simply take the form of vendor-customer relationships. At other times, they involve some form of investment or outright acquisition. This infrastructure is at its very early stage of development in Asia, and it faces additional changes in emerging markets such as Vietnam. Technology startups tend to expand first into larger markets where there are more attractive demand-side economies of scale. The ADB is preparing a new ADB Ventures facility to help address this challenge and assist corporations in Vietnam and other emerging markets in acquiring innovative technologies more quickly. The facility will work with industry verticals to aggregate their demand for certain solutions. Then it will help scout for early-stage technology innovators that can provide those solutions. Finally, ADB Ventures will facilitate matchmaking between corporations and solutions-providers, supporting the solutions to pilot and scale in Asia. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us. The private sector must build its innovative capacity in order to accelerate Vietnams long-term economic development. Government policy, forged in dialogue with the private sector, can facilitate the process: easing regulatory and compliance burdens, providing more comprehensive support for developing businesses, opening access to new sources of finance, and supporting entrepreneurship. VIR Police busted many drug trafficking rings in the first quarter of 2019, seizing over 6 tonnes of drugs higher than the amount seized last year and tripling that in 2017. Drug pills seized from a trafficking ring busted in Hung Yen province Statistics of the Ministry of Public Security show that 20 percent of the seized drugs was intended to be supplied to users in Vietnam. Major cases busted include the nearly 300kg of methamphetamine seized at Cau Treo Border Gate in central Ha Tinh province in February, and 570kg of meth seized in Ho Chi Minh City in March. In April alone, police grabbed 700kg of meth in Quynh Luu district and another 600kg in Vinh city of central Nghe An province, along with another 1.1 tonnes of meth in HCM City. Col. Vu Van Hau, Deputy Director of the ministrys police department for drug crime investigation, said in the case uncovered in HCM City, drugs had been transported from Thailand through Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam, and they were destined for other countries. He noted synthetic drugs from the Golden Triangle a mountainous area on the borders of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar are spreading to around the world, and Vietnam is located on the trafficking route. Vietnam is keeping a good control of the domestic drug situation, Hau said, adding that it has the highest drug volume seized among countries in the region which are also ramping up the war on drugs a fight that cannot be carried out by a single nation.-VNA At the session of Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum on providing tips on accelerating the development of the local tourism sector, experts have stressed the importance of having in place breakthrough policies on visa provision. The session on accelerating the development of the local tourism sector, which took place in the framework of Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 According to Luong Hoai Nam, deputy general director of Viet Star JSC and member of the Tourism Advisory Council, visa is crucial in tourism development and receives foremost attention in tourism policies of countries around the world. Addressing the session, Dinh Viet Phuong, deputy CEO of fledging budget carrier Vietjet, reported that the number of the companys international routes is even higher than its domestic routes and that swifter and smoother visa proceedings, particularly e-visa, is always one of the top issues for investors. Phuong cited the example of South Korea, which offers a five-year visa to residents living in Vietnams three major cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang), while Vietnam also provides visa exemption scheme to Koreans. This mutual easing of visa policies brought a 45 per cent jump in the number of Korean passengers on Vietjets flights and an abrupt increase in the number of Vietnamese people going to South Korea. Koreas soft visa policy and visa exemption to frequent travellers (three times a year) have resulted in a sharp growth in the number of visitors to both countries, Phuong commented. Our passenger volume is on a steady rise. Due to the big volume of passengers at the airports, it is important to reduce the travelling time. Albeit airports are fairly quick in completing procedures, it still takes time for the passengers to receive their luggage," Phuong added. We, therefore, suggest airport authorities and customs bodies to apply measures to shorten the time the passengers are given their luggage." Customs officers at local international airports such as Danang, Cam Ranh, and Phu Quoc are in a critical shortage. Airport infrastructure improvements are essential The current airport infrastructure cannot follow the aviation sectors robust development. As of March 2019, Vietnam was home to 22 airports, including nine international airports. During 2014-2018, Vietnam has been named among countries with the fastest-growing aviation industry, together with China and India. This came in the wake of the countrys open-door policy and the engagement of the private sector. During 2014-2018, Vietnam has been named among countries with the fastest-growing aviation industry, together with China and India. This came in the wake of the countrys open-door policy and the engagement of the private sector. Since 2014, the passenger volume jumped 103 per cent, surpassing 100 million arrivals, growing at an average of 20.5 per cent annually. Phuong from Vietjet assumed that as 99 per cent of travel firms are from the private sector, if the state cannot finance infrastructure investments, the private sector must be given more room to take over. Private investors have the capacity to construct a new terminal in 12-18 months. Phuong underlined the need to have a comprehensive assessment of airport planning to tackle the current overload experienced across the country. In fact, major international airports are facing the largest problems. Tan Son Nhat, Danang, and Cam Ranh are overloaded, whereas Noi Bai, Cat Bi, and Phu Quoc are reaching their full designed capacity and are forecast to face frequent overloads in the coming time, even though they have added new infrastructure in the past years. One example is Cam Ranh international terminal which has a designed capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year. After six months in operation, the terminal has welcomed three million passengers, which would make it necessary to double its capacity. Ineffective forecasting has led to ill-conceived airport development strategies, allowing most airports to reach their full capacity in a year or two after being put into commercial operations. Due attention must also be paid to delays in implementation and high investment costs. Lets have a look at regional countries. With 70 million residents, Thailand received 38 million visitors last year at its 52 airports. Singapore, with six million residents, welcomed 18 million visitors (triple its population) through a single airport that has the capacity to receive 66 million passengers. This proves that the growth of the tourism sector must be accompanied by parallel investment into airport infrastructure development. In this context, the Vietjet representative has recommended stimulating private sector participation in airport infrastructure development, alongside a raft of measures, including reviewing the planning and actual construction process of airports, attracting partial or whole private sector engagement into airport projects, perfecting the regulatory system to create an equal playing field among businesses and working out a long-term development plan for the airport system. Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, praised the role Vietjet plays in the development of the local aviation industry, saying that the carrier's presence was creating a turnaround in the domestic aviation landscape. Thang raised several limitations hampering aviation business, including infrastructure and lack of synchronised measures to ensure the sectors safe and sustainable development. A complete legal framework must be in place to encourage the private sector's engagement in airport infrastructure development. In addition, hiring foreign consultants to work on airport development planning is also important to meet objectivity and long-term goals, Thang said. VIR Vietnam is one of two Southeast Asian destinations that Travel Leisure urges holiday-goers in their 50s to visit. A corner of Thua Hien-Hue's Lang Co Bay In its new global checklist of best travel journeys that people in their fifties, "with a successful career and enough money in hand", can take, the US magazine recommends Vietnam is a perfect place to interact with locals, enjoy authentic food and cultural experiences. It suggests an exploration of UNESCO heritage sites in central Vietnam, such as the Hoi An ancient town, Hue Imperial Citadel and My Son Sanctuary. A visit to the Banyan Tree Lang Co in central Vietnam will get travellers away from everyday life with its exotic location, ancient towns, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Guests can explore local fishing villages and lagoons in a traditional basket boat, learn to make spring rolls and Bun Bo Hue, a traditional noodle dish, or book private yoga instruction, it said. The other Southeast Asian destination Travel Leisure recommends is Thailand's Phuket. Vietnam has consistently been ranked as one of the worlds best value for money destinations. In 2017, the Forbes magazine ranked Vietnam as one of the cheapest destinations to visit, with affordable luxury resorts, healthy food at cheap prices and beautiful sights. A report compiled by International Living, an Ireland-based publishing company that writes about retiring overseas, and Panama-based travel magazine Live and Invest Overseas ranked Vietnam seventh among 10 best beach destinations in the world for retirees this year.-VNA The Yeasu FT-817 would have to be one of the most revered and iconic QRP radios of all time. But this doesnt mean it doesnt have its faults. Take the DC ... 2 years ago Food bank gets $25,000 grant WATERLOO The Northeast Iowa Food Bank announced a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation through Feeding America to help the food bank and its partner agencies secure and distribute more fresh produce to families in need. The grant will help eight rural communities in the food banks 16-county service area with capacity and food-distribution infrastructure. The communities who received funding through the Northeast Iowa Food Banks allocation of this gift are Brooklyn (Poweshiek County), Clarksville (Butler County), Greater Area-Calmar (Winneshiek County), Grundy Center (Grundy County), Oran (Bremer County), Malcolm (Poweshiek County), Grinnell (Poweshiek County) and Postville (Clayton County). Veridian elects new directors WATERLOO Veridian Credit Union members elected five directors to its 15-seat board Saturday at the financial cooperatives 85th annual meeting. Votes were cast online from March 26 through April 24 and in-person at the meeting. Area Veridian board members elected at the 2019 annual meeting include: Thomas DeLong of Dunkerton and Paul Gengler of Waterloo. Veridians board also assigned directors to its executive committee. Area assignments include: First vice chair: Creston VanWey of Dewar. Second vice chair: Pam Ayres of Cedar Falls. Secretary: Traci McBee of Elkhart. Business joins Career Center WATERLOO Recently a signing ceremony formally added the Masonry Institute of Iowa to the list of companies statewide that are partnering with the Waterloo Career Center. MII, based in West Des Moines, is a diverse group of contractors and manufacturers, distributors and suppliers. Sustainable Construction, which includes masonry training, is one of nine pathways currently offered at the WCC that is housed in Central Middle School and gives high school students hands-on career training. The addition of MII brings the total number of business partners for the career center to 14. Deere CEO to be awarded degree MOLINE, ILL Deere & Co. Chairman and CEO Samuel Allen will address St. Ambrose Universitys graduating class of 2019, plus be awarded an honorary degree. The spring commencement ceremonies begin at 1 p.m. May 11 at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill. St. Ambrose officials will present Allen with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of his leadership in Deeres role as a partner in advancing education opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. Allen is the fourth Deere chairman to address a St. Ambrose graduating class, according to the news release. He follows predecessors Robert Lane in 2009, Hans Becherer in 2000 and William Hewitt in 1965. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO A company that provides shipping containers to local manufacturers is planning a major expansion in the Northeast Industrial Park. Con-Trol is seeking site plan approval to develop up to 417,000 square feet of warehouse, office and maintenance buildings on roughly 55 acres of former farmland west of the existing park. A division of Matcon with six locations nationwide, Con-Trol currently occupies a 69,000-square-foot building at 2425 GT Drive in the Northeast Industrial Park and provides container systems primarily for John Deere suppliers. Company officials did not return calls for comment. But documents on file with the citys Planning and Zoning Office show plans for a 204,000-square-foot office and warehouse to be developed initially and an option for another 213,000-square-feet in future phases. Con-Trol has been a great company out in that area, said Community Planning and Development Director Noel Anderson. Theyd been eyeballing a larger project out there, and they really stepped up their game once we got the land prepared. Anderson said hes working on a development agreement which would provide incentives for the initial building and give Con-Trol options for the other lots on the site. A public hearing on a site plan for the land between Newell Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission meeting in City Hall. City officials began working on the industrial park expansion several years ago to create more large development lots and approved a $1 million contract with Peterson Contractors Inc. to grade the land. Sewer and water lines were also extended to the site. The Waterloo Industrial Development Association had purchased the land as part of an overall plan to bring more businesses to the area. Con-Trol has four Midwest locations, including Waterloo, Des Moines, East Moline, Ill., and Horicon, Wis., and projects in Dunn, N.C., and Grovetown, Ga. All are located near John Deere manufacturing facilities. Matcon was operating in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park before moving to the Northeast Industrial Park in 1998. The current Con-Trol building was developed in 2006. Planning documents indicate there has been some concerns raised by neighboring property owners about the increased truck traffic serving the facility, which would be accessed from Newell Street. Approximately 120 trucks per day would be using the warehouse to and from the John Deere tractor assembly plant to the east. Six trucks would be coming from the west, and the company has been told those vehicles should utilize Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Northeast Drive to avoid adding truck traffic on Newell west of the warehouse. The city has applied for a Revitalize Iowas Sound Economy grant to improve Newell Street to the east of what would be a three-way stop at the Con-Trol entrance. The project would flatten Newell to improve site distances, add turning and acceleration lanes, and lower the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 GRUNDY CENTER Raymond James Freeman, 72, of Grundy Center, died May 3, at Mercy One Hospital in Waterloo. He was born July 6, 1946, in Detroit to Isley D. and Melvina Freeman. He married Shirley Oltman on Aug. 19, 1993, at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center. He attended school in Port Huron, Mich., graduating in 1964. Raymond then served four years in the U.S. Navy, completing four tours in Vietnam. Raymond worked for the Spokesman Press for 28 years as a pressman. He was a member of Bethany Presbyterian Church and served on the board of trustees and helped with the janitorial work for a time. Survived by: his wife; three daughters, Renee (Chris) Hesse of Waterloo, Krystal (Curt) Hanley of Evansdale and Cari Freeman of Waterloo; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister, Ann (Duaine) Midgley of Port Huron. Preceded in death by: his parents; and a sister, Cathy (Gaylord) Anglebrandt. Private inurnment service: will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Grundy Center with military honors. Abels Funeral and Cremation Service is assisting the family. Memorials: may be directed to the family to be donated to a cause of their choosing at a later date. Condolences may be left at www.abelsfuneralhomes.com. He enjoyed sports, cheering on the many teams of Michigan. Raymond also liked watching NASCAR and was a fan of Dale Earnhardt. He cherished the time that he could spend with his family, including his daughters and grandchildren. WATERLOO Several development projects near the Waterloo Regional Airport are seeking government approval this week. City Council members are scheduled to hold public hearings on land donations and incentive packages for new industrial buildings on West Airline Highway and truck wash on Leversee Road. A site plan for a new doggy daycare and land lease for a new aircraft hangar, both south of the airport terminal, also are up for consideration during the meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall. Koelker Properties LLC is already grading three acres of land just west of Criterion Manufacturing, 3070 W. Airline Highway, for what is expected to be three new light industrial buildings. The city would donate the property for $1 in return for a building constructed by the end of 2019 with a minimum assessed value of $510,000. The second and third buildings would receive five years of 50 percent property tax rebates if built within five years. The city acquired six acres of land along Airline Highway for $454,000 in 2016 and is working to buy additional land from Criterion and to vacate roadside right-of-way. Another developer is looking at industrial buildings on the remaining three acres. Public hearings also are scheduled on a request from Prosper Farm Network LLC to get land for $1 in the planned Waterloo Air and Rail Park along the west side of the airport. A site plan calls for a truck wash to be developed northeast of the intersection of Leversee and Lone Tree roads after the city extends infrastructure to the site. Another unrelated hearing is scheduled on a site plan for Stefanie Hartel to build a nearly 10,000-square-foot dog daycare facility on the west side of Airport Boulevard just north of Waterloo Tent & Tarp Co. Hartel had initially proposed the upscale, cage-less boarding center in the former Black Hawk Gymnastics building at 950 Sheerer Ave. but withdrew the request based on neighborhood opposition. The new location drew no objections before winning endorsements from the Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment. Finally, council members will be asked once again to approve a 50-year land lease for A-Line ALOs planned 12,800-square-foot hanger southwest of the airport terminal. Council members approved the lease April 15, but the second hearing is necessary because the building is being shifted to the east based on some opposition to the original placement. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES Democrats see an incumbent Republican president ripe for electoral defeat and no standard-bearer within their own party whose candidacy convinces others to remain on the sidelines. Those factors and others, experts say, is why we have nearly two dozen Democrats running to become the next president of the United States. The largest-ever field of presidential candidates grew this week to 22 when former vice president Joe Biden and Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet made their campaigns official. The field will grow even more when Montana Gov. Steve Bullock joins the race as expected later this month, and media reports appear to indicate New York City mayor Bill de Blasio also is expected to announce his run soon. How did the field of Democratic candidates grow so large, blowing well past even the 2015 field of Republicans, which capped out at what at the time seemed like a remarkable 17? Experts say many factors contributed to the candidate boom, but two are particularly influential: The Democratic Party has no clear national leader, and Republican President Donald Trump has stoked Democrats passion and sense of urgency. It looked like a wide open opportunity with no heir apparent taking the baton or carrying the torch, said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. That contrasts to 2016, when Hillary Clinton appeared to be the partys heir apparent to President Barack Obama. A new generation of more diverse Democrats and their supporters are now jockeying for position to lead. The field includes party stalwarts like Biden and Elizabeth Warren, and longtime progressive independent Bernie Sanders, who is making is second run for the Democratic nomination; but also young faces and candidates new to the national scene like Pete Buttigieg and Beto ORourke. Prominent though theyve been on the national stage, and while they have led in most early polling on the primary race, Biden and Sanders were not strong enough candidates to stop 20 others from also running. The fact there is a couple dozen candidates announcing indicates theres no clear leadership in the Democratic Party in the Trump era, said Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University and co-author of a historical encyclopedia on the Iowa caucuses. And then theres the current president. Democrats are fired up by Trumps policies and actions, and they believe his re-election prospects are shaky. Politicians are rational animals, and the fact that so many Democrats have gotten in reflects a view that they really do think they have a reasonable chance, if not an excellent chance to defeat an incumbent president, Goldford said. Trumps average job approval rating, according to Real Clear Politics average of national polls, is 43.6 percent approve and 53 percent disapprove. His average Gallup poll approval rating while in office is 39 percent, easily the lowest of any president in the polls history. And its not just the perceived weakness of Trumps re-election chances, said Sue Dvorsky, a former Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman. Its also Democrats fierce opposition to Trumps policies and behavior, particularly on social media. The current occupant has really made a situation that feels dire, Dvorsky said. There is so much passion involved in this. That is driving people. Republicans, unsurprisingly, see matters differently. A spokesperson for the national Republican Party said Trumps policies are gaining favor with Iowans while Democratic candidates are becoming increasingly liberal. While Democrats continue to embrace costly, out-of-touch policies that will hurt middle America, those same families continue to benefit from the policies enacted by the Trump administration and the choice for them could not be clearer, Republican National Committee spokesperson Preya Samsundar said in a statement to the bureau. Goldford said the field may also be large because some candidates could be running with ulterior motives. He said some candidates may not believe themselves to be legitimate contenders, but could be using a run to boost their national profile in order to sell a book, earn a job as a cable news commentator, or land a job in a future Democratic administration. If people can monetize their candidacies, even if they dont get the nomination, that may very well not be the rationale (anyway), Goldford said. The expansive field creates a unique challenge for most of the candidates to find a way to establish and distinguish themselves. Other than Biden, who served for 8 years as vice president, and Sanders, who ran for president 4 years ago, the candidates must find a way to rise above the crowded field. Many of these candidates are going to have to do the relatively quiet work of putting together organizations in key states before they can begin to build momentum and make any noise, said Donna Hoffman, a political science professor at the University of Northern Iowa. Right now, this can happen by doing ground work in early states and trying to catch the attention of local activists, local media, and parlaying that into some level of momentum that might be noticed in other early states and with national media. It will take a candidate with a dynamic personality, a message that is relevant to voters concerns in 2020, and a natural constituency that will be drawn to the candidate, Steffen said. Goldford said one thing will not change despite the fields enormous size: the Iowa caucuses will still come down to which campaign can best organize and mobilize its supporters. Right now obviously youve got Biden and Sanders seemingly ahead of everybody else. A lot of thats familiarity and name recognition. ... Everybodys out there working away, trying to carve out something, Goldford said. It still is the standard caucus route: organize, organize, organize and get hot at the end. Thats the ticket. Experts said while the current atmosphere allows candidates to survive longer than in the past online fundraising makes it easier for candidates to support their campaigns and social media makes it easier to communicate with voters they still expect the field to narrow before the caucuses. Were not going to have 23 people to caucus for. That is not going to happen, Dvorsky said. I think the field will winnow. Hoffman noted a number of Republicans in that large 2015 field dropped out before the caucuses, and said she thinks even more Democrats will drop out this year ahead of Februarys caucuses, especially if fundraising streams start to dry up for bottom-tier candidates. Goldford said he expects the field to thin by mid-summer, or at the latest by the state fair in August. But he added a caveat that summarizes the whole caucus campaign. In many ways, Goldford said, were in uncharted territory here. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 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. IOWA CITY If youre running for president, Amy Kobuchar says, its not enough to merely have a plan. Why not, when youre running for president and you want to have the highest office in the land, why not be the person who talks about things that matter to people and comes up with solutions, shows how youre going to pay for them and actually gets them done? the Minnesota senator said Saturday in Iowa City. Klobuchar discussed her plan to address mental health and substance abuse with about 50 people at The Mill in Iowa City. She later met with supporters there. Klobuchar has rolled out a $100 billion plan that focuses on prevention, early intervention and expanding access to treatment. She would pay for it with a 2-cent fee on each milligram of active opioid ingredient in a prescription pain pill. That would raise $40 billion, she said. Klobuchar also envisions a settlement with opioid makers, similar to the master settlement with tobacco companies that would yield another $40 billion. The remainder of her program would be funded by taxes on hedge-fund investment earnings by allowing generic competitors to enter the market sooner. Klobuchar, who is polling at 2 percent, well behind the leaders in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, said shes convinced voters will be attracted to her plan for the same reason addressing mental health and substance abuse are important to her. Its very personal, she told those who attended her panel discussion with people who work with addiction and mental health issues in the Iowa City area. She talked about her father, Jim Klobuchar, an author and longtime sportswriter with the Minneapolis Star and Star Tribune. He has struggled with alcoholism his entire adult life. The issues need attention, Klobuchar said, because half of American adults have an addiction problem, or someone in their family or circle of friends is affected by addiction. About 20 percent have a mental illness issue. Ive led my campaign with the issues that I think arent being discussed enough, and where we need to pay attention to them and where I think we can get things done, she said. Klobuchar noted that infrastructure also is a focus of her campaign. Both of them are doable, she said. Both of them are things where people on both sides of the aisle who want to do something about it. Judging by the number of questions she asked about those issues, voters want a president with a plan to help them with those topics, I cant tell you how many people bring up addiction, she said, but its more than the number of people who ask about Russia and the Mueller report. Her focus is those issues that have come up at nearly every forum, Klobuchar said. Are they as divisive as some other things? No. But are they crying out for help? Yes. So its my job to explain how were going to solve it. Were not going to get rid of every mental illness in America, but we can save peoples live and we can make peoples lives a lot better, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 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. JOHNSTON Mayors of Iowa communities see an imbalance in the relationship between state and local government that may be a symptom of the rural-urban divide in the Legislature. Although lawmakers stopped short of their goal of capping property tax growth, the mayors of North Liberty, Council Bluffs and Nevada said Friday the final result of that effort requiring more transparency in the budget process is another example of the Legislature running roughshod over Iowans constitutional guarantee of home rule for cities and counties. I think the heavy hand of state government maybe has gotten a little heavier because Republicans control the House, Senate and governors office, Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said Friday during taping of Iowa Public Televisions Iowa Press. Some of the checks and balances that used to be in place arent in place anymore. Walsh warned that efforts by the Legislature, largely controlled by rural Republicans, to push down revenue for cities may backfire because Iowas growth is happening in its cities. If they continue to do that, they will kill the golden goose, he said. Whether the issue is property taxes, caps on rental property, traffic cameras or the minimum wage, the mayors dont like what they see as an increase of interference in local governance. A lot of (the issues) dont affect us in the city of Nevada, but we watch them because we feel strongly about local control, said Brett Barker, mayor of the city of 7,000 in Story County. Even when he agrees with the Legislatures position, Barker said, I dont necessarily agree with overriding the local citizens who should retain control over how their communities operate. North Liberty Mayor Terry Donahue said hes been disappointed with decisions made, regardless of which party is in control, because its the peoples choice (and) these issues should remain in local control. In some cases, Donahue said, city and county governments act because the state hasnt addressed issues affecting their communities. Johnson County, he said, raised the local minimum wage because the states $7.25-an-hour minimum had not been increased since 2008. Because of living costs, someone felt something needed to be done, Donahue said, so Johnson County moved it up. In 2017, the Legislature passed legislation blocking those increases in local minimum wages, which had been adopted in five counties. There is a need for property tax reform, but Walsh doubts the Legislature accomplished what its wanted with the transparency legislation, Senate File 634, https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/ BillBook?ga=88&ba =sf634 approved in the recently concluded session. The legislation requires cities and counties to publish one more public notice and have one more public hearing on their budgets. Its just adding maybe an extra step, Donahue said. North Liberty has three or four public meetings where the budget is discussed before the council approves it, he said. I think people do pay attention, but hopefully it will help them understand the system more, Barker said, adding that the Nevada City Councils budget workshops are open to the public. Walsh recommended legislators study the property tax system before doing any more tinkering. Its a broken law thats been broken since 1978 when they coupled together residential and agricultural (property) values, he said. At this point, its like a piece of machinery. You can only repair it so many times. It no longer works. Iowa Press can be seen on IPTV at 7:30 p.m. Friday and noon Sunday, at 8:30 a.m. on IPTV World and online at IPTV.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 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. DES MOINES Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Friday evening two emotionally charged measures that surfaced only in the final hours of this years legislative session one exempting Medicaid from covering transgender medical procedures and another banishing Planned Parenthood from involvement in sex education programs in public schools. Those provisions are included in a sweeping $2 billion budget that funds state departments covering health care, public health, veterans affairs and aging Iowans in fiscal 2020. When lawmakers debated that budget, most disagreement was not over funding amounts but rather over the hot-button policies also included in House File 766. One provision declares state and local governments are not required to cover gender reassignment surgery under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Republican lawmakers previously passed a ban on using public funds for gender reassignment surgery. It was struck down by Iowa courts, which cited the states Civil Rights Act that includes transgender individuals as a protected class. The new measure specifies the Civil Rights Act does not require government bodies to cover the surgery. This narrow provision simply clarifies that Iowas Civil Rights Act does not require taxpayer dollars to pay for sex reassignment and other similar surgeries. This returns us to what had been the states position for years, Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said in a statement. The new law likely also will be challenged in court. Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, executive director of One Iowa Action, in a statement described the provision as cruel and outdated language that enshrines discrimination in Iowa law. One Iowa Action is a nonprofit organization that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iowans. By signing this cruel legislation into law, Gov. Reynolds has told every transgender Iowan that they are second-hand citizens and unwelcome in our state, Hoffman-Zinnel said. Make no mistake, this law threatens peoples lives. It also wont stand up to legal muster, and will stick taxpayers with the bill for ensuing lawsuits. Today is a shameful day to be an Iowan. The budget bill Reynolds signed into law also contains a provision barring Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from being state contractors for personal responsibility and sexual risk avoidance programs. Statehouse Republicans in previous years stripped other funding to Planned Parenthood over objections the womens reproductive health care provider performs abortions. Democrats, during debate of the budget bill, decried the lack of a funding boost or new policies to address continued issues with the private management of the states $5 billion Medicaid program. They said the Planned Parenthood restriction would actually lead to more unplanned pregnancies, and Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines appealed to Reynolds to veto those two items. Senate Democrats remain committed to expanding civil rights for Iowans, supporting policies that will result in fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions and making Medicaid accountable, affordable and sustainable again, the caucus said in a statement Friday. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 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. Schools compete in math bees CEDAR FALLS Central Rivers Area Education Agency hosted the annual regional math bees last week in each of its three office locations. Math bees allow sixth-graders to showcase their math skills in areas such as equations, geometry, ratios and statistics along with team problem-solving. A total of 29 schools participated in three regional math bees. The individuals and teams that performed in the top 25 percent qualified to compete in the finals taking place on May 14 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Cedar Falls Conference Center. STEM night set at UNI-CUE WATERLOOThe Society of Hispanic Engineers is hosting its Noche de Ciencias Science Night from 5 to 8 p.m. May 14 at the University of Northern Iowa Center for Urban Education at 800 Sycamore St. The event encourages children to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers and education by providing them interactive STEM workshops hosted by local professionals. It also encourages parents support by providing workshops in English and Spanish on scholarships, financial aid and college admission. Students in grades five through eight and their families are welcome to attend. Parents must attend with their children. For more information, email Kimberly Smith at SmithKimberlyM@JohnDeere.com or call 292-5062. Bucks job fair set May 10-11 WATERLOO The Waterloo Bucks will hold open interviews for summer game-day positions from 4 to 8 p.m. May 10 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11 at Riverfront Stadium, 850 Park Road. The Bucks are looking to fill the following positions: Ticket takers; ushers; camera operators; souvenir stand staff; concessions; cooks; box seat servers; hawkers; register operators; runners; warehouse; on-field promotions staff; press box staff; music operator; official scorer; stadium cleaning crew; cleaning crew supervisor; cleaning crew members. The Bucks are looking for people who are reliable, hardworking and passionate about pleasing fans. If you are unable to attend the open interviews, you may fill out an application in the Bucks Office during normal business hours, or download the application from the Bucks web site (www.waterloobucks.com) and mail it in. The Waterloo Bucks are a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to diversity. Waverly Bridge closes for repairs WAVERLY Starting Monday, the Adams Parkway Bridge in Waverly north of Nestles and Waverly Utilities will be closed for repairs until June 28. Cedar Lane will become the detour route around the bridge, which will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians. If you have any question or concerns, call 352-9065. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Seen is a view of a street in motion in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, at night after 10 p.m. on April 18. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min By Jung Da-min DHAKA, Bangladesh Bangladesh is a very dynamic country with one of the world's highest population densities of 1,015 per square kilometer for its 165 million population. The country's largest city and capital Dhaka is a diverse city of vibrant culture, with thousands of Bangladeshi businesses and international corporations contributing to migration and population growth. The streets in Dhaka are always filled with cars and people passing by, giving the impression the city itself is always in motion. The heat of the capital does not turn off even at night, with many people still eating out, sitting and talking to each other on the streets. Visiting the dynamic city during the Bangladesh government's week-long "Visit Bangladesh" tour program for a group of journalists, academics and envoys in mid-April, this reporter found a chance for an interesting night out with a local friend. The streets of Dhaka at night, lit with neon signs and lights from high buildings, were much darker compared to the bright streets of Seoul, but they were still lively with people moving around. Advancing through the streets, this reporter found many people out, sitting around and talking to each other even after 10 p.m. A local friend and guide said it was normal for citizens to come home from work or school late at night and they like to chill out on the streets long after dark. Buildings of university campuses were also filled with people for late-night political party gatherings and discussions, and students gathered all around the campus. People sit and talk outside in a street in Dhaka. People sit and talk inside a building in the campus of University of Dhaka for political party gatherings and discussions. Dhaka street foods Many people were also getting street food from vendors and small restaurants along the streets. Among the various street foods, this reporter tried out a few different kinds: jhalmuri, chotpoti, fuchka, achars and coconut water. The taste of jhalmuri was not so unfamiliar but rather similar to that of ramen an instant noodle snack with spicy sauce easily found in Seoul. The popular Bengali street food loved by people of all age groups was made with puffed rice, onions and green chili. Chotpoti is one of the most popular street foods in Bangladesh made with peas, potatoes, chopped boiled eggs, cucumber, red onions and other vegetables with panipuri shells stuffed with them and tamarind paste and chaat masala on top. Fuchka is a slightly more condensed version of chotpoti and they usually are served together on one plate. The combination of crispy panipuri shells and mushy ingredients inside adds to the fun of eating, giving a unique mouthfeel. Achars are Bangladesh-style pickles made with different kinds of vegetables and fruit normally sour fruit mixed together and seasoned in oil. The one this reporter tried with local boiled rice was sweet and sour, similar to South Korean pickled plums. It is not too difficult to find coconut water in convenience stores in South Korea, but on the streets of Dhaka, you will get to drink from the coconut itself. As the coconuts are loaded at vendors in streets they are not as cool as those from a refrigerator, but are sweet enough to fill you with energy. People eat street food in Dhaka. Seen is a bag of jhalmuri. Seen is a plate of chotpoti and fuchka. A vendor offers different kinds of achars. WATERLOO The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley needs help with the following: Cedar Falls Historical Society is looking for hosts for the Ice House Museum and the Little Red Schoolhouse. Volunteers will welcome visitors, share stories and artifacts and answer general questions. Opportunities are available May through October, and training will be provided to all volunteers. Be an engagement volunteer for the American Red Cross and support their many hardworking service members. You will help ensure proper placement of volunteers, serve as the resource for volunteer supervisors in all areas of service (disaster cycle services, biomedical, etc.) and assist with general tasks as needed. The National Association of Letter Carriers is hosting its annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on May 11. Volunteers are needed to help the Cedar Falls mail carriers collect donations on their daily route, transport them back to the post office, and then sort and pack donations for transfer to the Food Bank. Deliver meals to home-bound seniors. The Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging is seeking volunteers to help Monday through Friday from about 10:30 .m. to noon to deliver meals in its 18-county service area. Volunteers can serve as often or as little as they desire. For more information, call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087, or go to www.vccv.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It is a joy and honor to celebrate National Nurses Week May 6-12. Throughout my career in health care, I have been blessed to be a team member alongside amazing nurses. They have been a gift to me and to all of our patients. Many of lifes most transformative moments involve our health. Consider the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one. Or the diagnosis of cancer or the good news of a normal laboratory result. These moments are charged with incredible emotion. These moments become lifes milestone memories. Whether sad or happy, all of us will experience health care at some point in our lives, and we will create these memories. When you reflect on those milestone memories in your own life, I wonder if you would recall a great nurse helping you navigate a health care moment. Perhaps it is the nurse sharing the awe and wonder of when your child took their first breath. Or perhaps you recall the comforting and caring smile of your nurse after receiving a challenging diagnosis. Not only do nurses deliver expert and specialized care, they also teach us and care for us. Nurses walk alongside us during these moments. A nurses work is love made visible. National Nurses Week is an opportunity to acknowledge the critical role of nursing and our gratitude to those who serve across the entire continuum of health care from birth to death, from office to hospital, from home health to the nursing facility. Nurses are the backbone of health care in America. And they are often the first person we seek when we have a health-related question. If you have a nurse in your family, you know what Im talking about. Just picture every family reunion or friends get-together; we all have our list of health questions weve been saving for the nurse in our family. Consider asking the nurses in your life a different question: Why did you choose to become a nurse? You will be richly rewarded with stories of inspiration, dedication, altruism and a selfless passion to improve the lives of others. I am blessed to work alongside amazing nurses every day, and they continue to inspire me. If a nurse has made a positive impact in your life, consider recognizing their service through a gift to the Allen Foundation. Many of the great nurses with whom I have worked are proud graduates of Allen College. Your generosity continues to provide opportunities for education and to improve the health care experience for years to come. The For Allen For You campaign has raised more than $13.5 million and is symbolic of the National Nurses Week celebration. Health care is more than a building or a cutting-edge medical equipment. Rather, it is about people. This is about the threads that weave together our community, and I can think of no better model than nurses. Kyle Christiason, M.D., C.P.E., is a physician at UnityPoint Clinic in Cedar Falls. Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 It was an aha moment for me. I dont really know the exact moment or how my thinking came around. But it did. This winter, I became an online subscriber to other newspapers. I love it, and am very happy I made the move. Id like you to hear my story and see if you are also ready for that aha moment. I had been like many others, reading other publications stories that popped up on my Facebook feed, clicking through and sometimes reading an article, sometimes hitting a pay wall. I experienced the same frustrations as anyone else in that moment. I wanted to read the story, but boy, I was not going to pay for it. That changed late last year as my fathers health failed and he passed away in November. He was a longtime newspaper man. I would visit him nearly daily at Deery Suites and read the Des Moines Register with him. It became our ritual. I got so used to it I decided to get a Sunday-only subscription to the Register, which gave me access to the newspapers daily content online. Ive loved it. I get the best of both worlds time to read the Sunday paper in my hands and the ability to get daily news each morning on my phone. That change led me to take on another online subscription. This time to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. My daughter lives in Minnesota, I am an avid Minnesota Twins fan and we spend many weekends in Minnesota on the Mississippi River at Wabasha. I took the leap and bought an online subscription. It has been an extremely rewarding experience as I daily catch up on my Twins, read daily about the trial of the Minneapolis police officer in the killing of an unarmed citizen and engage in more of the papers content. I look at it as an investment in the journalists at both of those publications. Of course, I am already a print and online subscriber to The Courier, so I am fully engaged in the work of the local journalists here. Its what I hope other casual or nonsubscribers of The Courier will do. Get yourself a subscription, be it print or online. You, too, will find it a rewarding experience as you stay engaged with your community. Not only that, you are investing in our local journalists. This is important to our well-being and the well-being of the community. Making an investment in local journalism tells us that what we do matters, that the work they do day in and day out to give you a slice of life in the Cedar Valley is important. Weve got the feet on the street bringing the stories of local prep stars, city council action and whats happening with arts and culture in the area. The Courier, as well as all Lee Enterprises newspapers, has moved to a membership model, so you can decide the level of engagement you want with our content. What do you get with an online subscription? Access to our full newspaper in digital form, called the E-Edition, unrestricted access to articles (yes, no more surveys to answer) and free access to our archiving system. Higher-level memberships allow you to get additional content not included in the print edition, free classified ads and other benefits. Consider this the same decision you went through mentally when you decided to pay for Netflix or other streaming services. You made the decision to pay for internet and cable in your home. A digital subscription needs that same careful consideration. I have been editor of The Courier for a decade now. I have been proud of the strong base of subscribers we have continued to have all of these years. They feel strongly about their local newspaper and let us know when we do things right and wrong. Thank you for backing us all of these years. If you are not a subscriber but often come to our website because you are interested in our content, give careful thought to an online subscription. You will find it rewarding. To learn more, go to our website, https://wcfcourier.com/members/join/ Nancy Newhoff is editor of the Courier. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Dennis Prager is not someone youll often see quoted on this side of the page, but he sometimes resonates with me. He once said: You judge people in the context of their time, not in the context of ours. Context occurred to me when Senate candidate (and astronaut) Mark Kelly, was criticized for calling Winston Churchill one of the greatest leaders of modern times. Not knowing Churchill made comments supporting Aryan superiority and absolved injustices to indigenous people, Kelly apologized and promised to learn more. Yet, how could Churchill, in the context of World War II, not be considered a great leader? Even historical figures like Thomas Jefferson have been re-evaluated. Despite his articulate rhetoric to frame a republic with freedom and equality, Jefferson had slaves. Many founders succumbed to the status quo. In colonial America slavery was legal, and conventions are often more persuasive than moral intuition. But will historical context allow these figures to withstand the progress of social consciousness, or are they to be discarded as flawed, even corrupt, figures? And who lives up to our ideals? James Madison also had slaves. So did George Washington. FDR? A mistress. Kennedy? Too many to count. Gandhi? Often they were too young. And moral ambiguity is not confined to men; Margaret Sanger was a eugenicist. Margaret Thatchers denial of habeas corpus to Irish Republicans resulted in one of the bloodiest decades in Irish history. Look into the closet of many historical figures and youll find a skeleton. Contradictions arise when examining the progress of ethics. Americas narrative implies emancipation granted freedom, yet thats contrary to our founding proclamation all human beings are created equal. It was a moral awakening to that self-evident truth that authored the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. It wasnt until the 19th Amendment that women were endowed with those same inalienable rights. Racism and sexism are systemic, but is it immoral to be less conscious? Obstinacy extends immorality, but can we demand enlightenment? Can ignorance absolve oppression? No. Human bondage and denial of rights are too grotesque, but history shows that institutions formed within cultural narratives often require Herculean forces to move toward justice. We can re-examine the legacies of anyone (even the lyrics to holiday songs) and discover beliefs and traditions proven false by enlightened awareness, but we must also consider the confluence of people and culture at each juncture in time. I also thought about context as Joe Bidens antiquated chivalry was put on notice. His actions should be scrutinized but also have to be put into the context of his intentions. When conventions and figures are viewed through the lens of progress we have the advantage of knowing where we are today. Hindsight often exposes moral blindness, but it does not necessarily reveal amoral character. The study of history will reveal our flaws, but is also a study of context, and as Mark Kelly realized, theres always more to learn. Gary Kroeger is a local business owner and advertising executive in Cedar Falls. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Decades ago, when discussing the complexity of U.S. tax code, an ag lobbyist friend noted that all he wanted in any tax reform was to pay the same taxes the generals paid: General Mills, General Motors, General Dynamics. Hed still take that deal. In 2018, General Dynamics had an effective tax rate of 17.8 percent, more than three percent below the federal corporate tax rate of 21 percent. General Mills did even better; its effective federal tax rate was a gluten-free 2.7 percent. General Motors, however, was the Cadillac of the 2018 federal tax game. Despite a net income of $4.3 billion, GM not only paid no federal taxes, it received a $104 million rebate to give it an effective federal tax rate of negative two percent. Big Aggies benefited, too. The green giant, Deere & Co., netted $2.2 billion in 2018 profit yet harvested a $260 million federal tax rebate to drop its effective federal tax rate to an astonishing negative 12 percent. Talk about green paint envy. Given those numbers, you might feel like a tax-paying chump. Rest easy because you cant hold a candle to the 2018 tax chump champ, me: I paid more for my Amazon Prime membership last year, $119, than Amazon paid in federal income taxes. Thats right, folks, Amazon got a prime deal from Uncle Sam; no taxes despite $11 billion net profit on $232 billion in sales. And then, no kidding, it must have had a special promo code at checkout because Amazon also received a $129 million federal tax rebate. So goes the great federal tax reform of 2017 where corporate federal tax rates fell from 35 percent to 21 percent and, correspondingly, corporate tax collections fell from $297 billion to $205 billion. That decline, according to the U.S. Treasury, contributed the biggest share (82 percent) of the $113 billion increase in 2018s federal deficit over 2017. Are you, like me, surprised U.S. corporate income taxes totaled just $205 billion or a meager 6.5 percent of the more than $3.2 trillion in federal income taxes collected in 2018? We should all be because that relatively small amount runs counter to the central argument behind the $1.5 trillion, 2017 tax cut: that our sky-high corporate taxes were killing U.S. business around the world. The truth now as it was then is U.S. corporate tax collections, according to the U.S. Treasury (as reported by the conservative corporate diarist, Forbes.com) have fallen from FY 2014, when they totaled $321 billion, to FY 2017, when they hit $297 billion. Despite that steady slide, Congress and White House, deaf to warnings that tax cuts would bloat the federal deficit, slashed the corporate tax rate 40 percent from 35 percent to 21 percent in late 2017 and, as predicted, the federal deficit ballooned in 2018. And the balloon will only get bigger. One item to note, explains Chuck Jones, a senior contributor to Forbes.com, wrote last October, is that the lower tax rates were not implemented until January of (2018). This means that the full impact of the lower tax receipts wont show up until fiscal 2019, and it could take another year or two after that. In other words, explained the Congressional Budget Office in its January 2019 report, The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2019 to 2029, In CBO projections, the federal budget deficit is about $900 billion in 2019 and exceeds $1 trillion each year beginning 2022. And thats only if the economy continues to grow at the rate of 2.3 percent or better for the next decade (fat chance) while federal spending doesnt grow faster (an even fatter chance). So, sure, my taxes and yours income taxes, fuel taxes, local and state sales taxes, property taxes, pick your tax are going up because the 2017 federal tax cuts, like $7 beans and $3 corn, are unsustainable. Unless, of course, we become generals. The Farm and Food File is published weekly through the U.S. and Canada. Source material and contact information are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Anjali Enjeti in Guernica: In the opening of The Other Americans, Laila Lalamis fourth novel, a man is killed in a hit-and-run collision. The victim is Driss Guerraoui, an immigrant and small business owner who, after fleeing political unrest in Casablanca, eventually settles in a small town in Californias Mojave Desert to open a business and raise his family. His immigrant story is one his younger daughter Nora, a jazz composer, considers with mixed feelings. I think he liked that story because it had the easily discernible arc of the American Dream: Immigrant Crosses Ocean, Starts a Business, Becomes a Success. And its this cliched American-immigrant narrative that Lalami sets out to deconstruct in her book. The Other Americans grapples with a host of complex issues facing American immigrants today. And although its a murder mysteryfocused on finding Guerrauois killerits also a provocative commentary on migration, identity, assimilation and bigotry. Lalami, a Moroccan American immigrant, has a PhD in linguistics and is a professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. Her novel The Moors Account was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and she writes a column about human rights and foreign policy for The Nation. I spoke with Lalami over the phone recently. She shared with me her tricks for how best to depict racist characters; her fears about being an immigrant and an outspoken critic of the Trump administrations immigration policies; and her upcoming nonfiction book, Conditional Citizens, which examines the relationship of nonwhite citizens to America through Lalamis own personal immigration story. More here. The best athletes, teams, coaches of 2021: South Dakota Sportswriters awards The South Dakota Sportswriters Association honored the best teams, players and coaches in college, high school and independent sports. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Much like the fabled phoenix rose from the ashes, Rio Rancho High School senior Ashley Doerr pushed through cancer to graduate with her classmates on time. Ashley, who is just days away from graduating, said she is excited but nervous and regrets that she didnt have more time to enjoy high school with her friends. She missed her sophomore and junior years of high school because her cancer, which was dormant for a few years, popped back up. Originally diagnosed with leukemia when she was in seventh grade, Ashley was already used to the perils of doctor visits and chemotherapy. I had already missed my entire seventh-grade year and half of eighth grade, but my cancer, we thought, was gone, she said. It came back my sophomore year, and this time it was more aggressive. Ashley said the biggest transition for her was going to Denver to undergo chemotherapy and a bone-marrow transplant. My brother, who is four years younger than me, had to stay here, so my parents and my grandparents would switch every four weeks to come out and stay with me to offer support, she said. The ironic thing is that I found myself supporting them more. I felt like I had to be the strong one for them. Ashleys mom, Lyndie Doerr, said her world came to a sudden stop when she heard the news that her daughter had leukemia. You just feel hopeless because there is nothing you can do to make her better, Lyndie said. It just makes you so aware of your environment and your health. She said she coined the term survivors club with another parent who went through a similar experience with her child at the same time. We just learned to adapt and do whatever it takes to get our child better, Lyndie said. Ashley said she remembers shedding a few tears upon her initial diagnosis, but she was ready to fight pretty much right away. You cant sit there and wait on the What if? You just have to get up and do it, she said. The day she got her diagnosis, Ashley had a double port put in the top artery of her heart and jugular vein, and began chemotherapy. My oncologist finally said enough was enough and sent me to Colorado for a bone-marrow transplant, Ashley said. If we had done this the first time around, I probably wouldnt have been diagnosed a second time, but it is what it is, and I am grateful to still be alive. Ashley said her transplant doctor put everything into perspective, giving her 50/50 odds on the chances of making a full recovery. Its called graft versus host disease, where the transplant is a foreign body to you, so your body starts attacking it and rejecting the transplant, she said. So they said that could happen, and I still have a chance of it happening two years later. So we have to be extremely careful, but I am going to fight until I cant. Heading back to school was another battle Ashley said she had to take in stride. But she had the goal of graduating with her peers and was willing to do whatever it took to reach that goal. I had to do my junior and senior year at the same time, she said. I am literally half a class away from graduating now and I am excited. Ashley joked that she has a bad habit of procrastinating, but that she does her best work when shes rushed. Ive been offered more time to work on my studies by administrators and counselors, but I just wanted to walk with my friends, she said. I started high school with everyone and I just want to finish with everyone despite what I had to deal with. Ashley said cancer didnt hold her back from living her life outside of school, so she didnt want it to hold her back from finishing school. Ive learned that you have to appreciate everything you have, she said. Walking around school and listening to things that kids my age are complaining about, boyfriends, girlfriendsits so minuscule compared to what they could be dealing with. Post-graduation, Ashley said, she is looking at going to Central New Mexico Community College and transferring to the University of New Mexico to complete her degree in pediatric oncology nursing. I was very undecided for a long time what it was I wanted to do, she said. My cancer gave me the final push in a direction I know I would enjoy and understand. She will graduate with honors and has received a Rio Rancho High School Phoenix Award , plus Rotary Club and Tanya Ray scholarships. Ashley is also preparing to be a counselor at a summer camp for kids battling cancer. Yosemite. Labor Day Weekend. After the park had been closed for almost three weeks because of wildfire danger. What had been planned as a time to catch up with my recently graduated, West Coast-living son had the makings of being the kind of tourist death march of which memories few of them good are made. And then, quite by accident, Robert Frost intervened, and for two days we wound up on what was for the vast majority of the thousands of visitors to Yosemite that weekend the Road Not Taken. It made all the difference. What follows might be considered a bit of heresy. It is a suggestion that the best way to experience Yosemite National Park is to avoid Yosemite Valley altogether. Bear with me. When it comes to trips, I am a planner. I love guidebooks; I live for maps. And while I have fully embraced the digital age, a trip to a national park seems worthy of the physical entity rather than the virtual ones. So I picked up a handy little tome called Best Easy Day Hikes: Yosemite National Park and I studied maps of the park, dominated of course by Yosemite Valley. But I was also intrigued by the newly reopened Mariposa Grove, home to the epic sequoias. If Yosemite Valley bisects the park, Mariposa takes you on a steep jog to the south and east. To planning-mode me, it seemed to be a good spot to start the 2 days my son and I would have in the park. Not far (which, in Yosemite, is a relative term) from Mariposa was Glacier Point, which won the distinction of being the easiest of the Easy Day Hikes in the book. A short jog from there was Sheldon Dome, which landed squarely in the middle of the two dozen easy hikes. We would do those before heading into the valley for the real sights Vernal Falls, El Capitan, Half Dome. Day One planned. So off we set on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, leaving before dawn from our adorable Airbnb, located 45 minutes from the park. We took a southern approach, avoiding the Yosemite Valley entrance remember, thats the theme of this journey and made our way to the brand-spanking-new Visitor Center at Mariposa Grove. The area had been closed for several years while renovations were done, including the creation of this spot, where cars are parked and shuttle buses boarded to limit the pollution that could damage the mammoth and ancient specimens. The grove is spectacular, and a newly added boardwalk makes it easy for young and old to navigate a small portion of the site. But the reason for this visit with my son was to check in on him. He had graduated from college, been hired on contract in the communications department at Oculus and was living, working, breathing as a sentient adult for the first time. Weekly FaceTime calls are great; texting is terrific. But I wanted to spend some real time with this child of mine, this old soul from whom truths leak rather than flow. So we abandoned the boardwalk and the chatter of other visitors to make our way to trees so iconic they have been named, including Faithful Couple, which is actually two trees that have over the course of a thousand years grown to have one fused trunk. There is something profound about nothing more than the gentle crunch of pine needles under your feet, the abandon to ponder the monogamy of anthropomorphized trees, to smell despite the remnants of fire the unbridled freshness of air into which trees are breathing life. And to be, less than a mile from the shuttle stop, so surprisingly alone in this sacred place. And so Mariposa Grove, off the beaten path and unlike any other part of Yosemite in its lushness, was an auspicious start to our journey. By the time we returned to the visitor center, it was clear that our early start decision had been the right one. Queues formed for shuttles; the parking lot was nearing capacity. Our next stop was Glacier Point, where with its much-touted views overlooking Half Dome, Yosemite Valley and Yosemite Falls we encountered what I had feared for the weekend. While visitors might overlook Mariposa Grove, they do not pass by Glacier Point, and by the time we arrived at 1 p.m. on a beautiful holiday weekend, we most definitely were not alone. Circling the parking lot to find a spot which included waiting patiently while a German family packed their gear and gathered up all the children from the restrooms, took longer than driving from Mariposa to Glacier Point. We had resigned ourselves to battling crowds as we made our way the short distance to Sentinel Dome, another peak in the area. We were surprised, therefore, to find it relatively easy to pull onto the side of the road at the trailhead. Whatever Sentinel Dome offered, it did not attract crowds and rather than that deterring us, it enticed us. In front of us, across a broad expanse of wildflower-strewn meadow, stood an imposing granite monolith, home to a Jeffrey pine, one of the worlds most famous dead trees immortalized, as so much of Yosemite is, by Ansel Adams. Are we going up there? Andrew asked. Uncertain and made a little giddy by the uncertainty, we set off. The path was flat, crossing a now-dry creek, and while we passed a pair of hikers on our way and greeted a pack on their way back, Sentinel Dome less than three miles from Glacier Point, seemed as if it were on the opposite end of the world. At the flattened top of granite summit were two women with three children among them frolicking on the rocks and us. And not another soul. And when the moms announced to the boisterous crew that it was time to head down, Andrew and I had Sentinel Dome with its stunning, unimpeded view of Half Dome, El Capitan and the breathtaking expanse of Yosemite Valley, to ourselves. Prev 1 of 5 Next GALLUP At 8:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday morning, a mild, sunny day, people start gathering in a lot next to the Nizhoni Laundromat in this northwest New Mexico town, the McKinley County seat of government along historic Route 66. There are just six or eight at first, but there will be 50 or more in another half hour. On Saturday mornings, from several dozen to a hundred people congregate here. We are homeless, said Corey Harrison, 32, of Allentown, Ariz., who, along with his 38-year-old brother, is among the early arrivals. We are drunk most of the time. In the harsh, cold months of winter, Gallups homeless huddle here to take advantage of the heat pouring from the laundrys large vents. But every Saturday morning, even comparatively warm days like this one, they are here from 9 to 10 a.m. for the coffee, hot food, clothing and other items provided by an alliance of the Immediate Action Group, an organization that cares for Gallups homeless, and Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services. Both IAG and the Rehoboth McKinley Christian hospital are nonprofit organizations. This is like my family, Harrison said, sweeping his hand around to indicate the growing number of homeless in the lot. I have a family. But this is my family. We gather here every Saturday. We say a prayer. (The breakfast) nourishes us. It feeds us. We cant complain. They are helping us out. But we are going to get some (alcohol) after 10. Im telling you the truth. It makes you feel better. Here they come. Keep them alive Vehicles, one a van hauling a trailer, pull into the lot just before 9 a.m. Within minutes, tables and chairs and a serving line have been set up and the homeless are eating posole, menudo, beans, rice and tortillas. The food, clothing and other things maybe toothpaste, bedding or hand lotion are all donated by individuals, businesses and organizations. We get the chance to feed them before they get to the liquor store, said Bill Camarota, 55, founder and president of IAG and special projects director for Rehoboth McKinley Christians substance abuse treatment program. We keep them alive and let them know people care about them. They are used to people pushing them away. David Conejo, 74, chief executive officer for RMCHCS, is among those on the serving line. He said not everyone eating the free breakfast is homeless. There are a number of people who have a home but they dont have much else, Conejo said. They dont have food. They come here and thats OK with us. Camarota said that sometimes the people on the streets are not the ones with drinking problems or drug addictions. Sometimes they are elderly people or kids, he said. There are addictions at home, domestic violence. They cant stay there, so they are out on the streets. Besides feeding and clothing people, hospital personnel among the volunteers can address physical problems, checking blood pressure or peoples feet for tell-tale signs of diabetes, for example. But this Saturday-morning outreach provides more than temporary fixes to ongoing problems. It offers a chance for alcohol and drug-addicted men and women to apply for the RMCHCS detox and rehab program, a 90-day in-patient regimen followed by 120 days of support efforts aimed at getting people back into the work force. Those at the Saturday-morning breakfast are made aware of the program, but there is no pressure to enroll. And even those who sign up may leave at any time. Its frustrating, the limit of what you can do, the limit of what they will let you do, Conejo said. They have rights. When you deal with people in the streets, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you cant cure them all. Even so, the 69 beds at the RMCHCS substance abuse treatment center are all filled these days. Before Rehoboth McKinley Christian got involved in the feeding program, Conejo said, only 20 of the beds at the center were in use at any given time. When they want (to get into the treatment program) they come to us, Camarota said. They know what we do. They dont want anybody else to know theyre asking for help. They pull us aside. Today, I gave my (phone) number to two people. One was a young man, 22 or 23, who was afraid he was going to fall deeper (into addiction). Another was someone who had been out there awhile. Banned in New Jersey Camarota knows all too well what its like to be hooked on drugs, to be on the streets, to be in prison. Hes been all that. Born in Altlantic City, N.J., Camarota is the son of a man who was a carpenter and a drug addict. My father was feeding me cocaine and meth in Contac capsules, he said. By the time I was 14, I had the tolerance of a 25-year-old man. By the time I was 15, I was shooting speed. I didnt do heroin until later on. Alcohol was not a big thing. I just did a little weed. I was into meth, coke and heroin all the major addictions. He accumulated 12 years behind bars for burglary and robbery and was paroled in September 1999. They told me they didnt want me back in New Jersey for three years, he said. I had robbed a pretty high-profile guy for a lot of money. Camarotas mother, a nurse who had never been into drugs and was divorced from his father, had moved to New Mexico, so thats where he went. For a while, things were good. Camarota did pest-control work with his stepfather. He invested in a coffee shop, ran a trailer park and owned a motorcycle repair shop. But he relapsed, got into drugs again, got into trouble again, got into jail again. He was charged with racketeering, embezzlement and fraud. In 2012, he got picked up on a warrant, a mistake, he said, about a missed court date. He was locked up in the McKinley County Jail. Stop what youre doing My (file) requires me to be locked up away from the general population at all times, but they put me in a multi-man cell, Camarota said. There was one guy in there. He looks at me and says, There is something under the bunk for you. I say, Im not new. Ill kill you. He said, God told me the next man who walks into this cell, this stuff is for him.' Camarota reached under the bunk and pulled out two T-shirts, a checkers set, a nice cup and bowl and a Bible. I was sitting there and it was bugging me because I felt good to be there, like I was glad to be there, Camarota said. I had this Bible in my lap, and I opened it to Ephesians, Chapter 4. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. All I heard was I didnt raise you to be like this, stop what you are doing, Camarota said. I had an experience with God. I was just tired, just tired of doing (drugs). After being released on probation, he said he kicked drugs like kicking a stone out of the way and dedicated his life to giving back. He dates the launch of his Immediate Action Group to Nov. 1, 2014, the day the organization first served breakfast to the homeless. In winter 2013 there had been 27 (homeless) exposure deaths in Gallup, Camarota said. We had been having meetings (about that) at Lighthouse Church (in Gallup), but we had been having more meetings than action. I said, Lets just do it.' Not long after Camarota started his feeding program, Rehoboth McKinley Christian joined in. The collaboration is a godsend, Camarota said. It was supposed to happen. Still have pride The homeless who assemble in the laundromat lot on Saturdays include veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, migrants and members of the Navajo Nation. Some are here every or most Saturdays, and some, Camarota said, deteriorate from week to week. On this Saturday, Devin Davis, 36, like Harrison, is here with an older brother. Davis doesnt know where he was born. I was definitely doomed from the get-go, he said. But Davis, who said he has worked as a cook and that he earned his General Educational Development (GED) certificate several years ago, is clinging to hope or denial. He has three children, a daughter, 11, and sons 7 and 4. The boys are living in Alaska with their mother, and Davis said he intends to go to Alaska as soon as he is free of court obligations. Ive got two cars Im going to sell. I got to raise those boys. The main problems here are alcohol and poverty. But there are some of us who are strong-willed, who still have drive, still have pride. After her daughter committed suicide during a bought of severe pregnancy-related depression, a Rio Rancho woman started a nonprofit to help women find resources to handle that condition. Susan Aguayo founded Kassys Kause in 2015, soon after her daughters death in the first trimester of pregnancy. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 14% to 23% of women will experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy. Kassys Kause is a nonprofit organization with a mission to spread education and awareness about perinatal depression, or pregnancy-related depression. According to kassyskause.org, women often wont share their experiences because they feel afraid of what others think or ashamed that they cannot control their hormones. Young women need to realize that moms need to be credited for more than what we go through, Aguayo said. Its not just nine months carrying a child its physical, emotional and mental pressure in our lives to bring a baby to this world. Aguayo said her daughter, Kassandra Williams, wanted to be a parent since she was a toddler. When she found out Kassandra was pregnant, it was good news, but she had no idea what her daughter was going through during her pregnancy. Aguayo said she started a blog to discuss her experience with her daughter shortly after Kassandras passing in March 2015. She said people came to her with many questions and concerns. I thought, How many women are experiencing this in silence, because they arent being informed or educated enough?' Aguayo said. How many husbands dont know what their wives are going through? We need education. In October 2015, Aguayo started collecting resources for pregnant women, including programs that give assistance during pregnancy, doulas and midwifes for women who dont want to go to the hospital and counselors that work with perinatal and postpartum depression. Aguayo said that in February, the New Mexico House of Representatives declared Feb. 11 to be Kassys Kause Awareness of Perinatal-Postpartum Depression Day. Next year, Aguayo and her supporters plan to request a bill to make screening for maternal mental health disorder mandatory during and after pregnancies. For information, go to kassyskause.org. Prev 1 of 5 Next From the Puye petroglyphs to the paintings of Georgia OKeeffe, New Mexicos art has long intersected with history. A Past Rediscovered: Highlights from the Palace of the Governors gathers images from the dawn of photography, historic retablos and bultos, beaded flapper dresses and a letter from Billy the Kid on loan from both the Palace and the New Mexico History Museum at the Albuquerque Museum through Oct. 20. The stories continue through rare firearms, images of Ansel Adams capturing famous landscapes, low riders and Gustave Baumanns prints, woodblocks and tools. Will Schusters Zozobra armature model (1935-50) dangles like a wooden marionette. Organizers have categorized the nearly 300 objects into sections on the history of the building, its Frey Angelico Chavez Library, the photo archives and its colonial collection. The Palace of the Governors has been continuously inhabited for 400 years. Its adobe walls witnessed both the Spanish installation of Pedro de Peralta and the Spanish expulsion during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The site embraced a short-lived Mexican identity from 1821-1846, later serving as both the home and workplace of territorial governors until the early 20th century and statehood. It emerged as a museum in 1909. The visual journey through time begins with one of the Palaces largest and most important objects, the Segesser II hide painting depicting the 1720 defeat of Spanish troops and their Native American allies in present-day Nebraska. They dont know who painted it, Albuquerque Museum curator Josie Lopez said. They think they were local artists, which implies they were Native American or mestizos. The Spanish Colonial collection features religious paintings from Mexico and Peru, as well as New Mexican images of saints depicted on wood with natural pigments. The objects include a bulto or three-dimensional sculpture of Our Lady of Guadalupe painted and carved by Jose Rafael Aragon, ca. 1820-62. Aragon was known for carving meticulously detailed faces. These objects have a devotional and religious significance, Lopez said. Theyre also deeply imbedded in the culture. Aragon was one of the most prolific, she continued. He was born in Santa Fe and it was a family tradition. The Palaces photography collection dates from Eadweard Muybridges classic images of galloping horses ca. 1872-1885. (He was a pioneer in the photographic study of motion.) J.R. Riddles 1885 General View of Albuquerque shows a vast plain dotted with a few homes as a man gazes at what looks like a small village from a slope. Other photographs pose questions. Ben Witticks posed portraits of Native Americans make no cultural distinctions. In a studio portrait, a White Mountain Apache man wears a Navajo-crafted squash blossom necklace. Wittick used the same prop in multiple portraits of subjects from various tribes. Viewers cannot assume an object was made, used or even owned by the subject. In 1990, Witticks great-granddaughter donated his props, including the necklace, to the Palace, providing a rare form of documentation. Visitors also can meet New Mexicos most famous outlaw through a letter he wrote to then-Territorial Gov. Lew Wallace. William H. Bonney (a.k.a. Billy the Kid) was a Lincoln County ranch hand who found himself in the nexus of the Lincoln County War with its feuds, corruption, vigilante justice and cattle rustling. A toxic combination of bravado and spite prompted him to seek vengeance after the murder of his boss. Bonney left a trail of dead bodies. In about 1879, he wrote to Wallace offering information on a murder in exchange for a pardon. He tried again in 1881. He escaped jail (again) only to die in a shoot out with Pat Garrett in July 1881. His letters still flow in neat cursive loops. If you go WHAT: A Past Rediscovered: Highlights from the Palace of the Governors WHEN: Opens at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 11; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday through Oct. 20. WHERE: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain NWHOW MUCH: $3-$5 at 243-722, cabq.gov/museum. When he left office in 2014, David Coss was asked what hed miss the most about being Santa Fe mayor. Ill tell you what really hurt is having to turn in my parking pass, he quipped. As anyone who has circled the blocks of downtown Santa Fe can tell you, parking spots are prime real estate, especially during the tourist season. At times, the nickels and dimes, credit and debit cards fed into the meters and now through an app that allows customers to pay with their smart phones for an additional 20 cents per transaction have been the subject of controversy. A review of city-imposed fines, fees, taxes and other debts in 2012 during Coss administration revealed that the Parking Division had collected only 33% on parking citations, leaving $7 million in parking fines unrecovered over a four-year period. There was public outcry when in 2016 when Mayor Javier Gonzales raised downtown on-street parking rates by a dollar to $2 for the first hour, which led to grumbling from local residents and businesses alike that the city was discouraging visiting and shopping downtown. Now, City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler is raising concerns about the amount of money the city is missing out on by providing state legislators and government officials with free parking passes. Its not just that the 125 free parking passes handed out to New Mexico legislators the only state lawmakers in the country who dont receive payment for their work, although they do receive a modest per diem intended to cover expenses and a few others who visit Santa Fe for 30- or 60-day sessions, beginning each January. Its also the roughly $100,000 per year in parking revenue lost annually and the fact that theres no policy thats ever been approved by the City Council or anyone else that describes how parking passes are given out, she says. And, it may even be illegal, she said. She wonders if providing passes to state officials is in violation of the anti-donation clause in the state Constitution. Ive asked those questions at a higher level, but I havent been able to get those questions answered, she says. Citing attorney-client privilege, City Attorney Erin McSherry told the Journal she could not publicly discuss communications she has had with city councilors. The anti-donation clause states: Neither the state nor any county, school district or municipality, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall directly or indirectly lend or pledge its credit or make any donation to or in aid of any person When the Journal North asked the state Attorney Generals Office about the legality of the city distributing parking passes to legislators, spokesman David Carl said that there is no anti-donation issue if the legislators were using the parking passes for their official duties. But Vigil Coppler said the city has no way of tracking whether the passes are being used appropriately. Im told (the passes) arent exclusive to legislators and other people are using them, she said. A good host city The citys practice of providing passes to government officials can be blamed on Mayor Coss, a charge he readily accepts. He was mayor from 2006 to 2014. I took pride in making sure that Santa Fe was a good host city, he said. Santa Fe has been the capital city for 400 years and to be a good host to legislators that come from all over the state, and their families that come from all over the state, I think it was really important to do that. The philosophy of being gracious hosts carried on through Gonzales four-year term and is upheld under the current administration. A spokeswoman for the city confirmed that there was no city policy related to parking passes and that the distribution of passes to state legislators is a practice that was adopted many years ago. Distribution of the parking passes has been left to the discretion of the mayor or city manager. The legislative passes made available to legislators allow them to park at any parking meter in the city. Legislators already get free parking at an underground lot beneath the Roundhouse. According to Mark Duran, a lobbyist for the city, most years the passes have been delivered to the Sergeant at Arms offices for both the House and Senate, and the passes are then placed at the legislators desks. He said he thought that his year the passes were mailed to legislators. Duran said he hasnt reported the passes as a lobbying expense. I have never understood there to be an attached dollar value to the parking passes, he said in an email. If there is a dollar value placed on the parking passes in the future, I would review the reporting requirements with the city and properly disclose at that time. The lobbyist for Ski New Mexico reports ski passes for legislators as an expense $27,000 this year. Theres also a state-operated parking garage a block west of the Roundhouse that offers free parking to the general public, though it is only open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, except during the legislative session when it remains open 24/7. During most weekdays during the year, the state garage is primarily used by state workers at the capitol or other nearby state office buildings. The state has also opened the garage on weekends for some special events upon request. For instance, its open the weekend of the International Folk Art Market for people to park their cars and take a shuttle to the market on Museum Hill. Other parking issues Councilor Vigil Coppler first raised her concern about the free parking passes, along with several other matters related to parking, after Parking Division Director Noel Correia made a presentation at a Public Works Committee meeting last month. This is something that Ive been interested in for a very long time, she said of the topic of parking. Relaying complaints she said she has heard from city residents, she also questioned why the parking garage at the Railyard wasnt always staffed, which she said leads to a loss of revenue. One obscure fact that came out of that discussion was that theres an agreement for the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corp., the non-profit that runs the city-owned Railyard under a contract with city government, to reimburse the city for parking by patrons of the Violet Crown movie theater. Moviegoers can get the ticket stubs validated and not have to pay for up to four hours of parking when they use the Railyard parking garage. But the reimbursement to the city for use of the garage wont come for more than a decade down the road. The contract that includes that provision expires on Jan. 15, 2030. According to the citys Parking Division, from May 2015 to June 2018, the billing total had accumulated to $630,500. Extrapolating that figure over the final 12 years of the agreement, the city could anticipate receiving a check for more than $2.5 million from the Railyard nonprofit in 2030. Vigil Coppler also questioned why the city recently reduced by one hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. the time on-street metered parking is enforced in the Guadalupe Business District and the Railyard, as part of a short-term pilot program intended to stimulate patronage of businesses in that part of town. Why werent the parking hours for spaces around the downtown Plaza also reduced? Shopping is shopping, she said. She also asked about new ParkMobile parking app introduced by the city in October that allows people to pay for on-street metered parking and receive notification about when their meter is about to expire. Theres a 20-cent charge for each transaction, in addition to the parking rate $2 for the first hour and $1 for each hour after that. Because users of the app pay for the time, beginning when they make the transaction, regardless of whether any time is left on the meter, it takes some of the fun out of shopping, Vigil Coppler said. It used to be you would drive down streets in search of parking spots, and if there was one that still had a little green light on, indicating there was still time on the meter, you got a little bit of a freebie, she said. But with the app, there are no freebies. So when you find a little green freebie, you dont get to use that whatever time is left on the meter, she said. Upon learning of the extra 20-cent charge, she said, Well, Ill be darned. I dont think Ill be downloading that app. Staffing going away The Parking Division in 2016 and 2017 converted all of its approximately 1,200 on-street parking meters to allow them to accept credit and debit cards. Now, the city is about to switch its three parking garages at the Railyard, on Sandoval Street, and at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center to a $1.5 million Parking Access and Revenue Control System, or PARCS. The city is borrowing the money from the state Department of Finance and Administration and will pay it off in three years. Correia said the new system should be in place in another three or four months, after which the city will no longer have to staff the parking garages. One of the reasons for the implementation of the revenue control system is that it not only gives much more flexibility and convenience for our customers, but it should relieve some of the traffic jams we have when people are leaving the garages, which we had experienced a number of times last summer, Regina Wheeler, Public Works Department director, said during the Parking Divisions presentation last month. So instead of having to wait upon exit for payment, theyre already paid and the ticket is just swept through a machine and off they go. A new distillery is brewing in Santa Fe. After receiving its final stamp of approval from the state this week, Wayward Sons Distillery will be able to make its coffee spirit an 80-proof beverage made from cold brew coffee. Co-founder Tom Wolinski, a veteran of the alcoholic beverage business, hopes to start production within the next two or three weeks at Wayward Sons facility just south of town. His hope, he said, is that the java liquor becomes a base for new kinds of cocktails. Its not being done anywhere in this country, Wolinski said of distilled coffee, while showing off the operations small space on Bisbee Court. And as far as we can tell, its not being done anywhere on Earth. Not commercially. The business is still getting off the ground, but its goal is to begin wholesale distribution and open two tasting rooms by the end of the year. One of the spots Wolinski said he and his partner Byron Rudolph are pursuing, he said, is part of the former Flying Star restaurant location in the Railyards Market Station building. His drink doesnt resemble coffee; its clear like a vodka or gin. But it starts out as cold-brewed coffee, which is made by mixing ground coffee and water and leaving it for several hours. To make their spirit, Wolinski and distiller Rudolph start with fermentation, adding yeast and sugar to the coffee. As it goes through a still to make the brew into something with 40% alcohol by volume (ABV), it becomes clear. So far, Wolinski and Rudolph have done some garage experiments with a small kit that makes a couple ounces at a time. Its very obvious on the palate, Rudolph said of the coffee taste. They dont believe their drink is still caffeinated after it goes through the distilling process, but they havent been able to test levels yet with the small amounts theyve made so far. A similar type of drink was the subject of a 2013 scientific study published in the LWT Food Science and Technology journal. The study focused on creating a consumable, distilled alcoholic drink from leftover coffee grounds. Thats probably the closest thing being done, Wolinski said. He and Rudolph saw that study during their research process and considered going the grounds route, but decided the spent grounds are more stripped of coffee flavor compared to cold brew. Distilled coffee is different than popular coffee-flavored liqueurs like Kahlua and Tia Maria, according to the duo, in taste as well as how its made. Wolinski said those kinds of spirits are infused with coffee and sugar, rather than the coffee being the raw material. Wolinski emphasized that the Wayward Sons product is not intended to be a dessert drink, nor is it sweet. Rudolph also said nothing is going to be added to the product once its distilled. We dont want to be an after-dinner drink, he said. Wed like to be kind of a cool cocktail. So far theyve received ideas for speciality mixed drinks with help from a friend in the local restaurant industry. One recipe Wolinski mentioned was distilled coffee with dry vermouth and cherry walnut bitters. Another was a martini with coffee and nut ingredients. Theyve also considered inserting different kinds of flavors to some of their product as part of the distilling process. Flavor options theyre mulling over are lemon and Persian lime, cardamom and other spices, as well as a lemongrass and prickly pear combo. The tale of dancing goats The business is a full circle moment for Wolinski. The Minnesota native, who has been in New Mexico for 30 years, once owned a coffee roastery in Taos. Taos Roasters used to also operate two now-closed coffee shops called The Bean. Wolinski sold the business to a partner in 2001. The roastery is still open, and he said Wayward Sons plans to source their coffee beans from there. In 2003, Wolinski co-founded Fiasco Fine Wine Spirit & Beer, a wholesale distributor that operates 16,000-square-foot facility on Bisbee Court, just south of the Interstate 25/Cerrillos Road interchange. Wayward Sons is using a spot in the same building. In 2017, Wolinski sold Fiasco to an out-of-state company, but he still runs the company on-site and co-owns the building. Rudolph, who also works for Fiasco, said his professional background is in the retail, restaurant and distribution sides of the wine industry. This is his first venture into distilling. Ive always been around it and been interested in it and know a lot about it with how production and such occurs, he said. In preparation for Wayward Sons take-off, Rudolph has been taking classes in Colorado, working with some of the local distillery companies. The duo has also had some consulting assistance. The idea for their drink was inspired by an old legend Wolinski remembered reading about 20-25 years ago during his days as a bean roaster. The tale is about Kaldi and his dancing goats and the discovery of coffee. In the story, the Ethiopian goatherd Kaldi discovered berries filled with coffee beans after he found his goats dancing or more likely jumping around from caffeine stimulation after eating them. As the legend goes, Kaldi took the berries to a local monk, who used them to make a drink. But more than 1,000 years ago, when the goat incident was suppose to have taken place, those coffee cherries the common name for the berries that hold coffee beans wouldnt have been roasted as they are today, Wolinski said. The berries would have been fermented into something like a caffeinated cherry wine. But instead of the cherries that we know and eat, theyre coffee cherries that grow out in the world, Wolinski said. The story has stuck with him, and it became a topic of conversation when he, Rudolph, and another friend were hanging out one summer night a few years ago. We were sipping wine, talking, we had grilled out(doors) and hiked all day, and thought, Gosh, wouldnt this be fun to do? he said, which set experimentation into motion. Future tasting rooms? Once Wolinski and Rudolph have their cold-brew spirit ready, they plan on distributing through Fiasco, Wolinski said. Because Fiasco is licensed to distribute only in New Mexico, theyd have to find other distributors if there was any out-of-state interest. According to Wolinski, they are also in talks for two leases for tasting rooms: one in the Railyard and another in Eldorado. If the leases are signed by early summer and receive the required licenses, they hope that those locations could be ready to serve toward the end of the year. He said theyre pretty close to a deal with the landlords of the Railyards Market Station, specifically for half of the area of the long vacant, former Flying Star location. The restaurant left the Railyard in 2015 amid bankruptcy. Wolinski added that he heard Bosque Brewing could be tapped to take over the other half. Representatives from Bosque declined to comment last week. A spokesperson for Thorofare Capital, the California-based lender for the original Market Station developers who also filed for bankruptcy and which took over ownership of the building in early 2018, also had no comment. Final approval for tenants in the city-owned Railyard comes from the non-profit that manages the Railyard for city government. The other spot Wayward Sons is interested in is adjacent to Arable, a farm-to-table restaurant in Eldorados Agora Shopping Center. Wolinski said he wants to partner with Arable to make food for the proposed tasting room. He also mentioned the possibility of producing other non-coffee spirits as tasting-room-only offerings. One of those ideas, if the Railyard plan pans out, is to move a small piece of equipment there to distill gin on-site, utilizing Santa Fe Farmers Market botanicals. We just think it would be so cool to also have a project there thats only making Farmers Market gin in tiny, small batches, he said. At the Bisbee Court facility, Wolinski and Rudolph currently have two stills a small one, which they said can do about 15 gallons a batch, as well as a larger one that Rudolph said could produce a maximum of 70 gallons a day. They will produce at that kind of level only if people are buying it, Wolinski clarified. When talking about the scale of production, Wolinski emphasized that he and Rudolph are not setting out to make a monster of a company. Ive been in business most of my life; I dont need another big business per se, said Wolinski. I like the idea of having fun and creating something unique that hasnt been done. If were same old, same old, then why bother? LAS CRUCES More than 3,000 migrants applying for political asylum have been released in Las Cruces by the U.S. Border Patrol since April 12. The agency dropped off 175 people Thursday and 117 Friday, with 40 more expected by the days end, bringing the citys official total to 3,055. The agency began releasing the Central American migrants, who are legally applying for political asylum in the United States, in the city on April 12, stating that Border Patrol stations have been overwhelmed. Most of the asylum seekers require shelter for less than 72 hours before moving on to join family or sponsors in other parts of the country. The Border Patrol said Thursday that 53,000 family groups have been detained in the agencys El Paso Sector this fiscal year, compared with about 3,000 families during the same period last year. On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced temporary facilities would also be available at the grounds of Expo New Mexico, the site of the annual state fair. The Border Patrol is also opening a temporary tent facility in El Paso that will accommodate 500 people. Fewer need shelter overnight Only 24 asylum-seekers sheltered in Las Cruces on Thursday night, while others requiring overnight accommodations sheltered in El Paso at Annunciation House and El Calvario, according to the city. All asylum-seekers arriving Friday were to be delivered to Annunciation House as well. City spokesman Udell Vigil said a new temporary facility erected in El Paso by the Border Patrol was expected at least to reduce the numbers of asylum-seekers released in Las Cruces. In the meantime, preparations continued Friday as the city completed a safety inspection at a temporary facility it is leasing on Brown Road near Valley Drive. An unplanned expense The city is leasing the 5.76-acre property for $12,025 per month, but is not yet processing migrants there because internet and telephone service have been delayed by a lack of infrastructure at the property. The lease is for two months with an option to renew. In emails obtained through a public records request, the citys accounting department advised Dona Ana Countys office of emergency management the city had spent a total of nearly $61,000 on its humanitarian assistance efforts as of April 30. That was the same day the citys first payment on leasing the Brown Road facility was due. At a Las Cruces City Council meeting last week, when councilors approved transferring $500,000 to the citys health services fund to cover the expense of helping people dropped off by Border Patrol, councilor Gabriel Vasquez recommended the city seek federal reimbursement for the emergency aid. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Growing up, Ben Masters worked on West Texas ranches along the border where he developed a love for the outdoors and wildlife. The experience eventually led him to study wildlife biology and to become a filmmaker. But his interests shifted after the election of President Donald Trump and Trumps insistence that the U.S. erect a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Masters new documentary examining the diverse wildlife and landscape of the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border debuted this week at select theaters nationwide and on iTunes. The River and The Wall follows five people, including Masters, who take a 60-day journey along the Rio Grande from El Paso to Brownsville, Texas. They travel by foot, mountain bike, canoe and horseback to document the natural physical barriers that already exist along the 1,200-mile (1,931 kilometer) border. They also film wildlife and talk to U.S.-Mexico border residents who see the region as one and who oppose plans to build a wall in rural, isolated areas. Director Ben Masters said he got the idea for the film after getting frustrated over how the border region and the debate over immigration were being portrayed in media. A lot of things that have happened (in) my life have been near the border, Masters said. I wanted to go and see it personally before its potentially changed forever by a wall. What could transform? Centuries-old ecosystems, the migration of wildlife and human and economic relationship built over decades all are at stake, Masters said. And a border wall wouldnt just affect the Texas-Mexico border but the borderlands in New Mexico, Arizona and California that exist amid fragile ecological makeups. Producer Hillary Pierce said few people think of how a wall about change border life and she felt a cinematic trip to a region rarely explored would add another dimension to the debate. Viewers will see how existing walls, sometimes a mile (1.6 kilometer) from the border have hurt private farmers and ranchers. This is a virtual visit to the border, Pierce said. Its a chance for people to see it for themselves. The crew gathered footage while canoeing through dangerous rapids, pointing cameras at bighorn sheep and camping in the darkness. Drones and helicopter took images from the sky but most was shot from the ground. The U.S. Border Patrol assisted in giving the crew access to chained-off border land and agents were helpful. Pierce said the project took place before the Trump administrations controversial child separation migrant policy. Among those on the journey are Brazilian-born filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade and Guatemalan American outdoor guide Austin Alvarado. Both came from immigrant families who lived in the country illegally DeAndrade also lived in the country illegally for a time and travel along the border while thinking of the journey to the U.S. their own families took. Still, most of the time, the travelers were turning their cameras to the view around them and contemplating if they were viewing something about to undergo dramatic alteration. It was such a treat to have this experience, Masters said. Its a shame that we may be one of the last to do so. ___ Russell Contreras is a member of The Associated Press race and ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras WASHINGTON Beto ORourke now explicitly supports impeaching Donald Trump a stance he avoided since launching his own campaign for president. Were finally learning the truth about this president. And yes, there has to be consequences. Yes, there has to be accountability. Yes, I think theres enough evidence now for the House of Representatives to move forward with impeachment, he said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. This is our country, and this is the one chance that we get to ensure that it remains a democracy and that no man, regardless of his position, is above the law. The direct call for impeachment marks a shift for the El Paso Democrat, who has long favored impeachment but refrained from advocating for it or even mentioning it unprompted, as he did in on Friday. Twice as a member of the House, he voted against opening impeachment proceedings. As recently as two weeks ago, after the Justice Department released a redacted version of the Mueller report, ORourke was still treading lightly around the idea, insisting that it wasnt his place as a presidential candidate even to weigh in. Im going to leave that to those members of the House who as they review those findings can make that decision. But ultimately at this point I believe that this is going to be decided in November 2020, he told reporters in New Hampshire. He now joins a handful of Democratic White House contenders calling outright for Trumps impeachment. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the first to issue that demand, the day the Mueller report went to Congress. Sen. Kamala Harris echoed the call four days later. Former housing secretary Julian Castro called impeachment a reasonable response to the report. Mueller and his team cleared Trump of working with Russia to win the 2016 election. Attorney General William Barr has insisted that the report also exonerated Trump on obstruction of justice, though Mueller disputes that, and he sent his boss a scathing and extraordinary letter taking issue with the claim. A wave of Democratic candidates for the White House demanded Barrs resignation in recent days, including ORourke. The chorus to impeach Trump is smaller. Many Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, fear political backlash that could kill the partys chances in the 2020 elections. Its a topic that has bedeviled ORourke. In last years Texas race against Sen. Ted Cruz, he was the only Senate nominee in the country to openly favor impeachment, though he always approached the topic cautiously, and never broached it on the stump or in interviews until now. On Friday, he invoked impeachment in response to an open-ended question about his views on the Mueller investigation that made no mention of impeachment. Republicans say people dont care about the Mueller investigation, that its a closed deal. When they go to their districts, or people they represent, thats not what theyre hearing. What about you? asked The News Gromer Jeffers Jr., during a campaign stop in Fort Worth on Friday. How do you feel about the Mueller investigation and what should happen next? After averring that voters are focused on health care, education and job security, ORourke pivoted quickly, arguing that Trump has put American democracy at risk. Trump should face impeachment, he said, because he welcomed the participation of a foreign power into our election, that sought to sway that election in his favor and clearly obstructed justice in firing the principal investigator and prodding his attorney general to quash the investigation. Through lying and dissembling and creating such a climate of fear within the White House and government he almost got away with it, ORourke said. Impeachment is a formal accusation by the House followed by trial in the Senate, where conviction means removal from office. Last April, July and October, ORourke said he was ready to vote for impeachment. Cruz called him a partisan extremist so intent on driving Trump from office that he would risk a political circus. Last July, after Trump defended Russian strongman Vladimir Putin at a summit in Helsinki against allegations that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election, ORourke responded to a question from The News by saying: Standing on stage in another country with the leader of another country who wants to and has sought to undermine this country, and to side with him over the United States if I were asked to vote on this, I would vote to impeach the president, he said. But at the outset of his presidential campaign, launched in mid-March, ORourke distanced himself from the idea. I wasnt out there calling for it, he said in Iowa on the second day of his campaign, arguing that while hes sure that Trump has committed offenses that justify impeachment, Im not asking Congress to do one thing or the other. Both times ORourke had a chance to vote for impeachment, he voted against it: On Dec. 6, 2017, when the House voted 364-58 to kill an impeachment resolution from Rep. Al Green, a Houston Democrat, and again on Jan. 19, 2018, when the House voted 355-66 to kill another try from Green. Green is continuing to push for impeachment. ORourke left the House in January after three terms. Editors note: This story was updated with the correct spelling of former Justice Petra Jimenez Maes. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico Court of Appeals judges are under orders from the state Supreme Court to be at their desks working including evenings, weekends and holidays if necessary to clear a backlog of several hundred cases that has built up over several years. As part of a series of unprecedented case management orders, the Supreme Court in December found that the lower court had a persistent and historically large backlog of undecided cases, despite previous efforts to clear the logjam and noted that each of the 10 Court of Appeals judges needed to write at least four opinions a month. Not all the Court of Appeals judges were meeting that mark. The Supreme Court found that 108 cases were awaiting opinions in the Court of Appeals, with 41 of them past due. Another 286 cases were ready to be submitted for written opinions. The Court of Appeals has had huge turnover in judges since 2015, with 21 judges serving on the court during that time. Only three of the original judges from 2015 are still serving. Meanwhile, the disposition rate the percentage of cases completed in a fiscal year during that time dropped from 97% to just over 91%, meaning that cases were being filed with the court faster than the court could decide them. The new chief judge of the Court of Appeals, Monica Zamora, cited what she called unprecedented turnover as the reason for the backlog and questioned the underlying premise that judges were not coming to work or were not working hard. This could not be further from the truth and is an unfair assumption, Judge Zamora said in written answers to questions from the Journal. She has been on the Court of Appeals since 2012 and became chief judge in January. Other measures The Supreme Court took other steps to address the Court of Appeals backlog, in addition to the requirement that all judges be present and working. Retired Supreme Court Justice Petra Jimenez Maes was given administrative authority for the Court of Appeals. The normal rules for submission of cases for written opinions were suspended, and Maes was given authority to determine which cases would be submitted for a written opinion. Appeals Court judges were required to file no fewer than four opinions per month. In April, the Supreme Court, which significantly cut its own backlog of cases in the past couple of years, found the situation had stabilized enough that Maes was removed and administrative authority was returned to Zamora. But the high court kept its original case management order with some changes the second order increased the time allowed for filing written opinions from two months to three months. And there were still areas of concern. According to Maes report to the Supreme Court, all 10 appellate judges would have to file four written opinions a month to reduce the courts backlog. Only one judge, Linda Vanzi, has routinely been able to meet or exceed that pace. Zamora said, Our backlog was years in the making and will take time, commitment and resources to resolve. She said that, since she was given back administrative authority over the courts operations in April, judges and staff have been working on plans to handle the courts caseload. The goal is to dispose of cases through opinions faster than new cases are presented over the course of a year. That means if 100 cases come before the court, more than 100 cases would have to be completed to clear up the backlog. Additional factors In both of the Supreme Court orders there is language that calls into question how hard the Court of Appeals judges have been working. In December, the Supreme Court ordered that all Court of Appeals judges shall be physically present on a full-time basis in either the Court of Appeals offices located in Santa Fe or Albuquerque and shall devote as much time as is necessary to meet the case processing deadlines and requirements in this CMO (case management order), which shall include working evenings, weekends and holidays. The language in the April order didnt change much, ordering that all Court of Appeals judges shall devote as much time as is necessary to meet the case processing deadlines and requirements in this order, which shall include working evenings, weekends and holidays. There have been other factors in the backlog buildup. Judges who retired from December 2015 to February 2018 took reduced caseloads several months before leaving to allow them to complete their remaining opinions. Those judges, therefore, were not being assigned new cases, which added to the caseloads of other judges. The impact of such historic change in the composition of the court would be difficult for any institution to absorb, Zamora said. This predictably resulted in fewer opinions being filed and contributed to a historically high backlog. Also adding to the backlog was politics. Last year, four of then-Gov. Susana Martinez appointees to the Court of Appeals faced contested elections in November, which meant they had to mount political campaigns. The four male Republicans all lost to female Democratic candidates. A fifth Court of Appeals judge, Michael Vigil, ran for a contested seat on the state Supreme Court and won. From September through November last year, each of the five judges running in contested elections was assigned just one new case per month. When the four judges who lost re-election bids left the court in January, they had a total of 32 opinions considered overdue that were reassigned to the four new judges. A fifth judge was recently appointed to the court by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to replace now Supreme Court Justice Vigil. The Court of Appeals has been tracking its backlog longer than I have been on the court, Zamora said. We are undertaking a comprehensive review of our court to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our case processing, from the opening event for a case on appeal to the time an opinion is filed. Outside pressure Lawyers and their clients have long complained about how long it takes for the Court of Appeals to decide cases. But the court is also under pressure outside the legal community to clean up the backlog. The Legislature in 2018 increased funding for the court to increase the number of law clerks for each judge. But in return, the powerful Legislative Finance Committee will begin measuring the courts performance and issuing report cards starting in July. Internal reports filed with the Supreme Court show that until all 10 judges file four opinions a month, the backlog on overdue opinions will continue. Former Justice Maes reported that she had met with each judge on the Court of Appeals. They acknowledge that they must dispose of four cases a month if they are to receive four new cases a month. And they have not raised any concern with getting four new cases a month, Maes reported. This is doable because they each have two law clerks. Maes in a report to the Supreme Court in March said Appeals Court judges dont always control when their opinions are filed, because of internal steps required after the judge writes the opinion. She recommended that the Case Management Order continue until at least June 30. Many Americans were outraged by the recent headlines about a new law in Brunei that will allow for death by stoning for the crime of homosexual sex. Yet the criminalization of same-sex relations is still happening in more than 70 countries. At least six additional (countries) implement the death penalty for gay sex: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan and Somalia. Only five countries in the world Bolivia, Ecuador, Fiji, Malta and the United Kingdom have constitutions that explicitly guarantee equality for citizens on the basis of sexual orientation as well as gender identity. As hard-liner authoritarian political parties continue to gain popularity in Europe and around the world, we again see LGBTQ people being used as political pawns. Recently, Polands ruling political party brought LGBTQ discrimination to the forefront of the election there, claiming that the oppositions support for new LGBTQ-aware education is a threat to traditional Catholic values and Polish culture. Despite these steps backward, there is an opportunity here for the international community, and not just LGBTQ people, to play a role in securing basic human rights for LGBTQ people across the globe, and for the U.S. to take the lead. The Catholic Church and the United Nations can also play vital roles. Im sure many will scoff that I suggest the United States take the lead in advocating for gay rights across the globe. President (Donald) Trump banned transgender people from the military, stacked the courts with judges who have terrible records on LGBTQ issues and even refused to recognize Pride Month. But internationally, the issue of LGBTQ rights has been gaining steam, with notable support by the highest openly gay official in the Trump administration. U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell launched an international campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality as part of a response to the hanging of a young gay man in Iran. The U.S. could make this campaign much more effective by tying it to foreign assistance it gives to other nations. The U.S. government could deny some loans and credits and foreign assistance to any and all countries that criminalize homosexuality. This is not a new strategy for American foreign policy. In 2017, for example, we denied nearly $96 million in aid to Egypt due to severe human rights violations there. The Leahy Amendments, named after Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., prohibit the U.S. government from providing military assistance to foreign security forces that violate human rights. In many instances, the cut-off of aid worked. The U.S. government could specifically withhold security assistance to police or law enforcement entities that violate the rights of LGBTQ citizens, or even incentivize law enforcement and security forces to implement nondiscrimination training by tying aid to those programs. And we must continue to make sure that human rights violators, whether they be individuals or institutions, face severe consequences and justice in international courts. This policy would have widespread effects on countries in the Americas, Africa and the Middle East that rely heavily upon U.S. foreign aid each year. Top recipient countries where LGBTQ rights are often violated include Egypt $1.39 billion, and Afghanistan $782.8 million. If the U.S. takes the lead, we might see more action from the Catholic Church and the international community as well, particularly the European Union. Because so many of the worlds anti-sodomy laws began during colonization, the Church must remove its tacit approval of anti-gay teachings. There have been small steps made in this realm. Recently, a group of 50 international representatives traveled to the Vatican to urge the Church to declare itself in support of the decriminalization of homosexuality. I was among them. Religious leaders of all denominations should weigh in with policies that firmly and clearly urge all nations and peoples to repeal any and all laws criminalizing same-sex relations. Pope Francis, thankfully, has a very strong record of human rights and social justice. In 2014, the United Nations passed a resolution condemning violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Its time for the U.N. to go further and pass a resolution advocating for homosexuality to be decriminalized worldwide. When I was governor of New Mexico, I pushed for laws to make sure domestic partners were covered by health insurance and to expand our discrimination and hate crime laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. In America, some states are expanding LGBTQ rights despite federal inaction. Despite the Trump administrations lack of progress, there are a few issues where the U.S. can take a bold stance for human rights and fairness. I hope this administration can see that LGBTQ rights is one of them. Bill Richardson a former congressman, ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Energy secretary founded the Richardson Center for Global Engagement in 2011 to promote global peace and dialogue by identifying and working on areas of opportunity for engagement and citizen diplomacy with countries and communities not usually open to more formal diplomatic channels. Enrique R. Lamadrid describes his area of expertise as all the untold, forgotten stories. But the stories are family history to many New Mexicans. Lamadrid, a distinguished professor emeritus of Spanish at the University of New Mexico, has done ground-breaking research into genizaros descendants of Native American tribes who were taken as captive in the 1700s and 1800s and ultimately assimilated into New Mexican culture during his more than 30-year career at the university. His forthcoming book on the subject, Nacion Genizara, is due out this fall. Lamadrids decades of academic work and evolution into an authority in his field hasnt gone unnoticed. Last month, Lamadrid won the Enrique Anderson Imbert, a national prize from the North American Academy of the Spanish Language. It was like lightning out of blue sky, the 70-year-old scholar said of receiving the honor. The people on the list who have gotten (the award) are all-stars. I never think of myself as an all-star. I just do my work and have as good of time as I can. This is big for UNM. Its a huge honor and its a reminder of the diversity of our students. The academy said in a news release that the award was the most prestigious that it has granted since 2012. It is intended to recognize contributions to research, projects and publications on the diffusion of the Spanish language, literature and Hispanic cultures in the United States. Lamadrid describes his position at UNM as his dream job. Born in Embudo and raised in Albuquerque, Lamadrid did his undergraduate work at UNM before obtaining a masters and a doctorate from the University of Southern California in the late 1970s. He returned to UNM in 1985 as an assistant professor. These days, he holds the title of emeritus professor with an office at the UNM Press, which has published some of the books he has written throughout his career. This was the dream job, he said, coming back to my alma mater. Lamadrids research priorities and interests include Hispanic folklore, music and ethnopoetics. His resume includes 12 books, 26 articles and 23 book chapters, among other publications, and travels, including with UNM students, to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Central and South America. His books include Amadito and the Hero Children, a bilingual childrens book about influenza epidemics in New Mexico, and Nuevo Mexico Profundo: Rituals of an Indo-Hispano Homeland, in which he collaborated with photographer Miguel Gandert to document the rituals of people of indigenous and Spanish descent in New Mexico. Its a very old place and a very complicated place, he said of Hispanic studies in New Mexico. In the Spanish department (at UNM) there has always been a strong Latin American component and the New Mexico component. Hispanic culture is as strong (in New Mexico) as it is anywhere in Latin America, or anywhere where people are speaking Spanish. In announcing the award, officials with the Spanish language academy said Lamadrid should be recognized for his contributions to the knowledge of the Spanish language in the United States, including in New Mexico. His teaching profile is that of an educator of researchers who has trained his students in field work, joining theory with praxis to illuminate analysis and documentation, Carlos Paldao, the secretary of the competition, said in announcing the award. It is evidence that professor Lamadrid has made seminal contributions to the knowledge of the Hispanic cultural roots and heritage in the southwest United States. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal GALLUP Shawn Davis Benally, his hair freshly cut, is sitting alone at a table in the dining room of the Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services substance abuse treatment center. Hes trying to settle into a lunch of pasta, but he is excited and apprehensive all at once. Benally, 33, of Crownpoint, is about to complete the 90-day inpatient program at the treatment center here in Gallup, and, on this Saturday afternoon, he is expecting hoping for, needing a visit from his 10-year-old son. He has not seen the boy in two years. It all started with alcohol usage and doing drugs, blacking out and ending up in jail, Benally says. I want my son to see a different side of me from being high. Reentering the world Benally is one of 69 patients 39 men and 30 women enrolled in an RMCHCS program designed to help people end their addictions to alcohol and/or drugs and acquire the tools and skills necessary to get permanent jobs. People in the program can take adult literacy classes. They can do college-prep courses, said David Conejo, 74, chief executive officer of RMCHCS. If they come into our program, they can get a GED (General Educational Development certificate) in 90 days. We have a 100% success rate in getting people their GED. Some get so emotional they start to cry. They say, Ive never completed anything in my life. Many come into the treatment center from a life of homelessness and without any kind of official identification. The program gets them all the documentation they need to apply for a job and exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Bill Camarota, 55, special projects director for the substance abuse program and himself a former drug addict, said people have to be clean off drugs and alcohol for at least 48 hours to get into the treatment program, which consists of three stages. The first stage, Camarota said, helps people get adjusted to treatment and the second stage emphasizes education. The treatment center provides classes in time management, finance management, building healthy relationships, building self-esteem, job readiness, fatherhood and spirituality. There are art classes and an advanced ceramics program, a class in anger management, and instruction in family and nurturing. The third segment, the final 30 days of the program, is 20 hours treatment and 20 hours of work a week, Camarota said. It gets them ready to re-enter the world. During this third stage, patients take on jobs cooking, doing laundry, maintenance, sanitation, and other work at the center. When they graduate on Day 91, they are stable enough to get employment, Camarota said. But it doesnt stop there. A 120-day program afterwards offers continued support, supervised sobriety, the opportunity for additional education, and help to find housing and jobs. Conejo said that 40% of the 90-day patients are still sober after one year. But at 90 days or less, if you have no job and your family doesnt want you back home and someone says, Hey, you want a drink? Sure. For those who go through the four-month follow-up program, the percentage goes up to 74% sober after a year. New playgrounds James Castagnetto, 27, a man with a shaved head, fierce beard, quiet demeanor and a no-punches-pulled directness, grew up in Socorro. He was hooked on meth for six years, homeless for a year and a half and on this particular Saturday he had been in the substance abuse inpatient treatment program for two months. They have been teaching us how to deal with problems, the problems that come with life, he said. Apparently, he had been taking those lessons seriously, because he said his counselor had seen enough improvement to recommend that he leave the treatment center early. Actually, Castagnetto and other patients can leave any time they want. The program is voluntary. Its a treatment center, not a jail. Castagnetto, however, has advantages others might not. He has a place to go Socorro and ways to support himself. He has worked as a cook and has family in the paint and body business. Still, he understands that going home may be his biggest challenge, because he will have to give up his friends there, people he still cares about but who are still using meth. They teach you here that you have to change your playground and your playfriends, he said. He has got through tough patches before, however. Like getting treatment in the first place. People are afraid to look for help because they are afraid of how people will look at them, he said. I was afraid to come here. I didnt know what to expect. Full capacity Patients are referred to the treatment program by courts, probation departments, first responders, family and concerned friends. Some refer themselves. Applications for enrollment occasionally come from homeless people in Gallup who take part in a free Saturday morning breakfast provided by volunteers from RMCHCS and the Immediate Action Group, an organization, founded by Camarota, that cares for people living on Gallups streets. Conejo said the treatment program is open to anyone but that Medicaid pays for New Mexico residents who participate. Block grants, federal money funneled through the state, also support the treatment program. Funding for the 120-day work-rehab effort, which helps people transition from substance abuse treatment into jobs, comes from New Mexicos behavioral health investment zones program, which puts money into places of special need, such as the Gallup area. Gallup is in McKinley County, among the poorest counties in the country. Donations and RMCHCSs own fundraising efforts also help, Conejo said. A private, nonprofit organization, RMCHCS includes a 69-bed acute care hospital, three clinics and the substance abuse treatment center, located in a building seven miles from the main hospital. Conejo was chief executive officer of RMCHCS from 1983 to 1994, when he resigned to pursue other opportunities in the hospital industry. When he returned to RMCHCS as CEO in the fall of 2014, he took over a financial wreck of an institution. For all practical purposes, the hospital was bankrupt, he said. It was $2 million in debt. And RMCHCS had shut down the substance abuse treatment center that Conejo started in 1985. But Conejo got the health care service on a payment plan that is chewing away at its debt, and, in October 2015, he restarted the substance abuse treatment program, which is now functioning at full capacity. Recently, 29 people graduated from the inpatient program, but Conejo said that a block of people is always about to come in. We have treated more than 200 addicts since 2015, he said. Hogans and greenhouses As he walked through the treatment center, Conejo stopped at a door marked Gods Closet. A lot of people who come in here dont have clean clothes, he said. Behind the door are racks of donated clothes and boxes of kids books given to the center for children who visit patients. A gym is outfitted with weights and exercise machines, all donated. Classroom supplies and equipment are donated, too. Outside, on the treatment centers grounds are a hogan and a sweat circle lodge, because a lot of patients are Native American, primarily Navajo. This is especially important to Native American culture, Conejo said. A short walk away, Conejo pointed out a place set aside for building a greenhouse in which patients will grow beans, squash, lettuce, carrots and other vegetables that will be used in the centers kitchen, where all meals are made from scratch. Working in the kitchen, the laundry and other jobs during the final days of the inpatient program prepares residents for the 120-day work rehab program that follows. During the 120-day program, we help them find housing, we monitor their attendance at Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and we get them work, Conejo said. We raise money from contracts and fundraisers to pay our people in work rehab. Special projects director Camarota is in charge of work rehab. He may be helping people get lined up with a culinary arts program or taking people over to a work site, Conejo said. A man renovating a motel in Gallup hired nine of our people for demolition and kept five of them on for renovation. We contracted with the city to paint seven fire departments, and the money goes to pay our people minimum wage. Through its Community Work Service Program, the treatment centers work rehab clients are paid to do maintenance work in the Gallup community, such as clearing alleys of bushes and other overgrowth that had been providing cover for burglars breaking into nearby homes. People who had been part of the problem become part of the solution, Conejo said. We put them into jobs culinary, maintenance, city clean-up and from that into permanent jobs in 120 days. One Day At A Time Benally, his plate of pasta mostly untouched, says he plans to pursue the centers 120-day work program, maybe study welding at Navajo Technical University and get a job in the oil fields. He used to work in auto diagnostics and wheel alignment, he says, and he has been a team roper in rodeo. I was a header and a heeler, he says. I still have horses. Id like to get back to team roping as a hobby. He knows it wont be easy to reclaim what he lost through drugs and drink, that it will be a matter of taking it as the title of a poem he has written makes clear One Day At A Time. Pick yourself back up to continue on the fight, no matter what, One Day At A Time, and never let up. The best thing I have learned in this program is respecting myself and others around me, Benally says. My biggest problem was (not) accepting my mistakes and being in denial. But being in and out of jail made me realize I needed to look at myself and getting this treatment and stabilizing my life. My purpose is to get myself right with God again. But most important, now, on this day, he wants his son to see him sober. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico was poised this year to join a wave of states nationwide that are allowing victims of child sex crimes more time to report their perpetrators for possible criminal prosecution. A last-minute clerical error derailed that effort at least for this year. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she was forced to veto the legislation last month, because her legal team found a fatal flaw that would have given some victims even less time to report the crime than they have under current law. The bill cleared its final legislative hurdle on the final day of the session that ended March 16 and was sent on to the governor. Nobody caught it before, said the bills sponsor, Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces. If we had, it would have been an easy thing to fix. The governors veto message said she agreed with the premise of SB55, which was intended to extend the deadlines for prosecuting offenders who commit certain sexual assaults of children. But the version approved by the Legislature, Lujan Grisham wrote, fails to achieve this goal due to what is likely a technical drafting error. Under the new legislation, for example, prosecutions for second-degree criminal sexual penetration of a child could have commenced any time until the victim reached age 30 six years longer than provided by current law. But the flawed final measure also inadvertently reduced the statute of limitations for prosecuting criminal sexual contact of a minor to within five or six years after the offense. Under current law, the victim could be up to 23 or 24 years old, depending on the degree of felony, before a prosecution is barred by the passage of time. Steinborn said that in drafting revised legislation, someone forgot to include the offense of criminal sexual contact of a minor, which had been in prior versions. What was missing was the statute number, 30-9-13. The omission occurred particularly late in the session when people are tired, working long hours, making amendments and when its something of this importance, criminal law just has to be perfect, he said. The key advocate of the bill, a 17-year-old from Las Cruces, Abrianna Morales, told lawmakers in committee hearings that she is a victim of sexual assault that occurred when she was 15. That criminal case is pending trial. Thankfully, I was within the statute of limitations, she told the Journal last week. But very often, youth especially without financial independence or a car or even the knowledge of the legal system may not be able to report. And they dont know about the statute of limitations and they turn 23 or 24 and they are on their own and independent and they are able to maturely come to terms with what happened and want to report. But then theres this clock that ran out that they didnt even know was running. Reform movement Steinborn credits Morales, who has started a youth support network for sexual assault victims, for spurring him to introduce the measure to abolish the criminal statute of limitations for child sex crimes and abuse. Several other legislative attempts to extend such laws in New Mexico failed in recent years. But so far in 2019, 37 states and Washington, D.C., have been considering some type of statute of limitations reform involving child sexual abuse. Nine jurisdictions have passed such reforms this year, according to Child USA, a national nonprofit think tank dedicated to protecting children and preventing abuse. There is a national movement to eliminate statute of limitations, both civil and criminal, for child victim crimes, said Claire Harwell, legal director of New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Inc. So its not surprising that this is a moment in time when we did the best that weve ever done in terms of pushing this kind of legislation. Studies cited by her organization show that more than half, or 53%, of sexual assault survivors seeking services in New Mexico were under 18 years of age at the time of the assault. Researchers also estimate that between 60% and 80% of victims of child sexual abuse do not disclose their abuse until adulthood, indicating that many may experience prolonged victimization or never receive treatment or services. The literature is pretty clear that the vast number of folks who have these traumatic experiences as children dont disclose them until adulthood, Harwell said. Extending the statute of limitations, or eliminating it, she added, allows crime victims who dont have a shot at justice, a shot at justice. I feel like we owe people who we havent been able to protect as children access to justice as adults. Steinborn told the Journal he has learned that New Mexico has one of the weaker, shorter statute of limitations laws for sexual assaults of minors. Under existing law, there is no statute of limitations for first degree criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13. But for second degree, third and fourth degree child sex crimes, victims generally have a deadline from five to six years, depending on the felony level, after they reach the age of 18 or after they notify law enforcement. Steinborns bill didnt seek to change the statute of limitations period by which to file civil cases alleging child sexual abuse. Initial bill weakened Lujan Grisham, in her veto message, said she was optimistic that the error in this bill will be corrected and returned to my office for consideration during the next legislative session. How the measure would fare in next years 30-day session isnt clear. The original bill proposed by Steinborn sought to abolish the criminal statute of limitations for child sex crimes altogether. But during the committee review process, the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the New Mexico Public Defenders office opposed the original bill, arguing that the accused would have difficulty defending themselves at trial because of the passage of time. Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, proposed a compromise to permit such prosecutions involving victims up to the age of 35. That passed the Senate 25 to 14, but a House committee further reduced the age to 30. This is a significant issue that we grapple with, Ivey-Soto told the Journal last week. Personally, I sit right there in the intersection on how do we hold people accountable, but also have a system where people legitimately have a right to defend themselves? And 50 years later, its very difficult to be able to defend yourself. Advocates say victims of childhood sexual assault can keep memories of the trauma repressed for decades, sometimes never telling anyone. A recent federal prosecution of a former New Mexico Catholic priest, Arthur Perrault, led to his conviction April 10 on federal aggravated sexual abuse charges involving an 11-year-old altar boy who said he was repeatedly molested from 1991 to 1992. The former altar boy, now 38, testified that he didnt tell anyone of the abuse until 2014. There is no criminal statute of limitations in the federal system for such crimes committed on federal property. Through a spokesman, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas told the Journal, The legislature should not put deadlines on survivors of abuse seeking justice. While we were in favor of the initial version of SB 55, the later versions dramatically weakened key protections for child survivors. Balderas office in recent months has filed first-degree criminal sexual assault charges in state court against two former priests, one case involving the rape and kidnapping of a 6- to 7-year-old boy in the mid-1980s. The female victim in the other case was 9 years old at the time of the alleged rapes in the 1990s. Those cases can proceed because the two children were under age 13 at the time of the alleged crimes. Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Espanola, is a former magistrate judge who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. He voted against the compromise bill, saying, Its very easy to accuse, but to prove is another thing after so many years. Yet, at an earlier hearing, Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, told fellow members of the Senate Public Affairs Committee,If the evidence is not there, the charge isnt going to be brought. To see someone get away with this kind of crime because we put some kind of time limit on when they can be prosecuted is ridiculous and unconscionable. Debates over the future of health care in the U.S. took place in Congress and a courtroom in New Orleans last week. House Democrats squabbled over the issue of Medicare for All during a committee meeting, and the Trump administration and Republican state attorneys general filed papers with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supporting a federal district court ruling that struck down the Affordable Care Act. Democratic state attorneys general and the U.S. House appealed that ruling. There isnt much debate, however, among members of the New Mexico congressional delegation about their hopes for the future of health care. Four of the five Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Deb Haaland, all Democrats have either sponsored Medicare for All legislation or voiced support for it. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, also a Democrat, has not endorsed any Medicare for All proposal, her office said. And all five voiced concerns about the future of ACA, the fate of which could ultimately be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. First and foremost, weve got to protect what we have, and that is the Affordable Care Act, Heinrich said. If a decision to strike down the ACA is upheld, he said, it would destabilize the economy and leave thousands of New Mexicans without coverage. Udall voiced similar concerns, saying he was focused on protecting New Mexicans health care, and fighting back against this administrations repeated attempts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act and take away health care from hundreds of thousands of people in our state. If its struck down, Torres Small said of the ACA in an earlier interview, it would destabilize our health care system if an acceptable alternative is not in place. Heinrich said health care should be a right in a first-world country. He co-sponsored Medicare for All legislation with Udall last year, but he said he was open to exploring many options. Udall echoed sentiments about health care being a human right. While we have taken important steps to improve our health care system, insurance remains far too expensive for too many families, which is why I am a co-sponsor of Medicare for All legislation, Udall said. Lujan has sponsored legislation similar to the Medicaid Buy-In proposal considered by the New Mexico Legislature earlier this year. A state public option would make real strides in our fight for universal coverage, Lujan said. Thats why 14 states are already considering using a Medicaid Buy-In to close their coverage gaps and save families money. Weve seen tremendous progress around this idea in New Mexico. Critics of Medicare for All proposals raise questions about the cost. But members of the delegation believe Congress can find a way to pay for the programs. I believe we can take a similar approach to what we did for the Affordable Care Act, Lujan said. I believe we can do a better job than the Republicans did with the tax scam, which added more than a trillion dollars to the deficit. Udall said funding mechanisms can be debated in a responsible way, and revisiting the recently passed Republican tax bill which primarily benefited multinational corporations and the most wealthy Americans is a good place to start. Heinrich said concerns about the cost of programs should not keep proposals from being considered. Udall said studies show that a Medicare For All system would save people money compared to the insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs by reducing the rising prices of prescription drugs and other health care services and significantly lowering administrative costs throughout the system. Haaland agreed, saying Medicare for All would lower health costs, so no one has to break the bank to see a doctor. Scott Turner: sturner@abqjournal.com Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal When Kelly Rossi was called into a meeting at the District Attorneys Office in Las Cruces by her supervisors about a high-profile murder case, she said, she was told her appearance would help their case. You know we want a pretty, young prosecutor at the table. One of the defense attorneys is an attractive woman, and we want to make sure the jurys eyes are on our table, Rossi said she was told during the meeting with District Attorney Mark DAntonio and his Chief Deputy DA Gerald Byers in April 2017. Nothing had prepared me for that moment. Nothing had prepared me for the way it made me feel. It was humiliating, Rossi said in a recent interview. She became the fifth attorney in the DAs Office working on the case. Its just one example of the rampant sex discrimination, harassment and retaliation detailed in a lawsuit filed last week by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico on behalf of three women who worked as assistant district attorneys until last summer. A spokeswoman for the DAs office in Las Cruces did not return phone calls or an email from the Journal requesting comment on the lawsuit or allegations. The lawsuit alleges the 3rd Judicial District Attorneys Office violated the Fair Pay Act for women, the Whistleblower Protection Act and the state Constitutions Free Speech Clause. It was just really egregious behavior in an office tasked with protecting peoples rights, said ACLU New Mexico staff attorney Maria Martinez Sanchez. Rossi spoke to the Journal about her decision to join her former colleagues at the DAs office, Cassandra Brulotte and Rebecca Duffin, in bringing the lawsuit. I hope that, because of us speaking out and raising our voices, Im hoping future victims of Dona Ana County will be able to feel confident in the prosecutors handling their case and confident that the office is run in an ethical way, Rossi said. The lawsuit calls into question the DAs Office ethics and more with detailed accounts of the women assistant district attorneys being paid less than their male counterparts and facing retaliation when they raised concerns about gender discrimination to their superiors. I think it contributes to an office culture of impunity where no one is held accountable and theres no transparency, Rossi said. You can raise these issues but it will fall on deaf ears. The lawsuit alleges that the three women assistant district attorneys had heavier case loads but were paid less, were passed over for promotions and did not get raises like some of the male prosecutors, who had equal or less experience. The lawsuit is seeking damages including unpaid wages. The women also allege that they faced sexism on the job. Brulotte raised concerns with human resources after she was told to smile at everyone she passed in the office, according to the complaint. I didnt walk around smiling all of the time, because I was dealing with gender discrimination and 400 domestic violence and sexual assault cases, many of which were extremely upsetting, Brulotte said in a statement released by ACLU announcing the lawsuit. No male colleague I spoke with was ever asked to smile more. Brulotte and Duffin were suspended, then fired last summer after Byers ordered them to remove No Mansplaining signs from their office doors because the statement was sexist against men, according to the lawsuit. He also ordered Rossi to take a similar sign down. She resigned a few weeks after she was placed on administrative leave. Employees still have certain levels of free speech even when theyre on the job, Martinez Sanchez said. According to the lawsuit, Duffins replacement was a man who had a starting annual salary $16,000 more than hers but less experience, while Rossis replacement had less prosecutorial experience but started at $12,000 more a year than she was making when she left. The three women had a combined load of more than 700 cases, including violent felonies, domestic violence and crimes against children, said Rossi, who said she worries about the impact on victims and delays caused because the DAs Office lost three assistant district attorneys at once last summer. I think for the community, justice delayed is justice denied, Rossi said. People are impacted by the mismanagement of the office. And the gender inequality that is going on in this office just has wider ramifications. JERUSALEM Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to continue its attacks and to stand by for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israels destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gazas economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group was not interested in a new war. He signaled readiness to return to the state of calm if Israel stopped its attacks and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life. With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to U.N. tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to burnish its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. Hamas is the change seeker, said retired Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staffs strategic division. Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have every right to defend themselves. He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. President Donald Trump warned the Gaza militants that these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens. he tweeted. END the violence and work towards peace it can happen! The U.N. Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and U.N. mediation efforts. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often cooperates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes beginning Saturday. Islamic Jihad threatened to strike deeper into Israel, saying it is ready to engage in an open confrontation and can open a broader front to defend our land and people. By Sunday, the Israeli military said militants had fired over 600 rockets, with the vast majority falling in open areas or intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket-defense system. But more than 30 rockets managed to strike urban areas, the army said. Israeli officials said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli father of four, was fatally struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard in the southern town of Ashkelon. The other deaths included a 49-year-old man killed when a rocket hit an Ashkelon factory, a man who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, and a 35-year-old man whose car was hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod. Israeli police said 66 people were wounded, three seriously. In Ashkelon, the Barzilai hospital itself was hit by debris from a rocket that was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile. The Israeli deaths were the first rocket-related fatalities since the 2014 war, when 73 people, including six civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. The Israeli military said it struck 250 targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier, and put another brigade on standby. We have been given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting under current conditions, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 dead, including at least eight militants hit in targeted airstrikes. At least four civilians, including two pregnant women and two babies, were also among the dead. Late Saturday, the Palestinians said a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The army denied involvement, saying they were killed by an errant Palestinian rocket. There was no way to reconcile the claims. Among the militants who were killed was Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary, a money changer whom Israel said was a key player in transferring Iranian funds to the militant group. Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their 4-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. Sirens wailed along Israels border region throughout the day warning of incoming attacks. School was canceled and roads were closed. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Hamas seized control of Gaza from the forces of internationally recognized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite his fierce rivalry with Hamas, Abbas appealed to the international community to stop the Israeli aggression against our people. ____ Akram reported from Gaza City. Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed. CHICO, Calif. - A structure fire was reported in Chico on Saturday just before noon. The Chico Fire Department and CAL FIRE Butte County crews responded to the scene on Dead End Court. According to Chico Fire Captain Ken Smith, the fire appears to have been caused by a wiring issue involving an air conditioner. The homeowners had the air conditioner mounted on the shake-shingled roof. Captain Smith referred to those shingles as "a receptive fuel bed on the roof." He said smoke was noticed by a neighbor who sprayed the air conditioning unit with a fire extinguisher, keeping the situation in check until firefighting personnel arrived. Captain Smith suggests that as the summer heat picks up, people should get their air conditioners serviced by a quality, professional company. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration is energizing its campaign to counter China's growing global influence as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to Europe this week on a four-nation trip. The trip will also highlight disputes with Russia as well as deep U.S. isolation on the cause and impact of climate change. U.S. officials say Pompeo will renew warnings over the use of advanced Chinese telecommunications technology as well as blunt Beijing's aspirations to play a significant role in the Arctic. Pompeo departs Sunday, just hours after President Donald Trump threatened to boost tariffs on Chinese imports. Pompeo also plans to make Moscow's support for Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro a major theme of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday in Finland. (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press) PARADISE, Calif. - Hundreds of volunteers came together for the Comcast Cares event in Paradise. They came to the high school to clean it up so that students could have their graduation there this year, but provided more than just a beautification of the school grounds. On Comcast Cares Day, employees and their families and friends come together to make a difference. This year more than 500 volunteers came to Paradise High School to make their graduation day possible. The grounds of the school were damaged by the Camp Fire in November. Since then students have been going to school in Chico instead of Paradise. Paradise High School's principal, Loren Lighthall, said, "It's really important for the seniors to graduate here because their parents graduated here, their grandparents graduated from here... their friends did last year." Lighthall said students ask him every day if the field will be ready for their graduation. He said it's "super important to them." There are 238 seniors expected to graduate this year. Senior Class President, Garrett Malcolm, said that it means a lot to the students to be able to graduate at their own stadium in their own town. Comcast Regional Senior Vice President, John Gauder, announced that his company is donating a laptop computer to each graduating senior from Paradise. He said it was something they felt would create a lasting memory and ensure success in college and future careers. He called it a "lasting memory." Malcolm said he was not going to take the gift from Comcast for granted. He said he would be using his laptop for his studies. The students will have their graduation on the Paradise High School campus on June 6, 2019. PARADISE, Calif.-- More than 1100 flags in Paradise were stored at the Elks Lodge that was completely destroyed during the Camp Fire in November. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) raised nearly $2,000 to pay for the replacement of 85 flags for the town of Paradise. Saturday the flags were presented. The Town says the flags are a symbol of strength and a small step in helping them move forward. Paradise councilman and Chairman of the Paradise Parade of Flags Michael Zuccolillo said the annual Parade of Flags is a tradition that's been in existence for two decades. "Paradise is a town that respects our veterans and respects their service and know that many gave all. It's something near and dear to our hearts," said Zuccolillo. He goes on to say, "It wasn't something that was gonna die with the fire." The Parade of Flags will be raised again this Memorial Day on May 27th. By Cathy Jameson One of my kids shared that theyd overheard a vaccine conversation earlier in the day. They couldnt figure out what sparked the discussion. But, at one point while the other people were still talking, one of them turned to my child and said, Hey, your mom is anti-vax, right? I guess according to the medias definition, I am. But if you really know me, or care to dig a little deeper than believe a superficial label that the media brands me, I am more than just an anti-vaxxer. I wrote about that not too long ago. Depending on whos said it, being called anti-vax can be an insult. The way it was said toward my son most likely wasnt. I know that my childs peers didnt mean any harm while referring to Mrs. Jameson as "anti-vaxxer". They were just repeating what the news says about moms like me. Most of my kids closest friends respect me. Some even think that Im really nice! When they see me, they are respectful. When they see me with Ronan, they are even more courteous. They show only love toward Ronan. Seeing him and asking about him as many times as they have over the years has opened their eyes about autism, about the ongoing struggles he faces, and about his medical history which includes a vaccine injury. Because of their curiosity, which I always welcome, theyve come to know that based on our familys personal experience, we believe differently than they do about a few things. That includes vaccines. Liability-free vaccines are not as safe, effective, or life-saving as they and their families may believe. Vaccine injury is not their reality, and Im very grateful for that. I dont begrudge them for not knowing as much as we know, but I will always hope that they will politely agree to disagree with me, and my kids, whenever the topic comes up. Not too long ago, people were allowed to believe differently than their neighbors did without any drama. That practice doesnt hold true today. Nowadays, when people disagree on a topic, its grab the knives and pitch forks! Go after them! Ruin their reputation! Drag their name through the mud! Repeat lies about them! Thats become especially true when people, like parents like me, speak out against liability-free vaccines. Needing someone to blame for the rise in vaccine hesitancy, were attacked by industry spokespeople every time a vaccine story hits the news wire. It shouldnt be that way, but thats what I see going on. Like a spoiled child, the media and its backers want to blame someone else for something they cant control. They cant control parents who have become vaccine smart. Instead of finding fault in the US vaccine program (which is not perfect), in the US government (for their overreach), or in the vaccines themselves (which all come with risk), the media has chosen to blame all of the anti-vaxxers for all of the vaccine problems. Having the means and the platforms to build up communities, the media encourages the public to pit neighbors against neighbors, school children against school children, doctors against rightfully worried parents. The anti-vax are the ones responsible for all outbreaks even though some outbreaks have occurred in the vaccinated. The anti-vax are the ones ruining the herd immunity concept even though its just a concept and even though vaccination rates are high in several states. https://www.aish.com/jw/id/Grandson-of-Mengele-Twin-Moves-to-Israel-and-is-a-Paratrooper-in-the-IDF.html Eva Slonim was a victim of Mengeles horrific experiments in Auschwitz. Her grandson Ronens revenge is proudly defending the Jewish People. When Eva Slonim was a 12 year old girl, she was tortured by the notorious Josef Mengele in Auschwitz. Stories of her harrowing years in the Shoah and her defiant path to rebuilding her life after the war left an indelible mark on her grandson Ronen. Last year, at age 24, Ronen left his comfortable life in Melbourne Australia and moved to Israel where he is serving in the Paratrooper unit. From his army base where he is mid-way through advanced combat training, Ronen spoke to Aish.com about his life, his decisions and the relationship with his grandmother that has guided him every step of the way. I knew my grandmother had a story to tell Growing up in the leafy Melbourne neighborhood of Caulfield, one of five siblings, Ronen says he was in his teens when he first understood his grandmother Eva had an important story to tell. "We lived nearby, he says, I would visit every Shabbat and usually during the week as well. We talked about our lives, what was going on during the week. Sometimes, as Shabbat was drawing to an end and we were sitting together, she would open up about some of the things she went through." Eva Slonim showing he tattoo she received in Auschwitz-Birkenau, A27021 Eva Slonim, 88, was born Eva Weiss in 1931 to a religious Jewish family in the Slovakian capital Bratislava, then a major city in Czechoslovakia. Her father owned a successful textile business, she attended a Jewish day school and enjoyed happy times in what was then one of Europe's thriving Jewish communities. The second oldest of five children when Hitler rose to power, Bratislava was part of a protectorate which aligned itself to Nazi Germany. Amid a steady rise of anti-Semitic legislation and attacks, she witnessed her brother assaulted in broad daylight and her grandfathers front teeth knocked out when officials stormed into their family home. Her father was also arrested with no reason given, released two weeks later for a heavy ransom which her mother managed to pay. Understanding that things were only getting worse, the Weiss family separated and went into hiding, but their former nanny betrayed them. Eva was 12 in 1943 when she and her younger sister Martha, were deported to Auschwitz. Nightmare as a Mengele twin Guards at Auschwitz had specific instructions to pull identical twins from the crowds of confused arrivals at the camp. Although escaping the immediate death sentence that awaited most others deemed useless to the Nazi regime, these children were to become human guinea pigs at the disposal of the notorious Dr. Joseph Mengele. Although three years older than Martha, Eva looked very similar to her younger sister and they were pulled aside. It was under Mengeles cruel watch that she sustained a series of often daily examinations and injections leaving her weak and ill, as the so-called medical team at Auschwitz noted the daily effects of their tests on her. Never told the reasons of what was being done to her, she saw other inmates fall sick and die around her, never knowing what the next day would bring. On one occasion her number was called and she had four bottles of blood removed, leaving her already frail body on the brink of collapse and even more exposed to disease. Eva and her sister (center) united with other survivors pictured on their liberation By the time of her liberation she was suffering from tuberculosis, typhoid and dysentery. Together with her sister she was one of ten children photographed behind barbed wire by the Soviets as they liberated the camp on January 27 1945. It was to become an iconic image, which Yad Vashem later recreated, bringing together Eva, her sister and the other surviving children pictured beyond the barbed wire. Staying alive A member of Bnei Akiva, a Zionist youth movement from age six, Eva has said that even during her most difficult experiences a great love of the land of Israel kept her alive. It gave me enormous hope and aspiration to the future. It was something I could really cling to. She made a pact with God after seeing the horrific state of the inmates on her arrival to the camp. I saw women standing against a barbed wire fence looking emaciated, she said in testimony. They looked more like caged animals than humans. Terrified that she would become one of the inhuman mass of bodies she was looking at, Eva turned heavenward, One day, I will have a large family and try and rebuild all that has been destroyed, she said, But only if you dont deprive me of my feelings. After being liberated, both sisters were reunited with their parents, moving to Australia, far away from Europes blood-soaked shores. It was there that Eva kept her part of the promise. Rebuilding In 1953, aged 22, she married Ben Slonim, and together they set about raising a family built on the strong Jewish values Eva had remembered from her own childhood. "We joined my grandparents every Friday night, Ronen says, The Shabbat meals were full of singing and there was always a warm atmosphere. Judaism played a central role in our family. Before going into hiding, Evas father had buried a Torah scroll the family had owned. He managed to dig it up after the war and take it with him to Melbourne. "Every simcha the family had," Ronen says, "we would read from it in the synagogue. It still gives my grandmother great joy to hear one of her grandson's read from it." Eva Slonim My grandparents had a big influence on me when I was growing up, Ronen says. It was quite difficult to hear the things that she had been through, recalling that he sometimes woke up with nightmares. The stories of how she managed to stay connected to her Judaism also had a big effect on the way I saw Israel and the heavy role in its importance, he adds. He visited Israel with his family to mark his bar mitzvah. "It was a very special experience," he says, "especially to be there with my grandparents. There were lots of family and close friends there, and I read from a Torah scroll at the Western Wall." Dreaming of aliyah After finishing school, Ronen returned to Israel, this time to pursue his Jewish studies at the Har Etzion yeshiva south of Jerusalem where his love of Torah learning grew alongside his desire to one day make Israel his home. "It was something I thought a lot about then," he says but shelved for a few years as he returned to Australia to complete a degree in Economics at the University of Melbourne. Ronen with his aunt and grandparents "Id always thought that if I made aliya I would also serve in the army," he said. "But I was getting close to my mid-twenties. Realizing he was running out of time if he wanted to join a combat unit, it was Seder night during a family trip to Israel in 2017, when things finally crystalized. It was the moment I knew that Israel was where I belonged, he said. I told myself, enough, Im going to do this." Finding it hard to break the news to his mother, he wrote her a letter. "It was the easiest way to express it," he said, adding that the decision was made harder because his father had passed away when he was just 14. "She was very supportive," he said, adding, "Melbourne is a great place to live. I just wanted to be a part of what I saw and felt in Israel." Telling his grandmother he was leaving Australia was one of the hardest things Ronen says he has had to do. "We are very close; even now we speak every week and catch up. She is a big supporter of Israel and after everything she went through she is very proud to have a grandson serving in the army. Joining the paratroopers When he made known his plan to volunteer two years in a combat unit where he would be five years older than his commanding officers, Ronen recalls there were many naysayers. "You won't cope being told what to do by 18 year olds, people told me. But it hasnt been further from the truth," he says. "I have really bonded with the soldiers around me." Ronen with his younger brother. The only lone soldier in his unit, Ronen says, It is immensely satisfying and meaningful to be here. It is an honor to be serving in the IDF. I am privileged to be able to play a small part in protecting the Jewish People. When there are tough moments, I just have to remind myself of that." One of a handful of religious soldiers in his unit, he is given time to pray three times a day in accordance and says he always finds times to study Torah every day. "When we are on the base, I can do a little more, and when we are out in more rugged terrain, I may do a little less, but I always learn. It's become an essential part of me which I couldn't be without." Looking up at the stars. One thing that has always stuck in my mind from my grandmother's experience, Ronen says, was something her father told her before they separated to go into hiding. Who knows long it will be before we can speak to each other again, he told her. Every night, look at the stars and speak to them. Tell them your worries, speak about your day, whats on your mind, and Ill also look to the stars, and will do the same. This way we'll stay in contact." Those words, Gazing at the stars would later become the title of Eva Slonim's memoir, a chilling and inspiring account of her life before, during and after the Holocaust. The words have also left their mark on Ronen. "When Im training at night, trekking through terrain, he says, I often also look up at the stars. Sometimes I think about my grandmother and what she described, sometimes I think about my father and my family, and sometimes I just pinch myself wonderidng if this is all real. I am living a dream serving in the Israeli army." https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Cinco-de-Mayo-and-Jewish-Freedom.html The holiday marks Mexicos evolution into a haven for persecuted Jews. Sometimes mistaken for Mexicos Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo (5th of May in Spanish) marks the 1862 Battle of Puebla in which a motley Mexican army defeated the vastly better equipped forces of France - and changed Jewish history in Mexico in the process. American Cinco de Mayo celebrations can dwarf those in Mexico, where its a minor holiday in the state of Puebla. When Mexico gained independence in 1821, Catholicism was the formal and only religion allowed in the new Republic. Fewer than 30 Jewish families are on record as living in Mexico as late as the mid-1800s. Before independence, the Spanish Inquisition operated in Mexico, executing over 320 Jews. But the intense conservatism and religious hegemony of the Catholic Church was challenged in the 1850s when Mexico was wracked by a civil war, pitting arch-conservatives forces against liberal reformers. The resulting upheaval opened Mexicos doors to thousands of European Jews. In 1861, Benito Juarez, a lawyer who was a member of the native Zapotec tribe and a leader of liberalism in Mexico, was elected president. A reformer, Juarez angered Europes monarchs, especially when he defaulted on Mexicos ruinous debt repayments to their courts. Britain, France and Spain sent troops to Mexico. Britain and Spain reached agreements with Juarezs new government and withdrew their forces, but France, under Napoleon III, decided to seize the country and install an emperor to rule Mexico as a European vassal state. Benito Juarez France sent a well-supplied military force commanded by General Charles Latrille de Lorencez to the Mexican port of Veracruz. They took the port and sent Pres. Juarez fleeing, then set forth to attack the small town of Puebla de Los Angeles in the eastern state of Puebla. Pres. Juarez quickly raised a rag-tag army of 2,000, mostly from native Indian tribes, and the small, under-supplied army prepared to face off against Gen. de Lorencezs 6,000 well-armed men. The results were shocking: in only one day, on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) 1862, Juarezs forces defeated the French troops. The victory was minor from a military standpoint, but it energized Juarezs liberal cause and galvanized France to take drastic action. In 1864, Napoleon III installed the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. The Austrian-born duke set sail for Mexico, intending to rule his new home as a benevolent dictator. Unlike the conservative Catholics whod been ruling Mexico, Maximilian wasnt opposed to Jews, and several Jewish families accompanied him to his new home. One prominent Jew who moved with the new emperor was Dr. Samuel Basch, who was Maximilians official court physician and ran the Military Hospital in Puebla in Mexico. (He went on to have an eminent medical career back in Europe, and invented the forerunner of todays widely used cuff for measuring blood pressure in the 1880s.) Maximilian also issued an Edict of Tolerance, declaring that Jews from Germanic lands would be free of persecution if they moved to Mexico. For a while, these new Jewish residents debated establishing a synagogue, but eventually decided to hold services in a private home instead. Dr. Samuel Basch Emperor Maximilian I upheld Juarezs reforms, refusing to restore holdings that Juarez had seized from the Catholic Church, and abolishing debt servitude in Mexico. Yet he was backed by Mexicos arch-conservative forces, and fighting continued between France and Pres. Juarezs indigenous (and after 1865, US-backed) forces. Finally, in 1867, Pres. Juarez was victorious: he moved back to Mexico City and had Maximilian executed. Most of the European Jews whod moved to Mexico with Maximilian returned home, but Pres. Juarezs reforms soon made Mexico hospitable to a large Jewish community for the first time. Juarez recreated Mexico as a secular country. He seized church property and reformed the Mexicos constitution to allow freedom and liberty for non-Catholics. Some European Jews trickled into the country; in 1882, with the assassination of Czar Alexander II in Russia, that trickle became a stream, as Russian Jews sought a haven in the newly-liberalized Mexico. Juarez died in 1872. In 1877, Mexico underwent political turmoil once again when Gen. Porfirio Diaz seized power and declared himself president. Though autocratic and corrupt, Pres. Diaz did extend Mexicos welcome to European Jews, formally inviting Jewish bankers to move to Mexico from Germany in order to help stimulate the economy. These Jews, as well as their impoverished brethren fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe, would never have been able to find sanctuary in Mexico if it werent for the reforms established years earlier by Benito Juarez, hero of the Battle of Puebla on the Cinco de Mayo. In 1885, the first synagogue in Mexico was built in Mexico City. Interior of the Historic Synagogue Justo Sierra 71 located in the Historic Center of Mexico City. In the late 1890s, Jews fleeing violence and anti-Semitism within the Ottoman Empire joined their Ashkenazi brethren pouring into Mexico, and groups of Syrian, Turkish and Greek Jews set up communities and synagogues. In addition to Mexico City, the towns of Monterrey, Guadalajara and Tijuana became home to Jewish communities. By the 1930s, nearly 50,000 Jews called Mexico home; today, over 40,000 Jews live in Mexico, enjoying the freedom of religion first guaranteed to them generations ago in the aftermath of the Battle of Puebla. https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Inspirational-Quotes-about-Jews-and-Israel.html By non-Jewish writers, philosophers and politicians. On the Miracle of Jewish Survival: 1. The Jews present us with an outstanding spectacle: the laws of (the ancient kingdoms) of Numa, Lycurgus and Solon are dead; the far more ancient ones of Moses are still alive. Athens, Sparta, and Rome have perished and all their people have vanished from the earth; though destroyed, Zion has not lost her children. They mingle with all nations but are never lost among them; they no longer have leaders, yet they are still a nation; they no longer have a country and yet they are still citizens -- Jean Jacques Rousseau, French philosopher (1712-1778), Rousseau's private writings, quoted in La Religion de J.J. Rousseau by Pierre Maurice Masson (1906) 2. If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one quarter of one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the worlds list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it. The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greeks and Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they were gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, and have vanished. The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert but aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jews; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality? -- Mark Twain, American Author (1835-1910), "Concerning the Jews" Harpers Magazine March 1898 3. How is it possible this old fellow (Voltaire) should represent the Hebrews in such a contemptible light? They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this earth. The Romans and their empire were but a bauble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion in three quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and happily than any other nation, ancient or modern. -- Pres. John Adams, in a letter to Dutch jurist Francis Adrian Van der Kemp, dated December 31, 1825 On Israel: 4. If as may well happen, there should be created in our own lifetime by the banks of the Jordan a Jewish State under the protection of the British Crown, which might comprise three or four millions of Jews, an event would have occurred in the history of the world which would, from every point of view, be beneficial. -- Winston Churchill, future British Prime Minister, February 8, 1920 Illustrated Sunday Herald 5. Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom. -- Pres. John F. Kennedy, Message to Zionist Organization of America annual convention 1962 6. The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of earth and of heaven. -- Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister (1804-1881), Tancred or A New Crusade (1847) by Benjamin Disraeli 7. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity and the right to use whatever sea lanes it needs. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality. -- Rev. Martin Luther King, address to the Rabbinical Assembly March 26, 1968 8. A nation that cries and fasts for over 2,000 years for their land and Temple will surely be rewarded with their Temple. -- attributed to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), after he visited a Jewish synagogue on the holiday of Tisha BAv and witnessed Jews fasting and weeping for the destruction of the Temple 9. I have watched with genuine admiration the steady and unmistakable progress made in the rehabilitation of Palestine which, desolate for centuries, is now renewing its youth and vitality through the enthusiasm, hard work, and self-sacrifice of the Jewish pioneers who toil there in a spirit of peace and social justice. -- Pres. Herbert Hoover, private letter to Lewis L. Strauss on the occasion of the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, 1922 10. One of the proudest days of my life occurred at 6:12pm on Friday May 14 (1948) when I was able to announce recognition of the new state of Israel by the government of the United States. In view of the long friendship of the American people for the Zionist ideal, it was particularly appropriate that our government should be the first to recognize the new state. -- Pres. Harry S. Truman, recorded in secret meeting with Chaim Weitzman in the Oval Office, March 18, 1948 On Jewish Morality: 11. .I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing nations...I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty Sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization. -- Pres. John Adams, in a letter dated February 18, 1809, Letter to Dutch jurist Francis Adrian Van der Kemp (1783-1825) dated December 31, 1808 12. The moral teaching of the Jews and the practical example of their lives incomparably higher than the moral teaching and the practical example set by (others)...Judaism, by adhering to the moral principles which it professes, occupies a higher position than...everything that comprises the goals of our societys aspirations. -- Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer (1828-1910), "What is a Jew" essay published in 1891 13. The Hebrew is never a beggar; he always kept the law - lives by toil - often under severe and oppressive civil restrictions. (It) is also true that no race, sect or class has more fully cared for its own. -- Pres. Benjamin Harrison, addressing Congress on December 9, 1891, after a series of pogroms devastated Jewish communities in Russia On Anti-Semitism: 14. I am against preventing Jews from doing anything which other people are allowed to do. I am against that, and I have the strongest abhorrence of the idea of anti-Semitic lines of prejudice. -- Winston Churchill, addressing British Parliament in 1946 15. Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world. -- Winston Churchill, February 8, 1920, Illustrated Sunday Herald 16. When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. Youre talking anti-Semitism! -- Rev. Martin Luther King, speaking with students who complained about Israel, October 27, 1967 17. How dare you tell a Jew that their outrage is patently synthetic? How dare you demand that they lay bare their pain and fear on demand, for your personal evaluation? What other minority would you speak to this way? -- J.K. Rowling (via Twitter, August 26, 2018) https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/509182821.html Something fundamental happens at the beginning of this parsha and the story is one of the greatest, if rarely acknowledged, contributions of Judaism to the world. Until now Vayikra has been largely about sacrifices, purity, the Sanctuary, and the Priesthood. It has been, in short, about a holy place, holy offerings, and the elite and holy people - Aaron and his descendants - who minister there. Suddenly, in chapter 19, the text opens up to embrace the whole of the people and the whole of life: The Lord said to Moses: "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them, 'Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy.'" (Lev. 19:1-2) This is the first and only time in Leviticus that so inclusive an address is commanded. The Sages say that it means that the contents of the chapter were proclaimed by Moses to a formal gathering of the entire nation (hak'hel). It is the people as a whole who are commanded to "be holy," not just an elite, the Priests. It is life itself that is to be sanctified, as the chapter goes on to make clear. Holiness is to be made manifest in the way the nation makes its clothes and plants its fields, in the way justice is administered, workers are paid, and business conducted. The vulnerable - the deaf, the blind, the elderly, and the stranger - are to be afforded special protection. The whole society is to be governed by love, without resentments or revenge. What we witness here, in other words, is the radical democratisation of holiness. All ancient societies had Priests. We have encountered four instances in the Torah thus far of non-Israelite Priests: Malkizedek, Abraham's contemporary, described as a Priest of God Most High; Potipher, Joseph's father-in-law; the Egyptian Priests as a whole, whose land Joseph did not nationalise; and Yitro, Moses' father-in-law, a Midianite Priest. The Priesthood was not unique to Israel, and everywhere it was an elite. Here for the first time, we find a code of holiness directed to the people as a whole. We are all called on to be holy. In a strange way, though, this comes as no surprise. The idea, if not the details, had already been hinted at. The most explicit instance comes in the prelude to the great covenant-making ceremony at Mount Sinai when God tells Moses to say to the people, "Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), that is, a kingdom all of whose members are to be in some sense Priests, and a nation that is in its entirety holy. The first intimation is much earlier still, in the first chapter of Genesis, with its monumental assertion, "'Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness'. So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them" (Gen. 1:26-27). What is revolutionary in this declaration is not that a human being could be in the image of God. That is precisely how kings of Mesopotamian city states and pharaohs of Egypt were regarded. They were seen as the representatives, the living images, of the gods. That is how they derived their authority. The Torah's revolution is the statement that not some, but all, humans share this dignity. Regardless of class, colour, culture, or creed, we are all in the image and likeness of God. Thus was born the cluster of ideas that, though they took many millennia to be realised, led to the distinctive culture of the West: the non-negotiable dignity of the human person, the idea of human rights, and eventually, the political and economic expressions of these ideas: liberal democracy on the one hand, and the free market on the other. The point is not that these ideas were fully formed in the minds of human beings during the period of biblical history. Manifestly, this is not so. The concept of human rights is a product of the seventeenth century. Democracy was not fully implemented until the twentieth. But already in Genesis 1 the seed was planted. That is what Jefferson meant in his famous words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," and what John F. Kennedy alluded to in his Inaugural Address when he spoke of the "revolutionary belief" that "the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God." The irony is that these three texts, Genesis 1, Exodus 19:6, and Leviticus 19, are all spoken in the Priestly voice Judaism calls Torat Kohanim.[1] On the face of it, Priests were not egalitarian. They all came from a single tribe, the Levites, and from a single family, that of Aaron, within the tribe. To be sure, the Torah tells us that this was not God's original intention. Initially, it was to have been the firstborn - those who were saved from the last of the plagues - who were charged with special holiness as the ministers of God. It was only after the sin of the Golden Calf, in which the tribe of Levi did not participate, that the change was made. Even so, the Priesthood would have been an elite, a role reserved specifically for firstborn males. So deep is the concept of equality written into monotheism that it emerges precisely from the Priestly voice, from which we would least expect it. The reason is this: religion in the ancient world was, not accidentally but essentially, a defence of hierarchy. With the development, first of agriculture, then of cities, what emerged were highly stratified societies with a ruler on top, surrounded by a royal court, beneath which was an administrative elite, and at the bottom, an illiterate mass that was conscripted from time to time either as an army or as a corvee, a labour force used in the construction of monumental buildings. What kept the structure in place was an elaborate doctrine of a heavenly hierarchy whose origins were told in myth, whose most familiar natural symbol was the sun, and whose architectural representation was the pyramid or ziggurat, a massive building broad at the base and narrow at the top. The gods had fought and established an order of dominance and submission. To rebel against the earthly hierarchy was to challenge reality itself. This belief was universal in the ancient world. Aristotle thought that some were born to rule, others to be ruled. Plato constructed a myth in his The Republic, in which class divisions existed because the gods had made some people with gold, some with silver, and others with bronze. This was the "noble lie" that had to be told if a society was to protect itself against dissent from within. Monotheism removes the entire mythological basis of hierarchy. There is no order among the gods because there are no gods, there is only the One God, Creator of all. Some form of hierarchy will always exist: armies need commanders, films need directors, and orchestras, conductors. But these are functional, not ontological. They are not a matter of birth. So it is all the more impressive to find the most egalitarian sentiments coming from the world of the Priest, whose religious role was a matter of birth. The concept of equality we find in the Torah specifically and Judaism generally is not an equality of wealth: Judaism is not communism. Nor is it an equality of power: Judaism is not anarchy. It is fundamentally an equality of dignity. We are all equal citizens in the nation whose sovereign is God. Hence the elaborate political and economic structure set out in Leviticus, organised around the number seven, the sign of the holy. Every seventh day is free time. Every seventh year, the produce of the field belongs to all, Israelite slaves are to be liberated, and debts released. Every fiftieth year, ancestral land was to return to its original owners. Thus the inequalities that are the inevitable result of freedom are mitigated. The logic of all these provisions is the Priestly insight that God, creator of all, is the ultimate owner of all: "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you reside in My land as strangers and temporary residents" (Lev. 25:23). God therefore has the right, not just the power, to set limits to inequality. No one should be robbed of dignity by total poverty, endless servitude, or unrelieved indebtedness. What is truly remarkable, however, is what happened after the biblical era and the destruction of the Second Temple. Faced with the loss of the entire infrastructure of the holy, the Temple, its Priests, and sacrifices, Judaism translated the entire system of avoda, divine service, into the everyday life of ordinary Jews. In prayer, every Jew became a Priest offering a sacrifice. In repentance, he became a High Priest, atoning for his sins and those of his people. Every synagogue, in Israel or elsewhere, became a fragment of the Temple in Jerusalem. Every table became an altar, every act of charity or hospitality, a kind of sacrifice. Torah study, once the speciality of the Priesthood, became the right and obligation of everyone. Not everyone could wear the crown of Priesthood, but everyone could wear the crown of Torah. A mamzer talmid chacham, a Torah scholar of illegitimate birth, say the Sages, is greater than an am ha'aretz Kohen Gadol, an ignorant High Priest. Out of the devastating tragedy of the loss of the Temple, the Sages created a religious and social order that came closer to the ideal of the people as "a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation" than had ever previously been realised. The seed had been planted long before, in the opening of Leviticus 19: "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them, 'Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy.'" Holiness belongs to all of us when we turn our lives into the service of God, and society into a home for the Divine Presence. Shabbat shalom. NOTE 1. There is, of course, a prophetic call to equality also. We hear, in all the prophets, a critique of the abuse of power and the exploitation of the poor and powerless. What made the Priestly voice so significant is that it is the voice of law, and thus of the legal structures that alleviated poverty and set limits to slavery. CONNECT WITH THE CHIEF RABBI Download the Chief Rabbis new iPhone and iPad app via www.chiefrabbi.org for mobile access to his video study sessions as well as his articles and speeches. Alternatively, search for Chief Rabbi in the App Store on your iPhone. SUBSCRIBE TO COVENANT & CONVERSATION To receive Covenant & Conversation and other news from the Office of the Chief Rabbi direct to your inbox each week, please subscribe at www.chiefrabbi.org. Egypts state-owned Banque du Caire is reported to be preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) during the second half of 2019. The bank's chair, Tarek Fayed, was quoted by Masrawy on April 18 as saying that a stake of 20-30% would be floated. Fayed valued the stake at an estimated $300 million to $400 million, with EFG Hermes and HSBC serving as lead underwriters. Founded in 1952 as a commercial bank, Banque du Caires market share currently stands at 5% in terms of savings, according to Fayed, and at the end of 2018 it held assets estimated at 165.7 billion Egyptian pounds ($9.66 billion). By comparison, the National Bank of Egypt, the countrys largest bank in terms of assets, with 1.5 trillion pounds ($87.4 billion), has a market share of 29% in terms of deposits. Abdel Mottaleb Abdel Hamid, professor of economics at the Cairo-based Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, told Al-Monitor that the IPO is expected to be the largest in Egypt in the past 10 years. It will have a positive impact on the banking sector, the banks performance, the stock market and the economy as a whole, Abdel Hamid said. The IPO is well-timed and is in line with Egypts economic reform program. Abdel Hamid further asserted, Generally speaking, IPOs benefit corporations by boosting their assets and capital. The ultimate objective is to enhance performance, profitability and financial positioning in the medium and long terms. As for Banque du Caires IPO, the lender will highly benefit from injecting fresh liquidity into its capital base. Previous efforts to partially privatize Banque du Caire date back to 2008, Abdel Hamid said. At that time, President Hosni Mubarak's government had wanted to auction off the bank. Selling the entire bank to one strategic investor stirred public resentment back then, Abdel Hamid remarked. We [the public] opposed the plan in 2008, and the then-government scrapped the whole plan under public pressure. In October 2006, the Mubarak government had sold an 80% stake in the Bank of Alexandria to the Italian group Intesa Sanpaolo for $1.6 billion. However, the situation is different today, as the present government is [only] seeking to float up to a 30% stake in the lender on the stock market, while retaining the remaining [majority] stake, Abdel Hamid noted. The process is being handled with objectivity and transparency. Public Enterprise Minister Hesham Tawfik explained to Hapi on April 21 that the general rule is to sell off stakes in state-owned companies via IPOs to broaden the investor base and also to bolster the stock market. However, a sale to a strategic investor, for example, would be an exception based on the approval of the Cabinet, Tawfik told Hapi. The government has selected a number of state-owned firms to go public through listing on the stock market, where investors can buy and sell the shares in an open market, Abdel Hamid said. The market conditions are positive given the political stability and growing investor confidence in the Egyptian economy. Market sentiment has been improving since Egypt launched economic reforms in November 2016. In March 2018, the government announced plans to list 23 state-owned companies on the Egyptian Stock Exchange. Those listed were involved in the oil and petrochemicals, logistics, financial services, real estate and manufacturing sectors. The first round of IPOs included Engineering for Petroleum and Process Industries, the Middle East Oil Refinery Company and the Egyptian Drilling Company. The IPOs also included stakes in Alexbank, Misr Insurance, E-finance and the Housing & Development Bank. In March, the government floated a 4.5% stake in the Eastern Company, Egypt's largest producer of cigarettes. The World Bank reported in April that Egypts economic growth has recently been robust, averaging 5.3% in fiscal year 2017/18, driven by expansion in gas extractives, tourism, manufacturing, construction and information and communications technology. Egypt had launched a raft of economic reforms after signing a $12 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 2016. On March 21, Fitch Ratings upgraded Egypt's IDR, long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating, to B+ from B with a stable outlook. Retail and corporate deposits at the Banque du Caire had risen 7.5%, to 131 billion pounds ($7.63 billion), by the end of 2018, compared to the previous year's figure. In addition, the banks loan portfolio surged by 48%, to 66 billion pounds ($3.84 billion), for the same period. In a March 29 statement, the Banque du Caire reported that its net profit increased by 200%, to 2.5 billion ($145.7 million), in 2018, compared to 800 million ($46.64 million) in 2017. On April 23, Moody's upgraded long-term local currency deposit ratings for the National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire and Commercial International Bank, to B2 from B3, and their long-term foreign currency deposit ratings, to B3 from Caa1. The agency wrote in a statement on its website, The rating actions follow Moody's upgrade of the Egyptian government's issuer rating, to B2 stable from B3 positive, and reflect the improved economic outlook and stronger growth potential. Mohammed Jarrah al-Sabah, chairman of the Union of Arab Banks, said Egypts banking sector tops that of non-oil Arab countries in terms of assets, which stood at $304 billion at the end of 2018, and ranks fourth, behind United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in the Arab region as a whole. Separate murder investigations are underway after an elderly woman was found slain in her home early Sunday, and a man was found fatally shot just hours later across town. Birmingham police Sunday afternoon identified one of the victims as 84-year-old Hattie Evans. The name of the second victim has not yet been released. Birmingham East Precinct officers were dispatched just before 2:30 a.m. to a home in the 9000 block of Zion City Road on a welfare check, said police spokesman Officer Rod Mauldin. They gained entry into the home and found Evans unresponsive. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Mauldin said Evans had a head injury and the investigation determined she was the victim of a homicide. It wasnt immediately clear when she was killed. Investigators said the slaying was domestic-related. One suspect is in custody. Less than four hours later, police responded to the citys west side after a passerby discovered a man lying in a grassy area. Mauldin said police were dispatched at 6:09 a.m. to the 1100 block of Detroit Street near Wylam Park. The victim had been shot at least one time and was pronounced dead on the scene by Birmingham Rescue and Fire Service. Mauldin said they dont know yet when the deadly shooting happened. Detectives are canvassing the area for potential witnesses. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. ATLANTA Authorities say a roundup operation targeting child pornography suspects resulted in 82 arrests across eight Southeastern states. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Friday that 31 of the arrests occurred in Georgia. Most of them involved charges of possessing or distributing child pornography. The GBI said some were charged after making plans to have sex with people the suspects met online and believed were minors, but were actually law enforcement officers. About 170 agencies also took part in the crackdown that also included in Alabama, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The GBI said Operation Southern Impact III was planned for four months and the arrests came after three days of undercover operations, executing search warrants and other actions. Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today May 5 is Cinco de Mayo. The holiday officially commemorates the day in 1862 when the Mexican army, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza, conquered the French forces of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla. The victory provided a significant morale boost to the Mexican people and came to serve as a symbol of the country's spirit and perseverance. Today, the holiday is often confused with Mexican Independence Day, a totally separate holiday that occurs on Sept. 16 and marks the start of the war of Mexican independence from Spain. The Battle of Puebla pitted 2,000 Mexican troops against 6,000 French. At the end of the day, almost 500 French soldiers were killed while Mexican forces lost less than 100 men. The French retreated though it would take six more years - and more battles - to convince the French to exit Mexico. Cinco de Mayo - which literally translates to "May 5" - is not Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on Sept. 16, and marks the start of the war of Mexican independence from Spain. In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo celebrations were first held in California in the 1860s, marked among the hundreds of Mexican miners who had crossed the border to work in the west. The celebration spread as Hispanic culture grew in the U.S., getting a commercial boost in the 1980s when restaurants and bars began cashing in on the event. Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday in Mexico, though many schools close and a larger celebration is held in the State of Puebla, where the battle took place. Some of the largest celebrations in the U.S. are held in Los Angeles and in towns throughout the west. The day is commemorated with celebrations of Mexican cuisine, culture and music. Lena Sutton was separated from her spouse and staying with a friend on the night of Feb. 20, 2018, when her car was seized during a drug trafficking arrest in Leesburg. Sutton, however, wasnt inside the car and was unaware it would be used in connection with drug activity. To date, she hasnt been arrested nor charged with a crime. But her car has yet to be returned. Suttons story is now being highlighted in a federal class-action lawsuit believed to be the first of its kind in Alabama -- that questions the constitutionality of Alabamas civil asset forfeiture system. We believe its unconstitutional at a minimum of the Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth amendments, said Allen Armstrong, a Birmingham-based based attorney representing Sutton in the case filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Unconstitutional The case seeks injunctive relief for Sutton and anyone else who has faced a similar situation. According to the lawsuit, the number of potential plaintiffs is at least hundreds. The lawsuit names Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall as the defendant. His office declined comment Friday. The lawsuit challenges state law that allows civil courts to determine if an agency involved in the seizure can keep the property. The determination can be made even if a person, such as Sutton, is not convicted of a crime or even arrested. The lawsuit believes Alabamas law and processes are unconstitutional because it: -Fails to provide notice of and a meaningful opportunity for a hearing for someone whose property is seized by law enforcement, thereby violating the Fourth Amendment as an illegal search, and the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. -Fails to provide an opportunity for someone to challenge a seizure during prompt hearing before a neutral arbitrator. The state, according to the lawsuit, effectively holds onto the property indefinitely when it knows there is no meaningful opportunity for someone to contest the seizure within a quick time frame. The actual hearing on the merits of the forfeiture usually takes months, the lawsuit claims, representing more constitutional violations. - Allows state and local law enforcement agents, who directly prosecute civil forfeiture actions, to have a direct financial interest in the proceedings, the lawsuit claims, which is another constitutional violation. -Allows excessive fines -- a violation of the Eighth Amendment to occur in Alabamas system in two ways: Deprivation of property while its seized, and the costs to hire legal help to prove they have no connection to the crime. SPLCs role The lawsuits filing comes about three months after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against excessive police seizures involving a case out of Indiana. The unanimous court decision in Timbs v. Indiana stemmed from a case involving a small-time drug offender who had his $42,000 Land Rover seized by police despite claiming that his fathers life insurance policy, not drug money, was used to purchase it. The Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment, which limits the ability of the federal government to seize property, also applies to states. Emily Early, staff attorney with the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center, said the Supreme Courts decision put Alabama and other state and local governments on notice throughout the country: the government cannot impose excessive economic sanctions, especially when the government stands to benefit from the sanction. She said, To do so would be unconstitutional. The Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center in conjunction with the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, released a detailed analysis and powerful testimonials from victims of questionable seizures by police. The revelations were included in a report, released in January 2018, titled Forfeiting Your Rights. Some of the statistics from that report were included in the federal complaint. We are glad our investigation of civil asset forfeiture data is being used in ways that support the publics effort to fight back against the abuses of the practice in the Statehouse and the courthouses, said Early. Armstrong said the SPLC statistics, included within the lawsuit, were helpful in explaining our case, but noted that his legal team has conducted a lot of research regarding the issue. Barry Matson, executive director with the Alabama District Attorneys Association, declined comment about the lawsuit other than to criticize it for including the SPLC statistics which he claims are inaccurate. Pending legislation The DA association and other law enforcement groups, such as the Sheriffs Association, have long opposed major changes in the states civil asset forfeiture system. They are more supportive of requirements for more transparency in the system, and in April, Gov. Kay Iveys office announced a $38,336 federal grant to set up a statewide database to track property seized by police during arrests. Law enforcement remains opposed to legislation, in the Alabama state Senate, that would require a criminal conviction in order for seized properties to be kept by law enforcement. The legislation is SB191, and its sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, who pitched similar legislation last year only to see if fall short of approval amid opposition from law enforcement. Aside from loosening gun laws, no one issue in Montgomery has sparked more push back from law enforcement than Orrs proposal. Orr, on Friday, said hes faced similar resistance this session. About the same pushback, he said. The legislation, last year, was stopped State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, and chairman of the Alabama State Senate Judiciary Committee, said that law enforcement is more vocal against civil asset forfeiture reform than they are with prison reform. I dont think their opposition will change at all, in my opinion, said Ward. Regardless of this court case. Ward said while the Indiana case was supported by the Supreme Court, other cases in other states have failed. No one will be surprised the lawsuit was filed, said Ward. Jessica Purshock became an accused felon inside the place she least expected: a facility designed to protect her and others from the dark thoughts in her mind. Staff members in February 2017 placed her in a seclusion room at WellStar, a crisis center for some of the most seriously ill psychiatric patients in Madison County, said her mother, Marla Durkin-Pope. Purshock pushed on a door, which swung open, striking an employee. The employee pressed charges so administrators discharged Purshock from the facility to be booked and released from jail. Court records described the weapon as her hands, and the act as strong-arm assault. Durkin-Pope said her daughter just needed to go to the bathroom. They released her while she was still psychotic and I had to take her down to the police station and get an attorney so they could get charges on her, Durkin-Pope said. Thats when Purshock joined an increasing number of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Jails and prisons now treat more patients nationally than psychiatric facilities, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national organization that advocates for more state-funded treatment beds. Incarceration often leaves patients untreated and under stress, a combination that can aggravate psychotic symptoms. Durkin-Pope spent a lot of energy trying to keep daughter out of jail, but the place specifically designed to keep her mentally ill daughter safe failed to do so. Because shed been charged with a crime, Purshock couldnt return to the crisis center but remained dangerously destabilized awaiting a bed in a state facility as her case stalled in circuit court. Jeremy Blair, CEO of WellStone Behavioral Health, the organization that operates WellStar and other community mental health programs in north Alabama, said he couldnt comment about a specific case due to health privacy laws. He said employees dont typically file charges against patients but recalled an episode when a patient charged a door held closed by a nurse, forced it open and attacked the employee. But in that case, given the brutality of the attack, we did encourage her to file charges, he said. The door incident, documented in court records which dont describe the event in detail, set Purshock down a path from which her mother feared she might never return. In the two years after her assault arrest, she would be committed three more times including one four-month stretch at Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa. Each time she went off her medication, her delusions became stronger and her sanity more difficult to restore, Durkin-Pope said. Her brain is breaking, she said. When a brain breaks, police often pick up the pieces. They shoulder much of the burden for managing the fallout from psychiatric breakdowns, and they often do it with the tools they have arrest and detention. This sometimes sends patients on a track toward prison, where populations of mentally ill inmates have surged, and Alabama facilities have failed to adapt. After her arrest, prison became a possibility for Purshock, despite her familys tireless efforts to get her help. Early signs Durkin-Pope said she first noticed signs of trouble after she and Purshocks father divorced, around age seven. Purshock gained weight and became depressed after her parents split. Those low moods morphed into open rebellion as Purshock moved into her teens. She fought with her mother, stopped going to school and snuck out to meet boys. A child psychologist said she showed typical attention-seeking behavior, so Durkin-Pope emptied her savings to enroll her daughter in military school in a last-ditch effort to straighten her out. Purshock did well enough to graduate and enter college, but her behavior didnt improve. Periods of mania led to at least one arrest and two hospitalizations that her parents didnt discover until after graduation. Purshock picked up a marijuana habit she has held on to ever since, even though it worsens her symptoms. Durkin-Pope knew her daughter had problems but believed her youthful troublemaking would pass with time. Looking back it was clear her daughter had already become deeply ill. I remember she wasnt making any sense, and I thought she was high, Durkin-Pope said. But it was her mental illness. Purshock became homeless after college, drifting from couch to couch. In 2009, her mother discovered she had been hospitalized in Virginia. Doctors diagnosed her with bipolar disorder and prescribed trazadone, aripiprazole and Congentin. By this point, it was clear the family was facing something more serious than typical teenage defiance. Purshock didnt recover, so her father urged her to move closer to him in Florida for treatment. She found no peace in Florida, and instead encountered several men who preyed on her vulnerability. They assaulted her, adding trauma to her stew of psychiatric symptoms. In 2012, on a birthright trip to Israel, she suffered a full psychotic break. Psychiatrists prescribed lithium and sent Purshock home with a medical escort. Her symptoms had become undeniably serious and chronic. Her diagnosis shifted to schizoaffective disorder, an illness marked by hallucinations and mood swings. Delusions turned her Jewish faith into something unrecognizable a force that bestowed magical powers and placed her in grave danger. Even her rabbi couldnt understand her new religious ideas, which revolved around Kabbalah, a mystical discipline that mines Jewish teachings for connections between the physical and divine realms. Purshock went back into the hospital when she returned to Florida, for the fifth time. Her parents didnt know then that the cycle of mental health admissions was far from over. Already, the family had begun losing faith in the mental health system. This in and out, its insanity, Durkin-Pope said. The definition of insanity Durkin-Pope has become something of an expert on the treatment of psychosis, and the delusions and lack of insight that often render patients unable to maintain stability. Shes baffled by state regulations that seem to pit legal considerations against medical ones, allowing patients to cycle in and out of a system designed almost as much by the courts as the practitioners. Its not just an Alabama problem. Caregivers across the country routinely find that judges play as large a role in mental health treatment as doctors. Laws vary from state to state and enforcement can vary from county to county dictating the amount of time a person can be held in a treatment facility and defining which behaviors trigger forced hospitalization. In Alabama, patients can be committed for up to 150 days, a period that can be extended in the most serious cases. Lawmakers designed those regulations to protect patients civil rights. But sometimes they put vital services out of reach for the sickest patients. Lawsuits have upended psychiatric care across the county, beginning with a landmark case from Tuscaloosa involving a teenager, a tax cut and a renowned federal judge (see sidebar). The case, Wyatt v. Stickney, prompted the closure of state-run psychiatric hospitals for the most seriously ill patients. Legal rulings stopped the practice of using psychiatric hospitals as holding pens for misfits unwanted by families and communities, but it created gaps for former patients who needed intensive care. While many of those released from hospitals have thrived in the community, some ended up on the street or in jail -- often the sickest. Alabama prisons now treat more mental health patients than Bryce Hospital, the lone remaining state-run psychiatric facility. And the prisons have struggled under this burden. A federal judge in 2017 described mental health care in Alabama prisons as horrendously inadequate. After several encounters with police officers, a handful of arrests and now felony charges, Durkin-Pope worried her daughter could be headed that way. God bless her, this kid should not be out on the street, Durkin-Pope said. Back to Alabama For two years in Florida, Purshock existed on the fringes of society periodically staying with family or crashing with friends. She cycled in and out of the community mental health system, often for just long enough to become stable before leaving with prescriptions for Depakote and ziprasidone that went unfilled. In 2013, officials from the Social Security Administration approved her application for disability benefits. The psychologist who examined her found Purshock bright, verbal and enchanted by her delusions. I question whether this young woman will be reliably compliant with psychiatric follow up of any significant period of time, she wrote. Her mom moved her to Alabama in 2014 hoping for better access to care through the state system. She quickly encountered the same problems as Florida. Purshock was committed in June, released four weeks later and arrested in September for failing to produce an ID, and again for disorderly conduct. Another commitment followed in October, lasting five weeks. For years, the pattern continued: One month of hospitalization here, two months there. Gaps of medication refusal in between. Each time, Durkin-Pope believed treatment professionals released her daughter too soon, long before the 150-day maximum. A photo of Jessica Purshock on a recent birthday The revolving door of treatment and release is common all over the United States, said D.J. Jaffe, founder of Mental Illness Policy Org., a group that advocates for greater focus on people with serious mental illness. Mental health agencies face pressure for beds, which can increase turnover. Its called treating and streeting, Jaffe said. Theres actually a name for it. Durkin-Pope sought outpatient commitment for her daughter several times in Madison County, which would force her daughter to stay on medication or face hospitalization. Its available under state law, but rarely used in her county. Purshock has been under the care of community treatment teams, but they cant force her to take her medication. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that adults with mental illness can refuse treatment if they havent been committed. It creates a cycle that can be dangerous for the most seriously mentally ill. Madison County Probate Judge Frank Barger said its common for his court to see patients over and over again. I will say that for the last two years, more than half our hearings are folks we have seen at least one time prior, Barger said. I will say recidivism is very high. According to John Snook, executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, people with serious mental illness have a high risk of poor outcomes. If youre caught up in thus cycle of release and readmissions, you are more likely to die, to be victimized and be incarcerated, Snook said. His organization supports increased use of court-ordered treatment in the community. Patients who refuse to take medication face recommitment, which often keeps them on medication. Not everyone approves of such measures. Former psychiatric patients who survived brutal treatment in state-run mental hospitals often oppose forced treatment with powerful drugs, which can cause sleepiness, weight gain and even uncontrollable muscle jerks. In 2015, a breakthrough. Doctors prescribed the medication clozapine and Purshock agreed to participate in a court-ordered outpatient treatment program. She stabilized for almost two years, moved into an apartment and even got a part-time job waiting tables. Its the longest period without hospitalization in the log her mother keeps of her illness. Backdoor to treatment? Probate judges arent the only officials shaping mental health care. Alabama legislators approved deep cuts to system funding from 2008 to 2014 and shuttered all state-run psychiatric hospitals outside Tuscaloosa. Only three hospitals remain: Bryce, Taylor-Hardin for people accused of crimes, and Mary Starke Harper for geriatric patients. The state replaced state hospitals with satellite crisis centers designed to hold a maximum of 16 patients each for four months or less. WellStar, operated by WellStone Behavioral Health, is a prime example. Durkin-Pope said the system wasnt built for patients like her daughter, who arent in crisis, but suffer psychosis on a daily basis. Some budget cuts have been restored, but much of that money is earmarked for patients in the criminal justice system. People facing civil commitment who arent accused of crimes but may be dangerously ill occupy a shrinking share of state-funded beds. Mental health, at any level in the state of Alabama, is underfunded, Barger said. For Purshock, her collision course with the criminal justice system revved up again after she became pre-diabetic on clozapine. Her treatment team discontinued the drug, Durkin-Pope said. Her delusions returned and she landed in probate court again, facing her twelfth commitment hearing in a decade. Before she could be stabilized, she pushed open a door and hit a nurse. The alleged assault at WellStar in 2017 could have opened a backdoor to treatment through the criminal justice system but Purshock didnt qualify for that either. Despite the fact that the incident occurred during a psychiatric crisis, Purshock wasnt eligible for mental health court because she was charged with a violent crime. A plea of not guilty by reason of insanity couldve send her back to Bryce Hospital until she improved, but her attorney said it was unlikely in her situation. I hope they just dismiss the case, especially since it happened in a hospital, said her attorney, Jake Watson. In the meantime, other defendants in need of mental health care had a higher priority. Attorneys for the state recently agreed to speed up treatment for people waiting in local jails. In June 2018, the judge in her assault case approved a mental competency exam through the forensic hospital, Taylor-Hardin, but she hasnt received it yet. It really takes a more serious offense and someone detained at the jail Watson said. The state would be pushing harder if she was taking up space at the county jail. Purshocks case remained at a standstill. No trial could occur until her mental health improved. And her mental health couldnt improve until she received treatment. The last hospital After the alleged assault, Purshocks treatment team made a request to have her hospitalized at Bryce in Tuscaloosa. The state-run hospital has a waiting list for beds, so her transfer didnt occur until August 2017. Even though the hospital was further from home, Durkin-Pope was relieved, believing this put Purshock on the fast track for more assistance and maybe even a spot in a group home. She moved her daughter out of her apartment, found a renter, and began to breathe a sigh of relief. In January, Purshock began showing signs of improvement and employees at Bryce transferred her back to Madison County, and she spent four weeks at WellStar. But the transition didnt happen smoothly. They didnt coordinate her care, Durkin-Pope said. The local facility switched her drugs, Durkin-Pope said, and Purshocks condition deteriorated. Nine months after her release in January 2018, she was back at WellStar for four months. That hospitalization lasted until Feb. 12, her latest release. Durkin-Pope was out of town when her daughter was discharged, and when she visited several days later, Purshock was as sick as her mom had ever seen her. She paced the small living room, picking at a salad as a talk show played on the TV. My name is Raymond Paul Pope and where is Ricky? Purshock asked. They took away my gun rights in probate court, mom. My name is Detective Christopher Thornton. Right now, they have put me on drugs and are torturing me. You know what my job description is right now? Its torture. Despite constant rain, she had her windows open. Her aunt had spotted brown bananas resting on top of her lamps. Her mother had pleaded for weeks with her daughters treatment team at the crisis center to keep her inside, but instead she found herself back in a familiar place: Her daughters disheveled apartment where she tried to focus Purshock on the reality of her mental illness. The first step was keeping her daughter dry. As she strode across the carpet, Purshock geared up for a run despite the lingering drizzle from days of downpour. I am an exerciser, Purshock said as she paced the living room. Her thoughts, too, seemed unable to stand still. They came out in a flood. I just relocated, Purshock said. Im in IDF, Israeli Defense Forces. Im on active duty. Ive got the badge to prove it. Im a Russian spy, KGB. I speak fluent Russian. James Tucker is my attorney as well as Alexander Shunnarah. Im a spy, and I can get away with stuff. I have federal clearances. Her mom sighed. Jessica, youre not going to hurt anybody, said Durkin-Pope. No, maam, you are leaking information, Purshock said. A mugshot from an April arrest of Jessica Purshock, who has schizoaffective disorder Purshocks raving put her neighbors on edge prompting Durkin-Pope to preemptively call local police requesting she be notified if anyone called about her daughter. It was the only thing she could do to try to keep her daughter from taking another trip to jail. Cops [are] going to be called do you see? Theyre creating this crisis, Durkin-Pope said. Arrest or treatment Purshock also suffers from a common complication of psychosis anosognosia, which renders her unaware of her illness. She does not believe she is ill, rejects her medication and grasps tightly to her delusions. Durkin-Pope believes her daughter has learned how to repeat phrases that will get her released. The treatment team can do so whenever they decide she is not a danger to herself or others regardless of her grip on reality. Outside of a treatment facility, Purshock becomes unpredictable and vulnerable, and Durkin-Pope frets endlessly about her wellbeing. Every day, her mother reminds her to lock her doors, stay inside and take her meds. Yesterday I had to undress her and put her in the shower, Durkin-Pope said. She had been wearing the same clothes for two days. I washed her body, washed her hair. Put her jammies on. Its unclear how much registers for Purshock. In 2026 I will run for U.S. Congress and Im a prophet and I am not mentally ill, Purshock said in a phone message recorded by her mom. I will not go back to Bryce. I do not belong in Bryce. People who go to Bryce are people who have like really severe mental illness and they cant even take care of themselves. And Im not like that at all. Im a very advanced individual and I have got goals and dreams and aspirations. Durkin-Pope believes the mental health team has abandoned her daughter and she secretly recorded recent interactions. In a testy exchange with one of the WellStar practitioners, he challenged her to seek treatment for her daughter elsewhere before acknowledging Purshocks early release. Yeah, I let her out too soon, he said. The treatment team coaxed Purshock into receiving a shot of fluphenazine a promising treatment that can alleviate delusions for weeks at a time. Purshock shouted at her mother that the treatment was poison, but eventually relented after the team told her it was saline. If she was really ready to be released, they wouldnt have had to lie to her about what they were giving her, Durkin-Pope said. Blair, the CEO of WellStone, said the non-profit is working with probate court and the Treatment Advocacy Center to fully implement assisted outpatient treatment and change the law to expand it for patients in need. It could be a bridge for patients jumping from hospitals back into the community to keep them stable at home. Blair said it can be difficult to watch a loved one with mental illness relapse over and over again. Especially from a family perspective, its a very frustrating aspect of severe mental illness, hThe fluphenazine didnt work. Weeks after the shot, a neighbor called the police after Purshock began making a disturbance at her apartment. After she escorted officers into her apartment, police found a pipe for smoking marijuana and arrested her. It was April 6, less than two months after her release from WellStar. Durkin-Pope spent two days on the phone, trying to get information about her whereabouts the city jail or psychiatric wing of the county lockup. Purshocks mugshot captured this nightmare. She looks as wild and frightened as a trapped animal. I am afraid she will be hurt in there because she was spewing racial slurs at the neighbors and afraid she will do the same in jail, Durkin-Pope said. I am sick! Her mother has spent years trying to protect Purshock from her illness, but the consequences catch up to her over and over again. For Durkin-Pope, waiting until her daughter became dangerous postponed treatment until it was too late. Her latest arrests and readmissions joined a list Durkin-Pope has been compiling for more than a decade. Its not just a medical history its a log of the failures that have come to define Purshocks treatment. The trip to jail bolstered Purshocks paranoid convictions that she was being persecuted and held against her will. Her psychosis intensified and WellStone staff intervened to have her sent to Huntsville Hospital. They gave her some calming meds, Durkin-Pope said. I got like seven phone calls from her the day before. She was out of her mind. With each breakdown, it becomes more difficult to bring Purshock back to reality. Durkin-Pope worries she may never return. After six days, law enforcement and her treatment providers agreed she needed to return to Bryce. When Durkin-Pope saw her off, Purshock was still very sick shaken, scared and uncomprehending. I held her and she calmed down some, Durkin-Pope said. It was sad to see her so sick. A Gadsden police officer shot a man after the mans gun fired as police were trying to take the man to the ground Saturday night, according to Gadsden police. The incident started about 9 p.m. Saturday when police responded to a report of about 10 shots fired in east Gadsden at 14th Street and Robinson Avenue. Police responded and approached a man. The suspect refused to comply with the officers orders. Officers took the suspect to the ground and realized he had a hand gun during the scuffle. The suspects gun was fired and an officer returned fire. The suspect was wounded by the officers gunfire, said Sgt. John Hallman. The mans injuries werent life-threatening, Hallman said. No officers were struck by the shot fired from the subjects gun. Both the subject and officers received medical treatment. Per standard Department procedure the investigation has been turned over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and the officers involved have been placed been placed on administrative leave and /or non-enforcement duties pending conclusion of the investigation, Hallman said. Further details about the shooting were not immediately available. Wyatt vs. Stickney Ricky Wyatt was a 15-year-old patient at Bryce Hospital in 1970, when state leaders voted to cut cigarette taxes earmarked for mental health. The facility was already overcrowded and underfunded holding thousands of patients in conditions a local newspaper editor likened to concentration camps. Wyatt described employees who forced patients to fight and gambled on the results. Doctors zonked residents with shock treatment and high-dose anti-psychotics to keep them under control. Abuse became more common than treatment as staffing declined and patient loads increased. At the time, many patients remained there for life languishing behind the locked gates until their eventual burial in the hospital cemetery. The tax cut made an awful situation even worse. Lost funding forced reductions of 100 staff members. Wyatt struggled with behavior but had no diagnosed mental illness. His family, tired of his antics, had sent him to Bryce. Wyatt faced the prospect of spending his lifetime there without access to treatment that could help him lead a normal life. He became the face of a lawsuit challenging staff reductions by Mental Health Commissioner Stonewall Stickney. U.S. Judge Frank M. Johnson, who dismantled Jim Crow in Alabama from the bench with historic decisions in the Rosa Parks case, school desegregation and voting rights, recognized injustice. Johnson ruled in 1971 that all patients held involuntarily in state hospitals had a right to treatment that might enable them to regain their freedom. He created a set of minimum standards, including staff and treatment protocols, that raised the bar for treatment in Alabama. The ruling sent shockwaves throughout the country, as antiquated mental health care systems struggled to increase staff and modernize treatment. The standards set forth by Johnson created national templates for care. Alabama, which ranked 50th for funding, had the furthest to go. The state didnt meet all the requirements set by Johnson until 2003, three decades after the ruling. Wyatt v. Stickney remains the longest and most expensive mental health case in United States history. By the time the case came to a close, Alabama leaders had dramatically reduced the number of patients inside its mental institutions because the state couldnt afford to improve treatment for the thousands of people in its care. Instead, mental health authorities released most of them with plans to create community-based treatment. Bryce released half their patients by 1975 and over time, the number of patients inside Bryce shrunk from 5,000 to 400 saving the state millions of dollars. Wyatt, who was released from the hospital, attended the final hearing on the case that started when he was a teen. He was in his late forties when the case finally closed. Meanwhile in Florida Not long after the Wyatt case, a woman from Montgomery challenged the Constitutionality of the states civil commitment process. Judge Johnson ruled for the plaintiff. The standards for commitment had to be tightened so only those who posed a threat to themselves or others could be treated without consent. Patients after the Lynch case couldnt be held simply because they had mental illness, a huge change to the system that routinely locked up eccentrics alongside psychotics. Civil liberties groups and patients rejoiced. States created systems that could separate people with benign mental illness from those who had become suicidal or violent. Federal policies discouraged states from using long-term psychiatric hospitals by excluding them from Medicaid. Alabama adjusted its practices accordingly. In 1974, Judge Johnson replaced open-ended commitments with five-month maximums that could be extended if a patient continued to pose an active threat. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court again considered a mental health case from the South. The plaintiffs, two women in Georgia, had been held at a hospital even though treatment professionals said they could live safely at home. The pair filed lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a judge ruled they could not be segregated from the community without good reason. The ruling required states to provide services closer to patients homes. Alabama now has several regional mental health providers that do everything from group therapy to crisis hospitalization. Alabama created a set of rules for forced hospitalization deemed some of the strictest in the nation, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, which advocates for increased treatment for the seriously mentally ill, Its not enough for a person in the state to be considered a danger to himself or others, the patient must also be prepared to act. The requirements often require caregivers to wait while a loved one gets sicker and approaches the standards set by statute. According to John Snook, executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, the nation now has the lowest level of treatment beds in its history. At this point, its not even about stabilization, he said. Its just get them to where theyre no longer dangerous and get them out. Updated at 3:52 p.m to correct the case that changed Alabama commitment standards. Mobiles biggest industrial employer, Austal USA, has (probably) received the last order for its biggest product, and is gunning hard in what appears to be a winner-takes-all battle royale for its next big contract. But Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle, say the company's future isn't tied solely to the Navy's upcoming decision on a new frigate program -- and there's a recurring theme among industry reports that the Navy's seemingly clear-cut choice could play out in ways no one expects. "I think it's anybody's guess right now," Perciavalle said of how the Navy's evolving strategies will evolve from current expectations. Austal USA, with its workforce of roughly 4,000 people, has a big year ahead of it. Shipyard leaders expect to deliver LCS 20 to the Navy this summer. That ship, the future USS Cincinnati, will be the 10th Littoral Combat Ship delivered by Austal and it'll be followed around year's end by the 11th: LCS 22, the future USS Kansas City. Austal also plans to deliver EPF 11, its 11th Expeditionary Fast Transport. That big multipurpose catamaran, the future USNS Puerto Rico, was sponsored by Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. There will be other milestones along the way. Austal has a $16 million contract to do post-delivery work on the Cincinnati, and Perciavalle said that's a big deal because up until now, that work would have been done in San Diego. The year will bring a christening ceremony for EPF 12, the Newport. Toward the end of the year Austal USA will celebrate its 20th anniversary doing business in Mobile -- and it'll also hold a christening ceremony for LCS 26, the future USS Mobile. It has contracts in hand to keep its workforce busy for years. It's due to deliver its 14th EPF, the last of the transports currently on order, in 2022. It'll likely be 2025 when it delivers the last LCS on order, LCS 38, the future USS Pierre. But what then? FRIGATE FIGHT The deceptively short answer is that the Navy wants to add a new generation of frigates, called the FFG(X), to its fleet. Its decision about who will build them is coming up fast, and Austal is one of at least five contenders. Building up to 20 FFG(X)s could keep the winning shipbuilder busy until 2030. So at first blush it seems like a win would give Austal USA a decade of stability and a loss would be hard to shake off. Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle speaks at a December 2017 ceremony in which the first cut was made on metal that would become part of the future USS Mobile. At left is sponsor Rebecca Byrne, wife of U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne. (Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com)Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com But even the dispassionate Congressional Research Service, in a recent Background and Issues for Congress report on the FFG(X), couldnt leave it at that. Among the things it suggested that congresspersons might have to consider: New programs tend to run into delays, so maybe it might make sense to talk about ordering more LCSs just in case. Two shipyards (Austal USA in Mobile and Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin) are building the LCS, and if one of them gets the frigate deal the other might starve. If somebody else wins, they both might starve. So maybe it makes sense to think about picking one winner but letting two or three different shipyards build it. (This line of thought does not address the fact that Austal's specialization in aluminum multihull vessels probably wouldnt translate all that well.) Or maybe if Austal and/or Fincantieri Marinette lose, the Navy could let them build sections of larger ships, keeping them busy as "feeder yards" for other shipbuilders. The report also notes that they Navy's current wish list of 52 Small Surface Combatants (LCSs and frigates) and 104 cruisers and destroyers is subject to re-evaluation, with a new Force Structure Assessment due later this year. That assessment, according to the report, "may shift the Navy to a new fleet architecture that will include, among other things, a larger proportion of small surface combatants -- and, by implication, a smaller proportion of large surface combatants." So: Austal's mission, to win the frigate contract, is clear but the waters are murky. A lot of different things could happen. U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne said he thinks they're not murky enough for fresh LCS orders to be a real possibility, at least as things stand. Ive expressed my concerns with multiple Navy officials that the frigate might get delayed past Fiscal Year 2020, and they have assured me that everything remains on schedule for the award," Byrne said in a statement relayed from his office. "If the acquisition timeline holds, I dont anticipate any LCS funding in the 2020 defense bills. We will continue working to ensure Austals work at the shipyard continues and Alabama workers remain on the job. The office of U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, another LCS supporter, said that "Senator Shelby understands the need for a strong Navy and a robust U.S. shipbuilding industrial base. As Congress considers the Presidents budget request for fiscal year 2020, he is closely considering how the Navys shipbuilding plan supports those two goals." Austal's entry in the competition is a version of the LCS stretched to accommodate missile cells for the Navy's Vertical Launch System, a mainstay of current American naval firepower. The system can pack missiles designed to target aircraft, other surface ships and submarines, as well as ballistic missile defense weapons and cruise missiles that can hit targets far inland. Because the Navy's speed requirement for the frigate is lower than for the LCS, Austal's model drops the LCS' complicated Diesel/gas turbine/waterjet powertrain for a simpler one that relies on Diesels and propellers. Such available details may not be final. Austal and other builders have submitted their responses to a draft Request For Proposals issued by the Navy in March. It has been compared to a practice run: After mulling things over the Navy will issue a final Request for Proposals later this year and the interested companies will take their best shots. Perciavalle said that level of back-and-forth is par for the course, as the Navy refines its question before taking everyone's final answer. "We get that a lot, frankly," he said. "We have a very sound strategy to build the frigate as it exists today," he said. Meanwhile he feels that by delivering ships on time and within budget, Austal has been making the case that "we're a cost-effective solution." He also thinks that the company's level of productivity staves off the suggestion that splitting up the work would help the Navy get its ships faster. "They wouldn't need to go to anyone else because we can build them quickly," he said. The Navy plans to award the first frigate contract in September 2020. There's a lot of waiting before then. The trick is to wait productively. FLOATING SOME POSSIBILITIES Against the notion that the frigate is an all-or nothing deal, Perciavalle counters with at least three major arguments. The first is that the EPF program has a lot of potential room to grow. As a fast catamaran that can drop its own loading ramp -- capable of supporting a tank -- in shallow, unimproved ports, it's got a lot of built-in flexibility. Austal has either been pitching, or getting inquiries about, variants that include a medical version, a drone mothership and a minesweeper. An image from an Austal USA marketing brochure depicts an Expeditionary Fast Transport used as a medical ship. It shows an Osprey tilt-rotor craft on the ship's landing deck. (Austal USA image)Austal USA The interest around EPF and the discussions around EPF are the best theyve ever been, Perciavalle said. The medical version seems the most fully envisioned: An Austal brochure portrays it as having operating rooms, intensive care units and more. Perciavalle said the Navy isn't calling the notion a hospital ship, a designation that has been applied only to much larger vessels. That's fine. "I don't really care, I just want to build the ships," he said. "They can call it whatever they want." Related to that possibility, Austal is looking at ways to certify the EPF's landing pad to handle the V-22 Osprey. When the hybrid aircraft is in vertical mode, its exhaust is directed downward like blowtorch. It's hot enough to damage decking. This isn't an Austal-only problem: It's something the Navy already has had to contend with on amphibious ships. Perciavalle said that knowledge base should help resolve the issue on EPFs. A second key front is automation, something that Perciavalle said Austal is "leaning into right now." The Navy is keen to develop what are basically seagoing drones. Its concept of future naval warfare emphasizes the distribution of firepower, with crewed and uncrewed ships comprising a swarm whose sensors and weaponry are networked. An image from an Austal USA marketing brochure depicts potential Austal-built autonomous ships, one a trimaran like Austal's Littoral Combat Ship and one related to Austal's Expeditionary Fast Transport catamaran. (Austal USA)Austal USA Austals sales pitches indicate that it is developing concepts for autonomous ships that are driven by data analytics and incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning. It says its designs range from 30 to 110 meters; its brochure (yes, theres a brochure) depicts a mini-LCS alongside something that looks like a stealthy cousin to an EPF. "Could there be an EPF variant that's unmanned, or close to it? I think there's a good chance," said Perciavalle. "The technology exists." Perciavalle suggests a third major possibility for future work. The Navy plans to award the first frigate contract in 2020 but doesnt expect the ship to be delivered until 2026. On the face of it, that lag doesn't seem to jibe very well with the goal of building up the fleet to 355 combat-ready ships. So, what if: What if the Navy were to order a few up-gunned LCSs during the wait? Ships that weren't full frigates but carried some missile cells and other ordinance to give them a heavier punch than the standard-model LCS? The carrying capacity has always been there, Perciavalle said. "Maybe something in between," he said. "We certainly have a solution that is much more capable than what we're building now We can always put more on it, just tell us what you want." Perciavalle calls it the art of the possible -- coming up with proposals that might give the Navy ideas about new roles for the ships Austal builds, or variations that use the manufacturing capacity Austal already has in place. He isnt the only one, far from it: At industry gatherings such as Sea Air Space, the massive exposition taking place May 6-8 in Maryland, dozens of exhibitors will be displaying models, showing videos and handing out brochures advertising ships and systems that havent been built and maybe never will be, unless the Navy buys in. It's not that Austal has the answer to every question or that every one of its pitches are going to bear fruit. It's not that the company is immune from turmoil. (In January federal agents raided Austal USA's offices, apparently in working in conjunction with Australian stock market authorities looking into matters at Austal USA's parent company. Since then few details have emerged; Perciavalle this week reiterated statements that Austal USA is cooperating with investigators, but said he had no new information to share.) The point, according to Perciavalle, is that even as Austal USA strives to win the massive frigate deal, it has been working to insulate itself from the risk of pinning its future entirely on a winner-take all contest. It's suggesting different models of the EPF, an upgunned LCS, smaller automated ships. It's beginning to take on work like the post-delivery contract for the Cincinnati, a development Perciavalle said was "very significant and strategic." "We've been trying to get that to happen for a couple of years now," he said. He hopes to see more of it, and Austal is also stepping up its service role in San Diego, Seattle and Singapore. "So now you've got Austal being contracted as a prime [prime contractor] to do drydock work," he said. "Having that diversity in our portfolio certainly helps," he said. As always, Perciavalle makes a point of praising the Austal workforce for doing a "phenomenal job" of meeting the challenges it took to get the company this far. "It's an honor to work with the folks that work here," he said. And he continues to praise the state's political establishment for its support, starting with Byrne and Shelby, including Sen. Doug Jones and others in the House. "We've got a very strong congressional team here in Alabama. It's obvious and other people know," he said. "That's going to be super-critical for us going forward." How that political clout might shape the frigate process remains to be seen. It certainly looks like a win-or-lose proposition. But there are, to put it mildly, a lot of unknowns. "There's no doubt the program of record has a downselect to one," said Perciavalle, meaning the Navy plans to pick one design and go with it. But the LCS program also had a downselect, and it never happened. In the end, the program got divvied up between two builders and two very different designs. I think anything is possible, Perciavalle said. This is an opinion column. Alabama Democrats, if I were a bartender, Id tell you its time to take your friend home. There are hot mics everywhere and Rep. John Rogers cant stop talking into them. As a pro-life advocate, I was oddly grateful for Rep. Rogers first rhetorical bombshell (the second one was a humdinger, too), spoken in the house chamber as the body considered House Bill 314, which would ban abortion in the state in the vast majority of circumstances. In case youve been in an underground bunker with no wifi for the past week, he said: So you kill them now or you kill them later. You bring them in the world unwanted, unloved, you send them to the electric chair. So, you kill them now or you kill them later. And while the rest of the world fanned themselves to stave off fainting spells from the sheer brutality of the statement, I found myself thinking, Finallya Democrat willing to tell the truth about the fact that were killing children. Not a clump of cells, or a nebulous medical condition. Children. Were killing children. Thank you for stipulating to one of the fundamental facts necessary to an honest debate about abortion. And now that we all agree that were killing human beings, we can move forward to other important questions like: How inconvenient or unwanted does a child have to be to deserve the death penalty? Should we apply the same parental desire and economic considerations to other children? Surely there are some preschoolers out there who are a real burden to their parents. If being unloved or inconvenient is a deal-breaker, and being a human child is no excuse, these kids may warrant a second review, right? My tongue is only partially in my cheek as I pose these follow-up questions because thats how ridiculous this discussion has become. Abortion advocates routinely deny the scientific and rational reality of whats going on here, and expect us to engage with them in good faith about the law. But Rep. Rogers just blew your skirt up on the sidewalk, and try as you may to clamp it back down, weve all seen whats under there. You know what youre doing. Theres no sincere misunderstanding of the science here. You know youre taking the life of a child. You just think the rights of the mother are more important. To their credit, some Alabama Democrats, like US Senator Doug Jones, have condemned Rogers language. The question is, why haven't all of you? Ive long believed that abortion on demand creates a lazy attitude toward reproductive responsibility. When birth control is as cheap and readily available as it is in 2019, unintended pregnancy should be a very rare thing. But its not. Why is that? Because sexually active Americans are working with a safety net. And a safety net changes the amount of risk you are willing to expose yourself to. Ask a trapeze artist. As long as the abortion safety net is underneath every couple in the heat of the moment, some are going to roll the dice, knowing that if the worst happenstheres always the nuclear option. I know that some women find themselves pregnant as a product of abuse or rape, but that is a very small percentage of the number of unintended pregnancies wiped out by abortion. So to couch the whole debate in that minority circumstance is a red herring. So thanks again, Rep. John Rogers. Whether you meant to or not, you advanced the debate about reproductive responsibility and rights, and have stipulated to the most crucial fact: were killing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered massive strikes in the Gaza Strip after a two-day escalation that killed nine Palestinians and three Israelis. This morning I instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement after consulting with his security cabinet on Sunday. I also instructed that forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces, Netanyahu added, stoking fears of a ground invasion into Gaza. The new hostilities, which first broke out on Friday, flared on Sunday, with Palestinians fleeing Israeli raids in Gaza and air-raid sirens sending Israelis running to shelters as interceptor missiles blew up rockets from Gaza in the sky. Israeli media reported Gaza fighters over the past two days fired more than 400 rockets at towns and cities in southern Israel and that the Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted more than 250 of them. The government media office in Gaza said Israeli warplanes carried out about 150 raids, in addition to artillery-shelling targeting 200 civilian landmarks in the Gaza Strip, including residential buildings, mosques, shops and media institutions. About 40 Palestinians were wounded in the attacks, according to Gazas health ministry. Israel has waged three offensives on Gaza since December 2008. The last war in 2014 severely damaged Gazas already weak infrastructure, prompting the United Nations to warn that the strip would be uninhabitable by 2020. Inequality in the United States has reached such levels lately that even members of the one percent have started worrying. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates hedge fund who is ranked 57th wealthiest person in the world by Forbes magazine, quipped in a recent interview that capitalism is denying equal opportunity for the American dream. He said that he was a byproduct of capitalism when it also gave equal opportunity, adding I was very lucky to live the American dream by having the proper care and the proper public school education A number of things have changed. Former Starbucks CEO and prospective presidential candidate Howard Schultz, who prefers to be called a person of means rather than a billionaire (ranked 617th by Forbes), recently observed that the vast majority of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and declared that the next US president must urgently address inequality. CEO of JP Morgan Chase Jamie Dimon (ranked 1,717th) also noted earlier this year that: A big chunk of [Americans] have been left behind [] Forty percent of Americans make less than $15 an hour. Forty percent cant afford a $400 bill, whether its medical or fixing their car. Fifteen percent of Americans make minimum wages, 70,000 die from opioids. Indeed, the growing impoverishment and despair that are plaguing our country are hard to miss. The US also has the highest rate of income inequality among Western nations, with the top one percent claiming 40 percent of US wealth in 2016, in contrast to a 25 to 30 percent share in the 1980s. According to the rather conservative estimates of the US Census Bureau, around 14 percent of the population or 45 million live in poverty. According to the UN, 8.5 million of them face extreme poverty and 5.3 million suffer in Third World conditions of absolute poverty. But in reality, many more Americans struggle to secure a dignified life for themselves and their families. A damning report published by the UN in 2018 found that: High child and youth poverty rates perpetuate the intergenerational transmission of poverty very effectively, and ensure that the American dream is rapidly becoming the American illusion. The equality of opportunity, which is so prized in theory, is in practice a myth, especially for minorities and women, but also for many middle-class White workers. Perhaps parts of the American one percent are finally ready to admit that socioeconomic inequality has reached unprecedented levels and that the current status quo is unsustainable because just like South African billionaire Johann Rupert, the prospect of the poor masses rebelling is keeping them awake at night. They are now saying that capitalism needs work and are proposing various fixes mainly trickle-down philanthropy. Some have gone as far as suggesting that social provision should be enhanced and that the wealthy should be taxed. Yet all of them are quick to outright reject socialist policies. In a recent interview for NBC, Melinda Gates, cochair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and wife of the second richest man in the world, echoed the thoughts of many of the super-rich, saying that: What I know to be true is I would far rather live in a capitalistic society than a socialist society. But Gates is wrong. The current system in place in the US is not capitalism, but rather socialism for the rich which favours the one percent by granting it ever-increasing subsidies, exorbitant tax breaks, deregulation and executive bonuses. The rest of the population lives in an unfair system of inequality and segregation, struggling to make ends meet under severe austerity and erosion of labour rights. It is a system of survival of the fittest, which privileges some over the others based on race and gender. Economic growth now only uplifts the rich, who are able to control the distribution of wealth by influencing the government and making sure it serves their interests and maintain their power. Through the US system of legalised corruption, the wealthy funnel billions of dollars in donations to election campaigns. Unsurprisingly, the stop-gap fixes that people like Gates, Dimon, Schultz and Dalio are proposing are unlikely to work because they are designed to maintain the current system in place so they can continue to accumulate wealth unrestrained. The only viable solution that would prevent a major socioeconomic disaster in the US and subsequent social upheaval would be to overhaul the system. Solutions to economic inequality and the excesses of American capitalism are necessary to save capitalism from itself, or better yet, to save people from capitalism. There is an increasing number of dramatic proposals for economic justice that look promising. These include Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal, which envisions a national mobilisation to eliminate carbon emissions and transform the US economy, boosting economic growth and job creation, while seeking economic and racial justice for vulnerable communities. Ocasio-Cortez has also called for a 70 percent marginal tax rate on earnings above $10m. Congresswoman Elizabeth Warren has a plan to wipe out $1.5 trillion in student loan debt by levying a surtax on the ultra-rich, while Congressman Bernie Sanders has put forward a proposal for universal healthcare. The idea of reparations for slavery, which could help alleviate some of the racial inequality in the country, is also gaining ground. Although conservatives attack proposals promoting economic justice and equity as dangerous because they could lead to a totalitarian socialist system, such policies have long been a part of the US system. After all, the Green New Deal is named after the New Deal, which was introduced during the Great Depression to protect the poor, strengthen labour rights and impose strict regulation on the financial system. At the same time, Americans are increasingly in favour of a major overhaul of the system, due to the problematic and corruptive nature of the current one. Existing and proposed government programmes of economic redistribution and equity are popular. Socialism is also gaining popularity, even surpassing capitalism among Democrats, particularly millennials. Such policies, which translate into more democratic ownership and control over the government and greater public accountability, most certainly frighten the wealthy for their effectiveness and political popularity. If members of the one percent truly care about the widening wealth gap, they should not resist the implementation of these policies. An overhaul of the system might make them less wealthy, but ultimately will not be to their detriment. A profit can still be made if workers are paid dignified salaries, provided proper healthcare, and granted social and labour rights. Indeed the choice of the one percent is reduced to either living in a more equal and just society or facing the wrath of angry impoverished masses. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. TV footage shows plane making a crash landing with much of its rear part engulfed in flames. At least 41 people on board a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane were killed when it caught fire while making an emergency landing at a Moscow airport on Sunday. Television footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet-100 making the crash landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport with much of the rear part of the plane engulfed in flames. The harrowing video showed passengers leaping from the front of the burning plane onto an inflatable slide and staggering across tarmac and grass. At least two children were among the dead, Russian investigators were cited by the Interfax news agency as saying. Another 11 people were injured, said Dmitry Matveyev, the Moscow regions health minister. Three were hospitalised but they were not in a serious condition. The airport said in a statement the plane turned back for unspecified technical reasons and made a hard landing that started the fire. Investigators soon will begin interviewing victims, eyewitnesses, airport staff and the airline carrier, as well as other persons responsible for the operation of the aircraft, Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said. https://twitter.com/ArtemPetrovich/status/1125084222992060416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Seventy-eight on board News agencies said the Sukhoi aircraft, which had been flying from Moscow to the northern Russian city of Murmansk before turning back, was carrying 73 passengers and five crew members. As the aircraft was gaining altitude, about seven minutes into the flight and at about 10,000 feet, the aircraft started to descend, Anil Padhra, an aerospace engineer, told Al Jazeera. This shows that the pilots were aware that something was wrong with the aircraft. They knew that they had to get back to the airport. Ambulances are parked in front of Sheremetyevo Airport to take survivors to hospital on Sunday [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP] Citing an anonymous source, Interfax said the plane landed with its fuel tanks full because having lost contact with air traffic controllers it was too dangerous to dump its fuel tanks over Moscow. It attempted an emergency landing but did not succeed the first time, and on the second time the landing gear hit [the ground], then the nose did and it caught fire, the source said. The Flightradar24 tracking service showed the aircraft circled twice over Moscow before making the emergency descent and landing after about 45 minutes. We had just taken off and the aircraft was hit by lightning The landing was rough, I almost passed out from fear, the tabloid newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda quoted one passenger, Petr Egorov, as saying. The 51,000 tonnes of wheat in the Red Sea Mills could feed millions, but it first must be fumigated. A United Nations team has regained access to grain in Yemen that could feed more than 3.7 million people for a month, in a country gripped with the worlds largest humanitarian crisis but the cereal is partially infested and must first be fumigated, UN officials say. The team reached the grain store on Sunday. It is in the Red Sea Mills silos just outside the port town of Hodeidah near a front line area in Yemens four-year-old civil war. We lost access to this mill in September of last year, Stephen Anderson, the World Food Programme (WFP) Yemen country director told Al Jazeera from Djibouti. For months forces affiliated with the Houthi movement which control the port did not allow the UN to cross front lines to access the mills on the outskirts of the city. We managed to first gain access, despite repeated attempts in late February and at that time we could see that the grain was in an advanced stage of infestation, Anderson said. Brink of famine 190419120508897 An assessment at that time concluded that about 70 percent of the wheat may be salvageable. The WFP-led team is to begin work to save it. Theyre going to restart the mill and try to get the fumigation under way so that we can get this food out to people who need it most, Anderson told Al Jazeera. The war in Yemen has caused the worlds largest humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million people nearly 80 percent of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN said. Tens of thousands have been killed, and the country is on the brink of famine. It will likely take several weeks to mill what can be salvaged from the 51,000 tonnes of grain into flour and distribute it to the Yemeni communities most in need. We must have unimpeded access to this mill, Anderson said. We are scaling up to helping 12 million people a month so every bit of grain we can get is vitally needed at this time. The Houthis and the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi agreed in December to a UN-sponsored truce and troop withdrawal from Hodeidah. That deal has largely held but violence has escalated in some other parts of the country. Talks aimed at securing a mutual military withdrawal from Hodeidah have stalled despite UN efforts. Under the proposed withdrawal, a government retreat would free up access to the Red Sea Mills and humanitarian corridors would also be reopened. The warring sides would still need to agree on which road could be used to transport supplies from the site to recipients. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are leading the military coalition backing Hadis government. Activists call on Pope Francis to implement Vaticans zero tolerance policy for sexual abuse by clergy in Argentina. Pope Francis is being urged by campaigners to return to his homeland to deal with revelations of child sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic clergy. Two international campaign organisations are in Argentina to meet the victims. They are also calling for clergy involved in abuse to be removed from office and to be prosecuted. Al Jazeeras Daniel Schweimler reports from Buenos Aires. Following an international uproar, sultan says Brunei will not enforce death penalty for gay sex, adultery and rape. Bruneis sultan has extended a moratorium on the death penalty to new laws prohibiting gay sex and adultery after a global backlash against the punishments. The announcement on Sunday was Sultan Hassanal Bolkiahs first public comments on the new penal code since it fully entered into force last month. The laws, based on Bruneis interpretation of Islamic laws introduced stoning to death for sodomy, rape and adultery, amputation of hands and feet for thieves, and public flogging for abortion. The controversial measures, which the UN condemned as cruel and inhuman, prompted celebrities and rights groups to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Several multinational companies also put a ban on staff using the sultans hotels, while some travel companies stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination. 190222081216276 Bolkiah, in a televised address before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said he was aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the new penal code. As evident for more than two decades, we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law, he said. This will also be applied to cases under the [Islamic penal code], which provides a wider scope for remission. Convention against torture Muslim-majority Brunei operates a dual-track legal system with civil courts operating alongside Islamic law courts that handle issues such as marital and inheritance cases. Some crimes already command the death penalty in Brunei, including premeditated murder and drug trafficking, but no executions have been carried out since the 1990s. The sultans comments suggest this will not change with the introduction of the new harsh laws. Bolkiah one of the worlds wealthiest men also vowed Brunei would ratify the UN convention against torture which it signed several years ago. 151223180327602 The sultan first announced plans for the Islamic penal code in 2013. The first section was introduced in 2014 and included less stringent penalties, such as fines or jail terms for offences including indecent behaviour or skipping Friday prayers. But the introduction of the harsher punishments in the former British protectorate of about 400,000 people was repeatedly delayed after they sparked criticism. The sultans office released an official English translation of his speech, which is not common practice. He said the aim of both the common law and the Islamic law were to ensure peace and harmony of the country. They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals, he added. Children among those killed as government forces resume offensive against last rebel-held province in northwest Syria. At least nine civilians were killed in Syrian government air raids in northwest Idlib province as its forces and their Russian allies continued bombarding the last rebel-held stronghold for a sixth consecutive day. The attacks on Sunday took place in the towns of Kafr Nabl and Khan Sheikhoun, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets. Russian warplanes struck a hospital in Idlib provinces rebel-held village of Hass, knocking it out of service, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said. The opposition-run activist collective Baladi News also reported the air strike on the hospital, adding it was not clear if there were casualties. The Observatory said since the early hours of Sunday, Russian aircraft carried out more than 50 air strikes on Idlib and nearby Hama province. The latest fighting has killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands in Idlib and nearby rebel-held areas, who fled to safer regions further north. Its the heaviest fighting in months and has raised fears the government may launch a wider offensive to retake the countrys last major rebel stronghold. Attacks on hospitals and clinics in the past have preceded major government offensives on rebel-held areas, including the 2016 attack on the northern city of Aleppo and last years offensive on eastern suburbs of the capital, Damascus. Systematic targeting Two people killed in Kafr Nabl were Ahmed al-Rahal, 50, and Hussein al-Deiri, 38, who worked as a medic. Another seven lost their lives in Khan Sheikhoun, including a woman and two children, Ahmed al-Sheikho, spokesman for the Syrian Civil Defense in Idlib, told Al Jazeera. Syrian forces with Russian military assistance stepped up an aerial bombardment campaign on April 26. Since then at least 44 civilians have been killed, according to the group. In a statement, Syrian Civil Defense warned against what it described as a real disaster for civilians, who do not have access to safe areas for shelter. There is a systematic targeting of camps to which civilians resort escaping death, the group said. Terrorist positions Idlib is held by an array of rebel groups, including Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a coalition of fighters including those formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda. The province is home to about three million people and represents the last big piece of territory held by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The official SANA news agency said on Sunday that the Syrian army had targeted terrorist positions in Idlib and its surrounding areas. But the UN humanitarian coordinator said schools, health facilities, and residential areas have been hit and government forces are employing the worst barrel bombing in at least the last 15 months. Last year, the Syrian government, backed in the war by Russia and Iran, was poised to mount a major offensive into parts of the northwest, including Idlib and adjoining parts of Hama and Aleppo provinces, raising concerns of a humanitarian catastrophe. The attack was postponed after Russia struck a deal with Turkey that included the creation of a demilitarised zone in the region. Russia is the governments strongest ally and Turkey backs some rebel groups and has troops on the ground in the northwest. Turkey has been negotiating with Russia to halt the air raids with little success. State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying insurgents are preparing to launch an offensive on government-held areas, warning such an attack would mark the beginning of their end. Any action taken by the Syrian Arab Army is legitimate since there has been no commitment to agreements reached, a Syrian security official was quoted as saying by the government-run Syrian Central Military Media. Additional reporting by Mohammed Khalaf in Idlib Minister says Tehran is mobilising all resources to sell oil on grey market to bypass US sanctions on Iranian crude. Iran has mobilised all its resources to sell oil in a grey market, a top official said, after the United States told buyers of Iranian oil including China, India and Turkey to stop purchases or face sanctions. Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Irans deputy oil minister, told state media on Sunday that Iran will continue to export oil despite the US sanctions, which he said were neither just nor legitimate. The US moves, announced in April, are part of a maximum pressure campaign aimed at halting Irans ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power, including its support for conflicts in Syria and Yemen. They come after Washington withdrew last year from a landmark nuclear pact in which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programme and reimposed sanctions on exports of Iranian oil in November. At the time, eight of Irans largest oil importers were granted waivers from US sanctions to allow them time to find alternative supplies. Several countries expected those exemptions to be renewed, but the White House in a surprise move decided not to do so. The decision is aimed at cutting Irans oil exports to zero and depriving the government of its lifeline of $50bn in annual oil revenues. Serious decisions Tehran, however, remained defiant. We have mobilised all of the countrys resources and are selling oil in the grey market, state news agency IRNA quoted Zamaninia as saying. We certainly wont sell 2.5 million barrels per day as under the [nuclear deal], he said. We will need to make serious decisions about our financial and economic management, and the government is working on that. He gave no details about the grey market, but Iran is widely reported to have sold oil at steep discounts and often through private firms during sanctions earlier this decade. This is not smuggling. This is countering sanctions which we do not see as just or legitimate, Zamaninia said. Manouchehr Takin, a United Kingdom-based oil and energy consultant, said tankers loading Iranian crude could bypass US sanctions by operating under the radar and making it harder to track actual volumes of oil shipments. Within the sea trade, theres hundreds of tankers moving around here and there, and these vessels go to different ports, load and unload and so on. And tankers, when they get out on the open sea, they may switch off some of their signals so they would not be tracked, and then change names or papers. What the US is doing is illegal and to get out of it, Iran wants to do the best it can, he told Al Jazeera. Regret and concern On Saturday, the European Union, which has pledged to uphold the 2015 nuclear deal without the US, also voiced concern over the added US sanctions. In a statement, the EU and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain the three EU powers that led the initial nuclear negotiations with Iran said they took note with regret and concern of the decision by the United States not to extend waivers with regards to trade in oil with Iran. Turkey and China are the only two countries so far to have expressed a desire to continue large purchases of Iranian crude. Other major buyers, such as India, Japan and South Korea, have signalled they would bow to US pressure. On Saturday, Irans President Hassan Rouhani said Iran must counter US sanctions by continuing to export its oil as well as boosting non-oil exports. America is trying to decrease our foreign reserves So we have to increase our hard currency income and cut our currency expenditures, Rouhani said live on television. Last year, we had non-oil exports of $43bn. We should increase production and raise our [non-oil] exports and resist Americas plots against the sale of our oil. Separately, the US also acted on Friday to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant. Washington scrapped two sanctions waivers one that had allowed Iran to store excess heavy water produced in the uranium enrichment process in Oman, and one that allowed Iran to swap enriched uranium for mined uranium yellowcake with Russia. Highly enriched uranium can be used to fuel a nuclear weapon. However, Ali Larijani, the Iranian parliament speaker, said Tehran would continue low-level uranium enrichment to help produce electricity. Under the deal, we have not done anything wrong. We continue enriching, he was quoted as saying by the semi-official news agency ISNA. Iraqs Parliament has voted to ban several games including PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG), saying they harm society. Online computer gaming generates billions of dollars around the world and its popularity has also grown in Iraq. But parliament has now banned several popular online games, including the biggest of all time, Player Unknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG). The government says these games are harmful to society and a potential national security threat. Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford reports from Baghdad. Six Palestinians and one Israeli killed during latest flare-up between armed factions in Gaza and Israeli army. Israeli warplanes and gunboats continued to target the Gaza Strip on Sunday, as rockets were also fired from Gaza into southern Israel. The latest violence comes a day after at least six Palestinians, including a pregnant mother and her one-year-old baby, and one Israeli, were killed in tit-for-tat strikes and rocket attacks. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, said the escalation was far from over. This is potentially a dangerous and long, major military escalation, he said. The Israeli media is quoting senior defence sources as saying they expect this fighting to last some days. Speaking at the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to strengthen military forces along the Israeli border and to keep up massive strikes in response to the rockets. I have given the order for the air force and the artillery to continue bombing Gaza, he said. We will continue to work to restore security to the people living in the south. Hamas is responsible not only for its attacks against Israel, but also for the Islamic Jihads attacks, and it is paying a very heavy price for it, he added. Israeli media reported Gaza fighters over the past two days fired more than 400 rockets at towns and cities in southern Israel and that the Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted more than 250 of them. The government media office in Gaza said Israeli warplanes carried out about 150 raids, in addition to artillery-shelling targeting 200 civilian landmarks in the Gaza Strip, including residential buildings, mosques, shops and media institutions. About 40 Palestinians were wounded in the attacks, according to Gazas health ministry. One of the buildings destroyed had housed the Gaza bureau of the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency. We call on the international community to act swiftly in order to ease tensions that have increased due to Israels disproportionate actions in the region, a Turkish foreign ministry statement said. An explosion is pictured among buildings during an Israeli air raid on Gaza City [Mahmud Hams/AFP] On Sunday, the Israeli army denied that Falastine Abu Arar, the 37-year-old pregnant mother, and her infant daughter Siba, were killed by Israeli forces, instead blaming a misfiring of a Palestinian rocket. Two men, 22-year-old Imad Nseir and 25-year-old Khaled Abu Qaleeq, were also killed by Israeli air raids on Saturday night. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group said the two men killed overnight on Sunday, Mahmoud Issa, 26 and Fawzi Bawadi, 23, were members of its armed wing. A 58-year-old Israeli man was killed by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon, according to Israeli police. The North Korean leader oversees firing of tactical guided weapons into the East Sea, Korean Central News Agency says. North Korea conducted a strike drill for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military exercise supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the countrys state media reported on Sunday. The purpose of the drill was to test performance of large-calibre long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defence units, the Korean Central News Agency said. Giving orders on Saturday for the test firing, Kim stressed the need to increase the combat ability to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of North Korea in the face of threats and invasions, the report said. Photographs released by KCNA showed the tactical guided weapons fired could be short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, according to Kim Dong-Yub, a military expert at the Korean Kyungnam Universitys Institute for Far Eastern Studies. While such a missile launch would be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, at least it would not involve long-range ballistic missiles that have been seen as a threat to the United States. What was sobering for me was that unexpectedly, there was a photo of a short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, otherwise known as the Norths version of Iskander, said IFESs Kim, referring to a Russian ballistic missile system. The new, solid fuel ballistic missiles were able to fly as far as 500 kilometres, putting the entire Korean Peninsula within range, and were capable of neutralising the advanced US anti-missile defence system (THAAD) deployed in South Korea, the military analyst said. The South Korean defence ministry, however, put the range of weapons fired on Saturday at between 70km to 240km. Analysts interpreted the latest weapons test as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington. The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a Trump-Kim summit in February, when the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyangs concessions on its atomic arsenal. 6029974546001 But despite the latest sabre-rattling from Pyongyang, Trump insisted that a breakthrough was possible. Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it, Trump tweeted. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen! The US leader did not elaborate on Kims promise. The North Korean drill comes just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea for talks on Pyongyangs nuclear arsenal. 24 Palestinians and four Israelis killed as Israeli forces mass on Gaza fence, stoking fears of ground invasion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered massive strikes on the Gaza Strip after a two-day escalation that killed 24 Palestinians and four Israelis. Israeli warplanes and gunboats continued to target the Gaza Strip on Sunday as fighters in the besieged enclave fired a barrage of rockets into southern Israel. A 34-year-old Hamas commander was killed in what the Israeli military described as a targeted strike. An army statement accused Hamad al-Khodori of transferring large sums of money from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. He was the fifth Palestinian reported killed on Sunday. Other Palestinian victims included two pregnant women and three infants. In the Israeli city of Ashkelon, a 58-year-old Israeli man was killed after being struck by shrapnel from a rocket attack. Two other Israelis, critically wounded in a separate rocket attacks on a factory on Sunday afternoon, later died. This morning I instructed the IDF [the Israeli Army] to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement after consulting with his security cabinet on Sunday. He said he had also ordered tanks, artillery and infantry forces to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza, a move that raised fears of a ground invasion. Hamas is responsible not only for its attacks against Israel, but also for the Islamic Jihads attacks, and it is paying a very heavy price for it, Netanyahu added. A Palestinian man sits on the debris of a building that was destroyed in Israeli air attacks in Gaza City [Suhaib Salem/Reuters] Armed factions in Gaza, otherwise known as the Joint Operations Room, which include the military wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, vowed on Saturday to extend its response if the Israeli army continued to target the strip. Our response will be broader and more painful in the event [Israels] extends in aggression, and we will remain the protective shield of our people and our land, the Joint Operations Room said in a statement. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from the Israeli side of the fence with Gaza, said the escalation was far from over. This is potentially a dangerous and long, major military escalation, he said. The Israeli media is quoting senior defence sources as saying they expect this fighting to last some days. Israeli media reported Gaza fighters over the past two days fired more than 400 rockets at towns and cities in southern Israel and that the Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted more than 250 of them. Rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel on May 4 [Bashar Talib/Reuters] A rocket fired from Gaza hit a home in Ashkelon on May 5 [Amir Cohen/Reuters] The government media office in Gaza said Israeli warplanes carried out about 150 raids, in addition to artillery-shelling targeting 200 civilian landmarks in the Gaza Strip, including residential buildings, mosques, shops and media institutions. About 70 Palestinians were wounded in the attacks, according to Gazas health ministry. Gaza resident Um Alaa Abu Absa spent Sunday picking up broken glass and debris inside her property in the aftermath of the air raids. There was a lot of bombing, the neighbours were affected a lot, the street scene was indescribable, people were afraid and terrified and running, and everyone was looking for their children, nobody was able to see others, Abu Absa said. One of the buildings destroyed had housed the Gaza bureau of the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency. We call on the international community to act swiftly in order to ease tensions that have increased due to Israels disproportionate actions in the region, a Turkish foreign ministry statement said. The damaged al-Gussin apartment building after Israeli air raids in Gaza City [Anadolu Agency] On Sunday, the Israeli army denied that Falastine Abu Arar, the 37-year-old pregnant mother, and her 14-month old niece Siba, were killed by Israeli forces. Instead it blamed a misfiring of a Palestinian rocket. Two Palestinian men, 22-year-old Imad Nseir and 25-year-old Khaled Abu Qaleeq, were also killed by Israeli air raids on Saturday night. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group said the two men killed overnight on Sunday, Mahmoud Issa, 26 and Fawzi Bawadi, 23, were members of its armed wing. In the early afternoon, two more Palestinians were killed after an Israeli air raid targeted a group of people in the eastern Gaza City neighbourhood of Shujayea, the health ministry said. The men were identified as Bilal Mohammed al-Banna and Abdullah Abu Atta, said to be in their 20s. Shortly after, in what Palestinians have called the first targeted assassination since 2014, Israeli air raids hit the car of al-Khoudary, the Hamas commander, in Gaza City. Three other Palestinians were wounded on the attack. https://twitter.com/qudsn/status/1125007554373931009?ref_src=twsrc^tfw Dangerous escalation The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov called on all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months. I am deeply concerned by yet another dangerous escalation in Gaza and the tragic loss of life, he said. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of all those who were killed, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. The latest flare-up came after four other Palestinians were killed in two separate incidents on Friday. Two of them were shot dead during the weekly Great March of Return protests near the Israel-Gaza fence, while an air raid targeting a Hamas outpost killed two members of the movements armed wing. The Israeli army said the air raid was in response to a shooting that wounded two of its soldiers near the fence. An Israeli drone attack near a vehicle, which injured three Palestinians, preceded the barrage of rockets fired, our correspondent said. Palestinians inspect wreckage after Israeli warplanes targeted a building on the Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City [Anadolu Agency] Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. Following heavy fighting in late March, Israel agreed to ease the blockade in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. This included expanding a fishing zone off Gazas coast, increasing imports into Gaza and allowing the Gulf state of Qatar to deliver aid to the cash-strapped territory. However, Israel has not delivered on these agreements, and scaled back the expansion of the fishing zone at the end of April. Various reported understandings about easing economic restrictions, creating jobs, looking to improving electricity flow in Gaza theres been nothing on those lines, Harry Fawcett said. About two million Palestinians live in Gaza, whose economy has suffered from years of a blockade as well as recent foreign aid cuts. Unemployment stands at 52 percent, according to the World Bank, and poverty is rampant. Israel has waged three offensives on Gaza since December 2008. The last war in 2014 severely damaged Gazas already weak infrastructure, prompting the United Nations to warn that the strip would be uninhabitable by 2020. Surveys show the ruling Panamenista Party will lose power in elections marked by outrage over corruption allegations. Panama City Voters in Panama cast ballots on Sunday to elect their next president, 71 legislators, and hundreds of local government officials. The countrys 2.7 million voters are expected to vote the ruling Panamenista Party out of office in elections marked by widespread outrage over recent government corruption scandals. Businessman and former lawmaker Laurentino Nito Cortizo is the top contender for the next five-year term as president. For months, the Democratic Revolutionary Party candidate held a double-digit lead in most polls. We are very certain the people will ensure the triumph of Nito Cortizo, his campaign spokesperson Juvy Cano told Al Jazeera. Democratic Change Party candidate Romulo Roux trailed in second place in most polls. Rouxs campaign has focused on job creation and economic growth. Independent candidate Ricardo Lombana, a lawyer and journalist, was polling in third place. He is one of three independent presidential candidates this year, and hundreds of more independents are running for the National Assembly, the countrys unicameral legislature, and in local races. Corruption scandals implicating the past two administrations and all three main political parties have helped create favourable conditions for independent candidates, according to Harry Brown, director of the International Centre for Political and Social Studies, a Panamanian institute. There is going to be an important group of independent candidates that will get into the National Assembly, Brown told Al Jazeera. Panama has been marked in recent years by the Panama Papers tax evasion and corruption revelations, the Odebrecht construction conglomerates bribes and kickbacks to Latin American politicians, and a series of scandals involving nepotism and corruption in the National Assembly. The context of the scandals may boost independent candidates, but there is little substantial difference among the actual platforms of independents and the three main political parties, according to many analysts. We sum it up like this: in Panama, we vote but we do not choose, and we do not choose because there is no diversity of options, said Brown. Campaign restrictions Sundays general elections are the first since significant electoral reforms in 2017, which led to this years short two-month campaign period and increased regulation of campaign financing and reporting requirements. Campaigns have faced greater restrictions, but enfranchisement has not. Panamas 14,000 inmates can vote in 19 prisons around the country, albeit only for president. The election tribunal extended the validity of expired national identification cards to allow their use on voting day, and also permitted applicants for new ID cards to pick them up until the eve of the elections. 190503134100499 High voter turnout is expected, but indigenous and Afro-descendant Panamanians are underrepresented on the ballots, as are women. Fewer than 20 percent of candidates are women, and only one of seven presidential candidates is a woman. The quota is still not what we hoped for, Sharon Pringle, a member of Voices of Afro-descendant Women of Panama, told Al Jazeera. There are many qualified women. They are not taken into account, she said. The results of the presidential race are expected on Sunday evening. The president-elect will take office on July 1. Comments were the first suggesting Qatar would no longer grant visas to people from Egypt amid the two-year blockade. Qatar will not grant visas to those it considers enemies, the secretary general of the National Tourism Council said in reference to Egyptians seeking to enter the country amid an ongoing political rift. Speaking at an event to promote a summer tourism campaign, Akbar al-Baker, also the CEO of Qatar Airways, said on Sunday that Qatar would not let Egyptians enter the country to take part in promotions aimed at boosting its tourism industry. The visa will not be open for our enemies it will be open for our friends, al-Baker said of Egyptians looking to come. Are visas open for us to go there? No. So why should we open it for them? Everything is reciprocal. The comments were the first by a Qatari official since the nearly two-year rift began suggesting Qatar would no longer grant visas to people from Egypt, the most populous Arab country. Qatar has not said it would deport Egyptian residents already in the country and the comments did not suggest a policy shift that could endanger their status. Many Egyptians say the visa process has been effectively closed to them since 2017, with narrow exceptions made for the immediate family members of residents and for specifically approved events. The interior ministry was not immediately available for comment. Open arms Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the allegation. While citizens from the three Gulf states were recalled to their home countries because of the rift, Egyptians who make up the largest Arab minority in Qatar have remained and make up a sizable portion of the tiny but wealthy countrys workforce. Qatar has a population of 2.7 million but only about 300,000 nationals. A 2017 report by a private consultancy estimated Egyptians at 200,000. When you open your arms to Qatar, Qatar will open its arms even bigger for you. But if you become an adversary of Qatar, then we will also treat you as an adversary, al-Baker said. The Taliban assault killed 13 and wounded more than 50 police and civilians in Pul-e-Khumri city. Taliban fighters stormed a police headquarters in Afghanistans northern Baghlan province on Sunday killing at least 13 police with more than 50 people wounded, including 20 civilians, the interior ministry said. The assault began when a Taliban fighter driving a Humvee packed with explosives blew himself up at the entrance of the police compound in Pul-e-Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province, Afghan officials said. Eight gunmen rushed in after the explosion, setting off a gun battle that lasted more than six hours. Thirteen policemen were killed and 35 others injured, said Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry, adding that 20 civilians were also wounded. The complex attack on Baghlan police headquarters has ended with the death of all nine attackers, including the suicide bomber, he said. 190501061030851 Assadullah Shahbaz, a member of the Baghlan provincial council, said that local officials had sought immediate support from neighbouring provinces as the Taliban attack unfolded. The group often uses military vehicles captured from Afghan forces as car bombs. The Taliban has stepped up attacks on security installations to demoralise Afghan police and troops, even as it holds direct negotiations with officials from the United States to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. On Friday, US envoy for peace Zalmay Khalilzad, who is leading a sixth round of talks in Doha, said on Twitter that he told the Taliban that the Afghan people, who are their brothers and sisters, want this war to end. It is time to put down arms, stop the violence and embrace peace, Khalilzad posted. The Taliban responded by saying Khalilzad should forget about the idea of us putting down our arms. Instead of such fantasies, he should drive the idea home [to the US] about ending the use of force and incurring further human and financial losses for the decaying Kabul administration, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted. Also on Friday, an Afghan grand assembly, widely known as a loya jirga, ended with delegates demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire and a promise from President Ashraf Ghani to free 175 Taliban prisoners before Ramadan, the Islamic holy month that starts on Monday. The Taliban, seeking to restore strict Islamic rule, refuses to talk to the Afghan government which it dismisses as a US puppet. The group also rejected an invitation to the loya jirga, attended by 3,200 religious leaders, politicians and representatives from across the country, meeting under a giant white tent in Kabul. Intense fighting continues across Afghanistan with the Taliban controlling or influencing more territory than ever, since its ouster by US-led troops following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The US has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission, known as Resolute Support, that trains and assists Afghan security forces in their battle against the Taliban and other groups. Fuat Oktay says US concerns over the Russian-made defence system are not reasonable, adding Ankara will not back down. Turkey will never bow to US sanctions over its agreement to buy Russian S-400 defence systems, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday in reference to a deal that has strained ties between the NATO allies. Washington has said the S-400s could compromise the capabilities of its F-35 fighter jets for which it has a separate deal with Turkey and warned of possible US sanctions if Ankara pushed on with the Russian deal. Ankara has said the S-400s and F-35s would not affect each other and that it will not abandon the former. Speaking in an interview with broadcaster Kanal 7, Oktay said United States concerns on the issue were not reasonable and added that Turkey would not back down. Oktays comments come after Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned Friday that the Pentagon will halt manufacturing support for the F-35 in Turkey if Ankara buys a Russian missile defence system. If Turkey decides that the S-400 is a decision they want to go forward with, then we have to move work out of Turkey, he said. 181007205808578 Shanahan noted that he had met delegations from US aerospace manufacturers Lockheed Martin and United Technologies to discuss options if Turkey refuses to forego the S-400. As a member of NATO, Turkey is taking part in the production of the fighter jet for use by members of the treaty and has plans to buy 100 of the jets itself. A number of Turkish manufacturers are making parts and equipment for the F-35, including internally carried Standoff Missiles, airframe assemblies and wiring, leaving the NATO programme partially dependent on them. Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations with Turkey and has suggested that Turkey might be able to obtain a US missile defence system if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has insisted he will buy the Russian system. Helicopter goes down in mountainous area outside Caracas en route to military exercises led by President Maduro. Seven Venezuelan military officers were killed on Saturday when their helicopter crashed outside Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro said. The helicopter had left the Venezuelan capital heading to San Carlos in the countrys northwest when it went down in a mountainous area of the El Hatillo municipality, the defence ministry said in a statement. On Twitter, Maduro mourned the loss of seven worthy officers of the country, including two majors, three captains and two lieutenant colonels. The defence ministry said an investigation into the cause of the crash was under way. Maduro was in San Carlos on Saturday, leading military exercises with top brass and more than 5,000 troops. It was a show of strength against opposition leader Juan Guaido, whose attempt to launch a military uprising earlier in the week had failed. Guaido, the president of the countrys National Assembly, was continuing his efforts to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro. The opposition leader made a fresh bid on Saturday to rally the countrys armed forces behind him, calling on his supporters to march to military bases and barracks. But there was a small turnout for the marches, with participants in the hundreds, not the thousands. This was another setback for Guaido following a failed military uprising earlier in the week. Maduro on Saturday instructed the military to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this territory, this sacred earth. Underscoring the continued military support for his government, Maduro delivered his televised address from a base in the northwestern Cojedes state, where he appeared alongside defence minister, Vladimir Padrino, and in the presence of more than 5,000 troops. The United States has refused to take the threat of military action off the table in its push to oust Maduro although it so far has limited its campaign to ramping up sanctions. Guaidos cause gained renewed support on Saturday from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a video address to the Venezuelan people, telling them: The time for transition is now. You can hold your institutions, your military and their leaders to the highest standards and demand a return to democracy, Pompeo said in the message. The United States stands firmly with you in your quest. Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his re-election last year, and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into a political crisis that has deepened its already grave economic woes. But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of the powerful armed forces. I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honour, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armed forces, the president said, in his speech from the military base. Forty-eight parties will appear on South Africas national ballot on Wednesday, 19 more than those registered in 2014. Soweto, South Africa At a packed Orlando Stadium, the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wrapped up a weekend of mass rallies by the three main political parties ahead of crucial general elections on Wednesday. The EFFs firebrand leader, Julius Malema, reeled off a list of the ruling African National Congresss (ANC) perceived failures on Sunday on everything from education to land redistribution to a rapt audience, encouraging his partys followers to vote for the hope of the hopeless masses at the polls. Malema also repeated his previous controversial campaign promises to nationalise South Africas mines and banks. 190202140459836 Other EFF leaders who joined Malema on stage repeated the partys familiar refrain of Our land, our jobs, a slogan that highlights two of the most prominent challenges faced by the country voted the most unequal in the world by the World Bank in 2018. South Africas unemployment rate currently sits at about 27 percent, while private land ownership is skewed to 72 percent in the hands of whites, who comprise less than 10 percent of the population. Malema also condemned xenophobia after a spate of attacks, predominantly on African and Asian foreign nationals, in recent months against a backdrop of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric by leaders within both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the ANC. Following weeks of protests and shutdowns in under-served townships and informal settlements across South Africa, Mandisa Mashego, the EFFs provincial chairperson in Gauteng, which incorporates Johannesburg, alleged there is massive disillusionment with the ANC. EFF leaders say people are disillusioned with the late Nelson Mandelas ruling ANC [Christopher Clark/Al Jazeera] Earlier in the day, less than 20km away from Soweto at Ellis Park stadium, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised ANC supporters that his cabinet would root out the rampant corruption that has plagued the feted liberation party of former President Nelson Mandela in recent years, particularly under the ruinous nine-year tenure of Jacob Zuma. The controversy-laden former president was removed in February 2018. The era of impunity is over. We are now entering the era of accountability. We are now entering the era of consequence, Ramaphosa told a crowd in excess of 60,000. Three recent polls suggest the ANC will retain more than 50 percent of the overall vote at the polls, with the EFF and liberal DA predicted to garner 11-14 percent and 20-24 percent, respectively. 190503125415872 Free from divisions On Saturday, at Dobsonville Stadium also in Soweto, which has traditionally been an ANC stronghold, DA leader Mmusi Maimane promised to put an end to corruption and grow South Africas stuttering economy. The DA has also positioned itself in stark opposition to the EFF and the ANC on the latters divisive plans to expropriate private land from white farmers without compensation. In local elections in 2016, the ANC lost three key metros to DA-led coalitions, and Maimane reiterated to a crowd of about 5,000 that his party would remain at the heart of coalition governments in this country as we build a strong centre for South Africa, free from the divisions of the past. Forty-eight parties will appear on South Africas national ballot this year, 19 more than registered in 2014. A century ago next year, women in the United States won the right to vote thanks to a movement that was largely conservative and religious in nature. Out of the suffrage movement came the Declaration of Sentiments, which was drafted ahead of the Womens Rights Convention held in Seneca falls, New York in 1848, and drew heavily from the American Declaration of Independence. In addition to insisting on equality with men where the law, education, and employment were concerned, the document proclaimed that women must also be afforded the right to vote. Our foremothers in the mid-19th century relied upon their faith in God, and they were strongly influenced by the Second Great Awakening, which totally revolutionized the way women viewed their role in this country, particularly by promoting the cause of abolishing slavery. Many supporters of the early suffrage movement were also very much involved in the abolition movement. It was while fighting the battle against slavery that those women became convinced that it was indeed a law of nature that all men (and women) were created equal, and that no law contrary to this should be valid. This map appeared in the magazine Puck during the Empire State Campaign, a hard-fought referendum on a suffrage amendment to the New York State constitutionthe referendum failed in 1915 (via Wikipedia) When the issue finally came to a vote in May of 1919, the 19th Amendment was passed. It passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 304 in favor and 89 against, with 104 Democrats and 200 Republicans voting in favor. In the Senate, the Democrats voted 20-17 in favor, while the GOP voted 36-8 for womens suffrage. Over time, of course, Democrats began to embrace the cause of womens equality more fully. Today, though, the lefts support for women has become self-interested, predicated on the willingness of women to toe an ideological line. Like our suffragette antecedents, many American women still rely on our faith and our belief that all people are created equal. And like them, we recognize how important our contributions are to this country and its future. While we remain firmly committed to upholding those foundational principles, however, today we are more likely to be attacked by the media than celebrated. Headlines in the mainstream media today talk about the betrayal of white women voters; they speculate that all white women are brainwashed, describe women as foot soldiers of the patriarchy, and worse. The media have been playing identity politics with us, and women who dont conform to their expectations are routinely shunned, ignored, or belittled. There is a war on women, and the media have been waging it. Their message is: if youre a woman and youre not voting the way we think you should vote then youre somehow a traitor to your gender. The suggestion is that women who are independent thinkers, who have decided to make our own decisions, and who do not blithely accept the dictates handed down to us by the media, the left, or our feminist betters, are indeed looked down upon by those who disagree with us. If the feminist movement was designed by women for women in order to create a more perfect society, then it should take all women seriously regardless of how they vote, and it should respect all women for their unique contributions to society. Instead, the media hurl insults and criticisms at women who take advantage of the freedom and equality we have won to think for ourselves. They want to confine us and define us, in much the same way as the so- called patriarchy that women fought against in the past. You see, the media have been attempting to exercise the very type of control over women that we were fighting to free ourselves from in the first place. Ladies: They dont want you and I to think independently. They dont want you to follow your dreams; they want you to follow theirs. They endeavor to stop you by shaming and manipulation. The media have poisoned the political atmosphere. They have become the new self-appointed standard-bearers of what is acceptable thought among females. After all these years, they are essentially maintaining that women still cant think for themselves. Talk about a major cultural fail. Consider the closing remarks of the Declaration of Sentiments: Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States. In entering upon the great work before us, we anticipate no small amount of misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule [sound familiar?] but we shall use every instrumentality within our power to affect our object. Wow. It appears that, in some ways at least, were right back where we started. That is unacceptable, and we dont have to tolerate it. Ladies, we are ridiculed because those who want to tell us how we should vote and what we should care about are actually afraid of us. We are numerous, and we can be persuasive. We must work to effect change when our society fails to live up to its ideals of equality, but also make sure to defend the gains we have already won. If youre already involved, stay involved; if not, get involved. I believe that God has placed each one of us here purposely not by chance, not by mistake, but purposely placed us where we are, right now, at this time. You and I are here for such a time as this, when so much of the future of this country seems to hinge on one election. Weve got to fight to preserve our liberties, and it just may be our turn to do something radical like our suffragette sisters before us. We owe those women a life dedicated to preserving our Constitution. We must be willing to put in whatever time and energy is necessary to ensure a free and prosperous future for a generation of people we may never know. Our foremothers did that for us. Finally, we are being offered a choice between a country whose organizing principle is the individual, or a country whose organizing principle is bureaucracy. The suffrage movement succeeded by appealing to the principles of individual liberty that form the foundation of our system of government, but its hard-won gains are now under attack from those who seek to enforce ideological conformity at the expense of individuality. Nearly a century after women won the right to vote, our cause remains a fundamentally conservative and religious one. Rose Tennent has been a prominent figure for twenty years as a syndicated conservative political talk show host. She is a frequent guest host for Sean Hannitys Radio Show and is a regular guest on FOX NEWS, and serves on Advisory Board for Moms for America. Rose has authored a book called Thanking Our Soldiers. We should be appalled of the inroads that the Administrative State has made into American governance and the peril the Administrative State poses to our Constitution. Our founding fathers were dedicated to an avowal of government based on fundamental principles; popular sovereignty, limited government, checks and balances, separation of powers, judicial review, and federalism. The just powers of the government were to be derived from the consent of the governed. This affirmation of popular sovereignty and limited government can be examined quite simply. Should the people control government, or should government control the people? The founders opted for government of the people. A major concern of the drafters of the new Constitution was the danger of tyranny and the avoidance of paths to inadvertently slide into tyranny. They feared tyrants such as King George III, but also worried about the tyranny of the majority, the downfall of democratic initiatives over the ages. In Federalist #47, James Madison wrote: The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. The founders thus strived to separate the three functions of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, one from another; the principle of the separation of powers and the principle of checks and balances so intricately woven into the finished document. They recognized the frailties of human nature and used checks and balances, often setting ambition against ambition, as forces to constrain self-interest and restrain tyranny. The founders did not consider the three branches of government to be equal. They anticipated that the legislative branch would be the most powerful (by virtue of the authority to make law) and that the judicial branch would be the least powerful of the three. Their concern with the power of the legislative branch was such that, as another of their checks and balances, they divided it into two chambers; a House of Representatives, elected directly by the people, and a Senate, appointed by the state legislatures. In this manner, each chamber would check the other, reducing the chances of a tyranny by the legislative branch. Each piece of the mosaic was debated in depth during the four exceedingly hot months of the summer of 1787. All but three of the pieces were achieved by consensus; the three others addressed compromises on slavery, the rights of small states, and the electoral college. John Steele Gordon, in a February 2019 article in Commentary Magazine, said: To put it simply, the creation of the United States Constitution was the most successful act of statecraft in human history. (snip) Within a century of its founding, the United States had grown from an undeveloped country dependent on the export of raw materials to the largest and most dynamic economy in the world. This was an exceptional, not to say astonishing, achievement. The people of the United States under this exceptional Constitution have prospered and flourished. Various nations of the world have emulated aspects of the American experiment and they too have thrived. The Constitution is almost 250 years old with few amendments that have not altered, with the notable exceptions of the 16th and 17th, the principles and checks and balances of the original document. But our Constitution is under attack from within. The Constitution came out of the Civil War essentially intact with amendments to incorporate the end of slavery and a commitment to equal rights for all. The federal government came out of the war much enlarged. A new school of thought became influential in our political dialogue. They called themselves Progressives and included powerful and soon to become famous men, including Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. An acceptable starting point to illustrate the Progressive viewpoint is an 1887 paper by Wilson, The Study of Administration. He introduces the study with the following question: The question was always: Who shall make law, and what shall that law be? The other question, how law should be administered with enlightenment, with equity, with speed, and without friction was put aside as " practical detail " which clerks could arrange after doctors had agreed upon principles. Wilson and others put forth the concept that government of the United States had become too complicated and too demanding of specialized knowledge to be trusted to elected representatives of uncertain provenance. An Administrative State was necessary to support (and eventually supplant?) the traditional Constitutional government. The danger of the Progressives approach was and is that in such an iteration of the government of the United States, the power of the state would trump the power of the people. The Progressive movement made considerable inroads into our politics. Theodore Roosevelt became President in 1901 and Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1913, a watershed year for the Progressives. The Constitutions checks and balances took two significant hits, Income Tax (16th Amendment) and the direct election of Senators (17th Amendment). 1913 gave us the prototype Administrative State agency, the Federal Reserve System, with the Federal Trade Commission following in 1914. The Administrative State presently has upwards of 445 agencies by count in the Federal Register. Congress can legislate an agency when they feel the need. Each agency is defined by a unique Act of Congress in full compliance with the Constitution. The legislation typically gives the agency the legislative right to make rules and regulations with the effect of law, the executive ability to enforce their rules and regulations, and the judicial clout to severely punish transgressors. The Constitutional checks and balances are not included, making the agencies anti-Constitutional. The Article III Constitutional courts have bent the definitions of non-delegation and deference to permit the agencies great latitude, see for example Mistretta v United States (1989) and the Chevron Deference(1984). Professor Gary Lawson gives us this perceptively phrased synopsis of the typical Administrative State agency: The [Agency] promulgates substantive rules of conduct. The [Agency] then considers whether to authorize investigations into whether the [Agency]s rules have been violated. If the [Agency] authorizes an investigation, the investigation is conducted by the [Agency], which reports its findings to the [Agency]. If the [Agency] thinks that the [Agency]s findings warrant an enforcement action, the [Agency] issues a complaint. The [Agency]s complaint that a [Agency] rule has been violated is then prosecuted by the [Agency] and adjudicated by the [Agency]. The agency is under the Executive branch and has the power to issue rules or regulations with the force of law. Given an alleged violation, the same people act as investigators, prosecutors, and judges (there is no jury). This is the very definition of tyranny that Madison warned of in Federalist #47 and it is now fully sanctioned under the Administrative State. The present-day overt face of the Administrative State is a phalanx of agencies with Star Chamber-like powers (see Hamburger) poised to ensure that government of, by, and for the people perishes from the United States. What can be done? Can anything be done? Starting with Franklin Roosevelts New Deal and until quite recently, the political will of the country favored the proliferation of the Administrative State and thus the decline of the influence of the American Constitution. The outlook was bleak. The past few years have seen an in-depth examination and denunciation of the Administrative State by several prominent scholars, among them Philip Hamburger, Gary Lawson, John Marini, Joseph Postell, Michael Rappaport, and Peter Wallison. The Supreme Courts current swing to the right may prompt the Court to revisit previous non-delegation and deference decisions as discussed above. Justice Clarence Thomas is an outspoken critic of the Administrative State. The feckless Congress must accept the duty to act in accordance with the American Constitution. Senator Mike Lee of Utah is actively pursuing restrictions on the Administrative State. The unrestrained growth of the anti-Constitutional Administrative State could be easily halted by the imposition of a few specific checks and balances: Congress to approve all major rules and regulations, the courts to reverse previous non-delegation and deference decisions, and Congress to add a pool of qualified Administrative Law Judges within Article III. Full correction of the damage done by the anti-Constitutional Administrative State requires an educated and involved electorate. We owe our children and grandchildren the same rights, the same liberties, and the same opportunities enshrined in our exceptional Constitution. Grass-roots activists must rally, lobby, and demonstrate for the reform of the Administrative State to ensure that government of, by, and for the people does not perish from the earth. Mike Johnson is a retired rocket scientist and the author of the forthcoming book Malicious Ethics and Biased Prosecution: the Larry Yacubian Story. E-mail mnosnhoj@comcast.net Over breakfast, I was watching the National Day of Prayer services at the White House. Rabbi Goldstein from the Poway Synagogue was asked to make some remarks. With one arm in a sling and the other hand bandaged from having his fingers shot off, his message was one of creating light and hope from one moment of darkness. I am a devout agnostic, but his message was so incredibly inspirational that it got me choked up and reflective. That is, the only way to stop hate and vitriol is to model positive behavior. I learned that lesson from being part of the Apollo 13 disaster recovery at Mission Control in Houston. Flight director Gene Kranz put us on notice, as the disaster unfolded, that failure was not an option. Astronaut Jack Lousma was the CAPCOM talking to the crew aboard the crippled spacecraft. He told me personally that the most asked question he has received since that night is, "What would have happened if they could not fix the spacecraft?" His reply was, "It never crossed my mind." In stark contrast, I watched part of Attorney General Barr's inquisition in front of the Senate yesterday. One of the newscasters commented later that the most frequently used phrase was "my time is up." Some of the radical libs used their time to question the A.G. to give a five-minute speech filled with hate and vitriol, to set the stage for attempting to impeach the POTUS. Good thing they are not allowed to have firearms in the chambers of Congress. I have been watching politicians in action since the 1950s. I have never seen such abhorrent behavior by elected officials than the last two years. Many of them are so obsessed with overturning the 2016 election, they haven't done the work that they were elected to do. Hopefully, the people who hired them will hold them to task in the next election cycle. My fervent hope is the ballot box will create light and hope from darkness. We each contribute to the definition of our moral fabric as a nation. Our collective actions either promote higher social morality or help turn the ten commandments into the ten suggestions. It appears to me that the radical libs have taken the ten suggestions a step farther and made them optional. I lived in Texas for 33 years and knew natives who had racism and bigotry bred into them. I found out quickly that any suggestion that they take an objective look at each individual was never going to happen. To their credit, they never attempted to radicalize me. Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, and other politicos have invented a new form of bigotry, hate, and vitriol that they are actively attempting to inculcate into American society. Rep. Nadler established a new low bar in integrity by insisting that A.G. Barr return for a second day of questioning by Nadler's attorneys. Perhaps the most egregious "questioning" of A.G. Barr was the non-stop soliloquy of Senator Hirono of Hawaii. Of Japanese heritage and being the first Asian female elected to the Senate, she read an apparently prepared speech spewing the most hateful and slanderous accusations at the A.G. and POTUS that I have ever heard. She dishonored herself, her constituents, and her proud Japanese heritage. Conversely, Senator Graham simply asked the A.G. a list of questions about the investigations into the allegations that the POTUS was acting as a Russian operative. Each question had a yes or a no answer. From his responses, it appears that A.G. Barr is going to take the high ground and find out how this series of investigations started and make sure politicizing the Justice Department and FBI never happens again. Russiagate is over. Many of us who are strategic thinkers have moved on. As an agnostic conservative, my suggestion for beginning a transition from darkness to light and hope would be to broadcast the National Day of Prayer ceremony in its entirety on every network and social media outlet. It contained no sermons or recruitment of followers for any of the represented religions and belief systems just messages of light and hope. It contained only pleas from each speaker that the path to saving our civilization is by modeling positive and moral behavior. I can't find the right word for the antithesis of bigotry and racism, but their messages were just that. If the liberal politicos can't find it in their collective hearts to stop leading the division of our nation into warring factions, perhaps they should consider what is going to happen if they get to the 2020 election cycle without a platform that deals with the needs of "we the people." At this moment, they are almost guaranteeing Trump a second term. Tom is a business consultant and an expert witness in products liability. He has worked with more than 700 companies and written 12 books on business excellence. He was a team member at NASA's Mission Control Center during Projects Gemini and Apollo. Apparently, there is no rock bottom to the hell that is Venezuela. Out of the economic shambles - quintuple-digit inflation, food shortages, expropriations, medical meltdown, blackouts, and ruined democracy -- terror is now emerging. Not just street crime, but the kind of reign of terror that went on during the French Revolution, or Lenin's red terror, or Stalin's extended horrors, or Castro's paredon, or Mao's cultural revolution, or Pol Pot's Cambodia. A sort of late-stage, demonic killing spree in the interest of consolidating the hellhole into an absolute dictatorship. Theoretically, the tottering dictatorship then is embraced by relieved citizens of these murder-ravaged hellholes to give thanks for stability' over the bloodshed that came before. It's a sort of collective battered woman syndrome and aspiring tyrants know very well that it works. In Venezuela, it's the next thing on the socialist menu, and it's extremely ugly. PanAm Post (hat tip: Babalu blog) has a report stating that low class Chavista loyalist known as 'colectivos' - hooded, armed, motorcycle thugs - have started beheading dissidents for supporting Venezuela's acting president, Juan Guaido. They're not only engaging in those depraved acts, they're desecrating the bodies of those they murder and giggling for the cameras afterward. Like ISIS, or perhaps even more accurately, Mexican or Colombian drug lords, they take a special pleasure in filming themselves and their prey and then posting those videos on 'social' media to terrorize the rest of the nation. PanAmPost writes: In 2014 the whole world was scandalized when several videos of the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) showed their members beheading prisoners. Today, in Venezuela, equally frightening events are taking place, but this time is not ISIS, but the thugs who serve Nicolas Maduro who are beheading those who oppose the regime During the last few day a video has spread all over social media, and via WhatsApp groups, in which two thugs loyal to the regime show the heads of two men they have just beheaded as trophies. Among laughter, while showing both heads, they say: Look, this one and this one were supporting President Guaido. Like ISIS, the intention of these groups of thugs loyal to the regime record and disseminate these terrorist acts to intimidate and send a threat to the followers of President Guaido. They seek to sow fear among Venezuelans. This is the socialist playbook, played all over again, same as happened in Russia, Cuba, Vietnam, China, North Korea and any country that ever came under the communist boot. Terror arrives after the regime exhausts itself yet refuses to give up power. Let's hear Bernie Sanders or Rep. Ilhan Omar try to defend that one. Or Sean Penn. Or Oliver Stone. Or the Maryknolls, whose literature in the oughts was loaded with praise for Venezuela's socialist turn. Bernie would slink away of course and claim he was always talking about Sweden. Omar would be stupid and brazen enough to try to defend it, mouthing lies as a cover. None of it is going to work as this terror - unlike the past ones - finds its way onto the Internet. It's ugly activity indeed coming on top of all the horrors Venezuelans have been through already, and it might not be the last one to come, either. This site has the horrible videos PanAm Post couldn't bring itself to link - the beheadings, and other colectivo crimes - a girl lying in the street after being shot or run over and colectivos (and some inhuman creature in a uniform) standing over her until she dies. Thugs shooting randomly into the Blade Runner-style ruined cities. Thugs taking a man to shoot him. Thugs surrounding a woman for no apparent reason and beating her with truncheons in the street as a gun goes off. Thugs entering an apartment with guns drawn to get someone. These aren't reenactments or witness accounts, these are death squads filmed in the act, in events as they happened, often by horrified, screaming witnesses. The screaming Solzhenitsyn once wrote about. This kind of terror is often a prelude to civil war as some citizens try to fight back, which is frankly, their imperative if they don't want to die quietly. It happened in revolutionary France (which the Russian socialist revolution was openly modeled on), in the communist Soviet Union including its vassal states, in communist Chile, in Cuba...and it may happen in Venezuela. Unless something is done from the outside to stop this, the spiral downward, into the socialist hellscape, will continue. For now, we are at the beheading stage and there will be a bacchanal of beheadings now as Chavistas seek to seal their absolute power. It's going to get very, very ugly. Image credit: Twitter screen grab For years, Venezuelans have railed about how sanctimonious white lefties from the West have told them socialism was the cat's meow for them and their country, before jetting off back to the comforts of capitalism and leaving them in the rubble. Even leftish Venezuelans have had a bellyful. But now Code Pink has taken it to a new level, illegally occupying the now empty Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C. like a coven of white witches, turning the whole building into a filthy squatter's dump, hanging putrid-looking protest banners over the walls of the once-pristine diplomatic building -- and worst of all, sanctimoniously lecturing the young brown-skinned Venezuelans protesting on the outside about their takeover about their 'privilege.' Can you imagine being a Venezuelan and running into sanctimonious white-skinned creeps lecturing you like that? That isn't all they're doing, either. They're a nasty bunch, assaulting Venezuelans who are protesting as well as hurling abuse: Today I was attacked by a member of @Codepink. I'm 27 weeks pregnant and he knew that but he did not care. #OperacionLiberdad #OperationLibertyDC pic.twitter.com/gvCwaavFnn Mariana Umana (@itsmarianaus) May 4, 2019 The pinkos, of course are defending the socialism Venezuelans just escaped from, and that socialism is something they know a hell of a lot more about up close and personal than the Pinkos ever will. They justify their occupation of the foreign embassy by saying that the Venezuelans protesting them in Washington are the white-skinned children of privilege, though the photos show a distinctly multicolored variety of faces there. Francisco Toro, in a terrific piece in the Caracas Chronicles says that yes, Code Pink is right that the richer Venezuelans got out first. But he also notes that the people protesting are doing it to defend their darker-skinned fellow countrymen whose poverty prevents them from getting out. Youre right, though, theyre not the ones yelling at you for squatting at the embassy in D.C. The people living with no power, no water, no health care, no communications and no hope for a decent future are not, by and large, on Twitter. The people now struggling to survive on a minimum wage that works out to about a penny an hour dont speak English as well as we do. The people facing simultaneous outbreaks of malaria, diphtheria, tuberculosis and AIDS dont live in Washington, or Miami, or Buenos Aires. Those of us whove left, though, feel a special duty to speak up for them, because they cant. Facing a government that jails dissidents, steals elections, silences speech and prosecutes dissent at every turn, we know we have a responsibility to speak up. Ironically, there are no Venezuelans among the Pinkos, meaning all Venezuelan have been shut out, and the occupation of the embassy is a foreign occupation - by U.S. whites from privileged backgrunds, all in the name of 'the Venezuelan people.' Lefties have always been brazen about telling third world countries what to do, but nothing quite tops this one, as the angry Venezuelan reaction on Twitter signals. Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit summed up the Alice-in-Wonderland funhouse mirror scenario very well here: OLD WHITE LIBERALS TRY TO DENY YOUNG BROWN VENEZUELANS SELF-DETERMINATION: Watch: American liberals occupy Venezuelan embassy, scream at anti-Maduro Venezuelans. UPDATE: Notice, by the way, that once again Medea Benjamin of Code Pink is engaging in illegal activities with impunity. Who is protecting her? What right-wing personality could take over an embassy and not even be arrested? Here is a typical Venezuelan reaction: Priceless backdrop for this deranged woman who has never set foot in Venezuela, represents nobody in Venezuela, but thinks she has the right to invade our countrys Embassy in Washington, DC. @StateDept Secret Service & Washington Metropolitan Police have been way too patient. pic.twitter.com/uQqWGssxmm Pedro Mario Burelli (@pburelli) May 5, 2019 Burelli is right.This is a funhouse mirror farce. Why aren't these clowns being arrested? For those of us on the outside, the fact that the grotesquely failing Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela has not yet toppled is fairly mystifying. Why would anyone want to stay in a military that props up a socialist pariah state that has left the women and children back home starving? Could the military be that much of a drug-dealing operation? Could it be so full of useful fools? How is it the military could stay in place when its foot soldiers are paid practically nothing? Sen. Marco Rubio has tweeted about an outstanding piece of journalism that brings some understanding as why Venezuela's military so far has not defected to the side of democracy as the country has. This is excellent journalism & a must read for those who understand why it is so difficult to get members of #Venezuelas military to openly break with #Maduro https://t.co/pR2PxfgJcA Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 4, 2019 It's from the Miami Herald and the short answer is: The Venezuelan military has a reign of terror on the inside that if anything is worse than the reign of terror on the outside. It begins: The Venezuelan military officers, summoned to the feared headquarters of the Military Counter Intelligence Agency, found themselves in a room wondering what was looming behind the piece of cloth covering the bulletin board facing them. Having to be there was bad enough. The agency, known by its acronym DGCIM, is notorious for holding some 200 to 300 officers and military personnel who have been sent over the years for punishment after being arrested on accusations of conspiring to depose the socialist regime headed by Nicolas Maduro. Reports of dire conditions and torture abound, the term hell often used to describe what its like to be in DGCIM custody. So when the cloth was pulled off, what this recent group of uniformed officers saw chilled their blood. Pinned to the board were pictures of their wives, their parents, their children and their grandchildren, said ex Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, who got first-hand accounts of the incident. Ledezma is a key ally to Venezuelas interim President Juan Guaido, whose challenge to Maduros rule is backed by the U.S. and some 50 other nations. As the summoned military officers absorbed the images of their loved ones, DGCIM officials issued this warning, according to sources familiar with the gathering: We know what you have been doing and we will make them disappear if you continue talking to Guaido. A trip to military headquarters for an ordinary soldier can mean torture, imprisonment, and sickening retribution on a service member's innocent relatives. It sounds comparable to the old Soviet NKVD whose leaders were constantly getting shot as traitors as suspicion and paranoia took hold. Or its successor, the Soviet KGB, which literally had a chute to a burning furnace for accused traitors, though it had many means of murder. It's like the scenarios played out in the brilliant film 'The Lives of Others' describing how the inside of the East German secret police operations worked, where even a joke was considered a jailing offense. It's obviously something that goes on in Cuba. Which means it's probably no coincidence it now goes on in Venezuela, given that the Cubans are East German-trained. It also explains very well why the military is reluctant to defect to Guaido. Defecting, without the absolute certainty of being able to get away with it, is very easily a death sentence, not just for oneself, but for one's relatives. The terror within has gotten that strong a foothold. How anyone could support such an evil regime from the outside is another matter. Which raises questions again as to why someone like Rep.Ilhan Omar does, and she goes on the attack whenever someone very gently calls her 'ignorant,' which after a report like this, is the best case scenario. If Omar is not a useful fool in her support for the Maduro regime, it would mean she supports this kind of human rights abuse and atmosphere of terror. It's as scary as the hell-vision on the inside of the Venezuelan military that 'supports' Maduro with a chain around its neck. Image credit: Twitter screen grab The news accounts are oh so breathless about Rodeo Road in Los Angeles being grandly renamed 'President Obama Boulevard.' Here's the Associated Press, for one: LOS ANGELES (AP) - A stretch of road in Los Angeles will be renamed after former President Barack Obama during a festival and unveiling ceremony Saturday. Obama Boulevard will replace Rodeo Road, a 3 -mile street that runs from Culver City to mid-city Los Angeles, passing the citys historic black neighborhood. The street honoring Americas first black president will also intersect with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. A couple who proposed the name change told the Los Angeles Times say they wanted to raise the profile of the road, attract more funding for the community and honor the 44th president. ...and here's Deadline's account of the hoopla: With music, food, thousands of excited residents and VIP guests, Los Angeles renamed a street after former President Barack Obama Saturday evening, replacing Rodeo Road. Not to be confused with Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Rodeo Road is a 3 -mile street that runs through the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw neighborhoods in South L.A. Among those attending the ceremony were Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Council President Herb Wesson, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and other elected leaders. But if you actually know the place, you might have a different reaction. This is a rather desolate and unpleasant part of Los Angeles, the sort of place that sees nasty gridlock in some places, lots of cement, and nothing inspiring to look at. It isn't anyone's idea of a nice street. Here's one picture from Google maps. Image credit: Google Maps Not the worst road in the city, but not one you'd go to unless you had to, either. It's kind of a relief road from the truly nasty gridlock of Jefferson Boulevard around the center of the city heading into South Central and downtown. It's got junkyards, fast food joints, cement-y cross roads, along with junkies, needles, trash, and beggars. Not exactly the scenic route. It's possible to surmise that the place was chosen for a renaming because the Los Angeles area has two other streets named Rodeo - the more famous Rodeo Drive a few miles away, as well as slightly closer South Rodeo Drive, which also has nice houses. As I recall, Rodeo Road had a historic claim, but Los Angeles people don't exactly care about those things, so not a problem. Who knows, maybe the animal rights activists who don't like 'rodeos' were after them, too. Bottom line, this one had to go - so they decided to recycle it into Obama Boulevard and get that bone to the activists out of the way. As they say in L.A.: Whatevs. In any case, it's a weird choice because it's also not the sort of place President Obama likely ever visited - when he came to Los Angeles, he headed to Beverly Hills for campaign fundraisers -- with the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Ed Buck, and other charmers in his circle -- he was Rodeo Drive all the way. Rodeo Road is hoi polloi territory. As for Reagan country conservatives still lingering around SoCal, well, actually it's not as bad as it might seem as the press bangs the drum about how great it is to get Obama's name on public spaces. Naming this street after President Obama is actually kind of analogous to his presidency, so maybe it was really unintentionally fitting. Obama's was a failed presidency, so now he gets a homely road named after him, kind of to remind everyone what his economy and stacked scandals looked like. Naming Rodeo Road after him is therefore rather like that leftist bid to name a sewage treatment plant after President Bush a few years ago. That lefty-led bid failed, but this one didn't, and lefties now are happy. Good for them. Conservatives can be happy, too, given the look of the place. Perhaps the road renaming then is something we can all agree on. Right here in the United States, not Gaza, young Muslim children are being taught to slaughter the infidels and re-take Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (note: Israel allows Muslims to control the mosque, but persists in existing as a Jewish state, which apparently is an intolerable condition for Islamists). MEMRI obtained a copy of a chilling video originally posted to Facebook by the Islamic Center of Philadelphia and added subtitles to the Arabic language songs and readings performed by the tykes being brainwashed into bloody jihad. Yes, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects religious freedom, but as Justice Jackson wrote in Terminiello v. Chicago, The Constitution is not a suicide pact. Scriptural Islam is both a religion and a political doctrine of violent conquest and enforcement of Sharia law utterly incompatible with our Constitution. We can choose to continue to ignore the uncomfortable reality that doctrinal, scriptural Islam is embraced by a substantial portion of the worlds Muslims in total hundreds of millions of people and is promoted by those Muslims we label Islamists. That is the dominant strategy here and in Europe. Or, we can decide that allowing the training of a new generation of children within our borders to chop off heads if their god Allah is not proclaimed and embraced as supreme is folly a suicide pact. I am not optimistic. Update: The Philadelphia Islamic Center offered a ridiculous excuse, via the Philadelphia Inquirer: While we celebrate the coming together of different cultures and languages, not all songs were properly vetted, the Muslim American Society, based in Washington, said in a statement issued Friday. This was an unintended mistake and an oversight in which the center and the students are remorseful. MAS will conduct an internal investigation to ensure this does not occur again. The statement was also posted on the Facebook page of MAS-Philadelphia Center late Friday night. The "mistake" was in letting infidels get access to see what was going on. The Judeo-Christian traditions and institutions on which our constitutional notions of religious liberty are founded do not seek world conquest by violence, and have no scripture rcommending head-cutting of non-believers. Image credit: YouTube screen grab Hat tip: The Western Journal Yes, hes really, really old, thus removing the opportunity to attack President Trump on the basis of his age. And yes, he says really stupid stuff -- and they are usually incorrectly called gaffes, which Michael Kinsley correctly defined as a politician accidentally telling the truth. Bidens mouth just runs faster than his brain (not much of a feat) and he utters nonsense. Often, mean-spirited nonsense like Theyll put yall back in chains. But the real reason why Biden wont get the nomination is that he and his family are corrupt, enriching themselves courtesy of foreign governments. Normally, that would not be a problem for a Democrat because the dominant mainstream media is not interested in scandals affecting powerful Democrats. But with 22 Democrats running for president, some of them with MSM allies, and with grave doubts about Bidens ability to defeat Trump (their overriding goal), these scandals will not be suppressed. Especially because they involve collusion with a foreign power. Vanity Fair and the New York Times, which are nobodys idea of right wing publications, are onto the story of Biden helping his son make a huge fortune via deals with China. Breitbart summarizes: A $1.5 billion sweetheart deal Hunter Bidens private equity firm secured from the state-owned Bank of China is looming on the horizon as a potential line of attack against his fathers 2020 presidential campaign, according to Vanity Fairs Tina Nguyen. This comes days after a New York Times article renewed interest in the revelations exposed in Peter Schweizers 2018 bestseller Secret Empires concerning the sweetheart deals Hunter Bidens private equity firm secured while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. But the Times article may be just the first volley in what is likely to become a broader war over Joe Bidens conduct and record, Vanity Fairs Nguyen writes: Past speculation about Biden family drama has centered on Hunters documented struggle with drug use and his recently ended relationship with his late brothers widow. But the bigger threat might actually be Hunters past business enterprises. Already, theres another attack line looming on the horizon: in his latest book, Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends, Breitbart editor-at-large Peter Schweizer describes how a private-equity firm managed by Hunter Biden, Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC, negotiated a $1.5 billion investment deal with the state-owned Bank of China at the same time that his father, then the vice president, was conducting high-level diplomacy with Beijing. (On one of his trips, Hunter allegedly made use of Air Force Two.) Whether or not the Chinese hoped to curry favor with Hunters father, Trump allies are sure to make note of the issue, especially given Joe Bidens controversial remark this week downplaying China as an economic competitor. (A spokesman for Hunter Biden disputed Schweizers claims to the Journal.) In a March interview with Fox News Channels Laura Ingraham, Peter Schweizer explained the troubling circumstances surrounding Hunter Bidens lucrative deal with the Chinese government at a time when his father was negotiating U.S. policy with the regime. In December of 2013, Hunter Biden flies on Air Force 2 to Beijing, China, with his father, Schweizer said. His father meets with Chinese officials, hes very soft on Beijing. The most important thing that happens [is] 10 days after they return. And thats when Hunter Bidens small, private equity firm called Rosemont Seneca Partners gets a $1 billion private equity deal with the Chinese government, not with the Chinese corporation, with the government. And what people need to realize is Hunter Biden has no background in China. He has no background in private equity. The deal he got in the Shanghai free-trade zone, nobody else had Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Blackstone, nobody had this deal. Theres no question when you chart what Joe Biden is doing with China the meetings hes having and the deals that his son is procuring at the same time that they are buying off Biden through his son. I think its crystal clear, Schweizer added. Biden is already having trouble with his comments minimizing China's threat as a competitor, which is news to many workers at factories that closed when production was moved to China. Many of these factories are in Midwestern states Trump won, where Biden supposedly can better the electoral results of Hillary Clinton. "China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man.... They cant even figure out how to deal with the fact that they have this great division between the China Sea and the mountains in the east, I mean in the west. Then there is the matter of the Biden clans dealing with Ukraine, as Jeff Carlson explains in The Epoch Times: 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. Both scandals are grave and complicated. But there is a year and a half ahead in which they can be excavated and explained. Media-connected rival Democrats are going to make sure that both scandals are explored. Biden is the 2016 Jeb! of the Democrats 2020 field. He looks like a shoo-in to many, but he will fade. Of course as my favorite Yogi, Yogi Berra, warned us, Its tough to make predictions, especially about the future. But I will be very surprised if Biden is the Dems nominee. Photo credit: Ancho Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results Marysville, CA (95901) Today Rain showers this morning with some sunshine during the afternoon hours. High 54F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 47F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible. In her writing on her site and in her massively popular books, Evans confronted every controversial issue in American evangelical culture. She wrote about biblical literalism, racism, abortion, evolution, theology, marriage, patriarchy, women in leadership, and evangelical support for Donald Trump. She advocated for the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the church and analyzed her own complicity in racial bias after the police shooting of Michael Brown. Slate Margo Martindale, who is so famously called that name that its her official title on the Netflix show Bojack Horseman: Sometimes you do things for money, and sometimes you do things for money that are different, too. But Im trying very hard not to repeat myself. HuffPost The war on terror is indeed a catchy phrase but it will often be a wild goose chase, if it is fought only with weapons. Religions teach and extol peace, prayer and piety; but terror attacks remind us that brutal bloodshed results when faith yields to fanatic fury. As one zealot spews venom with guns in mosques in Christchurch, another group wreaks presumed revenge in churches across Sri Lanka on Easter Day. Those blasts reverberate across Palk Straits, making us shudder in revulsion and fear. And we are doubly anxious when we hear that the perpetrators could have had allies in India. Terrorism is revenge masquerading as religion. There is nothing Islamic about the blasts in Sri Lanka just as there is nothing Christian about the shootout in Christchurch. Terror has neither a religion nor a home to claim as its own. It stalks the earth and appears in different forms at different places at different times. No nation is totally free from terror. IS has become international while other terror groups tend to be local in fields of operation or selection of targets. IS stands committed to terror without borders and seeks recruits everywhere. The fact that our country is no exception makes us sad, but we need not be surprised. Terrorism is a mindset; it persists as a streak in all societies. It can delude some human beings and all societies must learn to discern, discourage and defuse that mindset. To defeat the IS, we must understand why IS is able to attract any one at all here. Indians are not immune to indoctrination by terrorist outfits. The subcontinent was not a terror-free zone prior to the rise of IS. Thuggee terror was the scourge of India for many centuries as millions of wayfarers used to be strangled by misguided zealots ostensibly to please some deity. Ancient texts of India refer to suicide attacks on specified targets. The tradition of suicidal attacks in Malabar was strong both during duo-decennial Mamankam festivities as well as in Moplah peasant protests against British Rule. Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka were notorious for savage terror. An Indian Prime Minister was killed by terrorism of another hue, while the Father of the Nation was assassinated by another one in yet another garb. Maoist terror has been present for long in the country. International terrorism can easily penetrate migrant populations. That partly explains why there were quite a few terror recruits from even a progressive state like Kerala. Kerala is definitely not a terror centre and the public are all against terror of all hues. There has been no terror killing in Kerala for decades now. But since millions of young Keralites migrate to the Gulf and other countries, a few can be preyed upon by IS recruiters by a combination of deceit, reward and blackmail. The genuinely pious fortune seeker can be inveigled into a terror trap by the offer of high salaries and by cleverly manipulating religiosity with prospects of lawful material reward. The best way to hide is to merge in a crowd. Efficient Internet and multiple international airports offer greater prospects for foreign terror infiltration. Contacts and indoctrination over the internet offer unprecedented levels of privacy. Earlier, peer groups flourished by physical interactions; but those on the Net flourish by virtual contacts. Deception is easier. Ease of travel makes access and rendezvous possible and inconspicuous. This leads us to a quandary. We cannot close down airports and Internet, nor dispense with foreign employment and contact. But governments can evolve strong surveillance mechanisms locally by which travel and internet communications are lawfully kept under watch. New dangers from new technologies necessitate new responses with newer technology. Just as we patrol roads, we need to patrol cyber highways. It is also necessary to keep tabs on groups that try to influence and win over large Indian communities overseas. In a terrorist environment, surveillance is inevitable and this has to be done lawfully without violating the right of citizens to privacy. Ghetto-isation by communal identity can also lead to infiltration by terrorists. When large areas are inhabited by only one kind of believers, or when it is possible for any individual to grow up without making friends with different kinds of people, it is easy for prejudices to grow and suspicions to increase. Plurality in social interactions, education and workspaces as well as avoidance of isolationist sub-cultural practices which drive a wedge preventing healthy interaction between groups is essential to prevent radicalisation by fundamentalists. No society can encourage We-They dichotomy within itself and survive. Interactive plurality must be consciously encouraged. Terrorists appear to attack members of another religion but, in reality, their actions do more harm to the religion they claim to defend. Terrorism has never ushered contentment or prosperity anywhere. It is a denial of every sacred streak in human temperament. Entire communities come under suspicion and the sanctity of religious faith itself is brought into disrepute. The overwhelming majority in such communities does not condone terror. In fact, in States like Kerala, the IS recruit stands detested and disowned by the religious community from which they hail. Therefore the right way to resist terror is to support the vast majority of the community to assert itself and defeat the designs of the terrorist, realising that terror will destroy the communities which it professes to promote. The fanatic is the foe of freedom and we shall be free of terror only when rabid fanaticism of all hues is defeated by popular will. Guns and grenades are useful when we know who the terrorist is and where he is hiding. But if we fire at random, we kill innocents; and this is what the terrorists want us to do. Driving the adversary to deny civil liberties in response to terror is what the terrorist desires and seeks by suicide. Even if terror kills 1,000 persons a year, it will take a million years to eliminate a billion people. The terrorist knows that. So what they really hope for is to ignite a reaction in blind rage by which the nation will start persecuting all groups said to support terrorists, irrespective of whether such groups support or know the terrorists or not. The terrorist seeks to divide a nation against itself; and a divided nation is easily defeated. The war on terror is indeed a catchy phrase but it will often be a wild goose chase, if it is fought only with weapons. Searching for the terrorist is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack; very often, none is found and, in desperation, a probable suspect is given the treatment intended for the real one. That is why armies and commandos have never put down random terror. Terror is best fought by a vigilant people, who, rising above the religious divide, can notice and report suspicious activity promptly to security agencies, who themselves are able to get information continuously from the people. That can happen only if security agencies befriend the common people and do not terrorise them into fearful passivity. A vigilant community empowered and emboldened to locate and lawfully expose radicalisation is the best means to stamp out terror. (The author was formerly State Police Chief, Kerala) Bhopal is going to polls in the sixth phase of parliamentary elections on May 12. Bhopal: In a bid to counter religious appeal of Sadhvi Pragya, BJPs nominee for Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, Namdas Tyagi aka Computer Baba is going to stage a road show of seers in Bhopal on May 8 in support of Congress candidate and former chief minister Digvijay Singh. The computer-savvy seer, who had turned rebel after being denied ticket by the BJP in the last years assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, announced on Saturday that around 7,000 sadhus hailing from 13 Akharas in the country will join the road show. The seers have given their consent to participate in the campaign for Mr Singh, Mr Tyagi said. According to him, the saints were scheduled to hold campaign for two days from May 7 which would culminate in a road show the next day. Interestingly, Mr Tyagi was accorded minister of state (MoS) status along with four other religious leaders by the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government triggering an uproar then. He was expelled from Sri Panch Ani Digambar Akhara, one of the 13 Akharas of sadhus in the country, and later barred from entering Mahakumbh oranised in Prayag in Uttar Pradesh by council of 13 Akharas in January this year, for accepting government position. The Congress veteran Mr Singh was also seen visiting temples and seers while campaigning in Bhopal constituency. His rival, Pragya, who had been banned from campaigning for 72 hours since Thursday morning for violation of model code of conduct, was also seen doing bhajans and pujas in various temples. Congress has already lodged a complaint with the election commission seeking action against her describing her temple runs during the ban period as a form of electioneering. Bhopal is going to polls in the sixth phase of parliamentary elections on May 12. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had campaigned for Ms Irani last month. New Delhi: Barring brief spells in the late 1970s and early 1990s, Amethi has always been held by the Congress with four members of the Nehru-Gandhi family representing it. This time, however, the BJP top brass has put in its might in a bid to defeat Congress president and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi with his challenger Smriti Irani and BJP president Amit Shah holding a joint rally in the high-profile seat, where campaigning ended on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had campaigned for Ms Irani last month. Mr Shah described the fight as one between dynasty and development. Talking to PTI during the roadshow, Mr Shah said, In Uttar Pradesh, the choice is between dynasty and development. And people will choose development over dynasty. He asserted that the BJP would win the Amethi Lok Sabha seat by one lakh votes. Our overall seats in Uttar Pradesh will also increase, Mr Shah said. The Union textiles minister, who is challenging Mr Gandhi for the third consecutive time and has been nurturing the constituency since first jumping into fray in 2009, had lost to the Congress chief by only 1.07 lakh votes in 2014, considered not too big a margin for a seat as high-profile as Amethi. Confident of her victory this time, Ms Irani said, People of Amethi want change. They want development and they will vote for (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. Ms Irani though has had a tough challenger in Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been managing both Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies for her brother and mother Sonia Gandhi. Congress sources said that the decision taken to field Ms Gandhi Vadra from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was rescinded keeping mind the need for her to campaign extensively in these two constituencies. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. The election in Valmikinagar is in the sixth phase. Baidyanath Prasad Mahto of the JD(U) has been pitted against a Congress nominee in Valmikinagar. Prime minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign for Lok Sabha polls, at Ramnagar in West Champaran on Saturday. (Photo: PTI) Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stepped up his attack on the Congress and RJD saying that both the parties have deceived the people of the state in the name of development and predicted their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Nitish Kumar worked for the development of the state. But Congress, RJD and other mahamilawati parties are trying to pull Bihar back to the days of the lantern. Forget lantern and start using LED bulbs in your homes now, Mr Modi said on Saturday. The Prime Minister along with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was addressing a public meeting in Bihars Valmikinagar where he gave the statement. This was his seventh political rally in Bihar ahead of crucial last three phases of polls. Political analysts claimed that in the fifth phase, three seats Madhubani, Saran, and Muzaffarpur are crucial for the BJP. While for the sixth phase the BJP has fielded six candidates and alliance partner JD(U) is contesting on three seats in Bihar. The election in Valmikinagar is in the sixth phase. Baidyanath Prasad Mahto of the JD(U) has been pitted against a Congress nominee in Valmikinagar. All their lies have been exposed after the fourth phase of polls. After abusing me, they have now started targeting the election commission. They are doing this out of frustration because they know what is going to happen after May 23, the PM said. Mr Modi also took a dig at the Congress party for promising loan waiver and NYAY scheme saying that they ruled for many years but couldnt get the people to open their bank accounts. They have come up with these schemes only to fool people during elections. I will not allow them to misuse public funds in the name of these schemes and I also want you to beware of such promises which are being made only for power, he told the gathering.. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Ramzan will begin in South Asia at sunset either on Monday or Tuesday. Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged the government at the Centre to announce ceasefire with separatist militants in the state during the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. Ramzan will begin in South Asia at sunset either on Monday or Tuesday. Ms Mufti, while addressing a press conference here, said, Ramzan is starting after a couple of days. Ours is a Muslim-majority state. I request them (Centre) to announce a ceasefire like the last year so that crackdowns, search operations and encounters are stopped and people get some relief. She said, Ramzan is a month of peace, compassion, prayers and for seeking forgiveness. It is incumbent on everyone to contribute towards creating a sense of relief for the people of violence ravaged state during this month. Ms Mufti while urging the Centre to announce ceasefire during this month to show respect to the religious sensibilities of the majority community of the state said that she expected the militants too will give the people a sense of relief by ceasing their activities. She said, I urge the Government of India as well as the militant leadership to respect the religious sensibilities of the people and observe ceasefire during the holy month of Ramzan. Last Ramzan, when Ms Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition was in power in the restive state, the Centre had halted military operations against separatist militants to help the peace-loving Muslims observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment. Though PDP and some other mainstream political parties of the state had pleaded for extending the conditional truce beyond Ramzan, the Centre decided to discontinue the suspension of military operations and announced the full resumption of cordon-and-search and search-and-destroy operations in the state to prevent terror attacks immediately after Muslim fasting month was over. Home minister, Rajnath Singh, had alleged that militants failed to reciprocate the governments goodwill gesture. He had said, It was expected that everyone will cooperate in ensuring the success of this initiative. While the security forces have displayed exemplary restraint during this period, the terrorists have continued with their attacks on civilians and security forces, resulting in deaths and injuries. While announcing end to the conditional truce, he had also said, Security forces are now being directed to take all necessary actions as earlier to prevent terrorists from launching attacks and indulging in violence and killings. At a press conference here, Rahul Gandhi said that the Indian Army is not Prime Minister Modis personal property. New Delhi: In a scathing criticism of the Election Commission (EC), Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said when it comes to matters related to the Opposition, the poll watchdog is completely biased, a remark that comes close to the poll panel giving clean chits to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah on various complaints related to violation of model code of conduct. Mr Gandhi also attacked the BJP on its compromising approach on terrorism and saffron leaders repeated reference to armed forces while seeking votes. When it comes to issues of the BJP, the EC is absolutely on the straight line, when it comes to the Oppositions issues, it is completely biased,said Mr Gandhi. All this institutional capture that is taking place and all the negative effects of it will have consequences in the future. We are not going to allow Indian institutions to be disturbed, controlled, crushed and anybody who colludes, anybody who falls to this pressure, is committing a crime, he said. Alleging that the BJP is compromising in dealing with terrorism, the Congress president said his partys government would adopt an approach much tougher than that of the Modi government. Accusing Mr Modi of using armed forces for political mileage, Mr Gandhi said that the NDA had insulted the Army by saying that UPAs surgical strikes were video games. At a press conference here, Mr Gandhi said that the Indian Army is not Prime Minister Modis personal property. He also alleged that the saffron party was compromising in dealing with terrorism and cited JeM chief Masood Azhars release during the previous NDA rule. Who had sent him to Pakistan? He is being designated (as UN terrorist), but who sent him there in the first place? How did he reach Pakistan? Has the Congress sent him to Pakistan? Which government had negotiated with terrorism, bowed in front of terrorism, who sent him back? he asked, alluding to Azhars release in the Kandahar hijacking case during the NDA rule in 1999. The Prime Minister had on Friday mocked the Congressclaim of UPA government conducting six surgical strikes, saying that the party did so only on paper and the leaders of the Opposition party thought those were akin to video games. Mr Gandhi also took on the Prime Minister over allegedly invoking the armed forces for seeking. Modi thinks the Army, Navy and Air Force are his personal property, he added. Mr Gandhi said his partys internal assessment after four phases of polling shows that the BJP will lose in the Lok Sabha elections and he sees a scared Prime Minister unable to face the onslaught of the Opposition. It was said five years ago that Mr Modi cannot be defeated and will rule for 10-15 years, but the Congress has demolished him, he said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. The Cong chief said his partys internal assessment after four phases of polling shows that the BJP will lose in the Lok Sabha polls. New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday said Congress president Rahul Gandhis attacks on PM Narendra Modi were an outcome of frustration as the party is not only losing elections across the country in a big way, but its so-called bastion Amethi is also crumbling. BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said the remarks by the Congress chief indicate desperation because the party is seeing not only its fortunes crumble all over India, but also seeing its so-called bastions in Amethi and Rae Bareli crumbling. Field reports clearly suggests that Mr Gandhi is losing Amethi by a wide margin and the party, therefore according to the local reports is resorting to unleashing manpower, distribution of liquor and even sizeable number of weapons have been seized from both the constituencies. So, certainly a great desperation is visible in the Congress camp, Mr Rao said. People of the country want Modiji back. Rahul Gandhi knows the reality and is scared of losing Amethi, and out of desperation is making such claims which are factually incorrect, he added. The Congress president on Saturday said his partys internal assessment after four phases of polling shows that the BJP will lose in the Lok Sabha elections and he sees a scared Prime Minister unable to face the onslaught of the Opposition. The BJP leader further said the vote-cutter comment of the Congress is a clear acceptance of its defeat and degeneration of the party. Earlier this week, Cong-ress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had said wherever the party has strong candidates it will win, while in other places it has fielded those candidates who will cut the votes of the BJP. Terming Rahul Gandhis claims as farcical, Mr Rao claimed the Congress is not only losing polls in this election but also losing its relevance. Congress is facing extinction in this election. Despite a series of lies uttered by Gandhi over the last several months, he simply has not been able to bring the party back to life and is literally on the death-bed in this election, Rao said. Responding to questions by the Congress leaders as to why national security was an issue, he said it is the top issue for the BJP and the dominant issue for the country, unlike the Congress during whose regime there had been several terror attacks. Referring to the recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka which claimed 253 lives, Rao said it shows how terrorism and violence can act detrimental for the development of a country and bring it to a stand still. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts in Sir Lanka that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. No major terror strike in any main states have happened during the Modi governments rule and people today breathe easy and feel secure that they have a chowkidaar. Congress partys track record in this regard has been dismal and that is why it doesnt want any discussion on national security, he alleged. Rao said Congress leaders are making frivolous claims of having conducted surgical strikes during their tenure but before September 29, 2016 there is no record of such strikes and it was also stated by the Army Director General Military Operations in an RTI reply. Over Gandhi raising the issue of demonetisation, Rao said opposition had also made it an election issue during the assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and people gave their mandate to Modi. He claimed that after demonetisation, the number of income tax payee have almost doubled, direct tax collection has increased big time and the economy of the country has strengthened. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does contrary to what he claims. 'He is 180 degrees Prime Minister and he does just the opposite of whatever he says.' (Photo: File) Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the SP-BSP alliance will play a key role in forming the government at the Centre and in deciding who will be the next Prime Minister of the country. "I want to tell this to the BJP people that in coming days, SP-BSP alliance will decide which new government will be formed at the Centre and who will become the new Prime Minister," said Yadav. He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does contrary to what he claims. "He is 180 degrees Prime Minister and he does just the opposite of whatever he says. He is the PM of only 1 per cent of the population. So he has issues with those who are in favour of social justice and are taking the nation towards a change," said Yadav. Yadav claimed that the BJP is not going to form the government again and hence are using central agencies at their disposal to target opponents. He said: "Their count is disturbed. They know they won't be able to form the government, so they are taking help of IT, CBI, ED. Earlier, there was never a CBI raid on anyone after implementation of MCC. However, it is the first government which wants to scare people even after elections started and MCC is in effect." SP, BSP and Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh as an alliance. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, BSP, SP, and RLD are contesting 38, 37 and three Lok Sabha seats respectively. 14 Lok Sabha constituencies will go for polls in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. If any officer of the Indian Army is found guilty of any offence, we will take strictest possible action, Gen. Rawat had said. New Delhi: Maj. Leetul Gogoi, who was at the centre of the human shield controversy in Kashmir in 2017, has been given a severe reprimand by the Army Headquarters and will lose his seniority for six months for pension purposes, for fraternising with a local woman in Kashmir last year. Maj. Gogoi and his driver were detained by the J&K police after an altercation with the staff of a hotel as he was allegedly trying to enter it with an 18-year-old woman on May 23 last year. Maj. Gogoi was facing a court-martial on this issue. Maj. Leetul Gogoi has also been shifted out of the Kashmir Valley. Army sources, however, denied that he had been shunted out of Kashmir as a punishment but said he was being posted out as per the normal process after completing his tenure. The Army has lifted the discipline and vigilance (DV) ban imposed on Maj. Gogoi and (he) shall be posted out as normal posting. He is not being shunted out as some media is reporting, said sources. He was posted to a Rashtriya Rifles unit in March 2016 and was posted out in October 2018. From October 2018 he was posted to the V Force for an additional time pending inquiry and action. A source said: The period of posting makes it clear he has done a normal tour of duty, that is between two to two and a half years, a source added. The court-martial had held Maj. Gogoi guilty on two counts fraternising with a local woman in spite of instructions to the contrary, and being away from the place of duty while in an operational area. Maj. Gogoi hit the headlines after he tied a local, Farooq Ahmed Dar, to a jeep purportedly as a shield against an unruly mob which was hurling stones during a byelection at Budgam, which forms part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, on April 9, 2017. However, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had then defended Maj. Gogois action and conferred him with a commendation for his sustained distinguished service in the state in countering insurgency. But after Maj. Gogoi was detained at a hotel by the J&K police when he was trying to enter it with an 18-year-old woman, Gen. Rawat had said that exemplary punishment would be given to Maj. Gogoi if he was found guilty of any offence. If any officer of the Indian Army is found guilty of any offence, we will take strictest possible action, Gen. Rawat had said. The Prime Minister said since the matter has come to light, the naamdar and his raagdarbaris (sycophants) have gone silent. Bhopal: On the eve of voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday questioned Congress president Rahul Gandhis association with a UK firm, Backops, saying his scams were getting exposed from land, air and water. Addressing an election meeting in district headquarters of Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Modi said the companys name was akin to the Congress leaders actions of indulging in back office operations and not from the front. He never worked for the company from the front and did operations from behind the curtains, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister said the Union home ministry has served a notice on Mr Gandhi following a representation by BJP MP BJP MP Subramanian Swamy claiming that the Congress leader was associated with Backops firm as one of its directors. The company was shut in 2009. But, in 2011, when the UPA was in power at the Centre, a partner of the company was awarded a submarine deal contract. How did he get the deal? What was his experience in submarine? Mr Modi wondered. The Prime Minister said since the matter has come to light, the naamdar and his raagdarbaris (sycophants) have gone silent. The Bofors gun, helicopter (AgustaWestland chopper) and now submarine, as deep as you dig... Whether jal (water), nabh (air) and thal (land), naamdars acts are coming out. Michel Mama (Christian Michel, an alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland chopper scam), is already blurting out secrets, he said. Mr Modi charged that the Congress means falsehood, propaganda and cheating. Referring to the 10-year UPA rule under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Modi alleged that India lost an entire decade of the 21st century after the Congress installed family loyalist Dr Singh as the Prime Minister in 2004 because the prince was not ready and all efforts to train him went waste at that time. Referring to Mr Gandhis corruption allegations against him, Mr Modi said, The truth has come out. Naamdar has accepted that false charges were levelled against me. His only aim was to malign the image of Modi. He (Gandhi) himself said in an interview yesterday. Mr Modi called for eliminating terrorism and Naxalism from the country, saying he has vowed to avenge every drop of martyrs blood. Referring to the United Nations move of designating JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, Mr Modi said it is just the beginning as the country has a lot to do to settle scores. He said basic infrastructure in the country should have been laid within 25 years of independence. But, it could not be achieved till date because of dynastic rule. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Bhadohi, the Prime Minister said unlike the BJP the mahamilawati (grand adulteration) people have treated power as a means to multiply wealth. Mr Modi said the mahamilawati people, referring to the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, have always indulged in scams and encouraged corruption while for the BJP power is a medium to serve the people. Claiming that Narendra Modi is the biggest 'calamity for the country', she said the country will be saved if he goes. Goaltore/Belpahari/Dantan: Admitting that a few local leaders of the party may be "greedy", Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Sunday urged people not to turn their anger against them into voting against the TMC. The West Bengal chief minister said her government has showered the impoverished Jangalmahal area, which had once become a den of Maoists, with many benefits and schemes to lift their standard of life. The Jangalmahal area comprises forested areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts. "I cannot say 100 per cent workers of my party are good, may be two per cent are bad and we take action against them," Banerjee said addressing public rallies in three places of Jangalmahal region. She said a few local leaders in the region have become greedy but they have been identified and thrown out. Banerjee urged people not to leave the TMC and go to the BJP, the Congress or the CPI(M) for the fault of a few. "Whatever happens, it is the TMC which will remain at your feet and be with you in all your needs and problems," Banerjee said, in a bid to pacify anger among some sections of the people over the phenomenal rise of wealth of a few local TMC leaders. Banerjee said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the TMC youth wing president, is in the party because of his concern for her. "Abhishek was a child when I was badly injured in an attack many years ago. Pained by my sufferings, he would roam about the house shouting slogans against the then chief minister Jyoti Basu seeking an answer on why I was attacked," the TMC supremo said. Defending Abhishek's rise in the party, she said the new generation should come forward and join politics to give a cleaner political environment. She said the TMC has ushered in a better life for the impoverished people of Jangalmahal, many of whom could not afford one square meal a day and would eat ants to quell their hunger. Banerjee said her government is running many welfare schemes - from rice for Rs two per kg to 'Kanyashree' for girl students and 'Utkarsha Bangla' for skill development for the benefit of the people. The chief minister said her government has succeeded in driving out the Maoists from Jangalmahal and established peace in the region. Claiming that Narendra Modi is the biggest "calamity for the country", she said the country will be saved if he goes. "The BJP can get a maximum 150 to 160 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha," the TMC supremo predicted, while asserting that in Bengal, the saffron party will not be able to open its account and all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state will go to her party. She accused the saffron party of distributing money among the people to win votes. Banerjee claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has not done anything for the people of the country in its five-year rule and reiterated his accusation that the Prime Minister has only toured foreign countries. She claimed that demonetisation has claimed at least 100 lives, while farm sector distresses have led to suicide of 12,000 farmers. "Demonetisation led to displacement of migrant workers and loss of millions of jobs," she said. In the video, a man said that in Sanjay Gandhi hospital, Dr Sidhartha told him that Ayushman card won't work because it is run by Gandhi. Union Minister and BJP candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha seat Smriti Irani on Sunday alleged that Sanjay Gandhi hospital where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are trustees refused to accept Ayushman card of a poor patient, a charge which was outrightly rejected by the hospital administration. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha seat Smriti Irani on Sunday alleged that Sanjay Gandhi hospital where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are trustees refused to accept Ayushman card of a poor patient, a charge which was outrightly rejected by the hospital administration. "I am speechless today. I cannot imagine that one can stoop so low. A poor person was left to die because he had Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ayushman card but the hospital was of Rahul Gandhi," tweeted Irani along with a 122-second video clip. In the video, a young man can be heard saying that in Sanjay Gandhi hospital, Dr Sidhartha told him that Ayushman card won't work here because the hospital is run by the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. He had gone there for the treatment of his uncle. Asked how his uncle is now, the man replies: "He died on April 26 itself." He also claims that the helpline number given on the Ayushman card could not provide the required help. At the end of the video, a child introduced by the people as the son of the deceased appears. Irani has demanded "answers" from Rahul and Priyanka for the alleged lapse on the part of the hospital administration. "The trustees of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital -- Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should reply to the people of Amethi as to why a poor person was killed," she said in a tweet. The hospital management has rejected these allegations. SM Choudhary, Director, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, said: "It is a baseless allegation. We have treated 200 patients under the scheme so far. The concerned patient did not bring the Ayushman Bharat card with him. Under this scheme, a patient cannot be admitted without the card." Ayushman Bharat is the flagship healthcare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which covers 10 crore poor families, and entitle them to avail treatment up to Rs 5 lakh at the tertiary level. Irani is facing Rahul Gandhi from Amethi Lok Sabah seat which is set to go to polls on May 6. Rahul has been winning the seat since 2004. In the last Lok Sabha poll, Rahul defeated Irani in Amethi. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when a man jumped onto the vehicle and slapped him. Police said, 'the man who slapped Arvind Kejriwal organised rallies and meetings for AAP.' (Photo: Screengrab of ANI video) New Delhi: An AAP supporter slapped Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow on Saturday because he was dissatisfied with the behaviour of the party leaders, police said. Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when a man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before being pulled off the jeep. The 33-year-old man, identified as Suresh, who is a scrap dealer in the area, has been a supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party and used to work as an organiser of the party's rallies and meetings, they said. "An enquiry by a DCP-level officer has been ordered to enquire as to how this person was allowed to be in the reception or proximate group," Anil Mittal, Additional PRO (Delhi Police) said. According to his version, over a period of time, Suresh got disenchanted due to behaviour of the AAP leaders. His anger intensified due to "distrust of the party in the armed forces", the official said, adding further interrogation is on in the matter. No FIR has been registered in the matter as police did not receive any complaint. "Today, he was wearing a cap (which he later took off) and scarf of the AAP, and was in the reception group of the CM. No one objected to him being there as he had been an organiser for the party. He was standing near the front right tyre of the Gypsy. He took off the scarf, climbed the bonnet and attempted to assault the CM," Delhi Police said in its statement. The AAP, however, alleged that the Delhi Police had planted that the man belonged to the party. The AAP roadshow was organised from 4 pm to 10 pm in Moti Nagar. It was scheduled to start from Karampura and was to terminate at RK Ashram Marg, it said. Proper police arrangement from both Security Unit and local police was put in place for the event in consultation with the organizers of the event, it added. The chief minister arrived at around 5.43 pm at the starting point. He got out of the official vehicle and boarded the open gypsy prepared for the roadshow. As he was meeting and greeting his party workers who had gathered around the gypsy, suddenly a person got on to the bonnet of the vehicle and attempted to assault the chief minister, the statement said. He was immediately overpowered and saved from the agitated supporters and taken to hospital for medical treatment. The roadshow then started and continued as per the schedule, it said. During security arrangements at such events, which are put in place in consultation with the organizers, necessary tie-up is made with the organizers so that they ensure that only the persons identified by them are in the reception party or the proximate group or near the vehicle used for the roadshow, police said. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the Delhi Police had planted the man. "Delhi Police planting that man belonged to AAP, this is really shameful given the fact that the attacker's wife has herself said he was a Modi Bhakt and did not like anyone talking against Modi. This is the same Delhi Police which had planted earlier that no ''mirchi attack'' happened on the chief minister. It was later when the Delhi government provided CCTV footage to Delhi Police that left its political masters red faced," Bharadwaj said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Amit Shah alleged that soldiers deployed at border used to be beheaded by Pakistan but 'Mauni baba' (Manmohan Singh) remained silent. Addressing a rally in Panipat, Shah also called upon the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the country secure. (Photo: File) Panipat: BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday said the nation's security will remain the saffron party's "supreme priority" as he attacked the opposition including the Congress for allegedly demanding proof of the Balakot air strikes. Addressing a rally here, Shah also called upon the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the country secure. "There were only two countries who avenged the killing of their soldiers-- America and Israel. But Modi ji has added the name of India in this list," Shah said referring to the air strikes in Pakistan following the death of 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama. Shah lashed out at the opposition especially Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for demanding proof of the air strikes. "Everybody was celebrating it (Balakot strikes). But there was mourning at two places Pakistan and Rahul (Gandhi) baba's office. Modi ji killed Pakistan's terrorists but why were their (opposition) faces pale? Were they (terrorists) related to you?" asked Shah. "They were worried about their vote bank," he said. "If you have any common sense, see Pakistan TV channels and find out why people there were crying. It will reveal what happened there," he said further. The BJP president also targeted Congress leader Sam Pitroda, a long-time Gandhi family advisor and a key aide of the Gandhi scion. "Rahul baba's guru Sam Pitroda said do not bomb (Pakistan) but talk to them... People of Panipat, you tell me whether we should talk to them if our 40 jawans are killed?" asked Shah. The BJP chief further said that the Congress can continue sympathising with the terrorists but "if any bullet is fired from Pakistan, we will reply with a bomb." "There will never be a compromise on national security. Elections come and go but the BJP will never compromise on national security. Country's security will remain our supreme priority," he said. Attacking the Congress-led UPA rule of 10 years, Shah alleged that soldiers deployed at the border used to be beheaded by Pakistan but 'Mauni baba', referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh remained silent. "I can never forget the incident of the beheading of Hemraj (soldier) but Mauni baba remained mum," he said. "After Pulwama attack in which our 40 jawans were killed, there was anger across the country. Pakistan secured its border by deploying more soldiers and tanks in anticipation of another surgical strike. But Modi ji showed his 56-inch chest and the Indian Air Force bombed Balakot," he added. On January 8, 2013, Lance Naik Hemraj was beheaded by Pakistan's Border Action Team along the Indo-Pak border, triggering a nationwide outrage. Shah further told the gathering that the BJP government was committed to "throw out" all infiltrators and slammed opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI leader Sita Ram Yechury among others for opposing the government. "You tell me should we not throw infiltrators out of our country. Modi ji brought National Register of Citizens (NRC). Assam has 40 lakh infiltrators," he said, adding that the opposition was worried about where the infiltrators will go and what will they eat. "Rahul baba do these infiltrators who carry out bomb blasts and kill innocents here have human rights? You do not have any concern for those who are killed. These infiltrators are like termites and they should be thrown out," he said. "I want to tell you from this historic land of Panipat that if you elect Modi ji as PM again, each infiltrator from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kolkata to Kutch will be thrown out," he told the crowd. Shah also condemned National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for suggesting that the nomenclature 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) and 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' (Governor) will be brought back in the state if it is voted to power. "Omar Abdullah said he wants second prime minister in Kashmir. Omar and Congress are fighting polls in alliance. I want to ask Rahul baba whether he agrees with Omar's remarks," Shah said. "Can there be two PMs in one country? Friends they want to separate Kashmir from the country. But the BJP workers will never allow Kashmir to be separated from India as it an integral part of India. Make us victorious... we have promised that we will scrap Article 370 (granting special status to J-K)," he said. Seeking support for BJP candidate from Karnal parliamentary seat Sanjay Bhatia, Shah said: "If Modi ji is at the Centre and Manohar Lal Khattar is here, then Haryana will progress. We will make Haryana number one state in the country." Shah also lashed out at the previous regimes in the state and accused the Congress of indulging in corruption and the INLD led by the Chautalas of failing to curb lawlessness. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Pope arrives in Bulgaria; Orthodox Church rejects the idea of joint prayers. Last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope in a Sofia square. (Photo: AFP) Bulgaria: Pope Francis arrived in Bulgaria on Sunday, where he will meet members of the tiny Catholic community, but the main Orthodox Church has rejected the idea of holding joint prayers with the pontiff. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met Francis at the airport, with the government welcoming how the visit has put the former communist country, which joined the EU in 2007, and the Balkans in the international spotlight. The three-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. Borisov has welcomed Francis' visit, saying it "reflects his interest in the peaceful economic development of the Balkans". It will also provide a welcome change for Borisov's administration which has seen several senior members mired in real estate scandals in recent weeks. Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue a priority. But last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope in a Sofia square which had been planned for Monday. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting which will be attended by at least one of Sofia's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said. "I'm an Orthodox Christian, but I admire the pope's openness and sensitivity. Why stay attached to medieval dogmas? There is only one God," said Dora Kraytcheva, 48, ahead of the pope's arrival. While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries, 44,000 in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia, it is the interaction with their two Orthodox Churches that will be most keenly watched. The Bulgarian Church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visits Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Sunday, after he meets with Borisov and President Rumen Radev. Bulgaria is the only Orthodox Church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church. Relations between Rome and other Orthodox churches have been warming, with February 2016 seeing the historic meeting between Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba. That was the first such encounter since the schism nearly 1,000 years ago that tore Christianity in two. The meeting was sharply criticised by conservative Russian nationalists the same tendency that has acted as a brake on any moves by Bulgaria's Patriarch Neophyte towards greater openness. BJP Delhi president Manoj Tiwari condemned the incident and said the AAP might have scripted the incident. A man climbs atop the open jeep and slaps chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday. Mr Kejriwal was campaigning for New Delhi Lok Sabha seat candidate Brijesh Goyal. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was once again physically assaulted during his road show in New Delhis Moti Nagar area on Saturday afternoon. The incident took place when Mr Kejriwal was campaigning in favour of his partys candidate Brijesh Goyal who is contesting from the New Delhi seat. A man climbed atop the open jeep and slapped Mr Kejriwal across the face before the AAP workers pulled him off the jeep. According to deputy commissioner of police (West) Monika Bharadwaj, the man has been identified as Suresh (33), a scrap dealer in Delhis Kailash Park area. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia slammed the BJP after the incident. Do Modi and Amit Shah want Kejriwal to be murdered? Mr Sisodia tweeted, attacking the Prime Minister and the BJP chief. He said the BJP could not break the morale of Mr Kejriwal and could not defeat him in elections in five years despite putting in all its might. Now you want him removed form your way like this. You cowards! This Kejriwal is your end, he said in a tweet in Hindi. BJP Delhi president Manoj Tiwari condemned the incident and said the AAP might have scripted the incident. We do not support violence and condemn such action by anyone. But I doubt as to why such incidents happen to Kejriwal in election time only. I doubt this incident may have been scripted by Kejriwal himself, Tiwari alleged. Delhi Congress spokesperson Jitender Kochar alleged that the incident was stage-managed by Mr Kejriwal for gaining sympathy of Delhiites. Preliminary interrogation revealed that Suresh has been a supporter of AAP and used to work as an organiser of the partys rallies and meetings. As per his version, over a period of time he got disenchanted due to behaviour of its leaders. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Two of his aides were also injured in the accident which took place at Hanskhali in Nadia. Kolkata: BJP candidate of Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency, Shantanu Thakur, was injured on Saturday afternoon as his car collided with a white SUV bearing a police sticker, prompting his family and the saffron party to cry conspiracy. With head injuries, he has been admitted to the ICU at a private hospital. Mr Thakurs condition is stable till the reports last came in. Two of his aides were also injured in the accident which took place at Hanskhali in Nadia. Travelling in a white SUV, the BJP candidate, who is now the head of the All India Matua Mahasangha, was going to attend an election campaign rally where senior party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya was to speak. His mother Chhabirani Thakur alleged, My sons car was parked near the road. Suddenly, a police vehicle came and rammed into his car. We demand a detail probe in the accident. Accusing the Trinamul of trying to eliminate Mr Thakur, Mr Vijayvargiya claimed, This was not at all an accident. It was a conspiracy to try to kill him. He added, A car bearing a police sticker rammed into his car to kill him. The Trinamul candidate is involved in the incident. Food supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick, however, rejected the BJPs charges. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Top 10 Most Beautiful Rivers in the US Since the dawn of civilization, settlements, towns, and cities have sprung up around rivers due to their importance. The United States has thousands of great rivers that criss-cross the country, with many of them attracting visitors to swim, fish, and float down every day. The US does have a number of rivers and waterways in danger due to pollution. However, there are still plenty of beautiful rivers in the US to visit on your next vacation or weekend break. Lets explore the 10 most beautiful rivers in the US. Most Beautiful Rivers in the USA Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Windy with rain showers early then partly cloudy for the afternoon. High 53F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 39F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. More than 600 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip within 24 hours on Sunday, killing at least 4 Israeli civilians for the first time since the 2014 war with Hamas, AP reports. The big picture: The barrage of rocket attacks marks one of Israel and Gaza's "most intense flareups of violence in years," per AP. The Israeli military said it retaliated with 0ver 220 airstrikes against "high-quality" militant sites, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising that Hamas will be held accountable for both its own actions and the actions of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, which operates out of Gaza. Israel's military said 8 militants were killed in retaliatory airstrikes. Palestinian officials said the strikes killed at least 18, though IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus claimed several civilians including a pregnant woman and her niece were killed by a misfired Palestinian rocket. "The conflicting accounts could not immediately be reconciled," AP notes. The deadly exchange comes in spite of a truce agreed to last month, with Egypt and the United Nations engaged in efforts to "broker a longer-term ceasefire," BBC News reports. Go deeper: The latest on the White House's upcoming "peace plan" Adam Sandler returned to "Saturday Night Live" and he brought his SNL character Opera Man with him to roast President Trump, Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and other 2020 hopefuls. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. Why it matters: It was Sandler's first appearance as SNL host, and he marked it with fellow former cast member Chris Rock to jab at the show with a song about being fired. Details: SNL mostly stayed away from politics, as it opened with a "Family Feud" parody involving the "Game of Thrones" and Avengers casts. Jimmy Fallon and Kristen Wiig returned for a "Sandler family Reunion" segment. Sandler also sent up CNN in an imaginary report with SnapChat filters. And he closed the program with a moving musical tribute to the late "Saturday Night Live" star Chris Farley. French oil-and-gas giant Total said Sunday it has entered a deal with Occidental Petroleum Corp. to acquire Anadarkos assets in Algeria, Ghana and South Africa for $8.8 billion, Reuters reports. The deal, which would be expected to close next year, is contingent on Occidental winning the war to acquire Anadarko. Why it matters: The proposed deal is a new twist in the high-stakes battle between Chevron and Occidental to acquire Anadarko in what would be the biggest oil mega-deal in years. It signals how Occidental, which has bid much more than its larger rival Chevron, is seeking to show that its well-positioned to emerge from the expensive transaction in a strong position and successfully combine its operations with Anadarkos. Go deeper: Occidental battles Chevron for Anadarko prize President Trump tweeted on Sunday that tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods will be raised from 10% to 25% on Friday, as trade talks between the U.S. and China progress "too slowly." For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods. These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results. The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! The backdrop: In February, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer told Congress that the U.S. had temporarily dropped its plans to raise the tariff rate to 25%, as the two sides inched closer to striking a deal. Reality check: Trump has repeatedly claimed that tariffs have caused China to pay billions of dollars to the U.S. treasury. This is incorrect. The tariffs are paid by U.S. importers of affected Chinese goods, not by China's government or by Chinese companies. Importers then either raise costs on consumers, lower their own profit margins or both. Driving the news: Chinese Vice Premier Liu He along with a 100+ person delegation will be in Washington on Wednesday, per the Washington Post, for another round of trade talks. Sources have told CNBC that a trade deal could possibly come as soon as Friday, a day after the latest numbers on the U.S. trade deficit are released, though Trump's latest tweets suggest otherwise. Go deeper: Grading the impact of Trump's China tariffs The Trump administration plans to target a new sector of the Iranian economy with significant new sanctions this week, two senior administration officials told me, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to reveal the new sanctions. The officials would not say what sector the administration will target, but it won't be the energy sector. Driving the news: The administration will likely announce this new wave of sanctions on Wednesday marking the one year anniversary of President Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that new sanctions would target petrochemical sales. I'm told the administration will likely impose those sanctions soon, but the new sanctions planned for this week will target a different sector of the Iranian economy. Why this matters: The Trump administration has been working to starve the Iranian regime of cash. But the administration is also trying to chill Iran's growth prospects by limiting the diversification of its economy, senior officials tell me. Between the lines: Trump officials point to three possible outcomes of these efforts: The cash-strapped Iranian regime comes back to the negotiation table to offer the U.S. a more favorable nuclear deal (no sign of this happening). The regime hangs tight, but with far less money in and of itself a good thing, in Trump's view. Iran's leaders will be forced to decide how to spend dwindling revenues, especially as flash floods and desert locusts besiege the Iranian countryside. The Iran regime collapses. National security adviser John Bolton has long hoped for "the overthrow of the mullahs' regime in Tehran," though the Trump administration claims its official policy is not regime change. The big picture: As we recently detailed, Iran's economy has been in free-fall since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed strict sanctions. Iran's currency has plummeted, and dozens of European businesses have pulled out. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have issued dire forecasts for Iran's economy. Iran also suffers from a fall in foreign direct investment. A senior administration official who receives updates on Iranian investment told me the country signed one foreign investment contract between January and March "a deal with a Chinese company to build a petrochemical plant in Khuzestan." What's next? Both officials said the regime could respond in a way that is "highly unpredictable" diplo-speak for violent. "So we are extremely mindful of security here at home," one added. Go deeper: Trump's maximum pressure campaign hammers Iranian economy President Trump is trying to move into a new, post-Mueller phase in his relationship with Vladimir Putin. The state of play: Trump apparently feels liberated, after the conclusion of the Mueller report, to return to his default of trying to do business with the Russian president. The tell: Trump said yesterday that he discussed trying to do trade deals, during a call with Putin that lasted more than an hour. Why it matters: At Trump's core and no matter the spin from the White House he is transactional and has never absorbed or accepted the intelligence communitys findings about Russias attack on Americas election system. The context: The president seemed to return to Helsinki-era Trump while discussing the call: Trump undercut his own intelligence community and national security team by suggesting the Russian president had benign intentions in Venezuela, and tweeting that he and Putin talked about the "Russian Hoax." Trump admitted he didn't confront Putin about the widespread Russian effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, detailed by Mueller. How it's playing: "HEAR NO EVIL. AGAIN," said the CNN headline. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido told the Washington Post that parliament would "consider" U.S. military help if offered by national security adviser John Bolton, calling recent reports out of Washington about possible U.S. intervention "great news." "Its good to know that important allies like the U.S. are also evaluating the option. That gives us the possibility that if we need cooperation, we know we can get it. I think today there are many Venezuelan soldiers that want to put an end to [leftist guerrillas], and help humanitarian aid get in, who would be happy to receive cooperation to end usurpation. And if that includes the cooperation of honorable countries like the United States, I think that would be an option." Context: Guaido's call on the military to oust President Nicolas Maduro this week failed, with the opposition leader admitting to the Post that his movement might need more soldiers and "more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution." The Post's Anthony Faiola notes that the failure of the opposition's plan has threatened to disrupt "what became its single strongest asset in recent months: unity." It's still uncertain whether the Trump administration would take the drastic step of sending the U.S. military to help oust Maduro, though officials like Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have made it clear that all options are on the table. The safety of Guaido, whom the administration recognizes as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, remains a "red line." Go deeper: Venezuelan opposition left exposed after plot unravels By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 22 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 5, Trend reports. 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 Trend As part of the upcoming first forum dedicated to the development of social entrepreneurship, the main aspects and possibilities of the business environment in Azerbaijan will be discussed, Sakina Babayeva, the head of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan, told Trend May 4. She said that the agenda of the event includes discussion of the issues of a sustainable model for the development of social entrepreneurship, as well as key aspects of social entrepreneurship defined in the legislation. During the panel discussions, a wide exchange of views and international experience in the field of social entrepreneurship is expected, she noted. The development of womens entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan and in international practice is a priority direction in the business sphere, so holding such an event is extremely important. She noted that the forum will be organized by Education HUB, Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Economy, as well as with the support of the Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Azerbaijan. The forum is expected to be attended by Azerbaijani MPs, international experts and representatives of international organizations. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend "Gas production capacity in Iran in the current year will surpass 1 million cubic meters and we plan to complete fuel supply for industrial units in current Iranian year (starting on March 21, 2019)," Iran Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said, Trend reports. Speaking at the 24th Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining & Petrochemical Exhibition, he informed that in the current year, the oil ministry's put forth a plan on investments in South Pars. "The production volume in South Pars will increase to 60 million cubic meters per day until winter," he said. He also noted that a special focus was placed on completing petrochemical plans with high progress. "Eighteen petrochemical plans will operate in the current and next Iranian year (starts on March 21, 2020). The production volume will increase from 27,000 tons in 2013 to 50,000 tons in 2021, while the income will increase from $19 billion to $36 billion in 2021. This will not only enhance the country's production, but also increase the demands for goods and engineering services that would be referred to domestic companies," the Minister added. Referring to the plan of investing people's financial resources in the public and private sector in the current year, he said," We also plan to establish cooperation with startups and knowledge based companies to develop this field, while continuing our cooperation with academic institutions." Zangeneh spoke about continuity of EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) projects in upstream as part of ministry's plans. In his words, six billion dollars are needed to increase the production and maintenance in upstream oil industry. Currently, 10 contracts have been signed, and another 23 contracts are planned to be signed. The aim of this plan is to improve oil production, create employment opportunities and support domestic contractors. The official has insisted on supporting domestic production of 10 items of goods for EPC and EPD in current Iranian year, "Major part of the goods should be purchased in the country." Answering the question whether Iran may leave OPEC, Zangeneh said, "We will discuss this issue at OPEC's upcoming meeting in June. We expected to hold talks with the Secretary General of OPEC. Others, not us, are destroying OPEC." Referring to Europe and Iran join financial channel, he said," So far, it has not shown positive signs for oil exports, there should be negotiations between regional countries using products of Iranian companies." Speaking about INSTEX effect on oil exports and equipment purchases, Zangeneh added, "Until today, Europeans have not offered positive services in the field of oil; hopefully, the joint financial channel will be conducive to supply and purchase of oil equipment." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday Iran must counter U.S. sanctions by continuing to export its oil as well as boosting non-oil exports, Trend reports citing Reuters. Rouhanis comments, carried live on Iranian TV, came a day after Washington acted to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting its ballistic missile program and curbing its regional power. America is trying to decrease our foreign reserves ... So we have to increase our hard currency income and cut our currency expenditures, Rouhani said. Last year, we had we non-oil exports of $43 billion. We should increase production and raise our (non-oil) exports and resist Americas plots against the sale of our oil. Fridays move, which Rouhani made no direct reference to, was the third punitive U.S. action taken against Iran in as many weeks. Last week, it said it would stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to push Irans oil exports to zero. The United States also blacklisted Irans elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. Efforts by the Trump administration to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began with last years U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz STORE CLOSURES Here is a list of retail chains that have announced plans or otherwise taken action in 2019 to close at least some of their locations. Note that such moves do not necessarily mean the end of the brand. Abercrombie & Fitch; Amazon; Ascena Retail Group (parent company of Ann Taylor, Catherines, Justice, Loft, Lane Bryant and Maurices); Bed Bath & Beyond; Charlotte Russe; Chico's; Family Dollar; Gap; Gymboree; J.C. Penney; Kohl's; LifeWay Christian Stores; Macy's; Nordstrom; Payless ShoeSource; Peloton; Pier 1 Imports; Ross; Shopko; Signet Jewelers (parent company of Kay, Jared and Zales); Target; Tesla;, Ulta Beauty; Victoria's Secret; and Walmart. Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly has slammed a threat from dissident republicans to one of his party officials describing it as "despicable and cowardly". The north Belfast MLA said Sam Baker was visited by police at his home on Saturday night after attending the Belfast City Council election counts. The officers warned Mr Baker of a death threat from dissident republicans. Sam and his family are currently caring for their mother who is very seriously ill," said Gerry Kelly. This latest death threat follows on the heels of death threats made to the community in Derry by the group which murdered journalist Lyra McKee only two weeks ago. These death threats are despicable and cowardly." The party's policing and justice spokesman continued: "Those responsible have been rejected by the community, and they dont even have the courage to put themselves or their spokespersons before the electorate. They need to disband and end their futile actions immediately. They certainly wont deflect or intimidate Sinn Fein from working for our communities and to achieve a new and agreed united Ireland. Police refused to discuss the matter. "We do not discuss the security of individuals and no inference should be drawn from this," a spokeswoman said. "However, if we receive information that a persons life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk." Sinn Feins John Finucane celebrating with party colleague Mary Ellen Campbell during the local government election count at Belfast City Hall (Mark Marlow/PA) Veteran Eamonn McCann celebrates after being elected for People Before Profit during Derry and Strabane District Local Government Elections count in Derry on Saturday. Picture Margaret McLaughlin 4-5-2019 Counting continues at Belfast City Hall for the Belfast City Council elections after Thursday's voting across Northern Ireland. Alliance parties Nuala McAllister celebrates topping the poll in Castle pictured with Naomi Long. Picture Matt Mackey / Press Eye. The 2019 Northern Ireland Local Government Elections saw a surge in support for the middle ground with smaller parties claiming a bigger share of the vote - and the Alliance Party surging in popularity. The DUP took a 24.1% share of first preference votes - a 1% increase on the last election, while Sinn Fein's vote was slightly down by under 1% to 23.2%. The Alliance Party share of first preference votes was up by almost 5% to 11.5%. The SDLP, UUP and TUV all saw a drop since 2014, while the Greens enjoyed a 1.2% increase. Read More For a full breakdown visit our Election hub and check out the results from each council: Antrim and Newtownabbey --- Ards and North Down --- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon --- Belfast --- Causeway Coast and Glens --- Derry and Strabane --- Fermanagh and Omagh --- Lisburn and Castlereagh --- Mid and East Antrim --- Mid Ulster --- Newry, Mourne and Down Expand Close Share of first preference votes in the 2019 local council elections in Northern Ireland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Share of first preference votes in the 2019 local council elections in Northern Ireland Expand Close Percentage change in first preference votes in Northern Ireland local elections 2019 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Percentage change in first preference votes in Northern Ireland local elections 2019 Here's how the results unfolded: The UUP's Doug Beattie has said the narrative of his party's decline is "completely untrue". The party lost 13 councillors in Thursday's poll and saw its share of the vote decrease by 2.1%. For a full breakdown visit our Election hub and check out the results from each council: Antrim and Newtownabbey --- Ards and North Down --- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon --- Belfast --- Causeway Coast and Glens --- Derry and Strabane --- Fermanagh and Omagh --- Lisburn and Castlereagh --- Mid and East Antrim --- Mid Ulster --- Newry, Mourne and Down "We are still the third largest party," MLA Beattie told the BBC. "We have 75 councillors, 14% of the vote. When DUP or Sinn Fein lost a seat it was because of an Alliance surge. When the Ulster Unionists lost a seat it was because we were in freefall. "So there is a narrative there that is just not the case. "We made fantastic gains in Lisburn, in Newry, Mourne and Down and in other places. So those that have written off the Ulster Unionists have got it absolutely wrong." Read More At Belfast City Council, the once dominant party, dropped from seven to two seats which included the loss of veteran LGBT campaigner Jeffrey Dudgeon. Peter Johnston, David Browne and Chris McGimpsey also lost their seats. Former Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers struggled in his Ormiston District Electoral Area where in the past he has topped the poll. During the campaign he stood by comments in an election leaflet which attempted to link the Alliance party with the "political wing of the provisional IRA". The party has opened disciplinary procedures on the matter. We are offering a different breed of unionism. Doug Beattie Chris McGimpsey who lost out to the SDLP's Seamas de Faoite in the final seat of the election hit out at the vote management after polls had closed. He said he did not know his running mate Ben Manton and said there was never enough votes to get two across the line in Lisnasharragh. "We have major problems in Belfast," continued Mr Beattie. "But people are trying to spin a narrative we have been absolutely decimated. If Belfast was Northern Ireland then fine but it is not. It is an important part of it but it is not the whole of Northern Ireland." Party leader Robin Swann said there would always be a space for the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. "Unionism is not one homogeneous group," he said, "and without the Ulster Unionist Party there would be a whole lot of unionists that would stay at home because they would have no one to vote for. "We are offering a different breed of unionism to the DUP. Hundreds have written us off for the last 30 years but we will still be here fighting these elections." Meanwhile the DUP's Christopher Stalford said his party could have secured more seats with better vote management. The party lost eight seats although vote share rose by 1%. He said there was a message on the doorsteps for restoring Stormont and hoped the forthcoming talks would produce that outcome. He said the institutions should be made "fireproof" in order to stop one party bringing it down again in future. Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd said his party was not ready to return to the Executive until outstanding issues were resolved. He said his party was happy with the result saying there was a voice there for Irish unity. Sinn Fein maintained its seats although vote share dropped by 0.8%. Doug Beattie said reform of the petition of concern should be the first point on the agenda of the talks. Jeremy Corbyn has been urged to work with the Government to agree a compromise deal to break the Brexit deadlock. Prime Minister Theresa May urged the Labour leader to put his differences aside, while International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said the ball was in Mr Corbyns court. Mr Stewart told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday: I think a deal can be done, a lot of this rests on, to be honest, one man: whether Jeremy Corbyn really wants to deliver a Brexit deal. But I think if he wants to do it it will be actually surprisingly easy to do because our positions are very, very close. The newly-appointed Cabinet minister also said his party was keen to get a good Brexit deal done as soon as possible, and conceded that the Governments handling of Britains exit from the EU was responsible for his partys drubbing at the local elections. Labour and Conservatives at the moment are suffering from this whole Brexit thing tortuous, sort of endless, Brexit thing and weve got to get beyond it. Mr Stewart also warned that if the Tories tried to outdo Nigel Farage then it could lose four million Conservative Remain-supporting voters. Weve got to be a broad party. Weve got to be able to stretch all the way from Ken Clarke right the way through to Jacob Rees-Mogg. He also confirmed that he would run to be the next prime minister when Mrs May stands down, but said: I am now so excited to be the International Development Secretary. To the leader of the opposition, I say this: let's listen to what the voters said in the elections and put our differences aside for a momentTheresa May The Prime Minister, writing in the Mail on Sunday, issued a rallying cry to MPs urging them to support cross-party efforts to break the deadlock and get a deal through the Commons. She said she understood why some of her colleagues found the decision to hold talks with Labour uncomfortable, and admitted it was not what she wanted either. But she said the crushing blow voters delivered on both parties at the local elections had given fresh urgency to the need to end the impasse. To the leader of the opposition, I say this: lets listen to what the voters said in the elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Lets do a deal, she wrote. 'The future of the Conservative Party should be the moderate middle ground, not trying to out do the Brexit Party' says Rory Stewart MP. #Ridge Follow live reaction to Sunday politics here: https://t.co/0sH2jHtVXQ pic.twitter.com/Qu1J77hKfo Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) May 5, 2019 I negotiated with the EU what I believe is a very good deal for the UK a deal which allows us to genuinely take back control of our money and our laws. The free movement of people will end giving us control of our own borders for the first time in decades. However, I could not persuade enough of my colleagues to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and, regrettably, I have to accept there is no sign of that position changing. Elsewhere Brexit Party leader Mr Farage challenged Mr Corbyn to a debate ahead of the European elections, warning a deal between Labour and the Tories would be the final betrayal. Nigel Farage challenges Jeremy Corbyn to a debate ahead of European elections. #Ridge Follow Sunday politics live here: https://t.co/0sH2jHtVXQ pic.twitter.com/Rz89lH8JvJ Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) May 5, 2019 He told Sky: There are five million voters out there, Labour voters, who voted to leave, particularly in the Midlands, the north, and south Wales. I would love between now and polling to have a debate with Jeremy Corbyn about this because people are very confused about what Labour are standing for. Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said the Government was trying to re-dress their customs union offer and has not really shifted its position. The key thing is the Government want to be able to do their own trade deals and my concern is that if we have a trade deal with the United States, for example, that could mean Trumps America and big private healthcare corporations getting their hands on NHS contracts, he told Sky. Im not prepared to countenance that: its why we need instead a permanent and comprehensive customs union arrangement where we do our trade deals as part of the European Union. With talks between Labour and the Tories expected to resume early next week, the Sunday Times reported that Mrs May was prepared to give ground in three areas: customs, goods alignment and workers rights. The paper said the Prime Minister would put forward plans for a comprehensive but temporary customs arrangement with the EU that would last until the next general election. It came as more than 100 opposition MPs from five parties wrote to the PM and Mr Corbyn to say they would not support a Westminster stitch-up and would vote against a customs union unless it is put to a referendum. The MPs said: The very worst thing we could do at this time is a Westminster stitch-up whether over the PMs deal or another deal. This risks alienating both those who voted leave in 2016 and those who voted remain. Nigel Farage has challenged Jeremy Corbyn to a debate ahead of the European Parliament elections, warning a deal between Labour and the Conservatives would be the final betrayal. Mr Farage, who leads the Brexit Party, challenged the Labour leader to discuss Brexit with him. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Skys Ridge On Sunday, Mr Farage said: There are five million voters out there, Labour voters, who voted to leave, particularly in the Midlands, the north, and south Wales. I would love between now and polling to have a debate with Jeremy Corbyn about this because people are very confused about what Labour are standing for. I am challenging @JeremyCorbyn to a European election debate. Labour voters are very confused about what his party stands for on Brexit. Lets find out. pic.twitter.com/3DV6Kq5Scw Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) May 5, 2019 Mr Farage added: I think if we can dig into the Labour vote, we can surprise even ourselves. Mr Farage said he had given 26 years of his life to Ukip, but the party is now past its sell-by date. He said: Its done, its gone. Asked whether Ukip is a racist party, or at risk of becoming one, Mr Farage said: I think that it has attracted individuals that I would never have allowed. He was also critical of Labour and the Conservatives, warning that a deal between the two parties that pushed for the UK to remain part of a customs union could be seen as a coalition of politicians against the people. He said: I think millions of people would give up on both Labour and the Conservatives. He added: This would be the final betrayal. Frankly, if May signs up to this, I cant see the point of the Conservative Party even existing. What is it for? While Mr Farage declined to identify a major donor, he said nearly 2 million had been raised through swelling membership numbers. He said: We just yesterday hit 85,000 registered supporters, all paying 25. Work it out. We have raised getting on for 2 million through individual people joining through our website. I cant think that any other party in the UK has raised money like that. The Conservative Party could lose four million voters if it takes a harder line on Brexit and tries to outdo Nigel Farage, the newest Cabinet minister has warned. Rory Stewart, who was appointed International Development Secretary last week, said Remain supporters would abandon the Tories if they made such a mistake. Most Brexit voters voted for the Conservative Party but four million Remain voters voted for the Conservative Party, he told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday. "If the Conservative Party were to make the mistake of trying to out do Nigel Farage then we'd lose four million remain voters" says Rory Stewart MP. Follow live reaction to Sunday politics here: https://t.co/0sH2jHtVXQ pic.twitter.com/yECj9ZNG8f Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) May 5, 2019 If the Conservative Party were to make the mistake of trying to outdo Nigel Farage, which Im sure we wont but it is something that a few of my colleagues are talking about, then we would lose those four million voters. Wed lose young people, wed lose Scotland, wed lose London and wed lose a lot of the most energetic parts of this country. Weve got to be a broad party. Weve got to be able to stretch all the way from Ken Clarke right the way through to Jacob Rees-Mogg. His warning came as a spat emerged between the Government and Labour Party over newspaper reports outlining where the PM is preparing to give ground this week in the negotiations. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell accused Theresa May of jeopardising the cross-party negotiations for her own personal protection, saying he had lost trust in her and claimed the PM had blown the confidentiality of the talks. Discussions between Labour and the Government are expected to continue on Tuesday, and Mrs May last night urged Jeremy Corbyn to work with her party to find a way to break the Brexit deadlock. She wrote in Mail on Sunday: To the leader of the opposition, I say this: lets listen to what the voters said in the elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Lets do a deal. Mr Stewart said the ball was in Mr Corbyns court, telling Sky: I think a deal can be done, a lot of this rests on whether Jeremy Corbyn really wants to deliver a Brexit deal. But I think if he wants to do it, it will be actually surprisingly easy to do because our positions are very, very close. He also confirmed that he would run to be the next prime minister when Mrs May stands down, but said: I am now so excited to be the International Development Secretary. Elsewhere, Brexit Party leader Mr Farage challenged Mr Corbyn to a debate ahead of the European elections, warning a deal between Labour and the Tories would be the final betrayal. He told Sky: There are five million voters out there, Labour voters, who voted to leave, particularly in the Midlands, the north, and south Wales. I would love between now and polling to have a debate with Jeremy Corbyn about this because people are very confused about what Labour are standing for. Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said the Government was trying to re-dress their customs union offer and has not really shifted its position. The key thing is the Government want to be able to do their own trade deals and my concern is that if we have a trade deal with the United States, for example, that could mean Trumps America and big private healthcare corporations getting their hands on NHS contracts. Ruth Davidson has rejected suggestions that the Scottish Tories could break away from the UK Conservative party. Writing in the Sunday Times, former Tory chairman Peter Duncan suggested that, if Boris Johnson is to become the next prime minister, it could create an existential crisis for the party north of the border. He claimed that, if Mr Johnson wins the partys leadership election, it could open up a chasm of epic proportions. It's within the gift of the party, but it's nothing that I've ever supportedScottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson Speaking on the BBCs Marr programme on Sunday, Ms Davidson said that revisiting a proposal put forward in 2011 by Murdo Fraser that the party could breakaway from the UK party, is not something that she would ever back. Its within the gift of the party, but its nothing that Ive ever supported, said Ms Davidson. Indeed, my entire leadership pitch back in 2011 was predicated on the idea that we wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom party, but with the autonomy for candidate selection, policy, financing and all of these other things that come under my purview. There was a suggestion from one of the other candidates in that leadership election that a breakaway would be something that they would look at, along the kind of German CDU/CSU model, but that is not something I have ever supported, I dont support and I wouldnt support in the future. Ms Davidson also said that she is hopeful that a deal on leaving the EU can be reached at Westminster. MPs have so far failed to agree on any deal which would enable the UK to depart the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May has engaged in talks with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an effort to reach a compromise agreement on Brexit. The Scottish Tory leader said: We need to get this deal over the line and what it requires is a majority of people in the House of Commons to vote for it. Now weve gotten pretty close, were getting closer and closer to where that middle ground might be and I would urge my colleagues in the House of Commons to start taking those first steps to walk back to something in the middle because we need to get Brexit done, we need to get it sorted and we need to allow the country to move on. .@RuthDavidsonMSP "If I am elected Scotland's next First Minister, there will be no more constitutional games and there will be no more referenda."#SCC19 pic.twitter.com/Kkfv5osfTi Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) May 4, 2019 Asked whether it would be right for Westminster to legally block another Scottish independence referendum, Ms Davidson said that Nicola Sturgeon had failed to ask for the powers to be granted to Holyrood to hold one. In 2016, Ms Davidson said that the UK Government should not stand in the way of a second independence referendum in Scotland. We know from the devolved settlement that issues of the constitution are reserved to Westminster, thats plainly a fact, said the Scottish Tory leader. After the last indepenedence referendum, we had a big, broad discussion about what powers should lie where, and the SNP didnt even ask for the powers to be devolved. So this is a new wheeze from Nicola Sturgeon that comes up every year with a different reason for what she wants to do. A spokeswoman for the SNP said: Ruth Davidson is guilty of the most appalling double standards, having previously said that the UK Government shouldnt block an independence referendum. Denying a No vote was based on the promise of staying in the EU. Just like David Mundell, she is attempting to rewrite history. Ms Davidson is running scared of an independence referendum but she knows her party cannot indefinitely stand in the way of democracy. The hypocrisy of the Tories in Scotland hasnt been lost on voters, as we see in recent polls. Its clearer than ever that the Tories are ready to sell-out Scotland. Pope Francis has arrived in Bulgaria, the European Unions poorest country and one that taken a hard line against migrants. That stance conflicts with the pontiffs view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. On a two-day trip that began Sunday, Francis plans to tour a refugee centre and dive into the Vaticans complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Expand Close Bulgarian honour guards wait for Pope Francis (Darko Vojinovic/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bulgarian honour guards wait for Pope Francis (Darko Vojinovic/AP) Later in the day, Francis will talk with prime minister Boyko Borisov, whose centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, is the blocs poorest country, with the lowest average monthly salary, 575 euro (490) and the smallest average monthly pension of 190 euro (162). At least 40 people died when an Aeroflot airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport, officials said. The Sukhoi SSJ100 operated by national airline Aeroflot had 73 passengers and five crew members on board when it touched down and sped down a runway spewing huge flames and black smoke. Elena Markovskaya, a spokeswoman for Russias Investigative Committee, said early on Monday that 41 people were killed. But Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said later that 38 survived, implying the death toll was 40. The victims included one member of the crew and at least two teenagers, according to the Investigative Committee. Expand Close The Aeroflot Airlines plane on fire during an emergency landing (@artempetrovich/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Aeroflot Airlines plane on fire during an emergency landing (@artempetrovich/AP) Video showed desperate passengers leaping out of the plane onto inflatable evacuation slides and staggering across the airports tarmac and grass, some holding luggage. The airport said in a statement that the plane, which had taken off from Sheremetyevo Airport for the northern city of Murmansk, turned back for unspecified technical reasons and made a hard landing that started the fire. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Video broadcast later on Russian television showed flames bursting from the jets underside as it lands and then bounces. The plane apparently did not have time to jettison fuel before the emergency landing, news reports said. The SSJ100, also known as the Superjet, is a two-engine regional jet put into service in 2011 with considerable fanfare as a signal that Russias troubled aerospace industry was on the rise. However, the planes reputation was troubled after defects were found in some horizontal stabilisers. Expand Close A Russian Investigative Committee van travels to Sheremetyevo airport (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Russian Investigative Committee van travels to Sheremetyevo airport (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) The planes manufacturer, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, said the plane in Sundays accident had received maintenance at the beginning of April. Aeroflot said the pilot had some 1,400 hours of experience flying the plane. The plane is largely used in Russia as a replacement for outdated Soviet-era aircraft, but also has been used by airlines in other countries, including Armenia and Mexico. This is the second fatal accident involving a SSJ100. In 2012, a demonstration flight in Indonesia struck a mountain, killing all 45 on board. I'VE been called a clown many times but last week I got my first chance to don a bowler hat, grab some juggling balls and test my slapstick skills. The Belfast Community Circus School, who are heavily involved with this weekend's Festival of Fools, put me through my paces in stilt walking, juggling, diabolo and hat tricks. The Festival of Fools has been dazzling Belfast with a host of circus performers from Northern Ireland and across the globe, with the jestering jamboree due to come to an end tomorrow. BCCS have trained hundreds of young people who will be performing across the festival and circus director, Paul Quate, tried to teach this old dog some new tricks. First up was the ancient art of juggling, in which Paul did his best to teach me the art of the three-ball cascade. Alas, the limit of my ability stopped steadfastly at two balls, the manipulation of any more at one time completely overloaded by hand-eye coordination. Reeling from the failure of my juggling-skills, it was on to performing hat tricks. These included flipping, rolling and manipulating the hats around the body to wow the audience. This proved a little easier for me than the juggling, and I was able to jauntily move the hat on and off my head, as well as flipping it onto my head from my foot. Next up was stilt walking and I was hoping my feet would save me again from another juggling-type fiasco. It was a nervy sensation as I hefted my frame onto the wooden stilts, which were propped up against a wall. I carefully shimmied them closer to the wall in order to move myself into an almost upright position. Then came the slightly scary part - leaning forward and beginning to walk on the stilts. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paul Quate, Director of Youth Circus puts Sunday Life reporter John Toner through his paces ahead of the Festival of Fools weekend in Belfast. (Photo by Colm O'Reilly, Sunday Life) Transferring all of my weight onto tiny wooden steps was unnerving, but to my own amazement, I found myself able to walk an admirable number of steps before my balance got the better of me and I wobbled and came off, just about avoiding an embarrassing face-first splat. Pleased at my steady circus improvements, it was on to the final discipline - diabolo. The juggling trick, which involves spinning a bobbin with two cups attached on a piece of string, looked devilishly difficult, but I was on a roll. Moments after being shown the basics, I was spinning the diabolo with aplomb and after five minutes of practice, I was even able to throw and catch the spinning device with surprising ease. Perhaps feeling more deserving of previously being labelled a clown, I had a chat with Paul about the BCCS and its involvement in Festival of Fools. He told me: "I've been assisting with the acts for this year, casting my circus eye over them and helping them with that and making sure our 10 youth circus groups are ready to perform. "We have in-house groups and outreach groups from Lisburn, Suffolk and all over taking part. "Our youth circus group here in Belfast have the opportunity to perform as they have done every year of the festival so far. The number of groups taking part each year has been growing year on year and it's a real opportunity for the young people in the circus community here in Northern Ireland to get involved with performing alongside international artists. "It's a great experience for me before the shows. The nerves, the excitement, frustration at maybe not thinking they're ready for it, but they get on stage and absolutely smash it every single time. Not everything goes according to plan, some people will drop or mess up a trick, but that's part of the ethos of circus, failure is just part of what we do and it's how we deal with that failure. "We can drop, we can make mistakes, but we don't worry about it, we just pick up and get on and have another go and the audience appreciate that, getting the opportunity to try again. "The young people improve every year when they take part in the festival, it's about giving them as many opportunities to perform as possible and make sure they hone their skills. They're always practising and always rehearsing to make sure they're ready for that stage." The tasks I took on may seem simple, but I was a little nervous nonetheless, having never tried any of them before and performing in front of other people and cameras. Paul said his message to other curious, but nervous, circus observers was: "Have a go, just have a go! That's all we encourage young people and adults to do when they come through the doors. "I hope that we create an environment where people can have a go, not get it right, fail and have another go without feeling they never want to try it again. "We always make sure we're never giving up. "My message would be just get off the sofa and go and try it, come and have a go," Paul added. The Festival of Fools, which opened on Friday, sees more than a hundred young people from NI take part in shows watched by thousands. Festival producer, Georgia Simpson, said: "We hope people have been enjoying the festival so far, we have a range of fantastic artists from all over the world taking part, including some really great work from the island of Ireland. "Hopefully people have seen something they haven't seen before and go away inspired. It's a really lovely communal experience, where people come together, see something a bit bonkers and have a laugh. "I think we make a really big contribution to the arts scene here in a number of ways, firstly international street circus and theatre of a really high standard for residents and visitors here. "The photography and footage produced during the festival goes out across the world and I think it's showing people beyond the city that Belfast really has something to offer in terms of vibrancy and something cultural to engage with, we're an Instagrammer's dream! "The festival is free to attend, but expensive to put on and I'd like to say we're hugely greatful to the Arts Council, Belfast City Council, Tourism NI and the department for communities as well as everyone else who provides us with financial support." Ms Simpson also said she was "really looking forward" to checking out The Red Trouser Show and anarchic jester Ugo Sanchez Jr, both on today, as well as tightrope walker Angelique Ross, who is performing in Writer's Square tomorrow. For information about what's on at the Festival of Fools today and tomorrow visit www.foolsfestival.com UN agencies present an annual progress report for Georgia By Levan Abramishvili On Wednesday, May 1st, the Government and the United Nations system in Georgia held a meeting in Tbilisi to take stock of the progress made under the UN Partnership for Sustainable Development (UNPSD), a jointly agreed strategy for 2016-2020 that links the UNs work in the country to Georgias development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to identify priorities for further action.At the meeting, Ms. Louisa Vinton, acting UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia, reviewed projects implemented in 2018 and presented priorities for 2019. Officials of the Government of Georgia (GoG), Parliament, civil society, diplomatic missions and representatives of international organizations attended the meeting.For the 2016-2020 period, the UNPSD partnership framework is structured around the following five focus areas: (1) Democratic Governance; (2) Jobs, Livelihood and Social Protection; (3) Education; (4) Health, and (5) Human Security and Community Resilience.These areas were identified by GoG and UN partners based on the analysis of the country context and the remaining development challenges. These are all the domains where UN expertise, advocacy, and capacity building support could play a critical role in systematic and sustainable change for the people of Georgia.During the meeting, Louisa Vinton explained that the 16 UN agencies active in Georgia covered a wide range of areas but that all UN efforts were united under a shared commitment to leave no one behind, the overarching motto of the Sustainable Development Goals. Vinton noted that, at USD 41.6 million for 2018, the UN financial contribution to development efforts in Georgia was significant, and that total UN annual spending was likely to exceed USD 50 million in 2019 and 2020. She underlined the gratitude of the UN system for the generous support received from the donor community.During the meeting, Vinton went over each of the five focus areas, summarizing the results of 2018 and the priorities for 2019-2020.Some of the main achievements in the Democratic Governance area in 2018 were the implementation of the Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan and improving the justice systems response to gender-based violence, including by assisting in the creation of a Human Rights Department in the Interior Ministry; helping to shape a new national vision of decentralization and regional development, as well as promoting development of the high mountainous regions of Georgia.The main Democratic Governance priorities for 2019-2020 are to keep and strengthen the existing achievements, as well as: assist in establishing an effective national mechanism for reporting and follow up in the area of human rights; help to improve support services for survivors of violence against women and domestic violence, including GPS monitoring for perpetrators;The 2018 achievements in the second focus area, Jobs, Livelihood and Social Protection include: expanding agricultural extension services for farmers; Providing more than 10,000 secondary school students with basic skills in 50+ vocational fields to help them make informed decisions about their career paths; helping to shift from a medical model to a social model of disability assessment; analyzing womens labor force participation and informal employment; applying international labor standards, including adoption of a Labor Safety Law; etc.Vinton emphasized the importance of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which was conducted in 2018. It provides data on 48 percent of SDG indicators and helps to generate sex-disaggregated data which will be of significant assistance moving forward.Some of the 2019-2020 priorities in this area are to provide business support and entrepreneurship training to IDPs, refugees, stateless persons, and asylum seekers to improve well-being and inclusion and to support children victims of violence overcome trauma from abuse and neglect.The Education focus area also saw some significant results in 2018 - healthy lifestyle and sexual and reproductive health issues were integrated into specific subject standards (Biology and Civic Education) for basic and secondary education; Support of gender equality in schools grew with an instruction on all gender-relevant criteria for the assessment of school textbooks and specialized training for 95 teachers. UN also supported the professionalization of preschool teachers in 7 of 64 municipalities.Moving forward, some of the main priorities for 2019-2020 in the Education area include developing a concept on Safe Schools to end violence against Children for nation-wide scaling up in schools. As well as conducting a study among teachers to understand gender bias and barriers for intervention and reporting in cases of violence against children and domestic violence.In the Health focus area, there were several noteworthy achievements, including the reduction of tobacco use through measures adopted under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, including full ban on advertising and limits on smoking in public; 100 hospitals countrywide went through the Hospital Safety Assessments; the quality of reproductive health and maternal health care were significantly improved.The Health priorities for 2019-2020 are: support adoption of a new Law on Medicines to improve access to affordable quality medicines; to integrate healthy lifestyle, sexual and reproductive health issues and prevention of harmful practices into the curriculum of all types of education in the country; as well as to continue support to improve HIV prevention, including through expanded testing.The Human Security and Community Resilience focus area encompasses a wide range of issues. Including the topics of environment and human security.According to the UNPSD Framework Document, one of the outcomes is that by 2020 conflict-affected communities should enjoy better security and stronger resilience to conflict-induced consequences. The UN is working within the conflict-affected areas and across the dividing lines. As the Framework envisages, The UN will focus on confidence-building initiatives through people-to-people communication by more active engagement of CSO, women and youth organizations. The initiatives, among others, will include unconventional models of peace-building, such as online social media, education, especially mother tongue education and youth participation and development activities.2018 results in terms of the human security are: advocating for human rights adherence in conflict-affected areas, especially on freedom of movement. Shuttle bus for vulnerable groups crossing Inguri Bridge; providing humanitarian support to at-risk families among IDP-returnees; providing free-of-charge sexual and reproductive health services, such as cervical cancer screening, to more than 3,600 women and girls; training social workers in pilot districts to identify and support vulnerable children and many more.The human security priorities for 2019-2020 include continued work with the civil society groups and communities on a grassroots level across the divide, expanded social work with vulnerable children and their families, etc.The Framework document identifies the problems in the environmental protection sector in Georgia, which is challenged by excessive deregulation, unsustainable use of natural resources, inadequate policy and legislative frameworks and limited knowledge and institutional capacities of both central and local authorities.In terms of the environmental protection, a number of goals were achieved in 2018: supporting Batumi in adopting a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan; expanding protected areas in Adjara by 11,600 hectares with robust community support and many other achievements that are crucial for the sustainable development of Georgia.Several of the environmental priorities for 2019-2020: Assist Georgia in fulfilling its national commitments under the Paris Agreement and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; increase the financial sustainability of 12 protected areas in Georgia and continue advocacy for promoting the use of alternative energy sources (biomass, solar, wind) to increase the share of renewables in the overall energy mix.At the meeting, the Government of Georgia was represented by Mamuka Bakhtadze, the Prime Minister. He personally thanked Louisa Vinton and the UN for their continued support of Georgia.Joint Strategy fully complies with commitments and values of the Government of Georgia. In addition, priorities defined for 2019-2020 within the Joint Strategy are attuned with sector-specific policies and current reform agenda of my Government, thus enabling us to achieve greater success in the effective implementation of reforms and due delivery of the undertakings noted Bakhtadze.By the end of the meeting, The Ambassador of Sweden in Georgia, HE Ulrik Tidestroem gave a speech, he reiterated Swedens support of Georgia and UN thank you to Georgia and UN for a wonderful partnership. we are working in sync and harmony.In the closing remarks, Louisa Vinton emphasized the importance of cooperation of different institutions we are here in the spirit of partnership and friendship and once again expressed her hopes for Georgia to develop in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. PR Newswire DUBAI, UAE, May 5, 2019 DUBAI, UAE, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockton MENA Limited has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer, Ata Khatib. Based in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Khatib will provide executive leadership of the world's largest private insurance broker's subsidiaries in the region. Khatib brings a deep rooted experience of the region to the role, from first setting up Lockton's offices in the DIFC in 2009 to becoming Deputy CEO of Lockton MENA and sitting on its board. His regional and international relationships have helped Lockton MENA to provide the best service and to exceed the expectations of its clients. Khatib's expertise in energy and power will prove invaluable as Lockton MENA continues to blaze the trail in the region's energy and power sector. Khatib succeeds Tony Saada, who will focus on his responsibilities as Regional CEO for MENA as the company continues to build the Lockton brand across the region. Lockton MENA in the Dubai International Financial Centre "DIFC" will continue to oversee the other recently opened offices in the region. Tony Saada, Regional CEO of Lockton MENA said: "With Ata at the head of Lockton MENA, the business is ideally positioned to accelerate its focus on executing against key strategies due to its strong relationships with clients, regional and international markets and a proven track record of leadership." To reflect Lockton MENA's aspirations for growth, it has recently launched a new website (www.locktoninternational.com/mena) to give clients and prospects a platform through which to explore the capabilities and expertise in Lockton MENA and keep up to date with new hires, developments and events. Wael Khatib, Senior Partner & Chairman - Lockton MENA commented: "I join everyone in congratulating Ata on his new appointment. I would like to thank the leaders at Lockton throughout the region for their constant dedication to create a strong organisation. They have been deeply committed to laying the building blocks to continue Lockton MENA's transformation along its planned growth strategy." Lama Sweis will continue her role as regional COO for Lockton MENA. Lama has been instrumental in transforming the company's operational integrity, ensuring people at the forefront, developing talent and supporting the leadership regionally to maintain consistent and orderly growth. Mohamed Magdy Omar assumed his current role as CEO of Lockton Insurance Brokers Egypt since it was launched in April 2018. Mohamed is a well-respected strategic leader in the Egyptian insurance industry, with robust client and market relationships and a track record of achievement which continues today with accelerated growth. In Jordan, Ahmed Abdo will continue to lead the Lockton Insurance Broker Jordan operations as its General Manager, a position he has held since its opening in 2017. His commitment to steady revenue growth as a recent entrant to the market has put the foundations in place to grow the business while nurturing stronger relationships. Fatima Zahra will also continue to run Lockton MENA's office in Casablanca, where, as a result of her resolute determination, she has been able to establish a foothold in the Moroccan market and also increase Lockton's profile in Western Africa. About Lockton Lockton is a global professional services firm with 7,000 Associates who advise clients on protecting their people, property and reputations. Lockton has grown to become the world's largest privately held, independent insurance broker by helping clients achieve their business objectives. For further information on Lockton MENA please contact: Alma MartinTel: [email protected] For media enquiries please contact: Instinctif PartnersLee Jones, Malini Parkash [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/881569/Ata_Khatib.jpg Hong Kong: James Lau to visit London Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury James Lau will lead a delegation to attend the UK-Hong Kong Financial Dialogue 2019 in London to foster closer financial collaboration between the two places. The delegation comprises representatives from the Monetary Authority, the Securities & Futures Commission and the Insurance Authority, as well as industry leaders from the banking, fintech and asset management sectors. Mr Lau will take part in various sessions of the event, including delivering opening remarks at the London-Hong Kong Financial Services Forum and the UK-Hong Kong Financial Services Government Dialogue to be held on May 7 and 8. He will meet UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and UK Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen. Mr Lau will also call on Acting Chinese Ambassador to the UK Chen Wen, address the Hong Kong Association at a luncheon and visit two fintech companies. He will depart for London on May 6 and return to Hong Kong on May 9. Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Joseph Chan will be Acting Secretary during Mr Laus absence. This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. OTTAWA - Canadians across the country marked one of the longest, darkest and most pivotal chapters of this country's involvement in the Second World War on Sunday: The Battle of the Atlantic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - Canadians across the country marked one of the longest, darkest and most pivotal chapters of this country's involvement in the Second World War on Sunday: The Battle of the Atlantic. Lasting the whole of the war in Europe from September 1939 to May 1945, the battle saw Canada and its allies fighting Nazi submarines, planes and ships for control of the North Atlantic seaways. Elsa Lessard, who served in the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service as a Secret Listener during the Second World War, lays a wreath during a ceremony commemorating the Battle of the Atlantic at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Sunday, May 5, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang More than 4,600 Canadians would lose their lives, including sailors, merchant mariners and aircrew trying to protect vital convoys as they crossed the cold and choppy waves carrying supplies to England and Europe. Those supplies kept the British from starving during the early years of the war after the Nazis had taken control of Europe, and then provided the men, ammunition and equipment needed to free the continent. But it was also a difficult and dangerous environment, with German U-boats lurking beneath the waves and the cold ocean offering a quick death to sailors who weren't quickly rescued after their ships were sunk. During a ceremony at the National War Memorial Sunday morning attended by hundreds of people, a ship's bell was rung as the names of the 33 Canadian naval vessels lost during the Second World War were read out one by one. The event, held under a cloudless blue sky, also remembered the more than 900 Canadian aircrew and 1,700 merchant mariners who lost their lives during the Battle of Atlantic. One of those attending was 91-year-old retired captain Paul Bender, who served in the Canadian Merchant Navy and led an ultimately successful effort to designate Canada's sunken naval ships "ocean war graves." Having joined the war effort when he was 15 years old, Bender was only a few days older than 16 when his merchant ship was sunk by the Germans in November 1943. "It's not very pleasant having your ship sunk underneath you," he said. "But that's one of the challenges of wartime." Bender, who would eventually cross the Atlantic with five convoys, said ceremonies like the one in Ottawa are vital to remembering the Battle of the Atlantic and the sacrifices Canadians made for their country and society. Sunday's ceremony came one day before the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMCS Valleyfield, which the Germans torpedoed as it returned to Canada from escorting a convoy. It sank off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 123 sailors. Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd said the Battle of the Atlantic represents an important chapter in the service's history and heritage, which he admitted isn't always easy to commemorate. "One of the challenges for naval engagements is there's no battlefield to walk, there's no cemetery where you can go and pay your respects," Lloyd said. "And so I think in many respects that makes it a little bit more difficult." Despite this, Bender was optimistic that Sunday's ceremony demonstrates that Canadians understand the importance of the battle, and that it will continue to be remembered after those who fought in it are gone. Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter. ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's growing diversity is not yet reflected in its overwhelmingly white slate of elected officials something Hasan Hai, a Liberal candidate in the upcoming provincial election, hopes will change. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Hasan Hai, a Liberal candidate running in the election 2019 Newfoundland and Labrador provincial election, poses in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Chelsey Lawrence Photography, *MANDATORY CREDIT* ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's growing diversity is not yet reflected in its overwhelmingly white slate of elected officials something Hasan Hai, a Liberal candidate in the upcoming provincial election, hopes will change. The percentage of racialized Newfoundlanders and Labradorians more than doubled between 2001 and 2016, climbing from 0.8 per cent to 2.3 per cent, and the province is now promoting immigration and diversity as one solution to its economic hardships. But while the province has elected some Indigenous representatives to the House of Assembly, its members are still largely white. The Pakistan-born Hai, who's running in Mount Pearl-Southlands in the May 16 election, said that after growing up in Ottawa, he realized the othering effect of only seeing white politicians on the news. He said it was a special moment to see the pride in his own children's faces when he stood with Liberal party incumbents and candidates as premier Dwight Ball dropped the election writ last month. "My children were right behind the cameras looking at me smiling and it was everything I could do not to cry myself," Hai recalled in a recent phone interview. Hai said he hopes more diversity in politics will encourage more people in the province to see elected office as a place for them. Amanda Bittner, a political science professor at Memorial University, conducted a study a few years back that found voters in Newfoundland and Labrador were not more anti-immigrant than the rest of Canada. She said that for the most part, Canadian voters will cast a ballot for their preferred party's candidate, rather than make their choice based on the person's race or gender. But Bittner said Newfoundland and Labrador does have to contend with the "Come From Away" factor, which she describes as "the notion that folks who are not 'from here' don't get a say in how things work." "While we might outwardly say that we don't believe this, in actual fact I think it's fairly true," Bittner said in an email. For Hai hardly a Come From Away, with a decades-long connection to the province running for office seemed like a natural career move, and he appears to be a natural candidate. The now 41-year-old moved to the province in 2007 after visiting on and off for years. A previous job took him to almost every rural corner of the island before moving to Mount Pearl, a city in the St. John's metropolitan area, a few years ago. Hai is well known for his charity work like co-founding the hit "merb'ys" calendar with the Newfoundland and Labrador Beard & Moustache Club. The latest edition featured photos of burly, mermaid-clad men posed in dynamic locales and raised over $200,000 for Violence Prevention NL. Hai said campaigning and meeting with voters has been an overwhelmingly positive experience, but he hasn't been spared from mostly anonymous racist vitriol online. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, an anonymous Facebook page surfaced called "Who is Hasan Hai?" The page questioned Hai's background before moving the province and shared videos stoking concerns over "illegal border crossings." The since-deleted page attracted some negative comments, like people suggesting only those born in Canada should run in elections, but many more came to Hai's defence, calling the page racist and defending Hai as a valued community member. Hai himself good-naturedly commented directing people to his LinkedIn page showing his career history, inviting people to simply ask him if they have questions about his life story. "You single me out in this election just because you want to cast that fear and doubt, I guess it reveals the motive behind it," he said by phone. Hai said he chalks these kind of attitudes up to mostly fear rather than hate, and he said talking about the presence of racism and bigotry in an otherwise friendly place is the best way he sees to weed it out. "Everyone talks about how friendly Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are and I completely accept that, but it's not a complete binary," Hai said. "We can be both friendly and live in an environment, society, where racism and bigotry, you know, they live here, and one thing I'm really passionate about is calling it out and not giving it room to flourish and grow." Bittner said people of colour and women often deal with "online trolling" when running for office, and even with the Come From Away factor she said Hai still stands a decent shot at being elected as a well-known face in the community. "I don't think this (online trolling) is at all a majority opinion nor will it detract from his chances of success," she wrote. Bittner said she suspects the population is becoming more open to non-traditional candidates, pointing to increasing levels of visible diversity and the rough political shape the province is in. "The 'old ways' of doing business are obviously not working," Bittner said. "I suspect there is appetite for change, which includes visible diversity of candidates and perspectives." VANCOUVER - Walking along the base of the Burrard Street Bridge that crosses Vancouver's False Creek toward the downtown core, Khelsilem gestures across a gravel lot poised to become one of the largest Indigenous urban developments in Canada. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Dustin Rivers or Khelsilem, stands on the land below and next to the Burrard Street Bridge is pictured where the Squamish Nation is proposing a massive housing project in the city of Vancouver, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press) VANCOUVER - Walking along the base of the Burrard Street Bridge that crosses Vancouver's False Creek toward the downtown core, Khelsilem gestures across a gravel lot poised to become one of the largest Indigenous urban developments in Canada. The Squamish Nation councillor, who also goes by the name Dustin Rivers, is standing on a pinched triangle of reserve land near the city's centre that the First Nation won back in 2002 after decades of legal battles. The project is in its very early stages but if all goes as planned, the Squamish Nation will build about 3,000 housing units in a project that promises to answer some of the region's urgent housing needs at the same time that it presents a test of reconciliation. "For a lot of other First Nations across the country, natural resources is the one option they have for growing their economies. Whereas for us, the land has been completely impacted (by the city's growth) and so real estate is really the one thing we can get involved in that will make sense to generate revenue," he said. The same site was home to members of the Squamish Nation for thousands of years before villagers were illegally forced to accept a settlement and shipped on barges to less desirable land along Howe Sound in 1913. It had been declared a reserve in the late-1800s but was gradually fragmented by leases and dissected by railway lines. By 1965, the entire 32-odd hectares of reserve had been sold off. But in 2002, the Squamish regained a small section of the earlier reserve: todays Kitsilano Indian Reserve No. 6. The idea to build two towers on the site gained some steam in 2009 and 2010 but was abandoned in the economic downturn. Now, Khelsilem said, members are keen to see the First Nation use the land for economic development. "They're seeing the significant profits that everyone else is making. We're right in the middle and we're not doing anything, so I think there's reasonable impatience that we should be getting involved," he said. The First Nation is in negotiations with one developer after gathering pitches through a request for proposals. At this stage, it's looking at primarily rental housing with potential for some affordable units for Squamish members. Of the nation's 4,000-odd members, about 1,100 are on a waiting list for housing, he said. For Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, the development offers an answer to one of the city's biggest problems. "The city is in the middle of a housing crisis, especially when it comes to rentals," Stewart said, calling the preliminary figure of 3,000 housing units "fantastic." That's not an insignificant number for a city that has approved 8,680 purpose-built market rental units over the past 10 years. Stewart also sees it as an expression of reconciliation, acknowledging that if residents oppose the project there are few ways to fight it because the development is on Squamish land and outside the city's jurisdiction. "The shoe's on the other foot and there's really not a lot of need for Squamish to consult with the local community," he said. Despite that, Stewart said the First Nation has kept him in the loop on its plans since early this year. The relationship Stewart and the First Nation built as allies against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has helped. "The thing about reconciliation is you don't really know what it looks like until you're in the middle of it. So I think this will set some parameters as to what us, Vancouver, being a city of reconciliation, looks like. I'm very keen to make sure this has the best chance of success." The Kitsilano neighbourhood is facing forces that could change its character on several fronts. The beachside community of largely single-family residences has historically opposed development on a much smaller scale, including two recent five- and six-storey buildings planned further west. But densification appears inevitable, especially along a SkyTrain line planned several blocks south. "There have been some developments on a smaller scale that have been getting some opposition, there's no question about that," said Larry Benge, co-chair of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods. For his part, Benge said he recognizes the neighbourhood has no legal say in the matter but wants to let the Squamish Nation know that neighbouring associations are available and interested in participating in engagement. Until more details are released, he said he's taking an optimistic view of the project. "I don't want to build into this development a whole slew of, 'Oh my gosh, what if this happens, isn't this going to be awful.' We should instead be looking at, 'This is a wonderful opportunity for something that could be very positive for everyone involved,' " Benge said. Khelsilem said the First Nation plans to communicate with residents, adding it could make the project stronger by raising questions that the designer or developer hadn't considered. It's not the first Squamish development, nor the first urban Indigenous development. The MST Development Corp. is a partnership between the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. The three bands are full or co-owners of six prime properties throughout Metro Vancouver, covering more than 65 hectares of land available for development valued at over $1 billion. Among its largest developments, the corporation is beginning consultations on the 36-hectare Jericho lands in West Point Grey. The Musqueam are also planning a 1,250-unit, mixed-use development near the University of British Columbia and the Squamish act as landlords to the Park Royal shopping centre on its reserve land in West Vancouver. Khelsilem said the Park Royal project has provided income that the First Nation can use toward other things, like housing, and the Burrard project is expected to be a similar "money tree" on a much larger scale. The next step will be putting things like the land designation amendment and business terms before Squamish members in a referendum. "This project we're looking at is much more substantial and significant," he said. "We want to bring our people home, we want to build more housing for them, we need to create some economic development to pay for it and this is the first step in that." FREDERICTON - Documents filed with the Federal Court show the former Harper government was concerned about the legal and political fallout from how it dealt with a New Brunswick potato farmer jailed for more than a year in Lebanon. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. New Brunswick potato farmer Henk Tepper checks on his field, Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at his farm in Drummond, N.B. Documents filed with the federal court show the former Harper government was concerned about the legal and political fallout from how it dealt with a New Brunswick potato farmer jailed for more than a year in Lebanon.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot FREDERICTON - Documents filed with the Federal Court show the former Harper government was concerned about the legal and political fallout from how it dealt with a New Brunswick potato farmer jailed for more than a year in Lebanon. Henk Tepper languished in a Beirut jail cell in 2011 and 2012 on allegations he tried to export diseased potatoes to Algeria. In 2013 he launched a lawsuit against the Canadian government, saying the government didn't do enough to try to secure his freedom, and therefore his right to life, liberty and security of person were violated. The lawsuit, which seeks $16.5 million in damages, also says the RCMP provided private information including the annual sales of Tepper's farm and value of his home to Algerian authorities in contravention of the Privacy Act. In a 13-page statement of defence, the government said it provided Tepper with diplomatic help and made "numerous and frequent diplomatic interventions" on his behalf. It states there were about 10 meetings between Tepper and representatives of the Canadian government to monitor his well-being, 40 phone conversations with Tepper's family members and 50 interactions with his lawyers. The case has yet to make it to trial, although a pre-trial conference is set for Monday in Ottawa. Documents including government emails disclosed by the defence and filed with the court last week show that, during his incarceration, officials cautioned each other about saying anything publicly that could help in a Tepper lawsuit. Tepper had already filed a civil suit against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for negligence concerning inspections and documents for the potato shipment to Algeria in 2007. Someone had doctored one of the inspection reports to say the shipment was all approved, when in fact a portion of the shipment from Quebec had tested positive for Bacterial Ring Rot which is a quarantine pest in Algeria. Tepper was unaware that Algeria had been granted an Interpol Red Notice for his arrest, until he was stopped by authorities in Lebanon when he arrived for an agricultural trade mission. Tepper's detention and possible extradiction to Algeria generated a lot of public and media attention, and according to the documents filed with the court a lot of discussion among government and consular officials. Notes from one meeting of consular staff read "given Tepper's role, the commercial world of the Maritimes, there is a lot of interest at the political level. The family is extremely litigious." Another email, dated April 11, 2011, reads "MSFA (Minister of State Foreign Affairs) has instructed us to meet Thursday with Mr. Tepper's wife and sister. There will have to be solid preparation for this. Otherwise - add another $100 million to the legal liability fund." By July 5, 2011, the-then minister of state for foreign affairs, Diane Ablonczy, wrote an email saying "I foresee another Tepper lawsuit against GoC for business/monetary losses relating to our 'failure' to have him released. Points up importance of better communication with Canadians about what we can and cannot do, especially with regards to the legal process in other countries." At the time, one of the people exerting pressure on the government to secure Tepper's release was Senator Pierrette Ringuette of New Brunswick, and it appears government officials were not happy about it, often complaining in emails that the senator was misrepresenting the facts. During one string of emails, staff of the ministry of state foreign affairs complained about the senator and raised concerns about a planned meeting between her and officials of the RCMP. "The more we cater to this woman the longer the story lives on. There is no good that can come of this meeting," one person wrote. The response was "Ok. I did want to throat punch her though...," with a subsequent reply alluding to a profane sexist smear. By November 2011, John Baird, the-then foreign affairs minister, was considering a call to the Lebanese justice minister requesting that Tepper be expelled back to Canada. However in an email to Ablonczy, staff advised "we have no reason to put all our eggs in one basket for this guy and not some of our other cases where there is more humanitarian reasons to do so." And: "In addition, Mr. Tepper is currently suing the GoC... seems odd why we would do something out of the ordinary for him and not others." Tepper was held in a basement cell that measured about five metres by 10 metres. It was dark and infested with cockroaches and spiders. He eventually returned to Canada on March 31, 2012, after his lawyers obtained a Lebanese presidential decree. Following his return to Canada, Tepper said he felt let down by his own government. Although Tepper is free and back in New Brunswick, the Interpol Red Notice remains in place, keeping him from travelling outside of the country. JERUSALEM - Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Palestinians stand in front of a destroyed multi-story building was hit by Israeli airstrikes late Saturday in Gaza City, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of intense fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) JERUSALEM - Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to "continue its attacks and to stand by" for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gaza's economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Israeli attack helicopter fires a missile into Gaza, near the Gaza and Israel border, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of intense fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war." He signalled readiness to "return to the state of calm" if Israel stopped its attacks "and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life." With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to U.N. tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to burnish its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. Israeli Iron Dome air defense system takes out rockets fired from Gaza, near the Gaza and Israel border, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of intense fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) "Hamas is the change seeker," said retired Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staff's strategic division. "Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation." In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have "every right to defend themselves." He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. President Donald Trump warned the Gaza militants that "these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery." ''We support Israel 100% in its defence of its citizens...." he tweeted. "END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!" The U.N. Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and "a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to "indiscriminate rocket attacks" from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and U.N. mediation efforts. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often co-operates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes beginning Saturday. Rockets are launched from Gaza Strip to Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Sunday intensified a wave of rocket fire into southern Israel, striking towns and cities across the region while Israeli forces struck dozens of targets throughout Gaza, including militant sites that it said were concealed in homes or residential areas. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Islamic Jihad threatened to strike deeper into Israel, saying it "is ready to engage in an open confrontation and can open a broader front to defend our land and people." By Sunday, the Israeli military said militants had fired over 600 rockets, with the vast majority falling in open areas or intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket-defence system. But more than 30 rockets managed to strike urban areas, the army said. Israeli officials said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli father of four, was fatally struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard in the southern town of Ashkelon. The other deaths included a 49-year-old man killed when a rocket hit an Ashkelon factory, a man who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, and a 35-year-old man whose car was hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod. Israeli police said 66 people were wounded, three seriously. In Ashkelon, the Barzilai hospital itself was hit by debris from a rocket that was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile. The Israeli deaths were the first rocket-related fatalities since the 2014 war, when 73 people, including six civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. The Israeli military said it struck 250 targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier, and put another brigade on standby. "We have been given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting under current conditions," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 dead, including at least eight militants hit in targeted airstrikes. At least four civilians, including two pregnant women and two babies, were also among the dead. Late Saturday, the Palestinians said a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The army denied involvement, saying they were killed by an errant Palestinian rocket. There was no way to reconcile the claims. Among the militants who were killed was Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary, a money changer whom Israel said was a key player in transferring Iranian funds to the militant group. Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their 4-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. Sirens wailed along Israel's border region throughout the day warning of incoming attacks. School was cancelled and roads were closed. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Hamas seized control of Gaza from the forces of internationally recognized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite his fierce rivalry with Hamas, Abbas appealed to the international community "to stop the Israeli aggression against our people." ____ Akram reported from Gaza City. Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed. A 44-storey tower could be on the way for Dublin's Docklands. Property developer Johnny Ronan has begun the process of applying for permission for the North Wall Quay project. Update - May 5, 10.10am: Claudia Howard has been located safe and well in Dublin. May 3 - 8.50pm: Gardai have asked the public for help to find a 17-year-old girl. All 462 seats have now been filled, with the DUP coming out on top, despite securing fewer seats than in the last election. In the end, they secured 122 seats, 17 more than Sinn Fein who came in second on 105 seats. The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has appointed a non-garda to the position of Deputy General Secretary for the first time. Philip McAnenly, from Co Monaghan, will take up the role following ratification at the GRA Annual Delegate Conference in Killarney this week. Mr McAnenly was formerly an Industrial Relations Officer at the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation. GRA General Secretary Pat Ennis said the appointment of a civilian to the organisation was "an historic moment". This is the first time someone that does not have a Garda background has been appointed to such a high-level position," he said. We followed a thorough selection process with expert external oversight. Philip brings great experience as an industrial relations practitioner and provides a new dimension to our negotiating team. It is apt that the GRA has made this appointment at a time when we are heading into an historic change in policing. "As the representative body for rank-and-file gardai, we will be engaged in an intense period of negotiation to improve policing in the public interest and in the interest of our own members. It is also a measure of the commitment the GRA has to internal reform that Philip was overwhelmingly ratified by the GRA Central Executive Committee and now by our Annual Delegate Conference," he said. Update 10pm: David Henderson has been located safe and well. Gardai have thanked the public for their assistance. Earlier: Gardai in Dublin are seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing 44-year-old from Dublin. David Henderson is missing from his home in Churchtown, Dundrum and was last seen on May 4 in the Portobello area. He is described as being 6'1", with a slim build, brown eyes and sandy blonde hair. When last seen he was wearing, grey trousers, a navy jumper and brown boots. Anyone who has seen David or who can assist in locating him is asked to contact Dundrum Garda Station on 01-6665600, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Ruth Morrissey has spoken of the relief she felt in the wake of a landmark High Court case over her CervicalCheck smear tests. The 37-year-old, who is terminally ill, was awarded 2.1m after she won her case against the HSE and two US laboratories in relation to the testing of her cervical smear slides in 2009 and 2012. "I'd like to say it was really exciting, it was more of a relief," she said on RTE Radio 1's Sunday with Miriam programme today. "The win for me was more around the labs; We won against them and that was the main thing for me. It was just a relief that the labs were found to be responsible and accountable," she said. The Limerick woman, who has been given two years to live, is determined to stay positive and make the best of each day. "It's not like I jump out of bed straight away, I have to think about it in the morning and ask is it going to be a good day," she said. "I have bad days when I don't want to get out of my bed, I want to curl up and say. why me, why did this happen to me, what did we do to deserve this. But the majority of my days are positive, you have to have that positive mind frame because, if you don't, you'll give up and you're going to let it win, and by God, I'm not going to let it win. Ms Morrissey said she was "angry" that she had to go to court despite assurances from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that women affected by the CervicalCheck scandal could engage in mediation. "I was angry but realistically, when you go through your emotional rollercoaster and you think back, he made a promise that he couldn't keep," she said. "I'm sure he was convinced himself it [mediation] was an option for us. "When I thought about it, they [the labs and the HSE] have a right to defend themselves in a court case as much as I do. I said, 'cop on, Ruth, this is going to trial'." In the case, Ms Morrissey and her husband Paul Morrissey had sued the HSE and two US laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Ireland Ltd and Medlab Pathology Ltd. It was claimed there was an alleged failure to correctly report and diagnose and there was an alleged misinterpretation of her smear samples taken in 2009 and 2012 and her cancer spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2014. It was further claimed a review of the 2009 and 2012 smears took place in 2014 and 2015 with the results sent to Ms Morrisseys treating gynaecologist in 2016, but she was not told until May 2018 of those results which showed her smears were reported incorrectly. The HSE admitted it owed a duty of care to Ms Morrissey. The laboratories denied all claims. Ms Morrissey said the events that led her to make the decision to go to court happened quickly. "When we found out that I was one of the ladies impacted [by the CervicalCheck scandal], we were kind of left in limbo, we didn't know where to turn to," she said. "We felt the only ones we could go to who had any answers were Cian (O'Carroll), my solicitor. We had questions about whether this was a cover-up, there were so many unanswered questions. "[The court case] was tough to go through but it was something that needed to be done eventually. It gave us the opportunity to unfold some elements that people weren't aware of, that the HSE was responsible for the contracts and the overall programme. From that perspective, it was very important. She described going for a routine smear test in 2009, a procedure she says she never missed as it was so important. In 2012, she was told she was "absolutely fine". However, she started having symptoms two years later when she noticed the presence of a pale "pink panther" type of blood after sex. "I kept telling my husband there was something wrong with him," she said. A visit to her doctor led to an expedited colposcopy after something was seen on her cervix. Following further tests, she was told on July 1 that she had cervical cancer. I was shocked. You know when you see in the movies where people go deaf and they have an out of body experience, that was me. I couldn't believe it. Ms Morriseey was transferred to Cork where it was decided that she would undergo a trachelectomy, a procedure to remove part of the cervix. "I was still shocked, but it came across to me that it was caught really early and I was lucky and I was assured that it would be fine," she said. The mother-of-one did not want to undergo a hysterectomy as she did not want to go through the menopause at 33 but told her doctor she would proceed with the best option available to her. In May 2018, Ms Morrissey discovered that there had been a misreading of her initial smear tests. "When we were given the results we were told the 2009 smear would have had a significant impact on my health. How unlucky could I be." She has been given the prognosis of two years to live, but says she doesn't accept that as she is "a very positive person". She is also struggling with mobility issues as the cancer has "cocooned itself" in her body, affecting her ability to walk. However, her family are the most important thing, with Ms Morrissey praising "her rock" husband Paul and "amazing" daughter Libby. "[Libby] is amazing, from her head to her toe. She's a wonderful human being and person and she keeps us going. We're a family unit of three, we love each other very much, we do everything together. A further outcome of the case is that it set an important legal precedent in which the Judge set the future threshold for negligence in screening programmes at "absolute confidence". This means that the all-clear cannot be given when assessing a test slide unless there is "absolute confidence" in the results. Ms Morrissey explained: "If there's any doubt whatever it has to be called negative. "It's not like you're looking at a sheet or a slide that has no impact, this is someone's life you're looking at. If there is any doubt then it should not be passed, it's very simple. "It's going to give more assurance to people that they're going to have a proper screening programme because this is someone's life," she said. Additional reporting by Ann O'Loughlin Sinn Fein has lashed out at Fianna Fail and Fine Gael claiming neither party can be trusted on Irish neutrality. It says it is clear that an EU Army is being created and the EU Defence Fund will help bring that about. The party's MEP for Dublin, Lynn Boylan, says 'if it talks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it is a duck'. She says the Irish people have already chosen to support positive neutrality and the country's long history of UN peacekeeping. Ms Boylan said: "What you find is that the Irish people are incredibly proud of the peacekeeping role that our Defence Forces have played. "And that they [the public] would much rather that the Government pay [the Defence Forces] appropriately. "That they're not being forced into poverty which is the current situation with our Defence Forces. And that they continue to carry out peacekeeping duties." In a statement on the party's website, Ms Boylan says Fianna Fail and Fine Gael "want further integration and further militarisation and their groups in the EU Parliament are strong supporters of an EU Army". Fianna Fail and Fine Gael say they support neutrality but every single thing they have done for decades proves the exact opposite. " She added that it "is clear that an EU Army is being created and they are putting an EU defence fund of 13bn in place to help bring it about. "They are not in the real world. They cannot be trusted to defend Irish neutrality because when it really matters they dont support it." Gaza militants have fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since 2014. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 22, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late on Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to "continue its attacks and to stand by" for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gaza's economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Mr Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Mr Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious leader could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to UN tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to enhance its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. "Hamas is the change seeker," said retired Brig Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staff's strategic division. "Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation." Tanaiste Simon Coveney "the indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza". Tanaiste @simoncoveney has issued a statement on the situation in the Middle East; calling for an end to indiscriminate attacks on civilians & for the international community to work with all sides to de-escalate tension as a matter of urgency. Statement: https://t.co/rXKaJmvXPa pic.twitter.com/dwNBDPPOwj Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) May 5, 2019 He called for an end to the attacks on civilians and said the "actions undermine the cause of the Palestinian people. The unjust treatment of Gaza and the suffering of people there will never be solved by violence or terrorist attacks." In Washington, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have "every right to defend themselves". He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. The UN Middle East envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and "a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late". EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to "indiscriminate rocket attacks" from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and UN mediation efforts. - Press Association Boeing knew months before a deadly 737 Max crash that a cockpit alert wasn't working the way the company had told buyers of the single-aisle jetliner. Questions have been raised about the company's lack of transparency. Credit:Bloomberg But the planemaker didn't share its findings with airlines or the Federal Aviation Administration until after a Lion Air plane went down off the coast of Indonesia in October, according to a Boeing statement Sunday. The accident occurred after erroneous readings by a single angle-of-attack sensor triggered software that pushed the jet's nose down until pilots lost control. Boeing's latest disclosure raises new questions about the 737 Max's development and testing - and the company's lack of transparency. The alert was supposed to flash when two angle-of-attack vanes sent conflicting data about the relation of the plane's nose to the oncoming air stream. Boeing had told airlines and pilots that the so-called AOA disagree warning was standard across the Max fleet, as on a previous generation of 737 jets. The software delivered to Boeing linked the signal with a second cockpit gauge - available for a fee -that displayed the readings from the two vanes. As a result, the AOA disagree light, which warned pilots of issues with the sensors, functioned only for customers that purchased the optional indicator. More than two decades after the seed was planted in Dan Pritzker's mind to make a movie about legendary jazz cornetist Charles "Buddy" Bolden, the world is finally getting to see the story he's been trying to tell. The writer-director's film Bolden reimagines the life and music of the musician, of whom little is known. Many consider him the "inventor" of jazz. Gary Carr portrays jazz pioneer Charles "Buddy" Bolden. Credit:FRED NORRIS The movie stars Gary Carr (Downton Abbey) as Bolden, who was born in 1877 and died in Louisiana's state asylum in 1931. It also features the musical talents of New Orleans native and jazz master Wynton Marsalis, who wrote, arranged and performed music for the movie and is named executive producer on the project. "This is a poetic, tragic story about a guy who changed everything about American music. Let's be clear, though, it's not a biopic. It's more of an allegory about the soul of America in my view," Pritzker said . Australian DJ and music producer Adam Neat has been found dead after reportedly attempting to rescue a friend who had fallen off the side of a Bali luxury hotel villa on Saturday. It is believed the 42-year-old, known by his stage name DJ Adam Sky, tried to rescue his personal assistant, who had fallen several metres from the villa shortly before Mr Neat's fatal accident. Adam Neat, known by his stage name DJ Adam Sky, reportedly died while trying to help an injured friend in Bali. Credit:Facebook Local police believe Mr Neat crashed through a glass door at Hillstone Villas Resort, sustaining fatal injuries in his attempt to assist his injured colleague, according to Nine News. A post on Mr Neat's official Facebook and Instagram pages confirmed his death on Sunday evening, describing the accident as a "tragic loss". Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has pledged tax breaks for small businesses that hire young and older workers in a major bid to boost the fortunes of the long-term unemployed. Officially launching Labor's campaign in Brisbane, Mr Shorten also promised a crackdown on multinational tax avoidance by denying deductions to companies that send royalties to tax havens overseas. Labor leader Bill Shorten rouses the party faithful at its official campaign launch in Brisbane. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer In his speech to the party faithful, Mr Shorten took aim at Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he called for an end to the "smug, smirking, unfair complacency under the conservatives". He also delivered a rallying call on climate change, saying: "On this issue, perhaps above all others, the contrast and the case for change is night and day, black and white." A bumbling Brisbane thief has lost his disguise, a Donald Trump mask, while smashing his way into a jewellery and electronics store in a shopping centre north of Brisbane at the weekend. Police said the man, who was carrying Uber Eats bags for his loot, broke into Strathpine shopping centre on Gympie Road about 5.30am on Sunday by smashing a glass door. Once inside, the thief smashed the glass window of the Angus & Coote jewellery shop and stole watches. The man also smashed into an electronics store and took more goods before fleeing on foot. It was a mutual love for western films that brought a Japanese couple together. Now five years on, Motonori Kan chose Brisbane's Queen Street Mall to pop the question to Emi Miyazaki with a flash mob behind him. Nerves were setting in for Mr Kan as he stood out of sight near the Myer Centre while his fiancee-to-be was being led to the surprise performance. A flash mob proposal in Queen Street Mall saw about 60 Brisbane dancers perform. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia Hopeless romantics stood in anticipation to see the proposal unfold while about 60 dancers casually sat on nearby seats or pretended to shop for bath bombs and clothes before they broke out in dance. Police are strip searching, taunting and photographing Indigenous youth when they apparently have done nothing wrong, the manager of a north-west Queensland community centre has alleged. In her submission to a Queensland Productivity Commission inquiry into reoffending, Mount Isa Neighbourhood Centre manager Chris Connors called for better cultural awareness training for police she believed were racially profiling Indigenous youth. Police are accused of racially profiling Indigenous youth in Mount Isa. Credit:Robert Shakespeare Ms Connors wrote there were many reports from her clients of negative interactions with police. They included police engaging with them when they apparently have done nothing wrong, photographing them, pushing them face-down on the ground, stripping/searching them, taunting them and only turning on body-cams when they react, taking their phones if/when they try to film the interactions. Six prisoners have been struck down with a mystery illness at Capricornia Correctional Centre in central Queensland, with one being airlifted to hospital following reports of a mass drug overdose. A correctional officer has also been injured at the facility, which was placed in lockdown. An RACQ Capricorn Rescue helicopter was tasked to support ambulance officers at the Capricornia Correctional Facility. One patient was flown to Rockhampton for further treatment. Credit:RACQ Capricorn Rescue A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said six patients were assessed at Etna Creek after receiving a call just before 1pm on Sunday after the prisoners were feeling unwell. "We have seven units responding and a rescue helicopter," he said. Two seriously injured men were trapped in an overturned semi-trailer for more than four hours near Lake Wivenhoe, north-west of Brisbane. The truck driver had lost control, flipped the vehicle and crashed into two trees, which resulted in a large gum tree coming crashing down, blocking the Brisbane Valley Highway. Paramedics said the two men were "heavily entrapped" in the truck's wreckage. Credit:Nine News Queensland - Twitter Emergency services were called to the crash scene in Wivenhoe Pocket, 66 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, about 3.40am on Monday. Police said the highway was closed between Wivenhoe Dam and Fernvale and was expected to remain closed in both directions for most of the day. Drivers should take a detour through Lowood. Curtin researcher Adam Cross dropped down to his hands and knees, yelling in excitement, as he realised he had just discovered a population of thousands of extremely rare carnivorous plants in the Kimberley. The finding was the largest Australian population of Aldrovanda vesiculosa, an aquatic venus flytrap, ever discovered and the first one found in the Kimberley in 20 years. Dr Cross said he was still pinching himself. Curtin researcher Adam Cross holding a sample of the rare carnivorous plant at the site of the discovery. An eager botanist from the age of six, he had spent the last decade unsuccessfully searching for the plant in swamps and billabongs across northern Australia. Puri, India: The road to Puri was lined with large downed trees. Electricity poles made of cement and steel lay scattered on the ground, along with roofing tiles, pieces of billboard and crumpled iron sheeting. The walls of many buildings had collapsed, leaving countless people homeless. But on Saturday as residents of this seaside town emerged from shelters to assess the property damage unleashed by Cyclone Fani, there was a sense of relief. The storm, one of the biggest in years, had slammed into India's eastern coast, roaring through towns with winds of 193km/h. Yet so many precious lives had been spared. At least 33 deaths have been reported across the country, compared with the thousands killed 20 years ago, when a similar cyclone swept over the same area. A woman prepares food in the Puri district of Odisha amid the destruction left by Cyclone Puri. Credit:AP That is because authorities here had whisked more than 1 million people to safety, executing a meticulous evacuation plan that they have been perfecting ever since that disastrous storm in 1999. Jacksonville, Florida: A military-chartered jet carrying 143 people landed hard, then bounced and swerved as the pilot struggled to control it amid thunder and lightning, ultimately skidding off the runway and coming to a crashing halt in a river at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. It meant chaos and terror for passengers in the Boeing 737 as the plane jolted back and forth and oxygen masks deployed, then overhead bins opened, sending contents spilling out. But authorities said all the people onboard emerged without critical injuries Friday night, lining up on the wings as they waited to be rescued. Only a three-month-old baby was hospitalised, and that was done out of an abundance of caution, officials said. "I think it is a miracle," said Captain Michael Connor, the base's commanding officer, hours after the plane landed. "We could be talking about a different story this evening." Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Community Bookstores pick: Dark Constellations, by Pola Oloixarac Pola Oloixaracs follow-up to her widely acclaimed first novel is a time-jumping, post-human, science-fiction fever dream. Moving deftly between the 19th century and a near-future surveillance state, Oloixarac forgoes linear narrative in favor of impressionistic sketches of the colonial wreckage of the Americas, post-industrial environmental collapse, and mythical hallucinogenic plants that break down the barriers between one species and another. Samuel Partal, Community Bookstore [43 Seventh Ave. between Carroll Street and Garfield Place in Park Slope, (718) 7833075, www.communitybookstore.net]. Greenlight Bookstores pick: Birthday, by Cesar Aira This memoir by Argentine writer Cesar Aira, written for his 50th birthday, is his strongest work to come out in a while subtle and masterful, though very different from a lot of his other books in its intimate, more direct personal narrative. He finds an access route to the deepest regions of a passing thought without overworking anything. With Aira, you always want to go along for the ride. Jarrod Annis, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 2460200, www.greenlightbookstore.com]. Words picks: I Miss You When I Blink, by Mary Laura Philpott If you are experiencing anxiety, burnout, an identity crisis, or all of the above, Mary Laura Philpotts memoir is a must-read. She writes about everything from the dreaded 80 she got on a fourth grade test to the house-sitting job she accepted to temporarily escape her busy schedule. Her essays are personal but also relatable. Overachievers of any age will feel understood. Victoria Rodriguez, Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 3830096, www.wordbookstores.com]. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams To the Editor, With reference to the letters from Elaine Kirsch and Victoria Hofmo regarding the overbuilding going on here, they are absolutely right. Things have gone way out of control. The new motto seems to be build them bigger, build them higher. On the corner of Ocean Avenue and Avenue T there was a lovely Victorian house that was part of the St. Edmunds complex, The house is gone and in its place is another monstrosity going up. The last time I went by there, which was a couple of weeks ago, the building was either eight or nine stories, it was hard to tell. On the corner of Avenue P and E. 19th Street, there was a very nice house owned by my dentist. The house is gone and in its place is a mixed use building, which probably means stores on the ground floor and apartments above. At this point, the building is seven stories high. Will either of those buildings have nough parking? Of course not. As for Kings Highway, the less said the better. I remember the Kingsway Theatre. Although I am originally from upstate and then Canada, I have lived here a long time. I remember the Avalon Theatre at the corner of Kings Big buildings replacing beautiful homes Highway and E. 18th Street, now occupied by a Rite Aid drugstore with a manager, who said, when I questioned him why their price for an item that was in a magazine with the price printed, was higher than the magazine, said, we can charge whatever we want. I no longer go there. I also remember Dubrows, where you could get something to eat any time of day or night. It became a Gap clothing store and when that burned, it became, of course, another bank. We also have another new schlock dollar store. When was the last time you saw a cop walking the Highway? Maybe they would get rid of the bikers going full-speed on the sidewalks. How sad to see the demise of a once-great street. Rowena Lachant Homecrest Symbolism vs reality To the Editor, I often wonder about peoples obsession with the symbolism so-called leaders put before us, rather than all that is going on around us that is all too real. Two fairly recent events: the reported Isis-inspired Jihad murders in Sri Lanka got far too little air time coverage, while the unfortunate fire that ravaged a part of Notre Dame in Paris got days of coverage. Locals in Sri Lanka are seemingly left to help themselves with little international assistance while more than $1 billion was almost immediately raised to help rebuild Notre Dame. The weekend following the Notre Dame fire brought some 30,000 yellow vest protesters to the streets in various cities in France, continuing their objection to a steep rise in fuel taxes and concerns about other taxes and low wages. Where is the outpouring of donations from Frances wealthiest businesses and families to address the difficult economic problems in their country that clearly exemplifies the class warfare (my description), the huge economic divide that is ever growing? This divide is equally as apparent where I reside, in a country of no-longer united states. Isnt it a shame that there is this small class of highly successful people choose self indulgence, and gluttony, rather than adopt a humane, altruistic mind and heart that endeavors to enrich the quality of life for everyone while having sustainability in mind that protects the health of the planet we live on? It truly is possible to create a world where opportunity exists for everyone to create (at minimum) a modest, healthy life for self and family, and to thereby live in peace. Barry Brothers Homecrest Co-op coup To the Editor, My posh co-op is on Avenue Z, and is made up of a three-building complex. The buildings were under rent stabilization until a co-operative conversion occurred 31 years ago. My corner building has not had a functioning intercom service for the longest time. It is repaired, and within the week, it breaks down again. This is a definite problem for people who have items delivered to them, have visitors coming, and, most serious, if they need an ambulance, the personnel would never be able to gain entrance into the building. Complaints to the management have fallen on deaf ears and now those of us who complain are targeted for harassment. In addition, as apartments are vacated, they are subject to remodeling. The banging during the day is intolerable and, worse, it is causing a cockroach infestation, as the critters literally come out of the walls at night. Again, the management pays no attention whatsoever. They couldnt care less, especially since our building has no representation on the co-op board. This has been going on for quite some time. We have been unable to have a quorum for the last 15 years, and as a result, no elections may take place. The same board remains in power for another year and as resignations have occurred, there supposedly, is no money to fix the intercom, but there is plenty of money to maintain a pool. Regardless of whether you use the pool or not, youre charged for it. Now, they are installing a gym, and Im sure that this will not be for free either. Is there anyone out there who can help? We are facing taxation without representation.Ed Greenspan Sheepshead Bay Electeds must act To the Editor, Majority Leader Hoyers statement that its not worth even pursuing an impeachment inquiry is reprehensible and a complete abdication of Congress and Democrats constitutional duty. Forget an election 18 months from now, we just had an election five months ago where tens of millions voted to hold Trump responsible. Thats the only reason Hoyer is Majority Leader now and not the powerless figure he apparently wants to go back to. As a constituent of Senators Gillibrand and Schumer, and Rep. Velzquez, I will not vote in future elections for Democrats who dismiss their duties to the republic. Every day Trump stays in power is another day for a further catastrophe. And even if not impeached or convicted, an inquiry will yield evidence of wrongdoing that will help prevent reelection. I urge my elected officials to do their job! Ka Ming Wong Gowanus MTA misuse To the Editor, Gov. Cuomo originally wanted NYC Transit to hire yet another engineering consulting firm to perform an independent review of his proposed redesign? Now the MTA awards a $1.2 million contract to JMT of NYC Inc. to provide something different oversee construction and operations. This just duplicates the work of NYC Transits own experienced engineers, operations planning, procurement, quality control and, quality assurance employees along with the MTAs existing Capital Program Oversight Committee independent engineering firm. The same holds true for the FTAs existing independent engineering consultant, who is usually assigned to monitor any MTA or NYC Transit federally funded capital improvement project over $100 million. In these times of multi-billion dollar MTA funding shortfalls, paying for another engineering consulting firm was a waste of scarce financial resources. It made no sense for the MTA to reassign management of this project from NYC Transit to MTA Office of Capital Construction. NYC Transit has already successfully managed several Superstorm Sandy federally funded tunnel projects. For the most part, they were completed on time, within budget, accompanied by few design or change orders. Contrast that with MTAs Office of Capital Constructions track record. Long Island Rail Road East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal, if all goes well with the most recent recovery schedule, will be completed 10 years late and $8 billion more than the original $3.5 billion budget. Check out the original 2006 MTA/FTA Full Funding grant agreement and see for yourself. Second Avenue Subway Phase One and Hudson Yards 7 train subway extension both suffered from delays, budget, scope and change order issues. MTA Capital Construction currently has their hands full trying to complete East Side Access by the most recent recovery schedule of December 2022 and begin Second Avenue Subway Phase 2. Larry Penner Great Neck THE GLOBAL AGE Europe, 1950-2017 Ian Kershaw Viking; $40; 670 pages The Munich Security Conference was a depressing gathering this February. Throughout the Cold War and for decades thereafter, Wehrkunde (as the conference was known when it started in 1963) was the premier event for Europeans and Americans committed to NATO, trans-Atlantic ties and the West. This years meeting had little of that. Vice President Mike Pence delivered a Trump-like speech that shocked a quiet hall. He bullied allies rather than celebrating them, most audaciously by urging ... 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 Another statist intervention in a country that labors under an excess of bureaucracy might not look like much of a solution to anything. But for India to break free from the lower-middle-income trap will require officials to marshal and allocate every scrap of funds prudently, and correct mistakes swiftly. Just having a minister of finance isnt enough, as Indias own experience has shown. ... 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 Bollywood veteran Anupam Kher on Sunday came out in defence of Akshay Kumar, who had posted about his Canadian citizenship following the backlash on social media after he did not cast vote during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections. Anupam advised Akshay to refrain himself from giving explanations to people and also stated that he doesn't need to prove his loyalty towards his country. "Dear Akshay Kumar! Have been reading about you explaining to certain people about your loyalty to our country. Stop it! Their real profession is to make people like you & me feel defensive for talking in favour of India. You are a doer. You don't need to explain to anybody," Anupam tweeted. On Friday, Akshay took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "Really don't understand unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India." Mentioning that the citizenship issue concerning him is constantly dragged into needless controversy, Akshay wrote, "While all these years, I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone, I find it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy, a matter that is personal, legal, non-political, and of no consequence to others." He has been trolled lately due to his absence from the polling booths. His wife Twinkle Khanna was spotted at a polling booth without him. During a special screening of an upcoming film 'Blank', Akshay was asked about the issue. However, he dismissed it by simply smiling and telling the reporter, "Chaliye Beta." Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter, encouraging Akshay to vote. On this, Akshay replied, "True hallmark of a democracy lies in people's participation in the electoral process. Voting has to be a superhit prem katha (Tale) between our nation and its voters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following the failed uprising against him, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro praised Venezuela's military, which supported the embattled President amidst the political crisis in the Latin American nation. "Venezuela has a #FANB (National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela), perfectly trained, prepared and cohesive. We are not a weak or helpless country, we have a military power that guarantees peace and national defence. Always Loyal, Traitors Never!" Maduro tweeted. The military has stayed loyal to Maduro despite the opposition's claim of being in touch with high-ranking military defectors, who support National Assembly head Juan Guaido. The opposition leader proclaimed himself as the President of the nation during protests in January this year. His claim was swiftly recognised by the United States, who accept Guaido as the official interim President of the nation. Guaido's claim is also supported by over 50 nations, while Maduro is backed by countries like China, Russia and Turkey (amongst others) who have slammed international interference in Venezuela's internal affairs. On April 30, opposition leader Guaido declared he was "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom," in an apparent bid to oust Maduro. At least 71 people were injured in the clashes that ensued between anti-government protesters and law enforcement forces in Caracas. The opposition leader has since conceded that the military's support for the uprising was miscalculated, vowing to keep efforts up in bringing about democracy in the country by ousting "usurper" Maduro. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Hulusi Aka on Sunday announced to support the rights of Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea under the international law. "Along with the rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean under international law, as a guarantor country, Turkey is determined to always protect the rights of the people of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and not to allow the fait accompli," Aka told Anadolu News Agency. The Defence Minister's statement came a day after the Greek Foreign Ministry asked Turkey to stop drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. For long, Turkey has been pursuing unilateral drilling activities claiming that Turkish Cypriots also have rights to resources in the region. Cyprus got independence in 1974 following a coup against the Turks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Army has awarded severe reprimand and loss of six months seniority to Major Leetul Gogoi for meeting a lady source in a hotel on May 23 last year, Army sources said on Sunday. The officer would now be posted out of the Kashmir valley as he has completed his tenure in the region in the counter-insurgency force, Rashtriya Rifles, Army sources said. "The officer has been awarded punishment of Severe Reprimand and Six months loss of seniority for pension only. Since on the completion of disciplinary proceedings against him, the discipline and vigilance ban on him has been lifted and he shall now be posted out as normal posting," Army sources said. The Army also denied that the officer was being shunted out of the Kashmir valley due to the proceedings against him. Major Leetul Gogoi who hit the headlines in April 2017 for using a civilian as a shield against stone-pelters in Kashmir valley, had been held guilty by a court of inquiry for meeting a local girl source in a hotel in violation of the rules under Army Act 63. He was also facing the charge of not giving correct information to his JCO while leaving his company operating base near Srinagar when he was proceeding to meet the lady source. After the jeep incident came to light, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had last year said that the officer had not committed as grave a mistake as was being made out by the media. General Rawat had backed the officer when the jeep episode had happened but had also talked about giving him exemplary punishment when the hotel episode came into the limelight. On May 23 last year, the Kashmir police had detained Major Gogoi when he was found in a Srinagar hotel with an 18-year-old woman. After the altercation, the Army ordered a court of inquiry (CoI) to probe the incident. The CoI held him guilty of "fraternising" with a local in violation of Army instructions in operational areas on March 31, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur on Sunday resumed campaigning for ongoing Lok Sabha elections after facing a 72-hour ban from Election Commission of India. ECI had banned her from campaigning for 72 hours for her remarks on Babri Masjid. Thakur blamed Congress for getting the prohibition imposed on her. "They got a 72-hour ban imposed on me. There was no reason behind it and it was only because I spoke about patriotism which they did not like. They got afraid and had the ban imposed of 72 hours," said Thakur while campaigning in Bhopal parliamentary constituency. She also lambasted Congress governments of past and said, "Before Uma Bharti's rule there was such a government in the state that there weren't potholes in road but road in potholes. There was no arrangement of water, electricity in their rule. These people who took away employment are now promising jobs" Referring to state assembly polls, Thakur also urged the people for not repeating the mistake that they made "four months back." "I was kept inside the jail for nine years and was continuously tortured me. People will take revenge for insulting the women, they will take the revenge of equating our religion with terrorism. The mistake that you have made four months back should not be repeated now," said Thakur. Earlier in the day, she was also seen collecting donations from the public for her election campaign. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday debarred Thakur from campaigning for three days in the Lok Sabha polls in the wake of her remark that she is proud of Babri Masjid's demolition. The remark was found in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the poll body. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A phalanx of Bollywood and other celebrities on Sunday came together and threw their weight behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking one more term for him. The event - Celebrities with NaMo for building a new India - was held at the BJP headquarters here. Some of the important celebrities who attended the meeting included Boney Kapoor, Jaya Prada, Dalip Singh Rana aka The Great Khali, famous Haryanavi dancer Sapna Chaudhary, and Poonam Dhillon. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj presided over the function. BJP's general secretary, organisation, Ram Lal and Arun Singh, another general secretary, were also present on the occasion. They addressed them, detailing Prime Minister Modi's performance in his first term and his vision for building a new India. Producer Boney Kapoor, while talking to ANI, said: "Prime Minister Modi has opened his arms for our industry. Ours is the most vulnerable industry. He has gone extra miles to reach out to us. We needed his support, which he rightly extended." Sapna Choudhary said: "Prime Minister Modi deserves to be the PM again." Said actress Poonam Dhillon: "People of our industry feel emotionally connected to PM Modi. We need a leader who looks and works like a leader. We are thankful to have the support of a leader like him." Among others who were present on the occasion included Mukesh Tyagi, Prahlad Kakkar, Malini Awasthi, Gajendra Chouhan, Pawan Singh, Khesari Yadav, and Pawan Singh. Last month, over 900 artistes including prominent names from the field of literature had appealed to fellow voters to elect a strong government at the Centre. The list had names like Vivek Oberoi, classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, music composer Shankar Mahadevan, and others. The seven-phased Lok Sabha polling started on April 11. So far, four phases of voting have taken place. The remaining three phases of polling will take place on May 6, 12, and 19. 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.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 11 crore from the Chief Minister Relief Fund for cyclone-hit Odisha. Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers announced financial assistance of Rs 10 crores each for the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami made the contribution from their respective state relief funds to help people affected by cyclone Fani that hit the state on Friday. On May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Central government released Rs 1000 crores in advance to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by cyclone Fani. "I am in regular touch with these states. Rs 1,000 crore for relief work has been released as advance to deal with the situation. I want to assure that the whole nation and the Centre is with all those families and governments," PM Modi had said while addressing an election rally here. The severe cyclonic storm Fani with a wind speed touching nearly 200 kmph made landfall at Puri coast on May 3 wreaking havoc in Odisha. Rescue and relief operations have been mounted on a massive scale in Odisha in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the cyclone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his government was committed to bringing in law against instant triple talaq in favour of "Muslim sisters" as per their sentiments and accused the Opposition of creating hurdles in the way. "There are so many Islamic countries where there is no provision of triple talaq. Girls are not devastated in the name of triple talaq there. We also want to give Muslim sisters the same rights as in other countries," Modi said at a rally in Bhadohi, a district with a considerable number of Muslim voters. "We have introduced a provision to the same effect in the Parliament according to their (Muslims) sentiments and institutions. We do not disrespect religious sentiments of anyone, we act according to the constitution which ensures equal rights for all," PM Modi said.The Prime Minister alleged that Opposition parties were not letting the law pass in the Parliament. "Congress and its allies are forcing the sisters to live in fear of triple talaq. They are trying to stall the triple talaq bill," he said. PM Modi assured the gathering that he would not let 'mahamilavatis' (highly adulterated), as he called the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, succeed in their endeavours to stall the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 in the Parliament. He attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi over a revelation recently made in a media report which questioned Gandhi's role in a defence deal when UPA was in power at the Centre. The Prime Minister said: "A few days ago, it was exposed by the media that Congress' 'naamdaar' (a reference to Gandhi) helped his close friend get a defence deal (during previous UPA regime). But he never cared about providing electricity, houses and toilet to people." The Prime Minister dubbed the designation of Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar a global terrorist as a major success for India. He alleged that the leaders of the grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh do not acknowledge India's diplomatic feat. "Everyone was proud of India's success in getting Azhar declared a global terrorist. But what shall I do to the 'mahamilavatis' who are not ready to acknowledge the success of India in designating Masood Azhar a global terrorist?" Modi questioned. Keeping his attack centred on SP-BSP-RLD, he accused the alliance leaders of being corrupt, who amassed large amounts of money when they were in power. "What was the condition of SP, BSP (leaders) some decades ago? And what lavish lives they live now!" PM Modi said. He went on to praise himself, saying, "I am a living example in front of you. I have been CM for a long time. Is there any blot on my image? Does anyone talk about the property? Does anyone talk about my farmhouse, any bungalow abroad? Have you heard I did anything for my family?""In just five years, even their distant aides become rich," he added. Polling for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections will take place on Monday. Counting of votes for all seven phases will begin on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress party on Sunday sought an unconditional apology from Prime minister Narendra Modi for his remarks against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. On Saturday, attacking Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh had said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1'. He was apparently referring to Bofors scam, in which Rajiv Gandhi was an accused. At an election meeting today, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's objectional language does not suit the image of a Prime Minister; rather it has only lowered his reputation among the people." "Modi's words against Rajiviji is not acceptable to a civilized society and he should take back his words and apologise...We expect him to tender an apology to the people of India," she added. The Congress leader who is contesting Lok Sabha polls from North East Delhi Parliamentary constituency said, "When the Prime Minister of the country makes a statement that lowers the image of the post he holds, it hurts the people of the country." "The people of India hold all our leaders, from Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri to Rajiv Gandhi in very high esteem, and nobody talks ill of our late, revered leaders," added the Congress leader. Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office, Rajiv Bhawan, here today, Dikshit, said, "Congress leaders never use disparaging language against Opposition leaders--past or present-- in their political discourse but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stooped low to use condemnable language against Rajiv Gandhi which does not suit the high office he holds, and clearly shows up the sick mindset and base thinking of the top BJP leadership, as they indulge in cheap " Dikshit said, "The insult heaped on Rajiv Gandhi, who sacrificed his life for the society and the country, by Narendra Modi was not just an insult on the Congress party, but on the people of the country, which they will not accept and tolerate at any cost." "Our culture and tradition encourages us to give respect and honour to our late, revered leaders", she added. The Congress leader further said, "In the history of Indian politics, even the leaders of a rival political party, without any proof, have never made baseless allegations against a highly respected and revered leader of any other political party as Prime Minister Modi has done." "The common people of the country are very sensible and they will not tolerate insults on Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji...The people of India will give a befitting reply to Modi and the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, to teach them a bitter lesson," the Congress leader added. Earlier today, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remarks against his father Rajiv Gandhi, saying, "Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you." On Twitter the Congress president expressed himself. His tweet read, "Modi Ji, the battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug," . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Disha Patani is headed for her upcoming film 'Malang' starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Anil Kapoor, and Kunal Kemmu, she shared a picture with co-star Kapur, raising her fans' curiosity. The 26-year old looks cheerful and excited in the picture as she stood beside Aditya and shared that she is up for some training -- "Training for something special Malang." Dressed up in a black diving suit, with hairs loosely tied at the back, the 'Baaghi 2' actor is all smiles. While Kapur can be seen in knee-length shorts flaunting his chiseled body. The news of the film was confirmed on March 4 by Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh and is the first project for all the four actors. 'Malang' will be a revenge drama which will be directed by 'Aashiqui 2' director Mohit Suri and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg, and Jay Shewakramani. Suri is reuniting with Bhushan after their film 'Aashiqui 2' was a hit. Reportedly, 'Malang' will be shot at various exotic locations including Mauritius and Goa from March onwards. The film is set to hit theatres on February 14, 2020. Disha is also eyeing the release of Salman Khan starrer 'Bharat' where she is playing the role of a trapeze artist. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Sunday, the Greece chapter of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP) organised protests in Athens against the recent abductions of Baloch women and children during Pakistani military operations in Balochistan, according to a press release. The operations allegedly took place in Balochistan's Mashkay, Awaran and Naseerabad areas on Monday. Furthermore, BRP Greece Chapter's President, Aslam Kiyyazi, claimed that the Pakistan Army abducted four Baloch women along with their five children during the military operation. "A few days ago, Pakistani forces abducted several women and children in Awaran and Mashkay. Some were released while others are disappearing till date," Kiyyazi said during the protests. He further urged the international community, including human rights organizations, to break their silence over "the Pakistani state atrocities in Balochistan," adding that the Pakistani army will "advance its atrocities across the if treated with silence in Balochistan today." The Afghan community also participated in the protests, according to a statement issued by BRP Central spokesman Sher Mohammad Bugti. The statement also slammed the Pakistani civil society and human rights organization's silence over the "atrocities committed by the state army. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister and BJP candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha seat Smriti Irani on Sunday alleged that Sanjay Gandhi hospital where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are trustees refused to accept Ayushman card of a poor patient, a charge which was outrightly rejected by the hospital administration. "I am speechless today. I cannot imagine that one can stoop so low. A poor person was left to die because he had Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ayushman card but the hospital was of Rahul Gandhi," tweeted Irani along with a 122-second video clip. In the video, a young man can be heard saying that in Sanjay Gandhi hospital, Dr Sidhartha told him that Ayushman card won't work here because the hospital is run by the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. He had gone there for the treatment of his uncle. Asked how his uncle is now, the man replies: "He died on April 26 itself." He also claims that the helpline number given on the Ayushman card could not provide the required help. At the end of the video, a child introduced by the people as the son of the deceased appears. Irani has demanded "answers" from Rahul and Priyanka for the alleged lapse on the part of the hospital administration. "The trustees of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital -- Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should reply to the people of Amethi as to why a poor person was killed," she said in a tweet. The hospital management has rejected these allegations. SM Choudhary, Director, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, said: "It is a baseless allegation. We have treated 200 patients under the scheme so far. The concerned patient did not bring the Ayushman Bharat card with him. Under this scheme, a patient cannot be admitted without the card." Ayushman Bharat is the flagship healthcare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which covers 10 crore poor families, and entitle them to avail treatment up to Rs 5 lakh at the tertiary level. Irani is facing Rahul Gandhi from Amethi Lok Sabah seat which is set to go to polls on May 6. Rahul has been winning the seat since 2004. In the last Lok Sabha poll, Rahul defeated Irani in Amethi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's younger brother Hossein Fereydoun has been sentenced to an unspecified jail term in a corruption case, reported Al Jazeera. "This person [Hossein Fereydoun] was found not guilty on some charges, while he was sentenced to prison on other accusations," said a judiciary official, Hamidreza Hosseini on Saturday. However, Fereydoum, who is a close confidante of the President and was involved in 2015 nuclear deal, "rejected" the ruling and said he will appeal in the higher court. "I strongly and categorically reject allegations against me in the court and some of the media, and I'm protesting," he said. The trial against Fereydoun, along with his six acquaintances, began in February. However, the judiciary did not reveal the details of the charges against him. He was first held in 2017 but later was released on bail. Supporters of President Rouhani deemed the ruling by the court as a plan to disrepute the regime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A civilian was injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Degwar village of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. The civilian received bullet injury on his head during ceasefire violation that took place on Sunday at around 8:30 pm. Tehsildar Haveli Poonch, Naresh Kumar told ANI, "He was injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan around 8:30 pm today. He suffered a bullet injury in the head. The treatment is underway". Yesterday, Pakistan resorted to mortar shelling and firing of small arms in Poonch and Rajouri districts. Keeping in view the safety of students, all government and private schools up to 10+2 level within 0-5 Km distance from LoC in Keri sector ( Zone Doongi) of Rajouri will remain closed on May 6. "As a precautionary measure and keeping in view safety of the students, all Govt & Pvt. schools up to 10+2 level within 0-5 Km distance from LoC in Keri sector ( Zone Doongi) of Rajouri shall remain closed tomorrow, May 6," Rajouri Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Aijaz Asad said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The officers and other staff of JetAirways on Sunday renewed their appeal to the Central government to revive the airline. They had gathered at Delhi airport to commemorate the airline's 26th anniversary. "All of us on our own have landed here just to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Jet Airways," Captain Raman Sharma told ANI. "Today, it was necessary to come here as we feel that this airline can be turned around. For this, a plan has been submitted to the SBI and we are quite sure that they will take it seriously. This is the reason why many people have not resigned yet," he said. "We still have hope and something will surely come out of our efforts. We have made an offer to the bankers and lenders for reviving JetAirways where employees' ownership is a part of the solution," said Kamaljeet Singh. "In coordination with some investors, we also have some resolution plans which we have discussed but we will disclose them later," Singh added. "Now, the issue is with the bankers and lenders. We had a very constructive and fruitful hearing with them about the issue," he said. "I have spent 25 years of my life with the firm. It is very sad for us that we are witnessing such a moment. We are sure that our voice will be heard and we will succeed in our attempt," said Deepak, an employee in JetAirways office. "I have appealed to the government with several peaceful protests but received no response. Now, the government is asking to pay us premium for our medical insurance as they have withdrawn it. From where shall we pay the premium? We have not received our salaries for the last five months. We have no money. It is hard for us to meet our daily basic needs," another employee said. JetAirways on April 17 cancelled all flights including its international flights temporarily, after failing to secure emergency funds from its lenders, the airline had said in the statement. The embattled airline said it took the decision to ground all aircraft after the State Bank of India on behalf of the consortium of Indian lenders informed that they were unable to consider its request for critical interim funding. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of students, who were travelling from Hampi Express to reach their examination centre for Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), missed their exam after the train got delayed by six hours. According to Indian Railways, the Hampi Express-16591, which was plying from North Karnataka to Bengaluru reached its destination at 2.30 pm, while the students were supposed to report to the examination centre by 1:30 pm. South Western Railway Public Relation Officer (PRO) said the Railway ministry will write to HRD Ministry urging it to re-conduct the NEET exam for the said students. While speaking to ANI, South Western Railway PRO, said: "We will write to the Ministry of HRD to re-conduct the NEET exam for students, who were travelling in the Hampi Express and missed their exam due to a delay in train reaching the destination." Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticised the Centre and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for the delay in train services. "You (Narendra Modi) pat your own back for others' achievements but will you also take the responsibility for your cabinet min' incapabilities. Hundreds of students in Karnataka may not be able to take up NEET because of delay in the train services," the Chief Minister tweeted. Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah asked PiyushGoyal to ensure that the aggrieved students get another chance to write NEET exam." The NEET UG 2019 examination was conducted on Sunday by the Test Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses across India. Except for Odisha, the exam was conducted across the country from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The NTA will conduct exam later in Odisha as the state was hit by Cyclone Fani. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a swipe at the 'mahagathbandhan', saying while the Opposition is leading a campaign to remove him from power, the people of the country want to see his government voted to power again. "Mahamilawati says remove Modi, but those who got pucca houses, they are saying Modi government once again. Mahamilawati says remove Modi, but those who got toilets constructed at their homes, they are saying Modi government once again. Mahamilawati says remove Modi, but the poor families who are assured free medical treatment of upto Rs 5 lakh and farmers who got their bank accounts opened due to our efforts, they are also saying Modi government once again. So, everyone is saying 'phir ek baar Modi sarkaar'," Modi said at a public rally here. The Prime Minister claimed that Congress has lost the Lok Sabha elections after four phases of polling. "Four phases of Lok Sabha elections have already taken place across the country and Congress along with its allies have lost in all these rounds. Perhaps, after 1977, this is the first election where the people of the country are contesting to bring the current government back to power," Modi said. Raking up the issue where Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged that the relative of a man died as he did not possess an Ayushmaan Bharat card, Modi said, "There is a hospital in Amethi whose trustee is a person from 'naamdar' family. A few days ago a poor man went there for treatment with his Ayushman card, but the hospital denied him treatment because he was carrying the Ayushman Bharat card given by Modi." Earlier in the day, Irani had alleged that Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Amethi, where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are trustees, refused to accept Ayushman card of a poor patient, a charge which was outrightly rejected by the hospital administration. "I am speechless today. I cannot imagine that one can stoop so low. A poor person was left to die because he had Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ayushman card but the hospital was of Rahul Gandhi," tweeted Irani along with a 122-second video clip. In the video, a young man can be heard saying that in Sanjay Gandhi hospital, Dr Sidhartha told him that Ayushman card will not work because the hospital is run by Gandhi. He had gone there for the treatment of his uncle. Asked how his uncle is now, the man replies: "He died on April 26 itself." He also claims that the helpline number given on the Ayushman card could not provide the required help. However, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Amethi has dismissed the allegations as baseless. "It is a baseless allegation. We have treated 200 patients under the scheme so far. The concerned patient did not bring the Ayushman Bharat card with him. Under this scheme, a patient cannot be admitted without the card," Director of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital SM Choudhary told ANI. Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his promise of waiving off farmers' loans, Modi said, "In Gwalior, naamdar (dynast) said that if farmers' loan were not waived off in 10 days, then Chief Minister would be changed. We have come to know that notices are coming to farmers from banks. But, this naamdar's 10 days are not coming." Polls in Gwalior Lok Sabha constituency will be held on May 12. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. There are 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh. While election to six constituencies was held on April 29, polls in seven seats will be held on May 6. Polls in the remaining 16 parliamentary constituencies will be held on May 12 and May 19 respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Police on Sunday sent Suresh, the man accused of slapping Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow, to two-day judicial custody. He has also been charged under Section 107/51 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). "We have applied for bail. He has been sent to judicial custody for two days and will be released by May 7. We have already done the formality of surety bond. We will follow the course of remedies," Sumant Sudan, the accused's lawyer, told ANI. On Saturday, Kejriwal was slapped in west Delhi's Moti Nagar area while doing his poll campaigning. Suresh attacked Kejriwal during his road show when he was travelling in an open jeep and waving to his supporters. Following the assault, AAP alleged that it was an "opposition-sponsored attack." "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal got attacked during the roadshow. We condemn this cowardly act. This opposition sponsored attack cannot stop the Aam Aadmi in Delhi," said the party in a statement. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal tore into BJP and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation alleging that Centre was responsible for the security lapse. "This was the ninth attack on me in the last five years and fifth attack after becoming the Chief Minister. I don't think in India's history there have been such attacks on any Chief Minister. Responsibility of my security is with BJP. Delhi is the only place in the country where the Chief Minister's security is with the opposition party. Hence the responsibility lies with BJP," he had said. Kejriwal had added: "A Chief Minister was attacked and the central government says that they didn't receive the complaint and are unable to move ahead with further proceedings. The Prime Minister should resign over it. It is not an attack on Arvind Kejriwal, it is an attack on Delhi's mandate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After mapping the genome of wheat, scientists have reconstructed its breeding history. They examined the genetic diversity of wheat varieties and discovered which cereals our ancestors cultivated, where today's wheat comes from, and what the Cold War has to do with it all. The study 'WHEALBI' was published in the journal Nature Genetics. As the population grows and climate change progresses, food resources could become scarce in future. In view of the impending scenarios, plant breeders are faced with the challenge of improving the yield of crop plants. Scientists analysed the genomes of 480 wheat varieties, including wild grasses, ancient grains and modern high-performance types. To learn about the evolution and cultivation of today's bread wheat, the geneticists also linked the development of wheat to geographic and geopolitical events in human history. Modern bread wheat originated around 10,000 years ago in the region of modern-day Turkey from a cross between durum wheat and a wild grass (Aegilops tauschii), while the grain we call spelt stems from cultivated emmer and various types of bread wheat. "The occurrence of cultivated plants is closely linked to human migrations over the millennia," said bioinformatician Michael Seidel, along with Daniel Lang one of the lead authors of the study. Both researchers work in the Plant Genome and Systems Biology group (PGSB). The PGSB team identified three gene pools in the bread-wheat varieties used today that are closely linked to historical events: one from high-yielding varieties domesticated in the near east that spread as part of the green revolution and two separate gene pools from Western and Central Europe. They diverged between 1966 and 1985 as a result of geopolitical and socio-economic separation during the Cold War. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the wheat lines gradually admixed again, as their genomes reveal. Even the emergence and expansion of the European Union can be seen in the genome of today's wheat. Wheat lines that used to be cultivated mainly in Central Europe are now used throughout Europe. "These examples demonstrate the influence of humans on the distribution and evolution of crop plants- beyond their actual development into cultivated plants," said Lang. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of wheat is a prerequisite for optimising modern wheat varieties. Familiarity with the key characteristics for breeding is the essential precondition for rendering future varieties more productive and meeting the demands of a growing world population and imminent climate change. Together with corn and rice, wheat ranks as one of the world's three most important staple foods. Growing wheat in spite of dwindling soil and water resources in potentially challenging climatic conditions could become vital in the future. Consequently, the researchers involved in the WHEALBI study identified previously unknown genes that influence the yield, flowering time, height and stability of wheat plants. For the corresponding author Georg Haberer of the PGSB, this is just the beginning: "We expect a large number of further studies that will make good use of these findings for breeding research. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With three phases of Lok Sabha elections around the corner in the state, all political parties are putting their best foot forward promising best of development for the state. However, the state of affairs in Samdai village in Damoh region narrates a different story. Samdai is facing a drought-like situation, with villagers threatening to boycott the elections if their demands are not met. People from as many as 18 villages of Damoh district submitted a letter before the District Collector on Saturday demanding ponds in every village in the district, among other things. Villagers also demonstrated in front of the Collector's office holding placards that read "talaab nahi to vote nahi (no pond, no vote)" to show their anger. Speaking to ANI, one of the demonstrators Savitri Devi said: "We have to walk for hours to fetch water. There is no alternative since we do not have a pond in our village." Echoing similar sentiments, another demonstrator said: "We had earlier put our demands before Damoh MP Prahlad Singh Patel but to no avail. Officials do not pay heed to our demands. We will not vote in this election if our demands are not met this time." Additional Collector Ananda Kopriya, however, assured that demands of the villagers will be met. Speaking to ANI, he said, "We have forwarded the letter. We will also talk to the villagers regarding the matter." Back-to-back droughts and erratic rainfall pattern in the era of global warming has drastically affected the groundwater level in the state. Madhya Pradesh went to polls in the fourth phase on April 29. Next polling will be held in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases on 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.) North Korea on Sunday denounced South Korea and the United States joint military exercises, saying it "destroys peace and stability in the Korean peninsula". Uriminzokkiri, state-owned propaganda website, in an article, said, "The US and South Korea's warmongers are continuing to carry out hostile military activities against us under all sorts of pretexts. It is an act of betrayal." US and South Korea had conducted week-long exercises last month involving Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery near Seoul. During the exercises, it had flown a spy plane over areas around Seoul, reported Yonhap News Agency. North Korean condemnation has come a day after it fired an unidentified short-range missile from its east coast town of Wonsan, said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). However, United States President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his confidence in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying that "he won't break his promise". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the killing of BJP leader Gul Mohammad Mir, who was shot dead by the terrorists yesterday at Nowgam village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. PM Modi took to the micro-blogging website to express his condolence and said: "Strongly condemn the killing of Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J & K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers." Police said the 60-year-old sustained serious bullet injuries in the chest and abdomen and was rushed to a local hospital where the doctors on duty declared him 'brought dead'. Conference leader and former chief minister of the state, Omar Abdullah also condemned the killing. "Ghulam Mohd Mir, office bearer of the BJP in South Kashmir has been shot and killed in Nowgam, Verinag. I condemn this dastardly act of violence and pray for the soul of the departed, Allah Jannat naseeb karey," he said in a tweet. Mir had unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls from Doru in 2008 and 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said the BJP had a clear role in the bifurcation of the state, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not fulfill the assurances made to "our state." "BJP had a clear role in the division of Andhra Pradesh. I went to Delhi 29 times, seeking the implementation of provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, but in vain," Chief Minister Naidu said at a press conference here. "PM Modi did not resolve even a single issue. Instead, he is attacking us. Had the Centre played the role of an elder brother, things would have been much better for AP by now," he said. He said the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was different from that of UP, MP, and Bihar as the state capital went to the state, which was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. "In UP, Bihar, and MP, the division was made as per the demand from the people of those regions. These regions had no capital. A special package was given at the time of division. The Centre supported well. But that did not happen in the case of AP. Telangana region which has the capital wanted the bifurcation. So this cannot be compared with the case of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh," he said. Naidu also posed a series of questions related to the failure of the Central government in granting special status to Andhra. "Why did not you give special status to Andhra? Why did not you fulfill the assurances made to us? So many parties and states expressed their solidarity but you did not cooperate. What's the problem? Why did not you grant Kakinada Petro Chemical Complex," he asked. "In the name of funds for backward districts, you gave Rs 450 crore to Telangana, but took back Rs 350 crore given to Andhra," he said, while criticising the Central government and PM Modi for not extending required support to Andhra Pradesh. The election to all 25 parliamentary constituencies of Andhra Pradesh was held in the first phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on April 11. 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.) Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday justified Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by stating that the late PM had supported the killing of Sikhs in the 1984 riots. "What Prime Minister Modi said is correct, after the 1984 riots in which Sikhs were massacred had not Rajiv Gandhi supported it? He had said, 'when big trees fall the earth shakes'," Javadekar said at a press conference here. On Saturday, PM Modi while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh said, the life of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi ended as 'Bhrashtachari number 1.' "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari Number 1,' Modi had said. Javadekar also accused Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of abusing PM Modi after he spoke the truth about the former PM. "Yesterday as soon as the Prime Minister told the truth about Gandhi family and especially Rajiv Gandhiji, the brother-sister duo started abusing him. For a full year, they called an honest Prime Minister a thief, now they call him Hitler, Merchant of Death. It is the truth being spoken which forces them to indulge in abusive politics," he said. Javadekar asserted that dynasts of the Congress were afraid of the truth and that is why the Congress president had tried to falsely accuse Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of corruption in Rafale deal. "The dynasts are afraid of the truth. Rahul Gandhi tried to falsely accuse us in the Rafale deal for a full year but failed miserably. They are worried that BJP's record is cleaner than theirs," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Prime Minister's Office had made attempts to contact West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the post-Fani situation in the state, according to government sources. Reacting to reports in a section of media that TMC has expressed its displeasure over Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking only to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the cyclone aftermath, the PMO sources said that the claim is incorrect. According to TMC, the Prime Minister had talked to Tripathi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but "did not call up" Banerjee. The sources said that two attempts were made by the PM's staff to connect the Prime Minister to Banerjee on telephone. "The claim made by TMC is incorrect. Two attempts were made on Saturday morning from the Prime Minister's staff to connect the Prime Minister to the West Bengal Chief Minister on phone," the sources told ANI. They said that on both occasions, PMO staff was told by Banerjee's office that the Chief Minister was on tour and the calls would be returned once she was back. "The first time, the staff attempting to place the call, was told that the West Bengal Chief Minister is on tour and the call will be returned. On the second occasion too, the staff was told the same by her office and that the call will be returned," the sources said. Patnaik had on Saturday stated that PM Modi had telephoned him and taken stock of the relief work being carried out in the state. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Odisha tomorrow. Odisha bore the brunt of the May 3 cyclone which caused large-scale devastation in the state. Parts of West Bengal also suffered damage. Cyclone Fani crossed over to Bangladesh on Saturday and is expected to cause heavy rain in north-eastern regions of India on Sunday and Monday after having lost much of its strength. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda on Sunday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is not a "pappu" but a highly educated, intelligent man who can take the country forward. "I have spent a fair amount of time with Rahul to talk about how we will take the country forward. I have great confidence in him contrary to what BJP has been saying about him for the last ten years. He is not a 'pappu'. He is a highly educated, intelligent young man. India needs young leaders," Pitroda said at a press conference here. "India needs modern mind, it needs mind which is induced with technology, not jumlas (false promises). The country needs a man with character; it needs a leader who feels for the people and who believes in democracy and talks about we, not me. I can assure Rahul brings a lot of good qualities," he said. Since 2014, trolls on social media have often referred to Rahul Gandhi as a "pappu" (greenhorn). Pitroda said, "I had a chance to work with his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and his father (Rajiv Gandhi) very closely. He has the pedigree. It is not about 'chamchagiri' (flattery), not about dynasty but someone who can lead the party forward. India's future and democracy are at stake." He hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statement that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was "corrupt number 1". "I have been hurt when I heard what the Prime Minister spoke about Rajiv Gandhi. PM speaks for the people of the country. He said Rahul's father (Rajiv Gandhi) was corrupt number 1. What is the need to say something like this?" he asked. "I feel ashamed. I am also a Gujarati and come from the state of Gandhi ji. He (Modi) spread lies. People of this state can lie so much and speak such lowly things, this saddens us," Pitroda said. Attacking the BJP-led government, the IOC chief said: "Zero jobs were created, zero smart city. Farmers are restless now. They were promised doubled income, (but) no steps were taken to bring black money back. Demonetisation was a disaster...They are not paying attention to it. Instead, they boast of what happened (Balakot strike) in Pakistan." "Nobody is talking about main issues because nothing has been done in five years. We need your scorecard, it is too bad that even you (BJP) do not want to talk about it," he said. Pitroda alleged the country's institutions have been captured by the BJP. "We are seeing that institutions like the judiciary, Election Commission and ED have been captured... Election Commissioner has to think whether he is the country's EC or a party's EC," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda on Sunday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is not a "pappu", asserting that he is "highly educated" and India needs young leadership. "I have spent a fair amount of time with Rahul to talk about how we will take the country forward. I have great confidence in him contrary to what BJP has been saying about him for the last ten years. He is not a 'pappu'. He is a highly educated, intelligent young man. India needs young leaders," Pitroda said at a press conference here. "India needs modern mind, it needs mind which is induced with technology, not jumlas (false promises). The country needs a man with character; it needs a leader who feels for the people and who believes in democracy and talks about we, not me. I can assure Rahul brings a lot of good qualities," he said. Since 2014, trolls on social media have often referred to Rahul Gandhi as a "pappu" (greenhorn). Pitroda said, "I had a chance to work with his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and his father (Rajiv Gandhi) very closely. He has the pedigree. It is not about 'chamchagiri' (flattery), not about dynasty but someone who can lead the party forward. India's future and democracy are at stake." He hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statement that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was "corrupt number 1". "I have been hurt when I heard what the Prime Minister spoke about Rajiv Gandhi. PM speaks for the people of the country. He said Rahul's father (Rajiv Gandhi) was corrupt number 1. What is the need to say something like this?" he asked. "I feel ashamed. I am also a Gujarati and come from the state of Gandhi ji. He (Modi) spread lies. People of this state can lie so much and speak such lowly things, this saddens us," Pitroda said. Attacking the BJP-led government, the IOC chief said: "Zero jobs were created, zero smart city. Farmers are restless now. They were promised doubled income, (but) no steps were taken to bring black money back. Demonetisation was a disaster...They are not paying attention to it. Instead, they boast of what happened (Balakot strike) in Pakistan." "Nobody is talking about main issues because nothing has been done in five years. We need your scorecard, it is too bad that even you (BJP) do not want to talk about it," he said. Pitroda alleged the country's institutions have been captured by the BJP. "We are seeing that institutions like judiciary, Election Commission and ED have been captured... Election Commissioner has to think whether he is the country's EC or a party's EC," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Whenever elections approach, Rahul Gandhi starts rooting for poor people, otherwise, he stays aloof, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said on Sunday. Addressing an election rally here, he sharpened his attack on the Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said: "Congress never cared about poor people. They only raised the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (eradicate poverty) but did nothing about it. Whenever election season approached, he starts rooting for the poor people, otherwise, he stays aloof." Continuing his tirade against the Congress party, he said: "Congress party had promised to do away with sedition law if their party is voted to power. If it is scrapped, you will not be able to put anyone who spies on India behind the bars." The Congress in its election manifesto released on April 2 had promised to remove the sedition law to give a "fillip to freedom of expression". He also recalled the incidents, which took place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in February 2016, and said if the sedition law was removed, then those raising anti-India slogans could not be jailed. In tune with the party's promise in the election manifesto, he said if our party is voted to power, BJP will abrogate Article 370. "Omar Abdullah had pitched for the revival of the posts of Prime Minister and President for Jammu and Kashmir. Even if our party is voted out of power in the Lok Sabha elections, our party workers and those who support BJP will never let Kashmir go away from India." He also took a jibe at the erstwhile chief ministers of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Om Prakash Chautala for destroying the condition of state with "corruption" and "hooliganism". "We now have BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar as the Chief Minister and he has fully eradicated hooliganism and corruption from the system," he said. Haryana will see polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats on May 12 in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. 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 man returned to his home in Bundi district of Rajasthan on Sunday after spending almost six years in a jail in Karachi, Pakistan. Jugraj Bheel, returned to his home in Jakhmund Ramapuria village of Bundi district six years after he mistakingly crossed the international border along with Pakistan. Around six years ago, he got lost in a jungle bordering Pakistan and was arrested after he crossed the international border. Jugraj had gone to offer prayers at Ramdevra in the jungle where he lost his way and inadvertently crossed the border with Pakistan. Since early June last year, there was no information about his whereabouts. The locals have been out on a campaign demanding the central government to ensure his release. Social activists Dharmesh Yadav, who accompanied his brother Babulal Bheel to receive him at Bagha border, said that the man was not uttering a single word when he returned the country. "We are witnessing considerable improvement in Jugraj's condition in the last two days. He was not even uttering a word two days ago. He could only identify his brother when we went to Bagha border to receive him," he said. He said, "We have been demanding the return of Jugraj Bheel. It is the blessings of God that Jugraj has been returned safely. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha on Sunday directed officers of central departments concerned to coordinate with the Odisha government to ensure that restoration of power and telecommunication services is accorded top priority in the state which bore the brunt of cyclone Fani. Sinha, who chaired a meeting of the Crisis Management Committee to review the relief measures in cyclone-affected areas of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, also asked the officers to closely work with the state governments to provide all required assistance expeditiously. "Cabinet secretary directed that restoration of power and telecommunication facilities be accorded top priority and Ministry of Power and Department of Telecommunications to coordinate with the Odisha government," an official statement said. At the meeting, officers from the Odisha government conveyed that power and telecommunication facilities were gradually being restored in the affected areas. "Major damages to the power transmission and distribution systems are reported in Bhubaneswar and Puri. Mobile services have been restored partially. In both the cities, about 70 per cent water supply will be restored by Sunday evening," the statement said. It said that the Power Ministry has provided Odisha with diesel generators of 500KVA, 250KVA and 125 KVA capacity and workforce to ensure faster restoration process of power lines and towers. "Sixty per cent of affected telecom towers are expected to be operational by Sunday and diesel supplies are being provided to make them functional using DG sets in the absence of regular power supply. Sufficient stocks of diesel and other fuels are available in Odisha," it said. Odisha's neighbouring states, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, have been requested to provide additional assistance to the cyclone-hit state, particularly in the area of power, according to the statement. The railways have resumed 85 of the 138 cancelled trains. The main line to Bhubaneswar is now operational while Puri Railway Station will be ready to receive trains in about four to five days. Flight operations to state capital Bhubaneswar resumed with 41 flights operating on Saturday, it said. The Disaster Relief Force has cleared fallen trees from most of the roads in Puri, Khurda and Bhubaneswar and normal traffic has resumed. The Defence Ministry moved medicines and other relief material to the state using transport planes and helicopters, the statement noted. "Naval and Coast Guard vessel near Odisha coast have enough water supplies to be supplied to affected areas," it said. It was suggested that public sector companies in power, oil and gas sectors contribute towards relief efforts under their CSR funding. Chief/principal secretaries of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh participated in the meeting through video conference. Senior officials from central ministries and departments concerned attended the meeting. Meanwhile, food packets were dropped by chopper using INS Ranvijay in the coastal areas of Puri district, where the "extremely severe cyclonic storm" made landfall on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Sunday condemned the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that took place on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference here, Dikshit said, "We condemn the attack on Arvind Kejriwal. Such attacks should not happen no matter who is the leader." On Saturday, Kejriwal was slapped by an unidentified man in Moti Nagar in west Delhi while he was campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Further, when asked to predict Congress' performance in the ensuing polls, Dikshit said, "I don't do guesswork. But all our candidates are doing well, they are working hard and the response of the people is very good." Earlier in the day, the former Delhi chief minister conducted a door-to-door campaign in Seelampur area of the capital. Talking to ANI, Dikshit said, "The door to door campaign helps in meeting people face to face and listen to their concerns." "It is also a learning experience for me and I will meet people again after the Lok Sabha Polls are over in Delhi," she added. Congress has fielded Dikshit to take on sitting BJP MP Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi parliamentary seat. All seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will vote in a single phase on May 12. 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.) Cracking down against UN sanctions violations, South Korea on Saturday held a Panamanian-flagged ship at the port city of Busan for allegedly illegally transferring oil to North Korea. South Korea's Coast Guard and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries suspect the ship of illegally transferring petroleum products to the reclusive state through ship-to-ship transfers three times from July to December last year, according to the Yonhap News Agency. The allegations have been refuted by the ship's owner, identified only as a Russian national. The 1,014-ton ship, Katrin, was inspected twice in joint operations undertaken by South Korea's spy agency and customs office in February when it entered Busan's port for maintenance. The regional maritime authorities then issued an order suspending its departure on February 15. "The owner vowed to cooperate with the investigation, but is continuously delaying arrival in South Korea," a coast guard official said. South Korea has held eight ships until now on suspicions of violating UN sanctions. While six ships have been detained after the allegations against them have been substantiated, the remaining two, including Katrin, are still being investigated. North Korea has been subjected to a horde of sanctions by the UN, in a bid to get the reclusive state to denuclearise. North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un agreed to denuclearise during the first USA-North Korea summit in Singapore last year, after which the country has taken steps towards dismantling its nuclear programmes. However, sanctions against North Korea continue despite the country asking for waivers in exchange for the denuclearisation efforts it has made. The United States, especially, has been steadfast on its stance of granting sanctions relief only after Pyongyang has completely denuclearised. The sanctions have crippled the North Korean economy, coupled with a raging food crisis due to a series of weather disasters. Recent UN reports estimate that over 10 million North Koreans suffer "severe food shortages," while around 42 per cent of the country's population is "food insecure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the SP-BSP alliance will play a key role in forming the government at the Centre and in deciding who will be the next Prime Minister of the country. "I want to tell this to the BJP people that in coming days, SP-BSP alliance will decide which new government will be formed at the Centre and who will become the new Prime Minister," said Yadav. He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does contrary to what he claims. "He is 180 degrees Prime Minister and he does just the opposite of whatever he says. He is the PM of only 1 per cent of the population. So he has issues with those who are in favour of social justice and are taking the nation towards a change," said Yadav. Yadav claimed that the BJP is not going to form the government again and hence are using central agencies at their disposal to target opponents. He said: "Their count is disturbed. They know they won't be able to form the government, so they are taking help of IT, CBI, ED. Earlier, there was never a CBI raid on anyone after implementation of MCC. However, it is the first government which wants to scare people even after elections started and MCC is in effect." SP, BSP and Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh as an alliance. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, BSP, SP, and RLD are contesting 38, 37 and three Lok Sabha seats respectively. 14 Lok Sabha constituencies will go for polls in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Salman Khan starrer 'Dabangg 3' has been in the news ever since its inception. The fans of the actor are eagerly waiting to see what's in store for them. Joining Salman for the third instalment of the 'Dabangg' franchise is Kannada superstar Sudeep. Salman has already completed the first schedule of the film. The actor is now shooting in Mumbai, where he was joined by Sudeep. The Kannada star wrapped up the first day of the shoot recently and posted a picture on his Twitter handle from the film's sets with none other than Dabangg Khan! Sudeep also thanked the 53-year-old actor for welcoming him with warmth. "Heat was unbearable yet couldn't dominate the energy on set,,,, it was a thrilling day,, fabulous unit,, fantabulous people,,,,, a humongous Gym set up on Location is an added bonus. 1st day of #Dabangg3 wrappes wth smiles. Thanks @BeingSalmanKhan sir for making me feel at home," he wrote. As per media reports, Sudeep plays the villain in the film and will be seen in an intense face-off with Salman. While Salman's pictures from the sets of 'Dabanng 3' are going viral on the internet, Sudeep's look has been kept under wraps. Earlier instalments of the hit franchise starred Sonu Sood and Prakash Raj in the negative roles. 'Dabangg 3' marks Sudeep's comeback to Hindi cinema after 'Rakhta Charitra 2', which was directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Meanwhile, Sonakshi Sinha reprises her role opposite Salman. Sonakshi, who made her Bollywood debut with the 2010 movie 'Dabangg', plays Rajjo in the film. The actor had earlier shared the look of her character on her Instagram account when she started shooting for the film. While in Maheshwar for the first schedule of the film, Salman also filmed Dabangg's popular track 'Hud Hud Dabangg' and announced the same on Twitter. The actor kicked off the shoot for the film on April 1 when he jetted off to Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh to shoot with Arbaaz Khan and Prabhu Deva. Salman has been keeping the audiences on their toes by sharing stills and behind-the-scenes pictures from the film's sets on his social media handles. 'Dabangg 3' is being helmed by Prabhu Deva. The film marks the second collaboration of Salman and the director. The two have previously worked together in 'Wanted'. As per media reports, Arbaaz will once again be seen playing Makkhi in the film. This is the third film in the 'Dabangg' series. The movie is being produced under the banner of Salman Khan Films and Arbaaz Khan Production. The film is scheduled to release on December 20. Meanwhile, Salman's next film 'Bharat' is all set to hit the screens during Eid. The film stars Katrina Kaif, Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani, Sunil Grover and Tabu in pivotal roles. Sonakshi Sinha was last seen in 'Kalank', which released on April 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, "Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you." "Modi Ji, the battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug," Rahul tweeted in response to Modi's remark that "Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1.'" On Saturday, Modi while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh had said, the life of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi ended as 'Bhrashtachari number 1.' "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1,' Modi had said. He was apparently referring to Bofors scam, in which Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors for the sale of artillery guns to India. However, Modi's comments were not well received by Congress. On Sunday, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also said that those who are 'pseudo-nationalist' and 'do politics of dividing people' will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifices. "Those whose nationalism is pseudo and whose politics is based on dividing people will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifice for the nation," tweeted Patel. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to meet his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza today amid mounting political and civil unrest in Venezuela. The two leaders will discuss possible steps to solve the crisis currently prevalent in Venezuela, which heightened after the April 30 attempt by opposition leader Juan Guaido to oust embattled President Nicolas Maduro, reported TASS news agency. "There will be an exchange of opinion on the situation inside and around Venezuela in connection with the government coup attempt, the outlook for a political and diplomatic settlement of differences within the framework of the Venezuelan constitution, and various options of international mediatory efforts to promote a dialogue between the government and the opposition," said the Russian Foreign Ministry. "Certain steps will be discussed for expanding comprehensive Russian-Venezuelan partnership in the international scene, stepping up efforts by an informal group of countries for the protection of goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and also for resisting illegal, unilaterally imposed sanctions that worsen the social and economic situation in the country," it added. The meeting will take place ahead of the face-to-face talks between Lavrov and US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo in Finland's northern city of Rovaniemi, next week. Ever since the political chaos began in Venezuela, Russia has stood by the embattled regime headed by Maduro, and often criticised the US for 'interfering' in the country. On the other hand, the US has backed Guaido ever since he declared himself as the President of the nation in January. Maduro continues to hold on to his post despite several countries calling for his resignation. Venezuela is also facing an acute economic and humanitarian crisis at the moment, which is worsened by repeated sanctions from the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday announced Rs 5 crore on behalf of the state government, as relief for cyclone-hit Odisha. Earlier today, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced financial assistance of Rs 11 crore from the Chief Minister Relief Fund for cyclone-hit Odisha. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Aditynath and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami also announced financial assistance of Rs 10 crores each for the state today. On May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Central government released Rs 1000 crores in advance to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by cyclone Fani. Cyclone Fani with a wind speed touching nearly 200 kmph made landfall at Puri coast on May 3 wreaking havoc in Odisha. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday and their player Gurkeerat Singh has said that they want to dedicate this match to their fans for their unflinching support this season. "That is exactly what we discussed, we wanted to be happy and have fun. We wanted to play this game for the crowd as they have supported us throughout. We just wanted to dedicate this match to the crowd," Singh told reporters. In the chase of 184 runs, RCB were reeling at 20 for three, but Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh played out of their skins to take the team closer to victory. Singh after playing a knock of 65 runs said that he just wanted to deliver for the team as he got an opportunity in the IPL after almost two years. "I think it's not pressure, it's about the opportunity. This year I played in the IPL after almost two years and I just wanted to deliver for my team," Singh said. "Whenever you go into bat, you have to prove yourself and do well for the team. Fortunately for me, I had many overs left, so I could build my innings. Usually what happens to the middle over batsmen is you don't get balls and you just have to hit out in the last three or four overs. I was fortunate to enter in the fourth over and I had many balls at my disposal," he added. Hyderabad's bowler Rashid Khan was taken to the cleaners by Hetmyer and Singh. The 28-year- old Singh said that the plan for him was to anchor the innings and let Hetmyer go after the bowling. "That was the plan. I had to anchor the innings and let Hetmyer play his natural game. That's what we were focussing on and I thought whenever I get a ball, I'll try to hit to the boundary but I'll not take much risk," Singh said. With this win, RCB finished off their season with 11 points from 14 matches. As far as Sunrisers Hyderabad are concerned, their playoffs hopes hang by a thread as with this loss they are now dependent on Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab. Both these teams need to lose their respective matches for Hyderabad to progress to the playoffs stage. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Indies openers, John Campbell and Shai Hope, have created world record after forming the highest opening partnership in One-Day International (ODI) as the duo scored 365 runs for the first wicket against Ireland here on Sunday. In the first match of the tri-series in Ireland, the host won the toss and opted to bowl first which did not go well for them as West Indies' made the best out of it and posted a gigantic total of 381 runs. Campbell scored 179 runs while Hope smashed 170 runs. It was the 48th over of the inning when both Campbell and Hope gave away their wickets. Ireland's Barry McCarthy was the bowler who provided his side their first breakthrough in the name of Cambell and then in the same over took the wicket of Hope. Earlier, the highest opening partnership record was held by Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman, who scored 304 against Zimbabwe, last year. However, they fell eight runs short from breaking the record of highest ever partnership record for any wicket, which is currently held by West Indies's Chris Gayle and Samuels as they scored 372 runs against the same competitor, Zimbabwe, in 2015. Ireland is yet to bat and require 382 runs to beat West Indies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ghatal Lok Sabha BJP candidate and former IPS Bharati Ghosh, on Saturday threatened TMC workers to beat them if they continue to torture BJP workers in the area. Ghosh was on a visit to the Anandapur hospital to see some injured BJP workers who were allegedly beaten by TMC workers in the Anandapur Police Station area. "Threatening people to not to cast vote, let them threat. I will also drag them (TMC workers) out from their home and beat them like a dog. Whatever they will give, will return them with interest," she said. She further threatened the TMC workers by saying that she will bring a thousand people from Uttar Pradesh and beat TMC workers. "Will find out and beat them for one year, will drag you (TMC workers) out from home and will bring a thousand people from Uttar Pradesh. You couldn't do anything, will bring a thousand people. You couldn't be able to find out, now go back to your home. Go now inside your home and lock your doors," she said. Four phases of Lok Sabha elections are over in West Bengal with remaining three phases scheduled on May 6, 12 and 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.) Filmmaker Vinod Kapri, who has announced his new film "155 Hours", says it will explore the camaraderie of soldiers, a facet that in his opinion has so far been unexplored in Hindi cinema. The film is set in 1971 and inspired by the real life stories of Captain Karam Singh Virk and Sepoy Baldev Singh of 9 Sikh Regiment. "It is about the valour, the camaraderie, the bonding between soldiers of 9 Sikh Regiment... It is a true story of Sepoy Baldev Singh, who was stuck in a Pakistan jungle for 155 hours. And at the same time, this is the story of Captain Karam Singh Virk who tried to rescue his sepoy from Pakistan for 7 days," Kapri told IANS. Virk and Singh are both alive and have helped Kapri shape up his script. "Baldev Singh lives in Ropar and Virk in Mohali," said the director, who has earlier helmed films like "Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho" and "Pihu". "One of the Army officers told me about their story and after that I met them at least four to five times before I wrote the story." Kapri said what sets it apart from war-set movies in recent times is that "155 Hours" is "not a war story". "This is a human relations story. It is a survival drama. This is about the beautiful camaraderie between the armed forces which has never been seen on screen. We have seen tanks and bombs go off in war films but this shows the human face of soldiers," he said. Talks for casting are on and actors will be finalised in a couple of weeks. As for the title, Kapri said as of now it is "155 Hours" but they may consider changing it if a better one emerges. The aim is that the project goes on floors in November this year so that the film is ready to hit the screens next year. --IANS rb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Approximately 250 rockets were fired by Gaza militants towards Israel, which has responded with airstrikes on over 100 targets across the coastal enclave, to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday. The escalation began Saturday morning with about 50 rockets fired towards Israel within the course of an hour and continued late into the evening, reports CNN. The IDF said that its Iron Dome aerial defence system had intercepted dozens of the incoming rockets. In response to the rockets, the IDF said it has carried out airstrikes on about 130 militant targets in Gaza, including a tunnel, rocket launcher sites and other military compounds used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Four Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes, including a 14-month-old baby and its pregnant mother, Gaza health officials said, adding that 18 others were also injured. Two Israelis were also wounded in the rocket attacks, according to Israel's emergency response service. Israel on Sunday announced that it was closing the two border crossings between the country and Gaza, as well as closing the Gaza fishing zone. There was no specific date for when the crossings and the fishing zone would reopen. Meanwhile, Turkey has condemned a strike on a building housing the office of its state-run Anadolu news agency, a building which Israel says is also used by Hamas's military intelligence. A spokesman for Turkey's President said: "We urge all governments that claim to defend press freedom, including @USEmbassyTurkey to join us in condemning the Israeli government." The flare-up over the weekend followed a truce agreed last month. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 52 Taliban militants, including two key comanders, were killed by the Afghan Army in Ghazni province, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. "Up to 52 Taliban terrorists were killed following three separate Afghan National Army commando operations and airstrikes against since early Saturday," Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying. The two commanders were identified as Abu Khalid and Qumandan Sarhadi, it added. The province, 125 km south of Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes and fighting for long. The Taliban has not commented on the development yet. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swami Agnivesh has said voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, its candidate for the Bhopal parliamentary seat, will mean an insult to then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare' martyrdom. Campaigning for former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal on Sunday, Swami Agnivesh said, if someone voted for Thakur even after her statement about Karkare than "it would be an insult to his martyrdom". "The person (Thakur) is facing trial under terrorism Acts, but the BJP fielded her from Bhopal deliberately," said the Arya Samaj scholar and social activist. Remarking that her very first statement was against a martyr, Swami Agnivesh said: "It indicates the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah to nominate her is wrong. They should apologise to the nation and terminate her candidature." Sadhvi Pragya had termed Karkare's death while combating terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks as a consequence of her curse. Karkare had questioned Sadhvi Pragya, lodged in the Mumbai jail, in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case. "If a political party or its candidate seeks vote in the name of religion and supports communal violence, he/she could not be considered a religious person or a human being," Swami Agnivesh said. On banning burqa (a long, loose garment covering the whole body worn in public by women in many Muslim countries), he said it should be disallowed across the world. Meanwhile, Thakur who was banned from campaigning by the Election Commission for 72 hours, begun canvassing for vote on Sunday after performing puja. Bhopal will go to polls on May 12. --IANS hindi-rs/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced Rs 15 crore financial assistance for cyclone-hit Odisha. After a meeting with officials, Naidu announced the aid to take up relief works in areas affected by cyclone 'Fani' which hit Odisha coast near Puri on Friday. While the Andhra Pradesh coast escaped the fury of the extremely severe cyclone, it claimed 29 lives in Odisha, causing widespread devastation in Puri and parts of Khurdha districts. Naidu said the cyclone caused massive damage in Odisha and underlined the need for all states to lend a helping hand to the state in relief and rehabilitation works. The Telugu Desam Party chief said Andhra Pradesh would extend all possible assistance to the neighbouring state, and had already dispatched electricity poles and personnel to Odisha. Naidu said many villages in Odisha still had no electricity and people were also facing severe hardships due to lack of drinking water. He urged the NGOs to come forward and take part in relief works in the cyclone-affected areas. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow, the police on Sunday arrested Suresh Chauhan for allegedly assaulting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, a police officer said. "A complaint has been filed against Chauhan at the Moti Nagar police station and he has been remanded to two-day judicial custody," Additional PRO Anil Mittal said. Kejriwal was allegedly slapped by Chauhan while the Chief Minister was leading a roadshow from Karampura to R.K. Ashram Marg as part of the election campaign. The police have also taken steps for better coordination with the organisers of public meetings, padyatras and roadshows to prevent any nuisance during those events, Mittal said. All seven Delhi parliamentary constituencies will go to the polls on May 12. --IANS sp/rs/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid clashes ahead of polling in West Bengal's Barrackpore in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday, BJP candidate Arjun Singh on Sunday courted controversy as he threatened to "introduce new operations" during the voting. He also threatened police officers for not registering an FIR against Trinamool-backed miscreants who allegedly vandalised the house of a local councillor, who joined the BJP from Trinamool, at Halisahar in North 24 Parganas. "Why don't you allow her to lodge an FIR against the Municipality's Chairman Angshuman Roy? She said Trinamool miscreants led by Roy attacked her house. I know you will register complaint when Roy's house would be ransacked," he told a police officer after visiting the councillor's house. In fact, clashes between the Trinamool supporters and the BJP activists erupted at many places within the constituency. A group of women urged the personnel of central forces to provide security, claiming that local police did not pay heed to their complaints. "Sir, tell me where is our security? Police do not listen to us. Trinamool goons came and vandalised houses," a woman said. After lodging complaint with Special Police Observer Vivek Dube, Singh said: "If the Election Commission acts properly, the polls will be free and fair. Trinamool Congress has been lodging complaints against me." Asked about Trinamool's claim that they are familiar with Singh's operations during polls, he said: "I introduce new operations during every poll." Trinamool district President and state Minister Jyotipriya Mallick accused Singh of creating disturbances in many areas of the constituency. Refuting BJP's allegations that its activists were targeted, he said: "One of our councillors at Halisahar were beaten up by Singh's goons along with his security's guards. A party office at Titagarh was vandalised by BJP goons." --IANS bdc/ssp/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 13 people were killed after a fire broke out aboard an Aeroflot flight in Russia on Sunday, the media reported. Citing TASS news agency, CNN reported the Russian Superjet 100 was flying from Moscow to Murmansk when a fire broke out on board. Aeroflot Flight SU1492 returned to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, making a hard landing, news agency Interfax reported. Videos on social media show the plane engulfed in flames on the tarmac and people evacuating through emergency slides. A passenger in a plane waiting to depart Moscow posted this video on Instagram. The plane had 73 passengers on board, according to TASS. Aeroflot, the unofficial national airline of Russia, confirmed that the fire occurred but has not commented yet on casualties. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday accused the central government of acting at the behest of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to create shortage of gunny bags and obstruct procurement of wheat in the state. While Punjab was being made to sweat for gunny bags, neighbouring Haryana was being supplied additional bags to ensure smooth procurement, ahead of voting on May 12, the Chief Minister alleged. Lashing out at the central government, he said 400,000 bales had been diverted from Punjab to Haryana. For the first time, since taking over in 2017, the Congress government in Punjab was facing problems in procurement due to the politically motivated actions of the BJP-led government at the Centre in depriving the state of much-needed supply of gunny bags, Singh said. It was aimed at aimed at messing up the procurement process at the behest of the SAD, its ally in Punhab, he added. The BJP government in Haryana was getting additional bags to handle excess production of wheat this year, Singh said. Till May 3, 10.54 million tonnes wheat had reached 'mandis', with another 1.6 million tonnes expected to arrive by May 6, he said. A serious shortage of A-class bales was expected in Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts, the Chief Minister added. Punjab contributes over 50 per cent of grain (wheat and paddy) to the national kitty despite having only 1.54 per cent of the country's land. --IANS vg/kr/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajiv Gandhi a "corrupt" politician, Congress leaders on Sunday described Modi as a "sick man" and "psychopath" for attacking the former Prime Minister for electoral gains. Addressing a press conference here, party spokesperson Pawan Khera said Modi's comments were provoked by fear of losing the elections, and he should be ashamed of himself for attacking Rajiv Gandhi, who "sacrificed his life for the country". "You are behaving like a serial abuser, you are behaving like a sick man and you are behaving like a psychopath," he said. Khera said the use of such abuses was against the cultural values of this country and people would not pardon Modi. Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh on Saturday had said: "Your father was termed 'Mr. Clean' by his courtiers but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari' (corrupt) No. 1." Modi's remark came following Congress chief's incessant attacks on him regarding allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet deal. "It is clear that the BJP-led government will not get another chance to rule in the centre, and all these statements make it clear that the party is desperate and is willing to stoop to new low everyday," Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said in a statement. Party MP from Kerala, K.C. Venugopal, said the "despicable" statement by Modi of calling Rajiv Gandhi "bhrashtachari" had brought down the dignity of the Prime Minister's office, and sought an apology from him. "More shockingly, even after such repeated slandering and character assassination from the Prime Minister and other BJP leaders, the Election Commission has failed to take any action against them," he said. Rajiv Gandhi was given a clean chit by the Delhi High Court in the Bofors defence deal case and later in 2018 by the Supreme Court, Venugopal said. "The charges against Rajiv Gandhi was thrown out by the Delhi high court in 2005 and later even the Supreme court had dismissed the CBI's appeal against the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2018," he said. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi also criticized Modi. "Modi ji, the battle is over. Your karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. "The Prime Minister who insults martyrs by seeking vote in the name of their sacrifices yesterday crossed his limits by insulting the sacrifice of a noble man who gave his life for the country," Priyanka Gandhi said on Twitter. "The people of Amethi will reply as Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for them. Yes Modi ji, the country never forgives cheating." --IANS rag-spk/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday directed authorities to conduct a probe into the killings of political workers by militants. The directive to Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam followed Saturday's killing of Ghulam Mohammad Mir, the BJP district Vice President, in Varinag area of Anantnag district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned Mir's killing. "Strongly condemn the killing of Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers," Modi tweeted on Sunday. The state administration had withdrawn personal security of many protected persons including some separatist leaders two months back. Mainstream political parties had denounced the decision, saying it would endanger the lives of their cadres. In his directive, Malik asked for a probe to identify any lapses on the part of the security agencies that led to the killings of some political workers by the militants, Raj Bhawan sources said. "The Governor has also said that from now on, all political workers should be ensured security," an official source said. --IANS sq/pg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With 18 days to go for Lok Sabha election results, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is all set to resume his efforts for formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre with a meeting with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday. The Telengana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief will meet Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram at 6 p.m on Monday. According to Telangana Chief Minister's Office, the two leaders will discuss latest political developments in the wake of ongoing Lok Sabha elections. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will also visit Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning to Hyderabad. This will be KCR's first meeting with any leader of a non-BJP and non-Congress party since Lok Sabha elections began on April 10. With final three rounds of polls to go before counting of votes on May 23, KCR is said to be planning meetings with leaders of various parties to prepare ground for formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government. KCR, who mooted the idea of Federal Front in March last year as an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress, held talks with leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Biju Janta Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal-S, and the DMK. He also invited the YSR Congress Party to join the proposed front. The TRS chief is confident that non-BJP and non-Congress parties would form the next government at the Centre. TRS leaders hope that the Federal Front will take a shape after the announcement of poll results. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a move to check bogus voting, Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena on Sunday directed his officials to verify the webcams in 43 polling booths in the Kasargode Lok Sabha constituency, even as the ruling CPI-M has declared war on the CEO. On Sunday morning, team of polling officials began examining entire visuals of the voting that took place at 43 polling booths in the Kasargode Lok Sabha constituency earlier identified as problematic. There are a total of 965 booths in the constituency. In the past one week, Meena has been wielding the stick on bogus voting which has irked the ruling CPI-M. The party, on Friday, decided to seek the advice of its national leadership on what legal steps could be taken to rein in Meena. Meena however is in no mood to relent and told the media that he will go to any extent to defend his actions. "I am not under the state government and I am under the Election Commission. The Left leaders know me quite well as I have worked most of the time with the Left. I will go to any extent and to the Supreme Court, to defend our actions," the CEO said. After verifying visuals, the CEO has asked the district collectors in Kannur and Kasargode to take legal action against four CPI-M workers including three women and also against, three Indian Union Muslim League workers who allegedly bogus voted in the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency. Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF on Sunday has submitted a fresh list of 199 bogus voters in the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency, who they have alleged are workers of the ruling LDF coalition led by CPI-M. Incidentally, this list includes bogus voting in the Dharmadam assembly segment represented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, under the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency. On Sunday, the Congress Idukki district President Ibrahim Kutty Kallar has complained that bogus voting had taken place in the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. Kerala voted on April 23 for all its 20 Lok Sabha seats. --IANS sg/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea has confirmed via state media that its leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a "strike drill" testing various missile components. "A number of short-range projectiles" were also fired from the Hodo peninsula into the Sea of Japan on Saturday. North Korea's leader gave the order of firing to "increase the combat ability" of the country, the announcement said, BBC reported on Sunday. US President Donald Trump tweeted he believed Kim would not jeopardise the path towards better relations. He added that the North Korean leader "knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen! "I believe that Kim Jong-Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea and will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump posted on social media on Saturday. President Trump walked away from what he described as a bad deal offered by Kim Jong-un at a summit meeting in Hanoi in February. In its report on Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Kim had stressed the need to "defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance" of the country in the face of threat and invasion. The aim of the drill, which was testing "large-calibre long-range multiple rocket launchers", was to "inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance," the report said. The North Korean president told troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength". It is believed that Saturday's test is intended to increase pressure on Washington to move nuclear talks forward. Last month, North Korea said it had tested what it described as a new "tactical guided weapon". That was the first test since the Hanoi summit. If confirmed that missiles were launched on Saturday, this would be the most serious test since North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017. Firing a short-range missile would not violate North Korea's promise not to test long-range or nuclear missiles. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 34-year-old property dealer has been arrested by the police for shooting his elder brother dead in front of his wife and child after dragging him out of his house in Jaffarpur Kalan area near Dwarka. The incident occurred on Thursday and the accused, who has been identified as Manoj Yadav, was arrested on Friday night, the police said. During interrogation, Manoj told the police that his elder brother, identified as Shiv Kumar Yadav, was in illicit relationships with "some women" and that he feared that Shiv Kumar was selling his property to fund his luxurious lifestyle. According to the police, following an altercation on Thursday, Manoj pulled out a country-made pistol and dragged Shiv Kumar out of the house before shooting him thrice in front of his family. The victim was rushed to Rao Tula Ram hospital where he was declared brought dead. Manoj has been arrested in the past under the Arms Act and for rioting. --IANS arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday appealed to the workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP alliance to vote for the Congress in Monday's election when people in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Rae Bareli will cast their ballots. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting from Amethi while his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the candidate from Rae Bareli. In a statement, Mayawati said: "The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are alike. We have not done any coalition with the Congress but to defeat the BJP, our coalition will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli. "In the four phases of elections, the public has supported the SP-BSP coalition, which is disturbing the BJP. This alliance will not only make a new Prime Minister at the Centre but also a new government in Uttar Pradesh." On May 23, India will be liberated from autocratic and egoistic rule, she added --IANS hindi-mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold two public meetings in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior and Sagar cities on Sunday. The first meeting will take place at around 1.30 p.m. at the Kajalivan Maidan in Sagar, where he will meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and supporters. At 4.30 p.m., Modi will preside over the second meeting at the Gwalior Vyapar Mela Ground. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari are also slated to attend public events in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Singh will meet the public in Guna and Dewas, while Gadkari will hold interactions in Ujjain and Bhopal. --IANS hindi-ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Naomi Campbell never cared about "fame" or "celebrity" at the height of her supermodel success. Campbell told Britain's Grazia magazine: "I adore Gigi and Bella, I embrace them, they are hard-working girls. So I can only speak for my generation of women, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Stephanie Seymour, Tatjana Patitz, Kate Moss. She added: "We never cared about fame, we never thought about the word 'celebrity'. We just kept on working and it was for the creativity and the prestige. It was a smaller knit industry." Campbell said that she and her peers were often baffled by the interest in their lives - and she was stunned to realise even what she had for breakfast was headline news, reports femalefirst.co.uk. She added: "We were equally as surprised at the curiosity in our lives. I remember waking up in Milan and being shocked to see a report about what I'd eaten for breakfast the day before on the front page of a newspaper." --IANS dc/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is "no chance" of the Congress getting a majority on its own in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, senior party leader Kapil Sibal has said but asserted that the UPA led by the party is intact and the coalition could be in a position to form the next government. Had the Congress been sure about getting the majority number of 272 in the Lok Sabha, it would have definitely declared Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate as he is the "undisputed leader" in the party, he told IANS in an interview here. He, however, remained evasive on who could be the Prime Minister if the UPA were to get the majority, saying it will be decided by the alliance after the results are declared. Sibal, a prominent lawyer and former Union Minister, was asked why the Congress is reluctant to declare Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate. "If the Congress were to get 272 (seats), there would be no hesitation," he replied. When insisted that the Congress could still project Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate and say that he would be the Prime Minister if the party gets the majority, he shot back: "Without any doubt... If we get the majority, is there any doubt?... (But) there is no question of saying it. We know we won't get the majority. We know we won't get 272 (seats), just as we know that the BJP will not get more than 160 seats." When pointed out to him that he was making a big statement, he responded: "Why not? Of course, we will not get (the majority). There is no chance." Sibal was asked again whether he wanted to say that Congress will not get the majority, to which he replied: "We will not get 272 on our own. It will be foolish for me to say that. And BJP will get less than 160." At the same time, he said the Congress-led UPA will be ahead in the elections and could form the government even as it has to fight out with 'mahagathbandan', an alliance of some Opposition parties, in states like Uttar Pradesh. Asked who could be the Prime Minister if the Congress-led UPA gets the majority, Sibal said it will be decided by the alliance. "...All that will happen after May 23 (when results are declared)." Queried if there could be anybody else than Gandhi, he said: "I don't know. The alliance will decide... It is something that alliance partners will have to decide. As far as Congress party is concerned, he (Rahul) is the undisputed leader in the Congress party. Let's be clear on that." On questions regarding the efficacy of the 'mahagathbandan', Sibal said it was "never floated by the Congress". "Our 'gathbandans' are intact. Ours is a party which is gathbandan (alliance) plus. All our gathbandans existing prior to 2014 are intact, whether it is NCP or DMK... We have added two more - JDS in Karnataka and CPI-M in West Bengal." When pointed out that the Samajwadi Party (SP), which was earlier with the Congress, has drifted away and joined hands with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Sibal said: "That is not our fault. Our alliance partners are intact. We have not let down any of them but we have added our alliance partners." He said alliance with the Samajwadi Party could have happened if that party had "recognised our importance as a national party". "But (BSP chief) Mayawati consistently opposed it. They distributed seats among themselves and said we have left two seats for the Congress. How can then there be an alliance?" --IANS akk/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cash-rich central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) will come to the rescue of government strategic sale programme with tepid interest coming from the private sector to take over controlling interest in some of these sick and loss making companies. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) officials said that next round for sale of majority government holding in companies will be offered to willing CPSEs proposing to give a good valuation for Centre's stake. This, officials believe, would eliminate the need to go through a complex sell-off process with no result coming at the end. Sources said the DIPAM is enthused by the recent Rs 4,800 deal struck between GAIL and an IL&FS subsidiary to take over latter's 874 MW of operational wind projects. Officials believe, that if similar process is adopted for a few other CPSEs that could provide synergy to existing operations of a state-run company, the sell off process would not only be smooth but government could also get better valuation for its shares. The government's strategic sale initiative has not taken off well as a few cases that were brought out under the plan failed to attract investors. The latest being Pawan Hans, where the government offered to sell its entire 51 per cent stake to strategic investors last month. The bidding process failed to attract any investors. Last year Air India's disinvestment bid had also fallen flat for want of bidders. Similarly, previous attempts to sell other loss making entities such as Scooters India, the makers of the popular Vikram brand of three wheelers, have failed to move in the last one year. "Several of the sick and loss making CPSEs suffer from closed-down operations and excessive manpower. If in some way these issues could be sorted out before an entity is put up under strategic sale route, the valuations and interest would be high. Getting PSU on board is a good plan, but government should allow its companies to take such investment decisions on their own rather than pushing them into taking any uneconomic move," said a former cabinet secretary asking not to be named. DIPAM has drawn up plan for strategic sale in 35 PSUs, including Air India, Air India subsidiary AIATSL, Dredging Corporation, BEML, Scooters India, Bharat Pumps Compressors, and Bhadrawati, Salem and Durgapur units of steel major SAIL. While any PSUs interest in some of the companies on the strategic sale route is likely to be low, a few offers could be tempting for companies looking to expand their operations and scouting for suitable land for projects. Companies such as Scooters India, Indian Drug and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL) and a few others are sitting on huge tracts of land that can be used by cash rich PSUs to expand their own operations or carry out any diversification plan. IDPL is sitting on 834-acre of prime land in Rishikesh while Scooters India has about 150 acre of land near Lucknow. "The land of a few sick PSUs could be commercially utilised by other cash-rich PSUs for their expansion plants or other activities. This PSUs-led disinvestment plan for sick units would work best," said a government official privy to the development. The government is already planning to rope in state-run developers such as NBCC (India) Ltd to maximise value from the sale of sick and loss-making public sector undertakings (PSUs) by redeveloping their surplus land and selling them separately for commercial gains. However, not all cash rich PSUs are happy about the government's proposed plan. They feel that loss making companies should not be imposed on them if it fails to attract any investor. There have been examples how such acquisition plan have shaken even the most profitable and stable CPSEs. ONGC was a debt free company till it had to buy entire government's share in HPCL. Now the company is not only left with about Rs 14,000 crore of debt but its cash and bank balance plummeted to a mere Rs 167 crore in September 2018, down from Rs 9,511 crore just over a year back. Now if, Pawan Hans, (where ONGC also owns 49 per cent stake) is thrust upon it, the company without cash will have no other option but to borrow more from the market. (Subhash Narayan can be contacted at subhash.n@ians.in) --IANS sn/prs/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian Army officer and two soldiers were injured on Sunday as Pakistan violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, police sources said. "Three soldiers, including an officer, were injured in Pakistan firing on the LoC in Mendhar sector of Poonch. The injured soldiers have been shifted to hospital in Rajouri town," a police source said. Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation for the third consecutive day on Sunday in Krishna Ghati (KG) and Kirni sectors of Poonch. Pakistan used artillery and small arms during the ceasefire violation on Sunday and the Indian army retaliated effectively, defence sources said. --IANS sq/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At his press conference in New Delhi on Saturday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made a biting claim: "Although Ulrik McKnight is an American citizen, he is a member of the social gang of Rahul Gandhi." McKnight was the Congress president's business partner at Backops, the UK-based firm that they both opened - it folded up in 2009. It was a troublesome relationship in the sense that the controversy over Rahul Gandhi's alleged British citizenship emanated during the incorporation of the company - he was described as a British citizen in the documents for incorporation. It is difficult to say whether McKnight is part of the Congress president's "social gang" but the relationship between the two is not just about being former business partners. The relationship is actually more direct than elliptical. McKnight is the son-in-law of former Union minister, veteran Goa leader and Congress loyalist Eduardo Feleiro. McKnight's wife Sonia Faleiro, the former minister's daughter, is a London-based writer. Her first non-fiction work, "Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bars", was enthusiastically received by the literary world and outside. As a family, the Faleiros and now McKnight have never fought shy of revealing their close connection with the Congress first family. They named their daughter Indira Freya McKnight. McKnight caught the eye of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for reasons beyond the Backops affair and the issue of Rahul Gandhi's citizenship. Interest over who he was developed following a Rs 20,000 crore deal for the supply of six Scorpene submarines to India - it involved a defence firm that McKnight was associated with after Backops shut down. There were suggestions about the existence of a web of companies driving defence deals that made money from kickbacks. On the ground though, the Faleiro-McKnights apparently live a normal, even idyllic life. Some of Sonia Faleiro's photographs, published with her interviews, bear a heart-warming creditline: Ulrik McKnight. In one of her interviews following the publication of "Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bars", she speaks of life with her husband. "I was born in Goa, lived in Delhi and Bombay (Mumbai), studied in Edinburgh, and moved to the Bay Area three years ago. My husband's a Bay Area local - he's from Albany. We met in India, lived there for several years, and decided three years ago that we were ready for new adventures. That's when we moved," she told a local publication in Noe Valley, San Francisco, in 2012. "I'd been to San Francisco only once before, on book tour. So I didn't know its different neighbourhoods. My husband Ulrik vaguely remembered Noe because he'd come down to Bliss Bar when he was a student at Stanford. A friend recommended Noe, and when we saw it we fell in love. We love the families and kids, the dogs, the aromas from the Noe Valley Bakery, the friendliness," she added However, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who wants a money laundering case to be registered against Rahul Gandhi, tweeted recently: "Bambino (this is a name Swamy uses for the Congress president) has another case awaiting him: ED to register FERA (this no longer exists) and money laundering cases for operating an illegal Barclay's Bank Account and perhaps laundering Scorpine Submarine Kick Back with Eduardo Falerio's son in law through Back Ops. MoF must not block the case." Jaitley has been no less punishing. Punning on the name of the company, Backops, he said on Saturday: "What did this Backops mean? That there will be a back office and will help you?" Meanwhile, Eduardo Faleiro has not been forgotten even though, at 78, he is ailing and not in active For the current Lok Sabha polls, he was named on the Goa manifesto committee. Congress party sources said that Faleiro needed to be kept in good humour. --IANS am/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajiv Gandhi a "corrupt" politician, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday criticized him for attacking his father and former Prime Minister who sacrificed his life for the country. "Modiji, the battle is over. Your karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug," Gandhi tweeted. Later, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi also slammed Modi on Twitter: "The Prime Minister who insults martyrs by seeking vote in the name of their sacrifices yesterday crossed his limits by insulting the sacrifice of a noble man who gave his life for the country. "The people of Amethi will reply as Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for them. Yes Modiji, the country never forgives cheating." Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi's remarks came a day after Modi, at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh, attacked their father calling him "Bhrashtachari No.1" (Corrupt No.1). "Your father was termed 'Mr. Clean' by his courtiers but his life ended as Bhrashtachari No. 1," Modi said. Modi's reaction came following Congress chief's incessant attacks on him regarding allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet deal. --IANS rak/mag/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With an aim to enable the further recapitalisation of public sector banks (PSBs), the Finance Ministry may seek a relaxation for PSBs in the market regulator Sebi's norms for entities requiring promoters to have 75 per cent holdings in them, according to a senior official source The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) listing norms mandate that every listed entity will maintain a minimum public shareholding of 25 per cent. The government shareholding in many state-run banks is currently above 75 per cent. In case of their further recapitalisation, this will go up over 90 per cent in some cases and also touch 99 per cent. In prevoius years, the government had taken Sebi approval for recapitalising PSBs which had pushed up the government's stakes in these banks. "We have taken permission from Sebi on having over 75 per cent government shareholding in PSBs in the past and if banks are further capitalised , we will do so again. Already the government stakes are above 75 per cent in many of the state run banks," the source said. Asked if individual banks will take permission for exemption from Sebi's 25 per cent public shareholding norm, the source said the ministry seeks the approval from the market regulator. In fact, the government has plans to cut its shareholding in many PSBs to 52 per cent. Market condition, however, have so far not been suitable enough for banks to move in this direction, the source pointed out. Banks approaching the market to raise funds and cut government stake is a process in in the pipeline, he added. The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has already initiated steps for Rs 20,000 crore share sale through qualified institutional placement (QIP). Post QIP, the government stake will be diluted from the existing 58.53 per cent. Many other banks are planning to raise capital through some means or other, depending on the market conditions. Some state-run lenders like Syndicate Bank, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Oriental Bank of Commerce, among others, have already issued, or are in the process of announcing Employee Share Purchase Schemes (ESPS). The government shareholding is in PNB 75.41 per cent and in Bank of India it is 89.1 per cent. In the merged enitity of Bank of Baroda-Dena- Vijaya Bank, the government stake is 65.7 per cent on the basis of the share swap ratio. In Canara Bank, the government stake in 72.55 per cent. Post allotment of the equity shares, the shareholding of the government has gone up to 79.41 percent in the Allhabad Bank. In Corporation Bank, the government stake in 93.5 per cent and in Bank of Maharashtra, it is 87.74 per cent. In Oriental Bank of commerce, the government holds 87.58 per cent by . In Uco Bank, the government stake is 93.29 per cent. In Union Bank, the Finance mInistry holds 74.27 per cent. In United Bank of India, the government stake currently is 96.83 per cent. In Punjab and SInd Bank, the Centre's stake is 85.56 per cent. In state-run IDBI Bank, the promoters hold 97.46 per cent stake, as per BSE shareholding pattern of March 2019. (Anjana Das can be contatced at anjana.d@ians.in) --IANS ana/sn/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan authorities have urged the public to surrender swords and large knives amid heightened security concerns following the deadly April 21 Easter Sunday bombings. On Saturday, the Sri Lanka Police's media unit said the public has time until Sunday to handover the swords and knives at the nearest police stations, reports the Daily Mirror. The police also requested not to park vehicles after 1 p.m. on Sunday near any schools in Colombo as special search operations were scheduled to be conducted in those areas. Since the gruesome attacks that killed 253 people and injured over 500 others, law enforcement authorities have seized a large number of weapons from various parts of the island nation. The call came as investigations into the deadly bombings continue. Sunday marks two weeks since the bombings that targeted churches and hotels, majority in the capital Colombo. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Sri Lankan national, who claimed to have lost all his travel documents, was held from the bus station here and is being interrogated by both the state police and central security agencies, the Kerala Police said on Sunday. Police officer V.P. Mohanlal told IANS that the man, who identifies himself as Maluge Dias, 32, was picked up on Saturday night from the bus station here. "Dias says that he has lost his passport and other papers. Even though he claims to have flown in from Colombo, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to get any information from him. He has a language problem and at times, appears to behave as if he is of unsound mind. "We will soon produce him before a magistrate and he will be remanded. Meanwhile we have also started legal formalities and have got in touch with the Sri Lankan mission. Once they give the necessary clearances, he will be repatriated," the police official said. The Kerala Police also sought the help of the central agencies, whose representatives here have also questioned him. In wake of the horrendous Easter Sunday bombings which left 253 people, including many Indians, dead and hundreds more injured,the Kerala Police is on a high alert, especially with Colombo connected by air with a flying time of less than 40 minutes from here. --IANS sg/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kannada actor Sudeep, who has started shooting for Salman Khan's "Dabangg 3", has thanked the superstar for making him feel at home. "Heat was unbearable, yet couldn't dominate the energy on set. It was a thrilling day, fabulous unit, fantabulous people, a humongous gym set up on location is an added bonus. First day of 'Dabangg 3' wraps up with smiles. Thanks Salman Khan sir for making me feel at home," Sudeep tweeted. He also posted a photograph with Salman, and fans loved it. "Dabangg 3", being helmed by Prabhudheva, has been locked for release on December 20. The film, being produced under the banner of Salman Khan Films and Arbaaz Khan Production, also stars Sonakshi Sinha, reprising her role of Rajjo. --IANS rb/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Egyptian archaeological mission has unearthed three tomb, including one that was shared by two priests over 4,400 years ago, a few kilometres south of the three Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Egypt's Ministry of State of Antiquities announced the discovery of the tombs belonging to Behnui-Ka and Nwi Who from the fifth dynasty in Giza governorate on Saturday. "At first we thought we were going to find tombs from the late period, but we found a tomb of the fifth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. We are talking about a 4,400-year-old tomb," secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and director of the Egyptian Archaeological Mission team Mostafa Waziri told Efe news. Waziri explained that the mission kicked off its work in August 2018 and discovered the three tombs after digging through more than 450 cubic meters of rubble. One of those tombs was filled with wooden sarcophagi and well-preserved artefacts of the two priests. Behnui-Ka had seven titles and was the purifier of Pharaoh Khafre, while Nwi Who had five titles, including the priest of Maat who was responsible for justice, and the goddess of justice and truth, according to Egyptian mythology. The three tombs were showcased to dozens of journalists after a press conference attended by Egypt's Minister of Antiquities, Khaled al-Enani, at the Giza Plateau. The tombs, separated by a few meters, are located under the dunes and behind the limestone doors, an indicator of the priests' power since getting this material required "permission by the king himself", Waziri said. The doors give way to corridors, decorated with hieroglyphic engravings and some intact wooden sarcophagi that have maintained their original colours and currently are being restored inside the tomb itself. "The sarcophagi are in perfect condition because they were well-painted, well-coloured and well-decorated. We will exhibit them at our Egyptian museums like the ones in Sharm al-Sheikh and Hurghada," Waziri said after visiting the tomb. Renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawas, who attended the presentation of the tombs, told Efe news that he was "very happy" because the engravings and the statues could date the tomb back to the 26th Dynasty (664-525 BC), the last one that ruled Egypt before the Persian invasion. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A tourist from Maharashtra was killed and three others were injured on Sunday in an accident on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, police said. "The victim and the injured were on their way from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu when the vehicle they were travelling in was hit by a boulder that rolled down the mountain in Ramsoo area," the police said. There were 12 people in the vehicle. The victim was identified as Sunil Kathe of Nasik. --IANS sq/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has once again come out in support of right-wing personalities deemed "dangerous" by Facebook who have been banned on social media platforms, including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump not only defended members of the far-right but also retweeted Islamophobic content "I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. This is the United States of America -- and we have what's known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! We are monitoring and watching, closely!! "The wonderful Diamond and Silk have been treated so horribly by Facebook. They work so hard and what has been done to them is very sad - and we're looking into. It's getting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media!," he tweeted. Diamond and Silk are two online personalities and outspoken supporters of the President. Trump also retweeted a video from Deep State Exposed, an alt-right account that contains Islamophobic tweets and conspiracy theories, including QAnon -- a far-right conspiracy theory detailing a supposed secret plot by an alleged "deep state" against the President and his supporters. Facebook and its photo-messaging service Instagram on May 2 banned several right-wing extremists it deemed "dangerous". Facebook and Instagram also banned the "Nation of Islam" leader Louis Farrakhan who has repeatedly made anti-Semitic statements. Others who have been removed from Facebook and Twitter include Infowars, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson, Laura Loomer and Paul Nehlen "under the policies against dangerous individuals and organisations". Jones and Infowars -- a far-right American conspiracy theory and fake news website -- have already been removed from Twitter. In 2017, Trump retweeted three anti-Muslim propaganda videos originally posted by Jayda Fransen, a leader of a far-right British political party called Britain First. More recently, the US President posted an edited video on Twitter that tried to link Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar to the 9/11 attacks, the media reported. --IANS na/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two soldiers were injured on Sunday in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, army sources said. The incident was reported near the Khanthawali post in Kupwara. "The blast occurred when one of the two soldiers stepped on the IED. Both the injured have been shifted to army's base hospital in Srinagar for treatment," a source said. --IANS sq/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two years after the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act was enacted, the implementation of the legislation intended to bring about transparency and regulate the highly unorganised real estate sector still remains a work in progress. The RERA rules have been notified in 22 states and six union territories, and among them 19 states have active online portals so far. Five states have not yet notified the rules and 11 states - all the eight northeastern states as well as West Bengal and Kerala - are yet to set up their web portals. Several states have also diluted the rules in favour of the builders, going against the very spirit of the Act, experts said. "Undoubtedly, it is work in process, with the states currently placed across the spectrum of RERA implementation. On the one hand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have taken the lead and are markedly ahead, while Haryana and Bengal on the other, have still to catch up," said Gulam Zia, Executive Director for Valuation and Advisory, Retail and Hospitality at Knight Frank India. West Bengal has refused to implement the Act as it has its own West Bengal Housing and Industrial Regulation Act (WBHIRA). This has, however, been challenged in the Supreme Court by the Forum for People's Collective Efforts (FPCE), an umbrella association of home buyers. "The implementation of RERA has had its fair share of glitches delaying its full implementation. Many states haven't been able to get the whole system activated. As a result, aggrieved consumers are not yet fully convinced about the authority," Zia added. According to Surendra Hiranandani, Founder and Director of House of Hiranandani, although the Act has brought about significant changes, the biggest probalem of RERA is that of granting permissions. "We must have a single-window disbursal of all regulatory approvals which has been a long-standing demand of the real estate sector as it will help developers complete projects on time," he said. Experts also raise concern about the Act being ineffective in some fronts, including regulation of old projects. "I believe RERA is effective when it comes to new projects. But for the old projects, I would still consider RERA a toothless tiger," said Samir Jasuja, Founder of Propequity, adding that RERA also lacks effective infrastructure. "There is no team on ground who would audit or validate the data provided by the developers. Some sales numbers reported on the RERA website are not correct and there is no proper mechanism to cross check it," he added. Although there are loopholes and the implementation has been patchy, analysts and market players feel RERA has brought about a systemic change in the real estate sector which has also boosted the sentiments among home buyers. "In the last two years, RERA has brought in some amicable change in the sector. Some of the changes we've seen in the sector are increasing joint ventures, developers registering their projects, timely hand over of flats and developers bringing in newer projects with cleaner business practices. All of these improvements have led to a boost in home buyer sentiments," said Parth Mehta, MD of Paradigm Realty. According to J.C. Sharma, Vice Chairman and MD, SOBHA Ltd, the implementation of RERA, has been one of the most significant and transformative steps for Indian real estate sector. With regulatory mechanism in place, the consumers' grievances can now be resolved faster, he said. The Act has enabled the developers to understand their responsibility and work within their competencies and as a result, they are increasingly becoming realistic in offering the right products at the right price point, Sharma said. "Despite the initial transitional challenges, the positive impact has been amply visible over the last two years with improving home buyer sentiments and increasing transparency and accountability in the sector," he added. Anuj Puri, Chairman of Anarock Properties said that although several buyers are concerned about the dilution of the RERA rules, they continue to have faith in the law. "Even while buyers have been continuously fretting about the dilution of the rules, they are bestowing their faith in the law and coming forward in bulk to raise their complaints against faulty developers for myriad reasons including project delays. For instance, Maha RERA has received as many as 6,631 complaints (as on April) since inception, out of which the state authority claims to have disposed more than 64 per cent of the complaints," he said. Maharastra has been the torchbearer in terms of implementation of the Act and resolving home buyers' grievances. According to Anarocks, Maharashtra is currently the most active state having the highest project registrations with more than 20,718 projects under MahaRERA so far, and nearly 19,699 RERA-registered real estate agents. However, the lagging of other states in terms of having a fully operational RERA structure with an operational website still remains concern, experts said. --IANS rrb/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British Prime Minister Theresa May has urged Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, to "put differences aside" and agree on a Brexit deal, the media reported on Sunday. The UK was supposed to leave the European Union (EU) on March 29, but the deadline has been delayed until October 31, after MPs rejected May's withdrawal agreement three times, reports the BBC. May is now seeking Labour support to get an agreement through Parliament. In an op-ed published in the Daily Mail newspaper on Sunday, May wrote: "It is clear that the voters delivered their judgment in large part based on what is happening - or not happening - at Westminster. And, as Prime Minister, I fully accept my share of the responsibility for that. "The voters expect us to deliver on the result of the referendum and, so far, Parliament has rejected the deal which I have put forward." May said she hopes to find a "unified, cross-party position" with Labour - despite admitting that her colleagues "find this decision uncomfortable" and that "frankly, it is not what I wanted, either". Talks between Labour and the Conservatives are to resume on Tuesday. According to the Sunday Times, May will compromise on three areas: customs, goods alignment and workers' rights. The daily said that she could put forward plans for a comprehensive, but temporary, customs arrangement with the EU that would last until the next general election. On Saturday, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said a deal with Labour would not be legitimate. "Two discredited administrations making a discredited deal is not the answer to the electorate," he told the BBC. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Congress President and state Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has said that the party was confident of winning all Lok Sabha seats in the state under its "Mission 25", and that a Congress-led UPA-3 government will be formed at the Centre after the election results are declared on May 23. "We are working towards Mission 25 and I am hopeful we will accomplish it. Countrywide, the Congress will be in pole position. The only party that has bandwidth and the strength to challenge and defeat the BJP at a national level is Congress. I think UPA-3 with more allies is a reality on May 23," Pilot told IANS in an interview. The Congress has led two UPA governments at the Centre from 2004 to 2014. He accused the BJP of trying to raise emotive issues in the election and said the Congress is concerned about people's livelihood, opportunity for young people, the agrarian crisis and economic slowdown. "I believe that these elections should be fought on governance issues, as opposed to emotive issues that BJP wants them towards. We are trying to focus on issues that matter to everyday lives of citizens and we have been able to bring the discussion back to where it belongs, as opposed to being on religion and mandir, masjid and all sorts of things," he said. "The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister talks about Ali and Bajrang Bali. That is not the kind of narrative that today's needs." Pilot said that every candidate fielded by the Congress was a "unanimous choice of party leaders. "We have put up 25 winning candidates and will be able to get a thumping majority in Lok Sabha. We held consultations for three months and winnable, acceptable, consensual candidates have been fielded," he said. Asked about the BJP's criticism that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had focused excessively in Jodhpur where his son Vaibhav is contesting, Pilot said there is nothing wrong in working hard in a place. "He is Chief Minister, he has put a lot of effort in making sure we win that seat. I see nothing wrong in that. We have campaigned together also. We have covered most of the state. He has been to other places also, besides Jodhpur," he said. Pilot said he had gone for Vaibhav's nomination and had opened his election office. "I am sure we will get a thumping majority," he added. Asked if Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be the Prime Minister after the polls, he said: "I am a Congressman. We have never run after posts and positions. Democracy is all about numbers and Rahulji himself has said, let the results come out we will sit together and decide who will lead the government. But as a Congress person, my wish is that he plays a very vital role after May 23." Asked about reports of only meagre amounts being waived off farm loans, Pilot said Rs 18,000 crore had been waived off for cooperative banks and Bhoomi Vikas Bank. "Commercial banks, however, are controlled by the Finance Ministry. We are negotiating with them but the Model Code of Conduct is in place. As soon as the code of conduct is removed, we will waive off those loans also." Answering a query about Lok Sabha results, he said "there will be change of leadership in Delhi with a new Prime Minister". He said BJP was resorting to hyper-nationalism to cover up "incompetency" of the Modi government in the last five years. "Nationalism is not something that needs to be tested and brought just before elections. We are all patriotic citizens and the valour and sacrifice of our armed forces is never up for question. I think the respect and gratitude that all of us citizens have towards the armed forces is never in doubt. "Therefore, I think it quite pointless to have that discussion but in terms of talking about nationalism, is it being done only to cover up incompetency of five years of the current government?" he said. He said that Congress government in Rajasthan has taken some good initiatives in the state since it came into office last December and people will judge it on its performance. "I am quite convinced that we will get a resounding majority in the Lok Sabha polls in all the three states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan we are working towards Mission 25 and I am hopeful we will succeed in accomplishing that mission," he said. Pilot, who was made Deputy Chief Minister after the party leadership decided to again nominate Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister, has held rallies across the state. Party leaders said he has held nearly 125 meetings. Pilot said BJP was not talking about the price of gas cylinders, or prices of petrol and diesel, because they believe they have no answers for such questions. "They are talking about issues that are emotional in nature, whether it is religion or hyper-nationalism," he said. Pilot rejected the suggestion that people will make a distinction between the performance of the Vasundhra Raje-led previous BJP government in the state and that of the Modi government. "Vasundhraji and Modiji are the two sides of the same coin. They both belong to the BJP," he said. (Prashant Sood can be contacted at prashant.s@ians.in) --IANS ps/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The promoters of telecom major Vodafone Idea contributed Rs 17,920 crore to its Rs 25,000 crore rights issue against their initial commitment of Rs 18,250 crore due oversubscription by public shareholders, the company said on Sunday. Consequent to this contribution, the promoters' stake in the company rose marginally to 71.57 per cent from 71.33 per cent, the company said in a regulatory filing. Announing the successful conclusion of its rights issue, Vodafone Idea said that its new shares are expected to be listed on the BSE and the National Stock Exchange on or around May 10. "The issue was oversubscribed approximately 1.08x and the public participation was approximately 1.2x. The promoter or promoter group applied for higher than their aggregate rights entitlement in line with their earlier commitment. However, due to strong demand from public shareholders, the final allotment to the promoter or promoter group was Rs 179.2 billion (Rs 0.9 billion over their aggregate rights entitlement)." Commenting on the rights issue, Balesh Sharma, CEO Vodafone Idea, said: "The successful closure of rights issue is a clear indication of the investors' belief in our post-merger strategy and our ability to leverage the growth opportunities offered by the sector. Our ongoing investments are improving broadband coverage and capacity, enabling us to offer a superior network experience to our customers as well as enhancing our ability to win new broadband customers." Akshaya Moondra, CFO, Vodafone Idea, said: "This funding along with the monetisation of our stake in Indus will allow us to make the required investments in the business to achieve our strategic goals." --IANS rrb/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The General Election this time has been marked by a significant amount of violence in the run-up to the polls in several parts of the country. The bitterness amongst the contesting parties in states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra precipitated clashes between rival workers testing the efficacy and impartiality of the local police. The institution of the State Electoral Officer did not seem to be strong enough in monitoring the performance of the district police officials and taking action against those who showed serious dereliction of duty. Violence around polling booths is a negation of democratic rights of the voters and by now India should have been able to practice zero tolerance towards this malaise. It is high time a commission examined the ways and means of ensuring peace during elections and defined specific policy measures in this regard for the future. It is highly regrettable that the largest democracy in the world cannot free the election process of street level violence. Clearly in the federal scheme of things it is the state police chief who has to take direct responsibility for it and demonstrate his or her apolitical credentials while handling law and order during elections with an iron fist. There should be no delay in the implementation of the Supreme Court order issued last year against the practice of appointing officiating DGPs - that also clearly laid down that the UPSC will draw up a panel of three names in consultation with the state government and that the state government will make one of them the DGP of the state on the basis of merit-cum-seniority. This is the single most important police reform that the Centre must put in place at once. Another area of political violence that showed up during and outside of elections, concerns the injurious fallout from public speeches that tended to instigate caste, communal or regional conflicts. Pungent wit and some name calling without violating the law of defamation could be a legit part of electioneering but deliberately indulging in identity and questioning the symbols of nationalism became much too obvious in the poll fray this time. India is vulnerable to communal and caste tensions and freedom of expression cannot be allowed to cross the legal limits put on it by the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1972 that created Sections 153A & 153B to define cognizable and non-bailable offences pertaining to sectarian speeches. The police machinery of the districts has to be strengthened a great deal with manpower and technological equipment to enable it to handle this rampant criminality committed by the people in public life today. Follow up on the blatant violations of law noticed in this General Election should continue even after the poll process is over. The most dangerous form of political violence that is steadily permeating our nation, however, is the rise of new terror emanating from faith-based motivation. Terrorism by definition is the resort to 'covert violence for a perceived political cause'. In the absence of such a 'cause' the violence will just be sheer criminality and terrorism is not that certainly. A cause demands 'commitment' which in turn is rooted in 'motivation'. India has seen diverse motivations behind terror movements and insurgencies - 'ideological' that sustained Maoism or assertion of 'ethnic identity' that was the case with North-East insurgent groups - but the new global terror that is now afflicting the world and becoming a prime security threat to India is a class apart since it is linked to the call of 'defence of Islam' or Jehad. This is an outcome of the complications connected with the 'war on terror' launched against the Islamic radicals by the US-led West post 9/11 on the one hand and the cross border terrorism started by Pakistan to settle scores with India using India- specific terror outfits under the ISI control, on the other. Developments in recent times have made Pakistan the world repository of Islamic militancy and the agencies in that country are now manoeuvring the entire spectrum of militants from Al Qaeda-Taliban combine and ISIS at one end to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen at the other. The keenness of the US to work for withdrawal of American troops from Syria and Afghanistan has given a lot of residual advantage to Pakistan in terms of its plans to use Islamic militants as a strategic resource for furthering its foreign policy objectives. India has much to feel concerned about the way US was relying on Pakistan to reach a settlement with Taliban. While this is the scene in Afghanistan the recent terror bombings against Christians and Western tourists in and around Colombo have been claimed by ISIS. What is more significant, the local radical outfit, the National Tawheed Jamaat, complicit in this covert offensive in Sri Lanka is found to have links with Pakistan and South India. It is already known that Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operating out of Pakistan with patronage from ISI has the avowed aim of establishing Islamic State in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. India, unlike the US, is directly in the arc of Islamic militancy and needs to strategise for national security against this new threat of faith-based terror. It is extremely disquieting that political discourse in India - and this became sharper in the election campaign - has tended to drag Pakistan into the discussions on minorities here. This trend has started from Jammu and Kashmir where the regional parties have openly advocated a communally-based 'solution' by talking of the Valley and not about the integral state of J&K that is home to many religions. They have strengthened the hands of Pakistan which finds it convenient to project Kashmir as a Muslim issue and create communal divide in the domestic of India. The same effect is produced by some opposition leaders at the national level who criticised the 'muscular ' policy of the Modi government towards Pakistan but maintained deliberate silence on the infiltration of terrorists by Pakistan's ISI across the LOC to create violence in the state. The campaign for General Election this time has deepened the communal antagonism on majority-minority line and left the country vulnerable to Pak machinations to generate militancy as a byproduct of communal disharmony. In the initial decades after Independence, India witnessed communal riots primarily because of the legacy of Partition but these subsided as the democratic processes took firm root and equality of rights played out for everybody. The rise of new global terror that invokes the cause of Islam has made it possible - particularly because of the mischief of Pak agencies - for radicalisation to seep into India, howsoever small may be its spread in the country so far. The events at Colombo come as a wake-up call for our security set-up. Various communities of India at the level of average citizens want to lead a peaceful life and make use of whatever opportunities of economic advancement that would become available to them. It should not be difficult to achieve a convergence amongst all communities on the external threats to national security if the leaders of the communities did not seek political power by dividing the people. Our laws and security policy should provide for quick punishment for those who tried to gain from the advocacy of violence in course of projection of religion into Our ruling dispensation should be upfront about it - this seems to be a major learning from the 2019 national election. (The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau) -- IANS pathak/am (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on April 24 that the company is actively working on to launch WhatsApp Pay in India, the message was clear to the digital payments leader in the country: Brace for the landfall. The country's digital payments industry -- estimated to hit $1 trillion by 2023 -- is going to witness a seismic change this year with global players joining the bandwagon, creating flutters among the existing players, including Alibaba-backed Paytm which rules the market. Amazon just announced the launch of Amazon Pay UPI for Android customers in the peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction market. Google Pay has also strengthened its presence -- over 45 million users with recording $81 billion in transactions (at an annualised run-rate) in March. Apple Pay would also arrive and with the lowering of iPhone prices in India, the service which has 390 million paid subscriptions globally and on track to reach 10 billion transactions -- would reach more hands. WhatsApp Pay, however, is going to be the real game changer -- for a simple reason that it has the capability to become the top player in the Indian digital payments market with the word go. WhatsApp currently has over 300 million users in India (Facebook has another 300 million in the country) and once it starts peer-to-peer (P2P) UPI-based payments service, the sheer numbers will take it beyond Paytm which last reported over 230 million users. "Indians love WhatsApp, and will love the convenience of transacting through the app. I foresee a trend wherein entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises start embracing and using WhatsApp Pay," Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS. "This will contribute to, and increase their creditworthiness. In turn, this trend will enable them to easily borrow credit from formal sources, such as banks," Ram added. Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma is aware that fierce global competition is coming his way. Sharma last year launched a Twitter attack on WhatsApp's parent company Facebook. "After failing to win war against India's open internet with cheap tricks of free basics, Facebook is again in play," Sharma had tweeted. According to WhatsApp, almost one million people tested WhatsApp Pay to send money to each other in a simple and secure way. "In response to India's payments data circular, we've built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India," a WhatsApp spokesperson had told IANS. "WhatsApp Payment is useful for people in their daily lives and we hope to expand the feature to all of India soon so we can contribute to the country's financial inclusion goals," the spokesperson added. The company on May 3 told the Supreme Court that it would comply with the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) data localisation norms before launching the full payments service in the country. According to Pavel Naiya, Senior Analyst, Devices and Ecosystem at Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, WhatsApp Pay will become an instant threat for products like Paytm Wallet and others who are using UPI as a method of transaction. "With the huge user base, WhatsApp Pay is already a good match to become a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) platform for real-time payment," Naiya told IANS. The entry of WhatApp Pay will give a significantly more positive and viral impetus to India's digital economy. "The rapid adoption of digital payments in India will be driven by WhatsApp, riding on its vast user base and strong vernacular language focus," added Ram. Zuckerberg would finally merge all his platforms and the enormous user base would create a natural winner "In Instagram and Facebook, you have shopping and you have Marketplace, and you have all the tens of millions of small businesses that use Pages and a lot use Instagram for sharing their inventory and being able to help people discover and pay," the Facebook CEO told analysts during the earnings call. According to Naiya, with Facebook and Instagram's platform support, "WhatsApp Pay is likely to further extend beyond P2P platform to become a payment gateway for the company's social commerce in the future". The die is cast. It is only matter of time when the Indian digital payments market sees a new leader. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/prs/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As per the SC judgment, the Disclosure Policy, and the actions taken under it, would need to be in compliance with the decision of the Supreme Court in RBI vs Jayantilal N Mistry matter of 2015. The Jayantilal judgement set out the balance that needs to be struck while disclosing information in relation to the banking sector, says L Viswanath, partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. ... 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 The UN Security Council has dealt a hard blow to the Polisario thugs, the Algerian and South African leaders, with the adoption last Tuesday of resolution 2468 with a large majority. In this resolution, the Council underlined, once again, the importance of respecting fully its commitments in order to maintain the momentum of the political process regarding the Sahara issue. The UN Security Council voiced major concern over the violations perpetrated by the polisario, which is armed, funded and sheltered by the Algerian regime. The executive body of the United Nations also expressed deep concern over the violation of the military agreements concluded with MINURSO regarding the ceasefire in the Sahara, calling on the separatist group to fully honor their commitments made to the personal envoy of UN Secretary General, Horst Kohler. The text of the resolution, which emphasized the importance of realism and compromise without making reference to the principle of self-determination, has infuriated the polisario. Feeling humiliated and like a slap in the face, the secessionists threatened to withdraw from the political process. The Polisario, their Algerian and South African supporters, continue to cling to the unworkable idea of independence, an obsolete, unrealistic and impracticable option in the current geopolitical realities. By continuing to hold on to such a sterile stand, inherited from Cold War era, the Polisario leaders are undermining the UN process seeking to achieve a political solution to a conflict, which is testing the international communitys patience. The bottom line is that resolution 2468 meets largely Moroccos expectations, confirms the status of Algeria as the main stakeholder in the Sahara conflict and reaffirms, once again, that all the unfeasible plans providing for self-determination are buried for ever. This strengthens Moroccos stand expressed at the second roundtable meeting held in Geneva, affirming that self-determination does not necessarily mean either a referendum or independence. The autonomy plan, put by Rabat on the negotiating table, offers really the best compromise, which is demanded by the UN Security Council. Shell be back The union minister and national vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Uma Bharti, who is not contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, has made it clear that she is not planning to retire from active politics any time soon. Bharti, who is campaigning for party candidate Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal, said that even if the 75-year cut-off criterion for selection of ministers in the Narendra Modi cabinet is taken as given, she will be eligible to contest the Lok Sabha polls of 2024, 2029 and 2034 and that she had a good mind to do so. Tired and not retired, ... Ten people were killed in fighting between two communities seeking power in an western village of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Sunday. During a night of fighting with machetes by rival clan members in Kahungu village last week "ten people were killed and six inured, including two police officers," said local official Tresor Kitambala, who added that two houses were torched. The last outbreak of fighting between the Bakwamanda and the Ngundu communities happened last July and left one person dead, said Blaise Nzuana, head of a regional farmworkers group. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) had issued over 2.5 million e-Visa last year, a five-fold jump from 2015, and reduced the main category visa from 26 to 21, an official said Sunday. The officials also said sub-categories of visa has been reduced from 104 to 65, thus rationalising and simplifying the visa regime and removing confusion. The number of issued by the Bureau of Immigration, under the Home Ministry, has risen from 529,000 in 2015 to 25.15 lakh last year, the official said. On the other hand, the number of regular or paper visas issued by Indian missions abroad has come down from 4.5 million to around 3.5 milliom in the same period. The number of main categories of visa has been reduced from 26 to 21 by clubbing some categories. The e-Visa facility now covers 166 countries and foreigners can obtain online visa within 72 hours for travel related to tourism, business, health, medical attendant and conference purposes. The scope of film visa has been increased to include web shows and series and recce of locations. No registration is now required if stay of a foreigner with film visa is up to 180 days in India, the official said. These measures will remove the present obstacles in implementation of film visa regime and is expected to promote as a favourite destination for shooting of various kinds of films and shows. The scope of tourist visa has been expanded by including activities like short-term, unstructured courses (up to six months duration) on local languages, music, dance, arts and crafts, cooking, medicine. Voluntary work up to one month has also now been allowed under tourist visa. Provisions of Internship Visa have been liberalised. Earlier, it was given only after graduation or completion of study. Now, a foreigner can come for internship in at any time during his studies. Visa for internship in Indian companies can now be given for a lower salary minimum of Rs 360,000 per annum instead of the earlier minimum limit of Rs.780,000. This would facilitate grant of more Internship Visas to foreigners. India's Visa Regime has been overhauled during the last two years by making it simpler to understand and administer. It has become more liberal in terms of length of stay, number of visits allowed and flexibility in undertaking various activities. The simplified visa regime will promote tourism, business and people-to-people contact, another official said. The duration of e-Tourist and e-Business visas increased from 60 days to one year. Restrictions on two entries in one year has been removed. Now multiple entries are allowed on these e-Business and e-Tourist visas. A foreigner can apply online for e-Business and e-Tourist visas any time. Restriction of maximum 120 days of advance application prior to expected date of arrival in India dispensed with, the official said. Eight franchises have picked 155 players for the second edition of the T20 Mumbai League, the auction for which was held here on Saturday. The league is to be held from May 14-26th at the Wankhede stadium, a media release said. From a total budget of Rs 2.8 crores, the 8 teams Mumbai North East Triumph Knights, Shivaji Park Lions, ARCS Andheri, North Mumbai Panthers, NaMo Bandra Blasters, SoBo Supersonics, along with the newly inducted teams, Eagle Thane Strikers (Mumbai Eastern Suburbs) and Aakash TigersMumbai Western Suburbs collectively spent Rs 2.73 crores, it added. Before the Player Auction, the six continuing teams of season 1, retained 11 players. The total number of senior players sold were 41 while the total number of emerging and developmental players who were sold were 114, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The AAP will lodge a police complaint over Saturday's attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia said on Sunday, alleging that the BJP was sending a message that even if someone tried to kill the CM, he would be spared. At a press conference earlier in the day, Kejriwal himself held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for the attack on him during a roadshow in the national capital and accused the police of following the "script" given by the ruling party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled supporter of his party during a roadshow at Moti Nagar on Saturday. "Such a big conspiracy was hatched against the chief minister. There was an attack on his convoy and the Delhi Police released the perpetrator. "They are saying they do not have a complaint. This means the BJP, through the Delhi Police, is sending a clear message that if anyone tries to attack the Delhi chief minister or even kills him, he will be saved by the party and the police will not do anything to him. The message is clear," Sisodia told a press conference here. He said the AAP had decided to lodge a complaint and party leader Sanjay Singh would meet the police commissioner on Sunday. The police had said on Saturday that the preliminary interrogation of the man who attacked Kejriwal, identified as Suresh (33), had revealed that he was an AAP supporter. An inquiry by a deputy commissioner of police-level officer was ordered to find out how this person was allowed to be in the reception group for the AAP supremo, Additional Public Relations Officer (PRO), Delhi Police Anil Mittal had said. Rejecting Kejriwal's allegations, Union minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar also claimed on Sunday that the man who attacked the Delhi chief minister had himself said he was an AAP worker. "This kind of attacks, involving him (Kejriwal), have taken place 10 times. Every time, the same thing happens. Whenever he finds himself lagging behind (in the poll race), he gets himself attacked. This is his propaganda," he alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani spoke to Prime Minister Imran over telephone on Sunday during which both the leaders discussed issues of bilateral and region importance, an official statement said. "The two leaders exchanged views on matters relating to peace, security and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region," the statement said. Khan, during his conversation with President Ghani, said that prolonged conflict in Afghanistan has damaged the neighbouring country and also "adversely affected Pakistan over the past many decades." He said that for the sake of the two peoples, the leadership of both the country should aim to help build peace, promote economic progress, and advance connectivity for regional prosperity. The Pakistani Prime Minister reiterated his vision for finding a peaceful solution in Afghanistan, which is fully-owned and led by the Afghans. Khan underlined that Pakistan will spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two brotherly countries. Both the leaders agreed to make efforts for availing the geographic locations of Afghanistan and Pakistan to enhance regional connectivity and realise the true economic potential of the two countries for assured socio-economic development, alleviation of poverty, and welfare of the two peoples, the statement said. Khan reiterated his invitation to President Ghani to visit Pakistan for a comprehensive exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest. The dates for the visit would be decided though mutual consultations, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After initiating a pilot project on decongestion in Karol Bagh, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation now plans to expand the scheme to other areas to promote use of public transport and make market areas more pedestrian-friendly. A senior official of the NDMC said, the expansion of the project will happen after polls and basic groundwork is being done at present. "After seeing the response at Karol Bagh, we are now planning to do similar project in Kirti Nagar and Kamla Nagar market areas. World over, from London to Shanghai, pedestrianisation of market areas have enhanced shoppers' experience, and we also want people of Delhi to feel that comfort," NDMC Commissioner Varsha Joshi told PTI. Seeking to promote use of public transport and make commercial areas pedestrian-friendly, the north corporation has hiked parking fees for using Karol Bagh street. Prior to that a stretch of Ajmal Khan Road in the area was pedestrianised on Wednesday. Senior NDMC officials on Saturday said, the approval for the project and on parking fee hike was taken just before the elections dates were announced. Ajmal Khan Road for decades has been clogged with traffic and haphazard parking inconveniencing visitors. "This project had been first conceptualised in 2010 but could not take off for some reasons. So, we picked up this zone as soon I took charge at NDMC, and engaged with market associations and created off-street parking spaces by utilizing old, defunct municipal spaces," Joshi said. On Wednesday, visitors were taken by surprise when they found a stretch of the nearly one-km road decongested, and pavements lined with benches and the street decorated with flower pots. "About 600 metre of the Ajmal Khan Road has been pedestrianised, rest of it being done. People were taken by surprise, as we did most of the work at night time, from installing benches to painting kerbs, etc, she said. The street has been marked with yellow and white stripes demarcating space for hawkers. Besides, bollards have been put at the entry points of Ajmal Khan Road on Pusa Road and Arya Samaj Road to restrict entry of vehicles to the road. Joshi said, the project could not have been executed without arranging alternative parking spaces, and so, off-street parking zones were built in a couple of places nearby, adding, the idea is to enhance shopping experience and encourage walking among people. In pursuance of its pilot project to decongest Karol Bagh and disincentivise use of private cars, the NDMC has increased surface parking rates on portion of the Arya Samaj Road. The civic agency has increased the parking charge for cars from Rs 20 to Rs 40 for the first hour. For the second hour, the charge will be Rs 50; between two and three hours, the rate will be Rs 60; between three and five hours, it will be Rs 70; and for over five hours, the charge will be Rs 300. Also, instead of perpendicular parking, parallel parking is being implemented to give more access of the Arya Samaj road to pedestrians, the commissioner said. "We are testing waters, and perhaps would like to really scale up to include al major market areas in north Delhi in future. Walking is a pleasant experience and when people are at ease, they shop more. So, shopkeepers, also should know that it is a win-win situation," she said. The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation has also launched a similar project to remove vehicles from Chandni Chowk, and work on which is currently underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Anne Hathaway has revealed that veteran Hollywood star Michael Caine gives her marriage advice. The 36-year-old actor said Caine, 86, once told her that it is important to have ''separate bathrooms'' for a successful marriage, reported Bang Showbiz. ''Michael and I don't really have a ring-you-up sort of relationship. But he's always very warm and lovely when we run into each other. "He gives me marriage advice. Separate bathrooms. When he told me that, I laughed and he looked at me and said, 'I'm serious, it's such an important part of the marriage," Hathaway said. The "Devil Wears Prada" star tied the knot with businessman Adam Shulman on September 29, 2012. The couple are parents to son, Jonathan, who was born in 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Healthcare services provider Aster DM Healthcare will invest around Rs 750 crore to add 1,500 beds in four new hospitals that it plans to open by the end of March 2022, a top company official said. The company currently has around 4,400 beds across 12 hospitals in India. "We will be investing around Rs 750 crore to add 1,500 beds in the four hospitals we will be opening in India by the end of March, 2022," Aster DM Healthcare founder Chairman and MD Azad Moopen told PTI. The new multi-speciality hospitals will come up at Bengaluru, Chennai, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram, he added. "We will also be investing Rs 250 crore for the expansion of our existing facilities and for purchase of equipment," Moopen said. When asked how the company plans to fund the expansion, he said: "It will be through a mix of internal accruals and debt". The company which has a strong presence in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries across hospitals, clinics and pharmacy verticals also plans to open pathology labs and pharmacies in India. Highlighting the company's roadmap for future growth, Moopen said: "It will be mainly through an asset light model. We will also be opening pathology labs and pharmacies going forward." Regarding hospitals, the company will continue to focus on opening fairly large multi-speciality hospitals with over 300 beds in metros and large cities, he added. Aster DM Healthcare currently has 22 hospitals, 113 clinics and 220 pharmacies in nine countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) That a family feud can turn into a subject of rivalry between two political parties can be witnessed if someone visits Thakurnagar town in West Bengal. Located close to the India-Bangladesh border, the town, about 63 km from Kolkata, in North 24 Parganas district falls under the Bangaon Lok Sabha seat, which is among the six constituencies in the state that is dominated by the Matua community. It is for quite some time that the Matuas, a Schedule Caste community founded by Harichand-Guruchand Thakur, have been divided into two sections. One section of the family supports sitting Trinamool Congress MP Mamata Bala Thakur, the widow of Kapil Krishna Thakur who is the son of Matua matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly knwon as Boroma. The other section stands besides Manjul Krishna Thakur, the second son of Boroma and the father of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shantanu Thakur. The rift between them has widened after the death of Binapani Devi in March, says Barun Biswas, a resident of Chikanpara panchayat. "The rift was there, but it started deteriorating slowly and slowly," Biswas says. "We never wanted that to happen. This is affecting the Matuas and the political parties are gaining on it." Describing his aunt as "nobody", Shantanu Thakur claims the TMC parliamentarian do not belong to the family. "I do not know her and cannot recognise her. She is from Maharashtra not from Bengal," he says. "She is nobody of the Thakur bari (Thakur family). She is here illegally, forcefully and is enjoying every benefits." Calling her a "outsider", Shantanu Thakur, an alumni of an Australia educational institution, said Mamata Bala Thakur should not be deciding the fate of the Matuas. Mamata Bala Thakur had won the Lok Sabha by-election in 2015 after her husband, who won the seat in the 2014 general election on a TMC ticket, passed away. She had defeated Manjul Krishna Thakur's elder son, Subrata, who had fought on a BJP ticket, by a huge margin. However, Matuas living in the area can sense a change in the air. That was quite prominent in the area starting from Thakurnagar railway station, where BJP flags can be seen fluttering everywhere. Most of the walls were taken over and painted in saffron in support of its candidate. The TMC's presence was seen far less. Mamata Bala Thakur counters this by saying her development works for the community and Thakurnagar speaks for themselves. "I do not need to go on painting the walls to show my presence. I am there in the minds of the people... in the minds of the Matuas," she says. "Where was the BJP in the last five years?" the MP asks, asserting that the saffron party would not be able to weaken the TMC here. "They (BJP) are living in a fool's paradise. People want development, not big promises," she says. Shantanu Thakur alleged that the ruling TMC had done very little for the development for the Matuas. The BJP leader promised he would ensure that community gets proper recognition as the citizens of India, in an apparent reference to the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Describing it as a "lie", Mamata Bala Thakur, however, says the community would be "cheated" if they fall prey it. "When the BJP is saying that it will introduce the NRC in West Bengal, then it is surely a fake promise to cheat the voters," she says. Dilip Bagchi, a local shopkeeper, says the rift in the family widened after Boroma passed away and the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February. Mita Mondal, a general practitioner, accuses the TMC of disconnecting electricity, stopping water supply for almost two days when Modi had come here to meet Boroma. "We had to suffer a lot in those two days. People have not liked this," Mondal says. "After all, he is the PM of our country and you cannot do this," the resident of Thakurnagar Main Road says. Reiterating their words, Manjul Krishna Thakur accused TMC North 24-Parganas president Jyotipriya Mallick of driving a wedge in the family and at the cost of the development for the Matuas. "Jyotipriya is enjoying the money of the Matua Trust... He is not a politician, but a goon under the the TMC party banner," Manjul Krishna Thakur, who was the minister of state for refugee, relief and rehabilitation, and had resigned and joined the BJP in 2015. Mallick refuted the allegations and accused the BJP of trying to exploit the 'namasudras' here. "BJP is trying to gain ground in West Bengal to compensate for their possible losses in other states," the minister said. "Thakurnagar is a challenge for us but we are not tensed," he says, adding that the party was thinking about its victory margin in Bangaon. The CPI(M), meanwhile, has nominated former MP Alokesh Das, while the Congress has named Sourav Prasad from the seat. Das claimed that the voters in the area were fed-up with the TMC and were looking for a change. "They (voters) want change and they will vote for that... We will have people's mandate for that," the CPI(M) candidate added. With a total of 16,99,763 voters, the Bangaon (SC) constituency located in North 24 Parganas and Nadia district, has a total of seven assembly segments - Kalyani, Haringhata, Bagda, Bangaon Uttar, Bangaon Dakshin, Gaighata and Swarupnagar. Bangaon goes to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day ahead of voting for fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019, former PM Manmohan Singh launched a scathing attack on the Modi government. The former PM said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be shown exit door as his five-year rule has been "most traumatic and devastating" for India's youths, farmers, traders and every democratic institution. Singh dismissed the notion that there was a wave in favour of Modi and asserted that the people have made up their minds to vote out the government that "does not believe in inclusive growth and is only worried about its political existence at the altar of disharmony". A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajiv Gandhi "corrupt Number 1", Congress President Rahul Gandhi attacked him for calling his father and former PM a corrupt politician. "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you," the Congress President said in a tweet. Moments later, party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed PM Modi on twitter. She said that the Motormouth PM insulted a noble man who gave his life for the country. The Lok Sabha Election 2019 poll tattle reached fever pitch Saturday when PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi as he said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh (UP) that the life of his father (former PM Rajiv Gandhi), ended as "corrupt number 1". "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as ''Bhrashtachari No 1'' (corrupt number 1)," said PM Modi. He also accused Rahul of tarnishing his image with constant attacks on him for the alleged corruption in the Rafale jet deal. Modi also said that the Congress Chief had admitted during at interview that his only intent is to defame him. "By hurling abuses, you cannot turn the 50 long years of Modi's tapasya (struggle) into dust," he said. "By tarnishing my image and by making me look small, these people want to form an unstable and a weak government in the country," the Prime Minister further said. Modi and Rahul also traded barbs over Gandhi's alleged ties with a UK defence firm and a war of words that ensued over anti-terror strikes conducted in Pakistan during UPA regime. The political temperature is going to be further ratcheted up today as 51 constituencies across 7 states go to polls tomorrow (Monday- May 5). Where, PM Modi will address two public rallies in Madhya Pradesh (MP) - first in Sagar followed by another one in Gwalior, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Amit Shah and State President Subhash Barala will campaign in Sonipat, Panipat and Yamunagar in Haryana. PM Modi will also canvass for the party in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary of the AICC in charge of eastern UP will campaign for party's candidate and former Chief Minister (CM) Sheila Dikshit in Delhi. Priyanka will hold a roadshow in North East Delhi. West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has cancelled her rallies in the state for the next 48 hours in the wake of Cyclone Fani. Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details Here is the timeline for Lok Sabha election 2019: 6: 54 pm: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tries to justify Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on Rajiv Gandhi Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi Government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the 'Q' connection? No reply has come. - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister - a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions? - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet Congress is questioned about Emergency and Operation Blue Star. - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 When an Economist turns into a politician, he looses sense of both economy and politics. - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Dr. Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Today he regards the World's fastest growing major economy as disastrous. - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 6: 43 pm: PM Modi in Gwalior Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh: Perhaps, after 1977, after emergency, this is the first election, where the people of the country are contesting to bring the current government back to power. pic.twitter.com/5kxw27Hv1g - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 6: 34 pm: BJP chief Amit Shah says the nation's security will remain the saffron party's "supreme priority" as he attacked the opposition including the Congress for allegedly demanding proof of the Balakot air strikes. "There were only two countries who avenged the killing of their soldiers-- America and Israel. But Modi ji has added the name of India in this list," Shah said during a rally in Panipat referring to the air strikes in Pakistan following the death of 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama. 6:30 pm: Hajipur gears up for polls Bihar: Preparations underway in Hajipur ahead of the fifth phase of #LokSabhaEelctions2019 tomorrow. Five parliamentary constituencies- Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur- will go to polls in the state. pic.twitter.com/NT4hQB85PR - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 6: 15 pm: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of defaming Congress leaders by levelling "baseless" allegations against them. He asked does it behove Modi to "insult" former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who sacrificed his life for unity and integrity of the country. 5: 53 pm: Describing Narendra Modi as a "180-degree prime minister", Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the country is set to have a new PM who could be from the grand alliance his party has forged in UP with Mayawati's BSP and Ajit Singh's RLD. He also dismissed as a "wrong statement" the reported comments made by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi that her party has fielded candidates to cut BJP's votes to provide benefit to the SP-BSP alliance. He said the Congress leaders are saying so because "they know the alliance is winning and people are with them." 5:43 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be shown exit door as his five-year rule has been "most traumatic and devastating" for India's youths, farmers, traders and every democratic institution, says former PM Manmohan Singh. Singh dismissed the notion that there was a wave in favour of Modi and asserted that the people have made up their minds to vote out the government that "does not believe in inclusive growth and is only worried about its political existence at the altar of disharmony". 5: 30 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says unlike the BJP, the 'mahamilawati' (grand adulteration) people have treated power as a means to multiply wealth. Addressing an election rally in Bhadohi (UP), Modi said the mahamilawati people, have always indulged in scams and encouraged corruption while for the BJP, power is a medium to serve the people. Prime minister said that when the opposition parties were in power, they "gave the ambulance scam and NRHM scam to the people of Uttar Pradesh". 5:15 pm: Technocrat and chairman of the Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda in a press conference said Congress president Rahul, Gandhi was not a 'Pappu' but a highly educated and intelligent young man. 5: 00 pm: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has announced Rs 10 crore from CM Relief Fund for emergency relief for Odisha Fani Cyclone victims, and affected persons. 4:45 pm: The ruling BJP in Goa said the opposition Congress was daydreaming about forming the government in the state after May 23, when results of the bypolls to four Assembly seats will be declared along with the Lok Sabha elections. By-election to three Assembly constituencies- Shiroda, Mapusa, Mandrem - and election to two parliamentary seats in the state were held on April 23, while bypoll to Panaji seat will be held on May 19. Atanasio Monserratte, who is Congress' Panaji bypoll candidate, last week said that his party would form the government in Goa after the results. 4:30 pm: Polling parties assemble at EVM distributon centre in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir: Polling parties assemble at Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) distribution centre in Pulwama. Polling will be held in Shopian and Pulwama districts for Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency tomorrow. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/G3MPmfXhac - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 4.00 pm: Congress Candidate Sheila Dikshit condemns attack on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Former Delhi CM & Congress candidate from North-East Delhi, Sheila Dikshit condemned the attack on CM Arvind Kejriwal during his roadshow in Moti Nagar area yesterday. She said that such attacks should not happen no matter who the leader is. 3.45 pm: PM Modi takes a swipe at Congress and its Chief Rahul Gandhi at a public rally in Sagar, MP "Whether to run the government with a remote control or play on a video game, these people can't think more than an actor. That's why the Congress imposed an acting Prime Minister for 10 years on the country while waiting for the Prime Minister in making to become sensible," the Prime Minister said during a public rally in Sagar, MP. 3.20 pm: Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP candidate from Bhopal, MP campaigns in the constituency. The Election Commission (EC) on May 1 had banned her from canvassing for 72 hours following her remarks on Babri Masjid. Madhya Pradesh: BJP's candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur campaigns for elections; On May 1, Election Commission of India had banned her from campaigning for 72 hours for her remarks on Babri Masjid. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/YOXWAPHLmp - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 2.55 pm: Surprised to see violent reaction of both sister and brother on PM's true statement: Prakash Javadekar Union Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed Congress President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for their "violent reaction" to PM Modi's remarks against their father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Briefing the media today, Javadekar said, "Congress is getting desperate as eight out of ten people support PM Modi. I am surprised to see the violent reaction of both sister and brother (referring to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi) on a true statement made by Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi is calling names and cursing Modi because of dynast arrogance, and think power is their birth right." "They (Congress) are playing politics of abuses. Gandhi's are rattled and they can't tolerate it. Rajiv Gandhi defended the 1984 riots. People of the country know everything. After four phases of polling, it is clear that Congress is losing this election," he further said. Talking about Mamata Banerjee as she was greeted with 'Jai Sri Ram' slogans by some supporters during a campaign on Saturday afternoon in West Bengal, Javadekar said, "I wonder why Mamata is against everything that BJP says. Jai Shi Ram is not a political slogan but it's a slogan repeated and followed by everyone in this country." 2.45 pm: BJP president Amit Shah addresses public rally in Panipat, Haryana. 2.35 pm: Actor Sunny Deol who is fighting Lok Sabha elections on BJP ticket from Gurdaspur in Punjab holds a roadshow in the constituency. Punjab: Sunny Deol, BJP's candidate from Gurdaspur constituency holds a roadshow. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/FfeyaFjltC - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 2.14 pm: BJP President Amit Shah attacks Congress at a rally in Sonipat, Haryana "There are proofs of Congress leaders being the director of foreign companies and having accounts in foreign banks. What did you find about PM Modi? Even after being 14 years as chief minister and 5 years as Prime Minister, no one could not find a single stain on him," the BJP President said. 2.00 pm: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley condemns BJP leader's killing in Kashmir "Killing of @BJP4JnK leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir by terrorists is a condemnable act of violence. My thoughts & prayers are with his family members. May the departed leader's soul rest in peace," the Finance Minister tweeted. Killing of @BJP4JnK leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir by terrorists is a condemnable act of violence. My thoughts & prayers are with his family members. May the departed leader's soul rest in peace. - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 1.40 pm: PMO denies media reports that PM Modi called West Bengal Governor instead of CM Mamata Banerjee. The PMO has denied some claims in Media that Trinamool Congress (TMC) had expressed displeasure at PM Modi speaking only to West Bengal (WB) Governor about the post-Fani situation in the state. TMC claimed that the PM had called Odisha and not WB CM. PMO Sources: Attention has been drawn to reports in a section of media,that TMC has expressed its displeasure at PM Modi speaking only to WB Governor,about the post-Fani situation in the state. TMC have claimed that the PM had called Odisha WB CM. The claim is incorrect. - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 PMO Sources: Two attempts were made on Saturday morning,from the PM's staff, to connect PM to the WB CM on phone.The first time, they were told that the CM is on tour&call will be returned. On the second occasion too,it was told by the CM's office, that the call will be returned. - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 1.23 pm: 1.30 pm: BJP president Amit Shah addressing a public meeting in Sonipat, Haryana. 1.15 pm: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel takes a jibe at PM Modi. "BJP workers don't ask for votes in the name of their candidates but in the name of Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi himself doesn't ask for votes in his own name, he asks for votes in the name of Armed Force's valour," the CM said. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel: BJP workers don't ask for votes in the name of their candidates but in the name of Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi himself doesn't ask for votes in his own name, he asks for votes in the name of Armed Force's valour. pic.twitter.com/HQnOcwFy8j - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 12.56 pm: This was 9th attack on me in last 5 yrs & 5th attack after becoming CM: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal blames BJP for the attack. "The attack on me is what people get for raising their voice against Modi ji," says Delhi CM "This was 9th attack on me in last 5 yrs & 5th attack after becoming CM. I don't think in India's history there have been such attacks on any CM. In this country Delhi CM is the only only CM whose security's responsibility is in the hands of opposition party that is BJP," says Delhi CM. "The reason why this attacker was sent to attack me was to give a message that whosoever will try to talk against Modi Ji in this country will not be spared. This dictatorship is a proof that every voice against him will be silenced," says Delhi CM. "A Chief Minister was attacked and the Central govt says, 'didn't receive the complaint, unable to move ahead with further proceedings, the PM should resign over it. It's not an attack on Arvind Kejriwal, it is an attack on Delhi's mandate," says Delhi CM. 12.30 pm: PM Modi addresses rally in Bhadohi, UP- Excerpts from his speech: "850 people of our country were locked up in jails of Saudi Arabia. Its Crown Prince was visiting India. Month of Ramzan is approaching, I requested him to release them so that they come home for Ramzan. He accepted my proposal&released them even before Ramzan," says PM Modi. "The country has seen 4 types of parties, 4 types of governance, 4 types of political culture. First - Naampanthi, second - Vaampanthi, third - Daam aur Damapanthi and the fourth which has been brought by us - Vikaspanthi," says PM Modi. "We don't disrespect anyone's religious faith we just follow the constitution. The constitution provides for equal rights to both men & women," says PM Modi. "I would like to tell the Muslim sisters of Bhadohi & across the nation, several countries don't have the provision for Triple Talaq. We want to give the same rights to our Muslim sisters which have been provided to the sisters in Muslim countries," says PM Modi. 11.50am: Rahul-Priyanka slam Pm's jibe on Rajiv Gandhi A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajiv Gandhi "corrupt Number 1", Congress President Rahul Gandhi attacked him for calling his father and former PM a corrupt politician. "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you," the Congress President said in a tweet. Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2019 ' ' - Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 5, 2019 Moments later, party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed PM Modi on twitter. She said that the Motormouth PM insulted a noble man who gave his life for the country. 11.20 am: Sam Pitroda slams PM Modi for "speaking nonsense" about former PM Rajiv Gandhi. "We were hurt by what PM said about Rajiv Gandhi yesterday. Normally PM of a country speaks for the people, it's a huge accountability. PM can't speak nonsense. But yesterday the PM said to Rahul Gandhi 'aapke pita no.1 corrupt they marte waqt'," said Pitroda. 11. am: BSP leader Mayawati explains the reason of leaving Amethi-Raebareli Lok Sabha (LS) seat for Congress "For the good of people and to weaken forces like BJP-RSS, we left Amethi-Raebareli LS seat in UP for Congress so that the prominent leaders from the party fight the elections again but not get entangled in the politics of it," the BSP supremo told ANI. 10.45 am: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a roadshow in Bawana Village, Delhi. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal holds a roadshow in Bawana Village. pic.twitter.com/1SBWiutmBU - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 10. 30 am: Bhopal Election Officer sends notice to BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur for campaigning during ban time. Bhopal District Election Officer sends notice to BJP candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur over complaint of her campaigning during the 3-day period when she was barred by EC from campaigning. The officer has sought a reply from her, ANI reports. 10.20 am: Delhi Police registers FIR against the man who slapped CM Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi police has registered an FIR under IPC Section 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) against the man named Suresh, who had slapped Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in Moti Nagar area in Delhi, ANI reported. 10.05 am: BJP candidate from Ghatal, West Bengal threats TMC workers. BJP candidate from Ghatal, West Bengal and ex IPS officer Bharati Ghosh threatened Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in the state. "You are threatening people to not cast their votes. I will drag you out of your houses and thrash you like dogs. I will call a thousand people from Uttar Pradesh to beat you up," she said. #WATCH:BJP candidate from Ghatal, WB & ex IPS officer Bharati Ghosh threatens TMC workers,says,"You are threatening people to not cast their votes. I will drag you out of your houses and thrash you like dogs. I will call a thousand people from Uttar Pradesh to beat you up." (4/5) pic.twitter.com/GvX650F6n9 - ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 9.45 am: Both BJP & Congress have almost half candidates with criminal cases in sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls. Both the leading political parties-Bharitya Janta Party and Congress have fielded candidates ignoring criminal cases taint in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls. BJP has given ticket to 48% while Congress has 44% of its candidates in poll fray with pending criminal cases. Overall, 20% out of the 967 candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves. As per the analysis carried out by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 26(48%) out of 54 candidates from BJP, 20 (44%) out of 46 candidates from INC, 19(39%) out of 49 candidates from BSP, 5(31%) out of 16 candidates analysed from SHS, and 34(11%) out of 307 independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. 18(33%) out of 54 candidates from BJP, 12 (26%) out of 46 candidates from INC, 17(35%) out of 49 candidates from BSP, 5(31%) out of 16 candidates analysed from SHS, and 27(9%) out of 307 independent candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. 189(20%) out of 967 candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves. While 146(15%) out of 967 candidates analysed have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Four candidates have declared convicted cases against themselves. Six candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section -302) against themselves. 9.20 am: Mr Modi has crossed all limits of decency: Chidambaram's rebuttal to PM Modi over his remark on Rajiv Gandhi. "Mr Modi has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming a man (Rajiv Gandhi) who died in 1991. Does Mr Modi read anything at all? Does he know that the charge against Mr Rajiv Gandhi was thrown out by the High Court, Delhi as "completely baseless?" tweeted Congress leader P. Chidambaram slamming PM Modi for his remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi calling him "corrupt number 1" at a rally in UP. Mr Modi has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming a man (Rajiv Gandhi) who died in 1991. - P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 5, 2019 Does Mr Modi read anything at all? Does he know that the charge against Mr Rajiv Gandhi was thrown out by the High Court, Delhi as "completely baseless?". - P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 5, 2019 9.05 am: PM Modi condemns BJP leader's killing in Kashmir. "Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers," the Prime Minister tweeted. Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. - Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2019 8.45 am: From Modi to Yogi and actors, will seek votes for BJP. The political temperature of Delhi has increased as Delhi. Voting is to be held on May 12 and political parties do not want to leave any chance of voting for voters. This episode is about to begin the process of attending large leaders in rallies and meetings. To strengthen the air in favour of BJP candidates, many big leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and many big leaders will campaign in Delhi. With this, Bhojpuri artists on Delhi roads will also be seen demanding votes in the favour of BJP candidates. National President of the party Amit Shah have already campaigned in Delhi. First of all, Bhojpuri Superstar Pawan Singh, on May 5, will be demanding votes for BJP candidates at Ganesh Nagar Chowk in East Delhi and on May 6 in Vikaspuri and Nangali. Then another Bhojpuri Superstar, who is contesting against the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and BJP candidate from Azamgarh, Dinesh Lal Yadav, Nirhua, will campaign for BJP candidates in Shiv Vihar, Nangali and Qutub Vihar on May 6. Apart from this, Home Minister Rajnath Singh's rally will demand a vote for pravesh Verma of the BJP candidate from West Lok Sabha constituency in Dwarka on May 6. So the same Sushma Swaraj rally will be held on May 7. Besides, BJP candidate from Mathura and Dream Girl Hema Malini's election is over and she will now campaign for BJP in Delhi. Apart from this, the rally of Prime Minister Modi will be on May 8, in which BJP leaders have been formed in preparation 8.30 am: Asaduddin Owaisi attacks BJP for siding lynchers over the victims. Reacting to a report in The Hindu that said that the Dadri lynching case accused were seen sitting in the front row of a BJP rally addressed by UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Bishahra village of Dadri area, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi attacked BJP for siding lynchers over their victims. "BJP's rally organizers have previously prevented people from attending rallies if they were wearing black; but a man accused of such a heinous crime gets first-row tickets BJP has never missed a chance to show that they'll side with lynchers over their victims," Owaisi tweeted. BJP's rally organizers have previously prevented people from attending rallies if they were wearing black; but a man accused of such a heinous crime gets first-row tickets BJP has never missed a chance to show that they'll side with lynchers over their victims https://t.co/aL85SgZ2it - Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 31, 2019 8.15 am: Mehbooba Mufti condemns BJP leader's killing in South Kashmir. "I strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4India leader Gul Muhammad Mir in Verinag, South Kashmir. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul," tweeted former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti. A day before Amethi votes for Lok Sabha, a major controversy broke out with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP candidate Smriti Irani alleging that a man died here after being rejected treatment by a hospital associated with the Gandhi family for having an Ayushman Bharat card, even as the hospital denied the allegations as "baseless". Irani is locked in a bitter political battle against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in this Lok Sabha constituency considered as his family bastion. At an election rally in Gwalior on Madhya Pradesh, Modi Sunday alleged a patient died after an Amethi hospital with trustees from the Gandhi family denied him treatment saying it was not "Modi's hospital" where Ayushman Card would be accepted. Modi also alleged that Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are not giving benefits of the Ayushman Bharat medical scheme to the poor and asked the people to teach the Congress a lesson in the polls. "The Congress has always been insensitive to the poor. In Amethi (Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency), a poor person, who had the Ayushman Bharat card, was denied treatment by a hospital whose trustees are from the Gandhi family," the PM said. Modi's comments came hours after Irani released a video on Twitter in which a man is heard saying that his uncle died as he was denied treatment by the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital after being told that "Modi's Ayushman Bharat card" was not accepted there. However, the medical director of the hospital, which lists Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as trustees of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust which runs the hospital, denied the allegations as "baseless" and said the man was given all possible treatment and was later advised to go to Lucknow for further treatment as his ailments were found to be much more serious than what could be handled at the Amethi hospital. SM Chaudhary, the director of the hospital, said, "The claims in the tweet are baseless and politically-motivated. The deceased patient has been identified as Nanhe Lal (59), a resident of Sarraiyya village located in Musafirkhana area of the district. He was admitted on April 25 at 11.00 pm." "He was admitted in a very serious condition, and used to consume a lot of alcohol, as a result of which he suffered from liver failure. Nanhe Lal died on April 26," Chaudhary said. "There is no hospital in Amethi where the cure of liver ailments is possible. Apart from this, Nanhe Lal did not have any Ayushman Bharat card. We do not distinguish between patients based on Congress and BJP, and treat a patient as a patient only," the director said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharat Road Network Ltd (BRNL) has entered into an agreement with Singapore's venture capital Cube Highways and Infrastructure Pte Ltd for sale of its 39 per cent stake in road project company, Ghaziabad Aligarh Expressway Private Ltd (GAEPL). City-based infrastructure company Srei has a stake of close to 20 per cent in BRNL. "The enterprise valuation for GAEPL is Rs 1,830 crore based on valuation in December 2018. The actual valuation cannot be ascertained at present, as it would depend on adjustments at the time of handover," sources aware of the deal told PTI. GAEPL has a debt of about Rs 1,500 crore in its books, they said. The transaction, subject to applicable regulatory and other approvals, is expected to result in a net income of about Rs 150 crore for BRNL. BRNL will also be able to pare about Rs 600 crore debt burden, which had swelled to Rs 1,400 crore, accumulated out of its investment in various companies. This would be a major relief to the city-based road infrastructure company at a time when firms are grappling to reduce debt levels, an analyst said. BRNL had recently said that one of its arms won an arbitration award of Rs 322.77 crore against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for a project in Odisha. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Narendra Modi-led government's many programmes have made little or no difference to their lives but many farmers in Bikaner say he is still the man to vote for. Farmers across Rajasthan's border district of Bikaner, which votes on Monday in the fifth round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls, cite the government's growth policies and its stance on terrorism for their support. For many, the BJP's candidate does not matter just as the governments' track record on tackling agrarian distress doesn't. Programmes like PM-Kisan and an increase in the minimum support price have had virtually no impact on their lives, said Jhandu Ram from Nal village. Sitting atop a heap of chana (gram), the 56-year-old said farmers rarely ever come to know about schemes. When they do, the benefits hardly make a difference. "To avail the benefits of MSP, we have to sell it at government centres and receive the money in four months. But we need the money today, not months later. And even then it's just Rs 300 extra. There is no use of these schemes," he said. The MSP for gram is set at Rs 4,600 per quintal (Rs 4,620 official rate), and the farmers sell it at the market for Rs 4,300, he added. In his view, however, there can't be a better prime minister than Modi for the country. "We can never have a PM as good as Modi, the kind India hasn't seen before. He has kept India's money inside. Unlike the Congress, he didn't let anyone steal it from us. "Not only he brought fame to the country, he also showed Pakistan its place by killing 350 in response to 40 of our jawans," he said. Ram was joined by his brother Bhinvji, who echoed the sentiment. Bhinvji added that as far as farmers are concerned, no party has done anything worthwhile. "Modi has improved the overall condition of the country. But to be honest, I don't think anyone has done anything for the farmers, be it the Congress or the BJP," the 68-year-old said. Another farmer, Bhanwar Singh, 55, from Kawni village, said governments have come and gone and all they do is announce schemes without any ground-breaking change in the reality. "Nothing has reached us so far. And now if the government changes at the Centre, another set of new schemes will be announced. Who is actually availing these schemes? Not us," he said. While he said he wants Modi to return to the Centre, he also added that it would make no difference to farmers in the country. "Modi has done a lot for the country, he has a clear mindset for growth. But when it comes to farmers, I don't think it will ever change. We want to sell at a higher price, consumer wants to buy it cheaper. In the end, it's a no-profit-no-loss situation for us," said Singh, resignedly. Not everyone agrees though. Amid the pro-Modi voices at the Anaj Mandi, Ganesharam, 68, complained about the incumbent government and slammed all political parties equally for not doing anything for farmers. "Modi has done nothing except for making tall claims. The Congress is no different. Nobody has done anything for farmers," he said. Asked who should win the election, he had a rather grim reply while raising doubts on the government's Balakot airstrike claims. "I would choose Congress over Modi any day. At least Congress doesn't lie and hide behind the Army. Is there a proof India killed 350 in Pakistan? They should have some proof, where is it? If Modi comes back to power, there will be no point in living." Work or no work, a better life or not, many aggrieved farmers insist on voting for Arjun Ram Meghwal, the sitting BJP MP for last two terms, who is contesting against his cousin Madangopal Meghwal from the Congress. The Congress in Tamil Nadu Sunday alleged the BJP was trying to mislead people by raising the citizenship issue of its party president Rahul Gandhi, as it anticipated defeat in the Lok Sabha elecitons. Talking to reporters at the airport here, TNCC president K S Azhagiri said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was changing his political stance, sensing fear and unnecessarily raising the issue about Rahul Gandhi and his citizenship. The saffron party has nothing to highlight as achievements of the NDA government in the last five years and was forced to seek votes in the name of jawans, who died in the Pulwama attack, and the surgical strike, he said. The TNCC chief exuded confidence that the Congress would win substantial number of seats and form the government at the Centre. Joining issue with BJP Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan over her reported remarks that no Congressman visited the state during Thane cyclone, Azhagiri reminded her that the then union minister P Chidambaram had visited the affected areas. Terming the ruling AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu as a "puppet" in the hands of BJP, he said it would learn a lesson on May 23, the day Lok Sabha results are declared. AIADMK was deliberately postponing the local body elections fearing defeat, he alleged. There was a minor argument between two groups of the Congress, as the leaders of one were not allowed to meet Azhagiri at the lounge upon his arrival at the airport, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday alleged that the BJP was responsible for the attack on him during a roadshow and claimed he was targeted because he had been lately questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "relationship" with Pakistan. The AAP supremo, at a press conference held at the party headquarters, said this was not just an attack on him but an assault on the people of Delhi and the mandate they had given. The BJP rubbished the claim as Kejriwal's "propaganda". Kejriwal said, "This is the ninth attack on me and fifth one since I took charge as the chief minister of Delhi. And, for any attack on me in future, BJP will be responsible." "They (BJP) do not want common man to enter so we are being targeted. Our only fault is that we have tried to bring development in Delhi, in education, health and other sectors. They are feeling insecure that people in other states, might start asking questions to the party, on such real issues," he said. Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled AAP supporter during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday. "For this attack on me, the BJP and Prime Minister Modi is responsible. The response from the police after the incident was scripted. The police is not responsible for this, they were merely following the 'script' given by the ruling party," he alleged. "The people of Delhi will take revenge for this act," Kejriwal said. He also dismissed the charge that the attacker was an AAP supporter as claimed by the police. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who was present during the press conference, said, "We have investigated from our end, and he is not from our party, as claimed by the police." AAP rejects all the charged levelled by the police in response to this incident, instead if taking needed action against the culprit. "It was cognisable offence, and this is a person holding a constitutional post of CM. Will police take action against the accused when he files a complaint," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. Kejriwal hitting out at the Centre, alleged that "signs of a dictator" can be seen in such circumstances, "but we will not be cowed down by it, and out voices shall not be silenced". "I also wondered what have I said in the last few days that may have angered some people. And I realised in various interviews to media, I have questioned the link between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan. In last 70 years or so, no premier of the neighbouring country has said that a particular candidate should win and become the PM again. What is going on," he said. Delhi Police said Saturday that preliminary interrogation has revealed that 33-year-old Suresh, a scrap dealer in the area, was a supporter of AAP and he used to work as organiser of its rallies and meetings. An inquiry by a DCP-level officer has been ordered to find out how this person was allowed to be in the reception/proximate group, Additional PRO, Delhi Police Anil Mittal had said. Rejecting the chief minister's allegations, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the man who had attacked Kejriwal had himself said that he was a AAP worker. "These kind of attacks have happened with him ten times. Everytime this is his method. Whenever he is behind he gets himself attacked. That is his propaganda," he said. The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta of the BJP, at a separate press conference here, alleged that Kejriwal was "doing drama" to boost his election campaign. He is trying to give the incident a political angle to gain sympathy even though the attacker was a disgruntle AAP worker, Gupta said. Former Delhi Chief Minister and Congress's candidate from North-East Delhi, Sheila Dixit, condemned the attack and said: "Such attacks should not happen no matter who is the leader. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday alleged that the BJP was responsible for the attack on him during a roadshow and claimed he was targeted because he had been lately questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "relationship" with Pakistan. The AAP supremo, during a press conference held at the party headquarters, said this was not only an attack on him but also an assault on the people of Delhi and the mandate they had given. The BJP rubbished the claim as Kejriwal's "propaganda". Kejriwal said, "This is the ninth attack on me and fifth one since I took charge as the chief minister of Delhi. And, for any attack on me in the future, the BJP will be responsible." "They (BJP) do not want a common man to enter so we are being targeted. Our only fault is that we have tried to bring development in Delhi, in education, health and other sectors. They are feeling insecure that people in other states might start asking questions to the party on such real issues," he said. Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled AAP supporter during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday. "For this attack on me, the BJP and Prime Minister Modi are responsible. The response from the police after the incident was scripted. The police is not responsible for this, they were merely following the 'script' given by the ruling party," he alleged. "The people of Delhi will take revenge for this act," Kejriwal said. He also dismissed the charge that the attacker was an AAP supporter as claimed by police. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who was also present during the press conference, said, "We have investigated from our end, and he is not from our party, as claimed by police." The AAP rejects all the charges levelled by police in response to this incident, instead of taking needed action against the culprit. "It was cognisable offence, and this is a person holding a constitutional post of CM. Will police take action against the accused when he files a complaint," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. However, in its response, a Delhi Police spokesperson on Sunday said Delhi Police is a professional force and levelling such allegations is incorrect. The force provides security to several political leaders in the utmost professional way. Kejriwal hitting out at the Centre, alleged that "signs of a dictator" can be seen in such circumstances, "but we will not be cowed down by it, and our voices shall not be silenced". "I also wondered what have I said in the last few days that may have angered some people. And I realised in various interviews to media, I have questioned the link between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan. In last 70 years or so, no premier of the neighbouring country has said that a particular candidate should win and become the PM again. What is going on," he said. Kejriwal also attacked Modi over handling of the Pathankot terror attack issue, saying, "Pakistan's ISI was invited to the air base, and then Modiji claims as if only in his tenure surgical strikes took place." "No PM has insulted the glory of the armed forces in last 70 years than PM Modi," Kejriwal alleged. "And for this attack happening on me, a chief minister no less, and police doing nothing, he should rather resign," he said. Delhi Police said Saturday that preliminary interrogation has revealed that 33-year-old Suresh, a scrap dealer in the area, was a supporter of the AAP and he used to work as organiser of its rallies and meetings. An inquiry by a DCP-level officer has been ordered to find out how this person was allowed to be in the reception/proximate group, Additional PRO, Delhi Police Anil Mittal had said. Rejecting the chief minister's allegations, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the man who had attacked Kejriwal had himself said he was an AAP worker. "These kind of attacks have happened with him 10 times. Every time this is his method. Whenever he is behind, he gets himself attacked. That is his propaganda," he said. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly BJP's Vijender Gupta, at a separate press conference here, alleged Kejriwal was "doing drama" to boost his election campaign. He is trying to give the incident a political angle to gain sympathy even though the attacker was a disgruntled AAP worker, Gupta said. Gandhi Nagar lawmaker Anil Bajpai, who recently joined the BJP, was also present at the press conference and claimed that he left the AAP due to Kejriwal's alleged policy of appeasement of a minority community for "political gains". Former Delhi chief minister and Congress's candidate from North-East Delhi Sheila Dikshit condemned the attack and said, "Such attacks should not happen no matter who is the leader." Kejriwal, during the press conference also said, he wanted to "appeal to all 'Modi bhakts' out there to not put any person above the country". "I want to tell them, as many of them are misguided, that keep your eyes and ears open, and don't make anyone, above your country," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man Sunday alleged that his wife was served a bowl of soup that contained a blood-stained cotton swab in Jehangir Hospital in the city, where she delivered a baby. The soup was made in the canteen of the hospital, he said. The hospital authorities, however, alleged that it is an act of sabotage by some employees, who are currently on strike, and said the hospital was in the process of filing a police complaint against an unidentified person. Mahesh Satpute said he had admitted his pregnant wife to the hospital on April 29 and on the same day, she delivered a baby girl. "As doctors had prescribed a veg soup to my wife, she was served soup prepared at the hospital kitchen on the next day of the delivery," he said. He added that while a bowl of soup was given to his wife, he saw something in the soup and removed it immediately. "I found that it was a cotton swab with blood on it. I immediately video-graphed it using my phone and rushed to the hospital administration and even submitted a written complaint," Satpute said. He added that he even met the CEO and medical director of the hospital, but they did not do anything. However, the hospital claimed that there is an attempt of sabotage by some employees, who are currently on strike in the hospital. "This is an act of sabotage by some employees, who are on strike. We have taken action and we are in the process of filing a police complaint against an unknown person. We have also responded to the patient's relative appropriately," a statement by the hospital read. Around 350 Class III and Class IV employees of Jehangir Hospital are currently on strike for their various demands. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists have shown that the lie-detector test that uses a brain imaging technique can be deceived by the using simple mental countermeasures. The research suggests that more needs to be done to detect these countermeasures to make brain imaging more reliable for forensic applications. People have certain physical 'tells' when they conceal information -- and studies show that good liars can prevent these 'tells' being detected by displaying physical red herrings of their own. Researchers from the University of Plymouth in the UK and University of Padova in Italy, have shown that even a brain imaging technique called functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which in theory is much harder to trick, can be beaten by people who use two particular mental countermeasures. The research, published in the journal Human Brain Mapping, is the first to explore the effects of mental countermeasures on brain activity in fMRI. It showed that when people used the countermeasures, the test proved to be 20 per cent less accurate. Concealed information tests work because a person who is hiding something will 'give away' what they are concealing when faced with it in a list. For example, if a thief has stolen a diamond ring, the ring will be more striking to the thief than similar control items such as necklaces and bracelets -- and the thief will show physiological signs that reveal their guilt. However, these tests based on physiological signs are easy to beat as perpetrators can artificially alter them when seeing a control item, therefore confusing the test. To overcome this problem, researchers moved to methods that look directly at brain activation using fMRI. An fMRI machine tracks blood flow to activated brain areas. The assumption in concealed information detection is that the brain will show signs of recognition when presented with the concealed items while exerting extra effort to conceal signs of such recognition, and so the brain regions that do more work will get more blood. Such regions light up in scans, and they are primarily involved in directing attention and in decision making. In the study, participants were asked to conceal information about a 'secret' digit they saw inside an envelope. Researchers taught 20 participants two mental countermeasures. The first was to associate meaningful memories to the control items, making them more significant. The second was to focus on the superficial aspects of the item they were trying to conceal, rather than on the experience of familiarity it evokes, in order to make it less significant. The results showed that these countermeasures lowered the accuracy of the test by about 20 per cent because it was more difficult for fMRI to find any differences in brain activity. Thus, participants were more likely to be able to hide their concealed information item when using the mental countermeasures. The research team concluded that in order to improve the robustness of the test, future work needed to identify a way of detecting mental countermeasures, and potentially look at conducting whole-brain analyses, rather than just examining regions of interest. "None of our participants were seasoned liars or criminals, they were just everyday people, so before this test can even be considered for forensic use, there must be further studies carried out to help identify when someone is using mental countermeasures," said Chun-Wei Hsu, a researcher at University of Plymouth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Charlie Munger, business partner of billionaire Warren Buffett, said Saturday the two are "ashamed" of not having invested in Google, which has become one of the world's most valuable companies. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway empire, of which Munger is vice president, recently took a stake in Amazon and has a $40 billion stake in Apple, but has generally steered clear of the technology sector. "We are ashamed," Munger, 95, told a shareholder at the annual Berkshire meeting in Omaha, when asked about the absence of an investment in Google. "We just sat there sucking our thumbs," Munger said. "We screwed up," he said, without indicating whether Berkshire Hathaway aimed to catch up now. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has clarified that the demand for burqa ban made in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana was not that of the Sena or its chief Uddhav Thackeray. In his weekly column published in Saamana's Sunday edition, Raut, who is the Marathi daily's executive editor, said, "The burqa ban was not the demand of Shiv Sena or Uddhav Thackeray. Saamana just published an analysis of the developments in Sri Lanka." A Saamana editorial on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's footsteps and ban burqas and other face-veils in India considering the "threat" they pose to the nation's security. Sri Lanka's decision came in the wake of the Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 250 people. As the editorial created a flutter and drew sharp reactions from various quarters, senior Sena leader and MLC Neelam Gorhe on Wednesday said it was not the official stand of the party, which is an ally of the BJP. "It could be an individual's view...it is not the official stand of Shiv Sena," she said in a statement. Hundreds of Muslim women on Friday protested against the Sena mouthpiece at Mumbra near here. Most of the women, who were wearing burqas or veils, shouted slogans against Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member, and carried placards with the message 'Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao' (save the Constitution, save the country). On Thursday, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar said he was not averse to enacting a law banning the burqa if it was accompanied with a similar action against the 'ghunghat' system prevalent among women in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based advocate on Saturday approached police and demanded action against Thackeray, Raut and others for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Santacruz police station's senior inspector Shriram Koregoankar said they have received an application from advocate Munsif Khan but no case was registered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lowering the political discourse to gutter level by calling Rajiv Gandhi "corrupt". The former Union minister alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was running away from the "real issues" and trying to divert the people's attention. Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said, "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari (corrupt) no 1." "The PM yesterday made irresponsible statement. What he said about late Rajiv Gandhi is unacceptable," Sharma said while addressing media here. "Modi is known for making shockingly insulting statements about his opponents and predecessors. Rajiv Gandhi was a martyred PM of the country. Modi should not forget Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by terrorists," Sharma said. "Modi will go down in the history as the only PM since India's independence who dragged political discourse to gutter level. I would like to tell him that history does not forget those who insult martyrs," he added. Canvassing here for Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal who is pitted against BJP candidate Kirron Kher and AAP's Harmohan Dhawan, Sharma further said Modi failed to fulfil poll promises and hurt the country's economy with his "flawed decisions." "The BJP is running away from real issues. If somebody asks Modi about the status of poll promises they made during 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he raises objection. He does not want to give answers. But we want his accountability to be fixed and he must answer on what he had promised," said Sharma. The Congress leader accused Modi of inflicting enormous damage to the country's economy with his flawed decisions like demonetisation and implementation of GST. "Crores of people lost their jobs and factories were shut down. Demonetisation led to wiping off 2 per cent of the GDP. There has been a monumental mismanagement of economy under the watch of Modi who has no understanding of economics. By reckless decisions and authoritarian functioning, he has inflicted enormous damage to Indian economy," he said. He also lashed out at Modi for trying to make "political gains" out of actions of the armed forces. "Did you ever see former PM (Manmohan Singh) talking about army actions," he said, adding that Lashkar-e-Taiba and its leaders including Hafiz Saeed were declared as terrorists by UN security council within in two weeks of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. "During the 2009 elections, Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi never asked for votes on this issue," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chhattisgarh forest department is planning to develop an "urban forest" around capital Raipur to maintain ecological balance, a senior official said Sunday. Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) C K Khetan on Saturday chaired a meeting of Forest department and Indian Forest Service officials and directed them to draft guidelines and an action plan for developing an urban forest around Raipur, a government public relation official said. In the meeting, Khetan said the urban forest would help maintain ecological balance around Raipur, he said. Khetan has asked officialsto select best programmes of the Forest department being implemented currently and prepare three to four good guidelines for the purpose, the official said. Focus should be given on joint forest management, plantation on river banks and expansion of greenery schemes for developing urban forest, the official said quoting Khetan. The meeting reviewed functioning of Chhattisgarh State Medicinal Plant Board and also discussed prospects to merge this board with Bio-Diversity Board, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP chief Amit Shah claimed on Sunday that people have rejected the "politics" of dynasty and corruption, which he said prevailed during the previous Hooda and Chautala governments in Haryana. Addressing a rally in Sonipat, Shah said Congress president Rahul Gandhi's ambition of becoming the prime minister would not be fulfilled. "Rahul baba, your number won't come to become the PM," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief said, adding that people had made up their minds to bring back the Modi government. "I want to ask the leader of the Congress that proofs have been found that you have flats in foreign countries and are a director in foreign companies," Shah said, without taking any name. "Besides, there are charges against you of holding a foreign citizenship, bank accounts of many leaders abroad have been found." Shah underlined that Narendra Modi's image was "clean" and nobody had been able to point any finger at him after remaining Gujarat chief minister and prime minister for 14 and five years, respectively. Taking a swipe at Hooda, and former chief minister and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, the BJP chief claimed that the people of the state had got fed up with corruption and hooliganism during their terms. "Be it the Congress or the Chautala... one is on bail, one is in jail. Don't know what all they do," Shah said. "For years, power was concentrated between the Hoodas and the Chautalas. When Hooda came to power, corruption increased. When Chautala was there, hooliganism increased," he added. Hooda has been slapped with many cases during the ruling BJP regime and Chautala is serving a jail term in a teachers' recruitment scam. Attacking Hooda, who is contesting from Sonipat, Shah asked: "Can dynastic families benefit Haryana?" Commenting on Gandhi's rally in Gurgaon a day ago, Shah hit out at the Congress president for asking what Modi had done for Haryana. "He (Gandhi) is seeking an account from us. We have been in power for five years, but you (Congress) ruled this country for 55 years. People are seeking your account," Shah said. "We don't need to give any account to them, we are answerable to people," he added. The BJP leader said the people have rejected the "politics" of caste, dynasty and corruption, "where middlemen and builders used to be given benefit", besides "damaad" politics, in an apparent reference to Gandhi's brother-in-law, Robert Vadra. Under Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Shah claimed that there is no hooliganism and corruption, saying that the state had made "all-round" progress. All the 10 constituencies of Haryana goes to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Electioneering is never an easy task but candidates in western Madhya Pradesh's Khargone region find it all the more difficult with the sun beaming at its fullest over the area, considered to be among the hottest places in the world. According to data provided by different websites related to weather forecast, the maximum temperature in Khargone has even touched 47.5 degree Celsius lately. Talking to PTI, a government official here said, the district administration has instructed the government workers not to work between 12 pm to 3 pm and the citizens have been advised not to engage activities requiring intense labour and avoid getting out in the sun during these peak hours. The Khargone parliamentary seat has seven candidates who are braving the scorching heat, canvassing for their parties despite the extreme weather conditions in the area. They arrange meetings, gatherings and rallies during the afternoon in the constituency where BJP's Gajendra Singh Patel and Congress's Govind Mujalde are key contestants. According to the party workers, the candidates usually undertake door-to-door canvassing between 8 am to 10 pm in order to reach out to the maximum number of villages and towns possible. This reserved parliamentary seat covers a total area of 13,457 sq km which includes many village settlements in secluded hill areas making it difficult for the parties to reach out the voters and with the restricted time limits because of the harsh sun and loo in the region, the campaigning has become more challenging. A close aide of a candidate said the candidates in the electoral fray drink a lot of water from time to time to stay hydrated. They also consuming fruit juices, buttermilk and cold drinks to keep themselves energetic during dawn to dusk meetings. Khargone, with nearly 18.34 lakh voters, will go to polls in the seventh and the last phase on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba arrived here on Sundayfor a three day visit to the Southern Naval Command (SNC). "This will be Admiral Lanba's farewell visit to SNC, as he would be demitting office and retiring on May 31, after a long and illustrious career of 41 years," a release issued by the the SNC said. Lanba and his wife Reena Lanba were received at the Naval Air Station, INS Garuda by Vice Admiral Anil Chawla the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command. The chief of naval staff would chair the Governing Council Meeting and Annual General Body Meeting of the Navy Foundation, an association of naval veteran officers, it said. Lanba was commissioned in the Indian Navy on January 1, 1978 and is a Navigation and Direction specialist. He has served on board numerous ships on both Western and Eastern seaboards. His sea tenures include, command of INS Kakinada, a minesweeper, INS Himgiri, a Leander class frigate, INS Ranvijay, a Kashin class destroyer and INS Mumbai, the third indigenous Delhi class destroyer. He has also been the Executive Officer (second in command) of the aircraft carrier, INS Viraat as well as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China poses an "enormous challenge" to the US, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday as he dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's comments on Beijing being a no threat to America. At an event in Iowa City on Wednesday, Biden, who is also a former US vice president, was dismissive of the growing threat that China poses to the United States. "China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man. They're not bad folks, folks. But guess what? They're not competition for us," he said. Biden's comments came days after a Pentagon report said that Chinese forces remain a growing threat, looking to "contest US military superiority". "He (Biden) seems a little disconnected from the reality that is China today. Maybe when he ran for president the first time this was the situation. But it's certainly not today. China poses an enormous challenge to the United States of America," Pompeo said in an interview on Fox Pompeo, however, said he agrees with Biden that "ultimately, America will prevail". "I'm confident of that...But it's going to take a serious concerted effort by President like Trump who is prepared to push back against China, whether that be on trade or their military buildup or the theft of our intellectual property. We need a president who will be serious in protecting American against the challenges China presents," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A dissent given by an election commissioner has to be noted in files and the complainant has a right to know whether the order passed by the Election Commission was unanimous, two former chief election commissioners said Sunday. Amid the controversy surrounding dissent by one of the election commissioners in giving clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in at least three cases and one to BJP chief Amit Shah, the two said every dissent needs to be out on record. "Whether a violation of the mode of conduct is found or not, the decision is usually communicated to the complainant by a secretary. But the communication should be clear that the decision was taken unanimously or by a majority," said one of the former CECs. He said the dissent note need not be sent along the communication, but the complainant has a right to know who dissented. "Like in the case of Supreme Court, the dissent should be uploaded on EC website," the other CEC said. He said dissent is part of internal deliberations and is part of a democratic system. "Had they decided on the complaints when they were received, the present situation would not have arisen," said one of them. One of the election commissioners, according to sources, gave a dissenting view in the poll body's decision to give a clean chit to Modi as regards his speech at Wardha on April 1, where he attacked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for contesting from the minority-dominated Wayanad seat in Kerala, and his appeal to first-time voters by invoking the Balakot airstrike and the CRPF jawans killed in the Pulwama terror attack in Latur on April 9. He had also reportedly given dissent in the clean chit to Shah for his Nagpur speech in which the BJP chief had reportedly said Wayand constituency of Kerala is where majority is minority. The Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991 states that if the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners differ in opinion on any matter, such matter shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority. The Commission transacts its business by holding regular meetings and also by circulation of papers. All election commissioners have equal say in the decision making of the poll panel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Shakeel Ahmed was on Sunday suspended from the party "with immediate effect" for contesting as an Independent from the Madhubani Lok Sabha seat in Bihar which goes to polls on Monday. According to a release issued by AICC general secretary Motilal Vora at New Delhi, shared by the partys state unit here, Ahmed - who had won the Madhubani seat for the Congress in 2004 "has been suspended with immediate effect" for going against the party decision. Besides, Congress MLA Bhavana Jha, who represents Benipatti assembly segment falling under Madhubani, has been suspended "for anti-party activities". Notably, Jha had accompanied Ahmed when he filed his nomination papers last month and has since been claiming that he enjoyed the support of the district Congress notwithstanding the party leaderships refusal to heed the former Union ministers request for a "friendly fight". The seat has fallen into the kitty of fledgling outfit Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) which is a constituent of the Mahagathbandhan besides Congress, RJD, RLSP and HAM. Currently it is held by BJP veteran Hukumdev Narayan Yadav who has been replaced by his son Ashok Yadav this time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Sunday announced a financial aid of Rs 11 crore to Odisha following cyclonic storm Fani to help the state carry out restoration work. 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and winds of up to 175 kmph, killing at least 29 people, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages. A Chhattisgarh government statement said Baghel had spoken to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and assured him of all support. The statement said Rs 11 crore will be given to Odisha from the CM's Relief Fund. The Odisha government has mounted massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting nearly one crore people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was injured and a number of houses were damaged in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills districts by cyclone 'Fani' when it was passing through the area, officials said on Sunday. "One person was injured in the incident in East Khasi Hills district and damages reported to public roads and government buildings. As many as 21 villages were also affected when the cyclone passed through the state in the past 24 hours," State Disaster Management Authority, executive director, I Mawlong told PTI. She said a number of houses were also damaged in the two districts. A few landslides were also reported in East Jaintia Hills and in the state capital but there was no report of any fatal injuries, a senior Home department official said. Heavy rainfall in all part of the state has also rendered the operations to rescue the 14 miners trapped inside a 370 foot-deep coal mine to be stalled for the past 4 days. "The entire lowland area leading up to the ill-fated coal mine were flooded and rescuers were not able to reach to the site to dewater the mines," operations spokesperson R Susngi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in Cyclone Fani rose to 29 on Sunday, two days after the "extremely severe" storm barrelled through coastal Odisha, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts, an official said. Announcing a relief package for those affected by the calamity, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said all families in Puri and in those parts of Khurda, which had been "extremely severely affected" in the storm, will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 in cash and polythene sheets, if covered under the Food Security Act (FSA). For the rest of Khurda district -- categorised as "severely" affected -- the FSA families will get a month's quota of rice, Rs 1,000 in cash and polythene sheets, he added. Those living in the "moderately-affected" districts of Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur will be eligible for a month's quota of rice and Rs 500 in cash, Patnaik said. The chief minister also announced an assistance of Rs 95,100 for "fully-damaged" houses, Rs 52,000 for "partially-damaged" houses and Rs 3,200 for houses that had suffered minor damage. Talking to reporters here, Patnaik claimed that water supply had been restored in 70 per cent areas of the worst-hit Puri town and 40 per cent of the places in state capital Bhubaneswar. "I am hoping that water supply will be fully restored in Bhubaneswar shortly and at least in 90 per cent areas of Puri town by this evening," the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, who is seeking a fifth term in office, said. "The government has made arrangements to provide cooked food for free over the next 15 days. We will also take up tree plantation on a mission mode," he added. The chief minister, however, could not give the details on the status of the ongoing work for power restoration in the affected areas. "We have to be very careful to avoid accidental electrocution," he said, when asked if power supply will be restored in the capital city, which continued without electricity for the third day on Sunday. According to state Chief Secretary A P Padhi, 21 of the 29 deaths were registered in the pilgrim town of Puri, where the storm made a landfall on Friday, flattening fragile houses, uprooting scores of trees, electric poles and mobile towers. The government had mounted a massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting nearly one crore people, he said. The "extremely severe" cyclonic storm, one of the "rarest of rare", unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 240 kmph on Friday, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal. Asserting that efforts were on to restore electricity in the affected areas, Energy Secretary Hemant Sharma said the power infrastructure was severely damaged in Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Balasore districts during the cyclone. According to a state government official, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Odisha to review the situation. Modi spoke to Patnaik on Saturday and assured continuous support from the Centre for the rehabilitation work. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) partially resumed operations on the Howrah-Chennai route on Sunday. "Barring the Bhubaneswar-Tirupati Express and the Visakhapatnam Intercity Express, all trains originating from the state capital, including the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, will be running normally from Sunday," an ECoR official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday said his government will contribute Rs 10 crore to Odisha for relief and rehabilitation measures post cyclonic storm Fani. 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and winds of up to 175 kmph, killing at least 29 people, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages. "Maharashtra stands firm with the people of Odisha. The state government will contribute Rs 10 crore towards the relief and rehabilitation measures in different parts of Odisha affected by cyclone Fani," he said. The Odisha government has mounted massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting nearly one crore people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pre-emptive measures undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard like alerting the fisherfolk and merchant marine community resulted in zero loss of life at sea during Cyclone Fani, the maritime security agency said Sunday. In a statement, the Coast Guard said on April 24, when Fani was in its formative stages, it started working on risk assessment of the vulnerabilities on eastern coast. All the seven Indian Coast Guard (ICG) stations and six of its district headquarters on the east coast were put on alert. "No loss of life has been reported at sea. ICG Disaster Response Teams are assisting the state administration in the relief operations," the Coast Guard said. Around 14 ICG ships and four aircraft were tasked daily at sea to warn fishing and merchant marine community since April 24, it said. "ICG ships, aircraft and shore based remote operating stations relayed warning to fishing and merchant mariners on very high frequency (VHF) along the entire east coast," the Coast Guard said. Warnings were also broadcast in regional languages for the benefit of local fishing community. Contingency meetings were held with authorities at Mandapam, Puducherry, Chennai, Vishakapatnam, Paradip, Bubhaneshwar, Haldia and Kolkata to chalk out mobilisation plans, it added. Special community interaction programmes were conducted at 13 fishing hamlets with participation of local community leaders to ensure no fishing boat ventured at sea, the agency said. Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) at Chennai and Mumbai were tasked to update the merchant mariners over Navigational Telex and International Safety Net. Neighbouring MRCCs were also alerted to keep a lookout for stranded Indian vessels and provide assistance. "As the cyclone made landfall in the forenoon of May 3, five capital ships of ICG braving the inclement weather and rough seas proceeded towards the Odisha coast for assisting the state administration in response and relief operation and undertaking damage assessment," it said. ICG ships were stocked up with food packets, potable water and relief material. "A total of 34 Coast Guard Disaster Response Teams (DRT) were put to action along with lifesaving equipment, basic relief material, food packets and water. Emergency Medical Teams were formed along with Critical Care Ambulance and Emergency Medicines at Vishakapatnam, Gopalpur, Paradip, Bhubaneshwar, Haldia and Kolkata," the maritime agency added. The death toll in Cyclone Fani rose to 29 Sunday, two days after the "extremely severe" storm barrelled through coastal Odisha, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Sunday ordered release of Rs 10 crore to the 'Fani'-ravaged Odisha towards relief and rehabilitation work. The severe cyclonic storm has caused unprecedented and extensive damage in Odisha, especially in the holy town of Puri, Palaniswami said adding it has led to untold suffering of the people. "On behalf of the State government and the people of Tamil Nadu, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the family members of all those who have lost their lives in the cyclone and rains," he said in an official release here. Odisha was faced with the arduous task of ensuring immediate rescue, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures in cyclone ravaged areas, he noted. "As a token of support and solidarity of the government and people of Tamil Nadu with the government and people of Odisha in their hour of need, ...I have ordered immediate contribution of a sum of Rs 10 crore from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the Government of Odisha," he said. Also, the Tamil Nadu government is ready to render any other assistance as may be required by Odisha, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Cypriot army officer who has allegedly confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls over nearly three years appeared in court Sunday, while police said they had recovered a fifth body. Captain Nicos Metaxas, 35, has not yet been formally charged over the murders -- dubbed the Mediterranean island's first serial killings, which have unleashed anger against what the president described as police "negligence". Police told reporters on Sunday that they had retrieved a suitcase containing the remains of a human body at an acidic manmade lake southwest of Nicosia -- the second such find in eight days. The body found on Sunday at the lake near the village of Mitsero is in an "advanced state of decomposition", police spokesman Andreas Angelides said. He said a post-mortem would be carried out but did not say whether the body was that of an adult or a child. Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported that the body found on Sunday was that of a child. Metaxas has allegedly confessed to the murder of five women, alongside daughters of two of the women -- a six-year-old Filipina and a Romanian girl. The killings came to light in mid-April when unusually heavy rains brought the body of 38-year-old Filipina Mary Rose Tiburcio to the surface of the disused mine shaft where it had been hidden. That triggered a murder investigation which led to Metaxas being arrested on April 18. Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft, believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines. These are the only two women to be officially identified. The suspect then guided investigators to a well near an army firing range outside the capital, where police found the body of a third victim -- a woman thought to be from Nepal. Police last Sunday recovered the remains of a fourth victim, stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of the lake at Mitsero. Metaxas was accused by police of raping a teenager during his court appearance on Sunday. Neophytos Shailos, head of Nicosia's Criminal Investigation Department, told the Nicosia district court a Flipina woman, 19, came forward to file a complaint that Metaxas raped her. The police chief told the court that the suspect denied the allegation when questioned about it. At the hearing on Sunday Metaxas was remanded in custody for a further eight days. Shailos testified that the young woman said she made contact with the army officer online in 2016 when she replied to a modelling job for a photo shoot. Metaxas appeared in court without a lawyer and told the judge he had "no objections" to being remanded. Police say they have received a "deluge of information" about the suspect's activities with 350 witness statements taken and another 150 to be processed. Cypriot authorities have been accused of failing to properly investigate the women's disappearances due to neglect and racism. President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday fired top police officer Zacharias Chrysostomou a day after Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou announced his resignation over the case. Authorities have acknowledged that all the women and girls that the army officer has admitted to killing were reported missing to police, except the one from Nepal who was reported to immigration for being absent from her place of employment. The police said Sunday they would continue to look for a third suitcase the suspect allegedly confessed to dumping in the lake. Authorities said they were able to locate the second suitcase by using sophisticated equipment including a robotic camera flown in from the United States. "We will persist in our efforts, conducting different kinds of tests in the area and elsewhere at a later stage," said Angelides. He said police were still assessing data found on electronic equipment belonging to the suspect. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An eerie silence descends on the streets of militancy-infested Pulwama district. People mill around but are guarded in their response. They want to talk about anything but elections. Pulwama, known as the "Anand (delight) of Kashmir" for its congenial climate, innumerable springs and water falls, hogged the headlines when a suicide bomber rammed his car into a CRPF convoy on February 14, killing 40 paramilitary forces. Since then the campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha polls has revolved around Pulwama and terrorism with parties making nationalism a key poll issue. On Monday, Pulwama -- a part of the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat -- will go to polls and all eyes will be on how the ground zero responds. Gulzar Wani, a grocery store owner, who virtually turned agitated when asked about the prospects of Monday's voting, says "I don't think that there will be any voting in this area. The machines may return untouched," he said. Senior police officials believe that the voting may not cross the double-digit mark. The district has hardly seen any election campaigning by political parties. The National Conference and the Congress confined their political activities to party offices. The PDP, which has a strong base in south Kashmir, is almost missing. Party candidate Mehbooba Mufti has preferred to stay away from canvassing. No wall, street or building is festooned with colourful flags and banners of the parties. Former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, while advocating for party candidate Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi, has linked the necessity of voting to prevent attempts to abrogate Article 370 which guarantees special status to the state. G A Mir of the Congress attempted to woo the voters by pointing out the failures of the National Conference and the PDP. However, a thin attendance of people can be seen in their election meetings. Reasoning out the difficulties, Waheed Para of the PDP in an article explained that ahead of the elections, the anti-militancy operations needed to be halted as political parties cannot go and ask the people to vote when they are mourning the deaths of their loved ones. Security forces working to ensure smooth conduct of the polls have cracked the whip on trouble-mongers. While there are no official figures, a rough estimate is that 400 youths have been picked up and lodged in jails as a precautionary measure, say political activists from the area. "Ever since February 14, the people here live in fear. A midnight knock from security forces is quite possible," says Nazir Ahmed, a tea stall owner in Pulwama town. A senior police official said all arrangements have been put in place for Monday's voting in Shopian and Pulwama. "Everything has been put in place and adequate number of security personnel along with their mobile bunkers have been placed in the two districts," he said. Pulwama district has 3,51,314 electors, including 1,81,259 males, 1,69,508 females, 541 service electors (533 male and 08 female) and 6 transgenders. For smooth polling, the Election Commission has set up 450 polling stations across the district. Shopian district has 1,71,216 electors, including 89,868 males, 81,227 females, 116 service electors (113 male and 03 female) and five transgender voters and for them 245 polling stations have been set up across the district. The elections to Anantnag Parliamentary seat was divided into three phases. Earlier Anantnag voted on April 23 in which 12.8 per cent votes were cast. This was followed by the second phase in Kulgam on April 29 which recorded around 10 per cent voting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel carried out waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday after Palestinian rockets hit Israeli cities, in a deadly escalation that has shown no signs of slowing and raised fears of war. Gazan authorities reported 16 Palestinians killed, including at least six militants, by Israeli strikes in the fighting that began Saturday with massive rocket fire from the strip. Israel however disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant woman and a baby, blaming errant fire from Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the enclave. Three people were killed in Gaza rocket and missile strikes on southern Israel on Sunday. Two were confirmed as Israeli, the army said. The flare-up came as Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded enclave, sought further concessions from Israel under a fragile months-old ceasefire. The Palestinian dead included a commander for Hamas's armed wing who Israel said it targeted due to his role in transferring money from Iran to militant groups in the Gaza Strip. It was a rare admission of a targeted killing by Israel's army. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military "to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip." He said he had also ordered "tanks, artillery and infantry forces" to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza. Rocket fire and Israeli strikes continued into Sunday evening. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing more than 600 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli air defences intercepting more than 150. In addition to those killed and injured, the rockets repeatedly set off air raid alarms in southern Israel and sent residents running to shelters while also damaging houses. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the army. The army said its tanks and planes hit more than 250 militant targets in Gaza in response. It targeted militant sites and in some cases militants themselves as well as their homes if they were found to be storing weapons, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said. Several buildings in Gaza City were destroyed. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said its state agency Anadolu had an office in the building, and strongly denounced the strike. Israel said another destroyed building housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices. The Gaza health ministry said the dead from the Israeli strikes included a 14-month-old baby and a pregnant woman, 37. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family clarified on Sunday that she was the aunt. Conricus said based on intelligence "we are now confident" that the deaths of the woman and baby were not due to an Israeli strike. "Their unfortunate death was not a result of (Israeli) weaponry but a Hamas rocket that was fired and exploded not where it was supposed to," he said. Islamic Jihad's armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. On Sunday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their armed wings had targeted an Israeli army vehicle with a Kornet missile. Conricus said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. Israel closed its crossings with Gaza for people and goods, as well the fishing zone off the enclave's shore, until further notice. Egyptian and UN officials held talks to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on "all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months." The United States said it fully supported Israel's "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks." Jordan, one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, urged it to "end its aggression against the Gaza Strip and respect international humanitarian law." The escalation follows Friday clashes along the Gaza border that were the most violent in weeks. Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the frontier. Israel and Gazan militants have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and the United Nations, had led to relative calm around Israel's April 9 general election. But recent days saw a gradual uptick in violence, placing the ceasefire at risk. A Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar visited Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The truce has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza, paying salaries and financing fuel purchases to ease severe electricity shortages. Israel has several reasons to seek calm. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government and the country celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. Israel is also due to host the high-profile Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18, expected to attract thousands of spectators. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit Sunday expressed "shock and anger" over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about Rajiv Gandhi, saying if is not repaired, future generations will "not forgive us". The former Delhi chief minister wrote tweets in English and Hindi to express her sentiments over the issue that has kicked up a controversy. "Deeply shocked & angry at the words used by PM Modi for Shri #RajivGandhi. In 4 decades of my active political life, I have not witnessed this kind of political discourse. If we do not repair our politics, future generations will not forgive us for where we will have pushed India," she tweeted. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi while attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The director of a hospital in Amethi, at the centre of a raging controversy, Sunday dismissed the allegation that a man, who died at the facility last month, had been denied treatment on the ground that Ayushman Bharat card was not accepted. The matter came to light ahead of the Lok Sabha election in Amethi, where Congress president Rahul Gandhi is pitted against Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani. Modi, at a poll rally in Gwalior, alleged a patient died after an Amethi hospital with trustees from the Gandhi family denied him treatment, saying it was not "Modi's hospital" where Ayushman Card would be accepted. Earlier in the day, Irani tweeted a video in which a man is heard saying that his uncle died as he was denied treatment by the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital after being told that "Modi's Ayushman Bharat card" was not accepted there. SM Chaudhary, the director of the hospital, said, "The claims in the tweet are baseless and politically-motivated. The deceased patient has been identified as Nanhe Lal (59), a resident of Sarraiyya village located in Musafirkhana area of the district. He was admitted on April 25 at 11.00 pm." "He was admitted in a very serious condition, and used to consume a lot of alcohol, as a result of which he suffered from liver failure. Nanhe Lal died on April 26," Chaudhary said. "There is no hospital in Amethi where the cure of liver ailments is possible. Apart from this, Nanhe Lal did not have any Ayushman Bharat card. We do not distinguish between patients based on Congress and BJP, and treat a patient as a patient only," the director said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Karnataka government has been asked by the telecom department to align its infrastructure roll out policy with the Centre's following incidents of cable cutting by the local municipal body in Bengaluru. The DoT in a letter dated May 1 to the state government said that the proposed regulation in Karnataka for telecom infrastructure roll out is not aligned with the Right of Way policy notification of November 2016. Referring to a communication last month, the DoT Advisor for Karnataka telecom circle said, "it has been requested to pursue with state government for implementing the state RoW policy aligned with the central (Indian Telegraph) Right of Way policy. Recently, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had ordered to cut down telecom cables laid over the ground, citing them to be non-compliant with existing norms, and has demanded fees from companies to lay them underground. However, telecom service providers said the cables were laid overhead temporarily due to road construction work and they had already paid the fees for laying them under the ground. Telecom cables connect mobile towers with each other and also provide bandwidth for broadband connections. Industry group Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) had alleged that cable were cut in areas like Sarjapur Road, Whitefield, Marathahalli, Bellandur and Sarjapur without any prior intimation to the telecom industry. The letter from advisor said that the action from the BBMP had adversely impacted the network connectivity and also seriously affected digital transactions and other emergency services. The DoT has requested the state government to conduct workshop to create awareness about radiation, finalise the state RoW policy aligned with central (Indian Telegraph) Right of Way policy. According to a DoT letter issued to telecom circle head in states , only 13 states have aligned their RoW policy with that of the central government including Haryana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Assam, Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With a view to facilitate by start-ups, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has proposed relaxation in the laws pertaining to sale of residential properties and carrying forward of losses, sources said. These suggestions are part of 'Startup India Vision 2024', prepared by the DPIIT for the new government to promote growth of budding entrepreneurs, who face difficulty in raising finances. As part of easing regulatory requirements for start-ups, the DPIIT has recommended amendments in Section 54GB (capital gain on transfer of residential property not to be charged in certain cases) and Section 79 (carry forward and set off of losses in case of certain companies) of the Act. It has suggested changes in Section 54GB of Act to exempt proceeds on sale of residential properties from capital gains tax if it is used to fund a start-up. "Budding entrepreneurs often sell their residential properties to support their business activities," one of the sources said. As part of the amendment of this section, it has also proposed to reduce founders' shareholding requirements from 50 per cent to 20 per cent and mandatory holding period from 5 years to 3 years as it would enhance flexibility of founders to raise capital by selling the properties. Regarding Section 79, it suggested relaxation in shareholding requirements to carry forward the losses. "Start-up promoters presently need to hold 100 per cent shares for carrying forward of losses. The requirement needs to be reduced to 26 per cent, as it will encourage new investors to invest in start-ups," they said. DPIIT, under the commerce and industry ministry, has also proposed other measures such as tax incentives to promote budding entrepreneurs as part of the vision document. The document aims at facilitating setting up of 50,000 new in the country by 2024 and creating 20 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities. The other proposals include setting up of 500 new incubators and accelerators by 2024, 100 innovation zones in urban local bodies, deployment of entire corpus of Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds, and expanding funding to incubators. Startup India, the flagship initiative of the government, was launched in January 2016 and intends to build a strong ecosystem for the growth of start-up businesses to drive sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities. The Startup India action plan provides tax and other incentives. So far, as many as 18,151 have been recognised by the department. The Delhi University Sunday celebrated its 97th Foundation Day which was marked by enthralling cultural events presented by students. Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, senior advocates Aman Sinha and Ramji Srinivasan were among others who were present on the occasion. Speaking at the occasion, Justice Mittal recalled the learnings from the varsity and asked the students to imbibe three attributes in life -- Integrity, Authenticity and Determination. Senior advocate Aman Sinha praised the university for providing students a holistic exposure and making them resilient. Sinha has appeared in several landmark cases before the Supreme Court, including Ayodhya land dispute, environment issues, river interlinking, and DU photocopying matter. DU Vice Chancellor Professor Yogesh K Tyagi appreciated the outstanding contributions of the alumni in public life, who were also felicitated at the event. He mentioned that the DU has an extraordinary legacy and a promise for a bright future. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Egyptian court on Sunday jailed 56 people for taking part in a 2013 protest by Muslim Brotherhood supporters that was brutally dispersed by the authorities, a judicial source said. Security forces violently broke up two protest sites in Cairo and neighbouring Giza on 14 August 2013 in a bloody operation that Human Rights Watch says killed more than 800 demonstrators. Supporters of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi had camped out for weeks after the army ousted him from power in the face of huge demonstrations. Rights groups have decried the "impunity" for security forces over the bloodshed as protesters have faced punishment over the clashes. The judicial source said one of those sentenced on Sunday was given a life term, 25 years under Egyptian law, for participating in the gathering of the "Muslim Brotherhood terrorists" at Nahda Square. Fifty-two others were handed 15 year jail terms and three more given sentences of between one and five years. The defendants were accused by prosecutors of "endangering the lives of citizens, resisting police forces responsible for dispersing the rally, premeditated murder and carrying unlicensed weapons". Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took control after ousting Morsi the authorities have carried out a crackdown on Brotherhood members. Egypt's courts have sentenced to death or lengthy jail terms hundreds of people after speedy mass trials, including Morsi and several leaders of his Brotherhood movement. Many have appealed and won retrials but 26 executions have been carried out. The Brotherhood was outlawed and branded a terrorist organisation in December 2013, just months after Morsi's was removed from power. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hitting back after Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling his father "corrupt number 1", the BJP on Sunday said every single word the PM had said about Rajiv Gandhi was true and that the Congress chief was rattled due to his party's imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. At a press conference, Union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Javadekar cited the former prime minister's remarks about the 1984 riots to accuse him of "supporting" the massacre of Sikhs. He also claimed that he was surprised at the reactions of Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the prime minister's remarks. Addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh on Saturday, Modi accused the Congress of harping on the alleged corruption in the acquisition of Rafale aircraft only to tarnish his image. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari no. 1' (corrupt number 1)," Modi said taking a swipe at the Congress chief. He was referring to the Bofors scam, in which former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors. However, the Delhi High Court had said there was no evidence that Rajiv Gandhi had accepted bribes. Javadekar said every word the prime minister had said about Rajiv Gandhi was true. "Everything the PM said was true. After the killings of Sikhs in the 1984 riots, didn't Rajiv Gandhi support it? He had said when a big tree fell, the earth shook. Scriptures do not say that. The scriptures say when the earth shakes, big trees fall...they turned science on its head. "They (Congress) are playing the of abuses. The Gandhis are rattled and they cannot tolerate it. The people of this country know everything. After four phases of polling (in the ongoing Lok Sabha election), it is clear that the Congress is losing," he said. Claiming that Rahul Gandhi was rattled because he thought being in power was his "birthright", the Union minister for human resource development said the Congress was now desperate and thus, was resorting to abuses. "The Congress is getting desperate as eight out of 10 people support PM Modi. I am surprised to see the violent reaction of both sister and brother (Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi) to a true statement made by the prime minister. "Rahul Gandhi is calling names and cursing Modi because of dynastic arrogance. They think power is their birthright," he said. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have slammed Modi for his jibe at their late father. While Priyanka Gandhi has said the remark is reflective of the prime minister's "uncontrolled insanity", the Congress chief tweeted on Sunday, saying, "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Policies like FAME need to be supplemented with measures such as domestic manufacturing of vehicles, batteries and components to boost mass adoption of electric vehicles by 2030, industry body CII said Sunday. Quoting a study by the Centre, the chamber said India can save 64 per cent of anticipated road-based mobility-related energy demand and 37 per cent of carbon emissions in 2030 by pursuing a shared, electric, and connected mobility future. Measures like market creation and adoption, domestic manufacturing of vehicles, components and batteries, strategic sourcing of key raw material and skill development in India are needed to support policies like FAME to embrace mass adoption of electric vehicles by 2030, it said. This would result in a reduction of 156 million tonnes of oil equivalent in diesel and petrol consumption in 2030 and net saving of approximately USD 60 billion in 2030 at present oil prices. This is also in line with India's vision of reducing oil imports by 10 per cent by 2022, the CII said. Transport continues to be the highest oil consuming sector and the use of diesel and petrol grew at 5.9 per cent and 9.9 per cent respectively in the last 10 years. As per government's estimates, the country's import dependency on oil has increased from 78.3 per cent of total consumption in 2014-15 to settling at a new high of 83.7 per cent in the 10-month period of FY2018-19, the chamber said. "Effectively managing energy use with growth and reducing India's oil intensity; developing high-grade energy infrastructure; ensuring an environmentally sustainable future and promotion of clean air and electric vehicles have been carved out as key work areas for CII this year," CII President Vikram Kirloskar said. With an eye on promoting electric and hybrid vehicles, the Union Cabinet recently cleared a Rs 10,000-crore programme under the FAME-II scheme. The scheme is being implemented over a period of three years with effect from April 1, 2019. It is the expanded version of the present scheme FAME India I (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME) which was launched on April 1, 2015, with a total outlay of Rs 895 crore. However, with EV penetration in India currently at just 1 per cent, FAME alone is not enough to reach the 2030 target, CII said, suggesting various measures as prerequisites in this transition. For transport to go truly green, it must also be accompanied by a rising share of renewables along with environmentally sustainable batteries, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Industry body has sought the government's intervention for early resumption of in Goa, claiming that the Rs 3,400-crore sector that contributes around 10-12 per cent to the state GDP was under severe threat due to the apex court quashing leases. "The sudden discontinuance of operations in Goa is creating a huge loss to the mineral sector as a whole...Therefore, government's intervention is requested for early resumption of mining operations as the situation at ground is a grave concern for the whole sector," said in its recent representation on the to government think-tank NITI Aayog. A sizeable population of Goa, it said, is directly or indirectly dependent on mining activities, adding that the in the coastal state has a size of around Rs 3,400 crore. "Goa ..is under severe threat due to the recent Supreme Court decision. This can severely impact the employment of around 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh people, who are directly or indirectly dependent on the sector for livelihood," it said. Needless to say, this can also potentially lead to severe loss of investor confidence in the country by increasing the non-performing Assets pertaining to the Mining sector. The Supreme Court judgement dated February 7, 2018, quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 in Goa in 2015, it said. According to the apex court's previous judgements, only fresh leases were to be granted by the Goa government, not second renewals, it said. "This decision has led to stoppage of mining operations in the state of Goa with effect from March 16, 2018. Unfortunately, this judgement by the Supreme Court does not seem to be in line with the amended MMDR Act, 2015," it added. "As per amended MMDR Act 2015, all mining leases granted before the commencement of the Amended Act, 2015 shall be deemed to have been granted for a period of fifty years," said. "Also, as the provision of collection of royalty and dead rent is made prospective i.e. from 23rd May, 1987, it is recommended that the term of mining leases granted should also be extended till 2037, with prospective effect from 23rd May, 1987 and not retrospective from 1961. As such there is a need to harmonise the Goa Abolition Act and the MMRD Act, 2015 as it appears that this has been not entirely considered," it added. Five passengers, including four Turkmenistani, have been arrested by the customs officials for smuggling gold worth Rs 2 crore at Delhi airport. The accused were arrested in separate incidents happened during the past one week. Four Turkmenistani passengers, including three women, were intercepted after their arrival at Delhi in different flights on Wednesday. Two of them had come from Dubai and the rest from Turkmenistan, a statement issued by the customs said. A detailed personal and baggage search of these four passengers resulted in recovery of gold items like chains, rings, bracelets and pendants among others weighing about 4.4 kg, it said. These Turkmenistani nationals were arrested and the gold was seized. In another case, an Indian was intercepted after his arrival from Hong Kong on Tuesday. His baggage and personal search resulted in recovery of three gold bars, collectively weighing three kilograms. The gold bars were seized and the passenger was arrested. The customs officials have seized 7.4 kg of gold worth Rs two crore in these cases, a customs official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) chief has taken it from his mother, founder Yadav from his son and outspoken actor-politician from his daughter -- family loans seems quite common among the politicians too. In his election affidavit, has disclosed a "personal loan" of Rs 5 lakh from mother Sonia Gandhi, but has got no other loans in his name. Sonia Gandhi, who is also fighting the election, has not disclosed any loan in her name. On the other hand, Yadav, fighting polls from family bastion Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, has disclosed a loan of over Rs 2.13 crore from his son and former chief minister At the same time, the family patriarch has also disclosed the loans he has given to other family members -- Rs 6.75 lakh to his second wife Sadhana Yadav, Rs 43.7 lakh to son Prateek and Rs 9.8 lakh to another family member Mridula Yadav. Shatrughan Sinha, who was formerly with the BJP and has now joined in his electoral bid from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar, has disclosed a loan of about Rs 10.6 crore from his daughter and actor He has also himself extended loans/advances to his son Luv Sinha (Rs 10 lakh) and wife Poonam (about Rs 80 lakh), among others. Poonam Sinha, who herself is in the electoral fray as the candidate from in Uttar Pradesh, also has an outstanding loan of over Rs 16 crore due to her daughter Sonakshi. She is pitted against senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh, who has not availed any loan. Shatrughan Sinha's rival candidate from the BJP, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, also has no outstanding loans. Former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Misha Bharti, who is the RJD candidate from Patliputra, has got no loans outstanding against her but her husband Shailesh Kumar has an ICICI personal loan of Rs 9.85 lakh. She has also disclosed loans/advances totalling Rs 28 lakh by her and Rs 2.9 crore by her husband, but no debtor has been identified. Her BJP rival Ramkirpal Yadav has disclosed Rs 17.17 lakh education loan he has taken for his daughter. Another high-profile BJP candidate from Bihar, union minister has disclosed a car loan of Rs 5.86 lakh for himself and a housing loan of Rs 26.5 lakh by his wife. In his election affidavit, he has listed 'other liabilities' of Rs 75 lakh in his name and of Rs 15 lakh for his wife. Singh is pitted in the much-talked-about electoral battle against former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has not disclosed any or personal loans and has described himself as "jobless" with "independent writing" as his profession. BJP candidate from Chandigarh Kirron Kher has taken Rs 25 lakh unsecured loan from her son Sikander Berry. She has also disclosed a car loan of over Rs 35 lakh and some unsecured business loans taken by her husband and popular actor candidate from South Mumbai Milind Deora has disclosed a 'non-interest bearing family advance' of over Rs 4.96 crore taken by his wife Pooja. An inquiry into the IED blast by Naxals in Jambhurkheda village in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on May 1 which killed 15 Quick Response Team personnel and a driver is expected to be completed in the next two days, a senior police official said Sunday. Officials also said Kurkheda Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shailesh Kale has been sent on leave following the incident. Jambhurkheda is part of the district's Kurkheda tehsil. Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Shailesh Balkawde Sunday said several teams have been formed to investigate the Naxal attack. He added that a case has been registered in Purada police station in connection with the attack against 40 Naxals, including top Maoist operatives Milind Teltumbde and Bhaskar Hichkani among others. Teltumbde is also wanted in the case registered in connection with the violence that took place in Bhima Koregaon near Pune on January 1 last year following the Elgar Parishad a day earlier on December 31, 2017. A senior official said the investigation into the incident will cover aspects like whether the torching of vehicles by the ultras a day earlier was a bait for the IED blast and also whether standard operating procedures were followed by security forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two locomotives and three wagons of a goods train Sunday derailed and crashed into a track side overhead equipment carshed building on Kirandul- Vishakhapattnam railway section in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, an official said. No casualties were reported in the incident, he said. The incident took place at around 3:30 pm in the rail yard of Dilmili railway station, when the iron-ore laden goods train was heading to Visakhapatnam from Bacheli (Dantewada), he said. After derailment, the train crashed into the OHE inspection and maintenance car shed located on the side of the track, damaging a part of the structure, he said. The movement of trains was not affected as the incident happened in a yard, he said. A probe has been ordered, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a significant move, the government is readying a scheme to provide financial assistance to minority investors filing class action lawsuits under the companies law, a senior official said. Working on ways to further bolster measures to protect the interest of investors, the corporate affairs ministry would also be encouraging investors to resort to class action suits. Under Section 245 of the Companies Act, investors can file a class action suit in case they feel that the management or conduct of the affairs of a company are prejudicial to their interests. The concept of the class action suit, that provides an option for investors to seek remedy as a group, is well known in Western countries. "We are looking at class action suits. We will be soon coming out with a scheme for providing financial assistance to minority investors to file class action by using the IEPF (Investor Education and Protection Fund). "The IEPF will introduce a scheme for reimbursing legal expenses incurred on class action," Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas told in an interview. The (IEPF) is managed by the IEPF Authority, which comes under the ministry. The IEPF's accumulated corpus is around Rs 4,138 crore, according to an official statement issued last month. "We will define the threshold such as the minimum number of members, minimum shareholding or deposits. That will be notified very soon," Srinivas said about the eligibility criteria for filing class action suits. The push for class action suits also assumes significance against the backdrop of various instances of investors getting duped by illegal money pooling schemes as well as being impacted by corporate governance issues and fraudulent practices at some companies. According to the secretary, a class action is not easy, as there is information asymmetry. "Minority investors are not well equipped to pursue a class action. There is provision for disgorgement also... Class action suit is an important way to empower minority shareholders who are worst sufferers," he said, adding that the rules would be notified at the earliest. "Auditors, credit rating agencies, everybody would be liable to a class action. Minority investors who are suffering should resort to class action suits, which is provided for in the Companies Act. We will certainly do whatever is necessary to encourage investors to resort to a class action," Srinivas said. Among others, if statutory auditors have been callous and negligent, endorsing falsified statements, the investors can certainly proceed against them with a class action. A criminal accused in several cases of murder, extortion and robbery was Sunday arrested from a forest in Gujarat's Botad district Sunday by an Anti- Terrorism Squad team. On receiving a tip-off that accused Jusab Allarakha, who had jumped parole in June last year and had allegedly carried out a murder, was hiding in the forest in Botad district, the Gujarat ATS constituted a five-member team, which included four women personnel. The ATS team, comprising sub inspectors Santokben Odedara, Arunaben Gameti, Nitamika Gohel, Shakuntala Mal, and Jignesh Agravat had to cross hills and jungles and lay in hiding till dawn to nab the accused, said one of the women officers who was part of the operation. Allarakha is wanted in 23 cases in Junagadh, Rajkot, and Ahmedabad among other districts, the official said, adding that he jumped parole in June last year. In July, he allegedly killed a man identified as Jeevanbhai Sanghani using firearms to take revenge for the murder of his associate, and is also alleged to be involved in the murder of a priest in Junagadh, the ATS said in a press release. Allarakha had also escaped from police custody and had fired at and injured an officer when police tried to nab him at the time, it said. "He was hiding in a jungle area in Botad and it was getting difficult for the local police to nab him. His case was handed over to the ATS. A team of police sub inspectors Santokben Odedara, Arunaben Gameti, Nitamika Gohel, Shakuntala Mal, and Jignesh Agravat, carried out the operation and arrested him," the ATS said. Talking about the operation, one of the PSIs told reporters, "We crossed the hillock and remained in hiding till 4:30am, so that we could catch him after detecting his movement. We were carrying arms like AK 47. The accused was known to fire upon the police team in the past." "It was not possible to go to the place of his hiding on a vehicle because it is a dense hilly area with jungle," she said. Allarakha was handed over to the CID (Crime) which is investigating his cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malegaon blast accused and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur Sunday said Hindutva and development are synonymous, and termed her electoral battle a "Dharmyuddh" (crusade) against those maligning the religion by coining terms like saffron terror. In her first remarks after a 72-hour campaign ban by the Election Commission ended, she said her rival candidate Digvijay Singh of the Congress was one of the main proponents of "saffron terror". "I am waging a Dharmyuddh against those who maligned Sanatan Dharma by coming out with the term 'Bhagwa Aatankawad' (saffron terror), sent me to jail and tortured me under the garb of law," she told PTI here. Claiming that she faced "atrocities" in the jail, the blast accused said there was no evidence against her and she was given a "clean chit" by the National Investigation Agency(NIA). "I have personally forgiven those who tortured me and made me suffer atrocities. I am contesting the elections also to ensure no woman faces the atrocities I suffered in jail," she said. Arrested in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, she was given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but the trial court refused to discharge her from the case. The court dropped the charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against her, and she is now being tried under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. She was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in 2017. Speaking about her entry in politics, Thakur said the condition in the country and vote bank politics prompted her to accept the challenge of contesting Lok Sbha polls. "The Congress always divided the society to gain political benefits. I want to end this vote bank politics. Santan Dharma which professed universal brotherhood was branded as 'Bhagwa Aatankwad' which also needed to be fought." "Those who conspired to malign the Sanatan Dharm -- and Hindutva by coining the term 'saffron terror' have acted as anti-national. Their act is anti-religious and anti-national," she charged. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when a bomb went off near a mosque in Malegaon in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. "My struggle is not an individual's fight. I am just a source who is fighting to uphold Hindutva," she said. Thakur said Hindutva and development are "synonymous". The BJP will come out with a vision document "Bhavishya Ka Bhopal" on May 7. Thakur will release the document. "A clean Bhopal, security of women, conservation of lakes in the city are some of my priorities," she said. Born in the Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh,Thakur had a long association with the Sangh parivar. A post-graduate in history, she worked with the RSS' student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The BJP has been holding Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, where about 4.5 lakh of the 18 lakh voters are Muslim, since 1989. The Election Commission had Wednesday barred Thakur from campaigning for 72 hours for her remarks on former ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Babri mosque demolition. The ban came into force from 6.00 AM on May 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Air conditioner maker Johnson Controls- Air Conditioning is expecting a 15 per cent growth in the residential AC segment this year led by its inverter range, said a top company official. The company, which mostly operates in the premium residential AC segment under brand Hitachi, is expecting to almost double the sales of its inverter range of ACs and around 50 per cent growth in sales of 5-star inverter ACs over the previous year. Besides, Hitachi, which is expanding its channel network in tier-II and III markets, has also introduced new models designed specifically to cater to the first time and mid-segment AC buyers. "We will continue to be one of the top brands in the air conditioner segment. We expect to grow much faster than the market and achieve nearly 15 per cent growth (by value) this year," said Johnson Controls- Air Conditioning Chairman and Managing Director Gurmeet Singh. According to its strategy, Hitachi, which is revamping its brand identity, would focus on south and west region markets. "With this new brand identity, our growth addresses the inherent consumer needs and will be driven by a strong sales and marketing push in south and west markets this year," he said. had witnessed over 24 per cent year-on-year growth (y-o-y) in room AC last year against the industry growth of 7 per cent. "This growth was majorly driven by the company's focus towards providing and green products along with easy finance options. We are one of the top brands in with a 12 per cent market share in the AC segment and intend to add a per cent or two by the end of 2019-20," he added. The Indian residential AC market has witnessed almost flat growth in the past two years, but Singh expects a "turnaround" this year in the industry. "Given the timely onset of summer and the prediction of below-normal monsoon this year, we expect that the industry would see a double-digit growth over last year. Overall, higher disposable incomes, increasing electrification, changing weather conditions, growing urbanisation, year-round AC usage trend and easy access to financing schemes have been a few key factors driving the growth of AC sales in India," Singh added. According to Singh, India is witnessing a continual shift towards inverter ACs, which now contributes around 40 per cent of the overall industry sales. The company is investing around four per cent of its revenue into promoting the new brand through print, out-of-home, digital and other means of connecting with the consumers, he added. "Hitachi aims to reach every Indian household and become India's leading air conditioning brand by 2021," Singh said. The Indian room AC industry market is expected to be of around 4.5 million unit with more than 20 competing in the space, in which and are leading the space. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning is a joint venture of Johnson Controls, USA, and Hitachi Appliances, Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said India is headed for an economic slowdown and accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits due to its "lack of economic vision". Citing the latest economic growth figures to suggest an impending slowdown, the senior Congress leader also said the Indian economy is "over-regulated" and the government controls and interferences are aplenty with even regulators having "morphed into controllers". He also rued the "growing interference" of courts in the economic policies, and said the Congress would have handled the economy differently. In an interview to PTI, the two-time prime minister, who is credited with spearheading India's economic reform process, alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation. "Finance Ministry's latest monthly report now reflects that the country is headed for a slowdown and it has revised the GDP growth figures for this quarter (JanuaryApril) to just 6.5 per cent," Singh said. He said the declining growth of private consumption, tepid increase in fixed investment and muted exports are the key factors which have led to this situation. "I have no qualms in saying that the Modi government has left our economy in dire straits," he said. Singh said the demonetisation was perhaps "the biggest scam" of independent India, dealt a blow on the country's economy and decimated the informal and unorganised sectors with crores of people turning jobless. "This was nothing but a criminal act of betrayal for those people who elected this government with such a brute majority," he said. "The current government boasts of getting investment, but the reality is that the FDI growth is at a five-year low. Core (indrastructure) sector growth is at a two-year low. Rupee has become Asia's worst-performing currency. All these are a cause of serious concern," he said. Singh said had the Modi government followed the path shown by the previous governments of high economic growth and rapid development, the country could have eliminated poverty in the last five years. "Instead, they inflicted disruptive and unnecessary decisions like demonetisation on the economy. This is borne out of a lack of economic vision or understanding the dynamics of our economy," he said. "Given the extraordinary majority the Modi government enjoyed in Parliament, they could have used their political capital to reap benefits for India on the economic front. Unfortunately they have fallen flat," he said. Singh said the Congress' NYAY scheme (of minimum income for poor) would usher in a new model for social welfare and prudent economics, as economic benefits will give rise in consumption levels resulting in kick starting economic growth. "We think that spending 1.5 per cent of GDP for 20 per cent of the population is absolutely fair and just. The Congress party is also committed to fiscal discipline. Our nearly USD 3 trillion economy has the fiscal capacity to absorb this expenditure. "There will be no need for any new taxes on the middle class to finance NYAY. Only those who have no compassion for the poor will oppose NYAY," he said. The ex-PM said the Congress promises to review and replace the current GST laws with the GST 2.0 regime to truly reflect the intent and purpose of a non-cascading, value-added, indirect tax. "Our economy is still over-regulated. Structural problems remain. Government control and bureaucratic interference are aplenty. Regulators have morphed into controllers. There is growing interference by the courts in economic policies. We would not have treaded this path," he said. Singh said the Congress' economic philosophy is based on embracing the idea of an open and liberal market economy, creation of wealth, sustainable development, and reduction of inequalities as also assurance of welfare of all sections of people through inclusive growth. "We would have followed all this with more vigour." He said the banking sector is "under severe stress" and the way out of "this mess" is to reverse some "gross distortions", work closely with the RBI, re-start the process of credit delivery and ensure sufficient liquidity and cash in circulation. "A comprehensive review of the concept, role and functions of Public Sector Banks in order to make them robust and competitive with healthy balance sheets is the need of the hour. Dispute redressal and priority lending is the key," he said. The NPA "scare" has brought lending to a virtual halt, the former prime minister said, adding that a "one-size-fits-all approach" drove companies into insolvency while demonetisation shut out all sources of informal credit. Singh said there are no jobs in the country as Modi snatched away 4 crore jobs from India's youth and imperiled their future. "Unwitting and ill-conceived decisions of Demonetisation and a flawed GST, coupled with tax terrorism, have dealt a body blow to both organized and unorganized sectors," he said. Small, medium and micro enterprises are reeling under adverse and painful effects of the "double whammy" of demonetisation and GST, he said. He said industrial growth in 2018 is 4.45 per cent, which averaged at 8.35 per cent during the Congress-led UPA regime (2004-2014). He said the manufacturing share in GDP grew only by 0.5 per cent between 2014 and 2018 under the Modi government, while agriculture growth has also been abysmal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP president Amit Shah Sunday asserted that India will emerge as a "superpower" in the next five years if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister again. Addressing his fourth rally in the states of Punjab and Haryana, Shah said the country was secure only under the Modi rule. He earlier organised rallies at Sonipat and Panipat in Haryana, and at Pathankot in Punjab. His rally in Haryana's Yamunanagar was cancelled. "I have come here to say if you make Narendra Modi PM again, India will emerge as a superpower in the world in next five years," the BJP chief told the gathering here. He was campaigning for BJP nominee and sitting MP from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher. Dubbing the Congress-led opposition 'Mahamilavati' (highly adulterated) 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), Shah reiterated that only Narendra Modi can keep the country secure. "On one side, BJP and its alliance partners, and on the other hand, there is 'Mahamilavat Mahagathbandhan' whose leader is Rahul (Gandhi). Can they secure the country? Can they work for welfare of poor? Can they give a strong reply to terrorism? Can they give a strong reply to Pakistan?" he said. The BJP leader said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were being fought not only for development. "Development of poor, villages, farmers, cities will be carried out by Modi. But the job of securing the country can only be done by Modi ji," he said. Shah, who is contesting from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, yet again raised the issue of Balakot strikes and attacked the Congress for seeking proof of the strikes. He also vowed to scrap Article 370 (granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir) while asserting that Kashmir will always remain an integral part of India. Shah also listed out the work carried out by the party in Chandigarh during the last five years. Chandigarh become kerosene-free city and every house here has LPG cylinder, he said, adding direct benefit transfer was introduced in the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS). Chandigarh was also included in the first list of smart cities and work was carried out towards making the Chandigarh Railway Station as a model station, the BJP president said. He said flats were constructed for 5,000 slum dwellers at the cost of Rs 155 crore. "For urban transportation, 84 buses were purchased for Rs 37 crore. An amount of Rs 42 crore was spent in sector 17 and an administrative building is being set up here at the cost of Rs 72 crore," Shah added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Sunday termed the killing of party leader Gul Mohammad Mir a "cowardly act" and said his sacrifice would not go in vain. A BJP delegation also visited Mir's home in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district and assured his family members of full support. Mir, the district vice-president of the party who was popular in the area as 'Atal', was shot dead by three militants in his house at Nowgam-Verinag area of Anantnag district late Saturday. BJP General Secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul, along with MLCs Surinder Ambardar and Ramesh Arora, state spokesperson Altaf Thakur and Kashmir Media in-charge Manzoor Bhat, visited the bereaved family to extend their sympathies, a BJP spokesman said here. Describing the killing of Mir as a "cowardly act", national vice president and state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna said the BJP activists have been risking their lives in Kashmir tostrengthen the nationalist forces, which cannot be "digested" by anti-national elements. "The gun cannot silence the voice of nationalist people in Kashmir. The party has made supreme sacrifices for the cause of nation in the state and the party cannot be deviated from its mission of the complete integration of the state with the rest of the country," he said. He said Mir has laid down his life for a noble cause and his sacrifice would further strengthen resolve of the patriotic people to give a befitting reply to those carrying gun to disturb peace, social fabric and halt development in the valley. Terming the killing of Mir a "big loss" for the nation, state BJP president Ravinder Raina said his sacrifice would not go in vain. "His killing is a big loss to the nation... He was a brave man who always fought against Pakistani terrorists and till the last breath of his life served the motherland," Raina said adding Mir was associated with the BJP since 1990 and had fought elections on the party ticket in the past. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday condemned the killing of BJP leader Gul Muhammad Mir and ordered an inquiry into killing of political activists belonging to various parties in the state in the last few months. The Governor also asked state chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to identify any lapses on the part of security agencies in ensuring security of political activists, an official spokesman said. Expressing grief over the loss of life, the Governor in a condolence message has prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family in its hour of grief, he said. The spokesman said Malik has conveyed that immediately after the opening of Governor's Secretariat in Srinagar, he would call a high-level meeting to review the safety and security aspects of all political leaders and sarpanches in the state. The Governor spoke to K Vijay Kumar, Advisor to the Governor and directed him to ensure early arrest of those responsible for the killing and spare no one who tries to create fear and panic among the people, the spokesman said. He said the Governor directed the chief secretary to get an inquiry conducted into the killings of political people belonging to various parties in the state in the last few months. The spokesman said Malik has asked for identifying any lapses on the part of security agencies in ensuring security of political activists and has emphasized that from now onwards, all political people should be protected at every cost. Militants shot dead Mir the BJP's district vice-president in Anantnag district of south Kashmir - at Nowgam Verinag on Saturday night. There have been several instances of militants attacking political or social activists in the state. In the last about two months, four such incidents took place which include militants killing senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) Rajinder Kumar at the District Hospital in Kishtwar on 9 April. Before that, on 4 April, a Panch, Abdul Majeed Dar, from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead by militants at his residence. On March 14, a political worker associated with National Conference (NC) - Mohammad Ismail Wani - was shot at and injured by suspected militants in Anantnag district, while earlier on March 30, suspected militants shot dead social activist Arjumand Majid Bhat - in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The killing of a BJP leader in south Kashmir has sparked off a controversy with Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday ordering an inquiry headed by state chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to "identify lapses" while political parties accusing the top bureaucrat of creating a chaotic situation by withdrawing security of political activists. Condoling the death of Gul Mohammed Mir, 57, the BJP leader who unsuccessfully contested on the party ticket in 2008 and 2014 assembly elections from Dooru in South Kashmir, Malik asked the chief secretary to identify any lapses on part of the security agencies in ensuring security of political activists, an official spokesman said. The governor has called for an emergency meeting on Monday, when government offices will reopen in summer capital of Srinagar after the bi-annual 'Darbar move', during which he will review the safety and security aspects of all political leaders and sarpanches in the state, he said. Malik directed the chief secretary to get an inquiry conducted into the killings of political leaders belonging to various parties in the state in the last few months. Militants, besides fighting the security forces, target political or social activists in the state. The ultras killed a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) Rajinder Kumar at the District Hospital in Kishtwar on April 9. Similarly, a panch, Abdul Majeed Dar, from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead by militants at his residence on April 4. On March 14, a political worker associated with the National Conference (NC) -- Mohammad Ismail Wani -- was shot at and injured by suspected militants in Anantnag district. On March 30, suspected militants shot dead social activist Arjumand Majid Bhat in Baramulla district Mir, whose affidavit shows his age as 52 in 2014 assembly elections, was shot dead Saturday night outside his residence at Nowgam in the Verinag area of South Kashmir. He was shifted to a hospital in a critical condition, but the doctors there declared him brought dead. His son, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, said his father's security was withdrawn two months ago and all efforts to get it back had fallen on deaf ears. "I had given a letter of the BJP leaders to SSP Anantnag but he expressed his helplessness and directed me to see Munir Khan (Additional Director General of Police in charge of security)," he said. Security of political activists, including the elder Mir, was withdrawn on the orders of the chief secretary in February despite opposition from security agencies, officials said. The security agencies had suggested that no security should be withdrawn until the election process is completed. However, the chief secretary ordered reconstitution of the screening committee and removed police officials from it and appointed state home secretary Shaleen Kabra as its chairman, a move that has come under criticism. Former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, while taking a potshot at the chief secretary, said withdrawing security of political activists was a "foolih decision". "Questions need to be asked but they can't be answered by the person who was responsible for the actual order to withdraw security. The security withdrawal had been opposed by state and central intelligence agencies so who overruled them and went ahead regardless?," he tweeted. "Not long ago senior BJP leaders were bragging about how undeserving people had their security withdrawn in J&K. I'd warned against the decision then and yesterday's assassination of Gul Mohd Mir only confirms what I'd feared - it was a foolish decision disconnected from reality,"Abdullah said. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress chief G A Mir said the inquiry ordered by the governor was an "eyewash" while CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami demanded a judicial enquiry into the lapses. "How can anyone, who is part of the system, enquire into it," Tarigami asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police are investigating an alleged incident of distribution of money at an election rally of BJP in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir last week, officials said. "An FIR has been registered by the district police of Leh under relevant sections of RPC against an incident of distributing cheques/cash to people gathered for BJP rally held on April 30 in Nubra assembly segment of 4-Ladakh parliamentary constituency," they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JERUSALEM, May 5: An early morning rocket from the Gaza Strip killed an Israeli man Sunday outside a home in the coastal city of Ashkelon amid a massive wave of attacks, marking the first Israeli casualty from rocket fire since the 2014 war with Hamas militants. Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old father of four, was struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard from one of the 450 rockets fired from Gaza in less than 24 hours one of the most intense flareups of violence in years. The Israeli military retaliated with some 220 airstrikes against militant targets in Gaza, and said it killed eight militants. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli strikes had killed six Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece in their east Gaza City home Saturday. However, military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Sunday that a detailed review found that a Palestinian rocket had misfired and killed them. He said the Palestinians were trying to sell a story that isnt true. The conflicting accounts could not immediately be reconciled. The sudden outburst infighting has broken a month-long lull. Egyptian mediators had been trying to negotiate a long-term cease-fire between the two sides, who have fought three wars and several other rounds of conflict over the past decade. Conricus said Israels strikes hit a variety of high-quality militant sites, that included commanders homes in which militant activity was observed. He said he had no knowledge of civilians being harmed by Israeli fire. Conricus said Israel was deploying an armor brigade along the Gaza front, with tanks ready for offensive missions as needed. The Israeli military has already struck rocket launchers, tunnel shafts, training sites, storage depots and warehouses of both the territorys Hamas rulers and the smaller, Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas was paying a heavy price for its rocket attacks against Israel and that it would be held accountable not only for its own militant actions but also for that of the Islamic Jihad, which operates under its jurisdiction in Gaza. Sirens wailed along the border region overnight warning of incoming attacks. School was canceled in southern Israel and emergency protocol enacted. A new round of attacks midday Sunday targeted major cities in the countrys south. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. By morning, bulldozers were clearing the streets from rubble and debris strewn on the ground and municipal workers were fixing damaged power lines. Owners of clothing stores that were destroyed in Gaza Citys relatively upscale Remal neighborhood squatted across the streets from where their stores had stood, cupping their faces in their hands. One of the airstrikes hit a six-story commercial and residential building that housed the office of Turkeys official Anadolu news agency. We thought the Remal neighborhood is safe, but it seems there is no safe place in Gaza, said Nidal al-Dali, who lived in the building and lost his home. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called it a new example of Israels unrestrained aggression. Jordan has called for an immediate cessation of attacks, saying that the humanitarian and living crisis (in Gaza) are unacceptable. The Israeli military says its Iron Dome defense system intercepted more than 150 of the projectiles from Gaza, but several still managed to slip through. A rocket scored a direct hit on a residential home in the border town of Sderot. Jonathan Rieck, director of the emergency room at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, said they had treated some 80 people, most from shock symptoms, but several with body wounds, including an elderly man who was in critical condition from head injuries. Israel has vowed to hit back hard against both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, whom it suspects of triggering the current conflagration. But, as in similar previous rounds where it stopped short of a full-fledged war, the timing for a prolonged round of fighting is tricky for Israel. The country marks Memorial Day and Independence Day this week, when masses head out to ceremonies at military cemeteries and then street parties across the country. The following week it is set to host the Eurovision song contest in which large groups of tourists are expected to arrive for the campy spectacle. For Gazans, the violence comes ahead of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan that begins Monday. Hamas, an Islamic group vowed to Israels destruction, forcefully seized control of Gaza in 2007. It most recently engaged in several days of heavy fighting with Israel in March before Egypt brokered a truce, in which Israel agreed to ease a crippling blockade on Gaza in exchange for a halt in rocket fire. In recent days, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on its pledges as militants began to fire rockets into Israel. Israel accuses Islamic Jihad of operating behind Hamas back and instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding two Israeli soldiers Friday. Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, said the source of the eruption of violence was Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza being pushed by their patrons in Tehran. This is the interest of the Iranians, that there will be another operation in Gaza that they will be free to continue what they are doing in Syria and Israel will be busy with and focusing on Gaza, explained Amidror, currently a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. Islamic Jihad has threatened to fire longer range rockets toward Israels heartland, and in a video that also was seen as an implicit claim of responsibility, it showed archived footage of militants attaching warheads to rockets. The resurgence of violence threatened to shatter the shaky understandings recently reached though Egyptian mediators. Israel had agreed to expand a fishing zone off Gazas coast, increased imports into Gaza and allow the Gulf state of Qatar to deliver aid to cash-strapped Gaza. Militant leaders were in Cairo trying to reach a new cease-fire. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao will meet his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. "Rao will meet Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday at 6 pm. In view of the parliament elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," an official release said. Rao will also visit Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples, and return to Hyderabad, it said. The TRS chief has been proposing a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front at the Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal Sunday urged people to strengthen the hands of his party by voting for them. Kejriwal held three roadshows on Sunday in Delhi's North-East, West and Chandni Chowk parliamentary constituencies. He urged the people to "strengthen the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party by voting for them in the upcoming polls". "We have worked for you and will continue to work for you but you need to strengthen the hands of the party by voting for us," he said. Hitting out at the incumbent BJP MPs, Kejriwal asked people not to vote this time for those "who do not show their faces after elections". He urged people to not "waste" their votes by supporting the Congress as this time the "Congress candidates would lose their security deposits". In each of the roadshows, he was accompanied by AAP candidates for the respective constituencies. While he was accompanied by Pankaj Gupta in Chandni Chowk, the chief minister was flanked by Dilip Pandey in North-East Delhi. The AAP chief was accompanied in the West Delhi constituency by the party candidate Balbir Jakhar. The roadshows came a day after the Delhi chief minister was slapped by a man in New Delhi constituency on Saturday. With a week to go for the elections in Delhi, the AAP has intensified its campaigning by holding multiple roadshows of Kejriwal and adding star power to its campaign through participation of Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and actor-politician Prakash Raj in AAP's roadshows. Kejriwal's roadshows are part of the party's third phase of campaigning. The third phase of campaign started from last Tuesday and would continue till the last day of campaigning. The AAP has already held campaigning in two phases. The first phase was from March 10 to April 7 while second phase was from April 10-April 25. In the first phase, campaigning through jansabhas (public meetings) was carried out while door-to-door campaigning marked the second phase. Delhi, which has seven Lok Sabha seats, goes to polls in the sixth phase on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Sunday condemned the attack on Aam Admi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said the inaction of the police has encouraged the attackers. Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled AAP supporter during a roadshow on Saturday. "We are outraged and horrified by this act of aggression against the Chief Minister of a state," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. He said the attack on Kejriwal was an attempt to muzzle the voices against the Sangh Parivar. Vijayan said he had spoken to Kejriwal over the phone and that this was not the first time he has been attacked. The inaction of the Delhi police, which is controlled by the Central government, has served as an encouragement for the attackers, Vijayan said. Kejriwal Sunday alleged that the BJP was responsible for the attack and claimed he was targeted because he had been lately questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'relationship' with Pakistan. The AAP supremo, at a press conference held at the party headquarters, said this was not just an attack on him but an assault on the people of Delhi and the mandate they had given. The BJP, however, rubbished the claim as Kejriwal's 'propaganda.' "This is the ninth attack on me and fifth one since I took charge as the chief minister of Delhi. And, for any attack on me in future, BJP will be responsible," Kejriwal said. "They (BJP) do not want the common man to enter politics, so we are being targeted. Our only fault is we have tried to bring development in Delhi, in education, health and other sectors. They are feeling insecure...," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would undertake a 13-day trip to Europe from May 8 and participate in various programmes, including the United Nations (UN) world reconstruction conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference is a global forum providing a platform to collect, assess, and share experiences in disaster recovery and reconstruction and take forward the policy dialogue. The chief minister would share at the conference the devastation caused by the floods in August last and explain in detail the reconstruction plan, an official press release said here Sunday. Vijayan and his team would visit 'Room for River' project of Netherlands which is a model to rebuild a flood-hit state. The release said Chief Minister would also meet French economist Thomas Picketty in Paris on May 16. Vijayan would attend a meeting with Swiss investors to attract investment to Kerala. During his visit to Switzerland, Vijayan would hold a meeting with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) crisis bureau directorAsako Okai. He would attend on May 17 the listing on the London Stock Exchange a masala bond from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), the only state-government body from India to issue the rupee-denominated offshore bond. KIIFB plans to raise Rs 5,000 crore through masala bonds to fund large and critical infrastructure projects in Kerala. With a view to establishing its credit profile and market standing, KIIFB had undertaken a detailed rating exercise through two international credit rating agencies - Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings, the state agency had said in a statement. The 2018 Kerala flood, which ravaged the state and claimed 483 lives, was among the major disasters reported globally in the last year, including the California wildfire and the floods in Japan. The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report prepared by a UN team said Kerala would need Rs 31,000 crore for rebuilding. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reflecting a surge in the demand this poll season, the sale of khadi apparels has registered a record high of Rs 3,215 crore, up 29 per cent in the financial year ended March, 2019 compared to the previous fiscal. The chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Vinay Kumar Saxena, told PTI that after 2013-14, the khadi business registered a four times growth in the last five years. He said the sale grew to Rs 3,215 crore in the fiscal ended March 31, 2019 from Rs 811 crore in financial year 2013-14. Saxena said, during summers, politicians and their supporters have to spend a lot of time under the sun due to which they prefer to wear khadi which is suitable for hot weather. He said the demand for khadi is growing across the country, especially in Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Out of the total sale in the previous financial year, 40 per cent was of raw cloth, while the rest 60 per cent was of ready-made apparels, Saxena said. He added that there is a sustained demand for the khadi dresses made by village workers. There are more than 1,000 stores of KVIC in Uttar Pradesh, while Bihar has 8,060 of these shops, Saxena said. The chairman said, the sales of khadi apparel grew by around 7 per cent from 2004 to 2014 while in the past five years the sales increased by more than 10 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming the killing of its leader Gul Mohammad Mir as a big loss for the nation, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Sunday said his sacrifice would not go in vain. Mir, the district vice-president of the party, was shot dead by three militants in his house at Nowgam-Verinag area of Anantnag district late Saturday. His killing is a big loss to the nation...he was a brave man who always fought against Pakistani terrorists and till the last breath of his life served the motherland, state BJP president Ravinder Raina said. He said Mir was known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee of Anantnag and was a great son of mother India. The martyrdom of Mir will not go in vain and all those coward Pakistanis (terrorists) will be neutralised very soon, he said and saluted the courage and patriotic zeal of the slain leader. BJP state spokesperson Brig (Retd) Anil Gupta said the killing of Mir is not only a dastardly act of terror but a sign of desperation of those forces who are scared of the growing numbers of nationalists in the valley. "Attack just a couple of days before polling is meant to scare political workers of BJP. Nationalist forces in valley have become strong enough to thwart nefarious designs of those who are against democracy, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday reimposed a curfew on the western coastal town of Negombo where jihadists attacked a church during a series of coordinated blasts on April 21. The move was taken after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people travelling on a three-wheeler in Porathota area of the town. The vehicle was also set on fire and the military had to intervene to bring the situation under control. "Curfew has been imposed with immediate effect for Negombo and Kochchikade police areas till 7 am tomorrow," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Tension prevailed in the area since the Easter Sunday after the St Sebastian's church was attacked by a suicide bomber killing scores of people. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an expression of solidarity to their Christian brethren in the wake of the recent serial blasts in Sri Lanka, members of the Muslim community gathered outside the Milagres Church here during the mass on Sunday. The group of Muslims held aloft placards which read "terrorism has no religion," "from New Zealand to Sri Lanka we are united in peace", "Muslims are with Christians" and "terror will not not break our bonds." Christians coming out of the Church also pledged their solidarity with the Muslims. Appreciating the gesture, parish priest Valerian DSouza said both Christians and Muslims are united in condemning the terror attacks in Sri Lanka. Members of Muslim community distributed dates and water to those returning from the morning mass. The series of devastating blasts in three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21 killed 253 people and injured over 500 others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old Sri Lankan national, who did not have valid travel documents, has been taken into custody, police said here on Sunday. The man, who identified himself as Maluge Juth Selfon Dias, was held from Thampanoor bus terminal in the heart of the city last night, police said. He told investigators that his bag, carrying passport, visa and other documents, had been stolen during the journey. However, he did not give any clear answer as to how he had reached the southern state. "We have informed all investigating agencies about his custody. Now, Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials are interrogating him. Based on the IB report, we will take further action. No case has been registered so far," a police official told PTI. The man claimed that he had reached Kerala on February 20, the official added. The custody of the Lankan man assumes significance in the wake of reports about the alleged visit of perpetrators of the recent blasts that had rocked the island nation on Easter day. The Sri Lanka Army's chief had said in a recent interview that some of the suicide bombers, who carried out the country's worst terror attack on Easter Sunday, visited Kashmir and Kerala for "some sorts of training" or to "make some more links" with other foreign outfits. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 people and injuring over 500. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A lawyer lodged a complaint with police here Sunday against CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury over his alleged comments at Bhopal on May 3, linking Hinduism with violence. K Karuna Sagar, in his complaint, accused the CPI(M) leader of making offensive remarks on the Hindu sacred texts the 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata' and hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Sagar, who is also associated with a local organisation 'Hindu Sanghatan', said he came through Yechury's comments in a portal while browsing a the internet on Saturday. "Many kings and principalities have fought battles in the country. Even the Ramayana and Mahabharata are also filled with instances of violence," the CPI(M) leader had said in Bhopal on Friday. Sagar in his complaint said Yechury insulted and annoyed Hindus with his derogatory remarks. He said the Hindu epics and scriptures promote noble values like victory of good over evil, universal brotherhood and non-violence Yechury's fraudulent claims that these texts preach violence was nothing but outraging the feelings of crores of Hindus, he said and demanded that police take necessary action against him for the remarks. Police said they are seeking legal opinion on the complaint. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Peopleas Alliance for Democracy and Secularism Press Release 5 May 2019 The Only Viable Response to Global Terror is Democracy More than 250 people were killed in a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 20 April during Easter Sunday. Local Islamic orgasnisations NJT and JMI are held responsible for the attack. Islamic State has also claimed responsibility. Sri Lanka has had a long history of majoritarian Buddhist and state violence against religious and ethnic minorities. During the civil war, the Tamil group LTTE too had attacked Muslims in its Eastern province. However, there have been no cases of inter-ethnic clashes between Muslims and Christians in the island nation. Motivation for these attacks apparently came from what is seen as persecution of Muslims in other countries. Multi religious and multi-ethnic countries of South Asia are especially in danger of being sucked into global terror spawned by imitations of the Islamic State and its virulent ideology. Before Colombo, there was the Dhaka attack on a cafA in which 29 people were killed. Signs from Pakistan and Afghanistan are not propitious where IS inspired terror groups have deeper base. Like Sri Lanka, India too is not immune from this kind of terror. One month ago on 15 March, 50 worshippers were killed in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday prayers. The terrorist in this case was an Australian white supremacist driven by anti-immigrant sentiments and hatred against Muslims. He live streamed the mass killing on Facebook, which was watched by thousands worldwide. Facebook claims to have blocked 1.5 million uploads of the livestreamed video within a day of the attack, however its copies, which were put up by other people, were available on many other social media sites. This scale of social media spread shows that the support for his action was not insignificant. Attacks in Christchurch and Colombo show how terrorism in our times has acquired a global character. Governments respond to such attacks militarily. Such reactions completely miss the fact that the background to these attacks is political, and only a broad based democratic politics can snap the feedback loop of false victimhood on which such terrorism feeds. Almost all the countries from Pakistan in the East to Libya in the West, in which Islam is the majority religion are mired in political crises. Western imperialism has a dominating military presence here. It is in cahoots with the most reactionary, monarchical and religious regimes like Saudi Arabia and Emirates. In countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya it has destroyed existing state and civil society structures by military aggression. While the reasons of direct imperial intervention are well recognised, the other aspect of the crisis, the internal failure of these societies to respond in a democratic and secular way is little appreciated. In the absence of such responses these societies are caught up in the self-destructive dead end of religious populism. Elected leaders like the Turkish president Erdogan, or Pakistani PM Imran Khan represent one strand of this populism. Other strands are formed by violent jihadi groups, with Islamic State being the most violent of these. Democratic possibilities of the Arab Spring have been squashed by hard core military and monarchical regimes on the one side, and religious populism on the other. Hence it is no surprise that the kind of terrorism seen in Colombo does enjoy a legitimacy among a section of Muslim communities, and this legitimacy has a global spread. A similar kind of global spread of anti-immigrant politics and hatred of Muslims is seen in white Christian countries, many of which are liberal democratic. This politics of hatred is justified for the sake of safeguarding the interests of native citizens from what are seen as predatory intentions of immigrants, and lies at the core of the successes of extreme right wing politics in countries like Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, and the US. Neo-liberalism and economic crisis here have weakened old arrangements of political representation and caused widespread economic distress. Both of these developments have contributed significantly to the rise of the extreme right wing. Here though it should be noted that the New Zealand PM Ms Jacinda Ardern, and ordinary people of the country have responded in an honourable and wise manner to the terror attack in Christchurch. Not only has the New Zealand PM come out unequivocally against violence on Muslim citizens of her country, she has also undertaken domestic legal reforms so that this kind of violence becomes difficult in future. Ordinary New Zealanders too came out in large numbers to reassure their Muslim neighbours. The use of hijab as a symbol of their support has been rightly criticised by secularists and feminists, since it represents the hold of patriarchy on Muslim communities. However, it cannot be denied that the liberal sentiment of inclusive openness, which lies behind the public gestures of Ms Ardern and the people of New Zealand, is essential for the success of democracy in any multi ethnic society. This should be compared with public reaction to attacks on minorities in a country like India. Here, political parties involved in horrific killings during riots have reaped handsome electoral rewards in 1984, and 2002. Past five years have seen multiple cases of public lynching in the name of cow, and a party which openly targets minorities is ruling the country. Peopleas Alliance for Democracy and Secularism condemns terrorist attacks in Colombo and Christchurch. Such attacks are driven by pure hatred and legitimise violence against innocent civilians. These sentiments are no different from those of Hindutva violence against minorities. They need to be countered by the democratic value of equal respect for the rights of every human being. PADS appeals to the people of all countries to guard themselves against easy seductions of religious fundamentalism and extreme right wing. Only a consistent application of democratic and secular principles in public life can help humanity overcome the crisis it faces at present. A leopard killed a 45-year-old man in Rajasthan's Alwar district when he went to relieve himself in the open, police said Sunday. Ram Swaroop Meena was attacked by the leopard on Saturday night in Kishori village of Thana Gazi tehsil, Pratapgarh police station in-charge Surendra Singh said. The body was found on Sunday after which postmortem was conducted, he said. A case has been registered under section 174 (investigation of unnatural deaths) of the CrPC, Singh added. Forest Department officials confirmed it to be a leopard attack based on the pug marks traced near the spot where the body was found, he said, adding that an enclosure has been placed to trap the animal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan based LeT, which had orchestrated terror attacks in India, including Mumbai and Bengaluru from here, had engaged its operative Abu Hamza to set up bases in various parts of the country, according to a former top official of the state intelligence department. As part of his mission, Hamza hired a man from Bihar and they carried out the December 28, 2005 attack at the Indian Institute of Science, killing mathematics professor Munish Chander Puri of IIT-Delhi and injuring four, Gopal B Hosur, former ADGP in the department said. "The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had engaged Abu Hamza to plant terror in various parts of India. He in turn found Sababuddin from Bihar to carry out terror operations. Sababuddin got admission to a local college in Bengaluru only to get an identity card. His intention was to set up a base and to survey the city," Hosur said. He was speaking at the release of a book "Corridors of intelligence Revealing politics" and its Kannada version "Goodhacaryeya Aa Dinagalu" (Intelligence of those days) authored by retired DGP Dr V Guru Prasad in the city Saturday. Hosur said he came to know of LeT's role in the IISc attack after interrogating Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the terrorist nabbed alive after the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. "I was astonished at his vivid description of the incident and for a minute I thought he was also part of the Bengaluru terror attack incident at IISc," he said. Hosur said Kasab told him that LeT had through a power point presentation explained to its recruits the reasons for the failure of the Bengaluru terror attack. As per the plan, the LeT operatives wanted to throw grenades and then open fire from their AK-56 assault rifles during a national seminar at the IISc on December 28, 2005. They hired an autorickshaw and asked the driver to take them to the venue. However the man refused to drive to the main gate in violation of traffic rules and took a detour. As a result the duo were delayed and the seminar was almost over, recalled Hosur. Prof Puri was walking out of the auditorium when the terrorists threw the grenade, which did not explode. Then they opened fire indiscriminately, killing him and injuring others, Hosur said. After the attack, Hamza went to Frazer Town area here, then made his way to Hyderabad, Patna, and from there to Nepal and finally Karachi. Kasab's aide Sababuddin was later nabbed in Nepal, he said. Dr Guru Prasad opined that law and order should be shifted from the state list to the concurrent list to contain and control cross-border terrorism and left-wing extremism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flanked by royal guards marching to a steady drumbeat, Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn was carried on a gilded palanquin through the streets of old Bangkok Sunday, in front of crowds who shouted "long live the king!" The monarch, Rama X of the Chakri dynasty, wore a bejewelled robe and a dark broad-brimmed hat with white feathers, on the second of three days of coronation ceremonies. The seven-kilometre procession brought the public into close proximity with the 66-year-old monarch for the first time, two years after he ascended the throne in an increasingly assertive reign. "When we looked at our king, he looked very smart and very great," Bangkok resident Donnapha Kladbupha told AFP, noting that he smiled. Fronted by riders on white horses, the slow-moving procession started around 5pm (1000 GMT) at the grand palace as trumpets blared, soldiers shouted commands and cannons fired a 21-gun salute. As night fell the king stopped to pay homage at several Buddhist temples. Thais wearing yellow shirts -- the royal colour -- and carrying umbrellas to protect against soaring daytime temperatures filled the streets, with many clutching portraits of Vajiralongkorn. The coronation, which started Saturday, is the first since Vajiralongkorn's adored and revered father was crowned in 1950. The highlight of Saturday's sombre ceremonies was the King's anointment with holy water, before he placed the 7.3 kilogram (16 lbs) golden tiered crown on his head. The rituals were "unique and reflect the tradition and history of Thailand and the monarchy", student Thanawat Muangon told AFP. Thailand's monarchy is one of the wealthiest in the world and is steeped in protocol centring on the king, who is viewed as a demigod. Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 after the death of his long-reigning father Bhumibol Adulyadej. A keen pilot who spends much time abroad in Germany, Vajiralongkorn is not as well known to his subjects. But any in-depth discussion or criticism of the royal family in Thailand is guarded by harsh lese-majeste rules that carry up to 15 years in prison. All media must self-censor. Early Sunday, Vajiralongkorn bestowed royal titles on family members who crawled to his throne in a striking show of deference to the monarch. He was joined by the new queen of Thailand Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya. Queen Suthida was deputy commander of the king's royal guard before her marriage to Vajiralongkorn, which was announced days before the coronation. During the procession she marched next to the palanquin in red and black uniform with a tall fur hat. Authorities sprayed mists of water over the crowds of onlookers whose numbers were bolstered by droves of "Jit Arsa" -- or "Spirit Volunteers" -- intended to project a show of devotion and fealty to the monarchy. But soaring temperatures threatened to thin out numbers. The coronation included a network of the most powerful and influential in Thailand. Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, took part in many of the key rituals and marched in the procession. The coronation, broadcast on live television and cropping up on social media accounts of some royal family members, provided a rare glimpse inside palace walls. One of those who received royal titles Sunday was 14-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti -- the king's son from his third marriage -- who knelt and prostrated in front of his father as he was anointed with water. Vajiralongkorn has six other children, including four sons from two previous wives. The dazzling display of the monarchy's primacy in Thai life belies a simmering political crisis held over from elections in March. The junta that seized power in 2014 and has vowed to defend the monarchy is aiming to cling to power through the ballot box. Its proxy party has claimed the popular vote. But a coalition of anti-military parties says it has shored up a majority in the lower house. Full results are not expected until May 9, a delay that has frustrated many Thais. "When the event (coronation) is finished we will have to focus on politics," said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University. Since ascending the throne the king has made several moves that experts say reinforce the apex role of the monarchy. He brought assets of the Crown Property Bureau under his direct control and appointed an army chief from a faction close to the monarchy. In February, he scuttled a prime ministerial bid made by his older sister Princess Ubolratana with an anti-junta party. Though the royal family is nominally above politics, the king issued an election-eve message calling on Thais to vote for "good people" against those who create "chaos". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "bhrashtachari no. 1" barb against Rajiv Gandhi snowballed into a political storm Sunday, even as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi replied to him with "love and a huge hug" and said he should wait for his 'karma' to catch up. Gandhi said that though Modi was projecting his beliefs about himself onto Rajiv Gandhi, he would not be able to protect himself, and that the battle for him is over. Modi's remarks drew widespread condemnation from Congress and other opposition leaders who felt the prime minister lowered the dignity of his office by making such comments about a former PM, who is no longer alive. The BJP, however, said every word Modi had said about Rajiv Gandhi was true and that the Congress chief was rattled due to his party's imminent defeat in Lok Sabha polls. Union minister Prakash Javadekar cited the former prime minister's remarks about the 1984 riots to accuse him of "supporting" the massacre of Sikhs. The senior BJP leader also claimed he was surprised at the reactions of Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over Modi's remarks. Rahul Gandhi's comments came after Modi said at a poll rally that his father Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as "bhrashtachari no. 1" (corrupt no. 1 ). "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul," the Congress president tweeted. Priyanka Vadra, the Congress general secretary, attacked Modi, saying he had insulted Rajiv Gandhi. "The PM, who seeks votes in the name of martyrs, due to his unbridled obsession has disrespected the supreme sacrifice of a good and noble human being. The people of Amethi, for whom Rajiv Gandhi gave their life, will give a reply. But yes, Modiji, this country never forgives those who deceive," she said in a tweet in Hindi. Javadekar said that everything Modi said was true. "After the killings of Sikhs in the 1984 riots, didn't Rajiv Gandhi support it? He had said when a big tree fell, the earth shook. Scriptures do not say that. The scriptures say when the earth shakes, big trees fall...they turned science on its head," he said. "They (Congress) are playing the of abuses. The Gandhis are rattled and they cannot tolerate it. The people of this country know everything. After four phases of polling, it is clear that the Congress is losing," he claimed. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley wondered why Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when issues on integrity of the Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised. He said the Congress chief thinks that "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Modi, a man of utmost integrity. "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if the integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the Q' connection? No reply has come," Jaitley said. He said that former prime minister Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the statement and said Rajiv Gandhi had laid down his life for the motherland. "The comments made by 'Expiry PM' Modi ji against former PM Rajiv Gandhi Ji are very unfortunate," she said. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said, "Those whose nationalism is pseudo and whose is based on dividing people will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifice for the nation". He said India would not forgive the people who insulted, hurt and abused martyrs, and history was going to record the name of "this pseudo nationalist in black ink for all his sins against the nation". Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav said whatever political disagreements people might have, those martyred deserved the people's respect and their families deserves empathy. "Election or not, this is basic humanity." Yadav claimed that the prime minister's statement indicated the level to which people can stoop for the sake of clinging on to power. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed that Modi was a master telling lies and he was trying to defame Congress leaders with baseless and irrelevant statements. He asked whether it behoves Modi to "insult" a former prime minister and accused him of lowering the dignity of his office. Claiming that Modi was "jolted" by the corruption allegations in the Rafale deal, he said the Congress will continue to rake up the issue till the prime minister is held accountable. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also hit out at Modi, saying it showed his "desperation" and "fear of defeat". "PM has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming Rajiv Gandhi, who died in 1991," he said. The former finance minister wondered if any religion sanctioned speaking ill of the dead and said Modi had crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming Gandhi. Quoting a Latin saying 'De mortuis nihil nisi bonum' which meant 'Of the dead, speaking nothing but the good', Chidambaram asked, "Has the PM heard of this ancient wisdom?" Congress leader KC Venugopal termed it as a "sickening remark" against a former prime minister who was conferred the Bharat Ratna award. "The PM must remember that abusing the martyred prime minister in public will not bring in votes but will demean the stature of the respectful post he assumes," he said, adding that no PM had ever stooped so a low for "cheap political gains". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said for the first time since Emergency, people of the country are fighting elections to re-elect a government, adding trends of the first four phases of Lok Sabha polls show the Congress and its allies are staring at defeat. Speaking at a poll rally here, he alleged while the Congress displayed India's poverty to the world, his government has highlighted the nation's power. He told the gathering that he had come not to campaign for himself, but to thank the people for supporting him since 2014. "The entire world is seeing for the first time how the people of the country have taken charge of the campaign for this 'sevak'. Wherever I go and ask about elections, workers say the people are fighting the election for me," Modi said, adding people trusted him while the opposition abused him. "Probably, after 1977... after Emergency, this is the first election that the people of the country are fighting to re-elect a government. The youths are running day and night stating 'Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar' (Modi government once again), mothers and sisters are campaigning... nothing else can be more fortunate for me," he said. "They (opposition) say 'Modi hatao' (remove Modi). But people who have benefited from my government's schemes are saying 'phir ek baar'," he told the crowd. Targeting the youth, especially the first-time voters, the prime minister said four kinds of political systems are prevailing in the country. "The first is 'naam panthi', second is 'vam panthi', third is 'daam, daman panthi' and the fourth is 'vikas panthi', he said. "Naam panthi is Congress which always talks about a family. 'Vam panthi' is an ideology which failed in the world and ruined states like West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura," he said referring to the Left ideology. "Third is 'daam' (money) and 'daman' (oppression) panthi who want to remain in power by money and muscle power. West Bengal is an example of it," he said. "Fourth is 'vikas' (development) panthi which is the BJP and it considers as a service. Your one vote to us will ensure development of the country," Modi added. Slamming the Congress for its "dynastic politics", Modi alleged the party and its leaders have concern only for their sons and family. "Their only aim is to fill their coffers... they can even play with the nation's pride," he said. The prime minister also blamed the opposition party for terrorism and Naxalism. "How did the problem of terrorism and Naxalism come in the country? It is because of Congress' apathy and inability. But the country's security is the biggest issue for the BJP," he said. Modi said the country was portrayed as the land of snakes and snake charmers, but it changed since his government came to power. "Now foreign dignitaries take part in Ganga aarti, Kumbh and show interest in the country's solar power capacity. We are showcasing India's pride. The foreigners are coming to see the world's largest Statue of Unity and paying respects to the great Indian leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," he said. Terming the Congress manifesto as 'dhakosla patra' (document of lies), Modi criticised it for promising to remove the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). "They have no respect for the police and Army in their heart," he alleged. The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress put 14 large irrigation projects on the back-burner, adding after his government came to power, it completed 10 out of these 14 projects. He also announced that the government will form a Jal Shakti Mantralaya to deal with the water crisis with the help of sea and river water. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress and NCP in Maharashtra Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks against former PM late Rajiv Gandhi and termed it derogatory and shameful. Speaking at a poll rally in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, PM Modi, attacking Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, accused the latter's father, former PM Rajiv Gandhi, of being corrupt. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrastachari number 1' (corrupt number 1)," Modi had said. Hitting back at Modi, Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan tweeted Sunday, "I strongly condemn Mr Modi's derogatory & shameful statement on India's Martyred PM Rajiv Gandhi Ji. Rajiv Ji was a clean, hard-working & dedicated mass leader, sacrificed his life for India's integrity. It shows Modi's desperation as he's losing the Election." Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora tweeted, "Strongly condemn @PMOIndia's statement against former PM Rajiv Gandhi, who was martyred in 1991. Basic civility in political discourse demands that those who are deceased & unable to defend themselves be insulated from We are being stripped of decency & real issues." State NCP president Jayant Patil said Rajiv Gandhi ushered in a technological revolution in the country. "I condemn Modi's remarks against him. This is an insult of not just Rajiv Gandhi but the information technology sector which he helped grow. I hope the prime minister henceforth will speak what is befitting his post," Patil said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Launching a fresh tirade against the opposition alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said 'mahamilawati' parties do not want to acknowledge India's growing strength in the international arena. He said that the country has seen four types of government - 'naampanthi' (dynastic rulers), 'vampanthi' (left), 'damanpanthi' (rulers using money and muscle power) and now 'vikaspanthi' which talks of development. Addressing a poll rally here, the prime minister also charged that the Congress was interested only in the welfare of its own leaders and their close family members. Taking a swipe at the opposition alliance, he said, "What shall I say about the 'mahamilawati' parties that do not want to acknowledge India's growing strength in the international arena?". He said the opposition parties relate the surgical strikes with Lok Sabha polls, "but, everything should not be seen through the prism of elections." Charging the opposition parties with dabbling in corruption when in power in the past, Modi said there was no blot on his image during his long stint as chief minister and five years as prime minister. "The country has been governed by 'nampanthi' that is dynastic rulers, 'vampanthi' (left), 'damanpanthi' or rulers using money and muscle power, and 'vikaspanthi' that is one caring for 130 crore people," he said. Bhadohi, famous for its carpets, has a sizeable Muslim population. It goes to polls on May 12 in the sixth phase. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suspected member of the Anil Dujana gang, who was involved in an attempt to murder case in Delhi, was arrested, police said Sunday. The accused was identified as 25-year-old Vikas Kasana, a resident of Mayur Vihar, they said. On Friday, police said they arrested Arvind Kumar (32) on April 29 from Vellore in Tamil Nadu. Kumar was wanted in over 11 cases and was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, they said. Kasana was arrested Saturday from near the DDA Park in east Delhi's Kondli where he came to meet his associate. A semi-automatic pistol with four cartridges and a motorcycle were seized from him, they added. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ram Gopal Naik said that both Kasana and Kumar were involved in the attack on their rival gang member Sandeep Nagar, who was a witness in a murder case. The attack took place on July 30, 2018 and Nagar was shot in the abdomen. The motive of the accused was to deter Nagar from deposing against members of their gang in the murder case, Naik said. Kasana was involved in more than half a dozen cases of murder and attempt to murder in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, police said. Earlier, 10 persons were arrested during the time when Kumar and Kasana were absconding, police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man wanted in neighbouring Gujarat for a Rs 66 lakh robbery was arrested by Mumbai police from suburban Andheri here, an official said Sunday. Pravin alias Raju Suresh Sawant (38) was arrested from Andheri MIDC by Unit-8 of Mumbai crime branch when he had come to meet a friend, the official said. Sawant was involved in a robbery in Gujarat's Mehsana in December last year, he said. In the incident, an angadiya (courier) employee was robbed at gunpoint by Sawant and others while travelling in a bus with cash, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged the SP with going soft on the Congress as part of a "big game" against the BSP, the two "mahagathbandhan" partners blamed the PM on Sunday for trying to create a rift in the alliance. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati said the alliance "will continue in the future as well", while Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the prime minister was "misleading" people. Their rebuttal came against the backdrop of Modi saying at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh on Saturday that the SP was "going soft" on the Congress, though Mayawati was attacking the grand old party. He also claimed that the SP had benefitted due to the alliance and "Behenji" (Mayawati) had now understood that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party and the Congress were playing a "big game" with her. Hitting back at the prime minister, Mayawati said, "Since the formation of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, the BJP is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is suffering from a stomachache and it will not be able to get it cured in the future also. "Our alliance will continue in the future as well. The prime minister has spoken about the divide-and-rule policy, which is baseless. Their aim is to make us fight each other and misguide our supporters. But our alliance will uproot the anti-people government." Stating that for the BSP, the Congress and the BJP were two sides of the same coin, she said, "Despite this, we decided not to field candidates from Rae Bareli and Amethi, and left it for the top leaders of the Congress, so as to weaken the BJP and the RSS." It was decided much in advance that the alliance would not field any candidate in these two seats, so that its top leaders did not remain confined to these two constituencies and could focus on their campaign at other places, she added. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls from Amethi, while UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is in the fray from Rae Bareli. Both the constituencies, known as Gandhi family strongholds, go to the polls on May 6. Yadav too accused Modi of creating a rift between the SP and the BSP, saying this was a result of his disappointment. "The language of the prime minister has changed as in every phase (of the polls), the BJP is trailing. It is unable to find a way out. The PM only wants to misguide the voters. "I would like to tell the BJP that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance will decide as to who will form the next government and who will be the new prime minister," he said. The SP chief coined a new phrase for Modi, describing him as a "180-degree prime minister". "Modi is a 180-degree prime minister. Whatever he says, he does just the opposite. He had promised to double the income of farmers, but it has come down to half. Similarly, he had promised to create two crore jobs, but in reality, has made two crore people jobless," he said. Of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP is contesting 38, the SP 37 and the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) three, while Amethi and Rae Bareli have been left for the Congress. The SP-BSP alliance in the politically crucial state, which sends the highest number of lawmakers to the Lok Sabha, is being seen as a challenge to the BJP, which had won 71 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 polls. At the Pratapgarh rally, Modi had also said the alliance partners would be at each other's throats after the results of the polls were announced on May 23. He had pointed out that while Mayawati was openly targeting the Congress and its policies, a leader of the grand old party was sharing the stage with the SP. The reference was apparently to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's presence at an SP meeting in Rae Bareli on Thursday. "The SP is going soft on the Congress, but its alliance partner, BSP chief Mayawati, is attacking the Congress," Modi had said, adding that the SP had benefitted due to the tie-up. "It was said that you (Mayawati) will be made the prime minister, but now 'Behenji' has understood that the SP and the Congress are playing a big game with her," he had said. The prime minister had also said the Congress was reduced to the status of a "vote-katwa" (one that eats into the vote share of others) party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of defaming Congress leaders by levelling "baseless" allegations against them. He asked does it behove Modi to "insult" former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who sacrificed his life for unity and integrity of the country. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul Gandhi. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said. Accusing the prime minister of lowering the dignity of his office, Gehlot said, "Using such words reflects his (Modi's) weird mentality and hatred." He alleged that the prime minister was an "expert in speaking lies" and was shying away to talk about "real issues". Claiming that Modi was "jolted" by the corruption allegations in the Rafale deal, he said the Congress will continue to rake up the issue till the prime minister is held accountable. Gehlot said Modi has been continuously levelling allegations against Gandhis though no one from the family has been a prime minister in the past 30 years. "Prime Minister Modi has been defaming the great leaders of the Congress through baseless and illogical talks," he said in a statement. "Using such words in his speeches shows his frustration," he added Gehlot said Modi will not become the prime minister again and his "defeat is imminent". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark against the late premier Rajiv Gandhi was an "insult" to the people of the country and reflected his "frustration" in the face of imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha election. Addressing an election in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said, "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1." In a statement, Pilot, the Rajasthan Congress president, said, "It is very unfortunate that Modi made such an objectionable comment regarding a former prime minister. He has not only insulted Rajiv Gandhi but also the sentiments of the people of the country." He said the remark reflected "frustration" of Modi and his BJP in the face of imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha election. "He has lowered the dignity of PM's post and his words reflect BJP's mindset," Pilot said. Congress general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pandey said Modi's remark against Rajiv Gandhi was "highly condemnable". He said such a comment shows that the ideology Modi supports does not honour ancestors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday targeted Rahul Gandhi for his alleged association with UK firm Backops, saying the Congress president's "scams" were being "unearthed from land, air and water". Referring to Gandhi, Modi while speaking at rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar said the "naamdar" gets exposed every time he tries to malign him and the more he is targeted, the more 'lotus' will bloom. The Home Ministry recently served a notice on Gandhi, saying it received a representation from BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, claiming that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003 with the Congress leader as one of its directors. The Home Ministry said Swamy's letter also mentioned that in the British company's annual returns filed on October 10, 2005 and October 31, 2006, Gandhi's date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970 and had declared his nationality as British. Referring to Gandhi's alleged association with the company, Modi said, "His scams are being unearthed from land, air and water." "The 'naamdar' in an interview mentioned that his aim was to malign my image. But more the mud he throws at me, better the lotus will bloom," he said. Modi said even as Gandhi abused him, the latter himself was getting exposed. "He owned a company called Backops in England which was shut in 2009. But in 2011, a partner in the company got a submarine deal contract. The government was of the Congress. How did the Backops partner get the deal, what was his experience in defence contract?" Modi said. Modi alleged that due to Congress's "criminal apathy", the country has been deprived of basic amenities like pucca houses, electricity, toilets and bank accounts during the first 25 years of Independence. "Had the Congress remained in power, I am confident that basic amenities would have alluded the country for another 100 years," he said. Modi said perpetrators of terrorism are now fully aware that it is a new India which hits them back by entering their dens. "Your each vote in favour of Modi will inspire him to fight against terrorism with vigour," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea's state media said Sunday that leader Kim Jong Un had overseen a rocket and tactical guided weapons test, after the drill Saturday had raised concerns Pyongyang was escalating provocations with US nuclear negotiations deadlocked. The North last carried out a missile test in November 2017, before a rapid diplomatic rapprochement saw tensions ease on the peninsula and a series of summits. A return to missile launches would be likely to infuriate US President Donald Trump, but the North's official KCNA agency shied away from the term in its report, saying Kim had ordered a "strike drill" involving "long-range multiple rocket launchers" -- which are not targeted by UN sanctions resolutions -- and unspecified "tactical guided weapons". Seoul's military described the weapons as "projectiles" after it detected Saturday's firing. The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a Trump-Kim summit in February, when the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. But despite the latest sabre-rattling from Pyongyang, Trump insisted that a breakthrough was possible. "Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump tweeted. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" The US leader did not elaborate on Kim's promise. During Saturday's drill Kim urged his troops to remember "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength", KCNA said. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday carried 16 photos of the weapons test on its front page, including a picture of a grim-looking Kim clutching his binoculars in an observation post as well as several images of projectiles shooting skywards. Trump proclaimed that the North Korean nuclear threat was over after the two sides' historic first summit in Singapore in June, when Kim pledged to work towards "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". The two have since disagreed over what that means, but Trump has insisted the leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Vietnam broke up without a deal or even a joint statement, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests. But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US while staying below that threshold. The Saturday drill followed last month's test-firing of very short-range tactical weapons, and came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments during nuclear talks. Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington. "Kim wants to ensure the world knows it is upset with the US hardline stance on denuclearisation and will not bow to external pressure," said Scott Seaman of the Eurasia Group. But Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles". Even so, a statement from Seoul's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year. On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief -- the issue at the centre of the Hanoi debacle. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Last week, on the anniversary of the first Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises. The North Korean drill comes just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea for talks on Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday said the nation's security will remain the saffron party's "supreme priority" as he attacked the opposition including the Congress for allegedly demanding proof of the Balakot air strikes. Addressing a rally here, Shah also called upon the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the country secure. "There were only two countries who avenged the killing of their soldiers-- America and Israel. But Modi ji has added the name of India in this list," Shah said referring to the air strikes in Pakistan following the death of 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama. Shah lashed out at the opposition especially Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for demanding proof of the air strikes. "Everybody was celebrating it (Balakot strikes). But there was mourning at two places-- Pakistan and Rahul (Gandhi) baba's office. Modi ji killed Pakistan's terrorists but why were their (opposition) faces pale? Were they (terrorists) related to you?" asked Shah. "They were worried about their vote bank," he said. "If you have any common sense, see Pakistan TV channels and find out why people there were crying. It will reveal what happened there," he said further. The BJP president also targeted Congress leader Sam Pitroda, a long-time Gandhi family advisor and a key aide of the Gandhi scion. "Rahul baba's guru Sam Pitroda said do not bomb (Pakistan) but talk to them... People of Panipat, you tell me whether we should talk to them if our 40 jawans are killed?," asked Shah. The BJP chief further said that the Congress can continue sympathising with the terrorists but "if any bullet is fired from Pakistan, we will reply with a bomb." "There will never be a compromise on national security. Elections come and go but the BJP will never compromise on national security. Country's security will remain our supreme priority," he said. Attacking the Congress-led UPA rule of 10 years, Shah alleged that soldiers deployed at the border used to be beheaded by Pakistan but 'Mauni baba', referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh remained silent. "I can never forget the incident of beheading of Hemraj (soldier) but Mauni baba remained mum," he said. "After Pulwama attack in which our 40 jawans were killed, there was anger across the country. Pakistan secured its border by deploying more soldiers and tanks in anticipation of another surgical strike. But Modi ji showed his 56-inch chest and the Indian Air Force bombed Balakot," he added. OnJanuary 8, 2013, Lance Naik Hemraj was beheaded by Pakistan's Border Action Team along the Indo-Pak border, triggering a nationwide outrage. Shah further told the gathering that the BJP government was committed to "throw out" all infiltrators and slammed opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI leader Sita Ram Yechury among others for opposing the government. "You tell me should we not throw infiltrators out of our country. Modi ji broughtNational Register of Citizens (NRC). Assam has 40 lakh infiltrators," he said, adding that the opposition was worried about where the infiltrators will go and what will they eat. "Rahul baba do these infiltrators who carry out bomb blasts and kill innocents here have human rights? You do not have any concern for those who are killed. These infiltrators are like termites and they should be thrown out," he said. "I want to tell you from this historic land of Panipat that if you elect Modi ji as PM again, each infiltrator from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kolkata to Kutch will be thrown out," he told the crowd. Shah also condemned National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for suggesting that the nomenclature 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) and 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' (Governor) will be brought back in the state if it is voted to power. "Omar Abdullah said he wants second prime minister in Kashmir. Omar and Congress are fighting polls in alliance. I want to ask Rahul baba whether he agrees with Omar's remarks," Shah said. "Can there be two PMs in one country? Friends they want to separate Kashmir from the country. But the BJP workers will never allow Kashmir to be separated from India as it an integral part of India. Make us victorious... we have promised that we will scrap Article 370 (granting special status to J-K)," he said. Seeking support for BJP candidate from Karnal parliamentary seat Sanjay Bhatia, Shah said: "If Modi ji is at the Centre and Manohar Lal Khattar is here, then Haryana will progress. We will make Haryana number one state in the country." Shah also lashed out at the previous regimes in the state and accused the Congress of indulging in corruption and the INLD led by the Chautalas of failing to curb lawlessness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 161 men and 31 women were arrested from a rave party being held illegally at a farmhouse in Noida, police said Sunday. The accused were held late Saturday night from the venue in Sector 135 where alcohol and other intoxicants were being served illegally, a senior police officer said. "We had got an information about such a rave party being held at the farmhouse. A raid was carried out late Saturday night and the information was found true after which 161 men and 31 women were held from the spot," Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna said. "Most of those arrested belong to Delhi, while some are from Haryana and only a few are from Noida," he told reporters. Five of the key organisers of the event have also been arrested and 31 hookah, 112 beer bottles, 30 liquor bottles which were meant for sale in Delhi, among other items, have been seized from the farmhouse, he said. "The key organisers have been identified as Amit Tyagi, Pankaj Sharma, Adnan Ahmed, Balesh Kohli, all four from Delhi, and Kapil Singh Bhati, from Ghaziabad," Krishna said. A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code against those arrested and a probe is underway, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to continue "massive strikes" in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip as a deadly escalation entered a second day, sparking fears of wider violence. Gazan authorities reported six Palestinians killed, including at least two militants, by Israeli strikes in the latest round of fighting that began Saturday as militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. But Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby, blaming errant Hamas fire. One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed overnight by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli police and medics said. "I instructed the (military) this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. He said he had also ordered "tanks, artillery and infantry forces" to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza. The flare-up came as Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded enclave, sought further concessions from Israel under a fragile months-old ceasefire. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing 450 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli air defences intercepting more than 150. In addition to the Israeli man killed, an 80-year-old woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, police and medics said. A man was also hospitalised in Ashkelon, said police, citing other injuries without providing details. A house near Ashkelon was damaged and other rockets hit open areas. The Israeli army said its tanks and planes hit some 220 militant targets in Gaza in response. They included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, it said. Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were also destroyed. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said its state agency Anadolu had an office in the building, and strongly denounced the strike. Israel said the other building housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices. The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes killed a 14-month-old baby and her pregnant mother, 37, as well as four Palestinian men. But Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that based on intelligence "we are now confident" that the deaths of the mother and baby were not due to an Israeli strike. "Their unfortunate death was not a result of (Israeli) weaponry but a Hamas rocket that was fired and exploded not where it was supposed to," he said. Islamic Jihad identified two of the dead men as its militants. The ministry said 47 other people were wounded. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility Saturday for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more. Its armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. Israel closed its crossings with Gaza for people and goods, as well the fishing zone off the enclave's shore, until further notice. Egyptian and UN officials held talks to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on "all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months." The United States condemned Gaza militants and said it fully supported Israel's "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks." Jordan, one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, urged it to "end its aggression against the Gaza Strip and respect international humanitarian law."The escalation follows Friday clashes along the Gaza border that were the most violent in weeks. Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the frontier. Israel and Gazan militants have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and the United Nations, had led to relative calm around Israel's April 9 general election. But recent days saw an uptick in violence, placing the ceasefire at risk. A Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar visited Cairo Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The truce has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza, paying salaries and financing fuel purchases to ease severe electricity shortages. Israel has several reasons to seek calm. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following April's election. Israel is also due to host the high-profile Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18, expected to attract thousands of spectators. The country celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. Muslims in Gaza will mark the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in the coming days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In Nigeria, being a young woman "is a crime", said a 25-year-old beautician, arrested two weeks ago while walking home in the capital Abuja. She says she was detained, assaulted and then raped by those meant to protect her. "Around 9:30 pm, or 10:00 pm (local time), I was walking back home," she said. "The police arrested me in the street, accusing me of 'being out late'." The officers demanded she pay 4,000 naira (USD 11) but she did not have the cash. So the officers grabbed her, she said. "They took me to the bush behind a building," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "There were four of them. They molested me, and while three were holding me down, one of them raped me. He didn't use a condom." Several other women reported similar assaults that night. In two dramatic raids last month, dozens of women were dragged out of nightclubs, hotels and bars - or simply taken off the streets - in Abuja. They were arrested for prostitution, a charge many furiously denied. The sweeping police crackdown in the federal capital has sparked outrage in the and on social media in Africa's most populous nation. Prostitution, although illegal in Nigeria, is still widespread in the cities and often tolerated in the Christian south, but less so in the Muslim north where sharia law applies in some states. Abuja - situated slightly north of Nigeria's centre - is a mix of southern and northern tribes and traditions. Testimonies from women given to AFP provide shocking stories of multiple and brutal sexual assaults. The women accuse officers from the federal police force. Lawyer and activist Martin Obono happened to be at the Utako police station in Abuja on the night of April 26 for another case. "I was there when the girls got out of the vehicles, screaming, and some of them were bleeding," Obono said, adding the women said they had been attacked in the vehicles as they were brought to the police station. "They told me the policemen used objects, like sticks, to touch their private parts," Obono said. One of the women was a mother with a two-month-old baby. "She wasn't allowed to breastfeed her, despite continuous crying," Obono said. "It took the intervention of a female police officer for that." One of the women dragged into the station on that Friday was a 22-year-old who had been at a party in a hotel when the police arrived. "They dragged me out, accusing me of being a prostitute," she said, explaining how police suddenly arrived in a fleet of pickup trucks. Many of the women were later released - after making forced payments. "Some of the girls paid bribes," she said. "Others accepted to have sex with them in exchange for their release." A spokesman for the Abuja police told AFP he would not be available for comment "until next month", while multiple other calls and messages to other police officials went unanswered. However, Abayomi Shogunle, Assistant Commissioner of Police, posted a message this week on social media addressed to "those making noise on the clampdown on prostitutes in Abuja". Shogunle made no comment on specifics on the raids, and did not respond to allegations of rape. But he did say that prostitution was "a crime under the law" and a "lifeline of violent criminals". Some of the women have already appeared in court. On Monday, 27 of the young women were handed one-month suspended prison sentences and fines of 3,000 naira each for prostitution. Some were sentenced without access to legal representation, said lawyer Jennifer Ogbogu who represented two organisations at the trial - the Nigeria Sex Workers Association and Heartland Alliance International. "Some were prostitutes, others not, but in no case can this justify their rights being violated," Ogbogu said. In an open letter, a coalition of 72 women's organisations, leading campaigners, civil society and human rights groups, said they "strongly condemn the recent raids, public humiliation, assault and sexual harassment of over 100 women" in Abuja. They demanded a government investigation. Nigerian security forces have faced such accusations before. In October 2017, a court of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, ordered Nigeria's government to pay 18 million naira in damages to three women. The court said the women had been illegally arrested and detained by the same police unit in Abuja accused of carrying out the recent raids. "They know we are vulnerable, and they don't treat us as human beings," said the beautician. "All this has to end. They should be punished for what they've done to us. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh Sunday said there was no record to suggest that any of the suicide bombers, who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, had visited Kashmir as claimed by the Army chief of the island nation. Talking to PTI, Singh said they have not received any information from the Island nation through diplomatic channel but the persons whose names appeared on social media have not travelled to Kashmir. "We have checked and there is no information about them having visited here," Singh said, adding immigration records were re-visited after the terrorist attacks and none of the bombers had visited Kashmir. He was reacting to a day after claims were made by Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, on BBC that "they (the suspects) have gone to India, they've gone to Kashmir, Bangalore, they've travelled to Kerala state. Those are the information available with us." Singh said that the army chief of Sri Lanka should send whatever evidence they have, through diplomatic channels, and that he would look into it. Some officials of the central security agencies said that about a dozen Sri Lankan nationals had come to Kashmir Valley this year and their credentials have been re-checked after the April 21 bombings in three churches and three luxury hotels killed 253 people and injured over 500 others. However, there could be a possibility of the bombers visiting the state using pseudonym, one of the officials said, adding if Sri Lanka hands over some evidence, it can be verified from the ground. Sri Lanka Army's chief has said that some of the suicide bombers, who carried out the country's worst terror attack, visited Kashmir and Kerala for "some sorts of training" or to "make some more links" with other foreign outfits. It is the first time that a top Sri Lankan security official has confirmed the militants' visit to India which had shared intelligence inputs with Colombo ahead of the attack. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out the series of blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Candidates for the Muzaffarpur and adjoining Hajipur Lok Sabha seats have a tough task of winning the hearts of the electorate who, for long, were used to political heavyweights George Fernandes and Ram Vilas Paswan as nominees. Paswan, the LJP chief and eight-time MP from Hajipur, has decided to opt out of the race to the Lok Sabha and fielded his brother Pashupati Kumar Paras who is facing a tough fight from Grand Alliance candidate Shiv Chandra Ram. The BJP has given the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) five seats in Bihar, one in Uttar Pradesh and promised Paswan a Rajya Sabha berth. As for Muzaffarpur, known for its luscious litchi, represented five times by Fernandes, both the BJP and the grand alliance have fielded candidates from the Nishad community. BJP MP Ajay Nishad, seeking a reelection from the seat, faces Raj Bhushan Chaudhary fielded by the Mukesh Sahni-led Vikassheel Insaan Party, which is seeking to assume leadership of the community. Ajay Nishad is son of former Union minister Jai Narain Prasad Nishad, who had won the Muzaffarpur seat four times. Prashant Gautam, a first-time voter and a student of Muzaffarpur's prestigious L S College, however, said he won't vote on the basis of caste and claimed that the opposition "has no face". In 2014, Ajay Nishad had defeated Akhilesh Prasad Singh of the Congress by more than two lakh votes. Muzaffarpur is one of the three seats allotted to the VIP as part of the seat-sharing arrangement of the grand alliance comprising the RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM and VIP. On the other hand, RJD's Hajipur candidate Ram is campaigning hard to wrest the high-profile reserved seat from the LJP. "Ram Vilas Paswan has done a lot for the development of this region. But since Paras is contesting this time, we will have to think whom to vote for," said Ramnath Rai, a banana farmer from Terasia village of Hajipur. But for some, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image and the recent Balakot airstrikes have had a strong appeal. Paswan had defeated Congress' Sanjeev Prasad Toni in 2014 polling 4,55,652 of the total of 9,04,753 votes cast. The JD(U) had won the seat in the 2009 elections. In both the constituencies, a cross-section of voters in the business community and workers of micro, small and medium enterprises asserted that their businesses were hit due to demonetisation and GST, but argue they have no option but to vote for the NDA. Central government welfare schemes like Ujjawala, providing free cooking gas connection to poor households, PM Awas Yojana, construction of toilets and roads have worked well with the voters in both urban and rural areas of Muzaffarpur and Hajipur. However, associate professor at Patliputra University, Patna, Vijay Kumar Yadavendu believes that the contest is tight in the two constituencies given that the grand alliance works hard on the ground. Polling in the two seats will be held in the fifth phase on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula at 06:00 UTC, Sunday 5 May 2019 (18:00 NZST). The STP-27RD mission launched three research and development satellites for the DoD Space Test Program that will demonstrate advanced space technologies, including a satellite to evaluate new ways of tracking space debris. The mission is Rocket Lab's second for 2019 and took the total number of satellites deployed to orbit by the company to 28. The DoD Space Test Program, under Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, procured the STP-27RD mission in partnership with Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) as part of the Rapid Agile Launch Initiative. This initiative leveraged Other Transaction (OT) authority to competitively rapidly award DoD launch service contracts with non-traditional, commercial small launch companies. "It's a testament to our team and mission partners that Electron has placed another three satellites in orbit, just weeks after our flawless mission for DARPA," says Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck. "We're proud to have delivered 100% mission success for the launch procured by the Department of Defense's Rapid Agile Launch Initiative, proving once again Rocket Lab's ability to provide responsive and streamlined space access." Approximately 54 minutes after lift-off, the Electron launch vehicle's Kick Stage successfully deployed the three payloads to their designated orbits. The Space Plug and Play Architecture Research CubeSat-1 (SPARC-1) mission, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV), is a joint Swedish-United States experiment to explore technology developments in avionics miniaturization, software defined radio systems, and space situational awareness (SSA). The Falcon Orbital Debris Experiment (Falcon ODE), sponsored by the United States Air Force Academy, will evaluate ground-based tracking of space objects. Harbinger, a commercial small satellite built by York Space Systems and sponsored by the U.S Army, will demonstrate the ability of an experimental commercial system to meet DoD space capability requirements. The STP-27RD mission carried Rocket Lab's heaviest payload to date, with the three satellites weighing in at around 180 kg. The highly experienced Rocket Lab team have now delivered 28 satellites into orbit, enabling operations in space debris mitigation, Earth observation, ship and airplane tracking and radio communications. Rocket Lab's manifest is booked with monthly launches for the remainder of 2019 for a range of commercial and U.S. Government customers. Rocket Lab will scale to a launch every two weeks by the end of the year. The majority of launches in 2019 are scheduled to lift-off from Launch Complex 1, with the first mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia scheduled for late 2019. For real-time updates and upcoming mission announcements, follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda Sunday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for terming former PM Rajiv Gandhi as corrupt. Speaking at a poll rally in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, PM Modi, attacking Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, accused the latter's father, former PM Rajiv Gandhi, of being corrupt. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrastachari number 1' (corrupt number 1)," Modi had said. Hitting back, Pitroda Sunday said, "The baseless comments that the country's current Prime Minister has made yesterday about former premier Rajiv Gandhi makes me feel ashamed as a Gujarati. I belong to the same Gujarat where Mahatma Gandhi was born." Speaking to reporters at the Indore Press Club, Pitroda, who is the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, said, "I am pained to see people hailing from Gujarat (referring to PM Modi) falling to such an extent that they lie in such a way about a dead person." Pitroda (77) was a close aide of Rajiv Gandhi. Pitroda also asked the Election Commission to "introspect" on its clean chit to the PM and BJP president Amit Shah on some controversial statements and alleged violation of the model code of conduct. "The Election Commissioner should ponder whether he is EC of the country or is he representing a political party," Pitroda remarked, adding that the ruling party had "hijacked" the country's democracy. "We can see that government bodies are being taken over and their chiefs are afraid," Pitroda alleged. "In the last five years, the Modi government has not fulfilled its poll promises. This government has only lied and not done any specific work. Despite that when youth get impressed with Modi, I am really surprised," he said. In a reply to a query on such behaviour by the youth, Pitroda said, "It is definitely true and appropriate to accept that it is our weakness that we are unable to take our stand to the youth. But we can't spend crores of rupees like the BJP on social media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has paid tribute to Tipu Sultan, praising the 18th century ruler of Mysore for preferring to die for freedom rather than "live a life of enslavement". Khan took to twitter to express his admiration for the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom also known as the Tiger of Mysore. "Today 4th May is the death anniversary of Tipu Sultan - a man I admire because he preferred freedom and died fighting for it rather than live a life of enslavement," Khan tweeted on Saturday. It is not the first time Khan has praised Sultan's valour. In February, the prime minister at a joint sitting of parliament convened in the wake of the heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pulwama terror attack lauded Sultan's gallantry. Sultan valiantly fought in the fourth Anglo-Mysore War but was killed in the siege of Srirangapatna after the French military advisers told him to escape via secret passages, but he famously replied: "It is better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep". Sultan is famous in history for introducing a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of the Mysore's silk industry. He is considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore in 1991 called Sultan the innovator of the world's first war rocket. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday alleged a patient died after an Amethi hospital with trustees from the Gandhi family denied him treatment saying it was not "Modi's hospital" where Ayushman Card would be accepted. The hospital authorities though accepted that the patient died at the facility, rejected suggestion it was linked with politics, saying no hospital has any political, religious or caste affiliation. Speaking at a poll rally here, he also alleged that Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are not giving benefits of the Ayushman Bharat medical scheme to the poor and asked the people to teach Congress a lesson in the polls. "The Congress has always been insensitive to the poor. In Amethi (Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency), a poor person, who had the Ayushman Bharat card, was denied treatment by a hospital whose trustees are from the Gandhi family," Modi said. "The person was told that this is not Modi's hospital where the Ayushman Bharat card will be accepted," the PM said. Earlier in the day, Union minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Amethi Smriti Irani tweeted a video in which a man is heard saying that his uncle died as he was denied treatment by the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital after being told that "Modi's Ayushman Bharat card" was not accepted there. SM Chaudhary, the medical director of the hospital, said the claims in the tweet are baseless. Irani is pitted against Gandhi in Amethi, which goes to polls Monday. In Gwalior, Modi also said the Congress used to exhibit India's poverty to the world while his government has highlighted the nation's power. He said the trends after the first four phases of the Lok Sabha polls suggest that the Congress and its allies were staring at a defeat. He told the gathering that he had not come to campaign for himself but to thank the people for supporting him since 2014. "The entire world is seeing for the first time how the people of the country have taken charge of the campaign for this 'sevak'," Modi said, adding that people trust him while the opposition abuses him. "They (opposition) say Modi hatao (remove Modi). But people who have benefited from my government's schemes are saying 'phir ek baar' (Modi again as PM)," he told the crowd. He also said the Congress' apathy and inability is genesis of terrorism and Naxalism in the country. The PM said a Jal Shakti Mantralaya will be formed to solve water crisis by using river and sea water. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Armed with new terminology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blistering attack on the opposition on Sunday and also sought to drive a wedge among the partners of the "mahagathbandhan" (the SP-BSP-RLD alliance) in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a poll rally here in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Modi said, "After Independence, there have been four types of governance, parties and political culture -- 'naampanthi', 'vaampanthi', 'daam aur damanpathi' and the fourth one that has been brought by us, the 'vikaspanthi'." He explained that "naampanthi are those who only indulge in chanting the names of the members of a family. Vaampanthi are those who try to foist foreign policies on India. 'Daam' and 'damanpathi' are those who rule using money and muscle power and for the 'vikaspanthi', the priority is the welfare and development of the 130 crore people of the country". Referring to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, who has been declared as a global terrorist by the United Nations (UN), Modi said, "A couple of days ago, the biggest organisation in the world declared Masood Azhar, who has claimed hundreds of lives in India, a global terrorist. Are you happy? Is Modi working properly? Pakistan, which was hosting parties for him, is now compelled to act against Masood Azhar. This is the impact of India's growing prowess." "But what shall I do with the 'mahamilawati' parties, who are not ready to accept this achievement of India?," he asked. In a scathing attack on the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister said, "The 'mahamilawati' parties say since it is election time, Modi has got the ban imposed on Masood Azhar. They see everything through the election lens and that is the reason the Congress and its allies are in this condition today. Accusing "the 'mahamilawati' people" of treating power as a means to multiply their wealth, he said, "For us (BJP), power is a medium to serve the people." Seeking to create a chasm in the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, Modi said, "When 'bua' (BSP supremo Mayawati) and 'babua' (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) were arch rivals, then the chief minister (Mayawati) had named the district as Sant Ravidas Nagar. But 'babua', due to his self pride, removed the name when he came to power." "And today, the same 'bua' is seeking votes for the same 'babua'," he pointed out. Hitting out at the previous Congress-led UPA regime, Modi said, "During their 10-year rule, they eroded the country's goodwill.... There were scams worth crores of rupees...the discussion was only confined to corruption, intermediaries, dishonesty and nepotism. But this 'chowkidar' (watchman) of yours has put an end to all this." Alleging that the Congress, SP and BSP had always made people fight against each other in the name of caste and worked for their own benefits, the prime minister said, "For a long time, I had been a chief minister of a prosperous state like Gujarat and for the last five years, you had given me the task of 'pradhan sevak'." "Eighteen years is a long time. Has there been a single taint on this person?," he asked to a loud response of "no, no". "Is there any discussion on my property, farmhouse, bungalow in any foreign country, anything that I have done for my family, pushed ahead my brothers and nephews? What else does the country need?.... If they (opposition) get an opportunity for two years or five years, their relatives become rich overnight...when I fight against corruption, it is for safeguarding the rights of the poor and honest people," Modi said. Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the crowd, he said, "Why is the entire country loving Modi? The honesty and dedication that the country was looking for, Modi has spent his life in the pursuit of those feelings for the country. "They (opposition) have a problem that nothing is happening to Modi. How can anything happen to Modi as 130 crore people are standing like a wall." Hitting out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister said, "The 'naamdar' (dynast) of the Congress got defence deals done for his business partners and close friends. The 'naamdar' never thought about giving houses, toilets, electricity connections to the poor. He never bothered about the needs of the poor, but travelled all the way from London to Delhi for his business partners. That is why the people of his constituency have compelled him to leave the place." Gandhi, the Lok Sabha MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls from two constituencies. Besides Amethi, which is a Gandhi family bastion, the Congress chief is also in the fray from Wayanad in Kerala. Bhadohi, famous for its carpets, has a sizeable Muslim population. It goes to the polls on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Expressing confidence that the opposition alliance will decimate the ruling NDA in Bihar, senior leader Sharad Yadav claimed Sunday that the Modi government is on its way out due to the BJP's poor show in Hindi heartland states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Yadav, who is contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Madhepura in Bihar as an RJD candidate, asserted that a polarisation of most of the backward castes, Dalits and Muslims has taken place in favour of the opposition alliance in the state. The alliance of the Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, Congress and Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP among others will clinch as many seats as the NDA had in 2014, Sharad Yadav told PTI in an interview, asserting that there is anger among the poor due to agrarian distress. The NDA had won 31 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 in Bihar, while the opposition alliance had got nine. Yadav dismissed the claims of top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the NDA is set to retain power at the Centre. He alleged a section of media has been "used" by the BJP leaders to "beat their drums" but the reality on ground is vastly different from what is shown on TV. "Where is the BJP winning? Their seats will be reduced significantly in Rajsthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The SP-BSP alliance is far ahead of them in UP. They are losing in Bihar and also in Jharkhand. That the Modi government will be out of power on May 23 is certain," he said. Four phases of the seven-phase general election have been held so far and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 23. Asked about the BJP's campaign plank of nationalism and national security, Yadav alleged the nationalism for the saffron party is all about Hindu-Muslim issues under the garb of Kashmir and Pakistan. "Their nationalism is all sentiments and exclude people. Are farmers' welfare, employment for youths and reducing poverty of Dalits and backwards not nationalism? But it is of no concern to the BJP," Yadav said. India had divided Pakistan in 1971 and its forces had marched closer to Lahore in 1965 under the Congress governments, he said, adding that Sikkim had merged with India in 1975 when Indira Gandhi was prime minister. "This is nationalism. What is their nationalism? It is all Hindu-Musalman for them," he said, attacking the BJP. He alleged the Modi government's policies have caused massive distress among farmers and the farmers in Bihar were forced to sell maize for as low as Rs 900 per quintal against its MSP of close to Rs 1425. The govenrment's claim of 'vikas' (development) is a sham, he alleged, adding that unemployment, lack of opportunities and farm distress will result in the BJP's loss. Demonetisation caused a loss of over four crore jobs, he alleged. In Bihar, he said entry of leaders like Upendra Kushwaha, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mukesh Sahni have broadened the base of the opposition alliance and led to a consolidation of Dalit and backward castes in its favour. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A polio officer was killed by unidentified gunmen on Sunday in a tribal district of northwest Pakistan. The 35-year-old official, Abdullah Jan, was on way to his home when the gunmen opened fire on him in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur district near Pak-Afghan border, police said. He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The administration has started investigation into the incident to know about the causes behind the murder. Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic. Militant groups have killed nearly 100 polio workers and their guards since 2012 on the pretext that they could be Western spies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Sunday urged Kiran Bedi to quit as Lt Governor after the Madras High Court had recently held that the Lt Governor "cannot interfere in the day-to-day activities of the elected government in the union territory." The High court had laid down very clearly that the Lt Governor had no powers to act independently and that she must work "in tandem with the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers," he told reporters here. He said the Madras High Court had given the historic verdict recently on a writ petition filed by Congress legislator K Lakshminarayanan questioning the Lt Governor's interference in routine administration by elected government'. Referring to various issues in which "interference by Bedi had impeded implementation of decisions of the cabinet," the Chief Minister said she had put obstacles in implementation of the cabinet decision to write off farm loans due from ryots to the cooperative banks. He also pointed out that the government had approached the Union Home Ministry for its nod to write off crop loans and after getting approval "we could implement the decision." Narayanasamy alleged that implementation of the free rice scheme was also obstructed by Bedi, who he said raised raising several "amusing and hypothetical queries."He also listed various instances where intervention by the Lt Governor was a major 'bottleneck'. The recent judgement of the Madras HC restricting the intervention of the Lt Governor was a "big relief and would prove very positive in implementing cabinet decisions," he said. He said that the court had also pointed out that decisions taken by the cabinet could be communicated to the Lt Governor and not for her approval. The chief minister said he had information that Bedi was planning to go on appeal against the High court verdict reining in her intervention. "No appeal can be preferred by Bedi as administrator of Puducherry without the nod of the elected government," he added. Narayanasamy who has been at loggerheads with Bedi on various administrative matters ever since she assumed charge in May 2016, said in a democracy "the elected government has the authorisation of the people and hence the Lt Governor cannot stand in the way of the implementation of the schemes decided by the cabinet." Accusing Bedi of have been a major hindrance misusing her constitutional authority, he said as the High court had come out with clear picture of the powers of elected government she should quit office without any further loss of time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and doors to refugees as he began a visit to the European Union's poorest country, where the main Orthodox Church snubbed holding joint prayers with the pontiff. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met Francis at the airport, welcoming him with a large pot of kiselo mlyako, a mildly sour-tasting local yoghurt, saying: "This is your grandmother's yoghurt." "The first time I heard the word yoghurt was from my grandmother," the pope replied. The Bulgarian emissary to the Vatican Kiril Topalev had earlier quoted the pope as telling him: "I grew up with Bulgarian yoghurt. When I was two years old, my grandmother gave me Bulgarian yoghurt." Pope Francis's three-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. The Pope evoked a "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria and other European nations who face an an exodus of their people as well as falling birth rates, in his first address to Bulgarian officials. The population has fallen to seven million against nine million in 1989, the year communism ended in Bulgaria, and is projected to plunge to 5.4 million in 2050. "Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said. This has "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities," he added. He also touched on the plight of migrants and refugees flocking to the country. "Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said. "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands -- in accordance with your best tradition -- to those who knock at your door," he said. Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue a priority. But last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope in a Sofia square planned for Monday. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting which will be attended by at least one of the capital's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said. While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries -- 44,000 in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia -- it is the interaction with their two Orthodox churches that will be most keenly watched. The Bulgarian church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visited Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Pope offered prayers there on Sunday afternoon alone. But the pontiff sought to stress on the unity of Christians, referring to their persecution irrespective of the church they belonged to. "How many Christians have suffered for the name of Jesus in this country, particularly during the last century," of which 45 years were under communist rule, he said. Bulgaria is the only Orthodox church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic church. Relations between Rome and other Orthodox churches have been warming, with February 2016 seeing the historic meeting between Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba. That was the first such encounter since the schism nearly 1,000 years ago that tore Christianity in two. "I am Orthodox Christian but I admire the openness and sensitivity of the Pope," said Dora Kraytcheva, a 48-year-old woman. "Why should we cling to dogmas from the Middle Ages?" The Argentine pontiff's visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia comes after the leaders of both countries extended an invitation to him following a traditional annual visit to the tomb of St Cyril in Rome. In April 2018, the Council of Europe voiced concern about Bulgarian efforts to integrate Middle Eastern refugees and the "generally negative public opinion" concerning refugees. Days before arriving in Sofia, the pope hit out at "conflictual nationalism" which "raises walls, even racism". "The way in which a nation welcomes migrants reveals its vision of human dignity," he said on Thursday. Currently Bulgaria's migrant reception centres have an occupancy rate of only 10 per cent, while the entire 274-kilometre (170-mile) Bulgarian-Turkish border is blocked by a barbed-wire fence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Sunday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "acting at the behest" of the Akalis to "deliberately" create shortage of gunny bags with an aim of obstructing the procurement process of wheat and defame the Congress government in the state. While Punjab, with its glut production of wheat, was being made to sweat it out for gunny bags, neighbouring Haryana was being supplied extra bags by the Centre to ensure smooth and streamlined procurement operations there ahead of May 12 polling, the CM was quoted as saying in a statement here. Singh claimed four lakh bags (16,000 bales) had been diverted from Punjab to BJP-ruled Haryana. "For the first time since taking over, the Congress government in Punjab was having problems in procurement due to the Centre's politically motivated actions in depriving the state of its much-needed supply of bags," Singh claimed, accusing the BJP-led central government of acting at the behest of its ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to mess up the procurement process in mandis. In contrast, the BJP government in Haryana was getting additional bags to handle the excess production of wheat this year, the CM said, lashing out at the Centre for once again giving Punjab a "step-motherly" treatment in order to promote is political interests in the election year. Singh said the BJP must put an immediate end to such "petty tactics" to promote its electoral prospects. The Punjab government had been repeatedly taking up the issue of shortage of gunny bags with the Centre and the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Singh said, disclosing that he personally spoke to FCI Chairman D V Prasad on Saturday. Opposition parties have been criticising the Punjab government over stalling of wheat procurement process at several places in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asian direct selling company QNet expects a turnover of more than Rs 700 crore from India in 2018-19 and hopes to gain traction on the back of its renewed focus on health and wellness products. "QNet has a renewed focus on the health and wellness category and this will lead the growth for the company in India. We are hoping to generate a turnover of over Rs 700 crore from India market during 2018-19," QNet Regional Director (South Asia) Rishi Chandiok told PTI in Penang during the company's annual global convention last month. He said the company's success in India is because of the level of investment compared to other (direct marketing) companies. The Hong Kong-based direct selling company, which began its Indian operations in 2011 through its sub-franchisee Vihaan Direct Selling Pvt Ltd Co, was mired in controversy earlier this year in an alleged case of cheating which was reported to the police in Telangana. Chandiok said the company will remain invested in India despite the police case that was registered in Telangana in January this year. "Negative things do not deter us. A prominent auto company, they left India. We are not planning to leave India. We are planning with our efforts of increasing our assets, our ability and our exposure in India," Chandiok said during the interview. Giving details about company's progress in the last few years in India, he said that QNet earned revenues of Rs 530 crore in 2015-16 followed by a dip to Rs 427 crore in 2016-17 but again got back to Rs 627 crore in 2017-18. "Our target is growth definitely, but also sustainability. We are more than confident that if our distributors have the ability to sell, they will," he said further. The company said it will have a renewed focus on the health and wellness category in India and its premium CHAIROS 'Signature' watch category launched in April. It already has a strategic tie-up with Sharp Business Systems for two models of room air purifiers and with Kent RO Systems for alkaline water producing RO system. The company will also launch two new health supplements by the end of this month and a new range of premium personal care products for women later in September. QNet said it has nearly 600,000 customers and distributors in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda Sunday said party chief Rahul Gandhi was "very educated and intelligent" and that the country needed young leaders like him. He hit out at the BJP for personal attacks on opposition leaders, including Gandhi, who is often dubbed "pappu" on social media by the saffron party's supporters. "I have great confidence in Rahul, contrary to what BJP has been saying against him for the last ten years. He is not pappu. He is a highly educated, intelligent young man and India needs such young leaders," Pitroda, also Indian Overseas Congress chief, told reporters. The 77-year-old technocrat said "I have worked with Rahul's grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and his father (Rajiv Gandhi). I have also spent a lot of time with Rahul on discussions on how to take country forward." Pitroda added that the country needed leaders well- versed in technology than those who are equipped with "jumlas" (poll rhetoric). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bike taxi aggregator Rapido will offer free rides to voters in the state capital Monday to help them reach polling booths. Users will have to book a 'Rapido Bike' through the Rapido app, the company's said in a statement. Rapido has introduced this facility to ensure that every voter is able to exercise his or her 'Right to Vote', the firm added. Users will be required to use the coupon code 'IVOTE' when booking a ride on the app, he said adding that the offer will be applicable in Lucknow only during voting hours. Polling will be held in Lucknow, which figures in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls, from 0700 hrs to 1800 hrs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gaza militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes as a fragile ceasefire again faltered in an escalation that left four Palestinians dead, including a baby killed in disputed circumstances. The latest flare-up came with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, seeking further concessions from Israel under the ceasefire. Israel said around 250 rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave and its air defences intercepted dozens of them. One woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Gaza border, police said. A man was also hospitalised in Ashkelon, police said, and spoke of other injuries without providing details. Medics said the woman was 80 and the man was 50. A house near Ashkelon was damaged while other rockets hit open areas. The Israeli army said its tanks and planes hit some 120 militant targets. They included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said. Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were destroyed, residents said. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said an office for its state agency Anadolu was located in the building and denounced the strike. "We strongly condemn Israel's attack against Anadolu Agency's office in Gaza," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ardent defender of the Palestinian cause, said on Twitter while Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said strikes against civilians were "a crime against humanity". Turkish charity Yardimeli said on social media that the building housing its premises in Gaza was also destroyed, although Turkish officials were not able to immediately confirm the claim. The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes killed a 14-month-old baby and her pregnant mother in addition to two Palestinian men, while 40 were wounded. It was not immediately clear if the two men were affiliated with militant groups. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on Twitter challenged the account of the mother and her baby being killed in an Israeli strike, suggesting they may have died from Palestinian fire. Adraee did not provide more details and the army refused to comment further. As the exchange of fire continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with security chiefs. A statement from Hamas ally Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more. Its armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. Israel said it was closing its people and goods crossings with Gaza as well as the zone it allows for fishermen off the enclave until further notice due to the rocket fire. Egyptian and UN officials were engaged in discussions to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on "all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months." The United States condemned the rocket attacks on Israel and said Washington fully supported the Jewish state's "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks." The escalation follows a flare-up in violence along the Gaza border with four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, killed Friday after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the border. Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt and the United Nations had led to relative calm around Israel's April 9 general election. But the past week saw a gradual uptick in violence. With the ceasefire at risk, a Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar went to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The ceasefire has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza to pay salaries and to finance fuel purchases to ease a severe electricity shortage. Several factors may lead Israel to seek to calm the situation quickly. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following last month's election, while Israel is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18. The country also celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. Palestinians have participated in regular demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza border for more than a year, calling on Israel to ease its crippling blockade of the enclave. At least 271 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began in March 2018, the majority along the border. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period. Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to carry out attacks and says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop infiltrations. The results of a UN investigation released at the end of February found that Israel may have committed crimes against humanity in responding to the border protests, as snipers "intentionally" shot civilians including children, journalists and the disabled. Israel rejected the report "outright" but Hamas called for it to be held accountable. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State Bank of India said Sunday it has restored operations in most of its branches in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak and Keonjhor in Odisha in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani. "The Bank expects to restore remaining branches specially in the most cyclone hit regions like Bhubaneswar and Puri in the next two days," SBI said in a statement. It further said that the Bank and its employees are working on forefront to streamline functioning of its network of branches in the state to ensure customer convenience. "All SBI customers will be able to do banking transactions like deposit, withdrawal and other services through all operational branches with immediate effect," SBI added. Additionally, the Bank has also opened Chief Ministers Relief Fund account for citizens to donate funds for the effected individuals in the state. Individuals can donate under the account name: Odisha C M Relief Fund using UPI ID: odishacmrf@SBI. Cyclonic storm 'Fani' has ravaged parts of Odisha, killing at least 12 people. The cyclone barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The security grid along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu region is being strengthened ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said on Sunday. The 46-day yatra is scheduled to begin from the twin route -- traditional Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and shortest Baltal track in Ganderbal district -- on July 1 and will conclude on August 15 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival. A joint meeting of police, Army, BSF, CRPF and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) here discussed in detail security measures required to be put in place along the IB, LoC and hinterland including highways during the yatra, the officials said. They said the meeting, chaired by Deputy Inspector General of police, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, Sujit Kumar, called for strengthening the security grid and border management on the IB and LoC. Army and BSF officers were told to conduct joint regular meetings with police officers in their respective areas and exchange intelligence sharing in case of any important information about terrorists and terrorism, the officials said. They said strengthening of checking points from IB and LoC and on National Highways right from Lakhanpur up to the jurisdiction of district Jammu and placing of modern equipments and gadgets along the highway came up for detailed discussion. They said senior superintendents of police (SSP) of different districts said they have made contingency plan in their respective areas to meet any exigency. They were told to conduct mock drill in order to ensure desired results besides checking of their alertness, the officials said, adding district police chiefs have also been directed to identify places for 'langars' (community kitchens) to be set up for the intending pilgrims. Some of the officers presented in the meeting put forth the demands like bullet proof bunkers, modern equipments and gadgetries, the officials said. They said the district SSPs were directed to conduct regular training of police personnel as per the SOP enumerated to keep them fit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday said there was no comparison between Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with one remembering the poor at the time of polls, while the other working non-stop to bring a change in their lives. He said people have rejected of dynasty and corruption which prevailed earlier. Choosing Sonipat to address his first poll rally in Haryana for the Lok Sabha election, Shah launched a scathing attack on Gandhi on various issues, and also criticised the previous governments of Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Om Prakash Chautala. He also took a swipe at former chief minister Bhajan Lal, whose grandson Bhavya Bishnoi is contesting from Hisar. From Sonipat, former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda is contesting and is pitted among others against BJP's sitting MP Ramesh Chander Kaushik and JJP's Digvijay Chautala, grandson of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala. Attacking Gandhi, Shah said the Congress chief remembers the poor when polls are round the corner. He said the Congress leader was fourth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi family and despite being in power for decades, they had failed to eliminate poverty. Asserting that there was no comparison between Gandhi and Modi, he said, "When mercury soars in the country during summers, Rahul Baba goes for foreign vacations. He is young and a bachelor, we have no objection to his vacations, but he goes to undisclosed locations and even his mother keeps searching for him." "As against him here is a leader (Modi) who has worked for the past 20 years (including when he was a Gujarat CM) without taking a day off," Shah said, adding that the PM has been working tirelessly for upliftment of poor, Dalits and weaker sections. Shah said Modi's image was clean and nobody has been able to point a finger at him. He also touched upon the issue of nationalism, saying the Modi government has shown only it was capable to give a befitting reply to Pakistan for its misadventures. Without taking any name, he said, "Congress ke neta, mein aap ko poochna chhata hoon (Congress' leader, I want to ask you)" "Proofs have been found about you having flats in foreign countries and of being a director in foreign companies, besides there are charges on you of holding a foreign citizenship, bank accounts of many leaders abroad have been found," he alleged. "He is seeking account from us. We have been in power for five years, but for 55 years you ruled this country, people are seeking your account. We don't need to give any account to them, we are answerable to people," Shah said. "If comparison is made between their 55 years of rule against our five years, scales will tilt in our favour," he said. "Rahul Baba, apka toh number lagne wala hai nahin (you are not going to get a chance)," Shah said. He said people have rejected the of caste, dynasty, corruption, where middlemen and builders used to be given benefits. "During Congress' time 3-Ds were prevalent, 'damaad, darbari and dealer', corruption flourished around these 3-Ds," Shah alleged. With former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda contesting from this Jat-dominated constituency, his son Deepender from Rohtak, Digvijay Chautala from here, he accused the Congress and the Chautalas of promoting dynastic Shah also made a reference to the Chautala family feud. "I want to ask people of Sonipat, can dynastic families benefit Haryana...is no other person able," he said. The BJP cheif took a swipe at Hooda, against whom many cases have been slapped during the present BJP regime and on former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, who is serving a jail term in a teachers' recruitment scam in Haryana, saying "one is on bail, the other one is in jail". Shah alleged that for years power was concentrated between the Hoodas and the Chautalas in Haryana and further claimed while corruption increased during the former's time 'gooindaism' (hooliganism) was prevalent when the latter ruled. "We gave a leader in Manohar Lal Khattar, who has a clean image. Under his regime, there is no hooliganism, no corruption and Haryana has made an all-round progress," he said, highlighting various developmental initiatives of Modi and Khattar governments. He exuded confidence that the BJP would win all the 10 seats in Haryana, where general elections will be held in the sixth phase on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Shiela Dikshit Sunday condemned the "derogatory" language used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Rajiv Gandhi and said it has lowered the BJP leader's reputation among people. Dikshit, who is Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president and the party candidate for the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, sought an unqualified apology from Modi and added that his remarks have "deeply hurt the people of the country". Modi, addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, targeted former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi while attacking Rahul Gandhi. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari number 1 (corrupt number 1)," Modi had said. Addressing a press conference here, Dikshit said, "Modi's objectional language does not suit the image of a prime minister; rather it has only lowered his reputation among the people." "Congress party strongly condemns the derogatory language used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against former prime minister, Bharat Ratna late Rajiv Gandhi," she said and added, "We expect him to tender an apology to the people of India". Dikshit, who was the chief minister of Delhi for 15 years, said Modi's words against Rajiv Gandhi was "not acceptable to a civilised society" and he should take back his words and apologise. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma Sunday appealed the to the Centre and the administration to slap sedition charges on leaders issuing "anti-national" statements for political gains in Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma, who recently resigned from the Congress and joined the saffron party, hailed the UN's move to declare Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Azhar Masood a global terrorist, saying the decision was the result of diplomatic efforts of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We appeal to the Centre and state administration that those leaders, who are making anti-national statements every now and then, should be booked under the sedition law so that they desist from such remarks," the former minister said. He was addressing his first monthly meeting with workers at Akhnoor here. Sharma accused the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP of being in the "habit of backing anti-Indian forces" and said such statements were gainst the unity and the integrity of the country and amounts to sedition. "If the Kashmir-based leaders are making anti-India statements, they should face the sedition law," he said, and cautioned them against making "anti-national statements for political gains". The BJP leader lambasted Congress over its promise to review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in militancy-hit valley, saying such things would only embolden terrorists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Witches were still being burned at the stake when Sir Matthew Hale came up with his legal theory that rape could not happen within marriage. The 17th century English jurist declared it legally impossible because wedding vows implied a wife's ongoing consent to sex. Three and a half centuries later, vestiges of the so-called "marital rape exemption" or "spousal defense" still exist in most states remnants of the English common law that helped inform American legal traditions. Legislative attempts to end or modify those exemptions have a mixed record but have received renewed attention in the #MeToo era. The most recent efforts to roll back protections for spouses focus on rapes that happen when a partner is drugged, unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. Minnesota is the latest to take action. The state Legislature this week voted to eliminate the exemption, which had prevented prosecutions in those cases. "No longer will this antiquated and shameful law be on our books," Gov. Tim Walz said as he signed the bill into law on Thursday. "The concept of a pre-existing relationship defense should have never been part of our criminal statutes." In Ohio, determined opponents plan to re-introduce a marital rape bill this month, after two earlier attempts failed. Former lawmaker and prosecutor Greta Johnson was the first to introduce the Ohio legislation in 2015. She said having to address whether a woman was married to her attacker as part of sexual assault prosecutions struck her as "appalling and archaic." "Certainly, there was a marital exemption lifted years ago, but it was just for what in the prosecutorial world we call the force element by force or threat of force," she said. "You could still drug your spouse and have sex with them, and it's not rape. You could commit sexual imposition against your spouse, and it's not a crime. It was really troubling." All 50 states had laws making marital rape a crime by 1993, whether as a result of the two preceding decades of activism by women's rights groups or because of a pivotal court ruling. Nearly 9% of women and 0.8% of men have been raped by an intimate partner, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National surveys have placed the percentage of women raped within marriage between 10% and 14%. Still, many states' marital rape laws have loopholes not only involving the victim's capacity to consent, but related to age, relationship, use of force or the nature of the penetration. Some impose short timeframes for victims to report spousal rape. A recent Maryland bill sought to erase the marital exemption for all sex crimes. During discussion of the bill, one skeptical male lawmaker wondered whether a spouse might be charged with sexual assault for "smacking the other's behind" during an argument. Maryland Del. Frank Conaway Jr., a Baltimore Democrat, raised religious concerns. "If your religion believes if you're married, two are as one body, then what happens? Can you get a religious exemption?" he asked. "No, I would actually say that the First Amendment would prevent the state from getting entangled in that sort of judgment," replied Lisae Jordan, executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "So you would have to rely on your faith and your commitment to that to not bring those charges. But that's no place for the General Assembly." The bill died in March. Professor D Kelly Weisberg of the University of California Hastings College of the Law said the Maryland debate touched on some of the common rationales for the marital rape exemption over the centuries. One is Hale's premise from the 1670s that marriage implies irrevocable consent and even property rights by the husband over his wife and her body. Those ideas have never truly disappeared, said Weisberg, author of a new reference book on domestic violence law. She said other arguments for such laws are that marital privacy is a constitutional right, as when spouses can't be forced to testify against one another in court, that marital rape isn't serious enough to criminalise and that it would be difficult to prove. For those and other reasons, Weisberg said marital rape laws have not kept pace with other domestic violence laws. That means in some cases an unmarried domestic partner has more legal protections against attack than a spouse. Changing attitudes and laws about marital rape is what drove Jenny Teeson to go public this year with her story. The 39-year-old from Andover, Minnesota, was going through a divorce in 2017 when she discovered a flash drive with videos taken by her husband. They showed him penetrating her with an object while she lay drugged and unconscious. In one, their 4-year-old lay next to her on the bed. Teeson turned the videos over to the police. After an investigation, her husband was charged with third-degree criminal sexual assault against an incapacitated victim. Charges were brought in the morning but dropped by afternoon because of the state's marital rape exemption. "I was beside myself," she told The Associated Press. Her ex-husband ultimately pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of invading her privacy and served 30 days in the county jail. Still shocked that he could not be charged with a felony because of the state law, Teeson decided to take action. "I thought if I can't have the law be in place to keep myself, my kids and my community safe, I could wallow in it, or I could do something about it," she said. The AP does not normally identify victims of sexual assault, but Teeson has shared her story publicly, including during testimony before legislative committees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old Sri Lankan national was arrested here Sunday for not possessing valid travel documents, police said. The man, who identified himself as Maluge Juth Selfon Dias, was picked up from Thampanoor bus terminal in the city last night, they said. "We have brought in translators from Sri Lankan Airlines to initiate conversation with the man, but he has not disclosed anything yet. As of now, he has been taken to Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu as part of investigation and will be produced before the magistrate today itself," investigating officer told PTI. Dias, told the investigators that his bag, carrying passport, visa and other documents, had been stolen during the journey. However, he did not give any clear answer as to how he had reached the southern state. "..The Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other officials from national agencies have interrogated him," police official said adding the man claimed that he had reached Kerala on February 20. The arrest of the Lankan man assumes significance in the wake of reports about the alleged visit of the perpetrators of the recent blast that had rocked Sri Lanka on the Easter day. Sri Lanka Army's chief had revealed in a recent interview that some of the suicide bombers who carried out the country's worst terror attack on Easter Sunday visited Kashmir and Kerala for "some sort of training" or to "make some more links" with other foreign outfits. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing over 250 people and injuring more than 500 others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit A Taliban suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding 40 more, according to the insurgents and Afghan officials. The attack occurred two days after President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday. The insurgents rebuffed the offer that came at the end of peace talks in Kabul, and as the Taliban meet with the US at separate talks in Qatar. Sunday's attack started with a massive blast at the police facility in Pul-i-Khumri, about 250 kilometres north of Kabul, sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky. The explosion was followed up by gunmen storming the police compound, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. In a tweet, he said a suicide bomber had detonated a bomb inside an armoured personnel carrier, "flattening most of the building". Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said "two terrorists were gunned down" in the attack, while "the rest of the attackers were besieged by the Afghan forces." At least four people had been killed and another 40 wounded, said Baghan provincial health director Mohibullah Habib. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asserting that trade negotiations with the Chinese are moving "too slowly", US President Donald Trump on Sunday said America would increase tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese products to 25 per cent on May 10. The move came at a time when a high-powered Chinese delegation is expected to come to Washington on Wednesday for the next round of talks to negotiate a comprehensive trade deal with the US. "For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods," Trump tweeted. These payments, he said, are partially responsible for the US' great economic results. "The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday," he said, adding, "325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%." Trump said that the tariffs paid to the US have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" he tweeted. The US and China have been negotiating a trade deal since November last year when Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Argentina agreed to work to find a way to end their trade war in the next 100 days. Till then Trump agreed not to increase tariffs on Chinese products. The first such deadline ended in March this year. However, the US extended the deadline. Though till last week, Trump was saying that the talks with China were going on the right track, the president expressed his frustration on Sunday over the pace of the negotiations. In an interview to CBS News, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that the previous Obama administration had given a free pass to the Chinese. "They had given the Chinese a free pass in every dimension. President Trump is now pushing back on the enormous trade abuses." The US wants to reduce the trade deficit with China, which in 2018 totalled USD 378.73 billion. It is also demanding greater opening of the Chinese market to US goods and wants Beijing to end its practice of forcing US firms that operate in China to share their technology. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telecom and water services were partially restored in Bhubaneswar and Puri after Cyclone Fani caused extensive damage in Odisha, while work is on war footing to get back the power connections as early as possible, officials said Sunday. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, reviewed relief measures in affected areas of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, two days after the extremely severe cyclonic storm hit the eastern coast. Mobile services have been restored partially in Bhubaneswar and Puri and in both the cities, about 70 per cent water supply will be restored by Sunday evening, a home ministry official said. Work is on war footing to restore the power connections, the official said. The Indian Railways has re-introduced 85 of the 138 cancelled trains and the main line to Bhubaneswar has commenced operations while Puri will start operations in about four to five days, according to an official statement. Flight operations to Bhubaneswar resumed with 41 flights operating Saturday, even though the local airport suffered extensive damage, it said. During the NCMC meeting, the Odisha government has informed that power and telecommunication facilities are gradually being restored in the cyclone affected areas of the state. Major damages to the power transmission and distribution systems are reported in Bhubaneswar and Puri. Odisha also requested for supply of storage water tanks. The Cabinet Secretary directed that restoration of power and telecommunication facilities be accorded top priority and the Ministry of Power and the Department of Telecommunications to coordinate with the Odisha government, the statement said. The Union Power Ministry has moved diesel generator sets of 500 KVA, 250 KVA and 125 KVA capacity and also provided workmen gangs, who are engaged in restoration of power lines and towers. Senior officials of power PSUs have been stationed in the affected areas to oversee restoration operations. Neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have been requested to provide additional assistance to Odisha, particularly in the area of power, the statement said. The Cabinet Secretary also suggested that public sector companies in power and oil and gas sector contribute towards relief efforts under their CSR funding. The Union Ministry of Steel has made available about 3,500 steel electric poles. Additional quantities as requested by Odisha are being arranged from other places. Manufacturing of additional poles is also been undertaken. About 60 per cent of affected telecom towers are expected to be operational by evening and diesel supplies are being provided to make them functional using DG sets in the absence of regular power supply and sufficient stocks of diesel and other fuels are available in Odisha, the statement said. The NDRF has cleared fallen trees from most of the roads in Puri, Khurda and Bhubaneswar and normal traffic has resumed. The Defence Ministry through special transport planes and helicopters moved medicines and other relief material. Naval and Coast Guard vessel near Odisha coast have enough water supplies to be supplied to affected areas. Reviewing the relief efforts, the Cabinet Secretary directed that officers of central ministries and agencies to work in close coordination with the Odisha government and provide all required assistance expeditiously, the statement said. Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal participated in the NCMC meeting through video conference. Senior officers from the ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, Civil Aviation, Railways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Power, Telecommunications, Steel, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Health, NDMA and NDRF also attended the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 13 people were killed and dozens more wounded after a Taliban suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday. The deadly assault occurred two days after President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday. The insurgents have rebuffed the move, which came at the end of peace talks in Kabul, and as the Taliban meet with the US at separate talks in Qatar. Sunday's attack started with a massive blast at the police facility in Pul-i-Khumri, about 250 kilometres north of Kabul, sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky. The explosion was followed up by gunmen storming the police compound, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. In a tweet, he said a suicide bomber had detonated a bomb inside an armoured personnel carrier, "flattening most of the building". Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said 13 police officers were killed in the attack, with another 35 wounded. Eight attackers were also killed, Rahimi said in a statement, adding 20 civilians were wounded. Faisal Sami, a senator from Baghlan province, put the toll at 12 killed and 60 wounded. The current round of talks between the Taliban and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad entered their fourth day Sunday. The two foes are hammering out a deal that could see foreign forces leave Afghanistan in return for a ceasefire, talks between the government and the Taliban, and a guarantee the country will never again be used as a safe haven for terror groups. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday targeted the opposition parties over the issue of instant triple talaq, saying the Congress and its allies were working overtime to stall a bill against the practice, but vowed to ensure they don't succeed. Addressing a rally at Bhadohi, which has a sizeable Muslim population and goes to the polls on May 12, Modi accused the Congress and its partners of "compelling" Muslim women to live in fear. The Prime Minister said the practice of instant triple talaq has been abolished in several Muslim countries of the world. "Their daughters' lives are not destroyed in the name of triple talaq. We want to give the same rights to our Muslim sisters in India," he said. The Modi government introduced a bill to ban the practice of talaq-e-biddat or instant triple talaq and it was passed by Lok Sabha. But it lapsed in the Upper House. The PM said, "We do not disrespect anybody's religious sentiments, we just follow the Constitution of India. And the Constitution of India gives equal rights to both men and women. We are working to ensure that the women get equal rights and justice. "The Congress and its allies are compelling the sisters, whose lives have been destroyed because of instant triple talaq, to live in fear. These mahamilawati people are working day and night to stop the anti-triple talaq law. But I will not allow them to succeed," Modi vowed. He also said India's point of view is being accepted world across and the country gets respect everywhere. "From Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates and from the Philippines to Russia, every country is bestowing its highest honour on India. "When you get these news, do you feel proud? Don't you hold your head high? Doesn't your chest swell with pride," he told the audience. Countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have conferred their highest civilian awards on Modi. Referring to terror attacks, Modi said whenever any such incident takes place the pain is felt across the country. "When any terror attack takes place in Kashmir, tears are shed in Bhadohi, the heart of people goes out in Kanyakumari. Everybody feels the pain. When bodies of martyred soldiers are brought at their native place draped in tricolour, everybody feels that they have lost their own son." "But in retaliation, when there is a surgical strike, don't you feel proud? Now do you feel that there is the right government (in place) and it's working properly?" he asked. Modi also referred to India's successful launch of anti-satellite missile in March. "India shot down a satellite with a missile, how did you feel? This is the strength of the country. Did any country in the world oppose us or impose sanctions?" he asked. "When you work with the right policy and intention, keeping the welfare of the people in mind, even impossible becomes...," to which the crowd replied, "possible". Modi also said hundreds of Indians lodged in jails in Saudi Arabia are being sent home by that country before Ramzan after he requested Saudi Crown Prince to free them. "Our 850 people were lodged in jails of Saudi Arabia. A few days ago, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia had come to India I requested him that our people lodged in Saudi jails be freed so that they can reach their home before Ramzan. He agreed to my request, and started sending them to their houses before Ramzan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top functionaries of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) and at least 120 others have been named in the police case registered in connection with the IED blast in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on May 1 that killed 15 policemen and a driver. The incident took place near Jambhurkheda village in Kurkheda tehsil of the district, over 900 kilometres from here, when jawans of Gadchiroli police's Quick Response Team were on their way to a site where Naxals had earlier torched 25 vehicles. The case has been registered at Purada police station in Gadchiroli district, an official said Sunday. CPI (Maoist) former general secretary Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathy, current chief Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavraj, who was earlier head of the Maoists "Central Military Commission", are the top functionaries of the banned outfit named in the FIR. The others include Mallojulla alias Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi who is in-charge of the Naxal "red corridor" centred around Lalgarh in West Bengal's West Midnapore district, an official said. Top Maoist operatives like Katakam Sudarshan, better known by his nom de guerre Anand, Satyanarayan Reddy, Milind Teltumbde, Bhaskar Rao Hichkani have also been named as accused, he added. The others are Puluri Prasad Rao alias Chandranna, Lokati Chandran Rao, Gokul Madavi, Navluram Tulavi, Dinkar Gotta, Vilas Kolla, Jagdish Tekam, Madhu Mansing Tekam, Umesh Waddo, Maini Bogga, Vinod Bogga, Kedar Pijjo, all operating at different levels of the Naxal hierarchy, the official said. Puluri, Madhu and Maini are the women cadre, he informed. The Naxals have been charged under sections 302 (murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 143 (member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (common intention), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code besides sections 5 and 28 of the Arms Act and under provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act. Sections 16, 18, 20, 23 of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have also been invoked against them in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 43-year-old tourist from Maharashtra was killed Sunday and three others injured when a boulder hit their vehicle along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, police said. The vehicle, carrying a group of 12 tourists, was on way to Jammu from Kashmir Valley and the incident occurred near police station Ramsoo in Ramban district around 0430 hours, the official said. Sunil Vishnupanth Kathe, his wife Manisha (39), Vilas Anand Kumar (43) and Mayuri Kumber (17) were injured when the boulder from the hillock fell on their vehicle while they were crossing a landslide-prone area, he said. He said the injured were immediately evacuated to hospital where Kathe was declared brought dead. His body is being handed over to his family for last rites after completion of legal formalities. The condition of rest of the injured was stated to be stable, the official said. Meanwhile, authorities have provided special passes to vehicles carrying 'Durbar' move employees to ply on the highway in view of restrictions on movement of civilian traffic. Only security convoys are allowed on the highway twice a week -- Wednesday and Sunday -- from 4 am to 5 pm to facilitate smooth movement. The restriction was clamped on April 7 in view of the terror attack in Pulwama on February 14 that left 40 CRPF personnel dead. However, the administration lifted restrictions on civilian traffic movement between Srinagar and Baramulla stretch of the highway from May 2. Vehicles carrying employees were provided special passes in view of restrictions on Sundays on the highway for movement of the Army and other convoys, the officials said. The decision to provide special passes to employees was taken at a meeting chaired by divisional commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma here on Saturday. Verma reviewed travel arrangements for darbar move employees to summer capital Srinagar, where civil secretariat - the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government - along with Raj Bhawan and other move offices will reopen on May 6 after six months' functioning in the winter capital Jammu as per the age-old practice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump's latest choice to lead US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a former border patrol chief under the Obama administration who has publicly backed the president's border wall. Trump tweeted on Sunday that Mark Morgan "will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE." He added: "Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. He will do a great job!" The announcement follows a shake-up at the Department of Homeland Security triggered by the president's frustration with the increasing number of migrants at the border. The shake-up started last month, when Trump withdrew Ron Vitiello's nomination to lead US Immigration and Customs Enforcement midway through the confirmation process. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen then resigned, along with Undersecretary for Management Claire Grady, who was in line to be her successor. Morgan, who was named the head of the US Border Patrol in 2016, was ousted early in Trump's presidency. It was not immediately clear if he had been formally nominated for the new role, which will require Senate confirmation. The acting Homeland Security secretary, Kevin McAleenan, said in a statement that Morgan's "record of service is needed to address the crisis at the border and support the men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement." A former FBI agent, Morgan was the first and so far the only outsider to lead the Border Patrol. He clashed with its union, which has a strong relationship with Trump. Since he left, he has defended Trump's immigration policies on Fox and publicly declared earlier this year his support for Trump's efforts to build a wall along the southern border. In April, Trump made his appreciation known, tweeting: "Mark Morgan, President Obama's Border Patrol Chief, gave the following message to me: 'President Trump, stay the course.' I agree, and believe it or not, we are making great progress with a system that has been broken for many years!" ICE is the agency tasked with enforcing immigration law in the interior of the US Part of ICE's mission is to arrest immigrants in the US illegally, which has made it a symbol of Trump's hardline immigration policies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tunisian security forces have killed three suspected jihadists from an Islamic State group affiliate in the centre of the country, the interior ministry said Sunday. A statement said "three of the most dangerous terrorists" from the Jund al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate) group were "eliminated" Saturday evening near the town of Sidi Ali Ben Oun, 230 kilometres (140 miles) southwest of Tunis. It identified the men as Hatem ben Aid Basdouri, 40, Mohamed ben Ibrahim Basdouri, 35, and Montassar ben Khraief Ghozlani, 31. Security forces seized weapons, ammunition, explosives and suicide vests, the authorities said. In an earlier statement Saturday the ministry said it also had managed to "thwart terrorist projects" planned for upcoming Muslim holy month Ramadan after arresting another suspected jihadist. Tunisian security forces regularly conduct search operations in the mountainous areas near the border with Algeria to hunt down IS- and Al-Qaeda-linked militants. In March the interior ministry said security forces had shot dead three alleged Jund al-Khilafa member accused of involvement in the grisly killings of shepherds in the restive Kasserine region. Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has experienced multiple jihadist attacks that have killed dozens of members of the security forces and 59 foreign tourists. The country has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when an IS-claimed suicide bombing in Tunis killed 12 presidential guards. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey on Sunday dismissed US threats of sanctions if it went ahead with a Russian missile purchase, saying it would not renege on a pledge to Moscow. Washington has warned its NATO ally for months that Ankara's adoption of Russian S-400 missile technology alongside US F-35 fighters would pose a threat to the jets and endanger Western defence. The US has said it will halt a joint F-35 programme with Turkey if it acquires the Russian missile defence system. A US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies. "The US threats of sanctions shows that they don't know Turkey," Vice President Fuat Oktay told Kanal 7 television. "The decision on the S-400 has been taken. Once a pact has been signed, one's word given, Turkey respects it," he said. The S-400 purchase is one dispute fuelling tensions between two nations also at odds over US support for Syrian Kurdish militias which Ankara brands as terrorists and Turkish backing for US foe Venezuela. Ankara said the first deliveries of the S-400 are scheduled for June or July. Last month, after repeated warnings, the United States said Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 system was incompatible with it remaining part of the emblematic F-35 jet programme. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States. Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations with Turkey, and suggested Ankara might be able to obtain a US missile defence system if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Nations has called for a "humanitarian truce" to halt fighting in Libya from the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Monday. Around 400 people have been killed in clashes since military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive against the seat of the internationally recognised unity government in Tripoli on April 4. The UN mission in the country proposed the "extendable one-week" ceasefire "during which all parties pledge to halt all forms of military operations" in a statement Sunday. It called on the warring sides to "allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need" and use the truce to exchange prisoners and bodies of those killed in the clashes. Libya has been mired in chaos since the ouster and killing of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with Haftar supporting a rival administration in the east of the country. The flare-up in fighting has displaced some 55,000 and sparked fears of a humanitarian crisis as civilians remain trapped in the conflict zone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A building at the University of Houston has been renamed after an Indian-American couple in recognition of their contribution to aid research projects, faculty and students at the varsity. The university, a public research college founded in 1927, renamed its Engineering Research Building after Durga D Agrawal and Sushila, long-time Houstonians, on April 26, university officials said. Indian-American chancellor and president of the university Renu Khator, Consul General of India Anupam Ray, members of the Indian community, students and faculty were present at the building dedication ceremony. The USD 51-million building, which opened in 2017, had earlier named a floor after the couple. The Durga D and Sushila Agrawal Engineering Research Building has been named to recognise a transformational gift that the Agrawals have made, an university release said. Agrawal, 74, who is from a nondescript village in Madhya Pradesh's Lakhanpur, expressed his admiration and respect for his professors at the university, who "put their heart and soul" into teaching students including some like him who had trouble understanding the language and the American accent. Having immigrated to Houston in 1968, after his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, Agrawal earned two advanced degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Houston's (UH) Cullen College of Engineering. He is a member of the UH System Board of Regents and serves as chair on the UH's endowment management committee. He also served on the Texas Higher Coordinating Board for four years. Durga started his piping technology and products company in 1975. Today, the company is a leading player in its category and employs over a 1,000 people. "My life's philosophy is to always be optimistic. One can achieve any goal with hard work, persistence and determination," he said. Family bonds are important to the Agrawals. "My parents played a major role in teaching me the values of giving and being kind. The UH has a very special place in my heart. We must keep the torch of knowledge, excellence and innovation growing and glowing," he said. At the dedication ceremony, president of the university Khatos said,"We named the new engineering building after Dr and Mrs Durga Agrawal, our alum and regent, to celebrate their generosity and their gift will inspire our students and alumni for many generations." The building on campus bears no resemblance to the one Durga studied in but has been rebuilt on the same piece of land. Agrawal was the first major donor and founding president of India House, a community centre that offers free services and community programs. Being the founder and first president of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, Agarwal has been part of many delegations to promote trade and exchange of educational and medical resources between Houston and India. He was once introduced by former President George Bush as "my good friend from Texas" at a State Dinner for India's then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Capitol Hill. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Sunday for Russia to get out of Venezuela, while his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, called on Washington to "abandon its irresponsible plans" in the crisis-wracked country. The push and shove set the stage for a Pompeo meeting with Lavrov in Finland this week, and belied the conciliatory tone taken by US President Donald Trump on Friday after what he said was "a very good conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The top level contacts follow the failure of a US-backed uprising this week aimed at ousting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, which Pompeo has blamed on Russia. The secretary has said Maduro had been ready to flee to Havana but the Russians, who had flown military advisers to Caracas to shore up his socialist government, talked him out of it. "The Russians must get out," Pompeo said in an interview Sunday with ABC's "This Week." "I'm going to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov in recent days. It's very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out. It's very clear," he said. Trump undercut Pompeo's position on Friday, telling reporters that Putin had assured him "he is not looking to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela." "And I feel the same way," Trump added. Asked about those comments, Pompeo said, "I didn't see the full context of those quotes." In Moscow, Lavrov met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and pushed back against Washington. "We call on the Americans, and all those supporting them, to abandon their irresponsible plans and to act exclusively within the boundaries of international law," Lavrov said. Washington has given full-throated backing to opposition leader Juan Guaido, who tried but ultimately failed to ignite a military uprising against Maduro on April 30. Guaido, who is recognized by the US and 50 other countries as Venezuela's legitimate interim president, acknowledged Saturday in an interview with the Washington Post that he fell short. "Maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution," Guaido said. "I think the variables are obvious at this point." He has tried to keep up the pressure with massive street protests, but his latest call for demonstrations Saturday drew only several hundred people. The attempted uprising set off two days of violent clashes between security forces and protesters that left four dead, dozens injured and more 150 people arrested. Pompeo admitted to "bumpy roads" and said it could take "two weeks, four weeks" to remove Maduro. "But Maduro can't feel good. He's ruling for the moment but he can't govern," Pompeo said. "This is someone who cannot be part of Venezuela's future." Maduro, meanwhile, appeared at a military exercise on Saturday with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, who top US officials had said was in on the attempted uprising but backed out. "I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty," Maduro said in a speech to some 5,000 troops that was broadcast nationally on radio and television. "I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honour, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armed forces," he said. He also called on the troops to be "ready" for potential US military action. Pompeo said a "full range of options" are being prepared for Trump. So far, US efforts have focused on diplomatic and economic pressure on Caracas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran CPI leader and former Lok Sabha member Duti Krushna Panda died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar due to old age related problems on Sunday, family sources said. He was 97 and was survived by three sons and three daughters. He was admitted in the hospital for treatment due to his old age ailments some days back, the sources said. Panda was elected to Lok Sabha from Bhanjanagara Parliamentary Constituency (presently Aska) in 1971. He was also elected to the state assembly from Aska seat in 1990. He was actively associated with several trade unions and was the founder president of Odisha Anganwardi Workers' Association. Panda was state secretary and president of CPI and AITUC, respectively. He was also the president of Ganjam district sugar growers' association. Apart from politics, Panda had authored several books. Panda's mortal remains was brought to his residence at Aska for cremation. Several leaders paid tribute to him at the CPI office at Bhubaneswar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the run-up to Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, actor Vivek Oberoi on Sunday campaigned on behalf of the BJP in the capital, urging the people to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The actor, who plays Modi in the biopic "PM Narendra Modi", asked Delhiites to vote for the prime minister on all seven seats in the city. After almost three hours of wait, Oberoi arrived at the Constitution Club of India for the event, titled 'Saaton seetein Modi ko' (All seven seats for Modi) and started off his under four-minute-long address with "How's the josh?", the popular dialogue from the film, "Uri: The Surgical Strike". Earlier this year, at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai, the prime minister also opened his address with the same punch line. Showing off his inked finger, the actor said, "The people of Mumbai have shown the finger in the right direction. I'm talking about the correct finger. Now it's time the people of Delhi showed the finger. So, 'Saaton seetein, Modi ko'." Mumbai cast its vote on April 29. Without taking any names from the opposition party, Oberoi attacked the Congress for "looting the nation in the past 70 years" and called on the 'chowkidars' to protect the country. "In the history of India, whenever a prince or an outsider has ruled over the country, there has only been widespread loot. But now, all of us have united. Every citizen of the country is a part of this (campaign). "All of us are chowkidars, who are armed and ready. We, the chowkidars, will never let the country suffer from loots. PM Narendra Modi's win is definite. This country will not be looted (lutega) anymore, it will rise (uthega)," he said. Vivek asked the citizens to "make more people aware and get them to vote for Modi". "Delhi is important because as it is the heart of the country. Madhuri Dixit ji's heart goes 'dhak-dhak', but the heart of our Bharat goes what? 'Modi-Modi'. If Modiji is the heartbeat of the country, he will come back as the PM," he added. The event began with volunteers distributing T-shirts with tagline 'Saaton seetein Modi ko' and asking every one in the audience to wear them. Chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Vande Mataram', 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Narendra Modi zindabad', 'Jai Hind' and 'Ghar-ghar bhagwa chhayega, Ram rajya aayega' resounded the auditorium on loop. The RSS geet "Swayam ab jaagkar humko" was also sung before the event began. On May 12, Delhi will vote on seven constituencies -- Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi and South Delhi -- in the sixth phase of general elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Promoters of contributed Rs 17,920 crore to its Rs 25,000 crore rights issue compared to their commitment of Rs 18,250 crore following over-subscription of the scheme, the company said Sunday. With this contribution, the promoters' stake in the country's largest operator increased marginally to 71.57 per cent from 71.33 per cent. "The Company witnessed participation from both domestic and foreign public shareholders. The issue was oversubscribed approximately 1.08x and the public participation was approximately 1.2x. "The promoter / promoter group applied for higher than their aggregate rights entitlement in line with their earlier commitment, however, due to strong demand from public shareholders, the final allotment to the promoter / promoter group was Rs. 179.2 billion," said in a statement. The promoter shareholders -- Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group -- had earlier reiterated to the board that they intend to contribute up to Rs 11,000 crore and up to Rs 7,250 crore respectively, amounting to total of Rs 18,250 crore, as part of the rights issue. "Post allotment, the total promoter / promoter group aggregate shareholding is 71.57 per cent versus 71.33 per cent as on the record date (April 2, 2019)," the statement said. "We are progressing well on integration and are well on track to deliver our synergy targets. Our ongoing investments are improving broadband coverage and capacity, enabling us to offer a superior network experience to our customers as well as enhancing our ability to win new broadband customers," said Balesh Sharma, CEO, The Capital Raising Committee of the board of directors of Vodafone Idea Limited at its meeting Saturday approved the basis of allotment of equity shares to the eligible shareholders including renouncees, to conclude India's largest rights issue offering. "We are pleased to announce the successful closure of India's largest rights issue offering, which witnessed participation from promoters along with the strong demand from other marquee existing shareholders and new investors. "This funding along with the monetisation of our stake in Indus will allow us to make the required investments in the business to achieve our strategic goals," said Akshaya Moondra, CFO, Vodafone Idea. ALSO READ: Voda Idea to seek shareholder nod for divesting fibre assets to Voda Towers The board of directors on March 20 cleared the Rs 25,000-crore rights issue at a price of Rs 12.50 per equity share, a steep 61 per cent discount to the prevailing market rate. In a regulatory filing, the company had said the rights entitlement ratio has been fixed at 87 equity shares for every 38 shares held by eligible shareholders of the company on the record date (April 2, 2019). The rights issue opened on April 10 and closed on April 24. According to Citi Research, the successful completion of the capital raise is positive for the company as it could strengthen the balance sheet, remove going concern risks, and help enhance network capacity and coverage. The new shares are expected to be listed on the BSE and NSE on or around May 10, 2019. When you are sick, you need 'khichdi', says senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders repeated 'khichdi government' barb at the opposition. The country will "resoundingly cure" the nation's "political sickness" by showing the door to the BJP, the author-politician said, referencing the 'khichdi', a dal-rice-vegetable mix viewed as a recipe to counter all kinds of ailments that has become an oft-used metaphor in political discourse. In an interview to PTI, he said there will be a new coalition government at the Centre with the Congress as its fulcrum come May 23 when the Lok Sabha poll results will be out. On Modi's 'mahamilawat' (adulterated) jibe, Tharoor said the BJP has resorted to similar messaging every time it is pushed to the back foot, whether it is speaking of a "tukde-tukde gang", labelling people "anti-national" or asking those who don't agree with their worldview to go to Pakistan. "Narendra Modi and his party are clearly experts in the of misrepresentation and peddling a divisive and jingoistic narrative, which is all they have to offer given their disastrous record in office," the former Union minister said. On the BJP's nationalism narrative, he alleged that Prime Minister Modi himself has not shied away from politicising the armed forces, or projecting himself as the only capable protector of the country's national security. He said the BJP is making the "callous assumption" that the Indian voter will forget that the promised "achhe din" never came. "When BJP supporters speak of mahamilawat' or say another coalition government would be a 'khichdi', I respond that when you are sick, you need khichdi!" he said. "I have no doubt that the country will resoundingly cure our nation's political sickness by showing the door to the BJP by the 23rd of May," the former Union minister added. Addressing a poll rally in Koderma, Jharkhand, Modi last week said the opposition's 'mission mahamilawat' is keen to form a "khichdi" government at the Centre, the strings of which will remain in the hands of the Congress. Other senior BJP leaders have also warned against a khichdi government' of opposition parties, asserting the BJP can provide a "mazboot sarkaar (strong government)" as opposed to the opposition's "majboor sarkaar (helpless government)". Tharoor, who is seeking a third straight Lok Sabha term from Thiruvanathapuram, that went to polls on April 23, also said the current mood of the nation is overwhelmingly in favour of the Congress and this has been a source of great optimism and infectious energy for the party's ranks. The voters of the country are simply fed up with the last five years of inept governance, divisive and communal and callous policymaking that has been the hallmark of the present ruling dispensation and are making their frustration clear while exercising their franchise, he claimed. The Congress' credible narrative that has been put forward by the party has found widespread acceptance and popular support across the country, Tharoor added. "At an ideological level, our idea of an inclusive India, one where all voices matter equally and are heard is in stark contrast to the idea of India that our present political masters have put forward, one where some voices come first and others are beyond comprehension," the 63-year-old leader said. Tharoor also said the Congress has spelt out a vision for the country that has been equally well received. The most notable example of this being the minimum income guarantee scheme NYAY'. The scheme's design, scale and impact is nothing short of revolutionary and there is palpable excitement across the country on the new paradigms of development, social justice and mobility that this will introduce, he said. "There is the undeniable fact that several parties that are currently ranged against our candidates in various states are far more likely to support a Congress-led UPA-3 in a post-poll scenario than to go with a BJP-led alternative," he asserted. In the event of neither party being able to command a majority by itself, the Congress' chances of forming a broad-based post-poll coalition are much brighter than the BJP's, Tharoor claimed. Asked whether post-poll alliances could be a tricky proposition for the Congress as SP and BSP could seek a hard bargain, Tharoor said the Congress has an impressive track record of being able to stitch together post-poll alliances with like-minded partners. There is mutual respect between regional players and the Congress, which has always left the door open for an amicable post-poll alliance, he said. "At the same time, with regard to situations we have seen with the SP and the BSP prior to the elections, what needs to be made clear is the distinction between the grounds for a pre-poll alliance and a post-poll alliance," he said. Asserting that the calculations are very different in a post-poll scenario, Tharoor said the question that needs to be answered in such a situation is fundamentally whether parties that are not regular allies of the Congress can find enough common ground with it to form a government together. "If the answer is yes, then we will strive towards drawing up a common minimum programme that is acceptable for all partners, as opposed to the broader, more widespread and more enduring agreement that we have with our pre-poll partners," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Sunday wondered why Congress President Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned. In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that Rahul Gandhi thinks that "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a man of utmost integrity. Responding to comments of Modi that Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug" Jaitley in his tweet said: "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if the integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the Q' connection? No reply has come." Modi, addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Modi had said. Jaitley said that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star. "The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" the Minister said. The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress's defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls. On former prime minister Manmohan Singh accusing the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits, Jaitley said, "When an economist turns into a politician, he loses sense of both economy and politics". "Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Today he regards the World's the fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley said. In an interview to PTI, Singh Sunday said India is headed for an economic slowdown and accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits due to its "lack of economic vision". Singh also alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of the economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said post May 23, he will issue an advisory in view of the Lok Sabha poll results and the possibility of subsequent clashes between the workers of the SP and the BSP. Addressing a poll meeting here, he said, "On May 23, when the election results are declared, 'bua' (BSP supremo Mayawati) will say 'babua' (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) is the head of the goons and 'babua' will say 'bua' is the epitome of corruption. This is certain." The chief minister said he will not allow any violence in Uttar Pradesh, adding, "We will issue an advisory so that the citizens are not caught in their violence." Hitting out at the political rivals of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Adityanath said, "During the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, (Congress leader) Priyanka Gandhi had talked about the combination of two boys (Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav). "But Uttar Pradesh had said the pair was not of two boys, but of two oxen. The people of the state laugh over their education. We do not want (people with) the brains of an ox, but those who can usher in development. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director Dome Karukoski says it would have been "suffocating" for him if he had worked on "Tolkien", a biopic on the iconic author of "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" series, in consultation with the writer's estate. The film, which features actor Nicholas Hoult as the eponymous character, has been in of late after the JRR Tolkien's family and the Tolkien estate had raised their objections and said they do "not endorse" the biopic which is set to be released next month. According to IndieWire, at a recent post-screening Q&A in New York City, Karukoski said that not having discussions with the Tolkien estate about the film helped him maintaining an unbiased approach to the story. "Honestly, you try not to work with the estate for reasons obvious. Even if it would be out of kindness to ask the estate, you start servicing them, they become your friends. You shouldn't mess with the estate, so the film can exist purely for your own reasons and your own feelings about the characters," the director said. "We did very, very thorough research, we understand these characters, and the emotional truth of them is very true. To dig out the emotional truth of the characters, you have to try to not hide certain evidence and when you work with an estate what happens is that that kind of gets suffocated. You're not allowed to do certain things so that the audience can feel an emotion from it," he added. Karukoski said that he offered to screen the film for the Tolkien estate before its London premiere, but they declined. "I actually approached them to offer them a chance to watch the film with me and Nick and I hope that will happen one day," he added. The biopic, which also features Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, Derek Jacobi, Mimi Keene and Pam Ferris, is due to land on May 10, more than 46 years after Tolkien's death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav, the BJP's candidate against Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh, has said he would have supported the Samajwadi Party chief or its patriarch, Mulayam Singh Yadav, if they had been the prime ministerial candidate. In an interview to PTI, Dinesh Lal Yadav, who is popularly known as Nirahua, alleged that Akhilesh Yadav and the SP had created an "anti-national" image of the Yadavs, saying the "blind supporters" should of the party president should understand this. "If Mulayam Singh Yadav was running for the post of the prime minister, then I would have supported him. If Akhilesh was to become the prime minister, then I would have supported him," Dinesh Lal Yadav said. "But he (Akhilesh) is not in the race. He wants to make such a man (Rahul Gandhi) prime minister who says if his party (Congress) comes to power, then it would withdraw troops from the borders and scrap the sedition law," he added. The apparent reference was to the Congress' manifesto proposal of reviewing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and scrapping the sedition law. "If you (Akhilesh) would have been the prime minister candidate, then it would have made sense to fight against Modi. You don't want to become a prime minister and still want to lower the pride of the Yadavs. Do you want to say that Yadavs are against the nation?" Dinesh Lal Yadav asked. The actor-turned-politician underscored that nationalism was the biggest issue in the election, alleging that the Samajwadi Party was against nationalism and did of "appeasement". "Akhilesh is dubbed a Yadav leader.... If you have become an identity of the Yadavs, then why are you lowering the identity? Why did you forge an alliance (with the BSP, RLD) to stop an honest person (Modi)?" he asked. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate said Akhilesh Yadav's political equations in Azamgarh has turned on its head, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work and schemes had reached every people's house in the Uttar Pradesh constituency. "People have already made up their minds," he said. "Have come here to end the of caste and dynasty." Dinesh Lal Yadav said he would not quit or the BJP if he loses. And, if he wins, the actor said he would shoot most of his films in the constituency. Azamgarh goes to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Anti-government protesters marched in France for a 25th straight week Saturday but in significantly smaller numbers than during the yellow vest movement's first months or for a May Day rally that attracted tens of thousands of participants. Several dozen people demonstrated at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport to denounce privatisation plans. Protests were also held in Paris and other cities around France, including Nice, Marseille and Lyon, where environmentalists and yellow vest protesters joined forces. The Interior Ministry counted a total of 2,600 participants at three events in Paris and 18,900 in all of France, a low for Saturday protest marches, according to French media reports. Security was visibly lighter than on Wednesday, when French officials deployed 7,400 officers from around the country to police the annual May Day march organised by labor unions. During that march, clusters of protesters wearing masks and hoods set trash bin fires, vandalised property and threw rocks at riot police, who responded with tear gas, rubber projectiles and stun grenades. The leaderless yellow vest movement sprang up in mid-November with workers who rely on their cars camping out at traffic circles to protest a hike in fuel taxes. They wore the high-visibility vests all French drivers must keep in their cars for emergencies. It quickly expanded to encompass a range of economic issues and policies of French President Emmanuel Macron that were seen as favoring the rich. Macron responded last month with measures that included tax cuts for middle class workers and plans to close France's elite school for top civil servants, while defending his pro-business policies. Three lists of yellow vest candidates are running in a May 26 election for France's representatives to the European Union parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 1Name the person who said this "Their mentality was, you have a cheque, I am going to give you some money and I hope you go away". He came up with one of the most disruptive inventions in the history of business. 2These kind of waiters first appeared in 1921 in the US when the first drive-in restaurant was opened. They used to serve people in their cars. During WWII when the men were away fighting the war women took over their roles. What are they called? 3The American National Exhibition was held in Sokol'niki Park, Moscow in the summer of 1959. It was an attempt to ... Private carrier GoAir is offering air tickets starting Rs 1,375 on domestic routes in a limited period sale. Bookings under the sale can be made from May 3 to May 9, 2019. One can travel under the scheme till October 6, 2019. However, airfares vary according to several routes and on different dates. Flights under the scheme start from fare of Rs 1,375 for Bagdogra to Guwahati route to Rs 6,999 from Srinagar to Mumbai. Fare for Guwahati to Bagdogra route stands at Rs 1649 under the scheme. Fares for Goa to Mumbai and Goa to Bengaluru stand at Rs 1,999. Fare for the Delhi to Jammu route too stands at Rs 1,999. One can travel from Ahmedabad to Jaipur at Rs 1499 and from Lucknow to Delhi at 1399. Fares for Kolkata to Patna stand at Rs 1,899 under the new scheme. Meanwhile, the airline has also started another scheme of special fares under which journey can be undertaken at a minimum Rs 2,765. Tickets under the scheme can be booked from May 2 to May 8 this year. While fare for Guwahati to Hyderabad route stands at Rs 2,765, one can travel from Jaipur to Bengaluru at Rs 3,222. CAMEROUN :: Ambazonia Governing Council frowns at United Nations Human Rights Commissioners visit to LRC :: CAMEROON The Ambazonia Governing Council notes with indignation the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelets visit to La Republique du Cameroun. Numerous human rights reports documenting La Republique du Camerouns gross and systematic human rights violations in Ambazonia provoked this visit. It is regrettable that the High Commissioners office organizes such an important visit and ignores the victims of La Republique du Camerouns terror and systemic gross violations. According to these reports, the actions of Cameroun are systematic, and rights violations have amounted to crimes against humanity, war crimes, and possible genocide. The staggering statistics of more than 4 million affected, close to 1000 villages burnt, thousands killed, hundreds of thousands internally displaced and more than 200. 000 refugees within Cameroun and Nigeria, a lasting solution that is sustainable and just is required. Even as she visits in Yaounde, Cameroun continues the systemic and targeted killings, wanton and reckless burning of entire villages, enforced disappearances, torture, etc. Unfortunately, Ms. Bachelet limits her visit to Yaounde while victims languish in the wild and the majority are buried. Following these unconscionable crimes, La Republique du Cameroun twice refused access to Mr. Zeid Eaad Hussien, Ms. Michelle Bacehlets predecessor who insisted on accessing Ambazonia to investigate these crimes. The People of Ambazonia once more remind the world that the current crimes amounting to genocide and crimes against humanity originate from La Republique du Camerouns violations of Ambazonias right to self-determination. The permanent, sustainable, and ultimate solution to this genocide and crimes against humanity in Ambazonia is the recognition of Ambazonias inalienable right to self-determination. By this recognition, the people of Ambazonia should freely determine their political, economic, social, educational and cultural life as provided in the International Bill of Human Rights. Sincerely Obadiah Mua Secretary General , Ambazonia Governing Council- AGovC Published On May 05, 2019 11:59 AM By Jagdev for Hyundai Venue Here are the most important developments from the Indian auto industry from the last week Hyundai Venue Variant, Powertrain Details Revealed: The Venue will be offered in a total of five variants, with two petrol engines and one diesel. Theres an automatic transmission on offer with one of the petrol engines as well. To find out exactly which powertrain is available with which variant, check out our report here. Toyota Glanza Spied: Some of you might be heartbroken to know that the Glanza looks almost identical to the Baleno with only the badges separating the two at the rear. If you missed out on the leaked images of the Glanza before, heres how it looks. New TUV300 vs Old: Mahindra has launched the TUV300 facelift in India with prices starting from Rs 8.38 lakh. How is it different from the pre-facelift version? Find out here. Renault Kwid Facelift Spied: The Kwids getting a thorough makeover and this updated version is slated to launch later this year. The spy images reveal a significantly redesigned front end with the headlamps placed on the bumper, like on the Tata Harrier. Read more about it here. Ertiga 1.5-litre Diesel Launched: After the Ciaz, its the Ertiga that gets Marutis newly developed 1.5-litre diesel engine. To find out which variants the Ertiga 1.5D is available in, and its price difference over the Ertiga 1.3D, read this report. Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Ross Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This analysis originated at texastribune.com. Contact Ramsey at rramsey@texastribune.org. West Kelowna Six-storey development proposed for Todd's campground site in Peachland Six-storey builds proposed Photo: Porchlight Development Beach Avenue in Peachland has caught the eye of a developer hoping to build three twin buildings that stand six stories tall and six luxury beachside bungalows. The four acre semi-lakefront space is currently the site of Todds RV and Camping, which is located along the north end of the community. Plans laid out on the developer's website include constructing a 49-unit tourist and residential project, which will include a 180-degree view of the Okanagan Lake and the mountains beyond. "The form of the buildings and bungalows reflects and reinforces the quality and drama of the surrounding landscape and lakefront, resulting in three buildings with European hill town style stepped-floor levels that form large terraces on each building and for each individual suite and six individual one level lake side bungalows," the website reads. In order to upgrade the campground to a tourist resort, an application to rezone the site to C5 Tourist Commercial zone from C6 Campground and R1 Single Detached Residential is being proposed to the municipality. The project is in line with Peachland's Official Community Plan, which lists preferred uses for the site as "tourist commercial," "medium density multi-unit residential" and parks and open space. Construction for the project is set to match green building and environmental sustainability practices, focusing on energy saving features. The project developers, Porchlight Developments Inc., have organized a public information meeting to gather feedback. The meeting will take place on Friday, Jan. 7 from 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. online via Zoom. For more information about the project, visit the 3976 website here. RCMP release ages of shooting victims, searching for suspects Shooting victims stable Photo: Cindy White Kelowna RCMP continue to investigate what appears to be a double shooting at Barona Beach Lakeview Resort Monday evening. Cpl. Tammy Lobb, RCMP media relations officer, tells Castanet the two victims are both still in hospital and are expected to recover. Both men are known to police and are from the Okanagan. A 32-year-old male was found at the scene with a gunshot wound and was taken to Kelowna General Hospital by paramedics. A short time later, a 34-year-old male turned up at KGH with his own gunshot wound. At this time both men are being treated as victims and police are searching for a suspect. Cpl. Lobb says it's too early in the investigation to determine if the shooting was gang-related, "however that possibility hasn't been ruled out. At this point we're working very closely with the victims." Police have canvassed the area, have access to video surveillance and are working to release an image and description of the suspect vehicle. It's not clear if the victims were standing in the parking lot or in a vehicle at the time of the shooting. RCMP has numerous resources on the investigation, including frontline officers from West Kelowna and Kelowna as well as s forensic team, police dog unit and the serious crimes unit. Cindy White Barona Beach Resort in West Kelowna taped off after men shot Double shooting at resort Cindy White UPDATE 8:00 p.m. The West Kelowna RCMP confirms two men were shot at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday evening. Both men are being treated for serious injuries at Kelowna General Hospital. RCMP were called to the scene in the 4000 block of Pritchard Drive to reports of shots fired in the parking lot of the resort. While the investigation is in the early stages, police say there is no indication this was a random incident. Anyone with information or possible dash camera footage that could aid the investigation is being asked to call the West Kelowna RCMP at (250) 768-2880 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net Officers remain on the scene and the investigation continues. ORIGINAL 7:10 p.m. There's a large police presence at Barona Beach Lakeview Resort following what is believed to be a shooting. Residents returning to the resort on Pritchard Drive in West Kelowna are being escorted to their homes by RCMP members. The resort itself is behind police tape. A resident in the area tweeted hearing three bangs before police arrived in force. Officers at the scene are not commenting on the reason for their presence. While RCMP investigate at Barona Beach, people at KGH are reporting a large police presence. The hospital is reported to be on lockdown. We will have more information when it becomes available. Castanet has reached out to RCMP for more information. Boil-water notice in effect for Peachland after water main break Boil water in Peachland Photo: District of Peachland UPDATE: 10:35 a.m. The District of Peachland has implemented a precautionary boil-water notice following a water main break on Princeton Avenue Sunday night. The break is still in the process of being repaired. The district says the notice will be in place until testing has been done after the repair is complete. Interior Health recommends that all customers drink boiled water or a safe alternative until further notice. Water intended for drinking, washing fruits or vegetables, making juice or ice, or brushing teeth should be boiled for one minute. ORIGINAL: 7:40 a.m. Many residents of Peachland are waking up to no water in the taps following a large water main break overnight. The District of Peachland posted on its Facebook page about 1 a.m. that crews were working on a "water leak" on Princeton Avenue, just uphill of Turner Avenue. "In order to slow flow to effect repairs, the water main will have to be shut down near the water treatment plant, effectively cutting water service to the majority of Peachland," the district said. "Many customers lower in the system likely wont experience an entire shutdown, merely a pressure loss." Staff were on site with a contractor, working to expose the water line. "Once exposed, we will be able to make a better determination as to what sort of timeline will be required to repair the leak and restore water service," the district wrote. Vehicle crashed into West Kelowna's Tim Hortons drive-thru Saturday Crashed into Tim's drive-thru Photo: Contributed A vehicle crashed off Highway 97 and into a Tim Hortons drive-thru in West Kelowna Saturday. A vehicle crashed off Highway 97 in West Kelowna, went over a retaining wall and landed on its side in a Tims Hortons drive-thru Saturday afternoon. The crash occurred before 1 p.m. at the Tim Hortons near Elk Road. Snow has caused slippery road conditions across the Okanagan Saturday, and the slick roads were likely a contributing factor in the crash. The woman behind the wheel did not appear to be seriously injured in the crash, but a witness said she appeared to be shaken up. Bizarrely, a man who at first appeared to help the victim of the crash, then attempted to steal bags from the woman's car, according to the witness. Police arrived on the scene quickly, and according to the witness, the man was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant. Crash on Okanagan Connector cleared overnight Connector crash cleared Photo: DriveBC Road conditions at Brenda Mine Friday. UPDATE: 5:20 a.m. DriveBC reports the crash on the Okanagan Connector was cleared as of about 10 p.m. ORIGINAL: 4:25 p.m. A crash has closed one westbound lane of the Okanagan Connector Friday afternoon. DriveBC is reporting a crash between Brenda Mine Road and the Pennask Summit has closed the right westbound lane, causing some delays along the highway. Webcams show snowy roads in the area. Emergency crews are on scene, but the nature of the crash, or any injuries suffered, are unknown at this time. West Kelowna's Ben Klick releases song and video in support of first responders and frontline workers Singer thanks the frontline Madison Erhardt West Kelowna country music artist Ben Klick has released a song from his debut full-length album. More Than Just A Number was originally written in honour of his grandfather's regimental number 18436, which starts the lyric of the track. Klick says over the course of the pandemic, the song took on a whole new meaning. I wanted to put together a video to show the support of those victims of the floods and the fires, but as well to show support to the frontline workers and the first responders. Every single day they see stuff and they go through things that is extraordinary. I want them to know they have got support, Klick said. The video incorporates local first responders and front-line workers on duty. Somebody who came and worked on the Vernon fires who lives up North. She gave me a bunch of photos and actual footage of the Vernon fires while her and her crew were in there. There is a lot of really cool local connection to the video, Klick said. Klick says the record was recorded in Nashville, but due to the pandemic he was forced to stay in the Okanagan. I was here and I produced and recorded everything virtually from my end while everyone was down there. I do have plans to go back on 2021 for hopefully so more writing sessions, new music and things like that. For the full video, click here. Scaled back Campbell Road development ready for public input SolAqua gets endorsement Photo: Landstar West Kelowna residents will have a chance to weigh in on a scaled-back development along Campbell Road. SolAqua, a townhouse and marina development will go to public hearing after city council Tuesday gave second reading to a pair of zoning amendments and an amendment to the Official Community Plan. The development is on the site of the controversial Blackmun Bay project, which council shot down more than two years ago. Council at the time admonished the development company for being tone-deaf to the concerns of residents over what was a proposed 350 unit project. The new project suggests a maximum of 60 townhouses above Campbell Road with an agricultural component below and a maximum 60 slip marina. When the new version was initially presented in the summer, council was unanimous in its support of the housing component, but equally unanimous in its opposition to what was a 242 slip marina. They were more amenable to the scaled-back proposal Tuesday. "This is one I can support moving forward,' said Coun. Doug Findlater. "I am very pleased," said Coun. Carol Zanon. "This is a long time coming. They listened to the community and listened to staff." The update Tuesday included several technical reports which council requested in order to move the project forward to the public hearing stage. Planning manager Brent Magnan told council those reports are in while the agricultural component for a non-farm use application as part of the site, is in stream. He says the transportation review focuses on how vehicles will move around the development rather than improvements to provincial roadways including the roundabout. The geotechnical review, he says, identified two rockfall hazards, and possible solutions. "These are excellent updates from a technical perspective," said Coun. Jayson Zilkie, who agreed the initial development was too large for the area. He says the latest proposal provides the "right density for the area." A public hearing is scheduled for early 2022. Open alcohol won't be allowed on West Kelowna beaches anytime soon Booze and parks don't mix Photo: CTV News Good idea, bad timing. That was the response from West Kelowna council to a request to allow consumption of alcohol on select parks or beaches on a trial basis. The request came in a letter from the Greater Westside Board of Trade suggesting consumption of alcohol be tested as a way of supporting licensed establishments who are allowed to offer single serve beer, wine and cocktails as part of their take out and delivery service. "I'm not in favour of this," said Mayor Gord Milsom, who said he has serious concerns about the practice. Milsom suggests 2022 will be a busy year for staff as they work to prepare a new Official Community Plan, and don't need something else to bog them down. RCMP, who would have to enforce anything liquor related are also taxed in terms of resources. Penticton will allow alcohol consumption at select beaches and parks for a third year in the spring, however, Vancouver said no after a trial focused on 22 parks and beaches. Toronto also turned down the idea according to Coun. Carol Zanon. "This is a lot for a municipality to take on," said Zanon. "(It's) not the right time." "I would agree to a pilot project, but it has to be the right location," said Coun. Rick de Jong. The Board of Trade suggested both Willow Park and Rotary Park beaches. Council said it may consider Rotary Park beach at the right time, but shied away from the popular family-oriented Willow Park beach. Council did not move the idea forward but did leave open the possibility of looking at it again down the road. Rachel Held Evans, a Bryan College graduate, who became a leading writer on Christian issues, has died at the age of 37. She went into the hospital in mid-April with what was described as flu plus UTI issues and had a severe reaction to medication. She had been placed in a medically induced coma. Ms. Evans and her husband, Dan, had two children. She was a New York Time best-selling author with a popular blog. She had questioned some fundamentalist beliefs and was outspoken in behalf of those in the LGBT community. She lived for a time at Dayton and graduated from Bryan in 2003. Ill admit I am not puzzled by much. Once you follow the money, figure in who is going to be happy and who is going to be mad and why -- it is pretty easy to follow the winners and the losers in any real estate game. But even after Publix supermarket was unanimously approved on Wednesday by the now tarnished Variance Committee of our equally-questionable Regional Planning Agency, I am at my wits end to comprehend why I believe the worst cases of wanton bullying I can ever remember was brazenly afflicted on one of us and why not one soul will stand up to the rubes who, in candor, hold our county back at every turn. To demand 12 (t-w-e-l-v-e) different proposals is ludicrous by any measure, but, far more ominous, solid proof in my mind that the publics best interest means nothing to those very ones who are pledged to uphold the public good. I am no fortune teller, nor any kind of seer, but the question of what of earth happened to Publix effort to enhance the lives of almost 100 percent who use the South Broad Street corridor into downtown Chattanooga and our I-24 connector sorely needs not just an answer but a safeguard solution hurriedly put in place.To demand 12 (t-w-e-l-v-e) different proposals is ludicrous by any measure, but, far more ominous, solid proof in my mind that the publics best interest means nothing to those very ones who are pledged to uphold the public good. Really, who do we see about this very visible debauchery that in the past year has shamed our entire community? The answer is there is not one elected official with a backbone thats as needed in this town. After the truth of such a mockery was held before the public, I can promise a virtual army was being assembled to counter what smacks of all that is wrong with America, and independent commerce, and award-winning aesthetics, and a responsible owners right to do business in such a way as he darn-ready pleases not to mention other inherent constitutional freedoms. Dont think for a second that hundreds of people those in your very neighborhood - were not affronted by such a blatant misuse of power as we have seen unfold in an entire year against one of Americas most respected corporations and, yes, somebody needs to learn such behavior is not who we are. As the noose of what is right began to tighten on what is wrong, I was not shy about recognizing that some obvious vendetta was being used to drive Publixs South Broad venture into the ground. I still have no clue after Publix other stores in our area are so welcomed, the taxes these stores generate most appreciated, and the glorious customer relations that other retail outlets across the entire South universally envy. For month on end Publix was turned away by the variance committee, time and time again, and it was without a shred of mercy. Those presenting the plans, time and time again, were actually appalled by animosity they met from two members of the nine-person panel. In November 2018, the variance committee voted 5-4 to deny Publix, but what changed the arrogance to a 6-0 approval in seven months, and where were those other three public stewards who pledged to do whats right for you and for me? To shirk their bullying when things get hot is to invite dismissal, or strongly suggest they move to Chicago. Just the other day the Planning Commission staff recommended denying a request on Signal Mountain for a large grocery/fuel center, but if youll read the finding, almost all of the negatives the staff found could easily be turned into positives after easy solutions. Now that doesnt matter. Who do you believe? Which side do you hope to sway? Is this the right thing? But, wait ... according to who? No matter, I feel certain the Signal Mountain leaders will do what they feel is best thats why they were elected but the Regional Planning Agency and its Variance Committee and its staff were never elected. Who do they answer to? Nobody. Yes, youve just witnessed the attempted year-long assault of Publix and there is not one elected politician who dares do anything about what was most certainly a planned vendetta. Seriously, County Commission? Absolutely not. City Council? There aint a one not one who confront the villain on a noon-day street when 12 (t-w-e-l-v-e) time-consuming, costly, and unfathomable revisions were demanded at the whim of those who have no oversight at all. Let me phrase this carefully this is not an accusation but if I were the Executive Director, making note of the slur I have lived in the non-risen South long enough, I can hardly stifle a laugh over knowing nobody on my payroll would need a Ouija board to draw their conclusions. Thats right, nary a time! In the past year our Wastewater Treatment Authority has imploded. Trim away the fat and the fact it failed is because a certain set of somebodies and you can map it all the way to the County Commission didnt do their job. Weve got raw sewage in our lake, yes, this very minute. The Planning Commission and its Variance Committee are worse; they steadfastly refused to do what was right and then begged we blame it on an urban look. Puh-leeze. Now, here is this Monday at 8 a.m. firing offense: The Regional Planning Agency and its Variance Committee freely and quite openly allowed just one single man, an outsider named Jim Johnson who claims he represents some shell of a Citizens for Responsible Growth, come into our city with no invitation, no mission other than to foist his quirky garbage on us, and with absolutely no authority whatsoever from any elected officials who are sworn to guard us from such riff-raff, the stranger, almost single-handedly, came within seconds of sending a multi-million-dollar Publix dream down the river of no return. Of course, somebody needs hold him accountable. My God, he even bragged about foiling Publix. I feel that further pushback on our or the Citys part could cause the chain to withdraw and something less appropriate - but still meeting UGC - to move in. This was an issue raised earlier in the process, but I felt we could still push back and gain. This was true. However, I dont believe we can push further. He accuses people he has never seen of being mediocre. "I also will not stand in the way of the vocal contingent of people, many of whom are not even residents of Chattanooga, who are so focused on convenience and the short-term that they have neglected the long-term impact of poor development. However, I regret that their strident acceptance of mediocrity weakened our ability to advocate for even better outcomes." What could possibly be a better outcome than to quickly infuse our Regional Planning Agency with equal dashes of responsibility and compassion, to send the carpet-bagger Johnson packing, and strive to use this catastrophe as a needed lesson. Publix on South Broad will be built, and you are going to be proud in the end, but we have incurred a huge debt by how we have wronged a solid corporate citizen in a badly-botched bungle that will leave a scar. Paris, TX (75460) Today Windy with a mix of clouds and sun. High 76F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Right on the heels of rumors that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning a move to Africa comes new buzz that the couple is looking for a second home in California. Since they just renovated Frogmore Cottage and moved in ahead of their first childs arrival, is there any truth to the rumors that they will have a home in California? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Jason Dorday Pool/Getty Images Why Prince Harry and Markle are reportedly looking for a home in LA Its easy enough to make the connection between Markles California upbringing and the fact that her mom resides there to drum up a rumor about her seeking a second home in LA. According to a report from The Sun, Markles friends say the former actress wants to find a home near Los Angeles to be near her mother. A source told The Sun: Meghan definitely wants a place in Los Angeles she loves the city, the lifestyle and climate. Ultimately, she is a California girl and can breathe easier there. Hollywood is in her DNA and I think it is where she has always wanted to keep a solid footing. The insider added: Spending time there would also allow her some freedom and independence from both the Palace and the Press and more control over her life and the people around her. She is a duchess in the UK, but could be a queen in LA. The couple just moved to Frogmore Cottage Following home renovation delays, Prince Harry and Markle finally moved into Frogmore Cottage, just in time for the arrival of their baby. Its unclear when they would explore having a second home in California, especially as new parents, its unlikely theyd be skipping across the pond just yet. Markles mom is reportedly by her side at Frogmore Cottage and though initially rumored to live with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Doria Ragland will be returning back home. The insider further added that Markle is looking to be near her mom, sharing: Meghan is very close to her mother and will want to be able to share quality time with her in her home town. She also has friends in LA with babies and will want to have that interaction and bring up her child in a less restrictive environment similar to how she grew up. Another source explained that this second home in California is just a rumor, noting, theyre not looking to buy anywhere just yet as theyve only just finished the renovations on Frogmore Cottage, adding, But theyre definitely eyeing up a place in California. Will Prince Harry and Markle move to Africa? Last month, rumors swirled that Prince Harry and Markle were planning to move to Africa for an extended stay of two or three years, with the Sunday Times reporting they would combine some work on behalf of the Commonwealth along with charity work and a role promoting Britain. There was buzz that the feud between Prince William and Prince Harry played a role in this decision, with an insider sharing: In some ways it would suit William to get his brother out of the country for a few years and Meghan as far away as possible. The Palace responded to the rumors In response to the rumors about Prince Harry and Markles move to Africa, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Hello! magazine: Any future plans for the Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles. The Duke will continue to fulfill his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Shooting for The Many Saints of Newark, the prequel to HBOs The Sopranos, began in April. As one would expect with such a beloved series, expectations for the project have been high. However, the early returns suggest the film is in good hands. For starters, Sopranos creator David Chase wrote the script and is producing the movie. He brought in Alan Taylor, an accomplished filmmaker who worked on the Sopranos, to direct. Chases casting decisions also look promising. The Many Saints cast includes (among others) Ray Liotta, Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, and Hamilton star Leslie Odom, Jr. James Gandolfinis son Michael also has an important role. But the first big star Chase brought onto the picture will likely be the one carrying the film. Going by the first month of shooting (and the title of the project itself), Alessandro Nivolas character of Dickie Moltisanti the father of Christopher appears to be the main character in the story. Nivolas Dickie Moltisanti never appeared in The Sopranos. Actor Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti on set Day 1 of The Sopranos Prequel, The Many Saints of Newark on April 3, 2019 in New York City. | Bobby Bank/GC Images When Nivola got the part of Dickie Moltisanti, he became the first big name attached to the film. It also revealed a clue about the prequels direction. After all, Moltisanti directly translates to many saints in English. In HBOs The Sopranos, we only knew Dickie through the descriptions of Tony Soprano, who told his son Christopher (Michael Imperioli) about him in conversations. Through those talks, we learned he fought in Vietnam, was a stand-up guy in the local mob, and served his share of prison time. However, we never learned much about him in Sopranos flashbacks. That was very different from Tonys father Johnny Boy and Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), whom we saw several times as younger men in the 60s. Obviously, the colorful life story of Dickie Moltisanti is the stuff great mob films are made on. With Nivola featuring prominently in the photos from the Many Saints shoots, its a safe bet his life story will be key to the film. The Newark race riots will also be key. Leslie Odom Jr. and David Chase are seen on the set of The Many Saints of Newark on April 18, 2019 in New York City. | Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images From the earliest reports on Many Saints, we learned the late-60s Newark riots factor heavily in the prequel as well. We only got a secondhand look (via TV) of these events in the HBO series. The riots began after a black Newark resident died in police custody. Afterward, members of the black community clashed with police. Italian gangsters joined in the fighting, which turned into race riots. The National Guard eventually came to Newark and did its own share of damage. Fan of The Sopranos may recall that Tony was very young during the late 60s. Thus, word that his son Michael would play him as a young man could be confusing. The likely answer is, the story will carry on into the mid-70s at least. Thats the only way to make sense of fully grown (late-teen, at minimum) Michael Gandolfini on the set of Many Saints. But all signs point to Nivola being the main man. After all, casting didnt begin in earnest until after he signed on. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Actor Mark Harmon has played Jethro Gibbs, head of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS, on the CBS drama of the same name since 2003. He probably knows his character, Gibbs, almost as well as he knows himself after playing the character for more than 15 years. But what does Harmon do in his downtime when hes not being Gibbs on NCIS? Find out what the actor does in his free time ahead. Harmon on pilates: It completely kicks my a** Harmon can be found doing pilates when hes not filming scenes for NCIS. In an interview with Mens Journal, the 67-year-old actor talked about pilates and how he discovered the practice. When asked how he stays in shape, Harmon replied, Pilates. It completely kicks my a**. Mark Harmon attends the sixth biennial Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) telecast at the Barker Hangar on Friday, September 7, 2018, in Santa Monica, California. | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Following an injury, Harmon found pilates through his physical therapist. [I had a] shoulder injury [that drew me to Pilates]. The physical therapist I went to was all about that. They kick your a** on these machines. I was a big runner after college I used to do 60 to 70-mile weeks every week. I wish I had some of that back now. [Pilates] is all about controlling the machine, and thats twice as hard. He is a stay home kind of guy The actor isnt one to go out every weekend. Harmon would much rather hang out at home with his wife of 31 years, Pam Dawber, a former actress. Its not even a choice. Its who we are, he said. We stay home a lot. Im not a Twitter guy or a Facebook guy. Our sons arent into that, either. Actor Mark Harmon arrives with wife Pam Dawber at TV Guide magazines Annual Hot List Party at Greystone Mansion Supperclub on November 7, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California. |Michael Tullberg/Getty Images The sons Harmon is referring to are Sean Harmon, born in 1988, and Ty Christian Harmon, born in 1992. Both now work in the film industry, Sean is an actor like his parents and Ty Christian is a screenwriter. Harmon of NCIS loves doing carpentry work The actor grew up learning the craft of woodworking. I used to hang out in my dads workshop on weekends, he told Sunset. Gibbs, Harmons NCIS character, also is good with carpentry. He works on a boat in his basement. Later, when I was starting out as an actor, I became a roofer and a framer to make money, Harmon added. But what I really enjoyed was finish work. I like the longevity of it: If you do it right, it will be around a lot longer than you are. Mark Harmon as Jethro Gibbs. | Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images If he wasnt acting, hed be a carpenter, the actor told Mens Journal. I tried to do that, but I just couldnt get hired. I enjoyed getting up and doing that in the morning; I enjoyed the drive to work. [] I think thats probably what I would have been trying to do had I not been [acting]. He does home renovations Likely stemming from his love of carpentry, Harmon completes home (and trailer) renovation projects with his wife, Dawber. I rebuilt my own house before I was married. It had 3-foot stone wallsit had been a toolshed in the 1930s, Harmon told Sunset. It took about two years, he added. When he moved into the current home he shares with his wife, Dawber, the renovation stakes were raised. Our current house was a complete redo, Harmon said. Probably everybody except us would have torn it down. But if you give a house a chance to talk to you, you learn things. My wife and I do this well together because we have similar tastes, Harmon added. The husband-and-wife renovation team may be able to give Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTVs Fixer Upper a run for their money. If Harmon ever leaves NCIS, we know it wouldnt be far-fetched to think he could wind up with a home renovation show of his own. Back in April, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made an announcement about wanting a certain degree of privacy when it came to the birth of their new baby. Their Royal Highnesses have taken the personal decisions to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private, read the statement. The traditional royal photo opportunity and the immediate release of the babys details were to be canceled, which caused an uproar in the British media. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images Someone needs to explain to me how a statement announcing the babys name, weight and gender would invade their privacy or deny them precious family time, said royal commentator Carole Malone of the couples decision. This is is an unprecedented slap in the face for those legions of decent, ordinary people who love the Royal Family and see the royal birth as a joyous, national celebration a celebration theyve now been shut out of. Did Meghan Markle already secretly give birth? Because of this statement asking for privacy around the time of Meghan Markles labor, the closer we got to the duchesss due date, rumors started to spring up that perhaps she had given birth in secret. There's a very good chance Meghan Markle already gave birth in secret. Here's all the evidence. https://t.co/1oinx6xNyL Jacob Shamsian (@JayShams) May 3, 2019 Its not an entirely out-of-left-field theory as Meghan Markle is several days past her due date. Additionally, the duchess hasnt made a public appearance since March. However, disappearing from the public eye prior to giving birth has been a tradition for royal women throughout history. As far back as Tudor times, royal women disappeared from public view during the weeks preceding the arrival of the baby, so that they would be spared having to wear the corsets and restrictive clothing that women were expected to wear in public. Giving birth was long known by the euphemism of confinement and, fittingly, according to historian Carolyn Harris, author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting, royal mothers would go into confinement about a month before actually giving birth, reports Time. Though Meghan Markle doesnt have to worry about fitting into corsets anymore, she still may be adhering to the royal tradition. Will we know when Meghan Markle gives birth? Despite Meghan Markle being past her due date and her lack of recent public appearances, according to several royal reporters, the rumor is false. Royal Correspondent Victoria Murphy wrote in April that it is understood that it will be announced when the Duchess has gone into labor and there will another announcement at some stage following the birth. So the public will supposedly be notified when Meghan Markle has gone into labor. One source has told me that #HarryandMeghan are happy, relaxed and in good spirits. The baby is overdue, as first babies often are, but all is good at Frogmore Cottage #SussexStandBy #royalbaby Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) May 4, 2019 This week Royal Correspondent Rebecca English tweeted about the rumor that Meghan Markle has already given birth. #BabySussex isnt secretly here, Im assured, she wrote. No. Am assured that if they are able to tell us she has gone into labour, then they will. I think the misunderstanding about how much is being kept private came as a result of the initial, slightly badly-worded, press release. Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) May 2, 2019 Then on Thursday, she wrote that shes sure the public will be notified when Meghan Markle goes into labor if at all possible. Am assured that if they are able to tell us she has gone into labour, then they will. I think the misunderstanding about how much is being kept private came as a result of the initial, slightly badly-worded, press release. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Fans know David McCallum as Donald Ducky Mallard on the hit CBS show NCIS. On TV he is portrayed as a cool, calm, and collected worker who always has the answers. However, in real life, McCallum doesnt always know what to say and do. In a recent interview he discussed how his world came crashing down after the death of his son. Heres what David McCallum had to say about managing grief after the death of his child. David McCallums life before NCIS David McCallum|Michael Desmond/CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images McCallum is known for playing Illya Kuryakin in the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. from 1964 to 1968. His other television appearances include The Replacements, The Education of Max Bickford, Kidnapped, Law & Order, and Sex and the City. McCallum also appeared in two episodes of JAG, the series that spun off NCIS. He appeared in two 2003 episodes titled Meltdown and Ice Queen. How David McCallums son died David McCallum NCIS|Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images McCallums adopted son Jason died after a drug overdose in 1989. In a 2016 interview with Belfast Telegraph, the actor spoke about the emotional rollercoaster he endured after his son passed away. You never come to terms with the death of a child, said McCallum. The pain is very real, but its like an ache that turns into anger. The NCIS star says another emotion he felt after his sons death was frustration. He told the publication he felt bad because there was nothing he could do to prevent his sons accident. At the same time, theres a frustration that you couldnt really have done anything about it, which makes it even worse. In the final analysis, he had the life he had. You just have to accept it, McCallum told Belfast Telegraph. The actor and his ex-wife, Jill Ireland, also have two other adopted sons. David McCallums ex-wife and son were the subject of a TV movie David McCallum on set of NCIS|Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty Images The story of Irelands life and Jasons death was told in a two-hour television movie titled Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story. The movie revealed Jason had a drug addiction and that his birth father was a drug addict. The movie is based on Irelands autobiographical book Life Lines, reports The New York Times. The book detailed Irelands crusade to save her son from drug addiction while she battled cancer. She lost her six-year battle with cancer in 1990, about a year after Jasons death. Read more: NCIS: David McCallum Net Worth and How He Makes His Money Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Rumors of an alleged affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury have been swirling since March, but naturally, theres been no official denial from the Duke of Cambridge. Its unlikely that there will be any public statement over the matter, but a recent report shares that Prince William and Middleton are worried about Hanbury. Prince William and Kate Middleton | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Did Prince William cheat on Kate Middleton? Chatter over a royal affair started to gain momentum when Middleton allegedly wanted Hanbury booted from their friend group. She reportedly wanted Prince William to phase her out, which was good fodder for rumors of an affair being the root of the issue. A source told The Sun: It is well known that Kate and Rose have had a terrible falling out. They used to be close but that is not the case any more. William wants to play peacemaker so the two couples can remain friends, given they live so close to each other and share many mutual friends. The source added: But Kate has been clear that she doesnt want to see them any more and wants William to phase them out, despite their social status. Who is Rose Hanbury? While Rose Hanbury wasnt exactly a household name a short time ago, she certainly has gained some media attention as of late. Hanbury is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley and is married to David Rocksavage, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, who is 23 years older than her. The couple has twin boys, Alexander and Oliver, and a daughter, Iris. Hanbury was a fashion model in her 20s and met Rocksavage during a vacation in Italy in 2003. The couple got married in 2009. They became close with Prince William and Middleton after the Cambridges moved to their country home, Anmer Hall, in 2014. Hanbury and Rocksavage live in nearby Houghton Hall estate, very close to where the Cambridges lived before they moved to Kensington Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit North Wales on Wednesday 8th May to meet individuals and organisations in the region who are encouraging people to look after their communities and protect the natural environment. pic.twitter.com/WkVYgKkmXp Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 24, 2019 Prince William and Kate Middleton are concerned about Hanbury As the cheating rumors continue to nab headlines, Prince William and Middleton are understandably upset. A source told HollywoodLife, Kate and William generally ignore these sorts of nasty rumors, adding, But this one has really rocked them, thats why lawyers are involved. The rumor is so ugly and so false, they couldnt just ignore it. Interestingly, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are also reportedly worried about Hanbury as well, with the source sharing, And it doesnt just hurt them, they are very concerned for Rose. Shes a married woman with children, and shes not used to this kind of public scrutiny. Shes a friend of not only Kates but also the entire family, so this is upsetting for everyone. Getting the party started at @BelfastEmpire, where The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are celebrating young people who are making a real difference in Northern Ireland #RoyalVisitNI pic.twitter.com/JFnIPdy9do Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 27, 2019 How is Kate Middleton moving on following the cheating rumors? By all appearances, it looks like Prince William and Middleton are in good spirits, despite the rumors, with a source sharing that while the gossip is hurtful, Middleton is strong. The insider explained: Luckily Kates extraordinarily strong, shes so good at rising above these kinds of things. The rumors bother Kate. They dont feel good, even though she doesnt believe them. What is being said about William makes Kate feel uncomfortable, and she believes in her marriage, not the nasty rumors floating around. She trusts William and doesnt want to give the rumors any attention. Meghan Markle is making quite a positive impact in her new role as Duchess of Sussex. She and her husband, Prince Harry, are expecting their first child any day now, and the world couldnt be happier for the royal couple. As we know, Meghan grew up in Los Angeles, California, where her mother still lives. During the past year, there has been more than a bit of drama surrounding Meghans family. In particular, her half-sister Samantha Grant and her estranged father Thomas Markle. Samantha never hesitates to talk about Meghan on social media and in interviews and has been keeping herself in the spotlight ever since her younger sister announced her engagement to Harry. Her father, who has been divorced from her mother since 1987, is not nearly as vocal, leaving many royal fans to wonder a bit about him. While Meghan is close to her mother, we dont really know that much about her, either. So, who exactly are the parents of Meghan Markle? Who is Meghan Markles father? WORLD EXCLUSIVE Were family. Please reach out to me. Meghan Markles father Thomas says he tries to reach out to his daughter every day but hasnt had a response.@piersmorgan | @susannareid100 | #GMB pic.twitter.com/o4VgU96SGD Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 17, 2018 Thomas Markle is a former lighting director who spent years working on the set of the popular sitcom, Married With Children. Meghan spent a lot of time with her father at work, which is how she was introduced into the world of acting. Currently living in Mexico, Thomas has dealt with some health problems in the past year or so, which is why he was forced to miss the wedding of his daughter to Harry. Since then, he and Meghan have been estranged, with Thomas giving several media interviews, hurting Meghans feelings as a result. Meghan also wrote her father a letter, and instead of keeping it private, he made the decision to share it with the world, further betraying the duchess. Who is Meghan Markles mother? Here we go with the maternal side. IF I was #DoriaRagland I would be PISSED.. If I was #DuchessofSussex I would be incredibly sad that these pictures were released. #Shame on you #BrotherJohnson. Meghan Markle's first ever photograph https://t.co/1YBKU3i14K @MailOnline Lady Bay (@litesugar) April 13, 2019 Meghans relationship with her mother, Doria Ragland, couldnt be more different than the one she has with her father. The two are extremely close, with Doria being the only family member in attendance at Meghan and Harrys wedding. As fans know, Meghans mother affectionately calls her by the nickname Flower, further proving that the two have an excellent relationship. They talk all the time and Doria is close to her new son-in-law, Harry, as well. Luckily, he couldnt adore her more. For several years, Doria was employed as a social worker and was also a yoga instructor. She dotes on her daughter and has made several trips to England to spend time with Meghan and Harry in the past year. There is even some speculation that she may be relocating across the pond to London when the royal baby is born. Was Meghan Meghan Markle ever close to her father? Apparently, they were! There are many happy pictures of Meghan and her father during her childhood and teenage years. Up until a few days before the royal wedding in May 2018, Thomas was planning on flying to London to walk his daughter down the aisle to her waiting prince. After an incident in which he apparently staged paparazzi photos in order to cash in on the royal wedding, it was revealed that Meghans father had fallen ill and was unable to travel to England at that time. The two have been estranged ever since, with Thomas expressing concern that he will never meet his soon-to-be-born grandchild. Will Meghan Markle reconcile with her father? That remains to be seen! Meghan and Harry have not released any statements or spoken publicly regarding the relationship with Thomas. Although Meghan is extremely close to her mother, it is not known how Doria feels about the situation, either. Right now, it seems that Meghan is focusing on the upcoming birth of her baby, with Doria flying to London to be by her daughters side as she embarks on her new adventure into motherhood. We adore Meghan, and are keeping her as well as her family in our thoughts! There is nothing greater than true Hollywood friendships. Sure moviegoers can check their drama at the door to act like friends during a film, but its the real relationships that tug at fans heartstrings. One such friendship, one thats been flying under the radar since 2017, is the unbelievably adorable bond between Captain Marvels Brie Larson and the real-life Nick Fury, Samuel L. Jackson. Samuel L Jackson and Brie Larson tough it out for Kong: Skull Island Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson are close friends | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Did you know that the Marvel stars first time working together was in Kong: Skull Island? Jackson credits the tough work they did to nail the film for their bond. Just how tough was the shoot? Well in order to bring Jordan Vogt-Roberts vision to life the crew flew to some of the most remote locations in the world over six months. They visited the northernmost areas of Vietnam, the beautiful tropics in Hawaii, and even Australias Gold Coast. If that wasnt enough, Larson was always taking epic transcontinental flights to juggle her rounds for the Room and her commitment to Vogt-Roberts dream. Seeing the blonde star handle the hardcore work on set and then board a plane just to return to battle insects and jet lag while nailing her lines impressed Jackson. Not to mention spending six months tackling the most draining film of your career together is bound to forge a wonderful friendship. As Jackson said in his interview with Indiewire, You dont have cell reception, you kind of have to interact with each other and talk, and you hang out, and you fight bugs together. We did that and we really enjoyed commiserating and kind of supporting each other. Brie Larson directed Samuel L. Jackson in Unicorn Store While filming Kong: Skull Island, Larson learned that she landed an amazing opportunity her directorial debut. The film she would be the big boss was Unicorn Store, a chance she couldnt be more excited for. Ironically enough she was initially denied the job, but after she landed an Oscar for Room, the big-wigs changed their mind. News of Larsons good fortune began to make its rounds around the set. Of course, people were happy for her, but her bestie Jackson found himself wondering why she didnt ask him to be in the film! How did he breach the subject? In an interview Jackson said, I was kind of like, So youre making a movie, huh, you wrote it and youre directing a movie and youre gonna put this actor in it, and you didnt even ask me? Shes saying No, I was ready to ask you, and I was like, Okay, so ask me. So, I ended up in the movie. Without Jackson pushing to be in his new friends film, she already knew she wanted him to take on an unforgettable role. Looks like they had both landed themselves in each others good graces! The experience also created a vehicle for Larson to get to know Jackson in another way. As far as she is concerned she understands that he knows how to handle himself better than anyone else. So it makes sense Brie Larson is Samuel L Jacksons favorite! The hardships endured on the set of Kong: Skull Island and the shenanigans engaged in during the filming of Unicorn Store has produced what is arguably one of the cutest Hollywood friendships. If the adorable photos that pop up on social media and the interview statements that appear on the internet dont sell their love for each other, maybe this will! On May 4th while Larson was toiling away on set Jackson paid her a visit. May 4th is Star Wars Day, and as an avid fan, its an important day for her! The Glass actor knew this and had a big surprise waiting in the wings. He waltzed in and dropped a silk bag on her lap. What was inside? His lightsaber from his time in the Star Wars universe. The real-life Captain Marvel broke down in the happiest tears ever. Talk about cute! So what do have the two Hollywood stars have to say about each other? Well while chatting it up during a BBC Interview Jackson said, Were very good friends. We work well together. We laugh together. We sing together. We developed a really, really great relationship when we were on Kong. Its fun to be on the saddle with her. Larsons indirect response during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Our love is real. Yes it is Brie, Yes. It. Is. Now that The Big Bang Theory is close to its final episode of the series fans are wanting more. Sure they still have Young Sheldon to keep them company, but many are already thinking about starting the series all over again. It is not at all uncommon for people to watch their favorite shows from start to finish several times. Think Friends, or The Office, for example, which is available on Netflix. This begs the question, will The Big Bang Theory ever come to Netflix? It turns out that this is not an easy question to answer. You have to think about the value of the show. According to The Independent, the producers offered Jim Parsons $50 million for another two seasons to which he turned down. Wed say that makes the shows value quite high. Sure Netflix would want to offer it to subscribers, but that doesnt mean CBS is on board. Heres what we know about where you can watch past episodes, and whether Netflix will get a contract. Where can you stream The Big Bang Theory? The Big Bang Theory | Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images If you are one of the many fans that want to binge watch the entire series, you could download the CBS All Access streaming channel. It is available on all smart devices and computers. Unfortunately, you will have to pay for it. They have two options, depending on whether you are okay with commercials or not. Another option for people that want to own the series is to buy each season on Amazon Prime. This is a good option for people that are only interested in The Big Bang Theory. Then you are only paying for what you want, and you can watch it over and over. It could end up costing a lot of money to do it this way. If you have digital television or basic cable, you may be able to watch for free. Other ways to watch The Big Bang Theory If commercials are not a problem for you, TBS regularly airs reruns all the time. Of Course, this is the old school way to do it, and you may not be able to watch them in order, but it will work. Plus, if you already have the channel, it wont cost you anything extra to watch your favorite nerds. Some episodes are on YouTube. Although, they are not always good quality, and often they get taken down for licensing problems. You might be able to find your favorite episodes in between Baby Shark videos and greatest fails. Will The Big Bang Theory ever come to Netflix? Still, with all these options, diehard fans want to know if The Big Bang Theory will ever come to Netflix. The answer is, maybe. But probably not for a while. If CBS were to make a deal with Netflix, it would likely be after they have gotten as much money out of the series as they possibly can. When you watch through CBS All Access, youre making them more money directly, than if you watched it commercial free on Netflix. The Big Bang Theory has a lot of fans, and that gives CBS all the leverage it needs to stay put. On the other hand, if you live outside of the U.S., you might be in luck. Because Netflix is global, some countries will have access to the show, even though it wont be available in America. That is because CBS All Access is not as accessible in other countries, so they can make more money in those areas using Netflix instead. If all else fails, wait until after the show ends. That will be on May 16th, in case you werent sure. CBS will likely release a box set with the entire series as well as special features. Then you could upload the set to your hard drive and stream anywhere, anytime. Man who burned historic black church with 'vote Trump' spray-painted on wall sentenced to prison Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Mississippi man who set fire to a historic black church he attended has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville was burned down one week before the 2016 presidential election and was spray-painted with Vote Trump on the outside of the building. At the time, investigators said the arson was being investigated as a hate crime. Andrew McClinton, 47, who was a member of the African American church, pleaded guilty to arson on March 28 but did not confess to spray-painting the church. Washington County District Attorney Dewayne Richardson told The Associated Press on Thursday that McClinton was involved in illicit activities at the church and set the fire to prevent fellow congregants from meeting the next day to discuss the activities. "He was trying to hide that information from being disclosed," Richardson said. Richardson added that police believe McClinton acted alone, and the investigation is closed. McClinton has previous felony convictions for attempted armed robbery in 1997 and armed robbery in 2004, both in Mississippi, and was sentenced as a habitual offender, the AP added. He will not be eligible for early release. Circuit Judge Margaret Carey-McCray also gave McClinton a 10-year suspended sentence, with some of that suspended sentence under state supervision, according to the AP. After the fire, Greenville Fire Chief Ruben Brown Sr. said at a news conference at the time that investigators had determined the fire was "intentionally set," Reuters reported. "Samples and evidence have been collected from inside the church and are being analyzed to determine the accelerant or ignition source," Brown said. No one was injured at the church but it sustained extensive damage. Greenville Police Chief Delando Wilson said at the time that the spray-painted message Vote Trump on one of the churchs exterior walls was intimidating to the community. "It tries to push your beliefs on someone else, Wilson said at the time, and this is a predominantly black church and no one has a right to try to influence the way someone votes in this election." Greenville is located 120 miles northwest of Jackson, and a majority of its some 33,000 residents are African American. Pastor Carolyn Hudson said back in 2016 that the arson that destroyed the church founded over 111 years ago "left our hearts broken," Reuters reported. The congregation of about 200 members subsequently worshiped in the chapel at First Baptist Church of Greenville, whose congregation is predominantly white. A new church has since been built and some of the walls that survived the fire have been incorporate into the new church building. Texas pastor on how churches can do better when reaching out to homosexuals Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment For many Christians, the Bible is clear on homosexuality: its a sin. But theres a real struggle among believers on how their convictions should play out when engaging with homosexual persons. How welcoming should churches be without compromising their beliefs? Should church membership be open to homosexual persons? How should parents respond to their child coming out as gay? How do you know when to apply grace and when to apply truth? As a pastor, Bruce Miller empathizes with those struggles. He recalled in a webcast this week that he became friends with a lesbian who decided to attend his church, Christ Fellowship Church in McKinney, Texas. He welcomed her to Thanksgiving meals at his house, where she felt loved and said that she never experienced a healthy family before. After joining a small group, she revealed her personal story and the group just loved her, Miller said. They also laid hands on her and prayed with her. It was a powerful expression of love and she was moved by it. All the while, she was having tough conversations with Miller. She would ask him if he would really welcome her to his church if she were to meet another woman, considering he would not officiate her same-sex wedding. While Miller affirmed that he would not officiate, he still welcomed her to church and said we can sing praises to Jesus together. The woman has since moved to another state. Its been a struggle, Miller admitted. It was difficult. But to him, it was all about caring for the individual person and loving that person. The Texas pastor is still trying to think through the polarizing issue but he feels churches need to start owning up to all the ways they have failed homosexual persons. The common public narrative is that Christians hate gay people or that they condemn homosexuality as the worst sin, he lamented. You want to show the love of Christ to people and yet our history, if were honest, hasnt been so good. Churches in America, generally speaking, failed in the AIDS crisis. The church really wasnt there to go care for people. Many churches have not been welcoming, far from affirming. Gay people have come to churches and not been treated so well. Weve got to own that. In some ways, gay people themselves are like a lost people group in the way that the church has treated them. When he invites gay people to church and tells them theyre welcome to come, the common reaction is: Are you for real? So Miller, who believes marriage is between a man and a woman, encourages churches to go overboard in communicating their welcome to homosexual persons, considering the history. Whats really hard to convince someone of is that we really love you, that we really want you to come and hear about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, he said. Weve got to bend over backward to show the unconditional love of Christ and the amazing love and grace of the Father to hurting people. Miller is the author of the newly released book, Leading a Church in a Time of Sexual Questioning: Grace-Filled Wisdom for Day-to-Day Ministry. Hes convinced that this is probably the hottest social issue of our day in America. And Christians need to tread carefully because the younger generations are keenly watching how churches respond in this issue, frankly how we treat their friends by what we say and do, Miller warned. Its important to be clear about ones theological convictions but at the same time, its important that we dont throw stones at each other and give each other the grace to sort this issue out, he noted. He acknowledged that many Christians are apprehensive about being too welcoming. They fear that gay people will take over the church or push a gay agenda, Miller said, reflecting on conversations he has had with some church leaders. He doesnt dismiss those fears. But he tries to assure them that they are not going down a slippery slope and that they are firm in their theological convictions. People get really nervous that love is going to compromise truth and it doesnt, he said. Hugs dont compromise theology. We can love people unconditionally without diminishing truth. Its not that we want to push truth down to have more grace Jesus came full of grace and truth. We need to have 100 percent of both. At the end of the day, Miller contends that this is not a Gospel issue where ones salvation is at stake. Is it an issue about your eternal destiny? I would say its not, he maintained. This is not quite at the same level as the deity of Christ, as the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith. Its an important issue but its a place where we can give people grace to grow, grace to struggle as we reach out and love them. Miller tries to help fellow believers recognize that the grounds all level at the foot of the cross were all sinners and to move to that space so that were not trying to treat folks who are sinning in this area of their lives differently than we treat someone else. Its really all the same. When it comes to practical application such as whether a church should allow membership for homosexual persons, Miller offered this advice: consistency. If the conditions for membership include trusting in Christ, joining a small group, giving financially and serving, then make sure those conditions apply to all persons, he suggested. If a person affirms all those, are you going to add another question? By the way, are you gay? Or other sin tests? he posed. We dont want to have a double standard. Moving forward, Miller hopes Christians can create churches that are safe refuges for people to share their stuff and places of grace where people can share their woundedness. A church, he said, should be like a loving family (where theres all sorts of people within) and serve as an open table where everyone including the hurting and struggling can eat together. This week in Christian history: American Bible Society, Famous hymn-writer, Pope apology Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages. Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between. Here are just a few things that happened this week, May 5-11, in Church history. They include the founding of the American Bible Society, the birth of the author of the hymn Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, and Pope John Paul II apologizing to scientists for the Churchs treatment of Galileo. 1 2 3 4 Next Trump's white evangelical support softer than you think, report says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment White evangelical support for President Donald Trump may not be as strong as presumed, according to experts on religion and politics in the United States at a panel event hosted by a conservative think tank. The Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute hosted a panel event on Wednesday morning titled The Christian right in the Trump and post-Trump eras. Joanna Piacenza, features editor for Morning Consult, reviewed new research conducted on the views of white evangelicals and other religious groups about President Trump. The Morning Consult survey, posted Wednesday, found that white evangelicals were less likely than Republicans in general to want Trump to be the presidential nominee in 2020. Fifty-five percent of white evangelical respondents wanted Trump to be at the top of the 2020 presidential ticket, with 20 percent responding that they dont know or hold no opinion, 18 percent saying Vice President Mike Pence, and 8 percent wanting another Republican. By contrast, 71 percent of Republican respondents wanted Trump at the top of the ticket, followed by 13 percent wanting Vice President Pence, 10 percent saying they dont know or have no opinion, and 5 percent saying another Republican. This meant that among overall Republicans, there was a 16 percent higher rate of support for Trump running in 2020 than among white evangelicals. Its important to note, however, that in 2016, white evangelicals voted for Trump at an 8 to 2 margin, noted Piacenza during the panel event. So that 20 percent is about in line as what we saw two, three years ago during the election. It also means that 20 percent is up for grabs, that 8 percent could be up for grabs. Piacenza pointed out that the 55 percent support for Trump from white evangelicals was higher than white mainline Protestants (41 percent), white Catholics (42 percent), and religiously unaffiliated (24 percent). Piacenza believed evangelicals were less likely than other religious groups to not support Trump due to factors like evangelicals feeling that they are losing power and influence and being discriminated against. Released Wednesday, the Morning Consult data was taken from a survey conducted April 23-24 among 2,201 adults. From that sample space was drawn 681 respondents identifying as Republican and 368 identifying as white evangelical Protestant, with their respective margin of errors being plus or minus 4 percentage points and plus or minus 5 percentage points. David Barker, professor of government and director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, told those gathered at the panel event about how evangelical support for Trump often varied on the basis of religious involvement. Barker presented research from the Democracy Funds 2018 Voter Study Group Data, which measured Trump favorability among GOP voters by different groups on a scale of 0 to 1, with 1 being the most supportive of Trump while 0 was the least supportive. Barker split evangelicals into two categories. Inactive Evangelical Christians, who subscribe to evangelical beliefs but rarely attend church, and Active Evangelical Christians, those who subscribe to evangelical beliefs and are involved in church. The research found that while Inactive Evangelical Christians had a 0.81 favorability for Trump, Active Evangelical Christians had a 0.74 favorability for Trump, which was the same as the Seculars category (0.74) but slightly higher than the overall mean (0.71). Being religious actually leads you to support Trump less among this group, Barker said. The highest level of support we see among religious people are people who identify as born-again Christians but arent actually doing anything about that most of the time. In addition to Piacenza and Barker, other panelists included Emily Ekins, research fellow and director of polling at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute and Emma Green, staff writer at The Atlantic who specializes in politics, policy, and religion. Daniel A. Cox, research fellow at AEI who formerly served as research director at the Public Religion Research Institute, moderated the panel discussion. During his introductory remarks, Cox noted that the relationship between Trump and the conservative Christian movement defies easy explanation. From the earliest days of Trumps campaign, an open question was how would Trump, a thrice-married admitted adulterer, fare among social conservatives? Well, hes actually fared fairly well, stated Cox. Even amidst the relentless series of scandals and controversies plaguing the Trump administration, Evangelical support has been a consistent bright spot. Its the reason that a primary challenge against Trump would probably fail if it ever even materializes and why he would remain a viable contender for 2020. The panel entertained multiple factors, such as a sense by evangelicals that they are singled out for persecution by mainstream culture and a concern by evangelicals over the sweeping changes in the culture, especially on issues like gay marriage and gender identity. When analyzing factors, Ekins of Cato said that Trump, like former President Ronald Reagan, was able to make evangelicals feel he was looking out for them. Its not necessarily about which political leader best embodies your particular set of values. Its which party is looking out for you, explained Ekins. I think that Trump communicated that to them. Ronald Reagan was also personally not the most religious person but he spoke to religious people and said you have moral authority. Your beliefs matter and Im going to defend that in the arena of politics. And I think Trump did something similar. In March, a Pew Research Center analysis found that white evangelical support had fallen 9 percentage points between February 2017 and February 2019, going from 78 percent to 69 percent. The 9 point decline represented the largest decrease in support of any religious groups surveyed by Pew for their report, with the second largest being among white Catholics, who went from 52 percent in 2017 to 44 percent in 2019. An August 2018 survey found that roughly half of white evangelicals do not think that Trump has set a high moral standard for the presidency since taking office, explained Pew in their March report. Some prominent evangelical leaders, such as Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, have expressed ambivalence about Trump and concern about some of his policies. Others, such as Beth Moore, founder of Living Proof Ministries, openly oppose the president. Alleged synagogue shooter John Ernest was regular churchgoer who blamed Jews for killing Jesus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment John Earnest, the 19-year-old accused in the deadly Passover shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California, is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church who believes he was doing Gods will in attacking Jews he blames for killing Jesus. Earnest, whose father is an elder at the Escondido Orthodox Presbyterian Church in San Diego, reportedly highlighted his belief that Jews deserved to die for things like killing Jesus and controlling media in a seven-page manifesto written prior to the April 27 attack. His actions left one woman dead and three others including an 8-year-old injured. He has since been charged with one count of murder in the first degree, and three counts of attempted murder in the first degree. He is also charged with arson in connection with an attack last month on a mosque in nearby Escondido. For those who knew Earnest, his ideology came as a shock. We are shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible attack on the Chabad of Poway synagogue, Earnests parents said in a statement through a lawyer. To our great shame, he is now part of the history of evil that has been perpetrated on Jewish people for centuries. Our sons actions were informed by people we do not know, and ideas we do not hold. Like our other five children, he was raised in a family, a faith, and a community that all rejected hate and taught that love must be the motive for everything we do, they said. In the manifesto, Earnest reportedly not only attacked Jews and racial minorities, but wielded Christian theology he heard in the pews in defense of his positions. How our son was attracted to such darkness is a terrifying mystery to us, though we are confident that law enforcement will uncover many details of the path that he took to this evil and despicable act. Our heavy hearts will forever go out to the victims and survivors. Our thanks go to the first responders who prevented even greater loss of life and the well-wishers who have supported us. And we pray for peace, the parents said. Before the shooting, Earnest was known as a college student and athlete studying nursing at California State University, San Marcos, while living at home with his parents. Owen Cruise, 20, told CBS News he saw Earnest every day during senior year at Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego. Earnests father, John A. Earnest, was a popular physics teacher at Mt. Carmel, where he has worked for 31 years. "He was very close to his dad," Cruise said. "He always hung out in his classroom, came to see him at lunch. He always seemed like a nice guy ... He didn't seem like the type of person who would go off the deep end." However, longtime parishioner Gerrit Groenewold at Earnests Escondido church told USA Today there was cause for concern. I tried to talk to John several times, but he just never said anything. I think its not good if someone is as quiet as that, Groenewold said. The Rev. Mika Edmondson, a pastor in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which is a small evangelical denomination founded to counter liberalism in mainline Presbyterianism, told The Washington Post that even though Earnest does not blame his faith for his ideology, It certainly calls for a good amount of soul-searching. We cant pretend as though we didnt have some responsibility for him he was radicalized into white nationalism from within the very midst of our church, Edmondson said. In the wake of the shooting, the OPC denomination also felt the need to condemn terrorism in a statement. Anti-Semitism and racist hatred which apparently motivated the shooter . . . have no place within our system of doctrine, the church said. Pastors from other churches like Chad Woolf, an evangelical pastor in Fort Myers, Florida, also felt the need to condemn radical terrorism emanating from among Christians. When theres an act of radical Islamic terror somebody claiming theyre motivated by their Islamic faith if were going to call upon moderates in Muslim communities to condemn those things, we should do the same. I wholeheartedly, full stop, condemn white nationalism, Woolf told The Washington Post. We should recognize that somebody could grow up in an evangelical church, whose father was a leader, and could somehow conflate the teachings of Christianity and white nationalism. We should be very concerned about that. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment This important story has been out for some days now, but I waited before writing. Why? Its because I did not want to write yet another article on transanity. Another article on extreme transgender activism. Another article on the world being turned upside down. But this is too urgent. Too disturbing. In a totalitarian regime, its a parents worst nightmare. Im talking about government intervention. About hostile, outside forces coming right into your home and usurping your authority. About the courts forbidding you from parenting your child. And, worse still, threatening to punish you if you dare try. Allow me to jar you with a totally accurate, non-exaggerated headline: Orwellian Attack on Parental Rights: Court Warns Father He'll Be Arrested if He Calls His Daughter a Girl. Had I made this story up, you would not believe it. Had I predicted it 10 (or even 5) years ago, you would have told me I was crazy. But the story is true, straight from our northern neighbor, Canada, a country that is becoming more Orwellian by the day. (That is, if youre an outspoken conservative Christian.) As reported by Tyler ONeil on PJ Media, Last month, the Supreme Court of British Columbia issued an order that a father (referred to by the pseudonym Clark) may not refer to his 14-year-old daughter (pseudonym Maxine) as a girl or by her original name, whether in public or in private. Doing so has been ruled to constitute family violence because Maxine identifies as a boy. According to a separate protection order, police may immediately arrest Clark if they suspect he violated this Orwellian order. Specifically, the court ordered that Clark shall be restrained from: attempting to persuade [Maxine] to abandon treatment for gender dysphoria; addressing [Maxine] by his birth name; and referring to [Maxine] as a girl or with female pronouns whether to [Maxine] directly or to third parties. (This court order will last for one year.) Not only so, but the court order prohibits Clark from directly, or indirectly through an agent or third party, publish or share information or documentation relating to [Maxine]'s sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical health, medical status or therapies, besides the Court, legal counsel, medical professionals, or any person authorized by Maxine or the Court. ONeil shares further details in his article, but youve already read more than enough, especially if youre a parent. But if you are a parent, can you imagine this happening to you? Can you imagine being told as a parent, by the court that you cannot call your 14-year-old daughter by her birth name, even in the sanctuary of your own home? That you cannot refer to her as a girl, in public or in private? Regardless of what you think about trans-identified children, who gave the courts this kind of power? Since when did they have the authority to tell a parent what words he or she could say in their own homes? If this is not overreach, what is? And should this concerned father dare to challenge the courts order, he can be arrested on the spot. I doubt that Orwell himself could have imagine a scenario like this. Arrested for calling your daughter by her name. Arrested for referring to your daughter as a girl. What kind of madness is this? Since when did the courts have the right to tell parents how to raise their own teenagers? Since when did the courts not the parents know best? It would be one thing if a child was being starved or abused. It is another thing when parents do not affirm a childs gender-identity. Another thing when they do affirm biological realities. Another thing when they believe they know whats best for their child. It is, after all, their child. Again, regardless of your view of transgender issues, do the courts dictate the speech of racist parents whose teen child is dating someone from another race? Or, if the teen child of atheists becomes a devout Christian, can the court order the parents to cease mocking that childs faith? Or conversely, can the court order Christian parents not to warn their atheist teenager about hell? Put another way, if a father referring to his male-identifying daughter as a girl is family violence, why arent these other examples instances of family violence? And in the case of Maxine, what empirical, scientific evidence tells us she is not Maxine? Theres a growing number of terribly disturbing stories about teens who have been deeply confused about their gender identity, only to make tragic, irreversible personal choices. Now, the Supreme Court of British Columbia has forbidden a concerned parent from helping his daughter through the most difficult period of her life. The justices are forbidding him, under penalty of arrest, from potentially saving her from a lifetime of regret. This is absolutely chilling, and it really is a parents worst nightmare under a totalitarian regime. (The other, related nightmare is for the courts to take the children out of the parents home entirely. That, too, is already happening with trans-identified children, even here in the United States.) Big Brother is flexing his muscles, and no one is standing in his way. America, are you watching? Parents, are you listening? Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Often, critical scholars make Jesus of Nazareth out to be a country bumpkin, one who was uneducated and unsophisticated. However, when one evaluates his life and teaching style, it appears that Jesus of Nazareth was a well-polished individual who spoke and taught with great authority and wisdom. The Jewish leaders marveled at Jesus, saying, How is this man so learned, since he hasnt been trained (Jn. 7:14, CSB)? While this writer holds that Jesus was the divine Son of God, the human aspect of Jesus does not indicate that Jesus was an uneducated hillbilly, but rather one who had at least some formal education. The following are five reasons to believe that Jesus was a well-educated man. 1. Jesus could read. The Synoptic Gospels indicate that Jesus stood in the synagogue of Nazareth. Luke notes that Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read (Lk. 4:16, CSB). The text indicates that he read from the prophet Isaiah. In Jewish culture, Hebrew boys were expected to be able to read from the Scriptures. In Jesuss case, it is clear that he had the ability to read which was better than 90% of the society at the time. The reading level for Jews was higher than those of the Greco-Roman world due to the emphasis of schools in the synagogues, at least for boys. 2. Jesus could write on some level. While John 7:53-8:11 is not found in the earliest manuscripts of John, it is generally accepted to be historically genuine since it has all the earmarks of the historical stories told of Jesus. What makes the passage of Scripture so fascinating is that on two occasions Jesus is said to have written something in the sand (Jn. 8:6, 8). The term used for Jesuss writing does not indicate some abstract doodling, but the writing of words. Grapho is used of writing that is found in books and scrolls. According to Louw and Nida, Since the knowledge of writing is almost universal, there is usually no difficulty in obtaining a satisfactory term for writing (Louw & Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, 395). 3. Jesus taught according to rabbinic styles. Jesus also used rabbinic styles of teaching. Jesus often answered questions by asking them. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life while calling Jesus good, Jesus responded by asking, Why do you call me good (Lk. 18:19, CSB)? In another case, Jesus is asked whether people should pay taxes. Jesus responds with the question after taking a denarius, Whose image and inscriptions does it have (Lk. 20:24)? Jesus also uses a rabbinical style of teaching called remez which alludes to a passage of Scripture. Remez is a haggadic method of interpretation. Since many people memorized the Scripture, it wasnt necessary to quote the entire passage of Scripture. Rather, one could recall part of the Scripture or allude to the Scripture. When the allusion to the Scripture is given, the entire passage is referenced. When Jesus answers the disciples of John the Baptist as to whether he is the Messiah, Jesus replies by saying, The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, and blessed is the one who isnt offended by me (Mt. 11:5). In this one statement, Jesus references Isaiah 29:18; 35:5-6; 42:7; and 61:1. John the Baptist would have understood Jesuss citation (Blizzard and Bivin, BibleScholars.org, 2013). Not only does Jesus use extensive rabbinic techniques, Jesus uses tremendous methodologies of logic in his teaching as well as various picturesque expressions in his teaching, including similes (Mt. 7:24, 26), metaphors (Mt. 13:19-22), hypocatastates (comparison of two unlike things in naming, Lk. 13:32), metonymies (word or phrase is substituted for another word or phrase associated with it, Mt. 10:34; 11:21, 23), synecdoche (like metonymies but that this substitutes a part for a whole or vice versa, Lk. 23:29), hyperboles (exaggerations to prove a point, Mt. 5:29-30), personification (giving human traits to an object or thing, Mt. 6:3, 6:34, 11:2), apostrophes (addresses an object as if it were a person, Mt. 11:21, 23; Lk. 10:13), euphemisms (substitution of an inoffensive expression with a bold one, Mt. 9:24; Jn. 11:11), ironies (Mk. 2:17; Mk. 7:9), paradoxes (Mt. 5:2-5; Mt. 19:29; Mt. 23:11), puns (Lk. 21:11; Jn. 3:3), humor (Mt. 6:2; 7:3; 19:24), enigmas (Mt. 8:22; Mt. 10:34), aphorisms (Mt. 5:13-14; 6:34; Lk. 12:34), repetitions (Blessed in the Beatitudes; I tell you in Mt. 18:3, 10, 18-19, 22; 26:21, 29, 34), a fortiori (Mt. 6:26; 10:29-30), reductio ad absurdium (Mt. 5:46-47; 12:24-26), excluded middle (Mt. 12:30; 21:25-27), noncontradiction (Lk. 6:39) analogies (Mt. 12:40), contrasts (Mt. 23:23-24), and Hebrew forms of poetry (Mt. 10:24, 26) (Zuck, Teaching as Jesus Taught, 183-234). The high level of logic and reasoning in addition to his rabbinical style of teaching seems to preclude that Jesus of Nazareth was well educated. 4. Jesus knew the Hebrew Bible well. This point does not need a lot of exposition. It is evident even upon a casual reading of the Gospels that Jesus knew the Scriptures well. He even segments the Scriptures into the classical way of segmenting them as the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Lk. 24:44). Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy, Isaiah, the Psalms, and other prophets frequently indicating that he had memorized large segments of Scripture. 5. Jesus lived in a region that had schools. Finally, it should be noted that according to Professor Shmuel Safrai, the number of Galilean rabbis eclipsed those of Judean rabbis in the first century (Safrai, Jewish People of the First Century). Archaeologists have uncovered first century synagogues in the Galilean area. Jesus would have received his education at the synagogues by the rabbis of the area, in addition to his earthly father, Joseph of Nazareth. While not much is known about Joseph, if James, the half-brother of Jesus, is any indication, it would seem that Joseph would have been quite knowledgeable of the Scriptures himself as is evidenced by the education he passed along to Jesus and James. When Jesus was called unlearned, it is most likely that the Jewish leaders noted that Jesus had not been trained in the approved schools in Judea. He had, however, been educated in Galilee. Each synagogue had its own bet-sefer, that is, a school of learning. While Jesus may not have received the training that a scribe would have received in Jerusalem, Jesus would most certainly been educated during his early years as was evidenced by Jesuss reading, writing, and teaching skills. Many people ask, What was Jesus doing in his early years? I think the answer is quite simple. Jesus was memorizing and learning the Scriptures in preparation for his ministry which was to come. If Jesus the Son of God needed to study the Scriptures, what does that say of our need to study them? Sources Blizzard, Roy B., and David Bivin. Study Shows Jesus as Rabbi. Bible Scholars.org (May 2013). Accessed on April 29, 2019. https://www.biblescholars.org/2013/05/study-shows-jesus-as-rabbi.html. Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996. Safrai, Shmuel. The Jewish People in the First Century: Historical Geography, Political History, Social, Cultural, and Religious Life and Institutions. Volume 2. Boston: Brill, 1988. Zuck, Roy B. Teaching as Jesus Taught. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1995. 2019. BellatorChristi.com. Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian has been in the ministry for over 15 years and serves as a pastor in northwestern North Carolina. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As the world obsesses over the power struggle for Venezuelas presidency, most Venezuelans are worried about something else: Will my children eat today? That is what Isabella has been asking herself for months, and her story will break your heart. Isabellas son recently died of starvation and now she is terrified she will lose her other two children if help doesnt arrive soon. Isabella, whose name Ive changed to protect her, was in tears as she told us about her 14-year-old son. In his final days, he was so skinny that his bones poked through his skin. She hates that she couldnt save him. And she hates that she feels just as powerless to feed her two daughters. Like many other mothers in Venezuela, theres not much she can do to keep her children alive. She and her husband used to have a thriving business producing school uniforms. They lived comfortably with all of their needs met. Then, the economy crashed. The price of food and other basic necessities doubledevery few weeks. They had to start selling their possessions just to make ends meet. First, they sold their companys machinery then their cars and eventually their house, so they could eat. But it wasnt enough. Its clear Isabellas daughters and many other children wont survive unless they receive food soon. Emergency aid was blocked from entering the country in February and tear gas was even fired into the crowd of families eagerly awaiting this aid. Many families were counting on that food, but they were soon back where they started starving. Since then, the Venezuelan government has agreed to allow some humanitarian aid into the country, but there is still a critical need for more. Our organization, World Help, has partners working on the ground to provide food and other essentials. Im not overstating it when I say that this food is literally helping save lives. So as you watch the Venezuelan crisis unfolding on the news, Im asking you to stop right now and do two things: pray for the people of Venezuela and give if you can to provide food and other lifesaving supplies to people like Isabella and her girls. Archbishop of Canterbury asks for 'forgiveness' over handling of Lambeth Conference invitations The strain of preventing a schism in the Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality was laid bare at a meeting of leaders led by the Archbishop of Canterbury this past week in Hong Kong. Archbishop Justin Welby sought to reconcile the two sides before the closing of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-17) on Sunday by apologising for any "mistakes" he might have made in his handling of invitations to the Lambeth Conference taking place next year. The Lambeth Conference brings together all active bishops and their spouses from around the worldwide Anglican Communion, but it was announced in February that the spouses of gay bishops would not be allowed to attend. The decision was applauded by evangelicals but met with outcry by liberals both within and outside the Church, who claimed it was discriminatory. Kent University, where the conference is being held, said the decision raised "significant ethical concerns" and that the uninvited spouses of gay bishops would be welcome to stay on the campus while the gathering is taking place. When discussions nearly broke down on ACC-17's last day of formal business on Saturday, Welby stepped in to smooth things over by saying that the upset caused over invitations to Lambeth 2020 was his "fault and my responsibility". "It may be that at the end of time, I will understand that I got that wrong, and I will answer for it in one respect or another on the day of judgement," he said. "Where I handled it badly, which I am sure I did, for one group or another, I want to apologise to you because I have not helped the communion, either for those who are concerned by who was invited or those who are concerned by who was not invited. "I ask your forgiveness where I made mistakes." The apology, which does not undo the decision to exclude gay bishops' spouses, came in the middle of contentious debate over a resolution on the ongoing process of listening to people who have been "marginalized" in the Anglican Communion because of their sexuality. This listening process originates in the 1998 Lambeth Conference in Resolution 1.10. The resolution debated on Saturday was put forward by Oklahoma Bishop Ed Konieczny and called on provinces to gather responses to the listening process on human sexuality. This part of the resolution was not disputed by delegates at ACC-17 but conflict arose over the wording of the preamble that sought to affirm "the respect and dignity of persons as children of God who have been marginalized due to their human sexuality". It added that "they should be fully included in the life of the Anglican Communion." Several bishops from the Global South spoke out about the wording. Ezekiel Kondo, the Archbishop of Muslim-majority Sudan warned that churches in his country would be shut down "tomorrow" if the resolution were to be passed unamended. After protracted discussions, Archbishop Welby helped to broker a newly worded resolution that notes "concern" over the invitations to Lambeth 2020. The resolution also asks him to start a listening process "with supportive and independent facilitation in order to hear the concerns and voices of people especially those who have felt themselves marginalized with regard to their sexuality." The issue of sexuality has caused fierce divisions in the Anglican Communion. Some provinces, including those in North America, have become increasingly liberal, permitting gay bishops and same-sex marriage ceremonies. This has angered orthodox Anglicans, particularly those in the Global South, who argue that it goes against Scripture. Dissatisfied with the leadership's handling of the actions of liberal provinces, they have sought to reform the Church from within. One outcome of this is the creation of GAFCON (the Global Anglican Future Conference), which has threatened to boycott Lambeth 2020 over the attendance of gay bishops. Nigeria and Uganda are among the Churches saying they will boycott the gathering. Alongside Rwanda, they did not send representatives to the ACC-17 meeting in Hong Kong. Evangelical Anglicans demand answers after GAFCON criticism Suggestions that a fellowship of orthodox Anglicans is fuelling divisions in the worldwide Anglican Communion have been strongly criticised. The Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC) has written to General Secretary, the Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, asking him to explain comments he made during an address to the Anglican Consultative Council in Hong Kong, which drew to a close on Sunday. In an address to ACC-17, the Archbishop had asked how the communion could prevent a schism over the issue of homosexuality and specifically, how it should respond to GAFCON, a fellowship of orthodox Anglicans established in response to the liberal actions of several provinces. He said that if the purpose of GAFCON was about the renewal of the Church, then there was "nothing" to criticise about it. "If that is what GAFCON is about then it is right for the communion to welcome it as an influence for good," he said. However, he said that GAFCON appeared to be duplicating some of the work already going on in the communion and suggested that it was creating confusion. He suggested one way forward as the example of EFAC, which had been dissuaded from breaking away from the Church of England in the 1960s by the late Rev Dr John Stott. He also cited charismatic churches that were, in spite of their different perspectives, "still within the communion." "If GAFCON would just be that type of movement, which is what we are praying for, I think it should be embraced," he said. "The difficulty arises when GAFCON involves itself in the structures of the communion in a way that causes confusion and potential division." Elsewhere in his address, the Archbishop criticised orthodox primates who have snubbed invitations from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to visit his official residence at Lambeth Palace. "It is disheartening to hear a primate give one excuse or other to avoid this hospitality," he said. He also complained that "deliberate ignorance" and "self-made Anglicanism" were posing further problems for the communion. "How do we fight this ignorance that is chewing us up and creating further divisions within the communion?" he asked, adding that in some provinces there was "no debate" around points of theology. "When you get to some of them you think and pardon me if some people are offended by this you would think we are a Roman Church, where decisions are taken and passed down," he said. "There are no debates, and, where you have debates, they are not well informed. This is a major problem." The Archbishop later apologised to the Vatican representative at the ACC meeting. In other comments, the Archbishop said he had "difficulty" with the call for some to be invited to next year's Lambeth Conference as full participants "who are clearly not members of the communion", as well as calls to boycott that and other meetings. "This feels a very long way away from the decision to walk together at a distance taken at the 2016 Primates' meeting," he said. In a letter to the Archbishop, EFAC said it wanted him to "unpack" his criticism of GAFCON "in circumstances where it is not disputed that the crisis within the Anglican Communion was started by the Episcopal Church (in the USA) acting independently over the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson and has been driven ever since by the independent actions of the Episcopal Church and other liberal provinces, acting against the advice of the instruments of communion". The consecration of Robinson as the first openly gay bishop in the US Episcopal Church in 2003 pushed the Anglican Communion to the brink of schism. EFAC, whose constitution defines Christian marriage as between one man and one woman, said it was "unhelpful" to present Dr Stott's position from the 1960s as a solution to today's issues in the communion. "The current crisis in the Anglican Communion is caused by a different issue, same-sex marriage and partnerships, an issue on which the views of the Rev Dr John Stott were clear," it said. It added that there was "no division" between itself and GAFCON on issues of human sexuality and that "any attempt to create division will be resisted prayerfully and strenuously". "We have asked Archbishop Josiah publicly to correct the false analogy (in the same way as he has corrected his perceived critique of the Roman Catholic Church)," the statement concluded. The Lambeth Conference brings together all of the current bishops in the Anglican Communion and their spouses around once every 10 years. GAFCON has called for a boycott of the meeting over the presence of gay bishops and their spouses. Archbishop Idowu-Fearon announced in February that the spouses of gay bishops were not invited due to the strength of feeling on the issue of homosexuality in parts of the communion. Orthodox Anglicans were upset last week when it emerged that the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), which broke away from the Episocopal Church over its stance on homosexuality, were invited to attend as observers only. The Most Rev Foley Beach, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America and Chairman of GAFCON, said: "For the Anglican Church in North America to be treated as mere 'observers" is an insult to both our bishops, many of whom have made costly stands for the Gospel, and the majority of Anglicans around the world who have long stood with us as a province of the Anglican Communion." At a press conference during a GAFCON meeting in Australia last week, Beach said the group still intended to carry through on its promise to boycott Lambeth 2020. "They've changed the discussion to inviting the partners of the gay bishops when the issue is the bishops themselves," he said. "So, the Lambeth conference is in itself in violation of Lambeth 98 1.10 (which affirms the traditional position on marriage) itself by having these bishops in homosexual marriages coming to the conference. "So, what are we to do with that?" He added that GAFCON primates had written to the Archbishop of Canterbury outlining their concerns and that they were waiting to "see how he responds". Occidental Petroleum said Sunday it would sell the African assets of The Woodlands oil and gas company Anadarko Petroleum for $8.8 billion to French energy giant Total if Oxy wins the bidding war for Anadarko. Occidental, headquartered in Houston, is in a takeover battle with the California energy supermajor Chevron to acquire Anadarko and its prime holdings in the Permian Basin in West Texas, where Oxy is the top producer. Oxy is working to show investors that it can pull off its proposed $38 billion acquisition of Anadarko. Last week, Oxy received a $10 billion commitment from Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway firm to help finance the Anadarko deal and take a significant stake in an expanded Occidental Petroleum. Anadarko snubbed an earlier offer by Occidental, even though it was higher than the $33 billion Chevron bid that the Anadarko board accepted. The board recently determined that the sweetened offer by Occidental was potentially superior; Chevron has yet to counter. If successful, Oxy said it would sell off some pieces of Anadarko, including the multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas export project in Mozambique. Oxy doesn't have an LNG portfolio and isn't planning to enter the LNG business. Total has a large global LNG business. "The $8.8 billion value to be received for Africa represents an attractive value based on our extensive evaluation over the last 18 months," said Oxy Chief Executive Vicki Hollub, who has pursued an Anadarko deal for almost two years. "Total has extensive experience working in Africa and is well positioned to maximize value from these assets.'' The Mozambique LNG project - Anadarko's largest international investment - is scheduled to begin heavy construction later this year. Anadarko also owns African assets in Algeria, Ghana and South Africa that would be included in the sale to Total. "These are world class assets with great upside," said Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne, "and we welcome the opportunity to leverage our expertise in LNG and deepwater developments as well as our long history of operating in Africa." RELATED: Oxy gets $10B influx from Berkshire Hathaway for Anadarko bid The contingent Total sale is the latest twist in a takeover battle that has pitted the much smaller Occidental against Chevron. After Anadarko initially spurned Oxy in favor of Chevron's offer that valued Anadarko at $65 a share arguing that Chevron was a better fit with safer long-term value Oxy came back with $76 per share, with half paid in cash, the balance in stock. Anadarko's board is currently weighing Oxy's upgraded offer, but Anadarko is sticking with the Chevron commitment for now. Anadarko would have to pay Chevron a $1 billion breakup fee if the deal is nullified. The takeover battle is unprecedented in the energy sector this century. The conflict already has seen Anadarko reject Oxy for Chevron and then turn back toward the smaller company. The Anadarko board raised eyebrows by sweetening the severance packages for top executives shortly before the Chevron deal was announced. And the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating alleged insider trading connected to deal and involving unnamed traders using foreign accounts. Anadarko is coveted by the two suitors largely because of its holdings in the prolific Permian Basin. Both Chevron and Occidental have extensive and growing operations in the Permian. If Anadarko switches and goes with the Oxy proposal, then Chevron would have the opportunity to counteroffer and continue the bidding war. Family fun and love for the Star Wars universe was strong at the "May 4th and Wookiee Walk" presented by Northwest Vista College and the San Antonio Wookiee Walk Saturday afternoon. Attendees arrived in their best Star Wars costumes to walk around the college's lake that was sprinkled with galactic props throughout the area. UPDATE: Roberto Sanchez was a 24-year-old Hispanic man who died May 4 from multiple gunshot wounds at 6154 Del Monte Dr, Houston. ORIGINAL STORY: A man was killed Saturday night after breaking into a west Houston home, according to police. Residents heard rustling at their back door around 11:20 p.m., and then noticed a person in their backyard, according to Cullen Duncan with the Houston Police Department. When the man made it inside the residence near Del Monte and Briar Ridge, he was shot and killed by the residents living inside the home, Duncan said. He was pronounced dead by paramedics and firefighters. Voters had their chance to make their voices known on Election Day on Saturday and decided to go in a new direction in a top spot. Municipal positions and school board members were elected by voters, including several key positions. All results are unofficial until they have been canvassed by their entities. Former city police chief unseats incumbent mayor The city of Katy will have a new mayor. Former city police chief Bill Hastings was elected Saturday night to Katy mayor with 59.5 percent of the vote, unseating incumbent mayor Chuck Brawner, who was elected in 2017. Following the announcement, dozens of constituents sent the new mayor messages on his Facebook congratulating him. ELECTION COVERAGE: Voters turn out across Fort Bend County The two men have run in the same circles for 40 years, both former law enforcement officers. Jenifer Jordan Stockdick, who has lived in Katy her whole life, beat out Steve Pierson for the Ward B seat with 53 percent of the vote, according to unofficial voting results. Ward A councilman Frank O. Carroll III will remain in his seat, as he was running unopposed. Katy ISD Duke Keller was elected to the Katy ISD school board -- Position 1 -- with 4,093 total votes. "To be on the Board of Trustees in my hometown is very special," said Keller, following the announcement that he had won. "I look forward to working with everyone to heal some of the turmoil that we've gone through." Rebecca Fox, who left her Position 2 seat to run for Postion 1, had a total of 3,320 votes. Sean Dolan, came in last with 1,062 votes, according to unofficial results. ELECTION COVERAGE: Spring Branch ISD incumbents retain seats Fox said she had no immediate plans for the future, including making another run at a board seat. "Serving Katy ISD has been the greatest joy of my life," she said. Fox said she wishes "all the best" to Duke Keller and Lance Redmon. Lance Redmon was running unopposed for position 2. Fort Bend ISD For Position 3 trustee, incumbent Jim Rice (48.6%) held off three opponents Ashish Agrawal (16.4%); Sam Popuri (7.6%) and Afshi Charania (27.4%). In the race for Position 5 trustee to fill the spot left when KP George was elected Fort Bend County Judge, Allison Drew (26.54%) got the most votes followed by Lily Q. Lam (24.7%); Jason A. Dobrolecki (19.29%), Christian Sommer (17.2%) and Pam D. Sutherland (12.27%). In the race for Position 7 trustee, incumbent David Rosenthal (45.75%) topped a list of seven candidates. Monica Riley (18.45%), Nadine B. Skinner (14.4%), Ferrell Bonner (7.71%), Cristina (Tina) Michie (5.75%), Holland Poulsen (5.04%) and Rudy Sutherland Jr. (2.89%). Michelle.iracheta@chron.com rkent@hcnonline.com Updated: 9:58 p.m. The Fort Bend Independent School District has three new trustees after 25,233 voters cast ballots in the May 4 election. Incumbents Jim Rice and Dave Rosenthal will remain on the board in Position 3 and 7, respectively. Allison Drew beat Allison Drew beat out Lily Q. Lam for Position 5 in a close race that saw Lam take the lead at one point. The seat was left vacant by County Judge KP George. Drew is a Brooklyn, New York native and relocated to the Houston area 15 years ago. She is an enterprise data architect for Nordic Consulting and a registered nurse. ------- Updated: 7:10 p.m. More than 16,000 people cast votes early in the Fort Bend ISD board election where 16 candidates were vying for seats, according to unofficial results. The closest race is the one for Position 5, which was previously held by Fort Bend County Judge KP George. Lily Q. Lam takes 25. 13 percent of the vote or 2,240 against Allison Drew who received 2,276 votes -- just 36 more votes than Lam. Rosenthal, who had the highest number of competitors, is leading in the Position 7 seat with 44.7 percent of the vote. The next highest was Monica Riley with 19.52 percent. Jim Rice, the incumbent for Position 3, has 46.82 percent of votes. Stay tuned for updates. -----Previous story ----- More than dozen candidates are vying for positions on the Fort Bend Independent School District board, including five seeking the Position 5 seat left vacant by newly elected County Judge KP George. Cynthia Lenton Gary, Jason A. Dobrolecki, Pam D. Sutherland, Lily Q. Lam and Allison Drew are just five of the 16 candidates seeking a seat on the Fort Bend ISD board. The five are running for the Position 5 seat. For Position 7, incumbent Dave Rosenthal will face six challengers. They include Christine (Tina) Michie, Rudy Sutherland Jr., Ferrel Bonner, Nadine B. Skinner, Monica Riley and Holland Poulsen. For Position 3 trustee, incumbent Jim Rice will face three challengers, including Sam Popuri, Ashish Agrawal and Afshi Charania. Sommer, president and CEO of Grand Dominion Homes, has lived on the area for 17 years. Lam is the youngest candidate vying for office on the board at 19 years old and is a college student in the occupational therapy assistant program at HCC Coleman College of Health Sciences. Dobrolecki is the chief marketing officer for the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston. Drew is as an Enterprise Data Architect and Licensed Nurse who has called Fort Bend County her home for eight years. Pam Sutherland, who has lived in Missouri City for 20 years, has been an entrepreneur, parent/student advocate and a stay at-home mom since 2003. Agrawal, whos lived in Texas for 22 years, works for one of the worlds largest multinational companies. Popuri, whos been an IT professional for the past 25 years, has been a resident of Fort Bend County for the past nine years. Rice was elected in May of 2010 currently chairs the Boards Audit Committee. Charania serves on the board of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. Rosenthal was last re-elected to the FBISD Board of Trustees in 2016 and has served for six years. Riley is a former FBISD parent educator who has had leadership roles on various PTOs and PTAs. Skinner currently serves as Treasurer for PACE- Fort Bend Parents for Academic Excellence. Poulsen is a former schoolteacher who currently works with school districts and individual campuses to support teachers. Rudy Sutherland Jr. is a father and a small business owner. Michie is a 33-year-old math tutor who came to the United States from South Korea in 1985. Bonner is a Gulf War Army Veteran and former military intelligence analyst. Polls close at 7 p.m. Results for FBISD trustees will be posted to Fort Bend County Votes. This is a developing story. Check back here for updates. michelle.iracheta@chron.com 5 1 of 5 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 5 of 5 A pilot from Anahuac survived his second helicopter crash on Saturday afternoon, this time in New Caney. The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office reported the helicopter crash just after 2 p.m. in a parking lot near FM 494 and Antique Lane. Chemical engineer Scott Bowen defeated four-term Clear Creek ISD trustee Ann Hammond for the districts at-large Position B in the May 4 election. Bowen, who won with 1,512 votes or 53.45 percent of the vote against 1,317 for Hammond, a retired program analyst at NASA, in unofficial results. Bowen said during the campaign that if elected, hed push for more open discussion on the school board, claiming that trustees tended to avoid tough questions. He also argued that voters should have more options on how projects are presented in future bond referendums. Also on the ballot was board Position 1, where trustee Laura DuPoint won without opposition. Bowen is a former Republican precinct chair who has lived in the Clear Lake area since 1993. He is a graduate of Clear Lake High School and Texas A&M University and has a masters degree in business administration from Rice University. In her campaign, Hammond had emphasized a need to continue pushing for more state funding help regarding school safety and had cited the importance for the state to develop a better school accountability system than the current letter-grade scores for schools and districts. UPDATED: 8:15 p.m. The city of Katy will have a new mayor. Former city police chief Bill Hastings was elected Saturday night to Katy mayor with 59.5 percent of the vote, unseating incumbent mayor Chuck Brawner, who was elected in 2017. Following the announcement, dozens of constituents sent the new mayor messages on his Facebook congratulating him. The two men have run in the same circles for 40 years, both former law enforcement officers. Jenifer Jordan Stockdick, who has lived in Katy her whole life, beat out Steve Pierson for the Ward B seat with 53 percent of the vote, according to unofficial voting results. Ward A councilman Frank O. Carroll III will remain in his seat, as he was running unopposed. ----Previous Story ----- Five candidates are vying for positions on the Katy city council and mayoral seat, including three former law enforcement officers. Former city of Katy police chief William Bill Hastings is going head-to-head with incumbent mayor Chuck Brawner, who is also a retired police chief. Brawner has been the city mayor since 2017. Also running for top city official roles are Ward B candidates Steve Pierson and Jenifer Jordan Stockdick. Ward B incumbent Jimmy Mendez has served three consecutive two-year terms and under the city charter cannot seek re-election. Pierson is a retired Harris County Sheriffs Office sergeant, has served on City Council two prior times for a total of 12 years. Stockdick is on the citys Convention and Tourism Bureau board and an alternate member of the citys Zoning Board of Adjustment. Ward A councilman Frank O. Carroll III is running unopposed to the seat he was appointed to in September. Hastings retired from as the top cop in December and announced his candidacy for mayor in the same week. Im just not ready to give up my service to the community, Hastings said at the time. I think that I can help the community to grow in positive ways. On the same day, Brawner announced his re-election campaign. "Serving Katy has been a distinct honor and I would be humbled to serve one more term to complete the work we have begun together," Brawner said. Early voting for candidates, which took place April 22 to April 26, had one the highest turn out for voters on record, according to Melissa Missy Bunch, city secretary. If 234 is not the largest turn-out for a first day of early voting, it is surely one of the highest turn-outs. The early voting site in the city of Katy is the Cypress Room at Katy City Hall, 901 Ave. C. In total from Monday through Wednesday, the in-person early voting total for the city of Katy was 674 votes, said Bunch. There are 11,041 registered voters in the city limits of Katy. Polls close at 7 p.m. The city will announce the results on their website. This is a developing story. Check back here for updates. michelle.iracheta@chron.com Voters have elected new trustees to serve on the school boards in Montgomery and Magnolia. Magnolia ISD Position 1: Kelly McDonald was re-elected with 74 percent of the vote over Angie Smith. Incumbent Kelly McDonald has lived in Magnolia for 13 years. She has been a realtor in the Magnolia and Woodlands area for 13 years and works for Rose Realty. Prior to her success in real estate, she worked in the title business. McDonald was a member of the 2014 Magnolia ISD Parent Leadership Committee, the 2015 Magnolia Facility Planning Committee, and a member of the ALPHA Academy Campus Improvement Committee for the past three years. In her free time, she enjoys being a member of the Rotary Club and serves as President of the Magnolia Rotary Club this year. Position 2: Sonja Ebel was re-elected with 75 percent of the vote over Adrian Kaiser Ebel and her family have lived in Magnolia since 2010. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelors of arts and a asters in industrial relations. Ebel worked at Exxon Mobil for 20 years and is currently a stay-at-home mom. She has been active on the Nichols Sawmill Elementary PTO since 2011, a member of the 2012-13 Magnolia ISD Parent Leadership Committee, and the 2015 Magnolia Facility Planning Committee. Position 3: Gary Blizzard was re-elected with 75 percent of the vote over Sean Ricker. Blizzard has lived in Magnolia since 2006. He has a master in business from the University of Texas and bachelors of science from Texas A&M University. Blizzard has more than 30 years experience in multiple segments of the energy industry ranging from international business development to project management. Blizzard was part of the 2012 Magnolia ISD Parent Leadership Committee and graduated in 2016 from the Texas Association of School Boards Leadership Program earning the designation of master trustee. He and his wife Mickie have two children, Sydney and Sam, who both attend Magnolia High School. Montgomery ISD Position 6: Matt Fuller received 70 percent of the vote to defeat Kent Pope and Larry Hereford. Fuller is a Sam Houston State University Tenured Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Director of the Doctoral Program in Higher Education Leadership. He graduated from Texas A&M University and Illinois State University. He owns Fuller Farms in Montgomery and Weimar, Texas and Fuller Educational Consulting; and is member of the Association for Threat Assessment Professionals and Education Law Association. His number one priority is fiscal solvency along with safety, accountability and teachers. Position 7: Gary Hammons received 63 percent of the vote to defeat Russell Messecar. QES Directional Drilling chief financial officer, Hammons, is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and Texas A&M University graduate. He served 14 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve Military Police Corp. His family attends and teaches at Montgomery ISD. He believes he can bring his financial experience and perspective to the board to help address the deficit. For Virginia L. Hayden, small talk frequently took a turn toward the macabre. The cherubic-looking grandmother, measuring just over 5 feet tall with her hair in loose white curls, once started expounding on the best way to dispose of a human body, her daughter, Carolyn Cooksey, told police. Seemingly unprompted, she explained that pigs would eat every part of a corpse except for the skull. Her grandson, Michael Harris, also recalled receiving a similar lecture, except that he had been told that pigs would eat everything but the hair. Getting rid of bodies was a topic that frequently came up while they were watching television in York County, Pennsylvania, he told investigators. She taught him you had to stab a corpse before placing it in water; otherwise, it would float. Another time, she informed him that if someone was using nitroglycerin oral spray to treat a heart condition, you could give them more than the recommended dosage and it would look as though they had a heart attack. The comments didn't alarm Harris, who told police that his grandmother "was cool to talk to." But authorities believe that Hayden's apparent interest in gruesome topics was concealing something more sinister: the murder of her third husband, Thomas Hayden, 62, who vanished in 2011. Police arrested Virginia Hayden on Monday, linking her husband's disappearance to the grisly mystery of a scalp that was found in a plastic bag by the side of the road seven years earlier. The 67-year-old was arraigned the same day on criminal homicide charges and 64 additional counts that include forgery, theft, conspiracy and tampering with public records, PennLive reported. Authorities allege that she received nearly $117,000 in Social Security benefits intended for her husband that were deposited into a joint account, and forged his signature on a deed transfer that allowed her to sell their home after he went missing. "We can only take us where the facts lead us," Northern York County Regional Police Chief Mark Bentzel told WHP-TV. "And in this case, they lead us to Virginia." Seven years earlier, a man walking down a narrow country road that runs alongside a rushing creek in Dover Township, Pennsylvania, had made a nightmarish discovery. A human scalp, with hair that appeared to be tied in a ponytail, had been placed in a plastic, vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag, the kind usually used for storing leftovers. Also tucked inside was a piece of a bloody bedsheet. Police sent the gory remains off to the state crime lab, but no DNA match popped up in the universal database, and the trail ran cold. For more than five years, no one had any idea who the scalp belonged to, or how they might have died. Then, in January 2017, authorities got a phone call. Kim Via, Thomas Hayden's daughter, had been unsuccessfully trying to regain contact with her father, whom she had been estranged from since 2005. Each time she tried calling him, the criminal complaint states, her stepmother answered the phone and told her that her father didn't want to talk to her. Eventually, Via became suspicious, and asked police to do a welfare check. As authorities began investigating, they quickly realized that Via wasn't the only one who hadn't heard from Thomas Hayden in a long time. At the apartment where his daughter thought he was living, they found Virginia Hayden's granddaughter, who told them that he had never lived there, and she hadn't seen him in seven years. Further interviews with family and friends revealed that no one could recall seeing or hearing from him since some point in the fall of 2011. A former next-door neighbor said Thomas had just "up and disappeared," and that Virginia had explained his absence by saying that he had died after traveling to Mexico for treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS. Similarly, the man who had bought the Haydens' old condo in Dover Township in 2014 remembered Virginia telling him that her husband was dead. The former neighbor also offered a sinister possibility: She and her son-in-law had noticed that Virginia had doubled the size of the condo's patio by having a concrete slab poured in her backyard. Maybe, the two had joked, Thomas was buried underneath it. Police searched the property with cadaver-detecting dogs, and found nothing, the York Daily Record reported. But they did find other reasons to be suspicious. When questioned about her husband's absence in January 2017, Virginia repeated the story about how Thomas had traveled to Mexico to seek medical treatment for ALS, saying that he had been inspired by a commercial he saw on television. She claimed that he had left one night in 2011, and the last time that she heard from him was sometime that year, when he called her from a blocked number. She didn't know where he was, she said, and had been telling people he was dead because it was less embarrassing than admitting he had left her. But when investigators reviewed Thomas's medical records, they found that he had never been diagnosed with ALS. A doctor had been treating him for chronic pain, but after years of routinely going to his appointments, he had abruptly stopped showing up after September 2011. Virginia had called and canceled two of his appointments that were supposed to take place the following month, telling the office that he was no longer living in the area, police wrote in a criminal complaint. In October 2011, not long after his last visit, she bought a .357 caliber handgun. It wasn't the only thing about her account that didn't add up. In interviews with police, she changed her story about whether Thomas had been alone when he left their home, and was unable to explain the discrepancy. Furthermore, the Daily Record reported, officials with the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that neither of the Haydens had ever been to Mexico. If Thomas Hayden had tried to leave, he likely wouldn't have gotten far. After getting a warrant to search her apartment, police found that Virginia had his driver's license, passport and Social Security card stashed away in a lockbox. She also had a FoodSaver vacuum-sealing device. Officials got DNA samples from Hayden's two brothers, and sent them out for testing. Months later, a crime lab confirmed with overwhelming certainty that the scalp in the plastic bag had belonged to a sibling of theirs. Police turned their attention to the couple's condo, which Virginia had sold for $135,000 in November 2014. The deed seemed to indicate that in November 2013, Thomas had sold the house to her for $1. If true, that would have meant that the transaction took place two years after the last time that anyone could remember seeing him. But a handwriting expert who reviewed Thomas's signature on the deed transfer concluded that it had been forged - by his wife. The notary listed on the document was her daughter, Connie Pender, who was arrested separately and pleaded guilty to tampering with public records and conspiracy charges, according to the Daily Record. In July 2017, police pushed Virginia to tell them where her husband was. "Maybe you ought to check the grave of my second husband for him," she replied. Thomas Hayden had been her third husband: Her first hung himself after they divorced, and her second died of a heart attack, the Daily Record reported. Taking her at her word, officials paid a visit to her second husband's grave in Maryland, but found no signs of wrongdoing. As police continued to zero in on her, Virginia Hayden sat for an interview with the Daily Record in December 2017 and insisted that she was innocent. Flatly denying that she killed her husband, she claimed that she had no idea where he was, and that he had been abusive toward her. She declined to provide any further details about the alleged abuse. "You've never been married to a man that scares you so bad that the day he decides to leave, you pray to God he doesn't come back," she told the paper. "You pray to God he forgets about you." Though Thomas Hayden's body still hasn't been found, a doctor who examined his scalp found enough evidence to conclude that the 62-year-old had "died from a violent death at the hands of another individual." That individual, authorities believe, was his wife. Hayden, who does not yet have a lawyer, is being held without bail in advance of a May 10 hearing. Confronted with the evidence that her husband had been killed, she reportedly told investigators that she would write "whatever you want me to write" in a confession, but made it clear that she was doing so under duress and only because her daughter and stepdaughter thought she was responsible. "So be happy," she said, according to PennLive. "I give in. So leave me alone. So there it is. That's my confession." WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, reversing course from his previous position that the decision is up to Attorney General William Barr. "Bob Mueller should not testify," Trump said in an afternoon tweet. "No redos for the Dems!" Trump also insisted that Mueller's 448-page report found "no collusion" and "no obstruction," overstating the conclusions of the nearly two-year investigation. A redacted version of the document has been released; congressional Democrats are battling with Barr to get the full report. In the report, Mueller's team wrote that while the investigation established that the Trump campaign "expected it would benefit electorally from" information stolen in Russia-backed efforts, it "did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." Mueller also found 10 "episodes" of potential obstruction of justice but ultimately concluded that it was not his decision to determine whether Trump broke the law. The House Judiciary Committee has been seeking to hear from Mueller amid disagreements about whether Barr mischaracterized the special counsel's report in his congressional testimony and statements. Trump's Sunday tweet marks a shift from what he said Friday during an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. Asked then whether Mueller should testify before Congress and whether he would like to see the special counsel do so, Trump replied: "I don't know. That's up to our attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job." Barr said at a news conference last month - and reiterated during his testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee - that he has no objection to Mueller testifying. Trump and House Democrats are locked in a battle over congressional oversight, with the president refusing to cooperate with multiple Capitol Hill investigations seeking witnesses, documents and his tax returns. The president has vowed to "fight all the subpoenas" from Democrats, sued to block compliance by accounting firms and banks, and instructed aides to ignore the repeated requests from Congress. The tensions between the Trump administration and Congress could come to a head as early as this week, when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said his panel will probably adopt a contempt citation against Barr unless he provides the full, unredacted Mueller report. Democrats aren't alone in seeking Mueller's testimony. Early last month, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Douglas Collins, Ga., urged Nadler to invite Mueller to testify, writing in a letter to the chairman, "If you seek both transparency and for the American public to learn the full contours of the Special Counsel's investigation, public testimony from Special Counsel Mueller himself is undoubtedly the best way to accomplish this goal." In an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday, Collins mentioned the letter and said of Mueller, "He's the one that is the central figure here." Trump's reversal on Mueller testifying came hours after a key member of the House Judiciary Committee said that the panel has proposed a date of May 15 for Mueller to testify but that no agreement has been reached yet. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., said Sunday morning during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" that a "tentative date has been set" for Mueller's testimony. But he said in a later tweet that he had misspoken. "Just to clarify: we are aiming to bring Mueller in on the 15th, but nothing has been agreed to yet," Cicilline said in the tweet. "That's the date the Committee has proposed, and we hope the Special Counsel will agree to it. Sorry for the confusion." A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. In late March, Mueller wrote a letter to Barr voicing dissatisfaction that a four-page memo to Congress describing the principal conclusions of his investigation into the president "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his work. Barr defended his handling of the case during a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week. He repeatedly denied accusations and insinuations by Democrats that he had lied or misrepresented anything. "I wasn't hiding the ball," Barr told Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., who pressed the attorney general on whether he omitted key details of Mueller's report from his initial account of the findings. In his "Fox News Sunday" interview, Cicilline said the panel hopes Mueller will agree to testify. "We think the American people have a right to hear directly from him," he said. Asked whether Mueller has agreed, Cicilline responded: "The representative for the special counsel has, but, obviously, until the date comes, we never have an absolute guarantee." Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Mueller and former White House counsel Donald McGahn should testify. "Barr's testimony alone - designed to protect Trump - isn't going to cut it. They will testify. The American people deserve the truth," Schiff said. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., responded to Trump with his own tweet. "First @realDonaldTrump repeatedly tried to fire Mueller. Then he refused to be interviewed by Mueller. Now he's trying to silence Mueller. For a man who constantly proclaims his innocence, @realDonaldTrump is acting awfully guilty. Mueller must testify publicly before Congress." _ _ _ The Washington Post's Devlin Barrett and Shane Harris contributed to this report. By Trend Iran will continue with low-level uranium enrichment in line with its nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani was quoted as saying on Saturday, despite a U.S. move to stop it, Trend reports citing Reuters. Washington acted on Friday to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting Tehrans ballistic missile program and curbing its regional power. Under the (nuclear accord) Iran can produce heavy water, and this is not in violation of the agreement. Therefore we will carry on with enrichment activity, the semi-official news agency ISNA quoted Larijani as saying. The Fars agency carried a similar report. Heavy water can be employed in reactors to produce plutonium, a fuel used in nuclear warheads. The United States also scrapped its sanctions waiver that had allowed Iran to evade a 300-kg limit on the amount of low-enriched uranium it can store under the nuclear deal at its main nuclear facility of Natanz. Washington said the move was aimed at forcing Tehran to end its production of low-enriched uranium, a demand Iran has repeatedly rejected as it says it uses the uranium to help produce electricity. Until now, Iran was allowed to ship low-enriched uranium produced at Natanz to Russia before it hit the 300-kg limit, an expert said. Brazils exports to the Arab region grew to $3.15 billion during the first quarter of 2019, up from $2.75 billion recorded during the same period last year, a media report said. UAE imported a total and 650.23 thousand tonnes of Brazilian products worth $794.53 million during Q1-2019, reported state news agency Wam, citing figures released by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). The total exports to the Arab countries reached 11.5 million tonnes combined during the first three months of the year, a major jump from 9.1 million tonnes recorded during the same months in 2018. The breakdown of data showed that 3.3 million tonnes of imported Brazilian products worth $240.37 million went to Oman. Bahrain imported 2.3 million tons of commodities valued $173.22 million from Brazil, while Egypts purchase of 1.63 million tons of products was valued $412.04 million. A total of 711.67 thousand tonnes of goods amounting to $479.20 million and 650.23 thousand tonnes of products worth $794.53 million went to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, respectively. Rubens Hannun, president of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: "The increasing Brazilian export volume to the Arab world is a result of the strengthening trade relations between the region and the South American country. It also reflects Brazils global economic resilience in the midst of challenges. We foresee stronger demand for Brazilian commodities in the Arab world in the coming quarters of the year as the region continues to implement economic programs to expand trade opportunities and experience steady socio-economic development." Iron, maize (corn), sugar, and chicken and bovine meat, and aircrafts were among the Arab regions top imports from Brazil, sustaining its growing demand both from the industrial sector and the consumer market. The value of chicken meat exported to the Arab countries during the period hit the $580.36 million mark, while bovine meat reached $275.39 million, during the first quarter of 2019. The leading exported products were meat and edible offal; iron ores and concentrates, including roasted iron pyrites; cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form; aircrafts (helicopters and airplanes), spacecrafts ( satellites), and suborbital and spacecraft launch vehicles; corn; turbo-jets, turbo-propellers and other gas turbines; and tubes, pipes, and hollow profiles, seamless, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel. "We will maintain our efforts to facilitate interaction between these markets and improve their trade relations by establishing effective channels of business communications. The growing popularity and demand for Brazilian products in the region is a reflection of the excellent quality of commodities from the country, whether they be foodstuff or engineering items," Hannun added. A 10-year-old boy is dead and his 12-year-old sibling has been charged with murder after a shooting Saturday in Conroe, authorities said. Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constable's deputies were the first to respond to an emergency call at about 2:40 p.m. in the 10700 block of Stidham Road near Fenley Road, followed by Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies, Lt. Scott Spencer said in a statement on Twitter. The sights, smells and sounds of Poland permeated the bi-annual Houston Polish Festival this weekend. The three-day celebration of all things Polish included live music, folk dances, food and a colorful mosaic of arts, crafts and clothing at the Polish Roman Catholic Church Our Lady of Czestochowa in Spring Branch. The festival is the only large-scale celebration of Polish culture in Texas, according to the events organizer, Damian Reichert. About 50,000 people of Polish descent live in the region, he said, and the festival will see between 5,000 to 8,000 visitors Festival-goers soaked in the atmosphere as they gobbled up pierogis and golabki (cabbage rolls), sampled Polish beers and watched traditional dance performances. We would like people to see our traditions, taste some of our food and just have a great time, said Reichert, who immigrated from Poland more than 25 years ago. We are proud of where we are from: from the kings in Poland to the first and second world warsand we are a hard-working people that fought hard for freedom. Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Parish was established in the mid-1980s to serve as a spiritual and cultural sanctuary to Polish immigrants seeking asylum in the wake of the Solidarity movement in Communist Poland. The church remains steeped in Polish traditions and the festival is one way that it shares that heritage. Jim Mazurkiewicz of the Polish American Council of Texas, a non-profit which works to preserve Polish culture, likes to remind native Texans that the San Jacinto River is named after a medieval Polish saint, Jacek Odrowaz; or that the oldest Polish parish in the United States is in Texas. The Polish-American community of Houston, said Mazurkiewicz, is not yet as vast as that of Chicago or New York City, but its getting close. This weekends festival, coinciding with Polish Constitution Day on May 3, is similar in cultural spirit to Mexican-Americans observance of Cinco De Mayo, he said. Its a celebration of American Polish culture and its contribution (to the United States) because we are tied together, Mazurkiewicz said. This was James Smocks 10th Houston Polish Festival. Smock, 66, is a third-generation Polish-American from Spring Branch who speaks with a strong Texas drawl, says his Polish familial lines are always just below the surface. I like the camaraderie, the fellowship of the people and I see it all the time, he said. The Polish people are a good people and they want to hold onto to their traditions. Many of those who attended wore their Polish-American ties literally on their sleeves. Maria Rozek, a member of Our Lady of Czestochowa and of one of the dance groups featured over the weekend, immigrated from Poland to the U.S. when she was 14, and now, at 65, still feels at home when she wears the richly and intricately embroidered dress of folk dance in performance. The Polish spirit, she said, is a celebratory one. We love to party, we like a lot of food like Italians, we dance, we sing, we are devoutly Catholic and we have beautiful costumes, she said. It is important to keep our culture alive just as it is for all ethnic groups. You need to know where you came from and that should be important to everyone. Marysia Czuprynowski, 73, came to Houston from Poland more than 40 years ago and speaks with a still-resonant Polish enunciation; wearing a vibrant, colorful traditional dress as she walked through the events various attractions, the festival is like her Fourth of July. I am Polish from Poland and I will always be Polish in my heart, she said. The Houston Polish Festival is held twice each year, in September and in May. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2H16FWp yorozco@hcnonline.com A San Antonio man convicted of killing his 14-year-old son, supposedly by accident, was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison. Andres Delgado III, 45, was convicted of manslaughter in the death of his son, Andres Delgado IV, after pleading no contest earlier this month. The teen was shot last year as he slept in his home on the East Side. At a hearing before Judge Ron Rangel, Delgados lawyer asked for leniency for his client, saying Delgado had suffered greatly. He suggested the judge sentence him to probation. Its a nightmare, defense attorney Miguel Najera said. Its a nightmare for any parent to lose a son at your own hand. But prosecutor Ryan Wright urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence, arguing that Delgado was a former gang member who regularly drank alcohol in excess and used cocaine. Rangel chose the maximum. On ExpressNews.com: Father a suspect in teens death Dozens of family members filled the gallery for Fridays hearing. Some said Delgado was a good man who turned his life around after his two children were born. They said Delgado raised the kids single-handedly, often taking them biking or on family vacations. Others said that there should be consequences for Delgados actions, regardless of whether it was an accident. After Rangel announced the sentence, the whole family burst into tears. According to testimony Friday, Delgado was using cocaine and drinking alcohol the morning of March 14, 2018, when he supposedly heard a gunman breaking into his daughters room. Delgado told authorities he went into his daughters room and saw an armed gunman fire two shots into the room. Using three handguns, an AR-15 and his shotgun, Delgado told police he returned fire in defense of his family, an arrest affidavit stated. On ExpressNews.com: Father pleads no contest to manslaughter charge Investigators said at the time that Delgados story of a break-in and a shots being fired into the home did not match up with evidence at the scene. They found suspected narcotics, more than 50 live rounds of handgun, rifle and shotgun ammunition inside the home, along with several bullets and bullet fragments in almost every room of the house, the arrest affidavit stated. After investigators concluded the father recklessly shot the different weapons (and) accidentally shot the victim, Delgado was arrested. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton Alpha Destination Management, a leading destination management company, has launched its Alpha Pass today (April30) at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) that will allow travellers to see the best of Dubai and save 45 per cent. Samir Hamadeh, general manager of Alpha Destination Management, said: The Alpha Pass is the easy way to make the most of your trip to Dubai with 25 must-see attractions, tours and experiences to choose from. The pass has been designed to offer a more complete and tailored experience for less. It will give tourists the opportunity to visit 3, 4 or 5 attractions of their choice over 5 days and save up to 45 per cent making it the perfect way to explore the city. Combining the best of the emirates sights and attractions, the Alpha Pass is the ultimate one-ticket sightseeing solution, he added. Dubai is among the worlds most visited cities being a leading attractions hub and at Alpha we are proud to play a pivotal role in supporting the emirates extraordinary tourism vision. We offer a carefully curated collection of some unique city excursions and sightseeing tours that are guaranteed to make every trip memorable. With the Alpha Pass, our aim is to provide travellers a seamless experience with outstanding value and convenience, Hamadeh noted. How the Alpha Pass works: Step 1: Pick & Choose Choose from over 25 of Dubais best attractions. Opt for 3, 4 or 5 tickets to use over 5 days. Step 2: Show & Go Purchase your chosen package & download your iPass. Simply present your iPass at entry or for booking. Check attraction details for those venues that require prior reservations. Step 3: Enjoy & Share Have fun exploring and share your experiences with family, friends and the world. Tag your photos using #iVentureCard on Instagram to be featured. Alpha Pass will access to 25 top attractions across Dubai: 1. Aqua Fun Park 2. Boardwalk 3. At The Top, Burj Khalifa 4. City Sightseeing Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus 5. Creek Cruise Dinner 6. Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo 7. Dubai City Tour 8. Dubai Dolphinarium 9. Dubai Fountain Show and Lake Ride 10. Dubai Frame 11. Dubai Mall Ice Rink 12. Dubai Safari Park 13. Etihad Museum 14. Flying Cup 15. Hub Zero 16. Hysteria Haunted House Dubai 17. Kidzania 18. Laguna Waterpark 19. Lost Chambers & Ambassador Lagoon Atlantis 20. Marina Dhow Cruise Dinner 21. Mattel Play! Town 22. Orbi 23. Splash Tours 24. The Green Planet 25. Wild Wadi Waterpark TradeArabia News Service CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Joe Bidens campaign launch and endorsement from the International Association of Firefighters launched a firestorm of anti-Biden and anti-union leadership Trump tweets and retweets the last week of April. On one early morning, Trump fired off nearly 60 retweets in less than a half hour. April Trump twitter showers bring May _________? Bidens campaign launch on video, followed by a Pittsburgh rally, spurred contributions of $6.3 million in 24 hours, the firefighters union endorsement and Trump respining his infamous response to the deadly Charlottesville white supremacist march as perfect. In his launch video, Biden said the Charlottesville march and Trumps response to it, motivated him to run for president, casting the race as a fight for the soul of America. Trump has been trying to make the case that firefighters union leadership doesnt represent the soul of its membership, which Trump contends supports him not Biden. The tweets and retweets dont represent the best reelection campaign strategy, according to Trumps advisors, who have urged him to cool it. Politico reports that Jared Kushner has directed campaign officials not to be targeting Democratic candidates for now, arguing its a waste of time during the primary and may backfire. Weve asked him to stop. Its not helping us, its helping Biden. We dont think Biden can make it out of the woke Democrat primary. But he will if the president gives him oxygen," Politico quotes a Trump adviser. Some Republicans think or hope the Democrats will beat themselves up in the primary and the nominee will emerge too damaged to take on Trump. They could be making the same mistake of pundits and Democrat strategists who thought Bidens frontrunner status was only due to name recognition. They were proven wrong after Biden officially entered the race, raised $6.3 million that first day, and quickly moved even further ahead of his closests Democratic challengers. Trump whisperer Christopher Ruddy, CEO of NewsMax, isnt underestimating Biden in a general election like some Republicans and Democrats. Ruddy told Politico that the general view is the election is going to go down to three or four states, maybe five, and these states included Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, [and] Florida. And these are states the Joe Biden would on paper be a good fit. When Trump wasnt posting anti-Biden, anti-firefighter union leadership tweets, he was tweeting about how great his tariffs have been for Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh. Im surprised Trump didnt also try to use Bidens Pittsburgh rally against him in Steeler hating Browns town. Trump has been deriding Biden as " sleepy" and not very bright." But Biden is woke and bright enough to know hes not only appealing to the same working class voters who put Trump into office, hes also currently the top choice of African-American voters. The same voters who created the blue wave the Democrats surfed back into majority House control on. Would the Obama voters who stayed home in 2016 or voted for Trump, do the same in 2020 if Obamas Vice President is the nominee instead of Hillary? Trumps tweet barrage at Biden only confirmed earlier reports that Biden is the candidate Trump most fears. Biden launched his campaign in Pennsylvania, getting to Pittsburgh, Philly and most significantly, under Trumps skin. Something MAY be rotten in Denmark. But something definitely IS in Seven Hills. The citys law director attacks City Council with unproven allegations of wrongdoing. Mayoral policy prevents politicians from being prosecuted for clear violations of Ohio law. A $300,000 loan is made to a mayoral campaign contributor and no one can supply proof that the loan terms are being satisfied? A $25,000 developer contribution to defray the citys legal expenses in a new development is deducted from the sale price of city-owned property to the developer? The law directors brother is an owner in the development, along with a longtime campaign contributor for the current mayor. Voters cleaned the previous councils clock at the polls. Those same voters need to finish cleaning up City Hall this November. The mayor and law director BOTH need to get out of Seven Hills politics altogether. Seven Hills will be better for it. Tom Jaros, Seven Hills CLEVELAND, Ohio City Council will start work in earnest this week on legislation aimed at drastically cutting the number of children lead-poisoned in Cleveland. The largest hurdle, until now considered by some as insurmountable, was a move away from a decades-old way of dealing with lead poisoning, which essentially used the citys children as de facto lead-detectors for the brain-injuring toxin. That meant cleaning up the problem, mostly lead paint chips and dust in older homes, after the damage was done. Over the past year, the convening of a new coalition and ballot-box pressure from a grassroots advocacy group, has created momentum for a new mandate, one that would require Clevelands rental housing to be verified as lead-safe. Getting to that point has become a moral imperative, Mark McDermott, vice president and Ohio market leader for Enterprise Community Partners Inc, a non-profit that supports affordable housing. I think that has been a big change, McDermott said. McDermott chairs a committee of more than 70 members of the recently-formed Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition (LSCC), made up of public, private and philanthropic partners. Over two months, that committee drafted, debated and voted on a set of policy recommendations for City Council to consider. Chief among them: The city must mandate prevention of lead poisoning by requiring rental units to be safe from hazardous levels of lead lead-safe for short. That central goal was agreed upon by 97 percent of the participating committee members, including people with day jobs in construction, education, healthcare, real estate, housing and public policy, as well as city officials. That doesnt mean accomplishing it will be easy. Council members have a lot to deliberate about, including the coalitions 33 policy recommendations. LSCC has said that picking and choosing from the recommendations wont work. All of the areas prevention, screening, education, enforcement, resources and accountability rely upon each other to make a lead-safe future a reality. Council can also, if they choose, consider the work of advocacy group Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing, CLASH, which researched a proposed ordinance for more than a year before unveiling it in February. CLASHs legislation, which was endorsed by thousands of voters before being nixed as a ballot initiative based on a technicality, is also rooted in a lead-safe mandate, which is supported with ramped-up tenant protections and public-private funding to assist tenants and landlords who want to comply. The main thrust of the two efforts the Lead Safe Cleveland coalition recommendations and the CLASH legislation are remarkably similar: a near-universal lead-safe standard for rentals built before 1978 most likely to contain lead paint, with a few areas of disagreement about how to accomplish that result. Despite that, council will still have to grapple with some overarching questions in the coming months that have bubbled to the surface and will likely need to be ironed out before any law is passed. Some include: What is a practical timeline? Urgency has been a word repeated by coalition leaders as well as CLASH, which has built a social media drumbeat by sharing the estimated number of children poisoned in Cleveland each day. (Ohio Department of Health reports 375 confirmed Cleveland lead-poisoning cases as of May 3.) CLASHs legislation calls for landlords to prove their homes are lead-safe by March of 2021, set to work in concert with an annual rental registration deadline. Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition is suggesting a yearlong ramp-up period where compliance is voluntary, and incentives are offered for early adopters. For two years following that, mandatory compliance would roll out by ZIP code, two new ones every three months. Both require a renewal of the lead-safe status of certificate every two years. Even those time frames triggered concern about whether enough inspectors, assessors and contractors can be certified to handle the volume of rentals that quickly. The coalitions metered proposal would require up to 32,000 private inspections to be completed annually. Mike Valerino, COO of the Cleveland Akron Area Board of REALTORS.The Plain Dealer Coalition member Mike Valerino, COO of the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS, called the timeline unrealistic and unnecessarily short." Valerino participated in the coalition policy discussion on behalf of more than 6,000 real estate professionals. The association is firmly in favor of the overall lead-safe goal and will stay involved in the legislative process despite exercising an option to opt-out of supporting the full set of recommendations, Valerino said. Valerino, during the committee meetings, suggested that a feasibility study be done so there wasnt an assumption that the workforce will just materialize. Whats the best way to protect tenants? Protections for tenants were deemed essential in the LSCC and CLASH proposals so that a lead-safe mandate didnt result in family displacement or disinvestment and vacancy, concerns Mayor Frank Jackson has cited in the past. Both groups included explicit protections against retaliation from non-compliant landlords. LSCC called for further study on other potential protections, including rent deposit, but was in favor of an in-the-works Right to Counsel initiative that would provide attorneys for low income tenants, and ward off retaliatory evictions. The coalition also suggested Cleveland should add Source of Income, a protected class in local anti-discrimination law. That would mean landlords could not discriminate, for instance, against families who use federal housing vouchers, commonly referred to as Section 8. That provision was not supported by committee members who work in real estate and viewed it as an added burden on landlords that could have unintended consequences. Coalition member Diana Shulsky, with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, supported 98 percent of the recommendations but used the committees opt-out process, in part, because of the Source of Income provision, which she called a highly-charged topic not directly related to the lead-safe initiative. Whats the right balance of carrots and sticks? LSCCs lead-safe mandate balances on the promise of yet unknown incentives and resources, like grants and loans, for poor and working-class landlords and families with the most need. So does the CLASH proposal. The LSCC and CLASH proposals also each include penalties for landlords who dont comply with the lead-safe standard or who fail to disclose hazards. LSCC wasnt in favor of criminal penalties, and instead recommended civil penalties, tickets or fines, though amounts werent specified. CLASH also favored fines, but its legislation includes misdemeanors, which can include escalating fines and criminal penalties for non-compliance, similar to other housing infractions. Cleveland Housing Court Judge Ron OLeary said until the costs of assessment and remediation are clearer its hard to tell which types of penalties will carry the most leverage with landlords. OLeary, who formerly headed the citys building and housing department, said the court cant endorse or oppose any particular proposal or law. There are potential advantages and drawbacks to both types of penalties, he said. Penalties that bring a case to court can be helpful because that allows for diversion or probation, which means the courts problem-solving housing specialists can help work out resolutions or access resources to get to the lead-safe goal. Preparing a court case, though, he said creates a larger burden for the citys Building & Housing and Law departments, while ticketing is a far simpler process, though it may not lead to compliance. McDermott said the coalition recognized that many of the recommendations would create additional work, which is why it made the non-legislative recommendation to bolster funding to the Building & Housing and Law departments. He also said the coalition was firmly committed to an evaluate-as-it-goes process for all of the recommendations so that the city could set standards but make adjustments as needed. Can a lead-safe mandate be legislated before resources are in place? LSCC has a resource committee that is working on a scan of potential funding and support at the local, state and federal level. Cleveland City Councilman Tony Brancatelli thinks some of the recommendations for reducing lead poisoning on Cleveland are unrealistic.The Plain Dealer Councilman Tony Brancatelli, after reviewing the recommendations, said he is worried about council being asked to pass an unfunded mandate. Council, in essence, is being asked to fix 200 years construction problems, magnified by the foreclosure crisis that created neighborhoods full of distressed, toxic, ticking time bombs -- and to do it in one piece of legislation, he said. Policy without resources is just a conversation, Brancatelli, who represents the Slavic Village neighborhood, said. The total costs for new city employees, for a recommended Lead Safe Ombudsman and Auditor, for training a work force, for educating the public -- will be huge, Brancatelli said. Thats before contemplating the price tag for remediating thousands of homes, he said. These are high costs that seem to all fall on the city right now, he said. That might mean the lead-safe standard is too high a bar to start with, he said. Brancatelli is in favor of using a similar standard to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development created for subsidized housing, which includes a visual inspection for peeling and chipping paint, which already is a violation under Clevelands housing code. Both LSCC and CLASH said any mandate would require government, community and private resources to overcome barriers for low-income and small-scale landlords to comply, and to subsidize training and education and assistance for renters. Right now, no money had been publicly committed, though CLASHs legislation directs some city rental registry fees into a dedicated fund. In the recent past, such commitments were discussed as the city, county and non-profits explored a social bond or pay for success model to fund the testing and remediation of 10,000 homes in areas of the city where the most children are poisoned. Despite enthusiasm, the model was viewed by key stakeholders as too complex and the results not clear enough to commit to the $159 million investment. LSCC envisioned any fund to be managed independently and to include contributions from public, philanthropic and private sector institutions that can be distributed mainly as grants and loans. Foundations are committed to that, McDermott said, because they see this as a generational opportunity to solve a problem for the citys children. Can the city do this? In January, city officials, including Jackson, Council President Kevin Kelley and Health & Human Services committee chair Blaine Griffin, committed to significantly reducing the number of lead-poisoned children in the next decade. They indicated that history, which included similar promises, would not be repeated. Jacksons press office did not return an email seeking comment on the recommendations. Councilman Blaine Griffin believes recent recommendations can strike a balance in reducing lead poisoning. Blaine Griffin, (Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer (LSCC debated but declined to support a universal lead-screening mandate floated last year by Griffin. Screening also is an issue Jackson has repeatedly raised as important.) Griffin said the LSCC recommendations, if adopted, would fundamentally change the way landlords do business in Cleveland. That could present hurdles, bureaucratic and otherwise, to rolling out a lead-safe mandate, including additional staff, technology and new systems to track and enforce a raft of new requirements. The city is going to do our part, Griffin said. But the city wont be doing it alone, he said. The trick is doing it in a way that doesnt fulfill the prophecy that it will lead to displacement, disinvestment and vacancy in the same, mostly minority, neighborhoods where the highest number of Clevelands poisoned children live. We know that many landlords [in those neighborhoods] are small and operate on thin margins, McDermott said. Many of the landlords are also minorities, which creates equity issues that cant be cast aside. We need to really pay attention to unintended consequences, McDermott said. Even that, he said, isnt an unbeatable challenge. Thats why the LSCC partners dont view the policy recommendations as just a handoff. The commitment is ongoing. The same is true for CLASH. Some of its members participated in the coalition process, and the group publicly commended the work. Rebecca Maurer, an attorney who helped draft CLASHs legislation, opted out of supporting the full coalition recommendations, though she and CLASH supported nearly all of them, with a few key exceptions. Like: Not requiring daycares to comply with a lead-safe mandate. Legislating stronger tenant protections. Additional public accountability by creating a citizens advisory council to report to the community quarterly. Requiring a more thorough initial assessment of rental properties followed by streamlined follow-ups. CLASH will press forward with a legal fight to get its legislation before council and plans to start gathering petitions later this month again as a way to keep pressure on City Council. We are committed to see the process through to pass legislation, the group said in a news release. If not, CLASH will let the people vote and decide. CLEVELAND, Ohio Should transit in Cuyahoga County maximize frequent service on its most highly traveled routes? Or spread service as widely as possible while sacrificing frequency? The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is looking for responses to those alternatives in an online survey and meetings over the next month. The new survey and meetings are the latest steps in a yearlong system design process aimed at guiding RTAs strategic planning for the next decade and beyond. The public is invited to respond to a pair of starkly different maps showing how RTAs bus and rapid transit routes would look if configured to suit each alternative. The maps assume no increase in RTAs current funding. The agencys 2019 budget is $292 million. Its a zero-sum thing, said John Palagyi, acting director of service management. You have to free up resources from one place to move them somewhere else. A map prepared by consultants from Walker Associates displays what the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's system would look like if it prioritized maximum geographic coverage rather than high frequency service on fewer routes concentrated near the urban core of Cuyahoga County. The map - not a proposal - is one of two options the public is being asked to consider this month in a survey that will help RTA plan future service.Walker Associates/RTA RTA will hold another series of meetings in late summer to seek input on how the agencys service should change if its funding were increased or diminished, said Joel Freilich, RTAs acting deputy general manager for operations. The planning process, scheduled for completion Oct. 1, will help inform trustees of the financially challenged authority whether to consider proposing an increase to its 1% county sales tax, unchanged since the agencys creation in the mid-1970s. The tax provides roughly 70% of RTAs revenues; roughly 16% comes from fares. The first two meetings in the latest round of discussions will be Monday at the Cleveland Public Librarys main branch downtown, 525 Superior Ave., from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and from 5:30 to 8 p.m. A complete meeting schedule is listed on RTAs website. The system design survey can be found online here through May 31. A separate, concurrent survey will seek public feedback about RTA fares and social equity, an issue the transit agency sees as closely linked to ridership and service. The system design study is being conducted by Jarrett Walker Associates, a transit consulting firm based in Portland, Oregon. The new survey follows an earlier one in February that asked general questions about the relative importance of frequent RTA service versus maximum geographic coverage factors considered opposite ends of a continuum of possibilities for transit service. The firms research showed that RTA currently tilts 60% in favor of frequent service, and 40% toward coverage. A map prepared by consultants from Walker Associates displays existing routes served by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's system. The system tilts roughly 60 percent toward frequency and 40 percent toward coverage, the consultants found. RTA is asking the public in surveys this month to consider transit priorities that will determine how the system should be redesigned in the future.Walker Associates/RTA The February survey, with more than 1,000 responses, showed that 15% wanted the system to remain the same, while 42% voted to increase frequency of service, and 42% voted to increase coverage. The two maps in the new survey are dramatically different. The high frequency alternative shows a grid system focused strongly on downtown, serving a relatively smaller area of the county. Much of the network would provide rides every 15 minutes or less. The coverage alternative, in contrast, would serve a much wider area, but with most rides occurring every 60 minutes or so. The alternatives have important implications for social equity, urban redevelopment, and environmental quality and sustainability, said Jarrett Walker, president of the consulting firm. Maximizing frequency would increase the potential for ridership and greater fare revenues. The concentrated routes would also help reduce travel by automobile, which would reduce emissions. Frequent service on fewer routes could, over time, boost urban redevelopment in the regions core. It would also be more likely to result in affordable housing. If you want to grow more places like Ohio City with housing at different price points, you need a robust, high frequency network, Walker said. Providing maximum geographic coverage, however, would matter enormously to low-income residents who need transit to reach far-flung jobs, or to elderly residents who are unable to drive. What we want, Walker said, is for people to understand the tradeoff. CLEVELAND -- As pediatricians, we have a responsibility to alert parents, our community, and policymakers about threats to the health of our children, so we can take steps to protect our states most vulnerable citizens. State lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would endanger the health of all Ohioans, especially the health and well-being of our children. Babies and children cannot advocate for themselves, so it is important that we speak for them. House Bill 6 is misleadingly called a clean air resource bill. However, it would effectively repeal Ohios Renewable Portfolio Standard and Energy Efficiency Resource Standard, which provide Ohioans essential protections from toxic air pollution. These two standards limit our states reliance on coal and natural gas, thus reducing the amount of dangerous pollutants released by burning these fuels in power plants. Dr. Aparna Bole is division chief of general academic pediatrics & adolescent medicine with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. These power plants especially coal-fired plants emit pollutants that are harmful to human health. One such pollutant is known as particulate matter. Particulate matter is directly related to increased frequency and severity of asthma attacks and other respiratory diseases, and it also contributes to heart attacks, cardiovascular disease and premature deaths. Infants and children are particularly at risk for many reasons. The lungs continue to develop after birth through much of childhood, and exposure to air pollution can permanently impair lung growth. Children have higher exposures than adults at the same level of air pollution, because they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. Children also spend more time outdoors, resulting in even higher exposure. Exercise and play are essential parts of childrens growth and development. When air pollution levels are high, we are forced to tell our young patients with asthma that they shouldnt play or exercise outdoors. One of our patients was so excited about a big game that they decided to play anyway, with the tragic result of experiencing a severe asthma flare and a stay in the pediatric intensive care unit. Dr. Kristie Ross is an associate professor of pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy/immunology and Sleep Medicine at UH Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. A growing body of scientific research has also shown that childhood exposure to pollution from coal-fired power plants has neurologic consequences similar to lead exposure, including impaired cognitive functioning as well as reduced test scores and grade-point averages among school children. Air pollution also negatively impacts fetal health and contributes to preterm birth and low birth weight. All of these impacts have real consequences for Ohios children - from school readiness to their long-term health and well-being. Ohio has much to do to reduce harmful pollutants that threaten our childrens health. A report released last year by The Asthma and Allergy Foundation identified six Ohio cities (including Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown) in its top 20 asthma capitals in the United States. The reductions in particulate matter that would come with maintaining strong energy efficiency and renewable energy standards through 2029 would prevent an estimated 44,390 asthma attacks, 2,420 asthma emergency department visits, 2,060 hospital admissions, 4,470 heart attacks, and 2,820 premature deaths, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Preserving energy efficiency and renewable energy standards is an essential component of ensuring healthier air for all Ohioans. All children deserve to breathe clean air and have the opportunity for a healthy, productive future. Effectively repealing Ohios Renewable Portfolio Standard and Energy Efficiency Resource Standard would expose more children to harmful particulate matter as well as toxic mercury, lead, and other dangerous pollutants. We urge Ohio lawmakers to prioritize the health of our children and oppose those provisions of House Bill 6 that would weaken these important standards. A vote to protect Ohios clean energy standards is also a vote to protect Ohios most valuable resource our children. Dr. Aparna Bole is division chief of general academic pediatrics & adolescent medicine with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Kristie Ross is an associate professor of pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy/immunology and Sleep Medicine at UH Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. ................................. 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. Guest columnist Maryum Patterson is a trauma/outreach worker with Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and a longtime resident of Clevelands Glenville Neighborhood. The mother of two and grandmother of seven enjoys riding her Harley Davidsons in her spare time. The scene was chaotic. Seventy-five to 100 people had gathered in the emergency department at University Hospitals main campus following a shooting at a bar on St. Clair Avenue. Eight people had been shot. Family members and friends at the hospital were upset, anxious and looking for answers. Some were ready to retaliate. My job was to make sure that did not happen. I am a Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance violence interrupter at UH. In this role, my job is to head off one of the lesser known sources of violence in our city -- retribution. Too often, a single shooting spawns a second violent attack. Peacemakers Alliance has had violence interrupters based at MetroHealth Medical Center for two years and at UH for the past year. Last year alone, our hospital-based violence interrupters interacted with 136 patients and de-escalated countless other situations in waiting rooms. The concept of hospital-based violence interruption is sound and fiscally responsible. A study done by the University of California San Francisco showed the cost of surgery for a gunshot wound victim is approximately $108,000, while an average hospital-based violence interruption program costs $109,000. This means the program is effectively cost neutral if it prevents just one injury -- and becomes a cost savings for every injury prevented thereafter. Peacemakers Alliance is a member of a national group focused on this work: the National Network of Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs. NNHVIP has more than 30 member programs representing more than 10 U.S. states, as well as Canada, England and El Salvador. This type of work is now being done globally, and our community should consider expanding the use of interrupters as a means of preventing retaliation and saving lives. In the wake of the bar shooting, I was a familiar face to many -- I live just four minutes from the hospital and knew some of the people who had gathered. One of my first messages was, We dont need any more bloodshed. I tried to calm family members and listen to all their concerns. We arranged to have food and drinks brought to the hospital. I tried to make folks comfortable. I also told them the cons of vengeance will always outweigh the pros. I was using what we call the golden moment -- the time right after a violent act, when a victim and his family are most receptive as to what to do next -- to prevent additional violence. In this instance, we did not have any retaliation, no hitting back. We interrupted the cycle of violence. I have been inspired by Carlos Williams, my violence interrupter colleague at MetroHealth, whose efforts have saved numerous lives. Last year, for example, Carlos successfully calmed a potentially explosive situation in which six members of one family were poised to retaliate. They didnt. Carlos says, No parent should have to see their child in a casket. Unfortunately, he knows that feeling: His son, Michael, was shot and killed in 2015. The bar shooting became personal to me when I quickly realized that one of the victims was a high school friends son. Two days later, he died from his wounds. I tried to comfort my grieving friend, just as Ive attempted to do for all the family members Ive encountered on the job. Ive been to every funeral so far. I hope to go to fewer. Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using Notification Settings (in blue) just below. Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting todays topics are also welcome. BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Theft, Marketplace Drive: A Kohls employee was charged with theft April 22 after the stores loss prevention department contacted police. Fraud, Bainbridge Road: Police are investigating an April 24 report of a man receiving bad checks. Welfare check, Chillicothe Road: Police received multiple calls at 3:44 p.m. April 23 about a man wearing a hospital wristband and flip-flops running in and out of traffic. He was gone when police arrived. Drunken driving, Bainbridge Road: After driving off the road and into a utility pole at 7 p.m. April 25, a man was cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He suffered a bloody nose in the crash. Suspicious, Market Place: An officer on patrol at 1:28 a.m. April 25 saw an SUV drive behind a closed business. When questioned, the driver said he was a scrapper and had permission to go through the Dumpsters. He was told to obtain permission in writing and was sent on his way. Animal at large, Chillicothe Road: A woman called police at 11 a.m. April 27 after seeing a teenage girl run through her back yard and into the woods while screaming and carrying a wig. Police also received a call from a woman who was searching for a runaway dog in that same area. The dog was found a while later. Read more news from the Chagrin Solon Sun here. Meeting of the Minds Offers Panoramic View of Undergraduate Research May 03, 2019 To get a sense of the research landscape at Carnegie Mellon University, the annual Meeting of the Minds undergraduate research symposium provides a bird's-eye view. More than 700 students will present more than 475 posters, artwork, demonstrations and live performances from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 8 in the Cohon University Center. The day ends with an awards ceremony from 5 to 6 p.m. in McConomy Auditorium. Awards will be presented in more than a dozen categories. Some of the projects this year include robots that hug, inflatable sculptures, a look at Argentinian folk music, block chain applications and research related to artificial lungs. "This is one particular moment when you are getting and capturing the range of things happening at Carnegie Mellon University that is basically impossible to capture at any other time," said Stephanie Wallach, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education. "It's such a singular event because it gets you a panoramic view of our campus and the academic contributions and groundbreaking research that's taking place in every discipline." Senior Leslie Chen's Meeting of the Minds presentation relates to work in Keith Cook's lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Cook's research areas include artificial lung fabrication and treatments for those with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD or cystic fibrosis. "The current project that I am a part of, under the advising of Ph.D. candidate Erica Comber, is the development of a biofabricated lung, which eliminates artificial material from the gas exchange interface and is able to closely mimic native lung physiology," said Chen, who graduating with majors in biological sciences and psychology and an additional minor in biomedical engineering. To assist her with her research, the Undergraduate Research Office has provided funding to purchase equipment for her projects. Chen, who started working in Cook's lab her first year, said the work has taught her no only about lung physiology and the benefits of artificial lung devices, but also about working in a lab. "Doing research has been a big part of my experience here at CMU," Chen said. "Through being a part of their research projects, I've also been able to learn about what it means to work as a part of a team and how to present scientific work. I have my mentors, Dr. Diane Nelson and Erica Comber, to thank for taking the time to teach me all of this and take me under their wing." Rebecca Enright, a junior in creative writing with minors in animation and film, is part of a team that created a 10-foot-wide "Raindrop" sculpture, which visitors will be able to walk into. The piece, which was created in the Inflatables and Soft Sculpture IDeATe course, was part of IDeATe's "Pushing Air" experience on May 4. The team also includes Stephanie Schmid, a master's degree student in architecture, and Molly Boerner, a senior in mechanical engineering. "Our inflatable is inspired by the water cycle, and we want to give people an immersive water experience," Enright said. Siddarth Annaldasula, a senior computational biology major with a minor in neuroscience, studied vocal learning behavior in the Neurogenomics Laboratory as part of the Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, a joint partnership between CMU and the University of Pittsburgh. He said the work includes drawing parallels between bird's song and human's speech production through computational techniques. "Results from this could be helpful in identifying the overall evolution of complex behavior," Annaldasula said. "Currently, I am investigating the convergent evolution of this vocal learning in mammals, identifying regulatory and non-coding factors that are enriched for this behavior." Theresa Abalos's project is titled "Who are the 'folk' in musica folclorica? Indigeneity and the Performance of Belonging in Argentina." She spent last summer in Argentina conducting research and fieldwork and interviewing musicians. Her experience was supported in part by the Jennings Family Brave Companion Award. The scholarship transformed her abroad experience. "I found myself looking at everything more curiously," she said. [Read more about Abalos.] Jen Weidenhof, program coordinator for the Undergraduate Research Office, said interest in undergraduate research and Meeting of the Minds continues to rise. Many of the students who participate in Meeting of the Minds have received a Small Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) and/or a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) to pursue their interests. Support for grants and fellowships comes from the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations, departments and schools, as well as the Provost's Office. "We've had more inquiries in the Undergraduate Research Office this year for opportunities, and we could feel the drumroll building," Weidenhof said. "Applications for Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships are up as well for this summer." Wallach said while Carnegie Mellon has historically provided opportunities for undergraduate research, other institutions also are seeing value in involving students earlier in research related to their studies. "Not only does it speak to the campus but it speaks to the importance of undergraduate research as a pillar of undergraduate education," Wallach said. "We have students coming primed with a plan to participate in research." Visit the Meeting of the Minds website for a full schedule and a downloadable app for the event. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a rally at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center on April 06, 2019 in Fairfield, Iowa. Scott Olson | Getty Images Democratic presidential candidates swarm. A nine-term U.S. House incumbent faces a primary challenge. Farmers watch to see whether President Donald Trump can end his trade conflicts and ease their financial pain. That's only the start of the intrigue in Iowa ahead of the 2020 elections. Even for a presidential campaign staging ground and White House swing state, the Hawkeye State will play a massive role next year. "Iowa is always important, but it really will be the center of the political universe for much of 2020," said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who worked on first-term Sen. Joni Ernst's 2014 campaign victory. All four of the state's House districts have a chance to change hands as Democrats try to hold a majority they won last year in part through a strong showing in Iowa. Meanwhile, Republicans may need Ernst to hold her seat to keep their Senate majority. Trump looms above it all. The president won Iowa by about 10 percentage points in 2016 after President Barack Obama carried the state twice. But frustrations have started to boil in a state heavily reliant on exports to Canada and Mexico. The president's tariff policy and struggle to ratify updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement have created uncertainty for farms and other businesses. Of course, most of the focus on Iowa relates to its February caucuses, the first nominating contest in the Democratic presidential primary. The more than 20 candidates in the primary field have descended on the state in recent months, standing on counters, eating ice cream and serving beer as they court the state's voters. A strong showing there can help Democrats establish an early foothold in the race to challenge Trump for the White House. There's more than a presidential race in Iowa But much more will happen in Iowa to shape the battle for control of the White House and Congress in 2020. Along with states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, Iowa voted for Trump after backing Obama twice. All of those states swung toward Democrats in last year's midterms: in Iowa, Reps. Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne flipped GOP-held seats, while Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds won reelection by only about 2.5 percentage points. Iowa will play a major role in House elections again next year. Republicans have their eyes on taking back both Finkenauer's 1st District and Axne's 3rd District. The GOP will also target the state's 2nd District, which despite its blue tilt has entered the 2020 battlefield due to Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack's retirement. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Steve King in Iowa's 4th District will have to fight off primary and general election challenges next year after surviving a close call in 2018. King, who has served for more than 15 years, lost party support and was stripped of committee assignments because of racist comments. His leading GOP rival for the seat is state Sen. Randy Feenstra, who easily raised more money than King in the first quarter. King's district is "so heavily Republican that it really hasn't been competitive for quite a while," said Tim Hagle, an associate professor of political science at the University of Iowa. He said it has a better chance of flipping to Democratic control if King wins the nomination over one of his Republican challengers. Combined with Loebsack's retirement and the freshman Democrats' defense of their seats, the state has more congressional ballot intrigue than it has in years. At the statewide level, Ernst has an early advantage in the race to keep her seat. She won by nearly 10 percentage points in 2014. Democrats have struggled to find a top-tier challenger to take her on both former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Axne declined to run for Senate. Still, the factors that could make Trump's reelection close in Iowa will also affect Ernst. Iowa sits at the center of two national issues that will test voters' patience not only for the president but also other incumbents. Farmers damaged by lower prices caused in part by Trump's trade war with China want to see the conflict end and hope Congress will approve the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement. Iowa Soybean Association President Lindsay Greiner Joseph L. Murphy | Iowa Soybean Association Lindsay Greiner, president of the Iowa Soybean Association, said "there's really been a lack of any good news." The organization advocates for soybean farmers in Iowa, the largest U.S. producer of the crop. Prices have plunged since the U.S. started a tit-for-tat tariff battle with China. The Trump administration has pushed Beijing to purchase more soybeans as part of any agreement. "Politicians are dragging their feet on approving USMCA. Progress has been made on a deal with China but it's been slow," Greiner said, referring to the updated NAFTA, which Trump has dubbed the United States Mexico Canada Agreement. He added that politicians appear "more concerned about whether Russia meddled in an election when there's real economic hardship going on in farm country." Greiner grows about 800 acres of corn and 700 acres of soybeans near Keota, Iowa. He said he has looked for ways to cut costs as the revenue for his farm has dropped by about $80,000 in the last year. The prospects look grim for USMCA approval soon. The majority House Democrats are in no hurry to bring the deal to a vote in the chamber. Republicans, led by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley-R-Iowa, and Ernst, have pushed Trump to drop tariffs and steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico before moving forward with the agreement. Iowa relies on America's northern and southern neighbors. It sent $4.2 billion in goods, or about 30 percent of its exports, to Canada in 2018, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. It exported $2.3 billion in goods to Mexico. With about 18 months until the election and a Democratic nominee to be determined, it will take a while before we know whether the trade conflicts hurt Trump's reelection. Greiner has voted for candidates from both major parties and supported both Trump and Loebsack in 2016. He said it is "too soon to tell" whether he will vote for a second term for the president. Trade has implications for Iowa's House races, too. All four of Iowa's congressional districts are among the 36 that have soybean plantings of more than half a million acres. Both Finkenauer and Axne criticized Trump's tariffs on China on the way to winning their seats. While King acknowledged the damage the trade war caused to Iowa farmers, he, along with Trump, has stressed patience. The disaster relief problem Ryan Lincoln maneuvers his boat through flood water at the intersection of Pershing Ave and E 2nd St. Thursday, May 2, 2019. Kevin E. Schmidt | Quad City Times via AP Farmers in western Iowa already ravaged by trade conflict took another devastating blow earlier this year. The worst flooding in years hit the state, along with Nebraska and Missouri. It put a focus not only on climate change but also the integrity of U.S. infrastructure. With the issues facing Iowa, Democrats have looked for ways to gain an edge in 2020. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., proposed appointing "trustbusters" to review and reverse "anti-competitive mergers" in the agriculture industry. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat used to campaigning in farm country, has put an emphasis on overhauling infrastructure and connecting rural Americans to the internet. Multiple Democratic candidates have toured the flooded areas of Iowa. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee who has run primarily on a pledge to combat climate change used the moment to accuse Trump of making natural disasters worse by failing to address a warming planet. In only the last few days, the eastern part of Iowa took a hit. Flood waters swept into Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday temporary structures holding back a swollen Mississippi River gave way. Warren cited Davenport on Thursday in saying "climate change is here, and it's up to us to act." Elizabeth Warren tweet: The flooding in Davenport and across eastern Iowa is heartbreaking. Climate change is here, and it's up to us to act. But Iowa carries its pitfalls for Democrats. The Senate has failed to pass a bill to send natural disaster relief funds to states such as Iowa, Florida, Texas and California. Democrats have pushed for a package to include more aid for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico spending Trump does not support. All six senators running for president as Democrats either voted not to advance, or missed the vote on, a GOP-backed bill that they said lacked enough relief money for the island commonwealth. When the vote took place last month, Grassley warned his colleagues about political backlash in Iowa. "To my colleagues across the aisle who have been spending a lot of time in Iowa lately as presidential candidates, if you vote against moving forward with the [relief money for Midwestern states], how are you going to look Iowans in the eye and justify a vote against moving this disaster relief bill ahead?" he asked at the time. Trade poses another issue for parts of the Democratic field in Iowa. Leading candidates whose trade views overlap with Trump's such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Warren will have to defend their opposition to trade deals such as NAFTA that have shaped the Iowa economy. "We do want to have an end in sight" Soybean harvesting in Iowa Joseph L. Murphy | Iowa Soybean Association So far, at least, release of the Mueller report hasn't changed public opinion about President Donald Trump even a little bit. That's the conclusion of the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, taken following public dissemination of a redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's findings on Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential obstruction of justice since then. Fully eight in 10 Americans say they've heard the news, but virtually no minds changed. "The public has reached a hung jury," said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducts the NBC/WSJ poll with Republican counterpart Bill McInturff. "Not innocent, not guilty, no consensus." Six in 10 say Trump has not been truthful about Russian interference, matching the levels of recent months. Just over one in three, a group consisting largely of his Republican supporters, believes him. Twenty-nine percent say Mueller has cleared the president of wrongdoing, the same proportion who had predicted that before the report's release. A 42% plurality says Mueller did not clear Trump, while 29% remain unsure. Nor have numbers moved on the matter of potential impeachment by Congress. Just 17% say enough evidence exists for the House to begin impeachment hearings, virtually identical to responses to the same question in March. Another 32% want Congress to continue investigating and decide on impeachment later. Taking those two together, that means 49% want Congress not to drop the issue. A matching 48% has heard enough to say flatly that the House should not pursue impeachment. Joanne Schaus gives her dog Skid CBD in hopes it will help his anxiety. Source: Joanne Schaus Some of the CBD industry's biggest consumers aren't even human. Dogs and cats are increasingly taking the non-intoxicating cannabis compound as their owners seek to provide relief to their four-legged friends for everything from anxiety to pain and seizures. While there's scant data proving CBD works for any of these ailments, some people are swearing by it and more vets are prescribing it. "I don't think people should think of this as a panacea and start giving CBD to their pets for every ailment," said Dr. Francisco DiPolo, a veterinarian at Worth Street Veterinary Center in New York City, who prescribes it for some of his patients. "I think it's powerful and we need to learn more about it." 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. Lucrative market CBD is one of the hottest consumer products in the market today. It's being added to everything from tea to body lotion and meatballs. Pet products are another possibly lucrative market since people love splurging on their pets. Last year, Americans spent $33 billion on pet food and treats, according to Nielsen. Sales of CBD pet products quadrupled last year to $32 million from $8 million in 2017, according to the Brightfield Group. The cannabis-focused research firm estimates the market could balloon to $1.16 billion in the U.S. alone by 2022. Joanne Schaus found CBD oil online. She said her 11-year-old Australian Shepherd, Skid, "gets wired" when it storms, a frequent occurrence in her home of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The lightning, thunder and sometimes even just rain cause him to pace and pant. She's tried just about everything, including buying Skid a thundershirt. Nothing worked. She read CBD might help, so she gave it a try. After a few weeks, he stopped panicking. "He just didn't even notice the storm," Schaus said. "I can't say it's completely fixed him because if we get a huge thunderclap he does get a little nervous." Despite the hype, there's hardly any data proving CBD helps pets. Small studies have shown CBD reduced the number of seizures in dogs with epilepsy and made dogs with osteoarthritis more comfortable. "There's a lot of anecdotal stories about it but no science," said Dr. Stephanie McGrath, who is studying CBD to treat dogs with epilepsy at Colorado State University. The Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved cannabis products for human or animal consumption and cautions against giving it pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association doesn't have a position directly related to marijuana products for pets, spokesman Michael San Filippo said in an email. That hasn't stopped CBD from becoming a huge trend and a big business. Charlie, a 5-year-old Cocker Spaniel became paralyzed last year. His owner, Shelby Doyle, recently started giving him CBD. So far, she doesn't see a difference. Source: Shelby Doyle Sniffing out opportunity Charlotte's Web, a pioneer in the CBD oil industry, introduced its first ingestible oil for dogs in 2016. On Wednesday, it rolled out a full line of new products for canines, including a chicken-flavored CBD oil, semi-moist meat chews and a balm that's safe for dogs to lick, among other products. The company saw the growth estimates for CBD pet products and decided the market will become a "big chunk of business" in the CBD industry, said senior marketing manager Antoine Awwad. It also found many people who first buy CBD for their pets later buy some for themselves, he said. Schaus said she and her Australian Shepherd both use it now. "The pet owner of today tends to look at their pets as children or members of their family and with that, how do they best provide for their health," said Charlotte's Web Director of Product Development Kelsey Morrison, who previously worked at Nestle's Purina pet care brand. Petco said while it carries some hemp seed oil supplements for dogs, it does not carry products with higher concentrations of CBD. The company said it's "closely following the trends and changing regulatory landscape to ensure" it's "positioned to lead the industry and evolve" its "product assortment to meet the demands of modern pet parents in a safe and effective way." PetSmart declined to comment. Quality varies Photo by Hero Images via Getty Images When it comes to shoring up your retirement savings, "work longer" isn't always the right answer. There's no denying that staying at work has its perks. For instance, employees who are 50 and older can defer the maximum $19,000 into a 401(k), plus the catch-up contribution of $6,000 this year. In addition, pre-retirees can boost their retirement income by opting to remain in the workforce a little longer. For each year you delay Social Security, up until age 70, you get an 8% increase in your benefit check. But not everyone can continue to punch in and those who curtail their careers due to health conditions take a hit to their retirement security. People may not be aware that Social Security offers disability insurance, but going through it to get those payments is a long process. Niv Persaud certified financial planner at Transition Planning & Guidance Indeed, 3 out of 4 Americans aged 65 and over have multiple chronic conditions, which can include diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These ailments threaten older people's finances when they are forced to cut their hours or stop working altogether. A recent study from Mathematica's Center for Studying Disability Policy found that newly disabled workers in their 50s and early 60s see their earnings decline by an average of 50% two years after they develop their condition. "People don't think about disability being a possibility; they think about short-term medical bills," said Josh Nelson, a certified financial planner and founder of Keystone Financial Services in Loveland, Colorado. A crimp on earnings The Mathematica study examined 3,105 individuals who were born between 1931 and 1947, following them over the course of about 20 years. About 14% of the participants experienced a work-limiting health condition by age 59. Another 12% of the people surveyed reported such a condition by age 63, and another 10% said they experienced this by age 67. The study found that individuals who experienced these health problems were more likely to exit the workplace early. For instance, at age 59, participants with conditions that affected their work were about 2.5 times more likely to stop working, compared to healthier peers. Though federal disability and retirement benefits help affected workers to make up for some of their lost earnings, it doesn't fully replace what those workers were making, the study found. Disability coverage Izabela Habur | Getty Images Social Security's disability insurance provides infirm workers with a financial backstop in the event they're no longer able to earn a living. In order to qualify, you must have been working for at least 10 years. However, younger workers may qualify for benefits with less time. Here's the catch with Social Security disability coverage: Qualifying for it is very difficult. More from Personal Finance: Consumer watchdog sues two credit-repair firms Older workers haven't seen a raise. Here's why Here's how motherhood affects your income There's a five-question process the agency uses to vet applicants, including determining whether the condition is so severe that it keeps an individual from performing any work. Even if you do qualify for Social Security disability, you won't receive benefits until the sixth full month after the date your condition began. "People may not be aware that Social Security offers disability insurance, but going through it to get those payments is a long process," said Niv Persaud, a certified financial planner at Transition Planning & Guidance in Atlanta. Bolstering income courtneyk | iStock | Getty Images Nobody ever anticipates becoming disabled, but there are steps you can take prior to a health emergency to protect your income. That starts with purchasing disability insurance, either individually if you run your own business or at work through your employee benefits package. Standard disability coverage generally replaces up to 60% of your earnings for specified period of time. The benefits generally run for three to six months for short-term disability plans, or they can last for as long as five years or up to age 65 for long-term disability coverage. Insurance companies also offer supplemental disability insurance to help cover additional income needs that might otherwise not be covered by your standard disability policy. An emergency fund can also help fill in the gaps. How your proceeds are taxed will vary based on who's paying the premiums. If your employer pays, any benefits you receive will be taxable. Employees who pay for coverage using after-tax dollars will get their benefits tax-free. However, if they pay the premiums with pretax money, then their benefits are taxable. Dig into the details Photo by tetmc via Getty Images Amazon.com boxes are shown stacked near a Boeing 767 Amazon "Prime Air" cargo plane on display in a Boeing hangar in Seattle. A closer look at Amazon's delivery network illustrates why the company is now ready to make one-day shipping the default for its Prime members. Amazon is already capable of offering same-day and next-day delivery to 72% of the total U.S. population, including almost all of the households (95% or more) in 16 of the wealthiest and most populated states and Washington, D.C., according to a report published in March by RBC Capital Markets. The vast delivery network is the result of significant investments over the past four years, a period during which Amazon built out fulfillment centers across the country, nearly tripling its U.S. logistics infrastructure, RBC said. Amazon has added roughly double the amount of distribution space Home Depot currently owns. That means the company has a huge head start in fulfilling its plan laid out in its latest earnings report to shorten the current two-day free shipping plan by one day for Prime members, who pay $119 a year for fast delivery as well as services like unlimited music, access to the video catalog and exclusive deals. "We see Amazon's 1-day Prime shipping raising consumer expectations and increasing the cost to compete in e-commerce," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note after the announcement. The map below from RBC shows the four-year change in Amazon's distribution footprint. It already covers most of the coastal cities, as well as Texas and major metropolitan areas in the Midwest. "While store-level distribution is still the fastest way for a consumer to acquire a product, Amazon's continued rollout of same-day and next-day delivery capabilities continues to reduce that historical competitive barrier and represents a growing risk to retailers who are too often fighting yesterday's (2-day) delivery wars," RBC Capital wrote in the note. Following the Amazon announcement, RBC said in another report that "the faster you ship, the more people buy." Boeing said Sunday a standard alert that had been disabled on the 737 Max jet due to a glitch was not necessary to safely operate the aircraft. Boeing's statement comes after Southwest Airlines, the company's largest 737 Max customer, said Boeing did not inform it about the disabled alert until after the fatal crash of a Lion Air 737 Max in Indonesia last October. Known as an angle-of-attack disagree light, the indicator flashes if an aircraft's angle-of-attack sensors transmit faulty data about the pitch of the plane's nose. Boeing said the disagree light was included as a standard, stand-alone feature on the 737 Max, but it was linked to another optional feature called an angle-of-attack indicator. The disagree light would only work if airlines opted for the angle-of-attack indicator. In 2017, well before the Lion Air crash, engineers discovered the 737 Max display software didn't meet the requirements for the disagree alert. Boeing then followed its "standard process for determining the appropriate resolution of such issues," the company said in a statement Sunday. "That review, which involved, multiple company subject matter experts, determined that the absence of the AOA Disagree alert did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation," the statement continued. "Accordingly, the review concluded, the existing functionality was acceptable until the alert and the indicator could be de-linked in the next planned display system software update." Though engineers were investigating, Boeing said senior company leadership wasn't involved in the review and "first became aware of this issue in the aftermath of the Lion Air accident." The 737 Max was grounded by the FAA in March in the wake of two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. Just months after the Lion Air crash, a Boeing 737 Max 8 went down just minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Several major airlines have extended Max flight cancellations through the summer. American has canceled Max flights through Aug. 19, totaling 115 flights per day, while Southwest has canceled through Aug. 5 and United through June 5. In Sunday's statement, Boeing said it discussed the status of the AOA disagree alert with the Federal Aviation Administration after the Lion Air crash. The company convened a safety review board in December 2018, which confirmed that the absence of the instrument did not present a safety issue, Boeing said. Boeing plans to issue a software update to implement the AOA disagree alert as a standard, standalone feature when the Max returns to service. Here is Boeing's full statement: On every airplane delivered to our customers, including the MAX, all flight data and information needed to safely operate the aircraft is provided in the flight deck on the primary flight deck displays. This information is provided full-time in the pilots' primary field of view, and it always has been. Air speed, attitude, altitude, vertical speed, heading and engine power settings are the primary parameters the flight crews use to safely operate the airplane in normal flight. Stick shaker and the pitch limit indicator are the primary features used for the operation of the airplane at elevated angles of attack. All recommended pilot actions, checklists, and training are based upon these primary indicators. Neither the angle of attack indicator nor the AOA Disagree alert are necessary for the safe operation of the airplane. They provide supplemental information only, and have never been considered safety features on commercial jet transport airplanes. The Boeing design requirements for the 737 MAX included the AOA Disagree alert as a standard, standalone feature, in keeping with Boeing's fundamental design philosophy of retaining commonality with the 737NG. In 2017, within several months after beginning 737 MAX deliveries, engineers at Boeing identified that the 737 MAX display system software did not correctly meet the AOA Disagree alert requirements. The software delivered to Boeing linked the AOA Disagree alert to the AOA indicator, which is an optional feature on the MAX and the NG. Accordingly, the software activated the AOA Disagree alert only if an airline opted for the AOA indicator. When the discrepancy between the requirements and the software was identified, Boeing followed its standard process for determining the appropriate resolution of such issues. That review, which involved multiple company subject matter experts, determined that the absence of the AOA Disagree alert did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation. Accordingly, the review concluded, the existing functionality was acceptable until the alert and the indicator could be delinked in the next planned display system software update. Senior company leadership was not involved in the review and first became aware of this issue in the aftermath of the Lion Air accident. Approximately a week after the Lion Air accident, on November 6, 2018, Boeing issued an Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB), which was followed a day later by the FAA's issuance of an Airworthiness Directive (AD). In identifying the AOA Disagree alert as one among a number of indications that could result from erroneous AOA, both the OMB and the AD described the AOA Disagree alert feature as available only if the AOA indicator option is installed. Boeing discussed the status of the AOA Disagree alert with the FAA in the wake of the Lion Air accident. At that time, Boeing informed the FAA that Boeing engineers had identified the software issue in 2017 and had determined per Boeing's standard process that the issue did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation. In December 2018, Boeing convened a Safety Review Board (SRB) to consider again whether the absence of the AOA Disagree alert from certain 737 MAX flight displays presented a safety issue. That SRB confirmed Boeing's prior conclusion that it did not. Boeing shared this conclusion and the supporting SRB analysis with the FAA. Boeing is issuing a display system software update, to implement the AOA Disagree alert as a standard, standalone feature before the MAX returns to service. When the MAX returns to service, all MAX production aircraft will have an activated and operable AOA Disagree alert and an optional angle of attack indicator. All customers with previously delivered MAX airplanes will have the ability to activate the AOA Disagree alert. CNBC's Amanda Macia and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report. Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House, after attending morning services, in Washington, Sunday, March 24, 2019. Robert Mueller and the House Judiciary Committee are looking at May 15 as a possible date for the special counsel to testify on the Russia investigation, House Democrat and committee member David Cicilline said in a Fox News interview Sunday. "A tentative date has been set for May 15 and we hope the special counsel will appear," Cicilline said on Fox News Sunday. "Until the date comes we will never have an absolute guarantee." But Cicilline later clarified on Twitter that no date has been set in stone yet. Twitter Cicilline: Just to clarify: we are aiming to bring Mueller in on the 15th, but nothing has been agreed to yet. That's the date the Committee has proposed, and we hope the Special Counsel will agree to it. Sorry for the confusion. Calls for Mueller to testify have intensified after it was revealed that the special counsel wrote Attorney General William Barr a letter taking issue with his summary of the Russia investigation's principal findings. In his letter, Mueller said Barr's summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office's work and conclusions" and had caused "public confusion about critical aspects of the results." Barr criticized Mueller's letter as "a bit snitty" during testimony to the Senate last week, saying it was "probably written by one of his staff people." The attorney general also refused to turn over notes from a phone call he had with Mueller about Barr's summary of the Russia probe. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on June 21, 2017. President Donald Trump on Sunday said special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress about his investigation's findings in the Russia probe. Trump had previously said he would not stand in the way of Mueller testifying and would leave the decision up to Attorney General William Barr, who has said he has no objection to the special counsel going before Congress. On Sunday, House Democrat David Cicillin told Fox News that the Judiciary Committee was aiming for the special counsel to testify on May 15. Trump later responded on Twitter, saying that Mueller's report found no collusion. In fact, the Mueller report said the special counsel did not investigate collusion, which has no legal definition, but instead examined allegations of coordinating and conspiracy with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Though Mueller found extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, he said in his report that there was not sufficient evidence to establish conspiracy or coordination. Trump questioned why the Democrats need the special counsel to testify. "There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Trump said. TWEET 2 Mueller did not reach a conclusion on obstruction, but pointedly declined to exonerate the president. Instead, the special counsel documented several instances of possible obstruction crimes. Attorney General William Barr ultimately concluded that Trump did not commit obstruction in a four-page summary of the report's findings. There have been growing calls for Mueller to testify after it was revealed he wrote Barr a letter complaining about the attorney general's summary of the special counsel's investigation, which was sent to Congress and later released to the public. In his letter, Mueller said Barr's summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office's work and conclusions" and had caused "public confusion about critical aspects of the results." The attorney general has also refused to turn over to Congress notes from a phone call he had with Mueller about Barr's summary of the Russia probe. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9, 2017. President Donald Trump said Sunday that tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods will increase to 25% on Friday, despite repeated claims by the administration in recent weeks that trade talks with Beijing were going well. The tariff rate on those goods was originally set at 10%. Trump had initially threatened to increase the tariffs at the start of the year, but postponed that decision after China and the U.S. agreed to sit down for trade talks. In addition, Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly." The president said that trade talks with China are continuing, but are moving too slowly as Beijing tries to re-negotiate. Trump tweet 2: of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! The U.S. imports goods from China totaling $539.5 billion and the trade deficit stood at $419.2 billion in 2018, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. If Trump follows through with his threats, virtually all goods imported from China to the U.S. would face some sort of tariff. On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC that Trump remained hopeful that he could strike a deal with China. The White House said Wednesday the latest round of talks had moved Beijing and Washington closer to an agreement. Press secretary Sarah Sanders said, "Discussions remain focused toward making substantial progress on important structural issues and re-balancing the U.S.-China trade relationship." There had been multiple reports that China and U.S. were close to a trade deal, and an agreement could come as soon as Friday. Major sticking points between the U.S. and China have been intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers. There has also been disagreement as to whether tariffs should be removed or remain in place as an enforcement mechanism. The is up more than 17% this year, partly on optimism that a trade agreement with China is coming soon. Apple CEO Tim Cook, for example, said on the company's earnings call last week that improved dialogue on trade and Beijing's economic stimulus had improved consumer confidence in the country. "We certainly feel a lot better than we did 90 days ago," Cook said. In January, Apple cut its earnings guidance due in large part to softening demand for iPhones in China. "If you look at our results, our shortfall is over 100 percent from iPhone and it's primarily in greater China," Cook told CNBC at the time. "It's clear that the economy began to slow there for the second half and what I believe to be the case is the trade tensions between the United States and China put additional pressure on their economy." However, Apple's stock has rebounded amid White House optimism about a China trade deal. The company's shares are up 34% year to date. Wall Street analysts are finding underappreciated and undervalued stocks in a myriad of ways. Amidst a busy earnings season, analysts see quality in companies like Corning, Target, Costco, AtriCure, and Coupa Software. CNBC combed through sell-side stock research to find companies that analysts are singling out in their respective coverage universes. Glass-maker Corning cut its forward guidance this week when it reported its quarterly results. Shares plummeted but that didn't stop analysts at Bank of America from upgrading the stock to buy. The firm said the 168 year old company has an "underappreciated" content story. "We view the pullback in shares as an especially attractive buying opportunity," they said. Another stock analysts see as underappreciated is Coupa Software, which got an overweight rating in new coverage from analysts at KeyBanc. "New products in 2019 that monetize an underappreciated data asset and new B2B payment offerings could become game changers for COUP and help accelerate the path to $1B in revenue." Coupa, a $6 billion cloud based business spend management platform company, is up 65% year to date. Retail giant Target has been on the receiving end of several up and down analyst calls of late. But analysts at Baird recently went further slapping a "fresh pick" label on the stock to go along with their outperform rating. "Target's growing suite of convenient fulfillment capabilities and improved traction with consumers seem underappreciated by the market," analyst Peter Benedict said. Here is what else analysts are saying about underappreciated stocks: Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. In late May, voters in the 28-nation European Union will elect a new parliament for a continent with more than 500 million people. The last election in 2014 was a bit ho-hum and saw a low turnout. But that was before more than 1.3 million Arab and African migrants crossed the Mediterranean into Europe from 2015 to 2016, igniting political panic. As Christian Science Monitor writes, now EU chieftains are worried that rising anti-immigrant sentiment tinged by fear and hate will give an election boost to right-wing populist parties and give them a strong voice in the 751-seat parliament. The coming elections are not the only concern of EU leaders as they search for ways to quell feelings against migrants. On May 1, neo-Nazi groups marched in Germany and Sweden. And last Sunday, an anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim party entered Spains parliament for the first time since the fall of the Franco regime in 1975. The Vox party won 10% of the ballots. Its rise comes after similar parties in France, Denmark, and Germany also saw electoral surges. In nine countries, far-right parties now either rule or share power in a coalition. While these groups reflect other issues such as anti-EU nationalism, they generally play on the fear of immigrants. So far, the EU has yet to come up with an effective response to deal with either the refugee crisis or its aftereffect, the populist hate against migrants. The solution, however, may not be continental in scope. Rather it could be local, starting with proven programs that replace hate with inclusion, tolerance, and respect. In March, top European officials met to explore ways to deal with the rise of neo-Nazi movements, the most virulent expression of anti-immigrant feelings. They focused on a successful program in the Swedish city of Kungalv, which has discovered a clever way to curb the recruitment of neo-Nazis. It is now being promoted as the Kungalv model. After neo-Nazis in the city killed a 14-year-old in 1995, Kungalv began to study the rise of such groups and discovered many young people join racist gangs even before they are teenagers. Rather than deal with boys in the groups, the city started a project to teach tolerance to young girls who hung out with them. The training included visits to Holocaust sites in Poland. We reasoned that if the girls stopped supporting them, they wouldnt have people around them, one Kungalv official told The Guardian. The project, according to a study by Birmingham University, has led to an increased sense of security, less vulnerability, and most important of all, less hatred. Sweden has expanded the program across the country. While still small in scale compared with the bigger problem in Europe, the project at least points to the need to change one heart at a time. The EU election will be a bellwether on the popularity of anti-immigrant parties. But the answer to them lies elsewhere. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form May asks Corbyn to put our differences aside, as fears of a Customs Union grow The talks with Labour so far have been serious. We dont agree with the Opposition on lots of policy issues, but on Brexit there are areas we do agree on leaving with a good deal that protects jobs and our security and ends free movement. But there are also differences on precisely what the UKs future relationship with the EU should look like, so reaching an agreement will require compromise from both sides. We will keep negotiating, with more formal talks due to take place on Tuesday, and keep trying to find a way throughto the Leader of the Opposition, I say this: lets listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Lets do a deal. Theresa May, Mail on Sunday Opinion Editorials Dont sell us out again The Sun on Sunday Says The Conservatives need a new Brexit policy, a war on crime and a new leader Sunday Telegraph Editorial The local elections were a message that people want to Remain The Observer Leader >Today: Brandon Lewis on Comment: The message from the local elections to all of us is clear. Get a move on and deliver Brexit. >Yesterday: ToryDiary: The local election aftermath. May and Corbyn are like two spooked children, drawing nearer for comfort as the thunder rages. Farage warns the Prime Minister not to form a coalition against the people Theresa May will be entering a coalition with Jeremy Corbyn against the people if she agrees a customs deal with the Labour leader, Nigel Farage has warned. The Leave campaigner said his burgeoning Brexit Party would field a full slate of candidates against Tory and Labour MPs in a general election and break the two party system if Mrs May and Mr Corbyn made a pact to keep the UK tied to EU rules. The warning came as calls for Mrs Mays resignation mounted last night following a dismal showing for the Tories in the local elections and as she prepared to reach a deal with Labour on a Brexit plan, having failed to win support for her own deal. Sunday Telegraph >Today: ToryDiary: Out, out, out. For the third time running, our survey finds a record proportion of party members wanting May gone now. >Yesterday: Dinah Glover on Comment: The Prime Minister lacks empathy, negotiates badly and doesnt lead. The Conservative Party needs to get her out now. Leadership bid 1) Raab sets out his stall with a theme of opportunity and optimism Leadership bid 2) Javid urges his party to help people get on in life, not simply govern by spreadsheet We need a fairer deal for working Britain, I think the Conservatives and our record on free enterprise and jobs is great, but we have got to be talking about and to the worker who hasnt had a pay rise in several years, the consumer who feels ripped off by sharp corporate practice, the young kid from the rough background who wants their shot, who wants to make the best of their potential, and I think if we can have a really positive, compelling message in all of those areas, we will unite the aspirational working and middle class in this country, which is how Tories win elections Raab, though, has clearly thought about what he wants the government to do with the 27bn Brexit war chest built up by the Treasury. Id like to see us focused on tax cuts for low- and middle-income families, he says. I think the basic rate, taking a penny off that, would be talking to the people who need to know we are on their side. In general, he wants optimism: The Conservatives need to be at the vanguard of making sure that we deliver a fairer deal for working Britain, but also injecting optimism about the country and its future back into the political frame. Thats definitely been lost in the past two or three years. Sunday Times The Conservatives are leaving communities feeling forgotten as ministers are seen to view the country through a lens of spreadsheets and efficiency savings, the Home Secretary warned yesterday. Sajid Javid said that for many in Westminster the areas of health, education and work and pensions were seen simply as Whitehall departments to be managed, rather than public services that could help people get on in lifeAddressing the Welsh Conservative Party conference, Mr Javid set out how he relied on the British education, health and transport systems as he climbed a social ladder, including a stint in the City, to eventually join the Cabinet, having been born to parents raised by dollar-a-day farmers in rural Pakistan. Sunday Telegraph The secret of getting truth out of a politician Eddie Mair, Sunday Times Leadership bid 3) Gove praises his adoptive parents for teaching him to appreciate forgiveness and business New Ministers 1) Mordaunt: We must make clear to the Kremlin that we will always defend freedom Mr Gove said he wasnt born a Tory, describing how he spent the first four months of his life in care before being adopted by his mother Christine and father Ernest. He said they were the reason why I am in politics after they sacrificed their own comforts to provide him with an amazing education in Aberdeen and make him the first person in his family to go to university. Their virtues that made him a Tory include a belief in business and a readiness to forgive, he said. His speech came after he told the Telegraph that he had learnt from the mistakes of his 2016 leadership campaign. Sunday Telegraph Thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell and five years since the illegal annexation of Crimea Russia remains a threat. Its illegal activity continues unabated in the Donbas. Last year we witnessed Russian use a chemical weapon on the streets of Britain in what was an utterly reckless act that ignored the rule of law and had a complete disregard for life. So, Britain and its allies must keep showing their resolution. A presence that is sending a strong message to the Kremlin that we will not back down in our defence of freedom. We will be a nation that is engaged not isolated, bold not timid. This is the very stuff of what it means to be us. Our armed forces dont just do something. They are something. They are the embodiment of hope and of our values. Penny Mordaunt, Sunday Telegraph New Ministers 2) Stewart wants the aid budget to be used to fight climate change His promotion means he escapes the prisons crisis, and a pledge to resign Sunday Times A talented man Sunday Times Leader Williamson accused of attacking May over diabetes, as briefing wars intensify Setting out his priorities in his new role, he wants to see more of the 14bn foreign aid budget spent on the environment. We need a completely different approach to try and deal with emissions, he says. We need to think about what we can personally change in Britain, but we must recognise the air we breathe could be polluted by China or the United States even if we were to shut down everything in this country. He adds: If you want a way of explaining why we spend 0.7% of our budget on national aid, we are facing a climate cataclysm: 30% to 40% of species on Earth will be gone by 2050, having effects on hundreds of thousands of peoples lives. Sunday Times Sources at the top of the government and the Conservative Party say slurs about the prime ministers health were overheard by a senior party official, who reported the former defence secretarys conversation back to Downing Street. It is also claimed that Williamson was overheard at a dinner denouncing Mays fitness for the job. One of Mays allies said: Its absolutely outrageous that he would attempt to use the prime ministers health condition against her and to suggest it makes her too frail and ill to be the prime minister. Williamson hit back last night, denying he had ever spoken about Mays health, as the Metropolitan police said the NSC leak did not contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act and did not amount to a criminal offence. He denounced the leak inquiry as a shabby and discredited witch hunt and demanded a proper, full and impartial investigation. He told this newspaper he was consulting lawyers. However, aides say Mays trust in Williamson was also undermined by his desire to send the armed forces into action, which No 10 feared could lead to him starting a war. When May refused to let him send Royal Navy warships into Chinese waters in the South China Sea, Williamson scrawled f*** the prime minister on the paperwork a message reported back to No 10. Sunday Times >Yesterday: ToryDiary: Our snap survey. The panel backs Williamson over May up to a point. Davidson kicks off Holyrood campaign at the Scottish Tory conference She presented her offer to voters Sunday Times Hammond wants the highest minimum wage in the world Ruth Davidson fired the starting gun on the next Holyrood election on Saturday as she set out ambitious plans to keep all Scottish youngsters in school or training until 18 to help bring about a blue collar revolution. The Tory leader in Scotland unveiled a tranche of new policies she hopes will provide the platform for her to become First Minister, including a new Economic Growth Fund and a pledge of a Lifelong Skills Guarantee for older Scots who find themselves made redundant. Ms Davidson set out her stall to replace Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister in a keynote address to the Scots Tory conference in Aberdeen yesterday, marking her return to frontline politics after seven months on maternity leave. Scotland on Sunday Several sources familiar with the chancellors thinking told the Observer they believed he was pushing to look at the ambitious end of what would be possible without damaging Britains employment levels, suggesting he is contemplating going further than any developed nation. A proposal under discussion would see the minimum wage pushed up to 66% of median earnings, meeting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments definition of low pay. It would allow the chancellor to say he had set a course to end low pay in Britain. The Observer Huge Labour anti-semitism file handed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission Headteachers vote on strike action Demands for Jeremy Corbyns Labour to face a full-scale anti-Semitism probe intensified last night with the delivery of a damning dossier alleging hundreds of incidents of anti-Jewish prejudice within the party. Equality watchdogs were sent a huge file alleging endemic anti-Semitic behaviour in Labour and the partys apparent dont care attitude to the problem. The digital dossier equivalent to 15,000 pages was delivered by anti-Semitism campaigners to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, which is now considering whether to launch a full-scale inquiry into Labour. Embarrassingly for Mr Corbyn, the files emerged as one of his own Shadow Ministers openly challenged the Labour leader over his handling of anti-Jewish prejudice by revealing her own 30-year-old daughter Ruby had now quit the party in disgust The National Association of Head Teachers will vote today on industrial action that could force kids to stay home. Leader Paul Whiteman said the Government has acknowledged school budgets are at breaking point but not yet tackled the crisis. He added: Industrial action is a last resort but we cant rule it out. Other options school chiefs could vote for at the NAHT conference in Telford, Shrops, include refusing to make staff redundant, and reducing pay and hours to balance the budget. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says spending per pupil fell eight per cent on average from 2009-10 to 2017-18. The Sun North Korea fired several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting South Korea to call on its communist neighbour to stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula. As Reuters reports, the South Korean military initially described it as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a more vague description. The latest firing came after the Norths test of what it called a tactical guided weapons system in April. Analysts suspected the flurry of military activity by Pyongyang was an attempt to exert pressure on the United States to give ground in negotiations to end the Norths nuclear programme after a summit in February ended in failure. South Koreas presidency urged North Korea to refrain from further action in one of the most stiffly-worded statements since the two Koreas embarked on reconciliation efforts early last year. We are very concerned about the Norths latest action, South Koreas presidential spokeswoman said in the statement, adding that it violates an inter-Korean military agreement. We expect North Korea to actively join efforts towards the fast resumption of denuclearization talks, she said, after a meeting attended by the countrys defence minister, presidential security advisors, and intelligence chief. In a Twitter message Saturday morning, President Donald Trump said he was still confident that he could reach a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it, Trump wrote. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen! A U.S. State Department spokesman declined to comment on North Koreas military action, instead referring Reuters to Trumps tweet. Talks stalled after a second summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi in February failed to produce a deal to end Pyongyangs nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum, described Saturdays action as an expression of the Norths frustration. It is a message that it could return to the previous confrontational mode if there is no breakthrough in the stalemate, said Yang. The projectiles, fired from the east coast city of Wonsan around 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) flew about 70 kms to 200 kms (44-124 miles) in a north-easterly direction, South Koreas Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The South Korean military said it was conducting joint analysis with the United States of the latest launches. Experts say the projectiles appeared to come from multiple rocket launchers, and were not ballistic missiles. The Norths last missile launch was in November 2017, when it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States. But, on Tuesday, North Koreas vice foreign minister warned that the United States would face undesired consequences if it fails to present a new position in denuclearization talks by the end of the year. SECURITY GUARANTEE Trump raised the issue of North Korea during a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump told Putin several times the need and importance of Russia stepping up and continuing to put pressure on North Korea to denuclearize. During a summit with Putin in late April, North Koreas Kim said that peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the United States, warning that a state of hostility could easily return, according to North Korean media. The North wanted to deliver a message on security guarantees to Washington through the mouth of Putin, but the summit fell short of driving change in the U.S. attitude, leading the North to take stronger action today, said Hong Min, a senior researcher of Korea Institute for National Unification. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha agreed to cautiously respond to the latest firing and to continue communications during a phone call on Saturday, South Koreas foreign ministry said in a statement. Sanders said, We are aware of North Koreas actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary. Pompeo also held talks with Japans Foreign Minister Taro Kono, and agreed, together with South Korea, to cooperate and share information, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. At this point, we have not confirmed any situation where Japans national security would immediately be affected, Japans Defense Ministry said in a statement. 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. 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The main html page has a size of 616 bytes (0.60 kb uncompressed) and 345 bytes (0.34 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2020-11-06, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Refrigeration and air conditioning engineers from across the UK have attended BITZER UK technical training courses during a busy programme at the companys Milton Keynes headquarters. The day-long courses cover Reciprocating Compressor Technology, Screw Technology, Inverter Capacity Control, plus an overview of the BITZER equipment range. The most popular course over the past year has been on screw compressors, according to Marcus Levy, head of training and the companys Business Development Director. Marcus Levy said: We have been ramping up our training programme over the past couple of years, offering more dates for scheduled courses to make it easy for people to book and attend. The response has been excellent, and engineers have engaged with the technical theory and hands-on practice with equal interest and enthusiasm. He added: The aim is to give installers, service engineers, system designers and hands-on end users a practical insight into the latest compressor technology, including how to get the best out of systems in terms of energy efficiency and performance. No one knows the technology better than the original manufacturer, and those attending receive high quality training and practical insights they can apply directly in their work." The new BITZER UK training programme begins in October 2019 and will run through to March 2020, with a break during the busy summer season. Dates will be announced shortly. The courses are free and include refreshments and lunch, with on-site parking available for all delegates. Three Turkish soldiers died on Saturday in a mortar attack by Kurdish militants launched from Iraqi territory, the Turkish Defense Ministry said, Arab News reported. Three of our brothers in arms died as martyrs after mortar fire from northern Iraq by terrorists, the ministry said, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). A fourth soldier was wounded, it said in a statement. The attack took place in a region where Turkey carried out a cross-border operation dubbed Euphrates Shield in 2016, aiming to drive Daesh militants and the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) from its border with Syria, the ministry said. The army had retaliated with artillery fire but gave no further details on the whereabouts of the attack, it said. With its new Blue Homeland concept, Ankara suggests Turkey and Greece should focus on co-exploitation of natural resources on the Aegean continental shelf, said Angelos Syrigos, an academic at Athens Panteion University, in Greek Daily Kathimerinis English edition on Friday, Ahval News reported. The exploitation of natural gas resources has been a source of tension in the eastern Mediterranean since last year, as all parties have stepped up their gas exploration and drilling efforts. Turkey named it is largest naval drill in history, which started on Feb. 27 and ended on March 8, the Blue Homeland. According to Can Kasapoglu, a defence analyst at the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy (EDAM), the drills indicated a new understanding which will give the Turkish Navy a more active role in energy geopolitics competition. According to Syrigos, the notion of the Blue Homeland refers to a vast area expanding across half of the Eastern Mediterranean, including the continental shelves of Cyprus, Rhodes, Kastellorizo, Karpathos, Kassos and the eastern section of Crete. BRIDGEPORT It could take time and change to restore trust between Bridgeport police and the public they serve. We need visionary leadership, moral consciousness, and deep committed collaborations to heal our police department and our communities from the violence, corruption, racism, and trauma, the grassroots group Bridgeport Generation Now said after the city released a 405-page Office of Internal Affairs report Wednesday. The document found wrongdoing by 17 Bridgeport cops and two civilian detention officers on an October night in 2017, when a noise complaint about a party escalated. More than 40 officers responded, and eight people were arrested. The Internal Affairs investigation initiated by Police Chief Armando Perez following a civilian complaint found violations that included excessive force, lying and inaccurate reporting. Most of the officers involved were new, Mayor Joe Ganim said Friday. But, he said, whether they had one day on the job or years, the officers could face discipline, including suspension or termination in upcoming Police Commission hearings. Two cops named in the internal affairs report, Officer Thomas Lattanzio and Sgt. Mark Belinkie, committed suicide before the findings were made public. Lattanzio killed himself on Dec. 4, 2017; Belinkie last weekend, on March 2. Their deaths are not known to be linked to the investigation. Ganim said he has faith in the commission, whose members he appoints. Others, though, doubt the Bridgeport Police Department and the city administration that oversees it. Demanding to know more Jeannia Fu who is involved with the Justice for Jayson group that formed after the fatal 2017 Bridgeport police shooting of 15-year-old Jayson Negron said the recent report was troubling. But what is more concerning, she said, are the incidents no one hears about. The cases that become public, they are a fraction of what is happening at the hands of the police officers, Fu said. Perez maintained, though, that his department does its job thoroughly and fairly when there is an accusation of police wrongdoing. The police department will not tolerate misconduct from our officers, the chief said in a statement released Thursday. Since this incident and throughout my tenure as chief, we have taken various proactive measures to ensure that officers are appropriately trained on safety, responding to a scene and interacting with the community. Bridgeport Generation Now says more is needed. In a city struggling with many forms of violence, where young and old people both in uniform and out of uniform fear for their safety, it takes nothing short of transformational work to bring about the change we need, the groups statement said. Ganim said the police department has changed a lot since that 2017 party. Since then I know the chief has instituted de-escalation training, Ganim said. Theyve added body cams and dash cams that they didnt have back in 2017. Hes cracked down substantially on supervisors and supervision. The mayor said no incident of misconduct is tolerated by the chief or anyone in this city. I think we all have to remember, he said, we have hundreds of police officers - good men and women - that wake up every day to serve and protect and risk their lives. Distrust renewed Jazmarie Melendez, Jayson Negrons sister, said the recent Internal Affairs investigation is a reminder to her of the distrust she and others have had for Bridgeport police and the citys administration since her brother was killed. Melendez called on Perez to speak out about police conduct. The party incident that led to the investigation happened more than 16 months ago, and the city has had the Internal Affairs report since last November. (Perez) continues to stay quiet, Melendez said. He knew about this information for so long. She said she can see how the public could lose faith in the department. How can people see whats going on if we have no way of knowing whats the truth, Melendez said. The distrust is rooted in years and years of violence, she said. The only way thats going to change is if policies change. Waiting for answers On May 9, 2017, Melendez lost her brother when Officer James Boulay fired into what police and Waterbury States Attorney Maureen Platt said was a stolen a vehicle driven by Negron. The gunfire killed Negron and wounded his passenger. Platts investigation cleared Boulay of wrongdoing. After her brother was shot, Melendez said, the eight months that the states attorneys investigation took left her and many others desperate for answers. She said they turned to Bridgeport police to release video footage of the incident. The department declined to do so until the investigation was complete. Melendez also mentioned the police pursuit that led to the death of 18-year-old Corbin Cooper on June 14, 2018. We know there are so many officers that we can name that we still dont have information on, Melendez said. But we dont even know the names of the officers involved in Corbins death. Perez said the pursuit and actions of officers that June afternoon was justified. Melendez also referred to Officer Christina Arroyo, who was accused and caught on camera beating 18-year-old Aaron Kearney as he was arrested on Nov. 10, 2017. Arroyo said she feared for her life. Kearney did not have any weapons. The list just goes on, Melendez said. One of the main points that weve always been saying is these officers brutalize and then nothing happens to them and more damage happens. Melendez said she appreciates members of the City Council speaking out after the Internal Affairs report came out, but weve been seeing the same statements over and over again. Weve been calling for these changes since May 9 (2017), she said. We want to see policy change. We want to see different training. Fu said after incidents like Negrons and Corbins deaths, the community sees city and police officials talk about what a tragedy it was, but not moving toward change. We wouldnt have tragedy if change was to come, Melendez said. We wouldnt have tragedy if the police faced repercussions for their actions when theyre violent or aggressive. HARTFORD Three bills aimed at encouraging more transparency and accountability after police shootings have failed to get out of committee. But a recent shooting during which officers from both Hamden and Yale University fired on an unarmed couple, wounding a woman, may lead to some version of the bills being resurrected before the end of the legislative session June 5. Based on a 911 call, the officers believed the man, Paul Witherspoon, had tried to rob a newspaper delivery man with a gun on April 16. A detailed search warrant released last week indicated that Witherspoon told police he was unarmed and was getting out of his car with his hands up as Hamden officer Devin Eaton and Yale University officer Terrance Pollock opened fire. Eaton fired 13 bullets, striking Witherspoons passenger, Stephanie Washington. Witherspoon has not been charged. Less than a week later, Wethersfield officer Layau Eulizier shot 18-year-old Anthony Jose Vega Cruz, known as Chulo, as the teen tried to avoid being pulled over for a license plate violation. Vega Cruz died a few days later. Both shootings have drawn loud protests calling for the release of dashboard camera or body camera video recordings a practice that State Police and the states attorneys who investigate police shootings rarely allow until an investigation is complete. In an unprecedented move, state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella released the body camera footage of the New Haven shooting to the public about a week after the incident occurred. Hartford States Attorney Gail Hardy, who is investigating the Wethersfield shooting, said she will release what she can as her investigation moves forward. Theres more and more demand from the public for the early release of the videos, Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane said. Weve given this issue a lot of thought in the past year. Kanes office submitted public testimony on all three bills, expressing reservations at the concepts as suggested. But his office officially took no stance on the bills since the specific language of the proposed legislation had yet to be written. Kane conceded last week that he and other law enforcement officials throughout the state are now considering releasing more information based on the public outcry. Were going to be making decisions about releasing information before the investigation is complete, Kane said. We want to explore this and see what happens and well do some other cases, too. The move may circumvent the calls for legislative changes that would make the investigations more transparent, he also conceded. House Bill 5757 was proposed by Rep. William Petit, R-Plainville, after New Britain officials struggled with angry protests for more than a year while a states attorney investigated the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Bloomfield carjacking suspect Zoe Dowdell, who tried to flee city officers by nearly running them down. Shocking dash camera videos of the shooting were released 13 months after Dowdell died and the States Attorney for the Judicial District of Fairfield concluded that the officers were justified in using deadly force. The bill had a public hearing before the Public Safety and Security Committee in February. But the proposal, which sought to expedite the often lengthy investigations into deadly police shootings, was never reported out of committee. Senate Bill 402, which would have created a state office to investigate complaints against police officers, suffered a similar fate, as did HB 5922, which would have required police departments to submit use-of-force reports for shootings and serious injuries. Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, said Thursday that hes looking to make police videos available sooner than they normally would be available under current law and is still looking at use-of-force reporting. I havent nailed down the language, but Im looking whether the use of force was appropriate for the given situation as well, Winfield said. He said the specific bills might be dead, but theres still plenty of opportunity to raise and vote on these concepts. Rovella said Thursday hes hoping to create a statewide standard for transparency and the release of information, which he added, may require legislation. New Haven States Attorney Patrick Griffin, who worked under Rovella at the Chief States Attorneys Office, agreed to the release of the Witherspoon shooting videos after some appropriate investigative steps were taken, Rovella said. We were in contact quite a bit that week, Rovella said. The protestors didnt influence us. There were some steps that had to be taken, but once we did that, we were prepared to talk about the case. During a press conference Rovella strung together some of the facts of the case including that the officers didnt turn on their body cameras until after the shooting occurred, which he indicated was a violation of policy. Pat allowed me to stitch together the case which works to reduce questions, not increase them, Rovella said. Rovella, a former Hartford police chief, also pointed out that during investigations that involve communities of color the issue of trust is at the forefront. The more information you put out in a timely manner the better, he said. 3 1 of 3 Contributed Photo / Ansonia Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed Photo / Ansonia Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ANSONIA The Regional Water Authority will be in the city doing work in the coming weeks, and police said theyre aware of the project and are expected to get daily updates on where in the city the workers are. The RWA is in the process of sending out letters to customers to schedule an appointment for the installation of new metering equipment. The workers will also try to help neighbors who do not respond to the letter in scheduling an appointment. Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary following an inquiry into a leak from a top-level National Security Council meeting, BBC reports. Downing Street said the PM had "lost confidence in his ability to serve" and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role. The inquiry followed reports over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build the UK's new 5G network. Mr Williamson, who has been defence secretary since 2017, "strenuously" denies leaking the information. In a meeting with Mr Williamson, Theresa May told him she had information that provided "compelling evidence" that he was responsible for the unauthorised disclosure. In a letter confirming his dismissal, she said: "No other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified." A priest turned teacher who impregnated a 16-year-old girl 30 years ago will be allowed to keep his job in New Jersey, a state arbitrator ruled. Joseph DeShan has been a middle school teacher in the Cinnaminson, New Jersey, school district since before his sexual relationship with the teen was revealed in 2002. In 1988, he initiated a sexual relationship with the girl while he was a priest at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The girl, who worked in the church rectory, became pregnant less than two years later. Church records show that Bridgeport's then Bishop Edward Egan, had the girl fired from her job at the rectory and didn't inform police of the situation. DeShan was removed from ministry in 1989, according to diocese records. In 1990, he was hired as an elementary school teacher in Cinnaminson. He is currently an English teacher in the Cinnaminson Middle School. When school officials learned of his past, they removed him from the classroom for three weeks in 2002 while they investigated, NJ.com reported. But he quickly returned to teaching after some parents and students rallied to his defense. Earlier this year, the school district changed its mind and filed tenure charges against DeShan after the parents of current students learned about the former priests past and complained to the school board that a rapist was teaching their children at Cinnaminson Middle School, NJ.com reported. Officials said that parental and societal views have changed in the last few years, according to tenure charges filed against the teacher in January. Last month, an arbitrator for the state Department of Education disagreed. In his decision, arbitrator Walt De Treux said DeShans past sexual misconduct is not enough to remove him from the classroom. The Board of Education did not prove that DeShan engaged in any inappropriate conduct while holding public employment, De Treux wrote in his decision. Cinnaminsons Board of Education can appeal the decision to the New Jersey Department of Education, NJ.com reported. Iran will continue with low-level uranium enrichment in line with its nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani was quoted as saying on Saturday, despite a U.S. move to stop it, Reuters reports. Under the (nuclear accord) Iran can produce heavy water, and this is not in violation of the agreement. Therefore we will carry on with enrichment activity, the semi-official news agency ISNA quoted Larijani as saying. The Fars agency carried a similar report. Our own Bruce Siwy and Eric Kieta talk about their true-crime cases in Return To View: The Roundtable Russia aims to promote cooperation with Iran, including in the nuclear sphere, despite blackmail and threat of US extraterritorial sanctions, Sputnik reported citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. "No threat of new sanctions will stop our legitimate and mutually beneficial cooperation with Iran. We have been living under US anti-Russia sanctions since 2012. It is clear that over this period there has been a serious adaptation to this illegal trick by the United States," Ryabkov said. Iran has an even bigger experience on how to live under the US sanctions, the deputy foreign minister noted. "Therefore, we perceive threats of this kind calmly, we do not succumb to blackmail and we will systematically expand and develop our cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, including in the atomic energy sector in full compliance with international law and the national legislation of our countries, regardless of what US colleagues are undertaking, realising, as they believe, their right to the extraterritorial application of their national legislation," Ryabkov stressed. Sergei Ryabkov's remarks follow US Department of State spokesperson's announcement made on Friday that the United States may impose sanctions against actors providing assistance to expand Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant starting on 4 May. The Trump administration slapped Iran with a series of increasingly harsh financial and energy sanctions in May 2018, after Washington unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. These included tough energy restrictions aimed at bringing Iran's oil exports down "to zero" in a bid to cripple the country's economy. China has rejected US pressure and promised to continue imports, with other countries, including Turkey, India and South Korea urging the US to reconsider its stance and renew the exemptions. Iran reached a deal with Russia on the first stage of the Bushehr project the Bushehr 1 in 1992. In 2014, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the second and third reactors for the Bushehr plant. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered "massive strikes" in the Gaza Strip after a two-day surge in cross-border attacks that killed six Palestinians and one Israeli, Al Jazeera reports. Israeli warplanes and gunboats continued to target the Gaza Strip on Sunday, as dozens of rockets were also fired from Gaza into southern Israel. The Palestinian victims included a pregnant mother and her one-year-old baby. In the Israeli city of Ashkelon, a 58-year-old Israeli man was killed in a rocket strike. "This morning I instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement after consulting with his security cabinet on Sunday. "I also instructed that forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces. "Hamas is responsible not only for its attacks against Israel, but also for the Islamic Jihad's attacks, and it is paying a very heavy price for it," he added. Three best friends have revealed how they transformed a run-down caravan into the 'ultimate weekender'. Erin Cayless, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor of Three Birds Renovations took on a 'dilapidated little caravan' set on the bank of a river - and turned it into something special. 'This River Shack reno was a totally unique challenge for us and, quite literally, it is our tiniest reno to date,' the Australian best friends told FEMAIL. Three best friends have revealed how they transformed a run-down caravan (pictured before) into the 'ultimate weekender' Erin Cayless, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor of Three Birds Renovations took a 'dilapidated little caravan' on the bank of a river - and turned it into something special (pictured after) 'Over the years, a shack had been hammered up out the front of the caravan, and we wanted to combine these two elements into one ultimate weekender - a place where you could retreat from the stresses of grown-up life and really let your hair down.' So how did the talented renovators - who have taken on a series of projects, from chic cottages to Hampton-inspired homes in the past - take on the river shack renovation? First, they abandoned their typical paint colour of choice - white - for something else. 'Thankfully, the design rules of everyday life don't apply to a weekender,' Bonnie said. 'It should feel like an escape and what better way to create that feeling than to be adventurous with colour?'. 'Thankfully, the design rules of everyday life don't apply to a weekender,' Bonnie said - 'It should feel like an escape and what better way to create that feeling than to be adventurous' The trio instead opted for black for the exterior of the property, and then painted the interior walls blush pink (pictured: the bedroom) The trio instead opted for black for the exterior of the property, and then painted the interior walls blush pink. 'We had heaps of fun with our colour choices on this reno, both inside and out, as you can probably tell from the blush pink and black caravan with lightening bolt, and the strelitzia wallpaper,' Lana said. Because the property is so small, the women said they focused on 'budget buys, super-durable materials and multi-function furnishings'. Because the property is so small, the women said they focused on 'budget buys, super-durable materials and multi-function furnishings' (pictured: bunk beds) They also took a look around for countless space-saving and storage solutions - to ensure that they made use of every nook and cranny (pictured: the main room) They also took a look around for countless space-saving and storage solutions - to ensure that they made use of every nook and cranny. 'Try to re-use windows and doors wherever possible,' they advised - if you want to save money. 'We upcycled these old windows from Lana's Forever Home renovation, painted them black and gave them a second lease of life.' When it came to the bathroom, the Three Birds experts opted for a blush pink colour scheme, complete with nude grout and light shades (pictured) Elsewhere in the reno, Lana, Bonnie and Erin used fibre-cement cladding to ensure their river-side property wasn't going to be vulnerable beside the water. 'This Scyon-Axon cladding creates a strong visual impact with its modern clean lines, and once we painted it black (literally, the paint colour is Black by Dulux), our modern bush cabin was complete,' Erin said. 'I love the Axon cladding we used for the outside of the shack so much, I had to use it inside as well,' Bonnie said. She said they put it in every single room except the bathroom to add 'texture' - making the weekender feel far less generic than typical properties. Elsewhere in the reno, Lana, Bonnie and Erin used fibre-cement cladding to ensure their river-side property wasn't going to be vulnerable beside the water (pictured: the interior) What are Three Birds' top small kitchen tips? * Opt for the smallest appliances available, like a skinny 30cm cooktop or single DishDrawer instead of a full dishwasher. * Integrate appliances if your budget allows - doing this will make the kitchen feel larger and look less disjointed. * Steer clear of any overhead cabinets, as these close a space in. * Go for a dining table in place of an island bench. You can prep food there if neccessary. * Consider an indoor/outdoor servery - as this can make a small kitchen feel bigger than it is. Advertisement For the renovating pros, the kitchen was one of the most difficult areas to tackle. Because it occupied such a small space, they needed to make sure they were covering every single tiny inch. 'If you have a small kitchen, opt for the smallest appliances available, like a skinny 30cm cooktop or single dish drawer instead of a dishwasher,' they advised. You could also integrate appliances if your budget allows this, and steer clear of any overhead cabinetry - as this will close the space in more. The Three Birds pros said black can work surprisingly well in kitchens, because it 'oozes style, sophistication and drama'. It's worth also incorporating a 'Euro laundry' in to a small space property, whereby you place your washing machine and tumble dryer into a cupboard to help save space. 'It's really important to decide on the big-ticket items you will spend on - as these will be your investment pieces - versus others you plan to refresh much sooner,' the Three Birds said When it came to the bathroom, the Three Birds experts opted for a blush pink colour scheme, complete with nude grout and light shades. 'If you're unsure about whether or not to go with light or dark tiles in your bathroom, remember that light-coloured or neutral tiles will always make a space look larger and they will also make your bathroom feel more open, spacious and bright,' Bonnie said. They chose square tiles and said these can be a 'game changer' for bathrooms. 'It's really important to decide on the big-ticket items you will spend on - as these will be your investment pieces - versus others you plan to refresh much sooner,' they said. Images and quotes come from Three Birds Renovations by Erin Cayless, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor. Photography by Monique Easton, Murdoch Books RRP $39.99. For more information, please click here. A woman has revealed the haul of products she received on her birthday without spending a single cent. Posting in an Australian budgeting Facebook page, the woman recommended that those who love freebies sign up for birthday clubs and VIP memberships. 'I got everything pictured 100 per cent free on my birthday! And there is soooo [sic] much more you can get, I just signed up to the ones I would use,' she said. Some of the products she was able to score included a large Boost thanks to the Boost Vibe Club and a sub and drink through the Eat Fresh Club. A woman has revealed the haul of products she received on her birthday without spending a cent Other free food she was able to nab was a burrito from the Salsas Mex Club, vouchers, a book and FitBit-like device from her local shopping centre and churros for two from San Churro El Social Club. The birthday treats didn't end there as she also took advantage of the pie and doughnut promotion from Jesters VIP Club. 'A lot of places have rules about signing up a certain amount of time before buying something and showing membership. So read all of the fine print so you don't miss out! Also some have sign up freebies too,' she said. Other group members decided to share the places that they know provide great birthday deals as well. Posting in an Australian budgeting Facebook page she recommended that those who love freebies to sign up for birthday clubs and VIP memberships What are some of the free items group members suggested? *Large boost from Boost Vibe club *Sub & drink from Subway Ear Fresh Club *Burrito from Salsas Mex Club *Vouchers, book and FitBit-like device from local shopping centre *Churros for two from San Churro El Social club *Pie and doughnut from Jesters VIP club *Free scoop of ice cream from Baskin Robbins *A meal from Bondi Pizza *Bondi Burger from Oporto Advertisement One person said that those who are lucky enough to live near a Taco Bell will be able to benefit from a free dinner and piece of cake on their birthday. Baskin Robbins provides members with a free scoop of ice cream on their birthday which one member combines with another offer. 'I get the churros and then head across the road for my free scoop of ice cream from Baskin Robins and get the guy to chuck it straight into my churros,' they said. Still on the food front group members said Bondi Pizza do a free meal, you can get a free Bondi Burger at Oporto and at Hungry Jacks you can score yourself a free Whopper. According to another member you can get a free meal at Pancakes on the Rocks and although that currently doesn't include drinks, this will be changing in July this year. Other group members decided to share the places that they know provide great birthday deals as well 'I got everything pictured 100 per cent free on my birthday! And there is soooo much more you can get, I just signed up to the ones I would use,' she said 'With a Hogs Breath life time membership you get a $19.95 birthday meal to the value of $34.95 every year for life,' someone else said. In terms of material objects Cotton On provide a $10 voucher when it's your birthday, as do Mimco and Witchery, and Sheridan gives members a $25 voucher. Previously a money expert has revealed a variety of other restaurants and cafes that offer free food and drinks on their customers' birthdays. Speaking on the Today Show, Money Magazine editor Effie Zahos said it's quite easy to score a variety of deals however she said to be careful of any catches, particularly when it comes to using vouchers. From a Subway six-inch roll to a gourmet Sumo salad and four Krispy Kreme donuts: Money expert reveals how to score freebies from popular eateries on your birthday Revealed: Speaking on Thursday's Today show, Money Magazine editor Effie Zahos (pictured) said it's quite easy to take advantage of free offers on your birthday It all comes down to signing up as a member to individual outlet's databases, and registering your date of birth. And food items are not the only freebies, with stationery, clothing and beauty products also up for grabs. Budget store Best & Less offer 15 per cent off purchases, while Levi's and Myer offer vouchers of around $10 or $20. Lifestyle brand Country Road also offer vouchers from $10 up to $100, depending on how much shoppers have spent at the store during the year. Whole meal: Effie said you can take advantage of a free six-inch roll and drink from Subway What freebies are on offer? * Six-inch roll and drink from Subway * Salad from Sumo Salad * Four Krispy Kreme donuts * Drink from Boost Juice * 15 per cent off purchases at Best & Less * $10 to $20 vouchers at Levi's and Myer stores * Country Road vouchers from $10 to $100 * $5 off purchases at Priceline pharmacy * Boxed gifts from Sephora and Mecca stores * $10 voucher from Dymocks booksellers * $10 voucher from stationery giant kikki.K * Rewards program for Qantas travellers Source: Money Magazine editor Effie Zahos Advertisement Priceline pharmacy offer $5 off purchases with their Sister Club, while Mecca and Sephora beauty stores gift shoppers with a boxed package in store. Keen travellers can also make use of Qantas' Frequent Flyer program, where Qantas will lower points needed by 15 per cent. Effie said that while it's great to take advantage of freebies, it's important to be aware of any catches. She suggested 'taking care with vouchers' as they can be a 'trigger to spend more'. Effie also recommended reading the privacy terms when signing up to a store or outlet's database, setting up a separate email account for vouchers, and understanding that you will get junk mail. Infidelity often has a lasting and damaging effect on relationships, with many people choosing to leave their partner once the cheating has been revealed. To help cut out the heartache out of this experience an Australian clinical psychologist has revealed the personality traits to pay attention to if you want to spot a cheater. Gemma Cribb told Nine Honey that there are certain qualities to look for that might indicate someone is more likely to cheat. She added that a lot of these qualities are evident in other areas of life and so it is possible to recognise them to so you can try and prevent cheating before it happens. To help cut out the heartache out of cheating, a clinical psychologist has revealed the personality signs to pay attention to to spot a cheater (stock image) Poor problem-solving skills Ms Cribb explained that everyone's problem solving abilities are different to each other's, meaning your partner's ability to think through a problem and solve it could be completely different to the way you do it. Although there are a variety of different ways to make a decision, this doesn't mean they're all positive options. 'Making a decision because it feels good, because it's the easiest choice, because it will please others, even because it's the first solution that comes to mind, are generally poorer ways of problem solving,' she told Nine. 'Look at your partner's problem solving process and see what habits they fall back on to solve issues that arise.' 'Making a decision because it feels good, because its the easiest choice, because it will please others, even because its the first solution that comes to mind, are generally poorer ways of problem solving,' Gemma Cribb (pictured) said Impulse control issues Ms Cribb that those with poor impulse control will often choose to do what feels good in the moment. This means they often don't stop to think about what consequences could arise from their decision with one potential mistake being cheating on their partner. If you're wanting to look out for this kind of impulsive behaviour, Ms Cribb said it could unfold in a variety of different ways in a person's life, such as through uninhibited use of alcohol, gambling, spending, anger management issues, and last minute changes of plans. Ms Cribb that those with poor impulse control will often choose to do what feels good in the moment (stock image) Poor sense of responsibility People who are likely to cheat are also likely to have a poor sense of responsibility and they will often avoid honouring commitments. Unfortunately this means that they won't follow through on promises either and won't think twice about letting down family or friends. 'Look out for a person with an unstable job history, who has fines or breaks the law, or who blames others for things that happen to them,' Ms Cribb said. Small behavioural changes Previously Julia Hartley Moore, 63, a New Zealand private investigator revealed some of the ways you can tell if someone is cheating, starting with small behavioural changes. 'It's really changes in behaviour, not just one change. You might notice various changes, like how they use their cell phones. Now they don't ever let you touch it whereas before they may have left it on the table unguarded,' she told FEMAIL. 'They become secretive, they change enough for you to notice and they might think they need to do more exercise.' Previously Julia Hartley Moore, 63, a New Zealand private investigator revealed some of the ways you can tell if someone is cheating, starting with small behavioural changes Phone and credit bills go missing Another sign Julia said people should look out for is if phone bill and credit card statements don't seem to be making their way home. 'It could be because there are items and calls they don't want you to see. If you realise you haven't seen them it's because they think you're onto them,' she said. 'A classic thing we find is a months after Valentine's Day a woman will ring up saying, "I saw the credit card statements" and they've seen a golden bracelet or a fur coat on them but didn't get them.' Talking about one person a lot 'If they start talking about someone a lot, not necessarily in a flattering way it could be quite derogatory, they could be trying to reflect you away from a person,' Julia said. Advertisement Viewers of Line of Duty have been left reeling after the series five finale revealed that 'H' is not just one crooked policeman but instead a group of four bent people within the force. In an unexpected twist the audience discovers that cop lawyer Gill Biggeloe had been working alongside previously brought-down Dot Cottan and ACC Hilton while a fourth member is still at large. Tonight's episode was estimated to have a huge audience of more than 10million - with the first four shows of this series attracting larger viewers than any other programme on UK television this year. Yet many fans who expected to discover who 'H' was were left disappointed and complained about the programme's finale leaving them with more 'questions than answers'. Reaction: Viewers of Line of Duty have been left reeling after the series five finale revealed the secret behind crooked policeman 'H' All the drama! Tonight's episode was estimated to have a huge audience of more than 10million with the first four shows of this series attracting larger viewers than any other programme on UK television this year One said: 'Line of Duty left me with more questions than answers, thanks guys.' And another viewer said: 'A tad disappointed in Line of Duty there. Milking it a bit. Kept my interest, but in all honest that is because of the previous series, as a stand alone, pretty disappointing series overall.' 'That was a very good, exciting episode but a disappointing ending to the whole saga. It feels like there should be one more episode to the series,' one social media user wrote. Another unimpressed viewer added: 'Well unless there's a spectacular twist I've wasted 6+ hours of my life...#LineOfDuty.' Yet it wasn't all disappointment as some viewers felt the finale set up the TV show perfectly for the next series. Following the end of the series, fans took to Twitter to share their feelings about the finale The broadcaster confirmed the show will return for a sixth series but is yet to announce which cast members will feature in any forthcoming series. One social media user said: 'Mother of God... that was superb! TV at its very best. Roll on series 6!' 'Just when you think everything has been solved, they throw a spanner in the works. There is another corrupt officer', one excited viewer explained. 'Mother of God. There is no H. Roll on season 6 for joining the dots #LineOfDuty', another social media user said. Fans of the show have been following it avidly to discover the identity of the bent copper ever since murdered Dot's deathbed confession - which appeared to suggest their first name began with a 'H'. Fans who expected to discover who that might be were left reeling, as they took to Twitter to express their thoughts on how the show ended However, in tonight's 90 minute series finale, DS Steve Arnott re-watched the moment - and noticed that Dot, who was unable to speak after being shot, was tapping out morse code with his fingers. The dying copper tapped out four figures suggesting there were in fact four crooked cops in the force. And with three uncovered so far, the nation is gripped for series 6, so they can find out who is the fourth. After a harrowing interview period at the start of the programme, it seemed that every possibility pointed towards Superintendent Ted Hastings being so-called 'H'. It was revealed that Gill Biggeloe had been desperately trying to pin John Corbett's murder onto Hastings But DS Steve Arnott managed to spot something in Dot's deathbed confession which made him realise there could be more corruption to come But his quick-thinking colleagues DS Steve Arnott and DI Kate Fleming continued to have faith in the policeman, and were determined to clear his name. Fans began to suspect after last week's episode that Gill Biggeloe had something more to do with it. Some even suggested she was 'H' and that Dot had attempted to blink on hearing the letter 'G'. And tonight's episode revealed she was a villain - and was trying desperately to frame Ted with conspiracy to murder undercover copper John Corbett. Viewers discovered the secrets behind Dot's deathbed confession as Steve realised they'd missed a key clue Fans of the show have been following it avidly to discover the identity of the bent copper ever since murdered Dot's deathbed confession - which appeared to suggest their first name began with a 'H' They uncovered evidence which suggested that Gill Biggeloe had met John Corbett long before Operation Peartree, and had stoked the undercover copper to work for the force. She sought incriminating evidence on Hastings, and then used it to try to convince John Corbett that Ted was H, saying: 'We're setting up an undercover operation to prove he's bent.' But while Gill turned out to be corrupt, it was clear that she wasn't 'H', and she was taken into custody. Tina assured the team she'll look after the bent copper, telling her: 'I'm afraid I'm going to have to cuff you. You might want to do a loo break now.' It was revealed that Gill Biggoloe was corrupt - but that she was just one of four corrupt coppers working in the force Kate and Steve broke the news to Hastings, and left fans reeling because they realised they'd discovered the secret behind 'H' - but still had no idea who the fourth corrupt copper in the force is But when she tried to go to the bathroom, Tina attacked her with a knife, stabbing her in the hand and the two began to tussle. As Gill screamed for help, Kate and Steve rushed into the bathroom with the DS shooting Tina in the chest. Steve believed she was sent in order to stop Gill from talking and revealing the secrets behind the corrupt organisation. With Ted back in his police uniform, he joined Steve and Kate to re-examine Dot's dying interview. Ted was stunned by the revelation and the work of his team in order to free him from the murder investigation Steve re-examined Dot's dying testimony, and discovered the morse code puzzle pointed to a fourth officer still working in the force Steve said: 'The frame it was frozen on made me realise something we've all missed. Look at Dot's left hand.' He went on: 'Dot was trying to tell us something before he lost consciousness. 'He couldn't speak due to the gunshot wound to his chest but he could move his hand.' The officers counted out four dots, before Steve revealed to Ted: 'The letter H in morse code is four dots. H is not an initial. Four dots. Four caddies. Four police staff on leave for organised crime.' Meanwhile, Kate pointed out the three caddies discovered so far: 'Dot. Hilton. Gill. Plus one more.' The character of Dot died in season three after being shot while Derek Hilton was killed in series four, when viewers realised he too was linked to organised crime. Line of Duty's Rochenda Sandall says sex with Stephen Graham would have been boring Line of Duty's Rochenda Sandall and Stephen Graham decided their characters would not be romantically involved in the show - because sex storylines are 'boring'. Sandall joined the cast in the latest series of the Jed Mercurio police show as Lisa McQueen, a member of an organised crime group, alongside Graham as undercover officer John Corbett. Sandall said: 'We talked about (a relationship) and we said no, it cannot be that way. 'He loves his wife and that's evidently clear to the text, so to make it about sex would have been rubbish. 'It was always on the cards that sex wasn't a thing because sex is really boring. Everybody does it, we'll leave it to Game of Thrones - they seem quite good at that.' On playing a strong female lead, she said: 'It's really important for me, the character itself is a very rare gem of a character. 'Women don't often get to play those parts, and if they do there's some kind of sex involved or sexual allure about the character. 'Lisa didn't have that. I think there was one line where Miroslav says "are them two s******* or what?", but me and Stephen decided that that would be nothing to do with it at all. 'And that it was a friendship and an admiration and an adoration of power and leadership. 'The power play between the two of us, of who's actually in charge, was fascinating to play, because it's never obvious. When we killed him off, people were massively surprised by the fact that Lisa had okayed that.' Advertisement Finally, this series unveiled Gill as the third piece of the puzzle - but there still remains one corrupt copper in the Line of Duty force. Tonight's episode was estimated to have a huge audience, with previous shows of this series averaging 10.6million viewers in seven-day four-screen consolidated figures. Last Sunday's show got the highest overnight figure for Line Of Duty ever - peaking at 8.3million and averaging at 7.9million. Line Of Duty showrunner, Jed Mercurio, said of the new figures: 'We're thrilled and flattered by the amazing response to this series of Line Of Duty.' 'On behalf of the whole production, I want to thank our viewers for their fantastic loyalty, and World Productions and the BBC for their unstinting support.' Simon Heath, executive producer for World Productions, says: 'It's testament to Jed's brilliant writing and the best cast on British TV that the audience for Line of Duty has grown bigger with every series.' 'A huge thanks to the BBC who took a chance on a small show in Birmingham back in 2011 and to everyone who's supported us since' Line Of Duty: Fans are left convinced there's a bigger connection between Ted Hastings and John Corbett as series five comes to dramatic end ByJoanna Crawley For Mailonline Line Of Duty left fans with more questions than answers as the series five finale aired on Sunday night. As the identity of H was shrouded in more mystery, when it was revealed there are four corrupt coppers, fans were also left wondering about the connection between AC-12 gaffer Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and the OCG undercover cop John Corbett (Stephen Graham). The final episode of series five saw viewers discover that Ted was close to John's mother while serving in Northern Ireland, with a suggestion that the two had an affair. Father? Line Of Duty left fans with more questions than answers as the series five finale aired on Sunday night with a depper connection between AC-12 gaffer Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and the OCG undercover cop John Corbett (Stephen Graham) hinted at John's mother Anne-Marie worked as an informant, with Hastings being the last person to see her alive before she was murdered. The superintendent discovered this information during his interrogation by Patricia Carmichael, and had no idea John was Anne-Marie's son. The mention of an affair had many viewers suggesting that John, who was murdered by the OCG in the middle of series five, was actually Ted's son. Ted was seen breaking down in tears during the interrogation while the close of the episode saw him approaching John's wife at his graveside, with 50,000 in his hand. Hastings' son? The final episode of series five saw viewers discover that Ted was close to John's mother while serving in Northern Ireland, with a suggestion that the two had an affair Taking to Twitter to speculate, one fan tweeted: 'Could Hastings be John Corbett's dad? #LineOfDuty #LineOfDutyFinale" 'Im calling it.... (could be wrong) John Corbett was ted Hastings son from an affair with his mother although the laptop disposal still doesnt add up #LineofDutyFinale,' agreed another. 'So John Corbett was Ted's son by Anne-Marie? Year matches up, his grief and giving 50k to his grandchildren at the graveyard,' added one more fan. The series finale saw another big mystery left unsolved as the identity of bent copper H wasn't revealed, in full at least. Past: The mention of an affair had many viewers suggesting that John, who was murdered by the OCG in the middle of series five, was actually Ted's son Graveside: The close of the episode saw Ted approaching John's wife at his graveside, with 50,000 in his hand Fans of the show have been following it avidly to discover the identity of H ever since murdered Dot's deathbed confession. In the 90 minute series finale, DS Steve Arnott re-watched the moment - and noticed that Dot, who was unable to speak after being shot, was tapping out morse code with his fingers. The dying copper tapped out four figures suggesting there were in fact four crooked cops in the force. And with three uncovered so far, the nation is gripped for series 6, so they can find out who is the fourth. 'Green' energy tariffs have become increasingly popular in recent years but while some providers, such as Bulb and Ecotricity do provide renewable energy, others are accused of buying the right to slap a label on their deals at a cut price - and then charging customers more. Nothing is quite straightforward when it comes to finding the right supplier and deal for your household energy. Although switching is easier than ever before helped in big part by the advent of companies happy to do all the hard work for you and competition remains fierce (despite the demise of some small suppliers), the cards are still stacked heavily in favour of the energy companies. Profits uber alles. Pay by direct debit for your energy and invariably the best deals demand that you do and it is highly likely you will end up handing over too much to your supplier. One million homes are now supplied with so- called 'green' gas Experts claim energy companies are currently holding on to some 1billion of our money as a result of direct debit payments being set too high. A scandal. Plain and simple. It is our money and cash the suppliers should return without prompting or households having to go a proverbial six rounds with customer services in order to get it put back into their bank account. Even measures seemingly designed to help customers fight rising bills end up enabling already profit-fattened suppliers to milk more out of the consumer. This is the case with the energy price cap introduced early this year to protect some ten million customers from expensive standard variable tariffs the default payment rate households end up on if they are not savvy and do not continually chase down competitively fixed priced deals. According to website comparethemarket, last month's increase in the price cap sanctioned by regulator Ofgem has already allowed energy companies to generate an extra 148million of revenue at the expense of customers. 'The energy price cap has had the curious impact of providing an official licence to energy companies to hike their prices,' comparethemarket explained two days ago. 'It has potentially boosted energy companies' profits by millions.' Bizarre. So much for pro-consumer intervention in the energy supply market by the Government whose idea the price cap was. Mad. Bad. There is more ineffective regulation that allows many energy suppliers to continually get away with unacceptable levels of customer service without fear of reproach or sanction. Third world. Yet there is one area of the energy market where the current levels of confusion, deception and customer exploitation are stratospheric. It is in the supply of 'green' energy. 'Green' energy tariffs have become increasingly popular in recent years as householders seek to do their bit for the planet. In theory, such eco-friendly deals dovetail perfectly with Government ambitions spelt out last week to make Britain the first major world economy to reduce its carbon footprint to zero by 2050. The Government was responding to a report from the influential Committee on Climate Change, an organisation set up to advise it on how to respond to ever rising global temperatures. The committee said the country would have to stop using fossil fuels oil, gas and coal and quadruple the current number of offshore wind turbines. One million homes are now supplied with so- called 'green' gas an astonishing increase of 150 per cent in just one year with most energy companies providing at least one green option. Customers have also seized on green electricity deals. Yet the more you dig under the skin of many of these green tariffs, the less green (climate-friendly) they become. Indeed, the energy you are supplied with under such an eco-friendly deal is often anything but green. It's called smoke and mirrors classic energy company deception. As if that was not enough, many consumers are paying a heavy price for going green through higher energy bills. Surprise, surprise. Yet more unchecked profiteering from suppliers, often owned by overseas conglomerates. Some of the gas sold by small supplier Bulb is biomethane produced from food or farm waste a truly green measure THERE ARE DIFFERENT SHADES OF GREEN Anyone taking out a green energy deal would assume that the gas or electricity piped into their home would be derived from renewable sources essentially energy generated by wind, water or the sun. In some instances this is the case. Suppliers such as Bulb, Ecotricity (which bills itself as 'Britain's greenest energy company') and Green Energy ('100 per cent green gas, 100 per cent renewable electricity') have set themselves up to do exactly this. Small supplier Bulb buys energy from independent renewable generators across the UK. It says 100 per cent of its gas is carbon neutral as a result of supporting carbon-neutral projects around the world. Some 10 per cent of its gas is also biomethane produced from food or farm waste a truly green measure. Green Energy chief executive Doug Stewart says: 'Our energy is green because it is gas derived fully from biomethane that comes from organic waste. So not only is the gas green but it uses waste that would otherwise rot and release methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more toxic than CO2, into the atmosphere.' But it means their tariffs are expensive. The annual average energy bill for a household using a truly green tariff from either Green Energy or Ecotricity is as least 50 per cent higher than the cheapest 'green' deal available in the market. Yet these companies, in terms of green purity, are the exception, not the norm. Most other providers of 'green' tariffs everyone from Centrica-owned British Gas through to German-owned Npower and eco-friendly brands such as Pure Planet derive little or no energy directly from renewable sources. Is your tariff really better for planet? All electricity customers contribute to Government subsidies for renewable energy through their energy bills. So to some degree all tariffs have a green element. But some suppliers go further than others in trying to change the composition of energy production in the UK. Thomas Rogers, of energy firm Switchd, says: Every supplier must state what percentage of their energy comes from renewable sources. If youre really keen on going green, go for a supplier whose fuel mix is 100 per cent renewable, not just one using the word green in its tariff name. Fuel mix disclosures can be found on a suppliers website and will help customers find environmentally friendly energy tariffs. Rogers adds: This ensures the money youre spending on your energy goes to a company that at least believes in renewables, not one thats chucked in a green tariff at a premium. The Energy Savings Trust emphasises that signing up for a green tariff is no substitute for reducing individual energy use. They simply buy the right to label tariffs as 'green' through a complex 'certificated' system. It's head-scratchingly complicated so clear your head and concentrate. In very simple terms, companies that generate renewable energy not supply it are awarded so called 'Regos', certificates from regulator Ofgem. Rego stands for Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin. These certificates can then be purchased by electricity suppliers, allowing them in turn to badge tariffs as 'green'. One certificate represents one megawatt hour of renewable energy generated and costs a supplier anything between 10p and 30p (peanuts). To put this into context, an average home uses about three megawatts hours worth of energy a year. So the purchase of three certificates per household is enough for an electricity company to claim the tariff it is offering customers is green. Just sit back and think about the maths. For the cost of less than 1, a supplier can stick a green label on a tariff and charge annual prices at least 100 more than the most competitive energy deal available in the market. There are similar certificated systems in place for gas. A single certificate costs from 7.50 and offsets one ton of carbon dioxide. For the average household, which emits about four tons of carbon dioxide a year, this would cost a supplier wanting to bolster their 'greenness' about 30. For example, the Energy Plus Protection Green May 2020 tariff from British Gas matches electricity through the purchase of renewable energy certificates. Gas is carbon-offset through the purchase of certificates relating to projects in developing countries. Npower's Go Green Energy Fix April 2021 matches 100 per cent of electricity consumption and 15 per cent of gas consumption through the purchase of renewable energy certificates. Small supplier Yorkshire Energy, which provides a 'Green Bunny' deal, offers 100 per cent renewable electricity also through the purchase of certificates. How to save money and help the planet The way we spend our money can be a powerful driver in helping the environment. From buying products that create less plastic waste, to supporting companies that aim to improve working practices, or choosing those that try to reduce their environmental impact, consumer pressure works. So what are the big and small changes you can make - and can they save you money as well. Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost take a look on the This is Money podcast. Press play above or listen (and please subscribe if you like the podcast) at Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify and Audioboom or visit our This is Money Podcast page. WHY THE EXPERTS ARE DEEPLY UNIMPRESSED Not surprisingly, some energy experts are singularly unimpressed with the abuse of the green label. Dustin Benton, of environmental think-tank Green Alliance, says: 'There is no environmental definition of what green actually means. Energy companies exploit this by using the label as a sales tool without having to do any real environmental good.' Damning. Companies selling green energy make the claim they are supplying 100 per cent green energy when in reality they are still mainly buying and selling carbon-emitting fossil fuel energy Johnny Gowdy, of energy expert Regen, says: 'Some of the marketing that accompanies green energy tariffs is misleading.' He adds: 'Companies selling green energy make the claim they are supplying 100 per cent green energy when in reality they are still mainly buying and selling carbon-emitting fossil fuel energy.' He concludes: 'There ought to be a clear distinction made to consumers between the energy that is directly sourced from renewable generation and energy labelled green through the purchase of renewable energy certificates.' Absolutely. Many companies simply buy the right to label tariffs as 'green' through a 'certificated' system A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS ON TARIFFS The greener the supplier or tariff, the more expensive it will be. But there are signs that things are changing for the better. Until recently the difference between the cheapest tariff and the lowest green tariff from British Gas was 230 a year. That has now been eliminated with all British Gas tariffs for new customers having a green component. Rival suppliers npower and EDF Energy charge an annual green 'premium' of 70 and 35 respectively. E.On charges 2 a month for a 'Clean Energy' upgrade while ScottishPower's 'Go Green' bolt-on is 36 a year. Big Six supplier SSE does not offer a green tariff. Research by energy regulator Ofgem suggests consumers can pay up to 300 a year more for a deal with a supplier that invests in renewable technology innovation, compared to one where the supplier simply buys certificates. Do you think green energy deals are a rip-off? Email laura.shannon@mailonsunday.co.uk Greening the economy is one of those transformations that we have to make. So lets try to do it well. Over the next 30 years, every country will be moving to a lower carbon economy. The driving force, of course, is concern about the impact of carbon emissions on the climate, as last weeks report from the Committee on Climate Change highlighted. But quite apart from political pressure, we will move in that direction because that is the way technology is developing. By 2030 the costs of solar and wind power will have fallen so much as to be practically free, according to a report by the Swiss bank UBS Part of this will be using less energy; part will be getting our energy from sources that do not emit carbon. The first part is obvious. All of us who have switched to LED light bulbs or turned down the central heating have cut our energy consumption. Getting energy from non-carbon sources is trickier, because at a personal level we have very little control as to how power is generated. We can put solar panels on our roofs, but electricity drawn from the grid is drawn from whatever the power stations are feeding into it at that moment. So if this country wants to go truly green, we have to figure out ways of generating more power from renewable sources. That is not easy. A cautionary tale. Those of us with long memories will recall our politicians heralding Britains nuclear power programme as the global leader. When the worlds first commercial nuclear power station, Calder Hall, was switched on by the Queen in 1956, the overseeing Minister, Rab Butler, said: It may be that after 1965 every new power station being built will be an atomic power station. Wrong. Calder Hall closed in 2003. By then the fire at nearby Sellafield, plus the disasters at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl had destroyed public faith. The UK is struggling to build new nuclear stations now, and can only do so with foreign help. As for our own supposedly world-beating programme, we abandoned it after a huge cost to taxpayers. Being measured means taking lots of steps that together make a difference Whenever you hear a politician boasting that the UK will lead the world to a carbon-free future, think of Calder Hall. Two thoughts. We have to be honest, and we have to be measured. Being honest means being open about the reality of going green. Just focusing on what we do in the UK isnt enough. Manufacturing uses a lot of raw materials and a lot of energy. So if we import a car from abroad instead of assembling it here, that cuts our carbon emissions. But it does not cut global emissions, and we achieve nothing overall. Being measured means taking lots of modest steps that cumulatively make a difference. At a personal level, a cooler home seems to have health benefits better sleep, clearer thinking which is much more convincing than some expert urging us to set the thermostat at 19 degrees. Ditto, driving a bit less and walking a bit more. At a national level? Well, a report last autumn by the Swiss bank UBS suggested that by 2030 the costs of solar and wind power will have fallen so much as to be practically free. If that is right, and we have found a cheap way to store electricity, then economic reality will reinforce political will. Meanwhile, a lot can be achieved by applying existing good practice more widely, rather than having expensive ambitions. What about the environmental cost of cutting half an hour off the time it takes to get a train from London to Birmingham, huh? Billionaire investor Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaways famed annual shareholders meeting was taking place yesterday in Omaha, Nebraska, with the usual folk-wisdom. But I am more intrigued by what chairman Warren Buffett does than what he says. So as we report here, the UK grid companies are clearly a smart investment arguably too smart a one for those of us who pay the bills. The whole ethos of Berkshire Hathaway is that you invest for the long term in solid, well-managed businesses. Over the past 40 years this value-investing approach has been very successful. But more recently performance has slipped. This year the S&P 500 index is up 17 per cent, but Berkshire Hathaway stock up only 6 per cent. For the moment fashion beats value. But fashion is fickle, so will it flip this year? I think it may. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. J.B. writes: I bought two car parking spaces at Gatwick Airport in 2016, as an investment offered by Park First Limited, and I am wishing I had not done so. In 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority decided Park First was operating a Collective Investment Scheme which should have been regulated. The regulator instructed Park First to offer investors a different arrangement or their money back. I decided I wanted my money back, but getting it is a nightmare and the watchdog is of little help. Return: Investors in spaces at airports make money through the charges Park First sold car park spaces as an investment, with more than 6,500 investors promised a return on their money based on charges paid by people parking their car. The only snag was that the scheme was illegal. In effect, this was like a unit trust. That meant the company and its bosses should have been vetted and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, but instead they were breaking the law and it took the watchdog three or four years to spot this. The regulator's eventual response was not to shut down Park First, but to open negotiations with the offenders instead. At the end of 2017, the watchdog announced: 'Park First has agreed to stop operating and promoting the original schemes. 'They are now offering investors in the Gatwick and Glasgow car parks the choice of getting their initial investment back, or moving into a new lifetime leaseback scheme.' The watchdog did not regard the leaseback scheme as a regulated investment, which meant it could wash its hands of the whole affair. Mystery calls were to your voicemail Ms G.G. writes: Noticing that my mobile phone bill was higher than normal, I checked and saw that 07782 090091 appeared frequently and at odd times, so I rang it and a message said the number was unrecognised. However, Three Mobile insists that I made the calls and must pay. My first thought was that this was just another mobile phone scam. However, the answer is more technical. Your calls were actually to voicemail, which would normally show up as number 123, but a glitch meant the number on your bill was an internal one that is only used by Three to route voicemails and which cannot be called back. Officials at Three say the glitch lasted several months, which is why the number kept reappearing, but it has now been corrected and you have agreed the calls were yours. You decided to reclaim the 50,000 you had invested in two parking spaces at Gatwick. But Park First was not keen to hand it over. It seems the regulator had allowed the company to delay refunds, while the alternative leaseback scheme meant investors could lose parking space rental income yet have to pay ground rent. Why did the watchdog not simply shut the company down and prosecute its bosses? The regulator told me: 'Had we brought proceedings, there would have been a greater risk of loss to investors as substantial resources would have been expended on litigation.' In other words, the watchdog did not try to close down Park First, because Park First would then have spent investors' money defending itself. Park First offered you various options and I have the impression that you were under growing pressure to accept. After I contacted both the regulator and Park First, you were offered 10,000 now and a further 5,000 after 12 months. You would keep the parking spaces and the company would guarantee you an annual yield of 10 per cent for three years. You have accepted this and received the initial 10,000. I can only say that I hope things work out well in the long term. Park First itself has always argued that the watchdog is wrong and that it was never running an illegal investment scheme. I have been dealing with two of its bosses, Toby Whittaker and Ruth Almond, who were involved in negotiating the deal with the regulator. It would be nice to know exactly what that deal says, but Ms Almond told me: 'I will be very clear the watchdog has required us to keep our agreement with them confidential. We are under a legal obligation to do so.' But I do wonder how closely the regulator has investigated Park First, which is part of a much larger group. If the watchdog's representatives visit the group's headquarters at Padiham in Lancashire, they may come across Carl Baker. Baker's role is vague. Ruth Almond told me: 'He has just provided ad hoc services to the group from time to time.' She explained that he does not have a fixed job title, adding: 'Mr Baker will have used different titles, depending on the work he was doing for us at the time.' But one title he is unlikely to have used is his real name, which is Carl Anthony Ballard. Under this name he was a major player in the land banking scandals of almost a decade ago. The Mail on Sunday warned against his companies in 2011 and in 2014 he was banned from acting as a company director for the next 14 years after investigators found he was selling house-size plots of agricultural land as an investment, with false claims about development prospects. The Financial Conduct Authority took years to decide that land banking came under its umbrella and that it should be regulated. By then it was too late and thousands of investors lost millions. Let's hope history is not repeating itself. Sister firm Store First is wound up...but lives on Court proceedings brought by the Government to wind up Store First Limited a sister company to Park First have ended prematurely in a messy deal which effectively allows the business to continue. Store First operates self-storage warehouses and sells units in them as an investment. Warning: Motoring writer Quentin Willson fronted a video for the firm I warned in 2013 that sales agents were making false claims, including in a promotional video fronted by motoring writer Quentin Willson. Many of Store First's salesmen had previously been involved in mis-selling land, wine and carbon credits as investments. They raked in more than 200million for Store First, much of it from investors' pension savings. But complaints flooded in, with claims that promises of rental income and a guaranteed buy-back scheme were hollow. In 2017, Business Secretary Greg Clark petitioned the High Court to wind up Store First. But last Tuesday, the court hearing in Manchester ended unexpectedly, with an out-of-court agreement. It means the company will be wound up, but its existing storage business will continue, with operations managed by a separate company, Pay Store Limited. Meanwhile, the Serious Fraud Office is investigating pension companies that poured cash into Store First, allegedly with false claims and with a huge slice of investors' cash disappearing as sales commission. Store First itself is not under investigation. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. UK water companies have long been tasked with fixing leaky pipes but more than 650million gallons of water is still lost through leaks every single day enough to supply a quarter of households in England and Wales. The problem is even worse in America, where trillions of gallons are lost through leaks in underground pipes, homes and commercial buildings. Leakages are not just wasteful, they are also incredibly expensive. In the US, for example, water-damage claims amount to $13billion a year (10billion). Water Intelligence was set up to tackle this issue, using state-of-the-art technology to pinpoint and repair leaks with maximum efficiency and minimum fuss. Water Intelligence uses state-of-the-art technology to pinpoint and repair leaks The shares are 3.76 and should increase in value, as the business is growing fast and chairman Patrick de Souza is committed to delivering results for investors. De Souza, 60, has an impressive pedigree. A graduate of Yale Law School, he completed a PhD at Stanford University and worked at the White House as a director on the National Security Council. Today Water Intelligence is based across the road from Yale, in New Haven, Connecticut, and de Souza uses his relationship with the Ivy League college to develop cutting-edge acoustic and infrared techniques for detecting and repairing leaks. The collaboration has enabled Water Intelligence to earn a reputation for speed and success. Most of the companys sales are generated in America, where it works with up to 250,000 households a year, finding and fixing leaks in and around the home. Swimming pool leaks are a strong source of income too, particularly in the southern States. Originally, Water Intelligence derived most of its business from worried homeowners contacting the firm directly. Recently though, de Souza has signed agreements with large insurance firms, who use his company whenever their customers make a water leak claim. Two such contracts were signed in the past two years and, last week, the company announced a third. These deals have a meaningful impact on Water Intelligences business, generating 50,000 pieces of new leak detection work in 2018 alone. Insurers also help Water Intelligence to spread its wings to the corporate market, finding leaks in offices, factories and other large buildings. Over time, de Souza is expected to gain more insurance-related business, as Water Intelligence establishes a name for itself among the top firms in the sector. De Souza founded Water Intelligence when he bought the franchise operation American Leak Detection. Franchisees still generate around most of the companys sales but de Souza has been acquiring non-performing franchises from their owners and expanding into other areas of the water leakage sector. The company works with utilities, for example, including Thames, Southern and Northumbrian in the UK. Over the years, de Souza and his colleagues have developed clever kit that allows these water firms to pinpoint underground leaks faster and more accurately than rivals, a system that can save serious amounts of time and money. The business is also working on techniques to fix spillage from sewerage pipes, a sanitation problem both here and in America. Water Intelligence publishes 2018 results this week and brokers expect a 44 per cent increase in sales to $25.3million, with profits up 47 per cent to $2.5million. Further strong growth is predicted this year and next, as the company adds new customers, boosts sales from former franchise operations and gradually expands internationally. Midas verdict: Water shortages are a growing problem and leakages do nothing to help. Water Intelligence is at the forefront of its field and the opportunities for growth are substantial. At 3.76, the shares should gain ground. De Souza is a significant shareholder too, so he is highly motivated to deliver the goods. Every week we give the low-down on the value of forgotten treasures that may be gathering dust in your attic. A new Caledonian Sleeper train service made its inaugural trip between London and Scotland last week as part of a 150million carriage revamp. Although it suffered teething problems from a broken coffee machine to blocked toilets it aims to capture the imagination of a bygone era of hotel on wheels travel as advertised on collectable posters. This poster, illustrated by Robert Bartlett, sold for 12,000 last month Last month, a 1932 London North Eastern Railway Scotland poster The Night Scotsman, illustrated by Robert Bartlett sold for 12,000. Popular British holiday destination posters advertised by railway companies are always in demand. Those illustrated with colourful art deco styles are most sought after. A 1930s Come To Old World Cornwall poster by Great Western Railway illustrated by SI Veale can go for as much as 1,750. And a 1950s Weston-super-Mare, The Smile In Smiling Somerset British Railways Western Region poster by the popular artist Harry Riley can sell for as much as 1,000. The British whistleblower behind a legal action that could leave Standard Chartered facing a 1.5billion fine claims that he was ousted from the bank after he warned senior staff of a major loophole in its money laundering checks. The former Standard Chartered executive filed a report in 2011, seen by The Mail on Sunday, which alleges that the way foreign exchange transactions were processed meant the bank could not tell who its clients were. In the document, he alleges that the way the banks systems operated meant that there is no line of sight on the client. Money laundering checks: The whistleblower claims he warned two managing directors The whistleblower, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims he warned two managing directors in the Singapore arm of Standard Chartered, where he was working at the time, that it was possible to mis-spell the name of a client and still process a transaction. He alleges that this meant there was no way of carrying out money laundering checks or working out whether a client was on an official blacklist of people or countries with whom the bank was forbidden from doing business. Banking regulations typically state that firms must carry out strict identity checks to ensure that they are not offering services to criminals or fraudsters who wish to launder money. In 2012, Standard Chartered was hit with a 415million fine for breaking US sanctions by working with clients linked to Iran. Then in April this year, the bank received a $1.1billion (835million) fine for continuing to conduct business with people linked to Iran and other nations, including Sudan and Cuba. When the April fine was announced, chief executive Bill Winters said it marked the end of the saga and pointed blame at two junior employees for breaking the sanctions. But The Mail on Sunday revealed last weekend that Standard Chartered could face a new 1.5billion fine after whistleblowers including the Briton who raised the alarm in 2011 filed a civil case in America. The British whistleblower alleges that after he alerted senior management, he was summoned to a meeting with an executive at Standard Chartered, where it became clear that he had to leave the bank. [The executive] said, I heard you wanted to leave the bank. I said that was news to me and he said, I think its in the best interests of all that we part company, the whistleblower said. He subsequently left the firm and alerted the US authorities. Under the US False Claims Act, which is designed to encourage people to expose corporate wrongdoing, whistleblowers in the US can receive up to 25 per cent of any penalties awarded against a company. Chief executive Bill Winters pointed blame at two junior employees for breaking the sanctions The Standard Chartered whistleblowers have not received any money from the previous fines, but would benefit if they are successful with the civil lawsuit. The Mail on Sunday understands that documents outlining the new case which is being revived after the whistleblowers withdrew it in 2017 will be publicly available within days. A spokesman for Standard Chartered said: We still have not been served with the lawsuit described, therefore we cannot comment on the specifics provided but they sound similar to claims made in a case that was filed against us by a private company and then dismissed in 2017. If this case is the same or similar to the one previously dismissed, we believe it lacks merit. The US authorities have been aware of the claims for several years and did not see fit to join the previous suit or include the claims as part of our resolution of historical sanctions compliance issues on April 9, 2019. Should we be served with the lawsuit described we will defend ourselves vigorously. Ocado boss Tim Steiner could pocket 55m Ocado boss Tim Steiner might feel slightly aggrieved by the shareholder revolt last week at his bonuses worth up to 100million over five years. The Goldman Sachs banker-turned-tech-tycoon has made his investors several times their money in less than two years after striking partnerships with supermarkets abroad and signing a breakthrough deal with Marks & Spencer. The grocery delivery firm has hurtled into the FTSE 100 and is on the verge of a 10billion valuation. Ocado's chief executive probably won't be feeling too down about the broadside from shareholders at the annual meeting. That's because from Wednesday he can cash in on a bonus scheme put in place in 2014 when the shares were worth a fraction of their current value. So he could pocket 55million. Other executive directors will also be in the money. Finance chief Duncan Tatton-Brown and chief operations officer Mark Richardson are in line for 13.7million each. Luke Jensen in charge of its tech platform Ocado Solutions will make 6.4million. BT's new boss faces grilling New boss Philip Jansen is likely to face a grilling this week over BT's Italian accounting scandal after it emerged that London-based managers may have been more closely involved than previously suggested. That aside, Thursday's annual results are expected to show little improvement on last year. An anticipated 1.3 per cent fall in turnover to 23.4billion and adjusted profit down 2.1 per cent to 7.4billion underline the task facing Jansen to return BT to growth. Intriguingly, Deutsche Telekom, BT's largest shareholder, reports results the same day. No word yet about its intentions for BT, now that it is free to launch a takeover of the British telecoms firm. Sainsbury's not in the money after all Embattled Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe is probably best known for his vocal talents namely singing We're In The Money after unveiling plans for the supermarket mega-merger with Asda last year. Last week, he stumped up 230,000 to buy Sainsbury's shares as a show of faith after the Asda deal was officially blocked. The shares have tumbled around 35 per cent since last August as the deal unravelled. Not including share options, it means the value of his stake in the company has fallen by about 1.8million in that time. So not in the money after all. Imperial Brands to benefit from vaping Wednesday could see relatively weak first-half results from Imperial Brands. Thats according to number-crunchers at Swiss bank UBS, who say the tobacco giant could take a 140million hit on operating profits, largely down to a 100million investment in so-called next-generation products or vaping. The tobacco giants are ploughing billions into these new products to counter slowing cigar and cigarette sales. That investment for Imperial could lead to a 4 per cent fall in first-half profit, UBS predicts. A difficult first six months could put pressure on the FTSE 100 company to pick up steam in the second half. Sainsbury's new chairman Martin Scicluna has dismissed suggestions that the failed attempt to merge with Asda was a 'cock-up' by chief executive Mike Coupe but said the price cuts that the deal would have delivered could now take years. Scicluna, who was formerly chairman of Deloitte, ruled out any attempt to revive the Asda bid or find another merger partner. He told The Mail on Sunday that Sainsbury's would instead embark on a gruelling 'item-by-item hard grind' to cut prices to compete with the likes of Tesco and Aldi, both of which have cut costs for customers while boosting quality. New focus: Martin Scicluna says Sainsburys has to put the Asda saga behind it Coupe described by Scicluna as a 'top quality CEO' who still has the chairman's unequivocal backing had hoped the merger with Asda would be a short cut to improve Sainsbury's prospects. But late last month the Competition and Markets Authority killed off the deal, sending Sainsbury's share price plummeting to historic lows and quashing a plan to create a 50billion grocery giant that would have rivalled Tesco in size. The plan alarmed food suppliers and politicians alike despite assurances that the merger would benefit consumers with 1billion of price cuts taking up to 10 per cent off some everyday products. HSBC analyst Dave McCarthy told The Mail on Sunday that the failure of the deal, which has cost Sainsbury's 46million in time and advisers' fees, has compounded the company's weakening standing among its peers and left it in its worst position for a decade. But Scicluna, former chairman of accountancy giant Deloitte who has been in the role at Sainsbury's for just two months, insisted there was no post-mortem necessary. 'This was not a deal that collapsed because we cocked it up,' he told The Mail on Sunday as he recovered from an unusually frosty press conference following the announcement. 'We had to submit ourselves to the CMA. And we did. And we did a very good job in presenting our case. But the CMA thought differently,' he added. The collapse of the deal has left the company scrambling to polish a sheen on to its old strategy. The board was bombarded with questions by journalists last Wednesday about who in the organisation might be held responsible for the miscalculation despite calls by the company's PR lackeys to desist. The botched merger has cost Sainsbury's 46million in time and advisers' fees Scicluna is no stranger to controversy. He faced criticism for his role in the disastrous merger of Lloyds and HBoS at the height of the financial crisis in 2008. But he insisted that Sainsbury's executives and advisers did everything they possibly could, that there was no miscalculation and the saga is now 'history'. 'This was a team that was very able and remember this was not just us. There was a very able and competent team from the other side [Asda] supported both by two sets of advisers and as a result we had confidence in our presentation,' he explained. Still, there is little question Sainsbury's feels stung by an encounter with a regulator that, it clearly believes, made its decision despite, rather than because of, the evidence. Mike Coupe was caught singing Were In The Money on the day the news broke While Sainsbury's had promised, among a slew of assurances, to chop prices by up to 10 per cent, the CMA suggested it might do the opposite because its merger with Asda would weaken competition. 'The idea that we would've reneged on our promise and by the way we're not that sort of organisation, we're a really value driven company but the idea that we would've reneged on the promise and then started to push prices up ... I mean, really,' he said exasperatedly. 'And if you look at the reaction from all our competitors. Their reaction was very much against all our proposals. Is that because we were going to raise prices? No, we were going to lower them, weren't we? Did they want us to lower our prices? No. Gaffe that set a faithful tone Most people will remember his failed merger bid for the moment Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe was caught singing Were In The Money by TV cameras on the day the news broke. But for Asda and Sainsburys this was their get-out-of-jail-free card to ease the pressure of an increasingly crowded market. At the combined supermarket giant, prices would fall. No stores would close. Job losses would be kept to a minimum. Coupe even declared he would not benefit financially from the merger. It sounded too good to be true. And so it was. The Competition and Markets Authority as good as killed the deal in February and blocked it completely at the end of April, a year after it was launched. 'I think there were two questions here. Did we have a good case? Yes. Did we execute it properly? Yes. Did the CMA make a decision that it was perfectly entitled to? Yes. But do we agree with it? No. 'The regret for me is for customers. We promised 1billion in price cuts. We're not going to do that this year or next year, are we?' Will those price cuts ever arrive? 'We said over three years we would deliver those benefits by actually lowering our cost of goods sold because we've got the joint power of Asda and Sainsbury's. Now that's not available CMA said 'no'. So we now have to find other ways and the other ways are more line by line, item by item, hard grind.' Coupe remains a capable supermarket boss in the eyes of many. But it's difficult to escape the feeling that someone missed something, somewhere along the line a sign that time, money and, yes, perhaps some credibility were being squandered. If anyone still needs to answer to that behind closed doors and the company remains steadfast that won't be the case that man will not be Coupe, says Scicluna. 'As far as we are concerned, I am, and the whole board, we're unanimous in supporting Mike. So, all these questions: what's the board going to do? What's the new chairman going to do? Keep on supporting a really top quality CEO,' he said. Rosenblatt is run by chief executive Nicola Foulston A City law firm boss who has no legal training could pocket millions of pounds later this year on top of her salary just for staying with the company for at least three years. Rosenblatt, run by chief executive Nicola Foulston, is known for representing prominent figures in the media world. Foulston is one of six beneficiaries of the Foulston Family trust which owns a 14.2 per cent stake in the company she runs. The trust bought the stake at an undisclosed discount in September 2016 when Foulston was appointed chief executive. Last year, Rosenblatt joined the stock market and the stake was converted into shares, making it the second largest shareholder. These shares, worth 11.5million, can be sold later this year. The handout to Foulston could fall foul of corporate governance guidelines because no other conditions are attached to the award. Guidelines set out by shareholder advisory bodies suggest executive bonus schemes should only pay out if the company hits a set of financial targets but Foulston merely has to complete three years at Rosenblatt to benefit. A spokesman for Rosenblatt said Foulston becoming chief executive at the same time her family trust took a discounted stake in the firm in 2016 was a coincidence. He added: Nicola is not involved in decisions about [the stake]. The 51-year-old, who has also run a Swiss-based hedge fund, has known the law firms founder Ian Rosenblatt since she was 19 through her late father, who ran Brands Hatch racetrack. The corporate raider targeting Barclays faces a fresh humiliation as his own shareholders prepare to grill him over a 27 per cent fall in the value of their investments. Edward Bramson, who owns 5.5 per cent of Barclays through his Sherborne Investors fund, suffered a hefty defeat last week in his bid to win a seat on the banks board. He won support from just 3.9 per cent of Barclays shareholders, leaving him a long way short of the 50 per cent he needed, so he was unable to force Barclays to curtail its investment banking arm. Corporate raider: Edward Bramson owns 5.5 per cent of Barclays through Sherborne Investors Now the New York financier is braced for a backlash from his own shareholders many of whom did not back his bid for a board seat at Sherbornes annual meeting on June 4. The value of Bramsons fund, Sherborne Investors Guernsey C, has plunged 27 per cent since 2017, from 695.9million to 502.3million. In that time, the FTSE 100 has fallen 3.3 per cent. The funds fortunes are directly tied to the share price of Barclays. The fall in the funds value has affected major institutions including Aviva, Schroders, Fidelity and Columbia Threadneedle all of which own shares in Sherborne. City commentator David Buik, of trading firm Core Spreads, said: Its all very well having a good track record, but when you slip up people are not loyal and they tend to leave these funds. I suspect Bramsons going to plead with his shareholders to give him time. At the meeting of Barclays investors, Bramson vowed to fight on in his bid to boost the banks ailing share price, which has fallen 20 per cent over the year, compared to a 2 per cent fall for the FTSE 100. He said investors wanted to give the banks incoming chairman Nigel Higgins a chance to fix problems before putting an activist on the board. If Higgins wants to take a shot at it himself, thats fine with us, Bramson said. The only thing wed say is having been given a chance to do that, were expecting to see results. Bramson was not the only item on the agenda for Barclays shareholders. Many had expressed dismay at the high level of pay for its bankers and ongoing litigation issues. Bramson's funds fortunes are directly tied to the share price of Barclays One shareholder said at the meeting: The reports of misbehaviour or excess are many and diverse. And by excess, I mean wild overpayments of the staff and the board. Your annual report shows executive directors were paid about 7million. Theres another 3.5million for non-executive directors. I put it to you that shareholders are not getting value for money, and the bank is repeatedly promising improvements in the future which are, to say the least, very slow in coming. Responding to shareholder concerns at last weeks meeting, outgoing chairman John McFarlane said: Many of these go back a long time. PPI goes back a long time. Some of the larger litigation and conduct issues started in 2010 and its taken some time for these to come through the system. I can assure you were not trying to deliberately create these any more. These are mistakes that do get made, and hopefully that we can draw a line under. Sherborne declined to comment. The next boss of Britains accountancy watchdog is set to take a hefty cut on his predecessors pay. Stephen Haddrill, 63, who is leaving his post as chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), took home 423,691 last year and 486,481 in the previous 12 months. His successor will be paid 330,000 a year. The near-100,000 cut comes despite the fact that Haddrills successor will be heading a new, beefed-up regulator to replace the FRC the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority. Stephen Haddrill is leaving his post as chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council This follows scrutiny of the FRCs handling of accounting scandals surrounding Carillion and BHS, and its links with the audit sector, in particular the Big Four PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY. The job description says candidates will need to demonstrate independence from major audit firms. A company that counts Tory MP Priti Patel as a director is plotting a float on Londons stock exchange. Accounting software firm Accloud, which targets firms in India, last week received a pledge for $30million (23million). The finance from Australia-based fund manager Mayfair 101 in exchange for a larger stake paves the way for a listing on AIM, Londons junior stock market, which could value Accloud at tens of millions of pounds. Deal: Software firm Accloud is paying Priti Patel 45,000 a year to work for 20 hours per month Patel, a pro-Brexit former Minister whose parents are from India, was appointed a director of Accloud this year. She receives 45,000 a year for about 20 hours of work a month. The MP for Witham in Essex is not listed by Companies House as a shareholder. But she could receive shares before the float, as is often the case. Patel was forced to quit as International Development Secretary in 2017 after revelations of unofficial meetings with Israeli ministers. Mayfair 101 said Patels deep connections throughout India and other developing nations align with Acclouds go-to-market strategy. The firm made an $18.8 million loss after tax for the year ending March 2018. However, its auditors BDO quit in December saying it could not conduct a proper audit. It said Accloud PLC, a shell company set up in 2015 to buy an operating company, Accloud Ltd, had not included financial statements for the firm it bought. BDO said in its resignation letter the issue had not been addressed. Accloud did not respond to a request for a comment. Patel said: All declarations are with the Commons register. It's been a landmark week for John Holland-Kaye in more ways than one. On Thursday, the chief executive of Heathrow celebrated his tenth anniversary at the airport. As is customary for long-serving employees, the company prepared a letter to congratulate him on his tenure. Usually, the chief executive signs them off but not on this occasion, for obvious reasons. There was a letter I was supposed to sign saying: Dear John. Congratulations. Signed, John. I havent signed it. I thought it was a bit weird. Threat: John Holland-Kaye says expansion is urgent But that came after a far more significant milestone for the boss of Britains biggest airport. On Wednesday, Heathrows ambitious expansion plans cleared another major hurdle as the High Court quashed a challenge from campaigners to halt the move. I think it will now go ahead, says Holland-Kaye. And I also think it needs to go ahead. Under the plans, a third runway will be built at Heathrow that would boost passenger numbers from 78 million a year to 130 million. Holland-Kaye, who took up the top job in 2014 after joining as commercial director in 2009, believes Brexit has added several degrees of importance to the expansion drive. We cannot take for granted that the UK will be able to enjoy the same economic success we have done for the last decade, he says. Weve got to fight for our place in the world. It is incompatible to have Brexit and no expanded Heathrow. This is now urgent, he adds, explaining that with Heathrow at full capacity, Paris and Amsterdam are sucking up new passengers as well as company headquarters ahead of the UKs departure from the European Union. This is real competition happening, and the longer we delay expanding Heathrow, the more were handing competitive advantage to our rivals in Europe. If the Heathrow expansion debate was about economic prosperity alone, it may have been won decades ago. It is incompatible to have Brexit and then not expand Heathrow Unfortunately for Holland-Kaye, he has many other issues to contend with not least growing concern about carbon emissions from air travel. Last week, former Labour leader and Environment Secretary Ed Miliband said Heathrow should not go ahead, while Justin Francis the chief executive of holiday firm Responsible Travel warned that a larger airport would be bad for the environment and called on the Government to divert expansion funds instead towards decarbonisation investment. But Holland-Kaye insists that Heathrows growth which will increase its capacity from 473,000 to 740,000 flights per year can benefit the environment as well as the economy. According to his theory, a bigger Heathrow means a better economy and a better economy means more resources to invest in environmentally friendly technology. The 54-year-old admits he does not currently possess all of the answers, but says he has already started decarbonising the airport, including by incentivising low-carbon planes and investing in the restoration of peatlands, which help offset emissions. Boris Johnson, MP for nearby Uxbridge, is opposed to Heathrow expansion plans The next step, which will require co-operation from the airlines, is to reduce carbon emissions from flights using new technologies like electric planes and biofuels. I see this as being just a transitional phase until we get to net zero carbon, which is the next goal, says Holland-Kaye. Thats what we are now campaigning for. The solution will be a combination of electric flight, particularly for short-haul. Electric planes will be able to serve distances of up to 500km, so large parts of Europe will be accessible by electric plane. And for long-haul, its probably some sort of hybrid solution it will certainly involve some kind of biofuel or synthetic fuel. Those solutions are being tested at the moment. Its technology that exists, although it is not at scale and its not cheap enough yet to be economic. Heathrow will play a big role, he says, by creating infrastructure for electric planes. We need to come up with a solution because I dont think its conceivable to any economy to not have flights, he says. [Without flights] wed have a much smaller economy, and we wouldnt be able to fund the kind of decarbonisation we want to have. Despite Holland-Kayes optimism after the court victory, there remain several other obstacles ahead and naysayers believe the decades-long battle to expand Heathrow is far from won. Were seven years from the runway but weve started training people Boris Johnson, MP for nearby Uxbridge, is opposed to the plans and is tipped by some as a future Prime Minister. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, the Labour leader and shadow chancellor, are also against the expansion. Theyre going to need a healthy economy [if Labour wins power], Holland-Kaye hits back, claiming that Heathrow expansion will create up to 180,000 jobs. Some of these, he says as an example, will be for apprentices fitting insulated windows around Heathrow to block out flight noise. Heathrow Airport Holdings office is already insulated, with barely any take-off and landing sound seeping through. And Holland-Kaye says the company is planning to spend 700million to offer the same treatment to its neighbours. He says: Even though we are still seven years from opening the runway, weve started training people up and started installing double-glazing. So what that helps to do is not just show just what a prize there is to expanding Heathrow, but also what the price is. Turning around to the apprentices whove started training up to do a job and saying, Actually, weve changed our mind, youre going to be out of work that is the real price you pay for trying to turn things back. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, the Labour leader and shadow chancellor, are also against the expansion Other groups less likely to be supportive of expansion include residents of boroughs in South-West London Holland-Kaye himself lived in Fulham but moved to Oxfordshire a year before joining Heathrow and those even closer to Heathrow, some of whom will be forced to sell their houses to the airport so it can build the runway. In his decade at Heathrow, Holland-Kaye has helped his company overcome challenges from local politicians, a rival expansion bid from Gatwick and many other opponents. But, even if nothing can now stop a third runway, Heathrow Airport Holdings still faces a stern challenge from a noisy neighbour. Surinder Arora, a property investor who owns a large amount of land in the Heathrow area, is putting the finishing touches to a rival plan to expand the airport, which he claims will be far cheaper. Aroras plan has drawn support from British Airways owner IAG, which is based in Heathrow and is unhappy about costs racked up by the airport and its foreign owners who have been paid dividends totalling 3.5billion since 2012. Im not paying very close attention [to Aroras plans], says Holland-Kaye dismissively. Weve got our plan, weve got a lot of work to do to make sure we deliver it successfully so Im just focused on getting the expanded Heathrow open as quickly as possible. Because this country needs it and we cant be distracted by anything else. A young tattooed fitness fanatic has pleaded guilty to his role in an alleged large-scale drug ring operating across Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle. Mitchell James Saxton, 25, was at his family home in February when police knocked on the front door and arrested him over his involvement in the alleged syndicate. Before his conviction there were plenty of topless photos, as well as shots of him on nights out with the boys and driving fast cars on a Hawaiian holiday. But Saxton is now facing serious jail time after admitting to possessing, using and supplying a variety of illicit drugs including cocaine and MDMA, court facts revealed. Mitchell James Saxton (pictured), 25, was at his parents' home on February 7 when police came to their front door and arrested him over his involvement in the alleged syndicate and is due to be sentenced next week Saxton (left) has pleaded guilty to his role in the syndicate. He was overheard discussing drug deals in the presence of his good mate Ty Hopley (right) According to the court documents, Saxton was arrested after a NSW Police anti-drug taskforce recorded him discussing his alleged drug deals with Matthew Shane Pearce, 35, and Ty Hopley, 27. Police had bugged the home of Pearce - a personal trainer with links to the NRL team Newcastle Knights - after suspecting he was leading the alleged drug importing ring. Operation Castlestead was formed to identify those involved and uncover who they were allegedly supplying to, court documents show. Documents tendered to Newcastle Local Court reveal the trio would sit around the kitchen bench at Pearce's home, with Pearce and Saxton discussing their drug needs. In one conversation referred to in the documents from last October, Saxton and his mate Hopley watched as Pearce divided the contents of a seven-gram cocaine rock into small snap-lock bags. 'I only need one for myself for tomorrow, one next weekend, and I know... five boys that want a bag tomorrow,' Saxton told Pearce. In another discussion from November 12, 2018, Pearce allegedly told Saxton about a large arrival of cocaine he was expecting the following week, the documents state. Saxton: 'Do you have any coke or is it all gone?' Pearce: 'Next week.' Saxton: 'I thought last week you said it was pretty much all sold?' Pearce: 'Oh, the coke that's coming in? Nah, I can sell as much as I want - I can keep as much as I want.' Saxton (above) admitted to sitting around the kitchen bench at Pearce's home and discussing his drug needs for the weekend Saxton pleaded guilty to supplying drugs including cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA (pictured) Police had bugged the home of Saxton's friend Matthew Shane Pearce (pictured) and listened in on their conversations about drugs Saxton: 'I'm getting two-and-a-half grand... tomorrow and he's giving me the rest next week and then I'm giving the eight-ball to old mate and I'll give you all your cash that I owe you.' Police allege Pearce imported drugs via the dark web from his home at Cameron Park, in Newcastle, and had them delivered to ten P.O Boxes he bought using fake names. Officers watched as Pearce allegedly collected the packages, took them home, and then start distributing the illegal goods. But when Pearce met with Saxton police had an ear in the conversation and were recording their every word. Another conversation referred to in the documents details Saxton and Pearce talking about a 'f**king loose' new batch of LSD. Saxton: Got them trips? Pearce: Yeah... man, they look f**king like... Saxton: Loose. Pearce: F**k oath they look loose. Before his conviction Saxton posted plenty of muscular photos, as well as him driving fast cars on a Hawaiian holiday (pictured) Saxton (pictured) will return to Newcastle Local Court next week to be sentenced after pleading guilty to 15 charges Saxton, a mechanic by trade, pleaded guilty to 15 charges relating to his involvement in the alleged syndicate. They included 11 counts of supplying drugs, two of possession and two of dealing with the suspected proceeds of crime. In total he supplied 27g of cocaine, 12g of MDMA and 2g of ecstasy. Saxton will be sentenced in Newcastle Local Court next week Advertisement It was a madcap barn-storming adventure designed to commemorate one of the greatest aviation feats of derring-do - that not only captured the heart and imagination of a nation but created headlines around the world at the end of the Swinging Sixties. It even played a pivotal role in Britain's vital export drive by helping sell the then revolutionary Harrier jump jet to the Americans. Exactly fifty years ago in May 1969 the Daily Mail launched 'The Great Transatlantic Air Race' to commemorate the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic that took place fifty years before that - by pilots Cpt John Alcock and Lt Arthur Whitten Brown in a modified First World War open-cockpit Vickers Vimy bi-plane bomber. And this Wednesday, surviving winners, participants, and even aircraft of that fun-filled 1969 transatlantic air race both military and civilian - will be meeting up at Brooklands Museum in Surrey, which has close ties to both events, to celebrate the historic achievements from 50 and 100 years ago. Exactly 50 years ago in May 1969, the Daily Mail launched the Great Transatlantic Air Race to commemorate the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic that took place 50 years before that - by pilots Cpt John Alcock (left) and Lt Arthur Whitten Brown (right) in a modified First World War open-cockpit Vickers-Vimy biplane bomber Australian brothers Captain Ross Smith and Lieutenant Keith Smith, along with Sergeants Wally Shiers and Jim Bennett, won the first transatlantic air race - from Great Britain to Australia - in 1919. The victors are pictured in their winning aircraft - a Vickers-Vimy biplane When the Daily Mail launched the 1969 air race, it invited the world to participate. As air-challenge fever gripped the nation and dominated the front pages of the paper for days, entrants dashed through the city streets in cars and on the back of motorcycles to waiting helicopters and aircraft. Above, crowds gather at the Royal Air Force Space at St Pancras in London RAF pilot, Squadron leader Tom Lecky-Thompson achieved the fastest westbound flight in his then cutting-edge Hawker Siddeley Harrier jump jet which the UK government was seeking to sell to the US Marines - in just five hours and 57 minutes, following its dramatic vertical take-off, billowing dust, from a coal yard near St Pancras station (above) Mr Lecky-Thompson (pictured), who was waved off from Britain by his wife Judy, and landed in New York on a special waterside pier setup by the US Marines before being whisked to the Empire State Building on the back of a police motorbike said: 'It was incredible coming up the East River with Manhattan in the background, then seeing your landing spot amid the big line of piers' Modest Mr Lecky-Thompson, recovering from a recent stroke and heart attack, told the 'Henley Standard': 'For me, the proudest aspect of the Daily Mail Race is the fact that it was a marvellous team effort. From the ground crew to the designers, air traffic control and tanker pilots, everyone made a sterling effort. It wasn't just about one man and his aircraft by any means' The BBC broadcast details of the 1969 race 'in colour' at a time when most TVs were still black-and-white, as did ITV, and veteran BBC journalist Cliff Michelmore produced a nightly round-up of the highlights from the top of the Post Office Tower. (Above, a Harrier jump jet at St Pancras in the year of the race) Squadron leader Lecky-Thompson, above in his Harrier during the event. The 84-year-old from Goring in Berkshire said recently: 'I took with me a small snack lunch of a chicken leg and a bottled drink, possibly ginger beer, which I consumed halfway across' It all began when the Daily Mail, a proud supporter of pioneering and record-breaking achievements from the earliest days of aviation, in April 1913 put up a 10,000 prize for 'the aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight from any point in the United States of America, Canada or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland in 72 continuous hours.' The competition was suspended after the outbreak of war in 1914 but resumed after the Armistice in November 1918. Wartime pilots Alcock (who died tragically in an air crash within six months of his feat) and Brown, both of whom had been prisoners during the war took up the challenge and over June 14-15 1919 made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in their modified Vickers Vimy bomber from St John's Newfoundland to Clifden, Conemara in County Galway in 16 hours and 27 minutes. They were presented with their 10,000 Daily Mail prize by the then Secretary of State for Air Winston Churchill and became the first people ever to be able to say'Yesterday we were in America.' Fifty years later, to commemorate their pioneering heroism, the Daily Mail launched 'The Great Transatlantic Air Race' and invited the world to participate. And they did. With gusto. As air-challenge fever gripped the nation and dominated the front pages of the Daily Mail for days, entrants dashed through the city streets in cars and on the back of motorcycles to waiting helicopters and aircraft. Participants included: racing driver Stirling Moss who travelled by chartered VC10 jet, motorcycles, helicopter and even a speed boat; early TV chef and raconteur Clement Freud; Prince Michael of Kent; holiday camp entrepreneur Billy Butlin; and athlete Mary Rand, the first British female athlete to win Olympic gold in track and field events. Alcock and Brown take a meal in Newfoundland a few minutes before the start of their non-stop Transatlantic crossing The Daily Mail Great Transatlantic Air Race race began and ended at official 'check-in stations' on the the 33rd floor public viewing platform of London's Post Office Tower and the 86th floor of New York's Empire State Building The Daily Mail's 1969 Transatlantic Air Race gripped the heart of the nation and featured on the front page of the newspaper (right). Posters of the Britain to Australia Ross Smith Flight were also created (left) To capture the imagination and engagement of readers and to put some fun and excitement back into flying - the 1969 challenge was open to both professionals and enthusiasts. Organisers realised that a military aircraft was almost certain to record the fastest time, so eighteen different categories of prizes were offered including one for the 'most meritorious and ingenious' non-winning entry The BBC broadcast details of it 'in colour' at a time when most TVs were still black-and-white, as did ITV, and veteran BBC journalist Cliff Michelmore produced a nightly round-up of the highlights from the top of the Post Office Tower. One of the youngest participants was Anne Alcock - an 18-year-old art student from Westcott in Surrey and niece of the pioneering transatlantic aviator Lt John Alcock - who also intends to be at Wednesday's Brooklands reunion. Kicking off the 1969 air race at 8am, she took a greetings letter from Postmaster General John Stonehouse (later to find infamy as a disgraced Labour MP who faked his own death) to his counterpart in New York. The Great Air Race with a prize pot of 60,000 A special eight-page 'Air Race Mail' pull-out, with maps and a 'score-card' to help readers keep track, dubbed the event 'the air race of the century' at the dawn of civilian supersonic air travel with Concorde The Daily Mail offered a prize pot totalling 60,000 split among the various categories and battled for by 390 competitors taking part in the Great Transatlantic Air Race of 1969. A special eight-page 'Air Race Mail' pull-out, with maps and a 'score-card' to help readers keep track, dubbed the event 'the air race of the century' at the dawn of civilian supersonic air travel with Concorde. Harrier pilot Tom Lecky-Thompson, who managed the fastest westward crossing to New York, recalled it won the RAF a 6,000 prize and a gold cup. He said: 'When I landed, I was so relieved that I slumped down into the seat and they had to beckon me out of the cockpit as quickly as possible because the race hadn't actually finished. I couldn't believe we had actually done it.' He was helicoptered to the Empire State building for the official end. The day after the flight, he and another Harrier pilot escorted the British cruise line Queen Elizabeth 2 the 'QEII'- into New York harbour. He was subsequently promoted to squadron leader. Racing driver Stirling Moss (now Sir Stirling), travelling on a BUA VC-10 jet, managed the crossing in 7 hours 31 minutes and 45 seconds. Advertisement But her attempt ended in heartache at Kennedy Airport, just 30 minutes from the finish line, which meant she missed her connecting helicopter. She said: 'Everything went wrong. I could not find my passport and my immigration forms and I got held up at customs.' There was drama when a 1,000mph Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Phantom jet carrying observer Lt Paul Waterhouse, then 32 and planning to attend the reunion, from New York to Wisley Airfield in Surrey blew a tyre on landing after a five-hour flight before he scrambled into a waiting helicopter to take him into central London for the final check-in logged at 5 hours 30 minutes and 24.4 seconds. RAF pilot, Squadron leader Tom Lecky-Thompson, also aiming to attend the reunion, achieved the fastest westbound flight in his then cutting-edge Hawker Siddeley Harrier jump jet which the UK government was seeking to sell to the US Marines - in just five hours and 57 minutes, following its dramatic vertical take-off, billowing dust, from a coal yard near St Pancras station. The total time between check-ins was six hours, 11 minutes and 57 seconds. The 84-year-old from Goring in Berkshire said recently: 'I took with me a small snack lunch of a chicken leg and a bottled drink, possibly ginger beer, which I consumed halfway across. 'I was very busy throughout the flight and there wasn't a single second where I could sit back and do nothing.' The plane was refuelled ten times in flight using 13 tanker planes and flew at around 683 miles per hour, just under the speed of sound. Mr Lecky-Thompson, who was waved off from Britain by his wife Judy, and landed in New York on a special waterside pier setup by the US Marines before being whisked to the Empire State Building on the back of a police motorbike said: 'It was incredible coming up the East River with Manhattan in the background, then seeing your landing spot amid the big line of piers. 'There were numerous light aircraft whizzing around to get photographs of me but I had to ignore them and concentrate on flying. 'Everything went according to plan. It was like magic.' Modest Mr Lecky-Thompson, recovering from a recent stroke and heart attack, told the 'Henley Standard': 'For me, the proudest aspect of the Daily Mail Race is the fact that it was a marvellous team effort. From the ground crew to the designers, air traffic control and tanker pilots, everyone made a sterling effort. It wasn't just about one man and his aircraft by any means.' And of the air race's part in boosting the UK export drive by helping sell the revolutionary vertical take-off and landing Harrier jump-jet to the American, he said: 'We all got praise for it and it reaped enormous rewards for the country in terms of money, which was the best thing of all.' The fastest eastward transatlantic crossing (and fastest overall) - from New York to the UK was achieved by Lt Cdr Peter Goddard, an observer in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in 5hrs 11mins. He was presented with a certificate for this by clerk of the course for the Great Air Race, former Navy pilot Simon Ames, and both will be reunited at Brooklands at the event on Wednesday. This Wednesday, surviving winners, participants, and even aircraft of that fun-filled 1969 transatlantic air race both military and civilian - will be meeting up at Brooklands Museum in Surrey, which has close ties to both events, to celebrate the historic achievements from 50 and 100 years ago. Above, the winning air race Harrier at the museum Of the air race's part in boosting the UK export drive - by helping sell the revolutionary vertical take-off and landing Harrier jump-jet to the Americans - Mr Lecky-Thompson said: 'We all got praise for it and it reaped enormous rewards for the country in terms of money, which was the best thing of all' Mr Ames, now 82, said: 'It gripped the nation. It felt very exciting. Hundreds of people took part. The most dynamic part was with Royal Navy and the RAF doing what they do best.' Paul Stewart of Brooklands Museum in Surrey which is hosting the anniversary reunion on Wednesday said: 'Both races were launched by the Daily Mail who put up the prize money but in '69, the rules were even more ambitious.' The Daily Mail Great Transatlantic Air Race race began and ended at official 'check-in stations' on the the 33rd floor public viewing platform of London's Post Office Tower and the 86th floor of New York's Empire State Building. Journeys had to be made on any of the eight days from 4th to 11th May and could be attempted more than once - though only in the same direction and with the same modes of transport. To capture the imagination and engagement of readers and to put some fun and excitement back into flying - the challenge was open to both professionals and enthusiasts. Organisers realised that a military aircraft was almost certain to record the fastest time, so eighteen different categories of prizes were offered including one for the 'most meritorious and ingenious' non-winning entry. Putting the events into historical context Mr Stewart said: 'Alcock and Brown's non-stop crossing (their plane, above) of the Atlantic in a Brooklands-built Vickers Vimy in June 1919 was a significant moment in aviation history. 'Just sixteen years earlier the first ever powered flight was made by the Wright Brothers in 1903, followed by the flight trials of A.V. Roe at Brooklands in 1907 The Daily Mail front page coverage of May 05, 1969 reported: 'The race captured the imagination of the world. 'Millions saw reports on TV in Britain and radio bulletins filled the air in many countries. 'American newspapers from coast to coast gave conspicuous display to stories of the the start of the race.' The top-selling New York Daily News called it 'a mad-cap Odyssey'. The Mail reported: 'New York has gone air crazy. Not since 1927 when Charles Lindbergh returned in triumph from his solo transatlantic flight has the city got so excited. 'Crowds lined the street outside the 1,472ft Empire State building, the New York check-point, to cheer contestants as they rushed in and out.' New York haulier Ben Garcia, 32, described as 'the zaniest competitor' set off in the smallest plane plane a single-engined Piper Colt, supplied with 'emergency rations' comprising 7lb of peanut butter, a bottle of brandy, another of champagne, and 500 biscuits. A watch commemorating the Great Transatlantic Air Race. The event also grabbed headlines across Europe, particularly in France, Italy and Belgium with their strong aviation history The race also grabbed headlines across Europe, particularly in France, Italy and Belgium with their strong aviation history. Brooklands Museum spokesman Paul Stewart said: 'The Daily Mail were great advocates of flying and put up substantial amounts of prize fund money to inspire ordinary people to push limits and compete for world's first titles. 'This will be the last chance ever to get to meet such names from aviation history, together in one room and celebrating what they achieved' Former participants and guests at the private function will assemble in front of the Museum's own Vickers Vimy - the type to first cross the Atlantic in 1919 - and the actual Harrier GR1 XV741 aircraft flown by Mr. Lecky-Thompson which achieved the fastest westbound time. Brooklands' Mr Stewart added: 'It is also important that in today's world, we look back and understand how much has changed in aviation over the last 100 years; that we remember the pioneering and sense of adventure. ' Putting the events into historical context Mr Stewart said: 'Alcock and Brown's non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in a Brooklands-built Vickers Vimy in June 1919 was a significant moment in aviation history. 'Just sixteen years earlier the first ever powered flight was made by the Wright Brothers in 1903, followed by the flight trials of A.V. Roe at Brooklands in 1907. 'Fifty years later, in 1969, Atlantic flights had become routine but to celebrate that great endeavour and spirit of Alcock and Brown's ground-breaking crossing, a new air race was staged. It showcased how far and fast aviation had changed with innovation at the heart of the race.' Specialist watch-makers Avi-8 are using the event to launch a limited edition time-piece called 'Blue Nylon' after the RAF's operational code-name for their part in the Daily Mail challenge which features genuine pieces from Squadron Leader Lecky-Thompson's aircraft. The United States special envoy tasked with forging a peace deal with the Taliban said Saturday that America stands ready for 'all sides' to lay down arms in the 17-year conflict. Peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is leading the latest round of talks with the Taliban in Doha, where the two foes are pursuing a deal that would see the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in return for Taliban security guarantees. 'All sides laying down arms is the outcome of any peace process,' Khalilzad tweeted. 'All sides agreeing to reduce violence is a necessary step toward achieving that outcome and the morally responsible choice to make. We stand ready.' Khalilzad's comments come a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was prepared to call an 'immediate' and 'permanent' ceasefire - but the Taliban rebuffed the offer. Zalmay Khalilzad (above), President Trump's special envoy to Afghan peace talks, says the United States is ready to negotiate an agreement that would see 'all sides laying down arms' Ghani had also offered to release 175 prisoners as a goodwill gesture. His talk of a ceasefire comes as momentum builds in various Afghan peace talks. Thousands of tribal elders, women and representatives met last week at a massive 'loya jirga' peace summit in Kabul, which ended with a demand for a ceasefire between government and Taliban forces. 'Loya jirga' is a term in the Pashto language which can be translated to 'grand assembly.' Pashto is spoken by Pashtuns, an ethnic group made up of Sunni Muslims with significant populations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The talks between the Taliban and the U.S., who have met about a half dozen times in recent months, are taking place separately in the Qatari capital Doha. Neither side has said much about progress in their latest talks, which were ongoing Saturday, but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Friday tweeted that America should 'forget about the idea of us putting down our arms.' The Doha talks focus on an eventual foreign troop withdrawal in exchange for the Taliban guaranteeing Afghanistan will never again be used as a safe haven for terror groups. Taliban militants and residents stand on a Humvee vehicle of the Afghan National Army in this June 2018 file photo taken in Kandahar province, Afghanistan Khalilzad has repeatedly stressed that nothing would be finalized until two other key issues - a ceasefire and dialogue between Afghan society and the Taliban - have been addressed. Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, told AFP that 'efforts are underway' to flesh out differences on the security and troop withdrawal issues. But in what appears to be something of an impasse with the Americans, Shaheen said the other key points of a comprehensive ceasefire and intra-Afghan dialogue could not be addressed until those first two points were agreed. Last year, however, the Taliban did announce a three-day ceasefire at the end of Ramadan after Ghani declared a unilateral truce for eight days earlier in the month. It was the first formal nationwide ceasefire since the U.S.-led invasion of 2001 and saw unprecedented scenes of reconciliation and jubilation across the country. The insurgents have steadfastly refused to talk to Ghani, who they view as a U.S. puppet, and talks thus far have cut out his government. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's war rages on, with thousands of civilians and fighters being killed each year. U.S. forces continue to train Afghan partners on the ground and strike the Taliban from the air, in a bid to push the war to a political settlement. Michael Cohen spent some quality time with his son on Saturday before he begins a three-year prison term on Monday. Trump's former lawyer, 53, left his Manhattan apartment building on Saturday with his son Jake to get coffee at Viand diner and then to a barbershop, Eddie Arthur Salon, where father and son both got haircuts. His next stop was the upmarket department store Barneys New York, where he told journalists that he plans to hold a news conference on Monday before heading to prison. And Cohen appeared in good spirits as he smiled at onlookers, dressed casually in blue jeans and a polo shirt, while son Jake appeared downcast. Michael Cohen spent some quality time with his son Jake on Saturday, going to a diner and a barber shop, before he begins a three-year prison term on Monday Michael Cohen appeared in good spirits as he smiled at onlookers during Saturday's outing Cohen is scheduled to report Monday to the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, where he will start a three-year sentence for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes. It's the final weekend he will get to spend as a free man with with wife Laura Susterman, 49, Jake - and daughter Samantha. On Friday, he was spotted out enjoying a meal at the upscale New York eatery Caravaggio with wife Laura. He stopped earlier by his office in Midtown and left with a large brown folder. He remains the only person charged in a scandal involving hush money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who were threatening to speak about alleged affairs with Trump during his 2016 Presidential campaign. Cohen has also lost the interest of the one group of people who could help him out: the federal prosecutors he desperately hoped would ask a judge to shorten his sentence. Since March, prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohen's repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other people in his orbit, Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis told The Associated Press on Friday. 'Why not see him?' Davis asked. 'What's the downside? He's about to go to prison.' Cohen's legal team reached out to prosecutors in March asking for an opportunity to meet for a 'frank discussion' about reducing his sentence, based on his cooperation. That meeting never happened. Father and son walked to Viand diner to pick up coffee as Cohen begins a three-month prison term on Monday for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes Cohen has always said that he wanted to protect his wife Laura Susterman, son Jake and daughter Samantha, who were a constant presence at his side during his trial in December Cohen was later seen leaving Barneys department store in New York, where he told journalists that he plans to hold a news conference on Monday That snub might be the best evidence yet that Cohen's months-long campaign to sell himself as a potential witness hasn't paid off. Cohen started to cast himself publicly as a whistleblower less than three months after the FBI raided his home and apartment. He gave a series of tantalizing teases that there was 'more to come,' starting with an interview last July in which he told ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos he was no longer loyal to Trump. More dribbled out over the next few weeks. Davis released a tape of Cohen and Trump discussing one of the hush-money payments. However that effort has largely been met with an uncompromising approach by federal prosecutors. On Friday, he was spotted out enjoying a meal at the upscale New York eatery Caravaggio with wife Laura as he makes the most of his free time before starting his jail term Cohen was seen on Friday evening leaving his apartment for another meeting with friends New York investigators built their case for months without speaking with Cohen, then finally agreed to meet with him on a Saturday last August, just a few days before he would plead guilty. At the meeting, they delivered an ultimatum: plead guilty or be indicted within days. Cohen also believed after the meeting that his wife could be charged with financial crimes if he didn't cooperate. 'I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap," Cohen later told an acquaintance, the actor Tom Arnold, in a conversation that Arnold recorded and provided to The Wall Street Journal. Cohen's wife Laura, (left), and children Samantha, (center), and Jake, (right), were a steadfast presence at their father's trial last year on eight counts of financial crimes Cohen, pictured at his trial in November, admitted to lying about his income to evade taxes, lying to banks to obtain loans, and making illegal contributions to benefit Trumps campaign Cohen's wife, Laura, filed taxes with her husband and made investments with Cohen in taxi medallions. She ultimately was not charged. After pleading guilty in August, Cohen did meet with Manhattan-based prosecutors multiple times to discuss several issues. Those included Trump's personal business dealings, the president's personal involvement in attempts to pay off McDougal and Daniels, and his inaugural committee, which is now the subject of a criminal investigation centering on possible donations by foreign nationals and influence peddling. Cohen also met with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators several times, culminating with a session just days before the former FBI director turned his report over to the Justice Department. In February, Cohen testified before several Congressional panels about what he said was dishonesty by Trump in his business affairs. He is pictured giving evidence before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill February 27 Cohen is pictured standing behind Trump with Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence during Trump's presidential campaign at a rally in Ohio in September 2016 Still, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, in court filings before his sentencing, criticized what it described as Cohen's unwillingness to cooperate fully and be debriefed 'on other uncharged criminal conduct, if any, in his past.' They didn't ask the judge for a lenient sentence and have given no sign that they intend to file a so-called Rule 35 motion- a legal filing that could reduce Cohen's punishment if his cooperation is deemed to be of substantial assistance. Cohen's attorneys say they believe Cohen's information supports several potential prosecutions. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. In February, Cohen testified before several Congressional panels about what he said was dishonesty by Trump in his business affairs. This undated photo provided by the Bureau of Prisons shows the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, where Cohen will report to begin his sentence on Monday A sign marks the entrance to the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, New York where Cohen will be spending the next three years He also testified that a Trump Organization executive, Allen Weisselberg, and Trump's son Donald Jr. were involved in reimbursing him for one of the hush money payments. During that testimony, Cohen said a number of Trump-related topics were still being probed by New York prosecutors. "I am currently working with them right now on several other issues of investigation that concerns them, that they're looking at," Cohen said. Yet, within weeks, prosecutors were through speaking with him. Davis, in the interview Friday, said he believes Cohen has been treated unfairly. 'The Southern District of New York was disproportionate in the sentence it asked for and appears to have targeted just Michael Cohen for reasons that I can't understand,' Davis said. Rachel Held Evans died early Saturday at a Nashville hospital at age 37 Progressive Christian author Rachel Held Evans has died at the age of 37. She spent two weeks in a Tennessee hospital for treatment for an infection and brain seizures. Sarah Bessey, a writer and friend of Evans', says she died in Nashville early Saturday morning, surrounded by her husband and friends. Evans was known for challenging the evangelical community by addressing sexism and racism and 'championing voices of people who have been marginalized in the church,' including the LGBTQ community, Bessy said. A resident of Dayton, Tennessee, Evans' books include Faith Unraveled, A Year of Biblical Womanhood, and Searching for Sunday. Evans' website said she wrote about 'faith, doubt and life in the Bible Belt.' She served on former President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The married mother-of-two was a progressive Christian author who challenged the evangelical community by addressing sexism and racism She had spent two weeks in the hospital for an infection and brain seizures and was placed in a medically induced coma She spoke at churches, conferences and universities around the country. Dan Evans wrote on his wife's blog April 19 that she was placed in a medically induced coma after her brain experienced seizures during treatment for an infection. Doctors tried to reduce swelling in her brain Friday but could not save her. 'This entire experience is surreal,' Dan wrote. 'I keep hoping it's a nightmare from which I'll awake. I feel like I'm telling someone else's story.' Bessey called her friend courageous, loving and passionate. 'I can't imagine a world without her voice,' Bessey told The Associated Press in a phone interview. 'She was leading in a space where a lot of people in the church were silent.' Evans was also the mother of two children. Funeral arrangements are pending. A vacationing Tennessee couple received a surprise when they found a group of black bears relaxing in their hot tub at a secluded rural cabin. Elizabeth Strickland and her boyfriend Travis, both from Knoxville, Tennessee, visited a cabin in the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee near the Appalachian Mountains earlier this week. The couple were woken Friday morning by the sound of the bears on their porch. 'I saw one walk around a corner of the porch, and I ran into the bedroom to look out the windows at the hot tub and there they were!' Strickland told WKRN. Knoxville, Tennessee locals Elizabeth Strickland and her boyfriend took photos of a bear sitting in their hot tub outside their vacation cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee Friday morning Elizabeth Strickland (right) and her boyfriend Travis (left) were visited by black bears on Friday while vacationing at a cabin in the rural town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee Strickland said the bears woke up her and her boyfriend around 11am Friday The couple looked outside and saw one of the animals bathing in their hot tub 'We had the best time watching them!' she continued. 'We have closed everything up now, but they have been back once to check it out again!!' Strickland's photos show one of the bears straddling the edge of the hot tub and a wooden railing. Another photo shows a bear sitting upright in the tub. 'I was in that same seat 14 hours ago!,' she told WBIR. 'I just had to share with y'all!' The couple said they waited for the bears to finish their soak and leave before closing up the tub. Other photos show the bears walking along the porch outside the cabin The couple decided to let the bears enjoy their soak for a while. Once the animals left, the couple put the lid back on the tub Tennessee's black bear population has been on the rise in recent years. In January, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency estimated there are 7,000 bears in the state. Black bears normally try to avoid encounters with humans, but can be attracted by the trash and food people throw away, according to TWRA's website. The bear's numbers have swelled across the US in recent years. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation estimated there were 300,000 black bears in the US alone, not including Alaska. Multiple bear encounters have made the news in recent weeks. An 84-year-old homeless man was attacked and chased by a 300-pound black bear on April 25 in the Los Angeles suburb of Sierra Madre, California. A 17-year-old Montana boy fought off a grizzly bear attack on April 12. Raquel Barreras has been found guilty of first degree murder for starved her three-year-old son to death An Arizona mother has been found guilty of first degree murder after she starved her three-year-old son to death and stashed his body in a plastic toy box. Raquel Barreras, 44, of Tucson, was convicted of the shocking crime on Friday, and will be formally sentenced on July 22. The remains of her young boy, Roman Barreras, were discovered inside her home by landlords back in March 2014, when they went to clean up the squalid property after she had been evicted. It's believed Roman died sometime between the spring of 2013 and January 2014. Barreras plead guilty to the crime, but her defense argued that she was an easy target because she was a drug addicted mother living in poverty. They also claimed Roman may have had cancer before his death, which could have contributed to his weight loss, according to KGUN. However, the prosecution alleged Barreras deliberately starved her son and allowed no one to play with, talk to, or feed the boy. Barreras has four other children, and The Mirror reports that none of them were allowed to have contact with young Roman. Arizona Department of Child Safety removed Roman (pictured) and three of his older siblings from his parents after his birth in July 2010 due to drug exposure Roman's body was discovered in this squalid property back in March 2014 However, a number of Roman's siblings testified against their mother at the trial , where they revealed that they would sneak into the family's laundry room to feed their brother crackers. Arizona Department of Child Safety removed Roman and three of his older siblings from his parents after his birth in July 2010 due to drug exposure. However, a year later, Roman was back with his father, Martin Barreras. He has also been charged with first degree murder, and is scheduled for trial in August. On Friday, prosecutors implored jurors to deliver a guilty verdict against Raquel Barreras. 'It took Roman a long time to die. We cannot make these things better for Roman. What we can do is bring justice... the justice that Roman deserves'. The ex-lover of convicted wife killer Gerard Baden-Clay has fled to the United Arab Emirates and started a new life as a teacher using the alias 'Bridget Jones'. Toni McHugh, 48, started an affair with real estate agent Baden-Clay while working for him at his Brisbane agency in 2008. The pair - who were both married - would meet up to four times a week during a lengthy affair, but cut ties a year before Baden-Clay murdered wife Allison in 2012. Tracked down by The Sunday Mail, Ms McHugh refused to comment on her fresh start and demanded her new workplace be kept a secret to protect her identity. 'This (name change) has been done for my safety and to allow some level of anonymity on a daily basis,' she told the publication. Toni McHugh, 48, (left) started an affair with her real estate agent boss Gerard Baden-Clay (right) in 2008 - four years before he killed his wife Toni McHugh now teaches at an international school in the United Arab Emirates, and has been described as seeming 'like any other normal person' Ms McHugh, who left her husband of 17 years to pursue a relationship with Baden-Clay, was forced to leave the Brisbane agency after his wife Allison found out. Baden-Clay and McHugh called time on their relationship, but started things up again when Allison went missing in April 2012. She was even forced to describe their affair at Baden-Clay's murder trial, which saw him sentenced to a minimum 15 years' jail in 2014. In the aftermath of the trial, Ms McHugh was relentlessly pursued by the media for her on-again, off-again romance with Baden-Clay. Shortly after doing rounds of media interviews, McHugh moved to Bali to volunteer as a teacher in 2015. The following year, she lived in a villa in Bali's serene and tranquil town of Ubud. In 2014, Gerard Baden-Clay (left) was convicted of the 2012 murder of his wife Allison (right), and was sentenced to a non-parole period of 15 years behind bars But now, four years on from her Indonesian stint, McHugh has started afresh in the Middle Eastern country home to billionaires and royalty. She teaches art classes at an international school, which has more than 1000 kids and 100 teachers. The school is a large walled complex, with the high level of security suited for anyone wanting to go unnoticed. Sources from the school have described her as seeming like 'any other normal person'. 'I wouldn't look twice at her if I didn't know anything about her, she just looks like an ordinary expat teacher,' a source told The Sunday Mail. 'A little reason of why she ended up here is probably because she faded into the general background of expat teachers.' McHugh lives a low profile life, and uses the name 'Bridget Jones' on social media to keep in touch with friends. Checks to stop health tourists coming to Britain for treatment they are not entitled to which costs the NHS up to 280 million every year have been all but abandoned. Ministers had promised to crack down on overseas visitors abusing the NHS by making it a legal requirement for hospitals to charge upfront those not entitled to free care. Under strict rules, patients were to be asked to prove their eligibility by showing a passport and evidence of a permanent UK address. Pregnant women, thought to account for the majority of health tourism costs, were a particular target. But now a Mail on Sunday investigation has established the plans have been shelved. Checks to stop health tourists coming to Britain for treatment they are not entitled to have been abandoned Trials have been discontinued and the Department of Health and Social Care said it has no intention of making the checks mandatory. Last night, it also indicated its focus had shifted to better collection of unpaid health tourists' bills. The U-turn follows campaigns by Left-wing activists, including doctors and nurses, opposed to charging migrants. They claim doing so is 'racist' and have called on hospital workers to stop checks. Last night, Tory MP Nigel Evans said: 'We rightly fund the NHS for our citizens, but we can't afford to fund an international health service available to everyone. 'If people know we're not really making any checks, we will continue to be a destination for them to come to.' Medics opposed to charging migrants should bear in mind this was 'taxpayers' money, not theirs', he added. Our revelation comes after figures revealed that every day at least ten women ineligible for free NHS care are still giving birth on maternity wards in England. Some 3,981 women were billed 13.3 million in 2017/18, of which 8.4 million remains unpaid. In 2017, the then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced rules legally obliging hospitals to charge patients upfront for 'non-urgent' treatment. That autumn, 18 hospital trusts ran three-month 'pilot' schemes, where patients were asked for both photo ID and proof of a UK address. In 2017, the then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced rules legally obliging hospitals to charge patients upfront for 'non-urgent' treatment But the plans faced resistance from the start, with the British Medical Association and Royal College of GPs arguing doctors were not 'border guards'. Left-wing pressure groups quickly launched campaigns. In East London, campaigners forced England's biggest NHS trust, Barts Health, to stop photo ID checks and take down posters warning: 'NHS hospital treatment is not free for everyone.' Barts, which was last year owed 20 million in unpaid bills, continued checks until opposition mounted. Under the pilot, 1,497 pregnant women were checked and 17 who 'accepted they were not eligible for free care' were billed 104,706. At St George's Hospital, about one in 100 maternity patients were found to be health tourists. But there, checks stopped too again after opposition. The Mail on Sunday contacted all 18 'pilot' trusts to ask if eligibility checking continued after the trials. Most said it had not. Several refused to answer. The DHSC said requesting two forms of patient ID was 'not mandatory'. A spokesman added: 'ID checking is just one way NHS trusts are making sure people who should pay do. Since 2015, trusts have worked hard reclaim over 1 billion.' Ashley Garlit, 24, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and received two citations for failure to be booked A Tennessee woman has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after she allegedly stabbed a fellow sex worker with a needle for 'taking her date'. Ashley Garlit, 24, was accused chasing the 33-year-old victim Friday and injecting the contents of a needle into the woman who had driven away from a gas station in Nashville with what she describes as an 'unknown friend'. During the Friday incident that occurred past midnight on Murfreesboro Pike, Garlit who was convicted on a prostitution charge and had her driver's license revoked in December 2017 - is said to have pursued them in her own car before hopping out and causing the victim to flee. However when she fell to the ground, Garlit tried to strangle her and plunged the needle her arm, the victim claims. The woman in her 30s stated to Metropolitan Nashville Police Department that she felt an instant burning sensation when her limb was pierced, Scoop Nashville reported. Garlit allegedly stabbed a fellow sex worker with a needle and injected the contents into her arm Friday after she drove away from a Murfreesboro Pike gas station with an 'unknown friend' Garrlit - who was convicted on a prostitution charge in 2017 - allegedly said 'bitch you're going to die' and told the woman it was for 'taking her date' Victim, 33, said Garlit tried to strangle her when she fell to the ground trying to run away. Pictured August 2016 The victim was taken to Summit Hospital after Garlit allegedly attacked her with the needle that led to a burning sensation. Pictured January 2016 She told law enforcement Garlit said: 'Bitch you're going to die.' The victim was being treated at Summit Hospital. Garlit has now been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and received two citations for failure to be booked. She was jailed on $27,000 bond. Garlit has had many run-ins with the law in the past few years and on occasion she has been charged with resisting arrest. Garlit has had many run-ins with the law in the past few years and on occasion she has been charged with resisting arrest This year alone she has been convicted on charges including possession/casual exchange, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. All repeat charges This year alone she has been convicted on charges including possession/casual exchange, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. All repeat charges. A January prostitution charge was abandoned by plaintiff. Her rap sheet includes being convicted of indecent exposure in December 2018, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia in October 2017, and felony theft of $500. She has had multiple public intoxication charges dismissed. A campaigner who threw a milkshake over Tommy Robinson after he says he was taunted by the EDL founder's entourage claims he is getting death threats. Danyaal Mahmud, 23, has been hailed as a symbol of a protest movement against the European election candidate after he doused Robinson with milkshake in Warrington. But Mr Mahmud said last Thursday's altercation - in which Robinson was seen bashing him over the head - and the ensuing notoriety has left him feeling vulnerable. The apprentice customer services adviser told The Observer: 'I'm a low-key person, I didn't anticipate this publicity and I don't want it - I'm getting death threats on social media and I am worried about me and my family being targeted.' Danyaal Mahmud, 23, said he felt vulnerable after gaining unwanted notoriety for dousing the milkshake over Robinson In footage taken at the scene, Tommy Robinson can be seen engaged in a discussion with Danyaal Mahmud and appears to be referencing an earlier altercation in the town centre The encounter took place as the far-right extremist was campaigning in Warrington, Cheshire, and left his blue striped suit covered in the sticky McDonald's drink (left). In footage taken at the scene, Robinson hurls punches after having the fluid thrown over him (right) Robinson was left covered in strawberry milkshake following the altercation. It covered his face and upper body Mr Mahmud was in town to meet with an occupational health therapist when he was invited by anti-fascist protesters to join them in confronting Robinson and his group in the town centre. He said the activists encouraged his presence, hugging him and telling him he was brave to stand with them. And when 36-year-old Robinson arrived from his van Mr Mahmud said he was immediately accosted. He told The Observer: 'The first time he approached me, he asked me if I thought he was racist and I said: "Yeah." Then he says: "Do you know 80% of grooming gangs are Muslim?" I go to him, "That's a false statistic, what about white paedophiles? Why are they not called Christian grooming gangs?" then he goes off on one.' Mr Mahmud conceded he called the right-wing figure 'scum,' but said he was rounded upon by the Robinson faithful who were 'very aggressive.' He spoke to a police officer after he claims he was shoved and was told to head to his appointment and that, if followed, not to hesitate in ringing 999. But after the young man's meeting, despite his hopes the crowds would have dispersed, Mr Mahmud told the paper he was stopped again. He told The Observer: 'They came running after me. At that point I was scared for my life. He said I'd assaulted a woman, which wasn't true. He said that I was aggressive and I couldn't do shit so I just threw the milkshake in his face.' Footage taken earlier on in the day in Warrington town centre appears to show another fight break out among a group The footage (left and right), posted on social media, shows terrified locals running away as the violence erupts. The men then hurl several punches at each other in front of shocked onlookers In footage taken at the scene, Robinson can be seen engaged in a discussion with Mr Mahmud and appears to be referencing an earlier altercation in the town centre. He can be heard telling the man that he was 'overly aggressive' and that 'the only person you pushed was a woman.' After the drink is thrown over him Robinson rains down a barrage of punches on Mr Mahmud's head before he is pulled away. Cheshire Police said: 'We are aware of an allegation of assault made following an incident in Bridge Street in Warrington this afternoon. We are looking into the circumstances.' Mr Mahmud told The Observer despite bruises and cuts on his back and a minor head injury, he would be willing to 'shake on it,' with Robinson and 'bury the hatchet.' The 36-year-old far right activist was doused with a milkshake the day before in Bury The former English Defence League member is running for the European Parliament This is the moment Robinson was hit by a milkshake while on the campaign trail in Bury on Wednesday The incident was the latest to dog the Robinson campaign trail - just that day in Warrington another fight appeared to break out. The footage, posted on social media, shows terrified locals running away as the violence erupts. The scrap appeared to take place just off Bridge Street, where the milkshake hurling occurred. The area is enclosed and connects several other streets in the town centre. The day before Robinson had been covered in a strawberry milkshake while out canvassing for votes in Bury. An associate of Tommy Robinson was seen confiscating a milkshake, pictured, on his campaign trail in Greater Manchester on Friday after he was pelted with a similar drink twice in two days Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been campaigning ahead of the European elections in Middleton, Greater Manchester, today And on Friday, a supporter of his was seen confiscating a milkshake while Robinson walked the streets of Middleton, Greater Manchester. Robinson pledged a 'David versus Goliath' battle to represent the 'betrayed' working classes as he announced his plans to run as an independent MEP earlier this month. He will remain an adviser to Ukip leader Gerard Batten but was unable to run for the party due to its rule banning former EDL members from joining. Colour Sergeant John Norwood, from Glasgow,is claimed to have attacked James Warnock after both being thrown out of an Aldershot pub A former soldier is suing the Ministry of Defence for 300,000 after he was attacked with a machete by an Army colleague who had been jailed for killing a man before signing up. James Warnock, 27, a former lance sergeant in the Scots Guards, suffered horrific injuries in the attack by Colour Sergeant John Norwood. Mr Warnock claims Norwood should not have been allowed to join the Army given his previous convictions for violent offences. Norwood, 41, had been jailed for killing his uncle and, in a separate incident, for three counts of stabbing a man in a pub fight. In legal papers presented to the High Court, Mr Warnock a veteran of two tours of Afghanistan argues the Army was vicariously liable because it failed to identify the threat posed by Norwood before the machete attack, which ended Mr Warnocks military career and triggered a mental breakdown. His lawyers claim Norwood had a reputation for fighting, bullying and verbal abuse, especially when drunk, which should have led to his discharge from the Army. Instead, he was repeatedly promoted. On July 11, 2015, the two soldiers were thrown out of the George pub in Aldershot, Hampshire, after exchanging punches. Mr Warnock then returned to Mons Barracks in the town and went to bed. Norwood also went back to the base and took a 10in machete from the storeroom, for which he had a key. He prowled the barracks in search of Mr Warnock, broke into the wrong room and attacked another soldier in a case of mistaken identity, fortunately without causing serious injury. Still in a drunken rage at 5am, Norwood found Mr Warnock and struck him repeatedly with the machete, causing serious injuries to his right shoulder, left hand and wrist Still in a drunken rage at 5am, he found Mr Warnock and struck him repeatedly with the machete, causing serious injuries to his right shoulder, left hand and wrist. At a trial the following year, Norwood, from Glasgow, was convicted of wounding with intent and was jailed for eight years. After the case, it emerged that in 1996, before joining the Army, Norwood had been jailed for culpable homicide over the death of his uncle, who was fatally injured after fighting with him and falling from a balcony. Norwood, who was not held totally responsible as his victim had refused medical treatment, also spent two years in prison over a pub fight attack. After the machete attack, Mr Warnock needed surgery for a number of wounds, suffered major depression and was medically discharged from the Army in 2017 ending the only career he had ever wanted, according to court papers. He is also said to suffer from stress and anxiety, affecting his ability to work. Mr Warnock, also from Glasgow, accuses the Army of negligence, saying a proper risk-assessment would have identified the danger of allowing Norwood access to the storeroom from which he took the machete. He says the Army was also negligent to employ Norwood and promote him due to his previous convictions and behaviour. The Mail on Sunday understands Norwoods convictions for offences committed before he joined the Army were spent, so the MoD was obliged to consider his application to join the Scots Guards. Last night, an MoD spokesman said: As this is an ongoing legal proceeding, it would be inappropriate to comment. Fourteen prisoners have escaped from a single open prison in the past year, including one who murdered a teenager and another who stabbed a woman police officer, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The violent inmates all absconded from HMP Springhill near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire a category D jail that houses about 330 inmates at a rate of one every four weeks since April last year. While ten have been recaptured, critics last night condemned the ease with which dangerous criminals were able to simply walk away, despite a warning from the Chief Inspector of Prisons following an unannounced inspection in December 2017. One of those still at large is murderer Ahmet Gomulu, 30, who absconded in November. Ahmet Gomulu (left), 30, was jailed for 12 years in 2008 for stabbing a teenager and is still at large. Jason Sufi (right), 39, is suspected of committing burglaries across six counties since his escape from prison He was jailed for 12 years in 2008 for stabbing Nassirudeen Osawe, 16, through the heart at a bus stop in Islington, North London. The savage attack was sparked when Gomulu, who police think may be hiding out in North London or Essex, accused Nassirudeen and two of his friends of 'staring at him'. Another man still on the run is Jason Sufi, a 39-year-old career criminal known to police since he was 13. Sufi, from Coventry, was jailed for ten years in 2001 for a string of offences, including stabbing a female police officer and a machete attack that left the owner of a jewellery store needing 50 stitches to a head wound. He had previously escaped from Rye Hill, a category C prison in Rugby, Warwickshire. Sufi vanished from Springhill in February and is suspected of committing burglaries across six counties since his escape, including a 25,000 jewellery heist in Epsom, Surrey. Michael Murphy (left) and Thomas Reynolds (right) are part of a gang of conmen who preyed no pensioners by posing as undercover police officers and went missing last May Michael Murphy, 26, and Thomas Reynolds, 30, part of a gang of conmen who preyed on pensioners across the South East and South West by posing as undercover police officers, went missing last May and are yet to be found. Jack Murray, 24, who was given an 11-year prison sentence for violent robberies, also absconded in May 2018 and spent three months on the run. The latest official Ministry of Justice figures show 139 inmates escaped in 2017-18 across England and Wales, up from 53 the previous year. Open prisons are used by criminals nearing the end of their sentences. As part of the preparation for release they are often allowed out into the community but under supposedly strict conditions. The violent inmates all absconded from HMP Springhill near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, a category D jail that houses about 330 inmates Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North-West Leicestershire, said: 'Open prisons seem to be very open these days but open prisons cannot be so open that prolific criminals, robbers and murderers can escape and carry on their life of crime. 'I think security at this prison needs to be reviewed and improvements must be made both there and across the whole prison estate so that these absconds don't happen.' Last night, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We work closely with police to ensure prisoners are recaptured and those who abscond can expect to serve extra time behind bars in a closed prison. 'Offenders are only moved to open conditions when they have been assessed as low risk.' A man is in critical condition and two others were rushed to hospital after a triple shooting in east London last night. Scotland Yard said the victims, aged 23, 28 and 30, suffered gunshot wounds in the incident on Leyton High Road just before 9pm on Saturday. The 30-year-old man was fighting for his life but is now believed to be stable. Officers were called to the scene at about 8.50pm on Saturday where they found the three men suffering gunshot wounds. Three men were shot on Leyton High Street on Saturday evening, with one fighting for his life A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the three men were treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. The 30 and 23-year-old are now in a stable condition in hospital, while the 28-year-old was discharged today. 'Detectives from the Trident and Area Crime Command have been informed,' the spokesman added. 'There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.' Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference Cad 6867/4May or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. One of the victims, 28, has been discharged from hospital, while the other two remain stable Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the current chair of council of the BMA, has ordered an investigation into senior doctors spending members' money on their spouses Senior doctors at the British Medical Association (BMA) spent tens of thousands of pounds of its members' money taking their spouses on luxury overseas trips. The Mail on Sunday has established that about 34,000 was spent by bosses of the doctors' trade union to whisk their loved-ones away to conferences. BMA 'chief officers' took wives or husbands with them to international events on 16 occasions between 2013 and 2018. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA's current chair of council, has now ordered an investigation into the practice, which was only banned last year. A source said: 'He wants members' money spent carefully and responsibly and this didn't seem right to him when it was brought to his attention.' News of the probe emerged in an article in The BMJ, a journal owned by the BMA. In it, Dr Nagpaul said: 'There are understandably strong views that monies paid in this way should be reclaimed.' Former chief officers will be contacted about the spending but the BMA has been advised that there is no legal obligation on them to repay it. Details of the total spending were only released after persistent questioning by this newspaper, but the BMA declined to give the names of those who had made the claims nor exactly what travel or accommodation had been claimed. Chief officers sit at the very top of the BMA. There are currently four the chair of council, the president, the treasurer and the representative body chair but none were involved in making the expenses claims. Writing in the BMJ, six members of the BMA's ruling council applauded Dr Nagpaul for taking action. 'It is surprising and disappointing that some of the top leadership of the BMA claimed expenses for international travel by spouses,' they wrote. The BMA, the doctors' trade union, has about 156,000 members and total annual income of 135 million 'Ordinary members' subscriptions paid for those trips.' The BMA has about 156,000 members and total annual income of 135 million. Doctors pay up to 461 a year for full membership. In a statement, the BMA said: 'It came to light in January 2019 that spousal travel expenses of past chief officers have been paid by the BMA for some overseas events. 'No spousal travel expenses have been paid since 2018. The current chair of the BMA and all current chief officers have never claimed spousal travel expenses to attend overseas events in connection with their roles within the BMA.' It added: 'There is no suggestion of dishonesty against the individuals concerned; they were going about agreed and legitimate BMA business as required and made these claims using established processes.' Trolls who harass people online will be jailed for five years under proposed new legislation. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to toughen the current laws after a spike in complaints of abuse online if he is reelected in May's federal election. The changes come after an increased number of sporting and television stars spoke out about vile comments trolls often leave on their social media platforms. Channel Nine star Erin Molan recently spoke candidly about her experience with trolls while 33 weeks pregnant, including comments hoping she gave birth to a still born. 'I wish u a f** still born I use u a f** still born I wish u a f** still born AND U DIE IN THE PROCESS ... hip hip hooray hip hip HOORAY,' one of the threats said. Erin Molan (pictured) was the host of the The Footy Show when she was bombarded with violent threats She had blocked the user several times after he made multiple profiles to bombard her with messages 'I am used to copping nasty comments, I am not a snowflake,' Molan told the Sunday Telegraph. 'But when it gets to the stage when I felt unsafe and I was heavily pregnant, and someone is threatening my life and the life of my child, it's too much.' Molan's troll was arrested, slapped with an $1,000 fine and given an eight-month suspended sentence, while his Facebook accounts were shut down. AFL star Tayla Harris was also left fearing for her safety after abusive comments were posted online in relation to a photo of her kicking a ball during a match. The photo of the Carlton star was initially posted to the 7AFL site but soon attracted sexual comments which prompted the site to take the picture down. 'I genuinely consider that they might show up at the footy. If they're thinking this way and able to write it down, what are they going to do when I'm on sideline meeting some kids - that's what I'm going to have to think about now. An image (above) of Tayla Harris was uploaded to twitter by 7AFL and attracted offensive comments Sporting stars rallied behind the AFL Women's star and begun re-tweeting the image of Tayla Harris which was deleted AFL Women's star Tayla Harris (pictured right) says she fears for her safety after abusive comments were posted online directed toward a photo of her kicking a ball during a match 'Some of the comments were sexual abuse, what I would consider sexual abuse on social media. 'These people need to be called out by the AFL, but something needs to go further. It's something maybe Victoria Police should have to look at.' Mr Morrison's latest amendment to the law will see trolls facing five years imprisonment instead of a maximum of three, which is the current legislation. The Coalition also hopes to introduce new standards for video games to keep youth safe, in which the default privacy settings when signing up to play are the most restrictive. Anna Meares criticised 7AFL for their decision to delete the image because of the negativity Molan had also reported the threats to Facebook but received a slack response from the platform saying the messages weren't 'abusive or offensive' enough to be taken down More than 200,000 youths experience bullying or intimidation on multiplayer games each year, The Sunday Telegraph reported. But Mr Morrison hopes to slash those figures by implementing tighter security settings. He also hopes to hold social media platforms to account regarding the amount of complaints that are made each year, and what action they take to put an end to bullying. 'As a dad I know first-hand how anxious parents feel about what their kids see and do online and the dangers the internet can bring,' he said. 'Online trolls have no place in Australia and I promise to bring in new laws to protect our kids and keep our community safe.' The Environment Secretary has seized control of shooting licensing powers in a bid to resolve a bitter row over the control of 'pest' wild birds. Michael Gove informed Natural England on Saturday he was taking over some of its functions due to 'the scale of interest and concern' over the organisation's decision to revoke certain licences due to legal threats from wildlife campaigners. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have been instructed to formally gather evidence to help determine the future of licensing arrangements. Mr Gove said the situation needed 'to be considered with particular intensity and urgency' and that he would decide on 'the best way forward'. The Environment Secretary takes over the issuing of general licences under section 16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Environmentalists at Wild Justice sought a judicial review of licences which permit the killing of certain species of wild birds to prevent serious damage or disease in farmland. The legal challenge led Natural England, the body advising the Government on managing the natural environment, to revoke three general licences which allowed the shooting of 16 species of bird, including crows, magpies, Canada geese and feral and wood pigeons. Broadcaster Chris Packham said he had received death threats after backing the legal challenge. He is a director of Wild Justice They were replaced by individual licences, but rural bodies complained that the decision had left farmers and gamekeepers in chaos. The issue hit the headlines after the bodies of two dead crows were hung from a gate outside the home of TV wildlife expert Chris Packham, two days after Natural England's decision. Mr Packham, who is a director of Wild Justice, said he had received death threats after backing the legal challenge. Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, wrote to the Environment Secretary on Saturday inviting him to temporarily take control of the situation. He said his organisation was 'forced' into revoking the licenses after 'unequivocal legal advice' indicated it would lose a defence mounted against the legal action. Mr Juniper said Natural England 'had no choice but to concede to the claim by accepting that the current licence was unlawful'. The issue hit the headlines after the bodies of two dead crows were hung from a gate outside the home of TV wildlife expert Chris Packham, two days after Natural England's decision He added: 'Despite our efforts to explain the need for the change, some groups are reporting confusion among their members and a level of dissatisfaction that is in some cases spilling over into frustration.' In a written response, Mr Gove said the situation needed 'to be considered with particular intensity and urgency' and that he would decide on 'the best way forward'. The Environment Secretary takes over the issuing of general licences under section 16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This does not affect Natural England's ability to grant individual licences. Bodies including the British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC), Countryside Alliance, and the National Gamekeepers Organisation previously wrote an open letter to Mr Gove calling on him to launch an investigation into Natural England's decision. BASC chief executive Ian Bell said he hoped Mr Gove's move would be 'the first step to resolving the current chaos in the countryside'. He added: 'This shambles of the last week or so was created by Natural England's ill-advised decision to withdraw all licences without consultation or notice and, in effect, remove pest control at a critical time of year. 'We hope that this intervention by the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, represents that he is getting a grip of this problem and BASC will join the other leading organisations in providing evidence into the review to ensure we end up with a system of general licences that are fit for purpose.' A call for evidence on the impact of the withdrawn general licences has been launched by Defra and will close on May 13. Mr Gove will then take a further week to consider submitted views before making a decision. Advertisement Around 20,000 people joined Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima as they attended a poignant ceremony on Saturday to remember the civilians and soldiers who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of the Second World War. The ceremony took place at the Dam Memorial during the annual Remembrance Day service in Amsterdam. The royals laid a wreath at the National Monument, while watched by large crowds that had gathered to pay their respects. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and several other cabinet members also laid a wreath down, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, with the wreath laying followed by two minutes of silence. The touching ceremony was preceded by a silent march, which was carried out by Amsterdam primary school children. In addition to the main service, other events were held throughout the Netherlands with 40 commemorations held in Amsterdam alone. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima attend service at the Dam Memorial during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Amsterdam, Netherlands The royals were joined by a crowd of 20,000 citizens who descended on the square to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers and civilians The ceremony commemorates civilians and Dutch soldiers who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of the Second World War A large crowd watches Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima placing a wreath at the Dam Memorial for the annual May 4 Remembrance Day ceremony in Amsterdam The wreath laying was followed by two minutes of silence and there were memorial services held throughout the country King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima wave to crowds as they leave following the poignant annual memorial service As well as the royals, members of the government also laid down wreaths, with groups of Amsterdam school children also taking part in a silent march A line of soldiers salute as they flank the royals walk towards the memorial to place the wreath. Royal fans can be seen straining to get a photo An Asian family who faced being deported because their son's hearing impairment could cost the country too much have been allowed to stay in Australia. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal rejected the Wangchuk family's visa application last month, because 18-year-old Kinley's hearing issues could be a financial burden to Australia. The family, who live in Queanbeyan near Canberra , were granted permanent residency on Friday when Immigration Minister David Coleman overturned the tribunal's decision. The prospect of moving back to their home country of Bhutan in South Asia would have been near impossible for Kinley, as he would have a hard time communicating because he uses Australian sign language. The Wangchuk family, who moved here from Bhutan in 2012, were granted permanent residency on Friday when Immigration Minister David Coleman overturned the Administrative Appeals Tribunal's decision to reject their visa application More than 50,000 people signed a petition calling on Minister Coleman to let the family stay in Australia, where they've been living since migrating in 2012. Kinley's mother Jangchu Pelden received the verdict via email on Friday night, but thought it was a hoax at first until their migration lawyer confirmed the good news on Saturday. 'Until now we have been living in so much stress. We've been keeping our lives and dreams on hold,' Kinley's mother Jangchu Pelden told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'It's like our only dream has come true and it's all thanks to Minister David Campbell and the Australian people and the thousands of supporters we had. It's all because of them,' she told News.com.au The health requirement that could have ended the family's life in Australia was if Kinley's deafness could result in 'significant costs to the Australian community or prejudice the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to services in short supply'. David Randall, a family friend and the man who started the petition, said Kinley is in 'perfect health,' and isn't likely to cause a drain on the Australian government, the Canberra Times reported. More than 50,000 people signed a petition calling on the Immigration minister to let Kinley Wangchuk (pictured) and his family stay in Australia, after they faced deportation because his hearing impairment could cost the country too much 'His hearing aids and hearing testing can be catered for through Better Hearing Australia, which has offered to provide that for at least five years,' Mr Randall said. 'Other than that, he's a perfectly healthy young man who happens to have a hearing loss and some learning difficulties. He doesn't have behaviour problems. He would cope quite well in an assisted work placement,' he said. The Wangchuk family moved to Australia from Bhutan in 2012, when Ms Pelden was offered a scholarship to study childcare. They then settled in Queanbeyan in 2014, where Kinley's father now works in aged care and as a cleaner. Kinley and his 17-year-old brother Tenzin both study at Queanbeyan High School. Senator Kamala Harris is calling for the Department of Justice's Inspector General to probe whether President Trump urged Attorney General William Barr to investigate his opponents. Harris made the request in a letter sent to Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Friday after grilling Barr on the same issue in Wednesday's Senate hearing regarding the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. 'In response to my questions during the [Senate Judiciary] hearing, Attorney General Barr proved unable or unwilling to state whether he had been directed to open investigations at the request or suggestion of the President or other White House officials -- an alarming response that strikes at the very heart of the rule of law and threatens to undermine the longstanding independence of the Justice Department,' she wrote in the letter. 'I request that the Office of the Inspector General investigate whether the Attorney General has received or acted upon such improper requests,' she said. Calif. Sen. Kamala Harris grilled Attorney General Bill Barr on Wednesday about why he didn't personally review all the underlying evidence before announcing the conclusions of the Mueller report Harris is now calling for an investigation into whether Trump urged Bill Barr to investigate his political opponents - including Hillary Clinton The letter came two days after the democratic senator questioned Barr over his release of Mueller's Russia report. The report noted instances where Trump had suggested the Department of Justice to investigate his political opponent Hillary Clinton. However, when Harris asked Barr whether Trump or anyone at the White House suggested he investigate anyone he appeared flustered and failed to answer the question. Harris includes that exact exchange in her letter to the inspector general. 'Attorney General Barr, has the President or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?' Harris quizzed Barr Wednesday. Barr then went on to question the term 'suggest'. 'I'm trying to grapple with the word ''suggest.'' I mean, there have been discussions of, of matters out there that, uhthey have not asked me to open an investigation,' Barr said. Harris then asked if anyone had 'hinted', 'suggested' or 'inferred', to which Barr said he didn't know. 'There must be no doubt that the Department of Justice and its leadership stand apart from partisan politics, and resist improper attempts to use the power of federal law enforcement to settle personal scores,' Harris wrote. This is the letter Harris sent Friday to the DOJ's Inspector General, which highlights her exchange with Barr as she quizzed him in Wednesday's hearing Harris spent most of her time in the spotlight on Wednesday clobbering Barr for not personally reviewing Mueller's underlying evidence before delivering a verdict to Congress that cast the president in a kind light. The letter was sent to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Friday Barr said in a late March letter to House and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders that Mueller had cleared Trump of charges that his campaign colluded with Russia, and that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had concluded Mueller lacked enough evidence to bring an obstruction of justice charge. 'We should assume and we should expect that he will take his duties seriously, and examine and be familiar with the evidence before he makes a decision,' Harris said Thursday morning on CNN's 'New day' program. 'He failed to perform his duties and I find it highly irresponsible and frankly unprofessional.' The raw evidence in the Mueller probe consisted of millions of pages of documents and interview transcripts. Barr said Wednesday that he accepted Mueller's descriptions of that evidence 'as fact.' President Donald Trump reacted to Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with a counter-punching defense of his attorney general, blasting California Senator Harris and other Democrats for how they grilled him. 'She was probably very nasty,' Trump said during an evening interview on the Fox Business Network, reflecting on Harris, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. President Donald Trump complained that Harris and other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee were 'ranting and raving' to get attention for their presidential campaigns The trio of Democrats all had their turn to question Barr about his decisions leading up to the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report, and they're all running for president. 'How about these three people? Three of them were running for three of them, they're not doing very well but three of them are running for a particular office,' Trump sniffed. 'They're out there ranting and raving like lunatics, frankly,' he added, complaining that electoral politics invaded the hearing. 'How is that fair?' Trump asked. 'So you have Bill Barr, highly respected, great attorney general. And he's got to take the abuse from people that are running for office? They don't care about this, they're just looking for political points, and I really think that the American people see through it so easily.' A tourist who allegedly raped a woman in a Sydney apartment before fleeing the country hours later has been extradited from the United States to Australia to face charges. The man, who was arrested in New York on a federal warrant in January, is accused of sexually and indecently assaulting a 21-year-old woman at a Carlton unit in June 2017. The Nepalese national allegedly fled Australia in the hours after the incident. A Nepalese man has been extradited from the United States to Sydney after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman while on holiday The 35-year-old allegedly sexually and indecently assaulted a 21-year-old woman at an apartment in Carlton, in Sydney's south, in June 2017 He was arrested in January by the New York Police Department's United States Marshall Service Task Force. The man was taken from New York to Los Angeles, where NSW Police took custody of him on Thursday last week. He was flown to Sydney on Saturday and charged with sexual intercourse without consent with an act of indecency. He was refused bail and is expected to face Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday. He was arrested on January 17, 2019, by the New York Police Department's United States Marshall Service Task Force Two people have been confirmed dead after an explosion at a Chicago chemical plant on Friday night. On Saturday morning, authorities recovered the body of one person from the rubble at the AB Specialty Silicones plant in Waukegan, north of Chicago. Hours later, another worker who was inside the factory at the time of the blast died in hospital, where they were being treated for injuries. Two more workers who were inside the plant are still missing, and are feared dead. If they are not found alive, the total death toll from the blast will rise to four. The victims' identities have not yet been released. An explosion at the AB Specialty Silicones plant in Waukegan, north of Chicago, has left at least two people dead. The remains of the building are pictured on Saturday morning Two more workers are believed to be trapped under the rubble of the plant On Saturday afternoon, crews suspended their search for the two missing workers because of concerns about the stability of the structure. Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi told Associated Press that it will take several days before crews are able to resume the searching beneath the rubble. AB Specialty Silicones' general manager, Mac Penman, also issued a statement about the tragic blast. 'We are shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in our plant last night,' he stated, adding that the company is focusing on offering support to company employees and their families. The cause of the explosion is still unknown. On Saturday afternoon, crews suspended their search for the two missing workers because of concerns about the stability of the structure Firefighters are seen battling a blaze at the chemical plant on Friday Meanwhile, the moment of the huge explosion was captured on a local resident's doorbell camera. Vision showed a ball of fire erupted into the night sky, causing surrounding homes to tremble as debris fell to the ground below. Another terrified local remarked that it 'felt like an earthquake' had struck the Illinois town. The plant was open and in operation when the blast rang out around 9.45 pm on Friday night. Ablaze for several hours, all fires at the dilapidated building have now been fully extinguished. Hazardous materials technicians and other specialist crews are also at the scene to assist local emergency responders. Twitter users living nearby said the blast shook houses for miles around. The AB Specialty Silicones plant was reportedly leveled by the blast at around 9.45pm Pictures taken on Saturday morning show the horrifying aftermath of the explosion Debris can be seen scattered across the roads nearby. Local residents said houses shook for miles around One wrote: 'Huge explosion across the street from me, my friend over 10 miles away said he heard it... felt like an earthquake.' The Lake County Sheriff's office said on Twitter last night that it was aware of a very loud explosion sound and the ground shaking. They have asked residents living nearby to avoid the area. Prices for Bill and Hillary Clinton's 13-city tour have taken a plunge as the pair near the end of a string of dates for their speaking engagements. The event billed as 'An Evening with President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton' continued at the LA Forum in Inglewood, California Saturday night and tickets were listed for as little as $2. Seats in the Lower Bowl 131 section were available on Vivid Seats while the same website was offering admission for the best section - center in front of the stage - for $92. Prices for Bill and Hillary Clinton's 13-city tour have taken a plunge. They are pictured in Seattle, Washington Friday Show at the LA Forum in Inglewood, California Saturday night had tickets listed for $2 Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday evening were available from $15 on StubHub for the upper balcony level. The best seats on the main floor were going for $474 Those hoping to see the politicians up close at the Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday evening were able to buy from StubHub for as little as $15 on the upper balcony level. However the best seats on the main floor were still going for $474. The date in Sin City had been reschedule from November 18, 2018. It came after the Seattle Times reported tickets on the secondary market were being sold for just $20 for Friday's appearance at Seattle's WaMu Theater. The best tickets were $829 but that was a 54 percent drop from $1,785 when the tour was first advertised. Tickets in Seattle were going for just $20 on Friday night. The pair are pictured at the Washington state show Moderator Sophia Bush on stage during An Evening President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at Rogers Arena on Thursday in Vancouver, Canada Actor Ben Stiller acted as moderator for the Clinton's speaking tour stop, at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit on April 12 On Thursday they graced the stage in Vancouver, British Columbia where Sophia Bush moderated. Throughout last month they carried out shows in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington DC and Massachusetts. The former Democratic presidential candidate and former president took their seats at the Fox theater in downtown Detroit April 12. Hillary Clinton speaks with moderator Tony Goldwyn on stage during An Evening With the Clintons at Boston Opera House April 30 in Boston, Massachusetts The pair shared stories of their time in political office as well as tackling some hot-button topics - though some criticized their reluctance to get into some of the more contentious debates of the day. At each event, a special guest host has been introduced with the comedian and liberal activist Ben Stiller assuming the role for this evening. Tony Goldwyn moderated in Boston, Nnamdi Asomugha in Philadelphia, Paul Begala in New York, Star Jones in Wallingford and Jordan Klepper in Washington DC. Moderator Nnamdi Asomugha appeared at The Met in Philadelphia, Saturday, April 13 While the Clintons have struggled to generate buzz for their speaking tour, Michelle Obama shows no signs of slowing down. The former first lady continues to sell out 21,000-seat arenas as she tours Europe and North America to promote her bestselling memoir, Becoming. Obama was in Montreal on Friday for a sold out appearance at the Bell Centre. Her book has so far sold in excess of 10 million copies and is on track to become the most popular memoir in publishing history. Nancy Pelosi is already anticipating that Trump will not be gracious in defeat if he loses the 2020 presidential election by a slim margin. Speaking to the New York Times, the Speaker of the House says that the Democrats need to win by a landslide so Trump will step down from the presidency without challenging the results. 'If we win by four seats, by a thousand votes each, he's not going to respect the election,' Pelosi says. 'We have to inoculate against that, we have to be prepared for that.' It would not be unlike Trump, who - even in victory - claimed during the 2016 presidential election that 'millions of people' illegally voted for opponent Hillary Clinton. Nancy Pelosi says that Trump won't 'respect the election' if he loses by a small margin in 2020 'He would poison the public mind. He would challenge each of the races; he would say ''you can't seat these people,''' she added. Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Trump preemptively warned against 'illegal voting.' Democrats picked up a sweeping 40 seats in the 2018 midterms - the largest Democratic House gain since 1974 - to which Pelosi said, 'We had to win.' 'Imagine if we hadn't won - oh, don't even imagine. So, as we go forward, we have to have the same approach.' The House Speaker offered suggestions on how the Democrats can secure the presidency: 'Own the center left, own the mainstream. 'Our passions were for health care, bigger paychecks, cleaner government - a simple message. 'We did not engage in some of the other exuberances that exist in our party,' she said, referring to some of the 22 Democratic candidates with leftist ideology of Medicare for all, the Green New Deal and impeaching Trump. Trump claimed during the 2016 presidential election that 'millions of people' voted illegally for Democrats because he had lost the popular vote Pelosi has suggested that that the best way to get rid of Trump is through 2020 - not necessarily impeachment. However just this week, Pelosi declared that Trump 'demonstrated on a daily basis his obstruction of justice.' The Speaker has insisted the door is neither open nor closed to impeachment, which would be unlikely to remove Trump from office. Presidential contenders Elizabeth Warren and Beto O'Rourke are among those calling for impeachment proceedings to begin. And just Friday, Senator Kamala Harris called on the the Department of Justice's inspector general to probe whether President Trump urged Attorney General William Barr to investigate his opponents. Six inmates from a Queensland prison have been airlifted to hospital after injecting an unknown substance and overdosing. Seven ambulance units and a rescue helicopter responded to what is believed to be a mass overdose at the Capricornia Correctional Centre in Central Queensland. A spokeswoman for Queensland Corrections confirmed the prison is now in lock down while officers work to get more information. 'Initial indications are that the symptoms may be related to drug ingestion, however we are working with Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Health and Queensland Police Service to establish the cause of the incident,' she said. Seven ambulance units and a rescue helicopter responded to what is believed to be a mass overdose at the Capricornia Correctional Centre in Central Queensland The men are all believed to be conscious, and prison staff are monitoring all other inmates to ensure nobody else falls ill. A spokesman for Queensland Ambulance Service told Daily Mail Australia two of the five men have been transported to Rockhampton Hospital in a stable condition. Another is in a serious condition and was airlifted to hospital, while the condition of the other three men involved is not yet known. One of the employees who responded to the medical episodes was injured during the incident. 'One custodial corrections officer was injured while dealing with an affected prisoner and was assessed by QAS (Queensland Ambulance Service). He has been contacted by management and will receive follow-up medical treatment,' the spokeswoman said. More to come. A diver has died after he was struck down by a speed boat in Melbourne waters. Paramedics responded to reports two divers in their 20s had been hit off the pier in between Frankston and Mornington, in Melbourne's south-east. They were picked up by another boat, who called emergency services about 1pm on Sunday. One of the men required CPR and was carried onto Frankston Pier, but paramedics were unable to revive him. A diver has died after he was struck down by a speed boat in Melbourne waters They were picked up by another boat, who called emergency services about 1pm on Sunday His diving partner was also checked over but did not require medical treatment. Police are currently searching for the driver of the boat involved in the collision after it did not stop to render assistance. Water Police have urged the driver to come forward. Investigators are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or knows the identity of the driver of the boat to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 More to come. Disturbing footage has been released of two schoolgirls violently brawling on the street before one has her head stomped on repeatedly while begging for mercy. The organised brawl between two teenage girls from different schools took place in an empty alley in Fremantle, Perth, on Wednesday. One student filmed the entire incident on their phone, while at least eight other girls watched on and screamed out encouragement. Scroll down for video 'Go! Go! Go!' the onlookers shout, before the girls start swinging their fists - hitting each other in the face and head, before the girl in blue pulls the girl in orange's hair 'Go! Go! Go!' the onlookers shout as the girls start swinging their fists - hitting each other in the face and pulling each other's clothes until they tumble to the ground. One girl wearing orange then grabs the other - who appears to be wearing a blue school uniform - in a choke hold while punching her in the head as she screams. 'Get back up! Get back up! Get back up!' their peers shout at them. The video then shows the girl in blue pull the other girl's hair while she violently punches her in the head several times. The girl in orange then manages to escape and fall to her knees on the ground, while people scream 'not the hair!' She then pleads with the girl in blue to call time on their fight, saying: 'No I'm not fighting... no. I'm not fighting you! I'm not fighting!' But the violent brawl doesn't end there. The girl in orange is once again dragged to the ground, and the girl in blue stomps on her head at least four times. 'Call me a c**t!' the girl in blue shouts, while continuing to hit the girl's head. Other students then finally step in and put an end to the brutal scuffle. One of the girls is a student of Fremantle College, while it's been revealed that both girls were already serving suspensions at the time of the fight. Police Minister Michelle Roberts described the incident as 'highly disturbing,' revealing both girls were already suspended from their respective schools, 7 News reported. One of the girls is a student of Fremantle College (pictured), while it's been revealed that both girls were already serving suspensions at the time of the fight - it's not known where the other girl went to school 'If your children are getting up to this i personally don't think you're providing them with appropriate care,' Ms Roberts said it's concerning for the girls' welfare at home. The person who sent the footage to 7 News said organised fights similar to this one happen in Fremantle at least once a week. However, The Department of Education denies that there is any 'fight club' at the school. An Australian woman who quit her teaching job to start a charity in Bali recusing abandoned cats has admitted the charity is at a crisis point. Villa Kitty founder, Elizabeth Henzell, said she has almost 300 abandoned, stray and sick cats in her care. Every cage, enclosure and play area is full and the charity has already helped 323 cats and kittens this year, Ms Henzell said. Villa Kitty founder, Elizabeth Henzell (pictured), said she has almost 300 abandoned, stray and sick cats under her care 'It gets to the stage I can really fall apart if things get really sad,' she told nine.com.au. The 67-year-old grew up in Papua New Guinea and eventually moved to the Sunshine Coast where she ran a language school. However eight years ago the former teacher re-located to Bali and started working as a physician assistant as well as volunteering at a dog charity. She noticed there were no organisations offering care for cats and set up a department at the Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA). As more and more felines where brought in, Ms Henzell launched Villa Kitty in 2011. The charity de-sex and immunises cats for residents who are unable to afford it. They also care for the animals until they are adopted. The charity de-sex and immunises cats for residents who are unable to afford it. They also rescue and care for cats until they are adopted However the charity was swamped by demand and moved to a larger centre within a few months with 26-full time staff members. In 2017, the organisation took in almost 1300 cat but sadly more than a third did not survive. Ms Henzell said that despite the challenges, the success stories keep her motivated and determined. 'It's more than a job, it's a passion,' she said. 'I would prefer not to have quite so much time doing this. I would like to sit and read a book. I haven't read a book in two years,' Ms Henzell joked. An iguana injured when a man pulled it from under his shirt and threw it at an Ohio restaurant manager remains in protective custody at a humane society that is awaiting court permission to provide medical treatment. The turquoise female iguana that police named Copper has a broken leg, metabolic bone disease and other ailments, Lake County Humane Society officials told WEWS-TV. The animal needs surgery that will cost about $1,600, but that can't happen until a judge gives approval because the Humane Society is not its owner, society intake coordinator Allison Rothlisberger said Saturday. The Humane Society is seeking tax-deductible donations to pay for the surgery after part of her tail was noted missing. Lake Humane Society is looking for donations to get Copper the iguana $1,600 surgery for her broken leg, metabolic bone disease and other ailments. She is under protective custody Copper is receiving basic care for now to make the lizard as comfortable as possible, Rothlisberger said. Arnold J. Teeter removed the iguana from beneath his shirt, twirled it around and threw it at restaurant manager Dustin Amato, police said 'We need your help to give this innocent reptile a second chance at life. All donations made to this page will be designated to our Angel Fund, which benefits animals in need of extensive medical care,' the Lake Humane Society stated. 'These donations will go directly to the care of Copper and all gifts are tax-deductible. Any excess funds that are not used for Copper's care will remain in our Angel Fund and that balance will be used toward the next pet in need of emergency medical care.' The website was suggesting anything from $35 to $500 be paid but other options were available for the two-foot-long creature. According to authorities, 49-year-old Arnold J. Teeter violently swung a menu at a waitress who tried to speak to him when he became increasingly loud while laying down in a booth in Perkins Restaurant in Painesville on April 16. When manager Dustin Amato intervened, Teeter removed the iguana from beneath his shirt, twirled it around and threw it at him, police said. They stated the animal landed on the tile floor, sliding across at some length. She was swung around by her tail and thrown at a restaurant manager in Ohio last month. The incident took place at Perkins Restaurant in Painesville, which is located about 30 miles northeast of Cleveland Authorities haven't said what provoked the attack. Painesville is roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of downtown Cleveland. Police rushed to the scene and tracked down the suspect down the block from the restaurant after being called to a YMCA regarding a disorderly conduct matter. They struggled to detain him as he walked though traffic. The iguana was seized by the officers and given the nickname Copper, presumably because the metal turns the same green color when it rusts. Copper was initially taken to the Animal Center of Euclid then handed over to the Lake County Humane Society. Part of the iguana's tail was missing according to the authorities who rescued her last month An Adelaide homeowner has captured an incredible photograph of eight lizards that were lured into a web and then killed by a deadly redback spider. The image, shared by Snake Catchers Adelaide, showed the gruesome remains of seven lizards after they were captured by the crafty spider. Another one that was quite large in size was still trapped in the web as the venomous spider loomed beside it. An Adelaide homeowner has captured an incredible photograph of eight lizards that were lured into a web and then killed by a deadly redback spider Ange Broadstock, from Snake Catchers Adelaide, told Daily Mail Australia she had never seen the behaviour from a redback spider. She said that the image was 'quite amazing' considering how the web was spun, but stressed she wasn't an expert on arachnids. Ms Broadstock said the spider was lucky as sometimes they are unable to even catch flies on those webs. People who commented on the photo were shocked at nature at work. One even went so far as to label the spider's hunt of the lizards as 'scary'. Another social media user opened up about his own observations of redback spiders. 'I kept a group of five females and they are true killing machines,' he commented on the snaps. 'Given the chance, they will kill anything. The image, shared by Snake Catchers Adelaide, showed the gruesome remains of seven lizards after they were captured by the crafty spider 'They breed exceptionally fast, I had two in my shed, next month they were everywhere, full clean out and bug bomb.' Redback spiders have a black body with a bright red stripe on their back and use their web to capture prey, which are usually insects - however they've been known to eat reptiles and even mammals. Redback spiders are attracted to man-made habitats with only a small proportion found in natural spaces. The deadly species around found all around Australia but have been spotted in New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. Gavin Williamson has declared he was 'hanged for something he didn't do' in a furious blast at Theresa May after she sacked him as Defence Secretary. The Conservative MP said he was the victim of a 'slapdash witch-hunt' after he was blamed for leaking from a top-secret meeting of the National Security Council, where ministers had discussed the possible security threat from Huawei. Insisting he 'didn't say anything inappropriate to anyone', Mr Williamson said the leak inquiry had been a 'game of politics' intended to 'prove the PM's political strength'. Speaking to the Sunday Express he called on Mrs May to publish the Huawei leak report 'so that everyone can make a judgment'. Gavin Williamson (pictured left) has declared he was 'hanged for something he didn't do' in a furious blast at Theresa May (right) after she sacked him as Defence Secretary Timeline: The Huawei leak scandal April 23: The National Security Council meets. Theresa May reportedly gives the green light for Huawei to help build Britain's 5G network. April 24: The story appears in the Daily Telegraph. It says Mrs May approved the decision despite security concerns raised by ministers at the meeting. April 25: Mr Williamson denies that he or his team had leaked the story. Labour demands an official investigation into the leak, which Sajid Javid calls 'completely unacceptable'. April 28: Sir Mark Sedwill's leak inquiry is under way, as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he has been quizzed. May 1: Mr Williamson is sacked after the PM says she has 'compelling evidence' that he was responsible. The sacked minister 'strenuously denies' being behind the leak. Penny Mordaunt is named as his replacement at the MoD. May 4: Scotland Yard says it will not launch a criminal probe into the leak. Mr Williamson fires back at Mrs May saying he was the victim of a 'slapdash witch-hunt'. Advertisement He said: 'The PM has spoken about compelling evidence. Well, I'd like to see it. Publish the report and so everyone can make a judgment 'Whatever this report is, it's slipshod and slapdash. It would be rather nice if a professional organisation or independent individuals carried out another one. 'This whole affair hasn't been about trying to find the real culprit who leaked what was said at that meeting. It has been a game of politics, it's been about settling scores and trying to prove the Prime Minister's political strength.' Mr Williamson said the leak affair had been 'badly mishandled' by both the PM and chief civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill. As the rift between the PM and her former minister worsened, Mr Williamson was yesterday accused of spreading rumours about her health. He was allegedly heard saying earlier this year that her Type 1 diabetes meant she was incapable of serving as Prime Minister. The claim infuriated Mrs May's allies, who say she is in robust health despite having to inject herself with insulin at least twice a day. The 42-year-old was fired as Defence Secretary on Wednesday after Mrs May said there was 'compelling evidence' linking Mr Williamson to the leak. The Tory MP 'strenuously denied' having leaked it, though he admitted he had spoken to Daily Telegraph reporter Steven Swinford hours after the meeting. Mr Swinford has refused to name his source, in line with usual journalistic practice. The Telegraph had reported that Mrs May gave the green light for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei to help build Britain's 5G network. Williams was allegedly heard saying earlier this year that Theresa May, seen here wearing a patch for her Type 1 diabetes, was incapable of serving as Prime Minister Last night, Mr Williamson said he had been the victim of a 'shabby and discredited witch-hunt' and called for the release of a leak inquiry report (pictured: Mr Williamson with Mark Sedwill) The NSC leak caused an uproar in Whitehall as meetings are carried out behind closed doors and details are kept secret. There were also concerns that such an unprecedented leak could affect Britain's intelligence relationship with key allies. Labour had called for a criminal probe into whether Mr Williamson had breached the Official Secrets Act but police said yesterday there would be no such investigation. Met Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu said he was 'satisfied the disclosure did not amount to a criminal offence.' 'No crime has been alleged by the owner of the material and I am clear that the leak did not cause damage to the public interest at a level at which it would be necessary to engage Misconduct in Public Office. 'It would be inappropriate to carry out a police investigation in these circumstances.' Former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, pictured on his last official duty on board a nuclear submarine was sacked after Theresa May accused him of leaking details from a top-secret National Sercurity Council briefing to a newspaper Attention has focused since the sacking on Mr Williamson's relationship with Mr Sedwill, which was said to be deteriorating. The PM told ITV News on Friday: 'I did take a difficult decision. 'This was not about what was leaked, it was about where it was leaked from. It was the importance of the question of trust around that National Security Council table.' Asked if she was convinced Mr Williamson was responsible for the leak, Mrs May said: 'I took the decision that I did. That was the right decision.' Huawei has come under fire for its alleged close ties to the Chinese state, sparking fears that the technology could be used for espionage. Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu (pictured), head of the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Operations said there was no evidence to suggest the Huawei leak which led to Gavin Williamson's sacking breached the Official Secrets Act Australia, the US and New Zealand have moved to ban Huawei from building parts of their 5G networks. The U.S. recently warned that there was no safe level of involvement by Huawei in the 5G networks of Western powers. Huawei has denied having ties to the Chinese government, with the company's founder denying Beijing has ever asked his company to help spy on its clients. Mr Williamson had been a vocal sceptic of Huawei, saying last year he had 'very deep concerns about the company's involvement in the UK. China's defence ministry fired back at him last December, calling the criticisms 'groundless' and saying they were based on 'deep-rooted pride and prejudice'. Shocking Dashcam footage of two women switching seats after one crashed into a ute in a McDonald's car park has sparked uproar on social media. The incident occurred on Friday night at Nunawading in Melbournes east just after 5.30pm The footage begins with a gold sedan reversing before the driver rolls forward and hits the rear of a parked blue Ford Falcon ute. This is the moment a gold sedan hits a blue ute in a McDonald's car park on Friday night 'Oh f***k,' a man exclaims in the background of the footage. But instead of doing the right thing and leaving their details for the motorist, the female driver and and her female friend in the passenger seat both get out of the car and switch sides. The friend reverses back and tries to leave the car park, braking heavily several times before the car reverses back a third time and isn't seen again. The footage was shared to the Dash Cam Car Owners Australia Facebook page, where the post has since been inundated with more than 400 comments. The driver (in pink jumper) and her passenger friend switch sides after hitting the ute Many people who commented on the post shook their heads in disbelief. 'I'm still trying to figure out WTF they were trying to do,' one wrote. Another added: 'I'm assuming she was trying to teach her friend how to drive until she crashed into the blue ute. The bit afterwards is hanging around unsure how to escape/what to do.' Others expressed serious concern about the driving abilities of both women. A Victoria Police spokesman said they have no details regarding the incident in Nunawading 'Looks like neither of them know how to drive,' one man commented. Another added: 'It amazes me how some people manage to pass their driving test.' Some expressed anger over the footage. 'This is how a three-year-old was killed in Brisbane last week. Learner drivers practising in unsuitable locations without suitable instructors or in proper learning vehicles,' a woman commented. The driver who shared the Dashcam footage also copped some criticism. Her female friend also had difficulty getting out of the carpark, braking several times 'Good on you for getting out and stopping them to save the poor owner. You're a champ. Oh wait,' one man wrote. Another added: 'He could have rang the police, none of those girls should be driving, that was an horrendous effort.' A Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia police had no details regarding the incident. The University of Bristol is to order an examination in to its historical links to slavery. The move, which follows a similar announcement by the University of Cambridge last week, comes as the city looks to get to grips with its key role in the slave trade. The university will advertise for a permanent academic position looking at the history of slavery. The University of Bristol, pictured, is follow to examine its historical links to slavery The scholar that gets the job will lead efforts by staff to 'explore, investigate and determine the university's historical links to slavery', the Observer reported. Explaining the move on their website, the university estimates that around 85 per cent of the wealth used to found the institution depended on the labour of slaves. A dolphin symbolising the family of slave trader Edward Colston features on the university's crest and a statue of Colston stands in the centre of Bristol. In his role with the Royal African Company, Colston's ships transported around 80,000 slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and America. Around 20,000 of them, including around 3,000 or more children, died during the journeys. One of the outcomes of the project could be to change the university's crest. The move, which follows a similar announcement by the University of Cambridge last week, comes as the city looks to get to grips with its key role in the slave trade. Above: the Wills Memorial Building, which is named after the Wills family, who shipped tobacco grown by slaves from the New World into Bristol Another option would be to rename the Wills Memorial Building, which is named after the Wills family, who shipped tobacco grown by slaves from the New World into Bristol. The wider city was one of three integral ports for British slave trades, alongside London and Liverpool, and political leaders are now looking to built a 'permanent memorial' to its role. However, Cambridge University's announcement last week of a two-year study into its own ties with slavery drew criticism after a white academic was appointed to oversee it. In his role with the Royal African Company, slave trader Edward Colston's ships transported around 80,000 slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and America. Above: a statue of Colston stands in the centre of Bristol A dolphin symbolising the family of slave trader Edward Colston features on the university's crest and a statue of Colston stands in the centre of Bristol Trevor Philips, the former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said that not appointing a black academic was 'bizarre'. Mr Philips told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It is bizarre that, if they are trying to send a signal about what they are like, they couldn't find a black academic to lead this. 'That would have sent a great signal to the world that Cambridge understands that black folks are not just great entertainers or sportspeople, but that we can also be brainy.' The family of a mother-of-five, jailed in Abu Dhabi for failing to pay her debts, say they fear for her life because she has a heart condition. Maria Morehu, 61, moved to the United Arab Emirates from Lake Taupo, in New Zealand, in 2009 to teach English as a foreign language. The-mother-of-five is currently serving a one month sentence for not fulling her civic duty to pay bills, estimated to be around $50,000NZD. Her family say she broke both ankles in 2014 and when she was able to go back to work there was no longer a job for her at the Abu Dhabi Educational Council. Without an income she struggled to make repayments on her loans and last week she was arrested and imprisoned. Maria Morehu, 61, moved to the United Arab Emirates from Lake Taupo, in New Zealand, in 2009 to teach English as a foreign language Her family say they do not have sufficient financial resources to help her and have set up a givealittle to help raise money to repay the debts, legal expenses and travel costs. 'She is physically weak and her spirit is broken,' her family said. 'We fear for her life in a foreign country that she cannot leave until her debt is settled. 'In recent months, Maria has been beset with heart problems. Because she has no health insurance and has police cases against her, she is ineligible for medical attention or medication. 'Most nights she has trouble sleeping as her chest pains are unbearable.' Her family say they do not have sufficient financial resources to help Ms Morehu repay the loan and have set up a givealittle to help raise money to repay the debts, legal expenses and travel costs Maria's family said she had spent a large amount of the past five to six years fighting for the insurance that she paid to cover for loss of income. 'Three lawyers have made no progress along that line of legal inquiry and over that time the interest has compounded,' they said. They family has managed to raise $14,500 in donations thus far and appealing to people to help her return to New Zealand. Police chiefs have launched a rare attack on the Crown Prosecution Service for its 'truly awful' new policy of demanding rape victims hand over their mobile phones. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) warned that faith in the criminal justice system would collapse unless proposals allowing detectives to trawl through victims' private information are ripped up. Their public criticism of the so-called 'digital strip search' is bolstered by an intervention from the group's deputy commissioner, Julia Mulligan, who was raped as a 15-year-old. Police chiefs such as rape victim and commissioner Julia Mulligan (left) and commissioner David Lloyd (right) have launched a rare attack on the Crown Prosecution Service for its 'truly awful' new policy of demanding rape victims hand over their mobile phones 'As someone with lived experience, I can tell you that it is hard enough having to live through a sexual attack or rape without having to expose oneself to this 'in return' for an investigation', she told the Observer. 'And to be told you have no chance of justice without doing so is truly awful.' Her rebuke comes after many other sex attack victims rallied against these 'violating' proposals and prepared to fight them tooth and nail, including the possibility of fronting a legal battle. Yesterday, the Mail revealed that two women, including a Hollywood actress, have already instructed Harriet Wistrich, of the Centre for Women's Justice. Today's swipe from Britain's top commissioners may tip the balance in an upcoming review of the digital strip search after a backlash from campaigners forced a major climbdown. David Lloyd, the APCC's criminal justice lead, said: 'We have no doubt that this form, as it currently stands, should be withdrawn, or it is likely to result in a loss of confidence in the police, the CPS and the criminal justice system more broadly.' Victims and campaigners like Carrie Symonds (pictured), who was drugged by a serial rapist, have slammed the controversial plans which would allow police to trawl through photos, social media and texts of rape victims It comes six days after the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) launched the 'consent form' giving access to phone data, with guidance telling victims they must hand over their mobiles or risk their attacker going free. Nick Ephgrave, the NPCC lead for criminal justice, told the Daily Mail he is 'happy to revise' the plan and is meeting policing minister Nick Hurd to review the 'digital device extraction' form. Meanwhile, the NPCC, Crown Prosecution Service and College of Policing have also written to victims' groups asking if improvements can be made to the way investigators handle victims' and witnesses' data. On Monday, Mr Ephgrave and Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill QC said a new 'digital extraction' consent form had been signed off by police chiefs to standardise the way officers request mobile phone data from those alleging rape, sexual assault and other offences. Victims are asked to hand over phones and other digital devices such as laptops, and warned: 'If you refuse permission for the police to investigate, or for the prosecution to disclose material which would enable the defendant to have a fair trial, then it may not be possible for the investigation or prosecution to continue.' It prompted an avalanche of criticism from MPs and victims who likened it to a 'digital witch hunt'. The former head of Scotland Yard Lord Hogan-Howe said it was a 'backward step' that would deter victims from coming forward. Nick Ephgrave, the NPCC lead for criminal justice, now says that he is 'happy to revise' the plan On Friday Mr Ephgrave, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, said he was listening to victims' concerns, adding: 'We are very happy to revise this. 'We will continue to engage with interested parties to actively consider how it might be improved, although it has been given to forces in its current format.' Hollywood star refused to hand over her mobile A Hollywood actress called on women to join her legal against police yesterday as she revealed that officers dropped her sexual assault claim because she refused to hand over her phone. The 40-year-old, who is mounting a legal challenge to the new consent forms, claims she was assaulted by a friend on a night out in East London. When she went to the Metropolitan Police, she was asked for phone and Facebook messages between her and the suspect, which she was happy to provide. But when detectives asked her to hand over her entire phone record she refused. 'Even criminals do not have to give over their phone to police,' she said. 'I was concerned at how information on my phone could be twisted to humiliate and discredit me.' When her alleged attacker was asked to provide his phone, he refused. Last month officers told her they were closing the case on the basis that she did not want to hand over her entire phone contents. Advertisement He said it was 'not dreamt up in a dark room we consulted with victims' groups and parties to get their views. We will continue to engage if anyone has a new idea.' Many police forces already have a substantial backlog of digital devices to examine, with officers waiting months to check mobile phones for evidence. Mr Ephgrave said he understood victims would not relish the prospect of having their phones taken away for weeks, if not months. But he stressed officers were trying to strike a difficult balance between the interests of justice and the rights of victims to privacy after the disclosure scandal, when a string of rape and serious sexual assault cases collapsed after crucial evidence emerged at the last minute. Among the most high profile was the case of student Liam Allan, then 22, who had charges of rape and serious sexual assault against him dropped when it emerged that the complainant pestered him for 'casual sex'. Miss Wistrich, who argues the forms are unlawful as they breach data protection, human rights and equality laws, said: 'Police are obviously having to backtrack. This is quite embarrassing for them. It's a sort of own goal they set out to show they were doing the right thing in resolving disclosure and they completely forgot about victims in the process.' Police and prosecutors say they only look at relevant material. Four months on, and police still have my phone A sex attack victim whose case was raised by Harriet Harman in the Commons has revealed that her phone has still not been returned four months after it was taken by police. The 33-year-old victim wrote to the Labour MP to describe how her phone was seized after she was attacked by a stranger. She said it was a 'gross intrusion' into her privacy and that of her friends. She told the Mail of her fury at police and prosecutors who have still not handed back her mobile four months on after she handed it over. 'I feel like I am on trial already,' she said. 'To think that a private situation from many years ago could be considered relevant in a case about a stranger who attacked me in 2018 is unbelievable.' Advertisement On Friday one of the victims taking legal action, identified only as Olivia, implored police to abandon the form. She was raped by a stranger after she got in a car she wrongly believed was her Uber, and said she felt 'violated' again when police asked her to provide seven years' worth of phone data. She added: 'I'm extremely happy to hear that this is going to be reviewed. This form is like a digital witch hunt and it absolutely needs to be changed if there is going to be an improvement in the prosecution of rape cases.' Another victim who was drugged by a serial rapist demanded a rethink. Carrie Symonds, a former Tory political aide and the girlfriend of Boris Johnson, told the Mail: 'This sounds encouraging but should have happened from the off. 'I think most victims fully appreciate they must provide information from their phones that might be relevant to the case. 'That could include, for example, messages between the victim and the accused or messages sent to friends in a certain time frame around when the alleged attack took place. 'But that is not what is happening. 'Instead police are demanding full access to years and years' worth of intimate messages and pictures which have zero relevance to the case in question, and in doing so, are handing the defence deeply private information about a victim's previous relationships and sexual history. This leads to victims feeling vilified in court. 'Police need to rethink their approach to ensure the best chance of justice for both the victim and the accused.' Mr Hurd said last night: 'It's vital police have the evidence they require to secure justice but this must be strongly balanced with safeguarding victims' privacy and ensuring nobody is deterred from reporting crimes.' A self-proclaimed Hindu philosopher and 'roving yogi' allegedly indecently assaulted two women who invited him into their home for prayers. Anand Giri, 38, is behind bars tonight after he was arrested for the alleged assault which took place in Rooty Hill, in Sydney's West in 2016. Giri was due to fly overseas on Monday after a six week tour teaching spiritual lessons and yoga but was remanded in custody. Scroll down for video Anand Giri (pictured), 38, has been accused of indecently assaulting two women in their homes in Rooty Hill in Sydney's west. Giri was due to fly overseas on Monday after a six week tour teaching spiritual lessons and yoga but is remanded in custody The Indian national was arrested just after 12.35am on Sunday morning and was charged with two counts of committing an act of indecency on two separate women. Police say that on New Year's Day in 2016 he went to a Rooty Hill home to participate in Hindu prayers with a 29-year-old woman and allegedly indecently assaulted her in a bedroom. Two years later in November 2018 Giri was invited into another home in Rooty Hill to once again participate in Hindu prayers through the night. He and a 34-year-old woman were praying in the lounge when he allegedly indecently assaulted her. Both women are believed to be known to the Swami teacher, police say. Giri was taken to Riverstone Police Station and charged with two counts of committing an act of indecency with people over 16 years of age. He appeared in court dressed in symbolic orange on Sunday as his lawyer asked for him to be bailed to a temple in Oxley Park. The self-proclaimed philosopher was arrested just after midnight on Sunday and was charged with two counts of committing an act of indecency on two separate women The Magistrate refused bail he will remain behind bars until he fronts court on June 26, Nine News reported. Giri's website describes him as 'a spiritual leader committed to serving the society & inspiring people through his work and wisdom'. 'As a friend, philosopher & guide he has led his followers through Vedic teachings & helped them find their purpose & identity,' the website reads. He claims he got his spiritual calling at age 12 before setting out on a path of 'self-realisation'. The self-proclaimed Hindu philosopher and 'roving yogi' has been arrested after he indecently assaulted two women who invited him into their home for prayers Theresa May is set to offer Labour a three-pronged Brexit deal in a bid to break the deadlock at Westminster, it has been claimed. The PM's negotiating team will reportedly give ground to Jeremy Corbyn on customs, goods and workers' rights. Conservatives were warned they will have to 'suck up concessions' after Mrs May acknowledged there was 'no sign' of her MPs uniting behind her deal. She is hoping to persuade the Labour benches to back her instead with cross-party talks expected to resume this week. Theresa May (pictured at church today) is set to offer Labour a three-pronged Brexit deal in a bid to break the deadlock at Westminster, it has been claimed Theresa May today begs Jeremy Corbyn to do a deal over Brexit as she urges her party to accept the stepping stone of a customs union as the price for finally leaving the EU The Sunday Times reported that the first of three concessions would be a 'comprehensive but temporary' customs union with Brussels. The proposed deal would last until the next general election, which is currently scheduled for 2022. Mr Corbyn favours a permanent customs arrangement but many Tory MPs are furiously opposed, saying it would prevent Britain from striking trade deals. In a second concession, Tory negotiators could agree to align the UK with single market rules on a wider range of goods. And in a third gamble, the PM may promise to 'enshrine in law' that UK workers' rights after Brexit will mirror those which currently apply in the EU. Labour has vowed that it will 'never accept the weakening of workers' rights' as a result of Brexit. The concessions are likely to spark fury from Conservative backbenchers already opposed to the talks with Labour. Brexiteer Steve Baker retweeted a comment saying the plan was a 'Tory Brexit delivered by Labour that neither Leavers nor Remainers support'. Conservatives were warned they will have to 'suck up concessions' after Mrs May (pictured) acknowledged there was 'no sign' of her MPs uniting behind her deal The PM is on the back foot once again this week after her party suffered its worst local election results since the height of Tony Blair's powers in 1995. However the PM yesterday urged MPs that they 'have to find a way to break the deadlock'. Gove and The Saj play their leadership cards Values: Michael Gove makes his pitch in Scotland Two leading contenders to replace Theresa May made major pitches for the keys to No 10 yesterday as the battle for the Tory leadership intensified. Environment Secretary Michael Gove gave an emotionally charged address to the Scottish Conservatives in Aberdeen, where he was raised by adoptive parents. In a well-received speech in which he gave his clearest hint yet that he is preparing to run to be Prime Minister, Mr Gove set out a vision of how he would lead the country based on the values taught to him by his mother and father. He said his parents values included: A belief that business is a force for good. A faith in education as a good in itself. A compassion for those less fortunate, which leads to action not just words. A big heart that they dont want to wear on their sleeve. A willingness to take risks and believe the best in others. A basic sense of justice, combined with a readiness to forgive. He later refused to rule out running in the looming contest when asked by The Mail on Sunday. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Sajid Javid also used his life story to set out his stall. In a clear pitch to the Left of the party and Labour voters, he spoke at the Welsh Conservative Party conference about how the state had helped him rise up from being a working class child in Rochdale to a City high-flyer. Straying way beyond his Home Affairs brief, he said: Health, education, work and pensions. For many in Westminster, these are the names of departments to be managed. But for my family growing up, they were our lifelines, and ultimately the ladder to my success. Referring to his brothers, he added: Theyre one reason that my parents, themselves raised by dollar-a-day farmers in rural Pakistan, could go on to raise a chief superintendent, an entrepreneur, a finance professional and a Cabinet Minister. Advertisement Writing in the Mail on Sunday, she said: 'The talks with Labour so far have been serious. 'I could not persuade enough of my colleagues to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and, regrettably, I have to accept there is no sign of that position changing. 'We don't agree with the Opposition on lots of policy issues, but on Brexit there are areas we do agree on leaving with a good deal that protects jobs and our security and ends free movement. 'To the Leader of the Opposition, I say this: let's listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal.' Tory negotiators have told Labour that the Government could accept UK membership of a customs union - a red line for Brexiteers. However they have said it must be called something else to avoid inflaming party anger. One source said: 'It must look like a duck and quack like a duck, but it doesn't have to be called a duck.' Labour's Jon Ashworth told Sky's Sophy Ridge today: 'We've entered those negotiations in good faith. 'We said in our manifesto two years ago that we accepted the referendum result and that we believe the correct way to bring this desperately divided country back together is an arrangement where we'd have a permanent customs union deal. 'Although the government are trying to dress up their customs union offer, they haven't really shifted. 'My concern is, if we have a trade deal with the US for example, that could mean Trump's America and big private healthcare corporations getting their hands on NHS contracts. 'I'm not prepared to countenance that. It's why we need instead a permanent and comprehensive customs union arrangement where we do our trade deals as part of the EU.' However Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith branded the idea of a customs union deal as 'total anathema'. He said: 'The idea we would leave the EU but have the EU decide all our future trading arrangements, decide what our tariffs are - basically, that's the most ridiculous position to be in. ''The election result was so devastating that the Prime Minister now has to consider herself a caretaker PM. 'She must now move fast to resolve this matter of leadership urgently because everywhere you went, the element of trust in the PM had completely broken down. 'The idea that she is now able to do a deal with an equally discredited Labour Party is ridiculous.' Tory arch-Brexiteer Peter Bone said any customs union deal would amount to 'an abject surrender'. My Message to Jeremy Corbyn: Let's do a deal By Prime Minister Theresa May In the local elections, many Conservative councillors lost their seats. I want to thank all of my colleagues for their tremendous hard work and dedication to public duty, and for all they did to improve the lives of the communities which they served. I have been a councillor and I know what a rewarding and important job it is. They did not deserve what happened and I am sorry. It is clear that the voters delivered their judgment in large part based on what is happening or not happening at Westminster. And, as Prime Minister, I fully accept my share of the responsibility for that. The voters expect us to deliver on the result of the referendum and, so far, Parliament has rejected the deal which I have put forward. The March 29 exit date has been delayed, the public is frustrated and I fully understand why. Three years have passed now since the historic 2016 vote and people really do just want us to get on with it. But the electorate delivered a message on Brexit to Labour, too. Labour also lost seats and councils which it has held for decades. Clearly, the public is fed up with the failure of both of the two main parties to find a way to honour the result of the referendum, take the United Kingdom out of the European Union and to bring our country back together again. There is no use trying to escape the facts, however uncomfortable they may be. I have tried, tried and tried again to deliver Brexit with the votes of Conservative MPs and our confidence and supply partners, the DUP. I negotiated with the EU what I believe is a very good deal for the UK a deal which allows us to genuinely take back control of our money and our laws. The free movement of people will end giving us control of our own borders for the first time in decades. However, I could not persuade enough of my colleagues to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and, regrettably, I have to accept there is no sign of that position changing. Meanwhile, the series of indicative votes which MPs held did not deliver any path forwards. Parliament said what it didnt want but not what it was prepared to vote for. Pictured: Theresa May arrives to cast her vote at a polling station Since then, the Government has been in talks with the Opposition to try to find a unified, cross-party position. I understand many of my colleagues find this decision uncomfortable. Frankly, it is not what I wanted, either. But, as elected politicians, who asked the public to give us an instruction on whether to leave the EU, we cannot now shrug our shoulders and say its all too difficult. We have to find a way to break the deadlock and I believe the results of the local elections give fresh urgency to this. The talks with Labour so far have been serious. We dont agree with the Opposition on lots of policy issues, but on Brexit there are areas we do agree on leaving with a good deal that protects jobs and our security and ends free movement. But there are also differences on precisely what the UKs future relationship with the EU should look like, so reaching an agreement will require compromise from both sides. We will keep negotiating, with more formal talks due to take place on Tuesday, and keep trying to find a way through. Because the real thing that matters now is delivering Brexit and moving on to all the other issues people care about. The longer that takes, the greater the risk we will not leave at all. We need to get out of the EU and get a deal over the line. To MPs, I would say this: if we are able to negotiate a cross-party agreement, this deal will be a stepping stone to a brighter future, outside the EU, where the UK can determine the road ahead. This is because no parliament can bind its successor. Some people would prefer a less close relationship with the EU in the future, while others would prefer a closer relationship. The key point is, the ultimate decision-maker in everything we do is Parliament. So future parliaments, with a different party balance, will be able to decide whether they want a closer or more distant relationship with the EU. I do sincerely believe that more than 34 long months on from the referendum what people want is for their politicians to come together in the national interest and get Brexit over the line. And to the Leader of the Opposition, I say this: lets listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Lets do a deal. Teenage gangs, sexual assaults, and a string of robberies are leaving shop owners desperate and terrified at a shopping centre in Melbourne. The wave of crime at Fountain Gate Westfield, in the city's south-east, has prompted centre management to hire more security staff in an effort to regain control. The army of security guards, dressed in cream coloured khakis and blue polo shirts, patrol the Narre Warren mall that has been dubbed the 'most unsafe' in Victoria. The wave of crime at Fountain Gate Westfield, in Melbourne's south-east, has prompted centre management to hire more security guards in an effort to regain control In March two teenage girls (pictured) attacked a chicken shop worker and stole the days earnings of $5,000 in the middle of the shopping centre Concerned business owners told The Cranbourne Leader last week that they are helpless to act when groups of up to a dozen teenagers storm their stores, damaging and stealing items. Several retailers told the publication their stores had been 'ransacked' by gangs in recent weeks and a poll of 3000 locals found 74 per cent admitted they steered clear of the centre due to fears of violence. 'They literally went through and flipped up all the tables and chairs and I was too scared to do anything as we were afraid of what will happen,' one cafe worker said. One woman said her 14-year-old son was attacked and mugged by a gang of six teenagers in the food court last month. 'One of his friends was asked by the gang to hand over his jacket or he'd be stabbed. The boys were then told they would be bashed if they didn't hand over all of their cash,' she said. In February 2016 a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a brazen daylight attack near the shopping centre. In 2017 a woman was attacked with an axe in the salon she worked in and was rushed to hospital (pictured) The mother was disappointed with how security and management had handled the incident, saying that security didn't call to let her know what happened, and that police weren't even notified about the incident by security. On a Casey Crime Facebook page, a woman claimed that she was attacked by six teenage girls on April 20, while security watched. Another woman claimed a lady smacked her six-year-old granddaughter across her face, and centre management and security didn't do anything about it after she reported the incident to them. A Fountain Gate worker said a bunch of teenagers are known to come into her store and try to distract staff in a bid to steal from the tip jar. The troubling stories come after two teenage girls brutally bashed a chicken shop worker in a failed attempt to rob her of the day's takings in front of stunned onlookers at the shopping centre last month. Witness Brodie Rooker watched the bloody attack unfold and was left shaken Police at the scene of the assault allegedly involving and axe at Fountain Gate Westfield The shop worker had been holding $5,000 when she was attacked by the teenagers, who punched her in the back of her head and flung her to the floor, before continuing to kick her. It's understood she later required 13 stitches in her leg after she tripped on a vase. In 2017, a mother-of-two who worked in a salon at the shopping centre was attacked by a 45-year-old man with an axe. The woman was rushed to hospital and survived, however, the bloody incident left co-workers and bystanders extremely shaken. The alleged attacker was charged with attempted murder. 'She was just covered in blood, her face was absolutely covered in blood,' witness, Brodie Rooker, told reporters. Tamar Klein, a store assistant at Ted's, saw two girls run out screaming from where the attack occurred. 'One of them was screaming 'had an axe!' So we didn't know what was going on,' she said. The alleged attacker was tackled to the ground by two security guards and later arrested. The victim, aged in her 30s, is understood to have separated from her husband leading up to the attack. Despite the continuing problems, police say they regularly patrol the precinct, and that they have a strong partnership with management. 'Police from Narre Warren, Cranbourne and Endeavour Hills regularly patrol the shopping centre with more serious offences followed up by detectives from Casey crime investigation unit,' Acting Inspector Dean Grande said. The area was put into lock down after the incident with teams of officers swarming the area Shaken workers are interviewed by police in the cordoned off crime scene at the shopping centre Daily Mail Australia has contacted Westfield owner Scentre Group for comment. A spokeswoman for Scentre Group told news.com.au: 'The safety and security of our customers, retail partners and employees is always our priority. 'As a social hub and meeting point in the local community, Westfield Fountain Gate strives to ensure all our customers feel welcome, comfortable and safe when visiting,' the spokeswoman said. 'Every situation is different and our experienced teams make decisions on how to manage situations on a case-by-case basis always with the safety of our customers in mind.' Two Panamanian men have been charged with murdering a New Zealand man who was shot and killed on a boat by pirates. Leandro Herrera and Avelino Arosemena were charged with aggravated homicide, robbery, criminal association and mistreatment of a minor in the death of Alan Culverwell. Prosecutor Tatiana Aguilar refused to comment on the third suspect, a minor, who also appeared in court in connection to the case. Mr Culverwell, 60, was killed after sea bandits stormed his yacht near Morodub island, in the Guna Yala district in Panama's north-east at 2am local time on Thursday. New Zealand man Alan Culverwell, 60, was killed after sea-bandits stormed his yacht near Morodub island, in the Guna Yala district in Panama's north-east at 2am local time on Thursday (pictured, Derryn, Briar, Flynn and Alan) Two Panamanian men have been charged with murdering the New Zealand man who was shot and killed on the boat (pictured, Alan Culverwell with partner Derryn) Mr Culverwell's daughter Briar, 11, was knocked over the head while his wife Derryn was slashed with a machete. His son Flynn managed to escape injury (pictured, Alan Culverwell) His daughter Briar, 11, was knocked over the head while his wife Derryn was slashed with a machete. His son Flynn managed to escape injury. Three people were arrested following the attack and faced court in Colon, a city in Panama, on Sunday, the NZ Herald reported. Mr Culverwell is understood to have been sleeping below deck with his family when he heard a noise on the yacht's roof. When he went up to check on the cause of the noise, he was fatally shot. His wife, and two children, managed to stay alive after Ms Culverwell 'forced the pirates out' before locking herself and her children in the below cabin. Despite suffering knife wounds, Ms Culverwell summoned enough energy to make a call to a friend in New Zealand. 'He kept Derryn on the phone and as calm as he could,' Mr Culverwell's sister Derryn Hughes said. 'The attackers had left the boat at that stage, but Derryn was very scared but trying to keep it together for the kids. The friend notified authorities in Panama and New Zealand Police, before the family was finally rescued. A tracker was also installed on the boat, which helped rescuers locate the vessel. Ms Culverwell received stitches for her injury and left hospital with her two children on Saturday. While the exact motives behind the unprovoked attack are yet to be confirmed, the pirates reportedly stole an outboard engine from the vessel as well as other items. Mr Culverwell's stepson and a close friend are understood to be leaving New Zealand to be by the family's side. Panama's president Juan Carlos Varela has since appeared on television and publicly apologised to the Culverwell family. During the broadcast, Mr Varela promised that the attackers would pay for their crimes. The 65-foot yacht (pictured) was bought in the US as part of the Culverwell family's round-the-world-trip The Culverwell family had sold their home in the Marlborough Sounds on the northern end of New Zealand's South Island The Culverwell family had sold their home in the Marlborough Sounds on the northern end of New Zealand's South Island. The father used the money to purchase the 65ft yacht from a seller in Florida, US. 'It was a beautiful big boat that had been owned by someone with way too much money and [Culverwell] just timed it perfectly, he bought it in Florida for way less than had been spent on it,' Paua Industry Council chief executive Jeremy Cooper said. The family were sailing the newly-bought boat back from the place of purchase, making numerous stops along the way. They made a stop at the Panamanian island of Bocas del Toro and were to make their way back to New Zealand before they were intercepted. Panama National Border Service, Eric Estrada, said psychologists from the Public Ministry and social workers had been in touch with the surviving victims. Ms Culverwell (pictured left) 'forced the pirates out' before locking herself and her children in the cabin The father-of-two was shot at point blank range before the pirates attacked his wife and daughter The General Congress of Guna Yala also expressed their sadness at Ms Culverwell's death. Piracy in the Caribbean Piracy in the Caribbean began in the 1500s It declined to almost non-existence in the 1830s 1716 to 1726 was considered the 'Golden Age of Piracy' in the Caribbean Piracy was popular in the Caribbean because of the existence of pirate seaports Pirates were often former sailors experienced in naval warfare Aboard a pirate vessel each pirate had to abide by a 'codes of conduct' Some rules included a dress code and strictly no women were allowed A punishment for breaking the rules would be agreed upon by everyone boarding the boat before it departed Advertisement Meanwhile Mr Culverwell's friends and family have paid tribute to the beloved family man. He was described as a 'legend' and a 'brilliant teacher' by his friends. A GoFundMe page had been set up to help the Culverwell family. 'The Culverwells are special people. They are without a doubt the kindest and most genuine family we have ever met,' a statement on the page read. 'Derryn will be faced with multiple logistical challenges ahead. 'Derryn, you are not alone, and an army of people love you and are happy to help your beautiful family.' The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia they were 'providing consular assistance to a New Zealand family following an incident in Panama'. 'Due to privacy considerations no further information will be provided,' a spokesperson said. The family are in the process of also arranging Mr Culverwell's body to be transported back to New Zealand. Israel Folau's family have defended him as his code of conduct hearing is set to continue for a third day, after no decision was made on whether his multi-million dollar contract should be ripped up. The landmark hearing will resume on Tuesday following a weekend stalemate at Rugby Australia (RA) headquarters in Sydney. The 30-year-old's loved ones have spoken out in support of his controversial social media posts, insisting it comes from a place of love, not hate. Scroll down for video Israel Folau's (pictured) loved ones have spoken out in support of his controversial social media posts, insisting it comes from a place of love, not hate Just four months into his four-year contract, Folau turned down a lucrative $1million settlement offer to end his row with RA, 7NEWS reported. 'The important thing for us is not so much the outcome, but how the glory of God is revealed throughout this situation and that his truth is preached to the whole world,' his cousin Josiah Folau said. His father Eni Folau, a pastor at the family's Christian church insists that his son has done nothing wrong. 'Israel does not do any wrong at all, all the words he posted doesn't come from him, it comes from the Bible,' Mr Folau said. Both his family and fellow church-goers insist the rugby star is pure at heart and a decent man. They believe what he posted is not 'hate speech' but comes from a place of love, trying to 'save souls'. A three-person panel, with representatives from RA and the Rugby Union Players' Association, are determining Folau's fate on the field. The controversial rugby star (right) pictured with his wife Maria Folau (left) Both his family and fellow church-goers insist the rugby star is pure at heart and a decent man (pictured his father Eni Folau) RA chief executive Raelene Castle was asked to provide further evidence on Sunday, with NSW Waratahs supremo Andrew Hore also called on as more than 15 hours of legal jousting wasn't enough for the three-person panel. Folau is fighting to save his career after Castle issued the dual international with a 'high-level' breach notice last month and threatened to tear up his four-year, $4 million contract following his latest round of inflammatory social media posts. Last month Folau took to Instagram to proclaim 'hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators' unless they repent and turn to Jesus. The full-back of Tongan descent was warned by RA last year after sharing a similar homophobic post that claimed gays were destined for hell. Folau was issued with a 'high-level' breach notice last month after he shared a social media post which claimed homosexuals were going to hell unless they 'repent' He then signed his profitable contract extension in October. Folau is being represented by high-profile solicitor Ramy Quatami and barrister Adam Casselden, who recently worked on the coronial inquest into the murder-suicide of Sydney family Maria Lutz and her children Ellie and Martin at the hands of their father Fernando Manrique in 2016. The rugby star and his representation will argue the sporting body did not include a specific social media clause in the new contract. Further, they will argue the post was from the Bible and not directly Folau's words. The full-back of Tongan descent was warned by RA last year after sharing a similar homophobic post that claimed gays were destined for hell But RA, represented by Justin Gleeson SC, are expected to counter argue that Folau breached the governing body's broader code of conduct policy and its inclusion policy - despite the exclusion of a clear social media clause. Point 1.3 of the players' code of conduct policy says: 'Treat everyone equally, fairly and with dignity regardless of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural or religious background, age or disability. 'Any form of bullying, harassment or discrimination has no place in Rugby'. The three-person panel is made up of chair John West QC, RA representative Kate Eastman SC and the Rugby Union Players' Association-elected John Boultbee. If the tribunal determines that Folau has breached his contract, the panel must then decide if the breach was severe enough to terminate his career. Advertisement Israel has reportedly killed a Hamas commander in a series of airstrikes amid reports it is planning to invade Gaza following a series of skirmishes with Palestinians. A military statement said that commander Hamed Ahmed Abed Khudri had been killed in a targeted air strike on his car on Sunday. Khudri was reportedly responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Palestinian witnesses said he was killed in an air strike on his car. Four Israelis and 22 Palestinians, including two pregnant woman and an infant, have died so far in air strikes which began as Palestinians fired 600 rockets across the border on Friday. It comes as Israel's ground troops are reportedly preparing to siege the Gaza perimeter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas, the dissident group which rules Gaza, is paying a 'heavy price' for its attacks on his country. And he has ordered a large military corps up to the besieged enclave as the month-long ceasefire is left in tatters. Scroll down for video A building in Gaza city is totally destroyed by an explosion on Sunday as Israel fired high-powered missiles across the border into Palestinian territory A missile from Israel's 'Iron Dome' defence system is launched to defend the border from Palestinian rocket attacks. The Iron Dome works to intercept the rockets and explode them in midair Palestinians inspect a destroyed car of Hamas member Hamed Al-Khodari after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday Smoke rises after Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes in Gaza City as part of Benjamin Netanyahu's retaliation front Israel's troops are reportedly preparing to siege the Gaza border (airstrikes aftermath in the Strip) after Palestinian militants fired more than 450 rockets on to their territory Seven Palestinians have also died, including a pregnant woman and a one-year-old-baby, in airstrikes which formed part of Israel's retaliation (pictured: building in the enclave destroyed) Palestinians are seen in a damaged house near a totally collapsed building after Israeli army carried out airstrikes in Rafah, Gaza Israelis take cover as a siren sounds warning of incoming rockets from Gaza during cross-border hostilities in the southern city of Ashkelon Israeli airstrikes targeted the city of Rafah on the Gaza strip after Hamas militants launched a barrage of rockets across the border In a statement to his cabinet this morning, Mr Netanyahu said: 'I instructed the military this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip and ordered it to reinforce the troops around the Gaza Strip with tanks, artillery and infantry force.' Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old father of four, was struck in the chest by shrapnel during a missile strike on the city of Ashkelon near the border and was reported as the `first Israeli fatality from Gazan rocket attacks since 2014s war with terrorists based in the Strip'. Eight Palestinian militants have also died in airstrikes which formed part of Israel's retaliation that Mr Netanyahu has vowed to continue. A pregnant woman and a one-year-old baby were also killed, but Israel is claiming that their deaths were caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket. And Israeli Defence Forces are standing by to invade the blockaded Gaza strip, according to the Independent. The fighting came as leaders from Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the smaller armed faction Islamic Jihad, were in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators aimed at preventing a fraying ceasefire from collapsing altogether. It also comes at a sensitive time for Israel, which is to mark its Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday this week, before hosting the Eurovision song contest in the middle of the month. Prolonged fighting could overshadow the Eurovision and potentially deter international travelers from coming in for the festive event. On Saturday video footage of a family screaming in fear during rocket attacks was posted on social media. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic group that opposes Israel's existence, have fought three wars and dozens of smaller flare-ups of violence since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. A picture taken in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2019 shows an explosion following an airstrike by Israel Four Palestinians, including a pregnant mother and her baby daughter, were killed, according to officials in Gaza, while three Israelis, including an 80-year-old woman, were wounded by rocket fire The fighting came as leaders from Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the smaller armed faction Islamic Jihad, were in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators (pictured: A target explodes during airstrikes in Gaza City, May 4) An explosion is pictured among buildings during an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on May 4, 2019 Palestinians gather on the beach in Gaza City as smoke and fire billow following airstrikes by Israel in response to rockets fired by Palestinian militants The Gaza health ministry reported a 22-year-old man as well as a 14-month-old baby and her pregnant mother killed, with 17 others wounded An Israeli army spokeswoman said the military did not have any information on the incident involving the baby. The army said earlier it was targeting only military sites (pictured: Gaza City) Missiles are fired from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, Gaza's militant strongholds came under fire (fireball pictured) from Israeli troops after they launched rockets into southern Israel One woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, some 13 miles from the Gaza border, police said (pictured: Gaza City) They engaged in several days of heavy fighting in March before Egypt brokered a truce in which Israel agreed to ease a crippling blockade on Gaza in exchange for a halt in rocket fire. In recent days, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on its pledges as militants began to fire rockets into Israel. In a familiar scene, air raid sirens wailed across southern Israel throughout the day and into the evening as barrages of rockets were repeatedly fired. Retaliatory airstrikes caused large explosions to thunder across Gaza, as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Outgoing Palestinian rockets left long trails of smoke behind them. Gaza's Health Ministry said a 14-month-old girl, Seba Abu Arar, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit their home in east Gaza City. Her pregnant mother, 37, was severely wounded and died later at the hospital, the ministry added. Another child was moderately injured. Pictured: Smoke and flames rise following an Israeli airstrike on a building in Gaza city Israeli airstrike Retaliatory airstrikes caused large explosions to thunder across Gaza, as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Outgoing Palestinian rockets left long trails of smoke behind them (pictured: An explosion caused by an Israeli airstrike) The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding two Israeli soldiers Friday (pictured: Fire rises in Gaza on May 4) In the morning, Gaza's Health Ministry said a 22-year-old Palestinian man was killed by an Israeli airstrike, and 13 other Palestinians were wounded. Late on Saturday, health officials said a 25-year-old man was killed by an Israeli drone missile as he was traveling on a motorbike in northern Gaza. In Israel, medical officials said an 80-year-old woman was severely wounded by rocket fire, a 50-year-old man was moderately wounded by shrapnel and a teenage boy was mildly hurt as he ran for cover. Israeli police said a house in the coastal city of Ashkelon was damaged. The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding two Israeli soldiers Friday. It said the shooting was not coordinated with Hamas, but said it holds Hamas, as the territory's ruling power, responsible for all fire emanating from Gaza. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said 'the United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel.' 'We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self defense against these abhorrent attacks,' she said in a statement. Smoke rises after Israeli army carried out airstrike in Rafah, Gaza on May 4, 2019 Israeli bomb squad inspect the remains of a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli Kibbutz of Yad Mordechai A picture taken from the southern Israeli village of Netiv Haasara shows an explosion caused by an Israeli air strike across the border in the Gaza Strip By nightfall, the army said militants had fired well over 200 rockets into Israel. It said dozens of the rockets were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket-defense system. But it closed roads near the Gaza border to civilian traffic and closed a popular beach as a security precaution. The military said it struck some 120 targets in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad military compounds, a Hamas rocket-manufacturing site and a 'high-end Islamic Jihad tunnel' that it said stretched into Israel for use in attacks. Late on Saturday, Israel struck a building that it said housed Hamas military intelligence offices in Gaza City. Another airstrike hit a six-story commercial and residential building. Journalists said the building housed the office of Turkey's news agency Anadolu. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said it was closing the fishing zone off Gaza's coast altogether and sealing Israel's two land crossings with Gaza. The crossings are used by Palestinian medical patients to enter and exit the territory, and provide the main entry for cargo into the blockaded territory. The U.N.'s Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said the United Nations was working with Egypt to restore calm and called on all sides to 'de-escalate' and restore recent understandings. A missile fired from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells races towards Gaza Damage to a house is seen after a rocket fired from Gaza Strip hit in the southern Israeli city Kiryat Gat, May 4 A statement from Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, allied to Hamas, claimed responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more if necessary (pictured, rocket fired from Gaza towards Israel) 'Those who seek to destroy them will bear responsibility for a conflict that will have grave consequences for all,' he said in a statement. The European Union's ambassador to Israel, Emanuele Giaufret, sharply criticized the rocket attacks on Twitter, saying 'firing indiscriminately against civilians (is) unacceptable.' Islamic Jihad, which sometimes acts independently of Hamas, threatened to fire longer range rockets toward Israel's heartland. In a video that also was seen an implicit claim of responsibility, it showed archived footage of militants attaching warheads to rockets. Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. Under the recent understandings, Israel agreed to expand a fishing zone off Gaza's coast, increased imports into Gaza and allow the Gulf state of Qatar to deliver aid to cash-strapped Gaza. But like previous Egyptian-mediated agreements, those understandings have shown signs of unraveling in recent days. On Friday, two Palestinians were fatally shot by Israeli forces during the weekly protests along Israel-Gaza perimeter fence. Palestinian militants also shot and wounded two Israeli soldiers along the border fence. No group claimed responsibility for the shooting. In response, Israeli aircraft carried out retaliatory strikes, killing two Hamas militants. Hamas has hoped that Egyptian mediators could further ease the blockade, which has ravaged Gaza's economy. For over a year, the Islamic group has orchestrated mass demonstrations each week along the Israeli frontier to draw attention to Gaza's plight. More than 200 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in the border protests. Trisha Goddard's daughter has revealed her 16-year battle with drink and drugs - that began when her chat show host mother was 'off solving everyone else's problems'. Billie Dee Gianfrancesco, 29, first drank alcohol during a family holiday to the Caribbean at the age of 12. She started 'glugging' spirits whenever she felt sad and got hooked to prescription painkillers after her mother, 61, accidentally gave them to her for period pain. She slept around at her 5,000-a-term private school and when everyone found out, tried to kill herself at 17. In her later years she binged on wine, MDMA, cocaine and cannabis, while racking up 25,000 in payday loan debt. After years of struggle she finally sought help last year and has been in drug and alcohol recovery since July. But she says her relationship with her mother is still marred by her 'guilt' she was 'off solving everyone else's problems' while one of her daughters reached the brink of suicide. Billie (right) is pictured with her sister Madi (centre) and mother Trisha (left) on holiday She told The Mirror's Carol Driver: 'I think she's proud of me but feels guilty, as when I needed her she was off solving everyone else's problems. She wasn't present enough to help me deal with mine.' Four years before she had her first taste of alcohol, the family had moved back to the UK from Australia following Trisha's split from Billie's father Mark Greive. She attended the Langley School in Norfolk while her mother's TV ratings were going through the roof, with over a million viewers tuning in to watch her confessional talk show. But as she started to go off the rails she began sleeping around and had had 20 sexual partners - men and women - by the time she was 18. Gossip travelled fast at school and unable to cope she tried to overdose. At 21 she had managed to graduate with a 2:1 in English Literature from Royal Holloway University, despite constant drinking and smoking cannabis. But it was then her relationship broke down and she lost her job as a PR manager at Ministry of Sound. She was living in a 1,400-a-month London flat she could no longer afford and admits she 'went crazy'. Billie told the newspaper she would wake up and put rum in her coffee and keep cocaine by her bedside. She took out 10 payday loans worth 25,000 to pay for her numerous addictions. Billie (pictured on holiday) has told of how she would wake up and put rum in her coffee, keep cocaine by her bedside and keep stashes of painkillers hidden in her handbag Billie told the Mirror: 'I was passing out, waking up and doing it again. It was horrendous.' She has been in therapy for three years, but one evening last summer she found an MDMA pill on her bedroom floor and swallowed it without thinking. She had work the next day and couldn't believe what she had done, she says. It was then she rang a mental health crisis line and signed up for alcohol and drug recovery. Although she still has a good relationship with Trisha, she says there is still a long way to go. But speaking to the newspaper the former actress and presenter said she is 'immensely proud of both of her daughters,' but admitted she could have done more to help Billie. Billie (pictured with her sister Madi and mother Trisha in the 1990s) says her relationship with her mother is still marred by her 'guilt' she was 'off solving everyone else's problems' while one of her daughters reached the brink of suicide Trisha had to cope with her own problems, with her other daughter, Billie's sister Maddison being rushed to intensive care, Billie's father Mark being unfaithful and losing her mother. She suffered her own mental health battle and was admitted to a psychiatric facility where she recalls being on 'suicide watch'. She wrote in her memoir, As I Am: 'I remember the bright lights of the A and E department. I remember being in a wheelchair. 'Then I woke up in a bed in a sparsely furnished room. I was cold, and I didn't know what had happened. 'S***!' I thought. 'I'm still here, still thinking.' A nurse came in, and I realised I was in a psychiatric hospital - and I was on 'suicide watch'. 'That precaution wasn't necessary. When I took those pills and drank that brandy, it was not because I wanted to die. After Madi's illness, Mark's infidelity, the rows, the sleepless nights, the crazy hours at work, all I wanted was to be left alone.' Billie has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. She has been in therapy for the past three years, and in drug and alcohol recovery since July 2018. Billie said she urges anyone who identifies with her story to seek help, adding: 'Asking for help can seem impossible, but it really is possible to change your life and be happy. 'I still have a lot of work to do but Im immensely proud of my progress.' Trisha (pictured) suffered her own mental health problems and was admitted to a psychiatric facility where she recalls being on 'suicide watch' Billie is hopeful her story will encourage others in need to seek help after she reached out to charity Port Of Call. They with people battling addiction and their families, offering advice on treatment services in the UK, via a website - https://portofcall.com/ - and helpline. The team all have personal experience of addiction. Port of Call founder Martin Preston said: 'Addiction is a shame-based illness. What keeps people stuck is that they don't talk about it. 'They think there's something wrong about it or bad about them. 'This is why it is so important for all of us to start talking about addiction openly and dropping the judgement.' For confidential support 24/7 365 days a year, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org The Roman conquest of Britain 2,000 years ago is one of the most important events recorded in history - but exactly where Julius Caesar landed, and the precise route he then took, has remained a mystery. All that could change after the discovery of four military camps in Kent and Essex - which form a straight line from his landing zone to the point of combat with a Celtic chieftain. Many historians believe the Roman army first set foot on British soil in 55BC at Walmer; and that the second invasion, in 54BC, began at nearby Deal - both on the south-east coast, halfway between Ramsgate and Dover. From there, it was assumed Caesar crossed the Thames at Brentford. But new evidence suggests that, for his first invasion, Caesar crossed the river at East Tilbury after landing at Dover - in a manoeuvre that followed a line through temporary 'marching camps' at Denge Wood, Kemsley, East Tilbury and Loughton. These camps would accommodate personnel, along with their equipment, animals, and a headquarters. They could be used defensively - as a secure base to which an army could retreat; and offensively - as a staging area for assaults. Julius Caesar spearheaded the Roman invasion of Britain in 54 and 55BC but mystery has surrounded where he landed - and the exact route his army then took. Now, the discovery of four military camps in Kent and Essex could change that New evidence suggests that, for his first invasion, Caesar crossed the river at East Tilbury after landing at Dover - in a manoeuvre that followed a straight line through four temporary, and equidistant, 'marching camps': at Denge Wood, Kemsley, East Tilbury and Loughton Evidence for the four camps has been unearthed by amateur historian Roger Nolan, which he presents in a new book, Julius Caesar's Invasion Of Britain: Solving A 2,000-Year-Old Mystery. Each site was a day's march apart, forming a line from the coast to Wheathampstead (in present-day Hertfordshire). It was here, at Devil's Dyke, that Caesar defeated Celtic chieftain Cassivellaunus, in 54BC - part of his ongoing mission to submit the tribal leaders to Roman rule. The Denge Wood site (south of Canterbury) ties in with a battle between the Romans and Britons at Chartham Downs - a ridge of high land overlooking the Stour valley on one side and Denge Wood on the other. What were Roman 'marching' camps? 'Marching' camps were built deep in the heart of enemy territory by Romans The Roman 'marching' camps were typically square or rectangular and could be built at the end of a day's march - which averaged 20miles for a legionary army. The camps could accommodate military personnel, along with their equipment, animals, and a headquarters. They could be used defensively - as a secure base to which an army could retreat; and offensively - as a staging area for assaults. The camps were intended for operations deep in the heart of enemy territory. With each step of the army's advance, their construction would strike fear in their adversaries, as the camps were a sign of their huge military might. Once the Romans had conquered a territory, the camps could be transformed into more permanent fortifications. Advertisement The Roman 'marching' camps could accommodate personnel, along with their equipment, animals, and a headquarters. The Denge Wood site (south of Canterbury) ties in with a battle between the Romans and Britons at Chartham Downs - a ridge of high land overlooking the Stour valley on one side and Denge Wood on the other. (Above, file image of Denge Wood) The Denge Wood site (south of Canterbury) ties in with a battle between the Romans and Britons at Chartham Downs - a ridge of high land overlooking the Stour valley on one side and Denge Wood on the other Denge Wood appears on old ordnance survey maps as a cattle pen, but Nolan told the Sunday Telegraph: 'There are ramparts and ditches redolent of Roman marching camps elsewhere. 'It's extraordinary that no one's ever discovered it. 'What I have discovered all fits together like an archaeological jigsaw puzzle.' Cassivellaunus ruled the territory north of the River Thames and favoured guerrilla warfare - whereby his men typically hid in forests to ambush the Roman troops. He led a number of British tribes against Caesar, to whom he eventually surrendered. The book, Julius Caesar's Invasion of Britain: Solving a 2,000-Year-Old Mystery, is published on May 10. Caesar returned to Italy from his European conquests a hero and famously crossed the Rubicon river in 49BC without disbanding his army. In the ensuing civil war Caesar took control of Rome as dictator. (Above, Ciaran Hinds as Caesar in the BBC drama Rome) ... or did Caesar land on the Isle of Thanet? According to research in 2017, Julius Caesar's fleet landed in Britain in 54BC at Pegwell Bay on the Isle of Thanet, Kent. The evidence followed surveys of hillforts that may have been attacked by Caesar, along with studies in museums of objects that may have been made or buried at the time of the invasions, such as coin hoards, and excavations in Kent. Pegwell Bay had never been suspected as the first point of his invasion because it was separated from the mainland 2,000 years ago. Pegwell Bay on the Isle of Thanet is believed to be where Caesar first attempted to land in 55BC, and more successfully in 54BC. The spot was never previously suspected because it was separated from the mainland Why did Caesar invade Britain? Julius Caesar invaded Britain during the Empire's Gallic wars, in which Rome's legions attempted to stamp out aggressive Gallic forces across Europe. The Gallic wars featured a number of bloody conflicts and lasted eight years between 58 and 50BC. Caesar believed that anti-Roman Gallic tribes in Gaul were receiving material assistance and aid from southern tribes in Britain. Experts claim this alliance was likely as the groups spoke closely related languages and had been trading partners for centuries. Caesar didn't set out to conquer Britain on either of his expeditions, with the 54 and 55 BC invasions intended as military demonstrations of force. The general wanted to warn British tribes of the repercussions for crossing Rome and to establish alliances with local leaders. Advertisement But three clues about the spot's landscape were consistent with Caesar's own accounts of the invasion. Experts from the University of Leicester claimed that the Isle's visibility from the sea, as well as its higher ground and large open bay, fitted Caesar's accounts. Iron weaponry, including a Roman javelin, and other artefacts dug up at the neighbouring hamlet of Ebbsfleet suggest it was a 1st century BC Roman base. It was up to 20 hectares in size and the main purpose would have been be to protect Caesar's fleet, which had been drawn up on to the beach. Roadworkers who found signs of a large defensive ditch led to the realisation two years ago that this was the likely spot where Caesar first set foot on British soil. The shape of the ditch was very similar to some of the Roman defences at Alesia in France, where the decisive battle in the Gallic War took place in 52BC. Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick, of the University of Leicester's School of Archaeology and Ancient History, said in 2017: 'The site at Ebbsfleet lies on a peninsula that projects from the south-eastern tip of the Isle of Thanet. Pictured, Pegwell Bay. Experts from the University of Leicester claimed that the Isle's visibility from the sea, as well as its higher ground and large open bay, fitted Caesar's accounts 'Thanet has never been considered as a possible landing site before because it was separated from the mainland until the Middle Ages. 'However, it is not known how big the Channel that separated it from the mainland, the Wantsum Channel, was. 'The Wantsum Channel was clearly not a significant barrier to people of Thanet during the Iron Age and it certainly would not have been a major challenge to the engineering capabilities of the Roman army.' Lyn Rigby, 52, was told she must 'buy it, rent it, or lose it' by 1980s-wrestling-star Kendo Nagasaki The mother of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has been told she may lose the retreat she set up for bereaved families of soldiers in memory of her son. Lyn Rigby, 52, was gifted the property for the Lee Rigby foundation's use on the country estate of 1980s-wrestling-star Kendo Nagasaki after the brutal murder of her son in 2013. Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, of the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in broad daylight before witnesses in a Woolwich, south east London street in 2013. Ms Rigby set about renovating the large four-bedroom house as a usable space for the bereaved families of soldiers, starting a foundation in her sons name; The Lee Rigby Foundation, before opening the retreat in October 2017. The former wrestler has now told her she must 'buy it, rent it, or lose it' due to his financial difficulties, reports The Sun. As the foundation is unable to afford to buy or rent the property Lyn told The Sun on Sunday she now faces losing everything she's worked for and her home. Lyn Rigby, husband Ian, 60, and their daughters Courtney, 17, and Amy, 14, will now have to find another home, having moved into the property in 2017, sacrificing the memory rich childhood home of son Lee to take on the responsibility of the retreat. Lyn Rigby, 52, (left) was gifted the property for the Lee Rigby foundation's use on the estate of 1980s-wrestling-star Kendo Nagasaki (right) after the brutal murder of her son in 2013 Father-of-one Lee Rigby (left) was murdered outside his barracks in Woolwich, London, in 2013. Lyn Rigby at the opening of the Lee Rigby Foundation retreat in 2017 (right) Mr Nagasaki told The Sun he couldn't foresee the financial problems he is now facing and has given Ms Rigby the option to buy or rent the property from him. The knock for the family, three weeks before the sixth anniversary of Mr Rigby's murder 'couldn't have come at a worst time' told Lyn Rigby to The Sun on Sunday. Mr Rigby was murdered by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale who were convicted of his murder and given a whole life jail term and a minimum of 45 years, but have never shown remorse. The retreat is part of Kendo Nagasaki's country estate. Lyn said at the time she was thankful for the support Lee Rigby House was jointly funded by the Lee Rigby Foundation and former wrestling star Kendo Nagasaki, who was moved by the Fusilier's story Mr Rigby's devoted mother said it had been a difficult journey of grief, but that finding a new purpose in life, running the retreat, saved her from the brink of suicide. The retreat for bereaved families of British servicemen and women offers them some 'comfort, tranquility and togetherness'. Earlier this year Ms Rigby spoke about how the first visitor to the retreat had benefited. She said: 'Our first visitor was a man called Michael,' she told Bella magazine. 'He was 52, and had fallen on difficult times after leaving the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment. He became a roofer but suffered with money problems and turned to drink. When he came to us, he was unemployed, homeless and an alcoholic.' After hearing about Michael through the Foundation's contact, Lyn then offered him a room until he got better. 'He gave up booze and stayed with us at the lodge,' she continued. 'He told me if we hadn't taken him in he would be dead, and that we had changed his life. It was so nice to hear and really gave me purpose.' A gofundme to raise money for the foundation to buy caravans in place of the property has been started by Courtney Rigby and has currently raised 779 of it's 50,000 goal. Spokesman for The Kendo Nagasaki Foundation and Peter Thornley, Tony Vieira at Westminster law firm Buks, said: 'The Lee Rigby Foundation, Mrs Lyn Rigby and her family have been supported by Peter Thornley and the Kendo Nagasaki Foundation since September 2016. 'Peter invited the family to set up home on his country manor estate so that he could help Lyns dreams of creating a charity in her sons name. Peter provided office space and administrative support to the Foundation and a property which was refurbished extensively and renamed as Lee Rigby House. Additionally, accommodation was provided for Lyn and her family. Lee Rigby House was initially provided to the Lee Rigby Foundation on a rent-free basis. It was agreed that rent would only become payable when, and only when, the Lee Rigby Foundation was in a position to do so. 'At no time has Peter demanded rent and consequently the foundation has never had to pay. Whilst Lee Rigby House was not gifted or donated to the Foundation, effectively it has been using Lee Rigby House on a rent-free basis and Peter feels privileged that he has been allowed to do so. 'Prior to the Foundation taking possession of the Lee Rigby House, it was refurbished extensively at a cost of some 200,000 to Peter personally and the question of the Foundation contributing has never arisen. Additionally, many volunteers, local tradespeople and companies kindly and generously donated goods and services to turn Lee Rigby House into the amazing sanctuary it is today. 'Lyn was also provided with separate residential accommodation for herself and her family since August 2017 and at no time was rent ever demanded from her 'It is regrettable that due to a legal dispute, not involving the Lee Rigby Foundation, that Peter has been threatened with the forced sale of Lee Rigby House and many of his other assets; Peter continues to fight for the cause to prevent the Lee Rigby House being sold. 'Whilst Peter informed Lyn of this, it was made clear that the sale of Lee Rigby House could be taken out of his hands at some point in the future. 'Whilst this fight continues the Lee Rigby Foundation are free to continue to use the property as they see fit. Peter hopes that he will be successful in saving Lee Rigby House and further hopes that he can continue to support the Lee Rigby Foundation going forward. 'No one is being forced out of either Lee Rigby House or the residential accommodation by Peter. However, should Peter be unsuccessful in the ongoing legal dispute then it is of course possible that the Lee Rigby Foundation could be asked to leave by others at some point in the future.' His killers Michael Adebolajo (left) and Michael Adebowale (right) who were convicted of his murder and given a whole life jail term and a minimum of 45 years, have never shown remorse Drummer Lee Rigby, of the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in broad daylight before witnesses in a London street, by savages bent upon flaunting their martyrdom before the world A well known Melbourne dance music DJ has died in Bali while trying to rush to the aid of his injured female colleague. Adam Neat, 42, better known as Adam Sky, died while holidaying at a luxury Bali resort south of Kuta on Saturday. It's understood the Singapore based DJ came to the aid of his female colleague Zoia Lukiantceva, who broke her leg when she fell four metres from their private pool area while naked at the Hillstone Villas Resort. Fans are mourning the shock death of Melbourne DJ Adam Sky (pictured) on Saturday He smashed into a glass door and severed a major artery while rushing to her aid and his body was found in a pool of blood, Nine News reported. Police said alcohol was involved in the incident. The tragic news has been confirmed to the DJ's fans. Also known as Adam Neat, the DJ died while rushing to the aid of a colleague at a Bali resort His female colleague Zoia Lukiantceva (pictured) fell four metres from their private pool area The tragedy occurred at the Hillstone Villas Resort (pictured) south of Kuta in Bali on Saturday 'It is with great regret that we can confirm Adam Neat was involved in a fatal accident while trying to help a friend who had suffered multiple fractures in Bali on Saturday 4th May,' a post on the DJ's official Facebook page read on Sunday night. 'Relatives and friends of Adam are travelling to Bali today and handling all arrangements. We ask you to respect the families privacy at this moment while we all come to terms with our tragic loss. Sky was ranked as the third most popular DJ in Asia and amassed more Top 100 and Top 10 charted tracks than any other producer-DJ in Asia in recent times. Hailed by JUICE Magazine Asia as the 'rising Aussie superstar DJ', Sky shared the stage with the likes of Fat Boy Slim, David Guetta, The Scissor Sisters and toured globally with icons such as Ministry of Sound. He has a strong social media fan base with more than 905,000 Facebook followers. Adam Sky was based in Signpore and ranked as the third most popular DJ in Asia DJ Adam Sky (pictured centre) suffered multiple injuries in the fatal accident at a luxury resort Shocked fans and friends have taken to social media to pay tribute. 'Devastated - amazing talent, amazing person, always willing to help. Sad sad day. Thoughts out to Marvie and family members,' one wrote. Another posted: 'Truly lovable bloke and an exceptional talent . Will be missed by many friends , industry players and the audiences he entertained.' One woman described the DJ as one of the kindest bosses she's ever had. His father Gary Neat - an Australian business leader and former ABC journalist is understood to be on his way to Bali to bring his son's body home. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is considering asking the US to launch a military intervention in the embattled country. On Sunday Guaido said he would 'evaluate all options' to oust President Nicolas Maduro after the attempt to topple Nicolas Maduro failed on Tuesday. The president responded by delivering an address from an army base in Caracas, flanked by soldiers. Guaido told the BBC the support of more than 50 countries, including the US, UK and most Latin American nations - and he has told the BBC that US support for him has been "decisive". 'I think President [Donald] Trump's position is very firm, which we appreciate, as does the entire world,' he said. On Sunday Guaido said he would 'evaluate all options' to oust President Nicolas Maduro after the attempt to topple Nicolas Maduro failed on Tuesday Asked whether he would like Mr Trump and the US military to intervene, he responded it is "responsible to evaluate" the possibility of international intervention. He added: I, as the president in charge of the national parliament, will evaluate all options if necessary.' Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the Trump administration is preparing to use a broad range of options to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He claimed that the fall of Maduro's government is imminent and that the support for opposition leader Juan Guaido remains strong. 'We have a full range of options that we're preparing for," Pompeo said on ABC's This Week. He explained that potential paths forward include 'diplomatic options, political options, options with our allies and then ultimately a set of options that would involve use of U.S. military.' 'We're preparing those for [Guaido] so that when the situation arises, we're not flatfooted,' Pompeo said. When asked if President Trump believes he can intervene without congressional authorization, Pompeo responded by saying he was 'very confident any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful.' The intervention comes as grieving family members and friends were at the funeral of a 14-year-old boy shot dead during a fierce uprising in the Venezuelan capital Caracas. Yhoifer Hernandez was one of five people killed after thousands launched protests against President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday and Wednesday. The child was hit by gunfire during Wednesday's clashes in Caracas, while 16-year-old Yosner Graterol died from a gunshot wound after unrest in the northern town of La Victoria on Tuesday. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido speaks during a press conference at the New Time Party headquarters in Los Palos Grandes neighbourhood in Caracas on Friday Friends of 14-year-old Venezuelan boy Yhoifer Hernandez cry at his funeral after he was killed during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government The heartbreaking scenes were captured at the Eastern Cemetery in La Guairita, Caracas, where the boy was buried yesterday Yhoifer's tombstone yesterday was a grey, mud-splattered brick, which was adorned with flowers after the emotional service A crowd of around 100 people gathered in the sandy graveyard for a service, with some seen holding umbrellas and another clutching the flag of Venezuela A girl is consoled by a women as she weeps into her arms during the service. Yhoifer was hit by gunfire during Wednesday's clashes in Caracas, while 16-year-old Yosner Graterol died from a gunshot wound after unrest in the northern town of La Victoria on Tuesday Heartbreaking pictures show Yhoifer's relatives and supporters break down in tears at the Eastern Cemetery in La Guairita, Caracas, as they buried the child yesterday. A group of female attendees can be seen desperately clinging to Yhoifer's coffin - which had been covered with a white sheet during a service. Another image shows the mud-splattered slab of brick used as his tombstone, which has his name sprayed on to it in black paint. A crowd of around 100 people gathered in the sandy graveyard for a service, with some seen holding umbrellas and another clutching the flag of Venezuela. A couple stand at the boy's grave which has a pile of soil ready to be smoothed over it as well as being littered with flowers brought by friends and family A boy, believed to be a friend of Yhoifer, bows his head and hugs a woman during the service yesterday. The woman wipes her eyes during the gathering A group of young girls and boys walk to the service in the Venezuelan capital yesterday carrying flows and one girl wipes away tears using a pink tissue An alternative shot shows groups of people after the ceremony for 14-year-old Yhoifer yesterday. Heartbreaking pictures showed his friends and family break down in tears during a ceremony for him The crowd of around 100 friends, family and supporters of the cause against President Nicolas Maduro walk towards the graveyard yesterday It follows a week of bloodshed in Venezuela as the military loyal to President Maduro crushed an uprising inspired by opposition leader Juan Guaido. Mr Guaido has urged his supporters to converge on military garrisons to try to persuade military forces to turn against Maduro, whose years in office have been marked by escalating hardship for most people in a country that was once one of the wealthiest in Latin America. But in a show of strength yesterday, President Maduro posed for a photo with thousands of his soldiers and bellowed 'loyal forever' to a crowd of cadets in green uniforms. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (centre) poses for a picture with soldiers during a demonstration called 'march of the military loyalty' President Nicolas Maduro walks next to high commanders of the Armed Forces as he heads up a group of thousands of loyal soldiers during a demonstration 'Loyal forever,' Maduro bellowed to a crowd of soldiers and cadets who had joined him on the march of 'loyalty' yesterday But this morning, in a blow for President Maduro, seven Venezuelan military officers were killed after their helicopter crashed while heading to the state where he appeared alongside troops. The Cougar helicopter hurtled into a mountain outside Caracas in the early hours of an overcast day in the capital and an investigation has been launched. On board the helicopter were two lieutenant colonels as well as five lower-ranking officers. The statement did not say if the chopper was part of the presidential delegation. A French-made Cougar helicopter is shown during a military exercise on January 29. Seven military officers were killed when a helicopter (similar to that pictured) crashed into a mountain outside Caracas this morning Also in Caracas yesterday, a protester handed over a written appeal for the military's support, only for a Venezuelan policeman to burn the document in front of him. The armed forces 'won't be blackmailed or bought', said a second officer standing nearby. Benito Rodriguez fumed as he watched the events unfold. 'It's a humiliation,' said Mr Rodriguez, a demonstrator who had joined a crowd of about 150 protesters gathered near La Casona, a residence historically used by Venezuelan presidents. The scene highlights the uphill battle now facing opponents of Mr Maduro who have failed to persuade the country's security forces to join efforts to oust the leader. Opposition leader Juan Guaido previously urged supporters to converge on military garrisons to try to persuade forces to turn against Maduro Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro block a road as they demonstrate at El Paraiso neighborhood in Caracas yesterday A woman, who is against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, smiles at a riot police officer during a march in Caracas yesterday. Opponents of Mr Maduro now face an uphill battle to persuade the country's security forces to join efforts to oust the leader The critical role of the Venezuelan military in the country's crisis was on display as Mr Maduro tried to portray strength by joining troops at the military academy, while Mr Guaido attempted to woo the armed forces to his side. National television showed Mr Maduro wearing a camouflage hat as he shook hands and exchanged fist bumps with security forces during a visit to a military base before watching troops engage in a shooting exercise. As demonstrators linked arms and moved toward police, protest leader Maria Suarez urged calm. 'Please, a lot of discipline,' she said. An emotional protester holds up a sign to soldiers as she speaks to them during yesterday's anti-Maduro protest in Caracas yesterday Mr Guaido had called his supporters for a mobilisation outside military installations to press the armed forces to support him, but it appeared to have failed after President Maduro made a speech to the army declaring 'loyal forever' Others broke the line and went forward to hand over printed documents, saying the military's role in helping Venezuela emerge from an 'unsustainable' situation is vital. 'They think it's a joke. They don't take us seriously. They're not listening,' said demonstrator Andrea Palma after police burned the paper with a lighter. Divisions among the protesters were evident as some young men from poor neighbourhoods scoffed at a speaker who insisted that the gathering must be peaceful. A woman holds a sign reading 'Let's shout with spirit! Death to oppression loyal compatriots. Union is force' in front of riot police yesterday 'It's the frustration talking,' said demonstrator Mariajose Molina. The latest displays of will comes as the political standoff between Mr Maduro and US-backed Mr Guaido sinks deeper into a stalemate. On Tuesday, Mr Guaido appeared outside a Caracas military base and urged the military to overthrow his political rival. As the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly waited, however, it became clear his call had failed to rally armed forces to his side. Clashes between protesters and police then erupted, leaving five dead. Mr Maduro's government has also shown signs of weakness and has not moved to arrest Mr Guaido, who the US and over 50 other nations recognise as Venezuela's rightful leader. The mother of the youngest Manchester terror attack victim has revealed her heartbreaking struggling to carry on following her daughter's death. Lisa Roussos's daughter Saffie, eight, died when 22-year-old Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb a the end of the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in May 2017. Mrs Roussos was gravely injured by the blast and was in a coma for six weeks and revealed she 'still sees no future' without her daughter. Lisa Roussos (left), the mother of the youngest Manchester terror attack victim, Saffie (right), eight, has revealed her heartbreaking struggling to carry on following her daughter's death However, Mrs Roussos has now set up a charity in her daughter's honour, and will take on a 'painful' 10k to raise funds. Speaking of her torment, she told the Sunday Mirror: 'I still cant see a future. 'You live for your children, so when one is gone, how can you ever be happy again?' Saffie died when 22-year-old Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb a the end of the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in May 2017 Mrs Roussos was in a coma for six weeks with 117 shrapnel wounds and a 20% chance of survival, and only informed of Saffie's death when she woke up. She underwent nearly two years of rehabilitation, including learning how to walk again. I remember hitting the floor. I was paralysed,' she added. 'All I could think of was my daughters. I'd been holding Saffie's hand.' But Mrs Roussos is determined to find something positive in the experience, and has established charity 22MCR to help victims and the bereaved of the attack. She will kickstart the fundraising by walking the 10 kilometre Great Manchester Run on May 19 alongside one of her surgeons, her physios, and two intensive care nurses. Mrs Roussos said: 'having something to focus on has given me a purpose, a reason to get out of bed. 'I just hope I make it round, Saffie would think it was great.' On a Go Fund Me page set up to raise funds for the new charity, Mrs Roussos wrote: 'It will be one of the first charities to help victims of terrorism as there is tragically little support in the U.K or from the government when atrocities like this take place.' In June last year, Saffie's father Andrew, 44, hit out at the Government's response to helping the victims of terror attacks. He told the ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'Theres no support from the Government for victims of terrorism - nothing. Apart from seeking claim for your injuries. 'There wasn't even an acknowledgment from the Government until a few months later. 'If it wasn't for the One Love concert - the world coming together - where would we be. Mrs Roussos with her son Xander at Saffie's funeral at Manchester Cathedral in July 2017 In June last year, Saffie's father Andrew, 44, hit out at the Government's response to helping the victims of terror attacks. Above: Mr Roussos arriving for Saffie's funeral service 'There was no financial support. If there was no One Love concert we wouldnt have had anything. We had to be off work. Lisa was in hospital for four months. 'The concert and the Manchester fund (support us). The world came together because they felt our pain. Is this a time for us to fend for ourselves? 'I feel let down. How can you not support us under these circumstances? Its so life changing and we shouldnt be thinking about finances,' he added. The Islamic State group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a devastating series of suicide attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed more than 320 people. The claim, accompanied by a photo and video of the men the group said had unleashed the carnage, emerged more than two days after the near-simultaneous blasts ripped through three high-end hotels popular with foreigners and three churches packed with Christians celebrating Easter. Sri Lanka's government had said initial investigations suggested the attack had been carried out as 'retaliation' for shootings at two mosques in New Zealand last month that killed 50 people. The Islamic State group published a picture of eight men it said were behind the attacks in Sri Lanka Authorities in Colombo had already pointed the finger at a little-known local Islamic extremist group called National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), but said they were investigating whether they had international support. 'Those that carried out the attack that targeted members of the US-led coalition and Christians in Sri Lanka the day before yesterday are Islamic State group fighters,' IS propaganda agency Amaq said in a statement. The group later gave the noms de guerre of seven people it said were behind the 'blessed attack' that targeted Christians during their 'blasphemous holiday'. Amaq also released a photo of eight men it said were behind the blasts. Seven of them had their faces covered and three of them held knives. Maps of Sri Lanka and its capital Colombo, marking the locations of a series of suicide bombings on April 21, 2019 The authenticity of the image and video could not be independently verified, and the reason for the discrepancy in the reported number of attackers was not immediately clear. Sri Lankan police sources told AFP that two Muslim brothers, sons of a wealthy Colombo spice trader, blew themselves up at the Shangri-La and the Cinnamon Grand hotels. The Kingsbury hotel in the capital was the last one hit. A fourth attack against a hotel on Sunday failed, sources also told AFP, though it was not immediately clear if the bomber's explosives had malfunctioned or he had chosen not to detonate them. He later blew himself up when police tracked him to a lodging in the capital. Police have detained at least 40 people as they investigate the worst act of violence in the South Asian island nation since a civil war ended a decade ago. Grief has overtaken many in Sri Lanka in the wake of the deadly attacks, which have killed more than 320 people But Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said police were hunting for more suspects at large, including some armed with explosives, and that further attacks were possible. 'We are trying to apprehend them,' he said. The government has imposed a state of emergency, giving police and the military special powers, including the ability to arrest suspects without a court order. The country observed a national day of mourning Tuesday, beginning with a three-minute silence, as the bereaved began to bury their dead. Flags were lowered to half-mast on government buildings, and liquor shops were ordered closed for the day. More than 1,000 people gathered at St Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of the capital, which was among those devastated in the blasts, to pay tribute to the dead. An elderly man wept uncontrollably by the coffin bearing the body of his wife, while relatives of other victims stood aghast and silent. Coffins were carried into the church grounds one by one for services, and then to a newly-established cemetery on church land. The first memorial services for the victims were being held as Sri Lanka observed a three-minute silence and flags were lowered to half-mast 'It's very hard to bear,' said Father Suranga Warnakulasuriya, who had come from another parish to help conduct funerals. The attacks were the worst ever against the country's small Christian minority, who make up just seven percent of the 21 million population. Officials are investigating why more precautions were not taken after an April 11 warning from Sri Lanka's police that a 'foreign intelligence agency' had reported the NTJ was planning suicide attacks on churches. Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said the warning was not passed on to Wickremesinghe or other top ministers. The attacks were also the worst ever against the country's small Christian minority, who make up just seven percent of its population of 21 million CNN reported that Indian intelligence services had passed on 'unusually specific' information in the weeks before the attacks, and that at least some of it came from an IS suspect in their custody. President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also defence and law and order minister, said he will carry out a complete reorganisation of the security forces and the police in the wake of the attacks. 'I hope to make major changes in the leadership of the security forces in the next 24 hours,' Sirisena said in a nationwide address. Work was continuing to identify foreign victims in the blasts. Security remained tight at the churches targeted in Sri Lanka A Danish billionaire lost three of his children in the attacks, a spokesman for his company said. Eight Britons, 10 Indians, four Americans and nationals from Turkey, Australia, Japan and Portugal, were also reported killed. The United Nations said at least 45 children, Sri Lankans and foreigners, were among those who lost their lives. Of the three churches targeted, two are in the Colombo region and one is in the eastern city of Batticaloa. Ethnic and religious violence has plagued Sri Lanka for decades. A 37-year conflict with Tamil rebels was followed by a more recent upswing in clashes between the Buddhist majority and Muslims. The attacks have sparked local and international outrage, and have been condemned by Sri Lankan Muslim groups. Source: AFP A leading tax expert is preparing to take her former think tank to court after she was fired for tweeting that 'men cannot change into women' in a transgender spat. Maya Forstater, 45, is raising funds to haul London's Centre for Global Development to an employment tribunal because she claims to be a victim of discrimination 'for having gender critical views and talking about them'. In an article and a series of more than 100 tweets she rallied against government proposals allowing people to self-identify as a particular gender. Maya Forstater, 45, is raising funds to haul London's Centre for Global Development to an employment tribunal because she claims to be a victim of discrimination 'for having gender critical views and talking about them' In an article and a series of more than 100 tweets she rallied against government proposals allowing people to self-identify as a particular gender She said that 'when men wear make-up, heels, dresses they don't become women' and took swipes at the idea of allowing transgender people into single sex spaces such as changing rooms and prisons. In a blog post written after her sacking, Ms Forstater said: 'But not long after I received an email from HR saying that some staff at CGD, which is based in Washington DC as well as London, had expressed concern. 'I was told to put a disclaimer into my twitter bio and warned that a lot of people would find my tweets offensive and exclusionary.' And she said that although an investigation found her innocent of breaching company policy, the think tank decided not to renew her contract. She expressed concern at the idea of allowing transgender people into single sex spaces such as changing rooms and prisons On her court crowdfunding page which has raised 13,000, she added: 'I am taking CGD to the Employment Tribunal for discrimination on the grounds of belief, to try to establish that I should not have lost my job simply for expressing my beliefs about sex and gender on my personal Twitter account.' Ms Forstater is a longtime gender campaigner and in 2012 co-founded the Let Toys Be Toys drive to stop manufactures from producing stereotypical boys and girls items. 'It has been quite painful and quite emotional. I am the breadwinner in my family', she told the Sunday Times. CGD told the newspaper that it could not discuss staffing matters but expected its employees to obey its code of conduct. The Liberal Democrats are once again 'a very strong force in British politics', party leader Vince Cable has said. Mr Cable said his party had 'fully recovered' from their 2015 slump after they gained hundreds of seats at Thursday's local elections. Urging Remain voters to back the Lib Dems at the May 23 European Parliament elections, he said the party's 'fire is going to be directed at Nigel Farage'. Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge today, he said his party wanted to 'press ahead with a People's Vote'. Discussing his party's success this week he said: 'We're committed to local government, we do it well, we campaigned intensively over a period of months. 'We did well in some parts of England where they're very committed to Remain but we also did very well in Somerset and Devon where they have a different view. 'We had big swings in places like Sunderland and Barnsley so it was quite a deep process. It showed our party's now fully recovered and a very strong force in British politics.' Turning to the EU elections he said he would have preferred to work with other pro-Remain parties such as Change UK. Mr Cable said he wanted to signal to Nigel Farage that 'he's up against a very formidable adversary here'. He said: 'One of the problems with these EU elections is the Remain vote is fragmented between three main parties we would have preferred to work together but that's not happened. Lib Dem leader Vince Cable (pictured) said his party had 'fully recovered' from their 2015 slump after they gained hundreds of seats at Thursday's local elections Theresa May (pictured at church today) is set to offer Labour a three-pronged Brexit deal in a bid to break the deadlock at Westminster, it has been claimed 'Our fire is going to be directed at Farage and the Brexit parties and at the terrible muddle and the panic which we're now getting from the Con and Lab parties. 'We're back as a major force, I think that will carry over into the European elections. 'The Tory Party and the Labour Party have now become so discredited that people are looking for some genuine alternative and we will be at the core of that.' The Lib Dems gained 703 council seats on Thursday, recovering from dismal results during their time in the 2010-15 coalition government. The party increased its presence across England, including in Leave-voting Chelmsford, where it gained 26 seats and took control from the Conservatives. The Lib Dems have taken control of ten councils, including Winchester and North Norfolk, which Sir Vince credited to 'lots of hard work, over months'. Theresa May today begs Jeremy Corbyn to do a deal over Brexit as she urges her party to accept the stepping stone of a customs union as the price for finally leaving the EU The 75-year-old, who announced earlier this year that he would stand down this summer, said his plans had not changed despite the electoral breakthrough. 'I'm expecting that my party will have a new leader before the summer break,' Mr Cable said today. 'I've always intended that we should have an orderly succession. I'm very happy to pass on the baton but I will be leading the party through the EU elections.' Mr Farage's newly-formed Brexit Party could be on course for victory in the European elections with numerous polls showing them ahead. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today, Mr Farage said: 'What the public want is to leave the European Union. Nigel Farage (pictured) has warned the Labour and Conservative leaders not to form a 'coalition of politicians against the people' 'We were promised we would leave on March 29, five hundred MPs voted for it, the PM told us over 100 times we were leaving on that date. 'The public don't want a deal and certainly not the deal Mrs May is talking about this morning. 'I think if they push forward with this it will be seen as a coalition of politicians against the people and I think millions of people would give up on both Labour and the Conservatives. 'This would be the final betrayal. If May signs up to this, I can't see the point of the Conservative party even existing. What's it for? 'The two-party system doesn't work, they serve no one but themselves and I believe if ever there was a moment where that two-party structure would break down, that's now.' A 24-year-old man has been arrested after a man was stabbed to death in a frenzied early hours attack in Greater Manchester. The victim, believed to be in his twenties, was found with several stab wounds in Beswick at around 2am today. He was rushed to hospital but later died. His family have been informed and are being supported by police. Greater Manchester Police said they have arrested the man on suspicion of murder this afternoon. The victim, believed to be in his twenties, was found with several stab wounds in Beswick, Greater Manchester by police just after 2am today. He later died. Police are pictured at the scene this morning where the area is cordoned off Police officers and forensic investigators are pictured in Beswick this morning where a man was stabbed to death in the early hours One neighbour in the area said they heard screaming in the early hours of Sunday morning, which was followed by a stream of flashing blue lights. Another neighbour said she believed the young man had only lived in the house for a short time. Residents described the street as 'quiet' and 'peaceful' and many were shocked to hear of the news when officers knocked on their door this morning. Victoria Piercy, who used to work in a local shop, said of the victim, who has not been named: 'He was a lovely, hard-working guy who kept himself to himself. 'It's such a tragedy and I'm thinking of all his friends and family, I just cannot believe it. 'He was very friendly, I seen him daily. He used to come in for his milk, bread. He always wore a high-vis. 'I'm just gutted for his family. I can't get my head around it. It's so cruel.' One person wrote in a tribute on Facebook: 'RIP you was a great neighbour and will be missed thinking of your family at such a heartbreaking time. Another said: 'Rest in peace, a decent young man whose life has been taken away to [sic] soon. 'My thoughts go out to his family at this sad time.' A police car is seen blocking the road in Beswick where a man was fatally stabbed this morning Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, of GMP, said: 'This is an incredibly tragic set of circumstances which has resulted in a young man losing his life. 'The victim's family have been informed of what has taken place and it has understandably left them devastated. 'I want to offer my sincere condolence to them as they come to terms with their loss. 'Such senseless acts of violence have devastating effects on families and cannot be tolerated. 'I want to appeal to anyone who may have information about the person responsible to please come forward.' Anyone with information is asked to call 0161 856 3400 quoting incident number 276 of May 5 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. These are the first pictures of Western tourists trapped in a city under lockdown due to a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague. The travellers in Mongolia are shown on a video singing a song to keep up their spirits amid claims they have been prevented from leaving Uglii due to the Black Death bacterial disease which killed a husband and his pregnant wife. Reports in Russia say American, Dutch, German, Swedish, Swiss, and South Korean tourists are marooned in the city. The authorities in western Mongolia - close to the Russian frontier - have instituted a quarantine regime to prevent the spread of bubonic plague. A group of foreign tourists are pictured having dinner at a hotel in Uglii, Mongolia where they are under quarantine after an outbreak of bubonic plague killed a man and his pregnant wife The group of Dutch, Swiss, Swedish, South Korean and German tourists are pictured wearing masks at their hotel The tourists - seen wearing face masks when outside - are barred from leaving Uglii, population 28,000, and remain at a local hotel. Footage emerged of an international group happily singing a Swedish song to keep up their spirits with a feast during the plague - but it is known they have pleaded with the Mongolian authorities to tell them when they can depart. Separately, dramatic pictures from capital Ulaanbaatar have shown at least one aircraft being met by anti-contamination emergency workers in a bid to prevent spread of the disease. The tragic Mongolian couple who died from the plague got infected after eating the raw kidneys of a marmot, it is understood. The authorities in western Mongolia - close to the Russian frontier - have instituted a quarantine regime to prevent the spread of bubonic plague The man named Citizen T, aged 38, died on 27 April after hunting and eating a marmot, then his pregnant wife, 37, died three days later. Russian tourists told of the lockdown preventing the international travellers from leaving. 'The city is closed due to some plague-contaminated marmots,' wrote traveler Elena Kovena from Kemerovo in Siberia. This is just so surreal.' She said: 'Did you think that the plague was something from the Dark Ages? Us too. 'We were just about to leave Ulgii to go deeper into Mongolia, but all exits of the city were shut and we were not allowed to leave.' The tourists have been told they could be stuck for up to 21 days, reported The Siberian Times. 'We were told to wait for updates on Monday, 6 May,' said one named as Timur Konev. Sanitary services in Russia's Altai and Tuva provinces that neighbour Mongolia are on high alert after the outbreak From a local hotel, he said: 'Six nationalities got together earlier today to plan the escape route. 'We spoke to local administration, to local police, but they didn't allow us out.' Neighbouring regions of Russia were said to be on 'high alert'. In Uglii a total of 158 people who came directly or indirectly into contact with the couple are 'under supervision'. The plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots. The disease can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organisation. The plague is believed to be the cause of the Black Death that spread through Asia, Europe and Africa in the 14th century, killing an estimated 50 million people. Advertisement Crowds of Thais lined roads under Bangkok's blazing sun on Sunday for the royal procession of newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn, hoping to get a glimpse of the constitutional monarch who is revered in Thai culture as a living deity. Well-wishers all wearing yellow, the colour associated with the king, gathered along the four-mile (7 km) route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples, where the monarch, who appeared in public for the first time since his elaborate crowning, paid homage to each temple's main Buddha images. Also taking part in the parade were the prime minister and other senior officials in the military government as well as the king's wife, Queen Suthida, and one of his daughters, Princess Bajrakitiyabha. Slightly more than five hours after starting the 4.3-mile journey, which ran from day into night, the king reached the last of three prominent Buddhist temples - the Temple of the Reclining Buddha - where he stopped to pay homage to Buddha images. At the two temples he visited earlier, he also paid homage to the relics of his royal ancestors. After concluding his visit to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, also known as Wat Pho, the 'Royal Procession on Land' travelled one mile back to the Grand Palace, and the king's palanquin passed through a gate at 11.40 pm, approximately six-and-a-half hours after the journey began. Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun sits on a palanquin carried by Royal Guards during a land procession to encircle the city, offering the chance for people to pay homage as part of the monarch's coronation ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn is seen during his coronation procession, in Bangkok, Thailand May 5, 2019 Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried on the royal palanquin during his coronation procession in Bangkok on May 5 When Vajiralongkorn passed by the adoring crowds, there were shouts of 'long live the King.' The palanquin was carried by five teams of 16 soldiers each, switching places at several points along their march. The 109-member marching band played tunes composed by the king's father, who was an enthusiastic musician, and a single musician played haunting sounds on a conch shell. 'I love and respect the monarchy,' said Sujitra Bokularb, a 43-year-old businesswoman who left home at 4am to get a place on the parade route. 'We have been shown the importance of this institution since we were young and how much the previous king had done for us. I think the new king will continue his legacy.' The Thai government, which is spending 1 billion baht ($31.35 million) on the weekend's coronation ceremonies, has said crowds of at least 200,000 people were expected. 'I feel like I have to be here to show the world just how much we worship the king,' said Donnapha Kadbupha, a 34-year-old woman, who had come eight hours early to make sure of her spot along the procession route. Many carried umbrellas to shield themselves from the burning sun. High temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius (96 degrees Fahrenheit), with high humidity putting the heat index at 44 C (111 F). 'I want to see the coronation for once in a lifetime because the last one when it happened I was still very young,' Samran Moryaidee, a 77-year-old man, said as he stood in the steamy heat before the coronation. The government provided free buses for people living outside Bangkok to come to witness the spectacle, and bus and train travel to the site was free in the capital. Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha (centre right) takes part in the coronation procession for Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on Sunday May 5 The constitutional monarch who is revered in Thai culture as a living deity, here he sits on a palanquin carried by Royal Guards during a land procession to encircle the city Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried on a palanquin through the streets outside the Grand Palace Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha takes part in the coronation procession for Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on Sunday Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha (left) takes part in the coronation procession for King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on May 5 People attended the coronation procession for the new king with multi-coloured umbrellas which shielded them from the sweltering heat The coronation of King Vajiralongkorn, 66, takes place from Saturday to Monday after a period of official mourning for his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn is seen during his coronation procession Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is transported on the royal palanquin by royal bearers King Maha was born on July 24, 1952 in Bangkok's Royal Dusit Palace, the 64-year-old is the only son and male heir of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried in a golden palanquin out of the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn is seen during his coronation procession Coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand Sunday May 5 The Thai ruler is transported by royal bearers during his coronation procession, in Bangkok, Sunday May 5 Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried in a golden palanquin out of the Grand Palace for the coronation procession, as Queen Suthida (bottom right) walks beside him, in Bangkok on May 5 Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha attends the coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand May 5 Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn gives a stern look during his coronation procession, in Bangkok on Sunday Royal titles The coronation of King Vajiralongkorn, 66, took place from Saturday to Monday after a period of official mourning for his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years. During the 18 months of his reign so far, King Vajiralongkorn moved to consolidate the authority of the monarchy, including taking more direct control of the crown's vast wealth with the help of Thailand's military government. His official coronation comes amid the uncertainty of an unresolved election battle between the current military junta chief and a 'democratic front' trying to push the army out of politics. A young boy (left) gives out menthol balm to the Thai well-wishers who are waiting for the coronation ceremony outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok The three-day ancient elaborate traditional coronation ceremonies of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn is a formal ceremony to complete the monarch's accession to the throne People wait for a coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn on the Bangkok streets Honour guards are seen ahead of a coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand May 5 Honour guards are seen ahead of a coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn On Saturday, the king sat on a golden throne under a nine-tiered umbrella and placed the 7.3 kg golden Great Crown of Victory on his head following an elaborate purification ritual. On Sunday morning, the king granted new ranks and titles to members of the royal family. The monarch was joined by new Queen Suthida after a surprise announcement three days before the coronation that the thrice-divorced monarch had married for a fourth time. One noticeable absence at Sunday's title-bestowing event was his older sister Princess Ubolratana, 68, who in February broke with the royal family's tradition of remaining above politics by announcing a surprise bid to run for prime minister. The king issued a public command calling her candidacy for an opposition party 'inappropriate' and the Election Commission disqualified her candidacy. The party that nominated her was later banned from the election, of which the official results will be released after the coronation. Princess Ubolratana, who gave up her royal titles when she married an American university classmate, has been at other coronation events. One of the many official titles King Vajiralongkorn is taking is Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782. People wait with umbrellas in rainy heat for a coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok A girl holds a Thai flag dressed in a yellow sailors dress as people wait for a coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn People watch the coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok from outside on a screen An aerial view of Democracy Monument with crowds gathered waiting for the coronation procession of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok A young Thai well-wisher holds up a portrait of the Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun before the monarch's coronation ceremony, outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok A woman cries with joy as she watches the coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok Crowds try to catch a glimpse of Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn at the coronation procession The elaborate three-day traditional coronation ceremony of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn is a formal ceremony to complete the monarch's accession to the throne A Thai well-wisher waits next to a portrait of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun ahead of his coronation ceremony outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand Thai well-wishers wait ahead of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun's coronation ceremony outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Sunday Thai Royal Guards march during the coronation process of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on May 5, 2019 More than 1,300 personnel are in the procession as the king is carried through the streets with Sunday's crowd thought to be the largest Carried through the streets For the royal procession, the king was carried through the streets on a gilded palanquin borne by 16 men walking at about 75 steps per minute and stopping to swap out personnel every 500 meters, according to the palace. More than 1,300 personnel are in the procession. Sunday's crowds were expected to be the largest yet for the coronation events. Thai people have been encouraged for the past month by the military government to wear yellow to signify devotion to the monarchy but only in the last few days have people in Bangkok joined in on a large scale. When the late King Bhumibol died, Bangkok's streets and public transport were a sea of black for months on end. A general view of the coronation ceremony for Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand's Queen Suthida attending a coronation ceremony for King Maha Vajiralongkorn in the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn anointing his daughter Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana while Queen Suthida looks on during a ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida attending a coronation ceremony in the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand's Queen Suthida (right) watching as King Maha Vajiralongkorn (second right) presents food to a monk during a coronation ceremony in the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand's Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (right) watching the coronation procession of her father King Maha Vajiralongkorn with the king's sister Princess Sirindhorn (left) in Bangkok Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, both wearing a yellow sash, during a coronation ceremony in the Grand Palace in Bangkok Officials placing a white rooster and Siamese cat on a pillow as part of a housewarming ritual intended to bring good tidings, in relation to the coronation of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, at the Chakrapat Biman Royal Residence in the Grand Palace in Bangkok Although most coronation ceremonies for Thai kings follow Hindu Brahmin traditions, some Buddhist elements were added by the monarch's great-great grandfather King Mongkut, or Rama IV, because he spent 27 years in monkhood before inheriting the throne, scholars said. 'Because King Mongkut was a monk, he ordered that the procession should visit important Buddhist temples so the new monarch can provide alms to monks,' said Tongthong Chandransu, an expert on Thai royal rituals. Thailand ended absolute rule by its kings in 1932, but the monarchy remains highly revered as the divine symbol and protector of the country and Buddhist religion. On Saturday the king also took part in an elaborate set of Buddhist and Hindu rituals that established his status as a full-fledged monarch with complete regal powers. Also known as King Rama X, the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty, Vajiralongkorn had been serving as king since the October 2016 death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was on the throne for seven decades. Though Thailand has had a constitutional monarchy since 1932, when a revolution ended absolute rule by kings, the country's monarchs are regarded as almost divine and have been seen as a unifying presence in a country that has seen regular bouts of political instability as it rotates between elected governments and military rule. Since taking the throne, Vajiralongkorn has tightened control over royal institutions and acted to increase his influence in his country's administration. Like kings before him, he is protected by one of the world's strictest lese majeste laws, which makes criticism of him and other top royals punishable by up to 15 years in prison and has dampened open debate about the monarchy's role in society. Many waved small Thai flags or yellow royal flags. It was impossible to estimate the crowd size along the long, winding route. The crowds seemed to thicken after the sun went down and the weather cooled slightly. Earlier Sunday, the king began his second day of coronation activities by granting new titles to members of the royal family in front of an audience of dignitaries including top government officials and senior Buddhist monks. He launched the Sunday morning event in a hall at the Grand Palace by paying respects in front of portraits of his late father and his mother, who has been hospitalised for an extended period. His 86-year-old mother, known as Queen Sirikit, was granted a new official title of Queen Mother. Vajiralongkorn's son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, was one of the family members granted a fresh title and royal decorations for the new reign. He turned 14 on April 29 and is the heir presumptive. While Saturday's ceremonies were solemn and heavily tinged with age-old rites, including the prominent presence of Brahmin priests, Sunday morning's event was slightly more relaxed, though also steeped with traditional royal and Buddhist gestures. Live television coverage showed some glimpses of informality: Queen Suthida exchanging a brief aside with Vajiralongkorn; two of his daughters in a warm hug after the second one returned from receiving her new title. Monday will see the king greet the public from the balcony of the Grand Palace in the late afternoon and then hold a reception for the diplomatic corps. There will be a river procession around the end of October. Who is the playboy prince that became king? Thai monarch has spent most of his life overseas and been married three times before King Maha was born on July 24, 1952 in Bangkok's Royal Dusit Palace, the 64-year-old is the only son and male heir of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. As an adolescent he studied at two public schools in Britain, including King's Mead School, Seaford, Sussex, and then at Millfield School, Somerset. After, he embarked on a military career, training in Australia. In 1976, he graduated as a newly commissioned lieutenant with a liberal arts bachelors degree from the University of New South Wales. After graduating he started a career in the military training with US, British and Australian armed forces. He also qualified as a a fixed wing helicopter pilot in the late 1970s in the Royal Thai Army. His military career was interrupted in 1978 so he could be ordained for a season as a Buddhist monk, as is customary for all Thai Buddhist men. He married his first wife in 1977, a cousin, Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara, with whom he has a daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha in 1978. They divorced in 1993. Nine months after his daughter was born, the prince had a son with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth, with whom he went on to have a total of five children and a tumultuous relationship. Three years later his relationship broke down with Ms Polpraserth as she fled to the UK in 1996, after a spectacular bust up. In 2001 he wed his third wife Srirasmi Suwadee, describing her as a 'modest and patient' woman who 'never says bad things towards anyone' and like his previous relationships there were to be a number of controversies in their time together. In 2007, footage published online showed the couple throwing a party for his pet poodle - who held the rank of Air Chief Marshall - at the Royal Palace in Bangkok. Princess Srirasmi, a former waitress, who sang happy birthday to the dog topless, also got on her knees and ate from a dog bowl in the same video. In late 2014, Srirasmi suffered a very public fall from grace when several members of her family were arrested as part of a police corruption probe and charged with lese majeste (treason). Vajiralongkorn later divorced her and she lost her royal titles . The crown prince has spent much of his time away from the public eye, but in recent years he has stepped in at some official ceremonies as his father's health declined. Despite holding a number of military titles, including Knight of the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems, the prince admitted to an interviewer he was unable to tie his own shoe laces aged 12 because courtiers had always done it for him. The crown prince has spent much of his time away from the public eye, living overseas in Germany, but in recent years he has stepped in at some official ceremonies as his father's health declined. In August 2015 he led key figures of the current junta and thousands of others in a mass bike ride through Bangkok, a rare high-profile appearance. He was drafted in as King in October 2016, 50 days after the death of his father, the highly revered Bhumibol Adulyadej. He had to fly back from Germany after learning of his father's deteriorating health in the days before. Thai junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha announced that the Crown Prince would ascend the throne with the statement: 'The government will inform the National Legislative Assembly that His Majesty the King appointed his heir on Dec. 28, 1972.' However, in a shock move he requested to delay his coronation and ascension to the throne for a year to mourn the passing of his father. Advertisement Can the Thai King have more than one wife? Polygamy has been illegal in Thailand since 1935, though traditionally it was acceptable to have an 'official wife', whom the husband's parents had 'acquired for him'; a second 'minor wife', whom the man acquired after his first marriage; and a third wife who was a slave wife purchased from the mother and father of their prior owners. If they are still practised, the unions are not considered legal. Furthermore, the children of such unions would be considered illegitimate - a potential sticking point for heirs of a King. Vajiralongkorn has been through three bitter divorces and fathered seven children by those women. Advertisement Advertisement A dazzling white sandy beach, jaw-dropping cliffs, iconic stone castle and a cute otter sunning itself on a grass verge look as though they must be in a tropical paradise. But they have all been captured on the UK's 50 secret stunning islands after biologist Lisa Drewe, 52, hiked biked, swum and kayaked around 150 of them to find the best. The Scottish Outer Hebrides for their Caribbean-like white sandy beaches and nearby Taransay, used in the 2000 BBC series castaway were singled out for their remote beauty along with the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall and Llanddwyn off Anglesey. Steep Holm, a 500ft lump of rock with steep cliffs in the Bristol Channel that was used as a fort by the Romans was also chosen, along with Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset and Looe Island, also off Cornwall, which is part of a Marine Conservation Zone. Lisa, from Devizes, Wiltshire, has published a book detailing the top British islands titled Islandeering: Adventures around the edge of Britain's Hidden Islands where, as well as talking about the scenery, she offers tips on the best places to 'skinny dip' and spot whales. She said: 'A walk around our islands is a celebration of our human history. You'll find ancient stone circles, abandoned villages, atmospheric ruins, and tales of mythical and legendary characters.' Stunning scenes from Ramsay Island off St David's Head in Pembrokeshire, southwestern Wales, were included in a list of Britain's 50 stunning secret islands created by a biologist who has hiked, biked, swum and kayaked across each A dazzling white sandy beach, that looks as though it belongs in the Caribbean, was actually photographed at uninhabited island Vallay in the Scottish Outer Hebrides Stunning white beaches and crystal clear waters on nearby Taransay in the Scottish Outer Hebrides which hosted the television series castaway in 2000 Steep Holm, a lump of rock with 500-foot high cliffs in the Bristol channel that was once used as a fort by the Romans, was also included on the list of Britain's 50 secret islands made by 52-year-old biologist Lisa Drewe This iconic fortress, that looks to have been plucked from the set of Game of Thrones, is Brownsea castle on Brownsea island near Dorset A gorgeous otter sunned itself on a grass verge when Lisa showed up at its island home of Vatersay in the Scottish Outer Hebrides A reconstruction of an Iron age house at Great Bernera, Scotland. The builders put the house in a place with a stunning sea view and idyllic white sandy beach Biologist Lisa Drewe hiked, biked, swum and kayaked around 150 islands in the UK before selecting her 50 favourites Llanddwyn island, a small tidal island off the west coast of Anglesey, northwest Wales, also made the book A tide time and bell at Great Bernera, Scotland, perched ontop of seaweed covered rocks and next to turquoise waters Cows soak up the sea view and munch on grass at their seaside home in Loch Bracadale on the west coast of the Isle of Skye Hidden across a rock causeway are historic fortifications on Alderney, channel islands, once used to defend them from attack Jagged rocks and seaweed overlay a path on the tidal island of Lihou, just off Guernsey's west coast, in the English channel The two slithers of rock next to the small island of Herm that is part of the Parish of St Peter Port in Ballwick on Guernsey Puffins line up to go fishing on Papa Westray, one of the Orkney's smallest islands. They were snapped by the biologist Jagged rock formations and windswept grass verges head out to sea at Worm's Head, the most westerly part of the Gower peninsula near Swansea A stunning sand beach next to Worm's Head, at the most westerly point of the Gower peninsula near Swansea Looe Island, situated a few miles from mainland Cornwall is dotted with trees, grass verges and even a small house Tent pitched on a beautiful sandy beach hidden on the Islands of Scilly. It is next to calmly lapping waves with stunning views Flags flutter in the wind on Holy Island, in the Firth of Clyde off the west coast of central Scotland The author photographed standing in mudplains on Canvay island, which is on the north bank of the Thames Senior Tories say their are 'deeply worried' by talks between the Government and Chinese state firms to build Britain's second high-speed railway line, in light of the recent fallout from the Huawei affair. Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, the government firm responsible for the 56billion project, flew to Beijing last month for discussions with five Chinese state-owned organisations. If given the go-ahead, China would effectively be involved in the construction of Britain's largest infrastructure project. Senior Tories have expressed their concerns over talks between the Government and Chinese state firms to build HS2, in light of the recent fallout from the Huawei affair (file pic) The revelation comes just a week after defence secretary Gavin Williamson was sacked after being blamed for leaking details from a top-secret meeting of the National Security Council, where ministers discussed security concerns over Huawei. The Chinese telecoms giant has been given the green light to help build Britain's 5G network. Huawei has come under fire for its alleged close ties to the Chinese state, sparking fears that the technology could be used for espionage. Australia, the US and New Zealand have moved to ban Huawei from building parts of their 5G networks. Conservative MPs are now expressing similar concerns over the involvement of Chinese firms in the building of HS2. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was sacked by Theresa May last week over claims he leaked details from top-secret discussions about Chinese telecomms giant Huawei Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Julian Lewis, the Tory chairman of the defence select committee, said: 'This is yet another deeply worrying example of a failure to appreciate the unacceptable and totalitarian nature of the Chinese communist regime.' Another senior Tory said: 'The potential objections which are being registered by our allies ... will apply as much to infrastructure investment of this sort as it would to telephony.' However, HS2 defended its decision to involve Chinese firms in the project. A spokesman said: 'Countries such as China and Japan have extensive experience in building thousands of kilometres of high speed rail, and are reaping the economic benefits of their investment.' Later this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to discuss US security and privacy concerns posed by Huawei with Theresa May. Meanwhile, Gavin Williamson has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and called on Mrs May to publish the Huawei leak report 'so that everyone can make a judgment'. Despite calls from Labour for a criminal probe into whether Mr Williamson had breached the Official Secrets Act, Met Police said yesterday there would be no investigation. Almost 30 revellers have been rushed to hospital after overdosing at Townsville's Groovin The Moo Festival on Sunday. By 9pm Townsville Hospital confirmed that 28 people had visited the emergency department affected by drugs and alcohol. The youngest patient was 17, while the oldest was 37, the Townsville Bulletin reported. It comes a week after controversial pill testing at Groovin the Moo's sister festival in Canberra successfully identified potentially lethal drugs seven times. An alarming number of individuals were taken to Hospital after overdosing at Townsville's Groovin The Moo Festival on Sunday (file image) The testing tent, which was first trialled last year, discovered MDMA capsules laced with n-ethyl pentylone. N-ethyl pentylone looks like MDMA but is three times a potent and can cause convulsions, paranoia and death. The festival organisers have said they do encourage individuals to take responsibility for their actions. 'There are risks associated with drugs including adverse health reactions and criminal charges,' the website says. 'Be mindful that Police sniffer dogs regularly attend Groovin the Moo, so to ensure you won't miss out on any of the fun don't bring anything sniffable with you. 'If you're feeling unwell or you notice someone else who might need assistance, please reach out to the closest GTM Event, Security or Medical team member immediately.' A backpacker forced to drive through the Queensland outback at gunpoint while being beaten and raped has revealed how her kidnapper tried to get her pregnant so she wouldn't leave him. Elisha Greer, from Liverpool, England, made headlines around the world in early 2017 when she survived weeks of terror at the hands of madman Marcus Martin. Ms Greer, now 23, has spoken publicly about her terrifying ordeal as graphic photos of her battered and bruised face were shown for the first time. Hannah Crockett, Martin's ex-girlfriend, has also broken her silence to reveal how he spiralled from a 'good person' to 'utterly bats**t crazy'. Elisha Greer hopes to return to Australia one day, despite her terrifying ordeal in 2017 Ms Greer suffered extensive injuries (pictured) at the hands of her kidnapper Marcus Martin Ms Greer claims Martin went as far as throwing away her birth control in an attempt to get her pregnant. 'Maybe he thought that he could control me more if I was with his child,' Ms Greer told Channel Seven's Sunday Night. She had so much hatred for Martin she considered killing him while he was asleep. 'I did genuinely think about killing him with the knife. But then if I stabbed him and... or I missed and he woke up, and then he'd turn around and do something worse to me,' Ms Greer said. 'I didn't wanna make a silly mistake, so I just took the risk of... let's hope someone does help me.' Ms Greer suffered extensive injuries at the hands of Martin, who would beg her for forgiveness after every assault. Marcus Martin (pictured), 24, has pleaded guilty to raping and kidnapping British tourist Elisha Greer and will sentenced later this month 'He broke my nose, split my eyebrow open, I had various amounts of bite marks all up and down my arms, I had bite marks on my face, he had stabbed me in the neck with the key, I had two black eyes, hand prints all over my body from bruises. So many bruises,' she said. 'My face was... It was purple. It was completely purple. And I was just trying to stare at people until they looked at me, to the point where they went like, "Bloody hell. Like, she might need help".' The shocking new revelation comes as Martin's ex-girlfriend also came forward and detailed her time with him just six months prior to the disturbing kidnapping. Hannah Crockett met Martin in Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid north coast and he moved in with her within days. 'He dressed well. He spoke well. He came off as a good person. Like, yeah, he'd done silly things, but don't we all?,' Ms Crockett said. 'He made me feel special, and... he made me believe that he would help.' Martin soon became violent and possessive of her but she still followed him to Cairns even after he threatened her with a knife. Hannah Crockett (pictured) was in a relationship with Marcus Martin before he held a British backpacker captive. Crockett says Martin was also physically violent towards her 'I didn't know where to go. I didn't know who to turn to, I guess. Guess I didn't want to be alone. But in the end being alone would have been better,' Ms Crockett said. 'He tried to set me on fire, in my own house. That was after slicing me with a sword. He was crazy. There's no other way to put it. 'Completely and utterly bats**t crazy. It just got to the point where I just become numb. And it was just easier just to do as I was told, or.....whatever it may be.' Ms Crockett eventually fled to a women's refuge after she found herself pregnant and alone. She says she was dumped by Martin after her car was written off in a car accident and was unable to drive him around anymore. 'He just used me for his own... for his own gain. And when he realised I had nothing left to give - not even myself any more - that was it,' she said. 'My plan was to get him charged when I was there, and I wish I did because then, maybe, none of what the other girl went through would have happened.' Elisha was just 21 on the backpacking holiday of a lifetime when the trip turned to hell Ms Greer's horrifying ordeal began on Australia Day 2017 when she met Martin in Cairns at an outdoor dance party, known as a 'doof'. At the time, friends said the backpacker appeared to be under her attacker's 'spell'. Within days the relationship began to sour as he became 'obsessive and clingy.' Martin raped Ms Greer in a hotel room in Cairns before kidnapping her. She recalled how she feared for her life as how Martin held a gun to her head as they drove 1,500km (932miles) through the Queensland outback. Horrifying ordeal: Elisha Greer (pictured), 23, was taken on a road trip from hell by Marcus Martin, 24, after they met at a party in Cairns, north Queensland in January 2017 TIMELINE OF HORROR 2017 ROAD TRIP JANUARY 26 Ms Greer meets man, 22, at a 'bush doof' party in Cairns FEBRUARY The 21-year-old tourist was raped in a Cairns hotel room MARCH 1-5 The woman was forced to drive the suspect as they travelled south. She was beaten and repeatedly raped during this time MARCH 5 Ms Greer was rescued after being pulled over by police. The man was arrested and charged Advertisement 'I was forced to drive the car with the gun to my head,' she said. Asked what she thought Martin would do if she refused to do what he told her, Ms Greer replied 'he'd kill me'. From 1 March, Martin made her drive south for five days before she was eventually rescued. Ms Greer had been driving her white Mitsubishi Pajero through Mitchell when she stopped at a petrol station to fill up. The service station attendant, Beverley Page, remembered her being in a 'state of shock when she came in, almost zombie like'. The attendant said she had tears streaming down her face and was unable to pay for the fuel. 'She was in a state of shock when she came in, almost zombie-like,' Ms Page said at the time. The assaults were brought to the attention of police after the British woman (pictured at the petrol station on CCTV) drove from a petrol station without paying The pair drove together for nearly 1,500km (932 miles) before the woman was pulled over by police with Martin hiding in the back of the car (pictured) Ms Greer met Martin (pictured) in Cairns on 26 January, 2017 at an outdoor dance party 'To see a young girl that upset, and with black eyes. She had said she had come from England. To know that she was over here and she didn't have anyone to contact,' Ms Page said. 'I made the decision to follow her because I thought that if I could get the registration number I'd be able to file a report to the police.' The victim drove off without paying and the attendant immediately called police. Despite her terrifying ordeal in outback Queensland, Ms Greer (pictured) regards Australia as one of the nicest countries she's been to A dramatic rescue took place hours later when police pulled over the four-wheel drive, finding the distraught and badly beaten Ms Greer at the wheel. An inspection of the car revealed her captor hiding in the back. 'I saw blue flashing lights and my heart sank, but in a way of relief. It was like, "Oh yes, I'm getting caught",' she said. Ms Greer told news.com.au she doesn't want to be considered a 'victim' after her ordeal. 'I just want people to know it's okay... that being a victim isn't the end of everything and that everyone can get through something. 'I want people to know that it's not the end for them.' Martin was arrested and charged before pleading guilty in October last year to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty. Martin (pictured) was charged with rape, assault, strangulation and kidnap offences Ms Greer said the captor beat her and even stabbed her neck with a key after kidnapping her He earlier pleaded guilty to supplying dangerous drugs, willful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation. Prosecutors discontinued ten other charges of rape, cruelty to animals, and torture. Martin is due to be sentenced on May 28. 'Hate's too soft. He's just a vile human being,' Ms Greer said. Despite her trip of a lifetime two years ago ruined by the terrifying ordeal, she hopes to return to Australia one day. 'I'd love to live here. It's one of the nicest countries I've ever been to. Every country has its own psychos,' Ms Greer said. One of the Sri Lankan suicide bombers that terrorized the country on Easter Sunday had targeted a Christian church, but by the time he arrived, the service was already over. April 21 marked one of the bloodiest Easter Sundays in history after 253 people were killed and at least 500 injured when seven Sri Lankan terrorists blew up three Christian churches and three luxury hotels. Bomber Mohammed Nasar Mohammed Azar tried to target St. Mary's Cathedral in Batticaloa that Sunday but thankfully arrived too late. 'He came in the car around 8.30am and they told him mass is over now,' Bishop Joseph Ponniah said to CNN. 'Then he went to the next church. Sri Lankan Mohammed Nasar Mohammed Azar (pictured above in CCTV footage) targeted St. Mary's Cathedral in Batticaloa on Easter Sunday, but the service had already ended The early mass time ended up saving the lives of hundreds of worshipers, who were back home by the time Azar arrived The early mass time ended up saving the lives of hundreds of worshipers, who were back home by the time Azar arrived. Azar pictured on a mosque's security camera hours before the attacks Then he went to Zion Church, a nearby evangelical congregation in Batticaloa. In front of Zion church he detonated his bomb, killing 29 people and injuring 70 others. Harrowing CCTV footage shows the moment Azar walks into the church at 8.51am in a pink polo shirt, sweatpants, while wearing a heavy backpack. When he arrived to Zion church dozens of children had just finished Sunday school and some were playing outside, enjoying a breakfast before the main mass began at 9am. There were about 500 people sitting inside. But he was denied entry by two church officials Ramesh Raju and Rasalingam Sasikumar. They said he looked suspicious and wasn't wearing proper church attire. After stopping at St. Mary's, Azar headed to Zion chuch. Shocking footage shows children praying and singing together at Zion church moments before 14 of them were killed in his attack The devastation: Azar was one of seven suicide bombers to terrorize the country, targeting three Christian churches and three luxury hotels Shocking footage from the attacks show worshipers inside the damaged St. Anthony's shrine following the blast in Colombo on Sunday April 21 Dead bodies of victims lie inside St. Sebastian's Church damaged in blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka This Sunday in Sri Lanka, Catholics celebrated Sunday Mass in their homes for the second week running as churches remain closed amid fears of fresh attacks by Islamic extremists 'Ramesh and Sashee were both trying to stop him from entering the church,' Rajeevkaran Vimalaretnam, a 38-year-old sound technician for the church said to CNN. 'They had apparently refused permission for him to enter the church and asked him to leave.' 'I saw a man standing there with two bags wearing a cap and a t-shirt. His dress code - cap, the bag -- all of this looked out of place,' he added. 'I saw a man standing there with two bags wearing a cap and a t-shirt. His dress code -- cap, the bag -- all of this looked out of place.' The officials inquired about his bag. Azar said he wanted to film the church service. The officials responded they needed to ask the pastor's permission first. A man cries as he prays in the street near St Anthony's Shrine one week on from the attacks that killed over 250 people on Easter Sunday Another view of St. Mary's church pictured above Azar then detonated his bomb outside, killing the two church officials that stopped him and 14 children playing outside. Raju and Sasikumar are now being hailed as heroes in their communities for stopping the bomber. 'If he had walked inside and made his way to the center, I would have died, too,' Vimalaretnam said. 'And the number of victims would have been in the region of 200 to 300 people,' he added. This Sunday in Sri Lanka, Catholics celebrated Sunday Mass in their homes for the second week running as churches remain closed amid fears of fresh attacks by Islamic extremists. Azar was one of the seven suicide bomber recruited by National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) Islamist extremist group. The group has since aligned itself with ISIS. Pilots and aviation experts have made alarming claims about the safety of Boeing's 737 MAX airplanes that were involved in two devastating crashes in the last six months. A 737 MAX airplane being flown by Indonesia's Lion Air crashed minutes after taking off on October 29 2018 near Jakarta, resulting in the deaths of all 189 passengers and crew. On March 10 this year, an Ethiopian Airlines flight of the same model plane crashed in Ethiopia, again minutes into the flight, killing the 159 people on board. On Sunday night, 60 Minutes Australia, revealed disturbing new claims surrounding the planes, in what it has called 'the world's biggest aviation scandal.' Scroll down for video Pilots and aviation experts have made alarming claims about the safety of Boeing's 737 MAX airplanes that were involved in two devastating crashes in the last six months (pictured; debris of Ethiopia Airlines flight ET302) Pilot Dennis Tajer said his reaction to pilots being inadequately trained on the 737 MAX was 'betrayal' and 'shock' The new claims centre around the planes' anti-stall system, known as MCAS, and the role it played in the deadly crashes. Pilots said MCAS was implemented on the 737 MAX planes but pilots were not adequately trained on what it did and how to use it. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the American Airlines pilot union and a 737 pilot said his reaction to what he claims was inadequate training was 'betrayal' and 'shock'. Aviation experts also claim the system relied on data from one sensor with no backup if that sensor malfunctioned. 'There was a system on the aircraft which we had no knowledge of,' another pilot told 60 Minutes. The system automatically takes control of the aircraft at ten second intervals and repeatedly points the nose towards the ground to prevent the aircraft stalling. A grounded Lion Air Boeing Co. 737 Max 8 aircraft sits on the tarmac at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Indonesia, on Tuesday, March 15, 2019 Mourners, believed to be Ethiopian Airlines cabin crew members, arrive to pay their respects at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 on March 14, 2019 in Ejere, Ethiopia One aviation expert described the role of the system in the Indonesian and Ethiopian disasters as 'Kamikaze stuff.' Those close to the investigation into the Lion Air flight have previously revealed audio recordings of the plane's final moments revealed the pilots were frantically flicking through the manual in an attempt to understand why the plane was lurching towards the ground. This week CNN also revealed that the angle-of-attack sensor on the planes had been flagged in over 215 incident reports submitted to the US Federal Aviation Administration. The sensor's job is to determine how high or low the nose of the aircraft is pointing. The roots of the system go back to the start of the decade and the design phase of the 737 MAX. In 2011, Boeing competitor Airbus had received an order from American Airlines for over 100 of their new A320neo planes - an upgrade to their successful A320, In response, Boeing developed the 737MAX - a fourth generation version of their 737 planes. Pilot Chris Brady admitted he would be reluctant to fly the plane following the crashes and revelations about MCAS One of the changes - moving the placement of the engines - caused the plane's nose to pitch up - a problem that could result in the extremely serious issue of the engines stalling. The MCAS, which stands for Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, was implemented in the new planes as a workaround to the problem. The system automatically detects when the plane's nose is pitching too high and takes control of the plane - pointing the nose down. It is believed in both the Indonesian and Ethiopian crashes that the MCAS was activated shortly after the planes was in the air. Pilots have claimed training for the differences between the old version and the new 737 MAX planes amounted a short iPad presentation. 'When you find out that there are systems on it that are wildly different that affect the performance of the aircraft, having a simulator is part of a safety culture,' Mr Tajer told The New York Times. Since March 11 this year airlines and regulators around the world began grounding the planes while the investigations into the crashes are conducted. The entire fleet of 737 MAX planes, of which there were hundreds operating around the world, are now grounded. Investigations into the crashes are expected to be completed later this year. Ellie Gould was pronounced dead following the arrival of the emergency services A boy of 17 was being quizzed by police last night over the murder of a schoolgirl. Detectives arrested the teenager after the discovery in a house of the body of Ellie Gould, who had just turned 17. Ellie, who was a showjumper, was pronounced dead following the arrival of the emergency services at an address believed to be her home in Calne, Wiltshire. The suspect, who was known to Ellie, was arrested in nearby Chippenham a few hours later on Friday afternoon. A cordon was in operation around the house last night and a post-mortem examination was being carried out to determine the cause of death. A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said detectives were making inquiries trying to unravel the circumstances surrounding Ellie's death. 'Our thoughts remain with Ellie's family, her friends and schoolmates,' said Superintendent Conway Duncan. A group of mourners arrive at Ellie's home yesterday to lay flowers in Calne, Wiltshire 'Ellie's family will continue to receive support from specially trained officers and we are aware that her fellow pupils are being encouraged to seek support being organised by her school. 'We fully appreciate the level of shock, anxiety and upset in and around Calne and Chippenham and our officers are continuing to progress their inquiries as swiftly and diligently as possible. 'I would like to take this opportunity to thank our communities in Calne for the support and patience they have shown our officers as they undertake their inquiries.' Ellie was a year 12 pupil at Hardenhuish School in Chippenham and she had represented the school at a number of showjumping events. Police launched a murder investigation following the discovery of the body in Calne on Friday In a statement, the 1,600-pupil school said: 'The Hardenhuish community is shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ellie Gould. 'Ellie was a talented, popular and much-loved member of our community who will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and condolences are with Ellie's family at this devastating time. 'We recognise that the coming days and months will be difficult for us all and we are determined to support each other with the help of our partner agencies. 'Further details of this support will be shared directly with our pupils and parents.' Ellie's family, who have asked for privacy, released a picture of the teenager but did not wish to say anything further at this time. Ellie's neighbours expressed their shock at the murder. Locals say Ellie had recently celebrated her birthday and had just started learning how to drive Sarah Collins said: 'She had just turned 17 I think that's her car in the driveway with L plates on. I saw her practising driving with her dad around here. It's very sad, and very unsettling. 'The police said there's no security risk but I don't know how they can be sure.' Forensics officers spent Saturday working at the scene in the search for evidence Sue Borley, whose home is just outside the police cordon, has lived on the street for eight years. She said: 'It's desperate, I feel so sorry for the parents. I got back last night and seeing all the police there, I couldn't settle.' Calne police tweeted yesterday: 'All our thoughts are with Ellie's family, friends and schoolmates at this truly awful time. 'We continue to have a large presence in the town please come and speak to us if you need to. Anyone with information is being asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101.' Last night friends paid tribute to Ellie on social media. One wrote: 'RIP Ellie. Had the pleasure of sharing our horsey love with each other when we were younger, thoughts are with your family xx.' Another said: 'I cannot believe you are gone Ellie. The most kind and gorgeous girl. Sending so much love to you and your family.' While a third commented: 'Ellie was a beautiful girl inside and out, always happy and smiling and so polite. Thoughts go out to the family. RIP Ellie x.' Shocking video has emerged showing a group of young Muslim children in Philadelphia singing of chopping off heads so as to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque while defending Palestine with our bodies. The clip, which was first uploaded to Facebook by the Muslim American Society Islamic Center in Philadelphia last month, shows a group of children wearing Islamic headdress adorned with Palestinian symbols and colors. A translation of the video was provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute. The Muslim American Society issued a statement on Saturday vowing to investigate the unintended mistake and an oversight. Video which was uploaded to social media last month shows a group of Muslim children in Philadelphia singing about 'martyrdom' and 'chopping off the heads' of those who fight the 'army of Allah' The clip was posted by the Muslim American Society Islamic Center in Philadelphia Those who accept humiliation - what is the point in their existence? a child narrator in the film says. Those who reject oppression are the ones who assert their existence, and they eliminate the injustice from the land of the Arabs The organization also said that the person in charge of this specific event has been dismissed. Those who accept humiliation - what is the point in their existence? a child narrator in the film says. Those who reject oppression are the ones who assert their existence, and they eliminate the injustice from the land of the Arabs. At this point, the other children join in and begin singing: Rebels! Rebels! Rebels! Glorious steeds call us and lead us onto paths leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The blood of martyrs protects us. Paradise needs real men! The land of the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey is calling us. Our Palestine must return to us. Oh Saladdin, your men are among us shame will be washed away! MAS, a nationwide organization with more than 50 chapters in the United States, issued a statement saying it would investigate the video Another girl seen in the clip chants: 'Our martyrs sacrificed their lives without hesitation. They attained Paradise, and the scent of musk emanates from their bodies. They compete with one another to reach Paradise. Will Jerusalem be their capital city, or will it be a hotbed for cowards? Another girl adds: We will defend the land of divine guidance (Palestine) with our bodies, and we will sacrifice our souls without hesitation. We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque. We will lead the army of Allah fulfilling His promise, and we will subject them to eternal torture. The Muslim American Society released a statement saying that the songs were not properly vetted. While we celebrate the coming together of different cultures and languages, not all songs were properly vetted, the group said. This was an unintended mistake and an oversight in which the center and the students are remorseful. MAS will conduct an internal investigation to ensure this does not occur again. The Muslim American Society released a statement saying that the songs were not properly vetted MAS is a nationwide organization that boasts more than 50 chapters throughout the country, according to its website. As a faith-based organization dedicated to moving people to strive for God-consciousness and a just and virtuous society, we affirm our long-standing position on our shared values of humanity. We stand resolutely in our condemnation of hate, bigotry, Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism and all the illnesses of hate that plague our society. MAS said that it owns the property which is leased by a school, which staged the event. The group said that the school will form a local commission to aid in sensitivity training and proper oversight for future programs, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The term martyr has been used by Islamists to describe those who carry out suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks against civilians. The attainment of Paradise is a term that references the supposed reward that martyrs - or shahids - receive upon sacrificing themselves for Islam. The children sang of 'liberating Al-Aqsa Mosque,' the third-holiest site in Islam, in Jerusalem's Old City (above). It was built on top of the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. The Western Wall, a remnant of the Jewish Second Temple, is seen in the foreground. The Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque are above it Islamic extremists promise that anyone who becomes a martyr for the cause is rewarded with 72 female virgins in heaven. Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis were a frequent occurrence during the 1990s and 2000s. Organizations like Hamas and Islamic Jihad sent suicide bombers into the heart of Israeli cities, killing hundreds and maiming thousands. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third holiest site in Islam, is located in Jerusalems Old City. It was built centuries ago on top of the Temple Mount, which is the holiest site in Judaism. The 'Night Journey' is a reference to the belief in Islam that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven on a winged mule from the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The political status of the mosque and adjacent holy sites in the Old City is one of the sensitive issues of the Israel-Palestine dispute. Israel captured control of the Old City as well as the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Six-Day War. Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future independent state, while Israel has vowed to maintain sovereignty over the entire city. Saladdin is revered in Islamic history for his role in leading the military defeat of the Crusaders in the Levant during the 12th century. The Anti-Defamation League, a leading Jewish organization, released a statement calling the video extremely disturbing. Children should not be indoctrinated to hate, the ADL said. These young people should never have been asked to make speeches and dance and lip-sync to songs that glorify violence against Jews and the State of Israel. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is deeply complex and painful on all sides, and the only chance for a peaceful future is to teach our children to pursue peace. Rockets and missiles from Gaza killed three civilians in Israel while Israeli strikes killed 12 Palestinians, most of them militants, in surging cross-border fighting on Sunday, according to Gazan officials and the Israeli military. Rockets and missiles from Gaza killed three civilians in Israel while Israeli strikes killed 12 Palestinians, most of them militants, in surging cross-border fighting on Sunday. Relatives (left) mourn Moshe Agadi during a funeral in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon. Mourners (right) carry the body of a Palestinian, 14-month-old Seba Abu Arar, during her funeral in Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the military to continue 'massive strikes' against Gazas ruling Hamas group and Islamic Jihad, in the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November. Israels military said more than 600 rockets and other projectiles - over 150 of them intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system - have been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday. It said it attacked more than 260 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. Gaza officials said Israeli air strikes and artillery fire killed 20 people including eight civilians since Friday. A rocket that hit a house in Ashkelon on Sunday killed a 58-year-old man, police said. He was the first such Israeli civilian fatality since the seven-week-long Gaza war in 2014. British academic Matthew Hedges, 31, says the United Arab Emirates continues to call him a spy, despite receiving an official pardon A British academic who was jailed on spying charges by the United Arab Emirates is still dependent on the drugs he was force fed in prison. Matthew Hedges, originally from Exeter, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Gulf state last year after being accused of working for MI6. During his six months in solitary confinement he was given high doses of strong drugs, shackled and blindfolded. But the 31-year-old Durham University researcher, who was pardoned and freed in November, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, has to take a cocktail of drugs to cope and wants to take legal action over Foreign Office failures. Every morning he takes small amounts of Xanax and Valium, which he was given excessive doses of in confinement. I am dependent but not addicted, he told the Sunday Telegraph. I have to carry the medication with me. He says he was given up to ten times too much of the drugs on a daily basis. A pardon from the UAE president secured his release in November following a campaign lead by his wife Daniela Tejada and interventions from Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. But Emirati officials continued to call Mr Hedges a spy, an allegation denied by his family and colleagues. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the 31-year-old revealed his six-month long incarceration has left him coping with sleepless nights, PTSD and reliant on a cocktail of drugs that were fed to him in jail. Mr Hedges has now filed a formal complaint to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) over allegations it did not do enough to secure his release and is not helping to get his conviction overturned. Mr Hedges and Ms Tejada are also considering taking legal action against the FCO, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Matthew Hedges and his wife, Daniela Tejada, are now considering taking legal action against the Foreign Office, alleging it did not do enough to help overturn his conviction from the UAE Ms Tejada told the newspaper her husband's case was 'an injustice' that had 'compromised' both their lives. She said her husband was freed weeks after she spoke to the press, following months of being told to stay quiet by the Government. 'While finally the Foreign Office did step up and intervene it took them seven months and a lot of private and public pressure for them to take action,' she said. 'It is not acceptable they now pretend Matt is free and can carry on with his life. 'It is unacceptable the British Government now pretend nothing happened.' Mr Hedges had visited the UAE to research its national security strategy, as part of his PhD work at Durham University. He told the Sunday Telegraph that he now struggles to cope in large crowds, finds it hard to concentrate and has difficulty with bright lights, a legacy of his imprisonment. 'There are flashbacks and nightmares,' he said. His lawyer, Rodney Dixon QC, told the newspaper: 'The FCO should be taking all possible steps to clear Matthew's name, especially as he was wrongly convicted by the UAE of being an agent of the UK Government. 'And yet they have flatly refused and left him in the lurch.' Matthew Hedges (right) with his wife Daniela Tejada (left) say they have struggled to get back to normality following his six-month long incarceration in a UAE jail over spying charges A spokeswoman for the FCO confirmed officials had received Mr Hedges's complaint. She added: 'We are delighted that Matthew was able to return to the UK and reunite with his loved ones, after his ordeal. 'As the Foreign Secretary has said, our ministers and staff, in the UK and the UAE, worked incredibly hard to support Matthew and his family during his detention and following his release. 'The Foreign Secretary and Foreign Office ministers raised Matthew's case with the UAE authorities at the highest levels, including with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, stressing the need for due process and raising our concerns about his welfare. 'Our staff maintained regular contact with Matthew and his family in the UK, updating them on developments in his case when we had information we could share, in compliance with our legal obligations under the Data Protection Act.' Speaking about his ordeal shortly after his release, Mr Hedges says he still has no idea why he had been targeted. Daniela Tejada (pictured above) campaigned tirelessly to help her husband After his conviction, he spent almost six months in solitary confinement in a window-less state security office, being regularly threatened with torture and interrogated for up to 15 hours a day. He said that while he was at the prison he could hear other inmates being tortured and said he was threatened with rendition to an overseas military base, where he was told he would be 'hung up and beaten'. Mr Hedges' plight began on 5 May when he was detained while trying to leave the UAE after a two-week research visit to interview sources on its security structure after the Arab Spring. He says he was forced to confess 'under duress' to allegations of spying for the UK, before being sentenced to life. Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt intervened following international outrage and Mr Hedges was then formally issued with a pardon from UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. However, he expressed concerns that his conviction in the UAE still stood. He said: 'I am still a convicted spy which is as ridiculous as it sounds. This will affect my academic integrity It's not right.' Donald Trump had the chance to woo Venezuelan generals, but didn't. Venezuelan General Ivan Hernandez, who is head of both the presidential guard and military counterintelligence, wanted to send his three-year-old son to Boston for brain surgery and needed visas for his family. He made the request around May 2017, and after days of debate, the Trump administration rejected the request, citing seeing no point in helping a senior member of a socialist government. That decision from Trump's still young administration was a determining factor of its stance against president Nicolas Maduro's regime in Venezuela. Donald Trump rejected Venezuelan General Ivan Hernandez's request for humanitarian visas for his family in May 2017 General Hernandez runs the presidential guard and military counter intelligence under Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro. Hernandez pictured second from right A letter, seen by AP, was addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela from Boston Children's Hospital and states that Hernandez's son had been authorized for surgery on March 14, 2017, for which the family had made a $150,000 deposit. It states that it is 'in the child's best interests' if both Hernandez and his wife were granted visas to accompany the child during what was expected to be a two-month convalescence. That visa rejection was revealed by a former U.S. official and another person familiar with the internal discussions to AP. After the request for humanitarian visas was rejected, a former senior Venezuelan official cooperating with U.S. law enforcement appealed to his contacts in Washington on Hernandez's behalf. However, once again the request fell on deaf ears, reflecting what one of the sources viewed as a lack of strategic thinking by top policymakers in the White House and State Department. General Ivan Hernandez pictured right in the red cap next to Maduro. This week National Security Adviser John Bolton rebuked General Hernandez for backing out of a plan to overthrow Maduro This week National Security Adviser John Bolton rebuked General Hernandez on live TV, calling him out as one of three regime insiders who backed out of a plan to topple Maduro. It might also have been one of several missed opportunities to curry favor with Venezuela's normally impenetrable armed forces. The U.S. also rebuffed a back channel to the alleged ringleader of the would-be defectors, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. Bolton said Hernandez, Padrino and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno chose to stick with Maduro at the moment of truth: when opposition leader Juan Guaido appeared Tuesday on a highway overpass surrounded by a small cadre of armed troops ready for what he said was the 'final phase' of a campaign to rescue Venezuela's democracy known as Operation Freedom. Little is known about the extent of support for the plot. Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez said Thursday he had been speaking for weeks with military commanders while under house arrest. U.S. special envoy Elliott Abrams said there was even a document with the outlines of a transitional government that top officials had agreed to. 'I am told the document is long 15 points, I think and it talks of guarantees for the military, for a dignified exit for Maduro, and Guaido as interim president,' Abrams told Venezuelan online TV network VPItv. The three officials haven't directly denied they were in talks with the opposition, but they have reaffirmed their loyalty to Maduro and remain in their posts. On Thursday interim president Juan Guaido called for a military uprising, demanding the military part from Maduro, but troops have remained under his control A fourth, Gen. Manuel Figuera, head of the feared SEBIN intelligence agency, did break ranks and has since disappeared. But some analysts doubt top military officials who have amassed immense power under Maduro, and are sanctioned by the U.S., ever seriously considered betraying him. Instead, they speculate that the opposition and by extension, the U.S. may have been duped by Cuban intelligence agents in Venezuela. 'They try to buy us as if we were mercenaries,' Padrino said Thursday in remarks alongside Maduro. One clue to the military officers' apparent reluctance to join any U.S.-backed plot may be found in the story of their past, failed dealings with senior American officials. The former U.S. official and two other people agreed to discuss details of the previously undisclosed interactions on the condition they not be identified because of the sensitive nature of what were private, high-level talks inside the Trump and Obama administrations. For years, U.S. officials tried to identify ways to engage the military, the traditional arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela. But after Hugo Chavez's thorough scrubbing of U.S. influence in the armed forces, opportunities were limited. That's why, with the benefit of hindsight, Hernandez's visa request stood out. K9 Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, of the Mooresville Police Department, was shot dead over the weekend A North Carolina police officer was shot dead over the weekend during a routine traffic stop. K9 Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, of the Mooresville Police Department, had pulled over a man Saturday night shortly after 10pm along West Plaza Drive. Authorities said the 28-year-old suspect shot Sheldon and fled the scene. Sheldon was rushed to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. A short time later, police located the suspect at an apartment two miles away on Rinehardt Road. According to police, when they entered the residence, the suspect was pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation is continuing with many local and state law enforcement agencies assisting. Police said more information will be released during a press conference on Sunday. It's still unclear what led up to the shooting. Sheldon served with the Mooresville Police Department for six years. His friend, Brian VanderWesten, shared a heartfelt Facebook post shortly after his death. 'I need prayers my dear friend officer Sheldon was killed in action tonight R.I.P. my brother in blue Rest In Peace brother you will be missed my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and Mooresville Police Department,' VanderWesten wrote. A procession for Sheldon will be held on Sunday at 10am. It will begin at Carolinas Medical Center, according to Mooresville police. 'All law enforcement and public safety vehicles are welcome to participate,' the department shared. Sheldon (pictured) had pulled over a man Saturday night shortly after 10pm along West Plaza Drive. Authorities said the 28-year-old suspect shot Sheldon and fled the scene A mother-of-three who travelled to Tunisia for fertility treatment was horrified when UK doctors told her 'no surgery had been carried out'. Kelly Thompson, 44, decided she wanted to reverse the effects of her sterilisation procedure when she met her now fiance Dean Thorpe, 46. The couple were desperate to have a child together but couldn't afford the 5,000 it costs to have the operation done privately in the UK, so instead shelled out 3,700 on flights, accommodation and treatment abroad. Kelly Thompson, 44, (pictured recovering from her operation) flew to Tunisia to have an operation to reverse the sterilisation procedure she had done when she was 26, but UK doctors said no surgery had taken place After five months of failing to conceive they sought help from a fertility clinic back home in Leeds - where doctors told them there was no evidence any surgery had ever taken place. Pictured: Kelly Thompson, 44, of Leeds Ms Thompson told the Mirror: 'I feel violated. Our dream has been destroyed. 'The operation was emotionally and physically draining, but I left Tunisia overjoyed and expecting to be a mother. When I was told it had not even been done, I felt sick.' The mother-of-three had the original sterilisation procedure after having her third child Grant, 17, at the age of 26, with her then husband. But after finding love again with trainee painter decorator Dean, who has two children from a previous relationship, the pair became 'obsessed' with having a child of their own. Ms Thompson worked through the night and did overtime to save up the money to have a reversal procedure at Clinique Pasteur in Tunis last September. She was put under general anaesthetic and despite having no consultation beforehand was told the operation had been a success. But to her dismay five months later, UK doctors told her there was only evidence she had been sterilised and nothing to suggest it had been reversed. Mr Thorpe is believed to have suffered a stroke last week, which his fiancee thinks is due to the stress. The surgeon who carried out the procedure in Tunisia told the Mirror she had undergone keyhole surgery and it was 'well done'. Gray whales that have starved to death are washing ashore along the US Pacific coast at an unusually high rate this year, according to marine scientists. A total of 31 gray whale carcasses, many of them emaciated, have been spotted on beaches in Washington, Oregon and California. That's the most dead gray whales since 2000, when 86 carcasses were found. Dozens more of the aquatic mammals have shown visible signs of malnutrition. Scientists say the gray whales are leaner than usual. Some they've seen were so skinny their bones were visible. Marine scientists examine a dead gray whale that washed ashore in Ocean Shores, Washington on April 30. A total of 31 gray whale carcasses, many of them emaciated, have been spotted on beaches in Washington, Oregon and California this year A gray whale carcass is examined by experts from the center and its partners with the California Academy of Sciences at Angel Island State Park, California on March 12. Dozens more gray whales have been seen with emaciated bodies or have shown other visible signs of malnutrition 'Their skeleton seems to stick out more and more,' Dr. Padraig Duignan, chief pathologist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, told the LA Times on Friday. Frances Gulland, a research associate at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said the number of gray-whale deaths could reach 60 or 70 by the end of the animals' migratory season from the warm breeding waters near Mexico to the frigid feeding grounds in the Arctic. 'If this continues at this pace through May, we would be alarmed,' Gulland told the LA Times. Sightings of gray whale mother and calf pairs also have been down this year. Scientists aren't yet sure what's causing the gray whales to starve, as other whale species in the region haven't shown the same distressing signs. Marine scientists who examined the whale carcass that washed up in Ocean Shores, Washington on April 30 said they could smell the animal from a long distance away. Other whale species in the region don't appear to be having the same starving issue as gray whales Experts from the Marine Mammal Center and its partners at the California Academy of Sciences attempt to pull a gray whale carcass from the edge of the surf at Angel Island State Park, California on March 10. The global gray whale population has swelled to an estimated 27,000 whales. The whaling industry decimated the animals population for more than three centuries, but the eastern North Pacific gray whale was removed from the US endangered species list in 1994 Researchers suspect the whales didn't consume enough in the North Pacific and Arctic during their feeding season last summer, but it's too early to say definitively or to pinpoint why that would be. The animals usually pack on as many pounds as possible during that time before migrating south to breed. There's also the issue of gray whale food supply versus gray whale food demand. The whaling industry decimated the animals' population for more than three centuries, but their numbers have since rebounded. The eastern North Pacific gray whale was removed from the US endangered species list in 1994, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. The global gray whale population has swelled to an estimated 27,000 whales, according to the LA Times. 'It looks like we have a gray whale population that has recovered from whaling, but is potentially hitting a limit in terms of food supply,' Cascadia Research biologist John Calambokidis told Kiro 7 in western Washington on Tuesday. Calambokidis was one of the marine scientists examining the body of a dead gray whale that washed up on a local beach in Ocean Shores, Washington last week. Researches said they found very little food in the dead whale's stomach. Calambokidis said the number of dead whales that wash ashore are likely a small number of the whales that are dying in the ocean. 'The dead animals we see only represent a fraction of the true animals dying. Emaciated animals will sink when they die and they'll never be discovered,' he said. Theresa May would be making a 'catastrophic mistake' if she rolls over to Jeremy Corbyn in Brexit talks, Sir Graham Brady has warned. The senior Tory backbencher said a deal that includes a customs union would have 'unthinkable consequences' and allow 'dangerous extremists' in the Labour party closer to Number 10. His furious comments will pile further pressure on Mrs May, as she strains to reach a deal with Labour despite a wave of Tory anger that the talks are taking place at all. Mr Brady's anger at the PM could also leave her vulnerable as the backbench 1922 Committee, which he chairs, faces calls to oust Mrs May. Sir Graham Brady (pictured) has warned of 'unthinkable consequences' if Theresa May agrees to a customs deal with Jeremy Corbyn Theresa May (pictured at church today with her husband Philip) is on the back foot once again after presiding over dismal local election results Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Brady said: 'The temptation for the government now to do whatever is necessary to secure some kind of Brexit agreement is obvious but it must be resisted. 'To reach an agreement with Labour that locked the United Kingdom into the customs union might pull in enough Labour votes to allow an agreement to limp over the line. But the price could be a catastrophic split in the Conservative party and at a time when the Opposition is led by dangerous extremists, the consequences for our country would be unthinkable.' Bemoaning Thursday's local election results Mr Brady said both the Tories and Labour had been 'punished for their failure to fulfil their promises' on Brexit. He said a deal with Labour could 'increase the chasm between the Conservative party in parliament and its already fractious supporters around the country'. It was claimed on Sunday that Mrs May's negotiators will offer Labour a temporary customs union in a bid to reach a deal. Theresa May (left) is bidding to reach a deal with Jeremy Corbyn (right) after acknowledging there was little chance of Conservative MPs backing her withdrawal agreement The Tories could also climb down on workers' rights and single market rules in a reported three-part concession to Mr Corbyn. Mrs May today acknowledged there was 'no sign' of her MPs uniting behind her deal after it was rejected three times in the House of Commons. She is hoping to persuade the Labour benches to back her instead with cross-party talks expected to resume this week. However MPs have repeatedly voiced their fury at Mrs May's talks with a 'known Marxist' in Mr Corbyn. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, she said: 'The talks with Labour so far have been serious. 'I could not persuade enough of my colleagues to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and, regrettably, I have to accept there is no sign of that position changing. 'We don't agree with the Opposition on lots of policy issues, but on Brexit there are areas we do agree on leaving with a good deal that protects jobs and our security and ends free movement. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has promised to renationalise the water, energy and rail industries if he wins a general election 'To the Leader of the Opposition, I say this: let's listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal.' But Mr Brady's intervention is a sign of the Conservative party fury that the PM will face if she offers such a deal. The PM is on the back foot once again this week after her party suffered its worst local election results since the height of Tony Blair's powers in 1995. Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has branded the idea of a customs union deal as 'total anathema'. He said: 'The idea we would leave the EU but have the EU decide all our future trading arrangements, decide what our tariffs are - basically, that's the most ridiculous position to be in. 'The election result was so devastating that the Prime Minister now has to consider herself a caretaker PM. 'She must now move fast to resolve this matter of leadership urgently because everywhere you went, the element of trust in the PM had completely broken down. Nigel Farage (pictured) has warned the Labour and Conservative leaders not to form a 'coalition of politicians against the people' Theresa May (pictured at church today) is set to offer Labour a three-pronged Brexit deal in a bid to break the deadlock at Westminster, it has been claimed 'The idea that she is now able to do a deal with an equally discredited Labour Party is ridiculous.' Mr Duncan Smith said the 1922 Committee - chaired by Mr Brady - should urgently meet again to decide on Mrs May's fate. The committee rejected a party rule change last month which would have allowed an early confidence vote, with Mr Brady saying he abstained. But demands to oust the PM have not gone away with Mr Duncan Smith saying that 'we have to make a change'. Mr Brady has said he would demand a clear departure timetable from the PM, who has promised to step aside before the next phase of Brexit. Tory arch-Brexiteer Peter Bone said any customs union deal would amount to 'an abject surrender'. Brexiteer Steve Baker retweeted a comment saying the plan was a 'Tory Brexit delivered by Labour that neither Leavers nor Remainers support'. Meanwhile Labour's John McDonnell said it 'may well be' that a second referendum takes place. Saying he does not trust the PM, Mr McDonnell accused her of jeopardising the cross-party Brexit talks for her own 'personal protection'. Advertisement Britain's May Bank Holiday weekend is set to end colder than Greenland as Arctic air will plummet temperatures to around -4C, with thunderstorms to follow from Wednesday. Beaches will be empty and storms are on the way as the country will near the coldest Bank Holiday Monday ever. Astonishing pictures show the drastic change in a year since the country basked in last year's heatwave, with coastal destinations deserted as would-be holidaymakers choose to stay at home. Slide me A comparison shows the cold and damp whether today (left) with a packed Brighton beach in warm weather on early May bank holiday weekend last year (right). Britain is 15C colder than a year ago, when the early May bank holiday saw a record 28.7C in Northolt, London Groups of ramblers walk among bluebells on the mountainside at Rannerdale in the Lake District in Cumbria today. The May bank holiday is set to end colder than Greenland Mother Hester Lean and her 14-year-old daughter Elsie Lean from Bristol enjoy their May Bank Holiday weekend away in Brighton Britain is 15C colder than a year ago, when the early May Bank Holiday saw a record 28.7C in Northolt, London. Andrew Woodland, Bournemouth Accommodation and Hotel Association's, said: 'There are more people in the cinema than on the beach.' The coldest figures will be recorded in the south-west of England and south Wales which will see temperatures drop to around -4C overnight tonight. The far north of Scotland will struggle to reach single figures tomorrow during the day. Slide me The cold and damp whether today is shown (left) compared to a packed Brighton beach in warm weather on early May bank holiday weekend last year There is a chance Wales could record its lowest ever temperature for an early May bank holiday of -3.5C as it was predicted to be around -3C to -4C. Snow flurries were reported on high ground in Wales and the north on Saturday, when highs of around 6C in parts of the north-east felt close to 0C in windchill. The Met Office forecasts highs of just 14-15C daily. Britain is colder than -1C lows in Tasiilaq, Greenland, which straddles the Arctic Circle, and Moscow, which will be 20C today and see 11C overnight. Frosts will be widespread and the Met Office predicted the temperature this morning could push towards -6C. The coldest May 6 since unofficial records began 178 years ago in 1841 is -5.6C in 1980 at Camps Reservoir, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Tomorrow will be mainly dry, with gales of up to 40mph in the south set to follow from Wednesday. The end of the week is likely to see thunderstorms across the south and west. Met Office forecaster Steven Keates said: 'This is not at all like how early May should feel - and blowy conditions are ahead from midweek. 'Cold air from well north of the Arctic Circle, not too far from the Pole, is flooding to the UK and a good part of Europe as far south as Italy. The sun rises above the horizon this morning to start a bitterly cold day at Keyhaven Harbour in The New Forest, Hampshire 'Slightly lower than -5C is quite possible on Monday morning in the West. 'Beating the -5.9C early May Bank Holiday Monday UK minimum temperature record can't be ruled out. 'Windchill made Saturday feel not much more than freezing in the North-East, with maximum temperatures of 14C or 15C at best until after Monday. The Lake District in Cumbria has seen a large growth of bluebells across the mountainside at Rannerdale as walkers follow a footpath across the hill 'Frosts will be widespread. Sunday and Monday will be drier, but with cloud and some bright spells. 'It's a massive contrast to last year's record early May Bank Holiday highs. 'And it turns much more unsettled from Wednesday with the risk of gales and 40-50mph gusts in the South and showers or longer spells of rain.' It follows what has been dubbed 'weathermen's biggest U-turn' which saw predictions for a 25C 'Spanish Plume' scrapped after all major forecasters said a week ago that a warm Bank Holiday weekend was expected. Computer forecast models were blamed. Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: 'Forecasts can change. If high pressure had been over Scandinavia, we'd have had a southerly flow - but high pressure being to the west of the UK means a northerly flow, as winds blow clockwise around high pressure.' Mr Gaze said: 'Forecasters' jaws dropped when the Bank Holiday weekend forecast changed from hot to cold. 'I can't recall a more dramatic sudden short-term forecast change, with a 14C difference in computer model forecasts between the warm southerly from Spain bringing 25C and the cold northerly from the Arctic bringing 11C.' Three teenage revellers were today fighting for their lives in hospital after falling 70ft down a cliff at the Masked Ball festival in Cornwall. Coastguards were called to Parc Trammel Cove, near Porthleven, Cornwall, by one of the men shortly after midnight on Sunday. He told the Coastguard that he and two others had fallen down the cliff and required help. The men were airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where they remained on Sunday with serious injuries. Three men injured falling down 150ft sheer cliff face 'trying to get into Masked Ball' The coastguard drives through party goers to get to the incident, the lights of the Masked Ball Festival can be seen Coastguard rescue teams from Porthleven, Penzance and Mullion attended the rescue along with the all-weather lifeboat from RNLI Lizard, a Coastguard area commander, the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter, paramedics and police. The man that called the Coastguard was able to use the torch on his mobile phone to help identify the group's exact location to rescuers. The men are believed to be aged 18, 19 and 19, their next of kin have been informed about the incident. Inspector Matt Setchell said: 'Initial inquiries suggest that the men have fallen around 70ft from the cliffs into the cove below. 'We are continuing to carry out inquiries to establish how they came to be on the cliff and the circumstances surrounding the incident. 'All three males were airlifted to hospital where they remain in a serious condition. Our thoughts are with the three men and their families and friends at this difficult time. 'At this point, we're appealing for anyone who was in the area and witnessed the incident and anyone with any relevant information to contact police.' The operation to rescue the men was co-ordinated by Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre. The Coastguard helicopter transferred three critical care paramedics from Cornwall Air Ambulance, along with several Coastguard rescue officers, to the base of the cliff. They helped to transfer the three men on to the helicopter to be airlifted to Derriford Hospital. The three-day Masked Ball takes place on a dramatic clifftop and is described as an 'immersive, multi-level party kingdom'. An ambulance attends the scene along with police and HM coastguards A spokesperson or Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'We do not yet know whether the three people were intending to go to the festival or if they were at the Masked Ball at the time of the incident. 'All three men are in Derriford Hospital at the moment with serious injuries. 'The police were called to the scene shortly after midnight by the ambulance service, following reports of people falling down the cliff.' A general view of cliffs in Porthleven, United Kingdom. Three men were airlifted to hospital after falling 70ft down a cliff on Sunday Views from the Masked ball show the proximity of the cliffs, revellers enjoy themselves on the cliff side A spokesman for Falmouth Coastguard said: 'HM Coastguard received a call at around midnight on May 5 from a male saying that he and two other men had fallen approximately 30ft down the cliff at Porthleven and they were requesting our assistance. 'Three men were recovered via helicopter and taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.' Martin Leslie, coastal operations area commander, said: 'This was a demonstration of exceptional joint emergency service working in an extremely difficult environment. 'The helicopter crew showed outstanding skills transferring the teams to the scene. Special praise must also be given to the critical care paramedics' excellent pre-hospital care to the casualties.' Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police on 101, quoting log 17 of May 5. A picture of the Masked Ball festival sign illuminated with coloured light as revellers stand by it A coroner has warned that social media is 'normalising' self-harm and suicide following the death of a gifted 13-year-old boy. Bradley Trevarthen had become 'fascinated with the concept of suicide and self-harming' before he was found hanged, an inquest heard. The schoolboy was an 'avid gamer' who became more depressed and withdrawn in the days leading up to his death on January 10 last year. The hearing was told that Bradley, from Durrington, Wiltshire, had spoken to friends about killing himself as well as seeking out and watching suicide videos online. A coroner has warned social media is 'normalising' self-harm after 13-year-old schoolboy Bradley Ridley, from Durrington, hanged himself in his bedroom But his father, former Army warrant officer Jamie Trevarthen, said he did not see Bradley's death coming as there were no obvious signs as to how he was feeling despite being 'very, very close' to his son. Coroner David Ridley blamed 'availability and access' to internet videos that normalise self-harm, warning that parents were not necessarily aware of the dangers. Mr Ridley recorded a verdict of accidental death by hanging at the inquest in Salisbury. He said he did not think Bradley had intended to take his own life. Mr Ridley said: 'What concerns me about Brad's case and the way children and young people talk about social matters is the availability and access to material on the internet. 'It almost normalises something that is not normal. There is an issue in terms of accessing the internet I think it is a problem, it is too easy. There is an element of Pandora's Box.' He added: 'There is an issue in relation to making parents aware. I think a lot more could be done. 'The trouble is it is such a vast, changing environment that we live in. It is very difficult to catch up.' Mr Trevarthen, 42, said parents should treat children as 'responsible people', and have open discussions with them about who they talk to online. 'The coroner did say he had a 13-year-old son himself, so Bradley's death and this cause was quite close to his heart,' he added. 'I didn't see it coming. Bradley had a cold around Christmas and was a bit down in the dumps, which I put down to the fact he was ill. He used to spend a lot of time of an evening chatting to his friends online.' Mr Trevarthen said: 'Nowadays kids seem to spend their lives in bedrooms, chatting online while playing games. When I was young you'd go out, knock on your friends' doors and play outside. 'Parents should take an interest in the people their children are talking to online, and make sure it's a safe environment.' The coroner said he did not think Bradley had intended to take his own life He also said Bradley used voice recording and text chat app Discord to talk to friends while he was gaming. He added: 'The coroner said his own son used a lot of similar websites to Bradley. 'You don't know what goes on in these chats you can log in and take a look but kids can delete their history if they want to. Bradley was very sensitive as a child he was a perfectionist. 'Parents need to try to talk to their children as human beings and not assume that everything is all hunky-dory. I don't want to scare every parent out there, but I was very, very close to Bradley, we talked quite a lot, but he kept this private.' Mr Trevarthen described his son as 'a very pleasant child' and 'very gifted... the most talented mathematician in his school, he was a genius really', adding that Bradley achieved a merit award in national maths competition the Junior Mathematical Olympiad. Following the tragic death, Mr Trevarthen, his wife Jenna, 35, and Bradley's sister Eva, ten, moved to Bodmin, Cornwall. Yesterday, Mr Trevarthen and his father Michael, 60, were walking a 13-mile Bodmin Tors Challenge to raise money for young suicide prevention charity Papyrus in Bradley's memory. They have so far raised 1,825. Mr Ridley will write to the minister for digital and creative industries, Margot James, about the worrying trend of children being exposed to suicide and self-harm online. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or see samaritans.org for details. Foulmouthed parents who abuse teachers, skip parents' evenings or fail to co-operate with Saturday morning detentions should face fines over their behaviour, a former chief Ofsted inspector has argued. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Sir Michael Wilshaw added the rising level of abuse that teachers now have to confront from parents, coupled with a lack of support from government ministers, has persuaded many to turn their backs on state education for good. As a result, there are fears of a national shortage of head teachers with the right experience and skills in tackling failing schools. Dir Michael Wilshaw, former chief Ofsted inspector, says teachers are facing a rising level of abuse from parents and coupled with lack of government support, are leaving state education Sir Wilshaw said: 'If you consistently do not go to parents' evenings you should be fined. If you are abusive more than once to a head teacher [you should be fined]. Head teachers should be able to say enough is enough.' He added that the fine should be comparable to those issued by local councils and schools over unauthorised absences. Under current regulations, a parent can be fined 60, with the amount rising to 120 if not paid within 21 days. After 28 days, a parent can be prosecuted with a fine of up to 2,500, a community order or a jail sentence up to three months, as well as being handed a Parenting Order. Former Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has spoken out against the abusive behaviour faced by teachers from parents His comments come just a week after Alison Colwell, a Kent headteacher who hit the headlines over her strict uniform policy - and sent home 20 girls in a day for wearing skirts that were too short - announced she would be leaving the country to head up an international school in Mallorca. During her seven-year tenure at Ebbsfleet Academy in Swanscombe, Colwell faced a barrage of abuse from parents who opposed her efforts to improve their children's life chances with a 'zero tolerance' approach to bad behaviour. Speaking about her experience, Colwell said she had been forced to call the police to remove abusive parents from her office, had banned some parents from entering the school without an appointment and had been vilified on a community Facebook page that dubbed her 700-pupil school 'Colditz Academy'. She said she had tried to forget many unpleasant encounters but recalled one parent who, in her first year in charge, 'stood in reception and, in front of the children coming in, swore at me using 'f***' and 'c***' '. Almost all the parents who had been abusive to her, she said, were white and working class. They set no rules at home and undermined those at school, dooming their children to failure. 'The most badly behaved children came from the most chaotic families,' she said. 'I once tried to tell a mother she was a bad parent. I got shouted and sworn at even more. It was not a strategy I tried again. My staff had to ask me if I was OK when she finished.' Ebbsfleet Academy head teacher Alison Colwell spoke of the abuse she received from parents Under her headship, the proportion of pupils achieving five good GCSEs rose from 24% to 60%. Ofsted recently rated the school 'good' and praised her leadership. Her experience of abusive behaviour from parents was echoed by others at this weekend's National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference in Telford. A motion backed by the National Association of Head Teachers has now called on the government to help reduce attacks against school staff (file pic) Michelle Sheehy, from Walsall, said two members of staff had been threatened with an axe and subjected to racist and homophobic abuse, The Independent reports. Others spoke about death threats they had received from parents. Tim Gallagher, from the West Midlands, asked: 'Do we need to have the death of a head teacher or the death of a senior member of staff like [the Labour MP] Jo Cox before we take this seriously?' The NAHT has now backed a motion calling on the government to help reduce attacks against school staff. More than 400 students gathered outside the home of a woman who waved to them from her window for the last 12 years. Tinney Davidson, 88, of Comox, British Columbia, has been waving to students of Highland Secondary School since 2007. Photos and videos from 2016 and 2014, show Davidson smiling from ear-to-ear as she greeted several students as they walked to school each morning. But last week, hundreds of students crammed together outside her home to give her one last wave. About 400 students gathered outside the home of Tinney Davidson (pictured), 88, who waved to them from her window for the last 12 years Davidson of Comox, British Columbia, has been waving to students of Highland Secondary School since 2007. Students (pictured) were seen holding flowers and large signs that read: 'We love you Mrs. Davidson' Davidson will be moving from her Guthrie Road home to an assisted-living center. The teenagers counted down from three to blow her a group kiss (pictured) and one student said 'love you' before turning to leave Hundreds of students crammed together outside her home to give her one last wave Davidson will be moving from her Guthrie Road home to an assisted-living center, according to CBC. Students were seen holding flowers and large signs that read: 'We love you Mrs. Davidson.' 'Thanks 4 for being awesome,' another sign reads. The teenagers counted down from three to blow her a group kiss and one student said 'love you' before turning to leave, according to CBC. When Davidson saw all of the students, she smiled and said, 'oh, lovely, thank you,' the news outlet reported. Davidson sat on a chair that had been placed on her front porch and choked back tears as she waved back at the students one final time. In 2014, the dozens of students held an assembly in honor of Davidson (pictured in 2014) on Valentine's Day In 2016, more than 70 students (pictured) gathered before school to offer Davidson hugs and decorate her front yard with Valentine's Day hearts that were made from milk jugs 'I was shocked again that's there's so many kids that want to say goodbye to me,' she said. The waving started in 2007, when Davidson and her late husband Ken used to greet the teenagers together after moving into their home. 'I just liked the look of the children and they all looked in and I thought, "If they're looking in, I'll wave to them," and that's how it started,' Davidson told CBC in 2014. In 2014, the dozens of students held an assembly in honor of Davidson on Valentine's Day. At the time, the students thanked Davidson for always keeping them smiling. In 2016, more than 70 students gathered before school to offer Davidson hugs and decorate her front yard with Valentine's Day hearts that were made from milk jugs. The waving started in 2007, when Davidson and her late husband Ken (both pictured) used to greet the teenagers together after moving into their home A 13-year-old girl given an award by Theresa May for her tireless litter-picking efforts has been forced to move schools after being bullied and shown a knife. Dedicated Nadia Sparkes was given a 'Points of Light' gong by the PM last month after collecting 3,000 litres of rubbish in her spare time. She has been praised by Keep Britain Tidy, Greenpeace and the WWF and built a social media following of over 5,000 people for her 'Trash Girl' campaign. But the limelight has drawn the attention of cruel bullies, who taunted her with the nickname 'Trash Girl', says her mum Paula. Nadia Sparkes, 13, also known as TrashGirl from Norwich. A 13-year-old girl given an award by Theresa May for her tireless litter-picking efforts has been forced to move schools after being bullied and threatened with a knife Her family claim she has been punched, had orange juice poured over her and even shown a knife at Hellesdon High School near Norwich. They have now re-located her to another school 13 miles away. Paula, 41, said: 'There are some really awful things that have happened to her. 'Within a week of starting year seven people were telling her to: 'Get down on your knees and pick up my rubbish.' Nadia, of Hellesdon, Norwich, began setting off to school an hour early in 2017 so she could pick up litter and put it into her bicycle basket 'One day Nadia was picking up litter in the quad and then someone chucked a bottle of orange juice at her. 'She was told that once she had registered in class she could go and clean herself up, she was drenched in orange juice. 'But once she got into class the teacher told her that she could not leave despite the promise.' 'Nadia had to sit through the entire class covered in juice.' The bullying and mistreatment culminated in February when Nadia was shown a blade that a fellow student brought into class. Her mum said: 'She saw it and immediately went to tell a teacher as she was worried. Dedicated Nadia Sparkes was given a 'Points of Light' gong by the PM last month after collecting 3,000 litres of rubbish in her spare time. She has been praised by the Keep Britain Tidy, Greenpeace and WWF and built a social media following of over 5,000 people for her 'Trash Girl' campaign 'But Nadia was punched in the side of the head to stop her saying anything. 'At the end of the day, the person that brought the knife in really needed help, and we also wanted the school to look after Nadia. 'We were really unhappy in how Nadia was looked after during that situation..' Nadia, of Hellesdon, Norwich, began setting off to school an hour early in 2017 so she could pick up litter and put it into her bicycle basket. After being given the Trash Girl nickname, Nadia decided to turn it into a positive movement and encourage others to get involved in cleaning up their local area. On April 12 she picked up a Point of Light Award - given to outstanding volunteers who make a difference to their community - at a ceremony in London. In a letter to Nadia, Mrs May said: 'Through your Trash Girl campaign you are changing attitudes on littering and inspiring thousands of your fellow students to take action. 'You are sending a positive message that we should all take responsibility for looking after our local environment, and should feel very proud of the difference this is making.' Nadia's 'Team Trash Girl' Facebook group now has 4,500 members which share litter picking tips. Despite being forced to move schools, Nadia has asked her supporters to use it to encourage more litter picking. But the limelight has drawn the attention of cruel bullies, who used the taunt 'Trash Girl' to verbally abuse her 'I'd like to thank everyone for all their kind words and support, I'm sad that I have had to leave the friends I had at my old school because of bullying,' she said. 'That is something which needs to be dealt with zero tolerance in every school across the country. 'Rather than focusing on me changing schools I'd like to get people to concentrate on the bigger issue which is the way litter is discarded and people just don't seem to care. 'I want to encourage everyone to pick up litter and even better don't throw it on the ground in the first place. 'If every one of you who has felt angry at what has happened started picking up litter and thinking about ways to reduce litter and single use then what I have been through would at least have had a positive outcome. 'Our countryside and our cities are so important to us and we should be proud of them and not just toss things in the street. 'What I do isn't to make me well known it's to help our country and our planet and if I have to stand up to people who just don't care then I will. 'It's sad they have no thought for their environment. 'What I do is for our future and I'm not going to stop. I'm looking forward to making new like-minded friends at Reepham High who I can work with to make a difference. ' Nadia Sparkes, 13, also known as TrashGirl from Norwich wearing a 'team trash' t-shirt Mum Paula, a photographer, added: 'Nadia didn't do any of this for fame, for money or anything apart from looking after the environment. 'She looked around and asked herself 'what can I do?' 'People online are offering her new bikes, trailers, gloves and litter pickers. 'But she doesn't want money, she just wants everyone to go outside and pick up litter. 'People in New Zealand have told her online that they started picking up rubbish because they saw about Trash Girl. 'If we all do our bit, our patch, we can solve this problem.' The headmaster for Hellesdon High School, Tom Rolfe said in response to these claims: 'We promote an ethos that reflects high moral standards, a culture of social responsibility and fosters a safe learning environment for all students,' 'All students are respected and their individuality is valued.' Brunei has said it will not enforce the death penalty for gay sex following a global backlash led by celebrities such as Sir Elton John and George Clooney. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has reacted to the outcry which was sparked when he rolled out an interpretation of Sharia law on April 3 to punish sodomy, adultery and rape with death. The small South East Asian country had consistently defended its right to implement the laws - elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and was being rolled out in phases. Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah has been at the centre of the storm over the introduction of the brutal Sharia laws Just last week, the country sent a letter to the European Parliament to urge politicians to show 'tolerance and understanding' towards its decision to bring in the punishment after the UN previously condemned the laws as 'cruel and inhuman'. But in a rare response to criticism, the sultan said the law would not feature in the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). In a speech ahead of the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the sultan said: 'I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the SPCO. Oxford University said it would reconsider its decision to award an honorary degree to the Sultan of Brunei (pictured) 'However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident.' 'As evident for more than two decades, we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. 'This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO which provides a wider scope for remission.' Crimes including premeditated murder and drug trafficking already carry the death penalty in Brunei but none have been carried out since the 1990s. Brunei was the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law in 2014 when it announced the first of three stages of legal changes that included fines or jail for offences like pregnancy outside marriage or failing to pray on Friday. Previously, homosexuality was illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to ten years imprisonment. But the changes would allow whipping and stoning to death for Muslims found guilty of adultery, sodomy and rape. The wealthy sultan, who once piloted his own 747 airliner to meet former US president Barack Obama, often faces criticism from activists who view his absolute monarchy as despotic. In a rare move today, the sultan's office released an official English translation of his speech. 'Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country.' He added: 'They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals.' The law's implementation last month prompted celebrities and rights groups to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. The Dorchester had been the focus of UK-based protests. Two protesters outside the hotel wear colourful clothes and hair and hold a sign which reads: 'Stoning has no place in the 21st Century' The calls come after a celebrity-inspired campaign demanded a boycott of the ruler's hotel empire, which includes the Dorchester in London, above (file image) LGBT protesters broke through a barricade outside the hotel as they rallied against the sultan on April 6. Around 500 people turned out to take part in the protest in Park Lane, central London. The gathering, led by human rights activist Peter Tatchell, saw many of the protesters carrying placards and banners calling for homophobia to be stamped out, as well as rainbow flags. Ahead of the demonstration, Oxford University said it would reconsider its decision to award an honorary degree to the sultan. And two days before the protest, a group of demonstrators stormed the Dorchester with a megaphone and called for it to be boycotted. Canadian writer Jordan Tannahill, along with friends Andy Field, Crispin Lord and Nick Finegan, booked a table at the hotel at around 1pm before they began their protest. But they were quickly escorted out by the hotel's security staff. George Clooney, Sir Elton John and the comedienne Ellen DeGeneres have also agreed to boycott hotels in Los Angeles owned by Brunei (pictured, protesters at the Dorchester) George Clooney, Sir Elton John and the American comedienne Ellen DeGeneres were among celebrities who announced they would no longer stay at any of the hotels in the Sultan's collection. Several multinational companies have also since put a ban on staff using the sultan's hotels, while some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination. Roughly translated Sharia means 'the way', and is a set of rules interpreted from Islamic religious texts governing how Muslims live their lives. It is divided into four sections, one of which deals with criminal punishment, with the rest dealing with family matters, prayer, and business dealings. The criminal section is the one most commonly associated with Sharia, and contains punishments such as removing of hands from thieves and the death penalty for homosexuals. Sharia criminal law is highly controversial throughout the Muslim world, and is hotly debated among politicians, religious leaders, and scholars. As a result of this debate, most Muslim nations do not enforce these laws, instead relying on aspects of British or French law which were imported during the colonial period. Rory Stewart has declared he will run for the Tory leadership, just days after he was promoted to the Cabinet. The Theresa May loyalist praised the PM for her 'courageous effort' to pass her Brexit but admitted he would throw his hat in the ring when she steps down. Urging his party not to 'try to outdo Nigel Farage', the development secretary said the Tories should 'stretch all the way from Ken Clarke to Jacob Rees-Mogg'. Cabinet heavyweights including Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt have hinted heavily at a run for the top job in what could be a bitterly-contested leadership race. New international development secretary Rory Stewart (pictured) has declared he will run for the Tory leadership, just days after he was promoted to the Cabinet Mr Stewart was more candid, telling Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that he would like to be the next Prime Minister. He said: 'If people feel that they would like to get into that competition they should say so and we should talk about what we believe in. 'We shouldn't follow this idea that somehow the future of the Conservative party is trying to outdo Nigel Farage. 'We've got to be a broad party, we've got to be able to stretch all the way from Ken Clarke right the way through to Jacob Rees-Mogg.' Mr Clarke is a longstanding Europhile while Mr Rees-Mogg has been one of the leading Brexiteers in the current Parliament. Mrs May has promised to stand down before the next phase of Brexit but has yet to lay out an exact timetable. Discussing the local election results, he said: 'Labour and Conservatives at the moment are suffering from this whole Brexit thing, tortuous, endless Brexit thing and we've got to get beyond it. 'This is people's frustration, the fact that Parliament is not delivering. They want it done, they want to move on. Mr Stewart (pictured) praised the PM for her 'courageous effort' to pass her Brexit but admitted he would throw his hat in the ring when she steps down Cabinet heavyweights including Sajid Javid (left) and Jeremy Hunt (right) have hinted heavily at a run for the top job in what could be a bitterly-contested leadership race 'A lot of this rests to be honest on one man and whether Jeremy Corbyn really wants to deliver a Brexit deal but I think if he wants to do it, it would be actually surprisingly easy to do because our positions are very, very close. 'I want to talk about climate, I want to talk about the environment, I want to engage young people and I don't want us to spend the next ten years sitting in a studio talking about the details of Brexit.' The Conservatives lost hundreds of council seats in their worst local election results since 1995. The loyal Mr Stewart was promoted to Cabinet rank this week in a mini-reshuffle after Gavin Williamson's sacking as Defence Secretary. During a colourful career he served as a deputy governor of two Iraqi provinces following the 2003 invasion. On leave from the Foreign Service he walked for 21 months crossing Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal, a journey which inspired a book. Theresa May (pictured at church today with her husband Philip) is on the back foot once again after presiding over dismal local election results A diagram showing the local election results which experts said amounted to 'a plague on both your houses' Plans to turn his career into a Hollywood movie - with Orlando Bloom lined up to play the Oxford-educated former soldier - have however stalled. He was elected as MP for Penrith and The Border in 2010 and earned his first ministerial job in 2015. Praising the PM, the Conservative MP rejected former party leader Iain Duncan Smith's calls for Mrs May to resign. He said: 'She has put a very courageous effort into trying to get something through a divided parliament without a majority. 'If George Clooney suddenly became Prime Minister, I don't think he'd be able to charm his way through this problem. 'I think this idea that somehow it is all to do with an individual is naive, this is about Brexit. 'This is about the fact that we have a country that is divided right down the middle.' A sheriffs deputy in Texas was caught on video assaulting a man who he encouraged to slap him. The incident took place outside an IHOP restaurant on the Katy Freeway in Harris County on September 30, 2018. Sheriffs deputies were called to the area in response to reports of a disturbance. In the video, one of the deputies is seen in the IHOP parking lot confronting a 61-year-old man, KTRK-TV reported. The footage was filmed by a body cam worn by another deputy. As two other deputies stand to the side and watch, the deputy tells the man: Get it off your chest. Slap the s*** out of me and get it off your chest. Sheriff's deputies are seen above confronting a 61-year-old man outside an IHOP in Harris County, Texas on September 30, 2018 In the video taken by a deputy's body cam, the deputy seen standing in the middle is encouraging the man to slap him I'm giving you permission to slap the s*** out of me and get it off your chest and see what happens, the deputy tells the man I'm giving you permission to slap the (expletive) out of me and get it off your chest and see what happens. The man does as the sheriffs deputy says and hits him. The deputy responds with a forceful blow that knocks the man to the ground. Get up. That was stupid, the deputy says. That was (expletive) stupid. Deputies arrested the man and took him to jail. He was charged with interfering with duties of a public servant. The man then appears to gently slap the deputy's face, as he is told to do The deputy responds with a forceful blow that knocks the man to the ground Get up. That was stupid, the deputy says. That was f*****g stupid. The man is then arrested and hauled away to jail, where he is charged with interfering with the duties of a public servant But charges were dismissed the next day after a magistrate found no probable cause Charges were dismissed the next day after a magistrate found no probable cause. The deputy filmed in the video has been on active duty since and has not been punished. The Harris County District Attorneys Office is now studying the video and conducting an investigation to determine if criminal charges will be brought against the deputy. A thorough investigation into this incident has been conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau, Harris County Sheriffs Office spokesman Jason Spencer said in an email. The findings of that investigation have been forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for review. Once the DA's Office has determined whether criminal charges are warranted, the case will be presented to the sheriff's administrative disciplinary committee to determine whether any policies were violated, and whether disciplinary action is appropriate. The girlfriend of tobacco tycoon Travers 'Candyman' Beynon has opened up about her life in his Gold Coast mansion and what it is like living with his wife and other girlfriends. Nisha Downes, who is from Tasmania, arrived at the 'Candy Shop' mansion in 2014 when she was just 19 years old and has lived there ever since. In a tell-all video Ms Downes, now 23, has spoken out about her experience as well as her 'obsession' with Mr Beynon. Scroll down for video Nisha Downes, who is from Tasmania, arrived at the 'Candy Shop' mansion in 2014 at just 19-years-old and has lived there since The girlfriend of tobacco tycoon Travers 'Candyman' Beynon has opened up about what it is like to live in his Gold Coast mansion with his wife and other girlfriends The video begins with Ms Downes' 'auditioning' to become Mr Beynon's girlfriend. In interview she claims she 'stalks' his social media pages and 'loves to party'. Later in the video Ms Downes, who changed her blonde locks to brunette, reveals that she is 'a bit obsessed' with the 47-year-old. She admits she sometimes gets a bit jealous of other women in the house, including Mr Beynon's wife of a decade, Taesha. 'I respect that Taesha's is Travers' wife and she respects that I'm his girlfriend,' she says. 'Looking at him I'm like, it's so crazy to think that's my boyfriend. 'My mum was definitely concerned, she did call me and tell me she didn't want me to move in but I was just like, "Well, you can come and see what it's all about, meet Trav and Taesha so you're more comfortable with it". 'Then mum came up with her husband and mum's just obsessed with him, and she can see me now for months after living in Melbourne I'm healthy and happy. I look better than I have before.' Ms Downes says she sometimes gets a bit jealous of other women in the house, including Mr Beynon's wife of a decade, Taesha (left) Ms Downes says the process of becoming a new girlfriend and moving into the house is a low key affair. 'Girlfriends come and go in the house but not unless we all approve. The process for a new girl to become a girlfriend would be going out for dinner or coming over to have some drinks, just chill out with us.' She does, however, acknowledge the situation is anything but straightforward. 'When you have seven woman with the same guy things do get a bit weird.' Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, joined the large crowd at former President Jimmy Carter's Sunday school class in rural South Georgia. At Carter's invitation Buttigieg stood and read from the Bible as part of the lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. 'You know him?' Carter had said earlier in reference to Buttigieg, drawing a laugh from the crowd. Carter told the audience that two other Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, had previously attended his classes. Pete Buttigieg, right, met with Jimmy Carter, left, after the Sunday school class in Georgia The South Bend, Indiana, mayor later tweeted: 'I was humbled to meet with President Carter in Plains, Georgia today. He is a true public servant and America is blessed for his continuing leadership.' The Buttigieg campaign said in a statement that he had lunch with Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, and 'enjoyed a conversation about topics ranging from faith to the rigors of the campaign trail.' Scores of people arrived before dawn for a chance to hear Carter, 94, speak. At Carter's invitation, Buttigieg stood and read from the Bible as part of the lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Pictured with husband Chasten, left Entering when most people already were seated, Buttigieg's unannounced visit elicited a murmur from the crowd. 'Who's that?' asked a man seated in the back of the room. 'Mayor Pete, the guy running for president,' a woman answered. 'You know him?' Carter had said earlier in reference to Buttigieg, drawing a laugh from the crowd. The South Bend, Indiana, mayor later tweeted: 'I was humbled to meet with President Carter in Plains, Georgia today. He is a true public servant and America is blessed for his continuing leadership.' Carter said he knew Buttigieg from working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Indiana where the mayor volunteered. Many in the class greeted Buttigieg and took photos with him before Carter arrived in the sanctuary and took a seat in the front to teach. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to appoint Mark Morgan, a border patrol chief under former President Barack Obama who supports Trump's border wall, to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Morgan, who headed U.S Border Patrol for six months after a career at the FBI, came out in support of Trump's border wall in January, urging Trump in an interview with a legal news website to 'stay the course.' The president praised Morgan last month, reprising that remark in a tweet: 'Mark Morgan, President Obama's Border Patrol Chief, gave the following message to me: "President Trump, stay the course." I agree, and believe it or not, we are making great progress with a system that has been broken for many years!' On Sunday, the president announced his new hire on Twitter, continuing a trend he started in 2017. Former U.S. Border Patrol chief Mark Morgan will be the next leader of ICE, Donald Trump announced Sunday Trump boasted on Twitter that he has hired Morgan, a former Obama-era official, and touted their areas of agreement The president has been looking for a 'tougher' replacement for Ron Vitello, an ICE nominee who he withdrew this year Central American migrants, moving in a caravan through Juchitan, Oaxaca, were pictured April 26 atop a train known as 'The Beast' while continuing a journey toward the United States 'I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE,' Trump he wrote. Morgan, who was named the head of the U.S. Border Patrol in 2016, was ousted early in Trump's presidency. It is not clear if he has yet been formally nominated for the new role, which will require Senate confirmation. Morgan clashed with the Border Patrol's union, which has a strong relationship with Trump, by advocating for the Obama-era policy of protecting from deportation hundreds of thousands of people broughtillegally into the U.S. as children. Since he left, he has defended Trump's immigration policies on Fox News and publicly declared earlier this year his support for Trump's efforts to build a wall along the southern border. Morgan will have to tackle a sharp rise in migrants from Central America that has frustrated Trump, who campaigned in 2016 on a tough immigration stance and construction of a wall that proved popular with his base. Immigration is likely to be a top issue in the 2020 presidential election, but Trump's wall has so far failed to materialize amid opposition from Democrats and lack of an agreement on how to fund it. Migrants crossed the Rio Bravo towards the United States, in Piedras Negras, Mexico, on February 20 Trump praised Mark Morgan earlier this year, responding to a then-three-month-old comment that Trump should 'stay the course' on building his border wall One of ICE's main roles is to detain and deport people who entered the United States illegally, while the border patrol's task is to prevent people from crossing the border illegally. Trump has said he wants to adopt a tougher approach to immigration amid complaints that his previous team was not doing enough to enact his policies. In April, Trump withdrew his previous nominee for the post, Ronald Vitiello. The position requires U.S. Senate approval. The Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is part, has seen a series of departures this year, including its head, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Her deputy, Kevin McAleenan, is now the acting secretary. Immigration officials have been tasked with stemming the rising numbers of immigrants arriving at the border, many of them families fleeing violence and poverty in Central America. The U.S. government said it arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border in March this year, more than double the March 2018 figure. The final resting place of the man who was dubbed the 'Elephant Man' has been discovered more than 130 years after his death, it has been claimed. Author Jo Vigor-Mungovin discovered the unmarked grave of the man believed to be Joseph Merrick after weeks of research and visits to the City of London Cemetery. The biographer of 'Joseph: The Life, Times & Places of the Elephant Man' claimed that soft tissue belonging to Merrick was buried in the capital's cemetery after he died in 1890 at the age of 27. Author Jo Vigor-Mungovin has claimed to have to have found the final resting place of the man who was dubbed the 'Elephant Man' more than 130 years after his death Describing the sequence of events that led to her fascinating discovery, the author said that she had always held suspicions that the resting place of Merrick, whose grave has remained a mystery for years, was probably in the same place as Jack the Ripper's victims. She told the BBC: 'Then I went home and really thought about it and started looking at the records of the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium near Epping Forest, where two Ripper victims are buried. 'I decided to search in an eight-week window around the time of his death and there, on page two, was Joseph Merrick.' After consulting the cemetery records and discovering that Merrick's final residence was at what was then called the London Hospital in Whitechapel, Ms Vigor-Mungovin said she knew she had found Merrick's grave. Ms Vigor-Mungovin added: 'It gives his residence as London Hospital, his age as 28 - Joseph was actually 27 but his date of birth was often given wrong - and the coroner as Wynne Baxter, who we know conducted Joseph's inquest. Everything fits, it is too much to be a coincidence.' The biographer discovered the unmarked grave of the man believed to be Joseph Merrick Upon making the discovery the author took to Twitter to share the news with her followers After making the discovery, Ms Vigor-Mungovin took to Twitter to share the news. A message on her social media read: 'Today after weeks of emails, research & visits to the #CityofLondonCemetery the final resting place of #JosephMerrick has been located. 'His bones are @BHAandM for medical purposes but his flesh/remains were buried in consecrated ground after a small service. #Leicester R.I.P.' The skeleton of Joseph Merrick is currently being preserved at the Royal London Hospital While the skeleton of Joseph Merrick , who was once exhibited as a freak show, is currently being preserved at the Royal London Hospital, this is the first time soft tissue belonging to him has been found underneath the ground. The medical marvel, who was born in August 1862 in Leicester to Mary Jane and Joseph Merrick, began to develop abnormalities at the age of five and was soon asked to become a travelling exhibit to tourists in the capital. He is believed to have suffered from Proteus Syndrome, a rare condition that causes overgrowth of skin, bone and muscle and died on April 11 in 1890. According to records he was only 5ft 2 inches tall but his head was 36 inches in circumference. Masses of pink flesh were also seen protruding from his mouth which made his speech almost incomprehensible. More than a century after Merrick's death, campaigners began to demand that he be given a proper Christian burial in his home city. The stories surrounding Joseph Merrick's life were later turned into a historical drama in 1980 starring actor John Hurt and directed by David Lynch. Florida police are investigating a Snapchat threat aimed at a middle school just days after a teenager was arrested for posting online threats against his high school located in the same area. A photo of what appears to be AR-15 rifles was shared on the social media platform over the weekend. Indian River County Sheriff's Office said they are investigating the picture that has the caption: 'Ready for school Monday.' Florida police are investigating a Snapchat threat (pictured) aimed at a middle school. A photo of what appears to be AR-15 rifles was shared on the social media platform over the weekend The threat was aimed at Storm Grove Middle school (pictured) in Vero Beach, Florida According to CBS 12, the threat was aimed at Storm Grove Middle school in Vero Beach, Florida. The photo was then shared on a community Facebook page to spread awareness about the possible threat. This incident follows the arrest of 18-year-old Sean Preston Martin Jr who allegedly posted threats against his high school on social media last week. 'F**k vero and everyone who goes there I'll shoot that (expletive) up,' Martin wrote on Snapchat, according to TC Palm. The Vero Beach High School student was detained off-campus last Monday. An Indian River County school district spokeswoman said Martin had been seen on campus but was later detained by sheriffs deputies off school grounds. This incident follows the arrest of 18-year-old Sean Preston Martin Jr (pictured) who allegedly posted threats against his high school on social media last week Martin has been charged with making written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting. Pictured is the Vero Beach High School that Martin allegedly threatened The sheriffs office says no weapons were involved or recovered. Officials say the high school and a nearby learning center were briefly placed on a precautionary status where classes proceeded normally but not a full lockdown. Martin has been charged with making written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting. He was being held Wednesday at the Indian River County Jail on $10,000 bail. During his meeting with Patriarch Neofit, Francis mentioned The wounds [that] opened in the course of history between us Christians and the persecution under communism. He also noted that we can discover the joy of forgiveness and enjoy a foretaste of the day when, with Gods help, we can celebrate the Paschal mystery at one altar. Sofia (AsiaNews) The second part of Pope Franciss first morning in Bulgaria was marked by the meeting with Orthodox Patriarch Neofit, the visit to the cathedral and the recitation of the Regina Caeli. Bulgaria, Francis said, is a country where Christians endured suffering for the name of Jesus under communism. Today, it "is a crossroads where various religious expressions encounter one another and engage in dialogue", a situation that fuels the quest for Christian unity. In his address in the square outside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral before the recital of the Regina Caeli, the pontiff mentioned the memory of Pope Johns presence in Bulgaria before a crowd of about a thousand people, many of whom were personally greeted by the Pope. In this land, Mgr Roncalli learned to esteem the traditions of the Eastern Church and built friendly relationships with the other religious confessions. Earlier, during his meeting with the patriarch, Francis noted The wounds opened in the course of history between us Christians remain painful bruises on the Body of Christ which is the Church. Even today, their effects are tangible; we can touch them with our hands. Yet, perhaps together we can touch those wounds, confess that Jesus is risen, and proclaim him our Lord and our God. Perhaps together we can recognize our failings and immerse ourselves in his wounds of love. And in this way, we can discover the joy of forgiveness and enjoy a foretaste of the day when, with Gods help, we can celebrate the Paschal mystery at one altar. How many Christians in this country endured suffering for the name of Jesus, particularly during the persecution of the last century! The ecumenism of blood! They spread a pleasing perfume over this Land of Roses. They passed through the thicket of trials in order to spread the fragrance of the Gospel. [. . .] I think in particular of the monastic tradition that from generation to generation has nurtured the faith of the people. I believe that these witnesses of Easter, brothers and sisters of different confessions united in heaven by divine charity, now look to us as seeds planted in the earth and meant to bear fruit. We too, as heirs of the faith of the saints, are called to be builders of communion and peacemakers in the name of Jesus. [. . .] In our relationships, too, Saints Cyril and Methodius remind us that, far from being an obstacle to the Churchs unity, the diversity of customs and observances only adds to her beauty and that between East and West various theological formulations are often to be considered complementary rather than conflicting. The visit to the cathedral was highly ecumenical. The Pope paused in prayer before the "throne of Saints Cyril and Methodius" and began his address before the Marian prayer by saying Christ is risen! With these words, Christians Orthodox and Catholic here in Bulgaria have from ancient times greeted one another in the Easter season. Bulgaria is an Orthodox country. Catholics number around 50,000 out of a population of seven million and relations are traditionally peaceful, as they were between 1925 and 1934 when Mgr Roncalli was posted in Sofia. His diplomatic and pastoral experience in Bulgaria left so deep a mark on his pastors heart that he was led to promote in the Church the prospect of ecumenical dialogue, which received a notable impulse in the Second Vatican Council, which he himself wished to convene. In a certain sense, we can thank this land for the sage and inspired intuition of good Pope John. In pursuing this ecumenical journey, I will shortly have the joy of greeting the representatives of various religious confessions of Bulgaria, which, while an Orthodox country, is a crossroads where various religious expressions encounter one another and engage in dialogue. The very welcome presence in this meeting of representatives of these different communities is a sign of the desire of all to pursue the increasingly necessary journey towards the culture of dialogue as a path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard (Document on Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). President Donald Trump said Sunday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller 'should not testify' in a planned May 15 congressional hearing about his 22-month-long Russia probe. 'After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents - all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION - why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify,' he tweeted. 'Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!' A Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee had said hours earlier that he was hopeful Mueller would appear before the panel, citing a 'tentative date' for his testimony. Trump has the constitutional power to stop Mueller from testifying, as long as he remains a Justice Department employee. Attorney General Bill Barr testified last week, however, that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report found no evidence for Democrats' long-held contention that the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to influence the election, but the president is still facing allegations he obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey and trying to impede the special counsel probe; on Sunday he said Mueller shouldn't testify in a Democrat-led House hearing Trump's position is that Mueller's report speaks for itself and grilling him in public would be a 'redo' for Democrats who had hoped the Mueller report would end his presidency House Judiciary Committee Democrats are softening the ground for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify in a May 15 hearing, but Trump appears to be fighting the idea Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline said on 'Fox News Sunday' that 'we hope the special counsel will appear' on May 15 and that 'we think the American people have a right to hear directly from him.' The committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, said last week the committee was 'firming up the date' for Mueller's testimony and hoping it would be May 15. Cicilline says that 'obviously until the date comes, we never have an absolute guarantee.' Democrats are seeking more information about Mueller's report on his Russia investigation. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and Mueller didn't immediately return messages Sunday. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler said last week that he wanted a May 15 date, and on Sunday a committee member said in a TV interview that it was a 'tentative' date for Mueller's testimony Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline said on 'Fox News Sunday' that he's hopeful Mueller will show up in Conress on May 15 Mueller's report, delivered to the Justice Department on March 24, found no evidence for Democrats' long-held contention that the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to influence the election, But the president is still facing allegations he obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey and trying to impede the special counsel probe. Mueller has said no one from the White House tried to get in his way, and the president did not assert executive privilege to stop the special counsel team from questining any of his aides. Cicilline said Sunday that the Trump administration has shown no sign that its pattern of transparency will end where Mueller's work begins. 'The White House has so far indicated they would not interfere with Mr. Mueller's attempts to testify, we hope that won't change,' he said. Mueller has testified before Congress before, including this 2013 hearing when he was the FBI director Mueller sent thie lstter to Attorney General William Barr on March 27, complaining about the pace of the Justice Department's release of his report on Russia's 2016 election meddling The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed an unredacted copy of Mueller's report, something Attorney General Bill Barr is unwilling to hand over. He has cited a federal law that bars him from disclosing secret grand jury proceedings, even to Congress. Nadler has given the DOJ until 9:00 a.m. on Monday to comply, threatning a contempt of Congress proceeding against Barr if that deadline comes and goes. Cicilline said there has not been "compliance yet" from the attorney general. 'We obviously have to wait until the morning to see if the attorney general will comply,' Cicilline cautioned. 'The chairman has been very patient, trying to accommodate the attorney general in every way,' Cicilline claimed. 'But the members of our committee need to see the full report and the supporting documents so we can continue to do our work.' Mueller's testimony will be the most hotly anticipated Capitol Hill must-see TV since last week's Senate hearing with Attorney General Bill Barr. Barr fielded questions from the Republican-dominated panel but refused to repeat his performance before Nadler's committee a day later because he was expected to submit to a grilling from attorneys in addition to the elected lawmakers. Advertisement Forty-one people are believed to have died after a Russian passenger plane made an emergency landing at Moscow's busiest airport and caught fire, investigators said on Sunday. 'There were 78 people including crew members on board the plane,' the Investigative Committee said in a statement. 'According to the updated info which the investigation has as of now, 37 people survived.' Two children are among those confirmed dead following the inferno on the Sukhoi Superjet at Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, the Russian Investigative Committee said. Terrified passengers were seen fleeing the Russian national carrier Aeroflot plane as flames flared from the rear of the aircraft with 78 on board. Shocking footage from on board the Russian-built plane as it landed captured horrific flames engulfing the windows and the screams of passengers as they were gripped by panic. Yet an airport official said that many passengers delayed emergency evacuation - because against all instructions - they were picking up hand luggage from overhead compartments. The aircraft made two attempts to crash land soon after take-off from Russia's capital to the Arctic city of Murmansk. Initial indications suggest an electrical fault might have caused the fire while the plane was in the air. Scroll down for video Thirteen people were killed when a Russian plane (pictured) exploded into flames mid-air as it made an emergency landing Smoke and flames can be seen bursting from the aircraft in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday. The cause of the fire remains unclear Terrified passengers scrambled to evacuate the aircraft at Moscow's main international airport after the fire took hold The SSJ-100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines on fire during an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia One passenger said: I was sitting in front of the engine, and saw how everything melted. Somehow I managed to reach the exit, inhaling carbon monoxide. The flight attendants said: Come on, quickly, crawl, a little bit left until the exit. As a result, I managed to jump off the plane. Aeroflot said the passenger plane was forced to turn back after takeoff because of technical problems. In a brief statement on Sunday, it said the engines of the Sukhoi SSJ100 were burning after the aircraft landed, but the sequence of events before and after the fire started was not clear. Some Russian news reports cited sources as saying the plane headed back to the airport after a fire was detected in flight. Others said the plane made a hard landing that could have caused the engines to catch fire. A spokeswoman for the crash investigation team, Svetlana Petrenko, earlier confirmed the death of two children. Eleven people were injured, Dmitry Matveyev, the Moscow region's health minister said earlier in the day. A flight attendant who attempted to rescue some of the 73 passengers from the blaze was said to be among the dead. He was named locally as Maxim Moiseev. There were five crew members on board. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft of Airflot Airlines is seen after an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow A tower of smoke sits above the Russian-made aircraft as it exploded into flames on Sunday evening in the country's capital The Russian plane exploded in a fireball as it made an emergency landing at Moscow's main international airport today Footage showed a column of smoke towering over the plane. Other images showed the aircraft on fire as it attempted to land, then distraught passengers leaving by a forward door The stricken plane was clearly visible from the main terminals at the airport in the north of Moscow on Sunday evening Interfax agency reported that the plane, a Russian-made Superjet-100, had just taken off from Sheremetyevo airport on a domestic route when the crew issued a distress signal. It attempted an emergency landing but did not succeed the first time, and on the second time the landing gear hit (the ground), then the nose did, and it caught fire, a source said. It reported that the tail was completely burned and said a rescue team was trying to find survivors in that part of the plane. Ambulances were sent to the scene of the landing and the passengers were evacuated, with the airport now closed for arrivals and departures. Flightradar24 tracking service showed that it made two circles around Moscow and landed after about 45 minutes Three flight attendants were believed to be on board the aircraft during the inferno, including Tatiana Kasatkina, Maxim Moiseev, and Ksenia Vogel (pictured) A British Airways plane could be seen on the tarmac and the airport is closed for arrivals and departures Flames were seen flaring from the rear of the Russian-built aircraft with 78 on board. It was carrying 73 passengers and five crew members However, there were local reports of emergency services being refused access to the scene with paramedics held at checkpoints for up to seven minutes. The airline said the number of victims was 'being specified' and that emergency medical care was being provided to the injured. Footage showed a column of smoke towering over the plane. Other images showed the aircraft on fire as it attempted to land, then distraught passengers leaving by a forward door. Video captured passengers leaping from the plane onto an inflatable slide from the front of the aircraft and staggering across tarmac and grass of the airport. The stricken plane was clearly visible from the main terminals at the airport in the north of Moscow and a British Airways plane could be seen on the tarmac alongside it. A passenger called mikkentosh posted on social media: 'Guys I am all right, I am alive and in one piece. The crash landing was on the aircraft's second approach for an emergency landing. The plane had registration number RA-89098 The remains of the Russian-made Superjet-100 at the landing strip of Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow following the fire An emergency service car is parked at the entrance of Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday evening Aircraft crew members leave the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. Several flights have been diverted to other Moscow airports or Nizhny Novgorod, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of the Russian capital 'I managed to jump out. This was the 17.50 Moscow to Murmansk flight. Definitely not everyone managed to escape, huge condolences to families and friends.' The Sukhoi Superjet-100 was the first civilian aircraft developed in Russia's post-Soviet era and at the time of its launch, in 2011, was a source of national pride. But it struggled to convince buyers from airlines outside Russia, and several foreign airlines that did buy it have since prefered to cut back its use or phase it out completely, citing its reliability. The Russian government offered subsidies to encourage Russian airlines to buy the Superjet and Russian airline Aeroflot became its main operator. In September 2018, it announced a record order of 100 Superjet-100s. Criminal investigators are examining the cause of the crash amid reports that an electrical fault had caused the inferno after take-off. Ambulances are parked in front of the terminal building of the Sheremetyevo Airport outside Moscow after a Russian-made Superjet-100 on fire attempted an emergency landing Emergency service cars are parked at the entrance of Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday evening Other local reports suggest the plane had suffered 'communications problems' and the fire engulfed the Sukhoi as it returned to Moscow to land. There were also suggests that the plane had been hit by lightning, although there was no official confirmation. The tabloid newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda quoted one passenger, Petr Egorov, who said: 'We had just taken off and the aircraft was hit by lightning.... The landing was rough, I almost passed out from fear.' Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has also ordered a special committee to investigate the disaster, Ria Novosti agency reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Russian Vladimir Putin had offered his condolences to the victims' loved ones. Several flights have been diverted to other Moscow airports or Nizhny Novgorod, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of the Russian capital. The plane had registration number RA-89098. Flightradar24 tracking service showed that it made two circles around Moscow and landed after about 45 minutes. Criminal investigators are examining the cause of the crash amid reports that an electrical fault had caused the inferno after take-off The Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot airlines was covered in fire retardant foam In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, the Sukhoi SSJ-100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines that made an emergency landing on Sunday, May 5, 2019 in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, takes off from the Siberian city of Tyumen, Russia People wait at Sheremetyevo International Airport for news about passengers aboard the aircraft A Cypriot army officer who has allegedly confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls in three years appeared in court today as police say they have recovered a fifth body. Captain Nicos Metaxas, 35, 'the island's first serial killer' has not yet been formally charged over the murders of five women and two of their daughters. But police have today retrieved a suitcase containing the remains of a human body at a lake southwest of Nicosia, the second such find in a week. Nicos Metaxas, 35, dubbed 'the first serial killer of Cyprus', appeared in court today after confessing killing five women and two girls His court appearance came as police reportedly found a suitcase containing the remains of a human body, believed to be that of a child Police spokesperson Andreas Angelides said a post mortem would be carried out on the body which is in an 'advanced state of decomposition'. The body found today is believed to be that of a child, according to local newspaper Phileleftheros. The Cyprus Mail reported that it was likely the body belonged to Elena Natalia, whose mother Livia Florentina Bunea is thought to have been the first victim in 2016. Metaxas has allegedly confessed to the murder of five women, alongside daughters of two of the women - a six-year-old Filipina and a Romanian girl. The killings came to light in mid-April when unusually heavy rains brought the body of 38-year-old Filipina Mary Rose Tiburcio to the surface of a disused mine shaft where it had been hidden. Mary Rose Tiburcio, 38 (left) was discovered on April 14 at a mine-shaft, while her six-year-old daughter Sierra is also feared dead 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 The discovery triggered a murder investigation which led to Metaxas being arrested on April 18. Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft, believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines. These are the only two women to be officially identified. The suspect then guided investigators to a well near an army firing range outside the capital, where police found the body of a third victim - a woman thought to be from Nepal. Police last Sunday recovered the remains of a fourth victim, stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of the lake at Mitsero. Maricar Valtez Arquiola, 31 (left) and Arian Palanos Lozano, 28, (right) - have been named by Cypriot media as victims Investigators have been searching a lake for the remains of more victims near Nicosia in Cyrpus Investigators have been speaking with everyone the suspect had contacted online since 2016, when the alleged first victims vanished: Livia Florentina Bunea, 36, from Romania; and her 8-year-old daughter, Elena Natalia Bunea. At court today, Metaxas was accused by police of raping a teenager who filed a complaint against the army officer. Neophytos Shailos, head of Nicosia's Criminal Investigation Department, told the Nicosia district court a Flipina woman, 19, made the allegations which Metaxas denied when questioned. Mr Shailos told the court the young woman made contact with the army officer online in 2016 when she replied to a modelling job for a photo shoot. Metaxas appeared in court without a lawyer and told the judge he had 'no objections' to being remanded. Police say they have received a 'deluge of information' about the suspect's activities with 350 witness statements taken and another 150 to be processed. Protesters have held banners and candles as they demonstrate in support of the victims. Many have accused the police of failing to investigate the disappearances because of their institutional racism Cypriot authorities have been accused of failing to properly investigate the women's disappearances due to neglect and racism. President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday fired top police officer Zacharias Chrysostomou a day after Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou announced his resignation over the case. Metaxas appeared in court without a lawyer and has been remanded in custody for a further eight days Authorities have acknowledged that all the women and girls that the army officer has admitted to killing were reported missing to police, except the one from Nepal who was reported to immigration for being absent from her place of employment. The police said today they would continue to look for a third suitcase the suspect allegedly confessed to dumping in the lake. Authorities said they were able to locate the second suitcase by using sophisticated equipment including a robotic camera flown in from the United States. 'We will persist in our efforts, conducting different kinds of tests in the area and elsewhere at a later stage,' said Angelides. He said police were still assessing data found on electronic equipment belonging to the suspect. Metaxas has been remanded in custody for a further eight days. Diana Ross said on Twitter that she felt 'violated' by an airport screener who touched her between her legs after she performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival over the weekend. In a series of tweets on Sunday, the Motown legend said she blames the Transportation Security Administration for a screening at the New Orleans airport that makes her want to cry. 'OK so on one hand Im treated like royalty in New Orleans and at the airport I was treated like sh*t,' the songstress tweeted. 'Let me be clear, Not the peiple [sic] or Delta BUT TSA, was over the top !! Makes me want to cry !!!' she added. Diana Ross said on Twitter that she felt 'violated' by an airport screener who touched her between her legs after a performance over the weekend In a series of tweets on Sunday, the Motown legend said she blames the Transportation Security Administration for a screening at the New Orleans airport that makes her want to cry Ross went on to say that it's 'not what was done but how, I am feeling violated' Ross put on an incredible performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday Ross went on to say that it's 'not what was done but how, I am feeling violated'. 'I still feel her hands between my legs , front and back ( saying to me it her job ,) WOW!! really mixed emotions I always like to see the good things but not feeling good right now,' Ross added. A few hours later Ross tweeted a video of her performance with the caption: 'Im feeling better, it took a minute.' TSA spokesman Mark Howell said in a statement that the agency is investigating, but its initial video review indicates all protocols were followed. He says the agency is committed to treating all travelers with respect and courtesy. Ross put on an incredible performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday. A few hours later Ross tweeted a video of her performance with the caption: 'Im feeling better, it took a minute' TSA (file image) spokesman Mark Howell said in a statement that the agency is investigating, but its initial video review indicates all protocols were followed The singing sensation, 75, looked elegant in the flowing gown which featured a heavily sequined top and a full tulle yellow skirt. Ross, a twice-divorced grandmother-of-five, has had a phenomenal career dating back to the 1960s when she fronted Motown girl group The Supremes, inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Diana - who has sold over 100 million records - has won a Grammy, a Golden Globe, Kennedy Center Honors, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Graeme Brandon, 43, from Bournemouth stole an image from the Facebook page of Royal Marine Commando Steele Saunders and used it to create a fake WhatsApp profile A Royal Marine wept after a fraudster who stole his identity in order to send lewd images of himself to women was jailed. Graeme Brandon, 43, from Bournemouth, stole an image from the Facebook page of Royal Marine Commando Steele Saunders and used it to create a fake WhatsApp profile. The painter and decorator used Gumtree to obtain mobile numbers of 27 random women before sending them images of his erect penis via WhatsApp. Breaking down in tears at Bournemouth Crown Court, Mr Steele said: 'The thought that people were doubting me was unbearable. 'There have been incidents when I was out with my family that people recognised my face and started shouting things like "Paedo" towards me. 'I have had my car damaged, nails in tyres and wiper blades pulled off. 'I have had numerous threats from people who contacted me believing I was responsible and I have felt helpless in trying to clear my name and trying to convince people I was not responsible. Steele Saunders, a Royal Marine Commando, wept in court and said he has has been the target of threats from people who wrongly thought he was responsible for sending the explicit images 'As a direct result of what has happened it is hard to put down into words the effect this had had on my life and my mental health.' Police investigating the case soon realised that many of the victims had put their telephone numbers on Gumtree while advertising goods for sale. The first women came forward in January 2017 with other women also complaining about indecent images they had been receiving on their telephones. Detectives soon determined the indecent images were the same photograph. In April 2017, Steele Saunders also approached Dorset Police to complain that his photograph had been stolen and used on a fake WhatsApp profile being used to send explicit images. The court heard the messages left the women, who were aged between 27 and 75, feeling 'distressed and violated'. As well as the indecent photos, Brandon also threatened some of the female victims by telling them he 'knew where they lived' and that he was 'coming to get them'. Bournemouth Crown Court, pictured, heard Brandon's victim Steele Saunders was deployed abroad with the Royal Marine Commandos when the first obscene photographs were sent Detectives arrested Brandon on October 4, 2017 and seized several mobile phones and computers. However, following his release on bail, further women continued to receive the same explicit image. He was arrested again in March 2018 when police searched his home and found two pay-as-you-go phones used to send the messages hidden behind a radiator Mark Gammon, senior lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Identity theft is an insidious crime, which has a traumatising and long lasting impact on victims' lives. 'Graeme Brandon stole someone's identity and used it to send pictures of his private parts to a number of women, causing them shock and upset. 'Not only did he cause the women to be disgusted and shocked when they received these unsolicited indecent pictures, but he also showed cowardice by using someone else's identity. 'This case has had a devastating impact on the man whose identity was stolen by Graeme Brandon. 'The victim had a successful career in the Royal Marine and was about to be deployed to a foreign country when people from his community and friends started angrily to contact him saying that they had received pictures of an explicit nature. 'He and his wife started suspecting family and friends as they could not understand how their pictures could have been accessed from their Facebook account. 'Graeme Brandon's deplorable actions had a detrimental effect not only on the victim's career but also on his mental health. 'His wife's career was also affected as well as their everyday lives, as their friends and their community thought he was guilty. 'We hope that this conviction and sentence will bring some comfort to the male victim and his family and to all the women to whom he sent the unsolicited indecent pictures.' Brandon pleaded guilty to 28 counts of sending indecent images and one offence of unauthorised access to computer data. He was sentenced to 30 months in jail. A Colorado transgender woman was brutally beaten and left with a broken jaw and a partially paralyzed face after she was allegedly targeted for her gender identity. Amber Nicole, 23, was viciously attacked outside of the bar Tavern LoDo in Denver on Sunday April 29 around 1.20am. Amber says she was harassed and followed by two men as she was leaving the downtown bar with a friend. She recorded cell phone video of herself almost getting into a car to go home before returning towards the bar. When she returns to the car her face is bloody and she appears to be barely conscious, aided by the friend. Transgender woman Amber Nicole, 23, (left and right) was brutally beaten after a night out in downtown Denver on April 29 around 1.20am. She claims she was attacked by two men who followed her and targeted her on account of her gender identity 'Were just out trying to live our lives and have fun with our peers, be with our friends, just live our lives and people just cant seem to see us that way,' she said on the incident She suffered a dislocated jaw, partially paralyzed right side of the face, and popped blood vessel in the eye in the horrific attack 'We felt like these two men were going to attack us,' Amber said in the video clip. 'I'm pretty much giving warning in this video that if anything does happen to me, I was attacked by these two men.' 'Were just out trying to live our lives and have fun with our peers, be with our friends, just live our lives and people just cant seem to see us that way,' Amber said to CBS. Her friend reportedly found her with her hands on her face, begging the two men to stop hitting her, according to NBC. The friend drove the bleeding Amber to the hospital. Her jaw was broken in several places and she suffered a popped blood vessel in her left eye. She also suffered nerve damage to the right side of her face, leaving it partially paralyzed. Doctor's aren't sure if she will be paralyzed permanently. Before and after the attack: Amber pictured left filming herself before the attack. She started to film when she felt harassed but walks out of camera view. When she returns into camera view she appears to be barely conscious and suffering a bloody face (right) 'I was horrified to see my baby like that and all I could do was thank God that she was alive,' Amber's mother Juliann Martinez said. 'I was horrified to see my baby like that and all I could do was thank God that she was alive, but then I didnt even know if she would wake up,' Amber's mother Juliann Martinez said to the outlet. 'Then I was just so angry because things were running through my head like how? Who? Why?' she added. Police are now investigating the incident. According to a Denver Police Department report, an unidentified male suspect struck 'the victim three times in the face with a closed fist causing a suspected broken jaw.' 'We're still investigating it as a normal assault, but our bias-motivated crime unit is involved in the investigation,' Carlos Montoya, public information officer for the Denver Police Department said. Now Amber is pleading for anyone who saw the incident to report it to police Denver Police are investigating the incident and are urging witnesses to come forward Amber is outraged that no one stepped in to intervene. 'Theres so many people who can see an incident and stop it or do something about, or make a report about it, but nobody does and I dont understand why. It feels like its because Im different,' she said. Police are asking for witnesses to come forward. 'Just come forward, please, say something and dont allow these things to happen,' Amber said. 'Its sad. And I hate to know that this hasnt just happened to me. This has happened many of my trans brothers and sisters,' she added to Fox. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Amber with the medical costs following the beat down. 'Amber Nicole (Dom Jaymes) is a beloved trans performer and Denver socialite with a heart of gold. Saturday night, April 27 she was brutally attacked and left to die. She was the victim of a viscous hate crime resulting in a shattered jaw which required emergency surgery,' the GoFundMe page says. 'This hate crime has shaken Amber and her closest friends and family. We MUST stand for our trans sister. Her hospital bills are horrendous and your help will be greatly appreciated,' it added. A washing machine cover which a strong resemblance to a '50s negligee has left shoppers confused and asking 'why?'. The 'lacy waterproof sunscreen' mechanical garment was found listed on Chinese shopping platform Aliexpress, with many saying it takes 'coverings' to the extreme. The see-through purple dust cover provides protection on three sides, and has to be awkwardly lifted up over the top of the machine to reveal to door and buttons. The lace washing machine dust cover was seen on sale via AliExpress website in China Journalist Allison Morris tweeted about the veiled washer, saying: 'This washing machine looks like its had many rich husbands all of whom have died in unexplained accidents' Online reaction was one of sheer confusion, with one woman sharing the photo with the caption 'For your washing machine's wedding night, presumably'. Journalist Allison Morris replied to the tweet saying: 'This washing machine looks like its had many rich husbands all of whom have died in unexplained accidents.' The post gained over 3,000 likes as readers came up with more creative backstories for the washing machine. Alan McClenaghan suggested the washing machine was waiting for the plumber to arrive... 'if you know what I mean' Kirstie Allsopp, who has previously spoken against have washing machines in the kitchen, joked 'where is a kitchen when you need it?' Even Location, Location, Location star Kirstie Allsopp, who has previously spoken against having a washing machine in the kitchen, commented: 'Where is a kitchen when you need it? Turns out there is something worse (to put it in)...' AliExpress, a multinational online shopping platform run by Chinese market giant Alibaba, has the product available worldwide with a current pricetag of 13.09. The revealing dust jacket measures 60x80x54cm and is made of a synthetic lace material. The product does not seem to have had many orders but has been shipped across the world, from Israeli to Russia, to Kazakhstan and even England. Alan McClenaghan suggested the washing machine was waiting for the plumber to arrive... 'if you know what I mean'. And if that wasn't enough, Clare Bates has found the matching microwave cover. Children are using doctors' notes to excuse them from French, German and Spanish because language lessons apparently damage their mental health. Delegates at the National Association of Head Teachers annual conference were told yesterday pupils are being 'wholesale' signed off because the subjects are making them 'unwell'. Marijke Miles, a member of the union's executive, said schools reporting the problem were 'high achieving' in leafy, expensive catchment areas. Pupils are using doctors' notes to excuse them from language lessons because they damage their mental health Children were being made 'anxious' by compulsory languages and were being signed off them 'in order not to become completely out of school', she added. Rob Campbell, the chief executive of the Morris Education Trust in Cambridgeshire, said the problem was 'an increasingly common occurrence', although doctors' letters often mention a range of stresses, not just languages, making the child unwell. His trust, which runs two secondary schools, encourages languages but finds many pupils view this as their weakest area. Heads vote for walkouts Head teachers have voted for potential strikes over funding. The National Association of Head Teachers could ballot members on walkouts over the next two years. The union passed a motion at its conference in Telford yesterday to explore options ... up to and including industrial action to address the funding crisis in schools. The Department for Education said: The core schools and high needs budget is rising to a record 43.5 billion by 2019-20. Advertisement 'You would have kids who are requesting to drop subjects, and it's often subjects that they've struggled with the most,' he said. 'They don't want to face the prospect of doing badly.' He added that in some cases children might try to get out of a course through 'pester power' but in others the mental health threat was 'genuine. I know they aren't well, I can see that. That doesn't feel right.' He said children were struggling most with languages partly because the 'culture' often means they grow up without another language. Some parents also do not see the point. Mrs Miles told the conference, in Telford, Shropshire, that the trend presents a problem because schools need pupils taking languages to hit official targets. She said it raised questions over whether languages should be included in the 'EBacc', the suite of core subjects the Government wants at least 90 per cent of pupils to take. Mrs Miles said she made the discovery when working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists for a white paper about child mental health. Children struggle most with languages partly because the 'culture' often means they grow up without another language, according to the chief executive of an education trust At a meeting with head teachers, they told her they were having trouble meeting the EBacc requirements. She added: 'What my colleagues told me was that parents were having children wholesale signed off by their GPs [from] the study of modern foreign languages because it was making them so unwell they couldn't attend school. 'Fine parents for swearing' Parents who swear at teachers should be fined 100, the former head of Ofsted has said. Sir Michael Wilshaw said some heads were being driven out of their jobs by abuse, taking positions at private schools abroad. If you are abusive more than once to a head teacher, you should be fined, he told The Sunday Times. Head teachers should be able to say, enough is enough. He also called for 100 fines for missing parents evenings. Advertisement My secondary colleagues cannot make their Ebacc targets because the children are getting medically disapplied from the modern foreign language.' And Mrs Miles also warned: 'We are going to spend millions on improving children's mental health when the school system is affecting it adversely. So you are going to pay to solve a problem that you are creating with your own structures.' The Ebacc requires English, maths, a language, science and history or geography at GCSE. The Government wants 90 per cent of students to study it by 2025, and Ofsted will assess schools on meeting this goal. A Department for Education spokesman said: 'Language teaching is not designed to be stressful. Schools should encourage their pupils to work hard and achieve well without this being at the expense of their wellbeing.' He added: 'Learning a foreign language can help broaden a pupil's horizon and ensure this country remains an outward-looking, global nation whose young people have the skills they need to compete with their peers around the world.' Friday's call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin lasted nearly an hour and a half and came at the White House's request, according to a statement from the Russian embassy in Washington. The call came 'at the initiative of the American side,' the embassy said in a Facebook post. Trump had said the call lasted 'probably more than an hour,' but had not explained how the call was arranged. The conversation instantly made news when he told reporters in the Oval Office that he had not warned Putin not to interfere with America's elections in 2020. 'We didn't discuss that,' he told the press as he met with Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini. The FBI has cautioned that there is a good chance of a 'significant counterintelligence threat' engineered by Russia to monkey-wrench next year's presidential election. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had spoken with Vladimir Putin for 'probably more than an hour' but admitted to reporters he didn't warn him not to meddle in the 2020 election Moscow's embassy in Washington now says the discussion lasted nearly an hour and a half, and that the White House initiated it Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state-run TASS news agency that '[t]he conversation between Trump and Putin lasted for almost 1.5 hours.' Putin asked Trump to take 'steps to ease the sanctions pressure on North Korea,' according to the embassy's readout. That came after his April 25 meeting in Vladivostok with the hermit country's didcator, Kim Jong-un. Putin said Pyongyang had achieved 'good-faith fulfilment of its commitments' to the U.S. related to denuclearization, which 'should be accompanied by reciprocal steps.' A day later, North Korea launched over the Sea of Japan what satellite images suggested was a short-range missile, spooking nations along the Pacific Rim. North Korean state media says Kim Jong-un observed live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and unspecified tactical guided weapons Russia said Putin told Trump that no nation should interfere in the chaos in Venezuela, even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that Moscow had 'hundreds, if not more' people aiding Nicolas Maduro's communist regime Trump has boasted that there had been no new rocket launches since he and Kim first sat down for a summit in June 2018. A statement Saturday from the North Korean government said it had tested a 'large-caliber long-range' rocket, putting it in the category of 'tactical guided weapons' meant to 'increase the combat ability' of the totalitarian regime. The Russian embassy also said Putin told Trump that neither nation should interfere in the increasingly violent shakeup happening in Venezuela. '[O]nly the Venezuelans themselves have the right to determine the future of their country,' the statement said Putin told the U.S. president, 'whereas outside interference in the countrys internal affairs and attempts to change the government in Caracas by force undermine prospects for a political settlement of the crisis.' Trump told reporters on Friday that his Russian counterpart is 'not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela.' This statement issued by the Russian embassy in Washington contains a readout of Friday's call from Moscow's point of view Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the opposite that 'hundreds, if not more' people from Moscow are helping Nicolas Maduro's communist regime. Trump said Friday that Putin 'smiled' during their telephone conversation, even though they couldn't see each other, when the topic turned to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on 2016 election meddling. 'He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that "it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse",' Trump said. 'But he knew that because he knew there was to no collusion whatsoever.' The U.S. president admitted that he did not tell Putin not to meddle in the next election, despite White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders' earlier claim that Trump is 'looking at ways to actually prevent it' unlike his predecessor. President Trump described his lengthy phone call with his Russian counterpart as a 'long and very good conversation' White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders insisted Friday that the Trump administration is taking aggressive steps to prevent future election meddling by Russia At the White House later, DailyMail.com pressed Sarah Sanders, the president's spokeswoman, to explain why Trump declined to tell his Russian counterpart to not interfere in the next election. 'The president's made clear to everybody: every person that's not an American person has no business in our election. We've said it a lot, and we're actually doing things to prevent everybody from meddling in our election. Something the other administration failed to do,' she claimed. Sanders said, 'Let's not forget that any interference in any election didn't take place under this president, it took place under President Obama. We're actually taking steps to stop it and make sure that it doesn't happen again.' Pressed to explain why he did not tell Putin that during the call, she replied, before walking away, 'The president's been clear that no one needs to meddle in our election. He doesn't need to do that every two seconds.' Schools and universities are right to teach the contributions which ethnic minorities have made to history, the Education Secretary said. Damian Hinds insisted it is a 'good thing' that the curriculum is now broader than 40 years ago and includes historical figures from a 'diverse range of backgrounds'. He said teaching used to be narrower and it is now right and proper that youngsters 'learn a wider variety of history than we used to'. Education Secretary Damian Hinds says it's a 'good thing' the school history curriculum is more diverse However, he also stressed the importance of continuing to teach core British history and hinted his disapproval of those who seek to rewrite the subject for a political purpose. Mr Hinds' comments come amid a row over efforts to 'decolonise' history and other courses in universities by making them less focused on white Europeans. Last week, Universities UK urged 'curriculum reviews' to improve the way courses reflect the experience of ethnic minorities. Mr Hinds also said he supported Cambridge University's decision to launch an inquiry into its historical links with the slave trade Asked about the issue at the NAHT conference, Mr Hinds said: 'History is history, and things that have happened have happened. And you learn from them in multiple ways including from bad things. 'It is right though that children learn a wider variety of history... that people of all sorts of backgrounds and ethnicities hear about people from a diverse range of backgrounds.' Mr Hinds also said he supported Cambridge University's decision to launch an inquiry into its historical links with the slave trade. Upon his arrival in Sofia, Francis stressed the welcoming tradition of the Land of Roses, and its links to the memory of John XXIII and John Paul II. Here, Francis noted, diversity, combined with respect for distinctive identities, is viewed as an opportunity, a source of enrichment, and not as a source of conflict. Sofia (AsiaNews) Bulgaria is a land of encounter and coexistence between traditions and faiths, said Pope Francis, a bridge between southern and eastern Europe, the homeland of Cyril and Methodius, the brothers considered saints by both Catholics and Orthodox, proclaimed co-patrons of Europe by John Paul II, as evangelisers of the Slavic peoples. The pontiff arrived in Sofia this morning. After meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, at the Presidential Palace, where the welcome ceremony was held (pictured), he addressed the authorities, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps. Blessed be Saints Cyril and Methodius, co-patrons of Europe! By their prayers, their genius and their joint apostolic efforts, they serve as an example for us and they continue to be, more than a millennium later, an inspiration for fruitful dialogue, harmony and fraternal encounter between Churches, States and peoples! May their radiant example raise up many followers in our own day and open up new paths of peace and concord! Francis noted that this country has a connection with the memory of John XXIII. Between 1925 and 1934, Mgr Roncalli, as he was then, was the first apostolic visitor and then delegate to the Land of the Roses. He never ceased to feel deep gratitude and esteem for your nation, to the point that he once said that wherever he would go, his house would always be open to everyone, Catholic or Orthodox alike, who came as a brother or sister from Bulgaria. Indeed, Here, diversity, combined with respect for distinctive identities, is viewed as an opportunity, a source of enrichment, and not as a source of conflict. Nowadays, the pope added, at this particular moment of history, thirty years after the end of the totalitarian regime that imprisoned its liberty and initiatives, Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment. At the same time, Bulgaria like so many other countries of Europe must deal with what can only be called a new winter: the demographic winter that has descended like a curtain of ice on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future. The fall in the birth rate, combined with the intense flow of emigration, has led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities. In addition, Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge. Your country, Francis said by way of conclusion, has always distinguished itself as a bridge between East and West, capable of favouring encounter between the different cultures, ethnic groups, civilizations and religions that for centuries have lived here in peace. The development of Bulgaria, including her economic and civil development, necessarily entails a recognition and enhancement of this specific trait. May this land, bordered by the great Danube River and by the shores of the Black Sea, rendered fruitful by the humble labour of so many generations, open to cultural and commercial exchanges, integrated in the European Union, and with solid links to Russia and Turkey, offer all her sons and daughters a future of hope. A cabinet minister last night said it would be worth splitting the Tory party to get Brexit passed. Rory Stewart, who was promoted to International Development Secretary last week, suggested that the Conservatives should accept 'short-term pain' in order to settle the issue. Theresa May is thought to be on the brink of offering significant concessions to Labour to win backing for her plan including offering some form of customs union. Rory Stewart, the new International Development Secretary, said the Conservatives should accept 'short-term pain' to settle Brexit But her Tory critics yesterday warned the party would face a tidal wave of anger from voters if she 'diluted' Brexit. It has been reported that as few as 90 Conservative MPs would support an agreement with Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Stewart said cross-party cooperation was the only way to secure a parliamentary majority because of the resistance of some Tory MPs. Asked about the potential for a split, he told the BBC: 'This is the most tortuous, torrid, painful time in British politics since the Second World War. 'I think to get Brexit done, and to move this country on, is worth an enormous amount, and we may have to take some short-term pain to do that.' He also suggested that Mrs May should aim for a 30-year cross-party agreement rather than one that could be overturned at the next election. Theresa May is thought to be on the brink of offering significant concessions to Labour to win backing for her Brexit plan It has been reported that as few as 90 Conservative MPs would support an agreement with Jeremy Corbyn Mrs May yesterday tried to soothe the nerves of those in her party who fear she is about to sign up to a softer Brexit. Timetable to salvage our EU exit TUESDAY Talks set to resume between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn in a bid to reach a Brexit deal. On the same day, Sir Graham Brady chairman of the Tories' 1922 Committee is expected to meet the Prime Minister and urge her to set a date for her own departure. FRIDAY This is the last possible date for the Government to bring a Withdrawal Agreement to the Commons in order to avoid a new round of British MEPs taking up their seats in Brussels, according to a Cabinet minister. THURSDAY, MAY 23 European elections to take place in the UK, barring a (seemingly impossible) swift deal. SUNDAY, MAY 26 Counting starts for the European elections. The results, like last week's, are set to be devastating for both Labour and the Conservatives. TUESDAY, JULY 2 Members of European Parliament take their seats. Mrs May hopes the UK will have finally left the EU by then... Advertisement In an article for the Mail on Sunday, she wrote: 'If we are able to negotiate a cross-party agreement, this deal will be a stepping stone to a brighter future, outside the EU, where the UK can determine the road ahead. This is because no Parliament can bind its successor. 'Some people would prefer a less close relationship with the EU in the future, while others would prefer a closer relationship. 'The key point is, the ultimate decision-maker in everything we do is parliament. So future parliaments, with a different party balance, will be able to decide whether they want a closer or more distant relationship with the EU.' Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday signalled that his party was prepared to demand more concessions in return for agreeing to support the EU withdrawal agreement. He hinted again that the party would demand a second referendum, telling the BBC: 'The Conservatives have to recognise that if a deal is going to go through there might be a large number of MPs who will want a public vote.' He also voiced concerns that any agreement could be ripped by Mrs May's successor. 'In the wings, if you like, are all the leadership candidates virtually threatening to tear up whatever deal that we do,' he said. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has hinted Labour will demand a second referendum 'So we're dealing with a very unstable Government and let me just use this analogy: it's trying to enter into a contract with a company that's going into administration and the people who are going to take over are not willing to fulfil that contract. We can't negotiate like that.' Mr McDonnell said he had no trust in Mrs May after details of the talks appeared to have been briefed to Sunday newspapers. He said: 'We have maintained confidentiality as that is what we were asked to do. We haven't briefed the media. So it is disappointing the prime minister has broken that, and I think it is an act of bad faith. I fully understand now why she couldn't negotiate a decent deal with our European partners if she behaves in this way.' The 'big, bold' offer to Labour, when talks between the two sides resume on Tuesday, will reportedly centre on a comprehensive but temporary customs arrangement with the EU; alignment with many single-market regulations on goods; and an offer to enshrine in law dynamic alignment with EU legislation on workers' rights. Yesterday, Tory Eurosceptics lined up to warn the Prime Minister of the consequences of a deal with Labour. Nigel Evans MP told Sky News: 'I know that Leave voters are sometimes typified as a bit thick, but we are not and we can smell what Brexit-in-name-only is like. People will punish us further. 'We had an earthquake on Thursday throughout the entire country in the local elections and on May 23 [the European elections] that will be followed by a tsunami if both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party together try to push through some sort of Brexit-in-name-only. We all know that a customs union is not Brexit.' Nigel Evans has warned Theresa May of the consequences of making a Brexit deal with Labour Mr Evans, who is secretary of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, said Mrs May 'should stop listening to the advisers that tell you to dilute Brexit, listen to the 17.4million who voted Leave'. Lee Rowley, Tory MP for North East Derbyshire, tweeted: 'My message to Theresa May: stop this madness. People didn't vote for you to do a deal with a Marxist. Fix the backstop and stop wasting time.' Their warnings came after Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922, said the consequences of a cross-party deal would be 'unthinkable'. In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, he wrote: 'The temptation for the Government now to do whatever is necessary to secure some kind of Brexit agreement is obvious but it must be resisted. To reach agreement with Labour that locked the UK into the customs union might pull in enough Labour votes to allow an agreement to limp over the line, but the price could be a catastrophic split in the Conservative Party.' Could these three olive branches convince Corbyn? CUSTOMS UNION THE Prime Minister is apparently willing to offer a 'comprehensive but temporary' customs union to break the deadlock. The deal would last until the next general election, scheduled for 2022. It would probably be called a 'customs arrangement' to make it more palatable to Tory MPs, following repeated promises that Britain would leave and strike its own trade deals. SINGLE MARKET ON GOODS TORY negotiators could agree to align the UK with single market rules on a wide range of goods, forcing manufacturers to follow Brussels' lead. Many Brexit supporters would not be happy with this as they think it is unfair to make UK businesses adhere to the EU's rules even if they do not export their goods to the EU itself. WORKERS' RIGHTS THERESA May could promise to enshrine in law a pledge that British workers' rights would match those in the EU known as 'dynamic' alignment. Labour has long feared Brexit will lead to new laws forcing us to work longer, or curtailing rights. However, many Tories claim EU rules make it harder for UK firms to compete with the US and the Far East. Advertisement As pressure on May grows, the leadership beauty parade gets into full swing As the heat on Theresa May intensified over the weekend, her would-be successors were quick to show their leadership credentials. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab yesterday stepped up his campaign with a glossy magazine interview. On Saturday, Environment Secretary Michael Gove gave an interview in which he posed with his parents Christine and Ernest, in Aberdeen, before he went to speak at the Scottish Tory conference. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has stepped up his leadership campaign with a glossy magazine interview Michael Gove gave an interview in which he posed with his parents Christine and Ernest in Aberdeen Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a keen rider, burnished his credentials by posing with a horse in photographs to accompany a newspaper interview. 'We need to deliver Brexit and then turn the page,' he told The Sunday Times. Meanwhile, despite only having been appointed to the Cabinet days ago, Rory Stewart declared he would run when a contest takes place. The maneuvers came as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt returned from a week-long tour of Africa with his wife Lucia, who he described as his 'secret weapon'. At the weekend, Mrs May's Tory Brexit critics warned they would launch another bid to oust her unless she sets a date for her departure within days. Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a keen rider, burnished his credentials by posing with a horse in photographs to accompany a newspaper interview Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, is due to meet the Prime Minister this week to discuss her exit plan. Mr Raab posed with his wife Erika in their kitchen as he set out his stall with promises including taking a penny off the basic rate of income tax. Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, he said he would focus on tax cuts for low and middle income families. He also talked of hopes for all fathers to have the right to two weeks' paternity leave at 90 per cent pay and a change in the law to ensure new or expectant mothers cannot be made redundant during pregnancy or maternity leave. Mr Raab has already gained the support of fellow former Brexit secretary David Davis, who revealed in Saturday's Daily Mail that he would back the 45-year-old. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt returned from a week-long tour of Africa with his wife Lucia, who he described as his 'secret weapon' Tory former Cabinet minister Maria Miller, chairman of the women and equalities select committee, yesterday added her support to Mr Raab's bid, saying he has the 'right ideas' for the future of the party. Meanwhile, Mr Stewart yesterday said he believed it was better to be honest about his leadership ambitions. Asked if he would throw his hat in the ring, he told Sky News: 'Yes, but I am now so excited to be the International Development Secretary.' He described holding the position as 'the greatest gift on Earth'. He added: 'You have just got to be straight. If people feel that they would like to get into that competition, they should say so and we should talk about what we believe in. 'I think talking about what we believe in matters in everyday life but it also matters just in doing good policy.' After a botched leadership challenge last December, Mrs May was supposed to be immune to removal for 12 months. But a group of Tory MPs, led by 1922 Committee secretary Nigel Evans, want to change the rules so they can trigger another confidence vote in her immediately. Mr Evans told the BBC: 'I'm sure the conversation will continue if we've not been given a clear lead by the PM through Sir Graham as to the timetable for her departure.' In the wake of the local elections, which saw the party lose more than 1,300 councillors, Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, called on the 1922 Committee to force out Mrs May if she is unwilling to quit. 'We have to make a change,' he told LBC. A survey by political blog Conservative Home yesterday found that 82 per cent of party members want Mrs May to stand down and call a leadership election. As the heat on Theresa May intensified over the weekend, her would-be successors were quick to show their leadership credentials. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab yesterday stepped up his campaign with a glossy magazine interview. On Saturday, Environment Secretary Michael Gove gave an interview in which he posed with his parents Christine and Ernest, in Aberdeen, before he went to speak at the Scottish Tory conference. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has stepped up his leadership campaign with a glossy magazine interview Michael Gove gave an interview in which he posed with his parents Christine and Ernest in Aberdeen Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a keen rider, burnished his credentials by posing with a horse in photographs to accompany a newspaper interview. 'We need to deliver Brexit and then turn the page,' he told The Sunday Times. Meanwhile, despite only having been appointed to the Cabinet days ago, Rory Stewart declared he would run when a contest takes place. The maneuvers came as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt returned from a week-long tour of Africa with his wife Lucia, who he described as his 'secret weapon'. At the weekend, Mrs May's Tory Brexit critics warned they would launch another bid to oust her unless she sets a date for her departure within days. Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, is due to meet the Prime Minister this week to discuss her exit plan. Despite only having been appointed to the Cabinet days ago, Rory Stewart declared he would run when a contest takes place Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a keen rider, burnished his credentials by posing with a horse in photographs to accompany a newspaper interview Mr Raab posed with his wife Erika in their kitchen as he set out his stall with promises including taking a penny off the basic rate of income tax. Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, he said he would focus on tax cuts for low and middle income families. He also talked of hopes for all fathers to have the right to two weeks' paternity leave at 90 per cent pay and a change in the law to ensure new or expectant mothers cannot be made redundant during pregnancy or maternity leave. Mr Raab has already gained the support of fellow former Brexit secretary David Davis, who revealed in Saturday's Daily Mail that he would back the 45-year-old. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has returned from a week-long tour of Africa with his wife Lucia, who he described as his 'secret weapon' Tory former Cabinet minister Maria Miller, chairman of the women and equalities select committee, yesterday added her support to Mr Raab's bid, saying he has the 'right ideas' for the future of the party. Meanwhile, Mr Stewart yesterday said he believed it was better to be honest about his leadership ambitions. Asked if he would throw his hat in the ring, he told Sky News: 'Yes, but I am now so excited to be the International Development Secretary.' He described holding the position as 'the greatest gift on Earth'. He added: 'You have just got to be straight. If people feel that they would like to get into that competition, they should say so and we should talk about what we believe in. I think talking about what we believe in matters in everyday life but it also matters just in doing good policy.' Mr Raab has already gained the support of fellow former Brexit secretary David Davis, who revealed in Saturday's Daily Mail that he would back the 45-year-old After a botched leadership challenge last December, Mrs May was supposed to be immune to removal for 12 months. But a group of Tory MPs, led by 1922 Committee secretary Nigel Evans, want to change the rules so they can trigger another confidence vote in her immediately. Mr Evans told the BBC: 'I'm sure the conversation will continue if we've not been given a clear lead by the PM through Sir Graham as to the timetable for her departure.' In the wake of the local elections, which saw the party lose more than 1,300 councillors, Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, called on the 1922 Committee to force out Mrs May if she is unwilling to quit. 'We have to make a change,' he told LBC. A survey by political blog Conservative Home yesterday found that 82 per cent of party members want Mrs May to stand down and call a leadership election. Unless nature takes its course soon, it is likely Meghan will give birth in hospital The Duchess of Sussex is incredibly relaxed about her impending birth, despite apparently being as much as a week overdue Meghan Markle is incredibly relaxed about her impending birth, despite apparently being as much as a week overdue. The Duchess of Sussex is currently staying at Frogmore Cottage, her secluded home with Prince Harry near Windsor, as the country waits for news of the babys arrival. She is being kept company by her mother Doria Ragland and friends such as US television anchor Gayle King who pop in to check on her. The royal baby is now thought to be as much as seven days overdue, and there are concerns the duchess, 37, may have to forgo her dreams of a natural home birth for an induced labour and hospital delivery. But sources insist the mother-to-be is incredibly relaxed and positive as the days tick by. Unless nature takes its course soon, it is likely the duchess will have to give birth in hospital, of which Frimley Park in Surrey, 15 miles away, is the nearest. Induction is usually offered to women who have not gone into labour seven to ten days after the due date, although if mother and baby are well and fit it may be left as late as two weeks. Contractions are triggered by physical manipulation or drugs and once they begin there is no chance of a home birth as it is against national guidelines. The Daily Mail revealed last month that the duchess was keen to follow in the Queens footsteps by having a midwife-led birth at Frogmore Cottage. The Duchess of Sussex will have to give birth in hospital unless nature takes its course soon The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Mary's Hospital with newborn son Prince George The Queen was born at the Mayfair home of her grandparents and gave birth to her four children at either Buckingham Palace or Clarence House. Ivy climbs bookies' list Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney and daughter Ivy, who was a bridesmaid at the royal wedding Bookies have slashed odds on the royal couple naming their first child Ivy if they have a girl following a flurry of last-minute bets. Ivy has emerged a firm favourite, with Paddy Power odds standing at 6/4 last night. Other top contenders for girls names include Diana at 11/2, Allegra at 6/1 and Grace at 7/1. A spokesman for Paddy Power said: Ivy wasnt remotely in contention until Friday. Since then, its emerged as the clear favourite after a substantial run of bets. However, there is already an important Ivy in Meghans life. Her best friend Jessica Mulroney has a daughter called Ivy, who was a bridesmaid at the royal wedding. Advertisement The duchess has reportedly appointed her own delivery team to oversee the birth, led by a female doctor, instead of Royal Household gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston. In a formal announcement last month, Harry and Meghan said they planned to keep arrangements for the birth of their baby private. Buckingham Palace will announce when the duchess goes into labour but provide no further details until the baby has been born. Unlike the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, the couple will not make a public appearance to show their new arrival to fans and the media and will be celebrating privately as a new family as a first priority. It is understood photographs of the baby, who will be seventh in line to the throne, will be issued to the public when he or she is a few days old. Prince Harry has cancelled part of a two-day visit to Holland this week, increasing speculation the baby will arrive imminently. The couple announced their pregnancy to family and friends at Princess Eugenies wedding in October. Last month they had a three-night babymoon at Heckfield Place, a five-star Georgian manor house in Hampshire. NHS figures show one in five labours are induced in the UK every year. They are usually planned in advance and the final decision rests with the mother. But they are not always successful and a mum-to-be may be offered another induction or a caesarean section. Does the Queen know something we don't? The Queen was pictured wearing the bright pink ensemble on her way to a church service yesterday In a vibrant fuchsia coat and matching plumed hat, could the Queens choice of outfit be a not-so subtle hint about the sex of her future great-grandchild? Her Majesty had tongues wagging yesterday after she was pictured wearing the bright pink ensemble on her way to a church service at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor Castle. Completing the look with pearl earrings, a matching pearl necklace and a dab of mauve lipstick, the monarch appeared to be travelling without her seatbelt as she was chauffeured to the church. She was photographed as royal fans eagerly awaited news of the birth of what will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs first child. Prince Harry and Meghan have previously said that they would be thrilled to have a boy or girl but the odds from bookmaker William Hill are more in favour of the couple having a baby girl. Advertisement A mystery businessman has offered $25,000 to help a couple find a phone containing precious photos of their late child. Dee Windross, from Melbourne, had her phone stolen from a toilet in Chadstone Shopping Centre last month. The Samsung contained her and husband Jay's only photos of their baby daughter Amiyah, who died of an undiagnosed brain condition a few days later. The pair posted a heart-breaking appeal for help to find the phone on social media - and a mystery businessman has now offered $25,000 to be used as a reward for anyone who turns it in. Dee Windross (left with husband Jay), from Melbourne, had her phone stolen from a toilet in Chadstone Shopping Centre last month The man made the donation with his wife but the couple did not reveal their names, reported the Herald Sun. They said: 'Our son was cared for in the Monash Children's Hospital Paediatric ICU a few years back in an induced coma and things were touch and go. 'We have always been endlessly grateful that our son made a full recovery. 'We wanted to make a significant personal offer for the safe return of the photos to help encourage the safe return of the images. 'The important thing is Amiyah's memory and her irreplaceable photos.' Ms Windross accidentally left her Samsung Galaxy S8 in a cubicle on April 20. She realised moments later and ran back - only to find it gone. The parents issued a heartbreaking plea to thief who stole their mobile phone from a public bathroom to return it. Pictured: Their baby The couple hoped the thief would see the Facebook post, which has now gone viral on social media with thousands of shares 'Someone has picked up Dee's phone from a toilet next door to Target in Chadstone around 5:30pm,' her husband 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.' Writing that the phone's contents is worth 'life to us', Jay told the thief he would happily offer a cash reward if they were to return it. '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.' He is hoping the thief will see the Facebook post, which has now gone viral on social media with thousands of shares, and conduct the transaction 'amicably'. '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,' he said. 'This phone holds the memories of what little life our daughter has had,' Jay, pictured with wife Dee, wrote on Facebook His daughter's condition was a mystery to the family and doctors, who watched her spend most of days alive in hospital. Last month Amiyah lost her battle just less than one month from her first birthday. In a heartbreaking post on Facebook, the distraught father paid an emotional tribute to his little fighter with an 'infectious smile' after spending her final moments with her. 'It is with utter sadness that Dee and I inform everyone that Amiyah Victoria grew her wings at 2.05am on Wednesday morning. Amiyah's last hours were spent peacefully and calmly, cuddling in Mummy's and Daddy's arms - which is what she loved most,' Mr Windross said. A woman allegedly tried to exploit the couple's vulnerability by extorting $1,000 out of them while their daughter was dying. Siti Nurhidayah Kamal, 24, allegedly claimed she would sell the phone unless they transferred her the money. She is has been charged and is due in court on July 8. Joseph McCann, 34, was reportedly arrested following a manhunt last night This is the chilling moment a suspected triple rapist strolled into a petrol station while a woman he is alleged to have kidnapped was left in his car. Police arrested Joseph McCann in the early hours of this morning near Congleton in Cheshire after he is said to have raped a woman following a knife point abduction in Watford. Officers suspect he approached her at about 3.30am on April 21 before driving her around for six hours and then sexually assaulting her. Footage shows Mr McCann park at a BP garage just after 9am that day. A young woman is seen sitting in the the passenger seat of his blue Ford Mondeo in a video obtained by The Sun. The fugitive can be seen talking to the woman after pulling up and getting out of the car before he puts on a baseball cap. Hertfordshire Police are reviewing the CCTV, which shows him walking into the garage, where he asks a worker for cashback. He is told to use the in-store ATM but is unable to do so because it is not working. Footage shows suspected triple rapist Joseph McCann stroll into a petrol station in Watford while an alleged victim sits in his car Mr McCann is pictured in the petrol station after he allegedly snatched a woman at knife-point in Watford The fugitive can be seen trying to use the cash machine and was the subject of a manhunt that ended in his arrest in Cheshire Mr McCann was arrested his morning after a manhunt in connection with three rapes. Police detained him following a standoff with officers overnight after he reportedly climbed a tree and refused to come down when cornered by police last night. Negotiators along with paramedics were deployed to the scene and the man was eventually taken into custody in the early hours of Monday morning. The Cheshire town became the focus of a nationwide manhunt for the 'extremely dangerous' McCann when two women were forced into a car at around 6.45pm on Sunday evening. The vehicle made off after it was spotted and pursued by officers, before it hit another car and the driver fled. Police said the women had been left 'extremely shaken' as a result of their ordeal but were unhurt. Cheshire Constabulary later said officers had tracked down a man wanted in connection with the abductions. BBC News reported that the suspect was in a tree on Smithy Lane, a country road just outside the town. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed a 34-year-old man arrested in Congleton in the early hours of Monday morning is fugitive Joseph McCann and he is now being investigated for further offences. DCI Katherine Goodwin from the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command said: 'Between Sunday, 21 April and Saturday, 5 May McCann is suspected to have been involved in a number of attacks across different parts of the country. 'I can confirm he is now being investigated for offences committed in Cheshire, Manchester and Lancashire in addition to London and Hertfordshire. 'Detectives from the Met continue to lead on this investigation and are working very closely with policing counterparts where he is suspected to have carried out further offences. These offences will be jointly investigated.' Police have arrested Joseph McCann following a nationwide manhunt after he was spotted up a tree This map shows how the manhunt unfolded in recent days. Police have now arrested a man following the search for Joseph McCann Detectives investigating the abduction and rape of two other women previously released CCTV images of the suspect, believed to be McCann, as he attempted to book a hotel Mr McCann was arrested following a car chase in Cheshire, which ended with his vehicle colliding with another Pictured: A police helicopter near Congleton in Cheshire as the manhunt for the alleged rapist was underway this weekend A search team is pictured in Cheshire, where a man was arrested after officers reportedly found him up a tree Pictured: Search teams scour the rural area near Congleton in Cheshire following a nationwide manhunt Cheshire Police arrested a man early this morning after he was reportedly found up a tree Andrew Kidd, 75, who has a farm on Smithy Lane, said that at about 8.30pm he was told by police to stay inside his property. 'They told me there is a very violent person about who has absconded and he's very dangerous so go inside, lock your doors and don't come out,' he said. 'There were three or four police officers in my yard and they were looking up and down, looking in the trees. 'I saw police running along the fence in a neighbouring field and the lane was full of police cars. 'The helicopter was round and my cows were stampeding because they were upset by the noise of it. 'They found him over the field where there's a ravine and a wooded area. He must have ran across the field to get there because the footpath is closed off while they're working on the new road.' Local resident Robert Burns watched the scene unfold after police officers had checked his outbuildings and wheelie bins in search of the suspect. The 45-year-old said: 'I went out to speak to the police. They did a superb job and were very thorough. They made sure the residents were kept informed. 'We watched it all from upstairs. It was a long time, it went on for about three hours. It was significant police presence, there were a lot of cars, all of the roads were closed.' A woman living nearby, who did not wish to be named, said: 'There was a lot of police activity around. We saw the police helicopter. There were police cars up and down the road.' Asked if she found the situation unnerving, she said: 'Of course it is. When you find yourself in the middle of something like that you're bound to wonder what's going on aren't you?' Police near the black Fiat Punto McCann was said to have forced the two women inside earlier on Sunday Officers reportedly arrested 34-year-old Joseph McCann (pictured) in connection with the abduction and rape of two women Ann Marie Baylan, 53, said she was at home with her children when police arrived on Lomas Way - a new housing estate which is separated from Smithy Lane by a large field. She said: 'There were loads of police cars and a pick-up truck with police officers in, I'm not sure if they were the negotiators. 'They parked on the road but went into the field. They arrived about 8pm and it seemed to quieten down about 11pm. 'The thing is you go online and know what's happening, who he is and what he's done so it is a bit scary but we just locked the doors. We watched from the window upstairs.' McCann crashed the Punto into another car after what police described as a 'short pursuit' Scotland Yard detectives previously launched a hunt for the suspected rapist and kidnapper after he allegedly snatched two women in their 20s off the streets in north London on April 25 in separate incidents. He is also suspected of abducting a 21-year-old woman at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of April 21 and raping her. Officers believe McCann was being hidden by a friend or family member. The Ministry of Justice launched an urgent review after it emerged McCann may have been wrongly released from prison in February. He was freed automatically half-way through a three-year sentence for burglary and theft - but should have gone before a parole board, it is understood. The shattered wreckage of the Mercedes on Oblisque Way McCann is believed to have been subject to a life-long licence after he was released from prison in February 2017 having served 10 years of an indeterminate sentence for public protection for an aggravated burglary. Scotland Yard offered a reward of up to 20,000 for information leading to his arrest and prosecution. Cheshire Police said last night: 'The man has been secured by officers in a rural area of Congleton and is currently talking to trained negotiators', Cheshire Constabulary said. 'There remains an increased police presence in the local area. 'The two women abducted in Congleton were not injured. However, they have been left extremely shaken as a result of their ordeal and are currently being supported by specially trained officers.' McCann, 34, is being hunted for three other 'horrific' attacks over a period of four days in April. Two of the attacks took place in London while the other took place in Watford. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard this week, Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin said that the fugitive is being hidden by 'someone who knows him'. She said : 'We are investigating three horrific incidents of rape and abduction against women and we are appealing for help from the public to locate Joseph McCann, who is wanted for questioning in connection with the offences.' A silver Mercedes being cordoned off by police is believed to be the car which McCann hit before police caught up with him 'Our enquiries strongly indicate that McCann is being hidden by someone who knows him. 'Whatever your reason, if you are loyal to him, or fearful of him, please call us or share any information 100% anonymously via Crimestoppers. How the manhunt unfolded April 21, 3.30am: Woman, 21, raped after knife point abduction in Watford April 25, 12.30am: A women aged in her 20s is abducted in Chingford April 25, 12.15pm: Female aged in her 20s abducted in Edgware April 25, 2.30pm: Both women escape following a struggle in Watford May 5, 6.45pm: Two women forced into a black Punto in Congleton town centre, Cheshire. Following a short pursuit, car is stopped after crashing into another vehicle May 6, early hours: Police reportedly arrest a man following a negotiation after he was found up a tree Advertisement 'McCann is wanted in connection with violent, sexually-motivated offences and it is vital that he be apprehended.' Detective Goodwin called on anyone sheltering McCann to imagine if 'your mother, sister, daughter, niece or friend had experienced such an awful attack and put yourselves in the shoes of their family'. McCann, who is accused of abducting three women before raping them, is believed to have been released from prison early on licence because he was thought to 'no longer be dangerous'. The Ministry of Justice is reportedly conducting an 'urgent review' into the decision to release McCann, according to the BBC. His release should have been decided by the Parole Board as he was subject to an indeterminate sentence but it was incorrectly treated as a 'determinate sentence' with an automatic release, the BBC reports. Initially suspected of two abductions and attacks, he was also wanted in connection with the rape of a 21-year-old woman at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of April 21 - four days before the the first two incidents. The victim was forced into a blue Mondeo and driven to numerous locations around the town for six hours, before she was raped. A reward of up to 20,000 is being offered for information which leads to the arrest and prosecution of McCann. The Metropolitan Police issued an appeal with a 20,000 reward for information to trace McCann for two suspected abductions and rapes, after victims were snatched off the street in Chingford and Edgware, both in north London, before being raped. An Indian tourist was denied entry to Australia after a video of a child being physically abused was allegedly found on his mobile phone. Australian Border Force officers questioned the 45-year-old man, who was holding a Tourist Visa, when he arrived at Perth International Airport via Malaysia on Thursday. 'Although the video wasn't of a sexual nature it did show a child being physically assaulted,' ABF WA regional commander Rod O'Donnell said in a statement. An Indian tourist was detained and deported from Perth after Border Force officials allegedly found a video of a child being physically assaulted on his phone 'Visitors to Australia need to be aware that imagery depicting any form of child exploitation is not permitted to be brought into Australia. 'There are significant penalties and consequences for the importation of abhorrent material, and in particular child exploitation material, and anyone caught engaging in this behaviour risks forfeiting their right to be here.' The man was held at the Perth Immigration Detention Centre until his removal from the country on Sunday morning. The maximum penalty for the importation of child exploitation material into Australia is 10 years jail and/or a fine of up to $525,000. Advertisement The minute the Boeing 737 hit land at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday night, Cheryl Bormann knew something didn't feel right. Bormann, a civilian defense attorney, was one of 143 people who were on the military-chartered plane when it skidded off the runway and plunged into St Johns River. There were no fatalities in the crash, but 21 people had to be taken to local hospitals. Scroll down for video A Miami Air Boeing 737 was returning from Guantanamo Bay when it ended up in St Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida following a botched landing at Naval Air Station 143 people, including seven crew members, were on the military-chartered plane when it skidded off the runway and plunged into the river on Friday night Video captured the moment the 173 passengers were evacuated from the plane following the crash on Friday night Captain Michael Connor, commanding officer of NAS Jacksonville, said the fact that nobody died during the crash on Friday night was a 'miracle' Bormann said the plane was thrashed with thunder and lightning as it flew from Guantanamo Bay to Florida. When the plane hit the ground, it bounced. Then it bounced again. 'It was clear that the pilot did not have complete control of the plane because it bounced some more, it swerved and tilted left and right,' Bormann told CNN. 'The pilot was trying to control it but couldn't, and then all of a sudden it smashed into something.' There were no fatalities in the crash, but 21 people had to be taken to local hospitals following the terrifying crash Cheryl Bormann, a civilian defense attorney on the flight, said she knew something didn't feel right the minute the plane hit the tarmac Bormann said the plane was hit with thunder and lightning as it flew from Guantanamo Bay to Florida. When the plane hit the ground, it bounced. Then it bounced again The Boeing 737 crashed into St Johns River just after 9.30pm but was not fully submerged in the water. Bormann said the impact of the crash caused overhead bins to pop open, sending many people's belongings flying all over the plane. Following the crash, the passengers had no idea if they were in a river or the ocean. Those on board included children, grandparents, and families all connected to the military. But Bormann said the entire plane remained calm thanks to the seven crew members on board, who were quick to give passengers directions. 'It was clear that the pilot did not have complete control of the plane because it bounced some more, it swerved and tilted left and right,' Bormann said. 'The pilot was trying to control it but couldn't, and then all of a sudden it smashed into something' The Boeing 737 crashed into St Johns River just after 9.30pm but was not fully submerged in the water. The plane is pictured here on Saturday Bormann said the impact of the crash caused overheard bins to pop open, sending many people's belongings flying all over the plane Bormann said the passengers and crew all helped each other put on their life vests and climb out onto the wing so they could get onto the safety raft. Pets that were stored in the plane's luggage compartment have not yet been rescued. Bormann said they likely did not survive. 'Many people are asking about the pets aboard the aircraft that skidded off the runway into the St Johns River last night at NAS Jacksonville. Unfortunately, they have not been retrieved yet due to safety issues with the aircraft,' Naval Air Station Jacksonville said in a statement posted to Facebook. 'Our hearts and prayers go out to those pet owners during this terrible incident.' Following the crash, the passengers had no idea if they were in a river or the ocean. Those on board included children, grandparents, and families all connected to the military But Bormann said the entire plane remained calm thanks to the seven crew members on board, who were quick to give passengers directions Bormann said most passengers have been stuck at the Naval Air Station because their identification is still on the plane. 'Everyone is sort of milling around because no one knows quite what to do. They won't let us leave,' she added. 'Everybody is curious about their belongings and want to know what will happen next.' Bormann said the passengers and crew all helped each other put on their life vests and climb out onto the wing so they could get onto the safety raft Bormann said most passengers have been stuck at the Naval Air Station because their identification is still on the plane Captain Michael Connor, the commanding officer of NAS Jacksonville, said the fact that nobody died during the crash was a 'miracle'. 'I think it is a miracle. We could be talking about a different story this evening,' he said during a press conference. It isn't known how long it will take to remove the plane from the river, but Connor said the landing gear appeared to be resting on the river bed, making it unlikely for the aircraft to float away. The flight was returning from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida when it crashed on Friday He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers' safety. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry kept citizens updated on the situation as it unfolded, revealing that the White House has called to offer its assistance. The 18-year-old Miami Air International jet sustained minimal damage. The cause of the botched landing will be investigated. Bill Shorten appeared taken aback on Sunrise on Monday morning when presenter David Koch plainly asked him: 'Why don't people like you?' A Newspoll on Sunday night showed the Labor leader's approval rating had dropped four points to 35 per cent, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison's on 44 per cent. Mr Koch started the interview by asking Mr Shorten if he has a popularity problem. The 51-year-old desperately tried to dodge the question and make the discussion about his policies. Mr Koch (pictured) started the interview by asking Mr Shorten if he has a popularity problem Mr Koch asked: 'You have been judged to win the last two debates. Why do people not like you... in terms of the preferred Prime Minister poll? The Labor leader paused awkwardly before responding: 'I do not accept people don't like me or my policies. 'I made a rule for over 2,000 days where I have led a stable and united Labor Party. 'I'm not going to comment on polls and only have 13 days to go so I'm not going to break that now.' Trying to move the conversation on, he added: 'I think when you look at the key in the election, the issue is do you want more of the same or is it time for real change? 'Do you want more chaos and cuts to services, or do we want to see real action on wages, cost of living, and of course climate change by a united team?' But Mr Koch pressed Mr Shorten on his apparent popularity problem, saying: 'Okay, you could say you ignore it, but it seems as though the more people see you, the more they don't like you. What don't people get about you?' Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (centre) at the launch of Labor's federal election campaign at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre A Newspoll on Sunday night showed the Labor leader's approval rating had dropped four points to 35 per cent. Pictured: Mr Shorten on Sunrise He went on to ask why Mr Shorten got his wife, Chloe, to address crowds at a speech in Brisbane on Sunday. 'Last night, your wife was a real star of the show, having to explain what a nice bloke you are,' Mr Koch said. Mr Shorten dodged the question, saying: 'I was really pleased that she spoke... I was just wrapped.' Mr Koch continued his line of questioning, saying: 'In terms of a reflection, do you need her to come out to convince an Australian public that you are a decent bloke?' The Labor leader replied: 'David, when you do appearances with [your wife] Libby, I don't think that you are not a decent person, but I think Libby presents another side of you. I think there is nothing wrong at all.' 'She's ready to be our First Lady': Chloe Shorten is praised after moving speech at campaign launch Bill Shorten's wife Chloe was showered with praise after making a heartfelt speech at Labor's election campaign launch on Sunday. The glamorous and charismatic 47-year-old, the daughter of former governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce, is considered one of Mr Shorten's best campaign assets - and Labor supporters were delighted by her appearance. Mrs Shorten, the Labor leader's second wife of nine years, described her husband as 'caring, smart, funny, gentle, a wonderful dad, a terrible dancer, and a very proud bulldog owner.' Bill Shorten's wife Chloe was showered with praised after making a heartfelt speech at Labor's election campaign launch on Sunday She joked about how her marriage to someone who 'lives and breathes' politics involved sacrifices. 'Every marriage requires sacrifices, like when we go on date nights and he will talk to the waiters about their wages,' she said. 'Like when we take our dog for a walk and he will stop and talk to all the neighbours about climate change policy, about mental health policy. 'At the show with the kids he stops and talks to the ride operators about their EBAs. 'But he lives and breathes this stuff. 'And through the long days away from home, the very late nights and the early, early starts - he's driven by a determination to make a difference for those who need it.' Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is seen kissing his wife Chloe Shorten at the launch of Labor's federal election campaign Chloe Shorten, wife of Labor Opposition Leader Bill Shorten speaks during the Labor Campaign Launch Advertisement Mr Shorten then switched the conversation to talk about his policies. 'Labor has put forward policies on how we will go forward,' he said. 'This country cannot go on for more of the same. You and I both know that wages are stagnating, the cost of childcare, there are plenty of people watching the show this morning, two income families, and where the second person is radically just working to pay off the childcare. 'Did you know that we are proposing a $2,000 subsidy per child per year. We can do this.' Mr Koch then asked Mr Shorten how he's going to pay for these policies. 'Give us the facts and the figures,' he said. 'You're going to save $5billion on stopping the franking credit rates. That is not enough. Where is the rest coming from?' Mr Shorten replied: 'We have said we want multinationals to pay their fair share [of tax]. 'We also said we want to wind back unsustainable negative gearing where we're giving taxpayer money to property investors. So we can explain it. 'The other thing we're not going to do - and it is a matter of priorities - Mr Morrison is proposing to spend $77 million out of the budget to give a tax cut to the top end of town. 'We know he has his personal passion project which is giving $80billion to corporate entities, so by me not spending money at the top end, I can help fund the emergency wards around the South Wales, for example. 'I can fund pensioners and dental as well.' Bill Shorten speaks at the launch of Labor's federal election campaign in Brisbane on Sunday It comes as the federal election race tightens with the two main parties almost neck-and-neck less than two weeks from polling day. Even though the Newspoll had Mr Shorten's popularity plummeting, an Ipsos poll published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age on Sunday night showed only a five per cent gap between the two party leaders. According to that poll of 1,207 people, Mr Morrison is favoured by 45 per cent of voters while Mr Shorten is preferred by 40 per cent. That gap had been 11 per cent in the previous Ipsos poll one month ago. The poll had Labor ahead 52-48, a one-point drop from the result a month earlier. The Australian's Newspoll, also released late on Sunday, put the figures even closer, at 51-49 to Labor. According to that poll, Labor party's primary vote dropped down to 36 per cent, the lowest since August 2018 when Scott Morrison became prime minister. Support for the Coalition remained unchanged at 38 per cent. In Sunday's Newspoll, The Greens remained unchanged at nine per cent, Clive Palmer's United Australia Party dropped one point to four per cent while Pauline Hanson's One Nation gained one point to make five per cent. The poll conducted between May 2 and 5 was based on a sample of 2,003 voters. Mr Morrison (pictured in April) remained preferred prime minister with the gap widening three points to 46% to 35% Prime Minister Scott Morrison started Monday in Sydney, kicking off the day attacking Bill Shorten over the cost of Labor's policies. 'Bill thinks he can make everything free without anyone having to pay for it,' Mr Morrison told 2GB. He also had another crack at Mr Shorten for labelling him a 'space invader' when he came too close to him during a debate last week. 'The only space he's going to invade are people's wallets,' the prime minister said. Liberal campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham said the race was narrowing as voters started to question Labor's spending promises. 'When you have an election where the polls are showing just one or two points difference then, of course, anybody could win it,' he told ABC News Breakfast. Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says the government is running a scare campaign against her party's policies, but Labor would remain united and focused. 'Polls are interesting but the only one that really counts is the big one on the day,' she told ABC's Radio National. Mr Morrison is on Monday spruiking the coalition's help for the nation's businesses, including a new plan for a $50million fund to give manufacturers incentives to invest in more modern technology. Ultimately, the government's initial investment is expected to attract $110 million from the manufacturing industry as it is given out in funding-matched grants. That would be good news for Australians looking for a job, Science Minister Karen Andrews says. 'We want to keep our manufacturers at the cutting edge so they can create more jobs,' she said. The Coalition also wants to reinvigorate the 'Australian Made' campaign, to encourage more foreigners to buy products made down under. Opposition leader Bill Shorten will also start the day in Sydney, likely visiting a hospital as he talks up his party's commitment of $500million to upgrade the nation's emergency departments and get them more staff. Labor has released a state-by-state breakdown of where it will spend the money. This shows the funding would cover the equivalent of 654 more beds, 1812 doctors or 3714 nurses in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. The prime minister is likely to accuse his Labor rival of revealing too little about what his policies will cost at Sunday's Labor campaign launch in Brisbane. The opposition will deliver its full costings on Thursday or Friday. And shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has fired back, writing to his Liberal counterpart Josh Frydenberg to demand the coalition ask the Treasury to publish the cost of giving a tax cut to people earning more than $180,000. The pair will face off at a debate at the National Press Club in Canberra at lunchtime. The Liberal Party will hold its own campaign launch next Sunday, just a week out from the May 18 election. Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former senior White House official has accused the White House administration of destroying several boxes of evidence that should have been turned over to special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation. Manigault Newman explained how she was instructed to leave several boxes of documents relating to Trump's campaign when she was fired in December 2017. She said that the order was a 'clear directive' that she and other White House staff had to preserve all documents potentially related to Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Former White House Official under President Trump, Omarosa Manigualt Newman claims the White House 'destroyed' at least five boxes of documents instead of turning them over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller 'I think it's important to realize that very early on in the administration, we got letters directing us to preserve all information related to the Mueller investigation all investigations, any information, any emails, any correspondence,' Manigault Newman said to Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC on Saturday. 'So I thought it was very interesting that after my discussion with ... Kelly in the [White House] Situation Room when I went to take my things, I was instructed that I had to leave seven boxes of documents that came from the campaign, the inauguration, the transition, and they would not allow me to get them,' she continued. 'What's very curious to me is that, as I stated, it was seven boxes of documents, and in my emails, they only referenced two, which leads me to believe that they've destroyed the other five,' Manigault Newman said. 'I believe I'm not the only one who's been subjected to this type of treatment, and I believe that there are more documents that have been destroyed by this administration,' she said. A former White House Official under President Trump, Omarosa Manigualt Newman made the claims speaking to Rev. Al Sharpton, left, on MSNBC on Saturday Manigault Newman revealed that the administration had been asked to 'preserve all information' related to Robert Mueller's, pictured, Russia probe Manigault Newman said she never saw the boxes again and assumed that the Trump administration would not have handed them over to the special counsel, as her legal team would've had to be informed if they had been. The former contestant of The Apprentice went onto add that, based on emails she'd received from administration officials about the documents, it appeared that at least five of the seven boxes had been destroyed. She said that she believes there are more documents that have been destroyed by the administration. 'Let me be clear because I want to make sure I understand you. You say there was seven boxes, but they only referred to two? So are you suggesting that maybe they destroyed five boxes of emails that could have been evidence?' Sharpton asked. 'Oh, there's no question,' she replied. Manigault Newman then went on to explain that such behavior would not be unusual or out of the ordinary for The Trump administration, which according to her, routinely engages in similar practices. 'We'll have to see what unfolds,' she continued. 'But I'm sure that I'm just not a one off. I believe that this is a pattern with this administration of being disrespectful to congressional requests, of trying to use intimidation and all types of tactics to keep people silent,' the former White House aide told MSNBC. Omarosa claims Donald Trump's White house is holding on to boxes of her emails that she thinks congressional committees would probably like to see Manigault Newman revealed that the administration had been asked to 'preserve all information' related to Mueller's Russia probe. Aides, officials, and staff were ordered to save all text messages, documents, and emails, in case Mueller's prosecutors needed them. This is not the first time Manigault Newman has spoken about documents that the White House has withheld from investigators. During an interview in April with MSNBC's Craig Melvin about the Mueller probe, she spoke of the same two boxes of documents that she claimed the White House had refused to hand over to the investigators. 'We should really not just focus on what [Trump] is telling people to do or say, but how he's asked people to destroy documents, to destroy e-mails in my case, two boxes of campaign-related materials the White House still has in their possession that they claim they don't have or don't know what happened to it,' Manigault Newman said at that time. Melvin asked her whether the Trump administration had directed her to destroy evidence. Manigault Newman said that while she had not been explicitly told to do so, 'they were very clear about not wanting us to share those things.' 'Right after the campaign, the day after, they took our e-mails down and told us we had no access to it ... They were certainly working to try to hide the things we now know are involved with this investigation,' she alleged. President Trump has already been accused of obstructing Mueller's investigation. Robert Mueller wrote in his final report that the president had attempted to obstruct justice but failed to do so because his aides refused to follow orders. Mueller did not charge Trump with the crime but he outlined a number of instances which are being interpreted as Trump's attempts to obstruct the probe. Mueller will testify before the United States Congress soon and likely reveal whether or not he believes Trump is guilty of obstruction. Hate preacher Anjem Choudary pictured in London today Hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been pictured walking the streets of London with his electronic ankle tag clearly visible under his socks, after he was released from a bail hostel to return to his family home. It comes amid fears he will again pose a threat to national security with reports that security services have noticed increased activity among his militant Islamist followers. Choudary returned to his home in east London under licence in the past fortnight, having spent close to six months in a bail hostel under close supervision following his release from prison. He was jailed after pledging allegiance to ISIS following a decades-long cat and mouse game with the authorities. The father of five spent three years of a five-and-a-half year sentence in prison after he was detained in 2016 under terror laws for his encouragement to Muslims to join Isis. The Choudary-led extremist group al-Muhajiroun was outlawed by the Government following the 2005 7/7 attacks on London but it has continued to operate under a number of different images. He helped radicalise some of Britain's most notorious terrorists, including London Bridge terror attacker ringleader Khuram Butt, and Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London. The electronic tag worn as a condition of his early release from jail is clearly visible under his clothes Anjem Choudary walks along the road close to his home in East London today after being released from his bail hostel following his release from jail six months ago Anjem Choudary leaves a bail hostel in north London after his release from Belmarsh Prison last year. The hate preacher was recently allowed to leave the hostel and return to his family home in London The 52-year-old, dressed in white robes, was pictured by The Daily Telegraph yesterday, smiling while out shopping for sweets and to pay off electricity bill. He said to the newspaper: Its a lovely day, but declined to answer any questions. He will have to submit his receipts to the authorities after his assets were frozen under United Nations sanctions. Chaudary's al-Muhajiroun group often targeted mixed-up or vulnerable young men, such as Brusthom Ziamani, who was brought up a Jehovahs Witness, but converted to Islam after leaving his south London family home. Ziamani was radicalised in just two weeks before he was arrested as he wandered the streets looking for a serviceman to execute in a Woolwich-style killing. He was jailed for 22 years in 2015. Choudary is seen leaving a probation hostel in London on October 19, 2018 following his release from prison Choudary's students and lieutenants were also among ISIS militants to wage jihad in Syria including Siddhartha Dhar, who has been put on a global terror list as an ISIS executioner. Al-Muhajiroun was seriously disrupted with the detention of Choudary in 2016 under terror laws for his encouragement to Muslims to join Isis. But the release of Choudary and other offenders poses a renewed threat to national security with the worry that it may fuel young impressionable Muslims. While security services are assured Choudarys extremist activities have decreased it is understood that theyve noticed increased activity among some of his followers, according to The Daily Telegraph. A well-placed source told the newspaper: The group remains a threat to national security but the dis-ruptions have been very effective. 'Choudary is now out and back at home. He is somebody who preferred to stay in the comfort of his home in London and encourage others to go and fight. 'He is a coward, his are not the actions of a warrior. A Ministry of Justice spokesman declined to comment on his move back to the family home. The spokesman added: Public protection is our overriding priority when deciding whether an offender should be allowed to relocate from an approved premises. 'This would only be permitted following a robust risk assessment and they remain subject to close monitoring and strict licence conditions which, if breached, can see them go back to jail. Web of hate: How Anjem Choudary's sermons inspired a generation of home-grown terrorists and radicals The hate-filled circle around Anjem Choudary was a breeding ground for the Islamic extremism which plagued Britain in the last two decades. Former law-student Choudary, who previously called for adulterers to be stoned to death and branded UK troops 'cowards', always hid behind free speech rules whenever challenged by the authorities. But the group he helped to set up were linked to a series of terrorist attacks, as easily-influenced young men became inspired by his twisted vision of jihad. Anjem Choudary was at the centre of a web of extremists who operated in London The best known of his disciples was Muslim convert Michael Adebolajo, who, along with Michael Adebowale, attacked Fusilier Lee Rigby with a meat cleaver in Woolwich in 2013 in a murder which shocked the country. Adebolajo was a supporter of Choudary's al-Muhajiroun group and was pictured standing behind the hate preacher in 2007. After the incident, Choudary said Adebolajo was 'a practising Muslim and a family man' who he was 'proud of'. But he denied encouraging the killer to carry out the attack, insisting he was 'channeling the energy of the youth through demonstrations and processions'. London Bridge attacker Khuram Butt also joined one of Choudary's rallies, this time on College Green outside the Palace of Westminster in 2013. There, Butt 'verbally assaulted' a moderate Muslim leader who had opposed Choudary's extremist rhetoric. Meanwhile, Mohammed Reza Haque, thought of as Choudary's bodyguard, disappeared from Britain in 2014. A photograph taken in Syria showed him in a balaclava and camouflage clothing, brandishing an AK-47 assault rifle and he has since been suspected as being a tall figure in ISIS's horrific execution films. Siddhartha Dhar, who once ran Choudary's media operation, was also seen posing in a military style coat and boots, brandishing an assault rifle and holding his new born baby in Syria, labelling the picture 'Generation Khilafah'. In December 2014, two other close associates were discovered in the back of a lorry at Dover as they tried to leave the country. Westminster attacker Khalid Masood was also linked to Choudary through Ibrahim Anderson, an al-Muhajiroun activist convicted of inviting support for ISIS in 2016. Former New York City councilman Lew Fidler died Sunday after being found unconscious in a movie theater. Lewis 'Lew' Fidler was found unconscious in a Queens, New York, movie theater on Saturday at about 11pm, authorities told the New York Daily News. The 62-year-old married father of two was then transported to Queens' Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he died Sunday afternoon, according to the New York Post. Former NYC councilman Lew Fidler died at age 62 on Sunday, just hours after having been found unconscious in a movie theater. He is pictured here in 2009 Authorities said that Fidler will be autopsied to determine his cause of death, but that police did not suspect any criminality was involved. Fidler, a Democrat, was a New York City Councilman from 2002 to 2013, where he represented Brooklyn neighborhoods including Bergen Beach, Canarsie, Marine Park and Sheepshead Bay. Term limits kept him from running for re-election. During his time in office, Fidler introduced 173 bills, helping to pass many of them, including a measure that helped small business owners get refunds for loan filings after superstorm Sandy, according to AMNY. He was also known for his work with vulnerable youths and the LGBTQ community. Fidler was a NYC councilman from 2002 to 2013, known for his work with at risk youth and the LGBTQ community and introduced 173 bills, many of which he helped pass Fidler (pictured with Sen. Chuck Schumer) was a lawyer and married with two children In October 2013, a then 57-year-old Fidler revealed that he had coronary bypass surgery in a Facebook post. 'I had emergency (sort of) coronary bypass surgery. That's the bad news. The good news tho I am sore and uncomfortable, I came thru the surgery with flying colors. Only taking visitors from family (please don't tell my mom.)' Fidler wrote, according to Politico. In 2014, Fidler took to Facebook seeking help in finding a donor for a kidney transplant after his own kidneys failed following an allergic reaction to medicine he'd been prescribed to help control his gout, the NY Daily News reported. He then revealed in April 2015 that he had found a kidney donor and underwent the transplant the next month. Fidler was said to have been most recently working for Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, while also being a partner in the law firm, Roberts and Fidler PC. Fidler's political colleagues were quick to express their condolences on social media Sunday His political colleagues were quick to express their sorrow over Fidler's passing. 'Chirlane and I are deeply saddened by Lew Fidlers passing,' New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio tweeted Sunday morning. 'As a member of the City Council, Lew embodied courage and compassion. He was a champion and protector to runaway youth and some of the most vulnerable kids in our city. Keep his family in your prayers today.' 'Devastated,' New York City councilman Justin Brannan tweeted. 'I'm still having trouble believing it. Lew Fidler was a friend and a mentor. A voice of reason so rare in politics. His untimely death will leave a void that cannot be filled. I can't believe he's gone. Most of all, I'm thinking of his wife Robin and their children.' New York City council speaker Corey Johnson tweeted: 'There are literally thousands, if not tens of thousands, of runaway/homeless youth in NYC whose lives have been hugely changed because of Lew Fidler. He was their champion, their pitbull, their hero. Lew: you saved MANY lives. Especially LGBT youth. Thank you. RIP my friend.' 'As an elected official, Lew Fidler was truly committed to fighting long and hard for those he served,' Borough President of Brooklyn Eric Adams tweeted. 'He always stood up for what he believed in, with true courage in his convictions. Lew was a man of high integrity and strong moral values, a devoted husband and father. The majority of wards rely on a lone consultant who attends for weekend cover Three quarters of maternity units have no consultants on site at night, a damning audit reveals today. The Daily Mail found that at most centres consultants go home in the early evening, leaving women in the hands of midwives and often exhausted junior doctors. Weekend cover is also extremely patchy, with the majority of wards relying on a lone consultant who attends for a few hours. NHS England, which runs the Health Service, has said there was no evidence that overnight consultants improved safety. But research by Imperial College London found that babies were 7 per cent more likely to be stillborn if delivered at the weekend [File photo] Although these specialists are on call from home, they are summoned only if something goes wrong. They can live up to 30 minutes away. Research has found that weekend babies are more likely to die or suffer a serious injury and that their mothers have a significantly higher chance of infection. Around 70 per cent of births are outside normal working hours, with 4am the peak time. Kim Thomas, of the Birth Trauma Association, said: Its very worrying that so many maternity units dont have consultants on site at night or at weekends. The Daily Mail found that at most centres consultants go home in the early evening, leaving women in the hands of midwives and often exhausted junior doctors. Weekend cover is also extremely patchy, with the majority of wards relying on a lone consultant who attends for a few hours [File photo] If something goes wrong during childbirth, women need to know that expert medical help is available and research has shown that not having a consultant on site can lead to devastating outcomes often because staff on site dont want to bother the on-call consultant. Mother died after 'gross failure of care' at weekend Nanaaishat Momodu died after suffering a catastrophic bleed at a maternity unit at the weekend. She was 23 weeks pregnant with her third child when she began experiencing abdominal pains. The 32-year-old was admitted to North Manchester General Hospital in the early hours of a Saturday. Nanaaishat Momodu died after suffering a catastrophic bleed at a maternity unit at the weekend But there was a four-hour delay taking her to theatre while doctors discussed diagnoses. Mrs Momodu died following a cardiac arrest on October 12, 2015. Her baby had already died. At an inquest last July, coroner John Pollard said there had been a gross failure of care and significant failings and missed opportunities. The hearing was told doctors failed to pick up on an abnormally low blood-pressure reading. After the hearing, Mrs Momodus husband, Nosawanu Oseki-Odigei, 39, said: The care given to my wife has brought me and my family so much sadness. Professor Matt Makin, medical director at the hospital, said: Leadership has now been enhanced across the organisation and we have appointed a new director of midwifery and strengthened the maternity workforce. The patient handover process has also been improved in many areas, and we have introduced a new safety huddle, and patient handover boards, which are visible to patients. The hospital is also engaging more with mums and their families. Advertisement Even if the consultant is called out, a long wait can be stressful for the mother as well as potentially dangerous for the baby. Maternity services have been under the spotlight since a major review was launched into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, where 250 families allege poor care. Figures from the Care Quality Commission in December found that half of units in England were failing to meet safety standards. The Mail used freedom of information laws to ask hospital trusts in England how many senior doctors were present on their maternity units at weekends and between 10pm and 8am in the week. Of the 79 to reply, 58 or 73 per cent said consultants were not on site at night and only on call for emergencies. A further 11 said the specialists were on site for some nights of the week, commonly Monday through to Thursday but not Friday to Sunday. Just four trusts confirmed they were on site during the night throughout the week. The remainder failed to answer. The majority said consultants came in for part of the weekend but four trusts said they were only on call from home. Lucy Watson, of The Patients Association, said: Its a concern that so many hospital trusts have no consultant cover at night. While midwives and doctors in training are highly skilled in caring for patients, there are a number of rare but sudden catastrophic events in labour where less experienced doctors may require the advice and expertise of a senior colleague. Every woman deserves to receive safe, high-quality care when having a baby, and hospitals should do everything possible to improve maternity services and deliver quality care to women and their families day or night. Jonathan Ashworth, Labours health spokesman, said: We are facing a staffing crisis across the NHS with shortages so severe, patient safety is at risk. Mums-to-be will want reassurance they will receive the very best maternity care. NHS England, which runs the Health Service, has said there was no evidence that overnight consultants improved safety. But research by Imperial College London found that babies were 7 per cent more likely to be stillborn if delivered at the weekend, and a National Audit Office report highlighted how the risk of injury to an infant varied from one in 68 on weekdays to one in 60 on Saturdays or Sundays. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has previously said hospitals should ideally have a 24-hour presence. It has changed stance, and spokesman Professor Mary Ann Lumsden said: Evidence has shown that the outcome for mothers and babies is not improved by the presence of a consultant obstetrician resident on a labour ward 24 hours a day. Therefore, the college recommends that the focus of every maternity unit should be on ensuring there are sufficient numbers of staff, with the appropriate skills. For those who cannot do without their shot of caffeine in the morning, this might perk them up. The cost of a coffee could start to fall after drops in the price of coffee beans and milk. Bumper crops in Brazil and good spring weather in Britain have combined to send the prices falling. Markets trading in coffee beans report the lowest bulk prices for a decade, falling by 21 per cent for cheap robusta beans which are used in instant coffee, and by up to 25 per cent for arabica, the type used in upmarket ground versions. Bumper crops in Brazil and good spring weather in Britain have combined to send the prices of coffee beans and milk falling Meanwhile, warm British weather in spring improved the quality of the grass cows feed on, which makes them produce more milk. Prices in supermarkets have fallen by about 6p for four pints. Brazil's farmers, who account for half the world's production of arabica, have now produced a record 63.4 million bags in a year, up 13 per cent on the previous 12 months, thanks to soaring export demands from countries such as China. But any cuts to the cost of coffee on supermarket shelves might be offset by 'concerns over a fall in crop areas in other regions', Anais Divanach, a market analyst at Mintec, told The Grocer. But although the trading price of beans has fallen by 25 per cent, any cuts to the cost on UK supermarket shelves is likely to be a lot less. Anais Divanach, a market analyst with Mintec, told The Grocer: 'Concerns over a fall in crop areas in other regions, which are struggling due to low prices, might push the market in the opposite direction. While the cost of coffee beans has fallen by 25 per cent, any cuts to the cost on UK supermarket shelves is likely to be a lot less 'Strong global demand, supported by the surge of coffee chains opening in Asia and growing consumption of premium coffee productions in the US and Europe, is also expected to limit further the decline of coffee prices in the global market.' There is better news for milk, with price rises from earlier this year likely to be reversed in the coming months thanks to warm weather in early spring boosting production. Prices went up last year after farmers feared the hot summer would mean less milk produced leading to shortages but those shortages 'failed to materialise' said The Grocer, and a warm early spring this year has seen production rise again. This is expected to lead to price cuts of around 5p for a four pint carton of milk in the major supermarkets, bringing it down from 1.15 to 1.09 in Sainsbury's and Morrisons, among others. A spokesman for the milk levy body, AHDB Dairy, said: 'Deliveries are currently running 1.1 per cent above our latest forecast and 4.4 per cent above the same week last year, equivalent to 1.6 million litres per day. 'Most herds are now out on grass and favourable weather has helped to maintain yields, keeping production above forecasted levels.' Advertisement For three weeks every August, the Queen Mother would decamp to the Castle of Mey, her beloved Scottish retreat near John O'Groats. 'One feels so beautifully far away,' she said of her 'dear little castle by the sea'. Bought for 100 in 1952, after the death of her husband, George VI, the place had the ability to lift her spirits like no other. She enjoyed taking her meals in the dining room, which offered her stunning views, and traditional Scottish fare such as 'clootie' dumpling ('cloot' being the Scots for the cloth in which the suet is boiled) and foil-wrapped 'dishwasher salmon' (one cycle has a similar effect to poaching and delivers perfect results, apparently) were among her favourite dishes. The Castle of Mey, near John O'Groats, was the Queen Mother's beloved Scottish retreat where she would decamp to for three weeks every August An adjacent granary has been converted into a ten-bedroom bed & breakfast with the first guests paying from 160 a night, and checking in from today Since her death in 2002, Prince Charles, who was so close to his 'darling grandmother', has faithfully kept up the tradition of summer sojourns at the Castle of Mey, set in spendid isolation in 18,000 acres. It was not a place to everyone's liking, though. For one thing, it was exceedingly draughty, prompting some members of the Royal Family to describe the 'dear little castle' as 'the fridge'. The notoriously plain-speaking Princess Margaret was even blunter. 'I can't think why you have such a horrible place as the Castle of Mey,' she once told her mother. To which Her Majesty replied: 'Well, darling you needn't come again.' Now, the rest of us have a chance to discover who was right as the Castle of Mey acquires a more modern nickname 'Heir B&B', a jokey reference to the online rental outfit Airbnb. Since the death of the Queen Mother in 2002, Prince Charles, who was so close to his 'darling grandmother', has faithfully kept up the tradition of summer sojourns at the Castle of Mey It was while staying with friends on the north coast of Scotland and still mourning the death of her husband, the King, at 56, that the Queen Mother first gazed on the Castle of Mey The castle was exceedingly draughty, prompting some members of the Royal Family to describe the 'dear little castle' as 'the fridge' An adjacent granary has been converted into a ten-bedroom bed & breakfast with the first guests paying from 160 a night, and checking in from today. The castle has actually been open to the public since 2002, but visitor numbers have been dwindling hence this new venture spearheaded by the Prince of Wales. An extension, in pinkish local slate stone, seamlessly blends with the original 17th-century grain store (used in more recent times to house the Queen Mother's cars and provide lodgings for her chauffeur). The result, to quote one expert visitor, is 'traditional Scottish country house with a newish twist', comprising peat fires, chintz sofas, floral cushions and a cabinet full of the Staffordshire dogs to which the Queen Mother was partial. The castle has actually been open to the public since 2002, but visitor numbers have been dwindling hence this new venture spearheaded by the Prince of Wales The royals would certainly feel at home in the bedrooms, which have been furnished with luxurious coroneted canopies The walls featuring Landseer dog prints, Scottish landcapes and coastal paraphernalia, from barometers to a ship wheel are painted in 'chalky' shades of Farrow & Ball, and every fabric is by Colefax and Fowler and was approved by the Prince. There are certainly plenty of talking points. In the dining room, for example, there are six grandfather clocks especially prized by the Queen Mother. 'When they all go 'ding ding ding', it makes you laugh,' says Michael Fawcett, Prince Charles's former valet who remains a vital part of his office as chief executive of the Prince's Foundation, the charity that managed the project. Fawcett is an old hand at such ventures, having helped design the Prince's London residence, Clarence House, as well as Dumfries House in Ayrshire, the stately home which is now the base for Charles's charitable endeavours. 'The trick was to make the rooms feel as though they were part of the castle to give it a patina of the Queen Mother and the Duke of Rothesay [the title Charles uses in Scotland], to make something they would recognise as home.' It was once revealed that the annual running costs to the taxpayer to keep the Castle of Mey in tip-top condition for the Queen Mother's short summer holiday was nearly half-a-million pounds The royals would certainly feel at home in the bedrooms, which have been furnished with luxurious coroneted canopies. Fawcett, as some readers may recall, was the man who, when the Prince broke his arm playing polo, famously squeezed the toothpaste on his master's toothbrush, before he had to resign amid claims that he had sold off official gifts on Charles's orders and pocketed a percentage of the proceeds. He was cleared by an internal inquiry of any financial misconduct. His new job, which gives him responsibility for all the future king's public work and puts him in charge of a multi-million-pound budget, shows the steadfast faith Charles has in him. It was while staying with friends on the north coast of Scotland and still mourning the death of her husband, the King, at 56, that the Queen Mother first gazed on the Castle of Mey, then a dilapidated house set to be abandoned. She promptly wrote to her treasurer, Sir Arthur Penn. 'When I was in Caithness I passed a dear little castle down by the sea, and I discovered it was going to be sold for nothing, just the value of the lead on the roof,' she informed him. 'This seemed so sad that I thought I would buy it and escape there occasionally . . . when life becomes hideous. The old man who has lived there was very anxious to give it to me, but I resisted the kind gesture and he has now offered it to me for 100.' The castle was indeed sold to the Queen Mother for that less than princely sum. Protracted restoration of the building meant it would be 1955 before she could stay there. One of the most frequently used rooms in the castle was the library where she did her correspondence each day, at a desk decorated with photographs of her late husband. Today, the Queen Mother's presence at the castle is evident, from the 1954 fridge and the pile of Dick Francis novels on a table, to a telegram sent to the Royal Yacht Britannia (which brought other members of the Royal Family to stay with the Queen Mother each summer) asking for urgent supplies to be sent to the castle. 'There is a grave shortage of lemons,' she wrote. 'Could you please bring a couple with you. M.' According to her official biographer, William Shawcross, nothing gave her more pleasure in Scotland than picnics. 'And they happened almost every day, rain, snow or shine,' he noted. 'Again, the form was simple or fun. Especially the jam puff and cream pastries which could explode all over the faces of the uninitiated. And, to create the right atmosphere, a glass of something was always welcome gin and Dubonnet on picnics, champagne on many other occasions.' It was once revealed that the annual running costs to the taxpayer to keep the Castle of Mey in tip-top condition for the Queen Mother's short summer holiday was nearly half-a-million pounds. So, 160 a night for a room is cheap at the price. And perhaps the menu will even include Stornoway clootie dumpling and foil-wrapped 'dishwasher salmon'. Line Of Duty series five concludes on Sunday night, and during the epic 90 minute finale fans are hoping the show's biggest mystery will be solved - who is 'H'? AC-12 and fans of the BBC drama have been chasing the identity of the criminal overlord for two series, but with Jed Mercurio's love of a twist, there are now more suspects than ever going into the finale. This series the evidence has been stacking up against AC-12 gaffer Hastings, or could the super-villain be a more minor character, a blast from the past perhaps? Here are the suspects.... Mystery: Line Of Duty series five concludes on Sunday night, and during the epic 90 minute finale fans are hoping the show's biggest mystery will be solved - who is 'H'? Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) Suspect: With his easily shocked demeanor (mother of god!) and a stickler for the rules, Hastings seemed the most unlikeliest of candidates going into series five With his easily shocked demeanor (mother of god!) and a stickler for the rules, Hastings seemed the most unlikeliest of candidates going into series five. But the latest episodes have put the gaffer firmly in the frame. The list of evidence against him is staggering, but is it almost too staggering? One of the major mysteries yet to be solved is exactly what Ted spoke to OCG member Lee Banks about in episode four during his visit to Blackthorn Prison. The visit was used in Ted's interrogation last week as a huge piece of evidence that Hastings had conspired to murder undercover copper John Corbett. Speaking of Corbett, Ted has been quick to issue a string of frankly ludicrous orders when it comes to the rogue copper, including that bizarre undercover mission and the 'Fahrenheit Order' authorising armed officers to shoot to kill during John's meeting with Steve Arnott. Why was he so keen to get John permanently out of the picture? Error: Ted's dodgy spelling set Twitter alight when fans pointed out that he misspelled 'definitely' as 'definately' during a key scene in episode four As has so often been the case with bent coppers before him, money comes into play in the case against Ted. Retired copper Mark Moffatt slipped Ted 50,000 supposedly as reimbursement for his failed investment but is it really part of his OCG activities? Ted's dodgy spelling set Twitter alight when fans pointed out that he misspelled 'definitely' as 'definately' during a key scene in episode four. The previous episode showed the corrupt copper communicating with John and Lisa McQueen and he couldn't spell the word. Ted was then seen making the exact same error when attempting to simulate a conversation with the OCG via the same messenger system. Gill Biggeloe (Polly Walker) Is H a Her? Gill is the current bookies favourite to be unveiled as 'H', with fans citing the first mention of 'H' as a significant clue Gill is the current bookies favourite to be unveiled as 'H', with fans citing the first mention of 'H' as a significant clue. Bent copper Dot Cottan gave the codename H to Kate Fleming when he blinked to signal the letter while on his deathbed at the end of series three. But while for two seasons the show has referred to 'H', some fans have suggested Dot actually meant to signal 'G' and he 'blinked too slowly'. Remember this? Bent copper Dot gave the codename H to Kate Fleming when he blinked to signal the letter while on his deathbed at the end of series three One fan tweeted on Sunday: 'A lot of people are saying Gill is H... maybe when Dot recorded his dying declaration he blinked on G and that got mistaken as H??!! Another theory suggests the codename is 'H' but that it stands for Her, and that's one reason why all the communications are done via text so the female boss doesn't give her gender away. And then there's that night with Ted. Some fans think that Gill deliberately pursued a night with Hastings to plant evidence, especially after it was revealed the OCG were saving condoms from their brothel to blackmail officers. Could Gill be using the same method? Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin) New face: Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin), who had her first scenes in the show on Sunday, is the latest name in the frame Jed may be throwing us all through a loop and 'H' is actually a newcomer to the series. Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin), who had her first scenes in the show on Sunday, is the latest name in the frame. The character delighted viewers with her no-nonsense sass, but could her persistence in going after Ted actually mean she's planning to frame Ted. With such a big-name talent like Maxwell Martin on board, surely the character will be getting more airtime one way or another in upcoming series? DCC Derek Hilton (Paul Higgins) Deceased: We all know DCC Hilton was involved in corruption but is he the top man? Back when series five began it was thought the mystery had been solved, with DCC Derek Hilton - who was killed at the end of series four - the main man. But with H's activities still ongoing after Hilton's death that theory seems dead and buried. Lester Hargreaves (Tony Pitts) Demise: Dead copper Les Hargreaves was also in the frame earlier this series Another dead copper Les Hargreaves was also in the frame earlier this series, but it seems more likely he was just another corrupt copper hired by the OCG and not the top man. As Kate pointed out when semen deposits recovered from the freezer at the brothel were analysed and they only came from the last few months; 'Theres no way he could have been H. H goes back much further.' DCC Andrea Wise (Elizabeth Rider) Could it be her? Minor characters like DCC Andrea Wise aren't out of the running either Minor characters like DCC Andrea Wise aren't out of the running, with Wise conveniently being the one who removed Ted from the investigation into Operation Peartree. Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton) Iconic: Top names from previous series are also in the frame, including Thandie Newton's character Roz Huntley Top names from previous series are also in the frame, including Thandie Newton's character Roz Huntley - whose surname at least fits the profile. But the character is currently serving ten years in prison and when arrested, she exposed other members of the balaclava gang. But she is serving her sentence in Blackthorn, where many other OCG members have resided, giving her great connections. There's also the link to DCI Mark Moffatt, who was Rozs Police Federation rep during AC-12 interviews. Moffatt has now retired and has cropped up in this series when he passed the 50,000 to Hastings as part of his new job in real estate investment. Moffatt almost certainly is involved in organised crime, is Roz too? Alison Powell (Susan Vidler) Suspect: The show's creator Jed Mercurio could bring back a minor character like Powell The boss of Operation Peartree was the one it was revealed at the beginning of series five who put Corbett undercover with the organised crime group. Her refusal to share the information with AC-12 is a firm piece of evidence against her. Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) Surely not! Could AC-12's star copper Kate have been on the wrong side of the law all along? She's one of the show's leads, and has been the star investigator of AC-12 since series one. But knowing the show's love of a major twist, could Kate turn out to be 'H'? Subtle clues have been building up in recent episodes. Some fans have suggested Kate's 'true nature' was shown when she snapped at her husband in the penultimate episode after another late night at work. Other viewers are linking Kate back to The Caddy aka Matthew 'Dot' Cottan's activities and specifically his deathbed revelation, where the name H first originated from, did she bodge that evidence? While it was thought Dot's love for Kate was the reason he took a bullet for her in the series three finale, others are now musing that actually he didn't want his boss, H, to be shot. Rochenda Sandall, who plays OCG member Lisa McQueen, wasn't giving away any clues when she was questioned about the theory on This Morning on Monday, coyly replying: 'Oh really? I've not heard that yet...' A group of people Clue? A block of fats which appeared in episode three of the series where sex trafficked women were being held were in the shape of two 'H' letters Former undercover detective Peter Bleksley has his own 'H' theory, believing that 'H' is not a person and is actually a place. Speaking on This Morning, he said: 'Is it a person or is it a place? Cast your mind back to the flats where people were being held. One was flat B. Just putting it out there.' Peter was referring to the flats which appeared in episode three of the series where sex trafficked women were being held. Flat B was raided but some fans spotted that the building block was in the shape of two 'H' letters. Line of Duty series five concludes on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One. Phoebe Burgess, 30, was announced as the face of wholesome family brand, Johnson's Baby Pacific (of Johnson and Johnson), in 2017, cementing her status as a girl next door-type brand ambassador. However, in September 2018, her seemingly perfect world was rocked by salacious headlines, after her South Sydney Rabbitohs star husband, Sam, 30, was cleared of any wrongdoing in a sexting scandal. Two months later in December, the NRL WAG reportedly 'split' with her husband of three years, just three weeks after the birth of their second child, however, they later reconciled in February. Media-savvy: Phoebe Burgess (right) has stayed mum regarding details of her brief split from NRL star husband Sam (left) in December last year. One media expert says her silence has ultimately protected the family's 'wholesome' image Last week, the former journalist told Stellar magazine that their marriage is far from perfect and that the details surrounding their 'split' and reconciliation 'will always and forever just be between Sam and I'. Media expert, Nicole Reaney, of InsideOut Public Relations told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that Phoebe's handling of the controversy surrounding her marriage has been beneficial for her brand. Shock split: Phoebe and Sam split in December last year, just three weeks after the birth of their second child, Billy Mark Burgess split timeline: 2017: Phoebe is announced as the face of Johnson's Baby Pacific, which aligns itself with strong family values September 2018: South Sydney Rabbitohs star, Sam Burgess, is cleared of any wrongdoing in a sexting scandal December 2018: Phoebe and her husband of three years Sam split, just three weeks after she gave birth to their second child January 2019: Sam is pictured carrying an overnight bag out of the $3.8 million family home in Maroubra February 2019: Sam reportedly moves out of celebrity accountant, Anthony Bell's, $11.5 million Dover Heights mansion and back into his Maroubra home after reconciling with Phoebe March 2019: Phoebe and Sam make their first public appearance together at Longines Golden Slipper Day in Sydney, following reconciliation April 2019: Phoebe tells Stellar magazine that details surrounding their 'split' and reconciliation 'will always and forever just be between Sam and I' Advertisement 'Phoebe projects strength in her personal brand, in the way she conducted herself post-split and the couple share a commitment to prioritise their family,' Nicole said. 'Given reports that the players were cleared of any actionable misconduct and breaches, as well as Sam's forthright media interviews, the reconciliation is positive if anything for her image. 'With a newborn baby, the public would understand her desire to protect her family unit. The public is not privy to the details of what took place in the scandal and within their relationship and this has protected her image along with the positive media generated on her recently.' In January, Sam was pictured carrying overnight bags out of the $3.8 million Maroubra home he shares with Phoebe, weeks after their 'split'. At the time, it was widely reported that the NRL golden couple's marriage split was 'messy'. A close friend told The Daily Telegraph 'things [had] been bad for a while' before Sam and Phoebe decided to part ways. Cleared: in September 2018, South Sydney Rabbitohs star, Sam, 30, was cleared of any wrongdoing in a sexting scandal However, in February, he reportedly moved out of celebrity accountant, Anthony Bell's, $11.5 million Dover Heights mansion and back into his Maroubra home after the reconciliation. The couple share two children, two-year-old Poppy Alice and five-month-old Billy Mark. They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony back in 2015, after one year of dating. She confirmed last week that while they continue to have ups and downs in their marriage, they are committed to each other. Motherhood: The couple share two children, two-year-old Poppy Alice and five-month-old Billy Mark. In 2017, Phoebe was announced as an ambassador for Johnson's Baby Pacific, which aligns itself with strong family values 'We are together, we are married,' she told Stellar. 'Sam and I will have good days and we'll have trying days. Every single person on this planet who is married knows it isn't perfect. It's never going to be perfect. 'I'll protect my family, I'll protect my husband.' He's out of the doghouse: In the wake of their split, Sam was noticeably absent from Phoebe's Instagram page for four months before making a return in this loved-up photo while celebrating her birthday last month Advice: Media expert Nicole believes that posting more loved-up photos is part of the key to maintaining Phoebe's image. 'The more we see of the family together on socials and in the media and on the basis that there are no future scandals, they will preserve the 'perfect family' image,' Nicole said In the wake of their split, Sam was noticeably absent from Phoebe's Instagram page for four months before making a return in a loved-up photo while celebrating her birthday last month. Media expert Nicole believes that posting more loved-up photos is part of the key to maintaining Phoebe's image. 'The more we see of the family together on socials and in the media and on the basis that there are no future scandals, they will preserve the 'perfect family' image,' she said. Move over Gwyneth Paltrow! I can reveal that ex-Big Brother host Davina McCall is going head-to-head with the A-list Hollywood star by launching her own Goop-style lifestyle brand. Davina, 51, below, will centre her project on a blog called ownyourgoals, which will feature video workouts covering a huge range of exercises including cardio and yoga. The star, who regularly shares inspirational mantras with her one million Instagram followers, will also offer wellbeing advice, meditation tips and mindfulness programmes to encourage subscribers to reach their personal exercise goals. Davina McCall (left) is set to rival Gwyneth Paltrow (right) as she prepares to launch a new life-style brand The programme, which she hopes will become a digital empire, will also give women the chance to support one another in her website community. Mother-of-three Davina is also expected to sell her own fitness clothing range and other products. Theres no doubt that she is moving firmly into a world dominated by Goop famous for encouraging women to steam their intimate areas, and selling vaginal jade eggs which were said to help hormone levels. Other odd items Goop has offered include 18-carat gold dumbbells for almost 100,000 and vampire repellent spray. It is also where Gwynnie announced she was consciously uncoupling from Chris Martin when they split in 2014. A source close to Davina told me: This is a big deal for her. She is creating a lifestyle site a one-stop shop for all you need to lead a good life. It really is very similar to Gwyneths blog a real Brand Davina project. She has a lot of experiences she wants to pass on to help and inspire others. Davina often posts pictures of herself on social media partaking in various activities such as surfing (right) and going to the gym (left) In 2017 Davina announced she was splitting from husband Matthew Robertson after a 17-year marriage. Since then she has taken a personal training course. In 2014 she raised 2 million for Sport Relief. She has also released 14 exercise DVDs. However, she wasnt always so lifestyle-focused. She began smoking at 12, drinking at 13, and by her 20s was using heroin. Narcotics Anonymous meetings have helped her stay clean for more than 25 years. Barry Humphries, 85, had his name stripped from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's top award last month after he was accused of making 'transphobic jokes'. But that hasn't stopped the veteran comedian (otherwise known as drag character Dame Edna Everage) from reinvigorating his career with a new Australian tour. Speaking to the Herald Sun as Dame Edna, Barry joked about 'firing' himself as 'manager', saying: 'He and I are no longer. He has let me down. He has disappointed me'. 'He has let me down!' Speaking to the Herald Sun as Dame Edna, Barry Humphries has joked about 'firing' himself as 'manager'... after the comedian's name was stripped from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's top award Barry continued to jest about the so-called 'sacking' in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, jokingly accusing himself of theft. 'While every star has to make allowances for minor acts of embezzlement, Humphries had his hand in the till up to the armpit,' he joked. Titled My Gorgeous Life, Barry's comeback tour promises to delve into areas of Dame Edna's life which she has 'never discussed publicly'. In hot water: Barry Humphries, 85, had his name stripped from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's top award last month after he was accused of making 'transphobic jokes' The tour comes six years after Barry's 2013 'farewell tour', which at the time was billed as the performer's last ever performance. 'That was called my Farewell show, but it was Farewell #1 this is Farewell #2. Next year, it will be Farewell #3. My hand is permanently raised in the valedictory position,' he told Sunday's Adelaide Now with a laugh. It comes after Barry's name was stripped from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's 'Barry Award', due to comments he made likening transgenderism to a 'fashion' in an interview with The Spectator last year. Comeback: Titled My Gorgeous Life, Barry's comeback tour promises to delve into areas of Dame Edna's life which she has 'never discussed publicly' 'How many different kinds of lavatory can you have? And it's pretty evil when it's preached to children by crazy teachers,' Barry controversially told the magazine at the time. In 2016 Humphries had sparked outrage when he referred to gender re-assignment surgery as 'self mutilation'. He has also criticised Caitlyn Jenner as a 'publicity-seeking ratbag" for wanting to steal the limelight' from the other women in her family. She has been busy littering her Instagram pictures with sizzling snaps from her Ibiza getaway. And Zara McDermott showed off her golden glow as she arrived to the Jako Chameleon Bar launch party in London on Saturday. The Love Island star, 22, wowed in a perilously plunging green dress which flaunted her sensational posterior. Bronzed beauty: Zara McDermott showed off her golden glow as she arrived at the Chameleon party launch at Jako, Kensington by DJ Bluey on Saturday night The dress perfectly complemented Zara's sensational curves as she posed up a storm in towering silver heels. The beauty enhanced her features with a glamorous coat of make-up, and styled her locks in a sleek manner. This comes after Zara was enjoying the sun again as she posed at the helm of a boat in Ibiza in a series of snaps posted to Instagram on Thursday. The reality star looked carefree in an extremely high cut fuchsia bikini as she relaxed on the Mediterranean Sea near the Spanish island. Wow: The Love Island star, 22, wowed in a perilously plunging green dress which flaunted her sensational posterior Head-turner: The dress perfectly complemented Zara's sensational curves as she posed up a storm in towering silver heels Striking: The beauty enhanced her features with a glamorous coat of make-up, and styled her locks in a sleek manner Like a pro! Zara ensured she worked all her angles before heading into the venue Wow: Zara oozed body confidence as she placed one hand on her hip to strike a pose The beauty paired her neon swimwear with a matching captain's hat as she held onto the steering wheel. Zara let her caramel locks cascade down her back in loose waves as she glanced at the camera over her shoulder. In another shot, the reality starlet sat back on the grey and white bench with her feet perched on the wheel - the calm sea forging an idyllic background. She captioned the two shots: 'Move over captain. Im the boss now'. Incredible: All eyes were on Zara in the form-fitting number Relaxed: This comes after Zara was enjoying the sun again as she posed at the helm of a boat in Ibiza in a series of snaps posted to Instagram on Thursday At sea: The Love Island star, 22, looked carefree in an extremely high cut fuchsia bikini as she relaxed on the Mediterranean Sea near the Spanish island Zara shared another beachwear snap later in the day, this time displaying her bronzed figure in a daring white one-piece. The star perched on a bar in the high-rise swimsuit in cat eye white framed sunglasses for the snap. She paired her costume with silver metallic stilettos and wore her hair in loose curls around her shoulders. In the caption, she wrote: 'You cant sit with me.' Bold: Zara shared another beachwear snap later in the day, this time displaying her bronzed figure in a daring white one-piece The starlet has been spotted earlier in the week with Love Island co-star Georgia Steel as the pair took part in a poolside photo-shoot for tanning lotion, Iconic Bronze. The reality beauties posed up a storm as they fanned themselves in a white thong swimsuit before Georgia, 21, modelled a hot pink cut out one-piece at the Paradiso Art Hotel. Zara's trip abroad comes after she appeared to confirm she was dating Olly Murs, 34, when he shared a sweet FaceTime snap. 'When two people really care about each other, they always find a way to make it work...' Olly Murs wrote alongside a clip of himself on Instagram. Work trip: The starlet has been spotted earlier in the week with Love Island co-star Georgia Steel as the pair took part in a poolside photoshoot for tanning lotion, Iconic Bronze Just before her trip, Zara appeared to confirm she was dating the pop star after she was quizzed about the romance rumours. In an Instagram story interview for Victoria Derbyshire's BBC show, the presenter said: 'Are you dating Olly Murs?' Zara, who split from fellow Love Island contestant Adam Collard, 22, in February, refused to answer but pulled a telling face before getting the giggles. One of her pals said: 'Did he slide into your DMs?' to which she yelled, 'No comment!' Victoria said: 'From your reaction and your no comment, can we take that to mean you are?' and Zara gasped but said nothing. She added: 'It would be nice if you were.' Zara replied: 'He's a lovely guy.' Victoria wrote: 'For those who love their showbiz, go to my insta stories to see what Zara McDermott said when I asked if she was going out with Olly Murs.' Rumours about Olly and Zara first surfaced when he was spotted 'liking' her bikini-clad Instagram snaps. She recently made a shocking return to the ITV hit show TOWIE. And Amber Turner, 25, appeared in high spirits as she left the launch party for the exclusive club Jako 'Chameleon' in Kensington, London, on Saturday. Showcasing her sizzling physique in a figure-hugging black dress, the reality star couldn't help but smile as she left the prestigious venue in the city. Stunning: TOWIE star Amber Turner, 25, showcased her sizzling physique in a figure-hugging black dress during a night out in London on Saturday The reality star turned heads as she strutted through the streets of the capital in a thigh-length black dress paired with a stylish white jacket slung over her shoulders. Amber, who was joined by her friend, styled her blonde tresses into loose locks as she enjoyed a night out with friends in the city. The natural beauty framed her features with a swipe of pink eyeshadow, a touch of bronzer and touch of pink gloss lipstick. She completed her look with a pair of stylish stilettos and a swanky gold-chained beige bag slung over her arm. Sizzling: The reality star walked through the capital in a thigh-length black dress paired with a white jacket Night out: Amber turned heads as she enjoyed a night out with her friends in Kensington Stylish: Amber couldn't help but smile as she enjoyed a night out in the city with her friend Out and about: The reality star cut a stylish figure as she opened the door of her taxi The TOWIE star's appearance comes nearly a month after she made an explosive return to the hit reality series. Upon her return, Amber claimed that she had been sleeping with her former off-screen boyfriend Dan Edgar that very same week despite his new relationship with Chloe Sims. During the shocking episode, the reality star declared: 'Me and Dan have seen each other a few times this week... my bed's still f***ing warm!' Earlier this year, Amber, who first joined TOWIE in 2017, was one of ten reality stars who had been culled from the hit show. Natural beauty: The TOWIE star displayed her toned physique in a figure-hugging dress Letting loose: The reality star completed her look with a swipe of pink eyeshadow and a touch of pink lipstick Out in the city: The TOWIE star, who was joined by her friend, styled her blonde tresses into loose locks Girls night: The reality star made an explosive return to The Only Way Is Essex last month Also announcing their departure from the series were Myles Barnett, Jon Clark, Chris Clark, Chloe Lewis, Dean Ralph, Jordan Wright and Adam Oukhellou. However after making her return to the show, Amber has yet again proven there is never a dull moment when she is around. In scenes that are due to air on Sunday viewers of the show will be able to see Amber confront her ex-partner Dan and share exactly how she feels about how their relationship has panned out. She's engaged to Divergent star, Miles Teller. And Keleigh Sperry has been enjoying her bachelorette party with her closest gal pals this weekend. Saturday saw the 26-year-old bride-to-be slip into a skimpy white bikini while enjoying a beach day in Miami, Florida. Scroll down for video Mrs Miles Teller! Miles Teller's fiancee, Kaleigh Sperry, got pulses racing on Saturday, when she stepped out in a skimpy white bikini for her bachelorette party weekend in Miami Keleigh opted for a one-piece that ensured all eyes were on her ample cleavage with its v-neckline. The bottom half was high cut and drew attention to her long and lean pins while she frolicked on the beach. She accessorized her look with a pair of designer shades and a wide brimmed straw hat. Baring all: Keleigh opted for a one-piece that ensured all eyes were on her ample cleavage with its v-neckline Stunner: The bottom half was high cut and drew attention to her long and lean pins while she frolicked on the beach Girl's trip! Keleigh was seen with nine of her girls Her wrists featured bracelets and a watch while she added some glam earrings for the day out in the sun and water. Keleigh slicked her brunette tresses back into a low ballerina bun and she appeared to be wearing makeup despite being in the water. And white continued to be a theme for the bride-to-be. Sun safety first: She accessorized her look with a pair of designer shades and a wide brimmed straw hat Dressed to impress: Keleigh's wrists featured bracelets and a watch while she added some glam earrings for the day out in the sun and water Relaxing: Keleigh appeared to be having a blast on her girl's weekend away Heading out on Friday night, Keleigh opted for a white gown and veil for a dinner with her friends and family. She even shared a photo with her gorgeous mom during the night out. 'I know I had the best day, with you, today mama,' she captioned. Beauty: Keleigh slicked her brunette tresses back into a low ballerina bun and she appeared to be wearing makeup despite being in the water Surf's up! Keleigh and her pals were seen enjoying the surf on Saturday, seen slipping into another bikini during the day And the bride wore white! Keleigh stunned in a white swimsuit for the weekend away Mother and daughter! Keleigh even shared a photo with her gorgeous mom during the night out Also attending the bachelorette celebration with Nina Dobrev. The beauty who was only able to stay for one day shared a bikini shot with her fans, captioning it: 'Woman over board #KeleighsBeachTELLERette,' giving a nod to the bride's future groom, Miles Teller. It's been a long engagement for the Hollywood star and his longtime partner, popping the question in August 2017. Pals: Also attending the bachelorette celebration with Nina Dobrev Everyone's here! Heading out on Friday night, Keleigh opted for a white gown and veil for a dinner with her friends and family Fun in the sun! The girl's were seen enjoying a day out on a boat on Friday Matching! All her friends opted for black bikini's and denim shorts while Keleigh stuck to white The Whiplash star proposed to Keleigh while on a safari in South Africa, after dating since 2013. 'We were on an African safari so I brought the ring to Africa, which I was a little nervous about,' he told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest two months after the proposal. 'I had our guide, early in the morning, tie a rose to a tree [We] walked up to this nice scenic vista having coffee. She looked over and saw a rose and thought somebody had died. Which, whatever.' Miles added a note to the rose, writing '5/11/2013-8/20/2017'the day that he first asked her out to the day he proposed. Longterm love: The Whiplash star proposed to Keleigh while on a safari in South Africa in August 2017, after dating since 2013 She is set to star alongside one of Australia's most famous Hollywood exports in The Hustle. But Anne Hathaway has revealed her attempt to match Rebel Wilson's accent in the upcoming flick was not particularly successful. 'I do feel I need to apologise to Australia,' the American actress, 36, told The Sunday Telegraph about a scene in which she mocks Rebel's character, Penny Rust. Scroll down for video Not up to scratch: Anne Hathaway has revealed her attempt to match Rebel Wilson's accent in upcoming flick The Hustle was not particularly successful 'In that scene, my character is very annoyed with Rebel's so she is doing a very broad harsh Australian accent,' she said. Anne plays Josephine Chesterfield, who alongside Penny plans to swindle two unsuspecting wealthy men who had wronged them. Josephine is British and Anne said she didn't put as much time into perfecting the con artist's Aussie drawl as her upper-class tones. 'In that scene, my character is very annoyed with Rebel's so she is doing a very broad harsh Australian accent,' she said (pictured during the film) The Princess Diaries starlet added starring alongside Rebel, who is known for bringing her quirky improvisational comedy style to the big screen, was a privilege. 'She has really got like a fun God gift,' Anne revealed. The New York-born actress said she was already tracking the progress of The Hustle's development before she was offered the role. Getting to play alongside The Pitch Perfect star was one of the main factors which drew her to the film, she said. Her praise for Rebel comes after the Australian reciprocated the love by sharing a happy video of the two co-stars jumping into a pool fully clothed after filming. '@annehathaway & I at the end of a long day filming in Mallorca, Spain!' the Pitch Perfect star captioned the Instagram clip. In awe: The Princess Diaries starlet added starring alongside Rebel, who is known for bringing her quirky improvisational comedy style to the big screen, was a privilege The video shows the two women holding hands with their arms outstretched, as they prepare to jump into an infinity pool. A woman filming can be heard counting to three, before they both cheer and leap into the water, fully-clothed. Onlookers can be heard clapping, cheering and laughing in the video, as the two actresses take a moment to adjust to the water. The Hustle premieres in Australian cinemas on May 9. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were snapped in Beverly Hills grabbing lunch Saturday, as the actor's name this week was linked to a court case involving a serial killer in their native Los Angeles. The 41-year-old actor and 35-year-old actress were out with their four-year-old daughter Wyatt and two-year-old son Dimitri on the spring day. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native wore a grey denim jacket over a black T-shirt with blue jeans and snakeskin boots, topping things off with a black ballcap. The Punk'd prankster held Wyatt's hand on the daytime outing. Out and about: Ashton Kutcher, 41, and Mila Kunis, 35, were snapped out in Beverly Hills grabbing lunch Saturday, as the actor's name this week was linked to a court case involving a serial killer in their native LA Kunis wore a squash-colored sweatshirt with black sweatpants and white low tops as she held her son's hand. The Bad Moms star has her brown locks pulled into a bun. The family was out days after the Ranch actor's name was mentioned by prosecutors as one of a potential 250 witnesses in the case against accused serial killer Michael Gargiulo, 43, whom authorities said murdered two California women and a Chicago teen. The victims included Ashley Ellerin, a 22-year-old model and student Kutcher was dating in 2001, and slated to go out with on the evening prosecutors said she was murdered. Ellerin had been prepared to go out with the actor to a post-Grammy bash on the night of her murder, Deputy District Attorney Dan Akemon said in court Thursday, according to KABC. Dad: The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native wore a grey denim jacket over a black T-shirt with blue jeans and snakeskin boots, topping things off with a black ballcap Casual: Kunis wore a squash-colored sweatshirt with black sweatpants and white low-tops as she held her son's hand Kutcher had made an innocent assumption against a likely-grim reality when he showed up at her apartment in the Hollywood Hills to pick Ellerin up for the party, according to Akemon. 'Mr. Kutcher looked in the window and saw what he thought was spilled wine on the floor,' the prosecutor said. 'We believe that was actually blood, and Ashley had already been murdered.' Kutcher left, thinking she wasn't home, and a friend subsequently discovered her body - she had been stabbed 47 times, officials said - the following day. She's been a highly-regarded actress ever since breaking out during the 1980s. And Winona Ryder was seen out of her costume while on set filming the upcoming HBO miniseries The Plot Against America on Saturday. The 47-year-old actress was also joined by her on-screen husband John Turturro, 62, who has one of the series' more villainous turns. Down time: Winona Ryder, 47, was seen out of her costume while on set filming the upcoming HBO miniseries The Plot Against America Winona showed off her film buff bona fides with a black sweatshirt featuring a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the phrase 'Human Error.' She covered up with a well-worn black jacket, featuring a button of poet Langston Hughes and a 'Bring the Dogers home to Brooklyn' pin. She had on a gray and black visor and wore a pair of relaxed jeans rolled up at the cuffs over her black leather boots. Film fan: Winona showed off her film buff bona fides with a black sweatshirt featuring a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the phrase 'Human Error' Tricky role: John plays Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, a collaborator who supports the anti-Semite Charles Lindberg's successful presidential campaign in the alternate history series John was dressed simply in a pair of charcoal jeans and a blue jacket with a black fleece collar. The Barton Fink star is featured in The Plot Against America as Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf. The series, based on Philip Roth's 2004 novel of the same name, takes place in an alternate version of the United States circa 1940, when aviator Charles Lindbergh is drafted by the Republican Party and wins the presidential election against the incumbent, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Lindbergh enters into an alliance with Nazi Germany, eventually instituting a policy of segregation and forced migration for Jews living in the US. The real life aviator was an isolationist who opposed entering WWII, and is believed to have been an anti-Semite. Complicit: Winona plays Evelyn Finkel, the recent wife of Bengelsdorf who is complicit in a campaign of bigotry and segregation In Roth's alternate history, Lindbergh beats Roosevelt thanks in part to an endorsement from the conservative Rabbi Bengelsdorf (Turturro). The novel follows an alternate version of Roth's family (renamed Finkel for the series), and Winona plays his aunt Evelyn, who marries the collaborationist Rabbi. The Reality Bites star was spotted on set Tuesday, when she showed off a more period-appropriate dress in front of some vintage cars. The show is filmed primarily in New York City and Jersey City, New Jersey. It's the newest HBO series for longtime network stalwart David Simon, who has produced and written projects for the premium cable network almost exclusively, including the iconic crime series The Wire. Blast from the past: The Reality Bites star was spotted on set Tuesday, when she showed off a more period-appropriate dress in front of some vintage cars; pictured April 30 in New York City Victoria Beckham has reportedly banned her family from attending the Spice Girls reunion tour, according to The Sun. A source told the publication that the fashion mogul wants 'a clean break' from her time with the band, and may not be in the country to attend the show despite an invitation from Geri Horner. This comes as the Spice Girls have been hard at work rehearsing for their long-awaited tour which kicks off in Dublin on 24th May. No! Victoria Beckham has reportedly banned her family from attending the Spice Girls reunion tour, according to The Sun The source said: 'Geri reached out to Victoria, and invited her parents and the kids to a gig at her own expense. 'But Victoria doesn't want them attending or being pictured at the event, and the narrative being that she snubbed the girls. 'She just wants a clean break from it all, and doesn't want her name, or her family's, attached in any way, shape or form.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Victoria Beckham and Geri Horner for comment. Stay away! A source told the publication that the fashion mogul wants 'a clean break' from her time with the band, and so won't attend despite an invitation from Geri Horner These claims come despite Victoria previously saying she would be going to watch the Spice Girls on their tour, which ends at Wembley Stadium in London next month. Speaking to extra last year, she said: 'Absolutely! I am very, very excited for them!' she said. 'They have great things planned, and I am looking forward to it.' The Spice Girls have been hard at work rehearsing for their long-awaited tour, as Emma recently insisted that the shows will go ahead as planned despite claims that Geri and Mel B had fallen out. Throwback: This comes despite Victoria saying she would 'absolutely' be watching the band on their tour, after she was unable to take part due to work commitments (above in 1998) Reunited! The Spice Girls have been hard at work rehearsing for their long-awaited tour, which kicks off in Dublin, Ireland on May 24 Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, which aired on Saturday, Baby Spice said things are 'all good' in the group, following Mel's shock revelation that she slept with Geri during the early days of the band. Following reports the Spice Girls tour is in jeopardy, Emma stressed: 'Of course it's happening, we are starting rehearsals on Monday! 'It's all fine. We have all chatted about it. Listen, we had fun back in the day. I didn't know anything else but you know, we are all good.' All is well! Emma recently insisted that the shows will go ahead as planned despite claims that Geri and Mel B had fallen out Mel had said on Piers Morgans Life Stories that she and Geri had previously slept together, but the star denied the claims in a statement and said she felt 'hurt' by the speculation. While it was claimed Geri was furious with Mel for making the admission, Emma insisted in another recent interview on Lorraine that all is well between the ladies. She said: 'There's always a hoo-ha! We're in the studio and we're laughing, we love the drama. We're having a ball. We sit there having our lunch and reading it.' She has a new love interest in the form of disability worker Ash Dudman. And Married At First Sight's bride Jessika Power showed her ex-boyfriend, Dan Webb, what he's missing as she posed for a raunchy dressing room mirror selfie on Sunday. Sizzling in black lingerie, the 27-year-old flaunted her pert posterior and allowed her blonde tresses to flow elegantly behind her back in the racy snap. Racy look: Married At First Sight's bride Jessika Power showed her tattooed hunk love interest Ash Dudman what he could be in for as she posed for a raunchy dressing room mirror selfie Jessika opted for an elegant side-profile angle in the Instagram post to show off her generous cleavage as she surrounded herself with make-up and hair accessories. Hinting she was getting ready for a photo shoot, the reality star wore dark eyeliner and placed her right arm lightly on her knee to accentuate the daring look. The reality star debuted her extended blonde locks last month courtesy of Gold Coast hair stylists Paramount Hair Extensions. Dazzling: The reality star debuted her extended blonde locks last month courtesy of Gold Coast hair stylists Paramount Hair Extensions 'Since moving to the Gold Coast I was stressing about changing salons but when I found one it wasn't hard to trust the girls,' she wrote in a preview of her new look. Jessika's blonde hair was a picture of perfection during her time on the hit Channel Nine series, and she said it was her team of hairstylists in Perth who kept it such good condition. 'The talented bunch of girls at Winter Grace Hair Artistry kept my blonde (hair) creamy and healthy throughout my time in Married At First Sight,' she said. At the end of April, the 27-year-old announced she would be sticking around on the Gold Coast despite the end of her relationship with Dan. 'I moved states after meeting Dan on MAFS and despite the outcome of our relationship I'm choosing to stay as my family are all here,' she announced. Having quickly uprooted her life in Perth to move in with Dan, Jessika managed to have forgotten one important thing - her car. 'My family are all here': At the end of April, the 27-year-old announced she would be sticking around in the Gold Coast despite the end of her relationship with Dan Webb Happy: 'I moved states after meeting Dan on MAFS and despite the outcome of our relationship I'm choosing to stay as my family are all here,' she announced Moving on from Dan Webb! Daily Mail Australia also revealed last month Jessika (left) has been growing close to Adelaide-based Ash Dudman (right) in recent weeks 'I need to still ship my car from Perth!' she wrote alongside a crying face emoji. Daily Mail Australia also revealed last month Jessika has been growing close to Adelaide-based Ash in recent weeks. The potential new couple have been flirting up a storm on Instagram, with Ash even sharing a gushing post about the beauty to his 20,000 followers. 'Jess is nothing but kind, funny, loving and caring. And not to mention a personality to die for,' Ash publicly declared. While the two have yet to meet face-to-face, Jessika revealed to Daily Mail Australia that she's hoping they will meet up as soon as their conflicting schedules allow it. She's been relishing her moment in the spotlight after finding fame on Married At First Sight. And Martha Kalifatidis, 30, was determined to catch the eye on Sunday when she uploaded a very raunchy Instagram snap of herself posing in nothing but a bra and unbuttoned cargo pants. Martha seductively pouted towards the camera, while revealing a generous glimpse of cleavage and a glance at her sheer green underpants. Busting out! Martha Kalifatidis, 30, (pictured) was determined to catch the eye on Sunday when she uploaded a very raunchy Instagram snap of herself posing in nothing but a bra and unbuttoned cargo pants Attempting to undercut the risque nature of her bedroom snap, Martha jokingly wrote in the caption: 'Goes for a run twice....' It wasn't long before her TV 'husband' Michael Brunelli left a comment reminding Martha that she recently complained about not being able to fit into her jeans anymore due to overeating. 'Still cant do up those pants I see,' he teased in a comment. Poking fun: It wasn't long before her TV 'husband' Michael Brunelli (right) left a comment reminding Martha (left) that she recently complained about not being able to fit into her jeans anymore due to overeating Cheeky! 'Still cant do up those pants I see,' Michael teased in a comment It comes days after Martha revealed that she'd gained weight after moving back home with her parents in Melbourne. In a series of clips shared to her Instagram stories, the unemployed makeup artist said she no longer fits into her favourite pair of Levi jeans because her parents 'constantly feed' her. 'Guys so this just happened...I actually don't fit into my favourite jeans,' she said as she filmed herself standing in a wardrobe wearing a bra and blue jeans. 'If you remember I wore these jeans while filming MAFS,' the brunette star added. Martha continued to film herself 'busting out' of the tight denim while remarking: 'They're one of my favourite pair of Levi's and they don't fit me anymore, which is quite stunning.' 'But I mean it's easy when you live at home with your parents and they're constantly feeding you. Easter... Greek Easter,' she explained to her fans. Martha went on to reveal she plans to throw herself into a gruelling exercise regime so she can fit back into her prized pair of trousers. She's considered one of the most famous actresses in the world. And Angelina Jolie proved worthy of the title as she looked every inch the glamorous movie star in Los Angeles on Saturday. The 43-year-old natural stunner rocked an all-black ensemble as she treated her son Pax, 15, to lunch at celebrity hotspot Cecconi's. Movie star: Angelina Jolie, 43, looked every inch the movie star in Los Angeles on Saturday Daring to impress, the Malificent star draped her famous figure in the skimpy lace trimmed black top that showed off her arm tattoos. Her gorgeous gams were thrust on center stage as she stomped the West Hollywood streets in a pair of luxurious leather pants. She topped off the stylish look with a black shawl and chic black leather handbag while she paraded around in white sandals. Her trademark raven tresses were swept up in a loose bun as she hid her youthful glow behind a set of retro shades. Doting mom: The natural stunner rocked an all-black ensemble as she treated her son Pax, 15, to lunch at celebrity hotspot Cecconi's Impressive: Daring to impress, the Malificent star draped her famous figure in the skimpy lace trimmed black top that showed off her arm tattoos Pax cut a cool figure in his casual ensemble of white tee, grey slacks, and a beanie. In November, Angelina traveled to South Korea on an official visit as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee Special Envoy and set aside time to explore the country's institutions of higher learning with Maddox. The star also has close ties with Cambodia. Leggy display: Her gorgeous gams were thrust on center stage as she stomped the West Hollywood streets in a pair of luxurious leather pants Hair story: Her trademark raven tresses were swept up in a loose bun as she hid her youthful glow behind a set of retro shades The actress history with Camobodia - where eldest son Maddox, 17, was born - began in 2000 when she filmed the hit Tomb Raider on location. She returned two years later to adopt Maddox. The following year, she opened a foundation in Cambodia, now called the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation). Top it off: She topped off the stylish look with a black shawl and chic black leather handbag while she paraded around in white sandals Casual: Pax cut a cool figure in his casual ensemble of white tee, grey slacks, and a beanie The ex of Brad Pitt was also inspired by the country to make her Golden Globe nominated movie, First They Killed My Father. Based on Cambodia human rights activist Luong Ungs memoir, First They Killed My Father documents her experience as a young girl under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge. She spoke to Vanity Fair in 2017 about her first visit to Cambodia. 'I found a people who were so kind and warm and open, and, yes, very complex. You go there, and you see the families come out with their blanket and their picnic to watch a sunset,' she explained. Angelina has four other children she shares with ex Brad Pitt as well - daughters Zahara, 13, and Shiloh, 12, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 10. Take it home: She carried a take-out bag of goodies from the Italian restaurant Amber Heard continues to be one of the voices of her generation. The 33-year-old actress said millennial women are moving things forward as she appeared at the Create & Cultivate conference Saturday at the Industry City venue in Brooklyn, New York Saturday. 'We are a part of a vast army of voices that are not accepting silence,' the Austin, Texas-born beauty said at the Mastercard-sponsored function, which was attended by an estimated crowd of 1,500. Out and about: Amber Heard, 33, appeared at the Create & Cultivate conference Saturday at the Industry City venue in Brooklyn, New York Saturday The organization, which has been running for seven years, said it aims with the event to unite '80+ CEOs, content creators and celebrities ... to discuss key topics surrounding entrepreneurship, the digital space, and life as a modern working woman.' Heard, who has been in the headlines as of late amid her ongoing legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp, wore a honey yellow two-piece ensemble of a coat and pants made of patterned silk. She had her lustrous blonde locks parted and wore multiple earrings and necklaces to the luxe professional event. Heard, who played Mera to Jason Momoa's Aquaman in the 2018 blockbuster, encouraged the crowd at the event to seek to make a difference, saying that 'only the people who benefit from the status quo dont want to change it ... the world thats better for someone else is going to be an inherently better world for you.' Heard has been out and about in the city this week, as on Wednesday she attended the Planned Parenthood NY Spring Gala, opening up there to W Magazine about why she will always back the organization, which remains at the center of political debates. Fashionista: Heard wore a honey yellow two-piece of a coat and pants made with patterned silk Progress: Heard held a placard celebrating the influx of female representatives following last year's midterm elections Inspire: Heard told attendees at the event, 'The world thats better for someone else is going to be an inherently better world for you' 'Planned Parenthood is doing work on behalf of people who have no voice and no position of power,' said the actress. 'I can't be more proud to represent the future and our place in this debate, which is saying, "We're not going to continue to allow people who have never had their feet in the stirrups to decide what we do with our bodies."' She added, 'If you've not had your feet in the stirrups, mind your own f***ing business.' Other celebrities at Saturday's event included Martha Stewart, Kate Walsh, Ashley Graham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Outspoken: The Austin, Texas-born beauty told the crowd, 'We are a part of a vast army of voices that are not accepting silence' The GLAAD Media Awards audience got a surprise this Saturday night when the show was held in Manhattan. Pregnant Chelsea Clinton, 39, hit the stage and delivered a speech, modeling a simple black dress with multiple necklaces. 'As a parent, I am particularly grateful GLAAD will not rest until LGBTQ people and all marginalized communities have 100 percent acceptance,' she said, per GLAAD. There she is: The GLAAD Media Awards audience got a surprise this Saturday night when the show was held in Manhattan - a speech from pregnant Chelsea Clinton Chelsea is pregnant with her third child by her investor husband Marc Mezvinsky, whom she has been married to since 2010. Marc and Chelsea - who share Charlotte, four, and Aidan, two - will welcome their next little pride and joy this summer. This Saturday was the 30th annual edition of the show - and it is not the first time Chelsea has addressed the GLAAD Media Awards. She presented her father, former United States President Bill Clinton, with the Advocate For Change award during the 2013 ceremony. Ally: 'As a parent, I am particularly grateful GLAAD will not rest until LGBTQ people and all marginalized communities have 100 percent acceptance,' she said, per GLAAD He urged the repeal of the Defense Of Marriage Act - which he himself had signed during his presidency - and said his change of heart was influenced by Chelsea. 'Chelsea and her gay friends have modeled to me how we should all treat each other regardless of our sexual orientation or any other artificial difference that divides us.' He added, according to The Hollywood Reporter: 'Many of them come and join us every Thanksgiving for a meal. I have grown very attached to them.' Family matters: Chelsea is pregnant with her third child by her investor husband Marc Mezvinsky, whom she has been married to since 2010 Bill and Chelsea recently revealed that they are launching a joint podcast - without Chelsea's mother, former Senator and Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton. Chelsea's GLAAD Media Awards appearance comes after DailyMail.com reported that she was paid $299,957 as a board member of IAC in 2018. This is despite the fact that she has only had to attend six meetings for the company, chaired by Clinton family friend Barry DIller. Her daughter Kim Kardashian has her own line of fragrances. But Kris Jenner was supporting another perfume on Saturday, when she attended the launch of Carine Roitfeld's 7 Lovers perfume in New York City. The 63-year-old reality matriarch was stunning in a leopard print outfit as she arrived with her boyfriend Corey Gamble, 38. Striking figure: Kris Jenner, 63, attended the launch of Carine Roitfeld's 7 Lovers perfume in New York City on Saturday with her boyfriend Corey Gamble, 38 Kris' themed outfit featured a short leopard print dress that hugged her body. She draped a matching double-breasted coat with extra wide lapels over top, and wore a pair of high heeled boots in a similar print. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star had on a pair of large hoop earrings, and she covered up with a pair of flesh-colored fishnet stockings. Fierce: Kris' themed outfit featured a short leopard print dress that hugged her body On point: She draped a matching double-breasted coat with extra wide lapels over top, and wore a pair of high heeled boots in a similar print Corey seems to have coordinated with Kris, wearing a beige button down shirt adorned with tiny coats of arms and a pair of forest green corduroy pants. The socialite couple met up outside the event with legendary fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and his wife Dee Ocleppo. Kris has previously been associated with Carine Roitfeld, who hosted the launch. She can claim the credit for showing the fashion journalist how the other half live by taking her to a Walmart for the first time, according to Page Six. Roitfeld also recently designed a T-shirt for Kanye West's Yeezy brand. Matching: Corey seems to have coordinated with Kris, wearing a beige button down shirt adorned with tiny coats of arms and a pair of forest green corduroy pants Icon: The socialite couple met up outside the event with legendary fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and his wife Dee Ocleppo New discovery! According to Page Six, Kris accompanied Carine Roitfeld on her first trip to a Walmart Also making an appearance at the elite fashion event was model Gigi Hadid, 24. The blonde beauty showed off a stylish androgynous look with a loose-fitting chocolate suit. The look featured a long jacket and a high-waisted pair of slacks that reached to the ground, nearly covering up her pointy brown heels. The sister of Bella Hadid carried along a tiny golden handbag and let her dark blonde locks cascade messily over her shoulders. Chic look: Also making an appearance at the elite fashion event was model Gigi Hadid, 24, who wore a chic chocolate suit Swallowed up: The loose, high-waisted slacks nearly covered her pointy brown heels Sultry: Gigi posed with Roitfeld, who showed some skin in a lacy black top, mixed with a black blazer and skirt Gigi posed with Roitfeld, who showed some skin in a lacy black top, mixed with a black blazer and skirt. The model of Palestinian descent also showed off her chic look alongside fashion influencer Luka Sabbat and English Forumula One racer Lewis Hamilton. She was joined by fellow models Joan Smalls and Halima Aden, as well as the always fashionable Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross. Stylish trio: The model of Palestinian descent also showed off her chic look alongside fashion influencer Luka Sabbat (L) and English Forumula One racer Lewis Hamilton (R) Showing support: She was joined by fellow models Joan Smalls (Far L) and Halima Aden (Second L), as well as the always fashionable Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross (R) Carine herself could be seen throwing an arm around legendary fashion designer Tom Ford, who planted an affectionate kiss on her cheek. After making a splash in a bustier at Gigi's birthday party a few days back, Helena Christensen slipped into a cleavage-baring black cocktail dress. On occasion, Helena slipped a denim jacket over her outfit, and it was while she was wearing this wrap that she posed with Carine. Sizzling: Carine herself could be seen throwing an arm around legendary fashion designer Tom Ford, who planted an affectionate kiss on her cheek She looks spectacular: After making a splash in a bustier at Gigi's birthday party a few days back, Helena Christensen slipped into a cleavage-baring black cocktail dress Dynamic duo: After making a splash in a bustier at Gigi's birthday party a few days back, Helena Christensen slipped into a cleavage-baring black cocktail dress Meanwhile, Formula One race car driver Lewis Hamilton was hunky as ever in a flowing white top with the top button beguilingly undone. Stella Maxwell, the Victoria's Secret Angel who used to be in a relationship with Kristen Stewart, shot her best smoldering stare at the camera. Tommy Hilfiger, 68, attended the star-studded bash on the arm of his second wife Dee, 52, whom he has been married to since 2008. Meanwhile: Formula One race car driver Lewis Hamilton was hunky as ever in a flowing white top with the top button beguilingly undone When you got it, flaunt it: Stella Maxwell, the Victoria's Secret Angel who used to be in a relationship with Kristen Stewart, shot her best smoldering stare at the camera He's famously shared a bizarre kiss with French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld in 2017. And it seems Jordan Barrett, 23, is still close pals with the 64-year-old style icon, having scored himself an invitation to her exclusive perfume launch in Soho, New York on Saturday. The Australian male model was spotted outside the event looking chic in a matching midnight blue T-shirt and trousers. Boy in blue! Jordan Barrett, 23, looked stylish in a monochromatic ensemble as he attended French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld's perfume launch in New York on Saturday The fashion 'bad boy' carried a blue blazer and completed his ensemble with a pair of black leather loafers. Keeping with his famously edgy look, Jordan left his iconic sandy mane to hang in naturally tousled waves. He also added a touch of glitz to his outfit by adding a series of gold rings and a matching bracelet. Style star: The fashion 'bad boy' carried a blue blazer and completed his ensemble with a pair of black leather loafers At one stage, Jordan was seen leaving the bustling event with a phone pressed to his ear and brown leather wallet in hand. Carine, who is in a long-term relationship with partner Christian Restoin, famously shared a kiss on the lips with Jordan before presenting him with the auspicious Male Model Of The Year award in 2017. In many European countries such as France, kissing close friends and family on the lips (with lips closed) is a relatively common occurrence. 'Lover': Jordan shared this Instagram Story update on Sunday to promote Carine's new venture into the perfume market Remember this? Carine, who is in a long-term relationship with partner Christian Restoin, famously shared a kiss on the lips with Jordan before presenting him with the auspicious Male Model Of The Year award in 2017 Jordan has graced the runway for a slew of high-end fashion labels, including Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino and Versace at Milan Fashion Week. However the model's appeal lies beyond the catwalk, having been linked to the likes of 'it' girls Hailey Baldwin, Sofia Richie, Megan Blake Irwin, Lara Stone and Sahara Ray. Meanwhile, the young star made his debut in new short film Carte Blanche - which premiered at at the international Mammoth Film Festival in March. Described as a 'psychosexual nightmare', the film explores the damaging effects of fame and money on a naive young actor as he is manipulated by nefarious powers in Hollywood. Ashley Hart has made no secret of her previous struggles with body image. Now, as one of Australia's most successful models, the star has reflected upon the insecurities she suffered during her first European posting in Germany in 2006. Speaking to Women's Health magazine on Sunday, the 30-year-old admitted she was 'getting told to be skinny' on jobs while overseas at just 17. Model Ashley Hart, 30, reflected on her body insecurities while revealing the one thing that helped her find 'peace' during an interview with Women's Health magazine on Sunday Ashley broached the subject while discussing her love of yoga - which she credits to helping her with acceptance. 'I had that first moment of peace and separation [from my thoughts and] I was like, "Oh my God, there's more going on in this yoga practice than I actually have been giving [it] credit for",' said Ashley. 'At the time, I was [modelling] in Germany and started really suffering with insecurities [as] I was getting told to be skinny and all these things.' Shocking: Speaking to the publication, the 30-year-old admitted she was 'getting told to be skinny' on jobs while overseas at just 17 Ashley concluded: 'So, the contrast of having that separation [from thoughts] was huge for me.' The star also opened up about her past struggles with body image in an editorial shoot for Conscious Collection in October 2017. 'For many years I tried to be skinnier,' she told the publication at the time. 'If I could've been taller I would have. I was always trying to fit into the role of what I thought people wanted me to be.' 'I had that first moment of peace and separation': Ashley broached the subject while discussing her love of yoga - which she credits to helping her with acceptance back then The younger sister of Victoria's Secret model Jessica Hart said despite her struggles, she's now the happiest she's ever been. 'I'm finally at a place where I'm loving life. It's beautiful to get to a place where we can have a beautiful relationship with ourselves and love who we are,' she said. Martha Kalifatidis joined leading Australian talent agency MGMT last week. But the controversial Married At First Sight star's exciting announcement has been overshadowed by a growing backlash. With the agency representing top models such as Natalie Roser and Rebecca Burrow, some have claimed the reality star is too 'low a calibre' for their books. Australia's next top model? MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis has faced a growing backlash after joining same talent agency as stars Natalie Roser and Rebecca Burrow 'Martha isn't of the same caliber as the rest of your influencers. Best of luck though,' wrote one person on Instagram, after the agency announced they'd signed Martha on Thursday. Another vented: 'Boycotting this company and anyone else that users her.' A third Instagram user wrote: 'Any product that she endorses I will go out of my way to not purchase along with my friends and family, and probably half the country. Your brand would do better to not have someone like this working for you.' 'Martha isn't of the same caliber as the rest of your influencers': After the Australian talent agency announced their signing to Instagram on Thursday, they received a mixed response Sharing black and white professional shots of Martha to their Instagram page, MGMT announced they are now representing the MAFS star, 30, on Thursday. Martha also announced the news on her own Instagram channel, joking with fans as she penned alongside her picture: 'get your people to talk to my people @mgmt__' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to MGMT for comment. Reputable: The agency is known for having high-profile models listed on its books, including Natalie Roser (pictured) Among the negative comments, however, fans had thrown their support behind Martha and her new endeavour - telling the star to 'ignore' her hate directed at her. She isn't the first star from Married At First Sight's sixth season to sign with MGMT, however, as the agency already represents Cam Merchant, Jules Robinson and Sam Ball. Martha, who 'married' Michael Brunelli on the show, was branded a 'villain' by viewers due to her alliance with 'cheaters' Jessika Power and Ines Basic. Despite their involvement in the 'cheating' scandal, Martha and Michael are one of the only couples to stay together outside of the experiment. They agreed to stay together during their final vows on MAFS, despite having doubts about getting involved in a long-distance relationship. Martha is based in Bondi, Sydney and was reluctant to move back to Melbourne to be with Michael, despite her family being based there too.' Karl Stefanovic's absence from the Today show appears to be having a disastrous knock-on effect with the ratings. And on Sunday, Triple M's Jane Kennedy claimed Nine's morning show isn't the same without the controversial host, 44. 'I really miss Karl on my TV screen,' the 54-year-old told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'I really miss him on my TV screen!' Triple M's Jane Kennedy revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, that she wants Karl Stefanovic back on Today... as Nine's morning show ratings continue to spiral Going on to explain breakfast show hosts are restricted in what they can say on air, the Kennedy Molloy host believed Karl spoke his mind. 'On television, that can be restricted. I feel for the people on Today and all those morning shows; they must be busting to say what they think,' she said. 'Karl had a good shot at it,' Kate added. Radio star: Jane is known for hosting Triple M's drive-time show, Kennedy Molloy. She is pictured with former Bachelor Nick Cummins [left] and co-host Mick Molloy [right] The DJ's comments come as audiences continue to abandon the Today show in their droves. And last month, figures showed the troubled program had been bypassed by Seven's The Morning Show. Channel Nine's flagship breakfast program, which airs between 5:30am and 9:00am, was defeated by Seven's second-tier offering, which runs during the later [and traditionally lower rating] time slot of 9:00am to 11:30am. Awkward! Last month, figures showed the Today show had been bypassed in the ratings by Seven's The Morning Show. Pictured left: Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner, and right: Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies As reported by TV Blackbox, The Morning Show pulled in 207,000 metro viewers while Today attracted a dismal 176,000 on Good Friday, which falls within the Easter non-ratings period. Meanwhile, Channel Seven's Sunrise averaged a metro audience of 274,000 on Good Friday, beating Today by almost 100,000 viewers. Today recently hit an embarrassing low when it was seemingly beaten by ABC News Breakfast, but Channel Nine bosses have strongly disputed these figures. The rebooted Today show has struggled to find an audience since Karl Stefanovic was sacked last year and replaced by Deborah Knight. Fitness queen Kayla Itsines announced the birth of baby girl Arna Leia via caesarean on Tuesday. And on Sunday, the 27-year-old told her Instagram fans that she is 'so keen' to get her abs back, once she has received clearance from her doctor. While expressing her desire to get her pre-pregnancy body back, the trainer shared a throwback video performing a gruelling abdominal series in her home. Kayla Itsines, 27, told her Instagram fans on Sunday that she's 'so keen' to get her washboard stomach back while sharing an old video - days after giving birth to daughter Arna Leia 'Once I have clearance from my doctor and I'm able to post-pregnancy, I am so keen to get back in the gym to create some new ab workouts for you ladies!' wrote Kayla. 'It has been ages since I've physically been able to train abs and it's one of my favourite muscle groups so I'm really excited.' Kayla accompanied her post with a throwback video of herself performing a series of sit-ups and exercises targeting the obliques. Motivated! While expressing her desire to get her pre-pregnancy body back, the trainer shared the throwback video performing a gruelling abdominal series in her home 'In the meantime, here is a SERIOUS ab workout for you,' she wrote, while promoting her fitness app. Just days prior on Tuesday, Kayla took to Instagram to announce the birth of her first child, daughter Arna Leia. She posted a picture of her fiance Tobi Pearce, 26, holding the little girl for her 11.4 million Instagram followers. Welcome to the world: On Tuesday, Kayla took to Instagram to announce the birth of her first child, Arna Leia. She shared a photo of her fiance Tobi Pearce, 26, holding their little girl Precious: Tobi also posted a picture on Instagram of him holding his new little one In a lengthy caption, Kayla described how she stared into his eyes during the delivery, before her 'perfect' child was born. The young couple from Adelaide embraced as Tobi, with tears streaming down his face, whispered 'she's so perfect, I love you.' Kayla, a Greek-Australian Instagram fitness model worth $487 million, said the birth happened a couple of days ago and her doctor had recommended a caesarean. Caesarean: Kayla, a Greek-Australian Instagram fitness model worth $487 million, said the birth happened a couple of days ago and her doctor had recommended a caesarean Impressive: In March, it was revealed the Australian couple have accumulated a half a billion-dollar fortune just five years after launching a women's fitness app In March it was revealed the Australian couple have amassed almost half a billion dollars just five years after launching a women's fitness app. They have made $487 million with Sweat, a workout app created out of Kayla's own exercise regime which she called the Bikini Body Guide (BBG). The pair have been listed at number 206 and 207 on The Australian's The List, the youngest to be featured, two years after making it on the Young Rich List 2017 with a combined fortune of $109 million. Kalya and Tobi met at a gym and have lived together since 2013. They got engaged in April last year. She is a British-born heiress, model, fashion designer and socialite. And Petra Ecclestone ensured all eyes were on her as she headed for a night out with her girl pals in West Hollywood on Saturday. Heading to celeb hotspot Craig's, the 30-year-old turned heads as she slipped her leggy frame into a pair of skintight PVC shorts. Girls' night out! Petra Ecclestone ensured all eyes were on her as she headed for a night out with her girl pals in West Hollywood on Saturday Petra paired the racy shorts with a simple black vest and shrugged an eye-catching leopard print coat over her shoulders. Flaunting her tremendously tanned pins, the Formula One heiress accentuated her slender frame with black strappy sandals. Petra styled her long blonde locks in a sleek straight half-up half-down do and finished off her night out ensemble with a bronzed make-up look. Racy display: Heading to celeb hotspot Craig's, the 30-year-old turned heads as she slipped her leggy frame into a pair of skintight PVC shorts Strutting her stuff: The blonde beauty held hands with a pal as she tottered to their chauffeur-driven car Glam: Petra paired the racy shorts with a simple black vest and shrugged an eye-catching leopard print coat over her shoulders Leggy: Flaunting her tremendously tanned pins, the Formula One heiress accentuated her slender frame with black strappy sandals Petra, who is engaged to Sam Palmer, flew solo for her night out and appeared in high spirits as she tottered into the restaurant with her friends. The socialite and Sam became engaged last year, and in the wake of their engagement, the Maddox art gallery manager posted a sweet tribute to the socialite after exclusively announcing their engagement to MailOnline. He told his followers Petra accepting his proposal was one of his personal highlights of 2018. Stunning: Petra styled her long blonde locks in a sleek straight half-up half-down do Girly time: Petra, who is engaged to Sam Palmer, flew solo for her night out Letting her hair down: The mother-of-three appeared in high spirits as she tottered into the restaurant with her friends Cute: The socialite and Sam became engaged last year, and in the wake of their engagement, the Maddox art gallery manager posted a sweet tribute to the socialite Me time: Petra took time of from her mummy duties to party with her friends As the former electrician delighted over the news, Petra's Formula 1 tycoon father, Bernie Ecclestone, 88, seemed less impressed, saying he 'doesn't know what the hurry is' - just 14 months on from his daughter's explosive divorce. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: 'I told her I dont know what the hurry is I dont understand the reason.' The businessman's reaction stood in stark contrast to Sam's words. Sunkissed: Petra finished off her night out ensemble with a bronzed make-up look Having a blast: Petra put on an animated display in the back of her taxi The vintage car dealer wrote: 'A personal thank you to everyone that made opening Maddox Gallery Los Angeles possible. 'I hope everyone had as an amazing year as us and that 2019 brings lots of love,health and happiness to all. 'My personal highlights have been opening the gallery in LA with the woman I love and her agreeing to marry me Here is to a fantastic 2019.' Petra and Sam announced their engagement on New Year's Eve after one year of dating, and just 14 months on from her acrimonious divorce from James Stunt, with whom she shares three children. Advertisement Cathy Freeman's beautiful old home in Melbourne's Kew is currently for sale. The champion, known for sprinting to glory at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, owned the property for seven years between 1999 and 2006, as reported by Real Estate. Featuring spectacular 'tree top' style views, five modern bedrooms and a luxury pool, the 46-year-old's previous property has been listed for $3.4-$3.7 million dollars. Spectacular 'tree top' views, five modern bedrooms and a luxurious pool: Olympic champion Cathy Freeman's beautiful old home has been listed for over $3.5 million, according to Real Estate on Sunday. Pictured: Cathy Freeman in October, 2017 It's claimed that Cathy sold the property to the current vendors for $1.75 million in 2006. The publication reported that potential buyers are given a '$3.4-$3.7 million price guide' from the current owners, that will close on the 3rd of June. Selling agent Anton Zhouk Hawthorn said the home had barely changed in its' structure since Cathy lived there, apart from added bi-fold doors and a deck. Wow! Cathy owned the property from 1999 to 2006, before selling it to the current owners for $1.75 million 13 years ago. Pictured: The home's backyard and pool The owners described the luxury abode as an 'incredible entertainer [where it] feels like you're living in the treetops'. Surrounded by breathtaking greenery, the 1033 square meter property features an open-plan space with abundant natural lighting. Sporting a contemporary interior and wooden floorboards, the comfortable home also features a blue and wooden theme in its interior design touches. Gorgeous: The owners described the luxury abode as an 'incredible entertainer [where it] feels like you're living in the treetops'. Pictured: The home's living room Stunning: Surrounded by breathtaking greenery, the 1033 square meter property features an open-plan space with abundant natural lighting The home has a stainless steel kitchen, a sauna and an open dining room, two steps down from the living room. It is moments away from various shopping strips and a short stroll to a convent and the Yarra Valley river. The views are accessible from three verandas, a balcony and ceiling windows in the luxury bathroom. Contemporary: The main bedroom in the house is also equipped with a walk-in wardrobe and a glamorous en-suite. Pictured: One of the five bedrooms in the home The main bedroom in the house is also equipped with a walk-in wardrobe and a glamorous en-suite. Cathy lived in the property, located at 30 Yarravale Rd, after she claimed her 400m gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Dani Dyer has slammed reports that she faked her Love Island romance with ex boyfriend Jack Fincham. The claims come after it was also suggested that she hid her relationship with Sammy Kimmence and had been messaging him before entering the famous villa. But reality star Dani, 23, has hit back at the reports in a scathing tweet on Sunday, stating that there's 'no truth' in the 'hurtful' claims. Furious: Dani Dyer has slammed reports that she faked her Love Island romance with ex boyfriend Jack Fincham Taking to Twitter, a furious Dani referenced the reports, writing: 'How are you allowed to write this? Like drop this leave it alone. 'Constant articles to bring me down when Im trying to be happy. Who has game plans like that. 'Things dont work out, things change but to write an article like this is just so hurtful when theres no truth.' Her messages were met with a flurry of supportive messages from fans, who urged her to ignore the story. Shock: The claims come after it was also suggested that she hid her relationship with Sammy Kimmence and had been messaging him before entering the famous villa (pictured with Jack in January 2019) It was originally reported in The Sun that Dani, who split from 27-year-old Jack in March, had been secretly messaging her ex, telling him that she wanted a future with him. It was also reported that brunette beauty only joined the ITV2 show to gain publicity and secure 'lucrative deals'. A source revealed to the publication: 'She wanted to make the most out of the show and ensure she bagged the most lucrative deals. Denial: Reality star Dani, 23, has hit back at the reports in a scathing tweet on Sunday, stating that there's 'no truth' in the 'hurtful' claims 'She knew the best way to do this was to become the nations sweetheart and Jack added to that image.' The insider added: 'It was always her intention to go back to Sammy.' MailOnline have contacted representatives of Dani for comment. Dani won the 2018 series with pen salesman Jack, but they broke up six months later, with Dani moving onto stockbroker Sammy just two weeks later. Accused: It was originally reported in The Sun that Dani, who split from Jack in March, had been secretly messaging her ex Sammy, telling him that she wanted a future with him The couple were spotted passionately in the street last month in what was deemed as a confirmation of their reunion. Just days ago, Dani was forced to lash out at claims from a publication that she had been liking Sammy's snaps while dating Jack, while also responding to a follower who insisted she 'pretended to love Jack'. After Dani hit back at the claims in the bold statement, one critic responded under her denial: 'When you go back to an ex after pretending to love jack, it shows you always still loved your ex and did it for the fame, that's a fact.. to think most people thought you was genuine.' She lashed out at the comment writing: 'You know nothing. Put your story away.' Twitter rant: 'Things dont work out, things change but to write an article like this is just so hurtful when theres no truth' Meanwhile, Jack seemingly attempted to mend his romance woes by sliding into the DM's of TOWIE star Chloe Brockett. 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.' 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. She's no stranger to turning heads on the runway. But Karlie Kloss demanded attention away from catwalk too as she put on a dazzling display as she arrived for Harry Josh's Pre Met Gala Party at the Edition Hotel in Times Square. The model, 26, looked radiant as she joined fellow catwalk Queens Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls at the glitzy bash in Manhattan on Saturday. Stunning: Karlie Kloss put on a dazzling display as she arrived for Harry Josh's Pre Met Gala Party at the Edition Hotel in Times Square Karlie wowed in a cleavage-baring black sequinned gown, which featured a daring split at the front. The Project Runway host teamed her ensemble with a pair of black heels and a black handbag. Her blonde tresses were styled into beach waves, while she added a subtle touch of make-up which highlighted her stunning features. The Chicago-born star beamed to the camera as she made her showstopping entrance to the bash. Turning heads: The model, 26, looked radiant as she joined fellow catwalk Queens Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls at the glitzy bash in Manhattan on Saturday Not to be outdone, Candice and Joan also looked stunning as they arrived at the event together. Candice, 30, caught the eye in a bright red satin bomber jacket with matching trousers. Displaying her taut midriff, she wore a black bandeau top underneath her open jacket. The South African star added a tiny white handbag to her look and rocked towering pointed stilettos which perfectly matched the hue of her bright ensemble. Eye-catching: Karlie wowed in a cleavage-baring black sequinned gown, which featured a daring split at the front The Victoria's Secret model wore her blonde locks in loose waves and added a slick of glam make-up including rouge lips to match her outfit. Joan, meanwhile flashed her slender pins in a glittery purple and black co-ord consisting of a chic T-shirt and matching cycle shorts. The supermodel, 30, added height to her already tall frame with a pair of silver heels, while she also rocked silver earrings and carried a stylish clutch bag under her arm. The Puerto Rican beauty swept her brunette tresses into a low bun and added a bright pop of colour to her lips. All three stunners appeared in good spirits as they made their way into celebrity hairstylist Harry's annual showbiz bash. Harry has been throwing the party yearly since 2005, with other past attendees including Cindy Crawford, Taylor Swift and Kate Bosworth. Line Of Duty star Martin Compston looked cheerful on Sunday during an appearance on Sunday Brunch - despite being left 'shaken' after a truck crashed into his cab just days earlier. The 34-year-old actor escaped unscathed after the HGV ploughed into the side of the vehicle he had been sitting in during a taxi ride through Salford, Manchester, on Thursday. But the star appeared unfazed as he chatted to hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer on the Channel 4 show, discussing the much-talked-about Line Of Duty finale - and hinting that fans won't see the main plot of the series resolved any time soon. He's okay: Line Of Duty star Martin Compston looked cheerful on Sunday during an appearance on Sunday Brunch - despite being left 'shaken' after a truck crashed into his cab just days earlier. Of the finale - which airs in a matter of hours - he said: 'The show has already been commissioned for another series - but who knows who will make it there. 'I think what makes [writer] Jed [Mercurio] so good at writing is that there will be a few pay-offs. I hope people won't be disappointed. 'There will be some things resolved. We've got a 90-minute episode. I think it's alright.' Martin's words suggest there will be unanswered questions and that fans will have to wait until, likely 2021, to find out more. Close call: The 34-year-old actor escaped unscathed after the HGV ploughed into the side of the vehicle he had been sitting in during a taxi ride through Salford, Manchester, on Thursday Unfazed: The star chatted to hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer on the Channel 4 show, discussing the much-talked-about Line Of Duty finale - and hinting that fans won't see the main plot of the series resolved any time soon With the biggest question being 'who is H?', it could be that viewers don't actually get the answer. Martin plays AC-12's Steve Arnott squirmed a little when probed about what could happen, yet kept his cool. He seemed more than healthy following his car accident which, according to reports, saw one of the doors of the vehicle left completely destroyed. Dashcam footage obtained by The Sun shows the moments after the star escaped serious injury as he was being driven back to his hotel in the city. Of the finale - which airs in a matter of hours - he said: 'The show has already been commissioned for another series - but who knows who will make it there' The wait is over... or is it? Martin's words suggest there will be unanswered questions and that fans will have to wait until, likely 2021, to find out more Tell us more: Martin plays AC-12's Steve Arnott squirmed a little when probed about what could happen, yet kept his cool. He seemed more than healthy following his car accident which, according to reports, saw one of the doors of the vehicle left completely destroyed Taxi driver Derek Burton, 71, who claimed he had been waiting at a red light when the accident took place, described the moment the large truck smashed into his vehicle. He told The Sun: 'There was a thundering bang. I thought it was a bomb. Martin screamed. We didn't know what happened. We hadn't seen the truck. 'It smashed into where he was sitting. Martin's door was bashed in. It was probably doing 10mph but was so big it destroyed the cab.' Fighting crime: Footage obtained by The Sun shows the star after he escaped serious injury On the hunt: The actor is currently starring in the fifth series of the BBC drama Line of Duty On duty: Martin stars as Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in the BBC One crime thriller Footage following the crash shows the Line of Duty actor walk around the cab as the taxi driver and the HGV driver exchange details. Elsewhere, fans of Line Of Duty were in uproar after the series five DVD hit shops before the highly anticipated last episode has even aired. A shopper in Sainsbury's found the latest season alongside the series one to five boxset in the store and took to Twitter to announce it. An unnamed branch of the high street giant had accidentally stacked the DVD early and HMV workers in Aberdeen tweeted that they had a copy since Friday. One person wrote on Twitter: '#LineOfDuty I hear that @sainsburys has released series 5 on DVD already, @BBC need to issue a reg 15. Not on with just over 24 hours to go for the finale.' Elsewhere: Fans of Line Of Duty were in uproar after the series five DVD hit shops before the highly anticipated last episode has even aired Another said: 'Very disappointed about #lineofduty spoilers - apparently some Sainsbury's accidentally selling the S5 DVD early. Avoiding the Facebook group and hashtag now.' And another wrote: '@jed_mercurio Just wondering what you think of @sainsburys, they've been selling Series 5 DVD today, instead of Monday! The 47k members of the @Line_of_duty FB fan page are NOT happy.' A HMV in Aberdeen added in a tweet: 'When you realise that the explosive #LineOfDuty series finale is this Sunday night, but we have the DVD copies in store now for Monday's release...#itsajoke #we'llwait #temptingthough #whosH #AC12.' A spokesman for Sainsbury's confirmed the mistake but said it had been removed from shelves. Fury: Fans reacted angrily that a Sainsbury's store has stocked series five of Line of Duty before it airs on BBC One. HMV Aberdeen added in a tweet that they had the disc since Friday but said they will not sell it Sunday night's final episode could draw a huge audience of more than 10million and will be a feature-length 90-minute show as the police anti-corruption officers work to uncover who the real H is. The first four episodes of series five attracted larger audiences than any other programme on UK television this year. The episodes averaged 10.6million viewers in seven-day four-screen consolidated figures. Off the hook? New photos suggest Ted isn't 'H' as after being thrown in a prison cell last week Popular: The episodes averaged 10.6million viewers in seven-day four-screen consolidated figures, with the penultimate episode receiving the highest overnight figure for Line Of Duty ever. Pictured: DS Steve Arnott (left) and undercover copper John Corbett (right) Last Sunday's show got the highest overnight figure for Line Of Duty ever - peaking at 8.3million and averaging at 7.9million. Line Of Duty showrunner, Jed Mercurio, said of the new figures: 'We're thrilled and flattered by the amazing response to this series of Line Of Duty.' He added: 'On behalf of the whole production, I want to thank our viewers for their fantastic loyalty, and World Productions and the BBC for their unstinting support.' Superintendent Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, 60, faces a grilling from the shadowy Patricia Carmichael from rival AC-3 over whether or not he is this series's 'bent copper'. The list of evidence against the Northern Irishman is staggering and last week's episode saw him shakily defend himself against Carmichael. Mystery: Line Of Duty series five concludes on Sunday night, and during the epic 90-minute finale fans are hoping the show's biggest mystery will be solved - who is 'H'? Suspect: Hastings seemed the most unlikeliest of candidates to be a 'bent copper' going into series five, but faces a grilling from a rival anti-corruption group story New face: Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin), who had her first scenes in the show on Sunday, is the latest name in the frame as she interrogates Ted Hastings over being H One of the major mysteries yet to be solved is what Hastings said to OCG (organised crime group) member Lee Banks in episode four during his visit to Blackthorn Prison. The visit was used in Hastings's interrogation last week as a huge piece of evidence that he had conspired to murder undercover copper John Corbett. Line Of Duty season five concludes on BBC One at 9pm. MasterChef's Huda Al Sultan was the first contestant to be sent home from the competition on Sunday night's episode. The hopeful's overcooked steak during the second Mystery Box challenge burned any shot of success for the 34-year-old on the show. Her abrupt exit comes after recently making headlines by revealing that she married her late sister's husband following a family tragedy almost two decades ago. Sent home: MasterChef's Huda Al Sultan, 34, was the first hopeful to be sent home from the eleventh season of the show on Sunday night Sunday night's episode saw contestants competing in two Mystery Box challenges. The first box, which contained mango, tamarind, lemon, squid and spatchcock, saw Huda prepare a savoury chicken pie with caramelised mango. And for the second challenge, contestants were required to prepare a dish out of ingredients including blackberries, black tahini, native Australian marron, black Angus Porterhouse steak, dark chocolate and eggplant. Huda prepared a grilled steak with creamy eggplant and a blackberry vinaigrette. Quick stint: Her overcooked steak ultimately led to her being eliminated Closing words: Following the elimination, Huda told her co-stars that 'life without challenges is boring' and to always 'choose courage over comfort' Her overcooked steak ultimately led to her being eliminated - the first contestant of the eleventh season. Following the elimination, Huda told her co-stars that 'life without challenges is boring' and to always 'choose courage over comfort'. Huda made headlines just recently when she revealed that she married her late sister's husband Abdulmunem following a family tragedy almost two decades ago. 'I didn't know if it was the right thing to do': Last month, Huda revealed that she married her late sister's husband Abdulmunem 15 years ago. Pictured Huda and Abdulmunem in 2014 In an interview with TV WEEK magazine last month, Huda revealed that she lost her older sister when she was just 16. Then, when Huda was 18, her family arranged for her to marry her late sister's husband, Abdulmunem. Huda and Abdulmunem share three children, two of which appeared during her debut on the show. PICTURED: Huda embraced her husband Abdulmunem and young daughter as she made her reality show debut last month Finding light through darkness: Despite the tragedy, Huda told TV Week she has been happily married for over 15 years, and has three children. Pictured Huda and her son in 2014 'It was awkward and I didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but I was young,' she told TV WEEK. 'My parents knew he was a good man and it's the traditional way of marriage [in Arab culture].' Huda - who was born in Saudi Arabia - explained her sister, Zainab was just 18 when she died tragically while pregnant. She said Zainab had been rushed to hospital during her her second trimester, but sadly neither she or the baby survived. There's no denying Elsa Pataky is a hugely accomplished Hollywood movie star. But on Sunday, the actress, 42, candidly admitted she struggled to put her glittering career on hold after first becoming a mother in 2012. 'I wanted to be a mum so badly, but I also wanted to be an actress and go for it,' Elsa, who is married to Chris Hemsworth, told Harper's Bazaar Australia. 'You worry your husband thinks you're just a mum': On Sunday, Elsa Pataky, 42, revealed her struggle to put her work on hold while raising her family in an interview with Harper's Bazaar Spanish-born Elsa, who married the Australian actor in 2010, has three children with him: India Rose, 6, and twins Tristan and Sasha, aged 5. The actress admitted that before having children, she felt 'certain' she would continue working while raising her children. However, once she became a mother, Elsa scaled her work back to focus on her family after relocating from America to Australia. Path: 'I went though a period when I was totally lost. I felt I have given up on that dream, but I couldn't continue on the same path,' Elsa candidly said during the interview Elsa said: 'I went though a period when I was totally lost. I felt I have given up on that dream, but I couldn't continue on the same path. 'There are moments you think everything is fine. But then you also worry that people - your husband - will look at you and think, You're just a mum.' Now based in picturesque Byron Bay, Elsa said when the couple were still living in Los Angeles it simply exacerbated their domestic situation. 'There are moments you think everything is fine. But then you also worry that people will look at you and think, You're just a mum,' Elsa, who is married to Chris Hemsworth, added The beauty admitted that 'work was always there' which was one of the reasons she decided to relocate to Chris' native Australia. Elsa has spoken before about juggling family and career, with her praising Thor star Chris for making her 'feel confident' and secure in her life. Brood: Elsa and Chris, who married in 2010, share three children: India Rose, 6, and twins Tristan and Sasha, aged 5. All pictured here with Elsa Speaking to WHO Magazine's Most Beautiful People earlier this month, she said Chris encouraged her to 'not feel guilty' about returning to work last year. Elsa starred in the Netflix series Tidelands last year, which saw her return to the spotlight as a leading actress on screen. 'He encouraged me to go back to work again after I stayed here [at home] with the kids for a while when they were born, and to not feel guilty about it,' Elsa said. Film star: 'We are always understanding of one another because we share the same passion for what we do' Elsa (pictured) said of her and Chris's shared love of acting 'We are always understanding of one another because we share the same passion for what we do.' In 2014, the couple swapped the bright lights of Hollywood for a more relaxed lifestyle in Byron Bay, a small town on the northern New South Wales coast. Since relocating to Australia, Chris has worked consistently in the Marvel superhero franchise but Elsa had until recently scaled back her career. Supportive: Elsa revealed her husband Chris encouraged her to 'not feel guilty' about returning to work last year, with her filming Netflix series, Tidelands Elsa told HOLA! in February that she was comfortable spending a few years focusing on motherhood because she had 'already worked a lot'. 'My husband was starting his career; it was his moment, and I wanted him to take advantage to work more,' she said of her decision to spend more time at home. 'We decided if we had children, I wanted to stay with them and enjoy them to the fullest - but it was my decision.' Katie Price showed off the results of her dramatic facelift as she attended her first public appearance since getting surgery in Turkey last week. The former glamour model, 40, looked back to her best after saying she felt like an 'alien' as she joined her son Harvey, 16, at Autism's Got Talent at the Mermaid Theatre in London on Sunday. Katie, who was pictured with angry bruises, bloodied scars and a swollen face after undergoing the knife last Saturday, appeared to be making a speedy recovery. New look: Katie Price showed off the results of her dramatic facelift as she attended her first public appearance since getting surgery in Turkey last week The mother-of-five, who also had an eye lift and eyelid lift, hid behind a pair of oversized sunglasses when she arrived with Harvey at the theatre. But after posing for photos, Katie found the confidence to take off her shades and reveal the results of her multiple surgeries. The television personality had even managed to apply make-up to her surgically-enhanced face, and kept up with her usual glamour with false eyelashes. The former glamour model, 40, looked back to her best as she joined her son Harvey, 16, at Autism's Got Talent at the Mermaid Theatre in London on Sunday Under the knife: The television personality previously said she felt like an 'alien' and was worried her ears would fall off from infection Katie showed no signs of discomfort as she spoke with Harvey on stage. Dressed in black cycle shorts, and an oversized khaki top, the former glamour model managed to cover up her compression underwear, which she had to wear after getting a bum lift. Last week Katie reportedly joked her ears could fall off if the scars from her recent facelift become infected. According to The Sun, the star is 'constantly paranoid' as her facial scars have been extremely slow to heal, after jetting to Turkey for the head-to-toe transformation. On the mend: Katie, who was pictured with angry bruises, bloodied scars and a swollen face after undergoing the knife last Saturday, appeared to be making a speedy recovery It comes as Katie was recently criticised by fans for crediting a weight loss product with helping her to lose 'three pounds in five days,' as many pointed out it may down to her recent liposuction. The source said: 'Katie's face is being very slow to heal. Her immune system is very low and she's constantly worried it'll get infected after both her boob and her face got infected in the past after surgery. 'She's concerned the scars around her face aren't healing quickly enough she's even joked her ears might fall off. 'She's keeping her hair up and away from the wounds and is constantly paranoid about the animals coming near her as she's been advised to stay away from anything dirty that could cause an infection.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Katie Price for comment. Katie has been recovering after reportedly jetting to Turkey for a facelift, Brazilian bum lift, eyebrow and eyelid surgery, and a tummy tuck. The star revealed the results in a recent social media post, where she joked her swollen face mimicked that of an alien. She said: 'I know I look unrecognisable here but 4 days after surgery so very swollen and look like a alien but cant believe how quick Im recovering from my surgery from head to toe excited for the results'. Hiding: The mother-of-five, who also had an eye lift and eyelid lift, hid behind a pair of oversized sunglasses when she arrived with Harvey at the theatre It comes as Katie was also slammed by fans in a recent social media post, as she credited a weight-loss coffee with helping her lose three pounds in less than a week. Posting a video of the product, the star wrote in the caption: '3lbs down in 5 days is always a good sign when starting a new program! 'If you love Coffee then #SkinnyCoffee is great for weight loss, boosting energy levels, and reducing bloating.' While many fans praised Katie's incredible figure in the post, others were quick to slam her for failing to point out that her weight loss may be a result of her recent liposuction. One wrote: 'Did you recently have a tummy tuck? It must be legit then,' while another added: 'Most of that weight was likely lost due to the surgery you had.' A third also wrote: '3lb isn't that to do with a tummy tuck?' Katie jetted to Instabul on Wednesday to undergo cosmetic surgery, after she was left feeling 'insecure' about her two stone weight gain. A source told MailOnline: 'Katies gone to Turkey for a procedure because she wants to sort her recent weight gain... 'Shes been insecure since putting on weight so is planning some work to help regain her confidence.' Stacey Dooley and her new boyfriend Kevin Clifton appeared in great spirits as they stepped out in London on Sunday afternoon, marking their first public appearance together since confirming their romance last month. The journalist, 32, and the professional dancer, 36, couldn't contain their joy as they strolled along the streets of the English capital to enjoy some quality time away from their busy schedules. Stacey and Kevin hit headlines last month as news of their budding relationship emerged just months after winning last year's edition of Strictly Come Dancing. Beaming: Stacey Dooley and her new boyfriend Kevin Clifton stepped out in London on Sunday afternoon for their first public appearance together since confirming their romance last month Looking effortlessly chic, the documentary filmmaker was dressed in a loose-fitting black T-shirt, lightly-distressed jeans and a sharp blazer coat. The TV personality complemented her off-duty appearance with a pair of designer loafers, and accessorised with kooky skinny sunglasses. Stacey's fiery red tresses were styled into loose waves, while her naturally radiant complexion was enhanced with minimal make-up. Kevin opted for comfort as he sported a cosy hooded jumper, tied in with dark-wash jeans and monochrome-coloured trainers. The look of love: The journalist, 32, and the professional dancer, 36, couldn't contain their joy as they strolled along the streets of the English capital to enjoy some quality time away from their busy schedules Where it all started: Stacey and Kevin hit headlines last month as news of their budding relationship emerged just months after winning last year's edition of Strictly Come Dancing (pictured on the show) Casual style: Looking effortlessly chic, the documentary filmmaker was dressed in a loose-fitting black T-shirt, lightly-distressed jeans and a sharp blazer coat All in the details: The TV personality complemented her off-duty appearance with a pair of designer loafers, and accessorised with kooky skinny sunglasses Natural glow: Stacey's fiery red tresses were styled into loose waves, while her naturally radiant complexion was enhanced with minimal make-up Low-key: Kevin opted for comfort as he sported a cosy hooded jumper, tied in with dark-wash jeans and monochrome-coloured trainers The new couple grinned from ear-to-ear throughout their walk while holding onto matching cups of coffee from Caffe Nero. Stacey recently escaped the drama surrounding her personal life as she holidayed with her pals in Portugal. The BBC star took to Instagram on Saturday to upload a snap of herself and a friend enjoying the sun during a laid back car ride. Back home: She recently returned back home from her girls' trip to Portugal, and filmed scenes for an upcoming series in Denver, Colorado Furious: There is said to have been drama around Stacey and Kevin's dalliance, with her ex, Sam Tucknott, reported to have confronted the dancer about his relationship with Stacey in a furious FaceTime call Close: The pair forged a close relationship when they showcased their fancy footwork on the BBC competition series last year Moving on: Kevin split from his third wife and co-star Karen in March 2018 Smitten: The new couple beamed throughout their walk while holding onto matching cups of coffee from Caffe Nero Stacey didnt appear to have a care in the world as she flashed a peace sign and posed with her pal during the girls getaway. Stacey's picture comes after she appeared to pay tribute to her supportive girlfriends earlier this week, posting a snap of her walking away from the camera in the desert, with her arm around one of them. There is said to have been drama around Stacey and Kevin's dalliance, with her ex, Sam Tucknott, reported to have confronted the dancer about his relationship with Stacey in a furious FaceTime call. The personal trainer, 30, claims he called Kevin a 'snake' and a 'rat' when he discovered flirty text messages sent to his ex after they separated. Escape: Stacey recently escaped the drama surrounding her personal life as she holidayed with her pals in Portugal 'I love you all': Stacey appeared to pay tribute to her supportive girlfriends on Instagram earlier this week, posting a snap of her walking away from the camera in the desert, with her arm around one of them He told the Mail on Sunday last month: 'He went white. I just stuck it on him, "Youre an absolute rat. How you conducted yourself. Just a slippery, slimy snake." He didnt say a word. He looked petrified. He looked so shocked. 'I am so respectful of [Stacey], but I am gutted and I am disappointed and I feel so let down that she did not have the respect for me to tell me and just come clean.' The fitness fanatic said Kevin - who he referred to as his 'best mate' - has since refused to meet and discuss the relationship 'man-to-man'. He said: 'To have that relationship where you are best buddies, but then you start going cold because you start fancying their girlfriend I hold no respect for him whatsoever. Old times: Stacey's ex Sam recently said Kevin - who he referred to as his 'best mate' - has since refused to meet and discuss the relationship 'man-to-man' 'He has gone from my best mate wanting to know the ins and outs of what I am up to and then he can't even go out of his way to reply. That's come from guilt.' And Sam, who split from Stacey after a five-year relationship in March, blames the potential match on the intensive hours Kevin and the journalist spent together on Strictly. He said all was well in their relationship until mid-November - when Stacey and Kevin were performing in the BBC competition series - and he noticed flirty text messages from the dancer. Intense: And Sam, who split from Stacey after a three-year relationship in March, blames the match on the intensive hours Kevin and the journalist spent together on Strictly Split: It comes after Sam revealed he had split from his girlfriend of five years in an interview with the Mail on Sunday Sam said a message Stacey received from Kevin one Sunday morning read 'I love dancing with you and spending every minute I can with you'. The personal trainer explained: 'Maybe I was too naive. Looking back now all the signs were there that I had lost Stacey, but I kept thinking we had done the hardest bit. 'I had proved to her for five years that I could cope with her going away for long periods of time because the love I have for her is unconditional.' But by the end of March, the couple had made arrangements to separate and for Stacey to move out of their Brighton home. Flirt: Sam said a message Stacey received from Kevin one Sunday morning read 'I love dancing with you and spending every minute I can with you' It was then that Sam discovered a text message from Kevin which he said confirmed to him that they were in a relationship - and he decided to confront the dancer. He told the Sun: 'Her phone went and it was Kevin Clifton 'I love you' with a red love heart.' Kevin split from his third wife and co-star Karen in March 2018. Former flame: By the end of March, the couple had made arrangements to separate and move out of their Brighton home Competing on Strictly requires hard work and often draws competitors away from their families, creating rifts between loved ones. This phenomenon is known as the Strictly curse and has led to several divorces and breakups. A series of couples have fallen victim to the curse since the show's inception in 2004, including Natasha Kaplinsky, Ben Cohen, Louise and Jamie Redknapp, and more recently Neil and Katya Jones. The show is also responsible for forming new romances, with lovebirds Giovanni Pernice and Ashley Roberts and Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell embarking on romances following the 2018 series. AJ Pritchard has high hopes for 2019. Having already launched his own solo dance show - Get On The Floor! - which played to packed out venues across the UK earlier in the year, the dancer is set to make his acting debut at Christmastime. The 24-year-old Strictly Come Dancing pro will take on the lead role in Peter Pan at Dunstable's Grove Theatre from December 10 through to January 5. Learning to fly: AJ Pritchard is set to make his acting debut at Christmastime But fans panicking that this will interfere with his role on Strictly have nothing to fret about - with a source telling MailOnline that AJ has his eyes firmly set on the glitterball trophy this year. Having missed out on a place in the final three years running, the former Britain's Got Talent star wants to take to the stage as Peter Pan as a Strictly champ - despite currently having no idea who he'll be partnered with. A source close to the star said: 'AJ is determined to appear as the winner of Strictly by the time he makes his debut on stage as Peter Pan. 'He's putting everything into making sure 2019 is his year!' A source said: 'AJ wants to assure fans that he's focusing on Strictly just as hard as ever this year and the role in Peter Pan won't affect the amount of effort he always puts into the show. He wants to win this year!' [pictured with Dianne Buswell] Busy boy: The 24-year-old Strictly Come Dancing pro will take on the lead role in Peter Pan at Dunstable's Grove Theatre from December 10 through to January 5 It's going to be a grueling lead-up to Christmas this year for the star, who will begin rehearsing at the same time he'll be on Strictly. He will then head to Peter Pan after the finale. The source said: 'AJ wants to assure fans that he's focusing on Strictly just as hard as ever this year and the role in Peter Pan won't affect the amount of effort he always puts into the show. He wants to win this year!' Hectic: It's going to be a grueling lead-up to Christmas this year for the star, who will begin rehearsing at the same time he'll be on Strictly AJ said of the panto: 'I am so happy to be making my pantomime debut in Evolutions production of Peter Pan in Dunstable. I will be heading straight to Neverland after I finish on Strictly and cant wait to give it my all and try a totally new challenge. 'Craig and Shirley are both pantomime favourites and when I was asked to do the show I jumped at the chance as it's such an important part of the British calendar over Christmas. 'It's about going to the pantomime with your friends and family and really letting your hair down and having fun. I cant wait to learn to fly, too!' Last year, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. And Mandy Moore recently completed another inspiring trek as she shared photos to her Instagram of the journey through New Zealand with husband Taylor Goldsmith by her side. The 35-year-old actress spent four days hiking through 'ice, snow, lush forests canopies' as part of Eddie Bauer's second annual #WHYIHIKE campaign. The couple who hikes together: Mandy Moore recently completed another inspiring trek as she shared photos to her Instagram of the journey through New Zealand with husband Taylor Goldsmith by her side Moore was also joined on the hike by Chase Weideman, Ashley and Jenn Streicher, and Eddie Bauer Guide Melissa Arnot Reid. The group camped and rafted through the Mount Aspiring National Park and the snow-covered slopes of Black Peak. The This Is Us actor took to her Instagram to share the story of their adventure on Saturday. After glowing for a paragraph about Reid and her incredible professional achievements as well as the climber's personal life, Moore gave some insight into her mindset during their most recent trip. Fresh air: The 35-year-old actress spent four days hiking through 'ice, snow, lush forests canopies' as part of Eddie Bauer's second annual #WHYIHIKE campaign Going up: Mandy shared a series of photos to her Instagram account as she embarked on an adventure in New Zealand Beauty: Moore was joined on the hike by Chase Weideman, Ashley and Jenn Streicher, and Eddie Bauer Guide Melissa Arnot Reid 'Cut to our trip to NZ and we finally found ourselves side by side trekking through ice, snow, lush forest canopies and soggy/ seemingly bottomless holes of mud and slippery, moss covered rocks. 'Full disclosure: I am a perfectionist. I am not good at not being good at something. I started to beat myself up for what I perceived as slowing down the group because it seemed me that no one else was having any difficulty. 'The idea that I needed to be way kinder to myself seeeeeeems like a no-brainer piece of advice but it felt revelatory in that moment and even more so with some distance.' Exploring: The group hiked, camped and rafted through the Mount Aspiring National Park and the snow-covered slopes of Black Peak Majestic: The This Is Us actor took to her Instagram to share the story of their adventure on Saturday Camping: After glowing for a paragraph about Reid and her incredible professional achievements as well as the climber's personal life, Moore gave some insight into her mindset during their most recent trip In the caption for another set of photos, Moore discussed the reasons why she hikes: 'There a plethora of reasons #whyihike. It gives me grounding, connection, recalibration. 'There are oh so many metaphors for the challenges and discomfort that one may face on the trail that can be applied to life in a general sense. It can also be a time of quiet reflection, a time to drink in every frame of new terrain, to stand in wonder at the sheer beauty and magnitude of this planet.... its truly endless. 'This trip signifies all of that and more: its an opportunity to take a break from the chaos of the daily grind, travel to the other side of the world with some of my closest friends and to gently push ourselves out of our comfort zone. 'Being in this magnificent country for the past week has consistently taken our collective breath away- I cant wait for what awaits us next. Stay tuned!!! #whyihike #liveyouradventure' Trekking: 'Cut to our trip to NZ and we finally found ourselves side by side trekking through ice, snow, lush forest canopies and soggy/ seemingly bottomless holes of mud and slippery, moss covered rocks David Tennant's son Ty made his television debut on Casualty on Saturday night which made his mum Georgia 'so proud'. The famous offspring, 17, took on the role of patient Aaron at Holby City Hospital as Ty followed in the footsteps of his famous parents into the acting industry. In a gushing tweet, Georgia revealed she was 'so proud' of Ty as she made a joke about her own character's shock death in 2009 in the same BBC One hospital show. Following in his footsteps! David Tennants son Ty, 17, made his mum Georgia 'so proud' with his TV debut on Casualty after he revealed his dad's simple acting advice She said: 'I am so proud of #tytennant tonight in @BBCOne #Casualty. He was so good they didnt feel the need to crush him to death in a lift shaft... #bitternotbitter #deadkitten @TristanGemmill.' The actress played Heather Whitefield but the doctor had a nasty end when she was crushed to death in a lift shaft in stomach-churning scenes in September 2009. Georgia had only appeared in two episodes as Heather when her character was killed off; she later returned to Holby City in 2014 as a guest character. Family unit: The famous offspring, 17, took on the role of patient Aaron at Holby City Hospital as Ty followed in the footsteps of his famous parents (London, March 2018) Go way back: The actress played Heather Whitefield but the doctor had a nasty end when she was crushed to death in a lift shaft in stomach-churning scenes in September 2009 Now Ty has made his first television appearance in the same show as Aaron who was rushed to hospital after having a seizure on his birthday. David and Georgia also raise children Wilfred, six, as well as Olive, eight, and Doris, four. The Doctor Who lead actor supported his son Ty at the star-studded premiere of his new movie Tolkien. David's adopted son makes his film debut playing a young Christopher Wiseman in the biopic, alongside big-name actors Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. Starring role: Now Ty has made his first television appearance in the same show as Aaron who was rushed to hospital after having a seizure on his birthday 'He was so good': In a gushing tweet, Georgia revealed she was 'so proud' of Ty as she made a joke about her own character's shock death in 2009 in the same BBC One hospital show On the red carpet, Ty revealed it was his dad who gave him the best advice for breaking into acting. He said: '[Dad said] never be late. Always be on time. Don't skip the lunch queue because you look like a bit of an idiot and just be kind and friendly. And know your lines! 'Yeah, I got tips from everyone. I am so young in my career I am still learning a lot and I am so lucky to have all these people around me who know this industry very well. "They are just really inspirational to me and that's something I can really thrive off. Just having these people who know their stuff!" She recently launched her own lifestyle brand that promotes exercise and healthy living. And Davina McCall has now candidly opened up on how she views sex as 'one of the greatest gifts.' The TV presenter, 51, made her admission in her This Is Davina magazine where she credited her French heritage for their attitude towards sex as being 'honest and unashamedly open.' Open: Davina McCal, 51, has candidly opened up on how she views sex as 'one of the greatest gifts' The former Big Brother host told: 'Sex, for example, is not a dirty word for them. Its a fantastic thing between two consenting adults' She continued: 'Great sex is one of the greatest gifts we can experience. Its magical.' Davina also touched on reaching the menopause but looked at the positive side as she told: 'Hitting the menopause was tough but at least it stopped people asking me when I was going to have another baby.' The stars latest venture is a blog called ownyourgoals, which will feature video workouts covering a huge range of exercises including cardio and yoga. Saucy: The TV presenter made her admission in her This Is Davina magazine where she credited her French heritage for their attitude towards sex The platform offers wellbeing advice, meditation tips and mindfulness programmes to encourage subscribers to reach their personal exercise goals. The programme, which she hopes will become a digital empire, will also give women the chance to support one another in her website community. Mother-of-three Davina is also expected to sell her own fitness clothing range and other products. A source close to Davina told MailOnline: This is a big deal for her. She is creating a lifestyle site a one-stop shop for all you need to lead a good life. It really is very similar to Gwyneths blog a real Brand Davina project. She has a lot of experiences she wants to pass on to help and inspire others. In 2017 Davina announced she was splitting from husband Matthew Robertson after a 17-year marriage. Since then she has taken a personal training course. In 2014 she raised 2 million for Sport Relief. She has also released 14 exercise DVDs. However, she wasnt always so lifestyle-focused. She began smoking at 12, drinking at 13, and by her 20s was using heroin. Narcotics Anonymous meetings have helped her stay clean for more than 25 years. She's Hollywood's ultimate best friend. And Sarah Hyland was seen celebrating Kimberly Hidalgo's bachelorette party in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, over the weekend. The 28-year-old beauty stripped down to various bikinis for the festive and relaxing girls' trip to celebrate the Kimberly's upcoming nuptials to Pretty Little Liars star Brant Daugherty. Scroll down for video Team bride! Sarah Hyland was the ultimate best friend over the weekend, seen stripping down to her bikini while celebrating her friend Kimberly Hidalgo's bachelorette party in Cabo One look saw Sarah stun in a black two-piece that read: 'Team Bride' in white letters printed across the bikini top. She teamed the look with matching high-waisted bottoms and added the hashtags: '#teambride' and '#downndaugherty.' The Modern Family actress accessorised with a pair of black drop earrings and various necklaces that had crystal stones attached. Love the bride! One look saw Sarah stun in a black two-piece that read: 'Team Bride' on the bikini top Sunday funday! Another look saw her stun in a gorgeous red triangular shaped bikini top with matching bottoms Sarah styled her brunette tresses out naturally into their curls while appearing to be wearing no makeup. Another look saw her stun in a gorgeous red triangular shaped bikini top with matching bottoms. She danced on a boat as the group set sail for the day in the sun. Fun in the sun! Sarah styled her brunette tresses out naturally into their curls while appearing to be wearing no makeup Stylish: The girlfriend of Wells Adams styled her dark curls naturally and accessorised with a complimentary headband The girlfriend of Wells Adams styled her dark curls naturally and accessorised with a complimentary headband. Sarah has been spending the past few days celebrating her pal Kimberly. The fellow actress is has been engaged to Daugherty since 2018 when he proposed on Valentine's Day in Amsterdam. Close gal pal! Sarah has been spending the past few days celebrating her pal Kimberly Last September, Brant told Glitterbomb talk show hosts that they were 'pretty far' into their wedding plans. 'She's so organized, which is the greatest thing in the world,' he said. 'The night we got engaged, she was already putting guests lists together. We literally got engaged, went and had a drink [and] a nice dinner.' 'We came back to the hotel and she was like, putting a guest list on my computer! She's got the whole thing pretty much planned out.' The pair haven't revealed the actual date of their upcoming nuptials, but it is believed to be in the coming weeks. LINE OF DUTY (BBC One) Rating: And breathe. After 90 minutes of nerve-shredding tension, the fifth series of Line Of Duty ended tonight on a bombshell with a killer twist. It turned out that lawyer Gill Biggeloe (Polly Walker) was the rotten apple in the bent cop barrel. Mother of God, it was her all along! She was the devious plotter trying to frame Supt Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), get him kicked off the force and have his beloved AC-12 unit shut down. Why? Presumably to leave her and the ever-mysterious H to carry on living the high life off the proceeds of organised crime. Maybe even buy another pink blouse? She never had that one off. ANOTHER DAY IN THE OFFICE: Following a further grilling from DCS Patricia Carmichael, Superintendent Ted Hastings is escorted from the interview room back to prison under armed guard BATTLE OF HASTINGS: Ted is moved to tears when he learns John Corbett is the son of Anne Marie McGillis, an informer murdered by paramilitaries while he was in the RUC In a thrilling finale full of gasps, we were kept guessing right until almost the end. At one stage, Gill even appeared to be a saviour, pointing out errors in Detective Chief Superintendent Patricia Carmichaels (Anna Maxwell Martin) investigation and reassuring Hastings, who she had slept with back in episode four. You dont have a bent bone in your body. This will all go away, Ted. Trust me, she said, squeezing his arm in the interview room. It was only solid grunt work by DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) that saved Teds Ulster fry thats bacon to you, fella, and its cooking on gas. They discovered that Biggeloe had been responsible for recruiting DS John Corbett (Stephen Graham) as an undercover officer to be embedded with the Balaclava Gang. She then made him believe that Ted not only was H, but was also responsible for the murder of his mother. THERE THERE, TED: Gill takes a minute to compose herself in the AC-12 loos. Her cunning plan has come unstuck and now Ted will never go out with her QUICK ON THE DRAW: When Gill is unmasked as being in league with the OCG, she calls them to rescue her. Uncertain whose side an armed officer is on, Kate Fleming and Steve Arnott force him to lower his gun She even stole some of Teds lovely hair from his comb, and used it to plant DNA evidence on Corbetts body after he was murdered by the gang. (There should have been a special credit Teds Hair was played by Teds Hair.) She had gone to a lot of trouble and it was down to Ted to voice the confused concerns of the nation. Why? he asked, when her evil machinations were finally revealed. Its complicated, she shrugged. It sure is! Did we really go through all this murder and mayhem just to avenge a spurned woman who was oddly in love with a man she could not have? Couldnt someone have just written a country and western song instead? Still, we all knew there was something suspicious about Gill, right from the get-go. She has been panting after Ted since series two; slinking around his office, turning up uninvited, inveigling herself into the action. Now, as Senior Legal Counsel to Police and Crime Commissioner Rohan Sindwhani (Ace Bhatti), the Pink Panter even managed to finally bed Ted and about that, the least said. After Biggeloe was unmasked in the interview room, Line Of Duty protocols mean that she must immediately be neutralised, so as not to reveal the identity of the corrupt high-ranking police officer who is behind everything. Operation Kill Gill swung into action, with shocking scenes reminiscent of a surprise attack by Chucky in the Childs Play films. PLANS FALL APART: Gill takes a minute to compose herself in the AC-12 loos. Her cunning plan has come unstuck and now Ted will never go out with her OPERATION KILL GILL: Sergeant Tina Tranter launches at the crooked lawyer with a tiny knife last used to scrape some carrots in the canteen Sgt Tina Tranter (Natalie Gavin) followed her into the AC-12 loos, then stabbed her with a tiny vegetable knife. The flame-haired policewoman only managed to plunge it into Biggeloes palm, before Arnott did a bit of neutralising himself and shot her. After all that, H is still at large, remaining stubbornly unmasked and at liberty to do his or her worst; an enigma wrapped in a blanket on the thin blue line. Just to complicate things ever more, we also discover that H is not an initial, it is a clue and that there are not one but four Hs; Dot Cottan, ACC Hilton, Gill Biggeloe and Someone Else. Thank the Lord, bless you Jesus, Mary and Joseph, it appeared not to be Supt Ted who emerged as a hero, with his principles intact and his standards as high as his bouffant, which remained as alluring as ever, despite those nights in jail. It was terrible to see the much diminished Ted, unshaven, red-eyed and confused in his prison issue tracksuit. IN THE FIRING LINE: Hearing Gills screams, Fleming and Arnott rush to the loo. Arnott shoots and wounds would-be killer Tranter, saving Biggeloe from a gory end In beautifully scripted interview scenes two of them lasting for more than 15 nail-biting minutes we saw a new side of AC-12s usually authoritative commanding officer. He cried, which was awful to behold. He admitted to watching porn, ditto. Nothing illegal, nothing extreme, he said, but I did not want it to be found. Look, it was private stuff. My wife had left me. Gills face was a picture. We were treated to some vintage Tedisms, including the following: The man had it coming to him in spades. As God is my witness! Corbett was Anne-Maries wee fella? My decision was based on saving police officers lives. Priceless I would say. He even managed not to laugh when Carmichael suggested there was some connection between the balaclavas worn by Irish paramilitaries during The Troubles and the balaclavas worn by the Balaclava Gang. What a knit wit. There is no parallel there. I am not H, he roared. Quite right, too. By the end, Hastings was back in his uniform, a cheering sight indeed. However, someone else was wearing one, too. The final chilling twist was that baby-faced gang member Ryan Pilkington the stab-happy teen who killed John Corbett has joined the police force. And in series six he might turn out to be the bentest copper of them all. If your nerves can cope... its not over yet Cmon now fella, is Hastings H? At this time, the answer seems to be NO. Yes, he did hide his laptop in the computer shop because he knew that it would be seized. There was incriminating evidence on it but nothing that would expose him as a criminal mastermind. In fact, he was looking at porn. Was definately definitely a clue? Package deal: Ted heads to Corbetts grave with a gift for his widow Yes. Ted intentionally copied Hs spelling mistake when he was posing as H. His superbrain noted and retained that bit of information. Yes, even in the middle of this complicated investigation. Was Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall) an undercover cop? No, just a gang boss with shaky hands. Although she has entered a witness protection programme in return for giving the police evidence about the OCG, she kept one utterly crucial piece of information from them. She told the cops that it was Miroslav Minkovic (Tomi May) who killed Corbett, before he was killed himself. Actually it was Ryan Pilkington (Gregory Piper), who is now a police cadet and certain to cause mayhem in the next series. What happened to the money? Corrupt cadet: Baby-faced killer Ryan Pilkington (Gregory Piper) falls in line Hastings somehow hid half of the 100,000 planted on him by Gill Biggeloe via Mark Moffat. In final scenes he was spotted near the graveside of DS Corbett, where his grieving widow was paying her respects. He was carrying a package under his arm, presumably to give to her and presumably containing the 50,000. Oh, Ted! You are a hero after all. Remy Gardner has suffered a concussion and Indonesian rider Dimas Ekky Pratama is lucky to have avoided serious injury after the Australian crashed in the opening lap of the Moto2 in Spain. Gardner, the son of 1987 motorcycle world champion Wayne, was third in a bunched field when he high-sided coming out of the first turn in Jerez on Sunday. The 21-year-old was thrown from his bike, which hit Spanish rider Alex Marquez, whose own bike hit Gardner. The chasing pack somehow managed to avoid the pair but Pratama was knocked off his bike by the Australian. The Indonesian's body in turn struck Marco Bezzechi's bike, causing the Italian rider to fall. The red flags came out and medical teams rushed to the track where Gardner was sitting and both he and Pratama were stretchered away. Bezzechi rode to the pits while Marquez's team pushed his bike away. Gardner was declared unfit to race due to a concussion, while Pratama was miraculously uninjured. The race was restarted as a shorter, 15-lap event with Italian Lorenzo Baldassarri winning and Spaniards Jorge Navarro and Augusto Fernandez completing the podium. Bezzechi finished finished 22nd while Marquez was two places behind him. The crash is a big setback for Gardner, who was sitting fourth in the Moto2 overall standings and had qualified for the Spanish race in fourth. The Australian claimed his maiden podium finish by coming second in Argentina last month and was just 0.002s off the podium in the opening round in Qatar in March. Malian soldiers on patrol in the city of Gao after a deadly suicide car bomb detonated in November 2018 Armed men killed 18 civilians in two ambushes in Mali's restive central region, officials said Friday. Twelve were killed on Wednesday as they went towards a blast that killed a soldier, a local official told AFP. When did these 12 did not return, six members of their community set out to look for them Thursday, only to be killed by the same group. The bodies of the first 12 had been booby-trapped with explosives, a security source added, though it was not clear whether this was how the second group had died. The deadly series of events were unleashed when a Malian army vehicle transporting rations exploded near the village of Tigula, killing a soldier, on Wednesday. "Having heard the explosion, villagers went towards the scene... when terrorists intervened to execute them," said a local official from the Mondoro commune of which Tigula is part. Six others set out on Thursday to look for the first group, but were also "killed by terrorists," the official said. Another municipal source and a security official confirmed the toll of 18 civilians. Mali has been embroiled in conflict since Islamist militias seized the north of the country in 2012 before being pushed back by French troops in 2013. A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups has failed to restore stability. An upsurge of inter-communal violence in the country's centre and south has claimed some 600 lives, including 160 members of the Fulani herding community killed in the village of Ogossagou in March. The massacre brought tens of thousands of protesters out on the streets of Bamako in April, causing the prime minister and his entire cabinet to resign. A new government is in the process of being formed. The Sri Lanka home minister said around 200 Islamic clerics had been expelled from the country for overstaying their visas Sri Lanka clamped curfews at a city outside the capital Sunday to contain religious tensions as the authorities prepared to reopen schools after Easter bombings that killed 257 people. A senior police officer said the night curfew was imposed to prevent an escalation of mob violence after attacks occurred in Negombo -- north of Colombo -- where over 100 Christians died in a church bombing two weeks ago. "At least two motorcycles and two three-wheel taxis have been damaged in the clashes," the police officer told AFP. "We declared a curfew till 7.00 am (0130 GMT) to contain the unrest." There were no immediate reports of casualties. The country's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption to airport traffic. Elite Special Task Force commandos were deployed to patrol the streets, police said. The senior officer said an investigation was underway into the clashes, the first violence between Muslims and Christians since the April 21 jihadist attacks targeting three churches and three luxury hotels in the country. Tensions gripped Negombo as the authorities prepared to reopen public schools after an extended Easter vacation following the suicide attacks blamed on a local jihadist group which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The country has been under a state of emergency since the suicide bombings. Security forces and police have been give sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of security personnel searched public schools for explosives ahead of their reopening Monday. -Foreign clerics expelled- The search for explosives and a security cordon thrown around 10,900 schools nationwide came as the government said it has expelled over 600 foreigners, including about 200 Islamic clerics, since the April 21 attacks. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said "police and soldiers combed school premises and the surrounding areas to make sure it is safe for children to go back" on Monday. As part of the clampdown after the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, the government announced a crackdown on foreign Islamic clerics operating in the majority Buddhist country. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said 200 clerics were found to have overstayed visas, for which fines were imposed and they were then expelled. "Considering the current situation in the country, we have reviewed the visas system and took a decision to tighten visa restrictions for religious teachers," Abeywardena told AFP. "Out of those who were sent out, about 200 were Islamic preachers." Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since April 21 and given wide powers to troops and police The suicide attacks were led by a local cleric who is known to have travelled to neighbouring India and made contact with jihadists there. The minister did not give the nationalities of those who have been expelled, but police have said many foreigners who have overstayed their visas were from Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistan. "There are religious institutions which have been getting in foreign preachers for decades," Abeywardena said. "We have no issues with them, but there are some which mushroomed recently. We will pay more attention to them." The minister said the government was overhauling its visa policy following the attacks. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (R) gestures as US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (C) chats with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Beijing on May 1, 2019 US and Chinese officials say a historic deal ending their ongoing trade war could be imminent, but a key question is how can Washington be sure Beijing will live up to its end of the bargain? With up to 100 Chinese officials reportedly expected next week in Washington, with the possibility of unveiling a grand agreement after months of tensions, that question is hanging over the talks. Beijing may make eye-popping offers to buy American energy and agriculture exports as a means of cutting the soaring US-China trade deficit ($378.7 billion in 2018, including services trade), but all eyes will be on whether the agreement has any teeth. US President Donald Trump increased pressure on the Chinese on Sunday by announcing that the United States will increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent this week, because the trade talks are moving "too slowly." US Vice President Mike Pence said Friday the enforcement mechanism would be key to the decision on whether to remove the punishing US tariffs which now cover more than $250 billion in Chinese imports altogether. "The reason enforcement has become central to this negotiation is the long history of China not living up to the spirit of the commitments it has made in the WTO and in bilateral negotiations with the US and other countries," Edward Alden, a trade expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP. Trump has repeatedly accused China of stealing from the United States by buying less from America than it sells. But Trump also has demanded structural changes to the Chinese economy, including an end to forced transfer of American technology, theft of intellectual property and the massive role the Chinese government plays in markets and industry. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is leading the US delegation along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, has insisted Washington will not accept empty promises and will demand verification Beijing is keeping its word. Reaching trade agreements with China can be especially challenging, given that its regulations are not transparent, Alden said. "China can change its laws in ways that please the United States, but then use regulatory tools to thwart implementation." - 'That's the core' - To ensure strict compliance, US negotiators have proposed monthly, quarterly and semi-annual meetings, with the twice-yearly meetings to involving the most senior officials. And should American businesses report violations of the agreement, Washington could begin a series of consultations with their Chinese counterparts, and then unilaterally impose new tariffs if no resolution is achieved, according to US media reports. But China also would have recourse to the same tariff tool in case of a US violation. "The enforcement mechanism is crucial to the agreement," Doug Barry, spokesman for the US-China Business Council, told AFP. "Without a credible, time specific, verifiable means to hold parties accountable, we will miss an opportunity to put the trade relationship on a new and better footing." Alden says the tool under discussion appears novel because bilateral free trade agreements typically resolve disputes through arbitration panels which oversee retaliatory tariffs, similar to the World Trade Organization dispute settlement process. Businesses on both sides of the Pacific want the talks to wrap up as soon as possible to reduce uncertainty in international commerce at a time when the trade war has weighed on manufacturing sectors in both countries. Among the top 15 US states exporting to China, many have been hit hard by China's retaliatory tariffs on soy, pork or in the aviation sector, including Alabama, Illinois and Washington State, according to the US-China Business Council. Companies are calling for the tariffs imposed last year -- which cover more than $360 billion in two-way trade -- to be lifted. But Washington hopes to retain the ability to resort to tariffs as a cudgel. "We have to maintain the right to be able to -- whatever happens to the current tariffs -- to raise tariffs in situations where there's violations of the agreement," Lighthizer said in Senate testimony in March. "That's the core. If we don't do that, then none of it makes any difference." But, according to Alden, that could create "ongoing uncertainty" for businesses unaware of when either side could seek to impose unilateral tariffs. HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) - Authorities have arrested a police officer, a high school teacher, a minister and 13 others in a sting New Jersey officials said Wednesday was aimed at men who tried to set up sexual encounters with people they thought were teenage boys and girls. The arrests were made as part of "Operation Home Alone," which targeted people who officials say used social media messaging and dating apps in an attempt to lure children. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said most of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a residence in Bergen County, where they expected to find the victim home alone. The arrests were made from April 11-15. Despite the undercover officers identifying themselves as 14- and 15-year-olds, authorities say the men still engaged in conversations about sex and arranged to meet up with them. "The 16 men we arrested allegedly used social media to stalk victims they believed were vulnerable children who could be sexually exploited," Grewal said. "Parents need to know that the profiles of underage girls and boys we posted on social media to catch these offenders could easily have been profiles of their own children." He added: "Our message to parents with 'Operation Home Alone' is be on guard. Our message to child predators is law enforcement is working overtime to find you and arrest you." Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announces arrests of adults who officials say used social media messaging and dating apps in an attempt to lure children, during a news conference at Bergen County Prosecutor's Office in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Authorities have arrested a police officer, a high school teacher, a minister and about a dozen others in a sting New Jersey officials said Wednesday was aimed at men who tried to set up sexual encounters with people they thought were teenage boys and girls. (Mitsu Yasukawa/The Record via AP) Besides the police officer from New Jersey, the New York City teacher, and a traveling minister, the defendants also include a dental hygienist, a barbershop owner and drivers for rideshare companies. The defendants face charges including luring and attempted sexual assault. Two of the men are also charged with having child pornography on their electronic devices, including one who allegedly had more than 13,000 files of suspected child porn on his phone and a second who is already facing sentencing on a prior child porn charge. The investigation was part of the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which conducted a similar sting last September, "Operation Open House," leading to the arrest of 24 men. MOSCOW (AP) - The latest on an airplane that landed in flames at a Moscow airport (all times local): 1:05 a.m. Russian officials have given out conflicting numbers on a fiery airline accident at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, but they indicate at least 40 people died. Elena Markovskaya, a spokeswoman for Russia's Investigative Committee, said at a briefing early Monday that 41 people died in the accident Sunday evening and 37 people survived. But Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said later that 38 people survived, though without giving a death toll. The fire aboard the Sukhoi SSJ100 regional jet flown by Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot broke out after the plane made a hard emergency landing. Video on Russian television shows fire bursting from the plane's underside as it landed. In this image provided by Riccardo Dalla Francesca shows smoke rises from a fire on a plane at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, May 5, 2019. (Riccardo Dalla Francesca via AP) The plane had taken off from the airport bound for Murmansk, but turned back after encountering unspecified problems in the air. ___ 12:45 a.m. A fiery airliner accident at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport killed 41 people, a spokeswoman for Russia's Investigative Committee says. The death toll from Sunday evening's accident was announced at a briefing early Monday by committee spokeswoman Elena Markovskaya, who said 37 people survived. The fire aboard the Sukhoi SSJ100 regional jet flown by Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot broke out after the plane made a hard emergency landing. Video on Russian television shows fire bursting from the plane's underside as it landed. The plane had taken off from the airport bound for Murmansk, but turned back after encountering unspecified problems in the air. ___ 9:40 p.m. Russia's Investigative Committee says 13 people have died in a fire on an airplane that made an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. The airport said the Sukhoi SSJ100 operated by Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot caught fire when it made a hard emergency landing on Sunday. Video of the landing showed flames and smoke billowing from the rear of the plane. The airport said the aircraft had 73 passengers and five crew members on board. Investigators and the airport said the plane had taken off for the northern city of Murmansk, but turned back because of unspecified problems. ___ 9:00 p.m. Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot says a passenger plane that was in flames after an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport had been forced to turn back after takeoff because of technical problems. Aeroflot said in a brief statement Sunday the engines of the Sukhoi SSJ100 were burning after the aircraft landed, but the sequence of events before and after the fire started was not clear. Some Russian news reports cited sources as saying the plane headed back to the airport after a fire was detected in flight. Others said the plane made a hard landing that could have caused the engines to catch fire. The Aeroflot statement did not specify what caused the plane to return to Sheremetyevo Airport. ___ 8:00 p.m. Russian officials say one person died and at least four were injured after a plane belonging to flagship carrier Aeroflot made an emergency landing in Moscow with flames and smoke billowing from its rear section. Video on Russian news channel Rossiya-24 showed passengers leaping from the plane Sunday evening onto an inflatable slide from the front of the aircraft and staggering across tarmac and grass of Sheremetyevo Airport. Russian news agencies cited sources saying the plane, a Sukhoi SSJ-100 regional jet, had taken off for the northern city of Murmansk but returned when fire broke out. The agencies reported the plane had 78 people on board. Russia's Investigative Committee said one person was confirmed dead and four injured. But the Emergencies Ministry said six people had been hospitalized. ___ 7:35 p.m. A plane belonging to Russian national carrier Aeroflot has landed in flames at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and unconfirmed reports say at least five people have been injured. Video on Russian news channel Rossiya-24 showed the plane, a Sukhoi SSJ-100 regional jet, landing Sunday evening with large flames engulfing the rear section. Russian news agencies cited unspecified sources as saying the plane had taken off for the northern city of Murmansk, but a fire broke out while it was in the air and it returned to Sheremetyevo. The reports say there were 78 people aboard the plane. This image taken from video and provided on the Twitter feed of Mikhail Norenko, shows smoke from a plane on fire at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, May 5, 2019. (Mikhail Norenko/Twitter via AP) In this image provided by Riccardo Dalla Francesca shows smoke rises from a fire on a plane at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, May 5, 2019. (Riccardo Dalla Francesca via AP) A lifelike figure of Game Of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen has been unveiled at Dublins waxworks museum. 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 Plus, 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. Weve been watching Game Of Thrones and seen its success. As it is based in Ireland, we thought it was something we should mark and were always aware that there needs to be more women added into the wax museum as well, so we were delighted to pick this character. The wax figure of Game Of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen has been unveiled to coincide with the eighth and final season of the popular fantasy show (National Wax Museum Plus/PA) 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. Game Of Thrones is based on George RR Martins 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 regions economy. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he wouldnt 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 US 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-Brewers 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: Its a responsibility on everybody to get vaccinated. Unicef has warned that thousands of children are missing out on their first dose of the measles vaccination (Owen Humphreys/PA) Mr Hancock was asked by Ms Hartley-Brewer if hed consider meeting the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, to discuss following in the footsteps of France and the US. He replied: I wouldnt rule out anything but I dont think were there yet. In America they tried to do this and the courts stopped them so it can be complicated, but really its peoples 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 4s 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 Mays official spokesman said: I havent seen anyone suggesting that. Unicefs 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. 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 Englands 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. 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. Speedy European evidence-sharing about cyber crime may be endangered by a no-deal Brexit, a police officer in Northern Ireland has warned. European Investigation Orders (EIOs) allow the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to access material within 90 days. The number of internet-related crimes has increased significantly in recent years but the amount of resources devoted to tackling it is being outstripped, Detective Sergeant Darren McCracken said. He added: If we leave as a result of Brexit we no longer have access to EIOs to obtain information within 90 days. He said that was a fast turnaround in the world of law enforcement. Investigators can contact firms directly for intelligence-gathering but for court action the official channel is essential, he said. Speedy European evidence-sharing about cyber-crime may be endangered after a no-deal Brexit, a police officer in Northern Ireland warned (Niall Carson/PA). If Brexit happens we are no longer part of a European treaty. We may not have access to that. He was part of a panel at the first UK Finance Festival organised at the Titanic Belfast visitor centre. Det Sgt McCracken said there was a lack of willingness to engage with law enforcement by companies because of fears of publicity causing reputational damage. He noted willingness to report for information purposes but evidence-gathering for criminal action was more difficult. He added that a lot of people feared an investigation would enter the public domain. We focus on businesses that will engage with ourselves. He said crime types are changing and become more complex when they include suspects based in North America. The demand is massively outstripping (supply), there is a huge volume of demand on our service. Companies often contact police after they have been the victims of an attack, he said, which can be too late. If they can educate people to prevent the crime then officers could focus resources on criminals better, he added. He reiterated the importance of good cyber-security for businesses: There is a huge volume of business email compromises that could be prevented. A rising tide lifts all ships - Ian Burgess talks about the importance of public-private partnership in addressing cyber threats against the finance sector, referencing the industrys collaborative approach to cyber security/our FSCCC project: https://t.co/hg9w8qFLCc #UKFinFest UK Finance (@UKFtweets) April 30, 2019 The conference was organised by UK Finance, the trade body and collective voice of the UKs banking and finance industry. It represents more than 250 firms across the industry and acts to enhance competitiveness, support customers and facilitate innovation. Ian Burgess from UK Finance discussed the importance of public-private partnership in addressing cyber threats against the finance sector. He said: A rising tide lifts all ships. By Muhammad al-Ghobari and Lisa Barrington ADEN, Yemen/DUBAI, May 5 (Reuters) - With global attention on Yemen focused on a fragile truce in its main port of Hodeidah, fighting between rival forces in the country's four-year war has surged elsewhere. Escalating hostilities in the southwestern al-Dhalea area have disrupted the main south-to-north goods route, displaced thousands and complicated efforts to battle a cholera epidemic and feed millions on the brink of starvation. "The clashes taking place in al-Dhalea are less visible than those in along Yemen's west coast (where Hodeidah is) but threaten to have a similarly disastrous impact," said Suze van Meegen of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "It is absolutely critical that supplies coming through Aden move inland as quickly as possible, keeping commercial markets afloat and replenishing humanitarian supplies." The Saudi-backed coalition of pro-government forces and their Iran-aligned Houthi enemies agreed a ceasefire and troop withdrawal in Hodeidah in December, in the first major diplomatic breakthrough in a conflict that broke out in late 2014. That deal averted an all-out assault on the port that risked unleashing famine but, while the fragile peace is largely holding, the troop pullback has stalled and thousands of tonnes of grain - inaccessible by aid agencies until Sunday - have started to rot. Meanwhile, in other areas, ground fighting has intensified and air strikes continue. Al-Dhalea straddles the main roads between the government-controlled southern port of Aden, a major entry point for aid and commercial supplies, and the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa. Heavy clashes and artillery in al-Dhalea are forcing aid, commercial traffic and civilians to divert onto long and dangerous mountain passes, reducing humanitarian access and increasing journey time and costs. "Since November I think we are on our fourth alternative route as things (hostilities) expand," said Frank McManus of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) aid organisation. Two weeks ago a bridge connecting al-Dhalea to neighbouring Ibb was blown up, severing that route. Local reports blamed the incident on the Houthis after they stormed the area, though responsibility has not been confirmed. Heavy fighting has also broken out in the last couple of months in northwestern regions Hajjah and Abbs, and Taiz in the southwest, causing deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands. The IRC said the al-Dhalea clashes have forced it to suspend and relocate health clinics, cholera treatment, education and other services in recent weeks. Yemeni authorities have reported more than 200,000 suspected cases of cholera since January. A UN Development Programme report said that if the conflict were to end this year, it would have killed around 233,000, with 56 percent of those being indirect deaths from lack of food, health services and infrastructure. SHIFTING FRONT LINE Before the Hodeidah agreement, the al-Dhalea front between the Houthis and government forces was static. "(Now it's) an active front line with people being displaced on a regular basis and with the expectation it (fighting) will continue in that area," McManus said. Deep mistrust between the warring parties has stalled U.N. efforts to implement the Hodeidah deal, with which local security forces will run the port after withdrawal a key sticking point. The U.N. is optimistic a troop withdrawal can happen soon, but diplomats have told Reuters a breakthrough remains distant. Government coalition allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Britain last week repeated calls for the Houthis to redeploy from Hodeidah. They said they would be looking for the U.N. security council to review progress on May 15 "with the expectation that implementation will be under way at that point". The head the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, told Reuters that, while discussion points remained, he hoped troop redeployment would take place soon. Houthi forces drove the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa in late 2014 and the Saudi-backed coalition of Yemeni and Arab forces intervened in March 2015 to restore it. The Houthi movement, which says it is a revolution against corruption, controls Sanaa and most population centres. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Muhammad al-Ghobari in Aden; editing by John Stonestreet) By Dan Williams JERUSALEM, May 5 (Reuters) - The United States may review its ties with countries it deems as being anti-Israel after what a U.S. envoy said on Sunday was a shift in policy towards equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a March speech that anti-Zionism - opposition to Israel's existence as a homeland for the Jewish people - was a form of anti-Semitism, or hostility toward Jews, that was on the rise worldwide and that Washington would "fight it relentlessly". The State Department's special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, said this U.S. position could spell reviews of ties with foreign governments or leaders. "The United States is willing to review its relationship with any country, and certainly anti-Semitism on the part of a country with whom we have relations is a deep concern," he told Reuters during a visit to Israel. "I will be raising that issue in bilateral meetings that I am undertaking all over the world," he said. "That is something we are going to have frank and candid conversations about - behind closed doors." Carr declined to cite specific countries or leaders, or to elaborate on what actions the Trump administration might take. "I obviously can't comment on diplomatic tools that we might bring to bear," he said. "Each country is a different diplomatic challenge, a different situation, number one. And number two, if I started disclosing what we might do it would be less effective." Some U.S. political analysts say that President Donald Trump and other Republicans hope support for Israel will attract Jewish voters, including those disaffected by pro-Palestinian voices within progressive Democratic Party circles. At the same time, critics have credited Trumps confrontational, nationalistic rhetoric with encouraging right-wing extremists and feeding a surge in activity by American hate groups. The administration has flatly rejected that charge. Carr said the administration's equating of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism "certainly breaks new ground ... by making clear that something that a lot of us who are involved in the Jewish world and a lot of us who are proponents of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship have known for quite some time, and that is that one of the chief flavours of anti-Semitism in the world today is the flavour that conceals itself under anti-Zionism". (Writing by Dan Williams Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) He was jailed in 1977. He was the most popular politician in the complex history of Pakistan. Millions loved him. He was hailed as a saviour speaking dil se, loud and sincere, secure and confident in his awami suits, shalwar-kameez of aam aadmi that he turned into the garb of a hero who would change their fate. He waited for those millions to march on roads for his release. He waited for a revolution. The people never marched. The revolution remained a mere hope for that one leader whom the masses adored, the middles class supported and the elite idolised. He was pragmatic, farsighted, stoic. He knew his country that he awakened with Roti, Kapda aur Makaan had changed. He no longer wished to have people come out on the streets and litter them with their blood. He asked his cousin, his political confidant, not to give a call to the people because that would reopen River Indus. He said he was ready to die but wished that the people should live. He was hanged on April 4, 1979. His hanging that took place in the dark of the night without a proper last meeting with his family, and the wrapping of his by then frail body in a drab shroud, came to be known as the judicial assassination by a group of men made up of half the judges of the bench that gave the ruling against him and General Zia-ul-Haq, the military dictator guised as the president of the country. In his hanging, he turned into a martyr. He was hanged for an unproven conspiracy to murder of Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Kasuri. Before his hanging, he was jailed in a tiny room where a naked bulb remained lit most of the time, with a gum infection that deteriorated, clothes that hung loose on his once lean and proud but now waifishly thin body, his bearing and his demeanour in the last appalling months were noble. He would not be beaten by adverse circumstances, would not beg, or plead. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did not request for mercy. He did not make a deal. (Photo: Twitter) His name was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He was 51 when he was hanged. He was hanged one dark night, silently, in the presence of a few men who knew what they were doing was a deed that did not fit into any box of justice, but did not have the slightest idea how that one ordinary noose would tighten around the destiny of Pakistan turning it into an abyss of missteps and blunders that would set into motion destruction and more destruction. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did not request for mercy. He did not make a deal. He did not leave the country after making a deal. There was no plea for a pardon covered in the self-facing title of self-exile or a government exile. Years later, there were leaders of Pakistan who after ruling Pakistan, making a mockery of everything that was good and decent about the power they were bestowed upon by the power of vote or machinations of a military coup, left Pakistan simply to avoid legal persecution for various cases against them. While in power, their idea of lording over Pakistan was devoid of any long-term strategy as their work ethic for development was short-term, their love for their country focused on cosmetic handling of its apparent flaws, their plans for stabilisation of economy ad hoc, their policies good in theory and empty shells in practice, their slogans noble and their actions self-serving, their decisions for their people myopic but well-defined about their personal short and long term preservation, and government treasury on the verge of depletion but their assets on fast-track multiplication. One after the other, they persecuted one another, holding everyone but themselves responsible. (Reuters photo of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif) Pakistan suffered, its democratic edifice more fragile than a castle in the sand; its major institutions operational as if it was a game of children having a tea party in tiny plastic crockery; its major institutions run like a feudal fiefdom where the lord became richer while the world around him remained dark, bleak, stuck in a moment of nothingness; its promise of institutional reforms like a mirage of water in a desert; its development of human and natural resources a splendid plan that elicited votes and guaranteed entry into power but without fruition folded like a damp paper fan and dreams of the proletariat. One after the other, they ruled. One after the other, they persecuted one another, holding everyone but themselves responsible for the joke of a county Pakistan had become under their rule. One after the other, they weakened Pakistan in ways that were small, in ways that were huge and catastrophic, in steps that instead of making them a chapter turned them into unmentionable footnotes of Pakistans history. And when in trouble, one after the other, they left Pakistan as if they didnt owe Pakistan anything. One after the other. In December 2000, Nawaz Sharif, the deposed prime minister, jailed for 14 months, after being granted an unexpected pardon for his life sentence from General Pervez MusharrafPakistans president after his ouster of the elected prime minister through a military coup accompanied by his family, went into self-exile to Saudi Arabia. The charges against him were: kidnapping, hijacking and corruption. In November 2007, Benazir Bhutto, the two-time prime minister, ended her eight-year-old self-exile after an NRO with Musharraf. The NRO nullifying pending criminal proceedings was said to be an instrument for a politically negotiated transfer of power to the PPP; keeping Musharraf politically alive; and restraining the growth of judico-politico power. The apparently wiser Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, has also left Pakistan. (Photo: Reuters) And in a Kafkaesque turn of events, one day Pervez Musharraf, that military dictator who promised to be the saviour of Pakistans today and tomorrow, went into self-exile. The case against him is still in process, but at 76, reportedly suffering from multiple diseases including a life-threatening one, Musharraf, now living in Dubai, is a regular absentee from court. The case against him under Article 6 of the Constitution and Section 2 of the High Treason Act is for Benazir Bhutto assassination case, judges detention case and the Akbar Bugti case. Back to May 2019. While Nawaz Sharif is out on bail, and Nawaz and Maryam Sharif doing their legal and through-social-and-electronic-media-pressure best to be given permission to leave the county on the grounds of Nawazs medical issues, whose treatment exists in the UK and nowhere else, now the younger and the apparently wiser Sharif, Shehbaz, has also left Pakistan. His party says he would be back. His family other than his son Hamza Sharif is in the UK. Nothing changes in Pakistan. Today what is happening is a mere repetition of what has happened again and again. It is not about the validity and falsehood of cases against former prime ministers, presidents and chief ministers. It is not about guilt or innocence. It is not deja vu of persecution of the powerful of the out-of-power. It is about the convoluting of the system. It is about the accumulation of wealth in Pakistan and leaving Pakistan when it is convenient. It is about absolute power and an absence of fear of accountability. It is about the establishment of a propaganda machinery to establish that a legal mechanism is an instrument of state persecution and that legal accountability is a political witch-hunt. It is about manufactured political victimhood to evade a justified legal mechanism. It is about crying hoarse, stunned but arrogant: how could this happen to us, we the mighty, we the unanswerable? Will justice be the same for the poor and the powerful, the ruled and the ruler? (Photo: Reuters) Will Prime Minister Imran Khan be true to his promise and hold the alleged and the proven corrupt accountable? Will there be a reckoning of deeds of all, be they the members of his family, leaders of his party, retired military generals-turned-presidents, or former prime ministers and chief ministers? Will justice be the same for the poor and the powerful, the ruled and the ruler? Will the law be bent as per political expediencies and silent manoeuvring for future self-preservation? Will all those who ruled Pakistan, be they military dictators or elected prime ministers, be held morally accountable in the court of 120 million Pakistanis, and legally accountable in the highest courts of Pakistan? Only time will tell. Also Read: Why the recent 'sexist spat' in Pakistan reminds me of Game of Thrones Aurora Cannabis Inc. produces and distributes medical cannabis products worldwide. It is vertically integrated and horizontally diversified across various segments of the cannabis value chain, including facility engineering and design, cannabis breeding, genetics research, production, derivatives, high value-add product development, home cultivation, wholesale, and retail distribution. The company produces various strains of dried cannabis, cannabis oil and capsules, and topical kits for medical patients. It also sells vaporizers; consumable vaporizer accessories, including valves, screens, etc.; and herb mills for using CanniMed herbal cannabis products, as well as grinders and vaporizer lockable containers. In addition, the company engages in the development of medical cannabis products at various stages of development, including oral, topical, edible, and inhalable products; and operation of CanvasRX, a network of cannabis counseling and outreach centers. Further, it provides patient counselling services; design and construction services; and cannabis analytical product testing services. The company's brand portfolio includes Aurora, Aurora Drift, San Rafael '71, Daily Special, AltaVie, MedReleaf, CanniMed, Whistler, Woodstock, and ROAR Sports. Aurora Cannabis Inc. is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. Read More Boliden AB, a metals company, explores for, mines, smelts, and recycles metals. It operates in two segments, Business Area Mines and Business Area Smelters. The company mines for zinc, copper, lead, gold, silver, nickel, and tellurium deposits. It operates the Aitik, the Boliden Area, and Garpenberg mines in Sweden; Tara mine in Ireland; and Kylylahti and Kevitsa mines in Finland. The company also produces zinc and lead ingots, copper cathodes, and gold bars and silver granules; sulphuric acid, zinc clinker, sulphur dioxide, and palladium concentrates; copper, lead, nickel, and zinc concentrates; and by-products comprising copper sulphate, zinc clinker, iron sand, copper telluride, selenium, nickel matte, crude nickel sulphate, and platinum group metal concentrates. In addition, it recycles copper and precious metals from electronic scrap; lead from used lead-acid batteries; and metals from waste products. Further, Boliden AB extracts silver from zinc concentrates. The company sells its products principally to industrial customers, as well as to base metal dealers and international metal stocks, such as the London Metal Exchange in Sweden, other Nordic region countries, Germany, the United Kingdom, other European countries, North America, and internationally. Boliden AB was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO). 3.6 Community Rank Outperform Votes Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) has received 352 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) has received 298 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) has received 54.15% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BNP will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BNP 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 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.. Everest Re Group Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Reinsurance, International, Bermuda, and Insurance. The U.S. Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance and specialty lines of business, including marine, aviation, surety, and accident and health business, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies primarily within the U.S. The International segment offers foreign property and casualty reinsurance through Everest Re's branches in Canada and Singapore and through offices in Brazil, Miami, and New Jersey. The Bermuda segment comprises reinsurance and insurance to worldwide property and casualty markets through brokers and directly with ceding companies from its Bermuda office and reinsurance to the United Kingdom and European markets through its UK branch and Ireland Re. The Insurance segment writes property and casualty insurance directly and through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents within the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartere Read More Embraer SA engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of aircraft and its parts for commercial, defense, and executive aviation sectors. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Aviation, Defense and Security, Executive Jet Business, Service & Support and Others. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production, and sale of commercial jets; and the provision of support services to regional aviation and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security segment engages in research, development, production, modification, and support for defense and security aircrafts, as well as other integrated products and solutions including satellites and information and communication systems. The Executive Jet Business segment deals with the development, manufacture, and sale of executive jets. The Service & Support segment provides after-service solutions and support to its customers through a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and competitive solutions to ensure operational efficiency of products manufactured by Embraer and by other aircraft manufacturers, extending the useful life of commercial, executive and defense aircraft. The Others segment refers to Read More Sagen MI Canada Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a private residential mortgage insurer in Canada. It provides mortgage default insurance to residential mortgage homebuyers, lenders, brokers, and realtors. The company was formerly known as Genworth MI Canada Inc. and changed its name to Sagen MI Canada Inc. in February 2021. Sagen MI Canada Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Oakville, Canada. Read More GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More Greene King plc operates as a pub retailer and brewer in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Pub Company, Pub Partners, and Brewing & Brands. Its brands include Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer. The company is also involved in brewing, marketing, and selling beer under the Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Belhaven Best brands. In addition, Greene King plc engages in the employment, financing, pension trustee, and property businesses. As of April 30, 2018, it operated 2,855 managed, tenanted, leased, and franchised pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Greene King plc was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, the United Kingdom. Read More Victoria Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, evaluation, and exploration of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. Its principal property is 100% owned Dublin Gulch property, which hosts the Eagle Gold deposit covering an area of approximately 555 square kilometers located in central Yukon, Canada. The company was formerly known as Victoria Resource Corporation and changed its name to Victoria Gold Corp. in July 2008. Victoria Gold Corp. was founded in 1981 and is based in Toronto, Canada. Read More Intu owns and manages some of the best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations, in the UK and Spain. Our UK portfolio is made up of 17 centres, including eight of the top-20, and in Spain we own three of the country's top-10 centres, with advanced plans to build a fourth. We are passionate about creating compelling experiences, in centre and online, that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish. We attract around 400 million customer visits and 26 million website visits a year offering a multichannel approach that truly supports retail strategies. Our strategic focus on prime, high-footfall flagship destinations, combined with the strength and popularity of our brand, means that intu offers enhanced footfall, dwell time and loyalty. This helps our tenants flourish, driving occupancy and income growth. We are committed to our local communities, with our centres supporting nearly 130,000 jobs (representing about 3 per cent of the total UK retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility. We have already met or exceeded a significant number of our 2020 environmental targets. Read More KBR, Inc. engages in the provision of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries. It operates through the following segments: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions, Non-strategic Business, and Other. The Government Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions to defense, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies. The Technology Solutions segment combines KBR's proprietary technologies, equipment, and catalyst supply and associated knowledge-based services into a global business for refining, petrochemicals, inorganic, and specialty chemicals as well as gasification, syngas, ammonia, nitric acid, and fertilizers. The Energy Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions across the upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons markets. The Non-strategic Business segment represents the operations or activities which the company intends to exit upon completion of existing contracts. The Other segment includes corporate expenses and general and administrative expenses not all Read More New Jersey Resources Corp. is a holding company. The firm provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. It operates through the following segments: New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR Clean Energy Ventures, NJR Energy Services, NJR Midstream, and NJR Home Services. The New Jersey Natural Gas segment provides regulated retail natural gas service to residential and commercial customers in central and northern New Jersey. The NJR Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns and operates solar projects. The NJR Energy Services segment manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services in the U.S. and Canada. The NJR Midstream segment serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers. The NJR Home Services segment provides heating, ventilation and cooling service, sales and installation of appliances services to its customers, as well as solar installation projects, and is the primary contributor to home services. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wall, Read More Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Read More Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Read More Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Limited, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, AIG Shared Services Business Processing Inc, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co. Ltd., Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Accenture (UK) Limited, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Agencia Interativa Ltda, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture B.V., Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BPS Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A., Accenture Canada Holdings Inc, Accenture Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Limited, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co. Ltd, Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Pty Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SASU, Accenture Customer Services Ltd, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Delivery Poland S.p. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance II Limited, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services S.r.l., Accenture Financial Advanced Solution & Technology S.r.l., Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Global Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Global Engagements Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Limited, Accenture Global Services Limited, Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc, Accenture Holding Brasil Ltda, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SASU, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services B.V., Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture International B.V., Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea B.V., Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Lithuania UAB, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Marketing Services LLC, Accenture Marketing Services Limited, Accenture Middle East B.V., Accenture Minority I B.V., Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi Pty Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations GmbH, Accenture Operations S.p. z o.o., Accenture Operations Services Private Limited, Accenture Operations Services Sdn Bhd, Accenture Outsourcing S.r.l., Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations B.V., Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru SRL, Accenture Post Trade Processing SASU, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture Qiyun Technology (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture S.p. z o.o., Accenture S.p.A., Accenture SASU, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sdn Bhd, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services and Technology S.r.l., Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Single Member S.A. Organization Information Technology & Business Development, Accenture Solutions Co. Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions S.p. z o.o, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc, Accenture Sub III Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions S.r.l., Accenture Technology Solutions SASU, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures B.V., Accenture Technology Ventures SPRL, Accenture Tecnologia Consultoria y Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co. Limited, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Ltda, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Advoco, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, AlphaBeta Advisors, Altevie Technologies S.r.l., Altima, Altima (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Altima Asia Ltd, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Altius Consulting Limited, Altius Data Solutions Private Limited, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Apis Group Pty Ltd, Appaloosa Technology SASU, AppsPro, Arca, Arca Ingenieros y Consultoria S.L., Arca Telecom S.L., Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Artio People (Payroll) Pty Ltd, Artio People Pty Ltd, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Automation Partners Pty Ltd, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc, Avanade Consulting Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Limited, Avanade Europe Services Limited, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SASU, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade Inc, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy S.r.l., Avanade Japan KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Middle East Limited, Avanade Netherlands B.V., Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain S.L., Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Limited, Avanade do Brasil Ltda, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCS Consulting, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BENEXT, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing Zhidao Future Consulting Co. Ltd, Benext, Berico Technologies LLC, Bionic, Bionic Solution LLC, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Bow & Arrow, Bow & Arrow Limited, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, Byte Prophecy Private Limited, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CS Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, CS Technology (UK) Limited, CS Technology Group LLC, CS Technology LLC, CadenceQuest Inc., Callisto Integration Europe B.V., Callisto Integration Europe Limited, Callisto Integration LLC, Callisto Integration Ltd, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc, Certus Solutions Consulting Services Limited, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. 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. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. engages in the provision of equipment, systems, and value-added services for the rail industry. It operates through the following segments: Freight and Transit. The Freight segment involves in the manufacture and offers services components for new and existing locomotives and freight cars; supplies rail control and infrastructure products such as electronics, positive train control equipment, and signal design and engineering services; overhauls locomotives; and provides heat exchangers and cooling systems for rail and other industrial markets. The Transit segments includes the manufacture and providing services components for new and existing passenger transit vehicles, including regional trains, high speed trains, subway cars, light-rail vehicles, and buses; supplies rail control and infrastructure products such as electronics, positive train control equipment, and signal design and engineering services; builds new commuter locomotives; and renovate passenger transit vehicles. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. Read More Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions Read More Western Forest Products Inc. operates as an integrated softwood forest products company. It is involved in the timber harvesting, sawmilling logs into specialty lumber, value-added lumber remanufacturing, and lumber purchasing and wholesaling. The company offers various products for outdoor living space, such as structures, decking, landscaping, and fencing; home components, including appearance and structural timbers, Japanese housing, and framing, as well as siding, paneling, trim, and soffits; and furniture, moldings, and decorative purpose, as well as doors, windows, and stair components. It also provides its products for cross arms and transmission arms, mat stock, bridges, docks and railway ties, and packaging and crating; and architectural fixtures, lam stock, and timbers. The company sells its products in Canada, the United States, China, Japan, Europe, and internationally. Western Forest Products Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More Zalando SE operates as an online fashion and lifestyle retailer. It offers a range of products, including shoes, apparel, accessories, and beauty products for women, men, and children, as well as free delivery and returns services. The company also sells its products through its Zalando Lounge; and brick-and-mortar stores in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Hanover, MAnster, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Ulm. It serves in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The company has a strategic partnership with Sephora SAS to create the online prestige beauty destination. Zalando SE was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Read More The legislation comes on the heels of the 2018 federal farm bill, which established a regulatory framework for the commercial production of hemp. HB 1839 conforms Virginias hemp laws to match the provisions of the federal bill. The Southern Virginia Hemp Co., a farm in the town of Jarratt straddling Greenville and Sussex counties, is expanding its operations to meet the demand for CBD products. The company plans to grow between 75 and 150 acres of hemp this year and aims to hire 40 additional employees to work on the farm this summer. Wayne Grizzard, owner of the Southern Virginia Hemp Co. and Virginia Homegrown Botanicals, said the new laws could have a positive impact for farmers across the commonwealth, especially for tobacco farmers who have been hit hard by tobacco tariffs levied against the United States by China. One of my partners farms was for tobacco. He lost all three contracts this year because of the tariffs, Grizzard said. Some of the farmers have been forced to grow hemp because they dont have anything to replace it. *** Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said he believes the best way to settle the suit would be to change the law to give decision-making power to localities. For the past two General Assembly sessions he has tried to do just that, but his bills have died in committees made up of what Toscano described as mostly rural Republicans. Civil War imagery and the notion of the so-called Lost Cause die hard in the South, he said. Toscano, who announced his retirement at the end of the 2019 legislative session, said a better strategy to change the law may be to allow localities to remove monuments to people who took up arms against the United States, which would apply to both the Lee and Jackson statues. If people are taking up arms against your country, it makes you wonder about why they would ever erect monuments to them, he said. Though he is retiring, Toscano said he fully expects either of the Democrats seeking his seat UVa professor Sally Hudson and City Councilor and monument lawsuit defendant Kathy Galvin to continue his efforts to change the statute. Regardless of what the Charlottesville Circuit Court ends up ruling in the case, Schragger said, it will doubtlessly be appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court and could drag on for years. Tyler Hammel is a reporter for The Daily Progress. Contact him at (434) 978-7268, thammel@dailyprogress.com or @TylerHammelVA on Twitter. 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. For too long, pharmaceutical companies have made those same medicines developed with government money unaffordable for the patients who need them by charging exorbitant rates. Instead, they have been allowed to profit off the backs of sick, desperate people doing everything they can to keep themselves alive. Americans on both sides of the aisle agree government needs to intervene to help cut the cost of medications like insulin. We know that without major action, this situation will only continue to worsen. When will we say, Enough is enough? It is time for Congress to step-up and act. Stop pharmaceutical executives from taking advantage of the working families, people with disabilities, the chronically ill and everyone else struggling to afford the basics. Its time to hold them accountable for their greed in order to ensure that people who need medicine no longer go without. My first 90-day supply of insulin just arrived for 2019. The out-of-pocket bill included was for $2,504. Erik Haug grew up in the Shenandoah Valley. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from The College of William & Mary and Virginia Tech. He and his wife live in Charlottesville, where he works in renewable energy. One need only look the recent past. The absolute opposition of the conservative Democratic ancient regime to desegregation of public schools in the 1950s and 1960s moved enough of the state's more moderate Democrats in 1969 to bolt, ensuring Linwood Holton's election as the first Republican governor of the 20th century. A progressive on race, Holton ended a 21-governor Democratic win streak that began in 1885, when voters rebelled against a Republican administration installed four years earlier on a platform of racial moderation and improved public services. In the 1980s, a shift back to the Democratic Party by business grandees who had financed the old segregationist machine helped recast the party as more moderate, wresting it from Henry Howell, Virginia's Bernie Sanders of the 1960s and 1970s. This contributed to three consecutive statewide sweeps by Democrats. They included the victory in 1989 of Doug Wilder as the nation's first elective black governor. Also, Mary Sue Terry became the only woman elected statewide in Virginia, winning for attorney general in 1985 and 1989. These were moments for both parties in which they actually looked like Virginia, projecting a balanced image of the state. The document is accompanied by a statement from a UVa nurse who has cared for Ms. Ryder during three of four cited hospitalizations. Lauren Bedard, who cares for pulmonary hypertension patients, said that she believed that improper administration of Remodulin caused Ms. Ryder to need hospitalization. UVa successfully treated her, but after the most recent episode did not release her back to the prison until it had sent a nurse to train FCCW medical staff on how to administer Remodulin. This womans story is playing out against the larger context of well-documented medical problems at the prison. Not once but twice, a judge already has held FCCW at fault for its handling of inmates health issues. In 2016, after a lawsuit filed by advocates for the inmates, the state Department of Corrections reached an agreement in which it pledged to meet 22 standards of care intended to correct alleged in the suit. Just this past January, in answer to a contempt of court motion filed by inmates advocates, U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon ruled that the state had failed to live up to eight of those standards. One case was particularly poignant. The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels. You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us! Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous. Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo. Borderland Beat? We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email! Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter forBorderland Beat?We love to have you in our team, sendoran email! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. New Delhi: Suspecting widespread irregularities in the IL&FS case, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is doubting the auditors role in the episode. Prima facie, it appears that they (auditors) have many questions to answer in IL&FS. If they are found at fault, action is bound to happen, said Injeti Srinivas, Secretary, Corporate Affairs. What is the gravity of the offence -- whether it is dereliction of duty, total negligence, collusion with management or abetting the crime and the extent of public interest involved -- will determine the quantum of action. It will be premature to pass any judgement on this at this stage, he said. While Srinivas did not name any particular auditor, reports have suggested that global auditing giant Deloitte and BSR & Associates, part of KPMG network, are among the entities under scanner allegedly for failing to flag loans that were granted in violation of norms by various IL&FS entities and to entities under severe financial distress and to those linked to top management personnel. The case is being investigated by multiple agencies. Emphasising that auditors are often referred to as gate keepers, Srinivas said the statutory auditor plays a key role in auditing the financial statements of a company. If auditors work diligently, then auditing standards and accounting standards are capable enough to detect any widespread irregularity, he said. According to him, if it is a one-off fraud, then it can be accepted that the fraud might not get easily detected. Where there are widespread irregularities bordering on fraud, then it is very difficult for any auditor to say that I did not see it at all or I believed the management's version, he said. When they find such evidences, they should not blindly go by the management's version. When irregularities are glaring at you, then you have to cross verify facts if you are a good auditor, Srinivas added. A second senior finance ministry official said it was only a matter of time before someone dragged Jet to the National Company Law Tribunal. NEW DELHI: The government sees little hope of a bidder emerging for debt-laden Jet Airways Ltd, two senior Finance Ministry officials said, even as thousands of employees plead with the government for a rescue. Parties that had initially expressed interest in Jet, which is saddled with roughly $1.2 billion of debt, have so far failed to make firm bids to bail it out, increasing the odds that it could soon face bankruptcy proceedings. There is little scope in the revival of Jet, said one official, adding that if a bidder emerged, the government was still willing to return slots to the private airline. The slots have been temporarily given to rival airlines. A second senior finance ministry official said it was only a matter of time before someone dragged Jet to the National Company Law Tribunal. It will most likely be one of Jets creditors and not its lenders that do so, said both the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The banks have been advised to wait for the formation of the next government ... before taking any decision on Jets fate, the official told Reuters. Unions have been pleading with the government to ensure the airline is rescued. Last week, in a letter to the prime minister seen by Reuters, its pilots union urged the government to intervene and speed up the bid process for the airline and stop the deregistration of its aircraft by its lessors. An official at ICICI Bank, which has to recover over 5.4 billion rupees ($78.17 million) from Jet, said the bank sees little chance of any recovery without the government coming up with a rescue plan. We largely think our money in Jet is gone, he said. Police said acting on a tip-off, coastal security police team led by DSP Kalitheerthan went to the Arcotthurai coast and secured a person who was waiting at the shore with two bags containing 34-kgs of the stuff. (Photo: Representational Image) Vedaranyam: The Coastal security police seized 34-kg of 'Ganja' allegedly meant for being transported to Sri Lanka via sea route and arrested one person in this connection at Arcotthurai coast near Vedaranyam on Saturday. Police said acting on a tip-off, coastal security police team led by DSP Kalitheerthan went to the Arcotthurai coast and secured a person who was waiting at the shore with two bags containing 34-kgs of the stuff. They seized the bags and arrested C. Balamurugan of Thambikkottai in Thanjavur district, who was allegedly waiting for a boat to load the contraband. Later, he was remanded to judicial custody, police added. Angry Kishore went inside his house. Following heated arguments between the father and the son, Kishore in a fit of rage attacked his father with a pestle who died on the spot with severe head injuries. (Representational Image) Vijayawada: Unable to bear his harassment, a son murdered his drunkard father in Guntur on Saturday. Old Guntur police station CI S. Srinivasa Rao said that Gogisetty Srinivasa Rao alias Sambaiah, 44, was working a lorry driver and was living at Guntur. His son Gogisetti Kishore was living in Bangalore and had recently came to Guntur. He tried to change his drunkard father who used to harass family but in vain. On Saturday, Kishore learnt from his relatives who had gathered at their house that his father had attacked his mother Rani. Angry Kishore went inside his house. Following heated arguments between the father and the son, Kishore in a fit of rage attacked his father with a pestle who died on the spot with severe head injuries. The police rushed to the spot and nabbed Kishore. Even after they gave a strike notice on April 16, no one discussed their demands with them. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: As many as 1,450 electricity meter-reading workers of TS Transco went on an indefinite strike on Saturday across the state demanding equal pay for equal work. Mr Domakonda Sunil Kumar, president of the Telangana Electricity Meter Reading Workers Association, said they had been demanding unsuccessully for pay parity for three years. Even after they gave a strike notice on April 16, no one discussed their demands with them. He said that personnel are paid Rs 1.70 to Rs 1.90 for each meter in rural areas, against Rs 1.50 in urban areas. He said the association wanted minimum wages in place of the piecemeal payment. He said officials were brushing aside the demand saying the meter readers were either on contract or were outsourced workers. Unless consumers are given electricity bills, they cannot pay the charges. Mr Kumar said every month they produce electricity bills to the tune of Rs 4 crore and the contactor pays them Rs 80 lakh to them. 'A raid was carried out late Saturday night and the information about the rave party was found true after which 161 men and 31 women were held from the spot,' SSP, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna said. (Photo: Twitter I Noida Police) Noida: As many as 161 men and 31 women were arrested from a rave party being held illegally at a farmhouse in Noida, police said on Sunday. The accused were arrested late Saturday night from the venue in Sector 135 where alcohol and other intoxicants were being served illegally, a senior police officer said. "We had got an information about such a rave party being held at the farmhouse. A raid was carried out late Saturday night and the information was found true after which 161 men and 31 women were held from the spot," Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna said. "Most of those arrested belong to Delhi, while some are from Haryana and only a few are from Noida," he told reporters. Five of the key organisers of the event have also been arrested and 31 hookah, 112 beer bottles, 30 liquor bottles which were meant for sale in Delhi, among other items, have been seized from the farmhouse, he said. "The key organisers have been identified as Amit Tyagi, Pankaj Sharma, Adnan Ahmed, Balesh Kohli, all four from Delhi, and Kapil Singh Bhati, from Ghaziabad," Mr Krishna said. A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code against those arrested and a probe is underway, he added. Police said that Mir sustained serious bullet injuries in the chest and abdomen and was rushed to a local hospital. (Photo: Representational) Srinagar: BJP leader identified as Gul Mohammad Mir was shot dead by terrorists at Nowgam village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Saturday evening. Police said that Mir sustained serious bullet injuries in the chest and abdomen and was rushed to a local hospital where the doctors on duty declared him brought dead. He was 60. National Conference leader and former Chief Minister of the state, Omar Abdullah condemned the killing. "Ghulam Mohd Mir, office bearer of the BJP in South Kashmir has been shot and killed in Nowgam, Verinag. I condemn this dastardly act of violence and pray for the soul of the departed, Allah Jannat naseeb karey," he said in a tweet. It is said that Mir unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls from Doru in 2008 and 2014. More details are awaited. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami made the contribution from their respective state relief funds to help people affected by cyclone Fani that hit the state on Friday. (Photo: ANI) Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday ordered the release of Rs 10 crore to the 'Fani'-ravaged Odisha towards relief and rehabilitation work. The severe cyclonic storm has caused unprecedented and extensive damage in Odisha, especially in the holy town of Puri, Palaniswami said adding it has led to untold suffering of the people. "On behalf of the State government and the people of Tamil Nadu, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the family members of all those who have lost their lives in the cyclone and rains," he said in an official release here. Odisha was faced with the arduous task of ensuring immediate rescue, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures in cyclone-ravaged areas, he noted. "As a token of support and solidarity of the government and people of Tamil Nadu with the government and people of Odisha in their hour of need... I have ordered immediate contribution of a sum of Rs 10 crore from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the Government of Odisha," he said. Also, the Tamil Nadu government is ready to render any other assistance as may be required by Odisha, he said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also made the contribution from the Uttar Pradesh state relief funds to help people affected by cyclone Fani that hit the state on Friday. On May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Central government released Rs 1000 crores in advance to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by cyclone Fani. "I am in regular touch with these states. Rs 1,000 crore for relief work has been released as advance to deal with the situation. I want to assure that the whole nation and the Centre is with all those families and governments," PM Modi had said while addressing an election rally here. The severe cyclonic storm Fani with a wind speed touching nearly 200 kmph made landfall at Puri coast on May 3 wreaking havoc in Odisha. Rescue and relief operations have been mounted on a massive scale in Odisha in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the cyclone. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. All security guards and jurisdictional police stations have been tasked to ensure that strict frisking is done at all the five star hotels and malls," the officer said, adding however that 'there's nothing for the public to panic about. (Representional Image) Bengaluru: The city has been put on high alert after the Intelligence Bureau (IB) at the centre, alerted Bengaluru City and Karnataka police about the movements of terrorists. Security has been tightened in all public places. A top source from the police department said, "The IB has shared inputs that there were few terrorist movements in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kerala, a few days before the Sri Lanka terror attack. The IB are tight lipped about it and have just directed us to tighten the security and keep a strict vigil across the City." "Railway stations, bus terminals, airports, religious places, malls and places where there's heavy movement of the public has seen a stepped up watch by the police department. All security guards and jurisdictional police stations have been tasked to ensure that strict frisking is done at all the five star hotels and malls," the officer said, adding however that 'there's nothing for the public to panic about." City police commissioner Suneel Kumar, who addressed the media to say that all secure measures had been put in place, asked the public to inform the nearest police station if they found anything suspicious. While admitting that they had no information about the movement of the terrorists or which organization they could belong to, he said "The IB has asked us to be cautious and alert." On Saturday, Khammam recorded the highest day temperature of 44.8C, 5.3C above normal. Hyderabad: Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh will cause severe heatwave conditions on Sunday and Monday. The hot winds from overland will affect Adilabad, Nizamabad, Khammam, Warangal, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and other districts of the state. The maximum temperature will be 2C to 3C above normal for this time of the year, the Indian Meteorological Department said. It said both Telugu states will undergo severe heatwave conditions and it is important that people must exercise precautions during day when the temperatures are at their peak. On Saturday, Khammam recorded the highest day temperature of 44.8C, 5.3C above normal. It was followed by Nalgonda at 44.5C and Bhadrachalam 44C. The other parts of the state recorded temperatures between 41C and 43C. Hyderabad was luckier, recording 39.8C, a shade above normal. A report from Vijayawada said the AP governments Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) had predicted that the temperature could touch the 46C mark in some places on Sunday. High temperatures were forecast in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore and East and West Godavari districts as well. On Saturday, Vijaya-wada recorded 45C. Experts suggested a range of precautions to fight the heat which included staying in cool places or in the shade, using umbrella during the day and wearing loose cotton garments. According to reports, the children identified as brothers Shek Syed, 10, and Shek Moulali, 8, found the battery at a dump yard near their residence and started playing with it. (Representational Image) Tirupati: Two children aged 8 and 10 years were grievously injured on Friday when they were playing with a battery of a mobile phone. The battery reportedly exploded in their hands. The incident took place at their home near BC Colony in Kurabalakota of Chittoor district and came to light after the kids were shifted to SVR Ruia hospital in Tirupati on Friday. According to reports, the children identified as brothers Shek Syed, 10, and Shek Moulali, 8, found the battery at a dump yard near their residence and started playing with it. The battery, which had bulged, exploded when it was exposed to the heat of the sun. The children suffered burns on their hands, face and eyes. They are now being treated at the SVR Ruia government hospital in Tirupati. According to SI Nettikantaiah, the government hospital authorities in Madanapalle informed the police that the Class V and Class III students from BC Colony were brought to the hospital on Friday. Police reached the hospital and came to know about the incident and registered a case. The parents had first taken the kids to the government hospital in Madanapalle from where they were referred to the SVR Ruia government general hospital for better treatment. In the right eye of elder boy, the cornea was lightly damaged and the younger ones face was severely burnt, it is learnt. Recalling the promise of AICC president Rahul Gandhi on special category status to AP state immediately after coming to power and passing SCS resolution by Congress party, he asked all political parties in AP to support Rahul as the future Prime Minister for protecting the interests of AP. (Image KPN) Vijayawada: Congress will hold review meetings on poll trends in Assembly and Parliament elections from May 16 to 19 in Vijayawada. APCC general secretary Janga Goutam said that AP Congress in-charge Oommen Chandy, AICC secretaries Meyyappan and Christo-pher Tilak, APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy and other leaders would review the poll trends. Addressing a Press meet at Vijayawada on Saturday, he said that reviews would be held for every MP seat, including its seven MLA segments. Recalling the promise of AICC president Rahul Gandhi on special category status to AP state immediately after coming to power and passing SCS resolution by Congress party, he asked all political parties in AP to support Rahul as the future Prime Minister for protecting the interests of AP. He alleged that the BJP has been using the Election Commission to harass the State Government which is severely objectionable. He said that AP Chief Minister N. Chandra-babu Naidu has been claiming that there is no need for ECs permission to hold review meetings but wrote a letter to EC, seeking permission. Hence, the EC should give clarification about the norms. APCC vice president N. Thulasi Reddy has alleged that extremist attacks in Kashmir increased to 170 per cent and violations on the border increased to 1,000 per cent in the BJP Governments tenure for the past five years and alleged that PM Modi totally failed in tackling terrorists. He claimed that India led by Congress Government defeated Pakistan three times in the years 1948, 1965 and 1971 and refuted the allegations of the BJP against Congress on the surgical strikes. Chennai: The BJP has slammed Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram for his outburst on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he lacked the status to comment on him. Taking strong exception to Chidambaram for saying the PM has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming a man (Rajiv Gandhi) who died in 1991, BJPs state executive member and media coordinator Narayanan Thirupathy said it was former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who had crossed all the entitlements of propriety and decency and showed his arrogance towards the Sikh community. His arrogance could be seen when he had said, When a big tree falls, earth shakes on his mothers death which was followed by the Sikh riots that killed thousands of Sikhs, Mr. Narayanan said. As home minister Chidambaram had crossed all his entitlements of propriety and decency and lost all his credibility and morality when he defamed the values of saffron that is worshiped as god by the people of our country, by quoting saffron terrorism. Hence, Chidambaram neither has the right to criticise nor the status to comment on the Prime Minister, Narayanan said. Mr. Chidambaram took to twitter to lash out at the PM for his Bhrastachari number 1 (corrupt number 1) remark against Congress president Rahul Gandhis father, during an election rally in Uttar Pradesh recently. Assailing Mr. Modi, Chidambaram in a series of tweets wondered if any religion sanctioned speaking ill of the dead. The PMs remarks on former PM Rajiv Gandhi show the extent of his desperation and fear of defeat, the Congress leader said. In another tweet he said, Mr. Modi has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming a man (Rajiv Gandhi) who died in 1991. BENGALURU: While the model code of conduct has delayed all the works in the city, the alleged cold war between city Mayor Gangambike and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Parameshwar may have added to it. BBMP sources maintain that Gangambike, who got the coveted Mayor's post due to the backing of Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy, is not in good terms with Dr Parameshwar and both are working in isolation, thereby leading to delay in projects. The sources also maintain that BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad is now the face of Palike, while elected representatives have been sidelined. Before the BBMP budget was presented there was a cold war between the Gangambike and her deputy Bhadre Gowda. Later, the issue was referred to JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and they both were told to work together, said the source. As for the Mayor's spat with Deputy Chief Minister, sources said the possible reason was Parameshwar's tour of France ignoring the Mayor. "Mr Parameshwar visited a waste-to-energy company there and the Mayor was not even informed about this and she didn't accompany the trip. Recently the same firm inked a pact with BBMP and the Mayor was not kept in loop," the source pointed out. The other reasons for enmity include selection of Mayor at the behest of Mr Reddy. It is Mr Reddy who is having the final say in BBMP affairs. He wields this clout as he was the one who cobbled up a coalition by forging ties with independent candidates and helped Congress come to power in BBMP, even though BJP had more corporators. The candidate whom Mr Reddy supports becomes the Mayor and Chairmen of standing committees. But there was an effort to sideline him by handing over the Bangalore Development portfolio to Dr Parameshwar, he said. Even though there are standing committees which are set up to do the work and take crucial decisions, projects are taken through the State High Level Clearance Committee, the source said and added that once the model code of conduct ends, the fight could be out in open. Gangambike was not available for comments. Candidates wait outside an examination centre to appear in the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (Neet) 2019 exams in Chennai, on Sunday. (Photo: DC) Chennai: A total of 1, 34, 711 medical education aspirants took the Neet from 188 centres in 14 cities across Tamil Nadu, along with their nationwide batchmates on Sunday. The questions were by and large manageable, most students told the media persons at various centres, while some said they wished they had trained a bit more in time-management as that would have helped them clear the paper in the stipulated three hours. The results of Neet-2019 will be released on June 5. Most candidates arrived at the exam centres even around ten in the morning bringing the parents along mostly just to be on the safe side of the clock in handling the identification formalities and go through the stringent screening at the entrances. The exams were held during 2-5 pm in all the centres across the country. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been given the task of holding the NEET for the first timein offline, pen-paper, mode. Cyclone Fani has forced the National Testing Agency (NTA) to postpone Neet in Odisha to a date that would be announced later. The enrolment for Neet this year saw a significant 14.4 per cent jump over the last years 13.26 lakh, which means a record 15.19 lakh candidates had enrolled this time. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu came third after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh in the number of candidates registering for NEET, notwithstanding all that anti-NEET political rhetoric that deflected attention from serious preparation for many candidates, particularly from rural areas, who were hoping for a miracle in the Centre granting the TN demand for exemption from taking this all-India medical entrance test. School education minister KS Sengottaiyan had done yeoman service to the states aspirants by providing special tuitions in government schools, though it must be admitted a lot more needs to be done to improve the TN students preparedness in taking on such national competitive examinations. Unlike in 2018, when the candidates from Tamil Nadu had faced problems with some of the questions translated into Tamil, the questions in Tamil were flawless this time, said students who had answered their NEET in Tamil. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had ordered 196 grace marks to the Tamil medium candidates last year but that was struck down by the Supreme Court as many students who were nowhere near the cut-off had catapulted into the admission list because of the grace marks. The apex court had stated at that time that with the NTA given the task of conducting NEET from 2019, a foolproof methodology has been put in place to ensure perfect translations of the questions. The court had also permitted candidates above 25 years of age to take NEET but only provisionally until the final verdict is pronounced in the matter. A police officer reported the people/abductees were being taken to the Karigundem forests near Bijapur. Hyderabad: On the eve of the first phase of local bodies elections, three persons were abducted allegedly by Maoists, and two of them are believed to have been killed. Reports claim that the Maoists kidnapped Bujji from Cherla mandal, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, while the others/other two were kidnapped from Chhattisgarh. Further, while Bujji was released on Sunday, the two persons from Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, were killed by the Maoists. Additionally, the Maoists had pasted posters all over Nagarkurnool district with messages asking the unemployed youth to join them in their fight against the government. They threatened to attack Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and demanded that the Intermediate Board be shut down for the marks fiasco. According to the Telangana police, the culprit Maoists hailed from the Chhattisgarh border area. Apparently, they abducted Bujji and the others on the suspicion of them being police informers and they threatened and even beat them up them pretty badly. Bujji, who returned to his village on Sunday morning, narrated his entire ordeal to the police. A police officer reported the people/abductees were being taken to the Karigundem forests near Bijapur. "The Maoists, who have been failing to land a breakthrough, are now trying to influence locals not to accept the various benefits and facilities being provided by the state government," he said. Regarding the posters threatening Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, another senior police official explained the Maoists were unable to make a wave in the state and were therefore attempting to make their presence felt by pasting posters and threatening the public. In light of the local body elections which have been scheduled to be conducted at Cherla and Dummugudem mandals in Kothagudem on Monday, a meeting was held by the senior police officials of the state to review the prevailing security conditions. In the last 10 days of Ramzan, the fast will be for 14 hours and 30 minutes and extend to 14 hours and 44 minutes. (Photo: DC/ Pooja Mulchandani) Hyderabad: Ramzan fasting will begin from Tuesday onw-ards as the Central Ruiyat-e-Hilal Committee confirmed that the crescent moon was not sighted on Sunday. The moon will be sighted on Monday night. After the first few days, timing of Iftar will extend to 6.45 pm and go up to 6.50 pm and 6.53 pm by the end of the month. In the last 10 days of Ramzan, the fast will be for 14 hours and 30 minutes and extend to 14 hours and 44 minutes. There will be four Fridays during the Ramzan period, and Shab-e-Qadar, one of the three holy nights, will fall on June 1 (Saturday night) and the Jumatul Vida, the last Friday of Ramzan, will be observed on May 31. If the moon is sighted, then Id-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on June 5 (Wednesday) or else on June 6. Special arrangements have been made at all mosques across the state for the conduct of Taraveeh prayers in the night. In Macca Masjid, nearly 8,000 to 10,000 Muslims are expected to participate in the Taraveeh prayers where Hafiz Moulana Rizwan Qureshi will supervise the reciting of three Paaras (chapters) of the Holy Quran each day for the first 10 days of Ramzan. Similarly, management committees of different mosques have made arrangements for the conduct of Taraveeh prayers. Arrangements have also been made at several places for Simaat-e-Quran where the women will recite the Holy Quran. Ramzan in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East countries will begin from Monday when the first fast will be observed. The committee members who met in the evening on Sunday scanned the sky for a sight of the moon. Secretary of the Sadar Majlis Ulema-e-Deccan, Moulana Syed Qubul Basha declared that the moon was not sighted in Hyderabad on Sunday, though the sky was clear. He said, We have not received any information from other parts of the state about the sighting of the moon. Therefore, the Ruiyat Hilal Committee states that in the light of Sharia, May 6 will be the 30th Shabaan and the first Ramzan will start from May 7, Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Jamia Nizama vice-chancellor Mufti Khaleel Ahmed, Darul Ifta Dean Mufti Azeemuddin, Moulana Kazim Pasha Quadri, Syed Aulia Hussaini Murtuza Pasha and other religious scholars. The Ramzan fast will start from Tuesday and the timing for Sehar is 4.20 am and Iftar is 6.43 pm. The fast will be for 14 hours and 23 minutes in the first few days and the timing will extend to 6.45 pm and go up to 6.50 pm and 6.53 pm by the month end. Despite instruction given to students to not wear watches and jewellery, many student still wore earings, jewellery and watches to the exam centre on Sunday. Ahead of the entering the examination centre, a mother is seen removing the earing from her daughters ear on Sunday at the Banjara Hills Neet examination centre. (Photo: DC) Hyderabad: Students and experts said the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Neet) for admission into medical and dental bachelors courses appeared to be easier than last year. Most students said the physics paper took the most time. Neet was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) across the nation. A zoology lecturer said, There are two questions which were outside the designated syllabus regarding artificial kidney that many students could not answer, as it was more on the application side. Those two marks could become a major factor in deciding ranks. Student, B. Shivani, said the paper was of moderate difficulty. The physics paper appeared lengthy. In the other subjects there were some questions where there was ambiguity. Experts said the cut-off might be in the range of 130 to 140 marks. It would vary between college. Neet is conducted for admission into all medical and dental colleges across the country except the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) which have their own entrance tests. The Neet score here is considered for counselling for admission into MBBS and BDS. Hyderabad: Former AP chief secretary Ajay Kallam will play a key role if the YSR Congress comes to power in the Assembly elections when the votes are counted on May 23. It is expected that Mr Kallam, an officer with vast experience in administration and a clean image, will be appointed government adviser. Mr Kallam, a native of Guntur district, has worked in several important departments including revenue and finance and was Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Board. As special chief secretary, finance, he was very critical about the capital Amaravati and the Singapore agreements. YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who is aspiring to be Chief Minister has never worked as minister and he is very new to government administration. It is stated that he is not familiar with the bureaucrats and top police officers. Mr Kallam, who retired a year ago, knows all the IAS and IPS officers and their style of functioning. This knowledge will help Mr Reddy, if he becomes Chief Minister, to revamp the administration, something that all incoming governments do, According to sources, Mr Reddy and Mr Kallam are in regular touch, with the former learning administrative skills from the former bureaucrat. When Mr Jagan Mohan Reddys father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy became Chief Minister in 2004, he too was new to government. At that time, he had the image of a factionist. Within a year, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy had grown as an administrator, someone who is remembered a decade after his death. Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy wants to emulate his father, and would depend on Mr Kalam,sources said. Bhopal: Michel Mama (Christian Michel, an alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland chopper scam), is already blurting out secrets, he said. Mr Modi charged that the Congress means falsehood, propaganda and cheating. Referring to the 10-year UPA rule under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Modi alleged that India lost an entire decade of the 21st century after the Congress installed family loyalist Dr Singh as the Prime Minister in 2004 because the prince was not ready and all efforts to train him went waste at that time. Referring to Mr Gandhis corruption allegations against him, Mr Modi said, The truth has come out. Naamdar has accepted that false charges were levelled against me. His only aim was to malign the image of Modi. Mr Modi called for eliminating terrorism and Naxalism from the country, saying he has vowed to avenge every drop of martyrs blood. Referring to the UNs move of designating JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, Mr Modi said it is just the beginning. He said basic infrastructure in the country should have been laid within 25 years of independence. But, it could not be achieved till date because of dynastic rule. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Bhadohi, the Prime Minister said unlike the BJP the mahamilawati (grand adulteration) people have treated power as a means to multiply wealth. Mr Modi said the mahamilawati people, referring to the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, have always indulged in scams and encouraged corruption while for the BJP power is a medium to serve the people. Chennai: While expressing Tamil Nadus willingness to extend all possible assistance to cyclone Fani-ravaged Odisha, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday announced Rs 10 crore relief to the government of Odisha. As a token of support and solidarity of the Government and people of Tamil Nadu with the Government and people of Odisha in their hour of need, I have ordered immediate contribution of a sum of Rs 10 crore from the Chief Ministers Public Relief Fund to the Government of Odisha. The Government of Tamil Nadu stands ready to render any other assistance as may be required by the Government of Odisha, Mr Palaniswami said. The severe cyclonic storm Fani has caused unprecedented and extensive damage in certain districts of Odisha, especially in the holy town of Puri. This cyclone and heavy rains has also caused untold suffering to the people of Odisha, the CM said. On behalf of the State Government and the people of Tamil Nadu, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the family members of all those who have lost their lives in the cyclone and rains, Mr Palaniswami said in a statement here. Odisha, he said, is faced with the arduous task of ensuring immediate rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures of the cyclone ravaged areas and reconstruction of the devastated areas in the coming days. The worst storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in 20 years, Cyclone Fani left at least 16 people dead, and weakened into a deep depression and lay centred over Bangladesh on Saturday morning, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Hyderabad: The Telangana state government is working towards removing the kinks in the land titling system after observing the difficulties that Maharashtra and Rajasthan have faced in attempting to introduce the system. The demand is for a workable, inclusive and evolving system of land titling and land records which will allow land markets to function effectively, reduce judicial burden and improve the targeting of welfare schemes. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had outlined the conclusive land titling system he wanted to introduce and explained its advantages. According to the CM, the main advantage of the system is that it guarantees title to the owner. Civil disputes in courts are likely to reduce drastically and ownership of various properties will be guaranteed. The officers of record keeping offices will issue online certificates of property title that will certify the ownership rights to the extent of share percentage. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao explained that after issuing the conclusive title if any dispute arises and the title proves to be wrong, then the state government will compensate the concerned title owner. During the UPA II regime, the Centre had drafted the Model Land Titling Bill, 2011, but it did not become law and the then Union minister for rural development in discussions on the Bill had said that the process will be painful and there are vested interests preventing this. The attempts of the Rajasthan government to introduce the Rajasthan Urban Land (Certification of Titles) Bill, 2016, have not been successful because the Bill is riddled with inadequacies and falls short of requirements to address the real issues. Though Maharashtra has done better in addressing the problem of conclusive titling by bringing an amendment to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, in 2015, it also has not materialised so far. The attempt of the administration of Chandigarh Union Territory in the year 2016 also is still on the cards. Given this backdrop, legal experts say that the state government has to be very cautious in bringing in conclusive land titling as it requires initial surveying of the entire lands in the state, identifying the owners, and making entries in the revenue records of land parcels. Former special government pleader N. Sridhar Reddy, who dealt with revenue matters in the High Court, says: If the government introduces a foolproof system after completing the required initial exercise, it will certainly reduce litigation and lessen the burden on the judiciary and also will be helpful in reaching welfare benefits to the people. He added that we cannot rule out possibilities of litigation arising at every stage, right from the survey to making entries into records to introduce the land titling system. If the government is not cautious at every stage, it will give scope for the land mafia. He said without making foolproof arrangements for the introduction of the system, it would only be a burden on the state exchequer. Ms B. Rachna Reddy, a High Court lawyer. felt that the conclusive titling system would create a parallel revenue system. She pointed out that as of now, the civil court is the competent authority to declare the actual title owner of the land parcel which is in subject and revenue authorities are to assist the court whenever a dispute arises by providing the relevant documents of both parties which are disputing the piece of land. According to her, what is needed is streamlining of the existing revenue system instead of doing away with it. Introducing other agencies into land matters would lead to further litigation, she held. It was challenging task to remove the bulb, while ensuring that the sharp edges do not rupture the lung and cause bleeding. Kochi: Doctors in a city hospital successfully removed an LED bulb from the lungs of a seven-year-old girl without any surgical procedures. Dr. Ahamed Kabeer, pediatric surgeon at Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva, removed the bulb through the complicated rigid bronchoscopy. The girl from Kannur was brought to the hospital after being examined at a hospital at Kozhikode. Attempt of doctors in the hospital to take the bulb out through bronchoscopy failed. The sharp edge of the bulb was seen as facing outward in her lung. The shape and location of the bulb made it difficult to remove it through a fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Hence Dr Kabeer decided to do the rigid bronchoscopy. It was challenging task to remove the bulb, while ensuring that the sharp edges do not rupture the lung and cause bleeding. The thoracic surgery team, led by Dr Shiv K. Nair, was on standby in case of an emergency situation. The doctors successfully removed the bulb through a two-hour-long procedure. Dr Reju Joseph Thomas, head of pediatric surgery, Dr Sachin George, head of Anesthesiology and Dr Irene were part of the team. The family tried to cross the first track to reach the second platform where the Chennai train was supposed to halt sometime later. Vellore: Three persons, including an eleven-year-old boy and a woman, were killed when a speeding train hit them as they were trying to cross the railway track at Ambur station near Vellore in the early hours of Sunday, police here said. They said Sankar, employed in a footwear factory, had taken his sister Bhanumathi and grandson Nitish to Ambur station to catch a train to Chennai. The family tried to cross the first track to reach the second platform where the Chennai train was supposed to halt sometime later. But all the three were mowed down by a train that came speeding on the first track. Their crushed bodies were spotted on the bloodied track much later by passersby, who alerted the station master. The body parts of the three had to be scooped up from the track in blankets and taken to the government hospital for post-mortem before being released to the grieving family later in the day. Railway authorities have sought an explanation from station master as to how the family was not stopped from undertaking the dangerous crossing of tracks, that too when a train was scheduled to pass by around that time. New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley wondered about Congress President Rahul Gandhi's disturbance when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned. In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that Rahul Gandhi thinks that "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a man of utmost integrity. Responding to comments of Modi that Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as "Bhrashtachari No 1", Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: Jaitley in his tweet said: Modi, addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, had targeted the former Prime Minister while attacking Rahul Gandhi. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Modi had said. Jaitley further tweeted: The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress's defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls. On former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accusing the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits, Jaitley said: When an Economist turns into a politician, he looses sense of both economy and politics. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Dr. Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 In an interview to PTI on Sunday, Singh said India is headed for an economic slowdown and accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire state due to its "lack of economic vision". Singh also alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of the economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation. "We are outraged and horrified by this act of aggression against the Chief Minister of a state," Vijayan said. (Photo: File) Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the attack on Aam Admi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said the inaction of the police has encouraged the attackers. Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled AAP supporter during a roadshow on Saturday. "We are outraged and horrified by this act of aggression against the Chief Minister of a state," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. He said the attack on Kejriwal was an attempt to muzzle the voices against the Sangh Parivar. Vijayan said he had spoken to Kejriwal over the phone and that this was not the first time he has been attacked. The inaction of the Delhi police, which is controlled by the Central government, has served as an encouragement for the attackers, Vijayan said. On Sunday, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP was responsible for the attack and claimed he was targeted because he had been lately questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'relationship' with Pakistan. The AAP supremo, at a press conference held at the party headquarters, said this was not just an attack on him but an assault on the people of Delhi and the mandate they had given. The BJP, however, rubbished the claim as Kejriwal's 'propaganda.' "This is the ninth attack on me and fifth one since I took charge as the chief minister of Delhi. And, for any attack on me in future, BJP will be responsible," Kejriwal said. "They (BJP) do not want the common man to enter politics, so we are being targeted. Our only fault is we have tried to bring development in Delhi, in education, health and other sectors. They are feeling insecure...," he said. Sagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted Rahul Gandhi on Sunday for his alleged association with UK firm Backops, saying the Congress president's "scams" were being "unearthed from land, air and water". Referring to Gandhi, Modi while speaking at rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar said the "naamdar" gets exposed every time he tries to malign him and the more he is targeted, the more 'lotus' will bloom. The Home Ministry recently served a notice on Gandhi, saying it received a representation from BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, claiming that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003 with the Congress leader as one of its directors. The Home Ministry said Swamy's letter also mentioned that in the British company's annual returns filed on October 10, 2005 and October 31, 2006, Gandhi's date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970 and had declared his nationality as British. Referring to Gandhi's alleged association with the company, Modi said, "His scams are being unearthed from land, air and water." "The 'naamdar' in an interview mentioned that his aim was to malign my image. But more the mud he throws at me, better the lotus will bloom," he said. "He owned a company called Backops in England which was shut in 2009. But in 2011, a partner in the company got a submarine deal contract. The government was of the Congress. How did the Backops partner get the deal, what was his experience in defence contract?" Modi said. Modi alleged that due to Congress's "criminal apathy", the country has been deprived of basic amenities like pucca houses, electricity, toilets and bank accounts during the first 25 years of Independence. "Had the Congress remained in power, I am confident that basic amenities would have alluded the country for another 100 years," he said. Modi said perpetrators of terrorism are now fully aware that it is a new India which hits them back by entering their dens. "Your each vote in favour of Modi will inspire him to fight against terrorism with vigour," he added. 'Strongly condemn killing of Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers,' Modi said. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the killing of BJP leader Gul Mohammad Mir, who was shot dead by the terrorists yesterday at Nowgam village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. PM Modi took to the micro-blogging website to express his condolence and said: "Strongly condemn the killing of Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers." Police said the 60-year-old sustained serious bullet injuries in the chest and abdomen and was rushed to a local hospital where the doctors on duty declared him 'brought dead'. National Conference leader and former chief minister of the state, Omar Abdullah also condemned the killing. "Ghulam Mohd Mir, office bearer of the BJP in South Kashmir has been shot and killed in Nowgam, Verinag. I condemn this dastardly act of violence and pray for the soul of the departed, Allah Jannat naseeb karey," he said in a tweet. Mir had unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls from Doru in 2008 and 2014. New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, "Bhrashtachari number 1" (corrupt number 1), senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said those who are 'pseudo-nationalist' and 'do politics of dividing people' will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifices. In a veiled reference, Patel also termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "pseudo nationalist." He said: "India will not forgive such people who have insulted, hurt and abused our martyrs. History is going to record the name of this pseudo nationalist in black ink for all his sins against the nation." On Saturday, Modi while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh said, the life of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi ended as 'Bhrashtachari number 1.' "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1,' Modi had said. He was apparently referring to the Bofors scam, which dates back to 1980s and 1990s, in which Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors. The scam led to the removal of Congress party from power. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda on Sunday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is not a 'pappu', asserting that he is 'highly educated' and India needs young leadership. (Photo: File) Indore: Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda on Sunday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is not a "pappu", asserting that he is "highly educated" and India needs young leadership. "I have spent a fair amount of time with Rahul to talk about how we will take the country forward. I have great confidence in him contrary to what BJP has been saying about him for the last ten years. He is not a 'pappu'. He is a highly educated, intelligent young man. India needs young leaders," Pitroda said at a press conference here. "India needs modern mind, it needs mind which is induced with technology, not jumlas (false promises). The country needs a man with character; it needs a leader who feels for the people and who believes in democracy and talks about we, not me. I can assure Rahul brings a lot of good qualities," he said. Since 2014, trolls on social media have often referred to Rahul Gandhi as a "pappu" (greenhorn). Pitroda said, "I had a chance to work with his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and his father (Rajiv Gandhi) very closely. He has the pedigree. It is not about 'chamchagiri' (flattery), not about dynasty but someone who can lead the party forward. India's future and democracy are at stake." He hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statement that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was "corrupt number 1". "I have been hurt when I heard what the Prime Minister spoke about Rajiv Gandhi. PM speaks for the people of the country. He said Rahul's father (Rajiv Gandhi) was corrupt number 1. What is the need to say something like this?" he asked. "I feel ashamed. I am also a Gujarati and come from the state of Gandhi ji. He (Modi) spread lies. People of this state can lie so much and speak such lowly things, this saddens us," Pitroda said. Attacking the BJP-led government, the IOC chief said: "Zero jobs were created, zero smart city. Farmers are restless now. They were promised doubled income, (but) no steps were taken to bring black money back. Demonetisation was a disaster...They are not paying attention to it. Instead, they boast of what happened (Balakot strike) in Pakistan." "Nobody is talking about main issues because nothing has been done in five years. We need your scorecard, it is too bad that even you (BJP) do not want to talk about it," he said. Pitroda alleged the country's institutions have been captured by the BJP. "We are seeing that institutions like judiciary, Election Commission and ED have been captured... Election Commissioner has to think whether he is the country's EC or a party's EC," he said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Patna: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Shakeel Ahmed was suspended from the party on Sunday "with immediate effect" for contesting as an Independent from the Madhubani Lok Sabha seat in Bihar which goes to polls on Monday. According to a release issued by AICC general secretary Motilal Vora at New Delhi, shared by the party's state unit here, Ahmed - who had won the Madhubani seat for the Congress in 2004 has been suspended for going against the party decision. Besides, Congress MLA Bhavana Jha, who represents Benipatti assembly segment falling under Madhubani, has been suspended "for anti-party activities". Notably, Jha had accompanied Ahmed when he filed his nomination papers last month and has since been claiming that he enjoyed the support of the district Congress notwithstanding the party leaderships refusal to heed the former Union Minister's request for a "friendly fight". The seat has fallen into the kitty of fledgling outfit Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) which is a constituent of the Mahagathbandhan besides Congress, RJD, RLSP and HAM. Currently it is held by BJP veteran Hukumdev Narayan Yadav who has been replaced by his son Ashok Yadav this time. Vijayawada: Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have any moral right to talk about Andhra Pradesh after not granting special category status and not implementing the AP Reorganisation Act for the state, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday condemned the remarks made by Mr Modi on state bifurcation in Bihar recently. Mr Modi had said that the Congress had unscientifically bifurcated Andhra Pradesh due to which many issues were still pending between the states and there was animosity between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr Naidu said that Modi was heckling the state and ridiculing its problems instead of resolving them. He said Mr Modi was rubbing salt on the wounds of bifurcation. Mr Naidu said he had visited Delhi 29 times to bring pressure on the Centre to resolve 18 bifurcation related issues including special category status and funds to Amaravati and Polavaram. Not a single issue was resolved by the BJP led Centre. He asked Mr Modi to contemplate on what his government had done for the benefit of Andhra Pradesh before criticising the Congress. Mr Naidu said the BJP would will remain a bigger culprit than the Congress in the history of Andhra Pradesh for not fulfilling the bifurcation promises. He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had reiterated their commitment towards according special category status to Andhra Pradesh in several election speeches. Mr Naidu condemned the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying the BJP had resorted to physical violence after it had attacked institutions. Naidu to get back to work TD supremo and Chief Minister N. Chandra-babu Naidu reiterated that the Election Commission must not interfere in administration and should only conduct polls. Mr Naidu reiterated he would continue to review government schemes, activities and projects. He will visit Polavaram on Monday to inspect the progress of the work. Mr Naidu said his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao was reviewing work on projects like Kaleshwa-ram and Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi was reviewing government activities at the Centre. There are 7,072 candidates for the mandal polls and 883 for the zilla polls. Hyderabad: Hundreds of villages across the state will vote on Monday to elect members to the mandal and zilla territorial constituencies in the first phase of the three-phase elections. In all 2,097 MPTCs and 195 ZPTCs go to the polls on Monday. There are 7,072 candidates for the mandal polls and 883 for the zilla polls. The Telangana State Election Commission had last month released the election schedule for 5,817 MPTCs and 539 ZPTCs. The second phase polling is on May 10 and the third on May 14. Counting of votes will be on May 27. Around 1.56 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise and the elections will be held through ballot papers. The Congress and the Telugu Desam is watching this as a test case in their protest against the electronic voting machines (EVMs) Polling to one mandal has been countermanded after it was found that a TRS candidate was forcing his Congress rival to accept money and pull out of the contest. A report from Kothagudem said the ZPTCs and MPTCs candidates had come to a common understanding to bribe voters with pork. A group of 20 voters demanded a pig. The election of Dammapet ZPTC and Mushtibanda MPTC are said to be among the costliest. Voters are being given `1,000 and `1,500 each because of the keen fight between the main contestants in the two seats. In Jayashankar Bhupalpally, which is treated as a left-wing extremism-hit district, the polling will take place from 7am to 4pm, concluding the polling process one hour prior. Bengaluru: Amidst the discourse between leaders of the coalition partners JD(S) and Congress on who had back-stabbed whom during the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, Congress Legislature Party(CLP) leader, Siddaramaiah has reportedly frowned on any move by the state unit to take action against former Congress legislators in Mandya and insisted that nothing should be done till the Lok Sabha results are out on May 23. Several Janata Dal (S) leaders including Chief Minister, H. D. Kumaraswamy had accused Mandya Congress leaders like N. Chelurayaswamy and P.M. Narendra Swamy of supporting Mandya Independent candidate Sumalata Ambareesh and not the coalition's candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy. The accusations gained ground after these rebel leaders were seen in CCTV footage having dinner with Ms Sumalatha at a Bengaluru hotel. With JD(S) leaders demanding action against these leaders for violating the coalition dharma, KPCC president, Dinesh Gundurao had summoned them and demanded an explanation on Friday. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader disclosed that Mr Siddaramaiah had called up Mr Rao and asked him not to proceed further on the JD(S) complaint. "It gives an impression that the Congress has given in to the JD(S). What is wrong in going to a dinner party attended by Ms Sumlatha, that too after the election is over? These leaders were good friends of late Ambareesh and so going to a dinner should not be blown out of proportion," Mr Siddaramaiah is learnt to have told Mr Rao. All their (JD-S) demands cannot be met. They need to know that the Congress does not have to bend backwards just to keep the JD(S) happy, Mr Siddarmaiah reportedly remarked. Ever since terrorism specifically the jihadist variety has stalked the globe, a common refrain has been that radicalised young men need to be educated and given job opportunities to steer them away from the murderous path they have chosen. But as we have learned in attack after attack, many of those responsible have been not just educated, but well-to-do. The mantra of education and jobs rang particularly hollow in the aftermath of the recent mayhem that took place in Sri Lanka a fortnight ago: all the suicide bombers involved in the terror attacks were from well-off families, and some had gone abroad to study. Of course the classic example of well-heeled, well-educated terrorists remains the group of 19 (mostly Saudi) Arabs who flew the commercial jets into New Yorks World Trade Centre, as well as the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In Pakistan, we have the case of Omar Saeed Sheikh who confessed to kidnapping and beheading the American journalist, Daniel Pearl, in 2002. Educated at Lahores exclusive Aitchison College and the London School of Economics, he confessed to his crime in court and was sentenced to death. Seventeen years later, hes still in jail, with his appeal yet to be heard. Saad Aziz of Karachi is another example of a rich, well-educated and highly placed young man who chose terrorism over the good life. Owner of a successful restaurant, he has a degree from the Institute of Business Education, Pakistans leading business school. Apart from leading the attack on a bus in which 54 Ismailis were slaughtered, he also assassinated Sabeen Mahmud, the gifted young woman who created the liberal space popularly known as T2F in Karachi. Recently, he was convicted of attempting to kill an American professor. There are many others in the Muslim world who fall into the category of educated, well-off killers. Two brothers who blew themselves up recently in Colombo, together with scores of victims, were members of the Sri Lankan elite, and sons of a billionaire. In many of these cases, the young men involved know little about Islam as they follow the teachings of violent men and their calls for jihad. In Sri Lanka, the little-known National Thowheed Jamath apparently had the support of the militant Islamic State group. According to experts, many jihadist groups help each other in carrying out complex operations. Along with the elements of money and education that link these individuals, the other common thread is adherence to Wahabism and its more extreme form, Salafism. Both are propagated by Saudi Arabia through the vast network of madressahs and mosques it supports across the world. From Jakarta to Johannesburg, clerics often paid by Riyadh preach sermons full of hate towards non-Muslims. Sri Lankans have often complained of the way Saudi Arabia is radicalising young Muslims. Who funded the recent attacks not a cheap undertaking remains a mystery. But it is a fact documented by foreign observers and journalists that the kingdom (together with Kuwait, Turkey and several Western powers) supplied extreme Islamist groups with arms and cash during the bloody Syrian civil war. Despite the clear evidence of the links between extremism and Saudi money, the West remains oblivious to reality. When a tub is overflowing, the normal instinct is to shut the tap, not place buckets to catch the water as it drips over the top. But as we learned in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Saudi Arabia occupies a special place in the heart of the American establishment. Hours after the Twin Towers came down, a special flight picked up a number of Saudi VIPs across America to fly them home. This was at a fraught time when all commercial flights had been grounded. Members of Pakistani religious groups like the Tablighi Jamaat have been visiting Sri Lanka for years, trying to convert Buddhists. On a flight from Colombo to Karachi a few years ago, I found myself seated next to one of them who, assuming I was Sri Lankan, offered to give me a brief lesson about religion. He shut up when I snapped at him in Urdu that I didnt need any lectures from him. Soon, he and his companions took over the space between the seats to pray, causing great inconvenience to passengers wanting to use the toilets. But when the speaker system broadcast the call to prayer in the luggage hall after we had landed, not one of them bothered to pray. However, we are faced with a conundrum: experts are unanimous in suggesting that education and jobs are the answer to jihadist radicalisation. But as we have just seen, some of the deadliest attacks have been carried out by well-educated and well-off men. So how do we remove the poison that has infected them? By arrangement with Dawn Betraying innocence of situational awareness, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has found himself in a needless and pointless controversy. Speaking last week in Bhopal, where terror accused Pragya Singh Thakur, who calls herself a sadhvi, or female hermit, is the BJP's candidate for the Lok Sabha poll, he appears to have overlooked the terrorism aspect in Ms Thakurs candidature and got diverted into talking about violence and Hinduism, giving grist to the mill of his ideological opponents. Violence in one form or another has been an aspect of living, not just of change and evolution, in all societies, including our own. And violence everywhere has taken many forms and has had multiple causes. When winners write the accounts, they glorify their own violence as just and necessary, and this has been the case everywhere. Therefore, it was not just careless but also impolitic of Mr Yechury to point to famous Hindu epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as also depicting violence. This was in response to Ms Thakurs reported observation that Hindus are not violent people. The unwritten subtext of this is that Hindus have only engaged in violence to put down evil and injustice, and other such convenient theorising the RSS-affiliates indulge in to further their political ends. Instead of getting sucked into a meaningless discussion on whether people of particular religious groups are violent, the CPI(M) general secretary may have served his own politics better if he had pointed out that terrorism the charge that the BJPs Bhopal candidate has to answer in court is linked to ideological moorings, not religious affiliation. Thus, Al Qaeda has promoted terrorism but all Muslims are not terrorists. Similarly, the fact that a Hindutva votary like Nathuram Godse performed an act of terrorism in shooting Mahatma Gandhi dead does not make Hindus terrorists. Indeed, there is no link between Hindutva and Hinduism, although the RSS-BJP cynically overlooks this when they appeal to all Hindus for votes in the name of religion. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the progenitor of Hindutva philosophy who gave assurances of cooperation to British colonial rulers to secure his freedom from Cellular Jail in the Andamans, was a self-proclaimed atheist. He had no hesitation in saying that his interest was ideological and political, not religious. For ulterior political reasons that have to do with defaming members of a particular faith, Hindutva votaries have long propagated the self-serving falsehood that a person who is Hindu by birth cannot, by definition, be a terrorist. This is plain nonsense, of course, as the assassination of Gandhi shows. But under the present government too, there have been some 40 cases of cow-related lynchings against dalits and Muslims. These too are overt examples of terrorism. Terrorism doesnt have to involve Kalashnikovs and suicide vests. Mr Yechury failed to point this out. Recently I had a visitor from Hainan, China, Jiang Zhongqiang. Jiang is from the South China Maritime Research Centre, and has been commissioned to write a book about the Congress Party. I told him that to understand the inner workings of the party he would be better off first studying the inner workings of the Ming court. When asked to elaborate I told him about Hai Rui (1514-1587), the honest bureaucrat from Hainan who is buried in the provincial capital Haikou in a nondescript grave. We also spoke about the writer Lu Xun (1881-1936), who like Hai Rui paid a heavy price for his uprightness. Hai Rui was a scholar-official of the Ming dynasty. He is remembered as a model of honesty and integrity in office. A play based on his career, Hai Rui Dismissed from Office, by Wu Han gained political significance in 1961 after the Peking Opera staged it. Initially Mao applauded the play, but when people started seeing in it as an allegory of him and Marshal Peng Dehuai, the Great Helmsman changed his mind. Peng himself agreed with this interpretation, and stated: I want to be a Hai Rui! in a 1962 letter to Mao requesting his return to politics. Wu Han himself was purged for his troubles and died in prison in 1969. Hai Rui was a scholar-bureaucrat. Like many educated Chinese he joined the bureaucracy and soon gained a reputation for his morality, scrupulous honesty and fairness. This won him widespread popular support, evinced among other things by his being enshrined while alive; but he also made many enemies in the bureaucracy. Nevertheless, he was called to the capital Peking and promoted to the position of secretary of the ministry of revenue. In 1565, he submitted a memorial strongly criticising Emperor Jialing for the neglect of his duties and bringing disaster to the country, for which he was sentenced to death in 1566. He was released after the emperor died in early 1567. Hai Rui was reappointed under the Emperor Longqing, but soon forced to resign in 1570 after complaints were made over his overzealous handling of land-tenure issues. He is not particularly celebrated in China any more, which is not surprising given the open corruption that flourishes there. Like in India now, wealth is more celebrated than character in China. When I visited Haikou, Hainan, in 2013, I asked my hosts to be taken to Hai Ruis grave. My hosts were surprised. Perhaps he makes the Communist mandarins feel uncomfortable? Interestingly enough, Hai Rui had an Indian connection. He was descended from a native of Guangzhou named Hai Da-er (Haidar), and his mother was also from a Muslim (Hui) family that originated from India. Hai Rui himself was however known primarily as a Neo-Confucian and never discussed Islam in his Confucian works. In April 2015, I drove out from Shanghai to Shaoxing in Zhejiang province and crossed over the 36-km long bridge across the Hangzhou Bay from Jiaxing to Cixi. Cixi incidentally is the birthplace of KMT Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek. The next town Shaoxing is the birthplace of Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedongs devoted acolyte. But Shaoxing is a much-visited tourist destination these days because it is the hometown of the venerated writer Lu Xun, commonly considered the greatest Chinese writer of the 20th century. Lu Xun was also an important critic known for his sharp and unique essays on the historical traditions and modern conditions of China. Lu Xun was the pen name of Zhou Zorn, born in a wealthy Shaoxing family. This home of the family Zhou is a much-visited tourist site, not only for its simple elegance and for the unique peep it offers into late 19th century upper class family life in China, but also because it is the locale for several of Lu Xuns stories. His official biography in the brochure reads: Lu Xun left his hometown in 1899 and attended a mining school in Nanjing; there he developed an interest in Darwins theory of evolution, which became an important influence in his work. Chinese intellectuals of the time understood Darwins theory to encourage the struggle for social reform, to privilege the new and fresh over the old and traditional. In 1902 he traveled to Japan to study Japanese and medical science, and while there he became a supporter of the Chinese revolutionaries who gathered there. In 1903, he began to write articles for radical magazines edited by Chinese students in Japan. In 1909 he published, with his younger brother Zhou Zuoren, a two-volume translation of 19th-century European stories, in the hope that it would inspire readers to revolution, but the project failed to attract interest. Disillusioned, Lu Xun returned to China later that year. Lu Xun was a contemporary of Munshi Premchand (1880-1936) and like him excelled in short story writing. He began writing full time in 1918 and his first published fiction was the now-famous short story Kuangren riji (Diary of a Madman). Like the Russian realist Nikolay Gogols tale of the same title, the story is a condemnation of traditional Confucian culture, which the madman narrator sees as a man-eating society. It was considered a tour de force that attracted immediate attention and helped gain acceptance for the short-story form as an effective literary vehicle. Like Premchand, Lu Xuns stories were telling commentaries of the times usually told with a sardonic sense of humor. In 1930 Lu Xun stopped writing fiction and devoted himself to writing satiric critical essays, which he used as a form of political protest. The same year he became the nominal leader of the League of Left-Wing Writers. Although he himself refused to join the Chinese Communist Party, he considered himself a tongluren (fellow traveler), recruiting many writers and countrymen to the Communist cause through his Chinese translations of Marxist literary theories, as well as through his own political writing. During the last several years of Lu Xuns life, the KMT government prohibited the publication of most of his work, so he published the majority of his new articles under various pseudonyms. He criticised the Shanghai Communist literary circles for their embrace of propaganda, and he was politically attacked by many of their members. In 1934 he described his political position as hengzhan or horizontal stand, meaning he was struggling simultaneously against both the right and the left, against both cultural conservatism and mechanical evolution. Hengzhan, the most important idea in Lu Xuns later thought, indicates the complex and tragic predicament of an intellectual in modern society. The celebration of the life and works of Lu Xun leaves its imprint all over the lovely town of Shaoxing. Lu Xun rather than Zhou Enlai is the popular and loved son of Shaoxing. All over Shaoxing you will see not only statues of Lu Xun but also statues of characters from some of his more celebrated works. Even Lu Xuns favourite restaurant is a popular eatery and it is very difficult to get a place. Our party of four got a courtyard table after our local hosts told the owner that two Indians (Ambassador T.C.A. Rangachari and myself) had come across the globe just to pay homage to Lu Xun. The food was worth every word of praise Lu Xun may have had for it. I had a dish of braised mushrooms with pork and rice, which was a favorite of Lu Xuns. I was at Ghalibs haveli at Ballimaran some months ago. Ghalib, like Premchand many decades later, was the greatest commentator of the period. The haveli where he lived the last nine years of his life is a sorry mess. It reflects nothing of his immense popularity and greatness. As a chronicler commented: Ghalibs last home lost its original flourishes of frescoes, alcoves and archways, following several sub-divisions and additions over the years. Reduced to a dimly lit gallery, a small verandah and a claustrophobic courtyard, it was a coal store at some time in the past. Ghalib would have chuckled. Poor Premchand had to wait till 2016 to get a research centre named after him in Varanasi. I am sure both would have said something pithy about how we celebrate our scholars. The writer, a policy analyst studying economic and security issues, held senior positions in government and industry. He also specialises in the Chinese economy. Angering the Chinese, the companys Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huaweis founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada in December at the behest of US authorities. (Photo: AP) Huawei Technologies said it will vigorously oppose a motion filed by US prosecutors on Thursday to disqualify its lead defence lawyer from a case accusing the Chinese company of bank fraud and sanctions violations. According to a filing in the US District Court in Brooklyn, New York, the US government sought to remove James Cole from the case. Cole was the No.2 official at the Justice Department between 2011 and 2015, a period when the United States was obtaining information on how Huawei might have been doing business in Iran in violation of US sanctions. The filing did not make public why it is seeking to remove Cole from the case. In a letter to the court, prosecutors said they had filed a sealed, classified motion to disqualify Cole and expected to file a public version by May 10. Cole, the former US deputy attorney general, is now a partner at law firm Sidley Austin in Washington. He declined to comment. Huawei said in an emailed statement to Reuters that it chose Jim Cole as its lawyer in 2017. We have seen no facts from the government that would justify disqualifying him and denying Huawei its constitutional rights. Huawei will vigorously oppose the governments motion, it said. The case against Huawei has ratcheted up tensions between Beijing and Washington as the worlds two economic powers try to close a trade deal. Angering the Chinese, the companys Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huaweis founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada in December at the behest of US authorities. Huawei was charged with bank and wire fraud, violating sanctions against Iran and obstructing justice. Meng, who must answer to some of the charges, has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition. She is due in court in Vancouver on May 8. Cole entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the company and its US subsidiary on March 14 in Brooklyn. The crux of the case is that Meng and Huawei allegedly conspired to defraud HSBC Holdings Plc and other banks by misrepresenting Huaweis relationship with Skycom Tech Co Ltd, a suspected front company that operated in Iran. Huawei has said Skycom was a local business partner, while the United States maintains it was an unofficial subsidiary used to conceal Huaweis Iran business. US authorities claim Huawei used Skycom to obtain embargoed US goods, technology and services in Iran, and to move money via the international banking system. US prosecutors said last month they planned to use information about Huawei obtained through secret surveillance in the case. In March, Reuters detailed how US authorities secretly tracked Huaweis activities, including by collecting information copied from electronic devices carried by Chinese telecom executives travelling through airports. In February, Reuters exclusively reported how an internal HSBC probe helped lead to the US charges against Huawei and its CFO. The indictment references reporting by Reuters from six years ago that Skycom offered to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Irans largest mobile-phone operator. The reporting detailed links between Huawei and Skycom, including that Meng had served on Skycoms board of directors in 2008 and 2009. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The Daily Telegraph story, which came from a meeting of Britains normally top-secret National Security Council (NSC), embarrassed the government and set it at odds with the United States over the next generation of communications technology. (Photo: ANI) British police will not investigate the sacked defence minister, Gavin Williamson after a senior officer said the information that was leaked about Chinese telecoms company Huawei was too minor to count as a criminal offence. Prime Minister Theresa May fired Williamson on Wednesday, despite his denials that he was to blame for a newspaper report that Britain would allow Huawei equipment to be used in part of a new 5G mobile data network. The Daily Telegraph story, which came from a meeting of Britains normally top-secret National Security Council (NSC), embarrassed the government and set it at odds with the United States over the next generation of communications technology. The opposition Labour Party had called for a criminal investigation into the leak. But on Saturday, Britains top counter-terrorism police officer rejected this. I am satisfied that what was disclosed did not contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu said. The leak did not cause damage to the public interest at a level at which it would be necessary to engage misconduct in a public office. It would be inappropriate to carry out a police investigation in these circumstances. Williamson, once in charge of party discipline for Mays Conservatives, was an important ally for the prime minister as she struggled to steer Britain through Brexit without a majority in parliament or consensus on how to leave the European Union. May defended her decision to sack him following a brief investigation by the governments most senior civil servant, Mark Sedwill, who unusually is also the NSCs secretary. The importance of this was not about the information that was leaked, it was where it was leaked from. This was about the NSC and trust in the NSC, she told Sky News on Saturday before the police said there was no criminal case to answer. The investigation was conducted properly and was about the fact that something was leaked from the NSC, and the importance of everybody around that table having trust when they come together in those meetings, she added. Williamson said he had not been given full details of the evidence against him. With the Met Police not willing to do a criminal investigation it is clear a proper, full and impartial investigation needs to be conducted on this shabby and discredited witch hunt, he told reporters. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Kim was also evaluating 'the combat performance of arms and equipment' according to KCNA. (Photo:AP) North Korea: North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year. The announcement on the "strike drill", which the Korean Central News Agency said took place Saturday and was overseen by Kim Jong Un, came after US President Donald Trump voiced confidence that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise" even as nuclear talks have been deadlocked. KCNA said the tests in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, aimed to "estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance" of the weapons. Kim was also evaluating "the combat performance of arms and equipment," according to KCNA. Kim urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength," it added. On Saturday, the North also fired "a number of short-range projectiles" from Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan starting at 9:06 am (0006 GMT), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The projectiles traveled northeast from 70 to 200 kilometers (45 to 125 miles) toward the East Sea. In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang launched an unidentified short-range missile. "Anything in this very interesting world is possible," Trump tweeted in reaction to the launches announced by the South Koreans. "But I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," he added. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" Since their historic summit meeting in Singapore in 2018, Trump has said Kim remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula. He has insisted the two leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Hanoi collapsed in February, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests. But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US side. The launches followed last month's test-firing of very short range tactical weapons, and it came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments in nuclear talks with the North. Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington as those talks remain deadlocked. The two sides have been clashing over the North's demand for substantive economic sanctions relief and the US's insistence that the North make concrete concessions toward eliminating its atomic arsenal. North Korea analyst Ankit Panda stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium," which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles." But a statement from South Korea's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year. The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017. "North Korea's recent missile launches are a provocation at a time when the international community is awaiting concrete steps from North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile program," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said. "We welcome President Trump's declaration that he is ready to continue to support the negotiations process despite this provocation." On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearization action if it wants sanctions relief -- the issue at the center of the Hanoi debacle. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. Hodo Peninsula, where the projectile firing took place, has been used since the 1960s for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defense cruise missiles," according to the respected 38 North website. In recent years, Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing," it added. Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticizing their joint military exercises. The launches come just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea. Washington had said Biegun would discuss "efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with officials in Seoul and Tokyo. Seoul's nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon spoke with Biegun to discuss the launches, the South's foreign ministry said. Pyongyang: North Korea on Sunday denounced South Korea and the United States joint military exercise, saying it "destroys peace and stability in the Korean peninsula". Uriminzokkiri, state-owned propaganda website, in an article, said, "The US and South Korea's warmongers are continuing to carry out hostile military activities against us under all sorts of pretexts. It is an act of betrayal." US and South Korea had conducted week-long exercises last month involving Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery near Seoul. During the exercises, it had flown a spy plane over areas around Seoul, reported Yonhap News Agency. North Korean condemnation has come a day after it fired an unidentified short-range missile from its east coast town of Wonsan, said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). However, United States President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his confidence in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying that "he won't break his promise". Colombo: The Sri Lankan authorities reimposed a curfew on the western coastal town of Negombo on Sunday where jihadists attacked a church during a series of coordinated blasts on April 21. The move was taken after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people travelling on a three-wheeler in Porathota area of the town. The vehicle was also set on fire and the military had to intervene to bring the situation under control. "Curfew has been imposed with immediate effect for Negombo and Kochchikade police areas till 7 am tomorrow," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Tension prevailed in the area since the Easter Sunday after the St Sebastian's church was attacked by a suicide bomber killing scores of people. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. Sri Lanka banned the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a vitriolic attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, saying that his father and former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi, died as "Bhrastachari no. 1" (Corrupt No. 1). Armed with new terminology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sought to drive a wedge among the partners of the "mahagathbandhan" (the SP-BSP-RLD alliance) in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a poll rally here in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Modi said, "After Independence, there have been four types of governance, parties and political culture -- 'naampanthi', 'vaampanthi', 'daam aur damanpathi' and the fourth one that has been brought by us, the 'vikaspanthi'." He explained that "naampanthi are those who only indulge in chanting the names of the members of a family. Vaampanthi are those who try to foist foreign policies on India. 'Daam' and 'damanpathi' are those who rule using money and muscle power and for the 'vikaspanthi', the priority is the welfare and development of the 130 crore people of the country". Referring to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, who has been declared as a global terrorist by the United Nations (UN), Modi said, "A couple of days ago, the biggest organisation in the world declared Masood Azhar, who has claimed hundreds of lives in India, a global terrorist. Are you happy? Is Modi working properly? Pakistan, which was hosting parties for him, is now compelled to act against Masood Azhar. This is the impact of India's growing prowess." "But what shall I do with the 'mahamilawati' parties, who are not ready to accept this achievement of India?," he asked. In a scathing attack on the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister said, "The 'mahamilawati' parties say since it is election time, Modi has got the ban imposed on Masood Azhar. They see everything through the election lens and that is the reason the Congress and its allies are in this condition today. Accusing "the 'mahamilawati' people" of treating power as a means to multiply their wealth, he said, "For us (BJP), power is a medium to serve the people." Seeking to create a chasm in the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, Modi said, "When 'bua' (BSP supremo Mayawati) and 'babua' (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) were arch rivals, then the chief minister (Mayawati) had named the district as Sant Ravidas Nagar. But 'babua', due to his self pride, removed the name when he came to power." "And today, the same 'bua' is seeking votes for the same 'babua'," he pointed out. Hitting out at the previous Congress-led UPA regime, Modi said, "During their 10-year rule, they eroded the country's goodwill.... There were scams worth crores of rupees...the discussion was only confined to corruption, intermediaries, dishonesty and nepotism. But this 'chowkidar' (watchman) of yours has put an end to all this." Alleging that the Congress, SP and BSP had always made people fight against each other in the name of caste and worked for their own benefits, the prime minister said, "For a long time, I had been a chief minister of a prosperous state like Gujarat and for the last five years, you had given me the task of 'pradhan sevak'." "Eighteen years is a long time. Has there been a single taint on this person?," he asked to a loud response of "no, no". "Is there any discussion on my property, farmhouse, bungalow in any foreign country, anything that I have done for my family, pushed ahead my brothers and nephews? What else does the country need?.... If they (opposition) get an opportunity for two years or five years, their relatives become rich overnight...when I fight against corruption, it is for safeguarding the rights of the poor and honest people," Modi said. Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the crowd, he said, "Why is the entire country loving Modi? The honesty and dedication that the country was looking for, Modi has spent his life in the pursuit of those feelings for the country. "They (opposition) have a problem that nothing is happening to Modi. How can anything happen to Modi as 130 crore people are standing like a wall." Hitting out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister said, "The 'naamdar' (dynast) of the Congress got defence deals done for his business partners and close friends. The 'naamdar' never thought about giving houses, toilets, electricity connections to the poor. He never bothered about the needs of the poor, but travelled all the way from London to Delhi for his business partners. That is why the people of his constituency have compelled him to leave the place." Gandhi, the Lok Sabha MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls from two constituencies. Besides Amethi, which is a Gandhi family bastion, the Congress chief is also in the fray from Wayanad in Kerala. Bhadohi, famous for its carpets, has a sizeable Muslim population. It goes to the polls on May 12. CHESTER The 100 Men, Women & Children March made its return to the city Saturday afternoon after a two-year hiatus. About 30 marchers organized at 10th and Lincoln streets at noon for what organizers dubbed a proactive march for peace, love and unity, as compared to the reactionary marches of past years. The past marches drew numbers befitting the marchs name in the wake of violent crime. The last time we did this event it was probably over 150 people, but that last time there were over 20-some homicides in the city. Sometimes folks get complacent, Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland said, as the citys 2018 crime statistics showed a significant drop in homicides and violent crimes and 2019 has continued that trend. We want to continue to march for peace to make sure that we never get to that level again. Thats why were here today. Kirklands administration first held the march in June 2016, centered around 22nd Street and Edgmont Avenue. The usually peaceful uptown neighborhood had seen a rash of violent crime, drawing more than 100 people to the event. Follow-up marches have been held sporadically since that time. We want it to be proactive rather than reactive, said city Community Liaison and march organizer Fred Green. I think its important to see people come out not only when someone is murdered or mass violence happens, but all the time continuing to promote peace, love and unity. Greens refrain of peace, love and unity was met by a response of thats right! by a group of Carlas Way residents in the Ruth L. Bennett Homes. What do the residents need and want, thats our job to find out, said Greens fellow community liaison Nasir J. Leach. They want more rallies, more marches, for causes such as peace and unity. While the march did not grow in numbers, it drew car horns and shouts of support as it wound through the central city guided by a Chester Police Department escort, heading south on Lincoln to West Eighth Street, west to Pennell, and north to West Ninth, where it entered the Bennett Homes before heading south on Tilghman to West Ninth and returning to its starting point. According to city press secretary Aigner Cleveland, city officials hope the event will be the first of proactive marches held every three to four months, with what Kirkland called bigger and better numbers in his closing remarks. The community has to want to come out together its not going to be the mayor or the politicians, (residents) have got to come together and want change and want positive things going on, said Darren Laws, consultant to the mayor and public affairs department. If we had an (Philadelphia) Eagle or a famous person, everyone would want to be a part of it, referencing the 500-plus person turnout to a recent downtown appearance by Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson. Its about stopping the violence, brining jobs in, helping guys out, helping ladies out, helping build the community back. Thats what its all about, he said. In a little more than two weeks, Pennsylvanians will once again go to the polls. Or at least some of us will. Actually, the majority of us will not. There are several reasons for that. None of them good enough to throw away our most basic and prized constitutional right, the right to vote. May 21 is the statewide Primary Election, when residents exercise their franchise to nominate candidates for a variety of local elected positions. Here in Delaware County, there will be three seats up for grabs on County Council, where Democrats will seek to continue a startling turnaround in county politics. The Dems took both seats up for grabs on council in the last election, along with an unheard of sweep of county row offices, in the process showing several GOP incumbents the door. Voters also will select candidates for district attorney, as well as several seats on the county Court of Common Pleas. Locally, a slew of jobs are up for grabs among local borough and township ruling bodies, as well as your local school board. You know, those folks who set the hated property tax. And yet with all this on the line, the public will stay away in droves. Just as they routinely do in nearly every primary election. They conjecture that no one is actually elected on Primary Day (except in Philadelphia where winning the Democratic Primary is akin to winning in November in a city where Dems hold a massive, unchallenged edge in voter registration). They say they will cast their vote in November, when it really counts. They could not be more wrong. In fact, the decision on who will appear on the ballot in effect who you will vote for is made in the Primary, when nominations are secured. If you forfeit your vote in May, you are in effect surrendering the ability to decide who you will vote for in November. But there is another reason why people at least some of them stay away in droves come the Primary Election. Some voters dont have a choice. That would be the states Independent voters. They dont get a say on Primary Day. Pennsylvania has what is referred to as a closed primary. That is, its closed to anyone who is not registered as either a Republican or Democrat. Democrats nominate Democrats; Republicans nominate Republicans. Voters are limited to voting for those in the same party. And if youre registered Independent? You dont get to vote for either partys candidates. In fact, you are for the most part limited to casting a vote in any special election that may be on the ballot, as well as referendums. How many people does this affect? By the last count from the Pennsylvania Department of State just a few weeks ago there were 785,579 registered voters on the rolls in Pennsylvania who were not aligned with either party. Thats out of a total of 8.4 million registered voters. More than 785,000 voters with no voice aside from those who silence themselves by not going to the polls. But that may be about to change. State Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, has proposed legislation that would throw open the doors on Primary Day. Scarnatis measure would allow registered voters not aligned with either party to simply make the choice of what ballot they would like when they report to their polling place. The legislation has bipartisan support from a group of Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa. The winds of change of starting to rattle the dark, must halls of the Capitol in Harrisburg. Maybe, just maybe, our elected representatives are getting the message that Pennsylvanians want change. And changing the archaic way we vote sits fairly high on the list of the to-do list. Scarnatis bill was part of a major flurry of bills pushing election reform that blew through the Capitol Tuesday. Just the day before, a group backing election reform appropriately named Open Primaries PA, put down roots in Harrisburg. The coalition is made up of some familiar names. Micah Sims is executive director of Common Cause PA. The Committee of Seventy also is represented. Its a veritable whos who of good government groups. Sims pointed out one of the basic ironies of state election law when it comes to independent voters. They pay taxes to support primary elections, but they cant vote for most of the candidates. Scarnati is taking a bit more pragmatic view. He knows numbers, and when it comes to Primary Elections, the numbers dont lie. They dont exactly paint a picture of an engaged electorate, either. People are staying away in droves. In our most recent primary election, only 18 percent of Pennsylvanias registered voters went to the ballot box to case a vote, Scarnati said in a statement. The low turnout can be in part be attributed to voters feeling disenfranchised by both major parties, who have taken control of our primary process. Allowing more people the opportunity to have a voice in their representation is an important step toward ensuring democracy. We have become accustomed to waiting in long lines during Presidential races in November. And then taking a rain check until four years later and then next run for the White House. But the truth is the people on the ballot in a few weeks who hold local offices very likely have more direct effect on the everyday lives of Delaware County residents. They are the people who set your taxes, make sure your trash gets picked up, your street gets plowed in the winter, and your kids educational needs are met. The state cant make people vote. Those who stay away from the polls have to look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are fulfilling the basic responsibilities of citizenship and hopefully forfeiting the right to complain about the results. Any move to increase voter participation is a good one. Open Primaries? Bring em on. Its not like there isnt room at our local polling places. SALT LAKE CITY When Richard Chang got a call from his agent offering him a voiceover role in Bill Moyers docu-series Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, he didnt expect much to come out of it. However, as he read the part of Wong Chin Foo, he was just amazed at all the history that most people dont know about, he told the Deseret News in a phone interview. Chang had no idea who Wong was before doing the voiceover, but as he read Wongs story, he immediately thought a script could come out of it. Wong was a social activist and one of the first Chinese immigrants to become a naturalized citizen. Throughout his life, he fought for Chinese rights in America, testifying before Congress against the Chinese Exclusion Act. Chang and David Henry Hwang, two Asian American playwrights, are now giving Utah theatergoers the chance to learn the history that they didnt learn growing up. Changs work Citizen Wong and Hwangs play The Dance and the Railroad are being featured as part of Utahs Golden Spike 150 celebration, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad's completion. Finding a forgotten history When the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad Companies first started working to connect the West and East coasts in the early 1860s, pervasive racial prejudice made foremen hesitant to hire Chinese workers. However, according to uscitizenship.info, there were around 40,000 Chinese immigrants living in the West at the time, and as the Central Pacific Railroad Company struggled to recruit workers, they turned to the Chinese population. By the end of the transcontinental railroad project, Chinese workers made up 90 percent of Central Pacifics labor force. Growing up in Los Angeles, Hwang became interested in Chinese American history while he was in college, but there wasn't a whole lot of scholarship available to him at the time. He was especially interested in debunking the stereotype that Asian men made good workers because they were subservient and docile, so he learned about the Chinese railroad strike of 1867, when Chinese laborers protested beatings as well as lower wages than white workers. The strike said to me, no, these guys actually did advocate for themselves, that they were very proactive, and they were very assertive. And whatever the outcome of the strike was, they fought for their rights,' Hwang told the Deseret News. Hwang, who went on to have a successful writing career that has included writing the book for the hit musical "Aida" and winning a Tony for his Broadway play M. Butterfly," has stuck with his early fascination in Chinese American experiences for many of his plays. But it is one of his earliest The Dance and the Railroad, which tells the story of two Chinese railroad laborers who bond over Chinese opera during the strike of 1867 that the Salt Lake Acting Company will present on May 6 and 7. When we think of the Chinese hands that exploded the rock, and literally laid the tracks that connected east and west of our country, to be able to bring that conversation to light, to be able to personalize it in two really wonderfully messy, complicated characters who are grappling with the cost of the American dream in the context of our show I think thats a really important conversation to have, said director Billy Bustamante, who is directing this Utah production. The play, which first opened off-Broadway in 1981, explores the beauties of traditional Chinese opera and friendship, as well as the struggles of working as an immigrant in a largely hostile country. Hwang hoped to use these characters and their stories as a way to help his audiences realize that the Chinese have been part of America for much longer than is in the popular American consciousness, he said. The stories of those who got us where we are today While both Chang and Hwang were interested in teaching their audiences about Chinese American history, they also wanted to bring their subject's personal stories to the forefront. "Citizen Wong" is Changs first work about Chinese American history, although he has written several comedies. Citizen Wong, which will debut in Ogden on May 7, Orem on May 8 and Salt Lake on May 9, presents a fictionalized story that draws from the historical life of Wong Chin Foo, who Chang called a Martin Luther King, Jr. who just disappeared from history." I didnt want to write a docu-drama, Chang said. I knew that you could write a hundred history books and people wouldnt care. I want people to relate to (Wong) in a personal way. To accomplish his goal, he presents Wong in a sweeping narrative that includes interracial romance, railroad tycoons, the suffrage movement and some of Wongs original speeches, which are like Southern Baptist sermons they just have that kind of musicality and the cadence, Chang said. And for those involved with these productions, the distance between the stories of their plays and today isn't as long as audiences might think. I think the most powerful conversation that ("The Dance and the Railroad') starts is to shine a light on a time where people at the top of the cultural food chain might not have acted with the most integrity," Bustamante said. "And I feel, once again, we are at a time in our country and the world where a lot of people at the top of many food chains are not acting with integrity. Chang agreed. He is surprised that Citizen Wong, which features Wong fighting against an act that excludes certain races from immigration and the proposal of an anti-Chinese wall, seems to parallel contemporary political rhetoric. Hwang also mentioned the modern relevance these plays have, citing a certain amount of anxiety or scapegoating about immigration and refugees as an important theme in The Dance and the Railroad and one he feels is still relevant today. Neither play offers a complete solution, but as the country celebrates the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, both playwrights hope their works will provide historical meditations that can give audience members insight into past, as well as current issues. When we look at how this country was built, its important to acknowledge all the people who got us where we (are) today, Hwang said. If you go What: The Salt Lake Acting Company presents "The Dance and the Railroad" When: May 6-7, 7 p.m. Where: Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North How much: $20 Phone: 801-363-7522 Web: www.nowplayingutah.com What: Citizen Wong presented by Pan Asian Repertory Theatre When: Tuesday, May 7, 6:30 p.m. Where: 2501 Wall Avenue, Ogden How much: Free Web: www.nowplayingutah.com Also When: Wednesday, May 8, 7 p.m. Where: Noorda Center for the Performing Arts, 800 West University Parkway, Orem How much: Free Web: www.nowplayingutah.com Also When: Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m. Where: Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 E. 400 South How much: Free Web: www.nowplayingutah.com For a full list of Golden Spike 150 events, go to: https://spike150.org For 21 years, the United States has had an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. So what? Thats a question this page has been asking for years. Because of the First Amendment, the United States has long been a beacon for believers who are persecuted worldwide, and yet a recent Pew Research Center report found more than 80 percent of the worlds inhabitants live under intolerable religious restrictions. The ambassadors position was created as part of the Religious Freedom Act of 1998, bipartisan legislation meant to shore up the right to worship freely and exercise religion without restraint. But no president has used the ambassadors position to its full potential as a fundamental cog in U.S. foreign policy or as a high-profile State Department tool to bring comfort to the afflicted and meaningful punishment to the perpetrators. The remedy for that may be more personal than you think. Thanks to the excellent reporting of Deseret News religion reporter Kelsey Dallas, the question so what? has been put in perspective. Her profile of the current ambassador, former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, revealed a man genuinely passionate about his work and dedicated to ending oppression, but still at the mercy of both competing goals within the administration and the struggles over religious issues Americans are waging among themselves. To the latter point, arguments in the United States over the rights of a baker or wedding photographer to refuse service on religious grounds, or whether a religious order should be forced to provide a health care package to its workers that includes funding for contraception, can weaken efforts abroad. Religious freedom once had bipartisan support. Now it is becoming a wedge issue in the culture war. Thats troubling because it suggests to the world that the U.S. may no longer understand its historical role as a protector of fundamental religious rights one of the pillars of liberty and dignity. Religious freedom once had bipartisan support. Now it is becoming a wedge issue in the culture war. These internal struggles, while important to the long-term perspective of how the right to exercise religion will be interpreted in the law, pale in comparison to the systematic murders, torture and harassment happening abroad. But efforts to punish these crimes through sanctions or other official actions often fall victim to other foreign policy or strategic goals. And the office of ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom gains or loses influence with each passing administration. That said, Brownback deserves credit for raising the profile of his office and that of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He has hosted international ministerials and roundtables. His goal is to form an international group that has real power to punish offenders, which would have the marvelous effect of uniting the civilized world behind religious freedom. These are wonderful developments, and they have allayed many of the fears people once had that Brownback would pursue a Christian-only form of religious freedom. But everything he does is subject to the whims of the White House and the Secretary of State, to which he is but one of several moving cogs. Making it the most important cog, however, depends not on any politician, but on you. For all its faults, the federal government ultimately is representative. The more Americans understand and appreciate the underlying need for religious liberty, and the more they become outraged at violations worldwide, the more political leaders will respond. The people must answer the question so what? before Washington truly puts the answer in motion. Brownbacks energy and enthusiasm have taken the issue a long way. But until Americans are united behind the reason his office exists, the intensity of worldwide persecution is unlikely to subside on its own. One of the most controversial, and unfinished, issues in the 2019 legislative session was a proposal to collect sales taxes on professional services and other industries. Lawmakers committed to study the matter through the summer, along with other structural reforms in the tax system, and then convene a special session in the fall. Shockingly, tax policy is political! We review the implications of tax reform. Toward the end of the legislative session, many Utahns and numerous organizations contacted lawmakers to express concern over proposed sales tax expansion. Will the uproar over tax reform have any political fallout in the 2020 elections? Pignanelli: Taxation with representation aint so hot either. Gerald Barzan The state sales tax was implemented in 1933 for emergency purposes and to be terminated April 1, 1935. (I will graciously avoid snide comments.) Utahs sales tax has been contentious ever since. In 1987 (my first session as a legislator), Utah was in economic straits and the sales tax was increased to cover basic government services. This resulted in massive demonstrations at the Capitol, a referendum and the near destruction of political careers for lawmakers and the governor, while serving as a launching pad for high-profile protesters. The recent proposal would have impacted almost every Utah professional, yet no politico publicly led the opposition. Social media served as the source and inspiration of protesting, indicating a new trend. An election year is approaching and all candidates for state office (especially gubernatorial contenders) soon will be articulating a position on tax reform of whether sales tax should be applied to professional services or restructuring through another alternative. These dynamics will determine any ramifications from the recent session, or if a new method alters reaction from taxpayers. Once again the 1933 temporary tax is driving Utah politics. Webb: Lawmakers should be commended, not punished, for promoting structural tax reform. Please remember they arent proposing a tax hike. They are trying to make the tax system fairer for everyone by reducing overall sales tax rates while spreading the burden over a broader base. Thats a very difficult thing to do because every impacted business will squeal. But, as Ive written before, why should we tax a hammer a carpenter buys at Home Depot but not a haircut? Or an Uber ride? Thousands of businesses charge sales tax and pass it on to consumers and they do just fine. Certainly, this is complicated. Lawmakers want to avoid double taxation that can occur when a product or service is taxed at different levels of business transactions. In some cases, collecting the tax isnt worth the effort. Im confident legislators and the Herbert administration will use common sense and be fair in this effort. If they fail, then funding for basic state services like education, prisons, Medicaid and law enforcement are at risk. While devious election opponents may attempt to exploit this issue, no one should lose an election over it. After failing to deliver comprehensive tax reform in the session earlier this year, will lawmakers be able to forge a consensus among the many interest groups to pass something in a special session in the fall? Pignanelli: Much is owed to Rep. Tim Quinn who bravely sponsored the controversial legislation, enduring many slings and arrows. By raising the specter of a potential sales tax on services, he advanced important discussions of alternatives to structural reform that would not have occurred otherwise. These include amending the Constitution to allow income tax for noneducation purposes, enhancing the statewide property tax, assessing online streaming, etc. Exploring these solutions will occur, as the practical and political issues to broadening the sales tax base to services will foster heated deliberations. The Utah tradition of a well-managed state will continue, as lawmakers ultimately fashion a solution with minimal impact upon business operations. Webb: Legislative leaders and staff are refining their tax reform proposal, while lawmakers, political parties, chambers of commerce, other business associations and various interest groups are holding meetings, hearings and seminars to explain, educate and receive feedback. I hope theyre also outlining the consequences of not acting. Certainly, opponents are also gearing up to fight taxes on their business or industry. By the time the special session is held in the fall, everyone should be fully educated. The battle lines will be drawn, and lawmakers should be ready to vote. Nearly everyone agrees that tax reform is needed to correct structural imbalances in the current system. Why is it so hard to enact meaningful reform? Pignanelli: "Tax reform" is just a kind term for the statutory creation of winners and losers. Taxpayers despise additional expenses and administrative burdens. Thus, citizens exercise a constitutional right to express these concerns to officials, always with strong emotions. Webb: This issue is a lobbyist full-employment act (nice for Frank). Every lobbyist in town is fighting some aspect of tax reform, far outnumbering proponents of broadening the base. So lets just tax the lobbyists. We could balance the budget, raise teacher salaries and pay cash for the new prison. SALT LAKE CITY A man has been rescued after he "had fallen into" the caldera of Hawaiis Kilauea earlier this week, according to the National Park Service. On Wednesday, a visitor climbed over a metal railing around the hotel, fell over, lost his footing and dropped down the 300-foot cliff. Apparently, the man wanted to get closer to the Steaming Bluff overlooks edge, USA Today reports. Another visitor on the scene called emergency officials. A search and rescue team arrived to help the man. The team found him about two and a half hours later. The man was reportedly found "alive but seriously injured on a narrow ledge about 70 feet down from the cliff edge," the park service said in a statement. The rescue team airlifted the man to a nearby hospital. Park officials warned against crossing over the railings so close to cliffs, according to USA Today. "Visitors should never cross safety barriers, especially around dangerous and destabilized cliff edges," Chief Ranger John Broward said in a statement, according to USA Today. "Crossing safety barriers and entering closed areas can result in serious injuries and death." According to Hawaii News Now, the man is a soldier for Schofield Barracks on Oahu. He has reportedly spent time on Big Island for training. He obviously is doing remarkably well for his fall," Matthias Kusch, Hawaii County Fire Department battalion chief, told Hawaii News Now. "Only time will tell what injuries he has." According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Kilauea is not currently erupting. However, the volcano destroyed more than 700 homes on Big Island in 2018, according to NBC News. While Volcanoes National Park hasnt seen a death since 2017, it did close for more than four months last year after volcanic activity caused explosive eruptions, earthquakes and the collapse of the famed Halemaumau crater, NBC News reports. SALT LAKE CITY An Ohio high school student has been banned from prom because of a promposal sign deemed racist by school officials, CNN reports. Promposals are unique, fun and cute ways that high school students ask people to attend prom or other dances with them. Many of them have gone viral over the years including a recent one where a teen accidentally asked the wrong girl to prom. But this Clear Fork High School student asked a girl to prom with a sign that read, "If I was black I'd be picking cotton but I'm white so I'm picking u for prom," according to CNN. The student has not been named, according to WJW. He received a number of death threats since the news broke about the sign. It's unclear if the sign got him the prom date, but the school superintendent says he's not going to prom, according to CNN. The incident happened off school property, WJW reports. Clear Fork Valley Local Schools Superintendent Janice Wyckoff, speaking to CNN, reacted, "What I thought was, how disappointing this is in 2019 we are still dealing with this stuff, with racial slurs," Wyckoff told CNN that the school can use this unfortunate circumstance to teach students about proper behavior and educate them about race relations in the United States. "This is a process, growing up is a process, and this is one of those moments that's a teachable moment for this kid that will last a lifetime," said Wyckoff, according to WJW. Wyckoff told CNN that the student apologized: "I'm sorry for upsetting anyone, I didn't mean it like that. I'm really sorry, I will say sorry to anyone," he reportedly wrote. "I didn't mean to hurt you or anything like that, it was just for a laugh. I'm sorry, I really am. I'll say it to your face or anything really." Racist promposals have become a gross trend, according to Los Angeles magazine. There was one in East Los Angeles this week and even more in Washington, Arizona and Texas. SALT LAKE CITY On Thursday morning the call from Washington, D.C., was to love one another. Let that sink in a bit. It came during observance of the National Day of Prayer, an annual event held on May 2. But perhaps it was drowned out by the reaction to the continued fallout from the Mueller Report and the testimony (and lack of it), by Attorney General William Barr. Prayer? Religion? Are these things worthy of respect and public discourse? There is no question the Mueller Report, government actions, the state of the economy and our military engagements around the world necessitate attention and media coverage. But as the nation grows more secular, there is great risk of losing a freedom deemed so important that it was integral to bringing people to America and founding the country. There is also a risk of losing the great motivating power that people of faith bring: a willingness to part with their time and their money to help others. It is becoming the great untapped resource to solve the world's problems, from poverty to climate change (stewardship of the planet) to the unthinkable, genocide. Deseret News reporter Kelsey Dallas, in her important profile of Sam Brownback, featured on deseretnews.com and on Sunday's cover of the paper, lays bare these two important facts: 70 years ago world leaders determined that religious freedom was a universal human right. Yet today, more than 80 percent of the world's population live under "high or very high" religious restrictions. What's gone wrong? During the past two decades the religious freedom coverage by media has largely focused on the intersection of the rights of the religious to practice their faith and the rights of the LGBTQ community to gain respect and long-sought-for rights. These are not mutually exclusive wants. Yet, it is often reported as a collision of views and standards. The issues and the coverage are important to bring understanding so problems can be solved, and the Deseret News has committed resources in addressing the "rights" debate, including the impact on adoptions, the bills in place across the country, the Equality Act now being debated in Washington, the effort in Utah to reach compromise and engage in civil debate to resolve housing and jobs discrimination, and most recently, efforts to ban conversion therapy for youths who identify as gay. These are important stories and should not be ignored. But there is much more to religious liberty, and Sunday's piece on Brownback, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for religious freedom, gives a glimpse of that. Another key piece of reporting concerning religious liberty was also featured in the Deseret News this past week and largely ignored by other media under the headline,"How the U.S and other governments are failing people of faith around the world." The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued its annual report and offered these sobering findings: Religious freedom is deteriorating around the world and efforts to protect it haven't kept pace with persecution. Surveillance, imprisonment and murder of vulnerable people of faith continues unabated. In 2000, the commission's report focused on Russia, Sudan and China for religious persecution. Monday's report the 20th included 13 others now listed as Tier 1 countries, those doing damage in this area. Another 13 tier 2 countries were also listed. There is also great concern about violence that is being expressed in the name of religion. Hate is fomenting violence, and that is an abuse of true religious principles. A light needs to shine on all areas of suffering and violence and these abuses. In Christchurch, New Zealand, shootings at two mosques killed 50 people. Reports this week show that that event appeared to inspire a gunman to enter a synagogue in Poway, California, last weekend and open fire. Some will read this column and say religion is to blame for wars, shootings and many of the ills of the world. I say true religion, that expressed in Thursday's day of prayer, is to be championed and is the reason more media coverage of the oppression throughout the world is needed. It's why the great work of Kelsey Dallas and other Deseret News reporters needs to continue to find a place in the national conversation. In June, world religion leaders will gather in Japan for the G20 Interfaith Forum. It follows last year's meetings in Argentina that preceeded the G20 economic summit. Here's what was said following last year's forum: It was "a helpful opportunity for discourse across the ubiquitous divide between religious freedom experts and the development and humanitarian worlds. Plans were shaped for the next G20 Interfaith Forums in Japan 2019 and Saudi Arabia 2020, with a likely continuing focus on Climate Change, Children and Humanitarian issues." Bringing forward those ideas could be a key in allowing people to live the lives they wish to live. It's time for government leaders to listen and make use of this untapped resource of motivated experts on relieving the suffering of others. For many around the world it literally is a matter of life and death. SALT LAKE CITY Utah law enforcement agencies need to do a better job of keeping track of the mountain of evidence they collect and store each year, according to a new state audit. The Utah State Auditor's Office on Wednesday announced its findings in a 19-page report called a Review of Property and Evidence Storage and Management Among Selected Utah Law Enforcement Agencies. The review examined how seven unnamed local law enforcement agencies handle the evidence and other property they acquire. The agencies ranged from a large department that oversaw 90,000 people in its jurisdiction, employed more than 100 full-time officers and had collected more than 40,000 pieces of evidence, to one that had under 30,000 people in its jurisdiction, employed 20 to 30 full-time officers, and had between 2,000 to 6,500 pieces of evidence in its inventory. State Auditor John Dougall said Wednesday the names of the agencies audited were not being released as the findings of the audit were meant to be a learning tool for all agencies. He said the audit was not prompted by any specific event. It was just something that hadn't been done in a while, Dougall said. Police officers typically take control of all kinds of evidence through search warrants or items that are turned into them, such as bicycles, jewelry, clothing and phones. The audit put an emphasis on how drugs, guns and money were handled. The report found that the records of some agencies did not match the actual property being held in storage. One agency had more than 160 items that were misplaced, missing or inaccurately marked, the audit found. Another problem uncovered was law enforcement agencies had inadequate controls over property storage, the report found, and some agencies do not keep track of digital property records. The audit recommended that agencies conduct regular inspections and annual audits on their evidence inventory. Dougall said two areas of concern were how property was disposed of, and law enforcement agencies not issuing receipts for seized property as required by the state. Disposing of evidence is the "most risky" area for potential violations, he said. There needs to be more of a separation of duties to ensure checks and balances, he said. The person in charge of disposing of property should not be the same person also in charge of keeping inventory of it, Dougall said. Another problem area was issuing receipts to property turned over to police. Departments did a good job of issuing receipts for items seized as part of a search warrant, he said, but not a great job when property was randomly turned over to police, such as when a citizen turned in a piece of property that they may have found lying on the ground. "Property owners, prosecutors and other interested parties expect a law enforcement agency to take measures that provide reasonable assurance that property in the possession of the agency is secured, tracked and maintained. Additionally, state statute requires agencies to hold seized property 'in safe custody' and maintain 'a detailed inventory of all property seized,'" the audit states. Other recommendations by the audit included video surveillance systems in evidence rooms, better logs for signing in, and making sure only active employees with job-related needs have access to digital property reviews. Dougall said the audit did not look at whether additional staffing or money, or how much money, may be needed to implement the recommended changes. JOHANNESBURG At 24, Abetse Mashigo was born a year after South Africa's brutal apartheid system was dismantled. Yet she still feels frustrated by what she sees as continued economic inequality for its people. And that will be on her mind as she and others vote May 8 to elect a president and parliament. "South Africa is a great country, but it has many shortfalls," Mashigo said, flicking her dreadlocks back with a flourish . "Seeing the spectrum of both wealthy and poor, it's a constant everyday struggle." Many of the country's young voters never directly experienced apartheid's racial oppression and segregation that was ended in 1994 under South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, and his African National Congress. But they and others say they want to see more drastic change, and leaders of opposition parties are hoping to win their support. Mashigo said she is angered by apartheid's legacy, which keeps many blacks in poverty. She said she's impatient for change, and that's why she backs the Economic Freedom Fighters, known as the EFF, one of the three main parties among dozens vying for power in the election. "I'm part of the Red Sea," she said, jokingly referring to the bright red clothing worn by supporters of the opposition party. "I like the EFF because it is radical and different. It's rebellious, and I like that." The party has pledged to seize white-owned land without compensation and nationalize mines and banks. Mashigo's 59-year-old father, Thamsanqa, watches with pride as his daughter voices her outspoken opinions. He shares many of her beliefs but has a more cautious approach, saying he is still undecided which party will get his vote. Many older South Africans among the 26 million eligible voters still support for the ANC, which has governed for a quarter-century. But they also say they are disgusted by widespread corruption blamed on the party. President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to root out corruption in the country. A former trade union representative, he came to power in February 2018 after Jacob Zuma resigned amid mounting scandals. The elections are taking place amid growing pessimism. About 64% of South Africans are dissatisfied with the country's democracy, an increase from 34% who described themselves as unhappy in 2013, according to a Pew Research poll released Friday. "I have voted in every election (since blacks could vote) and I'm not going to miss this one," Thamsanqa Mashigo said. "I've never had doubts in my mind about who to vote for, but this time ... I'm still deciding. ... There is doubt in my mind." He described a "frightening" life under apartheid, when "people disappeared. I think some families even today don't know what happened to their loved ones." When apartheid ended, "we were really excited about that. ... We had a black government and Mandela was president. That was progress! ... We said freedom at last was arriving in our lifetime!" Mashigo, who works in information technology, said he is now disappointed with the ANC. "The gap between black and white has just grown bigger and bigger. And by 25 years, I expect it to be much better. The gap should have closed, not totally, but at least be on the right track," he said, adding that the ANC should have focused on education and health care. Like his daughter, he complained about rampant corruption and the high unemployment rate of 27%. Unemployment is an even more pressing among the young, with nearly 40% of those under 34 without jobs, according to the government's Stats SA. Although disillusioned with the ANC, Mashigo is suspicious of the Economic Freedom Fighters that his daughter supports. He said he doesn't trust the EFF's firebrand leader Julius Malema because "he was caught with his hands in the cookie jar." Malema was kicked out of the ANC after allegations of corruption surfaced. "These guys are disgruntled, that's all," Mashigo added. Nor is he convinced by the other major opposition party, the Democratic Alliance. It was started by white liberals but has attracted considerable black support, winning control of city councils in Cape Town and Johannesburg. It now has a black leader, Mmusi Maimane. "I don't think he controls the party the way a leader should control his party," Mashigo said, leaving him still undecided about how to vote. There are 5.6 million registered voters between the ages of 18 to 29, nearly one-fifth of those eligible to cast ballots. They could boost support for the Economic Freedom Fighters, which got about 6% of the vote in the 2014 election and is widely expected to improve on that number. "These elections are exciting for young voters," said Lwazi Khoza, a 22-year-old university student and project manager for YouthLab, a youth advocacy group. "The EFF are appealing to many young voters. The EFF leaders present themselves as rebellious and non-conformist," she said. Khoza, who will be finishing her degree this year, said many young voters want change. "As a young black woman living in post-apartheid South Africa, I am frustrated by the slow pace of change. Yes, things have improved since the apartheid days, but not enough. Things have become stagnant," she said. "Are we free? Really? Or are we still being held down because of the past?" she said. "We cannot say we are on an equal playing field, educationally or economically. That's why many young voters want to see change." Makhumo Kwathi, an unemployed 25-year-old who lives with her parents in Soweto, Johannesburg's largest black township, said she is looking forward to voting. "I want my voice to be heard," Kwathi said. "To be quite honest, I'm not going to vote for the ANC, because the ANC has been giving us all these false hopes till now. ... All these scandals ... Now we can see where our money is going. The ANC is promising us the opposite of what they have been doing." Kwathi, a high school graduate who is looking for work as a bank teller, would not say which party she will vote for but said she wants a new government that will create more jobs. "I want to see change. More youth need to be employed," she said. "How can we, the youth, be the future of the country when we are unemployed? How can we go forward as a country?" KINSHASA, Congo More than 1,000 people have died from Ebola in eastern Congo since August, the country's health minister said Friday as hostility toward health workers continues to hamper efforts to contain the second-deadliest outbreak of the virus. Health Minister Oly Ilunga told The Associated Press that four deaths in the outbreak's epicenter of Katwa helped push the death toll to 1,008. Two more deaths were reported in the city of Butembo. The outbreak declared almost nine months ago already had caused the most deaths behind the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa's Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia that killed more than 11,000 people. A volatile security situation and deep community mistrust have hampered efforts to control the epidemic in eastern Congo. Ebola treatment centers have come under repeated attack, leaving government health officials to staff clinics in the hotspots of Butembo and Katwa. International aid organizations stopped their work in the two communities because of the violence. A Cameroonian epidemiologist working with WHO was killed last month during an assault on a hospital in Butembo. Insecurity has become a "major impediment" to controlling the Ebola outbreak, Michael Ryan, WHO's health emergencies chief, told reporters in Geneva earlier Friday. He said 119 attacks have been recorded since January, 42 of them directed at health facilities, while 85 health workers have been wounded or killed. Dozens of rebel groups operate in the region, and political rivalries in part drive's community rejection of health personnel. "Every time we have managed to regain control over the virus and contain its spread, we have suffered major, major security events," Ryan said. "We are anticipating a scenario of continued intense transmission" of the disease. WHO has said the most recent Ebola outbreak remained contained to eastern Congo even as the number of cases rises in a dense, highly mobile population near the border with Uganda and Rwanda. Many people fear going to Ebola treatment centers, choosing instead to stay at home and risk transmitting the disease from the virus to caretakers and neighbors. Residents of highly volatile Butembo believe Ebola was brought to the city on purpose, said Vianney Musavuli, 24. "I am deeply saddened to learn that the number of Ebola deaths has exceeded 1,000," Musavuli said "The problem is that people here in this area believe Ebola is a political thing, and that's why residents are still attacking the teams in retaliation." Area residents were blocked from taking part in a January presidential election, with Congo's government citing safety concerns. Some wonder why money is poured into fighting Ebola when many more people die each year of malaria and other preventable diseases. Insecurity also has prevented vaccination teams from getting to some areas, further limiting the health response. Still, more than 109,000 people have received an experimental but effective Ebola vaccine. Ryan said authorities are looking at introducing another one. He called for more help from Congo and elsewhere to close an "urgent, critical gap" of some $54 million in containment funding. ___ Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Al-hadji Kudra Maliro in Kampala, Uganda contributed to this report. KOLKATA, India Cyclone Fani tore through India's eastern coast on Friday as a grade 5 storm, lashing beaches with rain and winds gusting up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour and affecting weather as far away as Mount Everest as it approached the former imperial capital of Kolkata. The India Meteorological Department said the "extremely severe" cyclone in the Bay of Bengal hit the coastal state of Odisha around 8 a.m., with weather impacted across the Asian subcontinent. Dust storms were forecast in the desert state of Rajasthan bordering Pakistan, heat waves in the coastal state of Maharashtra on the Arabian Sea, heavy rain in the northeastern states bordering China and snowfall in the Himalayas. Around 1.2 million people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Odisha and moved to nearly 4,000 shelters, according to India's National Disaster Response Force. Indian officials put the navy, air force, army and coast guard on high alert. Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said the evacuation effort was unprecedented in India. By Friday afternoon, Fani had weakened to a "very severe" storm as it hovered over coastal Odisha and was forecast to move north-northeast toward the Indian state of West Bengal by Friday evening. In Bhubaneswar, a city in Odisha famous for an 11th-century Hindu temple, palm trees whipped back and forth like mops across skies made opaque by gusts of rain. It is a "very, very scary feeling," said Tanmay Das, a 40-year-old resident, who described "the sound of wind as if it will blow you away." Most of the area's thatched-roof houses were destroyed, and there was no electricity. The national highway to Puri, a popular tourist beach city with other significant Hindu antiquities, was littered with fallen trees and electricity poles and a blue highway sign, making it impassable. A special train ran Thursday to evacuate tourists from the city. The airport in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, closed from 3 p.m. Friday to Saturday morning, and rail lines were closed. At least 200 trains were canceled across India. The storm hit in the middle of India's six-week general election, with rain forecast in Kolkata forcing political parties to cancel campaign events. The National Disaster Response Force dispatched 54 rescue and relief teams of doctors, engineers and deep-sea divers to flood-prone areas along the coast and as far afield as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a group of islands that comprise a union territory about 1,300 kilometers (840 miles) east of mainland India in the Bay of Bengal. Up to four inches (10 centimeters) of rain were expected in much of Sri Lanka, the island nation off the eastern tip of India. More than 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles) away on Mount Everest, some mountaineers and Sherpa guides were descending to lower camps as weather worsened at higher elevations. The government issued a warning that heavy snowfall was expected in the higher mountain areas with rain and storms lower down, and asked trekking agencies to take tourists to safety. Hundreds of climbers, their guides, cooks and porters huddled at the Everest base camp, according to Pemba Sherpa of Xtreme Climbers Trek, who said weather and visibility was poor. May is the best month to climb the 8,850-foot (29,035-foot) Everest when Nepal experiences a few windows of good weather to scale the peak. "It is still the beginning of the month, so there is no reason for climbers to worry" that weather from the cyclone will cost them their chance to reach the summit, Sherpa said. On India's cyclone scale, Fani is the second-most severe, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. Its timing is unusual, according to data from the Meteorological Department. Most extremely severe cyclones hit India's east coast in the post-monsoon season. Over roughly half a century, 23, or nearly 60% of the cyclones, to hit India were observed between October and December. Because Fani spent 10 days gathering strength over the sea, it delivered a huge blow when it made landfall. Some of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record have occurred in the Bay of Bengal. A 1999 "super" cyclone killed around 10,000 people and devastated large parts of Odisha. Due to improved forecasts and better coordinated disaster management, the death toll from Cyclone Phailin, an equally intense storm that hit in 2013, was less than 50, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The 1999 super cyclone reached wind speeds of 260-280 kph (161-173 mph), said India Meteorological Department scientist Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. "This is not as bad," he said. "Apart from these winds which may cause damage in terms of uprooting small trees in West Bengal and some big trees in Odisha and extensive damage to thatched houses and mud houses ... (and) disruption of power and telecommunication lines," Mohapatra said, "it can also impact the rail and road traffic and also air traffic for some time." Sethi, the special commissioner in Odisha, said communications were disrupted in some areas, but no deaths or injuries had been reported. In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh just south of Odisha, Fani topped electricity poles and uprooted others, leaving them in sharp angles. In the Srikakulam district, where around 20,000 people were evacuated, thatched-roof houses collapsed and fishing boats left unmoored on beaches were sliced into shards. The district experienced wind speeds of 140 kph (87 mph) and received heavy rains but no loss of life or major damage was reported, district collector J. Niwas said. Authorities in Bangladesh evacuated about 400,000 people and took them to cyclone shelters decades-old, raised concrete structures as the weather office forecast that the storm would cross the country's vast southwestern coastal region by midnight. The world's largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, is located in the region. Shah Kamal, a Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief official, said Friday in the capital, Dhaka, that members of the navy and coast guard, as well as police and volunteers, were working around the clock to help with evacuations and stocking emergency supplies of dry food and medicine. "But I think we will not be affected severely given the weakening force of the cyclone Fani," he said. Operations of water vessels in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by about 130 rivers, were suspended since Thursday. Local media reports said at least 10 villages had been inundated with water in coastal Patuakhali district in southern Bangladesh after flood embankments were breached by the force of the cyclone. Authorities also halted activities at Chittagong Seaport, which handles 80% of the country's overseas trade. Aid agencies warned that more than 1 million Rohingya from Myanmar living at refugee camps near the coastal district of Cox's Bazar were at risk. Hillol Sobhan, local communications director for the aid group Care, said it had emergency supplies for refugees. Police used hand-held microphones to clear people off a beach in Cox's Bazar and hoisted red flags near the choppy sea. ___ Schmall reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Omer Farooq in Hyderabad, India, Julhas Alam in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Binaj Gurubacharya in Kathmandu, Nepal, contributed to this report. COLUMBIA, S.C. Former Vice President Joe Biden charged Saturday that Jim Crow is "sneaking back in" as he emphasized voting rights at his first presidential campaign stop in South Carolina, where black voters play a key role in the South's first presidential primary. In criticizing Republican efforts to adopt more stringent voting rules, including identification requirements and curtailing early voting hours, Biden recalled the racial segregation laws of the past. "You've got Jim Crow sneaking back in," he said, referring to the era before the civil rights movement. "You know what happens when you have an equal right to vote? They lose." Biden centered much of his trip around the need to restore decency to the White House. "Your state motto is, 'While I breathe, I hope,'" he said at the rally after continuing his full-throated denunciation of President Donald Trump. "It's not a joke. We're breathing, but God, we have got to have hope." He kept up that theme at a private evening fundraiser, telling several dozen donors that he expects a nasty race from President Donald Trump. "This guy is going to go after me and family," Biden said, recalling his grandchildren telling him before his announcement that they expect Trump and others to bring up family details including his son Hunter Biden's divorce. Biden said there "are so many nicknames I want to give this guy," and he drew laughter when he joked that he'd "start with clown." But he added that he doesn't want to respond in kind. "The only place he has any confidence is in the mud," Biden said, because the president "doesn't understand how to respond to issues." Biden said he will answer Trump "directly" in the future without name-calling. He recalled saying in 2016 that in high school he'd have "taken him behind the barn and beat the hell out of" Trump. "Guess what? I probably shouldn't have done that," Biden said. "The presidency is an office that requires dignity and reestablishing respect and standing." Biden will continue his trip Sunday by worshipping at a black church in Columbia. He opened his latest run for president with explicit appeals to white, working-class voters across the Midwest, pledging his support for unions and promising to rebuild the middle class. Now, Biden is trying to gauge whether his message will resonate among more diverse electorates. Black voters accounted for a solid majority of Democratic presidential primary ballots in 2016. Ahead of her husband's afternoon remarks, Jill Biden emphasized the couple's long ties to South Carolina, saying they came to the state to grieve after their son Beau died of cancer in 2015. "Joe and I love South Carolina," she said. The former vice president credited the late South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings with persuading him not to abandon public office after Biden's first wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident weeks after his election to the Senate in 1972. Last month, Biden traveled to Charleston to eulogize his longtime desk mate and friend . He also noted his long friendship with Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the top-ranking House Democrats. Clyburn, who typically doesn't endorse a candidate before the South Carolina presidential primary, didn't attend Biden's events. Elsewhere in campaigning Saturday by Democratic presidential candidates: BERNIE SANDERS Sen. Bernie Sanders said one area in which he doesn't fault President Donald Trump is his handling of North Korea, telling ABC's "This Week" that Trump's face-to-face meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "is the right thing to do." Sanders called North Korea "a threat to the planet" and said the U.S. has to do everything possible to have China and others in the region put pressure on the North and "make it clear that they cannot continue to act this way." South Korean officials said North Korea fired several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Saturday. The launch came amid a diplomatic breakdown between the U.S. and the North. "This Week" released quotes from the interview in Iowa ahead of its broadcast Sunday. Sanders told reporters in Iowa that if he were in the House, he would hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt for his refusal to appear at a congressional hearing on the special counsel's Russia investigation and its report. "We have a separation of powers, we don't have an authoritarian government," Sanders said. AMY KLOBUCHAR Sen. Amy Klobuchar is knocking Trump as being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin during their recent phone call. Trump and Putin on Friday had their first known call since the release of the special counsel's report on Russian election meddling, and Trump said he didn't warn the Russian president against interfering in future elections. Klobuchar told reporters after an event in Des Moines, Iowa, that her message would be very different. "What I would say when I'm president to Vladimir Putin is that we've got your number, I've got the FBI after you, I've got the CIA looking at all of this, I've figured out what you guys are up to and we're going to protect our elections and we're going to put increasing sanctions on against you." Klobuchar also said she was frustrated that congressional investigators haven't been able to question special counsel Robert Mueller, whom she described as "the witness we need to go after Russia so that they don't attack our elections again." SETH MOULTON Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts is calling for more funding for the State Department. Moulton said his own experience serving as a Marine in the Middle East showed the importance of diplomacy. "When the State Department goes in first to these conflicts they prevent having to send American troops. So the more money that we invest in the State Department, it doesn't just save ammunition. It saves American lives." BETO O'ROURKE Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke said in a commencement address that the legacies of "slavery, of segregation, of Jim Crow, of suppression" are "alive and well" today. In remarks at historically black Paul Quinn College in Dallas, O'Rourke said "the work is far from over." He has previously expressed support for creating a commission to study economic reparations for black Americans. ELIZABETH WARREN Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned the nation remains "at risk" for further foreign interference in its elections and that Trump "puts us squarely in trouble" with his public warmth toward Putin. The Massachusetts Democrat told reporters in Iowa that the special counsel's report "demonstrated conclusively that Russia attacked our electoral system with the purpose of helping Donald Trump." She said Trump then "turns around two weeks later and says, 'We're all good on this'? We're not all good on this." Trump tweeted on Saturday that his call with Putin the previous day was a sign of "tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia." Warren also criticized Trump for maintaining his alignment with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un even after Pyongyang launched short-range projectiles off its coast. "Trump is just all over the map," Warren told reporters. "Foreign policy by tweet doesn't work." ___ Associated Press Alexandra Jaffe in Des Moines, Iowa; Elana Schor in Osage, Iowa; Will Weissert in Dallas; and Hunter Woodall in Salem, New Hampshire, contributed to this report. Chief Ewome Eko John Screenshot from HiTv Chief Ewome Eko John alias Moja-Moja I of Fako, Traditional Ruler of Bwassa village in Buea Subdivision has demanded an apology from South West Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard after he ordered them to march on May 20 (National Day) along with their subjects under pain of losing their royal crowns. He spoke to HiTv Cameroon Saturday, May 4, 2019, shortly after a protest march, across the Buea municipality, along with the dreaded Nganya masquerade. "The purpose of this marching is because our peers, the fellow Fako people have been crying since the Governor made the statement that the chiefs have to march along with their villagers. So, our villagers have been disturbed, they have been disturbing us, they have been asking us questions. So today, our villagers, together with some external elites asked us to go on the streets and ask if we have a problem with the government. Since morning, myself with some of my fellow chiefs said enough is enough. But that we are not going to bring any violence here in Fako. We're welcoming, we're in a nation where peace should reign," the chief said. Moja-Moja I adds that: "Since morning, we have been marching from Bwassa to Bongo Square to Buea Town to showcase our culture, first of all, and to let the governor who said chiefs are going to march [know] that we can march even at night. He is not the one to tell us when to march with our peers with placards. "Just imagine Mr. Governor. Can you say that to your chief? Can you say that to your chief? Give us a bit of respect. We also respect you. I am in Bwassa. If you care you come and pick me tonight, my villagers are still going to call me Chief." The traditional ruler of Bwassa village called on the Governor to withdraw his April 25, 2019 statements that called on chiefs to take part in the National Day parade under pain of being dethroned. Hear him: "Frankly speaking, you have to withdraw your statement. If you don't withdraw it, even call some of the chiefs and explain yourself to us. I'm sure the mayor was by your side, and he wanted to sit there and watch the chiefs marching. Is that normal? I'm sorry if I'm going out of hands but that is what we agreed. It is from the bottom of the hearts of the Fako people." Chief Ewome Eko John said the Governor's marching orders have angered the gods and an appeasement was inevitable. Hear him: "This [Nganya] masquerade came out today to appease the gods over the utterances made by the Governor. The gods were already angry, so we had to appease them. No matter the fact that he used a wrong statement, he remains our son. I'll no longer call him Governor Okalia Bilai. I'll call him Governor Moja Moja I. He's also a Mola. He's also a chief. If he says we should march, I put him chief of chiefs. He'll be the one in front during the march past and we'll follow from behind." Indeed, South West Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard had on 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, said chiefs who fail to march with their subjects will be dethroned. "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." "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 South West Chiefs Conference in a communique dated April 30, 2019 condemned the Governor for using such a tone in addressing custodians of the cultures and traditions of the people. The President of the South West Chiefs Conference, Chief Mafany Njie Martin on behalf of his peers said the governor did not have to remind them of their civic responsibilities. "We, the South West Chiefs categorically condemn the demeaning and threatening manner by which the Governor of the South West Region reminded us of our usual civic duties, which we have always performed so diligently without be ordered to do so by whosoever," the chiefs said in a statement in response to Okalia Bilai Bernard. The chiefs say their native laws and customs do not allow them as natural rulers to march past the grandstand during official ceremonies. "We completely dissociate ourselves from such a representation and remind the public that the traditions and customs of the South West people are full of values of respect, tolerance, nobility and unity. We therefore call on our population to remain calm and positive as we look forward to accompanying the State in all national events like we have always done," the chiefs said. But the Divisional Officer for Buea, Kouam Wokam Paul has since condemned the April 30 letter signed by Chief Mafany Njie Martin, cautioning him against "misconduct". It is not known what the reaction of the administration will be regarding this demand for an apology from the region's chief executive. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin discussed what Trump again dismissed as the "Russian Hoax" in their first known phone call since the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's extensive meddling during the 2016 election campaign. Putin chuckled about Mueller's conclusions, Trump said. During their conversation on Friday, which the White House and Kremlin said lasted more than an hour, they also discussed a possible three-party arms control pact with China, North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Ukraine and the crisis in Venezuela, where Moscow is propping up the current government over the U.S.-backed opposition. "We had a good conversation about many things," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump said the two leaders were considering a new nuclear agreement "where we make less and they make less. And maybe even where we get rid of some of the tremendous firepower that we have right now." He said they had discussed the possibility of including China in the deal and that China would "very much would like to be a part of" it. But more interesting, perhaps, was what was left unsaid. Trump said that, at no point, did he warn Putin not to meddle in the next election. And while he and Putin did discuss Mueller's findings , they appeared to gloss over Mueller's description of the extensive efforts Russia took to interfere in the 2016 election, including the 25 Russians indicted for that effort. "We discussed it," Trump said of the report. "He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that, 'It started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse,'" Trump said of Putin. "But he knew that because he knew there was no collusion whatsoever. So pretty much that's what it was." Trump has repeatedly declined to publicly rebuff Putin for the 2016 operation. And their latest conversation suggests that Mueller's findings have done little to persuade Trump of the gravity of the threat of foreign election interference or derail his efforts to forge a closer relationship with Putin. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later said Trump didn't tell Putin not to meddle in the 2020 election because he's made that clear in the past. "He doesn't need to do that every two seconds," she said. Mueller's report concluded that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was "sweeping and systematic." Ultimately, Mueller's investigators did not find a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign, but they found multiple contacts. Indeed, the report concluded that "the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts." Trump has focused only on Mueller's top-line conclusions, hailing the lack of evidence of a conspiracy as a political win. Trump tweeted after the call that the two had discussed the "Russian Hoax" among other topics. "As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing," he wrote. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer slammed Trump for failing to press Putin on the report's "extensive evidence that Russia hacked our elections," saying: "Trump's priorities are appalling and undermine democracy." Trump said he and Putin had instead focused on other topics, including the possibility of the new nuclear arms deal between the U.S., Russia and China. He said U.S. officials had broached the idea with the Chinese during ongoing trade talks and that China was "excited about that, maybe even more excited than about trade." Discussions on a new nuclear deal, he said, would likely begin shortly between the U.S. and Russia, with China potentially added "down the road." Trump did not say which arms control agreement he and Putin had discussed, but the Russian state news agency Tass reported that they talked about the New START treaty, the last major arms-control treaty remaining between the U.S. and Russia. The treaty, which was signed in 2010 and expires in 2021, restricts both the U.S. and Russia to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads on a maximum of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers. "There was a discussion about having extending the current nuclear agreement as well as discussions about potentially starting a new one that could include China as well," Sanders said. Trump earlier this year announced that he was pulling the U.S. out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, a decades-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia. Trump accused Moscow of violating its terms with "impunity" by deploying missiles banned by the pact. Moscow denies violating it and has accused Washington of being in non-compliance. Trump's decision to exit the INF treaty reflected his administration's view that it was an unacceptable obstacle to more forcefully confronting not only Russia but also China. China's military has grown mightily since that treaty was signed, and the pact had prevented the U.S. from deploying weapons to counter some of those being developed by Beijing. "The world has moved on from the Cold War and its bilateral arms control treaties that cover limited types of nuclear weapons or only certain ranges of adversary missiles," national security adviser John Bolton told The Associated Press last week. "Russia and China must be brought to the table." A Kremlin readout of the call said the two presidents confirmed their mutual desire "to intensify dialogue in various fields, including on issues of strategic stability," but gave no details about a possible arms deal. Trump said the two also spoke extensively about North Korea's nuclear weapons program. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia last week to meet with Putin. Sanders said Trump said several times that it was important for Russia to continue to help put pressure on North Korea to denuclearize. The statement released by the Kremlin after Friday's call said Putin stressed that "Pyongyang's conscientious fulfillment of its obligations should be accompanied by reciprocal steps to reduce sanctions pressure on North Korea." On Venezuela, Trump insisted that Putin "is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela, other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela." That's despite the fact that Russia has forged a political, military and economic alliance with Venezuela over many years and is helping to support President Nicolas Maduro's embattled government. The U.S. and about 50 other nations take the position that Maduro's re-election last year was irrevocably marred by fraud and he is not the legitimate president. In January, the administration took the unusual step of recognizing Juan Guaido, the opposition leader of the National Assembly, as interim president. The Kremlin said that during the call, Putin stressed that only the Venezuelan people have the right to determine the future of their country. The statement said that outside interference in internal affairs and attempts at forceful regime change in Caracas undermine the prospects for a political settlement of the crisis. __ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Lynn Berry contributed to this report. SOUTH JORDAN As Salt Lake County leaders turn eyes southwest, strategizing on how to best master plan the last swath of undeveloped land in Utah's most populous county, they're looking at South Jordan's Daybreak to set the example. The Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday the second day of the county's "Growth Summit" aimed at planning the future of about 32,000 acres of developable land in the valley's west side heard from the designers of Daybreak, the 4,200-acre community in South Jordan known for its mixture of "villages," town houses and apartments. County Councilman Michael Jensen called Daybreak the "gold standard" for master planned communities, noting it's been ranked in the nation's top best-selling communities over the last several years. The aim of Tuesday's discussion was to show "what you're able to do" with a "blank slate" of land, Jensen said. Of the 32,000 acres of developable land in Salt Lake County's west side, only about 6,000 acres are in unincorporated areas areas the county has planning jurisdiction over. The rest lies within city boundaries. Stephen James, "visionary" of Daybreak, gave the County Council a presentation on what makes Daybreak "work," and how it's aimed at creating a community where people "love to live, work and play" while challenging the traditional concept of single-family home neighborhoods. The focus, James said, isn't on "density" but rather on creating "great places" aimed at offering a sense of community with an emphasis on people and connectivity, rather than fragmenting neighborhoods in isolation. No more cul-de-sacs, but more street connections. No more homes with street-facing garages, but rather street-facing porches. "In the suburbs, there isn't a choice at all you're forced to live in a very specific way," James said. "You come and go to your front door, and your garage essentially becomes your front door." Rather than a system like a "human heart," James said the urban sprawl and its transportation network Utahns have become so familiar with only "funnels" people into larger and larger streets. In Daybreak, "we don't have streets that collect, we have streets that connect," James said. "So even though our density exceeds any other place outside of the downtown core in Utah, we dont have a traffic problem," he said. But Daybreak hasn't been without controversy. The 930-acre, 8,800-unit Olympia Hills development near Herriman was modeled somewhat after Daybreak but a wave of public outrage led former Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams to veto the project and send it back to the drawing board. County Councilwoman Ann Granato questioned how Daybreak designers planned such a dense community when "density" has become a "flashpoint" to public controversy. Take what happened in her district at the site of the former Cottonwood Mall, for example. "They laid out a very well modulated, mixed-use plan. It went to the City Council, it was examined in depth, determined to be something that would be an absolute asset to the area, and the only question that was asked by the public was (about) density. A referendum went on to the ballot, and the entire project was sunk before it got out of the gate based solely on density," Granato said. "What type of public engagement can you get so that people will look behind the density to the actual validity of the project?" she asked. "Because we have no ability to do that at all." Rulon Dutson, director of external relations for Daybreak Communities, answered simply: "The worst moment to recognize you havent had public involvement is in the middle of a public hearing." Dutson credited partnerships with the city of South Jordan and Daybreak's public engagement efforts, as well as the flexibility to adjust plans. At the same time, Daybreak's development agreement allows planners to "break the rules when it makes sense," James said. When Kennecott first tasked a team with designing the community, not a single town house existed in South Jordan, James said. It wasn't always easy, but he said what made Daybreak easier for elected officials and neighbors to digest was their strategy of gradually phasing into different, "higher intensity" housing types that felt natural to the area. "People become reactive to things they're not familiar with and don't understand," James said. "And so it requires careful development of the edges and not being too abrupt or too quick." Plus, James said he understands why "fear" is associated with "density." "I think we've all seen in the valley many examples of poorly executed density and that's why density is the issue," James said. "People don't trust developers to do the right thing because they haven't." SOUTH SALT LAKE A business owner still has nightmares after getting caught in the crossfire of a shooting rampage along State Street last month. The shooting destroyed his shop, Princess Alterations and Leatherwork at 3339 S. State. And he is a "changed man," according to his wife. Thaer Hassan Mahdi no longer even wants to step inside the shop because of his memories of almost getting killed from the hail of bullets that flew through his windows and walls. The building will soon be repaired after the destruction, but the family hasn't decided if they want to reopen their business there. Mahdi was in the back area when suddenly a pickup truck smashed through the window on April 8. Police had been chasing the driver, Harold Vincent Robinson, 37, of West Valley City, during the rampage through Salt Lake City streets. After Robinson crashed his truck into the business, gunfire erupted sending bullets everywhere. Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene and 15 officers remain on administrative leave while the investigation into the incident continues. One bullet hit an area Mahdi had just walked away from seconds before the crash. "If he was here, (the bullets) coming here (would) kill him," said Mahdi's wife Saadiyah Hassan, as she pointed to a bullet hole in the wall and showed where her husband was standing. As a result of that trauma, her husband isn't the same, Hassan said. "Hes sad all the time. Hes not like before. He was funny guy (who liked) to joke. He's just sad," Hassan explained. "I dont know what happened to him." Hassan spoke with the Deseret News at the family's business as she met with the owner of the building and the contractors who will repair it. The owner of the building said hes looking forward to the repairs. "I never imagined what happened to my place," said Chao Zheng, the landlord. He said he is "ready to fix (the) door, window, stucco and also inside. Everything is going to be new." Contractors said repairs will take two months before the building looks new again. The damage is estimated at $40,000. Hassan said the family is still trying to decide if they want to move back in when the work is done or reopen in a new location. However, "If I move now, I maybe lose my customers. I dont want to lose my customers," Hassan said. SALT LAKE CITY There's nothing better than an anecdotal horror story about a creepy-crawly to keep us squirming in our beds at night, wondering what might be afoot in the dark. And recent reports of the so-called "kissing bug" which infects those it bites when its fecal matter is spread across the wound making its way through the U.S. have likely entered the nightmares of many. But should the Beehive State be concerned? According to the Utah Department of Health, maybe. But other critters pose more of an immediate threat. "I don't think it's a huge risk here in the state. But obviously we're keeping up our surveillance and we'll let everyone know if we do find it to be a risk," said Dallin Peterson, Utah Department of Health epidemiologist. The symptoms of Chagas' disease The bugs, of which there are several species, spread the serious Chagas' disease, which can cause heart problems including heart failure. They have a penchant for biting the faces of victims, which gives them their name. Doctors diagnose the disease through blood testing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An infected person can be symptom-free or can experience mild symptoms including fever, fatigue, body aches, vomiting and rashes. In summer 2018, a little girl who lived in a heavily-wooded area in Delaware was bitten by the bug while watching TV. Her parents were concerned and contacted health officials. Luckily, she did not get the illness, the CDC said. A study out of California in the 1960s found that the kissing bug does reside in Utah. In 2018, the state made Chagas' disease reportable meaning doctors must report cases of it to the state health department so officials can keep track of whether it is causing human infections, Peterson said. Utah is one of only a few states that have that rule.' Last year, Utah saw 10 reports of the disease, according to Peterson, but those with Chagas' had picked it up in other areas. None of the cases were fatal. Most human cases occur in Latin and South American countries. State health officials know of no human infections contracted from a kissing bug in Utah, Peterson said. Most of the cases were identified when people visited cardiologists. You can't donate or receive an organ if you have Chagas', Peterson said, so doctors need to rule the disease out in those who want to donate or receive a new organ. Animals risk getting infected, too Humans aren't the only ones to beware the kissing bugs' pucker. They can also infect animals. "Usually they're hiding in burrows or around where domestic animals are at in one issue that they found specifically in Colorado, they're infecting the wood rat, and that wood rat population is keeping the kissing bugs thriving and keeping Chagas' disease in the kissing bug population," Peterson explained. "That's one thing, if you do have an animal, and it's an outside animal like a dog or cat, make sure it's not infected." Veterinarians offer tests for Chagas', he said. The subspecies of kissing bugs in Utah is called triatomine protracta navajoensis. One hypothesis explaining why they haven't infected people in the state is because that subspecies is "a little slower to defecate" after biting someone, Peterson said. He believes the more we look for the bug, the more we'll find it. In the past couple years, it's resided predominantly in southern counties, including Grand, San Juan, Emery, and east into the Uintahs and Duchesne, cutting across three-quarters of the state, Peterson said. The heath department is "always keeping surveillance up" to see if they're infecting people in Utah. If a kissing bug passes the disease on to a person, Peterson said, health officials will investigate and notify the public. To stay clear of kissing bugs for your and your animals' sake, make sure the area around your home is clean, Peterson said. "They usually come out at night," he said, explaining that people usually don't know their house serves as a home for the insects. But if you spot their nest or their fecal matter, contact a pest control agency, Peterson said. It's also always a good idea to seal your house to try to prevent bugs from coming inside. Stay clear of ticks, mosquitoes and bees Insects that we should be more cautious of in spring are ticks and mosquitoes, according to the epidemiologist. He said lot of people in Utah have already been bitten by ticks this year, and mosquito season will begin soon. "Ticks are definitely out in abundance right now; they're trying to find a good source. So if you're up hiking or anything, make sure you check yourself for ticks," Peterson explained. The CDC suggests treating clothes and gear with permethrin and using repellents containing DEET. When returning home, do a full body and clothing check for ticks and take a shower, according to the CDC. When it comes to mosquitoes, make sure there's no standing water around your home for them to live in. With all the rain the state has had, Peterson thinks it might be a "big season" for them this year. Other insects of concern include invasive species that are bugging the Utah Department of Agriculture. State entomologist Kristopher Watson says he and his department are monitoring Africanized or "killer" honeybees, which can be more aggressive than the bees we're used to. They've migrated into San Juan, Kane, Garfield, Wayne, Grand, Emery and Washington counties, with other counties at risk. "When we find that they do have African genetics, then we will alert the county and alert the first responders of that county so that they know if they go into a situation where they get a phone call about a bee-related incident, that they can protect themselves so that they don't become part of the situation. That they can help out with the situation," Watson said. If you come into contact with bees that might be Africanized, Watson said, "just stay clear and give them the respect that all bees should be given to make sure that there's no aggression and aggravation of the colony to promote them to attack." Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 7:43PM Embed from Getty Images Its known that Tesla has trouble with leakers within its company. And it seems its reached the point where even the warning against its employees to not leak information has been leaked. According to the email sent to staff, it asserted that outsiders have been targeting its employees to get vital information to make sure they see us fail. The email warned employees that those discovered leaking information will be fired and have charges filed against them. In the past, information like production numbers and internal meetings phone number have been leaked. Tesla isnt the first company to warn its employees about leaking information. But with company dealing with some financial troubles, it doesnt want to the leaks to affect the spending habits or perceptions of its customers and investors. It might not solve its troubles, but it would take out one more factor that could affect business. Source: Engadget Averett said that Stinsons retirement is nerve-wracking for himself as well, as she served Enterprise Health and Rehab with impeccable kindness and dedication for nearly 30 years. Barbaras been a part of this facility for 28 years, 21 of those as the administrator, Averett said. Shes done outstanding work at this facility and left some really big shoes to fill. Its really like coming in and replacing someone whos the top echelon of what they do. So its nerve-wracking and exciting all in one. According to Averett, his top priority is ensuring that all residents, family and staff at Enterprise Health and Rehabilitation are taken care of with the same diligence they saw under Stinsons term as administrator. Today we are here as part of the great states celebration to capture our past and current history and place that history into a time capsule and bury it to share with our future family, friends and citizens, Bullinger said. Originally we looked at possibly naming a building, facility or water tower after someone of significant history who contributed to the growth, development and prosperity of Level Plains, but the mayor came up with a better idea: we could capture what life is like today, put it in a time capsule, and send it to the future so that the next generation, during the tricentennial, could celebrate along with us. Congratulations Alabama, we have hit a new low in political idiocy. For this state, thats saying something. After all, the bar was already lying on the ground. We can all thank State Representative John Rogers for such a dishonor. Even members of Rogers own party, most notably U.S. Senator Doug Jones, have deemed the Birmingham reps comments regarding abortion as well as carelessly calling someone retarded reprehensible. Republican state rep candidate Daniel Sparkman, a former press secretary for Gov. Kay Ivey, called for the Alabama Democrat Party to disavow Rogers comments and for Rogers to apologize and resign. Dothan police closed off part of Denton Road Saturday afternoon following a shooting that left three people wounded. Police responded about 1:10 p.m. to a report of a firearm assault with moderate injuries in the 2300 block of Denton Road, about a half mile outside Ross Clark Circle. Witnesses said police took one person into custody shortly after arriving at the scene. Get Breaking News Alerts Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Patricia Ann Smith of Enterprise, AL passed away Tuesday, May 2, 2019 at Southeast Health in Dothan. She was 76. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Monday, May 6, 2019 at Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory Chapel with Rev. Fox Fleming officiating.. The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 A.M. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Jude's Children Hospital or Enterprise Animal Shelter. Patricia was born in Austin, Texas and moved to Detroit, Michigan in her adolescent years. She was a cheerleader at Ecorse High School. She raised a family in Detroit, Michigan and moved to Enterprise, AL in 1971. She was an extremely hard working Mother who raised 4 children on her own. She had a beautiful smile, and her laughter would light up a room. She had a zest for life and left an everlasting impression in our hearts and in all who met her. After she retired in 2016, she loved spending time with her grandkids and her animals. She loved spending time on the beach. Her love for life will remain in our hearts forever. She was preceded in death by her sister, Jenny Rose. Survivors include her daughters, Kelly Watson (Stacy) Chancellor, AL, Colleen Honto, Panama City, FL; sons, Pete Smith (Leighann), Callaway, FL, Kevin Smith (Pepper) Enterprise, AL; grandchildren, Cole Honto, Caleb Smith, Alexandria Watson, Bradley Watson, Rebecca Smith. You may sign the register book or send condolences to the family at our website: www.searcyfuneralhome.com . Let us now praise two almost-famous men who served in the Senate for a combined total of 74 years and died recently within three weeks of each other. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, and Ernest Fritz Hollings, a South Carolina Democrat, both took a bipartisan approach to legislating and left their country a stronger, safer place. Today, lawmakers who dare to reach across the aisle are branded as heretics and threatened with primary challenges. So it's important to remember a time when working with political rivals to solve problems was not just possible, but popular. Lugar was compact and colorless, known for his early-morning runs around Capitol Hill, even in lousy weather. A political ally, William Ruckelshaus, once joked about him, Dick has maintained that childhood capability of walking into an empty room and blending right in. Hollings was tall and lanky with a crackling wit that sometimes got him in trouble. When a political opponent challenged him to take a drug test, Hollings fired back, I'll take a drug test if you'll take an IQ test. The New York Times once wrote, Providence has blessed him with an appearance so striking that rank strangers assume he must be important. Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson eschewed typical governmental skullduggery; he released the video involving two Tuscaloosa Police officers subduing, arresting, and berating a hit-and-run suspect thats provoked criticism and condemnation. After watching the video, Anderson felt anger, disgust, and frustration. Its typical for a police chief to express anger, disgust, and frustration at suspects. For example, Chicago Superintendent Eddie Johnson was furious when all 16 charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped. He wondered how Smollett, a man embraced by Chicago, could slap everyone in the city by making a bogus claim. However, Johnson refused to declare Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dykes shooting LaQuan McDonald 16 times and killing him as a horrific act. In fact, Johnson watched the video, and leaped into lockstep with the other top brass, he agreed the shooting was justified. However, a Cook County jury convicted Van Dyke of 2nd-degree murder. By Stacy Malkan Amid global debate over the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides such as Monsanto's Roundup, numerous claims have been made to defend the product's safety. In the wake of two recent landmark jury rulings that found Roundup to be a substantial factor in causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we examined some of these claims and fact-checked them for accuracy. Yvette dEntremont, a.k.a. the Sci Babe Self Magazine article (October 2018) CLAIMS: "With over 800 studies on it, no study has shown the components in Roundup to cause cancer" "there haven't been major credible studies showing a causal link between Roundup and cancer." FACT: Several major credible studies link Roundup or its key component glyphosate to cancer, including a study submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the 1980s that EPA scientists at the time said was evidence of cancer concerns. There are too many studies to list, but citations can be found in the 2015 International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph on Glyphosate. Additionally, a broad scientific analysis of the cancer-causing potential of glyphosate herbicides published in February 2019 found that people with high exposures had an increased risk of developing a type of cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma. SOURCE: Yvette d'Entremont is a "contributing editor" to Self Magazine with a column called "SciBabe Explains." Self Magazine does not disclose to its readers that SciBabe partners with companies whose products she defends. In 2017, the artificial sweetener company Splenda partnered with SciBabe to help "empower fans of the SPLENDA Brand to take an active role in busting myths about sucralose." Chemical companies have sponsored some of her speaking engagements at farming conferences. Geoffrey Kabat, Epidemiologist Genetic Literacy Project website (October 2018) CLAIM: Glyphosate "has been so thoroughly studied for toxicity and the concentrations found in humans are so low that there is no need for further study there is really nothing left to justify further research!" FACT: In sworn testimony admitted into evidence in ongoing litigation against Monsanto and its owner Bayer AG, former Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant acknowledged the company never did any epidemiology study of glyphosate-based herbicide formulations the company sells. The company also sought to block a toxicity evaluation of glyphosate formulations by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Moreover, these comments, which Dr. Kabat attributed to an anonymous source, ignore two key facts: independent studies link glyphosate to a wide range of health problems and environmental concerns, and evidence from court filings suggests that Monsanto interfered with scientific and regulatory assessments of glyphosate (see examples and sources here, here, here and here). According to Judge Vince Chhabria, who presided over a recent federal trial that resulted in $80 million in damages against Monsanto, "the plaintiffs have presented a great deal of evidence that Monsanto has not taken a responsible, objective approach to the safety of its product." The judge also wrote: Patrick Moore, PR Consultant Video interview with Canal+ (March 2015) CLAIM: "You can drink a whole quart of [glyphosate] and it won't hurt you." FACT: Even Monsanto says you should not drink glyphosate. According to the company's website, "glyphosate isn't a beverage and should not be ingested just like you wouldn't drink shampoo or dish detergent. It is always important to use products for their intended purpose and as directed on the label." (The post also clarifies that Moore "isn't a Monsanto lobbyist or employee.") SOURCE: Moore has been portrayed as a co-founder of Greenpeace who "calls out his former group" as he argues for deregulation of toxic products or polluting industries. According to Greenpeace, "Once upon a time, Dr. Patrick Moore was an early Greenpeace member. Now he is a public relations consultant for the polluting companies that Greenpeace works to change." In 2014, Moore testified to a U.S. Senate committee that there is no scientific evidence that human activity is causing global warming. Kevin Folta, PhD, Professor at the University of Florida Tweets 2015 and 2013 CLAIM: "I've drank [glyphosate] before to demonstrate harmlessness" "I've done it live and will do it again. Must be mixed w/coke or c-berry juice. Tastes soapy. No buzz" FACT: While Dr. Folta may indeed have consumed glyphosate, this is bad advice coming from an unreliable source. As described above, even Monsanto says you should not drink glyphosate. SOURCE: Prof. Folta has misled the public on many occasions about his agrichemial industry ties. In 2017, Dr. Folta sued the New York Times and Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Eric Lipton for reporting on Folta's undisclosed collaborations with Monsanto to help defeat GMO labeling. The lawsuit was dismissed. Alison van Eenennaam, PhD, Animal Geneticist, UC Davis video interview on the Real News Network (May 2015) CLAIM: "I think there's several very comprehensive meta-analyses that have been done recently that show there are no unique toxicological or carcinogenicity effects associated with the use of Roundup. There was the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment that just reviewed hundreds of toxicological studies and nearly a thousand published reports, and concluded that the data showed neither carcinogenic or mutagentic properties of glyphosate, nor that glyphosate is toxic to fertility, reproduction, and or embryonic fetal development in lab animals And I wouldn't call Germany necessarily a country where you would expect them to be doing a risk assessment that wasn't really looking at what the data's saying." FACT: A 2019 report commissioned by Members of Parliament in the European Union found that Germany's risk assessment agency "copy-and-pasted tracts from Monsanto studies." See reporting in the Guardian by Arthur Neslen, EU glyphosate approval was based on plagiarised Monsanto text, report finds. SOURCE: Dr. van Eenennaam is a leading promoter of genetically engineered animals and crops, and a fervent advocate for deregulation. Documents show she has coordinated with agrichemical companies and their public relations firms on PR and messaging. Food Evolution Documentary Film This 2017 feature-length documentary promotes genetically engineered foods as the solution to world hunger but glosses over a key controversy at the center of the GMO debate: whether Roundup, the herbicide that most GM crops are engineered to resist, causes cancer. The film does not even mention the IARC report that found glyphosate to be a probable human carcinogen, and it relies on just two sources to claim that glyphosate is not a worry. CLAIM: The film shows footage of Monsanto's Robb Fraley giving a speech; when an audience member asked him about studies linking glyphosate to cancer or birth defects, Fraley waved his hand dismissively and said all those studies are "pseudoscience." FACT: Evidence from animal studies and epidemiological data published in reputable journals link glyphosate to several adverse impacts including cancer and birth defects. CLAIM: A farmer claims that glyphosate has "very, very low toxicity; lower than coffee, lower than salt." FACT: Comparing the toxicity of short-term exposure of glyphosate to things like coffee or salt is irrelevant and misleading; concerns about links to cancer are based on chronic, long-term exposures to glyphosate. SOURCE: Food Evolution was produced by Scott Hamilton Kennedy, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson and funded by the Institute for Food Technologists, an industry trade group. Dozens of academics have called it a propaganda film, and several people interviewed for the film described a sneaky and deceptive filming process. New York University Prof. Marion Nestle asked to be taken out of the film, but the director refused. Independent Womens Forum IWF website (August 2018) CLAIM: "The truth is, glyphosate is not carcinogenic." FACT: This article by Julie Gunlock provides no scientific backing for its claims; the only links lead to previous IWF blogs accusing environmental groups of lying and "unnecessarily scaring moms." SOURCE: The Independent Women's Forum promotes tobacco products, denies climate science and partners with Monsanto on events to defend pesticides. IWF is funded largely by right-wing foundations that promote deregulation for polluting industries. The International Food Information Council IFIC website (January 2016) CLAIM: "IARC's determination [that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen] was found by numerous experts to have excluded dozens of studies that found no evidence of glyphosate being carcinogenic. Experts also found IARC's review to be based on flawed and discredited science, some even going so far as to say the conclusion was 'totally wrong.'" FACT: IFIC relied on industry sources for these claims, linking to articles by Val Giddings, PhD, former trade group executive turned PR consultant for the agrichemical industry; and Keith Solomon, a toxicologist who was hired by Monsanto to assess the IARC report. SOURCE: The International Food Information Council, funded by large food and chemical companies, promotes and defends sugar, artificial sweeteners, food additives, pesticides, processed foods and GMOs. A Monsanto PR plan identified IFIC as one of the "industry partners" that could help defend glyphosate from cancer concerns. Are you lost in the wild? Sorry, but the page you're looking for has not been found Try checking the URL for errors, goto home or try to search below. Ankara backs Turkish Cypriots' rights in E. Mediterranean Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar calls on Greece for common sense and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea. Ankara is determined to protect Turkish Cypriots rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea under the international law, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Sunday. WE WILL PROTECT ALL RIGHTS Along with the rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean under international law, as a guarantor country, Turkey is determined to always protect the rights of the people of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and not to allow the fait accompli, Akar said. The minister's remarks came a day after the Greek Foreign Ministry called Turkey to stop drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. Akar called on Greece for common sense and cooperation and added that the energy sources in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean should serve as a bridge for peace, dialogue and mutual development. Turkish Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on Saturday to reject the remarks made by EUs foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini regarding Turkey's hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. "Turkeys hydrocarbon related activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region are based on its legitimate rights stemming from international law." "As we previously stressed on many occasions, having the longest coastal line in the region, we will protect our own rights and interests within our continental shelf, as well as those of the Turkish Cypriots around the Cyprus Island," the ministry said. Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administrations unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, saying Turkish Cypriots also have rights to the resources in the area. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power. Free Syrian Army liberates two villages in Syria Free Syrian Army liberates villages of Maranaz, Al-Malikiyah in northern Syria from the YPG/PKK terror group. The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) has liberated the northern Syrian villages of Maranaz and Al-Malikiyah from the YPG/PKK terror group, according to local sources. TWO VILLAGES WERE RESCUED After the terror group carried out attacks against Turkish and FSA positions in northern Syria, the FSA launched operations to head off these attacks. After brief clashes in the villages of Maranaz and Al-Malikiyah, FSA forces expelled the terrorists. The US-backed YPG/PKK terrorist group holds roughly 28 percent of Syrian territory, including a number of oil-rich territories. In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including many women and children. The YPG/PKK is its Syrian branch. French police beat protesters up In the country where the actions have been going on for months, the French police use disproportionate force to the activists. Authorities are investigating riot police over three incidents of alleged violence towards May Day protesters in Paris. THE BRUTALITY OF THE FRENCH POLICE Videos showing clashes between protesters and police were widely shared on social media, including instances where police appeared to use force excessively. Videos taken during clashes between police and protesters have been circulating on social media. French police beat protesters up WATCH French investigators are looking at several videos that appear to show police violence during May Day demonstrations in Paris, including one showing an officer pushes his truncheon inside the trousers of an arrested man. One shows helmeted police hitting a protester while the second shows another police hurling a paving stone at protesters. Clashes occurred even before the march got underway and continued throughout the day. Maduro tells armed forces to be ready for US attack Nicolas Maduro called on the armed forces to be "ready" in the event of a US military offensive against the South American country, in a speech to troops. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday called on his military to be "ready" against a US military offensive. WERE READY TO DEFAND Maduro spoke to the troops during a visit to a military training center in the state of Cojedes, accompanied by Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. Maduro called on the military "to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this land, this sacred soil." He added that the "United States wants to colonize the Latin America and the Caribbean region, using the Monroe Doctrine." Maduro's order to army came amid a new tension when Venezuela's self-proclaimed interim president has urged his supporters to take to streets on Saturday for more protests to topple country's elected leader, Nicolas Maduro. Known as the Monroe Doctrine since former US President James Monroe's 1823 address to Congress on the new political order developing in the rest of the Americas and the role of Europe in the Western Hemisphere, Monroes declaration provided precedent and support for US expansion on the American continent. N.Macedonia polls open for presidential elections North Macedonian voters returned to the ballot box on Sunday to vote in a presidential run-off election. North Macedonians on Sunday headed to polls for the second round of voting to elect the countrys next president for the next five years. THE SECOND ROUND STARTED A total of 1.8 million eligible voters have started to cast ballots in the election as of 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and it will end by 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). According to the results of the first round held on April 21, the governing Social Democrats' (SDSM) candidate Stevo Pendarovski won 42.8% of the votes and opposition candidate Gordana Siljanovska Davkova won 42.2% vie for the post in the runoff. Pendarovski is supported by the government and has the backing of 31 political parties, including the Union of Social Democrats of Macedonia (SDSM), the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), AlternAtivA, the Turkish Movement Party (THP), and the Turkish Democratic Party (TDP). Davkova, the only woman candidate, is seeking the presidency with the support of the main opposition union. She favors cancelling the countrys name change deal. Sunday's election is the sixth presidential election in the country's modern history, but the first since it made a momentous name change. Under the law, voter turnout in the runoff must be at least 40% for it to produce a winner. Last June, the country agreed to change its name in line with a deal under which Greece dropped its objection to North Macedonia joining NATO and the EU. Since Macedonia declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, the nation has had four presidents. Under the Constitution, a president can be elected for a maximum of two times. 'No plan to stop attacks on Gaza' The source went on to assert that currently there are no plans to stop the extensive attacks. An Israel military source has ruled out the possibility of halting attacks on the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Saturday. "WE WILL CONTINUE THE ATTACK" Tel Aviv faces a challenge to deal with barrage launchers in the enclave, Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported citing an anonymous senior military source. The attacks, the source said, mainly focus on targets of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Palestinian groups. In a related development, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement that Israeli forces targeted a building used as the headquarters of Hamas' military intelligence and public security in the Remal neighborhood of Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli jets continued to raid several areas in the Gaza Strip after midnight. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli warplanes targeted two positions of Palestinian resistance factions in the northern part of the enclave, a naval police building in the Gaza seaport and a civilian house in Khan Yunis city. The raids completely destroyed the targeted house and severely damaged a number of houses surrounding the other targeted sites. On Saturday, a building where Anadolu Agencys office in Gaza is located was targeted by Israeli warplanes. No deaths or injuries were reported in the attack. The strikes occurred following reports that two Israeli soldiers had been injured by gunfire near the Gaza-Israel buffer zone on Friday. Taliban attack a police headquarters in Afghanistan The attack in Baghlan province began with a suicide car bombing, with attackers currently under siege by police. The attack began Sunday morning when a suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives at the main entrance of the police headquarters in Afghanistan's Baghlan province. 4 DEAD 24 INJURED Taliban insurgents on Sunday stormed police headquarters in Afghanistan's Baghlan province following a suicide car bombing, an official confirmed. Nusrat Rahimi, an Interior Ministry spokesman, told journalists in the capital Kabul that security forces had killed two attackers in an exchange of gunfire. He said the total number of insurgents storming the police headquarters is now known, but that they were under siege by security forces. Bordering Kabul to the south, the Baghlan province links the capital with other northern provinces. According to local Salam Afghanistan radio, at least four other people were killed and 24 wounded in the attack. It added that dozens of civilians and policemen were present at the headquarters in the city of Pul-e-Khumri when the insurgents attacked. Claiming responsibility for the attack, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said dozens of policemen were killed in the ongoing attack. He said in a statement that the attack began with a suicide bombing involving a Humvee stolen from security forces. Blame it on Rosie. The Jetsons robot housekeeper was witty, adroit, useful and very human-like. As she rolled around the sci-fi familys home in Orbit City, she effortlessly tidied up, dispensed bons mots, helped the kids with homework and cooked dinners. Rosie set too high a bar for real-life robots. Many startups have tried to create a robot that Americans would welcome into their homes, but so far the only success has come for Roomba and similar robotic vacuum cleaners. The biggest challenge is unrealistic expectations driven by movies and television, said Ken Goldberg, a robotics expert and professor of engineering at UC Berkeley. A lot of jobs around the house are actually very, very subtle and require a dexterity level far beyond what robots can achieve. Its important to let people know that Rosie is not just around the corner. The latest failure was San Franciscos Anki, which abruptly shut down last week, sounding the death knell for its home robots Cozmo and Vector. Thats despite having raised more than $200 million in funding and generating about $100 million in revenue in both 2017 and 2018. Ankis gerbil-size, cloud-connected roaming robots offer similar features to countertop devices such as Amazons Alexa and smartphone assistants like Apples Siri, but with an extra serving of personality. (Alexa and Siri are considered bots, not robots, because they dont move.) Vector exhibited more than 1,500 animations to express emotions, programmed by former film animators from Pixar and DreamWorks. Ankis demise follows those of several other consumer robotics companies: Jibo, which made a social robot; Frances Keecker, whose multimedia robot facilitated watching moves and listening to music; Tokyos Seven Dreamers, whose cabinet-size Laundroid folded laundry; Boschs Mayfield Robotics, whose Kuri was part smart pet (it could sing and dance), part robot butler. All not only fell short of the lofty expectations set by Rosie, but also failed to prove their usefulness. Americans have lots of ways to entertain themselves, said technology forecaster Paul Saffo. A robot has to be blazingly essential or to do one thing really, really well. While home robots have yet to take off, industrial robots are flourishing, accounting for more than $2 billion in North American sales last year, according to the Association for Advancing Automation. At auto assembly plants, electronics factories, Amazon warehouses and elsewhere, robots designed to handle defined tasks over and over offer a quick return on investment, said Bob Doyle, a spokesman for the trade group. Industrial robotics sales continue to break new records. Robots are also making new inroads in retail restocking Walmart shelves, for instance and as security guards. But homes remain the last frontier. Were still a long way away from one robot that can do everything for you from clean your house to cook to help an elderly person, Doyle said. Before we get there, we may have many robots in the home each geared to do one specific thing like Roomba. While early adopters will always pounce on fun new ideas, thats a far cry from mass acceptance. Our goal is working toward a robot in every home, Anki co-founder Mark Palatucci told The Chronicle last year. And although various pet-like robots have found acceptance at some times Hasbros Furby, Sonys Aibo, the handheld Tamagotchi, the Paro therapeutic seal they were more novelty items than indispensable helpmates. Unlike U.S. consumers, Japanese audiences are more willing to open their homes to robots, which some experts ascribe to cultural differences. Japan is fascinated by robots, Saffo said. Japanese live in much smaller homes and its harder to have pets, so theyre more used to the idea of a virtual pet. Conferring a lifelike personality onto objects is deep in Japanese culture, back to Shinto and the idea that the whole world is enchanted and there is spirit chi in everything. So what will it take to get robots into U.S. homes? One first step might be acclimatizing Americans to robots that come to their doorsteps via the new generation of cooler-size delivery robots that bring restaurant meals and e-commerce orders. For instance, Kiwi Campus, a startup based at the UC Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator, has dozens of robots delivering food from local restaurants on the Berkeley campus. Weve seen that people have adopted the Kiwibot as part of their community, said Sasha Iatsenia, head of product. The robots have expressive faces that can wink and smile, plus were fulfilling a basic human need: to eat, he said. (Still, at least one local resident resented the robots so much that he kidnapped one. Berkeley police rescued it when Kiwi gave them its GPS coordinates and then turned it on remotely so it could be heard banging against the thiefs car trunk, he said.) Another possible use for home robots is helping elderly people. Seattles Hoaloha Robotics is building a robotic companion for seniors. The embodied personal assistant, which is at least a year off, will go far beyond the likes of Alexa in carrying on conversations not just reporting the weather but commenting on it, for instance, said CEO Tandy Trower. It will be able to carry items and help people manage and plan daily activities. To reduce up-front costs, Hoaloha will offer it on a subscription basis. Despite its closure, robotics experts said that Anki still helped blaze trails. Anki helped demonstrate how appealing imbuing an embodied agent with the right level of social characteristics can be, bringing us one step closer to personal robots, Trower said. Where it failed was in delivering a sufficient value proposition, which is also essential for success. However, like the Commodore PET and Apple II, it clearly points the way for what is to come. Anki had passion and commitment to bring robotics out of research labs and into living rooms, said Peter Nguyen, an Anki spokesman, in an email after its closure: We tried our best to move the consumer robotics industry forward and give people a glimpse into a life where we can peacefully coexist with robots. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid A Few Good Men Apollo-era legends frustrated with the course agency has taken in recent decades A Few Good Men Apollo-era legends frustrated with the course agency has taken in recent decades Published May 2, 2019 One in an occasional series The legends of the Apollo era get the same far-off look of wonder and amazement in thinking back 50 years to the July 20, 1969 moon landing. They even use the same words to describe it. About this series Nearly 50 years have passed since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. The July 20, 1969, moon landing changed the world and forever changed Houston. Our "Mission Moon" project will explore how the country came together to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's goal of reaching the lunar surface by 1970, NASA's bold missions and crippling tragedies since that historic day, the future of space exploration and the fate of Houston as America's "Space City." Read our entire series here. Suspenseful. Incredible. Wonderful. And they largely have the same dim view of the direction NASA is headed today. Former astronauts, flight directors and administrators who lived through NASA's golden years of putting men on the moon say the NASA of today barely resembles the fledgling space agency that they lived for. It was an organization that made tough decisions with speed and finesse, that flew by the seat of its pants and learned at breakneck speed, with a reputation for good leadership and trust among the ranks. Now, they see an agency plagued by inadequate budgets, where missions change with each presidential administration. Their beloved NASA, they say, is at the mercy of politicians who are afraid of taking risks for the betterment of society. "I'm not the only one of us who says this, but I feel fortunate to have lived when I did," Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham told the Houston Chronicle in April. They're frustrated by the nation's lack of progress. "It seems to have been just fits and starts in the last 50 years since Apollo 11," said Glynn Lunney, a former mission control flight director who was on duty at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston during the moon landing. "What do we have to show for it? The space station, sure. But what else?" 'Flailing for 25 years' Soon after the Apollo 11 astronauts returned home from the first mission to the lunar surface, NASA personnel began planning for a future in which human space exploration was commonplace. They dreamed of a module much like the space station orbiting the moon by 1978, a 50-man station orbiting Earth by 1980, a lunar surface base that same year. They even had detailed plans of landing humans on Mars by 1983. The plans seemed feasible at the time because the Apollo lunar surface missions there were nine more planned after Apollo 11 were expected to lay the groundwork for a base on the moon. A group of flight controllers gathers around the console of Glynn S. Lunney (seated, nearest camera), the flight director, in Mission Control Center on April 15, 1970 at what was then called the Manned Spacecraft Center. Among those looking on is Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, deputy director of the space center, standing in a black suit, on right. When this photograph was taken, the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission had been canceled and the problem-plagued Apollo 13 crew members were attempting to bring their crippled spacecraft back home. less A group of flight controllers gathers around the console of Glynn S. Lunney (seated, nearest camera), the flight director, in Mission Control Center on April 15, 1970 at what was then called the Manned ... more Photo: NASA Photo: NASA Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close NASA is stalled: Apollo-era legends frustrated with the course agency has taken in recent decades 1 / 10 Back to Gallery But instead, personnel watched helplessly as the Apollo program they built was shuttered before its time, its moon missions axed from the agency's plans. Apollo's budget was slashed in half in 1971, receiving less than $1 billion for the first time in eight years. The 1972 Apollo 17 flight was to be the last. "We all thought we'd keep going," Lunney said. "We thought we'd go back to the moon, and then Mars." Lunney said it feels as though NASA has been "flailing for 25 years." Christopher Kraft, NASA's first mission control flight director who worked on the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo programs, gets choked up just talking about the end of the Apollo program and the nation's failure to return to the moon since. Kraft told the Chronicle that people lost interest in sending humans to the moon after NASA proved it could be done. Trying to match the political will of President John F. Kennedy to keep it going, he said, "is impossible." "But isn't it a shame that if we had been doing what we should have been doing, we'd have had men on the moon commercially at least 25, maybe 30 years ago?" Kraft said. Aiming for Mars That's not to diminish programs such as Skylab the U.S.'s first space station that was operated for about a year in the early 1970s or the 30-year space shuttle program and International Space Station, which has been flying in low-Earth orbit for two decades. George Abbey, who was assigned to the Apollo program in 1964, touted the brilliance of the space shuttle program when he spoke to the Chronicle in early March. The space shuttles flew missions from 1981-2011 and during that time, Abbey oversaw astronaut selection, helped develop the space station and served as director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Shuttle should never have ended," Abbey said. "It had the ability to assemble in Earth's orbit, where we could assemble what you needed to go to the moon or Mars. But now we've got those on display in museums." It's good NASA is trying to return to the moon, Abbey said, but the hardware being built to take astronauts there is severely lacking. "We're going back to the capsules we flew in the '60s and they're not as good as the ones we flew," Abbey said. "You look at what we're spending across the government and it doesn't really add up." Soon after taking office in 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would return to the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to Mars. To do this, NASA would use hardware that already was being developed: The Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System, the biggest rocket the U.S. space agency has ever built. "I'm optimistic now that we have an administration that seems to be committed to getting us back to the moon and to use that experience there not only for science, but also to prepare to go to Mars," said scientist Harrison Schmitt, the 12th man to walk on the moon. But several Apollo legends find the decision to keep moving forward with the SLS rocket downright absurd. "We should not have built it," Kraft said. "We've been trying to build big, dumb boosters and it's kind of ridiculous because we don't need them. We have all kinds of rockets in the world right now." 'Where the hell is something new?' The Orion spacecraft was part of President George W. Bush's Constellation Program, which aimed to return humans to the moon as a way to get to Mars. But President Barack Obama killed Constellation in 2010, opting for a mission to an asteroid and, eventually, Mars. Obama kept the Orion spacecraft as part of the project, adding the SLS rocket into the mix. It's had problems ever since. NASA Administator Jim Bridenstine after momentarily suggesting in March that the first Orion mission should be launched on a commercial rocket indicated the SLS rocket would again miss its launch date, most recently scheduled for June 2020. The first Orion-SLS mission originally was set to launch in 2017. "What we have found is that the development of SLS has proven to be more challenging than previously anticipated," Bridenstine told Congress in April. The rocket is being built by Boeing. To Lunney and Kraft, it seems as if NASA is trying to copy the Apollo mission by using a small capsule and an enormous rocket, instead of developing new technology. "Where the hell is something new?" Lunney asked. Lunney is particularly concerned that NASA isn't doing enough to develop a new propulsion system that could, potentially, get the nation to Mars. With current rocket technology, it would take about nine months to reach the Red Planet. "We need a significant breakthrough in propulsion," Lunney said. Bill Gerstenmaier Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at NASA, told the Chronicle in April that the agency has started to explore nuclear thermal propulsion as an option for future spaceflights, as opposed to the chemical propulsion currently used. "It's not at a very high level, but we've definitely started doing work on it," Gerstenmaier said. Building a mini-space station orbiting the moon, known as the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, is also part of Trump's plans for the space agency. The gateway would bring together international and commercial partners to utilize the moon, for research, resources and a potential platform to launch to Mars. It's a good step, Lunney said though he doesn't know if it's the right step. Abbey, however, thinks it's "crazy." "You don't build a space station to orbit a space station. God gave you a space station called the moon," he said. "You need to look at programs realistically and make do with what you have and ... I think, unfortunately, NASA is not doing that." 'It seems like we've lost our vision' The policy fluctuations make it difficult for NASA engineers and scientists to make headway on projects a problem some blamed on leadership within the agency. "We do not have the leadership we had 50 years ago," Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden told the Chronicle in April. "It disappeared about 40 years ago and we've never gotten back to having dynamic leaders who put programs together and made sure they worked." Lunney agreed. "NASA starts things a number of times and then have to stop because people change their mind," he said. "NASA is stalled." The problems were evident to astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. In Armstrong last's interview before his death in 2012, he said he was "substantially concerned" about the state of NASA policies. "We have a situation in the U.S. where the White House and Congress are at odds over what the future direction should be," he said. "They're sort of playing a game and NASA is the shuttlecock that they're hitting back and forth." Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, told the Washington Post in 2014 that he felt the space agency was "adrift," citing the fact that the U.S. has relied on the Russians to take its astronauts to the space station since 2011. Regardless of the reasons, NASA is struggling, Lunney said. "I think they're trying," he said. "I'm sympathetic to how difficult it is. But it seems like we've lost our vision." Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and science for the Houston Chronicle. She is a 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner for her work at the Salt Lake Tribune on how Utah colleges handle reports of sexual assault. She's previously worked at newspapers in Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Phoenix and Idaho Falls. Her reporting has landed several people in prison. She loves puppies, elephants and curling up with a good book. She shares a birthday with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean. Contact her at alex.stuckey@chron.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexdstuckey. Photos by Houston Chronicle staff Design by Jordan Rubio and Jasmine Goldband *** In announcing that he wont challenge Republican U.S. Sen John Cornyn next year, Texas congressman Joaquin Castro explained that he wanted to focus on the important and meaningful work he is doing in Congress. Many Texas Democrats were saddened by this news because they were hoping Castro would run statewide. Others were disgruntled by it because they would like to flip the Senate seat, and Castro would have been a strong candidate in a year when Democrats hope to recapture control of the U.S. Senate. I would have been proud to vote for Castro, but have little sympathy for those who denounced his decision as overly cautious. Both he and his twin brother, Julian, have faced this criticism at various points during their respective careers in electoral politics, and its not entirely baseless. The Castro twins are deliberate in their decision-making, and reluctant to take unnecessary risks. This approach has served them well. Julian Castro was elected to the San Antonio City Council in 2001, at age 26, and went on to become mayor in 2009. He left that office in 2014, to serve as Barack Obamas secretary of housing and urban development, and is currently running for president himself. Joaquin Castro was elected to represent the 20th Congressional District in 2012, after a decade in the Texas House of Representatives; by most accounts, he would have had a real chance of becoming the first Mexican-American to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Its hard to put exact odds, though, on Castros chances of winning the Senate seat next year. Cornyn was re-elected by a 26-point margin in 2014, but he can hardly be considered invincible given the strong showing of Democrats in last years midterm elections. Other Democrats have taken notice. M.J. Hegar, an Air Force veteran and the 2018 Democratic nominee in Texas 31st Congressional District, threw her hat in the ring last month. Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards is also mulling a bid, and other contenders may come forward now that Castro has taken a pass on a 2020 Senate race. And although there's a sense among Democrats that now is the time to stand up Preisdent Donald Trump, it's worth remembering that Castro is already in a position to do that as a member of Congress. He represents a heavily Democratic district, and is unlikely to face a primary challenge. His stature in Washington has grown with the Democratic takeover of the House last fall, as has his presence in the national media: hes a frequent guest on cable TV news shows to discuss the Russia investigation or Trumps border policies. Frankly, Castro can probably serve as the congressman from Bexar County until he decides to do something else. The 20th Congressional District is relatively compact, heavily Mexican-American, and historic; its gerrymandered, but not incoherent. And Castro, who grew up on San Antonios Westside as part of a politically active family, has deep roots in the community. Cynics would be hard-pressed to explain why Castro was looking at taking on Cornyn in the first place, or for that matter challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in last years Senate race. Both would have represented major gambles that entailed giving up his safe House seat. And that would have been a loss for his constituents many of whom have been put at risk by Trump in various ways. His successor in the House probably would have been a Democrat, but one with no seniority in Congress, and less relevant experience. As a Democrat who spent 10 years in the Texas Legislature, Castro has dealt with Republicans who are drunk on power. In the aftermath of Trumps election, that has come in handy. In fact, Castro has been the most effective member of our states congressional delegation these past two years. The Democrats unhappy with his decision aren't thinking about it in those terms; they're prioritizing partisanship over people. For Democrats to win statewide in Texas would be a victory with massive implications for both parties. But Republicans will likely retain control of the Senate, even if Democrats pick up a Senate seat. And Castro, in any case, doesnt work for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He works for the Texans who live in the 20th Congressional District, which was a full-time job even before Trump was elected president. The leadership Castro has shown since 2016 as the congressman from Bexar County would have distinguished him as a Senate candidate. But hes right to say that he can continue doing important and meaningful work in the House and Democrats who are unhappy with his decision should remember that theres more than one way to step up to the plate. erica.grieder@chron.com The two incumbent trustees running for re-election in the San Antonio Independent School District held on to their board seats Saturday night, but a vocal opponent of their agenda won a four-way open race to represent District 2 on the East Side. Im going to be a good team player, but everyone definitely understands my stance and that wont change, said Alicia Monica Perry, 39, the new District 2 trustee. Im still going to have a voice. Im still going to push for whats right for our district. She trounced her three opponents with 65 percent of the vote in final returns. Perry, who works in the records and registration department at St. Philips College, was part of a slate of candidates endorsed by the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, the union representing teachers and nonadministrative staff. Those candidates ran on a platform of opposition to Superintendent Pedro Martinez and the school board that has unanimously supported him. The school districts five-year turnaround effort is headed into its fifth year with some victories in academic performance and some opposition to the methods behind them. Perry, who has six children in SAISD schools, said shell be in training mode for the first few months. She said she was pleased with the relatively high turnout in her district. We are opening peoples eyes to the issues in District 2, she said. Im excited and Im ready for the next chapter. This is about the community. Perrys victory gives the opponents of SAISD leaders a foothold on the board representing the East Side, where the districts schools have been hemorrhaging students as charter schools have burgeoned. Martinez has closed some East Side campuses, and District 2 candidates expressed a sense that their community had been overlooked and discarded. Board President Patti Radle, 71, who runs a social services nonprofit in her West Side district, won with 57 percent of the vote against the union-endorsed candidate Janell Rubio, 38, who is unemployed and has three children in SAISD schools. Radle did not immediately return a call Saturday night seeking comment. District 6 incumbent Christina Martinez, 39, vice president of external relations for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, won her three-way race with 38 percent of the vote. Her challengers were Eduardo Torres, 19, a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio whom the union endorsed, and Chris Castro, 41, an assistant principal at Nimitz Middle School in North East ISD. Castro had about 33 percent of the vote, and Torres had about 29 percent. SAISD does not have runoff elections. The candidate with the most votes wins in each race. District 2 trustee James Howard did not run for re-election after 21 years on the board. The other District 2 candidates were Royce Sully Sullivan, 42, a home health care companion who had Howards support; Darrell The Voice Boyce, 40, a pastor; and Christopher Green, 36, a teacher at Rhodes Middle School in SAISD, the most closely aligned with the incumbent trustees in that race. Boyce had about 16 percent of the vote to Sullivans 10 percent and Greens 9 percent. The teachers union endorsed all the incumbents in elections two years ago, but the relationship between the union and the district collapsed last year in the wake of layoffs and a contract that gave a New York-based charter network control over operations at Stewart Elementary School. Whether or not the union endorsed them, some candidates questioned SAISDs investment in magnet programs and high-performing academies, a key part of the superintendents strategy to reverse years of declining enrollment. Radle and those aligned with her are committed to that priority and ran on SAISDs improved academic performance. After nearly failing to meet state standards two years in a row, SAISD got a C last year under the states new accountability system, and officials say its on track to earn a B this year. Opponents claim the choice schools are receiving disproportionate financial support and marketing at the expense of neighborhood schools, some of which have continued to receive failing letter grades from the state. The challengers also questioned partnerships SAISD approved in March with five nonprofit organizations to manage 18 schools. They joined some parents and teachers in saying the contracts gave the partners too much control, employees and parents were not properly surveyed for approval, and some of the nonprofits were inexperienced. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the Alamo Colleges District in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN On Saturday night, election races in suburban cities resulted in a new mayor for Castle Hills, Helotes residents renewing a quarter-percent sales tax and Windcrest voters approved 14 propositions to clarify recall procedures. Balcones Heights John Halpin won Place 3 from incumbent Jack Burton with 53.9 percent of the vote. Lamar Gillian reclaimed his Place 4 seat with 59.3 percent of the vote. Miguel C. Valverde defeated incumbent Charles White with 60 percent of the vote. Castle Hills In the mayoral race, J.R. Trevino defeated treasurer Douglas Gregory with 52.3 percent of the vote. Mark Sanderson won Place 2 with 54.6 percent and Sylvia Gonzalez led incumbent Amy McLin with 56.3 percent of the vote. Elmendorf Incumbent Tracy Riojas defeated challenger Tiffany McNabb for Place 1 with 71 percent of the vote. Dario Guerra had 75.3 percent of the vote over Saul Santos for Place 2. Place 4 Manuel Decena received 37.8 percent of the vote over three challengers, including incumbent Richard Rodriguez. Helotes The mayoral and city council races were uncontested. Thomas A. Schoolcraft remained mayor for the 12th year, and incumbents Nobert Bert Buys and Paul Friedrichs kept their city council seats. Voters renewed a quarter-percent sales tax that was initially approved in a special election in November 2015 that has to be revisited every four years. Before serving as mayor of Helotes, Schoolcraft served on committees and as a volunteer firefighter. A longtime resident, he said life was a lot simpler before Helotes became one of the fastest growing cities in the county. Hollywood Park Incumbent Oscar Villarreal, Jr. was re-elected for the Place 3 seat with 55.3 percent over challenger Tim Allums. Kirby In Kirby, voters gave its city government the go-ahead to continue two funding sources for city support. Proposition A passed 131-35 (79-21 percent). It reauthorizes the citys use of one-fourth of 1 percent of the local sales-and-use tax for its street maintenance and repair budget. Proposition B was given the nod to continue funding the Kirby Crime Control and Prevention District with a similar one-quarter of 1 percent of funding. That ballot item passed by a nearly similar vote, 136-28 (83-17 percent). Leon Valley Donna Charles won 51.4 percent of the vote for Place 1 over incumbent David Edwards. Will Bradshaw had a slight lead over David Jordan for the Place 5 seat. Olmos Park Erin Harrison had 57.7 percent of the vote ahead of Pat Meier for Place 1. Shavano Park Voters approved the proposition to continue the Shavano Park Crime Control and Prevention District and an accompanying district sales tax for five years. Somerset Summer Edwards won the alderman at-large seat with 30.2 percent of the vote over incumbents Harold Orosco and Ricardo Abundes and challenger Jennifer Padilla Martinez. Universal City Mayor Pro Tem Richard Neville and Councilmen William Shelby and Bear Goolsby each received more than 325 votes during early voting, far outdistancing challenger Angel Suarezs 127. The three councilmen fill at-large seats, and each Universal City voter was allowed to cast three votes among the four candidates. Shelby received 355, Goolsby 336 and Neville 322 in early voting. The individuals on our council, we share a unified vision of working toward moving Universal City into the future, said Councilman William Shelby. Shelby was re-elected to a third term, drawing 418 total votes. Goolsby pulled in 393 and Neville received 380. Challenger Suarez finished the day with 159 votes. Windcrest Windcrest voters approved the entire slate of propositions on their ballots. All 14 propositions passed handily with all but two receiving more than two-thirds of the votes cast. Important among the ballot items were Propositions A and B, which dealt specifically with the failed recall elections of 2018 in the city. Proposition A changed the procedures for considering complaints against city council members and the resulting investigations, as well as lay groundwork for attempts to remove council members from office. Windcrest Proposition B set out to change the procedures by which any recall attempt is handled and to standardize the recall process. Clarifying recording and reporting procedures among the petitioning party was key after a failed petition in 2018 was submitted with numerous illegalities, including alleged forged signatures and the inclusion of two recall petitions by a Windcrest couple who were both deceased. Proposition A passed with a 299-102 vote (75-25 percent) while Proposition B was approved by a 292-111 vote (72-28 percent). Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis While El Paseo por el Westside is often a time to enjoy the rich cultural heritage of the West Side with food, music and fellowship, this years gathering came with a message: Mi Barrio No Se Vende. In English, the phrase means My neighborhood is not for sale, a response to builders seeking to build more apartments by purchasing homes from longtime West Side residents, event organizers said. The gathering Saturday celebrated a 10-year milestone hosted by the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center at El Rinconcito de Esperanza, 816 S. Colorado St. This years free party drew numerous families and visitors who gathered to revel in Latino folk music by performers such as Azul and learn how to trace their family roots through workshops with a theme centered on cultural preservation. Mike and Regina Perez each found something to enjoy as they walked through the yard, visiting booths and vendors, including herbalist Jacinto Madrigal, who was teaching people the helpful benefits of even the most common area plants. It kind of feels like youre transported, just the community and the backyard, its really nice, Regina Perez said. Visitors also enjoyed tours of the photo banners that can be seen along the streets around the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center as part of En Aquellos Tiempos ... an exhibit maintained by the center. But many area residents were also in attendance to seek knowledge on how to protect their homes from developers looking to expand into the area. Across the street from the gathering, an exhibit in the form of a cemetery displayed each of the homes demolished in the neighborhood. Sarah Zenaida Gould, director of the Museo Del Westside, said many, if not all, the residents who live along Guadalupe Street and beyond have received offers on their homes as developers seek to build housing like the Peanut Factory Lofts apartments at 939 S. Frio St. It seems like theyre looking just beyond the boundaries of downtown for middle-class living, she said. But for many of the people who want to stay where their roots are, she said, each offer can pose a threat to their well-being. Were just very concerned about making sure that the long-term residents of the West Side dont get displaced, she said, that the children and the grandchild of the longtime residents can afford to live near their parents if they want to. She said one problems threatening area homeowners is the appeal of the offers they receive during stressful times. You think, wow I have this medical emergency; I could really use that help, but the $20,000 theyre offering you cant really buy a house with that, Gould said. Its not something that will give you the long-term stability. Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA Seven incumbents on the City Council won their races handily Saturday, despite several of them facing multiple challengers. Based on nearly complete but unofficial results late Saturday, Roberto Trevino, Rebecca Viagran, Shirley Gonzales, Ana Sandoval, Manny Pelaez, John Courage and Clayton Perry all secured easy wins. District 1 Trevino blasted through eight opponents beating his closest rival by more than 3 to 1 to win a third term. The race was effectively over just after 7 p.m. when Bexar County released early voting results that showed Trevino with more than triple the vote total of the second-place finisher, hotelier Justin Holley. Most observers had predicted that the race would be settled by a runoff, but Trevinos lead was insurmountable. Covered with confetti, an elated Trevino told his supporters that its possible to win a contentious race in divisive times by simply paying attention to basics, such as more street lighting and sidewalks. Our motto, he said, hugging his mother with one arm, was, No promises. Just plans. We didnt just ask for votes. We asked people about specific day-to-day problems and offered realistic solutions. Few doubted that Trevino would be tough to beat, but there was considerable interest in how well Holley, who raked in $30,000 in campaign contributions six months before the race, would battle a strong incumbent. In the final weeks, their campaign rhetoric had gotten more direct. Holley, who moved to San Antonio in 2001, attacked Trevinos favored infrastructure projects as being extravagant, misguided or just lacking in results. District 3 Viagran, who represents the South and Southeast sides, won a fourth and final term, capturing 58 percent of the vote. Viagrans only challenger, Elizabeth Liz Campos, 49, drew 42 percent. Viagran discussed her plans for the future as supporters gathered with her at a watch party on South Presa Street. Im very excited with this final term, she said. I think theres a sense of urgency now because we only have two years. Viagran said she wants to take a close look at the city budget to address infrastructure needs, especially sidewalks. She also wants to examine economic mobility options, work toward ending economic segregation in the city and address property tax relief or appraisal relief. She said she also wants the city to continue to invest in small businesses. District 5 On the West Side, Gonzales easily won a fourth and final term, capturing 65 percent of the vote. Her three challengers were far behind. Anthony Gres, 45, drew 27 percent, while Nazirite Ruben Perez and Jilma Davila each drew 4 percent. Gonzales said she expected a successful campaign. We worked hard, and we never take it for granted, she said. She said she hopes to spend her final two years on the council focused on growing the small-business community. She also plans to focus on workforce issues, combating domestic violence and addressing child abuse. District 7 Sandoval won her first re-election bid to represent her Northwest Side district, taking 68 percent of the vote. Challenger Trevor Whitney had 19 percent, while Will McLeod and Kimberly Grant finished with single-digit totals. Were going to continue progress on a lot of the projects that we started, said Sandoval, surrounded by supporters and campaign staffers at her election night watch party, held at Deco Pizzeria on the West Side. Theres still so much to do. In 2017, Sandoval an engineer and urban planner with degrees from Harvard, MIT and Stanford beat the odds when voters picked her over a three-term incumbent to represent the district once led by former Mayors Julian Castro and Ed Garza. She grew up in that district and since taking office has spent her first term advocating for a plan to mitigate climate change, working to increase public participation in local government and addressing affordable housing shortages. She credited this years election success to her campaign staff and volunteers. District 8 Pelaez easily defeated USAA financial analyst Tony Valdivia and Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, a political consultant and Bexar County Democratic Party precinct chair, in the race for the North Side seat, taking 58 percent of the vote. Touting traffic congestion as his top priority, Pelaez entered the race as a veteran officeholder whose competition, too, had political chops. The race was not the first for Valdivia, 41, who finished fourth for the same seat two years ago with 10.8 percent of the vote. He ran for president in 2016 as a write-in candidate. Gonzalez-Wolfe, 42, would have been the citys first transgender council representative if she had won, as well as the first trans officeholder in Texas. A retired financial services specialist who became an assistant vice president in human resources at Wells Fargo, she spent close to a quarter century working on numerous campaigns. A labor attorney with a reputation for having a verbal flourish in council sessions, Pelaez harshly attacked Chick-fil-A in opposing its location in the San Antonio International Airport, saying some people viewed the company as a symbol of hate. He later apologized for the comments, saying he was wrong. He took yet another U-turn in backing off from his previous support of the citys Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, saying there were too many unknowns about costs and impacts to business. The council put off a vote until late this year. At 45, Pelaez has served on the VIA Metropolitan Transit and San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce boards, and he was a past chairman of the Brooks Development Authority. Hes pushed for a study that examines how the Bexar Appraisal Districts methods differ from others across the state. He also led a program to help stray dogs become service animals for veterans and vowed to work on an ordinance to boost the development of middle-class housing. District 9 Courage won a second term representing the North Side. Courage, a retired teacher, captured more that 53 percent of the vote. The next highest vote total went to financial adviser Patrick Von Dohlen, with 41 percent, followed by Nicholas Balderas, who suspended his campaign last month, and personal trainer Richard Reza Versace. Surrounded by friends, family and supporters, Courage celebrated the results at Weathered Souls Brewing Co. on the North Side. Courage has said hes proud of his first two years on the council and wants to continue that service into a new term. I feel like I represented the people of my community really well, he said, adding that his campaign focused on listening to residents and working to address their concerns not just persuading them to vote for him. Recently, he has pushed for a homestead exemption for property tax payers. The city currently doesnt offer one, and its the only major city in Texas that doesnt, Courage said. In his second term, Courage said, he wants to continue overseeing some bond projects in District 9, including a new park, a senior center and increased connectivity on busy roads such as Huebner. District 10 Perry coasted to his first re-election victory, fending off challenges from four other candidates. In a campaign that centered on crime, property taxes, and street repairs and maintenance, Perry had 64 percent of the vote. Reinette King had the second-highest total, with 17 percent, followed by Elise Kibler, Maria Perez and Linda Montellano, who all had totals in the single digits. King had voiced concerns about favoritism in the awarding of city contracts, with Perry defending the city staffs evaluation process for competitive contract bidding. Kibler, Perez and Montellano had said they believed that the councilman could do more to directly support low-income individuals and families in the district. Perry has countered that he has been vigilant about ensuring that the city is spending funds carefully. I think the voting results prove that, that Im focused on the right issues, and Im going to continue to do that, he said. Perry, a 63-year-old retired Air Force civil engineer, compared his reelection bid with his first council race in 2017, which started with a field of 10 candidates and ended in a runoff. At the time, he had worked with neighborhood groups but otherwise had little name recognition in the district. This time, with this kind of result coming out, its information that Im doing the right thing in representing my district, and people are happy with that, he said. Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba Voters on Saturday agreed to give new terms to incumbents running for reelection to school boards in Bexar County, but turned away several former trustees seeking their old seats. The only exception was in Southside Independent School District, where incumbent trustees had been removed from power by a state takeover. The ones who ran again this year were defeated. Judson ISD Incumbent Renee Paschall kept her seat on the board of Judson Independent School District, taking 55 percent of the vote to beat challenger Thomas Tom England in the race for the at-large District 6 seat. Both are retired Judson teachers and former city council members Paschall, 64, in Converse and England, 66, in Universal City. My top priority is still going to be how we are going to manage getting out of this deficit, Paschall said. Thats really going to be a major concern. Judson is facing a $13 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year, which could climb to $19 million next year, district officials have said. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio areas Judson ISD faces grim budget year, grapples with falling enrollment In a four-way race for District 7, attorney Lynette Perez won with 34 percent of the vote. Willie J. Black Jr., a professor at the University of Houston-Victoria, had 27 percent, followed by Christophor Galloway, an administrator in Floresville ISD, with almost 27 percent, and retired Judson administrator Walter Harchut with 12 percent. Black, 43, Galloway, 41, and Harchut, 70, are all former Judson ISD employees. Perez, 55, a former elected official in Las Vegas, was the only candidate on the ballot who is not a current or former educator, though she previously coached Judsons mock trial team. In conversations she had while campaigning, it seemed there was concern that you had so much of the current board made up of former Judson administrators and teachers, she said. For me, I come from a totally different perspective, Im an attorney, a small business owner, Im someone who has to make the payroll for people that work for me, Perez said. Like Paschall, she said her top priority will be addressing the deficit. Alamo Heights ISD In Alamo Heights only contested race, District 1 incumbent David Hornberger cruised to an easy victory with more than 73 percent of the vote over challenger Arlene Serrano. Attorney Brian C. Hamilton, 42, ran unopposed for the Place 2 seat held by John Tippit, who did not seek reelection. Trustees serve three-year terms. Harlandale ISD In Harlandale, candidates ran in the hope of forestalling a feared Texas Education Agency takeover in the wake of a scathing report on a state investigation that focused on district contracting, procurement and governance. Elaine Anaya-Ortiz, 54, an administrative support specialist with the federal government, won the District 5 seat over Tomas Uresti, 58, who had previously held the seat. The race was close throughout the night but Anaya Ortiz finished with more than 53 percent of the vote. On ExpressNews.com: TEA report slams Harlandale ISD leaders District 6 had three new faces. Elizabeth Limon, 58, a substitute teacher in the district, won with more than 59 percent of the vote. Jesse Diaz, 47, finished with more than 22 percent and Lorenzo Gonzalez, 31, had more than 18 percent. Anaya-Ortiz said she hopes voters were trying to send a message, with her win and that of Limon, that they want new blood on the board and that TEA officials will see an attempt to steer the board in a new direction. Im hoping the TEA will give us an opportunity to address the issues they have raised. Liz Limon and I are both brand new to the board and so I hope TEA sees this as an opportunity for the school board to know how serious TEA is, Anaya-Ortiz said. Incumbent Ricardo Moreno, 33 won reelection with more than 63 percent of the vote, defeating Jesse Jay Alaniz, 65, who was trying to reclaim the District 7 seat Moreno had ousted him from. Alaniz had 24 percent and Lee Martinez Jr., 24, who presented himself as a fresh alternative, had 13 percent. Northside ISD All incumbents in Bexar Countys largest school district held onto their seats Saturday. District 1 trustee Joseph Medina, 39, finished with 46 percent of the vote. Former board member George Britton Jr., 73, who sought to reclaim his seat, had more than 39 percent of the vote. Newcomer David Salcido, 54, trailed with less than 15 percent. District 2 trustee Gerald Lopez had more than 58 percent of the vote over challenger Mary Olison, 66. District 4 incumbent Bobby Blount also won, taking 55 percent of the vote over challenger Rolando Garcia, 51. Incumbent MLissa M. Chumbley, the board president, was unopposed. Southside ISD Voters turned down comeback attempts by former trustees who were removed from the Southside ISD board during a state takeover two years ago in three of four races in the district. At the earliest, Saturdays winners wont be sworn in until the TEA begins transitioning from an appointed board of managers back to elected trustees, which could begin next year. On ExpressNews.com: Southside ISD candidates look to transition out of state control Maggie Morales, 26, a cashier at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, won the three-way race for Position 1 with 47 percent. Jan Ruzza, 71, a farmer and rancher, had 39 percent, and Kenneth E. Bouldin Jr., 64, who was the boards vice president before the state takeover, had 14 percent. Mary Silva, 66, a retired Southside attendance clerk, won the Position 2 race with 68 percent, ahead of Julian Gonzales, 77, a pastor and former board president, who received 32 percent. Lisa L. Salazar, 51, interim food service and custodial supervisor in Somerset ISD, won a three-way race for Position 6, with 49 percent. Salazar is also a former Southside board president. Brenda Nagelhout-Olivarez, 52, an information management specialist in Edgewood ISD, had 30 percent, and Johnny Cantu Jr., 40, a Southwest Research Institute principal technician, had 22 percent. Cantu was the boards secretary at the time of the takeover. Katie Farias, 39, an assistant to state Rep. Roland Gutierrez and wife of a former Southside ISD manager, won the Position 7 race with 56 percent. Robert Kindla, 62, a rancher and onetime Southside board president, received 44 percent. Southwest ISD Two Southwest ISD incumbents held their seats with commanding wins over two challengers, both of whom have run unsuccessfully in the past, according to final returns. Sylvester Vasquez Jr., 60, a construction contractor, was the top vote-getter with 75 percent, followed by Ida Perez Sudolcan, 54, a homemaker, with 70 percent. Both will keep their seats on the board of the mostly rural but fast-growing district. Gloria dela Garza-Rankin, 35, a special education advocate, finished third with 15 percent, and Pete Pedro Bernal, 43, an Army retiree, finished fourth with 18 percent. A total of 399 people voted in the districts election, with each voter able to select two candidates. Because voters are allowed to choose two from the four on the ballot, the percentages do not add up to 100. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva Liz Teitz covers several school districts, charter schools and private universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | LTeitz@express-news.net | Twitter: @LizTeitz City Councilman Greg Brockhouse forced Mayor Ron Nirenberg into a June 8 runoff after neither man could secure a majority in Saturdays election. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Nirenberg had 48.7 percent to Brockhouses 45.6 percent. Seven lesser-known candidates took the rest of the vote. Both sides had wanted a decisive result after a bruising campaign, but Saturdays outcome ensures the bitterly fought race will continue for another month. At what both candidates hoped would be victory parties, Nirenberg and Brockhouse each expressed optimism about winning the runoff. On ExpressNews.com: Nirenberg, Brockhouse agree: Voters have a clear choice Guess what? Progress isnt easy, Nirenberg said at a watch party near his campaign headquarters downtown. It takes effort. It takes sustained effort. It takes difficult conversations. On the campaign trail, Nirenberg repeatedly argued that Brockhouse is beholden to the police and firefighters unions that lent their money and get-out-the-vote machinery to his bid. Before he was elected to the council, Brockhouse was their consultant. On the West Side, Brockhouse told supporters gathered at Violas Ventanas that he performed better than most anticipated and was within striking distance of the mayor. What we did and accomplished today was what nobody believed we could, Brockhouse said. The councilman said his success was a testament to the beauty of faith and family. They came after us with everything they had, he said. I think the momentum is all with us. Its undeniable. Brockhouse said the race was so close because Nirenberg is out of touch with San Antonians. He downplayed the impact of the unions. Nirenberg was seen as the favorite to keep his seat in the beginning stages of the race in February. Though his support among some in the community is tepid, most veteran observers thought hed be able to stave off Brockhouse, a polarizing figure at City Hall. That has proven more difficult than anticipated. Its the third time in as many elections that the incumbent mayor has been forced into a runoff. Two years ago, Nirenberg forced then-Mayor Ivy Taylor into an extra round that he ultimately won. Now, he is facing the specter of suffering the same fate as Taylor. Nirenberg, known for his studious approach to public policy, campaigned on a thriving economy and declining crime rate while pitching his vision to guide San Antonio into the future. That includes pursuing comprehensive plans he has initiated to tackle affordable housing, mass transit and climate change, among other issues. But Brockhouse railed against that plan, instead offering a back-to-basics municipal government that would return power to the people. He promised to focus on transparency in government, property tax relief and public safety. Brass knuckles When Brockhouse announced his candidacy Feb. 9, few thought the first-term councilman could unseat the incumbent. But he ran a stubbornly competitive campaign, blasting Nirenbergs leadership and promising an alternative that he said would be more in tune with everyday San Antonians. Political observers said the result undoubtedly was strong for Brockhouse in that regard. It certainly shows that his message is resonating with voters, said Christian Anderson, who ran Ivy Taylors mayoral campaign in 2017 but isnt involved in this contest. Anderson was careful to say Nirenberg had a strong showing as well, inching close to 50 percent. The mayor certainly didnt limp into the runoff, Anderson said. Hes coming to this in a strong position. San Antonio is an oddity in that municipal election turnout is often higher in runoffs than in the general elections. This election brought out 11.6 percent of the vote. Nirenberg and Brockhouse will now jockey for that larger voter base to try to get the upper edge. The campaign between the political rivals grew increasingly fraught in its final weeks, and that likely will continue over the next month. Nirenberg said he was prepared for a higher-intensity version of the campaign. Brockhouse said he will focus on keeping his same message to survive what is inevitably going to be a grueling 30 days. Brockhouse has been subject to personal scrutiny about his past, including police reports from 2006 and 2009 in which his ex-wife and current wife accused him of domestic violence. He wasnt arrested in either incident and has denied wrongdoing. Nirenberg cited those reports, Brockhouses close relations with the public safety unions, and court records showing that liens were placed on the councilmans property to collect overdue child support in questioning his fitness to be mayor. In the final weeks of the race, Nirenberg launched a website called NotFitForMayor.com to fortify that argument, an indication to many observers the race was closer than Nirenberg would have liked. That proved to be the case. Brockhouse said the mayor was resorting to negative ads because he didnt have a record of accomplishment to run on. He sought to portray him as a failed leader out of touch with San Antonio. While Brockhouses campaign was less aggressive in advertising, the police union did the counter-punching for him. The union ran ads accusing Nirenberg of lies, cheap shots and personal attacks. In others, the union uses Express-News headlines to hit the mayor on the controversial vote to remove Chick-fil-A from an airport concession contract. On ExpressNews.com: Council rejects Brockhouse effort to reconsider Chick-fil-A The contentious nature of the campaign will almost certainly continue for the next month as both men jockey for a victory. I fully expect this last month here to be a brass-knuckles affair, said Anderson said. Union impact The mayor sought to paint Brockhouse as a puppet for the police and fire unions, a charge Brockhouse dismissed as ridiculous. On Saturday night, with the specter of a runoff looming, Nirenberg returned to that argument again. He pointed to the shadow campaigns the unions ran to buffet Brockhouses bid. The only legitimacy in terms of the resources needed to run a campaign in the seventh-largest city in the United States has come from the two unions that are able to do their work without any disclosure to the public, Nirenberg said. Throughout the campaign, Brockhouse raised significantly less money than any serious mayoral contender of late. He took in just over $51,000 and spent $99,000 since the election cycle began last July. By comparison, Nirenberg raised nearly $475,000 and spent $595,000. The unions helped fill that gap with their money and get-out-the-vote machinery. Brockhouse downplayed their influence Saturday night. He said the race was close because Nirenberg doesnt understand San Antonians and the issues that matter to them. The unions dont have to file campaign finance reports for April until after the election, so their total spending bills are not yet clear. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics in San Antonio. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinness Three City Council races with open seats in districts 2, 4 and 6 appeared headed for runoffs, to be decided on June 8. In District 2, former Councilman Keith Toney and Jada Andrews-Sullivan led a crowded field of eight candidates to make a runoff to represent the East Side. William Cruz Shaw vacated the council seat last year to become an associate judge, and was temporarily replaced with the council appointment of Art Hall, who did not run for election. All but Toney were political neophytes, although Andrews-Sullivan, 43, was one of three finalists in the recent appointment process to replace Shaw. Andrews-Sullivan, a family violence survivor and disabled Army veteran, advocates for victims of domestic and sexual assault. She has said she would take a selfless approach to transforming her district. Getting through that kind of brought my name to the forefront, Andrews-Sullivan, in a jubilant mood at her watch party at Tuckers Kozy Korner, said late Saturday. While campaigning, Toney, 67, has emphasized his previous five months serving the district. Toney was appointed to the seat in 2014 to replace Ivy Taylor following her own appointment to serve as mayor. He is a Vietnam veteran and retired school liaison officer for Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. I think our message of experience matters really hit home, especially with my demographic base, who tend to vote in large numbers and vote consistently, Toney said. And they tend to be older and they tend to really, really value voting. Toney has emphasized his temperament and experience on the council prior to being unseated by Councilman Alan Warrick. He has said he wants to provide stability in the District 2 office, which has undergone turnover in recent years. Denise Gutierrez-Homer, 55, was running a close third behind Andrews-Sullivan for a spot in the runoff. She was alone among the candidates in panning the citys pending climate action plan. In District 4, Adriana Rocha Garcia and Johnny Arredondo led a field of five hopefuls to earn spots in a runoff showdown to succeed Rey Saldana on the Southwest Side. Garcia, 39, is a single mother with one son and assistant marketing professor at Our Lady of the Lake University. She has talked about positioning the district for growth. With so many people in the race, its not a surprise. But again these numbers are really rewarding, I think, for the entire volunteer team, Garcia said, adding that being 1,100 or so votes above the closest person is just a testament to the hard work that we have done reaching out, talking to people, involving them, getting their feedback. Garcia, former vice president of communications for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has said shed bring neighbors to work together and intends to welcome folks who have not traditionally had a seat at the table to work with community and business leaders. She also thinks more dialogue is needed between firefighters and the city, saying both need to come to the table and work together on reaching a plan that will not have a negative impact on the overall services that our city provides. Arredondo, a 63-year-old retired retail supervisor, holds a bachelors degree in criminal justice. He has said said he is running because San Antonians were not being heard at City Hall. The people that are advising me and helping me, they kept telling me over and over and over that we were going to go into a runoff, despite Garcias fundraising advantage, Arredondo said Saturday night. It gives us a different view now of how to go forward heading into the runoff, things that we should improve upon, he added. Arredondo ran unsuccessfully as a Republican last year for Texas House District 124. He opposes the ConnectSA transportation plan, saying no one has explained how it would work or the cost of implementation. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has described it as a cost-effective, flexible, future-proof transit plan for the city of San Antonio and has said the initial phase of it, and a funding mechanism, will go before voters. In District 6, Melissa Cabello Havrda and Andy Greene led among four candidates on the far West Side. The race to replace Greg Brockhouse, who ran for mayor, has focused on taxes, transportation and public safety. Havrda, 44, had come up 435 votes behind Brockhouse in District 6 runoff in 2017. An attorney focusing largely on disability law, she has said she would like to promote the growth of small businesses. Havrda has earned the support of several prominent elected officials at the local and state levels, including Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, county commissioners Sergio Chico Rodriguez and Justin Rodriguez, former mayor Ed Garza and state representatives Diego Bernal, Ina Minjarez and Jose Menendez, according to her campaign website . "Ive been in this place before a couple years ago, when I was not the frontrunner," she said. "Im going to work just as hard, and Im grateful for the position Im in right now." Andy Greene , 58, is a certified public accountant. For a decade, he also worked on a part-time basis for Brockhouse and former councilman Ray Lopez. Greene said he was excited late Saturday about the prospect of a runoff and believes he has a strong chance of winning. In the lead-up to the race, he said he would continue to focus on his core issues of reducing property taxes and supporting public safety officers - issues that have clearly resonated with voters, he said. I know a lot of the voters because of a lot of the work Ive done the last 10 years, he said. For years, Greene advised both councilmen on budgetary matters and infrastructure projects, experience he said acquainted him with the inner workings of City Hall and the neighborhoods of District 6. He also acted as a liaison with 13 neighborhoods in the district, he said. Greene, who previously served as the campaign manager and treasurer for Lopez, has also been closely involved with improvements in Northside ISD for two decades. He served on the last three bond issue campaigns for the school district, including last year, when Northside voters overwhelmingly approved a $848.9 million bond package, the district's largest ever. As a council member, Greene would look to address what he has called "abysmal" call times in the district, something he said could be accomplished by expanding and improving substations, along with working to train and retain police officers. He also said rising appraisals are a problem, as is traffic in the fast-growing district. Acknowledging that voters have opposed rail, he said he would be supportive of "anything that's going to get people moving." Staff writers Brian Chasnoff, Sig Christenson and Lauren Caruba contribued to this report. Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA Photo: NTSB A military-chartered jet carrying 143 people landed hard, then bounced and swerved as the pilot struggled to control it amid thunder and lightning, ultimately skidding off the runway and coming to a crashing halt in a river at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. It meant chaos and terror for passengers in the Boeing 737 as the plane jolted back and forth and oxygen masks deployed, then overhead bins opened, sending contents spilling out. But authorities said all the people onboard emerged without critical injuries Friday night, lining up on the wings as they waited to be rescued. Only a 3-month-old baby was hospitalized, and that was done out of an abundance of caution, officials said. "I think it is a miracle," said Capt. Michael Connor, the base's commanding officer, hours after the plane landed. "We could be talking about a different story this evening." The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators Saturday to the crash site in the St. Johns River in north Florida, where the aircraft was still partially submerged in shallow water and its nose cone was sliced off, apparently from the impact. Two pet cats and a dog were still on the plane as well, and their status wasn't immediately clear. Rescuers looked in the cargo area after the plane ended up in the river but saw no crates and heard no animal noises. When they returned later, they didn't see any pet carriers above water, Connor said. Members of the 16-person NTSB team recovered the plane's flight data recorder Saturday. Investigators will examine the aircraft, the environment and human factors in trying to discover why the plane rolled into the river. The pavement on the runway wasn't grooved, and Landsberg said grooves can help the water flow off the pavement more quickly. He said investigators will examine what role that may have, with reported heavy rain during the landing. The flight took off Friday from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with 136 passengers and seven crew members. It was a regular charter run by Miami Air International, which has many military contracts, including weekly flights between Guantanamo Bay and the Jacksonville air station as well as Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The company didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. The aircraft had no prior history of accidents, said NTSB vice chairman Bruce Landsberg. Among those onboard was Cheryl Bormann, a defence attorney, who described the chaotic landing. The plane "literally hit the ground and then it bounced. It was clear that the pilot did not have complete control of the plane because it bounced some more, it swerved and tilted left and right," she told CNN. "The pilot was trying to control it but couldn't, and then all of a sudden it smashed into something." Authorities say everyone onboard the flight was alive and accounted for, but nearly two dozen people sought medical attention. It wasn't immediately clear what went wrong. Boeing said in a tweet Friday night that it was investigating: "We are aware of an incident in Jacksonville, Fla., and are gathering information." It wasn't immediately clear how long it would take to remove the plane from the river. "We have challenges because bottom half of fuselage is covered with water," Landsberg said. Connor said the landing gear appeared to be resting on the riverbed, making it unlikely for the aircraft to float away. He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers' safety. As a Texan, it is concerning to see the White Houses obsessive and almost sadistic attacks on Venezuela. These unprovoked acts of violence against the Venezuelan economy, currency, infrastructure and citizens are unwarranted. This is a nation that has not posed any sort of threat to the United States, and our continued interventions could destabilize the entire region with disastrous results for generations. I urge Texas members of Congress to co-sponsor HR 1004 and Texas senators to sign on to S.J. Res. 11 as a first step in de-escalating aggression against Venezuela. Both bills prohibit the unauthorized use of the military against Venezuela. Furthermore, I ask that Congress urge the White House to lift all sanctions and economic blockade against the besieged South American nation, which former U.N. Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas said are killing Venezuelans and may amount to a crime against humanity. The hardships that the Venezuelan people are enduring can easily be relieved if sanctions are lifted, the billions of dollars of frozen Venezuelan assets are released and appropriated funds returned. The brazen efforts by the U.S. to topple a democratically elected president and install in his place a relatively unknown, unelected person who proclaimed himself president in a public park and who belongs to a discredited, undemocratic opposition is unacceptable, and most likely illegal and unconstitutional. It is an insult to Venezuelans and a mockery of the democratic principles that the U.S. publicly proclaims. After demanding that early national elections be held on May 20, 2018, instead of December which is when Venezuela normally has elections the opposition then turned around and boycotted the elections. But despite all this, four candidates still ran for office with a 46 percent voter turnout. Out of 8.6 million registered voters who cast ballots, 5.8 million voted for the incumbent. This was done under the watchful eyes of about 150 on-the-ground international observers from about 30 countries, which included people from the United States, Spain, Germany, South Africa, various Latin American and Caribbean countries, the United Kingdom and Russia just to name a few. These were academics, senior politicians, two former presidents, election officials, journalists and civil servants, all confirming the authenticity and legitimacy of the elections. However, despite this, the Venezuelan opposition, Washington and about 14 Latin American countries, some with governments that have dubious claims to legitimacy of their own, decided to not recognize the electoral outcome, calling the elections a sham. The goal of the opposition is not just to unseat President Nicolas Maduro but to eradicate Chavismo, a popular movement named after the late President Hugo Chavez, which Maduro has inherited and continues to support. People from the popular sectors of Venezuelan society support this movement because they have seen real improvements in their lives. They refuse to return to the political and socioeconomic system that ruled over them prior to Chavez, which excluded them totally. The hard-line opposition wants to return to the pre-Chavez era, a four-decades-long, two-party duopoly in which the concerns of the working classes were invisible and a tiny minority, along with their international business partners, enjoyed most of Venezuelas wealth. They have been actively attempting to overthrow the government ever since Chavez won elections in 1999. To be sure, Venezuela is a highly polarized and stratified society. But claims that the Maduro regime is a dictatorship are absurd. Uruguayan journalist and novelist Eduardo Galeano said it best that if Venezuela is a dictatorship, it is a strange dictatorship. It is where the rich protest and the poor celebrate, and where those who plot openly to oust the government still hold government jobs. Jovanni Reyes is an U.S. Army veteran who holds masters degrees in international relations and instructional technology. He lives in San Antonio. Navigating the U.S. child welfare process can be a highly emotional venture. As a judge who works in child welfare I know this better than most. Our end goal will always be to protect childrens best interests and ensure they have the love and support of a family so they flourish as they grow to adulthood. But the process of trying to protect children can be as painful and difficult as it is rewarding. Because child welfare cases are so complex, a number of laws and legal practices are specifically designed to ensure the best outcomes. Perhaps one of the most highly regarded among these laws has been the Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, which at its core helps keep Native American children within their families, communities and heritage. As the former president of the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges, I know how ICWA has been crucial in ensuring all factors are taken into account regarding the well-being of a child and in ensuring Native American communities have a seat at the table. Brackeen v. Bernhardt, a case before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, threatens to topple ICWA and place Native American children at risk. I know this risk exists because I have seen with my own eyes how growing up within ones family and culture nurtures a child. Opponents of ICWA make a number of flawed arguments to back their effort, including fundamental misunderstandings of how foster care and adoption work. In discussing ICWA, we have to look at history. Before Congress passed the law in 1978, our country was removing children from Native American families at alarmingly high rates. According to Congress, between 25 percent and 35 percent of American Indian children were removed from their family because child welfare agencies did not agree with how they were raised. It was in this environment that ICWA was passed in the best interests of native children to preserve their cultural heritage and allow the healing of their families and communities. Today, ICWA sets high standards for every step of the child welfare process. It ensures state courts properly determine a childs tribal heritage and to the strongest extent possible keep the children within their communities to retain their identity and heritage. Research indicates that growing up with a connection to your cultural identity is linked to higher self-esteem, higher educational attainment, and lower rates of mental health problems and substance abuse. Some argue that compliance with the requirements of ICWA takes too much time, but thats not my experience. I require that ICWA screening is made a routine part of the process and done at the beginning of all my cases, and therefore find that it takes little time to comply with ICWAs requirements to identify which children are subject to the law. When the law is properly followed, ICWA cases are not drawn out any more than others that appear before my court. In my jurisdiction, we have trained individuals who handle all cases identified as ICWA cases and ensure that this federal law is followed and that the tribe is invited to participate as early and often as possible. Child welfare is not a process to be rushed, and due diligence is a must when a childs upbringing is on the line. Opponents of ICWA may point to specific cases they deem unfair, but from what I have seen, ICWA only creates delays or legal conflicts when the law has essentially been ignored and courts or child welfare agencies made no effort to comply until late in the process or after the child has been adopted outside the tribe. I understand that members of Congress, 325 tribes, 57 tribal organizations, 30 leading child welfare organizations, and 21 attorneys general have filed briefs in Brackeen v. Bernhardt in support of ICWA. There is no political divide here Democrats, Republicans and the Trump administration all support ICWA and recognize its track record of success. Take it from someone who sees the benefits of ICWA in her own court. Or take it from the Native American tribes, the people most invested in the well-being of their own children. Or take it from the history books. ICWA supports the best interests of children and our Native American communities, and losing this law would set our country back decades. Darlene Byrne has served as presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County since January 2001. She is a commissioner on the Texas Childrens Commission, a past president of the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and a past Judge of the Year of National CASA, Texas CASA and CASA of Travis County. The rural region connecting eastern Utah and western Colorado are home to abundant natural gas supplies that promise to compete in global markets and deliver climate benefits along the Pacific Rim yet depend on completion of proposed infrastructure projects, according to a new report. The analysis is the latest in five-year research project initiated by Colorados former Gov. John Hickenlooper, the state of Utah, and Ute Nations Tribes, and was released after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis backed out of the coalition after taking office. The Piceance-Uinta Basin has a unique advantage over other U.S. and Canadian conventional and shale production areas, which is its abundant and available pipeline export capacity throughout the western U.S., Andrew Browning, Chief Operating Officer for Consumer Energy Alliance said in a release accompanying the report. According to the Natural Gas Markets for the Western States and Tribal Nations, released by CEA and co-written by Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America and Mercator Energy, liquified natural gas exports could add nearly $93 billion per year to Gross Domestic Product and help to support nearly 433,000 jobs. Those figures exceed an earlier 2013 report estimating $6 billion in economic benefits and 38,000 jobs for Colorado and $4 billion and 15,000 jobs for Utah. Commissioned under former Gov. John Hickenloopers Colorado Energy Office, the Utah Governors Office of Energy Development, and Colorado Mesa Universitys Unconventional Energy Center, and the Ouray and Uintah Utes, the report was joined by Garfield, Mesa, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties in Colorado and the LiUNA Local 720 trade union. The coalition examined the potential for natural gas resources located across the Piceance and Uinta basins of Colorado and Utah, including the addition of the Jordan Cove LNG facility, which Polis hesitated to endorse in his 2018 gubernatorial bid. Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) formed to promote a dialogue between multiple stakeholders throughout the west, including LNG exporters, the broader natural gas industry, tribes, conservation groups, and local governments, all of whom want to learn how more energy production and pipelines can benefit Colorado, Utah, the sovereign Ute Nation and neighboring states, regions, the nation and other countries fiscally and environmentally, Browning added. Through the construction of liquefied natural gas pipelines and a west coast export terminal, such as the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal, Ute Energy can gain access to new energy markets that will alleviate the ongoing marketing and sales inefficiencies, according to the Ute Tribal Business Committee. This would also increase the Ute Indian Tribes income and assist in its ongoing efforts of economic development and providing essential services for its tribal members, they added. In addition to Colorado and the Ute Indian Tribes, Utah officials pointed to the domestic and foreign benefits of supplying natural gas resources located in their backyard to the wider global economy. Utah is committed to creating win-win outcomes for economies, locally and globally, by forging strategic partnerships to advance new pathways for the western states and tribal nations abundant natural gas resources through key infrastructure development and greater market access abroad, said Dr. Laura Nelson, Utah Governor Gary Herberts energy advisor and Executive Director of the Governors Office of Energy Development. That includes emerging markets overseas, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Local officials in Colorados Western Slope agree. Our counties are committed to marketing our natural gas resources to Asia and other countries, to help stabilize economies in western Colorado and aid in the geopolitical stabilization of Americas allies abroad, said Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese in a statement. The report lists China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and India as leading the growth in energy demand, and illustrates natural gas as a way to mitigate emissions in those nations. [N]atural gas is sought after as a lower-emitting fuel source for power generation. LNG exports should also benefit the U.S. from a geopolitical perspective. By supplying clean energy to the world, the U.S. can engage in energy diplomacy, developing allies and strategic alliances with much of the world, the reports authors wrote. The best way to bring the natural gas to market, the report adds, is to complete the proposed Jordan Cove project. The most promising U.S. LNG export option on the U.S. Pacific Coast is the proposed Jordan Cove LNG liquefaction facility located in Coos Bay, Oregon. The Jordan Cove LNG project, if completed, will become the best-positioned LNG export terminal in the U.S. to serve markets in Asia. The key advantage that Jordan Cove enjoys is a significantly shorter shipping distance to Asia relative to other LNG export terminals in the U.S., the authors wrote. The Uinta Basin in Utah and the Piceance Basin in Colorado are separated underground by the Douglas Creek arch, but together comprise many hundreds of thousands of acres of surface area. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a report in 2016 increasing the estimate of technically recoverable natural gas in the Mancos Shale deposit from 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to 66.3 trillion, a forty-fold jump, up from just 1.6 trillion estimated 13 years earlier. In 2018, Pugliese called the reassessment of Mancos Shale deposits and the pursuit of Jordan Cove a game changer for the states Western Slope, where jobs are still at a premium. The project also enjoyed support from both sides of the aisle, she said, as a uniquely bipartisan political vision for Colorados strong energy future. -Western Wire Haley Teske, a graduate student in architecture at Montana State University, was recently recognized by the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment 2019 Top Ten for Students Competition for her design on sustainable living within an existing, historic building. MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez BOZEMAN It's roughly 14 feet long and covered in solar panels. It contains 408 lithium ion batteries and is designed to reach speeds of 70 mph. And it made multiple appearances in recent days at Earth Day-related events. It's the solar-powered car designed and built by students on the Bridger Solar Team at Montana State University. "This is about the lowest emissions car you can make," said electrical engineering sophomore Scott Smith as he showed the car at MSU's Sustainabilibash on Thursday. "A cornerstone of our club is promoting environmental sustainability." The Sustainabilibash drew more than 30 student groups and other organizations to the Centennial Mall for a celebration of the university's sustainability efforts. The Bridger Solar Team also showed the car at an Earth Day event at the Bozeman Public Library on Saturday. Smith, who leads the electrical portion of the project, said the car is almost ready to hit the road. Over the next couple of weeks, the team will finish the electrical system and begin practicing for the Formula Sun Grand Prix, a three-day solar car race in Austin, Texas, in July. "I'm excited," said Smith, who will be one of the drivers at the race. The car can run for about 2.5 hours at 30-40 mph on a fully charged battery, Smith said. But because the solar panels generate electricity and recharge the battery while the car is running, it can carry a driver indefinitely while the sun is shining. The nearly finished car is the culmination of almost two years of work by dozens of students. Several teams of seniors in multiple disciplines in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering have designed and built parts of the car for their capstone projects, which they must complete to graduate. "It's been a big undertaking," said Kyle Melton, who will graduate in May with a bachelor's in computer science. He played a key role in implementing the computer system that displays how much energy the solar panels are producing and how much is being used to propel the car, so that the driver can adjust their speed. After graduation, Melton is heading to a job with Lockheed Martin in Denver. Lee Randall, a sophomore from Bozeman who is leading the mechanical engineering portion of the project, said that most of the car is custom-built. "Very little has been bought off the shelf." It has been a major challenge to keep the cart lightweight while also making it safe for the drivers, he added. "Most of us didn't know much about solar when we got involved," said Randall, who joined the club because he would like to one day work in the auto industry. Seeing the car come together has made him a believer in the long-term potential of solar power, Randall said. "I see this as the future of electric cars," he said. Initially, solar panels embedded in consumer cars would only supplement their electrical needs. But as solar panels become more efficient, the contribution could be significant, he said. "This is self-produced power." The Bridger Solar Team is raising money to fund its trip to the Formula Sun Grand Prix. Donations can be made at https://www.bridgersolarteam.com. The Cinco de Mayo battle occurred during the Franco-Mexican War, which was an invasion of Mexico launched by the French in 1861. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Mexican forces claimed victory, losing fewer than 100 men while French casualties numbered nearly 500. While the victory itself did not prove a major win in the war against the French, it symbolized the strength of the Mexican people and served to strengthen the resistance movement. Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday in Mexico but has grown into a popular celebration of Mexican culture in the United States. The US government has concluded glyphosate has no risks to public health and is not a carcinogen, despite thousands of lawsuits claiming the chemical causes cancer. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says its findings are 'consistent with the conclusions of science reviews by many other countries and other federal agencies'. While the EPA did not identify public health risks in the 2017 human health risk assessment, the 2017 ecological assessment did identify ecological risks. To address these risks, the agency is proposing management measures to help farmers target pesticide sprays on the intended pest, protect pollinators, and reduce the problem of weeds becoming resistant to glyphosate. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the agency 'found no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate'. Todays proposed action includes new management measures that will help farmers use glyphosate in the most effective and efficient way possible, including pollinator protections, he said. We look forward to input from farmers and other stakeholders to ensure that the draft management measures are workable, realistic, and effective. US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said 'all the tools' will be needed in order to feed 10 billion people by 2050. USDA applauds EPAs proposed registration decision as it is science-based and consistent with the findings of other regulatory authorities that glyphosate does not pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans. Meanwhile, Monsanto suffered a second major blow in March as a federal jury in California found that its glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer caused a man's cancer. It follows last year's case when a judge upheld a jury's verdict that Roundup caused school caretaker Dewayne Johnson's cancer. Photo: The Canadian Press Green party Leader Andrew Weaver is calling for a ban on the use of taxpayer money for political attack ads after the B.C. Liberals bought billboards blaming Premier John Horgan for a spike in gas prices. The digital billboards along commuter routes on the Lower Mainland say "Gas prices?" and "Spending more to commute?" followed by "Blame John Horgan." It's not the first time a provincial political party has used its caucus funding for partisan purposes and Weaver says that needs to change. Green party house leader Sonia Furstenau will bring the issue to the multi-party Legislative Assembly Management Committee to "ensure it considers that a policy be brought in that would no longer allow taxpayer funding of partisan ads." What that policy would look like such as whether it would apply only to caucus funds or to any taxpayer money would be determined by the committee if it approves the idea. There's no law or regulation explicitly prohibiting a party caucus from using its fund for political purposes, Weaver says. "There should be, but there's not," he says. Weaver took aim at the billboards not only over how they were paid for but also for portraying information that's "blatantly false." It's misleading to suggest the NDP government is solely responsibly for gas prices that have reached heights of $1.70 per litre on the Lower Mainland when restricted capacity at Washington state refineries is a major factor, he says. "The whole is worse than the sum of the parts. You have taxpayer money being used and you have incorrect information," Weaver says. "Taxpayer money is being used to spread partisan rhetoric that's clearly wrong. I find it disgraceful." Liberal caucus spokeswoman Carlie Pochynok defended the ads, adding that the NDP used its own caucus fund for radio ads attacking Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson in March. "Every caucus is provided a budget to use as they see fit," she said. "Our (ads) are basically opposition work that are more public because they're giant billboards. Our job is to criticize government and hold them to account." Pochynok said the Liberals see Horgan as responsible because he hasn't provided tax relief on gasoline. Expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Horgan has opposed, could also have increased the flow of gas in British Columbia, she added. Jobs Minister Bruce Ralston said Horgan has appointed his deputy minister to explore regulatory options for relief, but he also noted the government's carbon tax increase this year only added one cent per litre to the cost of gas. PetroChina Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in a range of petroleum related products, services, and activities in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline segments. The Exploration and Production segment engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment refines crude oil and petroleum products; and produces and markets primary petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. The Marketing segment is involved in marketing of refined products and trading business. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and sale of natural gas. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a total length of 31,151 km, including 22,555 km of natural gas pipelines, 7,190 km of crude oil pipelines, and 1,406 km of refined product pipelines. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil sands and coalbed methane; trading of crude oil and petrochemical products; storage, chemical engineering, storage facilities, service station, and transportation facilities and related businesses; and production and sales of basic and derivative chemical, and other chemical products. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation. Read More Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 433,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 98,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,233 megawatts (MW), including 59 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,048,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 572,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 67,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 270,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 31,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 91,000 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 49,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada. Read More Suruga Bank Ltd. engages in banking business and provides financial services. It operates through the following segments: Banking, Guarantee, and Others. The Banking segment provides deposits, loans, domestic and foreign exchange transactions, securities and investment trust, and credit card services. The Guarantee segment handles the guarantee business. The Others segment offers loan, leasing, bank agency operations, credit card, and insurance services through its subsidiaries. The company was founded by Kitaro Okano on January 4, 1887 and is headquartered in Numazu, Japan. Read More DUBAI, UAE, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- JA Resorts & Hotels, one of Dubai's longest-serving homegrown hospitality brands, has recently announced huge growth and expansion plans; from a growthtrajectory to Tanzaniaand beyond, a 30+ hotelexpansion into China aimed at Millennials, and 10 new Food & Beverage concepts set to open in 2019 - alongside 3 collaborations with international chefs of Michelin star acclaim! JA Resorts & Hotels Announces Expansion into China JA Resorts & Hotels announced it is expanding into China this year, in a joint venture. In partnership with Novel International Group, a Shanghai investment fund, JA Resorts & Hotels are forming JA Novel Hospitality China, and through this partnership will be acquiring buildings to be retrofitted, renovated or completed as hotels in two distinctions. The first is upper upscale hotels which will be branded as JA Hotels and the second segment is upper midscale lifestyle hotels branded as 'Big Bed by JA' and targeted at millennials. For the upper upscale hotels, the company is currently exploring 3 property options in 5-6 areas over the coming years. The vision for the Big Bed brand or Da chuang in Chinese, is to roll out 30 units by 2024 - spread across various Chinese cities. JA Resorts & Hotels on Growth Trajectory to Tanzania & Beyond JA Resorts & Hotels revealed plans to expand the portfolio of 8 distinct properties across the UAE and Indian Ocean, with another two luxury lodges providing a total of 60 rooms. One luxury lodge will be in the Serengeti National Park and the other in the Ngorogoro Conservency. The group are also exploring multiple options in Sri Lanka. JA Resorts & Hotels Becomes A Significant Player on Food & Beverage Scene with 10 New Concepts 10 new restaurants are set to open in 2019 alongside 3 collaborations with international chefs of Michelin star acclaim, in a year of rapid transformation for JA Resorts & Hotels. The group cites their food and beverage vision as 'creating community-focused restaurants providing one-of-a-kind experiences that energize everyone, with an enthusiastic welcome, exceptional service, awesome food, killer tunes and an unforgettable time, resulting in profitable restaurants'. Collaborations include JA Manafaru Maldives and China's most renowned chef Da Dong, whose restaurants have multiple Michelin stars, Lebanese Australian Chef Greg Malouf, who has 3 Chefs Hat awards featuring in 2 Dubai properties and Indian celebrity chef, Vikas Khanna, opening a new restaurant in JA Lake View Hotel. https://jaresortshotels.com/media-centre Contact: Laoise Molloy T: +971-56-6564429 E: Laoise.molloy@jaresorts.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/880603/JA_Resorts_Hotels_Anthony_Ross.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/880604/JA_Resorts_Hotels_Lake_View_Hotel.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/880605/JA_Resorts_Hotels_Motorino_Pizzeria.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/880585/JA_Resorts_and_Hotels_Logo.jpg Militants shot dead BJP's district vice-president Gul Mohammed Mir in his house in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday night, police said Srinagar: Militants shot dead BJP's district vice-president Gul Mohammed Mir in his house in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday night, police said. Giving details, the police said three militants came to his house in Nowgam Verinag area and asked for the keys for his car. While driving the vehicle away, they pumped bullets into Mir, who was popular in the area as 'Atal', they said. A police official said Mir was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. The area has been cordoned off to nab the suspects, the official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the killing and said, "His contribution towards strengthening the party in Jammu and Kashmir will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers." The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP, in a statement, expressed deepest condolences to Mir's family and demanded strict action against "ill elements who are spoiling peace in the Valley and killing innocent people". National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also condemned Mir's killing. "I condemn this dastardly act of violence and pray for the soul of the departed, Allah Jannat naseeb karey (May God grant him a place in heaven)... Gul Mohd Mir was the district vice president of the BJP state unit. May his family and loved ones find strength at this difficult time," Abdullah tweeted. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti posted on Twitter, "I strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4India leader Gul Muhammad Mir in Verinag, South Kashmir. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul." Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir also condemned Mir's killing and described the incident as "mindless, cowardice and shameful act". He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family, a party spokesman said. Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled supporter of the party during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday, prompting a strong reaction from AAP, which alleged that the BJP was behind the 'cowardly act' Editor's Note: This article, originally published on 20 November, 2018, is being republished to include the latest attack on against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled supporter of the party during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday, prompting a strong reaction from AAP, which alleged that the BJP was behind the "cowardly act". The Delhi Police, which has taken the man into custody, claimed he was dissatisfied with the behaviour of AAP leaders. Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when a man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before being pulled off the jeep. The 33-year-old man, identified as Suresh, who is a scrap dealer in the area, has been a supporter of AAP and used to work as an organiser of the party's rallies and meetings, police said. Such an assault is not new to the Delhi chief minister, who has been on the receiving end of many similar attacks in the past in various ways. On 20 November, Kejriwal was attacked by a man armed with chilli powder outside the Chief Minister's Office at the Delhi Secretariat. A man identified as Anil Kumar Hindustani attacked Kejriwal inside the Delhi Secretariat around 2.10 pm when the chief minister was leaving for lunch. He was taken into custody, as well. Condemning the attack, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blamed the Delhi Police for the "serious security lapses". FIRST ON CNN-NEWS18 -- CCTV footage of the attack on Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal | #KejriMirchiAttack pic.twitter.com/2xFgoXPuEc News18 (@CNNnews18) November 20, 2018 Since Kejriwal entered public life, he has been the target of several projectile attacks. In October 2016, two ABVP activists threw ink at Kejriwal for his comments on surgical strikes by the army on terror launch pads across the Line of Control in Transport Nagar of Rajasthan's Bikaner district, PTI had reported. Following the ink attack, ABVP activists Dinesh Ojha and Vikram Singh were taken into custody. In April 2016, a man identified as Ved Sharma and claiming to be from the Aam Aadmi Sena (a breakaway faction from Aam Aadmi Party) had thrown a shoe at the Delhi chief minister when he was addressing a press conference in the secretariat, News18 had reported. Sharma was eventually detained by the police. In March 2016, Kejriwal's car was pelted with stones by protesters in Punjab's Ludhiana. The car's windshield was broken in the attack, The Hindu had reported. Kejriwal had been in Ludhiana on the last day of his tour to Punjab ahead of the Assembly polls which had taken place in 2017. In January 2016, a woman identified as Bhavna Arora, a woman from the AAP's breakaway group in Punjab, had thrown ink at Kejriwal at a public gathering, alleging a "CNG scam" in the Delhi government. In April 2014, a 38-year-old autorickshaw driver called Lali had slapped Kejriwal at a roadshow in Sultanpuri area of North-west Delhi. He had first garlanded Kejriwal and then slapped him at the roadshow. Kejriwal sustained a minor injury in his left eye and his spectacles were damaged in the attack. Lali had accused Kejriwal of not fulfilling promises made to autodrivers. Lali was later detained by the police, but was let off as no complaint was lodged either by Kejriwal or AAP against him. Kejriwal had later visited Lali's residence and had said he had forgiven the man. During the campaign for the 2014 Delhi Assembly polls, a person punched Kejriwal on his back and had even tried to slap him during his roadshow in south Delhi's Dakshinpuri area. In March 2014, unidentified people had thrown ink at Kejriwal when he was camapaigning for the Lok Sabha polls in Varanasi. The open vehicle in which Kejriwal was travelling was also pelted with eggs. With inputs from PTI Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday condemned the killing of BJP leader Gul Muhammad Mir and ordered an inquiry into the killing of political activists belonging to various parties in the state in the past few months. Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday condemned the killing of BJP leader Gul Muhammad Mir and ordered an inquiry into the killing of political activists belonging to various parties in the state in the past few months. The governor also asked state Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam to identify any lapses on the part of security agencies in ensuring security of political activists, an official spokesman said. Expressing grief over the loss of life, the governor in a condolence message prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family in its hour of grief, he said. The spokesman said Malik has conveyed that immediately after the opening of the Governor's Secretariat in Srinagar, he would call a high-level meeting to review the safety and security aspects of all political leaders and sarpanches in the state. The governor spoke to K Vijay Kumar, advisor to the governor, and directed him to ensure early arrest of those responsible for the killing and spare no one who tries to create fear and panic among the people, the spokesman said. He said the governor directed the chief secretary to get an inquiry conducted into the killings of political people belonging to various parties in the state in the past few months. The spokesman said Malik has asked for identifying any lapses on the part of security agencies in ensuring security of political activists and has emphasised that from now onwards, all political people should be protected at every cost. Militants shot dead Mir the BJP's district vice-president in Anantnag district of South Kashmir at Nowgam Verinag on Saturday night. There have been several instances of militants attacking political or social activists in the state. In the last about two months, four such incidents took place which include militants killing senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) Rajinder Kumar at the District Hospital in Kishtwar on 9 April. Before that, on 4 April, a Panch, Abdul Majeed Dar, from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead by militants at his residence. On March 14, a political worker associated with National Conference (NC) Mohammad Ismail Wani was shot at and injured by suspected militants in Anantnag district, while earlier on 30 March, suspected militants shot dead social activist Arjumand Majid Bhat in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. Photo: Contributed Walking along the base of the Burrard Street Bridge that crosses Vancouver's False Creek toward the downtown core, Khelsilem gestures across a gravel lot poised to become one of the largest Indigenous urban developments in Canada. The Squamish Nation councillor, who also goes by the name Dustin Rivers, is standing on a pinched triangle of reserve land near the city's centre that the First Nation won back in 2002 after decades of legal battles. The project is in its very early stages but if all goes as planned, the Squamish Nation will build about 3,000 housing units in a project that promises to answer some of the region's urgent housing needs at the same time that it presents a test of reconciliation. "For a lot of other First Nations across the country, natural resources is the one option they have for growing their economies. Whereas for us, the land has been completely impacted (by the city's growth) and so real estate is really the one thing we can get involved in that will make sense to generate revenue," he said. The same site was home to members of the Squamish Nation for thousands of years before villagers were illegally forced to accept a settlement and shipped on barges to less desirable land along Howe Sound in 1913. It had been declared a reserve in the late-1800s but was gradually fragmented by leases and dissected by railway lines. By 1965, the entire 32-odd hectares of reserve had been sold off. But in 2002, the Squamish regained a small section of the earlier reserve: todays Kitsilano Indian Reserve No. 6. The idea to build two towers on the site gained some steam in 2009 and 2010 but was abandoned in the economic downturn. Now, Khelsilem said, members are keen to see the First Nation use the land for economic development. "They're seeing the significant profits that everyone else is making. We're right in the middle and we're not doing anything, so I think there's reasonable impatience that we should be getting involved," he said. The First Nation is in negotiations with one developer after gathering pitches through a request for proposals. At this stage, it's looking at primarily rental housing with potential for some affordable units for Squamish members. Of the nation's 4,000-odd members, about 1,100 are on a waiting list for housing, he said. For Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, the development offers an answer to one of the city's biggest problems. "The city is in the middle of a housing crisis, especially when it comes to rentals," Stewart said, calling the preliminary figure of 3,000 housing units "fantastic." That's not an insignificant number for a city that has approved 8,680 purpose-built market rental units over the past 10 years. Stewart also sees it as an expression of reconciliation, acknowledging that if residents oppose the project there are few ways to fight it because the development is on Squamish land and outside the city's jurisdiction. "The shoe's on the other foot and there's really not a lot of need for Squamish to consult with the local community," he said. Despite that, Stewart said the First Nation has kept him in the loop on its plans since early this year. The relationship Stewart and the First Nation built as allies against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has helped. "The thing about reconciliation is you don't really know what it looks like until you're in the middle of it. So I think this will set some parameters as to what us, Vancouver, being a city of reconciliation, looks like. I'm very keen to make sure this has the best chance of success." The MST Development Corp. is a partnership between the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. The three bands are full or co-owners of six prime properties throughout Metro Vancouver, covering more than 65 hectares of land available for development valued at over $1 billion. After the killing of the BJP's vice-president of Anantnag district unit, hardly any prominent party leader turned up for his funeral. Barely 12 hours after the killing of the Bhartiya Janta Partys vice-president of Anantnag district unit, hardly any prominent party leader turned up for his funeral on Sunday. The glaring absence in the final farewell of the fallen party colleague was justified on the grounds of holdup of security clearance and preparations for Lok Sabha polling in Kashmir. It was at around 9.15 pm on Saturday night when suspected militants stormed the residence of Gul Mohammad Mir (60) in Nowgam area of South Kashmirs Verinag and shot him multiple times. It appeared to be a political killing similar to such incidents which take place in the state, taking place hours just hours before the last leg of polling for Anantnag seat, on 6 May. The deceased was considered a veteran BJP leader in Kashmir, who as per his relatives had kept the BJPs flag afloat during trying times in south Kashmir. We couldnt participate in his funeral due to security reasons, one of the top BJP leaders from south Kashmir told Firstpost. Police told us to wait for security clearance by 10 am today, but it was never given. At past 11 am, some mourners mostly Mirs relatives lined up for his funeral. Unlike the larger-than-life militant funeral in this part of Kashmir, the BJP leaders was a hush-hush interment affair. Even the partys Anantnag candidate, Sofi Yousuf, was missing from the scene. On Saturday night, Sofi was one of the first persons to confirm his party leaders killing. Sofi sahab intended to come, but then he received an eleventh-hour call from party high command from New Delhi, instructing him to concentrate on campaigning in Pulwama, a party leader said on condition of anonymity. Keeping tomorrows polls in view, most of our party rank and file are busy in Pulwama and Shopian and therefore couldnt participate in Mir Sahabs last rites. For the last leg of polling for Anantnag seat, Pulwama and Shopian will cast their ballot on Monday, under strict security arrangements. Anantnag and Kulgam already went for polls and drew a low turnout. Known as Attal, the nickname he earned for his great awe and admiration for the late BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mir had unsuccessfully contested Assembly elections for Dooru Assembly segment in 2008 and 2014. He received five bullet wounds, three in the chest and two in the abdomen and was declared brought dead on arrival at the hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned Mirs killing. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered, PM Modi said in a tweet. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah condemned the dastardly act of violence while praying for the soul of the departed. I strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4India leader Gul Muhammad Mir in Verinag, South Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti said. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul. Following the killing, Governor Satya Pal Malik directed Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam to get an enquiry conducted into the killings of political people belonging to various political parties in the state in the last few months. According to a statement released by Raj Bhavan, the governor has asked for identifying any lapses on the part of security agencies regarding ensuring security of political people and has said that from now onwards, all political people should be protected at every cost. But it was the absence of top state BJP leaders at their slain colleagues funeral which left many party supporters seething on Sunday. Is this how the BJP and its leaders are paying homage to the man who set the party base in south Kashmir from last one decade? said an angry party worker, who was among a few mourners lined up for Mirs funeral. The man braved threats for the party. Now when he faced bullet for the party, his party leaders snubbed him and focused on polls. CBSE Class 10 Board Result Declared: Taru Jain from Jaipur, one of the13 CBSE toppers told ANI that she used to four-five hours for the exam. Jain scored one of the 13 students who secured 499 out of 500 marks in CBSE Class 10 examinations, said, 'I feel really good, used to study for 4-5 hours. I want to pursue Economics (Honours) from Delhi University. Had support from parents, teachers and principal.' Auto refresh feeds The Central board, in another surprise announcement for students, said it will declare the Class 10 results today at 3 pm. Earlier, amid speculation that the CBSE Class 10 2019 results would be declared on 5 May, CBSE public relations officer Rama Sharma dismissed the "unconfirmed fake news", adding that the board will inform students and schools of the date before declaring the results. The Central board will anounce the Class 10 result on its official websites cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in. Step 4: Once your result appears on the screen, download it and take a printout for future reference. Step 3: Enter your registration number or roll number and other admit card details in the provided fields and click on 'Submit' . Earlier, it was reported that CBSE would declare both Class 10 and Class 12 results in the third week of May. But CBSE declared the Class 12 results in a surprise move the same day and also said that the Class 10 results would be declared the same way. CBSE conducted the Class 10 exams for over 27 lakh candidates from 2 February to 29 March this year. In 2018, the pass percentage of students was 88.67 percent. Girls had outperformed boys with 86.07 percent of them passing the exams against 85.32 percent of boys. Students can also use keywords like 'Class 10 results' or 'CBSE Class 10 results', 'how to check Class 10 results', or 'check CBSE Class 10 results' on the homepage to get their scores. Google has partnered with CBSE to make it easier for students to find their results and other exam-related information. All students have to do is go to google.com and type 'CBSE result' to get the link. The link for students to check their CBSE Class 10 results is open on cbseresults.nic.in or cbse.nic.in Owing to the extremely high volume of traffic that the official CBSE websites are likely to see, students can face difficulty in logging in. In such a case, there are a multiple other ways students can check their scores. Step 4: Once your result appears on the screen, download it and take a printout for future reference. Step 3: Enter your registration number or roll number and other admit card details in the provided fields and click on 'Submit' . The number of students passing the CBSE Class 10 exams has been dropping since 2014. CBSE has introduced a post-result helpline for counselling services. Those woth queries can get in touch with trained staff at 1800 11 8004, which will be available from 8 am to 10 pm only till 16 May. This year, CBSE released both the Class 10 and Class 12 results before ICSE and the West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra boards. This year, CBSE declared both the Class 10 and Class 12 results within a record number of days from the last exams. CBSE declared the Class 10 result within 38 days of the exams and the Class 12 results within 55 days. Students unable to access their results via the internet can avail of an SMS service. Candidates can also check their Class 10 results on the UMANG mobile app, which is available on smart phones that run on Android, iOS and Windows. This year, CBSE Class 10 students registered a pass percentage of 91.1 percent, a significant rise from 86.07 percent last year. Since 2016, CBSE has provided Class 10 digital academic documents, which includes marksheets, migration certificates and pass certificate, on its own academic repository Parinam Manjusha. The repository is integrated with DigiLocker at digilocker.gov.in . CBSE Class 10 marksheets to be available at digilocker.gov.in The CBSE Class 12 results 2019 were anounced on 2 May. Students registered a pass percentage of 83.7 percent. Hansika Shukla from Ghaziabad and Karishma Arora from Muzaffarnagar topped the CBSE Class 12 exams. In comparison, Class 10 students scored much better, with a much higher pass percentage of 91.1 percent. Studentrs not pleased with their scores can apply for re-evaluation on cbse.nic.in . Re-checking of each subject will cost Rs 500. Students can apply for re-evaluation from 24 May till 25 May 25 till 5 pm. Step 4: Once your result appears on the screen, download it and take a printout for future reference. Step 3: Enter your registration number or roll number and other admit card details in the provided fields and click on 'Submit' . How and where to check CBSE 10th results 2019 In 2018, the Thiruvananthapuram region performed the best with a 99.60 percent pass percentage. The region fared the best in the Class 12 CBSE results, as well. Like last year, students from Thiruvananthapuram fared the best with a pass percentage of 99.85 percent, followed by Chennai (99 percent) and Ajmer (95.89 percent). Once again, Thiruvananthapuram fares best in CBSE Class 10 exams As many as 13 students scored 499 out of 500 marks this year in the CBSE Class 10 exams 2019. In a close second, 25 students scored 498 out of 500 marks, and 58 students scored 497 out of 500 marks. Siddhant Pengoriya from Lotus Valley International School in Noida is among the 13 toppers who scored 499 out of 500 in the CBSE Class 10 2019 exams. The other toppers are Divyansh Wadhwa, Yogesh Kumar Gupta, Ankur Mishra, Vatsal Varshney, Manya, Aryan Jha, Taru Jha, Bhavana Sivadas, Ish Madan, Divjot Kaur Jaggi, Apoorva Jain, and Shivani Lath. In 2018, the pass percentage of students was 88.67 percent. Girls had outperformed boys with 86.07 percent of them clearing the exams against 85.32 percent of boys. Girls outperformed boys once again with a pass percentage of 92.45 percent. A lower figure of 90.14 percent boys cleared the CBSE Class 10 exams. While girls outperformed boys by 2.31 percent with a 92.45 percent pass percentage over 90.14 percent of boys, transgender students scored even better with a pass percentage of 94.74 percent. This is even higher than their pass percentage of 83.33 percent in 2018. Jawaharlal Navodaya Vidyalayas followed, with 98.57 percent students clearing the CBSE Class 10 board exams. Government schools performed the worst with a pass percentage of 71.91 percent . Kendriya Vidyalayas performed the best among all institutes that function under CBSE. As many as 99 percent of students from Kendriya Vidyalayas cleared the Class 10 CBSE 2019 exams. Step 4: Once your result appears on the screen, download it and take a printout for future reference. Step 3: Enter your registration number or roll number and other admit card details in the provided fields and click on 'Submit' . Of the 17,74,299 students who registered for the CBSE Class 10 2019 exams, 17,61,078 appeared and 16,04,428 passed, bringing the overall pass percentage to 91.10 percent. "Im so glad to see such young high achievers who successfully cleared lifes first big test," the Union minister tweeted. This year, 13 students topped the CBSE Class 10 exams with 499 out of 500 marks. Of them, seven are boys and six, girls. The prime minister said on Twitter: "Proud of my young friends who have successfully cleared the CBSE Class X examinations." Of the 13 students who topped the CBSE Class 10 exams, eight are from Uttar Pradesh (Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Jaunpur). Eight of the 13 toppers are from Uttar Pradesh 24 students bag second rank in CBSE class 10 results with 498 out of 500 marks, whereas, 58 students share third position with 497 marks, PTI said. This year, 17,74,299 students had registered for the CBSE Class 10 2019 exams, of which 17,61,078 appeared and 16,04,428 passed, bringing the overall pass percentage to 91.10 percent. Step 4: Once your result appears on the screen, download it and take a printout for future reference. Step 3: Enter your registration number or roll number and other admit card details in the provided fields and click on 'Submit' . Of the 17,74,299 students who registered for the CBSE Class 10 2019 exams, 17,61,078 appeared and 16,04,428 passed, bringing the overall pass percentage to 91.10 percent. 10th board results are out & Im so glad to see such young high achievers who successfully cleared lifes first big test. Those who couldnt achieve what they were hoping for, dont worry, champions - youll get many more chances to prove yourself. #CBSE10thresult "Im so glad to see such young high achievers who successfully cleared lifes first big test," the Union minister tweeted. This year, 13 students topped the CBSE Class 10 exams with 499 out of 500 marks. Of them, seven are boys and six, girls. Proud of my young friends who have successfully cleared the CBSE Class X examinations. Wishing them the very best for their journey ahead. May these young minds continue making us proud. Congratulations also to their teachers and parents! #CBSE10thresult The prime minister said on Twitter: "Proud of my young friends who have successfully cleared the CBSE Class X examinations." Bhavana N Sivadas from Kerala and 12 other students secured 499 out of 500 marks in #CBSE Class X examinations. #CBSE10thresult pic.twitter.com/9c1SqyuOMe Of the 13 students who topped the CBSE Class 10 exams, eight are from Uttar Pradesh (Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Jaunpur). Eight of the 13 toppers are from Uttar Pradesh 24 students bag second rank in CBSE class 10 results with 498 out of 500 marks, whereas, 58 students share third position with 497 marks, PTI said. This year, 17,74,299 students had registered for the CBSE Class 10 2019 exams, of which 17,61,078 appeared and 16,04,428 passed, bringing the overall pass percentage to 91.10 percent. Taru Jain in Jaipur, One of the students who secured 499 out of 500 marks in #CBSE Class X examinations: I feel really good, used to study for 4-5 hours. I want to pursue Economics (Hons.) from Delhi University. Had support from parents, teachers and principal. #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/vRNtiJ88bg Taru Jain from Jaipur, one of the13 CBSE toppers told ANI that she used to four-five hours for the exam. Jain scored one of the 13 students who secured 499 out of 500 marks in CBSE Class X examinations, said, "I feel really good, used to study for 4-5 hours. I want to pursue Economics (Honours) from Delhi University. Had support from parents, teachers and principal." Want to pursue Economics (Honours) from DU, says Taru Jain, one of 13 CBSE class 10 toppers According to PTI, 25 students scored 498 out of 500 in the CBSE Class 10 examination, the results for which were declared on Monday. Here's the list of second rankers in the CBSE Class 10 exams: According to PTI, which published the final list of rankers in the CBSE Class 10 examination, 59 students shared the third rnak in the all-India examination, the result for which were declared on Monday. Here's the full list: CBSE Class 10 Board Result Declared: Taru Jain from Jaipur, one of the13 CBSE toppers told ANI that she used to four-five hours for the exam. Jain scored one of the 13 students who secured 499 out of 500 marks in CBSE Class 10 examinations, said, "I feel really good, used to study for 4-5 hours. I want to pursue Economics (Honours) from Delhi University. Had support from parents, teachers and principal." Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate Class 10 students who cleared the CBSE 2019 exams. "Proud of my young friends who have successfully cleared the CBSE Class X examinations," he said. Kendriya Vidyalayas performed the best among all institutes that function under CBSE. As many as 99 percent of students from Kendriya Vidyalayas cleared the Class 10 CBSE 2019 exams. As many as 13 students scored 499 out of 500 marks this year in the CBSE Class 10 exams 2019. In a close second, 25 students scored 498 out of 500 marks, and 58 students scored 497 out of 500 marks. Siddhant Pengoriya from Lotus Valley International School in Noida is among the 13 toppers who scored 499 out of 500 in the CBSE Class 10 2019 exams. The other toppers are Divyansh Wadhwa, Yogesh Kumar Gupta, Ankur Mishra, Vatsal Varshney, Manya, Aryan Jha, Taru Jha, Bhavana Sivadas, Ish Madan, Divjot Kaur Jaggi, Apoorva Jain, and Shivani Lath. Like last year, students from Thiruvananthapuram fared the best in the Class 10 CBSE exams with a pass percentage of 99.85 percent, followed by Chennai (99 percent) and Ajmer (95.89 percent). The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the Class 10 results today (Monday, 6 May, 2019). CBSE Class 10 students registered a pass percentage of 91.1 percent, a significant rise from 86.07 percent last year. Union minister Smriti Irani tweeted that her daughter had scored 82 percent in the Class 10 exams. Candidates can check their CBSE Class 10 results on the official websites cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in. Earlier, The Indian Express quoted CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi as saying, "The results of Class 10 examination will be declared next week." However, Tripathi did not specify a date for the announcement. Earlier, amid speculation that the CBSE Class 10 2019 results will be declared today, CBSE public relations officer Rama Sharma dismissed the "unconfirmed fake news", adding that the board will inform students and schools of the date before declaring the results. "It is to inform all principals, students, parents and public that the CBSE Class 10 results will not be declared today," Sharma was quoted as saying, adding that CBSE will "duly inform students about the date, time and arrangements to access results, through official communication". According to reports, the Central board was expected to release the Class 10 result on its official websites cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in. Earlier, it was reported that CBSE would declare both Class 10 and Class 12 results in the third week of May. But in a surprise move on Thursday CBSE declared the Class 12 results. Steps to check your CBSE Class 10 results 2019: Step 1: Visit the official websites cbseresults.nic.in or cbse.nic.in Step 2: On the homepage, click on 'Class 10 Result 2019'. Step 3: Enter your registration number or roll number and other admit card details in the provided fields and click on 'Submit' . Step 4: Once your result appears on the screen, download it and take a printout for future reference. CBSE conducted the Class 10 exams for 27 lakh candidates from 2 February to 29 March. In 2018, Class 10 students registered an overall pass percentage of 86.70 percent. The Supreme Court has denied a report that said RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud had met SA Bobde, who is heading an in-house panel looking into the CJI sexual harassment case. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Sunday denied a media report that said justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud had met Justice SA Bobde, who is heading an in-house committee inquiring into the sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. A statement from the apex court said "this is wholly incorrect" that the two judges met Justice Bobde on Friday evening. The statement, which issued by the office of the Supreme Court's secretary general, said it is most unfortunate that a leading newspaper chose to state that the two judges met Justice Bobde. Further, the statement said the in-house committee deliberating on the issue concerning the CJI deliberates on its own without any input from any other judge of the apex court. A report in a leading newspaper on Sunday said that justices Nariman and Chandrachud had met Justice Bobde and had expressed their view that the three-member committee should not go ahead with the proceeding ex parte. The former woman employee of the apex court, who levelled the sexual harassment allegations against the CJI, has opted out of participating in the inquiry raising several grievances, including denial of permission to have her lawyer during the proceedings. The newspaper stated that justices Nariman and Chandrachud had suggested the appointment of an advocate as an amicus curie for assisting the in-house committee. Besides Justice Bobde, other members in the committee are two women judges of the apex court justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. Cyclone Fani, the worst storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in 20 years and which left at least 16 people dead in India, weakened into a 'deep depression' and lay centered over Bangladesh on Saturday morning, after it moved further north-east from West Bengal, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone Fani, the worst storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in 20 years and which left at least 16 people dead in India, weakened into a 'deep depression' and lay centered over Bangladesh on Saturday morning, after it moved further north-east from West Bengal, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. IMD also said that it is expected to further weaken over the course of the day on Saturday. The toll due to Cyclone Fani, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 16 on Saturday with four deaths in Mayurbhanj district, three each in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Jajpur; and one each in Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Kendrapara, PTI quoted officials as saying. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, briefed the media after the storm ebbed on Saturday and said, "A record of 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours, 3.2 lakh from Ganjam, 1.3 lakh from Puri and almost 7,000 kitchens catering to 9,000 shelters were made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers." In West Bengal, a total of 52,297 people were evacuated from 131 gram panchayats and put up in 723 rescue shelters. However, some people returned to their homes as the situation improved on Saturday. At least 771 houses have been fully or partly damaged. Disruptions in traffic were reported in Garb2, Kharagpur 1, Keshiary and Mohanpur blocks due to broken trees. Power supply has also been restored by WBSEDCL The cyclone left a trail of destruction to life and property after it made landfall in Odisha's Puri on Friday morning, with several structures collapsing in the district's temple town. The cyclone then moved into West Bengal via Kharagpur in the wee hours of Saturday. The effects of the cyclone were also felt in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. On Saturday, Kolkata airport resumed operations, however, dozens of people were stranded at Howrah station in the city as most trains under the jurisdiction of the East Coast Railway remained cancelled. National carrier Air India offered to deliver relief material to affected areas free of cost. The airline resumed operations at Kolkata airport around 9.30 am on Saturday. The CS FANI over Gangetic West Bengal moved further east-northeastwards & weakened into a Deep Depression, lay centred at 0830 hrs IST over Bangladesh near lat 23.6N & long 88.8E. It is very likely to move northeastwards, weaken further into a Depression during next 06 hrs. pic.twitter.com/VzDrqMJK2F India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 4, 2019 The airport in Odisha's capital, Bhubaneshwar, is likely to resume operations on Saturday. The equipment at the airport was significantly damaged on Friday but flight operations are expected to begin by 1 pm, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement. "The passenger terminal building at Bhubaneswar has been considerably damaged, particularly at the rooftop and facades... Based on the feedback and action taken, it was decided that Bhubaneswar will resume commercial flight operations with effect from 1300 IST on May 4, 2019," the statement said. However, as state governments and the Centre took stock of the damage in the wake of the storm, reports said that even though Digha was expected to face a major impact of the cyclone, the situation seemed calm on Saturday morning despite heavy rainfall on Friday night. The IMD in Alipore was quoted as saying that there was no more threat from Cyclone Fani for West Bengal, as it has headed towards Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the governors of West Bengal and Odisha on Saturday to take stock of the situations and said that he will visit Odisha on Monday, 6 May. Monday also happens to be the election day for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election. He also said that he had spoken to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, and "assured continued support" from the Centre. During his conversation with West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, the prime minister reiterated the Centre's readiness to provide all help needed to cope with the extremely severe cyclonic storm. "Also conveyed my solidarity with the people of Bengal in the wake of Cyclone Fani," Modi said in a tweet. Several districts of West Bengal, including East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Pargana, besides Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, Kolkata and the Sundarbans were expected to be hit by the storm that then moved towards Bangladesh and is likely to taper off. Modi also extended the Centre's support to Odisha governor Ganesh Lal and said that the people of the state had shown "exemplary courage" in the face of the "natural disaster". The United Nations agency for disaster reduction on Saturday commended the IMD's "almost pinpoint accuracy" of early warnings that helped authorities conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan and minimise the loss of life. UN agencies are monitoring Fani's movements closely and taking measures to protect families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which is on alert. The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Goa President, Ahraz Mulla has written a letter to the President, Prime Minister and Union HRD Ministry requesting them to postpone NEET exam, in view of difficulties faced by students due to cyclone 'Fani' in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. "NEET exam for medical entrance needs a lot of concentration and dedication with the preparation of at least 2 years. The cyclone FANI that has reached the coastal belt of East India has created destruction, with no power supply and other unavailability of other basic needs," the letter reads. "The students have dedicated 2 years to clear this test, but due to the cyclone it would not be right to conduct this test for the entire country considering the fact that it is an All India Exam with admission based on merit," the letter further stated. On Friday, the cyclone lashed the coast with maximum wind speeds of up to 175 kilometres per hour, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding, with 28 million people living along the route of the massive storm. The storm was initially categorised as an "extremely severe cyclonic storm" by the IMD. Effects of Cyclone Fani were felt as far as the Mount Everest base camp in Nepal with tents blown away at Camp 2 at 6,400 metres and Nepali authorities cautioning helicopters against flying. The Nepali government issued a warning that heavy snowfall was expected in the higher mountain areas with rain and storms lower down, and asked trekking agencies to take tourists to safety. Hundreds of climbers, their guides, cooks, and porters huddled at the Everest base camp, according to Pemba Sherpa of Xtreme Climbers Trek, who said weather and visibility were poor. May is the best month to climb the 8,850-foot Everest when Nepal experiences a few windows of good weather to scale the peak. It is still the beginning of the month, so there is no reason for climbers to worry that weather from the cyclone will cost them their chance to reach the summit, Sherpa said. With inputs from agencies and 101 Reporters Today's top stories: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to campaign in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh today, unhappy AAP supporter slaps Arvind Kejriwal during roadshow, and more Arvind Kejriwal slapped during a roadshow in Delhi's Moti Nagar; police take attacker into custody Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled supporter of the party during a roadshow in Moti Nagar, prompting a strong reaction from AAP, which alleged that the BJP was behind the "cowardly act". The Delhi Police, which has taken the man into custody, said he was dissatisfied with the behaviour of AAP leaders. Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when a man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before being pulled off the jeep. The 33-year-old man, identified as Suresh, who is a scrap dealer in the area, has been a supporter of AAP and used to work as an organiser of the party's rallies and meetings, police said. "An inquiry by a DCP-level officer has been ordered to inquire as to how this person was allowed to be in the reception or proximate group," Anil Mittal, Additional PRO (Delhi Police), said. According to his version of events, over a period of time, Suresh got disenchanted due to the behaviour of AAP leaders. His anger intensified due to "distrust of the party in the armed forces", the official said, adding that interrogation is on in the matter. No FIR has been registered in the matter as the police did not receive any complaint. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the Delhi Police had planted the man. "The Delhi Police is claiming that the man belonged to AAP. This is really shameful, given the fact that the attacker's wife has herself said he was a 'Modi bhakt' and did not like anyone talking against Modi. "This is the same Delhi Police that had claimed earlier that no 'mirchi attack' happened on the chief minister. It was later when the Delhi government provided CCTV footage to Delhi Police that left its political masters red-faced," Bharadwaj said. Narendra Modi alleges Congress a 'vote cutting party' Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, calling it a "vote cutter" party. He also accused Congress and the Samajwadi Party of "betraying" Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati for their personal gains. "Congress leaders are happily sharing the stage with SP in rallies. These people have betrayed Behenji (Mayawati) so cunningly that even she is not able to comprehend. The party that was staking claim to prime ministerial post before the first round of voting, now admits to being a vote cutter," he said at a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh. "These people made an alliance just to benefit themselves. They took advantage of Mayawati by showing her dreams of becoming the prime minister. But instead, Congress and SP kept her in the dark," he added. Raking up the alleged links of Congress president Rahul Gandhi with Scorpene deal, Modi said: "Today I read that during UPA's tenure, one of naamdar's (dynast) business partners got defence offset contracts." Poll watch: Narendra Modi to campaign in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh The prime minister will be addressing rallies in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to campaign for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on 12 May. He will also address election rallies in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi and Madhya Pradesh's Sagar and Gwalior. On Saturday, too, Modi addressed rallies in Uttar Pradesh. He accused the Samajwadi Party of going soft on the Congress, saying the two parties are playing a big game against Mayawati. Addressing BJP rallies in Pratapgarh and Basti, Modi said the SP-BSP alliance partners will be at each other's throats when the results are out on 23 May. He said while Mayawati is openly targeting the Congress and its policies, a Congress leader is sharing the stage with the SP. The apparent reference was to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's presence at an SP meeting in Rae Baraeli on Thursday. "The SP is going soft on the Congress, but its alliance partner BSP chief Mayawati is attacking the Congress," Modi said in Pratapgarh. Cyclone Fani kills 16, Narendra Modi to visit Odisha today The toll caused by Cyclone Fani rose to 16 in Odisha Saturday as the government mounted a massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm that pounded coastal parts of the state, affecting nearly one crore people. The extremely severe cyclonic storm, that made landfall at Puri on Friday, was one of the "rarest of the rare" summer cyclones the first to hit Odisha in 43 years and one of the three to hit in the last 150 years It unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 240 kilometres per hour, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering into West Bengal, officials said. It was the severest cyclone to hit the state since the Super Cyclone of 1999, which had claimed nearly 10,000 lives and devastated vast areas of the state. The toll due to Cyclone Fani, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 16 on Saturday four deaths in Mayurbhanj district, 3 each in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Jajpur; and 1 each in Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Kendrapara, officials said. Modi is likely to visit Odisha. He spoke to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and assured continuous support from the Centre. Reviewers find flaws with Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Adding to the company's flawed products, early reviewers found that Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has some battery problems. According to a recent report, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10s 25W battery lasts shorter than the batteries of older Galaxy Note series. Apparently, Samsung Galaxy Note 10s battery is way behind the competition. In 30 minutes, while the Galaxy Note 10 only manages 37 percent charge, in the same duration its competition reaches half charge. CSK aim to maintain pole position as KXIP battle for last playoffs spot Having already assured themselves of a playoff spot, defending champions Chennai Super Kings aim to maintain their top spot with a win over Kings XI Punjab in their last IPL league encounter in Mohali on Sunday. Punjab have a slim chance of finishing in the top-four as they have a negative net run rate. They need to beat CSK by a handsome margin to leapfrog SRH on NRR and hope Mumbai Indians inflict a heavy defeat on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the other match on Sunday. 'Do-or-die' game for KKR as MI gun for top-two finish With the Royal Challengers Bangalore beating Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, Kolkata Knight Riders will keep no stone unturned as they take on Mumbai Indians in a must-win Indian Premier League game on Sunday. KKR are level with SRH on 12 points but have an inferior net run rate. A win will ensure KKR reach the playoffs along with CSK, DC and MI. A win for MI will ensure they finish in the top-two and enter the qualifiers. The strongest cyclone to hit India in five years killed at least 12 people in eastern Odisha state before swinging north-eastwards into Bangladesh on Saturday, where five more people died and more than a million were moved to safety. Dhaka/Bhubaneswar: The strongest cyclone to hit India in five years killed at least 12 people in eastern Odisha state before swinging north-eastwards into Bangladesh on Saturday, where five more people died and more than a million were moved to safety. Tropical Cyclone Fani, which made landfall early on Friday, lost some of its power and was downgraded to a Depression by the India Meteorological Department on Saturday as the storm hovered over Bangladesh. The fear of a major disaster is mostly over as (Fani) has weakened, Shamsuddin Ahmed, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, told reporters. A storm surge still breached embankments to submerge dozens of villages on Bangladeshs low-lying coast, a disaster ministry official in Dhaka said. The storm also destroyed several houses in the Noakhali district, where a two-year-old child and a 12-year-old girl were killed and about 30 people were injured, local official Tanmoy Das told Reuters. In all, at least five people had been killed, 63 injured, and more than the 1,000 houses had been damaged, Bangladeshi authorities said. In India, authorities were assessing damage left behind by Fani, which had spent days building power over the northern reaches of the Bay of Bengal before tearing into Odisha. Indian media reported that at least 12 people had died across the state, with most deaths caused by falling trees, but a mass evacuation before the tropical cyclone made landfall averted a greater loss of life. The seaside temple town of Puri, which lay directly in the path of Fani, suffered extensive damage as winds gusting up to 200 kmph tore off tin roofs, snapped power lines, and uprooted trees on Friday. Destruction is unimaginable... Puri is devastated, Odishas Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi told Reuters, adding that 116 people were reported injured across the state. Video footage taken from an Indian Navy aircraft showed extensive flooding in areas around Puri, with wide swathes of land submerged in the aftermath of the storm. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik said the electricity infrastructure in Puri and parts of an adjoining district had been completely devastated. We have the challenge of having to set up the entire electrification afresh, he told reporters. At least six people died in Bhubaneswar, Odishas state capital, where fallen trees blocked roads and electricity supply was hit. Ashok Patnaik, director of Capital Hospital, one of the largest state-run hospitals in Bhubaneswar, said it had received four dead bodies on Friday and two on Saturday. All are cyclone related, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the midst of a general election, said in a tweet that he would visit Odisha on Monday. Mass evacuation The cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal can last from April to December, and some storms can be deadly. In 1999, a super-cyclone battered the coast of Odisha for 30 hours, killing 10,000 people. Since then, technological advances have helped weather forecasters track the cyclones more accurately, giving authorities more time to prepare, and a mass evacuation of nearly a million people saved thousands of lives in 2013. This time, as cyclone Fani approached, Odisha moved 1.2 million people to safety in 24 hours, which Patnaik described as one of the biggest human evacuations in history. Shelters were set up in schools and other safe buildings to accommodate the evacuees, who included scores of tourists. More than 100,000 government officials, 45,000 volunteers, and 2,000 civil society groups were mobilized, and 9,000 shelters and 7,000 kitchens pressed into service, Patnaik said. Instead of it being a tragedy of humongous proportions, we are in the process of restoring critical infrastructure, he said. Neighboring West Bengal state escaped substantial damage, but authorities moved nearly 42,000 people to safer locations. Electricity has been restored in most places. In the next two days, the situation will be normal, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said in a statement. About 1.2 million people living in the most vulnerable districts in Bangladesh had also been moved to some 4,000 shelters. The major challenge India faces and will continue to face in the foreseeable future comes from Chinas growing assertiveness in South Asia. From the perspective of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this parliamentary election is all about securing Indias national security. The ruling party has left no stone unturned in ensuring that the electoral discourse during the campaign is completely dominated by Pakistan and terrorism, which are often used synonymously to strike an instant chord with the ordinary people. This tactic may be extremely useful for electioneering, but the reality is no longer hidden from sensible observers of Indias foreign policy. The major challenge India faces and will continue to face in the foreseeable future comes from Chinas growing assertiveness in South Asia and the Indian Ocean. Chinas avoidable competition with India for power and influence in South Asia and Indian Ocean has contributed to the two countries troubled perceptions of each other and accounts in part for the slowness of improvement in their bilateral relations. Chinas growing interest in South Asian geography is largely the result of its perceived geostrategic vulnerability that its landlocked southern, western and northern fronts impose. Beijings connectivity projects are basically aimed at opening many shorter and safer routes into the Indian Ocean for securing its energy requirements. But this has far-reaching implications on Indian interests. The period since 2014 is a clear witness to the fact that the Modi government is not oblivious to Chinas rise, and has been trying to manage its ramifications with various strategic measures. However, any other prime minister would have done what Modi did during the last five years. The growing power differential between India and China would have forced any regime in New Delhi to reckon with the dire consequences of Chinas rising challenge. The government which will be formed after the parliamentary elections will need to pay immediate attention to dealing with the Xi Jinping-led dispensation in Beijing. Notwithstanding the hype surrounding Modis electioneering, Pakistan is nothing but a strategic nuisance for India. The manner in which the senior functionaries of the Modi government have projected the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council as a huge diplomatic win for India only underscores this fact. The dominant feeling among Indias academic and expert circles is that Chinas acquiescence to the labelling of Azhar is only tactical; it is not a transformative shift in Beijings ties with Islamabad. The China puzzle has constantly bothered the Modi governments foreign policy makers. It must go to the credit of the Modi government that despite Chinas bullying tactics, New Delhi firmly stood up to Beijing during the Doka La stand-off in 2017. India has continued to boycott Xis ambitious geopolitical project the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with firmness and deftness on grounds of national sovereignty even before the Western world began to realise its inherently destabilising potential and decided to join the chorus of criticism. However, this did not prevent Modi in reaching out to Xi with the Wuhan summit in 2018. Even though India cannot claim to have received anything valuable from this summit, the Modi government has not discarded the spirit of Wuhan; there was no stringent rhetoric against the BRI this time compared to 2017. But there should be no doubt that despite the pretense of multilateralism, the BRI remains a unilateral initiative; as long as labour and materials continue to be imported from China, the BRI projects cannot boost local economies. Modi has emphasised the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indias Act East policy besides also underlining ASEANs centrality in Indias Indo-Pacific vision as articulated by him. However, China is not unaware of Indias outreach towards Southeast Asia, and is accordingly increasing its military and economic footprints to bring the ASEAN countries into line with Beijings policy. Not only that, at the latest BRI summit in Beijing, the Chinese leadership has listed the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network besides the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the focus areas of BRI. Chinas increasing militarisation of Tibet has already impinged on Indian security, and now, China is planning to extend a railway line from Tibet to Kathmandu. New Delhi can ignore this threat at its own peril. It is undeniable that the Modi government has discarded Indias traditional hesitation about cosying up to the West; in particular, Modi has invested a great deal in New Delhis growing bonhomie with Washington. Although Japan is Americas closest Asian ally, India-US bilateral relationship is fast becoming an important pillar of Washingtons regional security strategy, and the US now supports and encourages a bigger political and security role for India in the Indo-Pacific. The revival of the Quadrilateral involving India, the US, Japan and Australia after almost a decade is a reflection that keeping away from the Quad for fear of hurting Chinese sensitivities is no longer pragmatic. There are strong reasons to believe that the goal of blocking and rolling back Chinas economic and military influence is uppermost in the China policy of the Donald Trump administration. All other concerns seem subordinated to that goal. Under the Modi government, India has however not yet reached this stage. South Asias strategic environment has become so fluid that new Indian government will need to spend more time in strategising about China. There is a feeling that since 1998, when the Vajpayee government identified Chinese threat as the primary reason for nuclear explosions in Pokhran, India has been unsuccessful in effectively assessing and managing the challenge emanating from China. The new government can no longer afford to remain complacent about it. Indias foreign policy has been quite energetic and dynamic during the last five years. It remains to be seen whether it will remain the same after the results of parliamentary elections are finally out. It must be mentioned that Chinese premier Li Keqiang was the first foreign leader to call up Modi in May 2014 after his outstanding electoral victory. He also sent Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi next month to visit New Delhi to hold discussions with Sushma Swaraj and Modi. But to Chinas utter amazement, Modi chose Japan as his first bilateral visit outside South Asia in August 2014. Given the frigid nature of Beijing-Tokyo ties, this visit was a clear signal about the centrality of China in Modis foreign policy. In Japan, he had remarked: The world is divided into camps. One camp believes in expansionist policies, while the other believes in development. We have to decide whether the world should get caught in the grip of expansionist policies, or whether we should lead it on the path of development and create opportunities that take it to greater heights. There was no direct mention of China, but nobody missed it either. It is too early to predict as to where would the next prime minister go and what would s/he utter in reference to China. But there is no doubt that the challenge from China can only be contained, rather than eliminated. Yet the ability to respond to it will eventually depend on whether the next government meets the challenge with a comprehensive and consistent strategy that grabs the bull by its horns. The last phase in the seven-stage Lok Sabha elections 2019 will be held today, on 19 May, with 59 Lok Sabha constituencies across nine states set to vote. The seventh and the last phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 will be held on Sunday (19 May), with as many as 59 Lok Sabha constituencies across six states and a Union Territory scheduled to vote. This Lok Sabha election, nearly 90 crore voters will cast their ballots till 19 May the last phase with the results on 23 May. Of the lot, nearly 1.5 crore voters are in the age group of 18 to 19, which means they will be voting for the very first time this election. The most basic unit of the electoral process in India is the polling station, where eligible citizens go to vote for their preferred candidate. For the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission has made arrangements for over 10 lakh polling booths across the 543 parliamentary constituencies in India. Here is a step-by-step guide to finding your polling booth ahead of the voting: Step 1: Go to the National Voters Service Portal website. Step 2: On the extreme right hand side of the website, under 'Citizen Information', click on 'Booth, AC, PC'. Step 3: Users will be redirected to a page with two tabs 'Search by Details' and 'Search by EPIC Number'. Either option can be used to find the polling station. Step 4: In the 'Search by Details' tab, users have to provide details such as their name, their father or husband's name, gender and date of birth or age before choosing their state, district and Assembly/ Lok Sabha constituency from a drop-down menu. Step 5 (optional): Alternatively, users can also choose to locate the geographical details on a map. Once done, they can complete the process by entering the captcha text and clicking search. Step 6: In the 'Search by EPIC Number' tab, users have to enter their EPIC (Election Photo Identity Card) number, choose the state where their Lok Sabha constituency is located from the drop-down list and then enter the mandatory captcha text. After submitting the required information in either tab, users can get the exact address of their polling station. The information box also includes a "view details" button, that redirects users to a page with additional details, such as part name, part number and serial number. Voters can also find the name and number of the Booth Level Officer, District Election Officer and the Electoral Roll Registration Officer. The Election Commission has launched a Voter Helpline app, the 1950 voter helpline and nvsp.in to help voters check their polling station and contact details of booth level, electoral registration officers and district officers. Around 90 crore people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase Lok Sabha Election 2019 that begun on 11 April, which is nearly the combined population of the whole of Europe and Brazil. About 432 million of these voters are women. With a view to ensure a smooth Lok Sabha election and Assembly elections (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh), the Election Commission of India strengthened its toll-free voter helpline 1950 in February 2019 making it easy for voters to get authentic information about their voter registration. Voters enrolled in the electoral roll can check details of their personal information, polling station where they have to go to vote on polling day and contact details of booth-level officers, electoral registration officers and district election officers by using the voter helpline mobile app, or by visiting the nvsp.in portal or by calling 1950 helpline. Electors can also call the helpline to register any election-related complaint between 8 am and 8 pm in Hindi or English on all working days. The callers identity is kept anonymous. Services through SMS can also be availed by citizens by sending SMS without any cost to 1950. Here is the list of services that can be availed on SMS and the format to send SMS to 1950: To check your details in the electoral roll: Send an SMS in the format spacespace<0> (for reply in English) or <1> (for reply in the regional language) To get address of polling station where you are needed to to cast vote: SEND an SMS in the format: space To fetch the contact details of Booth Level Officers, Electoral Registration Officers and District Election Officers: Send an SMS in the format space The National Testing Agency has issued a set of instructions for candidates who are appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) today. NEET exam 2019 | The National Testing Agency has issued a set of instructions for candidates appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) today (Sunday, 5 May). The exam is scheduled to be held from 1 pm to 5 pm across the country. Candidates can check their exam centre on their admit cards, which are available on the official website ntaneet.nic.in. Candidates are advised to download the latest version of the admit card as 86 examination centres were changed ahead of the day of the exam, reports said. The revised admit cards will have the latest details of their examination, including the centre. The latest advisory seeks to inform candidates about the basic dos and don'ts, items that cannot be carried into the exam hall, the dress code and other relevant details. NTA also urges candidates to not participate in any wrong practices while writing the exam. NEET was postponed in Odisha in view of the disruption caused by Cyclone Fani on Friday and Saturday. Higher Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam was quoted by ANI as saying on Saturday that NEET had been postponed on request from the Naveen Patnaik government as relief and rehabilitation efforts were still underway in the state. New dates for the exam have not been announced yet. The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Goa president Ahraz Mulla had written to the president, prime minister and Ministry of Human Resource Development, requesting them to postpone NEET in view of the difficulties faced by students due to Cyclone Fani in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Almost 13 lakh candidates from across the country are likely to appear for the exam at thousands of centres. Here are NTA's latest instructions for NEET 2019: - The reporting time for all candidates is noon, and the gates will shut at 1.30 pm sharp. No candidate will be allowed to enter the exam centre after 1.30 pm under any circumstances. Candidates are advised to plan their travel ahead to avoid any situation that might delay their arrival at the centre. - Candidates must have a copy of their admit card, preferably in colour, which contains details such as the reporting time, gate closing time, date and time of the exam and venue. - Candidates can only carry their admit card, two passport-size photographs and an original, valid ID proof (PAN card, driving licence, voter ID card, passport, Aadhaar card, ration card) inside the centre. - The differently-abled need to carry a persons with disability certificate. - Students are requested to cooperate with authorities during frisking. Candidates who don't undergo frisking cannot enter the exam centre. - Candidates are not allowed to carry items such as geometry/pencil box, handbag, purse, any kind of paper/stationery/textual material (printed or written material), eatables and water (loose or packed), mobile phone/ear phones/ microphone/pager, calculator, docuPen, slide rules, log tables, camera, tape recorder, to wear/carry any type of watch including electronic watches with facilities of calculator, any metallic item or electronic gadgets/devices. - Students will be provided with a black ball-point pen at the examination hall to write and mark their attendance on the sheet, test booklet, and OMR answer sheet. Hence, students are requested to not carry any stationery. Photo: The Canadian Press Green party Leader Andrew Weaver is calling for a ban on the use of taxpayer money for political attack ads after the B.C. Liberals bought billboards blaming Premier John Horgan for a spike in gas prices. The digital billboards along commuter routes on the Lower Mainland say "Gas prices?" and "Spending more to commute?" followed by "Blame John Horgan." Read more Pakistan lobbed mortars and opened fire from small arms at forward posts and villages along the LoC in Poonch Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan Army on Sunday lobbed mortars and opened fire using small arms at forward posts of the Indian Army and villages along the Line of Control in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The shelling and firing from across the border in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch and Keri sector in Rajouri began around 11 am, PTI quoted a defence spokesperson as saying. He also said that the Indian Army was retaliating befittingly, and there was no immediate report of any casualty on the Indian side in the Pakistani firing. Ending a welcome lull of over a fortnight on Thursday, Pakistan targeted Shahpur and Kirni sectors of Poonch, followed by firing in Qasba sector in the same district the next day. On Saturday, chief of the Northern Command, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, visited the Ladakh region in the state and was briefed on the operational preparedness of the force in the sector. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief visited the headquarters of the Fire and Fury Corps The army commander was briefed by Lieutenant General YK Joshi, General Officer Commanding of the Fire and Fury Corps, on operational readiness in the Ladakh sector. Singh appreciated the high standards of professionalism displayed by all ranks of the Corps, the spokesman said. With inputs from agencies The Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka, has not taken well to Narendra Modi's comment 'corrupt no. 1' comment on Rajiv Gandhi at ralies in Uttar Pradesh. Unsurprisingly, the Congress, led by party chief Rahul Gandhi, has not taken well to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at election campaigns in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh and Basti on Saturday. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1' (corrupt number 1)," Modi said, referring to the Bofors case, a defence deal that allegedly involved bribes. In response to Modi's remarks, Rahul on Sunday wrote on Twitter that "battle is over" for the prime minister. "Modiji, your karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you," he tweeted. Rahul signed off with a reference to his now popular show of affection for the prime minister in Parliament last year. "All my love and a huge hug," he wrote. Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father wont protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2019 His sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka also tweeted in response to Modi's jibe and said the "people of Amethi" will give a befitting response to the insult to Rajiv. "The prime minister, who politicises and insults the martyrdom of brave personnel has, in an unbridled craze, also insulted a humble and pure man's martyrdom. The people of Amethi, for whom Rajiv Gandhi lost his life, will reply. Yes, Modiji, this country will never forgive betrayal," she said. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 5, 2019 Congress leader P Chidambaram also took to Twitter to respond to Modi's remarks. The former finance minister said Modi had crossed "all entitlements of propriety and decency" by "defaming" a person who died in 1991. In a series of tweets, Chidambaram pointed out that the Delhi High Court had declared the charges of corruption against Rajiv Gandhi as "totally baseless". "Does Modi read anything?" he asked. "Did Mr Modi know that the BJP government had decided not to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court decision?" Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda also responded to Modi's comment. "We were hurt by what the prime minister said about Rajiv Gandhi yesterday. Normally, the prime minister of a country speaks for the people and has huge accountability. The prime minister can't speak nonsense. But yesterday, the prime minister told Rahul Gandhi 'aapke pita no 1 corrupt thhe marte waqt'. "Why did he say that? We are ashamed of the statement. I am a Gujarati, too, and come from Gandhiji's state. The people of this state can lie so much and speak such lowly things. This saddens us," ANI quoted him as saying. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said those who are 'pseudo-nationalist' and 'do politics of dividing people' will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifices. "Those whose nationalism is pseudo and whose politics is based on dividing people will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifice for the nation," tweeted Patel. In a veiled reference, Patel also termed Modi, "pseudo nationalist." He said: "India will not forgive such people who have insulted, hurt and abused our martyrs. History is going to record the name of this pseudo nationalist in black ink for all his sins against the nation." A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Outside Dravidian India, not much is comprehended of developments within the region. Among these developments is the long battle between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, over the River Cauvery. The extreme politicisation of the water-sharing dispute has shaped the relationship between the two states at times, provoking enmity based on languages and cultural beliefs between their people. Little do they know, theyve been drinking the same water all along. This is not a personal journey, nor is this a story I was directly impacted by. However, it is one that carries the identity of the place that I come from, the people I am indirectly connected with, and a story that greatly shaped the current environment. As much I stepped away to see the scenario holistically, I was drawn nearer to people who are affected by it. The journalistic route I chose defined my priorities; I listened to stories not to record, but to hear. This five-part series River (S)tresses will someday talk to the world about the place I come from. Read the introduction to this project here, followed by Chapter I The sorrow of the Western Ghats. *** *** *** CHAPTER II According to UN-Water, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the global freshwater withdrawal. Indian agriculture is monsoon dependent and its variations, with high degree of spatial and temporal patterns, will result in either bumper harvest or crop searing droughts in others. As Cauvery leaves the lush hill ranges of Coorg, it falls to the plain lands of Mandya, a district predominantly based on agriculture. Here Cauvery water is utilised for both farming and drinking needs of the population. With paddy and sugarcane being the primary harvest, the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam built on Cauvery is the only source of water for agriculture needs. Often, these farmers are blamed for not sharing Cauvery water with their counterpart in Tamil Nadu, but what is often left untold is that there is lack of sufficient water within the state to meet the crop demands. The water also satisfies the drinking needs of districts of Coorg, Mysore, Mandya and Bengaluru, the states capital. Furthermore, the main crop paddy requires 1,250 mm of stagnant water throughout its growth before the harvest. With insufficient water resources, most of the farmers have been forced to switch from paddy to sugarcane, which requires less water. In exchange, the farmers have to compromise with the crops long duration harvest cycle of one year. The sugarcane crops that yield for 10 years after sowing, with less water intake as compared to paddy, gives them appropriately less income and prosperity. Hence, the farmers who have already sowed sugarcane and cannot change their cultivation due to the crop duration, now face poverty. On the other hand, cultivators who cannot afford to sustain the long duration of sugarcane lose their livelihood. According to the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, a farmers association, claims of 385 farmer suicides due to scarcity in water for agriculture came up between the years 2014-2018. When the water is released from the KRS dam into Tamil Nadu, it is automatically assumed that the irrigational needs of the local regions farmers are met. But, this is not the case as the channels through which the water flows are divided: one for Tamil Nadu and other for the Karnataka farmers. Five canals Chikka Devaraya, Rajarajeshwari, Ramaswamy, Varuna and Visvesvaraya direct the water to the farmlands of the Mandya region; and these are not opened at regular intervals to meet agriculture needs. Unknown to many, the farmers protests to release water into the local canals gets translated as agony over giving away of water to its neighbour, whereas, in reality, the demand to open the local canals is scarcely reported. Moreover, the high-tension 400 kV power line that passes through the fields of farmers results in crop destruction, change in land control and loss of cultivation. The coconut plantations have seen the reduction in the size of the coconuts, while a lot of other trees are dead and barren. Not only are the farmers and land-owners, but also the farm labourers, who do not own a piece of land, are affected. In the time of water shortage, they lose their jobs in farms and are forced to go work in factories. Moreover, the Hebbal Industrial Area near Mandya has added to the contamination of the river water, while massive agricultural areas have been converted into commercial plots and real estate. The area that houses popular corporates, namely Preethi Granites, HP Gas, Vikranth (JK Tyres), Fine Core, Brooke Bond, Bharat Cancer Hospital, among 1,000 other industries, dump their sewage into the river. The number of farmers being forced to abandon agriculture as a result of the rampant conversion of lands to industry and real estate have to now take the loss at the hands of corporates who have claimed the territory of the waters and its usage. *** *** *** CHAPTER III Running on the borders of both the states for 64 km, Cauvery tumbles into Hogenakkal, of Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu, in form of waterfalls. Provided the water is released from the Krishna Raja Sagara dam, it reaches the Central Water Commission that is stationed at Biligundlu in Krishnagiri within 24 hours. Hogenakkal, a popular tourist destination known for its coracle rides barely serves the needs of the drought-prone districts of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri. Known as the fluorosis belt of Tamil Nadu, the excess presence of fluoride, an acute salt in the groundwater, leads to drastic dental and skeletal problems to the residents of the district. According to the funding agency study, as of 2006, the population of both the districts stand at 2.98 million out of which 1.1 million are below the poverty line. With rainfall of 815 mm annually as against the countrys average of 1,170 mm, the acute shortage and unavailability of surface water, the residents resort to consuming groundwater that contains more than the permissible level of fluoride. While the accepted level of fluoride in water deemed fit for consumption is 1.5 ppm (parts per million), the level is found to be much higher, 2-12 ppm per litre, leading to discolouration and deformities in teeth and other skeletal problems affecting knee joints and bones. Causing an irreversible change, about 52 percent of the population suffer from fluorosis. In Dharmapuri, while the lack of healthy water causes health hazards on one hand, the lack of knowledge what dental fluorosis is (which affects 79 percent of people), on the other hand, has led to ignorance to the disease. While 82 percent of the population do not know the causes, the populations only response to their dental deformities is embarrassment and lack of awareness of causes. To mitigate this, the Congress-led state government of Tamil Nadu in the 1960s came up with the Hogenakkal Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Project during the reign of Mr K Kamaraj, the then chief minister of the state, with a budget of INR 110 crore (16.535 million USD). While the project was mooted, due to political conflict of interests for a period of nearly 50 years, it was finally launched on 29 May 2013, by the AIADMK led state government covering three municipalities, 17 town Panchayats and 7,639 rural areas. However, even after the launch of the programme, only 42 percent of the population is aware of the scheme, while 54 percent still believe it to be introduced for preventing water scarcity in the districts. This unawareness to the disease and the reasons it is caused still pose a problem. On the other hand, the untimely releases of Cauvery have rendered in the unavailability of practising this scheme on a regular basis. The majority of the population still continue using groundwater. The financially stable families use more than two filters to convert the hard water into soft, while the financially unstable households consume hard water with excess fluoride content and continue suffering from fluorosis. *** *** *** Full bibliography and references list here. Next: Chapter IV The Human-Water Conflict Anusha Sundar is a (photo)journalist with an eye for environmental, cultural and human-centric stories. Follow her work on Instagram Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress president Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when 'integrity issues' of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised. New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress president Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned. In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that Rahul Gandhi thinks that the "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi a man of utmost integrity. Responding to comments of Modi that Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug" Jaitley in his tweet said: "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if the integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the Q' connection? No reply has come." Modi, addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no. 1," Modi had said. Jaitley said that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star. "The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" the minister said. The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress's defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls. On former prime minister Manmohan Singh accusing the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits, Jaitley said, "When an economist turns into a politician, he loses sense of both economy and politics". "Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to its lowest-ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Today he regards the world's fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley said. In an interview to PTI, Singh Sunday said India is headed for an economic slowdown and accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits due to its "lack of economic vision". Singh also alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of the economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of seeking to 'topple' the AAP government in Delhi, a day after he was slapped by an alleged party supporter, who was 'disgruntled over the behaviour of some party leaders'. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to "topple" the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Delhi, a day after he was slapped by a supposed "disgruntled AAP supporter". Kejriwal also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's behaviour was indicative of a "dictator". On Saturday, Kejriwal was slapped by a man identified as Suresh during a roadshow in Delhi's Moti Nagar, prompting a strong reaction from AAP, which alleged BJP was behind the "cowardly act". The Delhi Police said preliminary interrogation revealed that the 33-year-old accused, a scrap dealer in the area, was a supporter of the party who used to work as an organiser of AAP's rallies and meetings. However, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the police had planted the man at the roadshow, pointing out that Suresh's wife was a "Modi bhakt". At a press conference on Sunday, Kejriwal said, "This was the ninth attack on me in the past five years, and the fifth attack after becoming the chief minister. I don't think in India's history there has been so many attacks on any chief minister. In India, the Delhi chief minister is the only one whose security is the responsibility of another party, the BJP." The AAP chief also alleged that he was being attacked repeatedly because he "dared" to speak against the Central government. "The BJP wants to topple the AAP government, but it cannot. They cannot shut me up because I won't be cowed down. This is a conspiracy to keep me out of politics," he claimed, adding that Modi showed the "true traits" of a dictator. "A chief minister is attacked and the Central government says they didn't receive a complaint and can't move ahead with further proceedings. The prime minister should resign over it. It's not an attack on Arvind Kejriwal; it's an attack on Delhi's mandate," he said. The Delhi chief minister also said that several Opposition leaders had extended support to AAP after the assault. West Bengal chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee tweeted soon after the incident and said, "Political vandalism. Political goondaism. Political vendetta. Maligning and attacking Opposition leaders shows that BJP has lost the election and is making desperate attempts. We condemn the attack... We are all with you, Arvind." Kejriwal said Opposition leaders from across the country, including Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had called him to express solidarity after he was assaulted. Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modis corrupt number 1 remark, the Congress blamed the Election Commission for failing to act against repeated slandering Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modis corrupt number 1 remark, the Congress blamed the Election Commission for failing to act against repeated slandering, News18 reported. Congress moved the EC over Modis remark at election campaigns in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh and Basti on Saturday, where the prime minister called Rajiv Gandhi bhrashtachaari number 1, referring to the Bofors case. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1'. By hurling abuses, you cannot turn the 50 long years of Modi's tapasya (struggle) into dust," Modi said. "By tarnishing my image and by making me look small, these people want to form an unstable and a weak government in the country," he further said. The party further said that Modis remarks are a result of frustration and fear of losing the Lok Sabha polls. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also wrote on Twitter on Sunday that the battle is over for the Prime Minister. Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father wont protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2019 Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi also responded to Modis remarks. "The prime minister, who politicises and insults the martyrdom of brave personnel has, in an unbridled craze, also insulted a humble and pure man's martyrdom. The people of Amethi, for whom Rajiv Gandhi lost his life, will reply. Yes, Modiji, this country will never forgive betrayal," she tweeted. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 5, 2019 Among others to respond were Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel and Sam Pitroda. 'De mortuis nihil nisi bonum'. Of the dead, speaking nothing but the good. Has the PM heard of this ancient wisdom? Does any religion allow anyone to speak ill of the dead? The PM's remarks on former PM Rajiv Gandhi show the extent of his desperation and fear of defeat. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 5, 2019 India will not forgive such people who have insulted, hurt and abused our martyrs History is going to record the name of this pseudo nationalist in black ink for all his sins against the nation Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 5, 2019 Meanwhile, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar defended Modi in a press conference in Delhi on Sunday, calling the Congress party dynasts. "Yesterday, the prime minister told the truth about Gandhi family, especially about Rajiv Gandhi, now the brother-sister have started hurling new abuses. Whatever the prime minister said is true," Javadekar said. At these rallies, Modi also said that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which are contesting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance in Uttar Pradesh, will be at each others throats when results are declared on 23 May. Modis remark referred to the Bofors scam, which was first reported during Rajiv Gnadhis tenure as prime minister. There were allegations that Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors had paid kickbacks to Rajiv Gandhi and others for the sale of its weapons to India. The war of words between Rahul Gandhi and Modi comes only a day before the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls, in which Congress bastion Amethi will also vote. - With inputs from PTI The district election officer in Bhopal sought a reply from Pragya Singh Thakur on the EC notice over a complaint of her campaigning during the 3-day period when she was barred from doing so by the poll watchdog. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur has been sent a notice by District Election Officer in Bhopal over a complaint of her campaigning during the 3-day period when she was barred by the Election Commission (EC) from campaigning. "I'm a Sanyasi. My life's base is spiritualism, Indian cultural symbols and values. If somebody stops me from practising this, I will leave it to their wisdom," said Thakur on the matter. The Election Commission of India on Wednesday debarred Thakur from campaigning for three days in the Lok Sabha polls in the wake of her remark that she is proud of Babri Masjid's demolition. The remark was found violative of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the poll watchdog. The district election officer sought a reply from Thakur on the notice. Lok Sabha Election 2019; Model Code of Conduct Watch: The Election Commission (EC) has issued a notice to BJP's Chandigarh candidate Kirron Kher, seeking a reply after she shared a video on Twitter in which children were seen campaigning for her. Auto refresh feeds However, Sharma deleted the post later, but said that he did not understand why was the poll body was so "allergic" to a person cheering the heroic act of its soldiers and rejoicing over an act of national honour. "The Election Commission is biased against nationalist leaders like me," he said. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma for putting up two posters featuring him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Facebook. The Commission asked him to take down the post and give a reply by Thursday. Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Pratapgarh Lok Sabha constituency in-charge Ashok Tripathi was among 68 booked for poll code violation on Wednesday. A case was registered against Tripathi, divisional president Ajay Pasi, Kamlesh Verma and 65 unnamed people at Lalganj Kotwali on Wednesday evening, police said. On Saturday, sector magistrate Pradip Kumar reached Verma Nagar crossing where an election meeting was going on without permission. The organisers failed to produce any document to establish they had permission for the meeting, the police said According to UT administration, a complaint was received on the C-vigil app on Wednesday, following which the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) took cognizance and thereafter issued notices for convening the election meetings at government properties Community Center in Sector 29, Ram Darbar in community centre at Sector 37, Chandigarh. Show cause notices were issued to BJP's Chandigarh chief Sanjay Tandon , four BJP councillors, two nominated councillors and three officials of the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh on Wednesday for violating the model code of conduct. The notice asked the officials to reply within 24 hours as to why disciplinary action may not be taken against them. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to take action against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by making unverified allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ANI reported . Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, We have requested the EC to take action against Rahul Gandhi for levelling unverified allegations against Narendra Modi on Wednesday in Ahmedabad, when the Model Code of Conduct is already in effect." Congress registered it's first complaint MCC violation complaint with the Election Commission on Thursday. In Maharashtra, the party gave a written complaint to the chief electoral officer against government advertisements still displayed outside state transport buses, bus stops and petrol pumps. Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that despite the MCC coming into force, ST buses, bus stops and petrol pumps among other public places were displaying government advertisements. He said that the commission should ask the government about it and register a case of violation, and wrote a letter to the Maharashtra chief electoral officer (CEO) Ashwani Kumar for the same. In a letter, the Goa NSUI president has said, The NSUI, Goa writes to you demanding: ban of the movie in theatres in states during the 'election silence' period that is two days prior to the day of voting and ban of the movie in the Lok Sabha Constituency where the prime minister would be contesting. The NSUI demands a ban on the movie 48 hours prior to voting which is known as election silence where a party is not allowed to promote or campaign. The National Students' Union of India Goa, the Congress party's student wing, on Friday urged the Election Commission to ban the release of the Narendra Modi biopic, alleging that the movie was propaganda by the BJP to influence voters during the Lok Sabha elections. Das's photographs allegedly appear on posters of schemes like the mid-day meal. The party also told the newspaper that tablets distributed to teachers under the Gyansetu initiative have Das's photograph on display and alleged that this too was a violation of the model code of conduct. The Aam Aadmi Party's East Singhbhum wing) has written to the deputy commissioner of the Election Commission, alleging that posters of Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das were seen inside school campuses in the district, reported Times of India . The notice also stated that comments on other political parties had been visible on boards put up along the sides of the e-rickshaw. The notice issued to her states she had displayed her name in a poster on an e-rickshaw on which she travelled across city, on 14 March, reported ANI. An assistant returning officer of Vidhan Sabha constituency 25, Jagdish Lal, has issued a notice for violation of the Model Code of Conduct on the mayor of Haridwar Municipal Corporation, Anita Sharma, reported Daily Pioneer. It is the duty of the EC to conduct a fair election and protect democracy. The threatening by Delhi Police is still continuing even after MCC has come into force. The Delhi Police is acting like BJPs goons. We have asked that it should be stopped, he added. They (call centre) are not doing something proxy. AAP has hired them. AAP has an agreement with them, Sisodia clarified. An AAP delegation lead by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia met EC officials urging them to suspend three Delhi Police officials whom he accused of working on behalf of BJP As per BJPs directions, names of 24 lakh voters were stuck off voter list. We launched a campaign to get their name re-registered in the voter list. Delhi Police acting on behest of BJP has been raiding the call centre with whose help we did this campaign, Sisodia said. Delhi police is threatening the owner of the call centre that if you work for AAP, we will make you fall in line, Sisodia claimed. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday complained about the alleged harassment of the owner of a call centre by the Delhi Police on the "behest of BJP." The call centre was alleged to be hired by AAP to "help people whose names were allegedly stuck off the voters' list," ANI reported. On 17 March, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera had told ANI: "Whenever farmers of this country and unemployed youths ask tough questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he hides behind terrorists and Pakistans intelligence agency ISI." On 16 March, Khera had said that 'Modi' stood for 'Masood, Osama, Dawood and ISI' during a television debate, a comment which the Congress leader is facing flak for. BJP has appealed to the Election Commission to take appropriate action under penal laws and election laws, for allegedly violating the MCC. Calling it a blatant violation of the MCC, the BJP in its letter said: "Such speech amounts to a violation of the MCC. The MCC Manual 2019 under Chapter 4 Clause 4.4 prescribes no criticism of other parties or their workers on the basis of unverified allegations or on distortions." The BJP in its letter to the Chief Electoral officer has asserted that 'comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with dreaded terrorists is not only unparliamentary but defamatory and deplorable.' The BJP in its complaint has claimed that Khera, during a news channel's event, had stated that 'Modi stands for Masood Azhar, Osama, Dawood and ISI.' Since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on 10 March, the Delhi Police has also seized 82 unlicensed weapons, 2,113 live cartridges, 16,495 litres of illicit liquor and 94.337 kilograms of drugs. Also, four FIRs have been registered against political parties , including two against AAP and one against the BJP, for violating the Model Code of Conduct. Chief Electoral Office of Delhi Ranbir Singh said 90,937 posters, hoardings and banners had been removed from across the city on Monday. He added that 235 FIRs had been registered under the Excise Act and 242 people had been arrested for violating the Act. "In order to secure votes, Chief Minister Rao has used illegal means and made statements against the Hindus of this country. He tried his level best to flare up religious tension and instigate the people of other religions against Hindus," claimed the VHP in its memorandum. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has approached Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar for action against Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by "defaming" Hindus during a public meeting. The group has handed over a memorandum to Kumar, in which it has claimed that KCR had made many derogatory and defamatory statements against Hindus and tried to flare up "religious tension". Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Monday accused Palladam AIADMK MLA A Natarajan of violating the Model Code of Conduct by inspecting a number of developmental projects in his constituency. They raised the issue at the all-party meeting organised by the district administration at the collectorate in Tirupur. CPM Tirupur district executive member N Gopalakrishnan also presented photos as evidence at the meeting. The District Revenue Office said it has yet to recieve a complaint. The Ranchi district administration on Monday filed a poll code violation case against Union minister Jayant Sinha, who is an MP from Hazaribag. The case was filed on a complaint by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha that wrote to Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer L Khiangte, claiming that Sinha has used the convocation ceremony at IIM-Ranchi to publicise the BJP government's achievements, in gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct. In order to put a check on the poll irregularities and other malfunctions ahead and during the Lok Sabha elections, a 24x7 control room was opened at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bhubaneswar on Friday. The control room would monitor activities like poll irregularities, model code of conduct (MCC) violation, and other violations such as the distribution of illegal inducements, black money and hate speech. The CEO office has issued a number 0674-2395015 for this purpose. Based on these complaints, the control room will direct the concerned authorities which will then spring into action to check the violation, reports said. However, state BJP president Jitu Vaghani dismissed the complaint and said that there was no violation of the code of conduct. "The chief minister has certain rights. Election campaigns are not allowed (from government buildings), but it is his residence. Chief Minister's security... everything has to be considered. We are meeting and having discussions at the CM residence. Campaign or speeches are not being done," he said, according to a DNA report . "The CM's official residence is a government building. Political activities are not allowed there when the model code of conduct is in force. BJP's meetings of 17 and 18 March for selection of candidates (for Lok Sabha elections) at the chief minister's residence are a violation of the code of conduct," Balubhai Patel, chairman of Gujarat Congress' election coordination committee, said in a complaint to the state's Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishna. Following the complaint, the CEO office directed the Gandhinagar collector to look into the matter and to submit a report. The Gujarat Congress on Monday complained to the election authorities that BJP had violated the model code of conduct by holding meetings of its parliamentary panels at the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's official residence. The highest number of 85 complaints were received from Pune, followed by Thane (61), Solapur (44), Mumbai suburban (40), Mumbai city (39) and Nagpur (26). Most of the complaints pertained to banners being put up without permission, the official said. The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Office has received as many as 400 complaints of MCC violations through its cVIGIL app, an official said Wednesday. "The local team gets an alert once the complaint is lodged, and our people reach the spot and verify the details. If the complaint is valid, we record the details and initiate an inquiry," the official added. "The very title of the book and its display on the election poster is an open declaration by the candidate that he is Hindu. This is a subtle attempt aimed at exploiting Hindu religious sentiments. This is a gross violation of election rules and the Model Code of Conduct. Significantly, the poster was published and publicised after the election notification," the BJP's complaint read. The Kerala BJP on Tuesday complained to the Chief Electoral Officer in Thiruvananthapuram, claiming that the posters put up by the Congress related to MP Shashi Tharoor's book Why Am I A Hindu violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The saffron party claimed APP had burned the manifestos to attack the BJP on the issue of full statehood to Delhi. "AAP leaders violated the MCC by either not seeking permission for such events from the Election Commission, or they sought permission for election meetings from the EC and misused this permission to violate the MCC by burning BJP's manifesto," read the letter written by SN Verma, co-convener of Delhi BJP's legal department. The Delhi BJP on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Office in the city, seeking action against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly "indulging in violent acts" and violating the MCC. The BJP claimed AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had burned copies of its 2014 manifesto on 13 March. The BJP leader claimed he had not made the music video, and that media houses had covered it while he was recording of the song, WION reported. West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu said, ''We are keeping a close watch on media and through the surveillance, we came to know of the election campaign song of Babul Supriyo... This is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. We have issued a showcause notice to Babul Supriyo. He has to reply to the notice within 48 hours." The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a showcause notice to BJP leader and Union minister Babul Supriyo for violating the MCC. The notice is related to a campaign song, which Supriyo allegedly promoted on electronic media and social media sites without a media certification from the EC. The Trinamool Congress had also registered a complaint against the song with the EC He said that they did so "by publicising materials in a bid to appeal to religious sentiments of voters." Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday wrote to the chief electoral officer (CEO) or Kerala in order to "file a complaint in relation to the malicious attempt by BJP and the Sabarimala Karma Samithi to vitiate free and fair polls in Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency." Earlier in March, a BJP delegation comprising Ravi Shankar Prasad, JP Nadda and others had urged the EC to declare Bengal as a super sensitive zone while expressing apprehensions that the ruling TMC government might not allow free and fair elections to be held in West Bengal. A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation comprising Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Chandan Mitra approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday to lodge a complaint against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The TMC claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modis photo was being published on railway tickets as part of a government scheme, which, the party said, was in violation of the MCC. It urged the poll body to ensure that the pictures were taken off rail tickets. The Cubbon Park police have booked Praveen, Abhilash and Raj under various sections of the Representation of People's Act and also under the Karnataka Police Act. In a complaint to the police on 19 March, a flying squad official for the 163 Vidhana Sabha constituency, stated that actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj had used a mike and campaigned for elections at a public rally held at the Mahatma Gandhi Circle near MG Road on 12 March. The rally was organised by one Praveen K and Abhilash CS under the banner Media and Freedom of Expression and it was a non-political programme. Several writers, artists and activists attended the programme where Prakash Raj used the mike and began to canvass seeking votes, Murthy stated in his complaint. A whatsapp video footage as evidence of Raj speaking on the mike was handed over to police. However, by the time the flying squad reached the spot, the programme was over and people had dispersed. Permission was taken to conduct a non-political programme but Raj used it as a platform canvassing for the election. This amounts to violation of the model code of conduct, Murthy said in his complaint. Twenty-nine FIRs have been registered against various political parties in Delhi so far, including three each against the AAP and the BJP, for violating the model code of conduct, Delhi's chief electoral officer said on Wednesday. Special CEO Satnam Singh said that the poll body has also removed more than 1.8 lakh hoardings, banners and posters since the enforcement of model code of conduct. Of the three FIRs registered against the AAP, one is related to using auto rickshaw for election campaign, Singh said. In most of the 29 cases, FIRs were registered against political parties for defacing public property, he said. Singh said 91 FIRs have been registered and 112 people arrested under the Arms Act since March 12 while police have seized 99 unlicensed weapons from them. As many as 296 FIRs have been registered and 302 violators arrested under the Excise Act, PTI reported. 21 March, Thursday | Three FIRs each against AAP, BJP so far for violating MCC in Delhi; 29 against all political parties Mallikarjun Utture, the Expenditure Observer appointed by the Central Election Commission for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary seat , said on Wednesday that government officers should immediately suo motu register a case if there was any violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Utture said that the officers should act in such cases without waiting for the public to lodge a complaint. The officers should maintain a tight vigil to see that there was no violation of the Model Code of Conduct during campaigning by political parties. The different teams and squads appointed for election purposes should ensure that there was no effort being made to induce or influence the voters. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhis interaction with students of a womens college in Chennai did not violate the model code of conduct (MCC), though it has sought a report on his speech. Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo said local election officials have reported that there was no violation in terms of permission obtained by Stella Maris College for Women to host the interaction on 13 March. He said the District Electoral Officer (DEO) had informed him that there was permission for Rahul's event. So, there is no violation of the MCC. However, Sahoo sought further information on Rahul's speech. Have sought further information on what kind of speech was given... have asked the DEO to give a report based on the speech content, he said. Speaking to reporters after a Congress delegation met the Election Commission on Monday, Kapil Sibal said, "We represented to the EC that there is a film being made on Narendra Modi, to be released just a few days before election. It's purpose is political. Three producers and actor belong to BJP; the director is involved in 'Vibrant Gujarat' (investors' summit). This is violative of all norms." Earlier Banerjee had filed a complaint against Supriyo on 20 March for the circulation of false, unverified and distorted news criticising his family members. On 24 March, Supriyo made another defamatory statement in public, Banerjee cited in the letter. In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Banerjee said that Supriyo has maligned his image by levelling false and unverified allegations against him. Banerjee alleged that Supriyo on 24 March made a public statement against him which was "vindictive, libelous, and defamatory." The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Civil Aviation , asking them why the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were not removed from rail tickets and Air India boarding passes even after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect. They've been asked to submit a reply within three days to the commission. The Odisha Congress on Monday filed a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state against BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Puri Sambit Patra alleging violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Odisha Pradesh Congress in its complaint said that Patra violated MCC by holding the idol of Lord Jagannath in his hand during an election rally. The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday sent a notice to four producers of the upcoming film ' PM Narendra Modi '. Congress and the CPM had complained to the commission about the film's release, saying it's being done with political intent. EC had earlier sent notices to two newspapers on 20 March over publishing 'PM Narendra Modi' film's poster for promotions Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi and producer of film 'PM Narendra Modi', Sandeep Singh arrived at the Election Commission in Delhi on Thursday after complaints were filed over the release of the movie and ban of its trailer in light of the Model Code of Code (MCC) being in force ahead of the Lok Sabha election. The EC committee headed by Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of the MCC division Sandeep Saxena came to the conclusion that Modi's speech did not violate the guidelines because "he did not mention the BJP, nor did he appeal for votes" in the duration of his address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on 'Mission Shakti' did not violate the Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission announced on Friday, even as the Opposition had accused the prime minister of violations and "publicity mongering". Cups sporting Main Bhi Chowkidar ads, the prime minister's pet campaign unveiled just before elections, were spotted at a Shatapdi train today. Tea was served in these paper cups but these were later withdrawn after some passengers brought this to the notice of railway officials and pictures of it became viral on social media. Ministry of Railways reacted to the controversy over tea being served in Shatabdi train in 'Main bhi Chowkidar' cups. The railway officials said that the incident happened today but the cups were immediately withdrawn. The ministry said that these are not procured from any political party and penal action will be taken against the contractor, and the railways supervisor. The office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has shot off a letter to head of departments, saying the projects that actually started on the ground after obtaining all necessary permission, before the poll code came into force, can be continued. The Delhi poll body has received several complaints about the AAP government departments and BJP-ruled MCDs starting work on projects before the model code of conduct came into force, but seeking formal approvals later. He said as per the FIR, based on the complaint of Mansur Chak Block Development Officer-cum-flying squad magistrate Shatrughan Rajak, Kanhaiya had addressed a public meeting in a village on Thursday without obtaining prior permission for the same from the authorities. PTI The case was lodged at Mansur Chak police station of the district under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act, SHO Arvind Kumar said. Former JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar's Begusarai as a CPI candidate, was booked for violation of Model Code of Conduct. "Jokes apart, Sanjaykaka Patil has done a good job here in Miraj by getting funds for development of roads, highways, railways and other infrastructure," he added. - PTI When someone from the crowd asked what would he give them if they got Patil re-elected, he said, "You will get five lakh rupees or even more." Addressing a joint gathering of the BJP, Shiv Sena and RPI (A) workers Wednesday, Deshmukh purportedly said it was not going to be easy to retain the Sangli Lok Sabha seat, where the BJP has fielded sitting MP Sanjaykaka Patil. "After ascertaining the facts, a complaint was registered at Miraj and Bhilwadi police stations," the CEO's office said in a release. The Election Commission had received a complaint about the comments made by Deshmukh in Miraj on 27 March, it said. A case has been registered against Prithviraj Deshmukh, Sangli district unit chief of the BJP, for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct, the office of Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer said Saturday. According to Babu, the chief minister has moved a civil suit in the high court in connection with the issue and has obtained an injunction against certain people from making such statements.- PTI He alleged that Stalin and the DMK with an intention to cause disrepute, to defame, and damage the name and reputation of Chief Minister K Palaniswami has been circulating video clips, making allegations linking the chief minister to the Kodanad Estate murder and robbery case. RM Babu Murugavel submitted that the code of conduct prohibits levelling false statements by any candidate or his agent or any other person in public domain. A spokesperson of the ruling AIADMK has approached the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State Chief Electoral Officer for taking action on a complaint against DMK chief M K Stalin for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct. This comes after the BJP leader (Choubey) was caught on camera while having a verbal altercation with Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) KK Upadhyay after the official had stopped his convoy for allegedly violating MCC. Giving clarifications over the incident, Choubey said, "I abide by the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), as I'm not the kind of guy who goes against the rules. But, I would like to mention that these people are stopping me from doing 'Chowkidari'. I will keep on raising my voice against them." Following a verbal altercation between Union Minister Ashwini Choubey and a government official over alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct, an FIR has been lodged against 150 people including Choubey. The FIR also names BJP leader Rana Pratap Singh and various other leaders. The said 150 accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 'assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty'. Singh courted controversy last week when he told reporters in Aligarh on 23 March that everyone wants Modi to win and that its necessary for the country. Hum sabhi log BJP ke karyakarta hai aur iss naatey se hum zaroor chahengey ke BJP vijai ho. Sab chahengey ek baar phir sey kendra mein Modiji pradhanmantri banein. Modiji ka pradhanmantri banna ye desh ke liye avashyak hai, samaaj ke liye avashyak hai (We are all BJP workers, so we will want the BJP to win. Everyone will want Modi to become PM again. Modi becoming PM is necessary for the nation and society), he had said. The Election Commission has found Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singhs remark that Narendra Modi should be re-elected as the Prime Minister violative of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the commission will write to President Ram Nath Kovind to bring it to his notice, The Indian Express reported. "Congress ke log aatankwadiyon ko biryani khilate they aur Modi ji ki sena aatankwadiyon ko goli aur gola deti hai (Congress would feed biryani to terrorists, while Modi's army gives them bullets and bombs). This is the difference. The Congress people use 'ji' to refer to Masood Azhar to encourage terrorism," Adityanath had said at an election rally in Ghaziabad on Sunday. The Election Commission on Monday took cognizance of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yodi Adityanath referring to the Indian Army as 'Modi ji ki sena'. The district magistrate of Ghaziabad has been asked to furnish a report in this regard, a functionary said. The report will be submitted to the office of chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh which has sought the details after taking cognizance of media reports in this regard. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) filed a Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation complaint against BJP accusing it of advertising on commercial taxis in the run-up to the general elections. AAP has alleged that some public service vehicles are being used for political advertisement by BJP and were spotted plying in Delhi. It also mentioned that such advertisement was in violation of the Delhi Transport Policy. Delhi Transport policy also forbids political advertisement through any vehicle which is being used for transporting passengers, the letter reads. In its letter, AAP has also given the number and image of a car which it claims was spotted on 2 April, carrying an advertisement of the BJP in Delhi. Meanwhile, the producers of PM Narendra Modi, which is slated for release on Friday, have already replied to the poll panel's notice to them on the Oppositions' complaint against the film. Earlier, Opposition parties had alleged "political intent" in the release of the Vivek Oberoi-starrer and had complained to the poll watchdog, claiming that 'PM Narendra Modi' would serve as an advertisement for the BJP. Till Tuesday, the Election Commission had been awaiting the BJP's reply to a plea by Opposition parties seeking to prevent its screening amid the ongoing poll process. Since the complaint to the commission had mentioned BJP in it, its copy was sent to the party for its reply. The Election Commission has given its approval for the release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports said . News18 reported sources as saying that the Election Commission has asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to decide on whether to allow the release of 'PM Narendra Modi'. CEO Krishna said he has directed collectors of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar to inquire into the matter. "I have received that complaint. I have directed collectors of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts to conduct an inquiry into the matter," he said. On Saturday, Shah had addressed a gathering near Sardar Patel's statue in Naranpura area of Ahmedabad before participating in a 4 km-long road show from Naranpura to Ghatlodia. He then left for Gandhinagar to file his nomination papers. In its complaint, the Congress alleged that despite knowing that three big hospitals with emergency and trauma care are situated close to the Sardar Patel statue, loudspeakers were used during Shah's rally at the venue. Such use of the loud speakers near the hospitals is a clear violation of the model code of conduct, the party said. The Gujarat Congress on Tuesday lodged a complaint of model code violation against BJP chief and party's Gandhinagar nominee Amit Shah's rally cum roadshow on 30 March alleging that loudspeakers were used near hospitals. In its complaint sent to Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Murali Krishna through fax, the Opposition party demanded necessary action against Shah for "violating" the poll code. The Election Commission had sought a response from the ministry on the 24-hour TV channel 'NaMo TV' based on a complaint filed by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In its reply, the information and broadcasting ministry told the polling watchdog that NaMo TV is not a licensed channel but a direct-to-home (DTH) advertisement platform, reported India Today. Hema, who is re-contesting elections from Mathura, held a public rally in the premises of a government school in Chaumuha on Tuesday. Mathura DM SR Mishra told ANI that permission was granted to BJP MP Hema Malini to hold a public meeting but not at a govt school premises. He said that if a violation of model code of conduct is found, a FIR will be registered against the concerned persons and appropriate action will be taken. 4 April, Thursday | Hema Malini did not have permission to conduct public meeting at govt school, action will be taken: Mathura DM The Congress had questioned the decision to run the address in full. EC had asked DD News for complete information on coverage of various political parties and prominent leaders to assess whether there was any truth in Congress allegations of preferential treatment to the ruling party. In response to a notice from the Election Commission of India, DD News is learnt to have defended its decision to run Prime Minister Narendra Modis 1.24-hour public address Main Bhi Chowkidar in full on 31 March on the grounds of its high news value". According to The Economic Times' report , DD News, in its response, has said that that various other private TV channels also ran the address in its entirety due to the same reason. When contacted for his reaction, Joshi said "it is for the Election Commission to decide on the matter." He alleged that the report was deliberately released at this point of time just to benefit the ruling TRS. In a complaint to the EC on 6 April, G Niranjan, Convener,Election Commission Coordination Committee of state Congress, said Chief Secretary S K Joshi and other officials released the report on 5 April, "just five days before the elections, which is against the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)." The Congress in Telangana has requested the Election Commission to take action against the Chief Secretary and government officials for allegedly violating the model code of conduct for the 11 April Lok Sabha polls by releasing a report on the governments achievements. Singh had filed his nomination earlier on Monday in the presence of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Jabalpur. The district administration also registered a First Information Report report against eight people in this regard. Madhya Pradesh BJP chief and Jabalpur candidate Rakesh Singh has been issued a show-cause notice for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct. The notice was issued to Singh for allegedly taking more than five people to the returning officer's room while filing nomination. Baghel, who also holds the post of state Congress president, reached the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Subrat Sahoo along with senior party leaders and handed over the written complaint. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Monday lodged a complaint of alleged poll code violation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making statements about the Army and surgical strikes during his public meeting held in Balod district of the state on 6 April. 9 April | Addressing first-time voters, Narendra Modi invokes Pulwama attack, Balakot air strikes at Latur rally Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct on Tuesday, by appealing to first-time voters in Maharashtras Latur to vote for the BJP government for carrying out the Balakot air strikes against Pakistan reportedly as a response to Pulwama terror attack that killed over 40 CRPF soldiers in February. Addressing a rally in Latur, where he shared the stage with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Modi urged first-time voters to exercise their franchise carefully. You will remember you first vote for all of your life. Would you dedicate your first vote to the brave soldiers who conducted the Balakot air strikes in Pakistan? Would your first vote honour the CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack? Modi said. Through a notification dated 9 March, the Election Commission (EC) had asked political parties to not use the armed forces for political advertisements or campaigns. The Armed Forces of a nation are the guardian of its frontiers, security and political system. They are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy. It is therefore necessary that political parties and leaders exercise great caution while making any reference to the armed forces in their political campaigns. The Commission is of the view that photographs of Chief of Army Staff or any other Defence personnel and photographs of functions of Defence Forces should not be associated with or used in any manner in advertisement/propaganda/campaigning or in any other manner in connection with elections by political parties and candidates, the EC had said in the notification. The prime minister had allegedly violated the MCC last month as well while addressing the nation after the successful completion of the A-SAT test by the DRDO. The Meerut District Magistrate is expected to file a report on the matter by 11 am on Wednesday. The BJP leader said Dalit-Muslim unity is impossible, and in Bareilly, he accused Mayawati of hurting Dalit sentiments with her call to Muslim voters at a rally in Saharanpur's Deoband. "Agar Congress, SP (Samajwadi Party), BSP ko Ali par vishwaas hai, toh humein bhi Bajrangbali par vishwaas hai (If the Congress, the SP and the BSP have faith in Ali, then we too have faith in Bajrang Bali)," the BJP leader said at an election meeting in Meerut. Attacking Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati for recently appealing to Muslims to vote for the Opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said now the Hindus have no option but to vote for the BJP. The Election Commission has taken cognisance of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's remarks at Meerut on Tuesday, with which he seemed to suggest that Hindu and Muslim voters were in an Ali-Bajrangbali contest. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday sent a notice to Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao for violation of Model Code of Conduct over his derogatory remark against Hindus at a public rally in Karimnagar on 17 March, PTI reported. The Commission has produced his remarks in Telugu but did not give English translation of the same. "... the Commission is, prima facie, of the opinion that by making the aforesaid statement which has the potential of disturbing the harmony and aggravating existing differences between social and religious communities, and appealing to communal feelings, you have violated the ... the Model Code of Conduct," the notice served Tuesday said. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is learned to have directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi to ensure that the contents of NaMo TV are pre-certified by the local media certification and monitoring committee. The EC has also asked the CEO to inform whether the political contents were at any time cleared by the certification committee. The commission has ruled that the channel which touted as BJPs purported advertising portal carried by DTH operators, should be subjected to content certification regime, like all other political advertisements during the poll code period. The Election Commission of India on Wednesday stalled the release of PM Narendra Modi, a day before it was set to hit theatres. The election watchdog has ruled that no biopics can be released during elections as the political content in such movies "threaten level playing field". District poll authorities issued her with a show cause notice. The Election Commission in Delhi is also examining the transcript of the minister's speech, which was condemned by the Congress. In a controversial remark, Union minister Maneka Gandhi has told Muslims to vote for her as they will need her once the Lok Sabha elections are over. We are not Mahatma Gandhi's children that we keep giving and not get anything in return, she said in Sultanpur's Muslim-dominated Turabkhani area on Thursday. A case registered against her under the 171-D and 171-F of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the Kopar Khairane police station. 58-year-old Mhatre had won the Belapur assembly seat on BJP ticket in the 2014 assembly election in Maharashtra. A case was registered against BJP MLA Manda Mhatre for allegedly violating MCC. Mhatre was accused of flouting Election Commission's norms by requesting voters to cast their ballots twice in favour of Rajan Baburao Vichare, a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Thane Lok Sabha constituency, while campaigning for him on 13 April. BJP also complained against Congress spokesperson Sunil Kauthankar for allegedly violating MCC "while addressing a press conference, wherein he has grossly misinterpreted the statement of BJP national president Amit Shah and has tried to spread lies." Goa BJP complained to the Election Commission (EC) against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by propagating fear-mongering among Christian and Muslim community at a public meeting. Kejriwal was in Goa on 13 April to address a public meeting at Margao in south Goa. "Arvind Kejriwal has blatantly violated MCC by way of inciting religious sentiments in his speech," read the letter. "Arvind Kejriwal has been reported to have made utterances such as 'Mob lynching taking place in the country under the guise of cattle theft is actually organised murder," said the complaint. "He also tried to propagate fear-mongering among the Christian and Muslim community by his utterance that 'Christian and Muslim will be driven into the sea under the guise of infiltrators," it read. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was seen visiting a temple on Tuesday morning, a day after the Election Commission citing Article 324 of the Constitution barred him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print and social media) in connection with the ongoing Lok Sabha election. He was handed a 72-hour ban for delivering a communal or hate speech during one of his rallies. Though the BJP leader did not defy the ban by participating in a poll campaign, he did violate the spirit of election by making a public visit to the temple. A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Gujarat Ramesh Katara on Tuesday reportedly told villagers at a rally in Dahod constituency that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has installed cameras in polling booths and he will come to know who votes for whom in the Lok Sabha elections. Katara has been served a show-cause notice by the Dahod collector and district election officer VL Kharadi for his remarks and also notice by the Election Commission (EC) for violation of MCC. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP has written to the Election Commission demanding an FIR against Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vikramaditya Singh and Waqar Rasool Wani for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, ANI reported. The Election Commission has taken cognisance of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who died during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, met his untimely death due to bad karma, and ordered an enquiry into the same. Thakur on Friday had said that the former ATS met his unfortunate fate because he had "tortured" her during the investigation of the 2008 Malegaon blast case. A complaint was filed against the BJP candidate from Bhopal with the Madhya Pradesh EC hours after she made the controversial statement. The poll panel pointed out that an FIR has already been lodged against him in Bihar's Kathiar under some sections of the penal code and section 123 of the Representation of the People Act. The Punjab minister has been asked to respond within 24 hours, failing which the EC will take a decision without further reference to him. The EC said prima facie he has violated provisions of the model code of conduct, election law and a Supreme Court direction asking politicians not to mix religion with political discourse while electioneering. The Election Commission on Saturday issued a showcause notice to Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks in which he allegedly warned the Muslim community that efforts were on to divide their votes in Bihar. Singhvi alleged the EC hesitates in taking action against one-two persons sitting on top posts. He said: "The EC listens to us. They act on our request. It is, however, unfortunate that the EC hesitates in taking action against one-two people sitting on tops posts of the country." He also expressed his disappointment over the ECIs inaction on another complaint earlier submitted by the Congress against Modi for allegedly violating the MCC by citing the services at a rally in Maharashtra on 9 April. "It is very distressing and sad that the very credibility of an independent police force of the elections is at stake. We showed the EC a video of Modis campaigning. We have demanded a ban on him for 48 to 72 hours from campaigning, and also on Shah," he said. A Congress delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the Election Commission officials and sought action against Modi for holding a procession after casting his vote on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. They also requested the EC to act against Shah for repeatedly citing the services of armed forces in his election rallies. "The Prime Minister is violating the Model Code Conduct (MCC) shamelessly and advertently. He made political statements, held a procession after casting his votes today," Singhvi told reporters. The Congress spokesman said: "On Monday we had filed a written complaint to the EC that Modi would violate the Model Code of Conduct by holding a procession after casting his vote." Singhvi termed Modi as a "habitual, egregious and completely uncaring offender". The Congress party on Tuesday sought to impose 48 to 72 hours ban on campaigning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The party has requested the ECI and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir Shailendra Kumar to take appropriate action against the three leaders under the rules and regulations governing MCC and relevant provisions of Representation of the People Act, 1951. BJP has further requested the ECI to debar Azad from campaigning for Congress in the country. The BJP, in a complaint filed on Thursday, accused Waqar Rasool Wani, who was campaigning for Congress' candidate from Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency Vikramaditya Singh, of violating MCC by campaigning on polling day and requesting voters of a particular religion to vote for their party. In the audio clip, a copy of which has been sent to the ECI, Wani could be heard saying that Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is currently campaigning in Kerala, called him up and directed him to appeal to the voters of the erstwhile Doda region belonging to particular community to cast their votes on communal lines, BJP claimed. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding FIR against Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vikramaditya Singh and an ex-MLA of Banihal town for allegedly violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the state. The Election Commission has taken cognisance of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who died during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, met his untimely death due to bad karma, and ordered an enquiry into the same. Thakur on Friday had said that the former ATS met his unfortunate fate because he had "tortured" her during the investigation of the 2008 Malegaon blast case. A complaint was filed against the BJP candidate from Bhopal with the Madhya Pradesh EC hours after she made the controversial statement. The poll panel pointed out that an FIR has already been lodged against him in Bihar's Kathiar under some sections of the penal code and section 123 of the Representation of the People Act. The Punjab minister has been asked to respond within 24 hours, failing which the EC will take a decision without further reference to him. The EC said prima facie he has violated provisions of the model code of conduct, election law and a Supreme Court direction asking politicians not to mix religion with political discourse while electioneering. The Election Commission on Saturday issued a showcause notice to Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks in which he allegedly warned the Muslim community that efforts were on to divide their votes in Bihar. While addressing a rally in Jalna on Sunday, BJP leader Pankaja Munde said: "We did surgical strike after cowardly attack on our soldiers (by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama). Some peole ask what was surgical strike and what's the evidence? I say we should've attached a bomb to Rahul Gandhi and should have sent him to another country. Then they would have understood." The Election Commission found Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu guilty of violating model code of conduct for appealing for Muslim votes. It has banned him from campaigning for 72 hours. Singhvi alleged the EC hesitates in taking action against one-two persons sitting on top posts. He said: "The EC listens to us. They act on our request. It is, however, unfortunate that the EC hesitates in taking action against one-two people sitting on tops posts of the country." He also expressed his disappointment over the ECIs inaction on another complaint earlier submitted by the Congress against Modi for allegedly violating the MCC by citing the services at a rally in Maharashtra on 9 April. "It is very distressing and sad that the very credibility of an independent police force of the elections is at stake. We showed the EC a video of Modis campaigning. We have demanded a ban on him for 48 to 72 hours from campaigning, and also on Shah," he said. A Congress delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the Election Commission officials and sought action against Modi for holding a procession after casting his vote on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. They also requested the EC to act against Shah for repeatedly citing the services of armed forces in his election rallies. "The Prime Minister is violating the Model Code Conduct (MCC) shamelessly and advertently. He made political statements, held a procession after casting his votes today," Singhvi told reporters. The Congress spokesman said: "On Monday we had filed a written complaint to the EC that Modi would violate the Model Code of Conduct by holding a procession after casting his vote." Singhvi termed Modi as a "habitual, egregious and completely uncaring offender". The Congress party on Tuesday sought to impose 48 to 72 hours ban on campaigning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Taking a jibe at the poll panel, he said the Congress is saddened to say that it seems that from the second word of Election Commission, 'C' has been dropped, and it has become "Election Omission" for the Modi-Shah duo. "We have a right to approach the courts seeking action over model code violations... we can exercise that option... the mega policeman has turned a blind eye," Singhvi said, adding that silence can be construed as approval. The two leaders have "cheated" on the issue of level playing field for all parties during elections and questioned the "silence of mega policeman" Election Commission (EC), Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged at a press conference. Alleging that the Model Code of Conduct has become "Modi code of conduct", the Congress on Saturday questioned the EC's "silence" over poll code "violations" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, and said it may approach courts to seek action against the duo. Satti said that the alleged speech was circulated on social and print media by the Congress party workers who intended to malign and rapture of his image. In his reply to Mandi District Electoral Officer, he said, "I was not having any political vendetta or intention against any of the workers or leaders of any of the political party/opponents. I never made any false, derogatory or inciting remarks, as alleged in the notice under reply. Moreover, the wording of my speech was taken otherwise by press correspondents," he added. "Our leaders are sitting on the dais. If anyone dares to raise their finger, we would chop their hands off. We are not nincompoops. We are not a group of stupid people," Satti had said addressing a rally in Mandi on Wednesday. Himachal Pradesh BJP president Satpal Singh Satti on Saturday replied to the Election Commission's notice over his "will chop off hands of those who point fingers at BJP leaders" remark and denied making any false, inciting or derogatory remark. Kejriwal said even Pakistan wants to divide India and accused BJP of fulfilling Pakistans agenda. "The BJP is fulfilling Pakistan's agenda of dividing India," he added. "Can it be done, is it possible. At least 20-25 crore people come from these religions. So I want to ask Amit Shah what is your plan. Are you going to throw all these people, throw them in the Pacific Ocean or would they be mob lynched? What will be done with all these people," Kejriwal had asked. Quoting Shah's tweet, Kejriwal said this means the BJP's plan is to remove all religions except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs from the country. "He has made the highly provocative speech which has the tone and tenor to aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred between different religious communities, and thus violative of provisions of MCC. That such statements that have the undertone and propensity to polarize the elections" the BJP's letter to the EC said. "Arvind Kejriwal with the sole intention of creating panic and mutual hatred between the communities made a deliberate and false statement. Kejriwal is trying to mislead the people of India by saying that BJP considers Muslims, Christians, Jains, Parsis and other minorities in India as infiltrators..," read the complaint. Shah had in his tweet had said: "We will remove every single infiltrator from the country except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs". The BJP has written to Election Commission of India (EC) alleging that Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal had violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) with his statement related to a tweet by BJP president Amit Shah. Kher later said she has sent her reply to the EC. The EC had subsequently instructed that it should be ensured by all political parties and election officials that children are not involved in any election-related activity, as per the notice. In the notice, it was mentioned that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in January, 2017 had requested the EC to ensure that children are not involved in any form with election-related activities, by either election officials or political parties. "You have shared a video on your Twitter account which shows that children are being used for election campaign in your favour through slogan 'Vote for Kirron Kher' and 'Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar'," the notice issued on 3 May said. However, in her reply, Kher said it was done "unintentionally", acknowledging that it was "wrong". The Election Commission (EC) has issued a notice to BJP's Chandigarh candidate Kirron Kher, seeking a reply after she shared a video on Twitter in which children were seen campaigning for her. Lok Sabha Election 2019; Model Code of Conduct Watch: The Election Commission (EC) has issued a notice to BJP's Chandigarh candidate Kirron Kher, seeking a reply after she shared a video on Twitter in which children were seen campaigning for her. However, in her reply, Kher said it was done "unintentionally", acknowledging that it was "wrong". The poll panel had asked the actor-turned-politician to reply within 24 hours. "You have shared a video on your Twitter account which shows that children are being used for election campaign in your favour through slogan 'Vote for Kirron Kher' and 'Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar'," the notice issued on 3 May said. Alleging that the Model Code of Conduct has become "Modi code of conduct", the Congress on Saturday questioned the EC's "silence" over poll code "violations" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, and said it may approach courts to seek action against the duo. The two leaders have "cheated" on the issue of level playing field for all parties during elections and questioned the "silence of mega policeman" Election Commission (EC), Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged at a press conference. The Congress party on Tuesday sought to impose 48 to 72 hours ban on campaigning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). A Congress delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the Election Commission officials and sought action against Modi for holding a procession after casting his vote on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. They also requested the EC to act against Shah for repeatedly citing the services of armed forces in his election rallies. The Election Commission found Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu guilty of violating model code of conduct for appealing for Muslim votes. It has banned him from campaigning for 72 hours from 10 am on Tuesday. BJP leader Pankaja Munde said on Monday that a bomb should be tied around Congress president Rahul Gandhi and sent to the neighbouring country for questioning surgical strikes. While addressing a rally in Jalna on Sunday, Munde said: "We did surgical strike after cowardly attack on our soldiers (by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama). Some peole ask what was surgical strike and what's the evidence? I say we should've attached a bomb to Rahul Gandhi and should have sent him to another country. Then they would have understood." The Election Commission on Saturday issued a showcause notice to Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks in which he allegedly warned the Muslim community that efforts were on to divide their votes in Bihar. The Election Commission has taken cognisance of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who died during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, met his untimely death due to bad karma, and ordered an enquiry into the same. Thakur on Friday had said that the former ATS met his unfortunate fate because he had "tortured" her during the investigation of the 2008 Malegaon blast case Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding FIR against Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vikramaditya Singh and an ex-MLA of Banihal town for allegedly violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the state. The BJP, in a complaint filed on Thursday, accused Waqar Rasool Wani, who was campaigning for Congress' candidate from Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency Vikramaditya Singh, of violating MCC by campaigning on polling day and requesting voters of a particular religion to vote for their party. A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Gujarat Ramesh Katara on Tuesday reportedly told villagers at a rally in Dahod constituency that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has installed cameras in polling booths and he will come to know who votes for whom in the Lok Sabha elections. Katara has been served a show-cause notice by the Dahod collector and district election officer VL Kharadi for his remarks and also notice by the Election Commission (EC) for violation of MCC. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was seen visiting a temple on Tuesday morning, a day after the Election Commission citing Article 324 of the Constitution barred him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print and social media) in connection with the ongoing Lok Sabha election. He was handed a 72-hour ban for delivering a communal or hate speech during one of his rallies. Though the BJP leader did not defy the ban by participating in a poll campaign, he did violate the spirit of election by making a public visit to the temple. Goa BJP complained to the Election Commission (EC) against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by propagating fear-mongering among Christian and Muslim community at a public meeting. Kejriwal was in Goa on 13 April to address a public meeting at Margao in south Goa, where, BJP alleged, the AAP leader said that "Christian and Muslim will be driven into the sea under the guise of infiltrators". The Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) ordered an inquiry into an alleged hate speech given by a Christian priest against the BJP following a complaint from the party. A video of the priest from South Goa addressing some people inside a church had gone viral in which the priest, speaking in Konkani, is seen criticising the BJP, party president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. A case was registered against BJP MLA Manda Mhatre for allegedly violating MCC. Mhatre was accused of flouting Election Commission's norms by requesting voters to cast their ballots twice in favour of Rajan Baburao Vichare, a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Thane Lok Sabha constituency, while campaigning for him on 13 April. In a controversial remark, Union minister Maneka Gandhi has told Muslims to vote for her as they will need her once the Lok Sabha elections are over. We are not Mahatma Gandhi's children that we keep giving and not get anything in return, she said in Sultanpur's Muslim-dominated Turabkhani area on Thursday. District poll authorities issued her with a show cause notice. The Election Commission in Delhi is also examining the transcript of the minister's speech, which was condemned by the Congress. The Election Commission of India on Wednesday stalled the release of PM Narendra Modi, a day before it was set to hit theatres. The election watchdog has ruled that no biopics can be released during elections as the political content in such movies "threaten level playing field". Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote to the Election Commission over the 'shockingly disgraceful' invocation of the Balakot air strikes and Pulwama terror attack during his speech in Maharashtra's Latur on 9 April. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is learned to have directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi to ensure that the contents of NaMo TV are pre-certified by the local media certification and monitoring committee. The EC has also asked the CEO to inform whether the political contents were at any time cleared by the certification committee. The commission has ruled that the channel which touted as BJPs purported advertising portal carried by DTH operators, should be subjected to content certification regime, like all other political advertisements during the poll code period. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday sent a notice to Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao for violation of Model Code of Conduct over his derogatory remark against Hindus at a public rally in Karimnagar on 17 March, ANI reported. The commission also issued show cause notices to producers of two TV serials following allegations that the shows were violating the Model Code of Conduct by promoting various government schemes. The Election Commission has taken cognizance of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's remarks at Meerut on Tuesday, with which he seemed to suggest that Hindu and Muslim voters were in an "Ali-Bajrangbali" contest. "If the Congress, the SP and the BSP have faith in Ali, then we too have faith in Bajrang Bali," the BJP leader said at an election meeting. The Meerut District Magistrate is expected to file a report on the matter by 11 am on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct on Tuesday, by appealing to first-time voters in Maharashtras Latur to vote for the BJP government for carrying out the Balakot air strikes against Pakistan reportedly as a response to Pulwama terror attack that killed over 40 CRPF soldiers. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel Monday lodged a complaint of alleged poll code violation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making statements about the Army and surgical strikes during his public meeting held in Balod district of the state on 6 April. The Madhya Pradesh BJP chief and Jabalpur candidate Rakesh Singh has been issued a show cause notice for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The notice was for allegedly taking more than five people to the returning officer's room while filing his nomination. The Tripura unit of the Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), seeking the immediate arrest of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb for allegedly spreading communal hatred in the state. A case was registered against BSP leader Omar Ali Khan and his supporters for violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as they carried out a procession on the road without permission and misbehaved with the SDM. In response to a notice from the Election Commission of India, DD News is learnt to have defended its decision to run Prime Minister Narendra Modis 1.24-hour public address Main Bhi Chowkidar in full on 31 March on the grounds of its high news value". Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh chairperson and grandson of BR Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar, on Thursday threatened to take action against the Election Commission of India (ECI) if his party is voted to power. While addressing a public gathering at Yavatmal, Ambedkar called the Election Commission biased and slammed the organisation for directing political parties to not talk about the terror attack in Pulwama. The Congress had questioned the decision to run the address in full. EC had asked DD News for complete information on coverage of various political parties and prominent leaders to assess whether there was any truth in Congress allegations of preferential treatment to the ruling party. The District Magistrate of Mathura has said that BJP MP Hema Malini did not have permission to conduct a public meeting at a government school and appropriate action would be taken in the matter if MCC violation is found. Hema, who is re-contesting elections from Mathura, held a public rally in the premises of a government school in Chaumuha on Tuesday. In its reply to the Election Commission, the information and broadcasting ministry told the polling watchdog that NaMo TV is not a licensed channel but a direct-to-home (DTH) advertisement platform, reported India Today. The Election Commission has sought a response from the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on the 24-hour TV channel 'NaMo TV' based on a complaint filed by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Madhya Pradesh Election Commission has sent a notice to Congress for using the Rafale issue in poll advertisements as the matter is sub-judice. EC has ordered Congress to take down the six advertisements using Rafale issue as a campaign plank of the party, India Today reporte The Gujarat Congress on Tuesday lodged a complaint of model code violation against BJP chief and party's Gandhinagar nominee Amit Shah's rally cum roadshow on 30 March alleging that loudspeakers were used near hospitals. In its complaint sent to Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Murali Krishna through fax, the Opposition party demanded necessary action against Shah for "violating" the poll code. The Election Commission (EC) has given its approval for the release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports said. News18 reported sources as saying that the Election Commission has asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to decide on whether to allow the release of 'PM Narendra Modi'. Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday told the Election Commission that his comment son Congress' Nyay scheme were made in his personal capacity as an economist and should not be interpreted as Niti Aayogs stand on the Congress announcement. The Election Commission had pulled up Kumar for targeting Congress's minimum income guarantee scheme, NYAY during a media interview. Speaking to India Today, Kumar had said that the Congress has made the announcement only for the sake of winning the elections. "This is the worst kind of vote politics," he said. BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini, who is re-contesting elections from the seat, may face a case of MCC violation for holding a public rally in the premises of a government school in Chaumuha on Tuesday, The Times of India reported. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) filed a Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation complaint against BJP accusing it of advertising on commercial taxis in the run-up to the general elections. AAP alleged that some public service vehicles are being used for political advertisement by BJP and were spotted plying in Delhi. The Election Commission took cognizance of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yodi Adityanath referring to the Indian Army as 'Modi ji ki sena'. The district magistrate of Ghaziabad has been asked to furnish a report in this regard, a functionary said. The report will be submitted to the office of the chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh which has sought the details after taking cognizance of media reports in this regard. A case was registered against Samajwadi Party's Badaun candidate Dharmendra Yadav and three others for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. Yadav had apparently used a convoy of cars for campaigning. A video of the incident had also gone viral on social media. A case was registered and the matter is being investigated further. The Election Commission found Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singhs remark that Narendra Modi should be re-elected as the Prime Minister violative of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The commission will write to President Ram Nath Kovind to bring it to his notice, The Indian Express reported. Singh had courted controversy last week when he told reporters in Aligarh that everyone wants Modi to win and that its necessary for the country that he is re-elected. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was also served a notice by the Election Commission on Monday for his editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana in which he made reference to tampering of EVMs in Begusarai. Raut has been asked to give a clarification by 3 April to the notice issued by Mumbai District Election Officer Shivaji Jondhale. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wrote to the Election Commission on Monday complaining against the recently-launched "NaMo TV", asking the poll panel if political parties having TV channels was in adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party asked the EC if the BJP had sought approval for the launch of the channel, which has Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph on its logo and runs all his speeches. Following a verbal altercation between Union Minister Ashwini Choubey and a government official over alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct, an FIR has been lodged against 150 people including Choubey. The FIR also names BJP leader Rana Pratap Singh and various other leaders. The said 150 accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 'assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty'. A video had surfaced on Sunday purportedly showing Choubey, on the front seat of a vehicle, furiously reacting to the official who attempted to apprise the Union minister about Election Commission's order. Former JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar's Begusarai as a CPI candidate, was booked for violation of Model Code of Conduct. Ministry of Railways reacted to the controversy over tea being served in Shatabdi train in 'Main bhi Chowkidar' cups. The railway officials said that the incident happened today but the cups were immediately withdrawn. The ministry said that these are not procured from any political party and penal action will be taken against the contractor, and the railways supervisor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on 'Mission Shakti' did not violate the Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission announced on Friday, even as the Opposition had accused the prime minister of violations and "publicity mongering". Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi and producer of film 'PM Narendra Modi', Sandeep Singh arrived at the Election Commission in Delhi on Thursday after complaints were filed over the release of the movie and ban of its trailer in light of the Model Code of Code (MCC) being in force ahead of the Lok Sabha election. The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday sent a notice to four producers of the upcoming film 'PM Narendra Modi'. Congress and the CPM had complained to the commission about the film's release, saying it's being done with political intent. EC had earlier sent notices to two newspapers on 20 March over publishing 'PM Narendra Modi' film's poster for promotions. The Odisha Congress on Monday filed a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state against BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Puri Sambit Patra alleging a violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Odisha Pradesh Congress in its complaint said that Patra violated MCC by holding the idol of Lord Jagannath in his hand during an election rally. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Civil Aviation, asking them why the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were not removed from rail tickets and Air India boarding passes even after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect. They've been asked to submit a reply within three days to the commission. After a Congress delegation met the Election Commission on Monday, Kapil Sibal told reporters, "We represented to the Election Commission that there is a film being made on Narendra Modi, to be released just a few days before election. It's purpose is political. Three producers and actor belong to BJP; the director is involved in 'Vibrant Gujarat' (investors' summit). This is violative of all norms." Karnataka Congress has asked the Election Commission to allow political parties to pre-view the biopic on Narendra Modi. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhis interaction with students of a womens college in Chennai did not violate the model code of conduct (MCC), though it has sought a report on his speech. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, led by Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer against cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla for allegedly influencing voters of Sangrur by misusing his official position. Cheema alleged Singla had violated the model code of conduct by trying to induce voters by sanctioning funds worth crores for the repair of government schools. Actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj was booked by the Cubbon Park Police for violating the Model Code of Conduct as he was accused of using a mike and campaigning for elections at a public rally held at the Mahatma Gandhi Circle in Bangalore on 12 March. A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation comprising Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Chandan Mitra approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday to lodge a complaint against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modis photo was being published on railway tickets as part of a government scheme, which, the party said, was in violation of the MCC. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday wrote to the chief electoral officer (CEO) or Kerala in order to "file a complaint in relation to the malicious attempt by BJP and the Sabarimala Karma Samithi to vitiate free and fair polls in Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency." He said that they did so "by publicising materials in a bid to appeal to religious sentiments of voters." The Delhi BJP on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Office in the city, seeking action against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly "indulging in violent acts" and violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The BJP claimed AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had burned copies of its 2014 manifesto on 13 March. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India issued a showcause notice to BJP leader and Union minister Babul Supriyo for violating the MCC. The notice is related to a campaign song, which Supriyo allegedly promoted on electronic media and social media sites without a media certification from the EC. The Trinamool Congress had also registered a complaint against the song with the EC. In Kerala, the BJP complained to the Chief Electoral Officer in Thiruvananthapuram, claiming that the posters put up by the Congress related to MP Shashi Tharoor's book Why Am I A Hindu violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Tharoor, however, claimed they were not election posters. Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishna has ordered an inquiry after the Congress, on Monday, filed a complaint alleging that the BJP had violated the MCC by holding a meeting of the party's state parliamentary board at Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's official residence. The Congress pointed out that the chief minister's official residence in Gandhinagar is a government property, and no political activity is permitted from a government premises when the poll code is in force. meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla (Jammu and Kashmir) on Monday rescinded transfers ordered by the districts assistant commissioner in violation of the model code of conduct, after the state government questioned the reshuffle affected despite standing directions. On the other hand, after last week's takedown notification to Facebook, the EC called all social media platforms including Google, Twitter, Whatsapp, ShareChat and Tiktok for a meet to discuss over their violative social media content, ad policy and response time over complaints on Tuesday. The meet comes in wake of confusion over ECs first takedown notice to Facebook regarding a Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation on 13 March. A delegation led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Election Commission Coordination Committee convenor G Niranjan complained to the CEO on MCC violation by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for inviting Congress leader and former home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and her sons to his camp office on 13 March for deliberations and reportedly influencing them to joins TRS. BJD accused BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct by allegedly shifting the Railway Electrification Board unit from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru on 13 March after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates. Whereas, in order to put a check on the poll irregularities and other malfunctions ahead and during the Lok Sabha elections, a 24x7 control room was opened at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bhubaneswar on Friday. BJPs Delhi unit wrote to the Election Commission to appoint special observers in mosques to prevent religion from influencing electoral outcomes. The BJP has squarely blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for polarising the voters on religious and caste lines and has stated that it is Arvind Kejriwal who has been delivering many inflammatory and baseless statements to polarise votes, especially in Muslim dominant areas. The Ranchi district administration on Monday filed a case of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation against Union minister Jayant Sinha on a complaint by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. In its complaint to Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer L Khiangte, the party claimed that Sinha had used the convocation ceremony at IIM-Ranchi to publicise the BJP government's achievements, violating the poll code. Meanwhile, the BJP on Monday filed a complaint against Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera for allegedly violating the MCC. In its complaint, the party claimed that Khera, during a news channel's event, had stated that 'Modi stands for Masood Azhar, Osama, Dawood and ISI.' The Congress registered its first Model Code of Conduct violation complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday. In Maharashtra, the party gave a written complaint to the chief electoral officer against government advertisements still being displayed outside state transport buses, bus stops and petrol pumps. Show cause notices were issued to BJP's Chandigarh chief Sanjay Tandon, four BJP councillors, two nominated councillors and three officials of the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh on Wednesday for violating the model code of conduct. The notice asked the officials to reply within 24 hours as to why disciplinary action may not be taken against them. In Arunachal Pradesh, the Nirjuli police under the supervision of Capital Complex Superintendent of Police Tumme Amo on Tuesday night seized Rs 15.6 lakh from undisclosed people for violation of the model code of conduct. Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Pratapgarh Lok Sabha constituency in-charge Ashok Tripathi was among 68 booked for poll code violation on Wednesday. The ECI on Wednesday issued a notice to BJP's Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra and Rajasthan Congress' General Secretary Sunil Sharma for putting up posters in different locations across Jaipur depicting various operations done by the Indian Armed forces along with their own photos. It also asked both the politicians to file a reply within three days. The Commission on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma for putting up two posters featuring him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Facebook. The Commission asked him to take down the post and give a reply by Thursday. The Election Commission has asked all political parties to refrain from making reference to the armed forces during their campaign. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, hoardings and banners containing the photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were removed from petrol pumps in New Delhi on Tuesday following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha elections. ECI on 10 March, 2019 announced the dates of the seven-phase upcoming Lok Sabha election scheduled to begin on 11 April. The results will be announced on 23 May. The last polling date is 19 May. With the announcement of the schedule, the Model Code of Conduct kicked in the very same day. The ECI referred to its December 2013 letter in which it had "called upon all political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel or photographs functions involving defence personnel in advertisements". More than 820 million citizens will cast their votes across India this year. The number of eligible voters has gone up by more than five times since the first General Election. Voter turnout has also increased from 46 percent in 1951-52 to 66 percent in 2014. In the last election held in 2014, there were roughly 815 million, but just 550 million exercised their right to vote. Lok Sabha Election 2019 will see over 1.5 crore first-time voters. These voters in the age group of 18-19 years constitute 1.66 percent of the total electorate. Two-thirds of Indians are under 35 years of age. Voters who haven't received their voter slip can check their name on the electoral roll and download their photo voter slip from the portal nvsp.in. Voting for the seven-phase Lok Sabha Election 2019 in India began on 11 April, with Phase 7 scheduled for Sunday, 19 May. There are nearly 90 crore people registered as voters, of which 1.5 crore are between the ages of 18 and 19. But before exercising their franchise, voters must check if their names have appeared in the voters' list, and download the voter slip, which needs to be presented along with a photo identity card at your polling station to vote in the upcoming election. If your name does not appear in the voters' list, the polling booth officials will not allow you to cast your vote. Usually, voter slips (which serve as proof that your name exists in the electoral roll) are made available to voters' by various political parties. But what if you haven't received yours yet? The Election Commission offers voters the facility to check their name on the electoral roll and download their photo voter slip from the portal nvsp.in. Every voter is required to carry their photo voter slip along with their voter identification card (also known as Electors Photo Identity Card or EPIC or Voter's ID) that is issued by the Election Commission of India (EC) or other approved photo identity proofs. Here are the steps to download your voter slip: Step 1. Visit the official website of the National Voter Services Portal's - nvsp.in Step 2. Click on 'Search Your Name in Electoral Roll' option Step 3. Fill in your credentials Step 4. Press the 'search' button Step 5. Your name will appear at the bottom of the page Step 6. Click on view details and the page will be directed to your voter slip. Step 7. Click on Print Voter Information' at the bottom of your voter slip and take a print out. In case your name does not appear after the first three steps, it is likely that you are not eligible to vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The ongoing election is being held for 543 seats at nearly 10 lakh polling booths across the country, while the counting of votes will take place on 23 May. Full details of timing, schedule and list of constituencies is available here. Click here for complete coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2019 Click here for complete coverage of Assembly Elections 2019 When expectations are sky high, the fall is equally steep. When Amethi votes on 6 May, a large section of its residents will go to polling booths in a bad mood. When Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament representing Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, adopted Jagdishpur village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana in 2014, its residents were overjoyed. A hope was sparked in them that they would get the same amenities as other VIP villages in the state. In particular, they started comparing their own village with Saifai in Etawah district, the native village of Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. Saifai village is the cynosure of all eyes in Jagdishpur because it has the reputation of hosting all kinds of modern amenities and institutions. The people of Jagdishpur concluded that Gandhi would personally oversee their transformation into a second Saifai. Even more than their village, Jagdishpur residents had felt that it was they who had been adopted by Rahul Gandhi. Unlike the Yadav clan, many of whose members live in and around Saifai, the Gandhis live in Delhi. In Jagdishpur, people thought that this distance would now be bridged, and they would receive regular visits from their MP and other Congress leaders. But when expectations are sky high, the fall is equally steep. Five years have gone by and when Amethi votes on 6 May, a large section of its residents will go to the polling booths in a bad mood. Their primary grouse is that they never saw Rahul Gandhi after 2014, the year he adopted them. In his absence, they hanker for tap water, clean streets, pucca homes, a new schoolall the things they feel an adarsh village should have got. Honestly, we got nothing out of becoming adarsh, says Mahadevi, the pradhan of Jagdishpur, whose family has shifted loyalty to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of late. She points towards a water tank that has been built through Gandhis assistance but which has not yet been linked with peoples homes. A nearby cremation ground has also been built nearby through Gandhis intervention. But even that project has not been completed, she says. The aspirations in Jagdishpur had soared in 2014 because it is located in Raebareli district, whose Member of Parliament is Sonia Gandhi, the former Congress president. The Congress has won 16 out of 19 Lok Sabha elections in Raebareli. Sonia is Rahul Gandhis mother, and he has won three elections from Amethi, which is adjacent to Raebareli. Amethi has elected the Congress party in 13 out of 15 general elections. This stellar record is due to the emotional connection that people here have with the Gandhis. People here credit all the development in this region to the Congress kitty but complain that not much has changed since the nineties, when the Congress lost power in Uttar Pradesh. The Adarsh village scheme had brought the promise of development to Jagdishpur after three full decades. That is why its failure weighs heavily on them. Our perception about Rahul Gandhi is that he has the status of a future prime minister, says Vinod Kumar Singh, a construction supervisor in Jagdishpur. But are we fools that we have been adopted to just be ignored? This time we will vote for change, he says. The change Singh is referring to is the high-pitched battle over the Amethi Lok Sabha seat being fought between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. The BJP had fielded textiles minister Smriti Irani from the seat in 2014, and she had squeezed the Congress margin significantly with her spirited and vocal campaign that turned on development. Now, she has been fielded for a second time and has been emphatic about Gandhis prolonged absences from the constituency. The question Jagdishpur residents are asking as they head to vote is whether their sentimental attachment to the Gandhi family can override once again their desire for better homes, water supply, electricity and schools. Another change is visible in Jagdishpur, which is that the younger generation of voters, as even a local Congress leader admits, are moving away from dynastic politics. My own son feels there is something wrong with it, although he supports the Congress, he says. When Irani and Gandhi are weighed against each other, the charge of dynastic succession tends to fall against the Gandhis. Then follow other questions, such as how many visits the two leaders make to Amethi, how much time they spend there, and how they plan to develop the region. To many Jagdishpur residents, the Adarsh village scheme has, therefore, come to represent all that the BJP (and therefore, Irani) wanted to give its peoplea non-dynast, and development. On both these counts, many locals say, the Congress could not deliver. Now the election cannot be fought along emotional lines, says Atul Pandey, a Jagdishpur resident, who is a student and a first-time voter. Those who still support the Congress may feel they have a familial connection with the Gandhis, but not I. We young people think differentlywe think about who can develop this area and the country better. The Adarsh village scheme is a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had envisioned that a variety of government schemes would be implemented in one village of every Lok Sabha constituency. The idea was to prepare one model village by 2019, under the personal oversight of an MP. The presumption behind the scheme is that once all the public services that are supposed to be fully functional in a village are in place, it would serve as an ideal for the rest of the constituency it is located in. This scheme was launched by the central government, but it has no budget, says Ashutosh Mishra, who is among the few vocal supporters of the Congress in Jagdishpur. Rahulji adopted us because he thought it was a good scheme by the prime minister, similar to the Lohia and Ambedkar village schemes that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party had launched. But without a budget, how can he do anything?, he says. Jitendra Mishra, another resident and Congress supporter, says Jagdishpur has not performed too badly in terms of development over the last five years. Around 400 out of 998 families have got sanitation coverage and 216 are shortlisted for new pucca homes, he says. Another 338 have got subsidised cylinders under the (central governments) Ujjwala cooking gas scheme, he says. Yet, people who had expected their lives and immediate surroundings to be transformed by the Adarsh village scheme are not convinced. They argue that all existing government schemes should have been implemented better, and wish that Gandhi had been around to oversee the process. If the budget was an issue, then he could have come and explained it to us, one resident, Jitendra Prasad, says. Israwati Yadav, a young woman in Jagdishpur, whose mud-and-stone home leaks every time it rains, has not been approved by the pradhan to get the central government subsidy to build a pucca home despite making repeated requests to the pradhan. Her husband sells snacks on a pushcart and she has three children and a sick mother-in-law. Because of her leaky house, she fears she will be unable to find a suitable match for her daughter. The one-time subsidy to build a brick-and-mortar home under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing scheme) would be a significant jump in her familys quality of life. But nobody cares for the poor, Israwati says. Had Rahul come at least once to the village then he could have asked the pradhan to work for us poor, she says. The battle lines in Jagdishpur are being drawn between the Congresss traditional supporters, who also oppose the BJPs policies, versus those who hanker for change. It is Irani who represents the latter. Iranis campaign draws the Jagdishpur voters attention to the neglect of their own development. At the same time, her partys supporters appear more inclined to focus on national issues. Prasad, a local taxi driver, says, This time we will find the BJP candidate will get more votes in this village. The reason is not just the lack of development and the absence of Gandhi, but also the fact that the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has made India a better place to live. This electoral competition is further complicated by the fact that the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party have asked their voters to bat for the Congress and have not fielded their own candidates from this seat. I am voting for Rahul bhaiya this time, says 19-year-old Narendra Pratap, another first-time voter in Jagdishpur, who studies in Firoz Gandhi Inter College in Amethi. He got us a hand pump and he got a water tank here. If the Adarsh scheme has no budget, what can he do? he says. His mother Shivakumari says, We are BSP voters and this time we have been asked to vote for the hand symbol of the Congress. They disagree with the central governments policy of giving ten percent reservations to the poor among elite castes and are also swayed by the Congress partys promise of increasing the number of government jobs. Unemployment is one of the worries amongst the poor of Jagdishpur but they are unsure which partys government can resolve this problem. We vote in every election but nothing changes, says Bhagirathi, a farm labourer who makes roughly Rs 200 for eight hours of work in the nearby wheat fields. Earlier I would get work for a month at a stretch but now, I only get ten-fifteen days of work. I want whichever government comes to resolve this problem, for I am really struggling, says the 42-year-old. We need more factories here so that people can work, and the BJP has many proposals, says Om Prakash, a resident. In the last Assembly election, we voted for the BJP but after the election, the MLA and the village pradhan both ignored us, he says. Jagdishpur falls in the Salon Assembly seat of Amethi, which is said to be pivotal in determining who wins this Lok Sabha constituency. In the Assembly, we feel we have to vote for the party which forms the government, because everyone wants development, which the Congress cannot deliver, he says. Since I was born, I have been hearing that development is coming, but I feel that the Lok Sabha election has lost its relevance here in Amethi. What matters is the Assembly polls, though this time, we are a bit disappointed with the MLA, says Rajani, a middle-aged homemaker. Amethi has been the prime ministers seat through the eighties and nineties. But former prime minister Manmohan Singh was an MP from Assam, and now, the Congress is not in power at the Centre or in the state. Therefore, its people feel they have fallen behind the times. Whether Irani strikes it lucky in Amethi or not, in Jagdishpur, her party is on an upsurge. Human Rights activists and politicians have shown concern over the growing state-run violations of human rights in Sindh and other provinces of Pakistan at a seminar here on Saturday. The event titled 'Rights, Security and Development in Sindh: Realities for Pakistan's Southern Province' was organised by the World Sindhi Congress. A panel of speakers including Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Michael Kugelman, the Deputy Director of the Asia Program and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Centre and T Kumar, former International Advocacy Director Amnesty International USA, highlighted the persecution of Sindhi political activists in the hands of state and non-state actors in Pakistan. The speakers deliberated on issues of US-Pakistan relationship, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Human Rights in Sindh and Sindh's key geopolitical role. Lakhu Luhana, Secretary General of World Sindhi Congress said, "The overwhelming message of the seminar was that Pakistan is a security state, currently with an absolute control of all policy and institutions that has resulted in unprecedented violations of human rights of Sindhi people and other oppressed nations, Baloch and Pashtuns, and threat to regional and global security." Baloch and Pashtun activists including Dr Naseer Dashti, Executive President Baloch Human Rights Council and the Coordinator of the Sindhi Baloch Forum and Siraj Khan Moomand, President Pashtun Council Canada and member PTM Committee Canada also attended the seminar and revealed about the violations of human rights in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There is growing dissatisfaction among the people of Sindh as they have been facing issues ranging from arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, extra-judicial killings and political repression. The minorities, including the Christians and Hindus, living in Sindh province are facing persecution in the hands of Islamic fundamentalists. Young Hindu and Christian girls are forcibly converted to Islam. A 2015 report by the South Asia Partnership - Pakistan in collaboration with Aurat Foundation found that at least 1,000 girls are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year. It is girls from lower-caste, poor Hindu families who are forcibly converted. -ANI tech2 News Staff HTC, a company which has been run out of India thanks to the onslaught of Chinese smartphone makers, is in the process of launching a new mid-range smartphone which has just been spotted on benchmarks. The HTC 2Q741, which is the model number spotted on Geekbench, shows single core and multicore scores of 897 and 4,385. It is shown to be powered by an Helio P35 processor under the hood. The Oppo A5s is also a device which is powered by the same chipset and has similar benchmark scores. The device is also shown to pack in 6 GB of RAM which is way more than the Oppo A5s, which leads us to believe that this is a mid-range device. Since HTC no longer sells in India, it would be foolish to expect any sales of the device in the country. Last year in December, HTC president Darren Chen has promised to "reboot" sales in 2019 by focusing on high-end and mid-range segment devices. "Under this policy, the company will continue to extend its high-end U12+ lineup in 2019 so as to prolong the series' product lifecycle", Chen was quoted as saying. While it is definitely great to hear of HTC pushing for higher sales next year, this approach with high-end and mid-range devices is not very different from what the company's strategy has been in the last few years as well. Reuters COLOMBO (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan government has reimposed a ban on social media platforms in an effort to stop the spread of rumours after violence erupted between groups of civilians in Negombo, north of the capital and site of one of the Easter Sunday bombings. The bombings by Islamist militants, which killed more than 250 people, have raised fears that Muslims could be targets of communal violence. A curfew has been imposed in the Negombo area until 7am local time. (Reporting By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by David Goodman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Reuters LONDON (Reuters) - British police will not investigate the sacked defence minister, Gavin Williamson, after a senior officer said the information that was leaked about Chinese telecoms company Huawei was too minor to count as a criminal offence. Prime Minister Theresa May fired Williamson on Wednesday, despite his denials that he was to blame for a newspaper report that Britain would allow Huawei equipment to be used in part of a new 5G mobile data network. The Daily Telegraph story, which came from a meeting of Britain's normally top-secret National Security Council (NSC), embarrassed the government and set it at odds with the United States over the next generation of communications technology. The opposition Labour Party had called for a criminal investigation into the leak. But on Saturday, Britain's top counter-terrorism police officer rejected this. "I am satisfied that what was disclosed did not contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act," Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu said. "The leak did not cause damage to the public interest at a level at which it would be necessary to engage misconduct in a public office. It would be inappropriate to carry out a police investigation in these circumstances." Williamson, once in charge of party discipline for May's Conservatives, was an important ally for the prime minister as she struggled to steer Britain through Brexit without a majority in parliament or consensus on how to leave the European Union. May defended her decision to sack him following a brief investigation by the government's most senior civil servant, Mark Sedwill, who unusually is also the NSC's secretary. "The importance of this was not about the information that was leaked, it was where it was leaked from. This was about the NSC and trust in the NSC," she told Sky News on Saturday before the police said there was no criminal case to answer. "The investigation was conducted properly, and was about the fact that something was leaked from the NSC, and the importance of everybody around that table having trust when they come together in those meetings," she added. Williamson said he had not been given full details of the evidence against him. "With the Met Police not willing to do a criminal investigation it is clear a proper, full and impartial investigation needs to be conducted on this shabby and discredited witch hunt," he told reporters. (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Ros Russell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Reuters U.S. trade officials rejected Tesla Incs bid for relief from President Donald Trumps 25-percent tariffs on the Chinese-made Autopilot brain of its Model 3 and other electric vehicles, one of more than 1,000 product denials linked to Chinas industrial development plans. According to documents filed by the U.S. Trade Representatives office (USTR) and reviewed by Reuters, exclusion requests from Tesla and others for Chinese-made products from aircraft parts to biotechnology instruments were denied because they were deemed strategically important to the Made in China 2025 program. Tesla declined to comment. The company has separate pending tariff exclusion requests for duties on the Chinese-made Model 3 Center Screen and for the Model 3 Car Computer before USTR. Tesla said in a securities filing on Monday: Our costs for producing our vehicles in the U.S. have also been affected by import duties on certain components sourced from China. The denials illustrate a systematic approach by the Trump administration to thwart Chinas efforts to develop high-technology industries that Washington alleges benefited from theft and forced transfer of U.S. intellectual property. Made in China 2025, a program aimed at growing Chinas prowess in 10 strategic industries dominated by the United States, is at the heart of trade negotiations and U.S. demands for sweeping changes to Chinas policies. Those industries include new energy and autonomous vehicles, aerospace, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, robotics and artificial intelligence. Economic Harm Tesla first made its request to exclude its 3.0 Autopilot electronic control unit in July 2018, which it called the brain of the vehicle when the Palo Alto, California-based automaker warned that increased tariffs on this particular part cause economic harm to Tesla, through the increase of costs and impact to profitability. In a March 15 letter, USTR general counsel Stephen Vaughn said the agency was denying Teslas request because it concerns a product strategically important or related to Made in China 2025 or other Chinese industrial programs. USTR issued a separate letter also denying a request for the earlier 2.5 version of the Autopilot ECU. It was not clear when the letter was posted on a U.S. government website. Other exclusion denials were posted at the same time, including for industrial robots imported by Kawasaki Robotics USA and composite panels made by Hexcel Corp in China for use in various Boeing Co aircraft. Some less high-tech products cited in the 2025 denials included a wiring harness for a rear door imported by Lear Corps Chinese joint venture, Kyungshin-Lear Sales and Engineering LLC. The material composition of the product consists of insulated wire, connectors, terminals, tape, and conduit, Kyungshin-Lear said in its request. USTR has received China tariff exclusion requests for nearly 13,000 products and denied 5,311. Of the denials, 1,166, or more than a fifth, contained the same language as the Tesla request, citing links to Made in China 2025. No US Sources Tesla told USTR it was unable to find a manufacturer in the United States, adding that choosing any other supplier would have delayed the (Model 3) program by 18 months with clean room setup, line validation, and staff training. Tesla says it reflashes the Autopilot ECU with the latest Firmware created in California when it is shipped from China by supplier Quanta Shanghai. For a product as safety critical to consumers, and critical to the essence of Tesla, we turned to industry experts who could achieve this quality and complexity in addition to the deadlines, which was not possible outside of China, Tesla wrote. When it comes to identifying a supplier, we cannot risk our customers lives due to a defect from a supplier. The Autopilot ECU, also used in the Model S and X, includes two printed circuit board assemblies, which Tesla calls the brain responsible for Teslas Autopilot functionality and the main safety system for the vehicle. Tesla has a separate pending tariff exclusion request filed in December for duties on the Chinese-made Model 3 Center Screen. Other exclusion requests also cited the lack of U.S. sources. Kawasaki said there are no industrial robots manufactured in the United States, and it only produces robots in China and Japan. In a previously unreported request, Tesla also asked USTR to waive tariffs on the 17-inch (43-cm) cockpit touchscreen control panel that displays navigation, media, audio, climate control, energy display, and all in-cabin controls. Other automakers have sought similar exemptions but have not yet received answers. General Motors Co in late July sought an exemption to a 25-percent U.S. tariff on its Chinese-made Buick Envision sport utility vehicle. The Envision accounted for nearly 15 percent of U.S. Buick sales last year. GM has also sought exclusions for dozen of parts, including push-button ignition switches and transmission bearings. Nissan Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV have also filed exclusion requests for parts, while Uber Technologies Inc asked for an exclusion for electric bikes rented through the Uber app. Even if the United States and China reach a trade deal in the coming weeks to resolve their disputes, companies may not see tariff relief for months or possibly years. People familiar with the talks say that some tariffs, especially those aimed at the Made in China 2025 industries, could remain in place as part of an enforcement mechanism. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that the manner in which tariffs were removed would be part of that mechanism, aimed at ensuring China lives up to its obligations in any agreement. tech2 News Staff Having launched the Vivo X3x recently in China, the Chinese company's now has added yet another smartphone its portfolio under its S-Series, named as Vivo S1 Pro. The S1 Pro has been launched in two RAM variants 6 GB of RAM with 256 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM with 128 GB of storage. Strangely though, both the variants have been priced the same at CNY 2,698 (approximately Rs 27,782). Interested customers can pre-book the smartphone on the Vivo e-store in China while shippings begin on 9 May. The phone comes in two colours Love Blue and Coral Red. The Vivo S1 Pro features a 6.39-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5.9 and comes equipped with octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC. The phone features an in-display fingerprint scanner and one also gets the option to expand storage up to 256 GB via a microSD card. The highlight of Vivo S1 Pro, however, is its cameras. Starting with the front, there is a 32 MP selfie shooter and it features a pop-up selfie mechanism that Vivo claims to lift up in just 0.68 seconds. Vivo also claims that the pop-up selfie camera can withstand strong pulling and twisting. On the back, the Vivo S1 Pro features a triple camera setup, much like the Vivo S1 launched earlier this year. This comprises of a 48 MP f/1.78 primary sensor, an 8 MP f/2.2 secondary sensor, followed by a 5 MP f/2.4 depth sensor. There's also a dedicated button for Vivo's Jovi personal assistant on the left side of the S1 Pro. The phone runs on Funtouch OS 9 based on Android 9 Pie and it is backed up by a 3,700 mAh battery. Connectivity options include Dual SIM with dual standby, WiFi, VoLTE, GPS, A-GPS with GLONASS, and a MicroUSB port2.0. Reuters Vodafone wants the German government to facilitate the rollout of ultrafast fibre broadband connections to homes and businesses by investing in the last mile of networks, the companys Germany chief was quoted saying. Germany has been slow to expand its fibre-optic network, causing its vital export industry to fret it will lose competitiveness because slow internet speeds risks hobbling advances in computer-based manufacturing. The last mile to the home is extraordinarily challenging, Vodafones Germany chief Hannes Ametsreiter told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. It is enormously expensive to rip the road on your own, Ametsreiter added. It would be better to do it like the Spaniards and Portuguese, for example. The state lays empty pipes, just as it builds highways - i.e. state investment in infrastructure. Each provider could then pull its cables through these pipes. Thats more efficient. And that would fuel competition. Asked if the government had reacted to Vodafones proposal, Ametsreiter replied: I am not aware of anything. But it can still come. Vodafone aimed, over the next 12 months, to increase to 11 million from 9 million the number of German households it provides with ultra-fast Gigabit connections, Ametsreiter said. If Vodafone is allowed to take over Unitymedia, a unit of Liberty Global, this would rise to 25 million Gigabit connections by 2022, Ametsreiter said. Vodafone, the worlds No.2 mobile operator, agreed last May to pay $22 billion for Liberty Globals cable networks in German and eastern European markets to challenge the dominance of former monopolies such as Deutsche Telekom. The European Union has not raised any major concerns about the impact on Germanys cable market of Vodafone buying Liberty Globals assets, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said last month, improving the chances of the deal going ahead. Hong Kong: Foster families lauded Director of Social Welfare Carol Yip praised more than 300 families for their selfless commitment to foster care services at the Foster Families Service Award Presentation Ceremony 2019 today. A total of 380 foster families received awards at the ceremony, a record high. Among them, 84 have been serving as foster families for more than 15 years, while nine of them have served for over 25 years. Families with an outstanding performance in the past two years also received special awards. Addressing the ceremony, Ms Yip said foster parents' selfless devotion over the years has been essential to the sustainable development of foster care services. She said the Social Welfare Department will provide residential care services in a family setting for more children in need by making full use of existing resources and keeping a close watch on the recruitment situation of foster families. The department will work closely with 11 non-governmental organisations in publicising the service and recruiting foster families. As at the end of March, there were 900 registered foster families and 907 children receiving foster care services. This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Geely Technology Group (Geely Tech), inherited from Geely Holding Group, signed on April 29 an agreement with local government of Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province to build a new energy battery research institute at Xiuzhou Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, according to the official website of the hi-tech zone. Involving a total planned investment of RMB3 billion, the yet-to-be-established research institute will work as the headquarters for the Group to research and develop new energy batteries with R&D hubs of battery cells and electricity generation system as well as centers for analysis & testing and forward-looking technology development. The new institute is expected to start operation within 2019, not only meeting Geelys demands on future continuous growth of new energy batteries, but also helping improve the quality and efficiency of local new energy industrial development. Over more than a decade of developing, Geely Tech has hatched a large number of promising technology companies, and continuously engaged in the field of new energy, transport services, future transportation and digital living. Headquartered in Hangzhou, the Group owns CAOCAO, Xiaolinggou, Qjiang Motorcycle, CRGT(China Railway Gecent Technology) , Terrafugia, Easybao Tech, and other brands. The Group is also exploring in aerotrain, industrial Internet, 5G, V2X, edge computing, etc., according to Geelys official introduction. Local government of Xiuzhou District is speeding up the cultivation of new energy industry and has successively introduced some auto parts and new energy programs from Toyota, Webasto and Minth Group with an industrial chain consisting of R&D, production, detection, operation, maintenance and relevant supporting sectors basically formed here. Major supermarket retailers across the UK and Europe have turned a blind eye to the unsustainable practices of farmed fish supply chains. This according to... Read More Wednesday's rollout of new in-park restrictions for Walt Disney's (NYSE:DIS) domestic theme parks went off largely without a hitch. The theme park giant's decision to eliminate designated smoking areas from Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California merely shifted the traffic of smokers and vapers to designated areas just outside the park entrances, with easy re-entry access. Families who had been wheeling kids around in wagon strollers, or any stroller bigger than 52 inches long or 31 inches wide, had to opt for Disney rentals or buy new carriers. Social media was ablaze with photos of larger strollers and smokers who still got through at the six theme parks, but that will stop over time. Disney thought this decision through, and it had weeks to implement the move after the late March announcement. Up in smoke Disney got the timing right on this move. May is typically one of the quieter times for Disney. Spring break is over, so families and college kids are back at school, and the summer travel season is still weeks away. If the media giant was going to break in potentially controversial policies, it makes sense to start instituting them when guest traffic is relatively light. The parks will be a lot busier soon. Disneyland will open the first phase of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge on May 31. Disney World's version will open less than three months later. Breaking in the new restrictions would've been challenging when crowd control is a bigger concern. Restrictions or not, Disney's theme parks are going to score record attendance numbers this year, and it'll only build on them next year, when the buzz over Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has a full year to play out on both coasts. Even Disney's recent ticket price increases won't dissuade visitors. A Disney getaway has never been cheap, and with the economy mostly humming along, it's going to be hard for the world's largest theme park operator not to hit it out in the next few years. Disney's theme park business had been doing just fine before guests could pilot the Millennium Falcon or grab a glass of blue milk at a galactic outpost watering hole, like they will in the coming months. The segment saw its revenue rise 5% in Disney's latest quarter, with operating income growing twice as quickly. The gain follows last fiscal year's 10% top-line increase. The business just works, and while Disney may take some heat from the smoker and stroller-wagon camps, there's a world of opportunity just waiting to fill that void. Just four short years ago, things weren't looking so hot for the largest natural gas pipeline operator in North America, Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI). The company had announced a 75% dividend cut to help with its high debt load, and the share price dropped like a stone. However, since then, Kinder Morgan has been pulling itself together. Can it keep it up? Here's where the company is likely to find itself five years from now. Slow but steady improvement Kinder Morgan's fortunes cratered during the energy price slump of 2014-2017. By 2016, the company's revenue on a trailing 12-month basis fell almost 20% to just over $13 billion. Net income dropped off a proverbial cliff, falling 85.6% between Q3 2014 and Q3 2016. Long-term debt levels soared 28.5% from about $35 billion to more than $45 billion. And with the company's painful dividend cut, investors fled the stock, shares of which collapsed 65%, from more than $40 per share to $13 per share. Since then, however, the company's fundamentals have improved slowly but steadily. Revenue is up 8.4% from its 2016 low. Free cash flow is up 259% from its 2015 low. And management has used some of that cash to pay down long-term debt by 22% and double the dividend payout. But more important than the improving fundamentals are the improving industry conditions driving them. More gas than producers know what to do with Since the oil price slump began in 2014, domestic oil and gas production has exploded, thanks to the comparatively inexpensive shale drilling available in the Permian Basin and other U.S. hydrocarbon hot spots. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that U.S. natural gas production has increased by 8.3% since 2014, and estimates it will jump an additional 10.9% by 2020. All that gas has to go somewhere, and Kinder Morgan has been expanding its pipeline network to accommodate it. The company currently has about $6.1 billion of expansion projects under construction, and expects to greenlight an additional $2 billion to $3 billion annually moving forward. These projects include two major gas pipelines from the Permian Basin: the Gulf Coast Express, which is slated to begin operation this October, and the Permian Highway Pipeline, which will enter service in October 2020. Management admitted on the most recent earnings call that it's even considering a third pipeline as well. Some of these new projects push the envelope a bit. Kinder's traditional focus has been on natural gas pipelines, but the company is pursuing a joint venture with Tallgrass Energy (NYSE:TGE) to develop an oil pipeline through the Rockies. The JV would primarily consist of Tallgrass' existing Pony Express oil pipeline system and Kinder's Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline, which would be converted to handle oil. Looking long term Kinder Morgan plans to keep growing its gas pipeline network and to expand into the oil pipeline business through its JV with Tallgrass. But it's worth pointing out that pipelines aren't built in a day. We're looking at where the business will be five years from now, but some of the projects currently in Kinder Morgan's $6.1 billion program may not even be finished by then. That's not stopping the company from looking ahead to 2024. Indeed, on the most recent earnings call, president Kim Dang had this to say about where the company might be in five years: "Overall, the higher utilization on our systems ... will drive nice expansion opportunity. If you look at the longer term, by 2024 the natural gas market is projected to grow to almost 110 [billion cubic feet] a day, driven by increases in power generation, LNG and Mexico exports, and continued industrial development, with most of that supply growth expected to come out of the Permian, the Haynesville [Shale of Texas/Louisiana], and the Marcellus [Shale of Pennsylvania/West Virginia/Ohio]." Is anyone surprised that Kinder Morgan has significant pipeline assets in all three of these named formations that are expected to drive supply growth? Keep an eye on Kinder Morgan The U.S. energy boom seems to be here to stay, and Kinder Morgan is poised to ride the wave of higher domestic production. With a steady stream of new projects in the pipeline (no pun intended), the company looks set for sustained growth over the next five years. Investors should expect that growth to power additional dividend increases and debt reduction, which makes the company even more attractive as a long-term investment. For all the ups and downs of the oil industry over the past few years, there are signs that things are getting better for companies in this space. Sure, oil prices are all over the place, but capital spending is up and there are clear needs for new sources and infrastructure to move those new sources to market. So we asked three of our Motley Fool contributors to each highlight an oil stock they view as good buys now. Here's why they picked Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP). This infrastructure stock is building pipelines and momentum Tyler Crowe (Enterprise Products Partners): Back in 2017, Enterprise Products Partners management knew that it was on the precipice of a huge boom in pipeline and processing facilities construction. In order to finance this construction wave and to assuage investor concerns about issuing equity to pay for things, management elected to grow its payout at just about the slowest rate you can: a penny a year. The thought was that, by keeping payout growth low, it would be able to retain more cash over time to fund growth. This past quarter was a shining example of why this was the right move. The oil and gas midstream company reported that its distributable cash flow was up 18% compared with this time last year and that it retained about $665 million to fund its capital spending for the year. Cash flow growth for a company of Enterprise's size is almost unheard of, and its ability to retain that much cash for growth is creating a virtuous cycle where it can now invest in even more ambitious pipeline and other infrastructure projects. Enterprise has long been known for its conservative management, with a reputation of being good stewards of shareholder capital. Now it's proving that it can grow and meet the ever-increasing demands of the American oil and gas industry. For investors looking for a long-term stock in energy, Enterprise Products Partners is hard to beat. Oil is expensive, but this oil giant's stock is still cheap Rich Smith (ExxonMobil): I've said it before and I'll say it again: ExxonMobil is looking like a great oil stock to buy right now. Across the country and around the globe, oil prices are surging, with WTI crude prices approaching $66 a barrel and Brent crude already north of $74. Earlier this week, CNBC pointed to a move by the Trump administration to cease granting waivers on sanctions against countries importing Iranian oil, a move that -- in CNBC's estimation -- could cause importers to recoil from Iranian production, and remove as much as a million barrels a day of production from the market. By constricting supply but doing nothing to depress demand, such a move would almost certainly send prices even higher. And as one of the world's biggest (non-Iranian) oil producers, ExxonMobil would almost certainly benefit. Not that Exxon needs the help. ExxonMobil stock has already gained a rollicking 27% since oil prices bottomed on Christmas Day. At the same time, I can't help but notice that Exxon's stock valuation of only 17 times trailing earnings remains a good five points below the average 22 P/E on the S&P 500, while Exxon's dividend yield, at 4.1%, is nearly twice the market average. With numbers like these, even if oil prices don't go any higher, ExxonMobil looks like a great oil stock to buy right now. Bigger can be better John Bromels (ConocoPhillips): When oil prices are falling, owning shares in an oil exploration and production company is no fun. But when prices are on the rise, as they are right now, owning a so-called E&P ought to be a picnic. But strangely, that's not what's happening right now for investors of the largest domestic E&P, ConocoPhillips. So far this year, Conoco has seen its shares rise only a wimpy 1.2%. That's far below most of its E&P peers, nearly all of which are sitting on double-digit returns for the year to date. And it's not due to poor performance, either. Conoco's recently reported Q1 2019 was an earnings bonanza, with adjusted earnings of $1.1 billion, up 106.4% over the prior-year quarter. Production is up, cash on hand is way up, and the company continues to buy back shares. The reason the stock market may be yawning about Conoco's recent performance is that over the long term, it's actually been outperforming its peers. Conoco's stock is only down 15.5% over the last five years, which measures from just before the big oil price slump of 2014-2017. Many other E&P stocks are down 50% (or more) during that time frame. But even so, Conoco's PE ratio of 11.8 is still middle of the pack, while its enterprise-value-to-EBITDA ratio -- another common valuation metric -- is a very low 4.7. But as the biggest dog in the pack, ConocoPhillips has some advantages, as its recent performance shows. Its sheer size makes it one of the best-positioned companies to capitalize on the current upward trend in oil prices. And that, plus a reasonable valuation, makes it a good choice to consider right now. The students planted the seedlings near a pond by the school to prevent soil erosion around the water and to learn about the importance of trees in our ecosystem. Ms. Musso said, The students were so excited to dig holes! Several students showed me worms and other insects they picked up in the soil when planting the trees! They were so proud of the amount of trash they collected and were surprised by some of the items they found, like the dog leash, shaving razors and the amount of plastic! On March 26, her legal adoption of the boys was finalized. Mason told me, I feel like Im going on a permanent vacation, Radnovich said. He no longer has to be responsible for things no child should be responsible for. Fredericksburg City [department of social services] has been their savior. A visual titled The Road to Permanency on the conference room wall in the citys social services department shows that placement with relatives is the most popular choice of kids in the foster care system, once reunification with the birth family has been ruled out. On the board, paper footprints represent each child over the age of 14 in foster care in the city. The color of the footprint represents the childs permanency goals. Most of the footprints are yellow, meaning the childs goal is reunification with his or her birth family. Purple, for relative placement, is tied with green, for adoption, as the next most popular colors. But since April of last year, the percent of children in foster care in the city who were successfully placed with relatives ranges between only 10 and 18 percent. The majoritybetween 60 and 68 percentwere placed in non-relative foster homes. GROWING up in the southwest Virginia town of Elliston, Ariel Hartman was the sort of youngster drawn to hiking, backpacking and camping. When she learned at Radford College that it was possible to study subjects such as outdoor recreation or parks and tourism, she felt joy for the first time at finding her niche. Fast forward past a graduate degree at East Carolina University and two years of teaching at Southwest Virginia Community College and Hartman felt that joy a second timewhen she became assistant manager at Mason Neck State Park in Fairfax County. Theres truly something special about being able to live in this beautiful park, where most of the land is habitat for the eagles and other wildlife, said Hartman, who has been on the job for a little more than a year. Leading or going along on night hikes, or paddling along our shoreline with visitors is just icing on the cake, she said. This is a very special place, where our main focus is teaching people about why this park was made, how its really here for the preservation of eagles and all the other animals in this spot surrounded by water. The Rappahannock Area YMCA kicked off its annual fundraising drive with a donor appreciation event at Brocks Riverside Grill Thursday. From left, donors Mike and Betsy Turner, who agreed to match the first $6,000 in donations, pose with Rappahannock Area YMCA Board President Philip King and Chief Executive Officer Barney Reiley. The YMCA has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 for its annual Give Day Tuesday. Donations can be made online at family-ymca.org. Food banks need to have a steady supply of products to provide this front line assistance. Donations during the summer months tend to go down compared to the holiday season. The food banks, in fact, suggested the national drive be held this time of year for that very reason. With schools out, many impoverished children lose access to the free lunches they receive during the academic year. There is a greater need for food programs during the summer, when hunger can escalate. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is at the right time of the year to help deal with any hunger crisis. Also, if there are cuts to the food stamp program (SNAP), this puts enormous pressure on food banks to make up the difference. Making sure no one goes hungry should be a priority for all of America. If we end hunger, the health of the nation would improve dramatically. Think of how nutrition can help reduce illness among the U.S. population. That benefits everyone. If children are well-nourished, they can learn more in school. If we could end hunger, we could improve the education of millions of Americans. T IMBS v. Indiana has received a lot of attention because it deals with a controversial subjectcivil asset forfeitures. But as a practical matter, this case is unlikely to have much of an impact. Thats because what this case now requires under the U.S. Constitution has long since been required under state constitutions. In Timbs, the Supreme Court held unanimously that the 8th Amendments Excessive Fines Clause applies to states and local governments. This ruling is unsurprising given that the Supreme Court has incorporated almost all of the Bill of Rights against states and local governments since the 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868. The Supreme Courts opinion explains why this case doesnt change much. All 50 state constitutions have excessive fines clauses that apply to states and local governmentssome for centuries. It is possible that some of these state constitutional provisions have been interpreted differently than the federal provision. But there is so little federal case law on what is an excessive fine that it is unlikely most interpretations of state constitutions contradict the scant federal case law. ON Thursday at 6 p.m., the Commonwealth Transportation Board will hold a public hearing at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg on transportation projects that have been recommended for funding under Virginias Six-Year Improvement Program. They include the Interstate 95 Corridor Improvement Program that is being partially funded under the recently passed tax package to improve Interstate 81. The CTB is scheduled to vote next month on the recommendations, which total $20.1 billion through 2024. So local residents who wish to weigh-in on how big a slice of that pie their neighborhood, city or county should get for roads, bridges, commuter lots and public transportation should plan to attend. A complete list of Virginia Department of Transportation recommended projects in Fredericksburg can be found at: http://syip.virginiadot.org. The list contains many projects to improve interstate, primary and secondary roads in the region. The largest projects on the six-year plan in the region are the northbound and southbound Rappahannock River Crossings and the 10-mile extension of the express lanes between Exits 143 and 133, which are critically important in an area that had the dubious distinction of having two of the worst traffic hotspots in the nation in 2017. Barcelona did not say how long it expects him to be out, but it is unlikely that Dembele will be ready to play at Anfield on Tuesday when Barcelona will defend a 3-0 first-leg victory. Visitors to Marys Peak, the prominent Coast Range mountain west of Corvallis, cant help but notice Parker Falls. Set beside a pullout 7 miles up the access road from Highway 34, the picturesque cascade comes sheeting down a steep face of dark igneous rock framed by fir, alder and cedar trees, then crosses under the road in a culvert before continuing its tumultuous journey down the mountainside. This is the one and only waterfall people know on Marys Peak, said Dave Eckert, a member of the nonprofit Marys Peak Alliance, on a recent visit to the mountain. And this is one of the most popular stopping points for anybody coming up. A short distance away is a smaller but equally beautiful feature, a 40-foot cataract that stair-steps its way down a succession of mossy ledges to a fern-lined grotto just a few yards from the road. But because a thin strip of trees screens it from passing motorists, this lovely rivulet is virtually unknown. In fact, its name doesnt even appear on any map because it doesnt have one. Now, thanks to a years-long campaign spearheaded by Eckert, that may be about to change: Last month the Marys Peak Alliance filed a formal proposal to give indigenous names to 10 creeks on the mountain. The streams are small but flow year-round, and most have significant waterfalls on them. At present, however, none of the creeks has a name. Whats in a name? The idea for the project came to Eckert in one of those aha moments. It was May 2016, and he was taking a tour of the Rock Creek watershed, a 10,000-acre parcel on the mountains eastern shoulder that provides about a third of the municipal water supply for Corvallis. The group stopped at a place where a small stream flowed into Rock Creek, and Eckert asked one of the tour leaders what it was called. He said, Oh, thats Trib A, Eckert recalled. At first he didnt understand, but the man explained that a number of smaller watercourses in the Rock Creek drainage have no recognized names. Instead, the city employees and contractors who work in the area refer to them by letters Tributary A, Tributary B and so on. That didnt seem right to Eckert. If youre doing a lot of operations up here, he asked, why dont you have real names for them? The man responded, That would be a good idea. Eckert thought so, too. He started looking at maps lots of maps and quickly realized that there are dozens of creeks on Marys Peak that have no names. And he thought that needed to change. People tend to appreciate a place that has a name, Eckert explained. Once it has a name, people start referring to it, they see it, he added. Once it has a name, people are more likely to start caring about it. Blue lines on the map Its not surprising that there are so many creeks on Marys Peak. At 4,097 feet above sea level, its the highest point in the Oregon Coast Range. At the summit, the mountain receives about 100 inches a year in precipitation, much of it in the form of snow, making it a fountainhead for seeps and springs and surface streams. Eckert began talking to people who knew the mountain well and learned that many of these small creeks had plunging cascades of 40, 60, 80 feet or more again not surprising, given the peaks steep terrain that also didnt show up on any maps. As the project picked up steam, Eckert gathered a group of people together, many of them fellow members of the Marys Peak Alliance, and started scouting the area to determine which streams might be the most promising candidates for naming. Wed look at them from roads and wed look at them from maps and wed talk to people, Eckert said. We could tell which ones we wanted. They looked for year-round streams with scenic values, waterfalls and other interesting features, and they looked for land managers and property owners who were open to the idea of naming previously unnamed streams that ran through their lands. While many of the creeks that were on the preliminary list are primarily or entirely on public lands, others flow through private property, and Eckert knew he would need landowner support for any naming proposal. We wanted to have happy landowners, so we took some out that would have been phenomenal, he said. There was one qualification above all others that a creek had to have for Eckert to consider including it in his naming proposal: It couldnt have a name already. I will not get into renaming, Eckert said. Thats where you really make enemies. Coming together Land ownership on Marys Peak is a mixed bag of public and private, including federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, local governments such as the city of Corvallis and business entities such as Starker Forests and Thompson Timber, as well as some small private property owners. Putting names on geographic features can be controversial. Early on in the process, Eckert contacted as many of these public land managers and private property owners as possible to gauge their support for the idea of coming up with names for unnamed creeks. For the most part, he said, they were enthusiastic. He also reached out to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Eckert was already aware that Marys Peak was considered a sacred place by tribes in the region, but through his research on unnamed creeks he had come to realize something else: The only creek name on Marys Peak that has anything to do with the areas Native Americans is Chintimini, a French corruption of a Kalapuya word. I looked at all the names of creeks (on Marys Peak), he said. They were all European names there were no indigenous names. In 2017, the Marys Peak Alliance held two meetings of stakeholders at Eena Haws, the Native American longhouse at Oregon State University to talk about naming some of the mountains nameless creeks. Both were attended by representatives of the Grand Ronde and Siletz tribes, Eena Haws, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, city of Corvallis, Starker Forests, Oregon State University, OSUs Spring Creek Project and the Marys Peak Alliance. The format of both meetings, called a convening, was suggested by David Harrelson, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and was based on the idea of concurrence in other words, decisions should be made by general agreement. The first question to be answered was: Should these unnamed creeks be named? It went around the circle, and everybody said yes, Eckert recalled. The second question was: How should they be named? It went around the circle a few times, Eckert said, and the decision was made yes, we should name them in the appropriate indigenous languages. The group agreed that the names should be selected by the tribes and that they should reflect the linguistic, cultural and geographic history of the area. Marys Peak is right at the dividing line of different cultural territories, although dividing line is the wrong word, Eckert said. Its more of a confluence. Six of the creeks proposed for naming are in the Rock Creek watershed, including the streams that inspired the project to begin with, the anonymous tributaries A, B, C and D. That watershed is in the homeland of the Kalapuya people, who are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, so tribal members have proposed Kalapuya names for them: Ahngeengeen, meaning Flint; Ahnhoots, or Panther; Ahntkwahkwah (Frog); Ahshahyum (Grizzly); Ahmoolint (Wolf); and Ahsney (Coyote). The other four creeks under consideration are in the homelands of the Wusin and Yaqon people, members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians who are also known by the English renderings Alsea and Yaquina. Wusin names have been proposed for three creeks in the Alsea River drainage: Wusin, after the tribe; Pawint, meaning Cinnamon Bear; and Lo wa ha yu, or Mountain. Yaqon, which is what the Yaquina people call themselves in their own language, is proposed for a creek in the Yaquina River watershed. Making it official Anyone can suggest a name for a natural feature on the landscape. Before it becomes official, however, the name has to go through a formal review process at the state and national level. Last month the Marys Peak Alliance got the ball rolling on that review process by submitting a 20-page application to the Oregon Geographic Names Board. It was accompanied by letters of support from the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, the Marys Peak field office of the BLM, the Siuslaw National Forest, the city of Corvallis, the Benton County Board of Commissioners, the Marys Peak Group of the Sierra Club and the Marys River Watershed Council. The application is scheduled to be considered at a subcommittee meeting May 14 in Portland. If it passes muster there, it will be put on the agenda for the full 25-member boards next meeting, set for June 15 at the Douglas County Museum in Roseburg. The state boards role is to make recommendations to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, which has final authority over place names in America. Bruce Fisher, chairman of the Oregon Board of Geographic Names, said board members visit geographical features proposed for naming primarily to make sure those features actually exist. They review applications to ensure place names are not offensive or derogatory, and they like to see solid support from local government officials as well as the managers or owners of the land where the features are located. They also take into account any opposition to the proposed names. In this instance, Fisher said, the Marys Peak Alliance seems to have checked all the boxes. He thinks theres a very good chance the proposal will be endorsed at the June 15 meeting and sent on to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names for final approval, a process that can take up to a year. Theres been a lot of participation from a lot of the players, he said. As long as we dont get any opposition and with those 10 we havent received any opposition from anyone theres no reason not to forward it to the U.S. board. Fisher, who has been involved with the Oregon Geographic Names Board for a quarter-century, believes a well-chosen place name can play an important role in the states culture. It gives a feature an identity, he said. It brings back and tries to keep history in Oregon and we have a lot of history in Oregon. In an effort to preserve all of the states history, he added, the board encourages the use of place names that reflect the lands indigenous cultures and languages. These names were important to native people, Fisher said. We want to try our best to get them in the public record. Assuming the U.S. Board of Geographic Names ultimately signs off on the proposal, it could be years before any of the new creek names start showing up on maps. But Paul Tigan, who heads up the Marys Peak field office of the BLM, said there may be a faster means of getting the names into common use. Tigans office is already in consultations with the Siuslaw National Forest about updating some of their road signs in connection with the recently approved Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway, a 72-mile stretch of Highway 34 that includes spur routes to Alsea Falls and Marys Peak. He thinks some of the scenic byway signs could include references to the new creek names. If those designations happen, Tigan said, that actually would be a good way to call it out to the public. Making connections Marys Peak is significant to all the antecedent tribes of those that are federally recognized today, both east and west of the peak, said Briece Edwards, whos sitting in for David Harrelson as interim cultural resources officer for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. There are traditional stories about that peak, about that land form. Some of those stories have to do with traditions about the creation of the world, he said, while others have to do with the mountains role as a place of refuge during the cataclysmic Missoula floods that inundated much of the Willamette Valley under hundreds of feet of water near the end of the last ice age. The tribes see the creek naming proposal as a way of reminding the people who live in the region today of the longstanding connection between the mountain and indigenous cultures. A lot of those names and those connections have been lost, Edwards said, and this is an opportunity to bring those names and those connections back to the landscape. But he rejects the notion that conferring indigenous names on the creeks is a mere historical exercise. The descendants of the Kalapuya, Wusin and Yaqon peoples are still here, living side by side with descendants of the European settlers who took their lands and forced them onto reservations. Allowing native names to take their place alongside European names is a way of recognizing that we all share the same landscape. There is emerging a shared landcestry, Edwards said. The landscape is still here today. There is a population that is seven generations connected to it, but theres also a population that is 700 or 7,000 generations connected to it. This is a great opportunity to find that (sense of connection) coming back in a positive way. Reporter Bennett Hall can be reached at 541-758-9529 or bennett.hall@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @bennetthallgt. Love 5 Funny 2 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. Domain of Corvallis The story: The Domain of Corvallis is under construction in the Witham Oaks area of Corvallis, with the student-marketed structures easily visible from Harrison Boulevard. The complex will occupy 25 acres of a 96-acre parcel. The Domain is being developed by Corvue Holdings, a Chicago-based privately held national real estate and development company that specializes in "purpose-built student housing." The latest: Ivy Bedke, lease-up specialist with Domain, said the first phase of 128 units with 328 bedrooms will be available to tenants in the fall. The units are a mix of two and three-bedroom units. Phase 2, scheduled to open for fall 2020, will include four-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom townhouses. Upon completion the complex will house approximately 900 tenants. James Day NuScale Power The story: NuScale Power is working to commercialize a novel design for a small, modular nuclear reactor based on technology developed at Oregon State University. The company is hoping for Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification in 2020 and aims to start up its first small modular reactors in Idaho in 2026. The latest: NuScale has signed a memorandum of understanding with Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. of South Korea to support development of the NuScale Power Module. The agreement, which is not yet final, calls for DHIC to manufacture reactor subassemblies for the Idaho power plant and opens the way for a group of Korean investors to potentially take an equity position in NuScale. Bennett Hall Impulse Bar case The Story: Impulse Bar and Grill owner Sebastian Gallegos, 50, of Corvallis, was convicted by a jury of disorderly conduct in Benton County Circuit Court in late April. He was accused of attacking an employee in May of 2018 and the jury also found him not guilty of fourth-degree assault in the case. The Latest: On April 26, Gallegos was sentenced to 12 months of bench probation and 20 hours of community service in the case. Anthony Rimel Public Works post The story: Mary Steckel, the Public Works director for the city of Corvallis, has announced her intention to retire. The city brought in a pool of three finalists April 23 for a meet and greet at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. The latest: After interviewing the candidates City Manager Mark Shepard chose not to make an offer to any of the finalists, and the city has re-advertised for the position. Steckel, meanwhile, said she will remain in the position through Sept. 30 if necessary. James Day Planning Commission moves The story: The Corvallis Planning Commission has been working through a series of complicated land-use cases, including an update of the citys buildable lands inventory and a request to rezone the Carson property at the intersection of Southwest 53rd Street and Country Club Drive. The latest: At their May 1 meeting commissioners forwarded the BLI and its accompanying urbanization study to the City Council with a recommendation that councilors approve the plan, which will help guide Corvallis land use and growth for the next two decades. Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the Carson rezoning, which will allow the property owners to erect high-density residential on the 6-plus acre site. Voting yes were Carl Price, Christopher Ouellette and TJ Lamkin. Commissioners Susan Morre and Tom Jensen voted no. James Day Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 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. Vernon Richard Tunnell, Sr., 81, of Sweet Home, passed away Friday at a care home in Vancouver, Washington. A graveside service with military honors will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, May 6, at Gilliland Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Vernons name can be made to CASA of Linn County. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements. (www.sweethomefuneral.com) Mila Zuo, a filmmaker and assistant professor at Oregon State University, is the winner of this year's Oregon Media Arts Fellowship Award and the proceeds from the award will help bankroll Zuo's next short film. The fellowship, administered by the Northwest Film Center in Portland and funded this year by the Oregon Arts Commission, goes to filmmakers who have shown a commitment to the art form and are working to create new work. Zuo, who teaches film studies in OSU's School of Writing, Literature and Film, would seem to be an ideal candidate. Her 2016 short narrative film, "Carnal Orient," played at the Portland International Film Festival (run by the Northwest Film Center) and in festivals in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, London and Singapore, among other locations. To some degree, the film she wants to shoot this summer, "Kin," reflects her move from Los Angeles, where she earned a doctorate and a master's degree in cinema and media studies, to the mid-valley, where she started at OSU in 2015. The mid-valley, she said, is "quite a different environment. It's allowed me to become more of a nature enthusiast." And "Kin," a drama about two men and a woman who live in a somewhat isolated house, to some extent reflects the more wide-open environment of the mid-valley. She said the script reflects a "fascination in these kinds of spaces that are outside the bigger towns" and also explores the "feelings that might emerge from living in these spaces" not to mention "how love and violence can exist in these spaces." And Zuo hopes the finished film (it used to be called "Kindred," but she changed the name to avoid confusion with the Octavia E. Butler novel) offers something else: a measure of "cinematic empathy toward people who may not feel represented" in film. If "Kin" works on that level, depicting with a measure of respect the lives of people who live and work and love outside urban areas, it will be welcome indeed. With that said, no more spoilers. Besides, Zuo said, the shooting script (she wrote it with her writing partner, Dougal Henken) still needs some judicious trimming: It currently covers about 20 pages, and Zuo hopes the finished project clocks in at about 15 minutes a good length for the festivals in which she hopes to enter the film. And it's about as much movie as you likely can buy for what Zuo expects to be the budget for the project, which should be somewhere around $10,000 or $15,000. The exact amount of the fellowship has yet to be nailed down, she said, but the hope is that the award will cover a good chunk of the budget. Zuo earned her bachelor's degree in English and film studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her resume includes stints playing guitar in a band and working as a magazine editor. She applied to graduate school at UCLA to continue film studies, and her research interests include Asian and Asian American cinema, film philosophy and feminist and queer theory. She's working on a manuscript that takes a deeper look at the world of contemporary Chinese woman film stars. In the short term, though, she's about to begin searching for locations where she can shoot "Kin" this summer, and wants to assemble her cast and crew. (She encouraged people who want to know more about the effort to contact her by email at Mila.Zuo@oregonstate.edu.) Her plans for the future include continuing to make films, teaching and researching but not at OSU. She's accepted a job beginning this next academic year at the University of British Columbia. So shooting "Kin" will mark her farewell to this area. But her production plans for the new movie reflect to some degree how her time in the mid-valley has influenced her: "Carnal Orient," she noted, was shot inside a warehouse. "For this film, I want to be outdoors." Documentary fail I know, I know: I promised that the online version of last week's column (the annual listing of summer movies that might appeal to actual adults) would include a list of documentaries that also are expected this summer. I know that all of you raced to the online version, and can only imagine the bitter tears you wept: I just didn't get that list prepared in a timely fashion. But rejoice: I finally have prepared the list of promising summer documentaries and have attached it not just to last week's column but this week's as well. Here's a sneak preview: The summer includes "Remember My Name," purportedly an unusually frank look at the career of musician David Crosby, and "Echo in the Canyon," about the music that emerged from Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon in the 1960s. (mm) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In the last two years, I have found myself making fewer and fewer statements about Donald Trumps volatile behavior and policies. I see them as mindless stands of grandiosity no longer worth commenting on. However, I cannot help but publicly express my outrage at his announcement at the National Rifle Association annual convention that he is pulling the United States out of the UN Arms Trade Treaty, saying that it is an assault on Americans constitutional right to bear arms." The treaty, signed in 2013 by President Obama, was never ratified by the U.S. Senate, then dominated by Republicans, so Mr. Trumps gesture is a symbolic one, mostly to rally his base something Mr. Trump cares more about than truly governing this country. But since the aim of the treaty is to crack down on illicit trading in small arms that fuels violence in many troubled countries in the world, the real danger of Mr. Trumps position is that it sends a chilling message that the U.S. no longer cares about minimizing terrorism and armed conflicts. Specifically, it ignores the fact that the security threat created by refugee caravans heading toward our southern border is mainly caused by thugs and gangs armed largely with contraband U.S.-made weapons. We are already the biggest seller of weapons in the global arms trade. Mr. Trump once bragged about how that contributes to the creation of jobs in the U.S. His latest gesture is another example of the potential danger he can create to world peace. Chinh Le Corvallis (April 28) Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 With Bob Jones East-West vulnerable, South deals NORTH S-A Q J 10 9 4 H-8 7 6 5 D-A 10 7 C-Void WEST EAST S-7 6 5 S-Void H-9 2 H-A J 10 4 D-J 5 D-K 8 6 4 3 2 C-A Q J 6 5 3 C-10 8 4 SOUTH S-K 8 3 2 H-K Q 3 D-Q 9 C-K 9 7 2 The bidding: SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 1C Pass 1H* Pass 2S** Pass 4C*** Pass 4H Pass 6S All pass *At least 4 spades **4 spades, 12-14 points ***Singleton or void in clubs Opening lead: Ace of C Today's deal is from a recent youth tournament in Norway. There are many fine bridge players in Norway -- they just bid funny. They bid quite well, actually, but their approach is different from ours. Transfer responses to an opening bid are popular in Europe and other parts of the world, but they are just starting to make an appearance in American bidding. The exuberance of youth no doubt had a hand in the bidding. The final contract was terrible, but declarer had a chance when West found an unfortunate opening lead. South ruffed the ace of clubs in dummy with the nine of spades and led a heart. East rose with his ace and led another heart to South's king. A low club was ruffed with the ace of spades. Dummy's queen of spades was cashed and the jack was overtaken by South's king. The nine of clubs was ruffed with dummy's 10 of spades and the four of spades was led to declarer's eight, drawing the last outstanding trump. South cashed the king of clubs, leaving this position: NORTH S-Void H-8 7 D-A 10 C-Void WEST EAST S-Void S-Void H-Void H-J 10 D-J 5 D-K 8 C-Q J C-Void SOUTH S-3 H-Q D-Q 9 C-Void Declarer led his last trump and discarded dummy's 10 of diamonds. East was helpless. In this classic crisscross position, South had the rest of the tricks regardless of East's play. Nice bidding, I guess! (Bob Jones welcomes readers' responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001. E-mail responses may be sent to tcaeditors@tribpub.com.) (c) 2019 Tribune CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. Shots ring out amid last-minute Christmas shopping at Oakbrook Center, four people wounded, police say Oakbrook Center shooting: Mall on lockdown after report of shots fired Oman uncovers spy network run by United Arab Emirates: Report Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 01:58PM Authorities in Oman have reportedly uncovered a network of spies working for the United Arab Emirates, as the two Persian Gulf Arab states are involved in a Cold War-like conflict amid an ongoing Riyadh-led diplomatic and trade boycott against Doha. Lebanese Arabic-language daily newspaper al-Akhbar, citing informed sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, reported that Omani security services had been able to obtain sensitive information, suggesting that agents were spying on the sultanate for the UAE. The report added that the confidential information exposed the details of the ring and the names of all individuals and companies cooperating with it. Omani officials subsequently arrested all members of the spy network. Al-Akbar added that the revelation also showed that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE vice president and prime minister, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, was himself directing the spying network an issue that generated high political tensions between Muscat and Abu Dhabi. Omani authorities then sent a note of protest to Abu Dhabi, threatening to expose their findings in case their UAE counterparts did not provide them with the names and identities of all agents working for them. Al-Akbar went on to report that Sheikh Mohammed had set up a line of communication with Omani officials in the ports of Duqm and Sohar, offering them huge sums of bribes in return for obstructing the development of the two ports. Emirati officials have yet to comment on the report. Back on January 30, 2011, Oman announced that it had dismantled an Emirati spy ring that was targeting the government and the military in the Persian Gulf sultanate. The cell "gathered information on the sultanate's military, security and economy, in return for large sums of money from Emirati security services," an unnamed security official close to the case said at the time. The official added that a number of Omani nationals had been arrested, including some who worked for the government. The UAE denied having links to any such network, but the country's Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by the state news agency WAM, expressed "its full willingness to cooperate with ... Oman in any investigations that it carries out in full transparency to uncover (those) who try to mar the relations between the two countries." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Boko Haram terrorists seizes military base in Nigeria's Borno state: Sources Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 03:23PM Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists have raided and briefly seized a military post in Nigeria's northeastern province of Borno, stealing weapons before they were forced out, a week after terrorists similarly raided another army outpost in the volatile province. According to security forces and local residents on Saturday, a column of terrorists in trucks and on motorcycles stormed into a military base in the town of Magumeri, some 50 kilometers from the provincial capital Maiduguri late on Friday. The Boko Haram terrorists overran the base for several hours, hauling away weapons before they were forced out by army soldiers. "The terrorists dislodged troops from the base after an intense fight," AFP quoted an unnamed military officer as saying. "We lost weapons and equipment to the terrorists but it is not clear if there was any human loss," further said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. According to pro-government militia leader Gremah Kaka, terrorists came to the town about 5:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) and started an hour-long fight with the troops in the base before they "gained the upper hand and chased the troops away." He further noted that Boko Haram terrorists overpowered the army soldiers and forced them to flee into the nearby woods, adding that the invaders stayed in the base for "more than four hours" before they were chased away by reinforcements from another base in Gubio, some 46 kilometres from Magumeri. On April 26, Boko Haram terrorists stormed a military outpost in Mararrabar Kimba, some 135 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing five soldiers and stealing weapons, while some 30 troops were listed as missing. The terror group has since July last year targeted dozens of military bases in attacks that saw the terrorists kill scores of troopers. Boko Haram's nine-year militancy is estimated to have killed more than 27,000 people and forced 1.8 million others to flee their homes. In 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel conducts fresh airstrikes on Gaza, kills two Palestinians Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 09:50AM Israeli warplanes have carried out fresh air raids on the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians and injuring several others. The aerial assaults on Saturday followed the retaliatory firing of around 90 rockets from Gaza into the occupied territories on Saturday morning. The rocket fire activated warning sirens in multiple Israeli communities. Palestinian sources said that the Israeli airstrikes had left two people dead and several others wounded in northern Gaza. The rocket attacks came in retaliation for the killing of four Palestinians on Friday, two in an Israeli air raid on southern Gaza Strip and two by the regime's live fire in anti-occupation protests in the besieged coastal enclave. The Hamas resistance movement, which runs Gaza, held Israel fully responsible for the consequences of its aggression against peaceful Gaza demonstrations. In a press release on Saturday, Hamas vowed to avenge the killing of the four Palestinians, stressing that the Gaza resistance would not allow the Palestinian blood to go in vain and would not remain silent on the Israeli blockade. The Tel Aviv regime carries out regular attacks on the Gaza Strip under the pretext of hitting positions belonging to Hamas. The coastal sliver of land has been under a crippling siege by Israel since 2007 and witnessed three wars since 2008. It has also witnessed tensions since March 30, 2018 which marked the start of the Great March of Return protests, with participants demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland. The Gaza violence has so far left at least 268 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Sudan rivals agree on 6-month period to form unity government Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 09:38AM South Sudan's warring sides have agreed to delay the formation of a coalition government for six months, citing failure to resolve differences over the establishment of a power-sharing government that would end years of political deadlock in the African country. The agreement came after closed-door talks in neighboring Ethiopia on Friday, just days before the coalition government was due to be installed in the South Sudanese capital of Juba. The deadline for forming the national unity government, part of the peace agreement signed between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar in August last year, was May 12. Under the power-sharing deal, Machar would be reinstated as vice president. Additionally, there will be a total of 35 ministers in the bloated transitional government, including 20 Kiir allies and nine allied with Machar, along with representatives of other rebel groups. "The Parties identified lack of political will, financing and time constraints as the major challenges that have delayed implementation of the Pre-Transitional tasks," the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc moderating the talks, said in a statement on Friday. Representatives and officials involved in the talks said of the 59 key tasks that required implementation before the May 12 deadline, only 27 had been completed, 17 were ongoing and 15 items had yet to be evaluated. IGAD's South Sudan special envoy, Ismael Wais, expressed optimism and said both parties had avoided a crisis by agreeing to iron out the unresolved aspects of the deal rather than pushing ahead too early. "Everybody is asking the question what comes next. Would there be a problem if the implementation of the agreement a failure, have we failed already," he said. "Now, this meeting proved all the South Sudan parties are committed to the peace agreement." The six-month extension requires approval by a council of regional foreign ministers from Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda next week. Meanwhile, state radio in South Sudan reported on Friday that Kiir had lifted a state of emergency in the country's northern regions as part of efforts to help end civil conflict. South Sudan, the youngest country in Africa, has been gripped by a bloody civil war since December 2013, when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. The two sides were then involved in a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the impoverished country along the ethnic lines. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the conflict. Frequent attacks on humanitarian convoys and personnel have been reported in South Sudan's conflict and both warring sides have been blamed. A similar deal, which returned Machar to vice presidency, was reached in 2015 but fell apart a year later in a deadly clash that forced Machar into exile. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maybe we were in the academy together or maybe we worked overtime together, Downing said. We were at events like this together, or maybe we worked in the same district together. In some shape or form, we all know each other. Bolton, Pompeo, Shanahan discuss military action, other US options after failed coup in Venezuela Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 07:56AM In the wake of the failure of a coup attempt in Venezuela, US National Security Adviser John Bolton has met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan to discuss a military action among other available choices. The meeting at the Pentagon on Friday saw the three officials explore a range of discrete options for the US military, officials said. "This was really a true review and then making sure that we're all in alignment," Shanahan said after the meeting. The meeting came amid reports that President Donald Trump had expressed frustration at Washington's inability to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Asked whether the options that were discussed included military action in the oil-rich South American country, Shanahan said, "I'll leave that to your imagination. We have all options ... on the table." Shanahan cancelled a trip to Europe this week to follow the developments in Venezuela, after opposition leader and self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido failed to gain support from senior leaders of the Venezuelan military during a coup attempt. During the attempt, a group of Venezuela army defectors clashed with soldiers at an anti-government rally in the capital Caracas. Gunfire ensued and more than 100 people were wounded. The Trump administration, which has recognized Guaido as the "president" of Venezuela, quickly backed the attempted putsch. Later in the day, Maduro declared that the coup attempt by a small group of the military had been defeated. This reportedly prompted skepticism by Trump, who questioned the reliability of US intelligence estimations that senior members of Maduro's inner circle were preparing to defect. The Friday meeting also included a briefing by head of US Southern Command Craig Faller, who has in the past day sent mixed messages on a possible military intervention. Faller, who oversees US operations south of Mexico's southern border, had over the past weeks claimed that his forces were on "the balls of their feet" for action against Maduro. On Wednesday, he first told the House Armed Services Committee that a "democratic transition" was the only solution. It only took the admiral a few hours to walk back his remarks, as his spokesman later told the US News that Faller's position ultimately aligned with that of Pompeo. Both Pomepeo and Bolton had called on the Venezuela army to join the coup, pledging that Washington would consider all options including a military intervention to oust Maduro. Intelligence on Venezuela 'very good' Shanahan dismissed reports that Trump was frustrated at his intelligence officials, saying, "I don't feel like we have an intelligence gap." "We have multiple sources that we constantly sample, and then we have all sorts of other ways of doing collection ... I feel very confident in the quality and the accuracy of the information that we are getting," he added. Some observers are drawing analogies between Washington's current behavior with what it did before attacking Iraq, warning that a military action is becoming more and more probable. Prior to US invasion of Iraq back in 2003, then President George W. Bush and his top aides made the case for intervention by citing intelligence that the country's former dictator, Saddam Hussein, was secretly developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. Both claims were proven false, however. Bush and his aides had exaggerated the available intelligence. Trump once called the invasion of the Muslim country the "worst decision ever made" by Washington. Trump frustrated with Bolton The US president, who has long threatened Venezuela with military action, appeared more cautious this week. Citing officials familiar with the issue, CNN reported on Friday that Trump has become frustrated as Bolton and others openly teased military options. The president has even told friends that if Bolton had his way he'd already be at war in multiple places, the report said. Trump, Putin discuss Venezuela On Friday, the US president spoke by telephone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in what Trump later described as "a very positive conversation" on Venezuela. Trump claimed that he and Putin were in agreement, and that Putin "is not looking at all to get involved there." Russia issued its own statement on the conversation, saying Putin warned that "attempts to change the government in Caracas by force undermine prospects for a political settlement of crisis." The Russian president also "underscored that only the Venezuelans themselves have the right to determine the future of their country," according to Kremlin. Pompeo will be meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Finland next week to discuss the Venezuela crisis. Lavrov said Pompeo spoke with him on the phone on Wednesday, calling on Moscow to abandon support for Venezuela's elected government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US approves $6 billion in arms sales to Bahrain, UAE Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 06:28AM The US State Department has approved weapons sales to Bahrain and the UAE worth almost $6 billion amid growing concerns over Washington's arms flow to the Persian Gulf Arab countries. The Pentagon said on Friday that it had notified Congress of the State Department's certification of three separate arms sales packages to the regimes in Manama and Abu Dhabi. In one of the packages, Bahrain could potentially purchase various Patriot missile systems and related support and equipment for an estimated cost of $2.48 billion. Another package at an estimated cost of $750 million was cleared for various missiles and bombs to support Bahrain's F-16 Block 70/F-16V aircraft fleet. Bahrain is a partner to Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen. It is also engaged in a heavy-handed crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations with the help of Saudi and UAE forces. The tiny Persian Gulf archipelago is home to US Navy's 5th fleet which not only backs up the regime's survival militarily but also serves as a key base for Washington's interests in the region. Under the third State Department notification, the UAE was given potential approval for $2.73 billion worth of 452 PAC-3 MSE missiles and related equipment. The principal contractors for the exports are top US arms producers Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation. The UAE is also a key partner of Saudi Arabia which has been waging a war against Yemen since March 2015. The Western-backed offensive, coupled with a naval blockade, has destroyed Yemen's infrastructure, killed tens of thousands of people and spawned the most dire humanitarian crisis. Last March, Amnesty International said there "was extensive evidence that irresponsible arms flows to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition have resulted in enormous harm to Yemeni civilians.' "But this has not deterred the US, UK, and other states, including France, Spain and Italy, from continuing transfers of billions of dollars' worth of such arms," it added. According to new figures from the United Nations, the Saudi war in Yemen will have claimed about 102,000 lives by the end of 2019, indicating that the invasion has killed far more people than previously reported. Earlier this week, the US Senate failed to override President Donald Trump's veto of a congressional resolution demanding an end to American military support for the Saudi military aggression against Yemen. Last month, an American think tank said it has found new data showing US arms deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE are "dramatically understated" and billions more than previously reported. The data collected by arms trade watchdog Security Assistance Monitor (SAM) showed the US has struck at least $68.2 billion worth of deals with the two countries since they started their war in Yemen. The Trump administration is "putting a stamp of approval on what these countries are doing" in Yemen so much so that over two-thirds of the entire Saudi combat-ready fleet comes from the US, William Hartung, the director of the arms and security project at the Center for International Policy, said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US will move F-35 work out of Turkey if Ankara buys S-400: Pentagon Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 12:29AM The Pentagon says it will halt manufacturing support for the F-35 fighter jet in Turkey unless Ankara scraps its plan to buy a Russian missile defense system. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the US was vehemently opposed to Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft technology. "If Turkey decides that the S-400 is a decision they want to go forward with, then we have to move work out of Turkey," Shanahan said. He went on to say that he had discussed options with delegations from US aerospace manufacturers Lockheed Martin and United Technologies should Turkey go ahead with its plan. Meanwhile, key House members announced a bill Friday to bar the sale of the warplane to Turkey if Ankara buys the Russian system. The bill was sponsored by House Armed Services Committee members Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio; John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Paul Cook, R-Calif. The bill is a companion to a bipartisan bill from Sen. James Lankford, R-Kan., and others. "Operating the S-400 alongside the F-35 would compromise the aircraft and its sensitive technology, impact interoperability among NATO allies, and most importantly pose serious risk to our shared defense and security," Garamendi said in a statement. "This bill sends a strong and important message to Turkey proceeding with the S-400 is unacceptable and will not be tolerated." Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 in December 2017. Back in April 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of the S-400. At the time, it was said that the delivery could be made between late 2019 and early 2020. The US and a number of NATO member states criticized Turkey for its planned purchase of the S-400, arguing the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance. The US also warned of tough sanctions if Turkey pursued plans to acquire S-400. Ankara, however, said it would not go back on the deal with Russia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Violence Continues In Afghanistan After Loya Jirga Urges Truce By RFE/RL May 04, 2019 At least seven Afghan policemen were killed when suspected Taliban militants stormed checkpoints overnight in western Badghis Province, officials said. Mohammad Naser Nazari, a provincial councilman, said on May 4 that three other security personnel were wounded during the attack in the Qadis district. The Taliban did not comment on the attack. Elsewhere, the Afghan Defense Ministry said two separate coalition air strikes on May 3 killed at least 43 suspected Islamic State (IS) militants in eastern Kunar Province. In a statement, the ministry said the strikes targeted suspected IS militants in Chapara district. It said an unspecified number of Uzbek and Pakistani nationals were among those killed. Analysts say both the Taliban and IS are active in eastern Afghanistan, especially in the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, which border Pakistan. The reports of fresh violence come a day after an Afghan grand council convened by President Ashraf Ghani ended with a demand for an immediate cease-fire. The council -- known as the Loya Jirga -- brought together more than 3,200 politicians, tribal elders, prominent figures and others to hammer out a shared strategy for future negotiations with the Taliban. "I want to say to the Taliban that the choice is now in your hands," Ghani said at the closing ceremony in Kabul. "Now it is your turn to show what you want to do." Ghani said the message of the five-day gathering was clear: "Afghans want peace" and offered a cease-fire, though he stressed it would not be unilateral. Ghani also vowed to free 175 Taliban prisoners ahead of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, which starts next week. In a statement on May 3, the Taliban rejected a cease-fire, saying attacks will continue during Ramadan but said "fighters are very careful of civilians during any operation." The group has rejected cease-fire proposals saying U.S. and NATO troops must withdraw from the country first. The grand council produced a 23-point list for peace-talks with the Taliban, including a truce for Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn till dusk. The Loya Jirga also urged the government to form a strong negotiating team and said at least 50 of its members should represent victims of wars. The council also backed women's rights, in keeping with the tenets of Islam. Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, AP, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-violence-loya -jirga-urges-truce/29920619.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 U.S. Approves $6 Billion In Weapons Sales To U.A.E, Bahrain By RFE/RL May 04, 2019 WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of some $6 billion in weapons sales to Persian Gulf allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The department said on May 3 that it sent notifications of the potential sales to Congress, which generally has 30 days to oppose weapons deals if it so chooses. The United States relies on the U.A.E, Bahrain and, especially, Saudi Arabia to help counter Iranian influence in the region. In April, Washington moved ahead with a portion of the $15 billion sale of the THAAD missile-defense system to Saudi Arabia. THAAD is used to guard against ballistic-missile attacks. In one of the notifications sent to Congress on May 3, the State Department said Bahrain could potentially buy various Patriot missile systems and related support and equipment for an estimated $2.48 billion. Separately, the State Department notified Congress of its plan to sell various weapons to support Bahrain's F-16 Block 70/F-16V aircraft fleet for an estimated cost of $750 million. The department also notified Congress that the U.A.E. was given potential approval for $2.73 billion worth of Patriot missiles and related equipment, including 452 Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missiles Segment Enhanced (MSE) and associated items. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s- approves-6-billionweapons-sales- u-a-e-bahrain/29921033.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 IDF Strikes 70 Targets in Gaza, Destroys 'Terrorist Attack Tunnel' Sputnik News 19:41 04.05.2019(updated 23:16 04.05.2019) Earlier, the Israeli Defence Forces said that its tanks and aircraft had targeted 30 areas inside the Gaza Strip in response to 200 rocket launches from the territory on settlements in southern Israel earlier in the day. Israeli Air Force fighters are "continuing to strike at terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip," carrying out attacks on "about 70" targets in the territory, the Israeli military has said in a communique released Saturday evening. According to the IDF, warplanes destroyed a 20-meter deep 'attack tunnel' created by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organisation, which had been dug under the Gaza-Israel border into Israeli territory and was intended to allow militants to carry out attacks. The IDF reportedly surveiled the elaborately built tunnel, which included several entrances and exits, before its destruction Saturday. An IDF spokesman accused the PIJ of working to destabilise the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, noting that "in practice, we see that Hamas is not succeeding in enforcing its rule on the PIJ." The IDF reported intercepting dozens of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip earlier Saturday with its Iron Dome defence network, saying that several of the rockets made it through, with rocket fire hitting at least one house. The Israeli military response included targeting multiple launch sites, military compounds, and locations allegedly used to train militants and for the manufacture of weapons, with the strikes targeting Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, and its PIJ ally. Two Israeli civilians were reported injured in the rocket attack, with one Palestinian killed and four others wounded in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. The escalation of tensions between Israel and Hamas follows violent confrontations Friday along the border area in which four Palestinians were killed and 51 wounded, with two Israeli troops also receiving injuries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Helicopter Crashes in Venezuela Sputnik News 19:00 04.05.2019(updated 19:29 04.05.2019) A military helicopter with 7 people on board has crashed in Venezuela, Elias Sayegh, the mayor of the El Hatillo municipality, reported via Twitter on Saturday. "An army helicopter fell this morning in the green zone in Oripoto, more precisely in El Volkan, with seven passengers on board. Our team of El Hatillo civil defense forces helps with search operations," Sayegh wrote on Twitter. There is no information about the fate of the crew and passengers so far. The helicopter may have been a Bell 412. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Missed Chance to Blackmail Venezuelan Officers Into Deserting Maduro Report Sputnik News 18:06 04.05.2019(updated 18:11 04.05.2019) Earlier, National Security Adviser John Bolton publicly called on senior Venezuelan generals to make good on commitments they supposedly made to support the opposition in its push to overthrow the Maduro government. In May 2017, the Trump administration rejected a visa request by General Ivan Hernandez, the head of Venezuelan military counterintelligence and commander of the presidential guard, to send his 3-year-old son to the United States for brain surgery, two people familiar with the internal discussions, including a former US official, have told AP. According to the news agency, the "missed opportunity," presumably to use Hernandez's family as collateral, was one of several botched chances to "curry favour with Venezuela's normally impenetrable armed forces." Another of these alleged attempts to curry favour was an attempt create a back channel with Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who allegedly sought to make contact with the US Defence Intelligence Agency through an intermediary in early 2016, only to be rebuffed by Washington after Diosdado Cabello, leader of Venezuela's ruling Socialist Party, made a television address accusing the Venezuelans abroad who had brokered the creation of the back channel of working with the US to carry out a coup. One of AP's sources said that contacts with the Venezuelan defence minister were cut off amid fears that he may have simply been feigning an interest in cooperation to try to collect information for Caracas about the extent of US plans. On Tuesday, the same day that opposition leader Juan Guaido announced the beginning of the "final phase" of the opposition's push to overthrow the government and called on the military to support the plot, Secretary of State Bolton gave a speech at the White House, calling on generals Padrino and Hernandez, as well as Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno, to fulfill promises they supposedly made to the opposition to ensure a transition of power. A day later, after it became evident that the "final phase" had failed, a source in the US National Security Council told Spanish daily ABC that Lopez, who had supposedly reached a deal with Guaido and the US to support the coup, had a change of heart at the last minute. According to ABC, the White House wasn't immediately aware of what happened on Tuesday, with some believing that the coup was derailed by Padrino. On Wednesday, US special envoy on Venezuela Elliott Abrams appeared to confirm the existence of a plot, saying that high-ranking Venezuelan officials who had earlier negotiated Maduro's ouster had "turned off" their cell phones. On Friday, unnamed sources told CNN that President Trump had begun to question the credibility and interpretation of Washington's intelligence about Venezuela and its leadership in light of recent events in the Latin American country, attributing his scepticism to the failure of senior members of Maduro's inner circle to defect as planned. Also Friday, Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab said his office had requested 18 arrest warrants to be issued in connection with Tuesday's coup attempt. According to Saab, opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez, who escaped house arrest earlier this week and took shelter at the Spanish ambassador's residence in Caracas, was one of the figures behind the coup attempt. Venezuela has faced serious political unrest since January, when Guaido proclaimed himself the country's interim president. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maduro Calls on Army to be Ready to Defend Venezuela From US Attack Report Sputnik News 17:37 04.05.2019(updated 18:15 04.05.2019) Maduro has repeatedly warned the United States against military involvement in the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. His most recent address to the military comes on the heels of a botched coup attempt led by opposition leader Juan Guaido. President Nicolas Maduro has called on the military to be "ready" in case the United States launches an offensive on Venezuelan soil, Agence France-Presse reported on Saturday. Maduro told soldiers "to be ready to defend the country with weapons in hand if one day the North American empire dares to touch this land, this sacred ground," in a speech at a military base where several thousand servicemen were present. It comes as opposition leader Juan Guaido is expected to make a fresh bid to woo the armed forces with protests at Venezuela's military bases. The years-long political crisis in Venezuela reached boiling point this week, when Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-held National Assembly and self-proclaimed acting president, announced what he called the final push to oust Maduro. Guaido called on civilians and military on Tuesday to join his attempted coup, saying that he had the backing of the armed forces. However, only a small part of the military appeared to have heeded his call, and Nicolas Maduro the following day said the uprising had been a failure, pledging to resist the forces intent on "submitting our country to a neocolonial economic domination model and enslaving Venezuela". Several media reports suggested that Maduro's allies, including Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, had agreed to a transfer of power to Guaido after months of negotiations with US representatives. The plan is understood to have failed after Padrino Lopez had a last-minute change of heart. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thai King Rama X Officially Crowned After Ruling Country Since 2016 Sputnik News 12:35 04.05.2019(updated 12:40 04.05.2019) BANGKOK (Sputnik) - Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), who has been heading the country since 2016, was officially crowned on Saturday. The main part of the coronation ceremony has already finished in the Thai capital of Bangkok. The ceremony and all of its rituals are aired by all Thai broadcasters. At noon local time (05:00 GMT), Rama X placed on his head the crown of the Chakri dynasty the currently ruling royal house that hereditary Brahmans and top Thai officials handed to him. After that, the senior Brahman a Hindu priest and the royal master of ceremonies announced the full name of Rama X and all his titles, adding the "Phra Bat" prefix, which serves as an indication that the king is officially crowned. The coronation ceremony has affirmed the traditional divine status of the Thai king. After the coronation of the king, a royal decree was read out on assigning the status of the crowned queen of Thailand to Rama X's wife Suthida Vajiralongkorn. They married mere days before the coronation. Suthida, a 40-year-old former Thai Airways flight attendant and military officer, was appointed deputy commander of the king's household guard in 2014. Suthida became commander of the Special Operations Unit of the King's Guard and promoted to the rank of full general in December 2016, shortly after Vajiralongkorn's ascendancy to the throne. She was also bestowed the royal rank of Than Phu Ying ('High Lady'). Vajiralongkorn, 66, took power two years ago, after the death of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who served as Thailand's king from 1946 until his death in 2016. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The force of the car hitting that first barrier then caused the car to overturn, sliding right across all lanes of traffic, before the front end of the car slammed into an additional concrete barrier to the right, state police said. Venezuelan Prosecutor General Seeks 18 Arrest Warrants Over Latest Coup Attempt Sputnik News 12:07 04.05.2019 MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab said that his office had requested for 18 arrest warrants to be issued in connection with the opposition's recent coup attempt. "We have requested 18 arrest warrants for civilians and military involved in the conspiracy. Seventeen searches have been carried out, and evidence was collected that led us to a larger group of people. Many of those detained are now giving testimony," Saab said in a statement, published by his office on Friday. According to Saab, opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez, who escaped house arrest earlier in the week and finally took refuge at the Spanish ambassador's residence in Caracas, is one of those standing behind the coup attempt. "One of those responsible [for the coup attempt] fled to the Chilean embassy, but he was expelled from there. Then he fled to the Spanish embassy, but he is not a guest there. Mr. Leopoldo Lopez is a coward," Saab added. He also noted that three prosecutors had been appointed to investigate the coup attempt. On Tuesday, the Venezuelan opposition, led by US-backed self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido, initiated a fresh attempt to oust President Nicolas Maduro, staging a demonstration in front of La Carlota military base in Caracas. The coup attempt turned violent and resulted in some 240 people injured, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Venezuela has been rocked by unrest since January, when opposition leader Guaido proclaimed himself the country's interim president and was recognized by the United States and 54 other nations. Maduro, recognized by China and Russia among numerous other countries, has accused the United States of seeking to overthrow his government and install Guaido in a bid to get hold of Venezuela's natural resources. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump 'Asking Questions on Reliability' of US Intel on Venezuela Report Sputnik News 08:16 04.05.2019(updated 08:48 04.05.2019) Trump's new remarks come a few days after he told Fox News that the US is dealing with "lots of options", including "very tough" ones, on Venezuela, where he said "a lot of things" may take place next week. Earlier, the Venezuelan government announced that a coup attempt, initiated by opposition leader Juan Guaido, had failed. US President Donald Trump has begun to question the credibility of Washington's intelligence information about Venezuela and its leadership in light of the current events in the South American country, CNN cited unnamed sources as saying. The sources claimed that Trump's skepticism was caused by the fact that "the military uprising that [Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan] Guaido and some US officials were counting on failed to gain steam". This prompted Trump "to ask to questions about the reliability of US intelligence that suggested senior members of Maduro's inner circle were preparing to defect", according to the sources. They added that the US President also pressed his aides on "how reliable the information coming from Guaido and Venezuela was and whether it was being interpreted properly". Separately, the sources pointed out that Trump was "urging caution among senior advisers moving forward and expressing frustration that some aides are more openly teasing military intervention" in the South American country. This comes after National Security Adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan met in the Pentagon on Friday to discuss military options in Venezuela. Shanahan reiterated the White House's oft-repeated statement about all options remaining "on the table" and said there was a "depth" to US military planning. Pompeo, in turn, told a Fox News interviewer that "military action is possible", adding "if that's what's required, that's what the United States will do". He was echoed by Bolton, who said that the US would not allow Guaido to be mistreated. Earlier, The Washington Post quoted unnamed White House officials as saying that the Venezuelan opposition had held secret talks with some members of the country's government that could have been a success, but "for now, it appears to have failed". The officials argued that the US did not directly participate in the talks aimed at elaborating a comprehensive blueprint to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from office. This was followed by Trump telling Fox News that the next few days may see what he described as lots of developments pertaining to the current situation in Venezuela. He also pledged that Washington would continue to support Guaido, saying that "we are doing everything we can do, short of, you know, the ultimate" and that "there are people who would like to have us do the ultimate". The development comes amid the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela, which escalated on Tuesday after Guaido announced the start of the "final phase" of the opposition's campaign to topple the government and called on the military to support him. The call to action led to clashes in Caracas between opposition protesters and security forces which left at least 69 people injured. After the government announced the failure of a coup attempt, Maduro urged Venezuelans to take to the streets in the event that a fresh attempt was made to overthrow his government amid ongoing turmoil in the South American country. He also pledged that in the near future, he would demonstrate proof about the involvement of some individuals in Tuesday's coup attempt. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Grave consequences' await if new deadly escalation of violence in Gaza continues - top UN official 4 May 2019 - The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, is "deeply concerned by yet another dangerous escalation in Gaza and the tragic loss of life". According to news reports, approximately 200 rockets were fired on Saturday from the Occupied Palestinian Territory towards Israel, and various Israeli airstrikes and tank fire were carried out in retaliation. "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of all those who were killed, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured," said the Coordinator. In a statement released a few hours after the escalation of violence began, he said that the UN is "working with Egypt and all sides to calm the situation" and "called on all parties to "immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months." "Those who seek to destroy them will bear responsibility for a conflict that will have grave consequences for all," he stressed, referring to a fragile Egypt-brokered and UN-backed cease fire recently agreed upon. Mr. Mladenov added that "continuing down the current path of escalation will quickly undo what has been achieved and destroy the chances for long term solutions to the crisis. This endless cycle of violence must end, and efforts must accelerate to realize a political solution to the crisis in Gaza." He further stressed that "the current violence jeopardizes the significant progress made in recent weeks to relieve the suffering of people in Gaza, lift the closures, and support intra-Palestinian reconciliation." Against a backdrop of longstanding shortages of basic goods and services in Gaza linked to a more than decade-long air, sea and land blockade by Israel, Palestinian protests began over a year ago in the Strip. In an ongoing cycle of violence, in over a year, close to 200 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 40 children and over 1300 have been injured. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan Officials: Airstrikes Kill up to 50 IS Militants By Ayaz Gul May 04, 2019 Authorities in Afghanistan said Saturday coalition airstrikes in an eastern province have killed up to 50 Islamic State militants, while Taliban insurgents have killed at least seven government forces in a western district. The Defense Ministry said the overnight airstrikes were carried out in coordination with Afghan ground forces and they struck IS training centers in the troubled Chapa Darah district of Kunar province. It asserted foreigners, including Uzbeks and Pakistanis were among the slain militants. The deputy provincial governor, Gul Mohammad Baidar, told VOA that a key IS commander of Uzbek ethnicity also was among the dead. He confirmed there was no letup in clashes in the district involving Taliban insurgents and IS militants. U.N. humanitarian agencies have reported the fighting in Chapa Darah has forced thousands of Afghan families in recent weeks to flee to safety. The Taliban and IS routinely attack each other's positions in Kunar and parts of neighboring Nangarhar province in their bid to expand their influence. Both of the Afghan provinces border Pakistan. Separately, officials in the western Afghan province of Badghis confirmed Saturday the Taliban late night stormed security check points in the Qadis district, killing seven police officers and injuring several others. Authorities in the eastern Ghanzi province said airstrikes by Afghan forces and their international partners Friday night killed eight civilians, and the incident is being investigated. US-Taliban talks Meanwhile, American and Taliban negotiators resumed peace talks Saturday in the Qatari capital of Doha after a one-day break, although neither side has reported whether the discussions are making any headway. Officials said the talks remain focused on when U.S.-led foreign troops will withdraw in return for Taliban assurances that Afghanistan will not be used by transnational militant groups, including al-Qaida and IS. U.S. chief negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, emphasized the need for all parties involved in the Afghan conflict to reduce violence in order to support efforts aimed at reaching a negotiated settlement. "All sides laying down arms is the outcome of any peace process. All sides agreeing to reduce violence is a necessary step toward achieving that outcome and the morally responsible choice to make. We stand ready," Khalilzad tweeted Saturday. In a statement Friday, though, the Taliban again refused to cease hostilities or engage in intra-Afghan peace talks until their ongoing dialogue with Washington produces an agreement on withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan. Khalilzad repeatedly has stated that a final deal with the Taliban on troop withdrawal and counterterrorism assurances would require the insurgent group to engage in intra-Afghan dialogue and a comprehensive cease-fire. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Slovak PM's White House Visit Spotlights US Defense Accords By Natalie Liu May 04, 2019 U.S. President Donald Trump applauded Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini's announcement that his country plans to increase its military spending to 2% of its GDP in the next three years, as well as purchase U.S.-made F-16 war planes. A joint statement issued by the two leaders after their White House meeting Friday said the U.S. and Slovakia "seek to build on this and deepen our defense cooperation by concluding a mutually beneficial Defense Cooperation Agreement." Earlier, speculation about terms of a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement, or DCA, had stirred controversy in the Central European country. The Slovak foreign ministry described as lacking in knowledge and short on facts allegations that a defense cooperation agreement with the U.S. would lead to encroachment upon Slovakia's sovereignty. In contrast to protests heard in certain quarters in Slovakia, a number of nations in Central Europe have shown an eagerness to enter into defense cooperation agreements with the U.S. Last month, a bilateral agreement was signed between the U.S. and Hungary on the sidelines of events marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO, after more than a year and a half of negotiations. In an interview with VOA, Laszlo Szabo, Hungary's ambassador to the U.S., described the agreement as both strategic and tactical in nature and as one that sets the terms under which American forces and other foreign troops can operate in Hungary. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is negotiating an agreement that is "quite similar," according to Hynek Kmonicek, the country's chief diplomat in the U.S. Czechs regard the U.S. as the "backbone of NATO," he told VOA, adding "if you ask people how they feel about [the] 2% of GDP spent [on military expenditures], it usually has 80% [popular] support, which is quite extraordinary." Among Central European countries, Poland is seen as the most enthusiastic when it comes to building ever-closer ties with the United States in military and security affairs. Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said in an interview with VOA's Russian Service that Poland realizes relying on its own defense forces will not be sufficient when it comes to a security guarantee, even as the Polish government is working to strengthen its military forces, including increasing the number of soldiers. The minister said the "military presence of our allies on our soil is crucially important." Not that Poland feels a direct military threat from Russia at the moment, said Czaputowicz, but from what Poland can see, Russia is prone to taking advantage of situations when it "senses a weakness; like in Donbas, like in Crimea," referring to Russian attempts to annex territory in Ukraine. Poland, he said, plans to increase its defense spending to up to 2.5% of its GDP. The relative absence of an imminent military threat that Poland currently feels, as Czaputowicz sees it, is precisely due to Russia's calculation of both how the country itself and its allies will react. As negotiations between the U.S. and Slovakia on a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement unfold, Rachel Ellehuus, a former Pentagon official and current deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), cautions that the U.S. Congress has signaled that it will not allow funds from the European Deterrence Initiative to be spent in countries that have not signed a defense cooperation agreement with the U.S. She also points out that the guarantee of "assured access" by U.S. military to signatory countries' facilities could be a sticking point with certain allies. That said, Ellehuus describes bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreements as "pragmatic measures to enhance NATO deterrence and defense, while also ensuring needed protections for U.S. troops. "Think of them as legal agreements that strengthen the provisions in the NATO SOFA," she said, referring to Status of Forces Agreements among NATO member states. From an operational angle, "mitigating Russia's time-distance advantages" over the U.S. and allies, should conflict break out, is crucial to deterrence and defense, according to Billy Fabian, a Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment (CSBA). VOA's Russian Service contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela's Guaido Expected More Military Defections By VOA News May 04, 2019 Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido says he thought more troops would turn against President Nicolas Maduro during Tuesday's attempt to oust the embattled leader. In an interview with The Washington Post, Guaido said he expected Maduro to step down following major defections of members of the military. But, as Maduro and Guaido were vying for military support, there were no mass breakaways in the ranks. Tension continues to run high in Venezuela since the failed effort to oust Maduro. The Lima Group, a 12-nation body formed in 2017 to help establish a peaceful end to the Venezuelan crisis, met Friday in Peru's capital and decided to enlist Cuba in brokering a solution to the turmoil. On Saturday, Maduro appealed to the military on state television. "We're not a weak country but one with strong armed forces that has to show itself as united and cohesive as ever. Say no to traitors! Out, traitors! Unity and supreme loyalty to the constitution, the fatherland, the revolution and to its legitimate commander-in-chief!" he said, asking soldiers to raise their weapons in the air. Later, Maduro visited a military base for a third straight day, hoping to garner support from troops. State television showed him walking with hundreds of uniformed soldiers after commanders briefed him on military issues. There were 3,500 soldiers at the site, according to state television. Maduro wrote on Twitter Friday night that he'd met with generals and admirals who vowed to defend "national sovereignty with loyalty and patriotism." Guaido is considered Venezuela's legitimate leader by the U.S. and 50 other countries. On Friday, he said supporters would hand out a letter to members of the military at a nationwide protest on Saturday, calling on them to support Maduro's ouster. But that did not appear to be a successful effort. One soldier took the memo handed to him and burned it. A plot for some of Maduro's top aides to defect this week to the opposition appeared to have come apart at the last minute, according to several news reports. Weeks of secret talks between the top aides and opposition leaders including recently freed Leopoldo Lopez culminated in a document that guaranteed Maduro loyalists like Gen. Ivan Hernandez, chief of military counterintelligence; Defense Minister Vladamir Padrino Lopez; and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno places in a post-Maduro interim government and a promise that they wouldn't be prosecuted, the Associated Press reported Saturday. All three officials have remained publicly loyal to Maduro. A fourth top aide, who heads Venezuela's intelligence agency, Gen. Manuel Figuera, did break ranks and has since disappeared, according to the AP. Lopez, a Guaido mentor who had been detained since 2014 and under house arrest since 2017 for organizing marches against Maduro, told the AP that he had been secretly speaking with top Maduro loyalists about their possible defection to the opposition for weeks. One former U.S. official who spoke to the AP on background suggested that distrust between Trump administration officials and Maduro's inner circle contributed to top Maduro aides' reluctance to abandon the embattled Venezuelan leader. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 48 Parties Aiming for Parliament in South Africa Poll By Anita Powell May 04, 2019 It's going to be a colorful election in the Rainbow Nation. Whether you're a Leninite, a free-market capitalist, a right-winger, an outspoken lefty, a Shariah-law fundamentalist or just a dedicated pot smoker, South Africa's May 8 ballot spans the entire political spectrum, offering something for nearly every type of voter. Forty-eight political parties are contesting this year's national election, leaving voters spoiled for choice beyond the top three: the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters parties. The smaller, newer parties have wildly different aims -- some, like the African Transformation Movement, are church-based and say their platform revolves around human rights. Others are aligned with more traditional political views, or have niche issues to push in national government. But they all seem to share one thing: dissatisfaction with the political status quo. The head the ATM party, Vuyo Zungula, says they couldn't get the change they wanted through partnership with the ruling ANC. So they started their own party, through the South African Council of Messianic Churches in Christ. The party, Zungula says, is pro-gay-rights and doesn't want to change existing laws that allow abortion. Instead, he says, the party wants to show South Africans the meaning of service. "We believe that what the people of South Africa truly need now, they need people who will genuinely serve them," the 31-year-old presidential candidate told VOA as about 100 of his followers packed into a hall in Soweto for the party's final rally. While it's likely the large, powerful ANC will dominate this election, analysts say the small parties play a valuable role in government. South Africa's system of proportional representation means small parties don't need a large number of votes - as few as 50,000 are all it takes - to get one of 400 parliamentary seats. That may include the scrappy Dagga Party - "dagga" is local slang for marijuana. The pro-legalization party was behind a widely celebrated, headline-grabbing Supreme Court ruling last year that saw the decriminalization of cannabis in South Africa. But the party missed the election registration deadline this year, so it instead joined forces with the brand-new African Democratic Change party, which is on the ballot. Professor and analyst Ivor Sarakinsky says it's this diversity that makes South Africa's parliament great. "Those parties might be springboards to ask tough questions to the new parliament and the new administration after the election," he told VOA. "If they get support, they won't necessarily get big numbers, but their presence will add some real spice to the parliament that's going to be formed shortly." That's exactly what the tiny, six-week-old Capitalist Party hopes to do. The party is only fielding 10 candidates -- not enough to dictate terms on their own, but enough, their leader, Kanthan Pillay, believes, to play a valuable role in government because of their candidates' wealth of business experience. "All of the political parties out there are offering variations on the same recipe," he said. "They're all promising that government is going to create more jobs, they're all promising that they're going to cut back on government spending, and they're all promising better levels of education. We don't believe that they have the capability to deliver on any of those things, simply because they lack the expertise to do so." On the opposite side of that spectrum is another new entrant, the Socialist Revolutionary Workers' Party, which is part of the nation's largest single trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa. Unions have traditionally backed the ANC, but spokeswoman Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says this party was born of frustration with the ruling party. "We are the only political party in South Africa that is fighting for the destruction of the capitalist system," she told VOA. "We believe that we represent the aspirations of the 23 million members of the working class of South Africa whose aspirations have, frankly, been ignored by the capitalist ANC government for the last 25 years." At the end of the day, says analyst Angelo Fick, the ANC will win more seats than any other party. But the varied opposition, he says, is a reflection of a healthy democracy. "The plethora of choices in front of the South African electorate is not, for me, a sign of too much, too soon," he said. "It is, in fact, a sign of the vibrancy of the contestation around ideas." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pause in Torrential Rains Helps Cyclone Aid Effort in Mozambique By Margaret Besheer May 04, 2019 A break in the torrential rains that followed Cyclone Kenneth has allowed aid workers to make progress in reaching remote parts of northern Mozambique. "For the last couple of days we've been able to get all of the air rotations that we needed to up in the air and down on the ground into these isolated communities and start to get assistance out," Gemma Connell, head of the U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs in southern and eastern Africa told reporters Friday by telephone from Pemba, Mozambique. She said they had managed to reach more than 27,000 people with food assistance in some of the hardest hit districts from the islands and along the coastline. Connell said humanitarians are also distributing water purification tables, tarpaulins and sheeting to the thousands left homeless a week after the powerful tropical storm slammed into the southeast African nation blowing winds as high as 280 kilometers per hour. Cyclone Kenneth hit northern Mozambique just weeks after Cyclone Idai made landfall in the center of the country nearly leveling Beira City and killing hundreds. It is the first time in recorded history that two strong tropical cyclones have hit the country in the same season. Connell said responders are facing two major challenges access to those in need and funding for the relief effort. She said in any other situation the response for Kenneth would have been funded separately from the one for Idai. "But here we are doing it six weeks after Cyclone Idai, and we are doing it in a context where we were already stretched to the bone on resources," Connell said. "We are now operating two responses on a shoestring budget; we desperately need more money to come in." After Idai hit in mid-March, the United Nations appealed for $282 million to cover immediate needs in Mozambique through the end of June. In addition to urgently trying to distribute aid, officials have now declared a cholera outbreak in the north after more than a dozen cases of the bacterial disease which causes diarrhea and is spread in dirty water were reported. Connell said a treatment center is already up and running in Pemba and more are being set up. The death toll from Kenneth stands at 41 and health workers and international aid agencies are desperately trying to prevent more storm-related fatalities. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 200,000 people need some kind of medical aid. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IDF Responds to Rockets Fired from Gaza, Says Hamas Headquarters Destroyed Sputnik News 01:16 05.05.2019(updated 01:24 05.05.2019) Earlier, Israel Defence Forces said that air-raid sirens were heard in the city of Beer Sheva, the largest city in southern Israel's Negev desert. Israeli military said they detected over 250 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. The IDF claims that it responded by hitting over 120 targets in Gaza. The IDF also reported that they had destroyed a building which they claimed Hamas used to "order terror attacks". Later, IDF reported that air-raid sirens are still sounding in the area. The resumed escalation of tensions comes a day after a Palestinian sniper injured two Israeli soldiers. Tel Aviv responded by attacking militant positions in Gaza. Tensions in the area have been soaring high for years as Israel repeatedly insists that it is detecting rockets from the Gaza Strip that are allegedly fired by Hamas militants The Gaza Strip has seen massive waves of protests known as the Great March of the Return. Almost a year later Palestinian protesters continue regular clashes with the Israeli troops on the border, while the Israeli side accuses Gaza of ongoing shelling. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air Force releases proposal request for the Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement Contract Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published May 03, 2019 LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- The Space and Missile Systems Center, in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, released a request for proposals May 3, for the purpose of competitively awarding firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contracts to two domestic launch service providers. These "Launch Service Procurement" contracts are for National Security Space launch service procurements in fiscal year 2020 through 2024 for missions launching through 2027. This solicitation strategy is a full and open competition allowing companies to compete for procurement contracts regardless of whether they have a current Launch Service Agreement development contract. "We must move forward now. We are answering Congress' 2014 directive to transition off the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine," said Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. "The industrial base is ready and we will keep our most demanding National Security Space orbits on track." The competitive process will provide the Air Force and other agencies assured access to space. It leverages investment and prototypes developed under the Rocket Propulsion Systems agreements and Launch Service Agreement development efforts to end reliance on the Russian RD-180 engine. "This strategy harnesses the commercial launch industry to meet the more demanding National Security Space Launch needs" said Dr. William Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. With the Congressional mandate to transition away from reliance on non-allied rocket propulsion systems and the planned Delta IV retirement, the Space and Missile Systems Center developed an acquisition strategy to meet National Security Space launch requirements for the future. Last year, the Space and Missile Systems Center awarded three developmental Launch Service Agreements to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and United Launch Alliance to ensure their respective launch systems -- New Glenn, OmegA and Vulcan -- are able to meet the more stressing National Security Space requirements. In addition, the Air Force also competitively awarded nine launch services to SpaceX using their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles over the last two years and SpaceX successfully launched the first of those nine missions on Dec. 23, 2018. Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. The Center's portfolio includes GPS, Military Satellite Communications, Defense Meteorological Satellites, Space Launch and Range Systems, Satellite Control Networks, Space Based Infrared Systems and Space Situational Awareness capabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Preliminary information does not indicate there was a vehicle nearby, Montgomery wrote in an email, saying he did not have any additional information as to why the man was lying in the road. DoD Approves $5.2Bln in Potential Patriot Missile System Sales to UAE, Bahrain Sputnik News 05:38 04.05.2019 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US State Department approved more than $5 billion worth of potential military sales of the Patriot Missile System and related equipment to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release. "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to United Arab Emirates of four hundred fifty-two (452) Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missiles Segment Enhanced (MSE) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.728 billion," the release said on Friday. In a separate press release, the agency said the US government approved the military sale of various Patriot missile systems and equipment to Bahrain for a total of $2.5 billion. The release said Bahrain specifically purchased 60 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 36 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles with canisters, nine M903 Launching Stations, five Antenna Mast Groups, three Electrical Power Plants, two AN/MPQ-65 Radar Sets, and two AN/MSQ-132 Engagement Control Stations. The defence agency said both military sales will serve the national security interest of the United States by helping allies improve their security and stability in the Middle East. The Patriot is a long-range, all-altitude, air defence system capable of countering tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK files short-range missile off East Coast Global Times Source:Xinhua Published: 2019/5/4 8:52:01 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired unidentified short-range projectiles off its east coast Saturday morning, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Several projectiles were launched towards the northeast from the DPRK's east coast city of Wonsan for 21 minutes from about 9:06 a.m. local time (0006 GMT), the JCS said in a statement. The projectiles traveled some 70 km to 200 km into the eastern waters. Further details were being analyzed by the military authorities of South Korea and the United States. It was originally reported that the DPRK fired a short-range missile, but it was later revised into several short-range projectiles. The JCS said the South Korean military intensified defense readiness and surveillance in preparation for the DPRK's possibly additional launches, adding that it maintained a full readiness in close cooperation with the United States. It was the first missile launch in around 17 months since the DPRK test-fired Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea fires barrage of short-range missiles towards Sea of Japan: South Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 01:53AM North Korea has fired a barrage of short-range missiles towards the Sea of Japan, in first such action in over a year amid deadlocked nuclear talks with the United States. The North "fired multiple rounds of unidentified missiles from its east coast town of Wonsan in the northeastern direction between 9:06 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. today," South Korea's Yonhap News Agency quoted the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying in a Saturday statement. The projectiles flew about 70-100 kilometers over the East Sea, also known as Sea of Japan, before landing in the sea, the brief statement said, adding that South Korean and US authorities "are analyzing details of the missiles." No further details regarding the projectiles were immediately available. Pyongyang has also not commented on the missile launches. North Korea has for years been under an array of harsh sanctions imposed by the US and the United Nations for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un told Russian President Vladimir Putin during their first-ever meeting in Russia that the situation on the Korean Peninsula had reached a "critical point", warning that peace and security on the peninsula would entirely depend on the future Washington attitude. Back in February, 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 at the time 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. The two sides 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. Washington 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea Fires Short-Range Missiles - South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Sputnik News 03:39 04.05.2019(updated 06:59 04.05.2019) Earlier, a report from Yonhap News Agency said that North Korea fired one missile eastward from the coastal city of Wonsan early Saturday morning. North Korea fired several short-range projectile which flew 70-200 kilometres (around 40-125 miles), Yonhap reported, citing Joint Chiefs of Staff. "The North Korean government has launched a short-range missile in the east of Hodo Peninsula (Gangwon-do, Wonsan) at 9:06 am today," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier on Saturday. They further said that South Korean and US authorities are "analyzing details of the missile." Later, Pentagon's spokesperson said in a statement that it was looking into the reports on the missile launch. "We aren't able to confirm anything at the moment, we are looking into it," the spokesperson said. The last time the socialist country fired a missile was November 28, 2017, when it fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile eastward over northern Japan. North Korea placed a moratorium on tests last year amid a warming of tensions between Pyongyang and both Seoul and Washington a warming that led to several rounds of peace talks and negotiations as well as the demolition of several key sites for the country's missile and nuclear weapons programs. On February 28, the latest round of talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, who met in Hanoi, Vietnam, fell apart. Observers feared the collapse of negotiations heralded a renewal of Pyongyang's weapons programs, but while reports hinting at a revival of some facilities have trickled out, no firm move either way had yet been made before Saturday's test. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After Test, South Korea Urges North to Stop Raising Tensions By William Gallo May 04, 2019 South Korea called on North Korea to stop raising military tensions, after the North fired a barrage of projectiles into the sea off the east coast of Korea. In a statement, a South Korean presidential spokesperson said the tests go against a September military agreement it signed with North Korea. Seoul said it expects Pyongyang to resume dialogue as soon as possible. North Korea fired the barrage of projectiles from the eastern town of Wonsan into the sea off Korea's east coast just after 9:00 a.m. local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It is North Korea's latest provocation following the breakdown of nuclear talks with the United States. President Donald Trump said Saturday he still believes a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will happen. Taking to Twitter, Trump said Kim "fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it." Trump added about Kim, "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen." Earlier, South Korean officials described the projectiles as missiles. No other details about the weapons were immediately available, but a short-range missile test would not violate international sanctions on North Korea's missile program. North Korea has not commented on the test. Skirting his moratorium Since November 2017, Kim has observed a self-imposed moratorium on missile tests. Testing a short-range ballistic missile "might skirt the line" on that moratorium, says Vipin Narang, a nuclear expert and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Kim has stated (the moratorium) only applies to ICBMs, while the U.S. believes it applies more broadly," Narang says. "It's enough to signal slightly greater concern but giving the U.S. an out if it wants to, to dismiss it as not a violation of the moratorium." After the launch, President Trump was "fully briefed" by National Security Adviser John Bolton, according to a senior administration official. "We are aware of North Korea's actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. Measured escalation North Korea, which wants sanctions relief from the U.S., has carried out a series of measured escalations since nuclear talks with the U.S. broke down. Most notably, the North said last month it conducted a test of a tactical guided weapon. It has also threatened to respond to U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said he will give the U.S. until the end of the year to become more flexible in nuclear talks. Trump has said he will not relax sanctions until North Korea commits to giving up its entire nuclear weapons program. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's made progress in defense despite sanctions: Minister IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, May 4, IRNA -- Iran has made many achievements in defense industry despite the US sanctions with the least facilities available, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami said on Saturday. Referring to the US anti-Iran sanctions, Brigadier General Hatami gave assurances that the 'plot against the Iranian people' will fail. Washington has imposed harsh economic sanctions against Iran since the US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal. The sanctions, described as 'economic terrorism' by Iranian officials, have mainly targeted the oil industry which is regarded as the backbone of the country's revenues. The minister who was speaking at a gathering of managers at Iran's Defense Ministry added that many defense achievements on ground, maritime, aerial and electronic spheres were made when Iran was under sanctions facing the highest constraint. He praised the solidarity among all organizations and bodies to handle the recent flood in Iran, adding that the natural disaster strengthened the unity among people and the government despite enemies' plots. 9156**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address War with U.S. not imminent: Iran FM ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 4 May 2019 / 13:28 Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif says although he does not believe there will be a war between Iran and the United States in the near future, certain events might ignite a confrontation, the Independent quoted him as saying. To give an example of the nature of such events, Zarif mentioned the detention of U.S. marines by Iran's IRGC forces in the Persian Gulf in January 2016. He mentioned the example recently during an interview with the Independent at the office of Iran's delegation at the United Nations in New York. Zarif said that the situation was "controlled" back in 2016, thanks to communications between him and his U.S. counterpart at the time John Kerry, adding that no such communication channel exists today. On the other hand, in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV to be aired on Saturday, Zarif has implicitly threatened that Iran might shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Zarif has said in the interview, "If the U.S. decides to make the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for us, Iran will not allow this." U.S. officials have not yet responded to Zarif's comment as of early Friday morning May 3. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to respond if OPEC members threaten its interests: Zanganeh ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 4 May 2019 / 12:22 Tehran (ISNA) Iranian Oil Minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh stressed the Islamic Republic would respond to members of OPEC who undermine its crude exports, an apparent reference to nations such as Saudi Arabia that have discussed filling the supply gap left by falling Iranian shipments. Iran's oil minister warned that OPEC is in danger of collapse as some nations seek to undermine their fellow members, an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia's pledge to fill the supply gap created by US sanctions on Iranian exports. "Iran is a member of OPEC for its interests and any threat from member states won't go unanswered," Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said after a meeting with OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo in Tehran, according to the oil ministry's Shana news agency. His comments come as US President Donald Trump tries to cut the Islamic Republic's oil exports to zero, backed by a promise from Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies to increase production to ensure the squeeze doesn't create a supply shortage. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to sell its oil despite US sanctions ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 4 May 2019 / 14:10 Tehran (ISNA) Iran's President described teachers as the mentors of the society and stressed that teachers defend the country's cultural and ethical borders. Speaking on Saturday at a ceremony for Teacher's Day, President Hassan Rouhani said, "The value of a teacher's work cannot be measured with material criteria and martyrs Motahari, Beheshti, Rajai and Bahonar exceptional models for teaching". He said, "The classroom must be a place for learning mercy and forgiveness," adding, "Teachers are mentors of the society as well". "Teacher's behaviour towards students is the most important educational principle," added Dr. Rouhani, saying that God is the first teacher. The President said, "Martyr Motahari was an exceptional figure in the seminary and the university. Martyr Motahari's ethics and educational behaviour is the best model for teachers". Stating that, "Teachers and schools did a great job in disasters," he said, "The Kermanshah Earthquake and the recent floods were unprecedented in the 100-year history of our country". Dr. Rouhani continued, "Teachers need to be alongside people in any conditions," adding, "Learning skills for work and behaviour during incidents must be in the curriculum". He also went on to say, "Students must have a creative mind and skill in a field when they finish high school". President of the Islamic Republic of Iran also said, "Students' readiness for political and social developments is what teachers have to work on". Referring to the history of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said, "The first meaning of sanctions was that the bullying powers in the world tried to persuade the world that Iran was a dangerous country, seeking atomic bombs, so that we need to be careful about Iran". "Bullying powers pave the way for sanctions through promoting Iranophobia," he continued, adding, "Then they took Iran's case to the Security Council of the United Nations and threatened us to the point of war with Resolution 1929". Dr. Rouhani added, "This government was seeking atomic science and assuring peacefulness of Iran's nuclear programme. We run our election campaign with the slogan of centrifuges must spin and economy must spin". "We reached a temporary agreement with the global community based on logic in the first 100 days of the government, based on which $700m of Iran's assets were being unblocked every month," he continued. He also went on to say, "The Zionist Regime and Saudi Arabia did not let the nuclear deal become permanent in 2014, and they postponed it for about 7 months, leading to complicated discussions until we reached the permanent deal". "After the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), our oil exports doubled in just a short time and companies around the world promised $100 billion of credit for Iran," continued President Rouhani. He added, "Israel, Saudi Arabia and racists angry with the JCPOA supported Trump in the elections and provoked him to withdraw from the deal". The President also stated, "The US administration unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed new sanctions". He continued, "The goal of the United States is to put pressure on other countries and companies to make them cut business relations with Iran and undermine our independence". "The US is seeking to curb our foreign currency resources; we need to reduce our reliance on foreign currency and increase our income through boosting production and exports," continued Rouhani. He said, "In 2013, we imported around 6 million tonnes of wheat, but currently, we are capable of exporting it". Stating that, "We used to import diesel and petrol, but today, we are capable of even exporting them," the President said, "We will sell our oil despite US sanctions". He continued, "Everyone should believe that today, America is seeking to fan the flames of domestic divisions". "We have no way except for resistance, unity and hope in the future against the US," he added, saying, "If the education system promotes unity, hope and skills in the society, any enemy will be defeated against Iran". President of the Islamic Republic of Iran continued, "We will be victorious in the war of hope". End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi forces thwart Daesh plan to regroup in northern Iraq: Report Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 04:07PM Iraqi government forces have thwarted an attempt by remnants of the terrorist group of Daesh to regroup in the country's northern province of Nineveh, killing a number of the extremists, including a high-profile commander, in the process. The Iraqi Interior Ministry's Chief of Intelligence, Abu Ali al-Basri, told state-run Arabic-language al-Sabaah daily newspaper that the country's elite counter-terrorism intelligence unit, known as the Falcons, had foiled the plot and killed several Daesh terrorists, who had infiltrated from neighboring Syria. "The operation came after several months of tracking Daesh militants by the intelligence team and their sources as part of their joint efforts to eliminate the infiltrated Daesh militants from Syria," Basri added. The senior Iraqi official noted that the Falcons also killed a senior Daesh commander, identified as Abdul Ghafour Abdullah Karmoush but better known by the nom de guerre Wahid Amniyah. He was purportedly the leader of the terrorist group in Iraq's northern Jazira region, and responsible for killing dozens of people in the strategic cities of Mosul and Tal Afar. He said Karmoush was killed in an ambush by the 15th Division of the Iraqi Army and pro-government voluntary forces, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi. One of his aides detonated his explosives during the gun battle. Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on April 30, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi warned that even though Daesh had been militarily weakened, it had not been defeated and remained a potent threat across the world. "Daesh is not just a small organization, it's widespread and will try to put confidence back in its militants and carry out acts such as those in Sri Lanka," Abdul Mahdi said. A series of coordinated bombings on Easter Sunday rocked Sri Lanka, killing at least 253 people and wounding 500 others. The attacks targeted three churches as well as four hotels in the capital Colombo. Daesh later claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks. "The perpetrators of the attack that targeted nationals of the countries of the coalitions and Christians in Sri Lanka before yesterday are fighters from Daesh," the terror group said in a bulletin posted by its Aamaq news agency. The former Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the country on December 9, 2017. On July 10 that year, he had formally declared victory over Daesh in the strategic northern city of Mosul, which served as the terrorists' main urban stronghold in Iraq. In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zaman said he started displaying symptoms when he was 15, and soon it was painful for him to pray standing up. For a while he continued to pray on his feet, like everyone else, for fear of being accused of trying to get out of prayers. As he struggled with movement and strength in his early 20s, he said he became a hermit, retreating to the back of the mosque for prayers and avoiding talking to people. By his mid-20s, he said, he had no interest in praying and focused only on work and his children. When he finally felt able to engage in faith again, he started by listening to talks about spirituality and studying the Quran with a friend. Nearly 400 killed, 50,000 displaced in Libya conflict: UN Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 06:50AM The World Health Organization (WHO) says nearly 400 people have been killed and a lot more injured since Libya's renegade general Khalifa Haftar launched a major military offensive to seize the Libyan capital of Tripoli last month. The Geneva-based organization, which is the specialized United Nations agency on international public health, announced on Friday that at least 392 people had been killed and 1,936 wounded since forces allied with the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) led by strongman Haftar launched an offensive against the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli on April 4. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also expressed concern about the alarming levels of displacement near the Libyan capital, saying more than 50,000 people had been displaced as a direct result "of the intensifying armed conflict in Tripoli." Additionally, Othman Abdel Jalil, the GNA's education minister and the head of the government's crisis committee, said on Thursday that the conflict had displaced 55,000 people (some 11,000 families). Jalil added that 40 reception centers and 27 schools had opened their doors to render aid to those in need. Earlier this week, the UN warned against the "continuing deterioration" of humanitarian situation in the North African country as fierce fighting rages on between rival forces for control of the capital. Libya has been divided between two rival governments - the House of Representatives based in the eastern city of Tobruk and the GNA headed by Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj 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. Libya's crisis began to escalate on April 4 when forces loyal to Haftar launched a deadly campaign to invade and conquer Tripoli. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has recently said that intensified fighting for control of Tripoli was turning the densely-populated residential areas of Tripoli into "battlefields." Libya has been the scene of increasing violence since 2011, when former 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 GNA Expands Control in Tripoli - Sarraj Sputnik News 21:44 04.05.2019(updated 23:27 04.05.2019) TRIPOLI (Sputnik) - The forces of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) have regained control over many positions in Tripoli previously captured by the rival forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA), GNA head Fayez Sarraj told Sputnik. "We assure everyone that the situation on all fronts is good. We have taken back a large number of positions that the aggressor has taken over using the surprise factor. Now the situation is good, the aggressor's forces are retreating, and began to blindly shell civilian areas, which led to the deaths of civilians," Sarraj said. Mr Sarraj also told Sputnik that GNA would stop hostilities against the Libyan National Army (LNA) once the latter retreats to its previous positions. He stressed that any talks about ceasefire were unacceptable unless the aggression stopped. Ready to Cooperate with Moscow The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) is open to cooperation with Moscow as it entails huge prospects in various fields, including defense and oil sector, Sarraj told Sputnik. "From the very beginning, we are open to cooperation with Moscow in all areas: economic, technical, military, as well as in the field of security, in the oil industry, railway There are great prospects for our cooperation. There is a chance to use this cooperation to return the relations to their natural course," Sarraj said. The GNA head went on to confirm that the delegation from Tripoli would visit Moscow soon. Earlier in the week, the vice chairman of the Tripoli-based Libyan Presidential Council, Ahmed Maiteeg, told Sputnik that he would head the GNA delegation, expected to visit Russia in the coming days. The clashes in Libya started on 4 April, when LNA commander Khalifa Haftar ordered his forces to retake the GNA-controlled capital of Tripoli, which resulted in violent fighting. Since the overthrow and killing of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been divided between two governments, with the eastern part controlled by the LNA-backed Tobruk-based parliament, and the western part governed by the UN-backed GNA. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libyan National Army's Camp Subjected to Armed Attack - Source Sputnik News 12:16 04.05.2019(updated 13:56 04.05.2019) According to Reuters news agency, Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack on a military camp belonging to the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar. The report comes hours after a source in Sabha told Sputnik that an armed attack has been carried out against the military camp of the Libyan National Army (LNA)'s main command in the Sabha military district, located not far from the country's capital of Tripoli. "One of LNA's camps in the Sabha military district has been subject to an armed attack," the source said. The source added that attackers had targeted the headquarters of the 106th battalion, located in the north-east of the city of Sabha. The 73rd infantry brigade of the LNA main command confirmed the fact of the attack, stressing that LNA had repelled it. "LNA units in the city of Sabha have repelled an armed attack against the Sabha military district," the press service of the brigade said in a statement on Twitter. At the same time, Reuters reported, citing the head of the local municipality that eight soldiers had been killed in the attack. The source, however, didn't identify the assailants. The LNA started an offensive on Tripoli on April 4, after its head, Khalifa Haftar ordered his troops to advance on the capital in a bid to drive what he called terrorist forces out of the city. In response, armed forces loyal to the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) started a military operation against the LNA. Since longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011, the country has been divided between two governments, with the eastern part controlled by the LNA-backed parliament, based in Tobruk, and the western part governed by the GNA. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address S Korea, US Agree to Deal With Missile Launches by Pyongyang 'Prudently' - Seoul Sputnik News 09:11 04.05.2019(updated 09:12 04.05.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed on Saturday to react "prudently" to the recent missile launches by North Korea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said. Kang and Pompeo had a phone conversation mere hours after Pyongyang fired its projectiles into the Sea of Japan. "Regarding today's launch, the two sides agreed to prudently deal with it and continue to communicate while continuing additional analysis," the ministry said in a statement, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency. Lee Do-hoon, the South Korean Foreign Ministry's special representative for North Korea and US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun also held phone talks after the launches, the ministry added. Earlier in the day, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that North Korea had launched several short-range missiles. The JSC later added, avoiding the word "missiles," that the launches' projectiles had ranges from 70 to 200 kilometres (43 to 124 miles). Launches were carried out between 9.06 a.m. and 9.27 a.m. local time (00:06 and 00:27 GMT) from the area near the city of Wonsan toward the Sea of Japan, according to the JSC. While the UN Security Council bans North Korea from developing and testing ballistic missiles, unnamed South Korean military sources told Yonhap earlier in the day that they did not think that Pyongyang had launched exactly ballistic missiles. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Demands a Role in Eurasian Part of Belt and Road By Saibal Dasgupta May 04, 2019 Russia appears to be shifting its stance on China's Belt and Road development initiative in Eurasia, envisioning a bigger role for itself in the process, in what could be a sign that Moscow is worried about waning influence among its neighbors. When Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing last month for China's Belt and Road Forum, he described Russia-China relations now as "the best they have been in their entire history." He also said the Belt and Road initiative is "intended to strengthen the creative cooperation of the states of Eurasia." But Putin's enthusiasm for participating came with a polite demand, asking China to accommodate Russia's Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). It was originally meant to be a Russia-led alliance on political, trade and infrastructure construction issues in Eurasian countries. But the plan has suffered because of Moscow's paucity of funds. From Russia with love In his speech, Putin indicated that Russian cooperation is essential to overcome challenges to BRI in the Eurasian region. "(Furthermore,) it is necessary to eliminate infrastructure restrictions for integration mainly by creating a system of modern and well-connected transport corridors. Russia with its unique geographic location is willing to engage in this joint activity," Putin said in his speech. Putin proposed an integration between different programs and institutions like EAEU, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and One Belt, One Road (old name of Belt and Road Initiative). Mohan Malik, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies at Honolulu, said Putin insists on calling the Chinese plan by the old name to expose China's attempt to show that all roads lead to Beijing. "By drawing attention to Moscow's own EAEU initiative and stressing the need for OBOR to partner with the EAEU, the SCO and the ASEAN, Putin is indirectly criticizing Beijing's 'go it alone' approach which is already facing global backlash," he said. It is also a reminder from Putin that Russia still has a significant presence in Central Asia, especially on security issues but also in trade and investment, said Zach Witlin, senior analyst at Eurasia Group. Analysts said Putin is engaged in political posturing and some amount of bargaining for Chinese investments, but he does not have the deep pockets to match Beijing's clout and implement Moscow's Eurasian initiative. Bargaining game "It is a sign of just how little bargaining leverage he has that he has to make such a plea in public and lump Russia together with all the rest as supplicants," said Stephen Blank, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. "Implicitly he is also trying to induce China to invest in the Arctic and other major infrastructure and transportation projects in Asia," he said. China included a road link passing through Russia when Chinese President Xi Jinping first announced the Belt and Road plan in 2013. It took six years of wrangling before Russia recently agreed to implement the project, which is the Russian section of the Meridian toll highway. The road is meant to link China's western neighbor Kazakhstan with Belarus. But Putin did not mention the project in public discussions during his Beijing visit last month. In Russia, the project has been given least importance with just one line being mentioned in the 110-page blueprint on "National Projects" published last February: "By the end of 2024, the Russian section of the Meridian toll highway will be built." The Chinese have been patient with Moscow for their own reasons. "Russia is very important for the Belt and Road, you need its cooperation to achieve success with Eurasian countries," Bloomberg quoted Wang Yiwei, a former Chinese diplomat and now professor at Renmin University in Beijing. "You cannot bypass Russia." But bargaining with Beijing for collaboration in other parts of Eurasia and South East Asia would not yield much result. "China will not cede primacy to Russia anywhere in the BRI," Blank said. US role The U.S. sent a relatively low-ranking delegation to the Belt and Road Forum meeting and issued a press release criticizing the BRI on several counts. Some analyst believe Washington is making a tactical mistake by allowing high-powered growth of the Chinese program in crucial areas like Eurasia. Malik said the Obama administration had outlined its "New Silk Road" vision for joint investment projects and regional trade in the region. "However, Washington dropped the 'New Silk Road' plan under pressure from Beijing," he said adding that the Obama administration largely ignored China's growing outreach in Central Asia. "In contrast, the Trump administration has reassessed the challenge that OBOR poses and turned extremely critical and hostile to it," Malik said. U.S. officials routinely warn countries that China's infrastructure deals can carry long-term financial costs that countries can struggle to repay. When Italy signed on to Beijing's development plan in March, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told U.S. lawmakers that such deals with China ultimately hurt the country signing onto them. "It may feel good in the moment: You think you got a cheap product or a low-cost bridge or road built. And in the end there will be a political cost attached to that which will greatly exceed the economic value of what you were provided," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria presses with attack on terrorists in southern Idlib Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 09:39PM Syrian military forces are continuing to target terrorist hideouts in northwestern Syria where the government has been restraining its offensives based on a de-escalation agreement signed and monitored by international powers. The state-run SANA news agency said military forces had managed to destroy the hideouts of terrorists in southern countryside of the Idlib province and in areas bordering the province in the neighboring Hama. It said the hideouts mostly belonged to the Nusra Front, a terrorist organization which is not included in a de-escalation agreement signed between Russia, Syria's main ally, and Turkey, which backs some groups of militants in the region in its alleged bid to contain a Kurdish militancy that could spread to its own territories. Reports said two Turkish troops had been wounded in a shelling attack which Ankara authorities said had come from territories held by the Syrian government. The two soldiers were moved to Turkey for treatment of their light injuries, they said. The Syrian military attacks mostly targeted terrorists' hideouts in Jabal al-Zawiya in Idlib and rural northern Hama. Reports by opposition forces say between 30 and 60 people have been killed in five days of military attack in the region. The new wave of attacks comes as Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly vowed to retake every inch of the territory once controlled by militants and terrorist groups. Many of the terrorists holding out in Idlib are militants who once fought in other areas in Syria and were transferred to the northwestern province as part of deals with the government to hand over the occupied territories and disarm. The attacks also come amid claims by Russia that a de-escalation agreement signed with Turkey and meant to reduce violence in Idlib has not been implemented. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that his country could help the Syrian army in launching a full-scale military assault on militants in Idlib. He said, however, that time was not ripe for such an all-out attack. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia warns of US plan to set up a quasi-state in Syria Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 08:27AM Russia has denounced a recent meeting of tribes in Syria, organized by US-backed Kurdish militants, saying Washington is using the Kurds to split the Arab country and continue its illegal military presence there. "The United States and its allies have been consistently carrying out a course towards settling the Syrian crisis only with the goal of ensuring its long-term presence in Syria," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday. To that aim, it added, Washington and its allies are using Kurdish militants who "are now seeking to set up a quasi-state on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River with the US assistance." The statement came one day after the town of Ayn Issa, situated in Syria's northern Raqqah Province, hosted the so-called Syrian clans conference. The event was organized by the so-called Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - a US-backed anti-Damascus alliance of mainly Kurdish militants. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the majority of Arab tribes' leaders in the Eastern Euphrates opposed the meeting, but the US used tactics such as force, blackmail and bribery to gather the participants. The event's organizers had even recruited participants from refugee camps, including the al-Hawl camp in Hasakah Province, it added. "This event, which is obviously aimed at splitting the country, blatantly violates the declared UN principles of preserving territorial integrity and state sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic, including those stipulated by Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council," the statement read. "The move is clearly aimed at undermining the efforts of the international community, the UN and guarantor states (Russia, Iran, Turkey) of the Astana format on settling the Syrian crisis as soon as possible," it added. Syria has already condemned the Ayn Issa gathering as " a meeting of treason, treachery, and subjugation." An official source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry said such events confirm that their "organizers are pursuing delusions that have been proven throughout history to be impossible to realize, especially during the final years of the terrorist war, regardless of how much foreign support they receive or how much they subjugate themselves to the US or others." The source further warned Syria militants that "accepting the dictations" of the Americans or others would only bring them "shame and disgrace." SDF rejects reconciliation with Damascus In an address to the Ayn Issa meeting on Saturday, the SDF expressed its readiness to hold talks with Damascus over the future of the territory under its control in Syria's northeast, but rejected a government-prescribed reconciliation agreement. "We are ready for dialogue with ... the central government, in order to reach a democratic solution for all of Syria, including the northeast" said SDF chief Mazloum Kobani. However, "we cannot solve existing issues, and large problems in this region... through reconciliation" deals, he noted. Back in March, Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub said SDF militants had to agree to "national reconciliation or the liberation of the areas that they control through force." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian army and Iraqi PMU forces successfully finish joint border operation Iran Press TV Sat May 4, 2019 07:56AM The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have successfully finished a joint operation clearing the Iraq-Syria border area of remaining Daesh terrorists. The operation successfully cleared 230 kilometers of the two countries' border region, according to the head of the al-Anbar command of Iraq's PMU forces Qassim Mosleh. The PMU official said the operation was done with a high level of coordination between PMU forces, Iraqi border police and Syrian forces. "Our forces, which headed towards the Iraqi-Syrian border, met with Syrian forces in the agreed upon area," Mosleh said. The PMU official added that the Iraqi side of the operation had covered an area spanning between the al-Qaim border crossing and the Akashat border town, north of the al-Tanf border crossing, which is occupied by US forces in Syria. On the Syrian side of the border, troops cleansed Daesh terrorists from regions stretching from the surrounding areas of the border town of Bukamal to southwest of the city of Palmyra and regions near the al-Tanf border crossing. The operations had been simultaneously coordinated between the two countries in order to prevent terrorists from fleeing into neighboring border regions. The successful operation comes as Iraq and Syria had previously agreed to reopen the al-Qaim border crossing. Both countries originally recaptured the al-Bukamal and al-Qaim border region from Daesh in November 2017 but continued terrorist presence had prevented a reopening of the crossing. Syria and Iraq have both pledged to step up future security presence on the border in a bid to secure the strategic crossing. Iraq has planned to install thermal surveillance cameras and use aircraft to further reinforce security in the region. The measures come as Iraq, Syria and Iran have sought to step up mutual economic ties by developing a transnational railway line, along with a road route, linking the three countries. Iraq and Syria have been expanding political and economic ties with Iran as they seek assistance in the post-war reconstruction of their countries which had large swathes of their territories overrun by foreign-backed terrorist outfits in the past years. The US, however, has been engaged in a military campaign seeking to counter the emerging regional alliance. American forces are currently deployed in the Kurdish-controlled regions of Syria, north of the al-Qaim crossing, on the pretext of protecting Kurdish forces in the region and fighting Daesh. The US has also reinforced its military presence in its al-Tanf garrison, which is situated south of the Iraq-Syria border. US officials have claimed the region is of "strategic importance" in a push to counter Iran and the formation of "a ground line of communications from Iran through Iraq through Syria to southern Lebanon in support of Lebanese Hezbollah." Daesh terrorists have also commonly used US presence in the region as a cover to attack Syrian and allied forces. Speculations have been made about Washington's direct or indirect support for the terrorist group in the past years. Numerous accounts have emerged alleging airlifts, weapon airdrops and aerial support for the group, especially as its strength gradually diminished in the region. Speaking on Friday at a press conference in the French capital of Paris, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi warned of Daesh's continued presence in the country. He said any shortcoming in fighting the terrorist group can have severe repercussions for not only the country but also the greater region. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday said the United States and Saudi Arabia created and sponsored Daesh. "Daesh was created by Washington and tasked with standing against all those who confront U.S.-Israeli plots in the region. This is what American officials have acknowledged themselves," he said. Nasrallah said Daesh was created in a bid to provide Pentagon with an excuse to dispatch military forces to Iraq and Syria. "Daesh has served the US, Israel and other enemies of our nation. It has destroyed several armies and societies in the region. The terror outfit still remains a threat as its ideology persists and its sleeper cells can be resurrected." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants Group in Syria's Idlib Presumably to Attack Hama Russian Military Sputnik News 22:23 04.05.2019(updated 23:00 04.05.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The militants are teaming up under the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the south of the Syrian Idlib de-escalation zone presumably to launch an offensive on the city of Hama, the Russian Defence Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides said on Saturday. "According to the available data, in recent days, in the areas of the settlements of Ltamenah and Kafr Zita, located in the south of the Idlib de-escalation zone, militant groups of various illegal armed formations are concentrating and uniting under the command of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. It could not be ruled out they are creating shock troops, the probable target of which could be an attack on the city of Hama," the centre's spokesperson said at a briefing. Previously, the head of Russia's Reconciliation Centre in Syria said that militant groups acting in the Idlib de-escalation zone haven't ceased their attempts to attack Russia's Hmeymim base and Syrian government troops, adding that the terrorists attempted to shell Hmeymim airbase using multiple-launch rocket systems as well as drones twelve times over the past month. *Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is a formerly Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group and is outlawed in Russia and multiple other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Repelled Attack by Armed Groups in Aleppo Province - Source Sputnik News 03:09 05.05.2019(updated 03:14 05.05.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Syrian army repelled an attack carried out by armed groups on the village of Maaranaz in Aleppo province in northwestern Syria, a Syrian military source told Sputnik. "The Syrian army repelled an attack [carried out] by armed groups with Turkey's support on the village of Maaranaz northwest of the city of Aleppo," the source said. According to the source, the armed groups sustained heavy losses as a result of violent clashes with the Syrian army and finally retreated. At least 15 militants died in the clashes, he added. Syria has been engulfed in a civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and terrorist groups. The conflict has significantly worsened the humanitarian situation in the Arab Republic and forced millions of people to leave their place of permanent residence or even flee the country. After regaining most of the territories seized by terrorists, the Syrian government is now focused on creating favourable conditions for repatriating refugees. 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 "What I would say when I'm president to Vladimir Putin is that we've got your number, I've got the FBI after you, I've got the CIA looking at all of this, I've figured out what you guys are up to and we're going to protect our elections and we're going to put increasing sanctions on against you." Turkey: Purchase Of Russian Missiles No Reason To Exclude It From F-35 Work By RFE/RL May 04, 2019 Turkey says its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems is no reason to exclude the country from the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet project. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar's comments on May 3 came hours after the acting U.S. defense chief warned that ending Turkey's participation in F-35 production work would be one of the consequences of Ankara's actions. Akar also said Turkey was evaluating the latest U.S. offer to sell it, as an alternative, the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense systems -- which he said was a more positive proposal than Washington's previous offers. Akar told Turkish broadcaster NTV that excluding Ankara from the F-35 jet project would put "very serious" burdens on the other partners in the project. "There is no clause saying 'you will be excluded if you buy S-400s' in this partnership. Excluding us just because any one country wants so would not be in line with justice, laws, or rights. This should not happen," Akar said. Turkey, as a NATO member, is participating in the production of the fighter jet for use by alliance militaries and has plans itself to purchase 100 of the jets. Several Turkish manufacturers are making parts and equipment for the F-35 -- including the internally carried Stand-off Missiles, air-frame assemblies, and wiring. The United States has demanded that Ankara call off its deal with Russia, saying the S-400 missiles are incompatible with NATO systems and are a potential threat to the F-35s. Akar said Turkey had explained to the United States and other NATO allies that Ankara had taken measures to ensure that the S-400s would not pose a threat to the F-35 jets. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on May 3 that he had met with Lockheed Martin and United Technologies Corp last week about the possibility of moving F-35 work out of Turkey. "If Turkey decides that the S-400 is a decision they want to go forward with, then we have to move work out of Turkey," he said. Washington has suggested Turkey might be able to obtain the Patriot missile systems if it drops its plan to buy the Russian missiles. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has insisted he will buy the Russian system and says it is a done deal. Erdogan on May 1 claimed that the F-35 project would collapse if Turkey did not participate. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-says-purchase -of-russian-missiles-no-reason-to-exclude- from-f35-project/29920425.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 US Issues Ultimate Warning to Turkey Amid Fears S-400 to 'Compromise' NATO Jets Sputnik News 13:06 04.05.2019(updated 13:07 04.05.2019) The US has repeatedly slammed Turkey for its planned acquisition of Russian-made S-400 missile systems, as Washington claims this could pose a threat to NATO military hardware. The White House also threatened to slap tough sanctions on Ankara, which in turn underscored its commitment to the S-400 deal with Russia. The US will stop its manufacturing support for F-35 fighter jets in Turkey if Ankara continues to pursue plans to acquire Russian long-range S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters on Friday. "If Turkey decides that the S-400 is a decision they want to go forward with, then we have to move work out of Turkey", he warned. Shanahan pledged to discuss options with representatives of US aerospace manufacturers Lockheed Martin and United Technologies should Turkey go ahead with plans to purchase S-400s. The statement comes as House Armed Services Committee members, including Democratic Congressman John Garamendi, announced a bill to block the sale of the F-35 warplanes to Turkey if it goes ahead with its push to buy the Russian air defences. "Operating the S-400 alongside the F-35 would compromise the aircraft and its sensitive technology, impact interoperability among NATO allies, and most importantly pose serious risk to our shared defence and security", Garamendi said in a statement. He described the bill as a document which "sends a strong and important message to Turkey proceeding with the S-400 is unacceptable and will not be tolerated". This comes amid ongoing tension between the US and Turkey over Ankara inking a loan agreement for the supply of S-400 systems with Russia in December 2017. Washington is worried that the S-400's radars will be able to learn how to spot F-35 stealth jets, which were originally scheduled for shipment to Turkey in 2019. The US, since then, has threatened to freeze the fighter jets' delivery to Turkey if it doesn't drop the S-400 deal. Ankara, meanwhile, has demanded a timely delivery of the F-35s from the US, warning that the F-35 programme will be "damaged" if Washington excludes Turkey. Ankara, which has repeatedly signalled its commitment to the S-400 deal, insists that the S-400s are not a threat to the security of NATO, the US or the F-35 in any way. Despite this, Washington moved to stop deliveries of F-35 fighter jet parts to Turkey in early April. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PERTH, Western Australia, May 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (Perseus or the Company) (TSX & ASX: PRU) is pleased to report that its Board of Directors has formally approved construction of the Companys third gold mine, the Yaoure Gold Mine in Cote dIvoire. With a forecast capital cost of US$265 million, Yaoure is expected to become a large scale, low-cost gold mining operation that will form an important part of Perseuss asset portfolio for many years to come. The Boards affirmative decision to develop Yaoure follows the recent granting of an Exploitation Permit by the government of Cote dIvoire to Perseuss Ivorian subsidiary, Perseus Yaoure SARL, and confirmation of Perseuss development funding plan that includes deploying, in part, a US$150 million revolving credit facility, US$121 million of existing cash and bullion including US$40 million of cash recently derived from the underwritten exercise of warrants, and strong future cashflows from Perseuss Edikan and Sissingue gold mines. The Boards decision to proceed with development will take immediate effect, opening the way for the execution of the Engineering and Supply Contracts between Perseus and the well credentialled engineering company, Lycopodium Limited. Perseus has collaborated successfully with Lycopodium in the past, most notably on the ahead-of-time, on-budget development of Perseuss Sissingue Gold Mine, also in Cote dIvoire, that was commissioned in early 2018. Perseuss Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mr Jeff Quartermaine said: When Perseus acquired Amara Mining plc in April 2016, our primary objective was to bring Yaoure into production as soon as practical. With the decision announced today, we have moved one step closer to achieving this goal and in doing so, we are firmly placed on the path to achieving our stated aim of producing more than 500,000 ounces of gold at an all-in site cost of less than US$850 per ounce from multiple mines in several jurisdictions in West Africa. A large amount of effort has gone into preparation and planning of the development of Yaoure and with the experience that our team developed from the successful execution of the Sissingue Mine development plan, we are confident that Yaoure will also be developed on time and on budget and in the process further establish Perseuss reputation as a reliable and capable developer and operator of gold mines in West Africa. A Notice of Award for the Engineering and Supply Contracts was issued to Lycopodium on January 10, 2019, and since then, Lycopodium and Perseuss in-house development team, acting in anticipation of an imminent positive development decision, have worked towards commencement of full-scale development. During this period, detailed engineering has been progressed and supply contracts, including a contract with Outotec for the manufacture and supply of the SAG and Ball mills, have been conditionally awarded to suppliers of a large proportion of the plant and equipment required for the processing facility. These orders will now be confirmed, fixing approximately 50% of the capital budget and enabling development to proceed on schedule. Under the terms of Lycopodiums contract, first gold is due to be poured at Yaoure by January 23, 2021, although a stretch target involving an earlier gold pour in December 2020 is being pursued. Another activity on the critical path for development is payment of all outstanding crop, land and sacred site compensation. This is well advanced with crop compensation paid in full, and approximately 80% of landowners paid compensation at rates specified by the local Prefects decree. Negotiation of compensation rates for sacred sites will be finalised shortly once land compensation payments are complete. Payment of compensation to landowners and farmers is required before clearing and preparation of the sites for the processing facility and the tailings dam can commence. Tendering of civil work for site preparation is expected to be complete by the end of May, enabling work to advance before the onset of the peak of the wet season that typically occurs in August and September. A specially formed committee comprising representatives of the departments of Mining, Finance, Budget and Environment will represent the Ivorian government in negotiations with Perseus for a Mining Convention to establish a stable fiscal and social environment for the project. Finalisation and execution of the Convention is expected in the September 2019 quarter. Concurrently with the commencement of development activities on the Yaoure site, Perseus is also planning to reactivate exploration activities adjacent to the proposed mine site. A high priority will be placed on the advancement of work aimed at delineating further mineralisation that can be mined from below the proposed CMA open pit using underground methods. In November 2018, Perseus announced that a preliminary Inferred Mineral Resource had been estimated for a potential underground mining operation at Yaoure (to supplement the CMA open pit operation) that totalled 3.0 million tonnes, grading 6.2 g/t gold and containing 595,000 ounces of gold. Noting that Mineral Resources for a potential underground mining operation remain open along strike and at depth, Perseus prepared a scoping study for a potential underground mining operation which indicated that: Inferred Mineral Resources appear amenable to extraction using mechanised underground room and pillar mining methods; Underground access from Yaoures CMA open pit combined with the selected mining method significantly reduces the capital development requirements; There are no known impediments to future underground development at Yaoure, and Further Mineral Resource drilling and technical studies are required to enable Ore Reserve definition. With confirmation of development funding and a decision taken to commence development activities, Perseus is well funded and intends to vigorously undertake the exploration and Mineral Resource definition work required to materially adding to the Yaoures Ore Reserve base and life of mine plan, well beyond the current nine-year horizon. To discuss any aspect of this announcement, please contact: Managing Director: Jeff Quartermaine at telephone +61 8 6144 1700 or email jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com; General Manager BD & IR: Andrew Grove at telephone +61 8 6144 1700 or email andrew.grove@perseusmining.com Media Relations: Nathan Ryan at telephone +61 4 20 582 887 or email nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au (Melbourne) Competent Person Statement: All production targets for Edikan, Sissingue and Yaoure referred to in this report are underpinned by estimated Ore Reserves which have been prepared by competent persons in accordance with the requirements of the JORC Code. The information in this report that relates to the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates for the EGM deposits was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 29 August 2018. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affect the information in that market release and that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Central Ashanti Gold Project, Ghana dated 30 May 2011 continue to apply. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for Sissingue was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 15 December 2016 and includes an update for depletion as at 30 June 2018 as well as an adjustment of the model constrained to a US$1,800/oz pit shell which were reported in a market announcement on 29 August 2018. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for Fimbiasso was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 20 February 2017 and includes an adjustment of the model constrained to a US$1,800/oz pit shell which was reported in a market announcement on 29 August 2018. The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for Sissingue and Fimbiasso was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 31 March 2017 and includes an update for depletion as at 30 June 2018 which was reported in a market announcement on 29 August 2018. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affect the information in these market releases and that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Sissingue Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 29 May 2015 continue to apply. The information in this report in relation to Yaoure open pit Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement on 3 November 2017. The Company confirms that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, in that market release continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Yaoure Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 18 December 2017 continue to apply. The information in this report in relation to the Yaoure underground Mineral Resource estimate was first reported by the Company in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement on 5 November 2018. The Company confirms that the material assumptions underpinning those estimates in that market release continue to apply and have not materially changed. Local church leaders are not thrilled with the possibility of Danville taking a gamble on luring in a casino. Most ministers who talked to Danville Register & Bee are morally opposed to the idea, saying a betting establishment will encourage residents, especially the poor, to spend money they dont have and become addicted to gambling. The Rev. Meredith Williams, pastor at Ascension Lutheran Church, said a casino would pose a risk for those struggling with gambling addiction and would tempt poor people into spending money to try to strike it rich. Its a risk to those who are vulnerable, Williams said during an interview Thursday. Also, there is stewardship involved, said Danny Campbell, pastor at The Tabernacle. Instead of working for money, youre frittering it away, said Campbell, calling gambling a personal sin. There are wiser investments to make that would be of lasting value. Its not only a sin for gamblers, he added, but one for those who profit or otherwise benefit from anothers gambling problem. City officials have expressed support for a casino in Danville because of the potential tax revenue that could be used to address local needs, including the school system. Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation March 22 that could bring casinos to Virginia. The bill directs the Joint Legislative and Review Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of casino gaming regulations and submit a report by Dec. 1. It also establishes the framework for the Lottery Board to oversee gaming and would allow three cities with economic challenges Danville, Bristol and Portsmouth to hold referenda on whether to have a casino. Referenda on casinos would also be allowed in Richmond and Norfolk, which have been identified as possible sites for the Pamunkey Indian tribe to establish a casino. It also stipulates that a gaming license only be issued for projects with a minimum capital investment of $200 million in land, facilities, infrastructure, equipment and furnishings. However, the legislation must be re-enacted by the General Assembly during its 2020 session and, if it is, establish a series of deadlines. One church leader, Father Jonathan Goertz at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, does not oppose having a casino in Danville but expressed concerns about the idea. The Catholic Church doesnt say gambling is intrinsically immoral, Goertz said during an interview at the church Thursday. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, games of chance or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others It is not immoral as long as the gambling is administered fairly, participants are not spending money that is needed for another, more vital purpose such as supporting ones family, and the revenues are used for building up a community, Goertz said. However, casinos often attract other, immoral activities such as prostitution, he added. From the standpoint of the casino operators, how are they using the profits from gambling? Is the money leaving the community to go to an outside company or is it being invested or spent locally? Goertz asked. The Rev. William Avon Keen, pastor at Traynham Grove Baptist Church in Halifax County, sees no benefit from a gambling establishment. I dont see who it how it could help anyone, said Keen, president of the Virginia chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. A casino will bring more poverty and crime, with people using their money to try to win more, only to sink into debt, he said. Also, it would lead to a further degradation of values, Keen said. The Rev. Larry Campbell Jr., co-assistant pastor at Bibleway Cathedral, said citizens should be the ones who decide whether a casino comes to Danville. A person needs to make their own decision, said Campbell, who is also a city councilman. The city has public education needs that it must continue to support, including making sure Danvilles young people have a strong school system that prepares them for jobs in high-paying industries, he said. John Crane reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987. 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. Authorities are investigating a Saturday night shooting that injured a teenager, police report. A teen wounded by gunfire was being driven to the hospital when the vehicle crashed near the north side of Union Street Bridge, Danville police report. The teen, with a non-life threatening gunshot wound, was then transported by ambulance to the hospital. The victim has been released from the hospital, Danville Police Cpl. Todd Hawkins said Sunday. The accident was reported at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Hawkins said. Police believe the shooting occurred on Arnett Boulevard. There are no suspects, he said. John Crane reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987. 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. Authorities say an argument in Nelson County ended with the stabbing of a Charlottesville man, who was then set on fire. A Lovingston man, 34-year-old Roger D. Beverly, was found hiding in trees not far from where the body of Winfred W. Watson, 48, was discovered Thursday. Beverly has been charged with first-degree murder and one felony count of concealing a body. The Nelson County Sheriff's Office was called to a path behind the Lovingston shopping center at 85 Callohill Drive just off U.S. 29 just before 12:50 p.m. Thursday after Watson's body was found. Witnesses provided sheriff's deputies enough information to find and arrest Beverly. Deputies also learned that Beverly and Watson had gotten into an argument that led to a physical altercation. Watson was stabbed multiple times and then set on fire. A knife was also discovered. Beverly was arrested without incident and is being held without bond at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. Additional charges are pending in the ongoing investigation. Send news tips to news@dailyprogress.com, call (434) 978-7264, tweet us @DailyProgress or send us a Facebook message here. Wildlife officials are investigating poisonings from a toxic pesticide that has killed seven bald eagles and a great horned owl along Maryland's Eastern Shore incidents similar to an unsolved case three years ago that left 13 bald eagles dead. Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Natural Resources Police announced Wednesday a $10,000 reward for information about the latest incidents in Kent and Talbot counties. Investigators said last week that on March 1 they found a disturbing site eight dead and sick bald eagles and a dead great horned owl in Chestertown, Md. Five of the eagles were rescued and released into the wild, but three died. About a month later, authorities said they found three more bald eagles that showed signs of being poisoned at a Talbot County farm. The eagles were lethargic and couldn't fly, officials said. One died at the scene, and two were taken to a rehabilitation center and eventually released. The birds had one thing in common: signs of having ingested carbofuran, a highly toxic pesticide commonly used on farms to get rid of insects until its granular form was banned in the 1990s. The latest Maryland incidents come after a three-year-old, unsolved case in Federalsburg in which 13 dead bald eagles showed similar signs of having ingested the poison. Authorities still haven't determined who was using the poison that led to the deaths of eagles found on a farm in 2016. "It's the same method," said Capt. Brian Albert, a spokesman for Maryland Natural Resources Police. "We feel that these are related events." Wildlife authorities said they believe someone is using carbofuran to get rid of animals such as foxes and raccoons. But the eagles, which are known scavengers, eat the carcasses of the poisoned animals and become ill. The owl, experts said, likely ate the poison directly. Carbofuran was popular on farms decades ago in its granular form to control bugs on crops, but a "single grain" of the granular form can kill a bird, experts said. Birds often mistake the pesticide grains for seeds. The Environmental Protection Agency banned the granular form in 1991 after it caused millions of bird deaths annually. The EPA disallowed the use of liquid carbofuran on food crops in 2009, saying the residue posed an unacceptable safety risk. The latest cases are puzzling federal and state officials. In a statement released Wednesday, the Fish and Wildlife Service and state Department of Natural Resources Police said they were "disappointed and frustrated that this activity continues to occur in this area of Maryland." In the latest incidents, experts said the birds were likely not the primary target of the poisoning, but the pesticide is "so toxic that the eagles are secondarily poisoned after feeding" on carcasses of animals that have ingested the toxin. In the Kent County incident, Fish and Wildlife Service officials said "whoever was placing the poisoned baits did it so recklessly that the poison was likely lying out in the open for any animal or person to find." Officials said they've interviewed land owners, hunters and others in the area, but have not determined who is using the poison. Bald eagles and great horned owls are federally protected birds. Jay Pilgrim, a resident agent in charge for the Fish and Wildlife Service in the area, said the problem is unique to this part of Maryland. "It is hard to believe that not one person has information of persons placing a toxic poison out that has killed no fewer than 20 eagles in these areas," he said. "The only way this stops is if the local communities come forward with information." Run all the politicians out of Washington To the editor: It is obvious that all of them in Washington are biased. I also think we can agree the Russians interfered with our election. And yes, Donald Trump publicly asked them to find Hillary Clintons emails. But does anyone actually believe he would collude with the Russians in such a public way? The idea is ridiculous, he was obviously being sarcastic. The Russians are not our friends and do not have a history of helping Americans. They have their own agenda and are interested in sowing discord. And no one says they actually had any influence on the election. It is also obvious that Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team were biased against the president as demonstrated by the free pass they gave to Clinton in an obvious case of obstruction of justice. President Obama, his Department of Justice and Muellers team chose to ignore the deleting of thousands of emails, bleaching of hard drives and the physical destruction of phones. The use of the bogus Steele dossier that was bought and paid for by the Clintons is more evidence of Muellers team bias. None of those charged had anything to do with the Russian interference in our election or obstruction of justice. If there were any evidence of Trumps involvement, he would have been indicted. Mueller and his biased team think Trump did something, but they have no proof only their suspicions. Trump may have wanted to fire Mueller. He certainly wanted him to go away. But nothing was done. Mueller was not fired or interfered with. So, if there was no collusion and Mueller was not interfered with, where is the crime? Congress has no legal grounds to stand on, only their own biased opinions and suspicions. I think we can mostly agree that President Trump is a lying, cheating womanizer, Characteristics he shares with most of the politicians in Washington. I can understand how the people of the FBI were put in a bad place by having proof that candidate Hillary Clinton, the most likely next president of the United States, was guilty of impeachable crimes. But what agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page tried to do is nothing short of a coup. I believe, if Congress goes through with this sham of an impeachment and it fails, all of those who brought the charges should undergo impeachment proceedings for putting their own petty political interests before the good of the nation. You may not like the man, but he is trying to do his job. Just what has Congress gotten done in the last four months? There are so many important issues facing the nation, and they have done nothing! I say impeach em all! HARVEY O. MINNICK JR. Danville Learn about Judaism To the editor: Recent events continue to show the need for mutual respect and understanding among all people of good will, regardless of faith. In that spirit, Temple Beth Sholom would like to invite interested readers to attend our Sabbath service on Friday, beginning at 7 p.m. at 129 Sutherlin Ave. Rabbi Tracy Klirs will conduct our Sabbath service, including reading from the Torah. In lieu of a sermon Rabbi Klirs will answer questions from the audience regarding Jewish belief and practices. We expect service to conclude by 8:30, to be followed by refreshments and conversation in our social hall. Because of our limited seating, we ask that you RSVP to pkhlov@comcast.net or 799-3505. We hope to see many of you on May 10. JO ANN HOWARD Danville The changed composition of the Supreme Court, and the supposed imminent danger that Roe will be overturned, is the excuse that pro-abortion extremists have seized upon to do what they want to do anyway: to normalize extreme abortion practices expressive of the belief that never does fetal life have more moral significance than a tumor in a mothers stomach. (Most European nations restrict abortions by at least week 13. France and Germany are very restrictive after 12, Sweden after 18.) The courts new composition has encouraged some pro-life advocates in their maximum hope, that Roe can be overturned, which would not proscribe abortion but would restore its pre-1973 status as a practice states can regulate. That is not a foreseeable possibility; a more nuanced abortion regime is. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by High Point University Growing up in Chicago, I always relied on my dad to bring the newspaper home from work. I clearly remember being 10 and suddenly finding myself enmeshed in the life of Johnny Lindquist, and the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. Although I was disciplined by my parents, I clearly knew there was no comparison. Johnny Lindquists 1972 death supposedly led to child abuse allegations being investigated more thoroughly, with action taken. Forty-seven years later, Im reading of the deaths of children including AJ Freund and Jahir Gibbons. Is it the threat of potential litigation that prevents us from stepping in to protect children when were shown proof theyre being abused? Its beyond time we stepped up to take on abusive parents. The Tony Award-winning musical Man of La Mancha dates to 1965 and was inspired by the novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes from the early 1600s. It may not be surprising, then, that Triad Stages artistic director, Preston Lane, felt the need to set his companys production in a more contemporary situation. Similar to the original musical written by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, this Man of La Mancha is set in a jail. But this jail is modern, perhaps even futuristic. It has chain-link fences, barbed wire, security cameras and other current fittings. It has harsh lights, along with projections that include the watching eye of Big Brother when they arent setting a scene for the imagined adventures of Don Quixote. Its inmates, similarly, wear individualized, up-to-date clothing (designed by K. April Soroko). As Lane says in a program note, I was determined to shake off the 1960s theatricality and place the musical firmly and immediately in our times. Students at the Doris Henderson Newcomers School in Greensboro have taken part in professional dance classes throughout the year, funded by a grant from Lincoln Financial. The school hosted a performance to showcase what the students learned, featuring both student and professional dancers, on Friday. Newcomers School serves recently arrived immigrant and refugee students in third through 12th grade who are novice English speakers. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that, on a single night in America in January of that year, nearly 550,000 people were documented as homeless, with 32% unsheltered. Though this national statistic is eye-opening, this problem is very much a local issue. Partners Ending Homelessness, a Guilford County nonprofit organization, found in its point-in-time surveys from 2007 to 2016 an overall decrease in people who were experiencing homelessness and seeking shelter. However, that data does not offer a full view into why that may be, nor is it a representative snapshot of those who are chronically homeless. Recently, alongside Drs. Sonalini Sapra and Krista Craven of Guilford College, their students and the Homeless Union of Greensboro, we embarked on an in-depth study of issues affecting the homeless population in Greensboro, specifically targeting issues related to the criminalization of poverty and the dearth of resources. For a city that seems to be flush with development projects, one would hope that the economic planning process would take into consideration how to provide opportunities for all residents, but apparently that is wishful thinking. Greensboro, like many other cities nationally, has struggled for decades with a pattern of allegations of police misconduct that disproportionately targets nonwhite people, as well as the poor and mentally disabled. Often there are allegations of concealment and cover-up by police and city officers, including elected officials. With the advent of police body cameras and dashcams, paid for by taxpayers, full public access to those recordings, except in very special circumstances, is knowledge fundamentally imperative for open and transparent self-government. Yet, now, masquerading as an improvement, comes state Rep. John Faircloths House Bill 791. If passed, it would change the current bad law, which Faircloth initiated, to give an illusion of openness by offering city councils and citizen review boards the ability to view police recordings without having to obtain a court order first but only upon a majority vote of council and only if each person signs a confidentiality agreement, subject to criminal penalty, to not speak about what they see and hear in the recording. Eighth-grade civics students should see the totalitarian danger of this institutionalized secrecy. The N.C. Court of Appeals should forcefully overturn the gag order imposed on Greensboro City Council members. But equally important, it should issue a clear decision grounded in the above cornerstone principles of the publics right to know and transparent government action, including conduct by the police, so that the people can hold government accountable. That decision should mandate reasonable full public access to police camera recordings as well as the right and duty of elected officials to fully discuss and debate the contents of those recordings with their electors. The appeals court should also make certain that HB 791 and any similar efforts to keep police or other government action secret will not be tolerated lest we lose our most basic freedoms. Lewis Pitts is a retired civil rights attorney; Vicki White-Lawrence is the president of the League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad; the Rev. Nelson Johnson is co-executive director of the Beloved Community Center; and Gary Kenton is a member of Democracy Greensboro. All participated in the friend of the court brief supporting the city of Greensboro in its appeal of the gag order. We have a problem in North Carolina, one that will harm our ability to stay competitive in the global economy. Data released last year revealed that 6 out of 10 fourth-graders in the state cant read proficiently. Studies show that not reading proficiently by the end of third grade matters because it is the final year children learn to read. After that, students read to learn. Students who are not proficient readers by that milestone are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Many of North Carolinas business leaders understand how critical it is for children to read proficiently at this juncture and are engaged in projects across the state to help children succeed. But we can do one more thing to change these numbers: Increase enrollment in NC Pre-K our states high-quality program for 4-year-olds. We have irrefutable evidence the program works. John Batchelor, thank you for being the guiding light of Triad, and more broadly North Carolina, dining for 38 years. Whether it be at the N.C. coast, the mountains or throughout the Triad, youve led your readers to the best dining options in our state. We will miss you, but your closing column (Go Triad, May 2 -9) reminds us of the best Greensboro has to offer. Thank you for engaging our minds and palates for decades. Doug Copeland Greensboro Contributed / GREENWICH Three eighth-graders at Greenwich Catholic School just made choosing the best sunscreen this summer into an easy science-based process. The girls, Emily Cook, Catherine May and Carmelia Zuniga, also won the Science Lab program on CBS News Sunday Morning. On the TV segment, they presented their project dubbed Factor Fiction: A Sunny Project which studied the effectiveness of different SPF levels to find the optimal level for sun protection. The administration of Gov. Ned Lamont was ready to put a tumultuous week behind it Thursday night, downplaying a pointed rebuke by a legislative committee the previous day and looking forward to votes on substantive issues next week by the General Assembly. The pace of the legislative session will quicken next week, when the House and Senate are scheduled to debate and vote on bills Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. A measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 over four years is among the bills likely to come up. Ryan Drajewicz, the governors chief of staff, struck a conciliatory tone in talking about the administrations fight over taxes and borrowing with the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and its co-chairman, Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford. The committee voted 46-4 on Wednesday for Fonfaras proposal to give control of borrowing to the legislature, a signal of lawmakers willingness to fight Lamont over the governors insistence that the states annual borrowing of $2 billion be cut by $700 million. I think that when you get into negotiations as critical as the ones that are confronting the state, theres always going to be disagreements, Drajewicz said. I think thats natural. I think thats expected. And I think thats necessary. Drajewicz said the administrations setbacks in the finance committee were evidence of growing pains by an administration that took office four months ago and a reminder that relationships matter at the State Capitol. Fonfara, who was first elected to the General Assembly in 1986 on a ticket led by Gov. William A. ONeill. was less sanguine about the state of the evolving relationship between a Democratic governor from the world of business and a legislature controlled by Democrats. With some exceptions, theres not much understanding of the legislative process by this administration, even as were heading to the finish line, Fonfara said. I havent seen a lot changing that, and frankly I dont think this is my observation theres a lot of respect there for the legislature. Drajewicz said the administration recognizes the need to augment its legislative liaison operation by bringing in Jonathan Harris, a former state senator who now serves as an undersecretary of policy and management. The session ends at midnight on June 5, and there are only 19 session days scheduled before the constitutional adjournment deadline. Fonfara is expected to be among the leaders and committee co-chairs to begin meetings next week with the administration. Fonfara is hardly the only political actor causing problems for Lamont. Progressive lawmakers have bucked the governor, successfully pushing the finance committee to approve a surcharge on capital gains taxes paid by single taxpayers with incomes of $500,000 and couples with $1 million. HARTFORD Environmental activists are pressuring lawmakers to reverse a decision to divert clean energy funds to other uses in the wake of recent billion-dollar state budget deficits. A petition signed by over 2,000 residents in 114 towns was submitted to Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders on Friday in effort to halt diversion of some $145 million paid annually by electric customers to help develop clean and cheaper energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Xiaomi's Western expansion might not be as dynamic and eventful as its work in the Chinese and India markets, but it's still an impressive slow and steady effort. After all, European markets are hard to penetrate with all their requirements, certifications, taxes and the sheer fact that the smartphone scene is so over-saturated. All of this makes Xiaomi's efforts all that more impressive. After managing to finally bring the Mi 9 flagship to the UK a few days ago, the Chinese giant has now announced that the budget Redmi Note 7 will soon be joining its ranks. Starting May 7 UK fans will be able to get one straight from the mi.com online store, as well as the brick and mortar Mi store in London. The 3GB + 32GB storage international version will be the first on offer in the UK, with a pretty competitive GBP 179 price tag. Apparently black will be the only initially available color. Although the latter is more of a rumor at this point. The same goes for the follow-up info that the 4GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB memory variants of the Redmi Note 7 will be made available at a later date as well, along with a blue color option. This is all pretty great news and also means you should probably wait for May 7 if you plan on picking up a budget Redmi from Mi UK. Quickly browsing through the store reveals that the Redmi Note 6 Pro is currently listed for GBP 219 - clearly not a great value compared to the Redmi Note 7. Worse still the Redmi Note 5 is currently priced at GBP 199, while the more comparable specs-wise Mi A2 demands a hefty GBP 259. All of these prices might be adjusted with the arrival of the Redmi Note 7. Source Haiti - News : Zapping... Accident at Temple Shalom Tabernacle, 2 children killed On Friday, May 3, a vehicle whose brakes would have failed violently struck the Shalom Tabernacle of Glory Temple in Delmas 33, killing two children and causing two more wounded who were rushed to hospital. President of the court of appeal illegal ? Senator Youri Latortue affirms that the appointment of Me Patrick Rameau Metellus as President of the Appeal Court of Port-au-Prince, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27633-haiti-news-zapping.html was made without the Superior Council of the Judiciary giving a favorable opinion to the appointment of a judge before the person takes office, as provided by the Law. Latortue is convinced that this appointment is part of an executive effort to control the judiciary to prevent the PetroCaribe trial. PNH : Contest of the 31st promotion This Sunday, May 5 begins the intellectual tests at the national level, for the admission contest of the 31st promotion of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) for 13,575 applicants including 2,353 women. The events will take place in 14 seats and 237 rooms in the West region. For departmental capitals, public schools, high schools and national schools will serve as examination seats. Graduation in Environmental Management Saturday, as announced Joseph Jouthe Minister of the Environment of Haiti participated alongside his Dominican counterpart at the graduation ceremony of the 15th graduating class in environmental management and natural resources of the "Instituto Technico de Etudios Superiores in Ambient Medio y Rescursos Naturales "which includes technical executives from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Minister Jouthe specially congratulated the laureate of the promotion, the Haitian citizen Claude Alain Etienne. RNH, 75% National Coverage With the completion of the works in Delpeche (Arcahaie) the National Radio of Haiti (RNH) has reached its goal of coverage of 75% of the national territory. PNH : About Edmond Bocchit "Our brave Police offciers sacrifice themselves every day to secure us and protect us. Let's support them for this great sacrifice, they deserve our words of encouragement," Chancellor Edmond Bocchit HL/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2019/05/04 Once the Sewol ferry started sinking, and the boat became submerged, it was inevitable that a certain class of trained professionals would get involved. I am referring to the deep sea divers, to whom director Bok Jin-oh has dedicated "LOGBOOK". Divers of this skill level are hired for a wide variety of tasks- and in this particular case that task was, unfortunately, to retrieve corpses for proper burial. Advertisement "LOGBOOK" chronologically goes over the salvage operation. The experience is inherently a morbid one. Divers talk about how the golden time where the recovery of living people may have been possible was completely squandered by a rescue operation where no one was in charge or had any idea what was going on. Eventually the operation achieves some sense of competency, although even then the divers are put under heavy stress by the generally awful conditions of the salvage operation. A lot of "LOGBOOK" is just detail about how hard it is to be a diver. The work is physically exhausting, and the area in which Sewol sank is a perfect mix of terrible conditions when it comes to water frigidity, poor visibility, and high pressure. Early on divers didn't even have any proper place to rest between dives. One mentioned that he could feel diving related illness coming on, but he persisted for fear the other divers would have to take more turns. Later on a haunting visit to the hospital suggests that many divers contracted chronic medical problems because of their work. This is the human element of the operation that was often lost in the disconnected way the press described divers. They were never people so much as tools intended to achieve a specific goal. There were moments when the divers were blamed for somehow being too incompetent to finish the job correctly. They weren't stupid either- they could tell they were being scapegoated. Then there's that particularly surreal sequence near the end where American Navy personnel show up claiming to have superior equipment and technique, only to fail miserably at every task they attempt. It feels odd to call the diving operation a failure, given all the facts "LOGBOOK" presents about the operation's difficulty. Really, it's impressive that the divers did as well as they did under such awful conditions. But then, all the anecdotes we get are so patently horrifying. Take the one about a large number of students who locked arms to die in their last moment together. The diver telling the story tries to make it sound, well, better than dying alone at least. Little as small comforts like that may be, that's all they have. The divers were these people who had to look at grieving parents every day and tell them either that they were still looking or that yes, they had confirmed the death of their child. What does a person say in circumstances like that? At least talking about such experiences has a therapeutic effect- for them at least. I think back to the events of "LOGBOOK" and just shudder on the inside, from the sheer horror of it all. Review by William Schwartz "LOGBOOK" is directed by Bok Jin-oh. Published on 2019/05/05 | Source An artist's impression of the new airport on Ulleung Island A new flight route connecting volcanic Ulleung Island in the East Sea will be established in 2025. Advertisement The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it has secured a budget to build an airport on Ulleung and will start the bidding process on Friday. It will only be a small airport with a 1,200-m-long runway for small craft with a capacity of up to 50 since it mainly serves as a launch point to trips to the Dokdo islets, to which Japan maintains a flimsy colonial-era claim. "Reflecting the risks anticipated in construction, we increased the budget to W663.3 billion this year", a ministry official said (US$1=W1,166). The government already tried to find a bidder for the project three years ago but failed because potential bidders thought the budget of W575.5 billion at the time was too small to reclaim the airport from the sea. The ministry's plan is to begin construction in 2020 and open the airport in May 2025. It will drastically slash travel time from Seoul from seven hours by boat to one and could benefit the tourism industry on the island, which is chiefly notable for its dramatic rock formations. Timotheus Hottges, born 1962 in Solingen, Germany, has been Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG since January 2014. He lives in Bonn, is married and has two sons. His passion for Europe was awakened as a teenager when he explored the continent via Interrail. Hier geht es zur deutschen Version des Essays. When you think of Europe, what do you think about? Where is your Europe? What is your Europe's place? The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung asked these questions several years ago. And in light of the current situation, I also recently gave some thought to the question, What is Europe's place? What this construct stands for symbolically, because it's more than geography: It's a community of values. A community of laws. An economic community. A symbiotic community. I thought about the Parlamentarium in Brussels: the European Parliament's exhibition and visitor center. It combines two things. First of all, the Parlamentarium is a prime example of how digitalization enriches us. Its exhibition guide is a modern smartphone that gives visitors information about the various exhibits through near field communication. There are audio and video files in which people talk about how they founded their companies and became global market leaders. As a visitor, you can use a terminal to send your requests to the members of parliament, which are distributed over the internet and appear on a large monitor in seconds. Top-Jobs des Tages Jetzt die besten Jobs finden und per E-Mail benachrichtigt werden. Standort erkennen Secondly, this exhibition doesn't only show where we're going with digitalization. It also shows us where we come from as Europe. Europe is a peace project. It is based on the theory that peace can be achieved most easily through community networks. Not by partitioning markets, but by having the people who do business enter into special relationships. When we consider these two points of economic community and peace community together, it quickly becomes apparent that thinking in terms of nation-states can be very problematic. Europe isn't just a place. It's many places. It's a place to do business. And it's a point of view, a political one. National thinking is no good for financial crises or refugee crises. Nor is it any good for international competition, particularly with North America and Asia. So the Parlamentarium, my place for Europe, also stands for my vision of Europe: A digital, competitive economic community and community of values. Europe can look back on great successes in both areas. But both are being challenged: our economy and with it, our values. Of course, global competition is nothing new. Germany, for example, has the most connected economy on earth, ahead of even Hong Kong, the U.S., and Singapore. Europe has powerful economic clusters. They are mainly based on skilled craftsmanship and excellence in industrial manufacturing, along with outstanding basic research: This industrial base is highly coveted. When we look at the various companies from Silicon Valley, for example especially Google and Facebook it becomes clear that their profits to date come primarily from advertising revenue. But the advertising pie that the internet giants gorge on is fairly finite. It comprises around a mere one percent of our gross domestic product. So it's no wonder that these companies are increasingly using their data models to try to break into the industrial value chain worldwide. Examples include smart home solutions, healthcare, and self-driving cars. This is the real threat that we have to counter. How can we succeed? A few thoughts: Firstly, I am convinced that the value chains of the future will become less vertical, that is, they will not remain within individual industry sectors. Instead, they will become increasingly horizontal, cross-industry. This means we need more cooperation or, to use a trendy term, "co-opetition". But to do this, we need to create incentives and facilitation for such cooperation. This also means promoting the creation of global champions within Europe instead of preventing their creation. Secondly, we need a European cloud. It's almost become a cliche that data is the raw material of digitalization. But we also know that value is truly created when the raw materials are processed. When it comes to data, this currently takes place almost entirely outside of Europe. European companies that want to use public cloud services can choose between just a few American (Amazon, Microsoft, and Google) and one or two Chinese (Alibaba, Tencent) providers. This may not pose a problem for the majority of applications from the public cloud, such as regular office communications, but what about more sensitive data? Doesn't Europe suffer from a strategic disadvantage when business data and customer data lie outside of Europe? And what can we do about it? We could restrict the non-European providers and say they can only offer their services here if a European provider is completely responsible for delivering the software and, above all, responsible for the legal and technical control of the data. This is what China does. 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. The next step, however, would be a completely European cloud infrastructure, with data centers in different European countries, and, above all, the corresponding development of European software. To achieve this, we need policies that support this kind of infrastructure, among other factors, having public authorities and institutions become customers of such an infrastructure, to create the initial market. In any case, forbidding the use of data in general, or making its use unreasonably difficult, is not an option. After all, our new prosperity also relies on data. In retrospect, we might consider the last 50 years to be the golden age of personal freedom. Before that, civil society was too underdeveloped. In the future, we might be too technologically advanced. But we have lots of opportunities to shape this advancement positively. And find our own way, far from the mass surveillance of the Anglo-American sphere and an IT dictatorship like China's, with a social scoring system that completely monitors all behavior and gives out punishments and rewards accordingly. This way could mean that Europeans shift their ideas of what they currently consider to be "the individual". Toward greater transparency. The younger generation is already doing this. And it isn't necessarily all bad. For example, it could mean greater security and give people back some of their freedom. Thirdly, we need more initiatives to identify the technologies of tomorrow. The extremely successful program by DARPA in the U.S. (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) could serve as a role model. Many things that were first researched for military purposes found their way into civilian use, where the technologies are hopefully used civilly. Examples include the internet, laser technology, predecessors to Google Maps, and voice assistants like Alexa and Siri. So far, Europe hasn't had much of an equivalent, Fourthly, Broadband networks also have strategic importance, of course. Deutsche Telekom is aware of its responsibility here. We invest 12 billion euros every year, around five billion in Germany alone; not only in major cities, but also where others don't get involved. But a continent that needs investments also needs investment incentives. For a long time, European regulation focused primarily on generating competition in the (old) networks instead of competition toward the (new) networks. This had consequences. Total profits by European telecommunications companies have dropped by half since 2006, weakening the ability of these companies to invest, to build their own new infrastructure and continually adapt it to increasing demands. What's more: The German telecommunications industry alone has spent some 60 billion euros on mobile communications spectrum since the year 2000. Money that could have gone to building antennas and transmission towers. While China (with its 1.3 billion residents) considers reducing the number of mobile network providers from three to two, Europe was long governed by a rule that every country should have four providers. As such, we are nowhere close to a single digital market. And as a consequence, we also lack a European champion that can measure up internationally to giants like AT&T (market capitalization: 192 billion euros), Verizon (198 billion euros), or China Mobile (190 billion euros). In turn, this means we also have less influence, for example, when it comes to defining industry standards. This brings me to my fifth point: How can Europe organize things differently? There is no shortage of proposals for doing so. And I am aware that this field is both broad and incredibly complex. As the CEO of a European corporation, I'm no stranger to that. We do business in countries like Poland, Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Austria. National companies and companies with their own histories. And their own cultures. And their own interests, which don't always align with those of the Group. So I can say that in many aspects, Deutsche Telekom is Europe. How do we deal with this diversity as a company? The important thing: Even in a corporate group, the result must always be greater than the sum of the individual parts. In short, wherever the benefits of size are especially relevant, so is a harmonized approach. At the same time, however, we also accept different speeds. This is based on the recognition that each national company still faces challenges that can be much more acute than the major lines. In such cases, providing support and, if necessary, putting central targets on hold, is the right thing to do. However, this does not mean that every national company can simply do what is convenient. Commitment is one of the key prerequisites for successful projects within large organizations. But diversity is also an advantage. For nearly every challenge we face in the Group, one company or another has developed a best practice that we can adapt and test in other countries as well. Smaller markets can be particularly helpful here, because we can react and conduct tests with much greater speed and agility. In this regard, when it comes to EU reforms, the proposals that are based on differentiation are the ones that impress me most. In other words, approaches that build on a Europe in which some countries and regions can take the lead, therefore allowing different depths of integration such as the Schengen Agreement for instance. But also a Europe that promotes unity and acts consistently in areas where size is beneficial. This is especially important when it comes to economic and industrial policy: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, electromobility, and the energy transformation are just a few examples. Europe should be at home everywhere The bottom line: Europe is strong. And Europe is worth fighting for. Just think of the things the continent has achieved together: Peace. Prosperity. Free movement of workers. A social charter. A general data privacy regulation that respects our personal sphere, despite all the problems in the details. I don't think there's another region on the planet where peace, democracy, social security, freedom, respect for civil rights, the humanization of work, and so much more form such a strong, cohesive unit. And even though our own prosperity gap is increasing, Europe is rich on the whole. This makes it all the more important for us to safeguard the prosperity of future generations and, above all, take steps to ensure that they participate in it. Which brings me back to my initial point: What is Europe's place? Maybe the thing that characterizes Europe the most is that it doesn't just have one place. Not just the Parlamentarium. Not Brussels or Strasbourg. Not just the cafes that Emmanuel Macron talked about in his speech at the Sorbonne. Europe is successful when it is well served and at home everywhere. As a young man, I repeatedly traveled all over Europe by InterRail. A period that shaped and enriched me. Not just because I made new friends. But also because it allowed me access to new, different cultures. And for me it was a positive thing to be able to identify with an idea that includes my native country, but also reaches beyond it. An idea that is bigger than a single nation and is therefore the glue that binds our unique diversity. An idea that is timeless. An idea of home, apart from the geography. This European awareness is what our continent bears. And that's why it's our responsibility as a company, as politicians, as citizens, neighbors, friends, mothers, and fathers to keep this awareness alive. Let's fight together to ensure that Europe's diversity can continue to be reflected in the relationships between real and virtual networks. To enable communication and understanding. And to help prosperity and peace to grow and flourish. Fran Shelton, retired HHS band director, inducted into Bandmasters Hall of Fame Steve Sigmon, band director at North Henderson High School, presented the Bandmasters Hall of Fame Award to his mentor Fran Shelton, the longtime HHS band director, on Sunday in Greensboro. [PHOTO BY MIRANDA MCFALLS] Fran Shelton, who led the Hendersonville High School band for 28 years, was inducted into the North Carolina Bandmasters Hall of Fame on Sunday, becoming the youngest band leader to be honored and the fourth woman. Shelton said she was especially honored that a successful band student that she mentored, North Henderson band director Steve Sigmon, nominated her. Sigmon presented the award to his former teacher before the 2019 North Carolina All State Bands performed at UNC Greensboro on Sunday. A Hendersonville native and 1977 graduate of HHS, Shelton was only the fourth band director in the history of the schools much-decorated band program. In 1987 took over from Jim Stokes, another homegrown teacher, who had led the HHS band for 20 years. Stokes, a 2007 Bandmasters Hall of Fame inductee, recalled in a 2015 interview, when Shelton retired, that he had heard from Ray Babelay, the director of bands at Mars Hill, where Shelton had enrolled and was honing her trumpet playing. He called me one day and said this is the most determined little gal Ive ever taught, Stokes said. After graduating cum laude from Mars Hill with degrees in elementary education and music education, Shelton earned a masters degree in music education from Appalachian State University. She taught band at Robbinsville High School for five years before coming home to teach at HHS and Hendersonville Middle School. Under her baton, the school's symphonic and marching bands performed at Billy Graham's Congressional Medal Ceremony, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Gator, Sugar and Orange Bowls, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall in Boston, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Chicago Symphony Hall, the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Los Angeles, Disney World and Atlanta Symphony Hall. In September 2011, School Band & Orchestra magazine featured HHS as "A Small School with a Big Band." A past president of the North Carolina Bandmasters, Shelton continues to serve as tour director of the North Carolina Band Ambassadors, leading high school musicians on performing trips to Europe. She also conducts closer to home; last September she accepted the position as musical director of the Asheville Community Band. Needless to say I am extremely excited, she said. But, having so many great students and parents and mentors and my mom and dad letting me start band in the 6th grade have really contributed to this award. Band directors and music teachers at the North Carolina Music Educators elected Shelton during their annual conference in November. Only three band directors are inducted each year. We consider this to be the highest honor we bestow to our colleagues, N.C. Bandmasters President-elect Jamie Bream said in a letter last month to Shelton. A BOY who served 10 years in prison for the murder of a pub landlady almost 100 years ago could have been innocent after all. Jack Hewitt, 15, was convicted after Sarah Blake, 55, was found dead in the kitchen of the former Crown and Anchor Inn in Gallowstree Common in 1922. She had suffered more than 60 wounds across her head, neck and hands and her throat was cut. The motive was thought to be robbery but a box containing 400 was left untouched. As the last person to report seeing the victim alive, Jack was subjected to exhaustive questioning, after which the police claimed he had confessed to her murder. Jack retracted his confession at trial but was found guilty and sent to prison, only escaping the death penalty because he was a child. The case has been looked at again by criminal barristers Sasha Wass and Jeremy Dein as part of the BBC 1 series Murder, Mystery and My Family, which re-investigates historic cases. Jack was born in Henley in 1907, the eldest of five sons, and the family lived in The Hamlet, Gallowstree Common. In 1922, the village had two pubs The Reformation, which still exists, and the Crown & Anchor as well as a single village shop at Smiths Corner. On March 4, Mrs Blakes neighbour called but found the front door locked. Opening the back door Mrs Blake was found dead on the kitchen floor and a blood-stained butchers knife was found near her body. A post mortem was carried out the following day by renowned forensic pathologist Dr Bernard Spilsbury but he decided that the butchers knife, despite having human blood on it, was not the murder weapon. Hewitt said that he arrived at the pub at about 6pm, stayed about four minutes and returned home at about 6.20pm, having had two rounds of drinks. He drank a glass of raspberry champagne, which was non-alcoholic, and a glass of ginger stout. No one else admitted to entering the pub after Jack had left but an unidentified cyclist was spotted on the path outside at about 7.30pm. From 6.25pm to 7.45pm Jack said he was stood outside Smiths shop, which fits in with the estimated time of death of between 6pm and 8pm. His mother told police that he had come home at about 7.30pm and at 7.50pm she sent him to the Crown to get some beer. Jack said the pub was in darkness so he went to the Reformation instead, arriving home again at 8pm. Despite extensive searches of the pub and surrounding area by up to 10 officers, it was not until 10 days later that they found a clasp knife in a hedge. On April 4, police turned up at a farm where Jack worked where he was questioned for 90 minutes. Eventually, he was said to have admitted that the knife was his and signed a confession, which had no detail as to what happened and in it he blames cinema violence as the motive. But at the Oxford assizes Jack said he was forced to sign the confession without reading it. He was found guilty and jailed. For the first year in prison he protested his innocence to officials and reports described him as a kind-hearted, wholesome character. He was released early in May 1932 for good behaviour. The programme looked again at the butchers knife and expert Dr Richard Shepherd said he couldnt understand why it was discounted as the murder weapon. At the time of the investigation another suspect had come forward. Robert Alfred Sheppard admitted to stealing a bicycle and riding it to Gallowstree Common before committing the murder. Officers brought him to Caversham police station and charged him but he later said his confession was under duress. Two weeks later Hewitt was arrested for the same murder and Sheppard was released. A year later Sheppard was charged with the murder of his own girlfriend and sentenced to life in prison. On March 24, 1924, he broke away from a working party and went to the house of a prison officer and murdered his daughter. He was subsequently certified as insane. Ms Waas said: Sheppard was an extremely violent man with a pattern of violence against women. He is certainly a more likely candidate for this murder than Hewitt who has no history of violence whatsoever. Retired senior crown court judge David Radford reviewed the evidence and said the truthfulness of the confession was highly suspect and the conviction was wholly unsafe. Jack died in 1972 and his ashes was scattered at Henley Road Cemetery in Reading. 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 Dye just seemed to know when it was time to return to her roots. After leaving Mendota in the 1960s, Dye later settled in Florida where she stayed for 50 years before retiring as a metallurgical engineering technician in 2000. When my husband died, I finally realized I could come back home. My family thinks Im nutty. I sold everything I had in Florida, left my two children and two grandchildren and came back to Mendota. Its where I want to spend my last days. I returned three years ago to find that you couldnt even buy a bottle of water in Mendota. Everything had left Mendota, Dye said. Its nothing like what I remember. Im almost 80. I grew up in Mendota when it was a thriving little town. We had about five stores where we could buy anything we needed, she said. Dye believes the towns failing economy was a direct result of the steady decline of both the rail service and the tobacco industry. BRISTOL, Tenn. Fresh produce, plants and meats filled the farmers market in downtown Bristol on Saturday. The State Street Farmers Market celebrated opening day for the 2019 season from 8 a.m. to noon. The market featured a wide array of springtime farm staples, including plant seedlings, greens and spring onions. Several area farms, including Fleenor Livestock, Worsham Spring Farm and Bendale Farms, sold a variety of meats for the 14th annual market kickoff. Peaceful Valley Farm in Washington County, Virginia, brought dozens of farm-fresh eggs to the market. We had a great day at the opening of the Bristol farmers market, and are sold out of eggs for the day, Peaceful Valley Farm wrote on its Facebook page following the event. Come see us again next Saturday morning. Worsham Spring, which also sets up at the farmers market in Abingdon, said they had a great day. The farm sells a variety of items, including ribs, sausage, bacon, butt roast, brats, loins, bellies and chops. The market appeared to be a success on Saturday as many vendors were either low or out of products by closing time. The market on State Street is open every Saturday morning, rain or shine. Mike Musick, Bristol, Tennessees recreation superintendent, who organizes the market, suggests visitors bring questions. One of the neatest parts of the farmers market is the opportunity to meet and develop a relationship with the actual farmers. Ask how they grow, produce or prepare the products they have for sale. Guests can also often place orders for future needs. Vendors at the Bristol and Abingdon markets take cash, but some accept credit cards and SNAP. 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. ABINGDON, Va. Jimmy Morani drove into Abingdon on March 9, just to check out the town. He had already completed a telephone interview a couple of weeks earlier with a job recruiter. But he wanted to make sure that Abingdon was the right fit for him. So, after spending the night with a relative in Louisville, Kentucky, Morani moseyed into the area, stopping at the Barter Theatre, Zephyr Antiques and the Coomes Recreation Center. He popped into Food City and Food Lion. Morani checked out the ongoing construction site at The Meadows. He explored the downtown district. And he ate a late lunch at Bonefire Smokehouse BBQ. I kind of walked the whole downtown, Morani said. I just kind of surveyed around as much of the town as I could. Turns out, to Morani, Abingdon was just as special as it had been portrayed by the Berkley Group, which had been hired by town officials in 2018 for an initial $20,000 to search for Abingdons new town manager. BRISTOL, Va.Authorities are investigating after two people were wounded in an altercation that was reported Saturday near the old Lowe's and Sam's Club properties in the Exit 7 area off Interstate 81. Washington County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Darrell Dickenson said a 911 caller told authorities that a person stopped him and advised he had been stabbed. An ambulance was called to the scene and transported the man to Bristol Regional Medical Center. The stabbing occurred about 5:15 p.m. in an area just off Lee Highway in Washington County. The location is a short distance from the Bristol city limits. Sheriff Fred Newman said an altercation occurred between two men who were in the parking lot. One of the men, Newman said, was living in a motor home on the property. One person was treated at the hospital for a superficial wound to the right chest from a machete as the result of the altercation, Newman said. The other sustained small knife wounds to the right hand. "At this time, we are trying to determine the aggressor as we are receiving conflicting statements from each of the individuals," Newman said. This week, roses go to Jess Powers, emergency management coordinator for Russell County, and the 50 or so others involved in last weekends rescue of five men from a cave. The men went into the cave on a rainy Friday night, presumably for camping, and things got hairy after a severe thunderstorm late Saturday, Powers said. One managed to climb out of the slippery, vertical entrance to the cave and alerted authorities about the predicament of the five others. In his 15 years on the job, it was the first cave rescue for Powers, who said there was so much interest he fielded 412 media calls and even appeared on The Weather Channel. Sundays rescue lasted about 18 hours and involved a number of local and state agencies, individuals and two cave rescue teams from three states Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina including a man from Asheville who mapped the cave in 2012. Many of the agencies comp their services. If that werent the case, Powers estimates that the rescue effort would total a whopping $80,000. Thankfully, all the men trapped made it out alive, suffering only minor injuries, and none of those involved in the rescue was injured. Still, I cant help but think it all could have been avoided. Powers attributed the ordeal to a bunch of bad decisions. Ill say. If youre going camping in a cave, its probably best not to go in at night in rainy weather, fail to monitor the weather or take adequate food and equipment. Luckily, this time, there was a happy ending. According to the professor, the study abroad opportunity has the potential to be a life-changing experience. Were only staying there for two weeks, but in that time, students can learn a lot about how people live in different parts of the world, how they think differently as a result of their economic and political circumstances, how they cope with hardships and joys in different ways, and how their lifestyles are very different from ours, Finney said. Thats very important for students to understand in order to be global citizens. These trips allow students to understand who we are in the context of the rest of the world. Weve been preparing for the trip all semester, but we dont want to tell the students what to expect when they get there. We want them to have real, authentic, first-person experiences. We want the students to think for themselves about what their expectations are and to reflect on those, he said. Our mission is to help students be citizens of the world, and I believe part of that is having a sense of empathy and being able to put yourself in other peoples shoes. A cultural exchange Once is enough when it comes to big news stories Authorities are investigating the death of Jacob Adejola Sr., 64, who was being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility since March. Adejola, who listed Bolingbrook as his last address in court records, was pronounced dead at Amita St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet Saturday, said Dan Jungles, deputy chief with the Will County Sheriffs Office. 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. Learn more here Grand Prize Winner: Donna Rickey Blog Winners: A Song for her Enemies by Sherri Stewart: Mary Ann Hake Spies & Sweethearts by Linda Shenton Matchett: Connie Ruggles Sword of Trust by DebbieLynn Costello: Brenda Walters Justice for Julia by Donna Schlachter: Natalya Lakhno Party Prize winners: Sherri Stewarts Winners A Song for her Enemies: Angie Pool Bottle of Dutch Syrup: Carol Koch Alscheff Corrie ten Boom book: Deb Gramie Burgess Linda Shenton Matchetts winners: $5.00 gift card to online retailer or choice (Kobo, B&N, AppleBooks, Amazon): Karen Hadley A Bride for Seamus: Carol Osterhouse Wotring DebbieLynn Costellos winners: Sword of the Matchmaker: Melissa Planas Sword of Forgiveness: Paty Hinojosa Gomez Shattered Memories: Charlene Zall Capodice Sword of the Perfect Bride: Licha Haney Donna Schlachters winner: Leather Journal: Lisa Turley GIVEAWAY RULES Winners must leave their email address and will be notified by email and the winners name will be announced in the days comments. 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. His former welding students, like myself, are now in the trades and have had no difficulty with passing the welding portions of their apprenticeship training, he said. Current welding students are highly sought after for employment because of this reputation. Maiden Mayor Robert Bob Lewis Smyre recently announced his retirement from his position with the town. I foresee great things for our communitys future, but the time has come for me to step aside and let the next generation lead us, Smyre said in a Town of Maiden press release. I will be the next mayors biggest supporter, encouraging them as a community member, and I call on everyone to do the same. I truly wish the very best for everyone that calls Maiden home. Smyre has held the mayor position since 1979, with two exceptions between 1987-1989 and 2001-2005. In the 2005 election, he won the mayor seat by write-in. Prior to becoming mayor, Smyre was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of aldermen in 1975. That entity is now called the town council. In total, Smyre has served Maiden as an elected official for more than 38 years. That will come to an end at 5 p.m. on June 30 of this year, which is the time when he will officially retire. Maiden Town Manager Todd Herms said the town council will decide and vote to appoint someone to serve as mayor until the upcoming election season in November. A few days ago, the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) concluded successfully and fruitfully. Forty leaders, including heads of state and government and heads of international organisations, attended the round-table summit. More than 6,000 foreign guests from 150 countries and 92 international organisations were present at the forum. Over 100 multilateral and bilateral cooperation documents were signed between China and relevant countries and international organisations. A list of 283 concrete deliverables was put together. Chinese and foreign enterprises reached cooperation agreements worth more than 64 billion US dollars in total. President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech during the forum, demonstrating to the world Chinas sincerity and determination to implement the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits with partner countries. President Xi pointed out that China will pursue open, green and clean cooperation, and stick to high-standard, people-centered, and sustainable development. China will follow international rules and standards widely supported by all parties and respect the laws and regulations of each country. The BRF set the goal of jointly promoting high quality Belt and Road cooperation, established a global partnership for interconnectivity, and built new platforms for the match up of local governments and the industrial and commercial communities. It has been made clear that the Belt and Road international cooperation architecture will be led by the BRF and underpinned by multilateral and bilateral cooperation in various areas. The BRI has lent fresh impetus for global economic growth. It is noted that India was once again absent from the forum. I believe India has the least reason to be absent. More than 2,000 years ago, China and India built close relations of interconnectivity and mutual exchanges through the ancient Silk Road including the Maritime Silk Road. Nowadays, China and India have achieved comprehensive connectivity by land, sea and air. Although the boundary between the two countries has not been demarcated, there are several border trade points. Indian pilgrims can make yatras to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet, China through Nathula Pass and Qiang La (Lipulekh) Pass. The two sides opened the maritime route through the DaChan Bay Terminals in Shenzhen and most bilateral trade in goods is by sea. There are 47 weekly flights between the two countries. Personnel exchanges in 2018 exceeded one million. More than 20,000 Indian students are studying in China. Since its establishment, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has provided more than $2 billion for Indian infrastructure projects, which makes up nearly 30% of its total loans, making India its biggest beneficiary. China and India have conducted cooperation under the framework of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM). During the Wuhan Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that the BCIM construction should be speeded up. We expect that the fourth meeting of the Joint Study Group would be held later this year to complete the joint study report. The Indian side is deeply concerned about its trade deficits with China. I believe connectivity is the key to its solution. Direct connectivity between the two countries or indirect connectivity via third countries will facilitate the flow of goods, capital and people and make our bilateral trade more balanced. With better interconnectivity, the BRI could have more strategic convergence with Indias Act East policy and Spice Route to achieve common development. There are no losers in win-win cooperation. As the world is becoming a global village, both China and India have benefited from globalisation. After the Wuhan Summit, China-India relations have entered a new phase, with improving and upgrading quality, hence providing political guidance for accelerating interconnectivity. Recently, the listing issue of Masood Azhar has been resolved, adding positive factors to bilateral relations. We understand Indias concerns on the BRI. It is only right to separate the issues left over by history with the BRI and the welfare of the two peoples. I noticed that public opinion in India had undergone a quiet change before and after the BRF. More attention has been paid to achievements of the BRI and people have come to recognise the BRIs increasing international popularity and Chinas sensitivity to the concerns of all parties. Indias neighbouring countries have participated in the BRI, and some scholars are calling for rethinking Indias existing policies and re-examining it with pragmatic attitudes to avoid missing a historical opportunity. The main theme of the BRI is to achieve win-win cooperation. It is not Chinas geostrategic tool. We are expecting India to be part of the BRI. By doing so, India could be in a better position to explore its potential, give play to its unique advantages and improve regional infrastructure and promote regional interconnectivity. As a saying goes, Better late than never. Luo Zhaohui is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Peoples Republic of China in India The views expressed are personal Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif shared a new photo from the sets of Bharat to underline that you can do whatever you put your mind to. In the photo, the actor can be seen driving a classic 1960 Land Rover even as the owner of the car sits beside her. #Bharat the man beside me is the actual owner of this classic 1960 s Land Rover , who was convinced i couldnt handle the car , while I was convinced I could, she captioned the photo. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film sees Katrina as Kumud, the employee of an oil drilling company in the Middle East. Coincidentally, Katrina shared a photo of her new Range Rover SE Vogue SUV. The car is reportedly priced at approximately Rs. 2.72 crore. The actor had bought the car previously but shared the photo over the weekend. Talking about how she was the first choice for Bharat and not Priyanka Chopra, Katrina had said recently, Atul (Agnihotri, producer) has always been very supportive and really wanted me to do the film. And in the end, thats what happened. Yes, Salman and I share great chemistry, but when I walked onto this set, I was very clear that the script demanded a different kind of dynamics between us and I had to maintain it. Bharat is an official adaptation of the 2014 South Korean film Ode To My Father. The film also stars Sunil Grover, Nora Fatehi and Disha Patani. Jackie Shroff is essaying the role of Salmans father. It releases on June 5. Actor Priyanka Chopra was in India to attend her brother Siddharth Chopras wedding, which was cancelled just days before the scheduled date. While the actors mother Madhu Chopra has confirmed that the wedding has been called off, Siddharths fiance Ishita Kumar seems to have put it all behind her. Ishita has now shared new pictures on her Instagram account from her fun outing with friends. Dressed in a red floral dress, Ishita can be seen having fun with her friends in the pictures. She had confirmed the news of her breakup by sharing a picture from the same outing three days ago. She wrote with it, Cheers to new beginnings. With a goodbye kiss to beautiful endings. Several of her followers and friends responded to the post with encouraging comments and best wishes. Her mother Nidhi Kumar had commented, Close old book and write new story, whereas her father Anirudh Kumar had written, We are with you; Feel the expanse of the universe and be the you were born to be. Ishita had also shared a new picture where she can be seen with one of her friends. They can be seen enjoying themselves at a restrobar and pouting for the camera. She had captioned the pics, Friday night with BFF! Ishita has already deleted all the pictures from the roka ceremony, her bridal shower that took place in London and her other photos with Siddharth. He was to marry Ishita at the end of April. Their roka ceremony had taken place in February this year and was attended by their extended families including Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas. Also read: Priyanka Chopras mother Madhu Chopra confirms Siddharths wedding is cancelled She underwent a surgery around the wedding date, which was said to be the reason behind the cancellation. She had also shared pics from the hospital with the caption, Recovering from surgery. Very painful but glad its over. Follow @htshowbiz for more Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was allegedly attacked by a 33-year-old man during an election roadshow in west Delhis Moti Nagar on Saturday. The police in a statement said that the man, identified as Suresh Chauhan, was a supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and had organised rallies and meeting for the party. But he got disenchanted by the leadership and the partys distrust in the armed forces, police said. Refuting the polices statement, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, the police are doing all this on the orders of the Modi government. Till late Saturday evening, no FIR was registered in the case. Police said Chauhan is a scrap dealer from Kailash Park in Moti Nagar. The attack took place when Kejriwal arrived in Moti Nagar in his police escort vehicle and the roadshow was about to start. The CM was there to hold a roadshow for the Aam Aadmi Partys Lok Sabha candidate from New Delhi, Brijesh Goyal. Police said, Kejriwal had arrived in Moti Nagar around 5.43pm. He got out of the official vehicle and got on to an open jeep for the roadshow. As he was greeting his party workers who had gathered around the vehicle, a person suddenly got on to the bonnet of the jeep and attempted to assault the CM. He was immediately overpowered and the CM was shielded by his supporters, Delhi Polices additional public relation officer, Anil Mittal, said in the statement. Police said while Kejriwal continued with the roadshow as scheduled, Chauhan who was thrashed by the CMs supporters had to be taken to a hospital. Chauhan was wearing a cap which he later took off and had also draped a scarf. He was standing with others, waiting to welcome the CM. Since he was an organiser of the party, no one initially objected to him approaching Kejriwal, Mittal said. The spokesperson said that during preliminary interrogation, the man revealed that he was an AAP supporter and used to work as one of the organisers of the partys rallies and meetings. As per Chauhans version, over a period of time, he got disenchanted due to the behaviour of the AAP leaders. He got further angry due to distrust of the party in the armed forces, Mittal said. Mittal added that during security arrangements for such events, it is ensured that only people who are known to the organisers are in the vicinity of the vehicle used for the roadshow. An enquiry by a deputy commissioner-level officer has been ordered to probe how this person was allowed in the proximity of the CMs vehicle, said the officer. Chauhans brother-in-law, Hansraj, said that the family worked as ironsmiths and own a roadside shop. I heard about the incident and rushed to Moti Nagar police station. He has been detained. We are unaware what triggered him to attack Kejriwal, he said. A video of the incident later surfaced on social media. In the video clip, Kejriwal is seen stepping out of his car and climbing on to the back of an open jeep, in which Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain and AAP leader Brijesh Goyal were already present. Suddenly, a man in a red shirt and black pants is seen climbing on to the bonnet of the vehicle and attacking Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Union government for the attack on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in Moti Nagar Saturday evening. While the BJP dismissed the allegations, by evening, leaders from across the country came out in Kejriwals support on social media. Later in the evening, the police issued a press statement, saying that the person who attacked Kejriwal during the roadshow was a supporter of the AAP and used to help organise rallies and meetings. Denying the claim, the AAP accused the Delhi Police of making political statements adhering to the orders of the Union government. Delhis deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, tweeted in Hindi, Do Modiji and Amit Shah want to get Kejriwal killed? The person whose confidence you could not bring down in five years, the person you could not defeat in elections... Is this how you want to get him out of the way, cowards? Reacting to the allegations, BJP leader and Union minister Vijay Goel tweeted in Hindi, I condemn the attack on Arvind Kejriwal. But I also believe that it is wrong to blame Modi-Shah for everything. Such accusations affect the gravity of the situation and suggest that the incidents are politically motivated. BJPs Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari also released a video clip saying: The BJP does not support any such activity. But we suspect the incident was scripted. We have always maintained that the BJP believes in a healthy political battle for the welfare of Delhis people. Other AAP leaders also reacted sharply to the attack. The Delhi CMs security is with the Modi government. Arvind Kejriwals life is under threat. And every time it happens, the police cries victim. What is the conspiracy behind it? said the AAPs Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh. Atishi, the AAPs Lok Sabha candidate for East Delhi, tweeted: Todays attack on Arvind Kejriwal is an indicator of levels to which BJP can stoop [down to]! They did the same thing before 2015 Delhi elections. In 2015, AAP won 67/70 seats and these attacks by BJP will ensure that AAP gets 7/7 seats in Delhi! Reacting to the polices statement that the accused was a supporter of the AAP national spokesperson, Saurabh Bharadwaj, said, This is really shameful given the fact that the wife of the attacker had herself said that he was a Modi bhakt and he did not like anyone talking against Modi. Bharadwaj was referring to a video clip. HT, however, could not independently verify the claims made in the clip. Bharadwaj further said, This political statement of the police is itself proof that Delhi Police is doing all this on the orders of the Modi government. District election officer Anvy Lavasa on Sunday ordered a First Information Report (FIR) against two BJP leaders for allegedly attempting to bribe some Leh Press Club members for favourable poll coverage. An inquiry has been concluded and prima facie the allegations appear to be correct. We have asked the police to register an FIR...against those, who tried to bribe, said Lavasa, who is also Lehs deputy commissioner. Lavasa had called for the inquiry on Friday after Lehs Press Club complained that four of its members were offered bribes after a press conference a day earlier. The club had asked for action against the BJP for the violation of the model code of conduct that prohibits anything that may influence voters. Leh Press Club president, Morup Stanzin, said BJPs Vikram Randhawa had handed over envelopes to the four in presence of the partys Jammu and Kashmir chief, Ravinder Raina, after concluding the press conference. Our members felt something was wrong and checked the envelopes. There were 500 notes in the envelopes. When the members asked about the money, Randhawa said it was a token of love. As they tried to return the money, he refused. So they put those envelopes on a table, he said. Leh comes under the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, which would go to the polls on Monday. Repeated attempts to reach Raina for his comment were unsuccessful. His phone was switched off. BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur dismissed the allegations as incorrect. Some political party is using the journalists to make such allegations.... Randhawa called the allegations fake. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers, according to officials. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 3,300 protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 million.The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate. A man Sunday alleged that his wife was served a bowl of soup that contained a blood-stained cotton swab in Jehangir Hospital in the city, where she delivered a baby. The soup was made in the canteen of the hospital, he said. The hospital authorities, however, alleged that it is an act of sabotage by some employees, who are currently on strike, and said the hospital was in the process of filing a police complaint against an unidentified person. Mahesh Satpute said he had admitted his pregnant wife to the hospital on April 29 and on the same day, she delivered a baby girl. As doctors had prescribed a veg soup to my wife, she was served soup prepared at the hospital kitchen on the next day of the delivery, he said. He added that while a bowl of soup was given to his wife, he saw something in the soup and removed it immediately. I found that it was a cotton swab with blood on it. I immediately video-graphed it using my phone and rushed to the hospital administration and even submitted a written complaint, Satpute said. He added that he even met the CEO and medical director of the hospital, but they did not do anything. However, the hospital claimed that there is an attempt of sabotage by some employees, who are currently on strike in the hospital. This is an act of sabotage by some employees, who are on strike. We have taken action and we are in the process of filing a police complaint against an unknown person. We have also responded to the patients relative appropriately, a statement by the hospital read. Around 350 Class III and Class IV employees of Jehangir Hospital are currently on strike for their various demands. Clashes erupted and at least three buildings, purportedly of the government, were set on fire in Jammu and Kashmirs militancy-hit Shopian and Pulwama districts late on Sunday, hours before the two regions go to polls, officials familiar with the matter said. A Panchayat Ghar was set ablaze by unidentified persons in Rajpora area of Pulwama , with local residents stating that a school building was also set on fire in the districts Qasabayar area. According to security officials, police had to use tear gas shells to disperse mobs in Shopians Palpora area, where a civilian was reportedly injured in clashes. Locals said that at some places the polling staff that were on the way to duty were pelted with stones. Speaking on condition of anonymity, security officials said the poll staff was safe and had been sent to different polling stations amid tight security. Earlier in the day, dozens of men were picked up by security personnel in what the police called preventive arrests. Many people who had adverse police records were detained by the forces in Shopian and Pulwama, a senior officer incharge of poll security said. Guv orders probe in politicians killings A day after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was killed by suspected militants, Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday ordered an enquiry into killings of various political persons in past few months and assured protection to all political people. Pal directed Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam to conduct the enquiry and asked for identifying any lapses on part of security agencies. Governor has directed BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary to get an enquiry conducted into the killings of political people belonging to various political parties in the state in the last few months, an official statement read. Suspected militants had shot dead Mir, district vice president of the BJP in Anantnag district late Saturday night. BJP leaders said that Mir was among the leaders whose security was withdrawn by the government recently, days after the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing that left 40 CRPF soldiers dead. The Congress party suspended former Member of Parliament Shakeel Ahmad for contesting as an independent candidate from Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency. A letter signed by general secretary of the All India Congress Committee Motilal Vora said that Ahmed was suspended with immediate effect for contesting as an Independent candidate from the Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar against the partys decision. The Congress, which is in a coalition with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), among others in Bihar, had fielded Badri Purve, a nominee of the fledgling VIP. However, Ahmad, a veteran Congress leader, who has represented the seat in the past, threw his hat in the ring as an independent. The CPI which had won Madhubani many times till the late 1990s issued a statement supporting Ahmed in the interest of defeating the BJP. Former RJD heavyweight Mohd Ali Ashraf Fatmi, who had recently quit the party and filed nomination papers as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, withdrew the same on the last date in favour of the rebel Congress candidate. Former legislator Bhavana Jha was also suspended for anti-party activities. The Election Commission rejected the plea that sought to advance the commencement of voting from 7 am to 4.30-5 am in the month of Ramzan. In a letter to advocate Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha, the EC said that advancement of time is not practically possible for several reasons, which included the time it took to set up the booths, conducting mock polls, the difficulty of reaching booths in far-flung areas, as well as already stretched working hours of polling officials. Pasha and another advocate Asad Hayat had approached the EC on April 29 to consider advancing the beginning of voting for the remaining three phases of the ongoing national polls due to the current heat wave and because the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan was due to begin on May 6 or 7. On May 2, the Supreme Court directed the EC to consider the representation. The Election Commission of India is directed to pass necessary orders, a Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi-led bench said in response to a plea regarding the representation. Muslims follow a lunar calendar and beginning of a month is subject to sighting of the moon. Muslims do not even consume water during Ramzan from dawn to dusk. Ramzan is likely to begin from May 7. The fifth phase of polling will take place on May 6, while the remaining two will take place on May 12 and 19, respectively. An EC spokesperson refused to comment on the matter as it was sub-judice. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday appealed to the central government to announce a ceasefire and stop crackdown and search operations during Ramzan, which starts from next week. Mehbooba also urged militants to stop their attacks on security forces during the holy month so that people of Kashmir can hold peaceful prayers throughout the month. Last year, the Union home ministry had announced ceasefire in Kashmir ahead of Ramzan, however, the month witnessed spike in militant attacks. Despite requests from the then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was also heading the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government, search operations against militants were resumed soon after the Ramzan ended as the Centre refused to extend the ceasefire. While addressing mediapersons here, Mehbooba said,Ramadan is approaching. People pray day and night and go to mosques. I would like to appeal to the government of India that just like a ceasefire was put in place during Ramazan last year, crackdowns and search operations should be stopped, so that people of Jammu and Kashmir spend at least this one month in relief. I would also like to appeal to the militants that Ramazan is a month of worship and prayers. They should not make any attacks during this time, she added. This time people are facing lot of troubles and hardships. At places where there should have been a single checking point, several checking points have been setup. The life of Kashmiri people has been made hell by the government. she said. Mehbooba said if the government wants to keep Kashmir, then they should give due respect to the people. The government should consider the feelings of people of Kashmir and announce ceasefire. Modi ji has always been repeating that he believes in ideology and follows insaniyat and democracy of Vajpayee ji. For the testimony, the government of India should announce ceasefire, she said. Criticising the NDA government, Mehbooba said that they have made Jammu and Kashmir a jung ka akhada, where the Centre is at war with its own people. Whether its ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, JKLF, stopping cross LoC trade on Srinagar-Muzuffarabad road and the closure of national highway for two days. The government of India wants to break the backbone of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the garb of militancy. They want to completely end our economy, she said. The National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing body for the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY), has set up a unit to promote innovations that reduce dependence on imported technologies to make quality health care affordable. The NHA innovation unit comprises a four-member team that will sift through applications from start-ups, including organisations and individuals, offering technologies that lower cost. Ayushman Bharat is the Modi governments flagship public health insurance scheme. Lot of start-ups offer affordable health care by innovating on expensive technologies that exist. Many have approached us with proposals to develop cost-effective machines, gadgets, diagnostic kits, data privacy technology etc to bring down the cost significantly, said Dinesh Arora, deputy CEO, Ayushman Bharat. There is a greater need to cultivate a landscape of synergies fixated on innovations centred on the Indian health care system to constantly evolve and deliver better outcomes through PMJAY Thus, for focusing efforts in building an ecosystem geared towards accelerating innovations and facilitating partnerships with the external stakeholders present in the health care sector, a National Health Authority Innovation Unit is being established, reads the NHA the order. The members of the innovation unit will vet applications and refer the selected ones to the government departments concerned for expert opinion, said Arora. The NHA will take a call on whether to accept the proposal on the basis of feedback it receives from departments concerned. Pavan Choudary, director general, Medical Technology Association of India said, This is welcome news. The development of health care technologies is dependent on the emergence of a complex ecosystem.... SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Thousands remained homeless on Sunday in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani, a severe storm that killed at least 34 in Odisha, even as authorities shifted their focus to rebuilding infrastructure in vast swathes of land ravaged by winds of up to 205 kmph, the strongest such summer occurrence to hit the region in 43 years. Disaster relief agencies faced challenges in providing food, medicine and drinking water to affected households, while many others were still inaccessible due to disruptions in telecommunications and road connectivity, officials said. Residents in several rural pockets of Puri and Khurda complained of shortage of essentials, especially food items and medicines. Energy secretary Hemanta Sharma said initial estimates showed the cyclone caused infrastructure damage worth more than 1,200 crore. The death toll due to Fani, which means the hood of a snake, rose to 34 on Sunday, two days after the cyclone barrelled through the states coastal areas. Sharma said about 3 million electricity consumers in the state were affected by the cyclone. While it could take up to seven days to restore normal supply in Bhubaneswar, some residents in Puri may have to wait a little longer, he added. In Puri, which bore the major brunt of the storm, debris of damaged houses and tree branches littered the streets. Relief teams were working on a war footing to clear the streets but several roads in the interior parts of the town were still to be cleared up. According to chief secretary AP Padhi, 21 of the 34 deaths were registered in the district. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced a relief package, saying that all families in Puri and parts of Khurda will get 50kg rice, 2,000 and polythene sheets under the Food Security Act (FSA). For the severely affected category in Khurda, the FSA families will get a months quota of rice, 1,000 and polythene sheets, he added. We are in the process of restoring physical infrastructure, the CM said. Odisha is no stranger to cyclones wreaking havoc. The super cyclone that hit the state in 1999 killed between 9,000 and 10,000 people. The second strongest, Phailin, hit the state in October 2013, and the death toll was limited to 30. Fani was one of the rarest of the rare summer cyclone the first one in 43 years to hit Odisha and one of three to hit the state in 150 years, Patnaik said on Saturday. A spokesperson for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Keshari Deb said: Restoring the smart city of Bhubaneswar to what it was would itself require huge funds and efforts and so would the restoration of power and housing infrastructure in the districts of Puri, Khurda and Cuttack. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said early on Sunday that the depression over Meghalaya and adjoining Bangladesh had weakened, and would become insignificant in the next 24 hours. The cyclone killed at least a dozen people in Bangladesh after crossing over West Bengal on Saturday. While many evacuees were returning to their homes from cyclone centres, those whose houses had been damaged were being provided shelter and relief, said Santosh Dash, public relations officer for Odishas disaster management department. An estimate wasnt immediately available on the number of houses destroyed in the storm. Chief minister Patnaik said an assistance of 95,100 each will be provided for fully damaged houses, 52,000 for partially damaged houses and 3,200 for houses that had suffered minor damage. He said water supply had been restored in 70% areas of the worst-hit Puri town and 40% of the places in state capital Bhubaneswar. I am hoping that water supply will be fully restored in Bhubaneswar shortly and at least in 90% areas of Puri town by this [Sunday] evening, said the BJD chief, who is seeking a fifth term in office in this summers Lok Sabha elections. The government has made arrangements to provide cooked food for free over the next 15 days. We will also take up tree plantation on a mission mode, he added. The chief minister, however, could not give the details on the status of the ongoing work for power restoration in the affected areas. We have to be very careful to avoid accidental electrocution, he said, when asked if power supply will be restored in the capital city, which continued without electricity for the third day on Sunday. More than 60,000 people, including officials and volunteers, were involved in relief operations, said special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi, who monitored the evacuation. He said that veterinary professionals have been deputed to ensure that no disease spreads from cattle. Medical professionals are also in the field to prevent possible outbreaks of epidemics, Sethi added. Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani of the ruling Biju Janata Dal said the damage from the storm was still being assessed. The administrations in each affected district have been asked to compile data on broken houses. This is not complete yet. Once we have the data, compensation for rebuilding those will be planned, he said. In Satyabadi block of Puri district, people blocked traffic on the Bhubaneswar-Puri national highway to demand material to cover the roofs peeled off in the storm. We are waiting for food and water for the last two days... What is the point of keeping the relief materials in office when people are suffering? said Trilochan Maharana of Rebana Nuagaon village of Bramhagiri block. There were tensions in a few areas as residents demanded prompt action by relief officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha on Monday to review the situation. He spoke to Patnaik on Saturday and assured support from the Centre for the rehabilitation work in the wake of the storm. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) partially resumed operations on the Howrah-Chennai route on Sunday. Barring the Bhubaneswar-Tirupati Express and the Visakhapatnam Intercity Express, all trains originating from the state capital, including the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, will be running normally from Sunday, an ECoR official said. (With PTI and Reuters inputs) Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday alleged that the Opposition parties did not like it when the United Nations declared Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist. Adityanath asked why the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not make a statement about this success of Indias on the Masood Azhar issue at the global level. The chief minister was speaking at an election rally, which prime minister Narendra Modi also addressed. Adityanath further asked, Main Congress netritva aur SP-BSP gathbandhan se poochna chahtan hoon ki in atankwadiyon ke prati unki sahanubhuti kya sabit karti hai (I want to ask the Congress leadership and the SP-BSP alliance what their sympathy for terrorists proves?) Demanding that the Opposition answer the question, the chief minister said India would lead the global fight against terrorism in the coming days. Like Osama Bin Laden, the countdown for Masood Azahar would begin soon, he added. He also said the Oppositions negative forces will dissipate on May 23, when the Lok Sabha election results are declared. Asserting that a lot of development work had been done across the country under Modis leadership, Adityanath said people were getting the benefits of these schemes without any discrimination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the murder of a BJP leader in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir . Ghulam Mohammed Mir who was the district vice president of the BJP in Anantnag district was shot dead by militants at his home late at night. In a tweet Sunday morning, Modi said there is no place for such violence in our country. Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2019 BJP leaders said that Mir had been threatened several times but despite that the government withdrew his security recently. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti had also condoled Mirs killing. Gul Mohd Mir was the District Vice President of the BJP state unit. May his family & loved ones find strength at this difficult time. Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 4, 2019 I strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4India leader Gul Muhammad Mir in Verinag, South Kashmir. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 4, 2019 The BJP leader was shot dead ahead of Mondays third and final phase of polling in Pulwama and Shopian districts for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. Polls for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat is being held in three phases due to security reasons. Two phases had passed without any militant attack on any political worker. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fresh attack on opposition parties on Sunday, saying their political culture did not focus on the countrys development and that the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) tried to stall legislation against triple talaq, forcing Muslim women to live in fear. The Prime Minister made the remarks at an election rally in Bhadohi, an east UP town that has a sizeable Muslim population. It goes to the polls on May 12. Modi said that after Independence, the country saw four types of governance, political parties and political culture vaampanthi (Communists), naampanthi (who promote dynastic politics), daam or damanpanthi (who use money and muscle power) and vikaspanthi (who follow the path of development). The last one is vikaspanthi, which we have brought, he said, adding that the priority of his government was the welfare of Indians. Attacking the UP pre-poll alliance partners and the Congress, he said: My government tried to free Muslim women from triple talaq but the Congress and its mahamilavati (a term the PM uses to refer to the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in UP) companions tried to stop it. I will not let them succeed. The SP and BSP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have formed an alliance for this summers Lok Sabha elections. The alliance has left two constituencies Amethi and Rae Bareli for the Congress. I want to tell my Muslim sisters that triple talaq is not practised in many Muslim countries. We want to give the same rights to our sisters which women enjoy in many Muslim countries, Modi said. We dont disregard anyones religious feelings. We go by the Constitution. Be it a man or woman, the Constitution gives equal right to everyone. We are working for justice and equal rights to women. Mahamilawat means chaos and corruption. Only the BJP can effectively develop UP, he said. Modi said he ensured the release of 850 Indians from Saudi jails after discussing the matter with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to India. Speaking about the strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), Modi said the move made every Indian proud but the mahamilavatis were not ready to accept Indias success. They (opposition parties) are saying that Modi ensured a ban on Masood Azhar because of elections. The Congress and its friends look at everything from an election point of view, he said. A day after Modi charged the SP with going soft on the Congress as part of a big game against the BSP, the two mahagathbandhan partners blamed the PM on Sunday for trying to create a rift in the alliance. BSP chief Mayawati said the alliance will continue in the future as well, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the prime minister was misleading people. Their rebuttal came against the backdrop of Modi saying at an election rally in Uttar Pradeshs Pratapgarh on Saturday that the SP was going soft on the Congress, though Mayawati was attacking the party. He also said that the SP had benefitted due to the alliance and Mayawati had now understood that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party and the Congress were playing a big game with her. (With inputs from PTI) Officers found the man on the ground near the roadway with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, where he died, according to the statement. A day after the Bengal administration alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi bypassed it and called governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to prepare a report on the damage inflicted by Cyclone Fani, government sources said the claim was not correct. Attention has been drawn to reports in a section of the media, that the Trinamool Congress has expressed its displeasure at Prime Minister Modi speaking only to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, about the post-Fani situation in the state. Apparently, Trinamool leaders have claimed that the Prime Minister had called up Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, but did not phone West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. The above claim is incorrect, sources said. Two attempts were made on Saturday morning, from the Prime Ministers staff, to connect the Prime Minister to the West Bengal CM on phone. The first time, the staff who were attempting to place the call, were told that the West Bengal CM is on tour, and the call will be returned. On the second occasion too, the staff attempting to place the call were told by the CMs office, that the call will be returned. Alleging that the Prime Minister bypassed the state government, Trinamool secretary general and minister Partha Chatterjee said on Saturday, This is the biggest example of indecency. In a federal structural a state government has its own position and rights. The Modi government never respected that. Two days after Cyclone Fani ripped through the Odisha coast, the Naveen Patnaik government seems to be struggling to restore power supply and mobile connectivity in Puri district and state capital of Bhubaneswar even as riots broke out in several places over demand for food, drinking water and polythene rolls. With petrol pumps being shut due to the devastation, people are forced to buy petrol at 150- 200 per litre in Puri district. Puri and parts of Khurda district, which includes capital city Bhubaneswar, have been severely affected by the cyclone that hit the Odisha coast on Friday. Despite road connectivity between Puri and Bhubaneswar being restored, at least 40% roads in the interior parts of Puri are yet to be opened due to fallen trees and electric poles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha tomorrow and conduct an aerial survey of the affected areas. He will later review the relief and restoration work at Puri Raj Bhavan. Odisha power secretary Hemant Sharma said more than 30 lakh electricity consumers in the state have been affected by the cyclone and efforts are on to restore supply to critical sectors such as the airport, hospitals and railway stations by Sunday night. Sharma said Cyclone Fani had damaged power infrastructure worth more than 1,200 crore. Electricity to emergency services will be restored by Sunday evening. It will take at least five to seven days to restore normalcy in power supply to Bhubaneswar. However, it may take a bit longer for Puri where the devastation to power structures is maximum, said Sharma. Officials said 5030 km of 33 KV lines, 38613 km of 11 KV lines, 11077 distribution transformers and 79485 km of LT lines have been completely damaged. Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said several telecom towers have been affected resulting in disruption of cellular and telephone network down in several parts of Odisha. All telephone and cell phones are down in Puri district. We hope by Monday BSNL will resume its operations in Puri, while other telecom operators may take a few more days, he said, adding that diesel supplies are being provided to make the cellphone towers functional using DG sets in the absence of regular power supply. In Puri, minor riots broke out over distribution of relief material as people held roadblocks or indulged in looting. In Bramhagiri block, one of the worst affected areas of Puri, over 2,000 armed people on Saturday looted polythene rolls, flattened rice and jaggery expressing their anger over lack of supply. We are waiting for food and water since the last 2 days. The local MLA is yet to show up. What is the point of keeping the relief material in offices when people are suffering, said Trilochan Maharana of Rebana Nuagaon village of Bramhagiri block. The people beat up the BDO and allegedly looted furniture and computers kept in the block office. In Satyabadi block of Puri district, people blocked traffic on the Bhubaneswar-Puri national highway demanding polythene rolls to string across their roofs blown away by the storm. At least half a dozen road disruptions took place across Puri town demanding relief material even as chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced a relief package for the affected people. Patnaik who visited Puri on Sunday announced that affected families in Puri covered under the National Food Security Act will get 50 kg of rice, 2,000 and polythene rolls. In all the affected districts, people will receive one month additional pension and house building assistance of 95,100 for fully-damaged structures, 5,200 for partially-damaged structures and 3,200 for minor damages. Officials said the state government was yet to make an assessment of the damage to houses though they expected almost all kutcha houses to have been severely damaged. The cyclone which had a wind speed of 274 km an hour has affected 1.07 crore people in 11 districts. Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said so far 34 people have been reported killed due to the cyclone with Puri accounting for 21 alone. Sethi denied the possibility of any outbreak of disease adding that 321 mobile medical teams have been deployed. Besides, 5703 open water sources have been disinfected in the affected areas. Meanwhile, the East Coast Railways said they have reintroduced 85 of the 138 cancelled trains. The main line to Bhubaneswar has commenced operations while Puri will be ready to receive trains in about 4 to 5 days. Flight operations to Bhubaneswar resumed with 41 flights operating on Saturday. Farmers in Haryana and experts fear widespread contamination of genetically modified (GM) brinjal or eggplant in the state with the farmer accused of cultivating Bt brinjal in Fatehabad district in the northeastern part of the state, adjoining Punjab, admitting that he has been growing and selling the GM produce since 2017. GM brinjal isnt legal in India. To understand the extent of the damage, the Haryana agriculture department is getting the states brinjal crop tested to determine whether it is GM-free at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), which will share the test results with the Haryana government next week. Arjun Singh Saini, director-general of horticulture, Haryana, said: We cannot take any measures to control contamination until the NBPGR test results are out. We have directed the farmer not to sell the produce. The use of GM crops is contentious, with arguments existing on both sides. Still, with India not allowing the use of GM brinjal, the developments in Haryana are a clear violation of the law. On April 25, the GM-free coalition, a collective of farmers organisations promoting organic farming, said in a statement that it collected samples from a Fatehabad farm and tested it through the lateral flow strip method. The samples tested positive for Bt Cry1Ac protein. Brinjal is genetically modified by inserting a protein gene (in this case Cry1Ac) that comes from a soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), into the Brinjal genome to make the plant resistant to some pests. Jeevan Saini, the farmer accused of growing Bt Brinjal, said he has been growing it since 2017. I was looking for a variety that would help deal with the shoot and fruit borer pest... A man said he could give me seedlings of a variety resistant to the pest. He handed over the seedlings to me at Dabwali bus stand near Punjab border. I dont know where his nursery is, said Saini, who brought 15,000 seedlings priced at 8 each. Bt brinjal is developed by Mahyco and it is resistant to the fruit and shoot borer. Bt Brinjal variety is being planted by other farmers too in Sirsa and neighbouring areas, Saini claimed. Last year, I sold it for ?6 per kg, this year, I sold it for ?15 per kg. The prices are low despite the variety being good. Last week, representatives of farmers and consumers organisations and scientists submitted a sample to Director-General of Horticulture and of Agriculture, Haryana, last week after Rajinder Chaudhary of Kudrati Kheti Abhiyan was tipped off about a special variety being grown by Saini. We are concerned about widespread contamination which will impact farmers ... The government should act immediately, said Chaudhary. Officials of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the ministry of environment were quiet about the development. AK Jain, chairman, GEAC said, I dont have the facts of this issue. Richa Sharma, joint secretary dealing with GEAC, did not respond to HTs questionnaire sent on April 30. India is the centre of diversity for brinjal, both domesticated and wild, according to GV Ramanjaneyulu, agriculture scientist from Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. India has a lot of variety, about 3,000 kinds of brinjal are grown here. It is also the centre of origin of brinjal. The lateral flow strip method gives the primary indication if the variety is genetically modified. Contamination of native varieties by Bt Brinjal can easily happen through cross- pollination. It may have already happened in Haryana, he said. I can think of two ways that the seeds may have come in. One, they may have been illegally smuggled through Bangladesh, where there is commercial plantation of Bt Brinjal. The other is that hundreds of kilos of seeds were deposited by the company that developed Bt Brinjal to NBPGR after a moratorium was imposed on commercialisation of Bt Brinjal in 2010. I wonder if the company deposited all the seeds, said Kavitha Kuruganti, convener of Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture. In February 2010, after nationwide consultations with scientists, farmers and other stakeholders, former environment minister Jairam Ramesh, announced an indefinite moratorium on commercialisation of Bt Brinjal. He said at the time that the moratorium will last till independent scientific studies establish the safety of Bt Brinjals long-term impacts on human health, biodiversity and environment. Bt Brinjal was found to be bio-safe for environmental release by GEAC in 2009. Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Pvt Ltd (Mahyco), which developed the Bt Brinjal variety and conducted trials in India before 2010, said all trial material is accounted for. There were no samples approved for environmental release. Only trials were conducted in compliance with the regulatory process and all materials from such trials are accounted for, said a Mahyco Grow spokesperson. The company has approached GEAC for revisiting its decision on the moratorium. The Supreme Court denied on Sunday a media report that said justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud met Justice SA Bobde who is heading an in-house committee inquiring into the sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. A statement from the apex court said this is wholly incorrect that the two judges met justice Bobde on Friday evening. The statement, which has been issued from the office of the Supreme Courts secretary general, said that it is most unfortunate that a leading newspaper chose to state that the two judges met Justice Bobde. Further the statement said that the in-house committee which is deliberating on the issue concerning the CJI deliberates on its own without any input from any other judge of the apex court. A report in a leading newspaper Sunday stated that justices Nariman and Chandrachud had met Justice Bobde and had expressed their view that the three-member committee should not go ahead with the proceeding ex parte. The former woman employee of the apex court, who has levelled the sexual harassment allegations, has opted herself out from participating in the enquiry raising several grievances, including the denial of permission to have her lawyer during the proceedings. The newspaper has stated that justices Nariman and Chandrachud had suggested for appointment of an advocate as an amicus curie for assisting the in-house committee. Besides Justice Bobde, other members in the committee are two women judges of the apex court -- justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Taking his cue from Sri Lanka banning face veils in the wake of Easter bombings, social activist Swami Agnivesh on Sunday made unusual remarks about the burqa, calling it odd and scary. Agnivesh, who was in Bhopal to support Congress candidate and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, said, Both burqa and ghoonghat needed to be banned. Muslim women should come forward to ban it not in India but across the world. At least a reform should start after the Sri Lanka episode. He added, Burqa mein koi koi esa lagta hai jaise koi aur jantu ho. Azeeb sa lagta hai, dekhne se dar lagta hai (Some women in Burqa look like another creature. It looks odd and scary). Agnivesh then narrated his field visit experiences from Rajasthan and Haryana and explained how he urged the women there to give up on veil. When I go to Rajasthan and Haryana, I meet sarpanchs in the veil. I ask them to shun the veil because they sit in the veil and their husbands use power, said Agnivesh. The activist termed BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Thakur contesting from Bhopal as an unfortunate thing for Indian politics. Agnivesh said, When Sadhvi Pragya was lodged in jail she was ill and on a wheelchair but after the declaration of her candidature from Bhopal for the Lok Sabha election, she is looking completely fit. She is not at all a sanyasi because a sanyasi learns to control the anger first. When asked about Agniveshs reamarks on burqa, State Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia said, It is a personal opinion of Swami Agnivesh. It has nothing to do with the Congress party. Every religion has its own culture and tradition and people shouldnt interfere in it. However, the BJP used the episode to target and expose Swamis mean mentality. Swami Agnivesh called a burqa-clad woman a creature and it showed the mean mentality of his and also of the Congress, said BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal. On May 3, Bollywood lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar said if a law is passed to ban the burqa then it should also put a stop on the veil worn by women in Rajasthan. The comments by Javed Akhtar, who was on a visit to Bhopal, came after the BJPs candidate from Bhopal parliamentary constituency Sadhvi Pragya Thakur demanded a ban on burqas for what she said was for the sake of national security. I am not in favour of the burqa but the law should be for both the burqa and veil, he said while interacting with the media. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be shown exit door as his five-year rule has been most traumatic and devastating for Indias youths, farmers, traders and every democratic institution, his predecessor Manmohan Singh said Sunday. Singh, in an exclusive interview to PTI, dismissed the notion that there was a wave in favour of Modi and asserted that the people have made up their minds to vote out the government that does not believe in inclusive growth and is only worried about its political existence at the altar of disharmony. In one of his most fierce attacks on the Modi dispensation, Singh alleged that the past five years only witnessed stench of corruption peaking to unimaginable proportions, adding demonetisation was perhaps the biggest scam of independent India. Incidentally, the BJP campaign in the run-up to the 2014 elections had centred on various alleged scams, including in the allocations of 2G spectrum and coal blocks, during the 10-year tenure of the Singh-led UPA government. The former prime minister also called Modis Pakistan policy slipshod, which he said was marred by a series of flip-flops -- from going to Pakistan uninvited to inviting rogue ISI to the Pathankot air base in connection with the probe into a terrorist attack. Singh, known as the architect of Indias economic reforms in 1990s, felt the country is headed for a slowdown and accused the Modi regime of leaving the countrys economy in dire straits. He said people are fed up with the daily rhetoric and cosmetic change by the current dispensation and there is an undercurrent against this illusion and boastful self aggrandizement. In a bid to counter the BJPs focus on the issues of nationalism and terrorism in this election, the former prime minister sought to question Modis commitment. He said it was distressing to note that Modi was filming movies in the Jim Corbett National Park instead of chairing any meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the immediate aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. He claimed the gross intelligence failure in Pulwama speaks volumes about this governments preparedness to tackle terror. Lets not forget that Narendra Modis slipshod policy on Pakistan has been marred by a series of flip-flops- from going to Pakistan uninvited to inviting the rogue ISI to investigate the Pathankot Air Base terror attack. Does it not speak volumes about the strategic failures of Modi Government on national security front, he asked. Singh said the Modi governments record on national security is dismal as incidents of terrorism have seen a quantum jump. A lie spoken a hundred times does not become the truth, he said on Modis plank of nationalism, adding that terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir alone have gone up by 176 per cent and ceasefire violations at the border with Pakistan up 1,000 per cent in the past five years. He said that division and hate have become synonymous with the BJP and it thrives on societal fissures. A government which does not believe in inclusive growth and is only worried about its political existence at the altar of disharmony should be immediately shown the exit door, he noted. He alleged that in the past five years the stench of corruption has peaked to unimaginable proportions and there is a definite collusion of people holding political positions and scamsters who fled the country after defrauding banks. Singh said the BJPs political distress emanates from its failed track record and claimed the party is searching for new narratives everyday. This reflects the bankruptcy of a national security vision for the country. Five years of Modi Government is a sad story of governance and accountability failure. In the year 2014, Modiji came to power on the promise of acche din. His five years rule has ended up being the most traumatic and devastating for Indias youth, farmers, traders, businesses and every democratic institution, he said. Our socio-political ambience has lost cohesiveness. People are fed up with the daily loud rhetoric of cosmetic change. There is a sense of deep despair and disillusionment amongst the masses. People have made up their minds to reject the Modi Government and the BJP so that the future of India is safe and secure, Singh said. The former Prime Minister said one man would not do any justice to the aspirations and hopes of the people by imposing the thought process and will of one person on a diverse country like India. Representation in India is very important. A single man can neither represent all the desires of 130 crore people of India and can also not solve the variety of problems faced by them. The idea of one man as the monolith of knowledge cannot be applied to India, he said on whether a presidential form of election is good for democracy. On foreign policy, he said India has always been guided by national interests and not for image building of any individual. Foreign policy entails gravitas, a sense of diplomacy and restraint, sensitivity towards the concerns of the host nation and ultimately furthering the interests of India, but regrettably, this governments foreign policy is founded upon anything but a mature comprehension of diplomacy, he said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) On May 6 Massive force deployment to help ensure free and fair elections in Lucknow and Mohanlalganj constituencies Lok Sabha constituencies of Lucknow and Mohanlalganj will be transformed into fortresses on Monday, when polling for the fifth phase of the ongoing general elections takes place. Around 25,000 officials and personnel of the civil as well as the armed police and auxiliary forces would be deployed to ensure fair and peaceful polls, said SSP Lucknow, Kalanidhi Naithani, on Saturday. Sharing details about the polling day deployment, the senior superintendent of police said that watertight security would be ensured at all the 1,451 polling centres and 3,561 booths across the Lucknow district, which comprised five assembly segments of the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency and four assembly segments of the Mohanlalganj Lok Sabha constituency. Shedding light on the police deployment, Naithani said, As many as 8,131 officials and personnel of the civil police will be deployed in different places. This will include 5,000 constables, 1,500 head constables, 1,500 subinspectors, 96 inspectors and 36 deputy superintendents of police. In addition, nine SPs will be on duty to supervise the force deployment and the law and order situation in the nine assembly segments. Highlighting how the other forces would help fortify the constituencies, the SSP said that over 8,000 officials and personnel of the armed police force would be on duty. It will include 1,300 S-Is, 4,000 constables, four companies of the UP PAC and 22 companies of the central paramilitary forces. Besides, an auxiliary force of 8,500 home-guards will also be deployed for assisting the police at the booths and the centres, he said. Tight vigil will be maintained at the 174 polling centres classified as vulnerable and the 280 booths categorised as critical. Besides, special mobile teams will keep moving around the constituencies. Nine super zonal mobile teams will oversee the law and order situation in the nine assembly segments. These will be assisted by 45 zonal police mobile teams -- five each in every assembly segment. In addition, 222 sector police mobile teams and 200 police cluster mobile teams will ensure that no political party gets to influence voters, said Naithani. To keep a check on suspicious vehicular movement, especially for curbing transfer of cash or any other material intended to influence voters, 27 static surveillance teams will keep a strict watch. These 27 surveillance teams will also maintain video vigil across the district, said the SSP. He said that the entire force to be deployed on the polling day had been apprised in detail about their duties during a combined briefing organised at the reserve police lines on Saturday. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed that the attack against him on Saturday was part of a conspiracy by the BJP. He said the assault was an insult to the people of the national capital. Kejriwal was attacked during a roadshow in New Delhis Moti Nagar area on Saturday. A man wearing a red shirt can be seen climbing atop the open jeep and slapped Kejriwal across the face before he is pulled off the jeep. The Delhi CM trained his guns on the BJP over the jurisdiction of Delhi Police. In this country Delhi CM is the only only CM whose securitys responsibility is in the hands of opposition party that is BJP, he said at a press conference on Sunday. The Aam Aadmi chief said there are attempts to silence him and this was the 9th attack on him in last 5 years and fifth attack after becoming CM. The attack was meant to send a message that whoever raises his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi will gface consequesnces, Kejriwal said. He claimed this was a clear trait of dictatorship. The assailant, identified as Suresh Chauhan, 33, who has a spare-parts business. He was caught by AAP workers around the jeep and handed to the police. Delhi Police have registered and FIR under Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) against Suresh Chauhan. Delhi police spokesperson said Chauhan revealed that he was an AAP supporter. Police claimed that Chauhn had become disenchanted with AAP due to the behaviour of its leaders and was further angered by distrust of the party in the armed forces. AAP has rubbished the polices claims with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia tweeting that the assailants wife has claimed he is a Modi supporter. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments that SP has a tacit understanding with the Congress and BSP boss Mayawati has been kept in the dark. Akhilesh Yadav said that PM Modi has changed his tone because the BJP is lagging behind after the first four phases of Lok Sabha elections. Their arithmetic has gone wrong. They know they wont be able to form govt. BJP can see no other way. Theyre not talking about development, farmers income. PM just wants to mislead people. SP-BSP-RLD will decide who will form govt and be the PM, Akhilesh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. At a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Pratapgarh on Saturday, Modi had said that the SP was going soft on the Congress. He alleged that SP under the guise of a grand alliance used Mayawati. They have been shrewd with her and kept her in the dark about their intentions. They even promised to make her the PM. Now, Behenji has realized their ploy and openly criticizes the Congress, Modi had said. Akhilesh Yadav targeted the prime minister and claimed that he represents only 1% of the population. He (PM Modi) is a 180 degree PM, he does just the opposite of whatever he says. He is the PM of only 1% of the population. So he has this issue that how those in the favour of social justice are taking the nation towards a change, the SP chief said. PM Modi had also made a reference to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi sharing the stage with SP. He said Mayawati was unable to understand why she was tricked. For Natthu Lodhi, 72, and many of his fellow villagers in Madhya Pradeshs Tindni village, the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) sharp electoral pitch of nationalism, which focusses on the February Pulwama terror attack (that killed 40 troopers) and the strike on Pakistani terror bases, has little bearing on their daily struggle. But Lodhi, a farmer who belongs to the Lodh community, still vouches for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and says the five- month-old Congress government in the state has done little to waive his mounting farm loans. In the neighbouring village of Chandora, which is dominated by upper-caste Rajputs, there are several Modi supporters but their focus is on livelihood, not nationalism. I got Rs 2,000 under the PM Kisan scheme, says Amar Singh, as others proudly show the visitors a newly erected lamp post under the Saubhagya scheme. Most of our houses have Ujjwala, quips Shyam Singh, another Rajput, of the scheme that offers free cooking gas connections to the poor. Singh and Lodhi will vote when their Lok Sabha constituency, Damoh, goes to the polls on Monday. Damoh falls in the backward Bundelkhand region, where farmers are marginal, rainfall low and industries nearly non-existent. And, in this parched backyard of Madhya Pradesh, it appears that the political discussion is limited strictly to questions of bijli (power), pani (water) and farm loans. FARM PROMISES In December, the Congress wrested power from the BJP in the assembly elections after 15 years, largely on the back of rural discontent and an agricultural crisis. The BJP had won 27 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2014 general elections. Within days of coming to power, the Congress announced a farm-loan waiver to five million farmers, and believes that this waiver, along with the new Nyay scheme that pledges a minimum annual income of Rs 72,000 to the 20% of Indias poorest will be a game changer. In Damoh, almost everyone has heard about the Nyay scheme but many villagers say the well-publicised promise looks like a distinct dream as they have not yet received a loan waiver from the new Congress government. I have a loan of Rs 1.20 lakh. I have not got a waiver of a single rupee. I dont trust Nyay as my loan waiver is still pending, says Lakshman Lodhi. To be sure, there are other people who have received money in tranches, and not everyone is hostile to the Congress government, which has promised full waivers and said some disbursements are delayed because of the general elections. These snapshots of discontent are no guarantees of the BJPs victory in Damoh either. In the 2018 assembly election, the Congress ousted the BJP from the seat, once a saffron citadel, after 32 years and this, local Congress leaders say, is an indication of how deeply unpopular the local unit of the BJP had become. The sitting MLA Rahul Singh, an Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, says, The poll is for parivartan (change). A change is the requirement of the time. Dalit and adivasis are solidly backing the Congress. A group of tribal daily wage earners at a tea stall said the Modi government has not helped them. In our village, rich people have got houses (under the PM Awas Yojnaa). We live in kuchha ghar. But the panchayat says there is no allocation for us, said one of the, Raju, on his way back to his village. At the BJP office in Damoh, party functionary Pintu Thakur says, People will vote for Modi. They know Modi is working for the poor people and, sooner or later, the remaining beneficiaries will get their dues. Out of 1.76 million voters in Damoh, young voters make up around 400,000. Many of them have seen the Congress first time in power and might again vote for them, said political analyst Sunil Gautam. He also added that there was local discontent about little development having taken place in the region despite MLAs from the region becoming ministers in the state government. In the seat, the BJP candidate and sitting MP Prahlad Patel is taking on Congress Pratap Singh Lodhi, ex-MLA from Jabera. Both the parties are focussed on bread-and-butter issues, and experts say the election may well be decided on the efficacy of welfare schemes. Aditya Prasad Padhi, former vice chancellor of Berhampur University, said, Nationalism may be a viable pitch in the urban areas but for rural people that too is backward areas, these ideas hardly means anything. Bruce Kettler, director of the state's department of agriculture, said he was a little surprised to see a 12.3%, increase in the number of young producers in Indiana ages 35 and younger. He said there was a period when fewer college students were planning to return to the family farm, but there has since been a change of mind in many of the younger generation. People in all corners of the country have heard of the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay), Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday. Nyay kone kone tak pahunch chuki hai, he said at a press conference when asked if the minimum income guarantee scheme, with which the Congress proposes to fire up the economy if voted to power, had got any traction. Under the scheme, ~ 72,000 a year would be transferred to bank accounts of women members of the countrys 20% poorest families. Gandhis confidence is, however, belied by what HT discovered in late April on a trip from Meerut in west Uttar Pradesh to Varanasi in the eastern part of the state. Not only was there a general lack of awareness about the scheme, it didnt appear to have resonated with the few who had heard about it. In Khatauli, a small town in Muzaffarnagar district about 100 km from Delhi, Chandrashekar Kumar is a daily-wage earner at a brick kiln. What is Nyay? he asked. When told about the scheme, he said, ~72,000? I dont think it is possible to implement such a scheme. The current government said ~6000 per year will be given, some have received ~2000 in their accounts. I havent even got that. Many others in the same area, too, had not heard about Nyay. In Congress bastion Rae Bareli, from where Sonia Gandhi has filed her nomination, Jatin Yadav runs a small food stall near the party karyalaya (office) on Kutchery Road. I have not heard of Nyay, but an entire generation of my family has voted for the Congress, he said. A huge board with the face of the Congresss local unit chief, Jagdish Shukla, greets visitors at the office entrance along with a collage of party stalwarts Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. But there was not much publicity for the scheme. About 1 km away, at the partys main office Tilak Bhawan, there was little publicity for Nyay. There was a small board with the Congress symbol at the main door. The district president of the party, VK Shukla, said, We are conducting multiple meetings and allotting areas among ourselves to do door-to-door campaigning on Nyay. Rahul ji has waived farmers loans in three states. People know he does what he says. In Sultanpur, about two hours away, 18-year-old Rihan Yasir, a first time voter, had a different view. Where will they get the kind of money to give 72,000 to everyone? They have said only 20% of the poorest families but there are more people who come below the poverty line. Such promises are only made for elections, he said. In Amethi constituency, the partys main office in Gauriganj too didnt promote the scheme. On its wall was painted the slogan Amethi ka MP, 2019 ka PM (Amethis MP, 2019s PM). The Congress data analytics head, Praveen Chakravarthy, said there was no mass campaign for Nyay. As a programme, Nyay is a targeted one. The party is reaching out to potential beneficiaries directly, he said. In Uttar Pradeshs Fatehpur Sikri, Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had launched a plan to publicise the scheme calling it Nyay Yatra. The Congress planned to deploy buses equipped with state-of-the-art communication equipment phase by phase to tom-tom its achievements. Along the Grand Trunk Road, the national highway towards Aligarh, an e-rickshaw equipped with loud speakers announces details of the scheme. Soni Verma, a roadside vendor selling corn, said, This began from yesterday. Before this, not many were aware of it. Lets see what happens. It will be hard to get traction now. In Chandapur village, which lies next to the Prime Ministers adopted village Jayapur in Varanasi district, Vanita Kumari, a 20-year-old labourer at the local brick kiln said she had not heard of Nyay. We need pukka makaan, water and good roads, she said. Outreach has not been good, a senior Congress leader in the partys Lucknow headquarters said, requesting not to be named. It could have been our Brahmastra (trump card) but it was not used properly. We are running TV ads and jingles but the ~72,000 per year bit, which was the main substance, got lost somewhere. We are trying to create some buzz with the advertising, he said. At the launch of the party manifesto, the Congress had said that its 2019 Lok Sabha campaign would be a 360-degree cross platform campaign, involving cinema spots, radio jingles, out-ofhome hoardings and digital screens, print advertisements and social media campaigns. Nyay Yatras concept was that we will send the buses phase wise. So we load it with 100-150 workers and send it across constituencies. The other idea was to make big leaders sit in those buses and send them to battlegrounds or swing assembly constituencies. Where they go and distribute pamphlets with prominent Congress promises on one side and details about Nyay on the other. The issue is that it is a bit late for the outreach and the problem is we do not have enough human and financial resources, the leader quoted above said. According to Sanjay Kumar, director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, the Congress has not been able to get the kind of traction it had expected from the scheme. One issue is that it came a little late and Congress did not have sufficient time to campaign for it. There is a constant problem for the party that they do not have the kind of communication skills their opponents BJP have to be able to woo the voters. When you rule the country for a long time, trust deficit is another factor that you face with schemes like these, he said. (With inputs from Amrita Madhukalya) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday appealed to the workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP alliance to vote for the Congress in Mondays election when people in Uttar Pradeshs Amethi and Rae Bareli will cast their ballots. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting from Amethi while his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the candidate from Rae Bareli. In a statement, Mayawati said: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are alike. We have not done any coalition with the Congress but to defeat the BJP, our coalition will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli. In the four phases of elections, the public has supported the SP-BSP coalition, which is disturbing the BJP. This alliance will not only make a new Prime Minister at the Centre but also a new government in Uttar Pradesh. On May 23, India will be liberated from autocratic and egoistic rule, she added Orders issued by the Election Commission of India (EC) giving a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, in cases pertaining to violations of the model code of conduct, have no record of the lone dissenting view by one of the election commissioners, according to people aware of the matter who asked not to be named. Dubbing this a deviation from the norm, an official privy to the rules and developments in the poll panel said the dissenting view is supposed to be a part of the final order and made public. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said another digression from the norm is that the poll panel, upon receiving complaints against the PM and Shah, did not issue show-cause notices seeking their response. According to a second official, election commissioner Ashok Lavasa differed with the majority view in five different complaints of model code violations against Modi and Shah. As the rules allow for the order to be issued on the basis of a majority, the PM and Shah were given clean chits in all the cases. HT has seen two of these orders and there was no mention of a dissenting voice in them. In cases of model code violations, the commission has to put on record the complaint, the response from the person against whom the complaint is made, and the final order, whether it is unanimous or with a dissenting view. It is always a detailed order, said a former chief election commissioner (CEC) on condition of anonymity. Referring to the issue of show-cause notices being issued, the former CEC said: Cases pertaining to MCC [model code of conduct] violations have to take into account the laws of natural justice; the accused has to be given a chance to file a reply. The final order is based on the inquiry of the poll panel and the reply submitted by the accused; so a show-cause notice has to be issued. CEC Sunil Arora and election commissioner Lavasa did not respond to queries from HT seeking comments. The first official said the issue of dissent not being put on record has been taken up with the commission. The official who gave the dissenting view has written to the commission, seeking to know why his view has not been put on record, the official said. However, another EC official had earlier suggested that since decisions on model code of conduct cases were not quasi-judicial, the dissent was not recorded. Modi has been given clean chits in all of six cases so far for speeches in Barmer, Varanasi, Patan, Nanded, Latur and Wardha; while Shah has been cleared for speeches in Nagpur and Krishna Nagar. The Supreme Court had given the poll watchdog time till May 6 to dispose of all the complaints while listening to a petition by Congress MP Sushmita Dev, who had accused the poll body of inaction. Responding to the Congresss allegation of bias by the EC, Modi said on Saturday: These are all excuses with which they want to explain away their imminent defeat. They are like the batsman who blames the umpire upon being clean bowled. They also remind me of the student, who flunks in examination and blames his failure on everything except his own lack of preparedness. In the letter addressed to Randeep Surjewala, incharge of the Congresss communication department, the EC on Monday last week said it examined 11 pages of the speech made by PM Modi in Latur and found no violations. The letter makes no mention of whether the order is unanimous or not. The poll panel concluded last week that PM Modis speech at Latur in Maharashtra on April 9, in which he had appealed to first-time electors to dedicate their vote to Pulwama martyrs and to the soldiers who carried out the Balakot air strike, did not violate the model code. The poll panel had twice issued advisories to political parties to avoid referring to or using pictures of soldiers for election propaganda. On Saturday, the poll panel cleared another speech by the PM pertaining to his rally in Patan, Gujarat, on April 21, when he said that he had warned Pakistan of dire consequences if it did not return Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. The Supreme Court has instructed the election commission to clear all cases of model code violations against the PM and Shah by May 6. Last week, EC also cleared the PM for his speech in Wardha, where he suggested that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is contesting from a second seat in Keralas Wayanad, where the minority is majority, apparently because Muslims and Christians make up almost half of the electorate in the constituency. Gandhi, who has been given a clean chit by the EC for his speech in Jabalpur where he made a reference to Shah as a murder accused, has been served a notice for his April 23 speech in Madhya Pradeshs Shahdol, where he said that Modi has made a new law in which there is a line that says tribals can be shot at, referring to the draft Indian Forest act. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modis remark the previous day terming Rajiv Gandhi, their late father and a former PM, as corrupt no.1, triggering a fresh war of words that sent the political mercury soaring a day ahead of the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections featuring, mostly, constituencies in the heartland. The Gandhis found support in Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, who appealed to her supporters to back the Congress over the Centres ruling Bharatiya Jatana Party (BJP) in Amethi and Rae Bareli, which go to polls on Monday and from where Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are contesting. The BSP-Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance has not fielded candidates from the two seats. Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi, who is in charge of the Congress in east UP, launched scathing attacks on Modi for his statement on Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed by a suicide bomber of a Sri Lankan separatist group in Tamil Nadu in 1991. Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father wont protect you. All my love and a huge hug, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, a message that also brought back memories of the Congress leader hugging PM Modi in Parliament during a debate on a no-confidence motion against the government in July 2018. Priyanka Gandhi reminded Modi that the country never forgives deceit, and tweeted: A Prime Minister, who insults the martyrdom of soldiers by asking for votes in their names, insulted the martyrdom of a righteous and noble man in his unbridled eccentricity. Reply will be given by the people of Amethi for whom Rajiv Gandhi gave his life... Rajiv Gandhi represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha. The debate started after Modi, addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Pratapgarh on Saturday, said Rahul Gandhi, who alleges wrongdoing in the Rafale fighter jet deal and claims the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government benefited only rich businessmen, was trying to tarnish his image. Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrastachari number 1 [corrupt number 1], Modi said at the event. The BJP justified the PMs comment at a press conference on Sunday, with Union minister Prakash Javadekar referring to the Bofors deal of 1986, when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley too hit out at the Congress president. Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi Government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the Q connection? No reply has come, he said in a tweet. India entered a Rs 1,437-crore deal with Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm Howitzer guns but a Swedish radio channel claimed several Indian politicians and defence personnel took bribes from the company. In November 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against a Delhi high court order that in 2015 quashed charges against all people accused in the high-profile case. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said Modis remark against Rajiv Gandhi was a display of his frustration and desperation after four rounds of polling in the seven-phase election process. To use such a repulsive and appalling language against a former PM who received the Bharat Ratna [Indias highest civilian award] and a martyr who sacrificed his life for the cause of the nation is highly condemnable, he said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, Sorry for my delayed response on this. I was campaigning. The comments made by Expiry PM ModiJi against fmr PM Rajiv GandhiJi are very unfortunate. RajivJi dedicated himself & laid down his life for the motherland. I condemn the language used & the audacity of such a statement. As the war of words raged, Mayawati asked her supporters to vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli. The BJP and the Congress are alike. We have no coalition with the Congress, but our supporters will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli to defeat the BJP, Mayawati said in a press note. Mayawati also accused Modi of trying to create a rift in the SP-BSP alliance. Ever since we announced our alliance, the Prime Minister has gone into a panic mode..., Mayawati told the media in Lucknow. In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Modi continued with his tirade against the Samajwadi Party-BSP alliance on Sunday, a day before the smallest phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Of the 51 seats that will go to the polls on Monday, other than seven in West Bengal and two in Jammu and Kashmir, all seats are in Hindi-speaking states. At the Bhadohi rally, Modi said, When bua [Mayawati] and babua [SP chief Akhilesh Yadav] were arch-rivals, then the chief minister [Mayawati] had named a district as Sant Ravidas Nagar. But babua, due to his self pride, removed the name when he came to power... And today, the same bua is seeking votes for the same babua, he said. Yadav hit out at Modi saying the language of the prime minister has changed as in every phase [of the polls] the BJP is trailing. I would like to tell the BJP that the SP-BSP-RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) alliance will decide as to who will form the next government and who will be the new prime minister, he said. (with agency inputs) Priyanka Gandhi, who is in charge of UP (east), has written personalised and separate letters to accredited social health activists (ASHA), anganwadi workers, rural job scheme (MGNREGA) workers, teachers, instructors, students and madrasas, promising to look into each of their problems and resolve them. The letters, which have been reviewed by HT, are being handed out by party workers in all 14 constituencies Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Dhauraha, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad, Bahraich, Kaiserganj and Gonda. On the last day of campaigning on Saturday, the Congress also made a conscious effort to reach out to women voters. Accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with women workers at Korwa in Amethi district. In her letter to ASHA workers (community health workers under the National Rural Health Mission), Priyanka Gandhi dwelt on the Congress promise to double the health budget and, through it, increase funds allocated for them. My Dear ASHA sisters. In the last few months while travelling through the state, I got the chance to meet you. After listening to you, I sympathised with your difficulties at a personal level. But the current government has betrayed your legitimate demands, she wrote, adding that the government had failed to provide them support. Aur kai baar aapke savaalo ka jawab lathiyo se diya hai. (On several occasions, they have answered your questions with brute force). After seeing the injustice that you have faced, I have personally ensured that your issues get a separate section in our election manifesto, she added. The Congress has promised to pay the pending dues of ASHA and anganwadi workers. Anganwadis are rural child care centres under the governments Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme aimed at combating malnutrition. Priyanka Gandhi also promised more funds for the ICDS scheme. In her letter to teachers, instructors and shiksha mitras (teachers appointed by the state government on contractual basis), Priyanka Gandhi said the Congress would clear all their pending dues and if there is any delay to pay the balance amount, then the government will provide loans. The party would also fill all vacant teaching positions in schools run by the Centre by March 2020. The Congress also promised to modernise the education system in madrasas. Money allotted to madrasas will be sanctioned immediately to assist their modernisation/renovation, Priyanka Gandhi wrote. In her letter addressed to MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, Priyanka Gandhi promised to form a committee that would work towards resolving their problems within 100 days. The MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. In its manifesto, the Congress had announced that it would launch MGNREGA 3.0 to address water security, soil quality and other issues that aggravate farmer distress. The party has promised 150 days of employment in cases where 100 days have been achieved. BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao claimed the Congress was resorting to propaganda as it was staring at a rout in its bastions. Both brother and sister are rattled by the impending defeat in the Congresss family strongholds... No amount of lying and propaganda will work as Rahul Gandhi neglected Amethi even during the UPA tenure, Rao claimed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of cheating alliance partner, Bahujan Samaj Party chief, Maywati by falsely promising her the PMs chair and benefitting from her partys vote bank. After realizing the SP-Congress game, Mayawati has been openly criticizing the Congress while Akhilesh prefers to remain silent. Congress leaders are even attending SP rallies, he said, while addressing an election rally in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Modi said the opposition was not able to accept the mandate given by people to the BJP in last four phases of polling. Desperate opposition is now trying everything up their sleeves to keep Modi out of power, said the PM. Calling the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the state Mahamilavati, the PM said there were five risks associated with such an alliance. These, he said, included corruption, instability, casteism, dynastic rule and misgovernance. Reacting to his comments, SP spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi said, PM Modi should worry about his alliance of more than 40 parties. He should worry about Nitin Gadkari who is emerging as a strong contender to dislodge him with the support of RSS. The Prime Minister also took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The naamdar had recently accepted that his motive was to malign my image by harping on false issues, he said. SP, BSP and the Congress have been affected by a bad habit that they consider even a human being just a number, Modi said. At another rally in West Champaran district of Bihar, the PM said the Congress was cheating the people of the country. Claiming the Congress-led Opposition in Bihar was staring at a defeat, the PM said the opposition is seeking excuses to cover up the same like a batsman who blames the umpire upon being clean bowled. They began with hurling abuses at Modi. When they realized it was not paying electoral dividends they changed tack and started complaining about EVMs. After four phases, they became flustered and started pointing fingers at the Election Commission, Modi said. Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the PM had lost control over himself expecting defeat in the election. In Pratapgarh, the PM sought vote for cup plate symbol though the candidate was contesting the election on BJPs election symbol. Later he corrected himself..., he said. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, its campaign pinned on the theme of protecting national security in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and the Indian Air Forces reprisal strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan in February, expects to win 300 seats together with its allies even in a worst case scenario in the ongoing election, the partys national general secretary Ram Madhav said. We have the king so we do not need any kingmakers, Madhav said in a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He went on to list the states where the party and its partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)?are hopeful of notching up gains, including those in the north-east , West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka. Watch | Have the king, dont need kingmaker: BJPs Ram Madhav on post-poll math Our best case scenario is 2014 performance, our worst case scenario is together with NDA we will get 300 seats, Madhav, who is also the BJPs point person for Jammu and Kashmir, said in an interview with Hindustan Times. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP alone won 282 seats, becoming the first party in 30 years to gain a majority in the Lok Sabha on its own. The NDA emerged from those elections with 336 seats. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, told reporters that an internal survey by his party showed the BJP was losing, after the completion of four out of seven phases of polling in the elections. In Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP won 71 out of 80 seats in 2014, the party is facing a challenge from an alliance of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) this time around. Madhav, the key strategist of the BJP, said: We are trying to maintain our numbers. Just like we are in places like Kashmir; if there is a shortfall, we will make up in states like Odisha and West Bengal. Asked if the BJP was in touch with fence sitters like the Biju Janata Dal, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Jagan Reddys YSR Congress Party, Madhav said, Strategy is not discussed in front of cameras. Anybody is welcome to walk into the NDA. Despite his confidence, the BJP has a tough job on its hands in areas in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir. The partys alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party in J&K broke up in June 2018. Allies in the northeast have protested against the Citizenship Amendment Bill that seeks to give citizenship to minorities from the Muslim-majority nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The prime minister has termed the alliance with the PDP a mahamilawat, or grand adulteration, but Madhav has a different take. We walked out of Janata Party in 1980. Was it a mistake to join Janata Party in 1977? I would say no, he said. The larger national interest calls for such alliances. We had Samyukt Vidhayak Dal in 1967-68 where Socialists and Jan Sangh worked together, arch rivals ideologically worked together for a larger goal. In 1977, we merged Jan Sangh with Janata Party but in three years we realised it was a blunder. We came out and formed the Bharatiya Janata Party. So certain experiments are because of certain historical reasons. Surgical strikes conducted by the armed forces have become a subject of contention between the BJP and Congress. Former PM Manmohan Singh said in an interview with HT that such operations had taken place in his term as head of the United Progressive Alliance government too. Gandhi has suggested that P rime Minister Narendra Modis sarcastic remarks against the claim were an affront to the military. Madhav said: Let the Congress party now stop criticising us for politicising the actions of the military. Now that their own former prime minister came forward to say they did, or so and so did. I have seen army giving a reply last year that they did not give any regard to surgical strikes all these years. Army doesnt know, nation doesnt know, Parliament doesnt know, only known to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh... Bharati Ghosh, the BJP candidate from West Bengals Ghatal constituency, has kicked up a row by threatening Trinamool Congress workers. In the video, reportedly shot at Anandapur area in the constituency, Ghosh can be seen telling two Trinamool workers that she will get 1,000 men from Uttar Pradesh to beat up locals. You are frightening people... You wont allow proper conduct of vote. Do not terrify people. (You) will be pulled out of homes and beaten like dogs, Ghosh said. Ghosh, once a close aide of the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, resigned in 2017, after she was transferred out of West Midnapore. She was soon accused of extortion by the state Criminal Investigation Department. #WATCH:BJP candidate from Ghatal, WB & ex IPS officer Bharati Ghosh threatens TMC workers,says,"You are threatening people to not cast their votes. I will drag you out of your houses and thrash you like dogs. I will call a thousand people from Uttar Pradesh to beat you up." (4/5) pic.twitter.com/GvX650F6n9 ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 The chief minister reacted to Ghoshs remarks and asked her to stop threatening people. If I share with people the text messages you sent me while in service you will be left nowhere. We could have arrested you long ago, Banerjee said at a roadshow organised in Ghatal in support of her candidate and film star Dipak Adhikari alias Dev. Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh backed the former cop saying she said the right thing while the Trinamool lodged a complaint with Election Commission of India, demanding cancellation of her candidature. In an interview with Sunetra Choudhury, Bharatiya Janata Partys national general secretary Ram Madhav spoke extensively on Kashmir, where he was one of the architects of the BJP forming an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015 that broke down last year. Q. Youve been touring Jammu and Kashmir, where theres anger against the BJPs position on Article 35A and Article 370. Is there a divergence of opinion between you and other BJP leaders on this point? Your party leaders have spoken about doing away with both while you have been talking about a resolution through discussions. A. No question because removal of Article 370 has been the core conviction of our party, right from the beginning. We are all committed to removal of Article 370 because we see it as a big hinderance in the process of emotional integration of the people of Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. It creates an emotional barrier. About the process, yes, it has to go to parliament. Thats why it has taken so long and we are unable to see it happen. Article 35A is before the Supreme Court of India, let the court take a view because our main contention against it is that it was introduced in a surreptitious and illegal manner. Interview I Ram Madhav on BJPs post poll strategy, alliances and more Q. The court seems to be very clear in not disrupting the status quo. A. I dont know what line the court will finally take but it is true that the legal process is taking time. If not today or tomorrow, the court will take a view on that. Our case, by our I mean those who have gone to court, is very strong. Any amendment to the Constitution is the prerogative of Parliament but in this case, it was introduced through a Presidential proclamation. Presidential office, although very respected, doesnt enjoy that power. That is the crux, it is a technical issue. Q. Your former ally, the Peoples Democratic Party, says that BJP leaders make statements about doing away with 370 and 35A but let them come to the Valley and say it. Isnt it true that you say something else there? Will you accept this challenge? Valley is very much a part of India. What we say in Delhi or Srinagar or wherever, we say the same thing. I have said it myself. Sometimes media picks up a statement which is convenient for them, to say no, no, somebody has taken a slightly moderate stand. Our stand is very clear and we are committed to removing it. Q, So is it just about politics? A. No no, no politics. Thats why I said it in the beginning itself. It is one of our core convictions. Q. In retrospect, when you think of it, as one of the architects of the BJP-PDP alliance, was it a mistake? A. There was a peculiar political mandate in 2014 which created a situation where there was no alternative to these two parties coming together and forming the government. Otherwise, it was going to be Presidents rule again and elections again. We felt since there was a mandate by the people, why not respect it, we attempted a coalition. We had a common minimum programme that spelt out our differences also... Remember, there was no compulsion to leave the government excepting the fact that in the larger national interest, we felt that continuing in that government is not serving the larger cause of the country. We simply walked out. We did not make any compromises. Q. So, it was a mistake? A. Not at all. This was a mandate to be respected. And when it didnt work, we walked out. We walked out of Janata Party in 1980. Was it a mistake to join Janata Party in 1977? I would say no. Q. There seems to be a divergence of opinion. The Prime Minister said so because he called the alliance a mahamilawat (grand adulteration)? A. No no, Prime Minister did say that there was a mandate, a peculiar mandate, which ought to be respected by everybody. Thats why we attempted it. Ultimately we felt that no, we cannot. Q. I think the word he used is mahamilawat. So he obviously thinks it was a complete mistake? A. No no, you are only taking one sentence of his interview. Prime Minister Modiji was very much part of the decision and he was there when the government was formed. So there is no question of anybody saying that the whole effort was wrong. Q. So there were compromises? A. No, no, I am not saying there were compromises. The larger national interest calls for such alliances. We had samyukt vidhayak dal in 1967-68 where socialists and Jan Sangh worked together, arch rivals ideologically worked together for larger goal. In 1977, we merged Jan Sangh with Janata Party but in 3 years we realized it was a blunder. We came out and formed the Bharatiya Janata Party. So certain experiments are (being done) because of certain historical reasons. Q. So what about the present allies and their open defiance of your stand? Nitish Kumars party has brought out a resolution saying abrogation of 35A is completely wrong. Isnt that a problem? A. No. Once Supreme Court takes a view, whether it is our allies or adversaries, everybody has to respect that view. As far as Article 370 is concerned, our view is not new. We have not articulated our view after we formed alliances, it has been there right from the days of Jan Sangh. Everybody who has aligned with us today or did so for some time, whether it was Omar Abdullah or Farooq Abdullah did they not know that we had our ideological commitment? They knew but today they may say anything. Q. They say it was 2002 that was the turning point, thats what Omar Abdullah has said. A. No, everybody needs a convenient reason to then find a separate path. Q. Forget Article 370 for a moment and lets talk about the allies. Nitish Kumar bringing out a resolution right now, isnt that problematic? Going into an election where numbers could go any which way, isnt this something that could break you? A. Firstly, things are not going to go any which way. They are only going in one direction of PM Modi returning to power with absolute majority at the Centre. Number 2, these are not new things. In any case, we will cross this bridge when we reach it. We are not worried about it. Q. But the fact that they brought this resolution out in election time, isnt that problematic? A. Fair enough, that could be their conviction. Probably their party has a view and its a democracy, every party has the right to its view. Q. What do you make of the video that has gone viral of the Prime Minister singing Vande Mataram and Nitish Kumar not joining in? A. I havent noticed it, I am sorry. But I dont make anything of it. They are our alliance partners, we are together and we are contesting elections in Bihar together. And when we come to the stage of discussing issues, we will discuss it. Q. But doesnt it show that on major issues, whether it is Akalis or JD(U), there is a sense of discomfort with the BJP? A. Those who know about alliances understand that alliances are about adjustments, about understanding of differences. If everybody thinks alike, why should there be many parties. Q.So you are confident that whatever happens, JD(U) is sticking with you? A. I sincerly hope that we will sail together. Q. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that there were multiple surgical strikes. PM Modi has now said that by saying this, hes just being me too. Some people feel that this is playing down the achievements of the soldiers and people who were involved. A. Firstly, let the Congress party now stop criticising us for politicising the actions of the military. Now that their own former Prime Minister came forward to say they did, or so and so did. I saw Army give a reply last year that they have not with regard to surgical strikes all these years. Army doesnt know, nation doesnt know, Parliament doesnt know, it is only known to former PM Manmohan Singh. Such mysterious surgical strikes if they happened, we do not know. Today more than we, the BJP, it is the opposition which is trying to make Balakot and surgical strikes an electoral issue. By raising questions over it, by challenging the claims of not BJP but the Army itself. As far as we are concerned, we are focusing on five years of Modijis governance and five years of Modi ji as leader for this country. Thats our focus in election. Q. But listening to election speeches, it doesnt seem like that? It seems like security is your main issue. You are not even speaking about Ujjwala or other schemes. A. Are you saying that if PM Modi speaks for 30 minutes, he is only speaking about national security? No. You please listen to his speeches. He talks about so many good programmes that he has undertaken in the last five years. Q. But every news item talks about polarisation, about the (surgical) strikes, about the Citizenship Ammendment Bill, which is also not the development agenda. A. Absolutely. You are mistaken completely. National Register of Citizens (NRC) was about development. Are you saying that the AGPs agitation and those taken by AASU and other organisations was not about development of Assam? It is all about their livelihood and how it is being threatened because of infiltration. Q. But AGP left you on this? A. AGP is there in the alliance today. We are fighting the election together. Q. They came back. But your leaders are saying if we dont have this act then Assam will go to Jinnah. Thats not development, thats polarisation. A. I dont know which leader you are talking about. We are talking about NRC as an essential commitment. Not just we, but Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave it to Assam. The first act for promulgation of NRC was made by Nehru in 1951? Its another matter that Congress didnt have the courage to implement it. Q. It has torn apart the Northeast? A. Not really. You are exaggerating, there was no tearing apart. Northeast is intact. We had the most peaceful election in Northeast. Q. But your allies like the AGP and Conrad Sangma in Meghalaya walked out over it? A. Thats because they had certain apprehensions. We tried to clarify these apprehensions by saying that the identities of people in different groups of the Northeast shall not be compromised. We know the importance of protecting the identity of culture and language, we gave them full assurance. They are fully with us. Conrad Sangma was present when Prime Minister Modi filed his nomination in Varanasi. Q. Final question, you said you dont need kingmakers, you are feeling very comfortable. But where will you get the numbers? A. First of all, we have the king so we do not need any kingmakers. You said about Northeast, BJPs strength will at least double there. We are hoping to get 14-15 seats for the BJP plus our alliance partners, we will get 20 out of 25 seats. In Assam, we are hoping to win all 10 seats we are contesting. We are getting many seats from Odisha and Bengal and Karnataka is going to give us more seats. We are hoping to pick up more seats in Telengana where we have one but we might pick up a couple more. So overall we are not expecting any big losses. Q. UP will be a loss because of the arithmetic. A. If at all we lose, we will lose only very few seats in the states we have gained maximum. We are trying to maintain our numbers in places like Kashmir and other states. If there is a shortfall, we will make up in states like Bengal. Q. In case it doesnt work, are you in touch with Biju Janata Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Jagan Reddy of the YSR Congress? A. Our best case scenario is 2014 performance, our worst case scenario is together with the National Democratic Alliance. We will get 300 seats. Q. But are you in touch? A. Rest of it is strategy and strategy is not discussed in front of cameras. Anybody else is welcome to walk into NDA. For a man who lived in political oblivion before 2014, being the most followed Haryana politico on Twitter is a feat, indeed! When 64-year-old Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar made his political debut four-and -a-half-years ago in assembly elections from Karnal, he was new to most people of the state. But after becoming the CM, he has sprinted far ahead of famous and left seasoned politicians of the state with 1.46 million followers on the micro-blogging site. Moreover, with 1,77,000 tweets so far, Khattar is also the most active politician of the state on the social media site. Next in the list is Randeep Singh Surjewala of the Congress. Having an advantage of being the national spokesperson of the Congress, Surjewala is the closest behind Khattar with 8,04,000 followers. Besides them, several other Congress leaders are garnering attention on the social media including industrialist and former MP Naveen Jindal who is followed by 2,76,000 people, while the partys lone outgoing MP Deepender Hooda is followed by 2,20,000 people. SOME LOSING POPULARITY On the other hand some leaders like Kuldeep Bishnoi also losing the popularity. In May 2016, Bishnoi, the most followed leader in Haryana with 1,35,000 followers was slight ahead of CM Khattar, but now trails far behind several other politicians in the state. Of the cabinet ministers in Haryana, Anil Vij- Gabbar Singh is most followed on Twitter with 2,26,000 followers. Perhaps Vijs outburst on the social media site with controversial tweets over several issues is cause of his increasing popularity. His colleague Captain Abhimanyu is close behind with 1,22,000 followers. Similarly, Haryana pradesh Congress committee president Ashok Tanwar with 1,15,000 followers is more popular than his political rival and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is followed by 1,05,000 people. Politicians like Abhay Chautala of Indian National Lok Dal, Congress Kumari Selja, Kiran Choudhry and Raj Kumar Saini of LSP, who are famous for being crowd pullers in rallies are trailing behind on Twitter. Even, Abhay with 7,017 followers is far behind his estranged jailed brother Ajay Chautala, who is followed by 14,500 people. Women politicians of the state are not as popular on Twitter as their male counter parts. Surprisingly, general secretary and in-charge social media of Mahila Congress Chitra Sarwara, is the most followed woman politician of Haryana with 19,800 followers. Chitra is followed by former minister Savitri Jindal, who is followed by 18,100 people, while cabinet minister Kavita Jain has 15,400 followers and Congress MLA Renuka Bishnoi has 12,300 followers. Interestingly, senior women Congress leaders Kumari Selja and Kiran Choudhary are far behind, with 9,982 followers and 4,749 followers respectively. Similarly, among the young politicians Dushyant Chautala tops with 95,400 followers, followed by Naveen Jaihind of AAP with 37,400 followers, Digvijay with 14,500 followers and Bhavya Bishnoi with 11,300 followers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON J. Justin Murphy, an attorney representing the three candidates, said the board should dismiss the complaints because the men did not have anything to do with the restaurant discount. Murphy said the three men did not speak with the restaurant about the discount and do not have any stake in the business. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted a divide and rule strategy to create a rift in the SP-BSP-RLD alliance to save the BJPs honour in the next three phases of the Lok Sabha polls, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said on Sunday. He tried everything in his might to destroy the mahagathbandhan. In keeping with his phoot daalo, raj karo strategy, he said several erroneous things at his election rally in Pratapgarh yesterday. He wants the SP-BSP-RLD to fight with each other. His motive is to mislead our party workers, Mayawati was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Continuing her attack, the BSP chief said her party was working with the goal of removing the BJP from the country on May 23, when the results of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced. She also accused the Congress and BJP of being chips of the same block. People of the country know that we have not allied with the Congress party because we believe that both BJP and Congress are ek thali ke chatte batte (chips of the same block). She, however, contended that her party gave up the Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats for the Congress as they wanted the top leaders in both the seats to fight off and weaken the forces of BJP and RSS in the country. Vote from the mahagathbandan will go to the Congress in these two seats and I would request those who support BSP to do the same, she said. Out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, 39 have gone to polls in the first four phases. The remaining 41 constituencies will go to polls in the next three phases of elections scheduled on May 6, 12 and 19. Both Amethi and Raebareli will vote in the fifth phase of general elections on May 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. The University of Mumbai (MU) on Saturday directed Government Law College (GLC) to conduct a re-examination for around 270 students who had failed their practical written examination in April. MUs decision came a day after the varsitys board of studies (BoS) for law had opined that rules do not prohibit GLC from conducting retests for these students. In a letter to GLCs principal Suvarna Keole, Vinod Patil, director of MUs board of examination and evaluation, wrote, The GLC should conduct practical training re-examination for the students intending to appear at the examinations to be held in the first half of 2019. For the 270 students who failed in the practical written examinations, conducted internally by the college, the opportunity of re-examination means they may avoid the loss of an academic year. Those who fail internal tests are not allowed to advance to the next year or take the theory exams. The students had alleged that GLC had previously cited varsity rules and said there would be no re-examinations, even though retests have been held in the past. The youth wing of Shiv Sena, Yuva Sena, which had asked the university to intervene in the matter on May 3, said in a statement, We thank MU vice-chancellor, examination department and the BoS for the positive approach and immediate action. Earlier on Saturday, the dispute over retests had led to a police complaint after Byculla member of legislative assembly (MLA) Waris Pathan had a heated exchange with Keole on the issue of re-examinations. Following a brief argument, the principal suddenly walked out of her cabin. The MLA felt that it was a disrespectful move and two began arguing in the corridor outside the cabin, said an eye-witness student. The college has sent a letter to the city police, complaining against Pathan. We have received a letter and are investigating the matter, said Abhishek Trimukhe, deputy commissioner of police (zone 1). When contacted, Pathan said, The conversation had become argumentative, but as such there was no ruckus. Keole didnt respond to phone calls and text messages. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A week after starting controversy by demanding ban on burqa in India, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said it was not the official stand of the party. Raut, however, maintained the ban is a matter of social reform than religious one, similar to the partys stand on triple talaq. A Saamana editorial on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow in Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisenas footsteps and ban burqas and other face veils in India, considering the threat they pose to the nations security. The party had clarified the demand was not endorsed by the Sena or its leadership, but was an individuals view. In his weekly column, Rok Thok, in party mouthpiece Saamana on Sunday, Raut took on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for making it a Hindu-Muslim tussle and a religious issue. Despite a rebuke from party leadership, Raut remained defiant, writing on social media and through his column that national interest and security take precedence over personal freedom. Two incidents became poll issues in the ongoing general elections Masood Azhar and burqa ban in Sri Lanka. The Congress did not express happiness after the UN designated Masood Azhar a global terrorist. Their fear was the decision may push Hindu votes towards Modi. There was more discussion on the burqa ban in India than in Sri Lanka, he wrote. One thing should be clarified here, the demand was not made by the Shiv Sena or Uddhav Thackeray. Saamana just published an analysis of the developments in Sri Lanka. As the elections in Maharashtra have ended, there is no scope for the Sena to gain electorally by raking up the issue. Among the criticism that came following the editorial, Owaisi said wearing a burqa is as much a fundamental right as it is a choice. Taking on him, Raut said, In India, too, there have been terrorist strikes by those who hide their faces behind a veil. Kasab and his associates entered our country wearing a veil. The number of crimes committed by masking face has gone up in India. But leaders like Owaisi have connected people who mask their identity with Islam and demanded action on the Shiv Sena Religious practice does not mean unrestrained behaviour, and no Hindu, Muslim or Christian has the freedom to behave in this manner. Owaisi should understand this, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Its the kind of day Orhan Pamuk would approve of a grey morning with a dull sky, threatening rain. In Istanbul: Memories and the City, his largely autobiographical memoir, Pamuk writes, I have always preferred the winter to summer in Istanbul. I love the early evenings when autumn is slipping into winter, when the leafless trees are trembling in the north wind, and people in black coats and jackets are rushing home through the darkening streets. Pride of place among the displays goes to 4,213 cigarette butts that were smoked by Fusun (Karishma Upadhyay) Theres a sense of melancholy that courses through the winding streets along the remains of the citys ancient walls in the Fatih neighbourhood. Or, maybe, I have been reading too much Pamuk (theres no such thing, though!) before my trip to Istanbul. His books are as grounded in the city of his birth, as were those of Dickens in London, Joyce in Dublin or Naguib Mahfouz in Cairo. In the philosophical thriller My Name is Red he takes us to 16th century Istanbul while in The Museum of Innocence he explored upper class Istanbul of the 1970s and 80s and in whimsical Other Colours: Essays and a Story, he gives us a glimpse of the Istanbul he lives in. Fact meets fiction Born in Istanbul in 1952, Pamuk is the acclaimed author of 13 books, nine of which have been translated into English. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Prize. My recent ramble through this ever-changing city was an attempt to see and understand what fascinates Pamuk about Istanbul. I start in the labyrinth of cobbled lanes in the Fatih district, which used to be Constantinople. Of the neighbourhood, Pamuk wrote in his memoir beauty resides in its crumbling city walls, in the grass, ivy weeds and the trees I remember growing from the towers and the walls these sad, now vanished, ruins that gave Istanbul its soul. An exhibit at The Museum of Innocence where each display corresponds to one of the 83 chapters of the eponymous book (Karishma Upadhyay) This was once home to the citys Greek and Jewish communities but today is predominantly Muslim and ultra conservative. Headscarves are the norm and not wearing one immediately made me stand out as the outsider. The locals couldnt have been nicer. Old women smiled broad toothy smiles seeing me huff and puff up steep climbs and a group of old men sitting outside the neighbourhood teashop left their backgammon game midway to show me the right way to one of the citys often overlooked historical sites the Kariye Muzesi. When in Istanbul, dig into a sweet cream profiterole drowned in chocolate custard (Karishma Upadhyay) The difference between the heart of Fatih, where abandoned wooden buildings sagged against one another for the lack of love and the restored Ottoman houses, prettily painted in pastel colours closer to the Kariye is stark. The walls and ceilings of the Kariye are adorned with iridescent murals depicting the life of Christ. I get an audio guide to help me follow the correct order of the mosaics from the Day of Judgment through to the Resurrection. Look out for the stunning mural in the apse of the Astasis or Resurrection of Christ where he is pulling Adam and Eve out of their tombs. The used book bazaar Sahaflar Carsis is located on the same side of the Bosphorus (Karishma Upadhyay) A short taxi ride away, on the same side of the Bosphorus, is the Sahaflar Carsisi. This used-book bazaar was Pamuks regular haunt in the early 70s when he was studying architecture and was an aspiring painter. A few lanes away from the tourist-magnet that is the Grand Bazaar, a book market that has been a literary hub since the Byzantine ruled these parts. In the courtyard between the Bayezid mosque and the Grand Bazaar, dozens of narrow bookstalls display everything from Turkish textbooks, new fiction bestsellers, holy books and old manuscripts. In the center of the bazaar is a bust of Ibrahim Muteferrika, the first Ottoman printer. I leave the bazaar through another gate that takes me through an even smaller market for old coins. Like Pamuks books, they give me a glimpse into a bygone era of the crossroad of continents. Food for thought I make my way to the banks of the Golden Horn towards the Galata Bridge that historically joined Europe and Asia. Along the banks, I stop to buy a Simit (a chewy, circular Turkish bread topped with sesame, a popular street food, along with roasted chestnuts) slathered with a chocolate hazelnut spread and take in the scene ferries laden with tourists float down the Bosphorus; dozens of fishing rods just past the railing of the bridge; the fishermen smoke, chat and sip tea; and, the fish restaurants under the bridge are packed with hungry patrons. An iridescent mural on the ceiling of Chora Museum (Karishma Upadhyay) On the south side of the Golden Horn, set among the narrow lanes in the Beyoglu neighbourhood is where the yoghurt seller Mevlut in A Strangeness In My Mind sold his wares. It is here that Pamuk unveiled his most ambitious project a multi-media museum inspired by his most famous fictional work The Museum of Innocence. A time capsule of 70s Istanbul, this museum brings to life the ill-fated love story of Kemal and Fusun. In the novel, Kemal is so consumed by the forbidden love for beautiful Fusun, he collects all the objects that belong to her. The real life museum is home to all objects fictional Kemal collected. There are all 4213 of Fusuns cigarette stubs, lipsticks, a girls shoes, cinema tickets, photographs of people long forgotten and, even, a replica of Kemals bedroom in the attic. Curated chronologically according to chapters in the book, the objects are displayed in 83 glass cases on the walls in darkened rooms. By extension, the museum, like the book, invokes a deep sense of sadness and melancholy for a time long gone. My last stop for the day is the famous Inci Patisserie, where Kemal and Fusun meet to make plans for their future. Very little has changed since Inci first introduced profiteroles to Instanbulites in the 1940s. A copy of The Museum of Innocence thats signed by fans from across the world (Karishma Upadhyay) Over a dainty cup of Turkish coffee and a portion of cloyingly sweet cream profiteroles drowned in chocolate custard, I found myself thinking about huzun (a Turkish word for melancholy). In his memoir, Pamuk writes, huzun, which denotes a melancholy that is communal rather than private. Offering no clarity; veiling reality instead, huzun brings us comfort, softening the view like the condensation on a window when a tea kettle has been spouting steam on a winter day. Steamed-up windows make me feel huzun, and I still love getting up and walking over to those windows to trace words on them with my finger. Fans of the Pamuks book The Museum of Innocence carry copies as the ticket in Chapter 83 gives them free entry to the museum (Karishma Upadhyay) As I trace out words and figures on the steamy window, the huzun inside me dissipates, and I can relax; after I have done all my writing and drawings, I can erase it all with the back of my hand and look outside. But the view itself can bring its own huzun. The time has come to move towards a better understanding of this feeling that the city of Istanbul carries as its fate. Authot bio: Karishma Upadhyay is a journalist based in Mumbai who writes about films and travel From HT Brunch, April 28, 2019 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch Sri Lankan Catholics celebrated Sunday Mass in their homes for a second week as churches remain closed amid fears of possible fresh attacks by Islamic extremists. Cardinal Malcom Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, offered a televised Mass from his residence that was attended mostly by priests and nuns. A letter from Pope Francis addressed to him was read out at the end of the service in which the pontiff said he prayed that hearts hardened by hatred may yield to His will for peace and reconciliation among all his children. At St. Anthonys Shrine in Colombo, one of the sites targeted by Easter suicide bombings that killed 257 people, a Mass was celebrated for a small group of children as a means for inner healing. The Rev. Prasad Harshana said before the Mass that prayers will be offered not only for the victims of violence, survivors, Catholics and the country as a whole but also for those suicide bombers and all those people who are involved in it. Because they are also misled by the evil one, we need to pray for the conversion of those people. We pray for the conversion of the hearts of the terrorists, whoever they may be. That is our faith ... we love them all, said Harshana. The coordinated bombings that targeted three churches and three luxury hotels were carried out by a group of Sri Lankan nationals with links to the Islamic State group. Almost all churches remained closed with armed soldiers and police guarding them. Authorities canceled Sunday services after reports emerged that a Catholic church and lay institution could be targeted this weekend. Catholic schools have also been closed until further notice. However, all government schools are to reopen Monday for grade 6 and up. Police have announced they will search the premises of all schools Sunday. On Thursday, the cardinal sent a letter to church officials saying he received foreign information that attempts would be made last week to attack a church and another church institution. The letter later appeared on social media. Ranjith, an outspoken critic of the Sri Lankan governments apparent failure to act on Indian government intelligence ahead of the Easter attacks, said in the letter that he was closing churches and Catholic schools throughout Sri Lanka and canceling public congregations for Mass until further notice. For your own good, we have decided to close down those institutions, he wrote. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday stepped up calls for Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to agree a cross-party deal to leave the European Union, following poor results for both parties in local elections on Thursday. The parties have been in negotiations for over a month to try to broker a Brexit deal that can secure majority support in parliament, after Mays minority government suffered three heavy defeats on her preferred deal this year and was forced to delay Britains departure. To the leader of the opposition I say this: Lets listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Lets do a deal, she wrote in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. Labour responded by saying any deal should be done quickly, but accused May of leaking details of the compromise under discussion and jeopardising the talks. Mays Conservatives lost more than a thousand seats on English local councils that were up for re-election, and Labour - which would typically aim to gain hundreds of seats in a mid-term vote - lost 81. The talks with Labour are a last resort for May, whose partys deep divisions over Brexit have so far stopped her getting approval for an exit agreement and left the worlds fifth largest economy in prolonged political limbo. The Sunday Times reported that the Conservatives would offer new concessions to Labour when talks restart on Tuesday, including a temporary customs union with the EU until a national election due in June 2022. At that point Labour could use their manifesto to argue for a softer Brexit if they wanted to and a new Conservative prime minister could argue for a harder Brexit, a source cited by the Sunday Times said. Labours Corbyn has made a permanent customs union with the EU a condition for supporting Mays Brexit plans, while most Conservatives oppose a customs union as it would stop Britain from reaching its own trade deals with other countries. JEOPARDISED The report on the terms of a possible compromise angered Corbyns senior ally John McDonnell, who oversees the partys finance policy and has been involved in the Brexit talks. Asked if he trusted May, McDonnell said: No, sorry. Not after this weekend when shes blown the confidentiality... I actually think shes jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection. Nevertheless, McDonnell said talks would continue this week and if a deal could still be struck, it must be concluded quickly. Even then, the parliamentary approval - required by law - is not straightforward. A customs union would upset the most pro-Brexit members of the Conservative Party who say it does not honour the terms of the countrys 2016 vote to leave the EU. Eurosceptic lawmaker John Redwood tweeted on Sunday that a cross-party agreement that amounted to staying in the bloc was the last thing we need. On the other side of the Brexit divide, the Observer newspaper reported that scores of Labour lawmakers had written to May and Corbyn to insist on a second Brexit referendum on any deal agreed. Veteran Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, whose new Brexit Party is predicted to make big gains in European Parliament elections this month, said a Conservative-Labour Brexit deal on a customs union would be a coalition of politicians against the people. A temporary customs union would also be likely to raise EU concerns that it could lead to customs checks on the border between euro zone member Ireland and the UK province of Northern Ireland if it later breaks down - something Ireland objects to strongly. The United States condemns Gaza militants rocket attacks on Israel and backs the Jewish states right to self-defense, the State Department said Saturday. Militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which hit back with air strikes that left multiple people dead. The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel. We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self defense against these abhorrent attacks. Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 54F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Showers this evening becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Would my grandfather believe that we achieved so much? He might not. But thats what my uncle and mother gave to me. A strong work ethic will help you accomplish anything you set your mind to. Itll make you do a little better and dream a little bigger, so let that empower you to help others to aspire to learn and do more, she said. The Albanian capital is hosting the International Puppet Theatre Festival, with theatre troupes from 12 countries and regions around the world participating. Puppet theatre troupes from Russia, Brazil, Belgium, UK, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Spain, Italy, Germany, Albania and Kosovo will showcase for one week their original works. The Albanian troupe started the festival with the show Three Pigs on Friday evening. "Our first aim is cultural exchange, to take the world's experiences on how a puppet theater is developed, and to introduce other troupes to Albania," said Erion Isai, director of the Puppet Theater. Shegushe Bebeti, an actress from the Albanian Puppet Theater, said the program of the festival will include a variety of different puppet shows for kids, families, adults, which will help all the troupes not only to gain experiences, but also to learn from each other. From May 3 to 9, children and adults alike will have the opportunity to enjoy the magic of puppet shows at the Puppet Theatre of the capital. German sinologist and writer Petra Haering-Kuan has made a donation to students in poverty-stricken mountainous areas of southwest China's Guizhou Province, one of the last wishes of Chinese-born German sinologist Yu-chien Kuan (1931-2018). This marked her second trip to the inland province after she visited minority villages in Guizhou as well as its famous Huangguoshu Waterfall in 1994. The German sinologist said she was really impressed by the rapid development and changes of Guizhou in 25 years. "I have never imagined the great changes in Guizhou's traffic network. There are wide roads everywhere, many bridges, and bridges that I have barely seen. They are high and long, quite out of my expectation," she said. After her first visit to China in 1975, she traveled to more than half of country, publishing a number of books about Chinese culture as well as her Chinese family. She said she wants to tell Germans what she has seen and heard and build a bridge of mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries. She also said that the development and changes in Guizhou form a microcosm of China's progress. She hopes Germans can gain an understanding about China's development from her visit and writing. Both a writer and a translator, Petra Haering-Kuan will also visit Sichuan, Yunnan and other regions after traveling in Guizhou. She said she hopes to experience the development and local culture of China. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser If you ever want access to 50 Cent's innermost thoughts at any given time, take a look at his Instagram feed at 50 percent zoom. The desktop suite thus becomes a full-scale model of the Hollywood Squares television set, by which the characters occupy multiple boxes at once as if to illustrate 50 Cent's claustrophobic mind during a battle sequence. This image goes onto describe the obsessive nature with which he operates on a weekly basis, or in some respect: the relentless approach he takes on his "targets," in full assurance they won't and can't be saved. This week, two major storylines carried on from the week before. Let me preface this by saying, the whole Teairra Mari angle is really losing its edge. The first order of business for 50 was the continuation of the Young Buck saga. After deliberating on their dynamic for the better part of last week, 50 Cent's antagonism of his former comrade devolved into a battle of the memes, and a one-sided one at that. John Shearer/Getty Images Second, on the itinerary this week was the prolongment of the Randall Emmett scandal, culminating in the producer yielding to his million dollar demands in record time - a fact that was confirmed to the press by a rep claiming ThisIs50 and even the rapper himself, in a since-deleted Instagram post. In all his insolence, 50 Cent felt inclined to drop the matter once Emmett repaid his debt. Interesting enough, money is the same commodity that stokes the very worst in his character. Funny how that work, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, the endearing-version of 50 Cent who once flirted with Vivica A. Fox at the 2013 BET Awards lingers on in the dormant quarters of his mind. But that's just it: Fifty doesn't produce that winsome smile quite as easily in 2019. During the week that was April 26th to the present moment, the Curtis of Old that Vivica enjoyed for a brief moment, remained tucked away all the same. "MR. #METOO" 50 Cent's attempts to recoupe Randall Emmett's debt to him almost came together by accident. In fact, 50 Cent was going about the same mindless exercise that got him tangled up Teairra Mari when Emmett entered the frame. At the heart of their dealings lies a bait-and-switch maneuver 50 has perfected over time. By using a video clip showing his fiancee Lala Kent admitting to "the whole nine yards" on the night they made each other's acquaintance, 50 was able to get a rise out of his would-be opponent. Although less incriminating than sex tape stills used against Teairra, the Emmett ruse worked because: a) the threat of public humiliation, and worse yet, b) the threat of being forced into a position no different than blackmail. https://twitter.com/_/status/1122660224882618368 Consider this, when you're a Hollywood-type with as many skeletons in your closet as someone like Emmett, you pay the ransom and think nothing of it. So, within hours of sending a meme-worthy text message over to his creditor (sorry fofty), Emmett acquiesced to a portion of the $1 million ransom, to a total of $250,000. Fiddy was having none of it. "Keep playing with me and get ya f---ing head cracked in front of everybody," 50 re-iterated, with the knowledge that Randall was in his pocket at this point in time. Surely enough, the posturing worked, because, by week's end, 50's bank account was up another $750,000, as well as a myriad of apologies from a completely emasculated Emmett. "Yo Fif, sorry we had to go through all that craziness this weekend," Emmett typed out. "Glad we are settled up! Wishing you continued success." It's at this point, 50 Cent signaled an end to hostilities with one foe, only to re-open another chapter at the blink of an eye. With 50 Cent snarling at the face of the web traffic he'd generated off of Emmett's tarnished record, it was time to get into his "Judge Dredd" costume for another mallet drop. The following post would be the last time 50 Cent would issue a "general proviso" without anyone by name. Trespassers were to be shot on sight, past this very point. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwkoHpann8g THE EMBELLISHED "BLACK GLOVE" AFFAIR Within minutes, if not seconds of declaring the Randall Emmett beef "dead in the water," 50 Cent was back on his Young Buck offensive. At this juncture, 50 Cent had successfully managed to muddy up the narrative - to the point where the initial crux of their argument was nearly impossible to make out. While that may be so, Young Buck wasn't just throwing counterpunches "at his maker" just for the sake of it. There was some method to his madness. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5xVn4nF2W Young Buck's beef with 50 Cent concerns the restrictive nature of his G-Unit contract. The hostilities got their start when Buck finally spoke out about the lack of progress over the studio album he'd been promised over a year ago. The difference being: this venture would be different than the rest of his middling mixtapes in stature due to Dr. Dre's participation. Unfortunately, that never came to be as promised, drawing the ire of an understandably impatient Buck, resorting to the public eye after 50 Cent took measures to block off all private channels. As a result of 50 Cent's non-compliance, Buck demanded that his contract be rescinded. Of course, Fifty didn't take too kindly to being ordered around from someone he once considered his underling. So instead of re-opening those private channels, 50 Cent loaded the cannon with another round of disparaging remarks about Buck's rumored affair with a transgender woman. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6C_RSH-Pn At the cost of sounding like a broken record, 50 Cent employed this repetitious tactic against his former comrade to the point of oblivion - in other words, the situation had become so hazy that bystanders stopped questioning the logic behind his posts. A large percentage of 50 Cent's audience joined in at a time when Young Buck had already resigned himself to his battle scars. Buck stopped defending himself altogether, opening him up to a dangerous game of information warfare. Not that he should be required to respond every last one of 50 Cent's quips. But the constant barrage did have the effect of skewing public memory in 50's favor. Call it recency bias all you want, the version of Curtis that showed up for battle this go-around is a cut above the common bully - as he displayed the kind of tactical guile against Buck that you'd expect from a legionnaire with a star next to their name. Very positive and good news today. The mother of Philando Castile, an unarmed black man who was shot by the police in the summer of 2016, has donated a total of $8K for graduating seniors attending Robbinsdale Cooper High. The check was sent out to help families clear owing school debt accumulated throughout the school year(s) from unpaid lunch. The $8K order was sent out on behalf of Valerie Castile and initiated via the Philando Castile relief foundation. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images Moreover, the Star Tribune reports the following comment from Valerie Castile: "Most families live paycheck to paycheck, and the last thing they need to be worrying about is how can I pay this debt at the end of the year. Our kids are the future leaders of our country and we need to take care of them in every way possible." Thus far, Robbinsdale Area Schools have more than $300K dollars in student lunch debt, according to Robbinsdale Cooper's principal, Frank Herman. The generous action seems to be more personal than random as Philando Castile was a beloved cafeteria supervisor prior to his death. Precisely, Philando often paid for the lunch of students when he was alive. Hence the foundation's dedication to helping students seems fitting. [Via] $uicideboy$ and Travis Barker look like a perfect match on paper right? Well, they seem to think so too. During a February airing of the Joe Rogan Experience, Barker hinted towards a potential $uicideboy$/Barker by mentioning the duo within a list of his "current collaborators"- among them Smokepurpp and Vic Mensa. https://twitter.com/_/status/1108156947369467904 When Joe Rogan pressed him for more details on the matter, Barker simply came out and said it. "I'm in the studio right now with this group called $uicideboy$ who are awesome, they're from New Orleans," Barker said enthusiastically."We have an EP coming out thatas called Live Fast Die Whenever that we just finished over the weekend, or yesterday.a Bear in mind, this was back in February before $uicideboy$ announced their intentions for a nationwide tour with Denzel Curry, Pouya and Shoreline Mafia among others. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxDPh53Js_N Barker and the New Orleans duo kept silent until about 20 hours ago when they joined in unison to post the Live Fast Die Whenever cover design on their respective Instagram pages. Alongside a cover shot depicting a children's choir of the goth persuasion, Barker and $uicideboy$ revealed the date of May 24th, 2019 as their coming out party. Interesting to note, Barker's announcement comes days after his band's (Blink-182) Instagram page was wiped from the face of the earth. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxDP1i4B2Ac [Via] U.S. legendary investor Warren Buffett has said that while the United States and China are competing in many areas, they should recognize that the best world is one in which they both prosper. In a recorded interview broadcast at a forum on U.S.-China investment in Omaha Friday, Buffett told Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Andy Serwer that he believes Washington and Beijing "will always be competitors ... in business, ideas, and all kinds of ways. "We just have to make sure that competition doesn't get us to a point where we don't realize that the best world is one in which both the United States and China prosper," he said. The 88-year-old business magnate said the United States, China and Russia "all recognize the dangers of letting competition get out of control," adding that countries "can be competitors without being enemies." Asked whether Berkshire Hathaway, the multinational conglomerate of which Buffett is chairman and CEO, would "ever make a big acquisition in China," Buffett said "the answer is we would." Buffett said he knows the laws, the customs, the accounting and the people better in the United States than in other places in the world, which makes it easier for him to make a big acquisition in his home country. "I have to do more work if I'm looking beyond the borders, but I love the idea of doing it," Buffett said. Speaking of the Chinese economy, Buffett said he doesn't worry about the impact globally of slower economic growth in China to the tune of 6 to 6.5 percent a year. "China's going to grow a lot over time. When you think of what's happened since 1949, there's been nothing really like it," he said. "And they really hadn't remotely achieved their potential." Berkshire is holding its annual shareholders' meeting in Buffett's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. The Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil & Vile film premiered last week on Netflix. The movie which stars Zac Efron as the protagonist, tells the tale of the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, mostly through the lens and perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (played by Lily Collins). While the movie brought fans of the original story and psychopath films alike to watch it upon its release, many were surprised to find a lack of gore and blood. After all, Ted Bundy was one of America's most violent criminals hence the latter should be expected, yet to one of the killer's actual surviving victims, the movie is perfect as is. Kathy Kleiner Rubin was viciously attacked and left for dead by Bundy near Florida State University's Chi Omega House in 1978. The survivor told TMZ that the Netflix film is much better without the gore and blood because it is a true tale and not a horror movie. Accordingly, Kathy adds that using your imagination is better in such context or better yet, informing yourself on the actual murder spree which was well documented by the news at the time. In a clip shared by TMZ, Rubin is seen getting extremely emotional as she discusses the lengthy list of Ted Bundy's victims. [Via] While the last entry arrived in November of last year, fans are already looking toward the next opponent of Adonis Creed's in the Creed series of films. Casting has been kept under wraps for Creed III, but Creed II star Wood Harris has already chimed in with his own opinion on just who should enter the ring opposite Michael B. Jordan, noting that Deontay Wilder would be fit for the role. "Adonis needs to fight Deontay Wilder," Harris excitedly told TMZ, adding on a backstory on what Wilder's origins would be as it related to the film. "Mr. T's son," he declared. "Straight up. The Black Bomber, blow. That's going to be dope, though." Soon enough, TMZ follows up by asking Harris if this spans beyond a theoretical scenario, but he indulges us no more. "I don't know, man. Don't try to get the exclusive," says Wood. This isn't the first time that we've heard this one, though. Previously, Wilder voiced his desire to break into the acting world, specifically hoping to play the offspring of the fictional fighter Clubber Lang, portrayed by Mr. T in Rocky III. Michael B. Jordan would later co-sign the idea with the outlet, adding that he thinks it's not such a bad idea. Recently, the Wu-Tang Clan found themselves on the receiving end of a high honor in their hometown after the group's name was designated to a district in NYC's Staten Island. The ceremony commemorating the honor took place on Friday, May 4th at the intersection of Targee Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, officially renamed to Wu-Tang District, immortalizing the legendary crew. "The Wu-Tang Clan District is a celebration of their inspiration to the world and a celebration of their home, Shaolin," tweeted out Debi Rose, a New York City Council Member and representative of Staten Island's North Shore. "The Wu-Tang Clan turned their experiences growing up here into something that now resonates with people all over the world, with young people who live in urban settings, young people whose neighborhoods are underserved, young people who face economic and social challenges." https://twitter.com/_/status/1124737446527287296 Ghostface Killah spoke at the unveiling of the street sign as fans gathered in the rain to celebrate Wu-Tang. "I never saw this day coming," he said. "I knew we were some ill MCs, but I didn't know that it'd take it this far." The moment arrives ahead of the set's Gods Of Rap tour run, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal Enter The Wu (36 Chambers) debut album. They'll kick things off on May 10th in London before running through the summer alongside Public Enemy and De La Soul. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxDtWrOln7P https://www.instagram.com/p/BxDwPoCH1Of https://www.instagram.com/p/BxFujmjFSjy When President Donald Trump spoke at the International Union of Operating Engineers Training and Education Center in Crosby on April 10, the crowd was invite-only. State representative Briscoe Cain, whose area includes Crosby, was asked to find local residents to invite. Scott Stephens, a Crosby resident, had gotten to know Cain from working with him on a bill over the past few years. He was invited along with his wife. Stephens was asked to invite other Crosby residents, and he invited Dan and Jen Meaux, owners of Crosby business Crawfish Shack. All four were among the selective crowd in the room where Trump spoke about his executive orders aimed at expediting growth in the energy industry. RELATED: Trump's visit brings large crowd to Crosby Dan remembers the excitement in the crowd in anticipation of the presidents arrival. Scott was stationed in the back of the back of the room, so he got to welcome several top state officials, state senators and representatives, such as Texas Land Commissioner George Prescott Bush, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott to Crosby and show them to their seats. The room was relatively small, so Scott estimated that, although he was in the back, he was probably only about 70 feet from the president. Melody was stationed near the front; he estimated about 15 feet from the president. The Meauxs were even closer. I am a Trump fan, but the opportunity to be 5 feet away from any U.S. president is an incredible experience, so it was very exciting, Dan said. RELATED: Crosby residents revel in opportunity to see Trump's executive order from backyard Scott had met former presidents, Bush Jr. and Senior before but had never met a sitting president. So many people were showing up and telling me about what was going on in Crosby, Scott said. I got to the building at noon, so none of that was going on when I got there. I was wanting to be two places at once to see what my friends and neighbors were doing up and down (FM) 2100 and, yet, I wouldnt have given up my place to be in that building for anything. While he was fully realizing the amazement and significance of being in the same room as the president, Dan was also keenly interested in what Trump was saying. Its great for jobs for Texas as well as Louisiana because the more pipelines that get opened up and run, means more distribution, which means more drilling and more production, which is better for the economy, especially in the South that has lots of oil and gas exploration, he said. elliott.lapin@hearst.com The Asian Development Bank (ADB) should uphold multilateralism and foster a development environment in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun said on Saturday. Speaking at the business session of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank's Board of Governors which is being held in Nadi, the third largest city of Fiji, Liu said that ADB should uphold multilateralism and foster an enabling development environment for the prosperity of Asia and the Pacific. "At present, one of the major risks that threatens the endeavor of international development is the skepticism about multilateralism and departure from the spirit of cooperation. We would like ADB to act as a multilateral platform to coordinate and spur all parties to strengthen international development cooperation and jointly foster an enabling development environment for the prosperity of the Asia and the Pacific region," Liu said. Liu encouraged ADB to formulate differentiated assistance strategies according to the specific development situation of its developing members, saying that ADB should seek for the common interests of all parties, expedite the reform of global and regional economic governance, as well as promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and help accelerate the process of regional integration. The development practice and historical experience in Asia and the Pacific region have shown that the development and prosperity of regional economy depend on cooperation and mutual support of all parties, Liu said, adding that the theme of this year's meeting "Prosperity through Unity" which reflects the world's development trend, responds to the call for building a community with a shared future for mankind and aligns with the global governance view of "consultation and contribution for shared benefits". Over the past 50 years, ADB has made great contribution to poverty reduction and development in Asia and the Pacific. Last year, ADB formulated Strategy 2030, which sets out its medium and long-term development roadmap and operational priorities and enables ADB to better fulfill its mission and serve for the prosperity of Asia and the Pacific region. The Chinese minister hoped that ADB should implement Strategy 2030 to lay a solid development foundation and promote innovative development to help sustain the driver of prosperity of Asia and the Pacific region. China welcomes ADB to support regional cooperation as it has always been doing, and strengthen the synergy between regional cooperation programs and initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to promote the benefits of connectivity, he said. Describing ADB as a significant platform for all parties to cooperate, build consensus, mobilize resources and tackle challenges, Liu said that China stands ready to work with all parties to support the development cause of Asia and the Pacific region as what China has been doing. "We will continuously deepen the all-round cooperation with ADB and make contribution to the inclusive and sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region and the world," he added. The five-day ADB's 52nd annual meeting has attracted finance ministers, central bank governors, government officials, private sector representatives, development partners and media from the Asia-Pacific region. Olivier Douliery/TNS WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, setting up another confrontation with Democrats over presidential authority and the separation of powers. On Twitter, he argued that Muellers report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, which found no conspiracy between Moscow and Trumps campaign but did not exonerate the president on possible obstruction of justice, was conclusive and that Congress and the American people did not need to hear from Mueller. Bob Mueller should not testify, he said. No redos for the Dems! More domestic airlines are launching new flights connecting less-densely populated smaller Chinese cities, and those areas are seeing more remarkable growth in air traffic than major cities. Last year, the airports of Quanzhou in Fujian province, Nantong, Changzhou and Xuzhou in Jiangsu province, Jieyang in Guangdong province and Yichang in Hubei province saw their annual passenger throughput reach 2.5 million, a jump of more than 30 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. In 2018, passenger throughput growth of major cities' airports was less than 10 percent year-on-year, while the growth rates of a number of third - and fourth-tier cities' airports were higher than 20 percent, the data showed. "It's key for carriers to seize good flight times. Many domestic airlines would like to launch flights to major cities like Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou, but flight times available in first - and second-tier cities are quite tight," said Li Xiaojin, a professor of aviation economics at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin. "Instead, by launching new flights at smaller cities, airlines may be able to realize net profits after two to three years of operations. In the beginning stage, there are usually some favorable policies in price and services. In the next few years, the flight times available at those smaller airports may become precious, as well," he said. Shanghai-based Chinese budget carrier Spring Airlines has established three strategic bases since 2017. They are the airports in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, Ningbo, Zhejiang province, and Shantou, Guangdong province, in addition to its main hub airports in Shanghai. Without much competition from major State-owned airlines, Spring has achieved significant room for growth of launching more flights. In summer and fall flying seasons of last year, about three quarters of Spring's flights departed from third-tier cities. Spring has a promising prospect, driven by the growing passenger demand from smaller cities, according to a research report of Changjiang Securities. "We also focus on developing other markets besides Shanghai, by following strategies of differentiated competition, and to further tap the huge demand emerged from potential markets," said Zhang Wu'an, vice-president and spokesman for Spring Airlines. "For domestic flights, the newly added flight times at first-tier airports were quite scarce last year, and the scale expansion of second-tier airports was slowing down. Facing the bottlenecks of capacity increase, we need to build a more diverse and tridimensional flight network and hub structure," he said. In the meantime, Shandong province in East China will spend 430 million yuan ($64 million) this year to support the infrastructure building and service improvement of its airports in Jinan, Dongying, Yantai, Weifang, Jining, Weihai, Linyi and Rizhao, according to Shandong Province Finance Bureau. Particularly, the local government said it will spend 4.8 million yuan to subsidize small and medium-sized airports - with annual passenger throughput of less than 2 million - to alleviate their operational and financial pressures. "Since 2015, the local government has accumulatively provided 210 million yuan to support operations of Yantai airport, and its passenger throughput has expanded by 25 percent annually," the local government said in a statement. Lucy Willingham stood in the crowd wearing her Boot-Edge-Edge shirt, a nod to the difficulty of pronouncing presidential candidate Pete Buttigiegs last name. Her sister Cory Willingham wore a Buttigieg 2020 shirt. It was the first political fundraising event for both. The sisters have always voted, but the last presidential election spurred them toward more ardent political action. They described Buttigieg, a Democrat, as intelligent and levelheaded. Hes the first politician who really grabs me and gets me excited, said Lucy Willingham, 42, of River Oaks. A crowd of people turned out to hear the 37-year-old candidate speak Saturday at the Chapman and Kirby restaurant in east downtown. His speech hit on a wide variety of topics, such as assisting young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. by their parents, creating a health care system that doesnt deter people from quitting corporate jobs to start new businesses, defeating white nationalism, enabling more people to vote and taking a broader view of security. We owe it to ourselves and those who are coming after to have a bigger vision about security, he said. To know that climate security is security. That election security is security. That cybersecurity, which a brick wall isnt going to do anything about, is just as important when it comes to securing our democracy. Buttigieg is in a crowded field, with more than 20 Democrats vying for president. These include prominent contenders such as former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, former vice president Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. A Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and graduate of Harvard University, Buttigieg is in his eighth and final year as mayor of South Bend, Ind. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve and took an unpaid seven-month leave during his mayoral term to deploy to Afghanistan. He lives in South Bend with his husband Chasten and two rescue dogs, Truman and Buddy. There are some who think that the idea of a millennial Midwestern mayor becoming president of the United States is a little bit exotic, he told the crowd. Im pretty sure that one of the reasons nobody really said anything to take me down a peg the first few weeks I was in this race is that they just kind of thought I was adorable. But Im proud to report to you that, with your help, he continued, this campaign has gone from adorable to formidable. The young upstart has gained traction, raising more than $7 million in the first quarter of this year. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, now president and CEO of the Victory Fund and Victory Institute thats dedicated to elevating openly LGBTQ leaders at all levels of government, introduced Buttigieg to the crowd on Saturday. She praised his experience as a mayor. There is no better executive training you could have anywhere, she said. You are with your constituents all the time. You walk into the grocery store, you walk through the park, youre pumping gas, and someone will come up to you. Many Houstonians were eager to learn more about him on Saturday. We want whoever will beat Trump, said Jac Brennan, 67 of Eastwood. We just want the most electable person. Brennan and her husband James May, 69, campaigned for ORourke when he was battling Cruz for senator. They opened their house to volunteers who canvassed and made calls on ORourkes behalf. But they havent yet committed to ORourke for president. Theyre looking at all the candidates to see who best fits their positions on topics including a more welcoming immigration policy, more affordable and accessible health care, stricter gun control, campaign finance reform and stronger reproductive rights for women. They came to the event already liking how Buttigieg articulates his stance on a wide variety of topics. He proved this again on Saturday. He mentioned his positions on just about every big issue, which is exactly what people needed to hear, she said. I thought he did a really good job at getting the crowd excited and making them glad they were there. I was very glad I was there. The Willingham sisters also like the way Buttigieg expresses his opinions. They like his stances on immigration and the environment, and they appreciate that Buttigieg is a veteran. Thinking about the future of her nearly 4-year-old daughter Ellie, Cory Willingham likes that hes young. That Buttigieg wants to build a future in which both he and Ellie will live in for many years. They walked away from the event happy, planning to campaign on Buttigiegs behalf. Hes still the guy, Cory Willingham said. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com Twitter.com/andrearumbaugh San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and challenger Greg Brockhouse made their final cases to voters in a televised debate Thursday night, hewing to their now-familiar refrains and offering voters two opposing visions. Nirenberg touted a humming economy and declining crime rate while pitching his plan to guide San Antonio into the future. Brockhouse railed against that plan and pledged a back-to-basics government that would bridge what he called the gap between City Hall and neighborhoods. Thursdays debate, sponsored by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and hosted by KLRN-TV, was the last before voters decide Saturday which candidate they want to helm the city for the next two years. On ExpressNews.com: Nirenberg predicts cathartic victory in San Antonio mayors race after campaign embroiled in Chick-fil-A debate Voters will also select council members and school board officials Saturday, and residents in smaller Bexar County cities will make decisions for their respective city councils as well. In the three months since Brockhouse announced his bid, emerging as Nirenbergs only prominent challenger, the race has grown tighter than most veteran political observers had expected. Host Jim Forsyth asked the candidates pointed questions about their respective campaigns, beginning with an inquiry into Nirenbergs climate change plan aspiring for carbon neutrality by 2050. He asked if San Antonio could genuinely have an impact on global climate. The climate action strategy in the city of San Antonio is a recognition that climate change is real, that its happening and that we need to be prepared for its effects going forward into the future, Nirenberg said. Puro Politics podcast: Tensions flare as election night nears The mayor reiterated that the plan, which has drawn criticism from the business community, is aspirational in nature and doesnt include mandates or regulations. But Brockhouse said that justification was misleading. He argued the plan, if approved, would inevitably take shape in more concrete policies. Im sorry Ron, you cant sit there and say this is a set of aspirational goals, Brockhouse said. The truth is it will result in spending and ordinances and laws in our city. On ExpressNews.com: To pull off mayoral upset, Brockhouse will have to overcome domestic violence reports Forsyth then asked Brockhouse why the business community wasnt rallying around his candidacy. At the end of the day, the only person Im beholden to are the residents of San Antonio, Brockhouse said. And I think the business community recognizes that I have a plan but that plan comes from the residents. Nirenberg used the opportunity to showcase San Antonios booming economy. Later, he said Brockhouses lack of business support showed hes relying on shadow campaigns from the public safety unions that previously employed him. Now theyre bank-rolling his campaign, Nirenberg said. He is not raising support from average members of the community, from neighbors, from business leaders. Hes running a campaign bank-rolled entirely by our public safety unions. Thats a point the mayor has constantly made on the campaign trail, calling Brockhouse a puppet for police and firefighters unions. Its a characterization Brockhouse says is ridiculous. The police union has spent more than $180,000 from Feb. 9 to March 25, but its unclear how much has benefited Brockhouse because the union also is supporting other council candidates. For its part, the fire union has said its foregoing council races to concentrate exclusively on electing Brockhouse as mayor. It spent $38,359 in that same span and had firefighters campaigning for him at most early voting polling sites. Nirenberg also hit Brockhouse for taking more than $460,000 as a consultant for the unions before winning his council seat. But Brockhouse has repeatedly said that amount doesnt reflect the expenses he incurred for that work. He said he wrote off as much as 95 percent of that amount on tax returns for advertisements, hiring contractors and other expenses. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio City Council rejects Brockhouses effort to reconsider Chick-fil-A contract The two candidates also sparred about some of the major themes in the race, including mass transit, property taxes and a controversial decision to remove Chick-fil-A from an airport concession contract. The mayor has sought to frame the latter issue in business terms, arguing the fast food chain is closed on Sundays, which leaves airport customers on those days with one less option in a limited space. This vote was not taken for religious purposes, Nirenberg said. This was a vote quite simply on the economics of our airport. But Brockhouse, who like many conservatives sees the vote as an infringement on religious freedom, again rebuffed that argument. He pointed to comments made by council members that day regarding the companys legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior for donating to organizations opposed to same-sex marriage and homosexuality. Go watch the video tape... The record speaks for itself, Ron, Brockhouse said. People care about it. You know why people care about it? San Antonio is a city of faith, folks. On ExpressNews.com: Brockhouse told debate moderators he would leave if they asked about domestic violence police reports While the Chick-fil-A vote has embroiled Nirenbergs campaign, the issue that has clouded Brockhouses bid went undiscussed. Forsyth did not ask about police reports from 2006 and 2009 in which an ex-wife and his current wife accused the councilman of domestic violence. Brockhouse was not arrested or charged in either incident and has denied wrongdoing. After the debate, Chamber of Commerce president Richard Perez said they didnt feel the allegations of domestic violence were a business issue. In closing, the candidates said they offered what they have since the campaign began: two opposing options. I think we provided you with a clear choice, Nirenberg said, and Brockhouse called it a stark difference. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics in San Antonio. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinness You are here: Business China Southern Airlines (China Southern) is expected to open a Beijing-London direct air route starting from a new airport in Beijing, according to the airline Sunday. The regular Beijing-London direct flight service will start this September from the Beijing Daxing International Airport with seven round trip flights per week, according to China Southern. Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing's second major civil airport, will start operation this September. It is built to meet the country's surging air service demand and relieve Beijing Capital International Airport from tight flight pressure. China Southern has a fleet of 840 aircraft. In 2018, it served 139 million passengers. This flight season, it provides 167 international routes to 77 destinations. Drill baby, drill? Not so fastand thank goodness. The Trump Administration has put on hold indefinitely plans to vastly expand offshore drilling by opening up billions of acres of water for oil-and-gas leases in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, in two seas in the Arctic, off the southern coast of California and, for the first time, up and down the East Coast in the Atlantic Ocean. The pause is good news for the environment, of course, but its also a win for the rule of law and for democracy, too. On a more parochial level, the news also ensures that for now the Gulf Coast near the Houston-Galveston region will retain its status as the primary nexus of activity for the industry. Given the synergies with the rest of the energy industry, thats a good thing, too. Late last month, in his first interview since being confirmed, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal the offshoring drilling expansion would be postponed indefinitely because of a federal judges ruling that President Trump had exceeded his authority. An appeal, he said, would take years and while it lasted, any leases would have to be sold under a pending legal cloud. Thats bad news for the companies, some of them based in Texas, who would likely have wanted to bid on those leases. Offshore drilling has fallen off in recent years as oil and gas producers have swarmed to on-shore deposits made newly available by the fracking revolution. Many in the offshore industry, which meets in Houston next week for the 50th annual Offshore Technology Conference, had counted on the newly expanded areas to give the industry a boost. But communities up and down the Atlantic had recoiled at the prospect, and some states including New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Florida had actively sought to either stop the new rules or carve out exemptions. I support offshore drilling, Georgias Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told the Savannah Morning News Jan. 31. I just dont think we need to be doing it off the coast of Georgia. Republican lawmakers in California and in Florida, including both U.S. senators, had opposed offshore drilling off the coast of their states, too. That the Trump administration has put the program on hold is a win for democracy. But the decision by U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason in Alaska is a triumph for the rule of law, too. Trump, who has relished the power of his pen to undo regulations across the federal government, counted the expansion of offshore drilling as another promise kept when he announced his decision in 2017. But the powers of the presidency are not unlimited. They are either set out in the Constitution or, as in most areas, granted to the presidency by Congress. When Congress grants powers to the presidency, it usually imposes limits on their exercise, a fact Trump seems to forget. In his final weeks in office, President Barack Obama permanently banned offshore drilling in large parts of the Arctic and in areas up and down the East Coast. He cited the extreme damage oil spills such as the one caused in 2010 by the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf can do, and how difficult it is, especially in the Arctic and other sensitive areas, to undo that damage. Obama had the power to do so because Congress had granted it to the presidency in 1953 through the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The law empowered federal officials, not state leaders, to regulate how companies can extract natural resources in coastal waters beginning three miles from shore. Trump moved to undo the Obama decision with a stroke of his own pen. But he overlooked the plain fact that the statute doesnt give the president authority to add waters to the program, only to exempt them. Thankfully, Judge Gleason was able to remind him and block the administrations reckless expansion. This is a story whose ending wont come for months or perhaps years. The United States will still move forward with a leasing program, and may well seek other ways to expand its reach into waters previously shielded from drilling. The administration is likely to appeal Gleasons ruling. But for now, we can count the ruling and the administrations reluctant acknowledgment of its authority as victories. More than two years into the Trump era, well take what we can get. The Houston-Galveston area produces 4.5 million pounds of solid trash every single year. Individually, Houstonians throw away around eight pounds of garbage every single day. And when all that trash does not get disposed of properly, an overwhelming amount of it inevitably ends up in one of our communitys most valuable natural resources Galveston Bay. As the population in the area grows, so does the amount of waste, making it increasingly difficult to capture an accurate snapshot of Galveston Bays trash problem. The Galveston Bay Foundation hosts year-round volunteer-based cleanups, but we want to reinforce to citizens that it is important to be vigilant and thoughtful about how and where we dispose of our waste in order to reduce. Unintentional waste is also something to be mindful of and is classified as land-based trash. This accounts for 80 percent of trash that is found in waterways and includes items that fall out of trucks, papers that fly away or unsecured garbage receptacles. Collectively, the city of Houston spends about $21 million on trash and litter, but only $2.5 million of that budget is dedicated to trash prevention. Cleanup projects such as our Trash Bash and others through the Galveston Bay Action Network are vital to keeping the community clean. These events are reactionary, but it is time to practice a proactive approach to prevent litter and trash in our area. So, how can we tackle the trash? Galveston Bay Foundation, along with regional partners, are advocating for more information to be collected in order to address the underlying cause of the Houston trash problem. But, we need residents to help combat the problem as well. First, reduce. The Galveston Bay Report Card provides various ways individuals can ensure a healthy bay. One is to decrease your daily use of plastic bottles, plastic bags and straws. The EPA estimates that about 13 percent of municipal waste is made of plastic, posing a serious threat to our wildlife and our bay. Next, report. We ask that you use Galveston Bay Foundations Galveston Bay Action Network app available for free download through Apple and Google Play stores to report any pollution you see in your community. Pollution reports transmit immediately to the proper authorities, ensuring the fastest possible cleanup. Finally, respond. The health of Galveston Bay is everyones responsibility. Make it yours by securing your trash and picking up litter when you see it, even if its not your own. You can also volunteer with us at clean-up events throughout the year. Recently, we hosted one of the 16 sites in the annual Rivers, Lakes, Bays and Bayous Trash Bash event. Founded in 1994 by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Texas Commission of Environmental Quality and funded by the Texas Conservation Fund, this one-day event provides the opportunity for the community to clean up the waterways that contribute to Galveston Bay. At Armand Bayou, more than 400 volunteers cleaned up 9,000 nearly pounds of trash and recyclables. Little has been done to understand and quantify the waterway trash problem in the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The annual Galveston Bay Report Card, funded by the Houston Endowment, is a citizen-driven, scientific analysis of the health of Galveston Bay. This year, the Litter and Trash indicator was given an Incomplete. While litter and trash are widely identified as serious problems for Galveston Bay and its tributaries, there is no systematic way to monitor this kind of pollution reduction. Galveston Bay Foundation, along with the Houston Advanced Research Center, will continue to update the grades every August to keep communities educated and informed. And we encourage everyone to be part of our mission to act as guardians of the bay and ensure it remains a healthy and productive resource for generations to come. Thompson is the Report Card Coordinator with the Galveston Bay Foundation. 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. 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. You are here: China The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration issued an alert Saturday for mountain torrents in a vast part of the country. From Saturday night to Sunday night, areas in the southern provinces of Hunan and Guangdong and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are likely to receive mountain torrents. Southwestern China's Yunnan province and Tibet Autonomous Region and the northwestern provinces of Gansu and Qinghai were also warned of such a natural disaster occurring. Northwestern Guangdong and eastern Guangxi have a high possibility of mountain torrents. To guard against disasters, the agencies told local authorities to step up real-time monitoring and flood warnings and stand ready for evacuation. A tree-planting activity was held today in Gaobeidian, a town in eastern Beijing, at the site of its China Water Valley ecological project. The aim was to raise public awareness that "clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets" and to put this idea into practice. About 800 people, comprising officials from Beijing Drainage Group, Gaobeidian Town and Banbidian Village, villagers and students took part. The China Water Valley ecological project is located at the junction of Beijing's functional core area and the subsidiary administrative center. With the advancement of the construction of the sub-center, the upgrading of the landscape along the line has become an important task. The reclaimed water wetland park currently under construction covers around 1,000 acres, with the Tonghui River as the dividing line, and spreads out gradually from the East Fourth Ring Road to the East Fifth Ring along Guangqu Road. China Water Valley is the first phase of the construction of Gaobeidian's ecological water town project. Jointly built by the People's Government of Gaobeidian Town, Banbidian Village and Beijing Drainage Group, it is the only large-scale wetland park in Asia using reclaimed water as the sole water source. It is the tribute project set up by the city's Chaoyang District to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It also represents an effort by Banbidian Village to promote the construction of a beautiful countryside. The project aims to create a wetland park integrating landscape, ecology, technology, and urban public space. The water is produced by Gaobeidian Reclaimed Water Plant, largest in the world. After a series of bio-natural purification processes in the valley, the water is restored to its natural ecological state. China Water Valley covers an area of 638,000 square meters, with a green area of 388,000 square meters and wetland water surface area of 160,000 square meters, accounting for 60.8% and 25% of the area respectively. The overall aim of the ecological project is to promote the sustainable development of the local economy. With the completion of the construction of the ecological water township in Gaobeidian Town, people along Guangqu Road will be able to enjoy both the natural beauty of the countryside and the conveniences of modern living. Imperial Valley News Center Former District of Columbia Attorney Found Guilty of $2 Million Investment Fraud Scheme Washington, DC - A former attorney who perpetrated a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme, was convicted Monday by a jury in the District of Columbia, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Departments Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia. Brynee Baylor was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and five counts of first-degree fraud under District of Columbia law. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Baylor, a former partner in the D.C. law firm of Baylor & Jackson PLLC, conspired with a Pennsylvania man and his company, known as the Milan Group, to recruit investors to a purported trading program. Investors were promised extremely large profits in a short time with little or no risk. The evidence presented at trial showed that in 2010 and 2011, Baylor caused more than $2 million of investor funds to pass through the Baylor & Jackson lawyer trust account. More than half of the investor funds were used for the benefit of Baylor, the Pennsylvania man, the Milan Group, and Baylor & Jackson. Baylor falsely assured investors that the purported trading program was legitimate and had little if any risk. Baylor also falsely told investors that she had personally observed investors successfully complete transactions with the Milan Group. In reality, the Milan Group did not complete any such transactions and did not return any of the investors money. In 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Baylor and others for fraud in connection with the purported trading program. Sentencing is not yet scheduled. Baylor faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 20 years in prison for the securities fraud count, and 10 years in prison for each of the first-degree fraud counts. Baylor will also face a term of supervised release and monetary penalties. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Liu thanked the SEC for its invaluable assistance and commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan and Eric Powers of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case. Imperial Valley News Center Three Germans Who Allegedly Operated Dark Web Marketplace with Over 1 Million Users Face U.S. Narcotics and Money Laundering Charges Los Angeles, California - Following a nearly two-year international investigation involving U.S. law enforcement and authorities in Germany and the Netherlands, federal prosecutors have charged three German nationals with being the administrators of Wall Street Market (WSM), which was one of the worlds largest dark web marketplaces that allowed vendors to sell a wide variety of contraband, including an array of illegal narcotics, counterfeit goods and malicious computer hacking software. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Francisco Division, Chief Don Fort of IRS Criminal Investigation, Inspector in Charge Michael Ray of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Acting Executive Associate Director Alysa D. Erichs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. A criminal complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleges that the three defendants, who currently are in custody in Germany, were the administrators of WSM, a sophisticated online marketplace available in six languages that allowed approximately 5,400 vendors to sell illegal goods to about 1.15 million customers around the world. Like other dark web marketplaces previously shut down by authorities Silk Road and AlphaBay, for example WSM functioned like a conventional e-commerce website, but it was a hidden service located beyond the reach of traditional internet browsers on the Tor network, a service designed to conceal user identities. For nearly three years, WSM allegedly was operated on the dark web by the three men who now face charges in both the United States and Germany. An exit scam was allegedly conducted last month when the WSM administrators took all of the virtual currency held in marketplace escrow and user accounts believed by investigators to be approximately $11 million and then diverted the money to their own accounts. Exit scams are common among large darknet marketplaces, which typically hold money in escrow while a vendor delivers illicit goods. The three defendants charged in the United States were arrested in Germany on April 23 and 24. They are: A 23-year-old resident of Kleve, Germany; A 31-year-old resident of Wurzburg, Germany; and A 29-year-old resident of Stuttgart, Germany. A fourth defendant linked to Wall Street Market was charged yesterday in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California. Marcos Paulo De Oliveira-Annibale, 29, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, also faces federal drug distribution and money laundering charges for allegedly acting as a moderator who, among other things, mediated disputes between vendors and their customers. Annibale, who used the online monikers MED3LIN, also acted as a public relations representative for WSM by, among others things, promoting WSM on websites such as Reddit, according to the complaint. The case naming Annibale was unsealed today when Brazilian authorities executed a search warrant at his residence. Just as international law-enforcement partners began dismantling Wall Street Market and taking action against its members, as alleged in the complaint, the sites administrators decided to steal their customers money via an exit scam, said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski. This operation sends a crystal-clear message: dark markets offer no safe haven. The arrest and prosecution of the criminals who allegedly ran this darknet marketplace is a great example of our partnership with law enforcement authorities in Europe, with the support of Europol, and demonstrates what we can do when we stand together. We continue to keep pace with sophisticated actors on the dark web by increasing our technical abilities and working even more closely with our international law enforcement partners, said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna. While they lurk in the deepest corners of the internet, this case shows that we can hunt down these criminals wherever they hide. We are on the hunt for even the tiniest of breadcrumbs to identify criminals on the dark web, said U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott. The prosecution of these defendants shows that even the smallest mistake will allow us to figure out a cybercriminals true identity. As with defendant Marcos Annibale, forum posts and pictures of him online from years ago allowed us to connect the dots between him and his online persona Med3l1n. No matter where they live, we will investigate and prosecute criminals who create, maintain, and promote dark web marketplaces to sell illegal drugs and other contraband. The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles outlines how the defendants operated a sophisticated online marketplace that offered encrypted communications between buyers and sellers, as well as an online forum to discuss vendors and the quality of their wares. The affidavit also describes an international investigation that was able to identify the three administrators of WSM, show how they previously operated another German-based darknet marketplace that shut down in 2016, and link them to computer servers in Germany and the Netherlands that were used to operate WSM and process virtual currency transactions. The three defendants allegedly created WSM, maintained the website, and operated the marketplace to ensure that buyers could access vendor pages and that financial transactions were properly processed. The investigation outlined in the complaint affidavit linked the three defendants to WSM in a number of ways, including their access to the WSM computer infrastructure. One defendant, for example, used virtual private networks to access WSM computers, but when a VPN connection would fail, his IP was revealed and authorities were able to identify his specific location. The three defendants charged in the Central District of California were arrested in Germany after the WSM administrators conducted an exit scam in the wake of WSM recently becoming regarded as the worlds pre-eminent dark web marketplace and gaining a significant influx of new vendors and users, according to the affidavit. On April 16, vendors realized they could not collect the virtual funds that had been placed in escrow by their customers, which prompted German authorities to execute a series of arrest and search warrants. The complaint affidavit identifies several cases that have been filed in the United States against WSM vendors. One darknet vendor who advertised on WSM is currently serving a 12-year federal prison sentence after being convicted in the Western District of Wisconsin for distributing a fentanyl analogue resulting in the overdose death of a Florida resident who ordered a nasal spray laced with the powerful opioid from the vendor. Two of the top vendors on WSM identified by the online monikers Platinum45 and Ladyskywalker were based in the Los Angeles area and were major drug distributors. One vender, Ladyskywalker, operated on several darknet marketplaces, where the individual advertised and sold opioids such as fentanyl, oxycodone and hydrocodone. The second top vendor who used the moniker Platinum45 and operated on at least two darknet marketplaces, including WSM advertised and sold drugs such as methamphetamine, Adderall and oxycodone to customers in the United States and around the world, including in Germany and Australia. Platinum45 also manufactured Adderall tablets and advertised the sale of up to 1 kilogram quantities of methamphetamine on WSM. Investigators from many countries overcame the national, legal and diplomatic challenges to hold accountable sophisticated actors who operated one of the largest known encrypted marketplaces in the shadowy environment of the Darknet, said Assistant Director Paul Delacourt of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. This case is an example of successful global collaboration among law enforcement entities who share the many challenges of prosecuting transnational criminal activity conducted by individuals who operate anonymously across borders. The dark web marketplace, Wall Street Market, was one of the largest operating hosts for vendors peddling illegal wares, said DEA San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen. Law enforcement is always adapting to changes in technology and this case sends a clear message to those breaking the law and attempting to hide behind the illusion of anonymity we will identify and find you. The success of this case is due to the excellent cooperation between law enforcement agencies from around the globe who delivered another blow to criminal networks operating in the underground cyberspace. Anyone who thinks the dark web is a safe place to conduct illegal commerce should know they are not anonymous, said Inspector in Charge Michael Ray. They will be found and they will be brought to justice. The Postal Inspection Service has a highly trained, skilled and committed cyber unit that works tirelessly with other law enforcement agencies to disrupt marketplaces and stop vendors from using the U.S. mail to ship illegal goods and dangerous drugs. Taking down this site is a huge win for past and future victims of crimes perpetrated due to the proliferation of illegal products and services being sold, said Chief Don Fort of IRS Criminal Investigation. We are committed to using our unique financial investigative abilities to tackle these kinds of threats head on to protect citizens, to promote cyber security and to inform the global community. HSI and our partners are at the forefront of combating narcotics trafficking, financial crimes and illicit activities purveyed by online black markets, said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Alysa D. Erichs. While criminal operators may continue to grow the reach of their businesses through these dark web marketplaces, ultimately they do not escape the reach of law enforcement. We continue to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle hidden illegal networks that pose a threat in cyberspace. The charges against the three WSM administrators were announced today in conjunction with authorities in Germany and the Netherlands. The U.S. case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI, and was supported and coordinated by the Department of Justices multi-agency Special Operations Division (SOD). The case in the United States is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan White and Puneet Kakkar of the Central District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Rabenn of the Eastern District of California, Justice Department Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Justice Department Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section. The Department thanks its law enforcement colleagues at the German Federal Criminal Police (the Bundeskriminalamt), the German Public Prosecutors Office in Frankfurt, the Dutch National Police (Politie), the Netherlands National Prosecutors Office, Federal Police of Brazil (Policia Federal), Europol and Eurojust. Significant assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Program. Imperial Valley News Center Political Consultant and Attorney Sentenced After Conviction in Two Campaign Finance Schemes Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A long-time Philadelphia-area political consultant and attorney was sentenced Friday for his role in two criminal schemes to violate federal campaign finance laws announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Kenneth Smukler, 57, of Villanova, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release by the Honorable Jan E. DuBois. In the 2012 Democratic primary election for Pennsylvanias First Congressional District, Jimmie Moore, a former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge, ran against the incumbent Congressman Bob Brady. Assisted and directed by Smukler, Moore executed a corrupt deal in which he agreed to withdraw from the race in exchange for funds from the Bob Brady for Congress campaign (the Brady campaign) to be used to pay off Moores campaign debts. Those debts included money that Jimmie Moore for Congress (the Moore campaign) owed to several vendors, to Moore himself and to Moores campaign manager, Carolyn Cavaness. On Feb. 29, 2012, Moore withdrew from the race and Cavaness had prepared a list of debts owed by the Moore campaign, which they provided to Smukler, a campaign consultant for the Brady campaign. Smukler arranged for the Moore campaign to receive $90,000 from the Brady campaign through false documents and a series of concealing pass-throughs, including the consulting firm of another Brady associate and co-conspirator, D.A. Jones. Smukler ensured that the Brady campaign reported none of the concealed payments, which exceeded the federal contribution limits, to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Rather, he executed the scheme by ensuring that the three installments were falsely and illegally disguised from the FEC and the public as payments for poll and consulting services. Later, during the 2014 Democratic primary election for Pennsylvanias Thirteenth Congressional District, Smukler again committed federal campaign finance offenses, this time for the benefit of another client, Marjorie Margolies, a former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Smukler, a veteran of prior Margolies political campaigns, ran the Margolies campaign in 2014. In April 2014, during a close primary race, the Margolies campaign was running out of money that it could legally spend in the primary. Smukler then caused the Margolies campaign to illegally spend general election funds in his attempt to win the primary election for his client. He further lied about his illegal spending to the campaigns lawyer. That lawyer, in turn, unwittingly reported Smuklers lies to the FEC in response to a complaint filed by another candidate. Additionally, Smukler caused excessive campaign contributions and illegal conduit contributions to the Margolies campaign, all of which were hidden or disguised from the campaigns FEC filings. When political operatives like Kenneth Smukler engage in hidden illegal campaign finance schemes, they undermine the integrity of the electoral process, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. This is a just sentence that reflects the seriousness of these crimes. In order to win at all costs, Smukler knowingly and purposefully undermined our democratic process by misusing campaign funds and lying about it, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. My Office will continue to prosecute public corruption wherever and whenever we uncover it. Now Smukler is headed to jail, and I am grateful that the Court imposed a just sentence reinforcing the fact that this kind of corruption will never be tolerated. On Dec. 3, 2018, a jury found Smukler guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of excessive campaign contributions, two counts of false statements, two counts of conduit contributions, one count of willfully causing a false statement to the FEC and one count of obstruction of justice. Former Public Integrity Section Trial Attorney Jonathan I. Kravis and the FBI investigated the case. Richard C. Pilger, Director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Public Integrity Section, Trial Attorney Rebecca Moses of the Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Gibson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. Imperial Valley News Center Convicted Felon Sentenced To 80 Months In Prison For Possessing An Assault Rifle And Ammunition Oakland, California - Cardelle Divon Peter was sentenced to 80 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a felony, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down Tuesday by the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, United States District Judge. Peter, 23, of Pittsburg, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charge on January 8, 2019. According to his plea agreement, on January 6, 2018, Peter, a convicted felon, possessed a Smith and Wesson .223 caliber AR-15 style semi-automatic assault rifle with a 30-round high capacity magazine. The rifle was loaded with approximately seven rounds of ammunition. Peter also possessed a box containing an additional 62 rounds of ammunition for a separate firearm. According to court documents, law enforcement officers arrested Peter after someone placed a call to 911 and told the dispatcher that a person was threatening the occupants of a house with a rifle. On September 13, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Peter charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1). Peter pleaded guilty to the charge. In addition to the prison term, Judge White ordered Peter to serve a three-year term of supervised release to begin at the conclusion of his prison term. Peter has been in custody since his arrest and will begin serving his prison term immediately. Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Schott is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Rodriguez Gonzalez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Richmond Police Department. Los Angeles County Public Official and Contractor Who Paid Him Bribes Agree to Plead Guilty to Federal Bribery Los Angeles, California - A public official in Los Angeles Countys Internal Services Department and the electrical contractor from whom he accepted nearly $300,000 in bribes have both agreed to plead guilty to bribery and tax charges. In a plea agreement filed this morning, the county official Mohammad R. Tirmazi, 50, of Alta Loma agreed to plead guilty to accepting bribes and subscribing to a false 2016 tax return in which he failed to report $192,800 in income, including approximately $137,400 in bribe payments. In a second plea agreement filed this morning, the contractor Enrique Contreras, 38, of Palmdale agreed to plead guilty to paying bribes and subscribing to a false 2015 tax return in which he failed to report $281,422 in income. According to court documents, from 2014 to 2016, Tirmazi accepted a total of nearly $300,000 in bribe payments from Contreras, the owner of a low voltage electrical wiring company, Tel-Pro Voice & Data, Inc., that performed work for the County. In exchange for the bribes, Tirmazi approved change orders requested by Contreras for, among other things, work that did not occur and materials that were not used on County projects. Tirmazi also admits in his plea agreement that he did not report, or force Contreras to correct, violations of the Countys Building and Safety Code or the National Electrical Code that Tirmazi uncovered during inspections of Tel-Pros work. Some of those violations related to asbestos removal and Tel-Pros failure to properly install cables. In his plea agreement, Tirmazi admits that he generally considered Tel-Pros work to be shoddy, but he overlooked its poor work because of the bribes he received from Contreras. Corrupt public officials and powerful people who pay bribes pose a threat to our institutions and, as we see in this case, also can threaten public safety, said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. Bringing these criminals to justice will help restore trust in our civic institutions. Public officials who accept bribes abdicate their responsibilities at the expense of the public theyre paid to serve, said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. The FBI is committed to investigating unscrupulous individuals whose criminal behavior erodes trust in our municipal departments. Tirmazi formed a company called TEQ Solutions, LLC as a way to conceal bribe payments from Contreras, court filings state. Contreras, who bribed Tirmazi with cash and gifts, also paid Tirmazi with checks made payable to TEQ Solutions that were disguised to look like payment for legitimate services rendered. Because TEQ Solutions did no work for Contreras or Tel-Pro, the checks were nothing more than bribes. Tirmazis plea agreement further states that, to hide his ownership of TEQ Solutions, Tirmazi used a third party to file the business paperwork and open a bank account. To lower TEQ Solutions taxable income, and thus keep more of the bribe money he received, Tirmazi issued sham IRS Form 1099s to make it appear as though other individuals had received income from TEQ Solutions for work legitimately performed. In his plea agreement, Tirmazi admits that he failed to report on his tax returns for years 2014 to 2016 a total of $355,107 of income he received from bribe payments and a side business selling IT equipment. Contreras, in his plea agreement, admits that he failed to report a total of $636,454 of income he received from 2013 to 2017 as a result of his improper deduction of bribe payments and other personal expenses. Investigating contractor fraud schemes is like peeling back the layers of a rotten onion: Each new layer reveals another public official and/or contractor who is profiting from these illicit schemes, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner for IRS Criminal Investigation in Los Angeles. We must stop this corrupt conduct, which leads to the unfair awarding of lucrative contracts and a clear violation of the federal tax laws. As part of their plea agreements, both Tirmazi and Contreras have agreed to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation. In his plea agreement, Contreras admits to bribing two County officialsTirmazi and Thomas J. Shepos, 69, of Palmdale, a public official formerly employed by the County in the Real Estate Division. Shepos pleaded guilty in November 2018 to accepting bribes and is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner on November 18, 2019. From approximately 2013 to 2016, Contreras made cash payments to Shepos, totaling approximately $200,000 to $300,000, in exchange for Shepos providing non-public County information to Contreras and helping Contreras secure County contracts. As part of his plea agreement, Shepos also agreed to cooperate with the ongoing federal investigation. One of the individuals from whom Shepos admitting receiving bribes was real estate developer Arman Gabaee, 58, of Beverly Hills. Gabaee was arrested and subsequently indicted on federal bribery charges last year. His trial is currently scheduled for September 10 before United States District Judge George H. Wu. Tirmazi and Contreras will be summonsed to appear for arraignments in United States District Court in the coming weeks. Once they enter their respective guilty pleas, each man will face a statutory maximum sentence of 13 years in federal prison. The cases against Tirmazi and Contreras are part of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth C. Pinkel and Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. Federal Jury Finds Sacramento Loan Officers Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Latino Community Sacramento, California - After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Jaime Mayorga, 40, and Ruben Rodriguez, 42, both of Sacramento, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. U.S. Attorney Scott stated: Mayorga and Rodriguez took advantage of members of the Latino community who hoped to become homeowners and manipulated the real estate process for personal gain. As so often occurs in these cases, the result was losses to the financial institutions and neighborhoods burdened with foreclosed properties. We are grateful for the diligence and professionalism of the FBI in investigating this case. On July 14, 2011, Mayorga, Rodriguez, and five others were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants, including Mayorga and Rodriguez, worked for Delta Homes & Lending, a Sacramento-based real estate and mortgage lending company that falsified home loan applications to obtain mortgage loans for borrowers, many of whom did not and could not qualify for a loan without the lies submitted by Delta employees. Mayorga and Rodriguez were real estate agents and loan officers. The now defunct Delta Homes was founded by co-defendant Moctezuma Mo Tovar, 49, of Sacramento. According to court documents, Delta opened one office in 2003 and eventually had multiple offices in Sacramento, with additional branch offices in Woodland, Yuba City, and Southern California. Rodriguez and Mayorga both started working at the original Delta office on Enterprise Drive in Sacramento. Later, they both moved to a branch on Franklin Boulevard, and Rodriguez went on to work at other Delta branches, including a large branch office located on Howe Avenue. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Delta targeted the Latino community with advertisements in Spanish that heralded the companys ability to obtain home loans for borrowers who otherwise would not qualify for a mortgage. In addition to advertisements in which Delta claimed to be Hispanics Serving Hispanics, Delta employees solicited clients at flea markets and by going door-to-door through the community. In order to obtain mortgages, the defendants falsified information on loan applications regarding the clients income, occupation, and personal savings. Straw buyers were sometimes used when the true borrower did not have a sufficient credit score to qualify. The defendants also deposited money into borrowers bank accounts to meet the lenders requirement that the borrower have money on hand, taking the money back after acquiring the verification of deposited funds that the lenders also required. The evidence at trial showed that the defendants fraud was also personally lucrative. During the investigation, Rodriguez estimated that in 2006 alone, he earned more than $400,000. Similarly, Mayorga told agents that although he earned a salary when he started at Delta, he shifted to commission-based compensation and then earned between 50 and 85 % of the brokerage fees. Mayorga stated that he earned more than $500,000 in 2005. The aggregate sale price of the homes involved in the conspiracy was in excess of $10 million, and as a result of the conspiracy, mortgage lenders and others suffered losses of at least $4 million. Co-defendants Tovar, Manuel Herrera, 39, of Davis; Sandra Hermosillo, 57, of Woodland; and Jun Michael Dirain, 46, of Antelope, all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Christian Parada-Renteria, 43, of Woodland, pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing felonies related to the wire fraud conspiracy. Rodriguez and Mayorga are scheduled to be sentenced on August 6 by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. The court has not yet set a sentencing date for Tovar, Herrera, Hermosillo, and Dirain. Parada-Renteria was sentenced to serve one year in prison. Each of the defendants faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Justin L. Lee are prosecuting the case. Federal Grand Jury Indicts Alleged Robbery Crew in Well-Planned Jewelry Heists Los Angeles, California - A federal grand jury last week indicted five members of a robbery crew who allegedly committed sophisticated heists by following wholesale jewelers and bank customers sometimes for days and then robbing them, netting the thieves more than $1 million worth of jewelry and tens of thousands of dollars in cash over the past 18 months. The five defendants, who all are in federal custody after being arrested earlier this month, each are charged with participating in a conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. They are: Federico Santiago Quiroz Lucca, 51, of Los Angeles, the alleged ringleader of the scheme; Roberto Melendez Falcon, 51, of Los Angeles; Roberto Alonso Castellanos, 48, of Pomona; Jose Oscar Cupitre Nunez, 47, of Australia; and Jose Manuel Lopez Molina, 45, of Colombia. Lucca and Nunez are also charged in a second count with interference with commerce by robbery. According to an affidavit previously filed in this case, from October 2017 until April 2019, the defendants surveilled and conspired to rob a series of jewelry salespeople and bank customers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the San Francisco Bay Area and Denver. Lucca allegedly led and organized the crews activities, enlisting help from several Colombian nationals who traveled to Los Angeles to participate in the conspiracy and robberies. The various heists described in court documents followed a similar pattern: a member of the crew known as a scout identified a victim who was likely to be carrying jewelry or cash. The victims typically were jewelers conducting business at jewelry stores or malls in Orange County, the Jewelry District in downtown Los Angeles, or at various trade shows, the affidavit states. The scout followed the victim, who often was carrying large amounts of jewelry or cash, and would wait for an opportunity when the scout and co-conspirators could rob the jeweler. The co-conspirators followed victims to locations such as gas stations and hotels, where the defendants allegedly used a ruse, such as puncturing a car tire, and then posed as a Good Samaritan, or simply used force, to rob the victims. For example, on February 8, 2018, Lucca allegedly spent four hours following a traveling jewelry salesman making rounds on behalf of his employer to jewelry stores in Orange County. As the victim returned to his car after stopping in Cypress, he was violently pushed from behind, falling into his car door, and his bag containing approximately $400,000 in jewelry was stolen, court papers state. In a January 2019 incident, a couple who operated a jewelry business in Connecticut was participating in a jewelry show at the Los Angeles Convention Center, when a man wearing a yellow and orange safety vest asked to help them pack up their belongings. According to an affidavit filed in this case, the man in the safety vest ended up pushing their large cart with all their belongings including a bag containing approximately $400,000 in jewelry and the bag was later discovered to be missing. Evidence subsequently developed by investigators determined that the robbery crew had tracked the victims for days. Earlier this month, Lucca, Nunez, and Molina were arrested in Northern California after they allegedly surveilled various locations, including jewelry stores, a residence, and the Santa Clara Convention Center, where a jewelry show was scheduled to occur, according to court documents. Castellanos was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 12, and Falcon was arrested on April 13 in Los Angeles. All five defendants are scheduled to be arraigned in United States District Court in Los Angeles on May 3. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted in this case, defendants Lucca and Nunez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison, and the other defendants would face statutory maximum sentences of 20 years in prison. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is receiving substantial assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Joshua O. Mausner of the Violent and Organized Crime Section. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday morning praised his latest call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying there is "tremendous potential" for U.S.-Russia ties. "Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia," Trump tweeted. "Tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia, despite what you read and see in the Fake News Media." "Look how they have misled you on 'Russia Collusion.' The World can be a better and safer place. Nice!" Trump added. Trump tweeted on Friday that he has had a "very productive" talk with Putin on "trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the 'Russian Hoax.'" White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders also told reporters that Trump and Putin had spoken for more than an hour. For its part, the Kremlin said on the same day that Putin and Trump had also discussed the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Putin informed Trump of the main results of his meeting with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un last week, saying that Pyongyang's "good-faith fulfillment of its commitments" should be accompanied by reciprocal steps to reduce the sanctions pressure on the DPRK. Insulation Contractor Executive Pleads Guilty To Antitrust and Fraud Charges Bridgeport, Connecticut - Michael S. Flynn, executive and co-owner of an insulation contractor, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Bridgeport, for his role in multiple schemes to rig bids in violation of the antitrust laws and to engage in criminal fraud on insulation contracts, marking the second conviction in this ongoing investigation, the Department of Justice announced. According to court documents, from October 2011 and continuing until March 2018, Flynn, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, conspired with other insulation contractors to rig bids and engage in fraud on contracts for installing insulation around pipes and ducts on construction projects at universities, hospitals, and other public and private entities in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. The conspirators discussed prices and agreed on bids that inflated prices to their customers by at least 10%. In order to conceal their actions, the conspirators perpetrated the bid-rigging and fraud schemes using burner phones and an encrypted disappearing messaging app. Todays guilty plea is the second relating to a $45 million scheme to cheat New England schools, hospitals, and other businesses by agreeing to fix prices on insulation contracts in violation of the antitrust laws, said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justices Antitrust Division. As this prosecution shows, the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, including the FBI and DCIS, will use every available resource to detect and bring to justice individuals who attempt to hide their criminal conduct by using high-tech encryption apps, burner phones, or any other means. This defendant profited handsomely by colluding with other insulation contractors and inflating bids on $45 million worth of insulation jobs, said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham for the District of Connecticut. The scheme victimized hospitals, universities and businesses throughout New England. I thank the FBI, DCIS, and the Antitrust Division for their ongoing efforts to bring the perpetrators of this brazen scheme to justice. Based on the great work of joint law enforcement efforts, the judicial system has clearly confirmed that crimes of deceit and fraud against hard working members of our communities will not go unpunished, said Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of FBIs New Haven Field Office. Ensuring the integrity of the U.S. Department of Defenses (DoD) procurement process is a top priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), stated Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. Bid-rigging and fraud schemes, such as the ones in this case, can cause serious economic damage to the DoDs resources, which ultimately harms the American taxpayer and the U.S. military. Todays guilty plea is the direct result of a joint effort and demonstrates the DCIS commitment to work with the FBI, the Antitrust Division, and the U.S. Attorneys Office to investigate and prosecute individuals and companies that engage in fraudulent activity impacting the DoD. The antitrust charge announced today carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for individuals. The fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The fines for the antitrust and fraud conspiracy charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. In addition to his guilty plea, Flynn has agreed to pay restitution to the victims and to resolve civil forfeiture cases connected to the criminal charges. Flynn agreed to settle the pending forfeiture action on his home for $327,500 and to forfeit all of his seized bank accounts. The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Divisions New York Office, the United States Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut, the FBIs New Haven Division, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Two Men Charged in Insurance Investment Fraud Scheme that Caused Hundreds of Millions in Victim Losses Charlotte, North Carolina - Two former executives were charged in an indictment unsealed Thursday for their alleged participation in an insurance investment scheme that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in victim losses. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Troy A. Sowers of the FBIs Knoxville Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement. Andrew Scherr, 50, of Livingston, New Jersey, and Robert McGraw, 41, of Long Island City, New York, who were both executives with Southport Lane, L.P. (Southport), a New York private equity investment holding company specializing in managing investment portfolios for insurance companies, were each charged in an indictment filed in the Northern District of Texas with one count of conspiracy to commit crimes by or affecting persons engaged in the business of insurance, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and five counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. McGraw appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold of the Eastern District of New York. According to the indictment unsealed today, Scherr and McGraw diverted hundreds of millions of dollars from insurance companies investment portfolios, leaving several companies unable to pay their policyholder claims, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who defraud investors, especially those who target companies that rely on those investments to live up to the promises made to their policyholders. Disrupting this corrupt scheme demonstrates the FBIs commitment to aggressively pursue those engaged in acts of financial fraud, said Special Agent in Charge Troy A. Sowers. We commend our partner agencies essential to the investigation and prosecution of those who undermine the publics trust. The indictment alleges that Scherr, McGraw and their co-conspirators defrauded insurance companies by causing them to exchange cash and other liquid, valuable assets for illiquid and fraudulently overvalued securities created by the defendants and their co-conspirators. As alleged in the indictment, Scherr, McGraw and their co-conspirators perpetrated the scheme, in part, by acquiring insurance companies and acting as an investment advisor for insurance companies, thereby gaining access to the management of the investment portfolios of victim insurance companies. Scherr, McGraw and their co-conspirators allegedly used Southport and affiliated entities to create fraudulently overvalued securities and replace assets held by victim insurance companies with these fraudulently overvalued and illiquid securities. The indictment further alleges that as a result of the scheme, victim insurance companies have collectively suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was investigated by the FBIs Knoxville Field Office and the IRS-CIs Charlotte Field Office. Deputy Chief Brian Kidd and Trial Attorneys Danny Nguyen and Caitlin Cottingham of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Andrew Tyler assisted in the investigation of the case. The Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the Securities and Exchange Commission also provided assistance in the investigation of this matter. The Fraud Section plays a pivotal role in the Department of Justices fight against white collar crime around the country. Service of John Doe Summonses Seeking Information About Finnish Residents Using Bank of America, Charles Schwab, and TD Bank Payment Cards Charlotte, North Carolina - A federal court in North Carolina authorized the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to serve John Doe summonses on Bank of America, Charles Schwab, and TD Bank in an order that was unsealed yesterday, the Justice Department announced. The John Doe summonses seek information about persons residing in Finland that have Bank of America, Charles Schwab, or TD Bank payment cards linked to bank accounts located outside of Finland. The summonses are referred to as John Doe summonses because the IRS does not know the identity of the persons being investigated. The Department of Justice and the IRS are committed to working with the United States international treaty partners to identify and stop individuals using hidden offshore accounts to evade tax laws, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Departments Tax Division. The United States does not tolerate offshore tax evasion, nor does it sanction tax evasion committed through U.S. financial institutions. Our continued success in combatting offshore tax noncompliance has been helped by the assistance we receive through the network of tax treaties around the globe, said IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. Yesterdays effort reflects that the U.S. will return this help by working under the law with tax administrators in other nations to help them in their fight against tax evasion and avoidance. A global economy should not be allowed to serve as a possible vehicle for tax evasion in any country. The United States petitioned the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina to authorize the summons at the request of the government of Finland under the tax treaty between Finland and the United States. That treaty allows the two countries to cooperate in exchanging information that is necessary for carrying out each countrys tax laws. The IRS summons seeks the identities of Finnish residents who have payment cards linked to bank accounts located outside of Finland so that the Finnish government can determine if those persons have complied with Finnish tax laws. Finland has advised the IRS that, in circumstances where the payment cards are used only at ATMs or in other transactions where authorization is by PIN code, and the cardholder need not identify himself or herself to the merchant, the cardholders cannot be identified from sources in Finland. The filing does not allege that Bank of America, Charles Schwab, or TD Bank violated any U.S. or Finnish laws with respect to these accounts. As described in the petition and supporting documents filed by the United States, the request is part of a foreign payment project being conducted by the Finnish Tax Administration (FTA), in which information on the use of payment cards issued by foreign financial institutions is used to identify noncompliant Finnish taxpayers. Earlier FTA investigations of approximately 120 to 150 Finnish taxpayers who used foreign payment cards in a similar manner have yielded extremely high rates of tax non-compliance, as noted in the United States memo in support of the petition, which indicates that it is likely that the John Does sought by the summons are Finnish residents who are failing to report these foreign accounts and associated income. The court order in this case authorizing this enforcement action is part of ongoing international efforts by the United States and its treaty partners to stop persons from using foreign financial accounts to evade taxes. Courts have previously approved John Doe summonses allowing the IRS to identify individuals using offshore accounts to evade their U.S. obligations, and have also approved John Doe summonses to be used to identify individuals using U.S. financial institutions or accounts to evade foreign tax obligations. Jordanian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Bring Aliens into the United States San Antonio, Texas - Moayad Heider Mohammad Aldairi, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and a related charge for his role in a scheme to smuggle Yemeni aliens through Mexico to the United States. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John F. Bash of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Shane M. Folden of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio made the announcement. According to the plea agreement, during the second half of 2017, Aldairi conspired with others to smuggle at least six Yemeni nationals across the Texas border and into the United States in exchange for a fee. Aldairi admitted his role in transporting the aliens from Monterrey, Mexico to Piedras Negras where he directed them to cross the Rio Grande River into the United States. Aldairi provided construction hard hats and reflective vests to some of the aliens in an effort to enable them to blend in after crossing. Aldairi will be sentenced by the Honorable Alia Moses at a later date. When Mohammad Aldairi illegally smuggled multiple Yemeni aliens across our southwest border, he put the security of the United States in peril, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The Department of Justice cannot and will not tolerate such threats to our national security. The Criminal Division remains dedicated to prosecuting alien smugglers, especially criminals like Aldairi who attempt to sneak aliens from countries of interest into the United States. Border security is national security. We simply cannot have an immigration system that allows people from all over the world to enter this country without detection, said U.S. Attorney Bash. We must know the identity of every person setting foot on U.S. soil, however they enter. "This investigation is a great example of how Homeland Security Investigations uses its worldwide resources, foreign and interagency partnerships to bring international criminals to justice in the United States, said Special Agent in Charge Folden. Mohammad Aldairi was a key facilitator and smuggler of Yemeni nationals; the illicit pathway he created into the U.S. is now dismantled. This case is a perfect example of collaboration between different government agencies, making each individual agency more effective than it would be on its own, said Chief Patrol Agent Raul Ortiz the Del Rio Sector. The U.S. Border Patrol relies on cooperation with our law enforcement partners to secure our nations borders and to protect the communities we live in. This case is being investigated by HSI Eagle Pass, with assistance from HSI New York, HSI Monterrey, HSI Jordan, the U.S. Embassy of Jordan, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and FBI San Antonio. The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Departments Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney James Hepburn of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Watters of the Western District of Texas. Green Energy Fraudster Convicted at Trial for Scamming Multiple Federal Agencies and his Customers Reading, Pennsylvania - Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justices Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and United States Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal jury in Reading, Pennsylvania, convicted David M. Dunham Jr. of the following crimes: conspiracy to commit wire fraud and defraud the United States; wire fraud; filing false tax documents; and obstruction of justice. The conviction stemmed from Dunham hatching and executing a scheme to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, and his customers to obtain renewable fuel credits in his green energy business. The government is also seeking forfeiture of approximately $1.7 million in fraudulently obtained revenue and several parcels of real estate. The trial lasted four weeks before United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl. In Dunhams green energy scam, he fraudulently applied for, received, and sold credits for selling renewable biofuels that he, in fact, did not sell and, in many instances, had never possessed in the first place. He obtained these credits from government agencies, which resulted in Dunham obtaining $50 million in fraudulent revenue. Dunham ran the scam from approximately 2010 to 2015, using his business, Smarter Fuels, and that of his co-defendant, Ralph Tomasso, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud federal programs. Todays conviction sends a clear message to any future fraudsters out there: crime does not pay. Especially when that crime involves defrauding American customers and multiple federal agencies, said Assistant Attorney General Clark. When the defendant knowingly cheated a federal government program aimed at energy conservation, he gave himself an unfair advantage over his competitors and stole millions of dollars from the American taxpayer in the process. The Department of Justice will not tolerate this type of deception and will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to root out this unlawful conduct. Though this defendant tried to deflect blame on others, his years of scamming the government and his customers has finally caught up to him, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. And the truth is as simple as this: Everyone has to follow the rules. You cannot lie, steal, or cover up your misdeeds. If you do, we will hold you accountable. Experience shows that fraudsters like Dunham are always looking for the next best scam. As American consumers become increasingly more concerned with energy conservation, green energy scams like the one in this case provide criminals with an easy angle. We are grateful that the jury saw through Dunhams lies and reached the correct result. David Dunham created an elaborate scheme that served no purpose other than to mislead and defraud the government, said IRS Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. Unfortunately for him, our special agents were able to track the movement of paperwork and uncover the deceit behind his actions. We, along with our fellow law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, will continue to investigate and prosecute those who commit similar crimes. The defendant made numerous fraudulent claims to illegally profit from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program, said Director Jessica Taylor, Director of EPAs Criminal Investigation Division. Todays conviction should send a clear signal that EPA and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the integrity of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. We appreciate the commitment of the Department of Justice and the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners throughout this significant investigation, said USDA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins. Mr. Dunhams conviction at trial sends a strong message regarding the benefit of working across agency lines to protect the integrity of Government programs like the USDA Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, established in the 2008 Farm Bill as an incentive for companies to produce and use alternative fuel sources. The USDA Office of Inspector General will continue to dedicate resources to protect the Departments programs and assets by investigating those who commit fraud and compromise the integrity of USDA programs. The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agencys Criminal Investigation Division, the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation Division, and the United States Department of Agricultures Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney John Gallagher. Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Espionage Washington, DC - A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) case officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to communicate, deliver and transmit national defense information to the Peoples Republic of China. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director for Counterintelligence John Brown of the FBI and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBIs Washington Field Office made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. According to court documents, Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 54, left the CIA in 2007 and began residing in Hong Kong. In April 2010, two Chinese intelligence officers (IOs) approached Lee and offered to pay him for national defense information he had acquired as a CIA case officer. The IOs also told Lee they had prepared for him a gift of $100,000 cash, and they offered to take care of him for life in exchange for his cooperation. Beginning sometime in May 2010 and continuing into at least 2011, Lee received requests for information, or taskings, from the Chinese IOs. The majority of the taskings asked Lee to reveal sensitive information about the CIA, including national defense information. On May 14, 2010, Lee made or caused to be made a cash deposit of $138,000 HKD (approximately $17,468 in USD) into his personal bank account in Hong Kong. This would be the first of hundreds of thousands of dollars (USD equivalent) in cash deposits Lee made or caused to be made into his personal HSBC account from May 2010 through December 2013. This is the third case in less than a year in which a former US intelligence officer has pled or been found guilty of conspiring with Chinese intelligence services to pass them national defense information, said Assistant Attorney General Demers. Every one of these cases is a tragic betrayal of country and colleagues. The National Security Division will continue to prosecute individuals like Lee who abuse their former access to classified information for financial gain while threatening the security of America. Many thanks to the agents, analysts and prosecutors whose work led to todays outcome. Those Americans entrusted with our governments most closely held secrets have a tremendous responsibility to safeguard that information, said U.S. Attorney Terwilliger. Instead of embracing that responsibility and honoring his commitment to not disclose national defense information, Lee sold out his country, conspired to become a spy for a foreign government, and then repeatedly lied to investigators about his conduct. This prosecution should serve as a warning to others who would compromise our nations secrets and betray our countrys trust. My thanks to the prosecutors, agents and our intelligence community partners for their terrific work on this important case. Today, Mr. Lee accepts responsibility not only for his crimes but also for their dangerous ramifications said Assistant Director Brown. By knowingly aiding a foreign government, Mr. Lee put our countrys national security at serious risk and also threatened the safety and personal security of innocent people, namely his former intelligence colleagues. He deserves to answer for his treachery and he will do so as a result of the dedication of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division, the Washington Field Office, and the Department of Justice in pursuing this case. Today's guilty plea is an example of how the FBI and the Department of Justice successfully pursue threats to our nation's security and intelligence, said Assistant Director McNamara. U.S. Government employees are entrusted by the American people to keep our country safe and secure from adversaries. The targeting of former U.S. security clearance holders by Chinese intelligence services is a constant threat we face, and the FBI will continue to combat these threats and guard our nation against those who conspire to compromise our national security. I would like to thank the hardworking people of the FBI who work each day to defend our security and intelligence. On May 26, 2010, Lee created on his laptop computer a document that described, among other things, certain locations to which the CIA would assign officers with certain identified experience, as well as the particular location and timeframe of a sensitive CIA operation. After Lee created this document, he transferred it from his laptop to a thumb drive. The document included national defense information of the United States that was classified at the Secret level. In August 2012, the FBI conducted a court-authorized search of a hotel room in Honolulu, Hawaii registered in Lees name. The search revealed that Lee possessed the thumb drive within his personal luggage. The FBI forensically imaged the thumb drive and later located the document in the unallocated space of the thumb drive, meaning that it had been deleted. The search also revealed that Lee possessed a day planner and an address book that contained handwritten notes made by Lee that related to his work as a CIA case officer prior to 2004. These notes included, among other things, intelligence provided by CIA assets, true names of assets, operational meeting locations and phone numbers, and information about covert facilities. During 2012, Lee had a series of interviews with the CIA. Throughout these interviews, in response to questions about what the IOs had wanted from him, Lee intentionally failed to disclose that he had received taskings from them. In May 2013, the FBI conducted three interviews with Lee. During one of those interviews, Lee admitted that he had received taskings but stated that he had not kept the written requests because they would tend to incriminate him. The FBI interviewers also confronted Lee with the sensitive document discovered on the thumb drive. Lee falsely denied that he possessed it, claimed not to know who created it, and denied knowing why it would have been on his computer. He also denied deleting the document. Approximately one week later, in another FBI interview, Lee admitted that he created the document in response to two taskings from the IOs and transferred it to a thumb drive. He also said he thought about giving it to the IOs but never did. In a January 2018 interview with the FBI, Lee falsely denied that he ever kept any work-related notes at home. When shown a photocopy of the front covers of the day planner and address book described above, as well as a copy of his handwriting therein, Lee falsely denied that he possessed the notebooks while transiting through Hawaii in August 2012. Lee also falsely denied that either of the books contained notes from asset meetings but conceded that any such notes would be classified. Further, Lee falsely denied that he ever put the sensitive document on a thumb drive, notwithstanding the fact that he had admitted having done so when interviewed by FBI agents in May 2013. Finally, Lee also falsely told the interviewing agents that in drafting this document he was writing down things more [like] a diary thing, notwithstanding the fact that in May 2013 he had told FBI agents that he had created the document in response to two taskings from the Chinese IOs. Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deliver national defense information to aid a foreign government and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Aug. 23, 2019. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Hammerstrom and Trial Attorneys Patrick T. Murphy and Adam L. Small of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Inayat Delawala. U.S. Officials Participate in Bilateral Meetings with Officials from Japan, South Korea Washington, DC - Leaders of the antitrust agencies of the United States this past week participated in bilateral meetings in Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, Korea. Deputy Assistant Attorneys General Roger Alford and Richard Powers, together with Commissioner Christine S. Wilson of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, participated in high level meetings with Chairman Kazuyuki Sugimoto and other senior officials from the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) on April 25 and senior officials from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) on April 26. Commissioner Wilson met separately with officials from Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry regarding technology and digital platforms. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including recent enforcement developments, antitrust policy, digital markets, and international cooperation, including the new Framework on Competition Agency Procedures (CAP) adopted by the International Competition Network (ICN) earlier this month. The purpose of the meetings was to reinforce ties of cooperation in light of the increasing internationalization of antitrust enforcement. These bilateral meetings are a testament to the depth and strength of our relationships with our global partners, and our joint interest in sound antitrust said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Roger Alford. Given the importance of our economic ties with Japan and Korea and our shared interests in consumer welfare and robust competition, we are incredibly fortunate to have such close and productive relationships with both the JFTC and the KFTC. Our meetings with the JFTC and KFTC reflect the continued importance of developing broad and deep relationship with antitrust enforcers around the world, said Commissioner Christine Wilson. We welcome the opportunity to have exchanges with our counterpart agencies in Japan and Korea on important issues regarding technology that are the subject of national and international debate. Deputy Assistant Attorneys General Alford and Powers and Commissioner Wilson also participated in roundtable briefings at the American Chambers of Commerce in Japan and in Korea. Deputy Assistant Attorneys General Alford and Powers also met separately with officials from Koreas Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors Office regarding cartel enforcement. Luke Perry was buried in an eco-friendly suit made from mushrooms, his daughter has revealed. In March, it was reported the Riverdale star had died at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke. The actor, who rose to fame while starring in Beverly Hills, 90210 in the 1990s, was reportedly surrounded by his close friends and family when he passed away. His daughter, Sophie Perry, has revealed her father specifically asked to be buried in a biodegradable suit made from mushrooms. The 18-year-old shared a photograph on Instagram of a growth of mushrooms in a Californian woodland, explaining the reason behind Perry's request. "Any explanation I give will not do justice to the genius that is the mushroom burial suit, but it is essentially an eco-friendly burial option via mushrooms," the teenager wrote. "My dad discovered it, and was more excited by this than I have ever seen him. He was buried in this suit, one of his final wishes." Recommended Luke Perry final Riverdale episode to air two months after death In the Instagram caption, Sophie Perry advised for her followers to visit the website for Coeio, a "green burial" company. The firm's "Infinity Burial Suit", which costs $1,500 (1,138), is made from natural, biodegradable material and "cleanses the body and soil of toxins that would otherwise seep into the environment", the company states. Coeio vows to plant two trees for every suit sold. "Now, mushrooms hold an entirely new meaning for me," Sophie Perry wrote on Instagram. The suit was created more than a decade ago by Jae Rhim Lee, founder and CEO of Coeio. Environment news in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Environment news in pictures Environment news in pictures Davos 2019: David Attenborough issues stark warning about future of civilisation as he demands practical solutions to combat climate change Sir David Attenborough has issued a stark warning about climate change to business figures gathered in Davos, telling them that "what we do now...will profoundly affect the next few thousand years". On the eve of this year's World Economic Forum, the renowned naturalist told the audience that the worlds of business and politics should "get on with the practical solutions" needed to prevent environmental damage. "As a species we are expert problem solvers. But we've not yet applied ourselves to this problem with the focus it requires. "We can create a world with clean air and water, unlimited energy, and fish stocks that will sustain us well into the future. But to do that, we need a plan," he said. The broadcaster made his speech after receiving a Crystal Award, which is awarded by the forum to "exceptional cultural leaders". AFP/Getty Environment news in pictures At least 60% of wild coffee species face extinction triggered by climate change and disease Two decades of research have revealed that 60 per cent of the worlds coffee species face extinction due to the combined threats of deforestation, disease and climate change. The wild strain of arabica, the most widely consumed coffee on the planet, is among those now recognised as endangered, raising concerns about its long-term survival. These results are worrying for the millions of farmers around the world who depend on the continued survival of coffee for their livelihoods. As conditions for coffee farming become tougher, scientists predict the industry will need to rely on wild varieties to develop more resilient strains Alan Schaller Environment news in pictures Warming Antarctic waters are speeding the rate at which glaciers are melting The Antarctic ice sheet is losing six times as much ice each year as it was in the 1980s and the pace is accelerating, one of the most comprehensive studies of climate change effects on the continent has shown. More than half an inch has been added to global sea levels since 1979, but if current trends continue it will be responsible for metres more in future, the Nasa-funded study found. The international effort used aerial photos, satellite data and climate models dating back to the 1970s across18 Antarctic regions to get the most complete picture to date on the impacts of the changing climate. It found that between 1979 and 1990 Antarctica lost an average of 40 gigatonnes (40 billion tonnes) of its mass each year. Between 2009 and 2017 it lost an average 252 gigatonnes a year. This has added 3.6mm per decade to sea levels, or around 14mm since 1979, the study shows Nasa/Getty Environment news in pictures Greater Manchester to ban fracking, paving way for confrontation with government over controversial industry Greater Manchester is to effectively ban fracking, raising the prospect of fresh confrontation with the government over the controversial industry. All of the regions 10 councils are to implement planning policies which create a presumption against drilling for shale gas in their areas, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has announced. Campaigners said the move was the latest sign that the tide was turning against fracking, which has been the subject of multiple legal battles across the country. Critics of fracking say it poses environmental and health risks. Drilling at the UKs only operational fracking site, run by Cuadrilla in Lancashire, has repeatedly been halted due to earth tremors. But ministers support the industry and last year unveiled plans to accelerate the development of new drilling sites Ross Wills Environment news in pictures Japan confirms plan to resume commercial whaling in its waters from next year Japan will resume commercial whaling next year for the first time in more than three decades, in a move that has provoked strong criticism from campaigners and the international community. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said his nation would leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to resume hunting the marine mammals in Japanese waters. However, he stated the activity would be limited to Japans territory and the 200 mile exclusive economic zone along its coasts. This means controversial scientific trips to Antarctica in which Japanese vessels killed hundreds of whales, as well as activity in the northwest Pacific, will stop in 2019 AP Environment news in pictures COP24: Environmental groups criticise morally unacceptable climate deal reached after major Poland summit Diplomats from around the world have agreed a major climate deal after two weeks of United Nations talks in Poland. But climate campaigners warned the deal effectively a set of rules for how to govern the 2015 Paris climate accord agreed between almost 200 countries lacked ambition or a clear promise of enhanced climate action. Activists cautiously welcomed elements of the plan, saying important progress had been made on ensuring that efforts to tackle climate change by individual nations can be measured and compared. But environmental groups were also highly critical of the agreement, warning it lacked ambition and clarity on key issues, including financing for climate projects for developing countries. The COP24 deal, which is aimed at providing firm guidelines for countries on how to transparently report their greenhouse gas emissions and their efforts to reduce them, was confirmed on 15 December, after talks overran Reuters Environment news in pictures Unprecedented changes needed to stop global warming as UN report reveals islands starting to vanish and coral reefs dying Greenhouse gas emissions must be cut almost in half by 2030 to avert global environmental catastrophe, including the total loss of every coral reef, the disappearance of Arctic ice and the destruction of island communities, a landmark UN report has concluded. Drawing on more than 6,000 scientific studies and compiled over two years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings, released this morning, warn enormous and rapid changes to the way everyone on Earth eats, travels and produces energy need to be brought in immediately. Though the scientists behind the report said there is cause for optimism, they recognised the grim reality that nations are currently nowhere near on track to avert disaster AFP/Getty Environment news in pictures Africas three biggest elephant poaching cartels exposed using DNA from illegal ivory shipments DNA taken from massive shipments of ivory has been used to identify the three largest wildlife trafficking gangs operating at the height of Africas elephant poaching epidemic. Ivory tends to be shipped around the world from African ports in bulk, and scientists have used genetic evidence gleaned from intercepted batches to reveal their origins. Led by Dr Samuel Wasser from the University of Washington, they traced a number of these shipments to three cartels operating out of Kenya, Uganda and Togo. Evidence collected by Dr Wasser has already helped convict ivory kingpin Feisal Mohamed Ali, and as his team joins the dots between shipments they plan to shore up the cases against more of the continents most prolific smugglers Art Wolfe Following her graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Lee studied mycoremediation, investigating how mushrooms could be incorporated into contemporary funeral practices. "It became more and more apparent how conceptions of death are enacted through the body, and this research added the idea that fashion, in addition to mushrooms, could be a vehicle for re-imagining our relationship with death," Coeio states. Lee debuted the suit at the "Seamless: Computational Couture" fashion show at the Museum of Science in Boston in 2008. Nigel Farage says 85,000 people have signed up to his new Brexit Party and has boasted the fastest growing political force in the land will smash the two-party system. Almost 2m has flooded in within a few weeks from grassroots supporters, ahead of a predicted victory in the European elections later this month, the former Ukip leader said. Mr Farage revealed the momentum behind his party which tops polls for the MEP elections as he warned a cross-party Brexit deal between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn would fuel it further. Branding any softer Brexit agreement as a coalition of politicians against the people, he said: I think millions of people would give up on both Labour and the Conservatives. He added: This would be the final betrayal. Frankly, if May signs up to this, I cant see the point of the Conservative Party even existing. What is it for? Recommended Early Brexit deal dismissed by Labour frontbencher over NHS threat Mr Farage refused to identify immediately a major donor who had given 100,000, but said: We just yesterday hit 85,000 registered supporters, all paying 25. 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 Work it out. We have raised getting on for 2m through individual people joining through our website. I cant think that any other party in the UK has raised money like that. The Brexit Party has reached 30 per cent in polls ahead of the 23 May elections, as voters turn on both the Conservatives and Labour over the seemingly never-ending crisis. Mr Farage challenged Mr Corbyn to a debate as he vowed to target Labour voters next, having already switched many from the Tories and his former party. Speaking on Skys Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: There are 5 million voters out there, Labour voters, who voted to leave, particularly in the midlands, the north, and south Wales. I would love between now and polling to have a debate with Jeremy Corbyn about this because people are very confused about what Labour are standing for. Mr Farage added: I think if we can dig into the Labour vote, we can surprise even ourselves. He came under pressure over Claire Fox, a candidate in the northwest of England, over the defence of the IRA Warrington bombing in 1993, but called it irrelevant. Ms Fox was a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) which defended the right of the Irish people to take whatever measures necessary in their struggle for freedom. But Mr Farage called it a classic stitch-up smear story, insisting his candidate had made no comments herself and does not want politics to be pursued by violent means. Colin Parry, whose son Tim, 12, died in the bombing, has said voters would be absolutely disgusted and urged Ms Fox to disown the comments, but Mr Farage said: This is an irrelevant conversation. An EU-wide commitment to wipe out contributions to global warming by 2050 will be at the heart of the Liberal Democrat manifesto for the European elections. Vince Cables party will vow to press for much tougher restrictions to end net greenhouse gas emissions across the bloc within 30 years if Brexit is stopped. Currently, the EU is only pledged to 40 per cent reductions by 2030, an ambition overtaken by calls for emissions to end altogether in order to prevent runaway climate change. That target was negotiated in 2014, when Ed Davey, a Lib Dem, led the UK negotiations helping to pave the way for the landmark global Paris Climate Treaty a year later. Now the party will demand the EU goes much further, on the back of its stunning local election successes which have raised hopes for the European Parliament polls on 23 May. Anyone who wants to stop our climate crisis should vote to stop Brexit, Sir Ed, a former climate change secretary, told The Independent. If Britain leaves the EU, we leave Europe's key climate talks. We cannot influence 27 other countries on climate change without a seat at the table and therefore we will witness the influence we have on the world through the EU dramatically reduced. Environment news in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Environment news in pictures Environment news in pictures Davos 2019: David Attenborough issues stark warning about future of civilisation as he demands practical solutions to combat climate change Sir David Attenborough has issued a stark warning about climate change to business figures gathered in Davos, telling them that "what we do now...will profoundly affect the next few thousand years". On the eve of this year's World Economic Forum, the renowned naturalist told the audience that the worlds of business and politics should "get on with the practical solutions" needed to prevent environmental damage. "As a species we are expert problem solvers. But we've not yet applied ourselves to this problem with the focus it requires. "We can create a world with clean air and water, unlimited energy, and fish stocks that will sustain us well into the future. But to do that, we need a plan," he said. The broadcaster made his speech after receiving a Crystal Award, which is awarded by the forum to "exceptional cultural leaders". AFP/Getty Environment news in pictures At least 60% of wild coffee species face extinction triggered by climate change and disease Two decades of research have revealed that 60 per cent of the worlds coffee species face extinction due to the combined threats of deforestation, disease and climate change. The wild strain of arabica, the most widely consumed coffee on the planet, is among those now recognised as endangered, raising concerns about its long-term survival. These results are worrying for the millions of farmers around the world who depend on the continued survival of coffee for their livelihoods. As conditions for coffee farming become tougher, scientists predict the industry will need to rely on wild varieties to develop more resilient strains Alan Schaller Environment news in pictures Warming Antarctic waters are speeding the rate at which glaciers are melting The Antarctic ice sheet is losing six times as much ice each year as it was in the 1980s and the pace is accelerating, one of the most comprehensive studies of climate change effects on the continent has shown. More than half an inch has been added to global sea levels since 1979, but if current trends continue it will be responsible for metres more in future, the Nasa-funded study found. The international effort used aerial photos, satellite data and climate models dating back to the 1970s across18 Antarctic regions to get the most complete picture to date on the impacts of the changing climate. It found that between 1979 and 1990 Antarctica lost an average of 40 gigatonnes (40 billion tonnes) of its mass each year. Between 2009 and 2017 it lost an average 252 gigatonnes a year. This has added 3.6mm per decade to sea levels, or around 14mm since 1979, the study shows Nasa/Getty Environment news in pictures Greater Manchester to ban fracking, paving way for confrontation with government over controversial industry Greater Manchester is to effectively ban fracking, raising the prospect of fresh confrontation with the government over the controversial industry. All of the regions 10 councils are to implement planning policies which create a presumption against drilling for shale gas in their areas, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has announced. Campaigners said the move was the latest sign that the tide was turning against fracking, which has been the subject of multiple legal battles across the country. Critics of fracking say it poses environmental and health risks. Drilling at the UKs only operational fracking site, run by Cuadrilla in Lancashire, has repeatedly been halted due to earth tremors. But ministers support the industry and last year unveiled plans to accelerate the development of new drilling sites Ross Wills Environment news in pictures Japan confirms plan to resume commercial whaling in its waters from next year Japan will resume commercial whaling next year for the first time in more than three decades, in a move that has provoked strong criticism from campaigners and the international community. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said his nation would leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to resume hunting the marine mammals in Japanese waters. However, he stated the activity would be limited to Japans territory and the 200 mile exclusive economic zone along its coasts. This means controversial scientific trips to Antarctica in which Japanese vessels killed hundreds of whales, as well as activity in the northwest Pacific, will stop in 2019 AP Environment news in pictures COP24: Environmental groups criticise morally unacceptable climate deal reached after major Poland summit Diplomats from around the world have agreed a major climate deal after two weeks of United Nations talks in Poland. But climate campaigners warned the deal effectively a set of rules for how to govern the 2015 Paris climate accord agreed between almost 200 countries lacked ambition or a clear promise of enhanced climate action. Activists cautiously welcomed elements of the plan, saying important progress had been made on ensuring that efforts to tackle climate change by individual nations can be measured and compared. But environmental groups were also highly critical of the agreement, warning it lacked ambition and clarity on key issues, including financing for climate projects for developing countries. The COP24 deal, which is aimed at providing firm guidelines for countries on how to transparently report their greenhouse gas emissions and their efforts to reduce them, was confirmed on 15 December, after talks overran Reuters Environment news in pictures Unprecedented changes needed to stop global warming as UN report reveals islands starting to vanish and coral reefs dying Greenhouse gas emissions must be cut almost in half by 2030 to avert global environmental catastrophe, including the total loss of every coral reef, the disappearance of Arctic ice and the destruction of island communities, a landmark UN report has concluded. Drawing on more than 6,000 scientific studies and compiled over two years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings, released this morning, warn enormous and rapid changes to the way everyone on Earth eats, travels and produces energy need to be brought in immediately. Though the scientists behind the report said there is cause for optimism, they recognised the grim reality that nations are currently nowhere near on track to avert disaster AFP/Getty Environment news in pictures Africas three biggest elephant poaching cartels exposed using DNA from illegal ivory shipments DNA taken from massive shipments of ivory has been used to identify the three largest wildlife trafficking gangs operating at the height of Africas elephant poaching epidemic. Ivory tends to be shipped around the world from African ports in bulk, and scientists have used genetic evidence gleaned from intercepted batches to reveal their origins. Led by Dr Samuel Wasser from the University of Washington, they traced a number of these shipments to three cartels operating out of Kenya, Uganda and Togo. Evidence collected by Dr Wasser has already helped convict ivory kingpin Feisal Mohamed Ali, and as his team joins the dots between shipments they plan to shore up the cases against more of the continents most prolific smugglers Art Wolfe Pointing to 704 gains, which made the Lib Dems the town hall winners last Thursday, he added: It's now clear that to stop Brexit people need to vote Liberal Democrat. The move follows last weeks call by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) for the UK to act now to enact a legally binding duty to achieve net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The blueprint would mean the end of petrol and diesel cars and gas boilers, a drastic cut in people's meat consumption, and the planting of at least 1.5 billion trees. The target is for net zero emissions because greenhouse gases from some activities, including air travel and farming, will remain unavoidable by 2050. These would be balanced by taking carbon out of the air by growing trees or burying carbon dioxide below ground level. Theresa May was criticised by environmental groups when her spokesman, quizzed by The Independent, refused to commit to acting immediately. Downing Street said only that she will respond urgently to the call for new laws - pointing to the need to examine a long and detailed report first. John Gummer, the CCC's chairman, had called for the zero-emissions target for 2050 to be made law immediately, saying: We must do it now. The urgency is not just a matter of a shortness of time - the quicker you do it the cheaper it is. The Liberal Democrats are also calling for a UK target of net zero emissions by 2045 five years earlier than the CCC proposal and the partys aim for the EU as a whole. You are here: World Flash One soldier was killed and four other servicemen were injured on Friday after ammunition went off at a shooting range in Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, TASS news agency reported Saturday. The soldiers, acting in violation of safety rules, lighted a campfire that caused the explosion, TASS said, quoting the press service of Russia's Central Military District. The wounded servicemen were promptly taken to the garrison's hospital. A criminal case has been initiated for breaching the rules of handling ammunition. Gavin Williamson has accused Theresa May of attempting to smear him, after it was reported that he made disparaging remarks about the prime ministers diabetes and had considered military intervention in at least five African countries during his tenure as defence secretary. The former cabinet minister allegedly said Ms Mays medical condition made her unfit to be prime minister, a comment he denies making. He is also said to have considered military action in countries including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, according to The Sunday Times. Mr Williamson denied the allegations in an interview with Sky News. It is absolutely crazy, on both counts, the South Staffordshire MP said. Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage has spent his political career campaigning for the UK to leave the EU. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson's support for Brexit took many by surprise before the EU referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to agree on a withdrawal deal. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises This was taken from a 2012 speech delivered by Mr Davis. He does not currently support a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson now supports a hard Brexit and resigned from the cabinet in 2018 over Theresa May's strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The US recently issued trade negotiation objectives for future talks with the UK. The country made clear that it expects access to the UK's agriculture industry, reviving the debate about chlorinated chicken. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage does not support the current campaign for a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Despite this quote, in February 2019 Boris Johnson said a no deal Brexit "may yet be the best option for the UK". Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to begin negotiating a deal regarding their future relationship. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May announced that the UK would be leaving the Single Market in her Lancaster House speech in January 2017. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is yet to be passed. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises A classic from the 2015 general election campaign. David Cameron resigned on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum result. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises David Davis resigned from his post as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after disagreeing with Theresa May's negotiation strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Michael Gove was one of the most influential Leave voices during the EU referendum campaign. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backbencher, does not support a second Brexit referendum. He has called the use of this quote "fundamentally dishonest" as it was taken from a 2011 speech discussing the option of referendum before David Cameron entered negotiations with the EU. Such a vote was never held. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Of course no one has ever suggested it. Classic PM/Sedwill smear because they dont have any evidence. The newspaper also reported that the MP scrawled the words f*** the prime minister on official documents after Theresa May refused to let him send British warships into Chinese waters. Mr Williamson was fired on Wednesday after a probe led by cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill found he was responsible for a leak from a top secret meeting of the National Security Council. The leak, to a reporter from The Daily Telegraph, revealed that the prime minister had approved the involvement of Chinese company Huawei in building the UKs 5G network. Mr Williamson has denied being responsible for the leak but the prime minister claims to have seen compelling evidence to the contrary. On Saturday assistant commissioner Neil Basu indicated that the former defence secretary would not face criminal charges over the alleged leak. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Basu said he was satisfied that the details disclosed to the media did not contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act. He said he had made the assessment after speaking to the cabinet office regarding the nature of the material discussed at the top-secret meeting. Mr Williamson had previously called for a full criminal investigation which he said would exonerate him. He has also called Mr Sedwills inquiry into the Huawei leak a witch hunt. Ms May has defended her decision to fire the former defence secretary. I did take a difficult decision, Theresa May told ITV News on Friday. This was not about what was leaked, it was about where it was leaked from. It was the importance of the question of trust around that National Security Council table. A fierce Labour backlash has hit Theresa Mays hopes of quickly striking a deal to rescue Brexit. A host of senior Labour figures poured cold water on the chances of a breakthrough even as a Tory source called Tuesday a make-or-break day. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the prime minister was inflating the prospects to try to save her job meanwhile, Tories are piling on fresh pressure for her to quit. Ms May was also accused of refusing to shift ground on a customs union and of risking the NHS going up for sale. The collapse in support for her saw the talks likened to negotiating with a company about to go into administration. Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Show all 24 1 /24 Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent The hostility followed the prime minister virtually pleading with Jeremy Corbyn to help deliver Brexit in a newspaper article, writing: Put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal. But her perilous position was undermined by a survey suggesting a record 82 per cent of Conservative members want her to quit immediately, following the partys local elections wipeout. As Ms May prepared for fresh demands to name a departure day when MPs return to Westminster, her own chief-of-staff quit a Tory WhatsApp group, protesting I have had enough of attacks on her. The fresh acrimony between the two parties broke out as Labour claimed that details of the talks had been briefed to Tory newspapers to give the impression an agreement was only days away. A Conservative source told The Independent the party was optimistic of a quick conclusion, saying: Tuesday will be the time when we know the likelihood of a possible deal. An agreement had appeared more likely after both Ms May and Mr Corbyn in the wake of their joint local elections defeat were pushing their parties to compromise. Strikingly, a senior Labour source denied the resumption of cross-party talks on Tuesday would be a make-or-break moment, even as the Tories insisted it would. Although the prime minister has conceded a form of customs union, she appears to be pushing for it to be temporary, a demand that Labour says has not been raised across the negotiating table. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, dismissed the idea of progress, saying: Although the government is trying to redress their customs union offer, they havent really shifted. Ruling out Tory hopes of still doing trade deals in services, he warned: With the United States, that could mean Trumps America and big private healthcare corporations getting their hands on NHS contracts. Mr McDonnell went further, saying he did not trust the prime minister because she had "blown the confidentiality" of the talks to prop up her position. She's jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection, he said, adding: We're dealing with a very unstable government. It's trying to enter into a contract with a company that's going into administration and the people who are going to take over are not willing to fulfil that contract. We can't negotiate like that. Mr McDonnell also came close to admitting his own side would demand a Final Say referendum on any deal, as Tom Watson, the deputy leader, has demanded. Mr Watson himself said: I don't think we should give false hope on this, it's going to be very difficult to find a negotiated settlement. Tory fears about a deal were spooked further by Nigel Farage boasting that 85,000 people have signed up to his new Brexit Party to make it the fastest growing political force in the land. Almost 2m has flooded in within a few weeks from grassroots supporters, ahead of a predicted victory in the European elections later this month, the former Ukip leader said. Rory Stewart, the new international development secretary, claimed the two parties were only a quarter of an inch apart and even said a split in the Tory party was a price worth paying to secure a deal. That split was laid bare by the survey for Conservative Home website, putting the proportion of party members demanding a new leader at 82 per cent. The same website revealed Gavin Barwell, the No 10 chief of staff, had pulled out of the WhatsApp group on his Croydon home patch, because of attacks I would expect from our worst opponents. Graham Brady, the head of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, is expected to meet Ms May on Tuesday to again urge her to set a date for her departure. If she refuses, they will consider rewriting the rules to allow a fresh vote of no confidence this summer a move the 1922 stepped back from last month. Iain Duncan Smith has urged Theresa May to immediately set a date for her departure from Downing Street, or MPs "must do it for her". The former Conservative leaders comments come as the party reels from losing more than 1,300 council seats in Thursdays local elections. We have to make a change... the message was loud and clear that, since 29 March, people have decided they are absolutely furious with the political class, Mr Duncan Smith told LBC. The Tories lost overall control of 45 councils on Thursday, representing the worst performance by a governing party in the local elections since 1995. Mr Duncan Smith described the results as devastating and said the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers should meet again to discuss Ms Mays leadership. Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage has spent his political career campaigning for the UK to leave the EU. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson's support for Brexit took many by surprise before the EU referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to agree on a withdrawal deal. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises This was taken from a 2012 speech delivered by Mr Davis. He does not currently support a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson now supports a hard Brexit and resigned from the cabinet in 2018 over Theresa May's strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The US recently issued trade negotiation objectives for future talks with the UK. The country made clear that it expects access to the UK's agriculture industry, reviving the debate about chlorinated chicken. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage does not support the current campaign for a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Despite this quote, in February 2019 Boris Johnson said a no deal Brexit "may yet be the best option for the UK". Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to begin negotiating a deal regarding their future relationship. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May announced that the UK would be leaving the Single Market in her Lancaster House speech in January 2017. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is yet to be passed. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises A classic from the 2015 general election campaign. David Cameron resigned on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum result. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises David Davis resigned from his post as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after disagreeing with Theresa May's negotiation strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Michael Gove was one of the most influential Leave voices during the EU referendum campaign. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backbencher, does not support a second Brexit referendum. He has called the use of this quote "fundamentally dishonest" as it was taken from a 2011 speech discussing the option of referendum before David Cameron entered negotiations with the EU. Such a vote was never held. Twitter/Led By Donkeys The committee has to sit again now, urgently, and decide that either the prime minister sets the immediate date for departure or, Im afraid, they must do it for her, he said. The prime minister has responded to the results by urging MPs to support cross-party Brexit talks and find a way to break the deadlock and get a Brexit deal through parliament. I negotiated with the EU what I believe is a very good deal for the UK a deal which allows us to genuinely take back control of our money and our laws, Ms May wrote in the Mail on Sunday. The free movement of people will end giving us control of our own borders for the first time in decades. However, I could not persuade enough of my colleagues to vote for the withdrawal agreement and, regrettably, I have to accept there is no sign of that position changing. I understand many of my colleagues find this decision uncomfortable. Frankly, it is not what I wanted, either. But we have to find a way to break the deadlock and I believe the results of the local elections give fresh urgency to this. It is unclear how Ms May could be removed from Downing Street if she does not offer her resignation. The prime minister survived a no-confidence vote held last December, meaning her MPs are unable to mount such a challenge for another 12 months. A further threat of an imminent challenge to her position was lifted last month when the 1922 Committees executive rejected calls to change party rules and allow a second no-confidence vote to be held in June. Justice secretary David Gauke said the local election results would have been better for the Conservatives if the government had passed its Brexit deal. What we need to be doing is addressing the big issue in front of us, which is Brexit, he told BBC Breakfast. We would have had a much better set of election results had we managed to get the prime ministers meaningful vote through earlier this year and we left the European Union on March 29. I think we can look at those local election results as a punishment for both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party for failing to find a way through that situation. His comments were echoed by other prominent Conservatives, despite the pro-Remain Liberal Democrats gaining more than 700 council seats. The electorate... right across the country want us to get on with Brexit and move on to all the other things they care about, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Radio 4. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events I share that frustration. Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable declared the results for his party the best in the 40 years of our existence. Mr Cable said the Liberal Democrats opposition to Brexit would help them in the upcoming European elections. We are clearly a major force, we are clearly the leading Remain party and we expect to do well on the basis of that, he told BBC Breakfast. Additional reporting by agencies Cubs at a squalid breeding centre were too ill to walk and lions were so badly neglected that many had gone bald from mange. Inspectors who raided the South African farm found more than 100 lions, tigers, leopards and caracals in overcrowded conditions, deprived of water to drink. They were kept in filthy enclosures where parasites spread easily. Photos show many of the animals destined to be either shot by hunters for money or slaughtered for their bones in the countrys lucrative industry were almost entirely bald because of parasitic infections. Animal-welfare officials have charged the man suspected of running the centre with breaking animal-protection law. Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Show all 15 1 /15 Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts It's estimated an elephant is killed every 20 or 25 minutes on average in Africa Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Broadcaster Nicky Campbell spoke passionately against trophy hunting and legal imports of animal parts Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Protesters at the fifth annual Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in London marched through central London Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Thousands of people joined the fifth annual Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in London Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Stanley Johnson, father of Boris Johnson, is a passionate supporter of the campaign to save elephants and rhinos from extinction Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Protesters at the fifth annual Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in London called for a UK ban on trophy imports Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Thousands of protesters at the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos marched to Downing Street Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Some protesters in London against trophy hunting dressed in wildlife costumes Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Campaigners fear elephants, rhinos and lions will become extinct if trophy hunting continues Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Protesters at the fifth annual Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in London against trophy hunting marched through central London Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Some protesters in London against trophy hunting dressed in wildlife costumes Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Protesters at the fifth annual Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in London called for a UK ban on trophy imports Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Protesters stopped traffic as they marched through London Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Campaigners fear elephants, rhinos and lions will become extinct if trophy hunting continues Paul Nicholls Protesters demand a UK ban on imports of 'trophy hunt' animal parts Lobbying for a ban on imports of hunted wildlife parts Palmerston the cat joined Denise Dresner, of Action for Elephants, John Stevenson, of Stop Ivory, actor Peter Egan, Cordelia Britton, of Four Paws, Mark Jones, of Born Free and Eduardo Goncalves, of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, as they delivered a letter to Downing Street Paul Nicholls The big cats were part of the countrys snuggle scam industry that takes money from tourists who pay to pet, feed and take selfies with hand-reared lions, unaware the farms are businesses that sell the animals into their deaths as The Independent revealed last year. Officers from South Africas National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered 108 neglected animals living in conditions they described as horrendous at Pienika Farm in the North West Province. Other issues such as small enclosures and inadequate shelter, no provision of water, overcrowding, and filthy and parasitic conditions were noted in the camps that contained the lions, caracals, tigers, and leopards, said NSPCA senior inspector Douglas Wolhuter. Twenty-seven of the lions had mange, and the caracals were obese and unable to properly groom themselves. Two cubs that appeared to have a neurological condition were unable to walk, he said. They were confiscated and taken for specialist treatment. The cubs are exploited their whole lives, first as props by tourists, then for walking with lion safaris Audrey Delsink Its estimated up to 12,000 lions are raised on South Africas 260 captive breeding facilities. The countrys quota for exporting lion bones is 1,500 skeletons a year. The lions were suffering from parasitic infections The trade in lion bones for Asian medicine grew out of the hunting of captive-bred lions. After the squalid farm was discovered, conservation group Humane Society International/Africa called for the South African government to shut down the captive breeding industry. Audrey Delsink, wildlife director of HSI/Africa, said: Lion cubs are ripped from their mothers at just a few days old to be hand-reared by paying volunteers from countries such as the UK, who are misled into believing the cubs are orphans. The cubs are exploited their whole lives, first as props by paying tourists, then later as part of walking with lion safaris. Once too big and dangerous for this, they are killed for their bones which are exported to Asia for traditional medicines or sold to be killed by trophy hunters largely from the United States in canned hunts in which hand-reared lions are shot in a fenced area. The fate of the lions will depend on the outcome of the legal process, Ms Delsink said. Pienika Farm is reportedly owned by Jan Steinman, a member of the council of the South African Predator Association (Sapa), which says it does not support canned lion hunting but stands for responsible hunting. A statement to The Independent by Sapa said: Sapa is aware of the complaints. It will now be dealt with in terms of the Sapa code of conduct and disciplinary process. Corrective measures will be enforced once the Sapa council processed all the facts at hand. For Darwing Silva, the first sign that something was amiss when his flight landed in Jacksonville, Florida, during a thunderstorm was that it seemed the jet did not brake after hitting the runway. Lights zoomed by the window. He traded worried glances with other passengers. Then came the jolt. It was just the biggest impact Ive ever felt in my life, Mr Silva said. Like an explosion, almost. He lurched forward in his seat 14B, the middle seat in an exit row and hit his head on the back of the seat in front of him. Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Show all 9 1 /9 Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures This picture taken on March 11, 2019, shows debris of the crashed airplane of Ethiopia Airlines, near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. - An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed on March 10 morning en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi with 149 passengers and eight crew believed to be on board, Ethiopian Airlines said. (Photo by Michael TEWELDE / AFP)MICHAEL TEWELDE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Family members mourn the victims at the crash site of the Ethiopian Airlines operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, at Hama Quntushele village in the Oromia region, on March 13, 2019. - A Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers, and "at least a dozen" UN staff. Families of the victims were taken to the remote site on March 13, 2019, where the plane smashed into a field with 157 passengers and crew from 35 countries, leaving a deep black crater and tiny scraps of debris. (Photo by TONY KARUMBA / AFP)TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A page of a Boeing flight crew operations manual is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner REUTERS Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures epa07434278 Rescue workers search the site for pieces of the wreckage of an Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 13 March 2019. Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed on 10 March 2019 by yet undetermined reason. All passengers and crew aboard died in the crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has come under scrutiny after similar deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia within a few months. Several countries have banned the plane type from their airspace and many airlines have grounded their 737 Max 8 planes for safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed minutes after take-off on 10 March. EPA/STRINGER EPA Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger plane of the Norwegian low-cost airline Norwegian is parked at the tarmac at Vantaa airport in Vantaa near Helsinki, Finland on March 13, 2019. - A number of countries have banned Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board. (Photo by Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUTHEIKKI SAUKKOMAA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Rescue workers search the site for pieces of the wreckage of an Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 13 March 2019. Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed on 10 March 2019 by yet undetermined reason. All passengers and crew aboard died in the crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has come under scrutiny after similar deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia within a few months. Several countries have banned the plane type from their airspace and many airlines have grounded their 737 Max 8 planes for safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed minutes after take-off on 10 March. EPA/STRINGER EPA Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A heap of debris from the wreckage of an Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft are piled at the crash site near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 13 March 2019. Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed on 10 March 2019 by yet undetermined reason. All passengers and crew aboard died in the crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has come under scrutiny after similar deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia within a few months. Several countries have banned the plane type from their airspace and many airlines have grounded their 737 Max 8 planes for safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed minutes after take-off on 10 March. EPA/STR EPA Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A crew working with an investigative team to clear the site after the Sunday crash of the Ethiopian Airlines operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, carry debris at Hama Quntushele village in the Oromia region, on March 13, 2019. - A Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers, and "at least a dozen" UN staff. Families of the victims were taken to the remote site on March 13, 2019, where the plane smashed into a field with 157 passengers and crew from 35 countries, leaving a deep black crater and tiny scraps of debris. (Photo by TONY KARUMBA / AFP)TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures FILE PHOTO: An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8, on a flight from Miami to New York City, comes in for landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo REUTERS Seconds later, Mr Silva felt water. Up to my ankles, he said. And there was water coming in from above the roof of the plane. The Boeing 737 had slid off the runway of the naval air station in Jacksonville and into the shallow waters of the St Johns River. All 136 passengers and seven crew members were rescued, 21 of them with non-life-threatening injuries. But all Mr Silva knew at the time was that the flight, which had taken off from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had landed in water and that someone was yelling something about smelling jet fuel. I just kind of snapped into action, said Mr Silva, a civilian safety manager for a roofing company. He grabbed his backpack, which was hanging from an overhead bin that had popped open during the accident. He slipped past the female passenger in the window seat, who was bracing her head between her knees, opened the exit door, and found himself on a wing of the plane. Others began filing onto the wing, amid the darkness, rain and lightning. Mr Silva called his father to let him know he was OK. Eventually, the passengers made it onto an evacuation raft, children and women first, and emergency workers used a cable to guide them ashore. Ive gone over so many of those safety instructions preflight, Mr Silva said. You never really think youre going to be the one to have to open the door. His trip seemed cursed from the start. The charter plane, operated by Miami Air International, had arrived four hours late. The flight had been unbearably hot, said Cheryl Bormann, one of the Jacksonville passengers, and people had to fan themselves because the air conditioning was not working properly. Mr Silva had taken off his polo shirt and was sweltering in his undershirt. As the flight neared Jacksonville, the plane flew into a storm. There was some turbulence, but the crew gave no warnings about potential landing trouble. It felt as if the front part of the plane had hit the ground hard before the rest of it had, Ms Bormann said. It bounces and it swirls and it tilts and it tips, and you can tell the pilot is trying to control it and is not having much success, she said. Its literally bouncing up and down, from side to side. Things are falling down from the overhead bins. People are holding onto their small children. Miami Air International regularly transports military service members and their families from the base in Guantanamo Bay to naval air stations in Jacksonville and Norfolk, Virginia. Ryanair and Flybe cull domestic flights following Boeing 737 grounding Officials for the carrier did not return phone calls on Saturday about the accident. The mishap stranded about 125 passengers at Guantanamo on Saturday morning. They were awaiting the return of the Miami Air plane for a flight to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The stranded group included a military judge who announced this week that he would no longer preside over the case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men accused of plotting the 11 September attacks. Also among them were two brigadier generals, prosecutors, defence lawyers and journalists who had arrived a week earlier for a pretrial hearing in the case. Mr Silva said he had driven straight from the naval station to his home in Miami, arriving about 5.30am. I feel my neck sore. My right eye is sore, he said. I am going to get checked out just to make sure everything is OK, but at that moment, I didnt feel much. The adrenaline, I guess. Ms Bormann, a civilian criminal defence attorney in the 9/11 trial, spent the day scrambling to get a change of clothes, a new phone and enough forms of ID to get on a flight home to Chicago. Her few remaining belongings were in a reusable grocery bag that she was now using as a handbag. Im a criminal defence lawyer who handles capital cases trauma is something Im pretty accustomed to, she said. But you dont realise it until it hits you. I sat on my bed and cried this morning in my hotel room. I have to get on a plane tomorrow. And Im not looking forward to it. The New York Times Two members of a white supremacist group arrested after the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville have pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to riot charge. Benjamin Drake Daley and Michael Paul Miselis leading figures in the now defunct group Rise Above Movement filed the guilty pleas in US District Court in Virginia on Friday. The federal charge relates to both the Charlottesville rally and rallies held in California, according to a statement issued by the US Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia. The pair will be sentenced in the summer. These avowed white supremacists travelled to Charlottesville to incite and commit acts of violence, not to engage in peaceful First Amendment expression, US Attorney Thomas T. Cullen said. Although the First Amendment protects an organisations right to express abhorrent political views, it does not authorise senseless violence in furtherance of a political agenda. Charlottesville one year on Show all 15 1 /15 Charlottesville one year on Charlottesville one year on Mary Grace, from Durham, North Carolina, walks through the downtown mall area August 11, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville has been declared in a state of emergency by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the city braces for the one year anniversary of the deadly clash between white supremacist forces and counter protesters over the potential removal of Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Jackson. A "Unite the Right" rally featuring some of the same groups is planned for tomorrow in Washington, DC. Getty Charlottesville one year on Chris Jessee (R) hands out placards to people visiting downtown Charlottesville as the city marks the anniversary of last year's 'Unite the Right rally' in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, 11 August 2018. On 12 August 2017, a bloody clash between white supremacists and counterprotestors in Charlottesville left three people dead and dozens injured Getty Charlottesville one year on A member of the Virginia State Police waits outside the park where a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is located August 11, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville has been declared in a state of emergency by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the city braces for the one year anniversary of a deadly clash between white supremacist forces and counter protesters over the potential removal of Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Jackson. A "Unite the Right" rally featuring some of the same groups is planned for tomorrow in Washington, DC Reuters Charlottesville one year on A woman displays a shirt ahead of the one-year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018. Reuters Charlottesville one year on A sign reading "Strength, which was taken down at the request of police officers, hangs by the statue of Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee, ahead of the one-year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018. Reuters Charlottesville one year on Law enforcement arrives ahead of the one year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018 Reuters Charlottesville one year on A vendor displays wares on the mall as State Police lock down the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. The Governor has declared a state of emergency in Charlottesville AP Charlottesville one year on A Police bike patrol takes a break in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. State and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on State Police arrest a local resident, John Miska, in the locked down downtown area in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Miska purchased razor blades, which are banned items, in a downtown drugstore. On the the anniversary of white supremacist violence, state and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on State Police escort local resident, John Miska, red hat, after he was arrested in the locked down downtown area in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Miska purchased razor blades, which are banned items, in a downtown drugstore. On the the anniversary of white supremacist violence, state and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on A group Anti-fascism demonstrators, march in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, AP Charlottesville one year on A group anti-fascism demonstrators march in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., AP Charlottesville one year on People receive first-aid after a car accident ran into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017. A vehicle plowed into a crowd of people Saturday at a Virginia rally where violence erupted between white nationalist demonstrators and counter-protesters, witnesses said, causing an unclear number of injuries AFP/Getty Charlottesville one year on Alt-right rally members in Lee Park in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday August 12, 2017 White nationalist 'Unite the Right' rally, Charlottesville, USA Rex Charlottesville one year on A counter protester who got hit with a stick by alt-right member covered with blood on his face in Lee Park in Charlottesville, Rex Daley, 26, faces between just over two years and three and a half years in prison, according to his plea document. The plea agreement for Miselis, 30, does not outline a specific prison stint, but the conspiracy to riot charge carries a maximum sentence of five years. As RAM members, Daley and Miselis trained to engage in violent confrontations and attended the Unite the Right rally with the expectation of provoking physical conflict with counter-protesters that would lead to riots, said David W. Archey, FBI special agent in charge of the agencys Richmond division. Prosecutors said Daley, one of the founders of the Rise Above Movement, was chiefly responsible for organising the groups presence at the Unite the Right rally on 12 August 2017. Two other RAM members, Cole White and Thomas Gillen, each previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to riot after attending the rally in Charlottesville. According to the US Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia, RAM regularly held hand-to-hand and other combat training for members and associates to prepare to engage in violent confrontations with protestors and other individuals at purported political rallies. Prosecutors also said Daley, Miselis and other RAM members attended a University of Virginia campus march the night before the rally. Participants at the event carried torches and chanted Jews will not replace us and blood and soil. Hether Meyer was killed at the Charlottesville rally after James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into a group of counter-protesters. He was found guilty of murder last December. Donald Trump blamed political correctness" after the result of the Kentucky Derby was overturned and the horse which crossed the line first was stripped of its title. The president began his Sunday morning with an angry tweet about the world famous horse race after officials disqualified the first-place horse named Maximum Security, for impeding the path of other horses. Runner-up Country Horse was then declared the winner. The Kentuky Derby decision was not a good one, Mr Trump lamented. It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur, he continued. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close! Mr Trump then retweeted a fellow Twitter user demanding Judge Andrew Napolitano be taken off the air after the Fox News analyst said the president had obstructed justice in Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 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 president was not the only person fired about the controversial result of the Saturday race. Country Horse, which began with 65-1 odds of winning, became the focus of memes and political jokes over the weekend as many drew comparisons to the 2016 election. Apparently one horse won the popular vote and another horse won the Electoral College, CNN contributor Ana Navarro quipped. Former White House chief ethics lawyer under President George HW Bush wrote: When it comes to rules against cheating in a race, a far higher standard applies to Maximum Security, a horse, than applies to the President of the United States. We need the stewards of the Kentucky Derby to run for Congress one of them for senate against Mitch McConnell, he added. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The disqualification was marked the first time in the horse races 145-year history that a winner had their title overturned. The race was the culmination of 35 previous races to determine which horses can compete at the annual event. Viewers posted images from the race to social media showing Maximum Security seemingly impeding other horses, with one Twitter user writing, if it was any other race they would have also been disqualified and no one would have batted an eye. Democratic presidential hopeful Beto ORourke has finally taken a firm position on the case for impeaching Donald Trump for the first time in his campaign. Mr ORourke had previously told reporters that it was not his place to comment on whether he believes President Trump should be impeached, saying Im going to leave that to those members of the House who as they review those findings can make that decision. But ultimately at this point I believe that this is going to be decided in November 2020. However, it now appears the former Texas representative has had a change of heart. In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Mr ORourke said: Were finally learning the truth about this president. And yes, there has to be consequences. Yes, there has to be accountability. Yes, I think theres enough evidence now for the House of Representatives to move forward with impeachment. This is our country, and this is the one chance that we get to ensure that it remains a democracy and that no man, regardless of his position, is above the law. This marked a shift from the beginning of Mr ORourkes campaign, where the Texas Democrat failed to make direct calls for impeachment, unlike Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate, Elizabeth Warren. 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 Ms Warrens call for impeachment was quickly echoed by prominent California Democrat, Kamala Harris, who is also running for president. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In March, Mr ORourke told an Iowa crowd he wasnt out there calling for it, referring to his prior comments on impeachment, while still mentioning that he believed that Mr Trumps actions justify impeachment. Mr ORourkes new position states that Mr Trump should face impeachment as he welcomed the participation of a foreign power into our election, that sought to sway that election in his favour and clearly obstructed justice in firing the principal investigator. A Washington state man has been arrested by the FBI after he allegedly threatened to personally execute Jared Kushner, Donald Trumps senior advisor and son-in-law. Chase Bliss Colasurdo also made threats on social media platforms that he would kill Donald Trump Jr. and bomb Jewish places of worship, court documents alleged. Colasurdo reportedly has a history of mental illness and has two previous arrests for assault. He allegedly sent emails to five media outlets saying Im going to personally execute [Kushner] for his countless treasonous crimes. This was followed by an image posted to his Instagram feed of Colasurdo aiming a gun at a picture of Mr Kushner. After a search warrant was executed, Colasurdo was found to have stockpiled 345 rounds of ammunition, holsters, and a few items of Nazi memorabilia, including a framed picture of Adolf Hitler and a flag with a swastika on it in his home. Recommended Ilhan Omar fires back at Mike Pence in row over Venezuela crisis He had previously attempted to obtain a firearm, but was denied due to a Secret Service alert. In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The front of the house Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The lobby Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The house exterior Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The patio Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bedroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living area Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The Living Room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The kitchen Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bathroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The hall Zillow The FBI also claims that Colasurdo said: This sneaky mossad agent has never been so serious about something as he is about putting a bullet in [Kushners] brain. It must be done, referring to conspiracy theories surrounding the Mossad, an Israeli intelligence force. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Colasurdo has been charged with two counts of making interstate threats. Joe Biden has warned racial segregation is sneaking back in across the US as he accused Republicans of making voting more difficult for minorities during his first presidential campaign rally in South Carolina. The former vice president is considered the frontrunner in the state, which will host the Souths first presidential primary. Black voters will play a key role there. Criticising Republican efforts to to restrict early voting hours and introduce more stringent identification requirements, Mr Biden told a rally in Columbia: "You've got Jim Crow sneaking back in." As the crowd of 700 people cheered in agreement, he added: "You know what happens when you have an equal right to vote? They lose." Mr Biden was referring to the collection of state and local laws which enforced racial segregation in the South between the late 19th century and the beginning of the civil rights movement in the 1950s. Jim Crow was the name of a minstrel routine that came to be used as a derogatory term for African Americans. 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 Biden cited a figure that at least 24 states have introduced or enacted at least 70 bills to restrict voting access, and said most of those efforts targeted people of colour. Mr Biden's frontrunner status in South Carolina is partly due to his popularity among black voters. However, earlier this year he said he regretted supporting the tough-on crime drug legislation of the 1990s, criticised for leading to an era of mass incarceration and disproportionally affecting black Americans. Mr Biden also spent much of his speech denouncing Donald Trump, criticising his remarks after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent in 2017. In response to the clash that left a counter-protester dead, Mr Trump had said there were "very fine people on both sides." "Think about that," Mr Biden said. "I don't ever recall a president of the United States, Democrat or Republican, ever saying anything like that. Ever." He added: "We have to restore the soul of America. That's not who we are." In his speech, Mr Biden also emphasised his eight year tenure as vice president to Barack Obama. Hes a hell of a guy, he said at one point, referring to Mr Obama. Mr Biden played a key role in the Obama administration's relations with China, travelling to the country in 2011 for a series of meetings with then vice president Xi Jinping. In an interview before his rally in South Carolina, he said that US can defeat China in every way. The remarks came after Mr Biden was criticised for minimising the threat from China after he said the country was not competition for us at a campaign stop in Iowa earlier this week. Speaking to WIS-TV, he said: I never said Chinas not a threat. I said we can, if we invest the right way, we can defeat China in every way. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events I'm the guy that told the Chinese that when they set up these air defence zones, were not going to pay attention. "We're gonna fly right through them ... China understands that our problems are negligible compared to what they have to face. Mr Biden will continue his South Carolina trip by visiting a black church in Columbia. Additional reporting by AP You are here: World Flash A terrorist attack earlier on Saturday targeted an army training center in the southern Libyan city of Sabha, and killed nine soldiers, according to military and medical sources. "Terrorists launched an attack at 05:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on a training center of the army in the city of Sabha, killing nine soldiers," a military source told Xinhua. "The attackers used vehicles and opened fire at the soldiers," the source said, adding that the attack is likely to be carried out by Islamic State (IS) militants. Osama al-Wafi, spokesman of Sabha medical center, told Xinhua that the center had received nine bodies of the soldiers killed by the attack. Sabha, southern Libya's largest city, has been under the control of the east-based army since January. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and political division ever since the fall of the late leader Gaddafi in 2011. Donald Trump has announced an increase in US tariffs on Chinese goods, saying trade negotiations with the country are going too slowly. The president appeared to contradict statements from his administration suggesting trade talks with China have been going well in recent weeks. His renewed threats suggest the US will increase tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods from 10 to 25 per cent, after postponing the initial tariffs when officials from both countries agreed to meet for negotiations. Mr Trump also claimed the US would soon place tariffs of 25 per cent on an additional $325bn of Chinese goods. For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods. These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results. The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday, the president wrote in a tweet. Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee enters a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A worker cleans a waterway as office buildings are seen at Huawei's new Ox Horn Research and Development campus in Dongguan, near shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees sleep in their cubicle in the research and development area after lunch at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Heidelberg in Germany Getty Images Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees play basketball on a court within the staff housing complex at the end of the workday at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A replica of the Karl Theodor Bridge in Huawei's Ox Horn campus Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Karl Theodor Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees ride the bus home at the end of the workday from the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei workers eat their subsidised lunch in one of many large cafeterias at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Reception staff walk in front of a large screen showcasing different technologies in the foyer of a building used for high profile customer visits at the campus in Shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee reads in the staff library on a break at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's new Ox Horn campus modelled after a European City Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Servers are seen inside Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The conductor waits for a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A general view shows the research and development centre at Huawei's Ox Horn campus AFP/Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees works on a mobile phone production line at Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An office building on the Huawei campus in Dongguan AFP/Getty 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%, he continued. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. It wasnt immediately clear why Mr Trump was abruptly announcing new and increased tariffs over the weekend, when Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that he was optimistic about striking a deal with Beijing. The president concluded, The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also said the two countries were closer to reaching an agreement on Wednesday. Recommended Trump rages in Fox News interview as Congress launches new probe Discussions remain focused toward making substantial progress on important structural issues and re-balancing the US-China trade relationship, she said. Reports previously indicated a deal could be reached as soon as Friday, though it remains unclear how Mr Trumps Twitter announcement may affect the negotiations. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The threats were just two of several tweets the president posted Sunday. He also decried the result of the Kentucky Derby, blaming a historic overturning of the first-place title on an era of political correctness, and lambasted investigations into Russian interference, urging Special Counsel Robert Mueller not to testify before Congress. Federal prosecutors have rejected a last-ditch request from Michael Cohens legal team to discuss ways to reduce his three-year prison sentence in exchange for information. It means Donald Trumps former attorney will report to prison on Monday after he pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations, tax evasion, bank fraud and lying to Congress. Cohen will be housed in dorm-like accommodation at the minimum-security wing of the Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville, about 70 miles northwest of New York City. Prison consultants said it had become a destination for Jewish inmates due to its proximity to New York Citys Jewish and upstate New Yorks Orthodox Jewish enclaves. Hes going to what I like to refer to as Jewish heaven, said Larry Levine, founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants, who served a 10-year sentence. Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Show all 7 1 /7 Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump made me threaten his high school Cohen disclosed letters that Trump directed him to send to the President's former schools, threatening them never to release his grades and SAT scores EPA Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump reimbursed me for the hush money Cohen disclosed a cheque from the President that paid him back for the money he paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about her affair with Trump during his presidential campaign Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump directed the Trump Moscow negotiations Referring to the controversial business dealings with Russia that were ongoing during Trump's presidential campaign, Cohen stated "Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump is a racist Cohen noted a number of racist remarks that Trump had made, including saying while driving through a poor neighbourhood of Chicago that "only black people could live that way" Reuters Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump knew about the Wikileaks hacks Cohen says Mr Trump knew Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange about Wikileaks drops of emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign. AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Nothing went on that Trump wasn't aware of Cohen stated that "nothing went on in Trump world" of the campaign without the President being aware of it AFP/Getty Racist. Conman. Cheat. The biggest revelations from Cohen's testimony Trump did not provide evidence for why he avoided the Vietnam draft Having long said that he was not drafted to Vietnam due to a medical issue, Cohen claimed that Trump could not provide evidence of this. Mr Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery," Cohen told the hearing, he also stated that he told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment" Sky The prisons menu includes matzo ball soup, gefilte fish and rugelach pastry, features a full-time rabbi and gives inmates opportunities for occasional home visits. Jack Donson, a former manager at the prison who now runs a prison consulting firm, said the camp was a great place for white-collar Jewish guys. Michael Frantz, a former inmate who founded Jail Time Consulting, said: The availability for kosher food is much greater. Entrance to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York state (Reuters) (REUTERS) The camp is not fenced in and inmates movements throughout the day are not as tightly controlled as in more secure facilities. Inmates are given jobs, which Mr Levine described as busy work like cleaning or emptying garbage. But, in practice, work hours at Otisville are short, sometimes one or two hours a day, said Justin Paperny, a former inmate whose consulting firm White Collar Advice has clients in the camp. For much of the day, the former Trump associate can pretty much do what he wants, Mr Frantz said. Cohen, who once claimed he would take a bullet for Mr Trump, was sentenced in December for orchestrating payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal shortly before the 2016 US presidential election. He has accused his former boss of directing the payments, but the president, who has denied the affairs, said he never directed Cohen to do anything illegal. Michael Cohen leaves his apartment on 3 May ahead of reporting to jail on Monday (AP) Since mid-March, prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohens repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other people in his orbit. He hoped federal prosecutors would ask a judge to shorten his sentence. Cohen met with special counsel Robert Muellers investigators several times, culminating with a session only days before the former FBI director turned his report over to the Justice Department. On his last weekend of freedom before heading to jail, Cohen took his son to a barbershop in Manhattan, where they both got haircuts, before he visited Barneys luxury retail store.. He told reporters he plans to hold a news conference on Monday before entering prison. Additional reporting by AP Donald Trump has urged Special Counsel Robert Mueller not to testify to the US Congress about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The presidents latest comments arrived after he said he would not allow former White House counsel Don McGahn a prominent figure in the special counsels nearly 400-page report to testify to the House as it continues probing election interference and the Trump campaigns interactions with Russian operatives. After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify, Mr Trump said in a tweet. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? he continued. There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! The special counsels report found numerous examples of potential obstruction of justice on the part of the president, including instances in which he asked Mr McGahn to fire Mr Mueller after his appointment in 2017. 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 Upon learning he would be investigated by the special counsel, the report says Mr Trump said Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. Im f****d. The report also outlined Russias sweeping and systemic interference in the election, conducting a multi-pronged influence campaign that favoured Mr Trump over his former opponent, Hillary Clinton. The presidents tweet also arrived after Representative David Cicilline said on Fox News Sunday a tentative date has been set for Mr Mueller to provide testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member. The Democrat later clarified on Twitter: Just to clarify: we are aiming to bring Mueller in on the 15th, but nothing has been agreed to yet. Thats the date the Committee has proposed, and we hope the Special Counsel will agree to it, he continued, adding, Sorry for the confusion. Mr Trumps attorney general William Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week for one day, before failing to show for another day of testimony on Thursday. During his appearance, Mr Barr was grilled over his handling of the special counsels report and forced to defend his summary which sought to clear the president of any wrongdoing despite numerous examples of misconduct throughout the report. I wasnt hiding the ball, the attorney general said at one point. Democrats have now accused him of lying to Congress about knowing whether members of the special counsels team were frustrated by his four-page summary. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events When a president can end an investigation in which he is implicated simply because he thinks it unfair, it stands to reason he can end others on the same pretext. There is no limiting principle to this lawless idea, Democrat Adam Schiff wrote in a recent opinion article. He added, That makes Bill Barr the second most dangerous man in the country. It also renders him grossly unfit for office. An area of New York will officially be called The Wu-Tang District in honour of the iconic hip hop group. This is a great day where we have an opportunity to honour our own hometown heroes, the young men who put Staten Island on the map internationally, council member Debbie Rose said as part of the Park Hill neighbourhood Staten Island was renamed. They overcame all types of challenges, to not only become rap artist and hip-hop artist but to inspire and challenge the music world." Members of Wu-Tang Clan grew up in the area. Ms Rose also tweeted: The Wu-Tang Clan turned their experiences growing up here into something that now resonates with people all over the world, with young people who live in urban settings, young people whose neighbourhoods are underserved, young people who face economic and social challenges. Remarkable pictures of New York and New England Show all 12 1 /12 Remarkable pictures of New York and New England Remarkable pictures of New York and New England Firefighters Nick Padellaro, left, and Kevin Lundy clear snow from in front of the firehouse after an overnight storm dropped nearly a foot of snow in North Andover, Massachusetts. AP Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A cyclist rides past snow covered cars after a snowstorm left 10 inches (25.4 cm) of snow in Boston. EPA Remarkable pictures of New York and New England Children and adults sled down a hill in the Boston Common, after a snowstorm left 10 inches (25.4 cm) of snow in Boston. EPA Remarkable pictures of New York and New England Cars are plowed in and covered with snow on Commonwealth Avenue, after a snowstorm left 10 inches (25.4 cm) of snow in Boston. EPA Remarkable pictures of New York and New England Pedestrians walk through the Boston Common following a winter snow storm in Boston. REUTERS Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A New York City plow clears a street during the morning commute following a winter snow storm in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. REUTERS Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A dog named Jamal plays in the snow following an overnight storm in Boston. REUTERS Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A woman walks in Riverside Park during a snow storm in upper Manhattan in New York City. REUTERS Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A worker cuts away a tree that fell across Riverside Drive during a snow storm in upper Manhattan in New York City. REUTERS Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A car sits beneath broken branches that fell on it during a snow storm in upper Manhattan in New York City. REUTERS Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A couple walks down a path at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park on March 4, 2019 after a late season snowstorm caused New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce Sunday afternoon, that New York City public schools would be closed. AFP/Getty Images Remarkable pictures of New York and New England A Mandarin duck floats in an ice covered pond in Central Park on March 4, 2019 after a late season snowstorm caused New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce Sunday afternoon, that New York City public schools would be closed. AFP/Getty Images New York City Council voted unanimously to name the area after the legendary group member in December to commemorate their contributions to the borough. Both Wu-Tang members themselves and local politicians attended Saturdays ceremony. Rapper Raekwon The Chef also shared a clip of the unveiling in a post on Facebook. Thank You Staten Island, New York, he wrote. Wu-Tang Clan, one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time, has released four gold and platinum studio albums, selling around 40m worldwide. Its 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever entered Billboards album charts at number one. The group is due to embark on a huge UK arena tour with Public Enemy and De La Soul with the three influential rap groups performing three shows together this month. The triple-header, billed as part of the God of Rap tour, will commence on 10 May with a show at Londons SSE Wembley Arena, before to Manchester and Glasgow. The tour will mark the anniversary of Wu-Tangs Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) which turns 25 this year. The track is considered by many to be one of the all-time great hip hop records. Brunei has announced it will not enforce the death penalty for gay sex a significant U-turn on policy for which it faced widespread criticism. The small southeast Asian countrys Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah extended a moratorium on the sentence in a bid to alleviate an international backlash led by high-profile individuals such as George Clooney and Sir Elton John. Brunei provoked an uproar when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or Sharia, on 3 April, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning. The tiny oil-rich state has consistently defended its right to implement the laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then. But in a rare response to criticism levied at the country, the sultan said the death penalty would not be imposed in the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Show all 11 1 /11 The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Stephen Fry Cancelled in nick of time: discovered [Coworth Park] that I was booked into is part of the Dorchester Collection, he tweeted in April, just before controversial laws making homosexuality punishable by stoning to death were passed by the hotel chain's owner, the Sultan of Brunei. Corbis The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Anna Wintour "While I am sensitive to the potential impact that this issue may have on the wonderful staff at Le Meurice, I cannot in all good conscience stay there, nor can Vogue's editors," the US Vogue editor said as she declared hers and Conde Nast's boycott on the Dorchester Collection. AP The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Richard Branson "No @Virgin employee, nor our family, will stay at Dorchester Hotels until the Sultan abides by basic human rights," Sir Branson tweeted in May. Getty Images The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Jay Leno Jay Leno joined protesters in a street march against the Sultan of Brunei and declared his boycott on the leader's international business exploits. Getty The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Ellen DeGeneres "I won't be visiting the Hotel Bel-Air or the Beverly Hills Hotel until this is resolved," the chat show host tweeted, posting a link to a story about stoning homosexuals to death. Getty The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Sharon Osbourne Boycott fan Sharon Osbourne called the Sultan's anti-gay laws "the actions of a barbarian". She also recently denied ordering take away from the Beverly Hills Hotel. Getty The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Francois Henri Pinault The influential French billionaire and chief executive of luxury fashion company Kering joined the campaign in April. Getty The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Paul McCartney The Beatles star eschewed staying in any of the Dorchester Collections residences over the Sultan of Brunei's human rights issues. AP The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Stella McCartney The fashion designer, along with her father, was one of the first to boycott the Dorchester Collection Hotels. Corbis The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Brian Atwood As was shoe designer Brian Atwood, who opposed Brunai's 'stone the gays' laws, passed in April. Getty The A-list boycotting the Sultan of Brunei's Dorchester Hotel Collection Peter Som Another fashion designer, Peter Som, reiterated Atwood's message and boycotted the hotel. Getty Some crimes already command the death penalty in Brunei, including premeditated murder and drug trafficking, but no executions have been carried out since the 1990s. I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the SPCO. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident, the sultan said in a speech ahead of the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. As evident for more than two decades, we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO, which provides a wider scope for remission. The massively wealthy sultan, who once piloted his own 747 airliner to meet former American president Barack Obama, often faces criticism from activists who deem his absolute monarchy to be despotic, but it is unusual for him to respond. Independent Minds Q&A session on the Middle East, Trump, Syria and Isis The sultans office released an official English translation of his speech, which is not common practice. Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country, he said. They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals. The laws implementation, which the United Nations condemned, sparked celebrities and rights organisations to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Several multinational companies have since put a ban on staff using the sultans hotels and some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination. The Police Federation, which represents more than 119,000 officers in England and Wales up to the rank of chief inspector, also lent its support by moving its annual bravery awards away from the Dorchester hotel. Brunei has signed but not yet ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and has rejected all recommendations to this effect in its human rights review at the UN in 2014, Amnesty International has said. Under international human rights law, corporal punishment in all its forms such as stoning, amputation or whipping constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, which is barred in all circumstances. Additional reporting by Reuters Kim Jong-un oversaw a major strike drill testing various missile components, state media in North Korea has confirmed. Several short-range projectiles were fired into the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. The purpose of the drill was to test performance of "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons," it said. Confirmation of the tests first reported by South Korea makes it the first missile launch by Pyongyang since November 2017. They are the first such launches since Mr Kim and US president Donald Trump held two summits in June last year and February aimed at easing tensions on the troubled peninsula. North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu (L) from a balcony AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean performers dance EPA North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean military officers applaud near portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean tanks roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary A girl reacts during a parade AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, reacts as he chats with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Performers take part in a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean artillery roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Students perform Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Soldiers march during a military parade Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty The drill carried out from the eastern city of Wonsan was immediately interpreted as an attempt by North Korea to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in negotiations aimed at denuclearising the region and lifting crippling economic sanctions. "What was sobering for me was that unexpectedly, there was a photo of short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, otherwise known as the North's version of Iskander," said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in South Korea. These new, solid fuel ballistic missiles can fly as far as 311 miles, he added, putting the entire peninsula within range. They are also capable of neutralizing the advanced US anti-missile defence system, known as THAAD, which is deployed in South Korea, military analysts say. The launch did not, however, strictly speaking, break Mr Kim's promises to pause nuclear and ballistic missile testing as the weapons did not fall into these categories. "North Korea only promised a self-imposed moratorium of testing long-range missiles such as ICBMs that can hit the US homeland [so] we should not be shocked by a short-range launch," said Harry Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest think tank in Washington. Mr Trump, himself, said in a Twitter post that he was still confident he could reach an agreement with Mr Kim. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "I believe that Kim Jong-un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," he wrote. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" South Korea, which estimated the missiles flew up to 149 miles, called on its neighbour to stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula". Thailand's king was been crowned on the first of three days of coronation rites, which will see him symbolically transformed into a living god after the culmination of intricate Buddhist and Brahmin rituals. Maha Vajiralongkorn was officially crowned on Saturday, but has been the southeast Asian nation's constitutional monarch since October 2016 following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Tradition dictates the first royal command is issued during the crowning and serves to capture the essence of the new king's reign. "I shall reign in righteousness for the benefits of the kingdom and the people forever," the king said, before taking his seat on a high throne under a nine-tiered umbrella in full royal regalia, including a gold-enameled, diamond-tipped crown. Seated below him was his former chief bodyguard and new Queen Suthida, after a surprise announcement three days before the coronation that the thrice-divorced monarch had married for a fourth time. Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures Show all 9 1 /9 Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures EPA Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures EPA Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures REUTERS Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures AFP/Getty Images Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures AP Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures AFP/Getty Images Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures EPA Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures EPA Coronation of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn: In pictures Getty Images The coronation comes after a period of mourning for the late king, who ruled for seven decades. It also falls amid an unresolved election battle between the ruling military junta and a "democratic front", which is trying to push the army out of politics. Recommended What to watch for as Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn is crowned Thailand ended absolute rule by its kings in 1932, but the monarchy remains highly revered as the divine symbol and protector of the country and Buddhist religion. Thai kings' coronation rituals are a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu Brahmin traditions dating back centuries. One of the many official titles King Vajiralongkorn will take is Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782. Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (C) sitting on the throne during his coronation ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok (ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU) Saturday's rituals were about transforming him into a "Devaraja", or a divine embodiment of the gods. The coronation takes place inside the Grand Palace throne hall where the royal guardian deity Phra Siam Devadhiraj is said to reside. Other features of the coronation include: Presenting the king with the royal golden plaque containing his name and title, the royal horoscope, and the royal seal, which were made in a three-hour ritual last week. Receiving and wearing the five articles of the royal regalia from the chief Brahmin. The high-reaching crown, which weighs 7.3 kg (16 lb) and symbolises the summit of Mount Meru, the Hindu god Indra's heavenly abode, and its weight represents the monarch's royal burden. Waters collected from 117 sources, blessed by Buddhist monks and Brahmin priests at temples around the country, were used to consecrate the king. (Getty Images) This purification is the essential step for the king to be considered the divine representative on Earth and chief patron of Buddhism. Outside the palace walls, a sea of people in yellow polo shirts - a colour that is symbolic of the king - sat on roadsides, holding up portraits of the king and the Thai national flag. Pope Francis plan to visit a refugee centre during his trip to Bulgaria, the European Unions poorest country, has exposed the divide between the countrys hard line against migrants and the pontiffs view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. On a two-day trip that began on Sunday, Pope Francis plans to tour a refugee centre and dive into the Vaticans complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. He will then have a day-long stop in neighbouring North Macedonia on Tuesday, the first by a Pope. Pope Francis will meet prime minister Boyko Borisov, whose centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed wire fence. Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis celebrates the Holy Mass at the Phoenix Park, in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis arrives at Phoenix Park for a Papal Mass of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin EPA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A vigil takes place at the site of the mass grave which contained the remains of 796 named babies from the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home in Tuam. The vigil coincides with the Phoenix park mass which is taking place in Dublin held by Pope Francis. Excavations at the site in 2017 revealed underground structures which held babies bodies with ages ranging from 35 weeks to three years old with most of the dead buried in the 1950s when the facility was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a Catholic religious order of nuns who received unmarried pregnant women to give birth Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures An aerial view of the crowd at Phoenix Park Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Children queue for communion during Pope Francis' closing Mass PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures The Stand4Truth rally gathers outside a former Magdalene laundry in Dublin as part of the demonstrations against clerical sex abuse PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis leads the Holy Mass at Phoenix Park AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Holy Mass at the Phoenix Park AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures The names of the victims are read out as a vigil takes place at the site of the mass grave which contained the remains of 796 named babies from the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis leads the Holy Mass at Phoenix Park AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A member of the clergy carries a bowl of incense PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A vigil takes place at the site of the mass grave which contained the remains of 796 named babies Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Members of the public pray as they watch Pope Francis deliver a Papal Mass of the World Meeting of Families at Phoenix Park EPA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis attends the closing Mass at the World Meeting of Families at Phoenix Park in Dublin PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis passes by a banner of a protester as he leaves St Mary's Pro-Cathedral AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis speaks during his visit to the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to the waiting crowds on Christchurch PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to the waiting crowds on College Green PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Members of the public wave at Pope Francis as he travels through the city Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis laughs as he leaves St Mary's Pro Cathedral during his visit to Dublin Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Two boys wave flags after climbing a post as they wait for Pope Francis Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pairs of baby shoes are hung from black ribbons on Gardiner Street in Dublin in memory of the children who died at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Crowds on O'Connell Street PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures WMOF2018/Maxwell Photography/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis memorabilia on sale on O'Connell Street PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis arrives at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral during his visit to Ireland to attend the 2018 World Meeting of Families AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to the waiting crowds on O'Connell Street PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis addresses the congragation at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Stephen O'Brien selling bottles of holy water from the St Mary's Pro Cathedral PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis prays inside St Mary's Pro Cathedral Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A man waves a rainbow flag behind a model of a pope which stands in the window above a bar Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures People hold a banner against Pope Francis on the way to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Nuns wait by the side of the road for Pope Francis Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A model of a pope is placed in the window above a bar as crowds wait for Pope Francis to travel through the city Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Crowds on O'Connell Street, Dublin waiting to see Pope Francis as he travels in the Popemobile PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to wellwishers as he arrives at Dublin Airport Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures His visit, the first by a Pope since John Paul II's in 1979 is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of Catholics to a series of events in Dublin and Knock PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis talks to journalists aboard a plane flying from Fiumicino aiport to Dublin AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures LGBT protestors from Dublin Pride and We Are Church with flags and umbrellas on Ha'Penny Bridge, Dublin to remember the victims of clerical sex abuse ahead of the start of the visit to Ireland by Pope Francis PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis disembarks from the aircraft as he arrives at Dublin Airport Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Woman wait for Pope Francis to drive past, in Dublin Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Taoiseach Leo Varadkar delivers a speech watched by Pope Francis in St. Patrick's Hall at Dublin Castle WMOF2018/Maxwell Photography/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Protesters hold banners during a demonstration against clerical sex abuse, in Dublin Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis plants a tree during a meeting with Irish President Michael D Higgins, at Aras an Uachtarain PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis walks with the President of Ireland Michael Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain WMOF2018/Maxwell Photography/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis, center, is flanked by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, right, as they arrive to meet authorities, in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Protestors wearing baby shoes, to signify the children who died in mother and baby homes in Ireland, protest in Dublin ahead of the start of the visit to Ireland by Pope Franci PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis speaks with President Michael D Higgins in his study during a visit to Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park, Dublin PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Navy band march prior to the arrival of Pope Francis at the Presidential residence in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Eddie McGuinness from Dublin LGBTQ Pride carries a rainbow flag across Ha'Penny Bridge, Dublin ahead of the start of the visit to Ireland by Pope Francis PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A message left by Pope Francis in the visitors book at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park PA The Argentine Pope has made the plight of migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy, urging governments to build bridges, not walls, and to do what they can to welcome and integrate refugees fleeing wars and poverty. His visit falls just three weeks before European parliament elections across the EUs 28 nations in which nationalist, anti-migrant parties are expected to make a solid showing. Pope Francis will visit a refugee centre in a former school on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital. Radostina Belcheva of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria said his visit will show solidarity with those in need. But really, their whole acceptance is a matter for each of us and for our society, Ms Belcheva said. Bulgarias tough stance on refugees has been a deterrent: while some 20,000 people applied for asylum in Bulgaria in 2015, that number dwindled to 2,500 last year, according to the state refugee agency. Pope Francis also will meet with the leader of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neofit, during a visit on Sunday to the headquarters of the Holy Synod, the churchs governing body. The conservative Bulgarian church does not participate in official Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and even snubbed a pan-Orthodox council in Crete in 2016. The Holy Synod has made clear that it will not take part in any joint services or prayers with the Pope, although a childrens choir is expected to sing for him. Pope Francis is also expected to minister to Bulgarias tiny Catholic community, which represents just under 1 per cent of the population of some 7 million. Despite the small numbers of Catholics, Bulgarians are particularly fond of one of the 20th-century Catholic Churchs most important figures, Pope John XXIII. The former Angelo Roncalli was the Vatican envoy to Bulgaria from 1925-1934 and is known affectionately as the Bulgarian Pope. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, is the blocs poorest country, with the lowest average monthly salary 575 euros (489) and the smallest average monthly pension of 190 euros. The World Bank has warned that Bulgaria needs to grow 4 per cent a year over the next 25 years to catch up with the rest of the EU. One of the main reasons it has not is widespread corruption and graft, which are draining the economy and keeping foreign investments away. Bulgaria is also the worlds fastest shrinking nation, according to the United Nations, with its current population of 7 million expected to dwindle to 5.4 million by 2050 and to 3.9 million by the end of the century. Bulgaria has the EUs highest mortality rate and one of the blocs lowest birth rates. That, combined with tens of thousands of workers leaving the country annually, poses serious problems for funding the countrys pension system. Associated Press At least seven people were killed and 55 wounded after a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car at a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan. Officials added that clashes between gunmen and security forces continued inside the headquarters after the explosion. An interior ministry official in Kabul said the bomber blew up a Humvee loaded with explosives at the entrance gate of police headquarters in the city of Pul-e-Khumri. "At least seven civilians and security officials have been killed. We have also received bodies of women and children," said Abdul Aleem Ghafari, deputy provincial health director in Pul-e-Khumri. A member of the Baghlan provincial council said clashes were ongoing and that it had sought immediate deployment of security forces from neighbouring provinces. Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Show all 20 1 /20 Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Nooria*, 15 in the home her family has lived in for the past two years in Mazar-i Sharif She was forced to flee her home with her family after their town was attacked by armed groups. Nooria describes a rocket hitting her neighbours home killing many inside. They fled on foot with just the clothes on their backs and she now lives in Mazari Shariff where Save the Children have enrolled her in school and provide vocational training Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Nooria* hopes for a future with no war; "When they attacked our village, the rocket hit our neighbour's house and they all died. Our house then caught fire and we ran away. My friends who I used to play with - I still don't know if they are alive or if they are dead. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict I'm hoping for a better future, to learn, to support my family and to get them out of this difficult life. And I'm hoping for a future where there is no war. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Naveed*, 16 at his family home in Mazar-i Sharif Naveed lost his leg when he stepped on a mine aged just 8-years-old. He was herding the family's sheep in the mountains near their home when he triggered a landmine Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict After months of medical treatment his right leg was eventually amputated. He received physiotherapy and a prosthetic leg from the International Committee for the Red Cross in Mazar Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Now enrolled in school, Naveed is being given vocational training by Save the Children. For around a year I felt and dreamt that I still had my leg. But when I woke up and saw, there was no leg. Sometimes Id feel with my hand to check and find it wasn't there. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict If someone has loses their leg, it does not mean that they have lost their mind." Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict "With the help of our minds we can continue to study, learn, and work to make the future of our families brighter. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Naveed and Mahboob*, 55 (Naveed's father) Several years ago Neveed's father, Mahboob, was brutally beaten with rifle butts by armed groups after, he says, he failed to provide food for them while they were stationed in the family's village. He suffered brain damage which affected the right side of his body, speech and his brain function Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Habiba*, 14, and Arezo*, 15 in a village outside Kabul Habiba and Arezo were injured with their mother three years ago in a suicide bombing in Kabul. Arezo is still traumatised from what she saw and has become completely withdrawn Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Arezo's younger sister Habiba cares for her, takes her to lessons and anywhere she wants to go. They are both in school through Save the Children's 'Steps towards Afghan girls' education success' (STAGES) programme, which helps the most marginalised girls get access to education, stay in school and learn. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Habiba says: When I woke up and I opened my eyes I saw lots of bodies and I thought I was not alive any more. It was horrible. I'll never forget that. Whenever there is a big sound she gets scared because she was traumatised by the sound she heard during the attack. I love my sister, and I help her with her lessons, I take her anywhere." Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict "She's older than me but I feel like the older one because I support her. I hope for a better future for me and my sister. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Khalida*, 10 in a classroom in a village outside Kabul Two years ago Khalida lost her 18-year old brother when he was killed in an explosion in Kabul. She misses him every day and says the family are still carrying the grief of his loss Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict "Two years ago, my brother was going to Kabul when an explosion happened and he lost his life. We are still carrying the grief and are crying over him. At the time we were happy, everyone was happy. Now no-one is happy in the family. When I remember him, I cry and feel so bad. I hope for peace and that war will stop, and that nobody loses their brother Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict I want to get education to become a teacher. I want to teach others who have never been to school Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Sema*,11 at her family home in Kabul Sema recalls coming home from her aunt's house and being told that her father had been killed in a suicide attack Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict Sema still thinks about him every second and likes to look at his prayer beads (Tisbeh) to remember him. They hang from the curtain in the family home. She loves school and wants to become a teacher one day. Sema says she wants peace in her country to stop other children losing their fathers. We still have lots of his belongings, like his car, his clothes, his watch, his shoes. Whenever we see them we cry. He gave us all so much love every moment and he is on our minds. I want for the powerful people around the world to stop the war and bring peace, because I don't want other children to lose their fathers. Andrew Quilty/Save the Children Afghanistan war: lives of children devastated by the endless conflict I want to become a teacher to serve the country and I don't want any girls to be illiterate. I want to teach all the girls, so they have access to education. *Names have been changed to protect identities Andrew Quilty/Save the Children "Clashes have not stopped," said Assadullah Shahbaz. The Taliban, which is seeking to restore strict Islamic rule, claimed responsibility for the attack. "Several other Taliban fighters are presently clashing with the Afghan forces," said Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesperson at the Interior Ministry in Kabul, said that several Taliban fighters had managed to penetrate the police headquarters. "Two of the attackers have been shot dead and operations are underway to eliminate militants engaged in a gun battle with Afghan forces," said Mr Rahimi. The Taliban frequently capture US-made armoured Humvee vehicles from Afghan forces to load with explosives and use them as car bombs to breach military fortifications. The group have stepped up attacks on security installations, even as they hold direct talks with US officials to end the war in Afghanistan. The hardline Islamists holds sway over more territory than at any point since its ousting by US-led troops after the 11 September attacks on the United States in 2001. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The group rejected appeals made last week by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and the US special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, to declare a ceasefire in the 17-year conflict. Afghan-born US diplomat Mr Khalilzad is leading the sixth round of talks with the Taliban in Doha to pursue a deal that would bring the withdrawal of foreign forces in return for Taliban security guarantees. "All sides agreeing to reduce violence is a necessary step towards achieving that outcome and the morally responsible choice to make. We stand ready," Mr Khalilzad wrote on Twitter. His comments came a day after Mr Ghani said he was prepared to call an "immediate" and "permanent" ceasefire. About 45,000 Afghan security forces have been killed since Mr Ghani took office in September 2014. The Taliban said they will not lay down their arms ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. "A ceasefire will only get discussed once a deal about foreign force withdrawal gets finalised," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's Doha-based political spokesperson, told Reuters. The Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan consists of 17,000 troops, about half of them from the United States. A smaller number of US troops operate in Afghanistan under a counter-terrorism mission. The United Nations top official in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, called on Sunday for all parties to halt the fighting before Ramadan. Reuters Archaeologists have uncovered part of a cemetery thousands of years old near Egypts famed pyramids on the Giza plateau near Cairo. The cemetery houses burial shafts and tombs of top officials. The most significant artefact uncovered was a limestone statue of the tombs owner, his wife and his son dating back to the fifth dynasty (2465-2323 BC), officials said. Ashraf Mohi, head of the archaeological site, said it was known that the cemetery had been reused extensively in the Late Period (664-332 BC), as archaeologists found painted and decorated wooden anthropoid coffins, and wooden and clay funerary masks from that period. Egypt has touted a series of archaeological finds recently, hoping such discoveries will spur tourism, which suffered a major setback during the unrest that followed the 2011 uprising. Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb Show all 10 1 /10 Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb Mummified mice and falcons on display at the newly discovered burial site Reuters Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb Mummified falcons are found inside the Tomb of Tutu in Sohag, Egypt Reuters Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb An archeologist holds an ancient mummified bird Reuters Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb A member of the Egyptian security forces walks through the entrance of the newly discovered tomb AFP/Getty Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb A mummified head of a falcon on display at the newly discovered burial site Reuters Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb Ancient decorative faces on display at the Tomb of Tutu Reuters Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb An Egyptian plainclothes police officer walks through the entrance of the burial site AFP/Getty Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb Preserved wall paintings inside the tomb Reuters Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb An Egyptian antiquities security guard walks through the tombs entrance AFP/Getty Egypt: Mummified mice found in spectacular tomb An antiquities security guard takes a photo inside the newly discovered tomb AFP/Getty Secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Mostafa Waziri, said the tomb belonged to two men. Flash Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn was crowned in Baisal Daksin Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, becoming the rightful head of the kingdom according to Thai tradition. In the televised coronation ceremony, the King, sitting on Bhadrapitha Throne under the Great Tiered Umbrella of Baisal Daksin Throne Hall, was offered the Great Crown of Victory and thus crowned. The King was also offered the Royal Golden Plaque with inscription of his official title, the Royal Seal, the Sword of Victory, the Royal Scepter, the Royal Fan and Fly Whisk, and the Royal Slippers, among others. Then the King gave his first royal command in Thai language, "For the people and the kingdom, I shall inherit the tradition, reign in righteousness." The King also granted full royal title to Queen Suthida, whom he just named Queen this Wednesday before the coronation ceremony. The crowning ritual was introduced from Europe to the Thai coronation ceremony during the reign of King Rama IV. In ancient times, the most important part of the whole coronation ceremony was considered to be the holy water anointment ritual, and the crown was only seen as one of the royal objects, which was just placed next to the king at the coronation ceremony. At present, the crowning is accepted as the highest ceremony, according to a document from the Thai Ministry of Culture. Before the crowning, the "Muratha Bhisek" ritual and the "Abhiseka" ritual were held inside the Grand Palace according to Thai tradition which was influenced by ancient Indian culture. The Thai term "Muratha Bhisek" refers to the action of pouring holy water over the head of the King. The king, in a white ritual garment and sitting in a ceremonial pavilion inside the palace, was presented holy "Muratha Bhisek" water collected from five sacred rivers and four ponds. Then the king changed to royal ritual costume to attend the Abhiseka ritual held in Baisal Daksin Throne Hall, during which he received holy water poured into a cup he held in his hand from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, President of the National Legislative Assembly Pornpetch Wichitcholchai and Cheep Chulamon, president of Supreme Court among other officials, signifying he is the king in a democratic system. The whole coronation ceremony will last for three days starting from Saturday. The King would grant new royal titles to royal family members, ride in the royal palanquin in the royal procession to receive people's good wishes on Sunday, and meet a public audience including members of international diplomatic corps on Monday. A pregnant mother and her 14-month-old baby girl have been killed by an Israeli airstrike, as cross-border violence continues near Gaza, Palestinian officials have claimed. Israel disputed the claim. Seba Abu Arar, was killed when an Israeli airstrike hit her home in east Gaza City, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Her pregnant mother, aged 37, was severely wounded and died later at hospital. Another child was slightly injured. Israel disputed the claim that she had been hit by an airstrike. Officials said they had been hit by one of hundreds of rockets fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip. They said one of the projectiles had fallen short of its target and landed in the Gaza strip. Israel responded with dozens of retaliatory airstrikes and tank shelling on at least 30 different militant targets. Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Show all 10 1 /10 Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters burn tires during a demonstration on the Israel border on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters run through smoke from tear gas and burning tires during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters climb the fence along the border with Israel during a demonstration AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters holding national flags walk past burning tires during a demonstration on the Israel border AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester wears a head band as he takes part in a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel, east of Gaza City on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters and a medic run to pick up a child during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters run through smoke from tear gas and burning tires during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A man carries the Palestinian flag during a demonstration near the border fence with Israel AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester wears a mask painted in the colours of the national flag during a demonstration on the Israel border AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester returns a tear gas canister thrown by Israeli troops during a demonstration on the border AFP/Getty Blaming a missile from an Israeli plane, Sebas aunt said shrapnel had hit the child and killed her. They were sitting at the yard in their house with their mother. added Abu Nidal Abu Arar, a relative living next door. They were shocked by a missile landing on them. This occupation is criminal. Hostilities had earlier broken out in the region on Friday, when a Palestinian militant sniper fired at Israeli troops and wounded two soldiers, Israels military said. The country retaliated with an airstrike that killed two militants from the armed Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. Two other Palestinians protesting near the border were killed by Israeli forces on Friday, Palestinian officials said. Hamas, which controls Gaza and Islamic Jihad, a separate militant group, fired waves of rockets into Israel early on Saturday. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events At least 13 other Palestinians were wounded on Saturday and two men, aged 22 and 25, were also killed, health officials in Gaza said. In Israel, medical officials said an 80-year-old woman was severely wounded by rocket fire, a 50-year-old man was wounded by shrapnel and a teenage boy was mildly hurt as he ran for cover. The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding the soldiers. Although the initial round of shooting was not coordinated with Hamas, Israel said it holds the group responsible for all fire coming from Gaza. The United Nations mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said the organisation was working with Egypt to restore calm and called on all sides to de-escalate and to restore a recent ceasefire. Those who seek to destroy them will bear responsibility for a conflict that will have grave consequences for all, he said in a statement. Additional reporting by agencies One year ago, Matthew Hedges, a 31-year old Durham University PhD student from Exeter, was wrongfully imprisoned in the UAE. Matthew was in the country for two weeks to research the impact of the Arab spring on the UAEs foreign policy. On his way home to the UK, he was detained at Dubai airport. He was then subjected to around six months of inhumane treatment and solitary confinement which Matthew described as psychological torture. In November 2018, the UAE authorities sentenced Matthew to life imprisonment on spying charges after a five-minute hearing during which his lawyer was not present. While Matthew was in prison, his wife, Daniela Tejada, campaigned for his freedom from back home in the UK. Her appearances all over the news raised awareness of this injustice and sparked public outrage resulting in foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt publicly demanding Matthews release. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran after she was allowed to leave the Iranian prison, she is being held in, for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family. Free Nazanin Campaign/AP Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella. Nazanin is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's government. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures June 2016 Richard Ratcliffe's daughter Gabriella had her British passport confiscated and was stranded in Iran with her grandparents after her mother Nazanin was jailed. He left left a giant birthday card on the doorstep of the Iranian embassy in central London to mark her second birthday in June 2016. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin has spent some of her prison sentence in solitary confinement. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella. Family Handout Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures July 2016 Richard Ratcliffe delivering a letter of petition with his mother Barbara Ratcliffe and MP Tulip Siddiq, to 10, Downing Street on the 100th day of her detention, on July 12, 2016. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Supporters of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe held a vigil outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to mark her 707 days in captivity. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures January 2017 Richard Ratcliffe holds a '#Free Nazanin' sign and candle during a vigil for for wife on January 16, 2017. The vigil, being held outside the Iranian Embassy in London marks one year since the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and other US-Iranian dual-nationals were released from prison in Iran. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin with her daughter Gabriella before they were detained by Iranian authorities. Change.org Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures September 2017 Gabriella, who is three-years-old in this picture, has now spent two years away from her mother. Richard Ratcliffe Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meets with Richard Ratcliffe over Nazanin's case. They meet just days after Johnson told a parliamentary committee that she was in Iran "training journalists". WPA Pool/Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 Actor Emma Thompson braved pneumonia to support Richard Ratcliffe in leading demonstrators before a march in support of Nazanin in November. Reuters Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 Richard Ratcliffe after the march said: 'It is profoundly moving to see so many people here.' REUTERS Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures November 2017 A picture of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe shown on Iranian state TV as part of a report that made fresh allegations against her. They said she had been recruiting for banned broadcast services, as well as 'opposition cyber teams'. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures December 2017 Iranian president Hassan Rouhani greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran. Johnson visited Tehran to discuss the fate of detained Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. EPA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures December 2017 Photos of Richard Ratcliffe and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on display at their home in north London. Mr Ratcliffe said he believed there was "still a chance" she may be released from an Iranian prison in time for a dream Christmas together. Unfortunately that didn't happen. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures February 2018 Richard Ratcliffe delivers a petition and a letter addressed to the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to demand her release, at the Iranian Embassy in London on February 21, 2018. He also left support letters for his spouse in the country's embassy, amid a visit by a deputy foreign minister. AFP/Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures August 2018 Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt meeting Richard Ratcliffe. Hunt has pledged to do everything possible to secure the release of a charity worker jailed in Iran Jeremy Hunt/PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in pictures August 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran after she was allowed to leave the Iranian prison, she is being held in, for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family. PA After six long months in prison, the UAE pardoned Matthew and released him. Danielas strength, resilience and tireless campaigning is one of the main reasons Matthew is free and reunited with her in the UK. I had the privilege of meeting Daniela at a parliament event in October 2018. The event was for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, another innocent British citizen wrongfully imprisoned overseas, this time in Iran. Nazanin is still in prison today and her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has been campaigning tirelessly to free his wife. If we allow this to happen to one of us, we allow this to happen to all of us which is why I campaign to free wrongfully imprisoned people in these situations. Matthews fight isnt over. Speaking to me, he said: The public support has been amazing but to be honest, whilst I was in detention I didnt know the amount of support that I had. It was quite overwhelming to know how many people had spent time thinking about my situation, writing letters and statements to try and push for my release I am really grateful for all that. My main priority is to try and make sure this doesnt happen again. There is a quite surprising lack of understanding about what being an academic entails and there are very few formal protections available for academics and this needs to change. Matthew and Daniela are now campaigning for academic freedom. They dont want this injustice to happen to anyone else. They know this is going to be a tough fight and theyre going to need backup. Theyre going to need us, and we can do more to help than we realise. We can write to our MPs urging the government to better protect British nationals abroad, put people before profit and put the safety of our citizens before trade deals with countries like the UAE. Protocols must be in place to ensure the safety of university students and employees conducting research overseas, and we can also write to them asking them to make this happen. We can stand in solidarity with Matthew and Daniela. Let this innocent couple know that in spite of the atrocities that were carried out, there is a world of care out there and we stand by their side, that we are here to help. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Speaking to me about the impact of widespread support, Daniela said she was glad that she made the decision to go public with what was happening to Matt. The support we gained during that time not only helped ensure Matts freedom but it actually provided myself and our families with a source of strength. We garnered an unprecedented amount of support especially from other academics around the world and nearly 700 of them signed an open letter asking the UAE to release one of their own. I also met Richard Ratcliffe at the time and his support and encouragement was a reminder of the strength and resilience needed for this; it kept me going. When faced with impossibly unfair situations like these, our common sense of fairness and community can make a real difference to the fates of those who have been targeted. But it shouldnt all be up to the average person. British citizens should be entitled to the states protection, especially in cases like Matthews. On the anniversary of his imprisonment, let us come together and urge our government to make sure that happens. Dairy and beef farmer Seamus Davern faced every farmer's nightmare in 2016 when his dairy herd of over 120 cows was hit by TB. With a wife and four children to look after, the Tipperary man contacted his local AIB branch in Thurles straight away. His aim was to rebuild the herd from scratch, but Seamus' dealings with the bank started to get rocky during this period. "I already had 34 in-calf heifers, so I built up the herd with them and bought some young stock," says the Rossmore farmer, whose children are now aged between five and 16. "I got on to AIB as soon as we found out about the TB. I had four loans with them. It took a while to get answers from them, but it was eventually arranged that I would just pay interest on them for a time. "I was paying back the interest on the loans and managed to get on track in 2018 and paid back one small loan in full." Seamus was hopeful that the tide was starting to turn in the farm's favour. But two letters recently arrived at his door from AIB which stated that three of his loans were being sold to Everyday Finance, with expected transfer due on June 14, and that his overdraft of 15,000 was being stopped and sold if it wasn't fully paid back by June 7. "I was shocked when I got this. I never neglected a loan in my life. Even in 2009 when I ran in to overdraft problems, I kept up with the repayments," explains Seamus. "I'm 47 years of age and have dealt with AIB since the age of 14 and am disgusted at this. The title deeds of my home and farm are against these loans. I don't want to face the prospect of that going into the hands of vulture funds - they're called vultures for a reason, they don't care." Seamus' case is one of 130 farm loans which are set to be sold by AIB to Everyday Finance as part of a consortium with Everyday and affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management. Expand Close * TD John McGuinness: "Last year an elderly farmer was treated very badly by a vulture fund. He came to me and slept in a jeep in my yard." / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp * TD John McGuinness: "Last year an elderly farmer was treated very badly by a vulture fund. He came to me and slept in a jeep in my yard." Last week, the IFA staged a protest urging the bank to halt its decision to sell non-performing loans to vulture funds. The IFA is due to meet with AIB CEO Colin Hunt this week to discuss the sale of the farming loans. IFA farm business chairman Martin Stapleton says it's time AIB followed through on its advertising slogan of "backing brave" and halted its sale of farmer loans. "Our members would be prepared not to bid on farms where a farmer has made every possible attempt to pay the loan," he adds. Seamus is hopeful that the IFA discussion with AIB brings positive results, but is in negotiation with another bank who may take on his loans. Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness says he has seen farmers whose loans have been sold to vulture funds break down in front of him, so much so that he allowed one elderly drystock farmer sleep in a jeep in his yard last year. "I had a situation last year where an elderly farmer was treated very badly by a vulture fund. His farm was sold. He came to me and slept in a jeep in my yard. He didn't know where to turn," says the Carlow-Kilkenny TD. Mr McGuinness (pictured) has been campaigning for better regulation of vulture funds for several years and says that while the IFA action is late, the farm organisation needs to put pressure on the Government to stop the AIB sale. "IFA and Government need to stand firm and the Government needs to ensure it doesn't give permission to sell these loans and that it isn't just brushed under the carpet," he says. While Fianna Fail's Private Members Bill to regulate Vulture funds was signed in to law in December, Mr McGuinness says stronger legislation needs to be implemented and accused the Government and party leaders of "pandering to the banks". Meanwhile, party colleague Jackie Cahill feels that farm loans being sold to vulture funds is scandalous when most farmers are in a position to pay back their loans. "It's utterly appalling how the Government can stand over this. When banks do this, they break the trust built with their customers." David Hall, director of the Irish Mortgage Holders' Association, points out that AIB's chief customer and strategic officer, Jim O'Keeffe, said in a recent Finance Committee that research was being done looking into the possibility of transferring non-performing loans to charitable organisations instead of being sold to vulture funds. Mr Hall says this is an activity the IFA should be pursuing. He adds that the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 should be amended to protect land which is being used for business purposes as many farmers are in the position where they have leveraged their loan against land. He also urged farmers to seek professional advice if they are in arrears. "We're dealing with 192 farmers in arrears, some who have loans with AIB and some who have loans with other banks. Farmers in arrears shouldn't hide. By engaging with us and the banks, they increase their chances of restructuring their loan and paying it back 10-fold," he says. A spokesperson for AIB said that it cannot comment on individual cases but that it has "contacted customers with overdrafts outlining how we can support their working capital requirements." AIB confirmed that the sale of 1bn worth of loans consists of 2,200 non performing customer loans, around 95pc of which have been non performing for over two years. Everyone likes to be on the side of underdog. In Ireland, our passion for the 'small man' burns a molten red when land is involved. Mention the word 'eviction' and something visceral is stirred in us, and even the most recalcitrant of tenants will have little difficulty mustering solid public support. It all goes back to post-Famine Ireland and the Land War. The sight of bailiffs supported by the constabulary destroying mud huts and throwing impoverished families on to the side of the road is branded into the Irish folk memory. With such a toxic memory sloshing around the Irish psyche, it is easy to see why banks or lending houses seeking to repossess and offload distressed farming properties will face a torrid time. This is especially true when land, particularly family farmland, is the subject of repossession or forced sale. Even in the normal course of land transactions, be it by public auction or private treaty, there is often a local understanding as to who the 'natural buyer' for a property is. The adjoining farmer or the person who has been renting the land for a number of years will be regarded as the natural customer. God help the person who breaks this unwritten code, and unwittingly nods or winks in the direction of the auctioneer. When it comes to distressed rural properties the local, unspoken understanding takes on the force of 'omerta'. No local will be seen to facilitate dispossession and profit on another's misfortune. And it will take many a long day before the one who breaches this code will be forgotten or forgiven. Irish greeting card seller P&G has agreed a distribution deal with global card giant Hallmark. The deal will see the family-run Roscommon card company distribute all Hallmark products sold in this country across its own network of over 500 shops in the Republic of Ireland, particularly into the major multiples where it has a strong presence. "Hallmark did not have deals with the Irish multiples whereas we are the biggest supplier to that market in Ireland," said deputy managing director Michelle Daly. "The Hallmark deal is effectively an extension to the P&G range and is a big differentiator to our competitors. It will give Hallmark extra sales and gives us a new brand. "They had already done a similar deal with another company in Northern Ireland and when we picked up the phone to them they were very interested in working with us. They were a competitor but they are now a partner." The Hallmark range consists of 20,000 designs and Daly said that this would complement P&G's existing 3,000 designs. P&G is the biggest card seller in the country - selling close to 10 million a year - and has major contracts with Dunnes, Musgrave Group, BWG and a large number of independent retailers. The company employs 44 in Roscommon and exports greeting cards to the UK, South Africa and Malta. According to Daly, it is currently chasing more business in the UK, US and Europe. The biggest greeting card markets in the world are the US, UK and Ireland and the UK market alone is worth an estimated 1.75bn. The average number of cards sent per person is 33 a year in the UK and about 15 a year in Ireland, according to Daly. Among the titles published by INM in Ireland are the Herald, Sunday World, the Irish Independent and the Sunday Independent When Belgian/Dutch media group Mediahuis swooped in to agree a 145.6m deal to buy Independent News & Media (INM) last week, some European international media read it as the company's first strategic foray into the English-language market. Brussels-based business newspaper De Tijd, owned by a competitor group Mediafin, proclaimed that Mediahuis was "arming" itself for the internationalisation of media with the INM acquisition. Mediahuis CEO Gert Ysebaert told De Tijd: "The media sector is becoming increasingly international, with competition from major technology platforms. In that digital world it is an asset to also publish in English." Mediahuis's NRC Handelsblad in the Netherlands focused on how the new buyers of INM, publisher of the Sunday Independent and other titles, would be tasked with leading the group into a digital age. "Where many Dutch newspapers have digital subscriptions and, for example, invest in video and podcast, the Irish still strongly believe in the power of paper," reported the Dutch title. Speaking at a briefing to Irish media just hours after it was announced that businessmen Denis O'Brien and Dermot Desmond had agreed to sell their stakes totalling 45pc of INM to the Belgian company, Ysebaert and chairman Thomas Leysen said creating a business of scale was a key motivator for the deal. "We know that we are facing challenging times in the media industry. However, we have also demonstrated for the last couple of years that we believe if you do it really right, you have maximum professionalism in the business on the operations side, the commercial side, on technological side increasingly you can make this a viable business for the future," he said. "Another (core belief) is one is that scale is getting more important." Whatever the motivation, Mediahuis is taking a long view on its investment in Irish media. Leysen was eager to highlight the group's long-running involvement in publishing, in addition to a commitment to journalism. "My father, when Belgium's leading quality newspaper 45 years ago went bankrupt, he stepped forward with a group of other people to rescue such an important title at the time," Leysen said last week. Other shareholders in the company have been publishers for 120 years. "Mediahuis is really about journalism. It is a company that really believes in the importance of independent media and if you talk to anyone in Belgium you will hopefully get that confirmed, that we are in it for the long-term," he said. The company also has some classified businesses in areas such as recruitment, dating and property. These account for around 10pc of revenues, which were 819m for the group last year. Ysebaert outlined three beliefs the business has about media: "That we keep investing in strong journalism, in quality journalism, in independent journalism in our strong brands; that we believe we have to join forces to stay competitive in this whole new environment, competing with new tech platforms: and thirdly, that we invest to be the best in class in the digital transformation of the business." A JP Morgan adviser attended the briefing last Tuesday, indicating to Leysen and Ysebaert what they could and could not say on a range of issues, with Leysen declining to comment on the ODCE investigation into a data breach at the company. He also declined to give much insight into Mediahuis's plans for INM. He did indicate, however, that a priority for Mediahuis would be to accelerate a digital transformation already under way at INM. The deal is expected to conclude in the autumn. Long sales cycles, difficulty moving to implementation and a patchwork of legacy systems are some of the challenges facing startups in the travel technology space. (Stock picture) Long sales cycles, difficulty moving to implementation and a patchwork of legacy systems are some of the challenges facing startups in the travel technology space. Finding the right venture capital partner can help, delegates at The Future of Travel, a travel technology summit held in Cork, heard recently. The event, organised by Enterprise Ireland, brought global leaders in the travel sector together with Irish travel tech innovators to discuss how they are transforming to meet rapidly evolving customer expectations. Ireland is a leading travel tech hub with more than 100 companies operating in the space, including global leaders such as Ryanair, Datalex and CarTrawler. Partnering with a US venture capital firm can speed a firm's growth in that market, according to Katherine Grass, managing director of Thayer Ventures, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm specialising in travel technology investment. "For a European-based company looking for investors, you want someone who brings expertise to the table," she said. Thayer's primary focus is Series A funding. Right now, it sees opportunity in a subset of the hospitality sector, including what she calls "'alternative lodging models', trying to professionalise the whole Airbnb concept". Ditto smart cities. "How a city uses its kerb space better, the taxing of the streets," she added. The rise of delivery services, from Amazon to Uber, creates a need for solutions that help cities operate more effectively. Industry knowledge is held at a premium by travel VCs, agreed Amy Burr, managing director, partnerships and operations, at JetBlue Technology Ventures. The Silicon Valley-based corporate venture capital arm of JetBlue Airways invests in early-stage travel technology companies, including seed, Series A and Series B rounds. To secure investment from JetBlue Technology Ventures, a start-up must fall under one of five 'themes'. These are customer experience; hospitality and service; operations and maintenance; loyalty and distribution of revenue; and evolving regional travel. All are broad enough that "anything that actually touches travel, we can look at", said Burr, whose role is to help bring value to portfolio companies. Industry knowledge helps in this highly nuanced sector. "It's really complicated to hook into the legacy systems and processes and change the way people do business in travel. If you don't have that background in travel, you maybe want to look for someone who can help you in this vertical," said Burr. There is, of course, value in bringing the fresh perspective of the outsider to any industry, she said. "But the balance is that you've got to be able to find a way to work with the legacy systems." 500 Startups, the California-based early-stage venture fund, with a family of 19 funds around the world, invests at all stages, but typically Series C. "We are sector agnostic, but we invest in so many things that have applications that will or already have impacted on the travel industry," said Pedro Santos Vieira, head of partnerships at 500 Startups. For companies seeking VC investment, the most important consideration is the expertise of the board member it brings with it. A key driver for VC investors is the founding team, he said. "In deep tech, it's very customary to see teams that are super strong scientifically and technologically, but if they don't have the commercial ability, that's a potential red flag for us. "So we do try to find a team with complementary skills." The size of the market opportunity is vital but, interestingly, founder-market fit is more important than product-market fit for very early stage investors, he said. This is because 500's experience with its accelerator programme shows clearly how a strong team can pivot as the market requires. If they are the right team for that market, "the chances of us investing are much higher", he said. Enterprise Ireland will launch an international campaign to promote the travel tech sector later this year. To learn more, visit: www.irishadvantage.com/traveltech. Maire P Walsh is SVP Digital Technologies, Enterprise Ireland, San Francisco. We live in an age of obsession, and its all due to the unstoppable rise of the geek over the last two decades. Geeks used to be the cultural outliers, the misfits on the fringes of the mainstream, whose particular (and, a lot of society used to think, peculiar) interests and tastes usually, but not exclusively, comic books, horror, fantasy and science fiction were confined to the privacy of their own bedrooms. An adult who admitted they loved reading Marvel and DC comics, for instance, would at one point have been regarded as a bit of a weirdo, trapped in perpetual adolescence, detached from reality and refusing to put away childish things. These days, theres no shame in an adult of any age being seen walking around with a comic book in their hand, or reading a Harry Potter novel on the bus, or wearing a Batman or Star Wars T-shirt in the pub, or analysing the latest Marvel box-office blockbuster until everyone within earshot drops dead of boredom. Expand Close Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Graham from Line Of Duty (BBC) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Graham from Line Of Duty (BBC) Geeks have always walked among us. I have a couple of cousins who were obsessed with Star Trek in the Seventies, long before the revivals, the reboots and the spin-offs. In the pre-box-set era, they recorded every single episode on VHS. In truth, Ive always been something of a geek myself when it comes to horror novels and movies. But, now, the geeks have emerged from the shadows into the sunlight. Theyve moved to the forefront of the mainstream. More than that, they are the mainstream. They own it. The geeks have inherited the earth! Expand Close Line of Duty - John Corbett (Stephen Graham) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: Aiden Monaghan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Line of Duty - John Corbett (Stephen Graham) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: Aiden Monaghan Some of it has to do with the internet. Some of it has to do with the staggering popularity of superhero movies. But its also down to the seismic changes in the way television is made, consumed and perceived not as the poor, shabby relation of cinema anymore, but its equal, and often its superior. In a sense, TV has made geeks of all of us, turned all of us into obsessives, even if we dont realise it. Theres one series on television right now that demonstrates this beyond all reasonable doubt. If you thought I was going to say Game of Thrones, think again. Its Line of Duty, and it doesnt have a single dragon or White Walker, or garish costume. Expand Close Stephen Graham in Line Of Duty (Aiden Monaghan/World Productions/BBC) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stephen Graham in Line Of Duty (Aiden Monaghan/World Productions/BBC) For the past six weeks, millions of viewers (11.4 million in the UK at the last count) have been glued to the fifth season of Jed Mercurios brilliant police corruption drama. While exact figures of this country are harder to find, the TAM ratings show that Line of Duty is currently the most-watched BBC1 programme in Ireland. Most viewers might not consider themselves geeks. They might even recoil from the very notion. And yet, theyve been combing obsessively through every episode, searching for subtle clues and hints as to whos good and whos bad, whos innocent and whos guilty, whos a bent copper and whos a straight copper, whos bluffing and whos double-bluffing. Expand Close Line of Duty - Series 5 - TX: n/a - Episode: Line of Duty S5 - Portraites - Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: Aidan Monahgan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Line of Duty - Series 5 - TX: n/a - Episode: Line of Duty S5 - Portraites - Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: Aidan Monahgan Video of the Day And then theres the biggest, juiciest question of all: is Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) really the mysterious H; the corrupt cop hiding behind the curtain like a malevolent Wizard of Oz, pulling the levers and strings that control the vast, corrupt conspiracy thats run like a stream of poison through Line of Duty since the very first season back in 2012? Theyve been sharing their suspicions and theories and predictions about how its all going to end, and about which character will survive and which wont, on Twitter. Theyve been chewing over it when theyre at home with their families, friends and work colleagues. If thats not classic geek behaviour, I dont know what is. Expand Close Matrthew Cottan (Craig Parkinson), Line of Duty, BBC / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Matrthew Cottan (Craig Parkinson), Line of Duty, BBC Line of Duty has always been popular. The first two seasons on BBC2 drew upwards of four million viewers in the UK the biggest drama audience the channel had enjoyed in over a decade. But since the jump to BBC1 for the third season, which pivoted on the killing of Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays) and AC-12s investigation into historic child abuse, the numbers have just been going up and up. For those of us whove been watching it from the beginning, its immensely gratifying to see such a terrific series draw the huge audience its deserved all along. Some new recruits were, no doubt, drawn to watching it for the first time this year by Mercurios other big hit, The Bodyguard. Expand Close Lennie James (Tony Gates), Line of Duty, BBC / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lennie James (Tony Gates), Line of Duty, BBC Gripping and entertaining as that series was, though, it lacks the scope, depth and richness of Line of Duty, which Id venture belongs in the top tier of televisions all-time great dramas and not just ones made by the BBC, either. The key to its greatness lies in Mercurios superb, drum-tight scripts. To watch him methodically construct such a sprawling, detailed story arc across five seasons, juggling a huge cast of strong, distinctive characters and expertly weaving together multiple plot strands, without once letting the material slip from his grasp or become too silly or far-fetched, is to witness a master at work. Most series, no matter how good they are, suffer a dip at some point. Line of Duty never has. There hasnt been a single weak episode, let alone a weak season. Its got better and better as its progressed, and the current season may well be the best yet. Its an epic feat of sustained storytelling. Whats more, Mercurio has done it all by himself, without the aid of co-writers. Read More Which brings us to Sundays hotly anticipated 90-minute finale, which may or may not reveal the identity of H. Im guessing it wont, but even if Im guessing wrong (it wouldnt be the first time), I still dont think its Ted. Maybe hes not as snow-white pure as he used to be. Maybe financial hardship has driven him to desperate lengths (he did hang onto to that 50 grand a little too long for comfort). Maybe he did rat out Corbett/Clayton during that prison visit, fearing that Corbett/Clayton might rat him out or fit him up in revenge for whatever it was that happened in Northern Ireland, when Ted was in the RIC. But could there be wheels within wheels within wheels? What if nasty piece of work DCS Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin), who seems intent on destroying Ted and could be in cahoots with the real H, isnt really what she seems? Theres been a suggestion that Cameron and Ted could be on the same side, running their own deep-deep cover op, and that the whole arrest and interrogation business is an elaborate ruse to flush out the real mastermind. Read More And whats the real story with Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall)? Is she just a straight-up villain? Questionable, since she was very upset about Corbett/Claytons murder and also spared a coppers life in episode one. Is she too an undercover cop? Seems unlikely. The most credible suggestion is that shes related to the late Tony Gates (Lennie James) from all the way back in season one. Maybe shes not his daughter (her age doesnt appear to tally with that theory), but possibly some kind of blood relative. Could she even be on a revenge mission. Ah, but what about that infamous misspelling indefinately, which swings heavily in favour of Ted being H after all? Honestly, you could spin your head until it falls off and still not successfully second guess Jed Mercurio. That said, Im prepared to bet my best shirt that the interview Ryan (Gregory Piper) was talking about last week is for the police force. Hes the next generation of bent coppers, ready to step into the blood-stained shoes of Dot Cottan (Craig Parkinson). Of this I am absolutely sure... I think. The season 5 finale of Line of Duty of is on BBC1 on Sunday at 9pm. Seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix HISTORIC LOCATION: Hayes Hotel in Thurles, where the two men met after Pat Quirke discovered Mary Lowry was seeing Bobby Ryan. Picture: INM/Sunday World Patrick Quirke (left) has been found guilty of the murder of Bobby Ryan (inset). Mary Lowry is pictured right Murder victim Bobby Ryan told Pat Quirke to stay away from Mary Lowry because he was making her life so uncomfortable, according to the woman in whom she confided her affair. Contemporaneous notes taken by Catherine Costello record the widow's fears that Quirke was "stalking" her, and that Mr Ryan had been so concerned that he had warned the married dairy farmer to keep his distance from her. According to Ms Costello, a retired policewoman, Mr Ryan confronted Ms Lowry's former lover in the yard of her farm at Fawnagowan, in the months before he was murdered by Quirke. While Ms Lowry's confession of the affair to Ms Costello was given as evidence during Quirke's trial for murdering Mr Ryan, the revelation that Mr Ryan moved to protect Ms Lowry from Quirke was not disclosed to the jury as it was deemed to be hearsay. Quirke received a mandatory life sentence last Wednesday for bludgeoning to death the DJ known as Mr Moonlight following one of the longest criminal trials in Irish history. Gardai believe Quirke was a stalker who had placed a voice-activated recording device in Ms Lowry's home to spy on her. According to one senior Garda source, the investigators considered whether the device could also have been used in the planning of Mr Ryan's murder. The device was never located. Four audio recordings, including three 'sex tapes', were recovered on Quirke's computer late in the investigation. Three of the four recordings were of couples having sex and ranged from a minute to five minutes in duration. Ms Lowry confirmed that one of the tapes was of her and Quirke. Quirke is suspected of being on the second recording, with two different women, neither of whom were formally identified by gardai, sources said. The court was told in the absence of the jury that one may be his wife Imelda. Sources said one of the recordings included explicit and graphic dialogue. A fourth that was disclosed was of Ms Lowry reading out the problem page of the Sunday World to her then boyfriend, Flor Cantillon. The court was told that recording was associated with a Nokia mobile phone. Ms Costello took notes of her meeting with the "deeply distressed" Ms Lowry in a petrol station in Tipperary two weeks after Mr Ryan disappeared. The notes reflect how, even then, the widow suspected that Quirke had something to do with her boyfriend's disappearance. Her suspicions would become key strands in the circumstantial evidence that would eventually convict him. Expand Close RECOLLECTIONS: Retired policewoman Catherine Costello took notes as Mary Lowry confessed her affair. Photo: Kyran OBrien / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp RECOLLECTIONS: Retired policewoman Catherine Costello took notes as Mary Lowry confessed her affair. Photo: Kyran OBrien The notes show Mr Ryan had sought to protect Ms Lowry from Quirke by confronting him. "I understood he warned him in the yard, in the back yard of the property," Ms Costello told the Sunday Independent. In her four-page statement to gardai, Ms Costello said: "Bobby Ryan had been aware of that affair as Mary told him. Mary Lowry told me that Bobby had told Quirke to stay away from her as Quirke had made her life extremely uncomfortable. "Apparently Bobby Ryan's attitude was that everybody has skeletons and he didn't consider finishing the relationship as a result of her past affair. I cannot stress enough her deep anguish and tears throughout the conversation in the car." The account provided detectives with further insight into Quirke's personal animosity toward Mr Ryan as they sought to build a case against him, which the dairy farmer repeatedly denied in his Garda interviews. Quirke was convicted of murdering Mr Ryan, a case based on an accumulation of circumstantial evidence so compelling that it convinced a majority of the jury of his guilt. Quirke, Ms Lowry's brother-in-law through marriage, murdered Mr Ryan to get him off the scene and resume his control of the widow and access to her finances. During the trial, Quirke sought to destroy Ms Lowry's character, portraying her as a bitter woman who was out to trash him when their affair ended; she was accused of spreading poison about him, of lying and of "revising history". Ms Lowry has told friends that she was immensely relieved by the life sentence handed down to Quirke, according to a source close to her. Ms Costello, who volunteers with an organisation that searches for missing people, joined the search for Mr Ryan, at his daughter Michelle's request, in the days after he disappeared after leaving Ms Lowry's home on June 3, 2011. Ms Costello had three meetings with Ms Lowry and took contemporaneous notes of each, which she released to the Sunday Independent. It wasn't until the third meeting that Ms Lowry disclosed her affair. Two weeks after Mr Ryan disappeared, Ms Lowry phoned her as she was pulling out of the garage in Bansha with other searchers and asked to meet. Ms Lowry wanted to come to her, saying she needed to get out of the house. When Ms Lowry arrived, Ms Costello left her car and got into Ms Lowry's car to talk. Ms Lowry was sobbing, "absolute hysteria to the point of hyperventilating. "She said 'I didn't tell you I've been having an affair'," said Ms Costello. Ms Costello talked through the notes she took of that encounter with the Sunday Independent. "This note refers to when she meets me, why she is in such distress," said Ms Costello. "She said 'I'll tell you why I think he did something to Bobby'." The notes record Ms Lowry's account of how she arrived home one evening to find someone had broken in through her bathroom window. Nothing was taken. Ms Costello said she told her: "The guards said that it was youngsters that came in the bedroom window. All the toiletries were disturbed on the window. "She said, 'I think it was Pat Quirke that did it because I had an affair with him and he's been stalking me'." She told Ms Costello that after that, she came back one day and "he was at my kitchen table". He told her the door was open. "She said 'I know, I locked the door. I just had a break-in'. "She did specifically tell me that he [Quirke] had told her that she couldn't open her mouth about the affair. Because I remember saying to her, 'Mary, Mary, listen, will you do me a favour. Stop beating yourself up. Brothers-in-law do not do this. You have to stop beating yourself up'," she said. "I also told Mary, 'this isn't love'. I said, 'don't be fooling yourself he is in love with you. This isn't love'." Ms Costello said Ms Lowry named a particular shop in the town that has CCTV and told her to go and check it out for the morning that Mr Ryan disappeared. "He has CCTV and she says you might get Quirke on it," Ms Costello said. "That's how strongly she was suspecting him." After her emotional interview with the widow in her car in the petrol station forecourt, Ms Costello said she believed what Ms Lowry had told her dramatically changed the nature of the investigation entirely. "I thought, this is a murder inquiry. This isn't a missing person inquiry any more." That was why she urged Ms Lowry to tell gardai as a matter of urgency, and why she followed up the following day to make sure she did. "This was of too much concern to leave another 12 hours," she said. Ms Costello's notes portray Quirke as a malign presence in Ms Lowry's life in the months before he murdered Mr Ryan. The notes also record the suspicions that would later feature in his trial; Ms Lowry told Ms Costello about the morning Mr Ryan left her home on June 3, and how she lay in bed waiting to hear the sound of his van leaving. She told Ms Costello that she was wondering what was keeping him from the starting the van. "It was at least five minutes, it might be longer," she told Ms Costello. "I had genuinely come to the conclusion myself after meeting Mary that it wasn't Bobby driving that van out of her drive, that there was a possibility he could be shackled up and injured... to terrify him into submission. It was because of that I spent so long searching empty houses," she said. Her notes record the suspicions that the prosecution would build into the case against Quirke, such as the fact that he had a key to Ms Lowry's house that she had thought was missing. "She was certain he had a spare key," Ms Costello said. Ms Lowry also told Ms Costello that Quirke was on the farm earlier than usual on the morning that Bobby disappeared. "Quirke." "Friday." "8.30am." Ms Costello said she asked Ms Lowry what time he normally came. "She said 11-ish," said Ms Costello. "I asked her has he every spoken about suicide. She replied, 'Yes, we have spoken of self-harm, and no, he was not suicidal, he loved his children and he loved life'. He had a saying, 'I get out of this mood as soon as I get into it'." Ms Costello said Ms Lowry spoke with great affection for Mr Ryan, which is also reflected in her notes. "He was really happy, loved his family, it was serious," Ms Costello noted. Gardai suspect that Quirke had placed a voice-activated device in Mary Lowry's home over at least a two-year period which he may have used in his plan to murder Mr Ryan. Flash The Red Cross Society of China has donated an estimated 100,000 U.S. dollars to the Sri Lankan Red Cross to treat those injured in the Easter Sunday terror blasts in Sri Lanka, the Chinese embassy in Colombo said in a statement here Saturday. The cheque of Rs. 17.84 million (100,000 U.S. dollars) was handed over by Cheng Xueyuan, the ambassador of China to Sri Lanka, to Nimal Kumar, National Secretary of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS). Ambassador Cheng said that at this time of sorrow, the Chinese government and people stood firmly with the Sri Lankan people and resolutely supported Sri Lanka in safeguarding its national security and stability, and building a peaceful and prosperous country. Nimal Kumar highly appreciated the Red Cross Society of China for helping Sri Lanka during this difficult period and promised to use all the donation towards the treatment of the injured. Over 250 people were killed and 500 others injured in the Easter Sunday explosions which targeted churches and luxury hotels. PAT QUIRKE racked up losses of more than 1m gambling on stocks and shares and ploughing money into property investments in eastern Europe, a former friend has claimed. Quirke, who received legal aid to cover the costs of his trial, told gardai he owned 50 acres, leased or rented 110 acres (including the 63 acres owned by the Lowrys), and owned 120 cattle. He was also an enthusiastic investor and gambler on contracts for difference (CFDs). His former friend told the Sunday Independent that Quirkes investments and losses included: 70,000 in a 5.5m commercial property fund in Warsaw. He lost one-third of his investment, according to the friend more than 23,000. 140,000 in a 21m Warsaw property fund that required a minimum investment of 100,000. According to his former friend, he will get 6pc back on that investment. 100,000 in another Warsaw scheme which was under discussion at an investor meeting, attended by Quirke, on the night before Bobby Ryan was murdered. Quirke lost 50,000 on that investment. He also invested around 840,000 in a contracts for difference gamble on C&C shares, which tumbled by 33pc, according to his former friend. He claimed Quirke lost close to 300,000. A 225,000 investment in a commercial property in Lithuania went bust, leaving Quirke with no return. Despite these losses, Quirkes investments in the Irish property market were more successful, with two of three properties he bought in Tipperary turning around a profit. Quirke set up a farm company in 2014, with him and Imelda as directors. Breasha Farms Ltd had 322,000 in assets in 2017 and listed directors transactions in the name of Pat Quirke of 204,000, according to the company accounts. The accounts also reported a healthy 150,000 cash in the bank. The lands at Breanshamore are registered to Pat and Imelda Quirke and land registry records show Pepper Finance has a charge over the property. The financial pressure on Quirke was cited in his trial, and gardai suspected the stresses were a factor in his obsessive urge to control Mary Lowry and sabotage her relationship with Bobby Ryan. Quirke said he managed Mary Lowrys late husband Martins investments, which included shares, CFDs, or contracts for difference, and property worth about 200,000. He told gardai he advised her to buy bank shares and shares in Ryanair. He urged her to put up the 80,000 capital for a CFD gamble which generated 40,000 profit for him, without having to part with a cent, and he effectively leased her farm for 1,600 a year. She changed her will to leave him 100,000 for looking after her children if she died. Gardai accused him of taking her to the cleaners. Quirkes trial was told this was a tale of love and money. According to his former friend, it was more money than love: maintaining control over Mary Lowrys assets was essential to Quirke, he said. The Government has been told that extending high-speed broadband to the remotest 27,110 homes, business and schools in rural Ireland will cost at least 300m, Independent.ie can reveal. An independent audit of the State tender for the 3bn National Broadband Plan, which has been seen by this newspaper, also reveals the Government could save 650m if it reduced the scale of the project to 80pc. However, this would mean 108,383 premises in some of the most remote parts of the country would not have access to high-speed broadband. This includes 3,906 homes in Dublin, 13,143 in Cork, 5,833 in Galway and 3,533 in Limerick. Minister for Communications Richard Bruton will present the report to his Cabinet colleagues at a meeting this week where the Government will sign off on the National Broadband Plan. Last Friday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he wanted to ensure that the project could not be completed for a cheaper price before he signed off on the final plan. The KPMG review of the tender concluded that the only way to reduce the cost of the first-of-its-kind broadband project was to significantly scale back the size of the massive infrastructure plan. The report was commissioned due to serious concerns over the rising cost of the project. The consultancy firm reviewed the implications of reducing the delivery of high speed broadband to 80pc and 95pc of the country. Under the two scenarios, alternative solutions would be identified to bring connectivity to homes not covered under the plan. Reducing the number of houses being connected to high-speed broadband by 5pc would save 300m. However, this would mean not connecting 3,346 premises in Cork, 2,181 in Kerry, and 2,381 in Wexford. The figures suggest the cost per home of connecting the most remote 27,110 homes in the country will be around 11,000. The Government estimates that around 50,000 people would be impacted by not extending the plan to the final 5pc of homes. Reducing the State's intervention by 20pc or 108,383 houses would save 650m. This suggests the cost per home for this group would be almost 6,000. However, Government sources estimated around 216,000 people would lose if the final 20pc of homes are not connected. The figures in the KPMG report do not include VAT or contingency planning costs which have been factored into the final 3bn contract cost. The KPMG report concluded that "the preferred option" would be to "continue with the current procurement process" and aim to provide 100pc broadband coverage across the entire country. The report said reducing the scale of the broadband project would have economic disadvantages around regional development and promoting remote working. It would also create a "significant challenge" to the Government's "digital agenda" which includes the introduction of new technologies in schools and hospitals. A source close to the Minister for Communications said: "Minister Bruton was resolutely opposed to any reduction in the scope of the plan. This is about the future of rural Ireland. We simply can't leave any home, farm or business behind." A consortium led by American businessman Frank McCourt will be given the green light to begin the broadband project once the Cabinet reaches agreement. This year's World Press Freedom Index paints a worrying picture: "Hostility towards the media from political leaders is no longer limited to authoritarian countriesmore and more democratically elected leaders no longer see the media as part of democracy's essential underpinning, but as an adversary to which they openly display their aversion," it states. In the United States of America, where the concept of a free press was written into the First Amendment of the Constitution, President Trump's repeated criticisms of the press, his belittling of journalists, his emphasis on "fake news", his attacks on the press as the "enemy of the people", and his undervaluing of the press's importance in a democracy, are signs of danger to this freedom. As Vincent Crowley, the chairman of NewsBrands Ireland has said, in this country we have been fortunate that the role of the media as a cornerstone of democracy, as the probing and challenging voice of society, remains strong. But as unlikely as it might appear that this could change any time soon, it would be a mistake to take it for granted. To mark World Press Freedom Day 2019, NewsBrands Ireland, the representative body for Ireland's leading news publishers, both print and online, has launched a campaign to highlight the urgent need for the reform of Ireland's defamation laws. These laws are among the most restrictive in Europe and throughout the English-speaking world. They result in having a chilling effect on the media's role as the public's watchdog and its ability to reveal matters of important public interest. Reform is long overdue. That said, it would be a mistake for the media to only point a finger elsewhere rather than to also examine its own behaviour. As George Orwell once said, the chief danger to freedom of thought and speech was not government censorship, but publishers, editors and journalists who exert themselves to keep certain topics out of print, not because they are frightened of prosecution but because they are frightened of public opinion. However, there are undoubtedly several aspects to Ireland's defamation laws which act as a threat to a free press and which, alongside Orwell's view, frighten publishers, editors and journalists and threaten the essential work of the media. That is why NewsBrands Ireland is campaigning for the reform of defamation laws here. This campaign calls for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to complete and publish the findings of the review of the Defamation Act 2009, and for the new Defamation Act to include a ''serious harm'' test, already successfully in operation in the UK, which discourages trivial claims that can stifle free expression and inundate Irish courts with lengthy and costly court cases. Claimants who do not meet the test have the option to take their case to the Office of Press Ombudsman. The campaign seeks a cap on damages, which in Ireland are much higher, often multiples of the equivalent awards, in Europe, as well as calling for the abolition of juries in defamation cases. Defamation is virtually the only civil action that continues to be decided by juries, which considerably lengthens the duration of a trial, increasing legal costs, and can result in unpredictable levels of awards. In the US, there is a reason that the First Amendment is first. Press freedom must be more than a concept; it is an essential part of a democracy. As Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, said: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Elisha Greer, from Liverpool, was held captive for weeks in 2017. Photograph: 7 News A British backpacker who was kidnapped and raped by a man in Australia has spoken of her terrifying ordeal , which lasted more than a month. Elisha Greer, 24, was held captive for weeks by a violent Marcus Martin, who she said beat her and held a gun to her head. She required hospital treatment for injuries including facial fractures after eventually being found by police near Mitchell, Queensland, in March 2017. In an interview with Australian broadcaster Channel 7, Ms Greer said she had met Martin at a party in Cairns, Queensland, in the January of that year. "He just seemed like a nice guy," she told a reporter for the Sunday Night programme. After the pair exchanged numbers, Martin moved into Ms Greer's hotel and began asking her for money. Expand Close Elisha Greer, 24,was eventually found by police near Mitchell, Queensland, in March 2017. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elisha Greer, 24,was eventually found by police near Mitchell, Queensland, in March 2017. Ms Greer, then aged 21, said Martin obtained a gun for "protection" and took her along with him to rob a drug dealer. "I was forced to drive the car with the gun to my head," she said. Later, a drugged-up Martin launched a violent attack on Ms Greer hitting, raping and choking her until she passed out. "He turned around and he just started to hit me, hit me, hit me," she said. Despite apologising after each assault, Martin's controlling behaviour did not stop. Ms Greer claimed he threw away her birth control pills "to try and get me pregnant". She added: "Maybe he thought that he could control me more if I was with his child." The pair embarked on a 1,600 mile road trip south of Cairns during which Martin's abusive behaviour continued. In one incident, he shoved Ms Greer onto the floor between the car door and seats, breaking her nose and turning her face "purple", she said. She became so desperate to escape that she even contemplated killing Martin, but was worried things would grow worse if an attempt went wrong. During one stop on their journey she left an unanswered plea for help in a visitor's book. After days of driving, the pair stopped for petrol at a service station in Mitchell and left without paying. An attendant called the police who told Greer to drive the car to a local police station where they found Martin hiding in a back seat. Ms Greer described her litany of injuries left by Martin: "He broke my nose, split my eyebrow open, I had various amounts of bite marks all up and down my arms, I had bite marks on my face, he had stabbed me in the neck with the key, I had two black eyes, hand prints all over my body from bruises. So many bruises." Two years on from the harrowing experience, Ms Greer said Australia was "one of the nicest countries" she has visited and would "love" to live there. Martin, 24, of Cairns, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty in October last year and is due to be sentenced on May 28. Fugitive Joseph McCann, who is being hunted for the abduction and horrific rapes of three women in the UK, is believed to be connected to the abduction of two other women in Congleton tonight, Cheshire Police said. The 34-year-old is wanted over the abduction of two women aged in their 20s who were separately snatched off the streets in north London on Thursday, April 25. McCann - who police have described as having a "slight" Irish accent - is also suspected of snatching a 21-year-old woman at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of April 21 and raping her, Hertfordshire Police said. This evening, the two victims were forced into a black Fiat Punto at around 6.45pm on Sunday in Congleton town centre, Cheshire. Police officers spotted the car a short time later and following a pursuit, the car collided with another. It is understood the driver fled the scene on foot, leaving the two women behind in the car. Officers now believe Joseph McCannis connected to this incident as well. They have launched a massive appeal and manhunt to find him. It is understood he was released on life-long licence from prison in February 2017 after serving 10 years of a now-scrapped indeterminate sentence for an aggravated burglary. He was jailed again the same year for theft and burglary but is believed to have been mistakenly released automatically half-way through his three-year sentence. It should have been up to the parole board to decide whether he was released or stayed behind bars because he was still subject to licence. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "We have commissioned an urgent review into what happened in this case." Scotland Yard has offered a reward of up to 20,000 for information leading to his arrest and prosecution. Police have warned McCann is "extremely dangerous", known to use false names and may be using a disguise. He is described as being muscular, about 5ft 10in, and having a "distinctive" tattoo of the name "bobbie" on his stomach. He is said to have blue eyes, a bald head or shaved blond hair with a light-coloured beard. Officers said he had recently gone by the name of Joel and has links to Watford, north-west London, Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, and Ipswich in Suffolk. The women abducted in London were raped after being snatched by a man in a silver or grey Ford S-Max people carrier with false registration plates. The first woman was abducted at about 12.30am on Thursday from a street in Chingford, before the second was seized around 12 hours later at 12.15pm from a street in Edgware. One of the women may have been pregnant, The Times reported. They were driven to a hotel where the man attempted to book a room at around 1pm. They left when this was unavailable. But the women managed to escape in Osborne Road, Watford, at about 2.30pm. They were both "traumatised" by the ordeal and have been receiving support from specialist officers, police said. The incident is further being linked to another attack earlier in the week which is being investigated by Hertfordshire Police. The force said a woman was approached at around 3.30am on April 21 in Hagden Lane, Watford, driven around for six hours in a blue Ford Mondeo and then raped. The incident was reported to police the following day. Hertfordshire Police named McCann on its Facebook page on Thursday as being wanted on recall to prison without mentioning the rape. A force spokesman said: "He was named as wanted on recall to prison on our Facebook page on Thursday April 25. This is a complex inquiry and we were actively pursuing numerous, significant lines of inquiry throughout the week in order to trace and arrest the suspect. "It is normally only when we have exhausted those inquiries do we put out a wanted appeal. We are continuing in our efforts to trace him and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service." Three men have suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after apparently falling 70ft from cliffs into a cove below. Emergency services were called to Parc Trammel Cove, near Porthleven, Cornwall, by one of the men shortly after midnight on Sunday. He told the Coastguard that he and two others had fallen down the cliff and required help. Coastguard rescue teams from Porthleven, Penzance and Mullion attended along with the all-weather lifeboat from RNLI Lizard, a Coastguard area commander, the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter, paramedics and police. The man that called the Coastguard was able to use the torch on his mobile phone to help identify the group's exact location to rescuers. Police said the casualties, one aged 18 and two aged 19, were all airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. They have all sustained multiple serious injuries, described as potentially life-threatening or life-changing, and their families have been informed. Inspector Matt Setchell said: "Initial inquiries suggest that the men have fallen around 70ft from the cliffs into the cove below. "We are continuing to carry out inquiries to establish how they came to be on the cliff and the circumstances surrounding the incident. "All three males were airlifted to hospital where they remain in a serious condition. Our thoughts are with the three men and their families and friends at this difficult time. "At this point, we're appealing for anyone who was in the area and witnessed the incident and anyone with any relevant information to contact police." The operation to rescue the men was co-ordinated by Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre. The Coastguard helicopter transferred three critical care paramedics from Cornwall Air Ambulance, along with several Coastguard rescue officers, to the base of the cliff. They helped to transfer the three men on to the helicopter to be airlifted to Derriford Hospital. Martin Leslie, coastal operations area commander, said: "This was a demonstration of exceptional joint emergency service working in an extremely difficult environment. "The helicopter crew showed outstanding skills transferring the teams to the scene. Special praise must also be given to the critical care paramedics' excellent pre-hospital care to the casualties." Anyne with information about the incident is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police on 101, quoting log 17 of May 5. Mira Markovic, who has died aged 76, was the once-powerful wife of the Serbian leader, former president of Yugoslavia and indicted war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. Known in Serbia as the "Red Witch" for her strange mix of mysticism and hard-left politics, and to the outside world as the "Lady Macbeth of Serbia", she was said to be the real power in the relationship and was widely blamed for urging her husband on to the nationalist excesses that tore apart the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. She was born Mirjana Markovic on July 10, 1942 to Yugoslav partisan fighter parents and first met her husband as a teenager at school. Both endured family trauma. Milosevic's parents committed suicide when he was a young man. Mirjana's mother, Vera Miletic, was captured by German troops and allegedly released sensitive information, under torture, to the Gestapo, as a result of which she was executed in 1944 by fellow partisans (or according to some accounts, by the Germans). Her father refused to acknowledge Mirjana until she was 15 years old, and she was brought up by an aunt, later assuming her mother's nom de guerre, Mira. Milosevic and Mira Markovic both studied to Belgrade University, he reading Law, she Sociology, in which she gained a PhD, later teaching the subject at the university. They married in 1965. At his trial in The Hague in 2002, Milosevic described his wife as an internationally renowned academic and a tireless campaigner against "violence and primitivism", whose philosophical works had been translated into more than 30 languages - a claim which caused some mirth in Serbia where her books were regarded as unreadable. As Milosevic climbed the Communist Party ladder, he relied heavily on his wife's steely determination for him to succeed - as well as on the patronage of his best friend, Ivan Stambolic, who in 1986 became head of the Serbian Communist Party and made Milosevic his deputy as nationalism was on the rise across the federation of Yugoslavia. It was, by all accounts, Mira who urged Milosevic to make his bid for power the following year when he turned on Stambolic at a televised Communist Party meeting, embracing the cause of Serbian nationalism and seizing the top job. The Serbs flocked to his banner, signing up in droves for volunteer units formed to fight their ethnic neighbours. Westerners might have thought that Milosevic, known abroad as the "Butcher of the Balkans" for starting three wars which killed an estimated 250,000 people, was the dominant partner. But many commentators claimed that it was Mira - a hippyish figure who wore flowers in her dyed-black hair and talked in a little-girl voice about pretty clothes and fluffy toys - who told him what to do. As the war in Bosnia ended in 1995, she founded her own political party, the Yugoslav United Left (JUL), which gave uncritical backing to Milosevic's Socialist party, and she established a network of followers which she used to intimidate her husband's opponents. When Milosevic's party lost local elections in 1996, it was Mira who persuaded him to overrule the poll. She did the same again when he lost elections in 2000 - less successfully this time. A month later Milosevic was removed from power after a popular uprising. It was Mira, too, by all accounts, who demanded the removal of some of those who criticised him or stood in his way. It could well have been on her orders that the gangster and former warlord Arkan was gunned down in the Belgrade InterContinental hotel in 2000; and when the body of Milosevic's erstwhile mentor Ivan Stambolic was found in a shallow grave in 2003, three years after he disappeared while out jogging, she was suspected of involvement. In his 2002 biography of Milosevic, Adam LeBor, who interviewed Mira at length, depicted the Milosevic relationship as a cold folie a deux, in which any criticism or opposition to the family's interests was to be either ignored or crushed - a pathology which the couple passed on to their two unappealing children. Their son Marko, a hooligan figure widely regarded one of the most feared gangsters in Serbia, built up a multimillion-euro business empire before fleeing to Moscow in 2000 after being indicted for threatening to chop up a former employee with an electric saw. Their daughter Marija, once shot her boyfriend's dog in a fit of temper and was later charged after allegedly firing several bullets at a government official sent to negotiate her father's surrender in April 2001 prior to his transfer to The Hague. Mira Markovic often boasted in private that she and her husband had been apart for only a few nights during their long and happy marriage, and his arrest seems to have sent her into a deep depression which manifested itself in bouts of childlike tearfulness alternating with violent terrifying rages. "I cannot do anything without him," she told the Croatian weekly Globus. "He has always been around in my life, and now I have to look after everything. I still find him cute and likeable." She criticised the war crimes tribunal as "the Gestapo of our times", and compared the Scheveningen prison, where Milosevic was being held, to a concentration camp. She spoke daily to her husband by telephone and made frequent visits to see him in prison until, in 2003, facing charges of corruption in Serbia and wanted for questioning regarding the murder of Stambolic, she joined her son Marko in exile in Russia, where her husband is widely regarded as a hero of pan-Slavic unity. She remained there for the rest of her life and did not return after her husband's death in 2006 to attend his funeral in Serbia. The revelation that Milosevic had been buried by the tree under which he had first kissed Mira prompted Neil Tweedie of The Daily Telegraph to observe that "given the awfulness of both, and the misery they undoubtedly helped inflict on powerless people, it is rather difficult to shed a tear". Mira Markovic's children survive her. She died on April 14. Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] An Israeli police sapper with part of an exploded Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) Gaza militants have fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since 2014. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 22, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late on Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to continue its attacks and to stand by for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Expand Close Israeli police with part of an exploded rocket fired from the Gaza Strip near the Israel-Gaza border (Tsafrir Abayo/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli police with part of an exploded rocket fired from the Gaza Strip near the Israel-Gaza border (Tsafrir Abayo/AP) Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israels destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gazas economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Mr Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Mr Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious leader could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Expand Close An Israeli soldier walks past a car hit by a missile fired from Gaza (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Israeli soldier walks past a car hit by a missile fired from Gaza (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to UN tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to enhance its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. Hamas is the change seeker, said retired Brig Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staffs strategic division. Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation. Expand Close Smoke rises from an explosion after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Sunday (AP/Hatem Moussa) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Smoke rises from an explosion after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Sunday (AP/Hatem Moussa) In Washington, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have every right to defend themselves. He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. The UN Middle East envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and UN mediation efforts. A man stands outside his building after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza in the costal city of Ashkelon, Israel (Tsafrir Abayov/AP) Palestinian militants have fired more than 250 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory air strikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of heavy fighting that broke a month-long lull between the enemies. Six Palestinians, including a pregnant mother and her baby, were killed, while four Israelis were wounded, including an elderly man who was in a critical condition. The fighting, the most intense between the sides in months, came as leaders from Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the smaller armed faction Islamic Jihad, were in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators aimed at preventing a fraying cease-fire from collapsing altogether. It also comes at a sensitive time for Israel, which is to mark its Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday this week, before hosting the Eurovision song contest in the middle of the month. Expand Close Palestinian militants on fired over 200 rockets into Israel (Adel Hana/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Palestinian militants on fired over 200 rockets into Israel (Adel Hana/AP) Prolonged fighting could overshadow the Eurovision and potentially deter international travellers from coming in for the festive event. For Gazans, the violence continued as they prepare to begin the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on Monday. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic group that opposes Israels existence, have fought three wars and dozens of smaller flare-ups of violence since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. They engaged in several days of heavy fighting in March before Egypt brokered a truce in which Israel agreed to ease a crippling blockade on Gaza in exchange for a halt in rocket fire. In recent days, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on its pledges as militants began to fire rockets into Israel. In a familiar scene, air raid sirens wailed across southern Israel throughout the day and into the evening as barrages of rockets were repeatedly fired. Expand Close Israeli air defence system Iron Dome takes out rockets fired from Gaza (Ariel Schalit/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli air defence system Iron Dome takes out rockets fired from Gaza (Ariel Schalit/AP) Retaliatory air strikes caused large explosions to thunder across Gaza, as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Outgoing Palestinian rockets left long trails of smoke behind them. Gazas Health Ministry said a 14-month-old girl, Seba Abu Arar, was killed in an Israeli air strike that hit their home in east Gaza City. Her pregnant mother, 37, was severely wounded and died later at the hospital, the ministry added. Another child was moderately injured. They were sitting at the yard in their house with their mother. They were shocked by a missile landing on them, said Abu Nidal Abu Arar, a relative living next door. This occupation is criminal. #UN is working with all sides to calm the situation in #Gaza. I call for immediate de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months. Those who seek to destroy them will bear responsibility for a conflict that will have grave consequences for all. Nickolay E. MLADENOV (@nmladenov) May 4, 2019 In the morning, Gazas Health Ministry said a 22-year-old Palestinian man was killed by an Israeli air strike, and 40 other Palestinians were wounded. Late on Saturday, health officials said a 25-year-old man was killed by an Israeli drone missile as he was travelling on a motorbike in northern Gaza. At dawn, two Islamic Jihad militants were killed by an air strike in central Gaza Strip, the group said. In Israel, medical officials said an 80-year-old woman was severely wounded by rocket fire, a 50-year-old man was moderately wounded by shrapnel and a teenage boy was mildly hurt as he ran for cover. Israeli police said a house in the coastal city of Ashkelon was damaged. Early on Sunday, Israeli police said a rocket landed in a courtyard in Ashkelon, about 10km north of Gaza, causing damage to several buildings. As a result, an Israeli man suffered heavy injuries and was in a grave condition. The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding two Israeli soldiers on Friday. It said the shooting was not coordinated with Hamas, but said it holds Hamas, as the territorys ruling power, responsible for all fire emanating from Gaza. Expand Close The round of intense fighting broke a month-long lull between the enemies (Tsafrir Abayov/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The round of intense fighting broke a month-long lull between the enemies (Tsafrir Abayov/AP) By nightfall, the army said militants had fired well over 200 rockets into Israel. It said dozens of the rockets were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket-defence system. But it closed roads near the Gaza border to civilian traffic and closed a popular beach as a security precaution. The military said it struck some 120 targets in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad military compounds, a Hamas rocket-manufacturing site and a high-end Islamic Jihad tunnel that it said stretched into Israel for use in attacks. Late on Saturday, Israel struck a building that it said housed Hamas military intelligence offices in Gaza City. Another air strike hit a six-story commercial and residential building. Journalists said the building housed the office of Turkeys news agency Anadolu. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. COGAT, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said it was closing the fishing zone off Gazas coast altogether and sealing Israels two land crossings with Gaza. The crossings are used by Palestinian medical patients to enter and exit the territory, and provide the main entry for cargo into the blockaded territory. The UNs Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said the United Nations was working with Egypt to restore calm and called on all sides to de-escalate and restore recent understandings. Those who seek to destroy them will bear responsibility for a conflict that will have grave consequences for all, he said in a statement. A rocket is fired from Gaza towards the Israeli city of Ashkelon yesterday. Picture: Reuters Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired at least 100 rockets into southern Israel yesterday, according to the Israeli military, triggering retaliatory airstrikes and tank fire against militant targets in the blockaded enclave and shattering a month-long lull in violence. Gaza's health ministry said a 22-year-old Palestinian, Emad Nassir, was killed by an Israeli airstrike. Six other Palestinians sustained injuries from airstrikes and shelling. In Israel, there were no reports of injuries, and police said a house in the coastal city of Ashkelon was damaged. The outbreak of fighting came as leaders from Hamas, the militant group which controls Gaza, and the smaller armed faction Islamic Jihad were in Egypt for talks with mediators aimed at restoring a fraying ceasefire. Hamas leaders had hoped the recent calm would pave the way for a deeper, longer-term ceasefire. The Israeli military said dozens of rockets were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket-defence system, and that roads near the Gaza border were closed to civilian traffic. Israeli police said they had dispatched bomb disposal experts to the country's south to deal with projectiles which landed in open areas. EU ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret sharply criticised the rocket attacks on Twitter, saying "firing indiscriminately against civilians is unacceptable". Tensions have been rising in recent days amid allegations from Hamas that Israel has been delaying implementation of last month's ceasefire understandings. Last Friday, two Palestinians were fatally shot by Israeli forces during the weekly protests along the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence. Palestinian militants also shot and wounded two Israeli soldiers along the border fence. No group claimed responsibility for the shooting. In response, Israeli aircraft carried out retaliatory strikes, killing two Hamas militants. More than 200 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in the border protests that began last year. Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. The sides are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller flare-ups of violence. Following heavy fighting in early April, Israel agreed to ease the blockade in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. This included expanding a fishing zone off Gaza's coast, increasing imports into Gaza and allowing the Gulf state of Qatar to deliver aid to cash-strapped Gaza. Hamas has hoped Egyptian mediators could further ease the blockade, which has ravaged Gaza's economy. For more than a year, the Islamic group has orchestrated mass demonstrations each week on the frontier to draw attention to Gaza's plight. Associated Press Pope Francis has arrived in Bulgaria, the European Unions poorest country and one that taken a hard line against migrants. That stance conflicts with the pontiffs view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. On a two-day trip that began Sunday, Francis plans to tour a refugee centre and dive into the Vaticans complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Expand Close Bulgarian honour guards wait for Pope Francis (Darko Vojinovic/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bulgarian honour guards wait for Pope Francis (Darko Vojinovic/AP) Later in the day, Francis will talk with prime minister Boyko Borisov, whose centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, is the blocs poorest country, with the lowest average monthly salary, 575 euro (490) and the smallest average monthly pension of 190 euro (162). At least 40 people died when an Aeroflot airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport, officials said. The Sukhoi SSJ100 operated by national airline Aeroflot had 73 passengers and five crew members on board when it touched down and sped down a runway spewing huge flames and black smoke. Elena Markovskaya, a spokeswoman for Russias Investigative Committee, said early on Monday that 41 people were killed. But Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said later that 38 survived, implying the death toll was 40. The victims included one member of the crew and at least two teenagers, according to the Investigative Committee. Expand Close The Aeroflot Airlines plane on fire during an emergency landing (@artempetrovich/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Aeroflot Airlines plane on fire during an emergency landing (@artempetrovich/AP) Video showed desperate passengers leaping out of the plane onto inflatable evacuation slides and staggering across the airports tarmac and grass, some holding luggage. The airport said in a statement that the plane, which had taken off from Sheremetyevo Airport for the northern city of Murmansk, turned back for unspecified technical reasons and made a hard landing that started the fire. Video broadcast later on Russian television showed flames bursting from the jets underside as it lands and then bounces. The plane apparently did not have time to jettison fuel before the emergency landing, news reports said. The SSJ100, also known as the Superjet, is a two-engine regional jet put into service in 2011 with considerable fanfare as a signal that Russias troubled aerospace industry was on the rise. However, the planes reputation was troubled after defects were found in some horizontal stabilisers. Expand Close A Russian Investigative Committee van travels to Sheremetyevo airport (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Russian Investigative Committee van travels to Sheremetyevo airport (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) The planes manufacturer, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, said the plane in Sundays accident had received maintenance at the beginning of April. Aeroflot said the pilot had some 1,400 hours of experience flying the plane. The plane is largely used in Russia as a replacement for outdated Soviet-era aircraft, but also has been used by airlines in other countries, including Armenia and Mexico. This is the second fatal accident involving a SSJ100. In 2012, a demonstration flight in Indonesia struck a mountain, killing all 45 on board. Thailands newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday performed the second day of coronation activities, granting new titles to members of the royal family in front of an audience of dignitaries including top government officials and senior Buddhist monks. On Saturday, Vajiralongkorn took part in an elaborate set of rituals, a mix of Buddhist and Hindu Brahmanic traditions, which established his status as a full-fledged monarch with complete regal powers. Vajiralongkorn, also known as King Rama X, the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty, had already been serving as king since the October 2016 death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was on the throne for seven decades. The 66-year-old monarch began Sunday mornings event in a hall at Bangkoks Grand Palace by paying respects in front of portraits of his late father and his mother, who has been in hospital for an extended period. Expand Close Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Sakchai Lalit/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Sakchai Lalit/AP) The 86-year-old mother, known as Queen Sirikit, was granted a new official title of Queen Mother. Vajiralongkorns son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, was one of the family members granted a fresh name for the new reign. He turned 14 on April 29 and is the heir presumptive. While Saturdays ceremonies were solemn and heavily tinged with age-old rites, including the prominent presence of Brahmin priests, Sundays event was slightly more relaxed, though also steeped with traditional royal and Buddhist gestures. The live television coverage of the event showed some glimpses of informality: the kings wife, who was granted the title Queen Suthida last week, exchanging a brief aside with Vajiralongkorn; two of his daughters in a warm hug after the second one returned from receiving her new title. Expand Close Wellwishers gather outside the Grand Palace (Sakchai Lalit/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wellwishers gather outside the Grand Palace (Sakchai Lalit/AP) The king wore his normal modern royal uniform with a white tunic, a strong contrast with the traditional vestments with gold embroidery that he wore the previous day. During the final portion of Saturdays coronation, he also wore the Great Crown Of Victory, said to date from 1782. The crown is 66 centimetres (26 inches) high, weighs 7.3 kilogrammes (16lb) and is ornamented with diamonds set in gold enamel. Expand Close Guards in ceremonial attire arrive (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Guards in ceremonial attire arrive (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) Duangkamol Siriwiwattanakul said she travelled from the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon, 337 miles northeast of Bangkok, to watch the royal events on a video screen set up outside the palace. I am very happy and feeling goosebumps, she said, gripping a portrait of her monarch. Every time I see the king, my tears come out. In a 4.3-mile royal procession, the king was to be carried on an elaborate palanquin through nearby city streets to visit four important temples and allow the public to pay homage to him. Monday will see the king greet the public from the balcony of the Grand Palace in the late afternoon and then hold a reception for the diplomatic corps. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (Luke 10:34) A friend of mine is a cancer survivor. Shes had a tough time and her recovery has been anything but easy. In fact, I hadnt seen her in several years and would not have recognized her if we had met by chance. But it wasnt due to a loss of weight or hair; she just didnt look the same. Her mother attributes the difference in her appearance to a combination of the side effects of chemotherapy and stress. As we caught up with each other, I realized that cancer had changed a lot more than her appearance. Understandably, her whole way of looking at life had changed, too. Its important at this point to emphasize that my friend is a mature Christian whose faith is unquestionably stronger because of cancer. I say all that because it might surprise you to learn that as we talked about how she coped with the doubts and fears that inevitably come with a catastrophic disease, she told me that it was cancer that helped her to understand that prayer was not the only tool on which she could rely. "Chaliye Beta", thats what Akshay Kumar told the reporters on being asked as to why he didnt vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2019. Akshay Kumar, who grabbed national headlines for his candid and completely non-political interview with Narendra Modi was getting trolled online for not casting his vote. Reaction of deshbhakt @akshaykumar when asked about Voting by a Journalist proves he is a Canadian. pic.twitter.com/nuzGlKyTMl Bollywood Junction (@mAyUrStUdIoS) May 1, 2019 Also Read: PM Narendra Modi Tells Akshay Kumar Twinkle Ji Mere Upar Gussa Nikalti Hai, She Gives A Classy Reply! And how would he? He doesnt have an Indian passport. Instead, he holds a Canadian citizenship. Twitter After all the fuss about his citizenship, he finally issued a statement on Twitter and said that he felt disappointed. He, furthermore, said that he has never denied or hidden the fact that he holds a Canadian passport. And this has left people confused. Here's why! It was in 2017, Akshay had revealed to Times Now that he has been bestowed honorary citizenship by the Canadian Government, and that is something to be proud of. I am an honorary citizen of Canada. I think people should be proud of: @akshaykumar #AkshayOnTheNewshour pic.twitter.com/GB2qTz18eB TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 11, 2017 However, it is said that a person having a Honorary Canadian Citizenship, does not need to change his/her passport. But, Akshay Kumar in his recent tweet mentioned that he holds a Canadian passport. This has left the public perplexed. Whats more? According to Pinkvilla, the public list of people who have been given honorary citizenship by the Canadian Government does not have Akshay Kumars name. The list includes Raoul Wallenberg (1985 Posthumous), Nelson Mandela (2001), Tenzin Gyatso - The Dalai Lama (2006), Aung San Suu Kyi (2007, but revoked in 2018), Karim Aga Khan IV (2010) and Malala Yousafzai (2014). newstracklive.com Furthermore, an article in Vancouver Observer, dated 2 September 2012, alleges that Akshay Kumar was given Canadian citizenship within weeks after applying. While the majority of these cases have been resolved through the 2009 Bill C-37, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, some people are waiting years to receive the same citizenship papers that others such as Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was granted within weeks, reads the article. In the last few days, Akshay Kumar has been trolled left, right and centre. And apparently, the controversy is gaining momentum with every passing day. Now, people are questioning his National Award win for Rustom (2016). Editor and scriptwriter Apurva Asrani of Aligarh fame took to Twitter to question his eligibility for National Award win. Yes, this is a very important question. Are Canadian citizens eligible for India's National Awards? The year (2016) Akshay Kumar won 'Best Actor', we were expecting Manoj Bajpayee to win for Aligarh. If the jury/ministry has made an error in Kumar's case, will there be a revote?? https://t.co/CvFRzw5aXS Apurva (@Apurvasrani) May 4, 2019 That is when Raees director Rahul Dholakia clarified on Twitter that film professionals & technicians of foreign origin can also be considered for the National Film Awards. Clarification on National Award- foreign nationals can get National Awards . its legal, legit and by the booksI have been on the jury ( not for this one) and so found out from an official Manoj Srivastava who sent me this. #NationalAward pic.twitter.com/wrAORcPdLC rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) May 4, 2019 Also, according to the rule book of the Directorate of Film Festivals, film professionals and technicians of foreign origin can also be considered for Awards. Only those persons whose names are on the credit titles of the film and are normally residing and working in India will be eligible for the Awards, says Clause 7.1 of the regulations. Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar is also getting trolled for an old video in which he says Toronto is my home. After I retire from the film industry, I'm going to come back and stay here. If you think that after the Battle of Winterfell a war between alive and the dead was the biggest ever in Game of Thrones, wait till you see the fifth episode of Game of Thrones season. According to Emilia Clarke AKA Daenerys Targaryen, episode five will be bigger than the Long Night. So, if the last episode left you staggering away from your screen and Arya popping from nowhere right at the end blew your mind, just know that youve seen nothing yet. Episode five of Game of Thrones is going to be insane. And you need to Find the biggest TV you can, says Emilia Clarke. Twitter And when she made the revelation on the Jimmy Kimmel Live!, even the man was startled. Wait what happened, whatd you say?, he said. Take a look. Emilia Clarke revealing that Episode 5 of Season 8 is even bigger than the Battle of Winterfell #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/Q4c1miXRWY GoT cast doing things (@gotactivity) May 2, 2019 They're going to be mental. Episode five is bigger. I mean, four, five, and six - they're all insane. Find the biggest TV you can, she says. Twitter Furthermore, talking about the last episode, which was the longest ever 82 minutes to be precise, Emilia Clarke said the crew was up for 55 nights to shoot the episode. via GIPHY What you saw was really what it was like shooting it, so you saw blood and mud and angry screaming people, and then backstage there was blood and mud and... asleep people," she said, explaining that cast and crew were up 'all night' shooting for 55 nights. It was amazing we didn't actually kill anyone. It was extraordinary." So, are you ready for another roller-coaster ride in Game Of Thrones? 11 Other Girls In Bihar Shelter Home May Have Been Raped & Killed, CBI Finds Bundle Of Bones In a revelation that will give the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, a new turn altogether, the CBI on Friday told the Supreme Court that 11 girls may have been murdered by the main accused Brijesh Thakur and his accomplices as bundle of bones have been found near the burial ground. Read more. Twitter Delhi's Ghazipur Garbage Dump Is As High As Qutub Minar, People Are Writing Hilarious Reviews About It Delhi's oldest and largest garbage dump Ghazipur often makes it to the news for all the wrong reasons like accident fire and sometimes collapses. But for a change, this time the landfill which has been operational since 1984 made headlines for a different reason - the reviews it is getting on Google. Read more. BCCL Pakistan's Senate passed a bill which proposed the marriageable age for girls, under the Child Marriage (Restraint) Act, 1929, be raised to 18 years. According to the amendment, marriage under 18 years can lead to a fine of Rs 1,00,000 (Dh2,600) and three years of rigorous punishment or both, state reports. Read more. Reuters Delhi Will See The Most Disabled-Friendly Polls In India, But, There's Still A Long Way To Go The Election Commission wants the 2019 Lok Sabha Election to be the most inclusive in history. In an effort to make the electoral process more inclusive and more disabled friendly the EC has rolled out a number of steps. Read more. Read more. BCCL Another Setback For Grounded Jet Airways As It Could Soon Lose Rights To Fly Abroad Attempts to revive grounded private airline Jet Airways has suffered yet another setback. Even as the consortium of lenders struggles to find a potential buyer for Jet Airways, reports suggest that the airline could soon lose foreign flying rights. As early as next week, the government could start distributing foreign flying rights of Jet Airways among other carriers, The Economic Times has reported. REUTERS In a revelation that will give the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, a new turn altogether, the CBI on Friday told the Supreme Court that 11 girls may have been murdered by the main accused Brijesh Thakur and his accomplices as bundle of bones have been found near the burial ground. The CBI filed an affidavit in the apex court in which the statement of the victims of sexual abuse told names of the 11 girls who was allegedly murdered by Brijesh Thakur. Twitter The agency said that on the pointing out of one of the accused, a particular spot in a burial ground was excavated from where a bundle of bones was recovered. Several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at an NGO-run shelter home at Muzaffarpur in Bihar and the issue had come to light following a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The agency told the court that on the directions given by one of the accused, a particular spot in the burial ground was dug-up and bundle of bones was recovered. An audit done by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) revealed that the girls living in an NGO-run shelter home in Muzzaffarpur in Bihar were subjected to sexual abuse by the key person Brijesh Thakur and his accomplice. The case was later transferred to CBI and the investigative agency have chargesheeted 21 people including the prime accused Brijesh Thakur. "During investigation, from the statement of victims recorded by IOs (investigating officers) and NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences) team, names of 11 girls emerged who were said to be allegedly murdered by the accused Brajesh Thakur and his accomplices," the news agency PTI quoted the CBI affidavit. BCCL "Based on the facts revealed by one accused, namely Guddu Patel during his interrogation, a particular spot in burial ground as identified by accused Guddu Patel was excavated and a bundle of bones were recovered from the spot," CBI said in the affidavit filed on an application which questioned the CBI probe and alleged that the agency hadnt done proper probe in the case. The CJI, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta heard the case on Friday and the two judge bench issued formal notice to CBI on the application regarding not conducting proper probe as alleged by the applicant and asked the agency to file its response within four weeks. Appearing for the petitioner, advocates Fauzia Shakil and Shoeb Alam told the bench that the agency hasnt done proper investigation keeping in mind the larger conspiracy in the case and the accused havent been chargesheeted under stringent section which should have been levied upon the accused. BCCL/Representational Image "Can we issue directions without hearing them (CBI)?", the bench said. Appearing for CBI, the Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that the CBI had already filed a reply on the concerned application. "The CBI has filed the reply. Each of the allegations in the application are without substance and are baseless," Venugopal said. After hearing to brief submissions, the bench gave May 6 as the date for next hearing. In CBI affidavit, the agency said it had carried out a "thorough, fair, impartial probe". "It is specifically denied that the investigating agency failed to conduct a thorough investigation or has left out any crucial leads. It is denied that investigation is a hogwash or investigation has avoided any crucial lead to shield any perpetrator," it said. The agency said that as soon as the victims revealed about the murders, the investigation regarding murders was carried out. "On scrutiny of the details of these 11 girls entered in the master register (of shelter home), it was found that there were a total of 35 girls with identical/similar names who at one time or the other stayed at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur," it said, adding that "as per revelation made by the inmates before IOs, all the alleged burial grounds were excavated by local police/CBI". The agency also said that further investigation is also on. The agency also told the court that it had also chargesheeted outsiders who physically and sexually abuse the girls after proper investigation. "It is denied that the CBI is trying to shield the real perpetrators or that the leads given by victims regarding role of outsiders was intentionally not probed," the agency said while adding the officer in social welfare department of Bihar government has also been chargesheeted. The apex court had transferred the case from Bihar to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Saket District Court complex in Delhi. After the TISS audit report revealed the possibility of sexual abuse of this particular and 16 other shelter homes in Bihar, the top court had asked CBI to investigate the case. Attempts to revive grounded private airline Jet Airways has suffered yet another setback. Even as the consortium of lenders struggles to find a potential buyer for Jet Airways, reports suggest that the airline could soon lose foreign flying rights. As early as next week, the government could start distributing foreign flying rights of Jet Airways among other carriers, The Economic Times has reported. REUTERS According to an aviation ministry official, other carriers have already requested the rights to destinations such as Singapore, Thailand, and the Middle East. This is bad news for Jet Airways as losing the foreign flying rights could turn away potential buyers. Meanwhile, a group of frequent flyers of the cash-strapped airline has approached the key lenders, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and Punjab National Bank, to submit the 'Revival of Jet Airways Plan' which they are calling 'Roja'. AFP As per the proposal by the group of professionals, led by Sankaran P. Raghunathan, the employees of Jet Airways would first take control of the company under a leveraged buy-out plan (LBO). They will take a loan from existing lenders and invest in the company, eventually becoming part-owners. "The banks can give 1,500 crore loan to the employees. This is six months' salary of each employee as a personal loan. The employees will use this money to buy out a 51 percent stake in the company from SBI and 12.5 percent from Etihad. The balance 200 crore would be given to the company for new shares. This way the employees will control Jet Airways," said the presentation reviewed by IANS. In the next step, the plan is to raise money involving frequent flyers. Accordingly, the banks can be persuaded to give a personal loan to all those who want to buy four tickets each for 10,000 which would be valid for two years. By pre-selling these tickets, as much as 8,000 crore could be raised. BCCL Jet Airways, once the largest private airline in India has been grounded since April 17 due to an acute cash crunch. The company which was founded nearly three decades ago had been in a financial mess for the past few years. The company tried multiple options including mass terminations of jobs and reducing flight, but nothing could stop the collapse. With the debts mounting, the lenders' consortium ousted founder and CEO Naresh Goyal and took control of the company. But a refusal to provide fresh funding meant the airline could no longer fly. In order to help Odisha, which is left devastated by Cyclone Fani, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft for humanitarian aid and disaster relief. The aircraft headed for the state capital Bhubaneswar from Hindan Air Base and three aircraft are carrying 45 tonnes of relief material including medicine and other items of relief. AFP "The IAF had remained on hot standby for a launch ever since the first warning about the cyclone was received. The aircraft were positioned at Hindan for a short notice take off, waiting for the restoration of landing facilities at cyclone affected airfields," said IAF spokesperson. Cyclone Fani hit the eastern coast of India on Friday and the state of Odisha, moved almost 10 lakh people to safer places. The death toll has also risen to over 15 despite the states exercising high level of alertness and the Cyclone has left a devastating impact on the regions of various states especially Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. The MI-17 helicopter of the IAF has already reached Bhubaneswar for assistance and relief operations. The helicopter went from Guwahati and is one of the many IAF aircraft put to relief and rescue work, the spokesperson told PTI. AFP "Air operations began after the restoration of landing facilities at cyclone affected airfields and are going to continue with full force in the coming days. "The Indian Air Force is committed to providing dedicated efforts to bring succour and relief to the affected populace and help in restoring normalcy in the region," the spokesperson said. Onam is the biggest festival of Kerala - it celebrates the supposed return of a mythical Asura king Mahabali to his people. King Mahabali is also referred to as Maveli. But now it seems like there is a new entrant to claim the name - a frog. The purple-colored frog which has a rather unique shape could soon get another distinction. SANDEEP DAS There is an ongoing campaign in the state to declare 'Maveli' as Keralas State Amphibian, making it first of its kind in India. According to Sandeep Das, a researcher at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) getting the frog declared as Keralas State Amphibian would help in saving the species which is fast disappearing from its habitat in the western ghats. SANDEEP DAS The frogs which were discovered in 2003 has been listed as endangered on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to researchers, the species which has been given the scientific name Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is so old that it qualifies to be called a living fossil. According to researchers, the species could have evolved around 70 million years ago, when dinosaurs were still around. SANDEEP DAS It doesn't end there - the nearest of its relative was found in Seychelles island, near Madagascar, Africa which suggests that India was once part of the larger continent of Africa. Madhya Pradesh will once again vote tomorrow in the fifth of the seven-phase general elections. Amid slew of political promises Samdai village in Damoh region of the state have decided not the cast their votes unless their problem isnt only heard, but a solution is also given. BCCL/Representational Image Samdai villagers have threatened to boycott the elections if their village, which faces a situation similar to a drought gets water supply. Not only Samdai, 18 villages of Damoh district handed over a letter to District Collector demanding ponds in every village along with other things. Village held placards before the office of the Collector which read, "Talaab nahi to vote nahi (no pond, no vote)" to show their anger. BCCl/Representational Image Speaking to ANI, one of the demonstrators Savitri Devi said: "We have to walk for hours to fetch water. There is no alternative since we do not have a pond in our village." Another person who had come to demonstrate his anger over water scarcity in his village added, "We had earlier put our demands before Damoh MP Prahlad Singh Patel but to no avail. Officials do not pay heed to our demands. We will not vote in this election if our demands are not met this time." BCCL/Representational Image Speaking to ANI, Ananda Kopriya, Additional Collector, said that demands of the villagers will be met. "We have forwarded the letter. We will also talk to the villagers regarding the matter." Inadequate rainfall and drought hitting the state one year after another, groundwater level is drastically affected. The state went to polls in the fourth phase and the people in various parts of the state will vote in all remaining three phases on May 6, 12, 19 as well. The counting will take place on May 23. #ITCounts is an Indiatimes initiative to move beyond the noise and the name-calling and focus on issues that really matter to our generation. We aim to be more about migration, pollution, LGBTQ rights, women's issues, and healthcare than about Pakistan, political posturing and trolling. If you have any suggestions/inputs/feedback or advice please hit us up at kabeer.sharma@timesinternet.in Weeks after serial blasts, which killed more than 250 people in Sri Lanka, fear still grips the island nation as the catholic churches arent observing Sunday mass in churches. According to reports, the mass is still being televised to avoid any attack. Father Edmund Tillakaratne said the public masses are avoided in order to avoid in possibility of the attack as the fear of attack is still looms large. But the service is conducted by Cardinal Marcolm Ranjith and will be broadcast on national television. AP The police said that search operations over weekends have been increased as the re-opening of over 10,000 public schools have been planned by the government. A total of 257 people were killed in the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday on April 21. "We will not allow any parking near public schools from Sunday afternoon," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. "Search operations will be intensified as part of tighter security." Small quantities of explosives, swords, guns, daggers and kris knives have been recovered by police and Sri Lanka army, Gunasekera told AFP. AFP "We will grant a two-day amnesty for people to surrender such weapons," he added. The spokesman also said the Catholic Churches will remain closed on Sunday amid tight security and the private mass will be telecast live from Archbishops residence in Colombo. "It will be like last Sunday when we had a service at Archbishop's chapel and telecast it live," spokesperson Edmond Tillakaratne said. The archbishop of Colombo, Ranjith said Thursday said a "reliable foreign source" had given alert about the possibility of more attack on weekend which led to the cancellation of the Sunday servives for the second week in a row. "The information we have from a reliable foreign source is that attackers are planning to hit a very famous church and a Catholic institution," the Cardinal said in a statement. AFP The official said Thewatte National Basilica, the church outside Colombo was the suspected target and military has been deployed in the area. "There were no explosives found, but we have stepped up security in the neighbourhood," a police official said. The government had ordered reopening of 10, 194 schools on Monday, however, some Catholic schools will remain closed "until further notice". A total of 257 people were killed, out of which 42 were foreigners apart from around 480 were left injured. Among the victims who lost their lives, 50 children were among the dead. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Friday that some of the conspirators may still be at large. AFP "Most of those responsible for the Easter attacks have been arrested. Some have been killed," Wickremesinghe said during a tour of island's east, where a Christian church was hit. "We are trying to see if there are any more secret IS cells in the country," he said. "We will ensure that IS terrorism will be eradicated from our land." The local outfit the local National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) which pledged allegiance with ISIS was behind the attacks and its leader was also among the suicide bombers Pakistan's Senate passed a bill which proposed the marriageable age for girls, under the Child Marriage (Restraint) Act, 1929, be raised to 18 years. According to the amendment, marriage under 18 years can lead to a fine of Rs 1,00,000 (Dh2,600) and three years of rigorous punishment or both, state reports. Reuters The Act which has been in place in Pakistan since 1929 had been amended once in 1961 when the minimum age was increased to 16. While the passing of a bill is a landmark achievement, implementation is what many are concerned about. Senator Sherry Rehman, who presented the bill, was met with resistance from members of Islamist parties. Reuters/Picture For Representation For some lawmakers it went against the code of Islam to fix the age of puberty, reports the Express Tribune. Many families, especially those from the backward communities marry off daughters to reduce financial burden, a lot of these people are not aware the emotional, mental and physical trauma an underage girl goes through because of the practice. A study shows that Pakistan has the maximum number of child brides - the number being a whopping 1,909,000 and it was an absolute necessity to get this bill into action. The Senate chairman sought voting and passed the bill with an opposition of five votes, according to reports. Agency Inputs. An Indian family along with their 10-year old twin boys have set a new record for family skydiving. Shital Mahajan-Rane, her husband Vaibhav Rane, both professional skydivers, and their twins Vrushabh and Vaibhav jumped out of a plane over Amsterdam. "Our sons celebrated their 10th birthday on April 26 and it was their desire to make their first skydiving jump. So we came to Amsterdam last week and fulfilled their birthday wish," Ms Rane told IANS They accomplished the stunt from a Super Caravan 206 aircraft flying at a height of around 13,000 feet above The Netherlands, she added. Shital Mahajan Rane has notched some 750 jumps all over the world while Vaibhav has 57 skydives till date. To mark the 389th birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Ms Rane performed skydiving jumps over the Great Pyramids of Giza on February 19. First she jumped in a traditional Maharashtrian "nau-vari" sari and then went for a repeat jump sporting the royal costume of the legendary ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, who ruled around 3,700 years ago, earning accolades from the Egyptian authorities. 'I have always wanted to do something different with skydiving. I have 17 national and 6 world records to my name. I keep doing different and exceptional things in skydiving sport. I want to promote what Indian women are capable of doing on the world forum if given a chance, ' the Pune Mirror quoted her in an Interview. On April 18, 2004 she became the first woman in the world to make her maiden jump - without practice dives - on the North Pole from a Russian MI-8 helicopter from 2,700 feet in minus 37 degrees. On December 15, 2006, she made the world's first Accelerated Free Fall Parachute Jump on the South Pole in Antarctica, jumping out of a Twin Otter aircraft from a height of 11,600 feet on the icy continent. That made her the first - and youngest (at 23) - woman in the world to accomplish successful skydives on both the poles. She has now set her sight on two targets - skydiving over Mount Everest and above Agra skies, home to the monument of love, the Taj Mahal. IANS We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit According to reports, Comedian Akpororo held a show last night, at his neighbourhood in Okokomaiko, Lagos. However, it was reported that the organisers slashed ticket price and at some point made the show free due to low turn-out. Popular critic and OAP, Daddy Freeze has reacted to this viral video. It should be recalled that Akpororo had exchanged words with the controversial OAP, a while ago over the continuous attack by Daddy Freeze on pastors. Also Read: Dont Disrespect My Brand Ruth Kadiri Warns Nollywood Producers He wrote: wasnt this the same comedian that insulted me and called me a wall gecko at the House of the Rock experience last December? Has his tithe stopped working for him or did he miss paying his tithe for a month? Although he cursed me and said hurtful things about me, I have forgiven him and have nothing but love for him and wish he stopped paying or advertising this idolatrous tithe and worshipped God for who he really is in spirit and truth (John 4:24) Paying tithe is idolatry and harlotry, its the worship of demons, the veneration of mammon and the hero worship of Satan who according to 2nd Corinthians 4:4, is the God of this world. Christ our high priest never collected tithes and neither did the disciples, who were our first bishops and GOs. See video below: Chelsea midfielder, Eden Hazard, has now assisted more league goals than any other player across the five major European leagues in 2018/2019 season after his brace of assist against Watford today. The Belgian International who is rumoured to be on his way to Real Madrid in the summer now has 15 league assist in the current season as a result of his implosive form today. Amazing isnt it??? The Lagos state police command has arrested a foreigner by the name George Soare after he reportedly ordered soldiers in Lagos to beat a young lady. According to reports, George who has since been remanded in prison ordered that the soldiers beat the young lady who has been identified as Diva, following an alleged misunderstanding with his wife. Reports also have it that Diva wasnt the person who had an issue with Soares Nigerian wife. The couple lives at 5, Falilat Shomade street, Lekki home. It has been revealed that it is the couples neighbour, who Diva had come to visit, that in fact, had issues with the wife. Other neighbours during investigations revealed that Soares wife enjoyed pouring water on them whenever she had a dispute and the lady reacted on that day as she had had enough. Soares, however, tried to take sides with his wife and got four soldiers in to flog the neighbour, but when they met her absence, descended on Diva who had only come to visit. Diva was then taken away and warned against reporting the assault or she gets killed. However, Diva was taken to the hospital by neighbors who had witnessed the inhumane treatment. They later reported the case at the police station. Reports have it that Soares was brought before a law court on Thursday and has since been remanded in Ikoyi Prison, until Diva recovers. Government and some NGOs are said to be interested in the case as they want to ensure justice is served. Nigerian rapper, Eva Alordiah has revealed in a new Instagram post that she is more concerned about having babies than getting married. It should be recalled that Evas engagement to her longtime boyfriend, Caeser was called off few years ago. Also Read: I Am Married Laura Ikeji Informs Twitter User Asking Her Out Eva Alordiah also pointed out that she is considering adopting and being a single parent. Also noting that humans are insatiable and she does not live her life to satisfy others. See her post below: President Muhammadu Buhari in Sunday departed London, United Kingdom, for Nigeria after his private visit. Boeing 737 Business Ajet with registration number 5N-FGT, which conveyed the president left the Stansted airport in London at about 112:20 pm. Buhari had travelled to London, a day after commissioning the 10-lane OshodiMurtala Muhammed International Airport Road, the 170-Bed Ayinke House (Maternity Hospital)) at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja; the Oshodi Transport Interchange and 820 mass transit buses. The president had received several backlashes for engaging in the private trio without handing power to his vice, Yemi Osinbajo as constitutionally required. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun a fresh probe against Senate President Bukola Saraki over allegations of money laundering, according to latest reports. Saraki, who was governor of the state between 2003 and 2011 before heading to the Senate is being investigated for his earnings during his time as governor of Kwara state, ThisDay reports. The EFCC said it is investigating Saraki over an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, theft, and money laundering involving him, in a letter quoted by This Day. The letter signed by Isyaku Sharu, EFCC zonal head, was reportedly addressed to the Kwara state government House on April 26th, directing it to release details of all of the salaries, allowances, estacode, and payments, Saraki received as governor. The letter reads thus: In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish us with the full details of all his entitlements to include but not limited to emoluments, allowances, estacodes, other fringe benefits, and severance package while he held sway as the Executive Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011. This request is made pursuant to Section 38 (1) & (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. Saraki had earlier appeared at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT in a case filed against him by the federal government over allegations of false assets declaration A case wherein the EFCC testified against him during the trial. Saraki was however cleared in that case. On Good Friday, as Christians marked the killing of Jesus by being nailed to the cross at Mount Calvary, Katsina/Ala local government area of Benue State was thrown into chaos following a bloody conflict between the Shitile and Ikurav clans which claimed over 11 lives and left scores maimed. Except the government does something fast, kidnapping and wanton killings may overrun Nigeria with the possibility of turning the country into a failed state. The Sun Most Nigerians were aghast, when they heard that the Kogi State government has not paid salaries to civil servants in the state for 38 months out of the 39 months Governor Yahaya Bello has spent in the office. Guardian India - Large The levy of indirect taxes in India on the real estate sector has always been fraught with disputes and litigation. The levy finds its origin in the constitution of India, which grants power to the state to levy a value added tax (VAT) on the transfer of property involved in the execution of a work contract (i.e. a contract involving the supply of labour and materials for an agreed price). In 2010, the central government introduced a service tax on the sale of properties under-construction to capture the service element involved in such transactions. The industry subsequently commenced a colossal legal battle against this taxing spree, stating that the sale of immovable property cannot be subject to either VAT or a service tax. However, the debate ended with the issue settled in favour of the government. It was held that the tax is levied on the activity of construction prior to the completion of the immovable property. Rules were framed to ensure that there was no double taxation (i.e. levy of both VAT and service tax on the same contract value). However, litigation continued, as there were challenges in determining the proper value to be taxed under each law, the deductions available, and the eligibility of set-offs considering the law differed from state to state. Aligning these with the central laws was turning out to be a matter of conflict between the builders and the tax authorities. Furthermore, there were disputes around the applicability of service tax on the transfer of land development rights. There were also restrictions under each law with regards to eligibility in claiming credits, which added to the chaos and increased tax cost. Goods and services (GST) tax The introduction of the goods and service tax (GST) promised better times for the real estate sector, with assimilation of state and central laws leading to a single tax regime in India. The new GST categorises construction and work contract activities as services, with a GST ranging between 8%-18%, along with appropriate deductions (1/3rd amount) towards the cost of land and set-offs. This higher tax impact came with clarity on taxation and the opening-up of greater set-offs. However, the benefit was diluted due to reasons such as larger procurements from unregistered dealers etc. Further confusion arose where sales of units post completion were not liable to GST, and therefore, whether the same requires partial reversal. This led to a confusion on the quantum of tax benefits to be passed. All the while, the industry was pulled into conflicts with the tax authorities on the transition of credits from the erstwhile regime into the new GST regime, whereby the tax authorities sought to restrict the set-offs that could be carried forward, only to the extent of the inputs lying in stock and not already forming a part of under-construction properties. Another area of debate was the taxation of development rights transferred by landowners to builders, whereby the majority of landowners were individuals unwilling to take any tax obligations. Even in situations where set-offs were available, the builders remained in a credit accumulation situation, with no real possibility of utilisation. Hence, the effective tax rate post set-off was a matter of contention. The non-passing of benefit was seen as profiteering by builders, resulting in the issuance of anti-profiteering notices (a provision under GST law which mandates passing of benefit arising as a result increase in set-off). Real estate tax changes A plea by the industry to the Government for rationalisation and a tax reduction saw sizable changes. On April 1 2019, GST rates were reduced to 1% for affordable housing and 5% for all other residential properties, with no set-offs. Construction of commercial properties will continue to be taxed at the rate of 12%, with the benefit of a set-off. Lower tax rates come attached with various conditions (i.e. 80% of procurements need to be made from registered contractors etc.). Non-compliance will lead to reverse charge liability in the hands of the promoter. Transition provisions have been introduced to allow the industry to continue with the old GST rates, provided the same is conveyed by taxpayers to the tax authorities within the stipulated time. Development rights are exempt from GST payments, to the extent of the units on which tax has been charged. Onus has been placed on promoters to discharge GST under a reverse charge on such rights, to the extent of any units sold post the completion of the construction (which is not subject to GST). The rules are complex and transfer the entire liability into the hands of the promoters / builders. The coming days will see whether the industry is able to decipher and apply the law, or whether it leads to further disputes with the tax authorities. Having said this, the new rules do resolve a number of issues, disputes around set-off and passing-on of the benefit, and GST on development rights, at least for the construction of residential properties. Ritesh Kanodia Meetika Baghel This article was written by Ritesh Kanodia and Meetika Baghel of Dhruva Advisors. The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ. Share this article There have been 6,000 calls to the HSEs crisis pregnancy helpline since abortion was legalised in Ireland. In January, the MyOptions helpline received 1,925 calls for information and counselling and 387 nursing-related queries. In February, there were 1,026 calls to information and counselling services and 218 nursing queries. In March, there were 1,102 calls for information or counselling and 261 for nursing. In April, there were 919 calls for information or counselling and 293 nursing queries. The number of people who have terminated pregnancies in Ireland, since January 2, will not be available until a year has passed, says Dr Mary Short. Dr Short is the director of sexual and reproductive health for the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). 317 GPs have signed the termination of pregnancy (ToP) contract. A further 26 are awaiting completion of their contracts. The ICGP will train a further 40 GPs in the next two weeks. This represents 11% of the GP population in Ireland. Of the 317 GPs contracted to provide ToP services, 169 have consented to having their details shared on the My Options website. The rest can be accessed when a person contacts the helpline, where they will be referred to the nearest GP providing ToP services. In terms of calls per day to the helpline, there were 58 a day in January for information and counselling and 13 for nursing advice. The average calls a day fell for the following months: for information and counselling services, there were 37 in February, 36 in March, and 31 in April. For nursing queries, there were seven calls a day in February, eight in March, and 10 in April. In several counties, there are no GPs providing ToP services, nor hospitals providing medical terminations. While no GP, or hospital, is obligated to provide a service, Dr Short said it is disappointing that there are pockets of Ireland with a vacuum of ToP services. I find it disappointing that in some counties there wouldnt be a doctor, or doctors, willing to provide this service and that you would hope that they would see their way to rethinking their position for the women that they look after. Dr Short also runs her own practice, in Blackrock, Co Dublin, where she provides reproductive health and ToP services. Since the provision of abortion services became legal in Ireland (December 20, 2018, in legislation, and January 2, 2019, in practice), Dr Short has seen a diverse spectrum of women. The profile is really women in their 30s whove had failed contraception. The profile would be of women who have already had families, the timing [of these pregnancies] is very bad, or there could be other issues, health with other children, Dr Short said. Theres a myriad of reasons why they have chosen to be there. While they can feel a bit sad, there is relief, as well, she added. The Port of Cork says it is looking into an incident during which gardai were called to an altercation at a right of way protest at its deepwater quay in Cobh. Gardai have confirmed that they were called to the scene of a minor altercation between security and demonstrators at the Cobh cruise liner quay at around 7.15pm on Friday. The government has been accused of running down the Defence Forces to such an alarming extent that, if there was a major security crisis, they have left the country "woefully unprepared, dramatically undefended, and shamefully exposed." That's according to a retired Lieutenant Colonel who provided the keynote address at a protest in Cork organised by former members of the Defence Forces and the lobby group WPDF (Wives & Partners of the Defence Forces). Retired Lieut Col Dan Harvey said the Defence Forces is "broken" and "in crisis" with "morale at an all-time low," because they are "overlooked and undervalued, overworked, underpaid, over-stretched and undermanned." More than 1,000 attending the protest heard him say manpower levels in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps were at an all-time low, pay was at an all-time low, - relative to other public servants - and it was therefore hardly surprising that retention was at an all-time low. "The Chief of Staff (Vice Admiral Mark Mellett) is responsible for the military effectiveness of the Defence Forces. An impossible task when he's constantly undermined by Department of Defence officials who hold decision powers over him," Mr Harvey said. "The Defence Forces and their families live in the real world, while this government lives in the half-world of pretence, perception and PR spin. The government needs to actually appreciate that respect and loyalty go two ways," Mr Harvey said. The Defence Forces defends democracy, this government defends itself. The Defence Forces protects peace, this government protects itself. The Defence Forces does respect and loyalty, this government does neglect and indifference. He added that an umbrella group had been formed known as the Defence Forces Ireland Military Family Forum (DFIMFF). Mr Harvey said for the first time in the nation's history, "out of necessity, out of neglect, out of indifference, out of disrespect, out of lack of loyalty," the DFIMFF finds it necessary to use democracy to defend itself. He said that organisation had "identified and will target nationally our concentrated voting power and force where it will make the most impact, the planning is done, we have only to execute." Retired Brigadier General Ger Aherne, former General Officer in Command of 4th Brigade, was equally scathing of the government's treatment of the Defence Forces. He pointed out that its minimal strength to deliver what it was supposed to was 9,500, which hadn't been achieved for a number of years. The current strength is a dysfunctional 8,400. Pay and conditions for serving personnel is simply not defendable. Families are living in genuine poverty. Some 30% of serving personnel qualify to draw Social Welfare Family Income Supplement, Mr Aherne said. Other speakers, including Mervyn Ennis, chairman of the DFIMFF, and Shelly Cotter, a prominent member of the WDPF, who has a husband and son in the navy, said poor pay was leading to inexcusable poverty levels for some military families. A number of wreaths were laid at the National Monument in Grand Parade. Professor Cathal MacSwiney Brugha, grandson of both Terence MacSwiney, former Lord Mayor of Cork, and Cathal Brugha, former Minister for Defence laid one wreath on behalf of the 1916 Families Association. Bill Egar laid one on behalf of the Army, Damien Eastwood on behalf of the Naval Service and Alan Byrne on behalf of the Air Corps. Wreaths were laid on behalf of WPDF by Judith Butler Wharton and the Reserve Defence Forces by Lesley Doyle. The Government has been accused of running down the Defence Forces to such an extent that if there was a major security crisis, the country has been left woefully unprepared, dramatically undefended, and shamefully exposed. Thats according to a retired lieutenant colonel, who provided the keynote address at a protest in Cork organised by former members of the Defence Forces and the lobby group WPDF (Wives & Partners of the Defence Forces). Retired Lt Col Dan Harvey said the Defence Forces is broken and in crisis, while morale is at an all-time low, because they are overlooked and undervalued, overworked, underpaid, over-stretched, and undermanned. Cathal MacSwiney Brugha, UCD, speaking at the march. One thousand protesters heard him say that manpower in the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps were at an all-time low, as was pay relative to other public servants and that it was hardly surprising that retention was at an all-time low. The Chief of Staff (Vice Admiral Mark Mellett) is responsible for the military effectiveness of the Defence Forces. An impossible task, when hes constantly undermined by Department of Defence officials who hold decision powers over him, Mr Harvey said. The Defence Forces and their families live in the real world, while this government lives in the half-world of pretence, perception, and PR spin. The Government needs to actually appreciate that respect and loyalty go two ways. The Defence Forces defends democracy; this government defends itself. The Defence Forces protects peace; this government protects itself. The Defence Forces does respect and loyalty; this government does neglect and indifference. Army supporters Ann Ryan and Rita Scott awareness campaign to Cork.attending the march An umbrella group, the Defence Forces Ireland Military Family Forum (DFIMFF), has been formed. Mr Harvey said that for the first time in the nations history, out of necessity, out of neglect, out of indifference, out of disrespect, out of lack of loyalty, the DFIMFF found it necessary to use democracy to defend itself. He said that the organisation had identified, and will target nationally, our concentrated voting power and force where it will make most impact. The planning is done; we have only to execute. Retired Brigadier General Ger Aherne, former General Officer in Command of 4th Brigade, was equally scathing of the Governments treatment of the Defence Forces. He said that its minimal strength to deliver what it was supposed to was 9,500, which hadnt been achieved for a number of years. The current strength is a dysfunctional 8,400. Pay and conditions for serving personnel are simply not defendable. Families are living in genuine poverty. Some 30% of serving personnel qualify to draw social welfare Family Income Supplement, Mr Aherne said. Former Air Corps staff Gavin Tobin (pictured) andLiam Kit Kearney brought their chemical abuse awareness campaign to Cork. Other speakers, including Mervyn Ennis, chairman of the DFIMFF, and Shelly Cotter, a prominent member of the WDPF, who has a husband and son in the naval service, said poor pay was impoverishing some military families. A number of wreaths were laid at the National Monument on Grand Parade. Cathal MacSwiney Brugha, grandson of both Terence MacSwiney, former Lord Mayor of Cork, and Cathal Brugha, former minister for defence, laid one wreath on behalf of the 1916 Families Association. Bill Egar laid one on behalf of the Army, Damien Eastwood on behalf of the Naval Service, and Alan Byrne on behalf of the Air Corps. Wreaths were laid on behalf of WPDF, by Judith Butler Wharton, and on behalf of the Reserve Defence Forces, by Lesley Doyle. The amazing tale of the Bermuda petrel, a seabird thought extinct for nearly 400 years, has lessons for Irelands blase approach to conservation, West Cork bird expert Paul Connaughton tells Ellie OByrne There arent many good news stories in conservation, not to mention ones as dramatic as that of the Bermuda petrel. The Bermuda petrel, or cahow as it is sometimes known, is whats called a Lazarus species a species whose extinction was so certain that it seems to have been raised from the dead. Like the dodo, the Bermuda petrel was an island-dwelling bird whose existence was threatened by man. When Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue, its thought there were up to a million of the nocturnal seabirds on the then-uninhabited Bermuda Islands. In the 1500s, passing Spanish sailors, and the rats and pigs they brought with them, feasted freely on the birds and their eggs during pitstops on the North Atlantic islands. In the 1600s, just 20 years after British settlement on Bermuda, the Bermuda petrel was declared extinct. As dead as the dodo, or so it was thought. Almost 400 years later, in 1951, Bermudan teenager David Wingate was one of a party of naturalists who rediscovered 17 nesting pairs of the grey and white bird, clinging to life on four rocky islets close to Bermudas Castle Harbour. He became Bermudas first conservation officer and worked tirelessly to support the petrels re-establishment until his retirement; now in his eighties, he still visits the seabirds he dedicated his lifes work to. West Cork bird expert Paul Connaughton travelled to Bermuda and spent time in the company of David Wingate and some of the estimated 300 Bermuda petrels alive today. For Paul, the chairman of Birdwatch Irelands West Cork branch, getting so close to the miracle birds was awe-inspiring. It was incredible, he says. I was part of a group of ten organised by one of the worlds leading seabird experts, Bob Flood, to go and see the birds at their breeding grounds in November when the adults are returning to their burrows. I helped with the ringing project, but not everyone is allowed handle the birds, so I was photographing and documenting them. But one did touch me, when we went out to the colony at night. Bermuda petrels are nocturnal and prey on squid, shrimp, and small fish. Pairs mate for life and nest in deep burrows in the ground, rearing just one fluffy grey chick per year, a factor that made them particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and predation and almost led to extinction, explains Paul. Conservation efforts to save the bird have been extensive, including a five-year translocation exercise in the 2000s to settle chicks on Nonsuch Island, the nature reserve Paul visited. The conservation team took chicks to Nonsuch, so theyd imprint on the island and return to nest there, he says. They risked translocating these birds, and it paid off: They have a much bigger island to live on. Pauls 10-day visit to Bermuda gave him enormous regard for the hardy seabirds, whose far-flung homing instincts alone are a wonder of nature. When a cahow leaves the nest and flies out to sea, they may not come back to breed for three to five years, he says. During that time, they hardly land. While theyre at sea, they sleep on the wing, by shutting down half of their brain at a time to rest it. When they come back, they land within a few feet of the burrow that they left. Isnt that mind-blowing? The battle for the Bermuda petrel isnt over; global warming has made violent storms more frequent on the islands, and a few years ago 13 birds drowned in their burrows during a storm. Conservationists have to fend off predation from rats and from other bird species. Chairman of Birdwatch Irelands West Cork Branch Paul Connaughton, left, with David Wingate, who rediscovered the Bermuda Petrel. Even though its a success, its been 70 years and theyve only managed to bring it up from 17 pairs to 120, he says. Its not a project that can be left to run its own course; its got to be constantly monitored. Paul says the time and resources used to protect the return of the Bermuda petrel are a worthy cause. The reason they were headed for extinction is because of man, he says. Were becoming aware that a lot of the extinctions are because of us. They can have a chance of survival, even if its not in the numbers they used to exist in. Its a chance to put something back. A Bermuda petrel was spotted off the coast of Ireland in 2014, an inspiration to Paul, who runs Shearwater Wildlife Tours in Clonakilty and who has been birdwatching since the age of seven. The recent news that the curlew, once one of Irelands most commonly seen waders, could soon be lost as a breeding species on our shores, having seen a 96% population decline since the 1980s, is a sharp wake-up call to Ireland that we need to pay more attention to conserving habitats and biodiversity. Paul says Ireland needs to take a page out of Bermudas book regarding the amount of effort and resources put into protecting native species. The European Habitats directive is having no impact in this country, says Paul. Theres grants there for farmers to clear land, theyre allowed to burn the uplands; its depressing, to be honest. Social media is bringing more awareness to people, which is great, but the only way things can really change is by introducing our kids to nature and teaching them to love and protect it. Biodiversity is not a food chain, its a web; a world-wide web. We have to protect it everywhere. Wrong language, weak sentences, poor resources: victims and those who support them are frustrated with the criminal justice systems response to child sexual abuse material. Caroline ODoherty reports For close to 30 years Colin Power lived not only with the trauma of child sex abuse but the added horror of knowing his abuser had recorded his ordeal. Bill Kenneally took graphic polaroids of the boys he sexually assaulted, forcing them to pose with smiles and telling them that if they spoke about what he did, he would show the pictures as proof that they were willing partners in his vile attacks. His trial in 2016 heard claims that he had destroyed the photographs years earlier but Colin and the other boys did not know that, nor can they be entirely sure he really did. It was a form of power over us. We were all aware that he had taken photos of us and we had the fear then of what he might do with those photos or who hed show them to, he says. That would always have been in the back of your mind, maybe not consciously all the time but certainly subconsciously. I think that the child sex abuse images that people access now is for a slightly different reason than what Kenneally took our pictures for. I think it was more to have a hold over us, power over us for us to be fearful of what hed do. But I could be wrong. Either way, Colin feels somewhat fortunate that Kenneally, currently serving 14 years for sexual assaults on 10 boys, did not have access to the internet in the way that others like him do now. The constraints of 1980s technology meant Kenneally was limited in what he could do but today, an image taken for perverted personal pleasure, for commercial gain or, as Kenneally used them, for insurance, can be all over the world in minutes. Physical sexual abuse can stop, an offender can be convicted and, with time and support, a victim can become a survivor but when images are unleashed to the unrestricted world of the internet, a form of torture is inflicted over and over again without end. And every time Colin reads about a court case involving child pornography, it bothers him deeply. April 2019 3 years suspended, 2 years probation Mark McNallys laptop was actively downloading child sex abuse images when gardai arrived to search his Dublin home. Then 23 years old, he admitted possession of 32 videos and a similar number of images and told gardai he had been downloading and viewing child pornography since the age of 13, when he felt down. The case took five years to come to hearing. In mitigation, the court heard McNally was an enterprising man with a good work record who was never in trouble before or since. That phrase, child pornography, is only the start of Colins concerns. I really think something needs to be done about the term child pornography. To me theres no such thing as child pornography. That term dilutes the crime. It is child sex abuse images. Colin is not alone in believing the term child pornography is problematic in that its association with legal and widely accepted adult pornography can have the effect of normalising it or at least diminishing its harm in the public mind. One in Four, CARI (Children at Risk in Ireland) and the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland (RCNI) are just some of the many organisations that also object to the term. I really hate the term child pornography, says Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four. It almost legitimises it because it takes the emphasis off the sexual abuse which is what it is. Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four, says the term childpornography is misleading. February 2019: 1 year suspended, 1 year probation Twice in four years, retired teacher Aidan Harman was found with child abuse images when gardai raided his Cork city home. In total, there were 860 images and two videos. Despite the first raid, the 75-year-old had amassed 223 fresh images by the time gardai revisited him. The judge described Harmans behaviour as troubling and something that had been treated as a very serious matter. However, the court also heard the Probation Service had assessed him as being of low risk for reoffending. The Garda Inspectorate, in a comprehensive examination of the the laws response to child sexual abuse last year, made a point of stating that while it was referring to child pornography, it would be using the term child abuse material throughout its report. Gardai themselves tend to use the term child exploitation material in public statements but not in the preparation of prosecutions or in court. There, they are stuck with the language of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998, the key piece of legislation dealing with the crime. The act has been updated by amendments contained in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Acts of 2017 and 2019 but the language remains the same. The Department of Justice says it appreciates the concerns but urges caution against the assumption that the wording could be easily changed. Any proposed change to terminology would need to be considered very carefully as it may have far-reaching or unintended consequences, it said in a statement. The terminology in question is used elsewhere in the statute book, and also appears in the title to the 1998 Act itself. A change in the term would therefore require amendments to each piece of legislation where it appears, and the entire Act of 1998 would also need to be repealed and replaced in order for the title to be changed. The law is always kept under review in the department, and the department understands the reasons for the request for this change. Consideration will be given to this matter in any future review of child pornography law. February 2019: 3 years but half suspended, 3 years post-release supervision More than 80,000 images were found at the home of a 55-year-old man who tried to claim he had them only because of his interest in naturism. Cynan Rees, an IT expert who carried out work for Cork City Council, had the images on three separate hard drives. Almost 2,300 of the images and 483 videos were classified as the most serious kind. The judge described the material as reprehensible and the case as exceptionally serious but said he wanted to incentivise Rees to engage in rehabilitation on his release. There is at least a prospect of change in what the department says but as already mentioned, the law has been reviewed and strengthened several times in recent years without addressing this aspect of it. Something else has remained a constant too the maximum sentence that can be handed down on conviction. Five years imprisonment is the most a judge can impose but in reality it is hard to find a case where that has actually happened. Over the past year or so, judges around the country have pronounced the evidence presented to them to be reprehensible, vile and deeply concerning and one even declared there was a need for greater deterrence to stop the crime. Their sentiments were undoubtedly genuine some were dealing with cases where the number of images and videos accessed by a defendant reached tens of thousands, or where the victims were babies, or where the level of depravity involved was sickening in the extreme. And yet, in looking back over dozens of cases in the last two years, none cropped up where the maximum custodial sentence was imposed. February 2019: 3 years but half suspended, probation on release Vile was how a judge described the images found on the computer of a primary school teacher who used the internet name Schoolteacher when logging on to a child pornography site. Brian Fitzgerald from Cork had accessed more than 3,000 video and images and had shared 53 images with other users in Germany, the United States and Britain. His barrister said it took the 49-year-old who initially denied the charges, some time to realise this was not a victimless crime. He received a three-year jail sentence but half of the term suspended on the distribution charge and a concurrent 18 months for possession. The sentences are pitiful a lot of the time, says Colin Power. If theres lenient sentences or if there is totally suspended sentences, thats not proving a deterrent to somebody whos sitting at home accessing these horrific images. If they saw proper sentences, it might make them think twice about it. One of the difficulties for a judge considering what sentence to impose is that if any period of post-release supervision is ordered, the law states that the total of this period of time plus the jail term must not exceed the five-year maximum sentence. The Sex Offenders Act 2001 states: The aggregate of the sentence of imprisoned.and the supervision period shall not exceed the duration of the maximum term of imprisonment that may be imposed in respect of the sexual offence concerned. Given the importance of monitoring an offender after they leave prison to see how they are getting along in a world of mobile devices and digital temptation, most judges are keen to provide for a period of post-release supervision. But if it is to be a meaningful amount of time say 18 months that means the jail term can be a maximum of three and a half years. With standard remission, the offender would serve just two years, seven and a half months behind bars. February 2019: 1 year, life on sex offenders register A convicted paedophile whom a court heard had a high risk of reoffending was caught with hundreds of images after reporting to gardai plans by other paedophiles to share a young boy. Hugh McBride, 61, returned home to Donegal after serving time in Britain for gross indecency against children, taking indecent photographs of young children and indecent assault. He revealed to gardai that he had been contacted by another offender he had met in prison who had invited him to share an 11-year-old boy in Cork. Gardai investigating the contacts found 334 images on McBrides computer. He claimed he had taken them from nudist sites which he did not consider child porn. The judge said the offences merited an 18-month sentence but he would lessen it because of his approach to gardai. Maeve Lewis does not think it likely that the maximum sentence would be increased under any future legislative review but she does believe it should be possible to impose a five-year jail term and follow up with monitoring afterwards. I absolutely believe that the post-release supervision element should be independent of the custodial term. It should not be combined because that way, no-one ever gets the maximum sentence or if they do, they dont have a period of post-release supervision. Its an area of the law that we really need to look at. The RCNI examined the trade-off between jail time and post-release supervision in 2009 when the Department of Justice sought submissions on the management of sex offenders in the community. Barrister and RCNI legal director, Caroline Counihan, says the dilemma it presented for judges was evident back then. At the time we wanted to make a recommendation to extend the period of supervision beyond the period of the sentence but the advice we got was that a determinate sentence had to come to an end at a particular point and you couldnt extend it indefinitely. The alternative of increasing the maximum sentence from five years also presented problems. You need to differentiate the levels of seriousness in the types of offences possession of child pornography which were talking about here versus producing or distributing it which is treated more seriously. If you increase the maximum sentence for possession, do you then increase the sentences for the others and if you dont, are you saying theyre not as serious as they were originally regarded? At the moment, the maximum sentence provided for the worst of the offences dealt with under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 is 14 years. It is unlikely that would be increased given that it is also the maximum sentence for any offence in Irish criminal law apart from those for which it is possible to receive life, such as murder, manslaughter, rape, aggravated burglary and certain drugs offences. Even then, life can turn out to be less than 14 years. February 2019: 3 years but half suspended, probation on release The sexual abuse of babies was among the horrific images found on the phone of a former Rose of Tralee escort who was actively seeking and swapping images online. Timothy Lynch, 35, from Cork was found with 210 images on his phone and had distributed some in batches of four and five on at least three occasions. The court heard evidence that he was a loner who had never had a relationship and struggled on many levels but he was considered at low risk of reoffending. Emma Little, interim chief executive of CARI, is not convinced that increasing sentences by statute or in practice would achieve the kind of change that people working in the area of child protection want to see. Its quite an antiquated idea that longer sentences are more effective, that punishment can be a deterrent. If it was, we would have no crime, she says. We use it to satisfy the desire for quick, simple justice. It makes us feel better. But the longer the sentence, the more institutionalised people become. Some studies suggest anything over four years may be counterproductive. The prisoner is excluded from society and then they come back with an expectation that theyre going to behave like the rest of society. That may be expecting too much. Also, it costs 76,500 to keep one prisoner incarcerated for a year while our therapies for the children we help cost 8,000 for one year. When you are investing in years of custody, you are paying almost ten times for the perpetrator than for the victim. It becomes all about the perpetrator. There needs to be another way of dealing with these people while paying more attention to the victims. There is a lot of work being done around restorative justice and there may be models there that are worth exploring. Custodial sentences are important they do explain that these are serious crimes but its not a clear-cut solution any more and maybe it never was. February 2019: 2 years, probation on release A garda repeatedly denied that he accessed images found on his computer and tried to blame their existence on a man since deceased who had come to his house for sex. Joseph OConnor, 58, from west Dublin was found guilty of five counts of possession of images and videos, some of the rape of boys under the age of ten, some kept in a folder named Spanked Boys. The judge said she considered the offence deserving of three and a half years in prison but in reducing the term she took into account OConnors previously unblemished career and the support of his family. But even taking into consideration the limitations of the law and whatever debate there may be about the usefulness of longer sentences, judges are still shying away from imposing the maximum sentence. Plea bargaining is not an official term in the Irish criminal justice system but even it if was, Emma Little would have a different description for it. Its horse-trading in the middle of the court, she says with disapproval. The defence is trying for a lighter sentence, the prosecution is trying to finish the case and the agreement is whatever keeps them all happy. The victim isnt at the centre. It is certainly the case that a defendant will be looked upon more favourably if they plead guilty and do so at the earliest opportunity whether or not the motivation is genuine remorse or a strategy aimed at saving their own skin. Mitigating circumstances also play a part too big a part if you ask Colin Power. Hes had a hard life, hes not the brightest, hes a hard worker, he has a good family supporting him I dont think any of that should matter, he says. So what if he has a good family? That says something about them, not about him. Hes done wrong and this just makes excuses for why he shouldnt have to pay for it. It allows others to excuse themselves for doing the same. The use of character witnesses also bothers Colin. I can understand someone coming in to court to speak up for somebody whos maybe hit a fella a dig. It can be completely out of character and there might have been something going on in their life at the time. But when you see people charged with having thousands of images and looking at them for years, you cant say theyre normally of good character. You cant say you know them at all because if you did, youd have known what they were doing. These people are so manipulative, you cant presume to know them. January 2019: 9 months jail, 1 year post-release supervision An investigating garda sought reporting restrictions in a court case to spare the defendants wife and children publicity but the presiding judge refused. Damien Conlon, 52, from Kildare, pleaded guilty to possession of two movie files of naked children in shower scenes, fighting and other activities but not sexual acts. During one court appearance, his defence said he was being victimised by vigilantes since his arrest. The judge said the children on the videos were the victims and directed him to honour his pledge to complete a sex offender treatment programme in prison. He also wanted to ban the defendant from all electronic devices but was advised that this was unenforceable. There may be another reason that sentences for possession of child pornography tend to be on the low side, Cliona Saidlear, RCNI executive director suggests. She says it is possible that the law is applied in a way that reflects the views of a society that still does not fully get the seriousness of the crime. Cliona Saidlear of Rape Crisis Network Ireland. Our sentencing regime needs to be appropriate to the harm caused but we run into the mens rea question here, she says. In other words, did the perpetrator fully appreciate the harm they were causing and intend to cause it? If the answer to those questions is genuinely no, then the question needs to be asked what is going on in society that someone could grow to adulthood without understanding the horror of what they are participating in. Judges say all the right things in court but it feels like were in a place where these perpetrators are somehow different from other criminals, that we dont really regard this as criminal behaviour, says Saidlear. Is part of that because there is a bit of a soft underbelly here? The question is often asked on social media, if all women know at least one woman who has been raped, why arent all men saying they know at least one man who is a rapist? Because it would be a very uncomfortable truth. Im wondering is it the same here? Im thinking how widespread and ubiquitous is the acceptance of pornography, violent pornography and the barely legal pornography and then from that, pornography that moves down the line in terms of age to children? We try to separate out child sexual abuse and pornography but they actually are part of a continuum. Possibly we have a reluctance to face up to it because possibly it implicates an awful lot of people. December 2018: 6 years but 1 suspended multiple varied offences A man with repeated convictions for possession of child pornography was caught again brazenly viewing images in an internet cafe. Barry Watters, 42, from Dundalk and Dublin was additionally convicted of indecent exposure after deliberately walking through several groups of young children on their way to school with his penis exposed. He already had convictions for possession in 2008, 2010 and 2012, and had also previously been charged with indecent exposure, assault, threats and breaking his probation conditions by mixing with young children at a public swimming pool. He had also told a probation officer of his desire to sexually assault a 14-year-old girl he had chatted with in an amusement arcade. So what would help change attitudes? The law can be a catalyst, says Saidlear. One of the things we have to look at is how the law can work to set a standard, to lead a change in our culture. If the law doesnt regard this as truly criminal, or people think no-one gets caught for this or no-one spends time in jail for this, all these dots join up to create a certain perception. There is no doubt that being charged with a criminal offence itself will be a short, sharp shock for many people who normalised and mainstreamed child pornography into their life. But what we do after that in terms of ensuring both that the punishment is appropriate to the crime and that there is an actual change in behaviour thats something we need to look at in more depth. Her colleague, Caroline Counihan, says sentencing guidelines for judges are badly needed. But the Judicial Council Bill, which proposes the creation of a Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee, has been crawling through the houses of the Oireachtas for two years. Its a knotty one. As a sentencing judge, all one can do is try to balance it so that the custodial part reflects the seriousness of what has happened while the part that is suspended is long enough to be meaningful and really those two horses dont run very well together, she says. I dont think judges make overly liberal decisions, I really dont, she stresses. But this is exactly the sort of issue that a sentencing guidelines committee ought to be chewing over. We need an up-to-date sentencing database. Somebody has to collect the data and then we can all make sensible decisions or critique those who dont. November 2018: 3,500 fine Boredom, curiosity and drink were blamed for leading a young man to begin accessing child pornography at the age of 15. Caught with dozens of videos at the age of 19 when his mother left a computer in for repairs, Conor Moyles from Sligo said he had started looking for adult porn but was gradually drawn to pre-teens and children. The court heard the accused was now 26 the delay in bringing him to court being due to a lack of Garda resources and that he had lost his job and girlfriend in the interim as a result of the case. He posed no threat and did not warrant a custodial sentence or further probation supervision. Colin Power says up-to-date investigative tools are crucial as he fears lengthy delays in bringing perpetrators to court may be creating a certain amount of sympathy for them when it comes to sentencing. Trials regularly hear that an accused was arrested anything from three to six years previously but the case is only progressing now because of delays in having computers and other devices forensically examined, and the Garda Inspectorate report from 2018 also found this was a common occurrence. It was six years for Kenneallys computer to be examined, Power says. The gardai have to get serious and that backlog has to be sorted because he [the perpetrator] is coming to court and his solicitor is saying hes had this hanging over him for so long and he hasnt been able to work and its been very tough and all of that and its like the judge thinks he doesnt want to punish him any more. May 2018: 1 year suspended The judge hearing the case of a Limerick man described as outrageous the nine-year delay in bringing his case to court. He said justice had been delayed in the case of Thomas Deane, 69, and in the circumstances would not be served by jailing the defendant. The court heard that his computers were seized in 2009 but not analysed until 2016. Deane had admitted possession of 249 images and a movie file. I think everyone thinks the victim is too removed from whats going on to be affected and I know it is mainly foreign children in these images but that victim is a child it doesnt matter if theyre Irish or any other nationality. And there is no doubt in my mind that there are images of Irish kids all over the internet and maybe those images are out in the Philippines or Thailand or somewhere. If anybody said to me there are no Irish children being filmed for this kind of stuff Id tell them theyre very naive. February 2018: 2 years suspended A social loner described by an investigating garda as not a bad fellow had more than 30,000 child sexual abuse images in his possession plus almost 20,000 animated abuse images. Alan Byrne, in his early 40s and from Wexford, was found with the images in 2010 but his prosecution was delayed by Garda staff shortages. The judge said in sentencing him he took into account his early admission, lack of previous convictions and efforts at rehabilitation while awaiting trial. Ease of access has pushed back against the law Detective Superintendent Declan Daly and Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll at a media briefing on Operation Ketch, a series of intensive crackdowns on suspected users of child pornography, with some 160 addresses targeted and searched. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins Hard though it is to believe now, 21 years ago there was no specific law on child pornography. Producers of it could be prosecuted for various sexual offences but possession fell into a gap in the words of Fianna Fail TD John ODonoghue who introduced the Child Pornography Bill while in opposition in 1996. He told the Dail that the penalties contained in the bill, which he later passed as the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act when he was minister for justice in 1998, would strike fear into the hearts of the ultimate consumers of this wicked enterprise. If there was no demand, there would be no production and if there was no production there would be no exploitation of innocent children on the scale which, regrettably, takes place, he said. But in the two decades since, the volume of child sexual abuse material in circulation has mushroomed. Figures cited in a Garda Inspectorate report put the number of images available online in 1990 at an estimated 7,000; by 2016, it was more than 10m. In Ireland, hotline.ie, run by the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland to enable the public to report websites of concern, saw reports rise 40% in 2017 over 2016. From those reports, it confirmed 524 individual sources of child pornography and delivered the grim observations that the images they were finding were becoming increasingly extreme and sadistic and the children involved were getting younger. The number of child pornography offences recorded here has also increased by multiples. Throughout much of the noughties, there were between 37 and 80 offences recorded each year. In the six years from 2013 to 2018, that grew from 116 to 392. The Central Statistics Office cautions that those figures are provided under reservation as they require further verification but the trend is very clear. Most offences recorded in Ireland come to light through Interpol, Europol or police forces in other countries with specialist units dedicated to tracking down online child sexual abuse images and the IP (internet protocol) addresses of the devices accessing them. When those addresses point to Irish users, the information is passed on to gardai. In February last year, gardai launched Operation Ketch, a series of intensive crackdowns on suspected users of child pornography. Some 160 addresses have been targeted and searched since, with large numbers of computers and other devices being seized. Arising from the first phase, four suspects made almost immediate admissions and their stash of images alone ran to more than 150,000 which gives some indication of the massive scale of the problem. Scale is just one issue, however. Gardai are also having to deal with a wider range of child pornography including graphic cartoons, computer-generated images and child sex dolls, all of which present challenges in terms of classification and proof that they constitute illicit material. It seems whatever fear it was hoped the law would generate has been well diluted by ease of access. Cork can reach its potential to compete with Dublin and other European cities but we must tackle the planning strategy that is failing this generation. There is no place for slogans and partisan politics, argues Michael OFlynn The population of Cork is projected to grow by a massive 50% under plans set out in Project Ireland 2040, the overarching policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of our country. To support this growth in population, the policy contains commitments to progress infrastructure projects such as the long-awaited M20 and the upgrading of the Dunkettle interchange, as well as the development of Corks Docklands. These projects are vitally important if Cork is to achieve its potential to have a bright and prosperous future as a modern city with a large population living in and around the metropolitan centre. Corks expansion will also act as a pivotal counter to the over-concentration of activity in the Dublin region, which threatens to imbalance the country in the same way that London has in the UK. While I am a great believer in setting out long-term goals, we need to be careful about assuming that this enormous expansion of Cork will be delivered on schedule and that it will be plain sailing along the way for all the infrastructure projects that are required. Consistency of policy, the availability of significant financial capital, and the continued growth of the Irish economy are factors, which over the lifetime of Project Ireland 2040 cannot be taken for granted. Further, Project Ireland sets out a plan for how the next generation will live. In the meantime, however, a whole generation of people must be housed, employed and otherwise taken care of. I regret to say that current strategy is failing this generation. It is frustrating to see this happen when I can see obvious solutions that would deliver housing far more quickly than many of the policies currently being pursued. Failure to deliver large scale residential units quickly will result in job losses in Cork as FDI moves to other places where their employees can get affordable housing. The continuing rise in homelessness is entirely unacceptable in a first world country such as ours. Recent economic difficulties do not excuse this state of affairs which results from failure to plan. It is heartening to see that some sense of purpose and urgency has developed around the need for the Government to deliver social housing and some effective partnerships between local authorities and housing agencies are now starting to deliver social housing, albeit the pace needs to quicken. However, I am deeply concerned that this generation, and in particular, the middle-income cohort, is being overlooked by our planning and housing policies, which are causing them to suffer both socially and economically. Planning policy and Vat on housing are two key factors in preventing the delivery of the housing traditionally available to the middle-income cohort. Currently, the policy is to build compact housing and apartments and offices on brownfield sites in Cork city centre. I fully subscribe to transitioning towards this model for our cities and larger urban areas. However, this type of development is generally not currently viable for a number of reasons including the cost of relocating existing users, the delay in assembling land blocks, contamination issues, and cost of construction on confined sites. But if brownfield is the only type of development that will be permitted, the effect is what is currently evident, ie, lack of delivery. No policy can compel people to undertake development that is not viable but policies can and do prevent delivery. Although acknowledging the additional challenges of brownfield development, Ireland 2040 requires that 50% of units in Cork and other cities must be delivered within the footprint of the city. View from the Lisney building on the South Mall, Cork looking towards Lapps Quay and Albert Quay As long as policies continue to ignore the issue of viability on brownfield sites, up to 50% of the required units in Cork and other cities will not be delivered. Failure to deliver large-scale residential units quickly is causing and will continue to cause job losses in Cork as FDI moves to other places where their employees can get affordable housing. It is unforgivable that this is being allowed to happen when there are solutions which will work in the short term without compromising the long-term transition to preferred brownfield development. Viability is a simple mathematical equation. The sale price must be greater than the cost of delivery including a reasonable profit. The current lack of delivery results from lack of viability which in turn is caused by, on one side of the equation, a cap on the sale price arising from the Irish Central Banks macro prudential rules and, on the other side, costs which are too high including land costs and Vat at 13.5%. Land is a commodity and its price is determined by the law of supply and demand. The price paid by developers is, of necessity, passed on to purchasers. That price is currently at a level which is unsustainable. The reason is simple. There is more demand than there is available zoned land. A proper analysis of land use zoning would require a paper in itself. Suffice to say that the current model is not working. Owners of the zoned land determine when and if and at what price the land will be released to the market. There are better alternatives. I believe that the use of strategic land reserves (SLRs) would be a game changer for housing delivery. SLRs are lands which have been designated by certain local authorities as having potential for residential development. They are not formally zoned but are assessed under strict criteria including sequential approach, the ability to leverage maximum returns from infrastructural development and the potential for multi-modal transport opportunities for accessing existing public transport facilities and employment areas. SLRs can only be considered in the context of a partnership or concerted approach between a landowner and a developer who is in a position to propose a plan to bring forward residential development on the lands in the lifetime of the relevant development plan. Accordingly, unless the land price facilitates delivery of affordable housing within the short term, planning permission will not be granted. Redevelopment of the former Beamish & Crawford site continues with apartments currently under construction. Pictures: David Creedon / Anzenberger At present, planning laws do not facilitate strategic housing applications to be made on SLRs, even though they are the type of lands that are ideally suited to such applications. A small amendment to the legislation could result in a number of large-scale residential developments being brought forward at more affordable prices and could potentially shake up the market for zoned land. For significant results in housing delivery, the currently inflexible brownfield development targets also need to be relaxed in the short term. In the UK, the Vat rate on residential development is 0%. In Ireland it is 13.5%. The average house price in Cork in Q4 of 2018 was 276,000. The Vat element of that is 32,830. The paranoia regarding developers profiting from Vat reduction is unfounded. It could well render viable and deliverable development that is currently not viable or deliverable. Further competition from those who pass on the Vat saving will keep order on those who might be tempted not to. In my earlier years of development, the Vat rate on housing was 3%. I personally support Vat reduction and SLR designation being linked to delivery of a large percentage of affordable housing within each development. I have no difficulty in opening my books to verify cost. I have advocated a return to the certificate of reasonable value that, at one time was required in connection with first time purchaser grants. A further solution would be a return to the shared ownership model, which offers prospective homeowners the chance to buy a percentage of their home first before eventually outright purchase. Such a scheme could be facilitated by a local authority or government structured loan. What we cant keep doing is increasing Housing Assistance Payments (HAP), which just fudges the problem of not building enough social, affordable and private homes. The demand for large scale rental developments in the city is clear. However, home ownership still forms a significant element of our economic model and provides financial security in retirement. The proposed Horgans Quay development, HQ, could feature eight buildings, with 237 apartments, a hotel and 400,000sq ft of offices. How many could afford to pay rent in retirement years if policies prevent them buying in their earning years? The Irish Central Banks loan to income ratio at 3.5 times is significantly lower than the international norm. This is squeezing middle Ireland out of home ownership and is creating a potential minefield when this generation reaches retirement age. The land is there as are the ideas to address affordability, but we need is courage, common sense and leadership from the Government to make it happen, otherwise were not going to get the homes that Cork requires, its that simple. The Land Development Agency (LDA) has been heralded as the cure-all for housing delivery. The establishment order was passed six months ago but no primary legislation has yet been published. There are contradictory messages from Government and the LDA as to what it will be. Government sources suggest that it is to have a major role in alleviating the current housing crisis while its chairman, John Moran has publicly stated that this is not its role. I believe its role has to be that of a facilitator/enabler of housing development especially on publicly owned lands. At best the LDA will deliver 15%-20% of Irelands housing needs over the next 20 years. The rest must be delivered by the private sector. Policies which would seek to eliminate profit for private sector developers are therefore very short-sighted. The powers, functions and, importantly, the ethos of the LDA will dictate whether it makes a positive contribution to the alleviation of the housing crisis or exacerbates it. It is unfortunate that the major opportunities for Cork are coinciding with the boundary changes between city and county. Never has there been a greater need for cohesion and planning certainty and never has there been less of either, but it is going to take time for the new city area to bed down. Picture: Tom Coakley In the meantime, before either local authority can go forward strategically, one must give up the land and the other must take it on. The citys existing immediate strategy must be then radically altered to take account of the much bigger scale and wider picture within its remit. With local elections fast approaching, incumbents and those vying to become political representatives must show leadership, action and support for workable ideas. What we dont need are slogans and partisan politics that solve little. Theres a big challenge ahead, but ultimately the key to the future success of Cork is balance between policies that support our long-term transport plans, infrastructure and settlement objectives, and immediate action that recognises the entitlement of the current generation to housing and backs efforts to facilitate viable development of housing and apartments in the short and medium term. If this time of change for Cork is managed by strong political leaders who have the courage to listen and to change and adapt, Cork has the potential to become a powerhouse, capable of competing not just with Dublin, but also many European cities. Michael OFlynn is chairman and CEO of the OFlynn Group If you cannot see the audio embed above please follow the link here to listen to the documentary. 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. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution. Subscribe or contribute If you are inclined to approve it, we ask for a seat at the table to discuss specific therapeutics, said Lesley Weaver, an attorney for the association. Those include guaranteed lending to black farmers, financial-literacy training for them and keeping rural branches open. The FDIC cautioned in its meeting notice that the megadeal will likely result in branch closings where the banks have overlapping territories. There are at least 740 locations across their combined branch networks where they have offices within 2 miles of each other. We recognize that as we combine our two companies with overlapping markets, we will need to consolidate some branches, Rogers said. We will be thoughtful in performing an extensive market, branch and client analysis before making any decisions, including prioritizing our service to low-and moderate-income clients and communities, he said. We will think carefully about the potential capacity of nearby branches and preserve the branches that are most modern and accessible for clients and communities, Rogers said. The commission stated its belief that, in order for the data points provided by the (Dodd-Frank) rule to be of use to investors, the pay ratio rule should be designed to allow shareholders to better understand and assess a particular registrants compensation practices and pay ratio disclosures, according to a SEC news release. Even though corporations have received criticism for multimillion-dollar executive payouts from rank-and-file employees, worker advocates and some shareholders, the compensation levels typically boiled the pot for just a few days. Thats because even as large as the compensation has been in many instances, it just seemed unrelatable to most employees. Analysts and economists say the new CEO pay ratio has the potential to make the issue more of a paycheck and dinner table conversation, or it could just provide another throw-up-your-hands, what-can-you-do round of frustration. The whole purpose of compensation disclosures is to allow shareholders to make an informed judgment regarding the say-for-pay decisions that are also enabled by Dodd-Frank, said Tony Plath, a retired finance professor at UNC Charlotte. RALEIGH Sophie Capshaw-Mack said she was 19 years old in May 2015 when she was raped but North Carolina laws didnt see her as a victim. She drank too much and accepted a ride home from a fellow college student. But, instead of driving her home, he drove her to his place, where she passed out. When she woke up, she said, he was raping her. She said she managed to escape and go to police. I did everything right after, Capshaw-Mack, a Winston-Salem native, told The Associated Press. I went to the hospital. I got my rape kit. I talked to the police immediately. But her perpetrator was never prosecuted, and Capshaw-Mack believes it may have had to do with a legal loophole that shifts blame to sexual assault victims. In North Carolina, it is legal to have nonconsensual sex with an incapacitated person if that person willingly got drunk or high. It is also not illegal to drug someones drink. The state House passed a bill last week to close both loopholes. The measure now goes to the Senate. Its a step for North Carolina to join other states re-examining their sexual assault laws in the era of #MeToo. Duke Power Co., now known as Duke Energy Co., reported that the tornadoes and its accompanying strong winds caused 75,000 of its customers in Forsyth County and the surrounding areas to lose power. It took nearly two weeks for crews to restore power. At that time, William S. Lee, the companys chairman and chief executive officer, took an airplane tour of Forsyth County to see the damage. Afterward, Lee told reporters that the damage was the most extensive any of us at Duke Power has seen in our careers. At Old Salem, trees and branches littered that communitys streets and yards. Several trees rested on top of houses. David Lusk, the owner of Lusk Tree Service Inc. of Winston-Salem, said that Old Salem residents and crews who cleaned up the debris were shocked by the enormity of the damage. It was overwhelming, Lusk said last week. It was a disaster. It took crews about 10 months to remove the debris from Old Salem, Lusk said. Shock around the city Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire who wrote about the reigns of the emperors Tiberius, Claudius and Nero. His name is famous, and now adorns a racehorse who will try to earn racing's greatest crown on Saturday. Vekoma is also running Saturday, and he's named after a Dutch roller coaster company. Roller coasters, says his owner, mirror the huge ups and crashing downs of the horse racing industry. What's in a name? Quite a lot, if you're a racehorse heading to the Kentucky Derby. It can be used to signal your hopeful dominance or honor your ancestors. It could be clever or funny. Naming a racehorse is not easy, say the people who do it. First, you have to meet the stringent rules of The Jockey Club, which registers all Thoroughbred racehorses. Those include a limit of 18 characters, no famous people, nothing vulgar, and nothing already in rotation. There are 450,000 names in the Jockey Club database; owners can plug in their choices and find out if it's already in use. Once a horse stops racing, the name is put back into circulation. RALEIGH Sophie Capshaw-Mack said she was 19 years old in May 2015 when she was raped but North Carolina laws didn't see her as a victim. She drank too much and accepted a ride home from a fellow college student. But, instead of driving her home, he drove her to his place, where she passed out. When she woke up, she said, he was raping her. She said she managed to escape and go to police. "I did everything right after," Capshaw-Mack, a Winston-Salem native, told The Associated Press. "I went to the hospital. I got my rape kit. I talked to the police immediately." But her perpetrator was never prosecuted, and Capshaw-Mack believes it may have had to do with a legal loophole that shifts blame to sexual assault victims. In North Carolina, it is legal to have nonconsensual sex with an incapacitated person if that person willingly got drunk or high. It is also legal to drug someone's drink. The state House passed a bill last week to close both loopholes. The measure now goes to the Senate. It's a step for North Carolina to join other states re-examining their sexual assault laws in the era of #MeToo. CHAPEL HILL Silent Sam supporters and anti-racist activists met again in Chapel Hill on Saturday, moving across the street from campus this time but bringing the same insults, arguments and chants that have animated their clashes for months. Heirs to the Confederacy, a pro-Confederate monument group, had a permit from Chapel Hill to demonstrate in front of the post office on Franklin Street downtown. Since last fall, the group has held gatherings in and around McCorkle Place on campus, where Silent Sam stood until activists toppled it in August 2018. But recently, at least three members of the Heirs group have been ordered to stay off campus or face trespassing charges. So about a dozen members of the group took to the steps of the post office, several of them holding Confederate flags. They were immediately swarmed by at least twice as many anti-racists who were preparing for a counter-demonstration and potluck meal on McCorkle Place across the street. After two incidents in which opponents pushed each other, Chapel Hill police brought in portable plastic barriers to separate the two groups. A woman has admitted she illegally bought and sold North Carolina black bear body parts that have been used for centuries in China, South Korea and other countries to treat illnesses. Kathy Ann Cho acknowledged in a court filing signed by her lawyer that she illegally bought ginseng and bear gallbladders in the North Carolina mountains and sold them in Georgia, according to the court document obtained by The Charlotte Observer. Cho acknowledged purchasing 13 black bear gallbladders in Franklin for $5,200, or $400 each, and selling one of them for $1,000, according to the document filed in U.S. District Court in Asheville by the Charlotte-based office of U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray. Cho was charged under the federal Lacey Act of 1900, which prohibits transporting illegally harvested fish, wildlife and plants across state lines. Chos lawyer, Fredilyn Sison, is with the Federal Public Defenders Office in Asheville. An office spokesman said Friday that federal public defenders are barred by law from commenting about active cases. The subpoenas were issued to harass President Donald J. Trump, to rummage through every aspect of his personal finances, his businesses and the private information of the president and his family, and to ferret about for any material that might be used to cause him political damage. Legally speaking, the president may have a weak case. Politically, it may reveal something different. The president may see slowing down the process as the best course of action, but unfortunately, it may create an outcome that may not be in the peoples best interest. Maybe the president wants Democrats to begin impeachment proceedings. By slowing down the process with lawsuits, the president may force Democrats to call his bluff by officially initiating impeachment proceedings as the strongest play to obtain the requested information. But to do so, void of a smoking gun, is to run ahead of a public that currently has no stomach for impeachment and no time for nuance. It is a strategy designed to make the president appear more sympathetic against the perceptions of an overreaching House of Representatives. Between presentations, I wandered through the merchandise room, where the speakers and others sold wares that included food, books, soap and jewelry, much of which had a Bigfoot theme. During a break for lunch, I spoke with a couple of retirees from nearby Lake Gaston who perform in local community theater as we listened to a young musician play, artfully, an out-of-tune piano. I also met and talked with Stephen Barcelo, the open, friendly man behind all of this activity. A former photographer from New Jersey, he moved to Littleton around 2013 and, before long, began hearing stories. Residents sporadically see not only Bigfoot, but other mysterious creatures in the woods. One thing led to another and Barcelo now has a new career as the proprietor of the towns Cryptozoological and Paranormal Museum, as well as a seat on the town council. His advocacy has brought a considerable amount of media attention and commerce to Littleton. But Howell should not have had to confront the shooter in the first place. The fact that this man was able to walk onto a UNC campus with a legally accessed firearm reflects a statewide and nationwide failure to adopt policies and sensible gun control measures to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of people who shouldnt have them. As of this writing, we know nothing about the shooters motives. Motives in mass shootings vary. The one commonality is easy access to firearms. And thats the one factor our legislators, in Raleigh and in Washington, are most reluctant to address. To say it for probably the 1,000th time: This doesnt happen in any other civilized country in the world. Its only in the U.S. that were willing to sacrifice our own children on the altar of unrestricted access to firearms. After a rare mass shooting in New Zealand earlier this year, the country tightened gun restrictions within days. After a mass shooting in Australia in 1996, the country tightened gun restrictions, and as a result, mass shootings there are practically nonexistent. Gaza militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes as a fragile ceasefire again faltered in an escalation that left four Palestinians dead, including a baby in disputed circumstances. The latest flare-up came with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, seeking further concessions from Israel under the ceasefire. Israel said around 250 rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave and its air defences intercepted dozens of them. One woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, some 20 kilometres (13 miles) from the Gaza border, police said. Police said a man was also hospitalised in the city of Ashkelon and spoke of other injuries without providing details. Medics said the woman was 80 and the man was 50. A house near Ashkelon was damaged while other rockets hit open areas. The Israeli army said its tanks and planes hit some 120 militant targets in its response. They included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said. Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were destroyed, residents said. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said an office for its state news agency Anadolu was located in the building and strongly condemned the strike. The Gaza health ministry reported a 14-month-old baby and her pregnant mother in addition to two Palestinian men killed in Israeli strikes, while 40 were wounded. It was not immediately clear if the two men were affiliated with militant groups. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on Twitter challenged the account of the mother and her baby being killed in an Israeli strike, suggesting they may have died from Palestinian fire. Adraee did not provide more details and the army refused to comment further. Video threat As the exchange of fire continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with security chiefs. A statement from Hamas ally Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more. Its armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. Israel said it was closing its people and goods crossings with Gaza as well as the zone it allows for fishermen off the enclave until further notice due to the rocket fire. Egyptian and UN officials were engaged in discussions to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months. Visit to Cairo The escalation follows the most violent clashes along the Gaza border in weeks on Friday. Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the border. Israel blamed Islamic Jihad for what it called the sniper attack, but stressed it held Hamas responsible for all violence from Gaza. Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt and the United Nations had led to relative calm around Israels April 9 general election. But the past week saw a gradual uptick in violence. With the ceasefire at risk, a Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar went to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The ceasefire has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza to pay salaries and to finance fuel purchases to ease a severe electricity shortage. Eurovision looms Several factors may lead Israel to seek to calm the situation quickly. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following last months election, while Israel is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18. The country also celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. Palestinians have participated in regular demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza border for more than a year, calling on Israel to ease its crippling blockade of the enclave. At least 271 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began in March 2018, the majority along the border. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period. Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to carry out attacks and says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop infiltrations. The results of a UN investigation released at the end of February found that Israel may have committed crimes against humanity in responding to the border protests, as snipers intentionally shot civilians including children, journalists and the disabled. Israel rejected the report outright but Hamas called for it to be held accountable. MEDFORD, Ore. -- Medford police just releaased the identity of the man they believe killed a California woman inside a Medford motel. This happened around 4:38 a.m. on Friday. Police arrested 33-year-old Justin Graham-Yaeger Friday. Police say Yaeger killed a 23-year-old girl inside a motel room at the Tiki Lodge. She was identified as Sierra Bree Clemens, 23 years old. Clemens is from Grass Valley, California and next of kin have been notified. Officers responded to a disturbance call and on arrival to the motel room, they say they heard officers heard someone going out of the bathroom window. About an hour later, a Medford K-9 found Yaeger hiding in a dumpster. Graham-Yaeger's address is listed as transient. He is also on Post-Prison Supervision for Burglary and Felon in Possession of a Weapon out of Jackson County Community Justice. The motive of the murder remains under investigation. An autopsy will be conducted in the near future. A further examination of the scene, indicated the victim died as the result of a homicide. The crime scene included the path the suspect would have taken from the motel room to the dumpster where Yaeger was found. Detectives are continuing to investigate the case and we do not believe any other suspects are outstanding. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Jackson County Medical Examiner and the Jackson County District Attorney's Office are assisting with the case. NewsWatch12 will continue to release updates as informed. The course will also be offered at the Buffalo County Extension office May 30 and 31. For more information, call (308) 236-1235. USDA extends deadline for producers to certify 2018 crop production The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the deadline to May 17 for agricultural producers to certify 2018 crop production for payments through the Market Facilitation Program, which helps producers who have been significantly affected by foreign tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional exports. USDAs Farm Service Agency extended the deadline because heavy rainfall and snowfall have delayed harvests in many parts of the country, preventing producers from certifying production. Payments will be issued only if eligible producers certify before the updated May 17 deadline. The MFP provides payments to producers of corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, dairy, hogs, fresh sweet cherries and shelled almonds. FSA will issue payments based on the producers certified total production of the MFP commodity multiplied by the MFP rate for that specific commodity. WASHINGTON (AP) The Environmental Protection Agency reaffirmed Tuesday that a popular weed killer is safe for people, as legal claims mount from Americans who blame the herbicide for their cancer. The EPAs draft conclusion Tuesday came in a periodic review of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup. The agency found that it posed no risks of concern for people exposed to it by any means on farms, in yards and along roadsides, or as residue left on food crops. The EPAs draft findings reaffirmed that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. Two recent U.S. court verdicts have awarded multimillion-dollar claims to men who blame glyphosate for their lymphoma. Bayer, which acquired Roundup-maker Monsanto last year, advised investors in mid-April that it faced U.S. lawsuits from 13,400 people over alleged exposure to the weed killer. Bayer spokesmen did not immediately respond Tuesday to an email seeking comment. Nathan Donley, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity environmental group, said the agency is relying on industry-backed studies and ignoring research that points to higher risks of cancer. Overly strict regulations are hurting our ranchers and our haulers, Sasse said in a statement. My legislation pushes back against those dumb regulations and works to promote safe transportation. For livestock, live fish, and insects, HOS rules require that truckers turn on their ELD after they cross a 150-air mile radius of the origin of their load (such as cattle). After crossing a 150-air mile radius, haulers must start tracking their on-duty time and can only drive 11 hours before taking a mandatory 10-hour rest time. While the FMCSA is evaluating the impact of the HOS requirements for livestock, they are not expected to make any substantial changes through the issued guidance. The maximum driving time of 11 consecutive hours in a 14 hour on duty window is not enough drive time to support the inherent dynamics of a centrally-located state like Nebraska, that receives feeder cattle from locations well over 11 hours away. The inflexibility of these regulations are projected to be uneconomical for independent truckers (who have a proven safety record) and place the well-being and welfare of cattle, hogs, and other livestock at risk. United States Cattlemens Association Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Hilker said the bill is a prescriptive solution for livestock haulers that gives them the flexibility needed to get their live cargo to its destination as safely and efficiently as possible. This bill will not only allow drivers to take a rest break when it is needed, not when it is required, it will also increase the safety and welfare of the animals, Hilker said. Starting Dec. 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration required commercial vehicle drivers to install an electronic logging device in their truck. The ELD tracks driver compliance with the Hours of Service rules by connecting to the engine to log vehicle motion. The FMCSA exempted livestock haulers from this requirement until further review of a petition filed by the livestock industry. Delay language was also included through the appropriations process. Theyve taken their dreams and turned them into passions that have gone far beyond their original plans. As innovators in their endeavors, Nicole Centeno, owner of Kenoshas K9 Kibble and Joanne Freitag, co-owner of Parrish & Freitag, a financial services firm in Salem Lakes, are the 2019 Service Corps of Retired Executives/Wisconsin Small Business Administration award winners. Centeno and Freitag will be honored Friday at an awards breakfast in Waukesha. Both have worked closely with the Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corp. and were nominated by Heathur Lux, regional project director of the Southeast office. Lux commended both for their tireless work and participation in WWBIC programs. Were truly ecstatic that both have won statewide awards, she said. The awards ceremony is a part of National Small Business Week, May 5-11, which promotes and honors small-business entrepreneurs. Both winners said they are adult lifetime learners who wanted to launch businesses that would allow them to expand their careers and serve the community. Each has made a person commitment to continue providing something new and innovative to their businesses. Centeno is being honored as Emerging Small Business Person. Freitag is being honored as Financial Services Champion. A career switch Centeno, a lifelong resident of Kenosha, wanted a career change after working in banking, customer service health benefits administration. She returned to school, graduating from Gateway Technical College with a degree in marketing. As a dog owner, she wanted to provide healthy, nutritious food for pets. That led to the opening of K9 Kibble, with her husband Joseph, on Memorial Day weekend 2013 in downtown Kenosha. After three years in operation, K9 Kibble doubled its square footage to the adjacent storefront at 5535 Sixth Ave. The expansion, she noted, allowed the store to decompress to add more pet nutrition options. Two years ago, K9 Kibble added a do-it-yourself pet wash, allowing families to connect with their pets and keep them clean during groomings. In December, the Centenos purchased the building at 5919 Sheridan Road, where they now operate out of larger quarters with five associate team members. Making house calls Just as doctors from a long ago era once made house calls. Freitag fashions herself in the same mold. As an accountant who serves small businesses, usually those with fewer than 50 employees, she likes to make office calls. Since Parrish & Freitag was established in 1993, the company has grown its network of clients by making friends and offering a reassuring hand to business owners who are too small or lack the resources to handle tax accounting and financial services. Freitag, who is vice president and managing partner of Parrish & Freitag, said she enjoys the experience. Her professional background includes working at Case-IH and Outdoor Marine Corp. The visits, she said, gives them the feeling that we are walking along beside them. They also allow her to consult and teach, which works well with her other job as an adjunct professor with Carthage College. She said she views her work as community service and part of her divine mission. Im living out my walk in faith, Freitag explained. Our business is built around a personal relationship, she said. Were working for people who have a dream. Office calls allow her to get a feel for the company and its mission and often reveal more about a company than its owner would mention. She also has a number of nonprofit agencies that rely on her services. The company helps with compliance issues, tax planning and related services, but does not conduct audits. When someone walks in the door and asks something we dont know, were not afraid to say, we have to research this, she said. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 2 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. SOMERS It was a bittersweet day for Katy Gullo, 18, Saturday as the Bradford High School senior took part in her final Wisconsin State Solo & Ensemble Festival competition at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Gullo, who plays the alto saxophone, earned her way to the state level of competition each of her four years in high school. This year, she was part of a saxophone choir and a soloist. Im really challenging myself this year, said Gullo, who has played the saxophone since fifth grade. She performed Serenade for Solo Alto Saxophone by Frank Bencriscutto. While she said she is sad her high school band career is coming to a close, she hopes to continue playing at UW-Parkside. Thousands take part Gullo was among thousands of middle and high school instrumentalists and vocalists to earn their way to the state event, held at 10 different university campuses across the state Saturday. More than 32,000 students participated, making this event one of the largest of its kind in the nation. Students must earn a starred first rating in Class A (which consists of the most difficult music) at a Wisconsin State Music Association District Music Festival to qualify for the WSMA State Music Festivals. Over the past six months, WSMA held more than 225 district events, involving more participants than any other student activity. We are extremely proud to support student growth throughout Wisconsin with programs like WSMA State Solo & Ensemble Festivals that contribute to a well-rounded education, WSMA Executive Director Laurie Fellenz said. The dedication and effort that the students demonstrate is truly inspiring. Love the atmosphere The event was free and open to the public, which made it one of Leslie Magnusons stops for the day even though she did not know anyone participating. I did this when I was young and just love the atmosphere, said Magnuson, of Racine, who played the flute in high school in Iowa. I know how much work they put into this. People fill the stands for sporting events. These kids deserve some fans too. Magnuson said she arrived early (8 a.m.) to try and see one solo, one ensemble and one musical performance before taking a hike at Petrifying Springs Park. I cant sing, so I have a special appreciation for what they can do with their voices, she said. Doing the work Magnuson was one of more than a dozen who sat in on a Central High School brass ensemble performance of Prelude, Ballad and Celebration, by Naoya Wada. The 16-piece ensemble is made up of a mix of juniors and seniors from the wind ensemble and Jazz Central classes. Its a fun piece, director Adam Scheele said. They took the initiative to get together and put in a lot of work outside of class. While the piece has a part for the French horn, the ensemble used three trumpets to play that part. Carlie Odejewski, 17, said she likes how the different parts blend together in this piece. Odejewski and Megann Holst, also a junior, made up the tuba section. I tried to steer her away from it. I tried to get her to play the trumpet. I tried to get her to play the French horn, Carlies mom Julie Odejewski said of the moment in fourth grade that Carlie gravitated toward the tuba. When she heard that sound, her eyes lit up. So, for the last eight years some of which the instrument was nearly the same size as Carlie she has lugged around the tuba. A total of 41 soloists, instrumental ensembles and choir groups from Central earned their way to state competition. Scheele said 140 of the band programs 165 students took part in the district-level competition, with 29 soloists and ensembles advancing to state. It is a new record, Scheele said. Tremper High School had the largest number of performers and musicians advance to the state music festival. The school showcased 99 different performances Saturday. Indian Trail High School and Academy students performed 92 pieces Saturday. Students from other Kenosha County schools performed the following number of instrumental and vocal solos and ensembles: Central High School, 41; Christian Life School, 24; Bradford High School, 21; Harborside Academy, 19; Wilmot High School, 12; Shoreland Lutheran High School, four; Lance Middle School, two; Lincoln Middle School, two; and Mahone Middle School, four. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 2K Shares Share Are you the doctor? was the most frequently asked question I received from patients in my new practice. The second most common question was: Are you old enough to be a doctor? followed by the rather blunt question How old are you? I graduated from family practice (FP) residency in 2002 when I was 26-years-old younger than most newly minted FP doctors. This warrants some explanation. I didnt skip several years of high school. However, being an October baby, I graduated high school at age 17, went straight to the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada to begin undergraduate studies for four years, then medical school the following year. The U of C medical school was a rare accelerated program, which meant a three-year curriculum with minimal time off during the summer months. Then came my family practice (FP) residency in Saskatchewan, Canada. North of the border the FP programs are two years instead of three, and while Canadian residencies dont have a first-year internship program, they are considered equal training to their U.S. counterparts. So, after nine years of training, I was 26-years-old when I moved to San Diego County to begin my career. While I felt capable in my rigorous training, I was still nervous to be flying solo with no attending doctor to review my decision-making process and chart notes. To make matters worse, I was a youthful 26 and was told that I looked closer to 16. Taking a deep breath before opening the door to introduce myself to a new patient, I would smile, shake their hand, sit down and watch the emotions play out over their faces. Almost universally, a flicker of suspicion would come through, followed by one of the commonly asked questions outlined above. Alternatively, the more genteel patient would quickly recover their composure. Looking back, if I hadnt been so self-conscious, it would have been a fun sociological exercise (I minored in sociology) to try to anticipate which patients would directly ask how old I was or if I was truly trained as an MD versus the ones who just asked themselves. But I think it crossed everyones mind including the staff and other docs in my clinic. Fortunately, I was able to establish rapport with patients quickly, answer their rather rude questions with compassion and a joke. After a few minutes of the visit, they would visibly relax as they realized I was intelligent, kind and actually a doctor. The five-year rule My practice grew quickly, and I loved family medicine. We worked hard. We took hospital call three or four times per month, did admissions of our own patients during office hours, hospital rounding, skilled nursing rounding and a week in urgent care every few months. As my skills grew, so did my confidence. I recall something one of my senior colleagues told me when I first started. She advised me that new primary care doctors take about five years to get comfortable with the practice of medicine and develop their confidence. While to a new graduate, five years may seem like a long time to get your sea legs, my experience has shown me that it is a good rule of thumb. Do you recall how much time you spent crafting your diagnostic plan for a complex patient or for a new condition you had not seen before? Perhaps looking things up in textbooks (Im dating myself here) or talking to a colleague a few times a day? The number of times per day you need to look outside your bank of knowledge for answers goes down as you progress in your career. Of course, we all know that the science of medicine is ever evolving, and we do our best to keep up. But the bread and butter of our daily practice become routine as we diagnose and treat the same conditions over the years, creating a well-worn decision-making path through our neural network. 17 years later I am fortunate to be practicing in the same group to this day. I have had thousands of families spend their lives with me, growing up, having babies, getting older and passing away. I cherish the intimate view I have into my patients lives and seeing them through both joyous and difficult times. When I meet a new patient to our clinic or see another physicians patient, I step into the room with the confidence that only years of experience can provide. Experienced eyes and mind can quickly and accurately diagnose many issues before the patient finishes their story (but I let them finish anyway). What I see in their faces when I introduce myself has changed. Not only do I appear to be an appropriate age to be a doctor, but I can put them at ease quickly with an assured, self-confident manner without a trace of arrogance. Our patients come to us with a problem, are often scared or worried and want to know they are in good hands. When the occasional patient, typically an elderly woman or man, comments that I look so young to be a doctor, I sincerely thank them for the compliment, smile and cherish it. Vanessa Peters is a family physician and founder, VMD Investing. Image credit: Shutterstock.com More than six years have passed since Kilkenny man John Holmes got his shock diagnosis a rare form of cancer of the throat. In the time that has passed, the Holmes family have learned about the nature of a cruel illness, as well as the often brutal reality of the Irish health system. They have also learned a lot about the kindness of friends, and how a community can rally around a cause. Thats been exemplified by the efforts of the local John Needs Pembro campaign, spearheaded by a committee made up of family friends. The group has been raising funds in a variety of ways to cover the cost of Johns treatment, which is not available through the HSE, except to those who suffer from cervical cancer. John will has had nine infusions of Pembrolizumab. He receives one every three weeks in St Vincents Hospital. On the couch in the family living room, overlooking the Pococke, John says he feels reasonably good much better since finishing chemotherapy almost six months ago. His energy levels are still lower than optimal, but he keeps going. Im spending a lot of time in bed, which I dont like, he admits. I get an infusion and it takes the best out of me for a while, but Im always trying to do a little bit. On a positive note, top oncologist Professor John Crown who recommended the drug, says he is happy that John continue the treatment. His wife, Edel, remembers the origins of the campaign group. I just happened to be in John Joe Cullens, and he said right, were starting. I said starting what?. The fundraiser he said. Pat Ryan came in and said there you go. Yeah, it was a surprise, says John. Its huge. Kilkenny is a small space. On the morning of this interview, John received a cheque in the post for over 1,000 from someone he hadnt seen in years. There have also been donations made through the Credit Union, from people who prefer to remain anonymous. It does mean everything, he says. It gives you a lift, that everyone has rowed in behind you. Its hard to express your thanks. Support from Edel and from their two children, Jonathan and Louise, has kept him going. They never left me alone, he laughs. All I want is peace and quiet! Diagnosed at the end of 2012, the next seven years would have been hard to fathom. John learned that Pembro was an option for him only last year, and it was a surprise to find that it was covered by the HSE for some patients, but not for others. I was sent home, and they said no further treatment was advised, he says. He had had gone to see his doctor for a referral. His doctor asked him if we would go see a guy called John Crown. John took the appointment. Then the idea of Pembro was mooted, which Prof Crown said was the most likely drug to succeed. Then, the revelation that each infusion would cost a total of 5,111, including VAT. It was at this stage John Needs Pembro was born. Lymphodema, a common side effect of cancer treatment, has also been an issue for John. I get treatment for it, but I have to go to Waterford for it, because the HSE dont have anyone here, he says. Edel says Vhi will cover up to 500 of this in the year, but thats all. Wed have that spent in three weeks, she says. His friend Kieran Conway, who has been promoting the cause and keeping Johns plight in the spotlight, lists the various events theyve held, including music nights, table quizzes, and the big breakfast. The big breakfast was a collective show of concern it was worth as much in terms of morale as well as financially, he says. Among the venues to host events are Hacketts, Kytelers, Lenehans, the Orchard House, the Village Inn. Local supermarkets have accommodated bucket collections. John also says support from Kilkenny College, where his children attended, has been fantastic. Kieran says the challenge for the committee now is to keep coming up with new ideas. Among them is a yoga class on International Yoga Day, which will take place at Ballykeefe. When local councillors agreed to write to the Minister for Health seeking equal access for all to Pembro, they made special mention of the John Needs Pembro campaign, and all its efforts. It was a recognition of sorts. We felt finally that Official Ireland has shown some compassion, says Kieran. Kieran says they are trying to secure political support across party lines, and the will does seem to be there. We are optimistic, he says. The galling thing is the quality of access. It was made accessible {for cervical cancer patients] because it was politically expedient to make it available. The fundraising target for the John Needs Pembro group is 150,000 enough for 30 infusions, the full course of treatment. Thats our goal and we are halfway there, says Kieran. We never thought we would be where we are when we met in November, but weve got momentum. Edel says a big challenge now will be keeping that momentum. Its hard to go back to people who may have already donated or helped out. This is going to be the hard part, she says. Kieran says it has been a lesson, but the necessity of the campaign is evidence the State lets people down. Its really galling. But this has been such a well supported campaign. The more people know what John has gone through or is going through, there is more momentum, he says. There is a groundswell here. I ask John if he has any advice for someone who might be facing a similar situation to him. He notes that if he had listened to the people who effectively sent him home from hospital to die, he wouldnt be here. Dont be afraid to ask for help, he says. And, you have to stand up for yourself. You have to look, and you have to ask the questions. Here's the link for the John Needs Pembro GoFundMe campaign page. The Daily Mail reports: Jewish activists called on Jeremy Corbyn to consider his position after it emerged he had endorsed a book containing anti-Semitic ideas. The Labour leader wrote the foreword for a new edition of JA Hobsons 1902 book Imperialism: A Study while he was a backbencher in 2011. He described it as a great tome even though it spread conspiracy theories about the Rothschild banking family and said finance was controlled by men of a single and peculiar race who in turn controlled the policy of nations. The Jewish Labour Movement slammed Mr Corbyn yesterday for endorsing anti-Semitic propaganda and said he should consider quitting. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 51F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. 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. (DAVIESS COUNTY, Mo.) One man died in a motorcycle crash on Saturday in Daviess County one mile north of Coffey. The crash happened on M-13 at around 12:44 p.m. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 61-year-old Richard Moore, of Trenton, was driving a 2013 Harley Davidson Motorcycle southbound on M-13 when he drove off the west side of the roadway. The motorcycle then struck a guardrail and overturned. Moore was ejected from the motorcycle and was later pronounced dead at Harrison Community Hospital. The Daviess County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene. (ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Lions Club members rom across the state made their way to St. Joseph this week for the 97th Annual Missouri Lions State Convention. Speaking at this year's event was First Vice President of Lions Club International, Dr. Jung-Yul Choi. Choi is from the Republic of Korea and was elected to serve as First Vice President last year and is the only candidate for President of Lions International 2019-2020. He has been a member of the Busan Jae-il Lions Club since 1977 holding many offices within the association throughout the years, which includes being club president, cabinet secretary, and district governor. Choi has received numerous awards, including the Humanitarian Partnership, Senior Master Key Award, 100% District Governor Award, and many more. He has also received the highest honor the association bestows upon its members, the Ambassador of Good Will Award. While only being in St. Joseph for a few days, Choi says it is a great honor to be here. "This is my great pride to be in your great state of Missouri and I'm really enjoying the friendship here, the people," he said. "You know, I have many people here already [and] that I am enjoying all the new people." In addition to speaking at the convention, Choi attended a diabetes screening clinic hosted by the Lions Club at Price Chopper on Thursday. The state convention took place from May 2-4 in St. Joseph. I left home at around 6:30am weighing 144.0 lbs and with a resting heart rate of 50 bpm. Instead of driving to Mission Peak, I parked the car on the nearby quarry lakes staging area. After one kitkat and 24oz of water, at 6:45am, I got on the Alameda Creek trail heading to Mission Blvd. I have always wanted to run to MP and today is the day. Off the trail and onto Mission Blvd, the road was in great condition and mostly empty. I faced the traffic and ran in the well-marked bike lane at my leisure pace. I passed a senior care center, some new homes, then the Fremont central park (Stevens Blvd), Mission San Jose High School, a church, and arrived at the Ohlone college trail head. It was a peaceful 7.6-mile and it took me 75min. I did notice trees. Along the stretch from Niles to the college, most were sweet gums whose leaves provided welcoming shades and whose hard balls I needed to avoid stepping on. There were willow-leafed red-barked trees which looked kin to eucalyptus and their trunks always looked as if had just survived a wild fire. Oak trees were not many and I hate acorns on the path. Passing 680, one started to see tall palms along the road reaching majestically into the sky. And finally one ran into graceful olive trees on the college campus, whose fruits I learnt to respect (the olives in brine can cause , big time, if over-eaten, say, more than 12). I had 12oz water (I should have the 2nd kitkat here) and started the climb at 8:00am. My glutes were strong enough to propell me upward and keep up with a runner. But the prior run did have some impact and it felt different from the first ascent last week. Today's cloud was higher and engulfed the summit. The climb took me one hour. I had water and the second kitkat on the peak and lingered for 14min. The climbing-down was worse than the first but better than the second descent last week. And I had another 12oz water and the last kitkat before running back. The time was 9:45am. The sky cleared up and the sun was beaming down. I run mostly on the pavement, fully aware of the traffic now. It was painful. My plantar fasciitis felt bad, reminding me to use the glutes more. The good thing was that it was a gradual downward slope and I was able to speed up a little. Before the bridge over the creek, while waiting for the green light, I did some stretching (trying to reach my toes) and that seemed to slightly improve the PF. I crossed the bridge and took the unpaved north side. It was the toughest 2.8 miles I have run this year. My feet hurt and they hurt like hell when I stepped on sharp pebbles. But I kept breathing, scanning my body, reminding myself to ignore the pain and enage the glutes. I skipped the water hole near the Niles Community Park and reached my car at 11:00am. It took me exactly another 75min to run the 7.6 miles back. My new weight was 142.8 lbs. My posterior chain, from the butts to the toes, was tight and needed stretch. So after a quick shower at home, I did 10 Surya Namaskar. It felt great and I started to gulp whatever I can lay my hands on in the kitchen. I had one cookie, some spam, one beer, one unknown expired cake and one can of sardines, and arrived at Starbucks at 11:50am for my morning coffee. The beauty of this kind of exercise is that one knows one comes out a winner, finish or die (figuratively) trying. One does not need rave reviews from peers, approvals from bosses or certificates from the government. One does not need to do it to better the the collective, e.g., a nation, the tribe, or the family, although they do benefit from the individual's effort. Doing it gives one peace and it's beautiful by itself. No one else has to know about it; neither can they take it away. The Grey Granite Kitchen Countertop is a popular product. As we know the grey color stone can accept around the world. In addition,mostly grey stone with cheap price and stable quality. Different like from other material, this product made by middle grey color stone. Of course, the product with very nice quality too. What Is Chinese Grey Granite Kitchen Countertop? Just as word said, this kind of product often made by grey stone. Obviously, this product material is a great Chinese granite. In the China, there with more than 10 types cheap grey material with nice quality. Our company always can give customers some advises too. By the way, whatever you choose g603 or g654, or some other material,quality is always guarantee. This product raw blocks with stable quality. In addition, it is can cut in big size. For example, the big slabs size can do in 300cm by 160cm. 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Ramadan Moon Not Sighted in Saudi Arabia, Gulf on May 4. The Hilal committees in Afghanistan, China, Xinjiang, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other parts of Central Asia will also attempt to sight the crescent. If the crescent is not spotted, the Ramadan fasts will begin from Tuesday. Apart from Southeast Asia, attempts to sight the moon will also be undertaken in the Indian subcontinent region. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Ramadan is also referred to as Ramzan. It is widely believed that the crescent moon in India and its neighbouring countries will be spotted on Monday and hence the fasts will commence from Tuesday. Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur, May 5: Muslims across the Southeast Asian region of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei will attempt to sight the crescent moon today, May 5. If the moon is spotted, the holy month of Ramadan will commence and the first roza or fast would be observed from tomorrow. Stay tuned above for the live news and updates on Ramadan moon sighting 2019 in Southeast Asian region. Ramadan Moon Not Sighted in Saudi Arabia, Gulf on May 4. The respective Hilal committees will be convening post namaz-e-Asr (pre-sunset prayers) in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar (Rakhine province) and Brunei. If the crescent is not spotted, the Ramadan fasts will begin from Tuesday. An announcement on moon sighting is expected post sunset, following the namaz-e-maghrib (evening prayers). Citizens have been called upon to register their testimonies before the Hilal committees in case they sight the crescent. The moon sighting will also lead to the organisation of taraweeh namaz in mosques across the region. The special recitation of Quran in form of prayers is held each night throughout Ramadan. Apart from Southeast Asia, attempts to sight the moon will also be undertaken in the Indian subcontinent region. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Ramadan is also referred to as Ramzan. The Hilal committees in China, Xinjiang, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other parts of Central Asia will also attempt to sight the crescent. Meanwhile, the world's western hemisphere, which includes the West, Europe, Africa, Gulf including Saudi Arabia - the epicentre of Islam - the moon was not sighted yesterday. Those regions will begin fasting from Monday, May 6. A year ago, Bird Rides Inc. was flying high and Silicon Valley was betting that it would keep on climbing. Thousands of the Santa Monica start-ups signature black-and-white scooters appeared on street corners across the world, bought with venture capital and rented to smartphone-toting riders. Investors saw how quickly riders took to the new mode of transit, and visions of Uber-size growth and revenues flitted through their heads. In March 2018, just six months after the first Bird hit the pavement, venture funds poured in $100 million. In June, they dumped an additional $300 million. Birds valuation soared to $2 billion in a matter of months. (Los Angeles Times) Advertisement But today, facing a crowded field of competitors, pushback and fees from local governments, and fundamental questions about whether any company can make money by releasing electric scooters into the wild and charging per ride, staying aloft is proving harder than it first appeared. Growing from $50 million to something like $2 billion in eight months has never happened before, and is probably not supposed to happen, said Bradley Tusk, an early Bird investor and former Uber advisor known for helping the ride-hailing firm navigate its early political battles. If this was a normal start-up that was 2 years old, yeah, of course they havent figured everything out yet this is not the point in the cycle where youd sweat it, Tusk said. But a normal start-up also wouldnt be looking at a $2-billion valuation. The first ill omens came in January, when the company quietly raised another $300 million at the same $2-billion valuation. In an industry that prizes a perpetual uptick in valuation to propel a narrative of constant growth, a flat round spells trouble, and often a desperate need for cash. Around the same time, the company deleted all mention from its website of its commitment to give cities a dollar per scooter per day to maintain infrastructure and build more bike lanes (though many of the deals it reached with individual cities contain fees). In March, Bird laid off 5% of its workforce, which had grown to more than 700. Bird Zeros are lined up near the beach in Venice. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) And the companys official strategy began to shift. In the whirlwind summer days of 2018, Bird had adhered to the start-up mantra: Grow at all costs. But as 2019 arrived, Bird Chief Executive Travis VanderZanden (a Lyft and Uber alumnus) started to sing a different tune. 2018 was about scaling, he said at a Malibu tech conference in January. 2019 is about really focusing on the unit economics of the business. By unit economics, VanderZanden meant the simple math of making money on each scooter dropped into the world. And while trying to make money might seem like a basic imperative for any business, it goes counter to the preferred pattern for 18-month-old start-ups flush with venture capital cash. Many venture-backed businesses operate on the idea that new companies should spend their first years focused on increasing market share at the expense of actually making money once everyone in the world uses their product, the thinking goes, they can achieve economies of scale, come up with innovations that smaller companies couldnt pull off, or simply reap the benefits of being a monopoly. This strategy, termed Blitzscaling in a popular business book written by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, paid off for world-eating firms such as Amazon, Facebook and Netflix, and has been the animating principle behind Uber and Lyft, which have been locked in a deeply unprofitable race for maximal market share from Day One. There are very few unique companies for which you can build global scale really quickly and build a dominant market position before other people do, and for those rarefied companies scaling quickly matters more than short-term profits, said Mark Suster, an early Bird investor and general partner at the Santa Monica fund Upfront Ventures. This is one of those rarefied companies and markets. But most start-ups that follow the hypergrowth model are built on software (and in the case of such companies as Uber and Lyft, creative applications of labor law). Bird and its competitors, including Lime, Spin, Uber and Lyft, are in the much less forgiving business of managing a fleet of breakable, stealable scooters. Its not that there isnt a viable business model for these companies, said Dmitry Shevelenko, an investor whos worked at Uber, advised Bird competitor Skip and is building a company that would allow scooters to slowly drive themselves to meet users or dock at charging stations. Its just not the Uber business model thats what Bird and Lime were raising against, and thats where there probably will be a correction. VanderZanden acknowledged in January that the company was far from solving its fundamental economic problem. The tens of thousands of scooters Bird had spread across the world a mix of retail models made by Ninebot (the parent company of Segway) and Xiaomi broke down (or were stolen or vandalized) long before they could earn back their cost. Those things were fragile, he said. Clearly the unit economics didnt work on those scooters, but that was a test anyway. The company is pinning its hopes on the Bird Zero, a custom scooter with longer battery life and sturdier construction. A Bird Zero (foreground) and other scooters along the beach in Santa Monica. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Bird declined to share details on unit economics with The Times for this article, but VanderZanden told tech website the Verge in March that the scooters would need to stay active for six months around 180 days for the company to just break even on the purchase price, once charging, repair and permit costs were factored in. But based on a Times review of data used in Birds smartphone application, even the supposedly new and improved models are falling short. Nearly 7,000 scooters appeared to be active in Los Angeles County in January, having logged a ride in the previous two weeks. By April, more than 5,500 of those same scooters appeared to be removed from active duty, with no rides logged for the prior two weeks. And the average life of those inactive scooters, based on the time elapsed between their first logged ride and their last before going dark, was 126 days. The apparent life span varied between models. The Xiaomi m365 the consumer model with which Bird first launched averaged 124 days on the street. The two Segway models, the ESB and ESX, diverged in their reliability: The simpler ESB averaged 155 days, while the ESX, ostensibly more advanced with a longer battery life and easier-to-service parts, lasted only 82 days on average. Bird Zeros averaged only 116 days. These life spans are far higher than those reported in Louisville, Ky., according to a Quartz analysis of detailed ride data that the city published as part of a transparency program. The 129 scooters (all retail models) that were initially deployed there lasted just 29 days, on average. Bird disputed the accuracy of these life span estimates. A Ninebot Bird scooter is ridden near the beach in Venice. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Suster, who works closely with Bird as an investor, echoed the companys stance. I assure you, the negative narrative is not correct, he said. He said retail scooters the Xiaomi and Ninebot models had a life span of three to four months. But Bird Zeros already getting eight to 12, he said, adding that a next-generation model with better life span, ride experience and ease of repair was already in the pipeline for late 2019. Bird has experimented with its business model in recent months. In early March, the company altered its repair program in Los Angeles, which had relied on gig workers to fix broken scooters. It moved repairs in-house (though scooters are still charged each night by an army of gig workers). Later that month, the company introduced scooters with locks in some markets, in a bid to prevent theft and vandalism. In April, it announced the launch of a more traditional rental program in San Francisco and Barcelona, in which users could pay $25 per month to rent a Xiaomi m365 from the company rather than paying per ride. The company also raised prices on its core dockless product in cities across America. Riders once paid a dollar to unlock a scooter, and then a flat rate of 15 cents per minute of riding. Now, per-minute fees have increased to 25 cents in Los Angeles and Austin, 29 cents in Baltimore, and 33 cents in Detroit and Charlotte. In other cities such as Bloomington, Ind., and Charlottesville, Va., rates went down to 10 cents per minute. And since last year, the company has been promoting Bird Platform, which sells scooters and technical services to local operators around the world in exchange for a 20% cut of their revenue. Experimentation is the norm at start-ups, especially young ones. But moves that prioritize balance sheets over growth are more common in firms short on cash or those looking for an exit, either through acquisition or an initial public offering.Birds competitors face the same challenges. Lime Birds biggest competitor with more than $700 million raised continues to pursue an aggressive growth strategy, though it is not permitted to operate in its hometown of San Francisco. Skip, which shares exclusive rights to the San Francisco market with Scoot, pulled in $100 million in debt financing in December. Spin, which Ford bought for close to $100 million in November, is unique in using only in-house chargers and mechanics. A Bird and a Lime scooter in Santa Monica. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Uber and Lyft, which have valuations and cash flows from their core ride-hailing businesses that dwarf those of scooter-only companies, both have scooter operations as well (Uber operates Jump). Investors and mobility experts remain optimistic that Bird or at least some form of a mass scooter business will land on a viable strategy before the cash flow dries up. Many cited a section of Ubers recent regulatory filings, which predicted that a majority of trips under three miles will happen on electric scooters as opposed to cars in the near future. Its a complicated business with lots of issues to resolve, from unit economics to regulatory to marketing, Tusk said. But the market is so big, and theres so much opportunity as the world trends towards congested urbanization, that the thesis holds for a while. Others pointed to a possible soft landing for scooters as a component of city transit services along the lines of existing bike-share programs. Juan Matute, deputy director of UCLAs Institute of Transportation Studies, said that public-private partnerships could spark more investment in charging stations, which would reduce costs and compel law enforcement to pay more attention to theft and vandalism. The unit economics might work out as a result of all this VC investment, Matute said. And then some of the less sexy smaller providers that have been involved in the bike-share space can start offering some of these types of vehicles as a city-contracted managed provider. Scooter companies are betting that more durable two-wheelers will lead to profitability, though questions about brand loyalty remain. Suster says Birds head start on the competition has given it operations expertise and a wealth of rider data that constitute a moat a defense against any competitors trying to steal its business. It looks so easy you just put these scooters out and have revenue, Suster said. But its a complex asset management business, like owning airplanes or trains our ability to maintain these scooters at cost, repair them quickly, and have them back out in the street at scale means our advantage is much greater than any new entrant. sam.dean@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter: @samaugustdean Its Night Market week of Food Bowl. For five nights in a row starting Wednesday, you can attend the event at Grand Park in downtown L.A., where vendors and food trucks including Teddys Red Tacos, Bludsos, Kogi and Wanderlust Creamery will be set up. Night Market is free to attend. This year, there will also be a special ticketed portion of the market, centered around one or two different themes think tacos, burgers, dumplings or BBQ each day. But of course theres more to Food Bowl than Night Market. What else is happening this week? Read on for a rundown of our top events: Advertisement MAY 6: CHENGDU STREET FOOD PARTY Sichuan Impression will host a street food party featuring six street snacks from Chengdu. $60, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sichuan Impression in Alhambra. More info and tickets at: lafoodbowl.com/events/chengdu-street-food-party. MAY 6 7: THE TURKISH COOKBOOK On May 6, chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson of Kismet in Los Feliz will host a collaborative dinner with Musa Dagdeviren, chef-owner of Ciya Kebap and Ciya Sofrasi in Istanbul. On May 7, Dagdeviren will discuss his new The Turkish Cookbook at Now Serving in Chinatown. A book signing will follow the discussion. Kismet dinner, $100, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Kismet. Call (323) 409-0404 for tickets. More info at lafoodbowl.com/events/ciya-at-kismet. Book discussion, free admission, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Now Serving in Chinatown. More info at lafoodbowl.com/events/the-turkish-cookbook-in-conversation-and-book-signing. MAY 7: THE FUTURE OF FOOD IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS Scientists and engineers from the Science and Food team at UCLA will host a panel discussion on how to grow food in space and how to establish a food culture in a new environment. $20 or $5 for students, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at UCLA. More info and tickets at //lafoodbowl.com/events/the-future-of-food-in-extreme-environments. MAY 8-12: NIGHT MARKET AT GRAND PARK Were particularly excited about the special ticketed areas at Night Market this year: On May 8 there will be a Collaboration Lab feature food from Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis of our 2019 Restaurant of the Year Bavel, alongside Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria. There will also be food from Fiona x Cicatriz, Chengdu Taste x Jitlada and more. Tickets: lafoodbowl.com/events/opening-night-collaboration-lab-at-l-a-times-food-bowl-night-market. On May 9 its a Taco Tribute with Guerrilla Tacos, Sonoratown, Tacos 1986 and more. Tickets: https://lafoodbowl.com/events/taco-tribute-at-l-a-times-food-bowl-night-market. On May 10 its a fried chicken party with Lucky Bird, Hotville, Chef Kang Food Rehab for Super Foodies and more. Tickets: lafoodbowl.com/events/fried-chicken-party-at-l-a-times-food-bowl-night-market. On May 11, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. theres a burger competition with Banh Oui, Everson Royce Bar, Nomad and more. Tickets: lafoodbowl.com/events/l-a-s-best-burgers-at-l-a-times-food-bowl-night-market. That evening, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., theres a dumpling, noodle and rice party with Porridge & Puffs, Baroo Canteen, Lukshon and more. Tickets: lafoodbowl.com/events/dumplings-noodles-rice-at-l-a-times-food-bowl-night-market. On May 12, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. its a BBQ party with Aaron Franklin, Adam Perry Lang, Pat Martin and more. Tickets: lafoodbowl.com/events/all-star-bbq-at-l-a-times-food-bowl-night-market-2. MAY 9: NAVIGATION VEGANISM IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR A panel discussion that will focus on veganism in POC communities in Los Angeles. A local vegan vendor will be selling snacks during the discussion. $15, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Space 1520. More info and tickets at lafoodbowl.com/events/navigating-veganism-in-communities-of-color. MAY 9: RAMEN NIGHT WITH BBQ Chef Nyesha Arrington is collaborating on a ramen night with Maple Block Meat Co. chef Daniel Weinstock. The two will serve ramen made from pit-smoked shoyu tonkotsu broth and Maple Block brisket. $25, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maple Block Meat Co. More info and tickets at: lafoodbowl.com/events/native-and-maple-block-meat-ramen-collaboration. MAY 11: IN CONVERSATION WITH AARON FRANKLIN AND SAM JONES Times Food editor Peter Meehan will host a discussion with Sam Jones (James Beard Award-nominated chef and author of Whole Hog BBQ) and Aaron Franklin (of Franklin BBQ and author of Franklin Steak.) A book signing will follow the interview. Admission is free. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Now Serving in Chinatown. More info at: lafoodbowl.com/events/whole-hog-barbecue-and-franklin-steak-in-conversation-and-book-signing. jenn.harris@latimes.com Instagram: @Jenn_Harris_ The last night of Wendi Millers life was spent doing things she loved. On April 19, Miller went with a friend and her son to a Dana Point church to celebrate Good Friday. She sat with the friend, Dayna Camarena, who was struggling with a personal crisis, and held her hand throughout the service and prayed for her and Camarenas son. They went out for a pasta dinner before spending the evening dancing to 80s music. We did three things Wendi loved all in one night, Camarena said. Usually we only have the energy to do one. Advertisement Camarena spoke as an overflow crowd gathered at Mariners Church in Irvine on Friday to remember Miller, 48, who was found slain the night of Easter Sunday in a Newport Beach condominium. Friends said they last saw the Costa Mesa resident about 1:45 a.m. April 20 before leaving the Sandpiper bar in Laguna Beach. She was giving Darren Partch, 38, whom she had met that night, a ride home to the Newport condo. When Miller didnt show for Easter festivities, friends and family members launched a search for her on social media. Just after 9:30 p.m. April 21, the owner of the condominium returned home after being away for the weekend and found Miller and Partch dead inside. Both had suffered fatal gunshot wounds, the Newport Beach Police Department said. Authorities believe they died April 20. A Huntington Beach man was arrested April 25 and has been charged with their murders. If Wendi were here, she would have invited all of us on a bike ride to the beach, friend Niki Wetzel said Friday. Miller was the kind of joyful person who made friends with everyone, friends and family said. We were strangers for about 90 seconds, Wetzel said, recalling their introduction. Joy is a gift remember, its the foundational emotion that leads to contentment, peace, fulfillment and happiness, Wetzel said. And my sincere hope is that whenever we remember Wendi we remember joy. Wendi Miller, 48, and Darren Partch, 38, are seen in photos provided by friends. Their bodies were found Sunday night in Partchs residence in Newport Beach. (KTLA) Eric Boogie Rose, a college classmate of Millers and a leader at Branches Church in Huntington Beach, described her as fearless and too big for one church, noting that she was involved in many churches in the area. There werent enough people for her to pour into, Rose said. He didnt realize how widespread her involvement in his congregation was until the community was mourning her loss. She jumped in and impacted everyone, and because of that, everyone is mourning, Rose said. If you knew her, you would know she would want you to have this life, and this life to the full. Millers daughter, Cambria Carpenter, said her mom would have loved the gathering held in her honor because she loved talking to people. She was the light of my life completely, she said. Mourners throughout the room wiped tears from their eyes as Carpenter sang Carrie Underwoods See You Again in remembrance of her mom. The week she learned of her mothers death, Carpenter was set to perform in a school musical, she said. Despite her director and family urging her to consider withdrawing from the show in light of the tragedy, she remembered that her mom had bought tickets, and she decided she had to perform. Performing was a way to heal, Carpenter said. The director dedicated the show to Miller. She changed so many peoples lives, her daughter said. Miller was born in Long Beach and grew up in Cerritos. She graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. She lived in Michigan, Colorado and Texas before returning to California. Miller was a vibrant, bubbly person who always made you feel like you were her best friend, said her mother, Mary Lu Miller. Wendi Miller was chief executive of the Newport Beach-based nonprofit Wings of Justice, which advocates for children and parents in the family court system. She also was an advocate for people who have experienced domestic violence. To you, no one was a stranger, just a new friend in waiting, Millers son, Luke Carpenter, said as he read a letter addressed to his mom, whom he credited for inspiring him with her amazing spirit of light and positivity. The huge turnout at the afternoon service overwhelmed the venue, which was prepared for 600 guests. Extra seating was arranged around the perimeter of the multipurpose hall, which was filled with banquet tables and flower arrangements prepared by Millers family. Its a testimony to her, Millers sister Tracy Dawson said of the large crowd. Sclafani writes for Times Community News. Two new cases of measles have been confirmed in Los Angeles County, bringing the total to 14 this year including residents and people who passed through the county. One of the new measles patients is an L.A. County resident and the other was a traveler, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a news release on Saturday. Public health officials warned that people may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus at the Grove shopping mall and surrounding areas on April 27 as well as Los Angeles International Airports Terminal 2 and employee shuttle on April 30 and May 1. Two new measles cases were also reported over the weekend in Long Beach and Orange County. The states county healthcare departments track infectious diseases but some cities, like Long Beach, have their own health agencies and also report on contagions. Advertisement Of the eight measles cases among L.A. County residents, three have no known links to the others, with two of those cases involving international travel. The patients include a UCLA student and a Cal State L.A. student, and the majority were not vaccinated, public health officials said. We will likely see additional measles cases in Los Angeles County, so if you are not already immune to measles, the best way to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of measles is to get the measles immunization, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in the news release. The Orange County patient, an infant too young to be vaccinated, may have exposed people to the virus at Childrens Hospital of Orange County emergency room on April 28, April 30 and May 2. The Long Beach patient is a UC Irvine graduate student who contracted the virus despite being vaccinated. The student visited multiple locations in Long Beach and Orange County between April 28 and May 3, including a gastropub, an antique store, a cigar lounge, the UC Irvine classics department and a Long Beach movie theater showing the popular film Avengers: Endgame. Another Orange County measles patient, a woman from Placentia in her 20s, is believed to have seen the same movie in Fullerton the night of April 25. Measles is spread by coughing and sneezing. The virus can linger in the air and infect others for up to two hours. People are at risk of getting measles for 21 days after exposure, with symptoms including a high fever, cough, runny nose and rash. Complications from measles include pneumonia, encephalitis and ear infections leading to hearing loss. Of every 1,000 children with measles, one or two will die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles has spread nationwide as fewer children receive the vaccine because of fears that it causes autism, though that theory has been discredited by numerous scientific studies. Through April 26 of this year, 704 cases of measles were confirmed in 22 states the highest number since federal officials declared the disease eliminated in 2000. About 90% of people who have never been immunized will become ill within seven to 21 days after exposure, according to the Long Beach Department of Health. The Los Angeles area has so far avoided a mass measles outbreak like the one in New York City, which has seen more than 400 cases since October, mostly in its Orthodox Jewish communities. But more than 1,000 students and staff members at UCLA and Cal State L.A. were quarantined after a student at each school came down with the disease. cindy.chang@latimes.com For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLA Ramadan begins Sunday, as Muslims in Southern California join nearly 2 billion around the world in celebrating the beginning of the month-long Islamic holiday. Muslims will be fasting from dawn to sunset in observance of Islams holy month, which ends June 4. We do it to show connection and reverence and sacrifice to God, said Eugene Fields, communications manager for the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The fast is performed to increase spirituality, discipline, self-restraint and generosity while obeying Gods commandments. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, which also include declaration of faith, prayer, charity and pilgrimage to Mecca, Fields said. Advertisement During the holy month, representatives with CAIR-LA plan to visit every Mosque in Southern California roughly 90 in all. Those observing Ramadan typically attend iftar, the fast-breaking meal after sunset, which Fields described as a communal gathering. Its a great time for Muslims to reconnect with their spirituality and their community. Its a great time to remember how special the community is for each other and connect with Allah, Fields said. (Heres a short list of restaurants offering iftar buffets and special dishes during Ramadan.) Ramadan is the ninth lunar month in the Muslim calendar, during which it is said that the Prophet Muhammad first received the Quran, the Islamic holy book. Thats one of the reasons its so holy Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran, he said. The end of Ramadan will be marked by Eid al-Fitr, a celebration known as Feast of the Fast-Breaking. ben.poston@latimes.com Follow @bposton on Twitter. C U in court. Courts around the country are embracing text messages as a way to nudge people into showing up for their hearings. On any given day, up to half of defendants fail to show up for their scheduled proceedings. No-shows cost the courts time and money, and can cost defendants their freedom. Public defenders and court administrators are using text reminders in more than a dozen states, including Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida and Washington. Advertisement Richmond Public Defender Tracy Paner said the reminders have been a huge help to her clients, who are often struggling with poverty and chaotic family lives, in addition to dealing with the fallout from an arrest. Missing a court date can spur a judge to issue a bench warrant, which can lead to a citation or arrest, fines and even jail time. If youre hustling and you dont know how youre going to pay your rent and looking for a job and wondering where you are going to get food, kind of the last thing on your mind is your court date, Paner said. If we can help with that, thats easy for us. In Richmond and Petersburg, the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission used a grant to set up a pilot program. The commission contracted with Uptrust, a San Francisco-based company whose software integrates with the public defenders case management software to access the names, cellphone numbers, court dates and other information to track cases. Uptrusts software builds a schedule of reminders for each defendant and automatically sends texts on those dates. The messages are typically sent 10 days, one week and one day before a scheduled hearing. Some texts also include customized messages reminding people to seek time off from work, arrange for child care and figure out how they will get to court. One of the main goals is to reduce failure-to-appear rates. In New York City, researchers who studied a pilot program found that from March 2016 to June 2017 text messages that combined information on planning, what to expect and the consequences of not going to court led to a 26% drop in the number of no-shows. Text messages were initially used by some courts to remind people to report for jury duty, said Bill Raftery, a senior analyst with the National Center for State Courts. After Michael Brown was shot by police in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014, a Justice Department investigation focused attention on the practice of issuing fines and other penalties for failing to appear in court, even for minor traffic charges. There was then this idea that the court itself should notify the defendant directly, and one of the ways to do that was through a known mechanism, the persons cellphone, Raftery said. In Arizona, after court administrators started a pilot program last year, the text reminders for criminal court hearings helped reduce the number of failure-to-appear warrants issued in Scottsdale Municipal Court by 51.9% during its first three months. We dont want to have a person not show up and have that time wasted, said David Byers, director of the Administrative Office of the Arizona Courts. This is an attempt to get it taken care of without the consequences cascading into a complete catastrophe for someone. In Contra Costa County, Calif., public defenders began using text reminders in 2016. Court data showed more than half of misdemeanor defendants werent showing up for their hearings. For people who have jobs and are hard to reach, or people under 25, texting is the best way to reach them, said Blanca Hernandez, deputy public defender in Contra Costa County. Uptrust charges an initial fee of $10,000 to $20,000 and a $2 fee for each person who receives text reminders. A text from the Richmond Public Defenders Office recently prevented 25-year-old Strange Simon from missing her court hearing on a marijuana possession charge. I thought my court date was the 20th, but it was the 16th, Simon said. When I got the text, I was like, oh, my goodness, I am happy because I didnt know that at first. In Spokane, Wash., public defenders began using use a texting system in September, not only for court date reminders but also to let defendants know theres a daycare facility inside the courthouse where their children can stay while theyre in court. Thomas Krzyminski, director of the Spokane County Public Defenders Office, said he likes that the system also allows defendants to text their attorneys with any questions. Clients will say, I didnt hear enough from my lawyer. I didnt know what was going on. This is just a very simple way to stay connected, Krzyminski said. Cherise Fanno Burdeen, chief executive of the Pretrial Justice Institute, said using text reminders is part of a larger effort to reform bail and other parts of the criminal justice system that can be overly punitive for people who have been charged but not yet convicted. Court reminders alone may help some people, but court reminders have to be part of a comprehensive view of how we are interacting with people, she said. A proposed law to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Illinois would allow possession of up to 30 grams of the plant for residents 21 and over, a $20-million, low-interest loan program to promote social equity in business ownership, and expungement of misdemeanor and Class 4 felony marijuana convictions. At the heart of the measure is ensuring that communities that have been disproportionately affected by enforcement of lower-level drug crimes would be able to benefit from the legal pot business in Illinois, said Gov. J.B. Pritzker and lawmakers who worked on the measure at an announcement Saturday morning. Illinois is going to have the most equity-centric law in the nation, Pritzker said at the Black United Fund of Illinois on Chicagos South Side. The governor and lawmakers touted a central social justice provision of their proposal: expunging what they estimate would be 800,000 low-level drug convictions. Revenue from Illinois marijuana industry would be invested in communities that lawmakers said have been devastated by the nations war on drugs. Advertisement Under the proposed rules, no new large-scale commercial growers would be permitted to set up shop, at least for now. Instead, the focus would be on small craft growers, with an emphasis on helping people of color become entrepreneurs in the industry. In addition, adults would be allowed to grow up to five plants per household, in a locked room out of public view, with the permission of the landowner. We have to ensure its not a small group of people getting very rich, said state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, one of the measures sponsors. We want to make a lot of new business leaders in the state through this process. Municipalities could ban retail stores within their boundaries within the first year of the program. After that, any ban would have to come through a voter referendum. According to a summary from Pritzkers office, permit fees would be $100,000 for growers and $30,000 for retailers, with lower fees for applicants from minority areas disproportionately affected by convictions in the war on drugs. There would also be a business development fee of 5% of total sales or $500,000, whichever is less, for cultivators, and up to $200,000 for dispensaries, with lower fees for social equity applicants. Cultivators and processors would pay 7% of gross sales to dispensaries, while consumers would pay a 10% sales tax on products with less than 35% THC, the component that gets users high; 20% for all cannabis-infused products, such as edibles; and a 25% sales tax on products with more than 35% THC, such as for concentrated extracts known as shatter and wax. Municipalities may add an extra 3% sales tax as well. Those who treat substance abuse warned of an increase in addiction if marijuana use is made legal. Aaron Weiner, director of addiction services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville, Ill., emphasized his concerns about the lack of limits on THC concentration, that advertising will be allowed, that marijuana shops can be 1,000 feet from schools and that concentrates and extracts can be sold. This is a bill to generate money for the marijuana industry, he said. We have other, more responsible options for drug policy our state deserves better. A group that opposes legalization said the bill would usher in an addiction-for-profit industry that it said will have devastating impacts on citizens. Smart Approaches to Marijuana supports efforts to slow down on legalization. Marijuana is not inevitable, Kevin Sabet, the president and founder of the group, said in a written statement. Proponents said Saturday that what makes the bill stand out is people of color were at the center of the measures negotiations, where they hadnt been before. Its only fair, said state Sen. Toi Hutchinson. The governor would appoint a cannabis regulation oversight officer who would recommend changes to the law and rules, and would coordinate regulation among the departments of agriculture, revenue, financial and professional regulation, state police, public health, commerce and economic opportunity, and human services. Advertising would be prohibited near schools, playgrounds, public transit and public property, and any advertising meant to appeal to minors would be banned, lawmakers said. Packaging would be sealed and labeled, child-resistant and required to state that cannabis can impair cognition and may be habit forming, and should not be used by pregnant or breast-feeding women. It would be illegal to resell marijuana and to take it out of state, since it remains illegal under federal law. Hutchinson spoke directly to those opposed to legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in the state, specifically those who advocate for slowing down the process. She said the legalization bill she and other lawmakers have advanced not only addresses the logistics of the pot business here, but does so under the umbrella of social justice reform. Every month that goes by, there are some who cant get a lease, cant get a loan and cant get a job because of low-level marijuana convictions, she said. Every sentence is a life sentence. As they spoke, leaders were surrounded by advocates from civil rights groups and anti-violence workers. Minor criminal convictions related to drugs are directly tied to violence, they said, and legalizing marijuana could make a difference. When you are marked, you cant get a job, said Rodney Hot Rod Phillips, an anti-violence outreach worker in Englewood for Communities Partnering 4 Peace. That leads to despair. The states current medical marijuana program would remain the same, lawmakers said, and dispensaries would be required to make sure enough supply is set aside for medical use. President Trump declared Sunday that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III should not testify to Congress, sharply escalating his fight with House Democrats over the aftermath of Muellers report. Bob Mueller should not testify, the president tweeted on Sunday afternoon. Brushing aside congressional Democrats contention that many aspects of the 448-page report need public clarifying and are highly damning to Trump the president added: No redos for the Dems! House Democrats have said they have a tentative deal for Mueller to testify on May 15, and Atty. Gen. William Barr previously told Congress that he had no objection to Mueller testifying. It was unclear whether Trump would try now to block an appearance by Mueller, who remains a Justice Department employee, or was merely making a rhetorical point. Advertisement There was quick Democratic pushback; Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, wrote on Twitter that Mueller, together with former White House counsel Donald McGahn, will testify. Whatever the outcome, Trumps statement marked a further ratcheting up of tensions. House Democrats have been pressing demands for a fuller version of the special counsels released-but-redacted report and warned Friday that Barr risked a contempt citation if he fails to provide it by Monday. There are fears on both side of the aisle that the confrontation over Muellers report which has morphed into a struggle over the scope of congressional oversight powers could have lasting adverse consequences. Democrats say they are worried about a president claiming virtually unchecked powers; Republicans say they are trying to preserve executive prerogative and personal privacy. Congressional Republicans, meantime, sought to tamp down new controversy over the presidents omission, in a conversation last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, of any warning to Moscow against interfering in the 2020 presidential election. It was the two leaders first conversation since Mueller detailed sweeping and systematic Russian attempts to encroach on the 2016 campaign. Weeks after Mueller completed his report, the document stands as a political Rorschach test. The special counsel did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, but depicted an array of related misconduct and left open the possibility that the president had tried to obstruct justice. Mueller indicated he was in part constrained by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Trump claimed total exoneration, even before the report was released to the public. His Republican allies have repeated accusations of a witch hunt and have gone on the offensive with demands that the investigators be investigated. Democrats, by contrast, say the report showed that Trump may have committed impeachable acts, and that at the very least, the road map provided by Mueller must be followed through with exhaustive congressional investigations. Party leaders have stopped short of calling for opening impeachment proceedings, but have said further investigations are needed. The next act in the drama is imminent, with the likelihood that Barr will not comply with requests by the House Judiciary Committee for an unredacted copy of Muellers report. Barr says the redactions are mandated by laws protecting grand jury secrecy; House Democrats dispute that. If the attorney general does not comply, he could face a contempt citation, said Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, who sits on the committee. I think if the attorney general does not, the chairman will ask the committee to move forward with a contempt citation, Cicilline said in an interview on Fox News Sunday. He said the panel needed to see a fuller version of the report and underlying evidence so we can continue to do our work -- conduct oversight in a responsible and sober way. Barr was a no-show for an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, and Democrats have widely panned him for what they describe as misleading comments in previous congressional testimony. In his previous appearance last month, the attorney general failed to disclose that Mueller had written a letter to him sharply criticizing his summation of the reports contents. Barrs statement about the reports conclusions had caused public confusion about critical aspects of the special counsels findings, Mueller wrote. Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, defended the attorney generals decision not to appear. Bill Barr is not afraid of testifying, Collins said on CBS Face the Nation. He said the attorney general just didnt want to be part of a show by Democrats. Muellers documentation of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 vote is the reports most unambiguous major finding. Democrats say that should have been reflected in Trumps telephone call with Putin, in which Trump celebrated the end of what he has long termed an illegitimate investigation. We now know that his own Homeland Security secretary was told not to talk to him about the [Russian] threat to this election. We know that his own FBI director has said that 2018 [midterm election] was a dress rehearsal and that Russia is going to try this again. His director of intelligence said that theyre getting bolder, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic presidential hopeful, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. All of this happens, and what does he do? continued the Minnesota Democrat, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He goes and cuddles up to Vladimir Putin again, she said. That is wrong. And he then makes it worse by calling it a hoax. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the minority whip, was even more scathing, saying Trump is in thrall to autocrats like Putin. Appearing on CBS Face the Nation, he said the president is totally dazzled and gets all googly-eyed when speaking to or about leaders like the Russian president, Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman or North Koreas Kim Jong Un. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, who made a round of appearances on Sundays news-talk shows, did not directly respond to questions about why Trump did not warn Putin about interference, something the president has long shied away from doing. We have worked diligently to protect American Americas -- election system, something I wish the previous administration had done more effectively, Pompeo said on ABCs This Week. He cited pretty good success in 2018 in safeguarding the midterm election campaign and asserted that we continue to be very focused on that. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the administration could not be relied upon to protect the United States from further electoral interference by foreign adversaries like Russia. Barr should be removed for mischaracterizing Muellers findings and aiding in the GOP effort to cast doubt on the investigations legitimacy, he said. Im recommending that we impeach Atty. Gen. Barr so that we can get the information we need to protect our country, Swalwell said Sunday on Face the Nation. laura.king@latimes.com @laurakingLAT The late John Singletons debut movie Boyz n the Hood set a template for many of the black films that followed its 1991 release, establishing a creed among inner city moviemakers of unapologetic rawness and realism. But Singletons real breakthrough was setting out his personal vision of a specific neighborhood in L.A., one with its own dynamics and mores. And in rendering South-Central, Singleton did something else important he showed Los Angeles to itself, forcing all of us living north of the 10 or west of the 405 to examine a place and a people we routinely drove past or failed to think about much at all. That template, important as it was, was also a bane. As quickly as Boyz became an icon for black filmmakers and for Hollywood literati it earned Singleton a couple of Oscar nominations it became a major touchstone of all things urban, that reductive, catch-all marketing term for black culture and style that was becoming institutionalized in the early 90s. In rendering South-Central, Singleton did something else important he showed Los Angeles to itself. Advertisement Urban, essentially a euphemism for ghetto, described movies, music, even fashion. It painted blackness with broad strokes, by design eschewing personal vision, higher aesthetics and narrative subtleties. It didnt help that in the early 90s South-Central was struggling mightily: It was at the apex of a crack epidemic that decimated family ties and whole communities; it was the site of the Latasha Harlins shooting that stoked black-Korean animus citywide; it was the center of the brewing unrest following the videotaped beating of Rodney King. Frustration with the pace of progress and a deep-seated cynicism among black people was setting in, and it was finding voice in a new musical form, gangsta rap. Gangsta rap avatars N.W.A (straight out of Compton, not South-Central, but there was certainly overlap) were hailed as West Coast truth-tellers, and their beat-heavy rhymes delivered news from the hood that CNN and other mainstream media outfits ignored. It was the trappings of gangsta rap, however, not the initial narrative of protest, that caught the publics imagination the swagger, the violence, the outlaw cool that could only be described as Hollywood. South-Central, aided by the wild success of Boyz n the Hood, got officially urbanized. It got redefined as a new ground zero of American ghetto, a place that was threatening, yes, but also titillating in the way that black neighborhoods are always titillating to white outsiders, and this place, framed as it was by sunshine, palm trees and easy money, was especially so. It gave new meaning to the term L.A. noir. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute None of this redefinition was Singletons doing alone, but it wouldnt have been so effective without him. One aspect of Boyz that made it memorable as a film was its portrayal of South-Central as a place that ultimately must be escaped. It is home to Tre, to his parents and friends. It is a community. But its also a trap, a sinkhole for the legitimate dreams and ambitions of its residents, especially its young black men. The epically tragic ending (spoiler alert) in which Tres friend Ricky is fatally shot makes that point, to say the least. It was devastating. There is of course that duality in South-Central and black neighborhoods everywhere, the tension between the real value of community and the real obstacles of crime and other evidence that the community has not fully realized its potential, despite its striving. Its safe to say, however, that media consumers have not spent much time thinking about this tension, preferring instead to admire and even fetishize the look and the sound of what urban marketers have deemed authentically black. Blackness is not a monolith, of course, to say nothing of authenticity. Singleton knew that. He also knew that to make any movie representing black life was to risk a kind of misunderstanding and racial distortion, with theater-goers assuming that what they saw on screen especially the rougher elements was a true representation of all black life in Los Angeles rather than a story about individuals trying to find their place in society at large. Boyz n the Hood was no exception to this pattern, but that doesnt change the fact that for many people, including many of us in South-Central, it remains an exceptional movie. Erin Aubry Kaplan is a contributing writer to Opinion. To the editor: The article on Japans new emperor refers to the countrys right-wing conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who have increasingly sought to justify Japans action and see no need for apology. Contrary to this characterization, Prime Minister Abe has addressed wartime history and apologized in numerous ways. In the 2015 statement issued on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, he stated: Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war. We have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of the people in Asia in Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and China, among others Such position articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakable into the future. Moreover, also in 2015, when the governments of Japan and South Korea reached an agreement regarding wartime comfort women, Abe expressed most sincere apologies and remorse to all women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences. Advertisement Akira Chiba, Los Angeles The writer is consul general of Japan in Los Angeles. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: It certainly was a shock to read that Sam: Johnsons Bookshop in Mar Vista is being forced to close by the end of May because the the owner of the building put it on the market. A trip to a rare and used bookstore is always one of excitement and anticipation because you never know when a book of interest to you on the shelf will say, Buy me. On every trip to Sam: Johnsons Bookshop, I have found at least one book to buy and read, which gives me a great deal of pleasure. When a rare and used bookstore closes, a center of culture is unfortunately lost, to the detriment of the community. David R. Russell, Santa Monica Advertisement .. To the editor: Your beautifully written article profiled David Benesty, who has managed the bookstore recently, but the heart and soul of Sam: Johnsons Bookshop were my late brother-in-law Bob Klein and his partner Larry Myers. Bob and Larry literally built the shelves, and Bob loved to decorate especially the Halloween items you mentioned. He had a love for the macabre. They would have readings and music (there used to be a Steinway grand piano) in the store, and Bob, an English professor at Santa Monica College, wrote and published many short stories and books. Sam: Johnsons Bookshop in its heyday was a meeting place for book, literature and music lovers. Classical music played as shoppers browsed. Our bookstores are disappearing so unfortunate for those of us who cant think of anything better than browsing a bookstore and settling down with a good book. Ellen Klein, Los Angeles .. To the editor: I had to quit reading the May 1 newspaper halfway through. Reporter Jeffrey Fleishmans moving story about the closing of Sam:Johnsons Bookshop had already tugged at my heart. Then, the California section brought the terrible news that rat poison had killed one of the few magnificent mountain lions we had left. Both of these examples of yet another final chapter did me in. I am very sorry to see both go. Jan Brown, Panorama City Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook With all that Willie the poodle mix has been through during his time as a stray and a shelter resident, Shawn Buckley doesnt think a $3,000 price tag for surgery to correct a crippling leg injury should stand between Willie and a safe new home. Through his company, Just Food for Dogs, Buckley is helping injured or sick shelter dogs like Willie get the costly veterinary care they need to make them adoptable. The newly established nonprofit Just Food for Dogs to the Rescue makes Buckleys love for pups official, and, he hopes, the dogs futures brighter. Buckley, a Newport Beach resident and entrepreneur, said he has given money to shelters for years as hes grown his company, which makes dog food from scratch using ingredients USDA-certified for human consumption. Just Food for Dogs is his fourth company his others included an advertising and public relations firm and a baby buggy manufacturer. Just Food for Dogs became a labor of gourmet love after he found out what byproducts regulators allow in commercial kibble, including poultry feces and feathers. He opened his first kitchen on Newports Mariners Mile in 2011 and quickly outgrew it. With veterinary guidance, he started making human-grade foods nutritionally balanced for pets such as a stew of venison, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cranberries and a casserole of wild-caught albacore tuna, egg noodles, broccoli, carrots, celery and peas. The company, now based in Costa Mesa, currently has five kitchens and seven retail pantries throughout Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Its next major venture is an agreement with Petco to open exhibition kitchens and pantries in 500 stores over the next four years. Buckley has a heart for all dogs, but especially hard-luck cases. His black Lab Simon came from a Huntington Beach shelter. His German shepherd Nala was found abandoned and severely underweight in an apartment in Azusa after the residents left. Both dogs have died, though Simon lives on as the dog on the companys packaging. Buckleys current dog is Evelyn, a long-haired dachshund mix. Shawn Buckley visits Willie, who is recovering from leg surgery at Home Free Animal Rescue & Sanctuary in Newport Beach. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer ) Willie, thought to be about 10 years old, fits the definition of a hard-knocks life. He was found abandoned in a park in Rancho Cucamonga with no collar or microchip. His left hind leg had a gruesome injury from the past maybe from being hit by a car, maybe from some other misfortune that left his knee twisted 180 degrees and surrounded by dead tissue. The Newport Beach-based Home Free Animal Rescue & Sanctuary took him to the facility it shares with Newports municipal animal control. Dr. Adam Gassel, an Irvine veterinary surgeon, was able to save Willies leg, courtesy of funding from Just Food for Dogs to the Rescue. Willie is now on the mend, hobbling on his three strong legs while wearing a cone to keep him from chewing on the staples in his surgically repaired one, and Home Free has a promising lead on a new owner. Another of Buckleys beneficiaries at Home Free is Lexi, a tiny wire-haired terrier mix who survived being hit by a car. The injury broke a leg, required the removal of two ribs and left permanent nerve damage in her rear end, paralyzing her tail. She now walks well and is still available for adoption from Home Free. Buckley lights up when he visits the dogs at Home Frees headquarters. He said hes never met a bad dog. To me, theyre magic. hillary.davis@latimes.com Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD Hanging outside the apartments at 580 Anton in Costa Mesa are banners emblazoned with the words The language of luxury. Given what awaited visitors Thursday, it appears its a language in which the complex is well-versed. Guests at a grand-opening gala at the 250-unit community in the South Coast Metro district could have their photos taken in front of a backdrop flanked by orange and blue Lamborghinis. Inside, they sipped champagne and savored hors doeuvres while taking in the gentle strumming of a harp, which later gave way to a four-piece band. And that was just for starters. The pool area at 580 Anton. (Courtesy of Chet Frohlich and Legacy Partners) Thursdays celebration not only marked completion of the project but also gave the crowd of community members, businesspeople and city officials the chance to check out the high-end complex for themselves. Located within walking distance of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Plaza, 580 Anton named for its street address, 580 Anton Blvd. features a blend of studio, one- and two-bedroom units and a bevy of onsite amenities. Among those are a pet-friendly grooming salon, a collection of business meeting rooms, an outdoor barbecue area with plush seating, a bar and TVs, a relaxation room with massage chairs and a fitness center with views of a lake. The development sets new standards for the area from arts and culture to fine dining and best-in-class residential amenities, said Timothy OBrien, senior managing director at Legacy Partners, the Bay Area firm behind the project. Its truly an impressive living experience that took a village to bring to fruition. OBrien said the company is grateful to the city for its support and looks forward to engaging further with the surrounding community to foster an even more connected neighborhood. A sculpture is set up near the entrance of 580 Anton before Thursdays grand-opening event. (Photo by Luke Money) The project replaced a retail and dining center called Lakes Pavilions. Diane Pritchett, executive director of the South Coast Metro Alliance, said Thursday that 580 Anton is such a great complement to the area. It is just a perfect live, work, play environment, and theyve really done a lot to make this a lifestyle, she said. Apartments range from 657 to 1,216 square feet and monthly rents run from $2,212 to $4,254. For more information about the complex, leasing and availability, visit 580Anton.com. luke.money@latimes.com Twitter @LukeMMoney UPDATES: 2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with a new comment from Timothy OBrien. This article was originally published at 10:25 a.m. In a Kentucky Derby that will be talked about long after the name of the winner has been forgotten, Maximum Security became the first horse disqualified for interference in the 145-year history of the event, and Country House, a 65-to-1 longshot, is the second winner to not cross the finish line first. It was an excruciating 22 minutes after the race when stewards, who watched and re-watched video, rendered their decision. They determined that Maximum Security came off the inside of the track and impeded the running of War Of Will, Long Range Toddy and Bodexpress. For the record: A previous version of this article referred to Kentucky racing steward Barbara Borden as Barbara Gordon. Maximum Security, according to the rules of horse racing, was placed 17th, behind Long Range Toddy. Bodexpress was 13th, and War Of Will was placed seventh. Country House got the blanket of roses. Advertisement The incident happened deep in the far turn before the homestretch. Country House, ridden by Flavien Prat, was on the outside of his competitors and was the least affected by the incident. Prat, who is a regular rider at Santa Anita, said, That horse drifted out, kind of turned me sideways, and there were two horses inside of us. The stewards did not mention that Country House was affected. Sign up for our daily sports newsletter Prat and Jon Court, who was riding Long Range Toddy, filed objections with the stewards. We had a lengthy review of the race, said Barbara Borden, chief steward of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. We interviewed affected riders. We determined that the seven horse [Maximum Security] drifted out and impacted the progress of No. 1 [War Of Will], in turn interfering with the 18 [Long Range Toddy] and 21 [Bodexpress]. Those horses were all impacted by the interference. Therefore, we unanimously determined to disqualify No. 7 and place him behind the 18. It was the first Kentucky Derby win for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who previously was best known as the trainer of Cigar, who won 16 consecutive races in 1996. It will give somebody something to talk about for a long time, Mott said. Theyll be speaking about the result of this race from now until they run the next Kentucky Derby, the next 10 Kentucky Derbies and 20 Kentucky Derbies. 1 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 2 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 3 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 4 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 5 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 6 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 7 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 8 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 9 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 10 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press) 11 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 12 / 25 A man wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 13 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 14 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 15 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 16 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 17 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 18 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 19 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 20 / 25 A man wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 21 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 22 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (Tom Pennington / Getty Images) 23 / 25 A woman wears a decorative hat while posing with two servicemen during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 24 / 25 A woman wears a hat during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images) 25 / 25 Women wear decorative hats before the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019. (Matt Slocum / Associated Press) There is always a lot of controversy in this sport, and we are probably going to be involved with it for a long time. The only other time a Derby winner was denied a victory came in 1968 when Dancers Image later tested positive for a banned medication and Kentucky racing officials redistributed the purse, making Forward Pass the winner. The stewards decision in that case was upheld in court. Maximum Security is owned by Gary and Mary West, who live in Rancho Santa Fe near San Diego. Gary West said he plans to take a couple of days to review his options and decide whether to file an appeal. I think this is the most egregious disqualification in the history of horse racing, and not just because its our horse, Gary West told The Associated Press. Jason Servis, the trainer of Maximum Security, was hoping to join his brother John as a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer. John Servis won with Smarty Jones in 2004. I dont think it changed the outcome of the race, Jason Servis said. It looks like something scared him in the infield. I feel bad for the Wests. Its tough. It hasnt sunk in yet, but it will. Most in the crowd of 150,729 were shocked. It resulted in about a $116 difference in the win payoff and tens of thousands of bettors who went from winners to losers, not just those at Churchill Downs but also those who wagered remotely. More than $65.6 million was bet on win, place and show in the race. One online gambling site, SportsBetting.ag, returned all bets made on Maximum Security that came before race day, totaling in the mid six figures, according to its website. Country House was the second-longest priced horse to win the Derby. He paid $132.40 to win, $56.60 to place and $24.60 to show on a $2 mutuel wager. Donerail paid $184.90 in 1913. Country House finished 1 3/4 lengths behind Maximum Security. After the disqualification, Code Of Honor was placed second, followed by Tacitus, Improbable and Game Winner. You know, as far as the win goes, its bittersweet, Mott said. I would be lying if I said it was any different. You always want to win with a clean trip and have everybody recognize the horse as a very good horse and for the great athlete that he is. I think, due to the disqualification, probably some of that is diminished. But this is horse racing. Maximum Security broke alertly from the gate and immediately went for the lead, which he held to the finish. It was an impressive performance in that the first part of the race was extremely fast for 1 1/4 miles. The Derby is traditionally the first time that 3-year-olds run that far. He ran the first quarter-mile in 23.31 seconds and the half-mile in 46.35 seconds. Normally, horses that run opening fractions that fast tend to fade to the back as the race continues. But not Maximum Security. It seemed as if jockey Luis Saez was trying to slow the race down on the far turn to conserve energy for the finish. It could have contributed to the interference, especially because it appeared that War Of Will was speeding up. I thought I never put anyone in danger, Saez said. My horse shied away from the noise of the crowd and may have ducked out a little. The race was run on a track that was labeled as sloppy, with water standing on the surface that had not penetrated the hardened base of dirt. The next race in the Triple Crown series is the Preakness Stakes in two weeks at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Its unclear whether there will be a rematch between Country House and Maximum Security. Country House will definitely be there if he comes out of the race healthy. Gary West indicated it was too soon to tell whether Maximum Security would be up for another race with a new track, new stewards and the possibility of a new outcome. Ahmadou Cisse rises from his stained, coil-ridden mattress shared with four other youths on a rooftop at about 5 a.m. each day. The 14-year-old boy walks six miles from the suburbs of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, weaving among traffic and tapping on car windows in the hopes of receiving spare coins or food. He must beg to survive. I do not feel safe doing this, Ahmadou said recently. The skeleton-thin youth is among tens of thousands of children who line the dusty streets of Senegal pleading for food or money with old tin cans and buckets in hand, according to estimates by UNICEF. Advertisement Many of the youths, like Ahmadou, are experiencing what some families consider a traditional Quranic education in which children as young as 2 are sent to religious schools called daaras to memorize Islamic scripture and learn humility. The country is about 95% Muslim. Talibes sleeping in a shopfront in Touba. (Peter Yeung / For The Times) But a stubborn problem keeping youths at risk involves some teachers known as marabouts forcing youths to fund the destitute daaras through begging, and, at times, resorting to beatings if quotas are not met, according to government officials and human rights agencies. The youths, or talibes, often sleep in crumbling buildings, on roadsides or in shopfronts. The government has tried to remove children from the streets and protect them from mistreatment some youths have died from beatings or experienced other tragedies but its efforts have suffered from insufficient resources, lack of coordination and other problems, Human Rights Watch and others have said. Sometimes my marabout will take what I collect and sell it, said Ahmadou, who comes from a small village in Gambia and has not seen his family for years. One time when I didnt bring back enough money he whipped me so hard I couldnt lie down properly for a week. Children sleep on a building on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegals capital. (Peter Yeung / For The Times) Despite the many problems, officials and activists say that some daaras are honest, legitimate and free from abuse, and some pupils become marabouts or respected imams. The schools, whose roots go back hundreds of years, are often held in high esteem, and leaders have graduated from them. For those struggling to care for children, daaras provide a free education. The average household in Senegal contains nine people, the largest in the world, according to the U.N., and many people suffer from poverty. A report by Human Rights Watch expected to be released this month increases its estimate of talibes in Senegal from 50,000 to 100,000 out of a population of 16 million. The capital, Dakar, has at least 30,000 talibes, Saint-Louis has 14,000, and other cities including Thies, Touba and Kaolack have some as well. Some marabout teachers are trafficking children from countries across West Africa such as Guinea, Mali and Gambia, according to the reports author, Lauren Seibert. Thousands of children exist as modern-day slaves, vulnerable to physical abuse and neglect. The U.N. estimates that child begging earns $8 million per year for marabouts in Dakar alone; nationwide figures are unknown. Children known as talibes learn at a daara, or religious school, in the Keur Massar suburb of Dakar. (Peter Yeung / For The Times) Talibes read the Quran in Dakar. (Peter Yeung / For The Times) Exploitation is rife, and some of these schools are so bad that talibes havent even memorized the Quran after seven years, Seibert said. Some are shackled and beaten regularly. We need regulation of the daaras and for abusive schools to be shut down and held to account. Several nonprofit organizations said sexual abuse is endemic within the system. Often perpetrators are elder talibes, but sometimes it can be outsiders. Issa Kouyate, the president of a charity called Maison de la Gare in the northern city of Saint-Louis, said he first saw one of Senegals street children being raped in 2009. A middle-aged man fled as he approached, leaving a 10-year-old boy collapsed and crying. He was completely naked outside the bus station, trousers around his ankles, Kouyate said. It happens every night that these little boys are sexually abused. Alassane Diagne, a project coordinator for Dakar-based Empire des Enfants, a center that provides healthcare and education for up to 90 street children at a time, said malnutrition, dehydration and malaria are also common. The children who come to us are often sexually abused, have suffered violence and have psychological problems, Diagne said. Abdul Aziz Bah, a marabout based in the Keur Massar suburb of Dakar who is responsible for 100 children, condemned the abusive teachers as charlatans. Talibes are a Senegalese tradition, but there are some who exploit the children, he said, amid a racket of Quranic recitation from pupils in the background. They are different from daaras. They are fake daaras. Abdul Aziz Bah, 34, a marabout based in the Keur Massar suburb of Dakar who is responsible for 100 children. (Peter Yeung / For The Times) Some activists and other observers said the government has failed to effectively combat the exploitation tied to talibes. The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child has condemned the very low rate of investigations, prosecutions and convictions of those responsible for trafficking, forced begging, child prostitution or forced child labor in Senegal. In 2005, the Senegalese government passed a law prohibiting forced begging, which if violated could result in up to five years in prison. It was implemented in 2010 when seven marabouts were convicted. They received six-month suspended sentences and a $171 fine each. None went to prison. In 2016, the government ordered the removal of children from the streets, and around 500 in Dakar have been placed in transit centers and returned to their parents. But there were no accompanying investigations or prosecutions. A draft law to set standards and regulations for daaras was approved by the countrys Council of Ministers in June 2018. The Assn. of Senegalese Jurists called for the immediate adoption of the draft law to protect children this year in an open letter ahead of elections, which resulted in President Macky Sall winning a second term, but there has been no move in the National Assembly to pass it. We are doing everything that we can to protect these children, said Alioune Sarr, head of child protection in the Senegalese government. Childrens centers and social services offices are overwhelmed and receive minimal resources, he said. As a result, the care and legal assistance the children desperately need is not provided. Its a human catastrophe, said Souleymane Diagne, a social worker in Dakars Medina neighborhood. Yeung is a special correspondent. A Texas-educated business leader is the front-runner to become Panamas next president, as voters look set to punish the ruling party for corruption scandals and the weakest economy in a decade. Laurentino Cortizo, 66, leads polls ahead of the Sunday general election and pledges to clean up government and revitalize what was, until recently, the top-performing economy in the Americas. Cortizo is from the center-left Revolutionary Democratic Party. In recent years, Panamas growth rate has sometimes exceeded Chinas, but slipped amid a slowdown in construction as major projects were completed and private investment also slowed. Panama inaugurated a new metro line and airport terminal last month and is planning a fourth bridge over the recently-expanded Panama canal. Growth slowed to 3.7% last year, the slowest pace since 2009, though still more than twice the Latin American average. Advertisement Anger over a series of scandals including the Panama Papers and allegations of bribery has diminished support for President Juan Carlos Varelas ruling party as voters turn to opposition candidates like Cortizo. Democratic Change party candidate Romulo Roux is polling second and independent Ricardo Lombana third, with the ruling Panamenista party fourth. Polls open at 7 a.m. local time and close at 4 p.m, and the new president will take office July 1. Voters will also elect mayors and members of the 71-seat, unicameral congress. Panamanians are looking for a candidate who has a tougher stance against corruption, said Claudia Navas, a Colombia-based analyst for Control Risks. There is a concern that the economy is not going as well as previous years. Cortizo, whose father was a Spanish immigrant, pledged during the campaign to boost investment in agriculture, technology and infrastructure. He studied business in the U.S. and received a doctorate from the University of Texas, Austin, according to his resume filed with the electoral authority. He has led two construction companies and a livestock business since 1985. The next president is likely to face a difficult task keeping public finances under control, said former Finance Minister Frank de Lima. The government has run up arrears with suppliers and, last year, reduced the property tax rate. Low water levels in the canal this year, due to dry weather, have led to a series of draft restrictions and could put a dent in revenues that the waterway pays the government, which totaled $1.7 billion in 2018. Panamas GDP per capita of nearly $16,000 is among the highest in Latin America, and has already surpassed some European nations including Hungary and Croatia. The next president will probably try to keep Panama on its business-friendly path. Policy continuity is likely, Eurasia Group analyst Risa Grais-Targow wrote in a note to clients. Regardless of who wins, the election results are unlikely to lead to a meaningful shift in the countrys business-friendly macro-economic policy model. The longing for a stronger economy had made former President Ricardo Martinelli, who oversaw growth rates above 11%, the top candidate for mayor of Panama City, even though he is in jail. But election authorities ruled last month that he does not meet residency requirements and will not appear on the ballot. In a moment of high drama, opposition leader Juan Guaido stood outside the La Carlota military air base here at sunrise Tuesday with an entourage including defecting soldiers and proclaimed the final phase of Operation Liberty. By noon the would-be rebellion was effectively quashed, marking the latest high-profile failure of Guaido and his U.S. backers to enlist military support to oust the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The armed forces high command the traditional arbiter of power here denounced what it called an attempted coup and the oppositions latest botched plot. Guaidos unsuccessful push to win the generals backing sparked two days of street battles between protesters and security services, leaving at least five dead, scores injured and hundreds jailed. By weeks end, the smoke and tear gas had cleared and an aura of normality returned to the capital. Advertisement The turmoil and cloak-and-dagger maneuverings here and in Washington did not outwardly reshape this beleaguered nations underlying power contours: Maduro remains in office and Guaido is still the self-proclaimed interim president of a parallel government controlling no territory or ministries. Days later, there is still little clarity about what went wrong during what was touted by Guaido as a decisive moment in the history of this once-wealthy and oil-rich South American nation, battered by years of political, social and economic upheaval. The events unfolded more than three months after Guaido, 35, an opposition legislator and industrial engineer, assumed the mantle of interim president, labeling Maduro who won re-election last year in widely discredited elections -- a usurper and calling on the military to switch sides. The failed plot last week took place more than two months after Guaido, also with Washingtons backing, incorrectly predicted that Venezuelan armed forces would turn against Maduro and allow truckloads of mostly U.S.-provided humanitarian aid into Venezuela. The apparent unity of the [Venezuelan] upper command despite three visible calls by Guaido to abandon Maduro since January raises significant questions about the reasons for his [Guaidos] apparent overconfidence, said Jennifer McCoy, a Latin American expert at Georgia State University. But both the opposition and its U.S. backers insist that the still-shadowy episode last week had indeed broken the generals heretofore seemingly resolute support for Maduro. The fissure that was opened on April 30 will become a chasm that will end up breaking the dike, predicted Leopoldo Lopez, Guaidos political mentor, sprung from house arrest on April 30, apparently by defectors within the security services, as part of the aborted uprising. What began on April 30 is an irreversible process, said Lopez, speaking from the gates of the Spanish Embassy here, where he has taken refuge. Backing those sentiments were senior Washington officials, including Elliott Abrams, the Trump administrations special envoy to Venezuela. He [Maduro] has to know that the high command isnt truly loyal, and they want a change, Abrams, speaking Spanish, told an interviewer from VPItv, a Venezuelan online outlet. Of course, this may be U.S. and opposition spin insinuating divided loyalties in the ranks is a time-honored destabilization technique for fomenting discord in a targeted government. There is no evidence of deep rifts within the [Venezuelan] armed forces, said David Smilde, a Venezuela expert at Tulane University and the Washington Office on Latin America, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. If there were, Maduro would quickly act upon it. But the Venezuelan commanders racing to display a steadfast wall of allegiance to Maduro in the aftermath of last weeks reports of treachery could also be dissembling. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who was among three top officials publicly named by Washington as accomplices of the opposition, seemed to confirm that Guaidos representatives had approached him though he mocked their offer, without providing details. They think they can buy us, Padrino told troops gathered at the Fuerte Tiuna military base, where he appeared alongside Maduro in a nationally televised event designed to showcase the armed forces fidelity. As if we were mercenaries. They think they can break military honor. Some have speculated that Padrino may have been engaged in a devious double game: Listening to opposition feelers in a bid to smoke out who inside the government was implicated in the plot.That would imply that Guaidos operatives were duped and misread the situation, possibly endangering their own covert collaborators. The opposition and U.S. officials alleged that a tentative agreement had been reached with Venezuelas top brass, including Padrino, that would have seen Maduro leave the country. Guaido would then preside over a national unity interim government, including top Maduro loyalists, according to U.S. and opposition officials. Venezuelas supreme court was supposed to sign off on the matter. It didnt turn out that way. The deal ultimately broke down, the opposition and its Washington backers acknowledge, for reasons that remain murky. According to Abrams, Maduro and his Cuban advisors may have gotten wind of the plot a day or two before it was supposed to launch into an operational phase, forcing Guaido to move prematurely on April 30 and stage his high-profile media event outside the La Carlota air base. The point of that gathering seemed largely symbolic, however: Guaido appeared to anticipate a kind of cascading, domino effect of uprisings that never materialized. In Washington, meanwhile, Abrams and others seemed caught off guard by Guaidos moves, suggesting a lack of coordination and communication. A 15-point, written national unity deal between the opposition and government insiders envisioned a transitional administration, with Guaido as interim president but allowing the armed forces high command, the countrys supreme court justices and other government officials to retain their positions, according to Abrams. New elections would have been convened within 12 months, Abrams told the Venezuelan online TV network. Despite its latest setback, the opposition does appear to have flipped one high-ranking government insider: Gen. Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, a former Maduro confidant and ex-head of the countrys Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, known as SEBIN, its Spanish acronym. In the fallout from last weeks machinations, Maduro dismissed Figuera, a longtime aide-de-camp to the late President Hugo Chavez, Maduros political mentor. Figuera has dropped out of site among rumors that he left the country. A statement attributed to the former intelligence chief circulating on various websites denounced systematic corruption and hinted at profound schisms in Venezuelas leadership. I discovered that many people in your confidence were negotiating behind your back, Figuera wrote in the attributed statement, addressing his commander in chief, Maduro. But they werent negotiating for the well-being of the country. They were doing it for their own and petty interests. Whether Figueras asserted letter was genuine or part of an intelligence effort to discredit Maduros government remained unclear, as was much of the fallout from last weeks failed opposition effort. --Special correspondent Mogollon reported from Caracas and Times staff writer McDonnell from Mexico City. Special correspondent Chris Kraul in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report. In Venezuela, clashes continue as protesters for and against Maduro fill the streets patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT - Terwase Akwaza also popularly known as Gana, the most wanted man in Benue, has fled to Cameroon - Gana is reported to be operating and coordinating attacks from the neigbouring country as he is still a terror to many - The most wanted criminal once participated in an amnesty programme in Benue where he and gand surrendered over 84 weapons Terwase Akwaza popularly known as Gana is reported to the most wanted criminal in Benue state as he has been known to torment residents along Benue, Taraba border, and feared by same people. He has been missing in action lately by due checks revealed on Sunday, May 5, that he is now operating from neigbouring Cameroon, Daily Trust reports. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The indication that the most wanted criminal may have fled to Cameroon was gotten from residents in Kastina-Ala local government area where Gana comes from, where he is coordinating attacks on Taraba border. Sources from villages around Kastina Ala and Logo areas who spoke to Daily Trust, said the criminal no longer stays within their axis as they said that he is hiding in borders of Cameroon. A source said: He is hiding in the borders of Cameroon since the myriads of offensive hunting for him by the combined security team in the state, including the military." It should be recalled that the last thing heard about the wanted criminal was in October 2018 when the Troops of Operation Whiri Stroke (OPWS) said they killed his wife in a series of raids against gangs believed to be terrorizing the state. Gan was first seen in Benue on Monday, August 31, 2015 at the government house in Markudi during an amnesty programme for him and his criminal gang members where no less than 84 weapons were surrendered. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that troops of 72 Special Forces Battalion Makurdi, deployed for internal security operation in Katsina-Ala LGA of Benue, stopped what could have been a terrible clash between two Tiv clans of Shitile and Ikyora. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update The Nigerian Army, in a statement released on Monday, April 22 by its acting director of public relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, made this known, saying the force swung into action upon receiving intelligence reports of the planed attack. Sagir said the 72 SF battalion troops immediately laid an ambush for the armed bandit along the suspected route where they intercepted the armed fighters. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better Put an end to killings in Zamfara - Nigerians tell Buhari - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has faulted the argument of the APC on Atiku Abubakar's eligibility to contest for Nigeria's president - The SAN said that if Atiku is a Cameroonian, then it means all those those who voted in his ward are from Cameroon - Falana added that the APC's argument also suggested that those who voted President Muhammadu Buhari are also Cameroonians The popular human right lawyer, Femi Falana, has condemned the argument of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Atiku Abubakars eligibility to contest for president. He said that APCs argument that Atiku is from Cameroon then implies that those who voted in his ward for President Muhammadu Buhari, are also Cameroonians, TheCable reports. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The human right activist said this at the press freedom conference titled the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) organized in Abuja. He asked: "If Atiku is a now Cameroonian, doesnt that suggest that those who voted for President Buhari in his ward for the candidate are Cameroonian citizens too? he asked. Falana also at the event lamented the spate of killings across the country, saying there are signs of anarchy to come. He said: What the country is currently witnessing in terms of increasing violence, banditry and insurgency is a sign of anarchy. Since the 2019 elections have been concluded the duty imposed on the media is to ensure that political parties and elected officials are held accountable. All persons living in Nigeria including citizens by birth or naturalisation, dual citizens, foreigners, refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to adequate security and protection. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that APC filed a motion at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja saying Atiku has no right to challenge the result of the election as he was not a Nigerian. The lead counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, faulted the candidacy of Atiku saying he was ineligible to participate in the election in the first instance. He said Atiku was born on November 25, 1946, in Jada, Adamawa, in Northern Cameroon and is, therefore, a citizen of Cameroon and not a Nigerian by birth. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better 2019 Election: Atiku heads to court to contest election result, can he win? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng A 55-year-old man was killed Saturday evening following a hit-and-run crash near a busy five-point intersection in Monroe County, according to the Monroe County Coroners Office. Monroe County Coroner Tom Yanac said John Walpole of New York was pronounced dead at 5:40 a.m. Sunday at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg. The accident reportedly happened around 10 p.m. Saturday along Route 611 in Mount Pocono. WFMZ-69 News is reporting Walpole was walking in front of a gas station when he was struck and the driver kept on going. A Pocono Mountain Regional police officer was not immediately available Sunday afternoon to provide further information about the fatality. At autopsy is scheduled Monday to determine Walpoles exact cause and manner of death. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Dear Annie: I just turned 39 and am freaking out about my next birthday, when I will go from being a young person to a middle-aged person. I remember when I was a child everyone making such a fuss over my parents turning 40. And now here I am turning 40. Do you have any suggestions for coping with this monumental change of life? -- Scared of Aging Dear Scared: Its as monumental as you make it, and try not to make a molehill into a mountain. Your actual age is nothing but a number, and, as they say, 60 is the new 40. And if you keep a good mental attitude and take care of yourself physically, you could feel even better at 60 than you do at 40. Dear Readers: Many of you wrote in about Deeply Hurt in Florida, who was offended by the way she was addressed on the invitation to her grandsons wedding. Here is a sampling of comments and advice: Dear Annie: My husband and I enlisted the help of friends to address our wedding invitations nearly 17 years ago. I remember that day making last-minute changes to names, and Im sure we made some mistakes. I also remember feeling stress because it was the first big project my fiance and I had ever tried to manage together. I hope Deeply Hurt in Florida will offer grace, much grace, to her grandson and his fiancee. Many weddings are needlessly stressful times for the bride- and groom-to-be. -- Offering Perspective to Deeply Hurt Dear Offering Perspective: Thank you for sharing your story. The fact that your fiance is still your husband is what really counts when it comes to wedding planning, and I agree that much of the stress involved is needless. Brides and grooms frequently will have other people write the invitations. Whatever the cause, it is nothing to be alarmed about, as the next letter, from a grandmother and great-grandmother, points out. Dear Annie: I could not believe the grandma in Florida was so upset by her correct name being on the invitation. It could be that others were helping write the invitations and did not know her preferred name. As a grandmother of 21 and great-grandmother of seven, I would not let anything so minor affect my going to a family wedding. You were right. Ask that the placecard be corrected and enjoy the occasion. I have not written to a columnist before but could not believe the grandmother could be making such a mountain out of a molehill. Isnt she fortunate to see a grandson married? -- Grandmother and Great Grandmother Dear Grandmother and Great Grandmother: Youre the best! I love your attitude, which, as you can see, is shared by a reader from New Hampshire who wants nothing more than to have grandchildren. Dear Annie: Regarding Deeply Hurt in Florida, I find it sad that she may not attend her grandsons wedding over such a minor detail as being addressed as Judy instead of Chris. Does she know how fortunate she is to have her grandson in her life? Many of us dont have the pleasure of having grandchildren or great-grandchildren in our lives, and how heartbreaking that is. We have so much love that we cannot share with them. --Heartbroken in New Hampshire. Dear Heartbroken: You address the real issue, which is love. Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie is out now! Annie Lanes debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. Annie Lane grew up in California and headed east to graduate with honors from New York University, where she majored in English literature and specialized in psychology. She earned her Juris Doctor from New York Law School. Since July 2016, Annie has offered common-sense solutions to everyday problems in her column, Dear Annie. Her advice is unusually perceptive. She is firm, funny and sympathetic, echoing the style of her biggest inspiration, Ann Landers. Annie lives outside Manhattan with her husband, two kids and two dogs. When not writing, she devotes her time to play dates and Play-Doh. COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM Last year Pennsylvania took a courageous step toward justice for thousands of victims of child sexual abuse. A grand jury investigation uncovered the crimes of more than 300 priests in the Catholic Church and a hierarchy that gave them cover. The grand jury, led by Attorney General Josh Shapiro, didnt simply pry open the past. It looked to the future, recommending laws that would help people get long-sought relief from the courts, tighten reporting standards for suspected abuse, and create a society in which children would be better protected, if not totally shielded, from predators. Well, the future is now. The Pennsylvania Legislature tried last year to assemble a package of reforms recommended by the grand jury, but failed when the House and Senate couldnt agree. Some lawmakers thought the Catholic Churchs program to settle with victims out of court should be allowed to play out, in lieu of changing the statute of limitations to give long-ago victims a limited window to sue. Liberalizing the statute of limitations is still a major sticking point a shameful one but at least the House of Representatives has taken the initiative to address other changes. In bills approved last month and sent to the Senate, the lower house clarified that nondisclosure agreements with child sex abuse victims do not prevent them from speaking with with police about suspected criminal activities. The grand jury reported that church officials often employed such agreements to try to keep victims quiet. Another House bill would increase the penalties for mandated reporters who fail to contact law enforcement about suspected abuse. Also, the House overwhelmingly agreed to enumerate the rights of crime victims in the state constitution, and to revoke the pension benefits of public officials and workers convicted of sexual offenses. It shouldnt take much arm-twisting to see these reforms are needed to protect vulnerable children and teens against sexual abuse, and not just from religious organizations. The Senate now has a framework with which to get these bills to Gov. Wolfs desk. The biggest hurdle is still the statute of limitations specifically, whether a two-year window of court access should be opened for victims who missed their deadlines years ago. The House version would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for child sex crimes altogether; future abuse victims would be allowed to file civil lawsuits until they are 55. The law now requires a victim to seek criminal charges by age 50 and file civil suits by age 30. Yet the remedy for older adult victims would be a constitutional amendment creating a two-year window for litigation a cumbersome process that could take years. We agree with Shapiro that this could be done through the law-making process, without having to tell victims who missed their shot at justice that theyll have to keep waiting. The state Senate holds the key to dismantle decades of injustice. Its time to act. Met Eireann is forecasting the weather to be as cold in the week ahead as it has been in the past seven days. The forecaster is also warning of a douse of wet weather to sweep through and is cautious about when the temperatures will pick up. In her forecast after the RTE news, Met Eireann's meteorologist Joanna Donnelly told us what to expect. She said bank holiday Monday would be cloudy while wet weather would sweep through the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. She said this would be followed by a return of northerly air. A weather chart in her forecast cold weather stretching over Ireland, Britain and France to the border with Spain. "It is going to stay on the cold side for the coming week possible even colder than it has been this past week," she said. She said it could be next week before temperatures pick up. More details below tweet. 7 Day Forecast - Precipitation and Pressure Chart in 6 hour intervals.https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/UVGfMtngW4 Met Eireann (@MetEireann) May 5, 2019 Met Eireann website forecast issues at 6.04 pm on Sunday, May 5 NATIONAL OUTLOOK A cooler than average regime looks set to prevail through much of this week. Mainly dry and settled conditions at first, will be replaced by more changeable conditions as the week unfolds. MONDAY 6TH MAY Cloudier overall tomorrow, with the best of any hazy sunshine occurring during the morning. Still a good deal of dry weather overall but outbreaks of showery rain will affect Ulster through the course of the day with an isolated shower elsewhere. Top temperatures of 9 to 15 degrees, warmest in the southwest. Breezes light and variable in direction. Monday night: Mostly cloudy with a few light showers occurring overnight. Lows of 2 to 6 degrees in light east to southeast or variable breezes. Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. A few of the showers could turn heavy later in the day. Light to moderate east to southeast winds will be fresh near southwest coasts. Highs of 9 to 13 degrees. A spell of more persistent rain will develop in the south early on Tuesday night. Lows of 3 to 7 degrees in a light to moderate northeast breeze. Wednesday: Cloud and rain in the east and south in the morning, breaking up in the afternoon with sunny spells and scattered showers. Highs of just 9 to 12 degrees and feeling cool in the moderate northeasterly breezes, which will be fresh at times near coasts. Clear spells and occasional showers overnight with lows of 1 to 5 degrees in light to moderate northwest breezes. Thursday: Sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy in the afternoon. Highs of 9 to 12 degrees in a light to moderate northwest breeze. Friday: Still a high degree of uncertainty at this stage, but there is potential for a spell of wet weather to move up from the southwest during the day. Highs of 9 to 12 degrees. Light to moderate easterly breezes, freshening on southern and western coasts. Weekend: Current indications suggest a gradual return to settled weather and more seasonal temperatures over the weekend. 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. Some 100 students from a Naas school saw at first hand the power and potential of wind as a power source during a renewable energy event held at their school. The pupils from Naas Community National School hosted a visit by LearnRenewables, a community education organisation based in Dundalk IT. They worked together to build model turbines and discussed the role of renewable energy in Ireland, its role in climate change and the potential to produce clean energy for their homes and school. They also learned about the move away from fossil fuels and the potential of wind energy in Ireland. The visit was sponsored by the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) which is committed to the promotion and education of wind energy issues and plays a leading role in the areas of conference organisation, lobbying and policy development in Ireland. The IWEA is based at Millennium Park in Naas. It is is committed to promoting the use of wind energy in Ireland and beyond. The Business of Fashion is a one-of-a-kind event offering the ultimate insight into the Irish fashion industry. Presented by Laura Jordan, owner of StyleSavvy with special guest AnnMarie Nagle, buying and branding aficionado. The Business of Fashion offers a unique opportunity to learn all you need to know about the key areas of Irish fashion; Styling, Buying and Trend Forecasting. The event takes place on Sunday, May 12, in the Bedford Townhouse and includes lunch and refreshments. Tickets are priced at 75 and are available through Eventbrite or by mailing office@StyleSavvy.ie Laura is a fashion stylist who has worked comprehensively in the Irish fashion industry, including TV, digital and print ad campaigns, magazine covers, fashion campaign shoots, red carpet styling and fashion show production, as well as business and fashion features in The Sunday Times, The Irish Times and The Irish Independent. Laura owns StyleSavvy, Ireland's only full service style consultancy, offering tailored Image and Branding insights to both individuals and industry. StyleSavvy currently operates throughout the country and is in the process of expanding to the UK market, bringing Laura back and forth between London and Dublin. Laura lectures in Personal Shopping, Fashion Styling and Trend Forecasting at Dublin Institute of Design and is a fashion contributor with WeekendAM on Virgin Media One. INDEPENDENT councillor for Adare Rathkeale, Emmett OBrien has called for the appointment of a dedicated broadband officer within Limerick City and County Council to assist householders and businesses to get online. In light of the absolute fiasco that is the national broadband plan, it is now high time for local authorities to take the lead, he said this week. We need action fast on this issue as rural Ireland has been let down, and some might say even attacked, by this Fine Gael government. He was, he said, receiving representations on an ongoing basis from constituents and business owners about the poor quality of broadband in the Adare Rathkeale area. Broadband is now as essential as rural electrification was in the 1950s and telecommunication in the 1980s. Rather than wasting money on fancy digital strategies, that seem destined to collect unnecessary data, it would be wiser to employ an Broadband Officer who the people and businesses of rural Adare Rathkeale could call and seek assistance from in getting the service providers to provide them with broadband. Read also: Inclusive IT company opens doors to new office in Limerick village This would assure the people of Limerick that the council is actually there to do what it is supposed to do, he said, providing services and finally bringing broadband into the homes of rural Limerick. The broadband officer could also help establish hubs in towns and villages in the county, Cllr OBrien said. The presidency has asked members of the opposition parties and other Nigerians that alleged that President Buhari was in the UK to treat an undisclosed ailment, to swallow their words. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said this in a statement he released shortly after President Buhari returned to the country on Sunday after his ten days private visit to London. According to Adesina, President Buhari's timely return has put an end to the speculations that he was sick. He added that the reports which said the president would extend his visit has also been proven as fake, adding that all those reports were vain imaginations of those he called apostles of evil. Read the full statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the President. A dreaded German child killer dubbed "Masked Man", because he targets his victims while wearing a mask or balaclava, has been named as the latest suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. 48-year-old Martin Ney, from Hamburg, is currently serving life in prison for the murders of three boys while they were on holiday with their families. He is now being considered a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine. Ney is said to resemble a photofit of a man who was seen carrying a child shortly after Madeleine, then 3, vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Portugal. According to the Mirror, Ney was working for an evangelical church on a project for the homeless in Portugal at the time of Madeleine's disappearance. According to Metro UK, detectives working on Madeleines case are allegedly linking new evidence about Ney to her disappearance. Fears have also been raised that Ney could have been part of a paedophile ring operating on the Algarve around the time Madeleine went missing. Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral said Ney was investigated in 2008 as part of the probe. However, it is thought he was ruled out of involvement by Berlin police chiefs, who claimed he was only interested in boys. Amaral said: "Detectives are preparing the end of the investigation, with a German paedophile who is in prison right now." Ney is currently being held in a German prison for the killings of Stefan Jahrd, 13, in 1992, Dennis Rostel, eight, in 1995, and Dennis Kleinfrom, nine, in 2001. He was convicted in 2012 of the three murders. He was also questioned in connection with the death of another German boy, Renee Hasse, in Aljezur, Portugal, in 1996, but never charged. The report of Ney's suspected involvement in the child's disappearance has come on the12th anniversary of herdisappearance. Yesterday, her mother Kate and two siblings, Sean and Amelia, attended an emotional prayer vigil at a Baptist church at her home village in Rothley, Leicestershire, to mark the occasion. Nollywood veteran, Patrick Doyle in a lenghty post titled 'an ode to a great lady', wrote a glowing tribute to his wife Iretiola Doyle on the occassion of their 15th wedding anniversary. 'This is my tribute to a great Lady, my life has almost always revolved around strong women. The first strong woman in my life was the enigmatic Angela Bassey Doyle, who while still grieving as a young widow gave birth to me and stayed unmarried to nurture me' he wrote. See the rest of his post below... She stayed around as a strong pillar in my life till I was well in my 40's before she passed away. Next was my aristocratic sister Ayodeji Omobolanle Alakija, the 2nd of two daughters of my great mother. She unfortunately passed on in her 40's but in her life time was the very epitome of grace, and courage. She was not " lucky in the love department " as she was the victim of a loveless and fraudulent marriage, yet she carried on with the panache that only an Alakija is able to. My life would me incomplete without mentioning the mother of 3 of my sons, the very forthright Rosamond Emechete. Who in spite of her fragile health gave me 3 very handsome sons and sadly passed on 7 months after the birth of our last son, Eyitemi. Shortly after the passing of Rosamond, God sent me an angel. Not only did this angel dry my tears, comfort my soul and lift my spirit at the lowest point in my life, but she showered my boys with the highest quality of care that I have ever seen a mother give her children. I have been young and now I am older, and I have never seen a woman more loving , caring and devoted than this lady. She not only ignored the taunting of "true friends" who queried what she was doing with a "broke ass" like me. Frankly, if she was my sister, I would have asked her the same question. Have I always justified or honored her courageous decision to stick with me through thick and thin? The answer is a big resounding NO. If any thing I have been most undeserving of the affection of this most uncommon woman. Have I taken her Love for granted? You bet I have, why? because like most men, I am prone to being a jerk. I can not count how many times she has had to pick up the slack when I have failed in my duties as a husband and father. She has with the greatest sense of responsibility been the rock of our family. Without a doubt she is the most generous woman I know, a dependable friend, a loyal ally and the most loving and sensual woman ever. Lately I had been less than worthy of her affection and was deservedly put in the proverbial "dog house". As usual , she has with compassion taken me out of the "dog house" and reinstated all my rights and privileges as the Lord and Master of the home. I know that at the back of her mind , she's mentally preparing for my next "cock up". I hereby pledge that there shall never be another "cock up". Her days of an undeserving and under performing partner are over. Her love and devotion over the years will never go unrewarded . My Angel has proven that a good woman can by her conduct " convert an unbelieving husband", that is not to say I am an unbelieving husband, maybe recalcitrant would better describe what I was. I am now a truly " born again" husband. I now publicly proclaim that I am married to The Best Woman Alive. Now, I know that God truly loves me for sending me the " Angel Of My Life" (apologies to Paul Play). Monday the 21st of December will make it 15 years since this most classy lady uttered the words " I DO" to me in the presence of God and Man. The last 15 years have been any thing but smooth, true the ride has been bumpy with My Angel bearing the brunt of the rough times, but by the Grace of God those days are over In Jesus Name. Isaiah 42 verse 9 says " Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them". Heaven has spoken and so shall it be. On behalf of my sons, my 2 beautiful daughters that My Angel gave me and indeed the entire Doyle, and Henshaw clan of County Wexford, Ireland and Liverpool, UK, as well as Warri and Calabar, Nigeria, we salute and honor this most illustrious daughter of Akure Land, this Moremi of our time, the one and only Anike Ade Oluwaninsola Iretiola Doyle on the occasion of her 15th wedding anniversary. Your Divine Labour Of Love Will Be Rewarded, Good Measure, Pressed Down and Running Over, In Jesus Name. If you grew up in the suburbs, you recognize it immediately: the sweet, sharp smell of someone mowing a lawn or ballfield. As it wafts into your nostrils, it somehow manages to smell exactly like the color green. But what are we really smelling when we inhale that fresh-cut grass scent? And why do we like it so much? Chemically speaking, that classic lawn smell is an airborne mix of carbon-based compounds called green leaf volatiles, or GLVs. Plants often release these molecules when damaged by insects, infections or mechanical forces like a lawn mower. Plants manufacture slightly different forms of GLVs depending on what's happening to them, said Ian Baldwin, a plant ecologist and founding director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. In a 2010 study published in the journal Science, he and colleague Silke Allmann, of the University of Amsterdam, found that tobacco leaves punctured and rubbed with insect saliva released a different bouquet of volatile compounds than leaves that had been poked and brushed with water. [Why Does Rain Smell Good?] GLVs are small enough to take to the air and float into our nostrils. In some cases, they can be detected more than a mile from the plant where they originated. Other species, such as insects that eat plants and the predators that eat those insects, are extremely sensitive to different GLV aromas. For instance, Baldwin and Allmann discovered that predatory Geocoris bugs are attracted to the GLVs released by plants chewed on by a pest called the tobacco hornworm. In other words, the specific smell of the besieged plants indicates to the predators that a snack is nearby. Humans don't typically eat turf grass or the insects on it, but the GLVs that grass releases aren't that different from those of plants we do find tasty. That means we have good reasons to be sensitive to them. "Just about all fresh vegetables have some GLV bouquet to them," Baldwin told Live Science, and fruits may release the molecules as they soften and the membranes inside them break down. "Throughout evolutionary history, we've used that information to know when something is ripe," Baldwin said. As far as Baldwin knows, there isn't anything specific to grass that makes it smell nicer to us than another plant. But we are more likely to mow it, injuring a lot of plant tissues at once and releasing a concentrated cloud of GLVs. With something like 40 million acres (16.3 million hectares) of lawn across the contiguous United States, mowing is often our best opportunity to encounter the fresh, green smell we innately associate with edible plants. People living near tea plantations in China might get the same feeling from the scent of the tea harvest, Baldwin said. Plants themselves can also recognize and respond to these airborne aromas, Baldwin added. If the GLV bouquet indicates that neighboring plants are losing their flowering tops, for example, a plant can shuttle sugar and other resources toward its roots and away from its flowers. This minimizes the plant's potential losses and can help it grow back later. As Baldwin put it, the grass "will respond with the anticipation that the lawn mower is going to come over there." Baldwin has found that this effect, called bunkering, can start within mere minutes of the attack on the first plant. In other words, by the time you mow from one end of the lawn to the other, the grass on the far side might smell you coming and be ready to resist. Originally published on Live Science. People are too complacent about the asteroid threat for Bill Nye's liking. The former TV "Science Guy," who currently serves as CEO of the nonprofit Planetary Society, warned that catastrophic impacts like the one that offed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago are not confined to the past. "The Earth is going to get hit with another [big] asteroid," Nye said May 2 at the International Academy of Astronautics' 2019 Planetary Defense Conference in College Park, Maryland. Related: Potentially Dangerous Asteroids (Images) "The problem is, we don't know when," he added. "It's a very low probability in anyone's lifetime, but it's a very high-consequence event. If it happens, it would be like control-alt-delete for everything." Unlike the dinosaurs, however, we don't just have to sit around and wait for doom to rain down on us. We can do something about the asteroid threat and we should start prepping for it now, Nye stressed. The first step is to find the dangerous space rocks. There's good news on this front: NASA scientists think they've already discovered more than 90% of the potential civilization-enders near-Earth asteroids at least 0.6 miles (1 kilometers) wide and none of these mountain-size space rocks pose a threat for the foreseeable future. But there are lots of undiscovered asteroids zooming through near-Earth space that could do serious damage on a local scale wiping out an area the size of a state, for example. So, it would behoove us to get some better detection tools online, Nye said. Such help is coming, and soon. For instance, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, a big instrument set to start observing the heavens next year from Chile, will likely be able to discover and catalog 80% to 90% of potentially hazardous asteroids at least 460 feet (140 meters) wide, project team members say. And NASA is considering launching a dedicated asteroid-hunter called the Near-Earth Object Camera. This proposed mission would scan for space rocks in infrared light, spotting their heat signatures in the darkness. Coordination is the next step after detection, Nye said. A big asteroid hurtling toward Earth would be a global issue, so the international community would have to work together to deal with it. And we'd have several options at our disposal. If we had enough warning time years or, preferably, decades we could launch a probe to fly alongside the asteroid, gradually nudging the rock off course via a gravitational tug. This "gravity tractor" craft would ideally boost its pull by plucking a big boulder off the asteroid, said NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green, who participated in yesterday's event with Nye. If we were pressed for time, we could slam one or more spacecraft into the asteroid, knocking it onto a benign trajectory through brute force. Or we could detonate a nuclear weapon near the rock, vaporizing much of its surface. The resulting mass loss, and the flow of material off the asteroid, would change the rock's path, experts say. And the shock wave from the blast might do the trick by itself, Nye said. Nye also mentioned the "Laser Bees" strategy, which involves sending a swarm of small spacecraft out to the potentially dangerous asteroid. Each little probe would focus a laser beam on the same spot on the rock, vaporizing material and causing a jet to erupt. This jet would serve as a sort of engine that would push the asteroid onto a different path. During his portion of the presentation, Green highlighted the many things we can learn from asteroids they're time capsules from the dawn of the solar system, after all, and carbon-rich rocks may have helped life get started on Earth and their potential benefits for exploration. Tapping into asteroid resources could make voyaging spacecraft and astronauts more self-sufficient and improve life here on Earth as well, he said. But Green agreed with Nye that the space-rock threat is real: There are catastrophic impacts in our future if we don't do something about them. "It's not a matter of if; it's only a matter of when," Green said. Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook. A drone dropped swastika-emblazoned, anti-media flyers in Sacramento Friday night outside of both an outdoor Sacramento State fundraising dinner and an Ariana Grande concert. Sacramento State president Robert S. Nelsen confirmed the school's "Bites on the Bridge" dinner was bombarded by the flyers, in a statement that rebuked the leaflets' messaging. "Sacramento State condemns in the strongest terms the dissemination of hate speech and propaganda Friday evening at our annual fundraising dinner on the Guy West Bridge," Nelson said via a statement on Facebook. "The anonymous act of spreading such vile material is offensive and runs counter to the principles of inclusion and diversity practiced at Sac State. It did not stop the event, nor will it slow our march toward greater understanding and commitment to the rights and safety of our campus community." READ ALSO: Trump attacks social media companies after Facebook bans A reporter with the Sacramento State student newspaper, the State Hornet, captured images of the propaganda, which included phrases such as, "Stop the press! The press is the enemy!" and "Stop the TV whore takeover!" as well as images of a swastika on some of the papers dispersed to the crowds. Tweets also confirmed that the flyers were also dropped at the Golden 1 Center, where Ariana Grande was performing that night. A Sacramento State representative told the Sacramento Bee that campus police plan to investigate the incident. The flyers also promoted a Facebook page which features further anti-media sentiment and videos of other similar stunts, including dropping leaflets on the State Capitol, the State Hornet reported. "Tracy Mapes 2018" was also displayed on one of the papers; Mapes was arrested in 2017 for dropping flyers via drone at both a 49ers and Raiders game, saying his message was about "free speech." "This isn't a story about a drone. This is a story about the fabric of American history. The First Amendment," Mapes told media outlet KPIX after his 2017 arrest. 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. Considering all they had just been through, the prayers and hymns at Third Baptist Church of San Francisco on Sunday took on a deeper meaning for Alabamas Aeolians choir. The college choral group traveled from Huntsville, Ala., to the Bay Area on Friday to sing at the church Sunday in their last performances of the school year. They had landed at San Francisco International Airport and were on the way to their hotel around midnight when their bus crashed on Highway 101 and erupted in flames. While they all made it out with just some bumps, bruises and whiplash, a driver behind them was killed when he rear-ended the bus. The fire burned all of their luggage, from their nice suits to heels and makeup. But even with no fancy clothes to perform in, and necks and backs that ached, there was still no question whether or not they would perform Sunday. Thank you, God, for putting your hand of protection on them, as you led them here safely thus far, Jason Ferdinand, the director of choral activities at Oakwood University, said into the microphone Sunday morning. Oh, how He loves you and me. And the choir behind him began to sing. Oh, how he loves you and me. Oh, how he loves you and me. Inside the bus, the impact was so strong that choir manager Vilroy McBeans glasses flew off his face, and he tumbled down the bus stairs when he tried to stand up. On Sunday morning, shortly before the choir performed at a 10 a.m. service, the first of their two performances, McBean said much of the group was tired and in pain, but was operating on adrenaline. All we got off with was what we had on our backs, he said. But There was no doubt in our mind that we were going to church. The Aeolians have a large ambit in the choral world, ranging from African American spirituals to contemporary gospel, according to their Facebook page. The group was founded in 1946, and has since performed both nationally and internationally. It was named Choir of the World Champions in 2017. On Sunday morning before the chorus performed, the Rev. Amos Brown spoke of the power of God and the miracle that saved them. These young people represent a powerful witness for what God can do, he said. While they were well known in the choral world, many outside of it still didnt know who they were. Now, after the crash, they have media calling nonstop; a Berkeley couple offering to buy them new suits, socks and shoes; and strangers donating money. But more importantly, said member Briana Marshall, they have a renewed sense of appreciation and love for what they sing. It brought a freshness to the message, Marshall, 22, said. In church your whole life, you hear the same prayers over and over again. But after experiencing something like that, the words feel different. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani Details have emerged into the shooting death of a decorated Texas Army National Guard soldier at a west Laredo apartment complex. Court documents suggest Gilberto Guadalupe Villarreal, 23, and John Lydell Tyler, 28, may have been involved in an altercation at local bar prior to the fatal shooting. READ MORE: Chick-Fil-A employee accused of threatening a co-worker A bar employee told investigators he overheard Villarreal telling Tyler in Spanish, "Ya estas muerto (You are already dead)," according to an arrest affidavit. Villarreal was charged with murder after being served with an arrest warrant on April 9. Webb County Jail records show he remained behind bars. Shots fired Laredo police responded to shots fired at about 5:21 a.m. March 31 in the 4300 block of Old Santa Maria Avenue. Responding officers encountered Tyler with an apparent gunshot wound to his abdominal area. Tyler was there visiting a woman. They were drinking behind her apartment when a lone gunman opened fire and hit Tyler. The suspected shooter was described as a heavy-set short male who had a light-colored bandana covering his face. At the crime scene, authorities noticed numerous spent casings and projectiles as well as blood spatters. Tyler was taken to Laredo Medical Center, where he was prepared for surgery. Police learned that once stabilized, Tyler was going to be airlifted to San Antonio for further medical treatment. But Tyler died due to his injuries at LMC, according to an affidavit. Further investigation revealed that Tyler and other people had been involved in an altercation at Blue Moon Country Bar & Patio at 9802 McPherson Road. Authorities confirmed that an altercation had taken place once they recovered video surveillance from the nearby businesses. Investigators also discovered that a guardsman, Tyler, may have assaulted one of the parties involved in the altercation deliberately or while trying to break up a fight. During the investigation, police learned that Tyler was a National Guard soldier assigned to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in and around Laredo. Fight During the investigation, officers interviewed Villarreal at LPD headquarters. He stated he was involved in a fight at the Blue Moon Bar. He added that a person he did not know started the fight by striking him, according to court records. Surveillance video shows Villarreal starting the fight at the Hooka Lounge. The fight escalated, and more parties participated. Further investigation revealed that Villarreal and two women went looking for a male individual, who was later identified as Tyler, with the intention of assaulting him over the incident that had occurred at the Blue Moon Bar. They allegedly looked for him at several places until they arrived at the apartment complex on Old Santa Maria. Police said the two women knew Tyler was having a relationship with a female who lived on Old Santa Maria. When the trio arrived at the location, Villarreal walked toward the back of the apartment. Moments later, about four to five shots were heard. Villarreal then allegedly called one of the two women and told her to pick him up at a nearby old juvenile detention center. READ MORE: Man charged with breaking into used car dealership Villarreal entered the vehicle. He then stated that he pointed the gun at Tyler. Tyler laughed, and Villarreal shot him, according to court documents. An employee of the Blue Moon Bar stated that he knew Tyler. He added that the fight broke out at closing time. He then witnessed a short, chubby and dark-complected male, Villarreal, threatening Tyler. He overheard the short male saying in Spanish, "Ya estas muerto (You are already dead)," states the affidavit. / An employee of a Chick-Fil-A in north Laredo has been arrested for allegedly threatening a co-worker. Johnny Joe Gonzalez, 25, was arrested on an arrest warrant that charged him with making a terroristic threat. He remained behind bars as of Friday afternoon, Webb County Jail records show. JERUSALEM - Israel and Hamas hurtled into their deadliest bout of fighting in five years on Sunday as Palestinian militants launched a barrage of more than 600 rockets and Israel responded with airstrikes on more than 300 targets. Four Israeli civilians were killed, the first from rocket fire from Gaza since 2014. Twenty-three Palestinians died. The exchange threatened to push the sides toward a new war and derail efforts to broker a longer term truce. Mediation over a new ceasefire was underway Sunday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent much of the day locked in a 41/2-hour emergency meeting with his security cabinet. He said he had instructed the military to continue strikes and prepare "for the next stages." Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu said he had ordered "massive attacks against terrorist elements in the Gaza Strip." Eli Cohen, minister for the economy and a security cabinet member, said the meeting ended with a "clear decision." "We are preparing for a campaign against Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and we will extract a price from them they have not experienced yet," he said. Israel generally holds Hamas, which controls Gaza, responsible for any rocket fire from the area. But the Israeli military said Islamic Jihad, the second largest militant faction in Gaza, had instigated the violence. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system appeared to be overwhelmed by the barrage, intercepting only 150 of the 510 rockets that crossed into Israeli territory. The Israeli military said about 90 rockets fell short. Israel said it responded with airstrikes against more than 320 military targets in Gaza. Palestinian militant factions said they were retaliating in an "unprecedented manner" after residential buildings were hit, and threatened to expand the range of their rockets if the "aggression" continued. Palestinian health officials said the dead in Gaza included two pregnant women, a 12-year-old boy and two infants. The Israeli military denied it was responsible for the strike that killed one of the pregnant women and a baby, saying a Palestinian rocket misfired. It was the deadliest round of fighting since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, and the Israeli civilian casualties were the first from rocket fire since then. The exchange came amid negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a deal in which Israel would ease restrictions on Gaza in return for calm. Hamas accuses Israel of reneging on its commitments so far, including a deal it said they agreed to after the last violent flare-up in March. which caused Netanyahu to cut short a visit to Washington. Hamas said Israel had agreed to continue to permit $30 million in Qatari cash for employment projects and humanitarian aid, expand fishing rights and ease trade restrictions. In recent months, the cash has not arrived, Hamas has fallen under increasing pressure ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time of traditional fasting and feasting. "Hamas believes that Netanyahu has abandoned his commitments, and they believe this is a very important time to put on pressure and get Israel to make good on promises," said Mkhaimar Abusada, a professor of politics at Gaza's al-Azhar University. He pointed to Israel's independence day celebrations this week and the Eurovision song contest the week after. The popular international singing competition is to be broadcast from Tel Aviv, with Madonna expected to perform. "Whether the calculation was right or wrong, we'll see," Abusada said. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said a "return to calm" was possible if Israel committed to implementing the "understandings" that had been reached. Reports in Palestinian media that a ceasefire had been reached for midnight could not be confirmed. "The ceasefire is possible, but the occupation has to pay for its obligations," Islamic Jihad leader Daoud Shihab said. While Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they hoped to strong-arm Israel into easing restrictions on Gaza, Israel announced it would cease all fuel imports into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, impacting Gaza's already patchy power supply. Schools across southern Israel shut down on Sunday as rockets rained down, and streets on both sides of the border were virtually deserted. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said Israel's Iron Dome system was dealing with a "diverse" and "fast-paced" threat. Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, said Hamas had probably developed a new tactic to bypass the Iron Dome. "They are using the same kind of rockets they used in the past," said Yadlin, now head of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies. "But this time, they are firing them in a salvo of eight, 10 or 12 at the same time." Conricus said 35 rockets had struck urban areas. The first Israeli civilian fatality from rocket fire since 2014 came in the early hours Sunday, when a 58-year-old man was killed after a rocket hit his home in Ashkelon. A 50-year-old Israeli man was killed in a factory in Ashkelon, and a 67-year-old Israeli man succumbed to his injures after an antitank missile hit his car. As night fell, a fourth Israeli, in his early 20s, according to Israeli media, was confirmed killed in the southern city of Ashdod. In Gaza, Israeli strikes toppled buildings as high as seven stories. Palestinian officials there said one strike Sunday evening hit an apartment, killing a 31-year-old man, a 30-year-old woman and a 4-month-old girl. Conricus said Israeli intelligence had confirmed that a Palestinian woman and a 14-month-old baby killed the day before did not die as a result of an Israeli strike, but of Palestinian rocket fire. Islamic Jihad said seven of those killed were its militants. Hamas did not confirm fatalities among its fighters. Conricus said Israeli targets included weapons storage facilities in the homes of militants, attack tunnels and military headquarters. The Turkish news agency Anadolu said its Gaza office was struck. The Israeli military said an armored brigade and two infantry brigades had mobilized to the border area and were prepared for "offensive" action. Officials also said they had carried out the first targeted assassination of a Hamas militant in "several years." Conricus said the military worked with the Israeli Security Agency to assassinate Hamed Khudary, 34, who it said was responsible for channeling Iranian money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Right-wing Israeli politicians have repeatedly called on Netanyahu to restart the tactic of targeted assassinations. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped the sides would return to the cease-fire that had been in place for weeks and had been "holding significantly." "It's pretty serious," he told Fox News on Sunday. "The Israelis have every right to defend themselves." Israel previously denied it had reached a cease-fire deal with Hamas. Representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad were locked in negotiations in Cairo on Sunday as Egypt attempted to broker a truce. Shimrit Meir, an Israeli analyst, linked the escalation to Hamas's discontent over the delivery of Qatari assistance. "It's nearly Ramadan; people are starving," she said. "We as Israelis think about the Eurovision, but they are preoccupied with demands from the public. They are waiting for the Qatari cash." Basim Naim, a senior Hamas official, said there were several reasons for the escalation, one of which was the lack of progress in negotiations on a long-term deal with Israel. "We've talked about long- and short-term solutions, money, the fishing zone, but nothing is happening on the ground," he said. He said Hamas had tried to rein in violence at border protests on Friday but was frustrated by Israel's continued use of live fire against the demonstrators.U.S. and Israeli moves, such as President Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, have further spurred the group to take action, he said. Hamas has used weekly protests to ramp up pressure on Israel and divert the frustrations of Gaza residents after more than a decade of siege. Two demonstrators were killed by Israeli snipers Friday, before militants carried out a shooting attack at the border. Israel responded with a strike that killed two Hamas militants. "It has escalated gradually," Naim said. The United Nations said Secretary General Antonio Guterres was following the developments with "deep concern." Guterres deplored the "risk of yet another dangerous escalation and further loss of life on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan," condemned the rocket fire in the "strongest terms" and urged all parties to exercise "maximum restraint," the United Nations said. _ _ _ Balousha reported from Gaza. A 90-year-old great-grandfather is about to make history by becoming the oldest student to earn a bachelor's degree from Northeastern Illinois University since the school started keeping records in 1962. Bob Dwyer, an Army veteran and retired widower, will graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies on Monday. Dwyer told the Chicago Tribune that "education is always a plus and we can never have too much of it." Dwyer says he decided to enroll in college after his wife died in 2010. One of Dwyer's professors at Northeastern says he believes other students benefit from having a fellow student with more life experience. Dwyer says he intends to slow down after graduation since school has been a "24/7" endeavor. Associated Press Singleton's burial a private ceremony A representative for John Singleton says the director will be laid to rest in a small, private ceremony on Monday in Los Angeles. Singleton's family is planning a public memorial for a later date. No further details were released. The "Boyz N the Hood" director died Monday at age 51, days after suffering a stroke. Singleton became the youngest best director Oscar nominee for the film. He was also nominated for writing its screenplay. Associated Press Vaughn takes no-jail plea in DUI arrest Actor Vince Vaughn accepted a no-jail plea deal Friday involving his drunk driving arrest at a sobriety checkpoint in California last June. The "Wedding Crashers" star had a lawyer appear on his behalf in a Torrance courtroom and enter a plea of "no contest" to one count of misdemeanor alcohol-related reckless driving, sources said. He was immediately sentenced to three years probation. Vaughn also was ordered to complete a three-month alcohol program, pay fines and submit to any alcohol screening tests requested by law enforcement while on probation. The deal means Vaughn won't have a DUI on his record. Vaughn, 49, was stopped around 12:40 a.m. on June 10 at a checkpoint in Manhattan Beach. Officers repeatedly asked the actor to get out of his vehicle, but he refused, prosecutors said. New York Daily News Meghan, Harry await baby's arrival The baby wait goes on for Meghan, Prince Harry and royal-watchers around the world. Media and well-wishers were camped out in Windsor on Saturday awaiting the birth of the couple's first child. The royal couple haven't revealed their birth plans or due date, though Meghan said months ago that the baby was due in late April or early May. On Friday, Buckingham Palace postponed a May 8 trip by Harry to Amsterdam. The palace says the prince still plans to attend an Invictus Games event in The Hague the next day. Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Saturday acknowledged errors made in attempting to stir a military uprising, and he did not discard a U.S. military option in Venezuela alongside domestic forces - saying he would take any such offer from Washington to a vote in the country's National Assembly. After a dramatic week that saw a clandestine plan to oust President Nicolas Maduro fall apart on Tuesday, Guaido conceded that the opposition had miscalculated its support within the military. In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post, Guaido suggested that he expected Maduro to step down amid a groundswell of defectors within the military. Instead, Guaido's call for the rank and file and senior brass to abandon Maduro did not produce mass defections. Maduro's security forces then quelled street protests and left Guaido's U.S.-backed opposition on its heels. "Maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution," Guaido said. "I think the variables are obvious at this point." Guaido - the head of the National Assembly who in January declared Maduro a usurper and claimed the legitimate mantle of national leadership - did not back unilateral U.S. military intervention. He made clear that any American military support must be alongside Venezuelan forces who have turned against Maduro, but gave no further specifics on what would be acceptable. The Trump administration has said all options are on the table, and its hawks have pressed the Pentagon for possible military involvement. But the administration has not clearly signaled whether it would favor intervention against Maduro. Asked what he would do if national security adviser John Bolton called him up with an offer of U.S. intervention, Guaido said he would reply: "Dear friend, ambassador John Bolton, thank you for all the help you have given to the just cause here. Thank you for the option, we will evaluate it, and will probably consider it in parliament to solve this crisis. If it's necessary, maybe we will approve it." The remarks were among the strongest Guaido has issued yet on the delicate subject of U.S. military assistance - an option that remains largely unpopular even among Venezuelans opposed to Maduro. Guaido said he welcomed recent deliberations on military options in Washington, calling them "great news." "That's great news to Venezuela because we are evaluating all options. It's good to know that important allies like the U.S. are also evaluating the option. That gives us the possibility that if we need cooperation, we know we can get it." He added: "I think today there are many Venezuelan soldiers that want to put an end to [leftist guerrillas], and help humanitarian aid get in, who would be happy to receive cooperation to end usurpation. And if that includes the cooperation of honorable countries like the United States, I think that would be an option." Yet after Tuesday's failed uprising, Guaido may now be fighting a two-front battle: both to oust Maduro and keep the opposition united. Guaido, a 35-year-old industrial engineer and former student leader from Venezuela's Caribbean coast, has ignited new hope in the opposition's ranks since he emerged as the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly - a body stripped of its powers by Maduro in 2017 but widely recognized internationally as the country's only democratic institution. Guaido's claim to be Venezuela's rightful interim president has been recognized by more than 50 nations and strongly backed by the Trump administration. Guaido said he had been in contact with U.S. officials during the week. Yet the unraveling of a carefully laid plan to oust Maduro, including negotiations with his senior loyalists, has generated rifts within the opposition. Some of its senior leaders have issued recriminations over what went wrong. The sniping risks robbing the opposition of what became its single strongest asset in recent months: unity. Some frustrated opposition members are blaming Leopoldo Lopez, Guaido's mentor, who escaped house arrest and appeared with Guaido on Tuesday morning, for upending the plan. Lopez was one of the key architects of secret negotiations with government loyalists who were supposed to turn against Maduro on Tuesday. But his triumphant public appearance after escaping a military base, insiders say, was not expected. Some argue that it may have disrupted a carefully laid plan in which some of Maduro's senior loyalists were poised to force him out. What actually persuaded Maduro's inner circle to close ranks instead remains a mystery. And Guaido would not discuss the negotiations nor the specifics of the opposition's plan. But the internal sniping poses a new challenge for an opposition that before Guaido's rise in January was largely seen as ineffectual and divided. "The event shook Venezuelan politics," said Carlos Romero, a Venezuelan political analyst. "People are confused, wounded, unmotivated." "I have heard some politicians call it a "Leopoldada," he continued, using a word that in Spanish suggests a maverick act by one person. "And the most affected one is Guaido, who has been selling himself as a unitary leader. To appear with Leopoldo in a position like that one may have reduced some leaders' trust in him." Guaido offered a brief and lukewarm defense of the actions of Lopez, his political mentor. "No, I don't think so," he said. "I don't have information of that." Guaido sought to downplay internal divisions in the opposition, however, saying "there's absolute unity. As always there are some differences in specific things. But I think a single cause unites us, not only as opposition but civil society too." Asked if Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had damaged opposition negotiations by mentioning the names of the alleged conspirators who were willing to turn against Maduro - including his defense minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez - Guaido said Pompeo had not. Rather, he called Pompeo's move a demonstration of "important support." The plan moving forward, he said, remains a combination of international pressure, attempts to woo Maduro loyalists, and street action. But Guaido is confronting the additional challenge of exhaustion and frustration in the Venezuelan street. Corruption, mismanagement and failed policies have brought Venezuela to its knees, sparking hunger, a mass exodus of migrants and the collapse of the public health system as well as the electricity and water grids In addition, anti-government protesters have confronted violent repression from Maduro's security forces - including four deaths during the past week. A march on Wednesday - immediately after the failed uprising - drew many thousands. But by Saturday, a march called by Guaido to military installations largely fizzled, drawing nowhere near the crowds of previous protests. "We have been doing this for 20 years," Guaido said, referring to the rise of the leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013 after naming Maduro as his anointed successor. "Getting frustrated and tired is part of it, but Venezuelans have demonstrated that they always take the fight again when they have to." He tacitly acknowledged that the plan put in place by the opposition did not work, and said that his camp was seeking to do outreach with Maduro's military and senior civilian backers. But he did not suggest that the opposition was close to another breakthrough. "Because the fact that we did what we did and it didn't succeed on the first time, doesn't mean it's not valid," he said. "We are confronting a wall that is an absolute dictatorship. . . . We have recognized our mistakes - what we didn't do, and [what] we did too much of." International calls are rising for the opposition to sit down in official talks with Maduro's camp. But Guaido reiterated his opposition to talks without the precondition of negotiating Maduro's departure. "Sitting down with Maduro is not an option," he said. "That happened in 2014, in 2016, in 2017. . . . The end of usurpation is a precondition to any possible dialogue." Yet if the week's events underscored that the opposition's hand is not yet quite as strong as it hoped, he said it also showed that Maduro is weaker than many had anticipated. He suggested that Maduro's spy chief - who disappeared on Tuesday - had defected, though he would not elaborate. And despite Tuesday's call for a peaceful uprising, Maduro has not ordered Guaido's arrest. Why? Because Maduro, he insisted, "is scared." After pleading guilty in federal court to sexually exploiting a 16-year-old girl in 2017, a former United ISD teacher pleaded guilty in the 49th District Court on Friday to sexual assault of a child. Ruben Guillermo Ulloa, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. On April 15, U.S. District Court Judge Keith P. Ellison sentenced Ulloa to 15 years in prison. He was indicted on three counts of sexual exploitation of a child in January 2018. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child two months later. The sentences will run concurrent. On Sept. 16, 2017, Texas A&M International University Police Department received a report that a minor had allegedly been sexually assaulted on the TAMIU campus about nine months prior. The girl stated that Ulloa had been her piano teacher and that they began having sex when she was 15-years-old, according to court documents. READ MORE: BP agent accused of serial murders makes appearance in Laredo court She told law enforcement that Ulloa would sometimes record the sexual assaults on his phone. In October 2017, Laredo police executed a search warrant and confiscated Ulloas iPhone, a USB drive and a laptop. A TAMIU Sexual Assault Response Team member was also able to recover the victims DNA where the sexual assault occurred, according to TAMIU Chief of Police Fructuoso San Miguel III. The ... laptop contained, in an unallocated space, about 15 images of the victim engaging in oral sex and several of the victims (body), court documents state. Another 102 images appeared to be saved pictures of a video-chat where the victim is topless and (Ulloa) can be seen at the bottom of the screen in some images, indicating he is the other party on the communication. According to court documents, the information contained in the USB drive appeared to have been deleted, but a forensic analysis found 13 videos of Ulloa sexually assaulting the girl. READ MORE: Man accused of sexually assaulting two sisters out on bond Laredo police arrested Ulloa in December 2017 and charged him with five counts of sexual assault of a child. The girl told police that it started in 2015 and ended in 2017, documents state. Ulloa taught for one year at UISDs Salvador Garcia Middle School. He resigned from the job in June 2017. UISD said his departure did not relate to any alleged inappropriate or unlawful behavior. Maria Salas may be reached at msalas@lmtonline.com Jeju, South Korea When North Korea launched a volley of projectiles off its east coast on Saturday, it sought to escalate the pressure on President Donald Trump to return to the negotiating table with a compromise on easing sanctions, analysts said, by signaling that it could scuttle his biggest diplomatic achievement with the North. Saturday's weapons tests were the most serious by the North since the country launched its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missiles in November 2017. Although North Korea has not gone so far as to renege on its moratorium on nuclear and ICBM tests, which its leader, Kim Jong Un, announced last year, the launch indicated that Kim was toying with the idea of lifting the moratorium, analysts said. Trump has repeatedly described the moratorium as his biggest achievement on North Korea. The leaders have met twice: first in Singapore in June and again in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February. U.S. and South Korean authorities were analyzing flight data from the tests to identify what types of weapons were launched, the office of President Moon Jae-in of South Korea said. South Korean officials said the "short-range" projectiles flew only 42 to 124 miles off the North's east coast, ruling out the possibility that the country had resumed tests of intermediate- or intercontinental-range ballistic missiles. South Korean officials said they were also looking into the possibility that the projectiles were short-range Scud missiles or rockets from multiple-launch tubes or both. The potential implications of any short-range missile tests could be far-reaching. The short-range weapons were developed mainly to target South Korea and U.S. military bases there. North Korea also tested weapons in November last year and again last month. But those weapons were largely considered tactical types with very small ranges. By gradually increasing the ranges of weapons tests in recent weeks, Kim appeared to be carefully calibrating his options with Trump. Firing short-range weapons may be an attempt to force a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations with Washington while not provoking Trump too far, analysts said. The Hanoi meeting in February abruptly ended when Trump rejected Kim's suggestion that Washington lift the most painful of sanctions imposed against his country since 2016 in return for a partial dismantlement of its nuclear weapons program. After returning home without badly needed relief from sanctions, Kim said he would give Trump until the end of the year to offer a new proposal. A man landed behind bars for breaking into a used car dealership, Laredo police said. On Friday, Javier Rodolfo Pedroza, 26, was served with warrants that charged him with three counts of burglary of a building. Laredo police officers responded to the burglary on April 23 at 3G Motors, 1719 San Dario Ave. A complainant stated to police that someone broke into the business and a storage shed. Several tires and wheels were stolen from the business, according to police. Crimes against property investigators followed up on the case. An investigation yielded Pedroza as the suspect, LPD said. Investigators presented their findings to an assistant district attorney, who approved the issuance of the arrest warrants. In a corner of outback Australia, a drilling crew will soon try tapping shale rocks that could hold more than three times the world's annual consumption of natural gas. Origin Energy Ltd. plans to drill two wells later this year in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin, after the local government ended a three-year ban on fracking -- the practice of extracting oil and gas from layers of shale rock deep underground. With an estimated 500 trillion cubic feet of gas, Beetaloo has been compared to famed U.S. shale regions such as Marcellus and Barnett. But its isolated location, lack of infrastructure, and the likelihood of tough environmental opposition, make Beetaloo a highly speculative investment. "There are some big numbers being quoted and people have to realize this is exploration," said Mark Schubert, Origin's head of integrated gas, noting that only some of the total reserves would be extractable. Origin's permit area is the size of Wales, but engineers on site are more likely to encounter crocodiles than sheep in the largely barren area. The scrubby bushland, dotted with billabongs, or water holes, would be familiar to fans of the 1986 hit movie Crocodile Dundee, which was shot partly in Kakadu National Park in the north of the territory. Beetaloo is about 1,500 miles (2,500 kilometers) away from Sydney and even further from Melbourne, so the project would require pipelines that would connect to and expand the capacity of Australia's growing gas transmission network. In 2016, before the exploration ban, Origin drilled a so-called dry gas well -- one that contains only natural gas -- that allowed it to estimate a recoverable resource of 6.6 trillion cubic feet, enough to support a gas export supply train for 20 years, according to Schubert. The next round of drilling will focus on areas where the gas reserves could also include liquid petroleum gas and condensate -- a kind of ultra-light crude oil -- valuable byproducts that would improve the commercial viability of the project. Data suggest the Beetaloo formation has similar characteristics to Marcellus in the eastern U.S., which Schubert calls "the Ferrari of shale." The new wells will test whether it shares the same "deliverability" as Marcellus. Santos Ltd., based in Adelaide, South Australia, also plans to drill for shale gas in the nearby McArthur Basin later this year and has submitted its environmental management plan to the territory's government. Santos Managing Director Kevin Gallagher told shareholders at the company's annual meeting Thursday that the McArthur "is the largest and most promising shale gas opportunity in Australia." Origin, and its joint venture partner Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd., have a long way to go before they will bring Beetaloo gas to market, probably around the middle of next decade. That may be just in time to head off a domestic shortage of the fuel in Australia's populous east coast, which has traditionally relied on the now-declining Bass Strait offshore field next to Victoria state. Beetaloo could also feed the nation's growing gas export business. Australia is vying with Qatar as the world's top liquefied natural gas seller and the construction of three export terminals in Queensland in the past decade means domestic users now compete with fast-growing Asian demand. As in most developed nations, fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a controversial issue in Australia. The practice is banned or restricted across much of southeastern Australia, and even where moratoriums have been lifted in Western Australia and Northern Territory there are strict conditions and vast swathes of land are still off limits. The Northern Territory is developing a regulatory framework for onshore gas exploration based on 135 recommendations from the scientific inquiry undertaken during the moratorium, which it says will safeguard the environment. "Exploration activities in the Beetaloo Sub-basin this year will create important economic opportunities for Territorians, contractors and local businesses," said Paul Kirby, the territory's resources minister in an emailed response to questions. The state hopes the shale deposits will lead to the region becoming a world-class hub for gas production and associated manufacturing and services by 2030. It could also help reduce the territory's ballooning net debt, which is projected to reach $5.3 billion (A$7.5 billion) by 2021-22, budget projections show. Drilling in Beetaloo, named after a cattle ranch the size of Hawaii island, has broad political support in the national parliament. Resources Minister Matt Canavan has called the area the country's "best immediate prospect" to replace Bass Strait. The opposition Labor Party, which polls suggest may win a general election on May 18 to form the next government, has pledged to spend A$1.5 billion for pipelines that would connect Beetaloo to the port of Darwin and the east coast gas markets. Jemena Ltd., jointly owned by China's State Grid Corp. and Singapore Power Ltd., has plans to expand its recently opened Northern Gas Pipeline to potentially link Beetaloo to pipelines that connect to the east coast. Environment groups say the potential economic benefits of the Northern Territory gas fields have been overstated. "We make more money from our Northern Territory watermelon industry than we are predicted to make from fracking," said Pauline Cass from Protect NT. She pointed to a report by ACIL Allen Consulting that showed an average of only 524 extra jobs would be created per year by the resumption of gas exploration. Origin has said it expects to create around 950 ongoing operational jobs if Beetaloo goes into production, over 60 percent of which would be based in the territory. Cass said the Beetaloo region performs a vital function in keeping the territory's three major rivers flowing in the dry season. "These rivers are necessary for irrigation, tourism and our fishing industries, as well as supplying water to the environment. Any 'accidents' in Beetaloo have the potential to destroy all these industries." Others say developing such a huge gas resource is incompatible with the 2015 Paris Agreement to temper climate change by limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. Australia's gas industry is already one of the biggest contributors to the country's CO2 emissions. Protesters have held up major Australian energy developments in the past. Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's Carmichael coal project in Queensland has been bogged down by regulatory delays and was scaled back after almost a decade of concerted opposition by environmentalists. Simon Holmes a Court, a prominent advocate in Australia for the transition to cleaner energy, tweeted in response to Labor's pipeline investment pledge that, "the #beetaloo gas fields are the next #adani," raising the prospect of the project becoming a major climate battleground. Schubert is waiting on the territory to finalize its code of practice before submitting Origin's environment plan, but he's confident work will get underway this year. Origin's partner Falcon in January announced a contract had been signed with Ensign Australia to use the giant Rig 963, with plans to drill wells up to 2 kilometers deep. Further drilling will likely be required to prove that Beetaloo is commercially viable, but Schubert predicts the deposits of liquids-rich gas will be some of the most competitive in Australia, with plenty extra for export. "This is a very significant resource for Australia," he said. "People do have the right to be excited." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., on Sunday sharply criticized President Trump's response to Russian interference in U.S. elections, saying that the president "makes it worse by calling it a hoax." Trump had a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. After being repeatedly asked by reporters whether he raised the issue of election interference or warned Putin not to do it again, Trump eventually acknowledged, "We didn't discuss that." Klobuchar, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, said Sunday that there is "ample evidence" that Trump is not concerned about the possibility that Russia may try to interfere in the next election. She accused Trump of dismissing the seriousness of the issue. "This was actually an invasion of our democracy, OK?" Klobuchar said on CNN's "State of the Union." U.S. national security officials have been preparing for any Russian interference in 2020 by tracking cyberthreats, sharing intelligence about foreign disinformation efforts with social media companies and helping state election officials protect their systems against foreign manipulation. But Trump has repeatedly rebuffed warnings from senior aides about Russia and sought to play down that country's potential to influence American politics. In a Friday tweet describing the call, Trump said he and Putin discussed the "Russian Hoax," referring to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. But Klobuchar said Sunday that Trump's wording gave the false impression that the entire issue of Russian interference was a fabrication. She also pointed to reports that acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen that she should pay more attention to immigration and border security rather than Russian interference because those were the issues the president cared about. "That is wrong, and he then makes it worse by calling it a hoax. I think we need to protect our nation's security," Klobuchar said. Another 2020 candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., also criticized Trump for not mentioning election interference during his phone call with Putin. Asked during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation" whether he stands by his previous claim that Trump is an "agent of Russia," Swalwell replied, "I think he acts on their behalf." "Instead of calling the Russian president saying, 'Don't do this again,' he talked to him for an hour and a half and said that the Russian president was smiling," Swalwell told host Margaret Brennan. "I mean, that is just nutty, Margaret. That is putting the Russians' interests ahead of the United States' interests." Trump told reporters on Friday that while he and Putin were discussing the conclusion of Mueller's investigation, Putin "actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also fielded questions Sunday about Trump's phone call with Putin. Asked on "Face the Nation" why Trump did not raise the issue of Russian interference, Pompeo demurred. "Well, you'll have to ask the White House that question," he said. Pompeo went on to defend the Trump administration's efforts to prevent future election interference, mentioning other countries in addition to Russia. "We're working diligently to ensure that the elections in 2020 aren't interfered with by Russia, by Iran, by North Korea or anyone else," Pompeo said. "We have enormous resources deployed against that challenge. And the American people should be sure that their government is working hard to keep our election safe and secure." _ _ _ The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey contributed to this report. Over 50 of this year's retired LISD staff and dozens of paraprofessionals and teachers were honored for their dedication to LISD. READ MORE: US News & World Report ranks Laredo's best high schools The district held a ceremony Monday as this academic year wraps up, and LISD Superintendent Sylvia Rios thanked teachers and staff for countless hours toward helping educate the community. "You are the reason that this school works," Rios said. "If you were to sit here and remember every single child that went to your classroom, or that you helped served in the cafeteria, or you did something special for them, you would be amazed at the impact you have upon our students and upon our school." LISD is the only district in Texas to receive four National Blue Ribbon nominations for its schools. Rios also said she especially appreciates the teachers who helped and tested the students in third grade through eighth grade in achieving their recent STAAR testing results. "I'm so, so very proud of you," Rios said. "I just want to be able to wish you the very, very best in the next few steps of your lives, enjoy your families, enjoy the next challenges you are going to face. But I will tell you one thing that I'm asking you to do never stop making a difference in the lives around you because you do." The awards were for Teacher of the Year, Instructional Support Para-Professional of the Year and Clerical Operational Support Para-Professional of the Year. Nominees and winners held up plaques with their name, title and honor as they lined a long staircase. Martin High School librarian assistant Sunshine Garcia won this year's instructional support para-professional of the year, and the district commended her for organizing over 37,000 books and 150 students who use the library daily. READERS' CHOICE 2019: Laredoans pick their favorites in retail, nightlife She told LMT she gets to know the kids and remembers who they are and what they're interested in to keep track of the thousands of books. "We service close to one-hundred and fifty kids daily, checking out books, needing help checking out books, needing help to try to find the different type of genre they want to look into," Garcia told LMT. "It's the heart of the school. It's where a lot of kids go to find peace and solace. And we're there for them for anything and everything that they need." Assistant human resources officer Rosaura Garza won the Clerical Operational Support Para-Professional of the Year. Angelica Di Paola, a fifth-grade teacher for Joseph C. Martin Elementary School, won Teacher of the Year. Josefina Zarazua, a Martin High School algebra teacher, won Teacher of the Year out of the secondary school nominees. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Gerardo Cruz announced Zarazua's award and said she is enthusiastic and innovative. "She connects math concepts to real world situations," he said. "She dances in the classroom and encourages her students to ... work in pairs. She uses visuals and interactive PowerPoint presentations. She has high standards for her students and thinks that anything is possible." Zarazua told LMT she uses different teaching methods to keep the students interested and wanting to learn. "I'm very thankful with god and for my parents and the principal," Zarazua said. "You have to be enthusiastic and you have to find ways to keep the students engaged and get them ready to work and succeed and have high standards, setting goals for them." Retirees ranged in experience from 11 to 46 years, and they received rounds of applause as their names were called. Patricia Y. Hernandez, a secretary to the fine arts department director, received a loud applause for her 46 years with the district. "I was really looking forward to the next chapter in my life. I felt awesome" Hernandez told LMT. " I didn't want to retire. I wanted to go maybe one more year, but as it is I was already maxed out. So I can spend time with my children and I have a brand new great grandson, so I have time to spend with them." She said she started as a teacher aid, then a library aid and then a computer aid. She later worked in attendance then finally in the fine arts department, and said she enjoyed working with all kinds of people. "It was the friendship, the different people, the staff, the children. It was awesome," she said. "I like the paperwork and the clerical work and being creative. Especially the last 15 years, those are the ones I really enjoyed because this way I got to work with all the schools since I was a secretary for our department. I worked with all 20 principals, all 20 schools. It was nice." READ MORE: United ISD names new middle school principal The 54 retirees this year contributed a total of 1,638 years to the district. LISD Board of Trustees President Hector Garcia said these retirees helped positively change the district over the years. "We are very proud of all our employees," Garcia said. "I'm glad you've given everything you have to make LISD the place to be. God bless you, enjoy retirement and I look forward to retiring very soon." Lisa Dreher can be reached at 956-728-2567 or lisa.dreher@lmtonline.com Mayor Ron Nirenberg and challenger Greg Brockhouse were neck-and-neck in the early returns of San Antonios much-watched mayoral race, and now it appears the two will meet again in a June 8 runoff. Nirenberg stayed ahead of challenger Brockhouse as as the vote count continued Saturday night, but not enough to avoid a runoff. Nirenberg was maintaining about 48 percent of the vote while Brockhouse had 46 percent. Seven lesser-known candidates were each at 1 percent or lower. If neither Nirenberg nor Brockhouse reach 50 percent plus 1 when the counting is over, the two men will advance to the June 8 runoff. Nirenberg, elected mayor two years ago, has campaigned on a humming economy while pitching his vision to guide San Antonio into the future. That vision includes far-reaching plans to tackle mass transit, affordable housing and climate change. SUBSCRIBERS: City council races and special sales tax on ballots of San Antonio municipalities Brockhouse has railed against that plan and offered instead a back-to-basics municipal overnment that he said would return power to the people. He has pledged to focus on property tax relief, public safety and transparency in government. In other races, City Council incumbents headed into election day with leads while Bexar County election officials reported low turnout at area polling locations on Saturday. District 4 Adriana Rocha Garcia and Johnny Arredondo led a field of five hopefuls to earn spots in a runoff showdown to succeed Rey Saldana on the Southwest Side. Garcia, 39, is a single mother with one son and assistant marketing professor at Our Lady of the Lake University. She has talked about positioning the district for growth. Arredondo, a 63-year-old retired retail supervisor, holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He has said said he is running because San Antonians were not being heard at City Hall. SUBSCRIBERS: Three council races headed to June 8 runoffs District 3 In District 3, which covers San Antonio's South and Southeast sides, City Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran won a fourth and final term, capturing 58 percent of the vote with 68 percent of precincts counted. Viagran's only challenger, Elizabeth "Liz" Campos, 49, drew almost 42 percent of the vote. Viagran, 44, discussed her plans for the future as supporters gathered with her at a watch party on South Presa Street Saturday night. "I'm very excited with this final term," Viagran said. "I think there's a sense of urgency now because we only have two years." Viagran said she wants to take a close look at the city budget to address infrastructure needs, especially sidewalks. She also wants to examine economic mobility options, work toward ending economic segregation in the city and address property tax relief or appraisal relief. She said she also wants to continue to invest in small businesses. District 6 Melissa Cabello Havrda and Andy Greene led among four candidates on the far West Side. The race to replace Greg Brockhouse, who ran for mayor, has focused on taxes, transportation and public safety. Havrda, 44, had come up 435 votes behind Brockhouse in District 6 runoff in 2017. An attorney focusing largely on disability law, she has said she would like to promote the growth of small businesses. Andy Greene , 58, is a certified public accountant. For a decade, he also worked on a part-time basis for Brockhouse and former councilman Ray Lopez. District 5 On the West Side, Shirley Gonzales, 46, easily won a fourth and final term, capturing two-thirds of the vote with 80 percent of precincts counted. Her three challengers trailed far behind. Anthony Gres, 45, drew 26 percent of the vote, while Nazirite Ruben Perez captures almost 4 percent and Jilma Davila drew almost 4 percent. Gonzales said she anticipated a successful campaign. "We worked hard, and we never take it for granted," she said. She said she hopes to spend her final two years in office focused on growing the small business community. She also plans to focus on workforce issues, combating domestic violence and addressing child abuse. SUBSCRIBERS: Seven San Antonio City Council incumbents easily re-elected District 10 Clayton Perry coasted to his first re-election victory, fending off challenges from four other candidates. In a campaign that centered on crime, property taxes, and street repairs and maintenance, Perry had 64 percent of the vote. Reinette King had the second-highest total, with 17 percent, followed by Elise Kibler, Maria Perez and Linda Montellano, who all had totals in the single digits. King had voiced concerns about favoritism in the awarding of city contracts, with Perry defending the city staff's evaluation process for competitive contract bidding. Kibler, Perez and Montellano had said they believed that the councilman could do more to directly support low-income individuals and families in the district. Perry has countered that he has been vigilant about ensuring that the city is spending funds carefully. District 7 Sandoval won her first re-election bid to represent her Northwest Side district, taking 68 percent of the vote. Challenger Trevor Whitney had 19 percent, while Will McLeod and Kimberly Grant finished with single-digit totals. "We're going to continue progress on a lot of the projects that we started," said Sandoval, surrounded by supporters and campaign staffers at her election night watch party, held at Deco Pizzeria on the West Side. "There's still so much to do." In 2017, Sandoval an engineer and urban planner with degrees from Harvard, MIT and Stanford beat the odds when voters picked her over a three-term incumbent to represent the district once led by former Mayors Julian Castro and Ed Garza. District 2 In District 2, former Councilman Keith Toney and Jada Andrews-Sullivan led a crowded field of eight candidates to make a runoff to represent the East Side. William "Cruz" Shaw vacated the council seat last year to become an associate judge, and was temporarily replaced with the council appointment of Art Hall, who did not run for election. All but Toney were political neophytes, although Andrews-Sullivan, 43, was one of three finalists in the recent appointment process to replace Shaw. Andrews-Sullivan, a family violence survivor and disabled Army veteran, advocates for victims of domestic and sexual assault. She has said she would take a selfless approach to transforming her district. District 8 Manny Pelaez easily defeated USAA financial analyst Tony Valdivia and Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, a political consultant and Bexar County Democratic Party precinct chair, in the race for the North Side seat, taking 58 percent of the vote. Touting traffic congestion as his top priority, Pelaez entered the race as a veteran officeholder whose competition, too, had political chops. The race was not the first for Valdivia, 41, who finished fourth for the same seat two years ago with 10.8 percent of the vote. He ran for president in 2016 as a write-in candidate. District 1 Roberto Trevino blasted through eight opponents beating his closest rival by more than 3 to 1 to win a third term. The race was effectively over just after 7 p.m. when Bexar County released early voting results that showed Trevino with more than triple the vote total of the second-place finisher, hotelier Justin Holley. Most observers had predicted that the race would be settled by a runoff, but Trevino's lead was insurmountable. Covered with confetti, an elated Trevino told his supporters that it's possible to win a contentious race in divisive times by simply paying attention to basics, such as more street lighting and sidewalks. District 9 John Courage won a second term representing the North Side. Courage, a retired teacher, captured more that 53 percent of the vote. The next highest vote total went to financial adviser Patrick Von Dohlen, with 41 percent, followed by Nicholas Balderas, who suspended his campaign last month, and personal trainer Richard Reza Versace. Surrounded by friends, family and supporters, Courage celebrated the results at Weathered Souls Brewing Co. on the North Side. Courage has said he's proud of his first two years on the council and wants to continue that service into a new term. "I feel like I represented the people of my community really well," he said, adding that his campaign focused on listening to residents and working to address their concerns not just persuading them to vote for him. Reports by Dylan McGuinness, Scott Huddleston, Marina Starleaf Riker, Lauren Caruba, Peggy O'Hare, Brian Chasnoff, Bruce Selcraig An off-duty Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested overnight for DWI and has been placed on administrative duty, according to Deputy Johnny Garcia, a BCSO spokesman. Arnold Juarez Gomez , 35, is a 12-year veteran with the sheriff's office and is currently assigned to the Detention Bureau, according to a news release. The Texas secretary of states botched attempt to purge citizens from the voter rolls delivered an expensive lesson about the importance of vetting information even when it comes from another state agency. The fiasco has left taxpayers on the hook for $450,000 in costs and legal fees for the lawyers representing plaintiffs in three lawsuits filed after Texas Secretary of State David Whitley questioned the citizenship status of almost 100,000 registered Texas voters. It has since been determined that most of the names landed on the purge list in error. Last month, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Texas Civil Rights Project settled litigation they filed against the state. Under the terms of the settlement, Whitley will rescind his controversial Jan. 25 advisory to elections officials across the state. That advisory said voter registration eligibility was in question due to noncitizen status and asked officials to send out notices seeking proof of citizenship from the voters if they wanted to remain registered. In addition, the secretary of states office has agreed to do a more thorough vetting when it conducts future voter list maintenance procedures. That will include providing details of its methodology to plaintiffs lawyers before flagging any registered voters for investigation on suspicion that they may not be eligible to vote due to their immigration status. Many of the voters on the initial purge list were in the country legally but not yet citizens when they applied for a drivers license. Texas drivers licenses are valid for several years, and immigration status can change during that period. The information is not updated until the license is renewed Future vetting of immigration status by the secretary of states office will likely include checking the Texas Department of Public Safety list against a federal immigration database. This is what should have been done from the beginning. Challenging an individuals right to vote is a serious charge. It should should not have required expensive litigation to arrive at the conclusion that the list needed to more carefully scrutinized. The timing of the release of the purge list, late on a Friday, and the immediate political grandstanding on the alleged identification of fraudulent voters by Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and President Donald Trump only served to fan the embers of mistrust. It did not help that Whitley, a recent gubernatorial appointee to the job, tried to deflect blame by pointing a finger at DPS. Ultimately, the responsibility lay with him and his blunders could cost him the job. Whitley has been meeting with state lawmakers to salvage his appointment and get confirmed by the Senate before the end of the legislative session May 27. He needs a two-thirds vote from the 31 senators to keep his job. On Feb. 12, Senate Democrats said they could not support his appointment. If he does not get confirmation, Whitley is out of a job when the 86th Legislature adjourns Memorial Day weekend. Restoring public trust in the secretary of states office is going to take time. Keeping Whitley in place will not help. The firefighters union wants the city to pay for health insurance coverage through a trust fund for dependents so they can manage their own health insurance. The taxpayers would pick up the tab if the funds requested do not cover the costs. The firefighters union also wants millions in back pay and pay raises. Firefighters have noted they have risks of cancer from fighting fires military, police and firefighters each have elevated risks of some kind. Union President Chris Steele has said firefighters have enemies, but the firemen will be the last man standing. What is this? The gunfight at the O.K. Corral? I truly believe the city has a better understanding of what it can and cannot afford. The city had excellent bond rating classifications prior to the last election as the city was managed very efficiently. This does not speak highly of Councilman Greg Brockhouse a mayoral candidate and a backer of the union when the city has stated it could not afford what the union demands. Yet he supports the unions demands. How much do firefighters know about city financing? Clarence Bryan A better world For the most part, Americans continue to be ambivalent, moderate and pragmatic, in contrast to the cocksure extremists and ideologues who dominate our political life. Polarized partisan ideologues are a distinct minority of the American population, no matter what you read. Horrific mass shootings, global tensions over nuclear arms, bloody civil wars in Syria and Yemen. These events as awful as they are have happened in the context of a bigger, positive trend. On the whole, the world is getting better. This is not some naively optimistic view its backed by data. Look at the number of children who die before their fifth birthday. That figure has been cut in half. That means 122 million children have been saved. In 1990, more than a third of the global population lived in extreme poverty; today only about a tenth do. A century ago, it was legal to be gay in about 20 countries; today its legal in more than 100 countries. Women are gaining political power and now make up more than a fifth of the members of national governments and the world is finally starting to listen when women speak up about sexual assault. And more than 90 percent of all children in the world now attend primary school. So, why does it feel like the world is in decline? Partly because of the nature of news coverage. Bad news Fox News arrives as drama and shapes many peoples thinking. Ron Lowe, Harlingen Get Trump out There is enough information to rule out Donald Trump as an acceptable president with or without clear-cut incrimination by the Mueller report. This is information obvious to all observers. He is a consummate liar; he churlishly denigrates those who dare oppose him; he favors tough guys who are not necessarily good guys over our allies; he refuses to reveal his income tax as has become customary. His incompetence is evident in various of his important policy decisions; he surrounds himself with unsavory characters; he seems in favor of white supremacy; his tax cuts have clearly favored the rich; he takes credit for achievements not of his own making; and his attitude toward women is reprehensible. If Trump cannot be impeached or indicted, voters can and certainly should see to it (barring more Russian hacking and/or another Electoral College debacle) that he does not win a second term in office. Loretta Van Coppenolle Proud of president Re: Lack of support, Your Turn, April 18: Roland Acevedo says Donald Trump supporters apparently ignored the things he has said and done the past two plus years. Really? What would those things be? The creation of 5 million jobs and an unemployment rate below 4 percent? Lowering the unemployment rate among African Americans to the lowest it has ever been? Restoring American leadership on the world stage and advancing an America-first agenda? Attempting to secure our borders in the face of unrelenting opposition by Democrats? Persuading North Korea to halt nuclear and missile tests? Expanding options for affordable health care? Donating his salary? These things are just a small sampling of what our president has accomplished all the while under the most extreme and vile attack by a shameless Democratic Party and mainstream media. No, we who support our president are not ignoring the things he has said and done. We are very, very proud of President Trumps accomplishments. Rand Dennis Question the ideology The argument that indigenous people from Mexico, Central and South America are coming to the U.S. illegally is illogical. Imagine your home is taken by force. As you try to co-exist with the robber not even trying to get it back completely when you have the right to do so you are accused of entering unlawfully. This is the case of indigenous people who historically have been the victims of colonization, mass incarceration and dehumanizing conditions. U.S. federal legislation regarding immigration has its roots in nativism. Nativism is the belief that native-born Americans are superior to those born in other countries. Historically, policies such as the bracero program, Operation Wetback and, more recently, the Secure Fence Act of 2006 have worked to push us out and put fear into our communities. These tactics have been used strategically to keep us disorganized and divided. From Alaska to Chile, we are one people without borders. One possible solution would be to build organizations working for justice and toward scientific socialism. We must collectively determine our history, economically controlling our destiny, controlling our social development by self-determining our culture, education and language. We must question the ideology of the society. What is capitalism vs. socialism? What is reformism vs. revolution? Helping people in need to address social problems and challenging social injustice is necessary if we truly want to make change. Eduardo Rocha Jr. Warkworths Heartbeat Christian store invites the public to hear entrepreneur Bernadette Soares at its Annual General Meeting on May 20. Bernadette is the founder of Brand Value Ltd the umbrella company for four successful beauty brands. She was born in Mumbai, India where she gained a degree in economics and commerce. Later, she completed her Masters degree in New Zealand. She is the author of the book Outrageous Living. The meeting will be held at Snells Beach Baptist Church at 7.30pm. Supper provided. Warkworth FC is fielding 13 junior football teams this season with around 100 players. Coordinator Arthur Waddell says the U14 team is playing in division one and is aiming to win that league, with a view to go on to conference next season. Meanwhile, the 10th grade Warkworth Lighting team hasnt lost a game this season, beating out Hibiscus Coast, Glenfield, East Coast Bays, Birkenhead and North Shore. Waddell says the intention is to take a team of players from both the 10th grade Lightning and Thunder teams dubbed Warkworth Storm to Northern Football Federation (NFF) tournament in Albany in late July. The format of the game remains the same, but Waddell says kids and coaches are still getting used to NFFs retreating line rule that requires the ball to be passed out from a goalie to defenders rather being kicked to the centre. He says there is plenty of burgeoning talent in the club including serial goal scorer Tai Johnson and part time goalie, part time attacker Dillon Genet. With the right coaching and environment, as long as we can keep these kids feet on the ground, they could go on to play to a very high standard. I once had a mother ask me why would I want my kid to play football. I said John Terry earns $200,000 a week playing for Chelsea, and it all starts with kids knocking around a ball on a field on a Saturday morning at Shoesmith. About 40 people attended One Warkworths first networking event for local business women held at Ascension Wine Estate last month. Organiser Murray Chapman says the feedback was very positive and future similar events are planned. The women enjoyed the networking, meeting new people, the food and wine provided by Ascension, and the opportunity to hear the story behind the success of Kirsten Taylors company Sleep Drops International, Murray said. Mahurangi West resident Bridgette Rademakers is currently collecting old and unwanted togs to help the people of Mozambique learn to swim. She has three large sacks of swimming togs after setting up collection points at Warkworth Primary, Leigh School and Coatesville School. Bridgette says Mozambique has a long stretch of coastline and significant portions of the population depend on the sea for their livelihood. As well as fishing, they use ferries to get between towns, but often these boats sink and, sadly, most people on board cant swim to survive, even if it is just 100 metres, she says. Bridgette experienced the country first hand as a research assistant at the Marine Megafauna Foundation in Inhambane City, Mozambique, last year. The foundation runs a swimming programme for local kids called Nemos Pequenos. According to the foundations website, 45 per cent of people living in Inhambane make their living from the ocean and yet the majority are unable to swim and there are around four drowning fatalities a day. As a result, many Mozambicans fear swimming in the ocean, which ultimately reinforces the problem. The programme is not just a swimming school it goes into schools and educates students about the marine environment and what they can see in it, Bridgette says. In addition to improving safety, there is also an opportunity for them to make money from the tourism generated by manta rays and whale sharks, which are commonly found there. According to the World Bank, the annual gross national income per capita in Mozambique is US$420, making it one of the poorest countries in Africa. Even if togs were shipped in from South Africa, the locals simply dont have the money to buy luxury items like swimwear, Bridgette says. She is returning to Mozambique next month to start a new job and will personally deliver the donated togs to the Nemos Pequenos programme. Those wishing to help can drop off their spare swimmers during business hours to the DOC office at 30 Hudson road or the Mahurangi Matters office. The majority of togs already donated have been for younger children and so larger sizes would be greatly appreciated, Bridgette says. She is also raising funds on Givealittle to cover the $250 cost of transporting the togs. See givealittle.co.nz/cause/flying-togs-nz-to-mozambique. Amid the images that flooded peoples minds during the April 15 fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral, there was one of a red, compact robot that, for a period of time, took the place of the firefighters battling the blaze. The robot, called Colossus, is programmed to assist firemen when conditions become too extreme, and like many other robots, it was manufactured by Shark Robotics, a company founded around three years ago by 34-year-old entrepreneur Cyril Kabbara and his business partner Jean-Jacques Topalian, a robotics engineer and designer. The company is a success story, combining innovative technology and entrepreneurship, and it also has a connection to Lebanon. I am born to a Lebanese father, Faisal Kabbara from Mina in Tripoli, and a French mother, Cyril Kabbara told L Orient-Le Jour (OLJ). I was born in Saint-Cyr-lEcole, which is perhaps what predestined me to a military career. Kabara spent nine years working in intelligence in the French army before studying for a masters degree in economic intelligence in Paris. The program prepared him to help companies develop and grow by keeping an eye on the competition and understanding the reality of the market. As luck would have it, Kabbara met Topalian, whose parents are Armenian and have roots in Beirut. Topalian was already a renowned robotics engineer in France and was developing his own prototypes when the two met, deciding to join forced and create Shark Robotics. The company manufactures robots designed by Topalian while leveraging Kabbaras contacts to help with marketing. Our idea is to offer and put forward robots in order to keep people away from dangers and risks, Kabbara said. Our robots are designed to intervene in difficult situations where there is either a threat or arduous work, like in some industries, for example. Colossus attracted attention for the role it played in extinguishing the fire in the Notre Dame, but the company also offers models that can carry out other tasks, such as moving heavy objects, evacuating wounded victims, carrying out demining operations and intervening on oil rigs and in nuclear power plants. Their characteristic is that they are flexible; a quick change of equipment and they can switch to a new mission, Kabbara explained. While focusing on innovation, Shark Robotics also follows specific and well-defined standards and values. We are committed to keeping humans at the heart of risk managements and not replacing human jobs with robots, Kabbara said. Our fully electrical robots are maneuvered by humans. In addition, we are heading towards a high-end market as we are specialized in high-risk areas and not in logistics, for instance. We have also chosen to control the entire production chain, since everything is produced and tested on our own premises. Alone in the nave Asked about the role of Colossus in the firefighting operation at Notre Dame, Kabbara said he is proud despite the immense sadness we all felt in seeing such a monument being consumed by flames; proud to watch our robot contributing to putting out this fire. Only one robot was used during the inferno, and it was active in the nave of the cathedral, which was destroyed when the spire collapsed. The robot was used to fight the flames and cool down the area and was brought in so that firefighters would not be in harms way amid fears that the building was about to collapse. The robot, weighing 500 kg, was hooked up to a fire hose and battled the blaze for over 12 hours. The founders of Shark Robotics have high aspirations for their company. We currently employ 20 people, and we have a turnover of three million euros, Kabbara said. Our ambition is to become the leader in robotic platforms in Europe and to develop in order to employ 50 to 60 people within five years. According to him, the business is interested in expanding to markets outside of France as well, including the Middle East. Lebanon is not yet on the companys list of potential clients, but Kabbara still feels a sense of attachment to the land of his ancestors. I still have family there, and I try to visit once a year, he said. This is a country that I hold dear. (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 30th of April) Kim Strassel, Jason Riley, Jillian Melchior and Dan Henninger discuss their hits and misses of the week which include the world's oldest monarchy in Japan, minority voter turnout in the mid-terms, and a Buddhist monk who discovered a human jaw dating back 160,000 years. Image: AP It was a chilling message. I think of killing someone and smirk. That message was sent two weeks before authorities say Mathew Borges beheaded his classmate, 16-year-old Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino in Lawrence. The text and Facebook messages were a focus in the murder trial against Borges, who was 15 when authorities say he killed Viloria-Paulino. The defense lawyer for Borges said all of the messages dont prove murder. Viloria-Paulino went missing on Nov. 18, 2016. Two weeks later, a man was walking his dog along Merrimack River found his decapitated body. Borges was later arrested and charged with the teens killing. Here is what we have learned so far as the murder trial against Borges continues in Salem Superior Court: I killed him. Hes dead, Borges allegedly told friends Prosecutors went through messages sent by Borges during open statements and the trial His defense lawyer, Ed Hayden, argues the messages show nothing more than a teenage boy exchanging immature messages with friends. In his opening statement, Essex Assistant District Attorney Jay Gubitose focused on text messages and notes Borges sent before the killing of Viloria-Paulino. I think of killing someone and I smirk. Its all I think about every day, but I control myself, Gubitose quoted at the start of his opening remarks. Mathew Borges, 15, attends his arraignment in Lawrence District Court in Lawrence, Mass, Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Borges was held without bail after pleading not guilty at the brief arraignment Monday on a first-degree murder charge. (Paul Bilodeau/The Eagle-Tribune via AP, Pool) The message was sent less than two weeks before the killing. Authorities accuse Borges of bringing Viloria-Paulino to the riverbank to smoke weed but instead setting upon the teen and killing him I killed him. Hes dead," Borges allegedly told friends. No evidence showing Borges committed the killing, defense lawyer argues Hayden said the voluminous amount of text and Facebook messages collected by investigators are meaningless conversations with friends. Investigators perceive the messages are incriminating, the lawyer said. The messages were: loaded with the f-bomb the n-word, weed and sex. Thats what that group chat was about, Hayden said. All of those messages dont show Borges killed Viloria-Paulino, he said. There is no murder weapon, no fingerprints or DNA evidence, Hayden added. And theres no motive, he said. Borges ex-girlfriend testifies he asked her to delete old messages When Stephanie Soriano took the stand in court, she read off messages showing two teens flirting in a young relationship. Soriano met Borges and immediately looked him up on Facebook. She was drawn to his profile picture. The teen was funny and bubbly, she recalled. The two exchanged messages often for hours. They spoke constantly from September 2016 until Borges arrest in December 2016. Assistant District Attorney Jessica Strasnick printed out text and Facebook conversations. She read them with Soriano in court. Youre beautiful, Borges told his girlfriend. Viloria-Paulinos family were in court as the testimony was given. AMANDA SABGA/Staff photo Ivelise Corniella, Lee Manuel Viloria Paulino's grandmother, wipes tears while on the witness stand during Mathew Borges' first-degree murder trail at Salem Superior court. Borges is accused of beheading Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino in 2016. 4/30/19Amanda Sabga/North of Boston Media Group Messages between Borges and his girlfriend take a dark turn I think of killing someone and I [smirk]. I like the sound of it the idea of causing pain, he wrote in one message, read by the prosecutor. Its all I think about every day but I control myself. I see people I dont like [and] that comes to mind. Im going insane. Soriano didnt want those thoughts in his head. She offered to help. Ill hide in the back of my mind like always, Borges allegedly replied. A few days later, on Nov. 17, 2016, authorities said Borges killed Viloria-Paulino. A 48-second voice memo, sent by Borges to Soriano, was played in court. Eyes that are dead are scary...makes you think about what that person has done. What theyve been through. What theyve seen. Eyes that dont shine, that are full of darkness, Borges said in the recording. Its just sad. Its like these people are different. Theyve done things that make them lose their humanity. Like they have no soul they just have big black pupils. Borges then told Soriano; he would have dead eyes soon as well. Soriano later asked in the messages if Borges said Viloria-Paulino - who had been reported missing. Lee? No sheesh, thats crazy, Borges told Soriano. Borges said he hadnt heard from Viloria-Paulino in a few days. On Nov. 20, 2016, Borges asked Soriano to delete the conversation. Is a robbery the possible motive for the killing? While Hayden admits Borges is guilty of breaking into Viloria-Paulinos home, he said the now 17-year-old is not guilty of murder. Witnesses testified about a private Facebook group called the Game Winners. The group allowed Lawrence High School students to communicate. Police and teenagers testified there was a plan to rob Viloria-Paulino, according to The Eagle-Tribune. Screenshots of the Facebook messages were shown in court. One teen, a senior in high school, said the plan was to have Borges lure Viloria-Paulino from his home, according to the newspaper. AMANDA SABGA/Staff photo Lawrence Police Detective William Olivieri on the witness stand during Mathew Borges' first-degree murder trail at Salem Superior court. Borges is accused of beheading Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino in 2016. 4/30/19Amanda Sabga/North of Boston Media Group The pair would go to the River to smoke weed. A group of other teenagers then planned to steal Viloria-Paulinos PlayStation, clothes, belts and other items, the teenager said, according to the Eagle-Tribune. Several witnesses repeated the plan during testimony. After the robbery, Borges called his friends. His hands were covered in blood, according to the newspaper. Another witness, the newspaper reports, said Borges admitted that he killed Lee and cut off his head. The killing was so Borges wouldnt be caught. No murder weapon found Lawrence Police Detective Jay Heggarty testified no murder weapon has been located. The Eagle-Tribune reports the investigator also said there is no blood or DNA evidence. When Viloria-Paulinos body was found, authorities made a second, disturbing discovery. The teens head was wrapped in a Market Basket shopping bag, bobbing in the water, according to a Massachusetts State Police trooper. AMANDA SABGA/Staff photo Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Brian O'Neill on the witness stand during Mathew Borges' first-degree murder trail at Salem Superior court. Borges is accused of beheading Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino in 2016. 4/30/19Amanda Sabga/North of Boston Media Group Borges was questioned by police days after Viloria-Paulino disappeared. His lawyers had argued police spoke to Borges without his parents around. Authorities said Borges was asked if he killed Lee. The teen allegedly took police to the river. Testimony will continue this week in the trial. One person was killed, and another person was seriously injured in a Boston crash Sunday morning. Boston police said the crash occurred around 1:15 a.m. in the Bennington Street area, near the Orient Heights T Station. A spokesman said police are calling the incident a single-vehicle crash, but Boston 25 News said two vehicles were towed from the scene. Boston police continue to investigate the cause of the crash. The person injured in the crash is expected to survive. Baystate Health is among the institutions observing National Nurses Week. The annual celebration begins May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, and continues through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is considered the founder of modern nursing. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Helen C. James holds a masters degree in family practice nursing and received her certification as an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner from the Oncology Nursing Society. She works in oncology services at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, and previously in adult cancer services in the Baystate Regional Cancer Programs DAmour Center for Cancer Care as well as in pediatric oncology services. Earlier in her career she worked in Baystates neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. James has said her career satisfaction comes in part from the comfort she hopes she gives patients and at least one person who observed James care for his mother with terminal lung cancer said she did so with the greatest compassion and respect for her as a patient in her end-of-life journey. The life-long Chicopee resident was asked to reflect on her 43 years in nursing. What have you enjoyed about nursing as a career choice? A nursing career provides so many choices in areas and places to work. Nursing has advanced my education specializing in the care of individuals with cancer and blood disorders. What attracted you to the field initially? I was interested in science in high school and took anatomy and physiology classes that helped me to focus on nursing as a career choice. My grandmother was a telephone operator at Providence Hospital which afforded me the opportunity to meet with nurses to experience the role of a nurse. This helped me make my decision to become a nurse. What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in nursing today? It is important to receive a bachelors education in nursing and to continue to attend educational programs to further your scope of knowledge. There are opportunities to become certified in a specialty which will further your career. At what point in your career did you decide to specialize in cancer care and what prompted that decision? I worked in the pediatric intensive care unit and met the pediatric oncologist who taught me so much and encouraged me to learn more. A position opened up in the outpatient pediatric oncology clinic which moved my career to another level. I learned so much and went on to receive certification in pediatric oncology. What is some of the patient care you might do during a typical day as an oncology nurse? My day has a variety of activities which include patient education, nursing education, follow-up care, symptom management and emergency issues. Would you share one or two experiences you have had in caring for cancer patients that made you grateful for being an oncology nurse? It is always gratifying to help an individual and family move through the cancer experience. The most gratifying experience was a young man who came to the DAmour Center and asked if I still worked for cancer services. I was paged to the front lobby and the young man, who was four years old when I cared for him, was now 25 years old and wanted to let me know he was doing well and to apologize for giving me trouble when he was little. The other experience was an 18-year-old girl who was helping to take care of her grandfather with cancer. She was graduating high school and going to college in the fall for a business degree. She demonstrated skills and caring that I believed would be a nursing career. I offered to write her a letter if she decided in the future to change course to nursing. A year later she contacted me and had made the decision to go to the Elms College nursing program. She is now a graduate and working as a pediatric oncology nurse. These are truly my precious experiences of caring for individuals and families with cancer and blood disorders. Nurses today are generally no longer educated through nursing schools with its hands-on training, but receive bachelor of nursing science degrees through college programs and many go on to get master and doctorate degrees to work as advanced practice nurses. What do you feel has been good about this evolution both for nurses as well as for the patients they serve? The college or university degree programs have raised the level of education in nursing science which validates and enriches our profession. The higher education allows us to participate in research, education, publication and medical care of individuals and families. How do you feel nursing has evolved you as person since you first trained and what difference do you hope you have made in patients lives? I have learned to help individuals and families through the cancer journey and unfortunately through the end-of-life process. I hope I have been supportive and bring comfort to those I care for. How do you keep burnout at bay? I reduce stress with exercise and traveling and by keeping my work enjoyable or changing positions to keep the career challenging. Col. Jimmey Todd, Jr. passed the unit flag for the Army Reserve 655th Regional Support Group in Chicopee to his successor at a Change of Command ceremony Sunday. Todd is turning over command of the unit to Col. Lyle Ourada just as the unit is preparing to deploy to Jordan. Todd has commanded the Army Reserve unit since May of 2017. He called the change in command, bitter sweet. We have put together a great team, a team you want to lead, he said. Instead, I am handing it off. Thats the way the Army works. We have done so much to get us to this point and I now hand off the baton to the next guy. Todd called himself a traditional reservist, in that he works a full-time job and serves in the military part-time. He said he is a civilian contractor for Special Operations at Magill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. For incoming Col. Lyle Ourada the 655th is his first unit command and coming just as the group prepares to deploy to Jordan he said sets up a daunting task. It is daunting, although I have been with the 655th for a couple of months preparing for the deployment, making sure we are prepared, he said. The troops are up to the task and I think this will be an exciting deployment. Ourada is also a traditional reservist. He lives in Pittsburg, PA and is a program analyst for the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. The unit provides command and control headquarters, movement enhancement and logistical support for forward operating bases. It is tenant unit on the Westover Air Force Reserve Base in Chicopee. A man accused of stealing a car then crashing it into a light pole in Methuen is in critical condition, according to police. Just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday, an officer saw a sedan speed by on Howe Street near Marshal Street. A short time later, the car crashed into a light pole and signal box at the intersection of Jackson and Pleasant Valley Streets, police said. The driver was injured and flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital. The driver was in critical condition. Police did not release any information about the driver. Police believe the driver broke into a home and stole the car. The driver knows the owner of the vehicle, police said. Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon told WBZ the man broke into his ex-girlfriends home and attacked her before stealing her car. As a result of the crash, the signal lights at the intersection of Route 113 and Jackson and Howe Streets are disabled, police said. Temporary stop signs have been installed at the intersection, but motorists are urged to use caution in the area. The crash remains under investigation. SPRINGFIELD -- An Oregon company which wants to open a marijuana store in a historic building is inviting people to tour the building and see architectural drawings for the proposal. The tour of the 101-year-old Hampden Bank will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, at 1665 Main St. The company is one of 47 that have taken out applications to apply for a license to open a recreational marijuana facility in Springfield. Applications are due May 20 and the city is expected to select up to four businesses to be eligible for licenses in June. Diem officials have stated publicly that they plan to invest approximately $1 million to completely renovate the historic building, which was built in 1918. The entire leadership team is expected to be available during the tour. They include Chris Mitchem, CEO; John DiNovella, Massachusetts Operations Manager; Matt Busby, Construction Supervisor, and Paul Caron, Community & Neighborhood Liaison. AMHERST Just 10 people were outside protesting the Palestine solidarity event Saturday night at the University of Massachusetts that opponents failed to block via court action. About 2,000 attendees passed through security check-points before entering the packed Fine Arts Center auditorium - many more had to be turned away where speakers denounced Israeli treatment of the Arab population in that country. The speakers also criticized President Donald Trump's support for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A large contingent of police stood outside the Fine Arts Center, and many were also inside during the Palestine event, that was peaceful. Inside, attendees were warned that if they disrupted proceedings, they would be admonished twice; a third infraction would result in expulsion for the evening. The hall has a 2,000-seat capacity. One of the protesters outside, Allen Talewsky of Somerville, directed his ire toward the most well-known of the event speakers, rock musician Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd. Roger Waters hates Jews, Telewsky shouted repeatedly outside the Fine Arts Center before the event started. In an interview, Telewsky lamented there was so few protesting. There should be more of us here, its kind of sad that there isnt, he said. My original intent was to be with people in the opposition. Waters, 75, told the audience he became supportive of Palestine solidarity 13 years ago while on a music tour in Israel. He said he was appalled by the conditions Palestinians must endure, and since then has supported movements to boycott Israel. In an opinion piece he wrote in the British newspaper The Guardian last month, he urged Madonna not to perform in Israel. Waters is also the narrator of a documentary film, titled, The Occupation of the American Mind: Israels Public Relations War in the United States released in 2016, and available online at OccupationMovie.org. Sut Jhally, a UMass professor of communications and organizer of Saturdays event, is the films executive producer. During the Fine Arts Center talks, former CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill received standing ovations and prolonged cheers during an impassioned plea demanding justice for Palestinians living under military occupation in Israel. A professor of media studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, Hill recounted that because of a speech he gave last year at the United Nations in support of Palestinians the college tried to fire him. That speech resulted in CNN removing him as a commentator. Hill said the chairman of Temples board of trustees, attorney Patrick OConnor, advocated terminating him. During his speech Saturday night, Hill noted that OConnor is Bill Cosbys lawyer. I was almost fired. . .he is Bill Cosbys attorney I cant even make this stuff up. Hill said the fight for justice is not about isolating Israel . . . its about speaking the truth everywhere. He listed several nations that abuse human rights and also said: I cant say enough about whats wrong in the United States of America. Hill said, we live in a moment when people must pay a price to obtain justice, proclaiming loudly: They cant take us all out we will be free! to thunderous applause. Opponents of Saturdays event sought an injunction to prevent the event from occurring on the UMass-Amherst campus. But Suffolk Superior Court Judge Robert L. Ullmann declined to issue the injunction requested by attorney Karen Hurvitz to prevent the panel discussion on Palestine. The panel also included MPower Change co-founder Linda Sarsour who is Palestinian, Tricontinental Institute Director Vijay Prashad, who was moderator, and The Nation magazine journalist Dave Zirin. During his remarks, Zirin took aim at those that have accused him of being a self-hating Jew, saying more folks should condemn the Israel governments treatment of Arabs. As a Jew, Ill be damned if Ill be called anti-Semitic. . . there is nothing anti-Semitic about criticizing the actions of the Israeli state, he said. Sarsour paraphrased a statement from a speech Malcolm X delivered in Detroit back in April 1964, when he said: Itll be liberty or itll be death. And if youre not ready to pay that price dont use the word freedom in your vocabulary. The speakers thanked the UMass administration and Jewish Voice for Peace for taking action in court to prevent Saturdays event from being blocked. Neil Anders, who attended the event, said he came because, I want to see an end to apartheid world-wide. Some said that although they did not agree with the message, they thought it worthwhile to come and hear it and that it would be wrong for those views to be repressed and censored. Outside, a Needham man who was protesting the event said the organizers erred by not including an opposing viewpoint. I am a proud UMass alum; I am a prouder Jew - I am a big proponent of free speech, he said. SPRINGFIELD -- Residents in the South End told owners of a marijuana company they got it all wrong when they organized a community meeting to explain their business proposal. They failed to reach out to the well-known neighborhood council and long-established business owners when sending out invitations; the Sunday noon meeting interfered with church and family time and owners came unable to answer many questions. Mint Dispensary Facilities LLC., which has two retail stores in Arizona, is proposing to open a shop at 928 Main St., the current location of City Pizza and Fried Chicken. The owners met with residents for the first time Sunday at Red Rose Pizzeria. The company is one of 47 which is considering applying to Springfield for a marijuana license under a Request for Proposals system. Completed applications must be submitted by May 20 for consideration and the city will select up to four companies in June that can go forward in its first phase. Part of the process calls for companies to hold community meetings and the first held by Mint Dispensary Facilities was not greeted with enthusiasm by residents. For 20 years residents and owners of well-established businesses have been trying to turn around the South End. Now that they have had some success, especially with the opening of the MGM casino, no fewer than seven marijuana companies have proposed moving in nearby, said Leo Florian, president of the South End Citizens Council. "I don't think this brings any benefit to the community," he said. "Trying to put it in the middle of the neighborhood...I don't see it." If accepted, the dispensary would be less than a half-mile from MGM Springfield. Owners gave a brief overview of their proposed business, describing the plans for security and showing plans of the inside and outside of the business. The company expects to have a security officer on site at all times and will have cameras inside and outside the building. Those who enter the store will first be allowed in a closed lobby area and must show identification proving they are at least 21 before entering the secured store. In the showroom, all products will be behind glass cases and an employee will assist anyone who is purchasing marijuana, said Kurt M. Smith, business development manager for Fuss & ONeill, which is working for Mint Dispensary. The company will invest about $3 million in the project. If it receives state and local permits, it would expect to open in a year at the earliest, said Eivan Sharah, one of the owners. On top of turning over 3 percent of its profits to the city, as allowed by state regulation, Mint Dispensary Facilities also plans to work with local organizations including community colleges, health organizations and groups that will help people who have been arrested or otherwise harmed by the past marijuana laws, said Raul Matta, who is working for a law firm hired by Mint Dispensary. Matta, who worked as a long-term community organizer for years, said the company also plans to partner with existing community service agencies to create a fund to help residents in different ways. Most of the about two-hour meeting was left open for residents to make comments and ask questions. People were especially concerned about that the company only invited required abutters by mail and did not pass the word to nearby business owners and the South End Community Council. When MGM decided to build in the South End they sent representatives to individually talk to people. What I hear is we need to take a different approach and I get it, Sharah said. He promised to consult with community leaders and schedule a second meeting. Resident Paul Glantz, who lives across from the proposed location, said he was concerned about parking and crowds. Already he said he is having problems with people going to the casino blocking his driveway when they are parking. The business has a lot with 25 spaces and said some employees and customers will be using public parking near the dispensary, Smith said. Residents asked how many owners or members of the board of directors live in Springfield and were told none, but owners said they do plan to hire from within the community. "We don't want people to think Mint is coming to the community and not providing jobs for the community," Matta said. When asked why the company even wants to locate in the South End, Marvin Cable, a Western Massachusetts lawyer hired to represent Mint Dispensary, said the company does believe it is a good location and the community is similar to the two where they have existing locations. "I think it matters to us that you live in the South End, that you are one of us," Cancel said. "In the South End we are a different community." Residents also expressed frustration that representatives could not answer questions like the hours of operation, posed by Police Sgt. Brian Elliot, a supervisor for the Metro Unit, who was representing the police department and city. Sharah did explain there would be six to eight employees covering each shift, including a security officer. He also said the companys existing facilities have never had serious crime issues. CHICOPEE - Police detectives are asking for help to identify two men who are believed to have stolen a womans wallet and then used her credit cards. The suspects quickly added up more than $2,000 worth of charges on the credit cards stolen April 28, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer. The victim said her wallet had been stolen while she was in the Stop & Shop on Memorial Drive, he said. "She realized this happened when she left the store and went to use her card at another establishment. She immediately contacted the bank to cancel her cards," he said. "However, she learned that someone had already used the cards." In investigating the theft, detectives reviewed video footage at Stop & Shop and at the stores where the cards were used and the two men appeared on at least two videos, Wilk said. Anyone who can identify the men or has any information about the crime is asked to call the detective bureau at 413-594-1740 and reference case 1854, Wilk said. CHICAGO Manager Alex Cora will not join the Boston Red Sox at the White House to celebrate the 2018 World Series title Thursday. El Nuevo Dia in Puerto Rico was the first to report the news. MassLive.com has confirmed it. Per El Nuevo Dias report, His decision, as detailed, is based on his understanding that Puerto Rico has not yet recovered after the passage of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. President Donald Trump tweeted about the death toll after Hurricane Maria, claiming that the number of deaths had been exaggerated. Last year, Cora, a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, called the tweets disrespectful. He also said that he was frustrated that the argument over the number of deaths had become political. President Trump has said Puerto Rico received too much aide after the hurricane. He also has called Puerto Rico leaders grossly incompetent and San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz crazed and incompetent," per the New York Times. Several Red Sox will not attend, including catcher Christian Vazquez, who is a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Personal. Its personal, Vazquez told MassLive.com. Nothing crazy but my opinion. Asked if his decision has to do with President Trumps remarks about Puerto Rico, Vazquez said, I dont know." Afterwards, she worked as a charge nurse on the floor. In January 2015, she was promoted to acute care team leader. She oversees safe patient care and directly oversees the nurses for a particular shift. Roses job is to make sure the shift runs smoothly. Its never the same, she said to The McDowell News. Theres always something good to be thankful for in every single day. My goal is to look at every patient as if it were my own family. Her adult patients can be experiencing such problems as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or pneumonia or they may be recovering from general surgery. She works with three patient care technicians and oversees four registered nurses for the medical surgical population and two intensive care unit nurses. Rose is very proud of her profession and others who work alongside her to care for sick people. And late last year, she did something out of the ordinary for one of her patients. It has been a while since 'Avengers: Endgame' hit the theatres and if you really cared about the spoilers, you would have seen the film by now. Even then, out of sheer respect for a fellow Marvel fan, I am bound to put up this disclaimer: **SPOILERS AHEAD** If you are still here, it either means that you have seen the film or you really don't care about what all the fuss is. In either case, kudos! I like you. We are here to discuss why Captain America and the rest of 'the earth's mightiest' heroes are as evil and villainous as the 'Mad Titan', who had decided to snap away half the population of the universe and did exactly that at the end of 'Infinity War'. The reason behind Thanos' bold decision was sustainability, to put it simply, regardless of how dreadful his methods were. Blinded by the will to destroy half the living beings, Thanos did not stop at anything, not even sacrificing his daughter, Gamora, whom he loved the most. But the people who were considered to be the 'good guys', the ones who were supposed to look out for the little guy, are no different than Thanos. Snapping the Children of Thanos, the mindless Chitauri army and the Mad Titan himself, the Avengers did get rid of the threat, sure, but the 'decimation' done by Tony Stark was nothing less than capital punishment. Furthermore, the Avengers killed the numerous soldiers without a judicial order, thereby making it illegal and criminal. Killing Thanos' army like that on such a huge scale could be compared to burning down a jail full of criminals only because they were guilty of a crime. Yes, Thanos was evil and deserved the harshest of punishments but only after a trial, just like the Avengers and the rest of the forces wanted the Living Tribunal to. However, the Living Tribunal did not blame him of being guilty because according to him, Thanos was not disobeying the laws of existence and was simply replacing the weaker with the strong. Marvel Comics On one hand, Thanos wanted to get rid of a random half of the living beings to make sure that the Universe doesn't implode due to lack of resources or overpopulation. This meant that even he had a 50% chance of dying after the snap. The Avengers, on the other hand, snapped to get rid of their foes and maintain their way of life, while pushing the universe into endless oblivion. So, I guess the question here now is that who actually was the villain at the end? Thanos or the Avengers? Starting up a business in a field that is already dominated by big shots is not an easy task. You need to have a unique strategy and products in order to stand out from the crowd. Big companies generally tend to be the number one barrier for new entrants but a wristwatch company from India is giving competition to big shots like Titan, Citizen and even international brands like Casio. Tsar Watches Ever since e-commerce websites emerged in India, it has opened up doors for other small companies like Tsar Watches to get noticed. You could have a unique product but you still need to compete, especially since everything is now online. You sometimes have to resort to tactics that your competition may not be using, and that's exactly what Tsar Watches had in mind. Tsar Watches Abdul Kadir Bhandari and friends Haider Ali Lashkar and Abbas Akbari founded Tsar Watches in September 2015. Being ardent watch collectors, they came up with the idea and concept of wooden watches, which nobody else was doing at the time in India. Your first thought would be that wooden watches are detrimental to the environment, however, the founders wanted to serve fashion and luxury with a sustainable and an eco-friendly product. Since the watches are made out of wood, the founders already made a conscious effort to contribute towards the environment. For each watch the company sells, the founders plant a tree. So far, the company has been responsible for planting 1500 trees and plan to keep contributing. If you want to know more about their initiative, you can read more about it here. So What's The Secret to Tsar Watches' Success? In order to stand out from the crowd, Tsar Watches had to implement a strategy that would get the company the eyeballs it needed. Being an online-only company, Tsar Watches had to break through the crowded space with smart online marketing strategy. Tsar Watches today sell their products to a worldwide audience, which did not happen by accident. Speaking to Abdul about it he said, We extensively used Google Primer to get noticed by customers in India and all over the world and create the demand we needed Google Google Primer is a tool by the search engine giant that enables businesses to digitise and grow without being location agnostic. The company was also able to expose their online ads for the intended target audience. Being a Google tool, the tool used by Tsar Watches didn't only work exclusively on Google platforms, the exposure of the brand extended to social media platforms and e-commerce websites as well. Abdul spends at least an hour every day to learn something new and enhance his marketing approach to get the desired outcome. The beauty of Google Primer is that it is absolutely free. You can find it on Google Play Store and it even works offline. The app offers lessons on business planning, sales, digital advertising, social media marketing, SEO tactics, branding and analytics. The app also enables its users to learn and apply strategies for online businesses in under five minutes, but one can always spend more time to learn new tactics. Google Primer is available in Hindi, Telugu, English, Bahasa and other languages. It's probably one of the most essential apps any new business owner needs to create brand awareness and learn new strategies to make a mark in a crowded market. 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. Most of the 500 guests were navigating the Crowne Plaza Stamford parking lot by the time Cathy Malloy returned to the podium. Wheres my speech? she asked no one in particular. Oh, did you write that? The wry retort happened to come from the subject of the speech, aka the guest of honor at the Stamford Citizen of the Year (COTY) Dinner, aka the former Connecticut governor, aka the longest-serving Stamford mayor, aka Cathys husband. I had questions about the speech, and Dannel Malloys jest answered the main one. Yes, he heard his wifes words for the first time along with everyone else Tuesday night. Such is the nature of the mutual trust theyve nurtured since they met 45 years and 24 days earlier. Both used the platform to challenge the audience to consider the gravity of what it means to be a U.S. citizen. The popular assumption is that Dan Malloy is done with politics. Cathys speech inspired audience members to ask if she would run for office (Puh-lease, she told them). Both spoke like they were at the Democratic National Convention. The guest list read like the Stamford Democratic version of the Avengers, reuniting former team members. About the only Republican face in the crowd was Bobby Valentines. In a parallel universe, Republicans would be roasting Malloy, who would likely welcome the challenge. He seldom gets credit for his quicksilver humor. On this night, a greatest hits COTY video included footage of him warbling a la Mister Rogers (Good morning boys and girls, its really nice to be with you. Today well be reading a book and learning about civics) and slinging a Western accent beneath a 10-gallon lid (Howdy partner, this is Sheriff Dan). He looked like Stephen Colberts doppelganger. Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald confessed to being a Malloyalist. The turnout proved theres still plenty of them in Stamford. McDonald, who served as Mayor Malloys director of legal affairs and Gov. Malloys chief legal counsel, said the event felt like a high school and college reunion, with former colleagues in Stamford matched by Hartford counterparts. For a few moments, the audience sounded as though they were ready to declare a COTY recount, as Tamu Lucero drew loud applause only days into her new gig as the citys schools superintendent. There were other crowd favorites as well. The event, co-sponsored by the City of Stamford and Jewish War Veterans Fred Robbins Post 142, saluted the contributions of several Stamford veterans. This years class consists of Emanuel Blosio, Kimberly Morant, John Lund, William Malloy (Dannels big brother) and brothers Donald, Larry and Lenny Hunter. Meanwhile, the resumes of scholarship recipients Lauren Klym, Samuel Diamond, Shayna Druckman, Maureen Ferrer, Claudia Lucien, Eliel Duquene and Jacob Herz all inspired responses that were variations of How are these kids doing all this? Perhaps the presence of the students inspired the Malloys. Or maybe it was the reality that they no longer have daily access to the public square. It might just be that they cant stay silent during the administration of the president they never mentioned by name. Cathy sparked applause when she spoke of her husbands efforts to ensure each and every person who arrives here, whether by birth, by boat, by plane, by foot is welcomed and treated with the respect that they deserve. She only cited one example of her husbands work in Hartford. He saw it as his personal responsibility as a leader to welcome a family to our state when another governor did not (referring to now Vice President Mike Pence) ... For Dan this is what it means to be a citizen. A good citizen. An American citizen. Dan Malloy joked that Cathy delivered his speech. He arrived at the podium with a napkin to wipe away emotions, but no typed remarks. Dyslexia leaves him to lean on memory and imagination. This is the perfect event to celebrate who we are as a nation, and as a people, he said. Unless your people are Native Americans or were brought here in slavery, we all came for a second chance, for the possibility that we might be something that we couldnt be where we came from. He momentarily sounded like hed forgotten he was no longer in office: There is work yet to be done. Afterward, he greeted me by saying You were very kind to me in my final days, a reference to columns and editorials. I asked the obvious: What about the rest of those days? We both laughed. In his case it was an acknowledgment that not all editorials were supportive. In my case it was because those days dont seem final. It reminded me of a casual aside he made during a 2015 editorial board: You know Ill never stop working. Jbreunig@scni.com; 203-964-2281; twitter.com/johnbreunig. Isaak Olson was two months from graduating in 2014 when he disclosed that his fiancee had given birth several months earlier... DETROIT, MI -- Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang appeared in Detroit on Friday, touting part of his platform that would give every American $1,000 per month. One of his cornerstone policies -- and hes released more than 70 -- is what he calls the universal basic income. It would give every American $1,000 per month, paying for it in part with a value-added tax on goods and services businesses produce. The first time you heard that, I know what you thought. You thought like ha-ha, thats a bit of a gimmick, theres an Asian man running for president who wants to give everyone $1,000, Yang said. But he is serious about the plan, he said. Its an idea thats come up periodically, and one state, Alaska, even does something similar by distributing money tied to oil funds, he said. He said weve already seen automation in areas like manufacturing. This town very much is ground zero for the automation of jobs, Yang told a Detroit crowd of around 300. But as automation increases in areas like retail and transportation, he said, more and more jobs are at risk of being replaced by technology and automation. The $1,000 per month basic income would help compensate for that technological shift, he said. Were going to call this the tech check, and all of Americas going to love it, Yang said. Yangs supporters call themselves the Yang Gang. The crowd in Detroit skewed young, diverse and energetic. Jon Wylie, 24, of Detroit, said with so many people in the race hes trying to get out and see as many presidential candidates as possible. He saw the breadth of Yangs policy proposals, including the universal basic income hes proposing. I see its usefulness because of the amount of low-paying jobs with no room for advancement, Wylie said. As a law student, he isnt personally worried about being replaced by automation. Throughout his speech, Yang was open about not being a traditional candidate. His work experience is in being an entrepreneur, not being a politician. He is unabashed about pursuing data-driven policies, and his supporters waved campaign signs that simply read MATH. He promised to be the first president to bring a PowerPoint presentation to the State of the Union, to which supporters chanted POWER POINT, POWER POINT. He sought to differentiate himself in a field full of Democratic candidates looking to unseat President Donald Trump. The opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math, he said. Yang is one of a slew of Democratic presidential candidates visiting Michigan lately. Thursday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., visited. On Friday Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., visited Detroit. On Saturday U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, visited Michigan. Sunday, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., will address the Detroit chapter of the NAACP and will continue her campaigning by addressing Michigan teachers Monday. ANN ARBOR TWP Ypsilanti Lincoln High School students basked in sunset light as they arrived at their 2019 prom at the Morris Lawrence building on the Washtenaw Community College campus. 283 students took part in the prom with the theme A Tale as Old as Time, splitting the open space inside the building into half dining room and half dance floor. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. YPSILANTI Salines biggest prom crowd in years enjoyed a feature-packed prom at EMUs student center Saturday. About 580 students filtered past doric and ionic columns into a ballroom where drone footage of Athens played on a projector, lights flashed and music thumped. On the other side of the floor, doors led to a game room featuring poker and roulette tables staffed by the students favorite teachers. A coat check and special mirrored photo booth rounded out the fully-featured event. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. LAPEER, MI - Clio High School celebrated their 2019 prom on Saturday, May 4, at Lapeer Country Club. Nearly 200 students attended the night in Paris themed prom. Click the gallery above to view moments from the night. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery. GENESEE COUNTY, MI Bridge inspections will require several lane and ramp closures for the week ahead in Genesee County. The Michigan Department of Transportation announced intermittent lane and ramp closures are scheduled to take place between Monday, May 6 until Friday, May 10 to allow for the inspections and scoping work. All closures are expected to last between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the designated days. Heres a look at the dates and closures: Monday, May 6: Eastbound I-69 between Seymour Road and Morrish Road: Expect one lane closed. Westbound I-69 over Bristol Road: Expect two lanes closed; the Bristol Road on ramp will be closed and detoured. Tuesday, May 7: Eastbound I-69 between Seymour Road and Morrish Road: Expect one lane closed. Westbound I-69 over Linden Road: Expect two lanes closed; the Bristol Road on ramp will be closed and detoured. Wednesday, May 8: Westbound I-69 over Linden Road: Expect two lanes closed; the Bristol Road on ramp will be closed and detoured. Westbound I-69 from Morrish Road to Seymour Road: Expect one lane closed. Thursday, May 9: Eastbound I-69 over Linden Road: Expect two lanes closed. Westbound I-69 from Morrish Road to Seymour Road: Expect one lane closed. Friday, May 10: Eastbound I-69 over Linden Road: Expect two lanes closed. Northbound and southbound Elms Road under I-69: Expect one lane closed on each. GRASS LAKE, MI -- A piece of history is returning to Jackson County with the opening of a William H. Withington exhibit in Grass Lake. The Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Withington for heroism during the American Civil War is among the items on display in the exhibit that opens with a 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18 reception at the Michigan Military Heritage Museum, 153 N. Union St. in Grass Lake. The event features a volley of musket fire and actors dressed in Civil War uniforms demonstrating life during the war, Board Member Scott Gerych said. Jack Dempsey, a Civil War author and Michigan Historical Commission member, will introduce the exhibit and the life of Withington. Its like a big homecoming to have his items be returned to Jackson for the first time in at least 11 years, Gerych said. Its especially exciting to get the Medal of Honor back, with his story. Withington, who arrived in Jackson in 1857, was a successful businessman making and selling agricultural implements when it became clear the start of the Civil War was imminent. In April 1861, when President Abraham Lincoln called for troops, the Jackson Greys, with Withington as their captain, were the first Michigan group to answer. The Greys were with Col. Orlando B. Wilcox and the 1st Michigan Infantry at the Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. Wilcox was severely wounded and captured. Withington risked his life to save Wilcox on the battlefield and was taken prisoner along with him. Withington was released in early 1862 in a prisoner exchange but re-enlisted later that year as a colonel with the 17th Michigan Volunteer Infantry and fought at South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg. After the war, Withington became a wealthy industrialist and founder of Sparks Withington Co., which later became Sparton Corp. He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1873 and to the state Senate in 1891 and 1892. Its a big deal to have the exhibit because Withington is a hometown hero, Gerych said. It keeps the story alive. The Michigan Military Heritage Museum exhibit is hosted by the 17th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment Company, a civil war re-enactment group. The group donated funds to have a special cabinet built to hold the Withington items, which are all owned by the Detroit Historical Museum. The exhibit will be in the Grass Lake museum for at least a year, Gerych said. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. KALAMAZOO-- Students from Loy Norrix High School headed to the campus of Western Michigan University campus for prom 2019. The prom was held on Saturday, May 4, at WMUs center of business development. Before heading to the venue, many students gathered with their families and friends at Arcadia Festival Creek Place for photos. The Knights won the second 2019 Kalamazoo Gazette Prom of the Week poll. MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette is set to cover more local proms throughout the next month. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. PORTAGE, MI Otsego High School attended prom 2019 at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage. Memories at the Air Zoo was the theme as hundreds of students roamed around to different rides and exhibits at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage. Otsego placed second in the Kalamazoo Gazettes Prom of the Week poll. EGELSTON TOWNSHIP, MI At least one person was reported injured after a motorcycle and another vehicle collided on South Wolf Lake Road in Egelston Township. The crash occurred before 1:30 p.m., Sunday, May 5 on South Wolf Lake Road near Evanston Avenue. At least one person was reported injured in the crash and a motorcycle was lying on its side with several pieces of its body crumpled or missing. It is unclear if the injured person was driving the motorcycle, which remained on scene after the crash was cleared around 2 p.m. A Michigan State police trooper and deputies with the Muskegon County Sheriffs office were on scene investigating the crash. The roadway was blocked for at least 30 minutes while sheriffs deputies worked to control traffic. An ambulance was on scene, but it is unclear if anyone was taken to an area hospital for treatment. As of 2 p.m., an MSP trooper was still on scene to monitor the motorcycle involved in the crash and a separate, seemingly undamaged motorcycle which also was parked on the side of South Wolf Lake Road. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. MUSKEGON, MI - Reeths-Puffer High School students spent and evening in the City of Lights during prom 2019. The prom was held on Saturday, May 4, at Fricano Place in Muskegon. With the theme A Starry Night in Paris, students and guests enjoyed a romantic evening of lights and stars featuring some of the French citys most well-known landmarks. Last year, Reeths-Puffers prom was themed A Night on the Red Carpet and was also held at Fricano Place. Mona Shores High School also held its prom this weekend. The rival schools went head-to-head in a battle for the Muskegon Chronicle Prom of the Week crown. In the end, Reeths-Puffer won with 1,399 votes to Mona Shores 1,154. Muskegon Catholic Central was the winner of the first prom poll of the year. Fruitport High School won the second prom poll in a back-and-forth battle with Montague High School. Last week, Ravenna came from behind to win the third poll of year against four other schools. MLive/Muskegon Chronicle is set to cover more local proms throughout the next month. Previous prom coverage Muskegon High students show off glitz, glam at prom 2019 Ravenna prom 2019 blends glam, rustic vibes in Enchanted Forest Western Michigan Christian prom 2019 honors Beauty and the Beast Fruitport hosts enchanted prom 2019 Muskegon Catholic Central goes to prom 2019 with Among the Stars theme North Muskegon goes to prom 2019 with New York City Lights theme 150 kings and queens crowned at Night to Shine prom BAY CITY, MI - The sun shined down on Bay City Central High School students as they arrived to celebrate the school year with their prom at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center on Saturday, May 4, 2019. About 350 students rotated between the dance floor, getting their professional photographs taken and enjoying the photo booth. The Enchanted Forest theme included sparkling lights hanging from the balcony and the centerpieces featured slices of tree trunks with jars on top filled with tiny lights. You only get to come twice in high school, so its a special moment, junior Alexandria Guajardo said. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. Prom director Rita Cammin said this is an important event for students because it is their big thing they look forward to for the entire year. Bay City Central took third place in the Bay City, Midland and Saginaw 2019 Prom of the Week poll. As Mike Pompeo prepares to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the crisis in Venezuela, the US secretary of state said bluntly that President Donald Trump has a full range of powers to intervene at will. Speaking on ABCs This Week on Sunday, Pompeo elaborated on the oft-repeated line that all options are on the table when it comes to intervening militarily in Venezuela. The president has his full range of Article 2 authorities and Im very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful, Pompeo stated when asked if President Trump could intervene in the countrys power struggle without congressional approval. Article 2 of the US Constitution grants the president the right to declare war and act as commander in chief of the countrys armed forces. Pompeo also warned Russia against supporting its Latin American ally. The Russians need to get out, he told ABC. Every country that is interfering with the Venezuelan peoples right to restore their own democracy needs to leave. Pompeos bold statement comes ahead of a meeting with Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Finland on Monday. The pair are expected to discuss the ongoing crisis in Venezuela on the sidelines of an Arctic Council meeting in the northern Finnish city of Rovaniemi. They already spoke by phone on Wednesday, with Pompeo accusing Moscow of meddling in the country by continuing to support embattled President Nicolas Maduro, and Lavrov accusing Washington of wielding destructive influence by backing opposition leader Juan Guaido. Also on rt.com Maduro instructs military to prepare to repel US attack on Venezuela An attempted military coup by the Washington-sponsored Guaido fizzled out last week, and Maduro remains in power in Caracas. Despite President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreeing that they feel the same way on Venezuela following a phone call on Friday, talk of military action has not abated. With Russian personnel on the ground in Venezuela since March, National Security Advisor John Bolton issued a stark warning last week: This is our hemisphere its not where the Russians ought to be interfering. Later, as Trump and Putin spoke by phone, Bolton met with the rest of Trumps national security team at the Pentagon to sketch out possible scenarios for military intervention against Maduro. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Recent terror attacks delivered a huge blow for the Sri Lankan tourism industry, President Sirisena said, as the country is still on high alert after the Easter bombings in hotels and Christian churches killed over 250 people. As fears mount over the possible new terror attacks in Sri Lanka, the countrys authorities admit foreign tourists are ditching the island for alternative destinations. Its a big blow to the economy, as well as the tourism industry, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Sunday as quoted by Reuters. Cancelation rates at hotels throughout the island reached 70 percent while figures in the principal city Colombo are even more grave, Sri Lankas Tourism Bureau Chairman Kishu Gomes told Reuters, depicting the whole state of affairs as worrying. Also on rt.com Sri Lanka believes ISIS responsible for Easter attacks, 30 militants remain at large Earlier research suggested that as many as 86.2% of existing bookings to Sri Lanka hotels were canceled during the three days after the deadly blasts on Easter Sunday, according to the Forward Keys consultancy. For the past 10 years, Sri Lanka had been experiencing a tourist boom as travelers were attracted by long stretches of sandy beaches, historic temples, and rich wildlife. Alone in 2017, the tropical island was visited by over 2 million people as tourism revenues constituted 4.5% of the national GDP. Also on rt.com Sri Lankan authorities warn of another wave of attacks by persons dressed in military uniforms Sri Lanka, which has enjoyed years of relative peace since the end of the civil war a decade ago, became a top travel destination in 2019, according to Lonely Planet. Despite the current spike in violence, officials maintain the country is still capable of restoring the lost ground. For the economy to develop, its important tourism returns to where it was before the attacks, President Sirisena said. The blasts on Easter Sunday, which targeted worshipers in Christian churches and guests of luxury hotels, claimed the lives of 42 foreigners, among others. While the investigation is still in progress authorities warn of another wave of attacks possibly by people disguised as military. If you like this story, share it with a friend! As investigators begin to piece together what happened to the Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crash-landed in Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, two aviation experts told RT that certain possibilities cant be ruled out. Aeroflot Flight SU1492 left Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport on Sunday, bound for Murmansk. However, the plane returned to the airport and crash-landed in a flaming wreck after pilots reported an emergency. Aeroflot and Russias Investigative Committee have both launched probes into the incident, and a number of theories have begun to circulate, among them that the plane was struck by lightning. Its plausible but unlikely, aviation safety assessor Jacques Astre told RT. Although thunderstorms had been reported in the area earlier on Sunday, Airplanes are designed to withstand lightning strikes, he explained. Sometimes there is damage, but its very minor and not to the extent that it could cause the loss of the aircraft. Astre reckons its very likely that the fire began with an electrical fault. That view is shared by Sultan Hali, a former senior officer with the Pakistani Air Force and a veteran aviator. The usual culprit is electronic cables short-circuiting, so this could very well be an electronic fire caused by that, he told RT. Hali added that an electrical fire is one of the most horrifying things that a pilot can experience, as it can bring down communications capability. If you have lost total communication then you are on your own, he added. Also on rt.com Footage from INSIDE crash-landed Superjet-100 showing raging INFERNO emerges online Before declaring a mayday emergency, the Sukhois crew had declared a radio failure, before circling Moscow and landing hard back at Sheremetyevo. As seen in shocking video footage, the plane touched down hard and skidded along the runway, trailing a massive fireball and spewing out plumes of black smoke. The planes undercarriage collapsed as it ground to a halt on the tarmac. Also on rt.com Only 37 out of 78 survived Superjet-100 crash-landing & fire investigators Astre suggested that the enormous fireball could have been a result of the hard landing, as it was reported the plane hit the ground three times before staying down. Viewing the video, it appears to me from the flames and the smoke, that maybe the plane landed hard, compromising the fuel tanks. Leaked CCTV footage seems to back-up Astres claim, and shows the plane repeatedly smacking the runway before bursting into a massive fireball. Also on rt.com Superjet-100 plane BOUNCED, hit ground, BURST its engines during landing leaked CCTV footage Hali added that a jets undercarriage would not normally collapse had it not been already weakened by severe fire. The retired aviator added that, with little yet known about the incident, the possibility, however faint it may be, of criminal activity cannot be ruled out. Both experts gave kudos to the fire crews and emergency personnel who extinguished the blaze and treated the injured. They also paid tribute to the Aeroflot crew who managed to keep their cool and evacuate the majority of the planes 78 passengers. This was a very serious emergency and everybodys training kicked in at the right time, Astre said. Investigators have reported that of the plane's 78 passengers, only 37 survived. Earlier, the Russian Investigative Committee confirmed that 13 people, including two children, had died. Seven more were injured in the tragic incident, with three in serious condition in hospital. Two of those hospitalized are women with severe burn injuries. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! A year after President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal, its European signatories, who still honor the agreement, have expressed concern over the US decision not to extend waivers on oil trade with Tehran. We ... take note with regret and concern of the decision by the United States not to extend waivers with regards to trade in oil with Iran, France, Germany, the UK and EUs representative said in a statement. The trio said they remain committed to working on the preservation and maintenance of financial channels and exports for Iran. Also on rt.com Winners & losers from Iranian oil sanctions The Europeans reminded Washington that the Iran nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) remains a crucial element of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and therefore is essential to European security. Iran, they said, continues to be in full compliance with the agreements terms which limits the countrys nuclear research, noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) attested to that fact in 14 of their reports. After Washington re-imposed sanctions on Tehran in November last year, the US government granted eight countries six-months waivers to keep buying Iranian crude. Those waivers expired on May 1 and now those buying Iranian oil are under threat of US sanctions. Also on rt.com Heavy water and uranium enrichment: US imposes additional nuclear sanctions on Iran This week, the US also began tightening screws on foreign participation in Tehrans civil nuclear projects, introducing sanctions on foreign assistance to expand Irans Bushehr nuclear power plant, one of three civil research facilities in the country. While it is still possible to receive reduced waivers (90 days instead of 180 days), the European trio also slammed that development. The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the JCPoA it aims at having a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives of the Iranian people, they stressed in their statement. Despite a set of hostile US actions, which also included formally branding Irans revolutionary guard as a terrorist organization, the Europeans continue to encourage all countries to make their best efforts to conduct legitimate trade that JCPoA allows for, through concrete steps. Also on rt.com US designates Irans Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organization Trump Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Apart from leaking secret discussions on Huawei, notorious former defense secretary Gavin Williamson also advocated British intervention abroad, and joked about Theresa Mays health, a newspaper report has revealed. He is reported to have told fellow Tories that Theresa Mays type-1 diabetes made her unfit for her job a claim that the former cabinet member vehemently denies. The jibe came weeks before Williamson allegedly leaked details of a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Chinese tech giant Huawei, according to the Sunday Times. The remark infuriated Mays allies, one of whom said it was absolutely outrageous that he would attempt to use the prime ministers health condition against her. Others insisted that she was in good health despite having to use insulin injections at least twice a day. It is still unclear if the diatribe could cost Williamson his job. Also on rt.com Poetic justice: Sacked UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told to go away & shut up However, growing frustration over Williamsons standing wasnt restricted to his alleged attacks on Mays health. At one point, he suggested that the embattled prime minister should send Royal Navy ships to the contested waters of the South China Sea. When Downing Street rejected the call, fearing that it could start a military confrontation, Williamson allegedly scrawled f**k the prime minister on the relevant paperwork, which was reported back to Mays office. The Sunday Times has also quoted a NSC document showing that Williamson was also determined to deploy British troops to Africa. According to the paper, he wanted military chiefs to present plans for intervention in at least five African states, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt. The minister, formerly a ceramics firm director, rose quickly under May as he ran her leadership campaign in 2016. But after being appointed defense secretary, he made a name for himself by producing a flurry of indiscreet comments. Also on rt.com Minister of Offence: 7 most ill-judged & preposterous Gavin Williamson moments At times, he tried to show off his military nous by telling defense chiefs to mount really expensive gunson tractors, and use Coca-Cola lorries to disguise missile defense systems. As a politician, he unambiguously threatened to topple May, reportedly telling fellow Tories: I made her I can break her. In international arena, he provoked an array of scandals, including the one in which he notoriously told Russia to go away and shut up. The slur raised ire in the Kremlin, and was widely ridiculed by political commentators and journalists, with many branding his comments childish. Like this story? Share it with a friend! At the height of the Israeli-Gazan cross-border flare-up, the IDF tweeted pictures of children playing with toy guns who, it claimed, attended a Hamas-run pre-school. The blunt propaganda wasnt well received on social media. Hamas is robbing the children of Gaza of their future, and attempts to rob the children of Israel of theirs. We wont let them. No country would, the IDF said, releasing images of young Palestinians in green bandanas receiving what appears to be military training. While children in Israel ran for shelter from incoming rocket fire from Gaza, these children in Gaza graduated from kindergarten, the tweet added. The message, sent out as tensions spilled into Sunday after a weekend of heavy cross-border fire, immediately sparked controversy online, with many twitterattis reminding the IDF that Israel is just as guilty of indoctrinating its youth. Maybe they wouldnt need to do this if you stopped launching rockets at them, one user said, while others began posting pictures of young Israelis being briefed on how to use guns. Also on rt.com Sirens ring out & explosions heard as rockets from Gaza target Israel's south Like this story? Share it with a friend! Tehran will continue its uranium enrichment despite US pressure, the Iranian parliaments speaker has said, as Washington imposed new sanctions related to the countrys nuclear program. Under the [existing nuclear accord] Iran can produce heavy water and this is not in violation of the agreement. Therefore, we will carry on with enrichment activity, Ali Larijani, Irans parliament speaker said on Saturday, as quoted by local news agencies. The official added that Washingtons claim is only meant to serve as psychological warfare against Tehran. Also on rt.com Heavy water and uranium enrichment: US imposes additional nuclear sanctions on Iran On Friday the US State Department prohibited Iranian exports of heavy water and banned the country from all proliferation-sensitive activities, including uranium enrichment. The restrictions were made as part of the unprecedented maximum pressure campaign to address the full range of Irans destructive activities, the statement read. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal signed by Iran, the US, China and four European nuclear states allowed limited uranium enrichment and some sale of heavy water. Iran was also set to maintain several civilian nuclear facilities with the assistance of foreign specialists. Also on rt.com Winners & losers from Iranian oil sanctions Meanwhile, the fresh US sanctions also ban any assistance to expand a nuclear plant in Bushehr a site which is overseen and modernized by Russian engineers. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Hawkish intelligence chiefs who run Australias foreign policy are obsessed with Chinese interference and influence, and dismissing them is necessary to finally improve relations with Beijing, a retired prime minister urged. When the security agencies are running foreign policy, the nutters are in charge, Paul Keating told the ABC. The politician, who served as prime minister back in the 1990s, has singled out the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) and said secret services lost their strategic bearings. Also on rt.com China bans Australian coal imports as diplomatic tensions over Huawei intensify Keating, who has long advocated better ties with China, said people in charge of Australias intelligence services had gone berko over the perceived Chinese threat, adding the solution could be as simple as that. You'd clean them out. You'd clean them out, he reiterated. Australias relations with China are somewhat strained today as both countries locked horns over a number of issues. Most recently, Australia banned Huawei, Chinas leading tech giant, from its own 5G network development, as did the US, New Zealand and Japan. In response, Chinas biggest port of Dalian introduced caps on Australian coal imports. Other port facilities across the country extended clearing times for coal shipments from Australia to at least 40 days. Trade tensions aside, there were reports that ASIO had been targeting the Australian Chinese community. The publications came on the back of another row involving billionaire and political donor Huang Xiangmo, who was stripped of his Australian permanent residency permit while he was overseas. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! A Venezuelan military helicopter has crashed, killing all seven people on board. The deceased include three captains, two majors and two lieutenant-colonels. The Cougar Siglas helicopter was flying from Caracas to San Carlos, in the state of Cojedes. The helicopter crashed shortly after leaving the Venezuelan capital in a wooded area of the Caracas municipality of El Hatillo. Nicolas Maduro has expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of the worthy officers of the country who have lost their lives in the incident. On Saturday Maduro was overseeing training exercises in El Pao, Cojedes state. He accused Washington and supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido of conspiracy to weaken, divide and destroy the Bolivarian Armed Forces from within with lots of money. He urged the soldiers to say no to traitors. Also on rt.com Maduro instructs military to prepare to repel US attack on Venezuela Guaido called for the ouster of Maduro last Tuesday, claiming that the military was on his side, but that attempt failed after two days of protests as the army remained predominantly faithful to the elected president. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Washingtons irresponsible plan to overthrow the Caracas government by force would result in a catastrophe, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned, calling on the US to stick to the international law on Venezuela. US attempt to topple Venezuelan govt by force would lead to grave consequences Lavrov US attempt to topple Venezuelan govt by force would lead to grave consequences Lavrov Source : RT - Daily news The Russian economy has enjoyed increased Chinese investment as Western sanctions have pushed Beijing closer to Moscow, according to a report released by the US Department of Defense. Despite the 136-page document dedicated to China's armed forces and Washington's concerns over Beijing's growing clout, including its economic strength, the US military did not forget to mention Russia, with which China partnered to mitigate US pressure tactics. It also reminded that Moscow and Beijing often make a joint front against US propositions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as they both share a preference for a multipolar world order. In the wake of Western sanctions against Russia, China has increased investment in Russia's economy, the Pentagon report states. Also on rt.com Russian banks join Chinese alternative to SWIFT payment system The document also mentions China's massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), formerly known as One Belt One Road (OBOR), saying that the country may use the megaproject to create military advantages. It also claims that the initiative is intended to shape other countries' interests to align with China's as well as silence confrontation or criticism against it. The Russian-Chinese cooperation has been rapidly growing in recent years. Last year trade turnover between the two countries hit a record $108 billion, demonstrating a growth of around 25 percent, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in April. He also stressed that Sino-Russian cooperation has reached a historically high level, and could serve an example for others. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section The Venezuelan opposition had underestimated its support in the military, Juan Guaido has admitted after the failed coup attempt, adding that hed welcome US-backed military intervention if Washington decides to pursue that path. Guaido and his supporters suffered an embarrassing defeat on Tuesday after the US-backed politician called on the military and the opposition to rise up and oust President Nicolas Maduro from power. Despite the defection of a few dozen servicemen, the armed forces stayed loyal to the elected president and refused to capitulate to Guaidos calls. Following clashes in and around the capital, Maduro announced defeat of the coup plotters, forcing the opposition to retreat. Also on rt.com Coup fizzles? Guaidos mentor takes refuge in Chilean embassy as 25 military seek asylum in Brazils The so-called self-proclaimed president admitted that he had miscalculated the degree of loyalty the soldiers have for Maduro. I think the variables [of the failed coup attempt] are obvious at this point, the 35-year-old politician told The Washington Post on Saturday. The opposition failed maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, he said. The soft-ball article also has Guaido discussing possibly a negative effect that his mentor Leopoldo Lopez had when he joined the protesters. He insisted that he was not arrested when calling for a coup in Caracas, because Maduro is scared. Also on rt.com Maduro instructs military to prepare to repel US attack on Venezuela As far as the future options for the opposition, Guaido said he would welcome US military support as long as they stand alongside Venezuelan forces, who are just refusing to turn coats. If Washington does extend its military hand to dissidents, Guaido promised to take that option to the opposition-run National Assembly for approval. Also on rt.com After Venezuela coup failure, officials & mainstream media desperately spinning explanations Despite an apparent defeat of Venezuelas opposition, the US Secretary of State on Saturday once again called on Maduro to cede power, blaming Russia and Cuban support for the alleged suffering of Venezuelans, who, despite all the pressure, continue to remain loyal to Bolivarian ideals. Both Russia and Cuba denied any involvement in Venezuelan affairs, while Caracas continues to pin the blame for the dire socio-economic conditions on American policies. The economy of the South American nation has been in steady decline since the sharp drop in oil prices in 2014. At the same time, Caracas has been under constant pressure from US sanctions, aimed at President Maduro and his government. The decline of the economy led to the devaluation of the national currency and to shortages of food, medicine and other basic goods. The worsening socio-economic conditions triggered a substantial outflow of Venezuelans to neighboring countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Warren Buffett on May 4 signaled his commitment to Kraft Heinz Co and defended his actions toward Wells Fargo & Co, two of the largest investments at his Berkshire Hathaway Inc, despite mistakes at both that have caused many investors to sour on them. Buffett, 88, spoke before tens of thousands of people at Berkshire's annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, the centerpiece of a weekend of shareholder events, where he and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 95, were fielding several hours of shareholder and analyst questions. Kraft Heinz has been a thorn for Berkshire, which in February took a $3 billion writedown on its 26.7 percent stake, because of the packaged food company's inability to keep up with changing consumer tastes and reliance on older brands such as Oscar Mayer and Jell-O. The company was created from the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz, the latter of which had been owned by Berkshire and Brazil's 3G Capital, which runs Kraft Heinz day-to-day. Buffett defended 3G's management, saying the combined company is doing well operationally, and that its current problems cannot be blamed on a lack of investment. But he also maintained that "we paid too much money" for Kraft. "You can turn any investment into a bad deal by paying too much," he said, while adding it was "not inconceivable" Berkshire could partner with 3G again on a transaction. He said 3G had more willingness to take on leverage and "pay up," but in many cases also had "way better operators." 'MISTAKES' AT WELLS FARGO Buffett, who became famous in 1991 for criticizing Salomon Inc's practices and becoming interim chairman to right the mess, also faced a question about his relative silence about Wells Fargo, where Berkshire owns a nearly 10-percent stake. Wells Fargo has spent more than 2-1/2 years addressing fallout from mistreating its customers, including by creating fake accounts, losing two chief executives in the process, including Tim Sloan in March. Buffett repeated that Wells Fargo "made some big mistakes" in its sales practices, and that "when you find a problem, you have to do something about it." He also said chief executives who make big mistakes shouldn't walk away with their wealth. But many questionable Wells Fargo practices long predated Sloan's becoming chief executive, and Buffett and Munger have defended him. "I don't think people ought to go to jail for honest errors of judgment," Munger said, calling Sloan an "accidental casualty." BIG PROFITS, BIG BUYBACKS Berkshire also reported on Saturday that gains in its stock investments fueled a $21.66 billion profit in the first quarter. Operating income, a better measure of Berkshire's business performance, rose 5 percent, helped by the Geico auto insurer and BNSF railroad, though it fell just shy of analyst forecasts. Buffett said margins at Precision Castparts, which Berkshire bought for $32.1 billion in 2016, have been lower than he had expected, but he projected they would improve. Results excluded Kraft Heinz because that company has not released its own quarterly results, Buffett said. Berkshire also repurchased $1.7 billion of stock, reflecting Buffett's difficulty in finding better uses for the company's $114.2 billion cash hoard. Buffett acknowledged he would be willing to repurchase $100 billion of stock if it became cheap enough, and Munger predicted Berkshire would become "more liberal" with buybacks. Mario Gabelli, chief executive of GAMCO Investors Inc, said Buffett is struggling with "how do I buy a business with the uncertainty that the multiples I'm paying today are sustainable five to seven years from now." Munger also lamented Berkshire's failure to invest in Google, now part of Alphabet Inc, saying "I feel like a horse's ass for not identifying Google earlier." Berkshire's more than 90 businesses and roughly 389,000 employees make the company a barometer for the US economy, and a report card for one of the world's most revered investors. NOT JUST BUSINESS The shareholder weekend is not all business. Buffett on Saturday morning made his usual slow-motion crawl, with a crowd of reporters and photographers in tow, through an exhibit hall where shareholders could buy Berkshire-owned products, including 20,000 pounds of See's candies and 28,752 Dairy Queen bars. "We love you Warren," shareholders shouted as Buffett nibbled a Dairy Queen vanilla orange bar. People lined up before midnight to get early access to the best seats at the arena, which opened at 7 am. Daphne Kalir-Starr, 9, a fourth-grader from New York City, lined up with her father at 11 pm. on May 3 night, along with her sleeping bag. It's her third time to see Buffett. "I really like hearing from great investors," she said. "Even though he wasn't really recognized at the beginning, he kept working at it." Bela Chowdhury, 49, came from Kolkata, India, with other students from a nonprofit group that promotes financial literacy for women. "He is the ultimate guru," she said. Meanwhile, Luke On, a University of Toronto finance undergraduate, said he lined up at 10 p.m. on Friday. "I have no place to stay and wanted to save money, but I wanted to see Warren and Charlie," he said. Representative image Militants shot dead BJP's district vice-president Gul Mohammed Mir in his house in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on May 4 night, police said. Giving details, the police said three militants came to his house in Nowgam Verinag area and asked for the keys for his car. While driving the vehicle away, they pumped bullets into Mir, who was popular in the area as 'Atal', they said. A police official said Mir was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. The area has been cordoned off to nab the suspects, the official said. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP, in a statement, expressed deepest condolences to Mir's family and demanded strict action against "ill elements who are spoiling peace in valley and killing innocent people". NC vice-president Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also condemned Mir's killing. "I condemn this dastardly act of violence and pray for the soul of the departed, Allah Jannat naseeb karey (May God grant him a place in heaven)... Gul Mohd Mir was the district vice president of the BJP state unit. May his family and loved ones find strength at this difficult time," Abdullah tweeted. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti posted on Twitter, "I strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4India leader Gul Muhammad Mir in Verinag, South Kashmir. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul." Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir also condemned Mir's killing and described the incident as "mindless, cowardice and shameful act". He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family, a party spokesman said. Representative image Union minister Virendra Singh Khatik and BJP MP Prahlad Patel are among the 110 candidates whose fate would be decided in polling to be held across seven seats in Madhya Pradesh on May 6. This will be the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh, the first phase having been held on April 29. Total 15,240 polling booths have been set up across the seven constituencies - Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul - where 1.19 crore people, including 18,822 service voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise, an election official said. Of the 110 candidates, 14 are in the fray in Tikamgarh, 15 in Damoh, 17 in Khajuraho, 21 in Satna, 23 in Rewa, 11 in Hoshangabad and nine in Betul, an Election Commission official said. Khatik is the BJP candidate from Tikamgarh while Patel, the former Union minister and sitting MP, is the party's nominee from Damoh. They are pitted against the Congress' Kiran Ahirwar and Pratap Singh Lodhi, respectively. The Election Commission has also ordered repolling on Monday in Sidhi Lok Sabha seat's booth number 185 located at Demha village, following complaints of irregularities during voting held there on April 29, state's additional chief electoral officer Sandeep Yadav said. The high-decibel campaign for the seven constituencies saw top BJP and Congress leaders campaigning for their respective party candidates. All these seats located in the state's Bundelkhand region are currently held by the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally at Hoshangabad for BJP candidate and sitting MP Rao Uday Pratap Singh, while Congress president Rahul Gandhi canvassed support for his party's nominee Diwan Shailendra Singh. Gandhi also held rallies in Rewa, Tikamgarh, Damoh and Khajuraho. BJP president Amit Shah addressed public meetings in Rewa, Tikamgarh and Khajuraho. Lok Sabha elections for 29 seats in MP are being held in four phases. Polling for six seats was held in the first phase on April 29, while eight seats each will go to polls on May 12 and 19. In 2014, the BJP won 27 seats in the state while the Congress bagged two seats. The Congress later increased its tally to three after wresting Ratlam seat from the BJP in a bypoll. The Congress, which came to power in the state in December last year after 15 years, hopes to carry forward the winning momentum while the BJP hopes to repeat its 2014 showing. Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh May 5 said there was no record to suggest that any of the suicide bombers, who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, had visited Kashmir as claimed by the Army chief of the island nation. Singh said they have not received any information from the Island nation through diplomatic channel but the persons whose names appeared on social media have not travelled to Kashmir. "We have checked and there is no information about them having visited here," Singh said, adding immigration records were re-visited after the terrorist attacks and none of the bombers had visited Kashmir. He was reacting to a day after claims were made by Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, on BBC that "they (the suspects) have gone to India, they've gone to Kashmir, Bangalore, they've travelled to Kerala state. Those are the information available with us." Singh said that the army chief of Sri Lanka should send whatever evidence they have, through diplomatic channels, and that he would look into it. Some officials of the central security agencies said that about a dozen Sri Lankan nationals had come to Kashmir Valley this year and their credentials have been re-checked after the April 21 bombings in three churches and three luxury hotels killed 253 people and injured over 500 others. However, there could be a possibility of the bombers visiting the state using pseudonym, one of the officials said, adding if Sri Lanka hands over some evidence, it can be verified from the ground. Sri Lanka Army's chief has said that some of the suicide bombers, who carried out the country's worst terror attack, visited Kashmir and Kerala for "some sorts of training" or to "make some more links" with other foreign outfits. It is the first time that a top Sri Lankan security official has confirmed the militants' visit to India which had shared intelligence inputs with Colombo ahead of the attack. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out the series of blasts. Akbar al baker, Qatar Airways CEO Qatar will not grant visas to those it considers "enemies", the secretary-general of the National Tourism Council said in reference to Egyptians seeking to enter the country amid an ongoing political rift. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the allegation. While citizens from the three Gulf states were recalled to their home countries due to the rift, Egyptians, who make up the largest Arab minority in Qatar, have remained and make up a sizable portion of the tiny but wealthy country's workforce. Speaking at an event to promote a summer tourism campaign, the tourism council's Akbar al-Baker said Qatar would not let Egyptians enter the country to take part in promotions aimed at boosting its tourism industry. "The visa will not be open for our enemies - it will be open for our friends," Baker said of Egyptians looking to come. "Are visas open for us to go there? No. So why should we open it for them? Everything is reciprocal." The comments were the first by a Qatari official since the nearly two-year rift began suggesting Qatar would no longer grant visas to people from Egypt, the most populous Arab country. Qatar has not said it would deport Egyptian residents already in the country and the comments did not suggest a policy shift that could endanger their status. Many Egyptians say the visa process has been effectively closed to them since 2017, with narrow exceptions made for the immediate family members of residents and for specifically approved events. The interior ministry was not immediately available for comment. Qatar has a population of around 2.7 million but just over 300,000 nationals, and does not publish statistics breaking down population by nationality. A 2017 report by a private consultancy estimated Egyptians at 200,000. "When you open your arms to Qatar, Qatar will open its arms even bigger for you. But if you become an adversary of Qatar, then we will also treat you as an adversary," Baker said. May 05, 2019 Israel Again Bombs Gaza - But Is It "In Response"? Since Friday noon a fire exchange between besieged Palestinians in the Gaza strip and Israel escalated into heavy bombing and missile fire. The reporting thereof in U.S. media again proves that these are unable to fairly cover on the conflict. Jeff Bezos' blog headlines: More than 200 rockets fired into Israel from Gaza; Israel responds, killing 3 The first graph: Militants in Gaza fired more than 250 rockets into southern Israel on Saturday, and Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery fire, ending weeks of relative calm and threatening efforts to forge a long-term truce. Most readers do not read further than the headline and maybe the first paragraph. Their impression will understandably be that "militants in Gaza" started the fight and that the Zionists "responded". But that is far from the truth. One has to read down to the fifteenth paragraph to learn that those 'facts' are probably false: The Israeli military reported on Friday that two soldiers were lightly wounded in a shooting incident along its border with Gaza. In response, Israel struck sites belonging to the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamass military wing, killing two fighters. Also on Friday, two Palestinian protesters were killed taking part in ongoing weekly demonstrations at the border fence with Israel, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Note the sequencing. The exchange is again described as a "response" by Israel. The two murdered demonstrators, who were unarmed and posed no threat to Israel, are mentioned as an aside. But is was their murder, by Israeli snipers, that actually started the escalating violence: Its a reply to the Israeli targeting of peaceful civilians yesterday by Israeli snipers during the 58th Friday of Great March of Return, said Basem Naim, a member of Hamass bureau for international relations, referring to the weekly protests staged in Gaza since last year. Also, to the procrastination policies of the occupation toward lifting the siege on Gaza. A second story at Bezos' blog, filed later, follows the same scheme though its first paragraph is slightly more neutral. It is headlined: Death toll rises as Gaza militants fire more than 400 rockets into Israel and Israel responds with airstrikes An escalation in fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza over the weekend also brought with it a growing death toll Sunday, with reports that six Palestinians, including a pregnant mother and a baby, had been killed by Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave and one Israeli man killed as more than 450 rockets and projectiles were fired into southern Israel from Gaza. In the following paragraphs there are eight statements attributed to the Israeli side and one from Palestinians. The Friday murder of two Palestinian civilians is only mentioned in paragraph sixteen. The New York Times is equally partisan with the headline also falsely claiming that Israeli "responds": Gaza Militants Fire 250 Rockets, and Israel Responds With Airstrikes Palestinian militants launched about 250 rockets and mortars into southern Israel from Gaza on Saturday, and the Israeli military responded with airstrikes and tank fire against targets across the Palestinian territory, as tensions along the volatile border boiled over and a fragile cease-fire faltered again. The piece also gives ample room to Israeli military claims. The murder of the two Palestinians on Friday, the immediate cause of the exchange, is mentioned as an aside in the fifteenth paragraph: Saturdays escalation in violence came a day after two Israeli soldiers were wounded by a Gaza sniper and four Palestinians were killed. Two were shot by Israeli forces during Fridays weekly protest along the fence dividing the Palestinian coastal territory from Israel, according to Gaza health officials. This fake reporting saying that Israel "responds" is nothing new. As Louis Allday wrote in 2011: If one consults only mainstream media for information on the conflict in Palestine, what is immediately striking is that Israel appears to be in a permanent state of retaliation a phrase which immediately confers at least a modicum of legitimacy or justification upon the act to which it refers. Israel is never presented as the aggressor and however much its actions are condemned which they are by some mainstream sources they are invariably portrayed as a reaction to some form of provocation. Conversely, missiles launched from the Gaza Strip or southern Lebanon are habitually portrayed as attacks never retaliations, even if Israel has launched a devastating missile strike immediately prior to the event as so often is the case. The public is subliminally conditioned to understand that Israel is a permanent victim that on occasion is forced to lash out in response to the ostensibly irrational and unruly aggression of illegitimate non-state actors that encircle it. This warped and cursory reporting by U.S. media of the conflicts launched by Israel is contrasted by reporting in Israeli itself. This Haaretz writeup of this weekend's escalation, while also partisan, is way more informative than any reporting from the U.S. side. It explains the political background of the struggle: Hamas Twists Israel's Arm Right Before the Eurovision and Independence Day Killing of Hamas operatives, delay in Qatari money transfer spurred a significant escalation The escalation between Israel and the Gaza factions over the weekend more than 400 rockets fired at Israel, a broad bombing of Gaza by the air force, seven Palestinians killed and six Israelis wounded reflects an attempt by Hamas to address its economic woes by putting military pressure on Israel at a sensitive time. ... To understand whats happening, its crucial to revisit events from before the April 9 election. In recent months, Egyptian intelligence officials have been mediating between Israel and Hamas in an attempt to reach long-term agreements. The Palestinians would put a complete stop to airborne firebombs and rockets, while Israel would ease movement through border crossings, allow large sums of Qatari money into the Gaza Strip and take steps to accommodate large-scale, internationally-financed projects in Gaza to improve the crumbling infrastructure. At a later stage, talks over a prisoner swap would be renewed. Ahead of the election, and in light of the promises by Benjamin Netanyahus government in the hopes of avoiding a conflict as Israelis voted, Hamas held its fire. But the payoff didnt arrive at a pace that satisfied the Palestinians. Israel wasnt quick to meet its commitments. The concessions at the border crossings were anything but swift, the number of trucks bringing goods into Gaza every day was modest, and efforts to increase the electricity supply hadnt yet begun. An unfortunately paywalled Haaretz opinion piece draws the correct historic comparison: The Gaza Ghetto Uprising In this case it is undoubtedly the Palestinian side that is responding to Israeli violence. But even if Palestinians would fire missiles without an immediate cause it would be within the full rights of the Palestinian people. In its 1982 Resolution 37/43 the General Assembly of the United Nations reaffirmed: the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle; The UN GA resolution is standing international law. The Palestinian people have the right to resist against the occupation force. In practice as well as legally Israel is a colonial entity that occupies Palestinian land, especially in Gaza and the West Bank. Any armed struggle by Palestinians against the occupation, provoked or not, is thus morally and legally justified. But do not expect that any 'western' mainstream media will ever point that out. Posted by b on May 5, 2019 at 12:23 UTC | Permalink Comments May 05, 2019 The MoA Week In Review - OT 2019-25 April 29 - Baghdadi Is Back And Turkey Might Be His Next Target In today's WaPo: Guaido says opposition overestimated military support for uprising No kidding! Caitlin Johnstone - Venezuela: Establishment Talking Points Translation Key --- Other stuff: Tim Shorrock on the North Korean embassy raid: Did the CIA Orchestrate an Attack on the North Korean Embassy in Spain? - The Nation A mostly good roundup on the 737 MAX by The Verge: Redline - The many human errors that brought down the Boeing 737 MAX. But is this really a 'human error'? The episode underscores what The Seattle Times found after a review of documents and interviews with more than a dozen current and former Boeing engineers who have been involved in airplane certification in recent years, including on the 737 MAX: Many engineers, employed by Boeing while officially designated to be the FAAs eyes and ears, faced heavy pressure from Boeing managers to limit safety analysis and testing so the company could meet its schedule and keep down costs. That pressure increased when the FAA stopped dealing directly with those designated employees called Authorized Representatives or ARs and let Boeing managers determine what was presented to the regulatory agency. Who could have known? Capt. Sullenberger: "in this ultra-cost-competitive global aviation industry, when it comes to costs, nothing is more costly than an accident. Nothing." Bloomberg has a rage against Chinese made computer equipment. A 2018 story, The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies, was denied by everyone involved, including Apple and Amazon who use the Chinese made computers. Recently Bloomberg made claims about a "backdoor" in Huawei equipment: The West Finally Has Its Huawei Smoking Gun. The "backdoor" turned out to be a diagnostics Telnet port on the non-public (LAN) side of some 3G access equipment. A non-issue that was found and fixed in 2011/2012. The always snarky Register responds: Sinister secret backdoor found in networking gear perfect for government espionage: The Chinese are oh no, wait, it's Cisco again - Better ban this gear from non-US core networks, right? NASA did not renew its contract for rides on the Russian Soyuz missiles to the International Space Station: Russia to End U.S. Space Station Rides in April, Pressuring NASA. It was not concerned as SpaceX and Boeing were under contract to build new vehicles to transport U.S. astronauts. But now both projects are late and SpaceX just destroyed its crew capsule during a ground test. That will cause more delays. Will the 50% U.S. made space stations no longer have U.S. astronauts? Bonus: The younger generation now tells me how tough things are, give me a break ... I have no empathy - Joe Biden (video) Excellent campaign slogan Joe. Excellent: Use as open thread ... Posted by b on May 5, 2019 at 17:08 UTC | Permalink Comments next page What prompted the shooting is unknown, Williams said. For now, he said, the department and community are struggling to understand Sheldons loss. Getting a call like I got last night is one of those you fear as a police chief, he said. Last night we lost one of our brothers in arms Its going to be a difficult week for us You cant prepare for what were experiencing emotionally. He said the community is in mourning but the MPD has received an overwhelming amount of support from across the state. Ive talked to about half the chiefs in North Carolina, he said. Williams also thanked agencies for stepping in and helping with calls in the aftermath of the shooting. He said the Iredell Sheriffs Office and North Carolina Highway Patrol both stepped in to handle calls, and he received offers of assistance from several nearby police departments, including Statesville. MOORESVILLE Richard A. Welke, of Mooresville, passed away early Monday morning April 29, 2019. Richard was born Jan. 24, 1925, in Elmhurst, N.Y., at home, and delivered by his grandmother during a total eclipse of the sun. His parents were Rudolph and Helen (Kraus) Welke. He attended high school in Highland Falls, N.Y., and received a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from New York University. Richard proudly served in World War II, on the front lines in France and Germany from 1943 to 1946. He served as a Field Lineman for the 100th Infantry Division, 399th Regiment Company and received many honors and decorations for his valor. This includes the Combat Infantry Badge, two Bronze Metals for bravery under fire, as well as the Republic of France's highest honor awarded to foreign soldiers, The Legion of Honor. He married Marilyn Meslin in 1950, and raised his family in Wyckoff, N.J., from 1953 to 1984, and owned his own steel deck business, General Deck Inc. He was a member of the Lions Club and was a 65-year member of the Masonic Lodge of Wyckoff, N.J. They moved to Palm Harbor, Fla., from 1984 to 1998. After his wife Marilyn passed away in 1998, he became a proud citizen of Mooresville, where he has resided for the last 21 years. He was active in the local Exchange Club, a member of the Broad Street United Methodist Church, worked for the law firm of Homesley, Goodman and Wingo for many years, and was a regular at the Military Veteran's group at Richard's Coffee Shop. In 2018 he was inducted into the North Carolina Military Veterans Hall of Fame in Charlotte. He was passionate about supporting all military and veteran organizations and events, even riding in the Mooresville Veteran's Day Parade for many consecutive years. He had two children, Robert A Welke, who predeceased him in 1996, and Carolyn Underwood who currently lives in Mooresville with her husband, Robert Underwood; and four surviving granddaughters, Valentene P Reily of Irvine, Calif., Elizabeth (Welke) Lindsey, Carley Welke and Hayley Welke. Everyone who met him loved him. He was the most kind and loving man I'd ever known and would do anything for anyone. His kindness was contagious. He often said, "A stranger is only a friend I haven't met yet". He will be missed dearly by everyone. He will be honored at Richard's Coffee Shop Saturday, May 11, at 2 p.m., by family and friends. No need for formality, come as you are. This is a celebration of his life, and a well lived life it was. Any additional information about discipline is not public record. Under North Carolina law, a city employees personnel file is not public record, with certain exceptions. For instance, if an employee is suspended for disciplinary reasons, only the fact and date of such suspension is public record. When the law says the public is not entitled to more from the personnel file, that law also applies to the members of the City Council we are not allowed to look into those files to any greater extent than the rest of the public. It is important to note that the Council has adopted specified pay ranges for City job positions, and that Jim Smith was hired by the City Manager at a salary well below the median range for the position of CoMMA Director. He continues to earn well below the median. The Council understands that Jim Smiths starting salary of $70,000 was based on job-market conditions, and was in no way related to his claimed advanced degrees. Tom Craddicks bill that sets aside money for initiatives in areas significantly impacted by oil and gas production overwhelmingly passed the House on Thursday. The Craddick-authored House Joint Resolution 82, received 121 votes in support (100 are required for constitutional amendments). HJR 82 creates the Generate Reoccurring Oil Wealth (GROW) Texas fund. The bill calls for a commission to administer funds and advise the Legislature on making appropriations to address infrastructure needs related to safety, health care and education initiatives in those production-impacted regions. The bill heads to the Senate, and if it passes, Texans will vote on the amendment in November. We appreciate Rep. Craddick's leadership on this crucial piece of legislation, the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance stated in an emailed newsletter. Craddick stated in the information promoting the bill that the economic stabilization fund (ESF) or rainy day fund is projected to reach a record high balance of $15 billion at the end of the 2020-21 biennium because of the extraordinary growth in oil and gas tax revenue collected over the last decade. Those regions where production has taken place, including the Permian Basin, have experienced significant challenges that limit the growth of the energy sector and could pose a significant threat to the industrys long-term success, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article. Craddick said he has no idea about what to expect from the Senate, whose leaders may be leery about setting aside money destined for the ESF. He told the Reporter-Telegram on Thursday if a constitutional election is to take place that he has a commitment from oil and gas companies to help fund the campaign to educate the electorate about the issues. If approved by the Legislature and then voters, HJR 82 requires the comptroller to reduce the amount of general revenue to be transferred to the ESF by 12 percent to the credit of the GROW Texas fund subject to a cap of $250 million each biennium. At the end of that biennium, the comptroller will return to the ESF any unobligated and unappropriated money that remains in the GROW Texas fund. Total potential GROW Texas Fund uses amount to $500 million to $600 million a year, according to figures from a Permian Basin-specific study conducted by the Permian Strategic Partnership. These uses include roads and other infrastructure, education and health care. EL CENTRO, Calif. (AP) A convicted drug trafficker implicated in the 1985 torture and killing of a DEA agent was arrested in Mexico and returned to California to face a charge of probation violation. Ezequiel Godinez-Cervantes, 77, was arrested Wednesday in Mexicali by authorities acting on information from the FBI that he had crossed the border, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Godinez was handed over to U.S. authorities at the border and arraigned Thursday in federal court in El Centro. It was unclear whether he has a lawyer. Godinez was wanted since last year for probation violations involving a 1997 federal court case in California, court records indicate. That case involved a previous prison-escape conviction, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Godinez, a Texas native, was a member of the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel, Baja California state police indicated. The cartel was implicated in the 1985 kidnapping, torture and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in Mexico. Witnesses implicated Godinez, although he was never charged with the killing, the Union-Tribune said. The same witnesses implicated him in the 1984 kidnap-killings of four Jehovah's Witnesses as they sold religious books door-to-door in Mexico. But Godinez also wasn't charged in their deaths, the paper reported. In the 1990s, he was charged with the 1985 slayings of two U.S. residents in Guadalajara. The men, one from Texas and the other from Minnesota, unwittingly entered a bar where drug traffickers were partying and were stabbed with ice picks and beaten to death. Godinez was arrested in Texas in 1996, but the charges against him were dropped the next year. Godinez also was convicted of federal drug trafficking charges in Texas in the 1990s. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, or China's Cabinet, on Sunday announced guidelines on the promotion of integrated urban-rural development. China has made great headway in advancing urbanization and balancing development between rural and urban areas since the 18th National Congress of the CPC. However, barriers hindering integrated urban-rural development still exist. Dongjin new zone, Xiangyang, Hubei Province. [File photo: IC] The guidelines are aimed at eradicating such barriers to promote rural revitalization and speeding up the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. The systems and mechanisms for promoting integrated urban-rural development should begin to take shape by 2022. The country will also gradually eliminate restrictions on urban settlement, according to the guidelines. China aims to put in place more sound systems and mechanisms for promoting integrated urban-rural development by 2035. The urban-rural gap in development and living standards will be remarkably reduced. By the middle of the century, China will meet the goal of realizing the comprehensive integration of urban-rural areas and rural revitalization and basically realize the target of achieving shared prosperity for everyone. To achieve these ambitious goals, China will break barriers that restrict the free flow of resources -- such as capital, talents, information -- between urban and rural areas, and inject new impetus to the countryside. China will deepen household registration reforms, relax restrictions on urban settlement except for several mega-cities, promote coordinated development between cities and towns, as well as increase the population carrying capacity and attractiveness of mid- and small-sized cities. The country will also make cities more inclusive and help migrant workers settle into city life. China will implement incentive policies to attract talents to work or start businesses in rural areas. The country will continue to deepen and improve rural land reform and allow farmers to turn their land-use rights into shares in farming enterprises or cooperatives. China will also improve financial services in rural areas, and support the issuance of government bonds by local authorities to finance public welfare projects on integrated urban-rural development. Considering that public services are weak in rural areas, China will establish and improve its systems and mechanisms to channel more resources there. China will establish a mechanism to balance the allocation of educational resources and prioritize developing education in rural areas. Provincial-level governments are encouraged to build a supplementary mechanism for unified selection of rural teachers and send more outstanding college graduates to rural schools. The country will improve the medical and health service system in rural areas, efforts will be made to increase the attractiveness of grassroots medical jobs and training of rural medical workers will be strengthened. China will also improve the public cultural service system and channel more cultural resources to rural areas. Cultural workers and volunteers are encouraged to participate in the cultural development in rural areas. The guidelines also call for improving the unified urban and rural social security system, coordinating urban and rural social assistance systems and establishing rural governance mechanisms. Institution and mechanism will be established to promote the integrated development of urban and rural infrastructure, with priority given to rural areas. To promote diversified economic development in rural area, the country will continue to protect its agriculture, establish a cultivation mechanism for new industries and build a platform for integrated development of urban and rural industries. The country will also expand the channels to raise farmers' income and constantly narrow the gap in the living standard of urban and rural residents. Employment discrimination will be eliminated, more jobs created and business opportunities increased to form an environment for promoting income increase for farmers, according to the guidelines. Grammy Award-winning Los Texmaniacs took over The Lonesome Rose on Saturday night with their signature jazz/rock Tejano sounds and had the crowd embracing their inner Mexican. The band explores the beauty of U.S.-Mexico border life with collections of conjunto-based songs, according to their Facebook page. Alamo City avocado fiends showed the many ways they enjoy their favorite fruit on Saturday at the San Antonio Avocado Fest. Chefs prepared tasty dishes featuring avocados that included guacamole, quesadillas, avocado melts, nachos and various types of desserts. NISKAYUNA - When President Donald Trump calls journalists the "enemy of people", fake news about child abuse in a pizza shop led to an armed break-in, and an attacker with a grudge against the Capital Gazette newspaper killed five people last June, press freedom is a topic of the times. Sixty-three journalists were killed around the world last year. The U.S. is now the top fifth deadliest place to be a journalist - after Afghanistan, Syria, Mexico, Yemen and on par with India. Last Thursday before World Press Freedom Day, a dozen progressive political groups in Niskayuna organized a panel of experts to grapple with tough questions: Can the First Amendment really protect us? How to stop fake news? What are journalistic standards? Most of the audience filling Niskayuna Town Hall were on the political left - one organizer mentioned "10,000 lies and counting", referencing a report about Trump's alleged falsehoods without mentioning his name. One audience member, though, critiqued whether the press could be independent when beholden to advertisers. "It seems to me that the independence you speak of is not really credible because there is a dependence of mainstream media on mass consumption and government support...how can you claim independence of journalism is a good thing? Shouldn't people be able to say, your reporters are not performing the service they claim to be performing?" said Mark Swiencicky. Journalists on the panel said they welcomed criticism but contradicted Swiencicky's statement that news outlets like the Times Union were dependent on political advertising. One of the event's organizers Mary Panzetta questioned whether it was okay for a news outlet to run an ad for Trump memorabilia - referencing a screenshot she took last week from the website of Sinclair-owned CBS6. Panzetta is part of grassroots group Sinclair Stoppers that protested outside the local TV station against corporate ownership after a viral video last year showed broadcasters reading a mandated message about fake news being dangerous to democracy. Another rally planned after Thursday's panel was cancelled, but Panzetta said she will keep protesting. A Sinclair spokesman told the Times Union: "We support fully the First Amendment and the peaceful exercise of it. Here at CBS 6, our team of journalists is focused on fact-based reporting and we pride ourselves on doing so day in and day out." During the panelists' talks, Albany Law School associate professor Robert Heverly said the First Amendment protects the press from Congress but not from social media. "One of our problems is falsities, fake news, propaganda spread online. Websites and services play a significant though not complete role in the spread of disinformation. One person writes it, another likes it, another spreads it, and it's viral," Heverly said. What the First Amendment doesn't prohibit is lying, Heverly said. And he said the now obsolete "fairness doctrine" that required balanced perspectives on public broadcasters, and media monopolies are not addressed by the First Amendment, he said. "We must insist on a free press that is a robust press with many voices from disparate corners of society," Heverly said. "We must insist that the free press is there to serve us, the people, not money, not greed, not control, not power." Retired Times Union editor Rob Brill said the "news is under assault like never before in my experience". People don't believe reputed news sources, much of what's published on social media is not verified and some is deliberately deceitful, he said. But Brill said journalistic standards still hold true. "Journalism is a work in progress. It's a goal and it's something we strive for," he said. "We share a commitment to get it right and to be truthful and honest." Journalists hold to a basic code of ethics: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable and transparent, explained Judy Patrick, former editor and senior vice president at The Daily Gazette who is now vice president for editorial development at the New York Press Association. Journalists need to be trustworthy in order to be believed and independent from government interference, Patrick said. Journalists also "must work harder and better" to move past "pack journalism", said Cailin Brown, a former Times Union reporter who is chair of the communications department at The College of St. Rose. She mentioned a Harvard Kennedy School report that found how serious news coverage - or lack thereof - influenced the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Brown emphasized the role of the public in journalistic integrity. "Tweet only what you know is true, share only what you know is accurate, post only the real, and demand good work from your local news outlets," she said. Libby Post, president of advocacy firm Communication Services, put the onus not only on citizens but on social media platforms. Late last week, Facebook banned some far-right conservatives, who Trump defended on Twitter. "In order for us to end fake news, we have the responsibility to post what we know is true but the platforms need to choose quality over quantity in terms of content," Post said. Voters in the Conroe Independent School District struck down an $807 million bond, while residents in several other area districts, including Cypress-Fairbanks, agreed to tax hikes to build and improve schools, according to preliminary election results Saturday night. About 54 percent of Montgomery County ballots were cast against the Conroe ISD measure that sought to build four new campuses and renovate the 4,100-student Conroe High School, as well as projects at seven other campuses. We are thankful for all who turned out to make their voices heard in this election, Conroe ISD Superintendent Curtis Null said in a written statement. Conroe ISD will continue to meet the educational needs of our great community. We are confident that with our Boards leadership we will make the needed adjustments to ensure a successful future for our District. Supporters argued the proposal addressed Conroes rapid growth in enrollment, projected to rise from 64,200 to 76,560 over the next decade, and needed updates to several secondary schools. The districts property tax rate, currently $1.28 per $100 in assessed value, would have increased by up to 3 cents over four years. Even with the increase, Conroes school tax rate would have remained below average for large Texas districts. The bond was rushed. I didnt think they got enough input from people who would have to be convinced to support the bond, said Bill OSullivan, with the Texas Patriots PAC. In 27 years, Ive always supported a bond, but not this time. (Its) not that Im against bonds, but against spending money for things you should have accrued for. I dont know why they are putting maintenance (expenses) into bonds. Residents in seven Greater Houston school districts were deciding Saturday whether to approve $3.6 billion to keep up with growing enrollments and renovate older facilities. Voters overwhelmingly supported the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School Districts $1.76 billion package, which includes nearly $1 billion for renovations. Another $250 million is for a new elementary and middle school, an administration building and a performing arts center; and $350 million is to pay for technology, security and transportation upgrades. About 72 percent of voters supported the proposition, with 28 percent against, according to unofficial results. In the past 20 years, voters in what is now the states third-largest school district have supported six other bonds. The community has responded, said Leslie Martone, Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce president and a member of the planning committee. Im so proud of our community for standing up for Cy-Fair kids. For Mark Henry, superintendent of schools, Saturdays results is proof of the communitys commitment to a quality public education, which will impact all CFISD students for years to come. The bond could result in a 3-cent property tax rate increase over a six-year period. For a homeowner with property appraised at $250,000 with standard homestead exemptions, the increase would raise taxes about $52.50 a year. Residents of Brazosport, Channelview, Cleveland, Goose Creek and Sweeny school districts also voted on bonds ranging from $28 million to $355 million. Channelview ISDs bond request for $195.4 million was approved with 75 percent of the votes. The money would allow the district to replace three schools and renovate other campuses, among other projects. In Goose Creek CISD, 56 percent of voters approved that bond. Voters had rejected two bonds totaling $435 million last year, but officials removed $60.5 million for a multipurpose center and stadium, along with $40 million more in cutbacks in the revised package. Ballot measures in Brazosport and Sweeny ISDs were also on a path to being approved based on absentee and early voting totals, with both seeing more than 80 percent of votes cast in favor. Chevall Pryce and Jacob Carpenter contributed to this report. Six people were arrested in connection with the seizure of approximately $70,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine last week, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office announced Saturday. Narcotics officers from three agencies, as well as K-9 Deputy Rocket, seized approximately 2.2 pounds, one kilogram, of crystal methamphetamine on April 30, BCSO said in a Facebook post. San Antonio police say a man is in critical condition after being shot in the head overnight at a West Side bar after two groups of people began fighting. Officers say the two groups were at the E & E Lounge, 1209 N. Zarzamora St., when a man made advances to a woman and a fight broke out. The bar's owner stopped the fight and ejected the man who was making advances and the group of people with him, according to officers at the scene. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Police say those people ejected from the bar then waited for the other group to leave. At about 2:10 a.m. the two groups confronted each other in the parking lot and a fight erupted again. At some point a male member of the group patrons ejected from the bar shot a man from the other group in the head, according to police. The suspected shooter and the group of people with him then fled and police say are still at large. The victim was taken to University Hospital in critical condition. Another woman, police say is the wife the shooting victim, was taken to the same hospital in stable condition after being beat with a bottle during the fight. In the wake of the Operation Varsity Blues admissions-bribery scandal, the role of wealth and privilege in college admissions has become the focus of a national discussion about higher education. As a result, some high school students and their parents may have lost faith in the higher education system. They may wonder whether the odds are rigged against them, what the value of a degree really is, and if there is more to college than a financial transaction. The University of the Incarnate Word champions access to higher education opportunities for all students and produces graduates who are ready to succeed and serve. As a Hispanic-serving institution, we have been a long-standing leader in recruiting Hispanic students, who nationally account for the largest growth in college enrollment. Our female student population constitutes 60 percent of all students and 62 percent of this years first-time college students. Ours is a vibrant community that represents 77 countries. At the core of the Varsity Blues scandal are those who would hoard opportunities and access for their own benefit, blocking pathways for others to explore their great potential. One of the ironies of the scandal is that the concept of university has its Latin roots in a word that means whole or community, the opposite of narrow self-interest. At UIW, we consider the whole individual in our admissions process and work with students to help them realize their educational dreams. Ninety-five percent of our students receive some form of financial assistance. This year, U.S. News & World Report reported that UIWs 2017 graduates had the lowest average undergraduate debt load in the West. When students arrive at Incarnate Word, they are made a guarantee: This place will transform you. But this transformation of the self is not solely for the benefit of the self. As a Catholic institution, we are rooted in the call to serve. Our founding congregation, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, came to San Antonio 150 years ago to care for the sick and the poor. By understanding the communitys needs, the sisters embraced new challenges and opened what would become UIW. At UIWs core is the desire to produce graduates who become concerned and enlightened citizens who enhance lives now and in the future. Throughout their academic journeys, students contribute to the betterment of society by completing 45 hours of service, which are required for graduation. Some apply their teaching knowledge to tutor underserved schoolchildren, others utilize their medical skills to care for the homeless, and others employ their expertise in the sciences to support STEM camps for girls. At UIW, service is as fundamental to the higher education experience as any paper or exam. For parents and high school students disheartened by the admission scandal, do not lose faith in the value of higher education. The right institution will create pathways for your success, cherish your great potential and help you expand your capacity to make positive impacts, while you are a student and after. At our May commencement, I will once again announce the sum of volunteer community service hours completed by the graduating class. Our graduating Spring Class of 2019 completed 54,844 hours of service, providing an economic impact of $1.4 million. But more important is the fact that each effort lifted peoples lives. My prayer for all UIW students on graduation day, from whatever background they may have come, is that they remain grounded in the principles and values of our mission. I pray they hold them fast throughout their lives and allow them to be the fuel to continue contributing, in whatever way they can, to a better and more just future for themselves, their communities and the world around them. Thomas M. Evans, Ph.D., is president of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Before joining UIW as its 10th president in August 2017, Evans was the president of Carroll College, a Catholic institution in Helena, Mont., and an associate vice president at St. Edwards University in Austin overseeing professional education and global initiatives. Re: Americans told to fear immigrants; facts say otherwise, Opinion, April 28: I enjoyed Alex Piqueros commentary in the Sunday paper. It was well-documented and factual. Certainly we need secure borders, but immigrants are an asset and need to be treated with compassion. I recall during the 1990s when talk radio became popular being struck by how many angry people were out there. I believe that Donald Trump has given these people a sense of empowerment and they have become his base. His fearmongering and outright lies dont seem to matter to them; indeed, Ive heard people express the belief that he is channeling their thoughts. Ive also become more appreciative of the genius of the Founding Fathers of our country for instituting a system that has thus far contained him and hope that the other side finds a presidential candidate who is not so extreme that Trump is given another term. Ed Farmer, Floresville Spinning own reality Re: Dont ask Brockhouse about abuse allegations, by Josh Brodesky, Other Views, Sunday: Brodesky may have forgotten that Greg Brockhouses reality, in not remembering his on-record spousal abuse, is whatever he wants it to be. Perhaps Brodesky forgets that we now live in an age when our world, increasingly complicated and difficult to penetrate, leads many to understand reality to be whatever they want. Thus is the age of Donald Trump and Fox News (no longer fair and balanced). Trumps reality, like Brockhouses, is whatever Trump says at the moment. And whatever he says it to be is what large numbers of his followers agree it is: Some white supremacists are very fine people. Immigrants are rapists and murderers. Democrats believe in open borders and hate Jews (even the Jewish Democrats, I suppose). Trade wars are easy to win. Both Trump and Brockhouse spinners of their own reality say they are transparent. We can see right through them to truth thats verifiable. Richard S. Pressman Trump will triumph Impeach Donald Trump? Why? He just wants to protect the U.S. from all invaders. Why didnt they convict an impeached Bill Clinton for having an affair with Monica Lewinsky in the White House, or even impeach Barack Obama for trading three known terrorists for one traitor? Typical Democrats. But, no worries. I dont think Trump can be beaten by the 20 or so Democrats running. If not Trump, whoever else is running for the GOP. Rick Martinez Display Bill of Rights Andrew L. Seidels column on religion in public schools was appreciated (Bill puts religion in public schools, Another View, Wednesday). Instead of displaying the Ten Commandments, perhaps schools should make a prominent display of the Bill of Rights. There are 10 of those also. Lucy Sim, Kerrville No more opt out In my day, you had to have all your vaccinations and a letter from your family physician before you were allowed to enter the first grade. There were no excuses or exceptions. It was very simple: no shots, no school. We need to end all this opt out nonsense and go back to the old way. Then there would be no measles, mumps or chickenpox epidemics today. All these diseases were wiped out in the U.S. 20 years ago. Ray Bluhm, Fredericksburg In case there was any doubt, this video proves killer whale season has officially started in the Monterey Bay. A family of four killer whales targeted a gray whale and its calf just west of Carmel Bay Wednesday, all in close view of a whale watching boat. Nancy Black, marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, said as soon as the orcas spotted the mother-and-child pair, they beelined straight for them. "The killer whales immediately began working as a team to block the gray whales from traveling towards shore which is the only way they can escape these predators," said Black. For the next 90 minutes, the orcas rammed the calf and pushed it underwater. All the while, the mother gray whale repeatedly tried to roll belly-up to push her baby above water, away from the persistent predators. Black described the killer whales as "relentless," and they eventually succeeded in separating the gray whales. Once they killed the calf, they feasted for more than eight hours (and showed off a bit for the cameras see for yourself in the video below). Orcas often come to the Monterey Bay as a prime hunting ground in the spring, as gray whales are migrating from Baja California to Alaska for the summer. The mothers and their calves typically remain fairly close to the shore on the migration up the California coast because it's safer and food is more abundant. However, as they come across the Monterey Bay, the geography makes it harder for them to stay close to the coast. Orcas hang around the bay waiting to take advantage of the young calves' vulnerability in deep, open water. This particular pod of killer whales is known to researchers and tour guides in the area. They're often referred to as the "friendly pod" because of how curious they are towards boats, explained Black. The pod is made up the matriarch Star, who has a reputation as a great hunter, plus her two adult sons and a young daughter. Star was first seen in and around the Monterey Bay back in 1992. This hunt was the second in less than a week witnessed by tour groups. On Saturday, a pod of five killer whales (led by Star's daughter, funnily enough) was seen hunting and killing a gray whale. "This predation event was tough to watch but the gray whale calf is an important source of food for many killer whales," said Black of Wednesday's hunt. "This is one of nature's greatest battles." Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com. Man of the people MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday finally reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa by calling for dialogue between his party of excellence and Zanu-PF. He said the opposition party will try to rope in regional countries to facilitate the envisaged talks. Chamisas overtures made at the memorial service of the late MDC president and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at Humanikwa Village in Buhera, Manicaland, yesterday come barely three days after he threatened to roll out protests, which have often turned violent. We do not want to remove Zanu-PF by force, but for our agenda to move forward (as a country), there has to be political dialogue. Dialogue between Zanu-PF and the MDC, dialogue between President Mnangagwa and us, said Chamisa. After congress, I am going around Sadc lobbying for the regional bloc to come and assist us and work with us, he said. The MDC-Alliance has been snubbing the useless national political parties dialogue initiated by President Mnangagwa with 18 small opposition parties that contested in last years general elections and failed to win even a single local government seat. However, for the first time since the July 30 harmonised elections, Chamisa acknowledged President Mnangagwa and thanked him for extending support towards the memorial service. Whenever something good has been done, we have to acknowledge. If you accept me as a leader you listen to me, allow me to thank the presence of members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) who are maintaining order here. . . I differ with Mnangagwa in a lot of things, but when good things have been done, we should acknowledge, he said. The memorial, which degenerated into a political rally of the opposition party, also brought to the fore current tensions within the fractious party. The partys high-ranking officials, vice president Engineer Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, were sidelined, with the latter seated at the back row. Speaking at the same event, Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java daughter to the late politician and Glen View South Member of Parliament described her father as a unifier. She thanked Government for supporting her late fathers memorial. Our father was a unifier who managed to bring all Zimbabweans together. This memorial is important to us as we celebrate his life. It helps in bringing closure to the sad chapter of losing him, she said. I reiterate the call in thanking Government for the logistical and material support they rendered during this memorial, we are very appreciative of that, she said. Mr Tsvangirai succumbed to colon cancer in February 2018 and was buried at his rural home. On Friday, Government dispatched two graders to clear the road linking Murambinda Road to Mr Tsvangirais homestead and also provided food for the memorial service. President Mnangagwa has been supporting the Tsvangirai family even throughout the illness of the former opposition leader. Government provided air tickets for family members who visited him in South Africa when he was receiving treatment. It also paid hospitals bills, ferried Tsvangirais body to its final resting place. Furthermore, it continues to pay tuition fees for the late leaders children in Australia and South Africa. Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa described Governments gesture as consistent with President Mnangagwas commitment to unity and peace. It is in the spirit of oneness that President Mnangagwa is showing this gesture. . . she said. SundayMail Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News An illicit brew called vhinyu has become a viable alternative for many people in Rusape and elsewhere who find the new increases in the price of regular alcohol unbearable for them. The crude wine is said to be so powerful that it can send the drinker into an immediate stupor, raising serious questions about its suitability for human consumption. The alcohol is reportedly brewed at Sun Crest in Mutare and Matanuska in Odzi from grape residues that are left out during wine-making processes. TellZim News interviewed some vhinyu imbibers who said they were drowning their sorrows in the cheap but dangerous substance. We cannot afford the normal alcohol that we used to buy. Clear and opaque beer as well as spirits have become unaffordable so we have no choice, said one drinker. The alcohol costs $1.50 per 500ml, making it cheaper than any beer, cider, wine or spirit on the formal market. A quart of regular beer which contains five percent alcohol content costs an average $7 while a 750ml bottle of viceroy brandy costs an average $40. Broncleer, a cough syrup with that is being abused mainly by the youth, is also said to be much more expensive than vhinyu. A lady who sells vhinyu in Rusape had the highest praise for the brew, saying it was giving her a livelihood. We wake up early to go and buy vhinyu in Mutare at either Sun Crest or Matanuska where they manufacture wine. The two companies produce white and red vhinyu but our clients prefer red vhinyu to white. A 20 litre container costs $60 and we make a little profit out of it. Police at times raid us, but this is our source of living. We have to find the means to get to our customers, she said. Some alcohol connoisseurs and health practitioners, however, warned against consumption of the new brew, saying it was not being produced in accordance with set standards, and that its alcohol content was not being measured. Its a dangerous alcoholic concoction made under the dodgiest of conditions using questionable ingredients. Its not advisable to drink it as it contains many impurities that pose twice or even thrice as much risks to health as regular alcohol, said one expert. A few years back, many people died from the effects of another illicit brew called ZED which some nicknamed Zimbabwes Emergency Drink which was being smuggled from Mozambique and was more affordable than regular alcohol. TellZim Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Settlers at a farm in Mazowe, once claimed by former first lady Grace Mugabe, say there are fresh moves to remove them from the property, a few years after they won the right to remain at their homes. The villagers at Manzou Farm accused Mashonaland Central Provincial minister Monica Mavhunga of orchestrating the renewed bid to evict them. They said people claiming to be government officials last week gave them seven days to leave their homes. There are some people who came here on Thursday driving a vehicle with government number plates warning us to leave the farm in seven days, said one of the villagers. However, they are failing to understand that even if we are to move out, we still have crops in the fields and we have since built some permanent structures. The villagers said they refused to sign eviction orders brought by the unnamed officials. This is our home and we are not going anywhere. We took over the farm from a white farmer named Arnold sometime back, another villager said. Police tried to evict us in 2015, but it didnt work although they destroyed our properties and crops. We thought after the removal of (former president Robert) Mugabe things would work in our favour, but we were wrong. It will be unfair to remove many of us here and replace everyone with one senior official. It is unfair and it will not work. For several years, the villagers were locked in a bitter ownership wrangle with the former first family over the farm. At one point, they went for years without proper shelter after police razed down their homes. Mavhunga said she did not know anything about the planned evictions. The villagers are the ones who can best explain their situation, she said. They must go to the offices to seek help. The government has been evicting scores of people that occupied commercial farms at the height of the controversial land reform programme 19 years ago. Meanwhile, over 22 families spent the night out in the cold, having been evicted from a subdivision of Glenara Estates along the old Mazowe Road on Thursday, following a High Court order. The farm was allocated to Mavis Rondozai in 2001 at the height of Zimbabwes bloody farm invasions. Rondozai was reportedly allocated the land illegally, triggering a protracted court battle as farm owner Kelvin James won the right to return to his farm 17 years later. The farm, which was now being run by Rondozais children following her death in 2006, had become home to nearly 100 people who were also forced out of the land. They had their homes destroyed under the watch of the Deputy Sheriff. Tambudzai Chikukutu, who was evicted from the farm said they had left their cattle, farm, produce and 17 years of a livelihood following the eviction. We had paid fees for our children for the term that opens next week, bought uniforms; we are even yet to harvest our crops, but following this cruel move we are left without hope and disturbed, she said. During the fast trek land reform programme, most farms were taken from whites before they harvested their crops. Another victim, Abigail Mujere, said reports were that their offer letters had been dismissed as fraudulent. They argue that the summons in the matter where the former farm owner was filling for eviction were served at the wrong address. They further argued that our offer letters were fake, but we know they are not fake. Something fishy is going on, she said. Mujere said the farm was handed over to her in-laws by Transport deputy minister Fortune Chasi. We were given the keys to the house by our MP Chasi in 2001. We have since approached him so that he deals with this matter. He has promised to help us, she said. A number of illegal farm invaders have, of late, been evicted from the various farms they grabbed in 2000. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, however, said the land reform will not be reversed, but the latest evictions are raising anxiety among the new farmers. The Standard/NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A sea of humanity thronged the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre yesterday to bid farewell to liberation war hero and former divisional intelligence officer in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Cde Samuel Katiyo, who succumbed to heart failure on Tuesday last week. He was 65. Cde Katiyo, whose Chimurenga nom de guerre was Zvauya Zvamaichemera, passed away at his Harare home after battling heart disease for several years. Addressing mourners, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Oliver Chidawu in a speech read on his behalf by deputy director in his office Mr Ignatius Mungure said the late Cde Katiyo was a dedicated cadre and wise leader. Today, Harare metropolitan province has lost a dedicated cadre and leader who was a fountain of wisdom, a man who was not moved by storms but one who stood bold against all odds. Through hard work and commitment to duty, Cde Katiyo laid a firm foundation for his growth and development in the department (OPC). In this position (divisional intelligence officer), he served the department with commendable loyalty and dedication, he said. Family spokesperson Mr Wilson Katiyo, brother to the late, said Cde Katiyos demise has left a void that will be difficult to fill. As our first born and mentor, there is a big gap left which is difficult to fill. We hope by Gods grace we will be able to accept what has happened to us as a family, he said. Cde Katiyo was born in the then Salisbury, now Harare, on 18 January 1954. Between 1960 and 1967, he attended George Stark Primary School in Mbare, and later transferred to Tendai Primary School in Mufakose. After completing his primary education, Cde Katiyo enrolled at St Peters Secondary School in Kambuzuma from 1968 to 1971. He was employed by Dickson Robinson Group as a stock analyst clerk in 1973. The following year, he left the country to pursue a degree with the University of Sierra Leone. While he studied for his degree, 1974 to 1978, Cde Katiyo also served as the finance secretary and member of Zanu-PFs publicity committee. In 1978, he decided to join Zanla forces in Mozambique, where he received his training at Tengwe Base. After completing his training, he was attached to the commissariat department in Chimoio. He was later transferred to the department of information and publicity in Maputo, where he was assigned to take charge of the adult literacy programme under the guidance of Cde Webster Shamu. After independence, Cde Katiyo acquired a journalism qualification and joined the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation as sub editor. He then joined the Office of the President and Cabinet in 1985 as an intelligence officer in the external department. In 1988, he was promoted to liaison officer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He rose through the ranks until he was appointed as the divisional intelligence officer in 1995. He held this position until his retirement in 2001. Cde Katiyo is survived by his wife, Betty Spiwe, four children Steven, Tafadzwa, Tapiwa and Farai and two grandchildren. SundayMail Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Jerri-Lynn here. In this Real News Network interview, Bill Black describes how OSHAs few underfunded inspectors cant do their jobs, and prosecutors dont prosecute businesses for OSHA non-compliance. Bill is a white collar criminologist, frequent Naked Capitalism contributor, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, and teaches economics and law at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). This is the first time Ive seen Bill discussing workplace injuries and OSHAs deficiencies. MARC STEINER Welcome to The Real News Network. Im Marc Steiner. Its great to have you all with us. The AFL-CIO just released its report Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 2019. As an example, 5,147 workers were killed on the job in 2017. Another at least 95,000 workers died from occupational diseases. Think about that for just a minute. Thats an average of 14 workers-a-day dying on the job and it rises with 275 a day if you include those who died from illnesses caused by their job. At the same time, Trump is cutting the budget of OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, while it has so few inspectors that it would take hundreds of years for them to really do their job and investigate cases let alone, at other work sites where nothing has happened. Elizabeth Warren has raised this as an issue in her campaign. And this all remains, by the way, a misdemeanor for people who own businesses. And OSHA really brings owners to court for any of this, those who are accused. So where does this leave us? We talk once again with Bill Black, Associate Professor of Economics and Law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Bill is a white-collar criminologist, a former financial regulator, and author of the book The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, and a regular contributor here on The Real News. Bill, welcome back. Good to have you with us. BILL BLACK Thank you. MARC STEINER Let me play this really short clip by Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, announcing his report. RICHARD TRUMKA Some of the most vulnerable working people are bearing the brunt of this travesty. Latino and immigrant workers continue to account for a disproportionate number of deaths on the job. And here is the scary reality: violence is the third leading cause of workplace deaths. One in six deaths on the job are due to violence. PEG SEMINARIO And what we see is in hospitals, particularly psychiatric hospitals, the highest rates of workplace violence injuries ever. So the problem is getting much, much worse. RICHARD TRUMKA Nearly 29,000 workers suffered injuries from assaults. And women in the healthcare and social services field are disproportionately the victims of these attacks. This is a national crisis. MARC STEINER So I just wanted to play that to give some context, Bill, just in the sense of whats out there. And well play Elizabeth Warren speaking in a moment. But talk about it in a broader perspective or just the overall picture of what this means. BILL BLACK Okay, so two broader perspectives. First, what we try to get across is that white-collar crimes kill and maim more people than do all blue-collar crimes put together. And therefore, when were talking about financial fraud, as we often do, theres a danger that we will forget all these cases as well. The second thing in terms of context is this fits very much into Senator Warrens proposal to make it easier to prosecute for these kinds of elite white-collar crimes. MARC STEINER So having questioned, it really centers around it seems to me, Bill, this is a huge issue. Its not one that often comes up with the diminishment of labor unions as a political force. Theyre still there, but theyre not what they were. This doesnt get to the forefront as it might have before, especially in the early 70s when this first became a major issue again. So talk about what this means politically. Where do you think this takes us? Do you think its an issue that is an important one for this campaign in 2020? Where do you think this struggle is going to go? BILL BLACK It should be and its important to all kinds of different constituencies in particular ways that may be attractive, particularly to progressive Democratic candidates. The first thing is it fits in because there was pushback to Senator Warren by folks who said, oh no, no, no. We shouldnt put white-collar criminals in jail ever, virtually; instead we should simply use regulation. Well this is a great case study of that because we virtually never use prosecutions when employers and remember, this is willful violations of the laws that kill people. And in many, many cases these are repeated willful, where they have already killed people at the same job site through the same mechanisms, and theres still this complete unwillingness to prosecute. As you said, it is under federal law, not even a felony to willfully violate the safety laws and kill dozens of people over dozens of years. So thats preposterous. In terms of the politics of all this, people dont like this very much because its aimed at elite white-collar crime. Not at all of us generally in this context, but against poorer people, weaker people, and such. So a lot of this hits in Trump country, whats killing people, whats increasingly killing people. And remember, it isnt just deaths. It is illnesses and injuries, and those are massively more common than the figures on death. One of the things is agriculture. So agriculture, as we all know, has an enormous reduction in number of workers, but the reduction in injuries and deaths is nowhere near as quick as it should be in that regard. Well, why? Because we have special laws to protect not farmworkers, but farm employers. So the farmworkers are disproportionately Latinos. And one of the things thats causing enormous numbers of injuries, fast growing, and many deaths, is global climate change. So if you want the sharp point of the spear of where global climate change is already killing lots of people, it isnt so much in these storms. Its every day, quietly ignored. A farm worker dies from a heat stress, or is badly injured many, many badly injured by heat stress. Elderly people the Trump base, the rural Trump base. People my age are three times more likely to suffer work-related injuries. So all of this stuff about Social Security and how we need to not make people eligible for Social Security till theyre 70 or something, because hey, lawyers can still work easily when theyre 68. Yeah thats great, but thats not true in construction, industries, in farm work, and all these things. You can put older people in those places, but they will suffer injuries literally at three times the rate. MARC STEINER So when you look at the states where this is most prevalent, theyre either right-to-work states or theyre states that have to do with extraction, like West Virginia and Texas. Those are right-to-work states, but its happening everywhere they have some construction sites which are unionized up in New York City as are injuries on construction sites in a much more massive way than their deaths. So BILL BLACK Sorry. Thats absolutely correct. And this problem of shredding the protections OSHA, after all, was created by Richard Nixon, by some liberal types and it used to have broad support. Now, as you say, its down to its lowest point of inspectors ever. The old number, when they had 800 inspectors, they could visit each site theyre responsible for regulating once every 169 years. But now, weve lost a whole bunch more because the Trump folks refused to hire them and therefore, were quickly approaching every 200 years we get to see a place. This is preposterous. MARC STEINER And given the numbers of people who are injured on jobs, or who die as a result of occupational diseases, it would seem to me youd be hard-pressed to find a working-class family in this country Black, white, Latino, Asian, whoever they are that has not been affected by this at some level. The numbers are huge. BILL BLACK Yeah. Well I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan. At least three of my close relatives have died from this. And if you want to bring that to politics, these are battleground states. Its the rust belt that has also huge numbers of these kinds of losses. But in places like again, Trumps base, think Iowa and such. Well farmers are not poor anymore as a group. They have mega farms. They have $5 million in equipment and such. Farmworkers are poor, and we have special laws that say, OSHA not only cant regulate small farms, it cant even investigate after theyve killed people. And whats the result of that? Again, disproportionately where the deaths occurring, on these small farms that put in none of the modern protective devices. So theyre completely unnecessary deaths. These are not things where you need to spend $10,000 to make them safer. Many of these things are simply putting guardrails and such. They cost a hundred bucks literally in many cases, the protective measures. And in many cases, the places, the farms, the particular farms where the workers are dying, they die three of them over the course of eight years. Thats just outrageous, but there is nobody pushing this politically at the national level as a Democratic candidate. And well see, given the AFL-CIO release, who will pick it up and run with it. Elizabeth Warren is obviously well-positioned, given her release on white-collar crime. MARC STEINER Well this has to be the first, brief look at this weve done here with you, Bill Black, today. And we look forward to doing this more. This is one of your bailiwicks and I really want to get deep into it with you in the coming weeks. Bill Black, once again, its great to have you with us. And this is a really critical subject. Im glad you raised it to us. BILL BLACK Thank you. MARC STEINER And Im Marc Steiner here for The Real News Network. Thank you all for joining us. Take care. His Legacy Lives On: Pete Seeger Remembered on What Would Have Been 100th Birthday Common Dreams May 4, 1970: 49 years later at Kent State (The Rev Kev). Cleveland 19 News Camille Paglia Cant Say That Atlantic White Sands, New Mexico: Mesmerizing Landscape Photography by Navid Baraty Protogrist (david l) A WAR REPORTER COVERS THE END OF ICE AND IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CATASTROPHE The Intercept (david l) SpaceX confirms crew capsule destroyed in April test accident Reuters More bald eagles found dead on Marylands Eastern Shore as authorities struggle to solve systemic poisonings Baltimore Sun Right to Repair Bill Killed After Big Tech Lobbying In Ontario Motherboard Britains legacy is not benign the Cambridge slavery inquiry will show we have plenty to feel guilty for Independent. Patrick Cockburn. In the Netflix Era, Hollywood Wants to Know: Whats a Movie, Anyway? Vanity Fair Brexit Northern Ireland local elections: smaller parties make gains Guardian (The Rev Kev) Measles 2020 EXCLUSIVE: This stings! How Obama saw Trumps victory as a personal insult, watched the movie Dr. Strange to distract himself from election results and blamed Hillary for the loss because of her scripted, soulless campaign Daily Mail. Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with foreclosures or the continuing decline in American living standards during his presidency and his failure to do anything about it. MMT 1. Name the bomb throwing Harvard economist who wrote the following MMT consistent insights re WWII, after serving as an economic advisor to the State Department, the US Treasury, and the Federal Reserve Board (thread ahead): The liquid assets of nonbank investors increased Robert Parenteau (@MacroEdge1) 3 May 2019 (chuck l) Class Warfare Jacksonville Passengers Recount Harrowing Plane Landing That Felt Like an Explosion NYT (Jerry B). Another Boeing mishap 737, but not MAX. China? India US approves controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia Straits Times. Dengue killed a dear friend of mine last year, and I know several other people who have been afflicted. Nonetheless it makes me uneasy that the FDA is approving this vaccine just after the Philippines banned it in 2016, citing safety concerns, and is pursuing criminal charges against Sanofi. The company admitted the vaccine was not suitable for people who had not previously been infected with the virus. Glad we can trust the FDA . Oh, wait. Syraqistan Trump Transition Democrats Must Make an Example of Bill Barr New Republic (re Silc) Venezuela Venezuela: Establishment Talking Points Translation Key Caitlin Johnstone (The Rev Kev) Antidote du Jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here (Natural News) Americans who are so afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome cant see it, of course, but our current president is well on his way to becoming the most honest leader of the Executive Branch in generations. Even critics of POTUS Donald Trump have had to admit it. Washington Post columnist Marc A. Thiessen, not known to lavish praise on the current occupant of the Oval Office, wrote in October 2018: Dont get me wrong, Trump lies all the time. But when it comes to the real barometer of presidential truthfulness keeping his promises Trump is a paragon of honesty. For better or worse, since taking office Trump has done exactly what he promised he would. But while our president may be destined to go down in history as inherently honest, juxtapose his honesty with politicians and 2020 candidates from both parties, and you can see there are major truth gaps among them. (Related: Why should anyone obey the law anymore?) South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg: This new, young darling of the Democrat Party, one of nearly 20 candidates competing for the partys presidential nomination, is running as a political moderate Navy veteran who is really just another radical Leftist in centrist clothing. As noted by The Daily Wires Ryan Saavedra, Buttigieg has made a name for himself in recent weeks by attacking the religious beliefs of traditional-minded Christians, playing the victim card, and riding on the mainstream medias infatuation of him and his campaign. A Navy veteran who is homosexual (which he did not divulge before enlisting), Buttigieg is all-in for full-on, 100-percent, government-run healthcare, for instance, though it will cost taxpayers an eye-watering $3 trillion or more each year. He also supports Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocacio-Cortezs ridiculous, government-centric Green New Deal, wants to get rid of the Electoral College, and would pack the Supreme Court with judicial activists as president (even socialist Bernie Sanders hasnt signed off on that). Sen. Kamala Harris: Barely into her first term as a U.S. senator, Kamala Harris of California now thinks she has enough experience to lead the country (sounds like Obama, doesnt it?). And yet, shes already proven she is a political chameleon willing to say anything to get elected. Like the rest of the Left-wing lunatics she is running against for president, Harris is an anti-gun zealot who, if given enough power to do so, would eviscerate the Second Amendment. But in recent days she admitted that she owns a handgun for self-defense while at the same time claiming that you dont have a right to a semi-automatic rifle for the same purpose. Sen. Mitt Romney: This Utah Republican ran as a fiscal and social conservative who supports an originalist view of our Constitution. Powers not reserved to the federal government must be returned to the states. States should guide their own policies regarding such matters as education, transportation, healthcare, care for the poor, and school safety, says his campaign website. Laws should originate with the Legislative branch, not the Judicial branch or unelected bureaucrats. There has been no bigger champion of true conservative principles and policies than POTUS Trump, and that includes the modern-era father of conservative presidents, Ronald Reagan. And yet, Romney has become one of Trumps biggest detractors, even going so far as to claim he was sickened by Robert Muellers biased investigation report despite the fact that the entire purpose behind Muellers probe was a coup attempt and fabrication by the Obama administration. There are other examples Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, the late John McCain of politicians running on one side of the issues but supporting the other side of them once elected. POTUS Trump, however, is a very pleasant exception. Read more about President Trumps efforts to dismantle big government and restore the Constitution at BigGovernment.news and Trump.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com WashingtonTimes.com BusinessInsider.com DailyWire.com A Vacaville family received an outpouring of support Saturday from their community after they received an racist letter in the mail saying they were not welcome. Marc Yu greeted people to his home after a social media post was created suggested having a community potluck in wake of the disturbing letter. "Its really sweet I wasnt expecting any of this really," Yu said. "This is an amazing group of people and the neighborhood is really nice." Before heading to work on Wednesday morning, Yu checked his mailbox and found a letter saying that their interracial family is not welcome. The letter threatened to contact their landlord and request an eviction if they did not move. Despite not knowing the Yu family, community members and firefighters showed up to the potluck to remind them that they are welcomed. "I wanted to support the family here, its crazy to see this," Gabriela Rodriguez said. The family said an upside of going through this, is that they got to know more people in the neighborhood. "It was important for them to know a community rallies together when they see something wrong," Genevieve Villaruel said. A man pretending to be a ride-share driver held a woman at knifepoint and sexually assaulted her near the University of Delaware, police said. The man picked up the 21-year-old victim in the area of South Chapel Street and Delaware Avenue around 1:15 a.m. Saturday before brandishing a knife and sexually assaulting her, Newark Police Department Lt. Andrew Rubin said. The man was described as having a medium build, short hair and spoke in broken English, Rubin said. Police said he is about 40 years old. He was driving a four-door, silver GMC pickup with a toolbox in the bed. It was unclear if the victim is a student at the nearby university, but the University of Delaware Police advised students to remain vigilant and said they can also download its LiveSafe app, which allows people to connect with the department directly. Students who experience sexual misconduct can also contact the UDP's Sexual Offense Support program 24/7 by calling 302-831-1001 and pressing 1. Anyone with information is asked to contact NPD detective D. Bystricky by phone at 302-366-7100, ext. 3136 or by email at dbystricky@newark.de.us. A "ground shaking" explosion that occurred in Waukegan, Illinois, Friday night has resulted in at least two deaths, and two more workers at a cosmetics plant are missing and presumed dead. On Saturday night, the Lake County coroner confirmed that rescue workers have recovered one body at the scene, and that another person who was transported to a local hospital in the aftermath of the explosion has died. Two more individuals are missing in the building, and are presumed dead, according to authorities. Authorities said early Saturday morning at a press conference that they found the structure too unstable and thus unsafe for crews to continue the search, though three missing bodies were unaccounted for at the time. Nine people were inside the building at the time of the incident, the company's spokesperson Anthony Madonia said. Authorities held a press conference early Saturday morning to release new details on the Waukegan explosion that took place at an industrial plant on Friday night. The identities of the individuals affected have yet to be released, police said. A Twitter user posted video of what appeared to be the massive blast which occurred in the 3700 block of Sunset Avenue in Waukegan shortly before 10 p.m. Friday. A fire official said the decimated structure was home to a business called AB Specialty Silicones. Waukegan fire Chief Steven Lenzi said four people were sent to the hospital but did not provide their conditions. Two were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center and the other two were taken to Vista Medical Center-East, he said. Waukegan police Cmdr. Joe Florip said a search and rescue operation was underway for other second-shift workers who may have been in the plant. There is no hazardous material concern for the debris scattered across the streets and in the air, officials said. Sir Please find the footage from my outdoor cam pic.twitter.com/YgIdWPaeTG Bhushan (@ibhushanjoshi) May 4, 2019 "If you have first-hand knowledge of the incident please call your local law-enforcement," the Lake County Sheriffs Department said. "If youre not in danger and dont have info, please dont call 911." STAY OUT of the area of Sunset Avenue from Green Bay to Delany, Waukegan!! Please allow first-responders to conduct operations!! Area first-responders are on the scene of an explosion/building fire. Lake County Sheriff (@LakeCoILSheriff) May 4, 2019 Before official information trickled out, Twitter users from all over the Lake County area were vexed by the "sonic boom," as one person described it. Users from as far away as southern Wisconsin reported feeling the shockwave. Emily Laughlin, who lives in the area, snapped photos of the large emergency response near the Waukgean/Gurnee border. She said authorities near Northwestern and Sunset avenues were telling cars to turn away from the burning husk of the silicone facility. "Something exploded," she said in a phone interview. "It looked like it was a building but they stopped everyone from getting closer." Nearly 1,000 Lake County residents were without power and viewers calling NBC 5 said windows in homes were shattered throuhgout the area. No other information was immediately available. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared her thoughts on the possibility of beginning impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump during a stop in Massachusetts on Friday. "We have six committees, so many members so experienced in terms of the law and our Constitution, chairmen who are excellent -- we'll take our lead from them," Pelosi said. "But I'm not a fan. Again, as I've said, I just think to the extent that we can always find a solution that is unifying rather than dividing is better for our country." The California Democrat's comments came a day after she had said she still has reservations about initiating impeachment proceedings, even calling it "the easy way out." "Impeachment is one of the most divisive and dividing paths that you can take," Pelosi said Friday deferring to the six House committees with jurisdiction over the process. "They have a path that is consistent with their responsibilities and we'll be hearing from them next week." Pelosi toured the Eliot-Pearson Children's School at Tufts University in Medford on Friday to learn about the school's approach to early childhood education research. She said the country should be making more investments in child care and early education, which not only helps children and families but is a long-term boost to the economy. U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark, Lori Trahan and Ayanna Pressley -- all Massachusetts Democrats -- joined Pelosi to meet with early education advocates and tour the facility. Pressley offered her opinion on impeachment which was different then Pelosi's. "Personally, I do believe that there is a credible case, based on what was unredacted in the Mueller report, forget about the litany of moral crimes, I think he lost moral authority along time ago," said Pressley. She said at the end of the day, Democrats are all on the same page. "We might have different ideas about how to get there, sequentially, tactically, but we all want the same thing," said Pressley. Pelosi said it's important for members of Congress to ask themselves why they ran for office -- and for her the answer has always been about looking ahead, and how best the country can help families care for their children. "My 'why' has always been the one in five children in the United States who live in poverty," she told the gathering of child care advocates, students and elected officials."Everything that we do has to be about the children and their future." Pelosi said that during a meeting this week with President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss an infrastructure package, she stressed the need to fund program for children with disabilities. Pressley said for children the most important infrastructure is their home and family. She said helping stabilize parents financially will pay off for those families and the country in the long run. The Eliot-Pearson Children's School serves as a demonstration facility, providing a training and observation site for new and experienced teachers and a research facility for faculty and supervised students. One person is dead and at least 11 others have been wounded in shootings across the city of Chicago this weekend. The citys first deadly shooting of the weekend occurred on Friday evening in the 3600 block of West Division, according to police. Officers witnessed a man firing shots at another man in a parking lot in the 3600 block of West Division, and when they attempted to apprehend the shooter, they fired shots at him, police said in a statement. The gunman ultimately escaped from the scene, leaving behind a firearm, and first responders transported a 33-year-old man to a local hospital. That man, whom police say was shot by the gunman, was later pronounced dead. An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. All other victims of shootings across the city this weekend are in stable or good condition at local hospitals: Friday In the 5400 block of South Wabash just before 3 p.m., a 23-year-old woman was sitting in her car at a gas station when two men approached her and opened fire, striking her in the head. The woman was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in stable condition with a graze wound, according to police. A 38-year-old man is in good condition after he was shot in the 400 block of West 72 nd Street at approximately 9:08 p.m., according to police. The man was walking northbound on Stewart when a person in a car began shooting at him. He was hit in the right leg and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Street at approximately 9:08 p.m., according to police. The man was walking northbound on Stewart when a person in a car began shooting at him. He was hit in the right leg and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. At approximately 9:20 p.m. in the 2400 block of South Spaulding, a 30-year-old man was on the front porch of a residence when a silver vehicle pulled up and a person inside opened fire, striking him in the left leg. Police say the man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. Saturday WATCH LIVE: Officials are expected to give an update at 4:15 p.m. Sunday about their search for two missing workers at the Waukegan plant where an explosion occurred late Friday night. Authorities continue to investigate a massive explosion at a suburban plant that killed two workers and left two others missing. The search for those missing individuals was suspended Saturday evening due to darkness, though resumed Sunday morning as a state fire marshal was seen back at the scene. Friday night's blast sent debris flying in all directions from the AB Specialty Silicones plant in the 3700 block of Sunset Avenue in suburban Waukegan. The explosion has claimed the lives of at least two individuals, according to authorities. One victim was pulled from the rubble at the building and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim, identified as 29-year-old Allen Stevens of Salem, WI, was taken to the Loyola University Medical Center after the blast, and was pronounced dead on Saturday afternoon. A community is coming together after a fatal explosion at a Waukegan plant. NBC 5s Chris Hush has the story. Two more workers are still believed to be missing at the site, and are presumed dead, according to police. A total of four workers were taken to area hospitals, with Stevens passing away Saturday afternoon. Heavy equipment remains on the scene as workers try to dismantle the debris to make it safe for rescue workers to search for the missing individuals. Officials say that when firefighters arrived at the scene, they noted heavy damage and a massive fire. Rescue workers also encountered injured workers from the plant and transported them to local hospitals. Other neighboring fire departments were called in to help battle the massive fire. An investigator from the Illinois State Fire Marshals office has been at the scene to evaluate the cause of the explosion, but has not released any findings at this time. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has also announced that after extensive air quality and water monitoring tests that there is no danger posed to the public by the aftermath of the explosion. OSHA investigators have also been called to evaluate the incident. We are shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in our plant last night, AB Speciality Silicones GM Mac Penman said in a statement. We have spent the day trying our best to support all of the members of our AB family as we attempt to process this terrible loss together. We want to express our extreme gratitude to all the first responders who arrived at the scene. We continue to work closely with the Waukegan Fire Department and the Illinois Fire Marshal as they secure the scene and complete their investigation, he added. A Massachusetts man who sent threatening letters filled with white powder to President Donald Trump's sons, Antonio Sabato Jr., Sen. Debbie Stabenow and a law professor was sentenced Friday in federal court to five years of probation. The judge declined to send Daniel Frisiello to prison, as prosecutors had sought, because of concerns the 25-year-old man from Beverly, who is developmentally disabled, would not respond well to incarceration. But he stressed the sentence wasn't "lenient." "Do not underestimate how serious I am treating your crimes," Judge Nathaniel Gorton said to Frisiello as the dozens of his family members, friends and supporters who had packed the court proceeding hugged, cried and sighed in relief. Frisiello was also ordered to serve his first year of probation in home confinement, and has been banned for the full five years from accessing the internet or sending mail without prior approval. Frisiello also won't be allowed to have a computer, tablet or other device with access to the internet. Frisiello, who pleaded guilty in October to sending the threatening letters, thanked Groton in brief remarks in court for not sending him to prison. The past year, he said, has been "hell" for his family. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Garland, who had sought a three-year prison sentence, argued that Frisiello had carefully considered the letter writing campaign, which included 13 letters over three years. He researched the best addresses and took steps to avoid detection, like dropping them off at different mailboxes, Garland said. "This was not an impulsive thing," he said. "At every step, there was a chance for deliberation." Imposing only probation, Garland said, was akin to sending Frisiello back to the life he had before his arrest, which was largely spent at home on the internet. Frisiello and family declined to comment after the hearing, but William Flick, his lawyer, argued in court that prison would be physically and mentally harmful to Frisiello, who he said has significant developmental issues from brain damage at birth, autism and anxiety disorder. Flick also argued probation is appropriately severe for a person with Frisiello's condition because it takes away what few opportunities he has to interact with society, such as going to work or spending time with family and friends outside the house. Acknowledging the nearly 90 letters of support written to the judge on Frisiello's behalf, Flick said it was "tragic" no one in his client's extensive support network had noticed the signs that his penchant for writing letters to celebrities and other notable people had gone from a seemingly harmless obsession to something far darker. "He clearly felt like he wasn't being heard, and so he became threatening," Flick said. Prosecutors say Frisiello sent a letter to Donald Trump Jr. that was opened in February by his now-estranged wife, Vanessa, at their New York City home. She called 911 and was briefly hospitalized after she reported she was coughing and felt nauseous. He also sent a white powder letter to Eric Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign that said his father must drop out of the race or the next letter wouldn't be fake. The substance in all of the letters turned out not to be hazardous. Other letter recipients included Stabenow, the Democratic U.S. senator from Michigan; Michele Dauber, a Stanford University law professor who promoted an effort to recall California judge Aaron Persky; and Sabato, a former underwear model and soap opera actor who is running for Congress in California as a Republican and spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Hoaxes involving white powder have been common since anonymous letters laced with anthrax spores were sent to media companies and congressional offices days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, killing five people and infecting 17 others. The unlicensed teenage driver of a car that crashed into a pole in Connecticut and burst into flames, killing three people in the back seat, has been sent to prison for 13 1/2 years. Jordan Cross was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in February to three counts of first-degree manslaughter in the May 2017 crash in Manchester. Prosecutors say the 18-year-old Manchester teen was high on marijuana and racing another car at speeds in excess of 85 mph when he lost control and crashed. The car was engulfed in flames within seconds, killing 18-year-old William King, 21-year-old Bernaria Mickens and 17-year-old Devon Smith. They were burned so severely that dental records were needed to confirm their identities. Cross apologized in court saying the three victims were his best friends. Police are investigating after a motor vehicle accident left a man dead in Trumbull. Police said they responded around 7 p.m. on Saturday to reports of a two car crash in the area of Daniel Farms Road near Strobel Road. A pick-up truck and sedan were involved in the accident. The pick-up truck also came in contact with a nearby residence, according to police. The driver of the pick-up truck was entrapped and bystanders assisted before police arrived on scene. The 54-year-old pick-up truck driver was later taken to St. Vincent's Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. Police said the driver of the sedan suffered minor injuries and was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for evaluation. The residence that was struck by the pick-up truck sustained minor damage and the residents were not home at the time of the accident, according to police. The victim's identity has not yet been released. What to Know The spire has collapsed at the world-famous cathedral that dates back centuries The fire comes during the Catholic Church's Holy Week, days before Easter French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a televised speech to the nation because of the stunning blaze A massive fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris' soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below. The blaze collapsed the cathedral's spire and spread to one of its landmark rectangular towers, but Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet said the church's structure had been saved after firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the northern belfry. The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions, immortalized by Victor Hugo's 1831 novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The exact cause of the blaze was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire is "potentially linked" to a 6 million-euro ($6.8 million) renovation project on the church's spire and its 250 tons of lead. The Paris prosecutors' office ruled out arson and possible terror-related motives, and said it was treating it as an accident. A hole left by the fallen spire was still burning and sparks rained down from the cathedral's vaulted ceilings more than five hours after the fire broke out. Gallet said fire crews would keep working overnight to cool down the structure. As the spire fell, the sky lit up orange and flames shot out of the roof behind the nave of the cathedral, among the most visited landmarks in the world. Hundreds of people lined up on bridges around the island that houses the church, watching in shock as acrid smoke rose in plumes. Speaking alongside junior Interior minister Laurent Nunez late Monday, Gallet noted that "two thirds of the roofing has been ravaged." He said firefighters would keep working overnight to cool down the building. Late Monday, signs pointed to the fire nearing an end as lights could be seen through the windows moving around the front of the cathedral, apparently investigators inspecting the scene. The city's mayor, Anne Hidalgo, most of the significant collection of art work and holy objects inside the church had been recovered. Remarkably, only one of the about 400 firefighters who battled the blaze was injured, officials said. The fire came less than a week before Easter amid Holy Week commemorations. As the cathedral burned, Parisians gathered to pray and sing hymns outside the church of Saint Julien Les Pauvres across the river from Notre Dame while the flames lit the sky behind them. Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit invited priests across France to ring church bells in a call for prayers. French President Emmanuel Macron was treating the fire as a national emergency, rushing to the scene and straight into meetings at the Paris police headquarters nearby. He pledged to rebuild the church and said he would seek international help to do so. "The worst has been avoided although the battle is not yet totally won," the president said, adding that he would launch a national funding campaign on Tuesday and call on the world's "greatest talents" to help rebuild the monument. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, Notre Dame is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages as well as one of the most beloved structures in the world. Situated on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the Seine river, its architecture is famous for, among other things, its many gargoyles and its iconic flying buttresses. Among the most celebrated artworks inside are its three stained-glass rose windows, placed high up on the west, north and south faces of the cathedral. Its priceless treasures also include a Catholic relic, the crown of thorns, which is only occasionally displayed, including on Fridays during Lent. French historian Camille Pascal told BFM broadcast channel the blaze marked "the destruction of invaluable heritage." "It's been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris," Pascal said. "Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre Dame." He added: "We can be only horrified by what we see." Reactions from around the world came swiftly including from the Vatican, which released a statement expressing shock and sadness for the "terrible fire that has devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame, symbol of Christianity in France and in the world." In Washington, Trump tweeted: "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris" and suggested first responders use "flying water tankers" to put it out. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said he was praying "to ask the intercession of Notre Dame, our Lady, for the Cathedral at the heart of Paris, and of civilization, now in flames! God preserve this splendid house of prayer, and protect those battling the blaze." The lowest unemployment rate in a half century. More than 260,000 new jobs. And higher hourly wages. "I'll be running on the economy," President Donald Trump declared on Friday. And why wouldn't he? The day's new round of sunny employment figures offered fresh evidence of a strong national economy and a big political advantage for Trump just as the 2020 presidential campaign begins to intensify. Stocks are at or near record levels , too, as the president often notes. Democrats pointed to regional disparities in the new government report. And overall income inequality hasn't narrowed. But the Democrats who are fighting to deny the Republican president a second term are beginning to acknowledge the weight of their challenge: Since World War II, no incumbent president has ever lost reelection in a growing economy. Even Trump's critics are forced to admit the state of the economy could help him at the ballot box. "Relative to all the other terrible aspects of Trump's record, the economy is more of an asset to him," said Geoff Garin, a veteran pollster whose clients include Priorities USA, the most powerful super PAC in Democratic politics. Indeed, it was a day of celebration for Trump and his allies, who have been well aware of recent warnings that the economy might slow this year. The president's chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said the United States has entered "a very strong and durable prosperity cycle." He gave all the credit to his boss: "He is president of the whole economy." By most measures, the U.S. economy is in solid shape. It is expanding at a roughly 3% pace, businesses are posting more jobs than there are unemployed workers and wage growth, long the economy's weak spot, has picked up. All these trends are helping lift a broader swath of the population than in the first five years or so after the Great Recession. Low-income workers are actually seeing healthy wage gains larger than everyone else's. In March, the poorest one-quarter of workers were earning 4.4% more than a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The richest one-quarter were up 3%. Lower-income workers had started to outpace their higher-paid counterparts in 2015, so it's not a Trump phenomenon. And part of the increase has occurred because of minimum wage hikes by more than two-dozen states. The news isn't good for everyone. Workers in metro areas are still getting larger pay increases than those in smaller towns or rural areas, according to the Atlanta Fed's data. In fact, that gap that has widened since Trump was elected. And overall income inequality hasn't narrowed. The richest 5 percent of Americans earned 3.4 times a median worker's pay in 2018, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. That's up from 3.3 times as much in 2016. In Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in a region Trump carried three years ago, county archivist Barbara Bartos said the president's policies have helped a lot of people although she's seen little economic benefit personally. "I think he should get credit where credit is due," said Bartos, a 69-year-old registered Democrat who backed Hillary Clinton. "And I think that he helped a lot of people but left a lot of people out." Three hundred miles to the west in Cleveland, another former Clinton supporter, 42-year-old IT manager Jessica Wieber, said she feels "pretty good" about her economic situation. "I think he's had a big impact," she said of Trump's effect on the economy, adding that tax breaks given to companies and corporations have allowed them to hire more workers. "I hope it helps trickle down a bit," said Wieber, a single mom with four children. Amid the largely positive news for Trump, friends and foes alike question whether he can stay focused on the economy as the 2020 contest plays out. Blessed with similarly positive news in the past, he has veered into more controversial topics like immigration, the Russia investigation and personal attacks against his rivals. Democrats, in fact, are counting on him to change the subject. "The economic indicators would normally be incredibly positive for an incumbent president," said Jefrey Pollock, the pollster for Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's presidential campaign. However, the pollster said hopefully and somewhat rudely, "He can't shut his mouth." At this point, 18 months before Election Day, Trump's political standing is far weaker than the economic numbers would suggest. The latest CNN poll finds 43% of Americans approve of the way he is handling his job as president. That's even as 56% say they approve of his handling of the economy, marking a high for the president since he took office. He receives lower marks for other issues, including health care, immigration and foreign policy. Specific candidates aside, the General Social Survey, a respected nationwide survey, has found that the share of Americans feeling satisfied with their finances has returned to pre-recession levels. In 2018, about a third expressed satisfaction with their financial situation, up from 23% in 2010. About 4 in 10 said their finances had been improving over the previous few years, while just 15% felt them worsening. In 2010, more than twice as many said their financial situations were getting worse. Last month, the government report said, the African American unemployment rate was 6.7%, up from a record-low 5.9% last May. That's more than double the rate for whites. And in 2017, according to the latest data available, the black-white income gap widened, with the typical African American household earning $40,258, while the equivalent white figure was $68,145. Still, the Asian and Latino unemployment rates hit or matched record lows in April. By some measures, the job market has been better in the past. A much smaller proportion of Americans are working than in the late 1990s, the last time unemployment was nearly this low. Part of that is because the United States is aging and baby boomers are retiring. But even among workers aged 25 through 54, which filters out the impact of retirement and increased college attendance, a smaller percentage of people are working: In April 79.7% had jobs. That figure peaked at 81.9% back in 2000. How much all this will affect the election is an open question. Ray Fair, a Yale University economist who uses economic data to model election outcomes, says that the state of the economy in the first three quarters of an election year matters more than the rest of a president's term. Fair's model points to a Trump victory in 2020, should the economy continue along its current path. However, "This doesn't take into account the personalities," Fair said. "Trump is an unusual person." Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Real Facts on the latest Spanish Elections are far Away from the Biaised Impressions often given by most ordinary Ersatz Medias (or "LugenPresse") of the Establishment. Both in terms of Equality between Right or Left, added to a wide and Crystal-clear Movement Rightwards, and in the spectacular Emergence of Many "New" Parties (+36 !). To put it in a nutshell : - Spain is obviously Divided today : Almost an Equal Number of People Voted for the Right side of the Political Spectrum, as for the Left side... Indeed, it's all, aproximatively, cut in Two Pieces of around 47% to 48% of People's Votes, most Small Parties included. I.e. about 47% for various Left Parties, (28,68% Soc. + 14,31% Podemos + 3,89% ERCatalonia, 0,99% Bildu [Basques], etc), facing almost 47% for various Parties at the Right, (16,7% PPE, 15,86% Citizens, 10,26% Vox, 1,51% Nationalist Basque, 1,91% JxCat, 0,53% Canarian Nationalists, 0,36% Galician Nationalists, etc)... + More Important Development : Recent Dynamics on People's Votes' Movements, clearly Mark a Schift, with a Trend TOWARDS the RIGHT Side of the Political Spectrum : Indeed, the Greatest Part of Votes lost by the Moderate Right of "EPP" (-15,87%) notoriously goes to the Rightists of "Vox"(+10,06%), and Only a Small Part to the Center-Right of "Citizens" (+2,8%). In Addition, the Leftists of "Podemos" lose about -7% of Votes, which go Mainly at Their Right side: the Socialdemocrats (+6%), and Only a Tiny Part at their Left ("ERC" +1%). Even among Basques, the Traditionalist Nationalists Win slightly More Votes than the Left of "Bildu" : +32% instead of +22%... (etc). => To sum up, Notoriously, the Biggest Change in 2019 is "VOX" Rightists' spectacular Growth for about + 10,06% More People's Votes than ever Before, for the First Time in Spain's modern History. An Interesting Fact is also that this Party was initially Created by an Experienced, former Long-Time vice-President of EU Parliament, re-Elected during 5 Times in a row, (who earlier was a Mainstream EPP MEP) ! +++ But the Most Spectacular, naturally is the potential Political "Explosion" formed by the Sudden Emergence of more than ... Thirty Six (36) brand "New" Parties, which Started to participate for the 1st Time in Spanish Elections on 2019 ! It's true that the Larger Number among them, appears to stem from various "Regionalist" Groups, (probably a Consequence of the current "Socialist" Government's controversial stance vis a vis several Secessionist-like moves by some, there) : F.ex. "Regionalists for Cantabria", "New Canaries", "Proposal for the Isles", "Andalusia by Itself", "Coalition for Melilla", "We Are Region", "Extremadurans", "Riojan Party", "Puyalon" (Aragon), Regionalist Unity of Castile and Leon", "United Linares Independent Citizens", "Andecha Astur" (Asturian), "XXI Convergence" (Galicia), "Andalusian Solidary Independent Republican Party", etc... However, several other among those "New" Parties, have also various General Political Aims, of specific nature, such as, f.ex. : "Free PeopleWe Are AlternativePirates: Republican Front (Front Republica)" (0,43%, i.e. More than what "Vox" used to have...), "Act" (founded by former judge Baltasar Garzon), "Progressive Voices", "For a Fairer World", "En Masse", "Communist Party of the Workers of Spain", (one more, among many such claims !), "Left in Positive", "Convergents", "Retirees Party for the Future. Dignity and Democracy" (sic !), "European Solidarity Action Party", "Feminism8", "Plural Democracy", "Centered", "Defense of the Public" (Dreaming to Copy what was just done in the latest Ukranian presidential elections ?), (etc). => Inevitably, in such a Context, the LAST one, (i.e. the Smallest "New" Party which took the Less Votes, arriving at the END of the List), was : -"UNION for everyone" in Spain !... --------------------- >>> Despite all that, the System, Curiously, gave some very Different "Results", at the end of the Official pipeline, by attributing, Comparatively, much More MPs to the Left, than to the Right, even for en Equal number of People's Votes... F.ex., the "Socialists" got +38 MPs more, for Only +6% Votes more, while, on the Contrary, "Vox"'s Rightists were given Less MPs (+24 only), for ...More People's Votes (+10,06%)... I.e. not even the Bigger number of MPs that the Centrists of "Citizens" got (+25) for much Less People's Votes (Only +2,88%) ! Similar phenomenon, apparently, even among Basques : the Traditionalist "Nationalists" were given Only one (1) MP, for ...More Votes (+0,32%) than their Competitors of "Bildu" (Left : +0,22% Only), who, received, However, the ...Double Number of New MPs : +2 ! (Such Examples could be Multiplied). Result : Spain has, in fact, become apparently UnGovernable, at least for the time being, withOut any Clear Majority, practically Returning Back to its Pre-Electoral situation, (with the Exception of he succesful emergence of the Rightist "Vox" Party). => In such Circumstances, it's Not Surprizing, that, at least some Spanish Voters, apparently, became, nowadays, so ...Exasperated, that they Felt Unable to find Better today, than to Vote for anOther "New" Party, brutaly nick-Named : ..."Death to the System" (sic !)... Let's Hope than, for the sake of Spanish People and all Europe, Spain will finaly succeed, asap, to overcome its current problems, and Find Better Political Solutions in the foreseable Future ! (../..) Election Results: See All Races Here Voters in Cedar Hill elected a new mayor, three council positions, two trustees and a proposition on the sale of alcohol. The results of those races are below and will continue to be updated throughout the evening. Mayor After more than 22 years as mayor, Rob Franke was not running for reelection in Cedar Hill. His soon-to-be former office will be filled by a current Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Mason who held off fellow councilmember Jami McCain. Franke, along with McCain, were recently subjects in a corruption probe by the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. In November 2017, a Dallas Morning News investigation detailed how the mayor and others had positioned themselves to profit off a plan to bring $160 million in development into its old downtown. Dallas County DA John Cruezot investigated and ultimately found no evidence of wrong doing. Voters in Cedar Hill had several other races to consider on Election Day, including three City Council races, two trustee seats on the Cedar Hill Independent School District board as well as a propositition. Prop Prop A asked voters to consider whether they'd like liquor stores to be allowed in Cedar Hill. The vote is below. City Council Voters also had to choose new council members in Places 1, 3 and 5. Place 3 went to longtime Cedar Hill City Manager Alan Sims who held off challenger Valerie Banks, a former member of the Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees. The race for Place 5 was between three people who have never held any political office before -- Gregory Glover, a former pharmaceutical sales rep; Kim Rimmer, a legal assistant; and Victor Gonzalez, a code compliance officer for the city of Dallas. A special election to fill a vacancy in Place 1 after the departure of mayoral candidate McCain was a close one with Shirley Daniels getting 81 more votes than Michael Lewis. ISD Trustees In the Cedar Hill ISD, voters were asked to decide who'll be the trustees in Place 1 and Place 2. In Place 1, incumbent Gayle Sims, whose been a trustee since 2017, defeated challenger Shomega Daniels-Austin, an insurance agent seeking her first public office. After serving three terms as trustee for Place 2, Doug Heyerdahl is stepping down. Keisha Williams-Lankford won the seat over Carma Morgan. Election Results: See All Races Here Mayor Incumbent Betsy Price defeated Deborah Peoples and James McBride to win her fifth term as Fort Worth mayor. In a city that has no term limits, Price is now the longest-serving mayor in Fort Worth history. "Our priorities will stay the same that we've had success with," Price said. "That's working on education, transportation, infrastructure and bringing jobs, recruiting jobs for this city." Peoples said she knew she could never match Price's campaign warchest and had to depend on people to spread her message. She said she was proud of her campaign. "We were able to stay on message," Peoples said. "Fort Worth has issues. There's a problem with the tax base. There's a problem with transportation. There's a problem with transparency." City Council Fort Worth voters were also asked to consider eight City Council seats, though candidates in District 2 and 9 were running unopposed. In District 3, incumbent Brian Byrd defeated challenger Tanner Smith to win his second term, while in District 4 incumbent Cary Moon bested Max Striker to earn his third. In District 5, incumbent Gyna Bivens beat four challengers to retain her seat. In District 6, longtime councilman Jungus Jordan faced two challengers to win his eighth term. Jordan, first elected in June 2005, has represented the district for 14 years. Incumbent Dennis Shingleton topped two challengers vying for his District 7 seat. Shingleton has been on the city council since 2011 and sought his fifth term. In District 8, Kelly Allen Gray won her fourth term since being first sworn in on July 10, 2012. ISD Trustees In District 2, Fort Worth ISD Board President Tobi Jackson earned another term; Jackson has been on the board since 2010. In District 3, Quinton Phillips beat Cleveland Harris to fill the seat vacated by Christene Chadwick Moss. Moss was first elected to represent District 3 in 1990. In District 5, Judy Needham opted not to seek reelection. C.J. Evans won against Carla Morton to replace Needham. In District 6, 2nd Vice President Ann Sutherland opted to retire and not run for reelection. Anne Darr had Sutherland's endorsement, and topped two other challengers to win the seat. NBC 5's Scott Gordon contributed to this report. Election Results: See All Races Here Frisco voters considered three seats on the school board and two seats on the city council along with a large number of props. The results of those races are below. City Council City council places up for election in Frisco this year were Place 2 and Place 4. Place 2 incumbent Shona Huffman, who also serves as the mayor pro tem, won her second three-year term, against Mukesh Parna and Jeanne Weisz. In Place 4, Bill Woodard successfully sought his second three-year term, defeating Stephanie Cleveland. ISD Trustees Frisco voters are also electing three trustees to the school board. Up for election in 2019 are Place 1, Place 2 and Place 3. Place 1 Trustee Bryan Dodson stepped down in April after six years in the seat. Gopal Ponangi defeated Nate Adams to replace him in the seat. Place 2 Trustee Steve Noskin lost his bid for his second three-year term after first being elected in 2016. Natalie Hebert defated Noskin. In Place 3, Chad Rudy, Trustee Vice President, won reelection over Muni Janagarajan. Rudy has served on the board since 2015. Propositions Prop A - The issuance of $62,500,000 tax bonds for Public Safety facilities, equipment and warning sirens. Prop B - The issuance of $155,000,000 tax bonds for street and road improvements. Prop C - The issuance of $12,000,000 tax bonds for improvements and additions to the Public Works facility, including equipment and technology. Prop D - The issuance of $62,000,000 tax bonds for improving, expanding and equipping an existing City building for a library. Prop E - The issuance of $53,500,000 tax bonds for Park and Recreational facilities. Prop F - Shall Section 5.02(1) (Filing for Office) of the City Charter be amended to require that each candidate for elective City office submit a nonrefundable filing fee of two hundred dollars ($200) or, in lieu of the payment of a filing fee, a petition signed by no less than 25 qualified voters of the City or one-half of one percent of the total votes received in the City by all candidates for Mayor in the most recent mayoral general election, whichever is greater, in order to be qualified to run for office? Prop G - Shall Section 3.04 (Compensation) of the City Charter be amended to provide for the amount of compensation for the Mayor and each Council Member and the procedure for reimbursement of actual expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties rather than the City Council determining the amount of compensation by ordinance? Prop H - Shall Section 9.02(3) (Duties and Powers) of the City Charter be amended to provide that a vote of three-fourths (3/4ths) of the members of the City Council rather than three-fourths (3/4ths) of the Council Members present, or four (4) votes, whichever is greater - is required to overrule a recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission that a proposed zoning amendment, supplement, or change be denied and to provide that the Mayor is entitled to vote in such cases? Prop I - Shall Section 3.05(1) (Mayor, Mayor ProTem and Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem) of the City Charter be amended to clarify that the Mayor is entitled to vote on legislative or other matters when a certain percentage of affirmative votes of all of the members of the City Council is required to pass a measure pursuant to state law, City ordinance or the City Charter? Prop J - Shall Section 3.02 (Limitations on Terms) of the City Charter be amended to remove obsolete transitional provisions that are no longer necessary? Prop K - Shall Sections 3.05(2) and 3.05(3) (Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem and Deputy Mayor ProTem) of the City Charter be amended to clarify the time for electing the Mayor ProTem and Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem in the event of a runoff election and to provide that the Mayor Pro-Tem or Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem shall serve in such capacity until a majority of the City Council votes to elect a new Mayor Pro-Tem or new Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem? Prop L - Shall Section 3.14(3) (Passage of Ordinances in General), Section 6.17 (Publication of Proposed and Referred Ordinances) and Section 7.05 (Public Hearing on Budget) of the City Charter be amended to provide for publication of certain notices by means other than publication in the official newspaper of the City as may be allowed by state law? Prop M - Shall Section 3.15(3) (Emergency Ordinances) of the City Charter be amended to provide that for the adoption of emergency ordinances, the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum of the City Council present and eligible to vote is required rather than the affirmative vote of at least five (5) Council Members? Prop N - Shall Section 3.16 (Authentication, Recording, Codification, Printing and Distribution) of the City Charter be amended to modify certain requirements relating to the recording, printing and distribution of ordinances, resolutions, proposed Charter amendments and other official documents, including removing the requirement that all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the City Council be numbered consecutively as adopted; providing that such ordinances and resolutions shall be made available for public inspection rather than placed in a book kept open for inspection; providing that the Frisco City Code shall be made available to the public rather than furnished to City Officers, placed in City offices and made available for purchase by the public; providing that all ordinances and amendments to the City Charter shall be made available rather than printed promptly following their adoption; removing the requirement that a copy of each ordinance and amendment to the City Charter be placed in appropriate City offices for public reference; and removing the requirement that printed ordinances and Charter amendments be sold to the public? Prop O - Shall Sections 4.03(2) and (3) (Municipal Court) of the City Charter be amended to increase the term of appointment for Municipal Judges from two (2) to four (4) years and to remove the requirement that the Mayor act in the Municipal Judges place in the event of a failure of the Municipal Judge to perform his or her duties? Prop P - Shall Section 4.06(2)(E) (Personnel System) of the City Charter be amended to remove the requirement that the City Council rather than the City Manager evaluate the job performance of the City Secretary? Prop Q - Shall Section 5.01(2) (City Elections) of the City Charter be amended to conform to state law governing the date for regular City elections? Prop R - Shall Section 5.01(6) (City Elections) and Section 11.07 (Charter Review Commission) of the City Charter be amended to remove the requirement that the City publish a sample ballot for each City election twice in the Citys official newspaper and the requirement that the City publish a comprehensive summary of the report presented by the Charter Review Commission in the Citys official newspaper and instead require that the City publish the sample ballot and the Charter Review Commissions report in at least one of the official media of communication designated for City notices? Prop S - Shall Section 5.02(2)(F) (Filing for Office) of the City Charter be amended to conform to the state law prohibiting municipalities from taking disciplinary action against an employee solely because the employee becomes a candidate for public office? Prop T - Shall Section 5.04(2) (Official Results) and Section 5.05(1) (Taking of Office) of the City Charter be amended to provide that election returns shall be presented at a City Council meeting in accordance with the Texas Election Code rather than at the City Council meeting following the election and that each newly elected person to the City Council shall be inducted into office at the first regular City Council meeting following the official canvassing of the election rather than at the first regular City Council meeting following the election in conformance with state law? Prop U - Shall Section 6.01 (Scope of Recall) of the City Charter be amended to remove an obsolete provision relating to the appointment of elected City officials by the City Council to fill a vacancy? Prop V - Shall Section 6.05 (Presentation of Petition to the City Council), Section 6.13 (Initiative) and Section 6.14 (Referendum) of the City Charter be amended to increase the period of time to thirty-five (35) days for the City Secretarys presentation to the City Council of a recall petition, an initiative petition or a referendum petition? Se deberan enmendar la Seccion Prop W - Shall Section 6.11 (Failure of the City Council to Call an Election-Recall) and Section 6.23 (Failure of the City Council to Call an Election-Initiative or Referendum) of the City Charter be amended to clarify that a petitioning citizen may file an application for a writ of mandamus with the appropriate court to require the discharge of duties imposed on the City Council or the City Secretary with respect to recall petitions or initiative and referendum petitions rather than requiring the District Judge of Collin County, Texas to discharge such duties? Prop X - Shall Section 6.14 (Referendum) of the City Charter be amended to specify the number of signatures required on a referendum petition? Prop Y - Shall Section 6.16 (Form of Ballots) of the City Charter be amended to provide that the words For the Measure and Against the Measure may be included on the form of a ballot used when voting on proposed and referred ordinances, resolutions or measures in conformance with state law? Prop Z - Shall Section 8.01(3) (Authority, Composition and Procedures) of the City Charter be amended to provide that the minutes of proceedings of City boards, commissions and committees shall be made available to the City Council rather than submitted in a written report to the City Council no more than three (3) weeks following each meeting? Prop AA - Shall Section 11.02 (Official Newspaper) of the City Charter be amended to eliminate the requirement that the City Council declare annually an official newspaper of general circulation in the City and instead require that the City Council declare annually one or more official media for the communication of all notices and other matters required by the City Charter, City ordinance, or the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas to be published or made available by the City? Prop AB - Shall Section 11.09 (Non-substantive Revisions) of the City Charter be added to grant the City Council authority to make certain non-substantive revisions to the City Charter without obtaining separate approval of the voters in a Charter amendment election? Prop AC - Shall Section 12.10 (Disaster Clause) of the City Charter be amended to modify the makeup of the commission charged with acting as the City Council during a disaster as defined in Section 12.10 and calling a City election for the election of a required quorum and to remove the required formation of a committee to appoint such a commission? Election Results: See All Races Here Haltom City voters considered a new mayor, three City Council seats and a number of propositions. The results of those races are below. Mayor After two terms as mayor, David Averitt is not on the ballot for a third term leading the Haltom City City Council. Averitt previously served on the City Council from 1993-95 and from 2000-04. He returned in 2015 as mayor and will finish his second term this year. Current councilmembers An Truong won the race for Mayor with 58 percent of the vote. City Council There are three City Council seats up for election in Haltom City, including Place 2, 5 and 7. Two councilmembers are leaving office, having been term-limited out. Councilmembers can serve up to three consecutive two-year terms in Haltom City before stepping down. In Place 2, Walter Grow won his third straight term. In Place 5, Susan Soule will replace Bob Watkins who term-limited out and was hoping to be the next mayor. Current Place 7 rep An Truong won the election for Mayor. Gaye Vanzant won the race for her spot with 70 percent of the vote. Propositions Prop A -Ethics - Shall Sections 2.03 and 10.02a of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the city council to establish and appoint members to an Ethics Commission; to name the ethics policy; to require that the ethics policy address contractual relationships with the city; and to require the city council to utilize the Ethics Commission when enforcing the ethics policy passesd with 76 percent of the vote. Prop B - City Council - Shall Section 3.01a of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide the mayor shall be limited to five (5) consecutive terms as mayor, not including any time served as a councilmember; and to provide that councilmembers shall be limited to three (3) consecutive terms but may serve five (5) consecutive terms if two (2) or more terms are served as mayor passed with 72 percent of the vote. Prop C - City Council - Shall Sections 3.02 and 4.03 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the local application and qualification requirements for a place on the ballot for city council shall be governed by the state application and qualification requirements for a place on the ballot passed with 80 percent of the vote. Prop D - Elections - Shall Section 4.01 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that special elections shall be ordered to fill vacancies and pursuant to citizen petitions passed with 84 percent of the vote. Prop E - Elections - Shall Section 4.03(b) of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that a petition for candidacy to an elected office must have the requisite number of signatures prescribed by the Texas Election Code; and to require an applicant for elective office to submit two (2) forms of identification, one (1) being a photo id passed with 85 percent of the vote. Prop F - Elections - Shall Section 4.06 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that city elections are governed by state law; to provide that where state law provides, the language of the Charter will take precedence in elections; to grant the city council authority to cure any deficiencies in election requirements found in state law and the Charter; and to provide that an election that substantially complies with state law and the Charter will not be invalidated due to any informalities in the election passed with 75 percent of the vote. Prop G - Elections - Shall the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended by adding Section 4.09 to establish that the election of a mayor and city councilmembers must be by majority vote; and to establish that a runoff election must be held if no candidate for mayor or a particular place receives a majority vote passed with 87 percent of the vote. Prop H - Finance - Shall Section 5.06 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that an auditor may be selected for more than five (5) consecutive years if selected through a formal selection process passed with 63 percent of the vote. Prop I - Recall of Officers - Shall Sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.07, and 6.08 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the mayor and councilmembers shall be subject to recall and removal from office; to provide that state petition requirements control the filing of a recall petition; to provide that a recall election must be held on a uniform election date that allows sufficient time to meet the requirements of the Charter and state law; and to provide clarity to recall election ballots whereby votes are made for or against the official passed with 85 percent of the vote. Prop J - Initiative - Shall Section 7.02 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that ordinances pertaining to the levying taxes, authorizing indebtedness, setting rates for services, adopting a budget, any subject where state law requires a public hearing, or relating to any matter a court has determined inappropriate for initiative or referendum shall not be subject to initiative or referendum; and to provide that after the filing of a petition a special election for the proposed legislation must be called as soon as possible in compliance with state law passed with 78 percent of the vote. Prop K - Referendum - Shall Section 7.03 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the city council has ten (10) days to reconsider an ordinance that is the subject of a referendum petition passed with 82 percent of the vote. Prop L - Utilities - Shall Sections 8.01 and 8.02 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be revised to clarify and expand the citys authority to operate the city owned utilities and regulate utility franchises; to limit a franchise term to twenty (20) years; to provide procedures to grant franchises; to provide that a franchise shall not be exclusive; and providing limitations on transferability passed with 72 percent of the vote. Prop M - City Manager - Shall Section 9.01 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the city council may designate an individual to perform the duties of city manager in the event of the city managers absence or disability; to provide that the city council will fix the compensation of the city manager; to provide the city managers duties include, but are not limited to, directing and supervising the administration of city departments, attending all council meetings, and enforcing state laws and city ordinances passed with 79 percent of the vote. Prop N - Municipal Court - Shall Section 9.06 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the procedures of the Haltom City Municipal Court shall be governed by Chapter 45 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended passed with 84 percent of the vote. Prop O - Civil Service Commission - Shall Sections 11.03 and 11.05 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to expand the civil service commission to five (5) members with two (2) alternates; to limit commission members to two (2) two-year terms; to provide that sixty (60) percent of the commission members must be present to establish a quorum; and to establish recusal requirements for commission members passed with 84 percent of the vote. Prop P - Civil Service - Shall Section 11.13 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the probationary period for a new fire or police department employee is one (1) year if certified and eighteen (18) months for an uncertified fire fighter, police officer, or academy trainee passed with 83 percent of the vote. Prop Q - Civil Service - Shall Sections 11.17 and 11.25 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that examinations for fire or police department positions may occur over a twenty-one (21) day period; to permit electronic examinations; to provide that one (1) eligibility list will be derived from all examinations taken within a twenty-one (21) day period; to grant applicants who pass the examination additional points if they are a certified peace officer, or a certified peace officer with 36 months continuous service as a full-time peace officer in Texas; and to require eligibility lists be created within 100 days of vacancy passed with 83 percent of the vote. Prop R - Civil Service - Shall Section 11.19 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide the correct rank titles in the police and fire departments; and modify the years of services requirements to allow the consideration of individuals with less than two (2) years of service in rank if there are fewer than three (3) candidates to fill all available positions passed with 78 percent of the vote. Prop S - Civil Service - Shall Sections 11.21 and 11.22 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for electronic examination testing; to clarify the order of importance of examination topics; and to provide that if no candidate scores a minimum of 70 points, the minimum examination score for eligibility shall be reduced to 60 points passed with 52 percent of the vote. Prop T - Civil Service - Shall Section 11.24 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that promotional elections shall be conducted in a manner available to shift personnel and to allow for electronic voting, if available passed with 80 percent of the vote. Prop U - Civil Service - Shall Sections 11.26, 11.27, and 11.28 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to clarify the procedure for filing statements of action with the civil service commission passed with 84 percent of the vote. Prop V - Civil Service - Shall Section 11.29 of the Haltom City Home Rule Charter be amended to provide a timeframe by which the civil service commission must hear appeals and issue its decision; to provide a hearing extension procedure; to establish consequences for failure to meet the established timeframe; to permit the civil service commission to consider an appealing employees performance for the preceding five (5) years; and to provide a procedure to request recusal of a civil service commission member passed with 83 percent of the vote. Fifteen Southern California chiropractors have been charged with a $6 million insurance and kickback scheme involving phony car crash medical claims. Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Friday that the chiropractors are accused of filing fake auto collision medical claims with their patients' insurance companies. Authorities say the companies were bilked out of about $500,000. Most of the defendants were arrested on Thursday. Prosecutors say the alleged ringleader, Yury Chernega of Studio City, received $6 million in illegal kickbacks to refer some patients to the other 14 chiropractors. He could face nearly 19 years in prison if convicted. It's unclear whether Chernega has an attorney. A South Florida man will soon be free after spending more than 20 years in prison for a federal drug charge. His release was made possible by a Texas attorney and reality TV star Kim Kardashian-West. Jeffrey Stringer was arrested in West Palm Beach in the late 90s. He was supposed to spend his life in jail, but now he has a second chance. Jacaria Stringer has been alive for as long as her father has been in jail. Only thing I know is his birthday and where his prison is at. I dont really know too much. I havent had the chance to meet him outside, said Jacaria. I never even thought Id get to see him out of prison, so it feels good. The release was made possible thanks to Kim Kardashian-West and Texas attorney Brittany Barnett. Kardashian-West has made criminal justice reform her mission. She event went to the White House last year to meet with President Trump to ask him for his support. Barnett traveled to Miami on Friday to support Stringers family in court when the federal judge announced he would be a free man. Someones life is in your hands. Their entire life. I dont take it lightly. Its an honor and a privilege for me to do this work and for Jeffrey to trust me with his life, said Barnett. Barnett knew all too well what its like to have a parent in prison her mom was in jail for three years. I know firsthand that mass incarceration devastates families and entire communities, said Barnett. Now, shes helping others, like Stringers family, so those sentenced to life in prison for drug offenses may have a second chance at life. To have served 22 years in prison, laboring under the dark cloud of dying there, and to get a second chance at life, its beautiful, said Barnett. Stringers family told NBC 6 that they had a FaceTime call with Kardashian-West following Fridays hearing. Jeffreys mother says he plans on mentoring young men in his community, to teach them not to go down the same path that he did more than 20 years ago. He is set to be released from prison on Monday. Democrats are splintered by calls to impeach President Donald Trump. But they have found another common enemy and an alternate political foil in Attorney General William Barr. Calls for Barr's resignation erupted across the Democratic Party this week after he testified before the Senate and rebuffed the House twice, first by denying Democrats a full, unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, and then by skipping a hearing to review it. In response, Democrats threatened to hold Barr in criminal contempt of Congress a lengthy legal process that could go on for months. The feud with Barr has animated Democrats and temporarily shifted attention away from impeachment and by extension, the party's divisions over whether to pursue it. But with Trump resisting other congressional investigations, and testimony from Mueller likely on the horizon, the impeachment question seems unlikely to subside for long. For now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, who would lead impeachment proceedings, are putting their emphasis on investigating Trump, his business dealings and his administration. If Democrats do decide to impeach the president, they will have already made part of the case through oversight. Trump's refusal to comply with their requests with Barr just the latest example will only strengthen the case. "Impeachment is never off the table, but should we start there? I don't agree with that," Pelosi said Friday at an event in Medford, Massachusetts. Pelosi hasn't held back in her criticism of Barr, accusing him of committing a crime by lying to Congress about his communications with Mueller. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec called Pelosi's accusation "reckless, irresponsible and false." Other members of Pelosi's caucus are going after the attorney general in even stronger terms. "This is serious misconduct, this is a serious effort by the administration to prevent Congress from doing its oversight, and in fact could form the basis by itself of articles of impeachment," said Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, a member of the Judiciary panel, after Barr skipped the hearing Thursday. Republicans say the Democrats are focusing on Barr as a substitute for impeachment, to avoid the political backlash that would come with official proceedings against Trump. Nadler "can't try to pacify his liberal base by pretending to do impeachment without actually taking the plunge," said Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called the strategy "impeachment in drag." The Barr saga appears destined to end up in court. Nadler threatened Friday to hold Barr in contempt if he did not comply with a final request to turn over the Mueller report and the relevant investigative materials. The Justice Department is unlikely to comply, likely prompting a vote of contempt in committee and then the full House. "The committee is prepared to make every realistic effort to reach an accommodation with the department," Nadler wrote to Barr. "But if the department persists in its baseless refusal to comply with a validly issued subpoena, the committee will move to contempt proceedings and seek further legal recourse." The Justice Department declined to comment on Nadler's latest threat of contempt. But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that she believes "at no point will it ever be enough" for Democrats. While a contempt vote would send a message, it wouldn't force the Justice Department to hand over the report. Nor would it guarantee criminal charges against Barr: House approval of the contempt citation would send a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a Justice Department official who is likely to defend the attorney general. But if the U.S. attorney declines to prosecute, Democrats have other methods to force compliance with witnesses, like hefty fines for witnesses who fail to appear. Even as Democrats struggle with Barr, they are in hot pursuit of Mueller's testimony. Nadler said the panel was "firming up the date" for Mueller's testimony and hoped it would be May 15. Trump signaled he won't try to stop it. During a brief Oval Office session with reporters Friday, Trump deferred to Barr, saying, "I don't know. That's up to the attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job." It's possible that Barr could block Mueller from appearing, since the special counsel is still a Justice Department employee. But Barr has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying. On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says he doesn't need Mueller to testify to his panel. But he is willing to hear Mueller out on one, narrow matter. On Friday, he offered to let Mueller provide testimony "if you would like" as to whether he felt Barr misrepresented Mueller's views at the Senate hearing. Barr testified Wednesday that Mueller didn't challenge the accuracy of his memo summarizing the principal conclusions of the special counsel's report, including when they spoke on the phone. Barr made that assertion despite a letter he received in March from Mueller complaining Barr's summary didn't fully capture the "context, nature and substance" of his nearly 400-page report. Graham invited Mueller to provide testimony "regarding any misrepresentation by the attorney general of the substance of that phone call." He did not specify whether he wanted Mueller to appear in person. A 37-foot humpback whale washed ashore in Westhampton on Sunday morning, an animal rescue group said. It was the first large animal to strand in New York this year, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said. The dead female whale was found in Cupsoge County Park. The whale would remain in place for at least a day while the group coordinated heavy equipment to move it, said spokesperson Rachel Bosworth. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton is scheduled to deliver the keynote address later this month during graduation ceremonies at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. The New London academy's 138th commencement is set for May 22 and is not open to the public. Bolton has been President Donald Trump's national security adviser since April of last year. The former Fox News Channel contributor previously served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush and has held a variety of other positions in the federal government. Vice President Mike Pence gave last year's keynote speech at the Coast Guard Academy. Trump delivered the 2017 speech. Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to "continue its attacks and to stand by" for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gaza's economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war." He signaled readiness to "return to the state of calm" if Israel stopped its attacks "and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life." With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to U.N. tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to burnish its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. "Hamas is the change seeker," said retired Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staff's strategic division. "Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation." In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have "every right to defend themselves." He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. President Donald Trump warned the Gaza militants that "these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery." ''We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens...." he tweeted. "END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!" The U.N. Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and "a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to "indiscriminate rocket attacks" from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and U.N. mediation efforts. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often cooperates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes beginning Saturday. Islamic Jihad threatened to strike deeper into Israel, saying it "is ready to engage in an open confrontation and can open a broader front to defend our land and people." By Sunday, the Israeli military said militants had fired over 600 rockets, with the vast majority falling in open areas or intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket-defense system. But more than 30 rockets managed to strike urban areas, the army said. Israeli officials said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli father of four, was fatally struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard in the southern town of Ashkelon. The other deaths included a 49-year-old man killed when a rocket hit an Ashkelon factory, a man who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, and a 35-year-old man whose car was hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod. Israeli police said 66 people were wounded, three seriously. In Ashkelon, the Barzilai hospital itself was hit by debris from a rocket that was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile. The Israeli deaths were the first rocket-related fatalities since the 2014 war, when 73 people, including six civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. The Israeli military said it struck 250 targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier, and put another brigade on standby. "We have been given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting under current conditions," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 dead, including at least eight militants hit in targeted airstrikes. At least four civilians, including two pregnant women and two babies, were also among the dead. Late Saturday, the Palestinians said a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The army denied involvement, saying they were killed by an errant Palestinian rocket. There was no way to reconcile the claims. Among the militants who were killed was Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary, a money changer whom Israel said was a key player in transferring Iranian funds to the militant group. Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their 4-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. Sirens wailed along Israel's border region throughout the day warning of incoming attacks. School was canceled and roads were closed. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Hamas seized control of Gaza from the forces of internationally recognized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite his fierce rivalry with Hamas, Abbas appealed to the international community "to stop the Israeli aggression against our people." Ilan Ben Zion and Mohammed Daraghmeh contributed. North Korean state media on Sunday showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over Saturday's drills and stressed that his front-line troops should keep a "high alert posture" and enhance combat ability to "defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of the country." The weapons launches were a likely sign of Pyongyang's growing frustration at stalled diplomatic talks with Washington meant to provide coveted sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament. They also highlighted the fragility of the detente between the Koreas, which in a military agreement reached last September vowed to completely cease "all hostile acts" against each other in land, air and sea. South Korea said it's "very concerned" about North Korea's weapons launches, calling them a violation of the agreements to reduce animosities between the countries. The statement, issued after an emergency meeting Saturday of top officials at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, also urged North Korea to stop committing acts that would raise military tensions and join efforts to resume nuclear diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed that Washington still wants to strike a deal with Kim to get the North Korea to denuclearize. He told Fox News Sunday and ABC's "This Week" that the weapons launched were short-range and not intercontinental ballistic missiles. "They landed in the water east of North Korea and didn't present a threat to the United States or South Korea or Japan," he said on ABC. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff initially said on Saturday that the North launched a single missile from the site near the coastal town of Wonsan but later said in a statement that "several projectiles" had been fired. In its updated assessment on Sunday, the JCS did not confirm whether the North fired a ballistic missile, but said a "new tactical guided weapon" was among the weapons tested by the North, which also included 240 millimeter- and 300 millimeter-caliber multiple rocket launchers. The JCS said the various projectiles flew from 44 to 149 miles before splashing into sea. The North's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos that showed Kim, equipped with binoculars, observing tests of different weapons systems, including multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a short-range missile fired from a launch vehicle, and also an explosion of what seemed to be a target set on island rocks. "Praising the People's Army for its excellent operation of modern large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, he said that all the service members are master gunners and they are capable of carrying out duty to promptly tackle any situation," the KNCA paraphrased Kim as saying. "He stressed the need for all the service members to keep high alert posture and more dynamically wage the drive to increase the combat ability so as to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of the country and ... the security of the people from the threats and invasion by any forces," the report added. The North Korean missile appeared to be modeled after Russia's 9K720 Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile system, said Kim Dong-yub, an analyst from Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies. The solid-fuel North Korean missile was first revealed in a military parade in Pyongyang in February last year and is likely the unspecified tactical weapon the North said it tested last month, he said. The new missile would be potentially capable of delivering nuclear warheads and striking targets as far away as 310 miles, which puts the entire Korean Peninsula within reach, said Kim, who based his analysis on the capabilities of the Iskander and North Korea's current levels in missile technology. The missile is also likely designed to be maneuvered during flight and warhead delivery, which would make it less likely to be intercepted by missile defense systems, he said. "The North tried to clearly demonstrate its abilities to strike any target on the Korean Peninsula, including U.S. troops stationed across South Korea in areas such as Seoul, Pyeongtaek, Daegu and Busan," said Kim, a former South Korean military official. The distance between Wonsan, where the launch was held, and the South Korean capital of Seoul is roughly 124 miles. The North in Sunday's report did not issue any direct threat or warning toward the South or the United States. Experts say the North may increase these sorts of low-level provocations to apply pressure on the United States to agree to reduce crushing international sanctions. The launches come amid a diplomatic breakdown that has followed a failed summit earlier this year between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un over the North's pursuit of nuclear bombs that can accurately target the U.S. mainland. The North probably has viable shorter-range nuclear-armed missiles, but it still needs more tests to perfect its longer-range weapons, according to outside analysts. Trump said Saturday that he still believes a nuclear deal with North Korea will happen. He tweeted that Kim "fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it." Trump added: "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" Pyongyang has recently demanded that Pompeo be removed from nuclear negotiations and criticized national security adviser John Bolton. North Korea also said last month that it had tested a new type of unspecified "tactical guided weapon." North Korea could choose to fire more missiles with longer ranges in coming weeks to ramp up its pressure on the United States to come up with a roadmap for nuclear talks by the end of this year, said Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University. "North Korea wants to say, 'We have missiles and nuclear weapons to cope with (U.S.-led) sanctions,'" Nam said. "They can fire short-range missiles a couple more times this month, and there is no guarantee that they won't fire a medium-range missile next month." North Korea last conducted a major missile test in November 2017 when it flight-tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that demonstrated potential capability to reach deep into the U.S. mainland. That year saw a string of increasingly powerful weapons tests from the North and a belligerent response from Trump that had many in the region fearing war. During the diplomacy that followed those weapons tests, Kim said that the North would not test nuclear devices or ICBMs. The short-range projectiles launched on Saturday don't appear to violate that self-imposed moratorium, and they may instead be a way to register Kim's displeasure with Washington without having the diplomacy collapse. Associated Press writers Foster Klug and Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report. Pope Francis urged Bulgarians on Sunday to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing so much of its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to seek better lives elsewhere. As he arrived in the Balkan nation for a two-day visit, Francis "respectfully suggested" that Bulgarians recognize that migrants are fleeing war, conflict or dire poverty "to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge." "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands in accordance with your best tradition to those who knock at your door," he told government officials at the presidential palace in Sofia, the capital. Bulgaria's center-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the European Union to close its borders to migrants and has sealed off its own frontier with Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. But the country is also losing its population at a faster clip than any other nation, according to the U.N. Bulgaria's current 7 million people are expected to dwindle to 5.4 million by 2050 and to 3.9 million by the end of the century. The Argentine pope has made the plight of migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy, urging governments to build bridges, not walls, and to do what they can to welcome and integrate refugees. His visit falls just three weeks before the European Parliament elections across the EU's 28 nations in which nationalist, anti-migrant parties are expected to make a solid showing. On Monday, Francis will visit a refugee center in a former school on the outskirts of Sofia. Human rights groups have criticized Bulgaria and the EU's executive commission has formally cited the government over its treatment of asylum-seekers, especially unaccompanied minors. The Vrazhdebna center the pope plans to visit, the flagship immigrant welcome center in Bulgaria, was renovated with EU funds. Radostina Belcheva of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria said Francis' visit will show solidarity with those in need. "But really, their whole acceptance is a matter for each of us and for our society," Belcheva told The Associated Press. Bulgaria's tough stance on refugees has been a deterrent: while some 20,000 people applied for asylum in Bulgaria in 2015, that number dwindled to 2,500 last year, according to the state refugee agency. From an economic standpoint, however, the EU's poorest nation may need more immigration to stabilize its future. Bulgaria has the EU's highest mortality rate and one of the bloc's lowest birth rates. That, combined with tens of thousands of workers leaving the country annually to find better-paying jobs, poses serious problems for funding the country's pension system. Bulgaria has the EU's lowest average monthly salary 575 euros ($645) and its smallest average monthly pension, at 190 euros ($213). In his speech Sunday, Francis urged the government to continue working to reverse this "new demographic winter," saying the shrinking population phenomenon had "descended like a curtain of ice on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future." He urged Bulgaria to "strive to create conditions that lead young people to invest their youthful energies and plan their future, as individuals and families, knowing that in their homeland they can have the possibility of leading a dignified life." Francis later met with the leader of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neofit, during a visit to the headquarters of the Holy Synod, the church's governing body. Francis kissed Neofit three times on the cheek and in a gesture of respect, leaned over to kiss his medallion featuring an image of Christ. The conservative Bulgarian church doesn't participate in official Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and even snubbed a pan-Orthodox council in Crete in 2016. The Holy Synod has made clear that it will not take part in any joint services or prayers with the pope, although a children's choir is expected to sing for him. Francis sought to encourage greater paths of dialogue in his remarks to Neofit, a reflection of the Vatican's longstanding efforts to heal the 1,000-year schism that split Christianity. Francis lamented the "wounds" of division and "fraternal nostalgia" of being unified. But Neofit held firm in his speech, saying that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church would remain the keepers of true Christianity: "We are firmly convinced that for all that concerns the faith, there cannot and must not be any compromises," he told Francis. Francis also prayed in the golden-domed Orthodox cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky before images of two of Orthodoxy's most important saints, Cyrill and Methodius, who spread the faith in this part of Europe in the 9th century. He sat in a chair alone before the images evidence of the Bulgarian leadership's refusal to pray together with him. Later in the afternoon, the pope ministered to Bulgaria's tiny Catholic community at an open-air Mass that organizers said drew some 12,000 people. Wearing vestments given by Bulgaria's prime minister, he urged the faithful to launch a "revolution of charity" inspired by God's love. Despite the country's small number of Catholics, Bulgarians are particularly fond of one of the 20th century Catholic Church's most important figures, Pope John XXIII. The former Angelo Roncalli was the Vatican envoy to Bulgaria from 1925-1934 and is known affectionately as the "Bulgarian pope" here. Francis was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who along with the vestments gave the pope a personal gift: a vat of Bulgarian yogurt. Borissov recalled that Francis had told him previously he first heard about Bulgaria as a child in Argentina when his grandmother gave him Bulgarian yogurt to eat. Receiving the gift, Francis exclaimed "You know my story!" Valentina Petrova contributed. President Donald Trump said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, abandoning his previous declaration that he would leave that decision to his attorney general. Escalating tensions with House Democrats as they seek to bring Mueller before the House Judiciary Committee, Trump tweeted: "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Democrats are seeking more information about Mueller's report on his Russia investigation. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has said he doesn't plan to invite Mueller to testify on the report. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week that testimony from Mueller was "up to our attorney general." William Barr has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying. Trump again asserted on Twitter Sunday that Mueller's report revealed "NO COLLUSION" and argued that there was "NO OBSTRUCTION." On collusion, Mueller said he did not assess whether that occurred because it is not a legal term. He looked into a potential criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign and said the investigation did not collect sufficient evidence to establish criminal charges on that front. Mueller didn't charge Trump with obstruction but wrote that he couldn't exonerate him, either. Trump did not indicate if he would take any steps to block Mueller, who is a Justice Department employee. The president tweeted Sunday after a Democrat on the committee said he was hopeful Mueller would testify, noting that May 15 has been proposed. Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline told "Fox News Sunday" that "we hope the special counsel will appear" at that time and that "we think the American people have a right to hear directly from him." Cicilline later tweeted that "nothing has been agreed to yet." The House Judiciary Committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, said last week the committee was "firming up the date" for Mueller's testimony and hoping it would be May 15. Cicilline said on Fox that "obviously until the date comes, we never have an absolute guarantee" and in his tweet later, said that "we hope the Special Counsel" will agree to the proposed date for his testimony. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and Mueller declined to comment on Cicilline's remarks and on Trump's tweet. Democratic lawmakers expressed their displeasure with Trump's position. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted, in part: "Now he's trying to silence Mueller. For a man who constantly proclaims his innocence, @realDonaldTrump is acting awfully guilty. Mueller must testify publicly before Congress." Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, noted in a tweet that Trump's opposition to Mueller testifying follows his opposition to having a former White House counsel testify. "Barr's testimony alone designed to protect Trump isn't going to cut it. They will testify. The American people deserve the truth," said Schiff, who has previously stated that he would like Mueller to appear before his panel. What to Know When Elizabeth Warren released her sweeping student loan forgiveness proposal, many borrowers imagined how their lives would transform. CNBC spoke with people about how Warrens proposal would change their circumstances. If I didnt have that debt I could retire in the next few years, one woman said. When Elizabeth Warren released her sweeping student debt forgiveness proposal last month, many borrowers imagined how their lives would transform if their loan balance shrank or disappeared. Emotionally, its the biggest thing in the back of your mind, said Dominic DeFelice, 23, who owes more than $100,000. To have Elizabeth Warren actually come out and have a plan for it felt really good. On Twitter, people described what student debt forgiveness would mean to them and included the hashtag #cancelmydebt. Nearly 45 million Americans hold student loans. Average debt at graduation is currently around $30,000, up from $10,000 in the early 1990s. Repayment is a challenge for many: Every day, 3,000 borrowers default. Warren is the only presidential candidate to issue a detailed plan on student debt forgiveness. Under it, borrowers with household incomes under $100,000 would have $50,000 of their student debt canceled, and those who earn $100,000 to $250,000 would be eligible for relief on a sliding scale. The time for half measures is over, Warren writes. My broad cancellation plan is a real solution to our student debt crisis. It helps millions of families and removes a weight thats holding back our economy. Critics of the proposal, which could cost $1.25 trillion over 10 years, say much of the money would go to borrowers with high incomes who are capable of repaying their debt. Others say the plan only throws money at the larger problem of rising tuition. Still, more than half of Americans say student debt is a major problem for the country, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll. And its no wonder people saddled with student debt cant help but dream of a different life (even if the candidate with the proposal trails in the polls): 67 percent of people with student debt say the loans delayed them from buying a house, car or large appliance. Forty percent claimed the debt caused them to put off having a child or getting married. CNBC spoke with borrowers about how the Massachusetts Democratic senators proposal would change their circumstances. DOMINIC DeFELICES bachelors degree in geology left him $120,000 in the hole. That amount of money is incomprehensible to someone like me, said the 23-year-old DeFelice. I should have known that at 17. The entry level jobs to which hes been applying since he graduated last year from Juniata College in Pennsylvania offer annual salaries of around $30,000. After taxes, he calculates, hed have $2,200 a month to live on. His student loan bill is more than $1,300. (The loans are currently on pause, accruing interest.) I invested in an education and I dont see a return in sight, DeFelice said. He said his brother, who is 2 years younger and never went to college, makes more money as a security guard. DeFelice noticed a lot of the environmental jobs he hoped to fill require a graduate degree. And so thanks to a grant he received, he recently enrolled at Brooklyn College to get his masters degree in geology. However, he decided to leave school after just one semester, realizing that, given the high cost of living in New York, hed still have to take out some loans. It could really amplify my earning potential, but I just cant, he said. Im just digging myself deeper when Im already at rock bottom. Education loans, ironically, can be a barrier to education: One study found that bachelor degree recipients without debt are 70% more likely to enroll in further schooling than those with debt. Under Warrens plan, DeFelice would have $50,000 of his federal loans wiped away, and potentially some of his private loans, too. With a smaller debt load, he said, he could likely finish his schooling and not have to move back in with his parents or his girlfriends, a reality now on his horizon. I could actually plan my life, he said. KANU MENDOZA wishes she could work less, but she owes more than $50,000 in student loans. When a disk in her back ruptured, the 52-year-old had to leave the Navy after a two-decade career. To advance in the Navy, she pursued a bachelors degree in leadership and then a masters in public administration at Bellevue University in Nebraska. Currently, shes a supervisor at an aerospace manufacturing company in San Diego. If I didnt have that debt hanging over my head, Id probably find a less demanding job, Mendoza said. Its difficult when youre in so much pain you dont want to move, but you have to get up and go to work. Student debt is growing fast among older people: In 2018, Americans over age 50 owed more than $260 billion in student loans, up from $36 billion in 2004, according to the Federal Reserve. Mendoza said her $400 monthly student loan bill makes it hard for her to save for retirement. Her pension is just $1,500 a month. If I didnt have that debt I could retire in the next few years, Mendoza said. With it, Im going to be in the workforce another 10 years, if not longer. MORGAN HOPKINS would like to start a family. But she owes more than $75,000 in student loans, for her bachelors and masters degrees in psychology and womens studies. If I could understand the implication of having this debt forever, I might have made a different choice, Hopkins, 31, said of her education. Today, she works as a national field manager at a nonprofit in Denver. She said its going to take years of planning for her and her boyfriend to be able to have a child and buy a house and even just a financial cushion should one of them lose their job or fall ill. If I didnt have half-a-rent payment in student debt, Id have an emergency savings plan, she said. Her monthly student loan bill is more than $900, most of which she said just goes to interest. I havent seen any significant reduction, Hopkins said. Under Warrens plan, half of Hopkins debt would be canceled, and all of her boyfriends loans would be forgiven. The result: She could see a future. I have a lot of financial stress now, as a lot of our generation does, Hopkins said. How am I ever going to get to these goals I have for my life? MADELINE FENING, 27, studied communications at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and has long wanted to tell stories about autism. Her sister is on the spectrum. After graduation, she moved to Texas to intern at the Austin Film Festival. She wanted to continue working in media, and reporting on the disorder, but her $50,000 in student debt weighed heavily on her. It feels like before I can do anything else, theres this huge wall I need to knock down, Fening said. She worked as a bartender and told herself that she could develop a documentary on autism at the same time, but she found herself exhausted after shifts. Im on my feet and using my body the whole time, Fening said. And the expenses of making a film are hard to come up with last year she made $28,000. Ive been trying to work on it with limited resources, she said. More than half of student loan borrowers say their debt informed their career choice, according to a study by American Student Assistance, an educational nonprofit. Recent research found that an additional $2,500 in student debt makes someone 5 percentage points less likely to be employed in a field related to their studies. Soon, Fening is moving back to Ohio, where she grew up, to live with family and ultimately secure a cheaper apartment. Most of her debt would be forgiven under Warrens plan, in which case Fening said she could put more time and resources into her work on autism. You shouldnt have to choose between starting a project and paying your student loans, Fening said. This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC: A 41-year-old man has been arrested after police said he posed as a rideshare driver and raped a woman at knifepoint near the University of Delaware. Roberto Rodriguez faces charges including first degree rape, third degree unlawful sexual contact, possession of a deadly weapon during commission of a felony, theft under $1,500 and malicious interference with emergency communications, Newark Police Lt. Andrew Rubin said. Rodriguez picked up the 21-year-old victim in the area of South Chapel Street and Delaware Avenue around 1:15 a.m. Saturday before brandishing a knife and sexually assaulting her, Rubin said. He also stole the woman's cellphone to prevent her from calling police, the lieutenant added. Rodriguez had told the victim that he was a rideshare driver, and she got into his vehicle even though she had not called for a ride, Rubin said. After receiving a string of tips, Newark Police found Rodriguez's vehicle, a GMC pickup, parked at a home on Nottingham Road. They staked out the home and when Rodriguez got out, police found a knife on him, Rubin said. After establishing that the pickup was registered to Rodriguez and finding other probable cause, police arrested him. Newark Police It was unclear if the victim is a student at the nearby university, but the University of Delaware Police advised students to download its LiveSafe app, which allows people to connect with the department directly. Students who experience sexual misconduct can also contact the UDP's Sexual Offense Support program 24/7 by calling 302-831-1001 and pressing 1. On the day America honors all United States veterans, San Diego has chosen to give a special tribute to a long-time U.S. Army veteran who also served as a pillar to the Scripps Ranch community before his passing in 2019. Col. Robert Dingeman -- who served for three wars during his three-decade career before retiring to San Diego to serve his community -- will be immortalized with a street sign near his Scripps Ranch home. A sign for Col. Robert Dingeman Drive will mark a stretch of Aviary Drive from Red Cedar Drive to Canyon Lake Drive. The honorary designation will pay tribute to the man who not only served his country but served his small neighborhood community as a teacher and avid volunteer. The tribute touched his 95-year-old widow, Gaye Dingeman, who said she was "pleased as punch" to have the addition close to their home. "Mr. Scripps Ranch," a Silver Star, Soldiers Medal, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart recipient, was born in the Philippines on June 12, 1922, to parents Blanche Dingeman and Coast Artillery Cpt. Ray Dingeman, according to Dingeman Elementary School. Dingman started his military career in Hawaii with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and was first called to duty on Dec. 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, to serve as the personal bodyguard to Hawaii's governor. Hawaii is also where he and his wife met. They married soon after and were together for 74 years. "I didn't know it was the beginning of my life. It was just a date," Gaye Dingeman said. "But, uh huh, he was a good date and a good man, and a wonderful husband and I miss him terribly." Dingeman later graduated from the West Point military academy and served in tours in the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The Army veteran was proud for his time in the service, and loved celebrating Veterans Day, making the sign dedication Wednesday even more special. "It's a day that we honor everyone who has served in the military," Gaye Dingeman said. They don't have to be heroes, they just have to have served." Thirty years later, Dingeman retired and became an instructor at San Diego Miramar College, teaching math, history, and political science for nearly two decades. He created the Scripps Ranch Civic Association, which went on to represent thousands of households and promote volunteerism throughout the community, according to the groups website. The Army veteran also has a Scripps Ranch elementary school named after him. Dingeman Elementary School was founded in 1994 after a vote from the San Diego Unified School Board. His leadership and active community involvement was instrumental in transforming Scripps Ranch into a great place to live, the elementary school said on its website following his passing on. With measles outbreaks surging across the nation and quarantines popping up in California, a North County woman is worried the government is not doing enough to prevent the spread of the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said you dont need to get a measles vaccine if you were born before 1957, but 75-year-old Paula Shapiro feared she could be putting her younger neighbors in danger. From the history that I know, I never got the measles, said Shapiro. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}(); CDC said that people born before 1957 are likely to have been infected naturally and therefore are protected against measles. Im unsatisfied with the answer because one of the stories told in my family is how many times they exposed me to measles by putting me in cribs with other kids and that I never got it, said Shapiro. After going to three different clinics, Shapiro finally received the measles vaccine. It gave her comfort knowing she could be around her friends kids again. Adam is graduating kindergarten soon, and Im going, said Shapiro. She still thinks the CDC should revise its guidelines so that older people are encouraged to get the vaccine. Not because were special and wonderful, but because its an incredibly deadly disease for children, Shapiro said. There is a blood test to check for measles immunity. Shapiro said she was never offered the test. The measles outbreak is now in 22 states, including California, and more than 700 cases have been reported in 2019. Not long ago, measles was thought to be a problem that was mostly solved. The once-common disease became increasingly rare after a vaccine became available in the 1960s. In 2000, health officials declared the disease eliminated in the U.S., meaning that all new cases stemmed from infected travelers and not from homegrown transmission. To learn more about the measles outbreak and vaccine, visit the CDCs website. A mother found dead in the garage area of a home in San Diegos Ocean Beach community has been identified by authorities. Her son shot and arrested by police in a bizarre twist earlier this week is suspected in her death. The San Diego Police Department Saturday said Los Angeles County resident Heidi Green, 59, was the homicide victim. Greens body was discovered in the early morning hours of Wednesday inside the garage of a home on Niagara Avenue. #breaking Rainey St in La Mesa blocked off after reports of an officer involved shooting. Witnesses saw an ambulance leaving the scene. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/7hujqkbDiN Steven Luke (@stevenlukenbc) May 2, 2019 According to SDPD Lt. Matthew Dobbs, Greens son called authorities to check on the welfare of his mother after a family member received a message from Green that raised concern. Police said that family member tried to call Green back but could not reach her. Greens son told investigators the family believed Green was out in Ocean Beach, checking on a housing property. Police arrived at the home on Niagara Avenue at around 1 a.m. Wednesday and began searching for Green, with the help of her son who had called authorities. Police were not able to enter the home, so they began searching the surrounding areas for Green. SWAT officers are trying to get a homicide suspect to surrender in Ocean Beach. NBC 7s Liberty Zabala has an update. During the search, the victims son who had called police spotted his brother Daniel Chase McKibben, 36 running away from the home. The son who called police forced his way into the homes garage and, there, he discovered Greens lifeless body. At that point, SDPD officials considered McKibben a person of interest in Greens homicide. They launched a search for him and SWAT officials even zoned in on a home where they believed McKibben was holed up. McKibben turned out not to be at that home and investigators were not able to find him that day. SkyRanger7 captured the scene on Rainey Street in La Mesa Thursday morning after an alleged trespasser was shot by a police officer inside a home. Police said a homeowner called police to report an unwanted man inside his residence. When officers arrived, the trespassing suspect was armed with a knife. The next day, however, the case took an odd twist that landed McKibben face-to-face with police. Over in La Mesa, on Rainey Street, homeowner Kenneth Caporale, 82, called police around 8:40 a.m. to report a trespasser was in his home, refusing to leave. Caporale told NBC 7 his adult son who lives with him and is mentally ill had brought the stranger into his home. Caporale said his son will sometimes visit Ocean Beach to pick up homeless people and bring them back to Caporales house against his fathers wishes. Caporale said this latest uninvited guest was another case of this problem. He didnt know the man and wanted him to leave. Two La Mesa Police Department officers went to Caporales home at around 9:15 a.m. Thursday and attempted to contact the alleged trespasser. The LMPD said as the officers approached the man, he pulled out a knife. One of the officers fired his gun at the man, hitting him twice once on the hand and once on the shoulder. The officers and Caporale were not harmed in the incident. A few hours later, LMPD investigators identified the alleged trespasser in the La Mesa incident as McKibben. LMPD Lt. Greg Runge said McKibben had been taken to a local hospital and was expected to survive. The SDPD confirmed Saturday McKibben lived in the Ocean Beach area. He is no longer a person of interest in his mothers death but, rather, a suspect. McKibben remains in custody at a local hospital, the SDPD said. The investigation into Greens killing is ongoing; anyone with information on her case can reach out to the SDPDs Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Most of the cannabis consumed in California is still bought on the black market, but as more licensed businesses emerge, the marijuana industry is expected to be a job machine in San Diego. While many traditional retailers are seeing business drop, the story is much different at marijuana storefronts like San Diego Recreational Cannabis (SDRC) in Mission Valley. Employment in the cannabis industry is huge, said Osvaldo Rodriguez, manager at SDRC. Rodriguez, a former welder, now leads 30 retail employees at SDRC, and expects is staff to keep growing. Besides storefront employees, there are many other workers who are indirectly benefiting from marijuana sales. Security (guards) has to be not just at the retail business, but any manufacturing or cultivation facilities, said Rodriguez. You have distributors, then you have delivery. We also have custodial service. Jobs in the cannabis industry are now found on mainstream job search sites. The positions range in pay, from minimum wage to six-figure salaries. In San Diego, we have 40 marijuana facilities that have been licensed and we have 22 conditional use permits granted for retailers, but not all of those are open at this point, said Dallin Young from the Association of Cannabis Professionals. "Once they open, were looking at 1,000 or 2,000 new jobs. 620 cannabis shops have been licensed in the state of California. The government doesnt have statistics on cannabis jobs, but zip recruiter estimates there are 200,000 to 300,000 marijuana-related jobs nationwide. After legalization, the city of San Diego has collected more than $6.3 million in cannabis taxes. As more people enter the legitimate weed industry pot will become a larger part of San Diegos economic engine. There are still several cities in San Diego County that ban marijuana businesses. As the industry expands, it is expected there will be more demand for high paying positions like chemists, software engineers, and marketers. What to Know Allegations of "collusion" were not "proven false" in the Mueller investigation, nor was the issue of "collusion" addressed in the report Mueller did not ask Barr to rule on whether Trump's efforts to undermine the special counsel's Russia investigation had obstructed justice Mueller's report laid out instances in which Trump might have obstructed justice, specifically leaving it open for Congress to address President Donald Trump and his team are still twisting the findings of the special counsel's report on the Russia investigation. At a Senate hearing Wednesday, Attorney General William Barr echoed Trump's refrain of "no collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia, insisting that any and all allegations of collusion have been "proven false." That's not the case. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham also got it wrong when he asserted that special counsel Robert Mueller had asked Barr to make a ruling on whether Trump obstructed justice. A look at the claims: TRUMP: "NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION." tweet Wednesday. BARR: "The evidence is now that the president was falsely accused of colluding with the Russians and accused of being treasonous. ...Two years of his administration have been dominated by allegations that have now been proven false." Senate hearing Wednesday. GRAHAM, Republican senator from South Carolina: "Mr. Mueller and his team concluded there was no collusion." Senate hearing. THE FACTS: Allegations of "collusion" were not "proven false" in the Mueller investigation, nor was the issue of "collusion" addressed in the report. The Mueller report said the investigation did not find a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, saying it had not collected sufficient evidence "to establish" or sustain criminal charges. The report noted that some Trump campaign officials had declined to testify under the 5th Amendment or had provided false or incomplete testimony, making it difficult to get a complete picture of what happened during the 2016 campaign. The special counsel wrote that he "cannot rule out the possibility" that unavailable information could have cast a different light on the investigation's findings. The report also makes clear the investigation did not assess whether "collusion" occurred because it is not a legal term. The investigation found multiple contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, and the report said it established that "the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts." ___ GRAHAM: "As to obstruction of justice, Mr. Mueller left it to Mr. Barr to decide after two years, and all this time. He said, 'Mr. Barr, you decide.' Mr. Barr did." Senate hearing. THE FACTS: Not true. Mueller did not ask Barr to rule on whether Trump's efforts to undermine the special counsel's Russia investigation had obstructed justice. According to the report, Mueller's team declined to make a prosecutorial judgment on whether to charge partly because of a Justice Department legal opinion that said sitting presidents shouldn't be indicted. As a result, the report factually laid out instances in which Trump might have obstructed justice, specifically leaving it open for Congress to take up the matter or for prosecutors to do so once Trump leaves office. In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Attorney General William Barr was asked why hed previously testified he didnt know about concerns being expressed by the special counsels office when Robert Mueller had sent him a letter outlining concerns. Barr wrote in a March 24 letter that ultimately he decided as attorney general that the evidence developed by Mueller was "not sufficient" to establish, for the purposes of prosecution, that Trump committed obstruction of justice. Barr subsequently acknowledged that he had not talked directly to Mueller about making that ruling and did not know if Mueller agreed with him. Attorney General William Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday about interactions with special counsel Robert Mueller and a letter he received from Mueller that took issue with his characterization of his Muellers findings. Muellers March 27 letter said Barrs summary letter about Muellers report released to the public three days earlier did not fully capture the context, nature,... The race to fill the open chairmanship of Prince William County's county board is set, with Republicans nominating accountant John Gray over longtime county supervisor Martin E. Nohe. In a firehouse primary on Saturday, county Republicans chose Gray, a right-wing candidate, over Nohe, a moderate who has been critical of outgoing Prince William County Board Chair Corey Stewart, who most recently ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. Gray took 3,158 votes to Nohe's 2,422, a 57 to 43 percent win. He has previously run for the board of supervisors and the school board, but lost both elections. Gray's campaign has consisted of videos posted to YouTube, warning against "radicalized Democrats" taking a majority of the seats on the county board and turning Prince William County into a "sanctuary county," the Prince William Times reported. Currently, Republicans hold a majority of six seats on the board, while Democrats hold two seats, but all eight seats are up for re-election in 2019. Today, Republicans came out in large numbers all across the county to nominate a diverse ticket of individuals who have been invested in our community and are dedicated to bringing positive results for the people of this County, Republican Committee Chairman Bill Card said in a statement. Our Republican ticket is unified and focused on reducing traffic congestion, bringing high-paying jobs to Prince William, and reducing classroom sizes and supporting teachers." Gray will now face Democratic candidate Ann Wheeler in November. Wheeler, who has also not held elected office previously, has served in other county roles, including chairing the Committee of 100, a nonpartisan civic group, and as a member of the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative Board. Commenting on the result, Wheeler congratulated Gray and urged him to participate in debates with her. "John's victory reflects a dramatic change in Prince William County Republicans that are now completely controlled by the far right. I will lead a ticket of Prince William County Democrats this fall that will offer the voters a different vision that puts our schools, transportation network and public safety as our first priority while the GOP offers far right ideology only. I will bring a new era of inclusivity to Prince William County," Wheeler said in a statement. A stretch of road in Los Angeles has been renamed after former President Barack Obama. A concert and ceremony Saturday unveiled Obama Boulevard. The street replaced Rodeo Road, a 3 -mile street that runs across the city's historic black neighborhood. It also intersects with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and further establishes a "presidential row" that includes Washington, Adams and Jefferson boulevards. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti noted at Saturday's ceremony that Obama Boulevard is in a section of the city that has a number of other streets named after presidents, the Los Angeles Times reported. "As we drive through this city and we see past presidents on Adams, on Washington, on Jefferson, now we'll have one that was in our lifetime, who was a president for everybody: Barack Hussein Obama," Garcetti said. A couple who proposed the name change told the Times they wanted to raise the profile of the road, attract more funding for the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw neighborhood and honor the 44th president. "With this change, we are publicly documenting what Obama's legacy as our nation's first black President means to our city and our South Los Angeles community," City Council President Herb Wesson said in a statement. "For every child who will drive down this street and see the President's name, this will serve as a physical reminder that no goal is out of reach and that no dream is too big." While residents were receptive to having a street named after Obama, some believed organizers should have chosen a more prominent street. Wesson argued Rodeo Road was symbolically important: The road is home to Rancho Cienega Sports Complex, where Obama held a campaign rally when he was running for president in 2007. For decades, discriminatory practices, including the use of racially restrictive covenants on deeds to keep people of color from buying homes, kept the area off-limits to non-whites. After the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed housing discrimination, and segregation was scaled back, black residents moved into the formerly white enclave of Baldwin Hills and established the first of L.A.'s black middle- and upper-class neighborhoods. Black-owned businesses and cultural activities once thrived on Crenshaw Boulevard. But over the years, they struggled and there are ongoing efforts to revitalize the commercial corridor. Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a political analyst and author who has lived in the area for 50 years, said he hopes the name change will lead to more investments in the neighborhood. "The area needs not just street name change, but also fresh programs, initiatives and spending on jobs, education, and housing programs for the mostly black and Hispanic low-income residents that live on or near Obama Boulevard," Hutchinson said. "This will truly be the greatest way to pay tribute to Obama." All the counseling, therapy and medication did little to ease 9-year-old Sobie Cummings' crippling anxiety and feelings of isolation. And so a psychiatrist suggested that a service dog might help the autistic child connect with other kids. To Glenn and Rachel Cummings, Mark Mathis seemed like a dream come true. His kennel, Ry-Con Service Dogs, was just a couple of hours away, and he, too, had a child with autism. But what clinched the decision were Mathis' credentials. "Is Ry-Con a certified program? Yes," stated an online brochure. "In 2013, Mark was certified as a NC state approved service dog trainer with a specialty in autism service dogs for children." Ten months and $14,500 later, the family brought home a shaggy mop of a dog that Sobie had come to view as her "savior." But when they opened the front door, Okami broke from Glenn Cummings' grasp and began mauling one of the family's elderly dogs all as Sobie watched from the stairs in mute horror. It was only after they had returned Okami and asked for a refund that the family learned the truth: Mathis was not a state-certified dog trainer. In fact, North Carolina has no such certification program and neither does any other state. The service dog industry particularly in the field of "psychiatric" service dogs for people with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder has exploded in recent years. But a near complete absence of regulation and oversight has left needy, desperate families vulnerable to incompetence and fraud. "It is a lawless area. The Wild West," says David Favre, a law professor at Michigan State University and editor of its Animal Legal and Historical Center website. Properly training a service dog can take up to 1 years and cost upward of $50,000, depending on the tasks it is taught to perform. But the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require that a service dog be professionally trained or certified. And, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, local and state agencies are prohibited from requiring that the dogs be registered. "It needs to be specially trained to do tasks that relate to the person's disability, but it doesn't say anything about who does the training or the quality of training or the efficacy of it," says Lynette Hart, a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of California, Davis. "So it's a very broad, wide-open barn door." The ADA allows people to train their own service dogs. But Hart, who has co-authored studies of the industry, says most don't have the time, wherewithal or confidence to do so, and that puts needy families "in a calamitous situation." ''They're easy prey," says Hart, whose late brother had autism. In 2012, the state of Illinois sued Lea Kaydus and Animals for Autism over a "heartless scam" in which she took several thousand dollars from families but never matched them with dogs. Kaydus was ordered to pay restitution. Two years ago, Noelle's Dogs Four Hope of Colorado Springs agreed to surrender its license after state inspectors confirmed the placement of dogs with "incontinence, lack of basic house training, separation anxiety and aggression." And last year, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring filed suit against Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers Inc., which advertises dogs trained to help people suffering from diabetes, PTSD, seizure disorders and autism. The lawsuit alleges that the diabetes-alert dogs, for which Warren charged up to $27,000, "were often poorly trained, ill-behaved, and unequipped to help manage a life-threatening situation, rendering them little more than incredibly expensive pets." Attorneys for owner Charles D. Warren Jr. say the state's case is based on the complaints of "a few disgruntled and fanatical consumers" who "cannot be satisfied and refuse all attempts at accommodation and reason." A trial date has not been scheduled. Authorities in North Carolina are now investigating Ry-Con. __ Mathis, a biotech engineer, founded Ry-Con after his older son, who is autistic, was successfully paired with a service dog. "It was remarkable," Mathis told a local magazine several years ago. "We had a new child." Incorporated in 2014, Ry-Con worked exclusively with Briards a long-haired French herding breed that can weigh anywhere from 55 to 100 pounds. The American Kennel Club site says the Briard "packs so much loyalty, love, and spirit into its ample frame that it's often described as a 'heart wrapped in fur.'" In a May 2017 news release, Mathis claimed that Ry-Con based in Apex, just southwest of Raleigh was the largest provider of autism service dogs on the East Coast and boasted a "100% success rate." There aren't a lot of programs that specialize in training dogs for children with autism, so the Cummings family felt lucky to find one so close to home. The Charlotte couple searched online and found positive local news articles, as well as a profile of Ry-Con by CNNMoney. Mathis' website was loaded with glowing testimonials. And then there was the state certification. "For us to see that he had the backing of the state ... was huge," Rachel Cummings says. The couple contacted Ry-Con in July 2017. Within days, Mathis called to say he had the perfect dog for Sobie, even though he'd not met her and his contracts promised Ry-Con would "hand select a puppy for the (consumer)." Rachel Cummings says she found that odd but: "I was blinded by hope." Mathis sent them a photo. Sobie decided to name her new friend after the Japanese word for her favorite animal the wolf. Several months later, the family traveled to Apex to meet the dog. She was still a puppy and had not yet undergone training, but Sobie got to spend time with her. Her mother tears up picturing her daughter beaming as she and Okami played at a park. "Her life has been not the easiest ... being bullied and wanting friends desperately," she says. "And so it was just a beautiful thing to see." Sobie plastered her walls and school folders with photos of Okami. She kept a framed picture of the dog beside her bed, hugging and kissing and talking to it before going to sleep. But on subsequent visits, Cummings says, Okami did not seem to be progressing. The International Association of Assistance Dog Partners says a service animal should have a minimum of 120 hours of schooling over six months or more. The dog must respond to basic commands "Sit, Stay, Come, Down, Heel" and be able to work without exhibiting "aggressive behavior toward people or other animals." Studies have shown that up to half wash out of training. During training trips to local stores, Okami pulled at her leash and refused to lie down. At a mall, she growled and lunged at people, and defecated in a hallway. Still, Sobie and the dog had bonded, and the family hoped more training would smooth out the rough edges. Okami "graduated" last May; the family brought her home Mother's Day weekend. Cummings says her two dogs were lying in the front hall when Okami attacked, unprovoked. She says it took both her and her husband to pry the Briard's jaws from the other dog's throat. When Mathis refused to refund their money, they sued. They were unaware that they weren't the first to have issues with Ry-Con. ___ In November 2017, Christian and Shannon Poirier say the dog Mathis sold them bit their 11-year-old son Daniel, who has autism. After repeated requests for a refund, they sued him in small claims court and won. The Cummings case never got that far. Last Nov. 13, Mathis sent an email to clients announcing he was closing down. At the time, he had about 40 dogs in training. He said the operation was no longer sustainable, blaming "issues with accounts receivables, and a select number of recently returned dogs and the unfortunate response that followed." The following day, he filed for bankruptcy protection. Clients were told to come collect their dogs. Not long after, complaints began pouring into state Attorney General Josh Stein's office. Some customers claimed they arrived at Ry-Con to find dogs emaciated, skittish and matted with urine and feces. Many said their pups lunged and nipped at children and other animals, weren't housetrained and could not respond to basic commands. Nancy Evans says her 19-year-old daughter, Katie, had waited over a year for her dog, Bailey. Katie suffered from PTSD and anxiety so severe that she could not even take the bus by herself. Once home with them in Toronto, the dog showed extreme aggression toward Katie's older brother. An expert who examined Bailey declared her unfit for service, and a Briard rescue group took her away. About a month after losing Bailey, Katie committed suicide. Her mother is convinced things would have been different had Bailey worked out. "My Katie would still be alive today if we had been given a trained service dog," Evans says. Stein's office has received more than four dozen complaints against Ry-Con. In a response to one, Mathis accused clients of breaking their contracts, falling behind on payments or misrepresenting conditions in their homes, and suggested that some were attempting to blackmail him. In an email to The Associated Press, he insisted that his troubles all stemmed from recent financial issues. "Some of (the dogs) had to go home earlier than their original planned graduation," Mathis wrote. "Some of them went home on time but aftercare support was not immediately available. ... This is not the same as selling untrained dogs, and certainly not a willful act or scam." However, the state attorney general alleges that Mathis not only misrepresented his credentials but also falsified breeder information, providing some families animals that were trained primarily as police or security dogs, not service dogs. Stein's office also contends that Mathis may have siphoned as much as $240,000 of the nonprofit's money for personal expenses, including groceries, haircuts and video games. Meanwhile, Stein said the families are out more than $950,000 money he will try to recover. "Most if not all of the consumers had no prior experience with service dogs or the training of service animals. They therefore had no expectations as to how the industry operated," the complaint states. Mathis declined to respond to allegations of inflated credentials and success rates, instead referring the AP to several satisfied clients. Scott Gordon of Rolesville, North Carolina, turned to Mathis for help with his 6-year-old son, Beckett, who has autism. He says Zuzu was a perfect fit. "I used to have to lay down with him for at least 45 minutes to get him to fall asleep," he says. "Now, I kiss them both good night, and off he goes to sleep." Whitney Reynolds says a touch or a lick from their Briard, Cosette, can stop one of her 7-year-old son's meltdowns cold. "She's a blessing," the Cary, North Carolina, woman says. But to the Cummings family and others, Ry-Con has been a curse. Rachel Cummings says Sobie didn't leave her room or eat for several days after the attack; a doctor has diagnosed the little girl with PTSD. One day, Cummings found an empty picture frame under her daughter's bed. Sobie had torn the photo of Okami into tiny pieces, locked them in a keepsake box and thrown away the key. Now 11, Sobie sleeps with a stuffed owl her new favorite animal. "Her life is not what it was," her mother says. "The light's not back in her eyes yet." And what became of Okami? Rachel and Glenn Cummings learned that Mathis had sold her to another family, with similar results. That family has also filed a complaint. A Florida man is behind bars after he allegedly abused a 2-year-old girl in Escambia County. According to NBC affiliate WPMI, Andrew Bennett Ross-Celaius is facing child abuse charges, among many others. The man is accused of torturing the girl for months, treating her like a dog and even shooting her with an airsoft gun while sleeping. Our abuser would wear a mask, a werewolf mask, and the collar the chief described is a tasing collar for dogs, said Sheriff Morgan of Escambia County. Officials said that most of the abuse was recorded on cell phone video. Deputies said the childs mother, who happened to be the suspects girlfriend, had no idea. She took the victim to the hospital for a case of ringworm that doctors determined to be burn marks. In some instances, its indescribable, said Chief Deputy Simmons. Its the thing that nightmares are made of and no child should ever be subjected to his. WPMI found court records indicating that Ross-Celaius was charged with murder in the 2006 killing of 2-year-old Kyler Janes. Court records showed that Ross-Celaius was not found guilty. In this latest case, Ross-Celaius is being held in jail without bond. We are comforted to some degree by the thought that this precious child will not be harmed tonight, said a police official. Deputies went on to say that Ross-Celaius called a friend from jail and had him destroy cell phone evidence of more abuse. Eric Furnans was arrested and charged for destroying evidence. In addition to six counts of aggravated child abuse, Ross-Celaius is being charged with probation violation, possession of a weapon, marijuana possession, four counts of child abuse, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and more. Two Hurricane Hunter aircraft will visit New England on Monday, opening for public tours during the afternoon. These planes fly into hurricanes to sample weather conditions, providing critical information to forecasters. The visit is part of the annual Hurricane Awareness Tour, preparing coastal residents for the start of hurricane season on June 1. The tours last from 2 to 5 p.m. at Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Youll be able to meet the pilots and flight crew, see the planes, and also talk with hurricane forecasters. Even though the last hurricane to make landfall in New England was Bob in 1991, another storm will strike the area at some point. Its just a matter of when, making preparedness each season key. A new Maine law is designed to require that students are fed a meal whether or not they are able to pay. The new law to stop "food shaming" would take effect in time for the upcoming school year. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills recently signed the bill into law. House Democrats say the bill "prohibits punishing, openly identifying or stigmatizing a student who cannot pay or who has payments due." The Legislature estimates the mandate will have an unknown, "significant cost" statewide for Maine public schools. The bill also requires that communication about payment for meals take place with parents or guardians and not with students. Democrat Beto O'Rourke uses his home state as a cautionary tale, ticking through Texas' Republican-backed policies as warning flags for the rest of the country. Mayor Pete Buttigieg mentions once worrying about how coming out as gay in deeply Republican Indiana might have cost him re-election, even in his more moderate college town of South Bend. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks of evolving away from defending gun rights during her early years in Congress representing a conservative House district in upstate New York and notes, "I have uncles who voted for Trump. I get it." There are 20-plus Democrats competing for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, but only five are from reliably GOP areas. Members of this select group are trying to balance their home turf stories, pitching themselves as uniquely suited to win over voters who previously backed President Donald Trump while also pointing out what they view as the shortfalls of Republican government. "When you're coming from a state like that, you've got to pick your spots to try to figure out where you can have a little bit of influence," said Russell Ott, a Democratic state representative in South Carolina, which holds the South's first presidential primary but has no Democratic statewide officeholders. "I think that's something people appreciate." O'Rourke, who represented El Paso, on the Texas border with Mexico, in Congress for six years says he will work with both parties and loves his state. But he isn't shy about ripping its politics. He decries Texas for championing the death penalty, failing to expand Medicaid under the Obama administration's health law and having one of the nation's lowest voter turnout rates due, he says, to strict voter ID rules. O'Rourke also says jails are among Texas' top providers of mental health care and people deliberately get arrested to seek treatment. He says Texas is one of many places without laws prohibiting employers from firing people for being gay. "It's a defense in a court of law in Texas if you've killed someone of the same sex because they came on to you in a bar or on the street," O'Rourke tells campaign audiences, noting that Texas and other states don't prohibit what LGBT activists call "gay panic defense" as a mitigating argument in criminal court. Fellow Texan Julian Castro, ex-San Antonio mayor and Obama administration housing chief, is more critical of Trump than the Lone Star State, and praises his heavily Hispanic city. "I came up in San Antonio that was almost 50-50 Republican/Democrat," Castro said, though politics there now are far more liberal. "I had to learn how to talk to the other side, consider their ideas, find common ground where we could." Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel says he's running for president to push the field farther left defying his home state, which hasn't voted Democratic for president since 1968. Conversely, many of the race's top blue-state Democrats play up their stomping grounds. California Sen. Kamala Harris said "I am so proud to be a daughter of Oakland, California" and has talked about how her East Bay roots instilled a sense of community and optimism. Her state's governor, Gavin Newsom, isn't running but he also isn't afraid to say that California should be the inspiration for 2020 Democrats: "We're in the most Un-Trump state in America." Sen. Elizabeth Warren champions being an Oklahoma native who can appeal to rural voters, but offers a liberal populist message most representative of the Democratic bastions of the state she represents, Massachusetts. And Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders proclaims, "I know where I come from and that is something I will never forget" when speaking about his Brooklyn upbringing. Those 2020 Democrats from Republican strongholds may have an advantage over their competitors, however, because they won't have to answer for more liberal-policies common in Democratic areas. Such political baggage may not hurt during the primary but could in the general election against Trump. Buttigieg largely refrains from criticizing his native state but sees "coming from a fairly blue city in a purple county in a red state" as an advantage. "If nothing else, it gives you a different vocabulary," Buttigieg said. "A lot of times, even when I have a strong progressive message, I think I have an instinct for how to convey that in a way that's inclusive and then reaches to more people." Gillibrand came to the House in 2007 representing a conservative district and once signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing for overturning a District of Columbia handgun ban. She now says she was wrong but that learning from the issue has made her stronger, and she can now better relate to those voters that Democrats need to win back from Trump. Gillibrand notes she was introduced during a recent visit to Iowa as being from "the Iowa part of New York." "The Democrats in these places are a lot like my Democrats" in New York, she said. "They fight really hard. They know how hard it is to win, but they really never give up and they organize and they're ambitious and they try really hard." The Interior Department's internal investigators have begun probing allegations of conflicts of interest involving Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, they confirmed Monday, just four days after the Senate confirmed the former corporate lobbyist to lead the agency. Deputy Interior Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon on Monday that her office had launched the probe to address seven separate ethics allegations leveled against Bernhardt, including one from Wyden. The allegations have centered on charges from Democratic senators, environmental groups and others that Bernhardt was violating ethics standards by involving himself in Interior Department deliberations with his former lobbying clients, including a politically influential California water agency. Interior spokeswoman Faith Vander Voort said in a statement that Bernhardt "is in complete compliance with his ethics agreement and all applicable laws, rules, and regulations." Vander Voort said the allegations had come from "Democratic Members of Congress and DC political organizations" and that the agency's ethics office already had looked into many of the allegations and absolved Bernhardt. Announcement of the probe came on Bernhardt's second full day as interior secretary. He won Senate confirmation to the post Thursday over objections of several Democratic lawmakers, who had urged fellow senators to wait to vote on his appointment until Interior's inspector general's office had addressed the various ethics allegations. Bernhardt had been acting secretary of Interior it oversees the nation's public resources, including oil and gas leases on public lands since President Donald Trump's first appointee as secretary, Ryan Zinke, announced his resignation amid separate ethics allegations in December. Trump initially appointed Bernhardt in April 2017 to serve as Zinke's deputy. Sen. Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, and other lawmakers in March had asked Interior's watchdog officials to look into allegations that Bernhardt and other agency officials were violating their written ethics pledges by involving themselves in regulatory matters concerning recent former clients. "The American public deserves to have the basic confidence that their Interior Secretary is looking out for their interests - protecting public land, species, the air and the water and not the interests of former industry clients," Udall said in a statement Monday. Bernhardt had been head of the natural resources division at the lobbying and law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. He represented oil and gas companies, California's Westlands Water District and dozens of other clients, many with business before Interior. Westlands Water District, with ties to some of California's biggest corporate farmers, is seeking favorable decisions from the Trump administration on water contracts and other matters. Like Zinke before him, Bernhardt at Interior has been an active supporter of Trump's call to minimize regulations on businesses and open more public lands for oil and gas exploration and other resource development. South Africa: MDDA reiterates commitment to media diversity The Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the development and protection of a diverse and pluralistic media environment in South Africa. The agency made the undertaking when it joined the international community in celebrating World Press Freedom Day 2019 on Friday, 3 May. The MDDA noted that South Africa has several press freedom advocacy organizations that regularly challenge encroachments on media freedom. The courts and regulatory bodies have consistently reaffirmed freedom of the press and the right to information, handing down judgments and rulings in support of open and accountable government and media independence. However, the agency said, there is increased concern about press freedom amid recent intimidation of journalists. The MDDA also acknowledged the importance of community media, particularly community print media. Community media are crucial to ensuring media pluralism and freedom of expression and are an indicator of a healthy democratic society. As an alternative medium to public and commercial media, as well as social media, they are characterised by their accountability to, and participation of, the communities they serve. They have a greater focus on local issues of concern and facilitate public platforms for debate and discussion, the MDDA said. The MDDA has, in its approximately 15 years of existence, supported over 80 community and small commercial print projects to the value of approximately R70 million. With the contribution of MDDA support, grassroots publications have managed to attain circulation figures of eight million copies per month, over 20 million readers per month and seen Black ownership of non-commercial publications sit at over 70%, with 21% of the publications being owned by women. Driving transformation Despite these great strides, the sustainability of community print media remains a serious concern and a threat to media pluralism. The print media sector remains largely untransformed, with undue concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few industry players, having a significant impact on media and transformation. Transformation, however, needs to be tackled from various fronts. Whilst policy planned at addressing transformation is a good start, it is not enough. How transformation is financed should also be a priority of the government to ensure that transformation becomes a sustainable programme. As it stands, the MDDA is tasked with the support of Community Print and Small Commercial Print projects, but financial constraints compromise the sustainability of community print projects and transformation, the agency said. All these challenges, the MDDA said, pose a threat to ensuring that community print media remains an alternative voice for those who did not previously have access to information in a language of their choice. It is important that there is renewed commitment to support community print media to ensure that community media journalists fill the shoes of many great journalist like Zwelakhe Sisulu, Aggrey Klaaste, Henry Nxumalo and Allister Sparks, who continuously strived for quality journalism. This becomes more critical in an era of disinformation and misinformation, which go against the basic tenets of ethical and quality reporting. About the MDDA The MDDA is a statutory development agency, deriving its mandate from Section 16 and 32 of the Constitution Act No. 108 of 1996, thereby providing for freedom of expression and access to information. As a partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting companies, it promotes and assists in the development of community media and small commercial media in South Africa and the transformation of the media, by providing support (financial, capacity building, etc.) in terms of the MDDA Act No 14 of 2002. It also aims to raise public awareness with regard to media development and diversity issues, and to encourage media literacy and a culture of reading. For further information: www.mdda.org.za. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. At least nine people were killed Saturday in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group targeting forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar in southern Libya, officials said. IS fighters, "backed by criminal groups and mercenaries", launched a dawn assault on a military training camp in the southern city of Sebha, which is controlled by Haftar's forces, the city's mayor Hamed al-Khayali told AFP. Libyan security forces patrol an area on August 23, 2018 near the site of an attack on a checkpoint in the city of Zliten, 170 km east of the capital Tripoli. An attack on a checkpoint between the Libyan capital and the town of Zliten killed six soldiers of the UN-backed unity government, an interior ministry source said. [File Photo: AFP] "The attack left nine dead ... some of whom had their throats slit and others who were shot dead," he said. A spokesman for the Sebha Medical Centre confirmed it had received nine dead bodies. IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement distributed through social media, saying it had targeted "Haftar's heretical militia" and freed prisoners held on the base. Sebha is controlled by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army, which opposes the UN-recognised Government of National Accord based in Tripoli. A power struggle between the unity government and Haftar -- who has over the last month launched an offensive against Tripoli and forces loyal to the GNA -- has left the country's vast desert south a lawless no-man's land. The rugged territory, which shares borders with Algeria, Niger, Chad and Sudan, has become a haven for jihadists and other armed groups. In a statement, the GNA said Haftar shouldered "direct responsibility for the reemergence of the Islamic State organisation; for (its) terrorist activities and its return to the scene... after the GNA had been successful... in destroying" the jihadist group. "Ever since the offensive against Tripoli, we have warned that the only beneficiaries... are the terrorist groups and that what is happening will offer them a fertile ground to restart their activities". Meanwhile the UN's mission in Libya, UNSMIL, said on Twitter it "strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Sebha, which was claimed by (IS) and resulted in a number of Libyan casualties." "Perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist activities must be brought to justice," UNSMIL added. Ahead of its assault on pro-GNA forces on the edge of Tripoli, the LNA in mid-January announced the start of an offensive intended to "purge the south of terrorists and criminal groups", including rebels from Chad. SOUTHBURY An interactive dinner and networking event will be held Friday to celebrate the 100th anniversary of womans suffrage and what would have been the 100th birthday of former Gov. Ella T. Grasso. The Southbury Democratic Town Committee is hosting the event, Women & Power: Are We There Yet?, at Wyndham Southbury Hotel. Harrybrooke Park in New Milford will on May 26 hold the third annual Who are You Carrying? event. Participants will complete a heroes workout that will benefit the park and Help Our Military Heroes. Registration will start at 9 a.m. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event honors fallen heroes, with one specific military hero as the event honoree, the late Petty Officer First Class Jason D. Lewis of Brookfield. Lewis, a 30-year-old Navy SEAL, was killed 11 years ago this year, by an improvised explosive device during a combat mission in Baghdad. Lewis mother, Jean Mariano of New Milford, is a Gold Star mother, will attend the event. Interested participants are invited to individually or with a team. Presented by Nissan of Port Chester, each person or team will complete 2,500 reps of a workout in the name of fallen veterans. The workout will include 500 push-ups, 500 sit-ups, 500 mountain climbers, 500 flutter kicks and 500 air squats. Last year, three individuals completed the challenge, followed by a jog. Participants will wear a T-shirt with the name of a fallen hero on their back, that they carry with them every day, and will do their workout in that persons honor. We are honored to host this amazing event now in its third year, said Billy Buckbee, executive director of the park. Its a moving experience that really hits home, he said. HOMH is such an amazing organization that we are so very proud to team with for such a special day honoring those who we should never forget and should always carry with us. Event T-shirts will be available for the first 100 registrants. Individuals interested in raising money an do so in two ways - by selling rubber event bracelets or by becoming a sponsor. Those who would like to sell bracelets will pay $25 and be given 25 bracelets to raise funds for the cause. The bracelet challenge is open to the first 12 interested teams. A special award will be given to the participant who raises the most money selling bracelets. Sponsorships are also available. Help Our Military Heroes is dedicated to delivering adaptive minivans to our wounded and injured military heroes who have served since the inception of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For more information, call the park, located off Still River Road, at 860-799-6520. On a recent spring weekday, two Lynchburg police officers and a patient in the midst of a mental health crisis climbed into a patrol car and drove out of the city. Their destination was the closest state hospital with enough room to accept the patient, a round-trip drive that lasted several hours and kept the officers from patrolling their assigned beats. It was the fourth time that day Lynchburg police had embarked on a journey with a patient in crisis, shackled and handcuffed in the cruisers rear cage. Police long have been tasked with transporting mental health patients for court-ordered treatment, even though those patients are not under arrest or facing criminal charges. In recent months, the number of temporary detention orders, or TDOs for short, have spiked to unprecedented levels, forcing an increasing number of officers to put their patrol duties on hold to become momentary mental health workers. The closest state hospitals are in Catawba, in northern Roanoke County; Staunton; and Danville, but because state facilities are almost always near capacity, officers can drive as far as Williamsburg or Marion to find a vacant bed. Its time-consuming, said Lynchburg Police Capt. Nick Leger. It has become a huge strain on the staffing. The rise in involuntary commitment orders has further burdened a police force struggling to keep officers on the streets and it has pushed department officials to experiment with solutions to the growing problem. As of mid-April, police have spent about 1,200 working hours conducting nearly 100 transports so far this year, according to police records provided to The News & Advance. Department officials believe officers could serve another 300 orders before the year is done, a sharp increase from the 72 total TDOs served by police officers in 2018. Temporary detention orders generally arise out of emergency custody orders, which can be petitioned by anyone who believes a mental health patient poses a risk to themselves or others. Whenever we issue a temporary detention order it is for someone who is unwilling or unable to consent for treatment, said Melissa Lucy, the director of psychiatric and emergency service for Horizon Behavioral Health. Once in custody on an emergency order, patients are evaluated by a mental health clinician, often at Lynchburg General Hospital. From there a magistrate will determine whether to issue a temporary detention order to hold the patient for 72 hours for mandatory treatment. By state law, a community services board worker must find a vacant facility able to house the patient and police must transport the individual to the hospital no matter the distance. Private hospitals are not required to admit patients under temporary detention orders, but state facilities must accept the patient if it is not at capacity. The reason behind the recent rise in temporary detentions is not entirely clear, Lucy said. It could be due to a number of factors, including increased awareness around mental health issues. The spike is not exclusive to Lynchburg. Several law enforcement agencies in the region are facing similar issues, Lucy said, and data from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services suggests the local increase is a part of a statewide trend. Last year, more than 25,000 people were involuntarily admitted to state and private hospitals for court-ordered treatment. Since fiscal year 2013, temporary detention orders have jumped 294% at state facilities, according to the DBHDS. The rise in patients admitted to state hospitals can partly be explained by the passage of the bed of last resort law in 2014. The legislation, championed by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, requires that mental health patients under a TDO be transported to a state facility if no private hospital beds are available. In Lynchburg, the increase has been especially demanding for a police force already short about 30 sworn officers. With about 11 officers on patrol at any given time, losing two for a state- mandated transport can significantly hamper police work, Leger said. These arent detectives, he said, these are officers that work patrol and theyre just gone. Police are now brainstorming ways to better tackle the growing number of state-mandated transports. In the coming weeks, LPDwill allow officers to remain on-call if detention orders are issued and lengthy transports are needed. The new approach will allow on-duty officers to remain in patrol while off-duty officers who have volunteered to be on-call respond for transports. What we hope this will do is reduce the uncertainty of whether or not there's going to be someone available, Leger said. The department also will continue to rely on the Lynchburg Sheriffs Office for assistance with transports, a partnership that goes back several years, according to Sheriff Don Sloan. Last year, the sheriffs office conducted 104 transports on behalf of police, in addition to the 72 orders served by police officers. The transports done by sheriffs deputies largely occurred in the evenings or on the weekends when the courts are closed and the sheriffs office can spare the manpower. We have the equipment for it and we do a lot of transports already, so it makes sense to try to work together, Sloan said. But as detention orders have increased, it has strained the sheriffs offices budget. Last month, city council agreed to a request from Sloan for an additional $35,000 to pay for the cost of transports. For police, costs also have soared. The department declined to provide specific estimates but Leger said police have spent tens of thousands of dollarsin recent years on transports. Based on recent trends, police expect this years price tag to dwarf previous years. Still, without a clear understanding behind the rise in temporary detention orders, police can only guess where the year-end total will land. Weve been working through it for years, Leger said. Whats taken us by surprise now is this huge jump. Theres no way to predict that. Now were kind of scrambling. 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 HEIGHTS The banks of the James River teemed with activity Saturday as Amherst County held its inaugural Amherst Outdoor Expo. With the Lynchburg skyline as a backdrop, several dozen people descended on Riveredge Park for a day of recreation. Some visitors biked along the riverside trail while others took up archery at a makeshift range. Still others climbed a natural rock wall as families relaxed in the late spring weather. The event, which organizers hope will be the first in a series of annual exhibitions highlighting recreational opportunities in the county, was free for guests. Local businesses and organizations provided the boats, climbing gear and bikes. Amherst County has a wealth of outdoor activities ... and theres a lot of hidden treasures that this expo is meant to reveal and to promote, said Sara Lu Christian, director of the Amherst County Recreation and Parks Department. Ryan Ferro, who is developing a guidebook for rock climbing in Amherst County, said the expo may help expand the already growing sport. His company, Nomad Mountain Guides, offered free climbing lessons and a chance to mount the natural rock formation that towers over the river. By early afternoon about 15 people had scaled the jagged cliff. County Administrator Dean Rodgers was one of the climbers who braved the 50-foot ascent. Once an avid climber in his youth, the 61-year-old said it had been several decades since he had climbed a rock wall. But like riding a bike, he said, the skills needed to scale a rocky cliff are something you never forget. The trick is just to stay focused on your feet, he said. So, as long as your feet are on something solid, its no different than climbing stairs. Rodgers said he hoped Saturdays expo would showcase Amherst County as Lynchburgs backyard, where locals can escape urban life for outdoor recreation. I think Lynchburg is fortunate, he said. I mean, you have all this city right there and a couple hundred yards away itswilderness. I dont know how many cities in the world can boast that kind of access. Several local organizations provided information about recreation opportunities, including the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club and the Amherst Mountain Bike Club. The James River Association, which offers guided river tours and boat rentals, allowed guests free use of their equipment Saturday. Rob Campbell, the Upper James Community Conservationist for the association, said the expo could increase economic activity for Amherst County. If we can drum up a great outdoor scene then that may be a draw for companies to come in, he said. It couldnt hurt when youre trying to attract businesses. This is an exciting way to generate economic development in the county. 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. In a rare and stunning statement on 25 April, President Paul Kagame voiced support for the decriminalization of dissent. Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision to decriminalize defamation offences Paul Kagame's rigorous suppression of the media has made him Rwanda's unchallenged leader. So don't buy it when he suddenly says journalists should not be jailed for insulting the president, warns DW's Fred Muvunyi. In a rare and stunning statement on 25 April, President Paul Kagame voiced support for the decriminalization of dissent. Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision to decriminalize defamation offences related to public officials but to uphold a law on defaming the president, he said he "takes issue" with the latter. Kagame stated it should be a civil not a criminal matter. He called for further debate on the law under which those who insult or defame Rwanda's head of state can be jailed for a minimum of five years. The chief justice defended the decision, saying the president needed protection because of his service to the country. Read more: Rwanda's Paul Kagame: Despot or savior? Outwardly, Kagame's statement ought to bode well for media freedom and freedom of expression. However, there's just one problem: He has tricked Rwandans before. In 2013, Kagame publicly stated that he did not want to run for a third term. Meanwhile, behind the scenes his aides were figuring out a way to make that possible. Kagame now has the right to be president until 2034. In 2011, a year after his reelection for a second term, Kagame approved various reforms that were supposed to ease the government's grip on the media. The system of state media regulation was abolished in favor of the independent and self-regulatory Rwanda Media Commission in 2013. I was elected to head that commission. A year later, Kagame showed his true colors when he ordered his entourage to shut down the Kinyarwanda-language service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over a documentary it made and aired abroad. The presidency accused the BBC of including the views of Kagame's critics. DW's Fred Muvunyi I don't blame the judges or lawmakers who sanction Kagame's draconian laws. They are doing what he hired them for to validate his statutes at his pleasure and catch his napkin before it falls. Despite some of his seemingly meek and conciliatory rhetoric, Kagame is feared across the country. He crushes dissent and jails opponents. Some have mysteriously disappeared or been found murdered. Read also: In Rwanda, stability trumps democracy as nation goes to polls That journalists have been among those killed, imprisoned or forced into exile leaves a situation where journalists who are unable to work freely are forced to self-censor if they want to work at all. Senior military officials such as Frank Rusagara and Tom Byabagamba are languishing in prison under lengthy sentences for criticizing the government. Those who found an opportunity to flee abroad, live in constant fear. Kayumba Nyamwasa, a former general and confidante of Kagame, has survived three attempts on his life. Former spy chief Patrick Karegeya was not so lucky he was found strangled in a hotel room in South Africa in 2014. When it comes to political space and press freedom in Rwanda, Kagame's regime seems allergic to real progress. His statement on defamation may lead to the scrapping of the law, but that doesn't make him a visionary who should be embraced just yet. Other means exist to persecute critics or clamp down on the opposition. History teaches us that authoritarian or tyrannical leaders don't change overnight but often die still trying to hold on to power. Fred Muvunyi A Lynchburg man died Saturday after a three-vehicle crash that also injured three people, police said. The crash happened at 1:30 p.m. on U.S. 460 in Bedford County near Harvest Lane, which is near Owens Market & Truck Plaza. A 2007 Hyundai Elantra was heading east in a westbound lane of U.S. 460 when it hit a westbound 2012 Nissan Maxima and then hit a westbound 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe head-on, according to an email from Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller. Owen W. Smith, 86, of Lynchburg, who was driving the Elantra, died on the way to the hospital, Geller wrote. He was wearing a seat belt. Autumn R. Ledbetter, 38, of Prince George, who was driving the Maxima, was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital. Her passenger was uninjured. Both wore seatbelts. Lester B. Wilkenson, 61, of Lynchburg, the driver of the Tahoe, was hospitalized with serious injuries. Wilkensons wife and passenger, Eugenia Wilkenson, 61, was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Both wore seatbelts. Virginia State Police Trooper T.M. Wertz is investigating the crash. Contact Matt Busse at (434) 385-5534 or mbusse@newsadvance.com. 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. Take a peek at fixer-uppers with potential to beautiful old homes around Lynchburg Animal-rights activists on Saturday protested the planned opening of a new aquarium over allegations the company behind the interactive aquatic exhibits has abused and exploited animals. SeaQuest Lynchburg is a planned 22,000-square-foot, $5 million aquarium slated to open inside River Ridge mall by the end of the summer. The aquarium is expected to feature several hands-on exhibit and hundreds of species, including sharks, stingrays and exotic birds. The aquarium has generated significant interest since it was announced in March, according to mall officials, but protesters warn the company has a history of misconduct. When I was a kid, there were these roadside zoos that kept animals in deplorable conditions and, over time, those have been shut down, Bill Plyler, a naturalist and demonstrator, said. This is just a modern version of a roadside zoo and it needs to be done away with. Plyler was joined by eight other protesters who rallied on Wards Road across from the entrance to the mall. The group carried signs denouncing SeaQuest, a for-profit company based in Idaho, and chanted phrases such as, Fish are friends, not profit. Several protesters pointed to allegations of neglect at other SeaQuest locations across the country as proof the company poses a threat to animals. Last year, SeaQuest Littleton in Colorado was forced to close a bird sanctuary when state regulators issued a cease-and-desist order. Officials from the Colorado Department of Agriculture alleged the aquarium was operating the sanctuary without the proper license. In 2017, former employees at SeaQuest Las Vegas told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that hundreds of animals died before the aquarium officially opened. SeaQuest CEO Vince Covino disputed the allegations and said the deaths were unavoidable. When asked for comment on Saturdays protest, SeaQuest sent a statement outlining the features of their new aquarium and noting that they often house rescue animals. The statement did not specifically address protesters concerns about allegations of animal abuse. River Ridge mall Marketing Manager Katie Fariss said the mall is confident that all SeaQuest animals will be well taken care of. She noted that a veterinarian will be on staff and that SeaQuest has agreed to follow all state and federal laws as a part of its lease agreement. Were excited to bring SeaQuest to the mall, Farris said. We think this is great not only for the mall but for our community in central Virginia. It is a very educational experience. Demonstrators, however, remain unconvinced. Man has no right to enslave its fellow creatures for profit, said protester Phala Bowles. The group of protesters, who call themselves Stop SeaQuest, has collected more than 1,200 signatures for an online petition demanding the mall reverse its decision to include SeaQuest. Ashley Mason, the spokesperson for the group, said they will continue to spread their message. SeaQuest doesnt need to be here; it doesnt need to be anywhere, he said. It is exploitation. Were aware of it and we want the public to know." The activists have no plans to go away quietly. Bowles said the group plans to hold future protests when the aquarium opens. Even if they do succeed, were going to continue to stand against it because its wrong, Bowles said. The animals dont have a voice. So we are going to be their voice. 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. As much as 30% of the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jails pharmacy budget goes to provide HIV medications to less than 2% of its population, jail budgetary figures show. But advances in HIV medications and the structured life of jail that assures medications are regularly taken are keeping inmates healthier and limits or prevents the spread of the virus, jail medical officials say. Between April 2018 and December 2018, the jail spent $398,941 for medicines. Of that, HIV-related medications consumed $118,000 and psychiatric drugs cost the jail about $104,000 during the same period. The jail has an average daily population of about 450 inmates; on average, seven are HIV-positive, figures show. During the first quarter of 2019, the jail spent 32% of its pharmacy budget on nine inmates receiving anti-HIV drugs, according to the jails statistics. HIV medications can cost as much as $10,000 per quarter per patient, said Thedra E. Nichols, director of medical health services at the jail. After their arrest, before trial and while awaiting sentencing, were responsible for their medical costs. The state takes over 61 days after sentencing. Nichols said there are a variety of HIV-fighting drugs with a variety of prices. Like most pharmaceuticals designed for a specific illness, some HIV medications are more expensive than others. According to the National Institutes of Health, HIV medications run between $1,000 and $4,000 per month at average wholesale prices. The average HIV patient receives three prescriptions from different drug classifications to reduce the amount of the virus. Like other pharmaceuticals, some HIV medications are more effective on specific strains of viruses or bacteria, and each patient may react better to one medication or another, making it difficult to prescribe based on cost alone. Jail is not a long-term situation, so trying to change someones treatment regimen just to save money is not effective, and its not good for the patient, she said. When they come to us, we are responsible for their treatment. I take them to the University of Virginia [HIV clinic] because were not trained for treating HIV. * * * HIV attacks and destroys infection-fighting cells in the human immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off colds and flu and certain cancers. Officially known as antiretroviral therapy, or ART, the medication or combinations of medications taken daily reduce the amount of virus in the patients body. A main goal of ART is to reduce a persons viral load to an undetectable level, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials say on the departments website. People with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partner through sex. The medicines work by preventing HIV from multiplying, reducing the amount of virus in the body, or the viral load. With a lower viral load, the bodys immune system can recover, making it strong enough to fight infections. If the amount of virus in the body is low enough, the disease cannot be transmitted, according to the HHS website. Weve had inmates come and go who have had the virus for 30 years and, if theyve been taking their medications, their viral load is low, Nichols said. Weve had others who have AIDS and have to be in a confined situation because their immunity is low and theyre at risk of infection. Colds and viruses thrive in a close population like in a jail. But, as the jails financial figures show, the drugs do not come cheap. A drug for AIDS taken once a day, if you and I were to pay for it, would be about $35,000 a year, said Dr. Brian Wispelwey, of UVas Ryan White HIV Clinic, which provides advanced medical care for the jails HIV-positive inmates. At this point, if someone with HIV stays on medication and gets regular medical treatment, they have fairly close to a normal expected lifespan, Wispelwey said. If you take the medication, if you remain on it, you can approach a normal life span, maybe 10 years less. In the 1990s, people were still dying early. If you had HIV, within eight to 10 years you would develop AIDS. * * * According to the Centers for Disease Control, 38,739 people were diagnosed with HIV during 2017, the last year for which complete records are available. Of those diagnosed, 66% were gay or bisexual men; 24% were heterosexuals; 6% were intravenous drug users; and 3% were gay or bisexual men who injected drugs. The number of HIV cases diagnosed remained nearly stable among gay and bisexual men, dropped by 12% for those who inject drugs and fell 8% among heterosexuals. An estimated 1.12 million people are currently living with HIV, according to the HHS HIV.gov website, with about 15% of them unaware that they carry the virus. A lot of our inmates have high-risk behaviors, and thats how they wind up coming to us. Some of the behaviors are drug use and others have mental health issues that tend to lead them to not really care much about their health, said Nichols. Wispelwey said testing of inmates is one way to help assure infected inmates get access to treatment. According to the CDC, half of the states require such tests, but many medical organizations and civil rights groups oppose required testing. If [an inmate] knows of their diagnosis when they come in, the Department of Corrections is required to treat it. The problem is that a lot of inmates come in who may have it but dont know about it. The question has been, do we test them? Wispelwey said. Wispelwey said the advance in effective HIV treatments since the 1990s means that those living with HIV can be treated enough to reduce the risks of giving the virus to others. We dont even need a preventative vaccine or a magic bullet to wipe out the epidemic. If we can diagnose people and treat them and drive their viral load down to where its immeasurable and we can do that then the virus cannot be transmitted, he said. If we do our jobs in public health and can treat everyone who is impacted, wed reach a tipping point. Locally, Nichols said jail staff is working to make sure inmates have access to treatment. Theyre getting their medication and treatment while theyre in here so they leave in better health in terms of HIV. We get them in, we get them treated and if they are here long enough, well make needed changes in the medication, Nichols said. They leave in much better health, and we take a great pride in that. Bryan McKenzie is a reporter for The Daily Progress. Contact him at (434) 978-7271, bmckenzie@dailyprogress.com or @BK_McKenzie on Twitter. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris threw down the gauntlet on gun control. Upon being elected, I will give the United States Congress 100 days to get their act together and have the courage to pass reasonable gun safety laws, and if they fail to do it, then I will take executive action, the senator from California declared April 22 at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire. Taking a strong stand on gun control used to be politically risky. Today, not so much. Not after the Virginia Tech massacre of 32 students and professors in 2007, the slaughter of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, the mass murder of 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year and countless other shootings, including at a synagogue in California Saturday and a university in North Carolina Tuesday. Democratic leaders agree on the need for universal background checks for gun purchases, reinstatement of the ban on sales of military-style assault weapons and red flag laws meant to keep guns out of the hands of those likely to hurt themselves or others. In February, House Democrats passed two gun safety bills with a smattering of Republican support. If lightning should strike and the bills make it through the Republican-controlled Senate, though, President Donald Trump will veto them. And that divide sets the stage for the 2020 campaign. Trump told the National Rifle Association convention April 26 the constitutional right to bear arms is under assault but not when were here. Not even close. He urged NRA members to get out there and vote next year. It seems like its a long ways away. Its not, he said. The NRA poured tens of millions of dollars into electing Trump, but its clout appears to be fading amidst internal strife and investigations into its tax exempt status. Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, hardly a gun grabber, reportedly is drafting bill to make it easier for states to implement red flag laws. These laws permit police or family members to petition state courts to confiscate guns temporarily from people who are likely to hurt themselves or others. I think most Americans believe that multiple murderers shouldnt have gun rights. Most Americans support background checks, he told The State newspaper in South Carolina. The Second Amendments important to me, but its not a suicide pact. Polls show the major issues for 2020 are likely to be health care, the economy and immigration. Gun laws dont make the cut, although few polls even ask the question. But Quinnipiac University does ask, and its polls since 2014 consistently have found over 90 percent support for background checks for all gun buyers. Most recently, in January, 95 percent of Democrats, 94 percent of independents and 89 percent of Republicans said they favored background checks. Gun rights groups say background checks are ineffective and infringe on constitutional rights. When several states passed more stringent firearm laws after the shootings in Parkland, Florida, dozens of rural counties declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, refusing to enforce the new laws. How did we get here? For a clear-eyed account, I suggest reading After Virginia Tech by award-winning journalist Thomas P. Kapsidelis, a friend and former Richmond Times-Dispatch colleague. Kapsidelis tells victims stories and what happened next to survivors, families, first responders and others and where the political system failed them. One Tech parent told me that all sides could have come together to make progress. That hasnt happened, he writes. Its a sobering, unsentimental assessment, but Kapsidelis cautions against losing hope. He quotes an editorial by Gerald Fischman, who was murdered, along with four colleagues, last summer when a gunman with a grudge burst into the newsroom at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis. After the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando where 58 were killed in July 2016, Fischman wrote: Of all the words this week, hopelessness may be the most dangerous. We must believe there is a solution, a way to prevent another mass shooting. No one wants more mass shootings. The 2020 campaigns and election offer us the chance to show we care enough to try to stop them. Mercer writes from Washington. Email her at marsha.mercer@yahoo.com. 2019 Marsha Mercer. All rights reserved. School funding a complicated matter In Supervisor Bob Goods April 16 letter to the editor, he criticizes The News & Advance for failing report information he shared with the Campbell County Board of Supervisors, specifically, the Virginia Department Educations Required Local Effort (RLE) report. Good is using this report (only) to validate the countys support of public education. During my last years as a member of the School Board representing the Rustburg District, I heard talk of this report several times, without providing the complete picture. Every county and city in the commonwealth is required to meet a minimum benchmark in funding public education, i.e., the RLE. Each locality is assigned a composite index based each localitys ability to pay. The formula to determine ability to pay is driven by three indicators: a localitys true value of property, adjusted gross income of its residents and taxable retail sales. The higher a localitys composite index, the more contribution required. Conversely, the lower the composite index, the less contribution required. In the greater Lynchburg region, Campbell County has the lowest composite index (0.27). The other divisions are as follows: Appomattox County (0.29), Amherst County (0.31), Bedford County (0.31) and Lynchburg City (0.36). In Goods letter, he highlights that Campbell County exceeds its RLE by 108 percent. However, this percentage is over-inflated because fewer dollars are needed based on the countys low ability to pay. A better measurement of how a locality funds education is the actual dollar amount that is spent per student, both locally and overall. Local per-pupil expenditures for the area divisions are as follows: Appomattox, $2,712; Campbell, $3,543; Amherst, $3,838; Bedford, $4,015; and Lynchburg, $4,956. When comparing Campbells overall per-pupil expenditures to the other divisions across Virginia, Campbell ranks 123rd out of 132 schools. Only nine divisions spend less per pupil than Campbell and 122 divisions spend more per pupil. ROGER AKERS Rustburg Tick, tock, time for ticks The May 3 article in The News & Advance, A much worse tick season predicted, is timely. The most prevalent tick-borne disease in Central Virginia is alpha gal tick disease. All tick-related diseases can be expected to be seen more frequently as global warming increases the tick numbers and distribution. The standard tick panel of blood tests does not include a test for alpha gal (galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose IgE test). Ask your doctors to include this test when considering tick related diseases. Alpha gal tick disease may present before typical mammalian meat allergy as joint pains, skin rashes, numbness and tingling (paresthesias), abdominal pain, diarrhea and recurrent hives. Especially through the upcoming months the primary care physician, dermatologist, neurologist, rheumatologist and gastroenterologist should be aware of alpha gal tick disease and order the appropriate test. Dr. JEFFREY W. WILSON Lynchburg (Newser) Utah police say a woman tricked her boyfriend into drinking Drano in the hope it would kill himand then, oddly, she took him to a hospital. Elle Weissman, 43, was arrested in Salt Lake City on Tuesday on charges of attempted murder and surreptitious administration of a certain substance, ABC News reports. According to a jail booking report, Weissman gave her 50-year-old live-in boyfriend "a spoonful of Drano" when he was "partially asleep" and believed it was medicine. Weissman said she hoped "he would go into eternal sleep," per the report. "Elle stated that by eternal sleep she meant death." story continues below But when her boyfriend experienced horrific pain, Weissman contacted a ride service and took him to urgent care, KSL.com reports. He remains hospitalized while Weissman is behind bars at Salt Lake County Jail on $100,000 bond. No motive has yet been revealed. (In other poisoning news, poisoned sausages are falling from the sky in Australia and an engineer allegedly spent a year trying to kill his colleague.) Garcia, who has represented the 58th District since 2012, announced her congressional candidacy three days after Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard announced she wouldn't run for reelection. (Newser) Houston police have arrested a repo man after a vehicle repossession turned deadly on Thursday, Fox News reports. Police say tow truck driver Oscar Lee Harrison, 33, was repossessing an SUV on South Gessner Road when the owner, 68-year-old Alberto Nduli, tried stopping him. "The owner came out and tried to prevent him from taking that vehicle, he jumped on top of it, the wrecker continued down the street," a Houston police commander tells Click2Houston. Nduli's family tells the Houston Chronicle that the driver gunned it. Either way, Nduli hit the street so hard it killed him, and Harrison is accused of leaving the scene. story continues below "By his own admissions ... [the driver] knew there was an altercation," says Sean Teare, chief of the Harris County District Attorney's Office Vehicular Crimes Division. "He knew the owner of the vehicle was there and involved in a crash. Whether or not he knew that individual lost his life really is immaterial as to whether or not there's a failure to stop and render aid charge." Now Nduli's family is grappling with the sudden loss of the Congolese native and father of seven, who came to America about 20 years ago and worked as a security guard. "It's emotional," says Nduli's sister-in-law. "You're sleeping [beside] someone and they go outside to talk with a worker. Now [he's gone] forever." (On a brighter note, another repo man paid off an elderly couple's car.) (Newser) An Ohio student's "promposal" is getting him nationwide attention for all the wrong reasons, Fox News reports. The unidentified high school student was seen in a Facebook photo with a girl and holding the sign, "If I was black I'd be picking cotton. But I'm white so I'm picking U for prom." Clear Fork Valley Locals Schools Superintendent Janice Wyckoff called the photo "awful" and told Fox 8 Cleveland it was "a terrible day." She also said the student took down the image and expressed remorse, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. "This is a process, growing up is a process, and this is one of those moments that's a teachable moment for this kid that will last a lifetime," she says. But the student has been banned from Clear Fork High School's prom. (Read more racism stories.) (Newser) North Korean state media on Sunday showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over Saturday's drills and stressed that his front-line troops should keep a "high alert posture" and enhance combat ability to "defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of the country." The weapons launches were a likely sign of Pyongyang's growing frustration at stalled diplomatic talks with Washington meant to provide coveted sanctions relief. They also highlighted the fragility of the detente between the Koreas, which in an agreement last September vowed to cease "all hostile acts" against each other in land, air and sea. story continues below South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff initially said that the North launched a single missile but later said in a statement that "several projectiles" had been fired, reports the AP. In its updated assessment Sunday, the JCS did not confirm whether the North fired a ballistic missile, but said a "new tactical guided weapon" was among the weapons tested by the North, which also included 240 millimeter- and 300 millimeter-caliber multiple rocket launchers. The JCS said the various projectiles flew from 44 to 149 miles before splashing into sea. The North's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos that showed Kim, equipped with binoculars, observing tests of weapons systems, including multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a short-range missile fired from a launch vehicle, and an explosion of what seemed to be a target set on island rocks. Read more from the AP here. (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) As the president of a nonprofit that give Haitian kids free education, Patrick Moynihan can't exactly afford to turn down free money. And yet, as the Boston Globe reports, that's exactly what he did when embattled New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft offered his organization $100,000. "$100,000 is hugely significant to us," says Moynihan, who adds that the donation would have funded all expenses of a class of 50 for a year. "But we cannot do good by doing bad. The ends cannot justify the means." Moynihan had actually solicited the donation last fall, but heard nothing until after Kraft's arrest on prostitution charges. "As an institution working diligently to empower women and provide them with the opportunity for strong, healthy economic futures, we must be clear and resolute in communicating the message that prostitution is always wrong," he wrote in rejecting Kraft's offer. (Read more Robert Kraft stories.) (Newser) In one border battle, the restriction side has lost. President Trump is moving ahead with a plan to let 30,000 extra seasonal workers come back to America this summer, the Wall Street Journal reports. The US usually allows 66,000 H-2B visa workers to enter annually (33,000 in winter, 33,000 in summer) to take lower-skilled jobs with employers like holiday resorts, fisheries, county fairs, and landscaping companies; half of them went to horticultural and agricultural jobs in 2017. But that number will now hit 96,000 as the Trump administration sides with US business allies over immigration restrictionists. That pits the White House against the group NumbersUSA, which created a new TV ad campaign in April criticizing higher immigration limits. story continues below "The ad is responding to a number of developments in which businesses are receiving or demanding more work visas so they dont have to recruit from the millions of Americans [who] are not in the labor market at all," says Roy Beck, who heads NumbersUSA. "The H-2B increases are one of those troubling developments." The issue has divided lawmakers and political parties, with two bipartisan groups of senators releasing letters on each side of the argument. "The states we represent lack the working-age population needed to meet the demands for seasonal jobs, writes one group, which says the extra visas "will provide much-needed relief." Government data shows that roughly 80% of H-2B visas went to people from Central America and Mexico in 2018, the Washington Post reports. (One Mar-a-Lago worker who worked an H-2B visa is now behind bars.) (Newser) President Donald Trump said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, abandoning his previous declaration that he would leave that decision to his attorney general, the AP reports. Escalating tensions with House Democrats as they seek to bring Mueller before the House Judiciary Committee, Trump tweeted: "no redos for the Dems." He added: "Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion?" Democrats are seeking more information about Mueller's report on his Russia investigation. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-SC, has said he doesn't plan to invite Mueller to testify on the report. story continues below Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week that testimony from Mueller was "up to our attorney general." William Barr has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying. The president tweeted after a Democrat on the committee said he was hopeful Mueller would testify, noting that May 15 has been proposed. Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline told Fox News Sunday that "we hope the special counsel will appear" at that time and that "we think the American people have a right to hear directly from him." Cicilline later tweeted that "nothing has been agreed to yet." The House Judiciary Committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, said last week the committee was "firming up the date" for Mueller's testimony and hoping it would be May 15. (Read more Robert Mueller stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Public consultation for the Tres Estradas Phosphate Project held in Lavras do Sul on the evening of 20 March was attended by +1,500 people with another 2,000 watching a livestream of the event online Aguia has submitted responses to follow up items from FEPAM Rock samples from Carlota Target include one sample that returned 48 g/t Au, and 1.63% Cu and another returning 13.4 g/t Au and 0.16% Cu Samples collected from hematite-rich breccias bearing high-grade gold and copper a typical IOCG signature Channel sampling underway at Carlota Target and ongoing geological reconnaissance at Andrade and Primavera Targets TORONTO, May 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aguia Resources Limited (ASX: AGR, TSXV: AGRL) (Aguia the Company) participated in a highly successful community consultation event for the Tres Estradas Phosphate Project on 20 March 2019 in Lavras do Sul, Brazil. It is estimated ~1,500 people attended and the overall response throughout the evening was exceptionally positive. The Company also streamed the audience live on Facebook, which was accessed by a further 2,000 viewers during the event. Following the event, FEPAM had 30 days to request any further follow up items from Aguia. FEPAM sent Aguia a list of questions and document requests which Aguia addressed with high priority. Follow up items have been compiled and submitted to FEPAM at the end of last week. The follow up items included additional environmental and technical details and clarifications and responses to position papers submitted to FEPAM by NGOs and universities following the community consultation event. Aguias team in Lavras do Sul is fully engaged with the local community and looks forward to a final approval from FEPAM. Rio Grande Copper Exploration Activities Recent rock sampling at the Carlota target, which is ground Aguia staked to the south of Big Ranch and east of Andrade, have returned positive assays of gold and copper (see Table 1 below). Sample 99987 returned 48 g/t Au and 1.63% Cu and Sample 99994 returned 13.4 g/t Au 0.16% Cu. The samples were collected from hematite-rich breccias bearing high-grade gold and copper, which is a typical IOCG signature. The next step at Carlota will be to undertake channel sampling based on the high-grade gold results from the rock samples. Aguia is also conducting geological reconnaissance of geochemical anomalies to the south of Andrade and at Primavera. All data collected will be used to define priority targets for future drilling. Management Commentary Technical Director Fernando Tallarico commented: We have an active and positive dialogue with FEPAM and continue to enjoy strong support from local government and members of the community in our efforts to obtain the environmental approval that will result in the Preliminary License being granted. The Brazilian authorities are very diligent in their review to ensure that future mines will be safe and make a positive contribution to local communities. We have provided exhaustive detail for a project that respects the environment and the people who live in the community. The relationships senior management and the Board of Directors have built over the last few years will be an important factor in obtaining the final approval and moving to the next phase of development for Tres Estradas. Managing Director Justin Reid added: This is a pivotal time for Aguia and our team is ready for the next phase of development at Tres Estradas. We are very well positioned to bring domestically mined phosphate to Brazils very large agricultural sector. As well, we continue to expand our knowledge of the Rio Grande Copper claims with impressive early results from samples collected at the Carlota Target. We are now assessing how best to advance this exciting asset while ensuring we unlock maximum value for our existing shareholders. We are examining a number of options and will present a proposal to shareholders for consideration in due course. Corporate Update Aguias Brazilian operation is relocating from Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais State to Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul to be close to the project site. The relocation will better position the technical team to complete the final detailed engineering and prepare for the construction phase. A streamlined operation and structure are expected to result in cost savings this year. Sample UTM_E UTM_N Au (ppm) Ag (ppm) Cu (%) 96988 269758 6622763 0.47 <0.5 0.01 98997 269947 6622911 0.66 <0.5 0.09 99986 269991 6623001 6.08 0.9 0.72 99987 269998 6623007 48.00 7.1 1.63 99988 270003 6623013 0.15 <0.5 0.01 99994 269444 6625071 13.40 1.4 0.16 Table 1: Rock sampling results from the Carlota Target Figure 1. Geological map of Aguias claims in the Rio Grande Copper Belt A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6914e80d-936e-4c5b-b1ef-1ad88375b38c Figure 2. Detail of rock sample locations at the Carlota target A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe5b23dc-da72-4ac4-8262-505ddebe1569 For fu r ther information, please contact: Justin Reid, Managing Director E: jreid@aguiaresources.com.au Spyros Karellas, Investor Relations North America E: spyros@pinnaclecapitalmarkets.ca T: +1 416-433-5696 Released through: Ben Jarvis, Six Degrees Investor Relations: +61 413 150 448 Follow Aguia on Twitter: @ Aguia_Resources A b o u t A gu ia : Aguia Resources Limited, (Aguia) is an ASX and TSX Venture listed company whose primary focus is on the exploration and development of mineral resource projects in Brazil. Aguia has an established and highly experienced in-country team based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil with corporate offices in Sydney, Australia. Aguias key projects are located in Rio Grande do Sul, a prime farming area which is 100% dependent on phosphate imports. The Rio Grande phosphate deposits exhibit high quality and low cost production characteristics, and are ideally located with proximity to road, rail, and port infrastructure. Aguias experienced management team has a proven track record of advancing high quality mining assets to production in Brazil. Cautionary Statement on Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and Australian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the timing and impact of the scheduled consultation and the likelihood of successfully obtaining the preliminary license and/or the Installation license on the timeline predicted or at all, results of exploration activities, soil and assay results, plans for future drilling and exploration programs, the mineral resource estimates, production targets, the anticipated timetable, permitting, forecast financial information, bankable feasibility study and ability to finance the project, and the prospectivity and potential of the Tres Estradas project and the Rio Grande copper claims. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including risks inherent in the mining industry and risks described in the public disclosure of the Company which is available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com , on the ASX website at www.asx.com.au and on the Company's website at www.aguiaresouces.com.au. These risks should be considered carefully. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Persons reading this news release are cautioned that such statements are only predictions and there can be no assurance that such information 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 information. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, estimates, options, future events, results or otherwise and does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER THE AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE, TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR THEIR 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. DREAM Worship announces the new single from Lifepoint Worship, titled "A Million Hallelujahs," which is out now and available at all digital music providers. With four studio albums under their belt and a series of new singles being released on DREAM, the team that leads at Lifepoint Church has continued to build and grow their songwriting culture with beautiful new tracks and "A Million Hallelujahs" is no different. In 2005, God gave Pastor Daniel Floyd a vision to build a local church that would transform the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia. "Over the years, we've seen that church grow from one location to many locations, around the state of Virginia with the vision of reaching people far from Christ to be fully alive in Christ.Lifepoint Worship was born out of that vision." Their new album, Mountain/Valley, features 12 brand-new songs that capture the heart of this movement over the last 12 years. With a fresh approach to songwriting and production, Lifepoint Worship's greatest desire is to help connect the hand of the church to the hand of the Father. Connect with Lifepoint Worship: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Tags : lifepoint worship Lifepoint Worship new single lifepoint worship news dream records New Delhi: Marquee British Automaker MG Motor (Morris Garages) has confirmed that the highly anticipated debut of its upcoming Hector SUV will happen on May 15. MG Hector SUV will be the largest in this class with a length of 4655 mm, a width of 1835 mm and a height of 1760 mm. It will come with a set of large 10-spoke alloy wheels and large outside rear-view mirrors with integrated turn signal lights. Other features the SUV is expected to offer include a premium cabin equipped with power adjustable seats, electronic parking brake, 360-degree camera and cruise control. It is to be noted that just like Hyundai Venue, MG Hector too will be a connected SUV with an embedded eSIM and a massive touchscreen infotainment display. The SUV even gets an all-digital instrument cluster as well. Up front, the car has a split-headlamp setup with the DRLs at the top and quad-headlamp elements in the bumpers. The fog lamps underline the headlamps and get a chrome surround for the entire unit. The car also has an electrically operated tailgate with LED taillamps. Inside the Hector, theres a 10.4-inch touchscreen running the iSMART system. It runs on an in-car Android-based OS with 4G connectivity. The system also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and gets a Gaana and Accuweather premium account for free. It further enables the SUV to pack features like voice commands for vehicle controls like sunroof and climate control. The car also has a real-time traffic updates, tyre pressure monitoring system, climate control and weather updates on the big screen itself. MG Hector will come with the option of both, petrol and diesel powertrains - 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine and the Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre oil burner engine respectively. Transmission options could include both manual and automatic option. It is expected that the Hector to be priced from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom). Competition-wise, MG Hector will go up against Hyundai Creta and Nissan Kicks on the one end and the Jeep Compass or Hyundai Tucson at the other. New Delhi: One of the worlds most influential businessmen and billionaire Warren Buffett on Saturday said that he would not hesitate to fly in a Boeing 737 Max airplane, despite the grounding of the planes after two fatal crashes. I will never hesitate even for a second to fly on a 737 MAX, he said in response to a question from news agency AFP on the side lines of the annual shareholder meeting of his Berkshire Hathaway empire in Omaha. Buffett, the worlds third-richest man, owns stakes in companiesfrom Coca-Cola to JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs to Apple and, recently, Amazonbut he holds no shares in Boeing. Boeings entire 737 MAX fleet has been grounded since shortly after the latest crash in March, while investigators study the incidents and engineers work on solutions. On Saturday, a Boeing 737 went into the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Florida in US with 136 on board after landing on Friday, a spokesman for Naval Air Station Jacksonville said, reported news agency Reuters. No fatalities were however reported. The flight arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba went into the river at the end of the runway at about 9:40 p.m. local time, the air station said. The mayor of Jacksonville tweeted that everyone on board the flight was alive and accounted for but that crews were working to control jet fuel on the water. "The plane was not submerged. Every person is alive and accounted for," the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said on Twitter. The sheriff's tweet was accompanied by two photographs showing the plane bearing the logo of Miami Air International resting in shallow water and fully intact. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry Friday announced cancellation of Bhubaneswar as a centre for the AIIMS PG 2019 examination due to cyclone 'Fani' and launched a 24x7 helpline number to provide information, assistance and support. Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan has urged people to not listen to the rumours and call the helpline numbers -- 011-23061302/23063205/ 23061469 (fax) -- for any information. "AIIMS PG exam is scheduled on 5th May. Due to cyclone Fani, AIIMS Delhi is cancelling the exam centre in Bhubaneswar. Another exam will be conducted for students affected by this cancellation as soon as normalcy returns (sic)," she tweeted. The cyclone rolled through Odisha on Friday, packing rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, leaving at least three people dead, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages. According to sources, a part of the roof of a building at AIIMS Bhubaneswar was also ripped off in the cyclonic storm, but all students, staff and patients were learnt to be safe. "All patients at #AIIMS Bhubaneshwar are safe. It is in readiness to support the State for accepting more patients. Damages caused by #Fani shall be repaired soon (sic)," Sudan said in another tweet. The extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Fani' or the 'Hood of Snake' made landfall around 8 am in Puri, with roaring winds flattening huts, enveloping the pilgrim town in sheets of rain, and submerging homes in residential areas. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DIG Randeep Rana said not many casualties were reported so far as precautionary measures were in place. The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone from about 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations in probably the largest evacuation exercise at the time of a natural calamity in the country. The evacuees have been accommodated in over 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres. After the landfall, the system is passing through Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore before it would enter West Bengal, an official said, adding that Bhubaneswar was likely to be hit by high velocity wind of around 140 kmph. New Delhi: Hours after former prime minister Manmohan Singh launched a scathing attack at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit back at the former, saying the Congress leader has no sense of economy and politics. Earlier in the day, in one of his most fierce attacks on the BJP dispensation, Singh said Modi should be shown exit door as his five-year rule has been "most traumatic and devastating" for India, adding that demonetisation was perhaps the "biggest scam" of independent India. In a stern reply, Jaitley, on the other hand said, the former prime minister had brought down his party to the lowest ever strength in Parliament and lost the sense of economy after he stepped into politics. Taking to twitter, Jaitley wrote, "When an Economist turns into a politician, he looses sense of both economy and politics". "Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five," he added. "Today he regards the Worldas fastest growing major economy as disastrous," the finance minister alleged in a series of tweets. When an Economist turns into a politician, he looses sense of both economy and politics. a Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Dr. Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. a Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Today he regards the Worldas fastest growing major economy as disastrous. a Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Singh, in an exclusive interview with PTI, on Sunday accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits due to its "lack of economic vision". The senior economist also alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of the economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation. In an apparent reference to Modias "bhrashtachari No 1" remark on late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Jaitley further asked why Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his father are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned. Addressing an election rally in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, Modi had on Saturday took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, sayingA "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1". Replying to this, the Gandhi scion had tweeted, "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug?" Jaitley in his response, said, "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi Government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the aQa connection? No reply has come". Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi Government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the aQa connection? No reply has come. a Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 "The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister a a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" the senior BJP leader went on to claim further. The Dynast can attack the integrity of Indiaas Prime Minister a a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions? a Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 Moving on to former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Jaitley said the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star even after the assassination of the party stalwart. "Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet Congress is questioned about Emergency and Operation Blue Star," he wrote. Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet Congress is questioned about Emergency and Operation Blue Star. a Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress's defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls. New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed that the BJP was behind the Saturday's attack on him during a roadshow in Moti Nagar area of the national capital and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Kejriwal said, "A Chief Minister was attacked and the Central government says, 'didn't receive the complaint, unable to move ahead with further proceedings, the PM should resign over it. It's not an attack on Arvind Kejriwal, it is an attack on Delhi's mandate." The Aam Aadmi Party chief said that he was the only cheif minister in the history of the country who had faced such attack and whose security responsibility was in the hands of the Opposition party. "This was 9th attack on me in last five years and 5th after becoming the Chief Minister. I don't think so if there is any CM in the history of India who has faced such attacks. In our country, the CM of Delhi is the only CM whose security is in the hands of opposition party," he said during a presser at party headquarters in Delhi. Kejriwal said that the attack on him was a BJP conspiracy and the man who attacked him was sent to give a message that anybody standing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be spared. "The attacker was sent to give a message to the country that anyone who will dare to speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be spared. Every voice raised against you should be suppressed - this is the sign of dictatorship," the AAP chief said. Meanwhile, an FIR under IPC Section 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) has been registered against Suresh, the man who slapped Kejriwal. Delhi police claimed that Suresh, who is a scrap dealer in the area, was an disgruntled AAP worker but the party denied the claims and said that he was a Modi fan and was sent by the BJP to attack the Delhi cheif minister. New Delhi: Former IPS officer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate Bharati Ghosh has sparked a controversy with her alleged remarks that she would get Trinamool workers beaten like dogs if they wont allow proper conduct votes. Ghosh, who was once considered close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said this while campaigning at Ghatal constituency. "Get inside your houses and do not try to show your smartness here. There will be no place to hide. I will drag you out of your house and kill you like a dog.... I will bring over 1,000 men from UP, put them inside your residence and teach you a lesson," the BJP nominee said while campaigning in his constituency. Mamata Banerjee hit back at Gosh saying dont make me open my mouth. "Do not make me open my mouth. If I make public the SMSs that you had sent to me as a police officer, I won't have to say anything more against you. You must remember, there are so many cases against you. Had we wished to keep you behind bars, we could have arrested you. There is Supreme Court bar on arresting you only in one case," said Banerjee while campaigning for Trinamool candidate and Bengali film star Dev Adhikari. Meanwhile, senior Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee said in Kolkata that the party will move the Election Commission to complaint against Ghosh, who was once the superintendent of police in West Midnapore district in which Ghatal falls, for this comment. The Election Commission sought a report from the district administration after taking suo motu cognizance of the incident, officials said in Kolkata. Ghosh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the month of February and was later fielded from Ghatal parliamentary seat, which will go to polls on May 12. She was the West Midnapore SP for more than six years. The officer was transferred as commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police, considered a less important post, on December 26, 2017 and she resigned from service two days later. Winner of a service medal on August 15, 2014, Ghosh was transferred by the Election Commission before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. She was, however, reinstated as West Midnapore SP as soon as the elections got over. An arrest warrant was issued against Ghosh in February, 2018 in connection with an extortion case registered at Daspur police station in West Midnapore district, following her resignation. With PTI Inputs New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday suspended its former MP Shakeel Ahmad with immediate effect for contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Madhubani constituency as an independent candidate. "Alongwith this, Ms Bhavana Jha, MLA Benipatti, has also been suspended from the Congress Party for anti-party activities with regards to the ongoing General Elections," the Congress said in a statement. Shakeel Ahmad, a former Union minister who has represented Madhubani in the Lok Sabha, had filed his nomination papers in two sets as a Congress candidate and as an Independent. He withdrew the former after the party declined his request for allotting the party symbol. On Wednesday, the CPI announced its support to Shakeel Ahmed, a move that may queer the pitch for the Mahagathbandhan which seeks to wrest the seat from the BJP. The CPI state council made the announcement in a release, stating it was committed to defeat the BJP and its allies and form "a government that could provide a secular, progressive and democratic alternative". Ahmad was unhappy after his traditional seat of Madhubani went to ally Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) under a seat sharing formula of the Grand Alliance. Ahmad earlier pointed out that a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supported candidate was contesting against Congress candidate Ranjit Ranjan in Supaul. "If the RJD can support a candidate against an official Congress candidate, then why can't the Congress do the same in Madhubani?" he said. The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) has fielded Badrinath Purve, a former RJD leader who is the candidate of the fledgling Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), while BJP MP Hukum Dev Narayan Yadavs son Ashok Yadav seeks to retain the seat for the NDA. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh today. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president on the other hand will address rallies in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. BSP supremo Mayawati is set to address two rallies in Uttar Pradesh. Voting for Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha election 2019 will be held on May 6. Polling will be held in 51 constituencies across 7 states. In UP, 14 Lok Sabha seats will vote in the fifth phase; voting will be also be held in five seats in Bihar. Campaigning for the fifth phase has already ended. Lok Sabha Polls 2019 LIVE: Get all the scoop on elections here: 21:46 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan holds a 'lalten (oil lantern) march' in Bhopal. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP: Ever since Congress has come, electricity has gone. Digvijaya had turned MP into a state of darkness & that era is coming back. 'Lalten' is the symbol of the era of darkness, that is why we're doing this march to raise awareness among public. pic.twitter.com/9dZPXGFdlV ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 19:04 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In There is a hospital in Amethi whose trustee is a person from 'naamdar family', a few days ago a poor man went there for treatment with his Ayushman card, hospital denied him treatment because he was carrying the Ayushman Bharat card given by Modi, says the prime minister at his Gwalior rally. 19:03 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi in Gwalior: After emergency, this is the first election, where the people of the country are contesting to bring the current government back to power. 18:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Mahamilawati says 'Modi Hatao', but the sister who got toilets in the last five years wants Modi government back to power: PM Narendra Modi in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. 18:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This is Mahamilawati's lies and abuse versus the confidence of people on this servant of the nation in 2019 Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi at Gwalior rally. 18:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Four phases of Lok Sabha elections have already taken place across the country and Congress along with its allies have lost in all these rounds: PM Modi in Gwalior. 16:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Your each vote in favour of Modi will inspire him to fight against terrorism with vigour, the prime minister says at MP rally. 16:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Former Delhi CM and Congress's candidate from North-East Delhi: We condemn the attack on Arvind Kejriwal. Such attacks should not happen no matter who is the leader. 17:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In If Congress had remained in power, I am confident that basic amenities would have been alluded the country for another 100 years: Modi. 15:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Due to Congress's "criminal apathy", India deprived of basic amenities in first 25 years of Independence: Modi at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. 14:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In A get together of celebrities and personalities from the entertainment industry, for support to BJP. A get together of celebrities and personalities from the entertainment industry, for support to BJP, is underway in Delhi. Wrestler The Great Khali, producer Boney Kapoor, Haryanavi dancer Sapna Chaudhary, actor Manoj Joshi & others are present. pic.twitter.com/vCOSJXO4iS ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 13:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In A Chief Minister was attacked and the Central govt says, 'didn't receive the complaint, unable to move ahead with further proceedings, the PM should resign over it. It's not an attack on Arvind Kejriwal, it is an attack on Delhi's mandate: Kejriwal. 13:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This was 9th attack on me in last 5 yrs & 5th attack after becoming CM. I don't think in India's history there has been such attacks on any CM. In this country Delhi CM is the only only CM whose security's responsibility is in the hands of opposition party that is BJP: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. 13:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We don't disrespect anyone's religious faith we just follow the constitution. The constitution provides for equal rights to both men & women: PM Modi. 13:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I would like to tell the Muslim sisters of Bhadohi & across the nation, several countries don't have the provision for Triple Talaq. We want to give the same rights to our Muslim sisters which have been provided to the sisters in Muslim countries: PM Modi. 13:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The country has seen 4 types of parties, 4 types of governance, 4 types of political culture. First - Naampanthi, second - Vaampanthi, third - Daam aur Damapanthi and the fourth which has been brought by us - Vikaspanthi: PM Modi. 13:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 850 people of our country were locked up in jails of Saudi Arabia. Its Crown Prince was visiting India. Month of Ramzan is approaching, I requested him to release them so that they come home for Ramzan. He accepted my proposal&released them even before Ramzan: PM Modi 12:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Masood Azhar was declared global terrorist and Pakistan which sheltered Masood Azhar will have to act against him: PM Modi 11:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 'Mahamilavatis' are saying that Modi got Masood Azhar baanned because of polls: PM Modi. 11:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 850 people of our country were locked up in jails of Saudi Arabia. Its Crown Prince was visiting India. As the month of Ramzan was approaching, I requested him to release them so that they come home. He accepted my proposal and released them even before Ramzan: PM Modi 11:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Everything is possible if you work with the right approach: PM Modi in Bhadohi 11:50 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In People feel proud when a surgical strike is done in response to a terror attack: PM Modi 11:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "Political heat is increasing, But weather is helping us, says PM Modi in Bhadohi. 11:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi addreses rally in Uttar Pradesh 11:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Polling officials are being dispatched to their respective polling stations for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Ayodhya: Polling officials are being dispatched to their respective polling stations for the fifth phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 . The voting for the fifth phase will take place tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/v2JMeIPT0s ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 5, 2019 10:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Bhopal District Election Officer sends notice to BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal District Election Officer sends notice to BJP candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur over complaint of her campaigning during the 3-day period when she was barred by EC from campaigning. The officer has sought a reply from her. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/810zxx44Yt ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 10:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In In Raebareli and Amethi, BSP's vote bank will support Congress, says Mayawati. 10:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP is trying to break the Mahagatbandhan, says BSP chief Mayawati. 10:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi and BJP are in great trouble: Mayawati. 10:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi is trying to create division in the society, says BSP cheif Mayawati. 09:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Strongly condemn the killing of J&K BJP leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir: PM Modi PM Narendra Modi: Strongly condemn the killing of J&K BJP leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/56w35GLkoL ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 09:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh threatens Trinamool supporters to kill them like dog 07:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Election Commission orders re-polling at 8 polling booths in Shahjahanpur Lok Sabha constituency; voting to take place from 7 am to 6 pm on May 6. 07:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Assault on Kejriwal reflects desperation of BJP, says Chandrababu Naidu New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday got angry at a group of villagers shouting "Jai Shree Ram" in front of her convoy in West Midnapore district's Chandrakona. Two Bharatiya Janata Party supporters, Sitaram Midya and Sayan Midya, were detained by police after the incident. Alok Rajoria, district superintendent of police, said they were charged with insulting the chief minister. The video shows Banerjeeas convoy passing by and some people chanting aJai Shriram.a BanerjeeA rolled down the window of her car and asked the driver to stop. Then she got off and asked those raising the slogans to come talk to her. But they fled. Banerjee can be seen saying, aPalachhis keno? Haridas sob. Galagali dichhe.a (Why are you running away? You riff raff. Badmouthing me.) Why is DIDI so upset with chants of JAI SHRI RAM & why does she call it "GALAGALI"? pic.twitter.com/dTrBqrS6Oo a BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) May 4, 2019 The BJP reacted sharply. aShe (Banerjee) feels that the words Jai Shriram are an insult but recites wrong mantras (Sanskrit scripts offered to Hindu gods) wherever she goes. Why is she so scared of Jai Shriram? Are these words illegal in West Bengal? She should decide that first,a said Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh to Hindustan Times. The TMC responded to the BJP by saying that the party is desperate to win in West Bengal and this is the reason why they are twisting the whole incident. aDesperate BJP in Bengal doing what they do best. Shame on their desperation to put spin on a video and create falsehood. Bengal has rejected them and they know that. Theyall have no place to hide on May 23,a tweeted TMC. New Delhi: With the Phase five of 2019 Lok Sabha elections less than 24 hours to go, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday came out with all his gun blazing at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying his alleged association with UK firm Backops were being "unearthed from land, air and water". Addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar, the prime minister said the "naamdar" gets exposed every time he tries to malign him and the more, he is targeted, the more 'lotus' will bloom. Modi's latest jibe comes on the heels of Home Ministry's recent notice on Gandhi, saying it received a representation from BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, claiming that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003 with the Congress leader as one of its directors. Swamy's letter also mentioned that in the British company's annual returns filed on October 10, 2005 and October 31, 2006, Gandhi's date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970 and had declared his nationality as British, the Home Ministry added. In an apparent refence to Gandhi, Modi further asked, "He owned a company called Backops in England which was shut in 2009. But in 2011, a partner in the company got a submarine deal contract. The government was of the Congress. How did the Backops partner get the deal, what was his experience in defence contract?" PM Modi in Sagar,Madhya Pradesh: Chahe remote se sarkar chalani ho ya phir video game khelna ho,actor se zayada yeh log soch nahi pate.Tabhi toh Prime Minister in making ke samajhdar hone ke intezar mein Congress ne 10 saal tak iss desh par ek acting Prime Minister thop diya tha. pic.twitter.com/Isrc7KYM4U a ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 The prime minister also alleged that due to Congress "criminal apathy", people in India have been deprived of basic amenities like pucca houses, electricity, toilets and bank accounts during the first 25 years of Independence. "Had the Congress remained in power, I am confident that basic amenities would have alluded the country for another 100 years," Modi went on to claim further. Modi said perpetrators of terrorism are now fully aware that it is a new India which hits them back by entering their dens. "Your each vote in favour of Modi will inspire him to fight against terrorism with vigour," the prime minister said while concluding his speech. Phase Five of General Election will be held in 51 constituencies, including 7 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, i.e. May 6, 2019. The seats which will witness polling in Madhya Pradesh are Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 23. New Delhi : Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday reacted strongly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against his father and late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Launching a counter offensive against the prime minister, Rahul Gandhi said, "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father wont protect you. All my love and a huge hug." The reacting from Congress president came a day after Modi, during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, invoked his father and late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying that his father's life ended as "corrupt no. 1". "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as ''Bhrashtachari No 1'' (corrupt number 1)," PM Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh. The prime minister was apparently refering to the infamous Bofors case that maligned the image of the Congress govenrment in 1980s. There were allegations against Rajiv Gandhi that he recieved bribe from Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors for the sale of its artillery guns to India. However, the high court gave clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi and said that there was no evidence to prove that the Rajiv Gandhi accepted bribes in the Bofors deal. In 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Sri Lanka based Tamil militant organization. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has been chasing the Narendra Modi govenrment over alleged irregularities and corruption in the Rs 60,000 crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal. The Congress chief claims that Modi increased the price of the Rafale jets to favour his businessman friend Anil Ambani bag the offset contract from the aircraft's French manufactures. Anil Ambani Relience Defence, which was floated just 10 days before the Rafale deal, is the India offset partner of Dassault Aviation, original makers of the air craft. The Narendra Modi govenrment, on the other hand, claims that it was buying the fighter jets in a price lower than what was decided during the UPA govenrment. The BJP also maintained that PM Modi played no role in the deal between the Dassault Aviation and its India offset partner Relience Defence. New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati once again targeted the Congress party for inducting her party's Guna Lok Sabha candidate and said the grand old party will have to pay a "heavy price" for it. "The Congress will have to pay a heavy price for this when time comes. Due to similar acts, we brought down the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government," she said. Earlier last week, Lokendra Singh, BSPs candidate from Guna, had joined the Congress in presence of Jyotiraditya Scindia. Scindia is Congress sitting parliamentarian from the Guna Lok Sabha seat and has been winning the seat since 2002, when he contested by-polls after the death of his father Madhavrao Scindia. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister is not happy with the development and has accused Congress government in Madhya Pradesh of misusing official machinery to pressurise Singh to withdraw in favour of Scindia. Addressing a rally Morena, the BSP chief dubbed both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress as "casteist and capitalist" and said the BSP would never enter into an alliance with either of them. Polling in Morena is scheduled on May 12. "You (BSP workers) should be ready that we will never contest elections in alliance with the BJP and Congress, both of which are casteist, capitalist parties," she said. She also urged her party workers to bring together people from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, Muslim and other minority communities along with the poor from the general category to form a government in Madhya Pradesh. Mayawati told the gathering that this formula had led to her party forming a majority government several years ago in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that "any misunderstanding will be sorted out". "All the parties, including Mayawati's BSP, has the same goal as us, that is the exit of the BJP. Our goal and ideology is the same. To keep the BJP out, we have to stick together. There is no divide. If there is any misunderstanding, we will resolve it together," he said. New Delhi: Akshay Kumar has become critics favourite subject ever since his 'non-political' interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aired. Recently netizens have taken up social media platforms to question his nationality and lately if he qualifies for a national award.A The Bollywood actoras critics are now questioning his 2017 Best Actor Award-win at the 64th National Film Awards for the film Rustom (2016) as he is not an Indian citizen. Some have even asked him to give away his Canadian passport to embrace Indian nationality. A After the South Indian actor Siddharth took a jibe at Akshay Kumaras Canadian citizenship and interview with PM Narendra Modi with a tweet that trolled President of the US, Donald Trump, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar in the same time, now even Rangoli Chandel, sister and manager of Kangana Ranaut has expressed her take on the matter.A Quoting a song from Kangana starrer Manikarnika: The queen of Jhansi, she wrote, "Desh se hai payaar to har pal yeh kehna chahiye, main rahoon ya na rahoon Bharat yeh rehna chahiye, we agree desh se hai payaar toh sar utha ke kaho, hum bhartiya hain" and also retweeted a post that demanded that Akshay Kumar who is 'using the trump card of patriotism' for 'surviving in Bollywood' should drop Canadian citizenship.A Desh se hai payaar to har pal yeh kehna chahiye, main rahoon ya na rahoon Bharat yeh rehna chahiye, we agree desh se hai payaar toh sar utha ke kaho, hum bhartiya hainY https://t.co/KJfnqXKVyA a Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) May 4, 2019 Rangoli, however, had supported the PM and Akshay after twitterati trolled the 'non-political interview' tweeting, "Coming out in defence of PM Modi, Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel took to her Twitter account and wrote: "Ab is interview mein kya problem hai? Its not even political, such an inspiring light hearted chat between two self made men, isko bhi troll karte hain, Modi ji Maa ko milne jayein tab bhi trolling, giving interviews tab bhi bulling (contd)" [sic]." Meawhile, Rahul Dholakia, the director of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees (2017) and once a jury of National Awards posted a tweet clarifying that afilm professionals & technicians of foreign origina can also be considered for the National Film Awards. Akshay, cleared his stand in the matter by admitting on Friday that he held a Canadian passport. He also expressed displeasure over his citizenship being dragged into what he called aneedless controversy.a aI really donat understand the unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India,a the actor wrote. aWhile all these years, I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone, I find it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy, a matter that is personal, legal, non-political, and of no consequence to others,a he wrote further. aLastly, I would like to continue contributing in my small way to the causes that I believe in and make India stronger and stronger,a he signed off saying. On the work front, Akshay will be next seen in Good News also starring Kareena Kapoor. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar recently took the anon-politicala interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since then, he has become criticsa favourite subject. The citizenship of Akshay Kumar is also a burning issue and just a couple of days back, the actor accepted that he has a Canadian citizenship. Now, veteran actor Anupam Kher has come out in support of Akshay Kumar. In his typical style, Anupam Kher backed Akki and said that he doesnat need to prove his patriotism to anybody. In a Tweet, the national-award-winning actor said, aDear @akshaykumar! Have been reading about you explaining to certain people about your loyalty to our country. Stop it! Their real profession is to make people like you & me feel defensive for talking in favour of India. You are a doer. You donat need to explain to anybody.a Take a look: Dear @akshaykumar! Have been reading about you explaining to certain people about your loyalty to our country. Stop it! Their real profession is to make people like you & me feel defensive for talking in favour of India. You are a doer. You donat need to explain to anybody.YYY a Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) May 5, 2019 Earlier, Rangoli Chandel, sister and manager of Kangana Ranaut has expressed her take on the matter. Quoting a song from Kangana starrer Manikarnika: The queen of Jhansi, she wrote, "Desh se hai payaar to har pal yeh kehna chahiye, main rahoon ya na rahoon Bharat yeh rehna chahiye, we agree desh se hai payaar toh sar utha ke kaho, hum bhartiya hain" and also retweeted a post that demanded that Akshay Kumar who is 'using the trump card of patriotism' for 'surviving in Bollywood' should drop Canadian citizenship. Desh se hai payaar to har pal yeh kehna chahiye, main rahoon ya na rahoon Bharat yeh rehna chahiye, we agree desh se hai payaar toh sar utha ke kaho, hum bhartiya hainY https://t.co/KJfnqXKVyA a Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) May 4, 2019 A Rangoli, however, had supported the PM and Akshay after twitterati trolled the 'non-political interview'. After being severely trolled on Twitter for not voting during ongoing Lok Sabha polls and his Canadian citizenship, The Housefull actor wrote a lengthy post on Twitter. He expressed displeasure over his citizenship being dragged into what he called aneedless controversy.a aI really donat understand the unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India,a the actor wrote. aWhile all these years, I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone, I find it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy, a matter that is personal, legal, non-political, and of no consequence to others,a he wrote further. aLastly, I would like to continue contributing in my small way to the causes that I believe in and make India stronger and stronger,a he signed off saying. on the work front, Akshay Kumar was last seen in Anurag Singhas Kesari. He will be next seen in Good News also starring Kareena Kapoor. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Priyanka Chopraas brother Siddharth Chopra was all set to tie the knot to Ishita Kumar by the end of April. In fact, when Priyanka was in Mumbai for a few days, it was speculated that the actress was here to attend Siddharthas wedding. However, Madhu Chopra recently confirmed that the wedding has been called off and it seems that Ishita has put it all behind her.A She took to her Instagram profile to share pictures from her latest outing with friends. Dressed in a red floral dress, Ishita can be seen having fun with her friends. She had confirmed the news of her breakup by sharing a picture from the same outing three days ago. She wrote with it, ''Cheers to new beginnings. With a goodbye kiss to beautiful endings.'' Her mother, Nidhi Kumar, had commented on the picture saying, "Close old book and write new story" while father Anirudh had stated, "We are with you; Feel the expanse of the universe and be the star you were born to be." Ishita has already deleted all the pictures from the roka ceremony, her bridal shower that took place in London and her other photos with Siddharth. Ishita and Siddharth's roka ceremony took place on February 27 and Priyanka even took to Instagram to congratulate the couple. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Disha Patani and Aditya Roy Kapur are all set to star in Mohit Suri's next titled Malang. The actors are currently busy shooting for the film in Mauritius. Disha today took to her Instagram account to share a BTS picture with her co-star Aditya. She captioned the picture saying, ''Training for something special #malang'.aa In the photo, the diva can be seen dressed in a diving suit and Aditya can be seen striking a pose with curly hair and multi-coloured shorts. Take a look at the picture:A In a recent interview, Aditya opened up about his character in the film. ''I'm having a pretty big body transformation that I'm supposed to undergo in the next month or two. I have just about started my work on that. I have to put on some muscles," the 33-year-old actor said. "I have to gain somewhere around 10-11 kilos for the next schedule," he added. The film also stars Anil Kapoor and Kunal Kemmu in pivotal roles.A Meanwhile, Aditya Roy Kapur has started prepping for Sadak 2. A few days back, Aditya was snapped outside Vishesh Filmsa office from where they left with what looked like their respective scripts. Sadak 2 will be Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapooras second collaboration after Kalank.A Disha, on the other hand, will be seen in Bharat. The film also stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in prominent roles.A For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Ramzan moon was not sighted anywhere in India on Sunday evening, hence the first day of Ramzan will begin on May 7 (Tuesday), announced Hilal committees. The crescent was predicted to be spotted on Sunday. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka will begin their fasts from May 7. As per precedent, the moon is sighted in Indian subcontinent region only a day after it has been spotted in the western hemisphere. Hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world began fasting on May 17 from sunrise to sunset for the month of Ramzan, a time of contemplation, fortitude and intense worship. Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to dusk on Ramzan, which is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar and is considered a holy period. The objective of the fast is to remind the suffering of the less fortunate and to bring the followers closer to God. As mentioned in the holy book, Quran, Muslims, during this month, are supposed to donate alms to the poor and feed the hungry. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least five BJP workers were killed after their car fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district. Fortunately, the driver of the car survived. It is to be noted that the deceased were on their way to attend chief minister Jai Ram Thakur's election rally at Bhatkidhar in Seraj Tehsil. According to the police, the vehicle fell into a 300-metre-deep gorge near Bagachanogi area killing the five occupants instantly. The driver of the car survived and was hospitalised with serious injuries, a police officer said, adding that the exact cause of the accident is being ascertained. This is a breaking news story. More details awaited. Recently, as many as five persons were killed and five others injured when a jeeb rolled down a cliff near the Phagni village under the foothills subdivision of Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The police had said, The jeep rolled down a cliff and fell into a deep gorge at the Padhar area of Mandi where the five died on the spot. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the killing of a BJP leader in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, saying there is no place for violence in the country. Ghulam Mohammed Mir, district vice president of the BJP in Anantnag, was shot dead by terrorists at his home late on Saturday night. "Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered," PM Modi tweeted. Extending condolences, he said, "There is no place for such violence in our country." 55-year-old Mir was popularly known as 'Atal' in his neighbourhood. He had contested assembly elections as the BJP's candidate from Anantnag. His security was withdrawn by the government in February. Giving details, the police said three militants came to his house in Nowgam Verinag area and asked for the keys for his car. While driving the vehicle away, they pumped bullets into Mir. This comes two days after a former BJP worker was shot at and injured by unidentified gunmen in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. The injured was identified as 40-year-old Abdul Rashid Bhat alias Madan Lal, son of Ghulam Ahmad of Kuchmulla village in Tral. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has responded to the Trinamool Congresss criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he didnt speak to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inquire about the ground situation after Cyclone Fani battered the state on Saturday. The TMC has accused the prime minister of disrespecting the federal structure of the country by calling state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, instead of the chief minister to take stock of the situation after the cyclone. "Attention has been drawn to reports in a section of media, that TMC has expressed its displeasure at PM Modi speaking only to WB Governor, about the post-Fani situation in the state. TMC have claimed that the PM had called Odisha and not WB CM. The claim is incorrect," ANI news agency quoted PMO sources as saying. The PMO sources, according to the agency, said that the prime ministers staff made two attempts to connect with the West Bengal chief minister, but she didnt take the calls. "Two attempts were made on Saturday morning, from the PM's staff, to connect PM to the WB CM on phone. The first time, they were told that the CM is on tour and call will be returned. On the second occasion too, it was told by the CM's office, that the call will be returned," the PMO sources said. As the Cyclone Fani moved towards West Bengal after making landfall in Odisha, PM Modi on Saturday said that he spoke to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and West Bengal Governor to take stock of the situation. However, the fact that Modi didnt speak to Mamata Banerjee, instead called up the state governor didnt go down well with the TMC. "This is the biggest example of indecency. In a federal structural a state government has its own position and rights. The Modi government never respected that," TMC secretary general and minister Partha Chatterjee had said, accusing the prime minister of bypassing the state government. At least 16 people were killed in Odisha due to the Cyclone Fani, that made landfall in Puri on Friday. The extremely severe cyclonic storm, classified by meteorologists as powerful as a category 5 hurricane, unleashed heavy rains in the coastal parts of the state with winds up to 240 kmph. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that there was no much damage in West Bengal due to Cyclone Fani, which made landfall in Odisha's Puri and moved towards the state. After making landfall, the Cyclone weakened gradually on Saturday morning and was headed twards Bangladesh. "The entire administration was awake the whole night. We were very worried about the cyclone, Banerjee said. She had cancelled her election programmes and stayed put at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district to monitor the situation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Reliance Group got over Rs 1 lakh crore of contracts during the UPA rule and Congress president Rahul Gandhi's accusations on Anil Ambani are "patently untrue statements", a company spokesperson said on Sunday, rebutting Gandhi's charge that Ambani is "a dishonest businessman and crony capitalist". Reacting to Gandhi's recent media statements, the Reliance Group, issued a clarification, saying that the Congress president "has attributed no basis to these claims whatsoever, and neither has he provided any credible evidence at all to justify his derogatory and defamatory campaign". The Indian Conglomerate company said Gandhi, in a "cavalier fashion, is continuing his campaign of calumny, disinformation, distortion and malicious lies", adding that he has singled out their group chairman Anil D Ambani as allegedly a crony capitalist and dishonest businessman - all obviously patently untrue statements. "We at the Reliance Group have chosen to ignore Rahul Gandhi's comments with continuing patience and restraint. We likewise dismiss his latest remark as yet another one of his multiple untruthful utterances, in the heat and dust of his electoral campaign, for which he has recently been facing contempt proceedings in the highest court of the land, the Honourable Supreme Court," the spokesperson said. Questioning if the UPA regime was supporting an alleged "crony capitalist and dishonest businessman" between 2004 and 2014, the Reliance Group requested Gandhi to clarify why the company was awarded projects of over Rs 1 lakh crore across diverse infrastructure sectors such as power, telecom, roads, metro by the Congress-led government for 10 long years. "We would like to remind Rahul Gandhi, that it was during the 10 year Congress-led UPA regime between 2004 and 2014 that Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group was awarded projects of over Rs 1,00,000 crore across diverse key nation-building infrastructure sectors such as power, telecom, roads, metro by a government led by none other than Rahul Gandhi's own political party - the Congress," the statement read. "The Reliance Group takes this opportunity to request Rahul Gandhi to clarify whether his government, for 10 long years, was supporting an alleged crony capitalist and dishonest businessman, to use Gandhi's own words," it added. It has been a quite long time that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of corruption and wrongdoings in the Rafale fighter jet deal, which the BJP has outrightly denied. Gandhi has alleged that Modi-led BJP dispensation had conducted "parallel negotiations" and cancelled the previous deal agreed by the UPA government, and gave Ambani firm's Reliance Defence the offset Rafale contract worth Rs 30,000 crore. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The judges of the Supreme Court Justice Chandrachud and Justice Nariman have asked the in-house panel probing sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to not proceed without the presence of petitioner. Justice Chandrachud, accompanied by Justice Rohintan Nariman, met the inquiry panel comprising Justices S A Bobde, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee on Friday evening. It is believed that the two judges discussed their concerns about the ongoing probe with the panel, according to the Indian Express. Justice Chandrachud is in line to be the Chief Justice for two years, from 2022 to 2024 and Justice Nariman is at present a member of the Collegium. Earlier, the woman, who levelled the allegations, walked out of the inquiry committee, raising objections over various issues, including denial of her lawyer's presence. The woman, who issued the press statement after participating in the proceedings for three days before the three-member panel headed by Justice S A Bobde, also expressed apprehension that she was "not likely to get justice" from the panel which not only refused her request for presence of lawyer Vrinda Grover during the proceedings but also told her if she did not participate "they would proceed ex-parte". On Wednesday, CJI Ranjan Gogoi met the three-member panel, headed by Justice S A Bobde, looking into allegations of sexual harassment. "A letter of request was issued to the Chief Justice of India asking him to meet the committee and he responded to it and he met the committee on this issue," the source said. In her affidavit, the woman described two incidents of alleged harassment, days after Justice Gogoi was appointed CJI last October and her subsequent persecution. The woman alleged that she was removed from service after she rebuffed his "sexual advances". She claimed that her husband and brother-in-law, both of whom were head constables of Delhi Police, were suspended for a 2012 criminal case that had been mutually resolved. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Tokyo: A Japanese aerospace start up funded by a former internet maverick has successfully launched a small rocket into space. Interstellar Technology Inc. says the unmanned MOMO-3 rocket has exceeded 100 kilometres (60 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean. The company says it proves that a rocket using mostly commercial parts can reach the space. The rocket, about 10 meters (32 feet) long and 50 centimetres (1.5 feet) in diameter, weighs about 1 ton. The rocket is capable of putting payloads into orbit. The company, founded in 2013 by former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie, aims to develop low-cost commercial rockets to carry satellites into space. Saturdays success came after two failures in 2017 and 2018. It is Japans first privately developed rocket to reach the outer space. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Prague: Experts called on 5G providers to heed supply chain security in light of concerns about technology providers such as Chinas Huawei, recently banned by the US government. The overall risk of influence on a supplier by a third country should be taken into account, notably in relation to its model of governance, the absence of cooperation agreements on security, said a statement published by a 5G security conference in Prague. Security and risk assessments of vendors and network technologies should take into account rule of law, security environment, vendor malfeasance, and compliance with open, interoperable, secure standards and industry best practices, it added. Called the Prague Proposals, the non-binding statement also singled out the supplier countrys adherence to multilateral, international or bilateral agreements on cybersecurity, the fight against cybercrime, or data protection as a security criterion. Responding to the conclusions of the conference, Huawei said in a statement that it was committed to working with regulators, operators and industry organisations to develop effective rules which can build a stronger, more resilient and safer network. As the EU continues its deliberations, we firmly believe that any future security principles should be based on verifiable facts and technical data, Huawei said in the statement forwarded by email. The United States has banned government agencies from buying equipment from Huawei over fears Beijing could spy on communications and gain access to critical infrastructure if the firm is allowed to develop foreign 5G networks offering instantaneous mobile data transfer. Washington is adamantly opposed to Huaweis involvement because of its obligation under Chinese law to help Beijing gather intelligence or provide other security services. Europe in turn has been torn over its approach to the Chinese giantwhile countries such as Britain and Germany have accepted its part in the construction of their networks, other countries including the Czech Republic have warned against Huawei. In December, the Czech Republics National Cyber and Information Security Agency said Huaweis software and hardware posed a threat to state security. However, the EU members pro-Russian, pro-Chinese president Milos Zeman met a Huawei official in Beijing last week to express his solidarity with the telecoms giant, saying he lacked material evidence for the warning. Ciaran Martin, head of Britains National Cyber Security Centre, on Friday chaired a working group dealing with security and resilience at the Prague conference organised by the Czech government. We discussed a set of issues dealing with the problems arising from the vendors we have now rather than vendors we might like to have in the future, Martin said. There are a range of security challenges which we noted, sometimes they are issues of qualitypoor engineering, poor security practices, there are issues and security requirements arising from the need of the vendors to access the operators network. Gaza City (Palestinian Territories), May 5 (AFP) : Israel carried out waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday after Palestinian rockets hit Israeli cities, in a deadly escalation that has shown no signs of slowing and raised fears of war. Gazan authorities reported 16 Palestinians killed, including at least six militants, by Israeli strikes in the fighting that began on Saturday with massive rocket fire from the strip. Israel, however, disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant woman and a baby, blaming errant fire from Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the enclave. Three people were killed in Gaza rocket and missile strikes on southern Israel on Sunday. Two were confirmed as Israeli, the army said. The flare-up came as Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded enclave, sought further concessions from Israel under a fragile months-old ceasefire. The Palestinian dead included a commander for Hamas's armed wing who Israel said it targeted due to his role in transferring money from Iran to militant groups in the Gaza Strip. It was a rare admission of a targeted killing by Israel's army. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military "to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip." He said he had also ordered "tanks, artillery and infantry forces" to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza. Rocket fire and Israeli strikes continued into Sunday evening. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing more than 600 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli air defences intercepting more than 150. In addition to those killed and injured, the rockets repeatedly set off air raid alarms in southern Israel and sent residents running to shelters while also damaging houses. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the army. The army said its tanks and planes hit more than 250 militant targets in Gaza in response. It targeted militant sites and in some cases militants themselves as well as their homes if they were found to be storing weapons, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said. Several buildings in Gaza City were destroyed. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said its state news agency Anadolu had an office in the building, and strongly denounced the strike. Israel said another destroyed building housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices. The Gaza health ministry said the dead from the Israeli strikes included a 14-month-old baby and a pregnant woman, 37. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family clarified on Sunday that she was the aunt. Conricus said based on intelligence "we are now confident" that the deaths of the woman and baby were not due to an Israeli strike. "Their unfortunate death was not a result of (Israeli) weaponry but a Hamas rocket that was fired and exploded not where it was supposed to," he said. Islamic Jihad's armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. On Sunday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their armed wings had targeted an Israeli army vehicle with a Kornet missile. Conricus said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. Israel closed its crossings with Gaza for people and goods, as well the fishing zone off the enclave's shore, until further notice. Egyptian and UN officials held talks to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on "all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months." The United States said it fully supported Israel's "right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks." Jordan, one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, urged it to "end its aggression against the Gaza Strip and respect international humanitarian law." The escalation follows Friday clashes along the Gaza border that were the most violent in weeks. Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the frontier. Israel and Gazan militants have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and the United Nations, had led to relative calm around Israel's April 9 general election. But recent days saw a gradual uptick in violence, placing the ceasefire at risk. A Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar visited Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The truce has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza, paying salaries and financing fuel purchases to ease severe electricity shortages. Israel has several reasons to seek calm. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government and the country celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. Israel is also due to host the high-profile Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18, expected to attract thousands of spectators. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Pyongyang: North Korea on Sunday said that it had tested several long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons into the sea off its eastern coast. The strike drill was overseen by Kim Jong Un. "A number of short-range projectiles" were also fired from the Hodo peninsula into the Sea of Japan. According to a BBC report, North Korea's leader gave the order of firing to "increase the combat ability" of the country. The development is being seen as a sign of Pyongyang's growing frustration at stalled diplomatic talks with Washington meant to provide coveted sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament. South Korea's military has bolstered its surveillance in case there are additional weapons launches, and South Korean and U.S. authorities are analysing the details. If it's confirmed that the North fired banned ballistic missiles, it would be the first such launch since the North's November 2017 test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. That year saw a string of increasingly powerful weapons tests from the North and a belligerent response from President Donald Trump that had many in the region fearing war. US President Donald Trump tweeted he believed Kim would not jeopardise the path towards better relations. He added that the North Korean leader "knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen! "I believe that Kim Jong-Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea and will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump posted on social media on Saturday. The South initially reported Saturday that a single missile was fired, but later issued a statement that said "several projectiles" had been launched and that they flew up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) before splashing into the sea toward the northeast. South Korea's liberal president, Moon Jae-in, has doggedly pursued engagement with the North and is seen as a driving force behind the two summits between Trump and Kim. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha talked by phone with Pompeo about the North Korean launches, Kang's ministry said in a statement. The ministry also said that South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Lee Do-hoon, had a telephone conversation with Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea who is scheduled to travel to Seoul next week for talks. Japan's Defense Ministry said the projectiles weren't a security threat and didn't reach anywhere near the country's coast. Japan will likely avoid any harsh response as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to secure his own summit with Kim. With Agency Inputs For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: China has marked the start of Ramzan with its customary ban on civil servants, students and children in a mainly-Muslim region of Xinjiang from taking part in fasting. China's ruling Communist party is officially atheist and for years has banned government employees and minors from fasting in Xinjiang, home to the more than 10 million strong mostly Muslim Uighur minority. It has also ordered restaurants to stay open. The region sees regular clashes between Uighurs and state security forces, and Beijing has blamed deadly attacks there and elsewhere in China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region. "Food service workplaces will operate normal hours during Ramadan," said a notice posted last week on the website of the state Food and Drug Administration in Xinjiang's Jinghe county. Officials in the region's Bole county were told: "During Ramadan do not engage in fasting, vigils or other religious activities," according to a local government website report of a meeting this week. Each year, the authorities' attempt to ban fasting among Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang receives widespread criticism from rights groups. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Amidst heavy security set up, schools in Sri Lanka will re-open on Monday. It is to be noted that as many as 257 people, including foreign tourists, were killed and over 500 others sustained injuries in the April 21 serial blasts in three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. The ISIS took the responsibility for the worst attack in the history of Sri Lanka. Following the attack, the authorities closed the schools until further notice. The second term of school will commence on Monday for Grades 6 to 13 in all government schools. For Grades 1 to 5 the second term will commence on May 13, Colombo Page reported. Special circulars have been issued by the Education Ministry regarding the security of the schools, the report added. According to the Director General of the Government Information Nalaka Kaluwewa, classes of only grade VIth and above will be held. On the other hand, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam stated that a special security programme will be implemented in school premises with the commencement of the new school term. An extensive security programme has been implemented by the tri forces, police and special task force. "We have done thorough searches of all schools premises and surroundings within the Colombo city," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told reporters. Meanwhie, in a separate news briefing, Army spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said, "We are satisfied with the schools security." Parking vehicles near schools have been completely banned. Separate places have been prepared to park school vans, buses. Special search operations will also be conducted from Sunday in schools, he added Though the ISIS claimed the attacks, the Sri Lankan government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Taking a swift actions, Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said that the US still sees "a path forward" in its nuclear talks with North Korea, even after Pyongyang's latest round of test launches. "It's a serious situation for sure and we've known that the path to fully verified denuclearization would be a bumpy and long one," he said on ABC's "This Week." But, he added, "We still believe there's a path forward." North Korea's state media said that leader Kim Jong Un had overseen a rocket and tactical guided weapons test on Saturday, after the drill raised concerns Pyongyang was escalating provocations with US nuclear negotiations deadlocked. The tests have been seen as a sign of Pyongyang's frustration over the stalled talks, aimed at providing the North with desperately needed sanctions relief in exchange for its nuclear disarmament. Pompeo told "This Week" that the rockets fired Saturday were relatively short range, had crossed no international boundary, had landed in waters east of North Korea "and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan." He said US military experts were continuing to study the tests, but he was careful not to say whether it might violate agreements reached since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore in 2018. On Saturday, Trump had seemed to shrug off the importance of the tests, tweeting that Kim "knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen." The two sides have generally been at loggerheads since the collapse in February of a follow-up summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi. But Pompeo appeared on Sunday to strive for a conciliatory tone. "We still believe that there's an opportunity to get a negotiated outcome where we get fully verified denuclearization," he said. "We want to get back to the table." Pompeo played down the harsh language leveled at him recently by a North Korean foreign ministry official who said Pompeo had made "reckless" and "dangerous" remarks and that the North hoped the US side would appoint a "more careful and mature" negotiator. "The president gets to choose who his negotiators are," Pompeo said with a smile. "He is leading the effort." Kim was said to be deeply frustrated by the failure of the Hanoi summit. An ABC interviewer asked Pompeo about unconfirmed reports that four of the North's foreign ministry officials had subsequently been executed. Pompeo did not confirm the reports, saying however: "It does appear the next time we have serious negotiations my counterpart will be someone else." For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A renowned ophthalmologist was yesterday sentenced to two months in jail after being convicted of committing a medical error that caused complete loss of vision to a female patient three years ago. The man was sentenced by the Minor Criminal Court, which found him guilty of causing permanent disability to the victim and ordered him to pay BD50 to suspend the execution of the sentence. According to the statements presented by the plaintiff, the victims son, the victim was undergoing cataract surgery at the doctors center. The son said the procedure was unusually lengthy and the doctor came out of the operation room informing them that some complications occurred and the patient needs to be taken to a retinal therapy specialist in Kuwait. Court files showed that the son rushed his mum to the said doctor, as she suffered severe bleeding in the eye. In Kuwait, the victim and her son were informed that the doctor here had committed a serious medical error that completely damaged the patients retina and caused complete loss of vision in her eye. The son informed the prosecutors that his mother underwent two urgent surgeries in Kuwait that cost over BD6,100 (KWD5,000). The woman regained 20 percent of her vision after the second surgery. The son claimed that the defendant kicked him out of the center when he demanded him to compensate for the cost of the surgeries. The doctor, who was summoned after the son lodged a complaint against him, claimed during the interrogation that he had decided to perform the surgery after the same procedure was successfully done to the victims other eye, adding that he has been practicing ophthalmology in the Kingdom for around 40 years. He told the interrogators that some complications occurred during the surgery because of medical issues. The doctor also said he advised the patients relatives to take her to a specialist in Kuwait. The doctor added that he rejected the relatives demands of paying them the cost of the surgeries that were done in Kuwait. Saudi Arabias vital multi-billion- dollar relief work was highlighted at a top-level meeting of a UN aid organizations financial backers. A delegation from the Kingdom yesterday attended the regular meeting of donors supporting the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), held in Geneva. The group representing Saudi Arabia was headed by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centers (KSRelief ) assistant general supervisor for planning and development, Dr. Aqeel bin Jumban Al Ghamdi. During the meeting, chaired by the Republic of Ireland, Al Ghamdi highlighted the humanitarian support provided by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Sudan. This, he told delegates, amounted to a package of aid totaling $3 billion, including $500 million provided by the two countries as a deposit in the Central Bank of Sudan, to strengthen its financial status, reduce pressures on the Sudanese pound and achieve greater stability of the exchange rate. Traffic General Director Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulwahab Al Khalifa has urged drivers to adhere to traffic rules and regulations and avoid violations during the holy month of Ramadan, including wrong parking near mosques as well as obstructing traffic. In a statement, Shaikh Abdulrahman stressed the significance of avoiding violations such as increasing speed and jumping red lights, especially before Iftar when people break their fast. He also warned against lack of attention while driving, not keeping to the right lane and changing lanes without signaling. The use of mobile phones during driving is strictly prohibited, he added. Shaikh Abdulrahman said that the number of traffic patrols would be intensified during the holy month, mainly on major highways and intersections, near commercial avenues and shopping complexes where traffic is usually heavy. The police will also monitor traffic on King Fahad Causeway, the terrestrial link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, mainly in the evening to ensure smooth flow of vehicles and full adherence to the rules by all drivers, he added. The Ministry of Interior has been urging citizens and residents to be careful on roads and avoid violations. The General Directorate considers traffic violations as an uncivilized practice that could cause traffic accidents and jams. The High Appeals Court has revised the sentence issued against a man convicted of attacking an on-duty police officer. The defendant was present at the scene during an operation to arrest a woman accused of engaging in prostitution. He was asked to leave while engaging in a conversation with one of the alleged prostitutes, who was arrested in Juffair. He was asked to present his ID and he refused to do that before attacking the injured police officer, obstructing the task of the police officers. He also insulted him. The UAE said yesterday that fighting terrorism was the priority in Libya. Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army launched an assault on forces loyal to the government in and around the capital on April 4, triggering fighting that has killed 376 people, according to the World Health Organization. Priority in Libya is to counter extremism/terrorism and support stability in long drawn out crisis, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Twitter. Abu Dhabi agreement offered opportunity to support UN-led process. Meanwhile, extremist militias continue to control capital and derail search for political solution, Gargash said. The Abu Dhabi agreement he referred to was a renewed commitment to organising nationwide elections that Haftar and unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj made after a UN-backed meeting in the UAE capital on February 27. The UN had hoped to convene a conference in the Libyan oasis town of Ghadames last month to draw up a roadmap for the elections but was forced to cancel it in the face of the upsurge of fighting. The WHO says more than 1,800 people have been wounded in the fighting, which has turned some southern districts of the capital into war zones, while more than 40,000 civilians have fled their homes. A British-led effort to secure agreement within the UN Security Council on a demand for a ceasefire has run into the ground after the United States withheld its support in an apparent tilt towards Haftar. Major powers are deeply divided over the conflict. Haftars forces are pressing on with an offensive that saw them overrun virtually all of the oasis towns and oilfields of Libyas vast southern desert before turning their sights on government forces in Tripoli. BRIDGEPORT The vice chairman of the perpetually cash-strapped public school board is now also a lobbyist for the school choice movement. Jessica Martinez, who is also chair of the school boards finance committee, said she was hired as a paid lobbyist for 50 Can, a national organization that grew out of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, an education reform nonprofit now based in Hartford. She said she started a week ago. The job is basically lobbying for equity in education, said Martinez. Equity for all children across Connecticut. Until the states legislative session ends in June, Martinez will be speaking to lawmakers about one of 50 Cans main initiatives, My Child My Choice. My Child My Choices Connecticut chapter was started by Steve Perry, founder of Capital Preparatory Harbor School. Capital Prep is one of six state-funded charter schools in the city. Martinez is the city school boards liaison to Capital Prep. I dont see it as being a conflict of interest because my stance on the finances for children on equity for all has been the same, Martinez maintains. I havent wavered. Martinez briefly sent her son to a parochial high school this fall but he is now at the public Bassick High School. She and her son also were plaintiffs in Martinez v. Malloy, a federal lawsuit filed in 2016 that sought to allow more magnet and charter schools to open in the state. The case was dismissed but is being appealed. Martinez said the fight is not simply for charters but for equity and giving parents options. This is the same thing I've been doing for years, just now with a pay incentive and spending more time in Hartford until (the legislative) session is over, Martinez said. A key policy platform of My Choice is that school funding should follow children from one public school to another regardless of whether that school is a traditional public school, a magnet school, a private school or a public charter school. There are 3,315 students attending charter schools in the city, the lions share of them from Bridgeport. The state currently foots the $11,250 per student bill for charter schools. If the total cost was shifted to the district, the cost would set the district back than $35 million, officials calculated. Since the 2015-16 school year, the city school district has had to eliminate scores of programs and positions to live with a budget that has grown only 4.4 percent while labor, special education and health care costs have skyrocketed. As chair of the finance committee, Martinez has advocated for more funding for the school district. She was also part of the board majority that put the brakes on efforts to get the word out about the districts dire financial condition via a series of community forums. She has been to Hartford to testify before legislative committees and represented the board at City Council budget hearings. As a board member, I fight for all kids, Martinez said. When I spoke in front of Budget and Appropriations, I spoke as (a) parent and as an elected official. Martinez said equity is needed across the board. If the child is no longer in Bridgeport public schools, the money shouldnt go there, she said. It makes practical sense. Traditional public schools get funding from the state and through local property tax dollars. Charter schools are funded by the state and donations. Many rely on fundraising. Martinez said if the states baseline Education Cost Sharing formula was funded adequately, allowing money to follow the child should not pose a problem. The district this year receives $182.4 million of its $247.9 million operating budget from the state roughly 74 percent. Under the legislatures Appropriation Committee budget, Bridgeport public schools would get about $2.6 million more in ECS funding for the next fiscal year. The ECS grant is not fully funded but there is a plan to get it there by 2028. By then, all data points remaining equal, the district would get an estimated $208.5 million. For his part, Board Chairman John Weldon said he sees no problem or conflict with Martinez working for a group aligned with the charter school industry. We ran it by attorneys, Weldon said, calling it a unique circumstance. He said the boards law firm, Berchem and Moses, determined it was OK. I would not take it if I was not legally able to do so, Martinez said. At end of day, (Im) not doing anything to give Maria Pereira ammunition. Pereira, a member of the board and a staunch charter school opponent, said Martinez ought to resign. "Jessica Martinez (knows) full well the Bridgeport Public Schools is the most underfunded school District in Connecticut and is facing a financial crisis, Pereira said. Pereria said the district already loses more than $5 million annually to the six charter schools located in Bridgeport because it must foot the bill for transportation and special education. Voters in New Fairfield and Sherman overwhelmingly approved next years budgets in referendums held Saturday. New Fairfield passed its $42.9 million school budget with a vote of 883 to 468, while the $12.5 town budget passed 915 to 440, according to the towns Facebook page. The combined $55.5 million operating budget is expected to raise the tax rate by 1.05 percent. Im very happy that the budget passed, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said. Im glad that the taxpayers agreed with our priorities, agreed with our priorities of school safety, and public safety, and long-term planning and preventative maintenance. I think its going to make a big difference for the town. Meanwhile, Shermans nearly $14.6 million spending plan sailed to approval. Residents are expected to see a 2.5 percent tax rate cut with that budget. People were pretty happy about that, First Selectman Don Lowe said. The $9.38 million school budget was approved 212 to 85, while the $5.19 million town budget passed 287 to 20, Lowe said. I feel fantastic, he said. The town is in good financial shape, and its been that way through the years. A rise in the grand list, revenue from the lease from the T-Mobile tower, a decrease in debt and about $60,000 in health insurance savings helped lower the Sherman tax rate. Spending decreased by 1.14 percent. Still, more money will go toward departments, such as the Senior Center, which will receive $10,700 more than this year. This will help the continuously growing elderly population in town, Lowe said. We need to plan accordingly into the future and the budget starts the process for that, he said. In New Fairfield, lower medical insurance costs, in part, helped prevent spending from increasing further. The New Fairfield budget will pay for a school resource officer and dispatcher dedicated to school safety. These were key recommendations of a committee that examined school security, officials have said. The town will also be able to hire emergency medical technician staff to work overnight, something officials have said is critical because of a lack of volunteers to cover that shift. Another employee in the Public Works Department will also help maintain the towns infrastructure, Del Monaco said. She has said that department has been cut from 16 employees to 12 over the last 10 years. Spending will increase by 0.94 percent under the plan. We are able to propose those improved services for a very low increase, Del Monaco said. The more conservative of two Republican candidates prevailed Saturday in a primary battle to replace Corey Stewart as chair of the Board of Supervisors in Prince William County, a Washington exurb where Republicans are trying to maintain their grip amid demographic changes that favor Democrats. Supervisor Martin Nohe, R-Coles, lost to John Gray, an accountant who followed Stewart's hard-line conservative playbook, casting the election as a referendum on "criminal aliens" in the county and a "radical social agenda" in local schools. Gray received 57 percent of the canvas vote, Nohe 43 percent. Stewart, R-At Large, announced he would not seek a fourth term as board chairman after losing his race for U.S. Senate in the fall against incumbent Tim Kaine, D. Nohe had said he wanted to position Prince William to take advantage of the pending arrival of Amazon in northern Virginia by attracting more high-tech companies. (Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Nohe supported a county bond referendum to fund roads and parks that Gray opposed and that is expected to be put before voters in the fall. Gray did not respond to a call for comment. Nohe said he was proud of the positive campaign he ran. "Unfortunately, it didn't generate quite enough votes to win," he said. In the general election, Gray will face Democrat Ann Wheeler, a former energy consultant who plans to include public school funding as a campaign issue. Many Republicans have said their 6-2 majority on the county board is in jeopardy after a blue tide in 2017 - centered largely in Prince William - brought 15 new Democrats to the House of Delegates. Wheeler congratulated Gray on his victory and said she hoped he would join her for debates this summer so voters could compare the candidates. She said the GOP offers far-right ideology, while she would bring inclusivity. The legitimacy of another contest Saturday was in dispute. Hanover County Supervisor Scott Wyatt claimed victory in his primary challenge against Del. Christopher Peace, R-Hanover, for his seat representing a district northeast of Richmond. But Peace dismissed the event as a "pretend convention" and "political stunt." "My campaign will continue to engage with voters across the 97th District and earn the legitimate Republican nomination on June 1st," Peace said in a statement. Peace supporters had pushed through a legislative district committee vote to cancel plans for Saturday's convention, looking instead to hold a firehouse primary election in June, which they said would draw a larger turnout. The committee chairman, Tom Miller, overruled the decision, allowing the convention to go forward. But the state party has said Miller lacked authority to make that decision. "Today, we begin to share our message of limited government with the voters of King William, New Kent and Hanover," Wyatt said in a statement Saturday presenting himself as the party's nominee. Legislative district committee officials intend to notify state elections officials that Wyatt is the nominee, while state GOP Chairman Jack Wilson says he will not recognize the result as a valid nomination. It's not clear how the dispute will be resolved. Wyatt has assailed Peace over his vote for Medicaid expansion last year. He was among 19 Republicans to vote for the expansion, defending it as a conservative version of "Medicaid reform" because it also called for work requirements. Conservative critics say the requirements are unenforceable. The outcomes of the nomination battles will influence the GOP's direction in the fall as the party seeks to hold its slim majority in the General Assembly and fend off strong challenges from Democrats in local races. A military-chartered jet carrying 143 people landed hard, then bounced and swerved as the pilot struggled to control it amid thunder and lightning, ultimately skidding off the runway and coming to a crashing halt in a river at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. It meant chaos and terror for passengers in the Boeing 737 as the plane jolted back and forth and oxygen masks deployed, then overhead bins opened, sending contents spilling out. A charter plane carrying 143 people and traveling from Cuba to north Florida sits in a river at the end of a runway, May 4, 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Photo: AP/Gary McCullough] But authorities said all the people onboard emerged without critical injuries Friday night, lining up on the wings as they waited to be rescued. Only a 3-month-old baby was hospitalized, and that was done out of an abundance of caution, officials said. "I think it is a miracle," said Capt. Michael Connor, the base's commanding officer, hours after the plane landed. "We could be talking about a different story this evening." The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators Saturday to the crash site in the St. Johns River in north Florida, where the aircraft was still partially submerged in shallow water and its nose cone was sliced off, apparently from the impact. Two pet cats and a dog were still on the plane as well, and their status wasn't immediately clear. Rescuers looked in the cargo area after the plane ended up in the river but saw no crates and heard no animal noises. When they returned later, they didn't see any pet carriers above water, Connor said. Members of the 16-person NTSB team recovered the plane's flight data recorder Saturday. Investigators will examine the aircraft, the environment and human factors in trying to discover why the plane rolled into the river. The pavement on the runway wasn't grooved, and Landsberg said grooves can help the water flow off the pavement more quickly. He said investigators will examine what role that may have, with reported heavy rain during the landing. The flight took off Friday from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with 136 passengers and seven crew members. It was a regular charter run by Miami Air International, which has many military contracts, including weekly flights between Guantanamo Bay and the Jacksonville air station as well as Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The company didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. The aircraft had no prior history of accidents, said NTSB vice chairman Bruce Landsberg. Among those onboard was Cheryl Bormann, a defense attorney, who described the chaotic landing. Emergency crews work next to a Boeing 737 aircraft arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which slid off the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., into the St. Johns River, May 3, 2019. [Photo: U.S. Navy via AP] The plane "literally hit the ground and then it bounced. It was clear that the pilot did not have complete control of the plane because it bounced some more, it swerved and tilted left and right," she told CNN. "The pilot was trying to control it but couldn't, and then all of a sudden it smashed into something." Bormann said people weren't screaming because the flight staff worked quickly to give direction. Everyone onboard helped one another to put on their life vests and then evacuated to safety. A veteran death penalty attorney from Chicago, Bormann has been defending Walid bin Attash, who is charged with helping to train some of the 9/11 hijackers. The U.S. holds 40 men at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. It has been prosecuting some of them by military commissions, including five charged with planning and aiding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Their cases have been in the pretrial stage since May 2012 and no trial has been scheduled. Authorities say everyone onboard the flight was alive and accounted for, but nearly two dozen people sought medical attention. The passengers were a mix of military personnel and families, and a few civilians. While some were staying in the area, others planned to fly on to other parts of the country, Connor said. It wasn't immediately clear what went wrong. Boeing said in a tweet Friday night that it was investigating: "We are aware of an incident in Jacksonville, Fla., and are gathering information." Connor said he didn't know what impact the weather had on the flight. "I was at home when this happened and there were thunderstorms and lightning," he said. The plane had been expected to return to Cuba on Saturday to carry other members of the military, lawyers and others to Andrews after this week's military commission hearings of people charged with war crimes. It wasn't immediately clear how long it would take to remove the plane from the river. "We have challenges because bottom half of fuselage is covered with water," Landsberg said. Connor said the landing gear appeared to be resting on the riverbed, making it unlikely for the aircraft to float away. He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers' safety. The smell of fuel and oil was pungent as AP journalists went by boat for a closer look. The bottom of the plane was under water, making it difficult to access the cargo hold. "We're obviously very concerned about the environment and we're doing everything we can to contain it," Connor said about the fuel. "Once we were assured that personnel were safe, our next priority effort was to ... contain any type of fuel." Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle Monday The Valley Shore Toastmasters: meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Madison Senior Center (cafe), 29 Bradley Road. Email valleyshoretm@yahoo.com or visit http://valleyshore.toastmastersclubs.org. Tuesday The Milford Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681. The Rotary Club of Hamden: meets each Tuesday. For meeting time and location please visit the calendar section of their website at www.hamdenctrotary.org. The Nutmeg Chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 7 p.m. at The Willows Care and Rehab Center, 225 Amity Road, Woodbridge. Visit http://764.toastmastersclubs.org. The New Haven chapter of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America: meets at 6 p.m. at Brazis Restaurant, 201 Sargent Drive, New Haven. Dinner is $30. Call 203-234-9542. The Rotary Club of New Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm St. Call 203-624-3197. The Rotary Club of North Haven: meets at 7:15 a.m. at the Breakfast Nook, 448 Washington Ave. Visit www.nhrotary.org. Wednesday The Rotary Club of Branford: meets from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at the Parthenon Diner, 374 E. Main St., Branford. Call 203-315-2444, ext. 450. Cheshire BNI Networking Chapter: meets at 7 a.m. at Temple Beth David, 3 Main St., Cheshire. Call Bob Davidson, 203-271-7991. The Devon Rotary: meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Bridge House Restaurant, 49 Bridgeport Ave., Milford. Visit www.devonrotary.org. The Greater New Haven chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 6:30 p.m. at New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. Call 203-287-0037. The Milford Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681. The Rotary Club of Guilford: meets at 12:15 p.m. at The Maritime Grille, 2548 Boston Post Road, Guilford. Call 203-453-0774. The Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association: meets at 11 a.m. at 192 Dixwell Ave. Call 203-562-2193. The Rotary Club of Wallingford: meets at 12:10 p.m. at the Library Wine Bar and Bistro, 60 North Main Street. Call 203-235-3816. North Branford Rotary: meets at 6 p.m. at Nataz, 2025 Foxon Road. Call 203-484-7707. The Greater New Haven Breakfast Club: meets at 8 a.m. at Clarks Pizza & Restaurant, 68 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Email info@rosnerdoherty.com. The Rotary Club of West Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Apps Ristorante, 283 Captain Thomas Blvd. Thursday The Middlesex County Toastmasters: meets from 7-8:30 p.m., Wesleyan University, Exley Science Center (Woodhead Lounge), 265 Church St., Middletown, http://middlesex.toastmastersclubs.org. The Madison Rotary Club: meets at 8 a.m. at the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Road. Call Robert Anderson, 203-907-9032. The Milford Chamber of Commerces Health & Wellness Council: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the chamber, 5 Broad St. Call 203-878-0661. The Clinton Rotary Club: meets 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Country Club, Old Westbrook Road. Call Dee Tully at 860-388-7013. The East Haven Rotary Club: meets at 5:45 p.m. at Twin Pines Diner Restaurant, 34 Main St., East Haven. The Milford Rotary Club meets: from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at Gusto Restaurant, 255 Boston Post Road. Visit www.milfordrotary.org. Friday The Orange Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Racebrook Country Club, 246 Derby Ave. Call 203-799-2327. The Woodbridge Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. for a luncheon meeting at Woodbridge Social, 12 Selden St., Woodbridge. For more information, call Mary Ellen LaRocca at 203-389-3429. The Milford Chamber of Commerce Friday Morning Leads Group: meets at 11 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681. Send notices of business events to Business Datebook, New Haven Register, 100 Gando Drive, New Haven 06513 or email to business@nhregister.com, at least a week before the event. Networking at the Yacht Club MILFORD The Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours networking event from 5-7 p.m. May 8 at the Milford Yacht Cllub, 131 Trumbull Ave. Cost is $15 pre-registration, $20 member at the door and $25 for prospective members. Call 203-878-0681; email chamber@milfordct.com; or visit www.milfordct.com. Housatonic River Job Network to meet ORANGE The Housatonic River Job Network will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. May 9 at Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Road. Guest speaker will be Liz Dederer, founder and CEO of Selling With Service; topic will be 10 Pitfalls to Avoid In Your Job Search. For information, email alexy56@hotmail.com. Women Redefining Retirement to meet MILFORD Women Redefining Retirement will meet at 7 p.m. May 13 at the Golden Hill Rehabilitation Pavilion, 2028 Bridgeport Ave. Speakerwill be Shale Breite from Yale New Haven Hospital and the Brain Injury Alliance of CT, who will speak about preventing traumatic brain injury in older adults; signs and symptoms of TBI; and what to do if you suspect you or a loved one has suffered one. Collection will be of feminine products to benefit women living in local shelters. Food donations will benefit the Milford Senior Center. New members are always welcome; visit wrrofmilford@google.com. Scholarships available for musculoskeletal care-related education The Orthopaedic Specialty Group Education Foundation is offering six $2,500 scholarships to New Haven and Fairfield county residents pursuing post-secondary training (four-year or advanced degree) in a musculoskeletal care-related field, according to a release. The scholarships will be applied to tuition and educational expenses, it said. The foundation was established in 2009 to foster humanitarian outreach and education related to musculoskeletal care at home and abroad, the release said. To apply, visit www.osgpc.com and look under OSG Education Foundation for details. Submission deadline is May 17. Orange Business and Community Expo set WEST HAVEN The Orange Economic Development Corporation will hold the 17th annual Orange Business and Community Expo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 at the University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Road. The Expo is free and open to the public. All activities are free with the exception of One-on-One Speed Networking, moderated by Rob Thomas of Rob Thomas CT; cost for that event is $15 per person and includes goodie bag, refreshments and raffle entry. Exhibitor space is available at $300 for an 8-foot booth, which includes pipe and drape, covered table and two chairs. All vendors business information is listed in the event program; business marketing materials included in Event Welcome Bags; company name listed in OrangeLife Magazine; an entry into the Vendor/Sponsor appreciation raffle; and exhibitor lanyards. Booths with electricity are available for an additional $100, with limited availability. Registration for a booth is available online at OrangeEDC.com/events_activities. For businesses unable to attend the expo, company marketing materials can be included in the Event Welcome Bags for $75; ads also can be placed in the event program. For information, call the Orange Economic Development Corporation at 203-891-1045 or visit OrangeEDC.com/events_acivities. NEW HAVEN A city residents suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting Saturday night, police said. The 34-year-old New Haven man was shot in the leg and taken to Yale New Haven Hospital to be treated, according to Police Capt. Anthony Duff. The shooting happened after a dispute inside Club Vandome at 102 Hamilton St. around 7 p.m., Duff said. Witnesses gave police a description of the suspect and the vehicle that fled after the shooting. New Haven police shared the information with other departments. Shortly after, the Darien Police Department and Connecticut State Police stopped a vehicle matching the description of the one given by witnesses on Interstate 95 south, Duff said. Police continue to investigate. Witnesses are asked to call the New Haven Police Department Detective Bureau at 203-946-6304. When Detective Rachael Van Ness first joined the State Police 18 years ago, she was hard pressed to find another woman at the trainings. Shes now one of several at these events. Its exciting to watch our numbers grow, said Van Ness, who works in major crimes at Troop A in Southbury. Its a sign that more women are joining, though theyre still very much a minority within the department one of the reasons for the latest recruitment campaign that encourages women to apply to be a trooper. Its to help get them in the door, said Trooper First Class Kelly Grant. We know more are interested, but might not know how to get started. Growing force Women account for about 9.3 percent of the 920 or so sworn personnel in the department. They are spread out fairly evenly between the states 11 troops and are assigned based on where they live. That percentage was 7.9 percent five years ago and 6.9 percent 10 years ago. We are few and far between, Grant said. Its been a male dominated field for years. Trooper Mary Kate Hayes said she was one of two women when she started at Troop G in Bridgeport 18 years ago and one of four now at Troop A in Southbury. The numbers have improved, she said. Theyve increased over the past few decades. Several say this is better than about 20 years ago, but Grant said that number has fluctuated since women were first able to become troopers in 1976. She said when she joined 18 ago, there were more women than today. Grant said the state police isnt alone in this recruitment effort and other agencies around Connecticut are also trying to attract more female recruits. She said the dangers of the job, how the profession is depicted on social media, television and in film might have deterred women from applying in the past. But Trooper First Class Jessica Genest said the job is nothing like that and there are so many different avenues to pursue, including major crimes, the K-9 unit, patrol and forensics. Everyone starts as a trooper and after three years, they can start taking on different assignments. On the team Grant said when the first women joined the State Police they had to work hard to prove themselves. Todays female troopers say theyre just like their male colleagues and are widely supported within the department. Its no different than a man, said Genest who graduated from the academy in 2008 as one of seven women out of a class of about 70. I think we all have strengths. All said the academy has equipped them to handle any part of their job and everyone backs each other up. How to apply: The Connecticut State Police will be accepting applications until May 31. The application can be found at www.jobapscloud.com/CT. Candidates can only apply during the open period and the next hiring period will be in 2021. There are several rounds to the application process, starting with an online written assessment. Applicants must then pass a physical test that includes running, situps and pushups. The time limits or amounts are determined based on the person's age and gender. A polygraph test, background check and psychological test follow. Applicants might be eliminated at the different levels of the process if they don't meet that criteria. The entire process can take up to a year. Anyone interested can also visit www.beaconnecticuttrooper.com and follow the State Police's Instagram: @ctstatepolice_academy or Facebook @CTStatePoliceRecruitment for additional information about the selection process, qualifications and hiring process updates. See More Collapse I dont come to work all day and think of myself as a woman against men, Van Ness said. Were a team. She said its good to have a diverse force, especially in major crimes when theyre interacting with the public. Having both men and women in this capacity is really a blessing because someone as a victim might only respond to one gender or another, Van Ness said, adding children tend to respond better to women or a sexual assault victim might be more comfortable with a female trooper asking questions. Trooper First Class Mary Kate Hayes said shes never felt ill-equipped and has a strong support system both at Troop G in Bridgeport where she started and then with Troop A in Southbury, where she is based now. Because youre really relying on each other, and sometimes your life depends on it, it makes it a tight-knit group of people, she said. Van Ness said the department has always been supportive. She was able to switch to light duty when she became pregnant and the department was accommodating when case calls came late at night when her children were young. Van Nesss husband started at Troop A and is now an officer with the Southbury Police Department. Both came from out of state, and so would rely on neighbors and friends to help watch their children if she had to go out to an overnight call while he was working. She said it goes both ways and shes watched colleagues children or she arrives first with the understanding the other detective will get there when they can if they have a family commitment. Thats part of our community, she said. We understand schedules and we help out. A calling Theres no standard way for how the female troopers were drawn to the State Police. Some considered and held other careers before joining while others had envisioned serving with the State Police for years. All agreed that it was a calling though. This is not a 9-5 job, Van Ness said. Policing is 100 percent a calling. You have to want to do whats right. Van Ness comes from a family involved with civil service, which planted the seed early on that she wanted to give back. Her father was a firefighter and two brothers are police officers in New Jersey. She saw the recruitment flier when she graduated from Quinnipiac University and applied, knowing this was her dream job. Shes served on patrol, as a school resource officer and now as a detective in major crimes. Genest also knew she wanted to be in law enforcement for the variety in her day and not having to sit at a desk. Growing up in a house with German Shepherds also cemented her desire to be a K-9 trooper, which she did in 2014, teaming up with Asher. That was my dream position, she said, adding shes able to be on patrol and then respond for a variety of K-9 tasks, like search and rescues. I love the job. Even when she spent a short time as an art director, she couldnt shake the desire to join law enforcement and sought out the State Police. Neither Grant nor Hayes envisioned a career as a trooper. Grant originally wanted to be a nurse, but changed her mind while taking the required science courses at the University of Connecticut. She instead earned a degree in sociology, and when she couldnt find a specific career in that and wasnt interested in more schooling, she picked up several different jobs, including as a dispatcher for Naugatuck Police. Hayes had planned to go to graduate school for psychology but took the State Police test after graduating. It kind of took me by surprise that I ended up doing it, she said. She said shes enjoyed the job, but said its important to have the desire in your heart because the training can be difficult. I would encourage anyone who has a desire to pursue it and not give up, Hayes said. kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345 Entire communities are suffering trauma, individually and collectively. An epidemic of gun violence here and nationwide, racial bias and cultures of police brutality have inflicted trauma on communities of color that seem difficult to heal from, experts and community members say. Less than three weeks ago, Stephanie Washington, 22, and Paul Witherspoon III, 21, were fired upon by Hamden and Yale police. Days later, Anthony Jose Vega Cruz died at the hands of police gunfire after officers pursued him on Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield. Across the country police and other violence traumatizes people who directly experience it, who witness it and those who are close to the victims. Trauma cements when an unanticipated danger that a person cant prepare for is suddenly realized, said Steven Marans, a psychoanalyst and professor of psychiatry at the Child Study Center and Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine. Common fears loss of life or love, bodily harm, loss of control over how one thinks or acts that reside in people become real when these fears are suddenly and helplessly realized. Theres a convergence between shared human fears and a sudden unanticipated realization of them, Marans said. In a traumatic situation an assault, shooting, rape, car accident a person is experiencing a high level of sudden stress, without being able to manage it. Were left with being helpless in a situation of danger, Marans said. The extent is enough that were not able to have usual methods of fleeing or fighting. We become immobilized and our methods in our brains are severely compromised. Social justice organizer Barbara Fair said she was naturally inclined to protest the April 16 shooting of Stephanie Washington the day it happened, but when she and her daughter were in the midst of it, they found themselves reliving their own trauma. Fairs daughter was allegedly dragged out of her car by police in 2016 during a traffic stop and Fair was allegedly wrongfully arrested on the New Haven Green during a protest in 2017 in which officers grabbed her from behind and were ordered to take her to the ground. Fair said her experience was different from Washingtons in that Fair and her daughter werent shot, but we still got abused and nobody admitted they did anything wrong. When Fair thinks about how long it will be before Witherspoon and Washington heal from the trauma of that night, she reflects on how long it has been since she was arrested and she still breaks down from the pain of it after therapy. Although Fair has been a social justice activist her whole life, since her arrest she has stayed away from demonstrations until this shooting, which is when she realized she was still healing. This community has put away a lot of trauma, she said. Weve buried it so we can continue on with our lives. In the April police-involved shooting in New Haven, officers Devin Eaton and Terrence Pollock, of the Hamden and Yale police departments, respectively, fired at the car Witherspoon and Washington were in. Washington was shot, but is recovering. The incident remains under investigation by Connecticut State Police. While a store clerk who called 911 to report what he alleged appeared to be an attempted robbery involving Witherspoon, the clerk later retracted his contention that a gun was shown. No charges have been filed against Witherspoon. Translated trauma The traumatic experiences of individuals can be felt in others and extend to younger children in families who have experienced trauma directly. Physical proximity to the traumatic incident matters in how it makes an impact on a person, but it matters more if the person who was traumatized was somebody who a young person relied on, Marans said. Untreated trauma in a parent can be translated to a child through the parents messaging about the self, the world, safety and danger. When theres been a failure of recovery and people are left feeling vulnerable, it can have an impact on the way we relate to each other, Marans said. Its a common human phenomenon. The areas were most vulnerable to are the areas that reflect our earliest experiences and they can stay with us and shape the ways we act in the present. People who havent overcome their trauma are at greater risk for PTSD, depression, struggling in school, and having difficulty with relationships, and these outcomes can have a lasting impact in the shaping of kids, Marans said. If a parents thinking that danger is lurking around every corner that can be impressed upon a child, Marans said. The ripple effect of not recovering from trauma can be extensive, Marans said. When parents experiences with trauma translate to young children, inter-generational trauma manifests by the children adopting the worries or behaviors of their parents, Marans said. Historical Trauma Genocide, slavery, forced relocation and destruction of cultural practices on a large scale experienced by shared communities are all forms of historical trauma, which carries cumulative emotional and psychological wounds across generations, according to the University of Minnesota Historical trauma was first applied to Holocaust survivors but has since been recognized in numerous colonized indigenous groups throughout the world, including African Americans. The violence suffered in many black communities, the ways children are taught to behave, the mass-incarceration of black people and the unpunished or under-punished killings of African Americans are part of the effects and evolution of historical trauma, said David Canton associate professor of history and director of the Africana Studies Program at Connecticut College and a resident of Hamden. Theres so much stuff that African people have endured in this country and unless you can really resolve and heal from that, it goes in your DNA and the DNA of the next generation, Fair said. Canton said its played out when African Americans have run-ins with police or see police around and their bodies tense up just seeing the red and blue lights. You feel your body tense or heart rate going up, making sure youre going the right speed, that youre signaling, he said. You try the best you can because you know that pull over may lead to issues. I know its rooted in history in an idea that black people are fundamentally criminal. That fear for ones life then gets taught and learned and relived every generation. On the micro daily level these things are going through your head and that youll be assumed guilty, Canton said. Theres a massive amount of cynicism and skepticism. Canton said Hamden is a microcosm of these ideas and outcomes because everybody has been socialized to respond with fear at the sight of a black man, which was rooted in society after slavery and used to justify mistreatment of African Americans. He said a double standard exists when a white person commits a crime, because there the individual is blamed, but when a black person commits a crime, the entire race is indicted. Were spinning this wheel because (you) dont want to get to the heart of the issues, he said. We dont have these conversations consistently. Once people realize that we need to have these conversations things can change. Fair said communities reel with pain after shootings, such as the one Washington and Witherspoon suffered, but their pain is rarely resolved. When I talk about the trauma the community will feel, its because we constantly have to see this happening to us and 99 percent of the time the police will be exonerated, Fair said. Part of the healing starts with the person who hurt you admitting they did wrong and that almost never comes from police so the communities and victims almost never get healing. Suffering vicariously When Fair watched the video from the body camera worn by Eaton and heard the screams of the person who is presumably Washington, it triggered anxiety and anger in her because it sounded so similar to her daughter. It does something to your psyche to see this happening over and over again with the same results most of the time, Fair said. Don Sawyer, Quinnipiac Universitys associate vice president and chief diversity officer, said even if somebody hasnt experienced a traumatic situation firsthand, watching an incident, such as the shooting of Washington, on the news or social media is damaging to people. The people who werent in the car but saw the video experience trauma and this trauma is cumulative, he said. It doesnt matter if the person gets shot somewhere else, the people who identify with those victims experience it vicariously and it starts to have physical manifestations. They start to get anxiety and panic when these things havent happened to them. Sawyer said he doesnt watch graphic videos anymore for that reason. The level of the trauma that you see, it gets heightened if you identify with the victim in that video, he said. It also impacts peoples mental health and affects the way they interact with law enforcement, he said. An officer in New Haven may have done nothing to a person but because theyve had a violent encounter with police elsewhere, they are triggered, he said. By viewing violence, the images can reinforce and trigger stress as it does for Fair. Of course you absorb it, she said. Its our humanity that we feel like its happening to us. Theres lots of videos I see on Facebook and after a while you cant keep looking at this stuff happening. Marans said when he works with families in trauma intervention, identifying immediate stressors is critical for recovery. If the danger still exists then how can we ever recover? he said. If the danger continues its no wonder the emotional deregulation continues. Marans said people can, with recognition, understanding and help, recover from traumait doesnt need to be everlasting. Because weve come to talk about trauma as one thing and it lasts forever, something perpetuated inadvertently, is the idea that if one can never recover, theres a sense of hopelessness, Marans said. And if youre feeling hopeless, its hard to see that theres any light at the end of the tunnel. Marans said the most important element for trauma victims, is for people to discover ways of helping themselves so they can feel in as much control as any of us can ever feel. The article on Tweed-New Haven Airport published in the CT Mirror and New Haven Register earlier this week raises very important points regarding climate change and resiliency. The Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority shares these concerns and we have been putting time, energy and resources into this challenge. Unfortunately, the article fails to mention the economic urgency and lack of access to global markets in southern Connecticut. Over 60 percent of the air travelers from Tweeds market area use New York City-area airports. This is a remarkable missed opportunity for Connecticut and the reason we need Tweed as a southern tier complement to Bradley Airport, which is in the Hartford/Springfield market. The unnecessary travel to out-of-state airports also adds to greenhouse gas emissions. Attracting air service to multiple hub destinations could be achieved if the General Assembly eases the limitations of the current runway. Tweeds runway 2-20 currently has 5,600 feet of pavement, and there is a 1,000-foot-long runway safety area at each end of the runway. These grass safety areas provide a suitable surface that reduces the risk of damage to aircraft in the event of a deviation from the runway pavement. Tweed seeks to pave 1,000 feet of the runway safety area at the south end of the runway and 400 feet at the north end, so that planes taking off and landing will have a longer effective runway length, while further increasing the safety of operations. Paving sections of the runway safety areas and taxiway improvements would add less than 0.25 percent to the impervious surface area of the local watershed. In fact, the airport itself is just 9.3 percent of the basin; the rest of the basin is comprised of homes and businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods. Both the airport and the surrounding neighborhoods have a similar percentage of impervious area (approximately 21 percent). However, the airport sits at the low point of the surrounding neighborhood. As CIRCAs Alex Felson points out, the airport and tide gates act as a bowl to collect water that otherwise cant get out of the neighborhood due to high water in Long Island Sound. During a flood event, the ground is completely saturated, and the mix of pervious and impervious surfaces is much less important than the ability of the airport to store water in its bowl, and the capital improvement plan accounts for this very need. More generally, the East Shore needs to be better protected and made more resilient given the forecast for sea level rise and the impacts of climate change. As the article points out, the fates of Tweed and the surrounding neighborhoods in flood events are closely linked. However, retreat, as suggested in the article, is categorically not the policy position of Tweed-New Haven Airport, the City of New Haven or the State of Connecticut. Federal and state dollars for resiliency are often tied to infrastructure and economic impact; retreating from the airport potentially means retreating from funding the projects that would protect our neighborhoods from sea level rise now, in 2050, and beyond. Numerous community and economic assets along our shoreline will need to be improved and/or protected in many circumstances. In recent years, East Haven received considerable federal funding to clean up and repair the damage from Hurricane Sandy. New Haven is working on a blend of flood protection, living shoreline and drainage improvements to protect the entire East Shore. Perhaps most importantly, tate leadership recently approved a $7 million capital improvement project at Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport. As mentioned in the article, Sikorsky faces many of the same challenges along the shoreline and the state has made a clear policy decision in favor of a major infrastructure investment. Similar decisions are being made every day given the sluggish nature of the Connecticut economy and the urgency of climate change. The very point of resiliency efforts is to achieve a balance of economic and environmental best practices which will support the health, safety and welfare of the community. CIRCAs modeling tool is referenced in the article. While useful for high level planning, the model does not take into consideration an important piece of airport infrastructure that already protects the surrounding neighborhoods: the Morris Creek tide gates. These tide gates were improved as part of the Phase 1 improvements at Tweed that established the runway safety areas, together with enhancing tidal wetlands and improving drainage. Tweed manages the tide gates and takes pride in helping to reduce flooding in Morris Cove. Tweeds operations team prevents daily street level flooding from high tides. Moreover, property-damaging floods would occur much more frequently with heavier rain events if it werent for the detention basins created on airport property, as part of a federally funded airport project, which accepts runoff from nearby neighborhoods, designed to relieve historic upstream flooding. I raise these points in part because Tweed and the surrounding neighborhood can better address the adverse effects of climate change as partners. We cannot, however, be that partner until we address the economic opportunity cost and lost productivity associated with flights in and out of the New York-area airports. Matthew Hoey is interim executive director of the Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority. When we think of someone who is well-educated and has intellectual rigor, we tend think of one who can draw from a broad body of knowledge and use that knowledge creatively to challenge conventional wisdom. Well-educated people have been exposed to a wide variety of topics and viewpoints, have been encouraged to not accept everything they read or are told and likely have the self-confidence to think for themselves. In this era of education reform, the methods for educating children of color and children living in poverty purport to be rigorous but have the exact opposite effect from what is described above. For more than a decade, education policies aimed at children of color and poor children focus on narrowing their world to a fixed set of skills and controlling them so they obeyall the while claiming that this will benefit children academically. As Professor Christopher Emdin has written, when it comes to teaching some children (t)here is a false attachment between being complicit and docile to being academically rigorous. This attitude toward our children of color and poor children is seen from the youngest grades. A study from the University of Virginia titled Is Kindergarten the New First Grade? found that, responding to mandates that children read and do math in kindergarten, a goal that many experts believe is developmentally inappropriate, schools drastically cut other subjects to emphasize direct instruction in reading and math, particularly schools serving children who live in poverty and schools serving mostly non-White children. Moreover, in these schools, teachers demanded more academically, likely inappropriately, than teachers in school serving affluent, White children. Children of color and poor children had less time to play and less exposure to the world around them- experiences that are proven to help them develop into independent thinkers. Many education reformers swear by no-excuses charter schools for other peoples children, that is. These schools sweat the small stuff punishing students for such minor infractions as failing to track a teachers eyes, talking in the hallway or staring into space. Research from Professor Joanne Golann and others have found no evidence that this draconian control of students leads to better academic outcomes. Worse yet, is also undermines self-control, self-esteem and other non-academic attributes that help lead to successful independence in adulthood. New national and Connecticut-based reports highlight another way students of color are controlled rather than supported in schools. A recent ACLU report found that nationally, increased police presence in school is associated with a higher number of low-level incidents reported, a more punitive culture, but no increased safety. The ACLU report found that African-American students, Latinx students and students with disabilities in Connecticut are at a significantly higher risk for school arrests and referral to law enforcement than their white non-disabled peers. The report also found that 60 percent of Connecticut students, more than 316,000, are in schools with ratios of students to counselors that are higher than recommended, more than 30,000 students are in schools with police but no counselors, and more than 80,000 students have police but no psychologist, nurse, social worker and/or counselor. Connecticut Voices for Children recently issued a report on student resource officers, SROs, in Connecticut schools. That report found that, when controlling for other variables that impact school discipline, Latinx students were six times as likely to be arrested or referred to law enforcement in a school with SROs. The report also found that the schools with SROs had more incidents of school policy violations and fights reported. However, the presence of SROs had little to no impact on drug/alcohol, weapons or other violent incidents. In a recent report, Connecticuts State Department of Education acknowledged that Connecticut also has large racial disparities in suspensions. While one out of every 25 White students received at least one suspension, one out of every seven African-American students and one out of every 10 Latinx students experienced the same sanction. Connecticut students of color are also at risk of more severe punishments than White students. Research has shown that exclusionary discipline and arrest have serious negative consequences on a students academic and life outcomes. Children need not be controlled to develop into responsible citizens. The methods used to control children thwart the development of the very attributes a quality education should instill. Child development experts know this, as well as most teachers. It is time for policy makers to question why then, when it comes to children of color, they impose policies that do more harm than good. Wendy Lecker is a columnist for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group and is senior attorney at the Education Law Center. Rowan College at Gloucester County faculty and staff will welcome high school students, along with their family and friends, to its annual High School Collegiate Scholars ceremony 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, on the Deptford campus. The ceremony will acknowledge 442 scholars from 23 high schools in seven counties who were students at RCGC while concurrently enrolled in high school. Special recognition will be given to 26 students who will be walking in two graduation ceremonies this semester -- once for their high school diploma and again for their RCGC associate degree. To be named a RCGC high school collegiate scholar, students are required to be enrolled at RCGC while in high school, earn 12 or more credits and maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher. This years guest speaker will be Anastasios Tasos Kalfas, RCGC class of 2017, who will graduate in May with a bachelor of arts in political science from George Washington University in Washington, DC. While attending Kingsway Regional High School, Kalfas participated in a variety of dual enrollment programs, such as dual credit, advanced placement and the High School Option Program, to accelerate his ability to earn college credit. In 2017, he graduated from RCGC with an AA degree in arts and science weeks before graduating from Kingsway Regional. The ceremony will take place in RCGCs Physical Education Center on the campus off Tanyard Road. For more information, call 856-464-6295. Anyone who grew up in northern New Jersey will remember the TV commercials fronted by Mario Mr. Italy Perillo from Perillo Tours. Perillo often wore a cream-colored suit as he stood in front of lush scenes of Italy, enticing viewers to take advantage of one of his package deals airfare included! to get away from the drudgery of their daily lives. Perillo Tours, based in Woodcliff Lake, sent generations of New Jerseyans and New Yorkers off on timeless, romantic, exhilarating" journeys from the Alps to Sicily. (Perillo died in 2003 and his son, Steve Perillo, now presides over the company and the commercials.) Adam Sandlers first hosting gig on Saturday Night Live this weekend (yes, first!) brought many winning sketches and songs. One of the bits starring the former SNL cast member, who piloted a successful movie career after he was fired from the show in 1995, was a clear sendup of Perillos commercials, only with a more realistic bent. In the sketch, called Romano Tours, Sandler, 52, tries to sell his trips to Italy while offering a sobering caveat: If youre sad now, you might still feel sad there. OK? Ya understand, that makes sense?" For two generations, my family has provided high-quality tours of Italy to people from all over the world, but mostly Long Island and Jersey," says Sandlers Joe Romano. But due to some not-so-favorable customer reviews, he cautions customers against expecting too much. For example, Romano Tours can bring them to the Italian Riviera, he says, but cannot make them feel comfortable in a bathing suit. Remember, youre still going to be you on vacation, Romano says. Theres a lot a vacation could do: help you unwind, see some different-looking squirrels," he says. But it cannot fix deeper issues, like how you behave in group settings or your general baseline mood. Thats a job for incremental lifestyle changes sustained over time. 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. The upcoming Mindy Kaling movie Late Night brought the audience at the Wellmont Theater to its feet Saturday at the 2019 Montclair Film Festival, where Kaling spent several hours with one of the genres maestros Stephen Colbert. Late Night," starring Kaling and Emma Thompson, is the centerpiece film of the festival, which runs through May 12. The film, directed by Nisha Ganatra, will open wide on June 7. The movie debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was picked up by Amazon Studios for a record $13 million. Gov. Phil Murphy who boasted of the states restoration of film tax credits was on hand to introduce Montclairs own Colbert as he sat down with Kaling for a post-screening Q&A, which followed an earlier in conversation event with the films star. For several years, the host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been a key part of the festival, which started in 2012. Colberts wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, is the president of the festivals board of trustees. In Late Night, Kaling, 39, plays Molly Patel, a new writer for Tonight, a late night show fronted by veteran host Katherine Newbury, played by Emma Thompson. Faced with the prospect of being kicked off her own show, Newbury needs to liven up her stale routine. Specifically, she needs a woman to join her all-male writers room as Kaling puts it, shes shamed into making a diversity hire and brings on Patel, a comedy fan who works in a chemical plant. She helps transform the show, along with Newburys approach to her public self. Kaling at the Wellmont Theater with Colbert. Research for "Late Night" involved visits to the set of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."Lars Niki | Getty Images Late Night" is the first feature film Kaling has written and produced. She said she wanted to set the story in the realm of late night TV because shes obsessed" with it and wanted to explore the fast-paced, often cutthroat New York scene. I was really nervous to talk about it with you, Kaling told Colbert, mainly because he could tell her whether or not the film was a realistic portrayal of what transpires on such a show and in its writers room. There are things that are missing from it that are part of the process, said Colbert, 54, but the rest rang true. Long bouts of lethargy punctuated by panic, he said. Id love to get together and watch it with me and Jimmy and Jimmy and Conan, the late night host told Kaling, who nearly crawled under seat at the thought. Colbert noted that the font for Newburys show in the movie is identical to the one used for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also pointed out that in the film, one writer for Newburys show (who gets fired in the beginning of the movie) is named Gabe Eichler. Colbert, meanwhile, has writers named Gabe Gronli and Glenn Eichler (another Montclair resident). Pure coincidence, Kaling said. Of course, the other similarities are hardly coincidental. Kalings film consulted Colberts show and writers in the process of researching writers rooms and the late night talk show environment. Yours is my favorite show to watch, she told him. Were done! he said, getting out of his seat. I dont think you necessarily identify as an activist, but you are unafraid, Kaling told Colbert, expounding upon her admiration of his show and its approach to politics during the Trump administration. The Emmy-nominated Kaling, who formerly starred in The Mindy Project" on Fox and Hulu, became a household name playing Kelly Kapoor in The Office," which ran from 2005 to 2013 on NBC. She said that after interning at "Late Night with Conan OBrien when she was a student at Dartmouth College, she was hired as a writer on The Office as part of an NBC diversity initiative. I was so embarrassed of that for years, she told Colbert. The only reason I was there was because it was free for the show because they didnt have a budget. In writing the screenplay for Late Night," Kaling wanted to show what it can be like for a writer in that position. Approx 1 month & 7 days until @latenightmovie hits theaters. But whos counting? June 7th! #LateNightMovie pic.twitter.com/32bFWsTFwH Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) May 1, 2019 Kaling ensures her own staff is diverse by hiring women of color to be her assistants and promoting them to be writers. She said women staffed more than 50 percent of the production for Late Night." Why write a woman as the 30-year host of a talk show when the late night landscape has been notoriously male-dominated? I did it because I wanted to see it," Kaling told Colbert, later calling the concept science fiction. She said Thompson, 60, is her favorite living performer, one who did not require rehearsals for the film. Members of the audience gasped when Kaling revealed that Late Night was shot in just 25 days. Other Kaling projects on the way include a Hulu series thats an adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral," due out in July, and a coming-of-age comedy series for Netflix about a first-generation Indian American teen. Shes also writing a film comedy for Universal set in the United States and India in which she and Priyanka Chopra will star as as cousins who are very different, she told Colbert. Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor on "The Office" in 2008.Mitchell Haaseth | NBC Here are some more highlights from Kalings appearance: Kaling said her defining, or breakthrough career moment was when she made it on The Late Show with David Letterman" for the first time in 2008. Hes very intimidating and really represents something if youre a comedy writer, she said. Kaling ended up appearing on the show five times. Each time, I really wanted to score, she said. No better feeling than making him laugh, Colbert replied. Kaling: No better feeling." Kaling was already a writer on The Office when she got the chance to try out for Saturday Night Live. It had been her childhood dream to become a series regular. Steve Carell, her co-star on The Office, was convinced she would get a spot on the show. I did some stand-up and I did my impression of Ben Affleck, she said. Kaling was devastated when she was not cast as a performer, but Lorne Michaels thought she was funny and did want to hire her as a writer (which could have served as an avenue to becoming a member of the cast). Her boss, Greg Daniels, co-creator of The Office, told her the other writing job was not good enough to let her out of her contract on the show. beware: spoilers ) one of her favorite shows to watch now, Kaling appreciated When it comes to Game of Thrones ," () one of her favorite shows to watch now, Kaling appreciated Arya s stealth dagger drop that slayed the Night King in the Battle of Winterfell, but didnt understand why the dragons didnt fly out and try to do some damage." Colbert dubbed the dark nighttime episode (that many have complained about, if only for the lighting, or lack thereof) as redacted. Kaling was asked whether she identified with any part of her Office character, Kelly Kapoor. I hope not too much, she said, describing Kapoor as kind of like a sociopath." 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. NORTH BERGEN A man was shot dead, while three others were injured after a shooting early this morning, authorities said. The Hudson County Prosecutors Office Homicide Unit confirmed in a tweet Sunday morning that an adult man was shot dead, while two other men and a woman were injured. The extent of their injuries, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting, are unclear at this time. The shooting, which remains under investigation, occurred at 2033 46th St. on the west side of the town off of Tonnelle Avenue. It is unclear is any arrests have been made. Bullet holes could be seen through the front window of the house, and at least one of the victims was shot inside, according to law enforcement sources. Neighbors say they were awakened by the gunshots. "My wife heard it first around 3:30 in the morning, and when she called me I woke up and I heard three or four shots and heard someone making noise," said Luis Soliz, who lives across the street from the house. "After that, there was a lot of noise" from police cars and sirens. One neighbor, who declined to be named, said she would say hello to the woman who was shot in the mornings before work. "She was a nice lady. I'd see her go to work and I'd say 'Hi, have a nice day,'" she said. "But I didn't know her on a personal basis." The woman said she's lived in the area for more than 50 years and says it's generally a safe area. "But it's changing. It's not what it used to be," she said. North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco in a statement called the shooting a "a shocking and very disturbing incident that is in no way reflective of our North Bergen community, which is among the safest in the country according to independent studies." But as long as guns are so easily available, senseless acts of violence like this will unfortunately continue to occur, he added. Our hearts go out to the victims and we are confident that the North Bergen Police Department and the Hudson County Prosecutors Office will quickly bring all those responsible to justice." Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cwmcdonald_. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. Preschool in Braddock Park a costly mistake Why is Nick Sacco excited to have a huge polluting power plant built in North Bergen? He doesnt want people to know that he needs many millions of dollars to pay for an expensive blunder he made in 2001, when he illegally moved the North Bergen preschool into Hudson Countys Braddock Park. NJ DEP Green Acres has penalized North Bergen for this blunder, requiring the township to buy 3+ acres of land and to convert it to new park land. This alone will cost millions, between land acquisition, conversion and maintenance costs. Green Acres told North Bergen the preschool must be moved out of Braddock Park by 08-31-2021, another big expense. This required move is what triggered North Bergens $60+ million acquisition of the Old Hi-Tech HS, and the realignment of the entire school system. This plan has North Bergen taxpayers on the hook to pay off $34 million of the bond. https://www.nj.com/hudson/2018/12/north-bergen-voters-say-yes-to-60-million-bond-for-schools-realignment-plan.html Taxpayers must also pay to move the preschool out of Braddock Park and to restore the park to its pre-preschool condition. The power plant idea is Nick Saccos current blunder. The power plant will endanger the health of people and animals, cause destruction to the environment and ecosystem, adversely affect the climate and lower home values. The power plant will pay a meager $5 million/year in PILOT payments to the township and will contribute nothing to the North Bergen school system. Nick Sacco has said the Township will transfer some of the townships revenue to the BOE, but where is the legal agreement stating this and how much? Citizens of North Bergen, Hudson County and the State should not tolerate further blunders by North Bergen officials who for years have deceived the public and endangered our health and well-being. Tell Governor Murphy to say no to the North Bergen power plant: constituent.relations@nj.gov 877-814-5667 More info is available at http://nomeadowlandspowerplant.com/ Robert Walden, North Bergen No short-term rentals should be allowed The Fulop administration and council short-term rentals should never have been allowed. Our city is not a resort and we have hotels, motels and rooming houses for short-term guests. Long term residents are being pushed out by those short-term rentals due to the sky-rocketing rents. Rent control and low cost housing is being affected due to the greed of landlords who are on this bandwagon of short-term rentals who dont give a hoot about destroying long-term homeowners, ' A ban is an undebatable must. Vicky Dee, Jersey City Submit letters to the editor and guest columns art jjletters@jjournal.com JERSEY CITY The sounds of panting, sneakers pounding the pavement and cheered echoed throughout the Downtown neighborhood. More than 5,500 runners competed in New York Road Runners inaugural Newport Fiesta 5K on Saturday. Daniel Winn, of Brooklyn, won the inaugural race with a time of 14:28, while Gadise Fita Megersa, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was the first woman finisher at 17:03. Matthew Slocum, of Montclair, who placed 11th, was the top New Jersey finisher and Bryan Kamau, 23, of Hoboken, was first among Hudson County runners. He finished 21st overall. Carly Graham, 28, also of Hoboken, was the first New Jersey woman to cross the finish line. She finished fifth among women and 42nd overall. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop finished 430th, an impressive feat considering there were 5,581 competitors. His time was 21:14. The event included a Rising New York Road Runners youth races prior to the main event, with more than 1,000 kids participating. At 5 p.m., once the green light was given, runners lined up on Park Lane South near Newport Green and raced along Washington Boulevard, Montgomery Street, Greene Street and back around. The field, which included runners from across the globe, was greeted by spectators on almost every corner of the route. Hundreds lined the sidewalks and shouted encouragement. COMPLETE RACE RESULTS Lets go! Yeah! shouted a man who was walking past City Hall. I cant do this, so, yeah! Elizabeth Cain, owner of Hazel Baby & Kids, was with her son and husband cheering on the runners. The Jersey City resident said shes never participated, but she thinks it great that so many people came out for it. Further down the route, thousands of runners monitored their watches as music blasting from speakers continued to propel them toward the finish line. Were killing it! said one runner to her friend. Yeah, go! a woman shouted to her on the sidewalk. Kristen Giron, a race volunteer who was stationed at Greene Street, applauded the runners for their determination and high spirits. She said, as a runner herself, she finds them as some of the nicest and most inspirational people. Its just the feeling of reaching a new goal, Giron said. Toward the finish line back at Park Lane South, there was nothing but smiles and sighs of relief. Runners were able to enjoy snacks, water and an after-party at Newport Green. We had a lot of people from Jersey City ... really great community here, said New York Road Runners President and CEO Michael Capiraso. (The energy) was really high and really strong. NY Road Runners will bring the Fiesta 5K back next year, officials said, but until then they will be hosting free open runs at Lincoln Park every Sunday. WEST NEW YORK A man playing music and passing out campaign literature for Mayor Felix Roque was arrested on Saturday after police said they received a noise complaint from a nearby resident. In a video posted to Roques Facebook page, the man, Dante Joa, is seen talking to three police officers on Bergenline Avenue outside of his storefront. Police Director Robert Antolos said the officers were responding to a complaint about his music. "The owner was asked politely to lower the music a few times and he refused. They informed him he was going to be issued a violation and asked for identification which he refused to provide," Antolos said. Officers then "deemed him uncooperative" and attempted to place him under arrest, Antolos said. He resisted but was eventually handcuffed. Joa was later found to have a warrant out for his arrest for an outstanding traffic violation, Antolos said. He was charged with resisting arrest, along with obstruction with the administration of law. "I have forwarded this incident to internal affairs for review," Antolos said. "I support all our police officers and the difficult job they perform on a daily basis." With an election next week, the incident was immediately taken and used as political ammunition. Roque in a press release condemned the arrest and said it was done at the direction of Commissioner (Gabriel) Rodriguez, who is in charge of the police department, and claimed the police were sent there because Joa was a supporter of the mayor. Rodriguez is the head of public safety. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the video, Roque said at a press conference held Sunday afternoon. Im seeing a systematic oppression of liberties here in West New York; intimidation is daily now against our campaign workers. Rodriguez, in response, said that this is "clearly another desperate attempt for relevancy and headlines for his political campaign." "What we have is a situation that needs to be reviewed and investigated. It is premature to condemn the store owner or the police for anything until a thorough investigation is completed," he said. (Roque) should be embarrassed for trying to use this incident to promote his campaign and personal agenda which in essence puts the reputation of the store owner and police officers at risk he added. Saturday's incident is the latest in a political firestorm in the town of 54,000. Roque, who is running for a third term, is facing a challenge from the New Beginnings West New York slate, with incumbent Commissioners Cosmo Cirillo and Margarita Guzman and newcomers Victor M. Barrera and Yoleisy Yanez. Rodriguez is heading the team. Both camps have hurled explosive allegations at each other: Rodriguez in February claimed Roque was politicizing the murder of a 19-year-old; Roque later claimed that the towns Board of Education was strong arming district employees into campaigning for his opposition. And both camps have now likened the political climate to that of communist Cuba under Fidel Castros regime. In April, Rodriguez held a press conference with a group of former political prisoners of communist Cuba to "speak out against Mayor Roque's illegal political retaliation and dictatorial conduct." Today, Roque said the arrest "brings me back memories of being in Cuba." I remember the oppression under the Castro regime, where they used to stop you, search you, beat you and arrest you and then you were found dead, he said. This is not acceptable, Roque said of the arrest. I have the utmost respect for the West New York police department; I dont blame (the police officers), I blame the leadership. The election is on May 14. Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cwmcdonald_. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. With tranquil Deal Lake spreading out along its southern and western edges and the Atlantic Ocean stretching infinitely to the east, the Village of Loch Arbour is bounded by water on three sides, while blending seamlessly with Allenhurst to the north, a similar community of handsome homes and tree-lined streets running right down to the beach. But in spite of the villages natural and man-made beauty, its lack of surf shops, trendy restaurants or new construction mean Loch Arbour has remained a sea of tranquility on the Jersey Shore, largely undiscovered by anyone other than Asbury Park tourists hunting for a parking spot or home buyers in search of a summer place. Deal Lake near Monmouth County's northern shore, separates the Village of Loch Arbour, at left, from the City of Asbury Park.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Its a very, very nice place to live, said Barbara Gassaro, who moved to Loch Arbour 21 years ago and has remained there with her husband, Joseph, since their retirement. I like all my neighbors, added Gassaro, who paused to talk on a recent sunny morning while outside her beachfront house on Ocean Place. I cant think of anybody I dont like. There wouldnt be many to remember. With fewer than 200 residents on one tenth of a square mile of dry land, Loch Arbor is one of New Jerseys smallest municipalities, ranked fifth-lowest in population and third-smallest in area. And the village is only getting smaller, at least in terms of its year-round residents, according to Census figures. The 1990 Census put the villages population at 380, a number that fell to 280 in 2000, then 194 in 2010. It was an estimated 183 in 2016, or 48% of its 1990 level. Longtime Loch Arbour resident Barbara Gassaro said she never met a neighbor she didn't like.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com The reason for the decline, according to village officials, residents, realtors and others, is that Loch Arbour homeowners are increasingly out-of-towners who over the past three decades have bought houses for seasonal use but retained their primary addresses elsewhere. Theyre just summer residents, said Loch Arbour Village Clerk Marilyn Simons. Their permanent residence is Brooklyn, or New York, I should say." Twenty percent of the nearly 150 properties in Loch Arbour are now owned by residents with a Manhattan or Brooklyn mailing address, according to property records. Its a trend that extends beyond Loch Arbour, said George Coffenberg, the broker/owner of Preferred Properties, a real estate agency in Allenhurst. Its true of several of the towns here: Loch Arbour, Allenhurst and Deal, Coffenberg said. Although some may be purchasing their home as a primary residence, the majority are coming from New York and thats their primary residence. In fact, the decline in the year-round population of Deal and Allenhurst has been just as dramatic as Loch Arbors, according to Census figures. In 1970, Deal had 2,401 residents, compared to an estimated 733 in 2016, a decline of 69.5%. Allenhursts population fell by 52%, from 1,012 to 487, over the same period. Realtors and others say many of Loch Arbours summer residents are members of Brooklyns Sephardic Jewish community, or Sephardim, Jews from the Iberian Peninsula who migrated centuries ago to the Middle East, mainly Syria, before coming to the United States. Loch Arbours Sephardim have been drawn to the town, thanks to the long-established Syrian-American community in nearby Deal. Its a Sephardic community, Coffenberg said. Rabbi Edmond Nahum of the Synagogue of Deal, said the influx of Sephardic Jews along Monmouths northern shore is similar to the growth of any ethnic or religious group in an area where friends or family have settled before them. The community is growing, acknowledged Nahum, who has been the Deal synagogues rabbi for 10 years and a resident of the borough since 1980. It could be any community. Regardless of who the areas newer property owners may be, the fact that they spend only the warmer months in town has had an impact on life in Loch Arbour, which includes a dwindling school population and a resulting decline in property taxes and, for some, perhaps, lonelier streets. Before, it was all local people who were here year-round, said Grateful Deli owner Mary Kessler, a 60-year-old Dead Head whose Main Street sandwich shop features psychedelic signage and early photos of the worlds greatest jam band. Now, you come down here in the middle of January, a lot of houses are empty. The Grateful Deli on Main Street in Loch Arbour is one of the few businesses in the village.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com Realtors say the year-round residents selling their homes include retirees moving to states with lower taxes or higher temperatures, empty-nesters and people seizing on the areas rapid rise in home prices. According to records with the state Treasury department, the average sale price of a home in Loch Arbour soared to just under $1 million in 2016 from about $260,000 in 1999, a period marked by virtually no new home construction in the built-out village. Its a sellers market. But if youre one of the people who didnt sell it can be lonely, said local realtor Tim Siciliano, who owns the Gavin Agency in Loch Arbor. Youve got nobody to look out for you. The drop in Loch Arbours population by no means reflects a decline in its residents financial situation. The villages estimated median household income in 2016 was $114,983, compared to $68,542 in 2000. Siciliano grew up in Ocean Township in the 1960s and 70s, when it was still mainly a year-round community, and he had classmates from Loch Arbour, which was still sending its children to Ocean schools at the time. So I recall all of those homes being filled with kids, said Siciliano. One of Loch Arbours distinctions is as New Jerseys newest municipality, having seceded from Ocean Township in 1957 through a referendum led by opponents of a proposed development that would have increased the population, density and character of the seaside suburban neighborhood. Simons, the village clerk, is Loch Arbours one and only full-time public employee, who works with a part-time tax collector, accountant, chief financial officer and attorney, to keep Loch Arbour running. The village also employs 22 seasonal workers during the summer months as lifeguards, beach badge checkers and others. Shared service agreements with surrounding municipalities keep the garbage collected, the potholes filled, and the fires fought. The Deal Police Department patrols village streets. Loch Arbour is bordered by Allenhurst to the north, Interlaken to the west and Asbury Park to the south, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east.Google Periodic proposals to merge with neighboring Interlaken or Allenhurst, both of them also small communities, or even to reunite with Ocean have been abandoned or rejected at the polls. The village holds non-partisan May elections every four years for all three seats on the board of commissioners. Mayor Paul Fernicola, a lawyer in Red Bank, led passage of a referendum in 2017 that severed the villages outdated and costly relationship with the Ocean Township School District. More than one local could quote the jaw-dropping per-pupil spending figure of $143,000 Loch Arbour taxpayers had spent to send their students to Ocean schools the year before the referendum was passed, a figure based on the villages $2 million school levy divided by the 14 students at the time. Now, the village pays straight tuition of $16,285 per student, plus the additional cost of vocational or special education, transportation, and other services, to send students to the Shore Regional High School District in West Long Branch or to the K-8 West Long Branch School District. Gassaro credited the mayor for getting the village out of the relationship and cutting taxes in the process. We used to joke, we might as well just send them straight to Harvard, Gassaro said. Its nuts. I was paying almost $40,000 a year in property taxes. Now its almost half that. Kind of like the population. In the winter, its very quiet in Loch Arbor, said one longtime village resident, Caroline Glynn, who on the other hand said summers were more crowded than ever. Buena Vista Court, a dozen cottages clustered around an oval walking path, remains occupied mostly by year-round residents.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com The Glynn Family is one of Loch Arbours oldest, having occupied the same house on Buena Vista Court since 1925. Caroline and her husband, William Glynn, continue to live there after having raised their three children in the house. It really instills a strong sense of community, and neighborhood, said Caroline Glynn, who grew up in Ocean Township. Its been a wonderful place to raise a family. William Glynn, who grew up in the Buena Vista house, is a landscaper who sculpted one of Loch Arbours most whimsical works of public art: a wave-shaped hedge in a front yard on Euclid Avenue, about a block from Buena Vista. Thats my work, Glynn said from his truck to a passerby taking a picture of the nautical shrubbery. These wave-shaped hedges on Euclid Avenue in Loch Arbour were designed and cut by local landscaper William Glynn, who lives a block away on Buena Vista Court.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com Glynns wife said their dozen neighbors on Buena Vista are nearly all still year-round residents, so in the Court, things havent changed." And like other year-rounders, she said the couple go out of their way to support local businesses in the off-season, whether stopping into the deli or having regular dinners next door at McGillicuttys Lakeside Taphouse. But with fewer residents in town most of the year, there is simply less life in Loch Arbour overall. For example, when my kids were little wed go trick-or-treating, and it was an event, Glynn said. Now, youre lucky to find anybody at home. This article is part of Unknown New Jersey, an ongoing series that highlights interesting and little-known stories about our past, present, and future -- all the unusual things that make our great state what is it. Got a story to pitch? Email it to local@njadvancemedia.com. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Daniel Pope didnt know much about Morris Habitat for Humanity, an organization that has families pitch in to build their own homes. In his mind, it came across as a hand-out, a program for the needy. The 35-year-old Marine veteran soon learned, however, that volunteering 400 hours to build a home for his family was not charity. Pope, who is married with three kids under age 3, had a hammer in his hand last Thursday. He was nailing together wall panels for the three-bedroom condo that he and his wife, Nicole, can afford with a mortgage through Habitats housing program. I didnt realize it was a partnership," said Pope, a Bloomfield native whose ground unit was the first to enter Iraq during the war in 2003. Having a hand in where your kids are going to live and grow up is awesome." Partners are needed, especially when it comes to finding affordable housing for families. Pope had lots of support Thursday from the Morris Habitats Hammers for Heroes fundraiser. Daniel Pope and his wife, Nicole Pope and their three daughters - Sara, 9 months; Emma 1, and Mia, 2. The family is at Morris Habitat Humanity event in which they worked with volunteers to build their three bedroom condo. (Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media)(Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media) Volunteers joined Pope and his wife at Beyer Ford car dealership in Morristown to build walls for the home while the housing organization sought to bring in $30,000 toward its construction in Succasunna, a section of Roxbury Township. Land for the home, which is part of a 12-unit development, has been donated by Roxbury Township as part of its affordable housing obligations. Councilwoman Jaki Albrecht said Pope served his country and now, were helping to keep him in a home of his very own. Its tough out here to achieve the American dream. The numbers dont lie. Blair Shleicher Bravo, chief executive of Morris Habitat, said the United Way of Northern Jersey did a study that found 30 percent of families in Morris County are struggling to get by. Thats about 54,000 families, but the stats dont really tell the whole truth," Bravo pointed out. She said we cant forget college graduates living at home with parents or people couch surfacing and countless others working three jobs to pay $1,500 in rent for a one-bedroom apartment. I dont think there is any place in the United States that someone making a low wage can afford," Bravo said. Its a national housing crisis." The Pope family knows the housing crunch well. They were paying $1,600 for a one-bedroom in Flanders. Then, they found a house in Hopatcong but it was only for a year. After renovations, taxes soared when the home was reassessed. They had to give it up. Volunteers with Morris Habitat for Humanity work on the walls for a three bedroom condo for a former Marine and his family. (Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media ). (Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media ) Pope, who joined the Marines at 17 with a parental waiver, was prepared for combat. But struggling to make ends meet has been difficult after leaving the military in 2005. He had several jobs. None werent cutting it. The last gig as a commercial office repairman - laid him off last summer after five years. The couple lives with his parents in Sparta, their third place in three years. Weve moved around quite a lot since we got married, so Im happy to finally get a house so we can grow up in," his wife said. Its still not easy, though. Both are working, but only Pope is full-time. Daycare costs are a monster and it would eat up their checks if both had full-time positions. For one child, its $1,500 a month. Paying for three kids ages 2, 1, and 9 months doesnt make sense to them. Nicole takes care of the kids during the day, while Pope is in an apprenticeship program to be a brick mason. Hes home by 4 p.m., so his wife can go to work part-time as a therapist for children with autism. When she returns, they put the kids to bed and take college courses on line. Hes studying for a bachelors degree in software development; shes working on masters degree as a therapist for applied behavior analysis. They see some daylight ahead from the days when job interviews were not always pleasant for Pope. Prospective employers shied away from him, thinking combat would affect his ability to work. Half the time, he wouldnt even tell companies that he was a veteran. Hes handling his business, raising his family and coping with days that trigger a memory from Iraq. He doesnt prefer crowds, but deals with them. Hes human. The civilian casualties stay with him, too. The pregnant mother, a father, a five-year-old kid. Thats the stuff that never goes away," he said. Moving into a new home is a settling thought. Pope has been to the site a few times already. Standing there in the open field, he keeps an even keel, looking at the foundation. Its the footprint for a better life. He sees it coming together. He could be in his living room sometime next year, but doesnt get overly excited. Hell believe it when the keys are in his hands. Mia Pope, 2, hammers a nail with Donna Ricca, a volunteer with Morris Habitat for Humanity. Mia's family is working with the housing organization to build their home.. (Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media)Barry Carter NJ Advance Media Read More Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@BarryCarterSL. 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. What do you do if youve been arrested once, fired twice from teaching positions, caught with pornography on your school computer and had your troubled past exposed in a major news investigation? For Shawn Cier, the answer was easy: Apply and get hired for yet another teaching job. The disgraced art teacher whose story in part compelled a new state law mandating tougher background checks for school workers again found work this school year in another New Jersey town, an NJ Advance Media investigation found. Cier was terminated from a Newark charter school after a 2017 NJ Advance Media report revealed how he and other teachers accused of sexual misconduct easily got new jobs. He had previously left three other teaching jobs under a cloud of controversy involving allegations of late-night texting with a student, showing students pornography and making sexually suggestive comments. But the new law seemed to do little to impede Cier from continuing to work as a teacher. In October 2018, he resurfaced as a substitute teacher in Woodbridge, returning to the classroom even as the state was considering revoking his teaching license. Im surprised, said Ron Bolandi, the retired superintendent who fired Cier from Hightstown High School in 2009. What is enough information to say somebody shouldnt be around kids? Cier still has a valid teaching certificate (its been under review since 2017) and can work for any district that wants to hire him, though it may be unlikely a district would knowingly take on a teacher with his past. How he managed to find work again, despite his history and a law designed to weed out troubled teachers, remains unclear. He was hired by Insight Workforce Solutions, a substitute teaching agency that serves more than 40 school districts across the state, and was employed from October 12, 2018, to December 5, 2018, according to the company. In a statement provided to NJ Advance Media, Insight said it complied with all mandatory New Jersey Department of Education processes during Ciers hiring. The law relies on honesty from applicants and the willingness of former employers to disclose accusations or investigations of wrongdoing. Its also possible that mandatory forms were not completed accurately or not completed at all. The company did not respond to questions about whether Cier was forthcoming with his history or how many districts Cier worked in as a substitute. It would also not say why his brief tenure ended. Cier, who did not respond to a request for comment through his attorney, has previously dismissed scrutiny of his past behavior as a witch hunt. His return to teaching likely would have remained hidden from the public if not for a recent Reddit post by someone claiming to be a concerned student. Any problems with the new background check law will be fixed, said Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, who sponsored the law. If there remains loopholes to close, I will do everything in my power to close them as quickly as possible, Webber said. If the state Department of Education learns of any wrongdoing, it will absolutely look into what happened, spokesman Mike Yaple said. Ciers troubled past was first exposed in the 2017 NJ Advance Media report on teacher misconduct and the weak system for references and background checks that allowed teachers under investigation to get new jobs, a phenomenon called passing the trash. His return to the classroom is the latest twist in a troubled and controversial professional history that dates to his first teaching job more than a decade ago. He has not been convicted of a crime, though he was once arrested after teenage students accused him of showing them pornography on his cell phone. Though Cier was never employed directly by Woodbridge Township School District, he worked as a substitute teacher on a handful of occasions, Superintendent Robert Zega said. As soon as the boards administration learned of Mr. Ciers background, we brought it to Insights attention and asked that he be immediately removed from any placement in Woodbridge Township, Zega said. The district no longer contracts with Insight for its substitute teachers, Zega said, though he would not say how school officials learned of Ciers past. He did not explain why the contract was ended. The Reddit complaint, posted in April, said students performed an internet search for Ciers name last year when he was a substitute art teacher at Colonia High School in Woodbridge. Watch out if you have kids or are a student, the user posted. The individual responsible for the Reddit post declined to be interviewed. Ciers story, along with those of other teachers easily finding new teaching jobs after accusations of sexual assault or misconduct, prompted lawmakers to enact the new law. It went into effect on June 1, 2018, and calls for more rigorous background checks for all school workers, including contracted employees who would have regular contact with children. The law requires schools and contracted agencies such as Insight to ask teachers previous employers if they were under investigation for sexual misconduct at the time they resigned or were terminated. Districts are required to share complaints against former teachers unless the cases were proven false or unsubstantiated. The goal, supporters said, was to address situations exactly like Ciers by empowering school officials to speak up about problematic former teachers even if they were never convicted of a crime. In 2007, Ciers contract was not renewed at Bridgewater-Raritan High School after allegations he exchanged text messages with a student at all hours of the day, according to three former school officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel matters. Two years later, he was arrested and fired from Hightstown High School after students accused him of makings sexual comments and showing them pornography on his cell phone, according to media reports. The charges were later dropped and expunged, according to Cier, who has maintained his innocence. Cier then worked in Keansburg for several years only to resign after he was suspended because students found pornography on his work computer, according to district and police records. He faced no criminal charges because the woman appeared to be older than 18, and he said he didnt even know the files were on his computer. A case to strip Ciers license is still pending before an administrative law judge, according to the state Department of Education. Through it all, Cier keeps trying to teach. In 2016, he was hired by Marion P. Thomas Charter School in Newark, making $66,000 a year until the NJ Advance Media report uncovered his past He was terminated the day it was published. NJ Advance Media staff writers Erin Petenko and Alex Napoliello contributed to this report Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. 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. An SUV crashed into a New Jersey pizza joint Friday night, leaving four injured, cops said. Around 10 p.m., a 2018 black Nissan Rouge left the road and crashed into Flying Crust Pizza in Pennsauken, according to the Camden County prosecutors office. The driver and three people inside the restaurant received minor injuries. The driver, a 34-year-old Pennsauken female, and a 37-year-old male, also from Pennsauken, went to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said. The restaurant is located at 7790 Park Avenue and opened in January, according to local news reports. Owner Garris Eddington, of Atlanta, told the Courier-Post that he is unsure if the restaurant will reopen after the incident, even though it seemed to be a popular place for locals to grab a bite to eat. The Pennsauken Township Police Department turned the incident over to the Camden County Prosecutors Office, the prosecutors office said in a statement. By Brooke Lewis Tamika Thomas became a homeowner by participating in New Jerseys federally-funded Individual Development Account program, which offered participants matched savings accounts and financial education. By expanding the program to help others struggling to save money, a million others could benefit as well, according to the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. By Brooke Lewis Tamika Thomas was a single mother struggling to make ends meet despite working two jobs. After overcoming a period of homelessness, Tamika aspired to one day own a home, a cornerstone of the American Dream. Yet, most of her income went toward paying rent, leaving her with very little money to save. Unfortunately, Tamikas struggle is common even in New Jersey, one of the wealthiest states in the nation. The United Way estimates that nearly 40 percent of New Jersey households struggle to afford basic expenses related to housing, health care, child care, transportation, and food. For households of color, the struggle to save and build wealth is particularly pronounced, as revealed by our states staggering racial wealth gap: The median net worth for white families in New Jersey is $309,396. By contrast, the median net worth for black and Latino families last year was just $5,900 and $7,020, respectively. New Jersey can do more to close the racial wealth gap and create more financial security for families. Last month, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice released a report, Reclaiming the American Dream: Expanding Financial Security and Reducing the Racial Wealth Gap Through Matched Savings Accounts, advocating for the creation of a new, state-based Individual Development Account program. Our research finds that state residents especially people of color are facing financial obstacles in pursuing their dreams, like attending college or starting a small business. Many also lack enough savings to weather lifes unexpected financial emergencies that we will all inevitably face. If a family member becomes sick, or a spouse loses a job, many of our friends and neighbors would need to take on more debt or would fall into poverty. Individual Development Account programs, or IDA programs, offer participants matched savings accounts and financial education to assist them in obtaining a wealth-building asset like a home, post-secondary education, or a small business. For participants, an IDA is similar to a 401(K) savings account. IDA program participants contribute to their account, often on a monthly basis, and those contributions are matched at a certain rate by the program, just as an employer will often match an employees contribution to a 401(k) account. New Jersey currently runs a federally-funded IDA program through the Department of Community Affairs. The program is available to employed people whose families are current or former recipients of public assistance through Work First New Jersey, which is New Jerseys Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and who have an income that does not exceed 200 percent of the federal income poverty guidelines. While this federally-funded IDA program is helpful to residents who qualify for participation, New Jersey can do more to reach all people struggling to save, many of whom have incomes above the federal poverty line, leaving them ineligible to participate in the current program. Our report outlines several policy recommendations for creating a new and expansive state IDA program, including broadly defined eligibility requirements, flexible asset goals, sufficient staffing and accessibility for participants, match rates designed to incentivize saving, and a tax credit policy to raise matching funds. Giving people the tools to save and acquire assets does far more than provide a financial safety net for hard times; it gives people, and their families, permission to dream. With over a million households struggling to get by month-to-month, people in New Jersey dont have the time or money to even consider making that business idea a reality or finally going back to school to get their degree. Our residents deserve to work for something more than survival. Dreaming should not belong to the wealthy. Finally, IDA programs are proven to work. A national study revealed that after three years, IDA program participants were 35 percent more likely to be homeowners, 84 percent more likely to be business owners, and nearly twice as likely to pursue post-secondary education as non-participants. In fact, through participating in New Jerseys current federally-funded program, Tamika became the first single woman in her family to own a home. Tamikas success serves as a call to action for New Jersey to expand these wealth-building opportunities through an inclusive, state-based IDA program that will create more financial security for families, help close the racial wealth gap, and ultimately bring the American Dream back within reach to the people of New Jersey. Brooke Lewis is the Trustee Social Justice Legal Advocacy fellow at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. 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. The best description weve heard yet of the tax incentives scandal blowing up in New Jersey is the term, Noble cause corruption. It has its own Wikipedia entry. It was coined to explain the conditions that inspire police misconduct. A man feels no accountability; that he is acting for the greater good, to make the world a better place, to ensure the bad guys dont go free. These conditions can be compounded by arrogance and weak supervision, it says. It might as well be describing George Norcross and our states tax incentive program. Few doubt the South Jersey political boss genuinely cares about Camden. But that really isnt the point. The big question facing New Jersey is, why was a law firm affiliated with Norcross allowed to quietly re-write our tax incentives policy, in a way that gave him and his friends an advantage? The insiders who benefitted reshaped this bill in the dark, rushing it through a pliant Legislature that voted without having time to vet it, let alone read it back in 2013. The Economic Development Authority, charged with overseeing the awards, failed to police this. As a result, we promised away hundreds of millions in tax discounts to Norcross-affiliated companies that submitted dubious applications. Now his allies and fellow beneficiaries are attacking Gov. Phil Murphys moves to clean house as a partisan political assassination, in the words of former Gov. Chris Christie. Theyre touting hard-fought progress in Camden. Maybe. But it would be a serious mistake to walk away from this now, given all weve unearthed so far. Murphy has already been vindicated in convening a special task force. Let it keep digging. The law firm of George Norcross brother edited the bill that his companies and allies directly benefitted from in one case, in a way that may have even cost Camden a desperately needed supermarket, by favoring a rival project with political connections. And the EDA didnt honestly scrutinize the applications. It also didnt even bother to investigate a whistleblowers allegations of misconduct and fraud, that EDA staff were encouraged to turn a blind eye to falsified proposals. Youd think that at a minimum, it would look into this, in an effort to disprove it. The agency didnt inform a state auditor reviewing the incentives program about these allegations, either, even as top EDA officials were being deposed. And it didnt question the sketchy claims from Norcross-affiliated companies, that they were considering moving to locations in Philadelphia. They submitted expired proposals; then new ones with inexplicably shrunken layouts, strange configurations of employees on different floors and spaces not immediately available. That all should have raised eyebrows, a top EDA official testified Thursday. So should a Norcross nonprofit identifying a potential relocation site in Philadelphia, just four days before the state approved its tax credit. Who helped all these companies submit applications? The same inside man who edited the 2013 law, from the Norcross-affiliated law firm: Kevin D. Sheehan of Parker McCay. Its a crime to lie about an application or be involved in a scheme to defraud the state of tax incentives. But criminal or not, theres a rancid smell wafting from New Jersey. It began with the drafting of the legislation, grew stronger with the falsified applications, and now, we must follow all the rewards that flowed to George Norcross. He helped bring businesses and state aid into Americas poorest city, no doubt. But what about the self-dealing, and the gaming of the system? Perhaps he is the Dirty Harry of Camden. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. WASHINGTON The lowest unemployment rate in a half-century and millions of new jobs have Americans cheering Donald Trumps economic record, but U.S Sen. Cory Booker says the president shouldnt take a victory lap just yet. Ask people if the numbers that Donald Trump touts are really making a difference in their lives, Booker, one of more than 20 candidates seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. Theyll tell you, I have to work two jobs just to try to keep myself in housing. Americans are struggling. In a recent CNN poll, 56% of Americans approved of the way Trump was handling the economy, with 41% opposed. The government said Friday that 263,000 jobs were created last month, and the unemployment rate dropped to 3.6%. Booker, D-N.J., said Trump was taking credit for an economic recovery that began under his predecessor, President Barack Obama. He said Trump pushed through a tax law that gave most of its benefits to the wealthiest Americans. Who is this economy going to work for? Booker said. We have to make sure this is a shared recovery because right now, it definitely is not." Booker said the presidential campaign should not be about fighting Trump but about offering an alternative vision for voters. He said that he became mayor of Newark by giving residents a reason to vote for him, not just voting against his opponent. I made it about the people, he said. We energized an entirely new electorate to come out and we won. He said that the civil rights demonstrators in Alabama didnt use the same tactics as the Birmingham public safety commissioner, Bull Connor, who fought integration. I know Donald Trump wants us to try to fight him on his turf and his terms, Booker said. Whats needed right now is not more of that. We didnt beat Bull Connor by bringing in bigger dogs and more powerful fire hoses. We won that by expanding the moral imagination of this whole country about who we are and who we must be going forward. Booker is trailing in opinion polls and in fundraising, though he has met the criteria in both categories to qualify for next months presidential debate in Miami. The latest Real Clear Politics average of opinion polls placed him seventh with 2.5%. 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. Since 1885, New Jersey firefighters and their families have benefitted from a special fund designed to support them in times of tragedy and financial hardship. It helps pay for the burials of fallen firefighters, provides financial assistance for first responders hit with medical bills, and even provides in-home health care for those who are aging and suffering from physical ailments. The fund is available to active and retired career and volunteer firefighters and their families. Now, Gov. Phil Murphys administration wants to divert $33 million from that fund to spend on its own agenda, an under-the-radar maneuver that critics are calling horrendous and a threat to the neediest of firefighters. It means no new money would come into the fund this year. These dollars collected from out of state insurance companies are a safety net to help firefighters in their greatest time of hardship, and should never be used to fill a budget hole, said Ed Donnelly, president of the firefighters union, the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, who first learned about the proposal when he was contacted by a reporter. In neighborhoods all across New Jersey, and the nation, firefighters are increasingly being treated for cancer, PTSD, and other illnesses caused by the work we do. These are the men and women that need and deserve this fund. This is our insurance policy. Its there for a specific reason, to take care of the men and woman who take care of NJ residents and visitors, Donnelly said. There are about 38,000 active firefighters in New Jersey. The potential change is a one-sentence proposal in Murphys voluminous 2020 state budget plan, where his administration recommends taking the money currently dedicated to the New Jersey State Firemens Association and transferring it into the states general fund, where it can be used to pay for anything the state sees fit. It follows a state comptroller investigation that found inadequate oversight left the money vulnerable to waste and abuse. It also said the state and local relief agencies were sitting on $245 million in unspent funds because of rigid spending restrictions. The comptroller recommended tightening controls, beefing up oversight and expanding the permissible uses of the money, as long as it still benefits firefighters. That money could, for example, help volunteer fire companies purchase equipment to relieve the pressure on them to fundraise, the comptrollers office said. Thus far, there has been no effort in Trenton to make such changes. Robert Ordway, president of the New Jersey State Firemens Association, said he has no doubt the comptrollers report put a target on the organizations back. A spokeswoman for the the state Department of Treasury, Jennifer Sciortino, said the firefighters fund will still have plenty of money and the $33 million will help the state meet our many obligations, which includes funding the firefighters pension system. The healthy reserves maintained in the Firefighters Fund will enable them to continue supporting their critical mission, she said. The New Jersey State Firemens Association was created 134 years ago to help out firefighters and their families in times of need. The vast majority of New Jersey firefighters are volunteers; fewer than 20 percent are career firefighters. Its funded through a 2 percent tax on insurance premiums written by out-of-state insurers for New Jersey properties. The state association keeps 52 percent and divides the rest among 538 Local Relief Associations. The state association took in about $33 million last year, and half went out the door to local groups, Ordway said. The rest wasnt enough to cover the more than $10 million the state group sent to the Firemens Home, a Boonton retirement home for retired firefighters, $10 million on burial assistance, more than $3 million on administrative expenses, $360,000 in direct financial relief to members and $142,000 on in-home medical care, he said. The local organizations can spend their income from the insurance premiums tax on aid to members in need, professional conventions and administrative costs. But Comptroller Philip James Degnans office in its December report found the allowable expenditures were so restrictive the associations were sitting on a combined $245 million in unspent funds, about $180 million of which belonged to the 538 local associations. Some local groups hadnt doled out any money in years. Collectively, the hundreds of Local Relief Associations spent more on administrative costs and conventions than on financial assistance for their members, according to the report. It also found big deviations in how local groups define need and the proof they require to demonstrate it. One applicant who was having trouble making ends meet on his two homes was approved for aid, as was a widow who had more than $245,000 in savings. The associations scrutinize applications for assistance and have built up cash on hand to prepare for extreme times of need, Ordway said. Were not just giving money out willy nilly. Were looking for people who have a need. And yet, now were being penalized for it, he said. While the Treasury Department said the language in the governors proposed budget, if approved by the Legislature, would provide the authority to divert the money to the state budget, Donnelly and Ordway said its unclear whether the state could intercept the tax dollars without a change in state law. Donnelly said firefighters intend to fight back. It is horrendous .... I will not sit quietly, nor I believe will those we serve, if the administration moves forward on this plan that attempts to make up for an inability to negotiate with the Legislature on the backs of firefighters, he said. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@samanthamarcus. 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. New Orleans police engaged in a hourlong standoff with an armed, barricaded man inside a 7th Ward home Saturday afternoon (May 4). Fifth District officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1400 block of St. Anthony Street around 2:40 p.m. They arrived to learn that a man had fired shots with a .22 caliber handgun into the ground and into a hot water heater at an adjacent house, which was under construction. No one was injured during the shooting. After officers arrived, the man retreated into the home and refused to come out, prompting officers to call for the SWAT team. After approximately an hour, the man surrendered to police without further incident. Police obtained a search warrant for the home and found additional ammunition. The man was taken for medical evaluation and will face a charge for illegal discharging a weapon. Police did not immediately respond to requests for the arrested mans identity. A year into LaToya Cantrells term as mayor of New Orleans there are ample reasons for public concern over what she likes to call the projectory of her administration. Absent a last-minute agreement on a flawed deal to grab a slice of tourism taxes to pay for crucial infrastructure improvements, Cantrell will have little in the way of major accomplishments to tout when her 365th day in the office arrives Tuesday (May 7). And many questions remain without adequate answers. On the other hand, the mayor has firmly established her preference for an autocratic leadership style, a penchant for secrecy and a good old-fashioned stubborn streak that doesn't allow for course correction or introspection. It's no coincidence that the signature moment of her mayoral tenure came when residents began to complain about unexpected speeding tickets from a covert change in traffic-camera enforcement while the mayor was on an unannounced trip to Havana to observe the great strides made by the Cuban government. Ignore the senator, vaccines save lives The most objective way to evaluate Cantrells performance is by her own words and by what residents expect a mayor to do. Cantrell is struggling with both. At the beginning of this administration, I committed to the people of New Orleans that we would hit the ground running, with a City Hall that is intentional, accountable and transparent," Cantrell said in a news release during her first 90 days in office. Its hard to credit the Cantrell administration with a quick start, especially given the extended seven-month run-up she had to prepare. Instead of plug-and-play, the administration set the tone early by requiring transition team members to sign non-disclosure agreements while Cantrell came within a hairs breadth of hiring former New Orleans Police Chief Warren Riley as her top public safety officer. Even some of the mayor's closest allies were repulsed by Rileys record of alleged indifference to NOPDs civil rights abuses, violations that eventually led to a federal consent decree to clean up the department. Cantrell had to rescind Riley's job offer, which was made with little input or consultation with others. She attributed her change of mind to "an uptick" in the public's response. At the same time, the mayor appeared ambivalent to keeping the current NOPD chief, Michael Harrison, who had made substantial strides in meeting the consent decree mandates even while boosting department morale. Cantrell ended up keeping Harrison, but the rocky start no doubt played a part in the chief's decision to take a job in Baltimore in January. Considering that crime and public safety are perpetually the No. 1 concern for residents, Cantrell's moves have introduced some instability and uncertainty into the equation. It's way too soon to pass judgment on Cantrell's choice of Shaun Ferguson to replace Harrison, although murders and violent crime continue to trend downward as they did during the final months of Harrison's tenure. The other major issue for residents includes the city's potholed streets, decrepit water and sewerage system and other crumbling infrastructure. Negative ratings of the city's drainage and flood control systems doubled from 38 percent in 2016 to 77 percent in 2018, according to the biennial Quality of Life Survey by the University of New Orleans. Cantrells hiring of Ghassan Korban to take over as the executive director of the Sewerage & Water Board is arguably the best move she has made as mayor, although the agency has problems that will take years to resolve. The mayor also is making a furious effort to come up with some of the money needed to make immediate and long-term fixes in the city's pumps and pipelines. She appeared to be just hours away from announcing a deal last week that would redirect some of the money from tourism taxes and resources to the effort, but suddenly slammed on the brakes to review some details in the necessary legislation. While the proposal would steer millions of dollars to infrastructure, it also makes compromises on short-term rentals and concessions in other areas that could raise new problems in the future. The biggest drawback, again, is that Cantrell's administration has conducted most of the negotiations behind closed doors and with no consultation with the City Council. Not everyone can be in on every discussion, but Cantrell is not living up to her promises for building coalitions. Rep. Richmond urges impeachment, Pelosi looks queasy Without that deal, Cantrell will celebrate her first anniversary with only a reasonably peaceful budget approval process and the passage of an inclusionary zoning ordinance to list as major accomplishments. With residents still dodging potholes, navigating flooded streets and coping with boil-water advisories, a lot of people will say that the mayors projectory could use a few more intentional upticks in the second year. Tim Morris is a columnist on the Latitude team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Latitude is a place to share opinions about the challenges facing Louisiana. Follow @LatitudeNOLA on Facebook and Twitter. Write to Tim at tmorris@nola.com. New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead will serve free snowballs to the public on Tuesday (May 7) in an effort to raise money for his charity, What You Give Will Grow. The event will take place at Sals Sno-Ball Stand, 1823 Metairie Road, from 5 to 7 p.m. and is open to anyone who registers for the event online. Guests can receive one free snowball and are asked to make charitable donations. Thomas Morsteads foundation hosts Prom of Hope Morstead and his wife, Lauren, started What You Give Will Grow in 2014 as a way to help those in need in the New Orleans and Gulf South communities, particularly children with cancer. The organization has given more than $2.5 million to a wide range of causes, according to the charitys website. To register for the event or for more information, visit the organizations Facebook page. NeighborWorks Home Solutions is hosting an open house Monday for the homes in the Walnut Grove subdivision completed by students enrolled in the Iowa Western Community College Construction Technology program. A collaboration among the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College, Iowa West Foundation, American National Bank, NP Dodge and other suppliers have contributed to six of the 14 homes completed in the subdivision. Four of the homes have sold, and another is closing on May 31, according to David Hazlewood, chief operating officer of NeighborWorks Home Solutions. The former Walnut Grove elementary, shut down at the end of the 2013-14 school year. The property was sold in 2015 to NeighborWorks for $104,000, less than the buildings appraised value at $340,000. From 9 a.m. to noon, the open house on 2908 Avenue J celebrates the completion of the Iowa Western Community College Construction Technology Programs 2019 Service Learning Project. 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. DENISON Denison Elementary School, a pre-K through third grade building, was among six schools selected to receive $50,000 grants through the Computer Science is Elementary project. The grant recipients were announced by Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Future Ready Iowa-STEM Summit last week in Des Moines. The Governors STEM Advisory Council and the Iowa Department of Education are partnering with business and industry on the project to transform six high-poverty elementary schools into models of innovative computer science instruction. The goal is to create opportunities for students and a statewide network of computer science expertise. Five other schools will also receive $50,000 grants: Lenihan Intermediate in the Marshalltown Community School District Cora B. Darling Elementary in the Postville Community School District East Union Elementary in the East Union Community School District Perry Elementary in the Perry Community School District Richardson Elementary in the Fort Madison Community School District The six schools selected to receive the $50,000 planning grants will implement their programs no later than the 2020-21 school year with regular school funding. Loess Hills Computer Programming School, the inspiration for the Computer Science is Elementary project, also will receive a $50,000 grant to serve as a project resource. Computer science is a new basic skill thats required for success in a workforce constantly impacted by innovation and technology, said Reynolds. With tomorrows workers sitting in todays classrooms, we must prepare our students to be continuous learners and adaptable for the disruptive economy of the future. The Computer Science is Elementary Project aligns with Future Ready Iowa, which sets the goal of 70 percent of the workforce having education or training beyond high school by the year 2025. The initiative also focuses on strengthening pre-K through 12 education and career exploration and preparation. To continue Iowas prosperity, we must invest in our students and their futures. By introducing computer science in our elementary schools and giving young Iowans access to these in-demand skills, they will be ready for the unlimited opportunities awaiting them in our state, said Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg. Thirty schools applied for the awards, which are possible through support from private-sector partners that raised $350,000 total: Collins Aerospace as the lead sponsor, Principal Financial Group, MidAmerican Energy, Kemin Industries, Microsoft, Google, ITC Midwest, Alliant Energy, Technology Association of Iowa, Verizon, Paragon IT, AT&T, School Administrators of Iowa, Workiva, Pella Rolscreen Foundation, Merchant Bonding and Bankers Trust. Rosa Amelia Gonzalez Lopezlira, a researcher with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), headed an international scientific project that discovered globular clusters in the Messier 106 spiral galaxy that formed relatively soon after the Big Bang, UNAM announced on Sunday. Globular clusters are very brilliant nearly spherical whirling conglomerations of between 100,000 and a million stars in galaxies, including the Milky Way, which has at least 160 of them, UNAM said in a bulletin. These objects formed shortly after the Big Bang some 13.8 billion years ago and shortly before the cosmic rate of star formation reached its maximum some 10 billion years ago, the milestone known among scientists as cosmic noon. Because of their great age, the clusters preserve information about that early epoch and can provide keys as to how galaxies formed. According to the findings of the study, the stellar concentrations in M106, which were observed and analyzed with two international telescopes, are part of a disk that spins as rapidly as the galaxys disk of gas. This had never been observed before, said the researcher with UNAMs Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics Institute (IRyA). The results of the study were published on May 1 in The Astrophysical Journal. The hypothesis is that the spatial distribution (of the clusters) that we observe today is the same that they had when they formed. So, that disk of clusters which has not been perturbed could give us information about the very early phases of the evolution of the Universe, Gonzalez Lopezlira said. Collaborating on this international project were 13 scientists from Australia, Germany, Brazil, Chile, France, Denmark and Mexico. The Mexican contingent was headed by Gonzalez Lopezlira as the primary author and included secondary author Divaraka Mayya, a researcher with the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE), Laurent Loinard with IRyA and doctoral student Luis Lomeli with INAOE. As part of their research, the astrophysicists first used the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope located on the Pacific island and then the Gran Telescopio Canarias, on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. Thanks to the fact that Mexico is participating in the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the largest in the world, we could perform part of the research there. We used a multi-object spectrograph called OSIRIS, with which several spectra can be obtained at the same time. We observed 23 globular cluster candidates in two fields, Gonzalez Lopezlira said. The researchers found that the number of globular clusters in M106 - a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way - is proportional to the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of that galaxy, just as occurs in elliptical galaxies. The black hole in M106 - which is located between 22 and 25 million light years away from Earth - has a mass 40 million times that of the Sun and 10 times more than the Milky Ways own central black hole. The Mexican researcher said that studies of this kind on more spiral galaxies could clarify how galaxies, their globular cluster systems and their black holes formed. Almost 50 students from Council Bluffs, Underwood and Tri-Center Community School Districts and Iowa School for the Deaf and more than 30 employer representatives participated in the 3rd Annual Reverse Job Fair Thursday at Thomas Jefferson High School. The event is organized by Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation for students in the Transition Alliance Program and other young adults with challenges. Voc Rehab and the Council Bluffs Community School District are partners for the program. Instead of an event for job seekers to find jobs, its an event for employers to find talent, said Melissa Stevens-Shudak, a counselor at Vocational Rehabilitation. The students make three-panel exhibits showing their skills, interests and hobbies, she said. Having the hobbies and interests on display gives the student and employer representative some conversation starters. Stevens-Shudak helped two students make videos to convey information about their skills and qualifications without them having to rattle everything off. With the technology, it could be something lots of kids use, she said. Students seemed to like the Reverse Job Fair. Its an opportunity for the students to showcase their skills, said Adam Manz, a teacher with the Transition Alliance Program. A lot of them applied to a business beforehand, so they have their name out there, he said. Every single student has a resume ready to go, Manz said. Some might even have business cards. Voc Rehab provides pre-employment training to the students and helps them transition to permanent employment, Stevens-Shudak said. The agency works with students who have barriers to employment. TAP students also work with employers to learn job-hunting skills, she said. Six students will tour Ameristar Casino and do mock interviews. During summer break, TAP students attend a boot camp for job seekers. Its a way to connect employers to the up-and-coming work force, she said. The TAP is all about prepping our students for employment. Student Jimmy Twohig liked the Reverse Job Fair. Its a great way to find a job, its a great way to find people that are looking for jobs, he said. Its great to practice on your interview skills, too. C.J. Autery, a student at Iowa School for the Deaf, has several possible jobs in mind. I want to be an electrician or work in the construction field or as a mechanic do a hands-on job, he said through an interpreter. Thats my biggest interest. Autery said he has working with an electrician at ISD to learn the basics. Xavier Whitney, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, said he was looking for a maintenance job and was interested in working at Ameristar Casino. I can do just about anything that involves working with my hands, he said. Cole Sedan, a senior at Underwood High School, is interested in cooking. My long-term goal is to become an archaeologist, but that takes four or five years of college, he said. For now, Cole wants to attend culinary arts school so he can become a good chef. Thomas Jefferson High School senior Tracey Gray likes working in a retail environment. She currently works at the Goodwill Store. Its a fun place to work, she said. Christian Keenan, who is training at the Vocational Development Center, appreciated the fair. I think it is a great opportunity for us to learn about different facilities and how they work, he said. Very glad people think about other people with disabilities and how you think. Keenan said he would be interested in something active, like heavy lifting or auto detailing. He said he had a good conversation with Brad (Krause) from Grease Monkey just a very respectful guy, he said. Krause has helped the Transition Alliance Program, Manz said. Hes done work readiness workshops, hes done shadows and tours, he said. Stevens-Shudak was pleased with the turnout and the employer response. There were quite a few that definitely expressed an interest in our candidates, she said. 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. Local students will soon be walking across various stages to receive their diplomas or degrees. Iowa Western Community College will hold its commencement ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon on May 11 in Reiver Arena on the Council Bluffs Campus, 2700 College Road. About 705 students are expected to participate, according to Don Kohler, vice president of marketing and public relations. Graduation is a big day for the students and the college, President Dan Kinney said. I always tell people that graduation is the most important day in the life of the college, he said. Its our harvest. Iowa Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, will deliver the commencement address. We always try to get a (local) elected official to speak at graduation in May, Kinney said. (Dawson)s been very supportive of the college and legislation thats favorable to the college, and we thought he was someone who could deliver a good message to our students. Dawson was elected to his first four-year term in the Iowa Senate in 2016 and began his first legislative session in January 2017. He represents Senate District 8, which includes most of Council Bluffs and all of Carter Lake. Outside of the Capitol, he is an agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and a former law enforcement officer with the Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Office and Council Bluffs Police Department. He is a longtime member of the Army Reserve and completed tours in Kosovo, Iraq and two in Afghanistan. Heartland Christian School will hold its graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. May 11 at Victory Fellowship Church, 2111 23rd Ave. St. Albert High School will hold its graduation the following weekend on May 19 in the high school gym. This years graduating class is 38 students, down from 50 last year, but has always been a smaller cohort, according to President David Schweitzer said. It will be a big day for them. Its always one of the most exciting events of their school career, he said. Schweitzer described the class as a really busy group. The whole group is really heavily invested in activities, he said. The academic portion is coming to an end, but theyll have many more opportunities to perform and compete. The month will end with a tripleheader. Abraham Lincoln High School will hold its graduation ceremony from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 24 at the Mid-America Center. Thomas Jefferson High School will take its turn from 10 a.m. to noon May 25 at the MAC. The tentative list of graduates includes 245 from T.J., down from 282 last year; and 280 from A.L., down from 293 last year. This years group from Council Bluffs Community School District, like the one from St. Albert, has always been a smaller cohort, said Diane Ostrowski, chief communications officer. Lewis Central High School will hold its commencement ceremony at 1:30 p.m. May 26, also at the MAC. Graduating seniors are expected to number about 237, according to Renee Kybat, registrar. 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. Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke made his first stop in Council Bluffs Saturday to kick off his third visit to the state. ORourke, a former congressman from El Paso, Texas, spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 people in the Wilson Middle School gymnasium for about 45 minutes, then took time to answer questions and shake hands. He said he would fight for equal rights for everyone. For each dollar paid to white men, women are paid 80 cents, African Americans are paid 60 cents and Latinos are paid 53 cents, he said. Its time to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, he said. ORourke said he favors universal background checks for firearms purchases. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, and a disproportionate number of people of color are imprisoned often for nonviolent crimes, such as possession of marijuana, he said. Having that on their record can limit the possibilities for their future. He said the nation should end its ban on marijuana and expunge that charge from peoples records. ORourke said the average global temperature has risen by one degree just since 1980, and it will continue to increase if changes arent made. If left unchecked, generations after us are in for a hell we cant even imagine, he said. The effects of climate change have been seen in Hurricane Harvey, which dumped more than 50 inches of rain on parts of Texas in 2017, setting a new record for the amount of rain produced by a single storm; in last years devastating wildfires in California; and in this years flooding in Iowa, where floodwaters in Davenport have now surpassed the record levels of 1993, ORourke said. The U.S. must transition to renewable energy, he said. Farmers should be given incentives to plant cover crops to reduce carbon dioxide levels. ORourke released a plan Monday for the United States to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 that would start with a 10-year, $5 trillion effort. He says the $5 trillion investment would include private money leveraged by a $1.5 trillion infusion of federal funding. No one thinks the nations health care system is working fine, ORourke said. Universal health care is needed. Universal health care has to be not just for primary health care, it has to be for mental health care, he said. While it would be expensive, it would be cheaper than paying for health care through detention facilities, emergency rooms and lost human potential, he added. Health care should not necessarily be tied to a persons job. When ORourke began taking questions, one man thanked him for promising to stop the Keystone Pipeline. He said he can do that because he doesnt accept contributions from Political Action Committees. A woman asked ORourke a question about immigration and asked him to answer it both in English and Spanish, which he did. He said he favored citizenship for so-called Dreamers and said many undocumented immigrants are Americans in every other respect. Lets rewrite our immigration laws to reflect the value they bring, he said. Last year, 400,000 people were apprehended at our southern border with Mexico and we know that many of them were kids, he said. We are increasingly seeing this because of historic drought in El Salvador and other Central American nations. ORourke called his city of El Paso, Texas one of the largest binational cities in the country. And El Paso, Texas is not just a strong, thriving city, its one of the safest cities in America, he said. Scott Punteney, chairman of the Pottawattamie County Democratic Party, said afterwards he liked ORourke but remained neutral on whom to support. Theres just so many out there right now, he said. I think, like most people, Im waiting to see how things come out. Were ready to fight and go to work for whoever our nominee is. Iowa Rep. Charlie McConkey, D-Council Bluffs, said he was impressed by ORourkes remarks. Im liking what Im hearing, and hes getting a good reaction out of the crowd, he said. Tom Lewis of Red Oak said he was impressed that ORourke is visiting southwest Iowa in the wake of the flood. He said he also appreciated ORourkes passion. All these people, they throw their hats in the ring, and later you see there isnt any passion, he said. They just wanted to say they ran for president. Robert Fairchild, a local Libertarian, pressed ORourke on his stand on firearms after the event, asking what he considered a weapon of war and whether that included AR-15 assault rifles. I was trying to explain why we should have weapons of war in our communities to prevent Russia and China from invading the U.S., he said. Fairchild, who had not checked in as a media representative, was livestreaming as he questioned ORourke. After repeated questions, he was led out of the gym. ORourke, a resident of El Paso, Texas, served six years in the U.S. House of Representatives before running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018. Prior to that, he was a business owner and city councilman in El Paso. He entered the race for the Democratic nomination for president on March 14, becoming the 15th in a crowded field that has since ballooned to 22. On Sunday, he will hold town hall meetings at 9 a.m. at the Cottonwood Pavilion at 1309 W. Ferguson Road in Shenandoah; at 11:15 a.m. at Chautauqua Park Pavilion at 907 E. Summit St. in Red Oak, at Sunnyside Park-Camblin Shelter at 1300 Sunnyside Lane in Atlantic and at the Fritz and Carol Kramer residence at 1304 S. Fourth Ave. W. in Newton. On Monday, ORourke will make two stops in Des Moines and stops in Newton and Indianola. He will visit Adel, Boone, Waverly, Charles City and Fayette on Tuesday and Mason City on Wednesday. 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 close of the Iowa Legislative session brought with it some encouraging news for the states community colleges. A bill awaiting action by Gov. Kim Reynolds includes a $6 million boost in state aid to be divided between the 15 community colleges in Iowa. For Iowa Western, that means an additional $391,000, for a total of $12.4 million in state general aid for the 2019-20 fiscal year. Iowa Western will also get some of the additional $500,000 the Legislature included for community college programs that teach English to those who arent native English speakers. In addition, the spending bill includes an additional $1 million to help community colleges work with private high schools. Iowa Western will use some of that money to collaborate with St. Albert High School. At the beginning of the year, Reynolds proposed a $4.7 million increase for community colleges. The Senate concurred, including a $4.7 million increase in its initial proposed budget. The House of Representatives had other ideas, however. It proposed a $7 million increase. In the give and take that occurs every year as the Legislature races to adjournment, a compromise was reached that gave community colleges a $6 million increase. A number of local legislators, especially in the House of Representatives, helped carry the message about the importance of increased funding for community colleges. Local lawmakers Rep. May Ann Hanusa, R-Council Bluffs; Rep. Jon Jacobsen, R-Council Bluffs; Rep. Tom Moore, R-Griswold; and Rep. David Sieck, R-Glenwood, were stalwart supporters of the community colleges in the House. Other advocates in the House were Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, and Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison. Key supporters in the Senate were Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs; Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway; and Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene. This funding increase resulted from a tremendous collaborative effort between representatives and senators. Reaching a compromise like that which will benefit Iowans is what lawmaking is all about. Everyone associated with Iowa Western, and the other 14 community colleges, should be grateful. The benefit of this funding ultimately helps Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa as the students who continue their education there often return to their home communities to live and work. We urge Reynolds to sign this important education funding bill. And we think area residents should congratulate lawmakers for their successful efforts on behalf of community colleges. The importance of cattle feeding to Nebraskas economy runs deeper than it does anywhere else. Nearly 5 million head are finished and marketed in Nebraska, compared to Texas, which markets a third more cattle but has a population of 25.6 million residents over 14 times larger. Or take Iowa, which markets less than 2 million cattle and has 1.2 million more residents than Nebraska. Those states depend on other industries, and their standard of living isnt nearly as dependent on cattle feeding as Nebraskas. Nebraska has a unique mix of natural resources. In what could be described as turning sunlight into protein, Cattle turn grass from 24 million acres of rangeland and pasture more than one half of Nebraskas land mass into meat for humans. More than half of that rangeland and pasture is in the Nebraska Sandhills. The land grazed by cattle allows more people to be fed than would otherwise be possible. More than one billion bushels of corn are produced here each year, 40 percent of which is fed to livestock in the state. Cattle producing families, who make their living from the land, have a strong incentive to protect their animals and the environment. But that way of life is not completely easy. Cassie Condon of the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp. was one of 88 economic development professionals to attend the Heartland Economic Development Course April 22-26 in Blue Springs, Missouri. Heartland attendees receive fundamental economic development training on topics ranging from business, retention and expansion, workforce development, real estate and entrepreneurship to marketing, finance, ethics and managing economic development organizations. The 2019 HEDC class includes representatives from across the Midwest trained by nationally recognized faculty from within the profession of economic development. HEDC is coordinated by the Institute for Decision Making at the University of Northern Iowa and is accredited by the International Economic Development Council. Heartland students experience a variety of presentations, best practices and networking opportunities that they can apply back in their own organizations and communities, said Allen Kunkle, HEDC Board chair. The Heartland Economic Development Course is a partnership of the Kansas Economic Development Alliance, Professional Developers of Iowa, Missouri Economic Development Council, Nebraska Economic Developers Association, South Dakota Governors Office of Economic Development and the Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Association. LINCOLN Stay Strong Nebraska is an initiative aimed at keeping Nebraskas farmers and ranchers top of mind as they rebuild their lives. The website, StayStrongNebraska.com, provides easy access to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund and Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund with all donations remaining in Nebraska. Federal officials estimate the bomb cyclone weather phenomenon and subsequent flooding caused $1.4 billion in damages. The damage assessment accounts for livestock, crop loss and infrastructure damage, but does not reflect personal property losses such as homes and farm buildings. Steve Nelson, president of Nebraska Farm Bureau, has met with dozens of families in many of the agricultural communities impacted by the recent storms. Nelson explained that while there is insurance to cover some cattle and crops, it doesnt cover all of the losses. Depending on the severity of the flooding, many farmers will likely be unable to plant all of their land this year, and many livestock producers will have reduced production as a result of this disaster as well, Nelson said. Opposition candidate Laurentino Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) won the presidential elections in Panama on Sunday with 33 percent after over 92 percent of the votes had been counted, the Electoral Tribunal announced. Cortizo won by a narrow margin against Democratic Change (CD) candidate Romulo Roux, who obtained 31 percent of the votes amid the CDs claims of irregularities. Around Sunday midnight, the presiding magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal, Heriberto Arauz, made the customary phone call to Cortizo announcing him as the provisional winner. He is will serve as president for the period 2019-2024, according to the unofficial results. The announcement of the official result will be sent in the coming days to the National Board of Scrutiny, which will then hold a formal proclamation ceremony to be held on Thursday at the Atlapa Convention Centre in Panama City, Arauz added. Cortizo, 66, who is known for his hardline approach towards corruption and economic recovery, responded that he humbly accepted the results announced by the magistrate. I am ready with a team to assume the reins of this country ... I have absolutely no doubt that the country needs to join forces to be able to resolve the great challenges that we will be encountering as of July 1, he said, referring the date on which he will be assume the countrys presidency. Seven presidential candidates - four from political parties and three independents - contested an election where the difference in votes for Cortizo and Roux was fewer than 40,000. Amid Rouxs allegations of irregularities - a claim that was denied by the electoral magistrates - the Tribunal postponed the announcement of the winner until the difference in votes yet to be counted did not affect the outcome between the first and second place candidates. Its been an intense election (...) which, in the end, regardless of how many votes, in my case a difference of about 40,000 votes, will always have a winner, Cortizo said. Independent candidate Ricardo Lombana is in third place with 19.5 percent of the votes, a historic increase for independent movements, while Jose Bandon, of the governing Panamenista Party with 10.28 percent is in fourth position. Some 2.7 million people were eligible to vote to elect the president, vice-president, National Assembly and Central American Parliament members and mayors, among other officials. gf/sp/ses North Platte City Council members Tuesday will decide whether to accept an $8,800 proposal solicited by the citys Health and Wellness Committee to design a master plan for the future of the North Platte Recreation Center. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the council chamber at City Hall, 211 W. Third St. Committee members are asking the council to approve the proposal submitted in August by TSP Design Redefined of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to review the condition of the 1970s-era indoor pool and exercise center on West Francis Street and recommend how it might be updated or replaced. Whether or not either takes place, city officials have said, a 2017 city facilities study found that the Rec Centers humidity control system has deteriorated and soon will need to be replaced at an estimated $700,000 cost. City parks and recreation staffers had named that replacement a priority item for funding by the half-cent infrastructure sales tax that the City Council proposed but voters defeated in November. Council members discussed the master-plan proposal and options for the Rec Centers future at an April 24 work session with Health and Wellness Committee members. Dr. James Smith, emergency medicine director at Great Plains Health, received the J.G. Elliott Award Saturday at the University of Nebraska Medical Centers commencement ceremony at the Baxter Arena in Omaha. The award is given for outstanding contributions to medicine and health programs for the state of Nebraska and UNMC. To be honest, I didnt know I was nominated for it, Smith said. It was very surprising to me. I do a lot of volunteer work, as we all do at the hospital. He said GPH is very supportive of allowing its practitioners, nurses and staff to do volunteer work. Im very blessed that the hospital gives me opportunity to do these volunteer efforts and thats really where the award came from, Smith said. Im involved a lot in EMS pre-hospital care. Im medical director for several squads around the region and serve as chairman of the state EMS (Emergency Medical Services) board. He said the volunteer efforts in EMS departments are decreasing, and he has been working through the state board to encourage more medical personnel to volunteer their services. In his growing-up days, he witnessed ordinary people persevering in extraordinary kindness toward millions of temporary visitors fighting the worlds greatest war. He wanted to help. In doing so, he became nearly as well known as the institution he helped. Because he was so young not even 10 when he started John Gene Slattery, who turned 86 in March, stands as the last surviving major figure associated with North Plattes World War II Canteen. He literally, and repeatedly, sold the shirt off his back to raise money for the Canteen. He did likewise for other causes throughout his teenage years. He and Anne, his wife of nearly 61 years, split their time between North Platte and their farm 10 miles northeast of Ogallala. He still works the land his parents bought in 1943. Their three children have given them 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. He doesnt talk much. But like the Canteen ladies he watched and idolized, Gene did what had to be done. In the more than a year of its existence, North Plattes Canteen has been helped in many strange ways ... Gene Slattery, 9-year-old Big Springs boy, gave up two pet roosters to help the Canteen. But maybe we should let Gene tell his own story through his letter addressed to Miss Canteen: ... I sold one of my pet roosters at the Ogallala sale barn last Wednesday for the Canteen and received around 23 dollars, I think. They said they would send you the money. Then I took the other pet rooster to the Julesburg (Colorado) sale barn and sold it. I received $11.16 and I am sending you the check. We didnt have school last week and I wanted to do something to help you girls. I cant do very much as I am only a little boy, nine years old. I would like to go to North Platte one nice Saturday and help you girls as you are doing great work. Well, Gene, Miss Canteen says you can come down anytime. She wants to meet the boy who will give up his two pet roosters to help the soldiers, sailors and marines. Telegraph, Jan. 9, 1943 Ben and Margaret Slatterys children were keen to help the war effort. Larry, Genes brother and sidekick, had already been written up in a June 1942 Telegraph story for selling a goat that raised $10.25 for the Canteen. In May 1944, sister Evelyn joined the WAVES the U.S. Navys womens auxiliary and served in California until the wars end. But Gene drew the most attention. It all started, he said, with that goat. My brother and I, we went to Big Springs, he said. And there was a guy who had some goats. And there was no market for goats, and he couldnt get rid of them, by golly. He said, Ill give you these goats if you take them home. But they ate his mothers brand-new fruit trees at the Slattery farm. She said, Get rid of them. Larry and Gene sold the goats at Ogallalas sale barn. They sent the proceeds to the Canteen, which needed all the money it could get to keep serving the uniformed men and women passing through. The brothers sold chickens. Scrap metal, too. Gene sold his toys, and even his pets, for Canteen funds. One day, while Gene stood in Ogallalas sale barn ring, the auctioneer called out: What are you going to do next sell the shirt off your back? It just caught me, he said, thinking: My gosh, that might be a good idea. His system is simple. He simply walks into an auction sale of one kind or another and gets the auctioneer to start selling whatever he happens to have for sale that day. The article puppies or goats are sold over and over again, and the result: more real money for the Canteen. ... Ive sold about ten shirts, he said, and lost about five out of the deal. I sold my shirt for a bond drive once and it sold good, he said. I sell them wherever there is someone to buy them. Once I sold my shirt at a ball game, and I sold a box of candy at one of the ball games, too. Telegraph, Dec. 19, 1944 Gene and Larry first visited the Canteen on June 18, 1943, riding with their mom to turn in $22.07 they had raised. They had started to report how this money was raised when a train arrived, The Telegraph reported. They rushed madly out on the platform and spent the rest of the day watching the service men receive the food, drinks and other favors that their work and money helped provide. Result: The ladies never did learn just how the last money was raised. But the next Friday, at the conclusion of the auction at the North Platte Sales yard, Gene climbed onto the stand and shouted, Ill sell the shirt off my back to the highest bidder, money to go to the Canteen. When the bidding was over, Gene had $40 in cash to turn over to the Canteen, The Telegraph wrote June 28. If he didnt get the shirt back, Gene said, one North Platte merchant or another often would give him a new one. After moving with his mom to North Platte, hed rush on auction days from school to the Helberg sale barn to sell things. One of the nuns at McDaid Elementary School, then next to St. Patrick Catholic Church, kind of looked the other way when he had to go down to the sale barn, Anne Slattery said. And he played Canteen ambassador. That helped spread his name. Gene still has a July 1943 letter to the Canteen from Denvers Lowry Field, signed by 85 U.S. Army Air Corps members: Dear Gene, and all your generous friends in North Platte, Nebraska: This little note is an effort to express our sincere gratitude for the kindness shown us at your Canteen. Well remember these little places when we get farther from home doing the real job. A month later, this letter arrived: My Dear Gene: The President wants you to know how interested he was in learning from your letter that you and your brother are doing so much to help in the great task in which we are now engaged. Your fine cooperation is indeed appreciated, and this letter takes to both of you the Presidents best wishes. While the President appreciates your kind thought in sending him the enclosed membership card (the Canteen had a Dollar-a-Month Club), he feels that he cannot join any more clubs or organizations while holding his present position. It is returned herewith and I know that you will understand. Very sincerely yours, Grace G. Tully, Private Secretary. Franklin Delano Roosevelt also enclosed a $5 bill. To this day, North Platte folks call Genes successful solicitation the only federal funding ever obtained for their Canteen. The North Platte Servicemens Canteen received high praise ... when the Canteen was presented a War Department award for meritorious service in morale building in a presentation ceremony that was broadcast on the NBC chain, originating at North Plattes station, KODY, Sunday morning. ... Gene Slattery, who on some eighty occasions had sold his shirt for the benefit of the Canteen, was presented and asked permission to offer his shirt to the highest bidder. The shirt went to (Union Pacific Railroad President) William M. Jeffers for a crisp 100-dollar bill. Telegraph, Dec. 20, 1943 The Canteen ladies, Gene said, didnt treat him like a celebrity. I got out of school, Id go down there and Id see these women working, you know, he said. Theyd be fixing sandwiches and drinks in that big depot, and Mrs. (Helen) Christ and Mrs. (Jessie) Hutchens and the gals were sitting there at the desk. Those gals had a big job. All those towns came in from all over (to help serve), and they had to be there at certain times. Canteen founder Rae Wilson had moved to California for the wars duration before Gene first showed up. He met her when she returned for the Canteens final postwar months, but he never knew her well, he said. It was different with Helen Christ, Wilsons neighbor and successor. She was a good gal, Gene said. She got along good with the other gals all the women, by gosh. Of course, maybe she treated me a little bit better, I dont know. But to her and Mrs. Hutchens, I was just one of the boys. He remembers the Canteens platform girls serving troops who werent allowed to leave their trains. Theyd come out (of the depot) with those big baskets, and those kids would be hanging out the windows as the girls handed them food and treats. But when service members could enter the Canteen, those women, they had their arms open. And they hugged them all. It was because their boys were in the service. So it was just like hugging their own kids. As Gene said those words, he cried. John Alexander, general manager of Radio Station KODY, announces today that eleven-year-old John Eugene Slattery of North Platte has been adjudged the outstanding Good Neighbor among Nebraskas thousands of young men and women. ... According to A.A. Lowman, chairman of Ak-Sar-Ben, the award was based upon unselfish and patriotic deeds beyond the field of personal gain or welfare, thus exemplifying the Good Neighbor Spirit in Nebraska. Daily Bulletin, Feb. 1, 1945 A U.S. Signal Corps film crew, filming the Canteen and North Platte in the wars last days, captured Gene selling his shirt at the sale barn. By the Canteens closing day, April 1, 1946, Gene had raised more than $2,000. He and Larry got the day off from school. Canteen board member Rose Loncar presented Gene, then 12, with a new brown shirt. Dont sell it, she said. In summer 1946, national radio host Morton Downey Sr. named Gene one of the nations Big Little Americans. Helen Christ, who had nominated him, attended the award broadcast with him at KODY, he said. A year earlier, however, his family had shielded him from a larger opportunity. While the Slatterys visited Evelyn in Los Angeles, J.I. Jackman, a relative who worked at Warner Bros. Studios, told them he had been authorized to make Gene an offer for his story, The Telegraph wrote on Feb. 23, 1945. The Gene Slattery Story or whatever such a movie might have been called wasnt to be. He would have had to miss a month of school, and as the Telegraph account tells it, Jackman told Ben Slattery: If they find out hes here, youll never get him back. Gene remembers the proposition. That was going too far, he said. He continued to lend his time, and his shirt, for charitable causes until his 1953 graduation from North Plattes St. Patrick High School. Even before wars end, his shirt once brought $1,700 during a War Bond drive, he said. One postwar instance yielded another burst of publicity. Congress in 1947 passed the Marshall Plan, offering extensive aid to help Europes devastated nations rebuild and recover after the war. Syndicated columnist Drew Pearson independently organized a Friendship Train, which collected relief supplies while traveling from San Francisco to New York City. It pulled into Sidney the night of Veterans Day. As many as 4,000 people watched in near-freezing temperatures as two carloads of Panhandle wheat were loaded. Then Gene, still just 14, mounted the caboose and once more took off his shirt. George Welsh, mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, submitted the winning $130 bid to buy more relief supplies, according to a Friendship Train web account by Dorothy R. Scheele. A month later, President Harry S. Truman sought a copy of a photo showing Gene. And in March 1949, a package from Italy arrived at the Slattery home. Antonio Livraghi, a sculptor from Milan, had sent Gene a small statuette showing him, bare-chested and barefooted, holding his shirt with one hand. To the land of his ancestors he gave his shirt, says the nameplate. It was all he had with his heart in it FOR THE FRIENDSHIP TRAIN. The story got back to this guy, Gene recalls, and thats what he made. The (pending) wedding of Miss Anne Schmidt to Gene Slattery of Ogallala has been announced by her parents ... Miss Schmidt, a teacher in the Ogallala High School, is a graduate of Sedgwick County High School, Julesburg, and Colorado State College, Greeley. Mr. Slattery, a graduate of St. Patricks High School, North Platte, is engaged in farming near Ogallala. Telegraph-Bulletin, June 4, 1958 With wartime labor in short supply, Genes mom, Margaret, had taken a job in 1943 at the U.P.s North Platte roundhouse. She retired from the railroad when she was 75, Anne said. Thats how Gene first came to live in North Platte. For 10 years, he and his mother lived there while Larry and his dad lived at the farm. But Ben Slattery died just before Gene graduated from high school. Gene has been on the farm ever since, though he and Anne bought their North Platte place in 2015. When Gene first spied Anne Schmidt in 1957, he asked his friend, the late Ogallala veterinarian Darlan Rezac, to introduce him. Doc said, Get your own date, said Anne, now 88. He did. Their oldest son, Michael, is a veterinarian in the McCook area. Daughter, Johnna Arensdorf, is a social worker at Region II Human Services in North Platte, where youngest son, Dave, also lives and works for Twin Platte Natural Resources District. For a number of years, Anne said, youd go somewhere (in Ogallala) and introduce him and theyd say, Thats the guy who sold his shirt. Women throughout the region who had worked at the Canteen remembered him, too. Mostly, though, Gene followed an extraordinary childhood with a happily ordinary adult life. He has auctioned off his shirt from time to time, including at a Wounded Warriors Project fundraiser in Ogallala three years ago. He sold another at North Plattes last large-scale Canteen reunion in September 1988 to help develop the current Canteen exhibit at the Lincoln County Historical Museum. All he ever wanted in those Canteen days, he said, was to pitch in. There were people who thought, Hes just selling his shirt for publicity. You know, it was nothing about publicity. ... They saw my picture, but I never thought that I was any better than anybody else. ... Theres a lot of good people around in this world, by gosh. You know, in this area I dont know it seems like everybody gets along. If something happens, why, somebodys going to chip in and help out, too. If the funds can be raised, those features would sit behind a false-front scale replica of the trainside entrance to the beloved, deeply missed 1918 Union Pacific Depot where kindness flowered daily from Christmas 1941 to April 1946. How appropriate it would be if the Canteens real front doors, now the current museums front doors, could again reveal something like the scene those 6 million service visitors saw. Were also grateful for your advance response to our book project. This story, after all, belongs to all of us fortunate to call ourselves western Nebraskans (along with our northeast Colorado neighbors who also pitched in at the Canteen). It was a worldwide story in its day. It needs to be told, and retold, so it isnt forgotten when the last people who experienced it leave us. It needs to be retold because its becoming dangerously out of fashion to so love our fellow human beings that well come together and do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to care for each other and reassure each other that were not alone. When Nebraskans voted to expand Medicaid in the 2018 general election, there was no fine print on the ballot stating that to qualify for benefits you would need to navigate endless mazes, jump through hoops, face harassment and endure long delays. It was a simple up-and-down type vote, for or against the measure. It seems this was the point that Hayley Kaiser was trying to make in her recent Telegraph letter to the editor: The governor is putting barriers in place to prevent our neighbors from getting the help they need. His plan is, quite frankly, unchristian. Thank you, Ms. Haley, for caring and showing concern for the health of less fortunate Nebraskans. Unfortunately, your humanitarian message never crossed the mind of Ron Guthrie of Ogallala, (letter to the editor, April 26) who lectured and scolded you for your use of the word unchristian and criticized you for your personal interpretation of Scripture from the book of Matthew because it did not coincide with that of some Biblical scholars. My, my, what a shame that a person cannot enjoy reading the beauty, simplicity, kindness and wisdom of the Gospel without consulting a translator. I Want Them to Believe That Coexistence Is Possible Stand for Israel | May 4, 2019 Embed from Getty Images Here is a report on the days events written earlier today by Efrat, a Fellowship staff member in Israel who spent the day searching for safety with his family: The first siren at Moshav Yad Natan was heard this morning at about 10:00 am. We ran to the protected area with our children and gathered our cats and dogs. We decided to take a trip to a more remote area to save our children from a difficult and dangerous experience. After a short time, the Home Front Command told us to leave, and said that the site was closed due to the security situation. As I listened to the news, I heard that about 100 rockets had been fired [editors note: as of this posting, more than 250 have been fired at Israel]. So what did we do? We decided to go further towards Beit Shemesh, assuming that it was quieter there. We reached the forest near Beit Shemesh and sat down for a picnic with the children, sure we had traveled far enough. Next to us was a Muslim Arab family, and everything was okay for about a half an hour. Then alarms started there as well. We lied down with the children attempting to protect ourselves. The family next to us also lied down, and I thought to myselfwhat a split reality here. The possibility of coexistence and peace exists, but above our heads there is another dimension of a different reality: war. We cleaned up the picnic and went to my tiny car. The little ones were very disappointed. Just before we left, I asked the Muslim family next to us whether they were going or staying. And we looked at each other for a moment without words, but with an open heart. I did not really know how to explain to my children who ask questions about the people with the kaffiyehs [an Arab headdress] next to us. In my heart I want them to believe that coexistence is possible. The road home was fraught with sirens, uncertainty, and missiles crossing the sky over the nearly empty roads. There was the feeling that we were the only crazy people out of the house. I asked myself: Is there really a protected space anywhere? Anything could happen. Deep in these thoughts of fear and survival, I raised my eyes to heaven and asked for peace, security, coexistence, and the belief that everything is possible for us, for our people, and for the people of Gaza. Now we are at home and the streets are quiet. Were all in close proximity to the protected area, but I think of the families on whose home a rocket fell. Good night. MIAMI Insurers will pay up to $42 million to surviving victims of a 2018 Florida bridge collapse and the families of those killed, under a deal announced Friday between the now-bankrupt construction company that built the pedestrian bridge and its insurers. The deal between Magnum Construction Management and the insurance companies, reported by the Miami Herald on Friday, marks a step forward in resolving litigation involving families of the six people killed when the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapsed on March 15, 2018, and eight injured survivors. The settlement agreement was filed in federal bankruptcy court April 30 and must now be approved by a judge. Magnum, formerly known as Munilla Construction Management, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. More than 20 other defendants are being sued by victims and they will have to reach their own deals with their insurers. The National Transportatation Safety Board said in a preliminary report in November that bridge designers overestimated the strength of a critical section of the bridge, though the report did not assign blame for the collapse. A final report is expected later this year. A low inventory of homes for sale in Northwest Indiana pushed sales down and prices up during the first quarter of the year. The inventory issue has become the defining theme of the market, according to Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors CEO Peter Novak, and it sent the median sale price up 6.5% while cutting into sales by 5.8%. GNIAR recently released sales data that shows its seven-county area saw 1,849 closings during the first quarter, with a median sale price of $165,000. In March, Northwest Indiana recorded 734 sales, down 9.4% from the same month a year ago, and a median price of $173,500, up 10.2% from a year ago. "Buyers are clearly competing for properties," Novak said. "It's a seller's market." GNIAR members continue to report quick sales at a price closer to the seller's original listing price, Novak said. The association's monthly report shows sellers getting 95.1% of their original price in March, up from 94.3% a year ago, and the inventory of homes for sale at 2,902, down 10.3% from a year ago. Novak said Realtors can't complain about quick sales and higher prices, but would ideally see more homes on the market and more moderation in price increases. 3 Floyds, the award-winning craft brewery revered for its extreme hoppiness and edgy heavy-metal aesthetic, first announced five years ago that it would start a distillery making high-end whiskeys and spirits. Now the largest brewery in Indiana, which is widely on tap throughout Chicagoland, finally opened the distillery tasting room and craft cocktail bar next to its brewpub at 9750 Indiana Parkway in Munster. The spin-off distillery promises on its menu that its first offerings will "release the berserker." The spirits can be drunk straight or in cocktails designed by a "spirit guide" who started a James Beard Award-winning restaurant. Head distiller Abby Titcomb and distiller Eddie Wygonik's initial spirts include Oude Boatface Gin with notes of juniper, cardamom and lemongrass; a Blanq Reavers Silver Rum made with 100% evaporated cane juice; and BustHedd Akvavit, a bitter Scandinavian herb-flavored liquor dating back to the 15th century distilled from grain and potatoes that has notes of dill, caraway and fennel. One can get the BustHedd Akvavit on draft in a sip or sifter, and even with caviar. I truly want to see all people cared about, Alexander told The Times. Thats always been my motivation, just being able to serve people. If elected, Alexander said she would use her position on the council to "bridge the gap" between Hammond's youth and its older residents, as well as the city government and the Hammond schools. She would also initiate a quarterly budget review process in the council. You dont want mismanagement of funds, Alexander said. With all the things Ive done, like working for nonprofits, knowing that money is being spent where its supposed to has been important. At 25 years old, Sanchez is the youngest at-large candidate by a wide margin. She has made an explicit appeal to younger residents by advocating programs aimed at keeping them from moving away in search of economic opportunity. I would champion entrepreneurial and training programs for our youth, so that after graduating from high school or college they will be able to receive training to obtain a job or start a business in Hammond, Sanchez wrote in a questionnaire submitted to The Times. As a city, we must support our youth by offering them numerous opportunities right here in our city to deter them from looking for opportunities in other cities or states. Love 4 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Thatcher did not respond to repeated requests for comment and Martin declined the opportunity to answer a few candidate questions. Lonie, 42, who owns and operates his own business as a financial services representative, had served as treasurer of the Michigan City Republican Club and chair of LaPorte County Young Republicans. He made an unsuccessful bid four years ago for the city council but was elected as a precinct committeeman. "My goals for Michigan City are focused on improving cooperation and communication between the city government and its residents and business owners," he said. Lonie wants to see local median wages increased to increase home ownership. "When I look around our city, I see a city missing its opportunities," he said. "Missed opportunities now, have long term consequences. I will work to bring more of the growth seen in our neighboring communities to our home." "My slogan, 'Working for a Brighter Michigan City' is more than just words, its a declaration of what I will do as Mayor," Lonie said. GARY Indiana University Northwest invites teens to explore science, technology, engineering, and math at a free STEM Camp from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aug. 5 through Aug. 7. Students from underrepresented minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply. High school sophomores, juniors and seniors will learn how exciting a STEM career can be through hands-on activities and experiments in biology, chemistry, computer information systems, informatics, math and geology. Last year, 45 students participated in such lessons as Bridges, the Chemistry Behind Air Bags, Smells, the Biology of the Heart, Mathematical Brain Teasers and Build Your Own Video Game. Similar activities are planned for the 2019 camp. This is a tremendous opportunity for students interested in the STEM fields, said Professor of Computer Information Systems and STEM Summer Camp Director Bhaskara Kopparty. Its unique because all activities are led by faculty members who are currently conducting research in their respective fields and are dedicated to providing excellent STEM education. Israeli Man Killed as Rocket Hits Ashkelon Home Stand for Israel | May 4, 2019 Embed from Getty Images As hundreds of terrorist rockets rained down on Israel from Gaza today, there had been no deaths. But that has changed. The Times of Israel reports that an overnight barrage of rockets ended in the death of an Israeli man, whose home in the southern city of Ashkelon received a direct hit: A man was killed when a rocket slammed into his home in southern Israel early Sunday morning, as Gazan terrorists pummeled Israeli towns with projectiles and Israel responded with hundreds of airstrikes over the weekend. The man, in his 60s, was declared dead after being rushed to Ashkelons Barzilai hospital with shrapnel wounds after the rocket hit his home in the city at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday The killing came as intense fighting engulfed the region over the weekend, sharply intensifying tensions after several months of relative calm between Israel and the Strip. In a familiar scene, air raid sirens wailed across southern Israel throughout Saturday and into Sunday as barrages of rockets were repeatedly fired. Retaliatory airstrikes caused large explosions to thunder across Gaza, as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Outgoing Palestinian rockets left long trails of smoke behind them and puffs of smoke bloomed overhead as dozens of rockets were intercepted by Israels Iron Dome anti-missile system Please pray for the loved ones of this innocent victim, as well as for Gods hand of protection over all Israelis who face the same danger as terrorist rockets continue to be launched into Israeli territory. Options under consideration include adding more days with late voting hours and keeping voting sites open on some Sundays, Fajman said. Early voting will remain open until Monday, May 6, the day before election day. There are no residency restrictions during the early voting period, meaning a registered voter can use any of the 11 sites in the county. There already has been more early voting in LaPorte County this year than during the last municipal election four years ago, but the figures are nowhere near last year's mid-term results, according to election officials. Voters had cast 1,051 ballots by midday Thursday, said Heather Stevens, co-director of the county's voter registration office. The largest number of those ballots were cast in Michigan City (816), she said, where a heated mayoral race is underway. Democrats in the city cast 745 ballots as compared to 71 for Republicans. Of the 235 ballots cast in LaPorte, 171 were Republican and 64 Democratic, she said. There were a total of 763 early ballots cast during the last municipal election in 2015, Stevens said. We rotate our high school students and nursing students so they can see the different health care opportunities and how well we all work together, says Jean Gardner, system director of Education Services, Community Healthcare System. People feel comfortable here and thats part of our retention efforts. We are doing everything we can to make this a positive experience. Going from school to scrubs may help students figure now if this is what they want to do for their career, so it has personal value as well. Ive been to the cath lab, post-anesthesia, the interventional radiology lab and quite a few different areas, senior Alyssa Strege said. I have enjoyed this experience because we got to see how each nurse approaches the same situation differently. Its definitely so much more exposure than I was expecting. I didnt think I would interact with a patient, but I actually got to see an angioplasty right behind the doctor and it was amazing. The nurses, techs and support staff definitely go the extra step to explain to us what they are doing, Alexandra Vjestica said. The Lee County Sheriff's Department in Florida arrested a Hobart man identified in April by Hobart Police as the suspect in an attempted armed robbery at Foremost Liquors. Adam Paul Ferrel, 31, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff's Office Friday and is charged as an out-of-state fugitive from justice. Ferrel is in custody and has not been granted bond, according to the department's website. Hobart Police said Ferrel entered Foremost Liquors in the 400 block of Wisconsin Street at 11:45 p.m. on April 25. He then allegedly picked up a Powerball ticket, crumbled it up and put the ticket in his pocket, and proceeded to inquire if the store had kegs or video cameras and how they worked. Ferrel then allegedly pulled out a purple and black handgun and pointed it at the cashier. The cashier grabbed his own firearm holstered on his belt and pointed it at Ferrel, who then fled southwest from the store, according to police. "Hopefully every year will be a record-breaking year," he said of this year's large turnout. Jaime Perz was heading up the team Toni's Troopers, which brought 75 people together wearing purple T-shirts in the memory of her mother, Toni Turley, who died of lung cancer with the hospice program in June 2017. "She made such an impact on so many people," Perz said of her mother, a Crown Point native, who later moved to Hebron. The team was serving as the grand marshal of this year's event and Perez lauded the local hospice program for the help it provided to both her mother and the family. "It's not a job," said Pat Downey, who works as a nurse at the local hospice center. "It is a calling and mission for me." Downey, who retired from nursing at the hospital level after 37 years, said she went back to work for the hospice center after a single visit. "I go home with my heart so full with what I did," she said of the satisfaction she receives each day on the job. In her Saturday afternoon address, Candelaria Reardon shared stories of her personal heroes her uncle and her mother and how their influence encouraged her to reach far in her personal and professional goals. "That's what my mother and my uncle Andrew gave me, the chance to dream bigger and do more," Candelaria Reardon said. "And, that's what your family has done for all of you graduates. They've given you the chance to do a little better and dream a little bigger, and you, too, will have the chance to do the same for the next generation." PNW Chancellor Thomas Keon said Candeleria Reardon who attended PNW before transferring to Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois, after being diagnosed with dyslexia serves as a role model for current and future PNW graduates. "Not only has Mara broken many ceilings as a woman and as a Latina, but the thing I sincerely appreciate the most about her is the passion she has for what she does and the strength that she has as she represents Northwest Indiana," Keon said. With Google, Facebook and the rest in support, theres a real chance Congress will pass a privacy legislation this year or next but theres absolutely no guarantee that such legislation will leave consumers better off. Googles parent company, Alphabet, is now the biggest corporate lobby in Washington, D.C. The tech companies and other large players on the internet couch their advocacy for preemption on the grounds that they want to avoid a patchwork of overlapping and even conflicting state requirements. But there is no evidence of such conflicting standards, and companies can typically satisfy differing state standards by adhering to the strongest ones. (If they choose, they also can maintain differing standards for different states, typically a technically simple matter.) Each spring Indiana Landmarks releases its 10 Most Endangered list. Inspired by the environmental movement's focus on endangered species, over time many preservation organizations began creating such lists as a call to arms for saving historic places. Success for environmentalists means the regeneration of a species. For preservationists, it's the rescue and revitalization of a special place. Conversely, failure means extinction and the loss of an irreplaceable landmark. Indiana Landmarks uses its 10 Most Endangered list in several ways. Sometimes it serves an educational role. It functions as an advocacy tool. And it can assist in raising funds needed to save a place. But in all cases, when an endangered place lands on our list, we commit to seeking solutions that lead to rescue and revitalization. Every listing comes with significant challenges. Success is never a forgone conclusion. The North Korean government wants to talk. On Saturday morning, displaying its signature defiance and smokescreen strategy, it fired off its eastern coast what the South Korean military called short-range projectiles. The drill was its first rocket launch to be detected since November 2017, when it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (I.C.B.M.) capable of striking the United States. A brief period of measured hope had followed the meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, in Singapore last June. But Saturdays provocation leaves no doubt that, once again, the government in Pyongyang is gradually, and very deliberately, escalating tensions to build up its leverage with the United States this time with a view to resetting the terms of stalled negotiations. Signs that a move of this type might be in the offing had multiplied in recent weeks, especially since the failure of the United States-North Korea summit meeting in Hanoi in February. In a policy address on April 12, Mr. Kim said, I think we shouldnt obsess with a summit with the United States only because we are thirsty for sanctions relief, adding, We will no longer obsess over lifting sanctions imposed by the hostile forces, but we will open the path to economic prosperity through our own means. The first vice foreign minister of North Korea recently dismissed comments by John R. Bolton, the United States national security adviser, as dim-sighted; she called Secretary of State Mike Pompeos statement that America might change course with North Korea if negotiations over denuclearization broke down, foolish and dangerous. Last week, Mr. Kim had his first summit meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. His visit to Vladivostok may have looked like a minor fund-raising mission designed to help North Korea bypass sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations Security Council. But it was a major strategic countermove against the United States. It sounded like something from an episode of The X-Files: Starting a few weeks ago, in a suburban neighborhood a few miles from a NASA research center in Ohio, garage door openers and car key fobs mysteriously stopped working. Garage door repair people, local ham radio enthusiasts and other volunteer investigators descended on the neighborhood with various meters. Everyone agreed that something powerful was interfering with the radio frequency that many fobs rely on, but no one could identify the source. Officials of North Olmsted, a city just outside Cleveland, began receiving calls about the problems in late April, Donald Glauner, the safety and service director for North Olmsted, said on Saturday. In the weeks that followed, more than a dozen residents reported intermittent issues getting their car fobs and garage door openers to work. Most lived within a few blocks of one another in North Olmsted, though some were from the nearby city of Fairview Park. It is one of the pinnacle roles in all of opera: Wotan, king of the gods in Wagners epic Ring. Its a nearly fathomless part that demands a beautiful voice, power, subtle acting, keen intelligence and stamina. Great Wotans dont exactly grow on trees. At the Metropolitan Opera, the German baritone Michael Volle has donned an eye patch and picked up a spear to sing his first complete Ring cycle (performances continue through May 11). Here, three of The New York Timess classical music writers Michael Cooper, a reporter, Joshua Barone, a senior staff editor and critic, and Seth Colter Walls, a critic discuss his astonishing performance so far. MICHAEL COOPER I was struck by how Mr. Volle navigated a chilling moment in Die Walkure, the second Ring opera. Wotan has just reluctantly caused the death of his own son by intervening in an earthly battle. His sad duty done, the heartbroken, furious god dismissively dispatches the victor he has just assisted, and, with just a word Geh! (Go!) strikes his sons killer dead. Each May, some 3,000 people descend on Kalamazoo, Mich., for the International Congress on Medieval Studies, which brings together academics and enthusiasts for four days of scholarly panels, performances and after-hours mead drinking. But in recent years, the gathering affectionately known as Kzoo and the field of medieval studies itself has been shadowed by conflicts right out of the 21st century. Since the 2016 presidential election, scholars have hotly debated the best way to counter the weaponization of the Middle Ages by a rising tide of far-right extremists, whether its white nationalist marchers in Charlottesville, Va., displaying medieval symbols or the white terrorist who murdered 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, using weapons inscribed with references to the Crusades. And hanging over it all is an even more fraught question: Does medieval studies have a white supremacy problem of its own? For 40 years, NPRs Morning Edition has welcomed listeners to the program with the same airy theme song. On Monday, that changed. For the first time since it began broadcasting in 1979, the program replaced its signature song with a propulsive and layered new theme that features real and electronic instruments while still paying homage to the buoyant melody its nearly 14 million weekly listeners had come to know and love. Its not a decision that we took on lightly, said Meg Goldthwaite, NPRs chief marketing officer. We wanted to freshen the music and get it ready for what we hope will be another 50 years. It just felt like it was time. We take the weekend to highlight recent books coverage of note in The Times: A tour of the Book Review Julie Orringers new novel, Flight Portfolio, is, according to the critic and author Cynthia Ozick, a prodigiously ambitious one. It is historical fiction and a kind of fictionalized biography, the study of the real-life World War II figure Varian Fry. It is also a Holocaust novel and a tale of suspense. Theres a lot to dig into, and Ozick does just that with characteristic insight and flair. One of our greatest living critics, Ozick last wrote for the Book Review about the role of gossip in storytelling. Zoe Heller reviewed her most recent collected work here. Weve also got reviews of fiction from Jennifer duBois, Stewart ONan and Laila Lalami, who joins us on the podcast this week. Dont miss one nonfiction review of note from The Timess own Paul Krugman, who reviews Firefighting: The Financial Crisis and Its Lessons, written by Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner and Henry Paulson Jr. They were all there, and in addition to turning out a primer on the crisis and a tick-tock of what happened, they offer, as Krugman puts it, a very scary warning about the future. Reviews from our critics Dwight Garner reviews Ali Smiths new novel, Spring, the latest in a projected seasonal cycle. Its among her more political novels, dealing with Brexit, immigration, climate change and a host of other Garner writes that it taps deeply into our contemporary unease. Its always alive. However, Boeings timely or earlier communication with the operators would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion, the F.A.A. said. The anti-stall system, created to compensate for the Maxs large new engines, will push down the nose of the plane if the angle of attack sensors indicate the plane is dangerously close to stalling. But the system relied on only one of the two angle of attack sensors, introducing a potential single point of failure into a critical flight system. And the anti-stall system was also changed late in the design process to make it much more powerful. Airlines and pilots were not informed about the system until the Lion Air crash. When Boeing explained to pilots in one meeting how systems on the Max worked, the company said that the disagree alert would function on the ground. In the late November meeting, Boeing told pilots for American Airlines (which had bought the add-on) that their disagree alert would have notified them of problems before takeoff. We were told that if the A.O.A. vane, like on Lion Air, was in a massive difference, we would receive an alert on the ground and therefore not even take off, said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the union representing American Airlines pilots. That gave us additional confidence in continuing to fly that aircraft. But in the last several weeks, Boeing has been saying something different. Mr. Tajer said the company recently told American pilots that the system would not alert pilots about any sensor disagreement until the aircraft is 400 feet above the ground. Good Sunday morning, and welcome to a special edition of the DealBook Briefing, where well take a deep dive into Ubers upcoming public offering the most hotly anticipated I.P.O. of 2019. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.) This is the big one Ubers initial public offering will be one of the largest in tech-industry history. Its also the biggest test yet of investors appetite for money-losing unicorns on the public market and, as Mike Isaac of the NYT points out, part of the companys attempts to demonstrate that it has evolved past its tech-bro culture. The going has been good for I.P.O.s this year. Zoom Video Communications has more than doubled in value since its I.P.O., PagerDuty is up 90 percent and Pinterest has gained about 60 percent. But theres still the Lyft effect to worry about. Shares in Ubers rival are down about 20 percent since its I.P.O. In that case, investors primary concern is whether a company that lost about $1 billion last year can become profitable. When Susan Zirinsky was named the new president of CBSs troubled news division in January, she said she wanted to unite her team both functionally and spiritually. She is about to put that mission to the test. CBS News, whose Cronkite-and-Murrow tradition was shaken last year by a series of sex scandals, is set to make sweeping changes to its morning and evening anchor lineups in a roll of the programming dice that the network hopes can lure back a shrinking audience. The moves would be Ms. Zirinskys first to put her imprint on the network where she has worked for nearly five decades and whose fortunes fell after painful revelations of workplace misconduct felled the companys chief executive, Leslie Moonves; its star morning-show host, Charlie Rose; and Jeff Fager, executive producer of its most popular and prestigious show, 60 Minutes. Ms. Zirinsky is expected to announce her shake-up as soon as Monday, ahead of the networks annual presentation to advertisers on May 15. The latest round of changes and tensions at CBS News were described by several people granted anonymity to describe sensitive internal discussions. HOUSTON Occidental Petroleum fortified its bid for Anadarko Petroleum on Sunday night with more cash in its latest effort to outbid Chevron and win the support of Anadarkos shareholders who may well make the final decision on a merger. In a letter to Anadarkos board of directors, Occidentals cash-and-stock proposal remained at $76 per share, or $38 billion. But the cash portion was raised to 78 percent from 50 percent. Chevron may now raise its bid, but it did not have an immediate comment on Occidentals new move. Vicki Hollub, Occidentals chief executive, said her companys proposal represented a 23.3 percent premium over Chevrons bid. The significantly increased cash component provides value, she wrote in the letter to Anadarko. We hope we can execute this merger agreement without delay and proceed to bringing this exciting combination to fruition. WASHINGTON President Trump, emboldened by a strong American economy and wary of criticism that an evolving trade deal with China would not adequately benefit the United States, threatened on Sunday to impose more punishing tariffs on Chinese goods in an attempt to force additional concessions in a final agreement. Mr. Trump, in a tweet, warned that he would increase tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods at the end of this week and shortly impose levies on hundreds of billions of dollars of additional imports. Dozens of high-level Chinese officials are arriving in Washington this week for what was expected to be a final round of negotiations toward a trade agreement, at least in principle. Mr. Trumps threat caught Chinese officials by surprise. On Monday morning in Beijing, they were trying to decide whether Vice Premier Liu He should go ahead with his visit later this week to Washington, said people familiar with the talks who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the negotiations. President Trumps tweets come after Chinese officials took a tough line in high-level trade negotiations last week in Beijing, two of the people said. Chinese negotiators said they were reluctant to make any agreement that would require Chinas legislature to approve changes to current law. The legislature in March already approved a new foreign investment law that added protections for foreign companies who fear they will be forced to transfer their technology and know-how to Chinese firms, but business groups and Trump administration officials said it didnt go far enough. OMAHA It is called Woodstock for Capitalists for a reason. More than 40,000 investors descended on Omaha this weekend for Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting, in celebration of an economic model that has come under attack over the past year by political leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well as billionaires who warn that capitalism could lead to class warfare. The most prominent face of capitalism Warren Buffett, the avuncular founder of Berkshire and the fourth wealthiest person in the world, worth some $89 billion appeared to distance himself from many of his peers, who have been apologizing for capitalism of late. Im a card-carrying capitalist, Mr. Buffett said. I believe we wouldnt be sitting here except for the market system, he added, extolling the state of the economy. I dont think the country will go into socialism in 2020 or 2040 or 2060. There is something oddly refreshing about Mr. Buffetts frankness. Many of todays business leaders appear to publicly wring their hands over the state of inequality or take moral stands on public policy issues. But when it comes to offering up concrete solutions and actually making the hard decisions that could affect their bottom lines, they have much less to say. Lisa Ruth Koenig and Brian Patrick Quinn were married May 4. Rabbi Noah Chertkoff of the Congregation Shalom in Milwaukee officiated at the Milwaukee Art Museum, with Cantor Karen Berman taking part. Ms. Koenig, 29, is a third-year medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth. The bride is the daughter of Debra S. Koenig and Dr. Steven B. Koenig of River Hills, Wis. The brides father is an ophthalmologist and director of the cornea and refractive surgery service at the Eye Institute of Froedtert Hospital, as well as a professor of ophthalmology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, both in Milwaukee. Her mother is of counsel at Godfrey & Kahn, a law firm in Milwaukee. She also serves on the board of directors of Meta House, a residential and outpatient treatment program in Milwaukee for women suffering from substance abuse. Mr. Quinn, 36, works in New York as a vice president for EY-Parthenon, a management consulting firm based in Boston, where he advises life sciences companies and investors on corporate strategy. He graduated cum laude from Harvard and received a master's degree in comparative literature from the University of Chicago and a masters degree in biomedical sciences from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, now Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. In Manhattan, however, they would stick up prominently between a busy street and the promenade. After being set up, they would eventually be decorated by artists in a process city officials call beautification. Not everyone who has beheld them agrees. I saw the barriers in Red Hook, and they are not attractive, said Catherine McVay Hughes, a former chairwoman of Community Board 1, which encompasses the financial district and the seaport. Theyre not contextual with the South Street Seaport. The barriers would be atrocities, said Alice Blank, a TriBeCa resident who heard city officials present their plans to the community board at a recent meeting. I guess what they were saying is, were going to put down these unsightly blocks and were going to paint them in the fall. City officials said the barriers can last up to five years and are worthy stopgap measures. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the current hazard and permanent mitigation, said Benjamin Krakauer, an assistant commissioner at the Office of Emergency Management. While they seem like a makeshift solution to protecting urban centers, New York is not the only city to deploy them other cities, including New Orleans and Los Angeles, have also used the barriers as temporary fortifications. They filled gaps in levees in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approached in 2005. In Los Angeles, the United States Army Corps of Engineers installed a three-mile line of them on a bank of the Los Angeles River out of concern about flooding from El Nino storms in 2016. But after complaints from cyclists and equestrians about the barriers blocking access to a bike path and horse-riding trails, the Corps removed many of them after the El Nino threat had passed. Alone among the grand rabbis of the Hasidic world, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Taub had no ample beard, just a few short wisps of facial hair framed by long sidelocks. He could not produce children, and his voice had a higher pitch than that of his rabbinical counterparts. Those traits testified to his torturous ordeal as an inmate in Auschwitz, where the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele subjected him and hundreds of other Jews and Gypsies to macabre experiments designed to tinker with their genetic heredity and thus prove the supremacy of the Aryan race. Rabbi Taub, the Israeli-based grand rabbi of the Kaliv Hasidim, died at 96 on April 28 at his home in Jerusalem. His funeral took place the same day, and thousands of Hasidim crowded the plaza outside to mourn. Once he had reconstituted his Hasidic tribe in Israel, Rabbi Taub devoted himself to exhorting the Hasidic world and those outside it to remember the approximately six million Jews killed by the Nazi regime during World War II. A donor to his first mayoral campaign pleaded guilty to bribing him to get favorable lease terms for a Queens restaurant. Federal prosecutors indicated that they didnt charge Mr. de Blasio because the Supreme Court had recently narrowed the scope of what could be considered corruption. Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play. A donor to one of the nonprofits the mayor has used to advance his liberal agenda and raise his profile pleaded guilty to charges involving bribery after receiving special access to Mr. de Blasio and city officials. The citys Department of Investigation found that the mayor violated conflict-of-interest rules by soliciting donations for his Campaign for One New York from people seeking favors from the city, as the news site The City recently revealed. (The rules would not apply to the presidential PAC.) Thats not to mention the Manhattan district attorneys announcement in 2017 that the mayors fund-raising for the Democratic campaign to win the State Senate in 2014 violated the intent and spirit of campaign finance laws by directing contributions meant for political committees toward specific candidates. Fund-raising can taint City Hall by giving the appearance of pay-to-play, even if none is involved. In 2015, the city lifted a deed restriction that allowed a Lower East Side nursing home that once served AIDS patients to be converted into condos. Among those who had pushed for the deed change was the lobbyist James Capalino, who steered $40,000 to Mr. de Blasios 2017 re-election campaign and $10,000 to the Campaign for One New York. Mr. Capalino has said that the client he worked for who sought the deed change fired him in 2014 after he was unsuccessful, and that he wasnt involved in the issue afterward. City Comptroller Scott Stringer investigated the land deal and blamed mismanagement by city officials for it. In accordance with ancient laws, the wife of Japans new emperor, Empress Masako, was barred from attending a special ceremony last week when her husband ascended to the imperial throne. 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. Yet Mr. Trumps defiance can, in and of itself, form the basis for an additional impeachment article a fact that Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, recognized on Thursday. Ignoring subpoenas of Congress, not honoring subpoenas of Congress that was Article III of the Nixon impeachment, she said. President Trumps assertion that there is nothing left to learn from congressional hearings which, unlike the Mueller investigation, would be televised may be correct. But that is beside the point; it is up to Congress, not him, to decide. He also clearly fears the dramatic spectacle that such hearings would surely provide. Once again the Nixon model applies. Who can forget the scenes of John Dean, Nixons former White House counsel, testifying about the cancer on the presidency and hush money payments to the Watergate burglars? Nor can students of Watergate forget the power of the televised hearings of the House Judiciary Committee during the summer of 1974. Far from being politically divisive, they proved a dignified and appropriate response to egregious presidential misconduct enough to persuade seven out of the committees 17 Republicans to vote in favor of at least one of the articles of impeachment (Lawrence Hogan of Maryland, the father of the current governor of Maryland, was the only Republican to vote for all three impeachment articles). If the present moment has yet to offer any similar profiles in courage, that does not mean we will never see dramatic conversions. This early in our current process, it is a mistake to presume that no Republican lawmaker, House or Senate, will ever have a crisis of conscience and vote against Mr. Trump. And it is even a bigger mistake to let that presumption influence whether an impeachment process should be initiated or not. If nothing else, televised hearings would demonstrate that Mr. Trump not only lacks respect for the rule of law, but for Congress and the separation of powers a fact that, in and of itself, is an impeachable offense. James Reston Jr. is the author, among other books, of The Conviction of Richard Nixon: The Untold Story of the Frost/Nixon Interviews. He advised the British television host David Frost on his interviews with Mr. Nixon in 1977. 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. Despite a long history of segregation and racism, Americas top pageants have broken racial barriers in recent decades. Vanessa Williams became the first black woman to win the Miss America title in 1984. Carole Gist won Miss USA in 1990. Janel Bishop won Miss Teen USA in 1991. Each competition has had multiple black winners since. Last week, for the first time, black women wore the crowns of all three major pageants simultaneously. Cheslie Kryst, 28, won the Miss USA contest, and Kaliegh Garris, 18, won Miss Teen USA. They joined Nia Franklin, 25, who was crowned as the 2019 Miss America in September. The three wins have become a powerful symbol of how much American views on beauty have evolved from a past marred by racism and gender stereotypes, even as black women leaders are still severely underrepresented in other fields, like corporate America or in Congress. DUBLIN Inside a large room in Facebooks European headquarters in Irelands capital, about 40 employees sit at rows of desks, many with two computer screens and a sign representing a country in the European Union. Large screens at the front display charts and other information about trends on the social networks services, including Instagram and the messaging app WhatsApp. In the back, muted televisions broadcast BBC and other European news stations. The cramped space is home to Facebooks newly opened operations center to oversee the European Unions parliamentary election, which will be held May 23 to May 26 in 28 countries. Modeled after the war room that the Silicon Valley company created before last years midterm elections in the United States, the people inside are tasked with washing Facebook of misinformation, fake accounts and foreign meddling that could sway European voters. A similar command post was set up in Singapore for elections in India. WASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo avoided saying on Sunday whether the Trump administration would impose targeted sanctions on China over mass detentions of Muslims, in another sign of the administrations paralysis on the issue. Mr. Pompeo was asked on CBS Newss Face the Nation about whether the administration might punish Chinese officials for the detention of hundreds of thousands to millions of ethnic minority Muslims in camps in Xinjiang, a vast region in northwest China. The New York Times reported on Saturday that after months of debate, American officials had shelved proposed targeted sanctions for fear of jeopardizing continuing trade talks, and are unwilling to raise the issue in the talks. When pressed on CBS on the matter, Mr. Pompeo said he had raised the issue of human rights in multiple conversations with Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, and other officials. But he did not answer a question about any potential move on sanctions. WASHINGTON President Trump on Sunday named a former Obama administration official who has embraced some of Mr. Trumps hard-line positions on border security as the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of a broad effort to force federal agencies into a more aggressive crackdown on migrants. The pick, Mark Morgan, served as the Border Patrol chief the last three months of the Obama administration, and was previously the head of internal affairs at United States Customs and Border Protection. He will lead the agency that arrests, detains and deports people who are in the United States illegally, after Mr. Trump last month withdrew his previous nominee, Ronald D. Vitiello, saying he wanted the agency to go in a tougher direction. I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE, Mr. Trump said in a tweet. Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. He will do a great job! Mr. Morgan, who has also been an F.B.I. agent and served in the Marine Corps, seems to have positioned himself as the type of aggressive leader Mr. Trump has desired in recent months as he has shaken up the Department of Homeland Security, pushing out a wave of top officials, including Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. The president has grown frustrated with his own administrations handling of immigration and other security issues, with apprehensions at the southern border soaring and some officials resisting policies they deemed impractical or illegal. The first-blush analysis is inadequate, Ms. Gillibrand said in an interview. This is what makes me the best person to take on Trump electability. Experience. Track record. Im the most elect she stopped. I have the type of experience theyre looking for. At this early stage of the Democratic presidential primary, much of the discussion among voters has focused on the singular desire of defeating Mr. Trump, and selecting a nominee whos best suited to that task. But while that line of thinking has largely been associated with well-known veteran male politicians, particularly former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the women running in the historically diverse Democratic field, several of whom have a demonstrated track record of winning over Republican voters, have been telling anyone who will listen that they, too, are equipped to beat the president. In addition to Ms. Gillibrand, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has drawn on her electoral success in red counties to position herself as a bridge-builder in increasingly polarized times. And Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts who soundly defeated a popular Republican incumbent in her first election has focused recently on addressing concerns that shes simply an ideas candidate, combining her rhetoric about economic inequality with a more explicit pitch on her ability to beat Mr. Trump. (A fourth leading female candidate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, has enjoyed most of her success thus far in Democratic strongholds.) As they now campaign for president, they are encountering some of the same misogyny that Mrs. Clinton faced when she ran in 2016. They are running up against assumptions voters and pundits have about what presidential leadership looks like, battling a presidential archetype where men are the only touchstones. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5) Authorities arrested 10 people in Cavite Saturday in an alleged vote-buying incident in the province. A report from Regional Field Unit 4A PCol Lawrence Cajipe to Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Amador Corpus said the arrest happened around 6 p.m. at Barangay Zapote in Bacoor. Arrested were: Teresita Marjes Irene Morales Elsie Alano Jayson Alab Rex del Rosario Jose de Leon Gregorio Tamio Michael Omedes Joselino Villa Jowel Sale Authorities made the arrests after responding to a citizen call regarding the alleged incident. The suspects were caught in the act of violating Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code. Confiscated were bundles of small brown envelopes containing 200, with a total amount of 75,800; additional cash amounting to 83,000, two t-shirts bearing the name of candidates running for office in Cavite, and a notebook bearing names of people. The report said the suspects were brought to the provincial field unit of CIDG Cavite "for documentation and proper disposition." Squatters move in; their laundry flutters from the rooftops, from every one of which there is a view of the sea. There are buildings whose facades or backs have fallen out, exposing ruinous brick insides and distinctive, colonnaded courtyards. Then, there are big piles of rubble where buildings once stood, and vacant lots where weeds have overgrown the rubble. But it is also a neighborhood where children play at checkers in the intricately carved doorways, mothers in head scarves climb the steep alleys after fetching their daughters from school, and enough of the whitewashed urban fabric survives to give a tangible sense of the past. Here, your neighbors feel at home with you, and you feel at home with them, said Jamila Hamouda, whose husband, Mohamed, 73, was born in the 18th-century Ottoman dar, or townhouse, where brilliant blue-white tiles run up the stairs. He was a teenager when French paratroopers blew up the Algerian revolutionaries legendary bomb-maker, Ali la Pointe, during the Battle of Algiers in 1958. It shocked us, what we lived through, he said. IRAPUATO, Mexico Soon after taking office in December, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared war on fuel theft, an enduring scourge that had been costing the nation billions of dollars a year. Thieves had launched a particularly damaging attack, draining 1.5 million gallons of gasoline through a single illegal tap over 10 hours and immediately elevating the issue to the top of the administrations agenda. But targeting the fuel theft racket as his first major security initiative also appeared to be an astute political move by Mr. Lopez Obrador. Brought to power on a wave of populist anger that handed him a mandate to reshape the nation, Mr. Lopez Obrador was eager to make good on his core promises: to tackle corruption and crime, and to reduce poverty and inequality by making the countrys sources of wealth work for all. But he inherited, on Dec. 1, a lackluster economy and an unenviable security situation. Mexico was approaching the end of its deadliest year on record, with the criminal world more fragmented and complicated than ever, enabled in part by chronic government corruption. CARACAS, Venezuela Seven Venezuelan military officers were killed on Saturday when their helicopter crashed while heading to a state where President Nicolas Maduro appeared alongside troops, days after the political opposition had called in vain for a military uprising. The helicopter hurtled into a mountain outside Caracas in the early hours of an overcast day. An investigation was underway. The armed forces said in a statement that the copter was heading to San Carlos in Cojedes State, where Mr. Maduro appeared on Saturday at a military academy to oversee training exercises. It was an effort to demonstrate the armed forces loyalty to him after a small group of security forces turned against him earlier in the week in the failed attempt by the opposition leader, Juan Guaido, to overthrow the government. On board the helicopter were two lieutenant colonels as well as five lower-ranking officers. The statement did not say if the copter was part of the presidential delegation. KABUL, Afghanistan Unarmed police officers were lining up for their monthly pay in northern Afghanistan on Sunday when a Taliban suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden Humvee next to a police compound, setting off a six-hour siege. At least seven Taliban gunmen wearing police uniforms some armed with suicide vests rushed through a hole blown open by the explosion, police officials said. When the siege was eventually quelled, 20 police officers had been killed and 35 wounded, the officials said. Twenty civilians were also hurt, according to the Interior Ministry in Kabul. By nightfall, police commanders said they had killed all attackers in the police headquarters in Pul-i-Kumri, the capital of Baghlan Province, about 150 miles north of Kabul. Bismullah Attash, a member of the Baghlan provincial council, said two of the uniformed attackers drove into the compound in private vehicles. Abdul Qayoum Mubariz, a police officer based at the headquarters, said about 25 police officers almost all of them unarmed were waiting in line at a bank in the compound when the Humvee exploded. He said several soldiers were carrying plates of food from a dining hall as the attackers stormed inside. MOSCOW Forty-one people were killed on Sunday when a Russian passenger jet made an emergency landing at a Moscow airport, trailing a gigantic plume of flame and black smoke and skidding to a stop on fire. A Russian law enforcement agency, the Investigative Committee, reported that 40 passengers and one crew member lost their lives. There were 78 people on the plane. Videos showed passengers who had escaped the aircraft on exit slides running away from the burning plane on the tarmac as travelers inside the Sheremetyevo airport looked on aghast. [Update: In Russian plane crash, investigators look at pilot error, equipment failure and weather.] We were witnesses to this horror, one woman, Alena Osokina, told Russias Dozhd television station. SKOPJE, North Macedonia In a presidential runoff, voters in North Macedonia on Sunday elected a government-backed candidate who plans to bring the country into NATO under its new name over a rival who had vowed to challenge the name change if elected. With nearly all ballots counted, Stevo Pendarovski, a joint candidate of the governing Social Democrats and 30 smaller parties, had about 52 percent of the vote, compared with about 45 percent for his opponent, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova. Mr. Pendarovski, 56, has defended a recent deal with Greece to make the change, enabling what was the Republic of Macedonia, one of Europes poorest countries, to move forward with membership in NATO and possibly in the European Union. The agreement is a good agreement, a necessary agreement, Mr. Pendarovski said in an interview at the governing partys headquarters in Skopje, just before he declared victory. SOFIA, Bulgaria Making his first visit to Bulgaria, Pope Francis on Sunday pointedly appealed for care for migrants in one of the corners of Europe that has been most unwelcoming to them a stance that puts him at odds with both the countrys government and its dominant church. Since the migrant crisis of 2015, one of the popes most emphatic and consistent messages has been the need to welcome refugees, who he believes have been exploited by fear-mongering European nationalists. But rarely has he delivered it in a nation that has so few Roman Catholics they make up less than 1 percent of the seven million people in a country that is mostly Bulgarian Orthodox or such powerful opposition to his view (though the Vatican itself is surrounded by widespread hostility toward immigrants that enabled the right to take power in Italy). After a brief meeting Sunday morning with President Rumen Radev in the capital, Sofia, Francis noted that Bulgaria was familiar with the drama of emigration. The country is losing its youth and educated classes to opportunities abroad and has, according to the United Nations, the fastest-shrinking population in the world. UNI Jammu, May 5 (UNI) Pakistani Army on Sunday violated the ceasefire for the fourth consecutive day along the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir. 'Pakistani troops on Sunday morning at around 1100 hours fired unprovoked and violated the ceasefire in Krishna Ghati Sector of Poonch and in Keri Sector of Rajouri, defence spokesman here said. He said that Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with artillery and firing of small arms along LoC in Krishna Ghati Sector and in Keri Sector. 'Indian Army is befittingly retaliating to the cross border firing,' he added. Meanwhile, police sources said that a man has received injuries in cross LoC shelling in Rajouri district and is identified as Mohammad Mahroof, son of Makhan Mohammad, a resident of Challas village in Keri sector. 'He received splinter injuries after a mortar shell exploded near him and he was rushed to the district hospital,' they added. He said he voted against the measure because the plan established during the Obama administration is too aggressive given that countries such as China and Russia have more time to act than the U.S. All that does is give them the advantage on business, Bacon said. It needs to be more equitable. Leading a diverse military Army Maj. Jacob Absalon was honored Friday at the Pentagon with an award for his work establishing a diversity and inclusion minor at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is an academic counselor and instructor. He is a 2003 graduate of Lincoln High School. Friends and family traveled to attend last weeks event, including his mother, Jenni Benson, who is president of the Nebraska State Education Association. The new minor fills a practical need in that newly minted army officers are expected to lead a force that reflects the full range of America. A member of the Nebraska Army National Guard died Saturday following a medical episode during physical fitness training at the armory in Broken Bow, the Guard reported Sunday. Staff Sgt. Trevor J. Kurtzhals, 29, of Lexington, Nebraska, died at Melham Medical Center, according to Maj. Scott Ingalsbe of the Guard. In a statement released Sunday by the Guard, Kurtzhals family asked for privacy. He was an 11-year veteran of the Nebraska Army National Guard and was a member of the 1075th Transportation Company. Kurtzhals was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. The statement did not describe the nature of the training exercise other than to say it was routine. Nor did it provide any other details. We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sgt. Kurtzhals and our hearts and prayers go out to his wife, his children, his mother and family during this extremely difficult time, said Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general. Sgt. Kurtzhals was a valued member of our organization and his loss is felt by the entire Nebraska National Guard. Gov. Pete Ricketts extended his condolences to the family in the statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and community as we grieve his sudden passing. 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. And El Paso, Texas, is not just a strong, thriving city its one of the safest cities in America, he said. Scott Punteney, chairman of the Pottawattamie County Democratic Party, said afterward that he liked ORourke but remains neutral in the race. Theres just so many out there right now, he said. I think, like most people, Im waiting to see how things come out. Were ready to fight and go to work for whoever our nominee is. Iowa State Rep. Charlie McConkey, D-Council Bluffs, said he was impressed by ORourkes remarks. Im liking what Im hearing, and hes getting a good reaction out of the crowd, he said. Tom Lewis of Red Oak said he was impressed that ORourke is visiting southwest Iowa in the wake of the flood. He said he also appreciated ORourkes passion. All these people, they throw their hats in the ring, and later you see there isnt any passion, he said. They just wanted to say they ran for president. Image credit: UNI Pathankot, May 5 (UNI): BJP national president Amit Shah said that the top priority of the Modi government would be to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, if voted back to power. During a political rally organised to canvass for the BJP-SAD candidate Ajay Singh Deol, aka Sunny Deol, Shah said that in last five years the national security has became stronger under the Modi government. Pakistan now clearly understands the importance of national security for India. The Prime Ministers political will power has given a new boost to our forces and the enemies of India now know how to remain in their limits. We can go to any extent to save our nation and its proud countrymen, said Shah while addressing thousands of supporters here. He also questioned on the policies of the Congress government and blamed the entire party to put national security at risk for saving their vote bank. "The silence of Rahul Gandhi on National Conference Partys demand for having a separate Prime Minister of the J&K state puts him under dark clouds of uncertainty. They are yet to clear their mind on the status of J&K, which is an important part of the India," he said. He said: "On the other hand, the BJP government is clear that no power in this world could separate J&K from us. The moment when the Indian Air Force took revenge of the Pulwama attack on our soldiers, there was a wave of grief not only in Pakistan but also in cadre of the Congress party. At the time, when the nation was proud of the national forces, these people were asking for proofs, this is the care and love they have for this nation. While addressing the gathering, he did not forget to mention about Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. He (Sidhu) was happy to hug Pakistans army chief. Was he not aware about the atrocities they made on our soldiers and on the people living on the border areas? asked Shah. On the soil of Punjab, Shah further added: "The BJP lead government has done every possible thing to punish the culprits of 1984 Sikh massacre. Why the Punjab CM Amarinder Singh is still attached to a party which has hands in direct killing of thousands of Sikhs here? He should come forward and justify his stand on this." Talking about the welfare of poor, Shah said that the BJP lead government has given them a respectable position in the nation. The poor and the farmers have been given a new identity by the BJP government. The Congress government had never done a single thing to improve their status. They have been given financial benefits for meeting their medical expenses," he said. While speaking on the occasion, Sunny Deol promised the local residents to solve the long pending demand of removal of the railways barrier. It will be my priority to solve this problem. I will give 100 per cent to complete this project, which was started by the former MP, the late Vinod Khanna. Except this, I will be focusing on improving day to day problems faced by the people of Gurdaspur, the day I resume the chair with your support, said Deol. SAD president and former deputy chief minister Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal also lashed out the state government for supporting anti national elements. He said: The state government is promoting anti-national elements to disturb the peace of Punjab. The nation has got a new identity among international countries after Prime Minister Modi came to the power. Major (Retd) Suresh Khujria, who recently joined BJP government after snubbing AAP, brought in more than 12 army veterans to the BJP. Former minister and MLA from Fatehgarh Sahib, Harbans Lal also joined the party in the presence of Amit Sharma, Sunny Deol, Union minister Vijay Sampla, Captain Abhimanyu, general secretary Praveen Bansal, former President Ashwani Sharma, Kamal Sharma, Master Mohan Lal, MLA Lakhbir Singh Lodhi Nangal, Swaran Salaria, Kavita Khanna, Seema Devi and Narender Parmar. Sujanpur MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu, BD Dhuppar, Maj Gen (Retd) Suresh Khjuria, District President Rakesh Bhatia, Jagdish Sahni and Ravi Kahlon were also present in the political rally. Image credit: UNI From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by University of Nebraska Medical Center Organizers of the recall effort against Stothert say theyre taking action out of opposition to her handling of street maintenance and the citys next trash contract. Those issues indeed involve much controversy and disagreement. We criticized Stothert on the street maintenance issue this year. But making those and other policy disputes cited by critics the basis of a recall action would open the door to a never-ending series of toss-em-out campaigns for the future. Such elections arent cheap, either. The 2011 recall election against Suttle cost taxpayers between $250,000 and $300,000, in addition to the $33,000 in public funds it took to process the petition signatures. Another complaint from recall supporters is that Stothert reacts poorly to criticism. But on that basis, its hard to see how the bar could be set any lower for a recall justification. The recall election against Suttle took place in January 2011, which was 20 months into his term. If a recall vote would take place against Stothert and follow the same general schedule as the 2011 recall, Omahans would vote this August, 26 months into Stotherts term falling even later in the mayoral term than the Suttle recall did. Gerrymandering packs the oppositions supporters into a handful of districts or cracks them among multiple districts. Voters of one party can be spread among two or more districts or packed into a single district to ensure victory. These practices give the predominant political party a built-in election advantage. Packing or cracking targeted population groups along certain geographic boundaries is the primary method by which election results are influenced. The word gerrymander was used for the first time in the Boston Gazette in 1812. The electoral district under discussion was jokingly said to be shaped like a lizard. Not surprisingly, the practice of creating oddly shaped electoral districts to create political advantages has endured for two centuries. While oddly shaped districts have not been a significant problem in Nebraska, the question of equal representation among legislative districts has been a source of conflict for rural and urban districts since the 1960s. At the time, the office of Angels Among Us was in west Omaha. Our new space is not only closer to the hospitals and families, it also has special features for the families such as a KidZone for patients and their siblings to forget about life for a while. It also has a conference room where we can meet privately with families who need our assistance. The move will provide other benefits as well, Nelson believes. The space will allow us to be creative in other ways to partner with the staff of the Ronald McDonald House to create a true healing community for families needing support. We think it is a win-win partnership that will have a big impact in our community. That impact is already substantial. Last year, Angels Among Us assisted nearly 100 families from Nebraska and Iowa with more than $350,000 in aid. Money for mortgages, rent, utilities and other necessities help the families stay financially stable. We are the largest pediatric cancer assistance program in Nebraska and we want families to know we are here for them, Nelson said. After loss of seniority, Major Gogoi will now be shifted out of Kashmir valley India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 05: Major Leetul Gogoi, the Army officer involved with using a human shield on his military jeep during the 2017 Srinagar bypoll, will be shifted out of the Kashmir Valley as a punishment for "fraternising" with a local woman in a Srinagar hotel in May 2018. The court martial had found Major Gogoi guilty of "fraternising" with a local in violation of official orders on the subject and for "being away from the place of duty while in operational area". The proceedings of the court martial were confirmed by the Army headquarters after which it was decided to shift him out the valley, the officials said, adding that the final orders were received very recently. Major Gogoi faces loss of seniority Gogoi and Malla's summary of evidence was completed in early February, followed by the initiation of the court martial proceedings, they said. The statements of the both the accused as well as other witnesses were recorded by the Army court and the punishment, which has been vetted by the Army headquarters, has been given, they added. Major Gogoi and his driver were detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police following an altercation with the hotel staff when he was allegedly trying to enter it with an 18-year-old woman on May 23 last year. The woman had expressed her unwillingness to depose during the court martial proceedings and informed the Army authorities that she had given a statement before a magistrate and the same should be treated as her final stand. The woman had also stated that she had gone out with Major Gogoi on her own will, besides disclosing that she had become a friend of the Army officer through his fake Facebook profile, where he had named himself Ubaid Arman. Immediately after the incident came to light last year, Army chief Bipin Rawat had said that exemplary punishment would be given to Major Gogoi if he was found guilty of "any offence". "If any officer of the Indian Army is found guilty of any offence, we will take strictest possible action," General Rawat had said. Major Gogoi hit the headlines after he tied a man to a jeep purportedly as a shield against an unruly mob which was hurling stones during a by-poll at Budgam, forms part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, on April 9, 2017. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 18:41 [IST] Akshaya Tritiya 2019: Shubh Muhurat Akshaya Tritiya falls on May 7, 2019 (Friday). Ideally, Akshaya Tritiya falling on a Rohini Nakshatra day with Wednesday is considered highly auspicious. According to the Drik Panchang, this year, Akshaya Tritiya Puja Muhurat is 06:11 to 12:35 with Tritiya Tithi beginning at 03:17 on May 7 and ending at 02:17 on May 8. A duration of six hours 23 minutes will be there to perform the puja. Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat to buy gold: Gold is considered to be the most precious and auspicious metal since the Vedic times. Whoever can afford, tries to buy gold on auspicious occasion as it is a symbol of wealth, power and prosperity. Buying gold is the most important ritual performed on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. According to the Drik Panchang, here is Shubh Muhurat to Buy Gold on Akshaya Tritiya: On May 06, 2019 (Monday) - 27:18 to 30:11 Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 27:18 to 30:11 Night Muhurta (Shubh, Amrit, Char) = 27:18+ - 30:11+ Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat to Buy Gold May 07, 2019 (Tuesday) - 06:11 to 26:17 Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 06:11 to 26:17 Morning Muhurta (Char, Labh, Amrit) = 09:23 - 14:11 Afternoon Muhurta (Shubh) = 15:47 - 17:23 Evening Muhurta (Labh) = 20:23 - 21:47 Night Muhurta (Shubh, Amrit, Char) = 23:11 - 26:17+ How to perform Akshaya Tritiya Puja: This day is celebrated by fasting and worshipping Lord Vishnu with rice grains. Most people initiate newer beginnings like they buy new lands, invest in gold or anything that adds up to their savings, open new audits, et al. It is also considered as one of the luckiest days for people tying the nuptial knot. In fact, it is considered an important day for the Jain community as it commemorates the first Tirthankara's ending his one-year asceticism by consuming sugarcane juice. On this day, people worship and seek blessings from the almighty by distributing germinating gram (sprouts), fresh fruits and sweets. Govt schools in Punjab are in bad shape, seek people's support for improving them: Arvind Kejriwal Kejriwal to launch AAP's UP poll campaign from Lucknow on Jan 2 Attack was planned, says Kejriwal who sees BJP conspiracy India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 05: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who was slapped during the roadshow, during a press conference, said that the attack was all pre planned. He further said that Delhi CM is the only CM whose security is in BJP's hands. The Aam Aadmi chief said there are attempts to silence him and this was the 9th attack on him in last 5 years and fifth attack after becoming CM. Speaking to media, Kejriwal said,"In the past 5 years, this is the 9th attack. After becoming chief minister it is the 5th attack. The security of the chief minister in the hands of the opposition party. In the hands of the BJP unlike in other states. Therefore, the responsibility is on BJP government.'' Opposition leaders condemn attack on Arvind Kejriwal Training his guns on the BJP over the jurisdiction of Delhi Police, Kejriwal said,''All preparations for the humla (attack) was in the BJP office. Delhi police were told to speak in the manner it did. After all, what can Delhi police do? When institutions like Election Commission is doing nothing,'' he said. Kejriwal also said, "I have been raising the question as to what is the relationship between Modi and Pakistan, in all the interviews I give. Therefore this attack was unleashed on me. Why did Imran Khan attack Pulwama? We killed 300 Pakistanis and Imran Khan says, "Make Modi the Prime Minister again. I would appeal to all Modi bakhts to think of the country." Earlier on Saturday, Kejriwal was slapped during a roadshow in Moti Nagar, prompting a strong reaction from the AAP which alleged the BJP was behind the "cowardly act". The assailant, identified as Suresh Chauhan, 33, who has a spare-parts business. He was caught by AAP workers around the jeep and handed to the police. Sisodia also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the incident on Saturday. "Do [Narendra] Modi and Amit Shah want Kejriwal to be murdered," Sisodia tweeted, attacking the prime minister and the BJP chief. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had alleged that the Delhi Police had planted the man. On Sunday, Delhi Police registered an FIR under Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) against the accused. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 13:04 [IST] Hockey coach Sandeep Sangwan moves HC over being ignored for Dronacharya Award Delhi HC asks Centre, Google to respond to mans plea to remove articles on his conviction in criminal case Who is Saurabh Kirpal? Indias likely to get its first openly gay judge of Delhi high court Delhi HC dismisses plea to stop publication, sale of Salman Khurshid's book : 'Ask people not to buy it' Ban on SIMI totally justified, tribunal verdict soon India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Pune, May 05: A tribunal headed by a Delhi High Court judge conducted a two-day hearing here to ascertain whether there was sufficient cause to extend the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an unlawful association. The tribunal, presided by Justice Mukta Gupta of the Delhi High Court, began its hearing on Friday in Pune and it concluded on Saturday. Founded in 1977, SIMI was banned in 2001. The tribunal, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, was constituted by a notification of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on February 21 this year after the five-year ban on SIMI ended on January 31. Citing communal violence, anti-national activities, Centre bans SIMI for 5 years Officials from the Maharashtra Police's Crime Investigation Department, the state Anti-Terrorism Squad and State Intelligence Department deposed before the Unlawful Activities Tribunal, to justify the ban on SIMI. Among officials who deposed before the tribunal were Ravindrasinh Pardeshi, Superintendent of Police (ATS), Ganesh Shinde, Special Branch (CID), Mumbai Police and Nisar Tamboli, Deputy Commissioner, State Intelligence Department. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, who is part of the tribunal, said the three nodal officers from the state CID, ATS and Intelligence deposed before the tribunal stating the ban on SIMI is essential in view of national security and to ensure there are no anti-national activities. "All three officers deposed and briefed about the pending trials, discoveries and seizures made and information gathered regarding SIMI activities and how the ban is essential in view of national security," she said. DCP Tamboli, while deposing before the tribunal Saturday, informed there are about eight cases involving SIMI. He also told the tribunal that if the ban on the organisation is lifted, it will regroup and carry out anti-national activities. ATS SP Pardeshi, who deposed on Friday, justified the ban on SIMI and submitted information about the Mumbai local train bombings of 2006 and also briefed about a SIMI operative who was convicted by the court. He also submitted that the lone convict in Pune's German Bakery blast case, Mirza Himayat Baig, had links with SIMI. Former SIMI man accused of sedition arrested at Varanasi airport DCP Shinde from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) cited a 2001 case from Mumbai where a SIMI operative was arrested and some incriminating material were recovered. Anand said the tribunal will head to Hyderabad for the next hearing and, thereafter, will return to Maharashtra, where a hearing is likely to take place at Aurangabad. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 11:10 [IST] Rahul Gandhi visits his former bastion Amethi for the first time since losing to Irani Over 3 lakh votes I got in Amethi in 2014 told me people needed help there, says Smriti Irani Amethi DM shunted out after video with kin of BJP leader's slain son goes viral Baseless: Amethi hospital rejects PM Modi claim of turning away patient India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 05: Authorities of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Amethi today denied allegations that they had turned away a man in need of medical attention just because he was a beneficiary of the central government's National Health Protection Scheme, Ayushman Bharat. "It's a baseless allegation. We have treated 200 patients under the scheme so far," said S M Choudhary, Director of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Amethi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged a patient died after an Amethi hospital with trustees from the Gandhi family denied him treatment saying it was not "Modi's hospital" where Ayushman Card would be accepted. "The Congress has always been insensitive to the poor. In Amethi (Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency), a poor person, who had the Ayushman Bharat card, was denied treatment by a hospital whose trustees are from the Gandhi family," Modi said. "The person was told that this is not Modi's hospital where the Ayushman Bharat card will be accepted," the PM said. Earlier in the day, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate from Amethi Smriti Irani tweeted a video in which a man is heard saying that his uncle died as he was denied treatment by the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital after being told that "Modi's Ayushman Bharat card" was not accepted there. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme launched under the Ayushman Bharat Mission in 2018. It aims to address healthcare holistically by making interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary care systems covering both preventive and promotive health. Year 2021: Meet the CMs who Stepped Down, Returned to Power Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Cyclone Fani at centre of storm: Modi tried calling Mamata Banerjee but calls not returned India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 05: As the sky cleared after Cyclone Fani, politics returned to the centre stage in West Bengal with the Trinamool Congress and the BJP whipping up a storm over Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly omitting Mamata Banerjee from the list of government functionaries he spoke to on the calamity. On Saturday, the Trinamool Congress had claimed that Modi had called up Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, but did not phone West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to discuss rescue and rehabilitation operations. Modi had on Saturday tried to contact West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss cyclone Fani but could not do so as his calls were not returned, a top government official has said. Mamata assesses damage caused by Cyclone Fani The party had claimed that PM Modi only spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi about the post-Fani situation in the state. However, the Centre has now rubbished the reports. Sources in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday dismissed media reports that Modi spoke to West Bengal governor and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik about Cyclone Fani and not to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PMO sources added that two attempts were made to connect PM Modi to West Bengal CM but to no avail. "Attention has been drawn to reports in a section of media,that TMC has expressed its displeasure at PM Modi speaking only to WB Governor,about the post-Fani situation in the state. TMC have claimed that the PM had called Odisha WB CM. The claim is incorrect," PMO sources were quoted as saying by ANI. Cyclone Fani barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, killing at least eight people, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages, officials said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 15:37 [IST] Cyclone Fani leaves 29 dead in Odisha, CM announces relief package India oi-PTI Bhubaneswar, May 05: The death toll in Cyclone Fani rose to 32 on Sunday, two days after the "extremely severe" storm barrelled through coastal Odisha, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts. Announcing a relief package for those affected by the calamity, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said all families in Puri and in those parts of Khurda, which had been "extremely severely affected" in the storm, will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 in cash and polythene sheets, if covered under the Food Security Act (FSA). For the rest of Khurda district -- categorised as "severely" affected -- the FSA families will get a month's quota of rice, Rs 1,000 in cash and polythene sheets, he added. Those living in the "moderately-affected" districts of Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur will be eligible for a month's quota of rice and Rs 500 in cash, Patnaik said. Formation to landfall: Find out how IMD tracked cyclone Fani The chief minister also announced an assistance of Rs 95,100 for "fully-damaged" houses, Rs 52,000 for "partially-damaged" houses and Rs 3,200 for houses that had suffered minor damage. Talking to reporters here, Patnaik claimed that water supply had been restored in 70 per cent areas of the worst-hit Puri town and 40 per cent of the places in state capital Bhubaneswar. "I am hoping that water supply will be fully restored in Bhubaneswar shortly and at least in 90 per cent areas of Puri town by this evening," the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, who is seeking a fifth term in office, said. "The government has made arrangements to provide cooked food for free over the next 15 days. We will also take up tree plantation on a mission mode," he added. The chief minister, however, could not give the details on the status of the ongoing work for power restoration in the affected areas. "We have to be very careful to avoid accidental electrocution," he said, when asked if power supply will be restored in the capital city, which continued without electricity for the third day on Sunday. According to state Chief Secretary A P Padhi, 21 of the 29 deaths were registered in the pilgrim town of Puri, where the storm made a landfall on Friday, flattening fragile houses, uprooting scores of trees, electric poles and mobile towers. The government had mounted a massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting nearly one crore people, he said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 19:55 [IST] Despite being barred for 3 days, Sadhvi Pragya campaigns, gets EC notice India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bhopal, May 05: Bhopal District Election Officer on Sunday sent a notice to BJP candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur over a complaint of her campaigning during the three-day period when she was barred by EC from campaigning. The officer has sought a reply from her. Sadhvi Pragya, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal on BJP ticket, was barred from campaigning for 72 hours for her remarks on former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare and for expressing pride about her role in the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. Thanks for barring her: Digvijaya on Sadhvi Pragya The poll body "strongly condemned" Thakur's comments and warned her "not to repeat the misconduct in future". The Election Commission said that though Thakur - who is out on bail at present in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case - apologised for her statement about Karkare, it found the comments to be unwarranted. On her comment expressing "extreme pride" at her role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the Election Commission noted that the BJP candidate's explanation was not satisfactory and held her guilty of violating the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct. Elections for 542 seats of Lok Sabha will end with voting in 59 seats in the seventh phase on May 19 while counting of votes will take place on May 23 and results will be declared simultaneously. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 10:37 [IST] Gadchiroli naxal strike: Cops missed alerts on March 21, April 3, 9, 11 and 23 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, May 05: In the wake of denials that there was no intelligence input regarding the naxal attack in Gadchiroli, investigations have now revealed a different stories. On March 21, April 3, 9, 11 and 23, there were six alerts that were sent out, all of which suggested that the naxals had hatched a plot to target security forces in Gadchiroli. Officials OneIndia contacted remained tight-lipped about these alerts, but added that they were looking into them. Lack of intel led to Gadchiroli naxal attack It may be recalled that Maharashtra Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal denied that there was any intelligence input regarding the Naxal attack in Gadchiroli district in which 16 persons including 15 policemen were killed Wednesday. He, however, admitted that there were some lapses in operational procedures which led to the tragedy. To a question by reporters here, he said the IED blast that killed the policemen and a civilian driver could be the handiwork of Korchi and Kurkheda Dalams of the Naxals operating in the area. "We suffered a heavy loss, but this will not deter us from carrying out our operations. Operations will continue with full force," the state's top police officer said. Meanwhile the police have named a top naxal leaders among others in its FIR that was filed. The police said that it has named Bhaskar, the North Commander of the CPI (Maoist) and 40 others in its FIR. They have been booked for murder and conspiracy, the police also said. The police have also invoked the provisions under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against the naxalites. Maharashtra: Naxals trigger IED blast in Gadchiroli, 15 jawans killed Bhaskar is a top naxal and is on the most wanted list. He has been active now for 15 years and also carries a reward of Rs 16 lakh on his head. He was behind both the planning and the logistics relating to the attack. Investigations show that after a lull of three years, the naxalites were aiming to make a comeback in Gadchiroli. The police say that the explosive material recovered from the site has been sent for forensic examination. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 9:19 [IST] Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet 'Hurt by what PM said about Rajiv Gandhi', says Sam Pitroda India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 05: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the life of Rajiv Gandhi ended as "corrupt no. 1", referring to the Bofors scam, Technocrat and chairman of the Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda on Sunday said that he was hurt by what Prime Minister said about Rajiv Gandhi. Sam Pitroda, Indian Overseas Congress chief, said, "We were hurt by what PM said about Rajiv Gandhi yesterday. Normally, the PM of a country speaks for the people, it's a huge accountability. PM can't speak nonsense." Karma awaits you', Rahul hits back at PM over Bhrashtachari No. 1' remark at Rajiv Gandhi ''Why did he say that? We are ashamed of the statement, I am a Gujarati too & come from Gandhi ji's state. People of this state can lie so much & speak such lowly things, this saddens us,'' he also said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi also asserted that PM Modi is projecting his inner beliefs about himself onto his father. Rahul tweeted, "The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug." Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi tweeted, "The Prime Minister, who asks for votes in the name of martyrs and then insults their martyrdom, yesterday insulted a virtuous man and his martyrdom. The people of Amethi, for whom Rajiv Gandhi gave up his life, will give him a befitting reply for this insult. Yes, Modi ji, this country does not forgive deceitful people." Modi has crossed all limits of decency', says Chidambaram on 'Bhrashtachari No. 1' remark On Saturday, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh, Modi had accused the Congress of harping on the acquisition of Rafale aircraft only to tarnish his image. Taking a swipe at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Modi had said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No. 1 (corrupt number 1)'." The prime minister was referring to the Bofors scam in which Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 12:47 [IST] In Kurukshetra, its a long battle for modern generation Arjun now India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 05: Kurukshetra in Haryana is known as a land of redemption. The famous battlefield of Mahabharata and land of the Bhagavad Gita, Kurukshetra is witnessing an epic three-cornered poll battle in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019 with 21st century Arjun Chautala in the fray. The fourth-generation scion of the Chautala family, 26-year-old Arjun Chautala, a grandson of jailed former CM O P Chautala, is making his electoral debut from Kurukshetra. Arjun is the only heir apparent of the estranged Chautala family in the poll fray, whose victory or defeat will determine his family's relevance in the politics of the Jatland. Surprised to see brother, sister's violent reaction to PM's true comments, says BJP Meanwhile, the BJP has fielded its Haryana minister in CM Khattar's cabinet Nayab Saini from Kurukshetra while the Congress has nominated Nirmal Singh, a seasoned politician who has served as an MLA several times. Also, in poll fray is Jai Bhagwan Sharma, a former Zila Parishad member, of the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), a party created after the INLD split owing to a Chautala family feud. Kurukshetra turns hotbed for caste politics: The seat is dominated by members of the Jat community, Saini, Jat Sikh Punjabi and others. Out of about 15 lakh voters (14,98,459), nearly half belong to OBCs. While Jats form more than 30 per cent (4 lakh) of the voters, there are nearly two lakh Dalit voters, 1.25 lakh Brahmin voters and 1 lakh Saini community voters. Saini community voters will also influence this election as there is a rift between Jat and Saini communities over reservation quota for backward classes. During the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Raj Kumar Saini of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - won by getting a margin of over 1.29 lakh votes. He had defeated Balbir Saini of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). Raj Kumar Saini had secured 418112 votes while Balbir Saini got 288376 votes. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 16:43 [IST] Karni Sena to organise a rally in Jaipur on October 27; Ravindra Jadejas wife to address it Karni Sena threatens Javed Akhtar over 'ban ghungat' comment; told to apologise India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 05: Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar hit headlines when he commented on the burqa ban controversy. His statements have apparently upset a fringe outfit, which calls themselves Karni Sena. Taking to Twitter, Akhtar said,''Some people are trying to distort my statement . I have said that may be in Sri Lanka it is done for security reasons but actually it is required for women empowerment . covering the face should be stopped whether naqab or ghoonghat.'' Akhtar had earlier urged the Modi government to emulate Sri Lanka in banning the burqa on grounds of national security. Muslim cleric's remark on cow slaughter: Javed Akhtar seeks arrest "If you want to bring a law banning burqa here (in India) and if it is someone's view I have no objection. But before the last phase of election in Rajasthan, this government should announce a ban on the practice of 'ghunghat' (covering of the face by Hindu women) in that State," Akhtar had told reporters. However, this didn't go well with the fringe outfits that operate under the name Karni Sena. The group has threatened Akhtar to beat him up and and 'goug out his eyes' if he does not render an apology. Karni Sena, are infamous for their violent protests during the release of the film Padmaavat. Earlier this year, they had even created chaos during the release of Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's decision came in the wake of the Easter Sunday terror attacks in the island nation that killed over 250 people. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 13:42 [IST] 'Losing sense of economy and politics: Jaitley jabs Manmohan Singh India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 05: Union minister Arun Jaitley defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "ending his life as bhrashtachari(corrupt) number one". In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that Rahul Gandhi thinks that "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a man of utmost integrity. Jaitley said that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star. "The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister - a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" the Minister said. The Dynast can attack the integrity of Indias Prime Minister a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions? Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress' defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls. On former prime minister Manmohan Singh accusing the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits, Jaitley said, "When an economist turns into a politician, he loses sense of both economy and politics. Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Today he regards the World's the fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley said. Dr. Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 The comments came after Manmohan Singh, in an interview to PTI, found fault with PM Modi's five-year rule, describing it as "most traumatic and devastating". Singh, known as the architect of India's economic reforms in 1990s, felt the country is headed for a slowdown and accused the Modi regime of leaving the country's economy in "dire straits". In one of his most fierce attacks on the Modi dispensation, Singh alleged that the past five years only witnessed "stench" of corruption peaking to "unimaginable proportions", adding demonetisation was perhaps the "biggest scam" of independent India. Singh dismissed the notion that there was a wave in favour of Modi and asserted that the people have made up their minds to vote out the government that "does not believe in inclusive growth and is only worried about its political existence at the altar of disharmony". Year 2021: Meet the CMs who Stepped Down, Returned to Power Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Mamata assesses damage caused by Cyclone Fani India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Kolkata, May 05: Except for damaging a few huts, Cyclone Fani did not cause much havoc in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said as the severe cyclonic storm weakened Saturday morning and headed towards neighbouring Bangladesh. While flight operations resumed at the Kolkata airport at 9.57 am, train services on the Sealdah and Howrah sections are also getting back to normal. The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) resumed its routine operation Saturday morning at both Haldia and Kolkata docks. Cyclone Fani kills 14, injures 63 in Bangladesh: Report "The entire administration was awake the whole night. We were very worried about the cyclone," Banerjee said. She had cancelled her election programmes and stayed put at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district to monitor the situation. "There was not much damage in the state. At least 850 mud houses in the districts were partially damaged, while 12 were destroyed," the chief minister said. Banerjee said the state government will extend help to people whose houses have been damaged due to the cyclone. Trees uprooted in different parts of the state due to speedy wind have been removed and the roads cleared for plying of vehicles, she said. Restoration of electricity snapped in different districts is underway. "Around 42,000 people have been evacuated by our people who took them to relief shelters. The civic services have been restored in Digha, Mandarmoni, whereas it is work in progress at other places," she said. Also Read | Cyclone Fani heads for Bangladesh, no major impact in West Bengal The storm weakened on Saturday morning and moved towards Bangladesh. Kolkata witnessed wind speed of 30-40 kmph with moderate to heavy rainfall overnight. The very severe cyclonic storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Odisha coast, before moving further north-northeastwards and entering West Bengal through Kharagpur in West Midnapore around 12.30 am Saturday, officials said. "It has moved to Arambagh in Hooghly and is now in Nadia district from where it will go to Murshidabad district before entering Bangladesh. It is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further over the next six hours," Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre here, Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, told PTI. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim along with senior engineers of the civic body and local councillors was on a night-long vigil in and around the city to keep a tab on the situation. "We had made arrangements to act on an emergency basis had Fani hit the city. But thank god, nothing major has happened," Hakim told PTI. Much to the glee of passengers, flight operations which were suspended from 3 pm on Friday resumed at the Kolkata airport at 9.57 am Saturday, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. Air India was the first airline to start operating out of Kolkata airport, the official said, adding a GoAir flight from Delhi was the first flight to land in Kolkata at 10.10 am. The AAI official said airlines had refunded fares of cancelled flights to the passengers and took care of them. Very few passengers had stayed back at the airport on Friday, the official said. Out of an average 224 daily flights, only 110 flights operated on Friday, the official said. Train services on the Sealdah and Howrah sections are also getting back to normal, officials said. The ferry services on river Hooghly, however, were yet to resume. Five persons were injured when a portion of the roof of a hutment collapsed on Friday night in central Kolkata's Beniatola Lane, police said. All of them were released after treatment. Kolkata Port Trust chairman Vinit Kumar said there had been no damages to the port infrastructure. "Operations at both Kolkata and Haldia docks have resumed since morning," he said. Meanwhile, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi visited Kakdwip subdivision of South 24 Parganas district to review the situation after the area was affected by the cyclone. Tripathi met local administration officials and interacted with people to ascertain the impact of Fani and the relief work. "He also went to a multipurpose cyclone shelter in Madhusudanpur where people had taken shelter the preceding night," a source at the Raj Bhawan said. The Governor will be visiting cyclone affected areas of West Midnapur district on Sunday, he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 10:48 [IST] Former PM Manmohan Singh to remain absent in Rajya Sabha for entire winter session on health grounds Modi's 5 years 'most traumatic, devastating': Manmohan Singh India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 05: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday warned that India's economy is headed for a slowdown and that the Narendra Modi government is leaving it in dire straits. "PM Narendra Modi's rule was the most traumatic and devastating for India's youth, farmers, traders and every democratic institution," Manmohan Singh said in an interview with PTI. In one of his most fierce attacks on the Modi dispensation, Singh alleged that the past five years only witnessed "stench" of corruption peaking to "unimaginable proportions", adding demonetisation was perhaps the "biggest scam" of independent India. With the saffron party making nationalism its main poll narrative in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Singh said, "BJP searching for new narratives every day. This reflects bankruptcy of national security vision." Finance Ministry says economic growth may have slowed in 2018-19 Singh further asserted that while the UPA government was open to scrutiny, PM Modi considered his government inscrutable and unaccountable to the litany of corruption charges. The former prime minister also called Modi's Pakistan policy "slipshod", which he said was marred by a series of "flip-flops" -- from going to Pakistan uninvited to inviting "rogue" ISI to the Pathankot air base in connection with the probe into a terrorist attack. The former prime minister sought to question Modi's commitment. He said it was "distressing" to note that Modi was "filming movies" in the Jim Corbett National Park instead of chairing any meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the immediate aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. He claimed the "gross intelligence failure" in Pulwama speaks volumes about this government's preparedness to tackle terror. OneIndia News (With PTI inputs) BSP to fight solo in UP, Uttarakhand, no tie-up with Owaisi's AIMIM, says Mayawati 'Should not be misled': Mayawati reaches out to Brahmins before UP polls Why is Congress high command silent over killing of Dalit man in Rajasthan, asks Mayawati Our coalition will vote for Congress in Amethi, Raebareli to defeat BJP: Mayawati India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 05: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Samajwadi Party(SP) and Congress were deceiving Mayawati Bahujan Samaj Party chief today lent support to the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli - strongholds of the Gandhi family. In a statement, Mayawati said: "The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are alike. We have not done any coalition with the Congress but to defeat the BJP, our coalition will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Mayawati said the decision to not field a joint BSP-SP candidate from these constituencies was a deliberate attempt to destabilise the BJP vote share. Our Gathbandhan is strong, unlike what the BJP is saying: Akhilesh hits back at Modi "Keeping in mind that the BJP does not benefit from these constituencies, the alliance decided to leave the two seats for the Congress. I am hopeful that every vote in favour of our alliance will go to the Congress MPs (in these seats)," she further said. Addressing a rally on Saturday, PM Modi had alleged that the Samajwadi Party(SP) and Congress were deceiving Mayawati on the pretext of making her the PM, and that she had understood their "big game". Questioning the SP's "silence" on the Congress, he hinted at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's address to SP workers in Rae Bareli as a sign of the understanding between the two parties. Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, plays a significant role in deciding who will form the next government at the Centre. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 17:20 [IST] Election expenditure: How much did BJP, Congress, DMK, CPI, TMC, AIADMK receive funds and spent during polls? PM condemns killing of J&K BJP leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of Jammu and Kashmir BJP leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir and extended condolences to his family. The Prime Minister took to micro-blogging site Twitter and said that there is no place for such an act of violence in the country. Taking to Twitter, Modi tweeted,"Strongly condemn the killing of Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers.'' BJP leader shot dead by terrorists in South Kashmir: Report On Saturday, Mir was shot dead by unidentified militants in his house in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. Giving details about the attack, the police informed that three militants came to his house in Nowgam Verinag area and asked for the keys for his car. While driving the vehicle away, they fired bullets into Mir, who was popular in the area as 'Atal'. Several leaders across political lines including National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Ghulam Ahmad Mir condemned the killing. Meanwhile, J&K's BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur termed Mir's killing barbaric. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 9:56 [IST] ISIS or Taliban not important: It is the ISI that ethnically cleanses Hindus and Sikhs Sri Lanka bombers were in India to build links India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 05: Sri Lanka Army's chief has said some of the suicide bombers who carried out the country's worst terror attack on Easter Sunday last month had visited Kashmir and Kerala for "some sorts of training" or to "make some more links" with other foreign outfits. It is the first time a top security official has confirmed the militants' visit to India, which had shared intelligence inputs with Sri Lanka ahead of the attacks. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 people and injuring over 500. Who did the Sri Lankan bombers pay a visit to in Bangalore, Kerala, Kashmir In an interview to the BBC on Thursday, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake disclosed some details on the movement of the suspects in the region, and also international links. "They have gone to India, they've gone to Kashmir, Bangalore (Bengaluru); they've travelled to Kerala State. Those are the information available with us," he said. Asked what activities the attackers undertook in Kashmir and Kerala, the Army chief said: "Not exactly, but definitely in some sorts of training or to make some more links towards the other organisations outside the country." The terror outfit Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government blamed the local extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Colombo has since banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people for the blasts. On the possible involvement of a foreign group, the Army chief said that by looking at the pattern of the operation and the places where the suspects had visited, there had to be some outside involvement of some leadership. Asked why the threats were not taken more seriously after information was received from India, he said: "We had some information and intelligence-sharing; situations and military intelligence on a different direction and the others were different and there was a gap that everybody could see today." He said as the Chief of the Army, he believed that everybody who is responsible for intelligence-gathering and the national security is to be blamed, including the political hierarchy. Why Kerala must be on guard for the silent returnees of the Islamic State Asked why Sri Lanka was targeted, Lt. Gen. Senanayake said: "Too much of freedom, too much of peace for the last 10 years. People forget what happened for 30 years. People are enjoying peace and they neglected security". He was referring to the three-decade civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "We are deployed on the ground to give confidence to the public and ensure there is no violence or escalation of communal riots in this country. Have trust on the armed forces and the police who will bring normalcy as soon as possible," the Army Chief added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 9:31 [IST] Stalin asks why have civic polls in TN not been held India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Madurai, May 05: DMK president M K Stalin Saturday blamed the ruling AIADMK government for not holding civic polls and said it was the reason for problems related to provision of basic amenities like drinking water and roads. Addressing people in Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency here, which goes to the bypolls on May 19, Stalin said his party had held over 12,500 village level meetings (Ooratchi Sabai) and listened to the grievances of the people. "You have listed the problems of your region. Stalin calls for reforms in the EC after raids at Kanimozhi's residence If you look at the basic problems, there are several of them like providing drinking water, road and bus facilities, and sanitation and hygiene," he said. "If you ask the reason for such problems, this government has not held the local body elections. Had civic polls been conducted (and if elected bodies had taken charge) there is no scope for such grievances," he observed. Local body elections were originally scheduled to be held in October 2016. Subsequently, the DMK moved the Madras High Court and the State Election Commission had said in January this year that notification for the civic polls would be issued in May. Days ago, the SEC has again approached the court, seeking three months time for issuing the notification. Assuring that DMK would solve the problems of the people, Stalin said the government should address issues pertaining to the handloom sector (Tirupparankundram is home to handloom weavers), with the Centre's support. "This (State) government, however, is unable to solve even basic problems...this is a minority government (alleging that AIADMK does not have majority support in the Assembly) which is not worried about the poeple," he alleged. The DMK had for long been working for the welfare of handloom weavers, he said and recalled that party founder C N Annadurai and late leader M Karunanidhi had sold handloom goods by going door to door for the benefit of handloom weavers. Also, 100 units of electricity was provided free of cost to handloom weavers to help them, he said. "This is the history of DMK," he said and assured that such bonding with handloom weavers would continue for ever. HC declines to grant relief to TN min on defamation suit against Stalin Stalin alleged that the AIADMK, the ruling party for eight years, was giving several assurances since bypolls were around the corner, and all of these were nothing but a "deceitful drama." "On May 23, (the day of counting of votes) there will be a change of government at the Centre and State and after that the grievances of weavers will be addressed. I would like to assure you that the DMK will take resolute steps to ensure that," he said seeking support for his party candidate, P Saravanan (Tirupparankundram). For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 11:27 [IST] No cause for panic, new media rules will benefit all: Javadekar Will raise our climate ambitions but not under pressure: Javadekar Now Ferraris and Lamborghinis can test in India: India gets Asias longest high speed track Surprised to see brother, sister's violent reaction to PM's true comments, says BJP India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 05: The BJP on Sunday said it was surprised to see the violent reactions of brother and sister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "true comments" on late PM Rajiv Gandhi. Briefing the media, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said, "They (Congress) are playing politics of abuses. Gandhi's are rattled and they can't tolerate it. Rajiv Gandhi defended the 1984 riots. People of the country know everything. After four phases of polling, it is clear that Congress is losing this election." 'Karma awaits you', Rahul hits back at PM over Bhrashtachari No. 1' remark at Rajiv Gandhi ''Congress is getting desperate as eight out of ten people support PM Modi. I am surprised to see the violent reaction of both sister and brother (referring to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi) on a true statement made by Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi is calling names and cursing Modi because of dynast arrogance, and think power is their birth right,'' Javadekar said. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had slammed PM Narendra Modi for his "corrupt no. 1 jibe" aimed at the former PM. While Priyanka Gandhi said the remark was reflective of the PM's "uncontrolled insanity" and an insult to Rajiv Gandhi martyrdom, the Rahul Gandhi said, "projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you." On Saturday, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh, Modi had accused the Congress of harping on the acquisition of Rafale aircraft only to tarnish his image. Taking a swipe at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Modi had said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No. 1 (corrupt number 1)'." The prime minister was referring to the Bofors scam in which Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors. The scandal swirled around allegations that Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors paid huge kickbacks to Rajiv Gandhi and others for the sale of its artillery gun to India. However, the High Court said there was no evidence that Rajiv Gandhi had accepted bribes. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 15:20 [IST] Who did the Sri Lankan bombers pay a visit to in Bangalore, Kerala, Kashmir India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 05: Sri Lanka has made a startling revelation even as India continues to probe possible local links to the Easter Bombings that claimed over 250 lives. They had gone travelling to Bangalore, Kashmir and Kerala according to the information available, he said. When asked about the purpose of the visit, he said it was for some sort of a training or to establish links with other organisations outside the country, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayke said in an interview to the BBC. Why Kerala must be on guard for the silent returnees of the Islamic State The Easter bombings have been blamed on the National Towheed Jamat and Islamic State. The revelations come in the wake of the National Investigation Agency conducting raids in various locations and even probing deep into the Kerala ISIS module case. The National Investigation Agency is now examining the possible links to the Islamic State. The NIA is questioning several persons in connection with the case and is trying to ascertain if there were links between some members of the PFI and the ISIS. NIA officials say probing this link is necessary as the ISIS is known to tie up with regional outfits. This was seen during the Sri Lanka blasts, where the ISIS had aligned with the National Towheed Jamath. On Thursday the National Investigation Agency during a raid conducted in 20 places seized incriminating material relating to the Popular Front of India. During searches, a number of digital devices including 16 mobile phones, 21 SIM cards, 3 Laptops, 9 Hard Discs, 7 Memory cards, 118 CDs/DVDs, 1 Tab, 7 Diaries,, 2 PFI Banners, 1 DVR have been seized. Besides 1 Sword, 1 Sharp edged knife and Cash of Rs 2 Lakhs were recovered from 3 different houses and about 100 Incriminating documents have also been seized. The raids relate to the murder of PMK member Ramalingam in which the PFI is the accused. The NIA also searched offices of the PFI and the SDPI in Trichy, Kumbakonam and Karaikal, an NIA release said. NIA officials speak about the radical nature of the group. The NIA had in fact written to the Ministry for Home Affairs detailing the activities of the PFI. In another case, the NIA is also examining the political links of a suspected suicide bomber from Kerala. Riyaz alias Abu Dujana was arrested by the National Investigation Agency and during his interrogation, he revealed that he had been in close touch with ISIS operatives and was conspiring on committing a major terrorist act. 'Leave my country alone', Sri Lankan President Sirisena to ISIS chief Baghdadi NIA sources tell OneIndia that they are closely looking into his political affiliations to find out if he was acting on his own or was supported by a group or entity. When asked for a comment on if the agency was looking at any particular party, the official refused to comment. We have come across in past cases that some radical elements were supported by political entities. This was found to be true in the case of T Nasir, the man who had masterminded the Bangalore serial blasts, the officer also added. On the comments by the Sri Lankan official, sources say that they do not have clear information on this as yet. We are yet to get more information from them, but our independent probe is on. The bombers may have visited these places to meet with like-minded people, the official also added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 8:25 [IST] Would have supported Akhilesh if he was in PM race: BJP's Azamgarh candidate India pti-PTI Azamgarh, May 05: Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav, the BJP's candidate against Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh, has said he would have supported the Samajwadi Party chief or its patriarch, Mulayam Singh Yadav, if they had been the prime ministerial candidate. In an interview to PTI, Dinesh Lal Yadav, who is popularly known as Nirahua, alleged that Akhilesh Yadav and the SP had created an "anti-national" image of the Yadavs, saying the "blind supporters" should of the party president should understand this. "If Mulayam Singh Yadav was running for the post of the prime minister, then I would have supported him. If Akhilesh was to become the prime minister, then I would have supported him," Dinesh Lal Yadav said. Our Gathbandhan is strong, unlike what the BJP is saying: Akhilesh hits back at Modi "But he (Akhilesh) is not in the race. He wants to make such a man (Rahul Gandhi) prime minister who says if his party (Congress) comes to power, then it would withdraw troops from the borders and scrap the sedition law," he added. The apparent reference was to the Congress' manifesto proposal of reviewing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and scrapping the sedition law. "If you (Akhilesh) would have been the prime minister candidate, then it would have made sense to fight against Modi. You don't want to become a prime minister and still want to lower the pride of the Yadavs. Do you want to say that Yadavs are against the nation?" Dinesh Lal Yadav asked. The actor-turned-politician underscored that nationalism was the biggest issue in the election, alleging that the Samajwadi Party was against nationalism and did politics of "appeasement". "Akhilesh is dubbed a Yadav leader.... If you have become an identity of the Yadavs, then why are you lowering the identity? Why did you forge an alliance (with the BSP, RLD) to stop an honest person (Modi)?" he asked. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate said Akhilesh Yadav's political equations in Azamgarh has turned on its head, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work and schemes had reached every people's house in the Uttar Pradesh constituency. "People have already made up their minds," he said. "Have come here to end the politics of caste and dynasty." Dinesh Lal Yadav said he would not quit politics or the BJP if he loses. And, if he wins, the actor said he would shoot most of his films in the constituency. Azamgarh goes to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 12. PTI Embassy of Japan Job 2019 For Assistant Chef in Islamabad Latest Embassy Embassy Posts Islamabad 2021 The Embassy of Japan requires the services of experienced, qualified and professional person for the position of Assistant Chef in Islamabad Pakistan 2019. How to Apply on Embassy Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. Charles Abel Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel said the Peoples National Congress Party remains a solid team despite going through a difficult time."Basically we have the numbers intact here in our camp as we speak, I just want to reassure the people of Papua New Guinea that we hear your concerns, they're not falling on deaf ears and the Prime Minister and us have been put under a lot of pressure but ultimately we're sticking together as a team and we want to respond to the cries of our people," said Abel.In a press conference late yesterday evening, Abel claims the Government team has 60 MPs, 29 of which are from PNC and the others from its coalition partners including United Resource Party, Peoples Progress Party, Social Democratic Party and the revamped Pangu Party.Abel said the numbers seem to be swaying and the government has been put on notice but believes they will sustain through this period.He expressed gratitude to the coalition partners and maintained that their team is intact.The announcement came about after the PNC members with its coalition team members held long discussions throughout yesterday.Though the 60 figure was claimed by Abel, the MPs in the team did not address the media as a group and confirmation by names were not released.Abel also appealed to the defected PNC members that the door is always open for them to join anytime as they wish.The Deputy Prime Minister and Milne Bay Governor John Luke Crittin addressed the media on behalf of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill who went into retreat with the other MPs after their discussions. The backers of a proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal in Coos Bay say they are slashing their projected spending by half and delaying the facilitys planned startup by a year as they wait for state and federal regulators to decide on key permits. In its first quarter earnings call, Pembina Pipeline Corp. executives said they still feel the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and the 230-mile Pacific Connector pipeline are economically viable. But the company wants to limit its spending on the $10 billion project before receiving permits and making a final investment decision -- industry parlance for the decision initiating financing and construction. The company plans to spend $50 million on the project this year, half its previous forecast. Tasha Cadotte, a local spokeswoman for Pembina, said the company has made great progress with engineering, land acquisition and commercial negotiations with potential customers. Were putting a pause on our non-regulatory workstreams, she said. We need to wait for state and federal regulators to catch up. The company says it expects a licensing decision from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in January and permits from the state of Oregon by the end of the year. The slowdown comes at a time when LNG prices in Asia have plummeted and sit well below what would be required to make a project viable. The Coos Bay terminal wouldnt come online until 2025, and market conditions are sure to change, likely for the better. But Jordan Cove also faces competition from existing facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as proposed LNG export projects in British Columbia that enjoy the same proximity and transit time advantages to Asia as the proposed Coos Bay project. One local energy analyst, Robert McCullough, issued a report Friday concluding that Jordan Cove would have a significant cost disadvantage compared to its competitors approximately 25 percent. We also calculate the chance of Jordan Cove reaching operation is only one third. The report says basic rationale for an investment in an LNG export terminal is the difference between the price of the gas at the production site and delivered LNG at the destination market -- in this case Asia. As nuclear plants have come back online in Japan following the Fukushima quake, McCullough says that differential has collapsed. He sees little reason to believe a large premium in Asian markets will persist. Keeping investor interest when prices have fallen this far (in Asia) is almost impossible, McCullough said. LNG Canada, located in Kittimat, British Columbia, received its final investment decision last year. McCullough says that project is bigger, closer to inexpensive Alberta and B.C. gas, and has better technology than whats proposed by Jordan Cove. Likewise, Cheniere Energy, located on the Gulf Coast, has big projects already in operation and planned expansions that dwarf Jordan Cove. That projects economies of scale, the report suggests, are sufficient to offset any shipping cost advantage that Jordan Cove would have from the West Coast. Jordan Cove will be fed by gas from both Canada and Colorado. But McCullough says the price for that gas will be set at the Malin hub in southern Oregon, and largely by demand in California, where gas trades at a premium to both the Gulf Coast and Canadian prices. It doesnt matter if Coloradans want to sell their gas cheaply, he said. The people likely to set the price are Californians. Cadotte, of Jordan Cove, said the project has already negotiated non-binding commitments for more than the capacity of the Jordan Cove terminal. Those arent binding agreements, but she said, in terms of LNG market outlook, the entire industry is moving to a gassier focus. Cadotte pointed to Shells 2019 LNG market outlook, which said a rebound in long-term LNG contracting in 2018 could revive investment in liquefaction projects. Based on current demand projections, Shell expects global LNG supplies to tighten in mid-2020s and growth in Asian demand to continue. Jordan Cove would come to market in 2025. The clear market focus for demand growth is located in the Asia Pacific market, specifically China, which aligns well with (Jordan Cove) LNG, Cadotte said. SUNDAY The Spanish Princess: This historical drama miniseries stars Charlotte Hope as Catherine of Aragon, who traveled to England from Spain and wound up as the first wife of King Henry VIII. (8 p.m. Starz) MONDAY Chernobyl: A five-part miniseries drama based on the 1986 nuclear accident stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard and Emily Watson. (9 p.m. HBO) Shadowhunters: Its the series finale. (8 p.m. Freeform) Into the Badlands: The martial arts adventures kicks its way to a series finale. (10 p.m. AMC) TUESDAY Foster: A documentary that looks at the world of foster care through the prism of cases from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. (8 p.m. HBO) The Haves and the Have Nots: The Tyler Perry-created drama returns for Season 6. (9 p.m. OWN) WEDNESDAY Empire: The series has been renewed for Season 6, but this season finale caps what has been one heck of an eventful off-camera season, thanks to Jussie Smolletts legal issues. (8 p.m. Fox) Lucifer: Fox canceled this stylish series about the devil (Tom Ellis) in contemporary Los Angeles, but Netflix picked it up for Season 4. (Netflix) THURSDAY Mom: Allison Janney and Anna Faris end Season 6. (9 p.m. CBS) FRIDAY Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Yes, this show is still on, and as proof, here it is returning for new episodes. (8 p.m. ABC) Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men: The influential hip hop group is the focus of a docuseries including interviews and performance footage. (9 p.m. Showtime) Sneaky Pete: Giovanni Ribisi returns for Season 3 of the series about a con man who fakes being part of a family, but is scrambling to hide from his past, and to keep his secrets. (Amazon Prime Video) SATURDAY My Dad Wrote a Porno: A comedy special based on a popular British comedy podcast, in which Jamie Morton reads from actual erotic fiction written by his father, under the pen name of Rocky Flintstone. (10 p.m. HBO) -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Four decades ago, a monk came to pray at a limestone cave two miles above sea level in the Tibetan Plateau. There the monk found half of a human mandible. He took the bone from the cave, and his village gave it to scientists working in the area, who stored the jawbone in an archaeological collection. In 2010, archaeologists began studying the fossil and made a remarkable discovery: This high-altitude jaw is not like yours or mine. Proteins pried out of its ancient teeth revealed the mandible belonged to a Denisovan, an extinct human species related to Neanderthals. Denisovans were a "very mysterious group," anthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin told reporters at a news conference this week. Hublin, an expert in human evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, along with Dongju Zhang, an archaeologist at Lanzhou University in China, and an international team of collaborators published a study of the mandible on Wednesday in the journal Nature. This particular Denisovan had a big chin. "This mandible is larger than my mandible, and very likely your mandible. It's a robust mandible, no question," Hublin said. One molar is not fully erupted, suggesting the Denisovan died while still growing. The half jawbone is the largest piece of a Denisovan discovered to date, the study authors said. Scientists first identified this species using DNA extracted from a girl's finger bone found in a cave in Siberia, more than 1,000 miles from the newly described jaw. The world's collection of known Denisovan fossils, which includes several teeth, a bit of skull and splinters of bone, could fit in a cereal bowl. Their genes still echo through the human lineage. Modern humans, some of whom mated with Neanderthals, must have mated with Denisovans, too. The proportion of Deniosvan DNA in genomes of people native to Melanesia, for instance, reaches 6 percent. This discovery supports previous evidence that Denisovan DNA helped modern people thrive in the thin air of high altitudes. Certain Denisovan variants, such as a gene that allows the bloods proteins to use oxygen more efficiently, are found in Sherpas and other people who live in the highest climates of Asia. The jaws owner, and his or her relatives, must have adapted to this harsh environment -- otherwise, Hublin said, they would have swiftly died out. No remains of another human species have been found at such a high altitude. Before this study, anthropologists assumed the tallest mountains and plateaus were the domain solely of Homo sapiens, Hublin said. "One of the most spectacular aspects of the discovery is, of course, the location," he said. The site, Baishiya Karst Cave in Xiahe, China, is at an altitude of 3,280 meters, or 10,800 feet. (Denver is about 1,600 meters high.) To live there is to survive on cold, low-oxygen air. Because the monk removed the fossil from the cave, the study authors could not use the bone's surroundings to determine a precise age. They said it was at least 160,000 years old, based on radiometric dating of a mineral crust stuck to the bone. That's more than 100,000 years before the first signs of modern humans living in the Tibetan Plateau. Zhang returned to the cave, and the excavation team found stone tools and animal bones with cut marks. Denisovan and Neanderthals share a lineage that branched off from the ancestor of modern humans about 700,000 years ago. The two sister species then split apart about 300,000 years later. It's unclear when or why the Denisovans vanished, but a recent genomic analysis suggests they had children with modern humans as recently as 15,000 years ago. "The very early projected age of the fossil is exciting," said John Olsen, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Arizona, who was not a part of this research. The jaw's age indicates "that central and eastern Eurasia was a very complicated place in the late Middle Pleistocene, with respect to the story of human evolution." The scientists could not pull DNA from the bone, so they used a technique called ancient protein analysis to establish whom it came from. Proteins can outlast a fossil's DNA, said Frido Welker, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Human Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and a member of the study team. Welker examined the amino acids, the protein's building blocks, of eight collagen proteins from the mandible. One amino acid found in modern humans was swapped out for a Denisovan alternate. The bone, Welker said, is definitely not a modern human "or some other kind of great ape." A single amino acid substitution is "very little data," cautioned Svante Paabo, a geneticist at Welker's institute who was not involved with this research. Neanderthals also mated with Denisovans, and it is possible a hybrid offspring could carry the amino acid substitution, too. "But that said, yes, this is probably a Denisovan." This suggests that genetic adaptation to life at high altitudes is very old, Paabo said. Denisovans and Neanderthals adapted to many environments in Eurasia, he said, then modern humans from Africa came along and mixed a bit with them. Our ancestors picked up their genetic variants in the process, the blender of human evolution pulsing once again. Not long ago, I had dinner with a local captain of industry. After a long and meaningful career, hes pondering retirement, and I asked how he planned to spend it: Christening another overpriced Yamhill County vineyard? Traveling with the Ducks? Cruising the beach at Manzanita with a metal detector? No, he said, something altogether different. He wanted to buy a tent, then pitch it in northeast Oregon, somewhere between Enterprise and Welcome to Idaho. Just outside the fence line of a cattle ranch. Miles from the nearest shower. A small outpost where, for days at a time, he could make enough noise and raise enough stink that the local pack of grey wolves would keep their wary distance, beyond the range of anyone with a gun. His vision for his golden years reminded me that there are two types of outdoors enthusiasts: There are Oregonians like my dinner companion. And there are guys like James Nash, who find sport in shooting anything that moves. What kind of sport? As Willamette Week reported last week, Nash long maintained an Instagram gallery of his kills. In one photo caption, Nash described the extraordinary marksmanship necessary to bring down a hippopotamus in Africa: Finally got my hippo skull back from Africa, Nash bragged. First shot was 5 yards. Second shot, the gun barrel was touching it. James Nash and his idea of sport As I said, two distinct approaches in interacting with the wild. Guess which one of these guys Gov. Kate Brown just appointed to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission? The commission lords over the states wolf management plan, such as it. Maybe the governor is simply being proactive. Based on his Instagram feed, Im guessing Nash would have been out in wolf country anyway, managing the population through that high-powered scope. He is, after all, the son of Todd Nash, treasurer of the Oregon Cattlemens Association, and a big fan of wolf obliteration. If you arent tracking the delicate state of the grey wolfs Oregon comeback, Fish & Wildlife recently released its annual wolf report. A few of the more telling numbers: The minimum wolf population is now 137, which includes 16 packs and 15 breeding pairs. There were only eight breeding pairs just two years ago. Fourteen of those packs are clustered in the northeast corner of the state, where they are no longer protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Since wolves returned to Oregon in 1999, the agency has confirmed 44 wolf deaths. Humans the James Nash fans have had a hand in 39 of those deaths. In 2018, seven wolves died: two by natural causes, two shot by poaching, and three lethally removed from the Pine Creek Pack in response to chronic depredation situations. Chronic depredation? In 2018, the confirmed livestock losses in the states 98,000 square miles totaled 17 calves, one llama and two livestock guard dogs. In a state of 1.32 million cows, that means the grey wolf mortality rate is 0.00129 percent. An absurdly low number, notes Amaroq Weiss at the Center for Biological Diversity, given the power the livestock industry has over state agencies to demand a dead wolf for every dead cow. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission should mitigate that power, not magnify it. Yet now we find that Kate Brown thinks Nashs diverse experience with hippopotamus skulls commends him to serve. This was a pivotal moment for Gov. Brown to transform the board, and she blew it, Weiss says. The governor had an opportunity to fill five seats of the commission with a progressive, pro-science group of people, and instead she came out with a slate of nominees that includes a trophy hunter. Being now aware of Nashs background, it is beyond comprehension that she would not have by now withdrawn him as a choice. Since January, environmental groups have been boycotting the stakeholder meetings designed to update the wolf management plan. On Monday, three of those groups Cascadia Wildlands, Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity will join Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., outside the U.S. Fish & Wildlife office to rally against the Trump administration plans to delist the wolf from sea to shining sea. Far from that madding crowd, a guy I know may soon buy a tent at the REI in Bend or the Walmart in Pendleton, then head north by northeast. In the shadows of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, hell retire for the night, hoping the wolves catch wind of the danger close at hand. -- Steve Duin stephen.b.duin@gmail.com An unnamed man filed suit Friday against Terry Bean, a prominent gay rights advocate and Democratic Party power broker in Oregon, accusing Bean of sexually abusing him when he was 17. The man, identified in court papers only as R.J.V., accuses Bean of having sex with him at least three times in 2013 and of soliciting nude photographs from him. R.J.V. was not old enough to consent, the lawsuit says. The alleged abuse has led R.J.V. to seek expensive counseling to cope with mental anguish, nightmares and mistrust in the intentions of others, the lawsuit says. The suit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, seeks $2,040,000 from Bean. Sean Riddell, attorney for R.J.V., declined to comment Saturday. Derek Ashton, an attorney for Bean, said in a statement Saturday that R.J.V. is a disgruntled former employee of Beans who was dismissed for rampant lying and stealing. The lawsuit is simply a shakedown, Ashton said. The lawsuit is the second legal action in two months accusing Bean of sexual abuse against teenagers. The first, filed in March, accuses Bean of having sex with a 15-year-old boy, to whom Bean years ago offered a $225,000 settlement. Bean, 70, also was indicted in January on charges of sodomy and sex abuse over the alleged abuse of the 15-year-old. Bean has pleaded not guilty in Lane County Circuit Court and has been released under an electronic monitoring agreement while the case proceeds. Bean, a real estate developer, has been a prominent figure among Oregon Democrats for years, holding fundraisers for candidates and giving to them directly. Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, for example, accepted $5,600 from Bean last year while running for City Council. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum accepted donations of $3,100 before returning the money after press scrutiny of the contributions. -- Gordon R. Friedman GFriedman@Oregonian.com By Mary C. King King is professor emerita of economics at Portland State University Judging by our city leaders current proposal of severe cuts to our beloved Bureau of Parks and Recreation and the chronic human misery on our streets, you wouldnt know that Portland is more prosperous than ever. Last fall, the Oregonian/OregonLive reported that median household incomes in the Portland area hit an historic peak, and business profits are high. We can and should do more to fund our city services locally. We cant wait for our federal and state governments to step up. Portland city commissioners single best strategy to fund healthy recreation programs, support mental health initiatives and invest in housing may be to follow the approach of the new tax created in 2018 by the Portland Clean Energy Initiative. Right now, the Clean Energy surcharge to the city business license tax is levied only on big, brick and mortar retailers, with revenues of $500,000 or more in the city and global sales of at least $1 billion a year. Extending the 1 percent tax to giant firms in all industries, while maintaining the exemption for groceries, medicines and health care, could raise approximately $200 million annually, extrapolating from a 2017 city revenue division report. Meanwhile, for want of $6.3 million, the city is talking about closing the Sellwood and Hillside Community Centers and Columbia Pool, significantly limiting hours and offerings elsewhere and eliminating 70 positions. Our recreation programs provide critical, affordable exercise options; inexpensive neighborhood preschools; beautiful, outdoor gathering spots and teen employment. Rather than cutting, we should be expanding programs, centers and parks, as our population grows in size and density. Our city and county Joint Office of Homeless Services runs well designed, comprehensive programs, but is seriously underfunded for the size of the problem. The offices proposed 2019 budget calls for just $33 million from the city, but far more is clearly required to accomplish its goals. Portlands homelessness prevention efforts could be much more effective if they could scale up, take over more of the first responder role that police currently fill and include investments in public housing. The genius of the business tax surcharge is that it is structured to protect small and medium-sized businesses while making it hard for huge corporations to avoid or pass on to customers. If big businesses want to sell in Portland, they have to pay the tax since it is on sales; its as simple as that. They cant dodge it as they currently do federal and state profits taxes by booking profits in offshore tax havens or taking advantage of the corporate income tax breaks resulting from well-funded lobbying efforts over the years. And they cant simply pass the tax on because they are competing with smaller, local firms not subject to the tax surcharge. We have considerable room to expand the top tier of our business taxes. Despite the endless complaints of business lobbyists, state and local taxes on companies doing business in Oregon are the second lowest in the country. Meanwhile, as Bloomberg reports, profit margins for all of corporate America are near their all-time highs, especially for the largest corporations. City leaders can no longer rely on our property tax system, crippled by 1990s reforms now cemented into our state constitution. Oregons illogical property tax structure limits the growth of assessed values, while gradually shifting the property tax burden from commercial to residential property owners and creating tremendous inequity among households. Portlands quality of life depends on expanding our parks and community centers for a growing population, while meeting local mental health and housing needs. Its time to be more proactive to raise the revenue to do that, particularly given how prosperous Portland has become. By Bruce Starr Starr is a former Republican state senator from Hillsboro and served as a chief petitioner for Save Endangered Animals Oregon, which worked to pass Measure 100. With her nomination of big-game hunter James Nash to the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission, Gov. Kate Brown has turned her back not only on Oregons wildlife and the conservation community, but the overwhelming majority of Oregonians as well. In 2016, nearly 70 percent of Oregonians voiced their support for wildlife conservation by voting yes on Measure 100, the ballot measure that banned trafficking in the parts and products of 12 different kinds of imperiled wild animals, including elephants, rhinos, big cats, and sharks. Oregon voters showed once again that protecting animals is a top priority. Sadly, Browns appointment of Nash is diametrically at odds with her own support of Measure 100. At the time, she said, Im proud of Oregons widely known reputation of protecting threatened species. State law should reflect these values. And yet, by naming Nash to the commission, she has demonstrated that too many of our states leaders, including so-called progressives, simply dont care how their constituents feel about protecting wildlife. For his part, Nash displays utter contempt for iconic wildlife species. His Instagram page now private featured photos of him grinning over animals he killed for trophies and bragging rights, including a zebra, hippo, crocodile, and a shark the latter being one of the species protected by Measure 100. Responsible sportsmanship has a long and proud history, but as the 2015 killing of Cecil the lion by a Minnesota trophy hunter clearly demonstrated, most people dont applaud trophy hunting they condemn it. While Nash may relish the idea of killing wildlife for no better reasons than a trophy and photo op, most Oregonians find the practice revolting. When confronted by public outrage at Nashs public embrace of thrill killing, thegovernor dug in and is refusing to revoke the appointment, claiming she wantsbalance and diverse experiences on the commission. Contrast that response to what happened in Idaho. When it came to light that an Idaho wildlife commissioner slaughtered African wildlife for trophies, then-Gov. Butch Otter hardly a paragon of wildlife protection asked for and received his resignation. Oregonians have every right to be shocked and outraged by Browns choice of Nash for the commission, just as they have every right to demand she revoke the nomination. If she refuses, the Oregon Senate should step up and do the right thing by rejecting a person who clearly has no place setting policy for wildlife held in trust for us all. Oregon voters have been clear where they stand - Oregons elected leaders should stand with us. Monroe is an outdoors columnist for The Oregonian/OregonLive and the chair-elect of the Clackamas River Basin Council. A decorated war veteran killed a hippopotamus and a crocodile on an African safari and posed with them for photos. Did social media jump to conclusions and erupt in a frenzy of chest-pounding? No, actually. And James Nash of Enterprise, 32, a Marine tank commander wounded twice during the war in Afghanistan, deserves as much respect and consideration as President Theodore Roosevelt received following a well-publicized African safari more than 100 years ago. Yes, that Teddy Roosevelt, one of our greatest presidents, a founder of the conservation movement, creator of national parks and the first national wildlife refuge and a trophy hunter of the first order. In 1909, he and his son, Kermit, shot 512 animals between them, including eight hippos and three crocodiles. Technically, they were on an expedition to collect animals for various museums back home. However, Kermit and I kept about a dozen trophies for ourselves, the president wrote. But a century later, in an age of social media, emotion and conjecture replace the truth about Nash, a rancher and hunting and fishing guide nominated for a seat on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Photos of his hippo and crocodile kills triggered an unfair rush to judgment of a man who, after medical retirement from the Marines, dedicated his life to the environment, river restoration, responsible range management and teaching others to hunt and fish. It's the worst aspect of social media a gratuitous avenue for instant amplification of egos, where truth often yields to opinion. Most of those upset about Nash's nomination know nothing about either the man or the story behind those photos, which were taken several years ago during an African trip he received as a reward for his service. I've been on non-hunting mission trips in Africa, where the needs are great, starvation is just around every corner and poaching is rampant. Nations today carefully manage their trophy hunting, which funds the fight against poaching. Nothing is wasted and game meat is a staple. And those damning photos? Nash said villagers where they camped asked him to kill a large three-legged crocodile that had been eating humans. Inside its stomach were several brass bracelets formerly worn by their neighbors. The hippo surprised them in the brush while they were hunting for something else. A tracker heard its stomach rumble before it charged. The first shots didn't slow it down. Nash barely had time to step aside and fire. If I had stayed in place, Id have absorbed his full charge and been killed, he said. In his post-war years, Nash has helped restore salmon and steelhead habitat in the Wallowa River, managed his ranch for responsible grazing and range restoration and educated new hunters about responsibility and stewardship Hunters from Roosevelt to Nash with and without purple hearts and medals for valor have been the heart and soul of wildlife conservation. Its not contradictory for Roosevelt, who said "to protest against all hunting of game is a sign of softness of head, not of soundness of heart, to also advise that the nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value. Nash shouldn't have to get back in his tank to prove hes willing to defend Oregons wild heritage. He deserves an objective confirmation hearing before the Oregon Senate. Ignite National Technology Fund Jobs 2019 in Islamabad Latest Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication MOIT Management Posts Islamabad 2021 Ignite National Technology Fund, Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication Government of Pakistan requires the services of highly qualified and well educated individuals for the positions of Manager Internal Audit, Manager Solicitation, Manager Evaluation, Manager Industry, Manager HR, Manager Admin, Deputy Manager Project, Deputy Manager Legal, Assistant Manager Operational Excellence, Assistant Manager Monitoring, Assistant Manager Project, Assistant Manager Financial Planning Executive Assistant in Islamabad. How to Apply on Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication MOIT Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. City economic development agency Prosper Portland has hired as its chief financial officer Adam Lane, previously the chief financial officer of Ecotrust, a nonprofit under investigation for more than a year by Oregon Department of Justice prosecutors over its handling of state tax credits. At the time Lane was in charge of Ecotrusts financial activities, the nonprofit inflated a project budget to obtain $4 million in state tax credits, according to a 2018 investigation by Business Oregon, the state economic development agency. Ecotrust representatives have said no wrongdoing occurred. An Oregon Department of Justice spokeswoman said this month that a civil investigation of Ecotrust is ongoing. City officials are aware of Lanes background and he sat for extensive interviews with Kimberly Branam, the Prosper Portland director, before his hiring, said agency spokesman Shawn Uhlman. There was no implication that he himself did anything incorrect or wrong, Uhlman said. Branam issued a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday saying Lanes deep financial expertise and educational background made him a good hire. In his interviews Adam impressed us with his candor, competency, and transactional experience advancing social equity, economic opportunity, and environmental health, Branams statement said. We believe that Adams intellect, his experience, and his demonstrated commitment to Prosper Portlands mission will make him a strong addition to our agency. Branam said her agencys general counsel has thoroughly reviewed the information that is publicly available on Ecotrust. Uhlman did not respond to emailed questions asking what information was reviewed and what went into the agencys hiring decision. Prosper Portland is the citys economic development agency, providing loans, grants and other incentives to businesses and entrepreneurs, along with administering urban renewal programs. The project for which Ecotrust is under scrutiny involves a failed attempt to restart a southern Oregon sawmill with state and federal tax credits. Ecotrust had promised to create at least 70 jobs with the injection of $8 million in taxpayer funds, but the mill reopened only briefly. State officials later determined Ecotrust included a $5 million land purchase in its project budget that was not a legitimate expense. The purchase, where the sawmill owners essentially bought their own facility from themselves, had allowed Ecotrust to collect $1.3 million in state tax credits it did not qualify for. Officials moved to claw back the credits if Ecotrust did not make a qualifying investment in a low-income census tract. The nonprofit did that in February, by investing $3.6 million in a Tualatin office supplies distributor to buy a warehouse and create five jobs. -- Gordon R. Friedman GFriedman@Oregonian.com Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Cotonou, Benin (PANA) The network of civil society organisations in Benin, "Social Watch - Benin", which had suspended its participation in the electoral platform for last Sundays parliamentary election, has called for the restoration of democracy in light of the crisis facing the country Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The National Assembly of Senegal on Saturday adopted a bill abolishing the post of Prime Minister after a heated debate that lasted for nine hours (CNN) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has canceled a trip this month to New York, backing down in the face of outrage in the city over his populist policies and his homophobic, racist and misogynistic remarks. Bolsonaro had been due to accept a Person of the Year award from the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, but his selection threw the glitzy gala into a crisis. It prompted dismay from activists and politicians and caused host venues and sponsors to dump the event. The chamber confirmed Bolsonaro had scrapped the visit after the backlash. In a statement to Reuters and Brazilian media, his office blamed the decision on "the resistance and deliberate attacks by the Mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups." New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had called Bolsonaro "a dangerous man" and welcomed the American Museum of Natural History's decision last month to pull out of hosting duties. The withdrawal is an embarrassment for the hard-line President, who has actively courted stronger diplomatic ties with the United States and has aligned himself closely with his US counterpart, Donald Trump. But organizers had been scrambling to keep the May 14 gala on track after announcing Bolsonaro as the honoree, with Delta Air Lines, Bain and a handful of other sponsors dropping the event. The far-right political outsider convincingly won his country's election last year but has been slammed by critics both at home and abroad for his anti-environment and anti-equality moves. He has supported removing indigenous communities from the Amazon rainforest and opening up the region for further mining, making the original host venue of the American Museum of Natural History awkward. He once also told a congresswoman she did not deserve to be raped because she was "very ugly," Brazil's TV Globo reported at the time, and has said he would rather his son die than come out as gay. "The only award that Jair Bolsonaro deserves is Bigot of the Year. We ran him out of town," New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman said on Twitter after the Brazilian leader canceled the visit. "Jair Bolsonaro is a dangerous man," de Blasio said earlier. "His overt racism, homophobia and destructive decisions will have a devastating impact on the future of our planet." More than 60,000 people had also signed a petition calling on the New York Marriott Marquis, which had stepped in as host, to pull out as well. Bolsonaro was set to be honored for his "strongly stated intention of fostering closer commercial and diplomatic ties between Brazil and the United States," and he remains listed as the award's winner. The gala, still scheduled for May 14, is also set to honor US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as its American recipient. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Brazil's Bolsonaro cancels New York trip, blaming protests and criticism from de Blasio." Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High around 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 28F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Pothole is a much-used word here these days. There is one on Hovey Avenue just east of Adelaide in Normal that has been hard to avoid. Potholes are absent in Germany and German speakers have to think a bit before coming up with the word. Should we ask how they do it? My daughter and colleague, Katrin Varner, and I presented a paper at a recent Chicago convention entitled Law of the Autobahn: A Tale of Two Cultures. It's well known and true that many sections of the Autobahn are without a speed limit. They slow cars down to 80 mph around cities and trucks to 55 mph, just as we do. Yet, less well known in spite of the speed, is that the Autobahn is far safer than our interstates. Should we do things the German way? The Autobahn death rate is 2.7 per billion passenger kilometers and ours is 4.7. The excitement and occasional frustration of international business is that things are different around the world. How much of the difference is law and how much culture? Professors try to sort it out. I was recently riding with a college friend of my wife in Germany. We came to a stop sign, which is exactly the same as here. The crossroad had the right of way. She stopped right on the line and pulled out in front of a car coming on out left. Fortunately, that car turned right. How did she know? It had the turn signal on and in Germany, that is enough. What we call defensive driving is not a part of things. Autobahn construction began in a big way in the 1930s. The hip Volkswagen Beetle, our first car, had a built in speed limit. People got used to it and the tradition stuck as cars got faster. The Germans, if nothing else, are thorough. The Autobahn roadbed is twice as deep as ours and uses crushed limestone not sand. They do not last forever and Americans have noticed roads being torn up that look perfectly good to us. Quality is not free here or there. Many people are going on about a few cents more fora proposed fuel tax like the world will end if we have to pay. My niece in Frankfurt reports her last fill-up was the equivalent of $5.70 a gallon and her registration is $400 a year compared to our $101. Wonder what we do with that last dollar? Next time you hit a big one you now know how we could get rid of them. People save for college here but there it is for fahrschule (driving school). It is 14 classroom hours plus 20 hours behind the wheel. Town, country, Autobahn and parallel parking are all part of this $2,000 adventure. If you learn on an automatic, it is more lessons if you want to shift those gears. My life in Illinois began when I got my wheels at age 16 but in Germany you must be 18 and the first two years are probationary. My nieces daughter was caught by camera (there are a lot of them there) going into a red light a half- second too late. It was $150 fine and $450 more for driving lessons. Would some discipline improve our driving public? A student commuting from Peoria says he is typically tailgated, cut off by other drivers and finds countless "parked" in the left lane on a typical drive home. Years ago,my family had just arrived in Germany and our 10-year-old commented that everyone seemed to have a newer car. About the same time, a guest student from Germany pointed to some professors dented rust bucket and said the police would immediately impound that thing. Along with potholes, rust and dents are also forbidden. Behind that are police who carry tire-tread depth gauges and the infamous Technischer Uberwaschungsverein. I translate this as technology watching over group. After three years, and then every two following, cars go for a rigorous inspection. It is not just emissions but brakes, suspension, dents, rust and you name it. By contrast, how many dangerous vehicles are on our roads? It must be quite a few. I learned the good habit of seat belts in high school driver education. But you may remember when it finally became the law in the 1980s there was resistance and resentment. It seemed to be an American birthright to fly through the windshield in an accident. The law came about the same time in Germany but there it was Vater Stadt (father state) knows best and it's the rule click. Germans had their birthright, too, and it was the speed limit-free Autobahn. My brother-in-law worked for Mercedes and a benefit is a free trade-in every year. He has taken me out at speeds over 100 mph. It's so smooth but think of what a pothole would do. The wind is what one really notices at that speed but you feel safe with competent hands on the wheel. Well, readers, how much do we want? Do we want speed and safety in exchange for our money and discipline? Carson Varner is a professor of finance, insurance and law at Illinois State University Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BLOOMINGTON One of two new American alligators at Miller Park Zoo is bound to grab the attention of patrons visiting their exhibit, which opens Friday. "One is an albino; that's the male," said Jay Tetzloff, who heads the city's zoo along with the parks, recreation and cultural arts department. "We wanted to show something different. From what I can find on the internet there are about a hundred or less in the world." The rare white alligator is 13 years old and about 9 feet long. "He looks like a plastic toy until he moves," said Tetzloff. The male gator and a more typical green female, which is 7 feet long and 16 years old, arrived a week ago to take the space of the previous harbor seal exhibit. They were brought from the Dallas Zoo, where they lived together. The gators are the first American alligators at the zoo in its 127-year history. American alligators are the largest reptile in the U.S. and can be found in the coastal wetlands of the Southeast. "We're excited to show off what these guys can do," said Tetzloff But the alligators have a tough act to follow; three playful harbor seals, Kash, Oscar and Killian, were popular entertainers at the zoo. The seals were moved last fall to the Louisville Zoo where there is a much larger saltwater exhibit space for them. "We thought it was in their best interest for us to move out of seals," said Tetzloff. Tetzloff thinks the male will likely be a crowd pleaser, too. "He's really cool. He'll actually follow your voice," said Tetzloff. "That is part of the cool personality he has." The alligators will participate three or four times a week in public feedings, said Tetzloff, adding, "We're going to feed them chicken." Tetzloff said he and zoo curator Peter Burvenich both previously worked with alligators at other zoos, so they will be accompanying zookeepers when they go into the exhibit to work with the gators. "He (Burvenich) has done some training with the zookeepers to get us all on the same page of how we want to work with these (animals)," said Tetzloff. "They are a dangerous animal, and safety is always a key part when we work with dangerous animals." The Miller Park Zoological Society, a nonprofit organization, paid $35,000 to renovate the exhibit space. "A large rock that was in the pool was removed," said Tetzloff, ticking off the changes. "We added a wall to make the pool smaller because alligators don't need as much room. We added a beach for them. We sodded parts of it, and installed a brand new pump and filter system." Seasonal zookeeper Anne Brown spent several weeks painting a colorful Everglades mural on concrete walls around the pool. New glass barrier walls topped with cables also were added. A shade cloth over the heated pool has to be removed during the winter because it cannot hold the weight of snow. Because the albino alligator cannot tolerate sun, it will have to be brought inside during the winter while the green alligator will be able to stay outdoors, said Tetzloff. A $700,000 state grant is paying for the next new exhibit, which will add an African primate, the DeBrazza monkey, to the zoo's menagerie. "They are a medium-sized primate. Their big distinction is they have a very white, big beard," said Tetzloff. "We'll have a breeding pair." The monkey exhibit is planned in a space between the flamingo exhibit and the carousel. "If all goes right we'll break ground this fall," he added. Contact Maria Nagle at (309) 820-3244. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Nagle Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 CARLOCK Rudi Hofmann looked over rows of grape vines as buds were starting to appear. "We are not pruning this year because we are retiring," Hofmann explained as he fingered a vine and as the vineyard dog, Moritz, sat watching him. "For me, it's hard. Very hard." For Rudi and Mary Hofmann, retirement means leaving the vines you planted, the grapes you harvested, the wines you made and the tasting room where strangers turned into friends. It is bittersweet. Sunset Lake Vineyards and Winery Where: 8621 E. 2100 North Road, Carlock, IL 61725 When: Tasting room open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday until June 30. The Hofmanns are owners of Sunset Lake Vineyards & Winery, formerly White Oak Vineyards & Winery, northwest of Carlock. They are retiring, effective June 30, for health reasons and because they are retirement age. They are sad because, so far, they haven't found anyone willing to purchase the property and continue to operate it as a vineyard and winery. "Our goal and greatest wish is someone buys it and continues it as a winery because we have put so much blood, sweat and tears into this," said Mary Hofmann. "Rudi and Mary are just good people," said Art Owles, a rural Carlock neighbor. He and his wife, Carol, went to the tasting room years ago for a glass of wine, became friends with the Hofmanns and later became volunteers, helping with pruning, harvest, de-stemming and crushing grapes, bottling wine and working in the tasting room during special events. "They truly care about the people who come to the winery," Owles said. "They want people to have a good time and they produce good wines." "Going to Sunset Lake was the equivalent of walking into 'Cheers,'" said Owles, referencing the iconic television show about a neighborhood bar. "I don't know anyone who hasn't enjoyed coming to the winery." "It's like a little heaven," said another rural Carlock neighbor, McLean County Board member Catherine Metsker. "They put their heart and soul into it," Metsker said. "It's a sweet, little place." "It's really sad," she said of the planned closing. "But I can totally understand." Rudi Hofmann is 65. Mary, 64, whose maiden name is Mouser, grew up on her family farm north of Normal. Rudi grew up on his family's dairy farm in what was then West Germany, east of Munich, and went to work for a farm equipment manufacturer. Mary majored in German at Illinois State University and spent a summer semester studying near Munich. Both attended a farm equipment show in Minnesota in 1976. They met, began dating when Mary got a job in West Germany several months later, and married on Aug. 20, 1977, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bloomington. They settled in Steinhoering, where Rudi continued to work for the farm equipment manufacturer and Mary raised their two children and taught English. In 1986, she was hired by Delta Airlines as an assistant to a manager at the Munich airport and was transferred to the United States as an airline attendant in 1998. The Hofmanns bought the land northwest of Carlock in 1998 and moved there the following year to be closer to Mary's family. They were considering what to do with the land when they talked with Paul Hahn, owner of Mackinaw Valley Vineyard in rural Mackinaw, and decided to grow grapes. "We wanted to do something we could do together," Rudi said. They planted their first rows of grapes and established White Oak Vineyards, named for White Oak Township, in 2003. Each year, they added more varieties of grapes and Mary took courses to learn about wine-making. "It takes three years before the plant bears fruit," Rudi said. But the Hofmanns couldn't sell their wines because White Oak Township didn't allow retail sale of liquor. The couple and their supporters, including Metsker, gathered signatures to get a referendum on the ballot that passed in February 2008, allowing the sale of alcohol. In 2011, the same year that Mary retired as a flight attendant, the Hofmanns opened their tasting room and decorated it like a Bavarian guest house. "They did a lot of work and made it a beautiful destination," Metsker said. The Hofmanns changed the name from White Oak to Sunset Lake two years ago when they were told that a winery in California had trademarked the White Oak Vineyard name a year after the Hofmanns opened their vineyard. Over the years, pruning has happened in late winter and early spring with harvest in August. What followed was a complex wine-making process in the production facility. While some of the wines are ready for bottling and labeling the following March, others spend up to two years in barrels for aging. As Rudi maintains the vineyard, Mary checks the wines and takes care of the paperwork. "We make it look so easy," Mary said. "People don't realize the amount of work that goes into putting that wine in your hand. "But no one needs to see it," she said. "We are creating an image. That image is the romance of wine." The Hofmanns have been the only full-time workers, although others have worked part-time or volunteered from time to time. Their adult children live in South Carolina and Alaska. "We have health issues that can't be ignored," Mary said. "And when my brother died suddenly last year, it hit really hard. You realize life is short." "I have mixed feelings," Rudi said. "I like to be outside and working and that's what I will miss. On the other side, I'm looking forward to seeing our children and grandchildren more often and doing some traveling." "I will miss being in the tasting room," added Mary. "We tried to create a home-like atmosphere. We let people into our lives. People came in as perfect strangers and left as friends." While the Hofmanns hope to continue to live in their home on the farm, 15 acres are for sale, including four acres of the vineyard, the production facility, tasting room, a stocked pond and pavilion. "People from all over the world got a glimpse of McLean County that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise," Owles said. "People are going to miss it." Contact Paul Swiech at (309) 820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech Love 2 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. Try as he might, Bloomington Mayor Robert McGraw could not close the Subway Club, an after-hours set-up joint on the citys west side that he once described as a gathering place for perverts, bar girls, bootleggers and gamblers. Located on 900 block of West Chestnut Street, the Subway Club was one of several such establishments in the city. Set-up clubs typically opened at 1 a.m., just as the city taverns were legally required to close. Patrons paid a cover charge thus becoming members of the club and as such were allowed to bring their own booze. These clubs, which then remained open into the early morning hours, provided nonalcoholic mixers and other set ups for the hard stuff purchased earlier and elsewhere by members. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Subway Club had the well-deserved reputation as the rowdiest, most lawless place in all the Twin Cities. The club derived its name from the pedestrian subway built in 1916 that ran under the south end of the once-sprawling, bustling Chicago & Alton Railroad yards and shops complex. The underpass, connecting the 900 and 1100 blocks of West Chestnut Street at opposite ends of the rail yards, enabled west-side residents to avoid the danger of crossing multiple lines of congested train traffic. The Subway Club occupied one-half of the first floor of a substantial three-story 19th century brick building not more than 65 feet from the tracks. For years it was the Chicago & Alton Hotel, and then served as home for the Alton Community Club and later the GM&O Cafe, among other businesses. Louis DiBattista, the Subway Clubs proprietor, was said to have been a country club steward, tavern operator and bartender prior to opening his set-up place on West Chestnut in the fall of 1956. From the beginning, DiBattistas club was known as a haven for intemperates of every description. Sometime in the late spring of 1957, the Bloomington police put the club under surveillance. Then, at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, a five-man Bloomington police detail led by Chief Fred Giermann raided the club. Armed with a search warrant, the cops seized a quantity of cheap whiskey. The 43-year-old DiBattista was charged with illegally selling liquor under both state and city statutes, as well as violating state law by operating a gaming house. On July 11, 1957, Police Court Magistrate Walter Reiner fined the club owner $200 or $300 (accounts vary) plus $40.80 in costs on the state charge of illegal liquor sale (the two other charges running afoul of both the city liquor ordinance and the state gaming law were ultimately dismissed). Two months later, Magistrate Reiner found DiBattista guilty of assault and battery, fining him another $57 and court costs. That altercation, which left a 21-year-old woman on the floor of the club unconscious, occurred June 30. The following spring, on May 11, 1958, Bloomington police, backed by county sheriffs officers, staged a second raid on the Subway Club. Evidence collected this time around included a quantity of whiskey and beer, two dice cups, a numbered roulette type wheel and a smaller automatic electronically operated numbered wheel. Arrested once more, DiBattista faced new state and local charges for selling alcohol without a license and possessing gambling devices. In early September 1958, The Pantagraph reported that the defendant had chalked up more court time than many lawyers in the past year and half because of his alleged and proved illegal operations at the club. One month later, at 2 a.m. on Oct. 1, five sheriffs deputies arrested the embattled owner at his club for aggravated assault and inflicting severe personal injury on a Gibson City man, who had to be hospitalized. Late that same month, a McLean County Court jury, after hearing four days of contentious, conflicting testimony, held DiBattista guilty on three counts of illegal liquor sales stemming from the May 1958 raid. The trial set a recent record for longevity, remarked The Pantagraph. Probably more than 1,000 pages of testimony were recorded. DiBattista, sentenced to four months in state custody, served his time at the state penal farm in Vandalia. Upon his release, he headed straight back to Bloomington. In May 1959, DiBattista and Robert Bacon, a 36- or 37-year-old who split his time between Bloomington and Peoria, partnered to remake the Subway Club as a mixed-race after-hours establishment. In other words, they hoped to open the clubs doors to African Americans at a time when most if not all bars in the Twin Cities were strictly segregated. Plans to make the west-side set-up club interracial infuriated Mayor McGraw. Im not going to stand for it. Ill get police, the building inspector, the fire inspector anybody to close that place, he said. Its not a matter of discrimination. Im doing this to protect the Negroes as much as the whites. Such was the state of race relations that McGraws tirade drew no public complaints or outcry. At any rate, the plan to welcome black patrons was quickly dropped, and that summer, Bacon was shot twice and severely wounded in a tavern fracas in Peoria. By the fall of 1960, Mayor McGraw was at wits end with the Subway Club thumbing its nose at the law. One more complaint, he said on Oct. 26, and I swear Ill close that place once and for all Im just damn fed up. One week later, McGraw ordered the police department to station a uniformed officer at the club during its open hours. That policy took effect on Nov. 4, 1960, and two weeks later, DiBattista capitulated, agreeing to cancel the clubs lease and use its space to expand his Hickory House restaurant, which occupied the other half of the buildings first floor. I hope thats the end of it, declared McGraw. But of course, it was anything but! On Nov. 22, 1961, the police raided the still-open Subway Club, arresting 14 individuals, five of whom were women, for watching an adult or stag film. The club, acknowledged The Pantagraph, has operated almost continually since the closing announcement. Despite claims of innocence, DiBattista was charged with exhibiting immoral pictures. The end of the Subway Club finally came on the morning of Jan. 23, 1963, when the three-story building that housed the notorious set-up joint was lost in a ferocious blaze. With temperatures reaching minus 16, firefighters battled the cold as much as the smoke and flames. The Subway Club has been gone for 56 years, but its legend lives on. On Feb. 26, 1958, a 32-year-old Bloomington man and a 28-year-old Danvers resident brawled outside the club. Both were charged with drunk and disorderly conduct and, being unable to pay the $54 fine, spent the night in jail. It was never established in court, noted The Pantagraph, whether they had been fighting each other or someone else. Bill Kemp is the librarian at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington. He can be reached at BKemp@mchistory.org. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BLOOMINGTON A Bloomington cellphone store was robbed at gunpoint Friday night, police said. No one was injured. Officers were called about 7:30 p.m. to Boost Mobile, 603 S. Center St., just south of downtown Bloomington. An employee described the robbers as three men wearing masks and said two of them displayed guns. An undisclosed number of phones were taken from the store and the suspects fled in an unknown vehicle, police said Saturday. No injuries were reported. Further details, including descriptions of the suspects, were not available Saturday. This was the third armed robbery reported in Bloomington in the last month and the eighth in the Twin Cities this year. In the two most recent business robberies, which involved Six Points Food and Liquor and Subway, two suspects were reported. Fridays was the first to involve three people. Bloomington police have not indicated the robberies were connected, but after Six Points was robbed Monday, Public Affairs Officer John Fermon said the department is considering all possibilities in the investigations. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. 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. BLOOMINGTON Video gambling terminal operators thinking of helping Bloomington bar and restaurant owners by paying part of the city's new $500-per-machine fee might want to rethink making such an offer. "If an establishment owner were to receive half or any part of the payment from terminal operators, the terminal operators would be putting their licenses in jeopardy," said Gene O'Shea, spokesman for the Illinois Gaming Board. "It could be construed as an illegal inducement." The Illinois Gaming Act states terminal operators cannot give anything of value, including a loan or financing agreement, to a licensed establishment as any incentive or inducement to locate video gambling machines in an establishment. A video terminal operator that violates that subsection of the law is guilty of a Class 4 felony and subject to termination of his or her license by the gaming board, the law states. On March 25, the Bloomington City Council approved a $500 annual licensing fee for each video gambling machine in the city. The new fee took effect Wednesday and must be renewed by May 1 of each year. The 51 licensed establishments invoiced by the city for a total of 241 video gambling machines paid the new fee on time, said City Clerk Leslie Yocum. Yocum and City Attorney Jeff Jurgens said they were not aware of any second-party payments made on behalf of any licensed establishment. "It is our understanding that there could be legal issues if anyone other than the establishment pays for the (city's) fees," said Jurgens. That has not happened in Normal, which has had a $200-per-machine fee since 2013, said Normal Corporation Counsel Brian Day. Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner contacted the city's legal staff after the question came up while he was talking to Bill Flessner, who works in sales for Naperville-based Illinois Gaming Systems LLC, following an April 9 liquor commission meeting. Renner said Flessner told him that state law requires the licensed establishments and the terminal operators to split the cost of the city's $500-per-machine fee. "That made me wonder: If people were only paying half of it, why a handful of bar owners was so upset?" said Renner. Because Renner did not know if what Flessner told him was accurate, he had city liquor commissioner Jim Jordan, who is retired from the Normal Police Department and the Illinois Liquor Commission, join the conversation. "I was only privy to part of that conversation, but I don't think what he (Flessner) was saying was right," said Jordan. Flessner told The Pantagraph he regularly attends liquor commission meetings and that he spoke to the mayor following the April 9 meeting. He referred all other questions to Illinois Gaming Systems CEO Chris Cumming, who did not respond to a Pantagraph email requesting comment. The city legal department has not received any calls from any video gambling terminal operators about the new fee and whether they had any obligation to pay the fee, said Jurgens. Under the state gaming law, terminal operators and licensed establishments do split equally the cost of the state's $100 video gaming terminal fee, said Jurgens. But the gaming board's attorney "confirmed that would not apply to our local fee," Jurgens added. "Our fee, of course, is under the city's home rule authority." Video gaming terminal (VGT) operators must be licensed by the state that allows licensed establishments to have up to five video gaming machines. In Illinois, licensed establishments can include bars and restaurants with licenses to sell liquor, fraternal organizations, veterans halls, and some truck stops. Pete Pontius said the company he works for, B & B Amusement of Illinois, fully complies with state gaming laws. Pilot Travel Center, B & B's only client in Bloomington, handles all of its own payment of fees associated with video gambling terminals, he said. The truck stop at 1522 W. Market St. is the second busiest local gaming site, with $4 million put into machines and $2.9 million won back last year. The two largest VGT vendors in the Twin Cities are Ellsworth-based Midwest Electronics Gaming, supplying at least 20 Bloomington and 10 Normal licensed establishments; and Hinsdale-based Illinois Gaming Investors LLC, doing business as Prairie State Gaming, with six contracted licensed establishments, according to state gaming board records. Midwest Electronics Gaming owner Tim Jones, and Prairie State Gaming officials did not respond to repeated requests by The Pantagraph for comment. The Pantagraph also contacted several bar/restaurant owners who publicly voiced opposition to the new fee, but they did not respond or declined to comment. Bloomington's share of video gambling terminal tax revenue last year was $795,122. The terminal operators and local establishments split equally about $11.1 million in remaining after-tax profits from the video gambling machines in Bloomington. Contact Maria Nagle at (309) 820-3244. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Nagle CHICAGO A Chicago Ridge, ophthalmologist operated on the wrong eye of a patient and then tried to fix the mistake by operating on the correct eye without proper anesthesia, the patient alleges in lawsuit filed this week in Cook County Circuit Court. Sutton Dryfhout filed her lawsuit Monday, alleging that Dr. Benjamin Ticho with The Eye Specialists Center was supposed to operate on her left eye in August 2017. The operation was to fix a lazy eye, said Dryfhout, who is now 21. Ticho, however, operated on her right eye, according to the lawsuit. Upon discovering the mistake, Ticho went to Dryfhout, who was already in a post-anesthesia care unit, and operated on her left eye, Dryfhout alleges. He used instruments, including a needle, scissors and cautery pen on her left eye, causing her pain, despite Dryfhout asking him to stop, according to the lawsuit. She also alleges he used nonsterile instruments. Dryfhout is alleging negligence, medical battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Michael Henrick, an attorney for Ticho and The Eye Specialists Center, which is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the allegations Thursday. Midwest Anesthesiologists and Dr. Colette Major are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. Dryfhout is accusing Major, an anesthesiologist, and the anesthesiology practice of negligence for providing anesthesiology services for an operation on the wrong eye. Thomas Hill, an attorney for Major, declined to comment Thursday. Attempts to reach Midwest Anesthesiologists were not immediately successful Thursday. Dryfhout is seeking damages of more than $50,000, but hasn't yet specified an amount, said her attorney Valerie Leopold. As a result of the surgery, Dryfhout now suffers from double vision and severe headaches, according to the lawsuit. She told the Tribune she didn't file a lawsuit until now because it took her some time to decide whether to take legal action. "My main goal in all this is just making sure it won't happen to anyone else," Dryfhout told the Tribune on Thursday. She now works as a surgical technologist in Peoria and is also in school to become a physician's assistant, Dryfhout said. Ticho is still practicing, Henrick said. Though it's relatively rare for doctors to operate on the wrong body part, it's an occurrence that various organizations have worked to prevent for years. Surgical procedures performed on the wrong body part are considered "never events" in medicine, meaning they should never occur. The events, as defined by the National Quality Forum, include incidents like operating on the wrong body part, operating on the wrong patient and unintentionally leaving a foreign object inside a patient's body after surgery. A 2013 study estimated that never events occur more than 4,000 times a year in the U.S. A number of states require that medical providers report when such events happen. Illinois passed a law in 2005 requiring hospitals and surgical treatment centers to report adverse events to the Illinois Department of Public Health. That law was supposed to be fully implemented by 2008. But that reporting requirement has not yet been implemented because of issues getting funding and an ongoing process to procure an information technology system for entering and tracking data, said Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the department. The law, once implemented, would require providers to conduct analyses of adverse events and take corrective actions or report reasons for not taking corrective action. The Department of Public Health is supposed to analyze the reports to see if there are systemic failures and ways to correct those failures and publish an annual report, according to the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday he's reached an agreement with key lawmakers on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana in the state starting next year. The legislation would allow adults 21 and older to legally buy cannabis for recreational use from licensed dispensaries. Illinois residents could possess up to about an ounce of marijuana, while non-residents could possess about half an ounce. The measure also would automatically expunge some marijuana convictions. If it passes, Illinois would join 10 other states, including neighboring Michigan, in legalizing recreational marijuana. While the Illinois law would take effect Jan. 1, the first licenses for Illinois growers, processors and dispensaries wouldn't be issued until May and July 2020, the governor's office said. Pritzker was joined by fellow Democratic lawmakers in Chicago to announce the deal, which comes after years of discussion among state legislators. They said the measure will be introduced Monday, kicking off debate at the Legislature, where Democrats hold a majority in both chambers. The proposal "starts righting some historic wrongs" against minority communities that have suffered from discriminatory drug policies and enforcement, the new governor said. "This bill advances equity by providing resources and second chances to people and communities that have been harmed by policies such as the failed 'war on drugs,'" said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is black. The measure includes a $20 million low-interest loan program to help defray the costs of starting a licensed cannabis business for "social equity applicants." Those applicants would include people who have lived in a "disproportionately impacted area" or communities with high rates of poverty and high rates of arrest and incarceration for marijuana offenses or been arrested or convicted of offenses eligible for expungement. Critics of legalization, including law enforcement and the Illinois NAACP, have said it would lead to more addiction and mental health issues and would harm rather than help black communities. "The consequences of this bill are far reaching and will have devastating impacts on citizens, communities and youth," said Kevin Samet, founder and president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. "Illinois lawmakers must take a smart, commonsense approach, and not welcome in another addiction-for-profit industry into the state." Medical cannabis is already legal in Illinois. Pritzker campaigned on the issue of legalizing recreational marijuana and is counting on $170 million from licensing fees in his proposed state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. He's said future revenue from legal marijuana will help Illinois address some of its deep financial problems. The governor's office said 35% of revenue from legal cannabis would go to the state's general operating fund, while an additional 25% would go into a new Restoring Our Communities fund. That money would be distributed as grants to communities that "have suffered the most because of discriminatory drug policies." Illinois would use 10% of revenue to pay a backlog of unpaid bills. The rest of the money would support mental health and substance abuse treatment, law enforcement grants and public education and awareness. Love 23 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 10 A Camille Pissarro painting looted by Nazis from a Jewish woman in Berlin rightfully belongs to the Spanish museum that ultimately acquired it, or so a U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles has ruled. His decision was not just a blow to the family members who filed the lawsuit, but also a troubling indication of how difficult it is to carry out the restitution of art works stolen in that era. No one disputes that Lilly Cassirer was forced to give up the painting of a Paris streetscape, Rue Saint-Honore, Apres Midi, Effet de Pluie, in exchange for an exit visa out of Berlin. What is disputed is whether the Thyssen-Bornemiesza Museum in Madrid, which bought the painting as part of the late Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemiszas collection in 1993 and has displayed it since the early 90s, is the rightful owner. Two of Cassirers descendants have waged a 20-year battle to get back the painting, last valued at $30 million. Similar battles have played out in courts and auction houses around the world as the whereabouts of artistic works have become easier to track online. Meanwhile, governments, museums, and auction houses have set stricter rules for determining the provenance of pieces they acquire and for returning pieces they realize were stolen. But none of that makes restitution simple as the Cassirer case, which has been in federal court for years, has shown. The paintings journey from Cassirers parlor in Berlin to a palace in Madrid that houses the Thyssen-Bornemiesza museum has been long and complicated. But according to Judge John F. Walter, the bottom line is that, under Spanish law, the painting (despite being stolen from Cassirer) now belongs to the museum. Walter found that the baron, a German industrialist and sophisticated art collector, did a poor job researching the history of the painting when he bought it in the late 1970s ignoring such clues as intentionally removed labels on the back of the painting and a torn label that indicated the painting had been in Berlin. Also, Pissarros were often looted by the Nazis. The Cassirer family and their lawyers have long maintained that there is ample evidence that the baron knew very well he was buying a looted painting. Nonetheless, Walter found that the baron did not have actual knowledge that the painting was stolen. Nor did the museum have certain knowledge of the theft, Walter ruled. The museums failure to investigate the provenance of the painting may have been irresponsible, he wrote, but it was not criminal. The Cassirer familys lawyers have said they will appeal. Officials at the museum, which is owned by the Kingdom of Spain and operated by a foundation, say they would not have purchased the Pissarro had they known it had been looted. If the investigation had revealed the slightest problem or if we (the advisers), or the Kingdom or the Foundation had had the slightest doubt about any painting (in terms of title or artistic authorship) it would have been immediately excluded, a former legal adviser to the museum told the court. That doesnt explain why the Thyssen-Bornemiesza has continued to hold on to the painting and has refused to compensate the Cassirers for their loss. Thats a failure of its moral responsibility a responsibility that the Spanish government, which owns the collection, committed to take on. Two decades ago, Spain and nearly four dozen other countries signed a nonbinding international agreement, the Washington Principles, dedicated to reaching a just and fair solution to cases of looted art when the owners or their heirs can be identified. Even Walter said in his ruling that the Thyssens refusal to return the painting was inconsistent with the Washington Principles. But he could not force the museum to comply with its moral commitments. The museum shouldnt need a court order to do the right thing, and its unconscionable after all these years in possession of a looted work of art that the museum has not done so. This is simply Spain ignoring its moral obligations, said Stuart Eizenstat, the former undersecretary of State who was the main negotiator of the Washington Principles. The museum should work with the Cassirer family to come up with a reasonable solution. That doesnt necessarily mean returning the painting. The museum could offer to pay the family in order to keep the painting. But refusing to recognize any obligation to Cassirers heirs is shameful. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Donald Trump inadvertently may have hit on a solution for paying for the $2 trillion tax cut he and his fellow Republicans pushed through Congress to benefit rich people and all those corporations that now pay no tax at all. Let alone the $22 trillion national debt. Trump wants to charge people fleeing for their lives from repressive regimes a fee. Brilliant! The United Nations says asylum seeking to save your life is a universal human right; Trump says that if people want to escape to America, they should darn well pay for it. This, of course, opens all kinds of avenues for enhanced revenue raising. If you want to vote, pay a fee! Why should just any law-abiding citizen in a democracy be permitted to vote? If it is such a privilege, one might say, Americans should be willing to pay for it. It might be like a condo association where the more square footage you have and the bigger your HOA fee, the more sway you have. Thus, your vote counts more the higher your fee to cast your ballot. If you want to be warned about a dangerous storm such as a hurricane or a tornado, pay a fee. It costs money to track those things, so if you are willing to pay a fee, you might get early warnings. Of course, if you live in Oklahoma or Xenia, Ohio, home to particularly catastrophic tornadoes, you might have to pay more. In this case, climate change does open more opportunities to government opportunism; extreme weather seems to be happening everywhere. Perhaps the street in front of your house has a particularly wicked pothole. Maybe you should pay a fee to go to the head of the line to get if fixed. Some cities already have figured out that if you want the street lights in your neighborhood turned on, you pay a fee. Want to file your income tax return (which, of course, you have to do by law)? It might be time to pay a fee to get those free forms from the library or post office or to download them. (But forget paying a fee for a phone call for reliable tax help from the IRS. No such thing.) Possibly, the Trump administration might charge us fees for being informed of pending epidemics, such as, say, a measles outbreak, caused in part by parents (once encouraged by candidate Trump) who refuse to get their children vaccinated, thus exposing many to a vicious disease. Pay $50 and find out who is a sex felon in your neighborhood. It is well-known that special interest lobbyists with large war chests to spend on their preferred candidates get legislation passed in Congress all the time. But perhaps it is time for ordinary citizens to pay fees if they want Congress to pass some piece of legislation they advocate. What if everyone in favor of a law keeping guns out of the hands of killers paid a $1 fee...? What if there were fees required of public officials when they lie? For example, a head of state who lied to the people more than 10,000 times in 800 days. Or an attorney general who lied when he said he didnt know what special counsel Robert Mueller thought of the false summary of the report on the interference of a hostile foreign government in our 2016 election. How about this? If you want a certain elected official removed from office, you get everybody you know (a crowd sourcing type of thing) to contribute to an ouster fee. We might pay off that 1-percenters tax cut, lickety-split. Or, let us all vote, while we can, while it matters. Contact McFeatters at amcfeatters@nationalpress.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Patna: Police in Patna, in cooperation with Sitamarhi and Saran police, arrested five youths and recovered a 13-year old Patna boy who was kidnapped from Sonepur area last Tuesday while returning from his school. The break in the case came when the police identified the ransom caller's location in Mokama. Following a house raid, police arrested one Santosh Kumar who cracked under police pressure and gave them the details of the crime and where the victim was being kept. The Patna police, working with the Saran and Sitamarhi police, then raided a lodge in Sitamarhi on Thursday morning and secured the safe release of the boy while also arresting four of his kidnappers. At a press conference in Patna, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said that 13-year old Sunny, a Class IX student, was returning to his home from his school on Tuesday afternoon when four men in a car grabbed him from Sonepur area and took him to Fatima Lodge in Sitamarhi where he was kept captive for the next two days. On Wednesday, one of the abductors who was still in Mokama, made the ransom call to the victim's father Lallan Kumar, a building contractor, and demanded Rs. 60 lakh for the safe return of his son. The family then lodged a case of kidnapping with the police. Arrested men were identified as Raushan Kumar, the mastermind and a man known to the victim's family; Kaushal Kumar, Gautam, Samir, and Kaushal Singh. Patna: The drama at the 10 Circular Road in Patna reached a crescendo on Thursday evening when Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav, after obtaining a 3-day parole from a jail in Ranchi, arrived in Patna to attend his first son's wedding amidst warm welcome by his family members, party leaders, supporters, and well-wishers. {gallery}newsimages2018/may/051018{/gallery}Though in Patna for only a very short period of time, the fact did not dampen the spirit of his family members who celebrated his coming back to his home as if he was granted a bail or was released from the prison for good. The entire house from outside was decorated in green lights to reflect the party color as a large crowd gathered outside to get a glimpse of the man who makes Hotwar Jail in Ranchi his home after being convicted in a number of fodder scam cases. Yadav, traveling business class in an Indigo flight from Ranchi accompanied by party leader Bhola Yadav, arrived at Patna's Jaya Prakash Narayan Airport around 6:30 pm where he was greeted by hundreds of people including his two sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejaswi Yadav, and eldest daughter Misa Bharti. Two doctors of Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) were also assigned to Yadav for his 3-day visit to Patna. The former Chief Minister of Bihar who remains at a Ranchi hospital on health reasons, was wheeled out of the airplane. Tej Pratap Yadav then steered the wheelchair to the waiting car that brought the RJD chief and other family members back to 10 Circular Road where hundreds of people chanting 'Lalu Yadav Zindabad' in the presence of media-persons had gathered to get a glimpse of the leader or to snag a soundbite that Yadav is known for. Yadav's return to his home occurred 138 days after he was arrested and sent to jail in Ranchi following his conviction in the fodder scam. The wedding of Tej Pratap Yadav is on May 12. He got engaged to Aishwarya Rai, the daughter of party leader Chandrika Rai and grand-daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai on May 12. The RJD chief will be taken back to Ranchi on May 14. Patna: With nearly entire district police busy providing security to the Lalu-Rabri household on the occasion of their son Tej Pratap Yadav's wedding on Saturday, criminals in Patna had a field day as they gunned down Deena Gope, a local Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and the husband of former Patna Deputy Mayor Amravati Devi. {gallery}newsimages2018/may/051218_2{/gallery}The incident occurred around 6:00 am on Saturday in Anisabad when Gope was returning to his home after attending the wedding of his niece. According to the police report, Gope was in his Mahindra Scorpio when criminals near Manikchand Pond opened fire on is vehicle. At least 25 rounds were fired out of which six bullets hit Gope. He succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a hospital. Two other occupants of the car who were identified as Raju Gope and Vijay Yadav were also hit by the bullets and were admitted to the hospital where they were battling for their lives. Four other men in the car were unhurt, police said adding it appeared criminals used an AK-47 rifle to launch their assault on the vehicle. Family members of Deena Gope have lodged a case of murder against five men whose identities were not revealed at the time of reporting. City Superintendent of Police (SP) D. Amarkesh said Gope, who has a long history of crime, was possibly gunned down due to an ongoing dispute over some property. Meanwhile, Patna Zonal IG, following Gope's murder, ordered the suspension of Gardanibagh station in-charge Satendu Sharad who, he said, had failed to curb crime in his area. A western Pennsylvania woman is facing animal-cruelty charges after she was found to be living with more than 50 dogs 10 of which were dead. The dogs were found after a raid on a Shenango Township home in Mercer County in which officers had to wear hazardous-materials suits to go inside the home described as being among the most deplorable conditions some have seen, WTAE is reporting. "In 15 years of EMS -- I'm a paramedic during the day -- and five years on the Humane Society, it's absolutely the worst residence that I've ever been in, Mercer County Humane Agent Courtney Ivan told the station. There were about 14 dogs that were crated, and the rest were running free about the residence or in the bathroom or in the basement." The Humane Society of Mercer County released photos of some of the dogs rescued from a home recently. The owners if facing animal cruelty charges, and the dogs are now being cared for by the Humane Society. The homeowner, whose name was not released, is facing 104 charges that include animal cruelty and neglect, WTAJ is reporting. The dogs will eventually be up for adoption through the Humane Society of Mercer County, which is taking donations to help care for them. Police in Lebanon are investigating an early-morning robbery that resulted in one man being shot in the leg. According to Lebanon police, officers were dispatched to the hospital, where a 28-year-old North Lebanon Township man told them he had been shot about an hour prior as he left a night club on the first block of N. Partridge St. A man with his face covered approached the 28-year-old and demanded his belongings. When he refused, the suspect pulled out a handgun. They struggled and the gun went off, striking the man in the leg, police say. He is expected to make a full recovery. After police investigated the scene, they did not locate any evidence consistent with his account, they say. Investigators do not believe he was randomly targeted. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should call the police, 717-272-2054, or Lebanon County Crime Stoppers, 717-270-9800. Police in Philadelphia are searching for a mother they say abandoned a baby Saturday. The child was left with a stranger by a woman who said she was her mother in the citys Kensington section around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Action News 6 ABC reports. The mother said she would be gone for a short time but never returned, according to reports. The girl is about 18-months old, and despite sores on her face and a splint on her arm, she is safe and under observation at a local hospital, NBC 10 is reporting. Anyone who recognizes the baby or her mother should call the Philadelphia police Special Victims Unit, 215-685-3251, or call 911. President Trump on Sunday blamed the result of the Kentucky Derby on political correctness, arguing that the horse that crossed the wire first should not have been disqualified. "The Kentuky Derby decision was not a good one," Trump said in a tweet, misspelling the word "Kentucky." "It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!" He corrected the spelling in a later tweet. Maximum Security appeared to win Saturday's race by 13/4 lengths. But then two jockeys objected, and after stewards reviewed video of the race, they disqualified the apparent winner in a unanimous ruling, handing the victory to Country House, a 65-1 shot. The review focused on a moment when Maximum Security barged to his right and impeded the paths of two other horses at the top of the back stretch. That, in turn, foiled Country House, according to Flavien Prat, the horse's 26-year-old jockey. The stewards at the track agreed, ruling that it was enough of an infraction to demote Maximum Security, who had previously been undefeated, from first to 17th place. Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani also weighed in on the Derby on Sunday afternoon, tweeting that Maximum Security "ran an exceptional race." "Usually a horse that is challenged several times during a race falls behind," Giuliani said. "This horse stood up to all challengers and was stronger at the end. He won it on the track for sure." Sunday's race marked the second disqualification of an apparent winner in Kentucky Derby history and the first time an apparent winner was disqualified because of an infraction. In 1968, Dancer's Image was declared the winner, only for the result to be overturned after a post-race drug test. _ _ _ Felicia Sonmez of The Washington Post wrote this story. Chuck Culpepper and Jacob Bogage contributed to this report. A moving and unusual ceremony took place before a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on April 10, 2019, an event whose dignitaries included Gov. Tom Wolf. All in the chamber came together to join the driving force behind it: Rep. Dan Frankel, in honoring family members of victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue atrocity. There were literally thoughts and prayers offered in a spirit of heartfelt goodwill, but where do we go from here? Do we continue to tilt state law in favor of the gun manufacturers lobby, the National Rifle Association, allowing it to dictate laws and policy? Or do we enact at the state level the modest measures recently signed into law in the city of Pittsburgh, which are designed to diminish the ease with which the homicidal may secure the tools necessary for them to engage in mass murder? My current State Representative, Tim ONeal, and State Senator Camera Bartolotta, are gun-friendly, something which they have demonstrated through their votes: opposites on this issue of the Honorable Dan Frankel. What will it take for them to get the message that public safety must trump being on the NRAs Honor Roll of compliant legislators? Do they serve the special interest or our interest? Have we reached the point at which we must move beyond thoughts and prayers to action which would infringe on no ones legitimate Second Amendment rights? Oren Spiegler, South Strabane Township, Washington County Thanks to nonmedical exemptions, vaccination rates are falling in some states. Zodiacphoto/shutterstock.com As a pediatrician-scientist who develops new vaccines for neglected diseases, I spent most of my career in the Boston-Washington, D.C. corridor. While working in the Northeast, I had heard a few things about the anti-vaccine movement. As both a vaccine scientist and a father of four, including a daughter diagnosed with autism and intellectual disabilities, I followed the emergence of doubt over vaccine safety in the general public. Ultimately, in scientific circles, any debate ended when an overwhelming body of scientific evidence demonstrated there was no association between vaccines and autism. But then, in 2011, I relocated to Houstons Texas Medical Center. I soon learned that, unlike in the Northeast, where the anti-vaccine movement so far seems restricted to small groups, the Texas anti-vaccine movement is aggressive, well-organized and politically engaged. There are now at least 57,000 Texas schoolchildren being exempted from their vaccines for nonmedical reasons, about a 20-fold rise since 2003. I say at least because there is no data on the more than 300,000 homeschooled kids. Im worried these children, who are mostly concentrated either in the Austin area and towns and cities in north Texas, including Plano and Forth Worth, are at high risk of acquiring serious or even deadly childhood infections such as measles or whooping cough. Texas also ranks near the bottom in terms of adolescent girls getting their HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer only four states had lower vaccination rates. I then began to wonder about other parts of the U.S. Together with colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Childrens Hospital, where I work, we did an in-depth study of kindergarten schoolchildren who receive vaccine exemptions across the country. Currently, 18 states allow nonmedical vaccine exemptions for either conscientious objector or philosophical/personal belief reasons. We were able to obtain information on 14 of those states. A clear picture emerged: Vaccine exemptions are on the rise in 12 of the states we looked at. Indeed, anti-vaccine activities appear to be more of a western phenomenon, especially in the Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and the American Southwest (Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah). What exactly is going on in the West, where many parents shun vaccines and take their children out of vaccination programs? Researchers are still at the early stages of understanding the reasons behind the anti-vaccine movement. A couple of these states, Oklahoma and Texas, host well-organized political action committees that lobby their legislatures and even raise campaign funds for candidates to endorse anti-vaccine positions. These committees appeal to parental fears of unwarranted government interference. Whats more, some studies suggest that vaccine refusal is linked to affluence, and possibly with affluence there is greater access to the internet. There are now hundreds of anti-vaccine websites on the internet, many of which still allege that vaccines cause autism or that autism is a form of vaccine injury, neither of which is true. The anti-vaccine movement also effectively uses social media to share their message. Some studies show that anti-vaccine social media has created an echo chamber effect that strongly reinforces negative attitudes towards vaccines. Of course, scientists have proven the safety of vaccines over and over again. As the father of a daughter with autism, I have recently written Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachels Autism. My book details both how and why vaccines cannot cause autism based on the scientific literature, as well as the challenges my wife Ann and I face daily as parents and guardians of Rachel, now an adult living with significant intellectual disabilities. The effects of anti-vaccine websites and social media, together with the PACs, are quite powerful. They include a terrible measles outbreak in Minnesota in 2017; measles outbreaks in New York and Missouri this year; and almost 200 influenza deaths of unvaccinated children. However, my newest concern are the counties in the American West, where a high percentage of kids are being opted out of vaccination programs. I believe that these are the areas most vulnerable to terrible measles or pertussis outbreaks in the coming years. In the past year, Europe has been inundated with measles, including dozens of deaths, due to large declines in vaccine coverage. Im concerned the U.S. could suffer a similar fate. This article has been updated to include the full list of states that allow nonmedical vaccine exemptions. Peter J Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Daniel Kemoi, crosses the finish line as the men's winner in a time of 47:20 at the 2019 Broad Street Run on May 5, 2019. Read more While most in the area were enjoying a day off from work, Daniel Kemoi was in his office, which happens to be wherever the next race is. And, just like his bib number might have predicted, he finished first in Sundays 40th Blue Cross Broad Street Run. Kemoi cruised through the second half of the 10-mile run, crossing the finish line in 47 minutes, 24 seconds to win his second consecutive Broad Street race. His time last year was 45:44. This is my job, so I must do it," Kemoi said. "I started running in 2012. This is like work. So, you come, you run, you go back, and come again. Its a job. Kemoi fell behind by the third mile, where he was 10th, but climbed up to fourth place by the halfway point with a pace of 4:37. By the seventh mile, he was first, where he remained the rest of the race. Susan Jerotich ignored the cold and rainy conditions to finish with the top womens time of 54:43. She was in 21st at the three-mile mark before reaching second at the seven-mile mark. Jerotich cut her total pace by six seconds in the last three miles, averaging 5:28 per mile. Grace Kahura of Boulder, Col., was the first American woman and third female overall to finish. Immediately after her was Samantha Roecker, the first Philadelphia woman finisher. Michelle Wheeler, the first womens wheelchair finisher and second overall, crossed the finish line in 35:05, calling her performance a warmup. Considering Wheelers race history, Broad Street barely scratches the surface of her past experiences. Last Sunday, she was part of Team USA at the London Marathon, finishing in 2:03:37, which was 14th for women and 44th overall. I do all of the major marathons," Wheeler said. "I actually made the world team and went to the London Marathon, just got back. Weve done like four marathons in the course of a month and a half. So, this is like a warmup for the rest of the season. Tony Nogueira continued his dominance in the wheelchair division, winning for the seventh consecutive year, according to the Broad Street Runs official website. Nogueiras biggest victory came in 2014, when he won by 10:17. His closest race was last year, where he edged Alinco Omojola by 2:39. Billed by organizers as the largest 10-miler in the nation, Sundays race featured 40,000 runners. The first Broad Street Run took place in 1980 with 1,500 runners starting at Broad Street and Somerville Avenue and ending in the old JFK Stadium. Sundays race started at Broad Street and West Fisher Avenue in North Philadelphia and ended about one-quarter mile inside the main gate of the Navy Yard, at the southern end of Broad Street. The course records, held by Patrick Cheruiyot (2007, 45:14) and Catherine Ndereba (1999, 53:07), were not threatened. But that didnt matter to Kemoi and Jerotich, who each walked away with $3,000 in prize money. The race benefits the American Cancer Society and other local charities. For complete race results, go to philly.com or broadstreetrun.com. Four people, including the driver, were injured Friday night when a car crashed into Flying Crust Pizza in Pennsauken. Read more A 2018 Nissan Rogue driven by a 34-year-old woman crashed into a Pennsauken pizzeria Friday night, injuring the woman and three other people, according to the Camden County Prosecutors Office. Pennsauken police responded to a report of a crash at Flying Crust Pizza, 7709 Park Ave., at about 10:07 p.m. Friday, the Prosecutors Office said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found the Rogue had left the roadway and crashed into the front of the eatery, damaging the exterior wall and the interior of the business. Three unidentified people inside the pizzeria suffered minor injuries as a result of the crash, the statement said. They were a 42-year-old man from Woodlynne; a 25-year-old man from Philadelphia; and a 37-year-old man from Pennsauken. The driver of the Rogue, a Pennsauken resident, also sustained minor injuries, the statement said. Both the Nissan driver and the Pennsauken man were transported to a hospital for treatment. Pennsauken police turned the incident over to the county prosecutor for further investigation. Late Saturday, no charges had been filed, and no additional information was being released. Jalil Navarro, right, and Iman Isa Parada, next to him, take part in the afternoon prayer at Masjid al-Hidaya mosque, in North Philadelphia on April 27, 2019. Read more When she was 19 and living in South Florida, Bianca Guerrero became a Muslim, converting from the Christian faith of her parents, immigrants from El Salvador. Her decision didnt go over well. I got kicked out of the house, said Guerrero, now 35 and living in West Philadelphia. Her situation is not unique. Guerrero was one of about 30 people attending a program last month at Masjid Al-Hidayah in North Philadelphia hosted by a Texas-based organization called Islam in Spanish. The group, which formed in 2001 to provide Qurans, pamphlets, and videos to people who wanted to learn about the religion in their native language, has seen 160 Spanish-speakers convert in the Houston area in the last three years. And its visit to Philadelphia coincided with new statistics released from the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Social Policy and Understanding that show Hispanics are the fastest-growing group in the nation to embrace Islam. In 2009, only 1 percent of Muslims identified as Hispanic, the institute said. By 2018, it was 7 percent, according to its annual report, American Muslim Poll: Predicting and Preventing Islamophobia. There are 250,000 Latino Muslims in the United States, according to Islam in Spanish. Thats a 700 percent growth in less than 10 years, and no other group has grown at this rate, Dalia Mogahed, the institutes director of research, wrote in an email. Among other findings in the survey: Hispanics and Jews hold the most favorable views toward Muslims, while white evangelicals hold the least favorable. Growth in Islam is only partially due to conversion, she said, but its also due to a high birthrate among Muslims. But the reasons people who convert give as to why they are attracted to Islam are that Islam emphasizes a personal and direct connection with God," she wrote, "without the interference of an institution or clergy. Other reasons that Latinos have converted to Islam are varied: from the hip-hop culture of the 1990s when teenagers wore Malcolm X hats and read about the civil rights leader, to spiritual searches for a religion that rings true to them, to a resurgence in Latinos exploring their Andalusian roots, when Muslims governed Spain for 700 years until 1492. I tell people that Islam is not as foreign as you think," said Imam Isa Parada, leader of a Houston mosque where sermons are in Spanish. In fact, there are some 4,000 words in Spanish that derive from Arabic, such as camisa for shirt, pantalon for pants, and azucar for sugar, he added. In Philadelphia, where 1 percent of the population is Muslim, according to the Pew Research Center, City Councilwoman Maria D. Quinones-Sanchez, who attended the program in her district, couldnt cite data on the number of Latinos here who have converted to Islam. Neither could Naser Khatib, the imam of Masjid Al-Hidaya. But he said the Latino Muslims at his mosque are mostly women who came to the religion through marriage. The purpose of Islam in Spanish is not to convert others, though, said Jalil Navarro, the community outreach director of the Islam in Spanish Center in Dallas. Our job is just to share, he said. The one who guides is God. ... Whether he or she embraces God is in their own hands. >>READ MORE: Memorizing the Quran brings nerves and rewards for young boys and girls in annual competition Jaime Mujahid Fletcher, a Colombian-born convert who founded Islam in Spanish, said the group is close to opening a new Centro Islamico mosque in Houston, what will be the first standalone mosque led by Latino Muslims in the U.S. We had hoped it would be opened for Ramadan, Fletcher said of the monthlong fast that begins Sunday at sundown. But problems with the air-conditioning system has delayed the opening. "Our center is going to be based on the beautiful designs of ancient Muslim Spain, such as in the Great Mosque of Cordoba. In Philadelphia, Navarro and Parada, who also is the educational director for Centro Islamico, talked about their own experiences as converts, including some of the challenges. Parada, 43, was born in New York to Salvadoran parents and was an altar boy at his familys Roman Catholic parish. Parada said the hip-hop culture led him to Islam. He was 14, on a trip to New York from Houston, where his family had since moved, and he saw friends who were not Muslim greeting each other with As-salaam-Alaikum and Wa-alaikum-salaam." (Peace be unto you. And unto you, peace.) That led Parada to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I saw him going through that process and getting out of being a criminal, Parada said. He also read how Malcolm X stopped hating white people after he traveled to Africa and the Middle East and saw Muslims of all races worshiping together. At 19, Parada converted. He asked his parents, who were concerned about his decision, to read a chapter in the Quran about Mary and Jesus. Most Latinos think Muslims dont believe in Jesus and Mary," Parada said. "That gave them a different perspective of Islam. " >>READ MORE: Phillys Muslim cabbies ingenuity and community build a mosque at the airport Parada said that because many Latinos come from Roman Catholic or other Christian denominations, it is common for family members to object to conversions. He urged anyone interested in Islam to be patient with their families, and described how Centro Islamico holds monthly potluck dinners for families to meet the Muslim community. Navarro was also born Catholic, in Monterey, Mexico, and moved to Dallas at about 23 to get away from drugs and crime. While attending English classes at a community college there, he used to bully his Muslim classmates. Muslims were depicted on TV as terrorists, so thats what he called them. But his classmates didnt fight back. He realized these Muslims were not the bad people he assumed they were. I realized Im the one with the problem. ... Thats when I started to learn a little bit more. But there was no material in Spanish. One day, he said, one of his classmates brought him books from Islam in Spanish. Over a period of three years, reading and studying about Islam, Navarro converted. And his family in Mexico embraced his decision. They saw Islam in me and how it changed my life and the person I became, Navarro said. They said, Wow, this is amazing. Guerreros family eventually came to accept her decision, too. In fact, both her mother and older sister converted to Islam. Not my dad," she said. "He hasnt yet, but hes very proud of the woman Ive become. State Rep. Mark Rozzi (D., Berks), left, speaks to sex abuse survivor Francesco Zanardi, right, during a news conference in Rome earlier this year. That trip, Rozzi said, changed the way he thinks about statute of limitations legislation and his own experiences as a sex abuse survivor. Read more HARRISBURG When child sexual-abuse victims and their advocates reunited on the Capitol steps last month to rally for the right to sue their violators, something didnt look quite right. Glaringly absent was State Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Reading Democrat who has for years been the legislatures loudest advocate for changing the law to give older victims of childhood sexual abuse two more years to bring civil claims. The idea has gained urgency amid the child sexual-abuse scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church. Rozzis absence hinted at an unspoken divide that has emerged between the lawmaker and some in the victim community who once considered him their champion. Those victims, advocates say, feel betrayed and abandoned by him. And as the issue has once again landed in the legislature, the question looming is whether the disagreement will hamper victims in their already-uphill push for changes in Pennsylvanias law. It pains me, said Jim Faluszczak, a survivor of clergy sex abuse. Hes my brother, in a certain sense. Hes done so much on this issue, it just does not make any sense to me when we were all mobilized to fight so hard. I dont understand it. The fight is over process, rather than substance. Rozzi is taking a different approach to changing the law, and his new proposal blindsided many in the survivor community. In an interview, Rozzi said he knows his actions have angered some victims, who he says have taken to calling him a sellout. But what he tried in the past didnt work, and trying it again was the definition of insanity. It was, he said, time for a change. They just dont get it, Rozzi said of victims critical of his new approach. I can explain it to them a hundred different times in a hundred different ways. Behind the rift It was nearly midnight on Oct. 17 when frenzied negotiations over a proposal to create a two-year window in the civil statute of limitations ended in a spectacular collapse. It had been years since a legislative fight had become so intense and so personal. Rozzi had been pushing a measure that would give victims whose cases fell outside the statute of limitations a new chance to sue. As it stands now, childhood sexual-abuse victims can file civil claims only until they are 30. At the time, Rozzi had the support of victims and their advocates and the House of Representatives, as well as state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office last summer produced a scathing grand jury report on decades of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. Together, they had aligned against Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson), who had for years balked at the idea. He contended that reopening the statute of limitations after it had already expired would violate the state constitution. Scarnati, at the eleventh hour last fall, offered a compromise that seemed to back off that position, but it would have blocked suits against institutions, like the church, that may have covered up abuse. Talks collapsed. The loss was demoralizing. As the legislature broke for the fall and winter holidays, both sides grappled with how to move forward. Meanwhile, other states, including New Jersey and New York, passed similar measures without the tortured hand-wringing in Pennsylvania. Here, both sides were quiet until this spring. A new approach Though some victims heard whispers that Rozzi was up to something, many were blindsided when, with no fanfare, he dropped a pair of bills with a new approach. Instead of directly suspending current law to open a two-year window, Rozzi proposed amending the state constitution to do so a process that would take years to unfold. A constitutional amendment requires the legislature to approve a bill, with exactly the same language, in two consecutive two-year sessions. After that, voters would need to approve it. Only three such amendments have gone to the voters in the last decade, according to state elections officials. Some victims and their advocates were apoplectic at the idea that they would have to wait at least three years to even find out if such a measure could pass. They also were upset because they thought that Scarnati, with his proposed compromise, had retreated on the issue of constitutionality and that momentum was on their side. But Rozzi and his supporters argue that even if it passed the legislature, opponents would yet again raise the constitutionality argument in court, potentially jamming it up for years. Changing the constitution, they believe, wipes out debate. He didnt turn his back on me and he didnt turn his back on anyone else, Shaun Dougherty, a clergy sexual-abuse victim, said of Rozzi. Mark Rozzi is a victim himself, and he wants nothing more than to get it resolved. The new proposals pushed by Rozzi, who teamed up with Republican State Rep. Jim Gregory of Blair County, have passed the House and are now in the Senate. Drew Crompton, Scarnatis chief of staff, said Scarnati hasnt taken a position on the measures, nor has he committed to allowing a floor vote on them. An epiphany In the interview, Rozzi said he changed tactics after having an epiphany during a trip to Italy this past February. He was attending Pope Francis unprecedented summit on the churchs clergy sex-abuse scandal. While there, the lawmaker visited his great-grandparents village north of Rome, and learned how difficult survival was for his great-grandmother, who raised four children alone after she lost her husband in World War I. But survive they did. That struck a chord with Rozzi, who said that for years he had been clinging to the 13-year-old version of himself that was raped by a priest. I remember going back to my hotel room and bawling, said Rozzi. And I remembered saying: `I am never going to call myself a victim anymore. Im a survivor.' He also decided, he said, to stop running into walls. He decided to start listening to concerns raised by Scarnati and others, stop vilifying opponents, and end public events that center around vivid and emotional descriptions of abuse. He wanted to get something accomplished. Victims, he hopes, will come around. Some people dont want to wait for a constitutional amendment, said Rozzi. Too bad. I cant do the same thing over and over, only for a dog and pony show. Faluszczak and other victims back the original strategy, a version of which is now championed by a group of freshman Democrats in the Senate. Also behind them are Shapiro and state Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm, and activist groups like Child U.S.A., which has pushed for two-year windows around the country. Marci Hamilton, Child U.S.A.'s founder and CEO, said victims she works with felt sucker-punched by Rozzis new bills. There have been many angry survivors who have approached him and have been given the back of the hand in response, said Hamilton, an attorney who has represented victims. They feel like theyve been betrayed, which they have. Sarah Klein, a lawyer and the first known victim of former U.S.A. Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, is among those both flabbergasted and angered at Rozzi. Cowards in the legislature prefer constitutional change, she said in an email. A courageous legislature would immediately get behind a statute and get it passed. The real winners in the delay of constitutional change are the same old bad guys. Superior Court Judge Kevin Smith took issue with the defendant describing his crime as an accident, saying "Nothing about this sounds like an accident." Read more WOODBURY, N.J. (AP) A New Jersey man sentenced to 15 years in the death of his wife, whose body was found in their backyard swimming pool, apologized to the victim's family but called her death an accident. Norman Long, 53, was originally charged with murder in the June 2017 death of 47-year-old Michelle Long but pleaded guilty in March to aggravated manslaughter. Gloucester County prosecutors said Long told first responders that his wife drowned, but an autopsy concluded that she died of blunt force trauma. The defendant told the court Friday that he is still trying to understand what happened that night, NJ.com reported. "What happened that day was a terrible, tragic accident for which I take full responsibility," he said. " ... I'm ashamed by my cowardice and disgraceful actions that followed the accident. I was not in my right mind at the time." He asked the victim's family for forgiveness, adding "I hope and pray to God one day that you will allow me the chance to explain what transpired that night." Superior Court Judge Kevin Smith took issue with the defendant describing his crime as an accident, saying "Nothing about this sounds like an accident. ... And he continues to try to convince himself it was." Smith said he would prefer to impose a longer term, but decided to sentence him in accordance with the plea agreement, under which Long must serve 85 percent of the term before being eligible for parole. Defense attorney David Bahuriak Jr. said his client's drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues worsened in the months before the slaying as the couple filed for bankruptcy. After a blind dog owned by the couple wandered into the swimming pool and drowned, the victim confronted her husband and the family's troubles "all just boiled over in an instant, Bahuriak said. Prosecutors said there was evidence the defendant tried to clean up the crime scene. They also said they believe the victim planned to leave her husband, since her last online search was looking at homes. Michelle Long's two adult daughters, who aren't biologically related to the defendant, spoke before sentencing. Brittany Maguire, holding back tears, said the loss of her "beautiful, smart, funny" mother made the world "permanently dark the minute she was killed." Kerrie Engelhardt said her own children will never know their grandmother. "I can't even put into words how hard this has been to go on without her," she said. "She did not deserve this." ___ Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com An overview of the PGW facility at 2430 S. 28th St., as seen from the Passyunk Avenue Bridge, with part of the city skyline in the background. (Charles Fox / Staff Photographer ) Read more After Philadelphia City Council blocked the $1.9 billion privatization of the citys gas utility in 2014, officials pondered a multitude of opportunities for Philadelphia Gas Works to practically mint money for the benefit of the city and ratepayers through the sale of abundant natural gas. But the conversation over PGWs future has now shifted dramatically, and City Council is considering whether the city-owned utility is doomed to decay painfully in a carbon-constrained world as prices rise and more affluent customers flee to other energy suppliers, leaving the city saddled with debt and a costly 6,000-mile network of aging gas mains. It is absolutely clear that the current PGW business model is not sustainable in the world, Mark Alan Hughes, director of the University of Pennsylvanias Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, told a City Council committee that is exploring the city utilitys future in a world thats getting warmer. The cloud over the 183-year-old utility casts a shadow on nearly 1,600 workers and $1.4 billion invested in pipes and plant, a potential taxpayer liability if they become stranded assets. A green future could mean higher costs for its 500,000 residential and commercial customers, especially for 146,000 low-income customers who currently struggle to pay their bills. The city is undertaking a study to explore a just transition for PGW, the nations largest municipal utility, said Christine Knapp, the citys director of sustainability. The study, whose budget is undetermined, will be financed under an award from the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020, she said. We already know that this utility is having basic business problems and will continue to do so especially when you think about a future where theres a carbon tax or other policies that would restrain fossil fuels, she said. Carbon footprint PGW could continue to operate as a natural gas utility there is no shortage of low-priced hydraulically-fracked natural gas in Pennsylvania, which has become the nations second-largest gas producer in the last decade. The gas boom has pushed down prices for energy, including electricity. But climate activists say fossil fuels are unacceptable and incompatible with the citys formal pledge to uphold the goals of the Paris climate accords, which call for an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. A parade of witnesses who testified April 26 before Councils Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities outlined options for PGW to reduce carbon emissions, including a switchover from fossil fuels to renewable gas, which would utilize the utilitys existing infrastructure as well as customers existing heating systems. Renewable gas produced from landfill waste and livestock manure is expensive and in short supply, and potential new sources of carbon-neutral synthetic gas are not being produced in commercial quantities. Rather, a more dramatic alternative that has gained traction among activists is to run everything on electricity because the electrical power grid will get cleaner over time as fossil-fuel power plants are retired. Costly options Skeptics question whether the cost of switching residential gas users to electricity will appreciably reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. An American Gas Association report last year found that even if 60 percent of the nations residential customers switched to electricity by 2035, it would reduce carbon emissions by only 1.5 percent. Switching PGWs 500,000 customers would involve a massive and expensive swap of heating systems, and a neighborhood-by-neighborhood decommissioning of the gas distribution system to avoid spending millions of dollars repairing old pipes. PGW estimates that it would cost $12 billion just to replace the citys residential gas heating systems -- about $25,000 per household. That doesnt count higher annual operating costs for electrical heating systems. A switch to electricity would also require a huge expansion of the electric generation and distribution system to serve the new demand for electrical load, particularly during the winter. Those costs would be spread among all electricity customers, not just those who switched from gas. Fuel delivered by PGW is responsible for 22 percent of the citys carbon footprint, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. About 15 percent of PGWs volume is consumed by a single customer, Veolia Energys power plant on Christian Street, which provides steam heat to about 500 buildings in and around Center City, including hospitals, universities, skyscrapers, City Hall, and the Art Museum. One repercussion of electrification is that the folks in the city who would be able to electrify their homes would do so, and everybody else would be left with the bill for PGWs infrastructure, said Knapp. Nearly 31 percent of PGWs residential customers are low-income households, many of whom qualify for rates subsidized by other customers. PGW already has the highest rates in the state -- a typical PGW residential customer pays 40 percent more than a customer of Pennsylvanias nine other gas utilities, according to Robert W. Ballenger, a Community Legal Services lawyer who acts as ratepayer advocate. But if PGW loses customers, those who remain on the system will still have to pay the utilitys fixed costs. As long as PGW has customers, state regulators require it to maintain and repair its system to keep it safe. The utility says it supports the citys ambitious emissions-reduction goals and is excited about the forthcoming study to understand future energy services that will help the utility continue to thrive in a low-carbon future. But the electrification scenario also poses a fundamental challenge for PGW, whose business plan in recent years has focused on developing new customers and uses for natural gas to make up for the loss of sales due to population declines, more efficiency and reduced demand because of warming winters. Some suggest that PGW could simply become an electricity provider. Peco Energy, owned by Exelon Corp., has a state-protected monopoly to provide electric distribution service in the city, and would not relinquish its franchise easily, without seeking compensation. Other experts suggest that a diminished PGW and its 1,600 employees could be refocused on providing services financing, installing, and maintaining new heating systems, or operating community solar systems or district-heating systems. In this scenario, the utility provides services such as comfort and heat, rather than commodities like cubic feet of gas or kilowatt hours of electricity, said Mark Silberg, an associate with the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit think tank that is working with the city through the Bloomberg Climate Challenge. The institute has also been a strong advocate for electrification. Political pressure The issue of PGWs possible diversification is coming into focus just as Council is set to consider the citys plans to partner with a developer to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at PGWs Passyunk Plant. Under the agreement, Liberty Energy Trust would pay the costs to build the $60 million plant. PGW would get at least $1.35 million a year to operate it, reducing the need for rate increases. LNG is a liquid form of natural gas that is in demand primarily for power generation, often to replace dirtier fuel oil or diesel. Though the LNG plan involves no city investment, other than the use of PGWs land and an existing LNG storage tank at Passyunk, it has drawn sharp criticism from climate activists, who have made its passage a political issue. Green activists are opposed to any expanded fossil-fuel use. PennEnvironment and other environmental groups in February promised to oppose any Council incumbents who voted for the LNG plant. Council delayed a vote on the LNG project until after the May 21 primary. The climate activists say that PGWs status as the nations largest municipal utility puts Philadelphia in a unique position to lead the way to a response on climate change. But Councilman Derek Green, who chairs the Philadelphia Gas Commission panel that in December recommended approval of the LNG plan, urged caution about rushing into the wrong decision on a climate response. Green likened the choice the city now faces to the decision confronting television viewers during the videotape format war of the 1970s. Im looking at these different technologies that us, being the city of Philadelphia, being a public entity, we have a limited amount of resources, we have to decide: Pick VHS or pick Beta? But dont pick the wrong one, because we only have a small amount of dollars. Green said that private companies, with more resources and a bigger appetite for risk, were in a better position to find ultimately what works best. Before she opened the door at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill, Judy Howard had been inside a house of worship only a few times in her life. She had gone through what she calls one of those transitions we all hate. Her partner had died. So she walked into nearby St. Martins not for church, but for Supper. I was standing there with my plate, probably looking a little bewildered, and somebody said, Come sit down,' said Howard, a psychotherapist and mother of two adult children. It was just so easy. Everybody understands sitting down to eat. That simple sharing of a meal has led Howard who eventually joined St. Martins to a community in which she has found connection and friendship. It is an outcome that member Debra Roberts didnt expect when she conceived of Supper eight years ago to help food-insecure families. The program provides a free meal five times a month at St. Martins and at three other Episcopal churches in Northwest Philadelphia. There are no strings attached: no qualifications, no requirements to sit through a sermon or to participate in anything religious. Two of the churches dont even say grace before the meal. Visitors need only pick up a plate, walk through the buffet line, and eat. Since 2012, attendance has totaled 20,000 for meals at St. Martins (on the second and fourth Wednesdays); Christ Church and St. Michaels in Germantown (the fourth Saturday); Church of St. Alban in Roxborough (the second Tuesday), and Grace Epiphany in Mount Airy (the third Wednesday). Dinner always an entree, salad, fresh fruit, bread, and dessert is dished up for an hour starting at 6 p.m., except at Christ Church and St. Michaels, where it begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The first year, it was really about the food, thinking we needed to help people enjoy a free meal with no stigma, said Roberts, an executive experienced in running area philanthropic organizations, including the Ronald McDonald House and Gift of Life Family House. But along the way, I learned so much about community and the need for connection, and how powerful [that is]. At any Supper meal, the social worker next door may be sitting across from the harried mom, kids in tow, whos taking a break from cooking for the family. The professor who is recovering from an illness may be chatting about family with the food-insecure senior who really needs a free meal. They may be Christian, or not. You can sit down, people start talking to you, and you dont feel like youre crashing someones party, said Jack Slawson, 77, a retired social worker from Elkins Park who is divorced and drives to Chestnut Hill for Supper. Roberts, 70, of Wyndmoor, began thinking about the nuances of food insecurity in the aftermath of the 2008 stock market crash, which crushed so many families even in old-money Chestnut Hill, where houses were lost to foreclosure. She heard about one family living in a car while the children attended a nearby private school, trying to maintain an image that everything was OK. In June 2011 she approached the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel rector of St. Martins and dean of the Wissahickon Deanery of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania about offering free meals at St. Martins to the community. The following February, church members served their first meal of beef and vegetarian chili (theres always a vegetarian entree option), green salad, corn bread, and brownies. More than 40 enjoyed Supper that evening. But soon, diners began attending as much for the camaraderie of breaking bread with fellow church members, neighbors, and strangers. Eventually, Kerbel recruited the three additional churches, which have developed their own unique dining ambience. St. Albans includes an arts and crafts table for all the children dashing around the room, a measure of the young families moving into the neighborhood. St. Martins, whose diners are among the most culturally and ethnically diverse, presents a 20-minute, post-meal concert of plainsong and chant called A Nightcap for the Soul. Grace Epiphany, which also offers music (any neighbor or attendee can sing or share a talent at Supper), has guests of so many different faiths that no grace is said. At Christ Church and St. Michaels, whose meals are run by two former school teachers, a winter giveaway of donated books and a summer youth reading challenge are part of the Supper experience. Dining music is provided by jazz keyboardist Eugene Lamb Chop Curry. Erin Mooney of Mount Airy brings her husband and three children, ages 4 to 13, to Supper at St. Martins. Whats amazing is you meet members of the community youd never talk to, and get to know them in ways you never would otherwise, Mooney said. At Supper, she added, her son Sullivan, 13, has found acceptance of his autism in ways he hasnt at other places. St. Martins maintains a volunteer kitchen crew of 25, who prepare lasagna, chili, corned beef and cabbage, sloppy joes, tarragon chicken, and salmon with dill, gathering early in the day to chop, slice, saute, and bake. The bonds theyve forged last long after dessert. Weve gone through weddings, babies, divorces, and cancer treatments, Roberts said of her St. Martins cooks. We are there for each other." Renee Coleman, of Christ Church and St. Michaels, describes the preparation and serving she does with coleader Rose Muriel Rains as a community outreach that makes her feel like a shepherd doing Gods work. At St. Albans, one man, Tim Rafferty, cooks every Supper, save for the donated desserts. The retired Philadelphia police corporal, who wears a Chef Tim apron, learned to cook as a youngster when he and his seven siblings shared kitchen duty after their father died. Every Thanksgiving, Rafferty roasts five turkeys for St. Albans. I love doing it seeing people eating, talking, and smiling at each other. Its a great community," Rafferty said while removing pans of pulled pork from the oven at church last month . St. Martins funds its program through grants and private donations. The other congregations also raise their own money, but St. Martins has helped them with start-up grants of $2,500, plus as much as $1,000 more annually if needed. Today, monthly Supper attendance across the four churches ranges from an average of about 50 at Christ Church and St. Michaels to nearly 600 at St. Martins. At Grace Epiphany, which had been somewhat isolated from its surrounding neighborhood, Supper has provided a connection to the community, said Deborah Haas, who supervises the program there. A few diners have joined the churches. Program officials recently hired a part-time community engagement coordinator to increase awareness and participation. Roberts hopes to expand the program to other congregations, Episcopal and beyond. If other churches join in, perhaps they will experience the community-building that Supper leader Lindsay Barrett-Adler says she has witnessed at St Albans. You see the common barriers that increasingly happen in society being torn down each month, Barrett-Adler said. People come in laughing and talking, they scooch over [to make room]. People get to know each other and then the differences matter less and less. Joel Embiid of the Sixers does a windmill dunk against the Raptors during the 4th quarter of their NBA playoff game at the Wells Fargo Center on May 2, 2019. Read more Its Sixers Sunday today and theyve got a chance to take total control over their playoff series against Toronto. In this weeks Q&A, we talk with columnist Helen Ubinas about the serious subject of gun violence in Philadelphia particularly the story of Luis Berrios, who after six months in the hospital is on a mission of forgiveness. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. Ray Boyd, Tauhid Chappell (morningnewsletter@philly.com) The week ahead The Sixers could be one step closer to reaching the Eastern Conference Finals if they extend their 2-1 series lead over the Raptors. Todays game is at 3:30 p.m. and Game 5 is Tuesday in Toronto. Game 6, if needed, would be Thursday back in Philly. Be sure to check out all of our Sixers coverage before and after the game. Did you participate in the Broad Street Run? Then you might want to read these tips from a personal trainer on a post-run routine that will help you loosen up and recover. Looking for Broad Street Run results? You can find those here. The war over whether the Upper Darby School District can build a $60 million, 950-student middle school in Clifton Heights at the site of popular ball fields is escalating. Clifton Heights officials are pushing changes in the boroughs zoning ordinance that could prevent or slow down the plans. In response, the Upper Darby school board is racing to hold an emergency meeting Monday night to cancel the boroughs lease on the district-owned property. A bill banning any new medical marijuana dispensaries from opening along several commercial corridors in northwestern Philadelphia was passed unanimously on Thursday and now awaits Mayor Jim Kenneys signature. This weeks most popular stories Behind the story with Helen Ubinas Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with Helen Ubinas, whose gripping columns expose the ongoing gun crisis in Philadelphia and how its survivors, who often go overlooked after the media spotlight disappears, struggle to adjust to life after recovery. One of her recent columns follows Luis Berrios, a gun shot victim on a quest to express forgiveness for his shooters. How did you first hear about Luis Berrios and his story? Someone I had previously written about knew Luis, and thought we should meet. That's often how I get columns: one person leads me to another person and another column. Youve reported on victims of gun violence over the course of your work in Philadelphia, how does Luis story underline the urgency in addressing ongoing violence in our city? When we talk about violence in the city, we often talk about it in terms of life and death. "A 22-year-old man was shot and killed. Four people were shot and injured." But much of the reality lies in what happens in the cracks, often in the aftermath. Many people live, but their lives are forever altered. Luis is an example of that. For many people who saw the initial stories about his shooting, there is little understanding of the lingering affects of his injuries, and the physical and emotional toll. Being able to write about Luis, as he struggled to recover from his hospital bed and as he walked around his neighborhood trying to share his message of forgiveness, is part of this city's urgent story of gun violence. What are some difficulties you encounter when trying to tell stories framed around gun violence and the victims it claims? There are many, but perhaps the biggest one is trying to find new ways to tell the story to make readers stop and care and even more important, stand up and want to do something. So, that means sitting at the hospital bedside of a gun violence victim as he struggles to recover and in the homes of (mostly) mothers as they grieve for generations of gunshot victims. It means staking out a cemetery in hopes of finding the mother who visits her sons gravesite every day to share coffee, without being seen so I dont taint the scene...But it also means holding the city accountable when it spends years and millions on anti-violence programs they never evaluate and calling Philadelphians to the Art Museum steps every year with little more than my column and my own social media accounts when I started and the faith that people would come. What is one thing you hope readers take away from Luis message of forgiveness? Its not just about Luis...its really about the strength and grace of so many victims and survivors of gun violence in this city. Thats something else many people dont truly appreciate - how many Philadelphians have taken the worst thing to happen to them and turned it into a passion to try and make life better for others, to be better and do better. At the very least, we as journalists, as storytellers, should bear witness to that kind of courage. You can contact Helen with your story ideas at ubinas@philly.com or follow her on Twitter at @NotesFromHel. Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly Head down to Bella Vista and when you find the blue horse, you might discover a beautiful story like @amyjani did! Thanks for sharing this encounter with us. 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! #CuriousPhilly: Have a question about your community? Ask us! Have you submitted a question to Curious Philly yet? Try us. Were listening to our readers and doing our best to find answers to the things youre curious about. Our readers latest question: Why isnt the 15th Street Station, along the Market-Frankford Line, just called City Hall? The answer: To put it simply, theyre actually two different stops on two different subway lines. What were Comment of the week What a surprise the city will need the dump more tax payer money into it! As city employees will reap the extra benefits far beyond the extra money in their pay checks from another city failure. As the millions extra will land up in bigger pension payouts. Because the #Philly way is the corrupt way only. As they selected vendors that paid the highest donations to put a system in that at the end not only benefited the unions but failed the taxpayers as a result. Itoldyouwhy, on Phillys new payroll system is sending out thousands of inaccurate paychecks and no one knowing why. A Daily Dose of | The Upside Meet Paul Bady, a regular that can be found executing masterful moves on the chessboard in West Phillys Clark Park. Its more than just moving the pieces its 50 percent psychological. Former Vice President Joe Biden takes photos with supporters following the first rally of his 2020 campaign, Saturday, May 4, 2019 in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) Read more NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Democrat Joe Biden's visit to a South Carolina church Sunday is part of his 2020 presidential campaign's outreach to black voters, who play a pivotal role in the early-voting state's primary. The former vice president is wrapping up his first stop in South Carolina since joining the packed field of Democrats by attending services in West Columbia. Biden told a crowd at a Columbia community center on Saturday that Jim Crow is "sneaking back in" as he emphasized the need to protect voting rights, an effort he said is lacking under the Trump administration. Pete Buttigieg plans a town hall in North Charleston, where African Americans account for nearly half the population. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has said he's making a conscious effort in his campaign to focus on issues important to black voters. This past week he met with the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader, at the Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvia's. Buttigieg said Sharpton encouraged him "to engage with people who may not find their way to me who I need to go out and find my way in front of." Iowa is the focus Sunday for former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. California Sen. Kamala Harris plans to attend an NAACP dinner in Detroit. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP FILE - In this April 27, 2019, file photo,. Democratic presidential candidate and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks at a Service Employees International Union forum on labor issues in Las Vegas. The relatively few Democratic presidential candidates from red states have taken different approaches to convincing voters that a familiarity with Donald Trump country could help them denying him a second term. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Read more NASHUA, N.H. (AP) Democrat Beto O'Rourke uses his home state as a cautionary tale, ticking through Texas' Republican-backed policies as warning flags for the rest of the country. Mayor Pete Buttigieg mentions once worrying about how coming out as gay in deeply Republican Indiana might have cost him re-election, even in his more moderate college town of South Bend. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks of evolving away from defending gun rights during her early years in Congress representing a conservative House district in upstate New York and notes, "I have uncles who voted for Trump. I get it." There are 20-plus Democrats competing for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, but only five are from reliably GOP areas. Members of this select group are trying to balance their home turf stories, pitching themselves as uniquely suited to win over voters who previously backed President Donald Trump while also pointing out what they view as the shortfalls of Republican government. "When you're coming from a state like that, you've got to pick your spots to try to figure out where you can have a little bit of influence," said Russell Ott, a Democratic state representative in South Carolina, which holds the South's first presidential primary but has no Democratic statewide officeholders. "I think that's something people appreciate." O'Rourke, who represented El Paso, on the Texas border with Mexico, in Congress for six years says he will work with both parties and loves his state. But he isn't shy about ripping its politics. He decries Texas for championing the death penalty, failing to expand Medicaid under the Obama administration's health law and having one of the nation's lowest voter turnout rates due, he says, to strict voter ID rules. O'Rourke also says jails are among Texas' top providers of mental health care and people deliberately get arrested to seek treatment. He says Texas is one of many places without laws prohibiting employers from firing people for being gay. "It's a defense in a court of law in Texas if you've killed someone of the same sex because they came on to you in a bar or on the street," O'Rourke tells campaign audiences, noting that Texas and other states don't prohibit what LGBT activists call "gay panic defense" as a mitigating argument in criminal court. Fellow Texan Julian Castro, ex-San Antonio mayor and Obama administration housing chief, is more critical of Trump than the Lone Star State, and praises his heavily Hispanic city. "I came up in San Antonio that was almost 50-50 Republican/Democrat," Castro said, though politics there now are far more liberal. "I had to learn how to talk to the other side, consider their ideas, find common ground where we could." Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel says he's running for president to push the field farther left defying his home state, which hasn't voted Democratic for president since 1968. Conversely, many of the race's top blue-state Democrats play up their stomping grounds. California Sen. Kamala Harris said "I am so proud to be a daughter of Oakland, California" and has talked about how her East Bay roots instilled a sense of community and optimism. Her state's governor, Gavin Newsom, isn't running but he also isn't afraid to say that California should be the inspiration for 2020 Democrats: "We're in the most Un-Trump state in America." Sen. Elizabeth Warren champions being an Oklahoma native who can appeal to rural voters, but offers a liberal populist message most representative of the Democratic bastions of the state she represents, Massachusetts. And Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders proclaims, "I know where I come from and that is something I will never forget" when speaking about his Brooklyn upbringing. Those 2020 Democrats from Republican strongholds may have an advantage over their competitors, however, because they won't have to answer for more liberal-policies common in Democratic areas. Such political baggage may not hurt during the primary but could in the general election against Trump. Buttigieg largely refrains from criticizing his native state but sees "coming from a fairly blue city in a purple county in a red state" as an advantage. "If nothing else, it gives you a different vocabulary," Buttigieg said. "A lot of times, even when I have a strong progressive message, I think I have an instinct for how to convey that in a way that's inclusive and then reaches to more people." Gillibrand came to the House in 2007 representing a conservative district and once signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing for overturning a District of Columbia handgun ban. She now says she was wrong but that learning from the issue has made her stronger, and she can now better relate to those voters that Democrats need to win back from Trump. Gillibrand notes she was introduced during a recent visit to Iowa as being from "the Iowa part of New York." The Democrats in these places are a lot like my Democrats in New York, she said. They fight really hard. They know how hard it is to win, but they really never give up and they organize and theyre ambitious and they try really hard. Voters listen to former vice president Joe Biden at the Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City on Wednesday. Read more In his first days as an official candidate, former vice president Joe Biden has opened a significant lead in national polls, posted the top one-day fundraising total and showcased his ability to rattle President Donald Trump. His surprisingly strong debut has set off alarms in opposing camps, prompting his rivals to recalibrate their strategies for the next phase of the primary fight. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has taken the most dramatic action, making a personal decision to contrast his policy record with Biden's. Sanders' advisers said he plans to continue that thrust, and his campaign manager is calling out candidates standing on the sidelines. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., raised money off Biden's entrance by whacking him for soliciting checks from wealthy benefactors and separately noted under questioning that he sided with credit card companies in a key legislative battle. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., seized on Trump calling her "nasty" by turning it into a rallying cry in social media ads that sought to demonstrate that Biden is not the only candidate who can provoke the president. "He's had a gravitational effect on the other candidates," said James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist who worked on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. Biden has benefited from the dynamic of the 2020 primary season: Democrats have put forth the most diverse slate of candidates in history, generating excitement across the party, as measured by crowds massing at their events and donations flowing to their campaigns. But no standout has emerged with staying power, creating the vacuum into which Biden, who is well known and attached to the last Democrat to win the White House, has slipped. Sanders has proved he still has a loyal following from 2016, but he has struggled to expand his base. Harris drew 20,000 people to her launch but has been unable to maintain lasting momentum before her well-received, televised questioning of Attorney General William Barr. Warren's suite of detailed policy proposals has impressed activists, but it so far has not translated to a big bump in the polls. Former Texas representative Beto O'Rourke raised heaps of cash on his first day but has yet to revive the viral excitement created in his 2018 Senate run. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, has risen from obscurity but is untested and has yet to expand his campaign deeply in early states. All of the candidates are looking to the debates that begin in June to offer what they hope will be a breakout moment. It is not yet clear whether Biden himself will be able to maintain his tentative hold on the race; statewide polls in early states show him in a weaker position than national surveys, and his first events demonstrated his limitations as a candidate. His speeches were often meandering and his aides sharply limited access to him - he took no questions from voters - a style of campaigning that can backfire in states where people are accustomed to taking the measure of their options up close. "People know him and there's a comfort level with him," said Rob Hogg, an Iowa state senator. "But I don't think it's a done deal for Joe Biden." He added, "There's a lot of interest in somebody new, in the next generation." The candidates fresh to the national stage have been blunted to some extent by the presence of Sanders, the second-place finisher to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic contest and, like Biden, a septuagenarian. For reasons both strategic and ideological, he has become Biden's sharpest critic. Sanders jumped at the chance in recent days to compare himself with Biden on far-reaching free trade agreements and the Iraq War - which he opposed and Biden supported. The strategy is similar to the approach he took against Clinton in 2016, when he mercilessly pounded the establishment front-runner on their policy differences and exposed the leftward turn of many Democratic voters. Sanders' advisers say he is just getting started. "Senator Sanders has had a lifetime of consistency around the issues that he's raising," said Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir. "And quite frankly, on many of those issues . . . Biden has been wrong on the first instance." When it comes to the rest of the field, Shakir said, "I'm not sure many of them are all that different" from Biden. He added, "If you're not interested in drawing the contrast, right, it certainly makes it less clear to us that there is any distinction." The Biden-Sanders split embodies a broader Democratic divide. While some believe the path back to power lies in the political revolution Sanders is urging, others feel a better bet for defeating Trump is Biden's pitch for a restoration of more conventional Obama-era politics. Biden and Sanders represent the same side of another Democratic divide - both are running against a crop of younger candidates who are newer to elective office and whose racial and gender diversity better reflects the changing country. Yet despite coming from different ideological tracks, the two are competing for some of the same voters - white, working-class people in upper Midwestern states Trump won. After an impressive start of his own, Sanders has dipped a bit in public polls. His crowds have diminished in recent weeks. He's had some trouble attracting nonwhite voters. And a sizable chunk of the Democratic Party does not like him or doubts he would beat Trump. "He's an old, angry guy running against Donald Trump, who's an old, angry guy," said Barack Obama's 2012 campaign manager, Jim Messina. "That's not a contrast." The added pressure of having Biden in the race was apparent at a rally Sanders held at Iowa State University on Saturday. Ron Craig, 62, an undecided voter there, said he was leaning toward Biden. "He might be able to get more of the swing voters, you know, that might be leery of voting for somebody who's really far left," he said. Craig's main goal? "To beat Trump." All of the candidates besides Sanders are taking a lower profile in the post-Biden period, wagering that if he falters they will be well-positioned to inherit voters up for grabs. Sanders's allies are watching Warren, whose similar platform makes her a competitor for the mantle of a more liberal alternative to Biden. Pressed by a reporter after Biden's entrance whether he was "too cozy" with Wall Street to regulate it as president, Warren said she had defended struggling families in past battles over bankruptcy matters, whereas "Joe Biden was on the side of credit card companies." Since then, however, she has been judicious about taking him on. Asked about Biden in a brief interview, Warren declined to speak about him or his record. "I can't speak to anyone else's campaign," she said. Warren is focused on outlining policy proposals; her mantra is "I have a plan" and T-shirts with the phrase have become her campaign's fastest-selling new item. Part of what appears to be propelling Biden in his campaign's early days is his strength among different sets of voters, including not only white, blue-collar voters but also African-Americans. Multiple candidates are also competing for that support. Harris, who is making a vigorous push to win black voters, will address the Detroit chapter of the NAACP on Sunday. "I adore Joe Biden," Harris said when he joined the race. Buttigieg began the past week by lunching with the Rev. Al Sharpton and ended it on the cover of Time magazine with his husband, Chasten. Buttigieg's campaign believes it needs to establish deeper relationships - and policy credentials - with voters who know little about the South Bend mayor. His team is also working to scale up its presence in early states including South Carolina, where he is campaigning Sunday and Monday, immediately after Biden's own visit there. While the other candidates for the Democratic nomination have taken on Biden in differing measures, the former vice president has focused solely on a contrast with Trump. He announced his run in a video highlighting the president's remarks about a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, prompting Trump to rehash his comments. "I understand the president's been tweeting a lot about me this morning. I wonder why the hell he's doing that!" Biden said on recent swing through Iowa, practically giddy. "I'm going to be the object of his attention for a while, folks." He has also worked to appear in step with the current electorate. On Wednesday night, during an event in Des Moines, Iowa, a half dozen protesters in penguin masks raised signs that read, "Climate is a crisis." "Don't worry, I'll get to climate change, I promise," he said. "And by the way, I got there before any of the other candidates did, I might add." Perhaps unintentionally dating himself, he noted, "I'm one of the first guys to introduce a climate change bill, way, way back in '87, OK?" Biden is also seeking to expand his financial advantage over many in the field. While some of his opponents have sworn off wooing big donors amid rising Democratic concerns about the influence of the wealthy, Biden is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Wednesday where donations range from $2,800 to $10,000, according to the invitation. He also is delivering constant reminders of perhaps his biggest selling point: his connection to the 44th president, who remains popular among many Democratic voters. "I think there is a lot of excitement about him simply because he has served under President Obama," said Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., who represents a swing distinct in the suburbs of Atlanta and has not made an endorsement. "People kind of believe, you know, he's probably one of the more experienced presidential candidates." That sentiment so far is echoed by many voters. While they acknowledge he is not a perfect candidate, voters say he seems authentic and represents what they crave: a return to normalcy. "As soon as he announced, I thought: Yes. Someone is coming to our rescue," said Hope Phillips, a 52-year-old financial industry worker from Des Moines. Andrew Lietzow, a 67-year-old from Des Moines who is executive director of the Iowa Landlord Association, is the kind of voter Biden's rivals need to worry about. If Biden weren't in the race, Lietzow might be supporting one of them. "Cory Booker is strong. Elizabeth Warren is strong. So is Kamala Harris. But compared to Joe? Not even in the hunt," he said. - - - The Washington Posts Annie Linskey, Chelsea Janes, Amy B Wang and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. The weather forecast was bad: rain and snow above 2500 m. We couldnt disappoint our special guest, so we did not get discouraged. Sticking to our plan and we started our adventure! Late in the afternoon, we took an off-road vehicle to cut the climb short, then, inside a summer blizzard, we pedaled up to the Pizzini-Frattola mountain hut where we had a warm meal and a bed for the night. The day after the sun shone, the sky was blue and a blanket of snow covered everything.We carried on our shoulders the mountain bikes and with the snow up to the knees, we trekked up to the Zebru Pass (3000 m.), where began the downhill.We rode down first on the snow, then on an amazing mountainside single track with a lot of flow.Arrived in Bormio, after lunch, we took two gondolas to reach Cima Bianca, the tallest point of the tour. Fortunately, the sun was warm so the snow that fell the day before had already melted, so from here we descended having a lot of fun and without any problem on a wonderful alpine single trail. It was an epic adventure that we will never forget! Benjamin Pollak Wins 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT 25,000 High Roller for 705,840 May 04, 2019 Will Shillibier Benjamin Pollak has taken down the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT 25,000 High Roller after defeating German Koray Aldemir heads up. After an exciting final day's play, and over two hours of heads-up, the pair agreed to a deal splitting the remaining prize money and guaranteeing themselves 655,840 with 50,000 additional reserved for the winner. Pollak won all three all-ins whilst heads-up, once to get back into contention, the second to wrestle the chip lead away from Aldemir - who had sensationally grabbed it earlier from Laszlo Bujtas - with Pollak's third all-in seeing him secure the title and 50,000 extra in prize money. "You're a tough one to play against," Pollak said to Aldemir shortly after his victory. "You gave me a headache for two hours." 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT 25,000 High Roller Final Table Results Place Name Country Payout (EUR) Payout (USD) 1 Benjamin Pollak France 705,840 $787,012 * 2 Koray Aldemir Germany 655,840 $731,262 * 3 Marton Czuczor Hungary 364,460 $406,373 4 Laszlo Bujtas Hungary 300,340 $334,879 5 Michael Addamo Australia 241,290 $269,038 6 Sergio Aido Spain 188,980 $210,713 7 Laurynas Levinskas Lithuania 141,730 $158,029 8 Daniel Dvoress Canada 104,610 $116,640 9 Joao Vieiera Portugal 80,990 $90,304 * Reflects a heads-up deal 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT 25,000 High Roller Final Day Recap Joao Vieira was the first elimination of the day within the first level. Coming into the day as the shortest stack, he got ace-four in against the ace-jack of Sergio Aido to hit the rail. Less than twenty minutes later, Daniel Dvoress followed him in dramatic fashion. Getting eight-nine in against the pocket jacks of Laszlo Bujtas he made a straight by the turn, but the river improved Bujtas to a full house and Dvoress was eliminated. By this point, Bujtas was pulling away as Benjamin Pollak and Marton Czuczor both doubled behind him. Lithuanian Laurynas Levinskas went next in seventh place. After flopping top pair with ace-king, he looked set to double before Koray Aldemir rivered a set with pocket jacks and was eliminated. This strengthened Aldemir's position and he moved into the lead before the second break of the day. Three players returned from that break with 15 big blinds or less, and Super High Roller Champion Aido was next to be eliminated. He was in good shape with pocket aces, but they were cracked by the queen-nine of Bujtas who flopped two pair to regain his chip lead. One elimination became two in quick succession as Michael Addamo ran ace-six into the ace-ten of Pollak after failing to recover from Czuczor's earlier double. Aldemir with the Hero Call What had been a fairly ordinary final table thus far changed completely with an extraordinary hero call from Aldemir. Blind on blind, Aldemir limped and called a raise from Bujtas. The German check-called all three streets against Bujtas, with the Hungarian turning over Doyle Brunson's hand: ten-deuce. Aldemir had flopped top pair and soared into the chip lead with over half the chips in play four-handed. Bujtas failed to recover and was eliminated in a cooler shortly thereafter as compatriot Czuczor went runner-runner to make a straight. Three-handed, Aldemir remained in the lead up until the tournament went on dinner break. On resumption, Czuczor's river call with top pair went wrong when Aldemir turned over a full house, and the second Hungarian at the final table was eliminated. Heads-Up Heads-Up Aldemir built an early lead and was one card away from sealing victory. However, Pollak made his flush draw on the river to double back into the match. And although Aldemir opened up a gap once more, Pollak's second heads-up double saw him take over the chip lead after his aces held against the jacks of his opponent. The pair then agreed to a deal, securing each player 655,840 with the winner receiving an extra 50,000. By the third, all in Pollak's run good was on full display. He got it in with middle pair and a flush draw against the top pair of Aldemir and rivered a set to secure the second EPT High Roller title of his career after winning the 50,000 High Roller at EPT Barcelona last August. Benjamin Pollack wins EPT High Roller. The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media. Manig Loeser Wins 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event (603,777) May 04, 2019 Christian Zetzsche The flagship event of the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino European Poker Tour (EPT) festival has come to a conclusion and a new champion has been crowned in the 5,300 Main Event at the Monte-Carlo Sporting. Throughout two starting days and the following four days, a field of 922 entries has seen a new winner emerge on the ever-popular poker tour and it was Manig Loeser that lifted the trophy for the winner shots in the third-biggest EPT Main Event in the principality of Monaco on the French Riviera. Final Table Result 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event Place Player Country Prize (in EUR) Prize (in USD) 1 Manig Loeser Germany 603,777* $676,890 2 Wei Huang China 552,056* $618,906 3 Viktor Katzenberger Hungary 529,707* $593,772 4 Ryan Riess United States 265,620 $297,745 5 Nicola Grieco Italy 206,590 $231,576 6 Luis Medina Portugal 152,800 $171,280 7 Rustam Hajiyev Azerbaijan 109,510 $122,755 8 Timothy Adams Canada 78,030 $87,467 *reflects deal of the last three players Loeser went heads-up against Wei Huang from China, who narrowly missed out on becoming the first-ever EPT champion for his home country. Huang was railed by Haoxiang Wang, Yan Li and Pete Chen, his roommate Wang having come close to winning an EPT Main Event in Barcelona last year only to also finish in second place. You can read more about their story on the PokerNews homepage. Down to the last three players, Loeser and Huang cut a deal with Viktor Katzenberger and left 78,061 and the elusive EPT trophy up for grabs. All three remaining players secured themselves a big portion of the 4,471,700 prize pool, and it was Loeser that received the most of it for a top prize of 603,777 and his second major victory on the live poker circuit. According to his Hendon Mob profile, Loeser currently sits in 10th place in the German all-time money list and will cross $10 million in cashes. While most had expected a rather short day with six players remaining, it took a total of 273 hands to play down to a champion. Five-handed play lasted for more than nine hours (including breaks) and the final day also featured Luis Medina, Nicola Grieco and 2013 WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess, who once again went deep in one of his European exploits. Riess narrowly missed out on becoming the first player to win the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas and an EPT Main Event. Kevin MacPhee, John Juanda and Adrian Mateos claimed WSOPE Main Event titles in Europe and also have the EPT Main Event trophy to their name. Ryan Riess was eliminated in fourth place. 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event Final Day Action While Luis Medina ran out of chips rather quickly, the battle of the final five contenders turned into an endurance challenge. Ryan Riess, Wei Huang and Nicola Grieco ended up all in and at risk several times without any player running out of fortune for the next nine hours - including breaks and a 45-minute dinner break to double when urgently needed. Riess: "I got really lucky today to get fourth, to get as far as I did so Im very grateful." Ultimately, start-of-the-day chip leader Grieco had to settle for fifth place. The Italian had clashed with Wei Huang when his move with six-five suited for second pair was called by Huang, who burned all his remaining time banks with ace-five for the same pair and better kicker. Grieco then got it in with ace-king for six big blinds with ace-king on the button Manig Loeser called with eight-seven. An eight and a seven on the flop gave Loeser two pair and Grieco was left drawing dead on the turn hand #198 of the six-handed final table. Riess had been short several times and cracked aces with pocket sevens to double up. He also called a shove by Manig Loeser on a double-paired jack-high board with ten-high and was good against six-high to double. However, his run came to a cruel end in 4th place when his queen-trey flopped best against jack-six suited only for Wei Huang to hit a runner-runner straight. Riess had the following to say to the PokerStars video crew in his interview after the elimination: I enjoyed it a lot, Im super grateful. If youre not happy when you dont get first place, youre always going to be miserable. Theres a lot of luck in tournament poker; I got really lucky today to get fourth, to get as far as I did so Im very grateful. Ill be back. Down to the last three players, Loeser dominated at the top of the counts and took a commanding lead. That all but changed when Huang made a move with a pair and nut flush blocker on an ace-high river and jammed into the bet of Loeser, who had rivered a seven-high straight with seven-four. Two time banks were invested by Loeser and he folded the best hand. Wei Huang and his rail from China. Huang pulled into a small lead before the next break and the final three players then entered another endurance challenge, as ICM deal discussions lasted for almost an hour before the trio came to an agreement. Once the cards were back in the air, Loeser won a flip with pocket treys against the ace-jack suited of Katzenberger. The Hungarian, who was railed by fellow countryman Laszlo Bujtas, Marton Czuczor and Andras Nemeth, bowed out shortly after with ace-eight against the ace-king of Huang to set up the duel for the title. 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event Heads-Up The chip lead changed a few times until Loeser pulled into a comfortable 2-1 lead. In the final hand of the event, Huang jammed a jack-high turn with king-eight for an open-ender and gutshot. Loeser called with queen-eight suited for the queen-high straight and a blank ace on the river brought the tournament to an end at just after 3 a.m. local time. While the EPT takes a summer break until the grand spectacle in Barcelona in August 2019, the next PokerStars live events are just around the corner with the EPT Open Madrid in late June, followed by the APPT Manila festival at the end of July. This concludes the PokerNews live updates from Monte-Carlo and the highly anticipated 50th edition of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas is right around the corner at the end of May 2019. Manig Loeser wins the 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media. Pictures courtesy of Neil Stoddart / PokerStars WSOP Europe Adds 25,500 Short Deck Bracelet Event to its Schedule May 05, 2019 PokerNews Staff Not ten, but eleven of the most prestigious poker trophies will be distributed this fall during the WSOP Europe at the King's Resort. In addition to the original ten planned bracelet events and a total of 14 million in guarantees, a High Roller with a 25,500 entry fee and a 2,500,000 guaranteed prize pool will be added. The format will be the more and more popular Short Deck with a stripped deck. Winning the golden WSOP bracelet is the dream of any poker enthusiast and professional, and in the Czech Republic, only five players can boast of having the most prestigious poker trophy. King's Resort is the only place in Europe where this sought after poker jewelry can be obtained for the third consecutive year. Tsoukernik: "It's the biggest bracelet event in this format in the history of Europe, and we are honored to host it at Kings." This autumn, the European edition of the world's oldest and most prestigious poker event, the World Series of Poker Europe, returns to West Bohemia for the third time in a row, and the organizers released its program last week. But the original ten planned bracelet tournaments and a total guarantee of over 14 million are now expanding by one more specialty. At WSOP Europe, a Short Deck Hold'em tournament takes place for the first time at King's Resort, a reasonably young poker discipline where all of the deuces to fives are removed (therefore, sometimes referred to as Six Plus Hold'em). Especially the players of the most expensive tournaments favored this format for its action potential, and the 18th and 19th of October, the WSOPE Short Deck High Roller will offer a 25,500 entry fee and a 2,500,000 guaranteed prize pool. It's the biggest bracelet event in this format in the history of Europe, and we are honored to host it at Kings. It will be an event for fans of modern fast poker with huge guarantees. Our resort confirms its role as a key poker destination in 2019, comments the owner of Kings Resort, Leon Tsoukernik. Originally played primarily in East Asia, the format has spread throughout the world over the past few years and has penetrated, for the first time this year, into the relatively conservative World Series of Poker. At the beginning of June, the $10,000 Short Deck Event will take place at the 50th annual WSOP in Las Vegas. The play for the next and the first European gold bracelet in this discipline will take place four months later in West Bohemia. WSOP Europe 2019 Program Date Tournament Buy-in Guaranteed Prize Pool 13th-14th of October No Limit Holdem Opener 350 220,000 15th-16th of October 8-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha 550 100,000 16th-18th of October No Limit Holdem Mini Main Event 1,350 550,000 17th of October Turbo Bounty Hunter 1,100 200,000 18th-19th of October Short Deck High Roller 25,500 2,500,000 19th of October Pot-Limit Omaha / No Limit Holdem Mix 1,650 200,000 20th of October No Limit Holdem Platinum High Roller 25,500 1,000,000 21st of October Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed 2,200 200,000 23rd of October Diamond High Roller 100,000 5,000,000 25th-26th of October WSOP Europe Main Event 10,000 5,000,000 28th of October- 2nd of November No-Limit Holdem Colossus 550 1,000,000 302 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Kate Ryan NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) A pending U.S. policy allowing medical professionals to deny healthcare based on their personal or religious beliefs is raising fears that LGBT+ patients might be refused treatment. The so-called conscience rule permits health workers to opt out of procedures such as abortions and sterilizations which violate their beliefs. Opponents of the measure say it offers few limits on what constitutes a religious or personal belief and who makes those decisions. It opens the door to denial of care for LGBT+ patients seeking surgical transitions or hormone treatment, advocates said. The proposed rule had been written extremely broadly, said Jocelyn Samuels, executive director of the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Providers may believe they have the authorization to turn LGBTQ people away, Samuels told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. LGBTQ people will feel chilled in seeking medical care. The rule will be effective 60 days from its final publication and enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). This rule ensures that healthcare entities and professionals wont be bullied out of the healthcare field because they decline to participate in actions that violate their conscience, including the taking of human life, said OCR Director Roger Severino in a statement on Thursday when the rule was announced. The OCR said in an emailed statement that the conscience rule, proposed more than a year ago, unites an array of various existing rules into one. The beauty of the American system is that there are options for everyone, said Severino in the statement. Under the rule, in an emergency situation a decision on providing care might put a patients life in jeopardy, said Sarah Warbelow, legal director at the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based LGBT+ advocacy group. When youre being told by your government that you have the right to say, My conscience allows me to treat LGBT people as second-class citizens, it will be too late by the time a resolution is reached, she said. The impact could affect services from doctors and nurses to receptionists, she added. You could have the person checking in someone say, I refuse to let your doctor know youre here because I know what youre coming in for, she said. This empowers people in the medical profession to behave badly to LGBT people. (Reporting by Kate Ryan, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst ((Please credit the 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 http://news.trust.org) 3.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard One of Trumps top outside advisers, David Bossie, has been caught running an organization claiming to support Trump aligned candidates but is not donating most of the money. Trumps Swamp Creatures Scam Small Donors Axios along with Campaign Legal Center reported: A political organization run by David Bossie, President Trumps former deputy campaign manager, has raised millions of dollars by saying its supporting Trump-aligned conservative candidates but has spent only a tiny fraction of that money supporting candidates. Instead, federal records suggest the Presidential Coalition has spent nearly all its money raised mostly from small-dollar donations on more fundraising, as well as administrative costs, which include Bossies salary, according to a new report produced by the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) in collaboration with Axios. . Based on the 527 organizations IRS data, just $425,442 (or 3%) of the $15.4 million it spent during 2017 and 2018 went to direct political activity, which CLC defines as direct donations to candidates or political committees, and a small number of state-level candidate ads. Bossie remains close to Trump, and you might know the name because he was behind the Citizens United dark money lawsuit that opened the floodgates to corruption. Bossies group conned small donors into thinking that they were giving money to help train and elect more candidates that would support Trump. Instead, they were giving their money to Bossie who paid himself a six-figure salary and dumped their donations into more fundraising schemes. The swamp hasnt been drained. Any army of corruption has built an even bigger swamp to fuel the greed of Trumps allies. Bossies operation misled the vulnerable, which means that it is the perfect fit for the criminal culture that has been built and is maintained by Donald Trump. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 1.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker (D-NJ) said that Barr should resign, and everything should be on the table, including impeachment. Cory Booker Gets to the heart of why Barr should resign or be impeached Booker said on CNNs State of the Union, He has eroded his credibility to the point where I believe he should resign. He has clearly misled CongressI believe he should resign. I believe that everything should be on the table, but when you have a person who has undermined the independence of the attorney generals office. A guy who is literally overseeing ongoing investigations into criminal activity and this president, and youve lost your ability to trust, you were clearly trying to spin. You were acting more like Rudy Giuliani than the independent attorney general of this country. Im definitely worried. Video: Presidential candidate Democratic Sen. Cory Booker say Attorney General William Barr "has eroded his credibility" and ought to resign, adding that everything should be on the table, including his impeachment. #CNNSOTU https://t.co/YNwGnbhxXJ pic.twitter.com/zbbmFwMa8C State of the Union (@CNNSotu) May 5, 2019 Impeaching Barr is a means to an end Everything that Sen. Booker laid out was one hundred percent correct. Barr is never going to resign, so impeachment has to be on the table. Anything less equals giving him a free pass. Barr is never going to leave on his own. He is either going to have to be pressured out, or become such a political liability that Trump throws him under the bus and tosses him out. Democrats need to turn Barr into an anchor around Trumps neck, and the way to that is to keep applying public pressure for resignation or impeachment of the attorney general. Booker laid it out perfectly. A compromised attorney general who is acting as Trumps personal attorney cant oversee criminal investigations into the president. Either through resignation or impeachment, Barr has got to go. 2.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Sec. of State Mike Pompeo said that Trump has the power to invade Venezuela with US troops as an option that is on the table. Pompeo Doesnt Rule Out Trump Sending Troops To Invade Venezuela Transcript via ABCs This Week: KARL: So, you were at the Pentagon going over military options on Friday with the presidents national security team. I know the line that youve said, the president has said, everybody has said, all options are on the table. But is a U.S. military invasion of Venezuela really an option? POMPEO: Oh, make no mistake, we have a full range of options that were preparing for. Thats part of what we were doing on Friday, was making sure that when this progresses, and different situation arises, that the president has a full-scale set of options; diplomatic options, political options, options with our allies, and then ultimately, a set of options that would involve use of U.S. military. Were preparing those for him so that when the situation arises, were not flatfooted. KARL: Does the president believe that he can intervene militarily without getting congressional authorization? POMPEO: Yeah, I dont I dont want to speak to that. The president has his full range of Article 2 authorities and Im very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful. Video: NEW: Asked if Trump believes he could intervene militarily in Venezuela without Congress' approval, Mike Pompeo says, "The president has his full range of Article 2 authorities and I'm very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful" https://t.co/PWsqOVOMif pic.twitter.com/4Y0yWeiQzJ This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 5, 2019 An Invasion Of Venezuela Is A Terrible Idea The one sure thing that Trump could do to strengthen Maduro would be to threaten US military action in Venezuela. Pompeo was soothing Trumps ego with tough talk, but any US military action is sure to backfire and strengthen Maduro. It is a horrible idea from both a political and policy perspective, so of course, it is likely to be embraced by Trump and some members of his administration. Should Trumps political fortunes continue to look like those of a one-termer, he will try to play wartime president and rally the country around him. Even the threat of military action is likely to drive Trumps poll numbers even lower. Military action in Venezuela is not the answer unless Trump is trying to become a one-term president. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 3.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll found that 59% of voters would have reservations or are very uncomfortable with the idea of reelecting Trump. Voters are uncomfortable with the idea of four more years of Trump NBC News reported, The NBC/WSJ poll shows a combined 41 percent of all registered voters saying theyre either enthusiastic or comfortable when it comes to Trump and his re-election, while a combined 59 percent say they have some reservations (10 percent) or are very uncomfortable (49 percent). For former Vice President Joe Biden, who announced his presidential bid in late April, 47 percent are enthusiastic/comfortable, versus a combined 49 percent who have some reservations (25 percent) or are very uncomfortable (24 percent). Biden was the only Democratic candidate that the story used data from all voters on, and it paints a striking contrast. After years of tweets, tantrums, irrational behavior, and causing worry, voters are ready to move on from Donald Trumps one person circus of chaos. One gets the sense from this very early polling that most voters would like to go back to having a government that was less seen and heard than Trump. The election is still 540+ days away. The entire world can change in that amount of time, but feelings about Trump have remained static. Trump is the opposite of a comforting and reassuring presence and voters are tired of feeling bad. The issue in 2020 is healthcare More bad news came for Trump on the issues. Healthcare is the top concern of voters (24%). Despite Trumps relentless hammering of immigration and the border, just 18% of voters list it as their top issue, and 14% are concerned about jobs and the economy. Trump isnt going to win an election centered on healthcare. The border fearmongering isnt working with the broader electorate, as signs suggest that most voters want to be rid of Trump. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 2.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said that Trumps obstruction of congressional investigations is backfiring and uniting the American people against him. Rep. Ted Lieu: Trumps obstruction is uniting the American people against him Rep. Lieu said during a Sunday interview on MSNBC, They essentially have denied every congressional request. This sort of maximum denial is now unifying Democrats in Congress. I think its also unifying the American people. The framers set up our constitution as co-equal branches of government under the necessary and proper clauses of the constitution, Congress has a right to conduct oversight investigations. The administration simply cant do this. If theyre going to do this, were going to use all the tools at our disposal. Were going to take them to court and likely win on all the requests we have. Video: Trumps Obstruction of Congressional Democrats Isnt Working Trump has been obstructing Democrats so that he can spread his false version of the Mueller report. The problem is that polling is showing that Trumps tactics are making him look guilty and increasing the doubts that voters already have about electing him to a second term. The obstruction of the investigations is hurting Trump politically, but it may be the only choice that he has. Should Trump lose in 2020, he is likely facing a criminal indictment back in New York for masterminding the Stormy Daniels hush money payoff conspiracy. Trump doesnt want four more years so that he can govern. President Trump is trying to run out the statute of limitations on his crimes. The American people see through what Trump is doing and his strategy of denying and obstructing is only making people more determined to vote against him in 2020. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook America got to see Trump freak out in real time on Twitter as he told special counsel Robert Mueller not to testify to Congress. Trump tweeted: After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 .to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 Trumps tweets are not the reaction of an innocent man. Trump is acting like his massive lies about the Mueller report are about to be exposed in front of the entire country, and he is freaking out. Of course, Trump doesnt want Mueller to testify, because the special counsel is going to destroy Trumps lies that there was no collusion and no obstruction. Democrats arent redoing the investigation. They are building on Muellers findings to settle questions that the Special Counsel left to them on issues like obstruction of justice. Trump is scared of Muellers testimony Trump thought that he could con his way into burying the Mueller report, but the House of Representatives has other ideas. Robert Mueller is going to testify. Whether or not it will be on the floated date of May 15 has not been settled yet, but Trump is clearly afraid of what Robert Mueller is going to tell Congress, because the most critical witness in the House investigation is the special counsel who can connect the dots and fill in the missing puzzle pieces that could lead to impeachment. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 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. You are the owner of this article. Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press. Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine. Robert Behre works as an editorial writer with a focus on local government, transportation and the built environment. BISMARCK, N.D. North Dakota plans to invest $33 million in the unmanned aircraft systems industry in an attempt to establish the state as a premier location for drone research, testing and commercialization. Gov. Doug Burgum is expected to sign a bill authorizing the investment in a ceremony Monday with state leaders. The majority of the money will go toward building out infrastructure to support operations to fly drones beyond the sight of the pilot. About $2 million will be used to support an unmanned aircraft test site in Grand Forks thats been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones without chase planes to observe the flight. Another $3 million will upgrade infrastructure at Grand Sky, the countrys first unmanned aircraft business park located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The first trans-Atlantic flight of a medium-altitude unmanned aircraft flew from Grand Sky to England last July. Burgum lauded the states strong commitment to supporting researchers, entrepreneurs and technology in the field when announcing the decision this week. ADVERTISEMENT "The exciting work made possible by our statewide UAS infrastructure network and beyond visual line of sight capability will diversify our economy and create lasting benefits for taxpayers, businesses and industry alike," Burgum said. WHITEHALL Forty landowners in western Wisconsin are suing two frac sand mines that they claim are inundating their homes with dust, polluting their wells with sediment and driving down property values. Four separate lawsuits have been filed against Texas-based Hi-Crushs facilities in Whitehall and Blair, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. The sites mine sand for use in the energy industrys fracking process, which extracts oil and gas from rock. La Crosse attorney Tim Jacobson, who represents the landowners, said neighbors are facing air and water pollution as well as negative health effects from living near the noisy and dirty environment. "They cant open their windows in their homes because their homes get inundated with silica dust," Jacobson said. He added that theres been a significant decrease in the landowners property values. ADVERTISEMENT The landowners were seeking monetary compensation, including a fund to provide medical testing and treatment, if needed. Both of Hi-Crushs frac sand mines in Trempealeau County were located in townships until they were annexed by Whitehall, Blair and the city of Independence. The change lead to local oversight of the mines coming from cities that are miles away from where the operations are located. Hi-Crush spokesman Steve Bell said Hi-Crush plans to fight the claims. Every now and then we get the itch to travel. We want to leave Guam and see the world. Read more President Trump has been tweeting about Twitters liberal bias, as exemplified by its banning of actor James Woods, reportedly for tweeting If you try to kill the King, you best not miss #HangThemAll. Good thing Ralph Waldo Emerson isnt on Twitter! The Associated Press promptly stepped in to defend Twitter: Trump, who tweeted and re-tweeted complaints Friday and Saturday, said he would monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. He has previously asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against conservatives, something the companies have rejected as untrue. Well, all right then! The presidents comments came after Facebook this week banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban on dangerous individuals. The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with Jones site, Infowars, which often posts conspiracy theories. So are conspiracy theories forbidden on Twitter? If so, why havent the New York Times and Washington Posts accounts been suspended? The Democrats have spent the last two years pursuing a conspiracy theory about President Trump that verged on the insane. Facebooks move signaled renewed effort by the social media giant to remove people and groups promoting objectionable material such as hate, racism and anti-Semitism. The company said it has always banned people or groups that proclaim a violent or hateful mission or are engaged in acts of hate or violence, regardless of political ideology. The AP takes that claim at face value, but in fact it is ridiculous. Liberals on Twitter constantly call for President Trump and members of his administration to be assassinated. The hashtag Rape Melania trended on Twitter, being used more than 32,000 times. Were any of those 32,000 banned from Twitter? Twitter doesnt ban actual terrorist organizations, like Hamas. This cartoon is pinned to the top of the Hamas Twitter feed: No hate there, right, Jack? The AP gives Twitters spokeswoman the last word: Rosborough said Twitter enforces its rules impartially for all users, regardless of their background or political affiliation. Everyone who pays even the slightest amount of attention knows that statement is a lie. But it is good enough for the Associated Press. Polio: LASG to immunise children aged 0-5 The Lagos State Government will embark on House to House polio immunisation for children aged 0-5 years, irrespective of their previous immunisation status. Modupe Owojuyigbe, Director, Health Education, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, said the exercise is scheduled for May 11 to May 14. Mrs Owojuyigbe said the move was in response to the discovery of environmental Polio Virus strains in Lagos State, and to help prevent poliomyelitis that might result in paralysis of the limbs. Polio immunisation is free, it is safe, it is painless and it is effective. There is an issue around polio now because there is an environmental strain found in town, in Lagos State, and to avoid the outbreak, we have to give the vaccine to all children, she said. Federal Government flags off enrollment of BHCPF in Osun State The federal government has flagged off the enrollment of clients under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in Osogbo, Osun state. The flag-off, at the Primary Health Care Centre in Isale-Agbara, Osogbo, is a key component of the National Health Act. The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said at the launch that the BHCPF is one of the ways the government intends tackling poverty, poor health outcome and out-of-pocket health expenditure which is very high in Nigeria. 2000 medical workers leaving Nigeria annually NMA The Nigerian Medical Association said about 2000 medical workers leave the country annually to developed countries. The National President of the Association, Francis Faduyile, said this during the opening ceremony of the Annual General Conference/Delegates meeting of the association in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He said the exodus necessitated the theme of the meeting which was Skill Repatriation in the Health Sector: Turning Nigerias brain drain to brain gain. Ebola situation worsening in DRC The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become profoundly worrisome, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. WHO Director-General, Ghebreyesus Tedros, and WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, had expressed concern about the spread of the disease after concluding a visit to DRC, where a WHO epidemiologist, Richard Mouzoko, was killed. Mr Tedros said cases are increasing because of violent acts that set the organisation response to the disease back. He also urged the international community to step up support to contain the Ebola outbreak; including filling the funding gaps that threaten to stymie the Ebola response. Invest more in primary health care facilities WHO The World Health Organisation has urged governments across Asia and the Pacific to invest more in primary health care as the key to solving the various health challenges facing the countries. According to the international health agency, investment in primary health care is essential to provide access for all the most vulnerable, build more equitable societies and help economies grow. Strengthening primary health care means ensuring that all people get the most basic health services as close as possible to where they live and work. The primary level should be peoples first point of contact with the health system. Ebola: Medical workers demand more protection in DRC Medical workers fighting Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo are demanding that authorities provide better protection for them after an attack on a treatment centre which led to the death of a doctor. Advertisements Ebola responders in the northeastern region of DRC where the epidemic has hit hardest are mostly at risk because the region has long been a conflict zone between armed groups and security forces. Several treatment centres in the area have been attacked in recent months, and a nurse was killed in Vuhovi, in North Kivu Province, in February by a group of men armed with bows and arrows. The outbreak has killed 970 people and sickened 1,480 as of April 30, according to the Ministry of Health. Federal Government inaugurates committee on maternal database The federal government in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) has inaugurated a Maternal and Perinatal Health Database Committee. The committee will monitor and generate data from 48 tertiary institutions on the causes of infant and maternal mortality in the country. The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said the committees main focus is to Strengthen Maternal and Perinatal Health Database for improving Quality of Care during Childbirth (MPHD-4-QED). He said the inauguration of the committee was an important milestone in health systems strengthening and medical death audit to ensure a rapid reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality. The database to be used was designed to capture the death of mothers or babies as well as the causes of such deaths. Britain to use space technology to fight cancers Technology developed decades ago for the space race is to be used in Britain to help fight bowel cancer. This was disclosed on Monday by UK Space Agency. New health technologies inspired by working in space will provide real-time diagnosis of bowel cancer, the agency said. A grant of one million pounds will help space technology improve early detection and diagnosis of bowel cancer through a revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by Odin Vision, a spin-out from University College London (UCL). More young people, especially girls attempting suicide Study A new study that shows adolescents are attempting suicide by overdose at increasing rates is further evidence that the pervasive public health problem needs more conversation and money, experts say. This is contained in the report, published recently in The Journal of Pediatrics, by researchers at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the Central Ohio Poison Centre. In the latest study, John Ackerman, Suicide Prevention Coordinator and other researchers analysed data reported to the poison centre from 2000 through November 2018, finding more than 1.6 million suspected suicide attempts by self-poisoning in children and young adults, ages 10 to 24. It was founded that medication overdose suicide attempts have more than doubled since 2000, and more than tripled for girls. Traffic pollution causes 4 million childhood asthma cases every year A global study has found that air pollution from road vehicles is responsible for 13 per cent of asthma diagnoses each year. The George Washington University study, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health shows a significant link between the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) output of diesel vehiclesand to a lesser extent other road vehiclesand pediatric asthma incidents. The researchers arrived at these findings by comparing population data with diagnosed childhood asthma cases. They then looked at NO2 measurements from various monitors both on the ground and in orbit around the Earth. This allowed them to look at the overlap between traffic pollution and asthma cases among children in 194 countries and 125 major cities. The researchers found that traffic pollution causes around four million childhood asthma cases each year or, to put this in perspective, 11,000 new cases every single day. Health experts have identified hand washing as a major preventive measure against the spread of viral diseases, especially in health institutions. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) launched the Turn Nigeria Orange Project to strengthen the culture of hand hygiene and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in healthcare institutions across the country. The NCDC launched the project on Saturday at the University Teaching Hospital, Abuja, to mark this years Handwashing Day celebrated on May 5. It aims at helping health facilities set up IPC programmes, starting with making handwashing a norm, organisers said. The project was launched by Lanre Tejuoso, Chairman Senate Committee on Health. The senator said the federal government is concerned over the recent spate of healthcare-associated infections. No healthcare worker in Nigeria should risk his or her life in the discharge of duties in saving the lives of Nigerians. We will work together to strengthen the capacity of our healthcare institutions to keep our healthcare workers safe as they work to protect the lives of Nigerians. The Director-General of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, at a press briefing before the launch, attributed the spread of diseases in the country to unhygienic practices in health facilities. As medical practitioners, our first obligation is to do no harm before treating patients, he said. If we cannot wash our hands from seeing one patient to the next, what inevitably happens is that we take whatever one patients have to 100 other patients that we touch in every day during our practice. This is why the goal of this programme is to ensure that all health facilities have the minimum standard for hand hygiene, Mr Ihekweazu said. He said health workers may get infected if they do not take proper preventive measures when treating a patient. Health workers ordeal Health workers are most times secondary victims who get infected while treating patients of infectious diseases. The first Lassa fever case last year was confirmed in Ebonyi State when four people, including three health workers, died from the infection. Between 2005 and 2018, the infection claimed over 40 health workers in Ebonyi, according to the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES early last year said health workers are vulnerable to infectious diseases because of poor preventive measures and lack of full disclosure of symptoms by patients. You know what happened to Patrick Sawyer? He lost his relation to Ebola, yet when he got to the hospital in Lagos, he denied and the people didnt know, the minister said. Nigeria recorded its first Ebola case when Mr Sawyer, a Liberian-American, flew into the countrys most populous city, Lagos. All Nigerian health professionals who treated Mr Sawyer subsequently died of the disease. NCDC launches project to protect health workers from infections NCDC launches project to protect health workers from infections According to the Center for Disease Control, hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent the spread of dangerous germs, like Ebola virus. The NCDC boss said during the Ebola outbreak, there was the widespread practice of hand washing in Nigeria. we were trying to do the right thing by washing hands but after that, we went back to the old ways. Hand Hygiene: Project turn Nigeria orange Tochukwu Okor, IPC lead at the NCDC, gave a breakdown of the turn Nigeria Orange project. Advertisements The turn Nigeria Orange is a brainchild of NCDC to get IPC institutionalised in the country. Its key to getting hand hygiene to become the norm and we want to achieve that by supporting every health facility in Nigeria. We have started working with health facilities and we help them set up an IPC programme. For those like the University of Abuja that already has a programme, we help them strengthen it. How we do that is by getting every health facility to conduct a baseline assessment of IPC in the facility and hygiene assessment with the intention of understanding what the gaps are and to develop action plan annually which will now guide the implementation of IPC plan. This year we already have 22 facilities across three tiers of health institutions in who have already completed IPC hand hygiene assessment and we are finishing up an action plan to take us for the next one year. The more we engage the more we get into the orange zone. Over the next five years, we want to cover at least 60 per cent of facilities of the country. Nicholas Bamlong, who represented the Chief Medical Director of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, explained that there are gaps in the existing IPC programme in the hospital. Despite all efforts, there are still lots of gaps and lapses. We can train people today and it will be as if we have not even trained them tomorrow. The mentality of our staff needs to improve, he noted. Prevention Cheaper than Cure Mr Tejuoso, who has come to be known for championing the Basic Health Provision Fund (BHCPF), decried Nigerias poor funding for health. Prevention is cheaper than cure. Since Nigeria is struggling with the fund, why dont we make noise about prevention, the senator said. Its cheaper for us and it works. There is a lot of noise about family planning and I can remember the honourable minister launching the green project about two years ago and he told us at that launching that any PHC (Primary health centre) we go to and see a green dot, we can access necessary information and interventions on family planning there. I believe the minister shall now include Orange dot on every PHCs to train our health workers and patients on hygiene and prevention because this is definitely what we need to reduce what we spend in treating diseases. Hand hygiene as simple as it may sound is a very important aspect of life because most of the diseases are spread through the hands. As a champion of this initiative, I will ensure that everybody gets involved, from the president down to the local government councillor, Mr Tejuoso noted. Suspected Boko Haram fighters have killed 15 Nigerian soldiers in an attack on a military base in Borno State, security sources said Saturday. The terrorists rode into Magumeri Local Government Area and sacked a brigade there at about 6:00 p.m. on Friday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. A captain, a lieutenant and 13 soldiers lost their lives following intense firefight with the terrorists, sources said. PREMIUM TIMES has withheld the identity of the officers to allow Nigerian Army enough time to notify their loved ones. Nineteen soldiers were wounded in the attack. They were evacuated to the military hospital in Maiduguri for treatment. About 24 soldiers who survived the attack, which was first reported by Agence France Presse on Friday, left the base to a safer military facility, sources said. Heavy military equipment, including anti-aircraft machine guns and Toyota Hilux vehicles, were reportedly stolen by the insurgents during the attack. It was not immediately clear the level of casualties against the terrorists. The Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) had already claimed credits for the attack via its propaganda channels. The army has not issued a statement about the attack. A spokesperson did not immediately return requests for comments on Friday night. The attack came as the military was managing the aftermath of a similar overrun of a base in Borno on April 26. At least five soldiers were killed on that day while the dozens feared missing were yet to be found. The attacks by the Book Haram have continued despite the efforts of Nigerias security agencies in partnership with those of neighbouring countries. The Boko Haram, which demand an Islamic state in Northern Nigeria, has been largely restricted to the three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. However, they still carry out attacks on soldiers and civilians in those states. Ezekiel Olurantis head was buried in his laps when he heard a whisper. Lets go and wash the cars. It was the voice of his friend, informing him a dirty vehicle has been sighted in the nearby gridlock. Ezekiel, 15, lifted his head, quickly grabbed his work tools a bucket and a foam brush and disappeared into the afternoons gridlock. Ezekiel is one of the numerous teenagers who run a mobile car wash business in the daily, gruelling traffic along the Lagos-Badagry expressway. Its been a while I got here, Ezekiel told a PREMIUM TIMES reporter when he returned from one of his cleaning rounds. Whichever money I make, I send to my mummy and I make about N2,500 in a day. Opportunities in gridlock The Lagos-Badagry expressway is home to one of the worst traffic gridlocks in Nigeria. A 10-kilometre drive between the Trade Fair part of the expressway and Okokomaiko could last up to three hours. It is in this traffic snarl that Ezekiel and his colleagues work to support their families. During the rush hours, a two-kilometre drive from LASU (Lagos State University) Gate to Iyana-Iba in the morning or the opposite direction in the evening could last over an hour. Ezekiel and his group take an average of ten minutes to wash one car in the traffic. The third child in a family of five, and the only male, Ezekiel was born in Ibadan but moved to Lagos to work as an apprentice in a bakery near his uncles home at Ajangbadi. But he soon fell out with his uncles wife and absconded from their home. He ended up at Iyana-Iba, about nine kilometres away, where he saw young people washing cars in the gridlock. He bought the needed material a bucket, jerrycan, and detergent and joined. For Hassan Kazeem, another teenager, the meagre sales from hawking sachet water drove him into washing cars in traffic. My mother is not employed, so she said I should go and hawk pure water (sachet water), said Hassan, in Yoruba, as he admitted he does not understand English. I was so young when my parents fought and separated. Now I stay with my mummy and I am the last born of ten children. My mummy had five of us for my father and five for another man. A typical work day for the boys starts at 7 a.m. when they (mostly those out of school) arrive and wait patiently for the morning gridlock. Within one hour, the traffic will, most often than not, come to a standstill, especially between Iyana-Iba and Volks. And that is when the boys get to work. WATCH VIDEO Fawas Kareem, 14, who is in Junior Secondary Two, joins the group later in the day for the evening task. After school, he resumes at Iyana-Iba, and if the traffic had not ground to a halt, he moves to Police Corner, around Volks (about three kilometres away). He goes home at 10 p.m. to do his homework. I used to sell pure water but it was not moving, so my friend introduced me to this, said Fawas, the third of five children. Sometimes, I make about N3,500 on weekdays and N5,000 on weekends. I give the money to my mummy which she uses to do Ajo (a contributory saving scheme), and when she collects hers, she uses it to cater for us. Unlike the traditional car wash business, the mobile car wash does not require the permission of the car owner. A dirty car is all the permission needed. After the washing, the boys loiter around the car for some sort of appreciation from the vehicle owner for the unsolicited service. Sometimes, it comes in the form of N100, N200, N500, N1,000 or more. Other times, they are ignored. When a car is dusty, it is dirty. We wash cars and jeep, Fawas said. Advertisements We cant do anything to the car driver when we dont get paid, we just move onto the next car to wash again. It saddens my heart when Im ignored. Young and mobile At 11, Monday Obi has already become financially independent. The youngest in the group, Monday, who is in Basic Two, joins the mobile car wash team after school hours. During the holidays, he works 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prevailed upon to speak to the PREMIUM TIMES reporter by his older colleagues, Monday said he also switched from hawking sachet water in the traffic to washing cars. My mother said I should find money and buy my school things, said Monday who added that he takes home N1,500 every day. But for 15-year-old Ibrahim Dare, his boss at the tailoring shop where he worked as an apprentice pushed him into the business. I do tailoring. Because my mummy has not paid my vocational skills acquisition, my boss talks to me anyhow and threatens to send me away for not paying, said Ibrahim, the first of five children. So I left there myself to look for money to pay him and continue. He said he had already raised the N15,000 needed to pay his boss and would return to his apprenticeship soon. While the boys need to keep their attention on the cars they are washing, they also have to watch out for the careless commercial motorcyclists who meander dangerously in between the rows of vehicles. Fawas admitted that the job is not without its challenges. Sometimes, while washing the cars, and we mistakenly pour water on a motorcyclist, he might alight and slap us. Or the driver of the car might alight and break our buckets. Ibrahim said a driver had once emerged from his car and given them a hot chase. Another had wound down and spat on them. But the boys say they are undeterred by such behaviours, even though they, particularly the ones out of school, say they would love to return to the classroom if given the opportunity. Emmanuel Jeffrey is among those who dropped out of school. He sings as a hobby and said he is always saddened that he could not write down his lyrics whenever it comes to his head. Sometimes I might sing and I will be asked to sing it again but I wont be able to recall it, he said. For Ezekiel, who dropped out of school in JS 3, although he is saddened by his inability to continue his education, the realization that he could send money to his mother back home lifts his spirits. He said he sleeps inside a make-shift shop at the Alaba-Rago area, near Okokomaiko, and has an Egbon (senior brother) from Ibadan whom he keeps his daily earnings with. He said he would have loved to finish his education before thinking of what the future holds for him. I want to acquire a vocation, I used to learn tailoring while going to school. In what seems like a parody of the clean-up of the heavily polluted Ogoni land, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation has revealed that almost all of the 16 companies awarded contracts for the first phase of the exercise by the Buhari administration have no experience whatsoever in the remediation of oil spills. Our investigation showed that the bulk of the successful companies were set up for businesses such as poultry farming, cars sales, textile dealership and fashion, palm-oil production, building design, and construction. Our investigation further revealed that Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), the agency in charge of the coordination of the cleanup, even flouted its own rules in the award of the remediation contracts, as many of the 16 companies fall short of the minimum prequalification requirements. Invitation of UNEP Following the invitation of the Nigerian government, in 2011, the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP carried out an assessment of the oil pollution in Ogoni and surrounding communities. The study found an unprecedented concentration of benzene, a carcinogen, in the outdoor air and drinking water in the area. In Ogale, a town in Eleme Local Government Area, for Instance, the UNEP study found the benzene contamination to be over 900 times above the World Health Organisations guideline. Similarly, water samples taken from seven wells in the area were adjudged to contain 1,000 times the recommended level of hydrocarbons in Nigerian drinking water, which is three micrograms per litre. UNEP stated that in many of the locations, there was contamination of groundwater that constituted a serious threat to human health and the viability and productivity of the eco-system. The report stated that the contamination of Ogoni and neighbouring communities was so severe that clearing the pollution will take up to 30 years. It recommended an initial capital injection of $1 billion to be paid by the Nigerian government and oil companies to fund the cleanup. Despite the severity of the contamination and the millions of lives at risk, the Nigerian government ignored the urgency in the UNEP report and dilly-dallied for five years until June 2016 when Mr Buhari, who was represented by his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, flagged off the cleanup amidst fanfare at Bodo. But three years after the pomp of the flag off, the government has only taken baby steps towards the actual clean up. Remediation contracts In February, HYPREP announced that 16 companies were awarded the contract for the first phase of the remediation of the oil spill in Ogoni, after what it described as a competitive bidding process. This newspaper also learnt that the Ministry of Environment awarded contracts for project management, communication and public relations, and monitoring and evaluation processes to Associates Ltd and A.G. Partnership Ltd, Alliance Boots Limited, and Foxtrot O & G Company Nigeria Limited respectively. Weeks after a request by PREMIUM TIMES, HYPREP finally released the names of the 16 companies awarded the clean-up contracts and details of the remediation task they were expected to carry out. The 16 companies are: Louizont Ferretti Enterprises Ltd, Environmental Resources Managers Limited, Asonic Associates Limited, Mosvinny Nigeria Limited, Rey & Reina International Limited, Pacrim Engineering Ltd, Basic (Nigeria) Technology Limited, and Newpal Nigeria Ltd. Others are Amazing Environmental Solutions International Limited, Earthpro Unique Integrated Ltd, Nautilus (Nigeria) Engineering and Construction Limited, Tiptree Intertrade Nigeria Limited, Navante Oil & Gas Company Limited, Secura Investments Limited, Shamsa Resources and Services Ltd, and Odun Environmental Limited which changed from Global Environmental Management Limited. Nuka on motorcycle near burnt HYPREP bus So far, a total of N714.45 million, which is 15 per cent advance payment for the remediation task, has been released to the companies, Marvin Dekil, HYPREPs coordinator, told PREMIUM TIMES. He added that of the $1 billion estimated by UNEP as what the cleanup would cost, HYPREP has only received $180 million. Unqualified contractors An analysis of the companies registration details filed at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed that only one of the companies has anything remotely to do with the remediation of oil spills. For instance, the registration details of Basic Nigeria Technology Limited, which was hired to do oil spill remediation job at the Oboolo site, revealed that it is in the business of oil palm plantation and refining. The company was set up to carry on business as manufacturers of palm oil products including palm oil milling, edible and vegetable oil refining including the ownership, sale and dealership of such refineries, details filed with the CAC stated. Mosvinny Nigeria Limited, which was allotted a site in Debon, is in the business of agricultural farming, mechanized farming, poultry farming, livestock breeders, animal husbandry and agricultural services in all its ramifications, its registration details showed. Louizont Ferretti Enterprises Ltd, which was contracted to do the cleanup at Buemene Korokoro, is in the business of supply services and maintenance of oil field equipment, dealers in all types of cars, fashion house, imports and exports, trade, general merchants, general goods, buying agents dealers, dealers in textiles materials and merchandise of different description whether consumable items or not and general maintenance of office equipment. Rey & Reina International Limited, which was allotted another section of Debon, was set up to sell and distribute general goods. Maiduguri-based Shamsa Resources and Services Ltd, which was set up to carry on the business of management training, finance and development consultancy services in all aspects of the development sector, to plan and conduct survey and study, project management, business analysis and change implementation, was also allotted a remediation job at Debon. Advertisements Shamsa, through a resolution, reached on March 16, 2018, a few days before the tender advertorial was placed in the dailies, removed as one of its directors, Fatima Maude Kyari. But it retained Dawud Abba Kyari and Ahmed Tijani Gubio and also appointed Mohammed Saleh Kamfut as a director. PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm if the Kyaris named in the companys board are relations of the Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari. Flouting Registration Rule Our investigations also revealed that HYPREP flouted its own prequalification requirements in the award of the contracts to some of the companies. One of the conditions set by HYPREP in its advertorial is that interested companies must have a minimum of five-year experience in hydrocarbon remediation. None of the companies seems to have met this condition. Pacrim Engineering Ltd, which is allocated a remediation site at Nkeleokan Alode, seems to be the only company set up for oil spill recovery and clean-up services. But it was only incorporated on June 25, 2018, more than two months after the announcement of public tender by HYPREP. Newpal Nigeria Limited, Rey & Reina International Limited, and Earthpro Unique Integrated Ltd were all established less than five years to the date of the advertisement. Newpal, which was incorporated on May 16, 2013, is two months short of the mandatory requirement. Earthpro, which focuses on the business of environmental consultancy services, was incorporated on March 3, 2016; while Rey & Reina International Limited, with focus on the sale and distribution of general goods, was incorporated on March 10, 2014. HYPREP keeps mum When PREMIUM TIMES commenced its investigation, it got some cooperation from HYPREP whose coordinator, Mr Dekil, even granted an interview to this reporter. However, after getting details of the beneficiary companies, Mr Dekil and HYPREP spokesperson became evasive. Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to get HYPREP to speak on why it awarded the contracts for the clean-up to unqualified companies and why it flouted its own prequalification were unsuccessful Dekil HYPREPs head of media, Ekaete Umo, in a telephone interview with this reporter, promised to get a response from her boss, Mr Dekil. An email with our enquiries was also sent to Mr Dekil and copied to Mrs Umo. However, despite confirming that she got the email, more than two weeks after the email was sent, HYPREP has failed to comment. On April 26, in a terse response to a WhatsApp message, Mr Dekil wrote; Thank you for reaching out. The media team will contact you. As at the time of filing this report, no response has been received from HYPREP. Tension As Government Foot Drags Meanwhile, while the government foot drags, tension over the delay is boiling over across Ogoni land. The people are suspicious of strangers, and even journalists are not welcome with open arms. The people will no longer tolerate what they describe as a new form of imperialism where our oil continues to be explored illegally and our ugly stories rewritten and told by propagandists, a resident said. It took the intervention of two youth leaders Yamaabana Legborsi and Stanley Kpee before this reporter was allowed access to some of the highly polluted communities. Five days earlier, a mob of irate youth had set ablaze a luxurious bus conveying some officials of HYPREP at the market square in K-Dere, Gokana Local government. They would have burnt the occupants of the bus too but for the intervention of some elders. Everyone is angry because we are being treated as pawns on the chessboards of politicians, said Mr Legborsi, who is the president-general of the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF). Legborsi standing by the clean up commemoration plaque at Chief Tekuru compound The extent of the distrust in Ogoni is so much that locals no longer view visitors as sympathisers but as people using them to gain global attention, Mr Kpee said. He added that a tour around the affected community would usually translate to the payment of good cash before it is granted. Mr Legborsi alleged that HYPREP is run like a secret cult. He said he had to file a case against the agency at a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to compel HYPREP to make open details of its activities including funds received, companies hired, among others. We dont even want to hear anything about HYPREP or clean-up anymore, except they are ready to implement all the recommendations of UNEP as outlined in the report, said Mr Kpee, reiterating Mr Legborsis frustration. At the compound of the Michael Tekuru, the chairman of Gokana Council of Chiefs, stood a monument erected to commemorate the flag-off of the clean-up three years ago. The monument stands at the bank of Bodo-Bonny River. But instead of joy, as the plaque was may have been intended to evoke among Ogoni people, it is it now a reminder of the neglect the area continues to suffer. Gabriel Tekuru at the destroyed fish ponds on Bodo-Bonny River Gabriel, the son of Mr Tekuru, who took PREMIUM TIMES on a guided tour of the polluted area around the river was visibly angry as he narrated how four fish ponds were destroyed by spills in 2008 and 2009. The ponds were the main source of livelihood of more than 30 families. As you can see, is there any living thing here? Can you point to any? This is how much we have been ravaged. So, if anyone tells you clean-up is going on anywhere, you can now see it for yourself that nothing is going on, said Gabriel, an American returnee. Gabriel described recent activities in the area as a drama being acted by HYPREP for the purpose of winning vote during the recently concluded general elections. No Deceit Again At my age, they cant deceive me again. We have been deceived for far too long, Nubari Tabu, an elderly fisherman who is frustrated at the dwindling fish stock from the river, said. After spending six hours on the Bodo-Bonny river the previous Saturday, Mr Tadu could only manage to catch a handful of oil-coated tilapias, which he sold for N3,500, a price too steep for a riverine area. In its 2011 report, UNEP had recommended the provision of alternative source of water for Ogoni people, among other emergency recommendations. But several people who spoke to this reporter said people still drink from the same source of populated water as HYPREP has not met that recommendation. You can see that the land is caked everywhere, and where you have water, oil is floating everywhere. Farming or fishing is no longer achievable here. Yet, they are telling lies everywhere that everything is okay, said Harry Akara, the president of Ejamah Youth Council. Mr Akaras uncle, Daniel Amasi, showed this reporter the polluted well in his compound. He said on weekly basis, he spends more than N2,500 on water alone. We buy water from distant places because, as you can see, what we have as water in my well is pure oil. Oil spillage has destroyed us here, and we are just like walking corpses, Mr Amasi said. The Remediation is a Fraud Several Ogoni residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said they have lost hope that the Buhari administration would carry out the remediation of the oil spill. Gbo Kabaari, a group of Ogoni elders, in a statement in January described the remediation as a fraud. They said none of the emergency recommendations in the UNEP report, such as comprehensive medical examination of everyone that has consumed the contaminated water or eaten its aquatic sources of food, has been provided. The group lamented that the Integrated Contaminated Soil Management Centre in Bori, a hydrocarbon remediation and research centre, has been overtaken by weeds after the celebrated groundbreaking ceremony in 2017 by a former minister of environment, Amina Mohammed. Ms Mohammed is now a deputy secretary-general of the United Nations. We consider it very sad that, as we speak, not only has nothing absolutely been done about any of these emergency measures but also the national and international visibility of the Ogoni issue has been fraudulently exploited to score cheap public relations benefits at every opportunity, the statement claimed. Tamana in his compound The European Coordinator of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Lazarus Tamana, blamed Mr Dekil, an Ogoni indigene, for the delay in the take-off of the clean-up. He said the HYPREP coordinator has betrayed the trust the people had in him. He has turned against the people, telling lies all over the place, Mr Tamana told PREMIUM TIMES. Remediation has started However, Mr Dekil, in an earlier interview before he stalled on further comments, told PREMIUM TIMES that despite concerns and frustration of the people, the remediation of the pollution has started and is on course. He said the Buhari administration was committed to the clean-up. Between April 2017 when we came on board and now, we have done extensive work including the scoping of the contaminated environment, sensitisation of the communities and procurement activities, he said. We have addressed some of the emergency measures by carrying out medical outreach in two phases. We have attended to about 20,000 patients, carried out about 400 surgeries, and have trained about 50 scientists in two phases as well. We started with 15 scientists who carried out remediation demonstration across the four local government areas, and we trained an additional 35 scientists in collaboration with NDDC. But the most important thing at this point now is that through a very transparent and open process, we have introduced 16 companies to 16 sites across the four local governments, and we have actually commenced the remediation work. We have also commenced the livelihood project with 15 trainees at the IITA who would be there for three months. They are being trained in agricultural skills. So, we have commenced remediation works; we have done livelihood projects, we have done medical outreach and we have done training of youths including the scientists working on this project. To further show the commitment, Mr Dekil said HYPREP has invited UNEP once again to be part of the clean-up process. He said HYPREP was committed to implementing the UNEP report but the time of the implementation has informed the changes in the strategies. According to him, when the report was submitted in 2011, UNEP would not have envisaged that its implementation would only start eight years after. When the report was written, it had projected that the implementation would be immediate. But, unfortunately, that did not happen. Now, eight years after, we are just commencing the process. So, I doubt if the strategies that were to be deployed eight years ago would still be the same today, he explained. The reason is that what constituted emergencies then might still constitute emergencies now and might not. Therefore, in implementing these remediations, we have to review that, and the remediation of those lands which is the core of those recommendations would have to be done immediately. He, however, added that UNEP did not visit the Ogoni for people to have water but for comprehensive remediation of the polluted soil. On the issue of major polluted sites, Mr Dekil said HYPREP was still working out the possibility of engaging international oil spill clean-up companies, and that the process would take some time. That is why we have started with the small ones, he said President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday returned to Abuja, after a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom. The presidents jet touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 6:24 p.m. A statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said some reckless online media, irresponsible political opposition, and other bilious groups and individuals, had gone on overdrive since the President left the country on April 25, insinuating that he was going for hospitalization, and would not return after 10 days as stated. Mr Adesisna also said in their vain imaginations, they even stated that fictive doctors have advised President Buhari to stay longer for more intensive care. He said now that the president has returned, can these apostles of evil imaginings swallow their words? Can they retract their tendentious stories as well as press statements, and apologize to millions of Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora that they have fed with hogwash? Few days after the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, we daresay that this valuable freedom does not tantamount to liberty to mislead and hoodwink the populace through concocted and jejune publications. The Buhari administration will always respect and uphold press freedom, but the onus lies on those prone to passing off fiction as facts, to remember that freedom demands concomitant responsibility. Those who further share and disseminate falsehood are also encouraged to embrace responsible conduct, he said. The presidency did not provide details of Mr Buharis private visit, leading to speculations he travelled to see his doctors as he has done in the past. Mr Buhari did not also transfer power to his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, while he was away an action that drew more controversy. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has forwarded to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) documents from some of the ministrys agencies providing some details regarding the names of contractors that allegedly collected money for electricity projects but failed to execute any projects, and inviting SERAP to inspect a compendium of verified and paid/outstanding liabilities of contractors, kept at the offices of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited/GTE. This development was disclosed Sunday in a statement by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare. The ministrys letter with reference number FMP/LU/R2K/2016/T/40 and signed on Mr Fasholas behalf by the Permanent Secretary (Power), Louis Edozien, was sent to SERAP last week. The letter reveals that: Pow Technologies Limited, an Abuja based company, was in 2014 awarded a contract for the supply and installation of test and maintenance equipment relays, etc to various NAPTIN regional training centers (RTCs) (LOT15), with the total contract sum of N87,763,302.40, out of which N79,404,892.66 was paid to Pow Technologies Limited. According to the ministrys letter, although the contract was awarded in 2014, only 13 of the 19 items have so far been supplied, with 6 items outstanding. The details of the 6 items that Pow Technologies Limited has allegedly failed to supply are not provided by the ministry but the letter indicates some of the action the ministry said it has taken to ensure: completion of the project, address criminal breach of contract and take remedial action. The ministry said that while the contractors undertook to take remedial action, they have failed to complete the project for which funds have been released. The ministry pointed out that it submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Abuja on January 13, 2016, and that the police instituted a case for the prosecution of Messrs Pow at the Upper Area Court. The ministry also said it has sought and received legal advice to pursue a civil action at the FCT High Court while a report of criminal breach of contract has been made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). SERAP said: We welcome Mr Fasholas latest response and the information regarding Pow Technologies Limited. But we need details of names of other contractors that have collected public funds yet failed to execute power projects. We will continue to push the Ministry and its agencies to reveal more details of alleged corrupt contractors and companies, as contained in our FOI request. We will continue to pursue our FOI suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos, before Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, a Professor of Law, who has granted an order for leave in the case. Mr Fasholas latest letter to SERAP reads in part: I write with respect to the Ministrys letter regarding details of alleged corrupt contractors and to forward the attached responses from some of the Ministrys Agencies namely: National Bulk Electricity Trading Plc; National Power Training Institute of Nigeria and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited/GTE for your information. It would be recalled that Mr Fashola had earlier said in response to SERAPs FOI request that: the Ministry has searched for the requested information on details of alleged contractors and companies that collected money for electricity projects and failed to executive any projects, but we could not find it from our records. However, SERAP disagreed with the response, saying: The public expectation is that government information, when in the hands of any public institutions and agencies, should be available to the public, as prescribed by the FOI Act. The FOI Act should always be used as an authority for disclosing information rather than withholding it. Mr Fashola in a follow-up letter dated March 4, 2019, to SERAPs reaction promised to: refer the request for details of alleged contractors and companies that collected money for electricity projects and failed to executive any projects to the ministrys agencies for necessary action and appropriate response. There may be instances of part-payment against certification of commensurate value for materials and services in achieved contract milestone even though the entire contract is not 100% performed. Mr Fasholas initial response followed SERAPs FOI request and suit number FHC/L/CS/105/19 filed in February at the Federal High Court, Lagos. The suit is seeking an order of mandamus directing and/or compelling Mr Fashola to provide specific details on the names and whereabouts of the contractors who collected public funds meant for electricity projects but disappeared with the money without executing any projects. Policemen attached to the Lagos State Police Command have arrested six suspects in possession of poisonous cow skin (ponmo). The spokesperson, Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that the suspects were arrested following a police tip-off. On May 5, at about 5 a.m, acting on the strength of information from a credible source that a truckload of cow skins, popularly called ponmo, suspected to be poisonous were heaped in a warehouse at No. 9, College Road, Igando. A team of Police officers led by the Divisional Police Officer Igando, mobilised to the scene. The huge pillage and pyramid of poisonous ponmo and the chemicals used in the preservation of the cow skins were recovered. One TATA Truck with registration number AKD-375-XB which was used in conveying the goods was impounded Officials of Lagos State Ministry of Health were contacted and after due examination, the cow skins were confirmed to be poisonous and not fit for human consumption. Six suspects Adelowo Yinka 50, Olawumi Onabanjo 40, Omowumi Wasiu 43, Adeshokan Taiwo 43, Iyabo Oluwa 38 and Taye Kazeem 40yrs were arrested in connection with the case. According to Mr Elkana, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Zubairu Muazu, assured Lagosians that the Command will continue to protect life and property of the people. Mr Muazu also assured that the command would ensure the preservation of public health and safety as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the source and destinations of those poisonous food items, and suspects will be charged to court. he said. (NAN) Some stakeholders in the yam value chain have appealed to the federal government to sign relevant trade agreements with the EU to facilitate free duty yam export to Europe. They made the appeal in a communique issued in Abuja, on Sunday, at the end of a four-day study tour by Nigerian yam stakeholders to the Republic of Ghana. The document was signed by Simon Irtwange, the President, National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers and Chairman, Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme. The stakeholders noted in the communique that Nigeria yam export to the UK attracted a duty (tax) of 9.5 Euros per 100 kg, unlike in Ghana where yam farmers and exporters enjoyed free duty. According to them, the aim of the tour is to enable Nigeria get a knowledge of standards and systems put in place by Ghana that led to their success stories in yam production, storage, processing, packaging and export. It added the tour was also to enhance the development and growth of the countrys yam sub-sector of the economy, to ensure it became a major export commodity to boost foreign exchange. They said the federal government through the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) should also support exporters of yam and value-added products with export finances through NEXIM Bank and other funding agencies. The government of Ghana has signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and provisional application of the EU Free Trade Agreement (EUFTA). The trade agreement with the EU makes it possible for Ghana yam exporters to export yams to Europe and the UK duty-free. The federal government should sign this agreement. They should also assist by way of pre-export incentives for yam exporters and the provision of warehouse in Lagos to serve as a National Yam Export Pack House. Assist with the production of cartons/boxes for yam exporters and assist with one-off purchase of two cold trucks to support transportation and export logistics. The stakeholders, however, called for a one-stop shop for the inspection of yams before export. There should be rationalisation of bureaucracy in yam export making provision for only three agencies located under one roof as a one-stop-shop. The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and Nigeria Customs Service, should be the agencies for the inspection of yams before export. The National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers, in conjunction with the Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export organised the tour. The tour was supported by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa, Phase II Project of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan. (NAN) As part of its effort to curb malpractice in its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) said five persons have been convicted for malpractices in Kebbi and Zamfara states. The board also said about 123 suspects are still standing trial in different courts for one form of infraction or the other. This was disclosed in the boards weekly bulletin sent to PREMIUM TIMES Sunday evening. According to the bulletin, the convictions were part of the JAMB registrars determination to stamp out corruption and all crimes that are associated with examination malpractice. In a phone interview on Sunday night, the spokesperson of the board, Fabian Benjamin, said three suspects from Zamfara and two from Kebbi state were convicted for a period of three months to two years. According to Mr Benjamin, the persons convicted in Zamfara State are Anas Abubakar and Sani Adamu. Mr Abubakar, with registration number 97460821HI, was arrested on April 11, 2019, at Zacas CBT centre in Gusau. Mr Adamu, with registration number 97461276HB, was arrested on April 13 at the LaLa CBT centre in Gusau. The third person is Nura Kabiru with registration number 97451771GI at LALA CBT centre too. Mr Benjamin said the judgement took place at the chief magistrate court 7, Gusau, in Zamfara State. As at the time of this report, the details of the other two persons in Kebbi State were not available. Mr Benjamin said the board also de-registered 73 computer based centres as a result of infractions during the examination He said the board is working towards releasing the results of the examination. Background An official of the board earlier said it may cancel half of the results of its 2019 university admissions exams in some states. The official expressed disappointment at the malpractice recorded during the last UTME that held between April 11 and 18. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the board arrested some mercenaries during the 2019 UTME examination. The results have not been released with some candidates appealing to the board to release their results. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Saturday in Abuja, made a robust case for freedom of the press and asked the judiciary to step up the plate and give consequence to citizens liberty through courageous and independent pronouncements and decisions. Mr Dogara was speaking as a special guest at the conference on Press Freedom in Nigeria Rule of Law, Media and Violent Extremism, to mark the 2019 World Press Freedom Day. The conference, which held at the at the Chelsea Hotel, was organised by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption program of the British Council. It was funded by the European Union Mission to Nigeria. We need the judiciary to be truly independent and have the courage to make bold pronouncements if press freedom will find ground in our democracy. lawmakers can only pass motions which the executive can always ignore but if a judicial pronouncement is flouted, an independent judiciary can always enforce compliance, he said. In assessing the current state of government-press relations in Nigeria, Mr Dogara ran hard knocks on the government saying it is anything but banal adding that we are all witnesses to recurring examples of coercion, threats, brutality, arrests, incarceration and media shut down perpetrated by the state against journalists and their establishments. He pointed at instances of what he characterised as draconian measures adopted by State actors abound during the recent elections held in parts of the country and the General Elections and remarked that such attacks on the independence of the Press greatly inhibit effective media practice and does not augur well for good governance and democracy. Comparing Nigerias records on government-press relations to other democracies, the speaker said governments efforts must never be to make our citizens docile and obedient because, as he puts it, thats what repressive regimes do best, but our goal must be to keep our citizens active and informed with the skills to questions the questions and question the answers if they so wish. Democracies are built by refusing to censor the free press Mr Dogara asserted, stressing that Ours cannot be different. Commenting on the expanded meaning of press freedom, Mr Dogara said press freedom is not negotiable and direct violence to journalists is not the only threat. Those who attack the media as fake news or enemy of the people in order to erode the credibility of the press are as dangerous as those perpetrating violence against journalists. He isolated media outfits that uphold the ethics of fairness, objectivity, truthfulness and patriotism in their journalism as distinct and deserving the support of the legislative arm of government but he frowned at hate speech which he said is not free speech and must not have a place in a democracy. Mr Dogara argued that while speeches that elicit debates are welcome speeches that incite to violence must be punished, and with that, he took a guided review of the debate on how to regulate hate speech and the social media. He said: The amount of falsehood and incitement to violence unleashed daily in the Social Media may lead to unmitigated disruptive disaster one day if not checked. I guess the time is ripe for us as Nigerians to have a frank conversation on this issue. But he rejected the view that this was the responsibility of the legislative arm of government. Maybe the solution and the debate should be led this time by the Media and Civil Society Organisations, he said, laying a template upon which such debates will be conducted. We must be honest enough to admit that there is no freedom without responsibility, Mr Dogara stressed. However, Mr Dogara pointed out that a debate to regulate hate news and misinformation must be erected on the vision of an independent judiciary and an independent media regime, in line with the spirit of the May 2016, Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Countering Violent Extremism proposed by the United Nation in Helsinki, Finland, which proposed that: Restrictions on freedom of expression must be subject to independent judicial oversight, [since] Anywhere democracy struggles, it will be because of a weak Judiciary. A key part of any strategy to combat terrorism and violence should be to support independent media and communications diversity. Many Nigerians, including the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan, have paid tribute to late President Umaru YarAdua, nine years after his death. Mr YarAdua was born on August 16, 1951, and died May 5, 2010. He was the 13th leader of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He won the 2007 presidential election with 70 per cent of the votes (24.6 million votes) according to official results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He was sworn in on May 29, 2007. The election was condemned by many who argued that it was rigged. Mr YarAdua in his inauguration speech also admitted the elections were fraught with irregularities. As president, Mr YarAdua inaugurated a presidential electoral reform committee to look into the legal factors, social and political institutions and security issues that affect the quality and credibility of elections in the country and to also make recommendations on improving the credibility of elections. On June 28, 2007, Mr YarAdua publicly declared his assets to become the first Nigerian president to do so. His administration came in with seven-point agenda. The agenda includes critical infrastructural development in power, energy and transportation; focus on development issues in the Niger Delta; a movement away from a fossil fuel dependent economy to a diversified economy; human capital development; review of land tenure regulations towards a reform-oriented goal; security and food security. He was not able to fully achieve any of this before his illness and eventual death in office. Sickness Cum Death Mr YarAdua was taken to Saudi Arabia in November 2009 for pericarditis treatment. The sickness generated lots of reactions from Nigeria who did not have knowledge about the health status of their leader. On January 22, 2010, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave the Federal Executive Council 14 days to provide an update on the capability of Mr YarAdua. By February 10, 2010, the Senate transferred presidential powers to Mr Jonathan as acting president, pending the time Mr YarAdua would be fine. Mr YarAdua returned to Nigeria on February 24, 2010, with many unaware of his health status. He eventually died on May 5, 2010 at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. He was buried the following day at his hometown, Katsina State. Tribute: In the early hours of Sunday, Mr Jonathan, who was Mr YarAduas vice president, took to Twitter to pay tribute to his late boss. On this day nine years ago I lost a friend, colleague, brother, and boss, President Umaru Musa YarAdua. He was a selfless leader who placed national interest above personal and ethnic gains. Today, I remember and celebrate him for the works that he had done. Peace he lived for and homes of peace he built. Democracy he loved and democracy he nurtured. We will always remember you for your service. A servant leader truly you remain. He used the opportunity he had in public service to build bridges of love, foster unity and give hope to Nigerians. President YarAdua was a man of integrity with a humble spirit who always took upon himself the burden of national reconciliation, peace-building, and democratic consolidation. Also, a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, in his condolence message said: This day, 9 years ago, Nigeria lost a patriot and a compassionate leader in President Umaru YarAdua. May Allah SWT continue to shine His Noor on his face. Amin. AA This day, 9 years ago, Nigeria lost a patriot and a compassionate leader in President Umaru YarAdua. May Allah SWT continue to shine His Noor on his face. Amin. AA pic.twitter.com/NjqFSuygvW Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) May 5, 2019 Senate President, Bukola Saraki also eulogised the late Mr YarAdua Today, I remember the selfless statesman, former President Umaru Musa Yaradua, who passed on 9-years ago. His legacy of integrity as a great leader will always remain indelible in our hearts. May the mercy of Almighty Allah (SWT) continue to be upon him. Amin. Today, I remember the selfless statesman, former President Umaru Musa Yaradua, who passed on 9-years ago. His legacy of integrity as a great leader will always remain indelible in our hearts. May the mercy of Almighty Allah (SWT) continue to be upon him. Amin. pic.twitter.com/ty49Nl6MFY Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 5, 2019 A senator, Shehu Sanni, said: President Umaru Musa Yaradua died on this day nine years ago. He was a honest man, a true democrat, respecter of the rule of law and a humble visionary. May Allah forgive his soul and grant him Aljanna Firdausi.Amin. A Twitter user, @JosephEkesco said: President Umaru Musa Yaradua died on this day nine years ago. He was a honest man, a true democrat, respecter of the rule of law and a humble visionary. May Allah forgive his soul and grant him Aljanna Firdausi.Amin. Advertisements @folorunsojunior said: The good die young in power, while the wicked stays older and longer in power. Irony of life! Rest on Umaru YarAdua. @sufyan_dikko The goal isnt to live forever, the goal is to create something that will Continue to rest in peace Late. Ummaru Musa Yaradua. The goal isnt to live forever, the goal is to create something that will Continue to rest in peace Late. Ummaru Musa Yaradua pic.twitter.com/Gh9VXsxDKH Sufyan Abbas Dikko (@sufyan_dikko) May 5, 2019 @mosesobinnai: THERE WAS A PRESIDENT A leader who has vision and mission for nigeria and Nigerians.A leader that appoint his ministers and other government appointment base on merit irrespective of your State. May your gentle soul continue Rest in perfect peace. Mallam Ummaru Musa Yaradua THERE WAS A PRESIDENT A leader who has vision and mission for nigeria and Nigerians.A leader that appoint his ministers and other government appointment base on merit irrespective of your State. May your gentle soul continue Rest in perfect peace. Mallam Ummaru Musa Yaradua pic.twitter.com/rLgsVNcGfs Obinna E Moses (@mosesobinnae) May 5, 2019 @kingafrica_josh history is not in a hurry to forget you. A generation thinks we would have been better with you. Rest in Power President Umaru Yaradua. https://twitter.com/KingFather_Josh/status/1124959674682499072 Another Twitter user : Late Umaru Musa Yaradua (1951-2010) 9 Years Without You But Still Remains The Best Nigerian President So far. He was a Selfless Leader Who Placed National Interest Above Personal And Ethnic Gains, you Left Us But Your Good Work And Good Memories Are Still Alive Rest On Sir https://twitter.com/sanimuhammed03/status/1124971234326994945 The crescent moon heralding the Islamic month of Ramadan has been seen in several states. The secretary-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Ishaq Oloyede, told PREMIUM TIMES that the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, who heads the council, will formally make the announcement later tonight. The sighting of the moon indicates the commencement of Ramadan for Muslims globally. During Ramadan, Muslims are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset by abstaining from food and drinks, as well as forbidden acts. In Nigeria, the Sultan as the head of the NSCIA formally announces the sighting of the moon and the commencement of the Islamic holy month. The Sultan later on Sunday night declared Monday as the first day of Ramadan fast in Nigeria. Mr Abubakar announced the citing of the new crescent in Sokoto on Sunday in a radio and television broadcast. He said the new moon was sighted in various places across the country which indicates that Sunday is the end of 8th Islamic month of Shaaban. The Sultan said that reports of the moon sighting were received from Muslim leaders and organisations across the country. Upon due verification and authentication by the national moon sighting committee and states committees confirmation, as well as routine scrutiny, the sighting of the new moon of Ramadan signifies the end of Shaaban 1440 AH. In accordance with Islamic law, the Muslim Ummah is to commence fasting on Monday, May 6, 2019 accordingly, he said. He enjoined all Muslims to devote themselves fully to the worship of Allah throughout the Holy Month, and use the period to pray for leaders at all levels, progress, peace and prosperity of the nation. We further call on Nigerians to continue to live peacefully with one another irrespective of religious or tribal differences, he said. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims observe one month fast. Fasting in the month of Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a compulsory religious obligation on all adult Muslims. (NAN) The senator representing Zamfara Central district, Kabir Marafa, has explained why he called for a N10 billion intervention fund to cater for the internally displaced and other persons affected by banditry in Zamfara State. According to Mr Marafa, the fund will also cater to the general wellbeing of victims of the insurgency. The Senate had on April 10 resolved to make N10 billion available in the 2019 budget for the victims of Zamfara crisis. It also urged the federal government to set up an ad-hoc committee to be known as the Presidential Initiative of Zamfara State with a 10-year life span to manage the said funds and subsequent allocations and donations. These resolutions were a sequel to Mr Marafas motion on the need to create the intervention fund. During the 2019 budget passage on April 30, the Senate approved the N10 billion fund to be drawn from service-wide votes to assist victims of the Zamfara crisis. In a statement on Sunday, the lawmaker said in terms of casualty ratio and displacements, Zamfara State remains ahead of many states in the North East and North Central that are currently being given prominence by the mainstream media and the federal government in terms of recognition and assistance. He thanked his colleagues at both chambers of the National Assembly for the provision of N10 billion in the 2019 budget. He said their support shows that with the unity of purpose and direction, the country can overcome its challenges. Mr Marafa also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a presidential initiative for Zamfara, PIZAMS, as soon as possible as contained in the Senate resolution. He also admonished the incoming National Assembly members from Zamfara State to maintain the tempo by ensuring that PIZAMS get a sizable allocation in the remaining nine years ahead. Killings and kidnappings by armed bandits have become the order of the day in the state. These have also been on the rise in recent years. One of the most recent attacks in the state was at the palace of the Emir of Birnin Magaji where residents were said to have cordoned off the palace and killed seven suspected bandits. PREMIUM TIMES also reported that suspected armed bandits were planning a retaliatory attack on Birnin Magaji. Residents said the suspected bandits numbering thousands were moving closer to Birnin Magaji town to avenge the killing of seven of their members on Wednesday. Security agencies intervened to ensure the violence in the community does not escalate. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has given an assurance that President Muhammadu Buharis administration will bring the Second Niger Bridge project to fruition. Mr Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said the vice president fielded questions from journalists shortly after an inspection of the progress of work at the Asaba end of the Second Niger Bridge project on Friday. According to Mr Osinbajo, the bridge is not only important for the economy of the South-east, but for Nigerias economy in general. The vice president said that strategic infrastructure projects such as the bridge were critical to the administrations economic agenda, as it would improve socio-economic opportunities and benefit all Nigerians. Mr Osinbajo expressed optimism that the project would be delivered on schedule as President Buhari was personally committed to completing the project. The Second Niger Bridge is so important for the economy of the South-east and for the Nigerian economy, and of course, it is not just the bridge, there are the access roads, which are also very important. It is obvious so much progress has been made here; it is an important project that the president is committed to completing. In the past 18 months or so, a lot of work has been done and I came to see for myself. As you can see, the foundation goes all the way down, and this is just the Asaba end of the bridge. There is also the Anambra end of the bridge, so it is a lot of work. There is a huge number of people who are also benefiting in various ways as the project progresses. Mr Osinbajo said that the commitment of the Buhari administration to complete strategic infrastructure projects that would improve the nations economy necessitated the creation of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF). The PIDF is an initiative of Buhari administration which is to be invested specifically in critical road and power projects across the country. According to him, there are some critical infrastructure considered very strategic to Nigerias economic plan and which, through PIDF, will hopefully be completed. He said that one of the reasons why projects were hardly ever completed was because there was not enough money going into the projects, adding that Mr Buhari had decided that there must be a fund for all of the project; hence PIDF. Mr Osinbajo said projects being executed under the PIDF included the Kano-Abuja expressway, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Mambila hydro project, among others. The good thing is that the President has set aside the funds, the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, which is a fund dedicated to certain strategic projects, including the Second Niger Bridge. Earlier before embarking on the tour of the Second Niger Bridge project, the vice president paid a courtesy call on the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe, at his palace in Onitsha. Mr Osinbajo assured the monarch of the federal governments commitment to be fair and just in the execution of projects across the country. He said that there were other initiatives being implemented by the federal government in Anambra State in partnership with the state government. Anambra State was the very first state to accept what we call the HomeGrown School Feeding Programme, which is a federal government programme. Anambra State was the very first state to accept and implement it the way we wanted it to be implemented, he said. While in Anambra State, Mr Osinbajo also visited the Eke-Awka market in Awka, and the Ochanja market in Onitsha, to monitor ongoing disbursement of the TraderMoni to over three thousand petty traders at the markets So far, over 30,000 persons have been enumerated in Anambra State while about 27,000 loans have been disbursed and over 18,000 cashed out. No fewer than 2 million petty traders nationwide are currently benefiting from the microcredit scheme. The Buhari administrations N10,000 TraderMoni loans is a part of its National Social Intervention Programmes (N-SIP). It is designed to assist petty traders across the country expand their trade through the provision of collateral and interest-free loans from N10,000. The loans are repayable over a period of six months, after which the traders get an improved loan of N15,000. The traders get additional sums up to a N100,000 along the way as they repay the loans. (NAN) Advertisements The police in Lagos have arrested a fugitive security guard who allegedly murdered his colleague at the Magodo Phase 2 area of the state. Monday Odey was declared a fugitive after allegedly hitting Abdullahi Yinusa on the head with a shovel at the house where they both worked as security guards. Upon discovering that Mr Yinusa had died, Mr Odey dumped his corpse into a canal behind the house where they lived, the police said. Bala Elkana, the Lagos State police spokesperson, said in a statement that police investigation showed that the suspect had been accused, on several occasions, of stealing valuable items belonging to his employer such as clothes, bicycles, among others. On April 4, the suspect was confronted over his incessant stealing habit, by the deceased, the statement said. The suspect picked offence and threatened to kill the said Abdullahi Yinusa for challenging him. As a result of his threat to harm Mr Yinusa, their employer, Bola Ikupoluyi, sacked Mr Odey and ordered him to vacate the premises immediately, the police said. After being sacked, Mr Odey returned to the house the same day around 7 p.m., he pretended to have come for his personal belongings. Upon gaining entrance into the premises, he murdered Mr Yinusa. Police investigation further revealed that after the suspect killed Mr Yinusa, he dumped the corpse at a canal behind their employers house and absconded. The suspect absconded to (an) unknown destination immediately after committing the offence, the statement said. The police said the suspect was traced to his hideout in Iwo, Osun State, where he was arrested. The statement further said Mr Odey had confessed to committing the crime and he would be charged to court for murder. WHAT TO EXPECT: One of the most successful country music artists of our time, Kenny Chesney comes to Atlantic City on Saturday on night for a stop on his Songs of the Saints Tour. Having sold over 30 million albums and racked up forty Top 10 singles on the country charts, the Tennessee native has plenty of material from which to draw. Recent set lists have included favorites such as Beer in Mexico, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, She Thinks My Tractors Sexy, Young, When the Sun Goes Down, Summertime, Living in Fast Forward Out Last Night Pirate Flag and Setting the World on Fire. Chesney will also perform tracks from his latest album including Song for the Saints and Get Along. ATLANTIC CITY The National Weather Service has taken steps to ensure the public is not left with a false sense of security, as may have happened during Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane season isnt here yet, but the names for 2019 storms have been released Hurricane season is still months away, but there are already names for the potential storms David Wally, lead meteorologist for the NWS office in Upton, New York, presented the changes already taken and what could come at the annual New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Association Conference at Tropicana Casino and Resort on Thursday. Was the messaging effective? Theres mixed opinions on that, Wally said. Sandy made landfall near Brigantine as a post-tropical cyclone. It was not forecasted to be tropical either. The 11 a.m. advisory on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, three days before it made landfall, has it projected crashing ashore as such. Therefore, no tropical hazards were put into effect because it was deemed extra-tropical (post tropical), Wally said. While coastal flooding warnings, high wind warnings and other, nontropical hazards were in effect, not having a tropical watch or warning in effect may have had a false sense of security that Sandy would not be as destructive. Stranger Things star and Little Egg Harbor Township native Gaten Matarazzo took a trip to the Ocean City Boardwalk on Friday for a pre-prom photoshoot with his friends. The 16-year-old who attends Pinelands Regional High School posted pictures on Instagram of him and his pals dressed up for junior prom and walking past shops along the Boardwalk. Junior prom with my best friends and most beautiful girlfriend ever, he wrote. Matarazzo has played fan favorite Dustin Henderson on the popular Netflix show since the show premiered in 2016. Since then, he has appeared on multiple late night shows and attended awards ceremonies. But the actor still returns to the Jersey Shore, where his grandparents own a Galloway Township pizzeria, according to previous Press reports. Last March, he stopped by Mainland Regional High School for its production of Cinderella. Matarazzo was born in Connecticut but has said hes a Jersey boy at heart. Im a Jersey boy, he told the Press of Atlantic City in 2016. Always will be, even though I was born in Connecticut. South Jersey boy and you guys know it. (CNN) The first church Mohammed Nasar Mohammed Azar tried to blow up had already finished its service by the time he arrived. The Easter Sunday mass there had started early. "He came in the car around 8:30 a.m., and they told him mass is over now," said Bishop Joseph Ponniah, of St. Mary's Cathedral in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka. "Then he went to the next church." That timing mix-up saved the lives of hundreds of people inside St. Mary's, who were already back in their homes by the time Azar walked through the church gates, intent on murdering everyone inside. But his error proved catastrophic to the evangelical congregation of the nearby Zion Church, where he went next. CCTV footage obtained by CNN shows Azar walking down the lane to the church at 8:51 a.m., wearing a pink polo shirt and tracksuit pants, and carrying a heavy blue backpack. It was the same style of bag used by the other suicide bombers who carried out coordinated attacks on the morning of Easter Sunday across Sri Lanka, followed by two more bombs later in the day, killing more than 250 people Refused entry Inside the Zion Church, dozens of children had just finished Sunday school. Videos of the session released later show them praying and singing in circles moments before the attack. After the school finished, some of the children had wandered outside to enjoy their breakfast during the short break before the main mass was due to begin at 9 a.m. Azar approached the church entrance, intending to go inside the building to inflict maximum damage. But he was foiled for a second time -- stopped by two church officials, Ramesh Raju and Rasalingam Sasikumar, before he got through the door. "Ramesh and Sashee were both trying to stop him from entering the church," said Rajeevkaran Vimalaretnam, a 38-year-old sound technician for the church. "They had apparently refused permission for him to enter the church and asked him to leave." Azar had been stopped because he looked suspicious, Vimalaretnam added. "I saw a man standing there with two bags wearing a cap and a t-shirt. His dress code -- cap, the bag -- all of this looked out of place," Vimalaretnam said. "No one comes to church like that. He looked like he was going to a sporting event." When asked why he was carrying a large bag, Azar replied that he wanted to film the church service. The officials said they would need to seek permission from the pastor. As the discussion was taking place, Vimalaretnam walked inside the church, which he said already had around 500 people seated in the pews. It was then that Azar seemingly decided to cut his losses and detonate his bomb outside, where the children who had just finished Sunday school were gathering. He killed 29 people, including the two men who had held him back, Raju and Sasikumar -- now hailed as heroes for saving the lives of many others. "If he had walked inside and made his way to the center, I would have died, too, "Vimalaretnam said. "And the number of victims would have been in the region of 200 to 300 people." "She looked perfect and beautiful" Knowing that a greater disaster was averted is little comfort to the families of those who died. Fourteen of the victims were children from the Sunday school. Siblings Sharon Stephen Shanthakumar, 12, and Sarah Hepzibah Shanthakumar, 10, were among them. They are the two eldest children of Vairaperumal and Kaowsalya Shanthakumar, both born again Christians who converted from Hinduism. Kaowsalya, the children's 39-year-old mother, was on her way to pick them up from Sunday school. She was 100 meters (328 foot) away on a tuk tuk when she saw smoke rising from the church. "As I got closer, I saw people standing outside," she said. "They told me that a gas cylinder exploded. I told them that my children were there at Sunday school, but they would not let me in." Her husband then arrived but they couldn't find their children, so they rushed to the hospital. "I saw the doctors trying to recover her heart beat by pumping her chest," Shanthakumar said, of Sarah. "Then shortly afterwards, they told me that she had died." Apart from a small wound, she said her daughter did not appear to be visibly hurt. "She had been bleeding through both her ears," she said. "Apart from that, she looked perfect and beautiful." But it was different for their son Sharon. "The next day my husband went to identify my son at the church," she said. "They wouldn't let me see him. He was completely charred. We had to identify him using his teeth." The couple's youngest child, five-year-old Salisha Stephen Shanthakumar, was not at Sunday school that day. She is all her parents have left. Her mother said that since the attack she has been quiet and withdrawn -- wondering where her two best friends have gone. "I saw everything burning" Salisha's older siblings are memorialized alongside the other victims on a large poster outside the Zion Church, which remains closed following the attack. Among the adults on the poster is Rajeevkaran Vimalaretnam's mother, 64-year-old Vanaja Devi Vimalaretnam, who also worked at the church. After parking his bike outside the church, Vimalaretnam had gone to chat with her at the entrance, where she was handing out leaflets. "My mother had been administering in that church for more than 30 years," he said. "She invited me to come (for dinner) if I had the time. I said I will and I patted her shoulder and left." Moments later, she was dead. "I heard a huge explosion, and as I turned, I saw a huge fire erupting," Vimalaretnam said. "I shouted, Amma, and ran towards the back. I looked around and I couldn't find her. Then I came out of the church and saw her lying dead," he added. "I was lost, I didn't know what to do." The aftermath was chaos. CCTV footage shows people running away from the church, screaming and crying as their loved ones burned. "I saw everything burning, including the vans and bikes parked outside," Vimalaretnam said. "Then we tried our best to save the people inside by breaking the walls." The main exit door of the church was on fire, he said, so they ran to the opposite end to break a wall and use a ladder to pull people out to safety. The fire brigade turned up a few minutes later, but it was already too late for dozens of victims. Center of radicalization The massacre took place in Batticaloa, an eight-hour drive east from the capital Colombo the city targeted by most of the suicide bombers, and the focus of much of the media coverage. But the east of the country is a key part of the puzzle explaining why the eight men and one woman who staged the Easter attacks became radicalized. Azar was from Kattankudy, a Muslim-majority town south of Batticaloa, which appears to have become a recruitment ground for the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) Islamist extremist group which aligned itself with ISIS, and has been blamed for the attacks on Easter Sunday. Their ringleader, well-known hate preacher Zahran Hashim, blew himself up in the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo, and his two brothers and father followed suit almost a week later in a house in Sainthamaruthu, south of Batticaloa, taking their wives and children with them. A state of emergency is in place in Sri Lanka, as police try to round up the remaining members of the NTJ group. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena repeatedly denied that he knew about intelligence, warning of an attack, sent weeks in advance. Sirisena asked the chief of police and the defense secretary to resign, blaming them for failing to tell him or act upon the threat. As the security forces attempt to get the situation under control, places of worship still feel like vulnerable targets. The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has ordered that Catholic churches cancel mass again this Sunday, and has urged Catholic schools to remain closed. Many other places of worship are also postponing services as a precaution. As communities stay on high alert for future attacks, divisions between religious groups are becoming more pronounced. A Muslim living in Batticaloa told CNN that people are scared to leave their homes due to increasing suspicion against them from the rest of the community. A mosque came under attack in Kuliyapitiya, north of Negombo, during prayers on Wednesday night, with crowds hurling stones at the building. The Sri Lankan President's office has announced that the burqa has been banned until further notice, describing the full face veil as "a security risk and a flag of fundamentalism." "It's a tense situation now," said Rajeevkaran Vimalaretnam. But he insisted he doesn't harbor any resentment to the Muslim population. "We are Christians... We worship the lord," he said. "We have no vengeance towards anyone." This story was first published on CNN.com, "The Sunday school children: The little-known tragedy of the Sri Lankan Easter attacks." A Woodbine municipal landfill may soon be turned into a solar farm. In a joint news release, the borough and solar company Nexamp said they entered an initial agreement to develop a 10-megawatt community solar farm at a closed, 115-acre landfill on Fidler Hill Road. The landfill closed in 1985, and since then, the borough has been looking for ways to utilize the land, said Mayor William Pikolycky. Over the past three decades, the Department of Environmental Protection has conducted multiple investigations at the site. There were plans for building a biofuel facility at the property about 10 years ago that fell through. The idea of repurposing an otherwise unusable landfill site and bringing renewable energy into the community in a way that will benefit both Woodbine and the community at large is very exciting, Mayor William Pikolycky said. Nexamp owns dozens of community solar farms across the U.S. Residents can subscribe to a share of the solar farm instead of installing panels on their own home, and in turn reduce their electric bill. Pikolycky said the borough could see about $150,000 to $200,000 from the deal. Nuclear plants which generate far more power than wind and solar and do so constantly, as opposed to when the wind is blowing and the sun shining also are Americas largest source of clean, zero-emissions electricity and crucial to fighting climate change. New Jerseys three plants account for 90 percent of its carbon-free power. Even the BPUs full $300 million a year is only the same rate that New Jersey and its ratepayers have subsidized the solar industry about $3 billion the past decade. And solar still only provides 4 percent of electricity in New Jersey, while the nuclear plants provide 32 percent. A smaller nuclear subsidy would have been better and looked possible. In three years the BPU will get a chance to reduce it when it comes up for renewal. An effort by grid operators and others to get the federal government to boost revenues for reserve capacity generators such as nuclear plants may make that easier. New Jersey joins at least three other states in providing subsidies to keep their nuclear plants operating, and Pennsylvania and Ohio are considering doing the same. The cost is significant, but at least the BPUs action keeps alive the states ambitious goal to have a 100 percent clean-energy economy by 2050. 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. TORONTO, May 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - CGX Energy Inc. (TSXV: OYL) ("CGX") and Frontera Energy Corporation (TSX: FEC) ("Frontera") announced today that the Government of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana has approved the farm-in joint venture agreement covering two shallow water offshore Petroleum Prospecting Licenses in Guyana, the Corentyne and Demerara blocks. Under the terms of the farm-in joint venture agreement between Frontera and a wholly owned subsidiary of CGX, CGX Resources Inc., Frontera will acquire a 33.333% working interest in the two blocks in exchanged for a US$33.3 million signing bonus, paid by way of offset of $24.6 million of debt payable to Frontera by CGX plus a cash payment of US$8.7 million paid by Frontera to CGX. Frontera has agreed to pay one-third of the applicable costs under the joint ventures plus an additional 8.333% of CGX's direct drilling costs for the initial exploratory commitment wells in the two blocks. CGX is the operator assigned to the blocks. Professor Suresh Narine, Executive Chairman and Executive Director (Guyana), CGX, said: "CGX is one of the pioneer explorers in the Guyana basin, celebrating its 20th year in 2018; it is widely regarded as Guyana's indigenous oil company. I would like to thank the Government of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana for the approval of this pivotal joint venture by Frontera into the Corentyne and Demerara blocks. Coupled with the recently concluded successful rights offering financing, this partnership allows CGX to significantly clean up its balance sheet and resume with vigor its exploration of the continental shelf in the Guyana basin. As oil and gas begins to play a pivotal role in the transformation of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, CGX is delighted to be positioned to claim its place in the development of Guyana and this exciting new industry. Frontera has been carefully chosen as a partner with which CGX will continue to undertake this task: because of their financial strength, technical capacity and respect for CGX's culture and its fundamental role in templating good corporate citizenship and corporate responsibility for E&P companies operating in The Cooperative Republic of Guyana." Gabriel de Alba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Frontera, added: "As an important next step of our strategic joint venture with CGX, we are grateful to have received this approval from the Government of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana for the development of the Corentyne and Demerara blocks. Together, our companies are well positioned to advance exploration and development of these two attractive blocks in one of the most exciting offshore basins in the world. The approval of this joint venture confirms CGX's deep roots in the country, which when combined with Frontera's technical depth and financial strength create great opportunities for the benefit of CGX, Frontera and the people of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana. This joint venture forms an important part of Frontera's plans to invest in long-term growth opportunities." Richard Herbert, Chief Executive Officer of Frontera, commented: "We are very excited to be moving forward with our joint venture partner CGX on this important project for both of our companies and for the people of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Given the strong track record of discoveries in the adjacent Starbroek block and our own technical studies of seismic and well data within the two blocks, we are very encouraged about the opportunity on both the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks. We look forward to moving into the drilling phase to test the potential of the two blocks in the coming months." Corentyne Petroleum Agreement The Corentyne block contains 1,125,000 net acres offshore The Cooperative Republic of Guyana in shallow water, adjacent to the ExxonMobil Stabroek block, which has encountered 13 discoveries since May 2015. The Utakwaaka well must be drilled by November 27, 2019 with an additional exploration well to be drilled by November 27, 2022. Demerara Petroleum Agreement The Demerara block contains 750,000 net acres offshore The Cooperative Republic of Guyana in shallow water, adjacent to the ExxonMobil Stabroek block which has encountered 13 discoveries since May 2015. An exploration well is required to be drilled on the block by February 12, 2021 with a further exploration well by February 12, 2023. About CGX Energy: CGX Energy is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company focused on the exploration of oil in the Guyana-Suriname Basin. 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. About Frontera: Frontera Energy Corporation is a Canadian public company and a leading explorer and producer of crude oil and natural gas, with operations focused in South America. The Company has a diversified portfolio of assets with interests in more than 30 exploration and production blocks. The Company's strategy is focused on sustainable growth in production and reserves. Frontera is committed to conducting business safely, in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Frontera's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FEC". If you would like to receive News Releases via e-mail as soon as they are published, please subscribe here: http://fronteraenergy.mediaroom.com/subscribe . Advisories: Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, exploration and development of the blocks, and success thereof and CGX obtaining sufficient working capital) are forward-looking statements. These forward- looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of Frontera or CGX, as the case may be, based on information currently available to them. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the applicable company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: with respect to CGX (and as applicable Frontera), complete a financing and successfully explore and develop the offshore blocks, and unforeseen costs and expenses; changes in equity and debt markets; perceptions of the applicable company's prospects and the prospects of the oil and gas industry in the countries where the company operates or has investments; and the other risks disclosed in the applicable continuous disclosure documents under the each company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, each of Frontera and CGX disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward- looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although each of Frontera and CGX believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements applicable to it are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. SOURCE Frontera Energy Corporation Related Links www.fronteraenergy.ca JA Resorts & Hotels announced it is expanding into China this year, in a joint venture. In partnership with Novel International Group, a Shanghai investment fund, JA Resorts & Hotels are forming JA Novel Hospitality China, and through this partnership will be acquiring buildings to be retrofitted, renovated or completed as hotels in two distinctions. The first is upper upscale hotels which will be branded as JA Hotels and the second segment is upper midscale lifestyle hotels branded as 'Big Bed by JA' and targeted at millennials. For the upper upscale hotels, the company is currently exploring 3 property options in 5-6 areas over the coming years. The vision for the Big Bed brand or Da chuang in Chinese, is to roll out 30 units by 2024 spread across various Chinese cities. JA Resorts & Hotels on Growth Trajectory to Tanzania & Beyond JA Resorts & Hotels revealed plans to expand the portfolio of 8 distinct properties across the UAE and Indian Ocean, with another two luxury lodges providing a total of 60 rooms. One luxury lodge will be in the Serengeti National Park and the other in the Ngorogoro Conservency. The group are also exploring multiple options in Sri Lanka. JA Resorts & Hotels Becomes A Significant Player on Food & Beverage Scene with 10 New Concepts 10 new restaurants are set to open in 2019 alongside 3 collaborations with international chefs of Michelin star acclaim, in a year of rapid transformation for JA Resorts & Hotels. The group cites their food and beverage vision as 'creating community-focused restaurants providing one-of-a-kind experiences that energize everyone, with an enthusiastic welcome, exceptional service, awesome food, killer tunes and an unforgettable time, resulting in profitable restaurants'. Collaborations include JA Manafaru Maldives and China's most renowned chef Da Dong, whose restaurants have multiple Michelin stars, Lebanese Australian Chef Greg Malouf, who has 3 Chefs Hat awards featuring in 2 Dubai properties and Indian celebrity chef, Vikas Khanna, opening a new restaurant in JA Lake View Hotel. https://jaresortshotels.com/media-centre Contact: Laoise Molloy T: +971-56-6564429 E: [email protected] SOURCE JA Resorts & Hotels Related Links https://jaresortshotels.com CHICAGO, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced results from the Phase 4, 12-week PLUS trial, the first large-scale, randomized trial in North America and Europe evaluating the efficacy and safety of mirabegron vs. placebo in men with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms receiving tamsulosin for underlying benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These two conditions may cause symptoms of urinary urgency and urinary frequency.1 The results were presented during a plenary session at the American Urological Association (AUA) 2019 Annual Meeting in Chicago (LBA-03) on Sunday, May 5. PLUS is Astellas' second major trial specifically designed to study the effects of mirabegron in controlling OAB symptoms in men being treated for BPH. The results show that among men with OAB symptoms receiving tamsulosin for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to underlying BPH, mirabegron was statistically superior to placebo as an add-on therapy in reducing mean number of micturitions (episodes of urination) per day, the primary endpoint of the study.2 "Lower urinary tract symptoms are highly prevalent in men over the age of 40.3 Additionally, the overlap of symptoms in OAB and BPH can pose a treatment challenge for clinicians," said Steven Kaplan, M.D., primary researcher and director at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. "These results show that mirabegron has the potential to reduce OAB symptoms in men with BPH currently treated with tamsulosin." Patients receiving tamsulosin plus mirabegron experienced a greater mean change in reduction of micturitions per 24 hours from baseline to end of treatment (EOT) (-2.00 [95% CI: -2.26, -1.74]), compared with those receiving tamsulosin plus placebo (-1.62 [95% CI: -1.88, -1.36]), with a statistically significant adjusted mean difference between groups (-0.39 [95% CI: -0.76, -0.02]. Mirabegron also showed an increase in mean volume voided (MVV) per micturition, a reduction in urgency episodes per day and improvements in total urgency and frequency score vs. placebo. No statistically signficant difference was observed in total International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS).2 Safety assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and changes in post-void residual volume and maximum urinary flow. Overall, 25.9% of patients taking tamsulosin plus mirabegron reported TEAEs vs. 31.4% of tamsulosin plus placebo patients. Drug-related TEAE rates were higher with tamsulosin plus mirabegron patients (11.9%), compared to the tamsulosin plus placebo patients (5.9%). Serious TEAE rates were similar in both groups. Six (1.7%) tamsulosin plus mirabegron patients and one (0.3%) tamsulosin plus placebo patient experienced urinary retention (two tamsulosin plus mirabegron patients required catheterization).2 "As a leader in urology, Astellas is focused on advancing research to identify potential new treatment approaches for urologic conditions in both men and women," said Eric Guan, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Medical Affairs Americas, Astellas. "Men in particular have remained an under-recognized patient population, though studies suggest about 90 percent of men between 50 and 80 years of age experience lower urinary tract symptoms.1 We are encouraged by the results of the PLUS study as they enhance our understanding of urologic conditions that commonly impact men and shed light on new pathways for further research." In the United States, mirabegron is marketed as Myrbetriq, a beta-3 adrenergic agonist approved by the FDA as a monotherapy, or in combination with the muscarinic antagonist solifenacin succinate, for the treatment of OAB with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. About PLUS Study The Phase 4, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study (North America and Europe) randomized 715 male patients 40 years. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mirabegron vs. placebo as an add-on therapy for treating OAB symptoms in men concurrently receiving tamsulosin for LUTS due to underlying BPH. Patients were randomized to receive 25 mg mirabegron or placebo at the start of the study, then were titrated at week four to 50 mg mirabegron or placebo equivalent. The primary endpoint was a mean change from baseline to week 12 (end of treatment) in average number of micturitions (episodes of urination) per day based on a 3-day diary.2 For more information on the PLUS trial (NCT02757768), visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/. About Overactive Bladder (OAB) Overactive bladder is a urine storage problem of urgency, with or without urge urinary incontinence (leakage), often with urinary frequency and nocturia.4 It has been estimated by this year, 546 million people worldwide will be affected by OAB.5 For people with OAB, inappropriate signals are sent to the muscles in the bladder causing them to contract before the bladder is full.6 These bladder contractions may cause strong, sudden urges, and a frequent need to go to the bathroom. Indications and Usage Myrbetriq (mirabegron) is a beta3 adrenergic agonist indicated for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. Important Safety Information Do not use Myrbetriq in patients who have known hypersensitivity reactions to mirabegron or any component of the tablet. Myrbetriq can increase blood pressure. Periodic blood pressure determinations are recommended, especially in hypertensive patients. Myrbetriq is not recommended for use in severe uncontrolled hypertensive patients (defined as systolic blood pressure 180 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure 110 mm Hg). Worsening of hypertension was reported infrequently in Myrbetriq clinical trial patients with OAB. In patients taking Myrbetriq, urinary retention has been reported in patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and in patients taking antimuscarinic medications for the treatment of OAB. A controlled clinical safety study in patients with BOO did not demonstrate increased urinary retention in Myrbetriq patients; however, Myrbetriq should still be administered with caution to patients with clinically significant BOO. For example, monitor these patients for signs and symptoms of urinary retention. Myrbetriq should also be administered with caution to patients taking antimuscarinic medications for the treatment of OAB. Angioedema of the face, lips, tongue and/or larynx has been reported with Myrbetriq. In some cases angioedema occurred after the first dose. Cases of angioedema have been reported to occur hours after the first dose or after multiple doses. Angioedema associated with upper airway swelling may be life threatening. If involvement of the tongue, hypopharynx, or larynx occurs, promptly discontinue Myrbetriq and initiate appropriate therapy and/or measures necessary to ensure a patent airway. Since Myrbetriq is a moderate CYP2D6 inhibitor, the systemic exposure to CYP2D6 substrates such as metoprolol and desipramine is increased when coadministered with Myrbetriq. Appropriate monitoring and dose adjustment may be necessary, especially with narrow therapeutic index drugs metabolized by CYP2D6, such as thioridazine, flecainide, and propafenone. In clinical trials, the most commonly reported adverse reactions (> 2% and > placebo) for Myrbetriq 25 mg and 50 mg versus placebo, respectively, were hypertension (11.3%, 7.5% vs 7.6%), nasopharyngitis (3.5%, 3.9% vs 2.5%), urinary tract infection (4.2%, 2.9% vs 1.8%), and headache (2.1%, 3.2% vs 3.0%). In postmarketing experience, the following events have also occurred: atrial fibrillation, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and dizziness. Please see accompanying complete Prescribing Information for Myrbetriq (mirabegron). About Astellas Astellas Pharma Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan, is a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/en Cautionary Notes In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. 1 Mankowski C, Ikenwilo D, Heidenreich S, et al. Men's preferences for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a discrete choice experiment. Patient Prefer Adherence 2016;10:2407-17. 2 DOF_mirabegron_ "CSR" 19-8664 Efficacy and safety of mirabegron vs. placebo add-on therapy in men with overactive bladder symptoms receiving tamsulosin for underlying benign prostatic hyperplasia (PLUS) 3 Parsons JK, Bergstrom J, Silberstein J, Barrett-Connor E. Prevalence and characteristics of lower urinary tract symptoms in men aged 80 years. Urology 2008;72(2):318-21. 4 Abrams P, Cardozo L, Fall M, et al. The standardisation of terminology in lower urinary tract function: report from the standardisation sub-committee of the International Continence Society. Urology 2003;61(1):37-49. 5 Irwin DE, Kopp ZS, Agatep B, Milsom I, Abrams P. Worldwide prevalence estimates of lower urinary tract symptoms, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence and bladder outlet obstruction. BJU Int 2011;108(7):1132-8. 6 Sadananda P, Drake MJ, Paton JFR, Pickering AE. A functional analysis of the influence of 3-adrenoceptors on the rat micturition cycle. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2013;347(2):506-15. SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. Related Links https://www.astellas.com/en JERUSALEM, May 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yissum, the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is hosting a first-of-its kind conference to drive academic-industry collaboration across multiple cannabis-related research and development areas. Hebrew University is the leading academic institution world-wide in cannabis related patents. Its trailblazing Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research supports over 30 labs dedicated to cannabis-tech, covering related agricultural technologies, formulation and manufacturing methods, novel therapeutics and combination treatments. The one-day conference will bring Hebrew University researchers and industry professionals together to focus on furthering cannabis research for future commercialization. By some estimates, the global cannabis market is thought to be worth USD$150 billion today with predicted growth reaching USD$272 billion by 2028 and legal worldwide spending hitting $70 billion. "With the explosive growth in the cannabis industry comes a need for creating sustainable, differentiated value propositions for leading corporations," said Dr. Yaron Daniely, CEO and President of Yissum. "Hebrew University continues to be the leading academic institution worldwide that is producing high level and truly groundbreaking research that both meets and drives these demands." Just this March, Weed Inc. announced a multi-million dollar licensing agreement with Yissum based on the research results of Hebrew University's Prof. Elka Touitou. During the event on May 1, Yissum will also honor Hebrew University Professor Raphael Mechoulam for his achievements in advancing collaboration between academia and the medical cannabis industry. Professor Mechoulam's instrumental discoveries over the last five decades paved the way for much of today's research in the field. Itzik Ozer, Director of Business Development, Jerusalem Development Authority said, "The Jerusalem Development Authority, which works to promote the biotech sector in the city through Jnext and Bio Jerusalem, sees cannabis as an industry with huge potential for creating jobs and attracting Israeli and international companies to the city. As part of our program, biotech companies and new cannabis companies arriving in Jerusalem will be entitled to entry grants of NIS 100,000 for each employee and up to NIS 4 million to the company. Hebrew University is a major partner in the development of the city's cannabis market, furthering the development of new technologies and strengthening the biotech and cannabis ecosystem in Jerusalem." "Industry Meets Innovation: Cannabis Research and Development" is organized by Yissum, and sponsored by the Jerusalem Development Authority, Geyra Gassner Kesten IP Law and Bona Vida, an American veterinary company that has partnered with Yissum to identify new research projects at Hebrew University involving veterinary CBD use. About Yissum Yissum is the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Founded in 1964, it is the third company of its kind to be established and serves as a bridge between cutting-edge academic research and a global community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry. Yissum's mission is to benefit society by converting extraordinary innovations and transformational technologies into commercial solutions that address our most urgent global challenges. Yissum has registered over 10,000 patents covering 2,800 inventions; licensed over 900 technologies and has spun out more than 176 companies. Yissum's business partners span the globe and include companies such as Boston Scientific, Google, ICL, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Microsoft, Novartis and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il Contact: Estee Yaari Media Relations Yissum [email protected] SOURCE Yissum BASEL, Switzerland, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AveXis, a Novartis company, today announced interim data from ongoing trials of the investigational product Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi; AVXS-101)1 that showed positive results across a broad spectrum of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These included the first presentation of data from the Phase 1 STRONG trial, which showed motor function gains and milestone achievements in patients with SMA Type 2 via intrathecal (IT) delivery; new data from the Phase 3 STR1VE trial, which continued to show prolonged event-free survival, increases in motor function and significant milestone achievement consistent with the Phase 1 START trial; and the first presentation of data from the Phase 3 SPR1NT trial, which showed motor milestone achievement consistent with normal development in SMA patients treated pre-symptomatically. These data were presented during the 2019 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting. "With just a single, one-time dose, we are seeing Zolgensma provide prolonged survival, rapid motor function improvement and milestone achievements that patients never experience if their disease is left untreated," said David Lennon, President of AveXis. "These robust data presented at AAN represent a growing body of evidence that support the use of Zolgensma as a potential foundational therapy for the treatment of SMA across a variety of populations." Phase 1 STRONG Data as of March 8, 2019 STRONG is a Phase 1, open-label, dose-comparison, multi-center trial designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of one-time IT administration of Zolgensma in patients with SMA Type 2 who have three copies of the SMN2 gene, and who are able to sit but cannot stand or walk at the time of study entry. Patients were stratified into two groups based on age at time of dosing: patients who are 6 months but <24 months, and patients who are 24 months but <60 months. The primary efficacy outcome for patients who were 6 to <24 months is the ability to stand without support 3 seconds; the primary efficacy outcome for patients who were 24 to >60 months is change in Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE) score from baseline. Three dosing strengths are being evaluated. Only 3/34 (8.8 percent) patients were excluded due to elevated AAV9 antibodies. Patients in the STRONG study showed improvement in motor function, with 19 patients (12/12 dosed at 24 to <60 months and 7 who were dosed at 6 to <24 months who then became old enough to be evaluated on the HSMSE) having a mean 4.2-point increase from baseline in HFMSE as of their most recent study visit (5-12 months post-treatment). Half of the patients (6/12) who were 24 months at dosing experienced a 3-point improvement from baseline in HFMSE by one-month post dosing. Since dosing, 22 motor milestones in 10 patients have been achieved according to the Bayley-III Gross Motor Milestone Scale across the Dose A and Dose B treatment groups, including two patients who gained the ability to stand independently, one of whom went on to walk alone in the younger group, and one additional patient who gained the ability to walk with assistance in the older group. The median duration of follow-up was 6.5 months. Efficacy data from Dose C are not presented because enrollment is not complete. All patients (n=30) were alive. There were two serious treatment-related adverse events. Both were of transaminase elevation. The frequency of patients with adverse events of transaminase elevation appeared to be lower than that seen with intravenous (IV) administration of Zolgensma. "With an average of just over six months of data available for these Type 2 patients following treatment with Zolgensma, we are pleased to see they are achieving motor milestones, including the ability to stand and walk," said Olga Santiago, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of AveXis. "Based on these early promising data, we plan to approach regulators to define the path to registration for intrathecal administration of Zolgensma." Phase 3 STR1VE Data as of March 8, 2019 STR1VE is an ongoing, open-label, single-arm, single-dose, multi-center trial in the U.S. designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a one-time IV infusion of Zolgensma in patients with SMA Type 1 who are <6 months of age at the time of gene therapy, with one or two copies of the SMN2 backup gene and who have bi-allelic SMN1 gene deletion or point mutations. As of March 8, 2019, of the 20 patients who could have reached 10.5 months of age or discontinued the study prior to 10.5 months of age, 19 (95 percent) survived without permanent ventilation. Of the 15 patients who could have reached 13.6 months of age or discontinued the study prior to 13.6 months of age, 13 (87 percent) survived without permanent ventilation. Untreated natural history indicates that only 50 and 25 percent of babies with SMA Type 1 will survive event-free by the time they reach 10.5 months of age and 13.6 months of age, respectively. The median age was 14.4 months. As previously disclosed, one patient died from respiratory failure, which was deemed by the investigator and independent Data Safety Monitoring Board to be unrelated to treatment. This patient had demonstrated significant motor improvement prior to the event, with a 27-point increase in CHOP-INTEND from baseline five months post-infusion. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP-INTEND) scores increased by an average of 6.9 points one month, 11.7 points three months and 14.3 points five months after gene transfer, reflecting improvement in motor function from baseline. Twenty-one of 22 (95 percent) patients achieved a CHOP-INTEND score of 40. Patients treated with Zolgensma continued to gain motor milestones, including one patient who could crawl, one patient who could pull to a stand and 11 patients who could sit without support for at least 30 seconds according to Bayley-III Gross Motor criteria, an achievement babies with SMA Type 1 never reach in natural history. The 11 patients (50%) achieved the ability to sit without support at a mean age of 11.9 months and at a mean 8.2 months post treatment. Safety observations in STR1VE are comparable to those seen in the Phase 1 START trial. Adverse events observed include elevated transaminases, platelet count decrease and thrombocytopenia. These interim data from the multicenter, Phase 3 STR1VE trial are consistent with the findings in the Phase 1 START trial and on track to confirm those results. Phase 3 SPR1NT Data as of March 8, 2019 SPR1NT is a Phase 3, open-label, single-arm, multi-center trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a one-time IV infusion of Zolgensma in pre-symptomatic patients with SMA and two or three copies of SMN2 who are 6 weeks of age. The primary outcome measure for patients with two copies of SMN2 is independent sitting for 30 seconds by 18 months. The primary outcome measure for patients with three copies of SMN2 is standing without support for at least three seconds by 24 months. As of March 8, 2019, all patients (18/18)* were alive and event-free. Among patients with two copies of SMN2 (n=8), a mean 8.9-point improvement from baseline in CHOP-INTEND was achieved one-month post dosing, and a mean score of 8.4 points in Bayley-III Gross Motor was achieved by month two. All patients in this group achieved or maintained a CHOP-INTEND score of 50 points, with four patients achieving a score of 60 points and three patients achieving the maximum score of 64. Patients with two copies of SMN2 reached age-appropriate motor milestones, including four patients who could sit without support for at least 30 seconds according to Bayley-III Gross Motor criteria, and one patient who could stand with assistance for 2 seconds. Untreated natural history indicates that patients with two copies of SMN2 will never sit without assistance. The median duration of follow-up is 5.4 months and the median age is 6.1 months. Serious adverse events were cases of croup (n=1), lethargy (n=1), and hypercalcemia (n=1), all of which resolved and were considered unrelated to treatment by investigators. Other observed adverse events included elevated transaminases, elevated blood creatine phosphokinase MB and elevated troponin. "SMA is rapidly progressive, and we know that intervening as early as possible in the disease course is critical to rescue motor neurons and preserve motor function," said Santiago. "Patients treated with Zolgensma before the onset of symptoms are achieving age-appropriate motor milestones in line with normal development. These SPR1NT data reinforce the potential Zolgensma has as a foundational treatment for patients with SMA." *One patient was enrolled in to SPR1NT with four copies of SMN2 and was assessed for safety but not efficacy as this patient did not meet the intent-to-treat criteria. About Zolgensma Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi; AVXS-101) is an investigational gene therapy currently in development as a one-time infusion for SMA Type 1. Zolgensma is designed to address the genetic root cause of SMA and prevent further muscle degeneration by providing a functional copy of the human SMN gene to halt disease progression through sustained SMN protein expression. Zolgensma represents the first in a proprietary platform to treat rare, monogenic diseases using gene therapy. Zolgensma was developed in partnership with Genethon. In December 2018, the FDA accepted the company's Biologics License Application for use of Zolgensma with SMA Type 1 patients. The drug previously received Breakthrough Therapy designation and has been granted Priority Review by the FDA, with regulatory action anticipated in May 2019. In addition, the drug is anticipated to receive approval in Japan and the European Union later this year. About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) SMA is a severe neuromuscular disease characterized by the loss of motor neurons leading to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. SMA is caused by a genetic defect in the SMN1 gene that codes SMN, a protein necessary for survival of motor neurons. The incidence of SMA is approximately one in 10,000 live births and is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. The most severe form of SMA is Type 1, a lethal genetic disorder characterized by rapid motor neuron loss and associated muscle deterioration, which results in mortality or the need for permanent ventilation support by 24 months of age for more than 90 percent of patients. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About AveXis AveXis, a Novartis company, is dedicated to developing and commercializing novel treatments for patients suffering from rare and life-threatening neurological genetic diseases. Our initial product candidate, Zolgensma, is a proprietary gene therapy currently in development for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. In addition to developing Zolgensma to treat SMA, AveXis also plans to develop other novel treatments for rare neurological diseases, including Rett syndrome and a genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. For additional information, please visit www.avexis.com. About Novartis Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105 000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com. Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library For questions about the site or required registration, please contact [email protected] References 1. The brand name Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec- xioi) has been provisionally approved by the FDA for the investigational product AVXS-101, but the product itself has not received marketing authorization or BLA approval from any regulatory authorities. Novartis Media Relations Central media line: +41 61 324 2200 E-mail: [email protected] Eric Althoff Novartis External Communications +1 646 438 4335 (mobile) [email protected] Farah Bulsara Speer VP, Corporate Communications, AveXis +1 312 543 2881 (mobile) [email protected] Novartis Investor Relations Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944 E-mail: [email protected] Central North America Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 862 778 3275 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Cory Twining +1 862 778 3258 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188 SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Related Links https://www.novartis.com NEW YORK, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City Council members Antonio Reynoso, Carlina Rivera, Ritchie Torres, and Mark Treyger - will be holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall on May 6th, 2019 at 12PM to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to invest $70 million in bridge programs in the New York City Budget for 2020. Bridge programs are combined educational programs with a career focus which help jobseekers resolve crucial deficiencies in their educational attainment while simultaneously preparing them for their next step in either education, advanced training, or employment. This investment will bridge the divide between the tens of thousands of New Yorkers with reading and math shortfalls and the skills training programs that will enable them to advance into good jobs. The City Council Executive Budget Response included a call for the Mayor to fulfill his promise to invest $60 million in bridge programs this year, and for an additional $10 million to be spent to meet the need that has only grown since 2014. For too long, New York City's growing economy has not been accessible to all of our residents. Bridge programs represent a step toward building accessible career pathways and economic mobility for all New Yorkers. For additional information, see this article in the Daily News . WHO: Invest In Skills NYC, Councilmembers Reynoso, Rivera, Torres, and Treyger WHAT: Bridges to Better Jobs Press Conference WHEN: May 6th, 2019 at 12PM WHERE: City Hall Steps Invest in Skills NYC is a city-wide coalition that understands the economic imperative of investing in a skilled workforce for New York State and New York City. The coalition aims to make workforce development an economic priority and achieve policy change that streamlines the workforce development system through significant sustained state and local investment. The partnership is led by the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals, JobsFirstNYC, and the NYC Employment and Training Coalition. SOURCE Invest In Skills NYC SEATTLE, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Rhapsody International, Inc. regarding a class settlement. A settlement has been reached with Rhapsody International Inc. ("Rhapsody") in a case known as Lowery et. al. v. Rhapsody International, Inc. et al. concerning the mechanical royalties of certain copyright holders. Plaintiffs allege Rhapsody unlawfully reproduced and distributed certain copyrighted musical compositions to Rhapsody's users via its music streaming service. Rhapsody denies the allegations and does not admit liability in agreeing to the settlement. WHO IS A CLASS MEMBER? You may be a class member if you are the owner of mechanically distributed and/or reproduced rights in Qualifying Registered Works that were made available or played on the Rhapsody music service in the United States from March 7, 2013 (registered with the U.S. Copyright Office on or before March 7, 2016) to March 21, 2019 and Qualifying Unregistered Works that were not registered with the U. S. Copyright office. WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE? For each validly claimed Qualified Registered Work that was played at least once in its entirety, Rhapsody will pay up to $35 (reduced pro-rata where there is more than one claiming rights holder for the same work or the total amount of claims exceeds a set cap of $10,000,000). To be eligible, the work: (a) must have been registered with the Copyright Office; (b) for songs with a street release date prior to March 7, 2016, the copyright must have been registered prior to March 7, 2016; (c) for songs with a street release date after March 7, 2016, the copyright must have been registered within three months of the street release date; and (d) must be one for which Rhapsody did not have a voluntary or compulsory license. For each validly claimed Qualified Unregistered Work that was played more than 24 times in its entirety by someone other than the copyright holder and for which Rhapsody did not have a voluntary or compulsory license, Rhapsody will pay $1.00 (reduced pro rata where there is more than one claiming rights holder for the same work or the total amount of claims exceeds a set cap of $10,000,000). The cap referenced above could increase up to $20 million under certain circumstances. For more information about those circumstances, please see paragraphs 82-89 of the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Website below provides complete instructions that you need to follow when filing a claim. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? You must submit a claim online by December 31, 2019 or by mail postmarked no later than December 31, 2019 to receive a payment. You can opt-out of the class and keep your right to pursue your own lawsuit about these claims by mail, postmarked by July 5, 2019. You can also object to the settlement by mail, postmarked by July 5, 2019. For details on how to opt-out, object, or to file a claim, please visit www.RhapsodyNOIClassAction.com or contact the Claim Administrator. If you do nothing you will not receive a payment and you will be bound by the decisions of the Court. COURT HEARING AND ATTORNEYS' FEES The Court will hold a hearing on March 13, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. PT to consider whether to approve the settlement. If the settlement is approved, the attorneys for the class have represented to the Court that they intend to ask for an award of attorneys' fees, costs and expenses between $5,511,878 and $5,661,877.50, and potentially an additional $75,000-$150,000 in fees, costs and expenses incurred between now and the Court's approval. The attorneys for the class have also represented they will seek class representative payments of $2,500 for each of the named plaintiffs. You may attend the hearing, but you do not have to. Plaintiffs' Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs will be posted on the website after it is filed. MORE INFORMATION This is only a summary. For more information, please visit: www.RhapsodyNOIClassAction.com, or contact the Claim Administrator by calling 1-833-253-8061 or by writing to Lowery v. Rhapsody, c/o Claim Administrator P.O. Box 58232, Philadelphia, PA 19102-8232. SOURCE Rhapsody International, Inc. Related Links http://www.RhapsodyNOIClassAction.com WASHINGTON, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, National Small Business Week celebrations commence in the nation's capital with a two-day award ceremony at the U.S. Institute of Peace where more than 75 national award winners from across the country and U.S. territories are gathered to be recognized for their major accomplishments. The two-day award ceremony will conclude Monday, May 6 with the announcement of the 2019 National Small Business Person of the Year and two runners-up. Hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the annual event honors the nation's top small businesses, entrepreneurs, and business advocates. National Small Business Week events will continue through May 11, with SBA Acting Administrator Chris Pilkerton hosting additional events taking place in Utah, as well as more than 200 events across the nation. President Donald Trump in his proclamation declaring May 5 11, 2019, as National Small Business Week stated, "America's 30 million small businesses are central to our economy and our communities. Their courageous innovation makes our cities and towns vibrant places to live, work, and raise families. Small businesses employ almost 59 million workers, more than one-third of our country's labor force." He added, "This week, we celebrate the pioneering spirit, creativity, and determination upon which America has always been built. This undaunted conviction drives our entrepreneurs and small business owners, whose hard work and perseverance give our Nation economic strength. Their initiative, combined with the greatest workforce in the world, is enabling us to convert the unlimited potential of America into great wealth and prosperity." The President's proclamation closes with "by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5 through May 11, 2019, as National Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners as they grow our Nation's economy." The Washington, D.C. award ceremonies and workshops on digital commerce and social media will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/sbagov . In addition, there will be a free Virtual Conference during National Small Business Week, May 7-8 between 11 a.m. 5:30 p.m. ET daily. The Virtual Conference offers all the best parts of an in-person conference, but without traveling. Registration is required, individuals interested in the conference can register here. Virtual Conference viewers will be able to watch educational webinars, get free business advice and network with fellow business owners. About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2019 SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA/SCORE programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Contact: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Blogs & Instagram Release Number: 19-27 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov CHENGDU, China, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sichuan Provincial Culture and Tourism Development Conference was held in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, China on April 29, 2019. During the event, awards and recognition were given to 10 counties and districts within the city of Chengdu known for their popularity among tourists, 20 towns in Sichuan province known for their unique cultures and tourism resources and eight leading culture and tourism companies in the province for their outstanding contributions to the sector. In addition, select groups and individuals were honored with the Golden Panda award for their exceptional work in promoting Sichuan as a key tourism destination in both the Chinese and international markets. Over the next five years, the provincial government plans to transform Sichuan into a tourism destination highly integrated with its rich culture, for the accessibility of that culture to the local populace and to travelers alike and, generally speaking, as a recognized tourism destination that should be any serious traveler's "must-see list". SELBYVILLE, Del., May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The residential furniture market is expected to expand at over 5% CAGR up to 2024 driven by socioeconomic development along with housing subsidies by governments along with increasing necessity to accommodate a rising population. Household renovations have observed a strong demand in the past and are anticipated to witness significant gains over the forecast timespan. Global Furniture Market size to witness significant gains at around 5.5% to surpass USD 750 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Commercial application crossed USD 150 million in 2017 and is projected to be the fastest growing segment in the global furniture market. Commercial application majorly includes offices, educational institutions, hospitality, and healthcare sector. Hospitality and educational institutions are among the key contributors to the commercial segment growth. Rising count of tourists in Middle East and Asia Pacific supported by increasing number of luxury hotels are stimulating the business expansion. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3024 According to Global Market Insights, Inc., furniture market size is estimated to surpass USD 750 billion by 2024. Wood furniture dominates the global market with 60% share in 2017 and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast timeframe. Superior product finishes along with availability of extensive wood options including mahogany, Teak, Redwood, Fir, Cedar, and others are among the key factors driving the wooden furniture market growth. High durability and strength along with availability in lower price variants and higher-end segment will proliferate the wood material demand over the next few years. Preference in green buildings will positively influence the product sales. The U.S., China, Japan, India, and Brazil are among the potential countries for market growth. As per FurnitureToday report published in 2017, the U.S. is the largest furniture importer globally, registered over USD 24.5 billion imports. Residential construction is the fastest growing segment in the North American construction market. Substantially lower lending rates coupled with higher consumer spending are among the major factors which make the region most lucrative for manufacturers. Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global furniture market, accounting at over USD 400 billion by 2024. China, India, Japan, and South Korea are the leading markets in the region. Easy availability of raw material and economical labor supported by the booming real estate sector are fueling business revenues. The developing hospitality industry in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and China will boost the industry's growth. Growing balcony and outdoor furniture demand along with government spending on public infrastructure will enhance the business landscape over the next few years. Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/3024 The global furniture market share is highly competitive with the presence of a large number of domestic and global players. The key industry players include Ashley Furniture Industries, Okamura Corporation, La-Z-Boy Inc., Haworth Inc. Steelcase, Inter IKEA Group, Kohler Co., and Global Furniture Group. Other prominent players include the Home Depot Inc., McCarthy Group Ltd, Heritage Home, Herman Miller, and Humanscale Corporation. The key strategies observed among the industry participants include M&A, distribution channel, and design innovations. For instance, in June 2018, Herman Miller acquired a stake in Nine United Denmark A/S to expand its product portfolio. Furniture market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of volume in thousand tonnes & revenue in USD billion from 2013 to 2024, for the following segments: Furniture Market By Material Plastic Wood Metal Others Furniture Industry By Application Residential Upholstered Non-upholstered Bedroom Kitchen Cabinet Dining Room Blinds & Shades Mattresses Others Commercial Business/Office Educational Healthcare Hospitality Others The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following: North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK Italy France Russia Belgium Poland Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea Indonesia Malaysia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Qatar South Africa Browse key industry insights spread across 400 pages with 400 market data tables & 16 figures & charts from the report, "Furniture Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/furniture-market Browse Related Reports: 1. Home Improvement Market Size By Project (DIY, DIFM), By End-Use (Kitchen Improvement & Additions, Bath Improvement & Additions, System Upgrades, Exterior Replacements, Interior Replacements, Property Improvements, Disaster Repairs, Other Room Additions & Alterations), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Turkey), Growth Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 2025 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/home-improvement-market 2. Outdoor Furniture Market Size By Material (Metal, Plastic, Wood, Textile), By Product (Chairs, Tables, Seating Sets, Dining Sets, Loungers & Daybeds), By End-Use (Residential, Commercial), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/outdoor-furniture-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.gminsights.com Related Images furniture-market-size-to-exceed.png Furniture Market size to exceed $750bn by 2024 Global Furniture Market size to witness significant gains at around 5.5% to surpass USD 750 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Related Links Furniture Market Remodeling Market SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc. 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 New Delhi, May 5 : When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on April 24 that the company is actively working on to launch WhatsApp Pay in India, the message was clear to the digital payments leader in the country: Brace for the landfall. The country's digital payments industry -- estimated to hit $1 trillion by 2023 -- is going to witness a seismic change this year with global players joining the bandwagon, creating flutters among the existing players, including Alibaba-backed Paytm which rules the market. Amazon just announced the launch of Amazon Pay UPI for Android customers in the peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction market. Google Pay has also strengthened its presence -- over 45 million users with recording $81 billion in transactions (at an annualised run-rate) in March. Apple Pay would also arrive and with the lowering of iPhone prices in India, the service which has 390 million paid subscriptions globally and on track to reach 10 billion transactions -- would reach more hands. WhatsApp Pay, however, is going to be the real game changer -- for a simple reason that it has the capability to become the top player in the Indian digital payments market with the word go. WhatsApp currently has over 300 million users in India (Facebook has another 300 million in the country) and once it starts peer-to-peer (P2P) UPI-based payments service, the sheer numbers will take it beyond Paytm which last reported over 230 million users. "Indians love WhatsApp, and will love the convenience of transacting through the app. I foresee a trend wherein entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises start embracing and using WhatsApp Pay," Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS. "This will contribute to, and increase their creditworthiness. In turn, this trend will enable them to easily borrow credit from formal sources, such as banks," Ram added. Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma is aware that fierce global competition is coming his way. Sharma last year launched a Twitter attack on WhatsApp's parent company Facebook. "After failing to win war against India's open internet with cheap tricks of free basics, Facebook is again in play," Sharma had tweeted. According to WhatsApp, almost one million people tested WhatsApp Pay to send money to each other in a simple and secure way. "In response to India's payments data circular, we've built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India," a WhatsApp spokesperson had told IANS. "WhatsApp Payment is useful for people in their daily lives and we hope to expand the feature to all of India soon so we can contribute to the country's financial inclusion goals," the spokesperson added. The company on May 3 told the Supreme Court that it would comply with the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) data localisation norms before launching the full payments service in the country. According to Pavel Naiya, Senior Analyst, Devices and Ecosystem at Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, WhatsApp Pay will become an instant threat for products like Paytm Wallet and others who are using UPI as a method of transaction. "With the huge user base, WhatsApp Pay is already a good match to become a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) platform for real-time payment," Naiya told IANS. The entry of WhatApp Pay will give a significantly more positive and viral impetus to India's digital economy. "The rapid adoption of digital payments in India will be driven by WhatsApp, riding on its vast user base and strong vernacular language focus," added Ram. Zuckerberg would finally merge all his platforms and the enormous user base would create a natural winner "In Instagram and Facebook, you have shopping and you have Marketplace, and you have all the tens of millions of small businesses that use Pages and a lot use Instagram for sharing their inventory and being able to help people discover and pay," the Facebook CEO told analysts during the earnings call. According to Naiya, with Facebook and Instagram's platform support, "WhatsApp Pay is likely to further extend beyond P2P platform to become a payment gateway for the company's social commerce in the future". The die is cast. It is only matter of time when the Indian digital payments market sees a new leader. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) Dhaka, May 5 : The death toll due to cyclone Fani that slammed into Bangladesh after striking the Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal, has increased to nine, authorities said on Sunday. While confirming the toll, state Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman said that over 60 people were also injured, reports bdnews24. The severe cyclonic storm, one of the strongest to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades, weakened before entering Bangladesh on Saturday morning from West Bengal, but it wreaked havoc on coastal villages and towns. The storm uprooted trees and damaged over 2,000 homes in different districts. The authorities are yet to assess the total damage caused. Over 1.6 million people were moved to about 4,000 storm shelters in the coastal districts, the Minister said. The people started to return to their homes by late Saturday after the storm subsided. On Sunday morning, ferry services resumed across Bangladesh after it reamin temporarily suspended for three days due to the cyclone Fani. Water vessels were permitted to start movement at 6.05 a.m. on Sunday, bdnews24 quoted Inland Water Transport Authority Inspector, Md Humayun Kabir as saying. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the sky remains overcast and rains or thundershowers with gusty or squally winds are continuing in some parts of the country. San Francisco, May 5 : A former Google employee has revealed how a group of engineers plotted to kill Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 on its YouTube platform nearly 10 years ago. According to a report in The Verge on Saturday, YouTube in 2009 started displaying a banner to Internet Explorer 6 users, warning that support for Microsoft's browser would be "phasing out" soon. Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006. Frustrated by supporting the aging browser, "we began collectively fantasizing about how we could exact our revenge on IE6", revealed Chris Zacharias, a former Google and YouTube engineer. "The plan was very simple. We would put a small banner above the video player that would only show up for IE6 users," he was quoted as saying. The message appeared on all YouTube pages - "at a time when IE6 users represented around 18 per cent of all YouTube traffic". YouTube engineers created a special set of permissions called "OldTuber", so they could bypass Google's code enforcement policies and make changes directly to the YouTube codebase with limited code reviews. "We saw an opportunity in front of us to permanently cripple IE6 that we might never get again," Zacharias said. Two Google lawyers wanted to know why YouTube had the banner in place. "They immediately demanded that we remove the banner," said Zacharias. "The lawyers were worried that Chrome was being promoted first as an alternative browser, prompting fears about EU regulators looking for anti-competitive behavior," the report noted. YouTube engineers, however, had programmed the banner to randomly display browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer 8 and Opera. The result was a massive dip in Internet Explorer 6 traffic to YouTube. "Within one month, our YouTube IE6 user base was cut in half and over 10 per cent of global IE6 traffic had dropped off while all other browsers increased in corresponding amounts," informed Zacharias. Google Chrome web browser, which is the leader today, was first released in September 2008 for Windows XP and later, with 43 supported languages, in December 2008. Patna, May 5 : More than a Narendra Modi or Nitish Kumar factor, Bihar's ruling NDA is heavily banking on the "caste-factor" in the state's five parliamentary constituencies which are slated to go to the polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 6. The stake is high for the NDA to win all the five seats -- Hajipur, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Madhubani. In the 2014 polls, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won three of five seats -- Saran, Muzaffarpur and Madhubani. While its allies, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) won the Hajipur and Sitamarhi seats, respectively. But the RLSP has now joined hands with the opposition Grand Alliance which is also playing the caste card to consolidate its social support base to regain lost ground. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shakti Yadav said the Grand Alliance was fighting the polls "only to gain and not to lose anything". The ruling NDA has made every possible move for the right caste equation that will play a dominant role over the issue of development. "No question of taking any risk or chance as the electoral battle is tough. Caste is no doubt a winning factor," a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader admitted. Last time, the division of votes was sharp in the opposition camp that helped the NDA to win. But in these general elections, caste equations are different as the Grand Alliance has been joined by the RLSP, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). According to polls watchers, if the RJD-led Grand Alliance's traditional social support base of Muslims and Yadavs gain support from the Kushwahas, an agrarian caste, Mallah and Dalits, it would give the NDA a tough time. Similarly, the JD-U and BJP's support base among the Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits would play an important role. Besides, the saffron party is confident of the overwhelming support of its traditional upper castes. BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said the RLSP and VIP have no capacity to shift votes from the NDA to Grand Alliance. "BJP has been working for all and getting support from all. It will upset the Grand Alliance again." In the Saran seat, the RJD's Chandrika Rai, also the father-in-law of party supremo Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, is contesting against sitting BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy. In Muzaffarpur, the BJP's sitting MP Ajay Nishad is confident of overwhelming support against Rajbhushan Choudhary, fielded by the VIP under the Grand Alliance. In the Hajipur seat, LJP candidate Pashupati Kumar Paras is being challenged by the RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram. Paras is the younger brother of LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who decided not to contest this time. It is first time after more than four decades that Ram Vilas Paswan is not contesting polls from Hajipur. Instead of a direct contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance in Madhubani, rebel Congress candidate Shakeel Ahmad has made the battle triangular. BJP candidate Ashok Yadav, son of party sitting MP Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav is comfortable with the presence of a strong rebel from the Grand Alliance camp, bound to split votes. Sitamarhi will see a fight between the JDU's Sunil Kumar Pintu and the RJD's Arjun Rai. More than 87 lakh voters will decide the fate of 82 candidates on May 6. Tight security arrangements were made and adequate para-military personnel have been deployed. Surveillance will also be conducted by drones, officials said.0D London, May 5 : British Prime Minister Theresa May has urged Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, to "put differences aside" and agree on a Brexit deal, the media reported on Sunday. The UK was supposed to leave the European Union (EU) on March 29, but the deadline has been delayed until October 31, after MPs rejected May's withdrawal agreement three times, reports the BBC. May is now seeking Labour support to get an agreement through Parliament. In an op-ed published in the Daily Mail newspaper on Sunday, May wrote: "It is clear that the voters delivered their judgment in large part based on what is happening - or not happening - at Westminster. And, as Prime Minister, I fully accept my share of the responsibility for that. "The voters expect us to deliver on the result of the referendum and, so far, Parliament has rejected the deal which I have put forward." May said she hopes to find a "unified, cross-party position" with Labour - despite admitting that her colleagues "find this decision uncomfortable" and that "frankly, it is not what I wanted, either". Talks between Labour and the Conservatives are to resume on Tuesday. According to the Sunday Times, May will compromise on three areas: customs, goods alignment and workers' rights. The daily said that she could put forward plans for a comprehensive, but temporary, customs arrangement with the EU that would last until the next general election. On Saturday, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said a deal with Labour would not be legitimate. "Two discredited administrations making a discredited deal is not the answer to the electorate," he told the BBC. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference regarding the attack on him during a road show on 4th May, in West Delhi; in New Delhi, on May 5, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: PK New Delhi, May 5 : A day after being slapped by a man during a roadshow, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday blamed the BJP for the attack, saying the party was trying to silence voices raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and establish dictatorship. Addressing the media, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said: "Yesterday a man attacked me. This was the ninth attack on me in the last five years and fifth attack since I became the Chief Minister. I don't think any CM was attacked so many times." Kejriwal said that Delhi was the only place in the country where security for the Chief Minister was in the hands of an opposition party. "My security is BJP's responsibility. In all other states, the Chief Minister's security is the responsibility of the state police which comes under the CM." Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said the saffron party has tried its best to destroy the AAP. "They made the CBI raid my office. The Delhi police raided my house. A total of 33 cases have been filed against me. They want to remove us physically... The attack was not on me, it was on Delhi. They attacked the Chief Minister elected by the Delhi people." Kejriwal said that the BJP was not able to digest the fact that the AAP won 67 out of 70 seats in the 2015 Assembly elections in Delhi. "We have worked so much for Delhi in the field of education, health, electricity and water. They (BJP) fear that people will question them on what work they have done..." He said that through the attack, the BJP was trying to give a message that whoever speaks against Modi will not be spared, "even if he is a CM". "There is a message being given across the country that no one should speak up against Modi. They are trying to choke my voice and this is a clear trait of a dictator." Kejriwal was attacked in Delhi's Moti Nagar area on Saturday by a Suresh. New Delhi, May 5 : Filmmaker Vinod Kapri, who has announced his new film "155 Hours", says it will explore the camaraderie of soldiers, a facet that in his opinion has so far been unexplored in Hindi cinema. The film is set in 1971 and inspired by the real life stories of Captain Karam Singh Virk and Sepoy Baldev Singh of 9 Sikh Regiment. "It is about the valour, the camaraderie, the bonding between soldiers of 9 Sikh Regiment... It is a true story of Sepoy Baldev Singh, who was stuck in a Pakistan jungle for 155 hours. And at the same time, this is the story of Captain Karam Singh Virk who tried to rescue his sepoy from Pakistan for 7 days," Kapri told IANS. Virk and Singh are both alive and have helped Kapri shape up his script. "Baldev Singh lives in Ropar and Virk in Mohali," said the director, who has earlier helmed films like "Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho" and "Pihu". "One of the Army officers told me about their story and after that I met them at least four to five times before I wrote the story." Kapri said what sets it apart from war-set movies in recent times is that "155 Hours" is "not a war story". "This is a human relations story. It is a survival drama. This is about the beautiful camaraderie between the armed forces which has never been seen on screen. We have seen tanks and bombs go off in war films but this shows the human face of soldiers," he said. Talks for casting are on and actors will be finalised in a couple of weeks. As for the title, Kapri said as of now it is "155 Hours" but they may consider changing it if a better one emerges. The aim is that the project goes on floors in November this year so that the film is ready to hit the screens next year. Jaipur, May 5 : Rajasthan Congress President and state Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has said that the party was confident of winning all Lok Sabha seats in the state under its "Mission 25", and that a Congress-led UPA-3 government will be formed at the Centre after the election results are declared on May 23. "We are working towards Mission 25 and I am hopeful we will accomplish it. Countrywide, the Congress will be in pole position. The only party that has bandwidth and the strength to challenge and defeat the BJP at a national level is Congress. I think UPA-3 with more allies is a reality on May 23," Pilot told IANS in an interview. The Congress has led two UPA governments at the Centre from 2004 to 2014. He accused the BJP of trying to raise emotive issues in the election and said the Congress is concerned about people's livelihood, opportunity for young people, the agrarian crisis and economic slowdown. "I believe that these elections should be fought on governance issues, as opposed to emotive issues that BJP wants them towards. We are trying to focus on issues that matter to everyday lives of citizens and we have been able to bring the discussion back to where it belongs, as opposed to being on religion and mandir, masjid and all sorts of things," he said. "The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister talks about Ali and Bajrang Bali. That is not the kind of narrative that today's politics needs." Pilot said that every candidate fielded by the Congress was a "unanimous choice of party leaders. "We have put up 25 winning candidates and will be able to get A thumping majority in Lok Sabha. We held consultations for three months and winnable, acceptable, consensual candidates have been fielded," he said. Asked about the BJP's criticism that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had focused excessively in Jodhpur where his son Vaibhav is contesting, Pilot said there is nothing wrong in working hard in a place. "He is Chief Minister, he has put a lot of effort in making sure we win that seat. I see nothing wrong in that. We have campaigned together also. We have covered most of the state. He has been to other places also, besides Jodhpur," he said. Pilot said he had gone for Vaibhav's nomination and had opened his election office. "I am sure we will get a thumping majority," he added. Asked if Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be the Prime Minister after the polls, he said: "I am a Congressman. We have never run after posts and positions. Democracy is all about numbers and Rahulji himself has said, let the results come out we will sit together and decide who will lead the government. But as a Congress person, my wish is that he plays a very vital role after May 23." Asked about reports of only meagre amounts being waived off farm loans, Pilot said Rs 18,000 crore had been waived off for cooperative banks and Bhoomi Vikas Bank. "Commercial banks, however, are controlled by the Finance Ministry. We are negotiating with them but the Model Code of Conduct is in place. As soon as the code of conduct is removed, we will waive off those loans also." Answering a query about Lok Sabha results, he said "there will be change of leadership in Delhi with a new Prime Minister". He said BJP was resorting to hyper-nationalism to cover up "incompetency" of the Modi government in the last five years. "Nationalism is not something that needs to be tested and brought just before elections. We are all patriotic citizens and the valour and sacrifice of our armed forces is never up for question. I think the respect and gratitude that all of us citizens have towards the armed forces is never in doubt. "Therefore, I think it quite pointless to have that discussion but in terms of talking about nationalism, is it being done only to cover up incompetency of five years of the current government?" he said. He said that Congress government in Rajasthan has taken some good initiatives in the state since it came into office last December and people will judge it on its performance. "I am quite convinced that we will get a resounding majority in the Lok Sabha polls in all the three states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan we are working towards Mission 25 and I am hopeful we will succeed in accomplishing that mission," he said. Pilot, who was made Deputy Chief Minister after the party leadership decided to again nominate Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister, has held rallies across the state. Party leaders said he has held nearly 125 meetings. Pilot said BJP was not talking about the price of gas cylinders, or prices of petrol and diesel, because they believe they have no answers for such questions. "They are talking about issues that are emotional in nature, whether it is religion or hyper-nationalism," he said. Pilot rejected the suggestion that people will make a distinction between the performance of the Vasundhra Raje-led previous BJP government in the state and that of the Modi government. "Vasundhraji and Modiji are the two sides of the same coin. They both belong to the BJP," he said. (Prashant Sood can be contacted at prashant.s@ians.in) Bhopal, May 5 : The fight in Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho parliamentary constituency is between the "son-in-law" and "daughter-in-law" as the rival parties, rather than focusing on critical issues for the area, are wooing voters through emotional appeal. The Congress which has fielded Kavita Singh, who is married into the Chhattarpur royal family, says that its nominee is a local while the BJP candidate is an "outsider". Her credentials as "daughter-in-law" stem from the fact that she hails from Panna - one of the three districts that comprise the constituency - and her husband Vikram Singh a party MLA from Rajnagar - one of the constituency's eight segments - in Chattarpur district. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dumped sitting MP Nagendra Singh and fielded Vishnu Datt Sharma, terms him the "son-in-law", for while he hails from Morena, his wife's maternal home is in Chhattarpur Union Minister Uma Bharti, who was elected from Khujaraho four times from 1989 to 1998, said that Sharma is "not an outsider but our son-in-law. The way I have worked in Jhansi (the seat she contested and won in the 2014 polls), Sharma will work here in Chhattarpur. After all, he is our son-in-law." Political analysts, however, say this line of contest ignores the area's problems. They say that Khajuraho is full of possibilities but it is more identified with poverty, starvation and drought. It has the world famous temples of Khajuraho, diamond city Panna and Katni city where lime is mined, but it has not seen the level of development required. Analyst Santosh Gautam says: "Bundelkhand faces similar problem in almost every of its part. Wherever the leaders have been a little aware, there a solution to the problems was worked out, but where leaders were weak, the area remained embroiled in distress. "If you talk about Khajuraho, so long as Vidyavati Chaturvedi, Satyavrat Chaturvedi (both Congress) and Uma Bharati represented it, the area got a lot... but not enough to totally transform it. But after that, the representatives have not done much...." In the 11 general elections since 1977, Khujaraho has been won by the BJP seven times - including consecutively since 2004, thrice by the Congress and once by the Bharatiya Lok Dal. A total of 17 candidates are in the fray in the constituency, whose 18.42 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in the fifth phase on May 6. New Delhi, May 5 : A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajiv Gandhi a "corrupt" politician, Congress leaders on Sunday described Modi as a "sick man" and "psychopath" for attacking the former Prime Minister for electoral gains. Addressing a press conference here, party spokesperson Pawan Khera said Modi's comments were provoked by fear of losing the elections, and he should be ashamed of himself for attacking Rajiv Gandhi, who "sacrificed his life for the country". "You are behaving like a serial abuser, you are behaving like a sick man and you are behaving like a psychopath," he said. Khera said the use of such abuses was against the cultural values of this country and people would not pardon Modi. Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh on Saturday had said: "Your father was termed 'Mr. Clean' by his courtiers but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari' (corrupt) No. 1." Modi's remark came following Congress chief's incessant attacks on him regarding allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet deal. "It is clear that the BJP-led government will not get another chance to rule in the centre, and all these statements make it clear that the party is desperate and is willing to stoop to new low everyday," Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said in a statement. Party MP from Kerala, K.C. Venugopal, said the "despicable" statement by Modi of calling Rajiv Gandhi "bhrashtachari" had brought down the dignity of the Prime Minister's office, and sought an apology from him. "More shockingly, even after such repeated slandering and character assassination from the Prime Minister and other BJP leaders, the Election Commission has failed to take any action against them," he said. Rajiv Gandhi was given a clean chit by the Delhi High Court in the Bofors defence deal case and later in 2018 by the Supreme Court, Venugopal said. "The charges against Rajiv Gandhi was thrown out by the Delhi high court in 2005 and later even the Supreme court had dismissed the CBI's appeal against the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2018," he said. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi also criticized Modi. "Modi ji, the battle is over. Your karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. "The Prime Minister who insults martyrs by seeking vote in the name of their sacrifices yesterday crossed his limits by insulting the sacrifice of a noble man who gave his life for the country," Priyanka Gandhi said on Twitter. "The people of Amethi will reply as Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for them. Yes Modi ji, the country never forgives cheating." New Delhi, May 5 : The promoters of telecom major Vodafone Idea contributed Rs 17,920 crore to its Rs 25,000 crore rights issue against their initial commitment of Rs 18,250 crore due oversubscription by public shareholders, the company said on Sunday. Consequent to this contribution, the promoters' stake in the company rose marginally to 71.57 per cent from 71.33 per cent, the company said in a regulatory filing. Announing the successful conclusion of its rights issue, Vodafone Idea said that its new shares are expected to be listed on the BSE and the National Stock Exchange on or around May 10. "The issue was oversubscribed approximately 1.08x and the public participation was approximately 1.2x. The promoter or promoter group applied for higher than their aggregate rights entitlement in line with their earlier commitment. However, due to strong demand from public shareholders, the final allotment to the promoter or promoter group was Rs 179.2 billion (Rs 0.9 billion over their aggregate rights entitlement)." Commenting on the rights issue, Balesh Sharma, CEO Vodafone Idea, said: "The successful closure of rights issue is a clear indication of the investors' belief in our post-merger strategy and our ability to leverage the growth opportunities offered by the sector. Our ongoing investments are improving broadband coverage and capacity, enabling us to offer a superior network experience to our customers as well as enhancing our ability to win new broadband customers." Akshaya Moondra, CFO, Vodafone Idea, said: "This funding along with the monetisation of our stake in Indus will allow us to make the required investments in the business to achieve our strategic goals." Bhopal: BJP's candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur during an interactive session after Election Commission's 72 hour campaign ban on her that ended Sunday, in Bhopal, on May 5, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Bhopal: BJP's candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur during an interactive session after Election Commission's 72 hour campaign ban on her that ended Sunday, in Bhopal, on May 5, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Bhopal, May 5 : Malegaon blast accused and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Sunday said she has "personally forgiven those who "tortured her" while terming her electoral battle as a "Dharmyudh" to uphold Hindutva. Breaking here silence after the Election Commission's 72 hour campaign ban on her ended on Sunday, the BJP leader, in an interview to IANS, said: "I am fighting against Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh who was one of the main proponents of 'saffron terror'." Thakur was banned by the Election Commission for 72 hours for violating the model code of conduct. The ban began Thursday morning. "I am waging a 'dharmyudh' against those who maligned Sanatan Dharma by coining the word 'Bhagwa Atankvad' (saffron terror), put me behind the bars and tortured me under the garb of law." She alleged that she faced "atrocities" while she was in the jail even when there was "no evidence against her" and was given a "clean chit" by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Malegaon bomb blast case. To a question if she has forgiven those who sent her to jail, Thakur said: "I have personally forgiven those who tortured me and made me suffer atrocities. But as a woman, as a citizen and a saint, no one would forgive them." She also said that she was contesting the elections to ensure no woman faces the "atrocities" she suffered in the jail. Arrested in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, in which six people were killed and over 100 injured when a bomb went off near a mosque in the north Maharashtra town on September 29, 2008, she was cleared by the NIA, but the trial court refused to discharge her from the case. While the court dropped the charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against her, she is being tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. She was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in 2017. Asked what made her enter politics, the BJP leader said the conditions in the country and "vote bank politics" influenced her to contest the Lok Sabha elections. "Congress always divided the society to gain political benefits. I want to end this vote bank politics. Santan Dharma, which always taught universal brotherhood, was branded as 'Bhagwa Atankvad'... this also needed to be fought." "Those who conspired to malign Sanatan Dharma and Hindutva by coining the term saffron terror have acted as anti-nationals," she said. She argued that her struggle is not an individual's fight. "I am just a source who has been tasked to fight to uphold Hindutva." Asked about her vision for the lake city, Bhopal, Thakur said Hindutva and development were "synonymous". "I will release a vision document 'Bhavishya Ka Bhopal' on May 7. It wil talk about a clean Bhopal... security of women, conservation of lakes in the city are some of my priorities," she said. Born in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, Thakur had a long association with the Sangh parivar. A post-graduate in history, she worked with the RSS' student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The BJP has been holding Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, where about 4.5 lakh of the 18 lakh voters are Muslim, since 1989. Asked if Muslims are backing her, she said: "Earlier we thought they would not be supporting my candidature. But during the road show in the city, many Muslims not only joined it but also expressed support. And when they (Muslims) will become aware of what Congress is doing with them, then they shall be against them." (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) New Delhi, May 5 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would file an official complaint against the attack on its chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, party leader Manish Sisodia said here on Sunday. "AAP MP Sanjay Singh will file an official complaint on Monday with the police commissioner," Sisodia said and added it was a decision taken by the party. Speaking to the media, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to send out a message that anyone could attack the Chief Minister and escape. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal said he had been attacked nine times in last five years, with latest coming on Saturday when a man slapped him during a roadshow. He blamed the BJP for these attacks. Hyderabad, May 5 : With 18 days to go for Lok Sabha election results, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is all set to resume his efforts for formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre with a meeting with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday. The Telengana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief will meet Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram at 6 p.m on Monday. According to Telangana Chief Minister's Office, the two leaders will discuss latest political developments in the wake of ongoing Lok Sabha elections. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will also visit Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning to Hyderabad. This will be KCR's first meeting with any leader of a non-BJP and non-Congress party since Lok Sabha elections began on April 10. With final three rounds of polls to go before counting of votes on May 23, KCR is said to be planning meetings with leaders of various parties to prepare ground for formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government. KCR, who mooted the idea of Federal Front in March last year as an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress, held talks with leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Biju Janta Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal-S, and the DMK. He also invited the YSR Congress Party to join the proposed front. The TRS chief is confident that non-BJP and non-Congress parties would form the next government at the Centre. TRS leaders hope that the Federal Front will take a shape after the announcement of poll results. Bengaluru, May 5 : Nearly 365 students from north Karnataka missed appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) here on Sunday, as the train in which they were travelling reached Bengaluru over seven hours late, an official said. "The Hampi Express (train No. 16591) from Hubli to Mysuru via Koppal, Hospet and Bellary reached Bengaluru over seven hours late at 2:36 p.m. instead of the scheduled 7 a.m. arrival. As the test began at 2 p.m., the candidates could not reach the examination centres across the city in time," South Western Railway (SWR) spokesperson E. Vijaya said in a statement here. When the candidates staged a protest outside the railway station for missing the test for no fault of theirs, the SWR agreed to write to the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) for re-conducting the test for them at the earliest. "We will write to the Ministry on Monday with details of the candidates who missed the test due to the train delay for re-conducting it soon," said Vijaya. The Railways, however, attributed the delay due to the diversion of the train route from the normal route due to doubling of line work and operational reasons since May 3. "The diverted route is 120 km longer and involved reversing the train engine at Bellary. The train departed Hubli on Saturday night 2 hours late at 8:20 p.m. instead of 6:20 p.m. and got further delayed enroute for operational reasons," the official admitted. One of the candidates also tweeted to HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar that the train was running behind schedule by seven hours and that they would miss the test for no fault of theirs. Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also urged Javdekar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to ensure that the students who missed the test get another chance to write the NEET. "Hundreds of students from north Karnataka districts have missed the #NEET being held in Bengaluru due to 7-hour delay of the Hampi Express," tweeted Kumaraswamy. The HRD ministry conducts the NEET every year in May for securing admission to state-run and private medical and dental colleges across the country for graduate and post-graduate courses. New Delhi, May 5 : A day after attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow, the police on Sunday arrested Suresh Chauhan for allegedly assaulting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, a police officer said. "A complaint has been filed against Chauhan at the Moti Nagar police station and he has been remanded to two-day judicial custody," Additional PRO Anil Mittal said. Kejriwal was allegedly slapped by Chauhan while the Chief Minister was leading a roadshow from Karampura to R.K. Ashram Marg as part of the election campaign. The police have also taken steps for better coordination with the organisers of public meetings, padyatras and roadshows to prevent any nuisance during those events, Mittal said. All seven Delhi parliamentary constituencies will go to the polls on May 12. New Delhi, May 6 : Senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Prakash Javadekar on Sunday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress leader slammed Modi after he targeted former premier Rajiv Gandhi over corruption. Modi, taking a jibe at the Congress President at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh on Saturday, had said: "Your father was termed 'Mr. Clean' by his courtiers but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari' (corrupt) number 1." Modi's remark came following the Congress chief's incessant attacks on him regarding allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet deal. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked in tweets if Rahul Gandhi believes dynasty does not have to answer any question. Besides, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar targeted Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the 'Q' connection? No reply has come," Jaitley said. "The dynasty can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister -- a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" he asked. Javadekar also made a series of tweets and said the abuses being hurled by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi on the most popular Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflects "dynastic arrogance". "Instead of answering the questions raised, they are continuously abusing the PM. Let Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi say whether is it not true that former PM Rajiv Gandhi had justified the genocide of over 3,000 sikhs in 1984? Let Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi say whether it is not true that Rajiv Gandhi, who secured 400+ seats in 1984 was thrown out of power by the people of India in the next elections for corruption taint of Bofors? "Let Rahul and Priyanka say whether it is not true that Bhopal Gas Tragedy prime accused Warren Anderson was provided an official plane to come to Delhi and then allowed to flee from India? "Let Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi say whether it is not true that Bofors middleman Quattrocchi was allowed to flee the country? Let Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi say whether it is not true that in Bofors case despite the detection of money trail, further appeal was not made? "Let Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi say whether it is not true that Rajiv Gandhi accepted that when Rs 100 was sent to poor only Rs 15 was received by them. Let Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi say whether it is not true that now Narendra Modi ji sends Rs 100 and the poor people gets Rs 100 into their bank accounts," he said. The Congress leaders on Sunday described Modi as a "sick man" and "psychopath" a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajiv Gandhi a "corrupt" politician. Addressing a press conference here, party spokesperson Pawan Khera said Modi's comments were provoked by fear of losing the elections, and he should be ashamed of himself for attacking Rajiv Gandhi, who "sacrificed his life for the country". "You are behaving like a serial abuser, you are behaving like a sick man and you are behaving like a psychopath," he said. Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi slammed Modi for his remarks. "Modi ji, the battle is over. Your karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. "The Prime Minister who insults martyrs by seeking vote in the name of their sacrifices yesterday crossed his limits by insulting the sacrifice of a noble man who gave his life for the country," Priyanka Gandhi said on Twitter. "The people of Amethi will reply as Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for them. Yes Modi ji, the country never forgives cheating," she said. We are proud to announce the recent launch of our newly revised website: https://www.actionlawoffices.com/. What visitors will find is a secured website which offers quick access to in-depth content relating to hiring an accident attorney, accident victim rights, and compensation for injuries. The design of our new website is visually pleasing, and well organized. Especially catered to the mobile user, our new website is responsive which means the text is readable without zoom and there is no horizontal scrolling. When the new site was being developed, we took into consideration that not everyone is versed in personal injury legal jargon. Therefore, our pages have been written in laymans terms so that potential clients find content that is easy to understand. Keeping pace as a leader in the area of personal injury, its important that our website continues to align with our brand and solid reputation. In addition, the site must also meet or exceed the expectations of our growing clientele. Another example of how our new website addresses the needs of our clients is by offering more protection over privacy. All communication between a clients browser and the Action Law Offices website are encrypted through the https protocol. We have included a privacy policy page which clearly states what personal data is collected, why we collect it, and how long that data is held. The privacy policy page also covers topics such as uploading images, cookies and contacts us forms in detail. We have put our best foot forward with the launch of this new website. We expect that potential clients will spend more time on our site as they consume the insightful and useful legal information which has been made available to them. We are committed to keeping the public informed through fresh and relevant content which represents our long-standing brand of excellence. About Action Law Offices Action Law Offices is a reputable Metro-Milwaukee area accident law firm serving Wisconsin accident victims since 1999. Our law firm focus is to represent persons who have been wrongly injured due to the negligence or intentional actions of another party. We charge no fees for our services unless we win. In addition to the Milwaukee office, we have locations in Racine and West Bend, Wisconsin. For those in need, we also offer in-home and hospital visits. franchise4u home The Franchise Reviews Directory features UK franchise businesses across all industries, sectors and sizes a prospect that is much needed for thousands of entrepreneurs who regularly look for franchise opportunities that fit within their specific investment budgets and skill sets. franchise4u.co.uk a leading online resource that covers all-things-franchising, today launches a dedicated Franchise Reviews Directory to help franchisors and entrepreneurs connect in a more meaningful, hassle-free and informative way. The Franchise Reviews Directory features UK franchise businesses across all industries, sectors and sizes a prospect that is much needed for thousands of entrepreneurs who regularly look for franchise opportunities that fit within their specific investment budgets and skill sets. To say that franchising is huge will be an understatement. Its a business model that accounts for billions of pounds in turnovers each year, after all. The problem is investors dont really know how it works, and most importantly, what sort of track record each franchisor brings to the table. We established franchise4u as a free resource website for franchisees, a project that has seen enormous success so far, Dan Yorke, the Director of franchise4u, said. The Franchise Blog on the company website, according to Mr Yorke, already attracts large numbers of new and repeat visitors and features prominently in related search engine results. To educate franchisees the right way is a massive undertaking, thanks in part to the fact that most havent ever run a business before. Now that we have managed to help thousands of franchisees battle a ton of misinformation that floats out there, creating a bespoke Franchise Reviews Directory was the logical next step for our company. Franchising businesses can benefit immensely from the reach, trust and authority franchise4u enjoys in UK franchising circles, Mr Yorke informed us. The directory lists the vast majority of current UK Franchises available to purchase, and includes over 500 franchise opportunities at the time of launch. This is the first and only directory of its kind in the UK, gives franchisors a visible platform to showcase their business and connect with those looking to invest. According to the information provided by the company, the directory comes with a free Entry plan, along with the upgrade option to a Premium plan. The features include full-length business profiles, improved organic traffic, targeted advertising and five-star review features to boost onboarding of new franchisees. About the business: franchise4u is one of the most visited franchise directories in the UK. With regularly updated blogs, free guides, news and events, its the go-to reference destination for thousands of UK franchisees. To know more about the company, please visit franchise4u.co.uk Observed each year during the first full week of May, National Pet Week recognizes the human-animal bond and responsible pet ownership by encouraging pet owners to celebrate pet companionship, a mission also upheld by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA). Pets bring laughter, joy and love into peoples homes without asking for much in return. As a token of appreciation, pet owners celebrate National Pet Week, which falls on the first full week of May. These seven days, spanning May 6 to May 12 in 2019, remind pet owners to cherish the human-animal bond and to recognize responsible pet ownership. Pet owners can live out these values by following action items outlined by National Pet Weeks theme this year, Lifetime of LoveThe Basics: Seven Days to a Happier, Healthier Pet. Adhering to this advice fosters a lifetime of health, happiness and love for pets. The first day, May 6, highlights the importance of individuals selecting pets that mesh well with their lifestyles and making a firm commitment to caring for pets. Tuesday, May 7, encourages pet owners to socialize pets early and prep them for an array of interactions with places, activities, animals and people. This will make for positive experiences in any situation. Day three urges pet owners and their pets to engage in regular exercise, which will curb the obesity rate among dogs and cats in the U.S. An overweight or obese animal has a higher risk for arthritis, respiratory compromise, diabetes, skin problems, increased surgical risks, heart disease and a reduced lifespan, said Carol Hillhouse, DVM, DABVP, of Carson Veterinary Clinic and High Plains Animal Hospital in the Texas Panhandle. Your veterinarian is your best resource for determining whether your pet is in an unhealthy weight range and developing a plan to fight obesity. Dr. Hillhouses recommendation to visit the veterinarian encompasses the advice of day four, and Friday, May 10, celebrates the human-animal bond, which can yield numerous health benefits for humans, such as lower blood pressure and anxiety. Saturday brings the suggestion of developing emergency kits for the unexpected incidents of life, such as natural disasters. The last day, Sunday, summarizes the weeks advice, which is giving pets a lifetime of love and improving their quality and length of life by taking them in for regular veterinary exams and by providing regular wellness care. National Pet Week was created by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA in 1981. Observed each year during the first full week of May, National Pet Week recognizes the human-animal bond and responsible pet ownership by encouraging pet owners to celebrate pet companionship, a mission also upheld by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA). For more information on National Pet Week, visit http://www.petweek.org. About the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Founded in 1903, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association is a professional association composed of more than 3,700 veterinarians committed to protecting public health, promoting high educational, ethical and moral standards within the veterinary profession and educating the public about animal health and its relationship to human health. For more information, call 512/452-4224 or visit http://www.tvma.org. Onshore Outsourcing (Onshore), the market leader in providing rural information technology services and solutions to Fortune 2000 companies, hosted a special panel event, part of the Atlanta Business Chronicles Power Breakfast Series, held recently at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. The lively panel themed Rural IT Outsourcing, featured Bert Brantley, COO, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Joe Drouin, CIO, Pulte Group, Anita Klopfenstein, CIO, Little Caesars Pizza, Shane Mayes, CEO, Onshore Outsourcing and was moderated by David Rubinger, Market President and Publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle. Historically, Atlanta companies had little choice but to outsource a majority of their IT services overseas, often times sacrificing quality and convenience. More recently, however, many businesses have found an attractive local alternative in rural sourcing. The discussion explored the evolution of rural outsourcing, how companies have successfully taken advantage of it, and how state and local governments see it as a key solution to providing economic growth for some of Georgias rural communities. Shane Mayes, CEO, Onshore, the events sponsor, comments, I am extremely delighted by the great turn out at the event. I was pleased to share Onshores low-cost, domestic alternative to offshore outsourcing and our unique approach to workforce development with our attendees from the Georgia business community. We strive to deliver to our customers cost-effective solutions to provide enhanced business performance, accelerated time-to-market, increased productivity and improved customer service. Onshores current client portfolio includes such leading global enterprises as Pulte Group, AARP, Schneider, Nike, Siemens, Jones Lang Lasalle, Parker Hannifin, Panera Bread, Centene Heatlthcare Corporation, and many fast-growing mid-tier businesses, including Mercy Home and Harris Govern. Bert Brantley noted the consensus was that providing better, more interesting jobs, will inspire people to stay and work successfully in their home towns, while enjoying a better quality of life. Mayes offered an alternative, but slowing changing view, on the importance of a four-year college education. He comments, I believe in training people for the job to be done as quick as possible, and then creating opportunities for them to learn while earning an income. He also noted that a person pursuing a long-term career with Onshore can earn quite a good income. On the topic of aversion to call center jobs, he adds, Jobs help people get by. Careers help people live and experience life. We create careers, not jobs. Joe Drouin drew attention to the stigma in American society towards vocational training, and reported that some employees, who started as interns or were recruited from Onshore, have evolved into some of the sharpest and brightest minds that we have on the team. Anita Klopfenstein adds, Attitude, aptitude and the ability to write code is preferred over a four-year degree holder, who might not have the ability to think for themselves. They may not have the same eagerness, and stressed she prefers someone who has a passion and aptitude. The final questions were about obstacles for Onshore in the state and How big can this get? Mayes advised to address the symptoms of generational poverty and its associated social consequences, as well as the challenge to attract qualified leaders to rural areas to shepherd the entry-level recruits. Everyone in attendance agreed that Georgias approach to workforce development is world-class and the state continues to be one of the best places to do business in the country, and particularly, in its rural areas. About Onshore Outsourcing - Onshore Outsourcing trains rural Americans and veterans for technology careers and delivers tailored IT services and digital consulting to Fortune 2000 companies. Businesses rely on Onshore Outsourcing as their U.S. co-sourcing IT partner because of the companys dependability, scalability, and cost-efficiency. A unique training methodology allows Onshore Outsourcing to deliver IT services and resources that provide the benefits of local proximity, freeing clients to focus on what matters most. To learn more, visit http://www.onshoreoutsourcing.com. Feeling my feet uncomfortable can be stressful, especially on long flights. Paper socks can totally relieve this stress. PAPER PROJECT launches Odorless All Day Comfort Socks made with paper yarn that keep feet dry and fresh. The ankle sock style is versatile, and it can be worn throughout a long day of commutes to working out at the gym. There are many air pockets between the yarn fibers that absorb moisture and odors, so feet wont get clammy or have unpleasant odors. Paper yarn has a flat and smooth surface with a unique dry touch. The main raw material of the paper is manila hemp, which has porous fibers and is known for being a fast grown ecological fast growing plant. Paper yarn is popularly used in Asian countries where the climate is humid. Advanced technology is required to manufacture an extremely thin but durable paper, cut it into super fine strips, and delicately twist them into yarn. Japanese engineering has made it all possible. PAPER PROJECT aims to develop products with paper yarn and introduce its benefits to the world. Feeling my feet uncomfortable can be stressful, especially on long flights. Paper socks can totally relieve this stress. says Shoko Goda, Director of PAPER PROJECT. The touch is very unique and difficult to describe, so I want everyone to try them on. Once you wear them, you will feel the difference and become obsessed. The socks are knit with paper yarn, cotton-acrylic yarn blended with deodorant, and polyester yarn for durability. They are machine washable. Based on ISO anti-odor and anti-microbial tests, it reduced 99% of Isovaleric acid gas and 98% of Acetic acid gas, which are the main culprits of foot odor, and stopped the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, an odor-causing bacteria. The socks have ergonomic structures for ultimate comfort. They are designed with versatility and durability in mind, such as shown in the details including Y stitched heel, arch compression rib, and instep mesh. There are three unisex sizes in four colorways available. Consumers will have their choice of pre-ordering from May 2nd to June 16th. Find the perfect socks to match any occasion. $10 per pair offers are available for early birds. Bundle discount options are also offered. They plan to ship socks by August 2019. To order, visit http://kck.st/2WoDaUY. About PAPER PROJECT PAPER PROJECT is a New York based brand under Takihyo, a Japanese textile company. The brand aims to develop products that support our daily activities and relieve stress with the natural benefits of paper yarn. As textile experts, the brand team carefully selects materials and supply chains to make products that are both functional and sustainable. Stories behind products and mission can be found on Instagram @paperproject_ny and Facebook @paperprojectny. Link to Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paperproject/paper-project-odorless-all-day-comfort-socks Car insurance companies can deny claims if the clients are involved in an uncovered event or unapproved use of the car., said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com has released a new blog post that explains why car insurance policyholder may end up with a denied claim. Find out more about car insurance and get free quotes from https://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com/top-reasons-for-having-your-insurance-claim-denied/ Having a car insurance claim denied will make a drivers life more difficult. That means that he has to pay for everything from his own finances. However, insurance companies must bring solid arguments for denying a claim. A car insurance claim can be denied for the following reasons: Policy limits. Drivers should always be aware that every policy has its limits. The company will not cover any damage exceeding coverage limits. Those limits are set when the coverage was purchased. The vehicle was driven by an unapproved driver. Those who drive the car must be specified in the contact. Any other person that drives the car and is involved in an accident will not be covered. The most common scenario is when the policyholder lets a friend or a relative use the car and he wrecks it. Not paying the premiums. If the policyholder no longer pays the premiums, his claim will be denied after he files it. Furthermore, not paying the premiums may determine the insurer to cancel coverage and cause an insurance lapse. Unapproved customization. The client can void the entire coverage if he installs different parts and devices without noticing the carrier first. Performance-boosting parts are likely to make the insurer drop the client if he does that without informing the company. Claims for coverage that was not purchased. Each policy covers only specific events. For example, collision coverage will not cover damage caused by fire or earthquakes. Also, t Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com 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, please visit http://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com. Thinkware, a global leader in dash cams, announced today that two of its dash cam models have been included as part of a bundle offered by EchoMaster and certified for global automaker Ford Motor Companys authorized accessory program. These bundles are now available at Ford dealerships. This is great news for Ford car buyers who will have the option to purchase and install a dash cam at their local Ford dealership. This expands Thinkwares growing North American footprint where its products can already be found at major retailers, specialty 12 volt stores, and ecommerce. Thinkware expects this footprint to continue to grow as its U.S. distribution partner, AAMP Global, continues to drive sales through its well-established partnerships and reputation as an industry leader in mobile electronics. This news is part of South Korean-based Thinkwares global growth strategy, which is focused on putting a continuous effort in overseas business activity with the launch of Thinkware Dash Cam, the companys North American brand name established in 2013. Our collaboration with Thinkware helps us continue to develop our partnerships with OES and OEM, stated Scott Forst, AAMP Globals President, Americas, we are looking forward to helping Thinkware penetrate the North America market with dash cam solutions. Ford is an iconic global car manufacturer, so were honored to be working with such great partners and excited about this meaningful achievement, stated Brian Yang, Thinkwares Director of North America Business Development. With this exciting announcement and our continued partnership with AAMP Global, we expect to see continued sales and business growth in North America, helping establish a geographic launchpad for expanding THINKWAREs global presence in all countries we do business in, including the US and Europe. For more information, visit the Thinkware and EchoMaster websites: thinkware.com and EchoMaster.com About THINKWARE: Global IT Corporation Thinkware was founded in Korea in 1997 and is celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year. Through consistent research and development in the field of smart car technologies, Thinkware has established itself as the market leader in various sectors such as dash cam, electronic maps, navigation, mobile applications, and tablet PCs. Spearheading the competition with world-class image processing technologies and intuitive user-friendly interface, Thinkware has debuted their DASH CAM lines into the US market in April 2014. Thinkware has confirmed the export of their DASH CAM lines to 17 other countries including the UK, Singapore, and Japan. Thinkware continues to astound the industry with its world-class DASH CAM lines during their presence at global exhibitions like CES, SEMA, and The Gadget Show Live. For CES 2017, the worlds largest consumer electronics show, Thinkware won the Innovation Award for its excellence in technology and design. The company has also received the IF Design Award (2017), IDEA Award Finalist (2017) and the Red Dot Design Award (2018) About AAMP Global Established in 1987, owned by Audax Private Equity, and headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, AAMP Global restlessly pursues innovative ways to enhance what moves you. Global manufacturer of mobile aftermarket technology for consumer and commercial vehicles; developing safety solutions under EchoMaster, smartphone connectivity under iSimple, high performance audio enhancement under Stinger and Phoenix Gold, and OEM integration solutions under Autoleads and PAC. AAMP enables you to define your drive, one vehicle at a time, anywhere in the world. We looked at all the tools on the market and kept coming back to Venio because of their technology, commitment to customer service, and visionary roadmap for development." -Tony Ramsey, CEO of EDDCloud Venio Systems, the fastest growing e-Discovery technology provider, partners with EDDCloud, a fully cloud-based e-Discovery service provider with remarkable scale and security. The ability to deliver a self-serve or Do it Yourself model of eDiscovery to our clients was key in our decision to partner with Venio. With the EDDCloud and Venio partnership, our clients have more control over their data; they can upload, process, review and produce data through a user-friendly interface. Our all-in pricing includes advanced data analytics and computer assisted review in the base price, so mid-sized legal teams have access to the same tools as large law. Thats a game changer for them, said Billy Eccelston, VP of Operations. Through this technology partnership, EDDCloud will offer VenioOne as the core foundation in its eDiscovery solutions and service offerings. From small matters to large, complex ones, EDDCloud will provide its law firm and corporate clients expanded eDiscovery capabilities by pairing their deep expertise with the latest innovations in VenioOnes unified software platform. VenioOnes enhanced capabilities are a great match for EDDCloud because the platform delivers exceptional usability and scalability, while the pricing model allows EDDCloud to maintain its all-in pricing, to deliver high quality results with disruptive eDiscovery pricing. From predictive coding using AI to the eDiscovery industrys first fully automated self-service interface, VenioOne has everything EDDCloud needs for its EDDCloud Now offering. We are excited to partner with EDDCloud. Every Venio partnership is special to the Venio family. What is particularly meaningful about EDDCloud is their decision to replace their existing technology with our unified platform. Their vision to leverage VenioOnes unique innovations and VenioOne OnDemand will be a game changer for their clients. We look forward to collaborating with them as they continue to provide better solutions for their clients, said Arestotle Thapa, CEO of Venio Systems. We looked at all the tools on the market and kept coming back to Venio because of their technology, commitment to customer service, and visionary roadmap for development. Our strength is predicated on our ability to deliver an infinitely scalable solution that outperforms our competition while saving our clients money. With Venio, we can do that by leveraging our cloud-based technology stack, said Tony Ramsey, CEO of EDDCloud. We have installed VenioOne in our Microsoft Azure infrastructure to ensure security, availability, and scalability for our clients. About EDDCloud EDDCloud helps law firms, corporations, and government agencies solve complex data challenges. Founded in 2003 and restructured in 2018, our mission is to provide clients with the most efficient, secure and dependable eDiscovery solution at the most cost-effective pricing. The EDDCloud technology offerings cover the entire discovery lifecycle: collection, processing, ECA, culling, data analysis, document review, and production; and our flexible delivery options give legal teams as much control as they choose. We offer full-service to completely self-serve with all variations in between. Let our expertise work for you. Visit https://eddcloud.com/ today. About Venio Systems Venio Systems is a team of innovators and developers with 30 years of experience in providing eDiscovery solutions with unparalleled agility and ease-of-use while being scalable. Venio Systems was created to address the industry's lack of a complete eDiscovery solution that powers every phase of eDiscovery. VenioOne, a unified eDiscovery platform, is designed to provide law firms, corporations and government entities with the ability to manage all phases of discoveryprocessing, ECA, culling, document review, and productionfrom a single tool. Venio Systems remains on the forefront of innovation to provide solutions any litigator and eDiscovery professional can use. For more information and a demo, visit https://veniosystems.com/. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. MLW FUSION REPORT: WHEN SALINA IS IN CHARGE We start off with Salina de la Renta on the phone talking about running the show while Low Ki is doing push ups. She mentions the changes for this week. She says the office in Mexico is too small so she suggests expanding. Low Ki tells Salina that they need focus on his match with Daga because he has an agenda after having his ear ripped off. Salina says she is thinking about plans for Promociones Dorado. Low Ki is told that she is on the phone. She tells him to focus on the matches and he can focus on the matches. Low Ki returns to doing push ups. We are in New York City and your announcers are Rich Bocchini and Jim Cornette. Salina stands in front of Rich and Jim while Rich reads off a prepared introduction and Jim wants to know why they are doing this. Salina welcomes everyone to the new MLW. By the time this show is over, you are going to know that he should have been in command since Day One. We go to the back and we see Sami Callihan being told that he is being kicked out of the building. Sami vows to hijack a cameraman and get into the building. Match Number One: Low Ki versus Daga Low Ki comes after him on the ramp and they exchange punches. Ki is tossed over the top rope into the ring. Daga with a double leg takedown and he punches Ki. Daga withpunches to Ki in the corner. The referee tries to pull Daga out of the corner and Ki with a thumb to the eye. Ki with a chop. Daga with a drop kick.Daga with a head scissors take down and Ki rolls to the floor. Daga with a suicide dive onto Ki. Daga chops Ki against the guardrails and then around the floor. Ki gets back into the ring and rolls back to the floor. Daga with a forearm to the back followed by punches. Daga with more punches and he sends Ki back into the ring. Daga with a running forearm into the corner followed by a drop kick to the back of the head. Daga gets a near fall. Daga goes for a suplex but Ki with a knee to block it and Ki drops Daga on the top rope. Ki kicks Daga and snap mares him. Ki with an elbow drop for a near fall. Ki stomps on the hand and then he slams the leg into the ring post. Ki kicks the leg and Daga limps on the floor. Ki with a chop and he slams Dagas head into the apron. Ki gets a near fall. Ki with a rear chin lock. Daga with an elbow to escape the hold but Ki with a chop and kicks. Ki rakes the eyes with his boots and he gets a near fall. Daga with a punch to the midsection and Ki gets a near fall. Ki works on the neck. Daga with a punch and Irish whip but Ki tries to float over. Daga stops him but Ki with a mule kick for a near fall. Ki with an abdominal stretch but Daga escapes and gives Ki a hip toss. Ki with a head butt and kick to the chest. Daga blocks a kick and hits a dragon screw leg whip. Ki has another kick blocked and Daga with another dragon screw. Ki goes for a neck breaker but Daga avoids it. Daga with a punch and Ki with a forearm. They go back and forth with strikes. Daga with a clothesline for a near fall. Daga goes to the turnbuckles but misses a double stomp. Ki with a drop kick and he gets a near fall. Ki goes up top but Daga with an enzuigiri. Daga with forearms from the turnbuckles and he sets for a superplex. Ki puts Daga in the tree of woe after an elbow. Daga pulls Ki off the turnbuckles before he can hit the double stomp. Daga with a missile drop kick but Ki backs Daga into the corner and Ki gets a three count with his feet on the ropes. Winner: Low Ki After the match, Daga argues with the referee over Low Ki having his foot on the ropes. Salina says that people have been asking who have made the cut for the National Tournament and we will find out tonight. Gringo Loco will face Alexander Hammerstone. The other match will feature Brian Pillman Jr. versus Rich Swann. We will find out who becomes the first MLW Openweight Champion on June 1st. We are reminded of the issues that Tom Lawlor has with Contra Unit and that LA Park is waiting for his opportunity as the winner of Battle Riot II. They also mention that Avalanche is also looking for a title match against Lawlor. We go to comments from Tom Lawlor. He says as champion, you take on all comers. It does not matter where you are from or how big you are. You are going to go down at the hands of Tom Lawlor. He asks Ariel Dominguez what you call the champion in MLW and he says Filthy. We see Tom training with Dominguez. We see Sami Callihan in the back and he sees Ricky Martinez on the phone. Sami attacks Ricky as he walks in the back. Sami kicks Martinez and takes his phone. Match Number Two: Gringo Loco versus Hijo de LA Park (with Salina de la Renta) They lock up and Loco with a wrist lock. Hijo with a reversal as he works on the wrist. Loco with a leg sweep and Hijo kicks Loco away. Hijo with an arm drag. Hijo pulls off his belt and tosses it aside. Hijo pushes Loco andhits a head scissors but Loco with a cartwheel to land on his feet. They go to a stalemate. Loco with a thrust ick and he rolls to the floor. Hijo with a slingshot rana on the floor. Hijo with a suicide dive onto Loco. Hijo sends Loco back into the ring and Hijo whips Loco with the belt. Hijo gets a near fall. Loco iwht an Irish whip but Hijo puts Loco on the turnbuckles and hits an enzuigiri. Loco gets Hijo on his shoulders on the turnbuckles and hits a Super Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Loco with a roaring elbow and a Code Red for a near fall. Hijo argues with the referee over the count. Hijo goes to the turnbuckles but Loco stops him and Hijo gets caught in the turnbuckles. Loco with a Super Falcon Arrow and he gets a near fall. Loco goes for a power bomb but Hijo blocks it and Hijo with a Jig N Tonic for the three count. Winner: Hijo de LA Park We go to Contra Unit. Josef Samael says Barrington Hughes has been unstoppable but he has not faced Josef Samael. Joseph Fatu says that Barrington Hughes has been saying he is undefeated, but they will take care of him. Josef says Barringtons streak will end. We go to commercial. We are back and we see footage from earlier today of Sami Callihan getting into the building. Sami makes a call on Rickys phone and he calls Salina. Salina thinks she is talking to Ricky but Sami talks. Salina yells at Sami and Sami tells her to shut up. Salina says you are going through the money she paid him. Sami says he has things to do and hangs up. Match Number Three: LA Park (with Salina de la Renta) versus Pentagon Jr. Park attacks Pentagon on the stage as Pentagon makes his way to the ring. Park with a hip toss onto the ramp and they go to the floor. Park punches Pentagon and then hits a running boot to the head. Pentagon is sent into the ring post. Park sends Pentagon into the steps and Park hits Pentagon with stairs. Park sends Pentagon into the ring and the match officially starts. Park struts in the ring and punches Pentagon. Park ties Pentagons mask into the ropes and Park slaps Pentagon and hits a running knee. Park with an Irish whip and splash into the corner. Park takes off his belt and whips Pentagon with it. Park argues with the referee and then he punches Pentagon again. Park with a wrist lock. Park kicks Pentagon in the leg and argues with the referee. Park sends Pentagon into the turnbuckles. Park hangs Pentagon over the apron and Salina gets involved in the match. Salina kicks Pentagon while Park talks to the referee. Park with a wrist lock and Pentagon with punches. The referee stops Pentagon from punching Park and Park swings at the referee. Salina adjusts Pentagons mask and Pentagon stops Salina and kisses her. Park tries to chop Pentagon but Pentagon moves and he almost hits Salina. Pentagon with an arm drag and plancha. Pentagon Irish whips Park into the guardrails. Pentagon with Slingblade for a near fall. Park avoids a splash in the corner and hits a German suplex followed by a flying knee. Park gets a near fall. Park puts Pentagon on the turnbuckles and Pentagon escapes and kicks Park into the turnbuckles and hits a lungblower in the corner. Pentagon gets a near fall. Pentagon with a forearm to the back and he sets for a Pentagon Driver but Park with a head butt and flying knee. Park gets a near fall. Pentagon with a kick and enzuigiri followed by a thrust kick. Pentagon gets a near fall. Pentagon runs into a boot from Park and Park suplexes Pentagon into the turnbuckles. Pentagon gets his foot on the rope to stop the referees count. Park with a suicide dive onto Pentagon. Park sends Pentagon back into the ring and goes up top and hits a spinning heel kick. Park with a spear for the three count. Winner: LA Park After the match, Salina gets on the mic and she thanks everyone for their disgusting money. They are going to go to a classy town to celebrate and she calls New York the armpit of the United States. First, they are going to open a gift from their sponsors. There is a box on the stage. They open the box and Mance Warner comes out and he attacks LA Park. We go to credits. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Although the Gestapo is generally associated with SS Leader Heinrich Himmler, it was actually founded by Hermann Goring in April 1933. Upon becoming Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler had appointed Goring as Minister of the Interior for the State of Prussia, Germany's biggest and most important state, which controlled two thirds of the country, including the capital, Berlin, and the big industrial centers. As Minister of the Interior, Goring thereby had control of the police. The first thing he did was to prohibit regular uniformed police from interfering with Nazi Brownshirts out in the streets. This meant that innocent German citizens had no one to turn to as they were being beaten up by rowdy young storm troopers drunk with their newfound power and quite often drunk on beer. These young Nazi toughs took full advantage of police leniency to loot shops at will and terrorize Jews or anyone else unfortunate enough to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. 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 , We're sorry, this article is not currently available By Lee Min-young The husband of pop artist and TV personality Nancy Lang was arrested on Saturday for alleged domestic violence, a "revenge porn" threat and several other alleged offenses. Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant to arrest Wang Jinjin, citing the "risk of fleeing." He has been under investigation over 12 counts of unlawful acts against his wife, including assault, aggravated intimidation and coercion. Wang has denied the accusations. The two married in December 2017. Nancy Lang filed for divorce in October 2018. A race track constructed and taken down in less than 24 hours in the middle of downtown Athens is one component that sets the Twilight Criterium apart from many of its sibling races in the Southeast. Despite the rain, Athens locals congregated downtown to fight for issues of injustice at the 41st annual Athens Human Rights Festival. A stage was set up on College Avenue where musicians performed and people presented topics relating to the festivals Social Justice, Environmental Justice" theme on May 4. The two-day event encourages the Athens community to unite for a weekend of activism. The Coalition for Recognition and Redress requested a meeting date be set with Morehead and a representative of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents on April 29. Coalition leaders were told they would have a response within two to three business days, but UGA has not yet responded to their request. Students pose for a portrait as they protest their unwarranted restriction of access to UGA President Jere Moreheads office on the steps of the Administration Building on Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Athens, Georgia. The students requested a meeting with Morehead to talk further about the university administrations response to demands for UGA to acknowledge its history of slavery, but were not permitted to enter the building during its operating hours. (Photo/Gabriella Audi, www.gabbyaudi10.wixsite.com/mysite-1) 'The Congress's arrogance and unrealistic claims have weakened the anti-BJP movement at the national level.' IMAGE: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, right, with Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. As the Left parties face a crucial Lok Sabha test in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan feels Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad eroded the Congress's anti-BJP posture nationally. "The Congress is pursuing soft Hindutva all over the country," Vijayan, member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo, tells Shine Jacob. The Congress terms Rahul's candidature from Wayanad as historical. What is your take on this? It is quite surprising that a national party claiming to be fighting the BJP decided to field its national president in Wayanad, where the BJP does not have any significance. In fact, in Wayanad, there was no candidate from the BJP. The fight was between the Left and the Congress. I would ask the Congress leadership in Delhi about the message they want to send by contesting against the Left. Neither Rahul nor any other senior Congress leader has given a convincing reply to this. Some leaders in Kerala say Rahul's candidature in Wayanad would brighten the Congress's prospects in south India. This argument is absolutely baseless. I would like to make it clear that Rahul's contest in Wayanad will not have any impact even in Kerala. I must say it was a foolish decision of the Congress. In fact, it eroded the Congress's anti-BJP posture at the national level. In fact, it gave a weapon in the hands of the BJP. An impression has been created that he has taken refuge in Wayanad fearing defeat in Amethi. If he was sincere about combating the BJP he would have contested from Karnataka where the Congress is directly fighting the BJP. Do you think that this has weakened the anti-BJP movement? The Congress's arrogance and unrealistic claims have weakened the anti-BJP movement at the national level. You know what happened in UP. This can only benefit BJP indirectly. In Delhi also, the Congress refused to have a tie-up with AAP. I must say the Congress is not at all serious about its fight against BJP. The Congress is pursuing soft Hindutva all over the country. In MP, the Congress had the audacity to invoke NSA on cases relating to cows. Photograph: Nikhil Lakshman/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Huge billboards of Marxist leaders Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala's chief minister, and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, secretary, Communist Party of India-Marxist's Kerala unit, greet visitors to Wayanad. Why did the BJP and Congress make Sabarimala an issue in the election? It is only because the BJP that ruled the country for five years does not have any achievement to showcase before the people. Hence, they are talking of Sabarimala in Kerala and Ayodhya in UP and other northern states. Unfortunately, the Congress also joined the chorus just to whip up communal feelings for political gains. I am sure the people of Kerala saw through their game plan. People cast their votes assessing the Modi government's performance. People will realise that the Left forces are consistently fighting the communal agenda of the RSS and the BJP. Two social sector poll promises, Nyay and PM Kisan, have grabbed the headlines. Do you see it as realistic? These promises are nothing, but election gimmicks. People won't be hoodwinked with such promises. Our farm sector is facing a severe crisis. Farmers tend to commit suicide in many parts of the country. Farmers's distress is unprecedented. The Modi government neglected our farm sector totally. While the public sector banks have written off lakhs of crores of debts of big corporates, the Modi government did not support the farmers. Farm income growth crashed to the lowest in 14 years -- 2.67% in the last quarter of 2018. Farmers in many states are on the agitation path. When elections came closer, the government announced the PM Kisan scheme. Such schemes won't solve the crisis in the farm sector. The Congress's Nyay scheme is another election jumla. Wasn't it the same party which had brought the Garibi Hatao slogan decades back? Had they had acted upon their promise, there would have been no need of this so-called hollow promise. What role is the Left Front expected to play in the post-election scenario? I believe the BJP will be thrown out from power and there will be a secular alternative at the Centre. The CPI-M is also trying to increase its presence in the Lok Sabha. We are committed to support anti-communal forces and we will play our role after the elections. People are aware of the UPA-1 experience, when the Congress and allies ruled the country with the support of the Left in accordance to a CMP (common minimum programme). In fact, we prevented the Congress's attempts to deviate or violate the CMP. It is a known fact that the Congress was forced to introduce MGNREGA and the Right to Information Act. I need not explain what happened during the UPA-2 period. The government got totally embroiled in corruption and aggressively pursued neo-liberal policies. In fact, it paved the way for the BJP to return to power in 2014. When we discuss about an alternative to the BJP, we should not forget the past experience. One of the key issues that the BJP highlighted was about the political violence in Kerala. What is your response to this? As you know, the BJP has a well-oiled machinery to disseminate canards. The campaign on alleged violence is a part of this. Kerala is the most peaceful state in the country. Kerala has been maintaining the top status as far as law and order issue is concerned. There might be isolated incidents of violence in some parts of the state, but the government is taking stringent action against all crimes, no matter who the accused is. A close scrutiny of the situation will reveal the hand of the RSS behind most incidents of violence. IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal addresses the media regarding the Saturday's attack on him during an election roadshow, in New Delhi, on Sunday. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was responsible for the attack on him during a roadshow and claimed he was targeted because he had been lately questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'relationship' with Pakistan. The Aam Aadmi Party supremo, at a press conference held at the party headquarters, said this was not just an attack on him but an assault on the people of Delhi and the mandate they had given. The BJP rubbished the claim as Kejriwal's 'propaganda'. Kejriwal said, "This is the ninth attack on me and fifth one since I took charge as the chief minister of Delhi. And, for any attack on me in future, BJP will be responsible." "They (the BJP) do not want common man to enter politics so we are being targeted. Our only fault is that we have tried to bring development in Delhi, in education, health and other sectors. They are feeling insecure that people in other states, might start asking questions to the party, on such real issues," he said. Kejriwal was slapped allegedly by a disgruntled AAP supporter during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday. "For this attack on me, the BJP and Prime Minister Modi is responsible. The response from the police after the incident was scripted. "The police is not responsible for this, they were merely following the 'script' given by the ruling party," he alleged. "The people of Delhi will take revenge for this act," Kejriwal said. He also dismissed the charge that the attacker was an AAP supporter as claimed by the police. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who was present during the press conference, said, "We have investigated from our end, and he is not from our party, as claimed by the police." AAP rejects all the charged levelled by the police in response to this incident, instead if taking needed action against the culprit. "It was cognisable offence, and this is a person holding a constitutional post of CM. Will police take action against the accused when he files a complaint," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. Kejriwal hitting out at the Centre, alleged that 'signs of a dictator' can be seen in such circumstances, 'but we will not be cowed down by it, and out voices shall not be silenced'. "I also wondered what have I said in the last few days that may have angered some people. And I realised in various interviews to media, I have questioned the link between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan. "In last 70 years or so, no premier of the neighbouring country has said that a particular candidate should win and become the PM again. What is going on," he said. Delhi Police said Saturday that preliminary interrogation has revealed that 33-year-old Suresh, a scrap dealer in the area, was a supporter of AAP and he used to work as organiser of its rallies and meetings. An inquiry by a Deputy Commissioner of Police-level officer has been ordered to find out how this person was allowed to be in the reception/proximate group, Additional PRO, Delhi Police Anil Mittal had said. Rejecting the chief minister's allegations, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the man who had attacked Kejriwal had himself said that he was a AAP worker. "These kind of attacks have happened with him ten times. Everytime this is his method. Whenever he is behind he gets himself attacked. That is his propaganda," he said. The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta of the BJP, at a separate press conference here, alleged that Kejriwal was 'doing drama' to boost his election campaign. He is trying to give the incident a political angle to gain sympathy even though the attacker was a disgruntle AAP worker, Gupta said. Former Delhi chief minister and Congress's candidate from North-East Delhi, Sheila Dixit, condemned the attack and said: "Such attacks should not happen no matter who is the leader." Mir's son, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, said his father's security was withdrawn two months ago and all efforts to get it back had fallen on deaf ears. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Locals at the funeral ceremony of Gul Mohammed Mir in Srinagar. Terrorists shot dead Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gul Mohammed Mir in his house in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday night, police said. The killing has sparked off a controversy with Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday ordering an inquiry headed by state chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to 'identify lapses' while political parties accusing the top bureaucrat of creating a chaotic situation by withdrawing security of political activists. The police said three terrorists came to Mir's house in Nowgam Verinag area and asked for the keys for his car. While driving the vehicle away, they pumped bullets into Mir, who was popular in the area as 'Atal', they said. A police official said Mir was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. Condoling the death of Mir, 57, the BJP leader who unsuccessfully contested on the party ticket in 2008 and 2014 assembly elections from Dooru in South Kashmir, Governor Malik asked the chief secretary to identify any lapses on part of the security agencies in ensuring security of political activists, an official spokesman said. The governor has called for an emergency meeting on Monday, when government offices will reopen in summer capital of Srinagar after the bi-annual 'Darbar move', during which he will review the safety and security aspects of all political leaders and sarpanchs in the state, he said. Malik directed the chief secretary to get an inquiry conducted into the killings of political leaders belonging to various parties in the state in the last few months. Terrorists, besides fighting the security forces, target political or social activists in the state. The ultras killed a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) Rajinder Kumar at the District Hospital in Kishtwar on April 9. Similarly, a panch, Abdul Majeed Dar, from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead by terrorists at his residence on April 4. On March 14, a political worker associated with the National Conference -- Mohammad Ismail Wani -- was shot at and injured by suspected terrorists in Anantnag district. On March 30, suspected terrorists shot dead social activist Arjumand Majid Bhat in Baramulla district. Mir's son, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, said his father's security was withdrawn two months ago and all efforts to get it back had fallen on deaf ears. "I had given a letter of the BJP leaders to SSP Anantnag but he expressed his helplessness and directed me to see Munir Khan (Additional Director General of Police in charge of security)," he said. Security of political activists, including the elder Mir, was withdrawn on the orders of the chief secretary in February despite opposition from security agencies, officials said. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Family members of Mir mourn after his death. The security agencies had suggested that no security should be withdrawn until the election process is completed. However, the chief secretary ordered reconstitution of the screening committee and removed police officials from it and appointed state home secretary Shaleen Kabra as its chairman, a move that has come under criticism. Former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, while taking a potshot at the chief secretary, said withdrawing security of political activists was a 'foolish decision'. 'Questions need to be asked but they can't be answered by the person who was responsible for the actual order to withdraw security. The security withdrawal had been opposed by state and central intelligence agencies so who overruled them and went ahead regardless?' he tweeted. 'Not long ago senior BJP leaders were bragging about how undeserving people had their security withdrawn in J&K. I'd warned against the decision then and yesterday's assassination of Gul Mohd Mir only confirms what I'd feared -- it was a foolish decision disconnected from reality,' Abdullah said. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress chief G A Mir said the inquiry ordered by the governor was an 'eyewash' while Communist Party of India-Marxist leader M Y Tarigami demanded a judicial enquiry into the lapses. "How can anyone, who is part of the system, enquire into it," Tarigami asked. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the killing, saying there is no place for violence in the country. 'Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered,' Modi tweeted. Extending condolences, he said, 'There is no place for such violence in our country.' BJP president Amit Shah also condoled the killing and said extremist forces in Kashmir cannot demoralise its workers with violence. In a tweet, Shah said, 'I am saddened by killing of Ghulam Mohammed Mir, BJP leader from Anantnag. His contribution in strengthening the BJP in the valley was immense.' 'Extremist forces in the valley can't demoralise BJP karyakartas with violence.My condolences with the bereaved family,' Shah tweeted. Terming the killing of Mir as a 'big loss' for the nation, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Sunday said his sacrifice would not go in vain. "His killing is a big loss to the nation...he was a brave man who always fought against Pakistani terrorists and till the last breath of his life served the motherland," state BJP president Ravinder Raina said. He said Mir was known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee of Anantnag and was a great son of mother India. "The martyrdom of Mir will not go in vain and all those coward Pakistanis (terrorists) will be neutralised very soon," he said and saluted the courage and patriotic zeal of the slain leader. BJP state spokesperson Brig Anil Gupta said the killing of Mir is not only a dastardly act of terror but a sign of desperation of those forces who are scared of the growing numbers of nationalists in the valley. "Attack just a couple of days before polling is meant to scare political workers of BJP. Nationalist forces in valley have become strong enough to thwart nefarious designs of those who are against democracy," he said. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has clarified that the demand for burqa ban made in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana was not that of the Sena or its chief Uddhav Thackeray. In his weekly column published in Saamana's Sunday edition, Raut, who is the Marathi daily's executive editor, said, "The burqa ban was not the demand of Shiv Sena or Uddhav Thackeray. Saamana just published an analysis of the developments in Sri Lanka." A Saamana editorial on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's footsteps and ban burqas and other face-veils in India considering the 'threat' they pose to the nation's security. Sri Lanka's decision came in the wake of the Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 250 people. As the editorial created a flutter and drew sharp reactions from various quarters, senior Sena leader and MLC Neelam Gorhe on Wednesday said it was not the official stand of the party, which is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party. "It could be an individual's view...it is not the official stand of Shiv Sena," she said in a statement. Hundreds of Muslim women on Friday protested against the Sena mouthpiece at Mumbra near Mumbai. Most of the women, who were wearing burqas or veils, shouted slogans against Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member, and carried placards with the message 'Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao' (save the Constitution, save the country). On Thursday, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar said he was not averse to enacting a law banning the burqa if it was accompanied with a similar action against the 'ghunghat' system prevalent among women in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based advocate on Saturday approached police and demanded action against Thackeray, Raut and others for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Santacruz police station's senior inspector Shriram Koregoankar said they have received an application from advocate Munsif Khan but no case was registered. 51 constituencies across 7 states go to the polls in the fifth phase on May 6. IMAGE: Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha, centre, with Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, left, at a roadshow in support of Sonakshi's mother Poonam Sinha, the Samajwadi Party candidate from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, right, in Lucknow. Photograph: PTI Photo The fifth phase of the seven phase elections will be held on May 6. 51 constituencies across 7 states will go to the polls. Two important constituencies in the fifth phase are Rae Bareli -- where United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is in the fray -- and Amethi, where Congress President Rahul Gandhi takes on Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani. 674 candidates will contest the 51 Lok Sabha seats. According to data collected and analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms of 668 candidates on the basis of the self-sworn affidavits filed, 126 candiates have declared criminal cases against themselves. 95 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. The BJP has fielded 48 candidates of which 22 have criminal cases registered. 14 of the 45 Congress candidates have criminal cases registered. 9 out of 33 Bahujan Samaj Party candidates, 7 out of 9 Samajwadi Party candidates and 26 of 252 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. The BJP has fielded 19 candidates who have serious criminal cases registered. The Congress has fielded 13 candidates with serious criminal cases. 7 BSP candidates, 7 SP candidates and 18 Independent candidates have declared serious criminal cases. Like the earlier phases, the number of crorepati candidates is high. 184 candidates have self declared assets worth Rs 1 crore and more. In the fifth phase, the BJP scores over other parties in crorepati candidates. The BJP has fielded 38 crorepatis while the Congress has fielded 32 crorepatis. 17 BSP candidates, 8 SP candidates and 31 Independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. The richest candidate in the fray is Poonam Shatrughan Sinha, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha's wife. Poonam Sinha is the SP candidate in Lucknow against BJP nominee and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Her husband Shatrughan Sinha is fighting the election from Patna Sahib on Congress ticket. Poonam Sinha has self declared assets worth Rs 193 crore/Rs 1.93 billion. The second richest candidate in the fray, Pragatishil Samajwadi Party (Lohia) candidate Vijay Kumar Sinha in Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh has assets worth Rs 177 crore/Rs 1.77 billion. The third richest candidate in the fray is Union Minister of State Jayant Sinha, the BJP candidate in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, who has self declared assets worth Rs 77 crore/Rs 770 million. There are 3 candidates who have declared 0 assets. Narayan Das Jatav, who is contesting on a Madhya Pradesh Jan Vikas Party ticket from Tikamgarh in MP, has declared 0 assets in his affidavit. Rinku Kumar Meena fighting on a Peoples Party of India (Democratic) ticket from Dausa in Rajasthan has assets of Rs 1,000. 264 candidates in the fifth phase have declared their educational qualifications to be between Class 5 and Class 12. 348 candidates have declared an educational qualification of graduate or above. 43 candidates have declared to be just literate and 6 candidates are illiterate. 208 candidates have declared their ages to be between 25 and 40 years. 343 candidates have declared their ages to be between 41 and 60 years. 113 candidates have declared their ages to be between 61 and 80 years. 79 lady candidates are in the fray on May 6. Text: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com. Data: Association for Democratic Reforms South Korean pop group BTS was to begin its world tour at a 90,000-seat stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday night (local time). The septet was to perform before sold-out crowds at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, according to its management agency. The "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" stadium tour follows last month's release of BTS' new EP "Map of the Soul: Persona" that became its third No. 1 Billboard 200 album. On Wednesday, the band won two awards at this year's Billboard Music Awards and became the first K-pop artists to win in the major Top Duo/Group category. During the stadium tour, the boys will wear Dior outfits, according to the designer brand. After L.A., the tour will take the group to Soldier Field in Chicago next Saturday and Sunday, and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on May 18-19. On May 15, BTS will kick off the annual Summer Concert series hosted by ABC's "Good Morning America." It is a free concert series set to be held at New York's Central Park till Aug. 30. Later on May 15, BTS will appear on CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." After finishing its schedule in America, the boys will perform at stadiums in Sao Paulo on May 25-26, London on June 1-2, Paris on June 7-8, and Japan's Osaka and Shizuoka on July 6-7 and 13-14, respectively. (Yonhap) Hordes of cows rampage through the fields, eating everything in sight. This is after the UP government banned slaughter of cattle. As a result, farmers whose cows become old and are a liability simply sets them loose. Aditi Phadnis reports. "This election could not have come at a worse time," grumbled Shivkumar. "We have no time, we're harvesting wheat and people keep coming here to campaign. They want to talk to us, improve things... want our suggestions. But we have no time." Looking for agricultural distress in Mohanlalganj, a reserved constituency barely 30 km from Lucknow, was a waste of time. Every second house had a tractor parked nearby, which suggested both the scale of farming and the turnover. Eighty per cent of the children go to private, English medium schools. The government school has five teachers and only 50 children. Everyone, even the women, have bank accounts. Members of the Navjyoti Kisan Producer Company Ltd had gathered together to explain their problems, gripes and grievances. The principal among them was that only some houses had got the second tranche of the Rs 6,000 annual grant to farmers announced by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi: Not all. "Modi is good," a farmer said. "We can now sell our crop easily." The only problem is that the marketing officers expect them to take their produce to a market place (mandi) further away from the village, instead of procuring it at the village itself. This naturally entails an additional cost. The other problem is cows -- hordes of them rampaging through the fields, eating everything in sight. This is after the Ajay Singh Bisht administration banned slaughter of cattle. As a result, farmers whose cows become old and are a liability simply sets them loose. "We can't say anything in the current dispensation: So we are now planting mentha (peppermint) instead of wheat. Cows don't eat mentha," the farmer said. This shift is happening across the state. State Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said, with a chuckle, he grows mentha too, in his ancestral farm, "mainly because the price is good". In the community chabutara where we sat down to talk, an MCX digital scroll ran giving current prices of all commodities, an odd aberration in the rustic setting. 92 per cent of UP's farmers are small and marginal. 78 per cent of the holdings are below 1 hectare, slightly less than the national average of 1.2 hectare. "At any given time, the UP farmer is stressed. So the distress you are mentioning is a part of his everyday life," said Dr Mukesh Gautam, a bureaucrat. UP provides 20 per cent of all food to the nation. About a third of all wheat consumed in India comes from UP, even though the state produces just 33.9 quintals per hectare, compared to Punjab's 50 quintal per hectare. "If we can increase productivity, we can feed the nation," says Dr Gautam. One problem is soil health. 72 of 75 districts in the state are zinc- and sulphur-deficient. This is not a problem that is hard to remedy: What it needs is application and political will. But the bigger problem is seed quality. Every state has its own seed corporation and seed certification agencies. The government gives a subsidy for seeds via direct benefit transfer. The farmer has the choice of buying seeds from the private sector or from the seed corporation. But certification agencies have no way to certify private sector seed sellers. "Seed quality is going down every day," he says. What the state bureaucracy would like is to be left alone to carry out agri surveys and interact more with farmers. Instead, they are pressed into service in getting farmers to open accounts one day, ensuring the Rs 2,000 grant is transferred to the accounts the next and activities of that nature. "Every state has its own unique agricultural problems. The Centre's interventions cannot fix all of them. I wish the leadership would think of state-specific programmes that could address problems peculiar to UP, for instance. That would be more meaningful," Dr Gautam says. He cites an example. UP's official records show that it grows no peanut at all. But in fact, peanut is grown on around 250,000 hectares of land in the state. There is no record of it because no one has bothered to keep records. In eastern UP, maize is grown in the rabi season up to 70 quintals a hectare. But it is grown only over 6,000 hectares. These are innovations that can fetch farmers a better income provided someone records farm practices and suggests alternatives. Agriculture department bureaucrats are forthright about loan waivers: They uniformly think it is a bad practice and believe farmers should be encouraged to take loans under the Kisan Credit Card scheme that would optimise their requirement of credit. A lot can be done in agriculture in UP: but for Shivkumar, making ends meet is not such a dire struggle. What he dreads however, is a crisis: A marriage, an illness. "Modiji is there for all those contingencies," he says. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, left, shakes hands with Asia Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao at the Sheraton Villa hotel in Nadi, Fiji, May 4. Hong will chair next year's ADB meeting to be held in Incheon. His election was decided during this year's ADB meeting. / Courtesy of Ministry of Economy and Finance NEW HAVEN Two people were killed, while a resident and three firefighters were injured early Sunday morning in a blaze that damaged a West Street home. Residents were forced to jump from the building, where 16 people lived, to escape the flames that started at the 150 West St. house around 3:20 a.m., said Orlando Marcano, assistant fire chief. Firefighters rescued two people from the third floor, but the residents were pronounced dead at the hospital, he said. One person lost consciousness after jumping from the back of the building and was sent to the hospital. That victim was being evaluated, Marcano. One firefighter suffered an injury to his or her back, another injured his or her shoulder and another had elevated blood pressure, Marcano said. When firefighters arrived, they saw people trapped on the third floor, with residents jumping out of windows, Marcano said. Two residents were uninjured after leaping from the front of the building onto a roof alcove to a porch roof and then to the ground, he said. All residents were displaced and are being assisted by Red Cross, Marcano said. Seven people lived in the first floor, three on the second and six on the third, he said. The main body of the fire was knocked down within 12 minutes of firefighters arriving, but crews were still on scene at 7:30 a.m. Marcano said. The bulk of the flames were on the second floor, while heat and smoke covered the third floor, he said. The third floor was hard for firefighters to reach because the only access was an extremely narrow stairwell in the back, he said. About 30 firefighters, including all the fire chiefs, responded. A call this serious is all hands working, so pretty much all the command staff was there, Marcano said. Alder Evelyn Rodriguez, D-4, who was on scene Sunday morning and had visited the hospital, said that in addition to the Red Cross providing temporary help, the citys Livable City Initiative would provide relocation assistance. Nobody was being allowed into the house, she said. Rodriguez, while protecting the privacy of the injured as she spoke, said LCIs role will be to help. People there thought only of getting out, she said. But in order for you to have a place to rest your head (now), you have to know that its safe. Hill North community management team Chairman Howard Boyd, who also was on scene Sunday and providing assistance, said the neighborhood is a very community-oriented one. Its making an impact, he said of the fatal fire. He said while neighbors woke up to the tragedy and and were learning what occurred, family members of those who lived in the house also were arriving in the neighborhood. Their biggest concern is where their family members are, Boyd said. Marcano said experts gave a critical stress debriefing to firefighters afterward. Were all here discussing, making sure theyre O.K, Marcano said Sunday. Our primary goal is (to ensure) the firefighters emotional and mental health is OK before they go home. He said the situation is even tougher because it comes after the death of firefighter George Browne, who died April 26 after 20 years with the department, according to his obituary. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Also under investigation is whether 16 people were permitted to live in the house, Marcano said. The building is a 2 1/2-story home for two families with nine rooms, including five bedrooms, according to property records. The state fire marshals office is assisting with the investigation, which Marcano said could take time. Because theres fatalities involved, its going to be a while before they release that, he said. The names of the victims have yet to be released. No children or pets were involved, Marcano said. Helen Bennett contributed to this report. At least eight people have been killed in a suicide attack by the Taliban on a police headquarters in the northern Afghan city of Pul-e-Khumri. Several Taliban fighters opened fire on national-security forces on May 5 and a number of gunmen had stormed the building, Afghan officials said. At least 55 others, including security force members, were injured in the attack, according to Ahmad Bariz Sahibzada, the deputy public health director for the Baghlan Province. Three assailants were killed by police, while another blew himself up in the initial car bombing, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. "The clashes have not stopped. Twenty injured people were taken to the hospital from the blast site," Assadullah Shahbaz, a member of the Baghlan provincial council, said adding they have sought immediate deployment from neighboring provinces. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing and the clashes with the Afghan forces. The group claimed that one of its fighters had detonated a Humvee packed with explosives outside the police headquarters. Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry in Kabul, said Afghan forces gunned down a Taliban fighter who tried to enter the police headquarters, although several Taliban fighters managed to penetrate the offices. The reports of fresh violence come two days after an Afghan grand council convened by President Ashraf Ghani ended with a demand for an immediate cease-fire. The council, known as a Loya Jirga, brought together more than 3,200 politicians, tribal elders, prominent figures and others to hammer out a shared strategy for future negotiations with the Taliban. In a statement on May 3, the Taliban rejected a cease-fire, saying attacks will continue during Ramadan. The group, which has been holding direct talks with U.S. officials to end the war in Afghanistan, has rejected cease-fire proposals saying U.S. and NATO troops must withdraw from the country first. Based on reporting by RFE/RLs Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters, and Tolonews Iran has mobilized all its resources to sell oil on the "gray market," bypassing U.S. sanctions that Tehran considers illegitimate, Irans Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia said on May 5. His comments come days after Washington announced that it has decided not to reissue waivers in May allowing importers to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions. Washington reimposed tough sanctions on Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with world powers last year. Trump says the Iran nuclear deal was fatally flawed because it did not address Irans ballistic-missile program or Tehrans alleged state sponsorship of terrorism. Tehran says it will continue to export oil in defiance of U.S. sanctions. "We have mobilized all of the country's resources and are selling oil on the 'gray market,'" the official government news agency IRNA quoted Zamaninia as saying. Zamaninia did not give any details about the "gray market." "We certainly won't sell 2.5 million barrels per day as [we were] under the [nuclear deal]," Zamaninia said, giving no figures for current sales. "We will need to make serious decisions about our financial and economic management, and the government is working on that." "This is not smuggling. This is countering sanctions which we do not see as just or legitimate," Zamaninia added. The United States has said it wants to cut Iranian oil exports to zero to deny the clerical establishment a principal source of revenue. With reporting by Reuters and IRNA Samsung Securities Research Center co-Head Oh Hyun-seok, right, and Yoon Sok-mo speak during an interview with The Korea Times at the brokerage's head office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, April 11. Courtesy of Samsung Securities Seoul stock markets expected to remain resilient By Jhoo Dong-chan Stock trading used to be just for a limited number of investors who are wealthy enough to visit a brokerage and invest a certain amount of money in listed firms. Access to information about these firms was limited to very few, and often irrelevant to ordinary citizens. Thanks to the introduction of home and mobile trading system, however, investors no longer need to visit brokerages. More people started investing with less money. In a bid to meet demand from the larger number of investors, market analysts started to release their outlooks for stocks on an everyday basis. Information now seems open to everyone. "Now, it's not really difficult for retail investors to get a stock outlook released by a seasoned analyst. We believe, however, this wasn't enough," Samsung Securities Research Center co-Head Yoon Sok-mo said during an interview with The Korea Times. "There are some difficult financial terms in these reports. In a bid to help retail investors, Samsung Securities has operated its own Youtube channel for years." Samsung Securities stock analysts even stream their analyses in real time where subscribers can ask a question during the show. "It's now essential for analysts to create their own contents with differentiated perspectives," said co-Head Oh Hyun-seok. "Such quality doesn't come all of sudden. Samsung Securities analysts build up their professionalism through appren.ticeship since they join us." Career as analyst Reflecting growing interests in stock trading, not only commerce college students but also high or even middle school students now form or join an investment club to study the stock market. "It is interesting to see an increasing number of young students become interested in stocks," Yoon said. "Many analysts here also have similar experience when they were students." They then join a securities firm to start their career as stock trader or market analyst. "You spend four or five years as a research assistant (RA) when you first join a securities firm. The job is pretty demanding," Yoon added. "There are many things to learn. You need to understand how to read a financial statement. You should also be well aware of latest issues in related stocks. It involves a lot of translations since Samsung Securities is releasing stock analysis not only in Korean but also in English for foreign investors." He also said there are other analysts who had different career and then joined Samsung Securities with their own experience and expertise. "There is an analyst who used to be a reporter. One analyst was also from a pharmaceutical company. Their diversity and expertise are a valuable asset in Samsung Securities." Oh said Samsung Securities analysts are also required to engage in a lot of meetings as well. "In order to provide differentiated outlooks, analysts visit companies very often to understand them more precisely. We also meet not only institutional investors by also retail investors face-to-face on a regular basis," he added. "We also have an in-house meeting every time we release our outlooks and target prices on stocks. It also involves a lot of discussion." Citing the mounting importance of foreign investors and understanding the latest market issues, they are now required to go on a business trip abroad more often. "The Consumer Electronics Show is a must," Oh said. "The event now hosts not only electronics companies but also automobile and fintech companies. In order to understand industry in general, we should visit the show." Stock market and economy The duo believes the nation's stock market is entering a recovery phase despite Samsung Electronics' disappointing earnings in the first quarter of. "Stock price always precede firm's earnings," Oh said. "Samsung Electronics enjoyed a series of record high earnings last year, but its stock prices didn't reflect the earnings because of this year's weakening chip prices. I believe such negative factors have fully reflected in its share prices." Samsung Securities set Samsung Electronics' target price at 52,000 won ($45.77). Citing the U.S. Federal Reserve's recent stance, they claim the Seoul bourse is expected to continue its momentum through the year. "It was difficult to talk about demand last year. The Fed raised rates four times last year while the trade dispute between the U.S. and China was getting intensified," said Yoon. "I believe the Fed has now turned dovish." Oh said, however, the Fed is unlikely to lower rates this year. "The U.S. economy is still strong and sound. Some claim the central bank could lower rates based on their expectation, but it's unlikely," he said. "Likewise, the Bank of Korea is also likely to keep the nation's policy rate unchanged at the current level." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has condemned what the Kremlin calls the "irresponsible plans" of the United States aimed at toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Washington views Maduro's reelection last year as illegitimate and has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president. Speaking at a meeting on May 5 in Moscow with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza, Lavrov accused the United States of leading "an unprecedented campaign" to oust "Venezuelas legitimate authorities." "We condemn this campaign. It is only up to the Venezuelans to decide about the future of their country and an inclusive dialogue between all political forces is needed for that. Attempts at a violent coup in Caracas have nothing to do with the democratic process and only frustrate prospects for political settlement of the crisis," he said. Moscow, which has substantial economic ties to Maduro's government, sent planes to Venezuela in March, carrying nearly 100 military personnel who the U.S. government believes included special forces and cybersecurity experts to Venezuela. "We call on both the Americans and those who support them to drop irresponsible plans and act exclusively within the frames of international law," Lavrov added. Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its World Press Freedom Index for 2019 ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. This years RSF index ranked all the Central Asian states, with the exception of Kyrgyzstan, among the worst offenders for press freedom. It is not the first time that has been true, but this year, for the first time, Turkmenistan actually ranked dead last in 180th place, dropping two positions from last year. Out of 180 countries, Kyrgyzstan improved in the RSF rankings, going from 98th in 2018 to 83rd in this years index. Uzbekistan nudged up from 165th to 160th. Kazakhstan maintained its position in 158th place. And Tajikistan dropped from 149th to 161st. This week, RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderated a discussion on press freedom in Central Asia: what went right during the last year; and what continues to go wrong. From Paris we were joined by Johann Bihr, the head of RSFs East Europe and Central Asia desk. Taking part from New York, Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. And from Prague, Farruh Yusupov, the director of RFE/RLs Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, participated. Ive been watching the struggles of the press in Central Asia for some time, so I also had a few things to say. Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. From left to right: Witness for Peace Organizer and translator Lee Schlenker, South Kingstown resident Taylor Ellis, Rosa Nelly Santos Navarro, Martian Lepkowski and Witness for Peace Organizer and translator Corie Welch pose for a photo in front of a mural painted in Lepkowskis home. PEARISBURG Chiropractor Pippa Chapman bought her 7-acre wooded home site behind Pearisburgs Food Lion Plaza so she could have privacy. But on a Tuesday in late April, its anything but private. Visitors have set up five tents and a hammock in her backyard. Three RVs stand in her front yard, lodging the crew helping Chapman with her hosting duties. Packs hang on several of the 15 bunks in the bunkhouse Chapman created in her garage. Guests mill around the kitchen of what was once a vacant trailer in the middle of Chapmans property. Now its a hostel with two spacious bedrooms and a community room. The bubble of northbound (nobo) Appalachian Trail thru-hikers is just hitting Pearisburg, and Chapmans Angels Rest Hikers Haven is drawing tired, sweaty backpackers like a magnet. Privacy, yes, I did want that once, Chapman says, chuckling. Now I host nearly 1,200 hikers a year, the biggest group in the spring. I hate to turn anyone away, but sometimes Im at capacity 80 people, according to town regulations for campgrounds. The vast majority of those who attempt to hike the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail begin at Springer Mountain, Georgia, and hike north toward Mount Katahdin, Maine. Most of them hit Virginia in late April through early June, filling up the shelters and creating brisk business at convenience stores and hiker-oriented businesses along the route. Chapman wants to give up her own bedroom, and other rooms in her house, so she can offer three more rooms to hikers. Shes moved into an efficiency apartment at the end of her home and is asking town council for permission to create an Airbnb. Ive opened up my heart to the AT hikers. It seems right that I open up my home to them too, Chapman said. I dont need a lot of personal space. Im busy studying for my acupuncture certification. Chapmans involvement with AT thru-hikers began in 2016, when she was attending the Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine in North Carolina not far from the AT. She met three thru-hikers seeking services from the school, became friends, and promised to host them in her guest trailer when they reached Pearisburg. About five weeks later, the hikers walked up her driveway and asked if they could zero (hang out, hike zero miles) for a few days in exchange for painting her porch. That sounded good to me, Chapman said. They kept saying You have a great place here for a hostel. Little did I know that my life was about to change. Chapmans property is in town, maybe 100 yards from a supermarket and close to several hiker-friendly eateries, yet surrounded by a strip of forest on all sides. The lawn is perfect for camping and parking for the vans of slackpackers (hikers who travel with daypacks and arrange to be transported to a comfy bed each night). After talking with her three hiker guests, Chapman thought she could get hikers to exchange work for lodging and have a camping spot for the coming sobos (southbound thru-hikers who hit Virginia in the fall). But she found the town requires her to comply with 16 pages of state regulations governing campgrounds. This included building a bath house with at least three separate showers, toilets and sinks, and having the work done by licensed contractors. I was having to put real money into this venture, so I needed to get some income, Chapman said. I decided to make the garage into a bunkhouse and hope Id eventually make enough to pay for it. She and hiker friends Rain and Walkin Tree readied the trailer for hikers. She had the bath house built with a kitchenette and a laundry in the basement. Then she turned her attention to the two-car garage, hoping to accommodate the next nobo bubble. When thru-hiker friends Beast and Thumper heard of the hostels need, they volunteered to return to Pearisburg from their Washington, D.C., jobs on weekends to do the construction. Within a year, thanks to a team of talented hikers, the property was transformed into a clean, fun, well-run hostel catering to the needs of hikers. Its a vortex. It sucks you in. Hikers come intending to spend just one night end up taking a zero the next day. And hikers planning on a zero stay longer, said Acadicus, a thru-hiker who came back to shuttle, police quiet hours, and help run Hikers Haven. One of the things that endears hikers to Hikers Haven is the likelihood of a communal meal. Hikers burn an average of 5,500 calories per day. With two kitchens and a variety of food donated by community trail angels, theres usually cooking going on as well as bonding over DVDs, campfires and games. Hikers doing laundry are encouraged to don the hostels colorful loaner clothes, which mark them as hikers when they go into town. The annual Homecoming reunion in May features a legs contest for hikers in loaner costumes. Although Chapman loves thru-hikers, she herself is not a hiker. She once walked a few miles into the trail to surprise friends with a snack and ended up having to call the rescue squad. But she does have an honorary trail name, Doc Peppa. She has become a volunteer Appalachian Trail community ambassador, keeping abreast of trail developments and checking in with the local business community about hiker needs. Chapman encourages flip-flop hiking, starting or ending the thru-hike in a less conventional spot on the trail, usually in the middle. A flip flopper will be northbound part of the way, southbound the rest. The practice reduces wear and tear on the trail, overcrowding at the shelters, and spreads out the business at trail communities. We are a good flip-flop point, Chapman said. We have great shuttle service. Well go from Daleville to Damascus. Were great for slackpacking and for hikers who are testing their interest in thru-hiking. Chapman says she sees hikers of all ages, some with disabilities. One guy was 84; another had already had three knee replacements, she said. With hikers limping in with all kinds of ailments, Chapman is assembling a healing chiropractic clinic in her basement. She will offer special hiker rates on treatments and writes X-ray orders that they can take to the local hospital, sparing them expensive visits to the emergency room. When she finishes her acupuncture studies, Chapman plans to outfit a mobile chiropractic unit. Then shell take her services out to the trail. To aching, hobbled hikers, Chapman hopes to be the trail angel from Angels Rest. (CNN) The grinding war of attrition for control of the Libyan capital is nearly a month old. It has already claimed the lives of at least 392 people and nearly 2,000 have been wounded, according to UN figures. Thousands more have been displaced and there is widespread fear that clashes will intensify ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. Whatever the claims of either side, the fight has less to do with ideology and more to do with a thirst for power. And it's being stoked by foreign states treating Libya like a sandbox, a proxy for broader rivalries. The man whose forces have Tripoli under siege is Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Fifty years ago, as a junior officer, he took part in the coup that brought Moammar Gadhafi to power. Now -- at the age of 76 or 77 -- he has sent his Libyan National Army across the desert from Benghazi in a bid to win Libya for himself. Defending the capital are disparate militia that prop up the UN-recognized transitional government. Haftar, Moscow and Riyadh Haftar has plenty of foreign friends. He has been feted in Moscow and has tacit support from Paris, where he received medical treatment last year. His main backers are the Saudis, Egyptians and the United Arab Emirates. Days before the offensive began, Haftar met King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh -- the first Libyan leader to visit a Saudi monarch for more than 50 years. Subsequently, Saudi-linked Twitter accounts unleashed "an avalanche of tweets" in support of Haftar, "some containing Libyan dialect and very precise references to Libyan locales" says journalist Mary Fitzgerald, author of "The Libyan Revolution and its Aftermath." In recent years, the UAE has provided Haftar's forces with aircraft and nearly 100 armored personnel carriers, according to a United Nations Experts report. The same report said the UAE most likely helped Haftar develop an air base at Khadim. One type of aircraft assisting Haftar's forces has been the Chinese-made AT 802U, a crop-duster converted into a light-attack aircraft. The UAE has been a major customer for the plane. One regional source believes that between them the governments of the UAE and Saudi Arabia have pledged some $200 million to the Haftar campaign, some of which has been used to buy weapons. Neither government has confirmed such financial support. Haftar's adversary -- known as the "Government of National Accord" (GNA) -- has the recognition of the United Nations, but fewer friends. Since taking office (but not power) in 2016, its writ has scarcely extended beyond the capital. It is hobbled by internal feuds and depends on rival militia for its security -- neither a government nor national. Haftar and his allies paint these militia as Islamist extremists. On Thursday, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said that "extremist militias" were "derailing" the search for a political solution in Libya. A UAE diplomatic source told CNN that the contest in Libya is a battle over "ending Qatari and Turkish regional influence and their sponsorship of Muslim Brotherhood-led militias in the region." It's perhaps no coincidence that the Trump Administration -- a firm ally of the Saudis and the UAE -- is considering designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The Russia factor It's not only the Gulf rivalry that is playing out in Libya. Senior US military commanders have expressed alarm about a growing Russian presence there. In November, Haftar visited Moscow to meet Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Fitzgerald says that: "Diplomatically, Moscow still tries to present itself as engaging with many different actors in the Libyan power struggle. It doesn't appear to have fully thrown its cards in with any one faction." But some analysts believe the Kremlin has tilted towards Haftar, noting that it blocked a UN Security Council statement calling on Haftar's army to "halt its military activity" toward Tripoli. The outgoing head of US Africa Command, Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, told a Congressional committee on March 7 that Russia's dealings with Haftar were "aimed at accessing Libya's vast oil market, reviving arms sales, and gaining access to coastal territories on the Mediterranean Sea." For its part, the Trump Administration has sent mixed messages. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on April 7: "We oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces." But days later, President Trump spoke with Haftar about "ongoing counterterrorism efforts" and "recognized Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources," according to a White House statement. Long-time Libya watcher Geoff Porter at North Africa Risk Consulting says that, "US support for Haftar (with the White House unilaterally breaking from the US diplomatic community's consensus) means that Haftar may be able to start to market oil exports under his control without having to worry about US trying to stop him." There's also a European dimension to the Libya story. France and Italy are sniping at each other, with the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, blaming Paris for "historical mistakes" that contributed to Libya's instability. French sources insist Paris was not aware of Haftar's plan to attack the west, an assertion that has met a skeptical response in Rome. But France blocked an EU statement that would have called on Haftar to stop his campaign. French, Italian and Russian oil companies all see opportunities in Libya. Bogged down Haftar had long threatened to move on Tripoli -- and after consolidating control over important oilfields in the east earlier this year was ready to push westwards. In the process he has defied UN attempts to convene a national peace conference, now indefinitely delayed. "Haftar has tried to undermine the UN process at every turn since it began in late 2014 by presenting himself as a force to be reckoned with," Fitzgerald told CNN. "He wants the UN process to bend to accommodate him rather than compromising in any way himself." Fitzgerald, who met Haftar in Benghazi in 2014, recalls: "One of his advisers told me that Haftar wanted to 'rule Libya' and went on to argue that Libya needed what he called a strongman. Haftar has said he believes Libya is not ready for democracy." But if he thought his adversaries would buckle quickly, Haftar seems to have miscalculated. Arturo Varvelli, of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, told CNN that, "Haftar was probably aiming to enter the capital as the 'savior' of his country. He reckons the population is tired of chaos and will support him; he feels the militia leaders have little appetite for fighting. He probably overestimated himself and underestimated the resistance in Tripoli." Haftar has said his goal is to purge jihadists and criminal gangs from Libya. But far from stamping them out, some experts expect his campaign will only provide them a foothold. In a March article for the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, Lachlan Wilson and Jason Pack describe ISIS as resurgent in Libya, after losing the territory it held in 2016. The terror group was "progressively rebuilding its capabilities, restructuring its organization, and regaining its confidence," they wrote, warning the group would thrive amid further conflict. Last month, ISIS remnants launched an attack in southern Libya, killing two people in the town of al Fuqaha, 600 kilometers south of Tripoli. Referring to the attack in his recent audio message, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi congratulated "their steadfastness." And late Friday, ISIS attacked a camp of Haftar's forces near Sabha. Local media reported that nine members of the Libyan National Army were killed. ISIS claimed credit for the attack within hours, claiming that 16 had been killed or wounded and prisoners held at the camp had been freed. As Porter observes: "There is nothing the Islamic State likes more than a chaotic battlefield which affords it the opportunity to insert itself. For now, Haftar's forces are camped around Tripoli. But they are at the end of a long supply chain and one source says running short of fuel. Varvelli says it took Haftar years of fighting before he freed Benghazi. "Even if it looks as if he can win Tripoli soon, keep power in a Libya that lacks government institutions, and presumably bring the country some stability, how long is that stability likely to last?" The international community may issue periodic appeals for an end to the violence, but the UN-sponsored peace process is now moribund. "The UN if they are not supported by relevant powers cannot resolve this issue," says Varvelli. "Haftar knows perfectly well there are no real constraints on what he does." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Battle for Tripoli becomes a sandbox for outside powers." From left, model Han Hyun-min, author Han Kang, and retired professor of philosophy Kim Hyeong-seok on a poster for the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF). They are this year's SIBF goodwill ambassadors. / SIBF Seoul International Book Fair to be held from June 19-23 By Kang Hyun-kyung Actor Jung Woo-sung will speak on refugees at the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF), to be held for five days from June 19 at COEX in southern Seoul. In a press release on Saturday, the Korean Publishers Association (KPA) said Jung, who has been goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since May 2014, will talk about the displaced people under the title of "Refugees, Our New Neighbors" on June 20. The actor has been a vocal supporter of the Yemeni refugees who unexpectedly divided the nation last year when about 500 arrived on Jeju Island to seek refugee status. In February he told a policy forum at the National Assembly that the baseless stories about Yemeni refugees that spread quickly online last year created hatred and Islamophobia. "If you ever met refugees in person, heard about the cruelty they face and their appalling living conditions, you would not have any doubt about the need to protect them," he said. Actor Jung Woo-sung / Korea Times file By James Sherlock Sherlock is a retired Navy Captain living in Virginia Beach. He is writing a book about the business of health care in Virginia. There is no rational argument that the profoundly anti-competitive Certificate of Public Need (COPN) law has been good for Virginians, but that did not stop the leaders of Carilion from praising it in these pages (Certificates of Public Need: Why they benefit our communitys health, April 14 commentary.) They must hope readers have short memories. The Virginia Department of Health in its administration of COPN since 1973 has created and protected from competition market-dominant non-profit public charity health systems in nearly every metro area of Virginia except Richmond. These systems pay no corporate, sales or property taxes at either state or federal levels, saving each about $35 million annually per large hospital based on the taxes paid by large for-profit hospitals here. Having sponsored and protected unassailable regional market positions, the Commonwealth failed to regulate the business practices of the advantaged companies like Carilion, Sentara, Inova and others. For a local example of what happened after Carilion bought its only competitor hospital in Roanoke, I refer you to the 2008 report Non-Profit Hospitals Flex Pricing Power by Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter John Carreyrou in the Wall Street Journal. It detailed predatory pricing in the Roanoke Valley which went from being the lowest in the state to the highest when Carilion took full control. It made Carilion one of the major economic engines on the valley, from which followed enormous political power. Carreyrou provided evidence that a large commercial health insurer in 2008 paid Carilion 25% more than it paid hospitals in competitive Richmond for an identical basket of procedures. Commercial insurers in the Roanoke Valley and other uncompetitive markets must pay the prices the dominant provider demands or forego selling policies in those areas. Insurers with national corporate customers have no choice. The massive additional costs arising from monopoly pricing are paid by people who get their insurance at work or buy it through an ACA exchange. Many nonprofits including Carilion, Sentara, Inova and others have boards composed of the CEO and unpaid volunteers. Sentara is a $5 billion annual revenue company. These boards report to no one and elect their own successors. IRS data show that the Sentara board compensated the CEO and COO of that company three times that of their counterparts at the Mayo Clinic in the five year period between 2012 and 2016. That figure is not adjusted for the fact that Mayo had twice Sentaras revenue. Virginias Health and Human Services Secretary during that period was an Inova alumnus. The current Secretary came to the job from Centra. COPN administration is a state activity. As such, the dominant systems created and protected by COPN decisions are not subject to federal antitrust action under the Justice Departments State Action Doctrine. Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have formally asked the General Assembly to repeal it. The Virginia Antitrust Act proscribes combinations in restraint of trade and anticompetitive market activities but it has not been used. The leaders of Carilion cite COPN as an essential part Virginias safety net. Only six or seven hospital systems have profited from COPN. Others have been hurt financially by pressures from COPN winners. Federal law requires all hospitals accepting Medicare payments to treat patients regardless of their ability to pay. So lets see what makes COPN attractive to the recipients of its largesse: state-protected market dominance with take it or leave it pricing power; denial of certificates to potential competitors; no oversight of anti-competitive business practices; no oversight of nonprofit executive pay; no federal, state or local taxes; the legality of Sentaras and Centras control of regionally-powerful health plans and insurers; no federal antitrust exposure and no action by the state Attorney General; and unrivaled political power the only reason that COPN hasnt been repealed. COPN is the most successful example of political rent-seeking in Virginia history. Huge political donations from the beneficiaries and their associations support COPN. Its your money they are spending. It will take citizen political action to get it repealed. Virginia, perhaps more than most states, is in love with its history. Our state capital has an entire street devoted to those we have deemed worthy of being enshrined in bronze. In truth, though, were only in love with some of our history, because theres a lot of our history that was decidedly unlovable. That raises a troublesome question: What should we do about those parts of our history that we arent so proud of? Those who venerate Confederate statues say we shouldnt erase our history and on that score, at least, theyre right. But what about those parts of our history that have already been, if not erased, at least not officially remembered? A lot of Virginia history tends to end at Appomattox and then flip ahead a century or so until we get to the present day, as if nothing much happened in between. Actually, a lot happened in between, and some of it wasnt very pretty. To really understand our history, we need to understand all of it, which means we need a better understanding of the ugly history of racially-motivated murders we commonly calling lynchings. Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed what is believed to be the nations first official apology for lynchings. That resolution, which passed unanimously, directed the states Martin Luther King Jr. commission to make as complete a record as possible of each documented lynching that occurred in the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the names of the victims and the locations and circumstances of each occurrence, to be preserved on the Commissions website, and develop programming to bring awareness and recognition of this history to communities across the state. Additionally, Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper County, sponsored a resolution commemorating the lives of three African-American men from his county whose lives were shortened by blood-thirsty mobs. Those are good first steps, but theres more that can be done than put names out on the ether of the internet. We can erect physical reminders. We can put up historical markers. That process has begun. In April, the states first historical marker remembering a lynching was unveiled in Charles City County, between Richmond and Williamsburg. Isaac Brandon was hanged by a mob of masked men in 1892. Thats just a name on a plaque to most of us, but not to his descendants, many of whom attended the event. That past isnt that far in the past. Loudoun County has now begun the process of putting up three historical markers to recall lynchings that took place there. Sometimes we need reminders of past greatness to serve as an inspiration for future generations. But sometimes we need reminders of our darker moments to serve as a cautionary tale. Its unclear how many people in Virginia mostly African-American men were hung, shot, burned or otherwise mutilated by lynch mobs. The Equal Justice Institute, an Alabama non-profit that has researched lynchings, puts the number at 88; other research puts the number somewhere north of 100. That was a rate of at least one a year between end of the Civil War and the states last documented lynching in 1932. Now compare Virginia to the states of the Deep South in which lynchings were carried out with an even more horrible frequency at least 614 in Mississippi, 595 in Georgia, 559 in Louisiana and 491 in Arkansas. In all, the Equal Justice Institute documents at least 4,075 instances of what amount to racial terror killings and the figures probably higher. Last year, a new museum opened in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to that awful history. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice was built in the same spirit of remembrance as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Its won powerful reviews from across the political spectrum. The country has never seen anything like it, headlined The New York Times. Even the architecture is said to be haunting. Plinths are suspended from the roof of the memorial like hanged men, each one engraved with details of the victim and his (or in a handful of cases, her) death, writes The National Review, a conservative publication. There are 800 such plinths, one for each county or city where a lynching took place. Outside there are 800 duplicates lined up in rows like coffins, the New York Times says that the museum is willing to send to each of those localities. The idea is to create a national network of memorials. That means there are at least 49 localities in Virginia that, sadly, are eligible for one of those memorials. Roanoke is one of them. So is Alleghany County. And Bath County. And Bland County. And Franklin County. And Henry County. And Roanoke County. And Russell County. And Scott County. And Smyth County. And Tazewell County. And Wise County. And Wythe County. Its almost easier to list the localities in Virginia that didnt have a lynching. When will any of these localities make a move to memorialize their own history? If they do, they have a memorial waiting to be erected. Some might wonder what such a memorial would convey about a locality would this be a civic embarrassment? On the other hand, given the prevalence of lynchings in that era, one might also wonder what the absence of such a memorial says about a community today? If we cant acknowledge terrible things that went on in the past, how can we ever be trusted to deal with whatever difficult questions we face today? One of the last but not the last lynchings in Virginia was in Wythe County. The Washington Post recently published a lengthy article which we reprinted about a man who has devoted the past 30 years toward trying to figure out who killed Raymond Byrd in 1926. Byrds crime? He had fathered a child by a white woman in what she insisted was a consensual relationship. He was murdered anyway. Byrds lynching embarrassed another, unrelated Byrd Gov. Harry F. Byrd Sr., who had been promoting Virginia as a good place for out-of-state investment and eventually led to General Assembly passing the first state law in the nation that explicitly made lynching a crime. Perhaps John Johnson really has figured out who Byrds killers were. He says hes not sure what to do with his findings. But whether we have the names or not, we know who could make sure this history is not forgotten. Wythe County, theres already a memorial in Alabama, waiting to be erected in Wytheville. Are we ready to remember all of our history? According to the South Korean military, the North launched the unspecified projectiles Saturday morning.The US military said later it had detected and tracked a launch but had determined that it did not pose a threat to North America. The State Department condemned missile launches which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Koreas launches using ballistic missile technology. North Korea has repeatedly said its space programme is peaceful but it is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the US. There is no doubt the actual launch was a message, although its not clear who it was addressed to. Kim and Trump in Hanoi Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday about Kim but didnt mention North Koreas latest action. In fact, Trump is trying to reassure Kim that he is still willing and able to find a diplomatic solution to the dispute over denuclearization. Despite decades of tensions with North Korea, Trump was the only U.S. president to have a sit-down with a leader of the North. At the same time, South Korea urged North Korea to stop committing acts that would raise military tensions. There is no reason that America, South Korea, China and the United Nations cannot sign a formal peace declaration. Captain Amarinder Singh Chandigarh, May 5: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has accused the BJP-led Government at the Centre of acting at the behest of the Akalis to deliberately create shortage of gunny bags, with the aim of obstructing the procurement process in order to defame the Congress government in the state in this election period. While Punjab, with its glut production of wheat, was being made to sweat it out for gunny bags, neighbouring Haryana was being supplied extra bags by the Centre to ensure smooth and streamlined procurement operations there ahead of May 12 polling, said the Chief Minister, lashing out at the central government for diverting the much-needed bales from Punjab to Haryana. He said 4 lakh bags (16,000 bales) had been diverted from Punjab to Haryana. Advertisement For the first time since taking over, the Congress government in Punjab was having problems in procurement, due to the Centres politically motivated actions in depriving the state of its much-needed supply of bags, Captain Amarinder said, accusing the BJP-led central government of acting at the behest of its allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to mess up the procurement process at the Mandis. In contrast, the BJP government in Haryana was getting additional bags to handle the excess production of wheat this year, said the Chief Minister, lashing out at the Centre for once again giving Punjab a step-motherly treatment in order to promote is political interests in this election year. To make the situation worsen, the glut production from Haryana was being pushed into Punjab through the open borders, said the CM, adding that had instructed officials to stop such attempts. Narendra Modi Advertisement The Chief Minister said the BJP must put an immediate end to such petty tactics to promote its electoral prospects. The Punjab government had been repeatedly taking up the issue of shortage of gunny bags with the Centre and the FCI, said Captain Amarinder, disclosing that he personally spoke to FCI Chairman DV Prasad yesterday. As a central agency, the FCI was working under direct orders from the central government which was acting in a totally partisan manner to create political problems for the Congress-led government in Punjab, he added. In fact, Principal Secretary to Punjab Government, KAP Sinha, also wrote to Secretary (Food & Public Distribution), Government of India on Saturday, warning that if the shortage of bales persists it could lead to a law and order situation in the state. As of May 3, 105.4 LMT of wheat had arrived in the Mandis, with another 15-16 LMT expected to arrive by May 6, he pointed out, adding that a serious shortage of A class bales was expected in Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur. Sinha requested that Punjab be allowed to purchase B class bags from the open market to meet the shortfall. It may be noted that Haryana got permission to use B Class Gunny Bags (subject to satisfactory inspection by FCI) but the same was denied to Punjab. This was Sinhas second such letter in four days but with the FCI failing to respond, the situation was likely to aggravate, with a total of 132 LMT of wheat expected to arrive in the Mandis this season. Advertisement Pointing out that agricultural production was on the rise in view of his governments focused interventions and support to the farmers, the Chief Minister said the total production of Cereals went up from 30.75 Million Tons in 2016-17 to 31.7 Million Tons in 2017-18. Correspondingly, the total remuneration of farmers from Government procurement also went up from Rs 77984 crore to Rs. 100235 crore in the last four seasons (as compared to the corresponding periods of 2015-16) - an increase of Rs 22251 crore or 28.5%. BJP-Led Central Govt. Acting At Behest Of Akalis This was obviously not going down well with the Akalis, who wanted to puncture the Congress balloon using all kinds of cheap tactics, including arm-twisting their alliance partner, the BJP, to undermine the Congress governments efforts to protect the interests of the farmers, said the Chief Minister. The Centre, he pointed out, had been adamantly refusing to support the Punjab Governments farmer welfare initiatives, including debt waiver. Advertisement With the diversion of gunny bags to Haryana, where the BJP was in power and polling was scheduled for next Sunday, the Narendra Modi had once again proven that the only thing they were interested in was staying in power, by hook or by crook. Captain Amarinder noted that the BJP-led Central Governments apathy to Punjab and its people had been manifest in all their actions, including their refusal to support the state governments various historic celebrations, including the Jallianwala Bagh massacre centenary and the 550th Prakah Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. They have shown the extent to which they are willing to stoop to protect their political interests, he added. A rocket blasts off from a mobile launcher in this photo North Korea's state media KCNA released on Sunday, a day after the nuclear-armed North fired multiple short-range projectiles into the East Sea. Yonhap North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons to test their performance, state media reported Sunday, a day after the communist nation fired unidentified short-range projectiles into the East Sea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the "strike drill of defense units in the forefront area and on the eastern front which took place in the East Sea of Korea on Saturday," according to the Korean Central News Agency. "The purpose of the drill was to estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units in the frontline area and on the eastern front," the KCNA said. "And the combat performance of arms and equipment and to more powerfully arouse the entire army to the movement for becoming crackshots with the drill as an occasion and thus put it at combat readiness posture all the time," it added. Kim urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength," the KCNA said. Another missile is fired in this photo. Yonhap North Korean military fires multiple short-range missiles. Yonhap A missile shoots through the sky in this photo from North Korea's state media KCNA. Yonhap On Saturday, North Korea fired multiple projectiles from its east coast town of Wonsan into the East Sea. They flew about 70 kilometers to 200 kilometers, Seoul's military said. Experts said a weapon of similar appearance to Russia's tactical ballistic missile, the Iskander, was seen in photos released by the KCNA. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff had earlier said the North fired multiple short-range "missiles" but later revised the announcement, saying only "projectiles" were fired. Iskander missiles can be fired a distance ranging from 60 km to 500 km and are difficult to intercept, according to military experts. If what North Korea referred to as the launch of "tactical guided weapons" was indeed the test of the North's version of the Iskander, it could be in violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution that bans the communist nation from all kinds of ballistic missile launches. The photos released by the North's media also showed weapons that seemed like 240-mm and 300-mm multiple rocket launchers. Experts say the firing appeared to be a carefully calibrated move by Pyongyang to pressure Washington into showing more flexibility in their nuclear negotiations without going as far as to derail the talks. Nuclear negotiations have been stalemated 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 a tweet hours after the projectile firing, U.S. President Donald Trump voiced his confidence that the North Korean leader will keep its promise on denuclearization. "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump tweeted. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" Since the breakdown of the summit in February, Pyongyang has intensified calls on Washington to ditch its hard-line stance on denuclearization talks. Last month, Kim said in a key policy speech that he is willing to hold another summit with Trump if the U.S. comes up with a new proposal acceptable to him before the end of the year. Recently, North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui warned of an "undesired consequence," accusing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for saying that Washington could change course in the event that nuclear negotiations collapse. North Korea has not test-fired a ballistic missile since November 2017, a lull that Trump has hailed as one of his major achievements in denuclearization talks with Pyongyang. Last month, North Korea test-fired what it called "the new tactical guided weapon," which, according to Seoul authorities, appeared to be a guided weapon for ground combat. (Yonhap) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the "strike drill of defense units" on Saturday," according to the Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the "strike drill of defense units," according to the Korean Central News Agency. A street dog from Thailand has found her fur-ever home in Huntington Beach. Dr. Lisa Chong and Tara Austin spotted the year-old Thai Bangkaew dog dragging its body on its two front legs across a busy street while they were there in December to volunteer at Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai. The tale began to unfold after dinner one night during their stay. During the meal, Austin shared with Chong her admiration for the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who remained dedicated to her art despite becoming bedridden after a bus accident. On their way back to their hotel following dinner, the two childhood friends spotted the dog. They walked onto the street to stop traffic and to shepherd the animal to safety. While Chong used treats to gauge the dogs friendliness toward humans, Austin flagged down a cab to take them back to their hotel. Advertisement Austin also asked people at nearby businesses if they knew the dog, but no one claimed her. Austin and Chong, who gave the dog the name Frida after the artist, believe she might have been dropped off at a nearby temple where other stray dogs congregate. She had this fighter spirit, Austin said, referring to Fridas attitude on the drive back to their hotel. The dog, she said, calmly sat in the car and looked out the window. Chong, an OB-GYN, said they didnt realize the extent of Fridas poor condition until they took her back to their hotel room. Ticks covered the dogs body and her paws were covered with dirt from dragging herself around, she said. An X-ray at a 24-hour hospital just outside Chiang Mai later revealed Frida had a lumbar fracture and was missing several bones in her paws. She didnt have any fur on her paws at the time. She was really infected, Chong said. You could just feel the heat coming out of her legs, thats why she was panting. She didnt even know how to drink water. She had been a street dog for so long she only understood how to drink water off the pavement. She didnt understand the concept of a cup of water. Chong said hospital staff recommended amputating Fridas hind legs, but Chong wanted that option to be the last resort. She said they had hoped Frida would one day walk again. The two visited Frida in the hospital for several hours every day during their trip. They noticed a slow shift in the canines behavior. It was apparent to them she was gaining more confidence. Fur started to grow on her two injured paws. Chong said the decision to formally adopt Frida was gradual. They realized the dog likely wouldnt be the first choice for adoption by a family. They also didnt want to financially burden the animal sanctuary by lodging Frida there, she said. Before they left Thailand to head home, they purchased a dog collar with a tag embossed with Fridas name as a promise they would soon return for their four-legged friend. Chong brought Frida home on a first-class flight from Thailand to Los Angeles last week. Frida is currently lodged at Two Hands Four Paws, an animal rehabilitation facility in L.A., where shell learn how to walk again before moving into Chongs home in downtown Huntington Beach. Chongs and Austins love for animals has led them to spend more than $13,000 to give Frida a second chance at life. Fundraisers are being planned to pay for medical costs, as the two friends see if doctors can help Frida use her two hind legs to walk again. Part of me is sad knowing [Frida] is leaving her homeland and shes leaving everything shes ever known but I think she has a bright future ahead of her, Chong said. To help Frida, visit: gofundme.com/meet-frida-our-paralyzed-thai-street-pup. Italian police have arrested a 22-year-old U.S. man and accused him of killing a 74-year-old Italian owner of a clothing store in Viterbo, a city near Rome. Police arrested Michael Aaron Pang on Saturday and allege that he killed the storekeeper by striking him with a stool. The body of Norveo Fedeli was found inside his store on Friday, Lt. Col. Guglielmo Trombetta told The Associated Press Trombetta said Pang, who was born in South Korea, is a graphic designer from Kansas City who arrived in Italy about two months ago. Trombetta said it was unclear why Pang was in Italy. He said the suspect has not spoken yet with detectives. Pangs lawyer did not immediately reply to a message on Sunday. Advertisement Trombetta said Pang ordered designer clothes worth about 600 euros ($670) from Fedelis store. He said Pang had come to the store twice before Friday to purchase the clothes, but that his credit card was rejected. Police allege Pang and Fedeli scuffled before Pang killed the storekeeper. Police said Pang changed his clothes and took the mans wallet before fleeing the store with one of his shoes covered in a bag because it was stained in blood. Police said they found Fedelis stolen wallet and other evidence linking Pang to the killing at a room he rented in Capodimonte, a lake town near Viterbo. Pang, who faces murder and robbery charges, is expected to appear in court Monday, Trombetta said. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to continue its attacks and to stand by for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israels destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. Advertisement While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gazas economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group was not interested in a new war. He signaled readiness to return to the state of calm if Israel stopped its attacks and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life. With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to U.N. tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to burnish its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. Hamas is the change seeker, said retired Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staffs strategic division. Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have every right to defend themselves. He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. President Donald Trump warned the Gaza militants that these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. 'We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens.... he tweeted. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen! The U.N. Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and U.N. mediation efforts. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often cooperates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes beginning Saturday. Islamic Jihad threatened to strike deeper into Israel, saying it is ready to engage in an open confrontation and can open a broader front to defend our land and people. By Sunday, the Israeli military said militants had fired over 600 rockets, with the vast majority falling in open areas or intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket-defense system. But more than 30 rockets managed to strike urban areas, the army said. Israeli officials said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli father of four, was fatally struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard in the southern town of Ashkelon. The other deaths included a 49-year-old man killed when a rocket hit an Ashkelon factory, a man who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, and a 35-year-old man whose car was hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod. Israeli police said 66 people were wounded, three seriously. In Ashkelon, the Barzilai hospital itself was hit by debris from a rocket that was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile. The Israeli deaths were the first rocket-related fatalities since the 2014 war, when 73 people, including six civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. The Israeli military said it struck 250 targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier, and put another brigade on standby. We have been given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting under current conditions, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 dead, including at least eight militants hit in targeted airstrikes. At least four civilians, including two pregnant women and two babies, were also among the dead. Late Saturday, the Palestinians said a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The army denied involvement, saying they were killed by an errant Palestinian rocket. There was no way to reconcile the claims. Among the militants who were killed was Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary, a money changer whom Israel said was a key player in transferring Iranian funds to the militant group. Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their 4-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. Sirens wailed along Israels border region throughout the day warning of incoming attacks. School was canceled and roads were closed. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Hamas seized control of Gaza from the forces of internationally recognized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite his fierce rivalry with Hamas, Abbas appealed to the international community to stop the Israeli aggression against our people. ____ Akram reported from Gaza City. Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A federal judge who worked until his recent death at age 96 left a historic trail of groundbreaking legal opinions. But one case outlived Damon Keith: the longest-running housing discrimination lawsuit in the United States. Keith declared in 1971 that Hamtramck, a tiny Detroit-area city long known for Polish culture, had intentionally forced out blacks or cut them off from the community to make room for Interstate 75 and so-called urban renewal projects in the 1950s and 60s. Hamtramck finally agreed to offer 200 family housing units, as well as housing for senior citizens, for violating the constitutional rights of black residents. Yet even today decades later there still are three houses left to build. Keith, who died on April 28, wont see the keys change hands, an unfortunate postscript for a judge whose steadfast enforcement of civil rights was the emblem of his career. Advertisement The finish line will probably be this summer, said Michael Barnhart, an attorney who has represented generations of black families in the litigation. I know his health was declining, but I wanted him to be there after all these years. Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski said: Its bittersweet. The end really is around the corner. Keith, the grandson of slaves, was a judge for 52 years, first at the U.S. District Court in Detroit, followed by 42 years on a federal appeals court. He made history on the bench, ruling against the Nixon administrations use of warrantless phone taps and ordering George W. Bushs administration to open deportation hearings. In the Hamtramck lawsuit, filed in 1968, Keith noted that blacks made up less than 15% of the citys population but represented more than 70% of residents whose neighborhoods were broken up because of the path of I-75. He also cited other examples. The judge referred to it as the black removal case, Barnhart said. It was an extreme example of racial discrimination. After nearly a decade, Hamtramck agreed to offer housing at below-market rates to families that wanted to return. But that solution languished for many more years, due to political opposition and the citys poor finances. By 2010, half of the 200 units were complete, and Keith proudly attended a ribbon-cutting at a new home on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Then work stalled again. The problem always was the city was broke, Barnhart said. Through the whole case weve tried to identify federal programs or county programs or state programs to help us put together the housing that was needed. That has been the fundamental problem. Keith had the case for virtually his entire career, keeping it until 2018 despite his promotion to the appeals court. In his 2014 biography, Crusader for Justice, the judge scoffed at critics who accused him of social engineering. If I see inequities ... as it relates to discrimination and violation of the law, then I have broad authority to fashion a remedy, Keith said. Lemuel Sawyer, 61, and his sisters are among those who have benefited from Keiths decision. His family was forced out when he was a boy, but he returned to Hamtramck in 2014 to live in a new two-story home. His parents are dead. To me, this is my mothers home. This is my familys home, Sawyer said, speaking in his doorway on Goodson Street. Judge Damon Keith he saved the day. He gave us optimism. Hamtramck, a 2-square-mile (5.1-square-kilometer) city surrounded by Detroit, was a haven for Polish immigrants who worked in area factories. A park features a towering statue of St. John Paul II, who visited as a cardinal and as pope. But the city now is culturally diverse: Someone looking for a meal can find a pierogi on one side of Hamtramck and a kebab at the other. Most City Council members are Muslim. A mosque sits across the street from a Roman Catholic church. The greatest monument in Hamtramck to Judge Keith is the fact that most of the residents have learned to live together in peace, city attorney James Allen said. ___ Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwhiteap Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tim Gould by now is well attuned to all the buzz beneath his roof. I dont know why theyre picking on me, Gould says, as wildlife trapper Leo Cross climbs a ladder to vacuum out the beehive inside his roof. Theyve lit me up multiple times. No hard feelings: Gould wants to save his tormentors. He knows their importance as pollinators for a third of what we eat. He knows Cross wont kill them. He knows theyre in deep trouble. And if they dont make it, likely, neither will we. Advertisement Scientists call it a pollinator health crisis. One in three mouthfuls of everything we eat directly or indirectly rely upon honeybee production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pollinators contribute more than $24 billion to the American economy, $15 billion from honey bees alone. But domestic pollinators have plummeted for decades, especially native bees, recent research shows. Managed honey bees dropped from 6 million colonies in 1947 to 2.5 million now. A phenomenon called colony collapse disorder killed 23 percent of the honey bee population after the winter of 2006-2007. Meanwhile, monarch butterflies have dipped 84 percent. Fewer pollinators pose a serious risk to domestic crops, ecological health and the economy in Florida and nationwide, scientists warn. Like canaries in a coal mine, bees also reflect the overall health of the environment. The rapid loss of bees over the past decade may signal a decline in the health of the planet, scientists warn, and a symptom of much larger environmental problems. But Floridas bees, appear to be for the moment on the mend, beekeepers and state agricultural officials say. They continue to face a litany of threats from pests, pesticides and diseases, as well as hurricanes. But Florida has the advantage of yearly boosts from commercial beekeepers up north who bring their bees to winter here, providing a spillover effect for beekeepers like Clifton Best. He sees first hand without using gloves a bee comeback in Brevard. It manifests in the daily calls he fields from fearful homeowners wanting to rid their property of unwanted bees without using pesticides to kill them. Im doing so much bee removal, I dont have time to sit still, Best says from his 2-acre bee operation in Canaveral Groves. Earlier this month, a Melbourne man was stung more than 100 times while trying to save his dog from a swarm of bees. He was hospitalized and recovered, but his dog died. Leo Cross, of Florida Wildlife Trappers, responded to the scene, vacuuming thousands of bees from inside the walls of the the Myrtlewood Road home. Clifton Bests bee haven is nestled in a remote wooded area. Through a fenced-in narrow passageway, Best keeps 50 bee colonies in wooden boxes propped up on concrete blocks among towering trees. A constant roar of bees amplifies each time Best approaches the boxes. Nationwide, bee colonies like his are not doing so well. A 2015 USDA national survey of beekeepers found mixed trends for bee colonies. But Floridas bee colonies grew from about 150,000 colonies in 2007 to almost 400,000 colonies in 2014. But those numbers can be misleading, scientists say, because beekeepers often split their colonies. So more colonies doesnt necessarily mean more bees. The surveys also dont take into account the health of the colonies. Best credits the increase in bees he sees to state efforts to ease rules on allowing beekeepers to remove nuisance bees, mitigating others from excessive use of pesticides to rid homes of bees. Other state actions could soon help as well. A bill is pending in the Florida Legislature to create a special Save the Bees license plate for the Florida State Beekeepers Association. A portion of the money would go toward raising awareness of the importance of beekeeping in Florida agriculture by funding honeybee research, education, outreach and husbandry. ___ State actions nascent and anemic But state laws and policies to protect bees and other pollinators are in their infancy, researchers who study pollinators say. In a paper published this year in the journal Environmental Science and Policy, Missouri researchers called for global monitoring and conservation agreements. They found that since 2000, 36 states have passed 109 new laws addressing beekeeping, pesticides, habitat, awareness and research. Florida wasnt one of them. They called state efforts, with few exceptions nascent and anemic steps in addressing a pollinator health crisis. A mere nine states Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon and Vermont have enacted legislation to protect pollinators from pesticides. But the Missouri researchers pointed to some promising recent developments, including increased awareness and alarm about pollinator losses and the threats to food security and economic stability. Theyre beginning to see that not all insects are pests, said Damon Hall, an assistant professor at University of Missouris School of Natural Resources and lead author on the study. While market interest and investment will likely save the honey bees, which Europeans brought here, Hall says the much bigger worry is native bees, of which there are 4,500 species in North America. We dont know how important native bees are to our crops, Hall said. In October, the National Conference of State Legislators brought attention to the issue in a report that also called on more state and federal protections for pollinators. Several federal bills have been introduced in recent years to protect pollinators. The Saving Americas Pollinators Act of 2015 directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take actions related to pesticides, including suspending the registration of neonicotinoid pesticides, a class of nicotine-based insecticides. EPA prohibits use of certain neonicotinoid pesticides when bees are present. I think they need a more thorough review, Hall said. ___ Colony Collapse Disorder baffles Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which causes rapid and unexpected bee loss within a hive, continues to confuse scientists, who have proposed theories as to the cause, but nothing definitive. Scientists are studying multiple potential causes, with some suspecting it may not even be a new phenomenon. Inquiries have pointed to malnutrition, genetically modified crops, a mite that transmits viruses to bees, or some undiscovered pests or diseases. In 2011, countless bees died for unknown reasons near Brevards southern border, leading some to suspect it was a case of CCD. State agricultural investigators determined the South Brevard bees were being killed via sabotage, according to University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension officials. The bees food was spiked with a pesticide, though no charges were ever filed. Bees can carry granular pesticides from residential landscapes back to hives, mistaking it for pollen, with deadly consequences. So experts recommend getting a beekeeper to remove the bees. ___ County lightens up on bees, too With emerging threats from Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses that thrives in Flordas extreme wet conditions, county mosquito control officials must weigh that risk with the potential harm pesticides pose to pollinators. Brevards pesticide applicators are licensed in public health by state agriculture, Joseph Faella, director of Brevard County Mosquito Control, said via email. They follow product labels and account for wind, rain, time of day, habitats, and other site conditions to prevent any inadvertent environmental impacts, he added. When chemical spraying is a must, the county sprays at least 30 minutes after sunset, when bees and other pollinators are generally inactive, he said. Brevards flooding from hurricanes and other storms resulted in an overall reduction in mosquito-control pesticide use over the past five years, Faella added. The county captured floodwaters within 28,000 acres of lands surrounded with earthen dikes used to manage water levels in order to eliminate mosquito egg laying opportunities. Thats one method of reducing mosquito breeding, in whats called integrated pest management (IPM). The county also uses biological control and outreach education, first trying to get folks to eliminate water holding containers (and sometimes stock fish). Horticulturists say maintaining diverse plant life in your backyard can help promote pollinators. On Bests land, bees have their pick of a diverse array of plant and tree life. They swarm around Clifton Best as he stands in front of their hive box. It agitates them a little bit when we get in front of their entrance, Best says as he holds a metal can of smoking pine needles in front of the hive. The smoke blocks the pheromones that signal them to sting an invader. He cracks the lid open with a metal wedge. The static-like buzzing roar heightens in volume. Best provides them with hive racks. The rest is up to them, as long as we stay out of the way. They dont need us. We need them, Best says. ___ Information from: Florida Today (Melbourne, Fla.), https://www.floridatoday.com Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Families need all the support they can get when they have a premature baby. Enid James of Parkersburg is showing her support by crocheting items that are sent to neonatal intensive care units across the U.S. through the nonprofit Charlis Love. Charlis Love officially began in 2000 after the founding members wanted to keep alive the memory of their child, whom they lost in 1995 in the NICU. Charlis Love began as a personal project, supplying 46 NICUs with handmade items, said Maria Cavnor, the founder. Advertisement As of June 2018, it is now a non-profit, currently supplying 287 hospitals with handmade items made from hundreds of volunteers. Charlis Love says its mission is to supply NICUs with handmade items for preemies and their families, supporting them during this scary time in their life. James is getting ready to mail her first box of almost 100 items that she crocheted to go to the NICUs in memory of her great-great nephew, Aaron Spencer, who was born premature, and did not survive. All we had was donated blankets and clothes to dress him in for photos, his mother and Jamess great niece, Stacy Spencer, said. Spencer said they lost him at 15 weeks, and although he was not in the NICU, she still received those donated items. When I delivered, the cord was wrapped tightly around his neck about five times, she said. Sometimes the only thing a family has from their NICU stay is one of the items that they received from Charlis Love while in the NICU, Spencer said. Spencer was then added to the group Charlis Love where she learned about its mission and shared it with her family, sparking Jamess interest in helping other babies and their families. James said she had not crocheted in 24 years prior to learning about Charlis Love. I got out the old crocheting utensils and decided to see if I could still crochet, she said. James said she was going to make 50, but she has just kept going and has now made close to 100 hats, blankets and other gifts for the babies. Anytime I am sitting I am crocheting, she said. James said it takes her only 35 minutes to make a hat, but the blankets tend to be a longer process. Her great-great nephew was not the only child in her family born premature. My granddaughter was also born premature, she said. James said she was glad to have found such a wonderful hobby. I am glad to be able to help others, she said. ___ Information from: News and Sentinel (Parkersburg, W.Va.), https://www.newsandsentinel.com Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. North Korean military conducts a live-fire drill for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapons in the country's east coastal city of Wonsan, Saturday. / Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo North Korea fired several short-range projectiles, Saturday, to ratchet up pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump to return to the negotiating table with a compromise on easing sanctions, analysts said Sunday. They said Trump, however, will keep sanctions and that sanctions relief will not happen, just like when the summit between leaders of the two counties collapsed in Hanoi, Vietnam late February. The experts said such a deadlock will force North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, not Trump, to consider whether to go back on the path to war as in 2017 or comply with the U.S. demand for full denuclearization in return for sanctions relief. Pyongyang apparently did not want to anger the U.S., Saturday, as they did not fire intermediate- or long-range missiles. A series of test launches in 2017 showed that the North's intermediate-range missiles can reach the U.S. military base in Guam while the latter can target the entire continental U.S. Meanwhile, the North's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, Sunday, Kim oversaw a live-fire drill of long-range multiple rocket launchers and unspecified tactical guided weapons KCNA said Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over Saturday's drills and urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength." During his short career in the California Assembly, Joaquin Arambula has worked to persuade Fresno voters to believe in him. Now the Democrats political fate could hinge on whether his legal team can convince a jury that his 7-year-old daughter didnt tell authorities the truth. In an unusual case that has dominated news in the Central Valley, the Democratic legislator is standing trial on a misdemeanor count of willful cruelty to a child after his daughter told police in December that Arambula struck her in the face. Photos showing a 1-inch bruise on the childs right temple were shared with jurors this week. The girl, at times clutching a stuffed animal, told a packed Fresno courtroom on the first day of the trial Friday that the assemblyman pinned her down on her bed and grasped her head, his ring hitting her by accident. She said she remembered telling authorities that he slapped her face, but now believes the appropriate word is grasp. Fresno County Assistant Dist. Atty. Steven Wright told the jury that Arambulas children have alleged a history of abuse at the hands of their father. Advertisement Youll hear the other instances of him being upset, losing his temper and committing other acts of violence against his children, such as squeezing, such as kicking, such as hitting, such as elbowing, Wright said. The 7-year-old girl later said on the stand that her father had also squeezed her to the point where she struggled to breathe. Arambula, who maintains his innocence, has offered no explanation for his daughters bruised face. According to court records, the girl originally told her teacher that she fell when she was playing with her sister but later walked into the campus administrative office, asked for an ice pack for the bruise and said her dad slapped her on the face. Arambulas defense attorney said in opening statements that evidence would show inconsistencies in the girls statements and an inclination toward fantastical details. You will see that [Arambulas daughter] has an answer for everything, said Margarita Martinez-Baly, Arambulas defense attorney. Those are the kind of things we ask you to look at. Does it all make sense? Is she credible? Fresno police arrested the assemblyman Dec. 10 at his daughters elementary school after Child Protective Services reported that the girl said her father struck her on the face. In the four months since, Arambula and his attorneys have publicly sparred with the police chief and the county district attorney as the case unfolded. Arambula defended himself in a round of interviews with reporters two days after police took him into custody. The politician and his defense attorneys have sought to cast Arambula as a devoted father who acted within his legal right to spank his child and as the victim of a politically motivated attack by local officials. After Arambulas media interviews, Police Chief Jerry Dyer publicly disputed the legislators account and told local news outlets that the girls injury was not consistent with a spanking. When Fresno County Dist. Atty. Lisa Smittcamp filed the charge against Arambula in March, the assemblyman responded in a statement that said politics may have motivated the decision and called the allegation false and unthinkable. Arambula didnt elaborate on the alleged political motivation. Smittcamp, who typically refrains from commenting on open cases, disputed Arambulas assertion in an interview with the Fresno Bee and said she based her decision on facts alone. Arambula, a 41-year-old physician and member of a prominent Fresno political family, won a special election in 2016 to represent the western part of the city in the 31st Assembly District, a seat held by Democrats for more than a quarter of a century. He has headed a budget subcommittee on health and human services for the last three years. Some political supporters in Fresno have mentioned Arambula as someone who could eventually rise to become Assembly speaker like Cruz Bustamante, a former lieutenant governor who held Arambulas seat in the 1990s, or run for Congress. Arambulas father, Juan, started his political career on the Fresno Unified School District Board of Trustees in the late 1980s before winning an election for county supervisor and later the same Assembly seat his son now holds. A Democrat often at odds with leadership, the senior Arambula famously renounced his party membership the year before he termed out of the lower house. But the younger Arambulas decision to blame local officials and evidence of the bruise have led some political observers to question whether the familys time in politics could end with the misdemeanor trial. Democratic legislators from the region declined interview requests about the case, and none has publicly come to Arambulas defense. The sensitive nature of the case, involving a young child and a family, has made it a delicate subject across the political spectrum. Youve seen cases of politicians in Fresno with DUIs, maybe even some accusations of spousal abuse, or bar fights, said Thomas Holyoke, professor of political science at Cal State Fresno. I cant remember anything like this. Local politicians are already eyeing a run at Arambulas seat, should the lawmaker be unable to return to his post in Sacramento. Arambula took a voluntary leave of absence from the Legislature in March, a move Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said at the time he supported. If it turns out that [a jury finds] he genuinely hit his child, hes probably politically dead at that point, Holyoke said. Arambula and his daughter tell two different versions of what took place in the familys home on a Sunday evening when his wife was out of town. In separate interviews, the girl told a social worker and a police officer that her father hit her on both sides of her face in her bedroom after she made her 6-year-old sister cry. She said his ring caused the bruise, according to court documents. In a later conversation with a specialist trained to interview child witnesses, Arambulas daughter said her fathers ring finger hit her twice, describing one of the blows as an accident after he slipped on a toy. According to court documents, the child also alleged that her father had kicked, squeezed and struck her in the past, and said her mother sometimes spanked her with a stick. Two days after his arrest, Arambula told The Times that he spanked his daughter with his hand to discipline her for acting out. He denied that he hit the childs face and said he saw no physical marks on her body. Ive never hit someone in the face man, woman or child, Arambula said in December. Im literally struggling to figure out how to reconcile the situation that were in now. Spanking a child is generally legal under California law unless the act is considered excessive or unjustified. This week, attorneys for the prosecution and the defense grilled potential jurors about their beliefs on corporal punishment. Arambulas attorneys offered a more detailed version of the events in a motion filed with the court last week. The lawyers assert that he tripped on a toy on the floor that night as he entered a dimly lighted room shared by his daughters. He said his daughter jumped off the bed to get away from him and he caught her, turned her over and spanked her twice on her bottom. The assemblyman has said his daughter was angry that evening and the next day when she went to school. Defense attorneys say Arambula does not know how the injury to his daughters head occurred. The lawyers have focused their attention on what they say are inconsistencies in the childs statements, saying the child is embellishing, making up stories and not a reliable witness. I think shes a really smart kid and she wants her way, Arambula attorney Martinez-Baly said in an interview Thursday. She was angry that she was spanked. She was angry that she felt that her dad wouldnt listen to her side of the story and they always side with her sister. Regardless of the trials outcome, political experts say the allegation alone has damaged Arambulas political prospects, and future opponents could raise questions about Arambulas decision to allow his attorney to cross-examine his daughter at trial. I think thats definitely a line of attack in the future, said Jeffrey Cummins, professor of political science at Cal State Fresno. I think it does permanent damage to his reputation. Martinez-Baly acknowledged that Arambula is in a no-win situation. She said he feels strongly that hes innocent and wants to clear his name. Its going to be his word against hers, she said. Im sure some people out there wont like that and think he should have taken a deal to spare his daughter. It was his decision, and I cant say I blame him. I would want to defend myself. Arambulas three daughters were taken from his home by Child Protective Services the evening after the incident and were placed in the care of his parents for two days. After conducting an investigation, CPS allowed the girls to return home and closed the case in March, citing insufficient evidence of physical abuse, according to the defense. Smittcamp, who declined an interview request, decided to charge Arambula with a misdemeanor. The prosecution has argued that striking a 7-year-olds head hard enough to leave a mark is excessive and unreasonable. John Myers, an expert on child abuse cases and a professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, said the decision to prosecute in such a case is uncommon. In a case like this where you dont have very serious physical injuries, it would be more common for CPS to get involved and work with the family to help them, and for the D.A. to decline to press charges, Myers said. But he noted that prosecutors and Child Protective Services have different roles in such cases; district attorneys focus on whether a crime has been committed, while CPS bases its decisions on whether a child would be in danger if allowed to remain in the home. More stories from Taryn Luna taryn.luna@latimes.com Follow @tarynluna on Twitter. 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. Amid a growing number of reported child abuse cases at daycare centers, discussions about how to solve the long-running problems are drawing mixed responses, ranging from stronger punishment of abusers to better labor conditions for carers. / Gettyimagebank By Kim Jae-heun Amid a growing number of reported child abuse cases at daycare centers, discussions about how to solve the long-running problems are drawing mixed responses, ranging from stronger punishment of abusers to better labor conditions for carers. According to the National Child Protection Agency, Sunday, reported child abuse cases at daycare centers have rapidly increased in the past 5 years. Between 2014 and 2017 the number of recorded cases rose from 295 to 840. The agency is an affiliate of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Looking at laws on special cases concerning child abuse crimes, a babysitter working at a nursery facility can face additional punishment for assaulting a child. The penalty can rise by 50 percent compared to an assault case against an adult. However, if the child survives, precedents show most nursery workers receive suspended sentences after they are indicted for assaulting an infant. In last October, the Busan District Court handed down a suspended one-year jail sentence to a babysitter for pricking a child with a needle and attacking him in the blind spot not covered by the surveillance camera. The following month, the Incheon District Court sentenced a nursery teacher to 10 months in prison for forcing a child to eat leftover food and hitting children who refused to sleep during the day. However, her sentence was suspended for two years. Verdicts given on similar cases this year also did not see babysitters sent to jail. In one case involving two babysitters, one suspect was sentenced to a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years, while the other suspect was found not guilty. A petition urging for stronger punishment against abusive nursery teachers was posted on Cheong Wa Dae's website last July which was signed by nearly 410,000 people. The presidential office, which promises to address petitions that collect over 200,000 signatures, said it sees a necessity to apply stricter regulations against child abuse at daycare centers in order to improve the system there. However, many also point out that there are limits to prevent child abuse with only stern punishment and the boundary between child abuse and disciplinary action is ambiguous. Lawyer Shim Moon-jae at Jinsol Law Firm, who has multiple years of experience with child abuse cases, argued that the judiciary needs to provide specific standards on physical and psychological mistreatments. "There is no clear standard on what physical abuse is and sometimes there are parents who sue a babysitter with a small physical contact she made with their child," Shim said. Another lawyer called for the ministry's effort to supervise daycare centers and provide education to nursery teachers to prevent child abuse as most of the indicted cases are first-time offenders. There are opinions that labor conditions for babysitters need to be improved to solve the fundamental problem. According to the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education's 2017 report, the main causes of child abuse at daycare centers come from poor working conditions that attribute to an uncontrollable amount of stress put on babysitters. Mohib Ullah, left, a leader of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), speaks through a megaphone during an evening gathering between ARSPH members and a group of foreign journalists in Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, April 16. Courtesy of W-TIMES By Jung Da-min COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh The Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) is a political awakening for Rohingya refugees who fled the "systematic persecution from birth to death" of the Myanmar government. Formed at the Lambashia, Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, a southeast coastal city in Bangladesh near the border with Myanmar, the group has started to take itself to international consultative gatherings to testify against the Myanmar government. On April 16, about 12 ARSPH members gathered at the Camp-2W office of the 34-unit mega camp, to meet dozens of journalists of different nations from around the world. Serazunesm, a 34-year-old Rohingya refugee / Courtesy of W-TIMES "I came to the Bangladesh refugee camp between Aug. 25 and Sept. 1 [in 2017] as the Myanmar government was systematically committing genocide," said Serazunesm, 34, referring to the latest exodus of Rohingyas due to violence. More than 10,000 of the Muslim minority were killed in 2017 alone. "Most of the time, the women and children were facing the genocide more than men did, as we could not go far away," she said, referring to the restriction on movement of Rohingya people imposed by the Myanmar government. She said she is one of the Rohingya victims who experienced violence in Myanmar, and she and one of her daughters sustained gunshot wounds during one incident in which another family member of hers was shot dead. She also talked about the sexual abuse the Rohingya women faced, especially that committed by the Myanmar police and paramilitary border force known as the Nasaka. She said Rohingya women had to receive "medical checkups" done by the male Nasaka officials, which often led to sexual violence. A view of the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, the camp 17 area of the 34-unit mega camp / Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min Although women and children are the most vulnerable to oppression, the reality Rohingya men face is also harsh. Abdul Rohion, 53, was a teacher at a government-run high school but had no choice but to leave his home in Myanmar as the government did not protect him from the oppression he was facing. "We want to go home with dignity, safety and security of life," said Rohoin, who is now a member of ARSPH in the Cox's Bazar camp. He said he'd feel safer about returning to his home country if the Myanmar government gave citizenship back to the Rohingya people. After the Myanmar Citizenship Law was created in 1982, Myanmar's Border Immigration Force withdrew the Rohingyas' citizenship documentation in 1993. Rohion said his father and grandmother had Myanmar citizenship cards, saying they were the evidence that Rohingya were also citizens of Myanmar. Abdul Rohion, a 53-year-old Rohingya refugee who used to be a teacher in Myanmar, shows his father's Myanmar passport to journalists. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min Other ARSPH members also said Rohingya refugees want their full citizenship rights back, which includes the return of their land and access to business, healthcare and education with no special restrictions. "The main thing our Rohingya people want is to return to our homeland in Rakhine State with our full rights," the group said in a letter to the visiting delegation. The group also strongly argued the international community should be including Rohingya voices when discussing Rohingya issues. Earlier in November 2017, the two governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, but the plan has so far been delayed due to the Rohingya people's fears for their safety in Myanmar. With no guarantee of safety, the Rohingyas living in the refugee camp will doubtless be staying for a while as it is unlikely the Myanmar government will change its policies anytime soon. The Bangladesh government, however, says the country has reached a threshold where it cannot accommodate refugees for a long period of time. According to Bangladesh government data, the total population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is nearly 1.12 million with the number of orphans being about 40,000, making the Cox's Bazar refugee camp the fifth-largest city in the country. A panorama of the Rohingya Refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh / Courtesy of W-TIMES Mahammad Mizanur Rahman, who is the deputy secretary of the Bangladesh Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and also additional commissioner of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), warned the hospitality the local Bangladesh people have shown to the Rohingya refugees could turn to hostility if they stay for too long. The local Bangladesh people in Cox's Bazar "shared their houses, their food and shelter But for how long? Hospitality turns hostility, it's very natural," Rahman said. "We're a small and developing country and starting into 160 million people with our own populations. There is no plan B. We will be happy to repatriate them as soon as possible." Rahman said the Bangladesh government wants the international community to increase pressure on the Myanmar government as it did not see "real willingness" in the Myanmar government on the repatriation issue. The Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar is crowded with refugees and cars from international humanitarian aid organizations. Courtesy of W-TIMES National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingales birthday. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year. The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896. Each of ANAs state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community. The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions. A Brief History of National Nurses Week 1953: Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a Nurse Day in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made. * * * 1954: National Nurse Week was observed from October 11 16. The year of the observance marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingales mission to Crimea. Representative Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in the 1955 Congress, but no action was taken. Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of various kinds. * * * 1972: Again a resolution was presented by the House of Representatives for the President to proclaim National Registered Nurse Day. It did not occur. * * * 1974 In January of that year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be International Nurse Day. (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated International Nurse Day. * * * 1974: In February of that year, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurse Week, and President Nixon issued a proclamation. * * * 1978: New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as Nurses Day. Edward Scanlan, of Red Bank, N.J., took up the cause to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in his state. Mr. Scanlan had this date listed in Chases Calendar of Annual Events. He promoted the celebration on his own. * * * 1981: ANA, along with various nursing organizations, rallied to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through their Congressman, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as National Recognition Day for Nurses. * * * 1982: In February, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as National Nurses Day. The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as National Recognition Day for Nurses. * * * 1982: President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation on March 25, proclaiming National Recognition Day for Nurses to be May 6, 1982. * * * 1990: The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 12, 1991, as National Nurses Week. * * * 1993: The ANA Board of Directors designated May 6 12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and in all subsequent years. * * * 1996: The ANA initiated National RN Recognition Day on May 6, 1996, to honor the nations indispensable registered nurses for their tireless commitment 365 days a year. The ANA encourages its state and territorial nurses associations and other organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996 as National RN Recognition Day. * * * 1997: The ANA Board of Directors, at the request of the National Student Nurses Association, designated May 8 as National Student Nurses Day. A fainting episode causing traumatic nerve damage affecting his right hand could be why Leonardo da Vinci's painting skills were hampered in his late career. While the impairment affected his ability to hold palettes and brushes to paint with his right hand, he was able to continue teaching and drawing with his left hand. According to most authors, the origin of da Vinci's right hand palsy was related to a stroke. Doctors writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine reached a different conclusion after analysing a 16th-century drawing of an elderly da Vinci, together with a biography and an engraving of the Renaissance polymath artist and inventor in earlier years. The authors, Dr Davide Lazzeri, a specialist in plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery at the Villa Salaria Clinic in Rome, and Dr Carlo Rossi, a specialist in neurology at the Hospital of Pontedera, focused on a portrait of da Vinci drawn with red chalk attributed to 16th-century Lombard artist Giovan Ambrogio Figino. The drawing is a rare rendering of da Vinci's right arm in folds of clothing as if it was a bandage, with his right hand suspended in a stiff, contracted position. Dr Lazzeri said: Rather than depicting the typical clenched hand seen in post-stroke muscular spasticity, the picture suggests an alternative diagnosis such as ulnar palsy, commonly known as claw hand." He suggests that a syncope, or faint, is more likely to have taken place than a stroke, during which da Vinci might have sustained acute trauma of his right upper limb, developing ulnar palsy. The ulnar nerve runs from the shoulder to little finger and manages almost all the intrinsic hand muscles that allow fine motor movements. While an acute cardiovascular event may have been the cause of da Vinci's death, his hand impairment was not associated with cognitive decline or further motor impairment, meaning a stroke was unlikely. Dr Lazzeri said: "This may explain why he left numerous paintings incomplete, including the Mona Lisa, during the last five years of his career as a painter while he continued teaching and drawing." Harry Scott, a former ManuFirst SC student at FDTC, completed the program and received multiple job offers within two weeks. I learned a lot of stuff about manufacturing even though I had experience in manufacturing before I learned a lot in that program, Scott said. Scott said that after completing the program, he felt very confident in starting a job in manufacturing. He said the program put him at the top of the list for job applications. Scott is now working as a full-time pre-batch coordinator with Ruiz Foods in Florence. Last year, a group of technical colleges got together and decided to make a grant available for colleges to get funds to launch the program. Holland said the college decided to start the program because of the presence of manufacturing in the area. FDTC was one of five colleges in the state to receive the grant money last fall to start the program, Holland said. Florence is a manufacturing center because were right at the crossroads of I-95 and I-20 and were halfway between New York and Miami, Holland said. Strategically for manufacturing products and getting them out the door, were in a good location. Southern Current is proud to make Darlington County home to many of our projects, said Southern Current chief development officer Paul Fleury. Were excited to roll out these major clean energy infrastructure investments over the next three to five years, which will produce substantial tax revenues to the county for decades to come. This wouldnt be possible without the strong support of the county, partnerships with the economic development team and all of our vendors that help to make this possible. Darlington County Council Chairman Bobby Hudson welcomed the announcement. Southern Currents substantial investment in solar power in Darlington County is consistent with our commitment to environmentally-clean growth, Hudson said. We are confident this will be a mutually-beneficial partnership for the company and our community. Courthouse solutions sought On another front, county officials are considering what to do about the aging Darlington County Courthouse after Darlington County voters in November rejected a proposal to implement a one-cent sales tax to fund a $20 million courthouse project. The first floor houses the new branch operations and the CB&T wealth management, mortgage loan services and training room. The second floor includes loan, computer and deposit operations. Executive offices and the audit department are located on the third floor, along with a conference room and balcony overlooking the Florence County Judicial Center. Getting here was tough, Morphis said. We have never been in big cities. We are in the rural areas. Morphis said working with a family-owned community bank is nice and has its advantges. A need is not always black and white, he said. You have to learn the customer and apply our knowledge of finance to help them. Morphis said he has worked for the bank for 32 years but is not a family member. We are very conservative in our growth, he said. We do what we do well. He said how you present the product is what sets you apart. That is where we are different, he said. DILLON, S.C. Inland Port Dillons fast start continues. The inland port handled 13,222 rail lifts, or an average of 50.85 per day, including each day between its opening on April 16, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2018. Rail lifts are the number of total containers either moved from a tractor-trailer to a train or vice versa. Its estimated that the port will take five years to reach its planned capacity. Erin Dhand, corporate communications and community affairs manager for the South Carolina Ports Authority, said the authority expects the volume of containers handled at the facility to grow steadily for the first year or two. The facility directly employs 14 people, but the true benefit in terms of job creation is the port-related business that will be drawn to locate or expand in the area, Dhand said. We believe the facility will be a catalyst for growth and positive economic development in the future. By Park Ji-won Kuwait will introduce South Korea's anti-corruption assessment measures following Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon's visit to the country, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) says. . The South's anti-corruption body signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on sharing anti-corruption initiatives with the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), the country's anti-corruption organization, to improve both countries' anti-corruption measures and thus create a better business environment for South Korean companies there. "Successful anti-corruption cooperation between Korea and Kuwait will not only contribute to strengthening the anti-corruption capacities of both nations but also to creating a better business environment for Korean companies in Kuwait at a time when an increasing number of Korean companies do their business in the nation as the two nations' economic cooperation is being expanded," ACRC Vice Chairman Lee Geon-lee said in a statement. The agreement was made during Prime Minister Lee's visit to Kuwait as part of the government's moves to expand diplomacy in the Middle East and Central and South America. The MOU was signed by the ACRC's Lee and his Kuwaiti counterpart Nazaha's Vice Chairperson Riyadh Humood Alhajeri with the attendance of Prime Minister Lee. According to the ACRC, the two agencies will share policies, experiences and information on anti-corruption; develop capacity-building training and education programs for staff of each agency; assist joint meetings including seminars and workshops; and cooperate in other areas where needed. The ACRC added that the deal was made amid Kuwait's continuing efforts to establish a national anti-corruption plan. The country has been looking for ways to achieve sustainable development to take better advantage of its natural resources, including its oil reserves, which are the sixth largest in the world. The two countries began discussing a MOU following the Nazaha delegation's visit to South Korea in March. The Kuwaiti envoy visited Seoul to learn the ACRC's major anti-corruption policies and talked with Seoul officials about the need for comprehensive cooperation in fighting corruption. Kuwait is the fourth country to adopt Seoul's guidelines following Tunisia, Iraq and Qatar. Its set up so (traditional) students can take classes in Lake City maybe two or three days a week and then those commuters can go to Florence those other days to our main campus and take their other courses, Todd said. Francis Marion University also will offer some continuing education options both on the credit and enhancement side, Todd said. The business incubator will have space for five clients. So, our first year, well be offering just traditional general education classes for dual enrollment, Todd said. All of the courses well offer for our dual-enrollment students are transferrable to two- and four-year public institutions in the state. Classes to be offered from Francis Marion University during the first year of The Continuum include English 101 and 102, an introductory psychology and political science course and a few options for history and business. Todd said more classes will be added each year. Initial workforce development courses will include training in HVAC, welding, health sciences, mechatronics and advanced manufacturing technology, according to a media advisory from The Continuum. FLORENCE, S.C. -- HopeHealth rolled out a new strategic plan in 2018 to take it through 2020 with focus on the customer, community and company. Our primary concern is our customers, said Tiffany Straus, director of community relations. HopeHealth CEO Carl M. Humphries said he is most excited about the two-year strategic plan. He said HopeHealth wants to set a new standard for how patents are treated. Staff members are being trained to think of patients as guests and to treat them as such. Training includes how to speak to someone on the phone and the importance of returning calls promptly. We are trying to achieve excellence, Straus said. She said improvements are being made daily. HopeHealth now has someone dedicated to customer service, a director of customer engagement. It also added approximately 20 new medical providers/new hires this past year. Among the new hires were two new full-time dentists. HopeHealth now has three. Abolitionists tried to make arguments against using the Bible to justify slavery, but they were in the minority. "They were considered to be radical," Noll said. "And often they were considered to be infidels, because how could they say God was opposed to slavery if it was so obvious in the Bible that he was not?" The foremost objectors, of course, were African-Americans themselves. Large numbers adopted the faith, and they quickly began remaking it into their own. "As soon as enslaved people learned to read English, they immediately began to read the Bible, and they immediately began to protest this idea of a biblical justification for slavery," Pierce said. "Literally as soon as black people took pen to paper, we are arguing for our own liberation." Those books and broadsides challenging prevailing biblical interpretations were savvy: "They very quickly learned that the only way we can be heard is to speak the language of our slaveholders, to speak to them about the text that they love, that they believe in," Pierce said. Through the years, there have been other changes. This year, for example, the states lieutenant governor no longer is the presiding officer of the Senate. For the first time, the person who controls the daily session is its new president. This shift has changed the day-to-day dynamic and, in some ways, has insulated the Senate from outside interference from external politics. (Remember, the state went through three lieutenant governors in a short spell after one got caught up in a scandal, a successor left to lead a college and another took over briefly before a new election.) Other changes limit debate and make it harder for one senator to gum up the legislative works. It can be argued this moves along needed legislation quicker, but the Senate is supposed to be the states deliberative body, not a roller coaster for new laws. Our states new Senate, because it is more partisan, also is less of a place where elected elites spend lives. In the hyper-partisan outside world, seemingly promising long Senate careers are shortened at the polls by frustrated voters, which leads to more Senate turnover, which isnt necessarily a bad thing. It used to take a young senator a decade to get enough seniority to make a bigger difference. Now, someone elected a few years back is in the middle of the pack of seniority. You might like new changes. You might not. But democracy constantly evolves, even in the S.C. Senate. Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report. His new book, We Can Do Better, South Carolina, is available via Kindle. Have a comment? Send to feedback@statehousereport.com. There are things that repeatedly come up from time to time in these columns, because people seem to find them interesting. Florences Five Points is one of those. Newcomers and even some people who have been around here for a long time find it confusing. Actually there are six points. Palmetto Street provides two by running through east-west. Cashua Drive also provides two, running through north-south. Then Cherokee Road and Hoffmeyer Road dead end there and each provide one. Total: six. It is all figured on roads running into the central point of the intersection at the time it got its name. It must have been in the early years of the 20th century, I was told long ago, that Cashua ran through the intersection, a street from the new nearby village of Florence, which became Palmetto Street, Hoffmeyer and Cherokee roads. That was five, and that is probably when it got its name. Why is it still called Five Points? Because people got into the habit of calling it that long ago. Besides, who ever heard of a Six Points? And many towns and cities have their own Five Points (New York, Atlanta and Columbia, for instance). A recently published guest column in the Morning News by Kim Dabney took aim at the subject of vaccines and a possible link to autism. The writer told of her experience raising an autistic child, with all the suffering and sacrifice attendant to living with autism. As the column unfolds, the writer focuses increasingly on a message that she prefaces with the term settled science, a term I believe signifies the established medical communitys apparent complacency with and acceptance of current vaccination practice. And that message leads readers into the subject of the immunization causation theory for autism. Several individuals are cited toward the end of the article to lend support to her opinion. Sharyl Attkisson, a journalist who is known for her anti-vaccine bias, interviewed Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a respected pediatric neurologist, who apparently claimed that the MMR vaccine could possibly lead to autism in a small group of susceptible children. The problem is that Zimmerman presented no actual evidence to support his opinion. And that opinion is not shared by many in his field. Yet his opinion was misrepresented as new evidence by Attkisson. And the writer cites another individual, Dr. William Thompson, formerly with the CDC, who claimed that a study he previously co-authored that refuted a causative effect of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine with autism, was actually misleading, as some factual evidence was omitted. When that information was re-analyzed, the original study conclusion was actually confirmed. Disabled people visit a job fair in Seoul in this April 18, 2018 photo. / Korea Times file By Kim Hyun-bin Public offices have not made enough effort to employ socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled and high school graduates in recent years, according to a report, Sunday. According to ALIO, a government-run administration information system, out of the 362 public entities only 669 disabled people landed a full-time job last year, which only accounts for 1.97 percent of the total recruitment pool of 33,890 people. Currently, the government aims to maintain a 3.2 percent employment of the disabled in government entities. For the last five years, disability employment has never topped the 2 percent mark. The disability employment declined from 1.4 percent in 2014 to 1.19 percent for 2016, but since then it has been increasing, with 1.61 percent in 2017 and 1.97 percent in 2018. High school graduate employment is also below par. Since 2014, high school graduate employment had been on a gradual decline from 10.16 percent in 2014 to 8.15 percent in 2017, but it picked up a little last year with 8.52 percent. The government plans to make it mandatory for public entities to employ at least 2,200 high school graduates this year. Despite the decline in social minority employment, full-time female employment has been on the rise marking 45.86 percent or 15,547 recruits last year, a significant jump compared to 39.65 percent in 2015. However, female employment is still low in key government positions within government entities. By Graeme Salt Students from my school, Dulwich College Seoul, recently joined me at the Battle of Imjin River memorial service to remember the sacrifice of British, Irish, Belgian and Korean soldiers at this important battle within the Korean War. At Solma-ri, in April 1951, a massive invasive force from the North was delayed long enough for the north of Seoul to be reinforced and hence saved from another ruinous occupation. The memorial service, set within the hills that witnessed intense military action, was full of pomp and significance that paid sincere and fitting tribute to the fallen, injured and bereaved. It is humbling to meet British veterans from that time, so generously assisted with their travel back here by the Korean government, who hold memories of events in these hills as vividly as if they took place yesterday. It is noticeable even during my relatively short time in Korea that the number of returning Korean War Veterans is dwindling fast. That is not very surprising given an 18 year old in 1951 is now 86 years of age, and thoughts turn to how this service might feel when there are no more veterans to return. How can we replace the arresting impact of the Commemoration to the Fallen spoken by a veteran who is well into his 80s? "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. We will remember them." Having grown up in the U.K., I learned about the importance of remembrance from a young age. I recall the solemnity of slow marching veterans to doleful music each November Remembrance Sunday on television, always accompanied by the silent tears of my mother. For her father, my grandfather, died in the Second World War when she was just 4 years old, and her father's father, was likewise killed in action during the First World War. How incredibly sad it was for my mother, her siblings and her mother to lose these men at those times, and how sorry I am that my teenage emotional awkwardness offered so little comfort years later. My family is still acutely attached to the consequences of separation caused by war, and this is one clear reason why remembrance means so much to me. Additionally, I recall the impact of a passionately delivered school Remembrance Assembly during my youth by a music teacher. Thank you, 37 years later, Mr. Ian Hooker. My family history and these associated experiences ensure a Remembrance Assembly will always feature where I am head of a school, and that a younger generation of students will represent us, and learn, at memorial services such as the one at Imjin River. As a British citizen living in Korea I, like many other Brits, have been personally thanked for the sacrifice British servicemen made during the Korean War, all of 65 years ago. I admire how Korean people value remembrance, out of honor to those to whom they are thankful but also as acts for maintaining peace. My generation has been fortunate to live through the most peaceful period of history. Have Acts of Remembrance contributed towards this stability? I believe so, just as I believe international education and the promulgation of global citizenship is a powerful force for peace. I want my students, my children and my peers to understand and respect other people, and I want them to know and fear the consequences of war. If we all commit to supporting these beliefs, we give ourselves the best chance of maintaining peace between peoples of the Korean peninsula, and between those across the wider world. Graeme Salt (Headmaster@dulwich-seoul.kr) is the headmaster of Dulwich College Seoul, a part of the Dulwich College International (DCI) network of schools. Practicing objective journalism doesnt mean you stop being a caring human being. And sometimes you have to go the extra mile or in this case, six miles. In a mid-April story about plans for a new Navigation Center on the Embarcadero, I quoted a homeless man named Tyson Feilzer. The story included his photograph. When he saw the story online, his brother Baron called me from his home in Ohio, saying hed been worried sick about Tyson since he last saw him seven years ago. Baron had been hoping Tyson wasnt homeless. But now that he knew he was, he was sure his brother was addicted to drugs, too. Which turned out to be the case. Could I help him find Tyson so he could get him help, he asked. I said yes. From covering homelessness for decades, I know the street-life territories of San Francisco. Helping one brother try to save another was the right thing to do. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle I wasnt initially thinking there would be a story in this; I was just trying to help. But after wed talked and planned, I changed my mind. The brothers had grown up in tony Danville with promising futures, and the depth of Barons caring struck me deeply. This tale of how one person had slipped off track so badly was something I thought our readers could learn from. As it turned out, the sincerity and pain of both men that I and photographer Nick Otto were privileged to meet touched me so deeply that I cried over and over as I wrote their story. After a six-mile, nearly 12-hour search, Tyson did get rescued. His future success is now up to him and those around him. But mostly him. Ive been part of this kind of hunt before. Some turned out happily. Other times I found the loved one being searched for is dead, or terribly mentally ill and resistant to help. Most don't even become stories. But each time I am reminded that in some way, we in journalism perform a public service just by putting ourselves into other peoples lives, trying to figure things out, to make the world a little better. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In my case, I know how to look for people lost in the tragedy of gutters and dope, people who were once somebodys smiling child, who once had a future of promise, and by all rights should have that promise again. I grieve when the search ends sadly. But when it results in redemption? Its joyous. Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron In Eddie Lopezs Concord home, electricity does far more than keep the lights on: It powers life-sustaining machinery that his daughter depends on every day. Born with cerebral palsy that left her unable to walk, Lopezs daughter, Massiel, experienced a compounding of her disability about six years ago when she developed complications from pneumonia. The 24-year-old now relies on the constant assistance of a breathing machine, along with a motorized wheelchair and a machine that feeds her critical nutrients overnight, among other equipment. All of it needs electricity. And with the next wildfire season rapidly approaching, all of it could be incapacitated if Pacific Gas and Electric Co. decides to turn the power off. The prospect makes Lopez very worried, he said. Massiels breathing machine can only last an hour or two on a backup battery. If theres no power, theres no ventilator for her, Lopez said. I guess the best thing we can do is just take her to an emergency room. PG&E has dramatically expanded its plans for forced power outages when extremely dry and windy weather exacerbates the possibility that its electric equipment could spark a devastating fire. When PG&E first implemented shut-offs last year, the program only applied to as many as 570,000 customers; now thats 5.4 million the entirety of the utilitys electric customer accounts. The change stems from PG&Es expansion of its shut-off program scope to include higher-voltage transmission lines like the one suspected of involvement in the start of last years Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in Californias recorded history. Less than three months after that inferno, PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection, citing potentially $30 billion in liabilities after two seasons of historic Northern California wildfires. PG&E decided against turning off power in the area ahead of the Camp Fire, but the 115,000-volt transmission line at the fires Butte County origin point would have stayed energized anyway, according to PG&Es policies at the time. Transmission lines are like freeways for electrons, carrying electricity over large distances and then transferring it to cities and neighborhoods via substations and distribution lines. So if PG&E turns off a higher-voltage transmission line because of wildfire danger, it could have a cascading effect on numerous customers, even those in areas far removed from the conditions that prompted the outage, the company warned in a recent regulatory filing. And disabled, electricity-dependent people like Lopezs daughter are among the most vulnerable when the lights go out. There might be many other cases similar to us, Lopez said. Were not the only family with this type of dependency on power because of the (medical) equipment. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Lopezs home is one of about 180,000 PG&E customers enrolled in the utilitys assistance program for people who need extra energy due to a medical condition. If and when PG&E decides to cut power in a certain area, it will strive to provide all customers two days notice, and will conduct additional outreach to those enrolled in the assistance program, according to the utility. PG&E knows the list of people with extra energy needs known as medical baseline customers doesnt include every vulnerable resident, said Aaron Johnson, the PG&E electric operations vice president who oversees the shut-off program. But for now, its the best proxy we have, he said. The utility is preparing to raise public awareness about its planned outages. All electricity customers should receive a letter about the program later this month, and PG&E will later hold community meetings throughout its service territory. The utility is also planning to roll out a pretty significant advertising campaign, Johnson said. Exercises and workshops with county emergency officials are also on the agenda, he said. This is a really difficult decision, and its something that we know we have to do thoughtfully, given the risks on both sides, Johnson said. Customers just need to be prepared, just like they would for any other potential emergency situation or natural disaster, which is an unfortunate part of life here in California. Officials at the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&Es primary regulator, recently said the utility should explore whether some other wildfire-prevention measures, including disabling devices that restart power lines, could lessen the need for forced power outages. Regulators are also crafting new statewide standards for how utilities shut off electricity during catastrophic wildfire conditions. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Proposed guidelines recently released by Commission President Michael Picker say the forced outages must be a measure of last resort for investor-owned electric utilities. The guidelines would have utilities develop communication strategies that can reach someone no matter where the customer is located and deliver messaging in an understandable manner, and make the companies integrate their warning systems with government agencies that alert the public, along with other requirements. Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, said his consumer group was very encouraged by the commissions proposal, especially its emphasis on power shut-offs as a last-ditch measure. Toney called PG&Es wildfire prevention plan terrible. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The fact that they want the power shut-offs to be such a major part of their wildfire management can cause safety problems of its own, in terms of the risk to households with people who are dependent on breathing machines, various machines they depend on for their health, he said. PG&E put its shut-off program in place last year, in the wake of the 2017 Wine Country wildfires, many of which were blamed on the utilitys equipment. In the vanguard of power shut-offs was another utility, San Diego Gas & Electric, which created its program after a series of devastating 2007 wildfires. In October, PG&E turned off electricity for thousands of customers in the North Bay and some nearby areas, in its first planned outage to lessen wildfire risk. The incident prompted significant blowback, as residents and local government leaders faulted PG&E for poor communication and failure to adequately mitigate the disruptive impact. Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin criticized the October shut-off in his region, and he said he retains his concerns going into the next wildfire season. Martin said he wants to keep his community safe from fires but the shut-offs can create a whole other disaster for residents. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle In one of Californias most fire-prone and poorest counties, many people cant afford good backup measures, Martin said. Its not like everybody in Lake County can go out and buy a generator, he said. If this happens right at the first of the month when people are getting their checks and and filling up their refrigerators, and all of a sudden the power goes out for three, five, seven days, theyre going to be without food ... Its going to create a tremendous impact on us. Power shut-offs are just one aspect of PG&Es fire-prevention work. The utility is ramping up its tree trimming, strengthening its power lines and poles and installing cameras and weather stations as well. Johnson, the PG&E executive, said the utility also plans to install hundreds of devices that will allow it to more closely limit the parts of its electric system it wants to shut down. Intentional blackouts are a tool PG&E wants to reserve for the most extreme weather conditions when it is not safe to operate the electrical system, Johnson said. He would not estimate how often PG&E might choose to put some of its customers in the dark this year, but said its quite likely shut-offs will happen multiple times this season given the extreme wildfire danger California has seen in recent years. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris The distinguished judicial career of U.S. District Judge William Alsup has included many important decisions, including his 2018 order that the Trump administration, which wanted to stop processing DACA renewal applications, continue with that practice. But his new memoir, Won Over: Reflections of a Federal Judge on His Journey from Jim Crow Mississippi, focuses on the part of his life that preceded distinguished. The challenge of those years, as he puts it, was moving the needle ... from the wrong side of history to the right. Alsup grew up in segregated Mississippi. A distinction existed then, he writes, though history has understandably forgotten it, between white segregationists and white supremacists. In issues of voting rights and access to services, his parents were for equality of the races. They also believed in separation of the races. My mom accepted and my dad believed in segregation, he said in a recent conversation in his office on the 19th floor of the federal building, but they were quiet and did not preach those things. Young Alsup learned of racial unrest from news coverage, from his mothers shocked account of seeing a cross burning on a lawn. The n-word wasnt used often in his family, but it wasnt banned. And he recalls a shouting match between his father and his sister over whether she could have an African American friend. My dad was having none of that. The first chapter in the book is an account of presiding over a racial discrimination case in federal court in 2011. The lawyer for the plaintiff, an African American man, tried to have the judge disqualified because he was raised in the Deep South and must have deep-seated residual racism. Alsup recollects: I was hurt, but nevertheless, I reflected on it. Another judge turned down that motion. Growing up white in Mississippi, Alsup wrote about the matter, opened, not closed, my eyes to the cruelty of racism. As to whether it was difficult for him to reveal that in his early years, he was, as he puts it, on the wrong side of history: He says that over time, I would tell some of these stories. Two or three dozen times, people would ask What was it like? What were my views? He is almost 74 now, and I hope I have a lot of years left in me, but I have reached the point in life where I wanted to put this down on paper. He planned the book at first for his family, then for the library at his undergraduate alma mater, Mississippi State University, then the federal court library. A friend suggested he contact New South Books, a house that describes itself as examining the role of individuals in creating or contending with the change and conflict which came to the region in the post-World War II era, and they took the book. Although his federal judgeship has put him in the spotlight many times, this book is limited to just the Mississippi story, because I said, Well thats the part of my life that I feel is most interesting, about the civil rights movement coming of age. ... I am not proud of how my views started out, but I am proud of the journey that I took. And I think a large part of America went through that journey. Noah Griffin will be in conversation with Alsup at a celebration of the book at 5:30 p.m. May 22 at Sams Grill. At Books Inc. in Alameda, Gene Kahane created a special staff recommendation card for the Mueller report: Finally (redacted) long (redacted) Mueller report (redacted) here (redacted) to read (redacted). 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. And Jerry Przybylski, who says hes a registered Republican, received a questionnaire from the party that provided a list of public issues immigration, infrastructure, that sort of thing asking him to rank them in order of priority that should be addressed by President Trump and Congress. He used the Other space at the bottom to write in his No. 1 priority: Resign. The Transbay Transit Center has been closed so long that Matt Regan calls it the Sansbay Transit Center. License plate spotted by Tom Walton in Berkeley: W1DRMNT. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING Theres nothing worse than a judgmental hippie. Man to woman, overheard at Greens restaurant by David Landis Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik By Andrea Plate "Although my research focuses on Mexico, its findings are relevant to understanding the broader phenomenon of people who grew up in the United States but have been deported to countries around the world," says author Beth C. Caldwell in her compelling, comprehensive and properly chilling new book "Deported Americans," just published by Duke University Press. What is an American? Here lies the heart of the book: "I am an American at heart and in many other aspects. It's the paperwork stating that I am an American that I regretfully lack," says a veteran of the United States Armed Forces. "I passed my citizenship test and everything," says Gina, a one-time lawful permanent resident and almost-American who was suddenly deported to Mexico. "I thought I could take my marriage certificate to the detention center and show them he was my husband, that that would be the end of it," says Stephanie, about her husband's deportation by ICE. "They laughed and told me to come back during visiting hours." These are just three of the case studies that author Caldwell, a former public defender, MSW (Master of Social Welfare) from UCLA and current law professor at Southwestern University uses to force a human face onto the brutal blank slate of America's current deportation policy. With academic precision and literary pluck a most unusual fusion! she traces the slash-and-burn tactics of American deportation law, wherein standard constitutional protections generally don't apply. Although Caldwell writes about those deported to Mexico, she deftly makes an important, universal point: The roots of modern deportation law stem from America's troubled history with Chinese immigrants. First came the 1888 Scott Act (and the Chae Chan Ping v. United States case), which barred even those with residency certificates from re-entry if they left to visit their native countries. So began the plenary power doctrine, whereby congressional authority rather than judicial review prevails in immigration matters. Five years later, the Supreme Court expanded the doctrine's application to deportees. Fast forward to 1996, with passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act, which expanded the definition of "aggravated felony" to include far lesser crimesleading to deportation. What was Gina's crime? Missing a court appearance (after passing her citizenship test). And the veteran deportee? He cashed a fraudulent check. Writing from both the heart and the head, Caldwell marshals substantial data and a comprehensive historical narrative to plead her case: What happens when people who have lived in the U.S. nearly all their lives are suddenly sent packing? What rather, who are the casualties resulting from the clash of legally defined "citizenship" with the real-life experiences of those who feel American, act American, and have lived like Americans but are suddenly yanked back to their country of birth? With frightening clarity, the author outlines the outcomes: 1) homelessness and/or addiction; 2) life in Mexico, steeped in grief over the loss of loved ones left behind in America, which time and the joy of newly formed families in Mexico do not miraculously heal; and 3) unlawful re-entry to the U.S. In his HBO-TV stand-up special "The Wall," comedian George Lopez jokes about people who tell immigrants to go back to Mexico. Says he: "But I don't know anyone there!" Lopez, a mega-star millionaire, of course, can afford to joke. But deported Americans makes it painfully clear the deportation diaspora is no laughing matter. Today we fear Mexicans. Long before, the Chinese. Who's next on America's hit list? Andrea Plate a lecturer at Loyola Marymount University and the author of the impending book "Madness: In the Trenches of America's Troubled Department of Veterans Affairs," due out in June (Marshall Cavendish International). By Denise Y. Ho NEW HAVEN This is a big year for anniversaries in China. On May 4, the People's Republic commemorated the centennial of the May Fourth Movement, the student-led protests in front of Beijing's Tiananmen Gate in 1919 that marked the birth of Chinese nationalism. And then, one month later, on June 4, will come the 30th anniversary of the violent suppression of pro-democracy student protests on the same site. This milestone, by contrast, will not be officially acknowledged, much less commemorated, in China. The 1919 demonstrations are immortalized in stone on the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square. Referring to the same ideals of science and democracy, the protesters in 1989 also presented themselves as loyal to the nation. But the 1989 movement ended in what is known outside China as the Tiananmen Square massacre, and within China as the "Tiananmen incident." The events of three decades ago are a taboo subject in China, scrubbed by the authorities from the internet and largely unknown to the country's younger generation. It is a persistent contradiction that the Chinese state claims the mantle of May 4 while repressing the memory of June 4. The students of 1919 are celebrated as outspoken patriots, in keeping with a long Chinese tradition that places the intellectual in a role of social responsibility. The ideal scholar of imperial times took great risks to speak truth to power, in order to expose official corruption and spur reform. University students in the early 20th century inherited this legacy. In fact, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has its roots in the May Fourth Movement: Student periodicals spread Marxist ideas, a Marxist study group was founded at Peking University, and Mao Zedong himself embraced Marxism-Leninism as a student worker in the library. Because May Fourth has broad and popular resonance in China, the student protesters of 1989 sporting long hair and blue jeans rather than long gowns and pleated skirts consciously referred to it. And, like their predecessors, they emphasized their patriotism, pointing out official corruption and the economic inequalities that had resulted from the post-Mao economic reforms. Yet the Chinese state branded the 1989 Tiananmen protest a "counterrevolutionary riot," and blamed a handful of conspirators for misleading the people. Despite the world's attention, the movement ended in a crackdown, followed by official silence and a public amnesia that deepens by the year. The June 4 anniversary nonetheless remains politically sensitive, and the Chinese state always goes into high alert in the lead-up to it. In what has become an annual ritual, foreign journalists in China are blocked from covering the anniversary as Louisa Lim, a former BBC and National Public Radio Beijing correspondent, has pointed out. Since 1989, the CPC has made every effort to bind young people to the Chinese state and its priorities. Children take lessons in "patriotic education," fidelity is cultivated through the Young Pioneers and the Communist Youth League, and universities have developed elaborate systems to guard against political deviance and reward political loyalty with jobs. To a large extent, such efforts have made Chinese youth apolitical. The May Fourth legacy has effectively been divided, with patriotism cleaved apart from protest. But the state has not entirely succeeded in co-opting China's students. In 2018, students who support the CPC's own Marxist ideology became the latest generation of protesters to run afoul of the authorities. Last summer, groups began organizing factory workers in southern China, calling attention to abuses and helping workers form an independent labor union. Presenting themselves as loyal to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the students launched campaigns in the field and on their university campuses. The state has detained dozens of them. Videos show Peking University officials attempting to block student organizations, and witnesses have confirmed the disappearance of Marxist student leaders at the hands of plainclothes police. The irony is that China is repressing leftist students whose words and deeds embody the CPC's original ideals. Just like the party's earliest leaders, including Mao, they champion exploited workers and seek to organize them, sometimes even engaging in factory work themselves. As their classes in Marxism and Mao's writings have taught them to do, they investigate social conditions and question China's deep inequalities. And, like their May Fourth forebears, today's young Marxists see themselves as loyal students speaking truth to power. This year's anniversaries of the 1919 and 1989 movements will therefore carry particular weight. The May Fourth legacy is one of patriotism and enlightenment. Born of those claims, Tiananmen in 1989 ended in violence and silence. Foreign observers will doubtless point to the Chinese authorities' contradictory attitudes toward May 4 and June 4, and conclude that China now has the power to shape its own historical narrative. But the case of the Marxist students last year highlighted the continued potential for a loyal opposition. As the People's Republic looks ahead to the 70th anniversary of its founding this October, it must continue to reckon with its own history. Denise Y. Ho, a professor of history at Yale University, is the author of "Curating Revolution: Politics on Display in Mao's China." Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). By Sandip Kumar Mishra South Korea has just marked the first anniversary of the April 27, 2018, summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the first inter-Korean summit in almost a decade. Moon and Kim met three times in 2018, which was a tumultuous year, and the administration decided to celebrate the anniversary of the first. However, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) criticized Moon for working as a "spokesman of Kim Jong-un." LKP leaders picked up on this in a report that said Kim stated that President Moon should not attempt to become "facilitator" between North Korea and the U.S. on the nuclear issue. The achievements of the Moon administration so far could definitely be evaluated as less than satisfactory, especially in the aftermath of the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. However, it would be inappropriate to blame this on Moon and allege that he is working as a spokesman for Kim. On the contrary, last year Moon, through deft diplomacy, brought South Korea back as a crucial player in peninsular affairs. He inherited "Korea passing" in which Kim and Trump hurled provocative statements at each other, and South Korea was almost a non-player in affairs. From the beginning Moon was determined to improve Seoul's position. He asserted his intent in August 2017 when he said that "nobody is allowed to wage a war on the peninsula without South Korea's consent." In the midst of the current despair, it's easy to forget how he proactively but carefully used various occasions to bring South Korea to centerstage such as the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, sending special envoys to North Korea, as well as three summits with Kim and "arranging" two summits between the U.S. and North Korea. The current phase of engagement among various players has essentially been initiated by his diplomatic moves. Actually, when Kim called on him to stop playing the role of "facilitator" or "mediator" between the U.S. and the North, he basically validated the already widely known reality that South Korea has become a key player. Moon has more recently shown his resolve to lead the process, when he re-emphasized the need for engagement with North Korea immediately after the abrupt end of the Hanoi summit in February. He left his scheduled participation in March 1 Independence Movement celebration events and went to meet Trump, and apparently convinced him to modify his stand on a "big deal." Actually, Moon appears to be seeking a fourth meeting with Kim and reportedly has a letter from Trump to deliver to him. There are speculations that he may successfully have his next meeting with Kim and be able to lay the groundwork for a third meeting between him and Trump. For all these reasons, Moon has been reported frequently in international media as an "honest broker," "facilitator," "mediator," "neutral facilitator," and "mastermind of the North Korea-U.S. engagement process" and so on. The second important achievement of Moon's policy has been relative peace on the Korean Peninsula. The peninsula has moved away from the era of "fire and fury" and a search for solutions is undeniably visible. Even though the outcome so far has been less than expected, at least North Korea, the U.S. and South Korea have not been threatening one another. It may be alleged by some that the situation has not improved much during his tenure, but it has not worsened. Thus, it's important to be reasonable in the current phase of stagnation in the process and appreciate South Korean efforts. Actually, it must be kept in mind that the players involved in the current process have complex, varied and sometimes contrary goals. Furthermore, the trust level among these players is abysmal. In such a scenario, it's unreasonable to expect a quick success. Unfortunately, the Trump administration which has reluctantly begun to talk with North Korea has been less consistent in its dealings, and Kim has not fully given up his desire to lead a nuclear power. Both of them need to bridge gaps in their objectives and be accommodative to each other through building mutual trust. If they are not able to move away from their positions, all the successful attempts of the Moon administration will not be sufficient to resolve the problem. Anyway, South Korea must be appreciated in that even if its efforts have not been sufficiently fruitful, it could rightly claim that it has been part of the solution and not part of the problem in the past year. The author is associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India and could be reached on A great conflict is tearing this country apart, bitterly pitting generations against each other. Its not immigration or Medicare for All. Its the fight over how much time kids can spend staring at screens. Call it the Great Screen Time War of 2019. And I was winning the war on behalf of my kids until the state of California intervened in favor of the screens. To be a parent in 21st century America is to be whiplashed by contradictory advice and double-edged directives. The one that most rankles involves screens. To wit, I am supposed to keep my children offline and away from screens to protect their health and their future; the state of California recommends no more than 60 minutes of screen time after school. And yet, I am also supposed to keep them online, where also at the behest of the state more of their academic work must be performed. My wife and I tried mightily to square that circle with the Three Stooges, our three sons, now ages 10, 8, and 5. During the preschool years, we all but banned TV, and successfully kept them off the Internet. But then our oldest son hit third grade, when the state starts its standardized testing in public schools. Since 2015 that testing, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP, has been conducted online. To prepare for these tests, schools and teachers quite naturally put more homework and classwork online. And that is how this parent lost the screen-time battle. In the early grades, we resisted getting a computer for our oldest. But by the third grade, with the homework online, he needed his own, and so we bought a cheap Chromebook. Its all been downhill from there. Before the Chromebook, we had a simple, enforceable message stay away from screens. Now, we were contradicting ourselves you need to get on the computer and do your homework! followed by you get have to get off the computer too much screen time. The Stooges attend a demanding public school, so on most nights, our two older boys are online for more than the 60 minutes recommended by the California Department of Education. And sometimes its even more, because, as I feared, they have found addictive online games. What I didnt anticipate was that they would be introduced to those games via the school. The website of our San Gabriel Valley school district links students to more than 100 different sites, services and apps to enrich their elementary education. To be fair, these enrichment extras have been vital to my two younger sons, who are in a Mandarin immersion program and rely on online tools to learn Chinese characters. But many of these educational offerings come from tech startups that have fused homework with video games. My two older boys obsessively play Prodigy, available via the district site, which mixes math problems with online fighting and the collection of different online rewards. Unfortunately, were seeing warning signs of excessive screen use: The kids dont want to go outside as much, and bedtime is later. It is so hard to get them to stop that a majority of child-parent conflict in our household now involves Prodigy. When I complain about this, most people throw the problem back in my face. Its my job as a parent to police screen time just like our parents policed our TV time. But theres a crucial difference: I wasnt required to do my homework on TV. So I try my best. But most suggested strategies involve just putting more pressure on parents to lock up and control devices like computers and tablets, and to monitor their kids screens at all times. Im sorry, but its hard to enforce time limits. And what about my own screen time? After long work days editing and writing in front of a screen, should I spend evenings and weekends staring at their screens? This now-ubiquitous problem is thick with ironies. I make sure the boys play sports, but screens are invading that world, too via an app called Gamechanger. One expert recommended that I develop a family media plan, but the American Academy of Pediatricians tool to do that is, of course, online. Of course, there is no going back. Too much has been invested in educational technology, and this environmentally-minded state, now considering a ban on paper receipts, could ban paper homework before too long. But if screen time proves to have all the long-term effects on kids brains that some media researchers fear, then the difficult job of policing should not be left just to parents. Drastic action from the state will be required, including changes in how the schools distribute homework, provide online enrichment and conduct testing. Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters. California is getting the growth many of its residents want: approximately none. Last years population increase was the paltriest on record, a low point that cant be separated from an unrelenting housing shortage. The latest Department of Finance data show Californias growth rate diminishing to a rounding error. At 0.47%, the department noted, 2018 saw the smallest expansion since the state began collecting the figures in 1900. The state recorded particularly slow growth in its job-rich, housing-averse metropolises, with the exceptions relegated to their outskirts. Despite the Bay Areas booming technology-driven economy, San Francisco, San Mateo County and Santa Clara County each grew only 0.3%. The East Bays Alameda and Contra Costa counties grew only slightly faster, at 0.7%, driven mainly by outer suburbs such as Dublin. And Marin County, recently exempted from legislation that would force cities and suburbs to allow more high-density housing development, saw almost no increase, adding fewer than 100 residents, or 0.03%. The states growth was led by the Central Valley: Sacramento, Bakersfield and Fresno were the only big cities that broke 1%. Some Bay Area cities lost population, including Marins second-largest city, Novato; Cupertino, home of Apples headquarters; and Menlo Park, where Facebook is based. The regions largest city, San Jose, gained only 158 residents an increase of 0.015%. Granted, the states demographic bottoming out is driven by an array of forces, some of them national or international. Notwithstanding President Trumps hysteria on the subject, California has seen declining Latin American immigration, which had long offset falling birth rates in the state and across the country. Deaths, meanwhile, are rising as the Baby Boom generation ages. But the housing shortage and resulting record rents and home prices, particularly in employment centers such as the Bay Area, are also precluding the growth that a successful economy should produce. More residents are leaving California for other parts of the country, U.S. census data show, such that over the past two years, the net loss to other states has outpaced the gain from other countries. The latest state statistics also indicate that despite high prices and nascent legislative efforts to spur construction, housing production remains lethargic. California saw a net gain of 77,000 housing units in 2018, or 0.6%, which is less than half what officials believe the state needs. The figure was further depressed by fire losses, led by the 14,600 housing units destroyed by the Camp Fire in Butte County. Unfortunately, the data also show the state continues to push most new housing into exurbs facing the risk of similar fires. As housing meets staunch resistance for its propensity to make professors use public transit (Berkeley), infest wealthy neighborhoods with schoolteachers (San Jose), and cast small shadows (San Francisco), its not difficult to figure out how this happened. With younger people and families facing the greatest pressure to leave while older residents require more services, a contracting population could have far-reaching repercussions for economic growth and a state government that relies heavily on income taxes. The states anti-housing forces could yet come to rue their extraordinary success. 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. Attorney General William Barr has refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, and the committee will subpoena him. But a subpoena is unlikely to elicit Barrs cooperation. Were fighting all the subpoenas, says the president of the United States. In other words, there is to be no congressional oversight of this administration. No questioning the attorney general about the Mueller report. No questioning a Trump adviser about immigration policy, either. No questioning a former White House security director about issuances of security clearances. No questioning anyone about presidential tax returns. Such a blanket edict fits a dictator of a banana republic, not the president of a constitutional republic founded on separation of powers. If Congress cannot question the people who are making policy or obtain critical documents, then Congress cannot function as a co-equal branch of government. If Congress cannot get information about the executive branch, then there is no longer any separation of powers, as sanctified in the U.S. Constitution. There is only one power the power of the president to rule as he wishes. Which is what Donald Trump has sought all along. The only relevant question is how stop this dictatorial move. Presidents before Trump occasionally have argued that complying with a particular subpoena for a particular person or document would infringe upon confidential deliberations within the executive branch. But no president before Trump has used executive privilege as a blanket refusal to cooperate. Win McNamee / Getty Images If Mr. Barr does not show up, said Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., we will have to use whatever means we can to enforce the subpoena. What could the House Judiciary Committee do? Hold Barr in contempt of Congress, under the inherent power of Congress to get the information it needs to carry out its constitutional duties. Congress cannot function without this power. Under this power, the House can order its own sergeant-at-arms to arrest the offender, subject him to a trial before the full House and, if judged to be in contempt, jail that person until he appears before the House and brings whatever documentation the House has subpoenaed. When President Richard Nixon tried to stop key aides from testifying in the Senate Watergate hearings in 1973, Sen. Sam Ervin, chairman of the Watergate select committee, threatened to jail anyone who refused to appear. Congress hasnt actually carried through on the threat since 1935, but it could. Would America really be subject to the wild spectacle of the sergeant-at-arms of the House arresting an attorney general and possibly placing him in jail? Probably not. Before that ever occurred, the Trump administration would take the matter to the Supreme Court on an expedited basis. Sadly, there seems no other way to get Trump to move. Putting the onus on the Trump administration to get the issue to the court as soon as possible is the only way to force Trump into action, and not let him simply run out the clock before the next election. What would the court decide? With two Trump appointees now filling nine of the seats, its hardly a certainty. But in a case that grew out of the Teapot Dome scandal in the 1920s, the court held that the investigative power of Congress is at its peak when lawmakers look into fraud or maladministration in another government department. Decades later, when Nixon tried to block the release of incriminating recordings of his discussions with aides, the Supreme Court decided that a claim of executive privilege did not protect information relevant to the investigation of potential crimes. Trumps contempt for the inherent power of Congress cannot stand. It is the most dictatorial move he has initiated since becoming president. Congress has a constitutional duty to respond forcefully, using its own inherent power of contempt. 2019 Robert Reich Robert Reichs latest book is The Common Good, and his newest documentary is Saving Capitalism. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters. For 40 years, NPRs Morning Edition has welcomed listeners to the program with the same airy theme song. On Monday, that will change. For the first time since it began broadcasting in 1979, the program is replacing its signature song with a propulsive and layered new theme that features real and electronic instruments while still paying homage to the buoyant melody its nearly 14 million weekly listeners have come to know and love. Its not a decision that we took on lightly, said Meg Goldthwaite, NPRs chief marketing officer. We wanted to freshen the music and get it ready for what we hope will be another 50 years. It just felt like it was time. The new theme is intended to attract a younger and more diverse audience, while also aligning with the evolution of Morning Edition into a newsier program, said Kenya Young, the executive producer. I wanted a sound and a mood and a tone and a feel and a vibe all mixed in one, she said. NPR had flirted with replacing the Morning Edition theme for years ever since Jarl Mohn became chief executive of the nonprofit in 2014 but the idea didnt really take hold until last fall, as the organization began preparing for the programs 40th anniversary this year, according to Goldthwaite. Once NPR decided to proceed, it enlisted Man Made Music, a music and sound studio that has worked on similar efforts for HBO, Imax and others. The process began broadly, with a small group of employees from both organizations sitting in a room together to listen to a wide variety of music styles and to discuss what emotions the songs elicited. More for you Dick Dale, master of surf guitar, dies at 81 Man Made Music also identified a set of qualities the new theme should embody, including the intimacy between Morning Edition and its listeners, who often tune in as they prepare for the day; the integrity of the programs reporting; and the sense of discovery that characterizes its broadcasts. The firm then presented NPR with a wide-ranging set of themes, each of which paid tribute in some way to the fanfare of the original. After a small group of NPR employees settled on the music that would become the current theme, they shared it with their colleagues. We were all holding our breath when we showed it to the entire Morning Edition team when it was all done, Goldthwaite said. We were thrilled when they literally busted into dance. The new theme features a range of sounds, reflecting the eclecticism of NPR, according to Amy Crawford, a vice president at Man Made Music. The instruments used to create it include acoustic and electronic drums, a string ensemble, acoustic piano, piano and keyboard samples, and a pedal steel guitar, she said. In February, Mohn, the chief executive, alerted member stations to the change, explaining that audience research had shown that listeners found the old theme to be warm, but not especially energetic, fresh and modern. The new theme, he said, is warm, fresh, weighted, smart, modern, energetic and very human. The original theme was composed by BJ Leiderman, who had been introduced to the programs producer while studying broadcast journalism at American University. The theme was part of the very first broadcast of Morning Edition, on Nov. 5, 1979. After his demo tape was selected, Leiderman also wrote lyrics to the song. Oh I hate to get up in the morning/Please dont wake me up this morning/Let me stay in bed and sleep, the lyrics, which were not used, began. (Leiderman also went on to write the themes to NPRs Weekend Edition and Wait Wait Dont Tell Me!) In 2016, NPR invited listeners to submit their take on the theme and received a range of covers, including a video game rendition, and blues, jazz, reggae, waltz and hip-hop versions. The new theme may not fit neatly into any of those categories, but it does serve Youngs purposes. I feel like when the final note hits, the curtain just opened and now the shows going to start, she said. I needed music that brought you through that and brought you there for that anticipation. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. NASHUA, N.H. Democrat Beto ORourke uses his home state as a cautionary tale, ticking through Texas Republican-backed policies as warning flags for the rest of the country. Mayor Pete Buttigieg mentions worrying about how coming out as gay in deeply Republican Indiana might have cost him re-election, even in his more moderate college town of South Bend. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks of evolving away from defending gun rights during her early years in Congress representing a conservative House district in upstate New York and notes, I have uncles who voted for Trump. I get it. There are 20-plus Democrats competing for the partys 2020 presidential nomination, but only five are from reliably GOP areas. Members of this group are trying to balance their home turf stories, pitching themselves as uniquely suited to win over voters who previously backed President Trump while also pointing out what they view as the shortfalls of Republican government. When youre coming from a state like that, youve got to pick your spots to try to figure out where you can have a little bit of influence, said Russell Ott, a Democratic state representative in South Carolina, which holds the Souths first presidential primary but has no Democratic statewide officeholders. I think thats something people appreciate. ORourke, who spent six years representing El Paso, on the Texas border with Mexico, says he will work with both parties and loves his state. But he isnt shy about ripping its politics. He decries Texas for championing the death penalty, failing to expand Medicaid under the Obama administrations health law and having one of the nations lowest voter turnout rates which he blames on strict voter ID rules. ORourke also says Texas is one of many places without laws prohibiting employers from firing people for being gay. Fellow Texan Julian Castro, ex-San Antonio mayor and Obama administration housing chief, is more critical of Trump than the Lone Star State and praises his heavily Latino city. I came up in San Antonio that was almost 50-50 Republican/Democrat, Castro said, though politics there now are far more liberal. I had to learn how to talk to the other side, consider their ideas, find common ground where we could. Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel says hes running for president to push the field farther left defying his home state, which hasnt voted Democratic for president since 1968. Buttigieg largely refrains from criticizing his native state but sees coming from a fairly blue city in a purple county in a red state as an advantage. If nothing else, it gives you a different vocabulary, Buttigieg said. A lot of times, even when I have a strong progressive message, I think I have an instinct for how to convey that in a way thats inclusive and then reaches to more people. Will Weissert and Hunter Woodall are Associated Press writers. WASHINGTON President Trump said Sunday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, abandoning his previous declaration that he would leave that decision to his attorney general. Escalating tensions with House Democrats as they seek to bring Mueller before the House Judiciary Committee, Trump tweeted: no redos for the Dems. He added: Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? Democrats are seeking more information about Muellers report on his Russia investigation. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has said he doesnt plan to invite Mueller to testify on the report. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week that testimony from Mueller was up to our attorney general. William Barr, during a contentious hearing about the report before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, was pressed on whether Mueller, a Justice Department employee, should be allowed to testify. Ive already said publicly I have no objection to him testifying, Barr said. The president tweeted after a Democrat on the committee said he was hopeful Mueller would testify, noting that May 15 has been proposed. Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline told Fox News Sunday that we hope the special counsel will appear at that time and that we think the American people have a right to hear directly from him. The House Judiciary Committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, said last week the committee was firming up the date for Muellers testimony and hoping it would be May 15. Cicilline said on Fox that obviously until the date comes, we never have an absolute guarantee. He later tweeted we hope the Special Counsel will agree to the proposed date for his testimony. Representatives for the Justice Department and Mueller declined to comment on Cicillines remarks and on Trumps tweet. Democratic lawmakers expressed their displeasure with Trumps position. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted, in part: Now hes trying to silence Mueller. For a man who constantly proclaims his innocence, @realDonaldTrump is acting awfully guilty. Mueller must testify publicly before Congress. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, noted in a tweet that Trumps opposition to Mueller testifying follows his opposition to having a former White House counsel testify. Barrs testimony alone designed to protect Trump isnt going to cut it. They will testify. The American people deserve the truth, said Schiff, who has previously stated that he would like Mueller to appear before his panel. Democrats have insisted that Mueller is the best person to provide a detailed interpretation of the 448-page report that he delivered last month to Barr. The New York Times contributed to this report. North Korea should return to dialogue for denuclearization North Korea has increased tensions by firing short-range projectiles into the East Sea on Saturday. This saber-rattling came during a "strike drill" supervised by leader Kim Jong-un. The next day, the (North) Korean Central News Agency described the projectiles as "tactical guided weapons." The provocation followed the April 17 test-firing of what the North also claimed were short-range tactical weapons. The tests have amplified concerns about Pyongyang's hardened stance toward denuclearization since the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in Hanoi in February. The Kim regime was apparently seeking to put more pressure on the U.S. to accept its call for sanctions relief in return for partial not complete denuclearization. The Seoul government takes the latest tests seriously. As the presidential office said, the North's military act is a source of "grave concern." It is a clear violation of an inter-Korean military agreement signed last September during President Moon's visit to Pyongyang for the third meeting with Kim. Under the accord, both sides agreed to end hostile acts against each other and to ease military tensions on the peninsula. It is feared the launch of the projectiles will have negative implications for the stalled denuclearization talks. It could undermine President Moon's tireless efforts for inter-Korean reconciliation. The tests may also deal a blow to his role as a mediator or facilitator in U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks. Since the Hanoi summit broke up without any deal, the Kim regime has tried to blame the Trump administration. Pyongyang even harshly lashed out at National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for rejecting the North's demand for sanctions relief and demanding a "big deal" for complete and quick denuclearization. Last week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui even warned the U.S. of an "unwanted outcome" unless Washington changed its stance on international sanctions. In this vein, no one can rule out the possibility of the North staging more provocations to vent its frustration over the Trump administration's refusal to meet Pyongyang's demand for phased denuclearization. However, the North is still sticking to its self-imposed moratorium on long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear tests in order not to scuttle dialogue with the U.S. The firing of the short-range projectiles was not in violation of U.N. resolutions against the North. So both sides must avoid further escalation of tensions. It is equally important to keep the momentum for dialogue alive. That's why Trump continued to express confidence that Kim will keep his promise on denuclearization despite Pyongyang's show of military force. South Korea and the U.S. should step up collaboration when top U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun visits Seoul this week to discuss issues pertaining to North Korea, including a possible provision of food aid to it. The Kim regime should end its saber-rattling and return to the negotiating table immediately. Kim must accept Moon's offer to have a fourth inter-Korean summit to find a way out of the impasse. Moreover, he needs to realize there is no other choice but to abandon his nuclear arsenal for regime survival as well as peace and prosperity on the peninsula. Moon administration should reconsider nuclear phase-out Most people are proud of South Korea's new nuclear reactor, which is expected to get a design certification from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in July. Receiving the certification means Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) can build and operate its own nuclear reactor in America. The country has set a milestone in the history of nuclear power. In fact, Korea has reported no major glitches in the operation of nuclear reactors for the past four decades. That is, the country has developed its own advanced reactor technology and proven their safety internationally. The NRC said recently that it would issue a direct final ruling certifying KHNP's Advanced Power Reactor 1400 design. The issuance will come after the state-run nuclear power operator submitted an application in December 2014 to certify the reactor's design for use in the U.S. as a standard design. Full certification is valid for 15 years. The U.S. regulator issued a standard design approval, one of the steps toward full certification, last September. KHNP expects full certification will be available in late July. The APR1400 features enhanced systems to safely shut down the reactor and reduce the effects of an accident. The APR1400 is a reactor model for export. Four reactors were built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Korea, six reactors of this type are in operation or under construction, including four Shin-Kori reactors. Korean reactors have come to enjoy an international reputation as a result of the country's strenuous efforts to create a solid ecosystem encompassing technology, design, construction and operation. The country has also made huge investments in nurturing nuclear experts, promoting research and development and developing parts makers. However, it is disappointing to see the nuclear power industry teetering on the brink of collapse in the face of President Moon Jae-in's nuclear phase-out policy. The construction work for two nuclear power plants was halted, while a plan to build four more plants was scrapped. In this situation, nuclear plant builders and parts suppliers are increasingly going out of business. Many nuclear technicians and specialists have lost jobs. There is growing concern that the hard-won nuclear technology may lose its place not only at home but also abroad. The irony is that Moon made a sales pitch for Korean nuclear reactors when he visited other countries such as the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and India. How can he promote domestic reactors abroad, while pushing for a nuclear phase-out? It is time for the President to reconsider his policy of shutting down nuclear reactors here. This policy deepens the country's dependence on thermal power stations using coal, liquefied natural gases and other fossil fuels due to a lack of technology in harnessing renewable energy. Take action before it is too late to save the nuclear power industry. Fred Dustin and two Korean service members in the 1950s. By Robert Neff Like many young American men in the early 1950s, Fred Dustin was sent to Korea to fight in the Korean War. After completing his service in 1953, he returned home to Bellingham, Washington, and resumed his studies. Despite the distance, he maintained an interest in the affairs of the peninsula and even convinced his parents to host a couple of young Korean soldiers for a short time. Dustin was a natural storyteller and could weave experiences, exaggerations and occasional fabrications into fascinating tales. Often these stories had several versions depending on Dustin's mood and the identity of his listener. As they explored the forested regions of the state in his old car, Dustin probably regaled the soldiers with the tales of his youth. More than likely, he also told them about the Skeebo. The expedition to Squaxin Island in March 1954. Dustin became familiar with the Skeebo in the spring of 1954, when, as a student, he went on a field expedition to Squaxin Island with a small group of students led by Prof. Herbert Taylor a famed anthropologist. Taylor was tasked with proving that the Squaxin Island Native Americans had resided on the island before the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek and was invited to the island by Chief Garrison. Dustin recalled there were, at that time, only eight members of the tribe: half of them lived on the island while the other half lived on the mainland. Taylor's expedition left Boston Harbor (Olympia) and sailed for the heavily wooded island in a small boat owned by Chief Garrison. On arrival, the students set up their tents about a half a mile south from the Garrisons' home and settled in for the night. In the wilderness of Washington State. They spent most of the following day looking about the island for possible sites that would prove when the islanders arrived. That evening, they gathered near Garrison's home and started the "ethnology or storytelling of myths and legends, the main one being the Skeebo or the Physical appearance/sign of imminent death of the beholder." Garrison began citing names of all those who had died on the island over the years and, for each name, he noted that just days before their deaths, and always at night, each of the deceased had seen the Skeebo. Dustin explained: "The Skeebo had a long tail whether it was forked or not, I remember not the answer [and it] wore a top-hat, much in the style of a type worn by President Abe Lincoln! It was very short stature my mental apparition is like 3 feet in height! In other words, the identifying signs were shortness, a tail and a top-hat." Apparently Garrison, who was quite elderly at the time, believed and feared it. Dustin described the fear as "all consuming" and noted that "the windows [of Garrison's house] were blocked so that during the day some light came through but at night it was impossible to see outside; from the exit doors were built hall-like structures to the privy so there was no danger of seeing the Skeebo." Measuring the girth of a tree. It was about midnight when they decided to end the session and make their way back to camp. Dustin claimed that the walk back was absolutely the most horrifying experience of his life. The brightness of the moon allowed them to see off into the dark a great distance, which made it even more terrifying; if the Skeebo was lurking about, they would surely sight it. Mike O'Sammons, a participant in the March 1954 expedition. Naver's ad profit-sharing platform AdPost. / Courtesy of Naver By Jun Ji-hye The Korea Communications Commission is investigating Naver over the recent leak of bloggers' personal information, officials said Sunday. The commission said it will take strict measures if it finds any violations of laws governing the information and communications industry. The investigation comes after a system error occurred on April 30 when the nation's largest portal operator sent AdPost receipts through emails to bloggers subscribed to the platform. AdPost is the firm's ad profit-sharing platform. In those emails, the personal information of other bloggers was accidently attached. The number of victims was estimated at 2,200, while leaked information included their names, resident registration numbers and the amount of payment. "We, together with the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA), are investigating Naver regarding details of the incident," a Korea Communications Commission official said. AdPost is designed to provide expanded monetization opportunities to creators, offering a user-friendly interface and convenient ad management services, according to Naver. After the leak of personal information was detected, Naver deleted the emails sent to bloggers, but this has provoked fresh controversy as the firm deleted not only unread emails but also those already opened. Under Naver's email system, senders are unable to withdraw emails once they have been opened. Following the measure, users have discovered that a portal operator can access the inboxes of individuals and delete their emails without permission. Naver said it went through internal discussions and reviewed legal aspects before deciding to retrieve all the emails. "We concluded that the secondary damage that would be caused by the leak of personal information was more serious," a Naver official said. The firm added it complied with guidelines, in a manual by related agencies, regarding instances of leaked personal information. The manuals suggest that a portal operator should withdraw emails if possible, and if not, it should ask the recipient of the email to delete it, according to Naver. Naver said it only deleted emails sent by the company, claiming it did not look into or change individuals' mail boxes without permission. The firm added that it is considering compensating the estimated 2,200 victims for damages. A giant crane collapsed at Samsung Heavy Industries'shipyard in Geoje on May 1, 2017, killing six workers and injuring 25. Similar incidents occurred on May 3 and 4, leaving one killed and one severely injured at Geoje shipyard. Korea Times file One killed, one severely injured at Geoje shipyard By Kwak Yeon-soo Samsung Heavy Industries has been ordered to halt the operation of its main plant in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, following a series of deadly accidents caused by safety lapses. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Sunday, the 58-year-old laborer was killed when construction materials 1.5 tons of H-beam steel fell on him at a Samsung Heavy shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province on Saturday morning. The incident took place just a day after another employee was hit by a wire rope at the shipyard. The 43-year-old laborer was rushed to a nearby hospital, but is in a critical condition. Nam Jun-woo, Samsung Heavy Industries CEO Santa Clara County officials say people who visited a Milpitas shooting range and gymnastics studio may have been exposed to potentially hazardous levels of lead contamination. Testing on Friday by the Center for Environmental Health, a division of the California Department of Public Health, found elevated levels of lead in buildings used by Target Masters West and Sweet's Gymnastics, both of which have been closed pending cleanup. Officials are now trying to contact all customers, employees and others who may have been exposed to the toxic metal. Officials said there is no risk to the general public or anyone who was not in the affected buildings. Target Masters West and Sweet's Gymnastics are located at 12 Minnis Circle and 1329 Minnis Circle, respectively, in Milpitas. 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) A 29-year-old South San Francisco man has been arrested in connection with a 2018 Millbrae rape case, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said Sunday, and investigators said there may be other victims. Shon Chow was taken into custody on a felony $250,000 warrant on Friday in San Bruno following an investigation of a rape report made Sept. 4, 2018. The victim, who has an intellectual disability and lived independently in an apartment near her family home, told investigators that Chow took advantage of her disability by persuading her to return to her residence, where he assaulted her. When he returned and assaulted her again two days later, the victim told her parents, who contacted the sheriff's office. An investigated by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the San Mateo County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation resulted in the felony warrant for Chow, who was arrested Friday at El Camino Real and Santa Inez Avenue in San Bruno and booked into the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Maguire Correctional Facility. Chow, who had convictions in 2009 and 2010 for peeping into bathroom windows in San Mateo County, was also wanted for peeping into an inhabited building in Millbrae at the time of his arrest, the sheriff's office said. Crimes listed in the warrant are oral copulation, victim incapable of consent; sexual penetration with a foreign object, victim incapable of consent; rape, victim incapable of consent; burglary; and disorderly conduct, peeping through a door or window, "We believe there are potentially more victims," the sheriff's office said, asking possible victims and with any information on Shon Chow to contact Detective Gaby Chaghouri at 650-363-4060 or gchaghouri@smcgov.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. Santa Rosa Police Department SANTA ROSA (BCN) A 24-year-old Santa Rosa man was arrested Saturday afternoon, suspected of kidnapping two brothers and holding them for ransom after what Santa Rosa police said was a marijuana deal gone bad. Juan Canchola was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping for ransom and of false imprisonment after he allegedly used a replica handgun to threaten the two Santa Rosa brothers whom the suspect accused of stealing "a substantial amount of marijuana" while the sale was being worked out, police said. Police were called at 4:11 a.m. Saturday to a house in the 2300 block of Apple Valley Lane, a short distance west of Coddingtown Mall. A woman there, the mother of the two brothers, told officers she'd received a phone call from an unknown man saying that if she did not give him a "substantial amount of money," she wouldn't see her sons again. Detectives tracked the suspect to a residence in the 4200 block of Sebastopol Road, where two men were bound with duct tape and zip ties and detained. One of the brothers, police said, was eventually released to get the ransom money and bring it to the suspect. Police detectives contacted the freed victim, who told police his brother was still tied up and being held for ransom at the house on Sebastopol Road. The Santa Rosa Police Department's SWAT and Hostage Negotiations teams were called in; at about 1 p.m. Saturday, officers from those teams moved in on the Sebastopol Road residence and arrested Canchola without incident. Neither brother was injured. Police found several pieces of evidence related to the kidnapping, including a replica firearm allegedly used to threaten the brothers, at the Sebastopol Road house. Police say Canchola and the two brothers are suspected of being involved in a marijuana deal, and that a "substantial amount" of the drug came up missing. Police said Canchola blamed the brothers, and said he kidnapped them and sought a ransom because he had to pay off the debt from the marijuana deal. Police ask that anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the Violent Crimes Investigation Team at (707) 543-3590 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. If you haven't been to Joshua Tree National Park, but hope one day to see the mysterious desert tree while it thrives, you might want to go there sooner rather than later. The Southern California national park is among many of Earth's most popular natural sites that have received dire predictions for survival due to climate change. Almost 3 million people head to Joshua Tree every year to climb, hike and camp among the trees that have had an iconic presence in the western desert for decades. And now, scientists predict the Joshua tree itself could be virtually wiped out by the end of the century. A recent study has not only found that rising temperatures are proving deadly to the Joshua tree, but they are also threatening a species that the Joshua tree depends on for its survival, the yucca moth. The moth fertilizes the Joshua trees and lay their eggs inside the Joshua trees' flowers. If the tree is largely wiped out in the park, its overall effect could be devastating. "What happens to an ecosystem that loses its main tall tree?" asks scientist Juniper Harrower in National Geographic. "All sorts of creatures interact with Joshua trees insects, kangaroo mice, loggerhead shrikes. They create microhabitats by creating shade in the desert. Young trees germinate nearby. You have a reverberation through the entire ecosystem." Joshua Tree is just one of many natural monuments worldwide that are threatened by climate change. If glaciers are among places you'd like to visit, you might want to move those treks toward the top of your list. Last year, scientists warned that glaciers at Alaska's national parks were melting at a pace faster than any time in the last 400 years. Glacier National Park now has only 26 glaciers left and is set to lose all of them within the next few decades. And then of course there are tropical islands worldwide that are threatened with becoming submerged in the coming decades. For instance, if you've harbored dreams of the ultimate island vacation in the Maldives you'd better call your travel agent before this paradise vanishes under the rising oceans. Many cities popular with tourists are also threatened by climate change. Flooding has become routine in the streets of Miami. And time is running out for that ultimate selfie on the Bridge of Sighs. Some say Venice will be an underwater city by 2100. And well before then, there could be times when flooding is so severe that visits will be severely limited. In the above slideshow, see some of the choice vacation spots near and far, natural and man made, that are already adversely affected by climate change. Some could disappear forever in the coming decades. Itchy, watery eyes. A climbing fever. The gradual appearance of a rosy red rash. Travelers may have reason to worry if they've visited Los Angeles recently and are experiencing any of the above symptoms. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating a new confirmed case of measles in a Los Angeles County resident and an additional non-resident who traveled throughout the county. As of May 4, the department said a total of eight measles cases among Los Angeles County residents have been reported this year, as well as six non-resident cases of the disease that traveled throughout the county. Health officials say individuals who were at LAX Terminal 2 on April 30 from 7:45 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. or May 1 from 7:10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. may be at risk of developing measles up to 21 days after being exposed. Others at risk are those who were on the LAX employee shuttle on April 30 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and May 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The individuals carrying the disease had returned to Southern California from overseas. They were not linked to other recent cases, which resulted in quarantines at UCLA and California State University, Los Angeles. "The best way to protect yourself from measles is to get vaccinated. All children and non-immune adults should be vaccinated against measles," Long Beach Health Officer Anissa Davis told NBC Los Angeles. "If you are unsure of your vaccination status, contact your provider to make sure you are up-to-date." According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of measles cases result from international travel. The disease makes its way into the United States by infecting unvaccinated people. On average, two out of three unvaccinated travelers are Americans. Measles is most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing. The CDC reports that the disease is so contagious that if one person has it, 90 percent of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected. "It is very important if you or someone you know has symptoms of measles or has been exposed to measles to contact your healthcare provider by phone right away before going in," Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer said in a press release. "We will likely see additional measles cases in Los Angeles County, so if you are not already immune to measles, the best way to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of measles is to get the measles immunization, with two doses of measles immunization being about 97 percent effective at preventing measles." Individuals who have not experienced symptoms for more than 21 days after exposure are not considered to be at risk. Measles immunizations are available at health care providers, local pharmacies and health clinics. PANAMA CITY Two businessmen emerged in a tight race for Panamas presidency with 91% of votes tallied from Sundays election, which followed a campaign that focused on corruption and slowing economic growth in this Central America trade and financial hub. Laurentino Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party had almost 33%, just ahead of Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change party at 31%. Voters cast ballots at roughly 3,000 locations without major incidents while choosing among a field of seven mostly business-friendly candidates seeking to take over leadership for the next five years. There is no runoff in Panama. The election followed revelations of money laundering in the Panama Papers scandal that damaged the countrys reputation on the world stage. The trove of secret financial documents showed how some of the worlds richest people hid their money using shell companies in Panama and other countries. Despite the scandal, Panama remains a strategic location for commerce, anchored by the heavily trafficked Panama Canal shipping route. Cortizo, a 66-year-old cattleman who studied business administration in the U.S., entered the election with a lead in the polls. He was agriculture minister under President Martin Torrijos and campaigned on vows to clean up Panamas image after recent corruption scandals. Roux, a 54-year-old businessman, had the endorsement of supermarket magnate and former President Ricardo Martinelli, who is in jail awaiting trial on charges of political espionage. Roux held multiple government posts during the Martinelli administration, including minister of canal affairs and foreign minister. Turnout appeared to be heavy in the capital Sunday under a hot, cloudy sky in the sixth presidential election since a U.S. invasion ousted strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989. Panamanian voters were also concerned about rising unemployment, public schools in decline, unreliable water service and insufficient garbage collection in the capital. Outgoing President Juan Carlos Varela, who was constitutionally barred from re-election, will likely be remembered as a leader who strengthened the countrys political and economic ties with China. Juan Zamorano and Kathia Martinez are Associated Press writers. JERUSALEM Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with air strikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 20, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israels destruction, are bitter enemies that have fought three wars since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gazas economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have every right to defend themselves. He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often cooperates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli air strikes beginning Saturday. Josef Federman and Fares Akram are Associated Press writers. SEOUL North Korean state media showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers Sunday and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts. Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said Kim expressed great satisfaction over Saturdays drills and stressed that his front-line troops should keep a high alert posture and enhance combat ability to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of the country. The drills demonstrated Pyongyangs rising frustration at stalled talks with Washington meant to provide sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament. They also highlighted the fragility of the detente between the Koreas, which in a military agreement reached in September pledged to completely cease all hostile acts against each other in land, air and sea. South Korea said its very concerned about North Koreas weapons launches, calling them a violation of the agreements to reduce animosities between the countries. The statement also urged North Korea to stop committing acts that would raise military tensions and join efforts to resume nuclear diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed that Washington still wants to strike a deal with Kim to get the North Korea to denuclearize. He told Fox News Sunday and ABC that the weapons launched were short-range and not intercontinental ballistic missiles. They landed in the water east of North Korea and didnt present a threat to the United States or South Korea or Japan, he said on ABC. In an updated assessment Sunday, military leaders in South Korea did not confirm whether the North fired a ballistic missile, but said a new tactical guided weapon was among the weapons tested by the North. The various projectiles flew from 44 to 149 miles before splashing into sea. The Norths official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos that showed Kim, equipped with binoculars, observing tests of the different systems. Kim Tong-Hyung is an Associated Press writer. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2019 > When Secular is Mocked as Sick-ular by Mahendra Ved The BJP has launched an aggressive election campaign on Hindu victimhood that requires to be repaired (sic) with attempts to enforce its supremacy over others. The cradle of at least three and home of many more, India is what it is because of the multiplicity of faiths. Religion and religiosity are integral to its culture that has had a continuity few others have. Call it mutual tolerance or acceptance, Indians professing different faiths live together despite past foreign military invasions followed by conversions, whether they were forced by the sword, coerced through temptations or voluntary. There is assimilation even as people are sought to be divided on religious lines. What is secular in modern-day parlance has evolved with Indian connotations and convenience, just as what is communal has to explain what is not secular. And secular itself has undergone transformation from being anti-faith and irreligious to treating all faiths with equal respect. For two millennia-plus, India has remained pluralist and yet, in terms of numbers, overwhelmingly (79.8 per cent) Hindu. And yet, the current election is witnessing an aggressive discourse on Hindu victimhood that requires to be repaired with attempts to enforce its supremacy over others. Hindutva, the ploy used to give political turn to the majority faith, gives new twists to the very understanding of the terms tolerance and acceptance. Secular is spelt sick-ular. Three top members of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including an estranged member of the Gandhi dynasty courted controversy last week for appearing to threaten people to vote for them. A video showed Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi warning a Muslims gathering to vote for her or be shunned if she returns to power. I am winning with the help of the people. But if my victory comes without the support of Muslims, then I will not feel good... It will leave a bitter taste. And then when a Muslim comes for any work, then I will think let it be. The other new incident involved Sakshi Maharaj, a Hindu monk, who told a gathering in Kanpur that he would curse those who do not vote for him. When a saint comes to beg and isnt given what he asks for, he takes away all the happiness of the family and in turn gives curse to the family, Maharaj said, adding that he was quoting from sacred Hindu scriptures. He is facing 34 criminal charges, including of alleged murder, robbery and cheating. These offenders are from the ruling alliance. But in a growing list, politicians from other parties and alliances, like Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mayawati and Azam Khan, have also used religious ploys, sexist remarks, hate and intimidation to win support of the electorate even though soliciting votes on religious lines or threatening voters is prohibited. The Election Commission, while struggling to maintain its authority and a semblance of fairness, has admitted before the countrys highest court that it is toothless and helpless before the offenders. For the first time, the statutory body conducting the worlds largest democratic exercise has slapped token punishments of exclusion from public speaking, using its limited powers, to some of these offenders for violating the EC-set norms by appealing to religion or employing religion-related issues. But the punishment has been ridiculed by some who play to the public gallery and some others have repeated their offences. Besides Sakshi Maharajs curse has become the new cussword. It is astounding that what one read in fairy tales and mythology is used today to damn opponents. The most controversial curse has come from Pragya Singh Thakur, a lady monk connected with a Hindu extremist body, nominated by the BJP to contest. Unique and complicated, her case needs elaboration. She is on trial for offences ranging from conspiracy to murder and transporting explosives. For want of evidence, a special court recently exonerated her for the 2007 blast on Samjhauta Express, the train that links India and Pakistan. Seventy Pakistanis returning home and Indians visiting their relations in Pakistan died. The court passed severe strictures against the investigators who first probed a Muslim group and then switched to Hindu terror, allegedly on political orders. In effect, none has been convicted and punished, even as India demands of Pakistan to try and punish those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Thakur said she had cursed the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief, Hemant Karkare who, she alleges, tortured her. The police officer died fighting the Pakistani militants in Mumbai. Honoured posthumously, Karkare had also led the investigations against Thakur in other cases including one pertaining to blasts at a mosque. Thakur now declares that he died within five weeks of her curse. She later regretted her remark, but wants everyone who implicated her in terror attacks to apologise. Modi has defended her nomination, declaring that there is nothing called Hindu terrorism. Legalities apart, her nomination, while she is out on bail on health grounds, allows her to convert herself from a terror suspect and a victim of her investigators and the judiciary who were ostensibly doing their job, to a heroine upholding her faith. Admittedly, Thakur is not convicted. She is among the many contesting this election, like others with criminal cases. But in nominating her, Modi and the BJP that routinely hand out certificates of nationalism and tag anyone who disagrees with their dominant narrative as a traitor, are rooting for an accused in a terrorism case. Individuals apart, how faith determines the fate of friends and adversaries is clear from the BJPs official Twitter account. It quotes party chief Amit Shahs speech that explicitly declared that if re-elected, it would implement the Citizenship Bill for the entire country and would act against all infiltrators who were not Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist. The partys stand on different communities is no secret. The important thing is the fear that this position elicits among potential voters. Those obviously excluded are Muslims invaders who stayed on to ruleand Christians, although those who came as traders and turned colonisers hardly exist in present-day India. The targets could be members of the 24 million community that accounts for 2.3 per cent of the totally population. But they are outsiders. The most telling exclusionone hopes its inadvertentis that of Parsis, the Zoroastrian migrants from Iran who made India their home 14 centuries agoin Gujarat, the home-State of Modi and Shah. The Opposition has no answer to this campaign. By not countering the BJP on lynching and numerous other issues that pertain to the minorities and depressed sections of the society, the Opposition parties by and large, but the Congress especially, have conceded to the BJPs ideological narrative. Sadly, Shahs viewing the electorate as Ali-versus-Bajrangbali is finding tacit acceptance from the rising urban middle classes. Unlikely to end with these elections, it is now a reality of our times, unlikely to go away. One is sticking ones neck out mid-way through the voting process, with its outcome barely three weeks away. Forget arguing over Modis development plank and his many achieve-ments and failures, he could get a fresh mandate by dividing people on religious lines, instilling fear in them. But if he fails, it will be because a resilient society that has lived in plurality for long has its own silent, even if opaque, way of dealing with such attempts. (Courtesy: Lokmarg.com) Mahendra Ved is the President of the Commonwealth Journalists Association (2016-2018) A senior journalist, he can be reached at mahendraved07[at]gmail.com Page Content The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a blow to employers by ruling that California's stringent new "ABC" test for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor applies retroactively. Making the ABC test retroactive may subject businesses to liability for misclassifying workers as independent contractors even before the test was made law, said Jeffrey Horton Thomas, an attorney with Akerman in Los Angeles. This "will be devastating to many businesses and requires their attention now," he said. There are now significant questions about whether it is advisable to hire independent contractors, said Ron Holland, an attorney with McDermott Will & Emery in San Francisco. Examining current and prospective contractor relationships is critical, he noted, and even more so now that the 9th Circuit has weighed in. [SHRM members-only resource: California Labor and Employment Law Overview] "This is a significant case," said Katherine Catlos, an attorney with Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in San Francisco. She noted that the decision will likely be appealed. The ruling comes several days after the U.S. Department of Labor issued an employer-friendly opinion letter stating that some gig-economy workers can be properly classified as independent contractors under federal law. But many employment laws are state-based, and businesses must follow state standards under those laws. Misclassification claims are a frequent source of litigation because employees are entitled to minimum wage, overtime pay and other benefits that are not afforded to independent contractors. The New Standard In April 2018, the California Supreme Court applied the ABC test to state wage-order claims in Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court. Under the new analysis, all three of the following factors must be met for a worker to be properly classified as an independent contractor: The worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact. The worker performs tasks that are outside of the usual course of the hiring entity's business. The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity. The prior test was a more flexible multifactor analysis that primarily focused on who exerted control over the work. Employers should note that the ABC test applies only to wage-order claims in California, and different tests may apply under other state laws. Since the Dynamex decision, the California Supreme Court has denied a petition to clarify that the decision applies only prospectively, and some trial courts in the state have explicitly ruled that the test applies retroactively. The 9th Circuit agreed with the trial courts May 2 in Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising International. Franchise Operation The defendant in the 9th Circuit case, Jan-Pro Franchising International, operated a multitiered franchise model for janitorial services, through which it entered into contracts with "master franchisees." The master franchisees served as intermediaries and sold business plans to "unit franchisees," which performed commercial cleaning services under the Jan-Pro name. In a proposed class action, unit franchisees claimed they were misclassified as independent contractors and were actually Jan-Pro employees. But Jan-Pro argued that its business was a separate entity from the master franchisees that contracted with the unit franchisees. Several plaintiffs in the case worked in California and claimed that the ABC test should applyeven though their claims preceded the Dynamex rulingand they should be deemed employees under that analysis. Siding with the plaintiffs, the 9th Circuit said that courts will generally presume that a judicial decision applies retroactivity. Furthermore, in Dynamex, the state high court said its ruling was a clarification rather than a departure from established law, and several lower courts in the state have applied the ruling retroactively. Thus, the 9th Circuit directed the lower court to evaluate the case in light of the Dynamex decision. Applying the ABC Test The 9th Circuit provided guidelines to use when evaluating the ABC test. For example, for "Prong B," the court discussed what the hiring entity needs to prove in order to establish that a worker was not performing tasks that are a part of the company's usual course of business. "The court suggested a follow-the-money approach for Prong B," Catlos said. Is the hiring entity's financial gain dependent on the tasks the worker performs? The lower the financial impact, the more likely a court will find in favor of independent-contractor status, she noted. In Dynamex, the California Supreme Court used the example of a retail store hiring a plumber to repair a bathroom leak. The plumber provides "incidental services for otherwise unrelated businesses" and may be properly classified as an independent contractor. However, the state high court said, when a bakery hires cake decorators to regularly work on its custom-designed cakes, the workers are performing tasks that are part of the company's usual business operation. The 9th Circuit decision provides guidance to franchisorsbut it is also informative for any businesses that hire independent contractors, including those in the gig economy, Catlos said. Current franchisors and all entities who use independent contractors should review their contracts and audit their practices "on the ground" to ensure workers are truly independent contractors in light of the court's guideposts and observations, she added. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A motorist was injured after their car plowed into a pole on Clove Road in Emerson Hill Saturday afternoon, according to an NYPD spokesman. At approximately 4:20 p.m., emergency units responded to a blue Subaru that crashed into a utility pole near the intersection of Clove and Richmond roads, said the spokesman. An ambulance transported the driver to Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in Ocean Breeze, with non-life threatening injuries, added the spokesman. Following the wreck, traffic was backed up from Clove to the Staten Island Expressways service road, as police closed off the scene of the crash. The vehicle sustained major damage to the front end, with debris scattered across Richmond Road. It remains unclear what caused the single-car crash. The NYPDs Collision Investigation Squad (CIS) was initially called to investigate the incident, but were called off after police from the 122 Precinct determined the crash was not considered major. The Subaru was towed away from the scene at approximately 6 p.m. and traffic has resumed along Clove Road. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York State is eligible to receive nearly $2 million in grant funding to improve drinking water in schools, according to a news release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). New York can receive up to $1.96 million in funding under the EPAs new Voluntary Lead Testing in Schools and Child Care grant program, according to an EPA news release. The agency announced it would award $43.7 million in grants to fund testing for lead in drinking water at schools and child care programs across the United States. Testing results carried out using grant funds must be made publicly available. The EPA announced the availability of nearly $87 million through two grant programs to assist states, tribes and territories to improve drinking water in both schools and underserved communities, established by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN). The second drinking water grant program, the Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities, will help underserved communities. The EPA will award $42.8 million in grants to support underserved communities by bringing public drinking water systems into compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Funding can also be used for conducting household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated contaminants. New York is eligible for $1.74 million of this funding. Under the two grant programs,New York is eligible to receive up to $3.7 million in available funding, according to the release. EPA is committed to ensuring all Americans, regardless of their zip code, have access to safe and clean drinking water, said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. With these grants, EPA is fulfilling its core mission of providing states, tribes and territories with the resources needed to protect children from lead exposure and other contaminants and ensure all American families have safe drinking water. Grant allotments for the two grant programs are available on the EPAs website. Program participants will be asked to submit work plans to the EPA outlining their proposed projects for approval and funding. The agency will announce funding details for WIINs third newly-created grant program dedicated to reducing lead in drinking water systems this summer. LEAD IN DRINKING WATER Last month, a study by the Environment America Research & Policy Center and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund analyzed lead testing policies for 31 states and Washington, D.C. The states received letter grades based on policies related to lead in drinking water in schools. According to the report, New York State received a C+ grade. Last September, 76 fixtures in 19 Staten Island schools were still showing elevated levels of lead, according to a report released by the Department of Education (DOE). The agency said that those fixtures reported lead levels above the 15 parts per billion threshold. Lead levels above 15 parts per billion are considered dangerous by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The numbers released in the report accounted for tests conducted on Staten Island from January 2018 to August 2018. Initial lead testing began in 2016. The water fixtures -- found in school kitchens, bathrooms, locker rooms and classrooms -- include ice makers, cold water faucets, water bottle filters, slop sinks and bubblers, or drinking fountains. Lead can enter drinking water when service pipes that contain lead corrode, according to the EPA. The DOE is in the process of testing every fixture in every public school across the five boroughs. More than 140,000 fixtures will be tested. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Were highlighting some of the activities Staten Island students are engaged in -- both inside and outside the classroom. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Several students from Susan E. Wagner High School, Sea View, participated in a program to learn about how political and policy processes affect them and their communities. Abdallah Ahmed, Angela Bunay, Althea Bata, Jason Galak, Amanda Mahon and Victoria Ung learned about legislative democracy and the realities associated with policy making during the Model NYC Council Project. Students also develop leadership, research and public speaking skills. Susan Wagner High School students -- Abdallah Ahmed, Angela Bunay, Althea Bata, Jason Galak, Amanda Mahon and Victoria Ung -- learned about legislative democracy and the realities associated with policy making during the Model NYC Council Project. (Courtesy of Eston Clare Jr.) Students went to three training sessions at Baruch College leading up to their final debate to vote on the legislative bill they were researching. At the conclusion of the training sessions, College Now students came together last month in the City Council Chamber at City Hall to debate and vote on the legislative agenda they have been researching and working on. A Susan Wagner High School student speaks at the City Council Chamber. (Courtesy of Eston Clare Jr.) Wagner students worked alongside faculty, including Anna Betanourt, College Now coordinator Kingsborough Community College, to learn what is involved when working in the public sector. The City University of New York (CUNY) and City Council leaders developed the Model NYC Council Project in 2002 as a way to expose high school students in College Now programs to policy making. College Now is CUNYs largest collaborative program with high schools, offering dual enrollment in high school and college, and college-readiness programs. The six Wagner High School students participate in the College Now program at City University of New York (CUNY) Kingsborough Community College. Students across the five boroughs participated in the program. (Courtesy of Eston Clare Jr.) Heres a look at other education-related happenings. SERVICE AWARD Staten Island Academy presented a senior with the Prudential Spirit of Community Award -- the largest youth recognition program in the United States. Kaleigh McDonald was presented the award in February, which is based on volunteer community service. The program honors middle and high school students for outstanding service to others at the local, state and national levels. McDonald was nominated by the Staten Island Academy faculty and staff for her extensive record of service to others on Staten Island. She has volunteered her time for many charitable organizations and is the president of the schools chapter of Shes the First a non-profit that fights gender inequality through education. Kaleigh is not only an enthusiastic volunteer; and we couldnt be more proud of having her in this community, said Albert R. Cauz, the head of school at Staten Island Academy. She is earnest in any endeavor she undertakes and accomplishes all her projects with grace and good will. The program was created in 1995 by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Since then, more than 350,000 young Americans have participated, and more than 100,000 of them have been officially recognized for their volunteer efforts. Staten Island Academy senior Kaleigh McDonald was presented the Prudential Spirit of Community Award -- the largest youth recognition program in the United States. She was nominated by faculty at Staten Island Academy. (Courtesy of Staten Island Academy) PRINCIPAL HONORED A Staten Island principal received a prestigious award for her work atf Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61), Brighton Heights. Susan Tronolone was nominated and awarded by the Middle School Principals Association as a Distinguished Principal of Staten Island at a luncheon in March. One principal from each of the five boroughs was honored at the lunch held by the Association. Susan Tronolone, principal of Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61), New Brighton, was nominated and awarded by the Middle School Principals Association as a Distinguished Principal of Staten Island. (Courtesy of I.S. 61) ART ON DISPLAY PS 69 students created masterpieces that were on display in Historic Richmond Town at the schools Collage & Puppetry Arts Art Show in March. The New Springville school collaborated with Arts for All, and teaching artist Ron Chironna to create the event. Some students in first grade, third grade and fourth grade created artwork to be on display. Through artistic expression, students discovered ways to communicate ideas and emotions, said Kim Capasso, media specialist at PS 69. They learned the importance of respect: for themselves, as well as other points of view. Art promotes discussion and collaboration. Through art, we can all learn to value our unique sense of self. Arts for All offers accessible artistic opportunities to children in New York City who face socio-economic, physical or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Below is a photo of some of the artwork created by students. PS 69 students created masterpieces that were on display in Historic Richmond Town at the schools Collage & Puppetry Arts Art Show. (Courtesy of PS 69) Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island student is suing New York University and a school official for mishandling a disciplinary panel following an alleged hazing incident that left a fraternity pledge with a burn wound. The 19-year-old student, whose name is withheld from court documents, said he was not present during the alleged hazing incident and that the school permitted materially false information in the overview hearing that threatened him with expulsion. According to the filing, the school became aware of the alleged burning after the victims parter reported the incident. Following that report, the lawsuit alleges that the partner contacted the Staten Island student and threatened to stab him for his involvement in the burning initiation. The Staten Island student alerted Mathew Shepard, the assistant director of student conduct and operations at NYU, of the threat. However, Shepard -- who is a defendant in the lawsuit -- said he and the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) had no jurisdiction over threats of physical violence, the filing alleges. Despite this claim, Shepard and the OSC later investigated and charged the Staten Island student and two other members of the fraternity with violating an NYU policy for committing violence, actual or threatened, against any individual or group of persons in connection with the hazing incident, according to the lawsuit. An NYU investigation led by Shepard then skewed witnesses to ensure that the charged individuals would be found to have violated NYU policies, the lawsuit alleges. This occurred, according to allegations in the lawsuit, despite Shepard promising witnesses that no student would face individual action as a result of the investigation. The Staten Island student was also informed by Craig Jolley, the director of student conduct and operations at NYU, that a resolution by agreement could be reached in lieu of a panel hearing, which removed the possibility of expulsion from the case, the lawsuit alleges. According to allegations in the lawsuit, while the resolution by agreement meeting was set for April 8, the Staten Island student was later emailed by Jolley that the school will not be considering any terms for a resolution by agreement at this time, and that he needed to attend a student conduct panel. Ahead of the panel, the Staten Island student said a report, which would be a principle piece of information in the hearing, contained material misstatements and factual inaccuracies, including incorrectly labeling the student as the vice president of the fraternity at the time of the burning incident, the lawsuit alleges. In addition, according to allegations in the lawsuit, the only specific allegation in the report said that the witnesses assumed that the Staten Island student -- along with the two other individuals charged in the incident -- were involved in the burning, but could not be sure if they actually played a role in the hazing incident. The Staten Island student attempted to have the inaccuracies in the report fixed leading up to the hearing, but the lawsuit alleges that NYU denied the option of having the inconsistencies fixed. The hearing was set to continue on May 1, according to court documents. The fraternity was banned from NYU on March 18. It is the first time a fraternity or sorority at NYU has ever been permanently banned in the schools history, the lawsuit says. The Staten Island student is suing the college for a breach of contract, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress and related claims, according to the lawsuit. NYU spokesman John Beckman said the lawsuit attempts to turn reality on its head. Hazing is against both NYUs rules and New York State law -- thats the issue here, and serious hazing took place, Beckman said. Beckman added that NYU is pursuing disciplinary proceedings and reported the incident to the police because multiple members of the now-banned fraternity were burned as a part of the pledging process, along with engaging in underage drinking. Everything has been handled professionally, dispassionately, and by the book," Beckman said. The court already denied the plaintiffs attempt to halt the disciplinary proceedings, and we fully expect that this complaint -- which offers a preposterous version of events -- also will fail in court, he added. The lawyer for the Staten Island student did not return multiple calls requesting comment. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2019 > Why Proposed Labour Reforms may be Harmful for Workers The following article is being published on the occasion of May Day 2019. There has been a growing concern in recent times that the ongoing process of labour reforms may end up significantly reducing and eroding labour rights and some of the positive results achieved after years of struggles may be lost or diluted to a significant extent. Already a series of changes have led to the growing casualisation of the labour force and the share of contract workers is now significantly higher even in the organised sector. As is well known, contract workers have much lower wages, social security and job security. The entire trend is towards less job security and limited period employment which is supported by government policy. The livelihoods of workers, including self-employed workers, in many lines of work was badly disrupted by demonetisation, GST and indiscriminate imports to such an extent that some of them have still not entirely recovered from this. It is against this background that the proposed main ongoing reform of reorganising 44 central labour laws in four Labour Codes should be seen. This reorganisation into more compact laws is itself not wrong if done fairly with commitment to the cause of workers. The problem arises when this becomes a pretext for diluting and eroding the rights of workers. The proposed bill relating to the first such code is called the Labour Code on Industrial Relations Bill 2015 (LCIR). A recent study by Vaibhav Raaj, titled Labour Law Reforms in IndiaA New Social Contract, says that the purpose of the LCIR goes beyond mere consolidation of the existing laws. As this review points out, the LCIR contains provisions for heavy fines on workers and trade unions for violation of expansive and strict guidelines for filing returns and indulging in unfair labour practices. In addition the LCIR has expanded grounds for cancelling of registeration of trade unions. Further, the special immunities provided to registered trade unions under the Trade Union Act and the Industrial Disputes Act are proposed to thinned to negligible levels to the extent that strikes and lockouts by workers are proposed to be made effectively illegal by extending the definition of public utilities to all industrial establishments and requiring two and six weeks notice for strikes. Instances of more than 50 per cent of the workers of an establishment taking simultaneous casual leave for any reason will also be classified as strike. In addition separate legislation for small units employing less than 40 workers which suspends 14 central labour laws in their context was also considered but after much resistance from workers has been shelved for the time being. Regarding the second bill, the Code on Wages, 2017, Bill No. 163 of 2017, this study says, While the Bill addressed a few concerns raised by workers, many issues still remain that may jeo-pardise the livelihood of millions of workers through diluted protective standards and diminished accountability mechanisms in the provisions of the Bill.The suggested criteria for setting minimum wage wages completely bypass and potentially violate established jurisprudence on required needs-based criteria for setting of minimum wage rates. In the case of the third draft labour code on social security and welfare, while it is clear that the new social security system will rely almost completely on contributions made by workers and employers, the scope of tripartite processes in determining the management of social security is in the process of being greatly reduced. There is heavy domination of the Central Government in the new emerging structure. Clearly there must be a serious and wide debate on the proposed so-called reforms so that the erosion and curbing of hard-won rights can be checked. The author is a freelance journalist who has been involved with several social movements and initiatives. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- A constant downpour Sunday didnt deter tens of thousands of cyclists who participated in the 42nd annual 5 Boro Bike Tour, which included post-race celebration at the finish line on Staten Island. Proceeds from the event benefit the organizations free educational programs for children and adults on bike safety in the nations most populous city. In 2018 alone, more than 28,000 New Yorkers received training through the program. The 40-mile trek that includes five bridges was celebrated from start to finish on social media, with the first wave of riders were off by 8 a.m., according to Bike New Yorks Twitter feed. Bike New Yorkers are about to kick off on the 42nd TD Five Boro Bike Tour! #TogetherWeRide #TDFBBT pic.twitter.com/nV6btBoiKi Bike New York (@bikenewyork) May 5, 2019 Among those documenting their journey Sunday were a few celebrities, including TV personality Al Roker, who offered a first-person weather report from behind the handlebars, along with a plug for NBCs Today." Event volunteers were stationed throughout the course to assist riders, which included free bananas in Queens to help prevent cramping. Tour volunteers are handing bananas to riders in Astoria Park! #TDFBBT #TogetherWeRide pic.twitter.com/pcSIUZ6u9A Bike New York (@bikenewyork) May 5, 2019 The bike tour was scheduled in four waves of riders who departed from Lower Manhattan. The first was scheduled to depart at 7:30 a.m., as several closures were announced throughout the city, including the lower level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. After crossing the finish line on the Staten Island side of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, cyclists were guided along a stretch of Bay Street past police barricades and in to Fort Wadsworth. Staten Island Advance/Kyle Lawson Auxiliary members with the U.S. Coast Guard worked alongside the NYPD to assist with safety, security and crowd control. On Sunday May 6th Auxiliary members from USCG Auxiliary First Coast Guard District (SR) assisted with safety, Security and crowds control of cyclist at the finish line of the 2018 Five Boro Bike Tour ending in Fort Wadsworth. pic.twitter.com/EYoMIbUub5 USCGAux D1SR (@USCGAuxD1SR) May 7, 2018 Some of the participants first to arrive took to Instagram with the Verrazzano Bridge pictured behind them. Wrote one exhausted participant: Quick photo op with the bridge that ended my existence. Riders were entertained by live bands, DJs and a cheerleading squad at locations throughout the tour, culminating in a celebration on Staten Island with food, bike vendors and giveaways. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York is getting more expensive to live in with every passing day. We all know it. Its not just home prices and the cost of apartment rentals. Its the little, everyday things that keep adding up. Higher tolls. Higher fares. Higher real estate taxes. Higher water bills. And, now, it looks like the price we pay for natural gas is going to go through the roof. National Grid has asked for an increase in its natural gas delivery fees for New York City and Long Island. This is to help the company invest in natural gas networks. The increase being sought for Staten Island, Brooklyn and parts of Queens? A whopping $16.50 a MONTH! Thats another $198 per year. Thats real money. And its not exactly coming out in dribs and drabs. Youre going to notice that monthly increase every time you pay your bill. And good luck trying to live without natural gas. We need it to heat our homes. To light the stove and cook. To fire our hot water heaters for showers and laundry. Gas to power our dryers. Heres how reliant we are on natural gas: How much more heat have you used this spring (and I use that term loosely) because the weather has remained cold? Talk about being held over a barrel. The state Public Service Commission will spend 11 months evaluating the proposed rate hike. So well likely forget it all until we see the uptick on our bills. And that might not be the only new dip into our pockets thats coming. President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have agreed in principal to spend a bazillion dollars on Americas crumbling infrastructure. The Democrats all want to impeach Trump, but until then, they can see their way clear to make deals with him if they benefit labor and other core party constituencies. Anyway, lawmakers have to figure out where to get the money to fix all roads, bridges and tunnels. One idea being floated is an increase in the federal gasoline tax. The tax right now is 18.4 cents per gallon, and it hasnt been raised since 1993. That will tell you how much of a third rail it is politically. And it would be surprising to see the Republicans increase any tax ahead of a presidential election year. Although you never know with Trump. Hes been a builder. He geeks on this kind of stuff. And he knows it would put a lot of people to work, and might give even more jet fuel to the economy. The constant nickel-and-diming wouldnt be so aggravating if we got great service for our money. But were not. At least not always. We pay higher fares, but the express buses still get stuck in traffic. The subways are still overcrowded and late. And if you want to go to the city on the weekend, make sure you check the MTA website to see which subway line is being worked on or otherwise out of service or skipping your stop. The rebuilt Bayonne Bridge is still undergoing closures, including the weekend of April 26, when a lot of people were coming back into town after Easter and Passover break. One reader wrote to me that it took him 35 minutes to cross the Goethals Bridge that Sunday. State lawmakers have approved congestion pricing, so thats more money coming out of our pockets. We just dont know how much yet. Do you really think that the money generated is going to save the subway system? Do you really think its going to clear the roads in Lower Manhattan. Keep dreaming. And keep digging into your wallet. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Police are searching for three male suspects following a stabbing late Saturday night in Port Richmond. The male victim reportedly was stabbed in the arm at about 11 p.m. near the intersection of Nicholas and Castleton avenues, according to an NYPD spokesman. Authorities said the victim was transported by EMTs to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton with a non-life-threatening injury. The suspects were young, possibly teenagers, the spokesman said. No arrests had been made, and the investigation remained ongoing as of Sunday afternoon. 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! New York Times CEO Mark Thompson explained the rationale behind that decision in an interview with this masthead a few weeks ago: We dont like our content being jumbled up with content from multiple other sources, he said. "Were happy to distribute our journalism widely but we dont like middle players who substitute for all of that." It was a polite way of saying, we dont want to surrender the direct relationship we have with our subscribers to an intermediary'. And, 'we don't want our stories to be atomised, and our cherished brand to be tarnished'. All of this comes amid a rising techlash against Google and Facebook (which Apple has avoided), and renewed awareness of journalism's public interest role in an era of Trump, Brexit and #fakenews. Cook says Apple wants to help publishers and support journalism and many believe he is being sincere on that front. Yet Apple has pressure from shareholders to manage and could be exposing itself to its own backlash risks with News+. According to widespread media reports, the company plans to take 50 per cent of the subscription revenue generated from News+ users and share the remaining 50 per cent with publishers. On face value, that already sounds like a raw deal: Apple typically takes a 30 per cent cut from subscription apps sold in its App store; the cut Google and Facebook take from advertising revenue in their third party platforms is even lower still. The 50 per cent pool of subscription money will then be apportioned back to publishers based on the time users spend reading their articles. This is broadly similar, conceptually, to the way Apple and Spotify pay record labels, music publishers and artists for participating in their streaming platforms. Seven West Media's Kerry Stokes-led board is conducting a discreet search for a chief operating officer as the free-to-air business beefs up a digital strategy across its television and publishing divisions. The top-ranked network's directors have been looking for a COO to add new skills to the broadcaster's management amid disruption from streaming video players such as Netflix. Seven wants to grow audiences on catch-up app, 7plus, and news websites like 7news.com.au, according to sources familiar with the process. Seven chief executive Tim Worner. Credit:Louise Kennerley Media sources have speculated that the move to employ a new senior executive could be part of a plan to replace chief executive Tim Worner, who has been at Seven since 1995 and chief executive since 2013. A Seven source disputed there was any suggestion Mr Worner would leave the business but agreed the potential new hire could feature in succession planning and said there was a need for "more digital skills around the management table". Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2019 > Revisiting the Bilkis Bano Gangrape Case On the day Gujarat went to the Lok Sabha polls (April 23, 2019), the Supreme Court ordered the Gujarat Government to pay Rs 50 lakhs as compensation, provide a government job, and accommodation in a place of her choice to Bilkis Bano, who was gangraped during the 2002 communal carnage in the State. The three-judge Supreme Court Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Ranjan Gogoi, gave the verdict. Gogoi said: In todays world, money is the best healer. We do not know whether it can heal all, but what else can we do for her... When the counsel for the State, Hemantika Wahi, tried to intervene, Gogoi reportedly told her: Feel lucky that we are not observing anything against your government in the order. It should be mentioned in this connection that Bilkis, who has been living a nomadic life since 2002, had earlier refused the Gujarat Govern-ments offer of Rs 5 lakhs as compensation. What happened to Bilkis Bano in 2002? To put it in the words of The Telegraph (April 24, 2019): Bilkis, then a 21-year-old, was five months pregnant when marauding mobs hacked to death seven of her family members and assaulted her at Randhikpur village near Dahod on March 3, 2002, in one of the worst communal riots in independent India. Bilkis, subjected to multiple gangrapes, had been left for dead by the mob after she fell unconscious... The brutality suffered by Bilkis Bano was noted by the CJI-led Supreme Court Bench. The Court said Ms Bano was a witness of the devastation of her family. It noted how her infant daughter was smashed against the wall in their house before her very own eyes. (See The Hindu, April 24, 2019) The Bilkis Bano case has a long legal history. On January 21, 2008, a special court convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men accused in the case, while acquitting seven persons including the policemen and doctors. The Bombay High Court, on May 4, 2017, upheld the life sentence given by the trial court to 11 persons convicted in the case. In addition, the High Court set aside the acquittal of five policemen including an IPS officer and two doctors from a government hospital, as they were found guilty of dereliction of duty and tampering with evidence (See The Wire, April 23, 2019). In July 2017, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court had dismissed the appeals of the two doctors and four policemen, including the IPS officer, R.S. Bhagora, challenging their conviction by the Bombay High Court. Reportedly, the CJI-led Bench of the Supreme Court recorded on April 23, 2019, an undertaking by Gujarats Standing Counsel that the State government had recommended that IPS officer Bhagora be demoted by two ranks for complicity in destruction of evidence to save some of the rapists. (See The Telegraph, April 24, 2019) It is worth mentioning in this connection that Narendra Modi, the present Prime Minister of India, was the Chief Minister of Gujarat when Bilkis Bano witnessed devastation of her family and had to go through the trauma of gang rape during the Gujarat carnage in 2002. It's been a troubling month for business cyber security breaches and the stats show the most common threat is no longer compromised credit card details. This year's cyber security survey from BDO and AusCERT found one third of the 500 business executives it surveyed had seen an attack last year, while the number of confidential data loss incidents was up by 74 per cent. ArchTIS chief executive Daniel Lai. In one quarter of breach cases, sensitive personal information was the target. That trumped the stealing of financial data, which was only targeted in 12 per cent of cases. "Cybersecurity is such a broad area, there's no single point solution," says chief executive of security firm archTIS, Daniel Lai. Among the many issues needing early attention from the winner of the federal election is universities. Trouble is, neither side seems to have much idea of how to fix the mess both parties spent decades creating, before Julia Gillard brought things to a head with the brainwave of moving to demand-driven funding. Her idea of shifting control over the size of annual federal-funded undergraduate admissions from budget-conscious bureaucrats in Canberra to individual universities ignored the decades of funding repression to which the unis had previously been subjected. Governments of both persuasions had gone for years trying to get the universities off the budget books by a process of de facto privatisation. Unis were given the power to charge (government-set) tuition fees to local students HECS and unrestricted power to charge overseas students but with commensurate cuts in government grants. The result has been to make vice chancellors as money-obsessed as any company chief executive, but without the private sectors simple profit-maximising objective. Universities have lost their way, no longer sure what theyre doing or why theyre doing it. Meanwhile, when Gillard opened the unis access to the federal coffers the predictable happened: vice chancellors went crazy, slashing entry requirements and cramming in as many more under-qualified undergrads as they could. Students should be taught digital literacy, there should be a plain-language version of the curriculum, and the role of syllabuses should be reconsidered, the NSW Department of Education has told the NSW curriculum review. The department also backed subject knowledge as the best foundation for developing so-called soft skills such as creative thinking and problem solving. The NSW curriculum review is the biggest overhaul of the state's learning framework in 30 years. Professor Geoff Masters has been examining submissions and a draft report is due to be publicly released by the end of June. A major review of the NSW curriculum is under way. Credit:Quentin Jones The NSW Department of Education represents more students and teachers than any other stakeholder, with 2200 schools across the state. One of the more challenging choices a parent faces is trying to determine when their child is ready for school. This decision can be quite agonising for families as we now have a greater understanding of the impact on a childs learning throughout the course of their education if they are not ready for the challenge from the beginning. Deciding what age to send children to school can be tricky for parents. Credit:Phil Carrick Under the current regime, there is a lack of uniformity in child education policy across the country because the states and territories set their own. In NSW children can start school at four-and-a-half-years, whereas in Tasmania children have to be five years and one month before they can commence. According to the ABCs Vote Compass, a majority of voters has put the environment ahead of the economy as the top election issue. Yet the budget we havent heard about in this so-called "climate election" is the carbon budget. Thats the budget set by the laws of physics and chemistry to hold global warming to the safer side of 2 degrees. A polar bear climbs out of the water in the Franklin Strait in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Arctic is suffering dramatic loss of sea ice. Credit:AP Barring some speculative technology deployed in the next decade on massive, unprecedented scales that pulls down more carbon from the atmosphere than we are putting up, the emissions budget that humans must not exceed is 1000 billion tonnes of carbon give or take. Thats the total carbon budget from the beginning of the industrial revolution to keep global warming strictly below 2 degrees with at least a 2/3 chance. But the amount we have left to spend is much less, for three reasons. First, humans have already emitted 585 billion tonnes of carbon over the course of history until the end of last year. That must be subtracted to see whats left. Second, other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, also cause warming, so we need to account for their effects. Thats another 210 billion tonnes of carbon we cant spend. It is often said that Labor venerates its former leaders in a way its rivals don't: win or lose, they become heroes forever. That has proved challenging in recent years courtesy of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard who, while celebrated for their contributions, divided the party through ambition and revenge. Burying the hatchet: Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Paul Keating at Labor's campaign launch on Sunday. Credit:Dom Lorrimer It was a case of forgiven, if not forgotten, at Labor's official campaign launch on Sunday as Rudd and Gillard entered together alongside their predecessor Paul Keating - a show of unity in a party keen to underline its stability in contrast to the Coalition's chaos. Seated side by side, they put on a better display than the last time the two were memorably seen together outside Parliament, when in 2010 Rudd was wheeled in to break bread with Gillard as they pored over a map of Queensland electorates. Far from a happy snap, the frost was palpable. Childcare workers with university degrees could be paid more than school teachers under Bill Shorten's plan to use a taxpayer funds to boost wages, with Labor refusing to rule out applying its subsidy on top of any Fair Work Commission increase. Such a two-stepped increase would push some childcare workers' salaries as high as $122,120 if the Independent Education Union, which represents those with teaching qualifications, wins its long-running pay equity case in the commission in June. The union demands pay increases of up to 49 per cent to set salaries for its most experienced members at $101,767, arguing they should be paid similarly to primary school teachers. Bill Shorten has refused to rule out giving child care workers seeking $122,120 salaries a taxpayer wage subsidy. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen A Shorten campaign spokeswoman would not say whether Labor's promised 20 per cent increase would come on top of any wage hike won by childcare workers in the case, saying only: "We will not pre-empt the Fair Work Commission". We've had multi-billion dollar election promises from wages and to education and health, plus an awkward reunion and a fired-up former PM at Labor's official campaign launch. Today's live blog is wrapping up now, but scroll down if you missed Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd's stiff smiles, Chloe Shorten's intimate description of her marriage, Penny Wong's diatribe against "small men" or Paul Keating's spicy comments about China and ASIO. That was fun. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer And of course, Bill Shorten's promise to deliver "fair go economics" with an employer tax cut and wages boost, improve access to TAFE education and fix hospital waiting lists. Thanks for tuning in. The likely communications minister in a Labor government has put the tech giants on notice, declaring the party is ready to act on a range of issues including market dominance, use of consumers' data and harmful online content. While cautioning that the issues should be treated separately, opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said Labor would be taking "evidence-based" action across the board if elected on May 18. She acknowledged there was now a "lack of goodwill" in Canberra towards companies like Facebook and Google after a series of controversies and a perception that they were hostile to increased regulation. Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland says the party is ready to act on concerns about the tech giants. Credit:James Alcock Ms Rowland said the conduct of the companies after the Christchurch terrorist attack which was livestreamed on Facebook and subsequently proliferated on other platforms had left officials "exasperated". "It would not have taken a lot of effort to have made suggestions and been proactive. I'm very curious as to why that didnt happen. That is why I think governments and the public at large tend to think they dont care," she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in an exclusive interview. Labor has resurrected the spectre of former Queensland premier Campbell Newman as the reason to keep Scott Morrison out of The Lodge. To an adoring crowd of party faithful, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk opened Labor's federal election campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday. Ms Palaszczuk argued the next 13 days until the May 18 poll would be a contest between "our movement and their machine" and said the Coalition would have "two more weeks of expensive scare campaigns". But it was not long until she mentioned Queensland's former LNP premier, voted out of office in 2015. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2019 > Grim Reality of Ongoing Electoral Battle EDITORIAL The fourth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is over. It took place yesterday. The maximum city of Mumbai, known for its electoral apathy, turned a new leaf by recording a 55.1 per cent turnout, the highest since 1989. The polling in West Bengal (77 per cent) was significant as the high percentage was recorded despite some clashes in the State. Meanwhile PM Narendra Modi stirred a hornets nest: speaking at an election rally in Hooghlys Serampore, West Bengal, he claimed that 40 of the Trinamul Congress 211 MLAs were in touch with him and will switch over following the poll results on May 23. Promptly the TMC leaders attacked him for engaging in horse-trading. Last week an article appeared in this journal seeking to highlight the BJP supremos signs of desperation. One wonders whether this claim by Modi was also the outcome of desperation. But such prouncements are not in the least uncharacteristic of politicians, especially those of Modis ilk. However, what is really alarming is the manner in which Modi and his colleagues are seeking to divide the people on the issue of nationalism. The PM and his accomplices, including his supporters in the media, do not bat an eyelid before dubbing his opponents, and the radical youth opposed to him in particular, as members of the anti-national tukde-tukde gang whereas the irony is that Modi and his cohorts are themselves trying to divide the country on the same lines. More than a hundred years ago, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had on February 9, 1919 delivered a speech wherein he had pointed out: There will always be many, who, by tradition and temperament, find special solace in belonging to a particular sect; and there will be others who think that the finding of search solace can only be allowed as legitimate within the pale of their own. Between such, their needs must be quarrels. Making ample provision for such inevitable and interminable squabbles, can there be no wide meeting place, where all sects may meet together and forget their differences? Has India, in her religious ideals, no search space for the common light of day and open air for all humanity? The vigour with which the sectarian fanatic will shake his head, makes one doubt it; the bloodshed which so frequently occurs for such trivial causes, makes one doubt it; the cruel and insulting distinctions between man and man which are kept alive under the sanction of religion, makes one doubt it. Still, in spite of all these, when I turn to look back to Indias own pure culturein those ages when it flourished in its truthI am emboldened to assert that it is there. The relevance of these words remain as valid today as they were a hundred years ago. Indeed the sectarian fanatics whom Rabindranath had assailed a hundred years ago are today running the country and taking it towards its inevitable destruction. Unless they are dislodged from power in the ongoing electoral battle the country and the nation cannot survive. That is the grim reality before us today. April 30 S.C. The Department of Human Services has wiped a $4000 debt at the centre of a Federal Court challenge to Centrelink's 'robo-debt' recovery scheme. The decision to erase the entire debt incurred by Melbourne nurse Madeleine Masterton has fuelled claims by social service advocates and legal experts that the DHS was forced to back down because its automated program cannot withstand legal scrutiny. The $4000 debt was at the centre of a Federal Court challenge to Centrelink's 'robo-debt' recovery scheme. Credit:AAP Victoria Legal Aid had launched the test case on behalf of Ms Masterton in February amid claims that thousands of former welfare recipients had been coerced into paying debts that were incorrect, or not owed at all. The contentious program, introduced by the Coalition government, calculates a former welfare recipient's debt by taking a fortnightly average rather than discovering the exact amount that was claimed. It is now just 12 days until we go to the polls and as the penultimate week of the campaign opens there is a sense this race, which stuttered in its first half thanks to a rash of public holidays, is now barrelling to the finish. Bill Shorten soaking up the applause at the Labor launch. Credit:AAP In Brisbane yesterday Opposition Leader Bill Shorten put on his strongest performance of the campaign yet, as the Labor Party brought together its three most recent prime ministers for its official launch. Even Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, who have famously avoided each other since the worlds most awkward picture opportunity back in 2013, managed to put away their differences and smile for the cameras. In a 40-minute speech, Mr Shorten articulated his ambitious plan to retool the Australian economy in favour of fairness, focusing on wages and health spending. He doubled down on his central message that the Morrison government prioritised the wealthy over the working and middle classes. The Coalition launch will take place exactly a week after Labors and will also likely feature past party heroes such as John Howard and Peter Costello, whose presence will be relied on to bolster Scott Morrisons central theme that only a Liberal-led government can be trusted to manage the economy. The Queen visits colonial exhibition Queen Victoria, dressed in black, made a private visit to the courts of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London. She was accompanied by thirteen of her children and grandchildren. The exhibition was magnificent she said. She was particularly taken with the exhibits of Hindu and Aboriginal life. The colonial market and wine bars were popular with visitors but the South Australian court, with its graphic Aboriginal scene drew the biggest crowd. Thousands strike for eight hours movement Labour strikes have taken place in many parts of the United States and are rapidly spreading as thousands of men strike in support of the eight hours movement. In Chicago 15,000 socialists gathered at a meeting. When police tried to disperse them the Socialists resisted and a serious riot broke out. Several bombs were thrown killing five policemen and wounding many more. Fifty Socialists were shot down in the melee. Letter to the editor Peter Hartcher's drawing on Steve Bannon for "expert" opinion on the Australian election is extremely disappointing ("Parties in slow lane lane, going nowhere", May 4-5). Surely Bannon is somebody who should be given no air-time whatsoever. After all, his formula for Trump's success was simple, but extremely damaging misinformation, slander, racism and intense and dangerous nationalism. - Alan Morris, Eastlakes Please no more debates between Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten ("'You're a space invader': Shorten and PM clash in feisty debate", May 4-5). These are painful to watch and all we hear are the same lines being repeated over and over. There is nothing more to learn from these vaudeville performers. If the major parties and the media were really serious about debating policies we would have debates between the relevant ministers and shadow ministers in their portfolio areas with sensible questions being asked by serious journalists. - Phil Peak, Dubbo Invading someone's personal space, as the PM did in the leaders' debate is really an attempt to intimidate the other person. It's neither a very good look, nor an effective tactic. - Merilyn McClung, Forestville Deborah Snow's article paints a picture of Scott Morrison as a God-fearing, good bloke who speaks well, but seems to lack the quality of "deep reflection" ("Playing to win", May 4-5). There is only one question we need to ask when comparing him to Bill Shorten. Which man cares more deeply about what happens to the less fortunate? - Tom Orren, Wamberal Heights Potshots at Folau won't lead to understanding and growth Praise for Dawn Grace-Cohen for a rare piece of nuanced balance around this issue ("Silencing Folau with queer fascism betrays gay victory", May 4-5). Polemic potshots from the sidelines do nothing to advance our understanding of those with whom we disagree. No one could argue that Israel Folau is being true to himself and his faith. His posts reference an extract from a book that has shaped the world view of countless, and in that respect his views can't be dismissed as "hate speech". We grow as humans by testing our long-held beliefs against those that we find an anathema. This, of course, applies to Folau himself as much as it does to his critics. - Ronald Proft, North Epping I wish your correspondent would not draw parallels where none exist. Christians consciously following their faith are well aware of the commented upon differences that this choice may engender (Letters, May 4-5). Those of LGBTQI sexual orientation have no choice in the matter. They simply are what they are and, despite what Israel Folau may think of them, they cannot repent of their lifestyle. - Trevor Somerville, Illawong One doesn't have to be a committed Christian to disapprove of the sins cited by Nan Howard (Letters, May 4-5). To quote fellow atheist Christopher Hitchens, "Human decency is not derived from religion it precedes it". - Grant Heaton, Port Macquarie Having been raised a Roman Catholic (totally failed) I remember being taught that Jesus said, "Let him without sin cast the first stone". Folau and his Christian fellow travellers should seriously consider those words before condemning others. - Anthony Ollevou, Palmerston ACT Most of us have restrictions on what we can say and do at work. As a Christian chaplain I was not to proselytise in the institutions where I worked. We can witness to the love of God without being offensive to people. Christians have done it for hundreds of years. Part of my Christian witness has been to respect my employers. If I cannot abide by the restrictions placed on me by those employers, I can choose not to work there. - Jan Syme, Newington Your correspondent asks if the "40 per cent should be silenced". If the views cause hurt to a particular group, then yes, they should be silenced. Defamation and racial discrimination laws have not affected our "robust democracy" so too should an unwanted opinion of my life and that of every LGBTQI person. - Diana Buttigieg, Bondi Junction Don't avoid social media, just extremist views If former Greens candidate Joanna Nilson is right and saying and doing stupid things on the internet is what normal people especially those under 40 do, I'm not looking forward to the next generation of politicians ("Dirt-digging units take heavy toll", May 4-5). - Cliff Jahnsen, Bowral Your correspondent suggests that young persons considering a career in politics should avoid social media (Letters, May 4-5). Of course, another option is for any political aspirant to avoid holding homophobic, Islamophobic, sexist or other extremist views. That would perhaps offer a better outcome for both the aspirant and the people he or she seeks to represent. - John Ure, Mount Hutton It isn't only dubious comments they have made on social media that people have to keep in mind if they are thinking of becoming a candidate in federal politics. But it's also Section 44 of the Constitution which prohibits anyone who is a dual citizen or even if they have an entitlement to the same rights as a citizen of a foreign country that will see them disqualified from being a candidate. Fifteen federal politicians fell foul of Section 44 during the last Parliament and who knows how many will in the next. There was an opportunity (now lost) to repeal that section of the constitution in a referendum which could have allowed those possible millions of people to legally become candidates if they wished. Democracy should allow all citizens of a country to engage in politics and its administration. - Con Vaitsas, Ashbury Boofhead haircut audit Congratulations to Malcolm Knox on an excellent audit of rugby league players' names ("Addo-Carr to Watene-Zelezniak: My player name audit", May 4-5). It's the best laugh I have had for a long time. Perhaps next time he could make a correlation between boofhead haircuts and names. - Robyn Lewis, Raglan Vision for faster trains There is much discussion about the lack of vision by our governments and transport planners (Letters, May 4-5). In NSW, a statewide transport vision could offset increasing Sydney congestion and create major decentralisation benefits. Our XPT trains are designed to travel at up to 160kph but the poor quality of tracks and varying gradients result in most XPT services in NSW travelling at an average speed of 80kph. The NSW government is planning to upgrade the XPT rolling stock with no apparent upgrade of the rail infrastructure. Tilt trains and managed rail infrastructure upgrades could provide a cost-effective solution in the shorter term with High Speed Rail the longer term solution. Imagine NSW with half the rail travel time between regional centres, Canberra and Sydney. - Michael Fox, Pacific Palms Some of your correspondents do not understand the meaning of "public" (Letters, May 4-5). We pay taxes so governments can provide services. If services, for example trains, are to be provided by private business we should not have to pay taxes; it's that simple. Taxes should pay for public infrastructure and we should not be paying twice for public transport, hospitals, schools, electricity, water, roads, airports. - Rod Lander, Stanwell Park Your letters discussing relocating jobs as the only way to cut commuting brought joy to my heart (Letters, May 4-5). Country towns like Lithgow are crying out for jobs and for new residents to boost their local economies. The Lithgow region will lose hundreds of jobs as coal becomes a memory. More local retailers and service providers will fail and the community will suffer. The state and federal governments so far seem unwilling to relocate government departments to the area despite its convenient proximity to Sydney, the availability of housing and land that is more affordable than the capital cities, and the obvious overcrowding in the capitals. Towns like Lithgow are an obvious solution to so many of the cities' problems. Wake up, planners and administrators! We're here and waiting. - Susan Gregory South Bowenfels, Boochani victim of politics At the Sydney Writers' Festival, I was privileged to hear Behrouz Boochani speak via video link about his book No friend but the Mountain. He has been awarded the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for 2019 and he is still on Manus Island after six years. Please explain why Australia can give him this award but will not give him residency here? He is the victim of ruthless politics, and a cruel and unjust imprisonment. Give him his freedom, Australia. - Jeanette Loewensohn, Cremorne NRA arrogance and Oliver North Can there be no end to the arrogance of the USA's National Rifle Association ("NRA in crisis: gun lobby's Game if Thrones", May 4-5)? Only in the States could Oliver North, someone convicted of illegally supplying weapons to both Iran and Nicaragua, be elected to the head of that organisation. - Charles Hargrave, Elizabeth Bay Tragedy of dementia While my heart goes out to Frank Lowy, and any others affected by the tragedy of dementia, at least he can afford private at-home care, and will not have to make the awful decision to place his beloved wife into a nursing home ("Lowy reflects on love, loss and trauma", May 4-5). - Karen Eldridge, Leichhardt Keneally's false note Thanks Thomas Keneally, for your insightful appreciation of Les Murray's uniquely Australian poetic achievement ("I thought I had time to reconcile with Les", May 4-5). However, there is one false note in your eulogy. In the society of poets one does not raise one poet to the pantheon by denigrating another: "You should have got, for what it's worth, Bob Dylan's wasted Nobel." I wonder what Les' retort would have been. - Ian Buchan, South Kincumber Eyes on the prizes I agree with your correspondents: winning the Packing Room Prize is the kiss of death in terms of winning the Archibald Prize (Letters, May 4-5). The expert judges cannot be seen to have the same opinion as the packers. A simple solution could be to announce the winners of both prizes at the same time. That way, the Packing Room prize winner is not unfairly penalised. - Margaret Nash, Randwick Dutton's support? Beware Of course. What else would he say before the election ("Win or lose, Morrison 'should lead Liberals'", May 4-5)? - Dimitris Langadinos, Concord West Peter Dutton's statement of loyalty to Scott Morrison is as worthless as Morrison's declaration that his "ambition" was for Malcolm Turnbull two days before the coup. - Nick Wilson, Palm Beach Why wouldn't Dutton dismiss the idea of another leadership contest after the election? Just the thought of him challenging would be enough to have more Liberal voters heading for the hills. His declaration was to avoid the party losing more votes. Just wait until after the election. Pollies never say never. - Ross Allan, Mullumbimby If the Liberal Party loses the election the defeat will lie at the feet of Dutton and the trio who ousted Malcolm Turnbull and not the weak and ineffectual Bill Shorten. - Brian Pretorius, Breakfast Point Dutton's claim that the "people have moved on" from his orchestrating Turnbull's removal last year exposes a preposterous ignorance, and short-sighted view, of the electorate's long-term memory. - Fred Jansohn, Rose Bay Look at fine print Police have 'serious concerns' for a teenager who has been missing from Sydney's south-west since Thursday, after she did not return home after school. Police have 'serious concerns' for the welfare of Sarah Ephraims, who has been missing since Thursday. Credit:NSW Police Facebook Sarah Ephraims, aged 15, was seen leaving a home before school on Newbridge Road in Moorebank, in Sydney's south-west, at 8am on Thursday. Police were contacted when she failed to return home on Thursday evening, with investigations continuing throughout the weekend. She was last seen wearing a white and maroon high school uniform, and is of Caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall, of slim build with brown hair and brown eyes. After enthusiastically walking to work each morning, Tommy impatiently waits for the office door to open as smiles break out on the faces of his co-workers. Tommy is the director of first impressions at Kidney Health Australia and part of a growing group: office dogs. Tommy, the English springer spaniel, is the office dog at Kidney Health Australia. Credit:Eddie Jim Dogs have always played a significant role in human life, from hunting in fields to service dogs. Therapy dogs are found in nursing homes, hospitals, universities and courts. Now dogs are entering the office with increasing frequency. This growing trend is based on the belief that dogs improve human wellbeing and productivity. And it is not hard to find evidence to verify the claim that dogs reduce stress. A Harvard Medical School special health report found that just petting a dog can reduce the petter's blood pressure and heart rate. Members of a girl gang accused of going on a violent rampage at Cockburn Gateway shopping centre last month claim the brawl began when a man king hit one of the girls in their group, and say they were later treated unfairly by security. I reckon they [security] handled it wrong, one of the girls said. We got smashed on first, we had a brawl because someone started on our sister-girl. Were kids and theyre full blown adults having fights with girls it doesnt matter, you cant hit a girl. It has been seven years since John Singleton sold his stake in one of racings ultimate thoroughbred operations Vinery Stud to developer and Victoria Racing Club director Neil Werrett. Since then, the ownership of Vinery has remained unchanged. Horse racing enthusiasts Gerry Harvey and wife Katie Page. Credit:Illustration: John Shakespeare Alongside Werrett, the ownership ledger includes Harvey Norman duo Gerry Harvey and Katie Page, fund manager David Paradice, Quicksilver founder Alan Green and Lendlease chief executive Steve McCann. But things might be changing in the Segenhoe Valley. Labor has kept its lead over the Coalition in a tightening race for the May 18 election, with a new poll showing it is ahead by 52 to 48 per cent in two-party terms despite losing some of its support. The exclusive Ipsos poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age finds the Coalition has gained ground during the election campaign to boost its support from the result of 53 to 47 per cent one month ago. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under significant pressure on his leadership and performance ratings, with voters marking him down over the past month and turning towards Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. While 45 per cent of voters name Mr Morrison their preferred prime minister compared to 40 per cent for Mr Shorten, the gap between the two leaders is the closest it has ever been. In an election campaign that is as squalid as it is dispiriting, the Liberal Party's decision to give its preferences to Clive Palmer's United Australia Party plumbs the depths. Liberal operatives tell you that Clive is not as bad as Pauline and certainly better than the Greens. Credit:Lee Besford Liberal operatives tell you that "Clive is not as bad as Pauline and certainly better than the Greens", as if this alone justifies getting into bed with an individual who is being pursued by the Commonwealth on various fronts. Comparing Clive Palmer favourably with Pauline Hanson, and unfavourably with the Greens, whatever that means, as justification for a preference arrangement tells you more than you need to know about the extent to which the country's political culture has been debased. Liberal spokesman Simon Birmingham says this arrangement is "sub-optimal". That's one way of putting it. Premier Gladys Berejiklian says Sydney's first driverless metro will be a game changer for commuters as the line undergoes its final weeks of testing before opening later this month. Ms Berejiklian, who announced the north-west line eight years ago when she was transport minister, confirmed the line would open on May 26, ahead of schedule and $1 billion under budget. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian met workers and their families who built the $7.3 billion northwest metro rail link. Credit:Dean Sewell Ms Berejiklian rode the train on Sunday with Sydney Metro workers and their families. For the first six weeks of operation, trains on the 13-station line will run once every five minutes, which Transport Minister Andrew Constance described as a "ramp up period". "People understand that China is a much more powerful country and its economy is producing numbers that Russia cannot hope to achieve," said Yuri Pronin, editor of Baikalskiye Vesti, an independent weekly published in Irkutsk, the regional capital. "We feel this breath." Many Russians say Lake Baikal, which holds nearly 20 per cent of the Earth's fresh surface water, is under siege. Yulia Mushinskaya, the director of the local museum in Khuzhir on Olkhon Island, Russia, with a map of Lake Baikal. Credit:Emile Ducke/The New York Times Framed by pine forests and distant mountain peaks, the picturesque lake draws visitors both summer and winter, when even trucks can navigate across its thick, intensely blue ice. But Listvyanka's rudimentary infrastructure cannot cope with the sewage and trash generated by the current number of visitors, and residents shudder at the thought of tens of thousands of more Chinese. Local authorities have dragged into court the owners of at least 10 hotels constructed with Chinese financing, accusing them of building illegally on plots designated for single-family homes or other infractions. A district court ordered two hotels demolished earlier this year and eight others are likely to face the same fate. A Chinese influx around Russia's Lake Baikal is stirring old fears of a land grab. Credit:Emile Ducke/The New York Times The Chinese stand accused of not only running roughshod over local residents, but also of trying to siphon off the water itself. This winter, the construction of a new bottling plant to export water to China from a village near Listvyanka prompted more than 1.1 million Russians nationwide to sign an online petition denouncing it. A district court in Irkutsk cited environmental concerns in halting the construction of the plant in March. A view of Khuzhir on Olkhon Island in Russia's Lake Baikal. Credit:Emile Ducke/The New York Times What may rankle the most, local people say, is that the Chinese are not paying business taxes. "They do not pay us a kopeck," Sukhanov growled. "If they paid the 20 per cent required to the local budget, we would get the infrastructure and the schools that we need." Caught in the middle between the Chinese business interests and local residents is Aleksandr Shamsudinov, mayor of Listvyanka, population 2122. Shamsudinov spent much of 2018 under house arrest, accused of exceeding his authority by issuing housing permits for single-family plots in the village. Many of those plots soon mushroomed into illegal guesthouses for Chinese tourists. The character of the neighbourhoods around the lake is changing. Credit:Shutterstock The three-storey, 14-bedroom buildings with balconies rising on various plots were clearly not ordinary homes, Shamsudinov said. "They all said we need big houses, we have a lot of relatives who are planning to come visit," he said. With the construction, the character of the village began changing as quaint blue wooden cottages with white gingerbread trim were obliterated. Huge billboards, some in Chinese, advertised venues like the Las Vegas Strip Club. The town has no central water or sewage system. Litter piles up, side roads remain unpaved and one main kindergarten is an old wooden barracks lacking indoor plumbing. Marina Rikhvanova, an environmentalist, said she no longer drank lake water near any hamlet. Pollutants seeping into the lake cause algae blooms. "It's a microbe cocktail," she said. Chinese tourists pose for photos near Khuzhir. Credit:Emile Ducke/The New York Times The mayor, a retired police officer, said the federal government should have a development plan that balances the needs of visitors and residents. "Everybody shouts that Baikal is the pearl of Russia and a UNESCO World Heritage site, but getting rid of the garbage and other environmental issues are left on the backs of the small-town mayors," Shamsudinov said. Further north, Olkhon Island also attracts tourists. Yelena Kopylova has been taking in guests for some 25 years, expanding from one bedroom in her house to 10 buildings with a total of 32 rooms. Her hotel, fully booked for the summer, accepts only Chinese groups that hire a Russian guide and local vehicles. "This is the main source of income for young families," Kopylova said, adding, "We have to defend the interests of our local people." Andrei Sukhanov, 57, who fled St. Petersburg decades ago for a bucolic life by Lake Baikal, in Listvyanka, Russia. Credit:Emile Ducke/The New York Times Locals often grumble that the Chinese refer to Lake Baikal as the Northern Sea, its ancient Han name. Some are convinced that Beijing is secretly plotting to reclaim the lake and the huge, sparsely populated areas beyond, ceded to the Russian Empire in an 1858 treaty that China has long considered unfair. For years, the only Chinese in the area were poor vendors selling cheap goods in the Shanghai Market in Irkutsk. Now, the sight of Chinese tourists tossing wads of roubles around points to how China has surpassed Russia. The influx revived Karl Marx Street, Irkutsk's once-derelict main shopping thoroughfare, where one jeweller is selling a gold and amber necklace for more than $US6500 ($9200). A sign in Chinese promises a gift to anyone who spends more than $US1200. The Chinese tourists themselves, mostly oblivious to the grumblings, delight in Lake Baikal. Recently, a honeymooning couple from southern China, snacking on lake fish bought at a small outdoor market, happily declared that they had never felt so cold. Asked why they came, the couple used a smartphone to play a hit Chinese pop song On the Shore of Lake Baikal, about taking your love to the lake. It has inspired countless visits. A Chinese-born businessman, Alexei Dzhao, 37, and a Russian citizen, sings a different tune. Last year he built two large houses in the woods above Listvyanka. His Baikal Seal Guest House was originally meant to be a private home, he said. It is a pleasant complex with whimsical birdhouses nailed to the surrounding trees and cozy, pine-lined rooms. Dzhao said he would do anything to legalise the place, but his building permit was revoked and he expects a demolition order. Many Chinese owners are hoping to sell before the bulldozers arrive. Bangkok: Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn has performed a second day of coronation activities, granting titles to royal family members before an audience of dignitaries including top government officials and senior Buddhist monks. The 66-year-old monarch began Sunday morning's event in a hall at Bangkok's Grand Palace by paying respects in front of portraits of his late father and his mother, who has been hospitalised for an extended period. In this image made from video, Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn, centre, and Queen Suthida, right, are greeted by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, bottom front, during the second of a three-day coronation ceremony. Credit:AP Outside, crowds of Thais lined roads under Bangkok's blazing sun for the royal procession of newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn, hoping to get a glimpse of the constitutional monarch who is revered in Thai culture as a living deity. Well-wishers all wearing yellow, the colour associated with the king, gathered along the seven kilometre route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples, where the monarch, who will be appearing in public for the first time since his elaborate crowning, will pay homage to each temple's main Buddha images. Gaza/Jerusalem: A deadly surge in violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel petered out overnight and Palestinian officials reported that Egypt had mediated a truce early on Monday. The wreckage of a vehicle following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Sunday. Credit:AP The latest round of fighting erupted three days ago, peaking on Sunday when rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, and Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians. Two Palestinian officials and a TV station belonging to Hamas, Gaza's Islamist rulers, said a ceasefire had been reached at 04.30am local time, apparently stopping the violence from broadening into a conflict which neither side seemed keen on fighting. Israeli officials did not comment on whether a truce had been reached. Gaza/Jerusalem: Gaza militants fired more than 250 rockets into Israeli towns and villages through Saturday, while Israel hit back with tank shelling and air strikes that Palestinian officials said killed four people. Cross-border hostilities which broke out on Friday flared into a second day, with Palestinians fleeing Israeli strikes in Gaza and air-raid sirens sending Israelis running to shelters as interceptor missiles blew up rockets in the sky. Smoke rises from an explosion caused by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Credit:AP The escalation, which comes just ahead of both the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Israel's Independence Day holiday, prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene security chiefs. Egyptian mediators, credited with brokering ceasefires in previous rounds of violence, were working to prevent further hostilities. Call it policy by tweet. President Trump announced new tariffs on China on the social media platform. 1. For ten months, the US has levied a 25% tariff on $50 bln of Chinese high tech imports and 10% tariff on $200 bln of other goods. 2. Starting at the end of next week, the 10% tariffs will be raised to 25%. 3. There is still roughly $325 bln of Chinese imports that are not penalized but will be shortly at 25%. 4. Claims little impact on US costs, as tariffs are mostly borne by China. 5. Trade talks continue but are going too slowly and as they attempt to renegotiate. Implications: There is will likely risk-off to start the week as China returns from the extended May Day holiday. In equities, this means downside risks. It is good for core fixed income, but the European periphery may underperform. Italian bonds are often treated as risk assets, Spain is trying to form a government, and Portugals government is threatening to resign five months before the national elections. In the currency market, the yen and Swiss franc may be the chief beneficiaries. East Asia appears to be the laggard in Q1. South Koreas unexpectedly contracted in Q1, and although Japan does not report until later in the month, its economy is also expected to have shrunk. Taiwan slowed. North Korea missile test adds to the regional unease. US actions cannot go unanswered by China. Manufacturing and trade remain weak before this escalation. Disclaimer You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Amid questions about the cost and timeline for developing some key technologies for a human return to the moon, like new spacesuits, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said May 1 the additional funding will not be nearly as much as some reports claimed. Updated 6:45 p.m. Eastern. WASHINGTON NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told Senate appropriators May 1 that while the administration is not yet ready to release a revised budget that accommodates an accelerated human lunar landing program, the costs will not be as high as some rumors. During a hearing of the commerce, justice and science subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, members sought details about how much it will cost to achieve the goal announced by Vice President Mike Pence March 26 of landing humans on the south pole of the moon in the next five years. "Someone in the administration is going to be requesting additional dollars," said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the subcommittee. "Do we know what the amount of those additional dollars will be?" Related: Astronauts on the Moon in 2024? US Can't Do It Alone Bridenstine declined to offer a dollar figure, saying that the agency submitted a "pretty good" proposal to the Office of Management and Budget, which is performing its own review along with the staff of the National Space Council. The goal, he said, is to "come up with a unified administration position" on how much additional funding NASA will request. He downplayed reports, though, that claimed NASA would seek an additional $8 billion a year for five years. "I will tell you that is not accurate," he said. "It is nowhere close to that amount. But I don't want to throw out a number until we have gone through the process with OMB and the National Space Council." Speculation has focused on a smaller, but still significant, increase of about $3 billion to $5 billion a year. That revised budget proposal is expected to be delivered to Congress in the near future, but Bridenstine didn't give a specific date he thought it would be ready. Bridenstine emphasized in his testimony that NASA could land humans on the moon in 2024 with existing technology. "We are very capable of achieving that end state," he said of the lunar landing goal. "Technologically, everything we need to accomplish that is there." Moving up the landing from 2028, the deadline NASA had set prior to Pence's speech, to 2024 primarily involves accelerating programs and their funding, in particular lunar landers, which he said will receive most of the additional funding. "The only thing we need to do is take those elements that were going to be funded in those other years and move them forward," he said. "Think of this, in essence, as a surge of funding for the purpose of getting to the moon in the next five years." He argued that a sprint to the moon is more likely to be successful that a longer program. "The longer the program goes, the more difficult it becomes to achieve the end states because of the political risks," he said, citing examples like the Space Exploration Initiative and the Vision for Space Exploration. "The faster we go, the more likely it is that we can realize the end state." Bridenstine, though, faced skepticism about that 2024 deadline from one committee member. "Our policy decisions here need to be driven by the science and not by political calendars," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) Commercial crew investigation During the brief hearing, truncated because of votes on the Senate floor, Bridenstine also faced questions from the chairman of the full committee, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), about the April 20 mishap involving a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle that was performing a static-fire test of its SuperDraco abort thrusters at Cape Canaveral. "The most recent SpaceX anomaly caused the complete loss of the crew capsule," Shelby said, among the first public statements about the extent of the damage the capsule suffered in that test. Neither SpaceX nor NASA have released many details about the incident since it took place. Shelby questioned the propriety of SpaceX leading the investigation without a parallel, independent NASA investigation. "It seems more than appropriate for NASA, of all agencies, to conduct its own independent investigation to ensure, of course, crew safety," Shelby said. Bridenstine defended the current approach, which he said involved NASA "side by side" with SpaceX. "Can you be independent and reach independent conclusions if you're doing something jointly with somebody?" asked Shelby. "The engineers that we have at NASA are extremely sensitive to what we are trying to achieve," Bridenstine said. "I have every confidence they will, as SpaceX conducts the investigation with our engineers, that we will get very accurate information." "That's not the norm, I don't believe," Shelby insisted of the structure of the investigation. "We'll check that out." Rocket Lab successfully launched three experimental satellites for the U.S. Air Force today (May 5), acing the company's second Department of Defense mission in five weeks. Rocket Lab's Electron booster lifted off from the company's New Zealand launch site at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT, or 6 p.m. local New Zealand time) and delivered two cubesats and a larger craft to their assigned slots in Earth orbit less than an hour later. Together, the three satellites weigh more than 397 lbs. (180 kilograms), the heaviest load that the 57-foot-tall (17 meters) Electron has ever toted, Rocket Lab representatives said. Related: In Photos: Rocket Lab and Its Electron Booster Perfect flight, complete mission success, all payloads deployed!!May 5, 2019 See more One of the cubesats, the Falcon Orbital Debris Experiment (Falcon ODE), will help researchers evaluate the effectiveness of ground-based systems for tracking space junk. The other, the Space Plug-and-Play Architecture Research Cubesat-1 (SPARC-1), will test the performance of supersmall avionics and other gear. "It's really seeing how small and functional some of this stuff can be," Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck told Space.com last month , referring to SPARC-1. A Rocket Lab Electron booster launches from New Zealand on May 5, 2019, delivering three satellites to orbit for the U.S. Air Force. (Image credit: Rocket Lab) The other satellite, called Harbinger, makes up most of the trio's total mass. Harbinger "is a commercial small satellite built by York Space Systems that will demonstrate the ability of an experimental commercial system to meet government space-capability requirements," Rocket Lab representatives wrote in a description of today's mission , which is officially called STP-27RD. That acronym refers to the customer, the Air Force's Space Test Program, and the research-and-development function of all three satellites. (Rocket Lab tends to name its rockets as well. The one that flew today was called " That's a Funny Looking Cactus ," a nod to the high-desert roots of the Space Test Program, which is based at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.) Today's launch was the sixth overall for the two-stage Electron, including test flights, and the rocket's second of 2019. In late March, the Electron lofted a spacecraft called R3D2 for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). R3D2 is also an experimental satellite; the craft aims to demonstrate an ultrathin antenna that could boost the communications capabilities of small spacecraft. If everything goes according to plan, Electrons will soon fly more frequently. Rocket Lab aims to launch a dozen missions this year, Beck has said. Over the long haul, Rocket Lab would like to fly once per week, or perhaps even more frequently. The company's chief goal is to dramatically increase access to space using the expendable Electron, which can deliver 500 lbs. (225 kg) of payload to orbit on each roughly $5 million liftoff. Not all of these missions will lift off from New Zealand. California-based Rocket Lab is developing a second launch site, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, and plans to get it up and running before the end of 2019. The Falcon ODE cubesat is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Academy. SPARC-1 is a U.S.-Swedish project sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, and Harbinger is sponsored by the U.S. Army, Rocket Lab representatives said. Today's launch was originally scheduled to occur yesterday (May 4), but Rocket Lab pushed it back a day to perform additional checks on the satellites. The Long Night was written (finally!) by the team of David Benioff and DB Weiss and was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. I dont know about you, but it was almost too much for me! We lost a few but not as many as I thought we might. We got that magnificent dragon fight which well never see again. And we got action, action, and heroism. Yes. It was much, much too dark at the beginning especially apparently due to the editing taking place in a dark room as if it was being prepared to be shown in a dark theatre. And some of the fight scenes were shot much too close and much too choppy. But all in all, this battle was worth every one of the 55 nights it took to film it. And a huge shout out and all the praise in Westeros for composer Ramin Djawadi for an incredible score. Lets take a closer lookThe episode begins with a close up of Sams (John Bradley) shaking hands and we follow him through the courtyard as he watches everyone preparing and getting into place. Lady Mormont (Bella Ramsey *sob*) is in the background getting her men in place. Sam passes us off to Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) who continues on, grabbing a wine flask almost as big as he is. He watches as Theon (Alfie Allen) pushes Bran (Isaac Hemsptead Wright) out of the courtyard and into the godswood. From there, the shot pans up to the wall. The archers wait and Davos (Liam Cunningham), Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maise Williams) wait with them. We follow Sansas eyes up to the dragons as they fly overhead. Its a beautiful shot that establishes most of the main characters.The dragons take us out to the battlefield with the Unsullied and the rest of our characters. The Dothraki wait with the Unsullied and the armies of the North. Pod (Daniel Portman) stands on one side of Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) stands on the other. Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) stands with his helmet off so we can see him clearly. Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) stands in the front row with Beric (Richard Dormer), and we watch as the Hound (Rory McCann) shoves his way forward to stand with them and hes accompanied by Gendry (Joe Dempsie). I loved the somber beat of drums that felt almost like the them from Jaws during this sequence.And the first bit of real dialogue takes us back to Sam as he flounders his own way to the front to stand beside Edd (Ben Crompton) who remarks, Oh for fucks sake. You took your time. Sam looks like he wants to bolt or throw up and Ill spare a minute now for the fact that Sam really does do himself proud in the battle even if he does get Edd killed. The next shot takes us to Jorah (Iain Glen) who sits on his horse between the Dothraki and Ghost.Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Jon (Kit Harington) with the dragons watch the battlefield from atop a nearby mountain. We get a terrific shot of the army spread out. A single horse and rider come out of the darkness and somehow Davos from the ramparts recognizes Melisandre (Carice van Houten). She commands Jorah tell the Dothraki to lift their swords.Melisandre clutches one of the Dotraki swords and chants over it until it bursts into flames. This was a beautiful shot as the fire raced down the length of their lines. I loved how it also lit a ripple of hope in all of the grim faces. The somber drums of opening are joined with the more hopeful sound of violins. Melisandre says Valor Morghulis to Grey Worm, who returns Valor Dohaeris of course! Davos has the gate opened for Melisandre and rushes down to meet her. She meets him halfway and tells him theres no need to execute her shell be dead before the dawn. She and Arya lock eyes from a distance and its chilling to say the least.The Dothraki charge yelling as always and blood lusting for the fight. Its another beautiful shot as their fiery swords streak through the darkness with the flaming payloads from the trebuchets flying overhead. And then the flames and the light and the Dothraki are swallowed by the army of the dead. The yelling becomes screaming and the slavering of the dead army.The others wait and then the Dothraki return, some on foot, some without riders, and Jorah injured. And no sign of Ghost. Daenerys is ready to join the fight shes just watched half of her army get wiped out. Jon tries to get her to stick to the plan and wait for the Night King, but she tells him that the dead are already here. The drums pick up the pace as we watch the rest of the army brace for the army of the dead I loved how it mimicked their no doubt quickening hearts.And then its just confusion. I get that its supposed to feel like chaos like an actual battle but it made it impossible to see what was really happening. It seems immediately like we are going to start losing people. Brienne goes down screaming and would have been dead right then if it wasnt for Jaime saving her. Frankly, in those first seconds it looked like we also lost Pod, Tormund, and Baric! And then Daenerys is there with Drogon and with Jaime watching, it felt like the last time he was on a battlefield with the dragons except this time they are fighting for him.The music cuts to the dragons aria and almost immediately, we see Tormund still fighting. Jon, of course, has joined Daenerys. But then Jon is distracted by the Winter Knights and goes after them and then, surprise, surprise, we learn that they can conjure the weather plunging Daenerys and Jon into a raging blizzard, making it impossible to see.Arya sees that things are not going well, and tells Sansa to go down to the crypt. Sansa insists that shes not going to abandon her people. Arya gives her a dragon glass dagger and insists that she go, telling her to stick em with the pointy end. Sansa goes, and Arya prepares to join the battle.Theres a lot of chaotic chopping of body parts and cut shots. We see Jorah knocked from his horse, Tormund fighting, and Jaime seemingly overrun. Edd and Sam are fighting together. Sam goes down and it looks like hes about to be knifed through the eye when Edd saves him only to be killed himself. Its perhaps fitting that he dies saving a member of the Night Watch, but its also sad that instead of avenging him, Sam runs away.The poor visibility causes Jon and Daenerys to have a mid-flight collision. Meanwhile, the army pulls back into Winterfell. It looks like its just a route, but its part of the plan. Tormund calls the retreat, we see Sam run into the keep, Lady Mormont is directing people inside, and Grey Worm holds the Unsullied to guard the retreat. Brienne, Pod, and Jaime make it back inside. Tormund, Gendry, and the Hound are among the last back in. And I loved that Arya saves the Hound as he retreats by shooting the dead behind him with a flaming arrow. Just for one second, I wondered if he were still on her list. The Unsullied lines have been pushed back against the trench Grey Worm calls for them to light the trench and collapses the bridge, trapping the remaining Unsullied.The trenches wont light, however, and Daenerys cant see where they are. Beric and Tormund are among the very last outside the gates along with Jorah. The Unsullied from a protective guard for Melisandre to get through. She prays to the Lord of Light as chaos reigns around her. I did love the shots of her face in extreme close up with her eyeing how close the dead were getting and we hear her voice start to quiver and then the trench bursts into flames and the dead are brought to a halt.Down in the crypt, we finally see Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Varys (Conleth Hill) who remarks in typical Varys fashion at least were already in a crypt. Tyrion stands looking at the doorway. Hes still upset to have been relegated to safety. He points out that if they were up there, they might see something everyone else was missing. Tyrion points out that he made a difference at the Battle of the Blackwater and Varys points out that Tyrion also got his face cut in half. Tyrion doesnt care. He made a different, and if he were out there right now Sansa cuts him off and tells him that if he were out there, hed die. She assures him that theres nothing he can do. She tells him that witty remarks wont do anything. She tells him thats why theyre down there they cant do anything. The most heroic thing they can do now is look the truth in the face.Tyrion is impressed. This isnt the girl he remembers. He tells her maybe they should have stayed married. She smiles and tells him that he was the best of them. He replies, What a terrifying thought! I loved this scene between the two of them as they finally appreciate who the other really is. Sansa, however, points out that it wouldnt work between the two of them because of Daenerys. His divided loyalties would become a problem. And then Missandei pipes up with, yes. Without the Dragon Queen thered be no problem at all. Youd be dead already.Theon continues to guard Bran. They are surrounded by a circle of guards. Theon tells Bran that theyve lit the trench. He then takes a moment to try to tell Bran how sorry he is for the things hes done, but before he can spit it out, Bran cuts him off and points out that everything Theon did has brought him to this moment. Where he belongs. Home. Its perhaps the kindest thing that Bran could say to him and it belies his dispassionate persona as the Three Eyed Raven. Bran then tells Theon that hes going to go and his eyes roll back in his head and he flies off to find the Night King.Who is on his way But be also commands his army of the dead to cross the flaming trench and like ants, they use each others dead bodies to form a bridge Davos calls for them to man the walls and our brief interlude is over.Jon watches from his place atop the wall by the godswood as the dead breach the trench and the Night King descends on his own dragon. And then Jon takes flight. As the dead work their way up the wall, the swordsmen take the place of the archers who are sent higher. Sam is back fighting alongside Jaime, Jorah, Gendry, Brienne and the others. Brienne returns the favor and saves Jaime who saves her again. Jorah saves Sam.The Hound struggles with his own PTSD as Arya makes good use of the weapon that Gendry made for her. I loved Davos watching her fight with utter amazement. Meanwhile, a dead giant breaches the gate. He knocks Lyanna Mormont flying and begins to decimate her men. Beric tries to pull the Hound back into the battle. The Hound insists that its hopeless. They cant beat them theyre fighting death and you cant beat death. Beric succeeds in pulling the Hound back in by pointing to Arya and telling the Hound to tell her that as she flees from the dead. Its the Hounds turn to save her.Meanwhile, Lyanna Mormont refuses to give up too. Already injured, she limpingly runs at the giant, screaming. He reaches down and picks her up, slowly crushing her breastplate and chest. As he lifts her up to look at her, she stabs him in the eye with her dragon glass and kills him. I was really, really hoping she was just badly injured. But it was really one of the best hero deaths that weve had in the show.The dragon fight above and in the clouds was amazing. The parts above the clouds moreso because you could actually see what was going on.For the first time in several seasons, we actually see Arya look her age and show fear. Shes alone and trapped in the library. Williams is simply brilliant throughout this episode. Was anyone else worried that shed take the face of one of the dead and one of the living would kill her? How ironic as well that her training to be completely silent is defeated by the dripping of her blood what sets her apart from the dead. She makes it out of the library and I loved her coming around the one shelf to find and silently kill one of them. But then, the dead are everywhere and shes desperately running through the halls of her childhood home and maybe that is what is preventing her from being completely stoic? Where else would she feel the pull of childhood?The Hound and Beric search the halls for Arya and I loved the way the two moved together. Beric throws his sword to save Arya and begins his slow death of a thousand cuts. I loved the beautiful shot of him as the Hound drags Arya away from trying to save Beric as hes shown with his hands outstretched as the dead stab him almost like Christ on the cross. Beric manages to stagger in to the room they take refuge in and Arya watches striken as he dies.Melisandre is there and intones, The Lord brought him back for a purpose. I wont lie. I was really hoping that she would bring Beric back again Melisandre finishes that Berics purpose has now been served. And of course, at the time, I was wondering what? but its clear from her voice that Melisandre knows Aryas importance. Arya remembers Melisandre who also remembers her. Arya tells Melisandre that she was right about them meeting again and about Arya shutting many eyes forever. Melisandre recites, Brown eyes, green eyes, and blue eyes. As soon as she said blue eyes, I knew exactly how this episode was going to end! And so did Arya. Just like Theon, everything that Arya has been through has brought her to this moment. Beric was saved to save her. The Hound and she bonded whether either of them liked it or not. Her training in Bravoos and her thirst for revenge. She would have to revenge Berics death because he died for her. But most importantly, shes a trained assassin. The best in the world as she killed the other two who were also the best. Melisandre reminds her of her training when she asks, What do we say to the God of Death? and Arya replies Not today. And yes, I have a t-shirt coming!Arya and Melisandre share a look, and again, Williams is brilliant here as all the fear and age-appropriate emotion drains from her face. She trots past the Hound without a word and he watches her go stunned. I loved how much physicality Williams brought to her character here she simply glides silently out of that room, having been carried in squeaking. Her anguish over Beric is gone and replaced with a single minded purpose. Brilliant.Theon prepares as the dead begin to breach the godswood. I loved that he remained steadfast throughout, rallying his men to the end.Meanwhile, the Night King strifes Winterfell with blue fire. The dragons truly engage again with the Night King prevailing over Jon. Rhaegal crashes is he dead? We dont see him reanimate later, so Im hopeful. Drogon seriously injures Viserion and knocks the Night King to the ground right by Jon, of course. Jorah pauses in his fight to note where Daenerys is and to head in her direction. Daenerys seemingly has the Night King at her mercy and commands dracarys its a beautiful shot as Drogon lights him up.But when the fire ebbs, the Night King simply smiles at her and narrowly misses her with an ice lance. It looks like this is going to be the big standoff between Jon and the Night King. They are alone among the heaps of the dead until the Night King raises his arms and the dead. Just when you thought things were finally going our way.Its actually a nice moment of calm in the episode. Theyve almost won and then they are faced with a new army their own best fighters coming back to kill them. It also featured a nice moment to make sure that we hadnt missed anyones death along the way. We see Jaime still fighting with Brienne. Sam is with Grey Worm, and Tormund is with Gendry. And then this truly broke my heart. Lyanna Mormont and Edd both wake with blue eyes. The Night King and his Knights arrive at the gates of WinterfellIn the crypt, the very, very dead also rise. I loved the scene between Sansa and Tyrion as they hide behind a crypt. They can hear the others being killed. Neither really wants to go out, and yet, both know that they have to try to fight. The two pull their daggers and share a look. Tyrion kisses her hand takes a deep breath and runs out. Is there something there? Could they truly be a good match? Sansa is smart enough to keep up with Tyrion and shes seen what true ugliness looks like now. I think I just may ship them!Jon fights alone until Daenerys and Drogon arrive. She sends him on foot! to go to Bran and the dead swarm Drogon. Why land if you arent going to fly Jon to Bran? It was a very stupid and silly thing to do. Daenerys is thrown as Drogon attempts to shake the dead from himself. Daenerys is now alone and surrounded by the dead until Jorah is there to save her. Jorah does get a heros death in saving Daenerys and is one of the first major characters to die leading to the finale.Jon doesnt pause even when it seems like Sam is about to be killed on his way to the godswood. Until his path is blocked by Viserion.As Tyrion and Sansa leave their hiding place, the music comes up again and the sound of battle fades to the background. We get closeups of everyone fighting, fighting for each other Daenerys and Jorah; Tyrion and Sansa protecting those in the crypt; Jon trying to get past Viserion who is actually somewhere that matters! Theon for Bran; Jaime, Pod and Brienne; and Sam is still alive at this point too!Theon is the last one standing as the circle of guards is now replaced by a circle of the dead, which opens to let in the Night King. Bran finally returns to his body. He calls Theon and tells him hes a good man and its all hes ever wanted to hear. Bran thanks him. And these are the last words heard in the episode. Alfie Allen is just fabulous here. His tears are not really tears of fear for his own death which he meets bravely. I knew he had to die here in order to truly redeem himself, but Allen has done magnificent work with this character!The soundtrack plays as Bran and the Night King stare at each other. Both are completely impassive. It looks like Bran is looking him up and down and the little cock to the Night Kings head is a nice touch is he slightly offended? But I think that Bran was making a quick check on where everyone was at that point. We see that Jon is about to be incinerated by Viserion, so no help there. The Night King raises his arm as the music crescendos.We get a beautiful shot of the Night King reaching over his shoulder for his sword into which Arya is suddenly flying! He swings around and grabs her by the throat instead. It looks for the world to be a repeat of Lyanna Mormont and the giant, but Arya drops the knife the knife Bran specifically gave her the one that was supposed to kill HIM from her LEFT hand to her RIGHT hand and thrusts into him! The Valerian steel does its job. And he shatters taking all his followers with him just as they all hoped.Once again, we get a beautiful shot of the entire battlefield. Winterfell is a mess! Jorah collapses with the dead. I loved the shot of Viserion collapsing in front of Jon who looks stunned, clearly wondering who has stolen his hero moment! Tormund, Gendry and Grey Worm are still at the gate. Pod, Jaime, and Brienne are still backs to the wall. Sansa, Tyrion, Varys, Missandei, Gilly, and little Sam are safe in the crypt. And finally Arya and Bran are safe under the weirwood. Drogon returns to Daenerys and curls around her as she mourns for Jorah.The Hound emerges with Melisandre who walks out of Winterfell, dropping her cloak and then the necklace that gave her life. Davos trails after her determined to make sure that she dies as he promised. He watches stunned as the effects of the necklace wear off and she turns to dust in front of his eyes.This was a beautifully shot (dark editing notwithstanding) and scored episode. So many satisfying conclusions here. We knew that we had to lose a few characters, but they went out gloriously. I love how the threads of the story are continuing to fold back in upon themselves and truly pay off. How will our characters make out going forward, however? How much of an army do they actually have left? It seems inevitable that another battle is on the horizon really, we know theres at least one of the remaining episodes that is also all battle. So, Id say next episode is regrouping, then the battle episode, and one final episode to bring it home for the remaining characters because we know that no one is safe What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! A weekly feature in which we're trying to find the most compelling, best acted, written, directed and just generally great, memorable scenes that we've seen in past seven days on TV.Stephanie Beatriz was simply exceptional throughout this outing. A comedic force with perfect momentum and hilarious facial expressions to follow through every line.Any scene that plays Queen's "The show must go on" is bound to bring a tear to your eye. This one certainly did for me. Johnny Lawrence goes for a final road trip with some of his Cobra Kai buddies. His friend Tommy is dying so his pals break him out of hospital. After drinks and a bar fight they set up camp and he and Johnny have a heart to heart. Everyone wakes up the following morning to the fact that Tommy is gone. As this happens we see Kreese taking over teaching kids at the dojo while Johnny is in the woods looking on as others try to revive his friend. A powerful scene indeed. His death certainly affects Johnny and it affects us all who know as we get older not all our friends are still with us.I absolutely loved the entire sequence set to Ramin Djawadi's "The Night King". The music was beautiful and it felt both powerful and deeply sad to watch everyone's final stand against the Night King and his army. Jon struggles to reach Bran but is stopped by undead Viserion, the crypts are overrun with wights and the dead have almost defeated all our main characters. Jorah can barely stand but is still defending Daenerys until his last breath. And finally there's Theon who heroically fights off everyone coming after Bran. When he eventually falls and the Night King is almost ready to strike Bran that's when everything changes and Arya appears (seemingly out of nowhere) just in time to destroy the Night King and his entire army. It feels both impossible to believe and fitting with Arya's story at the same time. Everything she's been through, everyone she's lost, all the training she's received, it's all been leading to this - a moment when she truly gets to save her family (and everyone else). It's just satisfying to see this great victory for Arya and House Stark for once. As much as I was hoping to see the Night King in the capital, the moment he reached Winterfell and all the heroes there I didn't see another way out. So here's to Arya Stark, Avenger of the Red Wedding and Slayer of Night King. Kudos to cast & crew for all their incredible work on the episode!Arya defeats The Night King. For whatever reservations I have with the kind of story we've been left with and how that may dramatically change the meaning of the story, unless something else still has to give, I thought this scene, or really the action of it, played beautifully into Arya's whole story arc! Whether we are talking about 'a master of death' that uses death to fight death, or Catspaw being used as symbol that full-circled certain aspects of the series and could be seen as metaphor for House Stark's revenge and survival (Cat's Paw = an extension of Cat), or how even Arya's first taste with Braavos via her "water dancing" instructor was remembered, all made for a very powerful and memorable threw line.Theon's sacrifice. The completion of one of the best redemption arcs in recent memory felt earned. Game of Thrones let Theon go out on a high, sacrificing himself to save Bran so that Arya could kill The Night King. In a wonderfully scored sequence with some of Ramin Djawadi's best work to date (which is saying something) Alfie Allen reminded the audience why he's the show's most underrated actor and deserves at least a best supporting nomination - probably moreso than the usual suspects this season.When it was obvious this pair may be something more than partners, I resisted the urge to root for them because it felt a little on the nose to have the new male and female partners turn romantic. But now that the show has taken the time and care to have these two earn their connection, it feels organic. As Junior and Tani danced, it was obvious they both had finally realized what they'd been denying and I am looking forward to the next step, whenever and whatever that may be.Murphy petrified searches through the flower shop after the shooting. Perry is just tremendous in this role. The fear and tremble in her body and voice as she looked through the flower shop was just emotional and so good. The writers created a perfect atmosphere with the director doing poignant work to make us experience Murphys emotions.In Amsterdam, Villanelle has done a very flamboyant, inventive and public assassination in Amsterdams red-light district hoping to draw the attention to herself. The next day, she sets up shop across the street from the scene of the crime to wait for the arrival of her MI6 obsession, Eve to show up to investigate. However, when MI6 arrives its not Eve thats been sent. Jodie Comer gives a master class in acting in this scene without saying a word. She lets her so expressive face do the talking. At first Villanelle sits there eating snacks anxious with anticipation. When the car pulls up, she becomes alert letting almost a giddy excitement play all over her face that quickly turns to shock when the agent that emerges isnt Eve Polastri. Finally, shock gives way to despair and then anger when she realizes that Eve isnt coming. And she does all of this in just a matter of seconds on screen. Comer has been on fire this season in Killing Eve and this scene is a perfect example of that.I am loving Nora's redemption arc and am thrilled Ava asked her to join the agency. She deserves this after everything she's been through, and I can't wait to see where Nora goes from here!This was the real Battle of Hastings - with the evidence stacking up against Ted, the accusations came thick and fast that boxed him into a corner and accused him of being H. He isn't helping himself, but it still really hurt to see someone as beloved as Hastings take the fall for something that he could have potentially not done. Line of Duty also made a compelling case for one of the best introductions of a new character EVER - with the scene stealer Anna Maxwell Martin knocking it out of the park having only been introduced a few minutes ago. Few characters can live up to Hastings in the interrogation room - but Martin proved that her character Patricia Carmichael can run circles around him without even trying.When Alex panics about life in the real world post-graduation, Haley and Luke reassure her and tell her that if they can do it, so can she. It was a sweet moment between the three of them.Throughout the episode it becomes increasingly painful to watch Max and his behavior, especially towards Dr. Reynolds. It's nothing like the character we know and have grown to love. And that's when the truth is revealed and it hits harder than anything before - Max's cancer is not responding to treatment. He's dying and he's spent the entire hour desperately looking for a reason behind Floyd's patient's death that would make it feel less random. Max can't begin to process that his death (or anyone's death) could be arbitrary and so completely out of his control. He has nightmares about his daughter growing up without him and he doesn't even recognize himself in the mirror. He's drowning and it's Floyd who reaches out to him and offers support, even after suffering the consequences of Max's erratic behavior. Max apologizes but it's Reynolds who ends up comforting him. Because he truly understands and doesn't blame Max for his actions, instead telling him how to go on and fight. It's great to see these two interacting, especially as it's not happening all that often. Both actors are wonderful in this emotional scene and the episode overall. Kudos!All episode long Max had been acting odd, out-of-control resulting in a yelling match with Reynolds where they both said things they later regretted. After learning Max had found out that his treatment wasnt working with his cancer, Floyd understood why Max had been acting out of character. He goes to see Max and in a wonderful scene between Eggold and Sims, Max apologizes and Floyd convinces him that his life is worth fighting for.I loved this scene because it was like the perfect slasher movie homage.Nia has been a great addition to the show, especially since the moment we learned more about her family and powers, but this has to be my favorite moment with her character so far. The world needs hope and without Supergirl, or rather people's faith in her, things have become rather hopeless. Stopping an attack isn't enough when the aliens continue to be forced to run and hide. That's why Kara comes up with an idea to introduce a new hero to the world and offer a glimpse of hope to all those who desperately need it. The entire interview is wonderfully done. Despite wearing a mask Nia opens up about her life, her family, the things she loves and just how wonderfully different we all are with so many things we share in common. She points out that she doesn't remember when being different became such a bad thing. Everyone is unique, everyone is important, our differences define us but so do our relationships and the things we share. Nia's admission about her family ("My mother was my heart... But my father is my spine") was beautiful, her introduction as human, alien and a trans woman was inspiring, and her listing all the little things about her ("I'm a Gryffindor...House Stark.") made it impossible not to find her character relatable. Now, that is a hero standing in the light. Everyone's reactions to the interview said it all. Just how much everything she said does make a difference to so many others. This way they no longer feel alone and against all odds they don't feel as afraid as they did before. As powerful as James' story was in this episode, this scene truly stole the hour for me. Kudos to the cast & crew and special shout-out to the wonderful Nicole Maines for all the great work!Kara Danvers interviews and introduces Dreamer to the world. It was a powerful scene for new cast member Nicole Maines as Nia Nal. She declared herself to be both human and alien and her words about her parents believing that humans and aliens could live together in peace struck a great chord. Not only did she declare herself to be human and alien, she also made her stand as a trans woman. Then she went on to illustrate the most important thing, that she was just like everyone else when she went on to list her pop culture affiliations to Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and her favorite foods. It was a standout moment for the character, the episode and the show. Kudos to Supergirl co-star David Harewood for his deft direction in his directorial debut.We do indeed need to embrace our authentic selves. Such a powerful message."I'm Dreamer." Nia Nal might be wearing her superhero mask and costume, but she boldly shares her truth and bares her soul in her televised interview with Kara. She reveals that her father was human and her mother was alien and she herself is a trans woman. She then delivers a monologue that is beautifully empathetic. "I'm different but so is everybody. And I don't know when that became such a bad thing. The greatest gift we can give each other is our authentic selves and sharing that." It's almost a given by this point in her work on the show that Nicole Maines will gift viewers with glimpses of her own authentic self through this portrayal that shouldn't have to be heralded as groundbreaking. Here though Maines lets Nia shine, lets her sincere calm heroism radiate into the unsettled world. Her truth is timeless. As she says, sharing truth and accepting the truth of others is what creates real strength. "So, here I am. I am both human and alien. And I am a trans woman. S'mores are my favorite dessert. But I will always choose salty over sweet. I broke my nose when I was 15 during a game of kickball. My mother was my heart." With her speech, Nia embraces every single part of her identity...her strength, her grief, her quirks, her heart....and it's impossible to not feel a sense of victory that everyone should get to find within themselves. "I love Thursdays and April. And nerdy boys who think too much." (Here the perspective changes to Brainy and Lena, both of whom are "leaking" tears as they watch.) And I'm proud of all that I am." To quote Brainy, "What does love feel like?" Pretty sure it feels like watching this phenomenal scene.This was how to create a twist. In an episode that featured a callback to the pilot it was only fitting that the hour ended with a surprise, in this case coming in the form of Murphy singing The Waterboys' This is The Sea without a care in the world. The revelation that this new utopia was not everything that it appeared to be had an immediate, dramatic impact - and the show knocked it out of the park that made sure audiences won't be able to wait until episode two.Diane runs home to Kurt after learning that the voting machines have been discarded. It's one of those episodes again where really it was the whole episode that made everything work, but I thought this final scene just really struck a chord that Kurt took the next step to get Diane out of trouble even if it could ultimately work in Trump's benefit, but it left Diane feeling relieved and I think loved, because she had reservations about going along with it from the start.Writing an emotional and powerful mother-daughter storyline is very hard and as a major Gilmore Girls fan there are tough shoes to fill in. The way Sarah and Katie went at each other as they were torn by the secrets Sarah kept from Katie broke my heart. The emotions these two ladies put into the scene were beautiful and heartbreaking.Jonah finds out that his father in law / stepfather is actually his father. Which means Jonah married his half sister. Stock Index Trading Signals for Momentum, Swing, and Trend Following Since 2001 I have been refining my index trading skills and strategies in the hope that one day I would provide a steady stream of trades and income and possibly even be able to automate the trading for me. Now, 18 years later I have made most of these dreams/goals come true with a robust trading system that makes trading momentum drops and pops, swing trading, and trend following really simple. While its not 100% complete, and likely never will be as Im always working on adapting things work with the everchanging markets, it is something Im really proud of and excited to share with fellow traders. Over the next month or so I will be pushing to get this new application running for members to watch and receive the trade alerts. Take a look at this years chart of the system which really is incredible, but the rally the market is experiencing is also not the norm in terms of price action. The next chart shows the most recent trade taken this Thursday and the first momentum trade target was hit in less than 24 hours for a quick 2.5% profit on the SP500. To make things even more exciting this strategy works well with high momentum stocks and the most recent trade we took on CPRX we locked in 10% from our entry price as shown below. I am about to launch a new technology product to assist our members like this one explained above, where we can highlight our proprietary price modeling systems complete with all the trade signals (entry, stops, targets). This added analysis and trade signals are bonus value added for our loyal followers. If you want to stay ahead of these markets moves and find greater success in 2019 and beyond, then Join www.TheTechnicalTraders.com today. EXTRA UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY First, we typically see stocks sell-off and as the old saying goes, Sell in May and Go Away! So what does this mean? It means we should start to see money flow into the safe-haven assets like the Utility sector, bonds, and most importantly precious metals. Second, my birthday is this month, and I think its time I open the doors for a once a year opportunity for everyone to get a gift that could have some considerable value in the future. For May I am going to give away and ship out silver rounds to anyone who buys a 1-year, or 2-year subscription to my Wealth Trading Newsletter for the first 25 subscribers. You can upgrade to this longer-term subscription or if you are new, join one of these two plans, and you will receive: 1-Year Subscription Gets One 1oz Silver Round FREE (Could be worth hundreds of dollars) 2-Year Subscription Gets TWO 1oz Silver Rounds FREE (Could be worth a lot in the future) I only have 25 silver rounds Im giving away so upgrade or join now before its too late! SUBSCRIBE TO MY TRADE ALERTS AND GET YOUR FREE SILVER ROUNDS! Happy May Everyone! 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. STAMFORD A group of volunteers from the American Institute of Foreign Studies donated their time on Friday to paint, fix and repair home projects as part of the 32nd annual HomeFront Day. The day itself takes place Saturday, but the group of volunteers in Stamford got a head start at Licia Kendalls home on Ann Street. A North Carolina police officer was shot and killed Saturday around 10 p.m. Officials say Mooresville Police Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, was shot during a traffic stop. He was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. Sheldon served with the Mooresville Police Department for six years. The suspect in the shooting left the traffic stop and was later located at a nearby apartment. Once police entered the residence, the suspect was confirmed dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have not identified the shooter. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Sunday. That the two would meet is not surprising - Russia, after all, is economically invested in Venezuela and is standing behind President Nicolas Maduro, who managed to remain in power last week after opposition leader Juan Guaido's attempt to stir a military uprising has yet to be successful. Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela in January and is recognized as the country's legitimate leader by several nations, including the United States. But the timing of the Lavrov-Arreaza meeting is, if not surprising, at least conspicuous. On Friday, two days before the foreign ministers met, President Donald Trump said during a news conference with Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone. "I had a very good talk with President Putin - probably over an hour," Trump said. "And we talked about many things. Venezuela was one of the topics. And he is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela, other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela." The Russian Embassy in Washington said in a statement on its Facebook page that Trump, not Putin, had initiated the call and that the two spoke for 90 minutes, not an hour. The statement said Putin "underscored that only the Venezuelans themselves have the right to determine the future of their country, whereas outside interference in the country's internal affairs and attempts to change the government in Caracas by force undermine prospects for a political settlement of the crisis." It was a message Lavrov "underscored" when sitting down with Arreaza on Sunday. Ahead of his meeting, Lavrov said the United States should halt what he called its "irresponsible" campaign to overthrow Maduro. Afterward, Lavrov reiterated, "We call on the U.S. government to stop their irresponsible actions against international law." Lavrov noted that there appears to be some distance between Trump's and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's positions on the possibility of the use of force in Venezuela. Pompeo told ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday that the United States has not "ultimately" ruled out using military action in Venezuela. Lavrov said Trump "didn't say anything like that" in his call with Putin. Lavrov will have the opportunity to point out the rhetorical disparity to Pompeo personally. On Monday, the Russian official will travel to Finland, where he is to meet with the secretary of state. Pompeo said on "This Week" that he expected to work with Lavrov to potentially arrange a second meeting between Trump and Putin. Their first summit was in Helsinki in July. Pompeo also said he had not seen "the full context" of Trump's remarks asserting that Putin does not intend to get involved in Venezuela. Jonathan van Ness, Queer Eye superstar, has created the ultimate Game of Thrones recap. Still not sure what warging is? Wondering what that Azor Ahai prophecy is all about? Well, this won't answer any of your questions about the multi-layered series, but it will provide post-show laughter that's becoming more and more necessary as the grand finale approaches. Game of Thrones is occasionally (okay, often) difficult to watch - and not just because its too dark to actually see anything. To avoid having nightmares post-viewing, Queer Eyes breakout star Jonathan van Ness presents his Funny or Die Gay of Thrones recaps. Fans were worried hed get too big for his French tucked into britches post-Queer Eye mega fame, but hes back and better than ever, cutting hair and talking GoT with guests each week. This season has been chock full of A-list stars, including Gabrielle Union and Anna Faris. His painfully funny recap series isn't just a fan favorite. Gay of Thrones has aired since the third season of Game of Thrones, earning him Emmy nominations for Outstanding Short Form Variety series in 2016 and 2018. In his most recent recap, aptly titled The Dong Night, JvN and the former Toros cheerleader recount the Battle of Winterfell, which hit records as the longest battle in television history (and more often than not, it felt that way). Union calls it a fire fest she can get behind while JvN discusses "Baby Kill Bill" (Arya Stark) and "Evil Red Riding Hood" (better known as Melisandre). Other popular nicknames include Christina Aguilera for Danerys and Baby Barack Obama for the Unsullied hero Grey Worm. What the recaps don't offer in prophecy theories and Reddit deep dives they make up for with colorful commentary like, "And then that poor Jon Snow, hunny, he's having the most ratchet of evenings. His Mapquest printout flies out of his hand, then he crashes his aunt's dragon. She's going to be furious when she finds out, probably won't f*** him for at least a week or two," and "Sansa Fierce hears some strange noises in her neighborhood so she goes on NextDoor to make a complaint." Past seasons have included recaps from Margaret Cho, DArcy Carden and the original GoT superstar himself, George R.R. Martin. It's all a does of much-needed lightness at a time when we really don't know which of our beloved characters will make it - and we probably won't be able to see them go out, anyway. R acist offences on Transport for London's (TfL) rail network have doubled in the space of four years, with a leading anti-hate crime charity saying Brexit tensions could be partly to blame. Rose Simkins, chief executive of Stop Hate UK, today urged Leave and Remain politicians to tone down the rhetoric as new figures revealed a spike in racially and religiously aggravated offences on the Tube and other rail services in the capital. She said: Language is really important in not fuelling this." British Transport Police (BTP) data obtained by the Standard under the Freedom of Information Act showed that in 2018/19, there were 1,143 reported offences on the Tube, Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), TfL Rail and Tramlink. Racially and religiously aggravated crimes on TfL rail network since 2014/15 Tube, Overground, DLR, TfL Rail and Tramlink 2014/15 - 575 2015/16 - 785 2016/17 - 1,081 2017/18 - 1,189 2018/19 - 1,143 This was nearly double the 575 reported in 2014/15. Most of the 1,081 crimes reported in the 2016/17 year happened after the Brexit referendum. Ms Simkins told the Standard: "The figures dont surprise me. Everybody working to combat hate crime is aware there are tensions causing these increases. After the referendum, the number of hate crimes increased and there is also evidence of a slow increase at the moment. There are definitely feelings of increased hostility towards people who are different. The current situation of political uncertainty, and some people using Leave as an anti-immigration platform, means there is greater hostility towards people who are perceived to be from another country." In one instance, in October last year, a woman was punched in the face on the Overground, claiming it was because she was speaking Spanish. Her attacker reportedly said: "You shouldnt speak other languages." BTP officers patrol the Central line platform of Bank Underground station. There have been 499 racially and religiously aggravated offences on the Central line since 2014/15 (file image) / Jonathan Brady/PA Ms Simkins continued: Language [of elected officials] is really important in not fuelling this. We often see politicians using antagonistic and divisive language. "The way the Leave and Remain debate has continued and been managed has increased that tension - and in many ways created it. This might not have happened if it was handled differently." She added an increasing number of victims and onlookers reporting hate crimes is another factor behind the jump since 2014/15: "Institutions like ourselves, British Transport Police and the government have campaigned to raise more awareness on how to report hate crimes. Before, people might not have known they can report it, or thought no one cared. But theres now a stronger message." Top five most offences by TfL route since 2014/15 Overground - 655 Jubilee line - 527 Central line - 499 Northern line - 494 District line - 473 In a statement, British Transport Police said: The sort of hate crime we see on the transport network is largely verbal abuse, rather than physical attacks, but this is extremely serious and we treat every report seriously. We are putting every effort into investigating these types of crimes. Of course, investigating offences is complex, however the railway is a CCTV-rich environment and this evidence can be crucial in identifying offenders and bringing them before the courts. A spokesman for mayor of London and TfL chair Sadiq Khan said: The mayor believes that hate crime has absolutely no place in our society, and this includes Londons public transport network that must be a place where everyone feels safe. This is why TfL are doing more than ever before to work with the Met and BTP to tackle hate crime and ensure offenders on our transport network are brought to justice. A man has been stabbed in broad daylight in Greenwich this afternoon. Police were called at 5.15pm to reports of a stabbing in Wickham Lane. The ambulance service was already on scene and had found the man, believed to be in his 20s, with knife wounds. A statement from Scotland Yard said: "Police were called by the London Ambulance Service on Sunday, 5 May at around 17:15 hours to reports of a stabbing in Wickham Lane, SE2 "A man, believed to be in his 20s has been found with stab injuries." He was taken to a south London hospital. His injuries are not being treated as life threatening. T he Government is pleading with Jeremy Corbyn to put aside party differences and agree a compromise deal to break the Brexit deadlock. Theresa May reached out to the Labour leader in the Mail on Sunday, asking him to work with her to reach a deal. While International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has said the ball is in Mr Corbyn's court. The Government is seeking Labour support to get a withdrawal agreement through Parliament after MPs rejected Mrs May's deal three times. Theresa May leaves church on Sunday as Brexit turmoil continues / REUTERS Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mrs May said: "To the leader of the opposition, I say this: let's listen to what the voters said in the elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal." The PM also issued a rallying cry to MPs urging them to support cross-party efforts to "break the deadlock" and get a deal passed. Countdown to Brexit: 179 days until Britain leaves the EU She said: "I negotiated with the EU what I believe is a very good deal for the UK - a deal which allows us to genuinely take back control of our money and our laws. "The free movement of people will end - giving us control of our own borders for the first time in decades. "However, I could not persuade enough of my colleagues to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and, regrettably, I have to accept there is no sign of that position changing. TODO: define component type apester "Since then, the Government has been in talks with the Opposition to try to find a unified, cross-party position. "I understand many of my colleagues find this decision uncomfortable. Frankly, it is not what I wanted, either. "But we have to find a way to break the deadlock - and I believe the results of the local elections give fresh urgency to this." Loading.... Loading.... She continued: "We will keep negotiating, and keep trying to find a way through. Because the real thing that matters now is delivering Brexit and moving on to all the other issues people care about. "The longer that takes, the greater the risk we will not leave at all. We need to get out of the EU and get a deal over the line." Mr Stewart said it will be "surprisingly easy" to agree a Brexit deal if Mr Corbyn wants to deliver one. "I think a deal can be done, a lot of this rests on, to be honest, one man: whether Jeremy Corbyn really wants to deliver a Brexit deal," he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday. "But I think if he wants to do it it will be actually surprisingly easy to do because our positions are very, very close." Prime Minister Theresa May during a speech in Grimsby / PA The newly-appointed Cabinet minister also said his party was "keen to get a good Brexit deal done as soon as possible", and conceded that the Government's handling of Britain's exit from the EU was responsible for his party's drubbing at the local elections. "Labour and Conservatives at the moment are suffering from this whole Brexit thing - tortuous, sort of endless, Brexit thing and we've got to get beyond it." Mr Stewart also confirmed that he would run to be the next prime minister when Theresa May stands down, but said: "I am now so excited to be the International Development Secretary." Elsewhere shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said the Government was trying to re-dress their customs union offer and has not really shifted its position. Rory Stewart / PA "The key thing is the Government want to be able to do their own trade deals and my concern is that if we have a trade deal with the United States, for example, that could mean Trump's America and big private healthcare corporations getting their hands on NHS contracts," he told Sky. "I'm not prepared to countenance that: it's why we need instead a permanent and comprehensive customs union arrangement where we do our trade deals as part of the European Union." It comes as Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said a deal between the two parties could be done in the new few days, telling reporters at her party's conference in Aberdeen: "We are getting closer and closer. "There's not that much between the two parties as I understand it from people in the room." With talks between Labour and the Tories expected to resume early next week, the Sunday Times reported that Mrs May was prepared to give ground in three areas: customs, goods alignment and workers' rights. The paper said the Prime Minister would put forward plans for a comprehensive but temporary customs arrangement with the EU that would last until the next general election. It came as more than 100 opposition MPs from five parties wrote to the PM and Mr Corbyn to say they would not support a "Westminster stitch-up" and would vote against a customs union unless it is put to a referendum. The MPs said: "The very worst thing we could do at this time is a Westminster stitch-up whether over the PM's deal or another deal. This risks alienating both those who voted leave in 2016 and those who voted remain." Elsewhere, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage warned Mrs May against agreeing a customs deal with Mr Corbyn, telling the Telegraph: "If the Tories do a deal with Labour on the customs union they will be going into coalition with the Opposition against the people." L abour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said he does not trust the Prime Minister after details from cross-party talks on Brexit were reported by the media. Mr McDonnell accused Theresa May of jeopardising the cross-party Brexit talks for her own "personal protection". Following newspaper reports that Mrs May is preparing to give ground this week in the discussions, the Labour frontbencher said the PM had "blown the confidentiality" of the talks. He said his party wanted to get a deal done "as soon as possible" but needed guarantees that an agreement would not be "ripped up" by a future Conservative leader. Under pressure over Brexit: Theresa May / REUTERS The Government is seeking Labour support to get a withdrawal agreement through Parliament after MPs rejected Mrs May's deal three times. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mrs May said: "To the leader of the opposition, I say this: let's listen to what the voters said in the elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let's do a deal." The PM made the rallying call for breaching the impasse as the Tories reeled from losing more than 1,300 seats in local elections earlier this week. But Mr McDonnell on Sunday said the PM had potentially "jeopardised" further talks with Labour on Brexit. TODO: define component type apester Asked on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show if he trusted Mrs May, he replied: "No, sorry, not after this weekend when she's blown the confidentiality I had and I actually think she's jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection." Mr McDonnell accused Mrs May of acting in "bad faith" after the Sunday Times reported that the Prime Minister would put forward plans for a comprehensive but temporary customs arrangement with the EU that would last until the next general election. And he said: "We are negotiating with Theresa May's team as requested. Whilst we're doing that and we think we're gaining an understanding of our different positions and where we can reach some compromise, in the wings, if you like, are all the leadership candidates virtually threatening to tear up whatever deal that we do. "So we're dealing with a very unstable Government and let me just use this analogy: it's trying to enter into a contract with a company that's going into administration and the people who are going to take over are not willing to fulfil that contract. We can't negotiate like that." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn / Getty Images Mr McDonnell also said it "may well" be the case that any deal would have to be voted on in a second referendum, adding: "I think the Conservatives have to recognise that if a deal is going to go through there might be a large number of MPs who will want a public vote." Earlier, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said it was "disappointing" that it appeared Tory ministers and spin doctors had been "briefing about what's happening" in the talks. "We've entered these negotiations in good faith - they should be confidential at this stage because if you want to get an agreement you have to be able to respect the position of those sat around the table and we seem to be reading all kinds of things in the newspapers today," he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday. "I would say to those Tories negotiating this isn't really the best way to go about it to be frank." Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said it would be "very difficult" to agree a deal in the cross-party talks. "Obviously for a large number of our colleagues a confirmatory ballot on a deal is a deal breaker. Now it might be we find some form of deal that diminishes that desire but it will be very hard to achieve and only time will tell on that," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics. "But I don't think we should give false hope on this, it's going to be very difficult to find a negotiated settlement." A n Australian DJ has died after a horror accident in Bali. Adam Neat, 42, was reportedly attempting to help a friend who had hurt herself falling from a terrace in the resort they were stating at. Mr Near, whose stage name is Adam Sky, rushed to her aid and in doing so smashed through a glass door. This caused him to suffer from severe cuts and blood loss and he was found dead at the Hillstone Villas Resort yesterday, according to 9news. A statement from posted Mr Neats official Facebook page said: It is with great regret that we can confirm Adam Neat was involved in a fatal accident while trying to help a friend who had suffered multiple fractures in Bali on Saturday 4th May 2019. Relatives and friends of Adam are travelling to Bali today and handling all arrangements. We ask you to respect the families [sic] privacy at this moment while we all come to terms with our tragic loss. His website describes him as being ranked one of Asia's top DJs, having most recently been based in Singapore. A 24-year-old British backpacker has spoken out after being kidnapped and raped in Australia. Elisha Greer's horrific ordeal began when she met Marcus Martin at a party in Cairns, Queensland, in March 2017. Martin moved into the hotel she was staying on before forcing her to embark on a horrific 1,600 mile road trip, subjecting her to abuse along the way. Ms Greer, from Liverpool, required hospital treatment for injuries including facial fractures after being found by police near Mitchell, Queensland, in March 2017, she said in an interview with Australian broadcaster Channel 7. After the pair exchanged numbers when they met, Martin moved into Ms Greer's hotel and began asking her for money. "He just seemed like a nice guy," she told a reporter for the Sunday Night programme. However, things soon took a dark turn and Ms Greer, then aged 21, said Martin obtained a gun for "protection" and took her along with him to rob a drug dealer. "I was forced to drive the car with the gun to my head," she said. Later, a drugged-up Martin launched a violent attack on Ms Greer. He hit, raped and choked her until she passed out. "He turned around and he just started to hit me, hit me, hit me," she said. Despite apologising after each assault, Martin's controlling behaviour did not stop, and Ms Greer claimed he threw away her birth control pills "to try and get me pregnant". She added: "Maybe he thought that he could control me more if I was with his child." The pair embarked on a 1,600 mile road trip south of Cairns. During this Martin's abusive behaviour continued. In one incident, he shoved Ms Greer onto the floor between the car door and seats. This broke her nose and turning her face "purple", she said. She became so desperate to escape she even contemplated killing Martin. But she was worried things would grow worse if an attempt went wrong. During one stop on their journey she left an unanswered plea for help in a visitor's book. Then, after five days of driving, the pair stopped for petrol at a service station in Mitchell and left without paying. An attendant called the police who told Greer to drive the car to a local police station. They found Martin hiding in a back seat. Ms Greer described her litany of injuries left by Martin: "He broke my nose, split my eyebrow open, I had various amounts of bite marks all up and down my arms, I had bite marks on my face, he had stabbed me in the neck with the key, I had two black eyes, hand prints all over my body from bruises. So many bruises." Two years on from the harrowing experience, Ms Greer said Australia was "one of the nicest countries" she has visited. She added she would "love" to live there. Martin, 24, of Cairns, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty in October last year and is due to be sentenced on May 28. A pregnant woman and her baby niece have been killed amid ongoing conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza. More than 400 rockets have been fired into Israel by Palestinian militants, drawing dozens of retaliatory air strikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of heavy fighting. Six Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece, as well as one Israeli man have been killed in the fighting. After being struck by shrapnel on Sunday morning, 58-year-old Moshe Agadi has died of his wounds, marking the first Israeli casualty from rocket fire since the 2014 war with Hamas militants. Israel's main rescue service later said rocket from Gaza has wounded three Israeli men, including two seriously. A rocket being fired from the Palestinian enclave toward Israel / AFP/Getty Images The fighting, which broke a month-long lull between the enemies, came as leaders from Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the smaller armed faction Islamic Jihad, were in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators aimed at preventing a fraying cease-fire from collapsing altogether. It also comes at a sensitive time for Israel, which is to mark its Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday this week, before hosting the Eurovision song contest in the middle of the month. Prolonged fighting could overshadow Eurovision and potentially deter international travellers from coming in for the festive event. For Gazans, the violence continued as they prepare to begin the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on Monday. Palestinians gather on the beach in Gaza City / AFP/Getty Images Israel and Hamas, an Islamic group that opposes Israel's existence, have fought three wars and dozens of smaller flare-ups of violence since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. They engaged in several days of heavy fighting in March before Egypt brokered a truce in which Israel agreed to ease a crippling blockade on Gaza in exchange for a halt in rocket fire. In recent days, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on its pledges as militants began to fire rockets into Israel. In a familiar scene, air raid sirens wailed across southern Israel throughout the day and into the evening as barrages of rockets were repeatedly fired. A destroyed building damaged after an Israeli air strike / EPA Retaliatory air strikes caused large explosions to thunder across Gaza, as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Outgoing Palestinian rockets left long trails of smoke behind them. Gaza's Health Ministry said a 14-month-old girl, Seba Abu Arar, was killed in an Israeli air strike that hit their home in east Gaza City. Her pregnant mother, 37, was severely wounded and died later at the hospital, the ministry added. Another child was moderately injured. Smoke billows above buildings in Gaza City / AFP/Getty Images "They were sitting at the yard in their house with their mother. They were shocked by a missile landing on them," said Abu Nidal Abu Arar, a relative living next door. "This occupation is criminal." In the morning, Gaza's Health Ministry said a 22-year-old Palestinian man was killed by an Israeli air strike, and 40 other Palestinians were wounded. Late on Saturday, health officials said a 25-year-old man was killed by an Israeli drone missile as he was travelling on a motorbike in northern Gaza. At dawn, two Islamic Jihad militants were killed by an air strike in central Gaza Strip, the group said. A Palestinian man sits on the debris of a building / REUTERS In Israel, medical officials said an 80-year-old woman was severely wounded by rocket fire, a 50-year-old man was moderately wounded by shrapnel and a teenage boy was mildly hurt as he ran for cover. Israeli police said a house in the coastal city of Ashkelon was damaged. Early on Sunday, Israeli police said a rocket landed in a courtyard in Ashkelon, about 10km north of Gaza, causing damage to several buildings. As a result, an Israeli man suffered "heavy injuries and was in a grave condition". The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding two Israeli soldiers on Friday. It said the shooting was not coordinated with Hamas, but said it holds Hamas, as the territory's ruling power, responsible for all fire emanating from Gaza. By nightfall, the army said militants had fired well over 200 rockets into Israel. It said dozens of the rockets were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket-defence system. But it closed roads near the Gaza border to civilian traffic and closed a popular beach as a security precaution. The military said it struck some 120 targets in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad military compounds, a Hamas rocket-manufacturing site and a "high-end Islamic Jihad tunnel" that it said stretched into Israel for use in attacks. Later on Saturday, Israel struck a building that it said housed Hamas military intelligence offices in Gaza City. Another air strike hit a six-story commercial and residential building. Journalists said the building housed the office of Turkey's news agency Anadolu. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. COGAT, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said it was closing the fishing zone off Gaza's coast altogether and sealing Israel's two land crossings with Gaza. The crossings are used by Palestinian medical patients to enter and exit the territory, and provide the main entry for cargo into the blockaded territory. The UN's Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said the United Nations was working with Egypt to restore calm and called on all sides to "de-escalate" and restore recent understandings. P resident Donald Trump said Robert Mueller should not testify to Congress on his Russia probe. The President said there should be "no redos for the Dems" in a tweet on Sunday, after saying it was a decision for the Justice Department the day before. He wrote: "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Attorney General William Barr, who is under fire from Democrats for his handling of the report's release, has said he has no problem with Special Counsel Mueller testifying. Special counsel Robert Mueller conducted an investigation into Russian interference / AP The Mueller report chronicled Russian efforts to interfere in the US presidential election in 2016 . Despite deciding there was Russian interference, it found that President Trump and his campaign did not engage in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow. The Republican president has blasted the investigation as a costly "witch hunt". TODO: define component type apester Meanwhile, the Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee appears closest to arranging for Mr Mueller to testify, possibly as soon as May 15. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mr Mueller, declined to comment on Sunday. Mr Barr is also headed for showdown with Congress on Monday if he fails to meet a morning deadline to hand over a full and unredacted copy of the report requested by Democrats. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said Democrats needed to hear from officials beyond Mr Barr. He said this included a desire to hear from former White House counsel Don McGahn. He said on Twitter that they "will testify" and "the American people deserve the truth," he said on Twitter. President Trump said on Friday he would decide within a week or so whether to assert executive privilege to block Mr McGahn from testifying before Congress. Last month, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Mr McGahn. Jon Russell noted in his Culpeper Star Exponent byline last Sunday that he that he has served on the Culpeper Town Council for two terms and chairs the Culpeper Republican Committee. His opinions represent his personal views only. Seriously? As reader M. Campbell pointed out in a letter to the editor on May 1st, hes affiliated with two far-right-wing lobbying organizations and is hardly merely expressing his personal views. The Governor just vetoed one of their bills, which if implemented, would have severely curtailed localities abilities to make their own zoning decisions. Sounding the partisan siren, the Republican Committee boasts in the Star Exponent that it will call for a Republican-endorsed slate/sample ballot for all candidates from top to bottom, including those who run as independents. This is evidence that in their view, your analysis is not required. These people think they own Culpeper, and talk about the county being a Republican county. News flash: There are plenty of us who value truth, science, fair play, tolerance, patriotism, providing for those less fortunate, including affordable and accessible health care, educational and job opportunities, access to the internet without paying through the nose, curbs on gun violence, and protecting our land, air and waters for our children and grandchildren. Previously in this column, I have written about 2019 being the 150th Anniversary of the Charter of the University of Nebraska. Since western Nebraska is some 400 miles from Lincoln, we at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center are planning an N|150 celebration for this end of the state. On Friday, May 10, beginning at 1:30 in the afternoon, we will host Chancellor Ronnie Green, along with numerous other events in this celebration of Nebraska. As background for this celebration, Id like to discuss some of the key impacts and contributions that have come from the universitys presence in the Panhandle since the original Scotts Bluff Experimental Substation was established in 1910, one-hundred-nine years ago. In 2010, the centennial year of the Panhandle Center, a bulletin was written titled A Century of Change and Progress in Service to Western Nebraska. The bulletin has been out of print for the past few years. So, as part of our efforts to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the University of Nebraska, we have reprinted it. It has been fun and educational for me to read through this publication and understand some of the deeper contributions from the university in this part of Nebraska. I realize I wont do justice in this column to a complete overview of the accomplishments and the history contained in this the 40-page publication, but Ill take a stab at some of the highlights. 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 Mooresville K9 officer Jordan Harris Sheldon was shot during a routine traffic stop on Saturday night, according to a news release. He was transported, but later died from his injuries. Harris, 32, served with the Mooresville Police Department for six years. The suspect in the shooting fled, but was later located in a nearby apartment, according to the release. Police entered the residence to find the suspect had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation is continuing with other local and state law enforcement agencies assisting, the release states. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the last officer killed while working for the Mooresville police was Lieutenant Larry Barger in 1974. According to the page, he "was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance. He was shot through the back with a 30-30 rifle while attempting to settle a domestic disturbance. He died from his injuries three months later after four major surgeries." Lieutenant Barger was survived by his wife and two children, the site states. The last line of duty death in Iredell County was in December 1990 when a Troutman officer was killed in a car crash while responding to help on a chase. Patrolman William Pettit was killed in an automobile accident while attempting to catch up to a pursuit on I-77. His patrol car left the roadway on a curve at approximately 3:20 a.m. on Dec. 2, 1990, according to the site. Sunday morning, a procession began at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with law enforcement and public safety vehicles participating in the escort. From there the word spread, and the Mickelsons learned the need was much greater than just that one child. That was in 2012, and since then, the nonprofit they founded has more than 120 chapters nationwide, including the one in Iredell formed by Byers in March. On Friday, Byers and his friends gathered for a training bed their first attempt at building a bunk bed that will go to a child in this area. This build sets the stage for a larger one that will take place June 15 at Byers church, Lighthouse Evangelical Presbyterian Church located at 246 Blume Road in Mooresville. That build is part of Bunks Across America, which is taking place nationwide. Sleep in Heavenly Peace provides more than just a bunk bed, Byers said. It also provides a mattress, bedding, pillow and either a comforter or bedspread. Byers said it takes about $350 to build each bed and for the supplies. After the training build Friday, he said, hes looking for volunteers and donations for the big build June 15. Mooresville K9 officer Jordan Harris Sheldon was shot during a routine traffic stop on Saturday night, according to a news release. He was transported, but later died from his injuries. Each year, the American Nurses Association sets aside May 6-12 as National Nurses Week. Traditionally, this week is set aside as a tribute to the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, who's birthday is May 12. The theme this year is 4 Million Reasons to Celebrate." While there is no way to know how many nurses there were in the 1800s, I can only imagine what Florence would think to know that today there are 4 million nurses in the U.S. alone. I can't help but feel that although she was known to be humble, she would be proud to learn of the great accomplishments in nursing that are all ultimately a result of her believing that nursing was her God-given calling. "He just started shooting during our final presentations and we all ran out. We were just doing presentations and someone started shooting up the room. . . . Why here? Why today? Why UNC Charlotte? Why my classroom? What did we do?" That was the frantic tweet of a student at the scene of Tuesday's mass shooting in North Carolina, in which two students - 19-year-old Ellis Parlier and 21-year-old Riley Howell - were killed. Three days earlier, in a synagogue near San Diego, a 60-year-old woman - Lori Gilbert Kaye - was killed by a gunman armed with an assault weapon who authorities say was motivated by anti-Semitic hate. Saturday's shooting at Chabad of Poway, in which the rabbi and two other people, including a young girl, were injured, came exactly six months after 11 people were killed in another hate-inspired mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. So far this year - that's some 120 days - there have been more than 100 other mass shootings, more than 4,500 gun deaths (not counting suicides) and more than 8,400 gun injuries. And so there is no question that is more pertinent than the one asked by that terrified UNC Charlotte student: "Why?" Culture Minister Daniel Breaz on Sunday assured Brasov Mayor George Scripcaru of the institution's support for any cultural event preserving traditions, such as the Young Men's Horseback Parade, an event which he participated in alongside Brasov authorities and politicians from the ruling coalition and the Oppositions. "This descent of the young men from Scheii Brasovului represents a cultural event and I congratulate all those involved in preserving these traditions, because I have seen not only simple people, people from all society layers wanting to keep traditions. I congratulate them once more and thank them for preserving the traditions of Brasov and not only, but also the traditions of entire Romania and of Romanians," the Culture Minister said.In a statement to the press, he underscored that "all these cultural events, taking place in Romania, based on some projects filed with the Culture Ministry, will be financially supported, so that their development and continuity may be ensured from year to year."Brasov Mayor George Scripcaru offered Minister Breaz an album, asking for financial support for the Young Men to be able to carry on their traditions and the Minister assured Brasov Mayor George Scripcaru of the institution's support for any cultural event preserving traditions."I assure you that there is support from the Culture Ministry for any cultural event preserving traditions not only in Brasov, but also in Romania. The collaboration with the local authorities is important and this is beneficial for any community," the Minister pointed out.According to the estimations of the Brasov Gendarmerie, the horseback parade of the Young Men from Scheii Brasovului, on the main streets of the historic area of the city, was attended by approximately 20,000 people. Over 3,000 persons, among whom Invictus Romania team members, participated on Sunday in Bucharest in the cross country race devoted to war veterans, VeteRUN, with Deputy PM Ana Birchall also attending the event. "This event is aimed at paying an homage and showing respect for the older soldiers of the country, the veterans who fought in the WWII and, at the same time, bringing to the civil society's conscience their existence, taking into account that a little over 7,000 of those who fought in WWII are still alive at the moment. (...) We have over 3,000 participants in the race," Colonel Andrei Mihail Gavrila with the Directorate of the Staff Quality of Life within the National Defence Ministry (MApN) said before the start.Deputy PM Ana Birchall was present at the event to support her husband, who ran in the race. She voiced her appreciation for this cross country race and for the war veterans."Words are not enough to voice our price, gratefulness and respect for all that they did and such a gesture, such as the event today, may be a small gesture, a small gesture of gratitude, because they put their life to the service of the country. My grandfather on my mother's side, Gheorghe, was a war veteran, God save his soul! I know he always told me how important it is to know your past to build from the past the present and the future. (...) Today I am also keeping a promise to the Invictus team. I was with them in Australia last year and I promised them that I would come to support them if I could," Birchall added. Minister of Finance, Gaetan Pikioune (standing 3rd from left, and delegation that includes Director General August Letlet and Reserve Bank Governor Simeon Athy at the meeting yesterday. All public companies were required to adopt clawback policies after passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002, but that law only applied when executive misconduct caused a companys earnings to be restated. The Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 requires clawbacks for any restatement, regardless of the cause. Chris Brindisi, a principal at consulting firm Pay Governance, says recent company policies go beyond the Dodd-Frank requirements, which havent been fully implemented. The #MeToo movement and Wells Fargos fake accounts scandal made boards realize that executive misbehavior can harm a company even when it doesnt lead to a restatement. It now gives the board a way to say the executive did something that damages the reputation of the company and puts it at financial risk, Brindisi said. The reasoning is that had we known (about such conduct), we would have fired him or her, so we are going to take back the past years of incentive compensation. The broadened clawback policies started in the financial sector, Brindisi said, where bank regulators saw them as a way of reducing risk. In the wake of the fake accounts scandal, Wells Fargo clawed back $69 million from former chief executive John Stumpf and $67 million from consumer banking executive Carrie Tolstedt. About half of institutional investors consider digital assets to be worthy of holding in portfolios, according to a survey commissioned by Fidelity Investments. Fidelity, which began a custody service to hold Bitcoin for its customers earlier this year, is trying to gauge how pensions, family offices, hedge funds, endowments and foundations feel about owning cryptocurrencies as it builds its Fidelity Digital Assets business. According to the survey, which questioned 441 institutional investors from November to February, 72 percent prefer to buy investment products that hold digital assets, while 57 percent choose to buy them directly. Thats interesting because Id argue that no one owns dollars or euros in a fund, Tom Jessop, president of Fidelity Digital Assets, said in an interview. Survey participants said they were concerned about volatility, regulatory uncertainty and a lack of fundamentals to use in determining the right price for Bitcoin, Ether and other digital assets. Jessop noted that the survey was done during a bear market in which cryptocurrencies had dropped substantially from their highs in late 2017. The Missouri medical board revoked the medical license of a St. Louis County doctor who admitted sexually abusing women at pain clinics in 2017. Abhishek Jain, 40, was sentenced in January to 30 days in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to two felony counts of second-degree sodomy and two misdemeanor charges of sexual abuse. The sentence was part of plea deal between prosecutors and the defense. Jain, who is originally from India, had agreed to surrender his medical license and voluntarily leave the United States instead of being deported. At the time of his charges in December 2017, Jain had a license to practice but was under probation because of past troubles in three other states. Jain worked at Interventional Pain Management Services, with offices at 5000 Cedar Plaza Parkway in unincorporated St. Louis County and at 261 Dunn Road in Florissant. It also would ensure that the law is followed by all candidates, not just those whose taxpaying history has been checked out by a rival campaign. Vaccaros legislation also would add water and refuse collection bills to the checklist for city candidates. The St. Louis requirements are in addition to a Missouri law requiring candidates statewide to sign a statement that they dont owe any state income taxes or local property, personal property taxes or municipal taxes. City candidates must file both the city and state declarations. Enforcement of the state provision also is complaint-driven, with the Missouri Department of Revenue assigned to follow up when someone files one about a candidate. State law gives candidates 30 days to pay up or be removed from the ballot. State Rep. Donna Baringer, D-St. Louis, sought a measure to require state or local election authorities to verify the accuracy of each candidates state declaration even if a complaint hasnt been filed. The 30-day state grace period would remain in place. Baringers bill is dead, but she said she is trying to amend it onto another election-related measure in the final two weeks of this years legislative session. In Jefferson County, Sheriff Dave Marshak on Saturday listed via Twitter a dozen road closures, including U.S. 61-67 at Sulphur Springs, and U.S. 61-67 at State Road M. The Mississippi River is expected to crest on Monday in Grafton, Alton and St. Louis, but several rounds of showers and storms over the next week could aggravate ongoing flooding problems. The river is expected to hit 41.9 feet on Monday in St. Louis well below the record 49.58 feet set on Aug. 1, 1993. The St. Louis area can expect 1 to 1 inches of rain in the coming week, the weather service said. Some Mississippi River communities, including Davenport, Iowa, have seen unprecedented flooding. Davenport saw a large part of its riverfront and downtown flooded when a section of a temporary flood barrier broke after it had held back the swollen river for 38 days. The river began dropping Friday at Davenport after eclipsing a record set 26 years ago. Officials said it could be days before the water is once again confined within the rivers banks. Tinney Davidson gave her neighborhood 12 years of warm hellos. And now that she is moving to an assisted living facility, they got together to give her the sweetest surprise goodbye. Davidson, 88, moved to Comox, British Columbia, with her husband in 2007, according to CNN's news partner CBC. Their home was near a high school, and every morning the couple would wave to the students passing by on the way to school. She developed a friendship with the students, and some would come and visit her at home, CBC reported Friday. She continued the morning ritual even after her husband died. "I just liked the look of the children and they all looked in and I thought, 'If they're looking in, I'll wave to them,' and that's how it started," Davidson told CBC. Davidson will be moving to an assisted living home, and will not be able to wish the neighborhood students well as they make their morning trek to school. For the people of Gage County, though, it feels like anything but a good deal. Because of the countys self-inflicted legal bills from a decades worth of appeals along with its refusal of an earlier, cheaper settlement the real cost of the Beatrice 6 is closer to $30 million. So last year, to raise the money, Gage County increased residents property taxes by 31.5 percent. The move brought swift pushback, both from the 1,300 farmers who own roughly 75 percent of the countys land and from the nearly 33 percent of the population who had not even been born in 1986. Normally, those expenses are viewed as the states responsibility. State law was invoked to secure convictions, and the defendants served in state prisons. Prosecutors are believed to have invoked the states death penalty to procure false confessions. But Nebraska plans to spread the cost out, according to Myron Dorn, a former county supervisor and current state senator. County residents would still bear the brunt. Theres no reason to believe that mysterious aircraft sightings near U.S. naval formations recently are visitors from other planets. But whatever they are, they present what could pose a national security concern that has to be addressed. Yet the ridicule and even career jeopardy that military pilots can face when they report unusual aerial sightings threatens that effort. So its right that the Navy is drafting new guidelines for pilots to report encounters with unidentified objects, with an eye toward destigmatizing the issue. Unfortunately, they still want to keep those reports away from public view. Throughout aviation history, pilots have seen things in the skies that cant be readily identified. Often, theyre eventually shown to be natural phenomena, or standard aircraft, or in some cases secret military aircraft. Some are never explained. In Harold Sangers guest column on April 26, he calls for a task force and local self-determination if the Better Together proposal fails (Parting words by Clayton mayor Harold Sanger). He leaves out an important additional step we can take right now. The Missouri Constitution (Article VI) authorizes a Board of Freeholders process by which the residents of St. Louis city and county can debate a joint governmental structure in a public and transparent forum. The resulting proposal would be voted on only by county and city residents. The Board of Freeholders is established by petition of city and county residents. Members are appointed by the St. Louis County executive and the mayor of St. Louis, with approval by the County Council and Board of Aldermen, respectively. Deliberations must be open and responsive to the public and meet specific timelines outlined in the Missouri Constitution. The U.S. Air Force has become increasingly desperate to find a solution to its persistent and growing pilot shortage. Many studies have been commissioned, many experiments conducted and while there has been some progress the problem persists. The latest study sought a cost/benefit analysis of paying pilots more to remain in the air force versus recruiting and training new pilots. The air force has tried cash bonuses to persuade pilots to stay, but it has been pointed out that not all pilots cost the same to train and you still need new pilots to replace those that retire or are shifted to non-flying jobs. The key issue here was the need to hold onto more of the older and experienced pilots. The study found that there were considerable differences in what it cost to train pilots depending on what type of aircraft they flew. Transport pilots cost the least. A C-17 (four engine jet transport) pilot cost $1.1 million to train, and these were the pilots who could most easily shift to being commercial pilots. Other types of transport pilots were somewhat more expensive train. The C-130J (four engine turboprop transport) cost more ($2.5 million) because these aircraft often operated from more primitive airbases and under combat conditions. Special purpose transports, like the RC-135 (an older four engine jet transport) used for electronic warfare and intelligence tasks cost $5.5 million for pilot training. Pilots for combat jet aircraft are the most expensive to train. The least expensive are F-16 pilots ($5.6 million) with the most expensive being F-22 pilots ($10.9 million). Bomber pilots are more expensive with the older bombers (B-52) more expensive ($9.7 million) than more recent models like the B-1 ($7.3 million). Much of pilot training cost is the expense of taking their aircraft into the air, which is essential (as experience has shown) compared to alternatives like realistic simulators. It was also found that aircraft with better flight control software and more efficient cockpits cut training costs. The best example of this is the F-35 but the trend had been noted in other aircraft when cockpits and flight control software were upgraded. The air force (and the military in general) have another problem and that is the long tradition of pay based on rank and time in service. This has long been recognized as archaic and inefficient. Commercial firms, even those providing military contractors for combat jobs overseas, pay according to what the market demands. There is a premium on skills regardless of age or rank. For example a former special forces NCO with lots of combat experience is going to get paid a lot more than a senior infantry officer with limited combat experience. The special forces NCO not only handles a more dangerous job but one requiring superior intelligence and training levels. That can also be seen in what professional athletes get paid versus what support staff and their managers earn. Tech industries also have to face the fact that special, and relatively rare, talent has to be paid the market rate if you want to have the people you need. The air force, being the most technical of the military services, has long had problems with this issue and nowhere was that more obvious, and painful in the relatively new job of operating remotely controlled aircraft (UAVs). In September 2018 the U.S. Air Force released their study of using warrant officer ranks for career pilots as part of a solution to the growing pilot shortage. The air force study concluded that the army use of warrant officers for those who prefer to be career pilots (mainly of helicopters) would not work but having officer pilots specializing in flying who could advance up to the rank of colonel (O-6) might. Actually, there was no agreement on what might work but air force leadership agreed something had to be done. Many departing pilots just wanted to fly and current air force leaders do not like the idea of warrant officer pilots even though it works fine for the Army. The study quoted departing pilots listing why they were leaving (lack of opportunity to fly) and why they would stay (belonging to a combat squadron full time and concentrating on flying). The air force continued to see the problem as one of money and pilots spending too much time away from their home base because of foreign deployments. The study missed the point. The departing pilots were not concerned about rank and were willing to accept the relatively rank-less commercial pilot jobs where pay depended on experience and the number of different skills (different types of aircraft) you were qualified to fly. Departing air force pilots wanted that sort of thing in the military. The air force could easily adopt a similar system while retaining current ranks. You have pilots holding ranks O-1 (2nd lieutenant) to O-4 (major) but with some symbol to indicate these are flight officers and have them eligible for additional pay (as is not the case with current flat rate flight and combat pay) for skills. Since squadrons are commanded by O-4s or O-5s you would have no problems with these flight command officers having to deal with O-5s and O-6s under their command. Flight officers with leadership skills could leave the squadron duty for higher rank (and fly a lot less and lose some of the valuable skills flight officers got paid for). The air force has to be flexible in this area but the main thing is to follow the commercial pilot and airliner solution of paying for skills, not rank. This is largely what the army warrant officer system is. There are four warrant ranks roughly equal in pay to the commissioned officer ranks O-1 to O-4. On top of that, there is flight and other special pay and the guarantee that you will spend most of your time flying and belonging to an army aviation unit. That is what most of the departing pilots want to do; fly a lot and belong to a squadron that does it well because they get lots of practice. Meanwhile, the air force has other flight officer problems which it has been forced to solve by returning to older (but long discarded) solutions. In mid-2017 the air force graduated its first female enlisted UAV pilot. What was notable about this was not that this sergeant was a woman but that she was one of the few sergeants the air force had reluctantly allowed to apply for UAV pilot school. The first three air force sergeants graduated from the 34 week enlisted UAV pilot course in May 2017. The enlisted course is longer than the six month one most officers take because the air force insists that all UAV operators must be able to pilot a manned aircraft. This is taken care of by sending most enlisted applicants (and some officers who are not pilots) to flight school where must qualify (as pilots) on a single engine propeller driven trainer aircraft. This is done in order to learn basic flight skills in the air. The air force expects sergeants proceeding to UAV operator school to suffer the same attrition (fail) rate (15 percent) as officer trainees. This has been the experience of other services and nations that allow NCOs to pilot large UAVs. The air force NCOs (sergeants) get flight pay, like officers do, for piloting UAVs and that is now justified because operating a UAV, especially an armed one, is a lot more intense and stressful that piloting most manned military aircraft. Originally the air force agreed to give their UAV pilots (back then all pilots transferred from fighter, bomber or transport squadrons) flight pay while operating UAVs to maintain morale. Initially, the sergeant pilots will not be operating armed UAVs but just the ones that carry out surveillance and reconnaissance. For the moment this means UAVS as large as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, which is the size of a small airliner. Thus all RQ-4 pilots must qualify to operate an aircraft in commercial airspace in all weather. To help with that the NCO pilots are drawn from the ranks of Air Force enlisted personnel who regularly fly as crew on aircraft (loadmasters, flight engineers or electronic equipment specialists) or those who have experience as a UAV sensor operator (nearly all of these are sergeants). By 2020 the air force plans to have about a hundred sergeants piloting unarmed RQ-4 UAVs and that will comprise about half the 200 RQ-4 pilot jobs. Beyond that, the air force admits it is open to allowing NCO UAV pilots to operate armed UAVs and the continued shortage of officer pilots for all aircraft (manned and unmanned) is moving the situation in that direction. In 2015, after years of fierce resistance air force leadership finally relented and agreed to allow NCOs to be UAV operators. This decision was mainly driven by the fact they had tried everything else to obtain enough people to operate the growing UAV force and they were still unable to cope. Since 2001 the Air Force has failed to solve the problem mainly because there were not enough officers available who were capable or willing to be UAV operators. As a result, the UAV operators the air force had (currently about 1,300) were often being overworked and many were not willing to continue as UAV operators. Many were leaving the air force as well because of the heavy and intense workload encountered as a UAV operator. Only about a quarter of those UAV pilots operated unarmed UAVs (mostly RQ-4s). The air force retired the last of its Predator UAVs in 2018 and from then on all the armed UAVs will be MQ-9 reapers. The MQ-9s also do a lot of unarmed surveillance missions but pilot sensor operators of armed UAVs are under the most pressure. The only way to ease the UAV pilot shortage was to obtain a lot more operators and that could only be done if NCOs were allowed to operate UAVs. The air force decision did not solve the problem because the air force insisted that enlisted UAV pilots could not operate armed UAVs. More and more air force UAVs are MQ-9 Reapers, which were built to carry weapons and replace combat aircraft in some cases while also performing the traditional UAV specialties of surveillance and reconnaissance. Yet the air force already acknowledges that the NCO pilots could probably handle it if only because many of the NCO pilots have years of experience as a UAV sensor operator, literally working next to the pilot at the wall of flat-screen displays, keyboards and joysticks that serves as the cockpit of a large UAV. The air force also tried using civilian contractors to handle the pilot shortage. By mid-2016 that was seen as counterproductive because the contractors were paid up to three times what officer operators made. The contractors were all former air force pilots with experience operating these UAVs and word quickly spread that if an officer was fed up with being stuck with another tour of duty as a UAV operator they could retire (if they had at least 20 years service) or resign and apply for a contractor job. Until late 2015 the air force had hoped that higher cash bonuses would solve the problem but it didnt. The air force offered $35,000 a year in bonuses for air force pilots who volunteered or were persuaded to serve as UAV operators. The job was simply something most air force pilots did not want to do. Many in Congress expressed reluctance about just throwing money at the problem, especially when there was a proven and cheaper solution for this; allow enlisted (sergeants) airmen to operate UAVs and make a career out of it. The air force had done this before, during World War II when it was still part of the army. But that was changed during World War II and the air force refuses to consider going back to what worked in the past, even though it works fine for the other services and some other countries. One thing that prompted the air force to change its mind in 2015 was political pressure. Congress had asked the GAO (Government Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress) to look into the matter. This involved interviews with a representative sample of UAV operators and that documented how UAV operators were overworked and the air force was unable to get as many as it needed. This meant that existing crews had to work longer hours (60 or more a week). This caused a lot of stress. UAV operators each spend about 1,200 hours a year controlling UAVs in the air, versus 450 hours for army helicopter pilots and even less for air force pilots in the combat zone. The problem was that UAV operators (all of them pilots of manned aircraft) get none of the enjoyable aspects of flying (operating a jet, especially a fighter) and a lot more of the drudgery (constantly monitoring instruments and what is going on below). Operators did report that the air force had addressed a lot of the earlier problems; poor training, loss of career opportunities, especially promotions. The main problem was that few officer UAV operators wanted to be UAV operators. And those few who did choose it as a career were just as worn down by the grind like everyone else. By 2015 it was obvious that UAV operators were a growing segment of the pilot population. In 2013 UAV operators were nearly nine percent of all air force pilots, triple the percentage in 2008. The air force was unable to get enough manned aircraft pilots to volunteer to do a three year tour as a UAV operator and could not train non-pilot officers fast enough to be career UAV operators. UAV operators were leaving the air force at three times the rate of pilots of manned aircraft. Worst of all, UAV operators were not shown the same respect as pilots who go into the air aboard their aircraft. Despite the GAO study the head of the air force continued to insist that all UAV operators be officer pilots. But a growing number of air force officers became aware that a lot of Air Force NCOs could handle this job and that NCOs in the other services had long been doing just that. So in late 2015 the air force brass finally relented and soon hundreds of air force NCOs were becoming UAV operators and by the 2020s thousands will. Until 2015 only the army allowed enlisted troops to handle larger, and armed, UAVs. It was no secret that air force NCOs were eager for this kind of work and often are better at it than officers who are experienced pilots of manned aircraft. This is believed to be caused by the fact that operating a UAV is more like using a consumer-grade flight simulator game than flying an actual aircraft. The NCOs often have lots of experience with video games and get better the more they actually operate UAVs. This is especially true with the widely used army Raven micro UAV. Most of the army operators use the small (2 kg/5 pound) Raven UAV, which provides platoons, companies, and vehicle convoys with aerial reconnaissance. The Raven training only lasts 80 hours but this tiny UAV was designed for ease of use. It takes about five times longer to train operators for larger UAVs like Shadow and Predator. The air force points out that the largest UAVs, like the Global Hawk, can cross oceans and require a high degree of training and skill. But it's much more dangerous to fly a Raven within rifle range of enemy troops and keep the little bird alive long enough to get the video feed needed to win the battle. Many of these army Raven operators are very, very good, mainly because they have hundreds of hours experience operating their UAVs while under fire. Few air force UAV drivers can claim this kind of experience. Another argument in favor of NCO pilots was the fact that most special operations troops (Special Forces, SEALs and pararescue) personnel are NCOs. These troops undergo much more strenuous selection and training than pilots and are quite satisfied with being an operator all the time without any mandatory detours in the name of being well rounded. For a long time, the air force leadership was not swayed by this; for them, there is something undefinably wrong about putting NCOs in the pilots seat. Commanders closer to the action believe NCOs could do the job and that would eliminate the shortages and morale problems with officers doing it. In large part, this is because of expectations. NCOs know what they are getting into and consider operating UAVs as a step up and a rational career choice. This is nothing new and the controversy over NCOs or officers being pilots began at the start of World War II when the army air force (there was no separate air force yet) and navy both had enlisted pilots. These men were NCOs ("flying sergeants" or "flying chiefs" in the navy) selected for their flying potential and trained to be pilots. Not leaders of pilots but professional pilots of fighters, bombers, and whatnot. Officers trained as pilots would also fly but in addition they would provide the leadership for the sergeant pilots in the air and on the ground. This worked quite well and many countries continued using NCO pilots throughout the war. The officer only policy began in the United States during World War II as the Army Air Corps changed into the mighty AAF (army air force, 2.4 million troops and 80,000 aircraft at its peak). Back then the capable and persuasive AAF commander general Hap Arnold insisted that all pilots be officers. Actually, he wanted them all to be college graduates as well until it was pointed out that the pool of college graduates was too small to provide the 200,000 pilots the AAF eventually trained. But Arnold forced the issue on officers being pilots and the navy had to go along to remain competitive in recruiting. When the air force split off from the army in 1947, the army went back to the original concept of "flying sergeants" by making most pilots "Warrant Officers" (a sort of super NCO rank for experienced troops who are expected to spend all their time on their specialty, not being diverted into command or staff duties). Many air force pilots envy the army "flying Warrants" because the Warrant Officers just fly. That's what most pilots want to do; fly a helicopter or aircraft, not a desk. But a commissioned officer must take many non-flying assignments in order to become a "well-rounded officer." Many air force pilots don't want to be well-rounded officers, they just want to fly. So a lot of them quit the air force and go work for an airline. But often they stay in the air force reserve and fly warplanes on weekends and get paid for it. This is considered an excellent arrangement for the many pilots who take this route and the air force has not been able to cope with this source of pilot attrition. Unlike the traditional "pilot and crew" arrangement for aircraft, larger UAVs, like the Predator and Reaper, are operated by a team. Typically each of these UAVs is attended to by a pilot and one or two sensor operators (NCOs), who monitor what the cameras and other sensors are picking up. Because a Predator is often in the air for 24 hours at a time, and is often flying over an active battlefield and is looking real hard for specific stuff, the "crew" has to be changed every 4-6 hours to avoid fatigue. Moreover, each Predator unit might have several UAVs in the air at once. The pilots also operate the weapons for Predators carrying missiles. But most of the time Predators fly missions without using missiles. That is less the case with the larger Reapers, which are considered combat aircraft because of the large range of weapons they can carry (including smart bombs). Another aspect of the UAV pilot shortages is the fact that software is replacing a lot of pilot functions and, eventually, taking the place of human pilots. Many larger UAVs already have the ability to take off, follow a predetermined course, carry out a mission, and then land, all by itself (or "autonomously"). One can make a case for officers being in charge here but as commanders of the autonomous UAVs, not their operators. This is the ultimate solution and probably one reason why the air force keeps insisting that UAV pilots be officers. Flight control and pattern analysis software takes a lot of the work out of operating a UAV. Pattern analysis software can spot what is being looked for on the ground and is rapidly approaching the point where it does the job better than human observers. Thus the future was seen to be officers commanding several UAVs, each largely operated by software. Each officer would then be assisted by one or two NCOs to help deal with any situations requiring human intervention. The trouble is that sort of software is not here yet and not for another five or ten (or more) years. In the meantime, the air force brass was forced to do the unthinkable and return to the World War II practice of using NCOs as pilots. Alas, this worked in World War II because the NCO pilots could shoot back at the enemy and many proved quite good at it. That may have something to do with the air force reluctance to change but now they must and, as the army has already demonstrated NCOs, can handle armed UAVs quite well and that warrant officer pilots are the pilot shortage solution the air force is looking for but will not adopt. That is a leadership problem, not a pilot retention problem. A century after leaving Thames, Sir Keith Park is back home in the form of a bronze statue in his likeness. Sir Keith led the Air Defence of London and south-east England during the Battle of Britain in 1940, forcing Adolf Hitler to abandon plans for a land invasion. The bronze statue of Sir Keith was officially unveiled in a ceremony outside the Thames War Memorial Civic Centre on Saturday April 27, attended by Defence Minister Ron Mark, the UKs defence attache to New Zealand Commander Guy Haywood, Councillors Sally Christie and Tony Fox, Coromandel MP Scott Simpson, members of the Park family, an air force honour guard and a contingent of Hauraki air cadets. The statue itself was paid for by a $200,000 bequest from Betty (Yvonne Elizabeth) Hare, of Coroglen, who felt that Sir Keith deserved greater recognition in his homeland. Betty Hare passed away in 2017 and in her will left the money for the bronze statue to be created. Mark Whyte sculpted the statue and it was cast in bronze by Jonathan Campbell. The niece and nephew of Betty Hare, Wendy and Ralph Hare, carried out their aunts wishes and organised the making of the statue and the unveiling ceremony. Speaking at the unveiling, Wendy Hare turned to the statue and said: "Sir Keith, you're home to stay." To both the Park and Hare families, thank you for giving this fine statue to Thames, says Thames Ward Councillor Sally Christie at the unveiling. Thames youth will no longer need to make the trek to London to make the link between the name of their airfield and the highly recognised military hero immortalised in the statue at Waterloo Place. Defence Minister Ron Mark says Sir Keith changed the course of history. "Simply put, Sir Keith Park was ... a Kiwi we should all be very, very proud of," says the Defence Minister. No other New Zealand-born military figure had a greater impact on history for none have ever had such a significant role in determining the course of such a major battle, a battle that had it been lost, would have allowed Hitlers land forces to invade Great Britain, thereby changing the history of the world, says Ron. Speaking of her great uncle, Lesley Park says she had learned nothing of him in school though she knew of his achievements. To me he was just my uncle. He was an accomplished sportsman and very competitive, says Lesley. He was also a true gentleman a humble and kind man. Sir Keith Park was born on 15 June 1892. He landed with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and then served on the Western Front and was wounded. After his recovery he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and later commanded No. 48 Squadron. Between the wars, Sir Keith remained in the Royal Air Force and soon after World War II began he was promoted to air vice-marshall and given command of No. 11 Group of the RAF Fighter Command, responsible for the defence of London and south-east England during the Battle of Britain. Germanys failure to defeat the RAF was their first major defeat of the war and prevented a land invasion of Britain. A senior RAF commander during the Battle of Britain, Air Vice Marshall Arthur William Tedder (who later in the war was second-in-command of the Allied forces in western Europe), says of Sir Keith: If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I dont believe it is recognised how much this one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world. Sir Keith Park later led the air defences of Malta, for which he was knighted in 1942. He went on to command British air forces in the Middle East and by the wars end he commanded Allied air forces in South-East Asia. After the war, Sir Keith moved back to Auckland and worked in the civil aviation industry. He persuaded the government to buy land in Mangere to establish Auckland International Airport at its current site and he served as an Auckland city councillor for three terms. Sir Keith Park passed away in Auckland on February 6, 1975. The airfield at Thames is named in his honour, as are a school in Mangere and a display hall at the Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat) in Auckland. A statue of him was unveiled in Waterloo Place, London, in 2010. The Great Tauranga Duck Race is on today with about five thousand little ducks competing in their biggest race yet in the Tauranga Harbour. The event, now in its third year, aims to raise funds for three local surf lifesaving clubs in Papamoa, Omanu and Mount Maunganui. There will be three duck races this year, including the General Duck Race, a Schools Duck Race and the Corporate Duck Race. The general race will feature 5000 numbered rubber ducks, and you can buy a ticket for $5 which matches the number on a duck. The ducks are scooped out at the end of the race, and if the ticket has been sold for first, second and third, the winner will receive $1000. Theres a runners-up prize of $500, while third place will win $250. "In the General Duck Race, all 5000 ducks will be put in a container, explains Tauranga Te Papa Rotary Club event leader, Brett Bell-Booth. A crane at the start line will drop that container of ducks into the water, which is quite spectacular. Then the tide will take them across to the start line, which is about 100 metres away. The surf club and an IRB will be on patrol to ensure no ducks get away. The Schools Duck Race involves larger ducks, and each student will represent their school as they try and win $1000 worth of supplies, ranging from sports equipment to educational items such as books and stationary. Brett Bell-Booth with some Corporate Ducks For the Corporate Duck race, large ducks are sold for $200 plus GST and corporates can dress their duck with their own branding. Basically its all about bragging rights," says Brett. There will also be spot prizes for best dressed ducks as well as trophies available for the winners. Brett assures that no rubber ducks are harmed in the race. They will be pulled out, put back in the container and trucked back to Dunedin to be reused again. With the large ducks, schools are welcome to take them home and reuse them for next years race. Wed love to see all 5000 ducks sold, says Brett. Last year we raised $20,000 for the lifeguard services, and this year we hope to raise $10,000 for each club, so come on down and join in on the fun. "Our surf lifesaving clubs work tirelessly to keep our beaches safe, and the Tauranga Te Papa Rotary Club want to support their efforts. The Great Tauranga Duck Race, to be held on the Tauranga Waterfront at the Strand starts at 10.30am, and runs until 1.30pm. Police have reported that there has been a crash between a motorcycle and car in Otumoetai on Sunday morning. Police were called to the scene on the corner of Ngatai Rd and Short St about 9.37am. There were two people involved in the crash. An ambulance also attended the scene. Police say the motorcyclist received moderate injuries and the car driver received minor injuries. Road closures are in place, with the CBD-bound lane closed. At the scene? Email newsroom@thesun.co.nz I phoned Birgitt Shannon earlier this week to see what she was hanging in the Atrium Gallerys next exhibition. Titled Anything Goes, the exhibition is running from May 1-25, and will feature a variety of work from more than 20 artists. Im a great fan of Birgitt. Shes a passionate and committed promoter of local artists and craftspeople, and is helping carve out a large expression for the arts community in Whakamarama. She was runner-up in the 2018 Trustpower/TSA Supreme Award, and recently selected as a finalist for the 2019 Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards. Up until this month she was also the event coordinator for the monthly Atrium Art & Artisan Fair held at the Black Sheep Bar and Grill, where the Atrium Gallery is located. Her paintings hang in private collections in Australia, NZ and England, as well as one that is hanging in a Research Centre at The Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. She has been involved in many solo and group exhibitions since arriving in NZ in 2013, including painting the cow outside the Morrinsville Museum for the Morrinsville Herd of Cows Street Art Project. The Atrium Gallery in Whakamarama opened its doors to the public for the first time in February. Birgitt says she has a couple of pieces in Anything Goes. Nothing too exciting, says Birgitt, who is renowned for her vibrant and exciting work. Come and have a look. A sneak preview is too tempting to miss. This group exhibition, as the name Anything Goes suggests, places no limitations on the artist. They are able to use any medium, subject, size, or style they want. The only criteria was that it hung on a wall. This has resulted in an interesting exhibition full of surprises. I was so thrilled to see so much variety as the works were being delivered to the gallery, says Birgitt. We have paintings, metalwork, photos, woodwork, drawings and mixed media works. There are items made of recycled materials and even folded paper creations made of books. There is even something for the kids with a mixed media creation featuring the Seven Dwarfs on display. The work is by 24 artists including Lorraine Browne from Katikati, Taurangas Janice Giles, Miriam Ruberl from Rotorua, Andy Scott from Whakatane and photographer Terry King from Waihi. I was surprised, considering how short a time our gallery has been open, and thrilled, that artists came from all over the BOP, says Birgitt. The Black Sheep Bar and Grill has long been a patron of local artists and artisans with their sponsorship and continued support of the Affordable Art and Artisan Fair. In 2019, they took their support to the next level and created a new space for local creative people to share their work. Atrium Gallery is the result, and is a place to buy and sell local art and artisan products as well a space for workshops, concerts, and other creative events. The gallery will be holding a variety of events during May. Peta Clavis from Black Sheep, Western Bay of Plenty District Council Mayor Garry Webber, Deb Bowden and Birgitt Shannon at the opening of the Atrium Gallery in Whakamarama in February 2019. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford Western Bay of Plenty District Council Mayor Garry Webber attended the opening launch of the gallery in February with his wife Carole. Im delighted to see another gallery open in the Western Bay, and the support and opportunity to exhibit given to artists in the area, says Garry. The Atrium Gallery shop and exhibition space features sculpture, paintings, jewellery, wall hangings, photography and cushions. Located at 21 Plummers Point Rd, Whakamarama, it is open from Wednesday to Sunday each week from 11am to 5pm. The Government has announced a range of urgent measures to support ethnic communities affected by the March 15 terror attacks, says Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa. The Ethnic Communities Development Fund, which supports initiatives that aim to improve New Zealands social cohesion and development of our ethnic communities, will receive an immediate uplift of $1 million, says Jenny. The Fund is now open to new applications. It will remain open until the total amount available has been allocated. It will give affected communities the power to develop and lead their own projects alongside other Government initiatives. The Office of Ethnic Communities will also receive funding for additional staff to provide better on the ground culturally appropriate support to victims and families in Christchurch. In addition, I will co-host a series of meetings across the country with key Muslim leaders. This will be a national conversation involving Imams, Muslim women and Muslim youth. It is important for me to ensure our Muslim communities are involved and engaged in shaping the response to the terror attacks and the recovery process. These conversations will be complemented by a series of interfaith dialogues that will bring together leaders from different faiths to discuss how we can work collectively to support an inclusive society. The Office of Ethnic Communities is currently working on co-ordinating these meetings and further details, including dates, will be announced in the next few weeks. These measures will help us in creating a New Zealand we can all be proud of; and as a Government we are committed to providing certainty and ongoing support to ethnically diverse communities, including Muslim communities, in the wake of the attacks. Priority will be given to projects that respond to affected communities particularly in Christchurch, bring communities together to promote inclusion, safety, and community harmony, encourage interaction between different communities, and build capability within ethnic communities The funding round is now open. There is no closing date. It will remain open until the total amount available has been allocated. Police report that a vehicle crashed in Katikati early on Sunday morning. The vehicle with no lights on crashed at the intersection of SH2 and Hyde Street in Katikati at about 12.45am on Sunday morning after being spotted by a police patrol and signalled to stop. The vehicle collided with a fence and the car started smoking. The person was arrested without any issues. The offender is a man aged 19 who lives locally. He will appear in the Tauranga District Court on May 10 2019. Flames and black smoke has been caught on camera following a van fire in the Bay of Plenty. Emergency services were called to fire on State Highway 33, near Okere Falls, just before 6pm. Fire and Emergency New Zealand northern fire communications shift manager Craig Dally says the van was "well alight" when firefighters arrived at the scene. Maketu Volunteer Fire Brigade was the crew that responded to the fire callout. "There were no injuries. "It was well alight." Firefighters spent about an hour at the scene, making sure the fire was out. DEWITT, N.Y. -- A motorcyclist was killed Saturday evening when he crashed into a utility pole on Collamer Road, according to DeWitt police. The driver, whose name hasnt been released yet, was traveling east on a Harley Davidson motorcycle along Collamer Road around 6:53 p.m. near Aspen Park Boulevard. The driver struck the utility pole, causing a power outage. The driver was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, police said. Police are still investigating the crash and will release more information when it is available. In 1919, with the passage of the 18th Amendment, the United States prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors. For the next 13 years, the country endeavored to make this noble experiment work. But it was by almost all counts a dismal failure. After an early brief decrease, alcohol consumption subsequently increased and was more dangerous to consume. Organized crime became more of a problem, as did the corruption of public officials. A glance through the archives of the Post-Standard shows what dry agents were up against locally. Beer barrels are destroyed by prohibition agents in an unknown location on Jan. 16, 1920. (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS In April 1924, the Syracuse district had a new Prohibition enforcement chief, Joseph Green, a tough, take-no-prisoners agent from Brooklyn, who, for only a month, did all he could to stem the tide against the wets. Green, nicknamed Big Joe, had worked for 20 years as a member of the New York City Police Department and seven in prohibition enforcement. He had arrived in Syracuse as the successor to Frank Sayer who had been sent to the Buffalo District after charges of inefficiency in his department. Sayer was stunned by his transfer, believing it was done because of politics. It certainly is not due to the fact I havent worked, he said. Before I took charge, there were 21 agents working in the district, but I have had only nine. Yet last month the office handled 100 cases. He refused the transfer and lobbied Congress for an investigation into his removal. New Syracuse prohibition chief made it clear to bootleggers: "I can't be bought!"Heritage Microfilm Meanwhile, Green got to work. On April 9, 1924, he took charge and made it clear that there was a new sheriff in town. The law will be enforced to the letter, he said, promising he was interested in results, not noise. I am not going to enforce prohibition on the front pages of the newspapers or with a brass band, he told the press, who asked for his photograph, so you boys need not expect to get my picture. He made an appeal to the citizens of Central New York for their help, promising to do everything he could to uphold the law: I stand for the strict enforcement of the prohibition law without fear or favor. I expect no quarter and will give none. He asked Washington for more agents, then began scouring the city for lawbreakers. His tactics were extreme. Within two weeks of taking the role, Joseph Green had the "lid clamped" on Syracuse booze.Heritage Microfilm On April 18, Green issued a new policy, declaring that his prohibition agents could make arrests and seizures without search warrants. Federal agents, he said, could simply appear at a suspected place, ask for a drink and if served, immediately arrest both the bartender and proprietor and then search the place. The law gives us ample leeway to follow this policy, he said. Raids without warrants were made on three establishments on April 20 and the Syracuse Journal told this extraordinary story about the arrest of the bartender of the Clinton Hotel at 408 South Salina Street: George Gay, Federal agent, swore he entered the place, ordered a drink and paid 50 cents for it. Other Federal agents were outside waiting for Gay to make the buy. According to Gay, he had no container for secreting the evidence, so he gulped the liquor and held it in his mouth until he had passed through two doors to his colleagues on the outside. Gay says he deposited the contents of his mouth in an evidence bottle. The bartender was arrested but claimed he was framed. Green then ordered his agents to charge anyone arrested selling or possessing alcohol with the maintenance of a nuisance, which carried with it a penalty of jail time, rather than just a fine. He also asked that local police departments act independently of the Federal agents and make arrests in violation of prohibition laws on their own. The so-called leaders of the wet business were terrified, especially after attempts to bribe Green were unsuccessful. If, as I am informed, he said, rum runners, bootleggers and booze ring leaders are trying to find out how I can be reached, they may as well call it off right now. I cant be reached by anybody. Shut down for awhile till we see what happens! was the call put out by Syracuse underground figures. On April 21, after just weeks with Green in charge, Syracuse, the Herald said was drying up and downtown especially, was thoroughly arid. The month of April 1924 saw 190 arrests for alcohol-related violations, a record number in Syracuse. Big Joe Green now had a new nickname; he was called Joe Go Get Em Green. But despite the successes, there were problems behind the scenes. Despite his successes, "powerful interests" wanted Joseph Green ousted from Syracuse.Heritage Microfilm On April 24, the Herald reported that Greens spectacular reign here is likely to be short. It was learned that he had been given the Syracuse job because it was believed he would not take it and resign and go home. When he accepted the position, it only further infuriated the powerful interests against him. A closed-door meeting between Green and William Brennan, New Yorks assistant chief of Prohibition, on April 22, was described this way by the Herald: What took place in the office on the top floor of the Post Office building was not disclosed, but it was evident to the newspaper men waiting outside that the conference was not harmonious. Both men could be heard, at times, expressing opinions not designed for publication. His policies, though clearly working, made him unpopular with local agencies, especially with Police Chief Martin Cadin and Corporation Counsel Frank Cregg, who argued that city police could not help with Greens prohibition enforcement because they needed a warrant to make an arrest unless the officer saw a crime. On April 30, United States District Attorney Oliver Burden threw out Greens no warrant policy. Green kept working. He studied maritime maps of Lake Ontario, trying to figure out where alcohol from Canada was entering New York State, and warned the public about poison booze, usually distilled medicated alcohol. In the April 30, 1924 edition of the Syracuse Herald, the city was proclaimed "thoroughly dry." Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm (Most of the booze being sold in Central New York was rank poison, Green said, adding it acts on the kidneys which crumple up and become useless.) At the end of April 1924, Lucky Lou Kelley, a top U.S. agent, arrived in Syracuse with his famous raiding squad for an inspection of Syracuse. They visited 20 places which had known alcohol ties and did not find a single drop of the stuff. I dont contend that we have made it absolutely impossible for some well-known lusher to get his schnapps, Green gloated, but I do contend that we have made the town dryer than it has been since the ink was dry on the Volstead Act. The rum ring knows that Ill get them if I can, and it makes a big difference. Syracuse was so dry at the beginning of May 1924, that the Herald said, in comparison the Sahara Desert was a dank, dripping swamp. But on May 8, Greens time in Syracuse was over. He had been transferred to Kansas City. He was given no reason for the change. A good soldier shows no preference, he declared on the steps of Watertowns City Hall, when he was told of the news. He only says Aye, aye, sir, and takes the transfer with a smile. As he spoke to the press, he put a hand up to his face and began rubbing his nose, which he continued to do for over a minute. Then he realized none of the reporters had cameras. He stopped. That is a practice I started when I first became a member of the prohibition forces. It is done so that reporters with cameras, cannot snap my picture. So far I have succeeded in keeping out my picture of the papers. He did not take his transfer with a smile, refusing to go to Kansas City. On Oct. 2, 1924 the Syracuse Journal said he was working in Philadelphia as an ordinary prohibition enforcement agent. Frank Sayer, who had preceded Green, won his fight with Congress who found no evidence of inefficiency when he was in charge. He returned to Syracuse and acted as a deputy to Marc Buckland, who took over. As Green boarded a train for New York, the wet forces of Syracuse rejoiced. Habitues of bootleg row are breathing easier today, a Brooklyn newspaper reported. Lights are twinkling along bootleg row. Syracuse, N.Y. -- New York Mets infielder Jed Lowrie is still in early spring training mode. Thats a challenging timetable since the major league season is more than a month old. But Lowrie has no choice in the matter, and for now hes trying to speed up the clock in Syracuse. Lowrie began what figures to be a short rehab assignment in Triple-A on Saturday, going 0-for-4 with one strikeout in the Mets 4-2, 10-inning loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at NBT Bank Stadium. Lowrie is returning from a knee injury that cost him most of spring training. Before joining Syracuse, he played two games in Class A St. Lucie. Physically, I feel good. I just need to play some games," he said. "I didnt get any spring training. Ive never had to do this in my career where I didnt get any spring training. Im just kind of making it up as we go. Its just a matter of getting back into shape and doing what I can to help the team win. Lowrie, 35, will be in Syracuses lineup on Sunday and didnt know the plan after that. I think thats up in the air as far as the number of games (in Syracuse)," he said. Theres a reason that spring training is a month long. Im not expecting to play in 30 games before Im ready. But I think four would probably not be enough." Lowrie signed a two-year, $20 million free agent deal with the Mets in the off-season. He has played in 1,109 major league games with the Red Sox, Astros and As. Im a grinder. Im a guy that goes up there and gives you a quality at-bat every single time. At least thats my goal, right?" he said. "And over the course of my career Ive been able to do it more often than not. Im always just looking for a way to help the team win. And for me, thats getting on base. When Im focused on getting on base as a hitter thats when Im at my best. Lowrie was nearly on the wrong end of a no-hitter in his first game with Syracuse. RailRiders starter Nestor Cortes didnt allow a Syracuse hit until Rene Rivera delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mets hitters struck out 14 times for the second straight game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Theyve got some good pitching going against us and we definitely got to make some adjustments," said Syracuse manager Tony DeFrancesco. "Weve definitely got to get to a two-strike approach, put the ball in play. Theres too many chances, were not even moving runners or getting guys on base. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took a 2-0 edge into the bottom of the ninth, a deficit that the Mets Carlos Gomez erased with a two-run shot over the left-center field fence. The RailRiders Kyle Higashioka started the top of the 10th on second base. Mandy Alvarez led off the inning with a double to the right-field corner, scoring Higashioka to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 3-2 edge. Three batters later, with two outs, Matt Lipka doubled down the left-field line, bringing home Alvarez for a 4-2 lead. That stood up in the bottom of the inning, when the Mets couldnt counter. The Mets and RailRiders conclude their three-game series 1 p.m. Sunday. RHP Mickey Jannis is scheduled to start for Syracuse. Boxscore IL standings People are endlessly talking about the Mueller report imparting their own partisan spin, emphasizing or minimizing facts, rewriting history on the fly. Who or what should you believe? You dont have to believe anyone. Read the report for yourself. We did. Yes, its long -- 448 pages, including appendices. Yes, there are holes in it where evidence could not be gathered, and redactions to protect ongoing investigations, grand jury testimony or personal privacy. And yes, it punts on the central question of whether President Donald J. Trump should be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. That reticence on the part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller left the door open for Attorney General William Barr to declare the president did not obstruct justice, and for the president to claim exoneration where Mueller specifically said his report was no exoneration. But the case is far from closed. Read the report. While the presidents conduct may not have risen to the level of a crime, Mueller documents numerous instances where the president may have used his authority corruptly to influence the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Read the report. It was no Russian hoax, as Trump claimed again on Friday. Mueller painstakingly lays out the sophisticated information warfare campaign conducted by the Russian government, its military and other state actors. The campaign consisted of using social media to support Trump and disparage Hillary Clinton, hacking into the computers of the Democratic National Committee to steal emails and other information, and providing hacked materials to WikiLeaks for dissemination. Read the report. Youll see right through Trump son-in-law Jared Kushners claim that the Russian influence campaign was nothing more than a couple of Facebook ads. In fact, as many as 126 million Americans saw, liked or shared 80,000 posts disseminated through 470 Facebook accounts controlled by Russian state actors. The Russians succeeded in their campaign to sow discord and polarization, helping to create the poisoned atmosphere into which the Mueller report has been received. Read the report. It documents the numerous contacts between Russians and members of the Trump campaign. The contacts were so numerous, they raised suspicions that a foreign government was unlawfully exerting influence on our electoral politics, prompting an FBI investigation. When Trumps associates were approached by Russians who claimed to have dirt on Clinton, they should have run the other way. Instead, the campaign welcomed and cultivated those contacts. Read the report. It reveals Trumps multiple attempts to derail the Mueller probe efforts that failed only because people around the president slow-walked or refused to carry out his wishes to fire the special counsel. Mueller presents 10 instances where Trumps conduct could be seen as attempting to obstruct justice. Read the report. Trump, his staff and associates lied left and right to the American people. Its not a crime to lie to the public (unless you do it while testifying before Congress, as Barr has been accused of doing). If it were, Trump would have more than 10,000 lies to account for. The country and the world are now dealing with an American president whose word is worth nothing. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, says he has read the report. As a former prosecutor, he agrees with Barr that the president committed no crime. And like most other Republicans, Katko declines to criticize the presidents amoral conduct, beyond saying he lacked the discipline to keep quiet during the investigation. Its disappointing to see so little outrage at the presidents outrageous actions. The question now is whether Congress will use the Mueller report as many believe he intended it: as a roadmap to possible impeachment. This is not simply a political question. Up to now, Democrats have been far too concerned with weighing the electoral costs of sanctioning the president. Republicans have been far too reluctant to criticize their president. They seem to forget that oversight of the executive branch is a constitutional duty. Failing to execute that duty has consequences that go far beyond this president and this Congress. Prosecution and impeachment can be debated. But what is unambiguous, what cannot be argued, is that Trump and the people around him operate in a culture of deceit and a disrespect for law not seen since Nixon, that they will do almost anything to win and hide their conduct, and that history will judge this administration, in part because of Muellers report, as one of the most corrupt. About Syracuse.com editorials Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Jason Murray and Marie Morelli. To respond to this editorial: Post a comment below, or submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines. If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion leader, at mmorelli@syracuse.com Students of G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton celebrated at their junior prom Saturday, May 4, 2019. The event was held at Alexandrias on the Water in Oswego. Our gallery of photos can be found above. Want to buy a photo? As youre browsing the gallery, look for the BUY IMAGE link to order high-quality reprints and other products. More prom photos See all photo galleries from proms, senior balls, and other formals around Central New York. The Rural Data Journalism Project is a cooperative of journalists and data scientists focused on topics that matter to rural communities. The project team includes former Post-Standard journalists Richard Sullivan, Tom Foster and Lori Duffy Foster. The Ripley Central School District, tucked away in a quiet corner of Western New York state near the banks of Lake Erie, served more than 500 students in 1994. Today, only 137 students are enrolled in the district, a loss of about 73 percent. Some of that loss was intentional. Ripley pays to send its 100 high schoolers elsewhere so they will have more and better opportunities. It is a solution that is attracting attention in a state where enrollment in rural districts has declined steadily over the past 25 years. "They are still our kids, so we are still invested in their successes," said Paul McCutcheon, president of the Ripley school board. "It works like a regional high school probably would." Rural migration is a disturbing trend for those concerned about equality in education in New York state. Economics and natural change are to blame for the decrease in rural populations nationwide, according to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But in New York's school districts, where two-thirds of nonfederal funding comes from local property taxes, the impact is particularly intense. Even the brightest students in rural schools find it hard to compete for employment and college admissions with students from more populated areas, where advanced classes and electives are plentiful, experts say. "The kind of educational programming and the breadth of curriculum you get is far too dependent on what the community itself can afford," said David Little, executive director of the Rural Schools Association of New York State. "Thats exactly the opposite of the way it is in virtually every other state in the union. Most states pay two thirds the cost of education, and the one third that locality pays for is really kind of curriculum enhancement." When economies decline, so do property tax revenues. Fewer students and less local money means fewer opportunities. While their peers in urban and suburban school districts can choose from full menus of advanced placement, honors and college courses, many rural school districts can offer only a select few. Foreign language courses are often limited to one or two choices. Classes like dance, theater and photography are nearly unheard of. Those limited options can make students less appealing to colleges and universities, Little said. His own son was rejected by his dream college because his high school did not offer the electives they were looking for. "It is kind of this downward spiral that we are only now economically starting to get out of," Little said. "And until the state recognizes that these communities have a burden thats far too dramatic for them to overcome on their own and the state agrees to alter the way that it funds public education, we wont stop the spiral." The state Education Department declined interview requests for this story, instead issuing a statement that says it is committed to ensuring all students thrive and succeed. The state received $1.6 billion in federal funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act to work on such strategies beginning in the spring of 2018, according to the statement. Of that money, $80 million is earmarked for improvements and programs in the state's lowest-performing districts, which includes rural schools. "Above all, our ESSA plan emphasizes the importance of fostering equity in education for all of New Yorks students. And one of the most important ways we do this by incentivizing districts to provide opportunities to all high school students to engage in advanced coursework that is often unavailable in smaller, rural school districts," according to the statement. Little said the state's plans for the federal grant money give him hope, but he noted that New York City, as a high-needs district, will likely get half of the $80 million designated for program improvements, leaving only $40 million for the 320 rural districts that need it. Even if the money is well-used, the impact will not be great enough, he said. Like Little, many experts agree that the long-term solution is to change the way public schools are funded in New York state. In the meantime, however, rural communities are getting creative. They are experimenting with regional high schools, community school districts and distance learning programs that offer students more options. They are working with local colleges and businesses to provide more jobs and train students for existing jobs. They are evolving in order to survive, and Ripley has taken the lead. "We had reached a point where we couldn't sustain what we needed to for a high school in terms of giving students educational options," McCutcheon said. "We had the bare necessities, but it was really difficult to have any kind of electives programs because we didn't have enough student body and enough tax base really to have a successful high school program." In 2013, Ripley eliminated its high school classes and began paying tuition for its students to attend nearby Chautauqua Lake Central High School. Its students now have access to college courses, electives such as Mandarin Chinese and television production, and a variety of STEM classes. The two districts share administrative services as well, such as a transportation supervisor and a building manager. Despite the enrollment loss, Ripley's halls are far from empty. To fill the void, Ripley leases office space to the town at cost. The district has also opened up its building to the community, housing a local food pantry and maintaining a fitness center that is free to residents. The USDA's Department of Economic Research studies population migration. Their research reveals two major forces behind population decline in rural areas. The economy is one factor. Jobs are harder to find in rural areas, making urban and suburban areas more attractive, especially to recent college graduates. The second reason is natural change. Elderly residents are dying at typical rates, but young people are having fewer babies. Recent statistics show slight increases in natural change in the past two years, offering some hope that losses overall will at least slow down. Little said New York's rural districts have been particularly hard hit in the past seven years. He believes the state's high taxes are not only driving people out of rural areas but out of the state as a whole, worsening the problem. "If I come out of college, and I am in a rural area, I not only have very few economic opportunities within a rural area to come back home to, but I also have to be willing, in addition to my student loans, to accept higher taxes and the higher debt load that will ensure that my taxes are higher going into the future," he said. Little's organization is lobbying for an overhaul in the state funding system, but that will not help today's students. So, districts are exploring and implementing short-term solutions. Mergers, once a popular answer to the problem, have mostly failed in recent years. Community schools and distance learning program are gaining popularity. The concept of regional high schools has been tossed around for years, but the state has done little to promote it, said Bob Lowry, deputy director of the states Council of School Superintendents. Under a regional high school system, participating districts would retain their elementary and middle schools but would pick one building to serve all the area's high school students. Such systems are popular in other states and have been successful in parts of Long Island, Little said. "It really has the opportunity to transform rural New York, he said Regional high schools would be supported by all involved districts. The concept is similar to that of the state's Board of Cooperative Educational Services, which provides shared educational services and programs to school districts, mostly in special education, and career and technical education. Each region has its own BOCES and each participating district has a representative on the BOCES school board. Districts decide each year what services they need, and then pay for those services out of their annual budgets. Ripley's solution differs from the regional high school concept in that district residents have no representation on the Chautauqua Lake school board. The district pays nearly $8,000 per student each year. Ripley has no official say in class offerings, policy decisions or any other issues related to Chautauqua Lake High School. The state's teachers union has traditionally opposed the creation of regional high schools, Lowry said. Teachers fear that merged high schools will lead to job losses, he said. "Weve already had the loss of jobs," Lowry said. "Now we are trying to save jobs and expand the curriculum. We need every teacher we can get." Matthew Hamilton, spokesperson for New York State United Teachers, declined to comment specifically on the union's position on regional schools. Don Carlisto, dean of students for Saranac Lake's middle school, sits on the NYSUT board of directors and is president of the Saranac Lake chapter. He said mergers and regional schools can succeed when all parties work together to do what is best for kids, teachers and residents. Carlisto pointed to a recent merger of the Elizabethtown-Lewis and Westport central districts as an example. "I think that we would be doing a disservice if we just sort of had this reflexive, kind of knee-jerk reaction that the teachers union are obstructionists," Carlisto said. "There are always going to be obstructionists. There are plenty of examples that I can cite where teachers unions are at the table with communities sort of moving issues forward." Saranac Lakes enrollment has dropped almost 35 percent since 1994, forcing the closing of all but one neighborhood elementary school. The district is already the states largest at more than 600 square miles. Some students sit on buses for more than an hour each way. Merging with another district would be impractical. Saranac Lake has instead adopted the community schools concept with the support of the teachers union, the superintendent and the school board, Carlisto said. Community schools attempt to stave off migration by making rural life more appealing and more feasible. Schools become community centers, offering everything from medical services to day care to wellness centers. "The community schools model basically says, let's make the school the hub of the community and house the services that kids need in the school building, where we have them for eight hours a day instead of making them travel to Glens Falls for a dentist appointment because that is the only place that theyll be able to have their Medicaid accepted," Carlisto said. "We are trying to bring the services that they need into the school because, ultimately, if you are able to provide the resources and have a student be made whole, it leads to better educational outcomes." The concept originated in McDowell County, West Virginia, ranked as one of the poorest counties in the nation. In 2011, the local teachers union spearheaded the launch of Reconnecting McDowell, an effort to improve educational outcomes by addressing poverty and its impact on students and families. The effort has evolved into a partnership among Fortune 500 corporations and labor unions; national, state and local nonprofits and agencies; parents and pastors; school personnel and students, and local residents, according to a press release from the American Federation of Teachers. Together, the groups have created community schools that have seen graduation rates increase from 74 percent in 2010-11 to 88 percent in 2015-16, and drop-out rates decrease from 4.5 percent to 1.6 percent during that same period, according to the union. Test scores increased overall and the number of students attending college jumped from 24.6 percent to 40.3 percent. Carlisto gets excited when he talks about the role teachers unions can play in improving education and economies in rural areas. In Massena, the possible closure of an Alcoa plant, the area's biggest employer, in 2015 led to the creation of The People Project, an initiative of the Massena Federation of Teachers. The People Project focuses on economic development, health and wellness, and community schools. Its latest effort is the creation of a regional chamber of commerce. Teachers unions are engaging with communities in ways that maybe we havent before to defend the communities when their economic vitality is threatened, Carlisto said. I think ultimately thats one of the strategies going forward to kind of start to mitigate and, hopefully, reverse this trend in declining involvement enrollment. Making sure that communities are viable and sustainable and brimming with opportunity for folks. Through the looking glass: Like the flick of a switch, millions of users abandoned Internet Explorer 6 in the weeks following July 14, 2009, halving its popularity in a month. The cause was the worlds most popular websites suddenly threatening to drop support for the aging browser. Not because they were genuinely going to drop support, but because a group of YouTubes web developers decided they hated IE6 so much they would risk their jobs to kill it. A decade later, former developer Chris Zacharias has revealed his complicity in the scheme. Having debuted shortly after the release of Windows XP in 2001, IE6 was a mess by 2009. If a web developer accidentally used an unsupported HTML element, IE6 would probably crash and might even cause the infamous blue screen of death. If a web developer removed an image without deleting the code that referenced it, IE6 would continue sending requests to the websites servers in an exponentially expanding recursive loop that threatened to melt down the servers if the offending code wasnt erased in a timely fashion. Every web developer hated it, and Microsoft did, too. But these were the days when companies viewed the internet as a stagnant thing and wouldnt update their custom software for years and years, limiting employees to one browser. At the time, YouTube was the second most popular website on the internet and 18% of their traffic came from IE6 users. But YouTubes sleep-deprived and stressed web developers (including Zacharias), self-described as having penchants for gray-hat hacking, fast cars, and hard whiskey and an uncommon number of piercings, tattoos, and minor arrest records were past caring. One day, a lunchtime bitching session turned into a plan to kill IE6. The plan was simple: a small banner at the top of the page that said, We will be phasing out support for your browser soon, and it gave links to Firefox, IE8, Chrome, and later Opera, too. It didnt commit to any timeline, nor did it specify what dropping support might mean. Scary enough to work, vague enough to run with. Of course, this was a complete lie, even with the rapid drop in IE6 popularity following the release of the banner it still took two years for YouTube to phase out support. Knowing their superiors at Google wouldnt approve the banner at all, the team of developers used OldTuber privileges unlimited privileges designed to appease old YouTube developers who didnt want to surrender their power over the platform when Google bought it. The devs werent even meant to have them, theyd been hired by Google after purchasing YouTube, but their boss gave it to them for the sake of equality. Google had endless code reviews; OldTuber privileges let them bypass them all. Of course, if you used OldTuber privileges and you stuffed up, well that was on your head and youd probably get fired. Using them in direct breach of policy like this could result in worse. After convincing their boss not to report them but to keep an eye out in case things went sour, they wrote the code and injected it. The first person to come to their desks was the PR lead, looking fairly sour for a normally enthusiastic man. Hed come in from a normal day at work to discover that every tech news site had been writing and asking about why in hell a massive website like YouTube was alienating a fifth of its userbase. Luckily for him, the media had already chosen an angle: YouTube was leading the charge towards a more modern and secure internet, by forcing companies and users to move away from an aging browser towards more superior ones. After getting the details from the developers, he warned them to consult him next time but acknowledged the positive press and went away to answer his emails. Next came the lawyers, who demanded they remove the banner over fears it would become a target for Europes anti-competition laws. As it happened, for both lawyers Google Chrome had come up as the first recommended modern browser, when it was actually randomized to recommend multiple newer browsers. They left after a demonstration of the randomization. Then, quiet. A day later, a group of engineers congratulated the developers after reading the news, but that was it. Confused, the engineers asked a manager what he thought about the banner launching. Oh, I just figured you guys copied the banner that Google Docs had put up, hed responded. Unbeknownst to the YouTube developers, the teams behind Google Docs and various other Google services had seen the banner, assumed it got approval and put up their own in a matter of hours. The media assumed that the move had come right from Googles executives, as it was so ubiquitous amongst their services. By the time someone thought to ask whod made the decision to reverse the policy, it was far too late. Thousands of websites had rolled out similar banners and IE6 was already in the past. With a slap to the wrist, Googles executives begrudgingly agreed that the end had justified the means. IE6 was, after all, a massive pain. The plan was far more successful than anyone had expected. The arrest of Cajun Cannabis owner Travis DeYoung has raised concerns and reignited debate about the web of legal boundaries and law enforcement oversight of CBD products in the Acadiana area and across Louisiana. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in the cannabis plant and can be extracted either from hemp or marijuana, two varieties of cannabis. DeYoung was arrested after Lafayette Parish Sheriffs deputies executed a traffic stop on his vehicle and searched his storefront April 24, seizing CBD gummies, oils and other products. He was booked into Lafayette Parish Jail on 17 counts, including felony marijuana possession and weapons charges. There was public outcry that DeYoung was targeted for selling a product advertised at other local establishments and in national retail chains like Bed Bath and Beyond, who has sent mailers advertising CBD oils to Acadiana residents in recent weeks. The confusion stems from conflicting state and federal laws and differing enforcement actions that dont address CBD possession and distribution equally for all parties, as well the opening of CBD shops that appear to operate legally. The popularity of CBD has grown significantly in recent years as users tout its health benefits for a variety of ailments and champion the product as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical treatments. Excitement around the product increased after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, a piece of federal legislation that legalized the production of industrial hemp and legally differentiated hemp from marijuana. The Congressional Research Service defines hemp as containing less than 0.3 percent THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis that produces a high. The federal Food and Drug Administration has issued statements clarifying that Congress still grants the FDA exclusive oversight of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, including CBD. FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the agency is still determining how to regulate the industry. Many took the federal legalization of industrial hemp as a stamp of approval for hemp-derived CBD, but thats not quite accurate, Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control Deputy Commissioner Ernest Legier said. The federal law also leaves discretion to the states and doesnt automatically preempt individual states interests. Under Louisiana law, hemp-derived CBD remains an illegal product because state law does not distinguish between hemp and marijuana, Legier said. Theres proposed state legislation that would bring state laws in line with the federal Farm Bill, but nothing has passed yet, he said. The ATC and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy are the primary agencies handling regulation of CBD products in the state. The two organizations have issued guidance in recent months calling for their licensees to cease distribution of CBD products. Legier said the agencys position on hemp-derived CBD products was originally more flexible. Until last fall, he said, the enforcement agency was working with representatives from the CBD industry to establish standards for CBD products that could be sold in the state. The organization established a banned list and any products that appeared on the list were barred from sale by ATC licensees. Items were added to the list if tests revealed any percentage of THC, other controlled dangerous substances or illicit ingredients, Legier said. A brand of CBD product would only need to test positive for illicit substances once before its addition to the banned list, he said. Legier acknowledged it wasnt an ideal system, but said it was the best the organization could manage until a formal regulation system is established for the CBD products coming into the state. After the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, Legier said, CBD products began flooding into the state at a higher rate than the agency was able to track. Rather than test every product entering licensees businesses, the agency chose to end the sale of CBD altogether, he said. Legier said theres been push back from CBD manufacturers, distributors and retailers, but with no centralized regulation the agency cant confirm whats in its licensees products. He said the agency has tested products that marketers claim are THC-free and lab-tested, but Louisiana State Police lab results confirmed the presence of THC. If we cant ensure a product available to the public contains what it purports to contain or not contain, it presents a public safety risk, Legier said. What were finding is that rather than trusting a government agency that has the publics safety in mind when making these decisions, that a lot of people are listening to sales people. Legier acknowledged enforcement on the issue is uneven. ATC only has oversight over businesses selling alcohol and tobacco products, which includes vapes and vapor products, but cannot regulate shops that specialize in CBD oils or other products. He said the agency sympathizes with small businesses, but that the risks outweigh the benefits in the ATCs eyes. At Lit Smoke Shop in Lafayette, Ash, an employee who declined to give his last name, said the store pulled all CBD products from its shelves at both locations when the ATC advisories went out. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Were just doing whatever we have to do to follow the laws. Its not worth losing our license, he said. People call or come by the store inquiring about CBD products every day, he said, and its a shame to turn away customers in pain who are looking for alternative health remedies to narcotics or other pharmaceuticals. Legier said when enforcement falls beyond the boundaries of the ATC or the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, responsibility for investigating a business CBD products falls to local law enforcement. Whether they choose to investigate or not is left to their discretion, he said. The uneven enforcement of the law contributes to confusion surrounding the legality of the product, Acadiana attorney Dylan Heard said. Heard is an advocate for cannabis legalization and is involved in the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. People think its okay because others are doing it but youre all subject to the whim of law enforcement, Heard said. It's unclear how many businesses in the area are selling CBD products. Though CBD is illegal in Louisiana because its a cannabis-derived compound, the greatest enforcement actions seem to be against businesses whose products authorities suspect contain THC, Heard said. Within a mile of Cajun Cannabis is HippieTown U.S.A., whose Johnston Street location features a bold sign advertising CBD Sold Here. Products from CBD brand Green Roads were stocked inside a glass case in the business, and an employee said the business hasnt had issues from law enforcement to date. When approached by The Acadiana Advocate, HippieTown U.S.As owner said she had no comment. +4 After Cajun Cannabis owner arrested, sheriff says idea he targeted the business is 'absurd' A Lafayette CBD shop owner was arrested and his merchandise seized less than a week after his CBD and hemp-focused retail shop and cafe opened Lafayette Sheriff Mark Garber said his deputies investigated DeYoungs Cajun Cannabis after multiple complaints from the public. He said undercover agents purchased products and tested them, revealing they contained THC. DeYoung maintains his products were third-party tested and THC free. DeYoung also maintains he operated a legal business. Part of his argument was that he had the support of local government and was granted a Certificate of Occupancy from Lafayette Consolidated Government to operate his business in the city-parish. Lafayette Consolidated Government Development and Planning Director Danielle Breaux said in an email the city-parishs permitting process does not regulate what is being sold, only that the construction complies with the building and fire codes as well as any applicable UDC ordinances. A [Certificate of Occupancy] is required by UDC ordinance for all commercial businesses to operate, but in no way grants permission to sell illegal products or commit illegal acts, Breaux said. Heard said Breauxs statements are a lesson to business owners that administrative approval doesnt necessarily signal your business is operating within the law. Just because the state, parish and city are allowing you to operate it doesnt mean youre doing so legally, Heard said. +5 Cajun Cannabis opens, bringing CBD, hemp products -- and some legal questions -- to eager crowd Cajun Cannabis opened its doors Saturday to dozens of customers interested in its products, defying what the owners say were pressures from st CBD enthusiasts who are hoping the proposed legislation working its way through the state legislature will clear the way for CBD should temper their expectations, Heard said. While the bills open opportunities for industrial hemp and some CBD in the state, they dont create a clear path forward for over the counter sales of CBD, he said. The bills House Bill 491 and House Bill 138 legalize the growth of industrial hemp and amend the states criminal code to exempt industrial hemp and FDA-approved CBD products from the states list of controlled dangerous substances, respectively. Epidiolex is currently the only FDA-approved CBD product available for sale, and it cant be purchased over the counter, Heard said. The proposed changes wouldnt allow retailers to legally sell CBD products over the counter. Technically, they would still be illegal under state law and CBD retailers would remain in their current predicament, he said. When and if it passes its not doing any favors for these CBD stores. Its still a violation of state law, Heard said. Three years after North Baton Rouge voters raised taxes to support an economic development agency focused on the needs of that community, it appears poised to tackle the work in earnest. Jerry Jones, appointed executive director of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District late last year, has hit the ground running, amending the district's mission statement and goals and working on putting together a comprehensive plan for the district. He's partnering with organizations throughout the parish to spur small-business growth while working to build stronger relationships between the district and both Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College. The objective is to help existing businesses expand and create jobs for people in the community. It's been a slow process getting to this point, though. There was a burst of energy in 2016 when activists mobilized to secure an emergency room to replace what was lost with the closing of Earl K. Long Medical Center that had served that part of town. The momentum continued as the community later approved a 2 percent hotel tax to fund the economic district created to spearhead future growth, then seemed to stall. Bill Pizzolato, the co-owner of Tony's Seafood and board member of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District, recognizes that it's been a slow process. He said it's going to take some time before the public sees a turnaround in the economically depressed area where his family has operated a successful business for more than 60 years. "I look at what happened downtown. That took 10 to 15 years to come alive again," he said. Redeveloping north Baton Rouge, especially along Plank Road, "is going to take a lot of time and planning." +4 Our Lady of the Lake to open north Baton Rouge ER to provide 'even greater access' The north Baton Rouge emergency room that residents and politicians made their rallying cry in the spring has finally been packaged into a dea As part of its effort to jump-start economic development efforts in north Baton Rouge, the group Jones now leads is hosting a series of panel discussions and events focused on the community's needs. A recently launched campaign targeting blight and boosting commerce along Plank Road by East Baton Rouge Parish's Redevelopment Authority is also turning the spotlight back toward north Baton Rouge. It's an area that has undergone great change over the years. When Pizzolato and his family started their business ventures in north Baton Rouge, the community was populated mostly by middle to upper-middle income white families employed at the nearby Exxon chemical plant, and Plank Road was one of the city's thriving commercial corridors. Today the area is majority black with mostly low- to moderate-income households. The area is also riddled with blight in many of its commercial and residential pockets. "Over time people moved to different locations in the parish and with that, things changed," Pizzolato said. Fellow board member Gary Chambers said the community is suffering from two decades of white flight and disinvestment from the city-parish's public and business sector. Chambers and others on the board of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District point out that the success of Baton Rouge's Downtown Development District was boosted by the advocacy of former mayor Kip Holden. They say Holden's focus on downtown aided in the adoption of policies and incentives that made redevelopment for the city-parish's central business district attractive, and profitable, to developers. Tax-increment financing districts, which return sales tax revenues back to businesses to reduce construction debts, supported the entrance of new hotels downtown. The Metro Council in 2016 created the North Baton Rouge Economic Opportunity Zone, a program aimed at boosting private investment in low-income areas through federal tax incentives. Since its implementation, though, there have been only three applications for developments within the approved zone, according to annual reports from the city-parish Office of Planning Commission. The first was in December 2016 and two more were filed in December 2018. 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 Chambers said current Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome needs to step up and be visible and vocal about bettering the landscape and quality of life in north Baton Rouge the way Holden was for downtown. "I think it's time for Broome to deliver," Chambers said. "We're coming up on an election year, and voters will be looking around to see what has changed since Kip left office." Board Chairwoman Jacqueline Mims said the "us vs. them" mentality that tends to pepper so many topics and hot-button discussions in the parish also works against their efforts. She referenced an excursion to study the successful redevelopment efforts in Austin, Texas, where she said that city embraced its minority and under-served population in a way that's not happening in East Baton Rouge Parish. "They realized in order for the entire city to grow, you couldn't leave out any segment of the community," Mims said. "That's the missing piece in Baton Rouge: Segments of the community, like ours, have been left out. The Baton Rouge North Economic Development District can't do this alone. We have to work in tandem with other entities." For the first three years of its creation, the district operated without a real leader. The district's board, which has experienced some turnover among members, was finally able to agree on who to hire as its first executive director in November, Until then, the district had been operating with an interim director. "They were trying to figure out how to stabilize the board's structure with limited resources," said Brian LaFleur, who became vice chairman in October. It took approximately six months before the district started receiving tax revenue from the 2 percent hotel tax, which generates about $200,000 annually. Board members pinpointed $500,000 as a more-desired annual funding mark, an amount the DDD receives each year through tax revenue and supplemental funding from the city-parish. "When it got to point revenue started coming in from the sales tax, we were able to stabilize and bring on a permanent executive director," LaFleur said. "As it stands now, we're geared up into growing our abilities to touch all businesses and constituents that live and work in north Baton Rouge." North Baton Rouge Economic Development District hires new executive director The North Baton Rouge Economic Development District on Thursday appointed Jerry Jones Jr. as its executive director. The development district has invited an array of state and local officials to panel discussions this week on topics surrounding transportation and economic development, education and defining Southern University's impact on the area. "The district has re-adjusted itself," Jones said. "Our goal is for the district to speak with one voice." RDA, meanwhile, has used more than $200,000 in-kind donations in addition to $100,000 in grant funding to develop the comprehensive plan for the Plank Road revitalization. That study will pinpoint redevelopment along a four-mile radius along Plank Road from the intersection of 22nd Street to Harding Boulevard. "We ensuring that we are developing the corridor in a way that creates opportunity for new store fronts and business activity," said RDA President and CEO Chris Tyson. "We're also doing a land banking of vacant and adjudicated parcels to aid in development opportunities." According to previous reports, the goal is to redevelop the land along Plank Road for commercial or residential use to fit in with plans to set up a $40 million to $50 million express bus route between LSU and north Baton Rouge. "As RDA is doing its master plan for Plank Road, the district has is starting to look at how to add incentives and layer incentives on top of Plank Road because the corridor is part of our retail study area," Jones said. "With the help of the board, RDA, our colleagues at (the Baton Rouge Area Chamber), I see a real opportunity for the community to grow. We just need to prepare our toolbox in order to help everyone grow in the same direction." Expectant parents had an opportunity Saturday to learn about safe sleep practices at Baby Grand, an event organized by Womans Hospital. East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. Beau Clark's team hosted a booth at the event to inform soon-to-be parents on how to prevent infant deaths as part of their Safe Sleeping Education Campaign. Clark has been working for two years to educate parents and caregivers about how to prevent babies from dying from positional asphyxia, which happens when an infant suffocates from sleeping in a bed with an adult or in a crib crowded with bedding or stuffed toys. Since forming a Safe Sleeping Task Force in 2016, Clark said, sleep-related infant deaths plunged from 17 then to six last year. His initiative focuses on the ABCs of Safe Sleeping that a baby should sleep alone, on his back, in a crib. Clark said caregivers may create hazardous sleep environments for their infants because they rely on family traditions, or lack accurate information about the dangers. For instance, when a couple is expecting a baby, they often end up purchasing matching pillows and blankets, crib bumper pads and stuffed animals for their newborn all suffocation risks when placed in a bed or crib with a resting baby. 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 That stuffs for adults to look at, Clark said. Its cute, but little infants dont need that. He added all a baby really needs is a flat surface that has a fitted sheet. If the baby is cold, the solution is not to pile on more blankets, but rather to adjust the thermostat. What we know about these is theyre 100 percent preventable, Clark said, These are real, simple things to do to completely save a childs life. Clarks educational mission doesnt just apply to new and expectant parents, however. He has also begun to inform first-responders about how to recognize signs of an unsafe sleep environment when they are in peoples homes so they can talk to parents about safe sleeping strategies. Through a grant from local nonprofit Lexlees Kids, Inc., Clark has also been able to give away free cribs to parents like these who may not have safe sleep options for their baby. Local group works to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Louisiana children are dying from sudden infant death syndrome at twice the rate of the national average, according to the Louisiana Departmen Clark said that the only qualification to receive a free crib from his office is that the caregiver doesnt have access to a crib and that the infant is younger than 12 months old. GONZALES A monumental miscalculation happened somehow in the early morning darkness along the Mississippi River just southeast of Donaldsonville on October 12. The pilot of the tugboat Kristin Alexis, pushing a large barge up the river, ran the top of a towering crane into the Sunshine Bridge, severely damaging the critical span and disrupting cross river traffic flows for months. Critical support beams on the metal truss bridge built in the early 1960s were crunched, and commuters and commerce using the bridge daily went from a 10-minute trip to a more than hour-long detour during a shutdown that stretched on for a month-and-a-half. Beginning Monday, the public will begin to learn what the U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators have been uncovering in the months since the crash. +5 Amid probe into Sunshine Bridge debacle, Coast Guard plans hearings for public input The U.S. Coast Guard will hold a weeklong hearing in early May in Ascension Parish over the Sunshine Bridge crash last year that shut or limit The agencies are holding a week-long public hearing that is required as part of the formal marine casualty probe opened into the incident. Due the initial estimate of bridge damage more than $5 million the Coast Guard must have a formal investigation, which is triggered whenever the damage exceeds $1 million. The crash involves Marquette Transportation Co., the Paducah, Kentucky-based tug owner, and Cooper Consolidated, a stevedoring company based in the River Parishes that owns the crane barge. Twenty-four witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center near Gonzales, including the master captain and pilot of the tugboat. Can't see video below? Click here. Lt. Rachel Ault, spokeswoman for the Coast Guard in New Orleans, said the hearing is a step by the agency, which regulates the nation's maritime industry, before it issues findings and makes recommendations for possible regulatory changes or sanctions against the individuals or companies involved in the incident. "The Coast Guard is trying to figure what happened and what should come as a result of what happened," Ault said. The NTSB is focused on the safety implications of the crash and whether broader policy recommendations should be made. Federal investigators have held information close to the vest so far, and many questions remain about what happened. These include who was operating the tugboat, what the pilot knew about the height of the bridge and the crane barge, known as the Mr. Erwin and why the crane was being directed under a side span of the bridge that is 23 to 24 feet lower than the main span. The Sunshine Bridge has an arch built into it, so the sides are lower than the center. According to river gauge and other data, the span under which crane was being pushed was about 128 feet above the water at the time of the crash. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Mr. Erwin is a former coal mining crane used in Columbia that is able to gather 132,280 pounds of material in a scoop. Cooper Consolidated bought the crane in November 2017 and refurbished it, the company says. The exact height of the crane is unclear, but company officials have said previously the barge's crane arm was down and none of their employees were operating it at the time of the crash. Marquette and Cooper Consolidated are major players in Louisiana in the nation's inland marine industry. The industry's cargo-moving vessels ply the Mississippi and other major waterways winding through the country's mid-section and coastal waters and deliver an estimated 650 billion tons per year of agricultural, industrial and other bulk freight. Marquette, which has 400 Louisiana employees, handles about 15% to 20% of that traffic nationally. Company officials say they do it safely compared with the huge volumes they handle. But the company has had high profile crashes recently in the state. 32 collisions and no apparent fines: Closer look at operator in Sunshine Bridge crash Before ramming the Sunshine Bridge with a barge crane Oct. 12 and shuttering the 1-mile long span, Marquette Transportation vessels had smash In May 2018, one of Marquette's 130 tugboats on the Mississippi River system, the M/V Steve Richoux, ran six barges carrying cement into the Mardi Gras World facilities at the public Robin Street Wharf in New Orleans. A Coast Guard investigation remains open but not enough damage occurred to require a formal investigation, Ault said. In an interview on Friday, Marquette Transportation President Damon Judd apologized for the inconvenience the Sunshine Bridge crash caused to residents who rely on the bridge, calling it a "serious and unfortunate event." "We take the safety of our operation very seriously," said Judd, who is expected to testify on Saturday. +31 Sunshine Bridge crash an 'act of negligence,' governor says; span won't reopen until 2019 CONVENT Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday the Sunshine Bridge over the Mississippi River won't reopen this year following an "act of negl He declined to get into the details of the crash, citing respect for the investigative process. However, he did say the company has found no evidence that the use of drugs or alcohol, pilot fatigue or mechanical failures in the Kristin Alexis tugboat were a factor in the crash. He added the company has also found that the incident did not result from a lack of safety policies and procedures at Marquette. "Things go wrong when you have an incident like this, and our entire safety management system is designed to try to help prevent the risk of human error," Judd said. "But ultimately we rely on licensed mariners and the judgments they make in the wheelhouse of our vessels as they deal with navigating what is a very dynamic system on the inland waterways." The Marquette crew was moving the crane barge for Cooper Consolidated under what's known as a "fully found charter agreement," where Cooper employees had input into what the tugboat was doing. "Typically," Judd said, "the way those work, the customer is directing the boat what to do and we, Marquette, as the operator, are responsible for crewing and operating the vessel at that customer's direction." +5 Ahead of Sunshine Bridge crash hearing, witness list sheds new light on individuals involved GONZALES One of the major unanswered questions about the morning a huge crane barge crashed into the Sunshine Bridge has been the identity o The first witness up Monday is Desmond Smith, the then-master captain of the tugboat who had overall responsibility. The pilot, Eugene Picquet III, of Gretna, is set to testify Tuesday. The pilot is basically the second in command whose job includes handling shifts operating the tugboat. Judd said Smith and Picquet are no long employed by Marquette. Attempts to reach the men have been unsuccessful. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission When politicians use the full force of government to oppress the free market, they usually find a cause that pulls at the heart strings of low As another commencement season arrives, Ive been thinking about Eudora Welty, the great Southern writer who was poised for literary fame when After hearing a legion of local officials sharply criticize his proposed system for handling the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, in which the state forgives a corporations local property taxes, state Sen. Bodi White had enough. His Senate Bill 214, and four others, would streamline a 3-year-old executive order that gave some veto authority to local jurisdictions over state decisions to give away the property taxes locals could use for services like schools and law enforcement a power that has caused some grief in the business community. Were taking the local money, thats an incentive to try to get a company to come, a manufacturer to come to your area to create jobs, to create wealth, to give your folks jobs, White said. Why cant the locals help? He then followed his finger down a list of services state taxpayers provide local ones: $3.8 billion for public schools, plus $101 million for a teacher pay raise; $100 million to supplement local enforcement officers; $300 million to compensate business owners who paid local inventory taxes; and tens of millions to build parks and infrastructure through capital outlay, plus much more the state gives local governments. Were like Santa Claus to the locals, White said. Legislators advance a fourth bill to revamp governor's three-year-old rule on ITEP The House and Senate chambers now have four measures aimed at reducing local influence in the controversial Industrial Tax Exemption Program. Hes correct, and his bill was advanced to the full Senate. But White missed the bigger point. Only in Louisiana does the state so firmly control how local governments raise revenues. What other state would have to sign off using local tourism dollars to fund local infrastructure projects as lawmakers are considering for New Orleans? New Orleans tourism and infrastructure deal back in negotiations after tumultuous 24 hours A deal to raise hotel taxes to help fund infrastructure repairs in New Orleans saw a tumultuous 24 hours, with Mayor LaToya Cantrell agreeing Frankly, ITEP is a rich parish problem. Manufacturers, for the most part, are not wanting to locate in the fast-evacuating central and northeast Louisiana parishes. But ITEP underscores the power relationship in which local governments must come on bended knee to Baton Rouge for handouts rather than the state giving them the tools to raise revenues on their own. With limited sales and property tax collections and only a small shot at landing any manufacturer small-town Louisiana has to look at things like speeding tickets to balance budgets. For real-world impact, look no further than the gubernatorial campaign. While Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is running for re-election this fall, trumpets the states economic strides, his GOP opponents focus on the states comparatively high unemployment. Theyre both right, but they both rely on figures influenced by the declining fortunes of small-town Louisiana: Republicans skew north, Edwards looks south. Statewide Louisianas unemployment rate in March was 4.7%. Alabama and Arkansas were at 3.7% unemployment. Texas was at 3.8%. But consider that East Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Jefferson/St. Charles parishes had a 3.4% unemployment rate, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Houston, which has more residents than all of Louisiana, was at 3.8%. And the Texas counties near the Sabine River had unemployment rates between 5.5% and 7% as compared to Louisiana parishes of Calcasieu, 3.1%, and Cameron, 2.9%, just across the state line. What throws off Louisianas performance are northeast and central Louisiana, where West Carroll Parish hovers at 10.2%, East Carroll just a little less. Madison, Tensas and Franklin parishes each are nearly double the states average. A handful of legislative efforts are attempting to help the cash-starved small towns and rural parishes. State Treasurer John Schroder is championing a package of bills that would allow him to transfer unclaimed property into a dedicated fund. The money would help small towns take out loans to pay for needed infrastructure improvements. And Jonesboro Republican state Rep. Jack McFarland pushed through committee legislation to provide a means of financing the expansions of small-town businesses whose profits, while still in the black, have been slipping or stagnating. A state investment firm would help the borrower develop a business plan, and the state would participate in a loan made with a local bank basically acting like parents guaranteeing a loan for one of their children. It helps the business, helps the bank, and eases the suffering of the rural tax base, he said. We need to create greater opportunities, and helping small businesses having trouble getting capital helps local governments to be more independent, said McFarland, who adds hes realistic enough to know that the people running state government arent going to embrace any changes that diminish their power in Louisianas top-down system. Rev. Dan Krutz, executive director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference, speaks in support of a bill to end Louisiana's use of the death penalty, on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at the State Capitol. One credible explanation for U.S. Sen. John Kennedys decision not to challenge Gov. John Bel Edwards for re-election is that he didnt want to be the next David Vitter. In other words, he didnt want to risk losing in a Republican state to a Democrat. And not just any Democrat, but the same Democrat who beat Vitter in 2015 by a whopping 12 points. Sen. John Kennedy, Attorney General Jeff Landry team up to elect conservative Republicans U.S. Sen. John Kennedy is adding his prodigious fundraising talents to a political organization aimed at electing more conservative Republican In another sense, though, Kennedy is following in Vitters footsteps. His Senate predecessor worked in Washington from 1999 until 2016 but still kept a strong hand in state politics, and Kennedy is doing the same. In his two-plus years in the nations capital, the former state treasurer has already established himself as willing and eager to comment on matters in Baton Rouge, particularly when that means picking a fight with Edwards on matters from Medicaid to criminal justice. Vitter used to mix it up back home too, although his target was often a rival Republican, former Gov. Bobby Jindal, who was also a frequent Kennedy adversary. Stephanie Grace: Kennedy and Landry won't run for governor, but blasting Edwards continues When two of Gov. John Bel Edwards loudest critics first Attorney General Jeff Landry and then U.S. Sen. John Kennedy announced they would Now comes word that Kennedy is formalizing his state-level involvement, and once again following Vitters path. Kennedy is joining like-minded Attorney General Jeff Landry, another regular Edwards critic, as a leading force in a political action committee that Vitter formed more than 10 years ago. What was then known as the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority played a major role in helping Republicans win long-sought legislative majorities in both houses of the Louisiana Legislature. It also helped Vitter cement his role as the most powerful Republican in the state by earning him all sorts of chits. Vitter not only raised money for GOP candidates, but also offered strategic advice, and in some cases let Democrats in right-leaning districts know that if they didnt switch parties, theyd face opposition. The timing was no accident. As a legislator back in 1995, Vitter had authored the states term limits law giving every member three four-year terms. LCRM revved up for the 2007 election, when the law forced many old school members out and created new opportunities. Its now a dozen years later, and the Legislature is once again facing large turnover. And with Republican majorities in place, this time the group has a different agenda thats reflected in a new name. Landry redubbed the PAC the Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority. That's because this time, the goal is not just to elect Republicans, but to establish a level of ideological purity that exists in the House but not in the more moderate and more Edwards-friendly Senate, which is facing a 40 percent turnover this fall. Kennedys role, apparently, will focus on fundraising. Im going to be very aggressive in trying to provide the resources to elect good women and men in our state, Kennedy told The Associated Press. Im not afraid to ask for financial support. I think thats well-known. Im going to raise as much money as I can. Whether hell provide the same level of advice and personal support that Vitter did remains to be seen. The two politicians have some things in common. Vitter was never well-liked among fellow Republicans, dating back to his legislative days, when he revealed a go-it-alone and holier-than-thou streak. But his strategic prowess was revered, right up until it became clear that he had no answer for the upstart Edwards. Kennedys not beloved either, particularly after he spent months deliberating before finally taking a pass on a gubernatorial race. But there are also differences. Vitters activity back home could certainly be read as a prelude to his gubernatorial race, which he entered as a clear favorite and the partys de facto leader. After Kennedy spent so much time toying with them, its unlikely that Republicans will give him another chance four years from now. Theres a new generation of rising GOP figures anyway, including Landry. But that doesnt mean theres not plenty of reason for Kennedy to get involved. For one thing, electing an even more ideological Legislature would cause headaches for Edwards, should he return to the Governors Mansion. And face it, Kennedy loves a good showdown. Imagine how much more hed love to taunt the governor by proxy. Morning rain pushed the opening of the gates at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, but by late afternoon, the festival was brimming with fans out to see headliners including the Dave Matthews Band, Pitbull and Diana Ross. Tank and the Bangas performed early at the Acura Stage. The set focused on material from its new album Green Balloon, released Friday. The new songs sounded great live, powered by Tarriona Tank Balls infectious energy and a retooled and supercharged 10-piece band that featured percussion from djembe giant Weedie Braimah on some songs. Still, the performance had what seemed like canned effects that were absent from previous shows, which brimmed with chaotic energy and spontaneity. Many songs were accompanied by a gratuitous record scratch effect, and the laid back vibe of the show didn't match Tanks green costume and the clusters of green balloons arrayed onstage. But the band got a warm reception, and with its signing to Verve Forecast, a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and, of course, the new album, it's got a lot going on right now. Missed second Sunday at Jazz Fest? Here's a recap of John Fogerty, The Mavericks, and more Fans packed the Fair Grounds for the final day of the 50th New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and there were salutes galore from John F Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez played an even more relaxed set in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion. Rodriguez provided laid-back piano grooves, while Martinez confidently hand drummed on a full kit including congas, toms, cymbals and chimes. About halfway through the set, the duo brought two percussionists, the Cuban Rumberos, onstage for an island interpretation of Michael Jacksons Thriller. The Rumberos stayed for the remainder of the set, adding positive energy to an already glowing atmosphere. In the Jazz Tent, the Jesse McBride Big Band put its spin on standards like Ellis Marsalis Swinging at the Haven and Harold Battistes Sompum Sorta Funky, which McBride covered on his first album, Jesse McBride Presents the Next Generation. All the songs were arranged by different members of the big band, which featured a 12-piece horn section and a drum-bass-keys trio. From behind his piano, McBride offered various messages, addressing everything from the importance of intergenerational communication and mentorship to the importance of voting and the senselessness of gun violence. Anders Osborne performs at 2019 New Orleans Jazz Fest and B'-day bash While writing songs for his latest release, Buddha and the Blues, Anders Osborne focused on distinct sense of place: Southern California. Back in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion, 3L Ifede of Benin performed its sixth and final set of the festival. The percussion-voice-dance ensemble added another element to the mix Saturday: a dome-shaped totem used to perform a ritual. The group spoke French, so it was hard to understand the totems significance, but apparently, while it was being built and housed in the Pavilions holding tent, only men were allowed to look at it. During the performance, a dancer stood inside the totem and occasionally spun it around, while the other performers embraced it, poured water on it and danced on and around it. Big Freedia delivered a staple set on the Congo Square Stage, leading the dancing "shake team" through hits like Azz Everywhere and Gin in My System. Daytime performances at outdoor festivals could be a strange fit for Freedias dance-club brand, but its a big part of the Queen Diva's show, and it seemed right at home Saturday. Jupiter & Okwess closed out the Cultural Exchange Pavilion with a fiery set full of danceable grooves. The Congolese six-piece led by super charismatic frontman Jupiter Bokondji makes political music you can dance to. Throughout the set, Bokondji danced, sang and played the drums, while his band provided infectious backing grooves. On the Congo Square Stage, Pitbull performed at Jazz Fest for the third time. Mr. Worldwides pageantry is somewhat of a square peg in the festivals round hole. Hes the only Jazz Fest performer Ive ever seen use a video screen behind the performers. He used it to broadcast a gratuitous laser light show, which clashed with the African colors of the stage. Still, hes a consummate performer, and he had help from a troupe of silver-sequined dancers as he powered through hits including Fun, Que no Pare La Fiesta (Dont Stop the Party) and International Love. Diana Ross closing set at the Gentilly Stage was the highlight of the day. Ross is 75, and she reminded the crowd of that while urging them to dance to a funky rendition of Upside Down, but she looks and moves like a performer half that age. Through six wardrobe changes she took her audience on a memorable journey. Meet local married jazz duo The War and Treaty who debuted at Jazz Fest 2018 Its hard to believe The War and Treaty only debuted at Jazz Fest last year, because the band seems tailor-made for the event. Married couple Abigail Kent, the 2017-2019 touring concert artist of the American Harp Society, will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Kent is presenting solo recitals and teaching masterclasses throughout the United States and Canada. Shes also been a featured harp soloist for the 2017 World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, a laureate finalist at the 2017 Classics Alive management search in Los Angeles, most recently, she was awarded the 2019 Silver Medal at the Medallion International Concerto Competition. Her earlier awards include finalist for the 2016 International Harp Competition in Hungary and winner of the 2015 American Strings Teachers Association Senior Harp National Solo Competition. She is the guest musician harpist for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony. She has been principal harpist of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra as well as the principal harpist fellow of the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and has participated in orchestral festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival. SOCIAL SECURITY SEMINAR: Maria Alvarez, public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration, and Molly Prokop, counselor with the Senior Health Insurance Information Program of the Jefferson Council on Aging, will present Social Security and Medicare information at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at the West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey. Alvarez will explain eligibility, preparing for retirement, how to enroll, spouse benefits and more. Prokop will discuss the basics of Medicare Parts A, B, C and D as well as all choices available, where to find them and what will they cost. 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 GENEALOGY: Gwen Kelley, a librarian who specializes in genealogy and local history, will lead a seminar that focuses on Genealogy and Facebook at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. She will lead a seminar that focuses on genealogy and Google at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15. AUTHORS LIVE: Local authors Ingrid Green Adams, Vivian Collins and Hilda Miller will discuss their new books at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Adams is the author of "Is There a Doctor in The House?" "From the Mouths of Babes" and "Get Right or Get Left." Collins is author of "Why Not a Woman?" and Miller wrote "Loving Someone Behind Bars." MUSIC RECITAL: Sixteen students will perform on piano, clarinet, flute and tenor saxophone at 7 p.m. Monday, May 13, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The students are from Christian Brothers, Haynes, Jesuit, Brother Martin, St. Clement of Rome, Kenner Discovery and St. Elisabeth Ann Seton. The Orleans Public Defenders will institute a hiring freeze and stop farming out some cases to private attorneys, the agency has announced the first step in a plan to cut costs in the face of declining revenue. In a letter last week to city leaders, Chief District Defender Derwyn Bunton said he is reacting to a projected $400,000 shortfall in money from court fines and fees and a $700,000 cut from the state Public Defender Board for the fiscal year that ends June 30. Bunton said in an interview Sunday that he expects the revenue bleeding to continue in the next fiscal year and the end result could be staff layoffs and longer waiting times for attorneys to take on cases, snarling court dockets and slowing the resolution of cases. We're running out of money, and we have to slow spending to be able to keep the office open, Bunton said. It's been shortfall compounded by shortfall compounded by shortfall. It's not a new problem. The agencys recurring budget crises led to large-scale layoffs in 2012 and a waiting list for representation in felony cases in 2015 and 2016. The latest cutback in services is far less dramatic for now. On Friday, the public defenders office signed its last contract with private attorneys to handle what are known as conflict cases, where co-defendants interests are at odds. If you get co-defendants and each is pointing the finger at the other, our office can't represent both. So what we do is use the private bar, Bunton said. Bunton said he halted spending on conflict cases first because the office is already $200,000 over budget for such cases for the fiscal year. The conflict caseload has been swelled by a rising number of juveniles transferred to adult court and Operation Summer Heat, a large roundup of alleged drug dealers the New Orleans Police Department conducted in August, Bunton said. Conflict cases represent a significant portion of the agencys overall workload, totaling 1,000 to 1,500 such cases a year, Bunton said. The contracts signed Friday will be exhausted in a week or two, and new clients then will be turned away, he said. After that, it's going to be relying on pro bono representation or folks will just be sitting in jail, he added. Criminal District Court judges had different reactions to the agencys last austerity measures in 2015 and 2016, when it curtailed the use of private conflict lawyers and began refusing serious felony cases. Some judges appointed private lawyers to represent defendants without pay. Judge Arthur Hunter ordered the release of seven men facing charges like murder and rape, saying their rights were being violated by long jail stints without adequate funding for their defense. An appeals court overturned his order before they were let out of jail. In addition to ending the contracting out of conflict cases, Bunton said his agency will also stop hiring new employees. That means his staff's caseloads already large will grow as the agencys head count dwindles. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The agencys budget involves a mix of state funding, city money and revenue from traffic tickets and court fines. It spent $8.3 million in the 2017-18 fiscal year, well above the amount its predecessor agency spent annually before Hurricane Katrina, when it had no staff attorneys. Although it now has a larger budget than before the storm, the office's finances have been unpredictable over the past decade due to fluctuations in state funding and its reliance on court fees and fines. Bunton has long criticized Louisianas user pays method of using fines and fees to pay for the criminal justice system. When Mayor LaToya Cantrell removed many of the citys traffic cameras at the start of this year, the public defenders who got $5 for each camera ticket were in line for a roughly $300,000 hit. The City Council voted to send the agency an equal amount to make up for the shortfall, but Bunton said other revenues are also declining. He said it was too early to tell if Cantrells decision to lower the speeding trigger for camera tickets would make up some of the revenue loss. The state's Public Defender Board had already reduced the local agencys funding by $700,000 for the year, the result of a statewide crisis that has led many other defender offices to impose service restrictions. Meanwhile, the agency is also collecting less money from Criminal District Court and Municipal & Traffic Court fines and fees, Bunton said. The projected decrease in that revenue for the year is $400,000. Bunton said he believes two civil-rights lawsuits targeting Criminal District Courts reliance on such fees is partially responsible for the drop-off. Money from fines and fees is split among the citys various criminal justice agencies. The City Council gave the criminal court judges $3.8 million in extra funding in response to those lawsuits, but public defenders did not receive additional money. Bunton said he will ask the state board for additional money, but even if the Legislature allocates more money for the state board in next years budget, Bunton expects at most $200,000 more for his office, because so many other districts are in crisis. Bunton said he is also asking the city for a $1.5 million midyear appropriation. That would bring the agency closer to his long-stated goal of getting 85 percent of the amount the city sends to the District Attorneys Office, currently $6.6 million. The public defenders handle roughly 85 percent of the district attorneys caseload, with the other cases falling to private lawyers. Buntons pleas for a more reliable revenue stream from the city have fallen on deaf ears in the past. City Hall officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday. The long-term answer is we need to change at the state level, Bunton said. At the local level, we need to take the scarce resources we do have and appropriate them equitably. The country's biggest consumer group is calling for a radical shake-up of finance sector codes of conduct, saying regulators, instead of the industry, should have the power to write these rule books to ensure they genuinely serve consumers. The banking and insurance sectors responded by rejecting the call, vowing that changes to these industry's codes would take into account the Hayne royal commission recommendations, without the need to drastically overhaul the model of self-regulation, as Choice is suggesting. One of the recommendations of commissioner Kenneth Hayne was for the regulator to be given greater powers to approve more financial sector codes of conduct, and that breaches of some code provisions should be made illegal. Royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne said ASIC should have greater powers to approve finance sector codes of conduct. Credit:Eddie Jim As the federal Treasury looks at the idea in further detail, it is reigniting debate between consumer groups and business over how best to reform industry codes, which form a key plank of self-regulation, and have long been criticised by Choice. Some of Australia's biggest companies have warned that increased wage regulation may not deliver the best pay outcome for workers and could lead to job losses and investment uncertainty. In some of the strongest comments yet from business leaders on Bill Shorten's plans to intervene in wages, leading miners and energy players said they needed wages flexibility to weather downturns and urged consultation with industry before any laws were passed. Opposition leader Bill Shorten has pledged to legislate to the let the Fair Work Commission give increased importance to cost of living pressures when setting the minimum wage to encourage broader wage growth. Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has promised to help lift the minimum wage. Credit:AAP This could make Australia's minimum wage the highest in the world, immediately benefiting about 1.2 million workers. The competition watchdog expects liquefied natural gas prices to almost double over the coming months as Australia continues to grapple with a potential east-coast gas shortage. A rise would be welcome news for energy companies that have seen the LNG price slide by around a third, in line with the global oil price, over the last three months but concerning for the gas-intensive manufacturing industry already struggling with domestic supply. Australia is about to become the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. In its latest LNG netback price monitor a measure of export prices minus processing and transport costs the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) forecast domestic gas prices to rise as much as 96 per cent over the next year. The ACCC expects LNG prices to rise from $5.46 a gigajoule currently to a peak of about $10.70 in February 2020. It forecasts prices will then slide to a 2020 low of $8.09 in July before tracking upwards again to reach $9.70 by the end of next year. Singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke, Australia's entrant in the 64th annual Eurovision Song Contest, has made her debut on the Eurovision stage in Tel Aviv, Israel. Miller-Heidke completed her first rehearsal on the competition stage over the weekend, alongside a handful of other artists including Georgia's Oto Nemsadze, Iceland's Hatari and Greece's Katerine Duska. Kate Miller-Heidke, backstage at Expo Tel Aviv just prior to her first rehearsal. Credit:Andres Putting The major take out is that Miller-Heidke's song, Zero Gravity, and the performance which accompanies it, have been warmly received, with fans praising the package as "very Eurovision". The tactical move to tap into classic Eurovision with a song described by the organisers as "popera" positions Miller-Heidke well, as the bulk of this years entrants seem to have pitched towards more modern commercial pop. There was no pouty duck-face, Instagram, hair extensions world when I was at school, says radio host Jane Kennnedy. We werent stereotypically feminine; we wore v-neck jumpers and cords and we loved comedy movies. There was a natural bent towards humour and itd be great to see more of that with girls now. Telling jokes might have gotten Kennedy in strife at as a teenager but today, this skill attracts more than 1 million listeners across Australia. Were in the Triple M studio she shares with on-air partner Mick Molloy; the decor a suitably rock n roll mix of black walls and exposed brick. Independent candidate Rob Oakeshott says he would "pick up the phone" to Scott Morrison if the Prime Minister called after the federal election looking for his support to form government. Mr Oakeshott, who is running in the NSW seat of Cowper on a platform of stronger action on climate change, says he is "disinclined" to "give one party the numbers needed to form government". Independent candidate Rob Oakeshott with his family. Credit:James Brickwood But if there is no clear winner following May 18, Mr Oakeshott says Mr Morrison would still be the prime minister in the immediate election aftermath and have the right to first negotiations with potential crossbenchers. "Would I pick up the phone? Yeah, I would," Mr Oakeshott said. "But it would not be a one-way conversation, he's the one seeking my support ... I think it's quite obvious there would be terms and conditions attached. And I don't think that's anything to fear, that's just a pragmatic reality of the process." In June last year, Malcolm Turnbull was still furious about Labors 2016 "Mediscare" campaign. Declaring that we will not let them get away with those lies ever again, he called on party members to use social media to rebut every Labor lie. By January, Turnbull was almost five months out of the prime ministership. Now, the Attorney-General, Christian Porter, outlined an additional approach to The Australian. Over the next months, in retaliation for Mediscare in which Labor claimed the Liberals would privatise Medicare, despite denials Labor should expect a taste of its own medicine on negative gearing. Bill Shorten welcomes former Labor PMs Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Paul Keating at the Labor launch on Sunday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer This is sorry stuff. The behaviour of the other side is beyond the pale oh, and we can probably learn something from it. As it happens, the false claim that Labor plans to introduce death taxes has crowded out negative gearing. It spread on social media the Liberals denied involvement - and was reinforced by the Prime Minister. But theres another question lurking here. Most of us are instinctively uneasy about the claims on Medicare and death taxes. But its harder to articulate exactly what is wrong with them. So a politician promised not to do something why should anyone, least of all the other side, accept theyll keep that promise? A secret inquiry into bullying claims in the office of the Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt has heard of staff being "scared" to work with an adviser who claimed to have a "special relationship" with the senior government frontbencher. The minister has refused to release the findings of the inquiry - ordered by the then chief-of-staff to Malcolm Turnbull - prompting whistleblowers to reveal details of what they say was a toxic work culture "enabled" by Mr Wyatt. Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health Ken Wyatt and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The $37,000 investigation was conducted by a firm called CPM Reviews on behalf of the Department of Finance late last year and heard testimony from at least 10 staff members. Transcripts of interviews with multiple former staffers obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age lay bare a culture of "intimidation" as a result of the "inappropriate influence" of senior adviser Paula Gelo over Mr Wyatt. It was supposed to be the hot topic of the campaign. Just two months ago, with the bruising fight over medical transfers of refugees from Manus Island and Nauru fresh in peoples minds, the Morrison government seemed chafing at the bit to fight the election on border security. But as data provided to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age by real-time media monitoring firm Streem shows, it has barely rated a mention. Border security is in eighth place as measured by news stories that mention the issue, languishing at the bottom of the pack alongside foreign policy, which typically gets ignored during elections. Katy Perry embodies the Met Gala's camp theme at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Credit:AP When the celebrities start arriving at the Met Gala on Monday night, US time, one Australian brand will be watching the red carpet extra closely for its designs. Ethical handbag brand From St Xavier, which specialises in bold, beaded creations, has created two bags for the Met Gala stores as part of an ongoing collaboration with the museum. One member of the design team, Sarah Mather-Brown, said the two bags were the third mini-collection for the Met but the first to be designed specifically for the gala and its companion exhibition, Camp: Notes on Fashion. She said the brand, which is designed in Australia and manufactured by artisans in India, began working with the Met a couple of years ago following a successful relationship with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. The pregnant Duchess of Sussex was reportedly planning a home birth. Credit:AP As we continue to await news of the royal baby, the speculation over Meghan Markle's birth plan is rampant. And as rumors swirl that she and Prince Harry may be planning a home birth, that practice has come under increased scrutiny. The rumors have spurred a conversation about the risks of home births, and the importance of carefully planning them. The argument over the safety of home births is nothing new. Women who choose home births have been called "crazy" or "irresponsible," and blamed for subjecting their babies to "child abuse." In Australia, according to the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 0.3 per cent of women plan a home birth. In the United States, home deliveries also make up less than 1 percent of all births, or approximately 35,000 per year. Home births in the US are associated with a higher total neonatal mortality risk, a higher risk of a five-minute Apgar score of zero (meaning no heart beat), increased risk for neonatal seizures, and serious neurological dysfunction compared with hospital births, according to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Twenty-five percent of those births were not planned to take place at home, which may partially explain the poor statistical outcomes. In my last column, I looked at how low-means aged care residents can pay more for their accommodation than those who are market-price payers, which led one reader to ask but what if you were Australias richest person?" What a great question! The cost of aged care is split into the amount you pay for accommodation and the amount you pay for your care. Paying the market price for retirement accommodation can be expensive. The highest Refundable Accommodation Deposit at the exclusive Mark Moran Vaucluse is $2.2 million. The majority of residents are not eligible for government funding towards their accommodation and pay the advertised price or an amount up to this. All residents, regardless of means, pay a basic fee of $51 a day towards their cost of care and, beyond that, a means-tested care fee, based on their assets and income. With a possible electoral defeat looming, Coalition voters are now bemoaning the fact that they no longer have a leader who was popular with voters, namely Julie Bishop. But who's to blame for this? It's the male-dominated Liberal Party caucus who voted for Scott Morrison and potentially Peter Dutton. After receiving so few votes, understandably Bishop decided retirement offered a more satisfying future. Even though Bill Shorten has been unable to convince some voters that he has great leadership qualities, he is fortunate in having a number of high-quality women supporting him, in particular Tanya Plibersek, Linda Burney and Penny Wong, who are strongly featuring in this election campaign. In modern-day politics, increasingly voters have shown they are prepared to support women as leaders, particularly those who demonstrate genuine compassion and understanding of the needs of families and young people. Jacinda Ardern is a prime example. No wonder Morrison is afraid to feature the few Liberal women in his cabinet such as Michaelia Cash and Melissa Price. The Liberal caucus obviously blew it. One of their many lost opportunities. Tom Ward, Eltham Broaden your campaign's focus Sorry, Prime Minister. I do not think that a campaign focused solely on the assassination of the Leader of the Opposition is enough to persuade me to vote for your party. I am more interested in ethics, honesty and integrity. Chonyi Taylor, Inverloch Both leaders will be forgotten The brilliant Leonardo da Vinci has continued to amaze us 500 years after his death ("Renaissance man reunites allies", 4/5). In contrast, Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten will be mere blips in our short history. Helen Scheller, Benalla Lay down your shovel According to Scott Morrison: "The only person, frankly, who's trying to sell a pair of jousting sticks to the Australian people at this election is Bill Shorten." On the same theme, all Scott wants to do is "dig a hole". And when you are deep in that hole, Scott, it is time to stop digging. Alan Inchley, Frankston THE FORUM No tax paid, no credit due Scott Morrison calls the Labor Party's policy to stop the payment of unused imputation credits to non taxpayers a retiree tax. And he says it is unfair, because older people were entitled, in planning their retirement, to expect the Howard/Costello largesse of 2001 to continue forever. That sounds a bit like the tooth fairy to me, but more important than my view, is this question, which I can't recall Mr Morrison being publicly asked. Will Mr Morrison give a clear undertaking that if he loses this election, but wins the 2022 election, he will immediately introduce legislation to reinstate the law as it is today? Or will he silently thank Mr Shorten for having the courage to bring back to the Australian people, something like $50 billion over the next 10 years, for the benefit of our whole country, not just the wealthy. I am 78 and I retired two years ago, after paying tax for 57 years. My wife is a little younger yes, we will miss those imputation credits, but we accept absolutely, that as we no longer pay any income tax, we have no entitlement to them. Nor do our children, or the children of thousands of others, who have benefited from this law, and that of course is where so much of this money finishes up. Over to you, Mr Morrison. Richard Dwyer, Junortoun Who would run the show? In the coming election there is one clear principle that must be addressed. Who will control the policies passed by the Liberal Party if the cabinet, once again, were to include Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton, Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews, and friends it will be the conservative right. I wonder if it is clear to most people that this is the basic question that they have to answer. If they want more action on climate change or more progressive social policies, indeed more justice and stability, they must think again. Anne Hollingshead, Camberwell A self-serving artifice Commonwealth funding for the failed East West Link was diverted by the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison government to NSW infrastructure years ago ("Victorians wait on box of billions", The Age, 4/5). The Coalition pretended the money was real, which was their way of hiding this injustice. As a contingent liability, these "locked box" funds are as fake as Scott Morrison's smirk and have no impact on the national accounts. They are a self-serving political artifice. Despite the Andrews Labor government's efforts to highlight the contingent liability was illusory, The Age and other outlets never doubted the deliverability of the Coalition's threat/promise that the money was available to any Victorian government that would build the East West Link. The Morrison government was even given licence by the media to count these baloney dollars as part of their share of Victoria's infrastructure allocations. It is bizarre that The Age should decry federal Labor for replacing fake dollars with real dollars that will be included in their election costings. I challenge The Age to identify a sum that redresses the historical injustice of $3 billion that was allocated to Melbourne Metro, redirected to East West Link, then shipped off to NSW for their infrastructure. Tim Pallas, Treasurer of Victoria Follow Britain's lead It is both galling and enraging that Scott Morrison and his ilk continue to deny the urgency of the impact of climate change. "Cost of climate change is not simple" (The Age, 4/5) as articulated by Ross Gittins offers a much neglected truth regarding the impact of climate change. His analysis regarding modelling is enlightening. Bill Shorten's claim "he doesn't know the cost", is probably closer to the truth. It would seem quite possible the cost is unknowable. If politicians were honest, they could show leadership and remind us that no matter what the cost is to save the Earth, it means sacrifice. It is estimated we have 12 years to stop the disintegration of our Earth. We also cannot do it alone. Yet again where is the leadership attempting to work in the most constructive way with other countries: we cannot remain in a vacuum. We should follow Britain and acknowledge the environment and climate as an emergency. After attending the schools climate rally outside Josh Frydenberg's office, we need to revolt ... civil disobedience? Judith Morrison, Mount Waverley Action is the only option Thanks for the reminder, Ross Gittins, that economic modelling is like playing pin the tail on a donkey the tail could end up on the donkey's nose. He quotes eight things modellers have to make assumptions about (from Richard Denniss of the Australia Institute) when they want to know what a policy change will cost. All eight are complex issues and rely on a whole range of variables that cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. For example, who knows what the teenagers of today will be thinking and what they will consider most important in 10 years? How will they be living and working? Many may choose not to own a car, for example. As communication improves, depending on the job, maybe more of them will be working from home? Yes, there are many more questions than answers, but just because there are no simple answers it doesn't mean we can't find solutions as doing nothing is not an option. Kate McCaig, Surrey Hills The priceless question The Coalition and various economists talk about the cost of mitigating climate and the impact it will have on the economy, but, there is no mention of the cost of not responding to climate change, which you cannot put a price on. Timothy Phillips, Coburg Customers run second Anson Cameron's article on Telstra's miscommunications (Spectrum, 4/5) was both entertaining and unambiguous. Essentially, Telstra customers run a distant second behind shareholders. After several decades of business and private contracts with the telecommunications giant, the Telstra disorganisation will never again receive a cent of my hard-earned. Tony Courtin, Violet Town Call the ombudsman I read with great interest Anson Cameron's article on his dealings with Telstra. As a Telstra customer whose NBN connection did not work, I had three weeks with no phone service, hours waiting to talk to Telstra and then trouble understanding them when I was answered. I, too, finally contacted the Ombudsman. Next day a Telstra technician came out and within minutes had the phone connected via his "hotline" to the call centre. My advice to anyone with a similar problem is to contact the Ombudsman. Telstra may eventually replace the disastrous overseas call centre with a local one and actually provide a service. John Meaney, Frankston South Hiding behind a phrase Anyone else curious about this mysterious "sovereign risk" threat, and why it seemingly only turns up when a politician needs to defend an absence of courage? Sadly, whenever the magical sovereign risk is waved about, the courage required is usually to make a decision for the long-term rather for a short-term pandering to some special interest. Ian McKendry, Kew East Early voting is a good sign Caitlin Fitzsimmons (Comment, 3/5) says early voting is bad as there is plenty of time for parties and candidates to release more policies (leading up to election day). No, it's not we've already made up our minds based on the performance of the parties over the past three years and are not persuaded to change our minds based on some last-minute false promises. The early-voting trend does not diminish our democracy, it shows it is healthy and working well and parties need to recognise that with their performance over each three years. Brian Jones, Bentleigh East Don't forget us I applaud the City of Melbourne's proposal, as reported by The Age (3/5), to transform the inner city into a more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly space. However, as one of the growing number of Baby Boomer carers of octogenarian and nonagenarian parents, I hope this is not achieved at the expense of our most vulnerable the disabled and/or frail aged residents. Parking conditions to escort the aged, with their wheelchairs or mobile frames, are already near prohibitive in Lygon Street. Glassed-in pavement cafes and uneven footpaths bulging with tree roots greatly reduce the area over which we can assist the disabled from car to cafe. For most of the week in Little Bourke Street's Chinatown there is no provision at all to stop for such a purpose. I can only take my 94-year-old mother to yum cha by risking a hefty fine for stopping temporarily to assist her at her snail's pace into a restaurant. In making changes, Melbourne City Council should recognise that, unfortunately, not everyone can cycle or walk. Some cars and parking facilities will always be needed. Not only the young and fit pay rates. So do the aged, who wish to continue to stimulate the economy. Helene Chung, Melbourne May they both lose Peter Hartcher's article (Comment, The Age, 4/5) indicates I'm not the only one who hopes they both lose. Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld The real question The question the media fails to ask is not why the Liberal Party is endorsing racist, sexist and homophobic candidates, but why people with these views are attracted to that party in the first place. Caroline Hubschmann, Vermont South More of this, please Enough, leaders. Stop these endless and escalating announcements of financial grants. Nobody believes any more that they all can or should be delivered. Just get on with telling us about your vision for Australia and why your policies are what this country needs. And, incidentally, we are not just voting for a leader, we are voting for a party. We all need to have a good look at which party has the most capable and experienced team to run the country. Fiona Moore, Ivanhoe AND ANOTHER THING Politics The PM must feel empathy with the boy standing on the burning deck. How many more candidates will fall by the wayside? Doris LeRoy, Altona All is forgiven, Christopher Pyne. Please come back. Simon Williamson, West Footscray The dirt files have been deployed with such devastating effect. What a pity they weren't used when selecting candidates. Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills Peter Dutton says that he backs Scott Morrison win or lose at the next election. Does he really expect anyone to believe that? John Cummings, Anglesea If the Coalition wins this election will they appoint a Minister for Bill Shorten? Gary Sayer, Warrnambool Is life stranger than fiction? What have we done to deserve this choice between Billy Bunter and Draco Malfoy? Michael Maloney, Hawthorn To save time, can all the other candidates with extremist views about women, Muslims, people of colour and gays please stand up? Hans Paas, Castlemaine I never believe anything until it's been officially denied, so I'm intrigued to see that Peter Dutton won't be challenging Scott Morrison's leadership, "win or lose". Tim Durbridge, Brunswick Here's the choice Voters in central Queensland have a stark choice: prioritise mining jobs for the next few years or a livable world for their grandchildren in 2050. Ian Bayly, Upwey Furthermore Given Tony Abbott's rejection of experts, it is alarming to imagine what an extension of his prime ministership would have evolved into. Peter McCarthy, Mentone Finally The voice of doom is all your footy experts tipping the Dees to win. Last week all but two tipped against them. Thank you. Jacob Janssen was not considered the best of the artists who depicted the early days of Sydney colonial life in the 1850s, but he was among the most colourful. So he would have been shocked, most likely, to discover that six of his watercolours were bought by the State Library of NSW from a private collector for $250,000. The newly acquired paintings went on display at the library last weekend for the first time. Richard Neville, Mitchell librarian, with a collection of rare watercolours from the 1850s that the library has purchased. Credit:James Brickwood While alive, he attracted mixed reviews from the kind to the cruel. His death didn't merit an obituary in a Sydney newspaper, and one of his works was so controversial that it was raffled for three shakes of three dice for a guinea an entry. Janssen scraped by doing anything that paid, including portraits, miniatures, landscapes and, less successfully, politicians. Unlike those of more serious artists of the time, Janssen's watercolours depicted early Sydneysiders and its first middle classes at play, said Richard Neville, the Mitchell librarian at the State Library of NSW. "The limits of his talents were often reached," Mr Neville said tactfully. A Nepalese national charged with raping a woman at an apartment in Sydney's south, hours before fleeing the country, has been extradited from the United States to face court in Australia. The man, 35, allegedly sexually and indecently assaulted the woman, 21, at Carlton while he was on holidays in June 2017. Police say the man left Australia hours after he raped the woman. Credit:NSW Police Police say he left the country shortly after. He was arrested in New York on a federal warrant in January. The man travelled with police to Los Angeles last week, when he was met by NSW detectives who accompanied him on a flight back to Sydney. A 45-year-old Indian man who arrived at Perth International Airport on Thursday has been refused entry to Australia after "abhorrent" material was found stored on his mobile phone. Australian Border Force officers stopped and questioned the man after he arrived on a flight from Malaysia. Australian Border Force (ABF) officers stopped and questioned the man, who held a tourist visa, after he arrived on board a flight from Malaysia. During a search of the mans phone ABF officers discovered a video depicting child exploitation which contravened customs rules. Officers seized the phone and subsequently cancelled his visa. Australian voters are shifting their support behind Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister less than two weeks out from election day, but Prime Minster Scott Morrison commands an edge over his rival on key leadership qualities including economic management. An exclusive Ipsos poll shows Mr Shorten holds a significant lead on the most decisive measure in the election contest, with Labor ahead of the Coalition by 52 to 48 per cent in two-party terms compared to a lead of 53 to 47 per cent one month ago. A majority of voters believe Mr Shorten will be prime minister after the May 18 election, with 52 per cent predicting a Labor victory compared to 33 per cent who expect the Coalition to prevail. Mr Shorten intensified his bid for power on Sunday by announcing a $2 billion tax crackdown on global companies to help pay for new policies including incentives for employers to hire workers who have been struggling to find a job. It is now just 12 days until we go to the polls, and as the penultimate week of the campaign opens there is a sense this race, which stuttered in its first half thanks to a rash of public holidays, is now barrelling to the finish. In Brisbane on Sunday Opposition Leader Bill Shorten put on his strongest performance of the campaign yet, as the Labor Party brought together its three most recent prime ministers for its official launch. Even Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, who have famously avoided each other since the worlds most awkward photo opportunity back in 2013, managed to put away their differences and smile for the cameras. In a 40-minute speech, Mr Shorten articulated his ambitious plan to retool the Australian economy in favour of fairness, focusing on wages and health spending. He doubled down on his central message that the Morrison government prioritised the wealthy over the working and middle classes. Former Labor prime ministers Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Paul Keating at the Labor launch in Brisbane on Sunday. Credit:AAP The Coalition launch will take place exactly a week after Labors and is also likely to feature past party heroes, such as John Howard and Peter Costello, whose presence will be relied on to bolster Scott Morrisons central theme that only a Liberal-led government can be trusted to manage the economy. Voters have been presented with a clear choice and yet, as exclusive Ipsos polling for The Age released on Monday indicates, there is something Australians are looking for that they dont feel they are getting. The two-party preferred result has slightly tightened to 52-48 per cent in Labors favour. This is the 17th consecutive Ipsos poll that has Labor in the lead and it indicates a 2.4 per cent swing against the Coalition since the 2016 federal election. While the electoral mathematics for Mr Morrison remain a huge challenge he has to pick up seats to retain government and that predicted swing against him puts enormous pressure on his key seat campaigners the polling remains close. Perhaps this is because neither leader has captured even the admiration, let alone the imagination, of voters. Union jacks, royal posters and themed outfits are common sights in the picturesque market town in Berkshire, where some royalists have been waiting for an update from the palace for weeks. Scores of enthusiastic observers, including a self-proclaimed town crier, have stationed themselves outside the grounds of Windsor Castle over recent days amid speculation that the birth is imminent. London: Hundreds of royal fans have descended upon the streets of Windsor as the excitement for the arrival of Baby Sussex intensifies. Royal fan Terry Hutt waits for the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first child. Credit:PA Wire John Loughrey, 64, has set up camp across the road from the Royal residence with a sleeping bag and decorated a guard rail with a US flag in a reference to the Duchesss nationality. The royal superfan, dressed in a Union Jack themed outfit, said he would celebrate the birth with fish and chips, a slice of American pie and a glass of champagne. Ive got a sleeping bag. Ive been here since May 1. Im hearing the rumours that Baby Sussex has already been born. To be honest, Im hoping thats not the case because Her Majesty wouldnt like that, she wants to be loyal to her subjects. ''I want it to be a healthy baby, a healthy mother and I dont mind if its a boy or a girl. It should be announced here at Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palaces decision to cancel The Duke of Sussexs visit to Amsterdam because of logistical arrangements left supporters wondering what was happening behind the palace walls. The Duke, who terminated the trip to Amsterdam just two days after it was announced, is now free to support his significantly overdue wife. Mervish said that, as she prepares to enter high school, she has a better sense of what may be next for her because of the program clarity that she said came, in part, from Cunhas guidance. I dont know specifically what I want to do, but I know the types of things I like doing, Mervish said. Ive tried robotics and programming Im not the best at the programming part and Ive learned things Im better at, like the writing and speaking part. Mervish said she is heading to nationals and will be able to use her strength as a public speaker. Mr. Cunha really teaches us how to present well, and to know what to say and what not to say to help us become better. Cunha, who is of Indian descent, was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and went to high school in England. He arrived in Texas in 1982 and earned a geology degree from the University of Texas in 1986. He has taught in the Brazos Valley for more than 20 years, with his two teaching stints divided by a two-year NASA fellowship in Washington, D.C. Cunha said that learning never stops for his family, which consists of his wife, Elizabeth, four children and five grandchildren. 2 Lions Maul 24-Year-Old in Zoo, Man Heroically Jumps In to Save Him A fellow zookeeper rushed in to help a 24-year-old colleague after two lions attacked him when he entered their enclosure in a north Germany zoo on May 4. The 24-year-old went inside the lions enclosure in the Serengeti Park zoo in Hodenhagen in Lower Saxony on Saturday morning when the incident happened, reported Daily Mail. The police spokesman in Walsrode said that the zookeeper entered the lions enclosure after they were served meat, about five minutes before the zoo was to open for visitors, reported the DW. A fellow keeper saw the attack and rushed inside and pulled him out to safety. He was flown to a hospital with serious but nonlife-threatening injuries. Authorities were not clear why the keeper went inside the enclosure after the lions had been served meat. The Serengeti Park zoo with 1,500 animals is spread over 296 acres of land and is divided into four themed landsanimal world, monkey world, water world, and the theme park world, according to Germany.travel In a similar incident, a lion attacked a tamer during a performance in Ukraine on March 23. The circus tamer brushed off the moment a lion pinned him to the floor and sunk its teeth into his arm to screams and gasps from the audience. Video footage from the circus shows trainer Hamada Kouta struggling to regain control of the lion after it became aggressive. Eventually, the bloodied Kouta scrambled to his feet and coaxed the lion back into its cage before calming the audience down and continuing with the show. Kouta later refused to blame the animal, telling Louga 24, the local TV station in the city of Louga where the circus was performing, that the lions were his children and that the fault was his own. Pictures show Kouta with deep scratches and gouge marks on his arms and shoulder. I called up one lion, and the second one attacked me from the front, he said. I stopped him in the middle of the ring and calmed him down but he refused to return to his sitting position. I stepped backward, there was a stand behind me, I hit it and fell. The lion jumped at me and bit mebut thank God, not on my neck. My back, arm, and leg were hurt. Scars from two claws and one tooth are on my leg, tooth marks on my arm, one 4 cm deep from three claws on my back. The lion eventually retreated as the trainer fought back and eventually returned to its cage. Posted by Metro on Thursday, April 4, 2019 Kouta told local media that he tried to resume the performance to help calm down the children who can be heard screaming as the lion pins him to the ground. I calmly called them back, because there were children in the audience, he said, according to Louga 24. The most important thing for me is to see children in the audience. Of course, I was covered in blood, but I asked everybody to calm down, and started the performance all over again, from the beginning. According to the Evening Standard, a mother watching with her two children said, My heart stopped when the lion pounced at the trainer. Kouta said the lions were unsettled because they were made to perform soon after arriving in a new location. Normally they are given 3 days to settle. They did not have time to adapt, because we arrived and immediately began to perform, he said. They were in stress, so it led to the attack. They Can be Moody, Like People He said that good trainers need to be sensitive to the mood of the animals. They can be moody, like people. For example, you can wake up in the morning in a bad mood. Thats it, the whole day will be like this. They are just the same. But for Kouta, scratches, and scars are part of the job description. I even have 72 stitches on my belly, he said, according to CIXD. Every scar for me is an experience. Because when such attacks occur, this cannot be repeated. But despite the attack, Kouta hasnt lost trust in the lions he calls his children. But there is a red line, if you step overit may go the wrong way. Epoch Times reporter Simon Veazey contributed to this report. 2-Year-Old Dies After Falling Into Pot of Scalding Water A 2-year-old boy has died after falling into a cooking pot filled with hot water at his home. Ivan Maletych died at a local hospital in the village of Susidovychi in southern Ukraines Lviv Oblast region, the Daily Mail reported. According to the media outlet, doctors had planned to transport him to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston, Mass., for treatment, but his immune system shut down before they could get him specialized treatment. The boys mother, Ivanna Maletych, said the boy died at 2:45 a.m. the morning of May 4. The incident, which left the boy with 70 percent burns, happened when his mother was preparing hot water with a 10-gallon cooking pot to wash some clothes on April 23, the media outlet LMN reported. According to local reports, she had left the pan to cool when she became distracted by something. Thats when she heard her sons screams and rushed to find him in the pot of scalding hot water. He fell into a bucket of scalding-hot water as his mother prepared a bath Posted by Daily Mail on Thursday, March 21, 2019 I heated the water to wash clothes, the mother said, according to LMN. We do not have a washing machine, so I do everything with my hands. The woman rushed to the neighbors who then helped drive them to the hospital. Victor Pyzhevsky, head of the department of the 8th Lviv Clinical Hospital, told local media that the boy had suffered burns to 70 percent of his body and that he was in a critical condition. The boy had to be put on an artificial ventilator to assist his breathing. His mother said that the boy was on a table when he fell into the boiling water, according to an earlier report by the Daily Mail. I saw how he fell in the boiling water, she said. I rushed to the bucket and pulled him out. I hugged him, then wrapped him in a cotton cloth. When I unwrapped him, I saw his skin was peeling off. Accidents Resulting in Burns Injuries involving burns are not uncommon in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 300 children from ages 0 to 19 are treated in emergency rooms for burn-related injuries and two children die as a result of being burned every day. The most common types of burns are scalds, which are caused by contact with wet heat such as hot liquids, bath water, steam, hot foods, drinks, or cooking liquids, according to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). One study found that 90.4 percent of scald injuries to children under age 5 were related to hot cooking or drinking liquids, the Department of Health & Human Service (HHS) said. To avoid scalding children with hot water, the HHS suggests that parent set the temperature on their hot water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, and advises them to check the water temperature on the inside of the wrist before bathing any child. To prevent burns from scalding water in the tub or faucet, make sure that the temperature on your water heater is not higher than 120 degrees, the HHS website says. The HHS also suggests that parents use a baby gate to keep young children out of the kitchen when there is no supervision to prevent accidental burns. Epoch Times reporter Simon Veazey contributed to this report. An FBI Police car is parked outside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters in Washington on Jan. 7, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Multi-State Child Exploitation Operation Busted; 82 Arrested, 17 Children Rescued An investigation into the possession and distribution of child pornography covering eight southeastern U.S. states culminated in the arrest of 82 people and the rescue of 17 child victims, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The four-month-long investigation, dubbed Operation Southern Impact III, resulted in three days of investigative actions including search warrant executions, undercover operations, arrests, and sex offender compliance verification visits. In total, 171 law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies were involved. The ages of those arrested range from 20 to 70, the GBI said May 3. Occupations of arrestees included a non-profit employee, small business owner, store clerk, mechanic, daycare administrator, youth group leader, former high school band director, freelance photographer, construction worker, and painter. As part of the operation, 861 digital devices were previewed and 1,613 digital devices were seized. Included among those devices were 203 mobile phones. The investigation stemmed from cyber tips received from the ICAC Task Force of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In Georgia alone, 31 people were arrested, mostly for the possession or distribution of child pornography. Investigators said they targeted those distributing the most violent sexual abuse material involving infants and toddlers which the bureau itself noted, is not uncommon. The Georgia ICAC Task Force consistently finds this type of content, the release stated. Of those arrested in Georgia, seven traveled for the goal of meeting and having sex with a minor. Investigators say predators often visit chat rooms and sites on the internet to arrange such meetings. The arrested perpetrators targeted both boys and girls. Four of those arrested in Georgia were registered sex offenders. One offender previously had been arrested during a similar operation in 2015. The dedicated law enforcement professionals that are part of the Georgia ICAC Task Force will not cease searching for those who are producing, trading and collecting this graphic material, Debbie Garner, special agent in charge of the GBIs Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit said. We will continue to work together to find, investigate and prosecute these predators. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr also praised the efforts of those behind the operation. I want to commend the GA Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and law enforcement officials from all across the state and neighboring regions. Their joint efforts during Operation Southern Impact III led to the arrests of 82 & rescue of 17 children: https://t.co/qFJSv7d3Q1 GA AG Chris Carr (@Georgia_AG) May 3, 2019 In April 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law a bill dubbed the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017. The act makes it easier to take legal action against individuals who use websites to facilitate sex trafficking, while also aiding victims to fight back against websites that profit from their exploitation. In the same month, sex-trafficking website Backpage.comthe largest human-trafficking portal in the United Stateswas taken down by the FBI. Trump has made combating human trafficking a focal point of his administration. A report shared with The Epoch Times last month found the demand for online sex-trafficking dropped following the shutdown of Backpage, as the operators of smaller sites struggled to stay afloat. The report by Childsafe.aithe worlds first artificial intelligence platform for monitoring, graphing, and modeling child-exploitation risk on the webdetailed how the industry has since been fragmented across dozens of websites, all competing fiercely for market share. Web traffic to advertising websites selling sex drew only 5 to 8 percent of the total unique visitors that Backpage drew at its height in 2016. A $4 Billion Error, and Cold Facts About Investing in China News Analysis One of Chinas biggest drugmakers recently said that it overstated its assets by $4.4 billion, calling into question the quality and standard of accounting at Chinese listed companies. Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co., a producer of traditional Chinese medicines, disclosed in an April 30 regulatory filing that it had made an accounting error, leading to an overstatement of cash by 30 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) on its 2017 financial statements. The company also revised downward its 2017 revenues by 8.9 billion yuan ($1.3 billion). Investors fled from Kangmeis stock, which tumbled by the 10 percent daily limit on April 30. Its bonds also fell by 20 percent, as creditors doubted the companys ability to repay its debt. The sheer size and type of the misstatement are alarming, given that cash is one of the most readily identifiable assets on the balance sheet. The revelation comes about four months after Kangmei told investors that it was being investigated by regulators for potential financial disclosure issues. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has recently stepped up efforts to delist companies whose accounting disclosures arent up to par. If the CSRC deems Kangmeis accounting error as a major violation, the company faces possible delisting from the Shanghai Stock Exchange. This isnt the first time Kangmeis financial position has been questioned. Earlier this year, Kangmei came close to defaulting on $300 million of bonds. It was saved in the 11th hour, when the Guangdong provincial government stepped in and told all regional hospitals that owed money to Kangmei to pay up (or their leaders would face disciplinary action), allowing Kangmei to raise the funds necessary to repay the debt. According to Caixin, a China-based financial magazine, Kangmei was implicated in several bribery cases involving government officials during 2018. Court documents showed the company bribed Cai Ming, the former director of the drug safety supervision department at the Guangdong Province Food and Drug Administration, to the tune of 300,000 yuan [about $44,500] from 2014 to 2015, Caixin reported. Inflow of Foreign Cash The Guangdong Province-based Kangmei is one of the Chinese companies that index provider MSCI Inc. added to its emerging markets index, a benchmark tracked by many global mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). MSCIs emerging markets benchmark is tracked by funds with $1.9 trillion in total assets under management, according to the Financial Times. As a result, about $100 billion of foreign capital is expected to flow into Chinas stock marketsincluding shares of Kangmeiby the end of 2019. Several institutional investors already own substantial shares of the Chinese pharmaceutical company. As of August 2018, BlackRocks iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF jointly held 1.1 million units of Kangmei stock, according to its annual report. Norges Bank Investment Management, investment adviser to the Norway Government Pension Fund, owned 6.1 million shares of Kangmei, as of December 2018. A Risky Bet for Investors Kangmeis financial indiscretions underscore the risk foreign investors are taking when investing in Chinese listed companies. Chinese companies are defaulting at a record pace. Last year was the biggest on record for onshore bond defaults, and 2019 will test regulators wills as Chinese corporations face a wall of bond maturities later this year. Reuters data shows Chinese issuers defaulted on bonds with a total face value of 23.3 billion yuan ($3.5 billion) during the first four months of 2019, a 70 percent increase from 2018. The 2018 defaults were mostly from small, unknown companies with little economic significance for China. But this year, some of the most well-known Chinese enterprises have been tied to bond defaults. In early April, CWT International, a Hong Kong-listed subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, defaulted on a loan it had taken out just months earlier. China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG), one of the countrys biggest financial firms, missed a bond interest payment in February. The influential financial giant was said to be favored by Chinese premier Li Keqiang. CMIG is showing various signs of financial distresswhich are complicated and beyond the scope of this reportand Bloomberg reported in April that the company had hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis as a legal advisor, possibly as a precursor to restructuring. Investors have to be more careful about Chinese firms reporting, Andrew Lam, a director at accounting firm BDO, told Bloomberg following the Kangmei disclosure. They will have to do real homework, examining closely companies financial reporting for any potential irregularities. Thats obvious. But to independently examine Chinese companies accounts is mission impossible for most investors. China has its own credit rating agencies and its own rating standards. There are almost zero companies rated below investment grade, making it difficult for investors to decipher a companys true credit-worthiness. On Wall Street, its widely believed that Chinese rating agencies standards are vastly inferior to the big three U.S. rating agencies Standard & Poors, Fitch Ratings, and Moodys. In addition, Chinese auditors charged with signing off on companies books dont abide by the same standards as those of the United States and are not subject to U.S. regulatory oversight, even if their clients are listed on U.S. exchanges. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board have failed for almost a decade to reach a resolution with Beijing to examine Chinese auditors work. Despite bipartisan support for more oversight of auditors who examine U.S.-listed Chinese companies, the China trade deal currently under consideration by the Trump administration doesnt mandate a resolution to this issue. It should be noted that the lack of oversight or transparency presents an opportunity for some sophisticated investorssuch as Muddy Watersto bet against certain Chinese companies based on proprietary research and investigation. But fundamentally, these are significant drawbacks for the ordinary investor. Its time for fund managers, U.S. regulators, and financial firms to be more transparent and educate their clients about the additional risks of investing in China. Bruce and Malana Paige at Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 4, 2019. (Yi Li/The Epoch Times) HONOLULUThrough dance and music, Shen Yun Performing Arts brought the audience in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a tour through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Bruce and Malana Paige were among the theatergoers at Blaisdell Concert Hall on the first day of Shen Yuns performances in the city on May 4. They were captivated by both the dance and music presented by the company. The dancers are so entertaining, all the color, everything is beautiful. Its wonderful, Bruce, an attorney, said. And the orchestra is so good. You dont even know that theyre there. Theyre amazing. New York-based Shen Yun is the premier classical Chinese dance company, whose guiding mission is to revive authentic Chinese culture through the arts. Every year, it tours the world with a brand-new program, incorporating dance vignettes, vocal soloists, and dance-based storytelling. Malana, a project administrator, used to be a professional dancer, and so appreciated the skill of the dancers on stage. Theyre amazing, theyre all excellent. Theyre flawless, she said. I love dance, I love [the] culture of dance, and just the gracefulness of the ladies and [their] preciseness. Shen Yuns dancers are experts in classical Chinese dance, as well as various folk and ethnic dance styles. Classical Chinese dance is an ancient art form, developed over thousands of years, which includes a complete system of movements and expressions. Along with mastering difficult physical components, dancers are also expected to hone their inner bearing, called yun. Yun requires the dancer to convey the inner world through their external expressions. Bruce perceived the symbolic quality of the dance, which he said represented the beauty and grace inherent in the culture. He also enjoyed the interplay between the dancers on stage with the 3-D animated backdrop, which enhanced the storytelling. That was so incredible, the way that you mix the actual physical state of the dance with the technology, Bruce said. The attorney commended the companys efforts to preserve Chinas ancient culture. Its nice to see the culture preserved, and the spiritual side, he said. Its nice to see its still young people doing it and promoting it and continue it on. Its just like the Hawaiian dance. Nice to see the culture keep thriving and, hopefully, the language, the dance all move forward. And stay in the younger generation. He himself felt privileged to be able to a participant in this exchange. Its so beautiful to be able to see other cultures, and their dance and their traditions, he said. Bruce added that the performance had something for everyone. No matter what age you are, you can come here and really enjoy it. He encapsulated his experience as: Amazing, spectacular, colorful, and memorable. Memorable for our first time and Im glad, and its worth it. With reporting by Yu Li. 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. Bartender Charged With Allegedly Serving Drunk Man Before He Killed 8 People in Shooting Rampage A 27-year-old bartender from Texas has been arrested for serving alcohol to an intoxicated man who went on a shooting spree killing 8 people shortly after leaving the bar. Lindsey Glass is charged under a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code (TABC) titled Sale to Certain Persons, which states that a person commits an offense if the person with criminal negligence sells an alcoholic beverage to an habitual drunkard or an intoxicated or insane person, reported NBC San Diego. A bartender accused of serving alcohol to an intoxicated man in 2017 before he went on a shooting rampage at a Plano Posted by NBC 7 San Diego on Saturday, May 4, 2019 The charge carries a penalty of $500 fine, up to a year in jail, or both. Her arrest comes more than a year after suspect Spencer James Hight, 32, open fired at a Dallas Cowboys-watching party killing eight peopleincluding his estranged wifeand injuring one. Hight was subsequently killed by police who responded to the call. According to a medical examiner, Hight had a blood alcohol level four times the states legal limit when he drove to his estranged wifes house. Family members of the victims launched a lawsuit against Glass and the bar in 2018, claiming that they had been negligent in serving Hight the alcohol knowing that he was intoxicated, according to WFAA. The lawsuit was later dropped. Lindsey Glass sold Spencer Hight alcohol the same night he shot and killed eight people at a Plano party. Posted by WFAA on Friday, May 3, 2019 According to the suit, Glass observed Hights unsteady gait as he bumped into patio furniture while extremely intoxicated, reported the news website. The suit also alleged that she texted another bartender, Timothy Brandt Banks, telling him that Hight was drunk and being weird. She added that he was spinning a knife on the bar and allegedly displayed a gun. Banks reportedly escorted Hight out of the bar to his car and asked him to leave his weapons there before he could re-enter the business. During this time, Banks suggested that due to Hights extreme intoxication, he should let Banks drive him home or call an Uber, according to the lawsuit, reported WFAA. Hight told Banks he was having problems with his estranged wife and had something to do tonight. Banks told Hight he should do them when he is sober to which Hight responded that he couldnt do the things he needs to do tonight without being this intoxicated,' it added. According to an affidavit, Glass completed certifications approved by Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC), reported NBC San Diego. The bar, Local Public House, reached an agreement with TABC in 2018 where it lost its business permit. However, as part of the agreement, the bar did not have to admit to wrongdoing, and the permit holder would not have to cancel any other active permits, reported WFAA. One victims mother, Debbie Lane, told WFAA that she did not agree with Glasss arrest. To single out this bartender seems unfair, a waste of resources and will accomplish nothing, she said. How about focusing on strengthening abused people so they can escape these monsters. The Morrison government will make a second $750 economic support payment to rescue low-income families out of the CCP virus outbreak. (Pixabay) Budget by Northern Territorys Labor Government to Flesh Out Recovery Plan The left-leaning Labor government of Australias Northern Territory will release its budget on Tuesdaya budget that will offer more details on how the territorial government plans to deal with its debt problem. More of the Northern Territory Labor governments plans to deal with its looming debt crisis will be detailed this week when it hands down the 2019/20 budget. The financial blueprint follows the release last month of a budget repair report prepared by former WA under-treasurer John Langoulant. He warned that unless changes were made, debt would soar to A$35.7 billion with a A$2 billion interest bill by 2029 that the Northern Territory would not able to service. Most of Langoulants 76 recommendations were accepted, with some fees going up and departments ordered to cut spending by A$11.2 billion over 10 years. What that means for the next financial year will be revealed when Treasurer Nicole Manison hands down the Territorys latest budget on Tuesday. Manison has already revealed some measures, with the Territory to axe 52 of its highest paid public servants, plus several hundred other full-time positions. It will also freeze the pay of politicians and public sector executives for three years to save A$25 million. Pay increases for the rest of the 21,000-plus public service will be fixed at A$1,000 a year for the next EBA. Manison said the public sector reforms in the Langoulant report were the biggest since the Territory was granted self-government in 1978. It is fair to say the days of 3 to 4 per cent wage increases are well and truly over, she said. Further job cuts are possible on Tuesday but unlikely as the government strives to return its finances to surplus by 2027/28. It has also promised not to slash frontline positions, such as police, nurses and teachers. Country Liberal Opposition Leader Gary Higgins recently criticised some of the revenue and savings measures arguing Territorians were being punished for the governments wasteful spending. He accused Labor of a move to tax lifestyle through new fees on personalised number plates, camping fees, museum entry fees and additional fees on fireworks. Forty-One Reported Killed After Russian Passenger Plane Crash-Lands in Moscow MOSCOWForty-one people on board a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane were killed on Sunday, including two children, after the aircraft caught fire as it made a bumpy emergency landing at a Moscow airport, Russian investigators said. Television footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash bouncing along the tarmac at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport before the rear part of the plane suddenly burst into flames. #BREAKING: Russian airline Aeroflot plane makes an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport after fire on board pic.twitter.com/Ro6m8iO09B Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 5, 2019 Many passengers on board SU 1492 then escaped via the planes emergency slides that inflated after the hard landing. The plane, which had been flying from Moscow to the northern Russian city of Murmansk, had been carrying 73 passengers and five crew members, Russias aviation watchdog said. Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for Russias Investigative Committee, said in a statement that only 37 out of 78 people on board had survived, meaning 41 people had lost their lives. No official cause has been given for the disaster. The Investigative Committee said it had opened an investigation and was looking into whether the pilots had breached air safety rules. Some passengers blamed bad weather and lightning. We took off and then lightning struck the plane, the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily cited one surviving passenger, Pyotr Egorov, as saying. The plane turned back and there was a hard landing. We were so scared, we almost lost consciousness. The plane jumped down the landing strip like a grasshopper and then caught fire on the ground. State TV broadcast mobile phone footage shot by another passenger in which people could be heard screaming. Reports claiming from 1 to 12 people killed on the Aeroflot Superjet that made a fiery emergency landing in Moscow, but @meduzaproject says a criminal case has been opened under article 263.3safety violations leading to the death of *two or more* people https://t.co/ySVAWQkycp pic.twitter.com/TR7Rrviojc Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 5, 2019 President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed their condolences and ordered investigators to establish what had happened. The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed informed source as saying the evacuation of the plane had been delayed by some passengers insisting on collecting their hand luggage first. Russian news agencies reported that injured passengers were being treated in hospitals. Debris In The Engines The Flightradar24 tracking service showed that the plane had circled twice over Moscow before making an emergency landing after just under 30 minutes in the air. The planes under-carriage gave way on impact and its engines caught fire. Interfax cited a source as saying the plane had only succeeded making an emergency landing on the second attempt and that some of the aircrafts systems had then failed. The emergency landing was so hard that debris had found its way into the engines, sparking a fire that swiftly engulfed the rear of the fuselage, the same source said. Russian investigators said they were looking into various versions. Russian news agencies reported that the plane had been produced in 2017 and had been serviced as recently as April this year. Aeroflot has long shaken off its troubled post-Soviet safety record and now has one of the worlds most modern fleets on international routes where it relies on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Russian officials are keen for Aeroflot to buy more Sukhoi Superjets, a regional airliner, for domestic flights to support the countrys fledgling civil aircraft industry. The plane is built in Russias Far East. A Sukhoi Superjet crashed in Indonesia in 2012, killing all 45 people on board in an accident blamed on human error. The Superjet entered service in 2011 and was the first new passenger jet developed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. It has been hit, however, by sporadic concerns over safety and reliability, including a December 2016 grounding after a defect was discovered in an aircrafts tail section. Russian officials said on Sunday it was premature to talk of grounding the Sukhoi Superjet for now. The plane is predominantly used by Russian airlines like Aeroflot, but is also used by a few other foreign operators, including a low-cost Mexican airline. Dozens of flights at Sheremetyevo were delayed because of the disaster. By Maria Tsvetkova and Andrew Osborn Chinese police parade a group of 15 convicted criminals to be sentenced in public, most of which are likely to face the death penalty, on November 15, 2004 in Xian, China. (China Photos/Getty Images) Gang Leader Evades Death Penalty for Two Decades Thanks to Political Connections A local gang leader in the southwestern city of Kunming was able to evade his death penalty punishment for two decades thanks to his parents roles in the local police. Sun Xiaoguo was convicted of rape and assault charges in two court cases, the latter in 1998 when he was sentenced to death. But thanks to protection from his mother, a police officer in the Kunming police bureau in charge of criminal cases, and his stepfather, then-deputy director at the local Guandu district police station, Sun got his punishment delayed and later was released from prison for good behavior. Entrepreneur and Gang Leader Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan Province, Chinas most southwestern region that is connected with Burma, Laos, and Vietnam. The state-run newspaper Kunming Daily reported on April 24 that amid a crackdown on local gangs launched by Kunming authorities, Sun Xiaoguo and his gang was arrested. Sun ran several front companies, as a board member of four local companies, including two trading companies, a restaurant management company, and an investment firm. He also previously ran several nightclubs in Kunming and nearby Yuxi and Wenshan cities, but sold his shares in them in 2017. On Tianyan Cha, a Chinese database of local businesses, Sun is listed as an entrepreneur. So far, those four companies are still in operation. Kunming authorities said Sun has been detained because he operates a gang, but has not filed formal charges. Juvenile Offender Sun in fact has a long criminal history. Sun, now 44, was born and raised in Kunming. His previous criminal case were exposed by the state-run, but more liberal-minded Southern Weekly, in January 1998. Investigative reporter Yu Liuwen said he was threatened by Suns mother after the report was published, who made a phone call to the newspapers office saying she would put him in prison. The article is no longer available online, while the court verdicts have been removed from local authorities websites. But through sleuthing, netizens recovered the articles and reposted them on social media. In October 1994, a local court convicted Sun and other five suspects of gang-raping two young women. According to the Southern Weekly report, which was based on interviews with dozens of local sources, after Sun was arrested, Suns parents arranged for his age to be changed from 19 to 17 years-old, so that he could be charged as a minor and receive a reduced punishment. In December 1995, the court sentenced Sun to three years in prison with a crime of rape, to be served until October 1997. Southern Weekly reported that Sun was not sent to prison, but in fact went straight home. Sentenced to Death Soon after, Sun was on the prowl again. According to the Southern Weekly report, citing court documents and interviews, on Nov. 7, 1997, Sun lured two underage girls to a nightclub. Inside a private room, Sun and his followers began to assault them. They punched and kicked them. One young woman faced the most brutal beating: they used cigarette butts to burn parts of her body, took off her clothes and used toothpicks to prick her nipples, repeatedly hit her head against the marble table, and peed on her face. The young woman lost consciousness. Suns followers sent the girls to the hospital after realizing they could be seriously injured. According to the subsequent police investigation, Sun had raped one of the women in June 1997 when he first knew her. Sun was also involved in the gang rape of at least six other teenagers, according to police files the Southern Weekly obtained. The newspaper also reported that since 1996, Sun asked many bars, clubs, and disco halls in Kunming to pay him protection fees, threatening that his gang would destroy their facilities if they did not comply. According to an internal book of Chinas biggest cases published by China Law Press in 1999, for the harm done to the two women, Sun was sentenced to death in February 1998 on charges of rape, insults to women, intentional injury, and picking quarrels and provoking trouble. The Kunming intermediate court sentenced Sun to death on Feb. 18, 1998. Sun appealed the sentence but the Yunnan supreme court upheld the sentence. But on March 9, 1999, Sun was found to still be alive. The Yunnan supreme court changed the death penalty to include two years reprieve. In September 2001, the court again changed his sentence, to 18.5 years in prison. The prison then released Sun early in 2012, citing good behavior. State-run newspaper The Paper reported on April 26 that the police officers in charge of his case at the involved police bureaus and the Kunming Prison are now under investigation. (R) Charlie Gerow and fellow tellers count the elector's votes from a ballot box in the House of Representatives chamber of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building December 19, 2016 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mark Makela/Getty Images How Americans Elect a President and the Danger of Direct Popular Vote Commentary When Americans go to the polls in November presidential elections, they dont cast ballots for the president and vice president directly. They chose among slates of presidential electors pledged to different candidates. These electors, in turn, vote the following month for president and vice president. Each state has as many electors as senators and representatives in Congress. Thus, Pennsylvanias 18 representatives and two senators entitle it to 20 electors; Wyomings single representative and two senators entitle it to three electors. In addition to electors from all the states, three electors are assigned to the District of Columbia, bringing the total to 538. The electors collectively form the Electoral College. (In this context, college means an organization, not an educational institution.) The Constitution grants the electors their sole power and function: to assemble in their respective state capitals to cast ballots for president and vice president. After doing so, they disperse permanently. The entire group never meets in the same place. To win a presidential or vice presidential election, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of electoral votescurrently 270. Sometimes, although rarely, the electors split among multiple candidates, so no candidate wins an absolute majority. Consider this hypothetical election: Candidate A 200 votes Candidate B 180 votes Candidate C 88 votes Candidate D 70 votes Total 538 votes Candidate A has won a 37 percent pluralitythat is, he received more ballots than any other person. But no one has garnered an absolute majority (50 percent plus one). So the Constitution mandates a run-off election in the House of Representatives. The representatives choose among the top three candidates, voting by state delegation (one state/one vote). At least two-thirds of state delegations must be present, and election requires a majority of states (26 of 50). Similarly, if no candidate for vice president garners an Electoral College majority, the Senate holds a run-off among the top two vote-getters. Two-thirds of all senators must participate, and election requires a majority of all senators (51 of 100). The majority requirements in the Electoral College and in the run-off elections ensure that our top two officeholders enjoy broad national support. Careful Consideration The Constitutions framers devoted much attention to how the president and vice president are chosen. They considered many methodsamong them direct popular vote, election by Congress, and election by state governors. Some writers claim the framers adopted an indirect election procedure because they didnt trust democracy. This is an oversimplification. The framers balanced many factors: Enabling the president to make decisions independently of Congress or the states. Ensuring the president represents the nation as a whole rather than merely some sections. Ensuring that even if the president is not the most popular person in the country, he has enough support to govern. Ensuring that election is free from foreign dictates, mob behavior, and excessive influence from special interests. Ensuring participation by both national and state constituencies. Increasing the chances the president is competent to govern. After being refined by the 12th amendment (1804), this procedure has worked well. First, it ensures that the president has widespread public support. The popular vote leader wins more than 90 percent of the time, and usually garners an absolute majority. Since the election of 1864the first time the people voted for electors in every stateeven in multi-candidate elections, no successful candidate has received less than 41 percent of the popular vote. The system also screens out primarily regional candidates, even when they win narrow popular vote pluralities. It frustrates foreign governments efforts to influence elections. It forestalls the mob behavior and special interest influence that might occur if electors met in one place. It also preserves the presidents independence from Congress and the states. Only in one respect has the method of presidential election disappointed: Electors were supposed to be leaders in their respective states, exercising informed discretion. The idea was to ensure the election of competent presidents. However, most states have laws dictating how electors vote. This explains why electors are often mere party hacks and why some recent presidents havent been ideally equipped for the job. Those state laws are probably unconstitutional, and are now under court challenge. Danger of Change Currently, a group called National Popular Vote (NPV) is promoting a plan to alter the procedure. The group wants state legislatures to make a deal, whereby state voters would no longer choose their own electors. Instead, each state would award its electors to whomever receives a national popular vote plurality. NPV would impose on the United States the bare plurality-winner method that prevails in Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines, and Venezuela. Experience in those counties shows that the NPV system often results in a candidate winning the presidency even though the overwhelming majority of voters oppose him. For example, in Mexicos 2006 election, the three leading candidates received 36, 35, and 22 percent of the vote, respectively. The candidate with the 36 percent plurality became president. In the 1992 context in the Philippines, the winner garnered less than 24 percent in an election with seven major candidates. The winner became president despite the opposition of three-quarters of the electorate. NPV encourages electoral corruption and campaigns by candidates with only regional support. Interest in NPV has grown because in 2016 Donald Trump won the Electoral College while losing the popular tally 46 percent to 48 percent. However, the procedure worked as intended in 2016, because it screened out a candidate whose support was heavily regional (coastal). Moreover, people complaining that Trump won with only 46 percent should understand that in NPV countries, the winner usually receives a good deal less than that. NPV also may facilitate the election of would-be dictators. A parliamentary example is Adolph Hitler, who became chancellor of Germany because his Nazi Party won a 33 percent plurality. A presidential example is the 1970 election in Chile, where Salvador Allende, a communist, became president with 37 percent. (Chile subsequently altered its system.) Another presidential example is the 2006 election in Nicaragua, where Marxist Daniel Ortega gained the presidency with 38 percent. He promptly ended honest elections in his country. This plurality-winner feature is only one of NPVs many defects. The plan is probably unconstitutional, and it offers great incentives to corruption. The fact that many Americans have accepted it testifies to the need for better public education about the Constitution and the constitutional system. Rob Natelson served as a law professor for 25 years at three universities. He taught constitutional law, and is now senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at the Independence Institute in Denver. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including The Original Constitution: What It Actually Said and Meant. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A picture shows the remains of a building in Gaza City on May 5, 2019, after it was hit during retaliatory Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave. Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists fired fresh rocket barrages at Israel early Sunday, killing one and wounding dozens. (Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images) Israeli Army Poised for Gaza Ground Attack After Terrorist Missile Barrage Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered the military to continue massive attacks in Gaza in response to a terrorist missile barrage that killed four Israelis and wounded dozens. Netanyahu was quoted by The Times of Israel as saying that Hamas, the terrorist group he said was responsible for the more than 600 rockets fired toward Israel over the past 24-plus hours, was paying a very heavy price. The prime minister spoke at a cabinet meeting at the Knesset, Israels parliament, on May 5, The Times reported, saying he had ordered the army to continue the massive attacks against terror targets in the Gaza Strip and boost the forces around Gaza with ground, armored and artillery forces. Hamas bears responsibility not only for its attacks and actions, but also for the Islamic Jihad actions, and it is paying a very heavy price for it, Netanyahu said. Netanyahu also expressed condolences to the family of 58-year-old Moshe Agadi, identified as the first Israeli to be killed in hostilities since 2014. Since then, at least two more civilian Israeli deaths from the barrage have been reported, with some accounts reporting a fourth death. In a targeted attack, Israel also killed Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary. IDF Destroys Hamas HQ The Israeli military was cited by The Times as saying that in its response, it had targeted operatives belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group (PIJ). An IDF (Israel Defense Forces) aircraft attacked members of the PIJ terror group who were in a munitions warehouse in the southern Strip, the army said in a statement cited by The Times. Earlier, the IDF posted a video on Twitter showing a building identified as a Hamas HQ, explaining, In this building, Hamas used to order terror attacks and used to transfer money, supplies & logistics for the sake of killing Israelis. The IDF said it had destroyed the building. In response to 250+ rockets fired from #Gaza at Israel, we struck a Hamas HQ. In this building, Hamas used to order terror attacks and used to transfer money, supplies & logistics for the sake of killing Israelis. Emphasis on the used to. We destroyed it. pic.twitter.com/Bh2zhCGzCF Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 4, 2019 Dozens Wounded Earlier, air raid sirens sent Israelis in the countrys south, near Gaza, running to their shelters through the night as interceptor missiles blew up rockets in the sky. The latest round of violence began May 3, when a PIJ sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. 200+ rockets rained down on the homes of Israeli families today. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/XZoqPabuQ6 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 4, 2019 A 58-year-old Israeli man was killed in the city of Ashkelon and dozens were wounded across southern Israel overnight, as a result of rockets that were fired into Israel by #Gaza terrorists. pic.twitter.com/rd1ydHwUE1 Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 5, 2019 Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two terrorists from the armed Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. Since May 4, Hamas and PIJ terrorists fired more than 600 rockets at Israeli villages and cities, according to Haaretz. Israel hit back with tank shelling and air strikes at some 200 targets in Gaza. Israeli bombings in Gaza shook buildings and sent Palestinians fleeing for cover. The PIJ said two of its fighters were killed in an Israeli pre-dawn raid. According to Haaretz, 19 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more injured as a result of Israeli retaliatory strikes. A pregnant woman and a one-year-old baby were among the casualties, according to the report. The Independent cited Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israeli army, as saying Israeli intelligence determined that the pregnant woman and the baby had been killed by a Palestinian rocket. NEW: Israeli military says the mother and baby killed in Gaza yesterday were killed by a misfired Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli air strike. We can now confirm that they were killed by accident as a result of Hamas fire, an IDF spokesman says. Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) May 5, 2019 Double War Crime Wherever you are in the world, whether you are now going to sleep or just starting your day you need to know that for the second day in a row, Israelis are waking up to rocket fire from Gaza, the IDF wrote on Twitter. The post contains a clip with footage of rocket launches and strikes along with a message, The lives of men, women, and children in Israel are at risk. This is why: Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in Gaza are firing hundreds of rockets from civilian areas in Gaza towards civilian areas in Israel. This double war crime indiscriminately targets Israeli civilians while putting the Gazan people at risk. Hamas and PIJs use of human shields is inhumane and their targeting of Israeli civilians is a crime. Wherever you are in the world, whether you are now going to sleep or just starting your day you need to know that for the second day in a row, Israelis are waking up to rocket fire from Gaza. pic.twitter.com/8kxq0unhsZ Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019 Conricus said on May 4 that Israel was prepared to intensify its defensive actions. He added that PIJ was trying to destabilize the border, blaming Hamas for failing to rein it in. In a joint statement, Hamas and PIJ said, Our response will be broader and more painful if the enemy pursues its aggression. Aerial exchanges have been frequent between Hamas and Israel over the past five years. US Condemns Terror Attacks The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem condemned the rocket attacks launched from Gaza. The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel, the embassy wrote in a tweet. The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel. https://t.co/KieyUyyX0e USEmbassyJerusalem (@usembassyjlm) May 5, 2019 State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self-defense against these abhorrent attacks. A State Department travel advisory urges U.S. citizens to be careful if traveling to Israel and to remain alert to emergency situations. Reuters contributed to this report. Kim Kardashian during an earlier function at the White House, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) Kim Kardashian Helps Free Man Serving Life Sentence for Low-Level Offense Kim Kardashian West just helped secure the release of another inmate from prison; this time a man who served over two decades for a low-level drug offense. She made the announcement on Friday, May 3, on her Twitter account. We did it again, she wrote to her 60 million followers. Had the best call w/this lovely family & my attorney @msbkb who just won release for their loved one Jeffrey in Miami he served 22 years of life sentence for low level drug case. He served too much time but it gives me so much joy to fund this life saving work. She added a photo of Stringer and his family members, looking thrilled to have him released. We did it again! Had the best call w/this lovely family & my attorney @msbkb who just won release for their loved one Jeffrey in Miami he served 22 years of life sentence for low level drug case. He served too much time but it gives me so much joy to fund this life saving work. pic.twitter.com/pbYicKmFpJ Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 3, 2019 Sources close to the case told TMZ that Stringer was convicted for drug possession when he was 25, and because he already had two previous drug charges/offenses, he got life under the federal three-strikes law. However, he was able to be cleared this time because his attorney, Brittany K. Barnett, argued that Stringer should be released under the First Step Act, the bipartisan criminal justice reform law that reduced mandatory minimum sentences and allowed for more good-time credits for prisoners with good behavior. Congress just passed the Criminal Justice Reform Bill known as the #FirstStepAct. Congratulations! This is a great bi-partisan achievement for everybody. When both parties work together we can keep our Country safer. A wonderful thing for the U.S.A.!! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 Stringers release follows similar work Kardashian West did in 2018, when she met with President Donald Trump in the White House to ask him to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving life in prison for drug conspiracy and money laundering. She learned of the womans story in early 2018 and wrote on Twitter, This is so unfair. This is so unfair https://t.co/W3lPINbQuy Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 26, 2017 Johnson, a 63-year-old grandmother, was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence plus 25 years after being convicted in a drug trafficking and money laundering case. She was arrested in 1993 and has been in prison since Oct. 1996. Johnson was not eligible for parole. Kardashian West then contacted Trumps daughter, Ivanka Trump, who connected Kardashian with her husband, Jared Kushnerwho was working on a prison reform initiative at the time. Trump eventually commuted Johnsons sentence after Kardashians intervention. Following the victory, Kardashian West tweeted: It started with Ms. Alice, but looking at her and seeing the faces and learning the stories of the men and women Ive met inside prisons I knew I couldnt stop at just one. Its time for REAL systemic change. It started with Ms. Alice, but looking at her and seeing the faces and learning the stories of the men and women Ive met inside prisons I knew I couldnt stop at just one. Its time for REAL systemic change pic.twitter.com/kdKr8s6lJW Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) September 5, 2018 In a recent interview with Vogue, the reality TV star revealed that shes studying to be a lawyer. She told the publication that last summer she decided to start a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in San Francisco, with the goal of taking the bar exam in 2022. I had to think long and hard about this, she said. She told the magazine her successful advocacy work in seeking clemency for Alice Marie Johnsons sentence inspired her career change. The White House called me to advise to help change the system of clemency, and Im sitting in the Roosevelt Room with, like, a judge who had sentenced criminals and a lot of really powerful people and I just sat there, like, Oh, [expletive] I need to know more, she explained to Vogue. I never in a million years thought we would get to the point of getting laws passed, she said. That was really a turning point for me. From NTD News U.S. Secret Service officers stop activists of an embassy protection group, including Medea Benjamin of CodePink, from approaching a back entrance of the Embassy of Venezuela during a confrontation with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido supporters in in Washington, D.C., on May 2, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Liberal US Activists Face Backlash for Occupying Venezuelan Embassy, Clashing With Anti-Maduro Venezuelans Liberal American activists from the group Code Pink are facing backlash for occupying the abandoned Venezuelan embassy in Washington while defending the regime of illegitimate dictator Nicolas Maduro. About 50 activists from the women-led anti-war group have lived in the embassy for several weeks to show their support for the socialist dictator and vowed to protect the building from a hostile takeover, reported Fox News. The U.S. State Department has labeled them as trespassers and has encouraged them to vacate the building, according to a statement. The Venezuelan government, led by interim President Juan Guaido, has legal authority over the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C., the spokesperson said told the news broadcaster, adding that, We encourage the remaining unauthorized individuals to vacate the building and to conduct any future protest peacefully and through legal means. This week, a group of demonstrators, many of whom are born in Venezuela and are against the socialist regime, gathered in front of the embassy, demanding that the Code Pink activists leave. Those people right there, theyre not Venezuelan. They dont have a passport. They dont have our IDs, Clemente Pinate, 32, told Fox News. Pinate said he was from Venezuela and came to the United States when he was 12. Another pro-Guaido demonstrator said, Were here today to denounce the trespassing of Code Pink. This is a property of the people of Venezuela. Its an asset of the nation, and the nation is now facing a transitiona transition to democracy. The socialist South American country has spiraled into humanitarian, economic, and political chaos after Maduro refused to step down under mounting international pressure. In mid-January, Venezuelas duly elected National Assembly declared Maduros presidency illegitimate due to a fraudulent election and instead swore in Juan Guaido as the interim president. But Maduro has refused to give up control. The State Department had previously demanded all Venezuelan diplomats representing the Maduro regime in the United States to return to Venezuela. Guaido, who is recognized by more than 50 nations as Venezuelas legitimate president, launched a final phase plan on April 30 to oust the socialist dictator and bring freedom to the country. The interim president gathered a small contingent of heavily armed troops and called for Venezuelans and the military to rise upa move that is supported by the United States. Maduro was ready to leave Venezuela but didnt follow through after Russia coaxed him into staying, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Videos of incidents outside the embassy have also been circulating on social media. In one video, a Code Pink activist allegedly pushed two pro-Guaido demonstratorsone who was visibly pregnantcausing the police to arrest him. Today I was attacked by a member of @Codepink. Im 27 weeks pregnant and he knew that but he did not care. #OperacionLiberdad #OperationLibertyDC pic.twitter.com/gvCwaavFnn Mariana Umana (@itsmarianaus) May 4, 2019 #NOW outside of embassy: a Code Pink member is arrested for ATTACKING A PREGNANT OPPOSITION PROTESTER. And you claim to be peaceful, this is what Maduro supporters look like. Shame on YOU! #OperationLibertyDC #venezuela #OperacionLibertad pic.twitter.com/B4uAUtT76d Ask a Venezuelan (@askavenezuelan) May 3, 2019 In another video, a man who appeared pro-Guaido tried to reason with a woman, who appeared pro-Maduro. Indicative of the kind of discussions happening outside the Venezuelan embassy right now. pic.twitter.com/LhNGDhkiBa Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox) May 2, 2019 Se prendio https://t.co/JX5DxInDi9 Nellie Belen Izarza (@myteks) May 4, 2019 Backlash Code Pink has been criticized by prominent commentators and former government officials for supporting the socialist Maduro regime. . @ codepink is a harmless joke of an organization. But this LARPing at the Venezuelan embassy is mildly sinister. Millions of Venezuelans struggle for free and fair elections. And Code Pink defends Venezuelas tyrant. Call this stunt what it is, an act of moral illiteracy, Eli Lake, a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, wrote on Twitter. .@codepink is a harmless joke of an organization. But this LARPing at the Venezuelan embassy is mildly sinister. Millions of Venezuelans struggle for free and fair elections. And Code Pink defends Venezuelas tyrant. Call this stunt what it is, an act of moral illiteracy. Eli Lake (@EliLake) May 3, 2019 Too funnyall these trolls supporting the Maduro regime are simply outraged that I would suggest handling @ codepink usurping the # Venezuela embassy in Washington in the same manner as Maduro treats his own peopleno water, no electricity, feeding them CRAP I mean CLAP, tweeted Eric Farnsworth, the vice president of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society in Washington. Too funnyall these trolls supporting the Maduro regime are simply outraged that I would suggest handling @codepink usurping the #Venezuela embassy in Washington in the same manner as Maduro treats his own peopleno water, no electricity, feeding them CRAP I mean CLAP Eric Farnsworth (@ericfarns) May 2, 2019 Meanwhile, Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) wrote a letter to Pompeo asking him to remove the Code Pink activists from the embassy. The U.S. must remain strong in its support of the Venezuelan people and the legitimate government led by interim president @ jguaido. Ive asked @ SecPompeo to remove the illegal occupants from the radical group @ codepink from the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, he wrote. The U.S. must remain strong in its support of the Venezuelan people and the legitimate government led by interim president @jguaido. Ive asked @SecPompeo to remove the illegal occupants from the radical group @codepink from the Venezuelan embassy in Washington. pic.twitter.com/oNh9OOfRgY Rep. Scott Tipton (@RepTipton) May 3, 2019 Despite the calls for them to vacate, Code Pink has refused to leave. When Gustavo Tarre Briceno, a Guaido appointed representative, arrived at the building on May 3, he was called a puppet of the U.S. government by Code Pink activists. How OAS imposter @tarrebriceno was welcomed at the Maduro governments US embassy today: You are not welcome here! This is not your embassy! You are an assassin! Tarre: denounce the US sanctions that are killing your ppl in VZLA! Youre a puppet of the US government! pic.twitter.com/e59wdPPyWG Anya Parampil (@anyaparampil) May 3, 2019 According to Capital Research Center, a think tank that probes into how foundations, charities, and other nonprofits spend money and get involved in politics and advocacy, Code Pink is comprised of serious and very radical political activists. They subscribe in varying degrees to strands of Marxist, neo-Marxist, and progressive left-wing thought, and their ideas belong to a long and complex history of radical politics going back to the early Bolsheviks, John J. Tierney wrote in a 2006 article about the group. Maryland Police Recover 2 Bodies From Helicopter Crash KENT ISLANDPolice in Maryland said divers found a helicopter that crashed into the Chesapeake Bay, and recovered the bodies of both people on board from the battered cockpit about 55 feet below the surface. Maryland Natural Resources Police Capt. Brian Albert said divers with his agency and Maryland State Police recovered the bodies Saturday night off Kent Islands Bloody Point, about 20 miles southeast of Annapolis, Maryland. Authorities identified the pilot as Charles Knight, 38, of Mount Airy, Maryland, and the passenger was Matt Clark, 36, of Pasadena, Maryland. Praying for the families of 38 y.o. Charles Knight of Mt Airy and 36 y.o. Matt Clarke of Pasadena, after their helicopter crashed in a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay this afternoon. Police have suspended their search and rescue and will transition to recovery in the morning. pic.twitter.com/SS5X5M1vUa Anne Cutler (@AnneCutler) May 5, 2019 Albert said there was a field of debris on the surface, none of it bigger than a laptop computer, but the helicopter came to rest largely intact on the floor of the bay. He said theyll use inflatable air bags to raise it to the surface, and the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the cause. The helicopter crashed into the Chesapeake Bay off Kent Island, Maryland, on Saturday afternoon, May 4. The authorities responded to a report at around 12:30 p.m. that a helicopter had crashed, Maryland Natural Resources Police Capt. Brian Albert told the Baltimore Sun. The brother of an onboard passenger was boating in the area and saw the incident happening, and notified authorities CNN reported. Anne Arundel County Fire Department sent a dive team to the scene to locate the missing passengers. BREAKING: There are reports of a helicopter down in the Chesapeake Bay off of Kent Island, Md., more specifically Bloody Point. Private boats report seeing wreckage floating in the water. The U.S. Coast Guard and other first responders are currently scrambling to the scene. pic.twitter.com/QPTMHznDeu Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) May 4, 2019 Brandi Colbert, a witness who works in the Kent Point Marina, told the Baltimore Sun that the helicopter went over the marina and disappeared. Volunteers are currently responding to a helicopter down in the Chesapeake bay. (9-62 Box). Please move over for responding units. Posted by Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday, May 4, 2019 Epoch Times reporter Allen Zhong and The Associated Press contributed to this report. House Select Committee on Intelligence ranking member Devin Nunes (R-CA) confers with Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) (back to camera) during a hearing concerning 2016 Russian interference tactics in the U.S. elections, in the Rayburn House Office Building, March 28, 2019 in Washington. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Nunes Seeks Documents on Maltese Professor at Genesis of Russia Probe House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is looking to learn more about Joseph Mifsud, the mysterious Maltese professor whose statements reportedly trace back to the origin of the FBIs Russia-collusion investigation. Nunes wrote a letter (pdf) on May 3 to the heads of the FBI, CIA, the State Department, and the National Security Agency requesting all documents related to Mifsud. In the indictment against Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, special counsel Robert Mueller portrayed Mifsud as a Russian asset. In the letter, Nunes points to evidence of Mifsuds extensive ties to Western governments and intelligence, including the U.S. Department of State and the FBI. Nunes argues that Mifsuds true allegiance should be ascertained. If Mifsud has extensive, suspicious contacts among Russian officials as portrayed in the Special Counsels report, then an incredibly wide range of Western institutions and individuals may have been compromised by him, including our own State Department, Nunes wrote. Alternately, if Mifsud is not, in fact, a counterintelligence threat, then that would cast doubt on the Special Counsels fundamental depiction of him and his activities, and raise questions about the veracity of the Special Counsels statements and affirmations. In April 2016, Mifsud told Papadopoulos that Russia had dirt on rival presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. Weeks later, Papadopoulos repeated that claim to Australian diplomat Alexander Downer, who then passed the information to American authorities. The FBI, in turn, used this conversation between Downer and Papadopoulos as the reason to start the Russia investigation, according to the final report (pdf) by the special counsel. The special counsel finished his investigation in March, concluding that there is no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The final report shows that Muellers team didnt find any evidence that Papadopoulos informed the campaign about what he learned from Mifsud. Nunes points out that Muellers final report includes many details on Mifsuds ties to Russia but omits entirely the trove of evidence on Mifsuds extensive ties to Western governments and intelligence. For example, the special counsels report cites an article by The Guardian to establish that Papadopoulos met Mifsud at Link Campus University in Rome. The report quotes the Guardian to describe the university as a for-profit institution headed by a former government official, but omits reporting from the same article suggesting that the university had a reputation for being closely connected to some elements within the Italian intelligence services. Nunes also points to open-source evidence showing Mifsuds ties to government officials and organizations in Malta, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and the United States. The special counsel interviewed Mifsud in February 2017, more than six months after starting an investigation for which he served as the origin. Muellers report alleges that Mifsud lied to the investigators during that interview. Unlike Papadopouloswho served time in prison for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Mifsudthe special counsel never charged Mifsud with a crime for lying to the bureau about his contacts with Papadopoulos. Nunes points to the relatively late date of the FBIs interview with Mifsud to ask how the FBI knew to question Papadopoulos about Clintons emails repeatedly in 2016 and 2017. Papadopoulos vehemently denies having told Downer anything about Clintons emails, claiming he had only mentioned to the Australian diplomat that Russians had dirt on the former secretary of state. Nunes suggests the FBI could only be posing questions about emails if the bureau already somehow received the information directly or indirectly from Mifsud himself. On May 2, The New York Times identified a second spy who approached the Trump campaign in 2016. The woman, whose pseudonym is Azra Turk, asked Papadopoulos in London whether the Trump campaign was working with Russia. Turk pretended to be an aide to Stefan Halper, the professor identified last year as an FBI spy. The letter by Nunes is part of several inquiries looking at the origins of the FBIs investigation of the Trump campaign. Attorney General William Barr, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, and the Senate Judiciary Committee are conducting related inquiries. At Least 13 Killed After Russian Passenger Plane Catches Fire Mid-Air MOSCOWAt least 13 people on board a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane were killed on Sunday when the plane caught fire mid-air and made an emergency landing at a Moscow airport on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported. Television footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet-100 making an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport with much of the rear part of the plane engulfed in flames. Many passengers then escaped via the planes emergency slides that inflated after the hard landing. Medical workers told the TASS news agency at least 13 people had been killed and that others remained unaccounted for. Russian news agencies said the plane, which had been flying from Moscow to the northern Russian city of Murmansk before turning back, had been carrying 78 passengers. It was unclear how many crew had been on board. Russian investigators said they had opened an investigation and were looking into whether the pilots had breached air safety rules. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Aeroflot Flight SU1492 returned to Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, making an emergency landing, news agency Interfax reported. Interfax news agency reported that the tail was completely burned and said a rescue team was trying to find survivors in that part of the plane. 1 person died & 4 were injured in the fiery emergency landing of the Aeroflot Superjet 100 in Moscow, according to the 1st official statement on casualties. @tass_agency says the crew confirmed the plane was hit by lightning after takeoff https://t.co/zg8d93xtbz pic.twitter.com/vQwCyDqhTj Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 5, 2019 The plane was a one-year-old Sukhoi Superjet and requested an emergency landing shortly after take-off, due to the fire, according to Russian state media. The plane had registration number RA-89098. Flightradar24 tracking service showed that it made two circles around Moscow and landed after about 45 minutes. TV footage showed the plane landing with its tail ablaze. On the ground, black smoke billowed from the plane. Videos circulating on social media show the plane engulfed in flames on the tarmac and people evacuating through emergency slides. #BREAKING: Russian airline Aeroflot plane makes an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport after fire on board pic.twitter.com/Ro6m8iO09B Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 5, 2019 Reports claiming from 1 to 12 people killed on the Aeroflot Superjet that made a fiery emergency landing in Moscow, but @meduzaproject says a criminal case has been opened under article 263.3safety violations leading to the death of *two or more* people https://t.co/ySVAWQkycp pic.twitter.com/TR7Rrviojc Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 5, 2019 Aeroflot, the unofficial national airline of Russia, confirmed that the fire occurred but hasnt said exactly how many people were injured. The CNN Wire contributed to this report. The parents of an American tourist to fell to his death in Australia have revealed the last photo he took. (Google Street View) Parents Release Last Photo of Utah Teen Who Fell to His Death in Australia The parents of an American tourist to fell to his death in Australia have revealed the last photo he took. Gavin Paul Zimmerman, 19, fell off a cliff at Cape Solander, a popular tourist spot near Sydney, according to the Daily Mail. Zimmerman was a missionary with the Church of Latter Day Saints, and he died about a year ago. His parents recently spoke out about the final photo he took. Its a selfie, you can see all the people around. He looks so happy! He had a smile on his face, it looked like a beautiful day, Ray Zimmerman, his father, was quoted as saying by the news outlet on May 5. An LDS missionary from Utah fell and died Monday while sightseeing with other missionaries in Australia. Elder Gavin Posted by Deseret News on Monday, July 23, 2018 He added that it appeared as if there was plenty of room between him and the edge, I mean I didnt think, there was no alarm. The photo, he said, looked perfectly fine. When his son took the photo and uploaded it, Ray Zimmerman responded, but his son didnt respond and so the father thought he was busy. The 19-year-old had been taking selfies when the accident occurred. Posted by The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, July 23, 2018 Then I said, Ill talk to you next week, bud. Love ya and then we get the knock on the door a few hours [later], he told the Daily Mail. At the time, a local Australian official said his fall appeared to be accidental. At this stage it appears to be a misadventure; he has slipped and fallen over the edge and unfortunately died, New South Wales Police Chief Inspector Chris Hill was quoted by the Deseret News as saying. About a month before his death, another man fell and died at the same location. A friend, Gio Grillo, told the ABC that the younger Zimmerman promised to take photos of the area. The 19-year-old who died after falling from a cliff while whale-watching had been in Australia for almost a year. Posted by 7NEWS Australia on Monday, July 23, 2018 He emailed me right before he left with the other missionaries, she told the news outlet. We talked about things we were going to do after he got home from his mission and how excited he was to reach his one-year mark [in Australia] in August, Grillo added. Then he said he might lose signal because they were going to the cliffs and so he said he would take lots of pictures and email me next week to show me, she continued. After his death, his parents described Zimmerman as a great example to us all who loved his mission very much, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. According to Yahoo News, police found Zimmerman floating in the water. Paramedics performed CPR, but they were unable to save his life. Hill, who noted that people go to Cape Solander to watch whales, called on tourists visiting the area to be careful. Cape Solander is known as one of the best whale watching spots in Sydney. Those rocks are very slippery. For your safety, we recommend that you stay up on the whale-watching platform and please dont go down on the rocks, he said, according to the news outlet. Selfie Deaths The Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care said that about 259 people have died since 2011 while taking selfies. Most of the victims are under the age of 30 and about 72 percent were male, the organization said. It noted that men were more likely to take riskier photos. Selfie deaths have become an emerging problem and we performed this study to assess the epidemiology of selfie-related deaths across the globe, said an abstract published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Elaborating further, The highest number of incidents and selfie-deaths has been reported in India followed by Russia, United States, and Pakistan, according to the U.S. agency. Drowning, transport, and fall form the topmost reasons for deaths caused by selfies. We also classified reasons for deaths due to selfie as risky behavior or non-risky behavior. Risky behavior caused more deaths and incidents due to selfies than non-risky behavior. The number of deaths in females is less due to risky behavior than non-risky behavior while it is approximately three times in males, it said. File photo showing Kaylee, a Golden Retriever, jumping into a pool of water during the 2018 Melbourne Dog Lovers Show in Australia on May 4, 2018. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Police Identify Suspects In Case of Dog Thrown Off Cliff in England Police in Britain have identified the suspects involved in the case of a dog thrown off a cliff and into the sea. Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed in a statement that they identified the people responsible for the disturbing incident that took place at an unspecified location near Falmouth, Cornwall, on May 1, where the cliffs are said to tower over 100 feet high. We are currently working with the local @RSPCA_official in this case and have identified those involved, the police announced on May 3. We are currently working with the local @RSPCA_official in this case and have identified those involved. Thank you 603 Falmouth Police (@FalmouthPolice) May 3, 2019 We ask that people, including users of social media, do not speculate around the circumstances of this incident, or the individual involved, a police spokesman said, according to Cornwall Live. The police spokesman also urged the public not to take the law into their own hands. Disturbing Video In a video obtained by Daily Mail, a young, red-haired fellow holds a dog up with both of his hands before throwing it out to sea. The dog still has its leash on. The dog can be seen wiggling and writhing as it flies through the air. SO EVIL!!PRAY THEY FIND HIM & LOCK HIM UP & The sick person who took this picture. Posted by Iris Colan on Thursday, May 2, 2019 As the dog hits the water, it immediately heads for the nearby shore, where it appears to reach land unharmed. The video footage was spread widely on social media before it was deleted, according to Daily Mail. Police confirmed that the dog was not injured, despite speculations on social media to the contrary, Cornwall Live reported. We are aware of an incident of animal cruelty which has been reported in Falmouth. This matter is being investigated. Please appreciate that we need to do this effectively without intrusion or inaproppriate [sic] comments or threats. The dog is alive, uninjured, safe and well, Falmouth & Helston Police posted on their Facebook page. Some of the commenters were relieved that the dog went unharmed. Good the dog survived as lots of rumours saying that he died of a broken back afterwards. Shocking poor dog hope the person responsible is dealt with appropriately [sic], commented Helen Buckland on the polices post. Others were also outraged by what they had been in the video. What is there to investigate, the video shows exactly what happened, there is no ambiguity concerning the cruelty to the dog, the perpetrators have been clearly identified. That animal should now be safe and well, removed from the care of its owners [sic], commented Debra Clegg. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is also investigating. We have been made aware of some upsetting footage showing a dog being thrown off a cliff in Falmouth, Cornwall, reads a statement from the animal group, obtained by BBC. We are very concerned about this incident and would like to reassure people we are looking into it. Animal Cruelty Laws The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to put the law to implement animal protection laws, according to the BBC. In 1822, the parliament passed an act that would prevent the cruel treatment of cattle. The first general animal protection law was introduced in 1911 and had gone through various changes since then. The Protection of Animals Act was replaced with the Animal Welfare Act to include animal abuses and similar scenarios and was implemented fully in England and Wales in 2007. In addition, according to The Independent, under a new law, people who abuse animals will face a much steeper punishmentwith up to five years in prison. Before these stricter laws were put in place to prevent cruelty to animals, people often only faced six months of prison for their actions. According to Environment Secretary Michael Gove, the new rules were necessary to combat the cruelty of animals. This new legislation would also be enforced on gangs whose activities revolve around organized dog fighting, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The sentencing will largely depend on the severity of the case, according to the news outlet, and under this new legislation, the courts could hand out unlimited bans, disallowing animal abusers from owning or raising pets. We are a nation of animals lovers and so we must ensure that those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals face suitably tough punishments, Gove said. These plans will give courts the tools they have requested to deal with the most abhorrent acts. This came after courts said that an option to impose graver punishments for animal abusers would be used. One case, a man bought a number of puppies just so he could abuse them, according to The Independent. We now feel that those who commit these acts will soon be receiving sentences that reflect the seriousness of their crime and hope this will act as a real deterrent against cruelty and neglect, Gove said. Dog Found Swimming Offshore In April, the Bangkok Post reported that a dog was found swimming about 137 miles from shore in the Gulf of Thailand off of Songkhla province. The dog was discovered by workers on an oil drilling rig. The dog is believed to have fallen from a fishing boat, the Bangkok Post reported. The dog swam towards the oil platform and clung to a pole. Four people used a rope to pull the dog to safety. The rescue operation took 15 minutes, Vitisak Payalaw, an offshore planner for Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, told ABC News. The dog, who was nicknamed Boonrod by his rescuers, now has a Facebook page of his own. Boonrod means the dog rescued by merit, according to ABC News. Epoch Times reporters Paula Liu and Jack Phillips contributed to this report. A group of 228 immigrants deported from the United States wait their turn to be registered by migration authorities upon their arrival at the Air Force base in Guatemala City on Jan.10, 2018. (Johan Ordonez/AFP/Getty Images) Poll Shows Startling Number of Guatemalans Wishing to Leave Country A poll by one of Guatemalas largest newspapers found a startling number of its citizens expressed a desire to leave the country, with the U.S. being the destination of choice for most of them. A survey by Prensa Libre published on Thursday found that 39 percent of Guatemalans intend to leave the country. Of those who said they wanted to leave, 85 percent picked the U.S. as the country they hoped to land in. Results also showed how emigration to the U.S. has become such an integral part of their lives, with 57 percent of respondents saying they have friends or relatives already living in America. Prensa Libre, which is one of the most circulated newspapers in the country, polled 1,596 people between Jan. 22 and March 20 using electronic devices. The survey was done in conjunction with the Association for Research and Social Studies and Barometro de las Americas. Poll results found other eyebrow-raising answers from everyday Guatemalans. Despite the dire situation in the country, 75 percent of respondents expressed little interest in politics. Nearly 90 percent did not align themselves with any political party, and one-in-five Guatemalans said they would not be participating in the upcoming election on June 16. The survey follows months of record-breaking apprehensions at the U.S. southern border, with many of the illegal migrants originating from the Northern Triangle region of Central America. A total of 103, 492 migrants were either turned back or apprehended in March the highest month in over a decade. More than 418,000 apprehensions have taken place this fiscal year so far. We dont have room to hold [detainees], we dont have the authority to remove them, and they are not likely to be able to be allowed to remain in the country at the end of their immigration proceedings, acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said during an April press conference at the U.S.-Mexico border. Without action from Congress, criminals will continue to profit from human misery along our border, he continued. Its clear that all of our resources are being stretched thin. The system is full and we are beyond capacity. By Jason Hopkins Pregnant Chicago Woman Still Missing, Due to Give Birth Any Day Police are asking for the publics help locating a pregnant 19-year-old Chicago woman missing over a week and due to give birth on May 5. Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui disappeared from Chicagos Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side on April 23, according to the Missing Persons Cases Network. She was last seen in the 2000 block of South California Avenue after leaving Latino Youth High School in Pilsen. Police say she may have been driving a black 2002 Honda Civic with the license plate AW27865. The family says surveillance video at the school shows Uriostegui walking off campus alone at 3:06 p.m. and appeared to be texting on her phone, according to the MPCN. She was supposed to pick up her three-year-old son from daycare, WGN-TV reported, but never showed up. Ochoa-Uriostegui is described as 5-foot-3, 125-pounds, with brown eyes, brown hair, and a light brown complexion, according to the MPCN. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater and sweatpants along with a maroon top with the Latino Youth High School logo on it. Police have asked anyone with information on her whereabouts to call 911 or the Special Victims Unit at (312) 747-8274. Family Pleads for Safe Return The missing womans family held a news conference on May 2 pleading for her safe return. We know nothing. Were asking the community to help us find her, said her father, Arnulfo Ochoa, according to ABC7. Her mother said the family believes she has been kidnapped. They say they have received ransom demands from Mexico. Her husband and father of their three-year-old son said he believes he was the last one to speak to her on the day she disappeared, according to the report. This is going on too long. She is 19. She is a mother, she is due any day, she may have already had her baby. Theres so many unanswered questions, said Julie Rooney, a school social worker, according to WGN-TV. The family said shes responsible and would not disappear of her own volition. Nine months pregnant, her due date is May 5. Crime in the United States Violent crime in the United States has fallen sharply over the past 25 years, according to both the FBIs Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The rate of violent crimes fell by 49 percent between 1993 and 2017, according to the FBIs UCR, which only reflects crimes reported to the police. The violent crime rate dropped by 74 percent between 1993 and 2017, according to BJSs CVS, which takes into account both crimes that have been reported to the police and those that have not. From 1993 to 2017, the rate of violent victimization declined 74 percent, from 79.8 to 20.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, the U.S. Department of Justice stated (pdf). Both studies are based on data up to and including 2017, the most recent year for which complete figures are available. The FBI recently released preliminary data for 2018. According to the Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, from January to June 2018, violent crime rates in the United States dropped by 4.3 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2017. While the overall rate of violent crime has seen a steady downward drop since its peak in the 1990s, there have been several upticks that bucked the trend. Between 2014 and 2016, the murder rate increased by more than 20 percent, to 5.4 per 100,000 residents, from 4.4, according to an analysis of FBI data. The last two-year period that the rate soared so quickly was between 1966 and 1968. Property Crime The property crime rate fell by 50 percent between 1993 and 2017, according to the FBI, and by 69 percent according to BJS. According to the FBIs preliminary figures for the first half of 2018, property crime rates in the United States dropped by 7.2 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2017. As with violent crime, the FBI survey only takes into account crime reported to the police, while the BJS figures include reported and nonreported crime. Public Perception About Crime Despite falling long-term trends in both violent crime and property crime, opinion surveys repeatedly show Americans believe that crime is up. The vast majority of Gallup polls taken since 1993 show (pdf) that over 60 percent of Americans believe there is more crime in the United States on a national scale compared to the previous year. Pew Research surveys show similar findings. A survey in late 2016 revealed that 57 percent of registered voters said crime in the nation as a whole increased since 2008, despite both FBI and BJS data showing double-digit drops in violent and property crimes. Perceptions differed on a national versus local level. Surveys of perceptions of crime levels on a local scale showed that fewer than 50 percent of respondents in every single Gallup survey (pdf) done since 1996 believed that crime in their area had risen compared to the previous year. Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on May 5, 2019. (REUTERS/Suhaib Salem) Pregnant Palestinian Mother and Baby Killed by Misfired Jihadi Rocket, Not Israeli Air Strike: Military A pregnant Palestinian woman and one-year-old baby killed in Gaza died not from Israeli retaliatory air strikes, but from rockets misfired by jihadi terrorists, the Israeli military says. The Independent cited Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israeli army, as saying the countrys intelligence services found the pregnant woman and baby had been killed by Hamas fire. The Telegraph Middle East correspondent Raf Sanchez wrote on Twitter, We can now confirm that they were killed by accident as a result of Hamas fire, an IDF spokesman says. NEW: Israeli military says the mother and baby killed in Gaza yesterday were killed by a misfired Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli air strike. We can now confirm that they were killed by accident as a result of Hamas fire, an IDF spokesman says. Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) May 5, 2019 This contradicts earlier reports, such as by the British news service ITV, that the baby girl and her pregnant mother were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. ITV cited Gazas Health Ministry, which identified the 14-month-old girl as Seba Abu Arar, and claimed she had been killed in an Israeli air strike. Human Shields Statements by the Israeli military that the mother and child were in fact killed by missiles misfired by Gaza-based terrorists are part of Israels efforts to counteract attempts by terror groups to shape the narrative with false claims. Terrorist groups battling Israel, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have been widely reported as using Palestinians civilians as human shields. Since the 2014 Gaza conflict, Hamas (has) used civilians as human shields for its own fighters. Similar tactics were successfully adopted by Hezbollah against Israel in their 2006 conflict, Lt. Gen Richard Natonski, a retired U.S. Marine and member of the Hybrid Warfare Task Force at the Jewish Institute for National Security America (JINSA), told Fox News in a recent report. The use of human shields in combat is contrary to Western thinking and the law of armed conflict. Its hard to imagine how this wasnt mentioned in the U.N. report, except for perhaps a certain bias by the authors of the report against Israel. Meanwhile, non-governmental organization U.N. Watch issued a statement on March 5 in response to a U.N. Commission of Inquiry report on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, which accuses Israel of crimes against humanity in respect to so-called peaceful protesters at the Gaza border. UN Watch rejects this biased report which gives a free pass to Hamas, and rewards its cynical use of civilians as human shields precisely in order to win political support from international bodies like the UNHRC, UN Watch wrote. These blanket characterizations of the individuals on the Gaza side and of their intentions and actions are false, incomplete and misleading, U.N. Watch wrote in a written statement submitted to the U.N. Secretary-General. Hamas rules Gaza and played an essential role in overseeing and inciting the events, and in dispatching operatives under the guise of protests to engage in hostilities. The Israel Defense Forces shed further light on Hamass tactics in a recent tweet: Wherever you are in the world, whether you are now going to sleep or just starting your dayyou need to know that for the second day in a row, Israelis are waking up to rocket fire from Gaza. The post contains a clip with footage of rocket launches and strikes along with a message: The lives of men, women, and children in Israel are at risk. This is why: Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in Gaza are firing hundreds of rockets from civilian areas in Gaza towards civilian areas in Israel. This double war crime indiscriminately targets Israeli civilians while putting the Gazan people at risk. Hamas and PIJs use of human shields is inhumane and their targeting of Israeli civilians is a crime. Wherever you are in the world, whether you are now going to sleep or just starting your dayyou need to know that for the second day in a row, Israelis are waking up to rocket fire from Gaza. pic.twitter.com/8kxq0unhsZ Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019 The IDF spokesman also said on Saturday that Israel was prepared to intensify its defensive actions. He added that PIJ was trying to destabilize the border, blaming Hamas for failing to rein it in. In a joint statement on Saturday, Hamas and PIJ said, Our response will be broader and more painful if the enemy pursues its aggression. Aerial exchanges have been frequent between Hamas and Israel over the past five years. Israeli Army Poised for Ground Assault Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered the military to continue massive attacks in Gaza in response to a terrorist missile barrage that killed one Israeli and wounded dozens. Netanyahu was cited by the Times of Israel as saying that Hamas, the terrorist group he said was responsible for the over 450 rockets fired towards Israel over the last couple days, was paying a very heavy price. The Times reported the prime minister spoke at a cabinet meeting at the Knesset, Israels parliament, on Sunday, saying he had ordered the army to continue the massive attacks against terror targets in the Gaza Strip and boost the forces around Gaza with ground, armored and artillery forces. Hamas bears responsibility not only for its attacks and actions, but also for the Islamic Jihad actions, and it is paying a very heavy price for it, Netanyahu said. Netanyahu also expressed condolences to the family of 58-year-old Moshe Agadi, identified as the first Israeli to be killed in the hostilities since 2014. IDF Destroys Hamas HQ The Israeli military was cited by The Times as saying that in its response it had targeted operatives belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations. An IDF aircraft attacked members of the PIJ terror group who were in a munitions warehouse in the southern Strip, the army said in a statement cited by The Times. Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces posted a video on Twitter showing a building identified as a Hamas HQ, explaining, In this building, Hamas used to order terror attacks and used to transfer money, supplies & logistics for the sake of killing Israelis. The IDF said they had destroyed the building. In response to 250+ rockets fired from #Gaza at Israel, we struck a Hamas HQ. In this building, Hamas used to order terror attacks and used to transfer money, supplies & logistics for the sake of killing Israelis. Emphasis on the used to. We destroyed it. pic.twitter.com/Bh2zhCGzCF Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 4, 2019 Dozens Wounded Earlier, air-raid sirens sent Israelis in the countrys south, near Gaza, running to their shelters through the night as interceptor missiles blew up rockets in the sky. The latest round of violence began on Friday when a Palestinian Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. 200+ rockets rained down on the homes of Israeli families today. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/XZoqPabuQ6 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 4, 2019 Israels Foreign Ministry announced the casualty toll as follows: A 58-year-year-old Israeli man was killed in the city of Ashkelon and dozens were wounded across southern Israel overnight, as a result of rockets that were fired into Israel by #Gaza terrorists. A 58 year-old Israeli man was killed in the city of Ashkelon and dozens were wounded across southern Israel overnight, as a result of rockets that were fired into Israel by #Gaza terrorists. pic.twitter.com/rd1ydHwUE1 Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 5, 2019 Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two terrorists from Hamas, which controls Gaza. Since Saturday, Hamas and PIJ terrorists fired more than 400 rockets at Israeli villages and cities, the military said, and Israel hit back with tank shelling and air strikes at some 200 targets in Gaza. Israeli bombings in Gaza shook buildings and sent Palestinians fleeing for cover. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group said two of its men were killed in an Israeli raid before dawn. Gazas health ministry was cited by The Independent as saying seven Palestinians had been killed and 47 injured as a result of Israeli retaliatory strikes. Reuters contributed to this report. Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques is seen on a live monitor from the International Space Station during a video conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Julie Payette and a group of students at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Jan. 14, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Saint-Jacques to Perform Cosmic Catch of SpaceX Craft Using Canadarm 2 SpaceX launched a load of supplies to the International Space Station on Saturday following a pair of unusual power delays, and now a Canadian astronaut will be waiting to snatch it when it arrives. A Falcon rocket raced into the predawn darkness on Saturday, carrying a Dragon capsule with about 2,500 kilograms of goods. This recycled Dragonwhich is making its second space voyageis due to arrive at the orbiting lab early Monday. Thats when Canadian astronaut David SaintJacques will be pressed into duty, manning the Canadarm 2 to perform his firstever cosmic catch manoeuvre, backed up by NASA astronaut Nick Hague. Were ready to capture with #Canadarm2 on Monday!, SaintJacques tweeted. This latest cargo Dragonmarking the companys 17th shipmentis carrying equipment and experiments for the six space station astronauts, including an instrument to monitor carbon dioxide in Earths atmosphere. Another part of the cargo aboard the Dragon capsule is 1.2 million tomato seeds heading to space as part of the Tomatosphere educational project. The Canadian Space Agency says in a release the seeds will return to Earth a month later, along with blood and breath samples for a Canadian health probe into the impact of living in space on astronauts bone marrow. SpaceX has been restocking the station since 2012. The Saturday launch went smoothly, with the booster streaking to a smooth landing on a recovery ship just offshore. The delivery was a few days late because of electrical power shortages that cropped up first at the space station, then at SpaceXs rocketlanding platform in the Atlantic. Both problems were quickly resolved with equipment replacements: a powerswitching unit in orbit and a generator at sea. SpaceX couldnt resist the Star Wars Day connectionSaturday is May 4. Dragon is now officially on the way to the space station, the SpaceX launch commentator announced once the capsule reached orbit and its solar wings unfurled. Until next time, May the Fourth be with you. Actress and producer Elena Talan saw Shen Yun Performing Arts with her mom and friend at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on May 4, 2019. (Jana Li/The Epoch Times) HOLLYWOODActress and producer Elena Talan came back to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for a second time after enjoying the experience two years ago. This time, she was once again captivated by the spirit of the musicians and dancers as they transported her into an ancient world. I love the colors. I love the music. I was in ballet when I was little, Im really into dance. I really appreciate all the moves, like all dancing. I really [do], Talan said. Talan, who is also a business owner, saw Shen Yun at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, with her mother and friend during the evening performance on May 4. Through classical Chinese dance, music, and stories, audience members are able to journey through Chinas 5,000 years of civilization and history. The performance uses classical Chinese dance as its foundation but also incorporates folk and ethnic dance styles from various regions and minority groups. Talan, who has trained with top classical ballet instructors in Russia, said she really appreciated learning about this traditional dance style. They have a lot of hand positions, they have a lot of jumps, they have a lot of acrobatic stuff. But [the emcee] said its not acrobatics, its traditional Chinese jumps, she said. Talan is a talented performer herself. She started acting at age 10 in theater and is also trained in piano. She has appeared in videos for teen idols The Jonas Brothers and has featured opposite Miley Cyrus on Hannah Montana. She has also starred in HBO and Cinemaxs Sin City Diaries and various short film. She has also written her own short film, Paper. Very Enlightening Talan said she came to see Shen Yun a second time because Chinas nearly-lost culture really resonated with her. She said, I think its very beautiful. It resonates with me. Thats why I came the second time. Over the past several decades, China has experienced many movements aimed at eradicating 5,000 years of civilization and traditional culture. From cultural sites and temples to ancient relics and peoples beliefs, much of Chinas history and spirit were destroyed after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized power. Seeing that genuine Chinese culture was at its brink of being wiped out, a group of overseas artists was determined to bring back everything that truly defined the Chinese people. This was how Shen Yun was born back in 2006 in New York. Talan praised the companys efforts in their mission, saying that it brings a lot of Chinese heritage around the world [to] people who are not familiar with the culture. Its very refreshing for me to see that, to get familiar with that, she said. She added that through the mechanism of dance, performers are able to express many emotions and messages through their movements and actions. When you see dance like that I think its very enlightening. People in all the countries can understand and relate to that, she said. Talan said she could see the spirituality in Chinese culture through the stories, especially the piece Goodness in the Face of Evil, which tells the story of a girl who was persecuted for her faith while living in communist China. When the girl with the book was put in prison, when they release her, there was a god figure in the sky. So its obvious thats very spiritual. When you close your eyes, you meditate, you connect to the source, she said, adding that the piece touched her heart. I come from Russia. Im Russian myself. There was communism there. So I can relate to that, she said. Real, High-end Production Along with dance, Talan was also captivated by the live orchestra, which blends Eastern and Western classical instruments creating a unique but harmonious sound. I didnt realize at the beginning that there was live music. But then I saw the performance of the musicians, wow, it is so amazing, it like a real, high-end production, with real music, live performance. Its great. All artists working together, musicians and dancers are in spirit, Talan said. I just think that the music complements the dance so well, they worked together so well and theyre just in perfect harmony with each other, she added. With reporting by Jana Li. 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. Stock photo of a condemned inmate led out of his east block cell at San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, Calif. on March 13, 2019. (Eric Risberg/AP) Sheriffs Office: Teen Inmate Held in Oklahoma Jail Dies OKLAHOMA CITYA teenager who was being held at an Oklahoma jail on a rape charge and who was found unresponsive last week after an apparent suicide attempt has died. The Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office said John Leroy Daniel Applegate died on Wednesday, May 1, at a hospital after he was found unconscious April 23. A news release dated Thursday says the 16-year-old had been jailed since Feb. 2 after being arrested by police in Choctaw, about 15 miles east of Oklahoma City. He faced charges including rape and assault with a deadly weapon. The release says Applegate was being held alone. Subscriber access: Oklahoma County jail has second death of 2019 https://t.co/n4FCgrqQfO pic.twitter.com/8CF5nRnz3J TheOklahoman (@TheOklahoman) May 3, 2019 Court documents dont list an attorney for Applegate. He had been scheduled for a hearing Friday. A court filing Friday said the case is now closed. Sheriffs spokesman Mark Myers said Friday that the investigation into Applegates death is ongoing and could take about a month to complete. It will include looking at medical records. Oklahoma law allows juveniles to be housed in adult jails if they are kept separate from older inmates. The jail must be approved by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Department of Health spokesman Tony Sellars said all jail deaths must be reported to his department. Criminal charges involving juveniles are generally kept secret, but Oklahoma law permits judges to consider some juveniles as youthful offender cases, which allows the state to levy harsher penalties for serious offenses. Court filings in the case against Applegates were made public. Applegates death is the second apparent suicide at the jail this year. U.S. Army veteran Krysten Gonzalez died in January. A judge ruled in February the jail can no longer house detainees awaiting mental health treatment. Its unclear if Applegate was awaiting a mental health evaluation. Choctaw Police Chief Kelly Marshall said Friday that her officers were called to a home to investigate a report of sexual assault, and determined there was probable cause. Marshall said when officers told Applegate he was going to be arrested, he pulled a BB gun that looked like a real firearm from a drawer. Officers used a stun gun to subdue him, and he was taken into custody. The Oklahoma County Jail, located in Oklahoma City, has been under increased scrutiny. In April, a panel of government officials and community leaders voted to hire a private contractor to run the facility rather than the sheriff. The jail has experienced a high number of inmate deaths in recent years. The facility also dealt with severe mold that effectively made the jails kitchen unusable. Suicide Prevention Here is information on suicide prevention from the National Institute of Mental Health. If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting Home to 741741. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Vital Signs: Trends in State Suicide Rates on June 8, 2018, revealing that suicide rates have increased by 30 percent since 1999. However, the report points out that there were a variety of factors other than mental health conditions that lead to suicide. Suicide rates increased significantly across most states during 19992016. Various circumstances contributed to suicides among persons with and without known mental health conditions, the report stated. If you or someone you know is showing signs that they might be suicidal, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 800-273-TALK. You can also text the Crisis Text Line at 741741. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255. Colombian military forces arrive at the Simon Bolivar Bridge in Cucuta to restore order on May 3, 2019. (Luke Taylor for The Epoch Times) Shootout Causes Panic at Colombia-Venezuela Border Crossing Woman caught in the crossfire hospitalized CUCUTA, ColombiaArmed groups warring for control of Colombias busiest border crossing with Venezuela opened fire on one another on May 3, leaving a woman hospitalized and hundreds fearing for their lives. The woman caught in the crossfire wasnt affiliated with the two rival gangs, officials from Colombias migration authority said. Members of the Colombian military and police forces told The Epoch Times that paramilitaries loyal to Venezuelan regime leader Nicolas Maduro, known as colectivos, were involved in the shootouts, although this wasnt confirmed by Colombian migration officials. The illegal pedestrian bridges connecting the two countries are dangerous but increasingly popular, due to Venezuelan border restrictions recently becoming more stringent for the 25,000 who are estimated to make the trip into Colombia each day. Between 3,000 and 5,000 Venezuelans now take illegal routes run by armed groups into Colombia each day, fleeing their crisis-stricken country or seeking basic goods either unavailable or unaffordable in Venezuela, according to Colombian officials. On May 3, hundreds queuing at Simon Bolivar bridge in Cucuta, to re-enter Venezuela ducked for cover and screamed as automatic gunfire was rapidly exchanged in the illegal crossings below, video footage showed. The skirmishes lasted more than half an hour, according to eyewitnesses. This was not just a few bullets, these were heavy machine gun bursts, said Jerso Montoya, who was returning to Venezuela via the trocha after taking his daughter to school in neighboring Colombia when the groups clashed. We havent seen this in years, how can they do that with so many people around? Some 1,500 children now travel to Colombia each day to study as their own education system has collapsed. Many of those take the illegal crossings to save time, or for fear of not being permitted entry by the Venezuelan National Guard, who have clamped down on migration flows since the Venezuelan oppositions Feb. 23 attempt to push humanitarian aid into Venezuela against Maduros orders. Following the incident, queues of frustrated families snaked back down the bridge as migration officials limited migration flows, and many who usually take the illegal dirt tracks decided to take the bridges official migration route out of fear. You can run, but what about the children? said Maryluz, who was waiting with her son and daughter under the beating sun. Armed Groups Strengthen The ColombianVenezuelan border is a hotspot for drug-trafficking, contraband, and extortion, and thus a hotbed for conflict between armed gangs, including Colombian paramilitary groups such as the Gulf Clan, and guerrillas such as the National Liberation Army. Colombias director for migration, Christian Kruger, made an impromptu visit to the bridge following the shootout. He admitted that policing over 2,200 kilometers (1367 miles) of porous border was impossible, but said that such incidents are increasingly common since Venezuela began suffering its economic, social, and political collapse. It has nothing to do with the efforts to control the crossings this owes to the corruption and disorder in that country (Venezuela), the official said, adding that this was the fourteenth incident of gunfire in the illegal crossings recorded this year. Kruger said it was too early to identify the criminal groups responsible, but a number of Colombian police and military members alleged that colectivos, dressed in all black and masked in balaclavas were involved. Colectivos are backed by the Maduro regime and granted impunity and funding while they pledge allegiance to the socialist revolution and to violently quash growing opposition-led protests which have rocked Venezuela. Members of Venezuelas National Guard controlling the border blamed the incident on guerrillas and paramilitaries. A high-ranking military official told The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity that the National Guard couldnt admit any involvement of pro-Maduro groups as those very groups had infiltrated the National Guard and were surveilling them. As security conditions continue to decline and illegal crossings become more lucrative, it is hard to pinpoint who is responsible for violence at the border, security analysts say. There is also a tendency for local gangs to regularly switch allegiances to national organizations without any real significant change on the ground. The area is up for grabs and there may be Venezuelan and other smaller Colombian gangs popping up all the time, said Adam Isaacson, director at the Washington Office on Latin America. A historic peace agreement signed in 2016 between the Colombian government and the countrys largest guerrilla-insurgency, known as the FARC, was supposed to usher in a new chapter of peace in the country. But homicide and displacement are currently growing in remote areas of Colombia. Along with the difficulty in implementing the peace accord, the continuous operation of the guerrillas is also blamed on the rapid deterioration of neighboring Venezuela, which has become a safe haven for the rebels who exploit illicit economies in tandem with Maduros military. Chinese workers help to build a new train station in Beliatta, Sri Lanka which is Chinese managed and designed on Nov. 18, 2018 (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) The Debt Trap of One Belt, One Road: The Price of Following China Commentary Countries that abandoned Beijing after the initial One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit in 2017 have re-congregated under the Chinese flag in mutual support of its second summit event. This includes new member Switzerland, as well as Malaysia and Myanmar, which previously complained to the United States and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that investing in China caused them to fall into a debt trap. Countries Submit Their Allegiance Compared with the first summit in May 2017, the second summit has several points of attraction. First, countries have adjusted their expectations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Although there is a general expectation for large amounts of CCP funding, the estimates are far more realistic than the 2017 target. During the first summit in 2017, Chinas foreign exchange reserves were falling sharply, and on May 4, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the Peoples Bank of China, published an article in a Chinese financial magazine. The main points were: investment and financial cooperation for OBOR isnt unilateral financial support, but requires all parties to jointly build a common-interest community to share the expenditures, risks, and benefits. At the same time, emphasis must be placed on market-based financing and active use of the Chinese yuan to generate more in local savings and international capital. To put it bluntly, China said that future investment should make the Chinese yuan the main source of capital and OBOR partners should make joint investments. That was disappointing to countries that came with hopes of seeking the support of the U.S. dollar. That sparked a 2017 international incident: OBOR countries called for an end to the Chinese project, claimed to the IMF that China had increased their debts, demanded that the IMF provide assistance, and finally, convinced the United States to support a narrative that OBOR created a debt trap for participating countries. With these experiences, the expectations of participating countries for the second summit werent as high as the first, with many countries just testing the waters. The attitude of Italy is typical: as long as China has money, its fine. The second summit also included a number of important new members. Two European countries, Italy and Switzerland, attended. Italy is the first G-7 member country to participate in the OBOR program, and the symbolism is self-evident. Switzerlands participation is even more important. An article published by the BBC a day before the summit has a clear understanding of this. First, Switzerland has the most prestigious financial services industry in the world; secondly, Switzerland is home to numerous international organizations. For China, Switzerlands unique neutral political status is of paramount importance to OBOR. While Germany is dissatisfied with that, its problem with Italy isnt so much in its participation. Rather, Germany insists on maintaining a position as a European leader, controlling the EUs collective bargaining power. Third, the Chinese government has been very tactical in placing its focus on economic cooperation, and has promised to be in line with international regulations. These statements have given participating countries very good reasons to cooperate. China launched the One Belt, One Road initiative in 2013. According to Refinitiv, the total value of the project is $3.7 trillion, spanning dozens of countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and South America. At the first OBOR summit, China had a sense of expansion, propagating the Chinese model, and espousing that China will become the new leader of globalization. That raised alarm in some countries. During the trade war, the United States raised various criticisms questioning Chinas red expansion, which also caused some OBOR countries to waver. During the second summit, Beijing softened its tone and shifted its focus to resolving the doubts in various countries. For example, it proposed to conduct a joint study with the World Bank on environmental and social standards of OBOR. Building a framework for debt sustainability analysis to prevent debt risk was its explanation for concerns regarding OBORs transparency and ideology export. The draft communique also clearly stated that the 37 global leaders attending the April 25-27 summit would reach an agreement on project financing issues, comply with global debt targets, and promote sustainable development. Since October 2018, Malaysia and several other countries accused China of leading them into a debt trap, a criticism the United States shares. On Oct. 3, 2018, the U.S. Senate approved the Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 (BUILD) by a vote of 93-6. Under the measure, the original Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and other development aid agencies will be integrated to form a new U.S. International Development Finance Corp. The new agency, which is to receive $60 billion in funding, is responsible for providing assistance loans to developing countries for infrastructure projects, such as energy, ports, and water supply. However, when it comes to using state resources, democratic countries are a lot more restricted and far less efficient than authoritarian states such China (efficiency thats due to a disregard for peoples livelihoods). Therefore, U.S. investment is only part of a plan, but China has actually put in real money. Countries all over the world are now facing a common problem; domestic unemployment. For example, while Italys employment rate is now at its lowest in seven years, its youth unemployment rate at the end of 2018 was as high as almost 31 percent. The youth unemployment rate in Greece in January 2019 also remained at nearly 40 percent. To each countrys respective leader, whats important isnt helping rid the world of tyrannical rule, but solving its own employment problems. Amid opposition from the EUs major powers, Italy chose to cooperate with China unilaterally, an attitude based on realistic considerations: From the windowsill of ones home, this (Chinas construction in the Italian port of Vado Ligure) is certainly not beautiful scenery, but it can bring jobs. So it is a good thing. For Vado Ligure, a town with a population of 8,000, Chinese investment has brought about 400 jobs, which has pleased both the local government and its residents. The mayor told Deutsche Welle that a strong investment partner is able to bring new opportunities and new capital. At the same time, under the control of a series of treaties, contracts, and regulations, there is no need to worry that Chinese capital will cause issues of debt or labor rights violations. The Chinese are not a problem. They bring money, and are greatly welcomed, the mayor said. Its the same principle for Croatia, Nigeria, and other countries. Money is the most important link for China in maintaining relations with countries. Two years ago, Sri Lanka, due to an inability to repay Chinese loans related to the construction of the port of Hambantota, leased the entire port to China for a period of 99 years. This incident has been criticized as a classic case of the OBOR debt trap, and it appears that countries seem to have forgotten the market principle of debt repayment. Actually digging back, this kind of thinking has its roots. Western media is left-leaning and has always placed a priority on value systems. The importance of the economy, and especially the role of the United States in the world economy has always been a little underemphasized. However, after Democrats won the majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections, socialist policies have become the preference of the Democratic Party, moving farther from the main topic of concern for U.S. voters. Concerned, Western media often unconsciously cite a famous quote that Bill Clinton used to defeat incumbent President George H.W. Bush in the 1992 campaign: Its the economy, stupid! I thus wish to use this opportunity to remind left-wing politicians around the world that only by playing economics can they win voters. In fact, this truth applies not only to the politics of all countries in the world, but also the reason why countries are rushing into Chinas OBOR debt trap. Because only by obtaining Chinas money can they have the capital to play economics at home and attract voters. Originally, economic development was a countrys personal matter. But after World War II, the state of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union caused other countries to become accustomed to a following approach: in addition to ideological reasons, each country (especially countries without very strong ideologies) could choose a side and receive financial assistance of a major economy. Many small- and medium-sized countries have no methods for developing their economies, but made use of U.S.Soviet contention to play political seesaw. They would stand on whichever side gave more benefits. The United States, since World War II, has assumed the public good of maintaining international order, believing it to be the embodiment of their own soft power. Other countries also take it for granted that this is the United States responsibility, and dont feel a need to give thanks. On the other hand, China is very aware of the power of money, and has been using it to wrestle relations within the United Nations. It has fully demonstrated the important influence money has on developing countries in human rights affairs. Remnant of Cold War Model According to the official statistics of the Chinese Communist Party, as of March 2019, China has signed different cooperation agreements with 125 countries. These countries account for 36 percent of the worlds GDP and 60 percent of the worlds total population. Are such strenuous efforts really just for winning business opportunities? Of course not. During the second OBOR summit, China did a lot of explanatory work to quell doubts of the outside world. Countries have accepted Chinas explanations, believing that Beijings use of comprehensive transportation and infrastructure to bring the continents of Europe and Asia closer is beneficial to deepening trade and human contact. But these countries understand the geostrategic significance of OBOR: the purpose is to establish a system with China as the core, causing countries to, in the process of cooperation with China, establish a high dependence on Beijing. Through the implementation of OBOR, China would have the right to formulate rules and regulations, and reshape the global structure. Countries also understand that the United States has long expressed dissatisfaction with that plan. The U.S. strategic community generally believes that the CCPs continued promotion of OBOR construction mustnt be ignored. It not only has the potential to change the geo-economic and geopolitical balance of Eurasia, but also poses a real threat to the United States in fields such as technological standards, military security, and international development. It even undermines the foundation of the global hegemony established by the United States since World War II. Therefore, the United States definitely wont tolerate Chinas strong challenges in this regard. The power struggle between the two superpowers will inevitably bring opportunities to many countries in the world seeking financial support. As for the countries vying to jump into Chinas debt trap, they are merely making a slight change to the new thinking of depend on China for economic interests, depend on the United States for political security formed by Asian countries post-Cold War, making a return to the Cold War-era seesaw model. Situations such as that of mid-October 2018, when countries such as Malaysia cried out to the IMF and the United States, will inevitably reoccur, because complaining is also a way to sell the right to follow. He Qinglian is a prominent Chinese author and economist. Currently based in the United States, she authored Chinas Pitfalls, which concerns corruption in Chinas economic reform of the 1990s, and The Fog of Censorship: Media Control in China, which addresses the manipulation and restriction of the press. She regularly writes on contemporary Chinese social and economic issues. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Phantom of the Opera Actor Found Dead in Central Park, Authorities Reveal Heartbreaking Cause A Broadway actor who appeared in The Phantom of the Opera and War Horse was found dead in Central Park of an apparent suicide, according to reports. Harlan Bengel, 45, was found hanging from an overpass in Manhattans Upper West Side, according to the New York Post. A passerby discovered the body at 5:50 a.m. at the Winterdale Arch near Central Park West on Friday, May 3, and called 911. He hung himself. Right off the railing at the edge of the arch, a parks worker saw the mans body and told the New York Post. I saw a long orange cord. He had tied a plastic bag around his head, too, he added. According to the New York Post, Bengel had a history of mental illness. He also reportedly left a suicide note in his pocket, sources told the New York Post. On stage, he appeared in the Broadway productions of The Phantom of the Opera starting in 2011 and War Horse in 2012, according to Playbill.com. Aside from his work in The Phantom of the Opera and War Horse, Bengel was also an accomplished ballet dancer, having performed with the San Francisco Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet, according to Broadway World. Broadway actor Harlan Bengel, who had roles in The Phantom of the Opera and War Horse, has died of an apparent suicide.https://t.co/WiEGYKG2mZ BroadwayWorld (@BroadwayWorld) May 4, 2019 He also appeared with famed tenor Placido Domingo in a televised gala from the Washington National Opera, according to the San Antonio Metro Ballet. He did some film work, appearing on screen as an extra in the Will Smith film Ali. His first on-screen role was in a short film, Ana Kata. He appeared in the National Touring company of My Fair Lady, according to Broadway World. In 2017, he wrote on Twitter, If we want to know what love is, we must take ourselves out of the equation and see what remains. If we want to know what love is, we must take ourselves out of the equation and see what remains. Harlan Bengel (@HarlanBengel) July 5, 2017 Fellow The Phantom of the Opera actor Satomi Hofmann wrote on Twitter, Thinking of Harlan Bengel and at a loss for words though my mind is teeming. We werent close but we were certainly friendly whenever we were performing together. May you find the peace you felt you couldnt find in life. Thinking of Harlan Bengel and at a loss for words though my mind is teeming. We werent close but we were certainly friendly whenever we were performing together. May you find the peace you felt you couldnt find in life???? Satomi Hofmann (@SatomiHofmann) May 4, 2019 Fellow My Fair Lady Broadway actor Jesse Swimm, who has appeared inSchool of Rock and Mary Poppins, expressed sorrow about losing his friend in a heartfelt message on Instagram. The last time I saw my friend Harlan was at some nondescript audition at some nondescript audition room for some nondescript show that neither of us ended up getting, he wrote on Instagram. We talked, we laughed, we went on about the same [expletive] we always did, he continued. We reminisced about our My Fair Lady tour and the good times we had. And when we parted we said we needed to grab a drink and catch up. He was funny, he was witty, he was strong, he was talented, he was someone I admired, but above all he was my friend , he added. I wish I knew the pain he was going through. I wish I had been an ear for him to talk with. I wish I could have told him that he isnt alone and that we are all scared and hurt and taking it day by day to make it in this world, he said. Sadly he is not the first friend I have lost this way and it scares me to think that it will happen again. He then continued with a message for his followers. I implore you take care of each other, he said. Take the time to reach out and let your friends know that you are there for them. Even if its something as simple as a text, an email, or better yet a phone call, anything. This world can be so toxic and we only have each other to get through it all, our friends our family those are the things that matter. I will always think fondly of you my friend and remember the good times we had and I will be there for others that are in pain because I wasnt there for you RIP my friend. He concluded with, The next audition I know you will be dancing by my side giving me strength and the next and the next https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. If you or someone you know is showing signs that they might be suicidal, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 800-273-TALK. You can also text the Crisis Text Line at 741741. From NTD News They Hit Us: Two Cruise Ships Collide in Port, Shocking Passengers Two cruise ships collided while in a port in Vancouver near Canada Place, surprising passengers early on the morning of May 4. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said that both ships belonged to Holland Americathe ship Oosterdam collided with the already docked Nieuw Amsterdam at about 7 a.m., reported the Vancouver Sun. A woman who was onboard the Oosterdam tweeted that she definitely heard and felt the collision.#Vancouver #cruiseshiphttps://t.co/M4Jat0j6AE Vancouver Courier (@VanCourierNews) May 4, 2019 We felt this jolt and I saw out the window something splash into the water, passenger Susan Carrusca told Vancouver Sun. Carrusca had traveled from San Diego to Vancouver and was having breakfast with her mother and friends when the collision happened. Im guessing it was part of the rail, she said. She mentioned that they could see the ship swinging and then she heard the ships staff yelling, They hit us. Just in: Holland America says when its Oosterdam allided with its Nieuw Amsterdam at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal this morning, six verandahs were damaged. It says no injuries and no harm to seaworthiness of the cruise ships. #tourism #vanpoli #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/wMNI62DzvN theBreaker.news (@theBreakerNews) May 4, 2019 No injuries were reported from the incident and the disembarkation on both the ships went ahead as planned, according to a statement by Holland America. Damage to Oosterdam is minimal. Six aft stateroom verandahs on Nieuw Amsterdam require repairs, which are underway, it said said. Carruscas husband, Ken, posted about the collision on Twitter. Somebody isnt having a good day, he wrote. Cruise ship Oosterdam hits the Nieuw Amsterdam docking at Canada Place in @PortVancouver Damage to both vessels @CKNW @GlobalBC @CTVVancouver Somebody isnt having a good day. pic.twitter.com/4r5jMLehw6 Ken Carrusca (@KenCarrusca) May 4, 2019 Another Twitter user, Denise, was also onboard. She wrote: I was on the Oosterdam as well and our room was in the aft section of the ship, so we definitely felt and heard it. My husband jokingly said, what did we hit. Then I stepped out onto the veranda and the Port Authority was there and then I knew that something was up. She said in another message on Twitter that it was a parallel parking job gone wrong! I was on the Oosterdam as well and our room was in the aft section of the ship, so we definitely felt and heard it. My husband jokingly said what did we hit. Then I stepped out onto the veranda and the Port Authority was there and then I knew that something was up. Denise (@d_pineau) May 4, 2019 Holland America mentioned that all the required repairs are above the waterline and that the ships are safe to carry on with their journeys. Guests booked in those rooms on the upcoming voyage will be re-accommodated in other staterooms, the cruise line said, according to Global News. The Nieuw Amsterdam is expected to leave for a roundtrip seven-day Alaska cruise on Saturday and the Oosterdam will sail overnight to Seattle from where it will start a seven-day roundtrip to Alaska on Sunday. The Nieuw Amsterdam has capacity for 2,106 passengers and 929 crew and the Oosterdam can carry 1,848 passengers and 812 crew, according to Daily Hive. President Donald Trump (L) acknowledges the audience as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma (2nd L) looks on in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Jan. 18, 2018. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Trump Administration Blocks States From Skimming Medicaid Payments for Unions The Trump administration on May 2 finalized a Medicaid rule that will cut off states from skimming Medicaid payments for home caregivers and diverting them to labor unions. While federal law requires Medicaid payments to be made directly to the service providers, several states began flouting the requirement in the 1990s, by diverting portions of the payments toward union dues. In 2017, eight states took approximately $150 million in Medicaid payments from the wages of more than 350,000 caregivers, according to a report by the Freedom Foundation, a non-profit that has led the fight to curtail the practice. Caregivers deserve to be able to choose how to spend their wages after theyve been paid in full for their services, said Maxford Nelsen, the director of labor policy at the Freedom Foundation. If they wish to support a union, thats up to them. But giving unions access to caregivers paychecks has enabled them to exploit caregivers, using an array of unethical and illegal schemes, up to and including forging signatures on membership forms. The Supreme Court in 2014 struck down mandatory union dues requirements for home caregivers as unconstitutional. The same year, the Obama administration attempted to retroactively legitimize the practice by adding an exception to the direct payment requirement. The Trump administrations Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced in July 2018 that it intends to undo the Obama-era rule. The final rule will be effective in July 2019. The CMS found that the federal Medicaid law didnt allow the Obama administration to order an exception to the provision concerning direct payments. The law provides for a number of exceptions to the direct payment requirement, but it does not authorize the agency to create new exceptions, CMS noted. Kudos to the Trump administration for ending this shameful Obama-era policy, said Ashley Varner, a vice president at the Freedom Foundation. This move by the Trump administration will put as much as $150 million per year back in the pockets of families who need it most. California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington diverted up to $1.4 billion to unions since 2000. Brad Boardman, a caregiver from Washington state, opted out of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in 2014 on the heels of the Supreme Court decision that struck down mandatory union memberships for caregivers. In a statement for the Freedom Foundation, he said that the new CMS rule is a big step towards giving caregivers control of their own money again. In recent years, SEIU and state governments have concocted a host of schemes to keep skimming dues from caregivers wages for the union to use on its political agenda, Boardman said. Theyve lied to and pressured caregivers. Theyve forged signatures on membership forms. Theyve even spent our money on lawsuits and deceptive ballot measures to keep caregivers in the dark about their rights, he added. In a statement, the SEIU criticized the Trumps administrations rule, saying that it attacks roughly 800,000 home care workers ability to use common paycheck deductions for health insurance contributions, union dues, and other expenses. Loren Freeman, a Washington state caregiver, said that the CMS decision upholds the rule of law and helps caregivers. Many live-in providers like myself pay as much as $1,300 a year in union dues for dubious representation, Freeman said. All caregivers deserve to be able to decide for themselves whether to hand over part of their wages to a union. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands during a business leaders event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9, 2017. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images) Trump Announces Tariff Increase on Chinese Goods, Citing Slow Progress in Trade Talks In a surprise announcement on Twitter, U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 5 that tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will increase to 25 percent, from the current 10 percent, beginning May 10. Trade negotiations between U.S. and Chinese officials had been continuing in hopes of reaching an agreement. Trump added that an additional $325 billion worth of Chinese goodsthe remainder of the total value of Chinese imports into the countrywhich currently dont have duties, will have 25 percent tariffs imposed on them shortly. Trumps Tweets In his Twitter post, Trump criticized the trade talks for progressing too slowly, as they [China] attempt to renegotiatethen capped off his message with an assertive No! For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods. These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results. The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 Trumps decision comes as a shock, as many hoped that both sides could finalize an agreement by May 10, after Chinas top trade envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, arrives in Washington with his delegation for the 11th round of trade talks on May 8. Prospects looked positive after the 10th round of trade talks in Beijing concluded on May 1, after White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement: Today, Ambassador Lighthizer and Secretary Mnuchin concluded productive meetings with Chinas Vice Premier Liu He. The discussions remain focused toward making substantial progress on important structural issues and rebalancing the U.S.-China trade relationship. CNBC cited its own sources on May 1, that U.S. and China may announce a trade deal by next Friday [May 10]. Bloomberg also reported on May 5 that Lius visit to Washington was expected to be a closing round of trade talks, with Trump later deciding whether to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to sign a pact. A Tactic? After Trump made his Twitter announcement, Tom Orlik, chief economist at Bloomberg, told the BBC in an interview that the move was likely a negotiation tactic. More likely, in our view, is that this renewed threat is an attempt to extract a few more minor concessions in the final days of talks, he said. The U.S.China trade dispute kicked off in March 2018, when the Trump administration criticized the Chinese regime for its agenda of stealing intellectual property (IP) from U.S. companies, arguing that it damaged the U.S. economy. The United States first imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods as a punitive measure. The Chinese regime quickly retaliated with tariffs on roughly $34 billion worth of U.S. goods, mostly agricultural products. The U.S. administration then imposed 10 percent tariffs on $200 worth billion of Chinese goods, ranging from chemicals to textiles and consumer goods, in September 2018. The White House then gave a January 1 deadline for trade talks to succeed. If an agreement couldnt be reached then, the administration would increase all tariffs to 25 percent. But in December, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, Trump and Xi agreed to a 90-day truce, in which Beijing promised to import more U.S. agriculture and energy products, and crack down on illegal fentanyl coming into the United States. Meanwhile, the U.S. side promised not to escalate the tariffs. The negotiating period was prolonged in March after officials from both sides said trade talks reached a breakthrough. U.S. officials have been seeking assurances from China that it would crack down on IP theft, end forced technology transfer policies, open its markets to American companies, and decrease the U.S.China trade deficit by fair trade. Sources said the two sides were negotiating an enforcement mechanism to ensure China kept its promises. So far, the trade dispute has cost the Chinese economy. According to estimates in a May 5 Bloomberg report, U.S. tariffs have resulted in a 0.5 percent decrease in Chinas GDP growth in 2019 thus far. Increasing the tariffs to 25 percent on $200 worth billion of Chinese goods would turn that figure to 0.9 percent, while imposing 25 percent tariffs on the rest of the $325 billion worth of goods would drag GDP growth down by 1.5 percent. Trump Denounces Facebook, Twitter Censorship of Conservative Commentators President Donald Trump came to the defense of popular conservative commentators who have been censored by tech companies in a series of 13 tweets and retweets between May 3 and May 4 after Facebook banned several influential figures from its social media platforms the previous day. Trump warned that he is monitoring the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. This is the United States of Americaand we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! he said. We are monitoring and watching, closely!! He also reposted commentary on the alleged censorship from several prominent right-wing figures, including The Daily Wire Executive Producer Jeremy Boreing, journalist and activist Lauren Southern, and commentator Paul Joseph Watsonwho were among those purged by Facebook. So surprised to see Conservative thinkers like James Woods banned from Twitter, and Paul Watson banned from Facebook! Trump said in another tweet. Woods, a Hollywood actor and producer who is politically vocal on Twitter, discovered his account was suspended over a tweet of his that advocated for the death penalty for those who commit treason. If you try to kill the King, you better not miss. #HangThemAll, he said, adopting a quote from 19th-century American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. It appears Woods was referring to those who are allegedly trying to remove Trump from office using unsubstantiated allegations that the president colluded with Russia. How can it be possible that James Woods (and many others), a strong but responsible Conservative Voice, is banned from Twitter? Trump said in another tweet. Social Media & Fake News Media, together with their partner, the Democrat Party, have no idea the problems they are causing for themselves. VERY UNFAIR! Trump repeatedly has accused social media companies of having a bias against conservatives. While Silicon Valleys workforce is known to lean overwhelmingly left, the companies have denied the workers political biases seep into their content policing. However, there is mounting evidence to the contrary. The companies intensifying focus on banning hate speech is itself a partisan position, based on the 2017 Cato survey (pdf), which showed that Democrats were much more likely to call a variety of statements hateful, while Republicans were more likely to call them offensive, but not hateful. Lumping Conservatives With Terrorists Facebook said on May 2 that it was banning InfoWars founder Alex Jones, right-wing speaker Milo Yiannopoulos, conservative journalist and activist Laura Loomer, InfoWars contributor Watson, and a few others for violating the social media companys policies on dangerous individuals and organizations. Facebook said it will remove any accounts, pages, groups and events associated with the banned individuals, both on its core social network and its photo-sharing app, Instagram. It says it bans any users who it deems are promoting violence or hate. In a video response, which was shared by Trump, Watson took issue with being labeled dangerous, pointing out that Facebook has been using this label to describe individuals and groups involved in terrorism, mass or serial murder, organized crime, human trafficking, and organized hate. They put me on a list with terrorists, human traffickers, and serial killers, he said. Because I criticize modern art and modern architecture. Because I dare criticize mass immigration. Because I dare criticize a belief system. Watson is a chief reporter at InfoWars who, in recent years, has focused on critiquing postmodernist culture. Videos on his YouTube channel have been viewed more than 380 million times. The support for me has been incredible, he said in a May 4 tweet shared by the president. This could actually lead to some genuine change. Keep up the pressure. Dont let it rest. Alex Joness InfoWars news and commentary channel were kicked off Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, YouTube, and other platforms last year. Facebook has now also removed his personal profile, and is apparently removing any InfoWars content, even posted by other users. Jones, a longtime radio host, has faced frequent criticism for making controversial, sometimes unverified, claims and for his hot-tempered outbursts. Trump retweeted on May 4 one of InfoWars videos showing its reporter, Millie Weaver, interviewing several black Trump supporters. So great to watch this! Trump said. Whos Dangerous? A Facebook spokesperson explained that part of the reason Jones, Yiannopoulos, Loomer, and Watson were banned was that they interviewed or publicly praised Gavin McInnes, Tommy Robinson, and/or Faith Goldyall previously labeled as dangerous by Facebook. Facebook Community Standards prohibit content that supports individuals and groups marked dangerous, but there seems to be no written policy to ban accounts of people who express such support. The spokesperson also indicated that even people who dont call for violence or engage in organized hate can be labeled dangerous and banned by Facebook, but didnt explain what part of the Community Standards informs users of such a risk or how to avoid it. Facebook looks at different indicators, the spokesperson said, including activity on Facebook and in real life, to make the determinations. One example the spokesperson gave was that violence occurring at an event organized by a certain group may be part of the reason for labeling the group dangerous. It wasnt clear whether the group necessarily needs to initiate the violence. Content posted on Facebook in violation of the platforms policies in general may also contribute to the dangerous label. The spokesperson, however, made it clear there could be other unspecified indicators playing a role too. Facebook doesnt want to reveal all the indicators it uses so as to prevent people from circumventing the rules, the spokesperson said. McInnes, co-founder of Vice magazine, is a comedian and the founder of the somewhat satirical Proud Boys mens club that describes itself as Western chauvinists, a term coined by McInnes to mean a proud and unabashed proponent of Western Civilization. Some of its members go to right-wing rallies and events to do free security for conservative speakers, its website says. Some members have been involved in fights with members of violent leftist groups such as Antifa. McInnes previously said Proud Boys have a rule to not start a fight, but to finish it. Robinson is a British activist advocating for UK sovereignty, lower immigration, and against Islam. In 2018, he was jailed for 13 months over alleged contempt of court for live-streaming outside an ongoing court case involving accused Muslim child-rape gangs. He was released on bail after an appeal judge decided the original judgment was flawed. Authorities then ordered a new trial. Goldy is a Canadian activist and journalist advocating for nationalism (as opposed to globalism) and lower immigration. Nehlen and Farrakhan Among those Facebook said it was going to ban were also Paul Nehlen and Louis Farrakhan. Nehlen is a failed Wisconsin congressional candidate who previously was banned from Twitter after he posted a picture of Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, who is half black, with her face replaced with a dark-skinned face rendered based on the genetic profile of the 11,000-year-old so-called Cheddar Man skeleton found in England. He said he was making light of an article that purportedly claimed that whites never existed. In fact, the Cheddar Man rendering suggested that light or dark skin doesnt necessarily determine ones genetic race, Quartz reported. Nehlen was shunned by mainstream conservatives after he made negative comments about Jews, including an opinion that American Jews were the driving force behind U.S. involvement in Middle East wars, which, he said, have been fought for Israel. He later was kicked off the pro-free speech Gab platform after he posted personal informationso-called doxxingof another user, which is banned on Gab. Farrakhan is a Nation of Islam leader, who has preached black separatism and has frequently made anti-Semitic remarks, including referring to Jews as termites. Update: The article has been updated with further information provided by a Facebook spokesperson. Trump Picks Mark Morgan to Head ICE WASHINGTONFilling another gap created by a big Department of Homeland Security shakeup, President Donald Trump has tapped former Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE, Trump wrote on Twitter on May 5. Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. He will do a great job! Morgan served as former President Barack Obamas Border Patrol Chief at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017. He is also a 20-year veteran of the FBI. Trump removed Morgan six days after taking office in January 2017 and replaced him with Ronald Vitiello. Subsequently, Vitiello moved to acting director of ICE after Tom Homan retired in June 2018. And now, Morgan will replace Vitiello. Morgan has been in the public eye about border security in the past few months, vociferously supporting a border wall and the need for Congress to close legal loopholes that are allowing for hundreds of thousands of bogus asylum claims. In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times on April 24, Morgan said the current crisis on the border is the worst in our history. The border is still 60 percent wide open, meaning it doesnt have enough infrastructure, technology, and personnel, Morgan said. And because anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of Border Patrol resources are being pulled away and dedicated to the humanitarian side, the border is even more wide-open for the cartels to do what? Exploit. To bring drugs, contraband, and bad people in. Morgans new job is focused on interior enforcement, investigations into trafficking, and preventing terrorism. In the recent interview, Morgan touched upon several things he thinks ICE can do to stem the flow of illegal immigration, especially the huge influx of economic migrants from Central America. I think we need to pass a regulation that will actually give ICE the ability to detain family units while theyre going through the immigration process, Morgan said. At the same time, lets reinstitute what they used to do called port courts. That means we shoot all the assetsa whole government approachdown to the border, everything that you need, soup-to-nuts, to be able to have the immigration hearing and do that quickly. And then, if those claims are found to be substantiated, then theyll be allowed in. If not, we remove them immediately. And so the last part of that is we need to ramp up our interior enforcement. There are over a million illegal immigrants who entered the country illegally, filed a false claim, have received due justice through the immigration proceedings, and theyve found to be false, and theyve received a deportation order removal. A million, and they still remain here illegally. We cant wait for Congress. We need to act ourselves. Trump removed Vitiello from his post at ICE early April, saying the agency is going in a little different direction. Rons a good man. But were going in a tougher direction. We want to go in a tougher direction, Trump said April 5. Two days later, Kirstjen Nielsen left her post as Secretary of Homeland Security, and then-CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan assumed the mantle of acting secretary. President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House on April 27, 2019 in Washington. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images) Trump Slams Social Media Companies After Facebook Bans STERLING, VirginiaPresident Donald Trump criticized social media companies after Facebook banned a number of extremist figures, declaring that he was monitoring and watching, closely!! Trump, who tweeted and re-tweeted complaints Friday and Saturday, said he would monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. He has previously asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against conservatives, something the companies have rejected as untrue despite multiple occasions where platforms have needed to apologize for mistakes in their automated systems. The presidents comments came after Facebook this week banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones, and others with views considered to be extreme, saying they violated its ban on dangerous individuals. The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson, and Laura Loomer, along with Jones site, Infowars, which is criticized as a site that posts conspiracy theories. The latest bans apply both to Facebooks main service and to Instagram, and extend to fan pages and other related accounts. Facebooks move signaled renewed effort by the social media giant to remove people and groups that it says promotes objectionable material such as hate, racism, and anti-Semitism. The company said it has always banned people or groups that proclaim a violent or hateful mission or are engaged in acts of hate or violence, regardless of political ideology. On Twitter, Trump cited a number of individuals he said were being unfairly treated by social media companies, including Watson and actor James Woods. He insisted it was getting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media! Woods, one of Hollywoods most outspoken conservatives, has had his Twitter account locked. Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough said Woods will need to delete a tweet that violated Twitter rules before he can be reinstated. Trump tweeted: How can it be possible that James Woods (and many others), a strong but responsible Conservative Voice, is banned from Twitter? Social Media & Fake News Media, together with their partner, the Democrat Party, have no idea the problems they are causing for themselves. VERY UNFAIR! Rosborough said Twitter enforces its rules impartially for all users, regardless of their background or political affiliation. Trump, who uses Twitter extensively to push his message, recently met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey at the White House after criticizing the company. He described it as a great meeting. The president had more than social media on his mind Saturday. Trump also tweeted that he was holding out hopes for a deal with North Korea on its nuclear program, as well as improved relations with Russia, now that he feels the special counsel investigation is behind him. Watch Next: Does Facebook Target Red Pilling With Its Algorithms? President Donald Trump speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting at The Venetian Las Vegas on April 6, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) US May Review Ties With Countries Deemed Anti-Israel, Envoy Says The United States may soon review its relationships with countries it deems anti-Israel, according to Elan Carr, the State Departments special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism. In a speech in March, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that opposition to Israels existence as a homeland for the Jewish people was a form of anti-Semitism or hostility toward Jews. He said these views were rising worldwide: The Trump administration opposes it unequivocally and we will fight it relentlessly. Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. Such comments from those in the administration represent a shift in policy toward equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. Carr said the U.S. position could indicate future reviews of ties with foreign governments or leaders. The United States is willing to review its relationship with any country, and certainly anti-Semitism on the part of a country with whom we have relations is a deep concern, Carr told Reuters on May 5 during a visit to Israel. I will be raising that issue in bilateral meetings that I am undertaking all over the world, he said. That is something we are going to have frank and candid conversations aboutbehind closed doors. Carr declined to cite specific countries or leaders or to elaborate on what actions the Trump administration might take. The State Department did not respond by press time to a request for comment on the new policy shift. I obviously cant comment on diplomatic tools that we might bring to bear, he said. Each country is a different diplomatic challenge, a different situation, number one. And number two, if I started disclosing what we might do it would be less effective. Last month, President Donald Trump took issue with an anti-Semitic cartoon printed in the opinion section of The New York Times international edition, as well as anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn). The New York Times has apologized for the terrible Anti-Semitic Cartoon, but they havent apologized to me for this or all of the Fake and Corrupt news they print on a daily basis, Trump said on Twitter. They have reached the lowest level of journalism, and certainly a low point in @nytimes history! At a Mar-a-Lago speech to RNC donors in March, Trump said, The Democrats hate Jewish people, referring to multiple anti-Semitic remarks made by Omar and Democrats responses to them. Some U.S. political analysts say Trump and other Republicans hope support for Israel will attract Jewish voters, including those disaffected by pro-Palestinian voices within progressive Democratic Party circles. Trump announced in March that the United States will recognize Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights. In response, the Republican Jewish Coalition applauded his decision which they said was one in a long series of decisions that prove he is the most pro-Israel President ever. This move serves to ensure Israels security, especially at a time when Iran is openly operating in Syria, right on Israels doorstep, RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said. Israel is one of our greatest allies, and its security is paramount to President Trump. Bold policy decisions like this are made possible by the incredible bond between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Reuters contributed to this report Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro Says 7 Soldiers Killed in Military Helicopter Crash CARACAS, VenezuelaA Venezuelan military helicopter crashed close to Caracas on Saturday morning, killing all seven people on board, Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro and the Defense Ministry confirmed. The helicopter was to fly from Caracas, the capital, to the west-central state of Cojedes when it went to ground, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. Maduro was in Cojedes on Saturday to watch a series of army drills, which, in televised speeches, he said demonstrated Venezuelas military readiness against what he called the threat posed by the United States. Maduro accuses the U.S. government of trying to foment a coup against him by backing opposition leader Juan Guaido, who denounces Maduro as an illegitimate president after Venezuelas duly elected National Assembly voted him in mid-January following a fraudulent election. The socialist South American country has spiraled into humanitarian, economic, and political chaos after Maduro refused to hand over control under mounting international pressure. Guaido has since been recognized as Venezuelas legitimate president by more than 50 nations. I profoundly regret this incident and express my heartfelt condolences to their relatives and friends, Maduro said later on Twitter. Whats Behind the Venezuela CrisisRep. Chris Stewart In this episode of American Thought Leaders, Epoch Times senior editor Jan Jekielek sits down with Republican Utah congressman, author, and former B-1 bomber pilot Chris Stewart, who is a member of the House Intelligence, Appropriations, and Budget committees. He recently founded the House Anti-Socialism Caucus. Jan Jekielek: So you really caught my attention a few weeks back when you wrote on Twitter about the new Anti-Socialism Caucus youre starting; Id love to know more about that. But before we jump to that, were hearing a lot of news from Venezuela thats very apropos. And we are even hearing that Nicolas Maduro is ready to leave, but he was told not to by Russians. People have been killed in the streets. This is what the news is reporting. Would you like to comment on this? Rep. Chris Stewart: Its a mess. And if you care about human rights, if you care about human dignity, if you want people to be able to live happy, fulfilling lives, you have to be cheering for the people in Venezuela who are trying to overthrow what is a repressive, dictatorial, socialist government that doesnt care about any of those things. And I think, again, if you try to tie those two togetherVenezuela and then our efforts here in the United Statesto look at socialism and say: Is this really the future that we want for our children? Then, look at Venezuela and say, This is where we will be. So we hope the people down there are successful in bringing back a democracy: a government that respects their dignity, and wants to provide them with an economic future. But you see how hard it is. And were not sure what the outcome is going to be. [There are] a couple of things on that, though, that I think are worth mentioning. Maduro doesnt have the support of his people, and he wouldnt be in power were it not for foreign intervention. No question about it, Cuba is propping him up right now, as has been reported. Almost his entire security apparatus around him is Cuban. He has lost the support of his own security personnel. Russia is clearly intervening there, interfering there, and convincing him, as has been reported, to stay rather than leave. Thats an unacceptable situation from a national security perspective, as well as one that we have to be willing to face and ask the question, Whats the right thing to do? Mr. Jekielek: Its hard to fathom, I think, for most people in free societies in the United States and North America, how a really vibrant, wealthy state like Venezuelaand it certainly wascould descend to this, what were seeing today. How does that happen? Rep. Stewart: Because it always happens under socialism. Its inevitable under socialismtrue socialism. It represses and destroys the innovative spirit. It destroys the willingness [and] the ability to take economic risks, to create economic vitality. It moves all of the power, which eventually moves all of the wealth, to a few, almost entirely government leaders. Show me a model of socialismtrue socialismthat didnt always end up in this. Venezuela was, at one point, a very vibrant and economic powerhousean economy and a government that provided great hope for its people. That has been disrupted. But the good news is, we know that foundation is still there. The Venezuelan people are still good people. They have these great natural resources, with oil among others, and given the right circumstances, given the right economic model and a government that would protect economic freedom, they can reclaim that once again. Mr. Jekielek: So you believe Juan Guaido can provide that sort of setup? Rep. Stewart: Well, we would hope so. And it wont be him by himself. He has to have the government around him, he has to have the Parliament and others that would be supporting him. But its certainly a better proposition than what we [have] right now with Maduro. Mr. Jekielek: So tell me a little bit about the genesis of this Anti-Socialism Caucus. I mean, aside from the foreign-policy issues that you just described. Rep. Stewart: Yes. I have my Air Force wings on herethese are actually my fathers Air Force wingsbut I was a pilot in the Air Force. And when I was a young lieutenant, we were expecting to fight the communist or Russian socialist. I truly never imagined that wed be having that conversationthat true battle here in the United States about, Is socialism a viable economic model? Is it what we want to provide for our children? But I think the seminal moment for me and for a lot of peopleand Ill bet as you listen to me youll understand and remember this[was] the presidents recent State of the Union address. He says at one point, We believe in democracy, we believe in freedom, and we will never be a socialist country. And almost every one of my Democratic friends, with a few exceptions, almost all of them not only sat on their hands, but they sat on their hands and scowled at that. And for many of us, that was, as I said, a powerful moment, a seminal moment, where we said, What in the world are you thinking? How can you not cheer that? How can you not say, Yes, we will not be a socialist nation? That isnt what we want for our children. And I think that was when I said we have to do something about this. This is when I really realized a lot of these people actually think socialism is a viable alternative. A lot of these people think this is something that we should propose and support and fight and defend. And thats where we thought, we have to do something in Congress. We have to form this Anti-Socialism Caucus, so we can educate people, remind people of history, of the truth, and try to persuade people. This is a horrible future for our country. This is a horrible future to provide for our children. Mr. Jekielek: A number of people that Ive spoken with who are advocates of socialism will say, Well, socialism is the one that stands up for the little guy. Capitalism is empowering the affluent. Rep. Stewart: Well, its just nuts. I mean, it just is. Show me where socialism stands up for the little guy. Did it stand up for the little guy in Venezuela? In China? In the former Soviet Union? I know thats the claim, but the claim isnt the reality. And the only reason its the claim is thats how they get the support of the people. But the economic reality is exactly the opposite. In order to implement socialism, you have to take power away from the people, away from the little guy, away from people like you and me, and move that power to the federal government. Otherwise, you cant compel them to implement socialism and socialistic policies. And once that power has been migrated to the federal government, then the wealth always follows that power. Look, history on this is very clear. It has never lifted people out of poverty. Two hundred billion people [were] lifted out of poverty in my lifetime because India and African nations and a handful of other nations around the world in my lifetime have moved away from socialistic policies to free enterprise to capitalism to democracy375 million people in India alone because they turned away from socialist models toward free enterprise. Show me a single example of a nation that has lifted millions of people out of poverty through socialismbecause there just simply isnt any. Mr. Jekielek: I see that education is one of your priorities in this new caucus. Obviously, it seems like everything you just talked about maybe isnt known to all Americans. But what steps have you taken since the announcement? Rep. Stewart: Well, part of it is what were doing nowwe talk to the media. But this isnt something I can do by myself. Mr. Jekielek: Who is on board? Rep. Stewart: Well, a lot of my Republican colleagues right now, and we actually havent had the kickoff of this thing yet. Were in the middle of putting together our kickoff event, kind of our inauguration event, where were going to have various people come and speak and address thispeople from different backgroundsand invite members of Congress and eventually a Senate caucus as well. But it has to go beyond the Congress. It has to go beyond the Senate. We have to go to the American people. And this is the defining issue of the next election. Im just sure thats true. Mr. Jekielek: I was just about to ask you. Rep. Stewart: Is that not very clear? And it will be one of the pivotal conversations well have in 2020 as to who will be our next president. What kind of leadership will they provide? So at the end of the day, we cant have much of congresspeople convince you. We have to go to the American people and convince the American people. Mr. Jekielek: Building a little bit on the Anti-Socialism Caucus. You were speaking at the Committee on the Present Danger: China event a couple of weeks back. And one of the things I saw that you mentioned was that China, a communist socialist state, presents a generational challenge to America. Can you just expand a little bit on what you meant? Rep. Stewart: Theres just no question about that. If you speak or spend some time with national security experts, people who truly understand the world globally and generationally, what are the things that keep us awake at night? I had dinner with [national security adviser] John Bolton not long ago, and we had this conversation. Ive had this conversation with Secretary Pompeo, when he and I sit together on the House Intelligence Committee. [With] many of them, you can talk about, Whats the thing that worries you most? Whats the thing that keeps you awake at night? And theres a long list. I mean we could talk about Vladimir Putin in Russia. We could talk about the mullahs in Iran, nuclear proliferation, cyberwhich is an enormous threat, no question about itNorth Korea. The list goes on. But I think theres a near-consensus [about] the long-term strategic challenge that we have in China. Its the challenge that our children are going to have to solve, which is one of the reasons that I appreciate this president whos confronting China in ways that we just havent in the past. Its one of the reasons that Im very glad that the business community is, for the first time, really, in my lifetime, looking at their partnerships with China and asking, Are these fair? Are we assisting the Chinese Communist Party?which are partners or equity holders in many of these large companies that theyre partnering with. Are [we] talking about some of the exchange in educational opportunities between the two countries, which I support and want to make available?but also recognizing that China can use that for intelligence gathering and for recruiting. I think were looking at China through a different prism than we had before because many people are recognizing that Chinas goals and ambitionsif you look at the Belt and Road Initiative, if you look at what their goals areby the 100th anniversary of the creation of the communist party in China, its to be the single dominant influence in the world. And we have to recognize that and be willing to make policy decisions that will counter that. Mr. Jekielek: So, basically, to subvert the U.S. position. Rep. Stewart: No question about it. Diplomatically, economically, militarily, culturally. You know, it used to be that Chinas claim was, We just want to influence the Middle Kingdom, we want to influence our sphere in the world. But thats not their goal any longer, and theyre pretty open about that. And like I said, look at the Belt and Road Initiative. Its a great example of that. Mr. Jekielek: And Confucius Institutes, in America. Rep. Stewart: Yeah. Mr. Jekielek: What do you think is the most immediate first thing that can be tackled aside from trade, which the administration was tackling? Rep. Stewart: In regards to China? Mr. Jekielek: Yeah. Rep. Stewart: I dont know if I can say the, because that indicates only one. Let me pick a few if I could. One of them is just recognition in the business community, which is why the intelligence community and so many intelligence leaders are spending a lot of time with our business CEOs. And some cases are actually on a limited basis and one-time basis, revealing some classified and sensitive information to them. So they understand truly the threat from China from the business partnerships. A good example of that is 5G, with Huawei and ZTE. And if youre looking at 5G and you expect to have a secure system, you cant have Chinese suppliers in that supply chain anywhere along the way. And people are beginning to see that. I think the second thing is recognizing that we have to maintain the balance of power in critical parts of the worldfor example, the South China Seathat we have [had] for a generation that have been challenged. Freedom of access. Freedom to navigate. China creating these, essentially, military outposts with these islands theyve created and saying, This is our territory now. And not allowing freedom of navigation to them. We would have to confront that as well. Again, I could list others. You asked me for one or two, but I think thats a few of them. Mr. Jekielek: I also noticed that you have a new bill on the table, right? You have a bill about the smoking age. Rep. Stewart: Tobacco, 21. Mr. Jekielek: Seems like a no-brainer. Rep. Stewart: Yeah. Although its funny that some people oppose that. And they say, Well, you can send someone to war, but you wont let them smoke while theyre doing it. Well, you know, thats not comparing apples and apples, thats apples and orange juice. Its really quite different. I mean, our effort in this is really clear. If you think that the health effects of smoking are detrimental, especially to youth when theyre addicted early, lets discourage that. Lets send the message that this is unhealthy, that its unproductive, and make it harder for them to smoke rather than easier. And thats really our intention. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. American Thought Leaders is a new Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. A kidney is sewn into a recipient patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 26, 2012. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages) Woman Sees Note on Car, Decides to Donate Kidney to Stranger A woman in South Carolina made the decision to donate her kidney to someone she didnt know after seeing a heartfelt request written on the mans mothers car. Daniel Jones has been undergoing dialysis for years and was in desperate need for a kidney transplant. Starr Gardy said that a higher power moved her to donate her kidney and the transplant occurred on May 1, ending in success. West Ashley mom donates kidney to stranger in need https://t.co/3lrKBgJOiC J.Robinson (@KidneyMentor) May 4, 2019 According to ABC News it was not easy to find a match, but Jones and Gardy seemed to somehow have a connection. About six months ago, Gardy stopped at Walmart and parked next to the car that had the handwritten message on its back. After Gardy got in touch to offer her kidney, several months of testing and preparation transpired before the surgery took place, in order to ensure its positive result. There was a highly probability that the two would never get to know each other, as hospitals keep confidentiality over donor and recipient information for safety and privacy reasons. Jones mother, Lashonda Pugh, had been working in Walmart for 14 years. God came to me and was like you have to put the message out there, she said. I dont think, if I didnt put that message on my vehicle, my sons angel would not be here today giving him a kidney. 6 months ago Daniel Joness mom put a sign on her cars back window saying her son needed a new kidney. That plea motivated one woman to act@KMBC pic.twitter.com/ZwYyWtv3HM Keleigh Gibbs (@KGibbsKMBC) May 4, 2019 When Gardy saw the message, she couldnt stop thinking about it and felt the necessity to help. I cant really explain it, it just completely moved me, I took a picture of it and I went in Walmart and I was shopping and all I could picture someone in there who had this weight on their shoulders, Gardy said. Gardy donated her kidney through the living donor program from the Medical University of South Carolina. Jones and Gardy did get to meet for the first time on May 2, as it turned out that they both lived in West Ashley. Its a lot knowing that I have her organ in my body, Jones said. Were family now. Shes not just a stranger anymore, shes my aunt. There were a lot of tears and hugs. Organ donation is usually more tolling on the donor than on the recipient. It will take about six weeks for Gardy to recover from the surgery. I want him to be able to do all the things he wants to do, I just want him to be able to live and have a good life, Gardy said. I told him if you start to like wine now, Im sorry, she said amid laughter. Yes, Im his aunt now, Im Aunt Starr. Jones will go home on the weekend and wants to travel and be as active as possiblesomething he hasnt been able to do for several years. Daniel Jones, 24, was in desperate need of a kidney, so much so that his mom put information on the back of her vehicle asking for help. One woman responded, and he had a chance to meet her after she saved his life. https://t.co/HIlpNAEqsj KCRG (@KCRG) May 4, 2019 NORWALK After months of back and forth, the Zoning Commission granted an one-year extension for the approvals for the Highpointe development, planned for the block of Main Street, North Avenue and High Street. Developer Paxton Kinol, of Belpointe Capital, had received approval in February 2016 to build 278 apartments in six-story buildings, called Highpointe West and Highpointe East, with parking, street-level retail, interior courtyards and a swimming pool. About 10 percent of the units would be priced as affordable under the citys Workforce Housing Regulation. The development has been called the gateway to the citys business district and the northern start of the area designated in the Wall Street-West Avenue redevelopment plan. But since its approval, construction has yet to get under way as contract negotiations over the properties have stalled, according to the attorneys. There have also been zoning violations on the site, city officials said, which is why the Zoning Commission voted to grant only an one-month extension, in an effort to get the violations cleared up and questions answered. The reason why youre here is because we havent some clarity and I believe in addition to that the property may have had some issues, Zoning Commission Chair Nathan Sumpter said on Thursday. Were not here to waste your time but we also, we dont want to feel that youre thinking were just jerking your chain thats not what were doing. Kinol accused the commission of treating him differently than other developers, by only grant one month extensions. What we do is not easy, he said. Raising $100 million to invest in your city is not easy and were asking for extension. We think you normally grant annual extensions to everybody else and we would like an annual extension instead of a one-month extension. Steve Kleppin, the citys director of Planning and Zoning said that Kinol and his partners on the application are lucky they didnt get outright denied on the site. I dont like the last inference you just made, he said. First of all, they probably should have denied the application several times because if theres a violation on the property, they shouldnt be approving things. One of the complicating factors for the project is that Kinols company owns most of the properties included in the plan, but a few are still owned by Nick and Gino Vona, who were represented at the meeting by Attorney Tom Vetter, of Norwalk. My clients are still very interested in proceeding with this, Vetter said. Both sides have been talking but its not the easiest thing to do on a project like this. Kleppin said that both parties are lucky the approvals havent been pulled yet. I think they granted you and the Vonas leeway several times, so you should be lucky that you got that when it was a violation three different times because there were contractor yards that were illegal, there were structures built without permits I think thats pretty cut and dry, Kleppin said. One of the other issues the commission raised was that Vetters clients have asked to turn one of the properties under the plan from a one-family home into a two-family home in the interim. It doesnt make much sense to me that you want would want to convert it to two family because once you convert it, now theres income coming in, Sumpter said. That doesnt sound like the kind of situation where that property is going to be demolished. Vetter said his clients were looking into doing that to help keep the property in shape while negotiations continued. That this one piece, a single family house right now is in some disrepair, if any work is going to be done to shore it up, we figured might as well get the framework inside so that could potentially be a two-family if this doesnt work, he said. Still, Vetter, Kinol, and Kinols attorney Jacqueline Kaufman all emphasized they wanted to get a deal done. Im very certain about where were headed, where my client is headed, Kaufman said. I believe that we share the same vision. Kinol said that he hoped to have a contract in place by the end of the calendar year to start moving on this project. All were doing is losing money, he said. Coming to these things, paying attorneys, is just losing us money. We want to start construction. The one-year extension allows the approvals for the site to continue for that year. If work has not yet started at the site, Kinol would have to come back for another extension. He said that he hoped this would be the last request for this site. kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com NORWALK A lack of access to healthy, affordable food can impact a persons quality of life dramatically, from causing conditions such as obesity to impacting childrens development growth, according to health officials. Thats one of the many reasons Norwalk Health Department and other nonprofits in the area have teamed up to tackle food access in the city. From a health department, access to food in general but also healthy and nourishing food is essential to good health, Theresa Argondezzi, a health educator for the Norwalk Health Department said. We want to promote community health in all aspects and so we feel like at a very basic level, having access to healthy and nourishing food is important community wide. Argondezzi said she and other partner organizations, such as Norwalk Hospital, have been hearing from community members that this is big health issue. Both our community partners and members of the community have brought this up as something that food access in particular is one of the highest of the social needs, she said. To kick off some of their efforts, the health department partnered with students from Fairfields University Center for Faith and Public Life to produce preliminary data on food access in the city. Mahammad Camara, a student in the bioengineering/health studies, program presented his findings to the Board of Health this week. Camara said he tried to show neighborhood level data as much as possible, because city-wide averages didnt tell the full story. Theres some neighborhoods that have high percentage of the citys poverty and food insecurity rates while theres other neighborhoods that have a lower number, he said. The Woodward neighborhood had the highest food insecurity rate, with 20.2 percent of residents said they were food insecure, or struggling to avoid hunger. Norwalk Center and South Norwalk followed with 18.4 percent and 17.2 percent of residents stating they were food insecure, according to Camaras analysis of data from the 2017 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Department. The lowest rates of food insecurity in the city came from the Rowayton and Strawberry Hill sections of town, both of which had food insecurity rates of less than 6 percent. Argondezzi said that the data presented was preliminary but it would be her teams starting point to figure out where the areas of in the city were most in need. We all at some point have experienced challenges or struggles and some of us really know that between the cost of living, the cost of childcare, housing around here, that its not a far leap for some of us in the middle to be a point where we could use some help and so families that are trying to feed their children and make ends meet we want them to have as much support and help as they can get, she said. One of the Health Departments partners, the Norwalk Community Health Center, is kicking off its public weekly farmers market May 8 to help low-income families afford healthier options, since federal programs like SNAP are accepted. Improving access to fresh produce for patients and the community is one of the ways that NCHC, a nonprofit healthcare provider, is dedicated to providing a comprehensive continuum of medical and wellness care within reach of its 13,000 patients and leading Greater Norwalk to achieve its best health, a statement from the organization said. Argondezzi said by addressing food access, peoples quality of life can improve for the better. We are learning more and more that social factors have a lot to do with peoples health, so everything from housing and transportation and community safety and food access, she said. They impact someones health as much as the time they spend with their doctor, the medicine theyre on, those kinds of things. The next step for the project is to utilize Camaras analysis and reach out to food and resource providers to see if they can address some of the gaps in the system. Start bringing the food agencies together and talking to them, talking to other community partners in the city and then most importantly talking to community members, especially those who are utilizing those organizations to figure out how can we take their piece of the food system and help it work better for them, Argondezzi said. kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea confirmed Sunday that it had fired multiple rocket launchers and "tactical guided weapons" from its east coast the previous day under the personal supervision of leader Kim Jong Un, with experts saying the test included a short-range ballistic missile. The test does not invalidate North Korea's self-declared moratorium on inter-continental ballistic missile tests, but it clearly raises tensions with Washington and Seoul. "The purpose of the drill was to estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units in the frontline area and on the eastern front," state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kim, who was pictured scowling and looking tough with binoculars in his hand, urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength," KCNA said. Earlier, President Donald Trump appeared to play down the threat and leave the door open to diplomacy. "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" he tweeted. Jeffrey Lewis, a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, in California, said photos issued by KCNA showed the test of a new short-range ballistic missile. "North Korea tested a short-range ballistic missile, which makes this very similar to 2006 when North Korea moved to end its flight test moratorium starting with short-range missiles that didn't technically violate it," he tweeted. "At the time, the Bush Administration downplayed the first test of the KN-02 (a short-range ballistic missile) in March. Then, as now, the moratorium only covered longer-range missiles. But in hindsight, it was a warning of the fireworks to come in July," he added. On Saturday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired "multiple unidentified short-range projectiles" into the sea over a 20-minute period. It said the projectiles had flown between 45 to 125 miles and landed in the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. "Our military has ramped up surveillance and vigilance in case of a further launch from North Korea," the Joint Chiefs said. "South Korea and the United States are closely coordinating to maintain a full readiness posture." In Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, "We are aware of North Korea's actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary." The launches set off a flurry of phone calls and meetings, with, for instance, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talking to Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono and South Korea's Kang Kyung-wha. Special Envoy Stephen Biegun talked to his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon, and South Korea's national security director convened an emergency meeting. In a rare show of frustration with Pyongyang, South Korea's presidential Blue House said it was "very concerned" about North Korea's actions, which it said went against a September military cooperation agreement between the two sides. It urged North Korea "to stop actions that raise military tensions on the Korean Peninsula." "From now on, our government will work in coordination with the United States to ramp up vigilance and closely communicate with neighboring countries as needed," said spokeswoman Ko Min-jung. "In particular, we take note of how [North Korea] made a such move amid stalled denuclearization talks and expect North Korea to actively take part in efforts to resume dialogues." Pyongyang announced a moratorium on nuclear and inter-continental ballistic missile tests in November 2017, helping to set the stage for the talks with South Korea and the United States. But tensions have grown since the breakdown of a summit in Hanoi between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The regime is frustrated with the continued imposition of United Nations Security Council sanctions and by what it sees as unilateral U.S. demands that it disarm. It has also repeatedly complained about continued military exercises between the United States and South Korea. It recently warned that American hostility would "as wind is bound to bring waves . . . naturally bring our corresponding acts." Last month, it announced that Kim had attended the successful testing of a "tactical guided weapon," and the latest missile launch appears to be a further calibrated step to signal its frustration. Grace Liu, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, called the launch "a signal" that the Pyongyang regime wants movement on negotiations with the United States. In a speech last month, Kim Jong Un said he would be prepared to meet Trump for a third summit, but only if the United States fundamentally changed its approach. He also warned that his patience was running out and gave the United States until the end of the year to make a "bold decision." "The message here is not that diplomacy is over - remember, Kim has set the clock ticking to the end of the year," said Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow in the Defense Posture Project at the Federation of American Scientists. "Rather, this serves, like the tactical weapon tests, to show internal naysayers . . . that Kim takes national defense seriously." It can also be seen as a "tit-for-tat" move in response to U.S.-South Korea exercises, he said. Shin Beom-chul, at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, noted that North Korea had also objected strongly to last month's U.S.-South Korean training on an anti-ballistic missile defense system purchased from the United States, denouncing it as a "military provocation." "I view [the launch] as a way to pressure the United States," he said. "They are reacting to South Korea's military build up and THAAD missile defense training, while showing the possibility of carrying out a strategic provocation like a long-range missile launch." Such a long-range missile launch, if it happened, would devastate President Trump's "self-proclaimed achievement in North Korea policy," he said. Harry Kazianis, Korean studies director at the National Interest said it was a sign of Kim's mounting frustration and warned it had raised risks of an escalation in tension. "Chairman Kim has decided to remind the world - and specifically the United States - that his weapons capabilities are growing by the day," he said. "My fear is that we are at the beginning stages of a slide back to the days of nuclear war threats and personal insults, a dangerous cycle of spiking tensions that must be avoided at all costs." - - - Denyer reported from Tokyo. The Washington Post's Anne Gearan in Washington contributed to this report. Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media NORWALK City police said there is no danger to the public after a stabbing Saturday night. Around 7:25 p.m., Patrol Division Officers responded to Belden Avenue for a report of a stabbing, according to Police Lt. Terrence Blake. The following editorial appeared in Saturday's Japan News-Yomiuri: - - - The end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, which occurred in 1989 when the Heisei era began, and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union were perceived as a victory for the system of liberal democracy. Today, 30 years later, China and Russia have increased their authoritarianism, while a decline in democracy is evident in Europe and the United States. Amid growing uncertainty in the world, Japan has entered a new era. In the past 30 years, there have been no wars between major countries. Countries such as South Korea, South Africa and the Czech Republic have seen progress in democratization. This is likely the "fruit" brought about by the end of the Cold War. The movement of people, goods, money and information has greatly accelerated, and the global economy and spread of the internet have led to new industries and comfortable living. Nevertheless, questions have been raised over why a sense of stagnation cannot be dispelled. In recent years, a trend has spread through Europe and the United States like a domino effect. The trend involves distrust toward established political parties and the elite, policies placing top priority on domestic interests, and hostility toward immigrants. Populist politicians and far-right parties have incited a backlash from people who have been left behind by globalization and technological innovations, threatening the establishment. As the economy has globalized, economic disparities have widened. The authority of governments has been limited as countries have participated in international organizations and agreements. These circumstances are behind the trend. With confrontations between the elite in cities and working-class people in regional areas, as well as between supporters of international cooperation and nationalists, societies have become increasingly divided and polarized. The situation, in which extreme views have attracted support and centrist and moderate views have lost their presence, cannot be described as normal. The current situation in Britain is appalling. Nearly three years have passed since the country decided to leave the European Union in a national referendum, but a specific path has not been set out. With the British government and Parliament falling into disarray, indecisive politics have continued. The ruling Conservative Party and the largest opposition Labour Party have both seen their membership split between Brexiteers and anti-Brexiteers. The foundation of parliamentary politics, in which members of a party respect their party's principles and policies and try to find common ground with other parties through discussions and concessions, has fallen apart. This is a serious matter. A call by Brexiteers to recover Britain's sovereignty from the EU and restrict immigration flared up as the referendum was held. Regardless of whether the country will leave or stay in the EU, there would not have been such a deep rift and confusion if the decision on Brexit had been made based on parliamentary discussions held in an expert manner. This must be engraved in history as a lesson that shows the danger of a national referendum. The United States also has a similar problem. President Donald Trump has tried to realize his campaign pledge to tighten immigration control without going through legislative procedures in Congress but instead through a presidential directive or by declaring a state of emergency. By means of his unique method of tweeting, he has managed to firmly maintain his support base centering on white blue-collar workers. U.S. society is divided between people who absolutely back Trump and those who oppose him. It seems that the U.S. media has also been dragged into this division. It can hardly be said that sound democracy is working in the United States. Even in the opposition Democratic Party, left-wing populism taking a hostile view of the wealthy class and elite has been gaining strength. Both Trump and the Democratic Party are certain to ramp up populist assertions in preparation for the presidential election set for next year. In connection with the 2016 presidential election, it has been revealed that Russia was committed to supporting Trump through information manipulation using social media and cyber-attacks. It is essential to overcome division and prevent the permeation of populism so as not to allow any chance for foreign intervention. This is a challenge that must also be tackled by France, which has been hit by a series of riots. In the Arab Spring popular uprisings aiming for democratization, which started in 2010, autocratic regimes were toppled one after another in such countries as Egypt and Libya. Thereafter, democratization progressed in no country other than Tunisia. Civil wars and disturbances, which have continued in the Middle East and Africa, caused mass inflows of refugees into Europe, the advance of radical Islamic elements, and international terrorism. Unless these problems are resolved through the international community's persistent engagement, the spread of xenophobic assertions prioritizing domestic interests cannot be halted. China and Russia have suppressed dissenting opinions domestically through authoritarian politics and have expanded their spheres of international influence as turmoil prevailed in the United States and Europe. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin both revised their countries' Constitutions in ways advantageous to themselves, enabling them to have long terms in office. Authoritarian governance has also prevailed in such countries as Hungary and Turkey. Compared with democratic politics, in which internal confrontation is revealed easily and it takes time to reach an agreement, authoritarian politics has more of an advantage in carrying out policies promptly. However, governance that controls information and speech, including in the realm of the internet, and infringes upon people's fundamental human rights can never be accepted. It is imperative to rebuild the governance system into one capable of realizing stable politics and better reflecting the people's will while recognizing the fragility of democracy. Letscher, who was not present that night, says Sullivan was reckless and negligent. In firing the gun, He missed my grandson by inches, Letscher says. He says his son is not violent and was not armed that night. Letscher says according to his son, the deputy was drawing his gun before the dog bit him. His son, he says, told him, I was looking right in this guys eyes. He was going to shoot me. The issue with this case has been social media, Conrad said. Its been terrible. Its run rampant. What I can tell you is the deputy had every right to defend himself in this case. Since its a criminal case, I dont want to jeopardize (it) saying something that would impact a jury or anything like that. It also wouldnt be fair to Bush if he were to talk about the investigative part of the case, Conrad said. But the Sheriffs Department feels very comfortable with the facts of the case, he said. There is substantial evidence supporting the deputy, Conrad said. A lot of times when you go to rent a storage unit, you usually meet with the owner, get a contract signed, along with other business, Janulewicz said. With our company, you can go online, choose the storage unit you would like, click on it, enter your debit or credit card information, sign the agreement and it will kick back a receipt and security codes to get in and out of the facility. They really dont ever have to talk with us if they dont want to. For those not comfortable with doing business online, she said they can call (402) 618-3973 for more information. She said GC Mini Storage has been around for more than five years. It was started as a sideline business of Callerozs GC Contracting and Concrete. Janulewicz said Calleroz expanded to Grand Island, because he saw a need there. She said demand for additional storage units is growing in Grand Island. He wanted to build a storage facility with great paving and concrete, great security and great landscaping that will make it look nice, Janulewicz said. We knew that there was a tremendous customer base in Grand Island. It was a good choice to build there. There is a fact that some state leaders in Nebraska choose to ignore. To achieve significant property tax relief that will make a real difference for ag producers, there has to be another source of tax revenue to replace what is lost through lower property taxes. After all, Nebraska doesnt want to leave schools decimated through a drastic cut in revenue, which would mean fewer teachers, larger class sizes and a decline in the quality of education students receive. So the approach being taken by the Legislatures Revenue Committee in LB289 is the right one. It aims to lower property taxes by increasing state aid to schools by $500 million. The state would get that $500 million by increasing sales tax revenue. The bill would increase the state sales tax by a half-cent and eliminate the sales tax exemption on about 20 services. These services include lawn service, haircuts, veterinary services for pets and home repairs. In addition, sales tax would be added to candy, pop and bottled water items that arent currently taxed. The tobacco tax would also increase by 36 cents on a pack of cigarettes. GODFREY A womans house just off Great River Road was saved from rising floodwaters Saturday morning when a Facebook post seeking help attracted a brigade of volunteers. It took them just 90 minutes to pack and stack 1,000 sandbags around the home of 86-year-old Stevie Salas, a woman most of the volunteers had never met. It all started Saturday morning when Salas Clifton Terrace home appeared to be in peril. The river had covered Great River Road and was lapping up mere feet from her back porch. Mark Ellebracht, News Director at WBGZ radio in Alton, heard of her situation and sent out a Facebook post early in the morning that read: Foot of Clifton Terrace Road in Godfrey. Home of a soon to be 86-year-old lady. Trying to keep water out of her lower level. Just had her house painted by Bucket Brigade last week. Bring a shovel, gloves, bottle of water and old shoes, boots and clothes. Parking limited so carpool if possible. Whoever can help, were starting at 10:30 am today till 1,000 bags are filled. DONT DRIVE INTO THE WATER! Thanks in advancesee you there! Please share! By 9:30 a.m., 40 or so people showed up at her door many of them youngsters from Alton and Marquette High Schools, Alton Middle School, St. Marys Youth Group, the St. Ambrose Youth Group and the Encounter Youth Choir. Tyler Atkins said he was helping out at the Methodist Village flea market with a friend when they heard the news, and decided to answer the call. Olivia Ellebracht, 14, also showed up to help. I needed to do it, she said. Something tugged at me. A large showing of area church representatives also heeded the call. There were Tim Anderson, Elder Wright and Elder Seeley from the Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ in Godfrey, the Oblate Fathers, who Salas cook for, and Father Paul from St. Marys, wearing his collar and dressed in black shirt, pants and rubber boots. Alton Memorial physical therapist Sue Heinz came to support her former patient. As did firefighter Lieutenant Ben Hamburg and Selina Hamburg, Stevie had a host of family members come to help, as well, including grandsons Tim Carbol of St. Charles and Dan Preston, a first responder from St. Louis. Its the power of social media, Sharon Godfrey, of Godfrey, said. She had seen the Facebook post just as she was starting laundry and cleaning house. Flood fighting, so she reasoned, trumped household chores. Christopher Sichra. Godfrey Public Safety and Emergency employee, said that when the State of Illinois declared a state of emergency, he ordered the sand and 1,000 bags to be delivered to Salas house, knowing there was potential for trouble. In less than two hours, the sand pile went from five feet high to a mere inch of leftover. Salas addressed the crowd afterward, calling the volunteers a godsend. There was applause and hugs all around then the volunteers were gone, a tearful Salas waved as they drove off. EDWARDSVILLE An Alton man who was arrested wearing a clown suit Sept. 11 on charges of burglary and criminal damage to property, pleaded guilty Friday and was sentenced to time served in custody. Ron Singleton, 55, was pleaded guilty after spending 216 days in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services. Singleton had been declared unfit to stand trial after an examination by a court psychologist, but Circuit Judge Kyle Napp declared him fit Friday after a report from IDHS and after speaking with him briefly. Authorities said Singleton appeared intoxicated Sept. 8 when he dressed in his clown suit and went to the rear of a home in the 1800 block of Central Avenue and took a bat to the property of the resident. The day before that, he entered a vacant house Friday in the 2500 block of Washington Avenue, a witness told The Telegraph. Once inside, Singleton put on a colorful red, white, blue and yellow clown costume he found inside, came outside and began kicking the door of a second empty building that formerly housed a law office, the witness said. He also carried a complementing, multi-colored umbrella. The witness, an employee of a nearby business, called police and they arrested Singleton about a half block south on Washington Avenue, still dressed in the costume. Singleton had left the umbrella behind on the steps of the second building, which is just north of James H. Killion Park at Salu. He has convictions for 98 previous misdemeanors, including several disorderly conduct charges. 3 1 of 3 For the Intelligencer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 For the Intelligencer Show More Show Less 3 of 3 HARTFORD The Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford celebrates the expedition of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark each year with the Point of Departure Weekend. Dozens of reenactors and artisans in period dress demonstrate the various craftsmanship and lifeways of the Corps of Discovery and early Illinois settlers. Godfrey A select group of women dedicated to their community and improving the lives of others was honored Thursday at the Alton YWCAs Women of Distinction Award event, now in its 29th year. Selected by a volunteer panel of judges from who the names of each years nominees are withheld, the 10 honorees represent a diversity of achievements and include business owners, mentors, teachers, school administrators, caregivers, and community leaders, among others. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivan Couronne (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Mon, May 6, 2019 01:01 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873631686 2 Science & Tech horse,Diversity,breeding,study,research,Science,genetics,united-states Free The horses that galloped the earth just a thousand years ago probably looked very different from their modern descendants, researchers said Thursday after compiling the most complete genetic history of any non-human species. But the biggest surprise of the vast study, which involved an international team of 121 scientists and was published Thursday in the journal Cell, was the staggering loss of genetic diversity in the past 200 to 300 years that accompanied modern breeding practices. The horse was one of the last animals that was domesticated by humans, long after dogs, cattle and pigs. But around 5,500 years ago, people began to ride, milk and lock horses in pens -- and things would never be the same between the two species. "The horse has had a profound effect on human history," said Ludovic Orlando, a research director with CNRS and the University of Toulouse, who coordinated the study. Thanks to the horse, "we were able to go faster, further, and to conquer new territories. We went to war differently. We were able to plough fields and do agriculture," he said. "The horse of Alexander the Great was so remarkable that we know his name, Bucephalus." But scientists still don't know the answer to a key question: what was the ancestor of the current domestic horse? To this end, the team analyzed the genomes of 278 specimens (mostly horses but also donkeys and mules discovered inadvertently), mostly from the past 5,000 years, across Europe and Asia. "This is the largest register of ancient genomes ever collected for a non-human species," said Orlando. Read also: Fit for a prince or princess: Making rocking horses for royals Two extinct lineages Ancient genetics research saw a major technological leap in 2010 that allowed the team, working in a Toulouse laboratory, to extract and analyze DNA from bones that was not accessible before. This led to a number of surprising discoveries: for one, an ancient line of horses were present in Iberia until at least 4,000 years ago -- before mysteriously disappearing completely. On the other end of the Eurasian landmass, another lineage of horses roaming Siberia also completely disappeared around the third millennium BCE. "They are a sort of horse equivalent of what Neanderthals are to modern humans," Orlando said. Today there remain but two lineages: the domestic horse and Przewalski's horse, also called the Mongolian wild horse. They most likely originated in Central Asia, but this is only a hypothesis: to date, no genetic ancestor has been found. Scientists say they are struck by the speed with which the genetic diversity of horses collapsed in the last two to three centuries, after remaining constant for the previous 4,000 years of domestication. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the emergence of the concept of "pure" breeds. "All the current breeds, from the Shetland pony to the Thoroughbred, were made then," said Orlando, with traits such as speed over short distances probably favored. Another major shift occurred between the 7th and 9th centuries, during the Arab-Muslim expansion. The invaders brought with them an oriental horse, descended from the Persian empire of the Sassanids. A more elegant animal with a finer silhouette, this horse mixed with those that were predominant in Europe at the time, while their ancestors, those mounted by the Romans and Gauls, are today confined to two regions: Iceland and the British Isles, where they were taken by the Vikings. "What we picture as a horse today and what we picture as a horse from a thousand years ago or two thousand years ago was likely actually very different," said Orlando -- who says his next goal, with the more than 30 other universities involved in the project, is to find out which human culture first domesticated our equine friends. "Horse domestication is central to human history, and in 2019, we still don't understand where it started. That's mind-blowing." A unique ceremony recently took place in the Wendit Spring in Mangliawan village, Malang, East Java. The annual Grebek Tengger Tirto Aji ceremony was conducted on Sunday by the people of the Tengger tribe who live in Malang's villages of Ngadas, Poncokusumo and Gubuk Klakah. The ritual is regularly performed on the ninth month of the Tengger calendar, which usually corresponds with April. The ritual is a form of [expression of] gratitude for the prosperity, health and peace that God had given us," said Tareman, a shaman of Ngadas village. The ceremony kicked off with a parade of offerings consisting of fruit and vegetables harvested from local farms, as well as yellow rice and other traditional dishes that are shaped into giant cones and decorated. The offerings were paraded to the pendhapa, a pavilion built on columns. The offerings were then blessed by the village shamans. Afterwards, local authorities such as district heads and Malang's acting regent, Sanusi, started the ritual of extracting water from the spring. The locals later took turns filling water bottles. Meanwhile, the participants used the water to wash their faces and hands. Read also: Tengger people pray for peaceful election during Melasti ceremony Mujianto, the head of Ngadas village, said the annual ritual had been conducted since 1774. In 2016, it has been included in Malang administrations annual agenda. The water in Wendit Spring is believed to be holy water flowing from the Widodaren Cave in Mount Bromo. The water is usually used as an element in traditional Tengger rituals, Mujianto said. At the end of the ritual, the locals fought to get some of the offerings to take home. Usually they take the yellow rice to eat at home and to give to their chickens and ducks at their farms. Locals also take the holy water to be mixed with their house's water supply. They believe it will bring health, prosperity and abundance of crops. The ceremony brought together three major religions in Tengger: Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The participants prayed together for the offerings according to their respective religions. The ceremony also reminded the locals to always protect nature. The shamans always reminded the locals to only take as much of the water as needed, as well as always to preserve the environment, especially the forest, to keep the water supply safe for the next generation, Mujianto said. (gis/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Sun, May 5, 2019 21:06 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87362f7bb 2 Entertainment Bastille,music,album,Britain Free The single appears on the British band's forthcoming album Doom Days, due out on June 14 via Virgin Records. "Joy" describes the hangover-killing power of a simple phone call from someone special. "Oh joy, when you call me/I was giving up, I was giving in/Joy, set my mind free/I was giving up, I was giving in/How'd you always know when I'm down?" sings frontman Dan Smith accompanied by a gospel choir. "Joy" closes Bastille's new album Doom Days, which is described as an "apocalyptic house party". Read also: Grime star Stormzy scores first UK no.1 single with 'Vossi Bop' "That glimmer of hope at the end of the album says everything. The smallest human gesture can pull you back from the brink," said Dan Smith in a statement. Doom Days was recorded in 2018 at the band's studio in South London. It marks the band's third studio album, following their 2016 record Wild World. The LP features eleven tracks, among which are the previously released "Quarter Past Midnight" and title track "Doom Days". Doom Days will be released on June 14. Bastille also announced a North American tour in support of the new album, which will kick off in Philadelphia on September 16. Tickets for most shows will go on sale on May 10 via the band's official website. Topics : Bastille music album Britain Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara Sun, May 5, 2019 19:08 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87362e606 1 Science & Tech bekraf,Bekraf-Developer-Day,information-communication-technology,Mataram,Lombok,West-Nusa-Tenggara,startup,programmer Free In a bid to bolster the information and technology industry, the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) launched Bekraf Developer Day (BDD) 2019 in Mataram, Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on April 27. This years BDD workshop, which focused on the development of games and applications, was attended by 430 IT students and tech enthusiasts. Throughout the workshop, participants joined talk shows and sharing sessions with tech experts and industry players. Bekraf IT infrastructure director Muhammad Neil Himam said he expected the workshop to improve software development skills among programmers and enthusiasts. Bekraf Development Day provides local game and app developers the opportunity to hone their skills and competencies, Muhammad said. This years BDD features M. Nasrul Alawy, CEO of app and game development houses Alphacsoft and Alphac Studios, as one of the key speakers. Alphac Studios is notable for being the first game studio in Lombok. Other prominent speakers include Rachmad Imron, CEO of Bandung-based game studio Digital Happiness in West Java, known for survival horror game DreadOut; and Johannes Dumoli Tambunan, a software engineer at PT Samsung Electronic Indonesia. Read also: New accelerator to help develop food start-ups Mataram is among the 10 cities that Bekraf has targeted for its BDD workshop. Previously, BDD was held in Bandar Lampung, Lampung and Gorontalo. Muhammad went on to say that BDD was expected to assist developers in bolstering local digital ecosystems, especially for apps, games and the Internet of Things. According to Bekraf data, the number of homegrown start-ups has increased over the years. In 2018, the agency recorded 84 homegrown start-ups, an increase from 72 and 50 in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Yoza Aprilio, a data scientist from IT academy Dicoding Academy, said there had been a wide gap separating IT graduates and their careers in the tech industry. Only 10 percent of those who graduated with IT-related degrees end up in IT-related careers, Yoza said. (rfa/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, May 5, 2019 12:33 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873621a04 1 Food Tunisia,ramadan,Ramadan-2019,Doubletree-by-Hilton-Jakarta,food Free Tunisian dishes seem to be rarely explored in Jakarta. With that in mind, the Tunisian Taste event is where you can delve deeper into the countrys rich traditional cuisines and products. Currently held until June 6, it is a collaborative work between Ranch Market and Farmers Market with DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta-Diponegoro. It is also supported by the Embassy of Tunisia and Tunisia Export CEPEX as the countrys export promotion center. Tunisian salad. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira) Various programs are scheduled to be held within the event. Both Ranch Market and Farmers Market will introduce Tunisian dates for its customers. Meanwhile, Sea Grain Restaurant at DoubleTree by Hilton-Diponegoro will hold the Eight Hands Iftar Culinary Journey by presenting authentic dishes by four chefs from four countries, namely Alvaro from Spain, Zulkarnain from Indonesia, Guettat Sirine from Tunisia and Ali Qadoom from Lebanon. Additionally, Sirine will share her experience in cooking Tunisian food in a cooking demonstration on Sunday, as well as May 11 and 12 at Ranch Market at Grand Indonesia Mall in Central Jakarta. Sirine, who won a gold medal at the 2019 Tunisian Culinary Award, is expected to showcase various cuisines, including Tunisian grilled salad, doigt de fatma (spring rolls), beef mloukhia and grouper fish couscous. Read also: Jakarta to ensure food supply during Ramadan During the opening ceremony of Tunisian Taste in Central Jakarta on Friday, Sirine shared with the audience her favorite, must-have ingredients for her dishes. I like garlic, I like it so, so much, [along with] basil and olive oil, she said. Tunisian Ambassador to Indonesia Riadh Dridi explained that olive oil, spices, eggs and vegetables are ingredients widely used in the country, while couscous is Tunisias most popular food. We cook it in different forms. Some [people cook it] with chicken, lamb or fish. We also have other specialties, like harissa, which is the countrys hot chili sauce, Dridi said at the same occasion. COO of PT Supra Boga Lestari Gilles Pivon (left), general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta-Diponegoro Nils-Arne Schroeder (center) and Tunisian Ambassador to Indonesia Riadh Dridi during the opening ceremony of Tunisian Taste on Friday at Ranch Market in Grand Indonesia Mall, Central Jakarta. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira) He added that it was the embassys first time organizing such an event. When he arrived in Indonesia five months ago, he was surprised to find only Tunisian dates in the markets here. Were trying to find other Tunisian products like olive oils, dates and tuna to show to Indonesian consumers, he said. Karim Fitouri, founder of olive oil manufacturer Olivko, said he would love to see Indonesians consume Tunisian olive oil. He said that Olivko had won gold medals at the 2018 Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition and the 2019 London International Olive Oil Competition. Lets hope we can find a way to enter [the market] here, said Fitouri. Im sure if we [succeeded], it would be very good for Indonesians. (wng) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gina Doggett (Agence France-Presse) Amboise, France Sun, May 5, 2019 23:05 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87363079b 2 Art & Culture Leonardo-da-Vinci,artist,art,Italy,culture,art-and-culture,history,anniversary Free Leonardo da Vinci, who died 500 years ago on Thursday, lives in the collective memory as an enigmatic genius who embodied the Italian Renaissance. Here are some anecdotes about his extraordinary life and work. 'Fake news': Leonardo died in the arms of King Francis I An 1818 painting by French artist Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres shows Leonardo da Vinci breathing his last with his patron, France's King Francis I, at his bedside. The scene was inspired by an account in "Lives of the Artists" by Giorgio Vasari, first published in 1550. Vasari, seen as the father of art history, wrote that Leonardo "died in the arms of the monarch". The problem is that it could not be true. According to historical records, the king was a two-day ride away in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, for the baptism of his second son on May 3, the day after the Renaissance master died. While the Ingres painting, which hangs in the Petit Palais in Paris, is the best-known depiction of the sentimental fiction, it was itself inspired by a 1781 painting by Francois-Guillaume Menageot, which is on display at the royal chateau of Amboise after meticulous restoration work for the quincentenary. Lover of birds, and flight A story about Leonardo speaks to both his love of nature and fascination with flight. He would often pity cooped up birds on sale in markets, plunk down the asking price for them and then release them into the air. Leonardo had a legendary obsession with the flight of birds and how understanding the mechanism could lead to the creation of a human flying machine. Read also: France, Italy mark 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death The face of a traitor Leonardo was in the habit of roaming the streets of Milan in search of beautiful or unusual faces, according to Giorgio Vasari, the 16th-century father of art history. "He would follow any such... through the whole day, until the figure of the person would become so well impressed on his mind that, having returned home, he would draw him as readily as though he stood before him," Vasari wrote. But when it came to the face of Judas for The Last Supper, Leonardo was at a loss as to how to portray a man who "possessed a heart so depraved as to be capable of betraying his Lord". Work on the famous mural at the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery dragged on, and its prior grew so impatient that he complained to the Duke of Milan. He fumed that Leonardo would "sometimes remain half a day... absorbed in thought before his work, without making any progress that he could see," Vasari related. "This seemed to him such a strange waste of time." Summoned by the Duke, Leonardo explained that "men of genius are sometimes producing the most when they seem to be labouring the least" and revealed his difficulty finding a face for Judas, as well as that of Jesus, which he feared that "he could not hope to find on earth." At least for Judas, Leonardo had a fallback plan. He told the Duke he could always use the prior's face. Henceforth, "the poor prior, utterly confounded... left Leonardo in peace," Vasari wrote. Oh, that smile! One of the many artistic conventions that Leonardo da Vinci upended was the portrayal of people smiling, with no smile more famous than that of his Mona Lisa. Facial expressions were a source of deep fascination for Leonardo, who conducted meticulous anatomical studies to determine the nerves that trigger them. Biographer Walter Isaacson writes that while by day Leonardo was painting Mona Lisa, by night he "was in the depths of the morgue... peeling the flesh off cadavers and exposing the muscles and nerves underneath." And how did he get the young wife of a Florentine silk merchant to smile through hour upon hour of sittings? Contemporary biographer Giorgio Vasari wrote in the 1550 work "Lives of the Artists" that Leonardo saw the need to keep the lady entertained, and hired musicians and jesters for the purpose. An 1863 painting by Cesare Maccari shows such a studio scene, with Leonardo's subject flanked by musicians. The work is housed at the Museo Cassioli Pittura in Siena, Italy. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Mon, May 6, 2019 03:08 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873631c97 2 Art & Culture Tatsuo-Miyajima,art,artist,exhibition,Shanghai,China,Japan Free "Tatsuo Miyajima: Being Coming", the Japanese artist's largest solo show to date, will open on May 18 at Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum. The exhibition, curated by Sun Qidong, features a series of LED displays and performance pieces, spanning the Japanese artist's career since 1988. It will also present several artworks created specifically for the show, including the LED installation "Time Waterfall" and the video performance "Counter Skin Face". The show reevaluates Miyajima's core concepts in the light of Japan's radical postwar art wave. Entitled "Keep Changing", "Connect with All" and "Goes on Forever", these guiding principles are the foundation of the artist's installations and performance videos. Read also: Mark Bradford's 'Mithra' installation on show in Shanghai this summer Often billed as "immersive", Miyajima's artworks invite viewers to reflect on continuity, eternity and the flow of space and time. Most of his installations feature LED lights counting down from 1 to 9 -- embodying the human life cycle and the Eastern philosophy of change and renewal. "In Western thought, permanency refers to a sense of constancy, without change. In Eastern and Buddhist philosophy, change is natural and consistently happening," the artist explained in a statement. "Tatsuo Miyajima: Being Coming" will be on show at Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum from May 18 to August 18, 2019. See additional information on the museum's website. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yulia Savitri (The Jakarta Post) Palembang Sun, May 5, 2019 19:51 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87362e8e0 1 National jailbreak,Palembang,drug-detainees,South-Sumatra Free Palembang Police are on the hunt for 25 out of 30 detainees who escaped from their cells through the ventilation system early on Sunday. The police said all escapees had been detained in relation to drug cases. As of noon on Sunday, the police had caught five escapees. Were hunting down the remaining 25, said chief Sr. Comr. Didi Hayamansyah on Sunday. The police said firm measures would be taken if the 25 jailbreakers on the run defied rearrest. Pictures and names of the remaining 25 escapees have been released. A detainee had informed a police officer that his fellow detainees had escaped at 2:50 a.m. on Sunday. The officer later discovered that three cells housing drug detainees had been opened. Out of 40 detainees, 30 escaped. They found that iron bars covering the ventilation system were broken, forming a 30 by 40 centimeter hole. South Sumatra Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Supriadi said he had yet determine the mastermind behind the jailbreak. He said CCTV cameras at the detention center had not been working since May 1. The five people that were rearrested were silent during interrogation, he said. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA Sun, May 5, 2019 Stakeholders comprising private and state institutions will kick off a maiden road test for vehicles using diesel fuel containing 30 percent palm oil-based biofuel, known as B30 biofuel, at the end of this month. The road test, which will involve carmakers such as Nissan, Toyota, Isuzu and Mitsubishi, is part of the governments efforts to increase the blending rate of B20 biofuel currently being sold by state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina to 30 percent by 2020. 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 Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Fiji Sun, May 5, 2019 12:04 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87362048e 1 Business new-capital,moving-the-capital,Sri-Mulyani,jusuf-kalla,anies-baswedan,budget Free The Finance Ministry has announced that a plan to move the capital from Jakarta was still in its early phases as the ministry was currently waiting for further details from the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas). According to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, discussions in the Cabinet have not reached the point of measuring how long it would take to build the new capital, but they have instead focused on why such a plan was needed and the various criteria the city must meet. The relocation plan is intended to turn Jakarta into a more livable city and ensure equal economic growth across Indonesia. Bappenas needs to finalize the details, and then we will talk about planning and budgeting [] We currently still do not know the engineering details and the exact location [for the new capital], Sri Mulyani on the sidelines of the 52nd Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting held in Fiji on Saturday. She conceded that the budget needed to build a new capital would be huge. When the Vice President [Jusuf Kalla] asked [Jakarta Governor] Anies Baswedan to make a presentation on how to turn Jakarta into a more livable metropolitan city, we discovered it would require up to Rp 700 trillion [US$49.29 billion], Rp 500 trillion of which would come from the government. So, that is huge, she went on to say. Despite the enormous budget, the Finance Ministry said it would continue to ensure Indonesias financial health. Bappenas head Bambang Brodjonegoro recently suggested moving the capital 50 to 70 kilometers outside Jakarta or out of Java completely. We can expedite the process of moving the capital from 10 years to five years, he said on the sidelines of the ADB annual meeting in Fiji. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar Sun, May 5, 2019 12:46 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87362218e 1 National Kendari,sexual-violence,sexual-violence-bill,child-protection-law Free The Hasanuddin Military District Command (Kodam) XIV has handed over Army deserter Adrianus Pattyan, 25, for further questioning as a civilian for allegedly kidnapping and raping six young girls, the Southeast Sulawesi Police have said. Adrianus allegedly assaulted the girls after he was dismissed for desertion on April 9. Southeast Sulawesi Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Harry Golden Hart said Adrianus was transferred to the police as a civilian on Friday. Investigators are currently questioning him as a suspect. We are still trying to ascertain the motive and gathering evidence. The process is still ongoing, Harry said. Adrianus was sentenced to one year in prison by the Makassar military court after his arrest by a joint military and police team on Wednesday, according to Hasanuddin Military District Commander Maj. Gen. Surawahadi, but he could not be held in a military prison because he is no longer part of the Indonesian Military (TNI). "Detainees at military facilities are TNI members who are being rehabilitated. People like [Adrianus] are not worthy of being held in a military prison. He should be in a civil prison instead, Surawahadi said. A transfer to the police meant that Adrianus would receive an additional sentence to the one he already has, Surawahadi added. Kendari Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jemy Junaedi confirmed that Adrian was being held by the Southeast Sulawesi Police. On Friday, a number of women and children activists from various institutions visited Military Resort Command (Korem) Haluoleo in Kendari, urging Kodam Hasanuddin to transfer Adrianus to a civilian court to ensure transparency in the case. They were worried that the alleged perpetrator would remain in military police custody. They further asked Southeast Sulawesi Governor Ali Mazi and Kendari Mayor Sulkarnain to protect the victims and their families during the legal process. They also urged the House of Representatives to support the long-awaited sexual violence bill. The bill was first proposed in 2016 after the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Bengkulu. (ggq) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, May 5, 2019 17:00 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87362abf1 4 Business kimia-farma,capital-expenditure,2019,hospital-acqusition Free State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Kimia Farma is allocating Rp 4.2 trillion (US$295.73 million) for its capital expenditure (capex), a portion of which will go to developing its downstream business through the acquisition of hospitals. Kimia Farma finance director IGN Suharta Wijaya said 70 percent of the capital expenditure would come from bank loans and medium-term notes (MTN), while the other 30 percent would come from the firms internal fund. Among the businesses we have yet to run are hospitals. One option is to acquire a hospital, Suharta said as quoted by kontan.co.id on Sunday, adding that the company had started to expand both its upstream and downstream businesses. He conceded that Kimia Farma was currently eyeing three hospitals but declined to identify them by name. The company was previously rumored to be looking at hospitals in Jakarta, West Java and East Java. With the acquisition, he added, the company wanted to assure that participants of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) would be served properly. We want to have control of those hospitals; we have to own at least 51 percent of the shares, Suharta said. He added that the company would discuss the acquisition process with its subsidiary PT Phapros, which it had recently acquired from PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (RNI). In the next three months, we will hold a post-merger integration program. We will discuss in detail what Phapros will do and what Kimia Farma will do. For the time being, we will run our respective businesses, he added. Outside its core business, Kimia Farma also plans to develop warehouses for healthcare products and cosmetics at a 3.5-hectare plot of land in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java, which could be used as distribution centers. We will also develop health and beauty outlets as well as our existing drugs stores all over Indonesia, Suharta added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang Sun, May 5, 2019 14:31 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873625f8c 1 National Ramadan-2019,Semarang,Semarang-Dhugdheran-carnival Free Thousands of residents flocked to the city center of Semarang, West Java, on Saturday to welcome the fasting month, which will begin on Monday. They joined the Dhugdheran street parade, a city tradition dating back to 1881 that features Warak (a mythical creature that resembles a dragon, a goat and a camel), which represents the ancestors of Semarang residents. The characteristics of a dragon represent residents of Chinese descent, while the goat and camel represent those whose ancestors came from Java and the Middle East, respectively. In the street performance, the Warak, a symbol of greed and anger, hatches an egg, a symbol of purity that symbolizes the spirit of Ramadan, encouraging residents to combat greed, anger and other worldly desires during the holy month to purify themselves. Semarang Mayor Hendrar Prihadi and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo took part in the carnival by playing the roles 19th -century leaders who usually held a halaqah (a convention with ulema) before deciding on the official start of Ramadan. Hendrar acted as Tumenggung Aryo Purboningrat, the regent of Semarang in 1881, who held the halaqah with ulema at Kauman Mosque to determine when the fasting month begins. The announcement of the beginning of Ramadan was then brought to the Grand Mosque of Central Java, where Kanjeng Mas Raden Tumenggung Probo Hadikusuma played by Ganjar was waiting. Lets use this month perform good deeds and deliver positive sentiments, Ganjar said after reading the halaqah results. The manuscripts reading was followed by the sounds of a bedug (mosque drum) and firecrackers. The sound the bedug makes, which residents once described as dug, dug, dug, der, inspired the name of the carnival, Dhugdheran. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Tangerang Sun, May 5, 2019 13:18 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8736236a7 1 City Ramadan-2019,ramadan-in-indonesia,tradition,traditional-ceremony,Tangerang,fasting-month Free Hundreds of Babakan residents in Tangerang, Banten, flocked to the Cisadane River on Saturday to bathe in a tradition called keramas merang (washing ones hair using rice straw shampoo) to welcome the holy fasting month, which is expected to start on Monday. "Babakan residents do this [keramas merang] to welcome Ramadan. This is a cultural tradition," Tangerang Mayor Arief R. Wismansyah said during the event on Saturday. "I am grateful to those who have introduced this tradition to their children so that it remains part of Tangerang culture. Keramas merang not only aims to cleanse our body and tighten silaturahmi [communal relationship], but it also symbolizes the cleansing of the heart," he said, adding that it was also a reminder for residents to take care of the Cisadane River. The 126-kilometer Cisadane River stretches from Mount Salak, West Java, through western Bogor regency and Tangerang regency in Banten. The river is now in critical condition because of environmental degradation caused by humans. The keramas merang tradition reportedly started in the 1990s. "Our parents still use rice straw to clean their hair, but it is now very difficult to find, so sometimes we mix it with shampoo," said Babakan resident Indah, 36, as quoted by Wartakota.tribunnews.com. Despite noticing an increasing amount of trash thrown into the river, Babakan residents including Indah, still participate in the activity. "We do it because it is a tradition," she said. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, May 5, 2019 15:46 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873626b86 4 National JAD,Jamaah-Ansharut-Daulah,police,terrorism,Densus-88 Free Two alleged terrorists were killed in an explosion they had triggered themselves to avoid arrest by antiterror squad Densus 88 in Jatikramat, Bekasi, West Java, on Sunday. Bekasi Police chief Sr. Comr Indarto confirmed the deaths to kompas.com. Densus 88 was led to the alleged terrorists following the capture of three suspected Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) members in Babelan, Bekasi regency, and Tegal, Central Java, on Saturday. One of the three had been wanted for terrorism, while the other two were arrested for aiding and abetting him. National Police spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo told Kompas.com that during their interrogation, they confessed to knowing about a planned attack on police during the general election. Last year, the South Jakarta District Court issued a ruling that declared JAD a forbidden organization. The police believe that JAD is linked to Islamic State (IS). (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Ghina Ghaliya and Ary Hermawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6 2019 Going digital: An Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology official demonstrates the e-voting system in Jakarta on Friday. The government may implement e-voting to replace the manual voting system. Hundreds of polling station workers reportedly died of fatigue after days of organization and ballot reporting.(JP/Seto Wardhana) The idea of holding digital elections is picking up steam following reports that dozens of election workers died of reported extreme fatigue during and after organizing the nations first-ever concurrent elections, billed by many as the worlds most complex. While it is hard to determine if the April 17 general elections directly caused the deaths, a consensus has been reached that the current election system in which five different paper-based elections are held on a single day has to be changed. One of the proposed changes is for Indonesia to apply e-voting to make elections less complicated. 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 Arya Budi (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Mon, May 6 2019 A few hours after polling stations closed at 1 p.m. on April 17, Indonesias electoral democracy went through a difficult phase of no-return, just like in 2014, namely, disputes over quick count results produced by pollsters and published on television and online media. Again as in 2014, the losing camp of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto claimed victory, prostrating in gratitude as in Islamic prayer. One of the most tangible differences from the 2014 election is that all pollsters quick counts displayed similar findings that the incumbent Joko Jokowi Widodo-Maruf Amin had won with 54-55 percent and Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno had lost at around 45-46 percent. However unlike the 2014 presidential election where three pollsters quick counts showed Prabowo beating Jokowi, Prabowo in 2019 declared victory in the election by referring to his internal count, insisting that all pollsters had manipulated data and thus public opinion. 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 Sun, May 5, 2019 14:08 964 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8736250d8 1 News Four-Seasons,Four-Seasons-Jet,private-jet,travel,#travel Free Luxury hotel chain Four Seasons recently unveiled a plan for a new, upgraded customized private jet to replace the first aircraft model that was launched four years ago. The new Four Seasons Private Jet, a custom-outfitted Airbus A321 LR, is to be the widest and tallest cabin in its class with a passenger capacity of 48, and is due to take off in 2021, reports CNN Travel. Four Seasons vice president of design Dana Kalczak said on the companys website that the design team was "inspired by the glamour and prestige of air travel in times past, when every flight was a special occasion". She added that the design had "a laser focus on comfort, functionality and beauty" and aimed to encourage spontaneous social interaction between everyone on board. The aircraft's 48 custom-designed seats are constructed with soft Italian leather and offers 5 feet (2 meters) of personal space. Each seat extends to a fully flat position and comes with an ottoman, which can be used as a footstool or for a fellow passenger to sit down and chat during the flight. Apart from freshly cooked gourmet meals and luxury in-flight amenities, passengers can also join interactive workshops or enjoy spa treatment in the aircrafts lounge area. Read also: Bombardier plans two new luxury aircraft amid growing demand Christian Clerc, Four Seasons president of worldwide hotel operations, said that the private jet encouraged "meaningful connections between people and places while delivering a seamless and highly personalized journey". "Building on the tremendous success of our Private Jet program to date, with consistent sell-outs, wait lists and near-perfect guest satisfaction rates, our drive to continuously innovate and push the conventional limits of travel has led to this new opportunity to experience Four Seasons like never before," said Clerc. The current Four Seasons Private Jet, a Boeing 757, is still available for booking flights, with prices starting at around US$147,000 per passenger. (sop/mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anne-Sophie Faivre Le Cadre (Agence France-Presse) Cha das Caldeiras, Cape Verde Mon, May 6, 2019 03:06 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873631886 2 News Cape-Verde,Volcano,tourism Free Four years after the volcano erupted -- razing everything in its path in Cape Verde's Cha das Caldeiras valley -- the floor tiles of the small, rebuilt inn are warm to the touch. "We constructed too quickly on lava that had not yet cooled down," says hotel owner Marisa Lopes, in her early 30s. "For the first months, the floors in the rooms were so hot that you couldn't walk on them with bare feet." Lopes is one of dozens of entrepreneurs locked in a perpetual tug of war with the Pico do Fogo volcano towering over Cha das Caldeiras, whose population numbers 500. The name means Peak of Fire in Portuguese. The volcano generates the bulk of the crater community's gross domestic product, attracting some 5,000 tourists every year who need hotel beds, food and tour guides -- about 30 make a living as guides in this remote part of West Africa. But on the downside, the festering giant erupts once a generation -- six times in the last 200 years -- destroying everything in its path; crops, homes, roads. On November 23, 2014, Lopes watched helplessly as the Pico -- almost 2,900 metres high -- erupted after a 19-year slumber. Lava engulfed her brand new tourist hostel, eponymously named Casa Marisa. Three months later, she built a new one, again in the flow zone of the crater. "The volcano took a house from me, but it gave me another. Without it, there would be no tourism," she told AFP, undeterred. Despite the constant danger and government efforts to dissuade them, the inhabitants of Cha das Caldeiras keep coming back. After the last eruption, the military evacuated those in the path of the lava and the state provided food aid for six months afterwards. But it was the people themselves who reconstructed roads and found the materials for rebuilding homes and hotels. Again. Read also: Island Tourism Forum seeks to renew interest in post-quake Lombok 'It's home' Cicilio Montrond, 42, was also there in 2014, looking on as a river of molten rock spewing from the Pico do Fogo burnt his fruit trees and buried everything he owned in a thick, grey coat. The eruption killed no one, but left 1,500 people homeless. After a few weeks in Sao Filipe, a nearby town to where the valley inhabitants were relocated, Montrond returned to Cha das Caldeiras with his wife. Not a bird stirred in the air still polluted with ash, not a creature moved on the still warm lava ocean that now covered the valley floor. For weeks, Montrond and his wife lived in a tent on the roof of their destroyed house with no water, no electricity and no food apart from a few canned goods. "We lived in makeshift shelters, it was precarious, dangerous. But we were home." For Montrond, it is unimaginable to live anywhere else than the fertile, lava-fed valley that, between outbursts, boasts an abundance of vines, fig trees and cassava. "It is the volcano that allows us to live," said Montrond, tourist guide-turned-hotelkeeper and restaurateur. The Pico's eruptions are rarely deadly in terms of human life. But what about the next time? "The volcano is my life," Montrond shrugged, as he gazed upon the house he built with his own hands. "I was born here, I will die here." Read also: Indonesian passport among world's weakest; expert weighs in on why Rocks were falling The volcano gives. The volcano takes. First it destroys the vines, then it provides fruitful soil for the planting of new ones. These produce wines -- some of it for the export market. Far from fearing or despising the peak's constant threatening presence, the inhabitants appear to embrace it and have made it part of their identity. They evoke past eruptions with a smile, sometimes even a touch of nostalgia. Margarita Lopes Dos Santos, 99, has been forced out of her home by the three last eruptions of the Pico do Fogo. The first was in June 1951, shortly after she gave birth to her first child. "I remember the first time like it was yesterday," she said, through a beaming, toothless smile. "It was a lot more violent. Rocks were falling from the sky. There were tornadoes of ash and of smoke," she recounted, while husking beans. Outside her house, Lopes Dos Santos has planted flowers -- flashes of red begonias that provide the only colour in the grey and black landscape. "The resilience of the people of Cha is extraordinary," said Jorge Nogueira, president of the municipal council of Sao Filipe, capital of the island of Fogo, Cape Verde. "As soon as they could, they came back -- to poor living conditions, but no matter: the only thing that counted for them was to be home." May 05 2019 12:04 pm Hamas has fired 600 rockets into Israel from Gaza since the start of the Jewish Sabbath. Three Israelis have been killed and 131 Israeli civilians are being treated for injuries. The rockets have hit a kindergarten, a factory, and homes. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are in shelters. The Israeli airstrikes to defend its citizenry from indiscriminate aggression by bloodthirsty sworn enemies is the legitimate response of any responsible government. We mourn the loss of life and offer our prayers for the injured and the traumatized. We commend the Trump Administrations support of Israels right, and duty, to defend its territory and its populace. We call on all civilized nations of the world to support Israels sovereignty and demand an end to the Palestinian escalation and aggression towards Israel and its people. 4 hours ago Lufthansa, United, Delta cancel flights over Christmas FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) At least three major airlines said they have canceled dozens of flights because illnesses largely tied to the omicron variant of COVID-19 have taken a toll on flight crew numbers during the busy holiday travel season. Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the Christmas holiday period because of a massive rise in sick leave among pilots. Read Article His Majesty the King to visit temples in Bangkok during royal land procession THAILAND: At approximately 4:30pm today (May 5), the royal procession by land is set to take place in inner Bangkok as part of the Coronation of King Rama X. culture By The Phuket News Sunday 5 May 2019, 09:00AM His Majesty the King will ride in a Golden Phuttan royal palanquin during the city tour of three major temples: Wat Bovoranives, Wat Rajabopidh and Wat Phra Chetuphon. Wat Bovoranives Vihara, known in short as Wat Bovoranives, or Wat Bovorn, is a royal temple of the first grade. Built in the Third Reign, it is an important centre for the Dhammayutika Sect. Several former abbots here went on to become the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. This temple was the residence of the kings of the Royal House of Chakri when they entered monkhood. The Royal Ashes of King Rama VI are enshrined under the base of the Phra Buddha Chinnasi Buddha image in the ordination hall of Wat Bovoranives. King Rama X stayed in this temple during his monkhood in 1978. Wat Rajabopidh Sathitmahasimaram, known in short as Wat Rahabopidh, is also a royal temple of the first grade. It was built in 1869 at the command of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to enshrine the royal relics and ashes of royals. The temple features a blend of traditional Thai architecture and a Western-style interior, which is perhaps the only of its kind in Thailand. King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) restored this temple, instead of building a new one, as the temple commemorating his reign. Phra Buddha Ankhirot is the presiding Buddha image in this temple, and the Royal Ashes of King Prajadhipok and Queen Rambhai Barni of the Seventh Reign are enshrined under the base of this Buddha image. Wat Phra Chetuphon, a major temple under royal patronage, was built in the reign of King Phetracha, who ruled the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1688 to 1703. It was formerly called Wat Photharam, but the temple is popularly called Wat Pho in short. This temple underwent a major renovation during the reign of King Rama I, who renamed it Wat Phra Chetuphon, and it was recognised later as the temple commemorating the First Reign. In 1830, the temple was renovated again at the royal command of King Rama III, who intended to turn it into a major source of knowledge for all people, regardless of their social status. The King also ordered the collection of knowledge from wise men and the collection of arts and sciences on various subjects, such as traditional medicine, archaeology, literature and poetry. Wat Phra Chetuphon is the first open university in Thailand, and it is now recognised as a centre for traditional Thai massage, where people can learn techniques of various natural remedies for health. UNESCO registered the epigraphic archives of Wat Phra Chetuphon as a Memory of the World in 2011. In an article in CNN Travel 2014, the Reclining Buddha image at Wat Phra Chetuphon was named among 10 of the worlds most impressive religious statues. Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, An end to the months-long trade conflict between the worlds two-largest economies may be looming into sight. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will decide after negotiations this week in Washington whether theyll meet to sign off on a pact. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Thursday that the U.S. sees such a meeting as likely. Concluding a deal will hinge on the two sides resolving the stickiest issues in their dispute. They include an enforcement mechanism to police the agreement and a decision over whether tariffs will be removed or stay in place, according to people briefed on the talks. A Sino-U.S. deal would be a positive for the global economy, when the outlook is dimming and the U.S. is threatening to raise trade tensions with the European Union, said Chang Shu, chief Asian economist at Bloomberg Economics. A deal would also certainly help to relieve the short-term stress on the Chinese economy, as well as facilitate structural reforms. For central bank watchers there are monetary policy decisions being made across the world as most turn more dovish. Heres our weekly rundown of key economic events: U.S. and Canada The consumer price index, to be released on Friday, will test Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powells assessment of tepid inflationary pressures as transitory. A rebound in apparel prices will likely bring the pace of monthly gains in the rate back into 0.2 per cent territory and push the year-over-year pace up to 2.1 per cent, according to Bloomberg Economics. Surging gasoline prices is seen driving headline CPI inflation higher. The producer price index is published the day before. Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz speaks on Monday. Asia Central banks in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines will all decide monetary policy amid gathering signs the region is going to soon start cutting interest rates. Reductions in the Philippines and Malaysia are likely and the Australians and Kiwis could act too. For emerging Asia, that would mark a change in course from last year, when countries like Indonesia and the Philippines were among the worlds most aggressive movers as the Fed tightened policy. The Feds policy pause has created room to shift interest rates lower, but with higher oil prices and Powell pushing back against pressure to cut borrowing costs, that window for action may begin to narrow. In China, export data will be closely watched on Wednesday for more signs the economy is stabilizing. Europe, Middle East and Africa German industrial production and factory orders reports will help determine just how strong the euro area is after data last week showed most of the region surpassing forecasts in the first quarter. Industrial production, which is released on Wednesday, is though predicted to have declined in March. Concurrent with those data, the final outlook on eurozone growth and inflation from the European Commission before the blocs Parliamentary elections will be released on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, the Norges Bank could signal plans to raise interest rates. In the U.K., Friday sees the publication of gross domestic product for the first quarter and a monthly number for March, when the economy faced a potential precipice as the Brexit deadline loomed. President Cyril Ramaphosa will look to strengthen his grip on power at elections in South Africa Wednesday as he seeks a mandate to rejuvenate the economy. Latin America Three Latin American central banks are expected to remain on hold this week. On Wednesday, Brazil will likely keep its key interest rate at an all-time low of 6.5 per cent, as uncertainty about the approval of government reforms constrains its ability to cut despite a weak economy. On the following day, Chile is forecast to leave its benchmark at 3 per cent after halting a monetary tightening cycle that had started in October. Also on Thursday, Peru is predicted to keep borrowing costs at a record low of 2.75 per cent for a 14th straight month as its economy grows below potential. Read more about: It appears the Trump administration isnt all that interested in a deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after all. Last week, White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was sanguine about the prospect of Congress rejecting NAFTAs proposed replacement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). You could stay status quo, Mulvaney told a California business conference. Your real Plan Bs are either NAFTA or withdraw from NAFTA. It might be that U.S. President Donald Trump has reverted to his years-long preference to simply kill NAFTA without replacing it. Trump wont budge on the reasonable changes that Congressional Democrats seek to make to the USMCA agreement. He also seems determined to keep in place the steel and aluminum tariffs he applied against Canada and Mexico about a year ago. And that alone pretty much guarantees that all three national legislatures will reject USMCA. Citing the harm that Canada and Mexicos retaliatory tariffs have done in his state, U.S. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, in charge of spearheading USMCAs passage in the U.S. Senate, said last month that If these tariffs arent lifted, USMCA is dead. Yet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said recently that the tariffs will be revisited only after USMCA ratification. That makes USMCA ratification unlikely. But the odds of NAFTAs demise are also low. Only Capitol Hill, not the president, can kill a treaty. Grassley, for one, wont be a party to NAFTAs demise. His state, Iowa, has reaped a quadrupling of agricultural exports under NAFTA. Canadas plan for salvaging NAFTA must include continued pressure on U.S. federal and state legislators, and constant reminders of the 12 million U.S. jobs tied to the trade agreement. Tesla: running on empty? Tesla Inc., Elon Musks best-known firm, burned through a stunning 59 per cent of its cash reserves, or $1.5 billion (U.S.), in its most recent quarter, to cover the loss it takes on every vehicle it makes. Musk is now seeking a $2.7-billion cash infusion with new round of stock offerings and bank borrowings, but thats just to keep the lights on. Tesla is expected to return to the capital markets in two years or so to raise still more billions to finance two new Tesla models, a China expansion already underway, and a planned, capital-intensive insurance arm. Meanwhile, skeptics whove long warned that electric-vehicle sales will drop with the removal of government tax credits have been vindicated. U.S. sales of Teslas Model 3 were strong last year, but dropped in the first quarter after a reduction in those tax credits, which will be cut again July 1, and disappear altogether in 2020. Teslas cash burn on slower selling cars is set to increase this year. And the firm can no longer count on its older, more expensive models, with their fatter profit margins, to help subsidize losses on the Model 3, since sales of Teslas luxury models have also plummeted. At some point, investors will awaken to how each new Tesla round of refinancing dilutes their own holdings, and close their wallets. The endgame for Tesla, more certain now than ever, is its eventual status as a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. or Volkswagen A.G., or perhaps a consortium of automakers that can pony up $41 billion, Teslas current market cap even after a 35 per cent plunge in the stocks value since its November peak. Shopify: priced to perfection Ottawa-based Shopify Inc., the dominant player in e-commerce solutions, is on a stock-market tear. The firms stock has posted a 10-fold gain in value since its initial public offering just four years ago. And the companys shares are up 73 per cent this year. True, it has an entrenched market position. The more than 800,000 merchants it has signed up in about 175 countries since it launched in 2004 make Shopify tough for rivals to seriously challenge. Then again, a profitless firm boasting a market capitalization of $36 billion invites scrutiny. To be sure, growth investors tend to be forgiving on that score. And compared with the likes of Uber Technologies Inc., Shopifys modest 2018 loss of $65 million on $1.1 billion in sales is easy to dismiss as a concern. The real issue is its prospect for continued sizeable growth, the underpinning of the Streets excitement about Shopify. By this point, most of the major clients that provide the highest profit margins have been snapped up by Shopify and its peers. That includes clients Nike and Budweiser beer. But young merchants account for most of the client base of Shopify and its competitors, and there are high failure rates associated with start-ups. The company has to execute perfectly on recruiting new clients to overcome an industry churn rate of more than 70 per cent. In short, Shopify is a momentum stock that investors buy mostly because others are buying it. Once it outgrows that status and can show sustainable profit margin growth and an ability to cuts costs it might be time to have another look at a stock that appears to have gotten ahead of itself. CALGARYTwo-and-a-half weeks after Premier Jason Kenney won Albertas election, representatives of the provinces labour movement met in downtown Calgary to figure out what to do and fast. The United Conservative governments labour policy drew criticism from Albertas unions, many of whom supported the NDP, long before election night. In their platform, the UCP promised to require unions to obtain explicit, opt-in approval from members before using their dues for political activities, reinstate a mandatory secret ballot for union certification, and give workers who bank their overtime hours straight time rather than time-and-a-half pay. Hundreds of delegates from Albertas unions filled Calgarys Telus Convention Centre as part of the Alberta Federation of Labours annual convention over the weekend to among other things organize a response to the UCPs proposals. NDP Rachel Notley spoke at the convention on Saturday, vowing to protect Albertas $15 minimum wage and overtime pay. No specific actions or demonstrations have been finalized, but AFL president Gil McGowan said they cant wait. Thats why we decided today that were going to start educating and mobilizing and protesting now to stop whats coming, as opposed to just reacting after the fact, he said outside the conference. But delegates also heard from a labour representative in Ontario about Premier Doug Fords policies in the eastern province, ones which McGowan described as a cautionary tale for Alberta. Eleven months ago, Ontario voters ousted Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne for Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford. The elder brother of late Toronto mayor Rob Ford wasted no time in establishing an open for business agenda, one that Ontario unions have described as disastrous. Since taking power, Fords government has suspended a planned move to a $15 per hour minimum wage, removed provisions granting two sick days to Ontario workers, and allowed post-secondary students to opt out of ancillary fees. According to a ministry of education memo previously obtained by the Star, 1,558 full-time teaching jobs will be gone by this fall, rising to 3,475 by 2022-2023. In a presentation to delegates on Sunday, Thevaki Thevaratnam, the Ontario Federation of Labours director of research and education, said the Ford governments plans arent unique. Unfortunately, these are not scenarios that are specific to Ontario, she said on Sunday. We could see them playing out across Canada, including Alberta. Ontarios labour movement has organized mass rallies on the steps of the provincial legislature, picketed outside the offices of members of parliament, and denounced the Ford governments cuts. Students from 700 elementary and secondary schools staged a walkout in April to protest the Ontario governments education policies. The Alberta labour movements response to the UCP isnt clear yet, but McGowan said it wont involve demonstrations alone. We have to educate, and we have to win hearts and minds, McGowan said. If were not successful in doing that, then it will be easy for Jason Kenney to proceed with his agenda. Alberta has the lowest rate of unionization in the country just 23 per cent of workers, according to Statistics Canada data from 2016. Yet unionized workers and their supporters have organized mass demonstrations in the past. In October 1997, around 20,000 people rallied on the Alberta Legislatures grounds to oppose former premier Ralph Kleins cuts to education funding. But these are different times. McGowan described Kenneys political brand as more akin to American-style Republicanism than the more traditionally Canadian conservatism espoused by Klein. He worried the premier would undermine the rights of Albertas workers and unions. Ralph Klein was interested in balancing the budget and he was willing to do that by making very deep and what I would describe as irresponsible and unnecessary cuts, McGowan said. But he wasnt trying to transform the fabric of Canadian society. The UCPs supermajority win in Aprils provincial election leaves a lot of uncertainty for Albertas labour movement. With the NDP reduced to just 24 seats, the party will be hard-pressed to oppose the UCPs plans for labour and workplace reform in the province. During her speech at the AFL convention, Notley called for supporters to regroup and defend the NDPs labour reforms. Obviously there was a lot of disappointment among our delegates about how the election turned out, McGowan said. But we found strength in each other. With files from Andrew Jeffrey Read more about: MONDAY Mattiel Watch this for: Big voice, hot band. Atlantas Mattiel Brown has been at this game for a while, with a debut album that earned her cult status and a booster to match in Jack White, with whom she toured last year. Now the spotlight figures to start shining stronger to fit the intensity of her voice. Her local debut as a headliner is as good a place to start a week with tons of worthy choices with Canadian Music Week in town. Given a hot four-piece band to match her powerhouse package, shell rule this place. (Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W., doors 8 p.m.) Chris Young Chernobyl Watch this if: You want to go deep into a real-life horror story. The trailer describes this miniseries as the untold true story of the 1986 accident that destroyed a nuclear reactor in Ukraine and spread so much contamination that a 30-kilometre zone around the plant remains mostly uninhabited today. The series screens like a thriller, one in which human folly, hubris and corruption are as frightening as the accident itself. The HBO-Sky co-production is gripping, infuriating and heartbreaking all at once. (HBO at 9 p.m.) Debra Yeo TUESDAY Everyone Else Watch this if: You want to check out Germanys next film wave. The Cannes Film Festival has a long and fabled history as a launch pad for world cinemas most remarkable new talents. That certainly was the case for the filmmakers showcased in Past Forward: Directors Before Cannes, the Goethe-Instituts new series of lesser seen features made by three German directors just before their bigger breakthroughs. It begins with Everyone Else, a finely nuanced relationship drama that earned some love for Maren Ade before her next feature Toni Erdmann slayed em at Cannes three years ago. The series continues with Ulrich Kohler and Valeska Grisebach. (TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. W., 6:30 p.m.) Jason Anderson WEDNESDAY Inner Elder Watch this if: You want to see a dark comedy about growing up Indigenous in Alberta. Cree actor Michelle Thrush is known for her roles on North of 60 and Blackstone (which won her a Gemini Award in 2011), but now shes telling her own story with the help of Canadian theatre artist Karen Hines. Thrushs solo show, which combines her background in Indigenous performance with Hines specialization in Bouffon clowning, won a Betty Award in Calgary last year. Making its Toronto debut with Nightwood Theatre and Native Earth Performing Arts, Inner Elder sounds like a morbidly funny confrontation of the reality of Thrushs adolescence. (Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St. E., 8 p.m., on until May 12) Carly Maga THURSDAY Catapult Festival Watch this if: You like theatre artists who go it alone. Well-known independent company Convergence Theatre has a history of creating site-specific work, but now its helping others develop new shows. Catapult Festival is its first presentation of three new solo works by some exciting performers: improviser and actor Tracey Hoyt (The Drowsy Chaperone, Cottagers and Indians); Melody Johnson (known for solo show Miss Caledonia) and playwright Ali Joy Richardson (A Bear Awake in Winter). See them now or hopefully, with the help of this festival, on a bigger stage later. (Centre for Spiritual Living, 1311 Queen St. E., 7 p.m., on until May 12) CM Fills Monkey Watch this because: Theyre the literal definition of slapstick. For the past decade, this French duo of drummers Sebastien Rambaud and Yann Costes have honed an act that combines virtuosic clatter with enough craziness to make them an all-ages staple of comedy festivals worldwide. They make their Toronto debut thanks to co-presenter Alliance Francaise, bringing unconventional percussive gear along with a plus-sized double kit for We Will Drum You, as the show is called. Sumptuous Belgian crooner Loic Nottet plays straight man as the nights Eurovision Song Contest-stamped headliner, and good luck to him following these fellas. (Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W., doors 7 p.m.) CY FRIDAY A Sisters Song Watch this if: You want to keep binging great new docs. Hot Docs may have just wrapped up, but the second week of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival means moviegoers have plenty more high-quality nonfiction fare to choose from. One fest standout is this film by Danae Elon, previous TJFF prize winner for The Patriarchs Room. A Sisters Song portrays an Israeli womans struggle to reconnect with her sister 20 years after she left her family to live as a nun in Greece. Intimately rendered and deeply affecting, the film makes its Toronto premiere with two weekend screenings. (Spadina Theatre at Alliance Francaise Toronto, 24 Spadina Rd., 3:30 p.m., also May 12 at Cineplex Empress Walk) JA SATURDAY WeeFestival Watch this if: You need activities for Mothers Day or Kids Day, which is every other day of the year. For the last few years, Theatre Direct and its WeeFestival have programmed special concerts, plays, dance and puppet performances created specially for ages 0 to 6, filling in a need for infant-friendly activities as the weather warms up. This years festival includes a lineup that is especially open for audience members on the autism spectrum or otherwise differently abled, with venues from Etobicoke to Little India to the Junction to Thorncliffe Park. (May 11 to 20, various locations) CM Catch-22 Watch this if: Youd like to check out George Clooneys latest project. The A-lister is an executive producer and director on this adaptation of the famous Joseph Heller novel set in the Second World War, but hes not the main star. That would be Christopher Abbott (Girls) as U.S. air force bomber Yossarian. Hes joined by Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) as unhinged Colonel Cathcart, who keeps increasing bombing missions and risking lives even though the Germans are on the run. The sardonic and pragmatic YoYo wants out, which can happen if hes deemed to be crazy, but theres a catch: if he asks to be relieved of duty it proves hes sane and he has to keep flying. (Citytv Now) Debra Yeo SUNDAY Mary Kills People Watch this if: Youd like to say goodbye before this Canadian show is put to sleep. The opening minutes of this third and final season show that this series about euthanasia still has the capacity to surprise. Mary (Caroline Dhavernas), Des (Richard Short) and Nicole (Charlotte Sullivan) are getting into a groove at the death retreat disguised as a hospice for their terminally ill clients, but Mary takes chances that could put all of them and the business at risk. And shes starting to ask questions about playing God: is it really for her patients or for herself? (Global at 8 p.m.) DY HALIFAXPodcasts are growing in popularity across Canada, but the people behind one in Halifax say the volume is not being turned up enough on marginalized communities. Terrence Taylor and Mike Tanner are the brains behind Changing The Narrative (CTN): a podcast focused on addressing issues within the Black community in Halifax. I did this to tell stories for people of colour as a person of colour, Taylor said in an interview ahead of the first Atlantic Podcast Summit that was happening this weekend in Halifax. The evidence of podcast growth across the country comes from a yearly report commissioned by The Podcast Exchange, a company that researches podcast growth. According to the 2018 report, more than three quarters of Canadians were familiar with podcasts. But with just more than a quarter of those Canadians listening to a podcast weekly, there is room for the medium to expand. For Nova Scotia, the consumption of podcasts wasnt as popular as the rest of Canada, with people listening to podcasts weekly at a rate of 21 per cent, compared to 26 per cent for Canada. To Taylor and Tanner, the attention to podcasts is new, but the craft itself is well-known. The name podcasting is a new medium. Its just AM radio, Taylor said. The project to build CTN started a year and a half ago, and a lot has changed since they started. What began as a podcast about their personal stories is now about the guests Taylor interviews and the experiences the people they talk to have had. From growing up as a Black person in North End Halifax, to teaching student athletes from marginalized communities the importance of education, the goal of all episodes, they say, is to be informative. Im a host, but Im a listener at the same time. Thats what I love most about it, Taylor said. While Taylor speaks from experience as a Black person, Tanner, who is white, says the episodes are an opportunity for him to learn. For me, that was a big thing to say OK. These are the conversations that were afraid to have or unwilling to have, Tanner said. Whether those conversation get more listeners depends on demand, according to Jeff Ulster, co-founder of The Podcast Exchange. The market is going to dictate what people make, Ulster said. If theres money in making podcasts for more diverse or under-represented groups then the market will go that way. And that demand can be there, according to Maggie Rahr, who is hosting the popular Halifax-based podcast What Happened to Holly Bartlett? The podcast investigates the Nova Scotia story of how Bartlett died nine years ago. With this series having a rating on Apple Podcasts of almost five stars, Rahr sees the potential for other podcasts in the region to take off as well. Theres so much going on here, Rahr said of Atlantic Canada. Hopefully things will swing that way where theres more funding among the purveyors of power to help the stories happen. Read more about: Judging by social media and other chatter, one of the impactful talks at TED 2019held in Vancouver in Aprilwas Matthew Walkers Youre Not Getting Enough Sleepand its Killing You. Walker, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley, has been encouraging people to take sleep more seriously for a few years now, arguing that, short-term, a lack of sleep messes with our memory, appetite and immune systems, and, long-term, could make us more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, heart disease, Alzheimers and cancer. That got peoples attention. Shouldnt we already know that sleep is an important thing, though? We all know the joy of a solid, uninterrupted eight hours, right? And, on the flip side, anyone whos ever experienced a sleep disorderroughly 40 per cent of Canadians, including meis keenly aware that its not just the frustration in the middle of the night thats a problem, its the fact that the next days largely a write-off, thanks to a haze of brain fog. What is it that keeps people like me up? Anxiety? Stress? Depression? It might be a complex interplay of things, explains Dr. Christine Purdon, Director of Clinical Training of the PhD program in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo and co-director of the Anxiety Studies Division, who says that insomnia is characteristic of a number of mental health problems. Some people have trouble sleeping because their thoughts race and theyre worried that theyre not going to be able to manage the challenges of the next day, says Purdon. So, theyre trying to problem-solve, but they cant do anything about it at two in the morning in their bed, so the thoughts keep racing and then they get anxious. And you cant sleep when youre anxious because youve got cortisol running through your body. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that jacks up our blood sugar, suppresses our immune system and gets us ready to run away from predatorsa built-in alarm, starting at the amygdala, a part of the brain that sends distress signals to other parts of the brain. Although our modern anxiety is more likely to be about deadlines or office politics than sabre-tooth tigers, we still make cortisol when the amygdala senses danger. Purdons description is exactly how I feel at 5 a.m., hopelessly trying to get back to sleep with Jedi mind tricks. I should say, though, that Ive been pretty lucky to have fewer (and shorter) bouts of insomnia over the past several years. Whereas, I once had torturous two- or three-week spells a few times a year, its down to a sporadic few nights a month. I attribute a lot of that to keeping more regular hours and paying attention to the quality of mattresses and light noise in the room. Id like to get it down to zero, though, so Im always on the look-out for new strategies for better sleep. As such, when Sleep Country Canada offered to send me a Snuggable Weighted Blanket ($199 plus tax) to try out, I took them up on it. Day One: The package tells me this 230-thread count, 15-pound blanket will create a feeling of being hugged, as well as reduce chronic stress and high levels of anxiety and may increase serotonin and melatonin levels and decrease cortisol levelsto promote a better sleep. The key word here is may. There really isnt a lot of peer-reviewed research confirming the many anecdotal stories circulating that its helpful for anxiety and/or sensory processing disorders. First night: Even if you think you have a pretty good idea as to what 15 pounds feels like, picking up this blanket produces cognitive dissonanceits way heavier than it looks. Its also only five feet long, so you have to choose between covering your chest or your feet. Initially, I thought it was a non-starter, since it felt less like hugging and more like being trapped. Despite my concerns, I slept well. Week Two: The weird thing is, you adjust to the weight pretty quicklyfor me, I was actually looking forward to the sensation of added weight by the end of the first week. I was sleeping more on my back and moving around less, which is obviously a good thing Week Three: Insomnia strikes. For me, its never about getting to sleep but, rather, staying asleep. Ill wake up at 4 a.m. and thats when the thoughts start racing. This generally lasts several hours, but, all four nights that it happened to me that week I was able to get back to sleep in under 15 minutes. Months End: After a month with no insomnia, Im a convert. I still have some trepidation, since Ive had a lot of vivid dreamssometimes too vivid. Im also worried about whether or not itll be too hot in, say, mid-July. Im also worried it might not last. What if my good sleeps are just a placebo effect? As Dr. Purdon points out, without more studies, we cant know. She can, however, imagine a theory for how a weighted blanket might work to alleviate some symptoms of anxiety. I have heard of people using weighted blankets and enjoying them, she says. I think that if it gives a safety signallike that kind of warm sense of being bundledI think its possible that sensation can make somebody feel safer and down-regulate the amygdala and get rid of the anxiety, which could help you get back to sleep. Still, Purdon warns that people shouldnt get their hopes up that a blanket, no matter how good, will be life-transforming, even if future research does support the theory. I do have a fair bit of skepticism about things that come onto the market making big claims, she says. I dont think there are quick fixes for anything. I think its great if some people try something and it helps them. But I dont think something like that is going to cure anybodys anxiety problems, thats for sure. Ontarios government plans to launch a review of speed limits on provincial highways, with the transportation minister musing that some of those roads can safely handle traffic at 120 kilometres per hour. Heres a look at the context around the issue: HOW ARE SPEED LIMITS DETERMINED? According to Mohamed Hussein, a transportation engineering professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, there are effectively three speed limits for any highway: the design speed, which is the maximum speed at which a road can be safely navigated and determines every element of its design; the operating speed, which is how fast traffic actually moves on the road; and the posted speed, which is displayed on roadside signs. The posted speed is a product of many factors, including a commonly used measure called the 85th percentile: the speed at which 85 per cent of traffic will travel at or below. Political considerations are also a factor, such as when the United States passed a national speed limit law in the early 1970s. The legislation was enacted in an effort to conserve fuel amid an embargo on oil shipments from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). WHAT ARE THE EXISTING LIMITS IN ONTARIO? The speed limit on the 400-series highways, including Highway 401 part of which is considered the busiest highway in North America is 100 km/h, while other provincial highways range between 80 and 90 km/h. According to Bob Nichols, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the original limit on highways 400, 401, 417 and the Queen Elizabeth Way was 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), but that was lowered in 1975 in response to the oil crisis. The fact that it hasnt been raised again in the more than 40 years since then despite the end of the oil embargo and improvements to vehicle safety and fuel efficiency has led to calls for change. Chris Klimek, who founded the advocacy campaign Stop 100 eight years ago, said the current limit turns almost every driver in Ontario into a law-breaker. Provincial Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek acknowledged last week that the 400-series highways are designed to handle traffic at 120 km/h, while signalling the province would announce details this week of a couple of pilot projects at different speed limits. HAS THIS BEEN TRIED IN CANADA? Yes In 2014, British Columbia adjusted speed limits on 33 sections of highway following a months-long public consultation that showed widespread support for increasing limits. That included increases to 120 km/h the highest permitted speeds in the country on certain sections of divided, multi-lane highways. However, the province has since rolled back many of those increases after research showed what B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena called an alarming increase in serious collisions on some routes. Hussein characterized the B.C. experiment as a disaster and said it would be a very bad idea for Ontario to follow suit. Most research shows that if you are involved within a collision and you are driving more than 120 km/h, your chances to survive are almost zero, he said. However, another expert Baher Abdulhai from the University of Torontos Transportation Research Institute counters that 120 km/h is already the de facto speed limit on highways in the Greater Toronto Area. HOW DO THE RULES DIFFER IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS? Across Canada, maximum posted speed limits vary by province, from 90 km/h in Prince Edward Island to 110 km/h in B.C., Nova Scotia and elsewhere. Limits tend to be higher in the U.S., where the national speed limit law was repealed in 1995: Hawaii has the lowest limits in the country at 97 km/h, while Texas has the highest at 137 km/h, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In Europe, the most common speed limits are 120 and 130 km/h, and certain sections of the German autobahn system have no maximum, although an advisory speed of 130 km/h is posted. Klimek and Abdulhai both point to this as evidence that higher speed limits can work, but Hussein notes there are important design differences that distinguish the autobahn from North American highways, including less frequent interchanges. Its a totally different story. We cannot have this system here, he said. WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN FOR THIS TO WORK? Its not yet clear where or how the government will implement its pilot projects, but Abdulhai said technology can play an important role in ensuring its done safely. The U of T professor, who specializes in Intelligent Transportation Systems, would like to see dynamic speed limits implemented on major highways, adapting the posted limit based on factors such as weather and traffic. In areas where that isnt possible due to cost, Abdulhai recommends using the 85th percentile rule, which he estimates would lead to a limit of 120 km/h on most GTA highways. Beyond that, he recommends strict enforcement, aided by technology such as radar, along with stronger intervention in what he calls vulnerable areas such as school and construction zones. MONTREALQuebec provincial police say a man with links to organized crime has been killed in a shooting in Laval, Que. Salvatore Scoppa, 49, was declared dead in hospital last night. Police were called to a hotel in the city north of Montreal at about 10 p.m., where they found a victim who had been shot at least once. Provincial police are leading the probe since it is linked to organized crime. No arrests have been made but officers have set up a mobile command post on the site and are asking anyone with information to come forward. Read more about: Its perhaps the quintessential coming-of-age story for todays America: a white supremacist teenager arrives at college steadfast in his racist beliefs, and emerges as a progressive determined to speak out against hate. Its the story of Derek Black, a young man born into a family of self-avowed white nationalists who, until his college years, was thought to be the heir to the neo-fascist throne. The son of Don Black, a former grand wizard of the KKK, and godson of David Duke, one of Americas most notorious white supremacists, Black was raised to believe in his familys ideology. He believed that IQ could be determined based on the colour of peoples skin, that immigrants were the product of a global Jewish conspiracy and that liberal policies at the state and federal level were slowly abetting a genocide of white people. At a young age he founded The Don and Derek Black Show, aired five times a week on Florida radio, to promote these beliefs. He won a Republican committee seat in Palm Beach County by railing against political correctness, affirmative action and Hispanic immigration. But having undergone an ideological transformation in his years at New College of Florida, Black now speaks publicly of his past as a white supremacist and how he learned to reject hateful dogma. On Monday, hell be speaking at the Toronto Centre for the Arts with his partner, Allison Gornik, who was instrumental in his transformation, as part of an event hosted by Facing History and Ourselves, a non-profit organization that uses the lessons of history to inspire teachers and their students to build a world free from bigotry and hate. For me to flatly say Im not going to engage in public discussion about my past would be an unethical decision, as far as Im concerned, Black recently told the Star. Black was ostracized by most students at New College when they discovered his background. But Matthew Stevenson, one of a few observant Jewish students on campus, invited him to attend weekly Shabbat dinners on Fridays where he introduced him to his diverse group of friends and his religious practices. Gornik, Stevensons roommate at the time, developed a close friendship with Black and spent hours debating his beliefs, systematically debunking his views on immigration and race until his world view began to fall apart. Gornik says the combination of campus protests and civil discourse with Stevenson and herself was integral to Blacks transformation. When I became so aware that there was nobody else having conversations with him, I felt it was very much my duty that, if he wouldnt walk away from these conversations, then neither would I, Gornik told the Star. Black agrees. Only through complete isolation on campus did he feel compelled to seek out a community in those weekly Shabbat dinners, and only through extensive debate did he begin to question his beliefs, he said. In the final year of his undergraduate degree, when Black finally disavowed white nationalism in a public letter addressed to the Southern Poverty Law Center, he was nearly disowned by his parents. His father initially told him he wished Derek had never been born. His extended family said they would never speak to him again. (Black says hes since reconciled with his parents, albeit not without great effort.) The story circulated in American media and was the subject of a book published last year, Rising Out of Hate: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist, by Washington Post journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Eli Saslow. For a while, Black says, he was reluctant to tell his story. I really did not want to talk to (Saslow) when he first approached me, and only very reluctantly did I get back in touch with him in the summer of 2016, Black recalled. It was very uncomfortable, and up until the book came out I expected it to be a very unpleasant experience. He discovered, instead, that many found his story inspiring a glimmer of hope for a society increasingly susceptible to right-wing extremism. There are universal truths here, he said. I had completely changed my context by moving away from a space dominated by my familys ideology. At New College I was told my beliefs were unacceptable and (students) were going to take a stand against them. So, if youre looking at how these transformations tend to happen, it often comes from a community orientation change. Gornik said the story speaks to how students can challenge extremism on campuses and beyond. Civil discourse is important, but civil resistance movements work to keep this ideology fringe, rather than accepting these ideas as debatable concepts, she said. The activism of people on campus to assert social justice values is the choice that stands up for the people who have faced historic oppression. Gornik is now a doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Michigan State University and Black is working toward a PhD in history at the University of Chicago. He says he intends to continue participating in discussions of extremism and overcoming hatred as long as it contributes to a productive conversation. Educating people around history and the decisions they make is the primary avenue that I see being effective right now, he said. Its the work I can contribute to most, and thats understanding how we got to the present moment. Clarification - May 5, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear that Facing History and Ourselves organization uses the lessons of history to inspire teachers and their students to build a world free from bigotry and hate. Unlearning Hate: A Conversation With Derek Black and Allison Gornik takes place at the Lyric Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, on May 6 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster A 47-year-old woman is in life-threatening condition after being struck by a car in Scarborough on Thursday, Toronto police say. The woman was crossing the intersection of Markham Rd. and Steeles Ave. E. from the east to west side when she was hit, police said in a news release Saturday. She was struck by a 41-year-old man driving a Toyota and making a left-hand turn onto Markham Rd., police said. They did not indicate who had the right of way. The pedestrian sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital. Const. David Hopkinson, spokesperson for the Toronto Police, said the driver of the vehicle remained on scene following the collision but declined to say if the driver has been charged. Police are asking local residents, businesses and drivers who may have security or dashboard camera footage of the area or incident to contact investigators. South Africa: Intl community reaches out to KZN, Moz International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has thanked the international community for donations made to the province of KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique following natural disasters that claimed hundreds of lives. The United Arab Emirates Ambassador to South Africa, Mahash Saeed Al Hameli, donated R1 million towards relief efforts in KwaZulu-Natal, while Aspen Pharmacare donated R50 000 to the province and a further R250 000 for Mozambique. The donations were made at an engagement between the Minister and members of the Hellenic, Italian and Portuguese (HIP) Alliance on Friday, 3 May. The engagement sought to unpack South Africas foreign policy trajectory and to continue mobilising the business community to support government initiatives to assist the victims of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, as well as the victims of the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal. We are humbled by the support we continue to get from the business community, NGOs, members of the Diplomatic Corps and ordinary citizens of our country. Your assistance has not been in vain, said Sisulu. The HIP Alliance also honoured the Minister with the Humanity and Social Cohesion Award in recognition of her service to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in society. Receiving the award, Sisulu said: I accept this on behalf of all women in this country. They are the most vulnerable ones in our society. However, they always make things happen. Women, the future is in your hands. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Make great food. Make it fresh. Serve it with pride. And then, as day turns to night and the night winds down, slash the price by half, so that every last morsel is eaten and nothing goes to waste. Thats been the quiet weekly rhythm for a while now at the Junctions rustic Farmhouse Tavern, where proprietor Darcy MacDonell and chef Ashley MacNeil take up the waste-not-want-not challenge every Sunday, aiming to end the night with happy patrons, bellies full and wallets still surprisingly fullish and as little as possible left over for the green bin. Its a fresh twist on an old story in the hypercompetitive Toronto restaurant scene, where tight profit margins sometimes force chefs to reinvent yesterdays roast chicken into todays chicken pot pies. But unlike other establishments, the Farmhouse Tavern, is upfront about its no-waste ambitions and caters to a like-minded clientele who place their trust in the freshness of the food and the virtue of the smallest environmental footprint possible. The key for us is freshness farm-freshness sourced from small-scale farmers within 100 kms and delivered directly to us, chef MacNeil told The Star. So were not talking about taking old food and repurposing it. Everything we serve is in season and made fresh that day. Were open Thursday through Sunday and so the goal with our Sunday night deal is to sell out completely and then come back and start anew on Thursday. And people especially the younger folks here in the Junction they are aware. The no-waste movement is gaining momentum. Our thing is farm-fresh ingredients inside a 100-km limit farmers that were connected to delivering directly to us, farmers who are also-waste conscious, MacNeil said. MacNeil says the quest for zero-waste is like a weird game of teeter-totter a bit stressful but really fun at the same time. We have a certain number of fixed reservations but well have walk-ins and so as we place our orders with suppliers you aim for that elusive spot between too little and too much. It helps to have relationships with the farmers. Take beets for example we get our beets with the tops intact, which are great in a puree or a chimichurri sauce, says MacNeil. So knowing the farms, knowing the farmers, helps us plan out how were going to be creative with whats coming in the door. Chef John Higgins, director of the chef school at George Brown College, hails the Farmhouse Taverns twist on reducing wastage with Sunday night price drops on entrees and appetizers. In fact, he adopted a similar approach at his colleges culinary campus at 200 Adelaide St. E., where the first-floor Chef On The Run canteen which offers student-made meals Monday to Friday for as little as $6 slashes its price to $2 after 2 p.m. every Friday. I love what Darcy and Ashley are doing at the Farmhouse. Its a very good place with very good ethics. We made our policy at Chef On The Run with the very same intent lets sell all the food made in our labs at chef school and on Friday afternoons, the food made that day goes for $2. Everything sells rather quickly and nothing is wasted. Higgins and other food industry experts observe that while the vast majority Canadas food waste occurs at the more industrial points in the food chain production, processing and distribution innovation is more commonplace at the restaurant level, where profit margins of as little as 3 per cent make waste-awareness a critical survival tool. I was once contacted by a pickle factory in Scarborough wanting to know what they should do with their wasted pickle trimmings and it added up to about 40 per cent wastage, said Higgins. The problem is people are conditioned to want what I call perfect Hollywood dining all the food in perfect rounds and perfect squares. And in the case of the pickle company, they were cutting them into rounds and the waste didnt look right or fit in the jars. But it tastes just as good. Weve got to do a better job of making use of it. The Second Harvest Food Rescue, which distributes more than 12 million pounds of unsold food each year to a network of 373 social service organizations, put that wastage into shocking perspective in a report in January titled The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste. The trove of insights from more than 700 food industry experts, gathered in partnership with Value Chain Management International, determined that 58 per cent of all food produced in Canada is wasted and that 32 per cent of that waste is edible and potentially rescuable, but ends up being classified as waste simply because it doesnt have a market. I love hearing about approaches to food waste like what the Farmhouse Tavern is doing and it doesnt surprise me because restaurants typically understand their waste far better than every other part of the food chain, said Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel. Our goal now is to see that kind of innovative thinking trickle up into the other ends of the food chain, to the producer level. When people think food waste, they used to attribute it to the food retailer, the restaurant or the consumer. But our latest research shows that just isnt fair. We need the no-waste approach to extend to the processing, manufacturing and distribution levels as well. Toronto chef Jagger Gordon, founder of the Feed It Forward movement, learned about the Farmhouse Taverns Sunday night specials in the recent article by Jonathan Bloom, creator of www.wastedfood.com. Its just so viable, what they are doing I heard about Farmhouse and I just want to go there and see for myself. Small places like this are amazing, said Gordon. Nearly two years after Google sister company Sidewalk Labs won a competition to develop a plan for a new high-tech neighbourhood on Torontos waterfront, Dayna Nelson is still trying to understand what this development could mean for the city. Im still trying to wrap my head around what the project is, said Nelson, a Toronto resident who attended a walking tour Saturday morning to learn more about the development. This type of technology is so specialized, so its inaccessible. As Sidewalk Labs develops its master plan for the tech-driven 12-acre site known as Quayside, near Queens Quay and Parliament St., Nelson said she has mixed feelings about issues that have been raised, including data collection and surveillance. It could go either way, Nelson said. Data mining doesnt have to be bad, but what matters is what is done with that data. Nelson isnt the only one on the fence. A recent poll found one-third of respondents either werent sure how they felt or had no opinion about the project. Proposals for Quayside envision a neighbourhood with driverless cars, heated paths in winter and automated trash pickup through underground chambers, with computer sensors analyzing everything from vehicle flow to weather conditions. Nelson and about 70 others followed local Liberal MP Adam Vaughan (SpadinaFort York) and Bianca Wylie, chair of a group opposed to Sidewalk Labs plans for the eastern waterfront, at Saturdays walking tour, with many asking questions about data security. The two-hour event part of the Janes Walk series named for Toronto urban theorist Jane Jacobs covered the waterfront from Bay to Parliament Sts. It was scheduled to run for an hour but was extended to cover more information on the Sidewalk Labs proposal. Wylie said that she understands why people might feel confused about the development plans. It hasnt been clear. And thats not by accident, right? she said. The development is being presented as an all-or-nothing scenario, according to Wylie. This is public land, and we dont have a ton of it in the downtown core. This isnt the kind of land where if it isnt developed by Sidewalk Labs, then I wonder if anyone else would want it, she said. Vaughan noted the Sidewalk Labs proposal is one of the few public processes to develop vacant land in Toronto land that he said would otherwise go toward private priorities. Stalling the project could mean losing the opportunity entirely, he said. If Waterfront Toronto stalls, I can tell you that (Premier) Doug Ford has plans for this land that we dont want to talk about, Vaughan said, citing ideas that have been proposed for the redevelopment of Ontario Place, including a mall and a casino. Waterfront Toronto is the tri-government agency created to oversee development of the citys waterfront lands. Cybele Sack, a volunteer with the Sidewalk Toronto Residents Reference Panel which provides advice and recommendations on the development wanted to learn more about Vaughans position on the issue, after he spoke about the development at a House of Commons ethics committee meeting in February. He seemed to be in favour of the project, Sack said. I wanted to hear how his perspective has potentially changed or grown since having the opportunity to speak to people in his riding. When asked whether or not he supports the development, Vaughan said he wants to see Sidewalk Labs final master plan, which the firm has yet to release. Still, the need to develop public urban land in an innovative and thoughtful way must be weighed against data security and policy concerns, according to Vaughan. Google is going to give us some things that we have been asking for, but the trouble is that it comes with a price, he said. Sidewalk Labs final Master Innovation and Development Plan, the proposal that will lay out the design and vision for its Quayside beta site, is scheduled to be released in late spring, according to the firms director of public realm, who attended the walk. We have made very clear that we have no interest in owning and managing the data collected from the public spaces in this neighbourhood and elsewhere, Jesse Shapins said. With files from David Rider and Donovan Vincent Read more about: A century ago, as nursing graduates proudly posed in their white dresses and perfectly starched caps, there was a uniformity to the image. With little exception, everyone was white. In 1931, 99.8 per cent of Canadian graduate nurses identified as having British, French or European ancestry, Kathryn McPherson notes in Bedside Matters: The Transformation of Canadian Nursing, 1900-1990. The history professor at York University writes that the historical lack of diversity in the profession can be traced to immigration restrictions as well as racial discrimination from nursing schools unwritten colour bars that came to light only when challenged. (In the 1931 census, Canadians with British, European and French ancestry accounted for 98.2 per cent of the population.) Administrators would say that patients wont be comfortable being treated by a Black nurse, or Indigenous nurses wouldnt be able to manage the science, says McPherson, listing examples she has come across in her research. There are all these racist things, and underlying it to some degree is a concern around the reputation of the profession being undercut, she says. Since the days of Florence Nightingale, nursing was intertwined with notions of feminine respectability, and there all these swirls of character and reputation always bubbling up, she says. While Chinese and Japanese Canadians were admitted in small numbers to Canadian nursing schools in the 1930s, the formal exclusion of Black and Indigenous nurses ended during and after the Second World War, she notes. Womens College Hospital archivist Heather Gardiner has never seen any admission policies about race in the collection, but if there were any, they were likely unwritten: You were encouraged to apply in person with your mother, she says. This Monday, the Womens College Hospital school of nursing is having its final alumnae dinner. The first nurse graduated from Womens College in 1917, and the last class affiliated with the hospital graduated in 1975. The first Chinese-Canadian nurse graduated from the college in 1923. The first Indigenous graduate followed in 1928, and the first Black woman graduated in 1951. These are their stories. Read more: The last nursing graduates of Womens College Hospital have seen it all Agnes Chan: Sold in China by her parents Ah Fung Chan was born in China around 1904. She was one of six sisters, and her parents, hoping that she would have a better life, sold her to a more prominent family when she was a girl. They knew the family it was her fathers friend, and he promised to raise her as kindly as one of his own, according to Early Chinese Canadian Christian History, by Rev. Dr. Joyce Chan. As she grew up, Chan was sold several times, including to a family in Victoria. She ran away to a missionary school called the Chinese Rescue Home after unjust treatment. She began to go by Agnes Chan. Still in touch with her family in China, she learned that she now had a baby brother, but another sister had been sold. She wanted to help her family by sending money home, but a missionary charity in Toronto stepped in, and the sister was placed in the Wesleyan Methodist School for Girls in Fatshan, China. The charity also helped Agnes enrol in nursing school at Womens College Hospital in Toronto, as there were no hospitals in the West willing to receive a Chinese student, Rev. Chan wrote. An appeal was then made to ours and she was allowed to register, an undated note in the Womens College Hospital archives reads. Chan was an exceptional student, top in her class for obstetrics. She did postgraduate pediatric nursing in Detroit, and then returned to China to work at a missionary hospital. Chan occasionally returned to Canada for nursing conventions. She was promoted to superintendent of nurses at the missionary hospital and during a time of political upheaval, she was operating the hospital unaided for a year, a note in the archives reads. She continued to stay in touch with Womens College, informing her friends about her experiences during the Japanese occupation. The alumnae sent money to help out. I wish I had 10 pairs of hands and 24 hours to my days instead of 12, Agnes wrote in one letter to an old Womens College friend. Much love to you and thank you for getting people interested in us. Agnes Chan died in 1962. Mabel Jones: Graduation threatened Indian status Mabel Jones grew up in Cape Croker reserve on the shores of Georgian Bay. Her father, Chief Charles Kegedonce Jones, petitioned the Indian agent so his daughters could go to nursing school, says her granddaughter Shelley Charles, an elder of Chippewas of Georgina Island. Charles remembers the way her grandmother used to talk about that journey to nursing school by horse and then a steam train from Owen Sound. When Mabel graduated in 1928, the achievement threatened her status. At that time the legislation said once you become a professional you were no longer an Aboriginal person in the eyes of the Indian Act, Charles says. But she added that her grandmother kept her status because of her marriage to George Douglas Charles, a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island. By the 1930s, the couple had settled in Georgina Island, where Jones worked for the Victorian Order of Nurses for 40 years, and as a midwife to a whole generation of people. It was a very important role in the island community to have a nurse living there, Shelley Charles says. She noted that her grandmother once held the record for being the person who didnt leave the island for the longest stretch of time she had a four-year stint without trips to shore. When her husband got sick they moved to the Sutton area, where she volunteered at a hospital. When he died, she moved back to Cape Croker, where she looked after the community with a blend of western and Indigenous practices. In Cape Croker, her granddaughter Shelley Charles grew up watching her reset broken bones and scour the bush for plants to use in traditional healing. Professors from the University of Toronto would come up, and shed take them into the bush to introduce them to the use of native plants, she says, noting that the work was published in the Canadian Journal of Botany in 1979. Mabel taught her granddaughter about harvesting medicine. She was very strict, but looking back, Charles understands that she was trying to impart foundational knowledge. She was a proud nurse, meticulous with her uniform, and a proud Indigenous woman. She taught by the Indigenous way of working. You teach by doing, you learn by doing preparing fish, pneumonia medicine, thats how you learned. Those times were very quiet, that quiet learning space, we spent a lot of time like that together. Mabel died in 1983. Agnes Clinton: They said I was too tall When Agnes Clinton applied to nursing schools after the Second World War, she heard a lot of excuses. They said I was too tall, too big, would do better somewhere else, or some other excuse, Clinton told the Toronto Telegram. In an article in the Nursing History Review, Karen Flynn, an associate professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, details a similar story of another would-be nurse who requested an application to Toronto General Hospital in 1940, telling them she was coloured. According to the young womans father, she was told there were no vacancies. She wrote again using a variation of her name in Spanish, and left out the colour of her skin. This time, she was told to come in for an interview. It was unlikely she went in for that interview, Flynn writes, seeing as her father wrote a letter to the Toronto Coloured Liberal Association, who took the case to the Ontario health ministry. Eventually, the registrar of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario became involved, saying it was necessary to consider the reaction of patients to student nurses. ... there would no doubt be many protests from patients and doctors if colored nurses were introduced into the wards, the registrar wrote, suggesting that training schools for colored nurses were established in the U.S. for this reason. Flynn, who has done extensive research on Black Canadian and Caribbean nurses in her book Moving Beyond Borders: A History of Black Canadian and Caribbean Women in the Diaspora, sees irony in the situation. This young woman, likely a descendant of people who found freedom in Canada, was told, decades later, to go back to the U.S. for nursing school. In the 1940s, more women were entering the workforce during the war, and Canadian nursing schools were beginning to accept Black women as a result of tremendous pressure from trade unions and church groups, Joan Lesmond, past president of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, wrote in a 2006 issue of the Registered Nurse Journal. In 1944, the Canadian Nursing Association reaffirmed its policy that there be no discrimination in selection of students for enrollment, Kathryn McPherson writes, noting that change came slowly. It was just a continuous challenge, Flynn says. Agnes Clinton was admitted to the Womens College school of nursing in 1948. The Telegram said she was a favourite in a close-knit group of student nurses, a woman with a ready smile that brightened the ward and added gaiety to the student get-togethers. The journalist remarked that while a darker shade of skin seems a minor point it can be a formidable barrier requiring courage and tact and a sense of humour to scale. Clinton said she had to work hard and stick it out even when discouraged. I enjoy working with the patients, though sometimes a new (patient) will look at me rather oddly the first time or two. Not wanting black hands on white bodies, thats a constant, says Flynn, and having to deal with being rebuffed, thats part of the reality. Clinton graduated in 1951, and she worked at Womens College Hospital for a few years, before she became a public health nurse in East York. In 2001, the class of 1951 sent updates for the alumnae newsletter, summaries of nursing careers, travel, children and retirements. Clinton by now Agnes Smith had a particularly impressive resume. After 13 years in public health in Toronto, she went to Yale to study alcohol addiction, then to Detroit where she worked in public health, setting up a mobile medical team for homeless people. She worked at nursing homes, and a community mental health program that served people who were HIV-positive. While most of her classmates had retired 50 years after graduation Agnes was working in a substance-abuse treatment facility, doing nursing assessments at intake. I know she loved it, says Lena White, 89, who adds that her classmate was always very modest. She did a lot more than I think we know ... she was an advocate. That was Aggie. While it was common enough for nurses of the era to leave the profession to start families, many Black nurses continued to work, Flynn says. Leaving nursing was not an option, she says. Its almost this idea of once a nurse always a nurse. Clinton lived in Detroit and came for class reunions when she could. She was a private person, but a lot of fun and always told a good story, White says. She died around 10 years ago. We all loved her, White says. She was part of us. Toronto police have arrested a woman in connection with a series of thefts from Toronto-area hospitals in early April. According to a Sunday press release, the woman allegedly stole several items from the employee locker area at North York General Hospital the morning of April 4, including a set of vehicle keys. After leaving the hospital, the woman found the vehicle and drove away in it. She also stole bank cards, which she later used in fraudulent transactions. Police said the suspect is responsible for similar types of offences throughout Ontario. Melanie Beskorowany, 27, of Toronto, was arrested on Sunday. She faces three charges theft of a motor vehicle, fraud under $5,000 and failing to comply with recognizance. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477. KHARTOUM, Sudan - A Sudanese protester has died after being shot during clashes with security forces at a sit-in in the western Darfur region. The Sudan Doctors Committee, one of the groups behind nationwide protests that drove President Omar al-Bashir from power last month, says Saad Mohammed Ahmed, 18, was shot Saturday when security forces tried to forcibly disperse a sit-in outside a military facility in Nyala. He died Sunday. Maj. Gen. Hashim Mahmoud, the governor of south Darfur province, says around 5,000 people marched to the facility from a nearby displaced persons camp, and that security forces used tear gas to try and disperse them. The government launched a scorched-earth campaign in response to an insurgency in Darfur in the early 2000s. The conflict killed some 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million. PANAMA CITY - A cattleman held on to a narrow lead over a businessman late Sunday as returns came in from Panamas tightest presidential election in recent years, following a campaign that focused on corruption and slowing economic growth in this Central America trade and financial hub. The Electoral Court said it needed more ballots to be counted before declaring a winner. There is no runoff in Panama, so the top vote-getter in the field of seven mostly business-friendly candidates would win outright. With more than 91% of votes counted, Laurentino Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party led, with almost 33%. That was just ahead of Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change party at 31%. About 36,000 votes separated the two men, who together received around 1.2 million votes. Speaking to reporters, Cortizo said he expected to soon receive a phone call from the Electoral Court to announce his victory. Supporters had begun to clear out of his campaign headquarters after a night of celebrating as returns came in. The Democratic Revolutionary Party, once the political arm of Panamas former military government, lost the last two presidential contests. Shortly before Cortizos comments, Roux vowed not to concede defeat, saying the results were too close and suggesting that the race was marred by irregularities. We have to guarantee the protection of the electoral process and of democracy. Right now, its in doubt, Roux said, without providing any evidence of election tampering. The electoral commission said it would be prudent to count more votes, given Rouxs refusal to concede. Voters cast ballots at roughly 3,000 locations without major incidents. Whichever candidate emerges as the winner, he will likely take office July 1 for a five-year term with the lowest level of popular votes since the dictatorship of Manuel Noriega ended in 1989. The election followed revelations of money laundering in the so-called Panama Papers that dinged the countrys reputation on the world stage. The trove of secret financial documents showed how some of the worlds richest people hid their money using shell companies in Panama and other countries. Despite the scandal, Panama remains a strategic location for commerce, anchored by the heavily trafficked Panama Canal shipping route and a recently expanded international airport. Cortizo, a 66-year-old who studied business administration in the U.S., was agriculture minister under President Martin Torrijos and campaigned on vows to clean up Panamas image after recent corruption scandals. For Panamanians, as well as many other Latin Americans these days, corruption trumps all other issues, even inequality, said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue. In country after country in the region, people are just fed up and are demanding a real change. Roux, a 54-year-old businessman, had the endorsement of supermarket magnate and former President Ricardo Martinelli, who is in jail awaiting trial on charges of political espionage. Roux held multiple government posts during the Martinelli administration, including minister of canal affairs and foreign minister. Roux highlighted during his campaign that Panamas economy grew only 3.8% last year, versus a 10.7% expansion in 2012, when Martinelli was president. Rouxs association with Martinelli appeared to have hurt his bid for the presidency, Shifter said. The top three was rounded out by an independent candidate who got on the ballot by collecting thousands of signatures. Ricardo Lombana, 45, is a lawyer who gained prominence via a citizens movement several years ago that questioned impunity and corruption in the country. Lombana had nearly 20% of the vote. Lombanas campaign focused on drumming up support via social media, rather than through the costly television spots favoured by candidates from Panamas three main political parties. Turnout was strong at 72% as voters showed up under a hot, cloudy sky Sunday in the sixth presidential election since a U.S. invasion ousted strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989. Panamanian voters were also concerned about rising unemployment, public schools in decline, unreliable water service and insufficient garbage collection in the capital. Outgoing President Juan Carlos Varela, a 55-year-old conservative and liquor industry veteran, will likely be remembered as a leader who strengthened the countrys political and economic ties with China. Panama established diplomatic relations with China, and disavowed Taiwan, in 2017. Varela, who was constitutionally barred from re-election, assumed the presidency on promises to crack down on corruption and cut food prices. His greatest achievement was the opening with China, according to political analyst Roberto Eisenmann, who said the diplomatic warming with China is a step that should have been taken 15 years ago. China and the U.S. are the main clients of the Panama Canal, the economic engine of the country. The U.S. completed construction of the Panama Canal in 1914, creating a transoceanic path across an isthmus that had been a province of Colombia. The U.S. turned over control of the canal to Panama in 1999, with assurances that the canal would remain a neutral zone that doesnt favour one country over another. Varela pushed to strengthen ties with China despite years of pressure from the U.S. to backtrack on the warming diplomatic ties. Several countries in Latin America have cut ties with Taiwan in recent years and received generous infrastructure investments as part of Chinas Belt and Road initiative. These developments have stoked some concerns in Washington that China is building alliances in the region, possibly at the expense of U.S. geopolitical and economic interests. We have always lived in the shadow of the United States and it was rather obvious that the United States would have preferred that we did not take this step to open diplomatic relations with China, said Eisenmann. Cortizo said he welcomes greater ties with China, provided that the warming relations do not damage Panamas strategic relationship with the U.S. NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka - Two people were arrested after mobs attacked Muslim-owned shops and vehicles in a Sri Lankan town where a suicide bombing targeted a Catholic church on Easter, police said Monday. Residents of the seaside town of Negombo said the mostly Catholic attackers stoned and vandalized shops on Sunday night. It was unclear how the dispute began, but some residents said a private dispute took a religious turn. Police imposed a curfew. The clash was the first reported since the Easter bombings of churches and hotels by attackers who had pledged support for the Islamic State group. More than 250 people were killed. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said several people were injured in the clashes in Negombo, where St. Sebastians Church was targeted on Easter. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said on Monday that the curfew was lifted after the violence was brought under control and two people were arrested. Gunasekara also said that investigators have found $800,000 in cash and bank accounts and another $40 million in other assets such as land, houses, jewelry and vehicles belonging to the extremist group blamed for the attack. All of the assets have been frozen, he said. He said police are investigating the source of the assets. A state of emergency has been in place since the Easter suicide bombings, with warnings that more attacks are possible. Catholic churches were closed for a second weekend, and some Muslims have been subjected to hate comments on social media. The government blocked some social media sites overnight, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in order to control the situation, information department director Nalaka Kaluwewa said. A.M. Jeffry, a Muslim resident of Porutota village near Negombo, said the attackers burned a three-wheel taxi and a motorbike. Rizwan Jeffry, a gem-seller who is not related, said about 400 people rampaging in the streets attacked his shop. Some took precious stones kept in showcases, he said. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Muslim clerics visited the area on Monday to appeal for peace. I ask the Catholics from inside this mosque not to lift your hands against Muslims, he said at a meeting at the Poruthota Mosque. They are not responsible for what happened, the Muslim religion is a religion of peace and we will never be against you, he said. The cardinal again castigated the government for not searching Negombo thoroughly for those responsible for the attacks despite his repeated requests. Ethnic clashes arent new to Sri Lanka. A civil war between rebels from the minority Tamil community and the Buddhist Sinhalese-majority government ended in 2009. Most of Sri Lankas majority ethnic Sinhalese are Buddhists, but Negombo has a majority Sinhalese Catholic community. ___ Associated Press writers Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi in Colombo contributed to this report. SOFIA, Bulgaria - Pope Francis urged Bulgarians on Sunday to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing so much of its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to seek better lives elsewhere. As he arrived in the Balkan nation for a two-day visit, Francis respectfully suggested that Bulgarians recognize that migrants are fleeing war, conflict or dire poverty to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge. To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands in accordance with your best tradition to those who knock at your door, he told government officials at the presidential palace in Sofia, the capital. Bulgarias centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the European Union to close its borders to migrants and has sealed off its own frontier with Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. But the country is also losing its population at a faster clip than any other nation, according to the U.N. Bulgarias current 7 million people are expected to dwindle to 5.4 million by 2050 and to 3.9 million by the end of the century. The Argentine pope has made the plight of migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy, urging governments to build bridges, not walls, and to do what they can to welcome and integrate refugees. His visit falls just three weeks before the European Parliament elections across the EUs 28 nations in which nationalist, anti-migrant parties are expected to make a solid showing. On Monday, Francis will visit a refugee centre in a former school on the outskirts of Sofia. Human rights groups have criticized Bulgaria and the EUs executive commission has formally cited the government over its treatment of asylum-seekers, especially unaccompanied minors. The Vrazhdebna centre the pope plans to visit, the flagship immigrant welcome centre in Bulgaria, was renovated with EU funds. Radostina Belcheva of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria said Francis visit will show solidarity with those in need. But really, their whole acceptance is a matter for each of us and for our society, Belcheva told The Associated Press. Bulgarias tough stance on refugees has been a deterrent: while some 20,000 people applied for asylum in Bulgaria in 2015, that number dwindled to 2,500 last year, according to the state refugee agency. From an economic standpoint, however, the EUs poorest nation may need more immigration to stabilize its future. Bulgaria has the EUs highest mortality rate and one of the blocs lowest birth rates. That, combined with tens of thousands of workers leaving the country annually to find better-paying jobs, poses serious problems for funding the countrys pension system. Bulgaria has the EUs lowest average monthly salary 575 euros ($645) and its smallest average monthly pension, at 190 euros ($213). In his speech Sunday, Francis urged the government to continue working to reverse this new demographic winter, saying the shrinking population phenomenon had descended like a curtain of ice on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future. He urged Bulgaria to strive to create conditions that lead young people to invest their youthful energies and plan their future, as individuals and families, knowing that in their homeland they can have the possibility of leading a dignified life. Francis later met with the leader of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neofit, during a visit to the headquarters of the Holy Synod, the churchs governing body. Francis kissed Neofit three times on the cheek and in a gesture of respect, leaned over to kiss his medallion featuring an image of Christ. The conservative Bulgarian church doesnt participate in official Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and even snubbed a pan-Orthodox council in Crete in 2016. The Holy Synod has made clear that it will not take part in any joint services or prayers with the pope, although a childrens choir is expected to sing for him. Francis sought to encourage greater paths of dialogue in his remarks to Neofit, a reflection of the Vaticans longstanding efforts to heal the 1,000-year schism that split Christianity. Francis lamented the wounds of division and fraternal nostalgia of being unified. But Neofit held firm in his speech, saying that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church would remain the keepers of true Christianity: We are firmly convinced that for all that concerns the faith, there cannot and must not be any compromises, he told Francis. Francis also prayed in the golden-domed Orthodox cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky before images of two of Orthodoxys most important saints, Cyrill and Methodius, who spread the faith in this part of Europe in the 9th century. He sat in a chair alone before the images evidence of the Bulgarian leaderships refusal to pray together with him. Later in the afternoon, the pope ministered to Bulgarias tiny Catholic community at an open-air Mass that organizers said drew some 12,000 people. Wearing vestments given by Bulgarias prime minister, he urged the faithful to launch a revolution of charity inspired by Gods love. Despite the countrys small number of Catholics, Bulgarians are particularly fond of one of the 20th century Catholic Churchs most important figures, Pope John XXIII. The former Angelo Roncalli was the Vatican envoy to Bulgaria from 1925-1934 and is known affectionately as the Bulgarian pope here. Francis was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who along with the vestments gave the pope a personal gift: a vat of Bulgarian yogurt. Borissov recalled that Francis had told him previously he first heard about Bulgaria as a child in Argentina when his grandmother gave him Bulgarian yogurt to eat. Receiving the gift, Francis exclaimed You know my story! ___ Valentina Petrova contributed from Sofia. NICOSIA, Cyprus - The Latest on what is thought to be the first serial killer case in Cyprus (all times local): 6:45 p.m. A Cyprus police spokesman says investigators hunting for bodies dumped by a suspected serial killer pulled a suitcase containing decomposing human remains from a toxic late. Andreas Angelides told The Associated Press that the remains discovered Sunday will be examined by a coroner to determine the victims identity. The remains of a woman were in a suitcase found at the bottom of a man-made lake a week ago. An army captain who has confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls told police he placed the bodies of three of the victims a Filipino woman and a Romanian mother and daughter inside suitcases which he then dumped in the lake. The lake was part of an abandoned mine where the bodies of two women were found last month. ___ 10:50 a.m. A Cyprus police investigator says a man who has confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls on the island is being investigated on additional charges of raping a foreign woman he had photographed as a model. Criminal Investigation Department Chief Neophytos Shailos told a Nicosia court Sunday that the suspect had raped the woman in his car on the outskirts of Nicosia in early 2017 when he picked her up to supposedly give her the photographs. Shailos said the 35-year-old army captain had videoed the rape on his cellphone. The woman, a 19-year-old foreign citizen, had called the suspects wife at the time and told her what had happened. The court extended the suspects detention for another eight days. SOFIA, Bulgaria - The Latest on Pope Francis trip to Bulgaria (all times local): 5:25 p.m. Pope Francis called for a revolution of charity based on Gods love while celebrating his first Mass in the majority Orthodox nation of Bulgaria. The Vatican, citing local organizers, estimated 12,000 people attended the open-air Mass on Sunday afternoon in the capital of Sofia or watched it on giant TV screens in a nearby square. Catholics account for less than 1% of Bulgarias population of 7 million. In his homily, Francis told the faithful Gods love inspires all to work for the common good. He said: This love enables us to serve the poor and to become protagonists of the revolution of charity and service, capable of resisting the pathologies of consumeristic and superficial individualism. Francis is scheduled to travel Monday to the Catholic stronghold in Rakovsky to celebrate 200 children receiving the sacrament of first communion. ___ 1:20 p.m. Pope Francis is seeking to build new paths of dialogue with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, noting Christianitys shared history of martyrdom and mission. Francis met Sunday with Patriarch Neofit at the headquarters of the Holy Synod, the Bulgarian churchs governing body, before praying alone in the Orthodox cathedral. Relations between the two churches are cordial but hardly warm. The Holy Synod doesnt participate in official Vatican-Orthodox theological dialogue, and made clear that it wouldnt take part in any joint services or prayers with Francis. Francis referred to the wounds of division caused by the 1,000-year-old schism that divided Christianity and said he was confident with the help of God, and in his good time, these contacts will have a positive effect on many other dimensions of our dialogue. Neofit, however, was clear that he felt the Bulgarian Church would remain the keepers of true Christianity. ___ 11:45 p.m. Pope Francis is urging Bulgarians to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to leave their native lands. As he arrived Sunday in the Balkan nation, Francis respectfully suggested Bulgaria recognize that migrants coming to their country are fleeing war, conflict and dire poverty to find safety and opportunity. He appealed to government authorities that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands in accordance with your best tradition to those who knock at your door. Bulgarias centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government has called for the European Union to close its borders to migrants and has sealed off its own border to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Human rights organizations and the European Commission have accused Bulgaria of violating EU asylum laws. ___ 11:20 p.m. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has offered Pope Francis a very personal gift at the start of his visit to the Balkan nation: A cup of Bulgarian yogurt. Borisov said Sunday after meeting with Francis upon his arrival in Sofia that on previous occasions he had been told by Francis that the first time he had heard about Bulgaria was during his childhood in Argentina when his grandmother gave him Bulgarian yogurt. Borisov gave Francis the yogurt when they met at the airport. The official gifts also included an Orthodox icon and a traditional episcopal vestment. The prime minister said: I was happy to welcome a man who is the symbol of faith in our world. Pope Francis prayers for peace are extremely important for our region that stretches from Ukraine to the east to the Western Balkans. ___ 10 a.m. Pope Francis has arrived in Bulgaria, the European Unions poorest country and one that taken a hard line against migrants. That stance conflicts with the pontiffs view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. On a two-day trip that began Sunday, Francis plans to tour a refugee centre and dive into the Vaticans complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Later in the day, Francis is meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, is the blocs poorest country, with the lowest average monthly salary 575 euros ($645) and the smallest average monthly pension of 190 euros ($213). ___ 9 a.m. Pope Francis is heading to Bulgaria, the European Unions poorest country and one that taken a hard line against migrants, which conflicts with the pontiffs view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative. Francis is expected to visit a refugee centre during his two-day visit starting Sunday, as well as dive into the Vaticans complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The trip ends with a daylong stop Tuesday in neighbouring North Macedonia, the first by a pope. Francis starts his Bulgarian trip by meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. The Argentine pope has made the plight of migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy. His visit falls just three weeks before European Parliament elections across the EUs 28 nations in which nationalist, anti-migrant parties are expected to make a solid showing. Bucks County Recorder of Deeds reflects on her time in office HELSINKI - A funeral service has been held in Denmark for the three children of a business tycoon who were killed during the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. Anders Holch Povlsen, the owner of the Bestseller clothing chain, comforted his wife, Anne, and their surviving daughter, Astrid, as three flower-covered coffins were brought out of hearses at Aarhus Cathedral. The family was staying at the Shangri-La Hotel in the capital of Colombo when it was attacked. More than 350 people died in bombings in Sri Lanka on April 21. Members of the Danish royal family and Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen attended the emotional service Saturday. Holch Povlsen, 46, is the sole owner of the Bestseller clothing chain, the biggest shareholder of fashion retailer ASOS and the largest private landowner in Scotland. BAGHDAD - Every evening at the Muntada al-Masrah theatre on Baghdads Rashid street, the cast and crew of the first TV drama filmed in Iraq in seven years take their places among the rooms and courtyard of this 19th-century building and shoot new scenes of their highly-anticipated series. The arts are coming to life again in Baghdad, bringing with it a touch of hope and comfort as the country works to rebuild after 16 years of war. And after two decades abroad, two of Iraqs leading actors have returned to take part in The Hotel, the twenty-episode drama set to air during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The Iraqi people are parched for drama, said Hassan Hosni, a drama star of the 1990s, who returned from Saudi Arabia to direct The Hotel, a show about the seedy underbelly of Baghdad and its entanglement with human trafficking. It is the first Ramadan drama to be produced in Iraq since 2012, according to the cast and crew, and it heralds a return of an essential TV genre to the country. Across the Muslim world and throughout the month of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn until sunset and stay up late to digest their evening meals, viewers are treated to TV dramas that touch on romance, war, tyranny and other issues of the day. For years, Iraqis have been watching dramas from other nations, such as Bab al-Hara, the blockbuster Syrian series set during the 1930s independence movement from France. With The Hotel, Iraqis will have a home-grown series to watch for the first time in years, amid the longest stretch of stability Baghdad has experienced since the 2003 U.S. invasion. We were all waiting for this moment writers, directors and actors with total impatience, said Hosni. I felt it in the streets, when we were scouting for locations, said Hosni. Locals, shocked to see him back in their city, approached the star to ask about the series. The joy was clear in their eyes, expressions and words, he said. Once the capital of the Islamic world, Baghdad is a city that proudly displays its affection for drama and poetry, boasting monuments that show scenes from Arabian Nights and avenues named after renowned poets such as the boastful Mutanabbi of the 10th century and his bibulous predecessor, Abu Nawas. It has held on to this pride through the contemporary era, even as the coups and wars of the 20th century, the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and the grip of U.N. sanctions drove writers, actors and producers out of the country. Mahmoud Abu Al-Abbas, the star of The Hotel and a famous thespian in his own right, went into exile in 1997 after he performed a solo play that spoke about harassment by the countrys notorious security services. In Saddam Husseins era, it crossed a red line. I was interrogated for two days and then advised by the minister of culture to leave Iraq immediately, he said. The 2003 U.S. invasion dealt another blow to the arts. The ensuing war tore Baghdad apart, as car bombs tore through the city daily, and fighting turned Rashid Street, once a centre of culture and heritage, into a valley of fear and destruction. A sputtering revival earlier this decade came to a halt, first as money for the arts dried up, then as insecurity gripped the country again with the 2014 Islamic State group insurgency. After Iraq declared victory over IS in December 2017, the atmosphere inside the capital began to change. The blast walls that protected against car bombs were lifted, and locals started staying out late again, patronizing cafes, malls, galleries, and theatres, where performances change from week to week. Abu Al-Abbas stayed in the United Arab Emirates for 20 years. But he kept acting, writing and directing plays, and he wrote more than a dozen books on his craft. In 2017, he returned to his hometown of Basra, the commercial capital of southern Iraq and the hub for its oil, where he founded a theatre troupe of young, under-employed local men and taught them a play they went on to perform in other southern cities. But it wasnt until screenwriter Hamid al-Maliki called with the script for The Hotel that he agreed to return to the screen. Violent drama takes a period of contemplation on the part of the writer so that he can give us a dose of work that can treat our situation, said Abu al-Abbas. Al-Maliki accepted that The Hotels transgressive material including prostitution, human trafficking and the organ trade would shock viewers, but said it was the responsibility of TV drama to start a conversation. Its a current matter for Iraq, he said. Its a message to the youth to beware of the trap of human trafficking, and its a message to the Iraqi state to care for the innocent and the poor who are the victims of the trade. And al-Maliki said it was vital for the arts to confront the ideologies that have fueled extremism. Culture alone is what will be victorious over Daesh thinking, he said, using the Arabic term for the Islamic State group. Culture is life, and Daesh is death. So we must face death with life. We must face Daesh with culture, he continued. Hosni, the star-turned-director, left Iraq in 1996, looking to escape the pressure of the U.N. sanctions levied against Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait earlier in the decade. But he never felt far from Iraq, as he continued to work with other diaspora Iraqis in drama in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It was a separation in body, but not in mind or soul, he said. He was finally coaxed back by al-Maliki this year. The return of the TV drama, Hosni said, is reassuring. Its a time for the Iraqi family to sit together at home, with their relatives and neighbours. JERUSALEM - Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to continue its attacks and to stand by for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israels destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gazas economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group was not interested in a new war. He signalled readiness to return to the state of calm if Israel stopped its attacks and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life. With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to U.N. tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to burnish its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. Hamas is the change seeker, said retired Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staffs strategic division. Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have every right to defend themselves. He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. President Donald Trump warned the Gaza militants that these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. We support Israel 100% in its defence of its citizens.... he tweeted. END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen! The U.N. Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and U.N. mediation efforts. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often co-operates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes beginning Saturday. Islamic Jihad threatened to strike deeper into Israel, saying it is ready to engage in an open confrontation and can open a broader front to defend our land and people. By Sunday, the Israeli military said militants had fired over 600 rockets, with the vast majority falling in open areas or intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket-defence system. But more than 30 rockets managed to strike urban areas, the army said. Israeli officials said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli father of four, was fatally struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard in the southern town of Ashkelon. The other deaths included a 49-year-old man killed when a rocket hit an Ashkelon factory, a man who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, and a 35-year-old man whose car was hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod. Israeli police said 66 people were wounded, three seriously. In Ashkelon, the Barzilai hospital itself was hit by debris from a rocket that was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile. The Israeli deaths were the first rocket-related fatalities since the 2014 war, when 73 people, including six civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. The Israeli military said it struck 250 targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier, and put another brigade on standby. We have been given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting under current conditions, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 dead, including at least eight militants hit in targeted airstrikes. At least four civilians, including two pregnant women and two babies, were also among the dead. Late Saturday, the Palestinians said a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The army denied involvement, saying they were killed by an errant Palestinian rocket. There was no way to reconcile the claims. Among the militants who were killed was Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary, a money changer whom Israel said was a key player in transferring Iranian funds to the militant group. Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their 4-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. Sirens wailed along Israels border region throughout the day warning of incoming attacks. School was cancelled and roads were closed. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Hamas seized control of Gaza from the forces of internationally recognized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite his fierce rivalry with Hamas, Abbas appealed to the international community to stop the Israeli aggression against our people. ____ Akram reported from Gaza City. Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Continuing his outreach to African American voters, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg acknowledged Sunday that he needs to do more work to connect with the community, particularly in the early-voting state of South Carolina. It shows weve got a lot of work to do, Buttigieg said after a town hall with 600 mostly white voters in North Charleston, where nearly half the population is black. Buttigieg is planning to do just that during his two-day swing in South Carolina, the first state where black votes play a major role in the presidential primaries. On Monday, hes holding a meet and greet in Orangeburg before sitting down with community leaders in Columbia. Some of Buttigiegs comments touched on issues African American voters have said they see as crucial in the 2020 presidential election, including criminal justice reform. On that front, Buttigieg said he wanted to do away with structures that perpetuate racial inequality in this country, including mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offences. In what he has characterized as a conscious effort to focus on issues important to black voters, Buttigieg this past week met in New York with the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader, at the Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvias. Buttigieg said Sharpton encouraged him to engage with people who may not find their way to me, who I need to go out and find my way in front of. Earlier Sunday, Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, joined the large crowd at former President Jimmy Carters Sunday school class in rural South Georgia. At Carters invitation Buttigieg stood and read from the Bible as part of the lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Talking with reporters Sunday, Buttigieg called his meeting with Carter very humbling, saying they discussed, among other topics, the rigours of campaigning for president. Elsewhere in campaigning Sunday by Democratic presidential candidates: MICHAEL BENNET The latest Democrat pursuing the presidential nomination is trying to distinguish himself as someone whos going to level with the American people about why our system doesnt seem to work for them. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado told NBCs Meet the Press that his time in Washington has helped him know how to get things done and what needs fixing. He said its a disgrace that we lost to Donald Trump in 2016, adding that Democrats must find an approach to deny him a second term. Bennet said it seems fairly clear from special counsel Robert Muellers report that Trump committed impeachable offences, but for now the senator favoured continued congressional investigations. He said he thinks Attorney General William Barr should resign and that Barr has behaved like Trumps criminal defence lawyer rather than the nations attorney general. JOE BIDEN Democrat Joe Biden wrapped up his first presidential campaign trip to South Carolina by worshipping at a prominent African American church in West Columbia. Sitting on a front-centre pew, the former vice-president and his wife, Jill, received a standing ovation when the Rev. Charles B. Jackson of Brookland Baptist Church introduced them as Dr. Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden. The 76-year-old Catholic candidate smiled and waved. Dr. Joe, that was some major applause, my brother, Jackson said. Jackson praised his congregation as already approaching 100 per cent voter registration and participation. He encouraged parishioners to take somebody else to the polls with you. South Carolina hosts the Souths first presidential primary and is the first state in the Democratic nominating process where black voters wield considerable influence. BETO OROURKE Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke repeated his calls to impeach President Donald Trump and drew a distinction between himself and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has declined any rush to proceedings. The former Texas congressman spoke with reporters on Sunday after a town hall at a former livestock auction space in rural Shenandoah, Iowa. ORourke said special counsel Robert Muellers report makes impeachment more necessary than ever. Proceedings in the House ensure that more of these facts come to light, ensure that the Senate can make a very informed decision about this president, he said. Asked about Pelosi cautioning against doing so, ORourke answered: Thats fine. Were two different people. ORourke said he really respects the speaker and what shes been able to do, but when asked my opinion Ive got to give my opinion, not anyone elses. BERNIE SANDERS Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed a sweeping agriculture and rural investment plan that would change farm subsidies and break up major agriculture monopolies. Sanders unveiled the plan in Osage, Iowa, a town of fewer than 4,000 residents. The plan includes a number of antitrust proposals, including breaking up existing agriculture monopolies and placing a moratorium on future mergers between big agriculture companies. It also proposes major changes to the current farm subsidy system toward what the plan calls a parity system. That plan seeks to ensure farmers are guaranteed the cost of production and family living expenses, though the plan doesnt include details on how. Sanders would also classify food supply as a national security issue. __ Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP COLUMBIA, S.C. - Twenty of his rivals have lined up to run for president, believing the race for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination was wide open. But one week after launching his campaign, former Vice-President Joe Biden is threatening to prove them wrong. His liabilities may be glaring, but the 76-year-old lifelong politician has quickly emerged as the front-runner in the crowded contest by dominating the debate that matters most to many voters: electability. Bidens chief opponents privately concede that, for now at least, he has successfully cast himself as the candidate who can take down President Donald Trump. He may be out of step with the heart of the party on key issues, but Biden opens the race backed by a broad coalition of voters attracted to his personality, his governing experience and his working-class background all elements that help convince voters he is better positioned than any other Democrat to deny Trump a second term. One after another, voters who filled a community centre in South Carolinas capital to see Biden this weekend described him as a safe, comforting and competent counterpoint to the turbulent Trump presidency. With him you feel whole, and the country would be whole again, said 62-year-old Barbara Pearson, who is African American and has long worked for county government. I think he meets this moment. I like Biden, said 21-year-old University of South Carolina senior Justin Walker, who is white. We know him. We know where hes been. We dont know that about the others. Bidens strong start, evidenced by strong fundraising and polling, has caught the attention of his opponents. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have already begun to turn on Biden, at least subtly, highlighting his reliance on rich donors and his record on trade, foreign policy and health care that is out of step with the partys more liberal wing. Obviously the vice-president has had a very good first week, Sanders chief strategist Jeff Weaver said. This is an incredibly long campaign. And I think as voters see the contrasts between the candidates on both a policy level and an electability level, youre going to see wild swings in these numbers. In the midst of his inaugural national tour as a 2020 presidential contender, Biden is largely ignoring his Democratic opponents and focusing on Trump. Another four years of Trump, Biden told South Carolina voters, would fundamentally change the character of this nation. Above all else, we must defeat Donald Trump, he declared. So far, at least, the message appears to be resonating. John Anzalone, a veteran Democratic pollster who has advised Biden, highlighted the breadth of his early support, which touches on virtually every key Democratic voting bloc. People dont understand the foundation of his support, he said. He leads with every demographic. Polls by CNN and Quinnipiac University over the last week show Biden with significant advantages among whites and nonwhites, those over and under 50 years old, noncollege graduates and college graduates, those who make more and those who make less than $50,000 each year, and both moderate and liberal Democrats. Bidens fast start comes amid vocal concerns from energized liberal activists, who believe hes not aligned with the Democratic base. He has refused to endorse Medicare for All, a national program that would guarantee health insurance for every American, preferring to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obamas health care law, and allow people to select a public option featuring Medicare-style coverage. He has also refused to back away from his support for trade deals, none more significant than the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has become unpopular among liberals and conservatives alike. Rival campaigns suggest Bidens record on trade could undermine his popularity with working-class voters in key states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Should his perceived strength in the Midwest fade, his electability argument could fade as well. Bidens skeptics in both parties believe that above all, his performance while campaigning will determine whether he maintains his early strength. Few have confidence it will last. Biden has a well-known propensity for verbal gaffes. And being closer to 80 than 70, he shows his age at times. He rambled through parts of his Saturday address, losing his train of thought and the audience more than once. In just the last week, he has been mocked for downplaying the threat from China. He also muddled his initial effort to apologize to Anita Hill, whom he forced through aggressive questioning from an all-male Senate panel after she accused then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment nearly three decades ago. I think hes the front-runner, but it would be a mistake to think that is going to last, said Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina Democratic state representative and president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. For one thing, she said, the African American vote will be fractured in 2020 given the presence of several candidates of colour. At the Columbia rally on Saturday, many voters cited California Sen. Kamala Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, as a top choice behind Biden. While skeptical of his staying power, Cobb-Hunter acknowledged Bidens early advantage on the electability argument. What he does have going for him is a real solid belief he can take out Trump, she said. Biden so far has that aura. A big part of the aura comes from stronger-than-expected fundraising. In the weeks before his announcement, Bidens team aggressively fretted about his ability to raise money. So when he bested his rivals by raising $6.3 million in his first 24 hours as a candidate, the political class was impressed. Supporters say it was a textbook example of managing expectations, belied by the fact that aides were building a professional campaign with a deep fundraising network drawing on his connection to Obama. The way he launched his campaign was exactly the way you would have historically launched: Managing expectations and then blowing them out of the water, said Rufus Gifford, Obamas former finance director. Yet his supporters, like his rivals, are acutely aware that the campaign has barely begun. Joe Biden is currently the front-runner. Obviously, if you are in that position you become more of a target, said Biden donor Jon Cooper of New York. We all realize that the hard work is ahead of us. ___ Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko in Washington and Bill Barrow in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. SEATTLE - Health officials in Washington state are warning residents about a Canadian who travelled to the Seattle area and has been diagnosed with measles. King County health officials say the Canadian from British Columbia travelled to the Seattle area in late April and has since recovered from his illness. Before arriving in King County, he spent time in Japan and New York City, where there are currently measles outbreaks. Officials say this case isnt connected to a recently ended outbreak in Washingtons Clark County. While the man was infected, he visited several Seattle locations, including popular tourist attractions and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Officials warn that anyone who doesnt have immunity through vaccination or a previous infection is at risk. Measles is a highly contagious disease. SPOKANE, Wash. - The 2020 U.S. presidential elections seem impossibly remote as nine Americans weave their kayaks through a thick red mangrove forest on Cubas southern coast. They navigate the tight pathways made by these saline-loving trees, admiring long-legged flamingos and pelicans, alongside the nearly 300 other bird species found in this area. The Americans are here with ROW Adventures, a Coeur d Alene-based outdoor adventure company, on a seven-day kayaking trip. Its a trip that weaves culture, music, art, history, politics and, yes, kayaking into one itinerary. This is what Florida looked like before the hotels, John Hernandez, an American ROW guide on the March 12 trip, told The Spokesman-Review . A guest on the trip points to the horizon, noting the lack of high-rise hotels. Its true. The area were in is Las Salinas, part of the larger Zapata National Park, one of 14 national parks throughout Cuba. Its a nearly pristine ecosystem. Much of Las Salinas is a series of interconnected salt-water lagoons, with an average depth of 1 foot. Red mangrove trees thrive in this salty marsh. Their long roots sink into the sand below the brackish water, anchoring the trees from rising tides while simultaneously holding the soil steady and providing a home to fish, birds and bugs. The paddle is the third day of the seven-day trip for the Americans who first landed in Havana, Cubas capital, and then made their way southeast to the park, near the Bay of Pigs. For many, it represents a grand adventure. In addition to seeing the natural flora and fauna of the Caribbean Island, they learn about the often-tumultuous and interconnected history of Cuba and the United States. Theyre visiting a place most Americans know only through brief mentions in high school history textbooks and one-dimensional discussions on cable television. Which is why, even on this placid day, the 2020 U.S. elections are closer than youd think. ___ It wiped us out. In 2017, President Donald Trump gave a speech and Peter Grubb found himself and the company hes built in Coeur dAlene swept up in presidential politicking. Oh, it wiped us out, Grubb said in January. The summer after that speech the phones didnt ring. Thats when Trump announced a rollback of President Obamas more liberal travel and business policies following decades of Cold War hostility and economic sanctions. Grubb estimated ROW lost half of its Cuba business. In truth, the speech produced little changes and travelling to Cuba remained easy and legal for Americans, especially when going through a company like ROW. Grubb would know. Over 40 years, Grubb and his wife Betsy have built an international travel adventure company, ROW Adventures. What started as a white-water kayaking service in Idaho now takes guests around the world. While eating lunch at the White House, a Greek restaurant in Post Falls, on a cold and cloudy January day, Grubb points to photos on the wall he took while travelling in Greece in the 1980s and 90s - a visual testament to the reach of this Idaho-based company. It only made sense that ROW started running trips in Cuba after Obama eased travel and trade restrictions on the island nation in 2015. Cuba fits perfectly into ROWs niche specialty of active outdoor travel. Weve never been a luxury travel company, Grubb said. Cuba, with its pristine coral reefs, azul waters, and extensive mountains and parks offers an exotic and close destination for Americans looking for an adventure. Unlike other places, it isnt overrun by tourists, Grubb said. In part because of the decadeslong trade embargo and in part because of a conscious decision by Cuban leaders like Fidel Castro, Cuba doesnt have a massive tourism industry like some of its neighbours, such as Puerto Rico. For decades, it was all but impossible to visit the country simply as a tourist. That changed in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union. With its main trade partner gone, Cubas economy tanked. Castro eased some travel and trade restrictions, allowed more foreign businesses to build in Cuba and recruited tourism dollars in an effort to bolster the countrys sputtering economy. A spree of building occurred, mostly from European investors. The northern coast, west of Havana, was ground zero for beach resort development in the mould of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean beach destinations. This kind of tourism exists elsewhere in the country. In Playa Larga, the largest town on the Bay of Pigs, there are several resorts with a distinctly Russian ascetic and fading grandeur. Farther east along the southern coasts near the city of Trinidad, a new resort financed by a Spanish company was half built in March. But resort-tourism has mostly been geographically contained. Combined with the history of economic and cultural isolation, vast areas are relatively tourist-free. The numbers in Cuba are still minimal, Grubb said. But numbers are growing. In 2018, a record 4.8 million tourists visited Cuba, a 60% jump in tourism over the past five years, according to Travel Weekly. Grubb said the vast majority of those visitors are heading to the beach resorts or coming via cruise ship. The people who are actually getting out and exploring, youre talking about a couple hundred thousand, he said. Its not very many. That means the kind of tourism ROW promotes, and the money it brings, can make a huge difference to ordinary Cubans making an average of $20 a month. Some of the money the nine Americans paid to go sea kayaking in March will go to the national parks. Generally speaking, the parks are interested in economic development in the sense of eco-tourism or green tourism because they have horrible budgets, Grubb said. That made last weeks news that Trump plans to impose further restrictions on Cuba all the harder to stomach for Grubb. ___ New announcement, little change. On April 17, the Trump administration announced new restrictions on Cuba in addition to Nicaragua and Venezuela. The biggest policy change was allowing U.S. citizens and companies to sue Cuban companies and other foreign companies over the seizure of private property during the 1959 revolution. The U.S. also placed a cap on the amount of money Cubans living the U.S. can send their relatives in Cuba. The speech, given by national security adviser John Bolton, was delivered near Miami, the geographic and cultural centre of the Cuban exodus. The crackdowns were seen by many as a political move aimed at gathering support from Cuban-American voters in advance of the 2020 presidential elections. During the speech, Bolton also mentioned new restrictions on travel aimed at steering Americans dollars away form the Cuban regime. What those restrictions are or will be isnt clear. Much like the 2017 announcement, it spreads confusion and doubt and gives the perception that travel to Cuba is not allowed. As of now, travel is still legal and easy, Grubb said. In the end its possible nothing will change, he said in an email. I think that is highly likely. ___ Not judging a book by its cover There is a seeming disconnect between the rhetoric deployed by Bolton - he called the three countries the troika of tyranny - and the tranquil and pleasant experience the American tourists have in March. Following a long day paddling in the sun, the nine Americans return to their casa particular, a gorgeous freshly painted home a stones throw from the beach. They rest for several hours and then meet at the rooftop bar to listen to a presentation from Frank Medina, the director of the Zapata National Park. Medina tells the assembled Americans, some of whom are already starting to turn pink from a full day in the beating sun, about the parks ecology. About the iguanas, which are unique to Cuba, or the birds that travel there each winter from the U.S. And the Cuban crocodile, which lives in freshwater. As the sea level in the Bay of Pigs rises, a trend Medina attributes to global warming, the Cuban crocodile is being pushed farther inland. At the same time, the American crocodile, which lives in salt water, is encroaching with the rising tides. The two are starting to interbreed, creating a Cuban-American hybrid, Medina said. John Hernandez, the ROW employee on the trip, has been coming to Cuba since ROW started running trips there. In that time, hes seen tourism increase, despite the rhetoric. He encourages everyone to judge for themselves this tiny island nation. People (need to) go out and see for themselves and not just believe what they hear, Hernandez said. That country is the epitome of not judging a book by its cover. ___ Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com BOYKINS, Va. - Kids grow up in rural Southampton County hearing that the mist creeping across the fields might be something unearthly. Old folks warn them not to sneak into abandoned houses, where rotting floors and walls are said to be stained with blood. This is a haunted landscape. Nearly 188 years ago, the self-styled preacher Nat Turner led fellow slaves from farm to farm in Southampton County, killing almost every white person they could find. Scores of blacks were murdered in reprisals throughout the South. The legacy of the biggest slave revolt in U.S. history still hangs over the sandy soil and blackwater cypress swamps of this county along the North Carolina line, but the physical traces of the event are vanishing. A lot of the sites that tell the story have been destroyed, said Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a historian at Norfolk State University. In Southampton and elsewhere, she said, neglect and denial have tended to obliterate the presence of African Americans ... as well as eliminating our history of slavery. History is Virginias biggest cash crop. It drives tourism, sets identity. Until recently, Virginias celebration of its grand past glossed over the stain of slavery that marks every statue, parchment and Flemish bond facade. Thats changing: This year, the state commemorates the 400th anniversary of the first documented Africans being brought to the English colony. Thomas Jeffersons Monticello presents detailed narratives of enslaved life. A museum that will include the perspective of the enslaved on the Civil War is opening in Richmond. But around the state, tangible reminders of slave history remain unmarked. The landmarks are deteriorating, their significance preserved mainly in memories and stories. Petersburgs 1854 Southside Depot, for instance, is one of the few pre-Civil War train stations in the South, where the enslaved were both workers and cargo. It sits empty. Scholars are racing to identify slave cabins across Virginia before they disappear. In Richmond, leaders squabble over how to mark the site of the notorious Lumpkins Jail, a slaveholding facility, as well as the citys slave market one of the most active in the South without disrupting the hip restaurant-and-condo scene growing up around it. What we choose to preserve is really a reflection of what we care about, said Justin Reid, director of African American Programs for Virginia Humanities, who is helping co-ordinate a statewide effort to recognize slaverys legacy. When our cultural landscape is devoid of these sites, were sending the message that this history is less important, and the people connected to these sites are less important. Nowhere is the tension stronger than in Southampton County, where the history carries particular pain. Nat Turner is both a villain and a hero of American history. The split has long inflamed racial divides. Born into slavery around 1800, Turner was literate, charismatic and deeply religious. He once baptized a white man, and some accounts describe how he spent 30 days wandering the county in search of his father before voluntarily resuming his life in bondage. According to the confessions he allegedly made shortly before being executed, Turner saw visions from God urging him to seek vengeance on his white oppressors. A solar eclipse that passed over Southampton County in 1831 was the sign to act. On Aug. 21, he met with a half-dozen other enslaved people at a pond in the woods, where they plotted for several hours before striking out into the night, taking knives and farm implements to use as weapons. Attacking farmhouses in the darkness and picking up supporters along the way, Turner and his rebels killed some 55 white men, women and children over the next two days. They were eventually scattered by militia infantry, and some were rounded up and killed or put on trial. Turner escaped and hid out for two months mostly in a crude cave a hole dug under a pile of wood before surrendering on Oct. 30, 1831. He was tried and hanged Nov. 11, 1831, in the county seat of Jerusalem, known today as Courtland. Until recently, the all-white county historical society was uncertain how to handle its macabre legacy. Within the past 10 years, though, as popular interest in Turners story has grown including through the controversial 2016 film Birth of a Nation attitudes have loosened. Work is underway to establish slave-insurrection-history trails: a walking route in Courtland and a driving tour through the southwest corner of the county where the rebellion took place. Much of the information for both resides in the mind of one man. If you want to know anything about Nat Turner, said Thaddeus Stephenson, 55, a black man who said he lives near one of Turners hideouts, Rick Francis is the man. Behind the wheel of a Chevy Suburban with 338,000 miles on the odometer, Francis pulls onto the shoulder at a featureless crossroads. Open farmland stretches in every direction. This is Cross Keys. Francis begins to populate the scene. There was a wide, shallow building there, he says. A smaller structure across the street. In the summer of 1831, some 1,400 white people gathered here, pouring out of surrounding farms in fear of Turner and the armed rebels. Militias converged from around the state and from North Carolina. When some members of Turners band were rounded up, they were held in a small cell in one of the buildings. Its all gone now, not even a mound or brick left to mark the spot. It exists only in Franciss spirited retelling. Francis, 63, who is white, is clerk of the countys circuit court. Several of his ancestors were either victims of Turners insurrection or had narrow escapes. Over the course of an afternoon driving around the remote reaches of the county near the village of Boykins, Francis spins a tale of terror, violence and colorful characters from Red Nelson, the enslaved man who helped save Franciss pregnant great-great-grandmother, to Will Francis, perhaps the most fearsome killer in Turners band. He trimmed my family tree, Rick Francis says of Will Francis, a man owned by one of his ancestors. I mean, that guy was a killing machine. But he gives him credit: Where Turner was a religious fanatic, he says, Will Francis was motivated solely by freedom. As Francis drives along the old carriage paths, most of which are now paved, he sees things others do not. Over there, where the dark grass meets the light, thats where Joseph Travis and his wife were the first ones hacked to death in the insurrection. Where a rusted double-wide trailer stands was the site of Capt. John Barrows home. He warned his wife to flee, but she delayed to change her clothes, so he had to fight the rebels on the front porch. His wife escaped out the back; Barrows throat was cut. Many of the homes were still standing as late as the 1970s, but time and weather have ravaged them. Local landowners cannot afford to rebuild so they just clear the rubble. The Richard Porter House is a dark hulk of warped wood, half of it collapsed, all of it shrouded in vines. Here, a young enslaved girl warned the family what was coming and they fled into the woods. A few miles away, Francis swings off the road, switches on the four-wheel-drive and powers to a nondescript mound of brush. Only when he stops do a low row of bricks, a collapsed tin roof and jagged piles of grey boards become visible under the greenery: the remains of the house of Jacob Williams, who returned from measuring timber in the forest to find his slaves standing over the bodies of his wife and three children. Nearby, the widow Rebecca Vaughan was allowed to pray before she was killed. Her house, the scene of the insurrections final killings, was relocated a few years ago to a spot in Courtland across from the county agriculture museum. It has been neatly restored by the county but remains empty. The tree where Turner was hanged fell long ago. Francis puts the site in the yard of an old foursquare house on Bride Street in Courtland. A short distance away, around the corner on High Street, is the ditch where Turners torso was said to have been tossed after he was decapitated. Sure enough, Francis said, human remains have been found there. At some point, the county hopes to excavate. In the meantime, the spot is marked by tiny wire flags stuck in the weeds, the sort that might designate a property line or a cable route. The county courthouse stopped flying the Confederate flag in 2015, but a Confederate monument stands on one side of the complex. Inside, in the county records room, Francis maintains a mini-museum to the slave insurrection, displaying old newspapers and artifacts. The biggest prize is Turners sword, which is locked away in a courthouse storeroom in a padded rifle case. Francis tucks a pistol in his waistband when he goes to retrieve it. He opens the case and unfolds a white cloth. The curved blade is pitted, and though Turner complained that it was too dull to kill the woman he struck with it, the edge feels plenty sharp. The Southampton County Historical Society has resisted putting the sword on display. Francis said its members worry people wont take the tour if they can see the most memorable artifact up front. But maybe there is also a squeamishness about showing off such a fraught piece of history. Francis believes the insurrection needs to be more widely recognized as an important turning point. It brought the Virginia legislature within a few votes of abolishing slavery, but ultimately, lawmakers tacked the other way, passing harsh crackdowns that prohibited blacks from preaching or learning to read. Turner is a complicated figure even for African Americans who grew up in Southampton County. Bruce Turner, 71, said his older relatives spoke in hushed terms of a family connection to the Nat mess. After years of research, he believes Nat Turner was his great-great-great-grandfather. And by learning more about him, Bruce Turner has become proud of the association. I wasnt sure what he did was right or wrong, said Turner, a retired computer engineer who lives in Virginia Beach. Today I admire and honour Nat. I think what he did was correct. Its important to view the insurrection through the historical lens of fighting for freedom, Turner said. The houses, the landscape of Southampton County, evoke that for him now that he knows the full story. The houses that were down there ... we used to call those the haunted houses, Turner said. And we were told something terrible had happened there. In his childhood, the hanging tree still stood, and the Vaughn house was abandoned in the woods. I was always told, oh, you dont want to go in there, theres blood spattered up on the walls, and stuff like that. I went in there. I only saw some spots. But it couldve been mould, he said. Stephenson, who lives near one of Nat Turners hideouts, heard the same tales about the old houses. The bricks from the chimney sometimes when it rains, blood is supposed to seep back out of them, he said. Thats some folklore. But when you preserve those vanishing sites, you keep the history from fading into myth, Turner said. Why preserve Mount Vernon? Or preserve Monticello? Theyre part of the history, he said. Just because something bad may have happened at a place, or something that was distasteful, doesnt mean that it shouldnt be kept. ___ Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com CONROE, Texas - Authorities say a 12-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his 10-year-old brother in Texas. The Montgomery County sheriffs office says deputies on Saturday afternoon responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting in Conroe, about 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of Houston. Authorities found the 10-year-old with a single gunshot wound to his chest area. The child was taken to a hospital, where he died. Authorities say the 12-year-old was placed in custody in the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Facility. Further details of the shooting were not released. Authorities say its an active investigation. SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Latest on a shooting that injured six on Californias central coast (all times local): 3:30 p.m. Authorities have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a shooting that injured six people at the Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve on Californias central coast. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office says Sunday that 19-year-old Francisco Orozco could face multiple counts of attempted murder. It wasnt immediately known if the Oakland resident has an attorney. Officials said six people were hospitalized following the shooting shortly after midnight as a large crowd was gathered at the recreation area. The victims conditions were not available. Investigators have not named a possible motive. ___ 10:40 a.m. Authorities say six people were hospitalized following a shooting at the Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve on Californias central coast. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office says Sunday that no arrests have been made. But investigators believe the shooting just after midnight was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. The conditions of those hurt werent immediately available. KSBY-TV reports a large crowd was gathered at the recreation area when gunfire erupted. Officials havent identified a suspect or a possible motive. Detectives remained at the scene throughout the night conducting interviews and looking for evidence. The area was closed early Sunday but is expected to reopen later in the day. Francisco Orozco, 19, Oakland CA DETAILS OF NEWS RELEASE: The Sheriffs Office has made an arrest in connection with todays shooting at the Oceano Dunes. was arrested today on charges of attempted murder. On 5-5-19 at approximately 12:00 AM, reports of shots fired at the Oceano Dunes were called in to State Parks. The Sheriffs Office is leading this investigation, and is continuing to process evidence and interview witnesses. No further information is available at this time. To report information regarding this incident, please contact the Sheriffs Office at (805)781-4550. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling (805)549-STOP (7867) or through their website: www.slotips.org. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Latest on the Democratic presidential campaign (all times local): 9:05 p.m. Fresh from last weeks viral moment in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Kamala Harris said the attorney general lied to Congress and is clearly more interested in representing the president than the American people. The Democratic presidential candidate was the keynote speaker Sunday at the Detroit NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund dinner, attended by a mostly black audience of nearly 10,000. As of Sunday, 4.8 million people had watched the C-SPAN video circulating on Twitter of the California lawmaker questioning Barr, catapulting her into the spotlight amid the crowded field of more than 20 Democrats and hammering a campaign theme that she is the candidate to prosecute the case against Trump. The Detroit NAACP chapter is the civil rights organizations largest, and the city will host their national convention in July, where most 2020 Democrats are expected to appear. ___ 6:10 p.m. Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg (BOO-tuh-juhj) says its imperative to reform the nations criminal justice system in ways that are more equitable for all races. The South Bend, Indiana, Mayor told a crowd packed into a high school auditorium in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday that his plan includes eliminating mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug offences and also legalizing marijuana. Buttigieg also said he wants to improve relations between law enforcement and minority communities. Buttigieg is spending two days campaigning in South Carolina, where black voters make up the majority of the Democratic primary electorate. He has said hes making a conscious effort in his campaign to focus on issues important to black voters, meeting this past week with the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader, at the Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvias. ___ 2 p.m. Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke is repeating his calls to impeach President Donald Trump and drawing a distinction between himself and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whos declining any rush to proceedings. The former Texas congressman spoke with reporters on Sunday after a town hall at a former livestock auction space in rural Shenandoah, Iowa. ORourke said special counsel Robert Muellers report makes impeachment more necessary than ever. He said proceedings in the House ensure that more of these facts come to light, ensure that the Senate can make a very informed decision about this president. Asked about Pelosi cautioning against doing so ORourke answered, Thats fine. Were two different people. ORourke said he really respects the speaker and what shes been able to do, but when asked my opinion Ive got to give my opinion not anyone elses. ___ 1:10 p.m. Sen. Bernie Sanders is announcing a sweeping agriculture reform and rural investment plan that would change farm subsidies and break up major agriculture monopolies. Sanders is set to unveil the plan in Osage, Iowa, a town of fewer than 4,000 residents. The plan includes a number of antitrust proposals, including breaking up existing agriculture monopolies and placing a moratorium on future mergers between big agriculture companies. It also proposes major changes to the current farm subsidy system toward what the plan calls a parity system. That plan seeks to ensure farmers are guaranteed the cost of production and family living expenses, though the plan doesnt include details on how. Sanders would also classify food supply security as a national security issue. ___ 10:40 a.m. The latest Democrat pursuing the presidential nomination is trying to distinguish himself as someone whos going to level with the American people about why our system doesnt seem to work for them. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado tells NBCs Meet the Press that his time in Washington has helped him know how to get things done and what needs fixing. He says its a disgrace that we lost to Donald Trump in 2016, adding Democrats must find an approach to deny him a second term. Bennet says it seems fairly clear from special counsel Robert Muellers report that Trump committed impeachable offences, but for now the senator favours continued congressional investigations. He thinks Attorney General William Barr should resign, saying Barr has behaved like Trumps criminal defence lawyer rather than attorney general. ___ 9:20 a.m. Democrat Joe Biden is wrapping up his first presidential campaign trip to South Carolina by worshipping at a prominent African American church in West Columbia. Sitting on a front-centre pew, the former vice-president and his wife, Jill, received a standing ovation when the Rev. Charles B. Jackson of Brookland Baptist Church introduced them as Dr. Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden. The 76-year-old Catholic candidate smiled and waved. Dr. Joe, that was some major applause, my brother, Jackson said. Jackson praised his congregation as already approaching 100 per cent voter registration and participation. He encouraged parishioners to take somebody else to the polls with you. South Carolina hosts the Souths first presidential primary and is the first state in the Democratic nominating process where black voters wield considerable influence. ___ 8:25 a.m. Democrat Joe Bidens visit to a South Carolina church Sunday is part of his 2020 presidential campaigns outreach to black voters, who play a pivotal role in the early-voting states primary. The former vice-president is wrapping up a two-day stop in South Carolina by attending services in West Columbia. Mayor Pete Buttigieg (BOO-tuh-juhj) of South Bend, Indiana, is holding a town hall in North Charleston, where African Americans account for nearly half the population. Iowa is the focus for Beto ORourke, the former Texas congressman, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator. And Kamala (KAH-mah-lah) Harris, the California senator, plans to attend an NAACP dinner in Detroit. Fords OHIP move strikes at the heart of medicare, Walkom, April 26 The Ford governments proposal to eliminate out-of-country medical coverage is a kick in the teeth to all residents of Ontario who travel outside the country. Much has been written and broadcast about this proposal but, alas, this reporting misses out on the underlying facts of how we in Ontario and all provinces I am aware of get short-changed by not only the Provincial government, but the Federal government as well. The Canada Health Act governs all provincial medical plans such as OHIP. The Portability provision of the Canada Health Act provides that provincial health plans must reimburse for out-of-country or out-of-province emergency medical treatment on the same basis as would reimburse for the same treatment within the province. The fact is that Ontario does not comply with this provision of the Canada Health Act and hasnt done so since Bob Raes government in the early 90s. In fairness, all other provinces dont comply either. The other fact worth noting is that successive federal governments have been fully aware of this non-compliance and have done absolutely nothing to force the provinces to comply. They certainly have the power to do, so but choose to do nothing. Ontarians who travel outside of the province should definitely purchase private emergency medical coverage, because OHIP was never intended to cover the full cost of out-of-province medical costs. This coverage is not cheap and its cost increases with age, the duration of your stay and your health conditions. The fact that Ontario doesnt meet its responsibility under the Canada Health Act drives up the cost of this coverage and if the Ontario proposal to completely eliminate out-of-Canada coverage goes ahead, it will drive up the cost further. All travelling Ontarians will be hit by this proposal: individuals, famillies and seniors. Those seniors who spend the winter outside Canada will be the most affected as they have to purchase emergency travel medical insurance for a longer duration. No-one expects the Ontario government to reimburse for the full cost of the exorbitant medical costs in places like the United States. But they should expect the Ontario government to comply with all of the provisions of the Canada Health Act and provide them with what they are not only entitled to under the law, but are paying for through both federal and provincial taxes and the provincial health premium. In the cut and thrust of the increasingly divisive and polarizing way politics are being practiced today, one of the most worrisome developments is the loss of the bully pulpit. In some ways an old-fashioned notion, todays practitioners seem to have forgotten its power of moral suasion, to forge consensus, to truly lead. The notion of the bully pulpit came to prominence in the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, who realized the presidency afforded him an unparalleled platform to promote his priorities and outlook for the nation. Roosevelt took advantage of the prestige of the White House and cultivated relationships in order to convince Americans and in turn, an intransigent Congress that the challenges of industrialization required drastic measures in the form of regulation. Today, politicians have come, wrongly in my point of view, to believe that the bully pulpit itself is no longer a powerful tool. Rather, they favour announcements, programmes and spending. As one premier once told me I dont get out of bed to announce anything less than $100 million. The result? Public discourse has become transactional rather than aspirational. More and more, it has become focused on the here and now at the expense of building a better tomorrow. One civil society leader, instructively not a politician, who understands the power of the bully pulpit in spades is Ontarios lieutenant-governor, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell. Her Honour deeply understands this platform and its uses. In fact, she refers to herself as the provinces Storyteller-in-Chief, and broke with tradition in her inaugural speech by stressing not her priority focus but instead her commitment to use the office as a forum for reflection and a crucible for ideas. On Tuesday evening, I watched Dowdeswell in action in her suite at Queens Park as she delivered a speech to open her latest exhibit, Speaking of Democracy and provided a textbook example of the bully pulpit in practice. Her Honour spoke of the strictly non-partisan nature of her role, and her duty as the guarantor of responsible governance. She noted that viceregal representatives have been described as a conscience ... representing the hearts, minds and souls of citizens. She then went on to make a point that has stuck with me. Democracy, she said, is about so much more than government. It is about ... how we learn to live together on this planet in peace and harmony. And so I ask questions, hoping to evoke the best of ourselves. While Dowdeswell has clearly mastered the use of the bully pulpit, she also benefits from our Canadian system of government with its viceregal offices spread across the country. As representatives of the Crown in Canada, governors general and lieutenant -governors alike have an opportunity to reach Canadians in a truly unique way. Well beyond their purely ceremonial duties and important institutional role, viceroys can focus their tenure in office on specific initiatives that appeal to our better angels: for Michaelle Jean it was freedom and cultural integration, for David Johnston, philanthropy and volunteering, for Dowdeswell, issues of citizenship, democracy, the environment and Indigenous reconciliation. Whats more, they can make their offices truly inclusive and accessible. Since being invested in 2014, Her Honour has commissioned five exhibitions, accepted over 50,000 visitors to her suite in Queens Park and conducted more than 3,300 engagements. She has represented Ontario on international visits from Utah to the U.K., France, Italy and Switzerland, making the case for Ontarios place in the world. Most importantly, she has visited over 110 ridings across the province, promoting citizenship and meeting with Ontarians to hear their perspectives on the well-being of community and civil society. In doing so, the lieutenant-governor has used her bully pulpit to help provide everyday citizens with answers to their important questions and has done so in a way that models an approach that partisan politicians would do well to emulate. A more skilful and effective use of the pulpit is hard to imagine. Advocates from various energy sectors agree that the Legislature will likely define a radical new energy future with the legislation it does or does not pass this month, but what that future looks like is up for debate. Now that debate is focusing on two bills before the Senates energy committee: one would benefit the states coal industry, the other its nuclear industry. Both industries believe their plan of choice will drive the state toward carbon-free energy production at lower costs to ratepayers. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 660 is backed by nuclear energy provider Exelon. That bill would reform the states capacity market one of two markets affecting energy availability and costs. When capacity is purchased, the product is not the energy itself, but the guarantee that the grid can output necessary energy wattage to satisfy consumer needs three years into the future. Northern Illinois is part of the federally regulated PJM grid, which purchases capacity from generators in 13 states and Washington, D.C., at an auction every year. The Exelon-backed bill would remove Illinois from this compact while giving the Illinois Power Agency the authority to purchase capacity. Kathleen Barron, senior vice president of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Exelon, said capacity reform is necessary to continue to incentivize carbon-free emissions because pending Federal Energy Regulatory Commission changes could remove those incentives from the PJM market. By empowering the Illinois Commerce Commission and Illinois Power Agency to take over responsibility for procuring clean generation capacity, we will see increased development of new renewable resources like wind and solar and continued operation of Illinois existing clean generation, including its nuclear plants which produce more than 90 percent of the states carbon-free energy, Barron said. The bill would create two pools from which the state would procure capacity: zero-carbon sources and carbon-emitting sources, Barron said. Dave Kolata, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, testified in favor of the capacity market portion of the Exelon-backed bill, noting a rate cap included in the bill would help keep costs to the consumer low. But opponents, including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said Exelons large market share of Illinois energy production would give the company an unfair advantage and potentially drive up energy costs. Thats because the number of energy generators participating in capacity auctions would likely shrink if the state leaves the PJM market. Opponents also said Exelons generators are all currently profitable, diminishing their claims that the legislation is needed to keep their energy production online. David Kraft, of the non-profit nuclear energy watchdog Nuclear Energy Information Service, said nuclear energy, in general, is a danger to Illinois and it should be removed from the market. Judith Lagano, senior vice president of asset management at NRG Energy which operates coal plants in Illinois, said the bill minimizes competition under the guise of clean energy production. (The bill) allows Exelon to name its own price for capacity, Lagano said. She said Exelon would continue to receive more than $300 million in credits from Illinois existing Future Energy Jobs Act, plus the added capacity payments from the state. Illinois ratepayers will be compelled to buy what amounts to be the most expensive megawatt hours under the guise of a clean energy market that isnt a market at all, she said, adding that FERC has not yet officially made the capacity market changes Exelon has written the bill to address. Lagano advocated for a different bill, Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 135, which she said would drive costs and carbon emissions down through greater competition the opposite, she said, of what the Exelon bill would do. Monopolies are bad for clean energy, she said. What about tomorrows clean energy technologies? They would be frozen out. The NRG-backed bill would allow companies to receive clean energy credits for closed fossil fuel plants. Coal-to-gas conversions would be eligible for these credits. The act allows an orderly and cost-effective transition from fossil to clean resources, she said, adding that fossil fuels contribute 40 percent of Illinois energy usage and are needed to keep the lights on. Opponents to the NRG bill, however, said it would provide state funding to coal plants that would be closing for financial reasons anyway, diverting this money from renewable energy projects. It authorizes billions of dollars in customer-backed payments to coal plant owners for not producing energy, Barron, of Exelon, said. No action was taken on the two bills, which remain part of a larger energy discussion at the Statehouse. Vistra Energy, another Illinois coal provider, is backing House Bill 2713, which is aimed at transitioning closing coal plants into solar and energy storage sites. Another pair of carbon-cutting, clean energy job-creating bills carried by Chicago Reps. Ann Williams (HB 3624) and Will Davis (HB 2966) passed committee earlier this year as well, and could become part of an omnibus package addressing the states energy future. A Jacksonville woman will be sharing the experience of building her home with her two sons after breaking ground on the residence Saturday with Habitat for Humanity. Krista Resse, a paraprofessional at Lincoln Elementary School, broke ground on her home Saturday with the help of her two sons, Caiden Acree, 4, and Kristian Miller, 10. The family is building the home with Habitat for Humanity and the Resse said she hopes her sons learn where hard work will get them by working on their own home. This isnt a sit back and watch project, Resse said. It is very hands on. I think therell be more pride than just buying a house. Caiden has helped pick out the colors of his room and make some smaller decisions for the house, but Resse said he is too small to help with the construction. She is hoping Kristian will be able to do some smaller tasks during the project, because she wants them both to have some ownership of the house more than it just being theirs. Ive tried to include them in what I could, Resse said. I want them to learn that things arent just handed to them. I want them to see the hard work we put in. She is thrilled to be able to build a home for her family. I didnt have the funds to flip a home and I didnt want to rent anymore, Resse said. I want to do this for my sons, to show them that when you work hard, you can achieve a lot. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that will help families build and own their home. Erin Kleinlein, the vice president and family selection chairwoman for Jubilee Habitat for Humanity, said this will be the 25th house the organization has helped build since 1992. We have potential homeowners apply and if they are accepted we help them plan and build their own home, Kleinlein said. They have to put at least 250 hours of work into their homes. Its a hand up, not a hand out. While the weather has postponed the project, the work will begin during the spring and summer months. Now, she said she is excited to help build a home for Resse and her family. Shes a lovely ball of energy, Kleinlein said. She does everything she can to provide for her sons. She works full time and shes an entrepreneur in her own right. Kleinlein said the organization is looking for other families to participate in the program. We have the hardest time finding people to build homes for, Kleinlein said. While there are requirements to be able to purchase and build a home through Habitat for Humanity, Kleinlein said the organization will help families to meet the requirements. Resse said this is the next step for her and her sons. Itll give us a better place to live that is ours, she said. Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1233, or on Twitter @JCNews_samantha. LOUISVILLE - The Kentucky Derby on Saturday freakishly joined the Miss Universe pageant and the Academy Awards among recent-years competitions with apparent results dramatically overturned. In a sequence unprecedented in the 145-year history of the race, the horse who crossed the wire in a commanding first place met with disqualification from stewards 22 minutes after his jockey pumped his arm in exhilaration. Just after Maximum Security seemed to add a dizzying chapter to an implausible surge of a colt claimed in December for a wee $16,000, 65-1 shot Country House became the winner, with 14-1 shot Code of Honor bumped from third to second and 5-1 shot Tacitus lifted from fourth to third. Through such jarring moments did Country House become the second-longest shot ever to win, behind only 91-1 Donerail in 1913, while lavishing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott with his first Kentucky Derby win in 10 entries stretched across 35 years of prevailing patience. "It's something that it'll give somebody a lot to talk about for a long time," Mott said. In the fifth race of Maximum Security's unbeaten life, after the first four at Gulfstream Park near Miami, the Florida Derby champion grabbed a hasty lead in a race deemed wide open and appeared to beat back 18 rivals wire-to-wire. He appeared to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 2:03.93. He appeared to give the Servis family a remarkable distinction, with trainer Jason Servis winning a Kentucky Derby on a sloppy track 15 years after his brother, John, won the Kentucky Derby with Smarty Jones on a sloppy track. As the second choice among wagerers at 9-2 behind Improbable at 4-1, Maximum Security appeared to snap the six-year run of favorites hogging the roses. Then came an objection, sought by two jockeys - including Flavien Prat, the 26-year-old Country House jockey from Melun, France, who's based in Southern California and was riding in his third Kentucky Derby. "I did ask," Prat said. The stewards began reviewing video for the first such claim since 2001, when Monarchos's win over Invisible Ink stood. Horsemen such as Mott, Prat, Servis and Maximum Security jockey Luis Saez, the 26-year-old from Panama in his seventh straight Derby, stood and waited awkwardly among the 150,729 in various stages of disbelief (and other conditions). The review concerned banging near the turn toward the top of the stretch, where Maximum Security barged to his right and impeded the paths of both War of Will and Long Range Toddy - which in turn, Prat said, foiled Country House. While they waited, Mott told NBC, "There was definitely a foul in the race," and, "I would say this: If it were a maiden claimer on a weekday, the winner would come down." Commenting for NBC, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jerry Bailey suggested that while there had been wrongdoing, the stewards might overlook it because the race had gone to the best. Said Prat, "It's not only me, but the horses between Maximum Security and Country House that have been affected." Said Mott: "It may have affected us slightly, but I would say it affected the other two horses dramatically. . . . They lost all chance, and those two horses lost their opportunity to win or place." Prat and Mott said the horse, not the jockey, had wreaked the ruckus, while Saez said, "My horse shied away from the noise of the crowd and may have ducked out a little." Said Servis: "I don't think it changed the outcome of the race. It looks like something scared him in the infield, but I haven't been able to watch it that close." The stewards - Barbara Borden, Brooks Becraft and Tyler Picklesimer - ruled unanimously, Borden said in a statement. "The riders of the 18 [Long Range Toddy] and 20 [Country House] horses in the Kentucky Derby," she said, "lodged objections against the 7 horse [Maximum Security], the winner, due to interference turning for home, leaving the quarter pole." They did what no officials had done in all the Kentucky Derbies since 1875: They took down the winner because of an infraction - different from the controversy of 1968, when Dancer's Image appeared to win the Derby only to have it overturned after a post-race drug test, with Forward Pass declared the winner. While officials demoted Dancer's Image to last place 51 years ago, the stewards left Maximum Security 17th out of 19, to place him behind those he affected: Country House in first, War of Will in seventh and Long Range Toddy in 16th. "You know, far as the win goes, it's actually very - it's bittersweet," Mott said. "I'd be lying if I said any different. You always want to win with a clean trip and have everybody recognize the horse as the very good horse and for the great athlete that he is. I think, due to the disqualification, probably some of that is diminished. But this is horse racing." Long regarded as an elite horseman of uncommon patience and as the trainer of the 1990s two-time Horse of the Year Cigar, the South Dakota native wound up winning his first Kentucky Derby with the second choice in his stable. He had won while Tacitus, his Wood Memorial winner, had not. He had won while trainer Bob Baffert's three promising entries had not - with Improbable in fourth, Game Winner in fifth and Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster in 15th, foiling Baffert's worthy bid for a sixth title that would have tied Ben A. Jones atop the all-time list. Mott had won with a Kentucky-bred son of Lookin At Lucky, the 2010 Preakness champion, and whose progeny paid a fat $132.40. He had won with a horse who had finished second in the Risen Star at the Louisiana Fair Grounds in February, fourth in the Louisiana Derby in March and third in the Arkansas Derby in April. "When he was a 2-year-old," Mott said, "he was one of those who didn't show us a lot," but then, "I've been telling people all winter, if this horse ever wakes up and figures out what he's doing, the mile and a quarter is certainly within his reach." While he marveled at that, and while one of the group of owners, Maury Shields, the widow of Joseph Shields, who died in October, said, "It'll take a while for it to set in," Mott spoke of the three stewards who had made the day unforgettable. "I'm glad I wasn't in their shoes," he said. "I'm glad I didn't have to make a decision in front of a hundred thousand people and millions of people watching around the world." Then: "With that being said, I'm damned glad they put our number up." MARGARET WEEDEN, Chariho, Girls Track, Senior; Weeden won two events for the Chargers in the first meet of the season. Weeden was first in the high jump (5-0) and the long jump 15-1. ANNE DRAGO, Stonington, Girls Basketball, Senior; Drago scored 39 points in three games as Stonington started the season 1-2. Drago had 16 in a loss to Fitch, 12 in a win against Griswold and 11 in a defeat to Ledyard. SYDNEY HAIK, Westerly, Girls Basketball, Sophomore; Haik scored 14 points as the Bulldogs opened the season with a victory over Cumberland. Haik had three 3-pointers, five assists and five steals. ZANE BREWER, Wheeler, Boys Basketball, Freshman; Brewer scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Lions season-opening win over Grasso Tech. Brewer followed that with 18 points and five rebounds in a loss to Hale-Ray. Vote View Results The following companies are subsidiares of Eastman Chemical: BP - Aviation Turbine Oil Business, CP Films Vertriebs GmbH, Commonwealth Laminating & Coating (Hong Kong) Limited, Commonwealth Laminating & Coating Inc, Crown Operations International LLC, Dynaloy, Eastman Administracion S.A. de C.V., Eastman Chemical (Barbados) SRL, Eastman Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Eastman Chemical (China) Co. Ltd. - Guangzhou Branch, Eastman Chemical (China) Co. Ltd. - JingAn Branch, Eastman Chemical (Gibraltar) Limited, Eastman Chemical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eastman Chemical (PPU) Pte. Ltd., Eastman Chemical AMI GmbH, Eastman Chemical AMI LLC, Eastman Chemical AP Holdings B.V., Eastman Chemical Adhesives (Hong Kong) Limited, Eastman Chemical Advanced Materials B.V., Eastman Chemical Argentina S.R.L., Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific Pte Ltd-Indonesia Rep Office, Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific Pte. 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Ltd., Taminco Corporation, Taminco Finland Oy, Taminco Germany GmbH, Taminco Global Chemical LLC, Taminco Group BVBA, Taminco Group Holdings S.a.r.l., Taminco Holding Netherlands B.V., Taminco Intermediate LLC, Taminco Italia S.r.l., Taminco Limitada, Taminco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Taminco US LLC, Taminco Uruguay S.A., Taminco de Guatemala S.A., Taminco de Honduras S.A. de C.V., Taminco do Brasil Comercio e Industria de Aminas Ltda., Taminco do Brasil Produtos Quimicos Ltda., Te An Ling Tian (Nanjing) Fine Chemical Co. Ltd., TetraVitae Bioscience, V-Kool International Pte. Ltd., and Yixing Taminco Feed Additives Co. Ltd.. Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th Read More SOUTHINGTON Police arrested one person after he barricaded himself inside a home with a firearm Saturday afternoon. Local police and the Central Region Emergency Response Team arrived at the home on Long Lane around 4 p.m. Saturday. One round was fired from the home during the incident but there were no injuries. Authorities were able to negotiate with the male suspect to leave the home. He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for evaluation. There was no one else in the home during the incident. The suspects name and age have not been released. Long Lane is located off Defashion Street in the Marion section. Police continue to investigate. newsroom@record-journal.com 203-235-1661 WALLINGFORD The Board of Education appointed Eric Carbone as the next principal of Mary G. Fritz Elementary School. Carbone was an assistant principal at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School from 2010 to 2012. He has been principal at Peck Place School in Orange since 2012. Carbone begins July 1. His starting salary is $146,821. Current Fritz Principal Mary Poisson is stepping down at the end of the school year to take an administrative position in Glastonbury Public Schools. Poisson has been principal at the Yalesville school since 2016. She oversaw the transition of the schools name in 2017 to honor longtime state Rep. Mary Fritz, who died in July 2016. The school board interviewed Carbone and two other candidates during a meeting Thursday evening before making the appointment. Karen Hlavac, the boards operations committee chairman, said members considered input from parents, teachers and administrators. Prior to working at Dag, Carbone was an assistant principal at Mary E. Griswold Elementary School in Berlin for four years. He also taught language arts and social studies in Monroe for nine years in grades 5 and 6. In a statement Friday, Danielle Bellizzi, assistant superintendent for personnel, said Carbone's thoughtful responses during the interview process showed his genuine passion for placing student needs first. His strong knowledge of instructional practice, mixed with his respect for students, families, and staff made him stand out from the other candidates, she said. Bellizzi said the school district plans to provide an opportunity for the staff and families of Fritz to meet Carbone prior to the end of the school year in June. LTakores@record-journal.com 203-317-2212 Twitter: @LCTakores A species of enormous sharks, some as long as small yachts, have been frequently spotted off the coast of Southern California after all but vanishing decades ago. But need not fear, basking sharks are often called "gentle giants" as they aren't aggressive and don't bite. Swimming with their mouths wide open and often near the surface, they are filter feeders, consuming tiny food such as plankton. Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab Director Christopher Lowe tells the Ventura County Star it's been 30 years since basking sharks have been seen in the area in large numbers. After whale sharks that can reach 60 feet long, basking sharks are the second-largest known shark species, growing to be 30 feet long, though the ones seen locally have been in the 18- to 25-foot range. Lowe says there's been a spate of sightings off Ventura and in Santa Monica Bay, where they were a common species years ago. The basking sharks started showing up in April and at this point it's unknown whether their spring appearance is a sign of a comeback. "We don't have enough data points nor enough basic information to say what is going on with their population with any confidence," says Heidi Dewar, marine biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "Basking sharks are California's largest shark and yet most people have never heard of them." While not officially listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act., basking shark populations have been greatly reduced due to commercial fishing. "In the last few decades regulations have reduced fisheries mortalities but they are still at risk because their fins are very valuable for shark fin soup," says Dewar. ALSO: Two separate videos catch close encounters with sharks in Humboldt County Basking sharks once also frequented Monterey Bay and in July 2015 a huge school made a rare appearance to the delight of marine biologists. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I have been going on the ocean for 20 years and have only seen four basking sharks in my whole life," marine biologist Giancarlo Thomae told the San Jose Mercury News at the time. "Because of the rarity of these animals, it is extremely difficult for researchers to tag these animals, or study them." If you spot a basking shark, NOAA asks that you email the agency at basking.shark@noaa.gov with information about the sighting to help track the species. "If they do see them on the water they should be careful to avoid collisions by slowing down and not making rapid changes in speed or direction," says Dewar. The Associated Press contributed to this story. ALBANY When the Democrats retook the state Senate in November, effectively ensuring passage of the Child Victims Act (CVA), new ads for attorneys offices began appearing on airwaves, in newspapers, and on social media. They targeted child sex abuse survivors who had been denied the opportunity to sue their alleged perpetrators or file criminal charges because of the state's narrow statute of limitations. The legislation, signed into law in February, lifted that statute of limitations for civil and criminal cases, and created a one-year "look-back" window for old civil claims to be brought in court, beginning Aug. 14. Before the ink had dried, "pretty much every law firm, with any kind of practice, regardless if they had experience in this particular kind of litigation" began marketing its services, said survivor and child victims advocate Asher Lovy. "Everyone wanted a piece of the CVA pie." Advocates say the ads may work as a public service announcement, spreading awareness of the legislation and informing victims that they may have legal recourse. But they say abuse survivors should be wary of unethical attorneys or those without relevant trial experience who are aggressively courting clients or dispensing inaccurate information. "A client has the right to speak to as many attorneys as they want. If an attorney says if you don't sign today, you may not be able to get an attorney, walk away," said Bridie Farrell, a champion speed skater and sexual abuse survivor from Saratoga Springs. Farrell, who co-founded the advocacy group NY Loves Kids, said she hope survivors of abuse would not be discouraged from taking their claims to court because of a bad experience with an aggressive attorney. "We are seeing attorneys pop up that have never been in this world, but a large amount of people I've spoken to are in it for the right reasons," she said. To counteract the deluge of ads and hard-selling tactics, advocates are working with Safe Horizon on a guide for victims with questions to ask prospective attorneys. Tips include checking for sexual abuse representation experience and red flags to spot on an attorney's website. It's also a good sign if the firm has hired a victim's advocate, according to Farrell. Safe Horizon, which runs a national victims' assistance hotline, will sponsor its own ad campaign this summer informing victims of the legislation and directing them to a credible resource site. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "The plan is to pull together resources to help people ask smart questions and also to remind folks that this can be an emotionally tough process," Safe Horizon spokeswoman Erin White said. Insurers and religious institutions had lobbied against the "look-back" window, arguing it could lead to false legal claims and bankrupt organizations. But advocates note that that has not happened in other states that passed similar legislation. However, referrals to specific firms by advocates and child abuse advocacy organizations have drawn allegations of financial kick backs and conflicts of interest. Tom Stebbins, executive director of the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, which advocates for tort reform, contends that any time legislation includes a retroactive window for old claims, it creates an environment ripe for unethical practices. "This is going to be a field day for attorneys trying to swoop in and take advantage of people who have already been taken advantage in this horrible way, Stebbins said. The concern is that this becomes more about money and profit than it is about justice. Washington Clarence Thomas has been a Supreme Court justice for nearly three decades. It may finally be his moment. Many Americans know Thomas largely from his bruising 1991 confirmation hearing, when he was accused of sexual harassment charges by former employee Anita Hill charges he denied. People may know he's a conservative and has gone years without speaking during arguments at the court. But scholars say it would be wise to pay closer attention to Thomas. Thomas is now the longest-serving member of a court that has recently gotten more conservative, putting him in a unique and potentially powerful position, and he's said he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon. With President Donald Trump's nominees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh on the court, conservatives are in control as the justices take on issues such as abortion, gun control and LGBT rights. Thomas, for the first time, is on a court where there are at least four votes for some "pretty radical" decisions, said political science professor Corey Robin, author of a Thomas book due out in September. Robin says the question will be whether the court's more conservative justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito can get Chief Justice John Roberts, a moderate conservative, to go along. Thomas, 70, became the high court's longest-serving justice, the "senior associate justice," when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired last summer. But unlike Kennedy, who sat at the court's ideological center, Thomas is consistently on the court's far right. That's won him praise from Trump. As a presidential candidate, he called Thomas "highly underrated." Trump said Thomas has "been so consistent for so long, and we should give him credit." More than 20 of the men and women Thomas mentored as law clerks have gone on to hold political appointments in the Trump administration or been nominated to judgeships by Trump. Thomas and his wife, Virginia, herself a conservative activist, have dined with the president and first lady. Elizabeth Wydra, president of the liberal Constitutional Accountability Center, acknowledged that Thomas' views may now have more sway, something she described as "terrifying to many progressives." Still, Thomas' views can be so far from his fellow justices that neither Roberts nor Chief Justice William Rehnquist before him have assigned Thomas big, landmark opinions on the belief that he won't be able to keep together the votes of his colleagues, said Ralph Rossum, author of a book on Thomas. Instead, Thomas often writes separately, speaking for himself. Some critics dismiss those solo opinions as uninfluential, but Rossum disagrees. "He stakes out a position more forthrightly or vigorously than other justices are willing to go, but they're kind of sucked along in his wake," Rossum said, adding that, like a magnet, "Thomas drags the court in his direction. They may not go as far as he goes, but they go further than they would have otherwise." Some of the areas of law where, over time, Thomas has pulled the court closer to his positions include voting rights, campaign finance, and the Second Amendment, Robin and Rossum said. If it were up to Thomas alone, the high court would be willing to make sweeping moves. While the court is typically cautious about overturning its past decisions, Thomas, who as an originalist believes in reading the Constitution as those who wrote it meant, feels less bound by precedent than other justices. Just this term, Thomas called on the court to reconsider a landmark 1964 First Amendment case, describing it and later decisions extending it as "policy-driven decisions masquerading as constitutional law ." He also criticized a 1963 Supreme Court decision that guarantees a lawyer for anyone too poor to hire one. And he equated the court's Roe v. Wade abortion decision with its Dred Scott decision, which said African Americans weren't citizens, labeling both "notoriously incorrect." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. He also wrote an opinion rebuking his colleagues for declining to hear cases involving states' efforts to strip Medicaid money from Planned Parenthood, a decision Thomas described as "abdicating our judicial duty." Alito and Gorsuch agreed. If Thomas' writing can be attention-getting, he personally keeps a low profile. Thomas shies away from public speaking, describing himself as an introvert. He once explained : "My personality is not such that I enjoy public appearances." At the high court, Thomas rarely asks questions during arguments, a contrast with his vocal colleagues. When in March he asked a question during arguments for the first time in three years, it was headline news More Information Fast Facts Name: Clarence Thomas TItle: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Born: June 23, 1948, Pin Point, Montgomery, Ga. Spouse: Virginia Thomas Appointed to the Supreme Court by: George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall Children: Jamal Adeen Thomas Education: Yale Law School, College of the Holy Cross See More Collapse But colleagues and court staff know Thomas as gregarious. "Clarence knows the name of every employee in the courthouse, from the lowest position to the highest ... with virtually all of them he knows their families, their happinesses and their tragedies," Justice Sonia Sotomayor told an audience in 2014 at Yale, where both she and Thomas attended law school. Over the past year, speculation has intensified about whether Thomas might retire, letting Trump nominate a like-minded, conservative justice. But Thomas, who declined an Associated Press interview request, said in public comments recently that he's not retiring, not even in 20 or 30 years. If so, Thomas is on track to be the longest-serving justice in history in 2028, when he'll celebrate his 80th birthday. He is currently the court's third-oldest member, behind Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 86, and Justice Stephen Breyer, 80. The Caribbean nation of St. Lucia has quarantined a cruise ship on the island after identifying a confirmed case of measles on board, a health official said. Passengers and crew members aboard the large ship were not permitted to leave, Dr. Merlene Fredericks-James, the nation's chief medical officer, said Tuesday. The highly infectious disease, which can be mostly prevented by a common vaccination, is in the midst of its largest outbreak in a quarter century in the United States, with more than 700 cases reported. "Because of the risk of potential infection, not just from the confirmed measles case but from other persons who may be on the boat at the time, we thought it prudent to make a decision not to allow anyone to disembark," she said in a statement. The ship's doctor requested and received 100 doses of the measles vaccine from the St. Lucia Department of Health and Wellness, the department said in a statement Thursday. It said all crew members and passengers were stable. The ship was expected to depart at midnight Thursday, local officials said. Fredericks-James did not name the ship. But Victor Theodore, a St. Lucia Coast Guard sergeant, told NBC News it was identified as Freewinds, which is reportedly owned and operated by the Church of Scientology. A ship with the same name was moored in St. Lucia on Thursday morning, according to online records. The church describes the 440-foot ship online as "a religious retreat ministering the most advanced level of spiritual counseling" that can carry several hundred passengers. The Church of Scientology did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Records show that the ship moored in St. Lucia changed its name to Freewinds from Boheme in 1986. The Freewinds took its maiden voyage as a Scientology retreat in 1988, according to the church. Despite the church's outspoken opposition to psychiatry and psychiatric drugs, Scientologists use prescription drugs and are treated by medical doctors, according to the church's website. But the church has not expressed a specific position on vaccinations. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, the church said it "takes no position one way or the other on this issue," despite several high-profile celebrities in the church speaking out against vaccines. John Carmichael, president of the Church of Scientology in New York, told the Beliefnet website in 2006 the church had not taken a stance on vaccinations "as a religious principle." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "Scientologists are pretty independent people, though I will say this: They tend to do a little more research, perhaps, on the effect of various medical procedures or whatever," he said. "They make their own decisions, but those aren't decisions that the church tries to influence in any way." Scientology advertises the Freewinds, which is based in Curacao, off the coast of Venezuela, as "the pinnacle of a deeply spiritual journey." It is used to carry out "humanitarian missions" across the world, the church said. "The Freewinds is a very special place," the church's website said. "It is the one place a Scientologist may go and be certain he will be able to devote himself entirely to his religious practice and in the company of people who share his religious commitment and outlook on life in general." In 2011, an Australian woman said she was held against her will on the ship for years, which the church denied. A single person infected with measles can easily spread it to others who are not vaccinated. Washington They're talking about jailing people at the Capitol. Imposing steep fines. All sorts of extraordinary, if long-shot measures to force the White House to comply with Democratic lawmakers' request for information about President Donald Trump stemming from the special counsel's Russia investigation. This is the remarkable state of affairs between the executive and legislative branches, unseen in recent times, as Democrats try to break through Trump's blockade of investigations and exert congressional oversight of the administration. "One of the things that everybody in this country needs to think about is when the president denies the Congress documents and access to key witnesses, basically what they're doing is saying, Congress you don't count," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. "We cannot we simply cannot have a presidency that is run as if it were a king or a dictator in charge," said Cummings, D-Md. Trump's blanket refusal to engage in oversight is testing the system of checks and balances with a deepening standoff in the aftermath of Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump derides the oversight of his business dealings and his administration as "presidential harassment" and has the backing of most Republicans in Congress. With Mueller's work completed, Trump wants closure to what he has long complained was a "witch hunt." "No more costly & time consuming investigations," Trump tweeted. Stunned by the administration's refusal to allow officials to testify or respond to document requests, lawmakers have been left to think aloud about their next steps against the White House. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chair, has given Attorney General William Barr a Monday deadline to comply with a subpoena demanding a redacted version of Mueller's report, along with its underlying evidence, or face a contempt charge. Barr could face another subpoena to appear before Nadler's committee after skipping a hearing Thursday in a dispute over the rules for questioning him. Nadler, D-N.Y., also has subpoenaed testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn. Cummings is considering what to do on several fronts, including about testimony from Carl Kline, the White House's personnel security director. Cummings said Kline declined last week to answer specific questions in a closed-session hearing about the security clearances granted for White House advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president's son-in-law and daughter. Also, the House Ways and Means Committee is being refused access to Trump's tax returns. Republicans are largely declining to join Democrats in pursuing the investigations any further. "It is over," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as Barr testified last week before the committee. Graham, R-S.C., has asked Mueller to respond to Barr's testimony, particularly after the disclosure of a letter the special counsel sent Barr complaining about the attorney general's summary of the 400-plus page report. The rejection of oversight is the latest and perhaps most high-profile example of the new normal in the Trump era. Gone are the daily White House press briefings, once a fixture in Washington. Top department vacancies go unfilled, leaving fewer officials to respond to congressional requests. Agencies seem more insular than before. Princeton professor Julian E. Zelizer said what's unfolding between the White House and Congress "fits in a long history of bad moments when the branches clash over vital information." While other presidents, including Barack Obama, have resisted congressional oversight in certain situations, including during Attorney General Eric Holder's blockade of the "Fast and Furious" gun-running investigation, Zelizer said "Trump is going further by saying no to everything." To Zelizer, "certainly there are echoes of Watergate when the administration did everything possible to stonewall Congress as they undertook legitimate investigations and hearings into presidential corruption." He said presidents with "too much power" can easily make decisions that undermine government operations in everyday lives. "Should citizens care? Of course, the restraint of presidential power is an essential part of our Constitution and the health of our democracy," Zelizer said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Impeachment is being shelved, for now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her leadership team are taking a step-by-step approach to the White House standoff, declining any rush to impeachment proceedings, as some in her party want, for a more incremental response. Pelosi did note this past week that obstructing Congress was one of the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. "Impeachment is never off the table, but should we start there?" Pelosi said Friday. "I don't agree with that." Short of that, lawmakers are considering options for Barr and others. There's a long history of lawmakers holding officials in contempt. They can sue for compliance with the threat of fines. Some lawmakers are suggesting censuring the attorney general or impeaching him. Others have called for Barr to resign. And then there's talk of jail time. Capitol Hill has been buzzing about the unlikely prospect of using a jail that some say exists somewhere in the Capitol and that was used in the past to detain those in contempt of Congress. But the House and Senate say no such facility exists. "No evidence suggests that any room in the Capitol was ever designated for use as a jail," says an entry on the House website's historical pages. During the Civil War, some Confederate soldiers and others were held at a brick building on the site of what's now the Supreme Court, across the street from the Capitol, that was often referred as the "Capitol Prison" or "Old Capitol Jail," according to the history page. Otherwise, those found in contempt "were almost certainly held temporarily in the offices of the Sergeant at Arms, locked in committee anterooms, or put under guard at local hotels," it says. Senate Historian Betty Koed said in the past, the District of Columbia's jail facility has also been used for detentions. "There is no Senate jail," she said. Lawmakers remain undeterred. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., a member of party leadership, said lawmakers have "a whole range of options." NISKAYUNA The town is seeking public input on a new proposal for a Holocaust memorial along Route 7 that would be the first of its kind in the Capital Region. The new design comes after a controversial original proposal by Michael Lozman, a Latham-based orthodontist, was met with some resistance from community members last year. Neighbors had concerns about traffic around the site, and others were concerned not enough opinions from the Jewish community were being gathered, or that there were enough educational elements included in the initial memorial plan. The town planning department will host two community forums on the new design, one at 7 p.m. May 15 and the other at 7 p.m. May 22, at the Little Theatre at Niskayuna High School. The new design for what is being called the Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial calls for it to be about the size of a roundabout, according to renderings posted on the towns website. That size would not include a parking lot that would be built adjacent to the parcel at at 2501 Troy Schenectady Road. Shaped with the number of points that make up a Star of David, the memorial would have displays focusing on different aspects of the Holocausts history during World War II. Neil Golub, head of Price Chopper, helped spearhead a new design, working with Lozman's Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial group and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York headed by Robert Kovach. Lozman said the group held nine meetings to come up with a more modern design that would likely be acceptable to the larger community. The new design includes more elements than the one initially proposed by Lozman, which included railroad tracks in the shape of the Star of David leading up to a box car, the method used to transport people to concentration camps. A stone wall was also meant to represent a gas chamber. The new renderings show six sides to the memorial, one of which is a representation of a box car, with the faces of people visible through two missing planks. Another panel is reminiscent of the fencing used at concentration camps. People would also be able to walk inside of the memorial as well, where there would also be structures. Quotes would also be included in each panel, including a modified line from Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller's "First they came for..." statement of regret about not speaking out earlier against the Nazi regime. At least two quotes would be from those who experienced the Holocaust first hand. Lozman said Sunday he wanted such a memorial to remind people what happens when hate and bigotry can spread. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "The new design touches on all the horrors of the Holocaust but presents it in a modern perspective," he said. "That kind of design seems to be more acceptable to the general public but the message we're trying to convey is still present in the new design." The memorial, if approved by the town, will be located at 2501 Troy Schenectady Road, near the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery on land donated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. The Niskayuna Town Board twice delayed a vote last year on a special use permit for the site after residents voiced concerns over the original design and over potential traffic concerns. It's unclear what the proposed cost for the memorial is. Lozmans Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial group has been raising funds for the project but he said Sunday there wouldn't be a total cost estimate for several months. The town said any questions about the forums can be directed to Laura Robertson at lrobertson@niskayuna.org or (518) 386-4530. Washington For months, President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen tried but failed to position himself as a whistleblower in the vein of Watergate hero John Dean. As the time ticked down toward his deadline to report to prison, Cohen also lost the interest of the one group of people who could help him out: the federal prosecutors he desperately hoped would ask a judge to shorten his sentence. Since mid-March, prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohen's repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other people in his orbit, Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis said Friday. "Why not see him?" Davis asked. "What's the downside? He's about to go to prison." Cohen's legal team reached out to prosecutors in March asking for an opportunity to meet for a "frank discussion" about reducing his sentence, based on his cooperation. That meeting never happened. That snub might be the best evidence yet that Cohen's months-long campaign to sell himself as a potential witness hasn't paid off. Cohen is scheduled to report Monday to a federal prison 70 miles north of New York City to begin serving a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations, tax evasion, bank fraud and lying to Congress. In an apparent bid to maintain a semblance of normalcy before starting his sentence, Cohen left his Manhattan apartment building on Saturday with his son to go to a coffee shop and then to a barbershop, Eddie Arthur Salon. They both got haircuts. Cohen's next stop was the pricy retailer Barneys New York, where he told journalists that he plans to hold a news conference Monday before heading to prison. Cohen remains the only person charged in a scandal involving hush money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who were threatening during the presidential campaign to speak up about alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen started to cast himself publicly as a whistleblower less than three months after the FBI raided his home and apartment. He gave a series of tantalizing teases that there was "more to come," starting with an interview last July in which he told ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos he was no longer loyal to Trump. More dribbled out over the next few weeks. Davis released a tape of Cohen and Trump discussing one of the hush-money payments. That effort, though, has largely been met with an uncompromising approach by federal prosecutors. New York investigators built their case for months without speaking with Cohen, then finally agreed to meet with him on a Saturday last August, just a few days before he would plead guilty. At the meeting, they delivered an ultimatum: plead guilty or be indicted within days. Cohen also believed after the meeting his wife could be charged with financial crimes if he didn't cooperate. "I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap," Cohen later told an acquaintance, the actor Tom Arnold, in a conversation that Arnold recorded and provided to The Wall Street Journal. Cohen's wife, Laura, filed taxes with her husband and made investments with Cohen in taxi medallions. She ultimately was not charged. After pleading guilty in August, Cohen did meet with Manhattan-based prosecutors multiple times to discuss several issues. Those included Trump's personal business dealings, the president's personal involvement in attempts to pay off McDougal and Daniels, and his inaugural committee, which is now the subject of a criminal investigation centering on possible donations by foreign nationals and influence peddling. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Cohen also met with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators several times, culminating with a session just days before the former FBI director turned his report over to the Justice Department. Still, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, in court filings before his sentencing, criticized what it described as Cohen's unwillingness to cooperate fully and be debriefed "on other uncharged criminal conduct, if any, in his past." They didn't ask the judge for a lenient sentence and have given no sign that they intend to file a so-called Rule 35 motion a legal filing that could reduce Cohen's punishment if his cooperation is deemed to be of substantial assistance. Cohen's attorneys say they believe Cohen's information supports several potential prosecutions. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. In February, Cohen testified before several Congressional panels about what he said was dishonesty by Trump in his business affairs. He also testified that a Trump Organization executive, Allen Weisselberg, and Trump's son Donald Jr. were involved in reimbursing him for one of the hush money payments. During that testimony, Cohen said a number of Trump-related topics were still being probed by New York prosecutors. "I am currently working with them right now on several other issues of investigation that concerns them, that they're looking at," Cohen said. Yet, within weeks, prosecutors were through speaking with him. Davis, in the interview Friday, said he believes Cohen has been treated unfairly. "The Southern District of New York was disproportionate in the sentence it asked for and appears to have targeted just Michael Cohen for reasons that I can't understand," Davis said. Will Waldron/Times Union SCHENECTADY The Daily Gazette is reporting that a person was found dead in a vehicle outside the Eastern Parkway Price Chopper Saturday night. Police spokesman Sgt. Matthew Dearing told the Gazette that a man in his 30s was found deceased in a vehicle outside the grocery store. Four years ago, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko introduced the Horseracing Integrity Act in hopes of protecting the health and well being of racehorses. Now, there may finally be enough momentum to get it passed. In the years since Tonko, D-N.Y., and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. made the proposal, racehorses have died in record numbers at reputable race tracks, including Santa Anita Park, where 21 racehorses died between Dec. 26 and March 4. The number of horse deaths dropped at Saratoga Race Course in 2018 after 21 died in 2017; 16 in 2016 and 13 in 2015. Last year, 11 deaths were reported. Tonko said he wrote the bill after experiencing tragic afternoons at Saratoga when horses broke down during a race and were euthanized. He also met with activists who sought him out as the lawmaker who could act on the issue because Saratoga is in his district. Protesters regularly gather outside the track to lament the injuries to equine athletes and a couple appeared in front of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Saturday, the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. In addition to the concern about the health and well being of the horses, the concern is the carnage will turn away spectators and bettors, Tonko said Saturday in Saratoga Springs, where he was attending a fundraiser. "The public is discerning, and if we don't build the integrity of the sport, I worry about its longevity," Tonko said. According to research by Tonko's staff, the horse racing industry generates $15.6 billion in direct economic impact and more than 241,000 jobs in the U.S. are supported by horse racing. In New York, racing contributes more than $3 billion in economic and job development. Tonko and Barr's bill seeks to standardize the rules that govern the medications horses receive. As it stands, there are 38 unique state racing commissions, each with different rules and regulations - but many racehorses compete in more than one state. The act, if it becomes law, would also ban the use of all medications within 24 hours of the race, a rule nearly every other country already has in place. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Although the bill has broad support, including the New York Racing Association, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; there is opposition. According to reporting in the Blood Horse magazine, the Association of Racing Commissioners International opposes the bill because it does not properly address risks racehorses face. Tonko said the cost of the changes will be borne by the industry, not taxpayers. It's a small price to pay, he said, for improvements that will keep fans loyal to horse racing. There is major movement at the top of the betting markets for who will win the 2020 presidential election, with Joe Biden emerging as the betting favorite to win the Democratic Party primaries. OddsShark, a betting resource that tracks odds across a number of online betting sites, still gives Trump the best odds at +115 to win the election (meaning a $100 bet would win $115), since it is all-but-assured he will be leading the Republican ticket in 2020, and it is still unclear who will lead the Democratic ticket. Trump's odds are noticeably better than the +175 odds he received last month, likely due to special counsel Robert Mueller finding no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government during the 2016 election. MORE 2020: Biden to test appeal among black voters in South Carolina Last month, California Senator Kamala Harris, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Vice President Joe Biden were tied at +650 apiece to be the next president of the United States, and were followed by former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke at +900. Biden is now the frontrunner among Democrats at +450, and is followed closely by Sanders at +500. The former vice president officially announced his candidacy in late April, and has seen a substantial polling bounce as a result. In third place among Democrats and fourth place overall is South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg at +900. This is a massive surge, since Buttigieg was sitting at +2800 at this time last month. ALSO: Biden's rise tests Trump plan of casting foes as socialists Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Harris has tumbled down to +1300 behind Buttigieg, and O'Rourke is now tied with entrepreneur Andrew Yang at +2000 behind Harris. Vice President Mike Pence previously had odds of +4500 to win the 2020 election, but following the release and fallout out the Mueller report, he's dipped all the way down to +6600. Click through the slideshow above to see updated betting odds for the 2020 election. Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email him at eric.ting@sfgate.com and follow him on Twitter Start receiving breaking news emails on floods, 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. Tariffs Are Taxes, Says CTA The follow is attributed to Gary Shapiro (News - Alert), president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), in response to President Trump's decision to increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25 percent: "The president is seeking a better trade deal with China. But he must understand the Chinese don't pay for these U.S. tariffs - American families, workers and companies pay for tariffs. "Tariffs are taxes. And implementing these 25% tariffs on just five-days' notice would roil our markets, damage U.S. businesses and do serious harm to Americans' retirement funds and pensions." About Consumer Technology Association: Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM is the trade association representing the $398 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 18 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best-known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES (News - Alert) - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services. UPCOMING EVENTS CES Asia 2019 June 11-13 - Shanghai, China CEO Summit June 23-26 - Prague, Czech Republic Technology & Standards Fall Forum September 23 - Los Angeles, CA CES Unveiled in Paris October 22 - Paris, France CES Unveiled in Amsterdam October 24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands CES 2020 January 7-10, 2020 - Las Vegas, NV View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190505005041/en/ EDIT 5/5/2019 5:20pm PT: Added further roadmap illustrations to clarify the disparity. We've contacted AMD for comment and will update as necessary. Ryzen 3000 has been one of AMD's most anticipated products. AMD's new chips are expected to launch by the third quarter of the year, or perhaps late in the second quarter (around Computex). But we aren't certain about the release for the high end desktop Threadripper processors because AMD has removed these CPUs from its roadmap that it shared during the company's Q1 earnings report. Where Ryzen 3000 and Threadripper 3000 previously stood alongside each other, there is now only Ryzen 3000 with the statement "mid-year." Q1 Earnings Presentation (Image credit: AMD) This is somewhat confusing and has sparked debate because AMD made the change very quietly and without comment. The initial reaction to this sort of news might be that there's some sort of issue with Ryzen, but that's highly unlikely considering that AM4-based 500-series motherboards are expected to debut at Computex and AMD has also already shown a demo of an eight-core Ryzen 3000 CPU. Threadripper 3000 will likely be similar in design to the EPYC Rome data center processors, and AMD has already confirmed that Rome is working as planned and will launch in Q2 in limited quantities (high volume manufacturing in Q3). Roadmap, 4/6/2019 (Image credit: AMD 4/6/2019 Presentation) So, what's going on with third-gen Threadripper? The changed listing could just be an unintentional removal, and Threadripper will arrive as planned this year, but it could boil down to a few issues (or a mix of them). Threadripper, Ryzen, and Epyc Rome use the same 7nm compute chiplets, meaning these chips will compete with each other for the best dies, of which there likely aren't many because the 7nm node is quite new. The newer the node, the more defects, meaning more low-quality or defective dies. Rome will, of course, get the best of the bunch, while Threadripper will get the chips that clock high at decent voltages, leaving Ryzen with the worst chips. However, as Threadripper is a niche product and supply could be tight, there might not be any room left for Threadripper to snag some of the best chips that would make more money if AMD sold them as server CPUs. (Image credit: AMD - 4/20/2019 GPUOpen Presentation) Motherboards are also a complicating factor. TR4, the Threadripper socket, hasn't seen an update since 2017 and still uses the X399 chipset. Granted, X399 boards can be quite good, but AMD will likely want to update it for Threadripper 3000. While weve seen leaks and news about 500-series boards for Ryzen, there hasn't been any news of a new chipset for Threadripper, making it unlikely the new Threadripper chips are on the near horizon. We may just need to wait for the next horizon for Threadripper 3000. (Image credit: AMD) Apparently EPYC's increasing popularity has changed Dell's mind. Last year Dell CTO John Roese notoriously said the company did not expect the server market to become a "duopoly" with the arrival of AMD's EPYC server chips, claiming the new chips wouldn't change Dell's portfolio in a "meaningful way." But in a recent interview with Itpro.co.uk, Dell representative Dominque Vanhamme said Dell expects to triple its EPYC server offerings by the end of the year. The company will also launch new servers based on AMD's 7nm EPYC Rome processors. (Image credit: Dell) AMD has slowly but surely made progress with its existing EPYC Naples data center processors, now capturing ~5% of the server market, but the arrival of its 7nm EPYC Rome processors could be the catalyst that boosts AMD to its goal of double-digit market share. Data center customers are reluctant to adopt new architectures, largely due to extended qualification cycles, and tend to wait until a processor vendor is proven to be a reliable supplier. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) Aside from 7nm Rome's promise of a beastly 64-cores and 128-threads in a single package, the new chips will also prove that AMD can deliver on its roadmaps. That's the real win in the eyes of data center customers because it signals that the expensive qualification process won't amount to a one-off expense. Dell also plans to expand its current lineup of Naples-powered servers, too. Vanhamme, Dell's EMEA Vice President and General Manager, said the company plans to triple the number of EPYC servers it offers, currently numbered at three, by the end of the year. Even with the possibility of nine servers in Dell's armada, that still pales in comparison to Intel's 50 SKUs, highlighting that AMD will still face challenges. (Image credit: Dell) Intel's partner and incentive programs are powerful tools that help the company defend its market share, but AMD currently doesn't have nearly the same resources at its disposal. That should change as the company begins to gain more market share, which is an almost certainty with the 7nm processors that should offer pricing and power consumption advantages. That should ultimately help speed the rate of EPYC adoption. AMD also doesn't have as large of an army of support engineers as its competitor, so for now, the company is picking its shots wisely. AMD has focused on penetrating the lucrative cloud service providers, steadily picking up big wins along the way, which reduces the need for widespread field support and enables potential customers to test out the processors with very little upfront investment. The company is also shrewdly focusing on large hyperscale customers that purchase in volume. In either case, Vanhamme also said that AMD is already picking up steam in the general purpose market, too, which is a nice complement to its increasing uptake in the supercomputer space. AMD has announced that its EPYC Rome processors will come to market in limited quantities in Q2 2019, with full high volume manufacturing kicking in the following quarter. Rome is coming soon, but AMD hasn't shared detailed specifications and pricing yet. We expect those details to come to light within the next few months. COLUMBIA, MO (KCTV) -- On Saturday, the University of Missouri said there was a person with a gun on their campus but that no shots had been reported. The university tweeted at 7:49 p.m. and said that the individual was in the area of Hitt Street and University Avenue, which is in the northeastern corner of their campus. Tonya Harry had been working as a correctional officer for about a year when she had one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. During her shift at the Medium Security Institution in St. Louis - also known as the Workhouse - she discovered an inmate who had died by suicide. Insight Into Local Drama A Break With Tradition - KC STUDIO Funny what a difference just a few words can make. Not long ago Sidonie Garrett, executive artistic director of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, and the organization's board of directors agreed to alter the theater company's mission statement. It marked a major shift. Springtime KC Camp-out Chiefs Rookie Minicamp: Five Observations From Day 1 There were 72 players on the field Saturday afternoon at Chiefs rookie minicamp Kansas City Wine Review In Kansas City, Vox Vineyards Uses Rare Native Grapes to Produce Unique Wines In 1996, Jerry Eisterhold was running Eisterhold Associates Inc., his design firm, when he became fascinated with the idea of growing native grapes in Missouri for winemaking. He soon got his hands on cuttings from 60 grape varieties native to North America, largely identified by Thomas Volney Munson, an early 20th century viticulturist, and launched a vineyard with those unique - and almost forgotten - varietals. Royals Need Youth Movement Kansas City Royals: Time to bring up the kids As of Saturday morning, the Kansas City Royals are 11-22. Even though the calendar has barely turned to May, they are already 9.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. Quite obviously, this is going to be a long year for the Royals, at least in terms of wins and losses. Tragic Conclusion This Weekend Highway 218 shooting victim Micalla Rettinger laid to rest in Kansas WATERLOO - Family and friends of Micalla Rettinger, who grew up in Lenexa, Kansas, and who was the victim of a seemingly random shooting in Waterloo, gathered Friday to remember the young woman known for her caring spirit. The funeral Mass was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa. City College Study Guide 5 tips for a successful finals week With finals fast approaching and stress mounting, the last thing any college student wants to do is make their finals season worse by not properly planning to face it head-on. Kansas City Winning Whip Legacy That time a KC horse won the 1938 Kentucky Derby Believe it or not, back in 1938, a horse from Kansas City won the Kentucky Derby. Early morning news look at the persistent problems of the panty game . . .Closer to home, these local somewhat nicer news links help us find perspective . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . "If you're on here, resident of 75th terrace who hires a live band to play in their backyard every weekend until 3 AM, fuck you. I'm trying to get my kids to sleep. Take that crap to a karaoke bar. And by I crap I mean LITERAL crap. I am sitting in my house listening to loud screeching covers of Rod Stewart and Rush. RUSH for gods sakes. No one deserves this." More than crime news, election cycle content or debate about affordable housing . . . Here's the latest social media drama to occupy the not-so-great people of Waldo this weekend: Hes an old white guy, and of conventional sexual orientation to boot possibly a count against him these days. A senior if not a founding member of the Old Boys Club, he is said to give off the scent of toxic masculinity, like a guy whos splashed on too much Old Spice. He brings along with him not just baggage but a baggage train trailing all the way back over the distant horizon. Theres the old issue of plagiarism. There are the women who say hes, well, creepy, in a grabby sort of way. Theres the hilarious gaffes, for example, his off-the-cuffer about 7-Eleven employees and Pakistani accents. Not least for Joe Biden theres his record on the big issues of the day, a list as long as his personal baggage train fading into the distance way beyond where the eye can see. There was his outspoken opposition to busing for racial integration. There was his even more outspoken opposition to slavery reparations. And remember, Old Joes running in the Democratic, not the GOP primary where such positions might be of advantage. In the Democratic primary, these stands loom as deal-breakers. The Democratic Party has massive investments in skin color and ethnicity. Before Trump happened along, content of character ranked far down the partys list, barely making the cut, as Bill Clinton demonstrated. Then theres Old Joes perceived failure to have stood up for Anita Hill when she made her belated, suspiciously timed accusations that Clarence Thomas (now Justice Thomas) had subjected her to smutty remarks in the workplace. This is an especially dicey issue in light of Old Joes alleged creepy inclination to put hands on the ladies and sniff their hair. Joe insists hes just an old-fashioned touchy-feely fella. Still. Then theres Old Joes vote for the Iraq war Bushs War. And worse yet, from the partys current point of view, theres his key support, as a Senator with the clout of seniority, for tough anti-crime measures that according to todays Democratic Party dogma put African Americans behind bars in great numbers. Theres Old Joes go-along-get-along style. Hes the amiable Swamp Schmoozer, who made his party gasp with his scandalous declaration that Mike Pence is a decent man. Old Joe Biden may not have enough years left to him to apologize for, or at least re-spin, the many problematic stands hes taken and comments hes made on now-sensitive issues. He seems to have all of the disadvantages of the day and none of the advantages his many Democratic primary competitors enjoy Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, for example, with their skin pigmentation, or Pete Buttigieg with his de rigueur gay orientation. Plus, there are the overflowing bushel baskets of donations Old Joe harvested from the corporate plutocracy in his many decades of politicking. Not to mention his domiciling in a state thats the fiefdom of chemical industry robber barons villainous emitters of global-warming greenhouse gases! All of this surely will preclude him from sharing the popular socialist sheen than emanates from the old codger lefty, Bernie Sanders. Yet, amazingly, there the old white heterosexual capitalist lackey Joe Biden was, out in first place the moment he ventured onto the Democratic Partys roller-derby primary track. Go figure. All of this endless pandering to skin color and ethnic origin, all of this anti-business, pro-minority, pro-female yammering, and yet an aging cracker male totally lacking in, say, transgender cachet skates right out into the lead! Well, maybe its only fitting taking into account the presumed opponent the party eventually will be taking on the swaggering, petulant, impulsive, egocentric hornswoggler: You-Know-Who. The Gotham affliction. The George Steinbrenner of politics. The Insufferable One who makes you think of Mussolini, or at least Berlusconi. Bumbling, fumbling, gaffing Old Joe Biden faces the head wind of a humming economy plus the drag of his own unfashionable voting record and personality baggage. Can he come up with a strategy to bump Trump off the track when not even porn star Stormy Daniels, not even the Billy Bush tape, not even the sleazy lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen and not even Robert Mueller himself could accomplish the feat? Old Joe seems to be settling into a strategy involving a retooled collusion theory this time a daily artillery barrage of accusations that Trump, the interloping Swamp outsider, has colluded with white supremacy. The emerging Biden strategy seems to be to suggest that Trump is a veritable closet Kleagle who has insinuated himself into a position of power and aims to restore the plantation system. Can the Democratic Party which is, after all, the party that linked arms with slavery and then when slavery was finally eradicated spawned the Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow pull this off? Did Old Joe ever lodge any vehement complaints in all his many years in the Senate serving alongside the Senate President Pro Tem and Appropriations Committee Chairman, Sen. Robert Sheets Byrd, the W. Va. Democrat, erstwhile Klansman, longest-serving Democrat ever on Capitol Hill, who once declared: I shall never fight in the armed forces with a negro at my side Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again.? Can Old Joe now sell the patent medicine of Unity even as his party peddles the divisive elixir of slavery reparations? Seems a longshot. But just remember this: Democrats had a pretty good run shouting Kremlin collusion! Kremlin collusion! while pointing the finger at Trump even after the party, itself, had colluded with the Kremlin on the sale of scarce U.S. uranium mining assets to Russia. And the party had a pretty good run by continuing to shout Kremlin collusion! Kremlin collusion!,pointing the finger at Trump, even after the party had concocted the Russian-sourced anti-Trump dossier. So maybe its best to hedge any wagers you place that Biden cant make Trump out to be one of those redneck segregationists the Democratic Party knows all too well. Before the party and its media amen corner are done with him, Trump may find his name uttered in the same breath as Bull Connor, Orval Faubus, George Wallace, Les Maddox and other notable Democrats of that mold and never mind history or facts. By Express News Service CHENNAI : A few days after the Sri Lankan government and Muslim educational institution in Kerala banned the burqa, a face-covering veil, in the aftermath of suicide bombings that killed more than 250 people in the Island nation, Tamil Nadu Thowheedh Jamath (TNTJ) General Secretary Abdul Rahim has welcomed the decision and said the Muslim women need not cover the face and hands. Taking part in the protest conducted at Chepauk on Friday, condemning the terrorist attack in Sri Lanka, Rahim said the Lankan governments ban is aimed at identifying a person, whether man or woman and is not against Islam. More than 700 men and women participated in the protest.We have been preaching among Muslim women not to cover the face and hands for nearly a decade. Such practice are followed by a few women out of ignorance. Islamic doctrines never support such practices, added Rahim. He also said a few people were trying to link the terror attack with TNTJ, with ulterior motives. Citing the shootings at mosques in New Zealand in which 51 people were killed, Rahim said terrorism and religion should not be linked. The protesters raised slogans condemning the incidents and the participating children carried placards demanding to hang those responsible for the attack. editorial@tribune.com Amarjot Kaur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 4 Keeping its promise of transparency, Students for Society (SFS), a Left-wing student political party at Panjab University (PU), released the details of expenditure incurred by it in the academic year 2018-19. It is for the first time that a student party made public the list of funds used by it. The SFS has posted a copious note on its Facebook page. Listing the total funds of Rs 35,80,000 allocated to the council, comprising president, vice-president, general secretary and joint secretary, the party stated a sum of Rs 20,50,000 was given to the cultural head while Rs 4 lakh was spent on Vimarsh, Rs 4.5 lakh on Scitron and Rs 4.3 lakh on tours. In addition, Rs 2.5 lakh were billed for kavi sammelan. Authorised by the VC office, these funds were allocated by the office of the Dean Students Welfare to the office-bearers. The council funds are utilised in two ways. First, expenditure incurred by the post bearer from the advance collected through the DSW office or out of her/his own pocket. Bills are submitted with the Deans office and amount left out of the advance is deposited back or reimbursement is sought in the other case. Secondly, expenditure is incurred by the Dean office through tenders or purchases made directly from the market where DSWs office reimburse it. PUCSC president Kanupriya, in the Facebook post, revealed that the Rs 1,43,206 were spent on Aaghaz under the cultural head. The expenditure was incurred by the council presidents office. For a tour to Jallianwala Bagh, the council presidents office had collected Rs 86,100 from a total of 861 students. The tour cost the council Rs 86,000. Follow suit, SFS tells former office-bearers The Facebook note posted by the SFS asks former office-bearers of the PUCSC to place their records in the open. They also took students on tour to various places. They took money from students and applied for reimbursement of travelling charges with DSW office, the note alleged. Such corrupt practice was being followed in the council where a number of student organisations has remained a part. editorial@tribune.com Akash Ghai Tribune News Service Mohali, May 4 While the possession of around 4.5 km of land required for the 10.6-km-long Chandigarh-Kharar road project is yet to be taken, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is hopeful of its completion by January 2020. It has engaged Larsen & Toubro for the project. KL Sachdeva, project director, NHAI, said the Mohali Administration had expedited the process of making payment of compensation a couple of months ago. Our work is on. If we get the possession of the land required for the Rs 368 crore project soon, the project will hopefully be completed by January next year. But if one goes by the claims of sources in the construction company, the project would take 18 months to be completed, if construction begins in full swing forthwith. Only 55 per cent of the total project work has been completed so far, sources say. Mohali DC Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said the process to acquire 25 hectares for the project was underway and so was the possession of 300 structures, including shops, houses and buildings. In the past three months, we have disbursed Rs 21 crore as compensation. The remaining payments of over Rs 200 crore will be made soon, she said. Notably, the Administration has received the entire relief amount from the NHAI. Sapra said besides 300-odd structures, there were around 10 more structures, which have to be taken into possession. The NHAI is holding direct talks with the owners of these structures, said Sapra. The hurdles Heavy traffic on the highway is one of the biggest hurdles in carrying out the project work. An L&T official said they get only six hours after midnight for smooth work. 220 kV power lines cross over the flyover at three placesKhanpur, Sunny Enclave and TDI City. These lines need to be shifted before start of the flyover. Another major impediment is a nearly 3-km sewer line. Started late After delay of at least six months following protests by residents of Phase 6 and the management of a gurdwara there, the project took off in December 2016 with a 30-month deadline. Due to the protest, the NHAI authorities had to redesign the flyover, which was initially planned to start from Sector 39, Chandigarh. Earlier, it was planned to construct an elevated road from Sector 39. Later, the authorities shelved the previous designs of the project and revised the plan as a mix of elevated and surface roads. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 4 MP Kirron Kher today apologised for a video shared on her Twitter account wherein children are seen campaigning for her. It is wrong to use children. Somebody had sent that video and was shared from my account. Though I did not post it on my account (her team handles her social media) I apologise for it. The video has already been deleted from there, she told reporters on the sidelines of a public event here today. The Election Commission had issued her a notice on May 3 after the video was shared on her Twitter account. The EC sought Khers reply within 24 hours. Officials said in her reply to the Commission, Kher stated she had not made that video and would keep it in mind in future. The notice had said, You have shared a video on your Twitter account which shows that children are being used for an election campaign in your favour through slogan Vote for Kirron Kher and Ab Ki Baar, Modi Sarkar. In the eight-second video, MC councillor Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu, Khers close aide, is seen using kids to seek votes for her. He was also issued a notice. He too submitted a reply saying they were campaigning when the kids came there and wore the Modi mask while somebody shot the video. There was no intention to use them. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 4 All- India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi will be in the city on May 10. He will address a rally in support of his party candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal. The city Congress unit has started preparations for the rally to make it a grand success. Pardeep Chhabra, city Congress president, confirmed that the party chief would address the rally on May 10. The venue is yet to be decided. Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda are among those also expected to address the rally. Meanwhile, Congress star campaigner Navjot Singh Sidhu will hold another rally in the city on May 15. vermaajay1968@gmail.com Prateek Chauhan Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 4 A 45-year-old Bangladeshi migrant Badshah (name changed), who has been living in south Delhi with his three children and wife since last decade, came to India in search of livelihood but eventually turned into a petty criminal. He says a majority of Bangladeshi migrants are involved in criminal activities and different gangs are operating in Delhi. More than 4-5 lakh Bangladeshi citizens are living in Delhi in different parts like Nizamuddin, Sangam Vihar, Taimoor Nagar, Azadpur, Trans Yamuna area, Mehrauli, Badarpur and forested areas of the city. According to DCP Ram Gopal Naik (Crime Branch), in the last six to eight months, many incidents of robbery were reported in Delhi and metro cities like Bhubaneshwar, Dharwad, Lucknow, Agra, Bengaluru and Goa. All incidents took place late in the night and were committed by a gang of seven to eight members. The gang used to enter the house by breaking the windows and hold the owners at gunpoint before committing the robbery. After going through their modus operandi, time and place of incidents, it was established that the robberies were committed by criminals from Bangladesh, the DCP said. In a recent incident, three Bangladeshi robbers were arrested by the Crime Branch and two country-made pistols with four live cartridges were recovered from them. Two Bangladesh passports were also seized from them. The three Bangladeshi nationals were identified as Kamrul, the gang leader, Sahidul Islam and Nazrul, the DCP said. editorial@tribune.com Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Rohtak, May 4 The BJP is pulling out all the stops to wrest the Rohtak seat from the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. It has decided to take advantage of political clout of its heavyweight leaders Hukmdev Narayan Yadav and Rao Inderjit Singh in the Ahir-dominated Kosli. A Padma Bhushan recipient and former Union minister, Yadav belongs to Bihar and is known for his fiery speeches in Parliament. Union Minister Rao Inderjit is an influential leader in the Ahirwal region, comprising Rewari, Mahendragarh and Gurugram. Kosli, which is part of Rewari district, is the largest Assembly segment of the Rohtak parliamentary constituency with more than 2.25 lakh voters. BJP candidate Om Prakash Dhankar took a massive lead of 42,538 votes over sitting MP and Congress candidate Deepender Hooda in Kosli during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He polled 79,758 votes, while Deepender got 37,220. Since Deepender is leaving no stone unturned to improve his performance this time, the BJP is also in no mood to lose its grip over Kosli, said sources. They said Congress turncoat Inderjit had played a crucial role in polarising Ahir voters in favour of the BJP in 2014. For this reason, the party had decided to rope him in along with another famous Ahir face Yadav in Kosli in the last fag end of the poll campaigning. Yadav, who will be in Haryana on May 8 and 9, is familiar with people of Kosli, so we have decided to organise his poll meetings here. We have also requested Inderjit to give us some time for the same. Inderjit will finalise his Kosli visit soon as per his schedule because he is also contesting elections from Gurugram, said Arvind Yadav, BJP in charge for the Rohtak parliamentary constituency. He said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar would address poll meetings in Kalanaur on May 6, while party workers would take out a motorcycle rally in every Assembly segment to invite people for PM Narendra Modis rally in Rohtak on May 10. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Kangra, May 4 Former Transport Minister and senior Congress leader GS Bali yesterday lambasted the BJP for creating irrelevant issues like citizenship of AICC president Rahul Gandhi to divert the attention of people from unemployment, GST, black money, demonetisation and farmers deaths. Bali was addressing a press conference here. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nothing to say about his performance so he was focussing on patriotism. Bali said the Congress leadership required no certificate as proof of being patriots from Modi. Bali said the BJP top leadership was using such unethical language during the poll campaign which was condemnable and for this, people would never forgive it. The former minister was critical of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for his remarks and suggested that the Chief Minister should check himself. Regarding deserting the Congress by former Congress MLA Surinder Kaku, Bali said it was unfortunate and expressed apprehension that it might affect the poll results in Kangra. District president Suman Verma, vice-president Raj Kumar Jaswal and secretary, HPCC, Pardeep Chaudhary were present at the press conference. editorial@tribune.com Dipender Manta Tribune News Service Mandi, May 4 Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress party was a divided house in the state, adding that the leaders were misusing the political stature of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to target him rather than focusing on giving impetus to the election campaign of Congress candidates. Taking a jibe at the Congress, the CM said Congress party was in a dilemma in Mandi parliamentary constituency over whom should they appoint for the election campaign. Virbhadra is targeting his own Congress candidate Ashray Sharma by saying that he will not forgive former Telecom Minister Pandit Sukh Ram, he said. Pandit Sukh Ram is the grandfather of Congress candidate Ashray Sharma He said Congress was dethroning its own office-bearers from their post during elections, which reveals that there was lack of confidence within the party. The CMs remarks were in the context of the Congress partys decision to appoint the working president of the District Congress Committee in Mandi just two days ago. In reply to a query, the CM said he would not like to comment on Virbhadra, but a few leaders of the Congress were taking him as a shield. He said Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri is using the name of Virbhadra to rise in politics. Agnihotri is not a mass base leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address public meeting in favour of BJP candidate Ramswaroop Sharma in Mandi on May 10, the CM said. There is a wave in favour of the BJP across the state as well as the nation. The BJP will win all four Lok Sabha seats with a handsome margin. Targeting the Congress, the CM said a few people were trying to influence voters with the power of money, but people in Mandi are honest and they cannot be lured. By Express News Service KOCHI: Kochi City Police on Saturday arrested two youths in possession of 16 kg of ganja from Kaloor in Kochi. The arrested were Feroz and Shafeeq both aged 24 and hailing from Valancherry in Malappuram. According to Ernakulam North Police Station officials, the duo arrived at Ernakulam bus station in the evening. We had a tip-off that two youth who were regular suppliers of the illegal narcotic product in Kochi will be arriving with huge quantity of ganja in Kaloor area. As they alighted from the bus, we took them into custody. They were planning to supply ganja in large quantities to the customers which includes college and school students, an official said. Police suspect that the ganja was procured from Andhra Pradesh at a cheap price. We are investigating their links with a racket which is involved in ganja supply from other states. We are interrogating them in custody. We are hopeful about receiving more information about the racket and its members active in Kochi, said an official. sanjiv@tribunemail.com Suhail A Shah Anantnag, May 4 A BJP leader was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his house in Verinag area of Anantnag district late Saturday evening. The slain leader has been identified as Gul Muhammad Mir, 69, the district vice-president of BJPs Muslim Morcha wing. He had contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Dooru segment on a BJP ticket. The incident took place around 9.45 pm, the police said. He was inside his house when militants barged in and fired multiple shots, a senior police official said, adding Mir succumbed on the way to the hospital. A doctor said Mir was brought dead to the Anantnag district hospital. He had four bullet wounds in the chest, he said. Mirs body was handed over to the family after medico-legal formalities. Meanwhile, security forces cordoned off the area and carried out searches. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jammu, May 4 The poll din ended on Saturday in the prestigious Ladakh parliamentary constituency, which is going to the polls on May 6, with all political parties making last-ditch efforts to influence electors to vote in their favour. While the BJP held an impressive public rally, addressed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in Leh town, its arch-rival Congress focused on rural belts on the last day of the campaigning. Two independents limited their campaign to Kargil. The seat is set for a quadrilateral contest. The candidates in the electoral race are Rigzin Spalbar of the Indian National Congress (INC), Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP, Congress rebel and former MLA Kargil Asgar Ali Karbalai and NC-PDP and Islamia School backed-Sajjad Hussain Kargili. Both Karbalai and Kargili are contesting as independents. There is a vertical divide between Leh and Kargil districts for the Ladakh seat. The BJP and the Congress have fielded two Buddhist faces from Leh district, while two independents, who are Shia Muslims, have joined the electoral race from Kargil district. The Ladakh seat has an electoral strength of 1,74,618 voters. Out of total voters, 86,752 are males, 85,064 females, 2,799 are service voters (2755 male and 44 female) and three transgender voters. The Election authorities have set up 559 polling stations across the constituency for the smooth conduct of electoral exercise. Kargil district has 87,781 electors, including 44,057 males, 42,405 females, 1318 service electors (1315 male and 03 female) and single transgender voter. For smooth polling, the ECI has set up 265 polling stations across the district. Similarly, Leh district has 86,837 electors, including 42,695 males, 42,659 females, 1,481 service electors (1,440 males and 41 females) and two transgender voters. The election authorities have established 294 polling stations across the district to ensure smooth polling. The highest polling station, Anlay Pho (Changthang), has been set up in Leh district at an altitude of 15,000 ft. The booth is barely 50 m from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Srinagar: The low-key election campaign amid militant threats and separatists boycott calls in the militancy-hit Pulwma and Shopian districts of the south Kashmir constituency of Anantnag came to an end on Saturday. In south Kashmir, three local militants, including a close aide of a former commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district, triggering fresh tension in the area. A shutdown was observed in Shopian against the killings. The campaigning in the south Kashmir constituency has beenlow key in the two districts, though some of the rallies had been held in Anantnag and Kulgam districts where polling was held earlier. Senior leaders of political parties visiting south Kashmir included Congress partys Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Ram Madhav, BJPs national general secretary, who addressed election meetings in Anantnag district. PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is pitted against Ghulam Ahmad Mir of the Congress and Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference. An electorate of 5,22,530 including 3,51,314 in Pulwama district and 1,71,216 in Shopian district would exercise their franchise in the phase four, for which 695 polling centres have been set up in the two districts. Six Assembly segments are spread over the two districts, four in Pulwama district and two in Shopian. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 4 Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday appealed to the Central government to announce halting of the anti-militancy operations during Ramzan. I appeal to the Government of India to declare a ceasefire during Ramzan like the last year. The crackdowns, search operations and encounters should be stopped so that the people of J&K can get some relief in this month, Mehbooba said at a press conference here. Mehbooba, who is contesting from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, also appealed to the militants to stop attacks in Ramzan. This month is for prayers and the militants should not carry out any attack, she said. Mehbooba said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should announce a ceasefire as he boasts about following Atal Bihari Vajpayees doctrine on Kashmir. Modiji often says that he follows Vajpayeejis doctrine of insaniyat, jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat. The biggest proof of insaniyat and jamhuriyat will be to announce a ceasefire during Ramzan, she said. Last year, the Centre had announced ceasefire in the state during Ramzan. Mehbooba also hit out at the Central government, saying it was at war with its own people. Be it the ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, booking separatists, shutting the cross-LoC trade or the highway ban order, these are against the interests of the people. It seems the Government of India is now planning to fiddle with J&K Bank to weaken the state financially, she said. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 4 National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday accused the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party of wasting the major gains made by his government that included attempts to decrease the footprint of security forces. Omar, who addressed an election campaign event in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, said the major gains in decreasing the footprint of security forces, mellowing down of the Public Safety Act and efforts to do away with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act were put into a chasm by the former PDP-BJP led government. Once the NC comes to power, we will make renewed efforts to bring respite to the people, he said. Omar also promised that his party would come up with a comprehensive programme for the rehabilitation of the stone throwers during the Assembly elections. I have already given an undertaking that once in power with a strong mandate, we will obliterate the Public Safety Act from the law books of the state. During my previous stint as CM, I brought some changes to the PSA to make it more juvenile-friendly, he said. In my tenure, I raised the issue of decreasing the footprint of the armed forces in various areas. My government actually did lessen the grid of bunkers. I made earnest efforts to impress on the need of removing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the areas where the situation was considerably peaceful. However, the PDP-BJP was not able to keep up the momentum of my good work, he said. He said the situation now was such that our highways have been snatched from us. What good was achieved by bringing down the footprint of security forces in my time was also put into an abyss by the former PDP-BJP government, he said. (PDP president) Mehbooba (Mufti) has bequeathed such a situation in Kashmir that she herself is not able to canvass for the parliamentary elections in Kashmir, particularly in south Kashmir, he said. pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi May 5 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the killing of a BJP leader in Jammu and Kashmir, saying there is no place for violence in the country. Read: BJPs Muslim Morcha leader shot in Valley Gul Mohammed Mir, the district vice-president of BJPs Muslim Morcha wing, was shot in his house in Anantnag district on Saturday night. He had contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Dooru segment on a BJP ticket. Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered, Modi tweeted. Extending condolences, he said, There is no place for such violence in our country. PTI editorial@tribune.com Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, May 4 Flooding the social media with posts, natives of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan are keenly watching the ongoing electioneering in the Ladakh parliamentary seat due to their ethnic, cultural and religious similarities with the residents of Leh and Kargil districts. Social activists of Gilgit-Baltistan are making comparisons of democratic rights given to their community members living in India while highlighting atrocities on deprived and subjugated residents of the areas under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Baltis and Shins of Ladakh are ready to vote on May 6. Like Gilgit-Baltistan residents, they dont waste time talking about a fake province, constitutional and citizenship rights, representation in Parliament and access to Supreme Court. Why? Because India gave them these rights many decades ago. Jaya Bharat, Senge Hasnan Sering, a US-based social activist of Gilgit-Baltistan, posted on the social media. Pointing towards the sticker of the Election Commission of India, he posted, This election sticker from Ladakh says in Balti, Ngyi Gdem-shog La Rtsis Yod (My vote is valuable). The people of Ladakh are Indian citizens. They are casting their vote for the parliamentary election on May 6. They will choose their representative for Parliament and that representative will be a native. Can the people of Gilgit-Baltistan say that about their vote? Are people of Gilgit-Baltistan citizens of Pakistan? Who represents them in the Pakistani parliament? The tweet was retweeted by a large number of people of Gilgit-Baltistan. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Actor Vince Vaughn has been convicted of reckless driving after his arrest for driving under influence last year. Vaughn accepted a no-jail plea deal on Friday involving his drunk driving arrest at a sobriety checkpoint in California last June. The Wedding Crashers star had a lawyer appear on his behalf in the courtroom in Los Angeles and enter a plea of no contest to one count of misdemeanor alcohol-related reckless driving, sources said. He was immediately sentenced to three years probation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney said. Vaughn was also ordered to complete a three-month alcohol programme, pay fines and submit to any alcohol screening tests requested by law enforcement while on probation. The actors lawyer was advised that if Vaughn drives under the influence and a person is killed, he could be charged with murder, prosecutors said. The deal, which dropped the original three charges in the case, means Vaughn wont have a DUI on his record. Vaughn, 49, was stopped around 12:40 a.m. on June 10 last year at a checkpoint in the coastal community of Manhattan Beach. IANS pardeepdhull@gmail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 5 Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday retorted to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bhrashtachaari No. 1 comment for his late father and said the PM should wait for his karma to catch up with him. The Prime Minister had on Saturday said late PM Rajiv Gandhi, Rahuls father, ended his life as Corrupt number 1 after his coterie worked all the time to project him as Mr Clean." Rahul in a tweet today said: Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father wont protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said. Modi had claimed that Rahul had admitted in an interview that his only aim is to tarnish his image. "By hurling abuses, you cannot turn the 50 long years of Modi's tapasya (struggle) into dust," the prime minister had said. "By tarnishing my image and by making me look small, these people want to form an unstable and a weak government in the country," he had said. With PTI inputs amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, May 5 IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who spent some days in Pakistani custody when his MiG-21 was shot down in a dogfight with PAF jets a day after the February 26 Balakot strike, appeared in high spirits as he posed for selfies with colleagues and other servicemen. In an undated video, Varthaman, who was visiting his former colleagues in Jammu and Kashmir recenty -- for the first time after his ordeal, happily posed for selfies with everyone who wanted, even after repeatedly saying that it was the last one. He then joined the group in chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and cheers for the Indian Air Force, its 1 Wing and the Defence Security Corps. In a short address after the selfies, Varthaman said he had happily posed for the photographs with his colleagues since they were not for them, "but their families". "All these photographs are not for you but for your families I could not meet. All of you and your families prayed for my health and I want to thank them all," he said. After his return to India on March 1, Varthaman, the son of a former high-ranking IAF official, underwent tests in Delhi and was subsequently posted out of Jammu and Kashmir as part of service policy as well as security reasons. IANS ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Chandigarh: As the country participates in the General Election with fervour, Rajasthans Gaddi Lohar community feels left out. This nomadic tribe does not possess any voter ID or Aadhaar card or any other identification document. Now, actor and former Miss India UK Deana Uppal has taken up their cause. She has written to Rajasthan CEO to devise a strategy for the future so that members of this community can have voting rights. TNS BJP candidate injured Kolkata: With less than 48 hours to go for polling in West Bengals Bongaon(SC) seat in the fifth phase, its BJP candidate Shantunu Thakur on Saturday met with an accident in Nadia district. Shantanu Thakur, his driver and two others who were in the vehicle, were injured. He suffered an injury in his head. PTI By PTI MUMBAI: A sequel to Rajkummar Rao-Shraddha Kapoor-starrer horror comedy "Stree" is likely to go on floors next year with the same cast. "Stree", also featuring Pankaj Tripathi and Aparshakti Khurana, was one of the most commercially-successful and critically-acclaimed films of 2018. Directed by Amar Kaushik, the film was set in small town of Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, where an evil spirit named 'Stree' abducts men in the night during festival season. It was based on the urban legend of "Nale Ba" that went viral in Karnataka in the 1990s. Produced by Dinesh Vijan, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, "Stree" had earned Rs 180 crore worldwide. A source close to the project said the sequel is currently in the scripting stage. WATCH STREE 1 TRAILER: "It will happen next year. We are working on the script. There are few ideas for 'Stree 2'. The expectations are high on 'Stree 2', so the team wants to give their best shot as we are not in a hurry to make it," the source said. The core cast of "Stree" will be returning for the sequel, it added. Meanwhile, Rao is set to star in another horror-comedy, "Rooh-Afza", backed by Vijan's Maddock Films banner. The film, which also features Janhvi Kapoor, will revolve around a singing ghost who puts grooms to sleep so it can possess their brides. "Rooh-Afza" will reportedly share the same universe with "Stree". ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Dhaurahra, May 4 Vikas toh dekhne ko nahi mila (Didnt get to see any development), observed Shivsagar Singh, 65, sitting in his utensil shop located on the main road in Hargaon that comes under UPs Dhaurahra Lok Sabha seat. If vikas is roads, we have this dual-lane road. But it only shrunk our business as those on the other side are reluctant to cross the road amid such heavy traffic, said Krishna Kumar, who runs a kiosk providing online services such as filling forms and checking results. If earlier I earned Rs 1,000 on a good day, now I barely earn Rs 100-250, he said. Unemployment and stagnation of local businesses post-demonetisation and GST have brought the area to a standstill. Shivsagar Singh complains that he opens his shop every day but only rarely gets a customer. He has no land and his family of five are surviving on small savings that they have. Jagprataps family collectively owns nine acres of land. A resident of Hardi village, he complains of stray cattle, which have become a nuisance eating into farmers profit. Sonu Rastogi who runs a jewellery shop in the main Sisaiya Chowk, barely a stones throw away from the party offices of the BJP, BSP and Congress, has the same story to share. The marriage season brings some business. Otherwise, no one has any money for jewellery, he says. Niaz Ahmads photocopying business has suffered too and he now earns barely Rs 100 on a lucky day. They are all patiently waiting for achche din. The first election after the constituency came into existence in 2009 was won by Congress Jitin Prasada who became Union Minister. In 2014, he took a severe beating and came fourth. BJPs Rekha Verma won, polling 33.99 per cent votes, BSPs Daud Ahmad was second with 22.13 per cent votes and Anand Bhadouriya of SP was third with 22.07 per cent votes. Congress Prasad lost his deposit. He barely managed 16.13 per cent votes. This time the equation has changed as the SP-BSP are together in an alliance. The BSP has fielded Arshad Iliyas Siddiqui, son of veteran BSP politician Ilyas Azmi, who twice won from Shahabad parliamentary constituency before it became extinct. Rekha Verma is once again the BJP candidate and Prasada is in the fray representing the Congress. As people point out, all candidates are outsiders and will disappear after the elections. No one has come to us for votes. After five years, we saw our MP Rekha Verma two days ago when she passed by, waving at all and sundry during a roadshow Hargaon resident pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, May 5 The Supreme Court Sunday termed as wholly incorrect a media report that said that Justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud met Justice SA Bobde, who is heading the in-house committee inquiring into sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. A statement issued by the office of the Supreme Courts Secretary-General said it is most unfortunate that a leading newspaper chose to state that the two judges met Justice Bobde on Friday evening. The statement said the in-house committee, which is deliberating on the issue concerning the CJI, deliberates on its own without any input from any other judge of the apex court. A report in a leading newspaper on Sunday stated that Justices Nariman and Chandrachud had met Justice Bobde and had expressed their view that the three-member committee should not go ahead with the proceeding ex parte. The former woman employee of the apex court, who levelled the sexual harassment allegations, had opted herself out of the inquiry raising several grievances, including denial of permission to have her lawyer during proceedings. A source had earlier said the woman opted not to participate in the proceedings despite being told about consequence that the committee can go ahead with its task ex parte. She had appeared before the panel for three days. Justice Bobde on April 23 had told PTI: This is going to be an in-house procedure which does not contemplate representation of advocate on behalf of parties. It is not a formal judicial proceeding. He had clarified that there is no time frame to complete the inquiry and future course of action will depend on what comes out of the inquiry which will be confidential. The newspaper has stated that Justices Nariman and Chandrachud had suggested appointment of an advocate as an amicus curie for assisting the in-house committee. Besides Justice Bobde, other members in the committee are two women judges of the apex courtJustices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. An official source on Sunday said that the in-house panel deliberates on its own and if any judge, as reported, makes any suggestion, it amounts to interference in proceedings of the committee. The statement said, It is most unfortunate that a leading newspaper has chosen to state that Justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud together met Justice SA Bobde on Friday evening, i.e., on May 3, 2019. This is wholly incorrect. The in-house committee, which is deliberating on the issue concerning the CJI, deliberates on its own without any input of any other judge of this court. Chief Justice Gogoi had on Wednesday appeared before an in-house inquiry committee looking into allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a former woman employee of the Supreme Court. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 4 Maintaining that monitoring by the PMO cant be termed parallel negotiations, the Centre today urged the Supreme Court to dismiss petitions seeking review of its verdict giving clean chit to procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France under an inter-governmental agreement. The review petition... is an attempt to get fishing and roving inquiry ordered, which this court has specifically declined to go into based on perception of individuals. A non-existent distinction is sought to be created between an inquiry by the CBI and the court by playing on words, read the Centres affidavit. It also cited CAG report to justify its stand on Rafale. All papers and files had been made available to the CAG who gave a report concluding that the price of 36 Rafale is 2.86 per cent lower than the audit aligned price, apart from additional benefits which would accrue because of change from firm and fixed pricing to non-firm price, the Centre said, adding that waiver of sovereign or bank guarantee in IGA was not unusual. Furthermore, assuming that Dassault Aviation or MBDA France meet difficulties in the execution of their respective supply protocols and would have to reimburse all or part of the intermediary payments to India, France will take appropriate measures so as to make sure that said payments or reimbursements will be made at the earliest, it said. The Centres affidavit came in response to petitions by former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan and others seeking review of its December 14 verdict dismissing demands for a probe into alleged irregularities in Rafale deal. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on April 30 asked the government to spell out its stand on the review petitions by Saturday and posted the matter for further hearing on May 6. Sinha, Shourie and Bhushan had on January 2 moved the SC, seeking review of its verdict that gave a clean chit to the deal. They had also demanded an open court hearing. They had alleged that the December 14 judgment relied upon patently incorrect claims made by the government in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover to the top court. Upholding their claim, the Bench had on April 10 rejected the government claim of privilege over certain document and ruled that leaked documents could be relied upon during the hearing of review petition as the said documents were relevant to the proceedings on Rafale. But the Centre said the order would imply that any document marked secret obtained by whatever means and placed in public domain can be used without attracting any penal action. This could lead to the revelation of all closely guarded State secrets relating to space, nuclear installations, strategic defence capabilities, operational deployment of forces, intelligence resources in the country and outside, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency measures etc. This could have implications in the financial sector also if say Budget proposals are published before they are presented in Parliament. Such disclosures of secret government information will have grave repercussions on the very existence of the Indian State, the Centre submitted. Monitoring by PMO not parallel negotiations pardeepdhull@gmail.com Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, May 5 The Election Commission has rejected a complaint by the BJP against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray for his rallies across Maharashtra criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP leader Vinod Tawde in his complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra had sought a probe into Thackerays rallies and wanted to know at whose behest these events were being held. Tawde also wanted the EC to tag the expenses incurred on Thackerays rallies to candidates of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party who were likely to benefit. The MNS did not contest the Lok Sabha elections polling for which ended in Maharashtra on April 29. With no precedent of rallies being held by a political leader who did not field any candidates in an election, the CEO sought the advice of the Election Commission of India before proceeding further on the matter. According to sources here, the ECI has decided that the expenses incurred by Thackeray at his rallies should not be added to that of candidates from any other party. The expenses incurred on MNS rallies will be treated as expenses incurred for the usual propaganda of any party, a source from the CEOs office said. However, the MNS has been asked to provide details of expenditure incurred on Thackerays rallies within 90 days from the close of the Lok Sabha elections, according to EC officials. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said the EC should not ask the MNS for expenses incurred on Thackerays rallies. When someone is not contesting any elections but was exercising his democratic right to make voters aware about the crisis facing the country, on what grounds can the Election Commission demand details of expenditure incurred by him?, Pawar told reporters here. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, May 4 The Election Commission on Saturday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Gujarat speech in which he had claimed that the Indian government had kept Pakistan on its toes to ensure the safe return of its pilot. This is the sixth clean chit to Modi by the poll watchdog. It was not immediately clear whether the decision on the April 21 Patan speech was unanimous. One of the election commissioners, according to sources, gave a dissenting view in the ECs decision to give a clean chit to Modi with regard to his speech at Wardha on April 1, where he attacked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for contesting from the minority-dominated Wayanad seat in Kerala, and his appeal to first-time voters by invoking the Balakot airstrike and the CRPF jawans killed in the Pulwama terror attack on April 9. He had also reportedly given dissent in the clean chit to BJP president Amit Shah for his Nagpur speech in which he had reportedly said Wayand constituency of Kerala is where majority is minority. In its Saturdays decision, the EC said, ...detailed report of the chief electoral officer, Gujarat was obtained. The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the model code of conduct. After examination, commission is of the view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted. In his Patan speech, Modi had reportedly said that he had warned Pakistan of consequences if it did not return Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured after an aerial dogfight with Pakistani F-16s that had violated Indian airspace and targeted military installations in February. Pakistan released Varthaman on the night of March 1. Modi also spoke of a US claim that India had kept 12 missiles ready. So far, the EC has cleared six speeches of Modi, two of Shah and one of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had been issued a show-cause notice for his Madhya Pradesh speech in which he had reportedly said the government enacted a new law which allows tribals to be shot. On March 19, the EC had issued an advisory asking parties not to invoke armed forces in their political campaign. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 4 A day after cyclone Fani ravaged parts of Odisha, killing at least 16 persons, a massive restoration-and-relief work was launched on war-footing today across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas. The Eastern Naval Command of the Navy launched a massive rescue and rehabilitation process. Two maritime recce sorties were undertaken by the Dornier aircraft of the Navy, revealing widespread destruction localised around Puri. Nearly 2,000 emergency workers, along with civil society organisations, personnel of the NDRF, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and 1 lakh officials were engaged in the restoration work, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said, before leaving for an aerial survey of the affected areas. The NDRF deployed 44 teams in the worst-affected parts of Odisha and nine teams in West Bengal, three in Andhra Pradesh, two each in Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and one each in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya. The teams are working in collaboration with other state agencies to restore power supply, communication set up and clear roads by removing the uprooted trees, poles and debris. They are also assisting the local authorities in distributing relief material. The toll due to the calamity, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 16. (With PTI inputs) Barring Patkura, polls in state over Barring the Patkura Assembly constituency under the Kendrapara LS seat, which is scheduled to go to the polls on May 19 following the death of the BJD candidate, polling in all 21 LS and 146 Assembly constituencies has been completed NEET postponed in state: HRD ministry The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled for May 5 has been postponed in Odisha due to Fani, the HRD Ministry announced on Saturday. The decision was taken following a request from the Odisha administration gspannu7@gmail.com New Delhi, May 5 Hina Shahab, Kavita Singh and Neelam Singh are charting their way through the very masculine Bihar political scene of election 2019 but the big question is did their parties choose them as dummy candidates for their muscle-flexing husbands? Shahab, the Rashtriya Janata Dals contestant in Siwan, is the wife of four-term (1996 to 2004) MP Shahabuddin, convicted in multiple murder cases and debarred from contesting any election. Her opponent in Siwan, which votes on May 12, is Kavita Singh, a two-time MLA who is the Janata Dal(United) candidate and the wife of local muscleman Ajay Singh. He has been denied a ticket because of the many criminal cases against him. The third in the lineup is Neelam Singh who is making her electoral debut as the Congress contestant from the Munger Lok Sabha seat. Her husband Anant Singh faces at least 18 cases, including of murder, kidnapping and extortion. Shahab is banking on her connect with the locals in the absence of her husband while Kavita Singh is confident the Modi wave will bring her votes and Neelam Singh is sure her husbands goodwill will be her trump card. Saaheb (Shahabuddin) is not with me for the last 15 years. I feel his absence every moment. When I see the love of the people for him and for me, I feel proud to be the daughter and daughter-in-law of Siwan, 46-year-old Shahab told PTI over the phone. Shahab lost the previous two elections and is hoping she will make it through to the Lok Sabha this time. It was not easy for the burqa clad Shahab to step out from the confines of her home to the heat and dust of campaigning, but she said she has come a long way. I was not prepared to enter politics in 2009. I could not express myself but I had decided in 2014 that I will fight, no matter whether I win or lose. I was there for the people of Siwan in their happiness and sorrows, Shahab said. I entered politics in response to the peoples demand and their love for Saaheb. We did not have any politician in our family. I joined politics to continue the good work of my husband. I dont believe in caste and religion-based politics, she added. It is the first time in Siwans history that two women are pitted against each other in a Lok Sabha election. While Kavita Singh, 33, promises to maintain law and order in Siwan, Shahabs priority is employment and womens security. I dont talk about national issues. I dont seek votes in the name of martyrs. I want employment, education, health facilities and safety for women, she said. Kavita Singh, who has her husband Ajay campaigning for her, is equally confident the people of Siwan will back her. Behind every successful woman is a man, she said. In Siwan, the contest is not between two women but between the UPA and the NDA. I am confident that on the basis of good work done by Modiji at the Centre and Nitish ji at the state level, people will vote for me. The country wants Modiji back as PM and Siwan is no exception, she said. Kavita Singh entered politics in 2011 when her mother-in-law and two-term JD(U) legislator from Daraundha Jagmato Devi passed away. Ajay Singh was denied a ticket by the party due to his criminal record. He placed a matrimony ad in the newspaper for a suitable educated girl who could contest the bypoll. Kavita Singh was finally selected and won the election, said locals. The Modi government has a woman foreign minister, a woman defence minister and a woman Lok Sabha speaker. He is working hard for women empowerment and people respect that. I am sure that I will be the first ever female MP from Siwan, Kavita Singh added. Shahbuddin won Siwan constituency from 1996 to 2004. After his conviction, Shahab lost twice to his bete noire Om Prakash Yadav. In Munger, which voted on April 29, first-timer Neelam Singh, 48, does not consider herself a dummy candidate and said she asked for votes on the issue of lack of development in the constituency. The opposition does not have any issue so they are calling me a dummy candidate. I am Anant jis ardhangini (better half) and people will definitely vote for me on the basis of the goodwill he enjoys. There is no Modi wave here. People want change, she said. Neelam Singh rues the lack of development in Munger and blamed the state government for it. We have two ministers in the state cabinet from Munger but the constituency was given step-motherly treatment. All the industries have been relocated from here and administration is autocratic. My husband and I are fighting for the people, she said. She is up against Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh, a minister in Bihars Nitish Kumar government. In the previous Lok Sabha election, Veena Devi of Lok Janshakti Party defeated then MP Lallan Singh of JD(U). The votes for the seven-phase elections will be counted on May 23. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM TNS & Agencies Basti (UP)/Patna, May 4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Samajwadi Party of going soft on the Congress, saying the two parties are playing a big game against Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. Addressing rallies in Pratapgarh and Basti, Modi said the SP-BSP alliance partners would be at each others throats when the results are out on May 23. He said while Mayawati was openly targeting the Congress and its policies, a Congress leader is sharing the stage with the SP. The apparent reference was to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadras presence at an SP meeting in Rae Bareli on Thursday. The SP is going soft on the Congress, but its alliance partner BSP chief Mayawati is attacking the Congress, Modi said in Pratapgarh. He claimed the SP had derived advantage out of the alliance, talking about respect towards her. It was said you (Mayawati) will be made the prime minister, but now `Behenji has understood that the SP and the Congress are playing a big game with her, he said. Accusing the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi of harping on the acquisition of Rafale aircraft only to tarnish his image, Modi took a swipe at former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as Bhrashtachari No 1 (corrupt number 1), Modi said. He claimed that the Congress chief had admitted in an interview that his only aim is to tarnish Modis image. In Bihars Valmiki Nagar, Modi said the Opposition was attacking the Election Commission of India, EVMs and him as they can see the writing on the wall after the four phases of elections. They began with hurling abuses at Modi. When they realized it was not paying, they started complaining about EVMs. After four phases of elections, they have become flustered and started pointing fingers at the Election Commission, Modi said. Speaking in the presence of alliance partners Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan who head the JD(U) and the LJP respectively Modi also took a veiled dig at the proposed NYAY scheme of the Congress, saying they could not help the poor in getting their accounts opened in banks and now they have suddenly begun to promise direct cash transfer. Beware of their misleading promises. For them, people are just numbers The SP, BSP and Congress are the biggest example of how principles are trampled upon for power. They are so affected by the bad habit of getting their vote bank arithmetic right that they consider people just numbers. Narendra Modi, Prime minister sanjiv@tribunemail.com Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 4 The high-octane no-holds barred campaign by political parties has put off young voters. I refuse to choose between the bad and ugly as there are too few good people in the fray. No point walking to the poll booth, says Shalini Singh, a student in a college near Ropar. Most first-time voters in Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Anandpur Sahib endorse her sentiments. They are unsure whom to vote, if they bother to vote at all. Candidates are busy running down one another. Before promising transformation of the country, they need to transform themselves. Then there are those who invoke caste and religion to get votes. It really seems a contest between the bad and ugly. We dont want to pick any, says a Mohali college student. Ironically, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, had made special efforts to involve the youth in the election process, registering 1.61 lakh first-time voters, as many as 11.5 lakh aged 21 years. I have asked my family to send me abroad for further studies. I dont trust any political party in my country. I would rather struggle abroad. At least there is hope I will get a job there. Hard work guarantees nothing in India. We deserve better, says Shalini. She has no intention of fighting the system. She has simply given up. Ramanjit Singh, 19, from Hariana, Hoshiarpur, says his brother campaigned hard for a former MLA who promised him a government contract, which he did not get. I have asked my father to sell an acre of land we own in an adjoining town to fund my studies abroad. My only wish is to shift abroad, sooner the better. Maya, who is pursuing BEd, is disillusioned too. I was a good student. But those scoring less marks than me got admission in Government Medical Colleges because of caste-based reservation. Why should I vote for anybody? Maninder Singh, an under-graduate, believes the existing system does not allow any real change. Despite the Election Commission trying to keep criminals out of politics, a sizeable number of candidates are facing criminal cases. Why should I vote for them? Ravinder Singh studies in a private university in Jalandhar. He wonders why there is no age bar for the netas. He believes the present system does not leave enough room for the youth to enter politics. That is why the young are flocking abroad. They have no future in their own land, he remarks. However, Ankit Kumar from Darbhanga, who too is studying in Jalandhar, disagrees. Going abroad is no solution. These are our problems and we must find a solution instead of running away. editorial@tribune.com Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, May 4 After about two-week of low-intensity and dispirited campaigning, SADs Faridkot candidate Gulzar Singh Ranike today sought to add some pace to his canvassing on Saturday by conducting a raid at an alleged illegal sand mining site here. Accompanied by local party leaders, Ranike reached Doad village, 15 km from here, without informing the district administration or the police. As the politically connected contractors were using submersible pumps to extract sand, it has left the surface open to ecological disaster, causing huge loss of groundwater, he alleged. After collecting and selling the surface sand, permissible up to a depth of 3 metre, measured from the un-mined ground level, the contractors in Doad were using specially designed submersible pumps to suck up and extract sand mixed with water from the sand-rich deep layers of the earth, he alleged. In a complaint to Kumar Saurav Raj, District Electorate Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Ranike demanded legal action against those indulging in illegal mining and their political masters. One JCB machine and seven tractor-trailers were involved in illegal mining, claimed Ranike. After receiving the complaint, I have asked the district police and the mining department officials to visit the site, inquire the matter and take appropriate legal action, said Kumar Saurav Raj. SUDIPTO DE By Express News Service Catering to a myriad population, Delhi offers something for every palate. And as Delhiites continue to travel the world, the demand for new cuisines has increased exponentially. From modern Indian food to a plethora of Michelin-starred chefs making their way to the capital, gastronomy is being explored like never before. One on hand, there are new restaurants that are reinventing old flavours, such as Chef Manish Mehrotras latest venture, Comorin. Diametrically opposite to Indian Accent in its style, Comorin recreates Indian tastes in a system of plates thats gaining quite a bit of popularity worldwide, unlike the former which only serves a course-style menu. Chef Dheeraj Dagran, who cut his teeth in Mehrotras kitchens, is serving quintessential Indian dishes over plates meant to be shared, both small and large. Opt for a Bread Pakora, which has bacon stuffed inside it, or go for the Keema Bhurji served straight from the streets of Punjab. The food is combined with a Sous Vide Bar that has concoctions such as vanilla flavoured Bourbon whiskey prepared in-house. But the most interesting trend to hit the culinary capital is chefs from western countries heading to India to swoon potential customers. Europe has been the centre of fine-dining for ages and the top choice for most vacationers. But chefs are increasingly visiting Delhi and organising tasting sessions and meals to lure food lovers. Frenchman Claude Bosi, with his unique take on traditional French cuisine at his London Restaurant, Bibendum, decided to impress the Delhi audience with the use of local ingredients instead of the traditional French ones. At Indian Accent in Lodhi Hotel, he cooked up a mushroom custard laced with the famous curry powder along with a Kanyakumari crab thats been made to taste just like the sea, served with an apple and lime jelly. His menu also consisted of a River Sole a la Grenobloise (one dish that he remembers from his childhood as his mother used to cook it quite often), a lobster in pepper sauce and chicken with black lentils, coconut and coriander before ending with a delectable chocolate tart. Chef Miguel Barrera Barrachina, who came to India during the Spanish Extravaganza, organised by the Spanish Embassy at the Taj Mahal Hotel, served a Spanish Pork Panceta with Green Beans and a Green Olive cream, a dish that has seen many takers at his restaurant Cal Paradis in Castello, Spain. This was followed by Chef Daniel of Humms Eleven, Madison Park visiting Delhi in April. The American chef, whose New York eatery, has been one of the top restaurants all over the world, had Delhiites eating out of his palm. His menu at the Leela Palace consisted of some of his signaturesblack and white cookies, Scallops with Caviar and even a Red Snapper with Celery Root and Black Truffle. Although, most of these visiting chefs do pop-ups before heading back home, some decide to stay on. Chef Massimiliano Sperli, the new Italian Chef at Shangri-Las Eros Hotel, is one such example. He has redefined Italian flavours at Sorrento, which has become the de-facto hunting ground for Italian chefs as they battle to woo the Delhi audiences with different flavours of Italy. Similarly, Kolkata-bred and born Gaggan Anand, known for his award-winning restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok, Thailand, decided to embark on a four-city food tour in India, curating an elaborate 15-course menu titled The Last Experience of Gaggan, before shifting his shop to Fukoaka, Japan. Gaggans neighbour in Bangkok, the Suhring Twins have also impressed people with their homely flavours from Germany. Their pop-up at the Taj Mahal Hotel had Delhiites dazzled with a quintessential German spread. the twinsThomas and Mathias who received the coveted Michelin star in their first year of opening the restaurantSuhrig, served Obatzda Rolls (Bavarian Cheese Spread) along with a Lemonade Beer, proving that German cuisine is not just limited to potato salad, sausages and lager. There was also zucchini, smoked bell pepper, beetroot and herbed cream tartlet for the vegetarians and pickled sardine served in a bun to entice the meat-lovers. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Ropar, May 4 Ending days of speculation over his deserting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), local MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa finally joined the Congress this evening. Sandoa was welcomed into the party by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh at his residence in Chandigarh. Sandoa is the second AAP MLA who has joined the Congress in the last 10 days. Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia earlier deserted his parent party to join the Congress on April 25. Welcoming Sandoa into the party fold, Capt Amarinder said the Congress had got a major boost with the joining of two MLAs ahead of the elections. Sandoa, who was a taxi driver in Delhi, was fielded by AAP from his native place Ropar in the 2017 state Assembly elections when he defeated former minister and senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema and Congress Brinder Singh Dhillon. He, however, courted controversies when his former landlady in Ropar levelled allegations of molestation against him. In June last year, some locals allegedly roughed him up when he went to stop illegal mining near Nurpur Bedi. The accused had alleged that the MLA was pressuring them to give money if he wanted to continue mining operations in the area. Though there were reports that the Congress was in touch with Sandoa, the latter kept denying it and even continued attending AAP meetings in Chandigarh as well as in Delhi regarding the partys election strategy. He left for Chandigarh this morning along with Anandpur Sahib MLA and Speaker Rana KP Singh and a few of his confidants, making it clear for locals that he was set to join the ruling party. editorial@tribune.com Chandigarh, May 4 Opposition parties are crying foul over the presence of Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh at the ceremony held here to induct Ropar AAP MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa into the Congress. Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said it was a constitutional crisis that the Speaker was part of defections. We have been crying foul that our MLAs are being offered huge sums to defect to the Congress. We want an independent agency to probe the matter, he said. Aman Arora, AAP MLA, said the Speakers presence showed poaching of MLAs by the Speaker himself. We strongly object the conduct of the Speaker and urge the Election Commission to take notice of it, he said. Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD leader, said the Speaker had lowered the prestige of the House by being a party to a defection. TNS No role: Speaker Speaker Rana KP Singh said he had nothing to do with Sandoas defection. I had gone to meet the CM. It was later that Sandoa came to my residence and informed me about his decision to join the Congress," he claimed. editorial@tribune.com Aman Sood Tribune News Service Patiala, May 4 The state police today recovered another Rs 2.13 crore embezzled by the two ASIs, who had fled with nearly Rs 6.66 crore seized during a raid at a Jalandhar priests house. Out of the missing cash, the police have now recovered Rs 4.51 crore. On May 3, a person was arrested from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, whom the two cops, Joginder Singh and Rajpreet Singh, had given Rs 1.5 lakh before their four-day stay in Nepal. The cash was handed to him to be collected on their way back from Nepal, said IG PK Sinha, who heads the SIT probing the case. A police team has been dispatched to confirm their stay in Nepal, he said. According to the SIT, the two ASIs revealed that they had hidden the money at two different places after dividing the same between themselves. They had initially told the SIT that they had this much of cash only and were unaware of any more money. When interrogated, they spilled the beans and revealed how they had divided the booty. Joginder had hidden Rs 1.10 crore in a vacant plot at Chaura village, which is close to his house in Balbir Colony. The money was packed neatly in a polythene as well as a jute bag and then kept in a plastic box. He wanted to keep it safe in case it rained, said Investigating Officer Rakesh Kaushal. On Rajpreets disclosure, Rs 1 crore was recovered from his house at New Mahindra Colony, Patiala, which he had given on rent to a carpenter. The tenants were unaware of the money as he had neatly hid it under a bed in a plastic box, said the police. The SIT used a cash-counting machine at both the recovery sites. The cash was counted in the presence of a duty magistrate. SIT member and Patiala SSP Mandeep Sidhu said Gurjant Singh, owner of Harroop Immigration, today approached the police and revealed that Rajpreet Singh had handed over Rs 2 lakh to him for his wifes IELTS course and immigration related documents. He handed over the money and was allowed to leave, Sidhu said. shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com SAN FRANCISCO A former Google employee has revealed how a group of engineers plotted to kill Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 on its YouTube platform nearly 10 years ago. According to a report in The Verge on Saturday, YouTube in 2009 started displaying a banner to Internet Explorer 6 users, warning that support for Microsoft's browser would be "phasing out" soon. Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006. Frustrated by supporting the aging browser, "we began collectively fantasizing about how we could exact our revenge on IE6", revealed Chris Zacharias, a former Google and YouTube engineer. "The plan was very simple. We would put a small banner above the video player that would only show up for IE6 users," he was quoted as saying. The message appeared on all YouTube pages - "at a time when IE6 users represented around 18 per cent of all YouTube traffic". YouTube engineers created a special set of permissions called "OldTuber", so they could bypass Google's code enforcement policies and make changes directly to the YouTube codebase with limited code reviews. "We saw an opportunity in front of us to permanently cripple IE6 that we might never get again," Zacharias said. Two Google lawyers wanted to know why YouTube had the banner in place. "They immediately demanded that we remove the banner," said Zacharias. "The lawyers were worried that Chrome was being promoted first as an alternative browser, prompting fears about EU regulators looking for anti-competitive behavior," the report noted. YouTube engineers, however, had programmed the banner to randomly display browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer 8 and Opera. The result was a massive dip in Internet Explorer 6 traffic to YouTube. "Within one month, our YouTube IE6 user base was cut in half and over 10 per cent of global IE6 traffic had dropped off while all other browsers increased in corresponding amounts," informed Zacharias. Google Chrome web browser, which is the leader today, was first released in September 2008 for Windows XP and later, with 43 supported languages, in December 2008. IANS singhking99@yahoo.com Swati Rai What started as an artists collective in September last is becoming the voice of artists from across the country and across various fields. Together, artists and performers from literature, art, multimedia, music and other cultural practitioners from across India are celebrating democracy and freedom of speech and expression. Self-funded by voluntary donations, the collective recently organised programmes in public spaces across the country, including cities like Pune, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The collective is the brainchild of filmmaker couple Saba Dewan and Rahul Roy. Dewan shares the idea behind it: Artists Unite is a platform for the coming together of like-minded artists from across genres and geographical boundaries to raise their voice against hatred. Perhaps the most historic one of these programmes was held in the Capital with the iconic Red Fort playing host. Apart from being centrally located, Dewan underlines the historic and political significance of the Red Fort. What better place than this building in red sandstone to talk about freedom of speech? This is the venue of the Prime Ministers annual address to the nation, and also, if we go back in history, its significance in the uprising of 1857 cant be discounted. Three stages were set up at the venue. The two-day event saw performances by more than 200 artists. With musical recitals by artists such as Shubha Mudgal, Sonam Kalra, Rabbi Shergill and dance and theatrical presentations by Maya Rao and Astand Deboo amongst others, the Fort ramparts seemed to echo with the voice of oneness of artists in their fight against hatred. The Artists Unite Declaration, which has been signed by more than 800 artists and counting, upholds politics free of hatred and the right to dissent in a democracy. Dewan says it is not only liberating to be able to perform and express ourselves from the heart but also exhilarating to see support for the initiative. Without any organised external funding, the coming together of artists as one was heartening. singhking99@yahoo.com Monica Arora Art historian, curator and art critic R Siva Kumar understands and explains the vocabulary of art history in his unique, inimitable style. Be it his erudite narratives as a critic or his meticulous manner of teaching at Santiniketans Kala Bhavana, which has completed a century of existence, R Siva Kumars tool of contextual modernism has enabled scholars to study post-colonial Indian art history with more efficacy. How is Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati Universitys institute of fine arts in Santiniketan, celebrating its centenary? The centenary celebration was inaugurated on December 1, 2018. It began with an exhibition of its early teachers and students and was followed by a major exhibition of Benode Behari. There will be several others, including an exhibition covering its 100 years. We have already had a number of workshops, artist visits, and theatre and film events. Its founder, Rabindranath Tagore, was not very fond of the formal system of schooling. What modes of teaching art are deployed here to not let students feel a sense of confinement? Today we are a central university, thus guided by what the UGC and the HRD Ministry recommends. Tagores ideas on education have been pushed to the background or to the margins where we still have some freedom. It survives to an extent in the school attached to the varsity, especially the primary school, and to an extent in Kala Bhavana. He wished to turn education into an individual-centred self-discovery and self-learning; the role of the teachers and the institution was to provide the right environment for this, not handing over a predetermined package of knowledge or skills. Today, the emphasis is on uniformity, on the measurable and deliverables, not on self-empowerment through self-exploration. What are your views on Tagore, the artist, who started painting in his Sixties? He started painting only in 1928, but was interested in it from his youth. In the late 19th and early 20th century, painting was still considered a product of representational skill, or at least primarily of representational skill. As he began to travel and closely observe the ancient arts of the East, the modern arts of the West, and primitive art from across the world, he realised that art need not be based on representational skills alone. In fact, much of world art was based on imagination and a range of different skills, including that of rhythmic articulation that he possessed as a poet, a musician, and a calligrapher of sorts. This unconsciously fed his doodles. This began to engage him intensely around 1924 and eventually led him to become a painter. As a painter, we cannot claim that he possessed the versatility he demonstrated as a writer, but he displayed great imagination, and taught us that the freedom to imagine and exercising good judgment were at least as important as skills. Indian artists, who came after him, found this liberating. How has the culturally rich ambience at Santiniketan coloured the nuances of your personality and writing? Having trained in Santiniketan, I imbibed some of the values the institution and the early artists who worked there stood for. As an art historian, I felt that the history of this phase of Indian art had not received enough attention and needs to be better known. I worked on it. That many of these artists held a broader view of art, I believe, has also helped me develop a broader perspective than I would have otherwise had. What according to you are the essential characteristics of a responsible art historian? Any writing tips? I am not sure if there are or can be any essential characteristics. A responsible art historian, I suppose, has to be true to oneself, to his or her understanding of things and be open to other views as much as possible. Beyond that, it would be presumptuous of me to offer any tips. As an art historian and art critic, which artist(s) have influenced your writings? Art historians are primarily influenced by other art historians and art writers. They tend to write on artists who they find engaging in light of their own ideological or aesthetic interests. The art historians interests influence his choice of artists rather than the other way round. However, I was trained under some of the artists I have written on, especially KG Subramanyan. By training, I and the artists I write on belong to Santiniketan. So, there is an overlap. In that sense, their work has had an influence on me. But this is not usual as most art historians are not trained under artist-writers. I have also benefited from the work of those who do not belong to this school. In that sense, I also bring an outside perspective to my discussions of their work. In 1997, you wrote Santiniketan: The Making of a Contextual Modernism. What is the connotation of the phrase contextual modernism, particularly in the context of critiquing modern Indian art? Modernism was considered a monolithic international phenomenon for a long while. Simultaneously, Western modernism was considered its only authentic expression; modern art elsewhere, including India, was considered derivative. This contributed to essentialist reading of modernism. While modernism owes much to the cross-cultural contacts that happened on a global scale due to colonialism, it was also shaped by local histories and cultures. Modernism is, thus, an attitude than a style or group of styles, and it is differently grounded within different cultures. The Santiniketan artists took such a view of modernism, and I tried to point out their position through the words contextual modernism. During a discussion at a critical art writing workshop at the Ceramics Triennial at Jaipur, you stated that you write only about artists who interest you rather than commercially viable ones. It was in response to an issue someone had raised about the need for art writers to recognise that they too are part of the art market. Art historians do not have a live link with the art market. Occasionally, by bringing a less noticed artist into critical focus, they may contribute to the demand for his/her work, but this is incidental. A historians work can also destroy the market value of a work, as the Rembrandt project did by re-attributing many paintings which were earlier attributed to the master. However, destroying the value of paintings in public museums, and thus not for sale, was not the primary goal of the project. It was more like bringing out a critical edition of a text by identifying the interpolations and separating it from the original text. singhking99@yahoo.com Manisha Gangahar Under sweltering sun and caressing breeze to pat, her determined footsteps defied the wrinkles of her face, the beads of her rosary moved still swifter, her mind oblivious to the mundane details of the world around, an unswerving devotion gets better and she keeps climbing up. For 80-year-old Tshultrim Lhamo, the steep and craggy, four to five hour trek to Taktshang Goemba, popularly known as the Tigers Nest Monastery, was a matter of pure belief. I wanted to do it, had to do it once in my lifetime, it had been delayed for too long, but I knew one day it had to come my way, she says, with a mysterious but stoic smile and yet another step upward. The trek begins about 9 km north of Paro town in Bhutan, which is already at 7,000 ft while the Tigers Nest Monastery is located at 10,240 ft, on the side of a Himalayan mountain. The elevation is of about 3,000 ft in a short span of only 4 km. The trail, as it climbs into a pine forest, is punctuated by several chortens and prayer flags giving company to baffled hikers. Lhamo takes a much-required breather and uses this opportunity to narrate the legend: Guru Rinpoche, also known as Guru Padmadambhav, flew to the site as the wrathful Dorje Drolo, one of his eight manifestations, on the back of a tigress, a form assumed by his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, to subdue local demon, Singye Samdrup. He then meditated for several months in a cave. It is said when the monastery was first built, it was anchored to the cliff by the hair of khandroma, female celestial beings. It got the name Taktshang, which means Tigers Lair, when people saw a tigress residing in one of the caves. Thus, Taktshang Goemba is one of the most venerated pilgrimages among the Buddhists. Is it just about faith? Or is it merely ticking yet another in the list of tourist destinations of Bhutan or accepting an open challenge of obscure steeps stubbornly. That much more lies between these two, perhaps, forms quite an apt reply to this question: what is the need to do it; why not sit in a cafe with a great ambience and just watch it on LED screen? The walk up is certainly satiating the mountains hugging close, the clouds cuddling, the melody of the fluttering flags along the terrain, the sublimity of the contrast between the greens and the rocky stretches, the glossy peculiar blue expanse. However tough but limited distance walked has an option to be covered by getting on a horseback, but if not so then one must be out of the horses path or one is quite likely to be thrown off and down. It is not before the half way, at the cafeteria, that the first glimpse of Tigers Nest gratifies the trekker. Offering exhausted trekkers a fixed menu with a limited choice, basic conveniences and benches to stretch and relax, the cafeteria has a stunning view restoring frayed human stamina. At the very last leg of the trail leading to the monastery, theres a series of some 800 cold stone steps, certainly wait to test your fitness level. The conquest is undoubtedly rewarding. A 200-foot-tall waterfall, which drops into a sacred pool under the bridge, is rather exquisite. The chill and the wind are piercing at this point, but who cares when what lies ahead is one of the sacred places of a lifetime as the National Geographic magazine describes it.. Inside is absolute and overbearing calm, surprisingly cozy, and certainly otherworldly. The nine sacred caves the one where Guru Padmasambhava meditated is opened only once a year during a ceremony that make up the monastery have stupas and statues, one that of sitting Padmasambhava. The raw interiors are immensely enticing and completely engrossing. The incense sticks and lighted butter lamps add to the ethereal experience of being inside, an absolute privilege. Be it a legend or just a myth, deep faith or practicing belief, there is no denying that the place has an indelible effect on ones being. Fact File singhking99@yahoo.com Vandana Aggarwal They carry Indian names but dont look Indian, They speak no Indian language but are Hindus. Most do not have a familial connection to India yet their race is listed as Indian on their identity cards. These are the little known Chettis of Melaka (formerly Malacca) in Malaysia. Melaka, with its sheltered harbour and strategic location, became a major trading hub in the heyday of the spice trade attracting Indian traders to the Malayan archipelago. Once business was concluded many traders from the Coromandel Coast waited in Melaka for the winds to turn favourable so that they could head home. Away from their families for several months at a time, these men began to develop relationships with local Malay, Javanese and Chinese women. Many settled down in Melaka, started families and became part of the local community. Thus, around the 15th century, an entirely new community known as the Chetti Melaka was born. There are several theories about the origin of the word Chetti. Some historians believe that it evolved from the word shetti which in Tamil means merchant or trader. Another belief is that the traders from Gujarat, who also had trade ties with South-East Asia, called their business heads seth and Chetti is a variation of seth. Whatever the story, the name Chetti has stuck. Kampung Chetti Unaware about the place their forefathers originally came from in India, the Chettis settled down at Kampung Chetti (Chetti village in Malay) at Gajah Berang in Melaka. By 18th century the community had become so influential that Dutch colonisers assigned land to them in 1781. In the same year they established the Sri Poyatha Venayagar Moorthi Temple, which is the oldest Hindu temple in Melaka, Malaysia. Kampung Chetti continues to be the spiritual and cultural base of the Chettis and this is where they gather to celebrate all their major festivals. Today, only 20 to 30 families live at Kampung Chetti. Many members of the community migrated to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore in the early part of the 20th century in search of greener pastures. An estimated 5,000 Chettis live in Singapore at present. The few written records about the Chettis are untraceable, hence their history largely remains undocumented. A small museum at Gajah Berang has been devoted to the community that houses its artefacts. The Indian Heritage Centre at Singapore, in order to celebrate the culture and legacy of the Chettis, recently held an exhibition and cultural fest along with the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association, Singapore, to showcase this scattered and underexplored community. According to Nalina Gopal, curator, Indian Heritage Centre, The story of the Chetti Melaka is captivating, and is a wonderful example of how they have absorbed, adapted and mixed together different cultures to create something new and special. Sustaining old traditions The Chettis bridged many different communities and survived despite intermarriages. When a non-Chetti bride joined a Chetti household, though she embraced Hinduism but brought with her the cultural practices, food habits, language and traditions of her maternal home. The Chettis, in appearance, have a mix of Indian, Chinese and Malay features. Traditionally, men dressed in Malay checkered sarongs (wrap-around lungis) and shirts. The women wore a batik sarong and embroidered blouse called kebaya. Their footwear was intricately embroidered. The ubiquitous vermillion dot on their foreheads immediately identified them as Hindus in spite of their foreign looks and dressing style. During weddings, the grooms wore traditional South Indian clothes while the brides dressed in elaborate Chinese or Malay clothes, according to their ancestry. Marriages were conducted according to Hindu tradition though. A taste of the familiar Their food is a melange of local and Indian flavours. Locally available Indian spices, indigenous ingredients like belacan (fermented shrimp paste), lengkus (wild ginger) and salted eggs are generally used in their cooking. Along with traditional Indian favourites like murukku (South Indian savoury) and athirasam (South Indian sweet), the Malay delicacies, biskut semperit (Malay cookie), kueh bangkit (Chinese tapioca cookies) and nasi lemak (rice cooked in Malay style using coconut milk) also find favour among the Chettis. Recipes featuring their unique hybrid cuisine have been passed down orally in every family. Chettis are meat eaters but do not eat beef or pork, in deference to their Hindu beliefs, and close marital relationships with the Muslims. Their mixed parentage has made the Chettis quite tolerant and open-minded. It is common to find Hindu, Christian or Buddhist deities next to each other in their homes. The Chettis can be recognised by their Hindu names which indicate their Indian roots. They mostly speak bazaar Malay interspersed with Chinese and Tamil words. This has given birth to a unique language called the Chetti Creole which has no written script. Even today Sanskrit is used in their religious ceremonies along with Malay and Tamil words. Grandfather is called thatha as in Tamil but grandmother is nenek from Malay. Holding on to their customs The Chettis are devout Shaivites and have steadfastly followed the religious and traditional customs with some interesting additions. Festivals are observed with much fanfare, Diwali being the most important one. Following the tradition of the Chinese and Malays, the Chettis bury their dead. From the Chinese, they have adopted the tradition of ancestor worship which is reflected in their celebration of Parchu Pongal where elaborate meals are cooked and laid out on banana leaves and the forefathers invited to partake these. During the festival of Dato Chachar most members of the community travel back to Gajah Berang. The festival is not just a Chetti celebration but showcases how the Chettis bonded with other communities due to inter-marriage. As part of the tradition, a statue of Goddess Mariamman is taken out in procession from the Sri Muthu Mariamman Temple at Gajah Berang and a pair of Hantu tetak or demons from Malay folklore accompany the deity to protect it. The procession stops at a Chinese temple to show respect to the deities there. Local Chinese often join the procession and offer coconuts to the goddess along the way. Today, the number of members of the community is dwindling fast. Many Chettis have married into other communities, and due to their adaptive nature, assimilated into the culture of their spouse causing the Chetti Melaka traditions to disappear. As many traditional and elaborate religious ceremonies are difficult to follow, these are losing relevance. Modern dressing styles have taken over the traditional garb that has been restricted to special occasions. Very few people speak Chetti Creole now. In recent times, there has been a growing awareness about the need to save the Chetti culture before it disappears. Despite dilution of their Indian ethnicity, the Chettis have survived for so long because of their flexibility and willingness to adapt. In todays changing world, the Chetti Melaka community offers important lessons in survival by adopting and respecting local culture while retaining their original flavour. singhking99@yahoo.com Sourodipto Sanyal At around 1:30 am on January 17, 1941, a bearded man disguised as insurance agent Mohammad Ziauddin quietly sat on the left rear seat of a black German Wanderer W24 sedan parked inside 38/2, Elgin Road, Bhowanipore, South Kolkata. The driver shut the front door silently, drove the car out of the main gate and took a right turn. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his nephew Sisir Kumar Bose, who was driving the sedan, were on their way to the Gomoh railway station, now in Jharkhand, hoodwinking the British government that had kept Netaji under house arrest. Netaji would eventually escape to Germany via the Soviet Union with the aim of seeking support of the Axis powers to overthrow the British government in India. It has been 78 years since Netajis great escape. Today, the house of one of Indias favourite sons on Elgin Road is located opposite a mini-mall. Officially, the road is now named after one of Netajis contemporary freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai. However, it will perhaps always be popularly known as Elgin Road by the Kolkattans. A part of the ancestral house of the great Indian freedom fighter is now a museum, run by the Netaji Research Bureau (NRB). The bureau was founded by Sisir Kumar in 1957; it became a registered company four years later. The museum is a part of the Netaji Bhawan, which also houses a library and archives. The current director of the NRB is Sugata Bose, the son of Sisir Kumar. Hes a Harvard historian and current Trinamool MP from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency. A few metres away from the entrance lies a bust of Subhas Chandra Bose. Electrical transformers outside are painted with the face of the freedom fighter with the words, Netaji Subhas Ch. Bose lived on 38/2 Elgin Road. As you enter through the main gate of the house, painted yellow, green and red, a long courtyard comes into view. This is where the black sedan in which Bose made the daring escape is kept in a large case for public viewing. The tickets have to be bought at a bookstore located to the right as one enters the house. One can also buy various books written over the years on the life of Netaji and the Indian National Army here. On the left of the courtyard is a replica of the Singapore memorial to the martyrs of the Indian National Army. Netaji laid the foundation of the original memorial on July 8, 1945. It was destroyed by British forces after they reoccupied the island. The museum consists of two floors. On the first floor lies the study of Netaji, a long corridor which was used by him to escape on the fateful night of January 16-17. It leads to the room where he and his father slept and the room of his elder brother and famed lawyer Sarat Chandra Bose. From the beds of the members of the family, furniture, clocks, wall-hangings, etc., have been preserved and displayed. A few black and white photographs, pinned to the wall in Sarat Boses room, elicit nostalgia and grandeur of the Bose family. If one looks at the portraits of Sarat Bose taken in different cities of Europe, one would get a grasp of how wealthy and powerful the Bose family was in its heyday. The second floor consists of two rooms which pay homage to the life of Netaji. The exhibition begins with the diary of Janakinath Bose it records the birth of Netaji and ends with the last-known photograph of him taken in Saigon on August 17, 1945. The photo of him shaking hands with Adolf Hitler is also in the collection. The powerful and rare black and white photographs trace the life of the Cambridge graduate, a Congress politician offering an alternative to Mahatma Gandhi, a family man who fell in love with a German woman and travelled continents by land, air and water with the sole aim of crushing colonialism. The newspaper clippings from the 1930s, which throws light on Netajis role as a member of the Indian National Congress, the memorabilia and his own writings in journals reiterate that despite being born into a privileged family, he happily sacrificed his life for the nation. Netajis writings in the Azad Hind journal in 1942 continue to be relevant after eighty years. There is emphasis on strengthening public healthcare and education, employment generation and promoting communal harmony. He wrote: The vast majority of the Indian Mohammedans are anti-British and want to set India free. There are no doubt pro-British among both Mohammedans and Hindus, which are organised as religious parties. But they should not be regarded as representing the people. The museum must be visited by everyone who is fascinated by modern Indian history and the life and times of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. By the time you walk out of it, you are full of respect and gratitude for this great son of India. Saba Naqvi Saba Naqvi There is a desire in Muslim areas across Uttar Pradesh to vote for the Congress in the national election. But as a resident of Agra explains, the party should have the support of one-and-a-half castes of its own to get off the starting block and then substantial Muslim votes head its way. At present, the Congress exists on a wing, a prayer and some goodwill of the minorities. The no show in Varanasi has only added to the aura of the party not being taken too seriously in the countrys most populous state. Beyond 2019, the Congress hopes for the 2022 Assembly polls are hinged on getting back support of the Brahmins who constitute 10 per cent of the states population. That is the highest number of Brahmins as a percentage of the population, beyond the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Historically, the Congress has impeccable Brahmin credentials in UP. Indeed, the reason for its decline in the state can be traced to the fact that in the post-Mandal era, it could never come up with a credible OBC leader and just atrophied under the Brahmin leadership that was unable to cope with the sheer energy of the subaltern backward caste parties/social movement. Also, contrary to the misconception that the BJP was a late phenomenon (the party was founded in 1980), the predecessor to the BJP, the Jan Sangh, had a presence in the UP Assembly from the late 1960s onwards. The Congress first lost in the 425-member UP Assembly in 1967 when it got 199 seats. Thats when coalition politics began in right earnest in the Hindi heartland. That year, the Jan Sangh got 98 Assembly seats indicating that the Hindutva sentiment is of an old vintage in the state. The primary player of coalition politics of those days, however, was Charan Singh, the Jat leader who broke away from the Congress to form the Bharatiya Kranti Dal. His son Ajit Singh and grandson Jayant Chaudhary have fought the 2019 elections from Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat, respectively, as part of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance. But to return to Charan Singh, who would be both chief minister of UP and briefly prime minister, he was in the state, supported by the Jan Sangh and the Socialists. Thereby, Left and Right backed him when he challenged the pre-eminent party of that age the Congress. As coalition regimes would rise and fall in the state from the late 60s onwards, the Congress stuck like glue with its Brahmins. Kamalapati Tripathi, one of the Brahmin doyens of the party, became the CM for two years from 1971 to 1973. When his government fell over a revolt by the police, another Brahmin from Garhwal, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna became the CM from 1973 to 1975 but would have differences with Sanjay Gandhi. A third Brahmin, this time from Kumaun, Narayan Dutt Tiwari became the CM at the time when Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency. Later, in the 1980s, the Congress would extend leadership to two Thakurs as well VP Singh and Vir Bahadur Singh revealing an inability to look beyond the forward castes. The last Congress CM in the state was ND Tiwari who had a third and final tenure from June 1988 to December 1989. After that the Congress has never been in power in the state. Just to jog the memory, soon after that Mandal and Mandir transformed politics in these parts. And yes, its the same ND Tiwari who died in December last year. He was such a hot favourite of the Congress leadership that after it was curtains in UP, he was made the Uttarakhand CM from 2002 to 2007. And to add a macabre and tragic twist to the tale, it was his biological son Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, who was murdered by his wife on April 16 this year. To return to 2019, now that Priyanka Gandhi has decided not to contest in Varanasi, the larger question is does the party have any ambition beyond retaining Amethi and Rae Bareli? There are seven seats in UP where the Congress believes it is in the fight because of the individual appeal of the candidate. The seats are Unnao (Annu Tandon), Kanpur (Sriprakash Jaiswal), Dhaurahra (Jitin Prasad), Farrukhabad (Salman Khurshid), Kushinagar (RPN Singh), Hamirpur (Pritam Lodhi) and Banda (Bal Kunwar Patel). Beyond the old elites, the Congress has tried to give tickets to OBCs a figure like Bal Kunwar Patel is a strongman and caste leader who, would fancy his chances. But on a Congress ticket, the individual has to be strong to defy conventional calculations and win the seat. The BJP, in contrast, is fighting solely in the name of Modi and not the candidates in UP. Ayesha Singh By Sometimes death is not the end but a new beginning. As the funeral pyre reduced his brothers body to dust, choreographer Ravi Rastogi was left with a huge responsibility. He had to fulfil his brothers dream and thus was born Moving Souls Dance Academy in 2010. This year, the choreographer will showcase talent from age 6-60 in an evening of Salsa, Zumba, Bollywood, Jazz and more by his students on May 6 at Alliance Francaise, Delhi. I have put together ladies Salsa styling and Shines, Funk Jazz, and a combination of Merengue, Reggaeton and Salsa that make up a Zumba piece, says Rastogi, adding, Since the last one month, weve been working, eating, sleeping, and breathing together. The show has been conceptualised and choreographed by Rastogi but he feels the pressure of it all like a time bomb waiting to explode. Only in his case, itll erupt with an enormous dancing spectacle. While none of the dancers are professionally trained, one thing that they have in common is a zest for movement arts. Rastogi, in fact, looks out for non-dancers and encourages them to acquaint themselves with the form to know how liberating it is. Anybody can dance. My 60-year-old students are dedicated and fun to teach. Age is just a number. Dance is all about attitude. Doesnt matter if youre young or old, a positive one guarantees great results, he says. The thought of what he has achieved often takes him back to the time he choreographed his first piece called Jai Ho for a fundraising programme in Chandigarh. Like all firsts, I was terribly nervous and excited. Later, when I worked on shows for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Day of Belgium Embassy, World Dance Day at DLF Mall, Saket, Delhi, MTV Lycra Awards, UTV Bindas Destination Love, to name a few, I became confident. Dance is what I identified with, he says. Born in the city of Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, and brought up in Bareilly, Rastogi went to Broadway Dance Center, New York, to learn dance. He is a certified Zumba instructor who also studied at the Aqua Zumba Convention in Orlando, USA. Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Bollywood have become his expertise. Having studied abroad, he wanted to bring world-class dance education to India. Situated in Delhi, his institute offers dance and fitness classes in Zumba, Bollywood, Salsa, Jazz, Hip Hop, Classical, and Bachata. As Rastogi derives meaning for his existence from dance, its clear that the journey on which he had set out for his brother, has also become his own. Iqbal Sidhu Iqbal Sidhu India is in the midst of the most important election in its history but the political fever among Punjabi NRIs in Canada is no higher today than it was six months ago. Its nowhere near the pitch it reached during 2014-2016. In 2014, Aam Aadmi Partys success story in Punjab (during the Lok Sabha polls) was partially scripted by golden letters bought from dollars donated by Punjabi NRIs who were believed in its agenda. Some estimates show the amount of money sent by these NRIs for the 2014 campaign was about 1/3rd of the total donations that AAP managed to raise from Punjabis. However, the party never revealed the exact figures. To raise such amounts from people who dont even live in the country was as good as a political feat of winning 4 Lok Sabha seats! During that period, there was palpable enthusiasm among Punjabis in Canada about this new political outfit and its 'revolutionary' leader. They were interested in knowing more about the agenda of the party and discussing the issues of Punjab (sometimes too much finer detail than their own issues in Canada). As all politics is local, so became this one. Local units were formed and funds were raised en masse for supporting what was called a war effort against the allegedly entrenched sordid political class which was superficially manifesting itself as different traditional political parties. The 'revolutionary' leader was calling out this a marriage between the corrupt and repeatedly saying from any pulpit that he could climb onto sab chor hain ji, sab mile hue hain ji. But now in 2019, the same revolutionary leader tried hard albeit unsuccessfully, to form his own alliance with one of these chors. There is one serious flaw in populist politics, and that is that it's unreliable. What was popular today may not be popular tomorrow, and what might be popular for one group might be extremely unpopular with another you can never bank on a rigid vote bank such as caste or religion, or even that of ideological fanatics. As the anger seethes down or turns into cynicism, the populist capital evaporates and the revolutionary becomes a mere shadow of his/her former self, and for his disillusioned followers a subject of derision and contempt. Nowadays, people still talk of the ongoing election and make armchair predictions about the results but there is no mental or emotional investment perhaps they are fatigued after being on campaign mode for three years, from 2014-2017 (in 2017, Punjab had the Assembly elections). The two traditional political parties of Punjab have their dedicated pockets of supporters in Canada, most of them are related to party leaders or have business interests back home. By and large, the strength of these supporters increases or decreases depending upon the ruling party of Punjab. Most of this support is limited to hosting their leaders when they visit or financially supporting their election campaign for the measured utility. It has gone on like this for decades except for the recent minor disruption in the pattern and there are no indications that the trend will change. If anything, many think the status quo will only solidify with time as the angered NRI Facebook revolutionaries cool down and withdraw from the centerstage and the revolutionary zeal transforms into a sober, pragmatic worldview. Though the Punjabi NRIs have left their home and are unlikely to return permanently, their unrivaled passion and commitment for their home country is commendable. It shows an emotional connection that transcends distance, time and reality. It shouldn't be surprising if their passion wrests free from the bland flow of pragmatism and surges again in the future. After all, Punjab is anywhere the Punjabi is, and all politics is local. Lt Gen VG Patankar (Retd) Lt Gen VG Patankar (Retd) IT is often said that a crisis brings out the best in people. Sometimes, it could also bring out the basic instinct of survival. Two incidents during the Kargil War in 1999 brought that out in ample measure. In the area where we were deployed, the enemy occupied the ridge along the Line of Control (LoC). Our troops were at a disadvantage being deployed on the lower ground which was dominated by the enemy. To our immediate East, the enemy had intruded into the Mushko valley and further into the Dras sector. There was a distinct possibility that the intrusion may spread sideways towards us. Our immediate task, therefore, was to ensure extra vigil and keep a firm hold over our defences so that it did not happen. After making certain that there would be no loss of the ground, we began exploring ways to exploit the opportunity to improve our defensive posture by moving up to the LoC and occupying the ridge. That would have not only given us a tactical advantage but also posed a threat to the rear of enemy's ingress in Mushko, forcing them to recoil. Enemy's domination was such that they could watch our every move and could, therefore, discern our intentions. Moving along razor-thin spurs was hazardous even by day and worse by night; the enemy could effectively interfere with accurate fire to prevent any movement. Just when it started looking like mission impossible, a hero stepped up. A brave young NCO, Havildar Shishram Gill, volunteered for the task. The plan was imaginative yet simple. To minimise casualties, Shishrams team was to avoid the spur and take the difficult steep climb from the valley to a saddle along the ridge. Once his team secured a foothold on the ridge, the remaining assaulting force would quickly move up and capture its objective. It is said that fortune favours the brave; a few days later bad weather set in. By mid-day clouds descended low over the ridge and obscured the enemy's observation. Without waiting for darkness, Shishram and his brave comrades climbed up and secured a part of the ridge. At his signal, others moved up and captured the objective. The enemy soon discovered their presence and opened fire to dislodge them. Shishram again led the assault and silenced their machine gun. Unfortunately, he attained martyrdom. He was awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously. *** In the beginning of the Kargil War, the Pakistan army had maintained that its regular troops were not involved in the fighting and that the infiltrators were freedom fighters. However, as the Indian Army began pushing the infiltrators back and retaking areas occupied by them, the Pakistan army began reinforcing their troops. As part of our proactive stance and to dominate the LoC, we were carrying out vigorous patrolling. One such patrol caught enemy troops by surprise forcing them to make some rapid adjustments in their positions. While doing so, one of its soldiers lost his footing and tumbled down the slope. He was promptly captured and made a prisoner of war (PoW). The soldier belonged to a regular battalion of the Pakistan army. He seemed to be in shock after his capture. He had not eaten for quite some time, was cold and quite miserable. The prisoner was treated humanely. Over the next day and a half, after given some food and warm water to bathe, he began talking easily about his unit, his family and so on. But soon, fear appeared to get hold of him. He started shivering and asking questions about his future. I was informed that he was imploring everyone to be given a chance to speak to me. I agreed. Having met a few Pakistani PoWs after their surrender in Bangladesh in 1971, I was expecting to see a disciplined soldier, much like our own jawans. I was, however, in for a surprise. As I stood before him, he fell at my feet and began pleading to spare his life. I asked him to behave like a soldier, but he didnt stop sobbing. After thinking about it, I stumbled on the reason for his mental collapse. He was convinced that he was being readied for execution much like the sacrificial goat, all well fed and bathed! Our good gestures had obviously had a completely unintended outcome! One war, two soldiers: One an intrepid hero, the other a mental wreck. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Arun Joshi in Srinagar Reverse the clock to July 18, 2018, and it becomes clear how the failure to take timely steps to stem the rot that had set in the cross-LoC trade in Jammu and Kashmir has derailed one of the major confidence-building measures (CBMs) between India and Pakistan. Initiated in October 2008, more than three years after the cross-LoC travel routes were opened to promote people-to-people contact, the road has now been closed. Jammu & Kashmir represents one of the most complex problems in South Asia where an act of terror can bring India and Pakistan to a near war-like situation, if not a full-fledged war. The February 14 Pulwama terror attack, in which at least 40 CRPF men were killed, is the latest example of the trust deficit between the two nuclear-powered nations. Soon after the Governors rule was enforced on June 19, 2018, amongst a series of review meetings, one was held in Srinagar on July 18 under the chairmanship of the then Governor NN Vohra. It aimed at reviewing the cross-LoC trade, its problems and how to resolve these to keep the trade going. After all, this trade was not just about exchange of items from the two parts of J&K separated by a Line of Control, but was primarily aimed at boosting peace and bringing people closer. This meeting was a sequel to the meeting that the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with the then Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September 2008. Reviving the peace process that had been under strain had been the core theme of that meeting. A joint statement issued thereafter read: They agreed that violence, hostility and terrorism have no place in the vision they share of the bilateral relationship, and must be visibly and verifiably prevented. A major agreement that they had reached was that trade should start on the Uri-Muzaffarabad route in the Valley and Chakan-da-Bagh-Rawlakote in the Jammu region from October 21, 2008. The idea was to convert the LoC where the Pakistani and Indian armies had been exchanging gunfire and mortar shelling, killing soldiers and civilians into a line of conciliation. However, the opportunity to mend hearts was misused by the Pakistani side. The entire spirit and soul of the conciliatory effort had been punctured by the evil designs of Pakistan and Pakistan-based terror groups that sent narcotics, fake currency and weapons to keep Kashmir in turmoil. Taking cognisance of these dangerous developments, Vohra issued certain directions, which it now appears were not acted upon. The consequence was the Centres decision to suspend the cross-LoC trade on April 19, triggering protests and much debate on the issue. Sadly, both the protesters and the commentators have ignored the fundamentals that could have kept the trade going and growing. An important direction issued by the former Governor was that the DGP and Principal Secretary (Industries) should undertake, within a month, a complete verification of traders engaged in the cross-LoC trade. He had also directed that traders who do not furnish the required documents or have doubtful antecedents should be de-registered without delay. It is clear now that this exercise was not undertaken. The Ministry of Home Affairs, in its order dated April 18, noted that undesirable elements, including militants in Pakistan, and those closely associated with the banned terrorist organisations were involved in this trade. Had the verifications been made and action taken against such elements, this situation could have been averted. Equally important was the direction that the Roster System should be made online and made public on the first day of every month; CCTVs should be installed at both the Trading Centres within 60 days. An amendment had been suggested to the standard operating procedure to ensure that no trader can transfer his turn to another trader. Another instruction was to ensure that no registered trader has other persons/ family members/ firms unlawfully involved in the trade. The industries department was asked to commence immediate steps to computerise records of the trade and ensure that the traders compulsorily reconcile accounts with their counter-parties every three months. The MHAs order suspending the cross-LoC trade reflects upon all these problems and shows how serious directions were not followed in time and the situation came to a point where the trade had to be suspended, raising the temperatures between India and Pakistan. Pakistan, as expected, has denied the charges. However, the fact remains that Pakistan had the plans to misuse it further and cause problems of huge magnitude. The sanctity of trade has been violated. The fault with Indian side is that it has reacted very late to the need of installing full truck scanners, institutionalising the trade through a banking system and recognising the dangers of the under valuation of the items traded through the two cross-LoC routes. There may still be a chance to rectify the mistakes and end the stalemate. However, the political grandstanding has to end if the window of opportunity of people-to-people contact has to be given a real push. Still on cards... A Rs 90-cr project for installation of truck scanners to stop illegal activities remains incomplete for the past many years. Barter system, restrictions on tradable items and frequent suspensions have remained dampeners vinaymishra188@gmail.com Arun Joshi in Srinagar It was a proverbial bolt from the blue for the cross-LoC traders when Ministry of Home Affairs ordered suspension of trade in Jammu and Kashmir on April 19. It said that the cross-LoC trade routes were being misused by the Pakistan-based elements for funnelling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency. The idea of trade across the LoC was guided by the concept of people-to-people contact, considered necessary for building trust between India and Pakistan. It began in October 2008, following a meeting between the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari in New York. It was a sort of re-opening of the chapter of bonhomie that late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had scripted during their tenures. The two chosen routes Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot were embedded in the minds of people on both sides of the divide, having emotional, religious and ethnic ties. The three Round-Table Conferences on Jammu & Kashmir had strongly recommended opening of the trade routes. NN Vohra, who later became Governor of the state, had been the part of all these deliberations as the Centres interlocutor on Kashmir. At the time of the flagging off the first convoy of 13 trucks from Salamabad on October 21, 2008, he said: The resumption of trade links with PoK is a step forward for people-to-people contact. He said the bus service had successfully been plying on the two routes and the beginning of trade was yet another milestone in strengthening the relations with Pakistan. People on either side of the LoC had been yearning to meet each other, especially families divided by the Border. Opening of a trade route, in a way, filled the vacuum in their lives that had been hurting them for long. Former J&K finance minister Haseeb Drabu, who was economic adviser to the state government when trade commenced, says, The basic theme was centered around the universal reality that trade is the route to trust. The move was hailed as a victory of friendship over enmity and a big confidence-building measure (CBM) in the relations between India and Pakistan and their people, particularly in Jammu & Kashmir. CBMs are not merely economic; they are political and cultural too. As people meet and traditions are exchanged, trade becomes an eye opener to each others side, says Hilal Turkie, chairman of Salamabad Cross LoC Traders Union. He regrets that trade has been suspended in a huff. We were given no time to settle our accounts with the other side. We have been ruined, Turkie says. The suspension of trade is being seen as a move undermining the initiatives of the past decade. However, more worryingly, it is rife with ramifications for the future. And once this trade has been tagged as terror-funding route, can it assume the same sanctity after its resumption? This question is troubling traders who feel that the people-to-people relations would get affected adversely. Their loss of investment in the trade run on barter system apart, they want to know why the government didnt take foolproof security measures in the past one decade. That could have maintained trade relations and avoided people-to-people relations from going sour. The barter system was introduced as the banking system could have impinged upon the political sovereignty of India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, it was peoples strong urge to meet each other that led to the opening of the cross-LoC travel route (and the cross-LoC trade later) despite all odds. In the early 2000s, Jammu & Kashmir was in news for all the wrong reasons, especially because of the India-Pakistan tensions that had manifested in hostilities across the LoC. The tensions were further heightened with the exchange of highly provocative rhetoric from either side of the border. A turnaround was needed to ease the tensions, and Vajpayee timed it meticulously on April 18, 2003. He extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan from the sprawling and jam-packed Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar to a rapturous applause by the audience. For Kashmiris, the idea of India-Pakistan peace is an emotional issue. They know this friendship is a must for transforming their lives that have been in the crosshairs of a violent conflict ever since militancy erupted in Kashmir in 1990. Vajpayees successor, Manmohan Singh, flagged off a cross-LoC bus service from the same stadium on April 8, 2005 and declared it as an unstoppable march to peace. The cross LoC-travel was aptly named Caravan-e-Aman or caravan of peace. As economic ties stand severed, Drabu, an economist and journalist by training, agrees that the cross-LoC trade had some problems. But problems cannot be addressed by suspending trade. However, he doesnt mince words when detailing reasons behind the suspension of trade. It collapsed under its own weight. Instead of building an institutional mechanism to make it work, the governments of India and Pakistan left things open-ended. He says it was always a political initiative, never an economic one. It should have been a political-economic initiative. This political initiative was undertaken without applying any business logic, and hence it is where it is today, explains Drabu. Turkie admits that there have been some aberrations on cross-LoC trade, but says that it is for the government to plug the loopholes. He regrets that the suspension of trade on terror funneling has sent out a bad message. He shares instances of recovery of narcotics and fake currency from Wagah. That route was never defamed. However, the traders say it is for the government to take decisions and it is believed that all such decisions are for the benefit of the people and are not meant to be detrimental to them. We are humans first, and then traders. And as we engage in trade with the other side, we become ambassadors of our nation, Turkie says. What led to the collapse? The cross-LoC trade was meant to encourage exchange of fruits and vegetables produced in Jammu & Kashmir as also handicrafts and papier-mache items and open new economic vistas for either sides of Jammu and Kashmir. Gradually, the trade started changing hands and fell into the wider trap of traders from other parts of India and Pakistan. The zero-duty phenomenon lured traders from other parts of the two countries, including foreign countries and the originally agreed 21 items, including carpets, rugs, wall hangings, shawls, furniture, wooden handicrafts, fruit bearing plants, spices, honey and papier-mache products and medicinal herbs were changed. They also started exchanging bananas and coconuts that are not grown in J&K. Some years down the line, California almonds were included. The third country product was undervalued and was used in the barter system to generate money for the terror groups. This was in the knowledge of the state government as also MHA. However, no concrete action was taken. This was brought to the notice of the political governments, but they gave us a shut up call, an official who had attempted to do so told The Tribune. It was a deep nexus between sections of traders, terror money generators and also officials that has led to the collapse of cross-LoC trade. On track, off track... 2008: Cross-LoC trade was started with much fanfare to boost business and people-to-people contact along the LoC 2014: First major suspension for 5 weeks in January 2014 after 114 packets of brown sugar were found in a truck 2015: Recovery of 305 brown sugar packets in a truck; trade suspended for 40 days 2016: Trade remained suspended for three months following unrest sparked by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani 2017: Chinese pistol, 2 grenades and ammunition recovered in March; trade suspended for a fortnight in August after recovery of heroin 2019: Cross-border tension in February-March resulted in suspension of trade for 8 days. Trade fully suspended in April by the MHA citing funnelling of illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency as reason From Kashmir Srinagar to Uri in North Kashmirs Baramulla district: 102 km Uri to Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre: 11 km Salamabad to Chakothi Trade Facilitation Centre in PoK: 12 km From Jammu sanjiv@tribunemail.com Miami, May 4 At least 21 persons were injured after a Boeing 737 charter jet arriving at a naval air station in Florida from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, slid off the runway into a river, authorities said. All of the 136 passengers and seven crew members had been rescued by early Saturday morning, a Navy spokeswoman said. None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. The sheriffs office said the plane had never been submerged. Photos showed it floating on the St. Johns River, The New York Times reported. The accident occurred at about 9.40 pm on Friday as the pilot attempted to land the jet at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville amid thunder and heavy rains. I think it is a miracle, Capt Michael P Connor, the commanding officer at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, said at a news conference early on Saturday. We can be talking about a different story. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the White House had called to offer its assistance. The flight was operated by Miami Air International, a charter company that shuttles military service members from the base in Guantanamo Bay to naval air stations in Jacksonville and Norfolk, Virginia. The flights run every Friday and every other Tuesday, said Susan Brink, a Navy spokeswoman. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to start an inquiry. Boeing said it also was investigating, but did not provide any other details. Friday nights accident comes as Boeing has been under intense scrutiny following two deadly crashes of its 737 MAX jet within months of each other: IANS Reminiscent of 09 Hudson River incident pardeepdhull@gmail.com Colombo, May 4 The Sri Lankan Army chief said some of the suicide bombers who carried out the countrys worst terror attack on Easter Sunday had visited Kashmir and Kerala for some sorts of training or to make some more links with other foreign outfits. It is for the first time that a top Sri Lankan security official has confirmed the militants visit to India, which had shared intelligence inputs with Colombo ahead of the attack. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, had carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 persons and injuring over 500 others. In an interview to BBC, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake said: They (the suspects) had gone to India to Kashmir and Bangalore. They travelled to Kerala state too. That is the information we have so far. On the activities the suspects were involved in, Senanayake said: Not exactly but definitely doing some sorts of training or making more links with other organisations outside the country. The Islamic State terror group had claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government had blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. About the possibility of a foreign groups involvement, the Commander said: By looking at the pattern of operation and the places the suspects travelled to, there has to be some outside involvement of some leadership. Asked why the threats were not taken seriously after receiving information from India, Senanayake said: We had some information and intelligence-sharing, situations and military intelligence on a different direction and the others were different and there was a gap that everybody could see today. Everybody who is responsible for intelligence-gathering and national security is to be blamed, including the political hierarchies, he said. PTI Give up blades, army uniform, public told The police on Saturday told people to hand over swords or large knives to nearest police station after a haul of such blades from mosques and homes during searches A police spokesman said police and army uniform or such camouflaged materials in possession of people should also be handed over Explosives found in mosque backyard sanjiv@tribunemail.com Dhaka, May 4 At least 14 people were killed and 63 others injured as cyclonic storm Fani barrelled into Bangladesh on Saturday, a day after leaving a trail of destruction in eastern Indian coastlines, media reports said. However, Bangladesh Disaster Management Ministry officially confirmed four deaths two in Barguna and one each in Bhola and Noakhali on the basis of initial reports from the three coastal districts and said it was yet to compile the details of the casualties and damages caused by the cyclone. The detailed information from all affected districts is yet to reach us, state minister for disaster management Enamur Rahman told reporters here. According to Dhaka Tribune, 14 deaths were reported from eight districts, including Noakhali, Bhola and Lakshmipur, which were among the places worst-hit by the cyclone. The dead also included a two-year old boy and four women. The severe cyclone, which entered Bangladesh through the southwestern region early this morning, also wounded several people though it weakened strength while barrelling into Bangladesh overland. The storm uprooted trees, knocked down power lines and damaged more than 500 houses. The Bangladesh authorities said over 1.6 million people were shifted to safer places as about 36 villages were flooded after the storm surge breached embankments in the countrys coastal areas. Meanwhile, the sky in several parts of Bangladesh remained overcast and rain and thundershowers with gusty winds continued to lash the country since Friday, the Daily Star reported. Disruption of electricity and internet connection was reported from many areas of the country after the storm started. The rough weather conditions also compelled the authorities to cancel 12 flights, the report said. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, May 5 Theyre talking about jailing people at the Capitol. Imposing steep fines. All sorts of extraordinary, if long-shot measures to force the White House to comply with Democratic lawmakers request for information about President Donald Trump stemming from the special counsels Russia investigation. This is the remarkable state of affairs between the executive and legislative branches, unseen in recent times, as Democrats try to break through Trumps blockade of investigations and exert congressional oversight of the administration. One of the things that everybody in this country needs to think about is when the president denies the Congress documents and access to key witnesses, basically what theyre doing is saying, Congress you dont count, said Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. We cannot we simply cannot have a presidency that is run as if it were a king or a dictator in charge, said Cummings, D-Md. Trumps blanket refusal to engage in oversight and Democrats unrelenting demand that he do so is testing the system of checks and balances with a deepening standoff in the aftermath of Robert Muellers investigation. Trump derides the oversight of his business dealings and his administration as presidential harassment and has the backing of most Republicans in Congress. With Muellers work completed, Trump wants closure to what he has long complained was a witch hunt. No more costly & time consuming investigations, Trump tweeted. Stunned by the administrations refusal to allow officials to testify or respond to document requests, lawmakers have been left to think aloud about their next steps against the White House. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, has given Attorney General William Barr a Monday deadline to comply with a subpoena demanding a redacted version of Muellers report, along with its underlying evidence, or face a contempt charge. Barr could face another subpoena to appear before Nadlers committee after skipping a hearing Thursday in a dispute over the rules for questioning him. Nadler, D-N.Y., also has subpoenaed testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn. Cummings is considering what to do on several fronts, including about testimony from Carl Kline, the White Houses personnel security director. Cummings said Kline declined last week to answer specific questions in a closed-session hearing about the security clearances granted for White House advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the presidents son-in-law and daughter. Also, the House Ways and Means Committee is being refused access to Trumps tax returns. Republicans are largely declining to join Democrats in pursuing the investigations any further. It is over, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as Barr testified last week before the committee. Graham, R-S.C., has asked Mueller to respond to Barrs testimony, particularly after the disclosure of a letter the special counsel sent Barr complaining about attorney generals summary of the 400-plus page Russia report. The rejection of oversight is the latest and perhaps most high-profile example of the new normal in the Trump era. Gone are the daily White House press briefings, once a fixture in Washington. Top department vacancies go unfilled, leaving fewer officials to respond to congressional requests. Agencies across the government seem more insular than before. Princeton professor Julian E Zelizer said whats unfolding between the White House and Congress fits in a long history of bad moments when the branches clash over vital information. While other presidents, including Barack Obama, have resisted congressional oversight in certain situations, including during Attorney General Eric Holders blockade of the Fast and Furious gun-running investigation, Zelizer said Trump is going further by saying no to everything. To Zelizer, certainly there are echoes of Watergate when the administration did everything possible to stonewall Congress as they undertook legitimate investigations and hearings into presidential corruption. He said presidents with too much power can easily make decisions that undermine government operations in everyday lives. Should citizens care? Of course, the restraint of presidential power is an essential part of our Constitution and the health of our democracy, Zelizer said. Impeachment is being shelved, for now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her leadership team are taking a step-by-step approach to the White House standoff, declining any rush to impeachment proceedings, as some in her party want, for a more incremental response. Pelosi did note this past week that obstructing Congress was one of the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. Impeachment is never off the table, but should we start there? Pelosi said Friday. I dont agree with that. Short of that, lawmakers are considering options for Barr and others. Theres a long history of lawmakers holding officials in contempt. They can sue for compliance with the threat of fines. Some lawmakers are suggesting censuring the attorney general or impeaching him. Others have called for Barr to resign. And then theres talk of jail time. Capitol Hill has been buzzing about the unlikely prospect of using a jail that some say exists somewhere in the Capitol and that was used in the past to detain those in contempt of Congress. But the House and Senate say no such facility exists. No evidence suggests that any room in the Capitol was ever designated for use as a jail, says an entry on the House websites historical pages. AP shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com Colombo, May 5 Schools in Sri Lanka will re-open on Monday amidst heavy security, officials said Sunday, two weeks after the country's worst terror attack forced authorities to close the educational institutions. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others. Following the attack, the authorities closed the schools until further notice. The second term of school will commence on Monday (May 06) for Grades 6 to 13 in all government schools. For Grades 1 to 5 the second term will commence on May 13, Colombo Page reported. However, classes of only grade VIth and above will be held, according to the Director General of the Government Information Nalaka Kaluwewa. Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that a special security programme will be implemented in school premises with the commencement of the new school term. Special circulars have been issued by the Education Ministry regarding the security of the schools, the report said. An extensive security programme has been implemented by the tri forces, police and special task force, it said. Parking vehicles near schools have been completely banned, the report said. Separate places have been prepared to park school vans, buses. Special search operations will also be conducted from Sunday in schools, the report added. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ). Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Caracas, May 5 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged his troops Saturday to be ready for potential US military action, as supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido marched on barracks in a new bid to win the armed forces support. Capping a week that saw a failed uprising led by the US-backed Guaido, Maduro instructed the military to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this territory, this sacred earth. Underscoring the continued military support for his socialist regime, Maduro delivered his televised address from a base in northwestern Cojedes statewhere he appeared alongside his defense minister, Vladimir Padrino, and in the presence of more than 5,000 troops. The United States has refused to take the threat of military action off the table in its push to oust Maduroalthough it so far has limited its campaign to ramping up sanctions. Guaidos cause gained renewed support on Saturday from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a video address to the Venezuelan people, telling them: The time for transition is now. You can hold your institutions, your military and their leaders to the highest standards and demand a return to democracy, Pompeo said in the message. The United States stands firmly with you in your quest. National Assembly head Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his controversial re-election last year, and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into a political crisis that deepened its already grave economic woes. But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of the powerful armed forces. I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty... I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honor, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armed forces, the president said in his speech from the military base. On Twitter, Guaidorecognised by more than 50 countries as Venezuelas interim presidenturged his supporters to mobilise in a civil and peaceful way to their nearest military base, to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro and back a transitional government. Turnout was low, though, in the hundreds rather than thousands. In Barquisimeto in the northeast, the National Guard pushed back marchers with tear gas. The goal is to carry our message without falling into confrontation or provocation, added Guaido. This protest came days after Guaido tried to incite a military insurrection that fizzled out, with a group of 25 rebel soldiers seeking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Caracas. The effort triggered two days of clashes between opposition supporters and government forces that left four people dead and hundreds injured. The countrys chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab said on Friday that 18 arrest warrants had been issued for civilian and military conspirators following the failed uprising, with lieutenant colonels among the uniformed personnel being sought. Venezuelas top court has also ordered the re-arrest of key opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez, who was freed from house arrest by rebel soldiers before seeking refuge in the Spanish embassy. I dont think this will produce a military breakdown, but it will contribute to something bigger happening soon, Marcos Rodriguez, a 24-year-old lawyer, told AFP outside La Carlota air base, the scene of Tuesdays uprising. Small groups of protesters marched on four military bases in Caracas. Were asking the armed forces to help us end the usurpation and join the people, unemployed 53-year-old Dina Alonso told AFP as a group of women unsuccessfully attempted to pass on to the National Guard in Barquisimeto a document containing Guaidos proclamation to the military to abandon Maduro. Tensions in Venezuela have soared since Guaido invoked the constitution to declare himself acting president. As major world powers have been drawn in, the US has thrown its support behind Guaido and Russia and China have backed Maduro. Cubas President Miguel Diaz-Canel, a regional ally of Venezuelas, said on Twitter he had spoken to Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and stressed the need for dialogue with President Maduro and respect for Venezuelas sovereignty and international rights without threats or outside intervention. While the United States insists Maduros days are numbered, experts say its options are limited and that Washington may have overestimated Guaidos strength. But President Donald Trumps National Security Advisor John Bolton tweeted bluntly that Maduro must go. Venezuela has suffered five years of recession marked by shortages of basic necessities and failing public services. AFP G Parthasarathy By Two significant developments in Pakistan have received relatively little attention in India. The first is the virtual sacking of a competent Finance Minister, Asad Umar, just after he had made progress in negotiating an IMF bailout. The second was the appointment of highly controversial former Military Intelligence official, Brigadier Ijaz Shah, as the countrys Interior (Home) Minister. Umars visit to Washington came when Pakistans economy was again on the verge of collapse, despite significant inflows of money from Saudi Arabia, UAE and China. The IMFs assistance has reportedly been linked to Pakistan providing it with details of its debt liabilities, including for purchase of military equipment like JF 17 fighters and submarines from China. IMF conditionalities also include politically unpopular measures like increases in power tariffs, imposition of additional taxes and adjustments in fiscal policies. Getting rid of Umar is, however, not going to make management of the economy any easier, especially at a time when the International Financial Action Task Force is holding meetings to compel Pakistan to end funding of terrorism, or alternately, face sanctions. Infighting within Imrans ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf party has complicated smooth governance. This, despite the fact that he is evidently not inclined to even move a pin, without consulting army chief, General Bajwa. Interestingly, even Saudi Arabia and the UAE are being tight in opening their purse strings to bail out Imran, unless he follows American advice. The Trump Administration wants Imran to get the Taliban to agree to a ceasefire and negotiate a face-saving American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban is refusing to oblige. Imran has also chosen to appoint Brigadier Shah, whom he got elected from Nankana Sahib, as Pakistans Interior Minister. Shah has a notorious record as the Intelligence Bureau chief in Lahore and, thereafter, as head of the countrys Intelligence Bureau, who reports to the PM, on issues of internal security. According to former ISI chief Lt Gen Ziauddin Butt, Shah made arrangements for Osama bin Ladens comfortable stay in the cantonment town of Attock. Shahs other dubious distinctions included being the handler of global terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was released by India during the IC 814 hijacking. Sheikh, thereafter, masterminded the brutal killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl and got refuge in Lahore, where Shah was the Intelligence Chief. Australia flatly refused to accept President Musharrafs nomination of Shah as Pakistans High Commissioner. Imran will use Shah extensively in political manipulation within Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto voiced apprehensions about her security, which was being arranged by Shah, during Musharrafs rule. There has been no inquiry about Shahs involvement in her assassination. A senior PPP leader recently recalled that Benazir had nominated Shah as her possible assassin. Shah also had a reputation of splitting political parties like the PPP and PML(N) and then getting them to form new parties. Shah now appears set to undertake political engineering to consolidate Imrans political clout, while further strengthening the armys stranglehold on Pakistans national life. Resort to terrorism against India and Afghanistan will be carefully concealed, crafted and continued, amidst loud protestations of innocence and professed good intentions! G Parthasarathy Former diplomat dadpartha@gmail.com pardeepdhull@gmail.com Abuja, May 5 In Nigeria, being a young woman is a crime, said a 25-year-old beautician, arrested two weeks ago while walking home in the capital Abuja. She says she was detained, assaulted and then raped by those meant to protect her. Around 9:30 pm, or 10:00 pm (local time), I was walking back home, she said. The police arrested me in the street, accusing me of being out late. The officers demanded she pay 4,000 naira (USD 11) but she did not have the cash. So the officers grabbed her, she said. They took me to the bush behind a building, she said, her voice cracking with emotion. There were four of them. They molested me, and while three were holding me down, one of them raped me. He didnt use a condom. Several other women reported similar assaults that night. In two dramatic raids last month, dozens of women were dragged out of nightclubs, hotels and bars or simply taken off the streets in Abuja. They were arrested for prostitution, a charge many furiously denied. The sweeping police crackdown in the federal capital has sparked outrage in the news and on social media in Africas most populous nation. Prostitution, although illegal in Nigeria, is still widespread in the cities and often tolerated in the Christian south, but less so in the Muslim north where sharia law applies in some states. Abuja situated slightly north of Nigerias centre is a mix of southern and northern tribes and traditions. Testimonies from women given to AFP provide shocking stories of multiple and brutal sexual assaults. The women accuse officers from the federal police force. Lawyer and activist Martin Obono happened to be at the Utako police station in Abuja on the night of April 26 for another case. I was there when the girls got out of the vehicles, screaming, and some of them were bleeding, Obono said, adding the women said they had been attacked in the vehicles as they were brought to the police station. They told me the policemen used objects, like sticks, to touch their private parts, Obono said. One of the women was a mother with a two-month-old baby. She wasnt allowed to breastfeed her, despite continuous crying, Obono said. It took the intervention of a female police officer for that. One of the women dragged into the station on that Friday was a 22-year-old who had been at a party in a hotel when the police arrived. They dragged me out, accusing me of being a prostitute, she said, explaining how police suddenly arrived in a fleet of pickup trucks. Many of the women were later released after making forced payments. Some of the girls paid bribes, she said. Others accepted to have sex with them in exchange for their release. A spokesman for the Abuja police told AFP he would not be available for comment until next month, while multiple other calls and messages to other police officials went unanswered. However, Abayomi Shogunle, Assistant Commissioner of Police, posted a message this week on social media addressed to those making noise on the clampdown on prostitutes in Abuja. Shogunle made no comment on specifics on the raids, and did not respond to allegations of rape. But he did say that prostitution was a crime under the law and a lifeline of violent criminals. Some of the women have already appeared in court. On Monday, 27 of the young women were handed one-month suspended prison sentences and fines of 3,000 naira each for prostitution. Some were sentenced without access to legal representation, said lawyer Jennifer Ogbogu who represented two organisations at the trial the Nigeria Sex Workers Association and Heartland Alliance International. Some were prostitutes, others not, but in no case can this justify their rights being violated, Ogbogu said. In an open letter, a coalition of 72 womens organisations, leading campaigners, civil society and human rights groups, said they strongly condemn the recent raids, public humiliation, assault and sexual harassment of over 100 women in Abuja. They demanded a government investigation. Nigerian security forces have faced such accusations before. In October 2017, a court of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, ordered Nigerias government to pay 18 million naira in damages to three women. The court said the women had been illegally arrested and detained by the same police unit in Abuja accused of carrying out the recent raids. They know we are vulnerable, and they dont treat us as human beings, said the beautician. All this has to end. They should be punished for what theyve done to us. AFP sanjiv@tribunemail.com Seoul, May 4 North Korea fired several short-range projectiles from its east coast on Saturday, South Koreas military said, as analysts said the country is stepping up pressure against the United States after Februarys failed nuclear summit in Hanoi. The South Korean military initially described it as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a more vague description. If the unidentified projectiles were missiles, it would be the first missile launch since the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017. Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States. In a statement, South Koreas Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired several unidentified short-range projectiles from the east coast city of Wonsan around 9 am in a north-easterly direction. The South Korean military said it was conducting joint analysis with the United States of the latest launches. Experts say the projectiles seem to be multiple rocket launchers, not ballistic missiles. Analysts said no matter what type of projectile was fired, the timing of North Koreas latest action sent a message after the failed summit between North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un and the US. President Donald Trump in February, when the two disagreed over weapons dismantlement and sanctions relief. It is an expression of the Norths frustration over stalled talks with the United States. It is a message that it could return to the previous confrontational mode if there is no breakthrough in the stalemate, said Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum. Reuters A warning to US pardeepdhull@gmail.com Gaza City (Palestinian Territories), May 5 Gaza militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes as a fragile ceasefire again faltered in an escalation that left four Palestinians dead, including a baby killed in disputed circumstances. The latest flare-up came with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, seeking further concessions from Israel under the ceasefire. Israel said around 250 rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave and its air defences intercepted dozens of them. One woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Gaza border, police said. A man was also hospitalised in Ashkelon, police said, and spoke of other injuries without providing details. Medics said the woman was 80 and the man was 50. A house near Ashkelon was damaged while other rockets hit open areas. The Israeli army said its tanks and planes hit some 120 militant targets. They included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said. Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were destroyed, residents said. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said an office for its state news agency Anadolu was located in the building and denounced the strike. We strongly condemn Israels attack against Anadolu Agencys office in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ardent defender of the Palestinian cause, said on Twitter while Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said strikes against civilians were a crime against humanity. Turkish charity Yardimeli said on social media that the building housing its premises in Gaza was also destroyed, although Turkish officials were not able to immediately confirm the claim. The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes killed a 14-month-old baby and her pregnant mother in addition to two Palestinian men, while 40 were wounded. It was not immediately clear if the two men were affiliated with militant groups. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on Twitter challenged the account of the mother and her baby being killed in an Israeli strike, suggesting they may have died from Palestinian fire. Adraee did not provide more details and the army refused to comment further. As the exchange of fire continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with security chiefs. A statement from Hamas ally Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more. Its armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. Israel said it was closing its people and goods crossings with Gaza as well as the zone it allows for fishermen off the enclave until further notice due to the rocket fire. Egyptian and UN officials were engaged in discussions to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The UN envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months. The United States condemned the rocket attacks on Israel and said Washington fully supported the Jewish states right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks. The escalation follows a flare-up in violence along the Gaza border with four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, killed Friday after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the border. Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt and the United Nations had led to relative calm around Israels April 9 general election. But the past week saw a gradual uptick in violence. With the ceasefire at risk, a Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar went to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The ceasefire has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza to pay salaries and to finance fuel purchases to ease a severe electricity shortage. Several factors may lead Israel to seek to calm the situation quickly. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following last months election, while Israel is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18. The country also celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. Palestinians have participated in regular demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza border for more than a year, calling on Israel to ease its crippling blockade of the enclave. At least 271 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began in March 2018, the majority along the border. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period. Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to carry out attacks and says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop infiltrations. The results of a UN investigation released at the end of February found that Israel may have committed crimes against humanity in responding to the border protests, as snipers intentionally shot civilians including children, journalists and the disabled. Israel rejected the report outright but Hamas called for it to be held accountable. US backs Israels right to self defence WASHIGTON: The United States condemns Gaza militants rocket attacks on Israel and backs the Jewish states right to self-defence, the State Department said on Saturday. Militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which hit back with air strikes that left multiple people dead. The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel. We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks. AFP sanjiv@tribunemail.com Washington: After several attempts earlier, SpaceX on Saturday successfully launched a Dragon spacecraft for its 17th resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). "@SpaceX's #Dragon spacecraft launched at 2.48am ET on a mission to deliver more than 5,500 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware to the @Space_Station," NASA said in a tweet. Loaded with about 2,500 kg of research, supplies and hardware for crew members living and working on the orbiting laboratory, the spacecraft launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to reach the ISS on May 6, NASA said. IANS Facebook shutting down group video chat app Bonfire San Francisco: Facebook has decided to shut down a clone of the main Group video chat app called "Houseparty", which is a virtual hangout for its users in a group. According to The Verge on Friday, the clone app called "Bonfire" which Facebook began testing in 2017, will stop working this month."In May, we'll be ending support for the Bonfire tests. We'll incorporate elements of what we learned into other current and future products," Facebook said in a statement. IANS Prince Harry puts royal baby watchers on alert LONDON: The UK's Prince Harry has shortened a forthcoming trip to the Netherlands, prompting inevitable speculation that his wife, Meghan, could be about to give birth, the media reported on Saturday. Harry had been due to visit the country for two days starting May 8, but will now fly in and out the next day. The decision has been attributed to logistical challenges, but the Duchess of Sussex is known to be in the late stages of her pregnancy, the media reported. IANS gspannu7@gmail.com Kunduz (Afghanistan), May 5 A Taliban suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding 40 more, according to the insurgents and Afghan officials. The attack occurred two days after President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Monday. The insurgents rebuffed the offer that came at the end of peace talks in Kabul, and as the Taliban meet with the US at separate talks in Qatar. Sundays attack started with a massive blast at the police facility in Pul-i-Khumri, about 250 kilometres north of Kabul, sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky. The explosion was followed up by gunmen storming the police compound, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. In a tweet, he said a suicide bomber had detonated a bomb inside an armoured personnel carrier, flattening most of the building. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said two terrorists were gunned down in the attack, while the rest of the attackers were besieged by the Afghan forces. At least four people had been killed and another 40 wounded, said Baghan provincial health director Mohibullah Habib. AFP sanjiv@tribunemail.com Washington, May 4 President Donald Trump said he held very positive talks on Friday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the crisis in oil-rich Venezuela, where Washington is pushing to oust the Moscow-backed president. The US leader adopted a strikingly conciliatory tone following a more than hour-long conversation with Putin, coming days after an abortive military uprising in support of Juan Guaido, the opposition leader seeking to drive Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. It was a very positive conversation, Trump said. He is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than hed like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. And I feel the same way. We want to get some humanitarian aid. Right now, people are starving. Trumps tone came in stark contrast to that of his top advisers, in particular Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who charged this week that the socialist Maduro had been poised to flee to Cuba, but was talked out of it by the Russians. AFP The tension By IANS LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that it was on his request that Saudi Arabia released 850 Indians lodged in its jails on the eve of the month of Ramadan. "When the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia was in India, I requested him to release the prisoners before Ramadan and he accepted my proposal," Modi said while speaking at a rally in Bhadohi district in Uttar Pradesh. He said that it was India's growing stature in the global world that the UN Security Council declared Jaish-e-Mohammad's (JeM) chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist. ALSO READ: Kapil Sibal on Masood Azhar ban - Can PM Narendra Modi say terror will end now? He said that the country had seen four types of parties, four types of governance and types of political culture. The first was 'Naampanthi' (dynasty), second was 'Vaampanthi', third 'Daman and Dampanthi' and the fourth which has been brought by us 'Vikaspanthi'. The Prime Minister put the SP-BSP alliance in the dock and said that the 'mahamilavati' people have used power to earn money. "When such elements get power, you find the ambulance scam and NRHM scam. When we get power, we use it to serve the people and initiate schemes like Ayushman Bharat that benefit the poorest of the poor," he said. He further said that change can be brought in only when those in power put the nation before themselves and the party and have the will to undertake development. The National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) says it intends to take action if Government fails to have proper consultation and come to an agreement regarding the jab or no job Covid policy for public sector workers. The union has not disclosed what form of action it intends to take, but said it would come in early January. Leaders make a difference to a vaccination drive. When they take a public vaccination, they send a message to their followers or employees that the vaccine is safe and the compassionate thing to do. When leaders act responsibly in this way, others will follow. This behaviour modelling fits into a broader study that demonstrated that leading by example is effective (Tai Yaffe, et al, 2011). ALBANY, N.Y. The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) continued its 30-year tradition of honoring lawyers, law firms, a law student and a civil justice group that have provided extraordinary pro bono service to those in need at a ceremony and luncheon on May 1 at the Bar Center in Albany. NYSBA President Michael Miller presided over the 2019 Presidents Pro Bono Service Awards ceremony, which is held each year on Law Day, which is observed across the country with programs focused on education about and celebration of the rule of law. Each year on Law Day, we honor those whose pro bono work has helped hundreds of people in meaningful, sometimes life-altering ways, Miller said in a news release. It is fitting because, at its heart, Law Day is about the public good and public service. This is the oath we took when we became lawyers; it is our sacred trust, Miller added. Highlights of the luncheon included a keynote address by New York State Court of Appeals Associate Judge Paul Feinman and presentation of the award for Attorney Professionalism to Peter Strauss, senior counsel at Pierro, Connor & Strauss LLC. The award is given by NYSBAs Committee on Attorney Professionalism, officials said. According to the release, Strauss is known as one of the pioneers of elder law and an innovative thinker who helped develop the theory that a spouses right to support can prevail over the states right to reimbursement for nursing home care. He is codirector and founder of the New York Law School Elder Law Clinic, cofounder of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers. Sharon Couch DeBonis, a solo practitioner in Troy, volunteers at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New Yorks Attorney for a Day program, assisting first-appearance clients at Albany City Court and mentoring and teaching new attorney volunteers. DeBonis serves the 3rd Judicial District, which encompasses Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Amanda Rose, a solo practitioner in Mayfield, staffs the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New Yorks pro se divorce clinics in Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties. Rose serves the 4th Judicial District, which encompasses Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, NYSBA has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities. Although we live in a country where organized religion is mostly out of vogue, there are still plenty of people who are familiar with the teachings of Christ and who cant square them with how supposedly God-fearing Republicans inhumanely view migrants and refugees at the U.S. border. The rejection of Christian teaching on this issue [of immigration] is pretty much a job requirement in the Trump administration, noted Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson in a piece citing examples of Republican hypocrisy on the issue. Evangelicals insist on the centrality and inerrancy of scripture and condemn society for refusing to follow biblical norms and yet, when it comes to verse after verse requiring care for the stranger, they dont merely ignore this mandate; they oppose it. But are we painting Christians with too broad a brush? Thats certainly the opinion of the Evangelical Immigration Table, which bills itself as a broad coalition of evangelicals who advocate for immigration reform that is consistent with biblical values. Members include Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Shirley Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; and Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. They want to make sure their fellow Christians know that it is both possible and practical to use the Bible as a guide in approaching immigrants and immigration policy. We have the science and the technology to both have a secure border and to have legal immigration we can do both, says Anderson in one of the groups videos, which is titled Pro-Security, Pro-Compassion. In that same video, Jo Anne Lyon, the global ambassador for the Wesleyan Church, says, Yes, secure the national borders, but we want borders that are secured, not closed. Another of the organizations videos is titled Making Things Right: Establishing a Path Toward Legal Status. It advocates giving citizenship to immigrants who are currently living in the shadows. [An] earned legalization process, paired with improvements to border security, is supported by more than two-thirds of American Evangelical Christians according to a poll from LifeWay, Hoogstra said. Along with the videos, the Evangelical Immigration Table released an e-book titled Thinking Biblically About Immigrants and Immigration Reform. It suggests that the Bible which the e-book calls the ultimate authority for evangelical Christians should be a guide not just for policy, but personal encounters: While applying biblical principles to public policy inherently requires some prudential determinations, biblical teachings about how to interact with immigrants themselves leave less space for differences of interpretation: Were called to love our neighbors (Luke 10:27) and to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), regardless of where we land on public policy. Driving its point home, the e-book starts off by underscoring how many of the most prominent Bible characters were themselves immigrants, forced across borders just to find food. It goes on to cite numerous passages showing that vulnerable groups of people, like immigrants, were objects of Gods particular concern. This would be the precise moment for the cynic to engage in finger-pointing and recriminations about the many ways and times that Bible verses are taken out of context (or not) to delegitimize particular groups, such as gay, lesbian or transgender people. But to what end? These evangelical Christians, who feel theyve been miscast or misrepresented, are clearly trying to extend an olive branch not only to their detractors but to those who might find solace in the Bible and are ambivalent about the immigration issue. These videos are nicely produced, and the e-book is a fine resource that is also humane. It calls for a bipartisan solution on immigration that respects the God-given dignity of every person, protects the unity of the immediate family and establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents. Ultimately, however, while enlightened evangelical Christians preach about the Bible to fellow Christians, they need to also contact elected lawmakers who dehumanize immigrants or stand with a president who wants to be even harsher to the women, children and men who arrive at our border fleeing political turmoil, violence or economic freefall. Its not enough to preach to the choir on the issue of immigration. Evangelical Christians, please take an outspoken leadership role and help cool the heated rhetoric in far-right, anti-immigrant camps. Especially with those who put the power of their political pulpit toward dehumanizing immigrants and those who care about them. Esther Cepedas email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com, or follow her on Twitter: @estherjcepeda. Its Mueller time. We need public, no-holds-barred testimony before Congress by special counsel Robert Mueller, and we need it now. As we saw Wednesday, trying to get the truth out of Attorney General William Barr is like squeezing blood from a stone. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee did wring out a few droplets. Thanks to Sen. Kamala Harris of California the last person any defendant should want to see at the prosecution table we learned that Barr did not even look at the voluminous evidence underlying Muellers report before exonerating President Trump of obstruction of justice. Barr did this despite the line in Muellers report making clear that the evidence does not exonerate the president. Harris also caused Barr to stammer and stumble when she asked whether Trump or anyone in the White House had ever asked him to investigate anyone; Barr didnt say yes but didnt say no. And questioning by other committee members revealed that Barrs cavalier dismissal of one of the clearest acts of obstruction by the president telling Don McGahn, then White House counsel, to have Mueller fired rests on a laughable, made-up distinction Barr pretends to draw between firing and removing someone. Given how he has misled the public and Congress, Barr should be, um, removed. But, of course, Trump wont do that. In Barr he has the attorney general of his dreams, a personal advocate who puts loyalty above duty and honor. If Barr had nothing to hide, hed be delighted to face extended questioning by staff attorneys for the House Judiciary Committee. Instead, when Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., convened the committee Thursday, he sat across from an empty chair. You dont have to take my word that Barr was dishonest about the Mueller report. Take Muellers word, in the letter of complaint he sent to Barr on March 27: The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this offices work and conclusions. The full report, minus redactions, was eventually released but only after Barr had preemptively decided to ignore its substantial evidence of an effective partnership between the Trump campaign and the Russians, as well as its overwhelming evidence that Trump committed multiple acts of obstruction after taking office. It was my baby, Barr said, referring to the Mueller report, not our infantile president. But the report actually belongs to the American people, and while some Republican members of Congress refuse to read it, I hope their constituents do. It shows that Trump and those around him are chronic, venal liars who disgrace the White House and dishonor the nation. Muellers letter of quiet outrage, which Barr described as snitty, suggests that the special counsels view of the import of his findings differs substantially from Barrs. And that is why the nation needs to hear directly from Mueller. Barr said his reaction to Muellers letter was to protest, Bob, whats with the letter? Why dont you just pick up the phone and call me if theres an issue? Mueller and Barr are both experienced bureaucrats. Both knew that by putting his concerns in writing as opposed to a chummy phone call between old colleagues Mueller was creating a record that would inevitably become public. I see why Barr considered that a snitty thing to do, because he knew it would put him on the spot. Barr is on record saying he does not object to Mueller testifying before Congress, and Nadler said he is working to pin down a date. That will be must-see TV. Barrs rationale for clearing Trump of obstruction is so shaky that it is considered risible by many legal experts, including Fox News senior judicial analyst, former judge Andrew Napolitano, who wrote, This sophistry would make the Jesuits proud. Reading the Mueller report, the evidence for obstruction seems a slam-dunk. The evidence for collusion, if not conspiracy, is also quite strong and has largely been overlooked. When Mueller does testify, I dont expect fire and brimstone thats not who he is. But I do expect an honest, forthright, thorough tour through the evidence, led by an honorable public servant with respect for the Constitution and the interests of the nation at heart. In other words, what we should have gotten Wednesday, but didnt. Congress has a decision to make about impeachment, and voters have a decision to make about Trump. Hearing from Mueller will inform those choices. Eugene Robinsons email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. By PTI MUMBAI: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has clarified that the demand for burqa ban made in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana was not that of the Sena or its chief Uddhav Thackeray. In his weekly column published in Saamana's Sunday edition, Raut, who is the Marathi daily's executive editor, said, "The burqa ban was not the demand of Shiv Sena or Uddhav Thackeray. Saamana just published an analysis of the developments in Sri Lanka." A Saamana editorial on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's footsteps and ban burqas and other face-veils in India considering the "threat" they pose to the nation's security. ALSO READ: Burqa, ghoonghat are the same, ban both, says Javed Akhtar Sri Lanka's decision came in the wake of the Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 250 people. As the editorial created a flutter and drew sharp reactions from various quarters, senior Sena leader and MLC Neelam Gorhe on Wednesday said it was not the official stand of the party, which is an ally of the BJP. "It could be an individual's view it is not the official stand of Shiv Sena," she said in a statement. Hundreds of Muslim women on Friday protested against the Sena mouthpiece at Mumbra near here. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Most of the women, who were wearing burqas or veils, shouted slogans against Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member, and carried placards with the message 'Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao' (save the Constitution, save the country). On Thursday, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar said he was not averse to enacting a law banning the burqa if it was accompanied with a similar action against the 'ghunghat' system prevalent among women in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based advocate on Saturday approached police and demanded action against Thackeray, Raut and others for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Santacruz police station's senior inspector Shriram Koregoankar said they have received an application from advocate Munsif Khan but no case was registered. - Ruto says Waititu is only answerable to Kiambu affairs and not any other place - The DP insists other matters will be dealt with by the national government in Nairobi - In the contested budget, Kiambu had allocated money for South Sudan and retired presidents - Waititu could not explain the allocation when he appeared before a Senate committee Deputy President William Ruto has strongly defended Governor Ferdinand Waititu from bruising attacks since a senate committee spotted unusual budgetary allocations for Kiambu County. As ealier reported by TUKO.co.ke, Waititu was put on spot for allocating millions of shillings for State House functions, South Sudan peace mission and retirement benefits for former presidents. READ ALSO: Waititu claims Kiambu's KSh 973 million for coordination of State House was initiated during Kabogo's tenure Ruto said the hard questions directed to Babayao were uncalled for adding that the governor was only answerable to matters pertaining Kiambu and not any other place. Photo: DP William Ruto Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Waititu claims Kiambu's KSh 973 million for coordination of State House was initiated during Kabogo's tenure According to Ruto, the hard questions directed to Baba yao were uncalled for adding that the governor was only answerable to matters pertaining Kiambu and not any other place. "Babayao is the governor of Kiambu. In his county's budget, there is nothing like State House, South Sudan peace mission and retired president's benefits. Waititu should only be tasked with answering matters of Kiambu County. The others are not in his docket. They should be left for us in the national government who will handle it from Nairobi. I was very surprised that some one asked Babayao of such matters. He is only a Kiambu County boss. How is he supposed to know such things," said Ruto. READ ALSO: Handshake between me and Waititu before DP Ruto was fake - Kiambu deputy governor READ ALSO: Uhuru atumia kazi za serikali kupoza joto la kisiasa eneo la Mlima Kenya The DP remarked on Sunday, May 5, at All Saints Catholic Church Komothai Parish, Githunguri, Kiambu County. Besides the KSh 902 million budget allocation for coordination of State House functions, Waititu's administration was accused of allocating KSh 591 million for State corporations advisory service. Another KSh 58 million was earmarked for Kenya-South Sudan peace process. The allocations were brought to the fore by Auditor General's report tabled before Senate's Public Accounts and Investment Committee on Thursday, May 2. READ ALSO: Handshake between me and Waititu before DP Ruto was fake - Kiambu deputy governor READ ALSO: Things fall apart as Kiambu governor Waititu calls his deputy illiterate in nasty fallout They have caused political temperatures to rise sharply in the devolved unit with many people demanding that Waititu sheds light on the report. Kiambu deputy governor James Nyoro and a team of about 10 MCA's have since challenged the county boss to come clean on the matter. Waititus claim he is not aware of how the (State House) allocations found their way into the (Kiambu county) documents are untrue. He ought to have gone through the documents before signing them, Nyoro told journalists at a press conference he held on Saturday, May 4, at Boulevard Hotel, Nairobi. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Dramatic Labour Day celebrations. Source: TUKO.co.ke Some advocates were privately disappointed with the package last week because it did not include bail and sentencing reform or a definition of possession with intent to distribute. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma called it meager and more like business as usual than real leadership. Harder said Stitt supports those reforms but believes they ultimately should be considered in the context of comprehensive rewriting of the criminal code, something he hopes will be achieved next year. Dunnington, who is carrying legislation to provide relief for people convicted of offenses that were felonies under previous law but are now misdemeanors, said he is very much optimistic that we are moving the needle. Were still a lot further than we were last year, when we got to the end of the session and everything just kind of disappeared. Could it happen again? Sure, but I dont believe it will. Nichols is less confident. He says there hasnt been much measurable progress in criminal justice reform since SQ 780 passed, and so far he hasnt seen the financial commitment to treatment and diversion necessary for success. Kris loved to cook, and her husband loved to eat her cooking, Scharoun said. He also kept a copy of the insulin scale for his wife, who is diabetic. When she took her blood-sugar levels, he always checked in, offering encouragement or suggestions. He often said, Darling, calm down, when she was upset, and he said it gently and without an authoritative tone. The soothing worked. Paul died of complications from early-onset Alzheimers disease, which more than half of people with Down syndrome have in their 50s or 60s, according to the National Institute on Aging. He and his wife came from families of eight kids. When they were born, family doctors told each of their parents that because of the Down syndrome, they would not have full lives, Scharoun said. The doctors recommended they be put in an institution, she said. Each of their parents had a deep faith in their children and ignored the advice, which turned out to be a smart and critical decision, for they both grew up to live extraordinary and productive lives. As Americans we have seldom been more deeply concerned about our future. We have rarely been more divided by categories like race, religion, economics and politics. As we approach the next presidential election we should focus on those qualities most needed in a national leader. The temptation is to give in to the vicious cycle of greater and greater polarization. Instead we need to select a leader who will help bring us together. We need a leader with the ability to help form a national consensus. Finding a fair compromise between opposing viewpoints is crucially important. Leaders can either appeal to those feelings that divide us or those that unite us. They can appeal to our best instincts like unselfishness and mutual respect or to our worst instincts by reinforcing them. Abraham Lincoln once said that we need leaders who will appeal to our better angels. We are more likely to find those needed qualities among those who describe themselves as moderates. Extremists find it harder to respect the opinions of others and to meet those with opposing views with an open mind. Jayanta Roy Chowdhury By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India will use the opportunity of a mini-meeting of trade ministers later this month to try and build support for its stand against revoking its developing nation tag at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), a major demand made by the Trump Administration. Top officials said India will try and bond with China and South Africa as well as other nations over defending their common developing nation tag at WTO, against US demands that privileges that go with the tag should go for these countries. India, jointly with China and South Africa, has already sent a letter to the WTO on this issue. The mini-ministerial meeting is slated for May 13-14, soon after the visit by the US Trade Representative to India and we hope to use the meet to build support for our logic that India remains a developing nation as some 21.2 per cent of our people remain poor, earning less than $2 a day, said officials. India, China and South Africa, along with some other nations, are categorised as developing countries under WTO rules, which afford them special and differential treatment, enabling them to give subsidies in agriculture and set higher barriers for market entry than most developed economies. However, the US has contended that India, along with many other countries, were no longer developing countries, and as such could not continue with many of their subsidies and tariff barriers, and the longer time periods they took to implement commitments on cutting tariffs given at the WTO. The US has also contended that India has been raising tariffs on a number of products such as cell phone parts to compel manufacturers such as Apple to shift production to India. However, this does not affect the US firms as much as it does the Chinese and the Taiwanese, from whom Apple sources its parts. China has also opposed the US decision and stated that it is simply the largest developing country in the world. The US is pushing for a framework that defines nations as developed based on a criterion that takes into account their GDP as well as their share of world trade. The US contention is that China cannot ask for the developing nation tag as its per capita GDP is over $8,600 and India is disqualified as it accounts for 0.5 per cent share in world trade. US CONTENTION The US seeks to revoke developing nation tag as Chinas per capita GDP is over $8,600 and India accounts for 0.5 per cent share of world trade. Really? I have a better solution. Since tourism is the second-highest revenue-generating source for the state, I firmly believe that clean, convenient and free off-road rest areas should be constructed. Every bordering state has these facilities. These respites where motorists can take a break would not only impress and delight tourists but would paint a welcoming picture of our state to them. These rest areas would provide a convenient place to stretch one's legs, use a toilet, eat a snack, have a picnic, walk the dog, etc. The Attorney General says he does not understand the position of the leader of the Joint Trade Union Movement who says he supports being vaccinated against Covid 19 but is not supporting the Government's plan for all public sector workers to be vaccinated or face being furloughed from mid- January. Bills on defense industry reform already submitted to Rada Vice PM 14:30, 05.05.19 266 The official stressed the importance of conducting an international audit, primarily a financial one, of Ukroboronprom. In 2014, Russian legislators were deprived of certain rights in PACE over the illegal occupation of Crimea. Russia's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Ivan Soltanovsky does not rule out Russia's withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Council of Europe if no compromise is found on the issue of Russian delegation's rights in the CoE. "We are considering all options for further developments, including in terms of their foreign policy implications for both Russia and international relations on the European continent," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti. At the same time, Soltanovsky stressed that Moscow did not regret joining the Council of Europe at one time, since the "CoE" helped "modernize the Russian legal system, humanize the judiciary and penitentiary," and integrate Russian education into the European system. Read alsoGermany seeks to lift Russian sanctions in Council of Europe media As UNIAN reported earlier, at the April session in 2014, PACE deprived the Russian delegation of the voting right and excluded its representatives from all governing bodies for the illegal annexation of Crimea. Since then, the Russian Federation has in fact boycotted the Assemblys meetings and demanded full restoration of its rights. In June 2017, Russia refused to pay CoE membership fees until her delegations powers in PACE were restored. In January 2018, the campaign was launched promoting the return of the Russian delegation to the PACE. The law allows Lithuania to send up to 60 military service members to Ukraine, but they are not involved in combat. A joint team of instructors from the Lithuanian Land Force are leaving for a military training mission in Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said. The group of officers and non-commissioned officers from the Juozas Luksa Training Center, the General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy and the Engineering Battalion were seen off in a ceremony in Kaunas on Friday, The Baltic Times reports. The new rotation will replace instructors from the Lithuanian Duke Vaidotas Mechanized Infantry Battalion. In the Yavoriv training area, in western Ukraine, the Lithuanians, alongside allied troops, are helping Ukrainians to reform and strengthen their armed forces and to bring them closer to NATO standards. Read alsoNayev: Ukraine's armed forces not much different from NATO armies today "After a long period of wars and occupations, we have lived in peace and calm in Lithuania for the past 30 years, but we are not indifferent and do not forget our friends in Ukraine who are making efforts to restore peace in their country," Lieutenant Colonel Ramunas Jurskis, commander of Engineering Battalion, said at Friday's ceremony. Two officers are leaving for Ukraine immediately and the rest will join them in several weeks' time. The law allows Lithuania to send up to 60 military service members to Ukraine, but they are not involved in combat. By IANS LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday appealed voters in Amethi and Rae Bareli parliamentary constituencies to vote for the Congress, and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of practicing "divide and rule" policy to bring down the SP-BSP alliance. She clarified her decision to support the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli was not because of any soft feeling towards it but was an attempt to "remove" the BJP from the power. The former UP Chief Minister maintained that both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were the two sides of the same coin and didn't deserve to return to power. "I have asked my supporters to vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli. The BJP and the Congress are the same. We have not no coalition with the Congress, but our supporters will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli to defeat the BJP," Mayawati said in a BSP press note. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Her announcement has come just a day ahead of the polling in Amethi and Rae Bareli on Monday. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting from Amethi, while his mother and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the candidate from Rae Bareli. She also accused the Prime Minister of trying to use "divide and rule" policy to bring down the SP-BSP alliance. "Ever since we announced our alliance, the Prime Minister has gone into a panic mode. His latest comments are nothing but an attempt to break the alliance," Mayawati told the media at her home. "In the four phases of elections, the people has supported the SP-BSP coalition. It is disturbing the BJP. This alliance will not only produce a new Prime Minister at the Centre but also a new government in UP." Modi on Saturday had attacked the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, saying Mayawati knew that she had been betrayed by the Samajwadi Party, which has been working hand-in-hand with the Congress. Addressing a poll rally in Pratapgarh Lok Sabha constituency, the Prime Minister had said the Akhilesh-led party kept promising Mayawati of support as prime ministerial candidate, but behind her back they worked with the Congress to betray her. In 2016, the journalist survived a shooting attack. Police in Cherkasy region have opened a criminal case on the fact of an attack on a local journalist and blogger, Vadym Komarov, who is now in a coma after surgery. The journalist was attacked by an unknown person while walking in the center of Cherkasy at about 09:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, the police said. Read alsoHandziuk murder case: Suspect Pavlovsky released from custody at prosecutor's request The attacker inflicted injuries on the journalist and then fled the scene. The victim was hospitalized with serious injuries. The criminal case was open under Part 1 of Article 121 (intentional grave bodily injury) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which foresees imprisonment from five to eight years. Investigators are working to identify the attacker, the police said. Secretary of Cherkasy City Council Oleksandr Radutsky said on Facebook on May 4 that Komarov was in a coma after surgery. "Vadym Komarov has undergone surgery. He is in a coma. We're praying," he said. Radutsky earlier said that Komarov had severely been beaten in Cherkasy. Passers-by found him at an intersection and called an ambulance; he was in a critical condition. Radutsky recalled that Komarov had repeatedly raised very acute issues in his articles, in particular, about the circumstances of a jail riot in Cherkasy-based penal colony number 62, embezzlement of budget funds, illegal construction, and corruption in Cherkasy City Council. In 2016, the journalist survived a shooting attack. The detainee claims he was a security guard at one of Donetsk's administrative offices and that he never partook in hostilities. A mercenary of an illegal armed group of the "Donetsk People's Republic" voluntarily surrendered to Ukrainian law enforcers, ZN.ua reports citing the press service of the local police department. "The militant decided to hand himself over to the police after he learned from the media about the possibility of avoiding criminal liability," the report says. It is noted that the 22-year-old member of the illegal armed group reported to the police office in the town of Bahmut, saying he had joined the ranks of Russian-backed militants back in June 2014, when he was 17 years old. Read alsoRussia-led forces use banned weapons to shell Ukrainian troops in Donbas in past day According to him, a few months before the liberation of the north of Donetsk region by the Ukrainian troops, he decided to leave the group. However, in August, he moved to the occupied Donetsk and rejoined the militants there. The detainee claims that as part of the "DPR" battalion, he had been guarding an administrative building in Donetsk. After the start of the battle for the Donetsk Airport, he once again fled from militant ranks, the man claims. Law enforcers will verify whether the detainee is involved in crimes against the civilian population. If the man's story turns out to be true, he could be released from criminal liability. According to intelligence reports, on May 4, two invaders were killed and two injured in action. Over the past day, on Saturday, Russian-led forces in the east of Ukraine 16 times violated the ceasefire. As a result of the shelling, one soldier of the United Forces was injured, says the morning report of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters. Militants three times used 120mm and 82mm mortars proscribed by the Minsk Agreement. The enemy also shelled Ukrainian defenders using weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, as well as grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms. Read alsoUkrainian officer reveals enemy death toll in Donbas in April (Photo) To each enemy attack, Joint Forces delivered an adequate response. According to intelligence reports, on May 4, two invaders were killed and another two injured in action. From day-start on Sunday, the enemy twice engaged JF positions from large-caliber machine guns and small arms, as well as from weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, and grenade launchers of various types. The Command reports no casualties among Ukrainian troops. Earlier in Donetsk region, a mercenary of a "DPR" illegal armed group surrendered to Ukrainian law enforcers. They also demanded prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Several activists went on solo pickets in Moscow on Sunday, May 5, in support of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, illegally convicted in Russia on trumped up "terrorism" charges. One of the civil activists, Konstantin Kotov, told Krym.Realii that Crimea. Realia. Activists rallied outside the Arbat metro station holding posters "All-for-all swap!", "Freedom to Oleh Sentsov!", and "No to war with Ukraine." After the start of the rally, law enforcers approached Kotov asking for an ID. "They checked my passport, made sure that I was a citizen of Russia. They also wanted to see my home address data, but I didn't show them. We argued for a long time, and I convinced them that they had no right to check my place of residence registration. In the end, they left," the activist said. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian FSB detained Sentsov in Crimea in the spring of 2014, later transferring the film director to be tried in Russia. In August 2015, Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison on trumped-up charges of organizing terror acts and arson of party offices. Sentsov is serving a sentence in a colony in a remote town of Labytnangi in Russia's Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. A major international effort involving politicians, media, artists, and civil activists is underway urging for Sentsov's release and stressing the political nature of his case. By IANS PATNA: More than a Narendra Modi or Nitish Kumar factor, Bihar's ruling NDA is heavily banking on the "caste-factor" in the state's five parliamentary constituencies which are slated to go to the polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 6. The stake is high for the NDA to win all the five seats -- Hajipur, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Madhubani. In the 2014 polls, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won three of five seats -- Saran, Muzaffarpur and Madhubani. While its allies, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) won the Hajipur and Sitamarhi seats, respectively. But the RLSP has now joined hands with the opposition Grand Alliance which is also playing the caste card to consolidate its social support base to regain lost ground. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shakti Yadav said the Grand Alliance was fighting the polls "only to gain and not to lose anything". The ruling NDA has made every possible move for the right caste equation that will play a dominant role over the issue of development. "No question of taking any risk or chance as the electoral battle is tough. Caste is no doubt a winning factor," a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader admitted. Last time, the division of votes was sharp in the opposition camp that helped the NDA to win. But in these general elections, caste equations are different as the Grand Alliance has been joined by the RLSP, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). According to polls watchers, if the RJD-led Grand Alliance's traditional social support base of Muslims and Yadavs gain support from the Kushwahas, an agrarian caste, Mallah and Dalits, it would give the NDA a tough time. Similarly, the JD-U and BJP's support base among the Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits would play an important role. Besides, the saffron party is confident of the overwhelming support of its traditional upper castes. BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said the RLSP and VIP have no capacity to shift votes from the NDA to Grand Alliance. "BJP has been working for all and getting support from all. It will upset the Grand Alliance again." In the Saran seat, the RJD's Chandrika Rai, also the father-in-law of party supremo Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, is contesting against sitting BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy. In Muzaffarpur, the BJP's sitting MP Ajay Nishad is confident of overwhelming support against Rajbhushan Choudhary, fielded by the VIP under the Grand Alliance. In the Hajipur seat, LJP candidate Pashupati Kumar Paras is being challenged by the RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram. Paras is the younger brother of LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who decided not to contest this time. It is first time after more than four decades that Ram Vilas Paswan is not contesting polls from Hajipur. Instead of a direct contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance in Madhubani, rebel Congress candidate Shakeel Ahmad has made the battle triangular. BJP candidate Ashok Yadav, son of party sitting MP Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav is comfortable with the presence of a strong rebel from the Grand Alliance camp, bound to split votes. Sitamarhi will see a fight between the JDU's Sunil Kumar Pintu and the RJD's Arjun Rai. More than 87 lakh voters will decide the fate of 82 candidates on May 6. Tight security arrangements were made and adequate para-military personnel have been deployed. Surveillance will also be conducted by drones, officials said. By PTI DANTAN: Admitting that a few local leaders of the party may be "greedy", Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Sunday urged people not to turn their anger against them into voting against the TMC, claiming that its central leadership is above such vices. The West Bengal chief minister said her government has showered the impoverished Jangalmahal area, which had once become a den of Maoists, with many benefits and schemes to lift their standard of life. The Jangalmahal area comprises forested areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts. "I cannot say 100 per cent workers of my party are good, may be two per cent are bad and we take action against them," Banerjee said addressing public rallies in three places of Jangalmahal region. She said a few local leaders in the region have become greedy but they have been identified and thrown out. Banerjee urged people not to leave the TMC and go to the BJP, the Congress or the CPI(M) for the fault of a few. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE "Whatever happens, it is the TMC which will remain at your feet and be with you in all your needs and problems," Banerjee said, in a bid to pacify anger among some sections of the people over the phenomenal rise of wealth of a few local TMC leaders. Banerjee said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the TMC youth wing president, is in the party because of his concern for her. "Abhishek was a child when I was badly injured in an attack many years ago. Pained by my sufferings, he would roam about the house shouting slogans against the then chief minister Jyoti Basu seeking an answer on why I was attacked," the TMC supremo said. Defending Abhishek's rise in the party, she said the new generation should come forward and join politics to give a cleaner political environment. She said the TMC has ushered in a better life for the impoverished people of Jangalmahal, many of whom could not afford one square meal a day and would eat ants to quell their hunger. Banerjee said her government is running many welfare schemes - from rice for Rs two per kg to 'Kanyashree' for girl students and 'Utkarsha Bangla' for skill development for the benefit of the people. The chief minister said her government has succeeded in driving out the Maoists from Jangalmahal and established peace in the region. Claiming that Narendra Modi is the biggest "calamity for the country", she said the country will be saved if he goes. "The BJP can get a maximum 150 to 160 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha," the TMC supremo predicted, while asserting that in Bengal, the saffron party will not be able to open its account and all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state will go to her party. She accused the saffron party of distributing money among the people to win votes. Banerjee claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has not done anything for the people of the country in its five-year rule and reiterated his accusation that the Prime Minister has only toured foreign countries. She claimed that demonetisation has claimed at least 100 lives, while farm sector distresses have led to suicide of 12,000 farmers. "Demonetisation led to the displacement of migrant workers and loss of millions of jobs," she said. By PTI PANIPAT: BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday said the nation's security will remain the saffron party's "supreme priority" as he attacked the opposition including the Congress for allegedly demanding proof of the Balakot air strikes. Addressing a rally here, Shah also called upon the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the country secure. "There were only two countries who avenged the killing of their soldiers-- America and Israel. But Modi ji has added the name of India in this list," Shah said referring to the air strikes in Pakistan following the death of 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama. Shah lashed out at the opposition especially Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for demanding proof of the air strikes. "Everybody was celebrating it (Balakot strikes). But there was mourning at two places-- Pakistan and Rahul (Gandhi) baba's office. Modi ji killed Pakistan's terrorists but why were their (opposition) faces pale? Were they (terrorists) related to you?" asked Shah. "They were worried about their vote bank," he said. "If you have any common sense, see Pakistan TV channels and find out why people there were crying. It will reveal what happened there," he said further. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE The BJP president also targeted Congress leader Sam Pitroda, a long-time Gandhi family advisor and a key aide of the Gandhi scion. "Rahul baba's guru Sam Pitroda said do not bomb (Pakistan) but talk to them. People of Panipat, you tell me whether we should talk to them if our 40 jawans are killed?," asked Shah. The BJP chief further said that the Congress can continue sympathising with the terrorists but "if any bullet is fired from Pakistan, we will reply with a bomb". "There will never be a compromise on national security. Elections come and go but the BJP will never compromise on national security. Country's security will remain our supreme priority," he said. Attacking the Congress-led UPA rule of 10 years, Shah alleged that soldiers deployed at the border used to be beheaded by Pakistan but 'Mauni baba', referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh remained silent. "I can never forget the incident of beheading of Hemraj (soldier) but Mauni baba remained mum," he said. "After Pulwama attack in which our 40 jawans were killed, there was anger across the country. Pakistan secured its border by deploying more soldiers and tanks in anticipation of another surgical strike. But Modi ji showed his 56-inch chest and the Indian Air Force bombed Balakot," he added. On January 8, 2013, Lance Naik Hemraj was beheaded by Pakistan's Border Action Team along the Indo-Pak border, triggering a nationwide outrage. Shah further told the gathering that the BJP government was committed to "throw out" all infiltrators and slammed opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI leader Sita Ram Yechury among others for opposing the government. "You tell me should we not throw infiltrators out of our country. Modi ji brought National Register of Citizens (NRC). Assam has 40 lakh infiltrators," he said, adding that the opposition was worried about where the infiltrators will go and what will they eat. "Rahul baba do these infiltrators who carry out bomb blasts and kill innocents here have human rights? You do not have any concern for those who are killed. These infiltrators are like termites and they should be thrown out," he said. "I want to tell you from this historic land of Panipat that if you elect Modi ji as PM again, each infiltrator from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kolkata to Kutch will be thrown out," he told the crowd. Shah also condemned National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for suggesting that the nomenclature 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) and 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' (Governor) will be brought back in the state if it is voted to power. "Omar Abdullah said he wants second prime minister in Kashmir. mar and Congress are fighting polls in alliance. I want to ask Rahul baba whether he agrees with Omar's remarks," Shah said. "Can there be two PMs in one country? Friends they want to separate Kashmir from the country. But the BJP workers will never allow Kashmir to be separated from India as it an integral part of India. Make us victorious. We have promised that we will scrap Article 370 (granting special status to J-K)," he said. Seeking support for BJP candidate from Karnal parliamentary seat Sanjay Bhatia, Shah said: "If Modi ji is at the Centre and Manohar Lal Khattar is here, then Haryana will progress. We will make Haryana number one state in the country". Shah also lashed out at the previous regimes in the state and accused the Congress of indulging in corruption and the INLD led by the Chautalas of failing to curb lawlessness. Belarus' Mozyr Refinery will start processing Russian oil of proper quality that has just reached the Druzhba pipeline on May 6, Belarusian oil giant Belneftekhimm, the refinery's owner, told Sputnik on Saturday MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th May, 2019) Belarus ' Mozyr Refinery will start processing Russian oil of proper quality that has just reached the Druzhba pipeline on May 6, Belarusian oil giant Belneftekhimm, the refinery's owner, told Sputnik on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the Russian Energy Ministry announced that "the oil that fully meets GOST," a set of the country's state technical standards, had reached the pipeline's metering units. "JSC Mozyr Refinery will start the processing of a new batch of oil on May 6, 2019," the company said. Belneftekhim noted that the oil reached the pipeline at 2:45 p.m. local time (11:45 GMT). According to the company, an accredited lab has already taken samples of the oil, which proved its compliance with the standards. The problem with the quality of oil coming from Russia to Belarus through Druzhba arose in April. Russian state-owned transport monopoly Transneft later confirmed it had found high content of chlorides in the oil, pledging to take urgent measures to resolve the issue. (@FahadShabbir) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advisor to Chief Minister for Energy and Power, Himayat Ullah Khan has said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has huge reservoir of energy where these natural resources can generate thirty thousand megawatts of electricity while the government is also in need of private sector cooperation in order to get the country out of energy crisis PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd May, 2019 ) : Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advisor to Chief Minister for Energy and Power, Himayat Ullah Khan has said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has huge reservoir of energy where these natural resources can generate thirty thousand megawatts of electricity while the government is also in need of private sector cooperation in order to get the country out of energy crisis He was addressing to a national conference on Innovative partnership to Accelerate Sustainable Energy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The conference was jointly organized by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy department and US Pakistan center for advanced studies in energy, Unviersity of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar. The Ambassador of South Korea, Vice Chancellor University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar Dr. iftikhar Hussain, Additional Chief Secretary Mr. Shahzad Bangash, Secretary Energy Mr. Sarfaraz Durrani, Center for Advanced Studies in energy Dr. Najeeb, Chief Executive Officer PEDO Mr. Bahader Shah were attended the conference. The purpose of the conference is to bring together government officials, energy sector professionals, academicians and representative from donor agencies and private firms to discuss investment opportunities in the province's energy resources. Advisor to Chief Minister said that In current provincial government several power projects are being done rapidly, which will generate a total of 220 MW of electricity, for the purpose of producing oil and gas reserves in the southern districts of the province, private investment is required to start work on multiple blocks. Mr. Himayat Ullah Khan said that the current government is working on numerous energy projects which will overcome the current energy crisis while these power generation will generate four thousands MW power, which will be a major source of employment as well as the stability of the province's economy in the coming days. He said that further steps are being taken to develop the energy sector in light of the instructions of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2019 ) :Rawalpindi District Police have devised a security plan for Ramazan bazaars, mosques, Imam Bargahs and major markets while over 1500 cops and 400 national volunteers would be deployed in the city. According to a police spokesman, Rawalpindi district police on the directive of City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Abbas Ahsan had finalized elaborate security arrangements for Ramazan ul Mubarik. Enhanced number of cops would be deployed on security duty for 2,088 mosques, 87 Imam Barghas and other important places in the district, the spokesman said. Under the security plan Police personnel, Police national volunteers, private security guards and ladies Police would be deployed for security of all important places in the district. He said the Police had made foolproof security arrangements for the holy month in consultation with traders, ulema and members of peace committees. As many as 25 special Police check posts would be set up in the city particularly at commercial areas to ensure security of the citizens, he added. The mosques and Imam Barghas had been divided into three categories and three Police personnel would be deployed on every A category mosque, he added. Special security plan would be devised for last Ashra of Ramadan, Chand Raat and Eid ul Fitr, he said. Special check posts were being established for the checking of vehicles at entry and exit points of the city, he said adding, rapid response squads had also been formed. Main mosques of the city would especially be covered by armed police officers and only one main gate of the mosques would be opened for the faithful. Security personnel would also use metal detectors and no one would be allowed to go in the mosques without body search, he said. There would be no permission to park vehicles, motorcycles, cycles and handcarts near mosques and Imam barghas. All out efforts would be made for the protection of the citizens and best possible arrangements would be made in the regard. Police patrolling system had been strengthened in the district, he added. Cops would be deployed for security duty of 16 Ramazan Sasta Bazars and Dastarkhawans of the district, he added. By ANI DAMOH: With three phases of Lok Sabha elections around the corner in the state, all political parties are putting their best foot forward promising best of development for the state. However, the state of affairs in Samdai village in Damoh region narrates a different story. Samdai is facing a drought-like situation, with villagers threatening to boycott the elections if their demands are not met. People from as many as 18 villages of Damoh district submitted a letter before the District Collector on Saturday demanding ponds in every village in the district, among other things. Villagers also demonstrated in front of the Collector's office holding placards that read "talaab nahi to vote nahi (no pond, no vote)" to show their anger. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Speaking to ANI, one of the demonstrators Savitri Devi said: "We have to walk for hours to fetch water. There is no alternative since we do not have a pond in our village." Echoing similar sentiments, another demonstrator said: "We had earlier put our demands before Damoh MP Prahlad Singh Patel but to no avail. Officials do not pay heed to our demands. We will not vote in this election if our demands are not met this time." Additional Collector Ananda Kopriya, however, assured that demands of the villagers will be met. Speaking to ANI, he said, "We have forwarded the letter. We will also talk to the villagers regarding the matter." Back-to-back droughts and erratic rainfall pattern in the era of global warming has drastically affected the groundwater level in the state. Madhya Pradesh went to polls in the fourth phase on April 29. Next polling will be held in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases on May 6, 12 and 19, respectively. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. The last public event of the first day of Pope Francis in the Bulgarian capital Sofia was a Sunday evening Mass in Prince Alexander I Square. In his homily at Mass, Pope Francis reflected on the days Gospel on the way Jesus reveals Himself again to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection. Through the episode, the Pope explained how God calls, surprises us and loves us. Please find below the full text of the Popes speech: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Christ is risen! It is wonderful to see how with these words Christians in your country greet one another in the joy of the Risen Lord during the Easter season. The entire episode we have just heard, drawn from the final pages of the Gospels, helps us immerse ourselves in this joy that the Lord asks us to spread. It does so by reminding us of three amazing things that are part of our lives as disciples: God calls, God surprises, God loves. God calls. Everything takes place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus first called Peter. He had called him to leave behind his trade as a fisher in order to become a fisher of men (cf. Lk 5:4-11). Now, after all that had happened to him, after the experience of seeing the Master die and hearing news of his resurrection, Peter goes back to his former life. He tells the others disciples, I am going fishing. And they follow suit: We will go with you (Jn 21:3). They seem to take a step backwards; Peter takes up the nets he had left behind for Jesus. The weight of suffering, disappointment, and of betrayal had become like a stone blocking the hearts of the disciples. They were still burdened with pain and guilt, and the good news of the resurrection had not taken root in their hearts. The Lord knows what a strong temptation it is for us to return to the way things were before. In the Bible, Peters nets, like the fleshpots of Egypt, are a symbol of a tempting nostalgia for the past, of wanting to take back what we had decided to leave behind. In the face of failure, hurt, or even the fact that at times things do not go the way we want, there always comes a subtle and dangerous temptation to become disheartened and to give up. This is the tomb psychology that tinges everything with dejection and leads us to indulge in a soothing sense of self-pity that, like a moth, eats away at all our hope. Then the worst thing that can happen to any community begins to appear the grim pragmatism of a life in which everything appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small-mindedness (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 83). But it was at the very moment of Peters failure that Jesus appears, starts over, patiently comes to him and calls him Simon (v. 15) the name Peter received when he was first called. The Lord does not wait for perfect situations or frames of mind: he creates them. He does not expect to encounter people without problems, disappointments, sins or limitations. He himself confronted sin and disappointment in order to encourage all men and women to persevere. Brothers and sisters, the Lord never tires of calling us. His is the power of a Love that overturns every expectation and is always ready to start anew. In Jesus, God always offers us another chance. He calls us day by day to deepen our love for him and to be revived by his eternal newness. Every morning, he comes to find us where we are. He summons us to rise at his word, to look up and to realize that we were made for heaven, not for earth, for the heights of life and not for the depths of death, and to stop seeking the living among the dead (Homily at the Easter Vigil, 20 April 2019). When we welcome him, we rise higher and are able to embrace a brighter future, not as a possibility but as a reality. When Jesuss call directs our lives, our hearts grow young. God surprises. He is the Lord of surprises. He invites us not only to be surprised, but also to do surprising things. The Lord calls the disciples and, seeing them with empty nets, he tells them to do something odd: to fish by day, something quite out of the ordinary on that lake. He revives their trust by urging them once more to take a risk, not to give up on anyone or anything. He is the Lord of surprises, who breaks down paralyzing barriers by filling us with the courage needed to overcome the suspicion, mistrust and fear that so often lurk behind the mindset that says, We have always done things this way. God surprises us whenever he calls and asks us to put out into the sea of history not only with our nets, but with our very selves. To look at our lives and those of others as he does, for in sin, he sees sons and daughters to be restored; in death, brothers and sisters to be reborn; in desolation, hearts to be revived. Do not fear, then: the Lord loves your life, even when you are afraid to look at it and take it in hand (ibid.). We can now turn to the third amazing thing: God calls and God surprises, because God loves. Love is his language. That is why he asks Peter, and us, to learn that language. He asks Peter: Do you love me? And Peter says yes; after spending so much time with Jesus, he now understands that to love means to stop putting himself at the centre. He now makes Jesus, and not himself, the starting point: You know everything (Jn 21:18), he says. Peter recognizes his weakness; he realizes that he cannot make progress on his own. And he takes his stand on the Lord and on the strength of his love, to the very end. The Lord loves us: this is the source of our strength and we are asked to reaffirm it each day. Being a Christian is a summons to realize that Gods love is greater than all our shortcomings and sins. One of our great disappointments and difficulties today comes not from knowing that God is love, but that our way of proclaiming and bearing witness to him is such that, for many people, this is not his name. God is love that loves, that bestows itself, that calls and surprises. Here we see the miracle of God, who makes of our lives works of art, if only we let ourselves to be led by his love. Many of the witnesses of Easter in this blessed land created magnificent masterpieces, inspired by simple faith and great love. Offering their lives, they became living signs of the Lord, overcoming apathy with courage and offering a Christian response to the concerns that they encountered (cf. Christus Vivit, 174). Today we are called to lift up our eyes and acknowledge what the Lord has done in the past, and to walk with him towards the future, knowing that, whether we succeed or fail, he will always be there to keep telling us to cast our nets. Here I would like to repeat what I said to young people in my recent Exhortation. A young Church, young not in terms of age but in the grace of the Spirit, is inviting us to testify to the love of Christ, a love that inspires and directs us to strive for the common good. This love enables us to serve the poor and to become protagonists of the revolution of charity and service, capable of resisting the pathologies of consumerism and superficial individualism. Brimming with the love of Christ, be living witnesses of the Gospel in every corner of this city (cf. Christus Vivit, 174-175). Do not be afraid of becoming the saints that this land greatly needs. Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you and all the sons and daughters of this land will become what the Father had in mind when he created you (cf. Gaudete et Exsultate, 32). Called, surprised and sent for love! The last public event of Pope Francis first day in the Bulgarian capital Sofia was an evening Mass in Prince Alexander I Square. By Robin Gomes In his homily at Sunday Mass, Pope Francis reflected on the days Gospel episode where Jesus reveals Himself again to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection. The episode he said reminds us of three amazing things that are part of our lives as disciples, namely, God calls, God surprises, God loves. God calls The Pope pointed out that it was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus first called Peter to follow him. But now, burdened with pain and guilt and weighed down by suffering, disappointment and betrayal on the death of their Master, Peter and several disciples of Jesus were going back to their former life of fishing. The Pope said that the Lord is aware of the subtle and dangerous temptation to be disheartened and give up, wanting to take back what we had decided to leave behind. This is the tomb psychology leads us to indulge in a soothing sense of self-pity that, like a moth, eats away at all our hope. Faith thus wears down and degenerates into small-mindedness making us think everything is normal. It was at this very moment of Peters failure that Jesus appears, starts over, patiently comes to him and calls him Simon. The Lord does not expect to encounter people without problems, disappointments, sins or limitations. He himself confronted sin and disappointment in order to encourage all men and women to persevere. In Jesus, God always offers us another chance. When Jesuss call directs our lives, our hearts grow young. God surprises The Pope went on to explain how the Lord of surprises invites us not only to be surprised but also to do surprising things. Seeing their empty nets, the Lord tells them to do something odd: to fish by day. He revives their trust by urging them once more to take a risk, not to give up on anyone or anything. The Pope said that the Lord breaks down the paralyzing barriers by filling us with the courage needed to overcome the suspicion, mistrust and fear. God loves The third amazing thing that God does is He loves because his language is love. Just as He asked Peter, He also asks us to learn this language of love. Admitting his weakness, Peter understands that to love means to stop putting himself at the centre and to make Jesus, and not himself, the starting point. Being a Christian, the Pope said, is a summons to realize that Gods love is greater than all our shortcomings and sins. One of our great disappointments and difficulties today, the Pope said, comes not from knowing that God is love. God is love that loves, that bestows itself, that calls and surprises. In casting their nets on the right side of the boat, the Pope pointed out, we see the miracle of God, who makes of our lives works of art, if only we let ourselves to be led by his love. The Pope said today we are called to walk with him towards the future, knowing that, whether we succeed or fail, he will always be there to keep telling us to cast our nets. The Pope said that a Church that is young in spirit is inviting us to testify to the love of Christ by striving for the common good. This love, he said, enables us to serve the poor and become protagonists of the revolution of charity and service, capable of resisting the pathologies of consumerism and superficial individualism. The Pope concluded urging Bulgarians not to be afraid of becoming saints and holy saying, it will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. Ravi Shankar By Without mythology, the world would be a joyless place. Bereft of its magical repertoire of wondrous beings, myriad miracles and enchanted lands, our journey through time would be dreary. Last week, the Army claimed that it found evidence of the Yeti. For the first time, an Indian Army mountaineering expedition team has sited (sic) mysterious footprints of mythical beast Yeti measuring 32x15 inches close to Makalu base camp on 09 April 2019, its PR wing tweeted along with visuals that included the expedition members in uniform. The Army being an institution whose credibility is stellar, nobody accused the sighting as a Hindutva plot to fan religious frenzy during election time. But Chowkidar Tarun Vijay tweeted, But please, you are Indian, dont (sic) call Yeti as beast. Show respect for them. If you say he is a snowman. Its not known whether Mr Vijay has petitioned the government to rename the Abominable Snowman as Ghinouna Purushwhich would negate the point but one never knows what Kafka is smoking these dayshowever, the creature has been politically and culturally appropriated. The Tibetans call it Metoh meaning man-bear and Kang-mi or snowman. Since the Yeti is Tibetan, Mr Vijay could precipitate a diplomatic crisis when India is pressuring China to name Hafeez Saeed the worlds most abominable terror man. Interestingly, the Congress party hasnt commented on the veracity of the discovery after Priyanka Gandhi outed her brother Rahul as an inveterate mountaineer amongst other macho memes like karate black belt and ace scuba diver, none of which by the way reflects in his forty-something schoolboy-serious voice. The claim of sighting Rahuls British citizenship is a far more serious matter. The foreign hand, incidentally introduced by his late grandmother Indira Gandhi to raise false paranoia over the CIA-Pakistan, is a hot potato for the Congress, which is constantly under fire for its foreign connections in the person of Sonia Gandhi. In the poll season vitiated by obsessive abuse and zealous rants, the Army has done us a favour. It has reopened our eyes to a world that lies digitally undiscovered and drone-free, full of marvels which have enriched the human mythos for millennia. As symbols of mans search for metaphors, the wings of Pegasus reflect his desire to touch the heavens. Kamadhenus endless bounty assures immortality even as Bagala reminds man of mortality. Chakoras riding the moonbeams sing to yearning lovers. April is the cruelest month. But the Yetis footprints have brought the coolness of the Himalayan snows into our hearts and minds. Its an Indian summer, folks. Thank the Yeti. Ravi Shankar ravi@newindianexpress.com As Catholic churches and schools remain closed across Sri Lanka for fear of further terrorist attacks, Pope Francis sends his condolences to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the country's Christian communities. By Vatican News The Popes letter was read out to the faithful at the end of a televised Mass on Sunday, which was celebrated by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo. Sri Lankas Catholic churches and schools remain closed, two weeks after terrorist attacks killed 257 people on Easter Sunday. In his letter, Pope Francis renews his profound solidarity and continued prayers for Sri Lanka. The Holy Father also prays for the Lord to bring healing to the injured and consolation to all who mourn the loss of their loved ones. The original text of Pope Francis letter follows: In the wake of the brutal attacks on Christian communities gathered in prayer on Easter Sunday, and on several other sites in Sri Lanka, I feel moved to assure you once more of my profound solidarity and my continued prayers for all those affected by these contemptible crimes. In union with our brothers and sisters throughout the world, I commend the dead to the infinite mercy of God our heavenly Father and ask the Lord Jesus, victor over sin and death, to bring healing to the injured and consolation to all who mourn the loss of their loved ones. With the followers of all religions, and men and women of good will everywhere, we express horror at this unspeakable offence against the holy name of God and I pray that hearts hardened by hatred may yield to His will for peace and reconciliation among all his children. At this time of immense grief, may the faithful be confirmed in charity, consoling one another with the hope born of Easter and our unshakeable faith in Christs promises. Conscious of the wound inflicted on the entire nation, I likewise pray that all Sri Lankans will be affirmed in their resolve to foster social harmony, justice and peace. With these sentiments, I affectionately commend you and your brother Bishops, together with the clergy, religious and lay faithful entrusted to your care, to the loving embrace of Our Lady, Queen and Patroness of Sri Lanka, and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Risen Lord. Exxon is one of the companies born out of the now-defunct Standard Oil, whose refinery in Havana was one of the first American entities nationalized by Castro AFP/ERIC PIERMONT The suit, filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, seeks $280 million from Cuba-Petroleo (Cupet) and Cimex, which operates service stations on the island nation. The lawsuit from America's biggest oil producer came as the administration of US President Donald Trump lifted the suspension of Title III of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act. The provision allows anyone whose assets were seized after the revolution to sue Cuban individuals and businesses profiting from the former holdings. It had been suspended by all previous US presidents to avoid causing friction with allies, some of whom view it as overstepping American jurisdiction. Exxon said in the suit it was seeking compensation "for property that was expropriated by the Fidel Castro regime in 1960, including oil refineries and service stations, which are still in use today even though Plaintiff has never received any compensation for this property". Exxon is one of the companies born out of the now-defunct Standard Oil, whose refinery in Havana was one of the first American entities nationalized by Castro. The refinery is currently operated by Cupet. Police deal with a marcher draped in the French flag, before the May Day rally got underway in Paris AFP/Anne-Christine POUJOULAT The man attacked with a telescopic truncheon had been plucked from a crowd of protesters, many of whom were chanting "everyone hates the police". Paris police chiefs have asked the IGPN, the body that investigates police abuses, to investigate the incident, which happened when the arrested man was pinned down by other officers. They are also looking at two other incidents caught on video. One shows a helmeted officer hitting a protester while the second shows another officer hurling a paving stone at protesters. On Friday, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told journalists: "If someone is at fault, there will be a sanction, legal and administrative sanctions." The traditional May Day workers' march took place in an already tense atmosphere, given the weekly "yellow vest" protests in Paris and other French cities over the past six months. Clashes occurred even before the march got underway and continued throughout the day. For months, yellow vest activists have accused the police of heavy-handed repression of their right to assemble and protest, in particular the use of rubber bullet launchers that have seriously injured dozens of people. Boeing admitted its fault in the two crashes Boeing in early April admitted that the two crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights were caused by a fault with the aircraft's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). We now know that the recent Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents were caused by a chain of events, with a common chain link being erroneous activation of the aircraft's MCAS function. We have the responsibility to eliminate this risk, and we know how to do it, said Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. "As part of this effort, we are making progress on the B737 MAX software update that will prevent accidents like these from ever happening again. Our teams are working tirelessly, advancing and testing the software, conducting non-advocate reviews, and engaging regulators and customers worldwide as we proceed to final certification," Muilenburg added. After the admission was published, representative of Southwest Airlines, which has been using 34 B737 MAX aircraft, said that it suffered $200 million in losses in this years first quarter due to the US governments ban of B737 MAX aeroplanes. American Airlines, which has 24 B737 MAX planes in its fleet, also had to cancel more than 15,000 flights until August. Norwegian Airlines also estimated that it suffered a damage of $58 million. The airline currently has 18 B737 MAX planes and ordered 100 more. German airline Tui also stated that the global ban on B737 MAX will cause it $300 million of damage until September. The two crashes, as well as the global ban, may lead to the company losing $600 billion worth of orders for more than 5,000 planes across the world. 157 people died in Februarys Ethiopian Airlines crash, shedding further doubt on the safety of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft just a few months after 189 died in the Indonesian Lion Air crash last October. According to analysis expert Ronald Epstein from Bank of America, Boeing may spend at least $500 million to revise the error. Similarly, Richard Aboulafia, vice president and analyst at Teal Group, a US aerospace and defence consultancy company, told VIR, It could be as few as two months or as many as six months, but the likeliest scenario is that these planes will be grounded for about three months. Thus, revising the error could lead to Boeing losing a year of sizeable profit on the aircraft. Shareholders will likely welcome CEO John Flint's success in seeing revenue gains outpace cost increases AFP/Anthony WALLACE The London-listed bank added that pre-tax profit jumped 31 per cent to US$6.2 billion in the first three months of 2019 from a year earlier on strong revenue growth in retail banking, wealth management and commercial business. "We have made a good start to 2019," said John Flint, chief executive of the banking group that makes the lion's share of its profits in Asia. "We remain alert to risks in the global economy. We are proactively managing costs and investment in line with this more uncertain outlook and will continue to do so." The banking behemoth also said it had reduced reported operating expenses by 12 per cent as Flint embarks on a planned overhaul aimed at growing the group while keeping a lid on costs. Around midday in London, shares in HSBC were up 2.95 per cent at 687.40 pence on the British capital's FTSE 100 index, which was up 0.81 per cent overall. The new HSBC figures "came in ahead of expectations, leading to a rise in the share price," noted Graham Spooner, investment research analyst at online trading firm The Share Centre. Flint's progress in bringing costs more under control was welcomed by investors, especially given revenue gains outpaced cost increases in the first three months of the year. 'NEW PERSON, NEW ATMOSPHERE' The Asia-centric bank had failed last year to live up to its pledge for revenue growth to outpace costs growth. Analyst Dickie Wong from Kingston Securities said Flint's arrival had injected some fresh energy into the bank and a tighter leash around costs. "A new person, a new style, brings in a new atmosphere," he said, using a Chinese idiom. Adjusted operating expenses rose 3.2 per cent in the quarter, compared with a 5.6 per cent increase in the same period last year. HSBC saw a profitable 2018 but it suffered a tough final quarter when it took a hit from uncertainty over Brexit and the long-running trade row between Washington and Beijing. Overall, last year saw strong growth for HSBC with net profit ballooning 30 per cent to US$12.6 billion. But the yearly growth figures were dampened by a tough final quarter when the markets - especially those in Hong Kong and China - went into meltdown over global trade fears. It's "time for the organisation to get back into growth mode", Flint said in a recent video produced by HSBC detailing his first year in office. Shankkar Aiyar By Last week, Shailesh Singh, 45, jumped off the parapet of his residential apartment in Mumbai and committed suicide. Singh, suffering from cancer, was an employee of Jet Airways. He had not been paid his salary for months. Like Singh, over 16,000 employees have not been paid their salaries. It is estimated that the airline owes its employees more than Rs 450 crore in dues. The employees, struggling to run homes, educate children, pay home loan EMIs are now faced with a new challenge they must pay medical bills from their own pocket as the airline has not paid the premium for the group medical policy employees were covered by. The Jet Airways saga is a tragic sequel of what happened when Kingfisher Airlines was grounded. Over 3,000 employees were left high and dry by the company. In a letter to the prime minister, the employees stated that the airline owed them salary, gratuity as also compensation, and sought his intervention. The employees, who were unable to access their PF (Provident Fund), thanks to the mess of litigation, were faced with notices of income tax unpaid by Vijay Mallya. Earlier this month, around 100 workers at the ongoing Pune metro project, MahaMetro, went on strike over unpaid dues of five months. Often protesters get only part of the payment, an unsecure promise and face the risk of being issued pink slips. In far off Ethiopia, Indian employees of the shadow bank IL&FS, which went bust following shady deals, were held hostage by locals who had not been paid wages since November. The bitter irony is that the narrative on labour reforms, in political and policy discourse, has been about the Industrial Disputes Act about hiring and firing. And for decades now political parties have shied away from instituting reforms in labour laws under the guise of protecting workers interests. Fact is the landscape is littered with cases of abject failure of the laws, rules and regulations in protecting the rights of the employees. Employees with small and large enterprises are forced to fend for themselves amidst systemic failure in the absence of real-time redressal mechanisms. Indias labour laws stem from the promises made on dignity of labour and safeguarding of interests articulated in the Constitution (Articles 16, 19, 23 and 24) and in the Directive Principles of State Policy (Articles 39, 41, 42, 43, 43A and 54)the intent is, however, failed by the antiquity of the law and inadequacy of institutional framework. There are a total of 44 Central laws covering issues of employee interests and industrial matters. Just on wages and emoluments there are four Central lawsthe Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Payment of Wages Act, 1936. The Payment of Wages Act was born to address exactly the situation that employees are facingto regulate and ensure payment of emoluments. In 1926, the Government of India asked local governments about the delays in payment of wages to employees. The investigations culminated in the appointment of the Royal Commission of Labour in 1929. The Payment of Wages Act was drafted and passed in 1935 and received assent on April 23, 1936. Over 83 years later, notwithstanding a plethora of rules, regulations and amendments to the statute, and a series of commissions, employers are able to leave employees high and dry. And what is the penalty for non-payment of wages? It is possible for the employer to get away with a fineof Rs 1,500, which may extend to Rs 7,500. What can the employee do? The employee can approach the labour commissioner and file a case under Section 33C of the Industrial Disputes Act if the salary is under Rs 18,000those with higher salaries or on contract can approach a civil court. The process itself is not easynot for someone struggling to make ends meetand is time-consuming. Consider the queue of cases just in the Central Government Industrial Tribunalevery year, over 13,500 cases are listed. Between 2013-14 and 2017-18, over 67,700 cases of industrial dispute were filed at the CGIT. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is another route. Employees have had to take their employers to the NCLT, initiating bankruptcy proceedings to recover salaries. That queue is not short eitheras of December 2018, there are over 15,040 cases before the NCLT. If the company goes into liquidation, the employee has a prior claim, but must queue up with other creditors. It cannot be the case that the government cannot corral the resources of sick enterprises like Jet Airways and Kingfisher to pay outstanding dues. The government has claimed that the assets seized from Vijay Mallya are nearly twice the value of the default. Mallya has claimed that Rs 1,280 crore deposited in 2013 with Karnataka High Court is earning interest and could be used. Bankers dealing with Jet Airways cite a cache of Rs 450 crore in a private subsidiaryperhaps the money Naresh Goyal offered to bring in. Similarly, companies in the debt recovery process or under liquidation have assets that can be monetised to pay up. Why must this be so? It is time the narrative of labour reforms is recast. The terms of engagement require delineation of rights and obligations, and a balance of social security and economic productivity. A $2.8 trillion economy, the worlds largest democracy, can surely do better. Shankkar Aiyar Author of Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Some schools in rural America are closing due to population decline and budget cuts. A resident in western Pennsylvania reflects on how the closing of his local primary school is affecting the community. Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani telephoned Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday and the two leaders discussed ongoing Afghan peace efforts, security as and bilateral economic cooperation. Afghan and Pakistani officials said Ghani accepted Khans invitation to visit Islamabad for a comprehensive exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest. An official statement issued in Islamabad quoted the Pakistani leader as noting the prolonged Afghan conflict had damaged Afghanistan and adversely affected his country. For the sake of the two peoples, the aim of the leadership should be to help build peace, promote economic progress, and advance connectivity for regional prosperity, Khan said. He underlined that Pakistan will spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two brotherly countries, the statement said. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul are marred by years of suspicions and mistrust over mutual allegations of harboring militants waging attacks in both countries. Pakistan takes credit for arranging ongoing talks between the United States and the Taliban insurgency, hoping it would lead to ending decades of hostilities in Afghanistan. Insurgent leaders have allegedly used Pakistan for sustaining and expanding the Afghan insurgency. Islamabad rejects the charges, citing its successful counter militancy operations and construction of a robust fence, as well as new security outposts on the traditionally porous Afghan border to stop illegal infiltration in either direction. A military-chartered jet carrying 143 people landed hard, then bounced and swerved as the pilot struggled to control it amid thunder and lightning, ultimately skidding off the runway and coming to a crashing halt in a river at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. It meant chaos and terror for passengers in the Boeing 737 as the plane jolted back and forth and oxygen masks deployed, then overhead bins opened, sending contents spilling out. But authorities said all the people onboard emerged without critical injuries Friday night, lining up on the wings as they waited to be rescued. A 3-month-old baby was the only one hospitalized, and that was done out of an abundance of caution, officials said. I think it is a miracle, said Capt. Michael Connor, the bases commanding officer, hours after the plane landed. We could be talking about a different story this evening. NTSB investigating The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators Saturday to the crash site in the St. Johns River in north Florida, where the aircraft was still partially submerged in shallow water and its nose cone was sliced off, apparently from the impact. Two pet cats and a dog were still on the plane as well, and their status wasnt immediately clear. Rescuers looked in the cargo area after the plane ended up in the river but saw no crates and heard no animal noises. When they returned later, they didnt see any pet carriers above water, Connor said. Members of the 16-person NTSB team recovered the planes flight data recorder Saturday. Investigators will examine the aircraft, the environment and human factors in trying to discover why the plane rolled into the river. The pavement on the runway wasnt grooved, and Landsberg said grooves can help the water flow off the pavement more quickly. He said investigators will examine what role that may have, with reported heavy rain during the landing. The flight took off Friday from the U.S. military base in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members. It was a regular charter run by Miami Air International, which has many military contracts, including weekly flights between the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the Jacksonville air station as well as Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The company didnt immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. The aircraft had no history of accidents, said NTSB vice chairman Bruce Landsberg. Plane hit the ground and then it bounced Among those onboard was Cheryl Bormann, a defense attorney, who described the chaotic landing. The plane literally hit the ground and then it bounced. It was clear that the pilot did not have complete control of the plane because it bounced some more, it swerved and tilted left and right, she told CNN. The pilot was trying to control it but couldnt, and then all of a sudden it smashed into something. Bormann said people werent screaming because the flight staff worked quickly to give direction. Everyone onboard helped one another to put on their life vests and then evacuated to safety. A veteran death penalty attorney from Chicago, Bormann has been defending Walid bin Attash, who is charged with helping to train some of the 9/11 hijackers. The U.S. holds 40 men at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. It has been prosecuting some of them by military commissions, including five charged with planning and aiding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Their cases have been in the pretrial stage since May 2012 and no trial has been scheduled. Passengers military, families, civilians Authorities say everyone onboard the flight was alive and accounted for, but nearly two dozen people sought medical attention. The passengers were a mix of military personnel and families, and a few civilians. While some were staying in the area, others planned to fly on to other parts of the country, Connor said. It wasnt immediately clear what went wrong. Boeing said in a tweet Friday night that it was investigating: We are aware of an incident in Jacksonville, Fla., and are gathering information. Connor said he didnt know what impact the weather had on the flight. I was at home when this happened and there were thunderstorms and lightning, he said. The plane had been expected to return to Cuba on Saturday to carry other members of the military, lawyers and others to Andrews after this weeks military commission hearings of people charged with war crimes. It wasnt immediately clear how long it would take to remove the plane from the river. We have challenges because bottom half of fuselage is covered with water, Landsberg said. Connor said the landing gear appeared to be resting on the riverbed, making it unlikely for the aircraft to float away. He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers safety. Fuel leak contained The smell of fuel and oil was pungent as AP journalists went by boat for a closer look. The bottom of the plane was under water, making it difficult to access the cargo hold. Were obviously very concerned about the environment and were doing everything we can to contain it, Connor said about the fuel. Once we were assured that personnel were safe, our next priority effort was to ... contain any type of fuel. Every evening at the Muntada al-Masrah theater on Baghdad's Rashid street, the cast and crew of the first TV drama filmed in Iraq in seven years take their places among the rooms and courtyard of this 19th-century building and shoot new scenes of their highly-anticipated series. The arts are coming to life again in Baghdad, bringing with it a touch of hope and comfort as the country works to rebuild after 16 years of war. And after two decades abroad, two of Iraq's leading actors have returned to take part in "The Hotel," the twenty-episode drama set to air during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "The Iraqi people are parched for drama," said Hassan Hosni, a drama star of the 1990s, who returned from Saudi Arabia to direct "The Hotel," a show about the seedy underbelly of Baghdad and its entanglement with human trafficking. It is the first Ramadan drama to be produced in Iraq since 2012, according to the cast and crew, and it heralds a return of an essential TV genre to the country. Across the Muslim world and throughout the month of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn until sunset and stay up late to digest their evening meals, viewers are treated to TV dramas that touch on romance, war, tyranny and other issues of the day. For years, Iraqis have been watching dramas from other nations, such as "Bab al-Hara," the blockbuster Syrian series set during the 1930s independence movement from France. With "The Hotel," Iraqis will have a home-grown series to watch for the first time in years, amid the longest stretch of stability Baghdad has experienced since the 2003 U.S. invasion. "We were all waiting for this moment - writers, directors and actors - with total impatience," said Hosni. "I felt it in the streets, when we were scouting for locations," said Hosni. Locals, shocked to see him back in their city, approached the star to ask about the series. "The joy was clear in their eyes, expressions and words," he said. Once the capital of the Islamic world, Baghdad is a city that proudly displays its affection for drama and poetry, boasting monuments that show scenes from Arabian Nights and avenues named after renowned poets such as the boastful Mutanabbi of the 10th century and his bibulous predecessor, Abu Nawas. It has held on to this pride through the contemporary era, even as the coups and wars of the 20th century, the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and the grip of U.N. sanctions drove writers, actors and producers out of the country. Mahmoud Abu Al-Abbas, the star of "The Hotel" and a famous thespian in his own right, went into exile in 1997 after he performed a solo play that spoke about harassment by the country's notorious security services. In Saddam Hussein's era, it crossed a red line. "I was interrogated for two days and then advised by the minister of culture to leave Iraq immediately," he said. The 2003 U.S. invasion dealt another blow to the arts. The ensuing war tore Baghdad apart, as car bombs tore through the city daily, and fighting turned Rashid Street, once a center of culture and heritage, into a valley of fear and destruction. A sputtering revival earlier this decade came to a halt, first as money for the arts dried up, then as insecurity gripped the country again with the 2014 Islamic State group insurgency. After Iraq declared victory over IS in December 2017, the atmosphere inside the capital began to change. The blast walls that protected against car bombs were lifted, and locals started staying out late again, patronizing cafes, malls, galleries, and theaters, where performances change from week to week. Abu Al-Abbas stayed in the United Arab Emirates for 20 years. But he kept acting, writing and directing plays, and he wrote more than a dozen books on his craft. In 2017, he returned to his hometown of Basra, the commercial capital of southern Iraq and the hub for its oil, where he founded a theater troupe of young, under-employed local men and taught them a play they went on to perform in other southern cities. But it wasn't until screenwriter Hamid al-Maliki called with the script for "The Hotel" that he agreed to return to the screen. "Violent drama takes a period of contemplation on the part of the writer so that he can give us a `dose' of work that can treat our situation," said Abu al-Abbas. Al-Maliki accepted that "The Hotel's" transgressive material - including prostitution, human trafficking and the organ trade - would shock viewers, but said it was the responsibility of TV drama to start a conversation. "It's a current matter for Iraq," he said. "It's a message to the youth to beware of the trap of human trafficking, and it's a message to the Iraqi state to care for the innocent and the poor who are the victims of the trade." And al-Maliki said it was vital for the arts to confront the ideologies that have fueled extremism. "Culture alone is what will be victorious over Daesh thinking," he said, using the Arabic term for the Islamic State group. "Culture is life, and Daesh is death. So we must face death with life. We must face Daesh with culture," he continued. Hosni, the star-turned-director, left Iraq in 1996, looking to escape the pressure of the U.N. sanctions levied against Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait earlier in the decade. But he never felt far from Iraq, as he continued to work with other diaspora Iraqis in drama in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. "It was a separation in body, but not in mind or soul," he said. He was finally coaxed back by al-Maliki this year. The return of the TV drama, Hosni said, is reassuring. "It's a time for the Iraqi family to sit together at home, with their relatives and neighbors." Polls have opened in North Macedonia where voters will choose a new president in a runoff vote that will be watched as closely for turnout as it will be for either candidate. More than 3,400 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. on May 5. Stevo Pendarovski and Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova face off in the balloting after a virtual draw 42.8 percent to 42.2 percent respectively in the first round on April 21. That close outcome has put a spotlight on the Balkan nations ethnic Albanian minority, who strongly supported Blerim Reka in the first round, giving him 10.6 percent of the vote. With Reka out of the runoff race, a lot will depend on whether his supporters even decide to cast ballots, and if so, for whom. If fewer than 40 percent of the countrys 1.8 million eligible voters show up for the runoff, the election automatically becomes invalid. About one-quarter of the population is ethnic Albanian, and overall turnout in the first round was just 41.8 percent. "I am calling on all of our citizens to go to the polls and vote by your own choice, but vote for the future of our country and of our children," Prime Minister Zoran Zaev urged Macedonians in a video address. Low-key campaign The campaign itself has been rather low-key by Macedonian standards, with virtually none of the violence, dirty tricks, and sharp nationalist rhetoric that has marked previous votes. While the president has a largely ceremonial role, the position does have some powers to veto legislation and Zaev has warned that the outcome of the runoff could trigger early parliamentary elections. The race itself between the two academics has been dominated by debate on issues such as integration into Western structures and a struggling economy, plagued by stubbornly high unemployment at more than 20 percent. Pendarovski, a 55-year-old former political-science professor, has strongly supported the so-called Prespa deal signed with Greece last year to change the country's name, while Siljanovska-Davkova, the country's first female candidate and a university professor, has been critical of it, though the opposition has said it will not cancel the accord. The signing of the historic agreement with Greece changed the country's name to North Macedonia and ended a decades-long dispute that had blocked the Balkan state's path to NATO and the European Union. Pro-Western Pendarovski is supported by the ruling Social Democrats. Siljanovska-Davkova, 63, ran as an independent but is now backed by the main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party. If turnout fails to reach the minimum requirement, constitutional experts say a completely new vote must be called within 40 days. During the interim period, the head of the National Assembly, Talat Xhaferi, would assume the function of president. Outgoing President Gjorge Ivanov was constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive five-year term. Once a part of Yugoslavia, North Macedonia left Belgrade's umbrella when it seceded peacefully in 1991. But it veered close to civil war in 2001 when ethnic Albanians launched an armed insurgency seeking greater autonomy, and subsequent elections have been stormy. Polling stations will remain open until 7 p.m. local time. The party of far-right leader Marine Le Pen will top the upcoming European Parliament elections with 22 percent of the vote, just ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's REM party, an Ipsos poll released on Sunday. It was the first time Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) - formerly the National Front - overtook Macron's REM in an Ipsos survey ahead of the EU election this year, although other, daily polls have shown the RN in pole position before. EU elections will be held on May 26 in France. The poll of 1,500 people was conducted on May 2-3, after Macron announced a series of proposals, including tax cuts worth 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion), in a bid to appease the "yellow vests" anti-government protest movement. Macron's REM party would obtain 21.5 percent of the vote, the Ipsos poll for France Television and Radio France showed. On April 18-22, 23 percent of the people polled said they would vote for REM, against 22 percent for RN. Macron is facing the biggest challenge of his presidency yet in the "yellow vest" protests, which started nearly six months ago over the high cost of living but spread into a broader movement against the former investment banker's pro-business reform drive. Dissatisfaction over slow economic growth, security threats posed by Islamist militants and a backlash against migration across open EU borders have boosted support for nationalists in many member states. The RN and other eurosceptic anti-immigration parties in other EU states are planning to join forces after the EU parliamentary election. ($1 = 0.8928 euros) Mozambique's ruling party on Sunday endorsed President Filipe Nyusi as its candidate for presidential elections in October, after a three-day meeting of its top officials in Maputo. "The Frelimo Central Committee is taking a positive view of the government's five-year program, which has resulted in several achievements such as expanding the drinking water network, education and transportation," said Edson Macuacua, a party spokesman. "The government comes to the end of its tenure with victories," he added. Nyusi, after being chosen party candidate, said: "the victory of Frelimo is an imperative of the victory of the people". General elections are scheduled for October 15. Nyusi's main challenger is Ossufo Momade from the main opposition Renamo party. North Korea tested multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, state media confirmed Saturday, the first comments on a launch that has further raised military tensions. Kim Jong Un personally gave an order of firing of the projectiles into the sea off North Koreas east coast, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. Pictures posted in North Korean state media show Kim peering through binoculars during the launch, then smiling as he points at a screen apparently showing an island target being destroyed. Analysts say one of the weapons fired appears to be a newly developed short-range ballistic missile. If confirmed, it would be the first North Korean missile test in a year and a half. The purpose of the drill was to estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, KCNA reported. The test is North Koreas latest attempt to gradually increase pressure on and signal its frustration with the United States and South Korea, since the breakdown of nuclear talks. Pyongyangs statement did not contain any explicit threats or even mentions of the United States or South Korea. Seoul on Friday condemned the launch as needlessly provocative and a violation of an inter-Korean military agreement. Missile or projectile? There had been confusion about the exact type of weapons North Korea launched. South Koreas defense ministry initially characterized the launch as a short-range missile test. Later statements referred to the weapons as projectiles. Thats no projectile, Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said in a tweet. Thats the new SRBM (short-range ballistic missile) that North Korea paraded in February. At least externally, the missile appears similar to the Iskandar, a short-range, ballistic missile developed by Russia, analysts say. Under a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions, North Korea is banned from conducting ballistic missile launches. Seoul says the weapons traveled from 70-200 kilometers, which would be classified as a short-range test. North Korea has not carried out a missile test since November 2017. The self-imposed moratorium has helped facilitate nuclear talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. In Kims view, the moratorium, which was never formalized, does not cover short-range tests. But by launching multiple short-range projectiles, Kim may be attempting to test the limits of how Washington interprets that moratorium. Last month, North Korea said it tested a tactical guided weapon. Commercial satellite images have also detected increased activity at some North Korean nuclear and satellite launch facilities in recent weeks. Trump: Deal still possible So far, Trump has played down the provocations. But he has also not signaled a change in his negotiating stance. Reacting to the latest test, Trump said he still believes a nuclear deal with North Korea is possible. Kim, who wants the removal of international sanctions hurting his economy, has said he will give the United States until the end of the year to become more flexible in the nuclear talks. Trump says he will not relax sanctions until Kim agrees to completely abandon his nuclear program. Deadlocked talks Trump and Kim have held two summits over the past year. At the first meeting, in Singapore, both men agreed to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But U.S. officials later acknowledged the two sides never agreed on what that means. At the second meeting in Vietnam, Trump rejected Kims offer to dismantle a part of North Koreas nuclear program in exchange for major sanctions relief. Since that meeting, the two sides have struggled to even hold talks, U.S. officials say. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, will visit South Korea and Seoul later this week to help advance the talks. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose liberal government has prioritized engagement with the North, says he is willing to hold a fourth summit with Kim anytime, anywhere. Last week, Japans conservative prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he is willing to meet with Kim unconditionally and talk with him frankly with an open mind. T J S George By The suicide bombers who wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka were all set to strike in Kerala, too. Clearly, networks exist without borders and contacts are continuous. The ISIS, alleged to be the main player in the attacks, has links in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Lankan ally which actually pulled the trigger, the National Thowheed Jamath, is linked to the Tamil Nadu Thawheed Jamath. As if to complete the circle, the militant Sinhalese nationalist group, Bodu Bala Sena, is keen to have a tie-up with the RSS and the BJP. India appears to be as integral a part of Sri Lanka as it was during Velupillai Prabhakarans days. Indian intelligence was alert and gave their Sri Lankan counterparts timely information, including names and locations of the attackers. If Colombo had paid attention to the tip-off, the terrorists could have been checked. To the countrys shame, however, the political infighting between the president and the prime minister made the government indifferent. For the pettiness of the leaders, innocents paid the price with their lives. Colombo did not notice that the local fanatical group was more active than the ISIS in promoting terror in the name of religion. The IS lost ground after it failed to establish its Caliphate. Its final foothold in Syria was lost a couple of months ago. This followed resistance to the IS by Islamists themselves. Because regimes holding territories of their own are unwilling to surrender, and because differing Islamic religious traditions oppose the idea of a uniform religiosity absorbing them all into a single, dominant order, the Caliphate concept failed to make headway. That is how Osama bin Ladens Al Qaeda collapsed. That is why IS lost its early momentum. On the Sri Lankan exploit itself, IS speaks in different tongues. Unnamed segments claimed that Lankan churches were blown up because a New Zealand mosque was attacked and worshippers killed by a Christian extremist. But Caliphate leader Baghdadi, suddenly surfacing after years of disappearance, said the Sri Lanka explosions were revenge for attacks on the Caliphate. The message is that IS is a spent force. But in the terrorism business, even a spent force can get a suicide bomber or two. Hence the regional alert after Baghdadis announcement that a new emir has been appointed in Bengal. With or without IS, the indigenous Islamist movement in Sri Lanka has enough teeth of its own. Tamil-speaking Zahran Hashim founded the National Thowheed Jamath after the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath expelled him on account of his hate speeches. The NTJ has been attacking Buddhist temples here and there. Its doctrinal foundation is Wahhabism, the extremist theology originated in, and financed by, Saudi Arabia. Hashims recorded speeches were a favourite with Riyas and two others arrested in Kerala last week. They were planning a suicide mission, investigators said. Wahhabisms power to brainwash the rich was again evident in Sri Lanka. The bombings were planned by members of one of the wealthiest families in the island. Foreign-educated scions of this politically influential family were among those who volunteered to blow themselves up in the suicide mission. Osama bin Laden came from a wealthy Saudi family. Al Qaedas present leader, Ayman Zawahiri, is a qualified paediatrician. The power of religion overrides everything else. Sri Lankas Muslims form less than 10 per cent of the population, yet a section of them took to the war path. The majority Sinhalese have been on the war path much longer. In a country brutalised by the LTTEs prolonged battles, the Bodu Bala Sena began with anti-Tamil skirmishes and then turned to attacks against Muslims. As a platform of Sinhala-Buddhist supremacists, the Sena has been promoting the thesis: This country belongs to Sinhalese. It is Sinhalese who built up its civilisation, culture and settlements. Until we correct (the problems created by White people and outsiders) we are going to fight. The Senas leader Gnanasara is a rousing orator who has spent some years in jail. He has been campaigning for closer association with the RSS aimed at a Buddhist-Hindu peace zone in Asia. That idea suits the newly militant Buddhist majority in Myanmar as well. Although anti-Muslim riots are not new in Myanmar, the current campaign is more like ethnic cleansing carried out with such relentlessness that even Aung San Suu Kyi sacrificed her reputation for it. Across the region, ethnicities, linguism of the acrimonious kind and communalism are becoming the new patriotism. What is euphemistically described as cultural nationalism is crippling both culture and nationalism. Are the intelligence agencies our only protection? Pope Francis has arrived in Sofia at the start of three days in the former communist states of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, his fourth trip abroad this year. Both countries have tiny Catholic minorities and most of the population considers themselves Orthodox. The pope is likely to use this opportunity to help cement the Vaticans relations with the Orthodox community in Eastern Europe. In a message to the Bulgarian people ahead of his Sunday arrival, the pope said his trip to Bulgaria would be a pilgrimage focused on faith, unity and peace. Bulgaria, he added, is home to witnesses of faith since the times when Saints Cyril and Methodius spread the word of the Gospel. This will be the second time a pope has visited Bulgaria. Pope John Paul II traveled to the country in 2002. No pope has ever visited North Macedonia. Bulgaria has a population of about 7 million people, with Catholics amounting to 1%, while Macedonia has a population of around 2 million, with Catholics amounting to less than 1%. Inspired by Saints John XXIII, Mother Teresa Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said the trip to these Eastern European countries was inspired by Saints John XXIII and Mother Theresa. He said the pope feels he is retracing the steps of these two figures and wants to underscore the good deeds accomplished by John XXIII in Bulgaria when he was nuncio there for 10 years, from 1925 to 1935 and those by Mother Theresa who was born in Skopje in North Macedonia. Mother Theresa was made a saint by Pope Francis in 2016. She was born in Skopje in 1910 when it was still part of the Ottoman Empire. She became known as the saint of the gutters for her work with the poorest of the poor in the slums of the Indian city of Calcutta. Pope Francis will be visiting her memorial and meet poor people helped by the order of nuns she founded, the Missionaries of Charity. Poverty as well as migration will also be themes of this visit by the pope. Francis will visit a refugee camp in Sofia, which was opened more than five years ago as migrants began flowing into Europe. Today it houses about 300 people, mostly from Syria and Afghanistan. He is wheelchair-bound and has limited use of his hands, but Alexander Gorbunov, the author of hugely popular social media accounts in Russia, has emerged as one of President Vladimir Putins most vocal critics. Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and using his right index finger to type, the 27-year-old author of StalinGulag skewers the hypocrisy of Putins system and the everyday injustices ordinary Russians face. Known for his dry wit and generous use of profanities, StalinGulag has built a near 1.5 million strong army of followers on Twitter and Telegram, with a total media outreach believed to include several million more. For years the StalinGulag authors identity remained one of Russias best-kept secrets, but Gorbunov blew his cover after authorities began harassing his 65-year-old mother and 80-year-old father last week. Gorbunov, an intelligent, soft-spoken man with a goatee, said he and his wife have been on tenterhooks. They can easily arrest and put in prison anyone, Gorbunov told AFP in an interview, saying that even a short stint in jail could kill him. They dont care, he said. In an increasing crackdown on dissent, Putin in March signed laws that allow courts to fine and briefly jail people for showing disrespect toward the authorities and to block media for publishing fake news. Damn hero Gorbunov, who is a successful self-taught financial trader by day, dreads publicity but this week revealed his identity to BBC and later spoke to AFP after gun-toting police inspected his parents home in the North Caucasus city of Makhachkala. His relatives in Moscow have also been intimidated, he says. If the authorities are afraid of what I write they are worthless, he said. Gorbunovs story has stunned Russia. This person is a damn hero, said screenwriter Andrew Ryvkin, while author Denis Bilunov called Gorbunov the person of the year. In a show of solidarity, Pavel Durov, the self-exiled founder of the Telegram messenger app, verified the StalinGulag account and offered his author help in moving abroad. Neither hero nor activist Gorbunov said he was heartened by the outpouring of support from Russians who have flooded him with offers of help and money. He has chalked up some 40,000 new followers over the past week. The blogger insisted he was neither a hero nor an opposition activist. He said he merely puts in writing his thoughts on everything from Russias foreign policy blunders to the excessive lifestyle of Putins inner circle. Whats happening in the country is terrible, Gorbunov said. Injustice is what angers me the most. In a 2018 post, he issued a dark warning to his readers. Really scary times are coming, he said, urging Russians to look out for each other. This is the reality and not everyone will get out alive. Gorbunov lives with his partner of seven years in a comfortable Moscow apartment, employs two drivers and a live-in aide and enjoys an active social life. He does not want to reveal his income but says he forks out around 400,000 rubles ($6,145) every month just to cover his rent and pay his helpers. He refuses to take any medication, saying his condition is incurable and he had no illusions about his future. I dont want to turn my life into a silly battle, he said. Its a battle I am going to lose. Not an optimist A lawyer by training, he works more than 10 hours a day, sometimes waking up at night if the market moves. He writes posts for his StalinGulag accounts when the mood strikes him and he needs a short break from work. He appears to take some of his inspiration from his favorite book, Journey to the End of the Night by French novelist Louis-Ferdinand Celine. The 1932 World War I classic filled with profanities expresses disgust with the hypocrisy of society and laments the misery of human existence. Get on with his life Gorbunov is fiercely protective of his wife, who sometimes holds his hand as he speaks to AFP and helps him drink from a cup. They met seven years ago but refuse to reveal details about their relationship. His story has generated huge media interest in Russia, but Gorbunov hopes the buzz will soon subside. He wants to get on with his life, watch the last season of Game of Thrones and keep trading and writing his blogs. He travels sometimes but has never been to Europe. Not that he plans to leave Russia, even though life for people with disabilities here is a relentless daily struggle, saying he wants to be with his loved ones. For all his dark humor and keen intelligence, Gorbunov refuses to make any predictions about the future of the country or his own. He has a feeling however that he will not see a change of leadership in his lifetime. I am not an optimist in this sense, he said. Witches were still being burned at the stake when Sir Matthew Hale came up with his legal theory that rape could not happen within marriage. The 17th century English jurist declared it legally impossible because wedding vows implied a wifes ongoing consent to sex. Three and a half centuries later, vestiges of the so-called marital rape exemption or spousal defense still exist in most states, remnants of the English common law that helped inform American legal traditions. Legislative attempts to end or modify those exemptions have a mixed record but have received renewed attention in the #MeToo era. Minnesota acts The most recent efforts to roll back protections for spouses focus on rapes that happen when a partner is drugged, unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. Minnesota is the latest to take action. Its Legislature this week voted to eliminate the exemption, which had prevented prosecutions in those cases. No longer will this antiquated and shameful law be on our books, Gov. Tim Walz said as he signed the bill into law Thursday. The concept of a pre-existing relationship defense should have never been part of our criminal statutes. A fight in Ohio In Ohio, determined opponents plan to re-introduce a marital rape bill this month, after two earlier attempts failed. Former lawmaker and prosecutor Greta Johnson was the first to introduce the Ohio legislation in 2015. She said having to address whether a woman was married to her attacker as part of sexual assault prosecutions struck her as appalling and archaic. Certainly, there was a marital exemption lifted years ago, but it was just for what in the prosecutorial world we call the force element by force or threat of force, she said. You could still drug your spouse and have sex with them, and its not rape. You could commit sexual imposition against your spouse, and its not a crime. It was really troubling. All 50 states had laws making marital rape a crime by 1993, whether as a result of the two preceding decades of activism by womens rights groups or because of a pivotal court ruling. Nearly 9% of women and 0.8% of men have been raped by an intimate partner, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National surveys have placed the percentage of women raped within marriage between 10% and 14%. Still, many states marital rape laws have loopholes, not only involving the victims capacity to consent, but related to age, relationship, use of force or the nature of the penetration. Some impose short timeframes for victims to report spousal rape. Skeptical in Maryland A recent Maryland bill sought to erase the marital exemption for all sex crimes. During discussion of the bill, one skeptical male lawmaker wondered whether a spouse might be charged with sexual assault for smacking the others behind during an argument. Maryland Del. Frank Conaway Jr., a Baltimore Democrat, raised religious concerns. If your religion believes if youre married, two are as one body, then what happens? Can you get a religious exemption? he asked. No, I would actually say that the First Amendment would prevent the state from getting entangled in that sort of judgment, replied Lisae Jordan, executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault. So you would have to rely on your faith and your commitment to that to not bring those charges. But thats no place for the General Assembly. The bill died in March. Common rationales Professor D. Kelly Weisberg of the University of California Hastings College of the Law said the Maryland debate touched on some of the common rationales for the marital rape exemption over the centuries. One is Hales premise from the 1670s that marriage implies irrevocable consent and even property rights by the husband over his wife and her body. Those ideas have never truly disappeared, said Weisberg, author of a new reference book on domestic violence law. She said other arguments for such laws are that marital privacy is a constitutional right, as when spouses cant be forced to testify against one another in court, that marital rape isnt serious enough to criminalize and that it would be difficult to prove. For those and other reasons, Weisberg said marital rape laws have not kept pace with other domestic violence laws. That means in some cases an unmarried domestic partner has more legal protections against attack than a spouse. One woman's story Changing attitudes and laws about marital rape is what drove Jenny Teeson to go public this year with her story. The 39-year-old from Andover, Minnesota, was going through a divorce in 2017 when she discovered a flash drive with videos taken by her husband. They showed him penetrating her with an object while she lay drugged and unconscious. In one, their 4-year-old lay next to her on the bed. Teeson turned the videos over to the police. After an investigation, her husband was charged with third-degree criminal sexual assault against an incapacitated victim. Charges were brought in the morning, but dropped by afternoon because of the states marital rape exemption. I was beside myself, she told The Associated Press. Her ex-husband ultimately pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of invading her privacy and served 30 days in the county jail. Still shocked that he could not be charged with a felony because of the state law, Teeson decided to take action. I thought if I cant have the law be in place to keep myself, my kids and my community safe, I could wallow in it, or I could do something about it, she said. The AP does not normally identify victims of sexual assault, but Teeson has shared her story publicly, including during testimony before legislative committees. Democratic state Sen. Karla Bigham credited Teesons advocacy for persuading lawmakers to pass the bill. She had to relive the trauma every time she shared her story, Bigham told her colleagues during a debate in the Senate chamber this past week. Her voice speaks loudly to those women who deserve justice. Lets do the right thing. Lets right this wrong. 17 states AEquitas, a resource for prosecutors, reported last month that 17 states still maintain some form of the exemption for spouses who rape partners when they are drugged or otherwise incapacitated: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington and Wyoming. In Ohio, state Rep. Kristin Boggs, a Democrat, said shes not optimistic the upcoming version of the marital rape bill will be any more successful in the Republican-controlled Legislature than it has been in the past. But at least one past opponent the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association has evolved on the issue. Executive Director Lou Tobin said he expects the group will support a bill that seeks to eliminate the exemption. In the past, I know that theres been some concern that these cases are difficult to prove; they can be a lot of he-said, she-said back and forth, Tobin said. But sorting through those things is what prosecutors are for. Boggs bill would again call for removing references to the marital exemption throughout Ohios criminal code. Her argument in favor of it is straightforward. Our rationale for introducing this legislation is simply that your legal relationship to another human being shouldnt give you permission to rape them, she said. Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement piled pressure on its government partner the League on Sunday to dump a junior minister under investigation for corruption, in a case that could pull the coalition apart. Relations between 5-Star and the far-right League have grown increasingly fraught in the run-up to European Union parliamentary elections on May 26, with the two parties acting more like bitter political enemies than cabinet allies. Their growing rivalry triggered an unprecedented spat between the interior and defense ministries at the weekend as tensions grew over the fate of junior transport minister Armando Siri, who is very close to League leader Matteo Salvini. Siri last month was put under investigation for allegedly accepting a bribe from a wind farm entrepreneur who has been linked to the Sicilian Mafia. Siri has denied wrongdoing, but 5-Star has said he must resign for the good of the government. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who belongs to no party and presents himself as the mediator between the two cabinet partners, agreed last week that Siri must go. However, the League, which has surged in the polls over the past year and has easily overtaken 5-Star as Italy's leading party, has so far refused to back down, saying he has not been charged and not yet had a chance to speak to investigators. 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio urged Salvini on Sunday to tell Siri to go before the cabinet meets on Wednesday to discuss the issue and hold a possible vote on his dismissal. 5-Star has more ministers than the League, so should win any such ballot. While he said his party would not abandon the coalition even if League ministers sought to protect Siri in a vote, Di Maio said ramping up tensions between the two parties risked taking it to the point of a breakdown. "I don't think the League wants things to get to a vote and to a rupture," Di Maio told Rai television. "What I say to Salvini is, that it's all very well being tough with the weak, but now is the moment to show some courage," he said. However, during a weekend of increasingly harsh exchanges, there was no sign of a League retreat. "I am not used to abandoning people who have worked alongside me," Salvini, who serves as interior minister, told a political rally on Saturday. In an effort to shift the focus from Siri, the interior ministry launched a broadside against 5-Star Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta after her office wrongly tweeted that the navy had thwarted an attack on an Italian fishing boat. The erroneous tweet was swiftly deleted, but the interior ministry accused Trenta's staff of spreading false news. "The defense minister should act like a defense minister. The Armed Forces deserve much better," a statement said. 5-Star said Salvini had "crossed a red line" by using his ministry to attack another for electoral purposes. Several Italian newspapers quoted sources within the League at the weekend as saying they were fed up of working with 5-Star, and predicting the government would fall after the May 26 vote. Salvini denied the reports and accused journalists of generating "pointless" controversies. "The government will last for four years," he said on Saturday. The Sudanese protesters who succeeded in driving President Omar al-Bashir from power say their revolution wont be complete until they have dismantled what many describe as an Islamist-dominated deep state that underpinned his 30-year rule. That has escalated tensions with the transitional military council, leading to the resignation of three Islamist members last month after the protesters refused to meet with them. An Islamist political party said protesters attacked one of its meetings, wounding more than 60 members in clashes, and a hard-line preacher canceled a march in support of Islamic law over fears of violence. The conflict between the pro-democracy protesters and Islamists could further stall the transition to civilian rule, already the subject of tense negotiations between the protesters and the military. It could also draw in regional powers as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates look to counter Islamist factions across the region and Qatar and Turkey lend them support. Islamists role in 1989 coup The 1989 military coup that brought al-Bashir to power was orchestrated by Hassan al-Turabi, a charismatic intellectual who founded the countrys modern Islamist movement. Fearing a Western backlash, al-Turabi disguised his Islamic revolution as a military coup, even having himself briefly detained in an effort to conceal his role. Under al-Turabis guidance, the government imposed a harsh version of Islamic law in the 1990s that included amputations and stoning as punishment for some crimes, and which heavily restricted womens rights. It conscripted self-styled mujahedeen, or holy warriors, to battle rebels in Christian and animist south Sudan, and created an array of Islamist militias to impose its edicts. The government also welcomed Islamic militants from around the world, including Osama bin Laden, before expelling him in 1996 under international pressure. Al-Bashir and al-Turabi later had a falling out, but even as al-Bashir adopted a more pragmatic stance in the 2000s, he remained committed to political Islam. Security forces, shadow militias Al-Bashir and the Islamic movement went to great lengths to create an Islamist deep state, by establishing multiple security forces and shadow party militias, said Rosalind Marsden, an expert on Sudan at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. They politicized the army and other state institutions and enabled regime insiders to take control of key sectors and companies within the economy, she said. This Islamist deep state constitutes a formidable barrier to real change. Its unclear how much support Islamists have outside the government. The last time Sudan held free elections, in 1986, al-Turabis National Islamic Front came in a distant third behind two long-established mainstream parties. The poor showing may have been behind al-Turabis decision to embark on a top-down Islamic revolution three years later. Backing the military council The Popular Congress Party, established by al-Turabi after his falling out with al-Bashir in 1999, was part of the opposition for years before joining al-Bashirs government in 2017, a year after al-Turabis death. It did not officially support the protests against al-Bashir but criticized the crackdown against the protesters, which killed nearly 100 people. Abu Bakr Abdel Razek, a senior member of the PCP, said the group had martyrs among the protesters killed in the crackdown, and had threatened to withdraw from the government if al-Bashir forcibly dispersed the main sit-in. The party held a meeting last week that it said was attacked by protesters. Both the military council and the Sudanese Professionals Association, which spearheaded the protests against al-Bashir, condemned the violence. But the protesters often chant slogans against Islamists at their rallies, referring to them by the slang word keizan. The PCP and other Islamists have gravitated toward the military council in the weeks since al-Bashirs April 11 ouster. Most of the Islamist groups have been supporting a strong role for the military in the transitional period, probably because they see them as a potential shield against secularists in the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change, said Willow Berridge, a professor at Newcastle University who has written a book about al-Turabi and Sudans Islamists. 30 years in the making In a Friday sermon in late April, Abdel-Hay Youssef, an ultraconservative preacher in Khartoum with a wide following, 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. 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. He later called for a mass rally in support of Shariah, but canceled it after saying he had received assurances from the military council that Islamic laws would not be abolished. The military council is led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, a rare non-Islamist among the top military brass. Three Islamist members of the council resigned last month after the protesters complained that they were too close to al-Bashir, who has been jailed in Khartoum along with several other top officials. The two sides have yet to agree on a blueprint for the transition, and the protesters have vowed to stay in the streets until the military hands power to civilians. At a mass rally on Thursday, protesters chanted: Dirty Burhan, who brought him? It is the Islamists. Any clean break (with the former regime) would require dismantling the shadow Islamist militias and comprehensive security sector reform under civilian oversight, said Marsden, the Sudan expert. This process is likely to take some time as the deep state has been created over a period of 30 years. Rivers are a source of irrigation, drinking water, recreation ... and flooding. Scientists say the threat of flooding will increase as the climate changes. Here in the United States, scientists are preparing for that future with a variety of technology, including drones, supercomputers and sonar, to manage flood control projects and to try to predict and prevent floods. Faiza Elmasry has the story narrated by Faith Lapidus. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify in Congress about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, after saying on Friday it was up to the Justice Department's top official. Trump said on Twitter that Democrats in Congress were seeking a "redo" of Mueller's report, which declined to conclude whether the president's efforts to impede the investigation constituted obstruction of justice. "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Trump tweeted. Attorney General William Barr, under fire from Democrats for his handling of the report's release, has said he has no problem with Mueller testifying. On Friday, Trump told reporters it was up to Barr to decide if Mueller should testify. The Mueller report chronicled Russian efforts to help Trump win election in 2016 but found that Trump and his campaign did not engage in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow. The Republican president has derided the investigation as a costly "witch hunt" and sought to characterize the report's findings as a victory. The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee appears closest to arranging for Mueller to testify, possibly as soon as May 15. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment on Sunday. Barr is headed for another showdown with Congress on Monday if he fails to meet a morning deadline to hand over the full, unredacted Mueller report requested by Democrats. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said Democrats needed to hear from officials beyond Barr, including former White House counsel Don McGahn. Mueller and McGahn "will testify. The American people deserve the truth," he said on Twitter. Trump said on Friday he would decide within a week or so whether to assert executive privilege to block McGahn from testifying before Congress. Last month, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed McGahn seeking documents by Tuesday and for him to testify on May 21. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday assailed "political correctness" for the decision by horse racing judges to overturn the apparent outcome of the country's most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby. "The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one" Trump said on Twitter a day after the race in Louisville, Kentucky. "It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!" Three stewards who oversee racing rules infractions at the Churchill Downs race track overturned the outcome of the race 22 minutes after it ended. In the nationwide telecast of the annual race, it initially appeared that one of the pre-race favorites, Maximum Security, had won, after starting the race at 9-2 odds. But after two competing jockeys filed an objection against Maximum Security, saying that it had interfered with their run and that of other horses in the last turn before the finish line, the stewards examined extensive television footage of the race before declaring that a 65-1 longshot, Country House, was the winner. Bettors who placed a $2 wager on Country House to win suddenly were able to cash tickets for $132.40, while those who bet on Maximum Security got nothing, with the stewards placing it as the 17th place finisher in the 19-horse field. It was the first time in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby that the first-to-finish horse was disqualified. Chief steward Barbara Borden said, "We had a lengthy review of the race. We interviewed affected riders," the jockeys, and "determined that the 7 horse," Maximum Security, "drifted out and impacted the progress" of other horses as they rounded the last turn on the two-kilometer oval race course. "Those horses were all affected, we thought, by the interference. Therefore, we unanimously determined to disqualify No. 7." Tunisian police killed three Islamist militants in the central city of Sidi Bouzid on Saturday, a security source told Reuters. Police seized weapons in the operation, the source added, without giving details. The Interior Ministry said early Saturday that the security forces foiled attacks planned in the holy month of Ramadan after they arrested a dangerous terrorist this week. One of the Arab worlds most secular nations, Tunisia became a target for militants after being hailed as a beacon of democratic change with an uprising against autocrat Zine Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. Tunisia suffered three major attacks in 2015, including two against tourists, one at a museum in Tunis and the second on a beach in Sousse. The third targeted presidential guards in the capital. All three attacks were claimed by Islamic State. After collapsing, tourism has since gradually recovered. The U.S. on Sunday downplayed North Korea's short-range missile launches, saying it believes there still is an opportunity to reach an agreement to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ABC News "This Week" that the barrage of projectiles Pyongyang launched into waters off its shores did not cross over any other country. "We still believe there's an opportunity" for an agreement with North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program, the top U.S. diplomat said, and "hope" that the missile launch watched by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "won't get in the way." President Donald Trump said Saturday he thinks a deal with Kim will still occur. On Twitter, Trump said Kim "fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen." Pompeo said the U.S. and North Korean have communicated with each other since the February collapse of talks between Trump and Kim in Hanoi, when the U.S. balked at Kim's demand to ease sanctions in advance of a full agreement to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Pompeo said that if "these nuclear weapons go away it will make a huge difference" in North Korea's chances to advance its economy. Cynthia Warmbier, the mother of Otto Warmbier, the American student who died in 2017 after being imprisoned for months in North Korea, on Friday disparaged U.S. efforts to deal with North Korea. "Theres a charade going on right now," she said. "Its called diplomacy. How can you have diplomacy with someone that never tells the truth? Thats what I want to know. Im all for it, but Im very skeptical. She described Kim's regime as absolute evil. Its obvious to the world that were on to him, she said of Kim. But unless we keep the pressure on North Korea, they are not going to change, and Im very afraid that we are going to let up on this pressure. Pompeo voiced sympathy for the Warmbier family, adding that Trump "understands the challenges" of dealing with Pyongyang. North Korea on Saturday said it tested multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons." Kim Jong Un personally gave an order of firing of the projectiles into the sea off North Koreas east coast, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. Its a matter of grave concern that the Islamic State suicide bombers who killed over 250 people, including 45 children, in serial blasts on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, had an Indian footprint as well. That they made trips to Kerala, Bengaluru and Jammu and Kashmir for training or networking or both was revealed by Sri Lankan Army Chief Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake on Sunday. As most of them belonged to the illustrious family of Sri Lankan spice tycoons, they ought to have been under the radar for a long time, as they were in their country as well, till Indian spooks uncovered their terror trail and blew the whistle. But Sri Lanka refused to believe it. It is already known that rabid cleric Zahran Hashim, founder of Lankas radical National Thowheed Jamath, who had indoctrinated the suicide bombers and reportedly died along with them on 21/4, had spent substantial time in South India too. Disturbing videos of his extremist diatribe against non-Muslims had many followers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In fact, the recruitment of Keralites to the IS through social media has been taking place since 2015. At least 35 wannabe jihadis had left for Syria from various places in Kerala to join the IS. Some others like Palakkads Riyaz Aboobacker, recently arrested by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), were reportedly plotting suicide attacks in Kerala. There were instances of IS drawing supporters from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also. Some of the misguided youth have since returned and joined the mainstream after proper counselling. While the NIA is going after IS terror modules and sleeper cells, what ought to add to its worry are the lone wolf attacks that can happen anywhere at any time. Such attacks coordinated by handlers on social media do not need a big network. All it takes is one person indoctrinated in the ideology of hate who is willing to kill for a cause. Its this pernicious ideology that is at the root of all evil and needs to be combated effectively. As they say, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. And security. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is only "ruling for the moment" despite last week's failed effort by opposition leader Juan Guaido to overthrow his regime. The top U.S. diplomat told ABC News "This Week," "Maduro can't feel good about the security of his position." He said Maduro's days as the Venezuelan leader are numbered, but offered no timetable. Guaido, the self-declared interim president of Venezuela, led thousands of his countrymen into the streets of the capital, Caracas, for two days last week in protest of Maduro's socialist government, but top military commanders did not heed Guaido's call to join him in seeking Maduro's ouster. Five demonstrators were killed in clashes with police. Opposition leaders planned a memorial Sunday for those killed in last week's protests. Venezuelan officials also continued to investigate the helicopter crash Saturday near Caracas that killed seven military officers who were headed toward a military base near the town of San Carlos. Top U.S. officials throughout the week praised the efforts to overthrow Maduro government as its fall appeared possible. But Pompeo rejected the suggestion that the aborted takeover was a U.S. intelligence failure. "No, not at all," Pompeo said. He said the United States will continue to offer support for "restoring democracy for the Venezuelan people." Pompeo called on Russia, Cuba and Iran to end their support for the Maduro regime. "We want everyone out," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. should "abandon its irresponsible plans" to overthrow Maduro. Pompeo, as he has in recent days, declined to rule out a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. But neither Pompeo nor President Donald Trump has said under what circumstances the U.S. might send troops to the South American country. "I'm very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful," Pompeo said, dismissing concerns that Congress would need to approve an incursion. Guaido is considered Venezuelas legitimate leader by the U.S. and 50 other countries. Seven Venezuelan military officers were killed Saturday when their helicopter crashed while heading to a state where President Nicolas Maduro appeared alongside troops, days after the opposition called in vain for a military uprising. The Cougar helicopter hurtled into a mountain outside Caracas in the early hours of an overcast day in the capital. An investigation was underway. The armed forces in a statement said the chopper was heading to San Carlos in Cojedes state. Thats near a military academy where Maduro appeared early Saturday to oversee training exercises following a week of intrigue that saw a small group of security forces turn against him in the failed attempt by opposition leader Juan Guaido to overthrow the government. On board the helicopter were two lieutenant colonels as well as five lower-ranking officers. The statement didnt say if the chopper was part of the presidential delegation. Maduro and military The critical role of the Venezuelan military in the countrys crisis was on display as Maduro tried to portray strength by joining troops at the military academy, while Guaido attempted to woo the armed forces to his side by urging supporters to the streets. National television showed Maduro wearing a camouflage hat as he shook hands and exchanged fist bumps with security forces during a visit to a military base before watching troops engage in a shooting exercise. Loyal forever, Maduro bellowed to a crowd of cadets in green uniforms. Guaido faithful take to streets Guaido, meanwhile, told backers to go to military garrisons to persuade forces to turn against Maduro, whose years in office have been marked by escalating hardship for most people in a country that was once one of the wealthiest in Latin America. As demonstrators linked arms and moved toward police, protest leader Maria Suarez urged calm. Please, a lot of discipline, she said. Some broke the line and went forward to hand over printed documents, saying the militarys role in helping Venezuela emerge from an unsustainable situation is vital. They think its a joke. They dont take us seriously. Theyre not listening, said demonstrator Andrea Palma after police burned the paper with a lighter. Divisions among the protesters were evident as some young men from poor neighborhoods scoffed at a speaker who insisted that the gathering must be peaceful. Its the frustration talking, said demonstrator Mariajose Molina. One protester looked on as the printed proclamation was burned. He then wished the policeman a nice day. See you later, replied the officer before turning away. Warplanes struck a hospital in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Sunday, knocking it out of service, as government forces continued to bombard the rebel-held region following insurgent attacks last week. The latest fighting has killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands in Idlib and nearby rebel-held areas, who fled to safer regions further north. It's the heaviest fighting in months, and has raised fears the government may launch a wider offensive to retake the country's last major rebel stronghold. Attacks on hospitals and clinics in the past have preceded major government offensives on rebel-held areas, including the 2016 attack on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo and last year's offensive on eastern suburbs of the capital, Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian warplanes were behind the attack on the main hospital in the rebel-held village of Hass. The opposition-run activist collective Baladi News also reported the airstrike on the hospital, adding that it was not clear if there were casualties. The Observatory said that since the early hours of Sunday, Russian warplanes carried out more than 50 airstrikes on Idlib and nearby Hama province. It said government and Russia bombardment killed at least six people on Sunday in different rebel-held areas. Turkey's Defense Ministry meanwhile said that two Turkish soldiers were wounded on Saturday when mortar shells fell near one of their positions in Hama province. Turkey and Russia, who back opposite sides in Syria's eight-year conflict, brokered a truce in September that averted a government offensive on Idlib. But the truce has been repeatedly violated, and parts of it have yet to be implemented, including the withdrawal of al-Qaida-linked militants from the front lines. Two major highways that cut through rebel-held areas were supposed to be reopened before the end of 2018 but remain closed. The latest fighting erupted on April 30, three days after al-Qaida-linked militants launched attacks on the positions of government forces in northern Syria, killing 22 soldiers and pro-government gunmen. Any action taken by the Syrian Arab Army is legitimate since there has been no commitment to agreements reached, a Syrian security official was quoted as saying by the government-run Syrian Central Military Media. Pro-government media said insurgents shelled villages near the front lines, killing one civilian. State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that insurgents are preparing to launch an offensive on government-held areas, warning that such an attack would mark the beginning of their end. Government troops and insurgents have been reinforcing their positions in recent days in a sign that violence is expected to continue as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan beginning Monday. Former Zimbabwean journalist Miriam Sibada says fake news is chipping away some pillars of democracy in some societies at a time when citizen journalism has taken center stage in circulating true and false information. VOA Zimbabwe Services Gibbs Dube speaks with Madziwa about this and related issues. Gibbs Dube (GD): Whats your take on media and democracy in times of disinformation? Miriam Sibanda (MS): What I am seeing and finding very worrisome is the fact that there is so much information floating out there, but it is taking away from democracy. So instead of enhancing democracy, all this information - the fake stories, the disinformation - is actually working against us, and the media is no longer able to play its intended role which is to education, inform and entertain, because how do you educate your readership or your listeners when you are dealing with false information. What you are instead doing is racketing up emotions, you are denying people a chance to critically engage with issues, because the starting point is not solid as it were, because now there is all sorts of information there and unlike in the past where you read a story, listened to a news bulletin, you could make a decision. I think a lot of us now, your sixth sense tells you after you have read something, is to say, mmmmm, is this true, is this correct, and you find that you are having to fact check before you can decide or even pass on the information, to anyone or use it, for whatever purposes that you intend to use the information you are reading, an article or listening to an article, for. So as a result, its taking away from the intended purpose of democracy where you are supposed to make informed decisions. How do you make informed decisions, when you are being informed by lies, as it were. GD: so now looking at filtering this kind of information, how do you tell that this is fake news? And for a common person, how do they do that? MS: Its not easy to tell. Ill be honest with you, even myself, you know, a trained media person, I have fallen for fake news several time. But with time now, you learn, if it is a written article, you are checking for spelling mistakes, the grammar, the presentation, and once you pick those tale, tale signsbut there are others who have perfected the art of fake news, so you then have to go down to consistency does this make sense, is it flowing? But sometimes you will find, some of the stories might not make a lot of sense, but they turn out to be true, and this is emanating from the fact that you also have, you know, this trend of citizen journalism, where people are seeing things and they are reporting on them, but they dont know how best to do it, and sometimes the information is presented haphazardly, and there is the danger that you can mistake it for false news, when in actual fact it is true and factual, just not packaged right. GD: So is there any way citizen journalists can may be used for the sake of enhancing democracy, and even common journalism itself, can it be used somehow, now, since you are saying that you know, you can no longer trust sources of news. So how can this be all integrated to come out with some truthful information, circulating out there? MS: I think we have to go back to the basics, starting with those who are trained for the job, to just say, you know, address the 4 Ws and H, as best you can. And the citizen journalists, they need to be taught, they need to enhance their skills by reading and listening to those that are trained to do it. And I think the simplest starting point is just working with the truth. If it is two people that you have seen engaged in an accident, or in a fight, let it be two and not be ballooned to scores of people. You know those basics if we start there, we are giving people the correct information and then from there, they can make informed decisions. But I think theres also need to just go all out to train our citizens on how to relay news or information, so that it benefits all of us, and just make people aware that lies will not help us at all. GB: Going forward Miss Madziwa you know that it is very difficult to train everybody to understand the art of disseminating information. With everybody being a journalist, how best can this be done in order for people to get true information. MS: I think it has to start with each individual just saying, you know what, I will try to tell this as best as I can, as truthfully as I can Try and leave out the emotions, try not to exaggerate and just say this is what happened so that the other person gets the correct context and understanding of what it is you are talking about. And it is audios and video clips let they be clips that give context and meaning to what you are raising. That way I think we make a start but I think those of you who are still practicing, you have to take it upon yourselves to bring on board these citizen journalists and help them learn the art of telling a story and telling it as truthfully as possible. Let truth be the starting point and then the other details can follow later. GD: Can politicians play any part in this kind of news dissemination in order for societies to get the truth out there? MS: Yes, I think everybody has a role to play. With our politicians I think the starting point is just consistency in their messages because one of the things has to happen is the confusion from the minds of the reader arises from politicians who blow hot and cold depending on their audience. So, if politicians can be consistent in their message, we are not saying they should use the same words or whatever but the messages must be consistent so that if then they are reported to be saying something out of turn the readers and listeners can say hmmmmm this does not sound like our leader, doesnt sound like the person we voted for and then they go out of the way to try and find out whether he was quoted correctly, the story was written in context. So, it really just starts being consistent with the messages they give out on the various issues that they decided to engage in or engage on. A Gabonese court has thrown out a bid by opposition activists to force President Ali Bongo Ondimba to have medical checks to see whether he is still fit to rule. The court in Libreville rejected the request as "inadmissible," according to the ruling seen Saturday by AFP. Only the government or the two chambers of parliament had the power to go to the Constitutional Court to get a ruling removing the president from power, it said. But the activists behind the legal bid denounced the ruling. "This judgment reinforces our doubt about the capacity of Ali Bongo to still carry out his presidential duties," activist Marc Ona, who leads one of the groups behind the bid, said. Bongo spent five months abroad in Morocco, recovering from a stroke he suffered Oct. 24 while visiting Saudi Arabia. During that period, he returned to Gabon twice, his long absence stoking concern about a power vacuum. A brief attempted coup by renegade soldiers in January was quickly ended. But on his return to Gabon at the end of March, some opponents of the president called for a judicial inquiry into his state of health. Thursday's court decision appears to have blocked that bid. Ali Bongo has ruled the oil-rich central African country since 2009, following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled since 1967. Top U.S. and Pentagon officials are considering options for Venezuela after calls for an uprising by opposition leader Juan Guaido apparently failed. Guaido, recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate interim president, called for members of the military to defect. Photo: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Getty Images Opening statements were made on Thursday in the trial of the alleged serial killer known as the Hollywood Ripper. Michael Gargiulo, whom California prosecutors have charged with brutally assaulting one woman and murdering two others in the Los Angeles area between 2001 and 2008, is also awaiting trial for the 1993 murder of an 18-year-old woman in Chicago. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that over the course of the six-month trial, Ashton Kutcher who was dating one of Gargiulos alleged victims, 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin, at the time of her death is expected to testify. Ellerin attended fashion school and worked part time as a stripper. On February 21, 2001, the night Ellerin died, Kutcher, who was starring in That 70s Show, had plans to go with her to a Grammy Awards after party. Kutcher says she didnt pick up her phone when he called but he drove to her house anyway, where he noticed her lights were on and her car was parked in the driveway. According to LA Weeklys report on the incident from 2010, Kutcher peered through her window and noticed a trail of red liquid on the floor, which he mistook for red wine. The Washington Post reports that police believe Gargiulo met Ellerin upon moving into her neighborhood in the fall of 2000 after fleeing Chicago, where he thought authorities were growing more suspicious of his potential involvement in the 1993 murder case. He offered his services to her as a heating and cooling repairman and soon became somewhat chummy with her and her roommate. LA Weekly reports that Gargiulo was once a guest at one of Ellerins parties. According to California prosecutors, Gargiulo went on to kill 32-year-old Maria Bruno in El Monte in 2005, and critically injure 27-year-old Michelle Murphy in Santa Monica in 2008. Gargiulo has pleaded not guilty to all charges. In each of these cases, Gargiulo was a neighbor to the women hes been accused of killing. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Hundreds of medical aspirants from North Karnataka, who were scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru on Sunday, to take the NEET exams, missed the test as they were unable to reach on time. The students missed their entrance exam due to a seven-hour delay of the Hampi Express, prompting criticism of the Indian Railways from former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the afternoon, followed by an appeal by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, to allow the students another chance at taking the exam. Hampi express, that was supposed to reach Bengaluru at 6.20 AM, finally arrives at City railway station at 2.37 PM. Hundreds of students scheduled to write #NEET were onboard the delayed train from Hubballi. @santwana99@NewIndianXpress Video by @shrirambn pic.twitter.com/m7qxbSYzY4 According to railway officials, the Hampi Express, from Hubbali to Mysuru, was being run on an alternative route, due to work between Guntakal and Kalluru. As a result of the alternative route being 120 kilometres longer and prior delays, the train was delayed by 2 hours. While Railways officials claimed that the delay had been intimated by SMS, students who reached the city after the exams began said that they had received no such alert. IN PICS: No dupattas, no sacred threads: Intensive frisking takes centre stage yet again during NEET exam More than 15 lakh students took up The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET exam) on May 5, Sunday. The exam conducted by National Testing Agency across India has students registered for the undergraduate medical entrance, the only gateway to enter medical and dental colleges. The exam was held in select centres of 154 cities across India, between 2 pm to 5 pm. Railways to recommend re-exam for students on board Hampi Express BENGALURU: The South Western Railway has decided to recommend a re-exam for the hundreds of students who missed out on the NEET Exam on Sunday due to the delayed arrival of the Hubballi-Mysuru-Bengaluru Express by over seven hours to Bengaluru. Chief Public Relations Officer, E Vijaya, said the letter will be sent on Monday morning to the Human Resources Development Ministry. Three Hewitt City Council seats turned over and a fourth was headed to a runoff after a Saturday election that some saw as a rebuke to the turmoil that has plagued city leadership. Council veteran Charlie Turner returned to the council by soundly defeating incumbent Ward 1 Councilman Travis Bailey, a retired constable. Newcomer Matthew Mevis, an environmental consultant, slid in unopposed to the Ward 2 chair after Councilman James Vidrine chose not to run for re-election. Erica Bruce, who won a hotly contested special election for another seat late last year, overwhelmingly defeated A.C. Tony Martinez for the Ward 3 seat now held by Mayor Ed Passalugo, who is stepping down. A five-way race for the at-large seat was narrowed down to two finalists, Michael Bancale and Mike Field, who will face each other in a runoff tentatively scheduled for June 8. Winning candidates Saturday night agreed that the electorate was tired of council infighting after a year of dueling complaints about the behavior of council and top staffers. It was a lot of confusion about city and school taxes. A lot of people think theyre connected, she said. The school tax and city tax are completely different things. The school district is not going to fix your streets, and the city is not going to build a new school. People stated on social media that they would not vote for the school bond because of infrastructure problems in the city, Crawford said, or they voiced opposition to the bond because Robinson ISD is paying off two other outstanding bonds, one of which expires in five years. If we wait five years to pay off older bonds, were looking at probably twice the amount to pay for construction costs. Were looking at as much as $60 million, Crawford said. Its something thats going to have to be done. The school district would have used the bond funds to update its multi-building junior high campus, erected in the late 1960s, that serves students in seventh and eighth grades. The plan included significant new construction, demolition of a classroom wing and renovation and repurposing of original buildings that would remain. The bond also would have paid for expansion of the high school agricultural facility. Baylors ongoing Give Light campaign has received the largest one-time donation in the universitys history a $100 million anonymous gift that officials say will accelerate the universitys research ambitions. The latest gift brings the $1.1 billion campaigns current fundraising total to $692 million, the university announced Saturday evening. The gift will primarily fund endowed professorships, a key feature for the universitys academic strategic plan, Illuminate. President Linda Livingstone is seeking by late 2022 to complete the campaign, which aims to move the university toward the highest echelon of research universities. An important part of that strategic plan is ensuring that we are hiring and retaining faculty that are exceptional researchers and deeply committed to our Christian mission, Livingstone said. To do that, to really bring in some of the best scholars in the world that would be committed to our Christian mission and to our students, you have to have the resources to do that. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Security has been beefed up in the state after the Sri Lankan government informed that the terror group that carried out the series of attacks in their country had visited Kashmir, Kerala and Bengaluru. A meeting of senior police officers was held and they were instructed on standard operating procedures on security drills. However, City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said Central agencies have not issued any specific alert. According to the police, officers have been asked to check any suspicious people as part of a routine security drill in public places. Police have increased checking of vehicles at night at railway stations, bus stands and other areas. For a week, hotels and lodges have been checking and collecting data from foreign nationals staying at their establishments. House owners have been asked to share details of their tenants and photo copies of their documents with their areas police stations. There is no high alert announced in and around the city after the terror strike. We have already called a meeting of all religious heads and staff of malls to discuss security. We are always alert, high alert is just a rumour, said Suneel Kumar. Central agencies, including the intelligence bureau, reportedly alerted the states Home Department to increase security measures in public areas. Carl Franklin Gulebian, 35, readily admits he was a wild child growing up in Waco. As a rebellious teen and the only white family in the neighborhood, he took to running the streets and getting into trouble. On his brothers birthday, there was a hostage situation across the street; thats how wild it was. I was a horrible child, Gulebian said. I grew up in a rough neighborhood. Despite this, he graduated from A.J. Moore Academy but ended up strung out on meth and homeless. Thats when he saw a billboard for the military and decided to join up. After all, many of his family members had joined in various branches, including both grandfathers. Thus, Gulebian joined the Marines at age 17 but didnt get in until he was 18. Although he had second thoughts, he found himself at the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot in San Diego in 2002. His specialty training at the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton originally was in infantry, but due to a shortage of mortarmen, he was reassigned halfway through. Second, long reports are so 1998. Mueller seems to be bothered about how few actually read the hundreds of pages of the report he and his staff of career prosecutors and law enforcement agents spent years researching and writing. But come on. Its 2019, and if it cant be said in a few Game of Thrones memes, its probably not worth saying. In disclosure, we did read the executive summaries the Mueller team provided for the underlying evidence and, while their intentions were good, its clear they were practically asking to be ignored. For example, Mueller made the delicate legal point that when the report said something was not established, that does not mean it didnt happen, merely that he did not uncover sufficient evidence to consider it proven as a matter of criminal law. Mueller also disclaimed examining whether there was any collusion, saying his focus instead was whether there was what met the legal definition of conspiracy. Dude, say this in a GIF next time. Third, dont bury the headline. The last four words of the report does not exonerate him should have been in the opening sentence. Supporters would still ignore it, but it would take a lot less time to do so. The federal government is moving to cut rental subsidies for families relying on federal housing assistance despite the inadequate supply of affordable rental housing for renters with extremely low incomes. Instead of proposing cuts to the federal programs that assist low-income renters, the federal government should do the opposite of what the Trump administration is proposing and take steps to address the inadequate supply of affordable rental housing across the nation. How exactly? For starters, private developers should be given additional incentives and tax credits to set aside larger percentages of new housing they build for low-income residents. These incentives and credits will help encourage the development of low-income housing across the United States, and they are especially needed in areas with strong housing markets, where developers tend to focus on building housing for residents with higher incomes. Hes doing all of this, I suspect, because he believes in it and because he came to the administration ready to do the handiwork that protected and enhanced the powers of the presidency. He has always favored an unfettered, imperial White House and has gone out of his way over the years to insulate the executive branch from prying eyes and congressional oversight. Barr originally got an audition for the attorney generals job after openly taking pot shots at the bona fides of the Mueller investigation. I imagine his interview with the president about filling Jeff Sessions shoes must have revolved around a willingness to go to bat for Trump. Barr knew what was expected of him, but he was already comfortably in his own philosophical zone. He proved it early on in his new job when he stood next to the Resolute desk in the Oval Office and told the world, on cue from Trump during a promotional stunt, that the president had the legal authority to declare an emergency on the U.S. southern border. During a 2011 Trib Q&A with newly elected Republican Congressman Bill Flores, an oil and gas industry veteran, he insisted few operators had such low safety cultures as BP. But most of the industry has it right. I think weve fixed most of those problems. And in case there is a disaster, we have the Marine Well Containment Company that has been set up as an industry-funded solution. You have a massive amount of assets that can be out there to contain and capture (the spread of oil). Its brand new. Theyve even built a variety of caps that can cap almost any well out there. Ironically, last week the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation-funded Respect Big Bend Coalition introduced its maiden efforts to collaborate with oil and gas companies to ensure the West Texas oil boom doesnt despoil the rugged beauty of Texas Big Bend and imperil critical water sources. Coalition official Marilu Hastings reminded news media that the oil and gas industry is not a monolith that there are major exploration companies as well as small-scale independent drillers. Not all may collaborate meaningfully or at all. Yes, as former state Sen. Kip Averitt, a proponent of clean energy, then observed: Most oil and gas companies recognize the financial perils and public relations risks behind a major catastrophe and seek to be seen as good neighbors. What makes us nervous: operators rolling the dice as casually as the Trump administration does with our fragile environment and ecosystem. A second person has been arrested in connection with the man arrested for the high speed chase. On Friday May 3rd at approximately 6:30 PM, Officer Chandler Madore took 26 year old Benjamin Lockner of Virginia, into custody for Receiving Stolen Property (Class C). Lockner, along with Anthony Gallo, was in possession of a motor vehicle stolen from Auburn. According to the Van Buren Police Departments Facebook page, Lockner and Gallo made unauthorized entry into Canada through the Woodstock, NB Port of Entry before running through the Port of Entry in Van Buren several hours later. Police say they abandoned the vehicle in the vicinity of Roosevelt Ave before it was located by US Border Patrol Agents. Gallo was arrested in the early morning hours of May 3 after stealing another vehicle in Van Buren leading multiple agencies on a pursuit that ended in Houlton. Lockner was taken into custody without incident following an extensive investigation into his involvement and possession of the vehicle reported stolen from Auburn. He is currently being held pending arraignment. Additional charges are expected. Mexican security forces oversee the destruction of an illegal establishment used by drug dealers on the outskirts of Cancun. (Kevin Sieff/The Post) The government, sensitive to several recent high-profile incidents, has deployed a Tourist Security Battalion to patrol Cancun, Tulum and the Mexican Riviera. They probably have additional concessions that they are saving in their back pocket for the absolute final phase of the negotiations, so they may offer minor concessions here just to keep things on track. But I would be surprised if those concessions consist of anything more than vague language and unenforceable promises, Moon said. To reward a threat like this would be to invite more such threats as the negotiations progress. K Shiva Kumar By Express News Service MYSURU: After decades of struggle, a family belonging to the backward Medar community in Shankar Nagar, Chamarajnagar, which had faced social exclusion ever since their mother eloped with a relative, has reason to rejoice. The boycott of the family has finally ended. After The New Indian Express reported on Saturday about the plight of the family, Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge took note of it and directed the tahsildar, police and social welfare department officers to visit the Medar Colony and convince the community. Shivamma, a resident of the colony, left her family 30 years ago and ever since, her husband Venkataramanappa and their children had to suffer social exclusion. The community leaders decided that no one would speak to them nor would they be allowed to attend any social gathering. They were not even allowed to offer puja at the local temple. The family members ran from pillar to post for justice, but to no avail. Some years after Venkataramanappas death, the couples second son Nagendra paid a fine of `20,000 to the community leaders with a plea to lift the boycott on his family. However, the other son Puttaswamy, who works as a mason, continued to feel the heat as he could not pay `40,000 that was demanded from him. On Saturday, the officials held a meeting with the community leaders and other residents of the colony at Siddappaji temple and warned the residents of legal action for imposing the boycott. They also warned that the temple will be taken over if Puttaswamys family is not allowed to offer prayers or use the community hall. The community members have sought 10 days time to resolve the issue and assured the officials that Puttaswamy will be allowed to offer puja on Friday and also utilise the community hall. An elated Puttaswamy could not thank the officials enough for ensuring justice to him and his family. He told them that they had in fact decided to end their lives as they could no longer put up with the torment. His wife Geetha too said said she was happy now that she can attend social gatherings like weddings for the first time since her marriage. It takes viewers back to the Ukrainian town of Pripyat in the early morning hours of April 26, 1986, when an explosion occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, showering the site with radioactive chunks of graphite and releasing a toxic plume that put much of Western Europe, Scandinavia and the western side of the Soviet Union at risk for deadly contamination. Workers scramble to prevent further damage to the reactors core; local firefighters rush to the blaze (and, for many of them, eventual doom); residents gather on a nearby bridge to get a better view of the glowing flames in the distance while their children play in a gentle sprinkling of toxic ash. Facebook, of course, has a multitude of other problems. Because of its immense reach, it should recognize itself as a major media company one that needs to accept the responsibilities of that role. Facebook took a step in that direction last week by banning hatemongers such as Alex Jones of Infowars from the platform. Vogt is an unostentatious pianist, save for the occasional facial expression mirroring the music. With low wrists he achieves vivid articulation and pliant phrasing. For him, the pedal is a coloristic device rather than an aid to legato; his left hand is one of the subtlest in the business. Christian Tetzlaff ranks high on most lists of the finest violinists. His unique sound, as varied in character as the music itself, is crystal clear and his pitch inerrant. Tanja Tetzlaffs full, rich cello sound is equal to every interpretive challenge. She shares with her brother an impeccably agile bow technique capable of tremendous volume without digging into the strings. Her vibrato is a conscious expressive choice rather than a tic. Of these three keen listeners, she may be the most attentive. Their combined musical voice speaks with incontestable integrity. Alsobrooks, who was elected in November, said she embraced the P3 idea after state and county work groups came out in favor of the model. The county plans to invest $25 million to $30 million annually for the next 30 years in school construction, and Alsobrooks said she is going to fight for an infusion of state funding for the program next year in Annapolis. Mrs. Wagner, a District resident, was born Ruth Shumaker in Cambridge, Mass. She was on the staff of the Washington Times-Herald from 1948 until the newspaper was acquired by The Post in 1954, then worked for The Post until 1970. In the 1970s, she was a public relations specialist with Gerald G. Wagner and Associates, a firm run by her husband. She was a bookkeeper and worked in the gift shop at Washington National Cathedral from 1980 to 1990. Mr. Bugialli was born in Florence, which he described as the birthplace of haute cuisine, but spent much of his life in New York, where he preferred eating out at Chinese restaurants to sampling the citys Italian fare. Too often, he said, he found himself falling into the mode of a critic, lamenting that meat, pasta and vegetables were heaped together on a single plate, rather than served in separate courses; or that cheese was haphazardly grated onto dishes; or that rich desserts seemed to follow every meal. According to a police account, the incident, during which a pistol was allegedly displayed, occurred about 6:50 p.m. on April 12, a Friday. The time and day suggest it was near the end of the last rush hour of the week. Hucker, who chairs the county councils transportation committee, said he initially called for the meeting last week to protest Hogans push for the Board of Public Works to vote on the proposal Wednesday. Hogans insistence drew criticism because the vote was scheduled even though the administration knew that one of the panels three members, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D), would be out of the country. Kopp has said she has serious questions about the plan. Nohe had said he wanted to position Prince William to take advantage of the pending arrival of Amazon in Northern Virginia by attracting more high-tech companies. (Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Nohe supported a county bond referendum to fund roads and parks that Gray opposed and that is expected to be put before voters in the fall. Ajay Kanth By Express News Service KOCHI: Some of the Easter suicide bombers visited Kerala, Bengaluru and Kashmir for training, the Sri Lankan Army Chief has said, the first time a top official from the island nation has confirmed the terrorists visits to India. The attackers have gone to India, they've gone to Kashmir, Bengaluru, they've travelled to Kerala state, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake told BBC on Friday in an interview. They visited India for training and to establish links with other terror groups, Lanka's army chief said and added the pattern of the operation showed the involvement of those from outside the country. India had sent multiple specific alerts to Lanka before the April 21 attacks on hotels and churches in the island nation in which 253 died, but Colombo had ignored the warnings. Neither the Kerala police nor the NIA has refuted the statement of Lanka's army chief. While Kerala police chief Loknath Behera said the state has been extending all support to the National Investigation Agency in its probe, NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal said he could not comment on what Lanka's army chief has said. Official sources, however, told this newspaper that special units of various agencies are coordinating in the probe to ascertain the role of Keralites in the Lanka blasts and are looking at the network established by those involved in the Easter attack in Tamil Nadu and other states. Special squads have been formed to probe the case and a breakthrough is expected in the coming days, an officer said. The recruitment of Malayalees to the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Lanka attacks, has been taking place from August 2015 and police have identified at least 35 people who went to Syria. Probes by the Kerala police and NIA have shown that IS operatives have established sleeper cells in the state. Many people trace the beginning of the neurodiversity movement to an open letter read at the 1993 International Conference on Autism by Jim Sinclair, who was diagnosed with autism as a child. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism, he said, addressing the desire by many parents for a cure and the impact it can have on their child. Therefore, when parents say, I wish my child did not have autism, what theyre really saying is, I wish the autistic child I have did not exist, and I had a different (non-autistic) child instead. Synthetic biology comes next. Singhal inserts each DNA clone into a genetic vehicle known as a vector, which can deliver the DNA fragment to another cell. To do that, he fires pulses that shock open the membrane of E. coli cells. This allows the DNA fragments to be introduced. Inside a petri dish, Singhal grows the E. coli cells. After several days, he places a thin layer of bacteria over the petri dish to see whether those clones no bigger than a white speck of dust can fend off bacteria. Honorary degree awarded to Foster: Autherine Lucy Foster, the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama, received an honorary doctoral degree Friday from the university where her presence brought mobs of protesters in 1956. Foster, 89, received the degree during graduation ceremonies. She enrolled at the all-white university in 1956. However, she was expelled three days later after her presence brought protests and threats. Toby Antony By Express News Service KOCHI: The Central agencies, including the anti-terror NIA probing the so-called Islamic State (IS) roots in Kerala, are on the look out for Muhammed Faizal Hameed aka Abu Marwan Al Hindi who is believed to be holed up in Qatar. A native of Changankulangara near Karunagappally in Kollam, he is suspected to be the fourth member of the IS module which was planning suicide attacks in Kerala. According to sources, the NIA is looking to interrogate 25-year-old Muhammed Faizal who can provide more information on IS modules in Kerala receiving aid from abroad. Through relatives, he has been asked to appear before NIA for the interrogation. If he doesnt turn up, with the assistance of Interpol, attempts will be made to bring him back to Kerala. NIA tracked him down after interrogating other members of the module, including Riyas Aboobacker of Palakkad, who was planning suicide attacks in the state. Muhammed Faisal is arraigned as the 19th accused in the case, they said. The NIA probe into the IS modules operations revealed that it was formed in September 2018. Muhammad Faizal contacted the other members of the group via social media platforms. The module received directions from Malayalees in Syria and Afghanistan. Rashid Abdullah, Ashfaaq Majeed and Abdul Khayoom- from Kerala- who went to Afghanistan and Syria to join the IS - were communicating with Riyas. Riyas friend died in Af The probe into IS roots in Kerala revealed Riyas Aboobacker is a close friend of Shibi Kunnath Thodika from Kanjikode who was reportedly killed in Afghanistan in June 2017. IS had posted Shibis online poster stating Abu Ishaq Al Hindi attained martyrdom. Riyas and Shibi were close friends and the death affected him. A martyrs video was released, an officer said. Bid to bolster IS ranks Agencies have found that some of the members who left for Syria and Afghanistan are still attempting to recruit more persons from Kerala to the IS. Firozkhan MTP, the sixth accused in the Kasargod IS case, hailing from South Trikaripur, Kasargod has been attempting to recruit more persons to IS. From Syria, he sends messages to his relatives and friends to join the IS. Brother of former Algerian president is detained: The influential younger brother of Algeria's former longtime president was detained for questioning along with two generals who previously ran state security agencies, a security official said. Said Bouteflika, 61, served as a special counselor to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, before the ailing leader resigned under pressure April 2 after 20 years in office. The arrests of three key figures from the Bouteflika era underscored ongoing turmoil in the government as protesters at weekly marches push for the rest of the old guard to go, too. That may be because these customs officials often are not after digital contraband at all. Instead, the government appears to have set up an end run around the privacy protections that exist outside airports and away from ports of entry. Federal or local enforcement that wants to look through someones tablet, but cannot make the case in court for a warrant, can ask border authorities to conduct a search and skip the pesky question of probable cause altogether. While CBP and ICE require at least reasonable suspicion for what they called advanced or forensic searches plugging external equipment into a device to review, copy or analyze its contents the basic, or manual, searches that require no individualized suspicion at all are still intensely intrusive. In fact, it strains credulity to believe that the timing and price paid for the Healthy Holly purchases were in line with past business practices to say nothing of the fact of the influence over city contracting decisions exercised by the seller, Ms. Pugh. Kaiser had every reason to understand Ms. Pughs conflict of interest along with the glaring optical and ethical questions its own purchases raised. The company says it is reviewing its selection and procurement process for books; it should do so for other purchases where elected or unelected officials with influence over its business or contracts would be the beneficiaries. To many, this huge shift in Americans lives would be worth it. But that would only be true if many things went right. Administrative costs would probably decline, but a lot of the efficiency of a universal system would be in integrating electronic records, which could happen slowly or not at all. Paying doctors and hospitals less could drive down national health-care spending, making the reform relatively affordable. But doing so could also shutter smaller or regional facilities whose margins are already low. It could also discourage talented people from entering the medical profession and result in long wait times for care. Offering a generous program Mr. Sanders wants full health coverage plus vision and dental with no co-pays or premiums could encourage people to use far more health-care services, driving up costs. Every American child will at some point know and understand the lessons imparted by the parable of the Good Samaritan, regardless of whether he or she attends church/synagogue/mosque/temple. Those adults who give generously when natural disasters strike and people are in need do so not because human beings are naturally kind and compassionate. We arent. Their giving is learned behavior, taught to them directly or indirectly by this same parable. I cannot think of a single moral imperative regarding human behavior that does not have its source in religious scripture of some kind. Klobuchar, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, said Sunday that there is ample evidence that Trump is not concerned about the possibility that Russia may try to interfere in the next election. She accused Trump of dismissing the seriousness of the issue. The Kentuky Derby decision was not a good one, Trump said in a tweet, misspelling the word Kentucky. It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close! By Express News Service THRISSUR: In the backdrop of terrorist attacks across the world, the meeting convened to analyse security aspects for Thrissur Pooram, that falls on May 13 and 14, has decided to arrange flawless security at all levels. Rumours had been spreading that alleged IS activists from Kerala were planning an attack during the festival, but dropped it due to the lack of support from other team members. In the wake of such rumours, the district administration instructed the police to make necessary arrangements for smooth conduct of the festival. It is likely that police will restrict visitors from carrying large bags or trolleys to Thekkinkadu Maidan and associated temples. Considering the security threats, the entire city will be under surveillance and additional CCTV cameras will be placed. Meanwhile, addressing the concerns of Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu devaswoms, Agriculture minister V S Sunil Kumar said, the fireworks display would happen as it happened in the previous years. Supreme Court will consider the petition of the devaswoms to use chain palm crackers and we hope for a positive judgement, he added. Animal lovers, greens hail action against vets, Pooram lovers cry foul Kochi: With less than 10 days to go for Thrissur Pooram, the action initiated by the Chief Wildlife Warden against two veterinary doctors for issuing fitness certificate to a wounded elephant has triggered a debate among the Pooram lovers. While the elephant lovers and activists hail the Chief Wildlife Warden, the Pooram lovers and elephant owners allege a conspiracy to destroy the glitz and glamour of the festival. The Chief Wildlife Warden has sent out a strong message that non-adherence to guidelines will not be tolerated. The fitness certificate issued by veterinary doctors gives an assurance the animal will not run amok. They have to bear in mind the welfare of the animal as well as the safety of the public. Now the doctors will be more careful while issuing certificates, said elephant expert and former head of Kerala Forest Research Institute Dr P S Easa. The Elephant Owners Federation has threatened to withdraw the elephants from the Pooram after the District Collector refused permission to parade, Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, the biggest elephant in Kerala, which has been banned after it killed two persons on February 8. For years, lawmakers have been mired in battles with the executive branch and across party lines as they debate drafting new authorizations for the United States current military campaigns and demanding more deference from the commander in chief when it comes to launching fresh ones. Already this year, several Republicans including some of Trumps closest allies broke with the White House in a vote to invoke the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. participation in the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, arguing that Congress had never authorized it. The measure passed Congress, but Trump vetoed it, and lawmakers could not muster the votes to override him. He said Hamas had tried to rein in violence at border protests on Friday but was frustrated by Israels continued use of live fire against the demonstrators. U.S. and Israeli moves, such as President Trumps decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, have further spurred the group to take action, he said. Handwritten correspondence and the use of postal services have become something of a theme in Whelans case. Instead of signing key documents and handing them to U.S. Embassy staff, Whelan has been forced to send a privacy act waiver and power of attorney by mail. U.S. officials were later told by Russian officials that they had been lost for weeks. But after spending billions of euros to accommodate the newcomers, Germany is beginning to reap some gains. The number who are either working or participating in a job training program has been growing, and was at more than 400,000 as of the end of 2018. Of those, 44,000 were enrolled in apprenticeships, according to German business groups. After Trumps morning tweet, it was not immediately clear whether Trump had formally nominated Morgan or was naming him in an acting capacity. He clarified that on Sunday evening with a tweet saying that he was nominating Morgan as director, a post that is subject to Senate confirmation. Trump said that Matthew Albence who has served as ICEs acting deputy director and has been leading the agency since early April would be the agencys acting director during the confirmation process. S Kumaresan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Both the Dravidian majors have deployed their entire manpower in the four Assembly constituencies where by-elections are to be held on May 19. Opposition DMK has deployed at least 16 district functionaries for every 250 voters in each of these four constituencies. Cadres have been told to visit public places like tea shops and campaign for the party even during the summer afternoon. The ruling AIADMK too has deployed almost its entire strength and functionaries from as much as 15 of the partys district units in each of the four constituencies. Sources said the ruling party has engaged private agencies to monitor whether party functionaries are carrying out the campaign in full vigour. DMK has made it public that it has meticulously allocated party functionaries for every 250 voters. A party MLA who has been deployed as in-charge of a locality in Tiruparankundram constituency told Express, Our leader has instructed us that we should carry out the election works similar to the micro-level management that BJP did in certain northern states. During afternoon hours, cadres must visit common places like tea shops and highlight the failures of BJP and AIADMK. People in these four constituencies are surprised by the attention they have been receiving in recent days. We happen to see a party leader or an MLA every 100 metres, said M Karunanidhi of Villapuram at Tirupparankundram. Also, frequent visits of state ministers have made voters feel how important their votes are, it is pointed out. For the AIADMK, winning at least a few seats in the four bypolls is important to retain power. For DMK, winning almost in all constituencies is a must for the party to overtake the AIADMKs strength in the Assembly and capture power. In AIADMK camp, besides ministers, functionaries from 15 of the partys district units have been deployed in each of the four constituencies. More importantly, they have been told to report on the ground situation to the Chief Minister. A few private agencies said to have been engaged by the ruling party to monitor the poll campaign too are sending their reports to the chief minister. DMK president MK Stalin too is said to have set up a system where he will get reports from three different levels on the campaign and the scenario at the ground level. CURRENT SITUATION Total seats in Assembly: 234 AIADMK: 114 (including Speaker) DMK alliance: 97 Independent: 01 (AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran) Vacant: 22 TILTING BALANCE To cross halfway mark in the House of 234: 118 DMK-led alliance needs: 21 seats AIADMK needs: 5 seats Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised to back Australias manufacturing sector with a reinvigorated "Australian Made" campaign to help grow exports. With a $5 million funding boost, a re-elected Morrison government would promote the logo in Australias key export markets and establish new trademarks in markets like the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada. Our plan for a stronger economy will help take Australian products to the world backed in by the reputation our manufacturers have built over the years, Mr Morrison said. Scott Morrison has promised to boost exports through a reinvigorated Australian Made campaign. Credit:AAP People all over the world know the Australian Made logo means quality. Our plan is about giving those hard-working businesses a competitive edge in overseas markets." Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As far as blue-ribbon seats go, Wentworth was one of the Liberal Party's safest.But in the byelection that followed the resignation of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2018, independent Kerryn Phelps trounced the Liberals and forced Scott Morrison's government into a minority. The contest for Wentworth was a litmus test for a government trailing in the polls, and Phelps' victory was a fillip for independents. The independents who make it to Canberra are generally the exception rather than the rule but they can make a big splash when they get there. Fast-forward to this federal election campaign, and prominent independent candidates for the lower house Phelps, Julia Banks in Flinders, Helen Haines in Indi, Rob Oakeshott in Cowper, Zali Steggall in Warringah, Andrew Wilkie in Clark, and Oliver Yates in Kooyong release a statement setting out the "price of power" for their support after May 18. This includes demands to take action on climate change and to potentially block the Adani coal mine. Loading Sydney Morning Herald and Age commentator David Crowe says: "The demands are a sign of confidence among key independents that climate change policy will help swing the federal election, helping them defeat Liberal or Nationals candidates." Meanwhile, the Centre Alliance party is being forecast as a likely kingmaker in a post-election Senate. In Parliament's upper house, senators assume the role of gatekeepers, deciding which laws will pass. The support of the crossbench can be critical. Advertisement These confident candidates are not the only ones hoping to shape the agenda of the future government. What role do independents and minor parties play in our Parliament? Who are the ones to watch at this election? What chance do other independents and smaller parties have? And how much influence can they wield when the election dust settles? Independent, minor and micro: what's the difference? All minor and micro-party and independent MPs elected to Canberra sit on the crossbench, the seats between the government and the opposition in the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. Independents are not members or affiliates of a political party. To run, they havecollected 100 signatures, filled in a nomination form and paid a $2000 deposit at their local electoral office. Advertisement Ninety-five independents have put up their hands to contest the 151 lower house seats, and 37 independents are fighting for state-based Senate spots. There are 76 Senate seats but elections are staggered and fixed to six-year terms so only 40 are up or grabs. Loading Once elected, some independents, such as Pauline Hanson, have sought to build their personal popularity into a party that can spread their message. The term "minor party" is used to describe a party that is not Labor, the Liberals or the Nationals, which for decades have been the only parties big enough to form government. There are more than 50 minor parties registered with the Australian Electoral Commission this election, ranging from the Animal Justice and Australian Affordable Housing parties through the alphabet to Pirate Party, Australia, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, The Women's Party and Yellow Vest Australia. In the Federal Parliament, there is a higher hurdle under parliamentary entitlement rules to gain recognition as a minor party five elected MPs are needed to obtain minor party status and the extra staff and other resources that come with it. Advertisement Senators elected on primary votes of less than 1 per cent of a quota were able to thrust themselves into the public debate. Micro-parties are the very small parties that have risen to prominence in the Senate in the past 10 years including Family First, the DLP and the Liberal Democrats by winning seats with small numbers of votes because of preference deals. After the 2013 federal election, the micro-parties lobbed a hand grenade into the political arena. Senators elected on primary votes of less than 1 per cent of a quota (Ricky Muir from the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party infamously pulled in .51 per cent) were able to thrust themselves into the public debate by joining together to block the passage of contentious legislation. The major parties joined to change the Senate voting system, making it difficult for micro-party candidates to get elected. Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull then called a double-dissolution election, putting all the upper house seats up for grabs. Greens leader Richard Di Natale and Senator Derryn Hinch embrace after the Senate agreed on amendments to a bill in the Senate in February. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Is the era of micro-parties over? The 2016 rule changes to Senate voting mean groups of unknown micro-parties are no longer able to funnel their votes to each other until they have a quota of votes in their own right. Advertisement The voting system is now optional preferential above the line, in which voters rank at least their first six candidates thus distributing their own preferences. "I think the reform is a huge advantage for democracy," says ABC election analyst Antony Green. The members that now get elected actually get votes. "The Arts Party I dont know what theyre doing," he says. "Seniors who are they? Pirate Party vague idea who they area. Health Australia party are anti-vaccinations. None of these have a hope in hell. All these people think they can be the next Ricky Muir, but they cant get elected [now because of recent Senate reforms]." But some independents and minor parties with high enough profiles are still likely to get elected, says Green. These include Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, the Australian Greens and Pauline Hansons One Nation, which are able to attract a significant primary vote. "The members that now get elected actually get votes," says Green. Clive Palmer's United Australia Party has entered the fray. Credit:AAP Advertisement It's simple. If you accept that Julian Assange and WikiLeaks once exposed secrets of the West of interest to the public, you also have to accept that they both spread disinformation and conspiracy rumours that attacked Western democracy for the benefit of the Kremlin. Buildings are reflected in the window as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taken from court. Credit:AP But being able to do both may be hard. That's because if you belong to one camp you may be increasingly deaf to the arguments of the other side. Working in media, I recognise the need protect the public's right to be informed. That includes protecting journalists reporting on powerful institutions and protecting them from the government itself. Whether Assange qualifies as a journalist is another matter. George Orwell observed it's easy to be nationalistic about a country that isn't your own. Yet it's surely easier with France than most. The country's abundant charms were on display recently as I wandered around the medieval village of Vezelay, in Burgundy. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: Everything in this hilltop hamlet was just so, from the pair of antique wagon wheels flanking a garden gate, to the jaunty red and yellow tulips on street corners, to the artfully crumbling stone walls around the town's centrepiece Romanesque church. Through a window off the town square I glimpsed two young nuns, hard at work doing whatever it is nuns do these days jarring delicious honey, perhaps and just as a ray of sun hit their faces they turned and smiled at me. I had walked into a Vermeer. Even the paint on a rundown B&B seemed to be peeling with a plan. "The only problem with France is that they overdo the green," said a companion, looking out at the countryside. The bubble burst when we arrived back at our car. We had a parking ticket. A reminder that no country is without its annoyances. The next day, there was catastrophic news: Notre-Dame Cathedral had burned. It was incredibly moving to see pictures in the press of the church during World War II. That Notre-Dame has stood in the centre of Paris for the better part of a millennium is hard to grasp; seeing it stand witness to the atrocities of the 20th century makes that continuity easier to understand. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The Karnataka government, as assured by its Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, has begun releasing water from Almatti towards drinking water requirement of people living in erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. According to Irrigation officials, Karnataka has been releasing water from Almatti dam, towards Narayanpur dam, at a rate of 3,000 cusec. It will take two days for the water to reach Jurala, officials said. The water has not yet reached Narayanpur; the distance between Almatti and Narayanpur is 60 km. Authorities at Narayanpur said as soon as they receive the water, it would be let out into the Krishna river so as to ensure it reaches Jurala (160 km). Between Narayanapur and Jurala, Karnataka has built two barrages, at Gugal and Girijapur, an official added. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had requested his Karnataka counterpart to release 2.5 TMC to Jurala. On Friday, Kumaraswamy informed Rao on the phone that he would issue the necessary orders for the same. Mukesh Ranjan By KODERMA : It was once known as the Mica capital of the world. But Kodermas main claim to global fame is down to Jhumritelaiya, a nondescript village which figured prominently in the Binaca Geet Mala, a popular radio show featuring Bollywood songs from the 70s. All seems lost in this quaint village, situated off a lake in sylvan surroundings. It has failed to draw visitors despite the infrastructure leap that the state has seen and struggles to find a place on the growth chart of a mineral-rich Jharkhand. With heavy migration and little in the way of infrastructure, despite straddling the National Highway 2 and the Grand Trunk road, which links half of India, Koderma remains a lost constituency. Kodermas pain was heightened once Micas use as an insulator for electrical appliances was compromised at the onset of the digital age and it was discarded as the preferred insulating material. Exports to Japan, China, Korea and the US declined sharply. Over four lakh of the rural workforce, involved in mica mining, transportation and trade lost jobs and the hilly terrain offered little in the way of employment but the odd stone crushing units, which absorb people in their hundreds. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Under-development remains a major issue here, with basic amenities like water, electricity and health services a far cry. Yet, Koderma is under the poll spotlight, with the majority of the states high profile candidates locking horns here. Jharkhands first CM, who is also the chief of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), is the Mahagathbandhan candidate, even as RJD turncoat Annapurna Devi, was given the BJP ticket in a last-minute turnaround. Sitting BJP MP Ravindra Rai was denied a ticket citing his non-performance and inefficiency, thus splitting the BJP cadre. The contest became more interesting after Left parties, denied an honourable share in the Mahagathbandhans seat-sharing plan, fielded CPI(ML)s Raj Kumar Yadav. With Yadavs a sizeable vote bank, the CPI(ML) nominee is counting on Yadav votes. Annapurna, a Bengali who married a Yadav and has been a 4-time MLA from Koderma Assembly constituency, also has a mass base and is likely to attract Yadav votes.It is a neck-to-neck fight between Babulal and Annapurna Devi as both have their strengths and weaknesses. Babulal is a political heavyweight. He has been 3-time MP from Koderma and enjoys the support of the Mahagathbandhan. Express features By In an unprecedented gathering, all Consulates in Mumbai, through the Consular Corps, came together to watch a special screening of Son Rise a new documentary on gender rights by National Award winning filmmaker Vibha Bakshi. The Screening was co-hosted by UN Women, the Films Division and Sonia Hays, wife of New Zealand Consul General and Vice-Dean of the Consular Corps, Ralph Hays. Set in Haryana, the film depicts ordinary men striving to repair the skewed sex ratio in the state. It includes a village sarpanch fighting for women to enter the male-dominated arena of local-politics and a farmer who decides to marry a gang rape survivor and get her justice. Speaking to a packed house, Ralph Hays said, We are proud of Vibha Bakshi for creating Son Rise, a powerful gender rights film which makes men equal collaborators in the struggle. Following the success of her previous National award winning film, Daughters of Mother India, Bakshi added, A film cannot solve the problem, but it can certainly open a dialogue. SON RISE focuses on ordinary men, who have done the extraordinary to change the narrative on inequality. The three men featured in this film are the torchbearers and the real heroes for change. Its time for men to become part of the struggle in establishing a gender equal society, and set examples for other men to follow. Somrita Ghosh By FARIDABAD (HARYANA): I am born in this village, in India. Why should I go to Pakistan? Fateh Mohammad said in a low tone. A brief silence ensured before he spoke again. They tell us to leave India. Even after so many years of Independence, the people have not accepted the Muslims as a part of the country. But I shouldnt say all, only some section of people shows hatred towards us. Fateh lives at Khandawli village in Haryanas Faridabad, the same locality where Junaid Khan the teenage boy who was lynched while travelling back from Delhi in local train two years ago belonged to. The village is barely an hours journey by road from Delhi. The residents of Khandawli havent forgotten the cruel memories even today. There is a palpable fear among the people about communal hatred. They are equally scared of speaking or confronting about it. It took much coaxing before the villagers opened up.Kya faeda kuch bolne ka, jo hota aa raha hai wahi hoga (Whats the point of speaking about communal fear, it will continue as has been the case). The people target us on our looks, our beards and clothes that we wear, said Fateh, sitting on a cot under a tree along with his childhood friend Abdul Rahim. Both septuagenarians claimed they are witness to changes in the village from bad to good and now again ugly. For them, now lynching is a common occurrence. The RSS has gained power in five years. There is nobody to stop them. They have evoked communal hatred among the people. There are many neighbouring Jat villages which were friendly to us earlier, they never created any trouble. But now they have a sense of superiority as if someone has given them a free hand, said Abdul. Abdul, however, noted that blaming the government for inciting lynching and hatred would be wrong. Government is the same for all, only a section of the people or the group has this habit. But what disappointed us is that this government took no action to stop such activities. No security was ensured. At least, the previous government took steps to stop such incidents, asserted Fateh. Not far from Khandawli, lies Nuh district earlier known as Mewat. Nuh was the hometown of Pehlu Khan, who was lynched by a mob of cow vigilantes two years ago in Alwar, Rajasthan. Last year, Rakbar Khan was killed by a mob on suspicion of cow theft. Nuh, which falls under Gurugram constituency, lies near the border of Rajasthan. It has a large number of Muslims who are mostly into cattle rearing. Followed such cases of mob lynching, the villagers said they dont feel safe of keeping cattle anymore and security for life has become a question. If we dont keep cattle how do we survive then? This is not agricultural land. The village youths neither have a job to help their families, nor any other occupation. Some of the people are into truck driving, Mohammad Asuda, 62, said.The villagers have become careful about their activities, from the food they eat to where they go. Darr to hai, magar kya kareinjeena toh chhor nahi sakte (There is fear but what can be done? ). And where do we go away from here? Our families are settled for over five-six decades. We cannot shift to other place. Some families did it, said Mohsin,28, who lives in Kolgaon village. What struck this reporter most in these villages of Faridabad and Gurugram was the lack of empathy from the government and the delay in justice. Even at the peak days of the election, parties are yet to visit any of these villages. Haryana votes on May 12.Media came here more than government officials. Nobody came to talk to us, listen to our issues. So, we cannot even think of solving the crisis. A few days are left for voting, but not a single party leader has shown his face, said Fateh from Khandawli village. But not all seemed lost. Some residents said despite lynchings, communal harmony can be maintained if the people are not swayed away by the words of politicians. Why would anyone hurt another unintentionally unless provoked? Lynching is nothing but an act of provocation by certain people. And anybody, irrespective of religion can be lynched. It is not that only Muslims are being targeted, asserted Syed Ahmed, a resident of Kholi village in Faridabad. The people should think on humanitarian grounds, and not how the leaders or politicians speak. Because when such incidents happen it is the common man who is affected and not the leaders. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By CHAPRA/HAJIPUR : The battle for Saran, politically famous as the karmbhoomi of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Hajipur, known for getting Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records with the worlds largest winning margin, wont be a cakewalk for any of the parties in fray this time. Commercial pilot-turned politician Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the sitting BJP MP, is pitted against RJDs Chandrika Rai, son of late former Bihar CM Daroga Prasad Rai. Rai, a five-time MLA from the Yadav-dominated Parsa assembly segment of Saran, recently got his daughter Aishwariya Rai married to Lalus elder son Tej Pratap Yadav. While Vijay Kumar Singh and Radha Mohan Ojha of Saran call sitting MP Rudy a hard-working politician, they reckon he doesnt score high on popularity stakes. However, Singh said, Performance-wise, he is better than Chandrika Rai. His work to implement the Namami Gange Project and the cementing of ghats at Sonepur is noteworthy. Arjun Rai of Amnour, Rudys native village, does not agree, saying, Rai has never lost an assembly election from Parsa and inherits the qualities of a good politician from his father.Rudy, who holds a Masters degree in economics from Punjab University, acquired a commercial pilots license after schooling from Patnas Saint Michael School. Rai is a gold medallist in MA in history from Patna University. He did his schooling at Saint Xaviers in Patna. Both have maintained cordial relations despite being in parties that are polar opposites when it comes to ideology, Abhay Kumar, an LIC development officer, said. Shanker Singh, retired PHED engineer, said both Rai and Rudy became MLAs at a young age 27 and 28 and have seen the world. Rudy believes the sheer performance of the Modi government, coupled with a heightened sense of nationalism currently dominating the public mood, would take the BJP to a comfortable win in the general elections. However, Rai said Rudy is just peddling his brand of politics as he has to. A strong anti-incumbency wave and the failure of PM Modi to live up to expectations and fulfill promises he made to the people in the run-up to the 2014 polls, will pull the NDA down, Rai said. Many, like Naresh Kumar Rai of Sheetalpur, Ran Sunder Paswan of Daniyaba, Rekha Devi of Parsa, Mohammad Asif of Chapra and Anshuman Singh of Garkha said the LS poll wont be a cakewalk for either candidate this time.While division in Yadav-Muslim communities is impossible, votes of Rajput and other castes could split. NDA leaders are leaving no stone unturned to keep their supporters united. Performance-wise, Rudy is not on solid ground this time as he was earlier. However, experience-wise, Rai falls far short of Rudy, Sudama Kumar, a teacher at Dighwara, said. Neighbouring Hajipur LS constituency in Vaishali district presents a similar picture. The candidates in the fray have no merit and are seeking votes on the basis of work done either by their leaders or on caste, said Manoj Kumar of Sarai. Hajipur is considered LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswans pocket borough. For his brother Pashupati Paras, who is the NDA candidate this time, its a tightrope walk. What has he done for us? He has never been here, neither is the Ram Vilas, said Ramchandra Das, a SC youth. He said, RJD candidate Shivchandra Ram is campaigning for Paras to be shown the door, as he is an outsider. Ram Vilas Paswan has been 8 time MP from Hajipur and is credited with setting up a Railway Zone headquarters, the NIPER, the BSNL office, FCI office and a passport office in the area, among many other achievements. However, he is not contesting this time. Whatever votes he gets would be in Paswans name, said Umesh Singh of Bhagwanpur. The Hajipur constituency is dominated by Bhumihar and Yadav voters, followed by those belonging to Rajput and SC voters. The political prestige of Paswan is at stake, which is why his son Chirag Paswan and NDA leaders, including CM Nitish Kumar are campaigning vigorously for him, said Satynarayan Rai of RJD. Shivchandra Rai, an MLA from Rajapakar, has nothing to his credit and will largely rely on caste and Lalus vote bank for an upset win.We feel its better to vote for Narendra Modi and development, said Niraj Sharma of Belkunda. Vinod Yadav of Mahua echoed his sentiment. A farmer rued, No leader has done anything. The banana research centre is defunct now and the agriculture research centre opened at Goraul serves no purpose.Making an emotional pitch for Paras at Mahua, Paswan said, I am in the contest through Paras. Hajipur is like my mother and its the same for him. Parass victory will be the victory of Narendra Modi and me. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - A perennially challenged Atlantic City casino will finally turn a profit this month and chart the way forward under the ownership of a New York hedge fund. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this June 25, 2018 photo, Joyce Green of Vineland, N.J. reacts to a winning spin at a slot machine as her husband Tom looks on inside the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The casino formerly known as Revel will turn a profit in May after months of steep losses. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - A perennially challenged Atlantic City casino will finally turn a profit this month and chart the way forward under the ownership of a New York hedge fund. The Ocean Casino Resort, which until a few weeks ago was known as the Ocean Resort Casino , has greatly reduced its debt and will return to profitability in May, according to Eric Matejevich, the interim CEO managing the oceanfront property while an ownership transfer takes place. This May 10, 2012, photo shows the exterior of the former Revel casino in Atlantic City, N.J. The casino, now known as the Ocean Casino Resort, will turn a profit in May 2019 after months of steep losses. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) The property, which opened in 2012 as Revel and closed two years later, is in the process of changing hands yet again. It is being transferred from the late Bruce Deifik, the Colorado developer who died in a car crash last month , to hedge fund Luxor Capital, who had agreed to take over and invest $70 million into the property as Deifik ran out of money to operate it. The deal could close sometime in June. Of the $70 million Luxor pumped into the property earlier this year, $50 million went to pay down debt, leaving it with a greatly improved balance sheet, Matejevich told The Associated Press. That encouraged David Schwartz, a gambling expert at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. "Reducing the debt load will ease a great deal of pressure, making it easier for the property to invest in facilities and promotions that will draw customers," he said. "Oftentimes, putting a casino on a more solid financial footing can make a big difference." The resort had begun to run out of money in September, prompting Deifik to relinquish ownership in January, after just six months. The immediate priority was to stop the bleeding; the property had been losing money every month since September, and had fallen below state-mandated liquidity requirements. "In a lot of ways, we're going faster than we had imagined we could," Matejevich said. "We've largely eliminated losses at the property and we are making a major effort to reintroduce this place to people." It's a small sample size, but encouraging nonetheless: the casino won more from customers at slot machines this April than in any previous month, and recorded its second-highest hotel occupancy rate. The exact numbers will be released by state regulators later this month. The property's history has not been a good one. Original investors Morgan Stanley pulled out before it was halfway finished, taking a $1 billion loss. Revel went bankrupt twice, never came close to turning a profit, and shut down in September 2014. It remained closed under the ownership of Florida developer Glenn Straub, who sold it to Deifik in January 2018. Deifik reopened it under a new name last June, but quickly ran out of money once the busier summer months ended. The casino lost $3.2 million in September; $4.1 million in October; $5.5 million in November and $5.8 million in December, and by January, Luxor, who had been one if its lenders, agreed to take over. When it was called Revel, the property was one of five of Atlantic City's 12 casinos to go out of business between 2014 and 2016. With less competition, the surviving casinos began to fare better. But with Revel reopening as the Ocean casino and the Trump Taj Mahal reopening as the Hard Rock, a higher level of competition has been reintroduced to a market that had only recently regained its footing. Operating profits in Atlantic City fell by more than 15% last year. Ocean has instituted a new marketing plan emphasizing its casino offerings hence the transposition of "resort" and "casino" in its name and is addressing a longtime patron gripe by adding new elevators to make it easier to get to the casino floor from the hotel. Players club members now receive offers seven days a week, up from once a week, said Mike Donovan, the property's chief marketing officer. He added the casino has a database from when it operated as Revel, and is contacting former customers "that we haven't talked to in a while." One of its big goals is to add 500 hotel rooms within its existing tower, boosting its inventory from 1,400. The casino is adding 200 new slot machines, and said it has bought out the lease for the Royal Jelly burlesque club on its premises from operator Ivan Kane. Ocean will replace it by Memorial Day weekend with what it describes as a "speakeasy" club that will also offer burlesque, as well as tabletop gambling. 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. Other amenities are coming along more slowly. The property still does not have a buffet, and won't this summer, either; a food court is planned for the interim. A Starbucks just inside the main casino entrance has been on the books for months, but construction has not yet started. Perhaps the most important development is a commitment on the part of the property's future owners to keep Ocean open and running for the foreseeable future, past the busy summer months. Atlantic City's main casino union recently asked regulators to help protect casino jobs at properties owned by hedge funds, accusing them of seeking short-term profits at the expense of long-term investment and growth. The union's president, Bob McDevitt, however, said Luxor appears to be sincere in its desire to rebuild Ocean's business and operate it for the foreseeable future. "Luxor is committed to operating Ocean and is pleasantly surprised by the speed of operating improvements at the property," Matejevich said. "Luxor fully anticipates the market slowdown associated with the fall and winter seasons." ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC. TORONTO - Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:Air Canada earnings Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Air Canada President and CEO Calin Rovinescu attends the company's annual general meeting in Montreal, Friday, May 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes TORONTO - Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:Air Canada earnings Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu speaks to analysts about the airline's first-quarter results on Monday. Canada's largest airline has announced that it is removing its grounded Boeing 737 Max jets from service until at least Aug. 1 in order to provide more certainty for passengers with summer travel plans. WestJet update WestJet CEO Ed Sims will discuss first-quarter results on Tuesday. The Calgary-based airline has announced that flights between Halifax and Paris have been suspended from June 3 through Aug. 2 due to the continued grounding of Boeing 737 Max aircraft. 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. Latest from Quebecor Quebecor holds its annual general meeting on Thursday. The CRTC has ordered Quebecor to maintain its TVA Sports signal to Bell TV subscribers and threatened to automatically suspend its licence if it continued to scramble the signal of TVA Sports to Bell subscribers over a royalties dispute April jobs numbers Statistics Canada releases its Labour Force Survey for April on Friday. The survey for March revealed that employment dropped by 7,200 net jobs, the bulk of which were full-time positions, while the unemployment rate held firm at 5.8 per cent. Freshii earnings Freshii Inc. quarterly conference call to discuss first-quarter results on Friday. The Toronto-based company announced that its chief financial officer will leave in early May as the eatery chain grapples with recent lacklustre performance. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Uber and Airbnb are among at least six California-based companies valued at more than $1 billion expected to go public this year, creating a new class of millionaires and billionaires and a welcome quandary for the state's budget writers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this June 21, 2017, file photo a man walks into the building that houses the headquarters of Uber in San Francisco. Uber and at least five other major California companies are scheduled to go public this year, and when it happens it will produce a tax windfall for state government. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg,File) SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Uber and Airbnb are among at least six California-based companies valued at more than $1 billion expected to go public this year, creating a new class of millionaires and billionaires and a welcome quandary for the state's budget writers. Though it's tough to gauge the total tax revenue all those profits will produce, it's not a stretch to estimate California will add $1 billion or more after the initial public offerings, or IPOs, are made. "I've never experienced anything like this," said Daniel Morgan, senior portfolio manager for the investment firm Synovus Trust. "It's definitely going to be a big lottery for everyone. Not only tech owners, but I think the state of California." It's an enticing opportunity for lawmakers to fund chosen causes a temptation legislative leaders are trying to resist. Lawmakers can't count on the money being there every year, and Assembly Budget Chairman Phil Ting said they are intent on learning from their past mistakes. "My sense of it is we will have to be very careful," said Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco. "Our overall budget is $200 billion. So even if there was a $1 billion or $2 billion windfall, let's say, it doesn't make or break the budget unless we spend it in the wrong way." In the late 1990s and early 2000s, that's what happened. Lawmakers were quick to expand state spending amid a booming tech economy and the corporate IPOs that went with it, only to see those gains vanish when the bubble burst and ushered in a recession and a $14 billion budget gap. "From a state budget perspective, major IPOs are a bit like rainbows. They are lovely to watch but they don't last for very long," said H.D. Palmer, deputy director for external affairs at the California Department of Finance, which manages Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget plans. It could be difficult for lawmakers to keep their hands off any extra money because, this year, California has so much of it. The state has a projected $21 billion surplus in the first year of Newsom's administration, and that's without factoring in money from the IPO wave. Former Gov. Jerry Brown began his administration with a deficit, and he frequently clashed with fellow Democrats who wanted to spend more while he wanted to save it. As he left office, with the California economy humming, Brown warned Newsom might have a tough time convincing the Legislature not to drastically increase spending. Newsom did propose new recurring spending, including proposals to improve drinking water in rural areas and bolster the state's 911 emergency call system. But he proposed new taxes to pay for them instead of relying on the state surplus. Newsom's budget proposal will be revised next month based on revenue collections. Ting said it likely will not include revenue from the IPOs. David Wolfe is skeptical. The legislative director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association noted California has historically had trouble saving money during the good years. "You see these surpluses out there and it's deja vu all over again," said Wolfe, whose organization favours limited taxation. "Are we going to spend this money on one-time programs? Given California's history, I think the likelihood of that is doubtful." IPO windfalls are unusual in the world of state budgets, but they have become common in California, a state with nearly 40 million people that boasts the fifth-largest economy in the world. The state budget relies heavily on the wealthiest earners; in 2017, the top 1% were responsible for more than 47% of the state's income tax collections. 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. Most of that comes in capital gains, which in California is taxed the same as income and are heavily dependent on the stock market. California got nearly $11 billion from capital gains taxes in 2007, only to see it drop to $4.6 billion in 2008 and $2.3 billion in 2009 during the Great Recession. This budget year, state officials expect to get $15.2 billion from capital gains taxes, the largest amount ever. And that's without adding in of the expected jackpot from the major IPOs. Companies including ride-sharing startup Lyft and social media website Pinterest already have gone public, but it could be months before the state starts seeing the tax revenue from them. Uber, corporate chat room provider Slack, home rental site Airbnb and data software company Palantir are poised to go public later this year. Of those, Uber is the behemoth. Experts predict the company could be valued as much as $91 billion , a decline from initial estimates but still near Facebook's $100 billion initial public offering in 2012 that netted California $1.3 billion in tax revenue. Predicting how much money California will get from these IPOs is difficult. Facebook's 2012 IPO was unusual in that most of the state's tax gains game from one person: CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose wealth state officials could easily guess based on the company's regulatory filings. This year, more companies going public involving more investors makes it harder to forecast. VANCOUVER - Walking along the base of the Burrard Street Bridge that crosses Vancouver's False Creek toward the downtown core, Khelsilem gestures across a gravel lot poised to become one of the largest Indigenous urban developments in Canada. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Dustin Rivers or Khelsilem, stands on the land below and next to the Burrard Street Bridge is pictured where the Squamish Nation is proposing a massive housing project in the city of Vancouver, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press) VANCOUVER - Walking along the base of the Burrard Street Bridge that crosses Vancouver's False Creek toward the downtown core, Khelsilem gestures across a gravel lot poised to become one of the largest Indigenous urban developments in Canada. The Squamish Nation councillor, who also goes by the name Dustin Rivers, is standing on a pinched triangle of reserve land near the city's centre that the First Nation won back in 2002 after decades of legal battles. The project is in its very early stages but if all goes as planned, the Squamish Nation will build about 3,000 housing units in a project that promises to answer some of the region's urgent housing needs at the same time that it presents a test of reconciliation. "For a lot of other First Nations across the country, natural resources is the one option they have for growing their economies. Whereas for us, the land has been completely impacted (by the city's growth) and so real estate is really the one thing we can get involved in that will make sense to generate revenue," he said. The same site was home to members of the Squamish Nation for thousands of years before villagers were illegally forced to accept a settlement and shipped on barges to less desirable land along Howe Sound in 1913. It had been declared a reserve in the late-1800s but was gradually fragmented by leases and dissected by railway lines. By 1965, the entire 32-odd hectares of reserve had been sold off. But in 2002, the Squamish regained a small section of the earlier reserve: todays Kitsilano Indian Reserve No. 6. The idea to build two towers on the site gained some steam in 2009 and 2010 but was abandoned in the economic downturn. Now, Khelsilem said, members are keen to see the First Nation use the land for economic development. "They're seeing the significant profits that everyone else is making. We're right in the middle and we're not doing anything, so I think there's reasonable impatience that we should be getting involved," he said. The First Nation is in negotiations with one developer after gathering pitches through a request for proposals. At this stage, it's looking at primarily rental housing with potential for some affordable units for Squamish members. Of the nation's 4,000-odd members, about 1,100 are on a waiting list for housing, he said. For Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, the development offers an answer to one of the city's biggest problems. "The city is in the middle of a housing crisis, especially when it comes to rentals," Stewart said, calling the preliminary figure of 3,000 housing units "fantastic." That's not an insignificant number for a city that has approved 8,680 purpose-built market rental units over the past 10 years. Stewart also sees it as an expression of reconciliation, acknowledging that if residents oppose the project there are few ways to fight it because the development is on Squamish land and outside the city's jurisdiction. "The shoe's on the other foot and there's really not a lot of need for Squamish to consult with the local community," he said. Despite that, Stewart said the First Nation has kept him in the loop on its plans since early this year. The relationship Stewart and the First Nation built as allies against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has helped. "The thing about reconciliation is you don't really know what it looks like until you're in the middle of it. So I think this will set some parameters as to what us, Vancouver, being a city of reconciliation, looks like. I'm very keen to make sure this has the best chance of success." The Kitsilano neighbourhood is facing forces that could change its character on several fronts. The beachside community of largely single-family residences has historically opposed development on a much smaller scale, including two recent five- and six-storey buildings planned further west. But densification appears inevitable, especially along a SkyTrain line planned several blocks south. "There have been some developments on a smaller scale that have been getting some opposition, there's no question about that," said Larry Benge, co-chair of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods. For his part, Benge said he recognizes the neighbourhood has no legal say in the matter but wants to let the Squamish Nation know that neighbouring associations are available and interested in participating in engagement. Until more details are released, he said he's taking an optimistic view of the project. "I don't want to build into this development a whole slew of, 'Oh my gosh, what if this happens, isn't this going to be awful.' We should instead be looking at, 'This is a wonderful opportunity for something that could be very positive for everyone involved,' " Benge said. Khelsilem said the First Nation plans to communicate with residents, adding it could make the project stronger by raising questions that the designer or developer hadn't considered. It's not the first Squamish development, nor the first urban Indigenous development. The MST Development Corp. is a partnership between the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. The three bands are full or co-owners of six prime properties throughout Metro Vancouver, covering more than 65 hectares of land available for development valued at over $1 billion. 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. Among its largest developments, the corporation is beginning consultations on the 36-hectare Jericho lands in West Point Grey. The Musqueam are also planning a 1,250-unit, mixed-use development near the University of British Columbia and the Squamish act as landlords to the Park Royal shopping centre on its reserve land in West Vancouver. Khelsilem said the Park Royal project has provided income that the First Nation can use toward other things, like housing, and the Burrard project is expected to be a similar "money tree" on a much larger scale. The next step will be putting things like the land designation amendment and business terms before Squamish members in a referendum. "This project we're looking at is much more substantial and significant," he said. "We want to bring our people home, we want to build more housing for them, we need to create some economic development to pay for it and this is the first step in that." RCMP in western Manitoba have arrested a 39-year-old man and 25-year-old woman in connection to a fatal stabbing in Gilbert Plains. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. RCMP in western Manitoba have arrested a 39-year-old man and 25-year-old woman in connection to a fatal stabbing in Gilbert Plains. The RCMP did not release their names Sunday as they had not been charged. 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. Police were called to a home in the rural community of Gilbert Plains, about 30 kilometres west of Dauphin, at 9:40 p.m. on Saturday. They said a 36-year-old man was found with stab wounds. Paramedics treated him at the scene, but police said he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Mounties said the suspects were believed to be travelling together and that additional police resources had been sent to the area to locate and safely arrest them. Police said the pair were considered dangerous, and residents in the Gilbert Plains and Dauphin area were advised to immediately contact police should they see anything or anyone suspicious. The Canadian Press / staff MAKUENI COUNTY, Kenya In the U.S.-backed war against the militant group al-Shabab in Somalia, Americans wage their battles mostly from the air, with unmanned drones. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MAKUENI COUNTY, Kenya In the U.S.-backed war against the militant group al-Shabab in Somalia, Americans wage their battles mostly from the air, with unmanned drones. On the ground, at sweltering checkpoints and in dusty trenches across Somalias southernmost states, soldiers from neighbouring Kenya do almost all the fighting. One of them was Christopher Katitu, a low-ranking grunt with the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF), who spent two years manning a mounted machine gun from a trench in Kismayo, a port city shattered by street-by-street skirmishes over territory. Then, when al-Shabab killed almost 150 students at a university just across the border in Garissa, Kenya, Katitu was sent to the edges of the tense city to guard a highway checkpoint day and night. A kind of pressure was building up in his brain, one he could not quite place. It was not just the war money problems were intensifying at home, too, and his wife was angry with him. Through almost a decade in the army, he had never seen a counsellor. On a short leave home from Garissa, Katitu had a mental breakdown. But instead of being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he was jailed and court-martialed when he tried to rejoin his battalion. Since Kenya joined the war in Somalia in 2011, the United States has given its government more than half a billion U.S. dollars in security assistance. It comes with no stipulation that any of it is spent on mental-health care for soldiers, but the U.S. military trains KDF doctors in mental-health care. The KDFs chief medical officer, George Nganga, said "if theres one area where weve gone ahead, it is mental-health care." But in interviews with former KDF doctors, mental-health specialists and a dozen ex-KDF soldiers, a picture emerges of a system that has favoured discipline over mental-health care in the cases of hundreds of soldiers. Criticism of the military in Kenya is taboo, and mental illness is rarely discussed both in the military and in society at large. Eight years into Kenyas military foray in Somalia, hundreds of Kenyan soldiers have been killed, and dozens of al-Shabab attacks have taken place in Kenyan territory, some directed at KDF soldiers. Kenya has around 4,000 troops in Somalia, which accounts for about one-fifth of the African Union contingent there. The KDF says it conducts counselling services, but Nganga said in an interview that the KDF has no records on mental illness, nor does it have a dedicated mental-health facility. He would not specify how many psychologists the KDF employs. The U.S. Africa Command said it is "dedicated to supporting the development of capable, professional partner nation forces in Kenya." Katitu, the senior private who had a breakdown during leave, said he was not once offered an appointment with a counsellor and did not know the option was available. He was one year away from qualifying for a pension. His father, an ex-soldier, had died, and Katitus salary was supporting a large extended family. One day, his wife showed up at his barracks and said it was not enough. Katitu was granted a week to go home and figure out his finances. "Thats when everything went black," he said on a recent day at his familys farm 160 kilometres east of Nairobi. "I only know about those weeks that passed from what people told me later that I was babbling about bombs and Somalis and so on. I guess when you leave your barracks, thats when everything hits you." Katitus blackout turned into a nightmare, in a story other former soldiers echoed. When he eventually reported for duty, he was stripped of his ID and phone, charged with desertion and locked in a cell for two years, awaiting a court martial in which he was swiftly sentenced to six more months. For much of the time, his family did not know where he was. It was only right before the trial that he met a psychologist for the first time in his life. The psychologist told the court martial that Katitu exhibited signs of PTSD. He was convicted of desertion anyway. "We are just sent here and there to fight without any mental preparation," said Katitu, who once trained alongside U.S. Army Rangers. "I have never said no to an order. How can I be a deserter?" In June, a civilian judge sided with Katitu in an appeal of the court martial. "Again, tragically, instead of (Katitus) medical problem being resolved by medical intervention, a decision was made to look at his absence from work as a criminal matter," Judge Luka Kimaru wrote in his ruling, a non-binding decision that called for the KDF to reach a settlement with Katitu. Almost a year later, the KDF has not reached out to Katitu, now 32. Maj. Lucy Mukuria, the KDFs first psychologist, who is now retired, said she has spoken with at least 800 soldiers who suffered from symptoms typical of PTSD and were disciplined instead of treated. Many who sought her help were demoted or discharged after commanders found out about their troubles. "My reports were met by my superiors with disbelief," she said. "Not once not even once was there followup. That crushed me. They are scared to admit theres a problem, so they say youre weak or incompetent and just try to get rid of you." Mukuria, who served for 11 years before her own struggle with mental illness led her to quit, has been the most outspoken voice demanding a cultural shift within the KDF. She devotes much of her time to organizing events for former soldiers suffering from PTSD, where she shares her own experience with mental illness. "I tell them that Ive spent days lying in bed, thinking about the slumping bodies, covered in fluids and maggots in half-zipped body bags," she said. The worst memories come from the aftermath of an al-Shabab attack on a KDF outpost in El Adde, Somalia, three years ago that killed hundreds of soldiers. "The bodies, they came in trucks, you know, trucks. I havent been able to smell since then; Ive lost that entirely." Outside of get-togethers like Mukurias, soldiers with mental illness who have been discharged have few affordable places to seek help. Iregi Mwenja runs the Psychiatric Disability Organization of Kenya, which has treated some ex-soldiers close to its centre in the countrys Rift Valley, but for others, its just too far away. "Theres no space for truth-telling on those bases," he said. "The KDF treats soldiers like western countries did during World War I." 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. Mwenja, Mukuria and former soldiers said substance abuse and suicide were rife among those they treated or knew, and described in painful detail how PTSD has ruined families and sparked violent outbursts. Michael (Bush) Busolo is caring for his cousin Leonardo Shivachi these days. They grew up together and used to run with the same group of friends, but nowadays, Shivachi is unpredictable, going missing for weeks at a time. Drinking a bottle of cheap brandy on a recent night, Shivachi said that he had never seen a psychologist and that he was dismissed by a commander who thought he was "acting funny." "The bitterness controls him sometimes," said Busolo, who lets Shivachi live in a converted chicken coop in his yard in the mostly Somali neighbourhood of Eastleigh in Nairobi. "Thats when he sees snipers in the buildings across the street. When he tells me he could drink our Somali neighbours blood. When hell sleep for two days straight without eating. No one around him understands. People tell him that if he was a real man, hed still be in the army." Some, like Katitu, are still holding on to the possibility that the KDF will compensate them or help them in some way. Isaac Heri, who was a lieutenant in Kenyas Special Forces before he was dishonourably discharged for a violent outburst, said he did not want help; he just wanted the KDF to do better. "Im sitting here now, but my mind is in the bush, killing people," he said. "The KDF will tell you theres a system of care, but I dont know anything about it. There was no counselling offered, even at my level. All Im asking is for some recognition that the way I feel is not my fault." Washington Post JERUSALEM - Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Palestinians stand in front of a destroyed multi-story building was hit by Israeli airstrikes late Saturday in Gaza City, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of intense fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) JERUSALEM - Gaza militants fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, killing at least four Israelis and bringing life to a standstill across the region in the bloodiest fighting since a 2014 war. As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 23, including two pregnant women and two babies. The bloodshed marked the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 2014 war. With Palestinian militants threatening to send rockets deeper into Israel and Israeli reinforcements massing near the Gaza frontier, the fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent most of the day huddled with his Security Cabinet. Late Sunday, the Cabinet instructed the army to "continue its attacks and to stand by" for further orders. Israel also claimed to have killed a Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group. Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, have fought three wars since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. They have fought numerous smaller battles, most recently two rounds in March. While lulls in fighting used to last for months or even years, these flare-ups have grown increasingly frequent as a desperate Hamas, weakened by a crippling Egyptian-Israeli blockade imposed 12 years ago, seeks to put pressure on Israel to ease the closure. The blockade has ravaged Gaza's economy, and a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Israeli attack helicopter fires a missile into Gaza, near the Gaza and Israel border, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of intense fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war." He signalled readiness to "return to the state of calm" if Israel stopped its attacks "and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life." With little to lose, Hamas appears to be trying to step up pressure on Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli leader is vulnerable on several fronts. Fresh off an election victory, Netanyahu is now engaged in negotiations with his hard-line political partners on forming a governing coalition. If fighting drags on, the normally cautious Netanyahu could be weakened in his negotiations as his partners push for a tougher response. Later this week, Israel marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, and its festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the Eurovision song contest. Prolonged fighting could overshadow these important occasions and deter foreign tourists. The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. But the group is also taking a big risk if it pushes too hard. During the 50-day war in 2014, Israel killed over 2,200 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, according to U.N. tallies, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Hamas is eager to burnish its credentials as a resistance group, the Gazan public has little stomach for another devastating war. Israeli Iron Dome air defense system takes out rockets fired from Gaza, near the Gaza and Israel border, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip in a round of intense fighting that broke a monthlong lull between the bitter enemies. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) "Hamas is the change seeker," said retired Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, a former head of the Israeli military general staff's strategic division. "Hamas needs to make its calculus, balancing its hope for improvement against its fear of escalation." In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israelis have "every right to defend themselves." He expressed hope that the recent cease-fire could be restored. President Donald Trump warned the Gaza militants that "these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery." ''We support Israel 100% in its defence of its citizens...." he tweeted. "END the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!" The U.N. Mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, called for a halt in rocket fire and "a return to the understandings of the past few months before it is too late." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called for a halt to "indiscriminate rocket attacks" from Gaza and expressed support for Egyptian and U.N. mediation efforts. Previous rounds of fighting have all ended in informal Egyptian-mediated truces in which Israel pledged to ease the blockade while militants promised to halt rocket fire. Following a familiar pattern, the current round began with sporadic rocket fire amid Palestinian accusations that Israel was not keeping its promises to loosen the blockade. On Friday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded by snipers from Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iranian-backed militant group that often co-operates with Hamas but sometimes acts independently. Israel responded by killing two Palestinian militants, leading to intense rocket barrages and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes beginning Saturday. Rockets are launched from Gaza Strip to Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Sunday intensified a wave of rocket fire into southern Israel, striking towns and cities across the region while Israeli forces struck dozens of targets throughout Gaza, including militant sites that it said were concealed in homes or residential areas. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Islamic Jihad threatened to strike deeper into Israel, saying it "is ready to engage in an open confrontation and can open a broader front to defend our land and people." By Sunday, the Israeli military said militants had fired over 600 rockets, with the vast majority falling in open areas or intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket-defence system. But more than 30 rockets managed to strike urban areas, the army said. Israeli officials said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli father of four, was fatally struck in the chest by shrapnel in a residential courtyard in the southern town of Ashkelon. The other deaths included a 49-year-old man killed when a rocket hit an Ashkelon factory, a man who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, and a 35-year-old man whose car was hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod. Israeli police said 66 people were wounded, three seriously. In Ashkelon, the Barzilai hospital itself was hit by debris from a rocket that was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile. The Israeli deaths were the first rocket-related fatalities since the 2014 war, when 73 people, including six civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. The Israeli military said it struck 250 targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier, and put another brigade on standby. "We have been given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting under current conditions," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 dead, including at least eight militants hit in targeted airstrikes. At least four civilians, including two pregnant women and two babies, were also among the dead. Late Saturday, the Palestinians said a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The army denied involvement, saying they were killed by an errant Palestinian rocket. There was no way to reconcile the claims. 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. Among the militants who were killed was Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary, a money changer whom Israel said was a key player in transferring Iranian funds to the militant group. Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza, killing a couple in their early 30s and their 4-month-old daughter. A 12-year-old boy was also killed in northern Gaza. Sirens wailed along Israel's border region throughout the day warning of incoming attacks. School was cancelled and roads were closed. In Gaza, large explosions thundered across the blockaded enclave during the night as plumes of smoke rose into the air. Hamas seized control of Gaza from the forces of internationally recognized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite his fierce rivalry with Hamas, Abbas appealed to the international community "to stop the Israeli aggression against our people." ____ Akram reported from Gaza City. Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed. Express News Service By BHOPAL: Are the days after the declaration of Lok Sabha polls results going to be shaky for the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh? Four days after tweeting that BSP will reconsider its support to the Congress government in MP, in the wake of BSP candidate from Guna-Shivpuri Lok Sabha seat being forced to join the Congress on April 30, BSP supremo Mayawati reiterated in Morena district on Saturday that forcing the BSP candidate to join the grand old party would prove costly for the Congress government in MP. The BSP candidate from Guna-Shivpuri seat (from where Congress national general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia is eyeing fifth consecutive term), Lokendra Singh Rajput, had on April 30 joined Congress in Scindias presence, rendering a body blow to BSP ahead of the May 12 polls to the seat. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE While BSP supremo said forcing the BSP candidate to join the Congress would prove dear for the Kamal Nath government, around 500 km away in Rewa district (where elections are slated on Monday), BJP national president Amit Shah lashed out at the MP CM, saying BJP workers were being tortured and harassed in the state at the behest of the Congress government. During my tour of Rewa, BJP workers told me that they are being harassed and tortured by local administration and police at the behest of the Congress government. BJP workers engaged in electioneering have been externed from district and false murder cases have been lodged against them. Two BJP workers have been murdered over the last few weeks. Kamal Nath, do you think you will be able to win the elections by harassing our workers. Youre wrong, as our workers will work for partys victory with renewed vigour, Shah said. The Bentonia blues coursed through the Eagles Club on Saturday night as Winona musician Mike Munson joined Mississippi blues legend Jimmy Duck Holmes on stage as part of Mid West Music Fest. With each word, every twang of a guitar string, a story about life unfolded in the music. Holmes says the blues is about telling stories. Munson first met the 71-year-old blues artist in 2011. While returning home from a wedding, he decided to make a detour to Bentonia, Miss. the birthplace of the Bentonia blues and the home of the Blue Front Cafe, the oldest juke joint in the country. Id heard about the Blue Front, you read about it in books. Munson said. Outside the 1948 building, Munson found Holmes. Im Jimmy Duck Holmes. Im the one youre looking for, Munson recalled Holmes saying with a chuckle and a broad smile. The two talked for a bit, and Holmes showed Munson around the Blue Front. According to Holmes, a juke joint is a place to socialize, eat, drink alcohol and have fun listening to live music. Holmes has been running the juke joint for the last 50 years, ever since taking over the business his parents started in 1948. Growing in the Blue Front exposed Holmes to the blues at an early age and he grew to love it. Holmes recalled musicians calling him over to teach him to play. One of them was none other than Bentonia blues legend Jack Owen. He wanted me to learn, but he couldnt teach me, Holmes mused. Finally he said, Watch my hands. And Holmes did. He said people like the blues everywhere, but its the G strang that sets the Bentonia blues apart. Just a few years after he first met Holmes outside the Blue Front Cafe, the two played together for the first time during a show that took the pair on a tour through Minnesota. The experience had a lasting impact on Munson who, in the years that followed, made several trips to Bentonia to play by Holmes side. In 2016, Munson was invited to play at the Bentonia Blues Festival, an event that Holmes has been putting on for the last 47 years. So when Munson was given the opportunity to record his latest album, Rose Hill, at the Blue Front Cafe under the Blue Front Record label, Munson jumped at the opportunity. Theres a sound and feel that you cant get anywhere else, Munson said, describing the juke joints atmosphere, its weathered concrete floors, cinder block walls and heavy wooden furniture. Theres more information in the audio. According to Holmes, everything that happens at the Blue Front is raw. Nothing is staged. Everything that you hear is authentic, he said. Tobias Mann covers crime and government in Winona County. He can be reached at 507-453-3522 or at tobias.mann@winonadailynews.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The worst thing that Attorney General William P. Barr did this week arguably had nothing to do with possible contempt of Congress or the Mueller report. It had to do with health care. On Wednesday, amid the circus over alleged special counsel snittiness, the department that Barr oversees formally asked a federal appeals court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing access to health care for tens of millions of Americans. If the Trump administration prevails, everything in the law would be wiped out. And I do mean everything: the protections for people with pre-existing conditions, Medicaid expansion, income-based individual-market subsidies, provisions allowing children to remain on their parents insurance until age 26, requirements that insurance cover minimum essential benefits such as prescriptions and preventive care, and so on. The administrations rationale was laid out in a policy brief supporting a lawsuit challenging Obamacare by 20 red states. Their logic: When Congress, as part of President Trumps 2017 tax cuts, set the penalty for not carrying health insurance to zero, that effectively made it no longer really a tax, and therefore made it unconstitutional. Somehow, that rendered the rest of the law unconstitutional, as well including lots of provisions having nothing to do with the mandate. This reasoning has been rejected even by conservative legal scholars otherwise opposed to the law. But legal merits (and demerits) aside which are likely to be ultimately adjudicated by the Supreme Court its also not clear what political upside Republicans could possibly see in mounting yet another overt attack on Obamacare. The GOPs November congressional losses were largely motivated by voter rage over the partys attacks on Obamacare, after all. Trump has, of course, more recently proclaimed the GOP the party of health care, and he and other party leaders continue repeating the obvious fiction that theyre cooking up something terrific to replace the ACA. Yet Trumps party has never been able to come up with (let alone pass) a viable replacement plan, even when it had unified control of government. There are more productive things Trump and lawmakers could do to improve the health care system that dont involve dismantling the ACA. Obamacare, after all, did a lot to expand coverage and not nearly enough to improve affordability. In fact, if Republicans are looking for more fruitful areas for improvement, they might contemplate a survey focused on employer-sponsored insurance plans that was released Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Times. About half of the U.S. population has employer-based coverage, including 60 percent of nonelderly adults. While most say they are generally satisfied with these health plans, many nonetheless struggle with the financial burden they impose particularly the high-deductible plans that cover 4 in 10 people with employer-sponsored insurance. Deductibles in employer-sponsored insurance have been rising since long before the ACA. They have nearly quadrupled over the past 12 years and now average $1,350 for a single-person plan. But separate survey data show that only half of nonelderly, one-person households report having at least $2,000 in savings available. Its no wonder, then, that many with good health coverage still report trouble paying for care. In fact, half of adults with job-based coverage say they or someone in their household has skipped or delayed getting medical care or filling prescription drugs in the past 12 months because of the cost. Figuring out how to reduce out-of-pocket costs including deductibles so high that theyre tantamount to not having insurance at all turns out to be much more challenging than simply burning down the entire system. After all, requiring employers to spend more on health insurance might just end up hitting workers in the form of lower wages. Even so, there are promising paths forward. For instance, the latest version of a plan known as the Medicare for America Act introduced Wednesday by Reps. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. would create an expansive public insurance option to compete with the employer-sponsored system. The public option would cap premiums and out-of-pocket costs and have no deductibles. The bill would allow employer-sponsored plans to continue, as long as they covered a minimum average share of enrollees health expenses. Other options might include refundable tax credits to offset out-of-pocket spending, as have been proposed by Democrats before. Trump administration officials may not like these alternatives. Fine. But if theyre going to persist in trying to blow up the current system through administrative sabotage, funding cuts and bogus court challenges the onus remains on them to propose better ways to rebuild it. Catherine Rampells email address is crampell@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter, @crampell. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Thank you for supporting the Lions Club Dear Editor: Merry Christmas to everyone from the Winterset Lions! We wanted to take this time to tell you how excited we were to see SO MANY of you folks... Julian B. Garrett State Senator The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) met Dec. 13 to give us its latest estimate of what state revenues we can expect over the rest of the current fiscal... Cindy Axne Over the past year, Ive been hard at work fighting for the policies and investments that Iowa needs to grow and succeed in the future and Im proud of... The case came from Saginaw, Michigan, where citizens filed a civil rights suit against the city and its parking enforcement officer over their tickets, citing the Fourth Amendments restriction against unreasonable searches. But a U.S. District Court in Bay City, Michigan, dismissed the lawsuit, concluding that chalking, while a type of search, wasnt unreasonable. The appellate court reversed the ruling, finding that the law governing searches of vehicles had been upended by a 2012 Supreme Court decision restricting the powers of police to use GPS devices to track criminal suspects. In that case, the high court said attaching the tracking device was a form of trespassing on private property by police that requires a warrant. The appellate court likened the chalking of tires to a GPS device installation, a trespass for the purpose of gathering incriminating information and therefore if conducted without a warrant a violation of the Fourth Amendment. If it stands, the decision could have far-reaching implications. If they cant enforce parking time limits, U.S. cities could face a substantial loss of revenue from tickets. Or they could face the expense of installing meters. Sandeep Goyal By When Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma (Virushka) feature together in an ad, you take a few things for granted: panache, playfulness and passion. Add playing pranks to that list. The new Google Duo ad shows Anushka doing just that. Virat calls the wife for some help and tips because the director is demanding more emotion in his performance. Lady Love readily obliges (lovingly calling him Bubs!) giving him a live tutorial on how to give a more powerful take. She asks him to imagine that he is a beej (seed), then tells him to grow. Virat follows instructions most obediently. Anushka then tells him to imagine there is a toofan (storm) and to feel the paudhe ka dard (pain of the plant). Virat contorts his body in half gyrations trying to sway, and act the part. Then doubts start to surface in his mind, Will all this really help Baby? he asks helplessly. (Yes, Bubs lovingly calls the missus Baby!!). And Virat knows hes been tricked and taken! Lol. Finally of course, we realise that all this loving interaction has been happening on Google Duo, the highest quality video calling app. The end. Well, the ad certainly has playfulness. But, both panache and passion are kind of forced. Panache is perhaps sought to be conveyed through Virat dressed in a black suit and a black tie (?). And passion comes through in the loving Bubs and Baby (?) references. My basic quarrel with the ad is that it is too presumptuous. It takes for granted that the app is the best in class and all the ad needs to tell us all is that star couple Virushka use it to call each other on video. Honestly, even to communicate just that, the ad could have been ideated and executed far far better. Sans cliches. Sans formulae. Actually, Virushkas first ad for Manyavar kind of set the template for what shows them off best together. There was togetherness, there was tenderness, there was intimacy, there was empathy, there was understanding and warmth and all of it rubbed on to brand Manyavar. WATCH THE ADVERTISEMENT: Virushka have done a kind of encore for Shyam Steel, a Kolkata-based brand with a set of three television ads. The campaign is not quite as visible in media but it is a campaign that does full justice to Virat and Anushka. It has all the elements of togetherness, tenderness, intimacy, empathy, understanding and warmth that I mentioned above. More importantly, the mood is mellow and a certain gentleness, a certain softness pervades the entire communication. What that makes for is a beautiful portrayal of a couple in love. Virat and Anushka look relaxed; they look good together. Ad agency Rediffusion has done an outstanding job for Shyam. WATCH SHYAM STEEL'S ADVERTISEMENT: Another very different ad that caught my attention was a viralised communication on WhatsApp by Mumbai Roti Bank featuring the one and only Amitabh Bachchan. It is actually a very simple ad with Big B (full gravitas on show) just speaking into camera and rattling off some stunning statistics that 195.5 million people in India are insufficiently nourished; that this amounts to 14.8 per cent of the population; that 1.4 tonnes of food goes waste every year. Big B then goes on to tell us about this Roti Bank set up by former Police Commissioner D. Sivanandan that collects any surplus food left over at an event and reaches it to the needy. There is nothing creative about the Roti Bank ad. It will surely win no advertising awards. Yes, it has Mr. Bachchan. But more importantly, communication has something most ads lack these days: a purpose, and a soul. The messaging is simple. The appeal is direct and impactful. The raison detre for the NGO is clearly stated. Commissioner Sivanandan needs to be congratulated for initiating and executing an idea that will vastly benefit the poor and needy. And, Amitabh Bachchan needs to be thanked for using his brand equity to support a worthy cause. Back to Virushka. The famous duo need to realize that that their brand equity together is too precious to be wasted on rudderless, purposeless ads like Google Duo, howsoever global or premium the brand may be. Theyd much rather conserve their personal brand goodness for a desi Manyavar or a Shyam where they look good and do good together. (The writer is an advertising veteran) Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Read More Steelcase Inc. manufactures and sells integrated furniture settings, user-centered technologies, and interior architectural products. It operates through Americas, EMEA, and Other Category segments. The firm's furniture portfolio includes panel, fence and beam-based furniture systems, storage products, fixed and height-adjustable desks, benches, and tables, as well as complementary products, including work tools and screens. Its seating products comprise ergonomic task chairs; seating for collaborative or casual settings; and specialty seating for specific vertical markets, such as healthcare and education. The firm's interior architectural products include full and partial height walls and architectural pods. It also provides textiles, wall coverings, and surface imaging solutions for architects and designers; and ceramic steel surfaces for use in various applications, including static whiteboards and chalkboards through third party fabricators and distributors, as well as workplace strategy consulting, data-driven space measurement, lease origination, furniture and asset management, and hosted event services. The company markets and sells its products to corporate, government Read More 2 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Premier Oil in the last twelve months. There are currently 1 sell rating and 1 buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" Premier Oil stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in PMOIY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Premier Oil or view top-rated stocks. Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. engages in the exploration of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum concentrates. It primarily holds interests in the Morrison property located in British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Booker Gold Explorations Limited and changed its name to Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. in February 2000. Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. Read More By AFP COLOMBO: While Sri Lanka Easter suicide attacks mastermind Zahran Hashim used social media to publicly call for the death of non-Muslims, he worked for months in private chatrooms to persuade six young men to sacrifice themselves, Muslim community leaders say. Christians and foreign tourists were badly hit in the attacks on three churches and three hotels that killed 257 people, but Sri Lanka's Muslim community has also been badly scarred and has been looking into the backgrounds of Hashim and his jihadist acolytes. Hashim, who died in an attack on the Shangri-La hotel on April 21, inspired wealthy brothers Ilham Ibrahim and Inshaf Ibrahim to join and bankroll his assault, police and fellow Muslims said. "We suspect the two brothers used their money from the spice business to finance the bombings," one police investigator said. "It seems the indoctrination was via the internet -- Facebook and YouTube." Neighbours of the Ibrahim brothers said they were secretive but devout Muslims. They were not active members of a congregation, community leaders said. "We believe Zahran radicalised these people using Facebook," said R. Abdul Razik, a leader of the moderate Ceylon Thowheed Jamath (CTJ) group. "Especially in the past year, he has been openly calling for the killing of non-Muslims." Investigators and community leaders believe the group also used social media private messages to keep in touch without being noticed by the authorities. Warnings failed The CTJ and the main body of Islamic clerics, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, had alerted Sri Lanka's security establishment to Hashim and his acolytes but said their warnings failed to get serious attention. The Sri Lankan government has already acknowledged that foreign intelligence warnings about the attacks were not passed on to ministers. "We asked the intelligence agencies to take down the Facebook page of Zahran because he was polluting the minds of Sri Lankan Muslims," Razik said. "We were told it is better to allow him to have the page so that the authorities could keep an eye on what he was doing." Another moderate Islamic group, the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jama'ath (SLTJ) said it called a press conference in 2017 to warn authorities about Hashim, but no action was taken. "Zahran indoctrinated people using social media. He was spewing an IS brand of propaganda that somehow appealed to the bombers," SLTJ spokesman Thawseef Ahamed told AFP. A fuller reckoning of those involved in the attacks was only released by authorities this week, revealing at least two sets of brothers. Ilham Ibrahim died at the Shangri-La hotel while his brother Inshaf Ibrahim bombed the Cinnamon Grand. Ringleader Hashim also died at the Shangri-la, while his yet-to-be named brother blew himself up when surrounded on April 26 near the eastern coastal town of Kalmunai. He was with three widows of the Easter bombers when police and troops laid siege to the house. Sixteen people were killed there, including six children, relatives of Hashim, and members of his National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) movement, which has since been banned. Killed children The pregnant wife of Ilham Ibrahim, Fathima Ilham, blew herself up when police raided the family home in Colombo hours after the bombings. She also killed her two children and three police officers. Mohamed Azzam Mubarak Mohamed has been named as the bomber who targeted the Kingsbury hotel in Colombo. His wife is now in police custody. A fourth hotel was on the bombers' list. The would-be attacker, Abdul Latheef, failed to set off his explosives. He detonated it a few hours later at a small motel, killing himself and two other people. Latheef studied aeronautical engineering at Kingston University in Britain and did post-graduate studies in Melbourne, Australia. Australian media said he was under investigation in 2014 by the country's counter-terrorism unit and may have travelled to Syria. He also came into contact with Hashim through Facebook posts and Youtube videos. The men who bombed the three churches have been named as Ahmed Muaz, Mohamed Hasthun and Mohamed Nasser Mohamed Asad. The three were hardly known within their communities, according to Muslim leaders. The following companies are subsidiares of BP: 200 PS Overseas Holdings Inc., 563916 Alberta Ltd., ACP (Malaysia) Inc., AE Cedar Creek Holdings LLC, AE Goshen II Holdings LLC, AE Goshen II Wind Farm LLC, AE Power Services LLC, AE Wind PartsCo LLC, AM/PM International Inc., ARCO, ARCO British International, ARCO British Limited, ARCO Coal Australia Inc., ARCO El-Djazair Holdings Inc., ARCO Environmental Remediation L.L.C., ARCO Exploration Inc., ARCO Gaviota Company, ARCO International Investments Inc., ARCO International Services Inc., ARCO Midcon LLC, ARCO Oil Company Nigeria Unlimited, ARCO Oman Inc, ARCO Resources Limited, ARCO Trinidad Exploration and Production Company Limited, ARCO Unimar Holdings LLC, Actomat B.V., Advance Petroleum Holdings Pty Ltd, Advance Petroleum Pty Ltd, Air BP Albania SHA, Air BP Brasil Ltda., Air BP Canada LLC, Air BP Croatia d.o.o., Air BP Finland Oy, Air BP Iceland, Air BP Limited, Air BP Norway AS, Air BP Sales Romania S.R.L., Air BP Sweden AB, Air Refuel Pty Ltd, Allgreen Pty Ltd, AmProp Finance Company, American Oil Company, Amoco (Fiddich) Limited, Amoco (U.K.) Exploration Company LLC., Amoco Bolivia Petroleum Company, Amoco Bolivia Services Company Inc., Amoco Canada International Holdings B.V., Amoco Capline Pipeline Company, Amoco Chemical (Europe) S.A., Amoco Chemicals (FSC) B.V., Amoco Cypress Pipeline Company, Amoco Destin Pipeline Company, Amoco Environmental Services Company, Amoco Exploration Holdings B.V., Amoco Guatemala Petroleum Company, Amoco International Finance Corporation, Amoco International Petroleum Company, Amoco Leasing Corporation, Amoco Louisiana Fractionator Company, Amoco MB Fractionation Company, Amoco MBF Company, Amoco Main Pass Gathering Company, Amoco Marketing Environmental Services Company, Amoco Netherlands Petroleum Company, Amoco Nigeria Exploration Company Limited, Amoco Nigeria Oil Company Limited, Amoco Nigeria Petroleum Company, Amoco Nigeria Petroleum Company Limited, Amoco Norway Oil Company, Amoco Oil Holding Company, Amoco Olefins Corporation, Amoco Overseas Exploration Company, Amoco Pipeline Asset Company, Amoco Pipeline Holding Company, Amoco Properties Incorporated, Amoco Remediation Management Services Corporation, Amoco Research Operating Company, Amoco Rio Grande Pipeline Company, Amoco Somalia Petroleum Company, Amoco Sulfur Recovery Company, Amoco Tri-States NGL Pipeline Company, Amoco Trinidad Gas B.V., Amoco U.K. Petroleum Limited, Amprop Illinois I Limited, Amprop Inc., Anaconda Arizona Inc., Arabian Production And Marketing Lubricants, Aral Aktiengesellschaft, Aral Luxembourg S.A., Aral Services Luxembourg Sarl, Aral Tankstellen Services Sarl, Arco Mediterraneo Inversiones S.L., Areas Noriega S.L., Areas Singulares Reyes S.L., Aspac Lubricants (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Atlantic 2/3 UK Holdings Limited, Atlantic Richfield Company, Atlantic Richfield Companyd, Autino Holdings Limited, Autino Limited, Auwahi Wind Energy Holdings LLC, B2Mobility GmbH, BASS Management Pty Ltd, BP (Abu Dhabi) Limited, BP (Barbados) Holding SRL, BP (Barbican) Limited, BP (China) Holdings Limited, BP (China) Industrial Lubricants Limited, BP (GTA Mauritania) Finance Limited, BP (GTA Senegal) Finance Limited, BP (Gibraltar) Limited, BP (Guangzhou) Advanced Mobility Limited, BP (Hunan) Petroleum Company Limited, BP (Indian Agencies) Limited, BP (Shandong) Petroleum Co. Ltd, BP (Shanghai) Trading Limited, BP - Castrol (Thailand) Limited, BP AMI Leasing Inc., BP Absheron Limited, BP Advanced Mobility Limited, BP Africa Limited, BP Africa Oil Limited, BP Akaryakit Ortakligi, BP Alaska LNG LLC, BP Alternative Energy Holdings Limited, BP Alternative Energy Investments Limited, BP Alternative Energy North America Inc., BP Alternative Energy Trinidad and Tobago Limited, BP America Chembel Holding LLC, BP America Chemicals Company, BP America Foreign Investments Inc., BP America Inc, BP America Inc., BP America Limited, BP America Production Company, BP Amoco Chemical Company, BP Amoco Chemical Holding Company, BP Amoco Chemical Indonesia Limited, BP Amoco Chemical Malaysia Holding Company, BP Amoco Exploration (Faroes) Limited, BP Amoco Exploration (In Amenas) Limited, BP Andaman II Ltd, BP Angola (Block 18) B.V., BP Argentina Exploration Company, BP Argentina Holdings LLC, BP Aromatics Holdings Limited, BP Aromatics Limited, BP Asia Limited, BP Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., BP Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BP Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, BP Australia Capital Markets Limited, BP Australia Employee Share Plan Proprietary Limited, BP Australia Group Pty Ltde, BP Australia Investments Pty Ltd, BP Australia Nominees Proprietary Limited, BP Australia Pty Ltd, BP Australia Shipping Pty Ltd, BP Australia Swaps Management Limited, BP Aviation A/S, BP Benevolent Fund Trustees Limited, BP Berau Ltd., BP Biocombustiveis S.A., BP Bioenergia Campina Verde Ltda., BP Bioenergia Ituiutaba Ltda., BP Bioenergia Itumbiara S.A., BP Bioenergia Tropical S.A., BP Biofuels Advanced Technology Inc., BP Biofuels Brazil Investments Limited, BP Biofuels Louisiana LLC, BP Biofuels North America LLC, BP Biofuels Trading Comercio Exportacao Ltda., BP Bomberai Ltd., BP Brasil Ltda., BP Brazil Tracking L.L.C., BP Bulwer Island Pty Ltd, BP Business Service Centre Asia Sdn Bhd, BP Business Service Centre KFT, BP CIV Pty Ltd, BP Canada Energy Development Company, BP Canada Energy Group ULC, BP Canada Energy Marketing Corp., BP Canada International Holdings B.V., BP Canada Investments Inc., BP Capellen Sarl, BP Capital Markets, BP Capital Markets America, BP Capital Markets America Inc., BP Capital Markets p.l.c., BP Car Fleet Limited, BP Caribbean Company, BP Castrol KK, BP Castrol Lubricants (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., BP Central Pipelines LLC, BP Chembel, BP Chemicals (Korea) Limited, BP Chemicals East China Investments Limited, BP Chemicals Investments Limited, BP Chemicals Limited, BP China Exploration and Production Company, BP Comercializadora de Energia Ltda., BP Commodities Trading Limited, BP Commodity Supply B.V., BP Company North America, BP Company North America Inc., BP Containment Response Limited, BP Containment Response System Holdings LLC, BP Continental Holdings Limited, BP Corporate Holdings, BP Corporate Holdings Limited, BP Corporation North America, BP Corporation North America Inc., BP D-B Pipeline Company LLC, BP D230 Limited, BP Danmark A/S, BP Developments Australia Pty. Ltd., BP Dogal Gaz Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, BP East Kalimantan CBM Limited, BP Eastern Mediterranean Limited, BP Egypt Company, BP Egypt East Delta Marine Corporation, BP Egypt East Tanka B.V., BP Egypt Production B.V., BP Egypt Ras El Barr B.V., BP Egypt West Mediterranean (Block B) B.V., BP Energy Asia Pte. Limited, BP Energy Colombia Limited, BP Energy Company, BP Energy Europe Limited, BP Energy Solutions B.V., BP Energy do Brasil Ltda., BP Energia Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., BP Espana S.A. Unipersonal, BP Estaciones y Servicios Energeticos Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, BP Europa SE, BP Exploracion de Venezuela S.A., BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP Exploration (Absheron) Limited, BP Exploration (Alaska), BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., BP Exploration (Algeria) Limited, BP Exploration (Alpha), BP Exploration (Alpha) Limited, BP Exploration (Angola), BP Exploration (Angola) Limited, BP Exploration (Azerbaijan), BP Exploration (Azerbaijan) Limited, BP Exploration (Canada) Limited, BP Exploration (Caspian Sea), BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Limited, BP Exploration (D230) Limited, BP Exploration (Delta), BP Exploration (Delta) Limited, BP Exploration (El Djazair) Limited, BP Exploration (Epsilon) Limited, BP Exploration (Gambia) Limited, BP Exploration (Greenland) Limited, BP Exploration (Madagascar) Limited, BP Exploration (Morocco) Limited, BP Exploration (Namibia) Limited, BP Exploration (Nigeria Finance) Limited, BP Exploration (Nigeria) Limited, BP Exploration (Psi) Limited, BP Exploration (STP) Limited, BP Exploration (Shafag-Asiman) Limited, BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) Limited, BP Exploration (South Atlantic) Limited, BP Exploration (Xazar) Pte. Ltd., BP Exploration Angola (Kwanza Benguela) Limited, BP Exploration Argentina Limited, BP Exploration Australia Pty Ltd Level 15, BP Exploration Beta Limited, BP Exploration China Limited, BP Exploration Company (Middle East) Limited, BP Exploration Company Limited, BP Exploration Indonesia Limited, BP Exploration Libya Limited, BP Exploration Mexico Limited, BP Exploration Mexico S.A. De C.V., BP Exploration North Africa Limited, BP Exploration Operating Company, BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, BP Exploration Orinoco Limited, BP Exploration Personnel Company Limited, BP Exploration Peru Limited, BP Express Shopping Limited, BP Finance Australia Pty Ltd, BP Finance p.l.c., BP Foundation Incorporated, BP France, BP Fuels & Lubricants AS, BP Fuels Deutschland GmbH, BP GOM Logistics LLC, BP Gas & Power Investments Limited, BP Gas Europe S.A.U., BP Gas Marketing Limited, BP Gas Supply (Angola) LLC, BP Ghana Limited, BP Global Investments, BP Global Investments Limited, BP Global Investments Salalah & Co LLC, BP Global West Africa Limited, BP Greece Limited, BP Guangdong Limited, BP High Density Polyethylene - France, BP Holdings (Thailand) Limited, BP Holdings B.V., BP Holdings Canada, BP Holdings Canada Limited, BP Holdings International B.V., BP Holdings North America, BP Holdings North America Limited, BP Hong Kong Limited, BP India Private Limited, BP Indonesia Investment Limited, BP International, BP International Limited, BP International Services Company, BP Investment Management Limited, BP Investments Asia Limited, BP Iran Limited, BP Iraq N.V., BP Italia SpA, BP Japan K.K., BP Korea Limited, BP Kuwait Limited, BP LNG Shipping Limited, BP Latin America LLC, BP Latin America Upstream Services Inc., BP Lubricants KK, BP Lubricants USA Inc., BP Luxembourg S.A., BP Malaysia Holdings Sdn. Bhd., BP Management International B.V., BP Management Netherlands B.V., BP Marine Limited, BP Mariner Holding Company LLC, BP Maritime Services (Singapore) Pte. Limited, BP Marketing Egypt LLC, BP Mauritania Investments Limited, BP Mauritius Limited (in liquidation), BP Middle East Enterprises Corporation, BP Middle East LLC, BP Middle East Limited, BP Midstream Partners GP LLC, BP Midstream Partners Holdings LLC, BP Midstream Partners LP, BP Midwest Product Pipelines Holdings LLC, BP Mocambique Limitada, BP Mocambique Limited, BP Muturi Holdings B.V., BP Nederland Holdings BV, BP Netherlands Upstream B.V., BP New Ventures Middle East Limited, BP New Zealand Holdings Limited, BP New Zealand Share Scheme Limited, BP Nutrition Inc., BP Offshore Gathering Systems Inc., BP Offshore Pipelines Company LLC, BP Offshore Response Company LLC, BP Oil (Thailand) Limited, BP Oil Australia Pty Ltd, BP Oil Espana S.A., BP Oil Hellenic S.A., BP Oil International, BP Oil International Limited, BP Oil Kent Refinery Limited (in liquidation), BP Oil Llandarcy Refinery Limited, BP Oil Logistics UK Limited, BP Oil New Zealand Limited, BP Oil Pipeline Company, BP Oil Senegal S.A., BP Oil Shipping Company, BP Oil UK Limited, BP Oil Venezuela Limited, BP Oil Vietnam Limited, BP Oil Yemen Limited, BP Olex Fanal Mineralol GmbH, BP One Pipeline Company LLC, BP Pacific Investments Ltd, BP Pakistan (Badin) Inc., BP Pakistan Exploration and Production Inc., BP Pension Escrow Limited, BP Pension Trustees Limited, BP Pensions (Overseas) Limited, BP Pensions Limited, BP Petrochemicals India Investments Limited, BP Petroleo y Gas S.A., BP Petrolleri Anonim Sirketi, BP Pipelines (Alaska) Inc., BP Pipelines (BTC) Limited, BP Pipelines (North America) Inc., BP Pipelines (SCP) Limited, BP Pipelines (TANAP) Limited, BP Pipelines TAP Limited, BP Polska Services Sp. z o.o. Ul., BP Portugal -Comercio de Combustiveis e Lubrificantes SA, BP Poseidon Limited, BP Products North America, BP Products North America Inc., BP Properties Limited, BP Raffinaderij Rotterdam B.V., BP Refinery (Kwinana) Proprietary Limited, BP Regional Australasia Holdings Pty Ltd, BP River Rouge Pipeline Company LLC, BP Russian Investments Limited, BP Russian Ventures Limited, BP SC Holdings LLC, BP Scale Up Factory Limited, BP Senegal Investments Limited, BP Services International Limited, BP Servicios de Combustibles S.A. de C.V., BP Servicios territoriales S.A., BP Shafag-Asiman Limited, BP Shipping Limited, BP Singapore Pte. Limited, BP Solar Energy North America LLC, BP Solar Espana S.A., BP Solar International Inc., BP Solar Pty Ltd, BP South America Holdings Ltd, BP Southern Africa Proprietary Limited, BP Southern Cone Company, BP Subsea Well Response (Brazil) Limited, BP Subsea Well Response Limited, BP Taiwan Marketing Limited, BP Technology Ventures Inc., BP Technology Ventures Limited, BP Train 2/3 Holding SRL, BP Transportation (Alaska) Inc., BP Trinidad Processing Limited, BP Trinidad and Tobago, BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC, BP Turkey Refining Limited, BP Two Pipeline Company LLC, BP UK Retained Holdings Limited, BP Venezuela Investments B.V., BP West Aru I Limited, BP West Aru II Limited, BP West Papua I Limited, BP West Papua III Limited, BP Wind Energy North America Inc., BP Wiriagar Ltd., BP World-Wide Technical Services Limited, BP Zhuhai Chemical Company Limited, BP+Amoco International Limited, BP-AIOC Exploration (TISA) LLC, BPA Investment Holding Company, BPNE International B.V., BPRY Caribbean Ventures LLC, BPX (Eagle Ford) Gathering LLC, BPX (KCS Resources) LLC, BPX (Karnes) Gathering LLC, BPX (Permian) Gathering LLC, BPX (WSF Operating) Inc., BPX Energy Inc., BPX Midstream LLC, BPX Operating Company, BPX Production Company, BPX Properties (GP) LLC, BPX Properties (LP) LLC, BPX Properties (NA) LP, BTC Pipeline Holding Company Limited, BXL Plastics Limitedv, Bahia de Bizkaia Electridad S.L., Baltimore Ennis Land Company Inc., Black Lake Pipe Line Company, Blueprint Power, Brian Jasper Nominees Pty Ltd, Britannic Energy Trading Limited, Britannic Investments Iraq Limited, Britannic Marketing Limited, Britannic Strategies Limited, Britannic Trading Limited, Britoil Limited, Burmah Castrol, Burmah Castrol Australia Pty Ltd, Burmah Castrol Holdings Inc., Burmah Castrol PLC, Burmah Castrol South Africa (Pty) Limited, Burmah Chile SpA, Butamax Advanced Biofuels, CASTROL Austria GmbHb, CH-Twenty Inc., CNAA, Cadman DBP Limited, Casitas Pipeline Company, Castrol (China) Limited, Castrol (Ireland) Limited, Castrol (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Castrol (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Castrol (Tianjin) Lubricants Co. Ltd., Castrol (U.K.) Limited, Castrol Australia Pty. Limited, Castrol B.V., Castrol BP Petco Limited Liability Company, Castrol Brasil Ltda., Castrol Caribbean & Central America Inc., Castrol Colombia Ltda., Castrol Del Peru S.A., Castrol Egypt Lubricants S.A.E., Castrol India Limited, Castrol Industrie und Service GmbH, Castrol KK, Castrol Limited, Castrol Lubricants RO S.R.L, Castrol Mexico S.A., Castrol Namibia (Pty) Limited, Castrol Offshore Limited, Castrol Pakistan (Private) Limited, Castrol Philippines Inc., Castrol Servicos Ltda., Castrol Ukraine LLC, Castrol Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, Centrel Pty Ltd, Charge Your Car Limitedc, Chargemaster, Chargemaster (Europe) GmbH, Chargemaster Limited, Charging Solutions Limited, Clarisse Holdings Pty Ltd, Coastwise Trading Company Inc., Consolidada de Energia y Lubricantes (CENERLUB) C.A., Conti Cross Keys Inn Inc., Coro Trading NZ Limited, Cuyama Pipeline Company, DHC Solvent Chemie GmbH, Dermody Developments Pty Ltd, Dermody Holdings Pty Ltd, Dermody Investments Pty Ltd, Dermody Petroleum Pty. Ltd., Dome Beaufort Petroleum Limited, Dome Wallis (1980) Limited Partnership, ECM Markets SA (Pty) Ltd, Elektromotive Limited, Elite Customer Solutions Pty Ltd, Elm Holdings Inc., Energy Global Investments (USA) Inc., Enstar LLC, Estacion de Servicio Alto Campoo S.L., Estacion de Servicio Ganzo 10 S.L., Estacion de Servicio Reocin 9 S.L., Estacion de Servicio Santillana II S.L., Estacion de Servicio Sardinero S.L., Estonian Aviation Fuelling Services, Europa Oil NZ Limited, Exomet Inc., Expandite Contract Services Limited, Exploration (Luderitz Basin) Limited, Exploration Service Company Limited, FWK (2017) Limited, FWK Holdings (2017) LTD, Finite Carbon, Flat Ridge 2 Holdings LLC, Flat Ridge Wind Energy LLC, Foseco Holding Inc., Foseco Holding International B.V., Foseco Inc., Fosroc Expandite Limited, Fotech Solutions Ltd, Fowler Ridge Holdings LLC, Fowler Ridge I Land Investments LLC, Fowler Ridge II Holdings LLC, Fowler Ridge III Wind Farm LLC, FreeBees B.V., Fuel & Retail Aviat ion Sweden AB, Fuelplane- Sociedade Abastecedora De Aeronaves Unipessoal Lda, GOAM 1 C.I S. A .S, Gardena Holdings Inc., Gelsenkirchen Raffinerie Netz GmbH, Grampian Aviation Fuelling Services Limited, Guangdong Investments Limited, Highlands Ethanol LLC, Hosteleria Noriega S.L., IGI Resources Inc., Insight Analytics Solutions Holdings Limited, Insight Analytics Solutions Limited, Insight Analytics Solutions USA Inc., International Bunker Supplies Pty Ltd, Iraq Petroleum Company Limited, Jupiter Insurance Limited, Ken-Chas Reserve Company, Kenilworth Oil Company Limited, Kingbook Inversiones Socimi S.A., Latin Energy Argentina S.A., Lebanese Aviation Technical Services S.A.L., Limited Liability Company BP Toplivnaya Kompania, Limited liability company Setra Lubricants, Lubricants UK Limited, Lytt Limited, Manormaker (Nominee No. 1) Limited, Manormaker (Nominee No. 2) Limited, Manormaker GP Limited (99.90%) 11 Black Horse Lane, Mardi Gras Transportation System Company LLC, Markoil S.A., Masana Petroleum Solutions (Pty) Ltd, Mayaro Initiative for Private Enterprise Development, Mehoopany Holdings LLC, Mes Tecnologia En Servicios Y Energia S.A., Minza Pty. Ltd., Mountain City Remediation LLC, No. 1 Riverside Quay Proprietary Limited, Nordic Lubricants A/S, Nordic Lubricants AB, North America Funding Company, OMD87 Inc., OOO BP STL, Omega Oil Company, OnSight Analytics Solutions India Private Ltd., Open Energi, Orion Delaware Mountain Wind Farm LP, Orion Energy Holdings LLC, Orion Energy L.L.C.b, Orion Post Land Investments LLC, Oyambre 1 S.L., PRODUITS METALLURGIE DOITTAU, PT BP Petrochemicals, PT Castrol Indonesia, PT Castrol Manufacturing Indonesia, PT Jasatama Petroindo, Pacroy (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Peaks America Inc., Pearl River Delta Investments Limited, Petrocorner Retail S.L.U., Phoenix Petroleum Services Limited, Pozuelo 4 S.L., Prospect International C.A. (In liquidation), Puente Arce 4 S.L., Remediation Management Services Company, Richfield Oil Corporation, Rio Corvo 2 S.L., Rolling Thunder I Power Partners LLC, Romax Insight Korea Ltd., Ropemaker Deansgate Limited, Ropemaker Properties Limited, Ruhr Oel GmbH, Rusdene GSS Limited, SOFAST Limited, SRHP, Saturn Insurance Inc., Sherbino I Holdings LLC, Sherbino Mesa I Land Investments LLC, Sociedade de Promocao Imobiliaria Quinta do Loureiro SA, Societe de Gestion de Depots d'Hydrocarbures - GDH, South Texas Shale LLC, Southeast Texas Biofuels LLC, Southern Ridge Pipeline Holding Company, Southern Ridge Pipeline LP LLC, Sp/f Decision3 (GreenSteam) Company, Standard Oil Company, Standard Oil Company Inc., Standard Oil of Ohio, Stryde Limited, Sunrise Oil Sands Partnership, TISA Education Complex LLC, TJKK, Taradadis Pty. Ltd., Telcom General Corporation, Terre de Grace Partnership, The Anaconda Company, The BP Share Plans Trustees Limited, The Burmah Oil Company (Pakistan Trading) Limited, The Standard Oil Company, Thorntons, Toledo Refinery Holding Company LLC, Torrelavega 7 S.L., Union Texas International Corporation, Vastar Pipeline LLC, Veba Oel AG Veba Oel, Verenium, Viceroy Investments Limited, Villacarriedo 8 S.L., Warrenville Development Limited, Water Way Trading and Petroleum Services LLC, Welchem Inc., West Kimberley Fuels Pty Ltd, Westlake Houston Development LLC, Whiting Clean Energy Inc., Windpark Energy Nederland B.V., and Winwell Resources L.L.C. The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. 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Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC. Lincoln National Corp. is a holding company, which operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses through its subsidiary companies. It provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. The company operates through the following segments: Annuities, Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, Group Protection, and Other Operations. The Annuities segment provides tax-deferred investment growth and lifetime income opportunities for its clients by offering fixed and variable annuities. The Retirement Plan Services segment includes employers with retirement plan products and services, primarily in the defined contribution retirement plan marketplaces. The Life Insurance segment focuses on the creation and protection of wealth for its clients by providing life insurance products, including term insurance, both single and survivorship versions of universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance products. The Group Protection segment offers group non-medical insurance products, which includes term life, disability, dental, vision and accident and critical illness Read More MARCY- Five gyms across Central New York host Row-a-thon to raise money for March of Dimes. Mohawk Valley Wellness in Marcy hosted the event inviting gyms from all over the area. Teams of four were asked to row for an hour to burn as many calories as they could. For each calorie burned a sponsor could donate up to $1.00 per calorie. Money raised goes to support March of Dimes, an organization who that works to improve the health of mothers and premature babies. One particpant told NEWSChannel 2 why this event is important to her. "Peter my son here was born pre-maturely at 31 weeks. So we do it to raise awareness and let other families know that there is support in this community if you are facing an issue like pre-maturity." She also said there is support throughout the community for people who need it. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani spoke to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan over the telephone on Sunday during which both the leaders discussed issues of bilateral and region importance, an official statement said. "The two leaders exchanged views on matters relating to peace, security and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region," the statement said. Khan, during his conversation with President Ghani, said that prolonged conflict in Afghanistan has damaged the neighbouring country and also "adversely affected Pakistan over the past many decades." He said that for the sake of the two peoples, the leadership of both the country should aim to help build peace, promote economic progress, and advance connectivity for regional prosperity. The Pakistani Prime Minister reiterated his vision for finding a peaceful solution in Afghanistan, which is fully-owned and led by the Afghans. Khan underlined that Pakistan will spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two brotherly countries. Both the leaders agreed to make efforts for availing the geographic locations of Afghanistan and Pakistan to enhance regional connectivity and realise the true economic potential of the two countries for assured socio-economic development, alleviation of poverty, and welfare of the two peoples, the statement said. Khan reiterated his invitation to President Ghani to visit Pakistan for a comprehensive exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest. The dates for the visit would be decided through mutual consultations, it said. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)Corvette enthusiasts around the state gathered at the Amphitheater Park to raise money for the Indiana Veterans Home. Lafayette Corvette Club and Star City Corvettes of Indiana held its eighth annual 'Vetts for Vet' event. Corvette owners travel from Michigan and Fort Wayne to donate goods to the Veterans home. With the help of the club's sponsor Christi Hubler Chevrolet, the clubs are able to donate every penny raised. Enthusiast Phil Nace said this is a great way to give back to those who have served our country. "It's important that we support our veterans," said Nace. "Many of the Corvette owners are veterans themselves. So they have deep empathy for people there." LAFAYETTE, Ind (WLFI)Daughters of the American Revolution, Marco de Lafayette chapter held it's 125th anniversary on Sunday at the Carnahan Hall. This group is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in establishing the United States. 12 women in the Lafayette chapter planned the event. The purpose is to celebrate those who founded our country through Patriotism, Education, and Historic Preservation. Keynote speaker Guillaume Lacroix, who is a Consult General of the consulate of France in Chicago, said it's an honor celebrating history. "In 1944 here in Lafayette, the Daughters of American Revolution celebrated their 50th anniversary," said Lacroix. "For me, it is important to be here and to testify of the French gratitude to America for their friendship." Lafayette holds the very first Daughters of the American Revolution organization in the state of Indiana. JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) 65 Junior and senior high schoolers from across Indiana are competing for a spot in this years National Rodeo Finals. On Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 the students will compete in various rodeo events. Theyre competing in Junior High School State Finals, which is held at the Jasper County Fairgrounds. Event leaders said this competition is like any other sporting event. Students are required to train their minds and bodies but they're also required to train their animals. National Director of the Indiana High School Rodeo Association, Angela Hoagland said this event is a sight to see. We hope that people come out and come and see the Rodeo and if you've got children, grandchildren that love horses and would like to compete we, would love to have them in our association, said Hoagland. The competition begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 5. Its free to the public. By Associated Press COLUMBIA: Former Vice President Joe Biden charged Saturday that Jim Crow is "sneaking back in" as he emphasized voting rights at his first presidential campaign stop in South Carolina, where black voters play a key role in the South's first presidential primary. In criticizing Republican efforts to adopt more stringent voting rules, including identification requirements and curtailing early voting hours, Biden recalled the racial segregation laws of the past. "You've got Jim Crow sneaking back in," he said, referring to the era before the civil rights movement. "You know what happens when you have an equal right to vote? They lose." Biden centered much of his trip around the need to restore decency to the White House. "Your state motto is, 'While I breathe, I hope,'" he said at the rally after continuing his full-throated denunciation of President Donald Trump. "It's not a joke. We're breathing, but God, we have got to have hope." He kept up that theme at a private evening fundraiser, telling several dozen donors that he expects a nasty race from President Donald Trump. "This guy is going to go after me and family," Biden said, recalling his grandchildren telling him before his announcement that they expect Trump and others to bring up family details including his son Hunter Biden's divorce. Biden said there "are so many nicknames I want to give this guy," and he drew laughter when he joked that he'd "start with clown." But he added that he doesn't want to respond in kind. "The only place he has any confidence is in the mud," Biden said, because the president "doesn't understand how to respond to issues." Biden said he will answer Trump "directly" in the future without name-calling. He recalled saying in 2016 that in high school he'd have "taken him behind the barn and beat the hell out of" Trump. "Guess what? I probably shouldn't have done that," Biden said. "The presidency is an office that requires dignity and reestablishing respect and standing." Biden will continue his trip Sunday by worshipping at a black church in Columbia. He opened his latest run for president with explicit appeals to white, working-class voters across the Midwest, pledging his support for unions and promising to rebuild the middle class. Now, Biden is trying to gauge whether his message will resonate among more diverse electorates. Black voters accounted for a solid majority of Democratic presidential primary ballots in 2016. Ahead of her husband's afternoon remarks, Jill Biden emphasized the couple's long ties to South Carolina, saying they came to the state to grieve after their son Beau died of cancer in 2015. "Joe and I love South Carolina," she said. The former vice president credited the late South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings with persuading him not to abandon public office after Biden's first wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident weeks after his election to the Senate in 1972. Last month, Biden traveled to Charleston to eulogize his longtime desk mate and friend . He also noted his long friendship with Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the top-ranking House Democrats. Clyburn, who typically doesn't endorse a candidate before the South Carolina presidential primary, didn't attend Biden's events. Elsewhere in campaigning Saturday by Democratic presidential candidates: BERNIE SANDERS Sen. Bernie Sanders said one area in which he doesn't fault President Donald Trump is his handling of North Korea, telling ABC's "This Week" that Trump's face-to-face meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "is the right thing to do." Sanders called North Korea "a threat to the planet" and said the U.S. has to do everything possible to have China and others in the region put pressure on the North and "make it clear that they cannot continue to act this way." South Korean officials said North Korea fired several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Saturday. The launch came amid a diplomatic breakdown between the U.S. and the North. "This Week" released quotes from the interview in Iowa ahead of its broadcast Sunday. Sanders told reporters in Iowa that if he were in the House, he would hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt for his refusal to appear at a congressional hearing on the special counsel's Russia investigation and its report. "We have a separation of powers, we don't have an authoritarian government," Sanders said. AMY KLOBUCHAR Sen. Amy Klobuchar is knocking Trump as being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin during their recent phone call. Trump and Putin on Friday had their first known call since the release of the special counsel's report on Russian election meddling, and Trump said he didn't warn the Russian president against interfering in future elections. Klobuchar told reporters after an event in Des Moines, Iowa, that her message would be very different. "What I would say when I'm president to Vladimir Putin is that we've got your number, I've got the FBI after you, I've got the CIA looking at all of this, I've figured out what you guys are up to and we're going to protect our elections and we're going to put increasing sanctions on against you." Klobuchar also said she was frustrated that congressional investigators haven't been able to question special counsel Robert Mueller, whom she described as "the witness we need to go after Russia so that they don't attack our elections again." SETH MOULTON Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts is calling for more funding for the State Department. Moulton said his own experience serving as a Marine in the Middle East showed the importance of diplomacy. "When the State Department goes in first to these conflicts they prevent having to send American troops. So the more money that we invest in the State Department, it doesn't just save ammunition. It saves American lives." BETO O'ROURKE Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke said in a commencement address that the legacies of "slavery, of segregation, of Jim Crow, of suppression" are "alive and well" today. In remarks at historically black Paul Quinn College in Dallas, O'Rourke said "the work is far from over." He has previously expressed support for creating a commission to study economic reparations for black Americans. ELIZABETH WARREN Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned the nation remains "at risk" for further foreign interference in its elections and that Trump "puts us squarely in trouble" with his public warmth toward Putin. The Massachusetts Democrat told reporters in Iowa that the special counsel's report "demonstrated conclusively that Russia attacked our electoral system with the purpose of helping Donald Trump." She said Trump then "turns around two weeks later and says, 'We're all good on this'? We're not all good on this." Trump tweeted on Saturday that his call with Putin the previous day was a sign of "tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia." Warren also criticized Trump for maintaining his alignment with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un even after Pyongyang launched short-range projectiles off its coast. "Trump is just all over the map," Warren told reporters. "Foreign policy by tweet doesn't work." The road paving project is in full swing at Diamond Hill and Mendon Road in Woonsocket Friday morning. The project is expected to be completed by mid-summer. By PTI LONDON: The UK is in talks with the Indian government on building a new state-of-the-art aircraft carrier along the lines of Britain's HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of the ongoing 'Make in India' negotations, according to a media report. The talks are underway for the Indian Navy to buy detailed plans for the 65,000-ton British warship to build a so-called "copycat supercarrier" to be named INS Vishal in 2022. "An Indian delegation has already visited Rosyth dockyard in Scotland where HMS Queen Elizabeth was assembled and where a second supercarrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is now being built," the 'Sunday Mirror' reported. "If a deal can be agreed, the new warship would be built in India but UK companies could supply many of the parts," it claims. The report notes that such a new Naval carrier would serve alongside India's 45,000-ton carrier INS Vikramaditya -- bought from Russia in 2004 -- and the future 40,000-ton INS Vikrant and could give India a larger carrier fleet than Britain. "We have regular discussions with India on a range of equipment and capability issues. It would be inappropriate to comment further," UK Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said, declining to comment on the reports. The design for UK aircraft carriers is owned by the British and French aerospace giants BAE and Thales. "Discussion have begun with India. The design can be modified to meet Indian Navy and local industry requirements," a BAE spokesperson said. The reported India-UK Naval deal would follow the sale of Britain's Falklands War carrier HMS Hermes to India in 1987, which was renamed INS Viraat and decommissioned two years ago. By PTI ISLAMABAD: ) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has paid tribute to Tipu Sultan, praising the 18th-century ruler of Mysore for preferring to die for freedom rather than "live a life of enslavement". Khan took to Twitter to express his admiration for the 18th-century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom also known as the Tiger of Mysore. "Today 4th May is the death anniversary of Tipu Sultan - a man I admire because he preferred freedom and died fighting for it rather than live a life of enslavement," Khan tweeted on Saturday. It is not the first time Khan has praised Sultan's valour. Today 4th May is the death anniversary of Tipu Sultan - a man I admire because he preferred freedom and died fighting for it rather than live a life of enslavement. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 4, 2019 In February, the prime minister at a joint sitting of parliament convened in the wake of the heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pulwama terror attack lauded Sultan's gallantry. Sultan valiantly fought in the fourth Anglo-Mysore War but was killed in the siege of Srirangapatna after the French military advisers told him to escape via secret passages, but he famously replied: "It is better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep". Sultan is famous in history for introducing a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of the Mysore's silk industry. He is considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore in 1991 called Sultan the innovator of the world's first war rocket. WASHINGTON: For months, President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen tried but failed to position himself as a whistleblower in the vein of Watergate hero John Dean. As the time ticked down toward his deadline to report to prison, Cohen also lost the interest of the one group of people who could help him out: the federal prosecutors he desperately hoped would ask a judge to shorten his sentence. Since mid-March, prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohen's repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other people in his orbit, Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis told The Associated Press on Friday. "Why not see him?" Davis asked. "What's the downside? He's about to go to prison." Cohen's legal team reached out to prosecutors in March asking for an opportunity to meet for a "frank discussion" about reducing his sentence, based on his cooperation. That meeting never happened. ALSO READ: Records show FBI was probing Michael Cohen long before raid That snub might be the best evidence yet that Cohen's months-long campaign to sell himself as a potential witness hasn't paid off. Cohen is scheduled to report Monday to a federal prison 70 miles north of New York City to begin serving a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations, tax evasion, bank fraud and lying to Congress. In an apparent bid to maintain a semblance of normalcy before starting his sentence, Cohen left his Manhattan apartment building on Saturday with his son to go to a coffee shop and then to a barbershop, Eddie Arthur Salon. They both got haircuts. Cohen's next stop was the pricy retailer Barneys New York, where he told journalists that he plans to hold a news conference Monday before heading to prison. Cohen remains the only person charged in a scandal involving hush money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who were threatening during the presidential campaign to speak up about alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen started to cast himself publicly as a whistleblower less than three months after the FBI raided his home and apartment. ALSO READ: Michael Cohen lied about not seeking pardon, says Donald Trump He gave a series of tantalizing teases that there was "more to come," starting with an interview last July in which he told ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos he was no longer loyal to Trump. More dribbled out over the next few weeks. Davis released a tape of Cohen and Trump discussing one of the hush-money payments. That effort, though, has largely been met with an uncompromising approach by federal prosecutors. New York investigators built their case for months without speaking with Cohen, then finally agreed to meet with him on a Saturday last August, just a few days before he would plead guilty. At the meeting, they delivered an ultimatum: plead guilty or be indicted within days. Cohen also believed after the meeting that his wife could be charged with financial crimes if he didn't cooperate. "I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap," Cohen later told an acquaintance, the actor Tom Arnold, in a conversation that Arnold recorded and provided to The Wall Street Journal. Cohen's wife, Laura, filed taxes with her husband and made investments with Cohen in taxi medallions. She ultimately was not charged. ALSO READ: Donald Trump may not go peacefully if he loses in 2020, says Michael Cohen After pleading guilty in August, Cohen did meet with Manhattan-based prosecutors multiple times to discuss several issues. Those included Trump's personal business dealings, the president's personal involvement in attempts to pay off McDougal and Daniels, and his inaugural committee, which is now the subject of a criminal investigation centering on possible donations by foreign nationals and influence peddling. Cohen also met with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators several times, culminating with a session just days before the former FBI director turned his report over to the Justice Department. Still, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, in court filings before his sentencing, criticized what it described as Cohen's unwillingness to cooperate fully and be debriefed "on other uncharged criminal conduct, if any, in his past." They didn't ask the judge for a lenient sentence and have given no sign that they intend to file a so-called Rule 35 motion a legal filing that could reduce Cohen's punishment if his cooperation is deemed to be of substantial assistance. Cohen's attorneys say they believe Cohen's information supports several potential prosecutions. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. In February, Cohen testified before several Congressional panels about what he said was dishonesty by Trump in his business affairs. He also testified that a Trump Organization executive, Allen Weisselberg, and Trump's son Donald Jr. were involved in reimbursing him for one of the hush money payments. During that testimony, Cohen said a number of Trump-related topics were still being probed by New York prosecutors. "I am currently working with them right now on several other issues of investigation that concerns them, that they're looking at," Cohen said. Yet, within weeks, prosecutors were through speaking with him. Davis, in the interview Friday, said he believes Cohen has been treated unfairly. "The Southern District of New York was disproportionate in the sentence it asked for and appears to have targeted just Michael Cohen for reasons that I can't understand," Davis said. By AFP PARIS: A veteran French war reporter who was a witness in Dallas to the fatal shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald has died at the age of 94, his family said Sunday. In 1963, Francois Pelou, who also covered the wars in both Korea and Vietnam for Agence France-Presse (AFP), was the first French journalist sent to Dallas the day after the assassination of John F Kennedy. Two days later, he was a close eyewitness to Oswald's shooting in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. He was immediately interviewed by other reporters and covered Ruby's trial the following year. "Francois died on Saturday at his home in Conques-en-Rouergue," his wife Caroline told AFP by phone from the south of France. In Vietnam, Pelou met and got involved with one of Italy's most famous female journalists Oriana Fallaci, with the relationship lasting for many years. "Oriana Fallaci arrived in my bureau in 1967. We covered many events together, she would become very important in my life," he told Toulouse's La Depeche daily in 2016. During his career, Pelou also covered Mexico and Brazil, where he was jailed for having revealed the details of a ransom deal under which dozens of political prisoners were freed to secure the release of a kidnapped ambassador. Posted to Madrid in 1975, he covered the death of dictator Francisco Franco who had ruled Spain with an iron fist from the end of the country's civil war. While in Vietnam, he got shrapnel in one of his legs, leaving him with a lifelong limp. A little over a week after threatening to send more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, Donald and Melania Trump are saying Feliz Cinco de Mayo! I send my greetings and best wishes to all those celebrating Cinco de Mayo. On this day 157 years ago, the Mexican people valiantly defended their freedom and prevailed in the Battle of Puebla, the president said in a statement, adding, As we honor the anniversary of this historic victory, we celebrate the courage and patriotism the Mexican soldiers exemplified in defeating the invading army of Napoleon III. In his Cinco de Mayo message, Trump concluded with praise for Mexican-Americans. We also acknowledge the remarkable achievements of Mexican Americans and the many contributions they have made, and continue to make, to our Nation, Trump said. Melania and I hope those who are celebrating enjoy todays festivities. Feliz Cinco de Mayo! RELATED: Donald Trump Tells Everyone to Get Back to Business Days After His Anti-Biden Twitter Outburst This was a stark contrast to Trumps April 24 remarks about renewed threats and commentary on Mexican troops, following an incident between Mexican soldiers and U.S. personnel at the border. According to the Associated Press, Mexico claimed the incident was one of misunderstanding, while Trump had another, baseless explanation. On Twitter, Trump claimed, without evidence, that Mexicos soldiers created the incident 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! Just hours after this celebratory Cinco de Mayo statement release, Trump announced that Mark Morgan had been selected to lead the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. RELATED VIDEO: Joe Biden Announces He Is Running for President Against Donald Trump After Skipping 2016 Race I am pleased to inform all of those that believe in a strong, fair and sound Immigration Policy that Mark Morgan will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE, he wrote on Twitter. Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. He will do a great job! Morgan, a former FBI agent and Obama-era director of Customs and Border Protection, has been outspoken about his support for Trumps wall along U.S.-Mexico border. EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL, AND VILE, Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, 2019. Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection Much of Ted Bundy's story is so horrifying that it's no wonder a judge once described his crimes as Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. While most of his crimes were of the violent variety, he did commit another kind of crime along the way: escaping imprisonment. It took several tries (and trials) before Bundy was put behind bars once and for all to await his ultimate sentence, but in the meantime, his twisted savvy and some oversights by law enforcement allowed him to escape custody not once but twice. In the mid-1970s, Bundy's first wave of crimes came to light, and he was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including kidnapping, assault, and murder. After being found guilty of the first two, he was transferred to Aspen in January 1977, where authorities charged him with the murder of Caryn Campbell. He chose to represent himself in court, so the judge presiding over the trial allowed him to forgo the usual shackles. During a recess, Bundy asked permission to use the courthouse's law library for research. While in there, he jumped out a second-story window and escaped, fleeing into the nearby forest. He got lost and wandered for nearly a week before stealing a car. He was eventually pulled over by police for erratic driving and put back into custody. Bundy's second escape was a full-fledged prison break. As the Campbell trial continued, Bundy decided again to attempt escape from the Colorado jail where he was currently imprisoned. Other inmates provided him with plans of the jail and a hacksaw, and visitors smuggled him cash over several months. He was able to saw a small hole in the ceiling of his cell and crawl up into the space above for practice runs; reports of noise and movement by informants went uninvestigated. On December 30, 1977, while most of the jail's staff was on holiday break, Bundy made his escape - and this one stuck. Bundy made it to Florida, where he went on another violent crime spree over a couple of months, but when he was finally caught, it was the last time; it was the Florida trials that ultimately led to his final convictions and execution. Although Bundy's prison escapes sound like the stuff of a thriller movie, it's important to remember that, in reality, they were the actions of a cold-blooded killer trying to get out of paying for his crimes. The latest episode of The Good Fight featured a moment that left some wondering if showrunners Robert and Michelle King really did add something that got them censored by CBS.Truth be told, CBS All Access was concerned about the scene that was to come in which the audience was clued in on the moral acrobatics some U.S. companies will exercise to get its toes in a profitable Chinese market.In the episode titled The One Where Kurt Saves Diane, the law firm finds itself defending a fictional search engine from a lawsuit filed by a Milo Yiannopoulos caricature who claims that he was buried in the sites search results because of his politics. In the midst of this, the firm discovers that the company actually does meddle with its search algorithm, mostly to create a version of the site it can launch in China that will allow the countrys government to censor content.This leads into the shows Schoolhouse Rock-esque animated short satirizing a major Trump-era news topic only for that short to be replaced by an eight-second placard that reads CBS has censored this content.A spokesperson for CBS All Access told TVLine that this placard was not written into the script, and that the network really did have concerns with some subject matter in the episodes animated short and that the placard was the creative solution that we agreed upon.Read original story The Good Fight Censored Clip Actually Was an Agreed Cut by CBS At TheWrap The latest episode of The Good Fight featured a moment that left some wondering if showrunners Robert and Michelle King really did add something that got them censored by CBS. Truth be told, CBS All Access was concerned about the scene that was to come in which the audience was clued in on the moral acrobatics some U.S. companies will exercise to get its toes in a profitable Chinese market. In the episode titled The One Where Kurt Saves Diane, the law firm finds itself defending a fictional search engine from a lawsuit filed by a Milo Yiannopoulos caricature who claims that he was buried in the sites search results because of his politics. In the midst of this, the firm discovers that the company actually does meddle with its search algorithm, mostly to create a version of the site it can launch in China that will allow the countrys government to censor content. This leads into the shows Schoolhouse Rock-esque animated short satirizing a major Trump-era news topic only for that short to be replaced by an eight-second placard that reads CBS has censored this content. A spokesperson for CBS All Access told TVLine that this placard was not written into the script, and that the network really did have concerns with some subject matter in the episodes animated short and that the placard was the creative solution that we agreed upon. Read original story The Good Fight Censored Clip Actually Was an Agreed Cut by CBS At TheWrap Hong Kong drama Still Human picked up top prizes at the 21st Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy at midnight on Sunday. It was a favorite of both critics and audience. However, the films lead actor Anthony Wong, who was also the recipient of the festivals Golden Mulberry award for outstanding achievement and winner of the Hong Kong Film Awards best actor in April for his role as a disabled man, said the success of Still Human has yet to bring him more film work. Thats because he showed support for democracy forces during the Umbrella Movement protests in 2014 and appears to be on some kind of banned list. Related stories Udine Festival Puts China's Belt and Road Initiative in the Spotlight 'Project Gutenberg' Dominates Hong Kong Film Awards Directed by first-time director Oliver Chan, Still Human tells a heart-warming story of how a Filipina domestic helper (played by Crisel Consunji) and her disabled employer (Wong) overcome their conflicts and misunderstandings. The film won the top Audience Award and the Black Dragon critics award. It was the first time that a Hong Kong film won Udines audience award since 2003 and crime thriller Infernal Affairs, which also stars Wong. During the festival, which also showcased Wongs 1985 big screen debut My Name Aint Suzie, Wong said he has been banned for five years from taking acting jobs relating to mainland China. Wong said he did not regret his political comments, but he was scared. I dont know what is happening. I dont have a way to ask anyone, said the vocal actor. Someone told me that I was not on the [black] list, but they still banned all my jobs. This kind of fear is white terror. Over the past five years, Wong has ventured into stage plays and TV, including U.K. crime series Strangers (AKA White Dragon). But he has no film work lined up since Still Human. No one dares to call me, he said. Other audience awards went to Chinese black comedy Dying to Survive, and Korean blockbuster Extreme Job. The White Mulberry award for first film went to Melancholic by Japanese newcomer Tanaka Seiji. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (Original Caption) Close up of Theodore Bundy, convicted Florida murderer, charged with other killings. The details of serial killer Ted Bundy's heinous acts are enough to make anyone's stomach churn. We see the chilling parts of his personal life and trials re-created in the Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, starring Zac Efron. Although Bundy confessed to 30 murders, officials have a strong inkling that the number is more around 100. That makes you wonder - where did his disregard for human life begin? "No one knows when or where Theodore "Ted" Bundy killed for the first time," FBI documents say. "It could have been during his teenage years or when he was in his early 20s in the late 1960s. It might have been in Washington state, where he resided for many years, or on the East Coast, where he was born and lived as a young boy and had family ties." Reports do confirm, however, that Bundy's horror streak was underway by 1974. As we see in Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Bundy meets Liz Kendall (aka Elizabeth Kloepfer), played by Lily Collins, in Seattle in 1969. She has a young daughter, Molly (whose real name is Tina), when she becomes involved with Bundy. Things take a turn when a girl goes missing and a sketch of the suspected abductor appears in the paper. Kendall says the sketch is generic and thinks it could be anyone. But Bundy's name is also on the suspect list. Kendall, however, knows exactly why his name is on the list. One of the big moments in the film is when we find out that Kendall was the one to give his name to police. Bundy and Kendall's long-term relationship eventually fizzled out, and he moved on to Carole Ann Boone, played by Kaya Scodelario in the film. The two got engaged and married all in the same breath. They were able to consummate their marriage, and Boone became pregnant in early 1981. Bundy was found guilty and given the death penalty. Boone gave birth to their daughter while he awaited the electric chair. As we see it play out in the movie, Kendall goes to visit him on death row on the day before his execution on Jan. 24, 1989. However, since Kendall's book detailing her relationship and experiences with Bundy, The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy, came out in 1981, it's not confirmed whether she actually visited him. In the film on that January day, she practically begs Bundy to confess that he did commit the murders. She had been carrying guilt with her for 10 years for tipping off police, and wanted to finally be released from him. He gives her that when she shows him a photo of one of his decapitated victims. When Kendall asks where's her head, he spells out "hacksaw" on the fogged-up glass between them. Sanders pushes back against Biden's claim he's the 'most progressive' candidate in the Democratic field originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Sen. Bernie Sanders pushed back against former Vice President Joe Biden's claim that he has "the most progressive record" of any candidate in the Democratic presidential field, citing Biden's votes as a member of the U.S. Senate as evidence that his views were not always in line with the nation's liberals. "I think if you look at Joes record and you look at my record, I dont think theres much question about whos more progressive," Sanders, I-Vt., told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl in an exclusive interview from Des Moines, Iowa, that aired on "This Week" Sunday. "Joe voted for the war in Iraq, I led the effort against it. Joe voted for NAFTA and permanent trade relations, trade agreements with China. I led the effort against that. Joe voted for the deregulation of Wall Street, I voted against that," the senator recounted, after first noting that he considers Biden "a good friend" and was not there to "attack him." Sen. Bernie Sanders compares his voting record former to VP Joe Bidens in an exclusive interview with @ABCs @jonkarl: I dont think theres much question about whos more progressive. Watch the full interview this morning on @ThisWeekABC https://t.co/cqKWe5cyn9 pic.twitter.com/TNmQsehx09 ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 5, 2019 (MORE: Joe Biden hints at 2020 run: 'I have the most progressive record of anyone running') Story continues The explanation is the latest in a series of answers Sanders has given in the past week differentiating himself from his fellow 2020 Democratic primary front-runner -- the pair have topped nearly every poll gauging the race -- following Biden's formal entrance into the race on April 25. The former vice president, who represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years prior to his elevation to the country's number-two office, was responding to claimed criticisms by the "new left" -- the increasing wave of liberal Democrats, many of whom cite Sanders' 2016 presidential run as inspiration for their views -- when he touted his "progressive record" before a home-state audience in a March speech. PHOTO: 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders sits for an exclusive interview with ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl for 'This Week.' (Adam Kelsey/ABC News) One area where Sanders and Biden will have a clear difference is on the issue of health care. Sanders has advocated for a transition to a Medicare-for-all plan that would eventually eliminate private insurance for basic health care, while Biden has called for improvements to the Affordable Care Act, and providing a public option for individuals to buy into Medicare while keeping the private insurance system. "[T]he system today is truly dysfunctional," Sanders said in response. "All that I want to do is expand Medicare over a four year period. To cover every man, woman and child in this country. if you want a better program, a more comprehensive program, with no deductibles, with no copayments, with no premiums, which will cost your family less, support Medicare for all." Though Biden's emergence in the race has attracted the majority of election-related headlines in the past week, the candidate most typically associated with Sanders is Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who occupies a similar position on the left flank of the field's ideological spectrum and whom Sanders acknowledged as a "progressive candidate." "I think Elizabeth Warren is a very good senator," Sanders said on "This Week," adding, "She is a friend of mine. She's a serious candidate. She's a good candidate. We have differences; we agree on a lot of things. Well let the voters sort it out." As for one of those differences, Sanders demurred at the idea of eliminating the Senate filibuster, an action now called for by Warren, saying it would "convert the Senate into the House of Representatives." He did, however, share his view that the process needed reform. (MORE: 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders says he doesn't 'fault Trump' on North Korea) Sen. Bernie Sanders says he "does not fault Trump" in his handling of North Korea in an exclusive interview with @ABC's @jonkarl: "It is very, very difficult, but clearly they are a threat to the planet." See more Sunday on @ThisWeekABC. https://t.co/AOW36YJreg pic.twitter.com/vIFbhkAU9B ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 4, 2019 Sanders' interview on "This Week" comes in the midst of a two-day, six-stop tour across Iowa, during which he is scheduled to roll out an "agriculture and rural investment" policy. On Saturday, he was mobbed by crowds as he walked through Des Moines' downtown farmer's market, less than three years after he shocked the Democratic establishment by falling less than one-half of a percentage point from winning the Iowa caucuses -- a moment he describes in his current stump speech as one that jump-started the party's progressive movement. On "This Week," Sanders drew the connection between his 2016 platform and the goals currently being pursued in Washington. "You know, when I talked about a $15 minimum wage four years ago that was too radical, that was extreme," he said. "Today, six states have already passed that and I suspect the U.S. House will pass $15 an hour the next month or two. So ideas that weve brought forth have helped transform the discussion in America." PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Bernie Sanders speaks during a rally at Discovery Green on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP) But while the House was injected with a corps of young freshmen legislators via November's midterm blue wave, the senator seemed to suggest that the "new generation of leadership" that some of his primary rivals are pitching as they seek the White House would be missing a key attribute. "I will not criticize my opponents for not having a whole lot of experience, that would be wrong," said Sanders, a veteran of nearly three decades on Capitol Hill. (MORE: Who is running for president in 2020?) Though he would not provide a prediction for this year's caucuses, he laughed when asked by Karl for a short list of potential running mates. Sanders said he "would give very serious consideration" to being joined on the ticket by a woman, but stopped short of making the same commitment in regard to a possible vice presidential candidate of color. "I think it's premature," he said. "It would be silly to make that statement right now." But Sanders said he believes the party will unite behind whoever leads the eventual Democratic ticket. "I think I can feel safe to say that no matter who the candidate is, we are all going to come together to defeat the most dangerous president in modern American history, and that is Donald Trump," he said. Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro is 'ruling for the moment, but he can't govern': Secretary of State Mike Pompeo originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Amid political unrest in Venezuela, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that President Nicolas Maduro is "ruling for the moment," but cannot be part of the country's future, reiterating the Trump administration's support for interim President Juan Guaido. "Weve supported the National Assemblys choice. Juan Guaido is the interim president of the country, and as you know, these things sometimes have bumpy roads." Pompeo told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl on "This Week" Sunday. "(Maduro's) ruling for the moment, but he can't govern. There's enormous poverty, enormous starvation, sick children that can't get medicine," Pompeo added. "This is not someone who can be part of Venezuela's future and whether that change takes place today or tomorrow or a week from now, one can't predict." Pompeo also said on Sunday, "Maduro cannot feel good about the security of his position today, and he shouldn't. Because the Venezuelan people will demand, ultimately, that he leave." The opposition-controlled National Assembly declared Guaido interim president in January, but months of demonstrations and U.S. sanctions have not forced Maduro from his grip on power -- even after a major uprising Tuesday. According to The Washington Post, in an interview on Saturday, Guaido acknowledged that the opposition had not drawn enough support from the military and members of Maduros inner circle to force him to step down. "Maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution," Guaido told the Post. PHOTO: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference, April 22, 2019, at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. (Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP) Earlier this week, Pompeo charged that Russia had blocked U.S. efforts to get Maduro out of the country, persuading him at the last minute not to take a waiting plane to Cuba. Karl asked Pompeo if Maduro would still be in power if he did not have the support of the Cuban and Russian governments. Story continues "Without the Cubans, there would be no possibility he would still be in power. They are -- they are at the center of this," the secretary said, noting Cuban security forces are guarding Maduro. Karl pressed, "You said the Cubans. How about the Russians?" "Oh, the Russians -- the Russians need to get out, too," Pompeo said. "We want every country -- Iran is in there today. They need to leave as well. Every country that is interfering with the Venezuelan people's right to restore their own democracy needs to leave." (MORE: Guaido urges opposition onward in Venezuela, defends apparently failed plot to oust Maduro) Sitting alongside activist Fabiana Rosales, Guaido's wife, in the Oval Office at the end of March, President Donald Trump told reporters that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela. However, on Friday, after an hour-long call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump told reporters that Putin wasn't "looking to get at all involved in Venezuela." "We talked about many things. Venezuela was one of the topics. And he is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. And I feel the same way," the president said. "Arent they already deeply involved in supporting Maduro?" Karl asked Pompeo on "This Week." "The president has said that the Russians must get out. ... The objective is very clear; we want the Iranians out, we want the Russians out, we want the Cubans out. Thats ultimately what has to take place in order for Venezuelan democracy to be restored," the secretary said. "I dont think anything the president said is inconsistent with that." PHOTO:Members of the Bolivarian National Guard run under a cloud of tear gas after being repelled by guards supporting Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido upon arriving to disperse demonstrators, in Caracas, April 30, 2019. (Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images) America's top diplomat said that the administration has "a full range of options" prepared to respond to the situation in Venezuela, including some that involve the U.S. military. Pompeo was at the Pentagon on Friday discussing these options. He told Karl that he was there "making sure that when this progresses, and a different situation arises, that the president has a full-scale set of options; diplomatic options, political options, options with our allies, and then ultimately, a set of options that would involve use of U.S. military. Were preparing those for him so that when the situation arises, were not flatfooted." He did not elaborate on what kind of situation would lead to the U.S. military taking action. In a press release Saturday, Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, called on the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold a hearing with administration officials about this possibility. "The brutal Maduro Regime has caused unspeakable suffering amongst the citizens in Venezuela and I commend the brave Venezuelans who are standing up for their freedom and for their basic human rights. However, I am concerned by reports of possible U.S. military intervention in Venezuela," the press release read. "Does the president believe that he can intervene militarily without getting congressional authorization?" Karl asked Pompeo on "This Week." "The president has his full range of Article II authorities and Im very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful," he said. St Catherine Escorts Pope Gregory XI in his Return to Rome, by Giorgio Vasari, 1573 The cosmatesque throne of the church of St Peter in Fondi, on which Clement VII was crowned. The Preaching of St Vincent Ferrer, predella of the polyptych by Giovanni Bellini (ca. 1430-1516) dedicated to the Saint in the Dominican church of Ss John and Paul in Venice. (Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.) The castle of Peniscola, 80 miles to the north of Valencia on the Spanish coast. This castle had been the property of Pedro de Lunas family, and it was here that he withdrew after being chased out of Avignon, deposed by the Council of Constance, and disavowed by all but a handful of supporters. He maintained to the end that he was always the legitimate Pope, and compared his castle to Noahs Ark, which only had 8 people in it. In Spanish, he is often called El Papa Luna from his last name, a word which is also the origin of lunatic. ( CC BY 3.0 image from Wikimedia Commons by ) A statue of St Vincent as the Angel of the Apocalypse, in the Dominican convent in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.) One month ago today, the Church commemorated the sixth centenary of the death of St Vincent Ferrer. His feast was traditionally assigned to the day of his death, April 5th, but I say assigned to instead of kept on advisedly; that date falls within either Holy Week or Easter week so often that his feast was either translated or omitted more than it was celebrated on its proper day. [1] For this reason, in 2001 the Dominicans moved him to today; on the general calendar of the Roman Rite, and in the Dominican Rite, he remains on his traditional day.St Vincent was born in the Spanish city of Valencia in 1350, the descendent of an Englishman or Scot who was knighted after fighting for the reconquest of that city in 1238. After completing his philosophical training at the age of 14, he entered the Dominicans at 17, and was sent to one of the orders most important houses of studies at Barcelona. After a brief period teaching at Lerida, and the writing of two well-regarded philosophical treatises, he returned to Barcelona for further studies, and was allowed to preach, although still only a deacon. It was here that he performed one of his earliest miracles; the city was then suffering from a famine, but Vincent predicted in the course of a sermon that food would arrive by ship that very day to relieve it. His prediction came true, but also earned him a year-long transfer by his nervous superiors to the orders house at Toulouse Upon his return, he began the association with Cardinal Pedro de Luna which would mark the rest of his extraordinary life almost as much as his teaching and preaching, or his countless miracles and conversions. The year that he went to France, 1377, was the same year the Pope permanently left it, after almost 70 years of Papal residence in the city of Avignon. Gregory XI was finally persuaded to end the scandal of the Pope himself being the most prominent absentee bishop in Christendom, and return to Rome, largely through the influence of another Dominican, St Catherine of Siena. However, he died only fourteen months later.During the following conclave, a crowd of Romans surrounded the building where the cardinals had gathered, loudly chanting We want a Roman, or at least an Italian. In the midst of this and various other disorders, and a conclave split between French and Italian factions, it was Cardinal de Luna, a Spaniard, who proposed as a candidate the archbishop of Bari, Bartolomeo Prignano, known to all as a saintly and learned man. He was thus elected as Pope Urban VI on April 8, 1378, the last Pope to be chosen from outside the College of Cardinals.Almost immediately upon his election, however, the new Pope underwent a change in behavior so violent, and marked by such an astonishing lack of prudence and charity, that many believed his election had somehow driven him mad. St Catherine herself wrote to him, urging him to behave in a manner more becoming the Father of Christendom. To give a very simple example, he would (not without reason, to be sure) violently upbraid the cardinals for their venality and the luxury of their lives and retinues, yet he elevated four of his own nephews to the cardinalate. [2]Within a few short months, he had so thoroughly alienated the majority of the cardinals that they withdrew to the town of Fondi, 60 miles southeast of Rome, having persuaded themselves that they had elected Urban not merely in the midst of the unruly Roman crowd, but in fear of it, thus rendering the election invalid. Having declared the election null, they proceeded to choose one of their own number, Robert of Geneva, to replace him, the beginning of the Great Schism of the West. After a failed attempt to seize control of Rome militarily, the new Pope, calling himself Clement VII, withdrew to France, taking up residence in the palace in Avignon recently vacated by Gregory XI. Before long, the entire Western Church was divided in its allegiance; not only were there two blocks of the major states, but within individual religious orders (including the Dominicans), and indeed, within many individual houses, there was one party that backed the claim of Urban, and another that of Clement.It is tempting to imagine that a person of such sanctity and stature as St Catherine, renownedas a peacemaker amid the endless factional strife of the Italian cities, might have been able to bring about a reconciliation of this awful state of things; unfortunately, she died only a year and half into the schism. On the Roman side, Urban VI was succeeded in 1389 by a cardinal of his own creation, who took the name Boniface IX; the latter was consecrated by one of Urbans cardinal-nephews, and was such a flagrant simoniac that his Papal name has never been used again. Boniface was followed in due time by Innocent VII and Gregory XII, while on the Avignon side, Clement VII died in 1394, and was succeeded by none other than Cardinal Pedro de Luna, who called himself Benedict XIII.It is difficult to make the case that the cardinals gathered at Fondi were acting entirely in good faith, especially considering that in the earlier conclave, both Robert of Geneva and Pedro de Luna had withdrawn themselves from consideration in favor of Cardinal Prignano. Buyers remorse is simply not a principle in canon law. But there can be no doubt that in the years that followed, many partisans ofsides did act in the sincere conviction that their Pope was the true one. And the Avignon side could boast that one of its staunchest supporters was none other than the great preacher and miracle-worker Vincent Ferrer. [3]Even as a member of Cardinal de Lunas household, St Vincent continued his work as a preacher and teacher; he was confessor to the Queen of Aragon, and numbered among his converts a prominent rabbi named Solomon ha-Levi, who took the baptismal name Paul ( for obvious reasons ), and eventually became archbishop of Burgos. On the election of his patron as Pope in the Avignon line, he was called to the court, where he continued as he had before, refusing many offers of bishoprics and the cardinalate, but all the while steadfastly defending Benedicts cause.In 1399, St Vincent obtained permission to leave the court, and thus began a twenty-year long career of itinerant preaching throughout Western Europe. In an era when many religious orders were relaxing their discipline in the hope of filling houses half-emptied or more by the Black Death, he lived very much in the spirit of the original Dominicans whose austerity had made such an impression in the 13th century. Travelling on foot, he visited many different parts of Spain, southern France, northern Italy and Switzerland, and everywhere he went, vast crowds would gather to hear him. The same miracles are attested of him that were later done by the patron Saint of missionaries, Francis Xavier, namely, that when he preached, his voice would carry to enormous distances, and he was understood simultaneously by groups of people who spoke several different languages. A company sprang up who followed him from place to place, at times numbering in the thousands, including several priests who assisted him in hearing confessions, and in forming the choir with which he sang the Mass and Divine Office every day. When he moved on, some of Master Vincents Penitents, as they were called, would often remain behind to consolidate the good work achieved by his mission.The Roman Breviary states of him that when the seamless garment of the Church was rent by a terrible schism, he labored greatly that it should be united again, and stay so, delicately not mentioning that he never ceased from his conviction that the Popes of the Avignon line were in the right. In the meantime, the climate of opinion had shifted throughout the Church towards what was then called the via cessionis the way of yielding, meaning that the only way to resolve the schism was for both claimants to resign. The Roman Pope, Gregory XII, was willing to do so, and did in fact abdicate the Papacy in 1415, the last such event until 2013.Benedict XIII, however, remained obdurate, and would not yield even at the entreaties of his old and honored friend Vincent. On Epiphany of 1416, in the presence of King Ferdinand of Castile and Aragon, the Saint therefore preached that although Benedict was indeed the rightful Pope, his obstinacy had made the healing of the schism impossible, and that the faithful might therefore justly withdraw their allegiance to him; this proved the death blow to Benedicts cause. St Vincent did not go to the Council of Constance, which finally settled the matter once and for all, but when it was over, Jean Gerson, the chancellor of the University of Paris (an institution which had played a leading role in the controversy), wrote to him that But for you, the reunion could never have been achieved.Having thus seen the end of the great crisis of the schism, St Vincent spent the last years of his life continuing his apostolic labors in northern France. He died on the Wednesday of Passion Week, 1419, at Vannes in Brittany, where his relics are still kept in the cathedral. Pope Callixtus III Borgia, also a native of Valencia, whose election as Pope he had prophesied, canonized him in 1455, the fourth Dominican to be declared a Saint. (St Catherine followed very shortly thereafter, canonized by Callixtus successor Pius II, the former bishop of her native city, in 1461.)In his Office in the Dominican Rite, one stanza of the hymn for Vespers says You were indeed that other angel who flew through the midst of heaven, proclaiming to all peoples and tongues the hour of the Judge. This refers to a famous episode in his career that took place at Salamanca in Spain, when he declared himself to be the angel of whom St John speaks in Apocalypse 14, 6: And I saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the eternal Gospel, to preach unto them that sit upon the earth, and over every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people.As told in Butlers Lives of the Saints, As some of his hearers began to protest, he summoned the bearers who were carrying a dead woman to her burial and adjured the corpse to testify to the truth of his words. The body was seen to revive for a moment to give the confirmation required, and then to close its eyes once more in death. It is almost unnecessary to add that the Saint laid no claim to the nature of a celestial being, but only to the angelic office of a messenger or heraldbelieving, as he did, that he was the instrument chosen by God to announce the impending end of the world. The impending end of the world was indeed a favorite topic of St Vincent in his preaching, and this was perfectly reasonable, given the state of things in the Church in his time, butwould do well to remember that that was over six hundred years ago.[1] In the 376 years between the institution of the Gregorian Calendar (1582) and the liturgical reform of 1960, while the feast of St Vincent still enjoyed the right of transference on the Dominican calendar, it was moved 201 times because of its concurrence with Passion Sunday, Holy Week or Easter week. After the right of transference was withdrawn from his rank of feast, in the forty-one years from 1960-2000 inclusive, it was omitted 24 times, outside of those places where he is honored as a principal patron.[2] By comparison, the first two Medici Popes, whose family name has ( rather unfairly ) become a by-word for the corruption and venality of their era, during their combined reign of nearly 20 years, each made only one member of the family a cardinal.[3] The Popes of the Avignon line were also recognized by St Colette, who was able to effect an important and long-lasting reform of the Poor Clares with the constant support of Benedict XIII, and by Bl. Peter of Luxemburg, who was made bishop of Metz in France and a cardinal by Clement VII. While the world anxiously awaits an official announcement of the royal baby's arrival, rumors regarding pretty much all other aspects of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's personal lives seem like they're picking up speed. Granted, some of the most recent rumors have centered on the ongoing details of the birth of Harry and Meghan's firstborn, but where the royals will put down roots after their newborn's arrival has also become a conversation topic, to put it lightly. So where does the needle turn now? Turns out, it's a lot closer (relatively, anyway) than we originally thought: California. According to new reports from British tabloid The Sun, Meghan is gunning for more permanent digs in L.A., a city she previously called home for years before dating and moving in with Prince Harry. "Meghan definitely wants a place in Los Angelesshe loves the city, the lifestyle and climate," a source told The Sun. "Ultimately, she is a California girl and can breathe easier there. Hollywood is in her DNA, and I think it is where she has always wanted to keep a solid footing. Spending time there would also allow her some freedom and independence from both the Palace and the Pressand more control over her life and the people around her. She is a duchess in the UK, but could be a queen in L.A." OK, then. Obviously, these rumors need to be taken with a grain of salt. It feels like just yesterday the Sunday Times reported that the royal parents-to-be were toying with the idea of moving to Africa for two or three years to oversee charitable missions, after all. "Theyre not looking to buy anywhere just yet as theyve only just finished the renovations on Frogmore Cottage. But theyre definitely eyeing up a place in California," another source told the outlet. As this second source points out, the royals have only just finished the Frogmore house renovations, which could deter them from making a permanent move to the U.S. anytime in the near future. Ultimately, no matter where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decide to nest after the birth of their firstborn, we have a feeling the rumors aren't anywhere near close to dying down. (Corrects location of summit to Hanoi in lead paragraph) By Hyunjoo Jin and Joyce Lee SEOUL, May 4 (Reuters) - North Korea fired several short-range projectiles from its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's military said, as analysts said the country is stepping up pressure against the United States after February's failed nuclear summit in Hanoi. The South Korean military initially described it as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a more vague description. If the unidentified projectiles were missiles, it would be the first missile launch since the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017. Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States. In Saturday's statement South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired several unidentified short-range projectiles from north of the city of Wonsan around 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) which flew about 70 kms to 200 kms (44-124 miles). In an earlier message, South Korea's military command had said the North fired an "unidentified short-range missile." The South Korean military said it was conducting joint analysis with the United States of the latest launches. Surveillance and vigilance has been stepped up in preparation for any further launches by North Korea, and the South Korean military maintains readiness and is cooperating with the United States, the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff added. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, has vowed to no longer test nuclear weapons or ICBMs, but the North has conducted other weapons tests since then. The latest firing, coming after the North's test of what it called a tactical guided weapons system in April, added to the pressure Pyongyang has sought to exert on the United States to give ground in negotiations to end the North's nuclear program. Story continues White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, We are aware of North Koreas actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary. A Pentagon press officer said in response to a Reuters request for comment: We arent able to confirm anything at the moment, we are looking in to it. South Korea's presidential Blue House is "analyzing the situation," a Blue House official said without elaborating. There were reports of a missile launch by North Korea, but we have not confirmed the entry of any ballistic missile into Japans Exclusive Economic Zone. At this point, we have not confirmed any situation where Japans national security would immediately be affected. Japans Defense Ministry said in a statement. Analysts said that no matter what type of projectile was fired, the timing of North Korea's action would send a message to the United States. "It is an expression of the Norths frustration over stalled talks with the United States. It is a message that it could return to the previous confrontational mode if there is no breakthrough in the stalemate, said Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum. "It also seems clear that North Korea is angry over what appears to be a lack of flexibility in the Trump administrations position on relieving sanctions, sticking to a policy of 'maximum pressure'," said Harry Kazianis at the Center for the National Interest, a think-tank. Kim has held two summit meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, the second in February in Vietnam, but the two failed to make progress on ending the North's nuclear program due to disagreement on weapons dismantlement and sanctions relief. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Mohammad Zargham, Steve Holland and Tim Kelly; Editing by Stephen Coates and Simon Cameron-Moore) Nicosia (AFP) - A Cypriot army officer who has allegedly confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls over nearly three years appeared in court Sunday, while police said they had recovered a fifth body. Captain Nicos Metaxas, 35, has not yet been formally charged over the murders -- dubbed the Mediterranean island's first serial killings, which have unleashed anger against what the president described as police "negligence". Police told reporters on Sunday that they had retrieved a suitcase containing the remains of a human body at an acidic manmade lake southwest of Nicosia -- the second such find in eight days. The body found on Sunday at the lake near the village of Mitsero is in an "advanced state of decomposition", police spokesman Andreas Angelides said. He said a post-mortem would be carried out but did not say whether the body was that of an adult or a child. Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported that the body found on Sunday was that of a child. Metaxas has allegedly confessed to the murder of five women, alongside daughters of two of the women -- a six-year-old Filipina and a Romanian girl. The killings came to light in mid-April when unusually heavy rains brought the body of 38-year-old Filipina Mary Rose Tiburcio to the surface of the disused mine shaft where it had been hidden. That triggered a murder investigation which led to Metaxas being arrested on April 18. Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft, believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines. These are the only two women to be officially identified. The suspect then guided investigators to a well near an army firing range outside the capital, where police found the body of a third victim -- a woman thought to be from Nepal. Police last Sunday recovered the remains of a fourth victim, stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of the lake at Mitsero. - Rape allegation - Metaxas was accused by police of raping a teenager during his court appearance on Sunday. Story continues Neophytos Shailos, head of Nicosia's Criminal Investigation Department, told the Nicosia district court a Flipina woman, 19, came forward to file a complaint that Metaxas raped her. The police chief told the court that the suspect denied the allegation when questioned about it. At the hearing on Sunday Metaxas was remanded in custody for a further eight days. Shailos testified that the young woman said she made contact with the army officer online in 2016 when she replied to a modelling job for a photo shoot. Metaxas appeared in court without a lawyer and told the judge he had "no objections" to being remanded. Police say they have received a "deluge of information" about the suspect's activities with 350 witness statements taken and another 150 to be processed. Cypriot authorities have been accused of failing to properly investigate the women's disappearances due to neglect and racism. President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday fired top police officer Zacharias Chrysostomou a day after Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou announced his resignation over the case. Authorities have acknowledged that all the women and girls that the army officer has admitted to killing were reported missing to police, except the one from Nepal who was reported to immigration for being absent from her place of employment. The police said Sunday they would continue to look for a third suitcase the suspect allegedly confessed to dumping in the lake. Authorities said they were able to locate the second suitcase by using sophisticated equipment including a robotic camera flown in from the United States. "We will persist in our efforts, conducting different kinds of tests in the area and elsewhere at a later stage," said Angelides. He said police were still assessing data found on electronic equipment belonging to the suspect. By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp on Friday sued Cuba's state-owned Cuba-Petroleo and CIMEX Corp in U.S. federal court seeking $280 million over a refinery, gasoline stations and other assets seized after Fidel Castros revolution. Exxon, the largest U.S. oil producer, is the first corporation to sue Cuba since the Trump administration allowed a long dormant section of the 1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, known as the Helms-Burton Act after its sponsors, to take effect on May 2. The Trump administration has been ratcheting up pressure on Venezuela and Cuba. Previous presidents had waived the provision of the act that allows anyone whose property was nationalized after the 1959 Cuban Revolution to sue any individual or company profiting from their former holdings. On Thursday two Cuban-Americans sued cruise operator Carnival Corp for using Cuban ports nationalized from the family members who owned them. Exxon Mobil accuses the Cuban defendants of "unlawful trafficking in Plaintiffs confiscated property in violation of Title III of the ... Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996," according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Standard Oil refinery at Havana Bay, now operated by CUPET, was the first U.S. property taken over by Castro and his bearded revolutionaries after the company refused to process oil from the Soviet Union as tensions mounted with the United States. CIMEX operates gasoline stations in Cuba with CUPET. Standard Oil was broken up into several companies, one of which was Exxon, which merged with Mobil in a 1998 deal. In the 1960s the United States certified 5,913 claims against Cuba valued at $1.9 billion of which Standard Oil and Mobil each have a claim valued at a combined $245 million, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a New York-based organization whose expertise includes U.S. claims. Story continues "This filing is significant. This is the fifth-largest company in the world using Title III of the Libertad Act to sue a company owned by the government of Cuba," said John Kavulich, president of the council. "This provides comfort for other large claimants to sue, will increase fear by companies in other countries from engagement with Cuba due to the reach of Exxon Mobil and is consistent with Exxon Mobil efforts to recover assets in Venezuela and defend themselves in other countries," he said. Under a Cuban law passed in 1996 in response to the Helms-Burton Act, certified claimants who take advantage of the act will be disqualified from future settlements. CUPET and CIMEX were not immediately available for comment. An Exxon Mobil spokesman confirmed the suit is seeking to recover $280 million from expropriated assets. Cuba charges Title III violates international law because its nationalization of property was legal and also because Cuban-Americans were not U.S. citizens when their properties were taken. All other nations settled their citizens' property claims decades ago. Certified U.S. claims by American citizens at the time of expropriation were never settled. Canada, the European Union and other countries charge the United States has no jurisdiction over their citizens' activity in Cuba and they will take the issue to the World Trade Organization, among other actions. International opposition, and the fear that thousands of suits brought by Cuban-Americans would clog U.S. courts, led previous U.S. presidents to waive implementation of Title III. Title I and II of the Helms-Burton Act codify all previous sanctions into law and set conditions for the U.S. Congress to lift them. Title IV bans executives and their families from the United States if they profit from expropriated properties. (Reporting by Marc Frank; editing by David Gregorio and Leslie Adler) (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would raise tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion of Chinese imports by the end of the week. Trump has rattled the world trade order by imposing unilateral tariffs to combat what he calls unfair trade practices by China, the European Union and other major trading partners of the United States. The U.S. government hit China with the most extensive tariffs, starting a trade war between the world's two largest economies. Beijing has retaliated with tariffs on imports from the United States. Neither side has raised tariffs since Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Argentina in November 2018 and agreed to a truce while their teams negotiated an end to the trade war. Here is a rundown of major U.S. tariff actions and retaliatory measures since January 2018. U.S. TARIFFS ON CHINA - 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese technology goods including machinery, semiconductors, autos, aircraft parts and intermediate electronics components imposed on July 6 and Aug. 23 as part of "Section 301" probe into China's intellectual property practices. - 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods including chemicals, building materials, furniture and some consumer electronics, imposed on Sept. 24 as a response to Chinese retaliation. The levy on these imports is scheduled to increase on increase to 25 percent on May 10. - Trump said on Sunday he would impose tariffs on an additional $325 billion worth of Chinese goods. The U.S. imported just under $540 billion of Chinese goods in 2018. So tariffs on $325 billion on top of the $250 billion of goods already subject to the import tax would likely cover all 2019 imports- including cell phones, computers, clothing, footwear and other consumer products. CHINESE TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods including soybeans, beef, pork, seafood, vegetables, whiskey, ethanol, imposed on July 6 and Aug. 23 in retaliation for initial rounds of U.S. tariffs. China has suspended a 25 percent duty on U.S. auto imports during their trade negotiations. Beijing has resumed some purchases of U.S. soybeans but has not formally suspended those tariffs. Story continues - Tariffs of 5 percent to 10 percent on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, including liquefied natural gas, chemicals, frozen vegetables and food ingredients, imposed on Sept. 24. - Based on 2018 U.S. Census Bureau trade data, China would only have about $10 billion in U.S. imports left to levy in retaliation for any future U.S. tariffs. Retaliation could come in other forms, such as increased regulatory hurdles for U.S. companies doing business in China. U.S. GLOBAL TARIFFS - 25 percent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent tariffs on imported aluminum, imposed on March 23, 2018 on national security grounds. Exemptions have been granted to Argentina, Australia, Brazil and South Korea in exchange for quotas, and negotiations over quotas continue with Canada, Mexico and the European Union. - 20 percent to 50 percent tariffs on imported washing machines, imposed on Jan. 22, 2018 as a "global safeguard" action to protect U.S. producers Whirlpool Corp and GE Appliances, a unit of China's Haier Electronics Group Co Ltd. - 30 percent tariffs on imported solar panels, imposed on Jan. 22, 2018 as a "global safeguard" action to protect U.S. producers Solar World, based in Germany, and Suniva, owned by China's Shunfeng International Clean Energy Ltd. - Trump is considering tariffs of around 25 percent on imported cars and auto parts, based on a U.S. Commerce Department study of whether such imports threaten U.S. national security. The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement protects Canadian and Mexican production in the event of such tariffs through a quota system. Trump has pledged not to impose auto tariffs on Japan and the European Union while trade negotiations with those partners are underway. CANADIAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - Canada on July 1 imposed tariffs https://tinyurl.com/y8w5g895 on $12.6 billion worth of U.S. goods, including steel, aluminum, coffee, ketchup and bourbon whiskey in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. MEXICAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - Mexico on June 5 imposed tariffs of up to 25 percent on American steel, pork, cheese, apples, potatoes and bourbon, in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Mexican metals. EUROPEAN UNION TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - The European Union on June 22 imposed import duties http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/may/tradoc_156909.pdf of 25 percent on a $2.8 billion range of imports from the United States in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum. Targeted U.S. products include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, peanuts, blue jeans, steel and aluminum. INDIAN TARIFFS ON UNITED STATES - India, the world's biggest buyer of U.S. almonds, on June 21 raised import duties on the nuts by 20 percent and increased tariffs on a range of other farm products and U.S. iron and steel, in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Indian steel. - Trump said last month that he would end preferential trade treatment for India, which would result in U.S. tariffs on up to $5.6 billion of imports from India. If that happens, India is expected to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods. (Compiled by David Lawder; Editing by Simon Webb and Daniel Wallis) Washington (AFP) - Former White House chief of staff John Kelly has joined the board of a firm that operates centers for housing unaccompanied migrant children, US media reported Friday, prompting a storm of criticism from Democrats. The ex-Marine general -- who as Homeland Security secretary proposed the controversial policy of separating immigrant children from their parents -- joined Caliburn International four months after leaving the White House. "General Kelly is a strong strategic addition to our team," said Caliburn International CEO James Van Dusen in a statement cited by various US outlets. Democrats including 2020 presidential hopefuls accused Kelly of profiting from policies he had supervised during his stint in President Donald Trump's administration. "John Kelly oversaw many of the Trump Admin's most morally repugnant immigration policies," tweeted Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren. "Now he could be making big bucks serving on the Board of a company that's profiting from the same cruel plans he put in place. This is corruption at its absolute worst." Senator Cory Booker, another Democrat candidate, tweeted: "Profiting from your own cruel policies. This is disgusting." Caliburn is the parent company of Comprehensive Health Services, a private firm that has been given contracts by US Customs and Border Protection. It runs Homestead, a temporary facility for housing unaccompanied migrant children, in Florida. Trump's battle to prevent illegal immigration and soaring numbers of asylum seekers has turned into the biggest political fight in the country ahead of next year's presidential election. During his stint as Trump's Homeland Security secretary, Kelly said would consider separating migrant children from their parents and would "do almost anything to deter the people from Central America" getting into the US via the Mexico border. Story continues He later became White House chief of staff, before his relationship with the president reportedly deteriorated. In December last year, shortly before leaving the White House, Kelly said he had "nothing but compassion" for undocumented migrants crossing into the US. "Illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly, are not bad people.... I have nothing but compassion for them, the young kids," Kelly told the LA Times, adding that many had been manipulated by traffickers. Metz (France) (AFP) - Environment ministers of the G7 nations met in France Sunday, a day ahead of the release of what is expected to be another alarming report on the state of the planet. Ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States gathered for the two-day meeting in the northeastern city of Metz. They were due to discuss measures to tackle deforestation, plastic pollution and the degradation of coral reefs and try to form alliances between nations to act on them. Joining the ministers were delegations from the European Union as well as Chile, Egypt, the Fiji Islands, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Niger and Norway. "We need to come out of this G7... with some very concrete things that go beyond speeches," said France's junior minister for ecological transition, Brune Poirson, as the meeting opened. On Monday, the UN will publish an executive summary of a 1,800-page tome crafted by more than 400 experts -- the first UN global assessment of the natural world in 15 years. Drafts of both documents obtained by AFP leave no doubt that it will paint a disturbing picture of widespread destruction wrought by man, some of it irreparable. "We will agree on the best ways to enhance the place of biodiversity on the international stage...," said France's Minister for Ecological Transition, Francois de Rugy. But Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist appointed by President Donald Trump to head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told the meeting too much attention was being paid to the worst-case scenarios on climate change. Outside the meeting, environmental campaigners "Alter G7" demonstrated to highlight what they say is the urgency of the global crisis. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Gaza militants fired more than 250 rockets into Israeli towns and villages through Saturday, while Israel hit back with tank shelling and air strikes that Palestinian officials said killed four people. Cross-border hostilities which broke out on Friday flared into a second day, with Palestinians fleeing Israeli strikes in Gaza and air-raid sirens sending Israelis running to shelters as interceptor missiles blew up rockets in the sky. The escalation, which comes just ahead of both the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Israel's Independence Day holiday, prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene security chiefs. Egyptian mediators, credited with brokering ceasefires in previous rounds of violence, were working to prevent further hostilities. The latest round of violence began on Friday when a Palestinian Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two militants from the armed Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. Two other Palestinians protesting near the frontier were killed by Israeli forces on the same day, Palestinian officials said. Hamas and Islamic Jihad began firing waves of rockets into Israel early on Saturday. The Israeli military said its tanks and aircraft responded with strikes against more than 120 militant targets belonging to both groups. Explosions shook Gaza City, where busy streets were packed with shoppers preparing for Ramadan. The Gaza Health Ministry said a 14-month old baby, her pregnant mother and another man were killed by Israeli strikes and at least 20 other Palestinians were wounded. Residents identified two of them as militants. "The Israeli plane fired a missile near the house and the shrapnel entered the house and hit the poor baby," said her aunt, Ibtessam Abu Arar. The Israeli military Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adraee, questioned whether the baby was killed in an air strike. "According to indications, the infant and her mother were killed as a result of Palestinian terrorist activities and not as a result of an Israeli raid," he said on Twitter, without providing further details. Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were destroyed by Israeli raids. One, the Israeli military said, housed Hamas's intelligence and security offices. The other housed Islamic Jihad facilities, Palestinian sources said. Witnesses said the Israeli military had warned people inside to evacuate the buildings before they were bombed. One of them also housed the office of the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency. Ankara condemned the strike. A small armed pro-Hamas group in Gaza, the Protectors of Al-Aqsa, said one of its men was killed in another air strike. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said two Israelis were wounded by shrapnel. TRUCE EFFORTS Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said Israel was prepared to intensify its attacks. He added that Islamic Jihad was trying to destabilize the border and blamed Hamas for failing to rein it in. Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the rocket barrages were a response to Friday's events and that Israel has been delaying the implementation of previous understandings brokered by Cairo. In a joint statement, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said: "Our response will be broader and more painful if the enemy pursues its aggression." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli actions in Gaza. Hamas said on Thursday that its Gaza chief, Yeyha Sinwar, had traveled to Cairo for talks on efforts to maintain calm along the border and alleviate hardship in the enclave. "Egypt has stepped up its efforts with Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and Israel, but there is no conclusion yet," said a Palestinian official familiar with Cairo's mediation efforts. The United Nations has also been part of the Cairo talks. "The United Nations is working with Egypt and all sides to calm the situation," said U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov. "This endless cycle of violence must end and efforts must accelerate to realize a political solution to the crisis in Gaza." "The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Saturday. Although aerial exchanges are frequent, Israel and Hamas have managed to avert all-out war for the past five years. Israel is due to host the 2019 Eurovision song contest finals in less than two weeks in Tel Aviv, towards which long-range rockets were launched in mid-March. Some 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, whose economy has suffered years of blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts. Unemployment stands at 52 percent, according to the World Bank, and poverty is rampant. Israel says its blockade is necessary to stop weapons reaching Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since the group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Over the past few weeks, Cairo's mediation had helped persuade Israel to lift some restrictions on the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza and expand the Mediterranean zone where Gazans can fish. But Israel scaled back the fishing zone this week in response to rocket fire and shut the border crossings entirely on Saturday after barrages from Gaza. (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and Mike Stone in Washington, D.C.; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Stephen Farrell, John Stonestreet, Ros Russell, Jan Harvey and Daniel Wallis) Munich (Germany) (AFP) - A German woman who joined the Islamic State jihadist group went on trial Tuesday accused of the war crime of letting a five-year-old Yazidi "slave" girl die of thirst in the sun. The case against Jennifer Wenisch, 27, is believed to be the first anywhere in the world for international crimes committed by IS militants against members of the Yazidi minority. She faces a maximum term of life in jail if found guilty of committing murder and of murder as a war crime, as well membership in a terrorist organisation and violations of the German War Weapons Control Act. It is Germany's first trial of a female IS returnee, prosecutor Claudia Gorf told the Munich court. Wenisch -- wearing a white blouse and black jacket, her dark hair not covered -- showed no emotion and did not speak, but shielded her face with a paper folder while photographers were in the room at the start. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad, herself a Yazidi survivor of IS enslavement and torture, said in a statement that the trial "is a very big moment for me and for the entire Yazidi community". Prominent London-based human rights lawyer Amal Clooney is part of the team representing the dead Yazidi girl's mother, although Clooney did not appear on the trial's opening day. - 'Agonising death' - German prosecutors allege Wenisch and her IS husband "purchased" the Yazidi woman and child as household "slaves" whom they held captive while living in then IS-occupied Mosul, Iraq, in 2015. "After the girl fell ill and wet her mattress, the husband of the accused chained her up outside as punishment and let the child die an agonising death of thirst in the scorching heat," prosecutors charge. "The accused allowed her husband to do so and did nothing to save the girl." German media said the defendant's husband, Taha Sabah Noori Al-J., had beaten both the mother and child, and that Wenisch allegedly also once held a pistol to the woman's head. Story continues The trial is being held under tight security in a court for state security and terrorism cases, with hearings initially scheduled until September 30. - Morality police - Wenisch -- who reportedly left school after the eighth grade and has no job or qualifications -- converted to Islam in 2013 and travelled the following year via Turkey and Syria to Iraq where she joined the IS. Recruited in mid-2015 to the group's self-styled hisbah morality police, she patrolled city parks in IS-occupied Fallujah and Mosul. Armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, a pistol and an explosives vest, her task was to ensure strict IS rules on dress code, public behaviour and bans on alcohol and tobacco. In January 2016, months after the Yazidi child's death, she visited the German embassy in Ankara to apply for new identity papers. When she left the mission, she was arrested and extradited days later to Germany. For lack of actionable evidence against her at the time, she was allowed to return to her home in the German state of Lower Saxony, but quickly sought to return to IS territory. - FBI informant - Der Spiegel reported that an FBI informant posed as an accomplice who offered to take Wenisch and her two-year-old child back to the IS "caliphate". While they were sitting in a bugged car, headed for Turkey, Wenisch allegedly spoke of her time at the IS and incriminated herself. She said that the child's death had been "hard-core even for the IS" and unjust because only God had the right to use fire as punishment, adding that her husband had later been beaten as punishment by the IS. Police followed her car for several hours and listened to a live audio feed, then arrested Wenisch at a highway stop. Amal Clooney, the wife of Hollywood star George Clooney, has been involved in a campaign to get IS crimes against the Yazidi recognised as a "genocide". "I hope this will be the first of many trials that will finally bring ISIS to justice in line with international law," the lawyer said in a statement, using an alternative acronym for the group. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy with gusty winds. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 58F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 51F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas lawmakers who support expanding Medicaid blocked passage of the next state budget Friday in a high-stakes standoff designed to force the Legislature's conservative Republican leaders to allow an expansion plan backed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Kelly's election last year raised hopes that Kansas would join 36 other states that have expanded Medicaid or seen voters pass ballot initiatives. But, like North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, two other Democrats pushing to expand Medicaid, she faces a GOP-controlled Legislature. The Kansas House voted 63-61 against an $18.4 billion spending blueprint for the budget year that begins in July. House and Senate negotiators hashed out details Thursday night that were favorable for Kelly, fellow Democrats and moderate Republicans, with extra money for higher education, the prison system and state employee pay raises. Democrats and moderate Republicans praised the proposed budget but saw the vote as their chance to pressure the Senate's GOP leaders into relenting on plans to delay an expansion vote until next year. But Republican leaders didn't relent. The budget negotiators drafted a new, less generous spending blueprint that removed extra funds for hospitals, whose association has advocated expansion and put it to a vote in the House, only to see it fail by a wider margin, 81-42 against it. "We're going to do everything we can to get Medicaid expansion," said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. "If we fail, we haven't lost anything." The Senate has yet to debate a Medicaid expansion bill approved by the House in March, and top Republicans argue that lawmakers need more time to get the details right. Kelly has called it a "stall tactic" and is pushing lawmakers to go ahead now, so that expanded Medicaid health coverage can start in January. The move thwarted top Republicans' plans to wrap up lawmakers' business for the year Friday, well ahead of the traditional 90-day mark on May 17. Story continues GOP leaders wanted to pass a bill providing relief to individuals and businesses paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017, a smaller plan than one Kelly vetoed in March. The Senate approved it Thursday night, and supporters needed only a favorable House vote to send it to Kelly. But lawmakers aren't finished until they pass a budget because state government can't operate past June or distribute $4 billion to its public schools without one. That created an opportunity for expansion supporters if they can hold up the spending blueprint long enough but also a risk that spending they wanted would be at risk. "I said exactly what was going to happen," said Appropriations Committee Chairman Troy Waymaster, a conservative Republican and the House's lead budget negotiator. "They were forewarned." Some expansion supporters accused GOP leaders of retaliation and even bullying. The change in funding for hospitals proved a provocative move. It removed $14 million in state funds, and it could have cost hospitals $250 million in federal funds. Expansion advocates have been frustrated by their inability to get a bill out of committee in the Senate. The measure has bipartisan support in both chambers, but GOP conservatives who oppose it hold key leadership jobs. Top Republicans argue that an expansion plan is likely to prove more costly to the state than Kelly's administration projects and want to consider alternatives, including work requirements. About 15 expansion supporters dropped several thousand leaflets in the Statehouse rotunda Friday morning, each depicting a past-due hospital bill spattered with blood. The leaflets said hundreds of Kansas residents will die needlessly each year without expansion and each had the picture of a GOP senator on one side. "When there's extreme behavior coming out of the Senate leadership, that requires us to try to force their hand," said Logan Stenseng, a 20-year-old University of Kansas public administration student who participated in the brief protest. The protest didn't move prominent Medicaid expansion opponents. Senate health committee Chairman Gene Suellentrop, a conservative Wichita Republican, noted that a leaflet with his photo contained another senator's quote on the other side and he said the mismatch suggest the protesters "probably know very little about Medicaid expansion." "They need to go back to college," Suellentrop said. Advocates have pushed for Medicaid expansion in Kansas since 2012 and passed a bill in 2017, only to see it vetoed by then-Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. Democrats in North Carolina are hoping to include expansion in their state's budget, but they face resistance from GOP legislative majorities and are suggesting that a veto by Cooper is ahead, with potentially protracted negotiations to follow. ___ Associated Press writers Gary Robertson in Raleigh, N.C, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, also contributed. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna . JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Pilots of a chartered jet that ran into a river at a Florida military base made a last-minute change to the runway where they would make a landing, a federal investigator said Sunday. The pilots on the Miami Air International plane requested the change to air traffic controllers shortly before landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville Friday night. The 9,000-foot-long runway where the Boeing 737 landed was essentially limited to 7,800 feet since there was a wire barrier set up to recover Navy aircraft in instances they couldn't land on a carrier during training, said Bruce Landsberg, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. "We don't know what they were thinking or why they made that choice," Landsberg said at a news conference. "That will be one of the things we look to find out." Landsberg didn't elaborate on the significance of the runway change, but said it would be a focus of investigation. NTSB investigators said they hope a cockpit voice recorder helps them answer that question, but they have been unable to recover it yet since the part of the plane where it's located is still underwater in the St. Johns River. Investigators also plan to interview the pilots, Landsberg said. Investigators have retrieved the flight data recorder. Landsberg said the plane recently had been in maintenance, and logs showed a left-hand thrust reverser that was inoperative. Thrust reversers are used to divert thrust from the engine, but they typically aren't used in calculating a plane's performance, Landsberg said. According to a Purdue University College of Engineering description , reverse thrust can be used to help an aircraft come to a stop. "We will be looking very carefully at the maintenance of the aircraft in the several weeks prior," Landsberg said. There were no serious injuries on the flight from a military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, although almost two dozen of the 143 passengers and crew members sought medical attention for minor injuries. Story continues Capt. Michael Connor, the base's commanding officer, said all passengers had left the base Sunday on their way to their scheduled destinations. Some aircraft will be allowed to depart the base and be relocated so that pilots can continue with their training, but Naval Air Station Jacksonville will essentially be closed until the plane is removed from the river, Connor said. The NTSB investigators are still deciding whether to relocate the plane off the base, which would require the use of a barge. "How the aircraft is positioned now certainly gives you limitations on a good thorough assessment," said NTSB investigator John Lovell. "We are not aware of the extent of the damage under the waterline because it can't be seen." All fuel needs to be removed before the plane can be moved, and that effort was complicated by the aircraft being partially submerged in the river, as well as stormy weather on Sunday, Landsberg said. Officials said they didn't know how many gallons of fuel have spilled into the river, but engineers were using booms to contain the fuel and skimmers to vacuum up contaminants. Divers on Sunday were sent into the plane's cargo area to search and remove a few pets that they had been unable to be rescued because of safety concerns. The investigators didn't say outright whether the animals were dead, but the pets would have been submerged for almost two days. Cell phone video from passenger Darwing Silva captured the immediate, uncertain moments after the chartered jet landed. A passenger shouted "Watch out! Watch out!" as other passengers and crew members cautiously walked out on a wing of the plane. Another passenger shouted, "Baby coming through!" and a man can be seen holding an infant in his arms as he walks along the other passengers in yellow life jackets getting drenched by rain. Silva shared the video with Jacksonville television station News4Jax. Silva told the Tampa Bay Times that passengers initially were told Friday the aircraft might not be fit for takeoff. Then the flight was cleared to leave Cuba, but with the warning there would be no air conditioning. Even though the plane was hot, there were no other problems during the flight from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Silva said. The landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville seemed normal at first, but then the plane didn't stop on the runway. There was a loud bang, he hit his head on the ceiling, and the jet ended up in the water, Silva said. He looked down and his ankles were in water, he said, and he heard someone yell, "Fuel!" Silva said he helped usher people out an emergency door onto a wing. On Sunday, Miami Air International, which operated the aircraft, notified passengers that their overhead luggage from the plane was available for pickup. The airline said passengers would be contacted directly once their checked bags were retrieved. Also Sunday, a small, one-propeller airplane crashed into the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. The pilot, who was the only person on board and wasn't injured, was rescued by a kayaker, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. ___ Mike Schneider reported from Orlando, Fla. SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) Stevo Pendarovski, the presidential candidate backed by North Macedonia's center-left government, won the presidency Sunday in a runoff election with a conservative rival. State election commission chief Oliver Derkorski announced late Sunday that with nearly 99 percent of the votes counted, Pendarovski, the candidate of the ruling Social Democratic Union, had won with 51.8% of the votes. Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, the candidate favored by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, got 44.5%. The two politicians had each received about 42% in the first round of voting April 21, which had three candidates. Even before the official announcement, Social Democrat supporters had gathered at the party's headquarters in downtown Skopje, the country's capital, to celebrate as favorable results trickled in. "This is a victory for all who are convinced that we have to continue forward together and I promise I'll serve all the people equally," Pendarovski said from the Social Democrats' headquarters. He also thanked the people for their "wise choice." "Our path is paved with success. ... We all will continue to move forward toward our common goal of progress and ... toward NATO and the European Union," said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Siljanovska accepted her defeat but took a rosy view. "The figures say defeat, but I've never felt more fulfilled .," she said. "I believed I could help Macedonia to gain democracy. ... I know that the other candidate has won, but I know that I did not lose the battle." The election was seen as a test of the government's pro-West policies. Pendarovski backed the government deal with Greece that renamed the country in exchange for NATO membership, while Siljankovska criticized it. A key question in the runoff had been whether voter turnout would reach the 40% threshold needed for the election to be valid. The head of the election commission said the final turnout figure was 46.4% of registered voters, in what he had earlier termed a "peaceful and dignified" election. Story continues Election observers reported a small number of minor infractions, such as voters photographing ballots with cellphones and disturbances outside some polling stations. Naum Stoilkovski, a VMRO-DPMNE spokesman, complained about police "putting pressure" on party observers. North Macedonia's previous constitutional name was the Republic of Macedonia. The name change took effect in February as part of an agreement to end a decades-long dispute with Greece, which blocked the former Yugoslav republic's path to membership in NATO and the European Union over rights to the Macedonia name. Both Pendarovski, 55, and Siljanovska, 63, are law professors. Siljanovska said as she cast her ballot Sunday that she would respect the new constitutional name in a professional capacity "but will not use it personally" and planned to do her "best to show that the Prespa agreement (with Greece) has severe (legal) problems." Although the presidency is mostly ceremonial, with some powers to veto legislation, the outcome of the vote could trigger an early parliamentary election. Prime Minister Zaev, who staked his reputation on negotiating the name deal, said he would call one if Pendarovski were not elected. Outgoing President Gjorge Ivanov, a conservative, is serving his second and final five-year term, which ends on May 12. Ivanov opposed the agreement with Greece. NEW YORK (AP) The overall economy is adding jobs, but there's one spot that appears to be in a funk: retail. Overall, U.S. employers added 263,000 jobs in April, according to the government data released Friday. The retail sector lost 12,000 jobs that same month. That decline wasn't a blip; the sector has shed 49,100 jobs in the past 12 months despite the faster pace of economic growth. Retail job losses appear to reflect broader changes in the economy as more Americans have shifted their spending online and stores close after decades of overexpansion. But the government figures don't tell the whole story. Government statisticians still haven't caught up with the booming growth in e-commerce. In fact, jobs in areas like distribution warehouses where job growth is soaring are counted under the warehouse industry category, not retail. That method excludes 4 million retail jobs, or 20% of the retail industry, estimates Mark Mathews, vice president of research development and industry analysis at the National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group. Retailers are also still struggling to find qualified workers. There were 840,000 openings for retail jobs at physical stores in February, more than double the number from February 2013, according to the most recent government figures. "People have extra money," said Andy Challenger, vice president at Challenger Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based global outplacement firm. "But the jobs in retail are really shifting away from the front of the store to the back like warehousing jobs." Here are the top factors affecting retail job losses: SHIFT AWAY FROM PHYSICAL STORES Increasingly, shoppers are spending more of their purchases online. That's causing retailers that haven't been keeping up with shoppers' shifting habits to either shrink their physical stores or shutter poor-performing ones. In February, Payless ShoeSource announced it was closing all of its 2,100 U.S. stores, making it one of the biggest store liquidations. Also accounting for a big chunk of store closures this year is children's retailer Gymboree, which is closing its remaining 750 stores. Story continues As of last month, store closures this year have exceeded the total recorded for the full year 2018, says Coresight Research, a key global research and advisory firm. U.S. retailers have announced 6,150 store closures, and 2,671 store openings. That compares to 5,864 closures and 3,239 openings for the full year 2018. RISE OF THE ROBOTS Retailers, including Walmart and Target, are increasingly automating menial tasks for workers. Under pressure from Amazon, they are turning their physical stores into shipping hubs, speeding up deliveries and helping to defray costs. "Retailers are moving into things like artificial intelligence to boost productivity, and that's creeping into stores and limiting job growth," said Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics LLC, a research firm. Walmart, for instance, is rolling out robots to a cluster of stores that help keep tabs of what's on and off the shelves and communicating that information to the automatic conveyor system that is backed up to truck bays. It is also testing computer vision to help manage the store. Workers at a number of retailers are using new apps on their hand-held devices to manage routine tasks like price changes on the spot. EXPERIENCES INSTEAD OF CLOTHES Shoppers are continuing to focus more on experiences like spas and away from clothing. Aging boomers are also less interested in buying clothing as much as they used to. NPD Group, a market research group, estimates that as much as 40% of shoppers bought experiences as gifts during the last holiday season, up from 25% just a few years ago. When shoppers do buy clothing, they tend to go online or increasingly focus on discount stores like T.J. Maxx. Department stores have cut 23,200 jobs in the past 12 months, according to the government data. Clothiers have let go of 23,300 workers during that same time period. GOVERNMENT LAGS BEHIND ECOMMERCE If you work for a retailer but don't work in a building where the retailing of goods is the principal activity, you don't count as a retail employee. That's because the Bureau of Labor Statistics determines the number of workers based on the main function of that site, says Mathews of the National Retail Federation. That misses the growth of hiring of workers at call centers, fulfillment centers and shipping sites. In fact, workers in the transportation and warehousing sector rose 11,100 in April and 176,200 in the past 12 months, according to the latest government data. "We are working to get around this," Mathews said. ___ AP Economics Writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report. ______ Follow Anne D'Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio Omaha (United States) (AFP) - As the annual shareholder meeting of Berkshire Hathaway gets underway on Saturday, a key question hangs over the gathering: who will take the reins of the empire built by 88-year-old billionaire Warren Buffett? "Warren Buffett is irreplaceable," said Macrae Sykes, a research analysts at Gabelli & Company. But Meyer Shields, managing director at the investment firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, was less concerned. "Berkshire Hathaway can certainly survive without Warren Buffett," he said. After all the conglomerate is made up of "mostly solid businesses that are only minimally impacted by their ownership." Investors are not expecting major upheaval, since Buffett has taken steps in recent years to carefully prepare for a leadership change, although he has not made the plan public. Among four likely candidates, there are two clear frontrunners: Gregory Abel, 57, and Ajit Jain, 67, who were both promoted last year to the board of directors and who are both known quantities who have been with Buffett for decades. - Leading candidates - Abel joined the company in 1992 in the energy division, and for more than a year has overseen all non-insurance activities. Jain came on board in 1986 in the insurance division, which he currently leads. Also potentially in the running are Todd Combs, 48, and Ted Weschler, 56, chosen by Buffett and his long-time business partner, Charles Munger, 95, to handle the group's investments. "That's never been officially disclosed, but I suspect it will be either Greg Abel or Ajit Jain... and probably the former, given his solid and growing exposure to Berkshire's non-insurance businesses," Shields said. Sykes agreed, noting that Jain "really likes to focus on insurance businesses and... seems less interested in the spotlight." It is always possible a dark horse candidate could emerge from the company's board, which includes fellow billionaire and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Story continues One is Tracy Britt Cool, 35, a Harvard graduate and Buffett's right-hand woman for the past 10 years. Regardless of who the successor will be, Shields said markets should at first "respond very negatively" to Buffett's absence, in part due to his unique status. But it is also partly because Berkshire's "exceedingly weak" disclosures "have forced investors to rely more on Mr Buffett's carefully-managed public persona than on the companies' individual or aggregated earnings potential," Shield said. Gregori Volokhine, portfolio manager at Meeschaert Financial Services, said Buffett's presence added 10 to 15 percent to the company's share price, and without him, that premium would "disappear." - More transparency? - In a little more than 50 years, "the Oracle of Omaha" has built a juggernaut worth more than $530 billion, with businesses that range from paint to railways to consumer products, and include energy, clothing, insurance, banking and fast food. Buffett never embraced the idea of passing the baton to his children -- Susan, Howard and Peter -- who are involved in many charities. Only Howard is listed in the Berkshire Hathaway organizational chart as a member of the board of directors. In 2011, Buffett told CBS that he wanted his son "Howie" -- who has joined in night patrols in Arizona to prevent unauthorized immigrants from crossing onto American soil -- to succeed him as non-executive chairman of the board of directors. But even if the face of the company will change, its culture and investment strategy likely will remain marked by the caution that has been so central to Buffett, the world's third richest person, analysts say. Buffett epitomizes safe, value investing. His investments are carefully scrutinized, as are decisions to pull out of any businesses. Leaders of the individual business units will maintain a high degree of autonomy, while frivolous acquisitions are unlikely. His departure could lead the financial community to demand more transparency from the company. Berkshire only publishes its results once a year in Buffett's annual letter and does not hold a conference call, as other publicly-traded companies do, to answer questions from financial analysts and journalists. And even the questions asked at the annual shareholder meeting are selected by journalists whom he has picked. "I'm not sure investors will be as satisfied with the crumbs of disclosure that are currently offered," Shields said. Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese mediators facilitating talks between the army rulers and protest leaders have proposed the country have two transition councils, with one led by generals overseeing security, a protest leader said Sunday. The mediators' apparent proposal comes as talks over forming an overall governing council remain deadlocked, with the existing military council and protest leaders offering differing visions, after president Omar al-Bashir was deposed last month. "There is a proposal (from the mediators) to have two councils, one led by civilians and the other by the military," said Omar al-Digeir, a senior opposition leader and member of the umbrella protest group the Alliance for Freedom and Change. "The (new) military council (which will also include civilian representatives) will be looking at issues concerning the security aspects of the country," he told AFP. The "exact job description" of both the councils has yet to be decided, he said. "No final decision has been taken yet." Thousands of protesters remain encamped outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, demanding the current 10-member army council that took power after the ouster of Bashir be replaced by a civilian administration. The current army council has so far resisted handing over power to civilians. It was still unclear whether both the sides would agree to the idea of having two councils, or if they would stick to the earlier proposal of one joint civilian-military ruling body. - 'Parliamentary system' - Differences emerged between the two sides initially over the composition of the joint council -- the generals demanded a majority of military figures, while protest leaders insisted the body be civilian led. Digeir said the mediators -- a group of businessmen, journalists and other prominent figures from Sudanese society -- have proposed an overall package that includes not just the proposed two councils, but also how an executive and legislative body would work in a post-Bashir era. Story continues A senior leader from the protest movement expressed his opposition to the proposal of having two councils. "We are completely against this idea. We only want a symbolic sovereign council with military representation," said Siddig Youssef, head of the Sudan Communist Party, which is part of the umbrella protest group. "We want a parliamentary system with the authority in the hands of parliament and the cabinet," he told AFP. "The military should be confined only to a body tasked with matters related to security and defence." Protesters initially gathered outside the military complex on April 6, demanding that the army oust Bashir. But since April 11 -- the day the army removed the president -- they have maintained their sit-in, to keep up the pressure for a civilian administration. - No fuel, no cash - Protests initially erupted on December 19 in response to a government decision to triple the price of bread. But soon they mushroomed into nationwide demonstrations against Bashir, with protesters accusing his then government of mismanaging the economy that has seen soaring of food prices and acute shortage of fuel and foreign currency. Even as the military rulers and protest leaders debate on the future of Sudan's new ruling body, the challenges facing them remain the same. On Sunday, on the eve of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, hundreds of people formed long queues outside fuel stations and bank machines in Khartoum, an AFP correspondent reported. "For more than a week now, there's been no cash even in the ATMs installed in our company premises," said an employee of a leading industrial corporation in the capital. A driver with a private tour operator said he got his car tank partially filled after waiting for an entire day at a Khartoum fuel station. "People at fuel stations are really angry. They have to wait for six to seven hours in this hot sun to get fuel," he said without giving his name. Last month, Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced three billion dollars (2.7 billion euros) in financial aid for Sudan, including providing food, medicine and petroleum products. By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump are locked in a constitutional showdown over their powers to investigate him, exchanging threats that present risks for both sides as they head into the 2020 election. In a clash over the balance of power between the government's legislative and executive branches, the Trump administration is stonewalling congressional investigators and asserting that it is within its rights to do so. On Capitol Hill, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, one of several senior Democrats leading probes of Trump, his presidency and his businesses, issued a dire warning: "The challenge we face is that the president of the United States wants desperately to prevent Congress, a co-equal branch of government, from providing any check whatsoever on even his most reckless decisions," Nadler said in a hearing on Thursday. "The very system of government in the United States, the system of limited power, the system of not having a president as a dictator is very much at stake." His remarks came after Attorney General William Barr, a Trump appointee, refused to attend the same hearing before Nadler's committee, which is examining Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump's efforts to stifle the probe. In an unprecedented approach, Trump in recent days has filed lawsuits meant to block congressional subpoenas that were sent to two banks and an accounting firm that have worked with his businesses, which he did not divest when he took office. The subpoenas seek access to past financial records for Trump. A businessman-turned-politician, Trump also still refuses to disclose any of his annual tax returns, rejecting decades of practice by recent presidents. Standing by their president, Republicans in Congress dismissed as hollow Nadler's rhetoric about Trump's defiance and played down Barr's refusal to attend the House hearing. The Republicans complained that Nadler wanted committee staff lawyers to be able to question Barr, a departure from the standard hearing format where lawmakers do the questioning. They stressed Barr's readiness to defend his handling of the Mueller report before a Republican-controlled Senate panel on the day before he skipped the House hearing. On Nadler's comments, Republican Representative Tom Cole said, "It's over the top. The attorney general showed up before the Senate committee and took every question." POLITICAL RISKS The partisan shouting match in Washington is intensifying as a platoon of Democratic presidential hopefuls hit the campaign trail, with Trump lobbing Twitter insults at the front-runners. Both sides run risks in ramping up their confrontation. The Democrats could turn off voters if they push too hard to investigate, and perhaps ultimately try to impeach Trump, allowing him to play the victim, a role he excels in. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading Democrat in opinion polls, said this week that Trump's stonewalling left no alternative but impeachment, which other Democrats have urged. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll showed the public split evenly over impeachment, with 40 percent in favor and 42 percent against it. On the other hand, Trump's behavior may already be worrying Americans. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump with a 37 percent approval rating after the Mueller report's release, his lowest of the year. [L1N2210EG] Any further erosion will likely be muted by the economy, which is churning along in its 10th year of expansion. But if economic growth were to falter, the stand-off in Washington could become a bigger issue ahead of the November 2020 election. MUELLER'S FINDINGS Mueller's 448-page report, almost two years in the making, unearthed numerous links between Russians and Trump's campaign, but concluded there was not enough evidence to establish that the campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow. It described attempts by Trump to obstruct Mueller's probe, but stopped short of declaring that Trump had committed a crime. House Democrats are treating the report as a guide book for more investigations. Shortly after its release in redacted form on April 18, Nadler subpoenaed an unredacted version, as well as the underlying evidence that informed it. Barr's Justice Department has refused to comply and Nadler is weighing a contempt citation against Barr over the matter. In response to Nadler's and other inquiries, Trump has dug in. In a letter obtained by Reuters, the White House argued that Trump is within his rights to order his advisers not to testify before Congress, even though he allowed them to cooperate with the Mueller investigation. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, accused Barr of lying to lawmakers about his interactions with Mueller. "That's a crime," she said. A Justice Department spokeswoman called Pelosi's allegation "reckless, irresponsible and false." Representative Doug Collins, the top Republican on Nadler's panel, said Democrats are resorting to hyperbole because the Mueller report did not land a knock-out legal blow on Trump. "If you don't have the facts and you don't have the law, the old joke is that you stand on the table and yell. Well, he's just standing on the table and yelling now," Collins said, referring to Nadler. (Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Steve Holland, Andy Sullivan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh, Kieran Murray and Howard Goller) Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). (Adds background) WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - The United States may finalize a trade agreement with Japan by month's end, White House adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's recent on-on-one meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump, who hosted Abe at the White House in April, had said he hoped to clinch a final deal with Japan in time for his visit to Tokyo later this month. Kudlow, speaking to reporters at the White House, did not give any further details about the possible deal with the U.S. ally. The negotiations are part of the Trump administration's efforts to make good on the president's call for better trade agreements with its top trading partners - Japan, China and the European Union. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue earlier this week said U.S. officials may seek a quick, narrow pact with Japan. Japan invited Trump to visit May 25 to May 28. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Dave Lawder and Makini Brice Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Dan Grebler) By David Shepardson and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. trade officials rejected Tesla Inc's bid for relief from President Donald Trump's 25-percent tariffs on the Chinese-made Autopilot "brain" of its Model 3 and other electric vehicles, one of more than 1,000 product denials linked to China's industrial development plans. According to documents filed by the U.S. Trade Representative's office (USTR) and reviewed by Reuters, exclusion requests from Tesla and others for Chinese-made products from aircraft parts to biotechnology instruments were denied because they were deemed "strategically important" to the "Made in China 2025" program. Tesla declined to comment. The company has separate pending tariff exclusion requests for duties on the Chinese-made Model 3 Center Screen and for the Model 3 Car Computer before USTR. Tesla said in a securities filing on Monday: "Our costs for producing our vehicles in the U.S. have also been affected by import duties on certain components sourced from China." The denials illustrate a systematic approach by the Trump administration to thwart China's efforts to develop high-technology industries that Washington alleges benefited from theft and forced transfer of U.S. intellectual property. Made in China 2025, a program aimed at growing China's prowess in 10 strategic industries dominated by the United States, is at the heart of trade negotiations and U.S. demands for sweeping changes to China's policies. Those industries include new energy and autonomous vehicles, aerospace, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, robotics and artificial intelligence. ECONOMIC HARM Tesla first made its request to exclude its 3.0 Autopilot electronic control unit in July 2018, which it called the "brain of the vehicle" when the Palo Alto, California-based automaker warned that "increased tariffs on this particular part cause economic harm to Tesla, through the increase of costs and impact to profitability." Story continues In a March 15 letter, USTR general counsel Stephen Vaughn said the agency was denying Tesla's request because it "concerns a product strategically important or related to 'Made in China 2025 or other Chinese industrial programs." USTR issued a separate letter also denying a request for the earlier 2.5 version of the Autopilot ECU. It was not clear when the letter was posted on a U.S. government website. Other exclusion denials were posted at the same time, including for industrial robots imported by Kawasaki Robotics USA and composite panels made by Hexcel Corp in China for use in various Boeing Co aircraft. Some less high-tech products cited in the 2025 denials included a wiring harness for a rear door imported by Lear Corp's Chinese joint venture, Kyungshin-Lear Sales and Engineering LLC. "The material composition of the product consists of insulated wire, connectors, terminals, tape, and conduit," Kyungshin-Lear said in its request. USTR has received China tariff exclusion requests for nearly 13,000 products and denied 5,311. Of the denials, 1,166, or more than a fifth, contained the same language as the Tesla request, citing links to Made in China 2025. NO U.S. SOURCES Tesla told USTR it was unable to find a manufacturer in the United States, adding that "choosing any other supplier would have delayed the (Model 3) program by 18 months with clean room setup, line validation, and staff training." Tesla says it reflashes the Autopilot ECU with the latest Firmware created in California when it is shipped from China by supplier Quanta Shanghai. "For a product as safety critical to consumers, and critical to the essence of Tesla, we turned to industry experts who could achieve this quality and complexity in addition to the deadlines, which was not possible outside of China," Tesla wrote. "When it comes to identifying a supplier, we cannot risk our customers' lives due to a defect from a supplier." The Autopilot ECU, also used in the Model S and X, includes two printed circuit board assemblies, which Tesla calls "the brain responsible for Tesla's Autopilot functionality" and the main safety system for the vehicle. Tesla has a separate pending tariff exclusion request filed in December for duties on the Chinese-made Model 3 Center Screen. Other exclusion requests also cited the lack of U.S. sources. Kawasaki said there are no industrial robots manufactured in the United States, and it only produces robots in China and Japan. In a previously unreported request, Tesla also asked USTR to waive tariffs on the 17-inch (43-cm) cockpit touchscreen control panel that displays navigation, media, audio, climate control, energy display, and all in-cabin controls. Other automakers have sought similar exemptions but have not yet received answers. General Motors Co in late July sought an exemption to a 25-percent U.S. tariff on its Chinese-made Buick Envision sport utility vehicle. The Envision accounted for nearly 15 percent of U.S. Buick sales last year. GM has also sought exclusions for dozen of parts, including push button ignition switches and transmission bearings. Nissan Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV have also filed exclusion requests for parts, while Uber Technologies Inc asked for an exclusion for electric bikes rented through the Uber app. Even if the United States and China reach a trade deal in the coming weeks to resolve their disputes, companies may not see tariff relief for months or possibly years. People familiar with the talks say that some tariffs, especially those aimed at the Made in China 2025 industries, could remain in place as part of an enforcement mechanism. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that the manner in which tariffs were removed would be part of that mechanism, aimed at ensuring China lives up to its obligations in any agreement. (Reporting by David Shepardson and David Lawder; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli, David Gregorio and Sandra Maler) Oil giant Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) desperately wants to buy rival Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC). It's so intent on making a deal that company executives flew out to Omaha, Nebraska last weekend to meet with super-investor Warren Buffett. They wanted his help in funding their battle with oil behemoth Chevron (NYSE: CVX) for control of Anadarko and its prime position in the oil-rich Permian Basin. Occidental walked away from that meeting with a $10 billion commitment from Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A)(NYSE: BRK-B), which gives it ammunition in its hostile fight for Anadarko. The deal, however, doesn't make much sense from Occidental's perspective. Not only is it willing to pay a high price for Buffett's support, but it has offered a significant premium to beat out Chevron. That seems excessive, since Anadarko's not the best strategic fit. Oil pumps and storage tanks with the sun setting in the background. Image source: Getty Images. An epic battle in the oil patch Occidental Petroleum has long admired Anadarko Petroleum, which holds an expansive position in the Permian Basin, as well as the Rockies, the Gulf of Mexico, and offshore Africa. It sees those assets as highly complementary to its portfolio, which includes a leading position in the Permian, as well as Latin America and the Middle East. That's why it has made three offers to acquire Anadarko since late March. However, instead of engaging with Occidental, Anadarko agreed to merge with Chevron in a stunning $50 billion transaction that was below what Occidental offered. Undeterred, Occidental took its battle public, reiterating its proposal to acquire Anadarko for $76 per share, well above the $65 per share it accepted from Chevron. CEO Vicki Hollub also went on CNBC to drill down into why she believes Occidental is the right buyer for Anadarko. She stated that: We are the right acquirer for Anadarko Petroleum because we can get the most out of the shale. We have a lot more experience [in the Permian]. We are performing really, really well, and what hasn't been talked about very much is that the upside in this deal is the shale play. Story continues She noted that Occidental's wells in the Permian perform 74% better than Anadarko's and that it spends less money on drilling and fracking. Because of that, the company believes it can extract more value out of Anadarko's assets. That leads the company to estimate it can capture $3.5 billion in cost savings and other synergies by combining, which is well above the $2 billion Chevron believes it can deliver. Occidental has also directly addressed the concerns analysts and investors have with the deal. While Anadarko's positions in the Gulf of Mexico and its Mozambique LNG project line up well with Chevron's expertise, these assets only comprise about 15% of the deal's value according to Hollub. As such, they're not as meaningful as it might seem. Another issue raised by analysts is that Occidental will need to take on a significant amount of debt to close this deal. They see the company's leverage ratio zooming from less than 1 times debt-to-EBITDA up to about 2.4 times its anticipated EBITDA in 2020. The company plans to address this issue by selling $10 billion to $15 billion in assets within a year or two of closing the deal. Investors, however, worry that the company might stretch itself too thin, especially if oil prices plunge again in the meantime. Two oil pumps with a bright sun in the background. Image source: Getty Images. Backing from Buffett Occidental is working to address those balance-sheet concerns by bringing Buffett on board to help fund the deal. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has agreed to invest $10 billion into Occidental in the form of cumulative perpetual preferred stock. The preferred stock will pay Berkshire an 8% annual dividend, which works out to a hefty $800 million in cash flow per year heading from Occidental to Berkshire. Buffett's company also will receive warrants to buy up to 80 million shares of Occidental's common stock at $62.50 apiece, which is a bit below the current price. That represents another $5 billion of potential investment in the oil company. It's also worth noting that Occidental can't redeem the preferred stock for a decade, though there's a mandatory redemption feature upon certain capital return events like a stock buyback. Meanwhile, Buffett has 11 years to exercise the warrants. It's an excellent deal for Buffett and Berkshire since the preferred stock pays a very high rate. On top of that, Buffett picks up low-risk upside from the warrants that could pay off spectacularly if the merger delivers the benefits Occidental envisions. This funding agreement, however, makes no sense for Occidental investors. For starters, the company would pay nearly twice the rate on the preferred stock as it would if it issued new debt to fund the deal. While they would help ease the potential leverage burden, the company is paying a high cost for Buffett's support since most analysts believe that the company could issue preferred stock in a public offering at 6%. Further, the warrants give Warren Buffett the option to buy enough shares to dilute existing investors by 10%. As such, it transfers some of their upside potential to Berkshire Hathaway. This battle could end badly for Occidental Occidental Petroleum is doing everything in its power to position itself to emerge as the victor over Chevron in the fight for Anadarko. It's not only willing to pay a much higher price for the company, but it's prepared to secure expensive and potentially dilutive financing to ensure it has the firepower to compete against the big oil behemoth. While that could be enough for it to win the bidding war, Occidental might not end up victorious in the end. The extra interest payments could hamper the company's ability to operate -- and might even put its high-yielding dividend in jeopardy -- especially if oil prices tumble. That's why its deal with Buffett doesn't make as much sense for Occidental's investors, though it certainly does for Berkshire shareholders. More From The Motley Fool Matthew DiLallo owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is not deviating from his position on cryptocurrency. The Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO told FOX Business's Liz Claman that bitcoin is a gambling device that hasnt produce anything substantive. [Bitcoin] doesnt reproduce. It doesnt speak to you. And it doesnt do anything. Its like a seashell or something, and that is not an investment to me, he said on Saturday during Berkshires annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Bitcoin recently surged from $5,456 to an annual high of $5,864 with a market cap of $103.4 billion. But Buffett said bitcoin has a very limited use that has been tied to fraudulent activities. Ill tear off a button here, and well have this as a little token, and Ill offer it to you for a $1,000 and Ill see if I can get the price to $2,000 by the end of the day, he said. He went on to say, People will create a gazillion of them naturally. Theres been a lot of fraud connected with them; there have been disappearances. So there has been a lot lost on it. Buffett is no stranger to slamming cryptocurrency. Last year, he referred to bitcoin as rat poison squared after Berkshire Hathaways Charlie Munger originally called the cryptocurrency rat poison in 2013. Related Articles A rocket fired from Gaza killed an Israeli civilian on Sunday after a house in Ashkelon suffered a hit. The 58-year-old father of four is the first civilian casualty from rocket fire since 2014 Operation Protective Edge. Since Saturday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants fired more than 450 rockets at Israeli communities, the military said Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Moshe Agadi suffered shrapnel wounds in his stomach and chest when a rocket fired by Gaza militants landed next to his home in the middle of the night. He was taken to Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon, where doctors pronounced his death shortly after. Moshe Agadi Israel military hit back with tank shelling and air strikes at some 220 targets in Gaza, with at least 60 targets being hit overnight Saturday. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its men were killed in an Israeli raid before dawn. Overall at least 11 Palestinians were killed by IDF fire since Friday, according to the medical sources in Gaza. House of victim Moshe Agadi hit by Gaza rocket (: || ) X Among the installations that were targeted by the IDF were Hamas military outposts in the northern Gaza Strip, military compounds, warehouses, rocket manufacturing facilities and Hamas' naval commando base. The IDF said earlier it had destroyed an attack tunnel dug by the Islamic Jihad. Moshe Agadi's house in Ashkelon after being hit by rocket (Photo: Itai Shickman) A joint statement from Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza warns Israel of extending the range of fire to the metropolitan areas around Tel Aviv, if Israeli strikes in Gaza continue. Local authorities of the central city, Rishon LeTsiyon, decided to open all public bomb shelters in the city out of concern the military factions in Gaza will make good on their threats. Damage in Gaza after an IDF strike (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened a cabinet meeting later today. This is the first time the cabinet will meet since March when a missile was fired towards Tel Aviv. Schools will be closed in all communities within a radius of 40 km (25 miles) and trains will not operate south of Ashkelon. Egyptian and UN mediators, credited with brokering ceasefires in previous rounds of violence, were working to prevent further hostilities. The latest round of violence began on Friday when a Palestinian Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two militants belonging to Hamas' military wing, which controls Gaza. IDF airstrikes in Gaza on Saturday (Photo: AP) Israel marks Memorial Day and Independence Day this week, when masses head out to ceremonies at military cemeteries and then street parties across the country. The following week it hosts the Eurovision song contest in which large groups of tourists are expected to arrive for the campy spectacle. For Gazans, the violence comes ahead of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan that begins Monday. Minister and member of the Inner Cabinet, Yuval Steinitz told Ynet, that If necessary, Israel will fight regardless of Memorial Day and Independence Day coming up this week. He added the Gaza situation will likely be a problem in 30 years as well. Israeli military spokesman announces an armored brigade has been moved to the Gaza border following the escalation of hostilities. Col. Ronen Manelis added there are no efforts underway to secure a ceasefire agreement at this time. . IDF Spokesman Ronen Manelis said Sunday that Israeli military began striking a series of new targets in the Gaza Strip. "In the last hour, we began striking ammunition warehouses located further away from the areas we usually attack, Manlis said. We are prepared for fighting that will last days. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Aviv Kochavi is changing the terminology. He insists on calling the latest events as "days of battle" and not the usual "rounds of violence." He also calls Hamas and Islamic Jihad "terror armies" rather than "terror organizations." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter General Kochavi thinks words matter and can affect preparedness of the fighting forces as well as the civilian population, for a military campaign, that is likely to take place later this summer. Rocket strike in Be'er Sheva (Photo: AFP) A green light from the political level is expected as soon as the military confirms it is prepared to embark on a campaign that will weaken Hamas's military capabilities and reinstate Israeli deterrence. This without Israeli forces having to put boots on the ground inside the Strip for an extended period of time. IDF bombing of Hamas terror targets (Photo: IDF spokesman) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Saturday night with the chief of staff and other security heads, looking for a way to end this round of violence and return quiet to the border, at least until the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Tel Aviv at the end of the month, has come and gone. Israel understands the message sent by Hamas in the form of rocket fire. Hamas has been complaining that Israel is not fulfilling its commitments made to Egypt and the UN before the April 2019 elections. Hamas is facing growing public pressure, for some relief, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan. A Palestinian man checks his clothing store that was damaged in Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City, May 5, 2019 Hamas considers the next three weeks as an opportunity to act while Israel's hands are tied because of Independence Day celebrations and the Eurovision. This round began with sniper fire, probably not sanctioned by Hamas, but used by it as an opportunity to instigate the fighting. Israel can no longer blame rogue factions trying to sabotage long-term agreements. IDF bombing of Hamas terror targets (Photo: AFP) The factions, who are behind much of the shelling, cannot operate without Hamas consent. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is well aware of Israel's preparedness to set out on a game-changing campaign. This round is meant to show the Israeli leadership that Hamas is prepared and will exact a heavy price of its own. Sinwar's experience as a long- time inmate in Israeli prisons has taught him that Israel only understands strength; as a result, the State of Israel exists under the shadow of a violent, militant, terror organization. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (Photo: AP) This repetitive ritual must stop. If the Israeli leadership is unable to find a non-violent solution, a violent one should be employed. This round is likely to go on, it may even intensify. Israel chose to target manned positions and may have attempted to take out a high-ranking commander. The extent of the fighting will depend on the number of casualties on both sides. Egypt had called Palestinian faction leaders to Cairo last week, hoping to calm tensions and prevent an escalation before this latest outbreak of fire. These talks continue. Israel will be presented with demands and will likely agree to them for now. But the bill will surely be presented to Hamas before this summer is over. There is no doubt that Hamas is a problem. And although it is possible to make short-term arrangements with the terror group, in the long-term it is the malignant tumor on our border. Short-lived cease-fires with Hamas will more likely worsen the disease, not cure it. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The problem is that for more than a decade, Israeli governments have preferred calling in Egypt as a trouble-shooter for Gaza, rather than deal with the threat Hamas poses. And now the current Israeli government has willingly sacrificed the security of residents along the Gaza border in return for a fantastical goal of the extreme right-wing - the annexation of the West Bank. It is an agenda that is driving the governing Likud and the whole country to the brink of disaster. Rocket fire from Gaza at Israel (Photo: AFP) The never-ending concessions Israel has made and will make to Hamas - essentially protection money that only serves to strengthen the terror group - are all for one purpose, and that is to avoid any future agreement with the Palestinian Authority. For such a deal would, of course, require a moratorium on settlement construction outside the major settlement blocs. The current Israeli government, however, does not want any agreement and is therefore happy with maintaining the status quo. When Hamas is kept alive by Israel, the ensuing Palestinian division creates a diplomatic deadlock that in turn facilitates the slo-mo disaster of annexation. And it is for this that the Israeli government has sacrificed its residents in the south. Massive rocket fire on a civilian population should have triggered a deadly response, including massive air strikes. Even the Geneva Convention does not condone firing from densely populated areas, a habit of Hamas and other Gaza organizations. Israel though is a peculiar entity, it has showed tremendous restraint and never mentioned the fact that Hamas has rejected every arrangement that would end the siege on Gaza, not to mention that it essentially allowing Hamas to continue ruling the Strip. Rocket strike on Ashkelon (Photo: AFP) Restraint and moderation are a form of strength, and trying to reach a deal is legitimate. But when these cease-fires are exploited by Hamas to gear up for the inevitable next round, which each time has greater consequences for Israel, even restraint has its limits. Following the elections, the number of lawmakers who support annexation has grown, probably making the new coalition government even worse in this respect than the outgoing one. That means that for the sake of building yet another isolated settlement, Gaza terrorist organizations will be immune to consequences for battering Israel. Saying Hamas cannot be dealt with is the greatest lie of all. We could offer an end to the Gaza siege in return for disarmament - the general lines of proposals made by the international community. Hamas leaders in Gaza If Hamas replies positively, we have gained. If Hamas refuses, Israel will have justified cause for a military campaign aimed at ending its rule in Gaza. But none of this has happened, because the government wants that diplomatic deadlock so that it can continue building more isolated settlements. And thus one big country was slowly created. And thus Hamas was able to keep battering Israel's south. Two people were killed Sunday when rockets fired from Gaza hit a factory in Ashkelon and a car near Sderot in quick succession, as a massive barrage against southern and central Israel continued for a second day. The deaths came hours after a man was killed in rocket fire near his home in Ashkelon. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Two other people were badly wounded when a rocket slammed into the Ashkelon factory, killing a 22-year-old man. Near Sderot, a 60-year-old driver was discovered at the side of the road in his burning car, and rushed to hospital in critical condition, but was pronounced dead a short time later. A rocket strike on a car near Sderot killed a man Sunday (Photo: AFP) An earlier rocket strike on Ashkelon claimed the life of 58-year-old father of four Moshe Agadi. The site of a rocket strike on an Ashkelon factory (Photo: Ittay Shickman) Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon also sustained a direct hit to its oncology unit, but there were no injuries. Bracing for further escalation with Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces ordered the deployment of a brigade from the Armored Corps along the border on Sunday morning, after a weekend of violence in which 450 rockets were launched at Israel. The IDF retaliated with a wave of air strikes against terror targets that was still continuing Sunday. "We are preparing for several days like this," said IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, several hours after 58-year-old Moshe Agadi was killed by a rocket in Ashkelon the first Israeli fatality in rocket fire since the 2014 Gaza war. The aftermath of IDF strikes in Gaza (Photo: AP) "The enemy has fired about 450 rockets at Israel, mainly by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in a coordinated manner," said Manelis. "We have intercepted more than 150 rockets in several built-up areas. Civilians are required to act when the sirens sound as part of the layers of defense provided by the IDF. It has proven itself to save lives. More than 70% of the rocket fire (has hit) open areas. " "We gave an order to deploy a brigade that will mobilize in the coming hours," Manelis said, adding that the brigade will join the Gaza Division "as an available offensive force and not to reinforce defenses." Palestinians inspect damage caused by IDF strikes in Gaza (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) Manelis said that the army has so far attacked more than 220 terrorist targets since the round of violence began. "We are attacking launch squads, and three terrorists have been killed in these attacks. We struck two such squads at night and another squad this morning. The IDF does not recognize and is not dealing with any ceasefire - the deployment is for several days and under these circumstances." The general also denied Gazan claims that IDF fire had killed a mother and her baby, saying that they had been caught up in a failed rocket launch by Palestinians militants. "The mother and daughter who were killed yesterday in Gaza were killed by the use of weapons in Gaza and not by our attack," he said. "They were apparently killed by the failed launch of a rocket that exploded close by in the eastern part of the city, near the border." Gazans look at the damage to a shop hit by the IDF in Gaza City (Photo: AP) Manelis said that the army was also targeting installations in Gaza, which he called "real estate targets with terrorist infrastructure, including high-rise buildings." He said that the IDF had also struck "an underground site for the manufacture of weapons, as well as stores of small and specialist anti-tank and naval weaponry." The general said that no civilians were harmed when the IDF took out weapon caches hidden in their homes. Smoke rises over a Gaza marine facility following IDF strikes (Photo: AFP) Since the early hours of Sunday, the Israel Air Force has been striking the private homes of the mid-level Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders. According to the IDF, more than 30 houses were being targeted across the Strip, including in areas such as Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south and Shati in the north. Some of the houses contained weaponry, the army said. The IDF said that it is taking the approach that those who command rocket fire against Israeli homes will not find a home of their own to return to. Following Manelis' comments, Hamas hardened its own position, declaring itself "ready to fight until the last moment." The Islamic Jihad also struck a defiant note, vowing that "the Palestinian resistance will not give up its right to respond to Israel's crimes and to protect our people - children, babies, women and old people - whose blood is spilled by terrorist murderers... We will resist forcefully until the aggression stops." At the moment it seems as though both sides, Hamas and Israel, want to escalate the current flare-up rather than let it die down. Gaza militants launch non-stop rocket attacks on Israel's civilian population, while Israeli military continues striking targets in the enclave. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Overnight, Israel appeared to have rejected a ceasefire proposal by the Egyptian intelligence officials, who remain in constant contact with the leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad - currently in Cairo. The Egyptians apparently offered a deal which involves an immediate and unconditional cessation of violence, something that Israel is not willing to accept. Furthermore, Israel said it intends to not only continue striking Gaza but also to intensify the scale of the attacks. A message which Im sure was conveyed to the Palestinians by Egypt. Thus, it seems this round up of border violence will continue in the upcoming days. IDF bombing in Gaza (Photo: EPA) The current flare-up, unlike many others in recent past, is characterized by new methods of warfare used by both sides. The Palestinians - Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other smaller terror groups in the Strip - have introduced a new self-produced rocket, which can reach only a few kilometers into Israel but is tipped with a uniquely heavy warhead. These rockets - called Burkan - were first developed in Syria in the midst of a civil war and their warheads usually contain dozens of kilograms of explosives. The terror groups thought the rocket would surprise the residents of Israeli communities near the Gaza border, but due to the rockets lack of precision, most of them landed in open spaces or failed to make it into Israeli territory altogether. This prompted Hamas to issue a statement, claiming Israel is hiding from the public the full extent of damage the rockets inflicted on the area. So far both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have refrained from increasing the rocket range to over 40 km (25 miles) from the Gaza border. Although the Palestinian factions did make good on their promise to strike the cities of Beer-Sheva and Ashdod, the attacks didnt bear fruit as most of the rockets had been intercepted by the Iron Dome. House in Ashkelon hit by Gaza rocket (Photo: AP) The armies of terror," as the IDF chief of staff calls them, have relatively few long-range rockets that can reach Tel Aviv as they are difficult to manufacture and the terror groups dont want to empty their precious stockpiles so easily. The IDF for their part have decided in this round of violence to attack almost exclusively, what the military labeled as the power targets. These targets include multi-storey buildings with military installations, buildings serving as headquarters for the terror groups and even private homes of the factions leaders (something the IDF hasnt done in years), leaving them without a roof over their heads on the eve of the Ramadan holiday. The IDF also doesnt hesitate to strike terror cells launching rockets, and since Friday at least eight terror operatives had been killed in Israeli attacks. The Palestinian factions might have believed this flare-up would be over within a few hours since they probably didnt want to wage battles during the Ramadan, which starts on Monday. Ramadan is considered to be a family holiday and dragging Gazan population into a war at this time would only increase the resentment to the Hamas leadership, which has ruled the Strip since 2007. Multi-storey building flattened in Gaza after IDF strike (Photo: EPA) Senior officials say that Israel has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire at this point, even if means that central Israel, including Tel Aviv, will be subjected to rocket attacks from Gaza. As far as Israel is concerned, the goal of the current round up of fighting - initiated by the Palestinians - is to restore its deterrence, which in recent months has been completely eroded. Although it means the residents of the communities bordering the Hamas-ruled enclave will endure some suffering, the fighting will prevent another round of escalation being initiated by the terror organizations in Gaza in the next few weeks or even days. A woman was seriously wounded on Sunday in the southern city of Sderot when a rocket launched from Gaza landed near her vehicle. Islamic Jihad has been trying to bring about an escalation in Gaza tensions, hoping to stop any long-term ceasefire that might impede its ability to act against Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter It first attempted planting a large explosive device on the border fence, but this plan was scratched when it was exposed. The second attempt was launching a missile towards Israel, which fell in the sea off the southern Israel coast. A Gaza rocket hits a house in Be'er Sheva (Photo: Herzel Yosef) The third attempt to spark violence - which worked - was Friday's sniper fire that wounded two IDF soldiers. Israel responded with attacks on Gaza in which two Hamas militants were killed. And suddenly Islamic Jihad had what it was aiming for - Hamas had joined the fight. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (Photo: AP) Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar knows Israelis all too well. He spent years in its prisons, speaks fluent Hebrew and understands what makes its society tick. The timing of this round could not be better for him, with Israel about to mark its memorial day for fallen soldiers, celebrate its 71st Independence Day and host the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest, which if cancelled, will reflect badly on the country and impact Israel's economy and tourism. He can ramp up the pressure on Israel, knowing it cannot escape its commitments, both domestic and international. Just before this round of fighting began in earnest, UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov pressed Qatar to increase its aid to Gaza. But while Qatari representative Mohammed el-Amadi was due in Gaza, he instead went to Texas on personal business. In addition, Mladenov negotiated Qatari aid of millions of dollars worth of food stamps to be allowed into Gaza to be handed out to families so that they can celebrate Ramadan. So far, these food stamps have not arrived and Ramadan begins this week. Gaza aftermath of Israeli bombing (Photo: EPA) In Cairo, talks continue between Egyptian mediators and Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders. Hamas is represented by Sinwar and Islamic Jihad by its leader Ziad Nahala and Gaza City commander Baha al Atta, as wellas Khaled al-Batash another high-ranking official. The latest reports out of Cairo indicate that the Palestinian factions are now keen to reach a ceasefire with Israel and end this round of hostilities. But Israel at this point is holding out. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nahala Sinwar's list of demands has been known in Israel since it was made, before the outbreak of this violent exchange. It includes an increase of aid money - to be delivered in cash, engineering projects to be sanctioned, and a substantial extension to the Gaza fishing zone to name a few. Israel so far has not been willing to comply, but concessions will have to be made when the inevitable ceasefire is negotiated. Israel would be wise, when presenting its own demands, to insist that Hamas rein in the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad. Whether Sinwar can or will is another matter. Israel Defense Forces killed a Hamas commander in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in what the military described as a targeted strike and Palestinians said was the first such action since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. A military statement said that Hamed al-Khoudary, 34, had been responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Palestinian witnesses said he was killed in an air strike on a car he was driving. Khoudary owned a money exchange business that was declared a terrorist organization by Israel in June 2018. IDF kills Hamas commander X The incident comes as a massive barrage against southern Israel continued for a second day. Two Israelis were killed Sunday when rockets fired from Gaza hit a factory in Ashkelon and a car near Sderot in quick succession. The deaths came hours after another man died from shrapnel wounds after a rocket landed near his home in Ashkelon. Hamed al-Khoudary's car after IDF strike (Photo: Reuters) "In recent years, Khoudary and his company established themselves as the main player in Gazas foreign exchange business, said the IDF Spokespersons Unit in a statement. Khoudary transferred large sums of money to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip through his company, using the help of foreign companies that were aware of the fact, Khoudary was running a business considered a terror organization. Hamed al-Khoudary "Khoudarys financial dealings, which served as Irans headquarters in the Gaza Strip, contributed significantly to the promotion of terrorist activities in the area, the statement said. Earlier, two militants - believed to be from Islamic Jihad - were killed after an Israeli aircraft struck a terror cell preparing to launch rockets into Israeli territory east of Gaza City. Rocket fell near a home in the city of Beer-Sheva (Photo: Herzel Yosef) The strike prompted the terror group to issue a statement threatening to expand the range of rocket fire. "We are ready for a full-on military campaign If Israel continues to bomb residential houses, every city and region in Israel will be hit, Islamic Jihad said in a statement. The latest round of violence began on Friday when a Palestinian Islamic Jihad sniper fired at Israeli troops, wounding two soldiers, according to the Israeli military. Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two militants belonging to Hamas' military wing, which controls Gaza. Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, 21, was killed when a rocket fired from Gaza struck a building in Ashdod Sunday evening. He leaves behind a wife and a 1.5-year-old infant. He was the fourth casualty in the latest round of fighting between Hamas and Israel. Prezuazman's funeral will take place in Jerusalem Sunday night. Another three individuals were slightly injured by shrapnel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Prezuazman was walking in the street when he heard the air-raid siren and ran to seek cover in a nearby building but was hit by shrapnel when he entered the stairwell. He was struck during a heavy barrage, consisting of over 40 rockets and mortars, fired from Gaza into southern Israel Sunday evening. A car also suffered a direct hit by a rocket and was engulfed in flames. School was cancelled in the city for Monday. Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman Prezuazman was raised in Bet Shemesh and moved to Ashdod after his marriage. He was a member of the Gur Hassidic sect, possibly the largest Hassidic sect in Israel. His death is the third tragedy to strike the family after his mother lost two brothers, one in an accident and another in a terror attack in 2002. Three other Israelis were also killed in rocket strikes Sunday including Moshe Feder, 68, from Kfar Saba who was killed when after being struck by an anti-tank rocket fired from Gaza in the direction of IDF soldiers. Moshe Agadi, 58, was killed in a rocket strike in Ashkelon and Ziad Alhamamda was killed when a rocket struck a factory in Ashkelon. Site of rocket landing in Ashdod Ashdod home hit by Gaza rocket Ashkelon's Barzilai Medical Center reported that 12 people wounded since the fighting began, including three in critical condition, are being treated there. The hospital has so far treated more than 130 people, including 64 suffering from shock. Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva treated 70 people since the fighting began Saturday. Rocket struck a home in Ashdod The Home Front Command announced that school Monday is being cancelled for all areas within 40 kilometers from Gaza. The Education Ministry said that 169 field trips planned for Sunday were cancelled due to the situation. IDF strikes Hamas ministry building in Gaza City (Photo: AFP) Earlier, Israeli warplanes destroyed the Public Security Ministry building in Gaza City on Sunday afternoon, as Israel endured wave after wave of rocket strikes from the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning. In Gaza, six Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli air strikes, including a woman in advanced stages of pregnancy. The ministry building, in the Rimal neighborhood of the city, was destroyed after IAF jets carried out its "knocks on the roof" policy of first dropping dummy bombs, to warn anyone inside to evacuate. The Israeli Air Force also hit other Gaza targets, including the homes of Hamas commanders and military installations. Three Palestinians, including two members of the Islamic Jihad miitary wing, were killed in Israeli strikes Sunday, bringing the number of Palestinians killed since Friday to at least 13. More than 650 hundred rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning, a senior Israel Air Force officer said Sunday. This is far higher than the average of 150 rockets fired each day during the last Gaza war in 2014, known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge. "Two hundred rockets were fired at residential areas, with an interception rate above 86 percent," the officer said of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, adding that the army was trying to ascertain why ome rockets managed to get through and hit residential areas. "No defense is absolute," he said. Iron Dome brings down a Gaza rocket (Photo: Roee Idan) The officer was speaking after three people were killed Sunday in rocket fire from Gaza. Two people were killed in separate strikes in Ashkelon, and a third died after his vehicle was hit on a road near Sderot, close to the Gaza border. The IDF strikes Gaza (Photo: EPA) The officer also confirmed that Israel carried out a targeted killing of a Hamas member in central Gaza - the first such operation since 2014 and warned that the group was seen as fair game by the IDF. "It has been a while since we have carried out a targeted killing," said the officer. "The killing of the money changer occurred in a dense urban environment and a number of aircraft participated in the strike. Hamas operatives are vulnerable to being hit whenever we see fit." A home in Be'er Sheva sustains a direct hit from a Gaza rocket (Photo: Herzl Yosef) According to the officer, the Israel Air Force had carried out more than 100 missions in Gaza by late Sunday afternoon. He added that the IDF is carrying out the instructions of the government and that for every building that they hit or significant strike, Gaza militants react impulsively, and Israeli forces are prepared for any eventuality, including rockets fired deeper into Israel. The officer also said that Hamas is trying to target IDF ground forces along the border using drones, but they have so far been thwarted. Israel will not rest until it has restored calm to its citizens in the south, President Reuven Rivlin told residents of the rocket-battered communities bordering Gaza on Sunday. The president made the visit in a show of solidarity after hundreds of rockets were fired at Israel since Saturday morning, mostly targeting the south. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter We are at the beginning of a tense week, and in the midst of a long period too long during which the people of the south are under attack from terrorist organizations in Gaza, Rivlin said, as he praised the resilience of the local communities. President Reuven Rivlin tours Gaza border area (Photo: GPO) Your steadfastness is not trivial and is not to be taken for granted," he added. "There are proud Zionists here, imbued with a sense of mission who know how not to give up and to fight for life here, on the borders, for the whole country. Rivlin met with leaders of the local regional councils, which have been under constant rocket attack since the latest round of violence broke out Saturday. The president asked that the community leaders pass on to their constituents how important it is to adhere to the instructions of the IDF Home Front Command during attacks. "Carrying out the IDF Home Front Commands instructions will save us and give the IDF breathing room," he said. "Those orders were written in blood. At the end of his visit, the president said: I want to thank you, and through you all the residents of the area. Thank you for your pioneering and for the inspiration you give us all by your behavior in situations like this. We will not cease until quiet is restored here and our neighbors understand that living in peace is preferable." House in Be'er Sheva after a directhit by rocket (Photo: Ilana Curiel) He told residents they give the people of Israel srength. "No one can take that away from here he added. Head of the Eshkol Regional Council Gadi Yarkoni thanked the president, but added we sustain serious psychological injuries every time the Code Red alarm is sounded. That is our mission, to get our people out of the cycle of psychological harm". After visiting the regional council, the president continued to the IDF Gaza Division where he met with military commanders and was briefed on the current situation. Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon released a statement saying 131 people were treated in relation to the latest flare up between Israel and Gaza. Three people were seriously wounded, another three are in moderate condition, 60 were injured lightly and 62 people were treated for shock. The United States may review its ties with countries it deems as being anti-Israel after what a U.S. envoy said on Sunday was a shift in policy towards equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a March speech that anti-Zionism - opposition to Israel's existence as a homeland for the Jewish people - was a form of anti-Semitism, or hostility toward Jews, that was on the rise worldwide and that Washington would "fight it relentlessly". Pompeo and Netanyahu The State Department's special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, said this U.S. position could spell reviews of ties with foreign governments or leaders. "The United States is willing to review its relationship with any country, and certainly anti-Semitism on the part of a country with whom we have relations is a deep concern," he told Reuters during a visit to Israel. Elan Carr "I will be raising that issue in bilateral meetings that I am undertaking all over the world," he said. "That is something we are going to have frank and candid conversations about - behind closed doors." Carr declined to cite specific countries or leaders, or to elaborate on what actions the Trump administration might take. "I obviously can't comment on diplomatic tools that we might bring to bear," he said. "Each country is a different diplomatic challenge, a different situation, number one. And number two, if I started disclosing what we might do it would be less effective." Some U.S. political analysts say that President Donald Trump and other Republicans hope support for Israel will attract Jewish voters, including those disaffected by pro-Palestinian voices within progressive Democratic Party circles. At the same time, critics have credited Trump's confrontational, nationalistic rhetoric with encouraging right-wing extremists and feeding a surge in activity by American hate groups. The administration has flatly rejected that charge. Carr said the administration's equating of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism "certainly breaks new ground ... by making clear that something that a lot of us who are involved in the Jewish world and a lot of us who are proponents of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship have known for quite some time, and that is that one of the chief flavors of anti-Semitism in the world today is the flavor that conceals itself under anti-Zionism". The Security Cabinet met for five hours Sunday to discuss the escalation between Israel and Gaza. The ministers reported that Hamas twice sought a ceasefire, but it was not discussed. The meeting concluded with a decision to put security above all other considerations, which is meant to send a message to Hamas that the fighting may continue even at the expense of ruining upcoming events such as Independence Day and the Eurovision song contest to be held in Tel Aviv next week. Dozens of friends, relatives and public officials participated in the funeral of Moshe Agadi, 58, the father of four who was killed after being hit by shrapnel from a rocket fired from Gaza that landed near his home in Ashkelon; he was the first Israeli casualty due to rocket fire since 2014. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Moshe was a modest man, he knew how to respect all people, he loved everybody and was loved by all. He smiled all the time. This is a great loss," his brother Shai told Ynet. "I estimate that about half of the city's residents knew him personally." Moshe Agadi Agadi's funeral (Photo: Moti Kimchi) Moshe was eulogized by Eli Yifrach, the head of the Ashkelon burial society, and Likud MK Yoav Kisch. Vendors from the market in Ashdod who worked alongside Agadi for decades spoke of a God-fearing, quiet and smiling man. "In the 30 years I've worked with him, I never heard him utter a bad word," said Baruch Sa'ada, who sells watermelons at the market. Ashkelon market Local businesses are facing hardship due to the situation. The week of Independence Day is generally busier than usual, but due to the rockets, many stores in the city remain shuttered. Agadi's family has two stands at the market and Moshe would sleep in one of them in order to guard it at night. Local residents bemoaned the fact that as long as the rockets dont land too far North and nobody is killed, the government does not seem to care about their plight. "If it reaches Tel Aviv, then things will be different. Let's see how they react if Hamas shoots during the Eurovision Its all talk before elections, then nothing." Ashkelon home hit by Gaza rocket (Photo: Itai Shickman) Other residents expressed empathy for Gaza's residents and blamed the government for acting irresponsibly and triggering the latest round of hostilities. Also on Sunday, Moshe Feder, 68, from Kfar Saba was killed after being hit by an anti-tank rocket from Gaza that was aimed at a bus full of soldiers. he leaves behind two children. An IDF Spokesman said that IAF aircraft have struck over 320 terror related targets in the Gaza Strip over the last two days. The leader of Hamas says his group is "not interested in a new war" with Israel, after two days of heavy rocket fire from Gaza and Israeli airstrikes on the blockaded territory. Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement late Sunday that the militant group is ready to "return to the state of calm" if Israel stops its attacks "and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life." Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. Recent rounds of fighting, however, have ended relatively quickly with informal truces brokered by Egypt and the U.N. In the past, Hamas has halted attacks in return for the easing of an Egyptian and Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza. - Source: Draft Systematic Project Planning Memorandum for the Remedial Investigation/Feasbility Study of Fort Myers Bombing and Gunnery Range in Charlotte County What's the nature of the hazards and exposure pathways? Do munitions and explosives of concern pose an unacceptable risk to human health? These are overall project goals, questions and methods for the investigation into potential environmental impacts of past military uses at what is now Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area. Military cleanup This isn't just an issue at Babcock-Webb in Charlotte County. The country's Formerly Used Defense Site program, known as FUDS, had 5,000 sites in 2015 on its radar. The program is overseen by the Army and the Army Corps of Engineers manages the cleanups, under the umbrella of the the Department of Defense. A ProPublica investigation called Bombs in Your Backyard from 2017 found the military spends "more than a billion dollars a year to clean up sites its operations have contaminated with toxic waste and explosives." And the program's budget has apparently expanded over the years as well. A study from almost two decades ago in Federal Facilities Environmental Journal pinned the cost at $238 million in 2000 for the FUDS program. Sites for cleanup are prioritized based on their level of risk, ranked from high to low. According to the ProPublica investigation, there are 66 high and medium risk installations in Florida. There are no high or medium risk sites left in Lee County, and just the Babcock-Webb site in Charlotte County that is considered medium. In southern Sarasota County, there's the Venice Bombing Range, which is ranked as medium risk. For that location, "there has been no Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) produced to date," according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Dee Ann Miller. At the Venice site, the military leased 2,560 acres for flight crews from Sarasota Army Airfield to use for aerial bombing practice during WWII, according to the Corps. The site, known as Venice Bombing Range, is south of US-41 about four miles east of South Venice. According to the corps, the land is now privately owned and is used primarily for cattle grazing and sod farming. A portion of it has been developed into a residential community. Why does it take so long? According to the Corps, the cleanup process is a multi-step process with many community, state and federal partners that involves identification, investigation, clean up and sometimes long-term maintenance. "Extracting contaminants from the environment, soil or groundwater, can be very complicated," information from the Corps states. "Depending on the type of site, population, topography, community interests, etc., there can be many factors to consider and integrate into a final agreed upon solution." Also, there are many properties within the FUDS program "and a limited budget, so our work must be prioritized and budgeted for over time," according to the Corps. News Naples, Florida - Gary D. Newsome, former CEO of Health Management Associates LLC (HMA), a hospital chain that was headquartered in Naples, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $3.46 million to settle allegations that he caused HMA to knowingly submit false claims to government health care programs by admitting patients who could have been treated on a less costly, outpatient basis, the Department of Justice announced. The settlement also resolves allegations that Newsome caused HMA to pay remuneration to Emergency Department (ED) physicians in return for referrals. Those who bill federal health care programs for unnecessary hospital stays will be held accountable for wasting federal dollars, said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justices Civil Division. Patients deserve the unfettered, independent judgment of their health care professionals. We will pursue those who cause hospitals to offer financial incentives to physicians in return for improper patient referrals that undermine the integrity of our health care system. A physicians health care decisions should be driven by what is in the patients best interest, not by what helps line a providers pockets, said Barbara Bowens, the Acting U.S. Attorney for South Carolina for purposes of this case. The U.S. Attorneys Office will not tolerate false claims based on unnecessary hospital admissions, which drive up health care costs and can harm patients. Providers are expected to closely follow rules and bill properly. Further, in this case, the government contended that Newsome directed illegal payments for referrals, said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Taxpayer money wasted is money stolen from vital government health programs. The settlement resolves allegations that Newsome caused HMA to pressure ED physicians to increase inpatient admissions by recommending admission without regard to medical necessity. The government claimed that the inpatient admission of these beneficiaries was not medically necessary, and that the care needed by, and provided to, these beneficiaries should have been provided in a less costly outpatient or observation setting. Hospitals generally receive significantly higher payments from Medicare for inpatient admissions as opposed to outpatient treatment; therefore, the admission of beneficiaries who do not need inpatient care, as alleged here, can result in substantial financial harm to the Medicare program. The United States also alleged that Newsome caused HMA to pay remuneration to EmCare, a company that provided physicians to staff HMA hospital EDs, to recommend admission when patients should have been treated on an outpatient basis. As part of the alleged scheme, Newsome caused HMA to make certain bonus payments to EmCare ED physicians and tied EmCares retention of existing contracts and receipt of new contracts to increased admissions of patients who came to the ED. Newsome served as CEO of HMA from September 2008 through July 2013. HMA was acquired by Community Health Systems Inc. (CHS), another hospital chain, in January 2014, after the alleged conduct at HMA occurred. HMA and EmCare have already resolved their liability to the government for these allegations. In September 2018 HMA entered into a civil settlement under which it paid $61.8 million. Simultaneously, HMA entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement (NPA) with the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section under which it paid a $35 million monetary penalty. In addition, an HMA subsidiary that formerly owned one hospital pled guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and paid a $3.25 million fine. In December 2017, EmCare paid $29.6 million to resolve these allegations. This settlement resolves a lawsuit originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina by Jacqueline Meyer, a former employee of EmCare, and J. Michael Cowling, a former employee of HMA, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private citizens to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Meyer and Cowling will receive approximately $725,000 from the settlement. The case was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is United States ex rel. Meyer & Cowling v. HMA, Inc., 1:14-cv-00586-RBW (D.D.C). The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Divisions Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. News Houston, Texas - Two Greek shipping companies, Avin International LTD and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises, were sentenced Friday in the Eastern District of Texas before Judge Marcia A. Crone on charges stemming from several discharges of oil into the waters of Texas ports by the oil tanker M/T Nicos I.V., announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown for the Eastern District of Texas. Avin International was the operator and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises was the owner of the Nicos I.V., which is a Greek-flagged vessel. The Master of the Nicos I.V., Rafail-Thomas Tsoumakos, and the vessels Chief Officer, Alexios Thomopoulos, also pleaded guilty to making material false statements to members of the United States Coast Guard during the investigation into the discharges. Both companies pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an agency proceeding, one count of failure to report discharge of oil under the Clean Water Act, and three counts of negligent discharge of oil under the Clean Water Act on Nov. 26, 2018. Under the plea agreement, the companies will pay a $4 million criminal fine and serve a four-year term of probation, during which vessels operated by the companies will be required to implement an environmental compliance plan, including inspections by an independent auditor. Mr. Tsoumakos and Mr. Thomopoulos both pleaded guilty to one count of making a material false statement and were sentenced to pay fines of $10,000 each on Dec. 20, 2018. Our nation, including the State of Texas, rely on Americas ports and coastal waters for trade, recreation, and environmental enjoyment. Foreign companies acting in defiance of the laws and regulations that protect these valued resources threaten adjacent communities as well as marine ecosystems more broadly, said Assistant Attorney General Clark. The Division remains committed to pursuing justice for these offenders, and todays action stands as proof of that commitment. Our coastal waterways are critically important, said United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown. Companies that use them are expected to help maintain them by abiding by the Clean Water Act. When they do not, there will continue to be investigations and consequences for those violations. Furthermore, individuals are always expected to tell the truth when investigations are required, and failure to deal truthfully with investigators always makes a situation worse. We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Department of Justices Environmental Crimes Section, and the United States Attorneys Office, who were all instrumental in achieving this significant outcome, said Captain Jacqueline Twomey of U.S. Coast Guard Sector MSU Port Arthur. We believe that the results of this case will serve as a deterrent that will ultimately prevent or reduce the damage to the environment. By demonstrating the consequences of this vessels illicit actions, the intense collaboration and attention to detail of all team members ensured this vessel and others, with similar intentions that conduct trade in the United States, comply with domestic and international environmental laws intended to eliminate marine pollution around the globe. According to documents filed in court, the Nicos I.V. was equipped with a segregated ballast system, a connected series of tanks used to control the trim and list of the vessel by taking on or discharging water, the latter involving an operation called deballasting. At some point prior to July 6, 2017, the ballast system of the Nicos I.V. became contaminated with oil and that oil was discharged twice from the vessel into the Port of Houston on July 6 and July 7, 2017, during deballasting operations. Both Tsoumakos and Thomopoulos were informed of the discharges of oil in the Port of Houston. Tsoumakos failed to report the discharges, which, as the person in charge of the vessel, he was required to do under the Clean Water Act. Neither discharge was recorded in the vessels oil record book, as required under MARPOL and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. After leaving the Port of Houston, en route to Port Arthur, Texas, oil was observed in several of the ballast tanks. After arriving in Port Arthur, additional oil began bubbling up next to the vessel, which was then reported to the U.S. Coast Guard. During the ensuing investigation, both Tsoumakos and Thomopoulos lied to the Coast Guard, stating, among other things, that they had not been aware of the oil in the ballast system until after the discharge in Port Arthur, and that they believed that the oil in the ballast tanks had entered them when the vessel took on ballast water in Port Arthur. The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector MSU Port Arthur, which conducted the inspection of the ship. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Criminal Investigation Division, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Marine Unit, and the Beaumont Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant United States Attorney Joseph R. Batte of the Eastern District of Texas. Latest News Washington, DC - Two individuals from Costa Rica were sentenced to 25 and 20 years in prison today for their roles in a $10 million telemarketing scheme that defrauded primarily elderly victims in the United States from call centers in Costa Rica. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina, Inspector in Charge David M. McGinnis of the U.S. Postal Inspection Services Charlotte Divison, Acting Special Agent in Charge William Cheung of the IRS Criminal Investigations (CI) Cincinnati Field Office and Special Agent in Charge John Strong of the FBIs Charlotte Field Office made the announcement. Andrew Smith, 46, and Christopher Lee Griffin, 45, both of San Jose, Costa Rica, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad of the Western District of North Carolina to 25 years and 20 years in prison, respectively. Judge Conrad also ordered Smith to pay $10,222,838.76 in restitution to be paid jointly and severally with his co-conspirators and forfeit $406,324.96. Griffin was ordered to pay $9,612,590.39 in restitution to be paid jointly and severally with his co-conspirators and forfeit $182,439. Following a three-day jury trial in February 2018, Smith and Griffin were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of international money laundering. Andrew Smith and Christopher Lee Griffin participated in a deplorable scam to defraud hard-working elderly Americans out of millions of dollars, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The severe sentences imposed today represent a significant victory in our continuing efforts to fight elder fraud and protect some of the most vulnerable members of the U.S. public. These sentences should serve as a strong deterrent to anyone seeking to enrich themselves by taking part in similar scams. Smith and Griffin used shameless tricks and brazen lies to convince victims their dream of financial security had come true. That dream soon turned into a devastating nightmare, one that took a financial and emotional toll on the victims, many of whom were elderly, said U.S. Attorney Murray. The depravity of this scheme is reflected in the sentence handed down to these two criminals, for it takes a special kind of wickedness to steal from the elderly. Todays sentence also underscores our commitment to stopping financial scams and holding offenders accountable for their actions, no matter where they are. We are proud to work alongside our federal law enforcement partners in efforts to target those individuals who take advantage of the American public, especially our vulnerable older Americans, for illegal profits, said Inspector in Charge McGinnis. Anyone who engages in deceptive practices like this should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable, regardless of where they are. Quite simply, the conduct in this case is egregious. This investigation uncovered a fraudulent telemarketing scheme that generated millions of dollars through a web of financial lies that preyed on countless elderly victims, all so these defendants could line their pockets with stolen money, said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheung. These types of investigations are often solved most efficiently through a multiple-agency approach to crime fighting. Years ago, our parents taught us not to talk to strangers. Their advice has proven to be timeless, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Strong. Strangers are reaching out to us on social media, sending us emails, calling our homes and cell phones. If you fall for a scam, you can bet your life, they will call you again. They might have a different sales pitch or a sob story, but they are the same crooks. These prison sentences should serve as a warning to the thieves, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to find you and put you out of business for good. According to evidence presented at trial, both Smith and Griffin worked in a call center in Costa Rica in which conspirators, who posed as representatives of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial sweepstakes prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly, that they stood to receive a significant financial reward, the conspirators told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front payments before collecting their supposed prize, purportedly for items like insurance fees, taxes and import fees. Conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, such as Voice over Internet Protocols, which made it appear that they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other places in the United States. According to trial testimony, one elderly victim who indicated she was going to stop paying was warned by a conspirator that they knew where she and her family lived. Smith and Griffin arranged for victims to transmit payments through international wire transfers directly to Costa Rica or through runners, who collected money from victims in the United States and forwarded payment to Smith, Griffin and others in Costa Rica, according to evidence presented at trial. Runners dispatched by Smith and his co-conspirators met elderly victims at their homes to collect bags of cash, which they in turn remitted to Costa Rica, the evidence showed. Smith, Griffin and their conspirators stole more than $10 million from victims, the evidence showed. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS-CI and the FBI, with assistance from the FTC and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Bowne and Jennifer Farer and Assistant Chief Anna Kaminska of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina provided substantial assistance with this matter. The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs, U.S. Department of States Diplomatic Security Service and Bureau of Consular Affairs, along with government authorities in Costa Rica, provided critical assistance with the extradition of these defendants. Latest News Houston, Texas - Gas marketer B. Charles Rogers Gas Ltd. (BCR), which operated in the San Juan Basin area of New Mexico and southern Colorado, and its owners Billy Charles Rogers Jr. and Wynon Rogers, of Fort Worth, Texas, have agreed to pay $3.575 million to resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations that they caused reduced mineral royalty payments to the United States, the Department of Justice announced today. In addition, Thomas R. Lutner III, of Katy, Texas, who worked with BCR while employed as a gas supply manager at a natural gas distributor based in Houston, Texas, has agreed to pay $800,000 to resolve FCA allegations relating to his role in BCRs alleged royalty fraud. The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that those who remove valuable assets from public or Indian lands pay a fair price for those assets, said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt, of the Department of Justices Civil Division. We will continue to pursue claims against those who evade, or cause others to evade, their royalty obligations. Businesses that underpay for our nations natural resources must be held to account, said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. The United States alleged that, while operating as a gas marketer in the San Juan Basin, BCR, at the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and Mr. Lutner, issued to producers false transaction statements in connection with BCRs gas purchases. Those transaction statements allegedly underreported the volume and value of the natural gas liquids that BCR purchased. The United States alleged that many of the producers had federal gas leases, and that BCRs fraudulent conduct caused those producers to underpay royalties owed to the United States on gas removed from those leases. BCR, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, and Mr. Lutner have admitted and accepted responsibility for making and using, or causing to be made and used, false records that were material to producers obligations to pay royalties to the United States. The Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is committed to working with the Department of Justice and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue to ensure that public oil and gas revenues are properly accounted for and collected on behalf of the American public and all mineral interest owners, said Ron Gonzales, Special Agent in Charge of the DOI OIG Energy Investigations Unit. The civil settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Departments Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas; and the DOI OIG. Except to the extent of the facts admitted by the settling parties, the claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury James Lau attends the Business Session at the Asian Development Banks 52nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in Fiji. Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury James Lau today continued attending the Asian Development Banks 52nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in Nadi, Fiji. At the Business Session which closed this years annual meeting, he said uncertainties over international trade and economic prospects over the past year had rendered reliable partnerships all the more important at this juncture. Mr Lau called on the banks members to work together to get the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time, adding it would be the key to sustainable growth in Asia. As an international financial centre with deep and liquid financial markets in the region, Hong Kong would continue to play an active role in supporting and promoting infrastructure investment in Asia, he said. Mr Lau also met Director General of the Department of International Financial & Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Finance Zhang Wencai, and Executive Director for China to the Asian Development Bank Cheng Zhijun to discuss Hong Kongs contribution to the banks long-term development. Today Plenty of sunshine. High 68F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight Some clouds. Low 48F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Sharing is caring! 35 shares Share 29 Tweet Pin 6 You know Im all about women empowering other women, right? If not, then you havent been paying attention. On my trip to the Victoria High Country last summer, I was more than a little thrilled to head out on a women-only overnight hiking trip with Skadi Adventures. I havent done much hiking in Australia, but its on my list! The epitome of female empowerment, Skadi offers all-inclusive, guided girl power tours of the Mansfield Mt Buller region. Every age and every fitness stage is welcome. Plus they have a cool name (Skadi is the Norse goddess of the wilderness). Sold! But first, coffee. Nestled in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, Mansfield is the cutest little gold-mining town, and a starting point for several hikes in the area. Its also the gateway to some of Australias ski resorts (yes, there is snow in Australia) but I can happily attest that its pretty awesome come summertime too. We stopped for coffee (essential) before heading out, but I wished Id had more time to explore. Beautiful historical buildings line the main street, interspersed with artisan shops and gourmet eateries. Our hike was a summit-to-summit adventure from Mt Stirling to Mt Buller and highlighted the versatility of the rugged Victorian wilderness. Led by Ness Heinberg, our hike priestess (um hi!) we willingly submitted to finding our best selves in the mountains. All about getting all women into the outdoors, as much as I love hiking on my own, I also love being guided by passionate locals full of knowledge. This part of Australia is pretty special. Beautiful with lovely birdsong and rolling mountains as far as the eye can see, it almost reminded me a bit of the Blue Ridge mountains where I grew up in Virginia! Just with more snakes and less rednecks. Nostalgia! The mountains are endless, rolling one into another as far as the eye can see. Silvery eucalyptus, ash forest and gumtrees line the landscape while icy snow-melt streams forge a path. And though Mt Buller is renowned as a winter resort, guys, in summer it comes alive. And it smells hot and beautiful, a totally different smell from our mountains in New Zealand. Starting out off the mountain road youll first meander your way through forest before hitting a track, which leads you into the bush, expertly guided by Ness. Purple heather adorns the trail and alpine flowers provide a colorful backdrop to the bleached pastels of the snow gums. Youll also see some pretty exceptional wildlife, with many local birds singing out, and also being on the outlook for snakes hello Australia. Also *pauses dramatically* there are wombats. WOMBATS! Pretty much the cutest living doormats you have ever seen. Apparently, if you come across them at night they will follow your torchlight wherever you point it. Wombats also apparently can charge you, like a bull AND they bite, so maybe dont do that! Another reason I love wombats is that they poop cubes. We found their treasures intentionally perched about on logs on the walks. Seriously, the coolest creatures. Skadi Adventures provided literally the lightest gear ever so it wasnt *that* much of a struggle. Except the heat, it was a perfect summers day! We spent the afternoon taking out time and working our way up towards the Stirling summit where we would camp. Early summer is the perfect time to get out amongst the hills in Australia before it gets too hot. The mountains also come alive with colorful flowers blooming, making it even more picturesque. Some of the trees up near Mt Buller have been bleached white after a bush fire a few years ago, creating ethereal feel to the environment and a harsh reminder that mother nature always prevails. Passing this ghostly skeletons we continued up eventually arriving to where wed set up camp well before sunset. Our packs were small and light, Skadi provides its guests with the lightest and newest gear (I seriously went out and purchased almost the exact same sleeping mat right after this trip!) While Ness worked cooking up an amazing dinner involving fresh gnocchi (OMFG), I trotted around and took lots of photos as the sun began to dip behind Buller. The food was divine but the company was even better. Ness is a truly amazing woman, passionate about the outdoors and sharing her home area of Australia with the world. Her beliefs about empowering women to get outside, experience nature and find themselves mirrors my own, and I dont think stopped chatting til it was pitch black and time for bed. After I made her check my tent for spiders. Sorry, Australia! No spiders. I fell asleep hard but I woke up in the middle of the night thank you insomnia! Deciding to peek outside I had a feeling there might be amazing stars, since it was a still clear evening. And I wasnt disappointed! With no moon out, the entire sky was illuminated with millions of stars and a gentle warm breeze fluttering my tent! I stayed outside for the better part of an hour around 2am watching shooting stars and snapping a few pics of the Milky Way over my tent. Im always grateful to be in places like this with little light pollution so we can see the stars! It seemed like I had just crawled back in my cozy tent when my alarm went off at an absurdly early time to watch the sunrise. I hate mornings! But as soon as I unzipped my tent, I knew I was in for a treat as the sky began to turn every shade of red and pink imaginable. Ness and I quickly scrambled up to the proper Stirling sunset in time to watch the world wake up, and one of the best sunrises camping Ive ever seen! Thank you, horrible alarm! After a beautiful brekkie with coffee we packed up shop and started to make our way downhill towards Mt Buller. Today would be a day of downhill and then uphill before finishing, making our way back into the forest. Continuing on, the trail widens and although straightforward, becomes a long descent to arrive at Howqua Gap a clearing with several rustic huts perfect for a breather (or chocolate stop) before the final leg. From Howqua, its all downhill but is only a short, sharp climb and believe me when I say, the hard work is worth it for the views! Arriving at the summit of Mt Stirling, the dramatic vistas of the Crosscut Saw (an impressively jagged peak) and the mountains staggered me. I never thought Australian alps could be so beautiful! And to be honest, I never thought Australia had real mountains at all! (I can now confirm that they do) and its also a workout climbing them. Im sorry I doubted you! Honestly, hiking around the Mt Buller area blew me away. Totally different than what I was used to, I really enjoyed my time there, and I know Ill be back soon! Have you been hiking in the Australian Alps before? Does this adventure seem like something youd love too? Share! Many thanks for Tourism North East for hosting me in Australia like always Im keeping it real all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me! Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday ordered the release of Rs 10 crore to the 'Fani'-ravaged Odisha towards relief and rehabilitation work. The severe cyclonic storm has caused unprecedented and extensive damage in Odisha, especially in the holy town of Puri, Palaniswami said adding it has led to untold suffering of the people. "On behalf of the State government and the people of Tamil Nadu, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the family members of all those who have lost their lives in the cyclone and rains," he said in an official release here. Odisha was faced with the arduous task of ensuring immediate rescue, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures in cyclone-ravaged areas, he noted. "As a token of support and solidarity of the government and people of Tamil Nadu with the government and people of Odisha in their hour of need, ...I have ordered immediate contribution of a sum of Rs 10 crore from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the Government of Odisha," he said. Also, the Tamil Nadu government is ready to render any other assistance as may be required by Odisha, he said. New Delhi: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha seat Smriti Irani on Sunday alleged that Sanjay Gandhi hospital, where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are trustees, refused to accept Ayushman card of a poor patient, a charge which was outrightly rejected by the hospital administration. "I am speechless today. I cannot imagine that one can stoop so low. A poor person was left to die because he had Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s Ayushman card but the hospital was of Rahul Gandhi," tweeted Irani along with a 122-second video clip. In the video, a young man can be heard saying that in Sanjay Gandhi hospital, Dr Sidhartha told him that Ayushman card won`t work here because the hospital is run by the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. He had gone there for the treatment of his uncle. Asked how his uncle is now, the man replies: "He died on April 26 itself." He also claims that the helpline number given on the Ayushman card could not provide the required help. At the end of the video, a child introduced by the people as the son of the deceased appears. Irani has demanded "answers" from Rahul and Priyanka for the alleged lapse on the part of the hospital administration. "The trustees of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital -- Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should reply to the people of Amethi as to why a poor person was killed," she said in a tweet. The hospital management has rejected these allegations. SM Choudhary, Director, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, said: "It is a baseless allegation. We have treated 200 patients under the scheme so far. The concerned patient did not bring the Ayushman Bharat card with him. Under this scheme, a patient cannot be admitted without the card." Ayushman Bharat is the flagship healthcare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which covers 10 crore poor families, and entitle them to avail treatment up to Rs 5 lakh at the tertiary level. Irani is facing Rahul Gandhi from Amethi Lok Sabah seat which is set to go to polls on May 6. Rahul has been winning the seat since 2004. In the last Lok Sabha poll, Rahul defeated Irani in Amethi. Bengaluru: Hundreds of students in Karnataka missed the NEET examination on Sunday due to a 7-hour delay of the Hampi Express, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Sunday. The Hampi Express from Hubli to Mysuru is presently running on a diverted route due to maintenance work between Guntakal-Kalluru. Kumaraswamy alleged that a last-minute change in the exam centres and lack of proper communication of the same created confusion among students and has also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar to "intervene and ensure that students who have missed the opportunity today get another chance to write the NEET 2019 Exam." I request PM @narendramodi, Rail Minister @PiyushGoyal, @HRDMinistry , @PrakashJavdekar to intervene and ensure that students who have missed the opportunity today get another chance to write the #NEET2019 Exam CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 5, 2019 Meanwhile, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah slammed PM Modi and the Ministry of Railways for failing to ensure that the trains run on time. "Mr Narendra Modi, you pat your own back for others achievements but will you also take the responsibility for your cabinet ministers incapabilities. Hundreds of students in Karnataka may not be able to take up NEET because of delay in the train services, he tweeted. Siddaramaiah further added, "Ask Piyush Goyal to work properly for the next few days and then we will set it right. Also, ensure that the aggrieved students get another chance to write NEET exam." Mr. @narendramodi, Ask @PiyushGoyal to work properly for next few days and then we will set it right. Also, ensure that the aggrieved students get another chance to write NEET exam. 2/2 Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 5, 2019 However, the railways in a press release said that they had informed the reserved passengers of the train in advance about the train delay via SMS. Live TV The South Western Railway also said that they will write to the HRD Ministry to re-conduct the NEET exam for students travelling in the Hampi Express. South Western Railway PRO: We will write to Ministry of HRD to re-conduct the NEET exam for students, who were travelling in the Hampi Express and missed their exam due to a delay in train reaching the destination. ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 Meanwhile, the NEET exam was postponed in wake of Cyclone Fani that caused major damage to the state. Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau said Hong Kongs economy is at a crossroads and the Government will spare no effort to reinforce the need for a more liberalising trade community globally. Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme today, Mr Yau said the first-quarter gross domestic product growth of 0.5% year-on-year suggested there are a lot of uncertainties ahead. I think the first quarter figures revealed that we are at the crossroad, i.e. while sentiment towards the general economic situation has slightly improved with easing of tension between the US and China over the trade dispute, export figures remain negative, we are still in the negative trend. He said economic performance depends on whether the Mainland and the US will come to an agreement on the trade dispute. Even if there is an agreement, whether that would bring a sharp return of economic performance would depend on (handling of) tariffs and on whether more fundamental issues between China and the US are being resolved by further trade negotiations or agreements. Hong Kong is currently suffering from the impact of the trade dispute, but it is also carefully looking at the way forward, Mr Yau said. For Hong Kong in particular, I think there should be no sparing of efforts in reaching out and going out and reinforcing the need for a more liberalising trade community globally. On tourism, Mr Yau said visitor arrivals might impact the livelihood of the community. There is room for Hong Kong to improve its capacity for receiving tourists, he added. New Delhi: Major Leetul Gogoi reportedly faces a reduction of seniority for pension after court-martial proceedings against him were completed earlier in the year. He will now be posted out of Jammu and Kashmir as he has completed his tenure in the state. Army sources have revealed that Major Gogoi faces six months loss of seniority for pension only. This is reportedly a reprimand for 'fraternising' with a local woman in Srinagar in 2018. He was previously posted to Rashtriya Rifles unit between March of 2016 and October of 2018 before being posted to Victor Force for additional time pending an inquiry against him and possible action against him. His posting out of J&K now is routine, sources have said. PTI adds: The Army Court of Inquiry (CoI) had recommended disciplinary action against Major Gogoi after it indicted him as well as his driver for the Srinagar hotel incident, on May 23 last year. Major Gogoi was detained by police following an altercation with the hotel staff when he was allegedly trying to enter inside with an 18-year-old woman. The woman had expressed her unwillingness to depose during the court-martial proceedings and informed the Army authorities that she had given a statement before a magistrate and the same should be treated as her final stand. The woman had also stated that she had gone out with Major Gogoi of her own will, besides disclosing that she had become a friend of the Army officer through his fake Facebook profile, where he had named himself Ubaid Arman. Immediately after the incident came to light last year, Army chief Bipin Rawat had said that exemplary punishment would be given to Major Gogoi if he was found guilty of "any offence". "If any officer of the Indian Army is found guilty of any offence, we will take strictest possible action," General Rawat had said. Major Gogoi had hit the headlines after he tied a man to a jeep purportedly as a shield against stone pelters during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9, 2017. Panipat: BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday said the nation's security will remain the saffron party's "supreme priority" as he attacked the opposition including the Congress for allegedly demanding proof of the Balakot air strikes. Addressing a rally here, Shah also called upon the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the country secure. "There were only two countries who avenged the killing of their soldiers-- America and Israel. But Modi ji has added the name of India in this list," Shah said referring to the air strikes in Pakistan following the death of 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama. Shah lashed out at the opposition especially Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for demanding proof of the air strikes. "Everybody was celebrating it (Balakot strikes). But there was mourning at two places-- Pakistan and Rahul (Gandhi) baba's office. Modi ji killed Pakistan's terrorists but why were their (opposition) faces pale? Were they (terrorists) related to you?" asked Shah. "They were worried about their vote bank," he said. "If you have any common sense, see Pakistan TV channels and find out why people there were crying. It will reveal what happened there," he said further. The BJP president also targeted Congress leader Sam Pitroda, a long-time Gandhi family advisor and a key aide of the Gandhi scion. "Rahul baba's guru Sam Pitroda said do not bomb (Pakistan) but talk to them... People of Panipat, you tell me whether we should talk to them if our 40 jawans are killed?," asked Shah. The BJP chief further said that the Congress can continue sympathising with the terrorists but "if any bullet is fired from Pakistan, we will reply with a bomb." "There will never be a compromise on national security. Elections come and go but the BJP will never compromise on national security. Country's security will remain our supreme priority," he said. Attacking the Congress-led UPA rule of 10 years, Shah alleged that soldiers deployed at the border used to be beheaded by Pakistan but 'Mauni baba', referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh remained silent. "I can never forget the incident of beheading of Hemraj (soldier) but Mauni baba remained mum," he said. "After Pulwama attack in which our 40 jawans were killed, there was anger across the country. Pakistan secured its border by deploying more soldiers and tanks in anticipation of another surgical strike. But Modi ji showed his 56-inch chest and the Indian Air Force bombed Balakot," he added. On January 8, 2013, Lance Naik Hemraj was beheaded by Pakistan's Border Action Team along the Indo-Pak border, triggering a nationwide outrage. Shah further told the gathering that the BJP government was committed to "throw out" all infiltrators and slammed opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI leader Sita Ram Yechury among others for opposing the government. "You tell me should we not throw infiltrators out of our country. Modi ji brought National Register of Citizens (NRC). Assam has 40 lakh infiltrators," he said, adding that the opposition was worried about where the infiltrators will go and what will they eat. "Rahul baba do these infiltrators who carry out bomb blasts and kill innocents here have human rights? You do not have any concern for those who are killed. These infiltrators are like termites and they should be thrown out," he said. "I want to tell you from this historic land of Panipat that if you elect Modi ji as PM again, each infiltrator from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kolkata to Kutch will be thrown out," he told the crowd. Shah also condemned National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for suggesting that the nomenclature 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) and 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' (Governor) will be brought back in the state if it is voted to power. "Omar Abdullah said he wants second prime minister in Kashmir. Omar and Congress are fighting polls in alliance. I want to ask Rahul baba whether he agrees with Omar's remarks," Shah said. "Can there be two PMs in one country? Friends they want to separate Kashmir from the country. But the BJP workers will never allow Kashmir to be separated from India as it an integral part of India. Make us victorious... We have promised that we will scrap Article 370 (granting special status to J-K)," he said. Seeking support for BJP candidate from Karnal parliamentary seat Sanjay Bhatia, Shah said: "If Modi ji is at the Centre and Manohar Lal Khattar is here, then Haryana will progress. We will make Haryana number one state in the country." Shah also lashed out at the previous regimes in the state and accused the Congress of indulging in corruption and the INLD led by the Chautalas of failing to curb lawlessness. PURI: The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha on Sunday announced house building assistance for those affected by Cyclone Fani, which battered the state on Friday, claiming at least 15 lives and injuring over 160 people. Making the announcement, CM Patnaik said, ''As per the relief code, Rs 95,100 will be provided for fully damaged structures, Rs 5,200 for partially damage and Rs 3,200 for minor damages.'' As per the announcement, all families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in extremely severely affected districts of Puri and parts of Khurda will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2000 and polythene sheets. Live TV ''Families covered under the NFSA in severely affected areas of Khurda district will receive an additional one-month quota of rice, Rs 1000 and polythene sheets,'' the Odisha government said. Similarly, in moderately affected districts of Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, affected families will receive an additional one-month quota of rice and Rs 500. In all the affected districts, people will receive one month of additional pension and house building assistance as per relief code i.e. Rs 95,100 for fully damaged structures, Rs 5,200 for partially-damaged structures and Rs 3,200 for minor damages. Odisha CM: Houses completely damaged will be constructed under housing schemes.Loss of agricultural&horticultural crops&animal resources,fisheries will be assessed &compensated accordingly. Tree plantations will be taken up in mission mode soon after relief and restoration. #Fani pic.twitter.com/mqser6SlEh ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 During his announcement, the CM further stated that the houses completely damaged will be reconstructed under housing schemes expeditiously and loss of agricultural and horticultural crops, animal resources, fisheries will be assessed and compensated accordingly. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that his state stands firm with people of Odisha. ''Maharashtra Government will contribute 10 crore towards the relief and rehabilitation measures in different parts of Odisha,'' Fadnavis said in a tweet. Maharashtra stands firm with people of #Odisha ! Maharashtra Government will contribute 10 crore towards the relief and rehabilitation measures in different parts of #Odisha #CycloneFani @Naveen_Odisha https://t.co/LVdRVjKay2 Chowkidar Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 5, 2019 After leaving a huge trail of destruction and claiming several lives, Cyclone Fani entered West Bengal late on Friday and then reached Bangladesh on Saturday. In view of the severe cyclonic storm Fani, elaborate preparations were done by the state governments in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to minimise the damage. Several central/state government agencies, IAF, Navy, Coast Guard, NDRF and SDRF personnel were pressed into service to help the Cyclone Fani victims. Sources in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday dismissed media reports that PM Narendra Modi spoke to West Bengal governor and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik about Cyclone Fani and not to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PMO sources added that two attempts were made to connect PM Modi to West Bengal CM but to no avail. PMO sources made the remarks after it was reported that Trinamool Congress is unhappy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking only to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi about the situation in state after Cyclone Fani. "Attention has been drawn to reports in a section of media,that TMC has expressed its displeasure at PM Modi speaking only to WB Governor,about the post-Fani situation in the state. TMC have claimed that the PM had called Odisha WB CM. The claim is incorrect," PMO sources were quoted as saying by ANI. PMO Sources: Attention has been drawn to reports in a section of media,that TMC has expressed its displeasure at PM Modi speaking only to WB Governor,about the post-Fani situation in the state. TMC have claimed that the PM had called Odisha WB CM. The claim is incorrect. ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 The TMC has claimed that PM Modi only called West Bengal governor Tripathi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but not West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PMO sources said that two attempts were made by PM's staff on Saturday morning to get in touch with West Bengal chief minister on phone. The sources said first time PM's staff were told that CM Mamata Banerjee is on tour and she will call back. When the PM's staff called West Bengal chief minister for the second time, they were again told by West Bengal CM's office that Mamata is not in office and the call will be returned. PMO Sources: Two attempts were made on Saturday morning,from the PM's staff, to connect PM to the WB CM on phone.The first time, they were told that the CM is on tour&call will be returned. On the second occasion too,it was told by the CM's office, that the call will be returned. ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 Cyclone Fani, one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades, made landfall in West Bengal late in Friday. The cyclonic storm weakened as it crossed Kharagpur and moved towards the north-east direction with a wind speed of 90 km/hour. Live TV In West Bengal, Cyclone Fani lashed several towns and cities including Digha, Haldia, Tajpur, Mandarmani, Sandehskhali, Contai, Diamond Harbour, Bankura, Sriniketan, Asansol, Dumdum and Alipore. Apart from Kharagpur and Kolkata, effects of the storm could also be felt in Burdwan district. Cyclone Fani pummeled through coastal Odisha with wind speeds of over 200 kmph on Friday but it did not cause widespread death and destruction because of the massive pre-emptive measures taken by the state government and other agencies. KOLKATA: Former IPS officer and now BJP`s candidate for West Bengal`s Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency, Bharati Ghosh on Saturday courted controversy as she allegedly threatened some Trinamool supporters that they would be "beaten like dogs". Countering Ghosh, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee warned her not to cross the limit. "You are frightening people... You won`t allow proper conduct of vote. Do not terrify people. (You) will be pulled out of homes and beaten like dog. "I will pay them back with principal and interest what they did. I will bringrng 1,000 men from UP (Uttar Pradesh) and you can`t do anything. No one will be able to trace you," said Ghosh, who was recently accused of threatening the Officer-in-Charge of Keshpur police station. Live TV But Banerjee hit back at Ghosh soon after while holding a road show on Chandrakona Road. "Do not make me open my mouth. If I make public the SMSes that you had sent to me as a police office, I won`t have to say anything more against you. You must remember, there are so many cases against you. "Had we wished to keep you behind bars, we could have arrested you. There is Supreme Court bar on arresting you only in one case," said Banerjee who was campaigning in Ghatal constituency for the party`s nominee and Bengali fimstar Dev Adhikari. The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the former IPS officer to appear for questioning before the West Bengal CID on May 14, two days after polling takes place in Ghatal. In fact, West Bengal CID had recently interrogated the former IPS officer in an extortion case in West Midnapore district`s Daspur area. "We have shown a nice gesture and so you are contesting elections. Do not cross the Laxman rekha (limit). You do not have the power to even fight in Gram sabha elections," Banerjee said. Condemning Ghosh`s comments, Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee warned his party would lodge a complaint before the Election Commission against her, seeking cancellation of her nomination. He accused the BJP candidate of "using her former police uniform" to threaten people and voters. "Is she a candidate? Does an former IPS officer know how to behave," Chatterjee said. The Election Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and sought a report from the district administration. Madhubani: The Congress on Sunday suspended its rebel candidate Shakeel Ahmed for contesting as an Independent from Bihars Madhubani Lok Sabha seat against the party's decision. Ahmed, a former union minister who has represented Madhubani in the Lok Sabha, had filed his nomination papers in two sets - as a Congress candidate and as an Independent. Along with him, Bhavana Jha, MLA from the Benipatti town in Bihar, has also been suspended from Congress for anti-party activities, said a statement released by the party. Live TV In an interview to news agency ANI earlier this week, Ahmed exuded confidence about his victory claiming that several parties have extended him support. "I do not feel like I am fighting independently from Madhubani. I am getting support from many political parties. I`m confident enough that I will win with a good margin in Madhubani," he said. He is fighting against Ashok Yadav, son of four-time BJP MP Hukmdev Narayan Yadav, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) candidate Badri Kumar Purbe. Madhubani will go to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled on May 6 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23. (With ANI inputs) JAIPUR: Retired Lieutenant General D S Hooda said on Saturday that cross-border operations had happened even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power and it is not right to politicise this matter. It may be recalled that Lt Gen (Retd) Hooda was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out by armed forces on September 29, 2016, across the Line of Control (LoC) to avenge the Uri terror attack. Responding to a question on the Congress' claim that six surgical strikes were conducted during its rule and two when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister, Lt Gen (Retd) Hooda said, "Certainly cross-border operations have been carried out by the Indian Army in the past too. I am not aware of exact dates and areas." Live TV On Thursday, the Congress released a list of six surgical strikes carried out when Manmohan Singh was prime minister from 2004 t0 2014. The Congress had also said that it never tried to politicise these strikes in order take political advantage from military operations. The Congress released the details of the six surgical strikes conducted during Manmohan Singh's regime shortly after Union Minister Arun Jaitley mocked the grand old party, saying its surgical strikes were "invisible and unknown". Lt Gen (retd) Hooda, however, stressed that political parties should not politicise the Army and not drag the armed forces in poll campaign. He remarked that the politicisation of armed forces will damage the institution in long term. "It is not a good thing to bring the Army in poll campaign by political parties. The Election Commission too has said this. Ultimately, it's the institution which suffers damage in long term," Lt Gen (Retd) Hooda said. It is notable that Lt Gen (Retd) Hooda had prepared a comprehensive report on India's National Security and presented it to Congress president Rahul Gandhi on March 31. NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Sunday registered an FIR against a 33-year-old man who had allegedly slapped Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in Moti Nagar on Saturday. The FIR against the 33-year-old attacker, who has been identified as Suresh, has been registered under Section 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indan Penal Code. Delhi Police registers FIR under IPC Section 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) against Suresh, who had slapped Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in Moti Nagar area yesterday. ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2019 Delhi's ruling AAP has alleged the BJP was behind the "cowardly act". Delhi Police, after preliminary interrogation of the attacker, said that the accused is a scrap dealer in the area. He was a supporter of the AAP and used to work as an organiser of its rallies and meetings, it said. Live TV During his interrogation, Suresh had told police that he over the time he got disenchanted due to the behaviour of AAP leaders. AAP's "distrust in the armed forces" had further angered him, according to the Delhi Police. Additional PRO, Delhi Police, Anil Mittal had said that an inquiry by a DCP-level officer has been ordered to find out how this person was allowed to be in the reception/proximate group. After the incident, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had alleged that the Delhi Police had planted the man. "Delhi Police planting that man belonged to AAP, this is really shameful given the fact that the attacker's wife has herself said he was a 'Modi Bhakt' and did not like anyone talking against the PM. This is the same Delhi Police which had planted earlier that no 'mirchi attack' happened on the chief minister. It was later when the Delhi government provided CCTV footage to Delhi Police that left its political masters red-faced," Bharadwaj said. Kejriwal was atop an open jeep when the man wearing a red t-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before he was pulled off the jeep. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia slammed the BJP after the incident. "Do (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah want Kejriwal to be murdered," Sisodia tweeted, attacking the PM and the BJP chief. Sisodia said the BJP could not break the morale of Kejriwal, nor could not defeat him in elections in five years. "Now you want him removed from your way like this. You cowards," he said in a tweet in Hindi. Opposition BJP and Congress expressed "doubts" that the incident was the handiwork of the AAP to gain the sympathy of voters before the Lok Sabha polls in the city. Meanwhile, Delhi Congress spokesperson Jitender Kochar alleged that the incident was stage-managed by Kejriwal for gaining the sympathy of Delhiites. "The incident is as an old move of Kejriwal to stage-manage attacks on him and then seek public sympathy. But people of Delhi will not succumb to this political manoeuvre by him," he said. On his turn, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that his party does not support violence. "But I have doubts as to why such incidents happen with Kejriwal in election time only. I doubt this incident may have been scripted by Kejriwal himself," Tiwari said. Kejriwal, however, found support in his allies, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, SP president Akhilesh Yadav also condemned the attacks. The latest attack on Arvind Kejriwal was not the first time was assaulted during his roadshows or gatherings. In November 2018, a man smeared chilli powder on Kejriwal's face. The incident happened inside Delhi Secretariat. Kejriwal has also been heckled and physically assaulted a lot of times. In February 2016, some people attacked Arvind Kejriwal's car with iron rods and sticks in Punjab's Ludhiana. A month before, a member of the Aam Aadmi Army, Arjun Arora, had thrown ink at Kejriwal. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, some people threw eggs and ink at Kejriwal and other leaders of the AAP when he was campaigning in Varanasi constituency. (With PTI inputs) In the midst of peak summer heat, India is all set to once again usher in voters to the polling booth as the country gets ready for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019. The first four phases were largely peaceful with enthusiastic voters coming out to have a say in who will govern the country over the course of the next five years. With voting in 373 constituencies over, the half-way mark is well and truly behind even as another 51 constituencies gear up for Monday's polling. The fifth phase is the smallest of all seven phases - in terms of the number of constituencies. Polling will take place across seven states - Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal - with a total of 8.75 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise. Once again, there is a massive security deployment at over 96,000 polling stations to ensure that the election is fair and peaceful. In West Bengal, in particular, central forces have replaced state police in view of poll-related violence in the state in each of the four phases of voting so far. Barring West Bengal, polling has been largely peaceful across the country so far although there have been some incidents of EVM malfunctioning. The EC is taking extra measures to ensure that EVMs do not develop any snags as voters come out to choose between a total of 674 candidates in the fifth phase. Among these, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) which analysed affidavits of 668 candidates, there are 184 crorepatis. The average assets of candidates in this phase is Rs 2.57 crore. There are also three candidates who have declared nil assets. Furthermore, 19 per cent of the 668 candidates has declared criminal cases against them while 52 per cent of the total has at least a graduation degree. Interestingly, the fifth phase has the highest percentage of women candidates so far in Lok Sabha election 2019 - 12 per cent. (Read full report here) The campaigning by almost all of these candidates in the run-up to the fifth phase of voting has been intense. Political parties and their respective leaders have left no stone unturned in taking their messages to the people of the country. The seven states where polling will take place on Monday will have the final say. Here's where voting will take place in the fifth phase: Bihar: Voting here will take place in the constituencies of Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzzafarpur, Saran and Hajipur. As per the data available, there are total 87,66,722 voters including 16,875 service voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the fifth phase. Of the electorate, 46,78,401 are males, 40,88,096 females and 225 third gender voters who will have to choose from 82 candidates. While the NDA would be looking at a dominant performance in all of these constituencies, rival parties like RJD and RLSP are unlikely to make things easy. (Read more here) Jammu and Kashmir: Voting here will take place in Anantnag - the only constituency which has seen voting in three phases due to security reasons, and in Ladakh. Security arrangments here, as expected, is the highest to ensure that polling takes place in a peaceful manner. Jharkhand: Voting will take place in the constituencies of Kodarma, Ranchi, Khunti and Hazaribagh. While Kodarma, Ranchi and Hazaribagh are General seats, Khunti has been reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates. As per the data from Election Commission, there are a total of 65,87,028 electors in the four constituencies, out of which 34,42,266 are male electors, 31,44,679 female electors and 83 third gender electors. There are 1,09,025 electors in the age group of 18-19 years in Phase V in Jharkhand. (Read more here) Madhya Pradesh: Polling will be held in Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul seats. One hundred and ten candidates are in the fray for these seven seats. There are 14 candidates in the fray in Tikamgarh, 15 in Damoh, 17 in Khajuraho, 21 in Satna, 23 in Rewa, 11 in Hoshangabad and nine in Betul. The official said 15,240 polling booths have been set up for 1.19 crore registered voters. (Read more here) Rajasthan: 12 constituencies in the state will vote on Monday. These are Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur. While Ganganagar, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur PCs are reserved for Scheduled Castes, Dausa seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes. There are 134 candidates, including 16 women, in the fray for these 12 Lok Sabha seats. Nearly, 2,31,79,623 voters including 1,10,755 service voters are eligible to vote in the fifth phase from the state. The electorate has 1,22,53,615 males, 1,09,25,883 female and 125 third gender voters. (Read more here) Uttar Pradesh: The state will see voting in 14 constituencies. These are Amethi, Bahraich, Banda, Barabanki, Dhaurahra, Faizabad, Fatehpur, Gonda, Kaiserganj, Kaushambi, Lucknow, Mohanlalganj, Rae Bareli and Sitapur. About 2.47 crore people are eligible to vote in the 14 constituencies where 182 candidates are in the contest. (Read more here) West Bengal: Seven constituencies in volatile West Bengal will see voting on Monday. These are Bongaon, Barrackpur, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly and Arambagh where an electorate of 1,16,91,889 will decide the fate of 83 candidates. (Read more here) SERIAL NUMBER STATE LOK SABHA SEAT POLLING DATE FIFTH PHASE 51 CONSTITUENCIES 1 Bihar HAJIPUR 06 May 2019 2 Bihar MADHUBANI 06 May 2019 3 Bihar MUZAFFARPUR 06 May 2019 4 Bihar SARAN 06 May 2019 5 Bihar SITAMARHI 06 May 2019 6 Jammu and Kashmir ANANTNAG * (vacant) 06 May 2019 7 Jammu and Kashmir LADAKH * (vacant) 06 May 2019 8 Jharkhand HAZARIBAGH 06 May 2019 9 Jharkhand KHUNTI 06 May 2019 10 Jharkhand KODARMA 06 May 2019 11 Jharkhand RANCHI 06 May 2019 12 Madhya Pradesh BETUL 06 May 2019 13 Madhya Pradesh DAMOH 06 May 2019 14 Madhya Pradesh HOSHANGABAD 06 May 2019 15 Madhya Pradesh KHAJURAHO * (vacant) 06 May 2019 16 Madhya Pradesh REWA 06 May 2019 17 Madhya Pradesh SATNA 06 May 2019 18 Madhya Pradesh TIKAMGARH 06 May 2019 19 Rajasthan ALWAR 06 May 2019 20 Rajasthan BHARATPUR 06 May 2019 21 Rajasthan BIKANER 06 May 2019 22 Rajasthan CHURU 06 May 2019 23 Rajasthan DAUSA * (vacant) 06 May 2019 24 Rajasthan GANGANAGAR 06 May 2019 25 Rajasthan JAIPUR 06 May 2019 26 Rajasthan JAIPUR RURAL 06 May 2019 27 Rajasthan JHUNJHUNU 06 May 2019 28 Rajasthan KARAULIDHOLPUR 06 May 2019 29 Rajasthan NAGAUR 06 May 2019 30 Rajasthan SIKAR 06 May 2019 31 Uttar Pradesh AMETHI 06 May 2019 32 Uttar Pradesh BAHRAICH 06 May 2019 33 Uttar Pradesh BANDA 06 May 2019 34 Uttar Pradesh BARABANKI 06 May 2019 35 Uttar Pradesh DHAURAHRA 06 May 2019 36 Uttar Pradesh FAIZABAD 06 May 2019 37 Uttar Pradesh FATEHPUR 06 May 2019 38 Uttar Pradesh GONDA 06 May 2019 39 Uttar Pradesh KAISERGANJ 06 May 2019 40 Uttar Pradesh KAUSHAMBI 06 May 2019 41 Uttar Pradesh LUCKNOW 06 May 2019 42 Uttar Pradesh MOHANLALGANJ 06 May 2019 43 Uttar Pradesh RAE BARELI 06 May 2019 44 Uttar Pradesh SITAPUR 06 May 2019 45 West Bengal ARAMBAG 06 May 2019 46 West Bengal BANGAON 06 May 2019 47 West Bengal BARRACKPUR 06 May 2019 48 West Bengal HOOGHLY 06 May 2019 49 West Bengal HOWRAH 06 May 2019 50 West Bengal SRERAMPUR 06 May 2019 51 West Bengal ULUBERIA 06 May 2019 Key contests to watch out for: The fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 has some mouth-watering clashes to look forward to. Several political big-wigs are battling it out in this phase. Some of these are: Amethi - Rahul Gandhi (Congress) vs Smriti Irani (BJP): This is, perhaps, the most intense of all electoral battles to watch out for. While Rahul had defeated Smriti in the 2014 edition of Lok Sabha election, the BJP candidate had managed to put up a stiff fight. This year, she is even more determined to bring down the Congress president and a win for her could be a massive blow to the party. Rahul is also contesting election from Wayanad in Kerala where voting took place in the third phase. Raebareli - Sonia Gandhi (Congress) vs Dinesh Pratap Singh: The UPA chairperson faces off against a former Congress member in what has always been a fortress for the Gandhi family. Defeating Sonia from here may not be an easy prospect but a win for Dinesh Pratap Singh here, if it does happen, could be a massive shot in the arm for the BJP. Lucknow - Rajnath Singh (BJP) vs Poonam Singha (SP): The Home Minister is a strong favourite to win from here and he takes on Poonam Sinha - wife of Shatrughan Sinha - who only recently joined the Samajwadi Party. Poonam is the richest of all candidates in the fifth phase of election. Her husband is a former BJP member who is now with Congress. Can she manage to stage an upset of epic proportions? Jaipur Rural - Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (BJP) vs Krishna Punia (Congress): Both candidates have brought laurels to India at international sporting events but politics is a whole different ball game. Rathore registered a strong performance in the 2014 edition of Lok Sabha election but Punia may yet be a worthy opponent. The two Olympians could set the electoral stage on fire this time around. Hazaribagh - Jayant Sinha (BJP) vs Gopal Sahu (Congress) vs Bhuvneshwar Mehta (CPI): Many expect Sinha to once again cruise to an easy win from this constituency in Jharkhand but Sahu and Mehta are credible political foes. The fifth phase of voting, therefore, may be the smallest in terms of the number of constituencies but has some cracker contests at hand. Polling will take place between 7am and 6pm and the EC has once again urged people to come out in high numbers to cast their vote. Six thousand wheelchairs and ramps have been put in place to ensure that even specially-abled people face no hurdles at polling booths. Voting for fifth phase of seven-phase Lok Sabha poll is scheduled to take place on Monday. The polling in the fifth phase is being held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand and two seats in Jammu and Kashmir. In order to cast your votes you must have your election ID card and your name should also be there on the electoral roll/voter's list Here is how you can check whether your name figures on the voter list or not: * First visit the National Voters' Service portal on www.nvsp.in * On the top left corner of the website, you will find the option Search your name on the voters list. * In order to find your name on the portal, you can search it in two ways: "Search by EPIC number" or "Search by details." EPIC is the number which is there on your voter ID card. * If you select Search by the EPIC number, you will have to enter your details and tap on the Search button. * All your details will be displayed in the search result at the bottom of the webpage. If the details are displayed, it will most probably mean your name is missing from the electoral list now. * If you use the search option Search by details, the website will seek some more information like name, age, sex, state, date of birth and district. Fill in the details asked and hit search, it is possible that your name might appear. If your name appears on the portal, it will mean you are eligible to vote in your area. Chief Executive Carrie Lam It gives me great pleasure to join you tonight for the opening ceremony of Le French May Arts Festival, one of Hong Kong's largest and most anticipated annual events, and certainly the most ambitious international showcase of arts and culture in our creative calendar. Nothing underlines that more than the exhibition featuring the works of the late Niki de Saint Phalle, one of the highlights of this year's festival. As the first female Chief Executive of Hong Kong, I naturally admire Niki, one of the most significant female and feminist artists of the 20th Century. Opening here at the Exhibition Gallery alongside the festival itself, I am happy that the exhibition features nearly 100 works of art, including some of the artist's monumental Nanas sculptures - as famously flamboyant, original and utterly unforgettable as the artist herself. The same might be said of the festival as a whole, which turns 27 this year. Despite its "May" title, it actually runs through the month of June, showcasing everything French from film and animation to theatre and music, including a spotlight on Hector Berlioz by the Paris Mozart Orchestra in honour of the 150th anniversary of the great French composer's death. There's the usual avant-garde French music, fashion and food in this edition, even an exhibition of French-inspired cheongsams. And speaking of fashionable food, Le French GourMay returns this year with an appetite and a thirst for the blessed bounty of the Loire Valley. In all, more than 120 events will be staged by the talent and artistry of some 350 performers and artists under the theme of "Voyage". It will, I have no doubt, prove a remarkable, and remarkably creative journey, once again enabling the people of Hong Kong and our many tourists and visitors to experience and indulge in authentic French culture. I'm equally grateful for Le French May's commitment to education and outreach. With the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Outreach & Arts Education Programme, the festival offers internships and apprenticeships, while presenting guided tours, workshops, master classes, public rehearsals and post-performance events. It will provide participants with an invaluable opportunity to see, hear and learn from world-class artists. I should just add that my Government places a high priority on arts and culture as well, on creating here in Hong Kong an international cultural hub, a city that embraces art and culture, East and West, at every level, for every sector of our community. I would say we are getting there thanks to exciting recent developments, including the opening last May of Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage & Arts and the Xiqu Centre in January this year, as well as the continuing progress of the West Kowloon Cultural District and the face-lifting of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Thanks, too, to such major events as Le French May, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the International Film Festival, the World Cultures Festival and a great deal more. Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave these remarks at the opening ceremony of Le French May Arts Festival 2019 on May 4. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday exuded confidence that his party's alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh will emerge victorious in the largest number of seats in Uttar Pradesh at the expense of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also spoke at length against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre saying that the Prime Minister "always does the opposite of what he promises" and is just a "publicity PM." "The BJP is not able to tell its achievements. Terrorism increased and most of the jawans got martyred in their rule," he alleged. "People are yet to see achhe din. Modiji is more of a publicity PM. On May 23 (counting day), India will get a new prime minister," Akhilesh added. Live TV In an exclusive interview to Zee News, Akhilesh, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said that most of the seats will go to the SP-BSP-RLD in the state and added that their alliance is the alliance of the future, which the BJP-led state government wants to break. "I don't have a problem with Yogi Adityanath, but he is not working and has also stopped all the development work there," he said. Explaining why the 2019 election is different, Akhilesh said it is because "India will see a new government this time." He slammed the BJP government by taking the example of ex-BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, who opted to fight the election on SP ticket against PM Modi in Varanasi. However, his candidature was rejected by the Election Commission. Tej Bahadur Yadav was dismissed from service two years ago over his viral post on poor food quality for jawans. Akhilesh said the government was afraid of one jawan. "BJP just wants votes in the name of the army, but does not want to help them," Akhilesh Yadav said. He also shared light on how SP formed an alliance with BSP. Akhilesh said that he and Mayawati spoke about it for the first during the Lok Sabha by polls in Gorakhpur and Phulphur and after that, the alliance was formed. He added that an alliance with the Congress was not on the agenda at present. "I may be knowing Rahul Gandhi well but political alliances are a different thing altogether," he said. The SP supremo also added that the alliance partners will decide on the next prime minister together. The 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh are voting in all the seven phases of the Lok Sabha election. The result of 542 Lok Sabha seats will be declared on May 23. New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday said that there will be no change in poll timings due to Ramzan or heatwave. The poll body was responding to a petition which sought advancing of the voting time. Rejecting the plea, the EC said that such changes were not possible. Supreme Court on Thursday had asked EC to pass "necessary orders" on a representation seeking the advancement of vote timing to 5 am from 7 am for the remaining three phases of the Lok Sabha election due to heatwave conditions and the onset of the holy month of Ramzan. A plea in this regard was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. The bench also comprised justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna. "The petitioners pray for a direction to the Election Commission of India to extend the polling hours during the fifth, sixth and seventh phases of the ongoing general elections, 2019 on May 6, May 12 and May 19, respectively, by 2-2.5 hours so as to commence at 4:30/5 AM (instead of the notified time of 7 AM) on account of the unprecedented heat waves prevailing in several parts of the country and the onset of the holy month of Ramzan," the plea said. The petition was filed by advocates Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, who said that during Ramzan, it would be difficult for Muslims to stand in queues outside the polling stations during the day in the intense heat to exercise their franchise. The holy month of Ramzan begins on Tuesday. "In the intense heat, it will be very difficult for Muslim voters to queue up at the polling booths during the day in the intense heat to exercise their franchise. During Ramzan, most practising Muslims stay up for an early morning meal and sleep after the morning prayer," it said. Live TV A Trinamool Congress leader and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim had also questioned the schedule of seven-phase election stating that it would be difficult for those observing Ramzan. AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan had also raised objections over the lengthy poll schedule. Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at political outfits and their leaders for criticising Election Commission of India's decision to schedule the election during the holy month of Ramzan. The Lok Sabha election 2019 is being held in seven phases. The fifth phase is scheduled for Monday and counting of votes will take place on May 23. (With agencies inputs) NEW DELHI/JAMMU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the killing of BJP leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir in J&K. In his condolence message, the PM tweeted, ''Strongly condemn the killing of J&K BJP leader Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers.'' Strongly condemn the killing of @BJP4JnK leader Shri Ghulam Mohammed Mir. His contribution towards strengthening the party in J&K will always be remembered. There is no place for such violence in our country. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2019 Live TV Mir was shot dead by some unidentified terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday. Mir, who was BJP vice president of Anantnag district, was critically injured after terrorists opened fire on him in Nowgam village of Verinag area. He was immediately shifted to hospital where he succumbed, according to the police. The Anantnag Police have registered a case in the BJP leader's killing and the hunt to nab his killer is on. MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has slammed CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury for saying the Hindu epics like 'Mahabharata and Ramayana' were ''full of instances of violence and battles.'' "If Sitaram Yechury says 'Ramayana and Mahabharata' are replete with 'instances of violence', then he should remove 'Sitaram' from his name," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said this while talking to Zee News. Attacking Yechury further, Raut said, ''If he is so averse to revered Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, he should change his name to Babar, Afzal Khan, Aurangzeb or Chengis Khan whichever suits him.'' The firebrand Shiv Sena leader even dared Yechury to make a similar statement against the holy Quran or Bible. Live TV Coming down heavily on Yechury, Raut sought to know ''if the CPM leader would term as "violence" by the security forces while defending the country against Pakistan-backed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.'' The Shiv Sena leader also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for being so opposed to Lord Ram's name. ''Those who hate Lord Ram's name, they have no right to live in India,'' he added. In an article in the CPI-M mouthpiece 'People's Democracy', Yechury had said on Thursday that by fielding Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as its candidate from Bhopal, the saffron party has shown its true colours. Yechury had made a scathing attack on the BJP for fragmenting society for votes through its divisive policies, branding religious epics 'Ramayana and Mahabharata' as specimens of Hindu violence. "Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur said that Hindus don't believe in violence. Many kings and principalities have fought battles in the country. Even 'Ramayana and Mahabharata' are also filled with instances of violence," Yechury had said. "Being a 'pracharak', you narrate the epics but still claim Hindus can`t be violent? What is the logic behind saying there is a religion which engages in violence and we Hindus don`t?" he had said. In the article, Yechury also took over PM Narendra Modi for his claim that Hindus can never be violent, alleging that the Prime Minister is unaware of Indian history replete with gruesome battles and wars. "It is a fallacy to say that Hindu cannot engage in violence," Yechury had said. Earlier on Sunday, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev filed an FIR against Yechury for his remarks that epics 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata' are ''full of instances of violence and battles.'' Ramdev, along with other seers, filed the FIR against Yechury in Haridwar. After filing the police complaint with SSP, Haridwar, Baba Ramdev said, "We have filed a complaint against Yechury, who has insulted our ancestors. It is an offence. He should be put behind the bars. We have demanded a strict investigation into the matter." The seer community, which is demanding strict action Yechury, has said that the CMP leader's remarks have offended the religious sentiments of majority Hindus and he should be punished for that. In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday said that that the PM is afraid of the BSP-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh and is trying to break the alliance in order to win in the state. The BSP supremo stressed that PM Modi must understand this fact that the SP-BSP alliance in unbreakable. Addressing a press conference, Mayawati claimed that the BJP has misused the government machinery too in order to break the SP-BSP alliance. She noted that the alliance has full support of the voters and the alliance has received massive support from people in Uttar Pradesh in the four phases of Lok Sabha election so far. The BSP chief also said that the BJP government will fall on May 23 and people will see the downfall of an autocratic government. Live TV Mayawati made the remarks just a day after PM Modi said at a rally that the Samajwadi Party and Congress have used the BSP chief and she has now realized this fact. The prime minister had said that though BSP chief was openly slamming the Congress, the SP is not saying anything about the grand old party. PM Modi said that SP and Congress did not reveal their intentions to Mayawati and misled her by promising to make her the PM. Referring to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi sharing the stage with SP leaders in Amethi, PM Modi said that truth is out in the open for everyone to see. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that he would like to see a woman become the next prime minister of India. Talking to media, Akhilesh said that women form about 50% population of the country and it would be good to see a woman as the new prime minister of the country after May 23. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday introduced a baba, who looks strikingly similar to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In a photo of the 'baba' tweeted by Akhilesh Yadav, the baba can be seen wearing a saffron attire just like Yogi Adityanath. The 'baba'. with whom Akhilesh is travelling these days, also had his head shaved like Uttar Pradesh chief minister. Though the mysterious 'baba' can be seen with SP chief in the pictures, his face is not visible. We cannot bring fake God but we bring a baba ji. He has left Gorakhpur and is telling truth about the government to everyone in the state, tweeted Akhilesh Yadav. pic.twitter.com/GxlS0LYb6z Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 4, 2019 In Uttar Pradesh, SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are contesting the Lok Sabha poll as an alliance. The three parties had succeeded in inking a seat-sharing deal before the start of the Lok Sabha poll on April 11. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, BSP is contesting on 38 seats, SP on 37 and RLD on three out of the total 80 seats at stake in Uttar Pradesh. Live TV In 2004, the BJP had performed exceptionally well in UP, winning 71 seats on its own. The saffron party's alliance Apna Dal had managed to win 2 seats. The SP had won just five seats and the Congress was reduced to only two seats. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is set to have a major impact in this election and it is likely that the BJP would find it tough to repeat its performance of 2014. For its part, the BJP is trying its best to win maximum seats from Uttar Pradesh and all its big leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah are addressing multiple rallies in the state to woo the voters. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Chunky Pandey's daughter Ananya Pandey, who is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Student Of The Year 2, opened up about her much-talked-about kiss with Tiger Shroff in the film. Ananya, during a promotional event, revealed an interesting story about her first kiss. It was my first kiss ever and I have not kissed anyone else so I cant compare. It was the best first kiss ever, " Times Now quoted the actress as saying. Student of the Year 2 is a sequel to Karan Johars ambitious project, Student of the Year. The film introduced Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra to the film industry. Alia even featured in a song with Tiger Shroff titled 'Hook Up'. The song features them in a bold and sizzling avatar and has garnered a good response from the listeners. Talking about his dance number with Alia, Tiger had said during the song launch, "Personally, I have never done a dance number like that. Working with Alia was an amazing experience. Though she is such a big star, she was open and cooperative on set while shooting the song. 'SOTY 2' is directed by Punit Malhotra and is backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. The movie will introduce two fresh female facesAnanya and Tara to the showbiz world. SOTY 2 is the sequel to 'Student Of The Year' which released back in 2012 was a big hit and marked the debut of three newcomers thenVarun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra. US President Donald Trump on Sunday greeted Muslims observing Ramadan and said that in the spirit of the holy month one can achieve a more harmonious and respectful society. "Throughout this month, we all have an opportunity to reflect on the blessings we have been given and to work toward greater fellowship with one another. Together, in the spirit of Ramadan, we can achieve a more harmonious and respectful society," Trump said in his message on the start of the holy month. "(The First Lady) Melania joins me in sending our best wishes to Muslims in the US and around the world for a blessed month of celebration," Trump said. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims observe fast, perform acts of charity, recite prayers and read the Quran. By doing so, they develop a renewed sense of purpose in their own spiritual journey, deepening their appreciation for God's grace and mercy, Trump said. New Delhi: Even as China increases its presence in Pakistan through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor - or CPEC - that crosses the south Asian country and gives China crucial connectivity to West Asia, it is Islamabad that could be at the receiving end. Instances of brides being trafficked by Chinese men have come to the forefront with New York-based international NGO Human Rights Watch has raised concern of Pakistani girls being trafficked by Chinese men. The NGO in a release said," Pakistan's government should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls to China. These allegations are disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of 'brides' to China from at least five other Asian countries." The NGO stated, "The Pakistan government has also acknowledged that bride trafficking is occurring and pledged to work with China to combat the trade." Pakistan media channels have been exposing a number of cases in which Chinese men have married Pakistani girls with their families being given money, and sometimes even visa, for the male members. Media reports from the country suggest they are taken to China and forced into nefarious activities. Most of the cases belong to the minority Christian community and the underprivileged. The Chinese embassy has reacted to the local media reports saying, "We remind both Chinese and Pakistani citizens to remain vigilant and not to be cheated. We also welcome valuable clues to combat such offenses." Meanwhile, the Pentagon in its report has said China plans to establish a military base in Pakistan. In its annual report to US Congress on Military and security developments involving China in 2019, the Pentagon said, "China will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan." In August of 2017, China officially opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti. GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he ordered the military to continue "massive strikes" against militants in Gaza as a surge in cross-border hostilities ran into a third day. A rocket fired from Gaza killed an Israeli civilian on Sunday and two Palestinian gunmen were killed in an Israeli strike, with no sign of any impending ceasefire in the most serious border flare-up since November. Israel`s military said more than 450 rockets, many of them intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system, have been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday, and it attacked some 220 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. Police said one of the rockets hit a house in the city of Ashkelon, killing a 58-year-old man. That marked the first Israeli civilian fatality in a rocket strike from Gaza since a 2014 war between Israel and militants in the Hamas-run enclave. "This morning I instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip and I also instructed that forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces," Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement. BANGKOK: Thailand`s newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn will greet his subjects on Sunday in a royal procession, a day after completing ornate rituals to become the country`s first new divine monarch in nearly seven decades. The grand procession will cover 7 km (4 miles) in a route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples, where he will pay homage to each temple`s main Buddha images, and back. The coronation of King Vajiralongkorn, 66, takes place from Saturday to Monday after a period of official mourning for his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years. His coronation comes amid the uncertainty of an unresolved election battle between the current military junta chief and a "democratic front" trying to push the army out of politics. Saturday`s rituals took place within the walls of the Grand Palace complex, which also encloses the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. On Sunday morning, the king will grant new ranks and titles to members of the royal family. Later in the afternoon, the monarch will appear in public for the first time since his elaborate crowning. One of the many official titles King Vajiralongkorn will take is Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782. Although most coronation ceremonies for Thai kings follow Hindu Brahmin traditions, some Buddhist elements were added by the monarch`s great-great grandfather King Mongkut, or Rama IV, because he spent 27 years in monkhood before inheriting the throne, scholars said. "Because King Mongkut was a monk, he ordered that the procession should visit important Buddhist temples so the new monarch can provide alms to monks," said Tongthong Chandransu, an expert on Thai royal rituals. It was also during King Mongkut`s coronation that foreigners were invited to witness coronation ceremonies for the first time, scholars said. This will take place on Monday evening, the final day of King Vajiralongkorn`s coronation. REIGN WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS On Saturday, the king sat on a golden throne under a nine-tiered umbrella to receive royal regalia including a gold-enameled, diamond-tipped crown in ceremonies that mixed glittering pomp with solemn religious rites. The monarch was joined by new Queen Suthida after a surprise announcement three days before the coronation that the thrice-divorced monarch had married for a fourth time. Saturday`s rituals, which were about transforming him into a "Devaraja", or a divine embodiment of the gods, saw him purified and anointed with consecrated waters from 117 sources. The king also received and wore five articles of the royal regalia from the chief Brahmin, signifying full kingship. "I shall continue, preserve, and build upon the royal legacy and shall reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the people forever," the king said in his first royal command, after placing the Great Crown of Victory weighing 7.3 kg (16 lb) upon his head. The king also proclaimed himself the Royal Patron of Buddhism, and spent the night with his queen in the royal residence in the Grand Palace, as previous kings have done. During 18 months of his reign so far, King Vajiralongkorn has moved to consolidate the authority of the monarchy, including taking more direct control of the crown`s vast wealth with the help of Thailand`s military government. BEITBRIDGE town was partially deserted yesterday morning as hundreds of the border towns residents thronged Mtetengwa communal lands to send off a community leader and businessman Isaka Tshivi, who died last week. Tshivi, fondly known as Mulalo, Venda for peace, might have not been declared by government as a hero, neither did he get a state-assisted funeral, but the crowds that thronged his village and familys burial acre easily accorded him the status. Motor vehicles from the border town made a beeline stretching for more than 5km along the Bulawayo highway as people visited the Tshivi homestead to bid farewell to the man who died after a long illness. The same vehicle convoy cut across Mtetengwa village and temporarily brought traffic between Bulawayo and Beitbridge to a standstill as mourners drove to the Tshivi family graveyard about 5km from the village shared with Vice-President Kembo Mohadi and his divorced wife Tambudzani, both related to Tshivi. No one really mentioned his otherwise heroic contribution during the war as a youth activist of note in the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union, which saw him being detained for almost a year without trial. His academic exploits as an accounting diploma certificate holder in then Rhodesia, an achievement of note in the past, was not even talked about. Yet his humility and expertise in nurturing drivers, a self-taught business he started in 2 000, his warm advice to upcoming businessmen, his attitude above petty tribal politics and religious attendance to issues of Beitbridge towns development was topical as he was laid to rest. His love to debate developmental issues glowed in the memories of many present during the Venda early morning burial ritual, a ceremony which started as early as 4am and ended just after daybreak when he was laid to rest. Beitbridge town clerk Loud Ramagkapola described Tshivi as an active participant in developmental issues who gave his time to issues concerning his home town. He was a man who was concerned with the development of this town. Each time there were issues to do with signage, accidents and potholes, Mulalo would always call in the office and advise, Ramagkapola said in a graveside interview. He was also concerned about driving schools that were not paying their dues to council and besides, he was full of history and memory of past events within the Beitbridge municipality and we have lost a library, which we were always tapping from. A security representative of a company contracted at the Beitbridge border post, Godknows Nhokwara, said during disturbances that rocked the border post on July 1, 2016, Tshivi gave shelter to security guards whose lives were under threat from rioters. The rioters ended up burning a state warehouse, but Tshivi sensing possible threat to life, gave the guards shelter and saved them. He was selfless and put his life on the block for the guards, said Nhokwara. Speaker after speaker gave heart-warming testimonies of how Tshivi, born on January 2, 1952 at Beitbridge District Hospital, led a simple life yet positively influencing others. Beitbridge paramount chief, the youthful David Mbedzi, whose title is Chief Tshitauze, appealed to his people to be calm and follow the footsteps of Tshivi, whose love for others was visible. Senator Tambudzani Mohadi, parliamentarians Ruth Maboyi, Albert Nguluvhe, Lisa Singo and diplomat Aaron Maboyi joined scores of businessmen, civil servants and people from all walks of life from as far afield as Johannesburg, Harare and Bulawayo together with Mtetengwa villagers to pay tribute to Tshivi who distinguished himself as a social giant. Here is how a hero is defined, its simply not by proclamation, but how one lived within his community, Beitbridge deputy mayor Munyaradzi Chitsunge. Family spokesman Elias Tshivi said he was at a loss for words. The people have given our brother a befitting send-off. He was a pillar we will never be able to forget. We lost a good man, he said. Tshivi is survived by 19 children from his two wives and was a grandfather of 25. IT is 5am, the grass is covered in morning dew and cool temperatures are biting, but to multitudes of MDC supporters it is just another time to celebrate their late leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. For some, it is time to cash in on party regalia and various merchandise with Tsvangirais face as preparations for the memorial service for the late opposition leader got underway. The road leading to Humanikwa village, Buhera, was littered with cars ferrying MDC supporters and his homestead was already packed with his followers who had spent the night singing and dancing while waiting for the break of dawn to start the memorial. At a school ground adjacent to the Tsvangirai homestead, hordes of police officers assigned to provide security were also checking in and some could be seen sharing smiles and humming to MDC songs, praising the late opposition leader. Whenever the name of the new MDC leader Nelson Chamisa was mentioned in some party songs, some police officers looked aside and seemed bored. They were probably avoiding getting into trouble with their superiors, some of whom were watching from a distance. At sunrise, more and more supporters arrived with some of them looking intoxicated and others had the audacity to utter demeaning words against President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom they accused of ineptitude shown by the economic crisis facing by the country. One old but visibly drunk MDC supporter had the guts to shout Mnangagwa is evil, in front of a police officer, who could not help but just smile at the man. At the memorial procession that was held at Makanda Primary School, speakers took turns to eulogise their hero. Tsvangirais family had advised against people coming in party regalia, but the school grounds were a sea of red and MDC regalia was on sale. From the scarf carrying Tsvangirais face to some with Chamisas face, berets and T-shirts, the dealers were aiming to cash in. However, the journey leading to Humanikwa was not for the faint-hearted. The tarred road to the vilagr was not a joy ride. It is a neglected road that branches off from the precarious Masvingo Beitbridge highway, which has claimed many lives. It has potholes that have become a part of the driving experience and it had its fair share of motorists that slept in their cars after hitting one too many potholes. By 10:49am, the ground was electric with red painting Makanda Primary School grounds and MDC slogans being the language. To allow the church to lead the memorial service, MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya announced that former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Wellington Chibebe would lead the session. All this happened in the absence of Chamisa, who was yet to arrive. By 11am, Chamisas convoy made its way to the ground, interrupting the entire programme as the director of ceremonies could not contain the ecstasy that had engulfed the area. Chamisa embraced those at the top table, some with hugs, but for others like one of his deputies, Elias Mudzuri, he gave a handshake. For the first five minutes, the two did not share a word although they sat next to each other. Tsvangirais son Edwin had a torrid time thanking Mnangagwa for helping the family with finances for the memorial. The crowd jeered him through out until Chibaya had to intervene. Hey, people, you ate here, let us learn to thank the government, said Edwin. The crowd did not take his statement lightly and shouted: It is our money! Standard Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High -8F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low -9F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. The first Athabascan woman ordained to the Episcopal Priesthood received an honorary doctorate at the University of Alaska Fairbanks commencement ceremony Saturday. The Rev. Anna Frank, who grew up in Old Minto village in a family of 15, received an honorary Doctorate of Laws, one of more than 1,000 degrees granted before a crowd at the Carlson Center. Anna Frank Left: Jim Johnsen, left, University of Alaska president, and Anupma Prakash, right, University of Alaska Fairbanks provost, celebrate the Rev. Frank was applauded for her work, first as a community health aide and postmistress and later as a counselor and spiritual guide for families across the Interior. She also helped create the Old Minto Family Recovery Camp in her home village. Frank was handed the first degree out of 1,367 at a 2 1/2-hour ceremony that began with the Inu-Yupiaq Student Dance Group and a speech about perseverance. It ended with a tearful rendition of the Alaska Flag Song and a massive balloon drop. An award for public service went to Linda Hulbert, a New York Life insurance agent, for her philanthropic work, including creating the John R. Hulbert Memorial Scholarship for community college students returning to school. A sea of robed and tassled graduates sat looking up at an enormous Alaska flag that hung behind the stage. Some of their loved ones hovered around the edges of the stage, snapping pictures like the paparazzi. 2019 UAF Commencement Ceremony A graduate wears an adorned cap during the UAF Commencement Ceremony Saturday afternoon, May 4, 2019 at the Carlson Center. Most of the college degrees went to students in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Rural and Community Development and the School of Management. UAFs 97th commencement ceremony had its own social media hashtag, #uafgrad2019. I dont remember life without pain, Jessica Obermiller, Class of 2019 speaker, told the audience. Severe health setbacks made getting a degree difficult. But she kept working at it, she said, sometimes Skyping into classes. Obermiller, who earned a bachelors degree in anthropology, said she faced down adversity, and you can reach your dream, too. Let us always have the courage to question, to fight, to take a stand, she said. 2019 UAF Commencement Ceremony A photo of graduate Michael Palacios is held up by his sister Kellina during the UAF Commencement Ceremony Saturday afternoon, May 4, 2019 at The audience included almost half the town of Eagle, including 21 students from Eagle Community School attending the graduation to watch teachers Kristy Jones-Robbins and Zach Sanders receive their masters degrees. University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen also made brief remarks, reflecting on UAF history. 2019 UAF Commencement Ceremony Family and friends line up to photograph their graduates during the UAF Commencement Ceremony Saturday afternoon, May 4, 2019 at the Carlson Center. In 1923, the year of UAFs first commencement, just one graduate John Sexton Shanly walked across the stage, he said. This year, more than 4,000 people are earning a certificate or degree at a University of Alaska school. Whether your next step is a new career or promotion or if its on to graduate school, you are on a road to success, Johnsen said. Officials handed out 598 bachelors degrees, 243 associate degrees, 186 certificates and 56 occupational endorsements, according to the UAF News and Information Office. In addition, there were 205 masters degrees, 37 doctorates and 42 recommendations for education licensure. By the numbers, 743 women, 531 men and three who specified other genders comprised the Class of 2019. The oldest graduate was 76; the youngest was 16. The average age was 30. UAF graduation Patty Boonprasert, left, is congratulated by her boyfriend Joseph Johnson after receiving her bachelor of science psychology degree during the Almost 200 graduates identified as Alaska Native or American Indian. Thirty-seven graduates identified as Asian-American, 35 as African-American, 80 as Hispanic or Latino and 14 as Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Outstanding students were listed as Raymundo Lopez, recipient of the 2019 Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award honoring an outstanding bachelors degree candidate; Jessica Kot, recipient of the Joel Wiegert Award honoring an outstanding associate degree candidate; and Michael Bilan, recipient of the Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award honoring an outstanding nontraditional graduating student. Contact staff writer Amanda Bohman at 459-7587. Follow her on Twitter:@FDNMborough. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) at the meeting with highly-skilled workers in HCM City. (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the 4th edition of the annual meeting, with the participation of workers from seven localities belonging to the countrys key economic region, the Government leader further said that the national development does not rely only on capital, cheap labour but also production capacity. Highly-skilled workers are a national treasure as they serve as a locomotive for the economic development and attract foreign investors. However, they account for only less than 19 percent of the total workforce and ministries must work out concrete policies to improve this, he pointed out. Workers representatives held that vocational training is yet to catch up with the technology development. As a result, most of the workers have not received proper training and the vocational training has yet to meet the requirement of a competitive labour market. Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said his ministry advocates conducting vocational training in line with the need of the labour market, focusing in the fields the society needs, not what the ministry is having. It is also intensifying the connection between training and enterprises that will employ the workers. For his part, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha laid a stress on the connection and highlighted that his ministry advocates increasing the forms of training, aiming to raise the foreign language command and professional skills for workers. Meanwhile, a representative of the employers pointed to the fact that new recruits cannot start working immediately but need from one to two years for further training. Concluding the dialogue, Prime Minister Phuc affirmed that the Government will continue to work out policies to raise workers salary and other welfares. He urged them to train themselves and keep training for the whole life, and ordered trade union organisations to pay more attention to the workers families./. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. Japan's Emperor Naruhito has made his first remarks in front of the public since ascending the throne earlier this week. The Imperial Household Agency said more than 140,000 people visited the Imperial Palace on Saturday to celebrate the Imperial succession. Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and other members of the Imperial family appeared on the palace balcony six times during the day to greet the public. The Emperor said, "I am standing here today after the ceremonies marking my accession to the Throne. I am delighted and deeply grateful that you have come to celebrate. I wish for your health and happiness. And I sincerely hope that our country will develop further while working together with other countries to pursue global peace." A visitor in her teens said she was happy she got to witness the historic moment the Emperor and Empress appeared on the balcony. A man visiting from Okinawa said he hopes the Reiwa Era will be peaceful and safe, just as the Emperor wished for in his speech. Citizens and tourists can also sign their names in special congratulation books at Imperial Household Agency offices in various cities over the weekend. Tra fish processing for export (Photo: VNA) Barriers to Vietnamese tra fish in the US are likely to decrease as the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) under the United States Department of Agriculture recognised the catfish inspection system in Vietnam together with China and Thailand as equivalent to that in the US in 2018, which means Vietnam is eligible to continue tra fish shipment to the American market. At the same time, exporters can take advantage of the US-China trade dispute to increase their market share in the US, replacing Chinese tilapia that currently accounts for 40 percent of all fish imports to the US. The tra fish industry will also benefit a lot from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). During the trip to EU from March 18th to April 8th, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan had a meeting with Chairman of the European Parliaments Committee on International Trade Bernd Lange to discuss the future of the pact. Bernd Lange said that the EVFTA might be signed and approved in June or July when the European Parliament completes its elections and enters a new term. Once the deal takes effect, 90 percent of tariff lines on seafood exports to the EU will be cut to zero in three to four years from the current rate of 14 percent. With the popularity of processed products in the US and EU markets, Vietnam has the potential to increase its profits from high-value products. The gross margin for the products is 22-25 percent, higher than the margin of 12-16 percent for frozen fillets. According to Duong Nghia Quoc, Chairman of the Vietnam Pangasius Association, favourable weather conditions combined with advanced farming technology make it easy for Vietnam to produce white-meat tra products, which have won the taste of consumers. Meanwhile, other major tra producers like India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia produce low-value yellow-meat tra fish. Besides, the Vietnam Association of Seafood and Exporters and Producers is studying to set up a market development fund to help local firms build brands and expand sale networks in foreign countries. At the same time, tra fish has been recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade as national product entitled to special policies. However, Quoc cautioned that farmers, producers, exporters and localities should tightly control farming areas, and prevent mass breeding to avoid tra fish oversupply./. Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has faulted the argument of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Atiku Abubakars eligibility to r... Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has faulted the argument of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Atiku Abubakars eligibility to run for president. He said the partys stance that Abubakar is originally from Cameroon implies those who voted in his ward, including for President Muhammadu Buhari, are Cameroonians as well. Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are challenging Buharis re-election at the tribunal. In its response to one of Atikus allegations, the APC had told the tribunal that the PDP candidate is not qualified to even participate in the presidential election because he is from former Sarduana province of Cameroon that later joined Nigeria through a referendum. Speaking at a press freedom conference the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) organised in Abuja, Falana said the ruling party had rejoiced when Buhari defeated Atiku in the same ward in question. If Atiku is a now Cameroonian, doesnt that suggest that those who voted for President Buhari in his ward for the candidate are Cameroonian citizens too? he asked. NIGERIA WITNESSING SIGN OF ANARCHY The senior lawyer also decried the killings in various parts of the country, adding that they are signs of anarchy. He said: What the country is currently witnessing in terms of increasing violence, banditry and insurgency is a sign of anarchy. Since the 2019 elections have been concluded the duty imposed on the media is to ensure that political parties and elected officials are held accountable. All persons living in Nigeria including citizens by birth or naturalisation, dual citizens, foreigners, refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to adequate security and protection. President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after a 10-day private visit to the UK. He landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe International A... President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after a 10-day private visit to the UK. He landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 6.24pm on Sunday. His return was confirmed on Twitter by his Special Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmaad. His return was confirmed on Twitter by his Special Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmaad. Ahmaad tweeted: President Muhammadu Buhari returns to Abuja after a private visit to the United Kingdom. The presidential jet touched down at about 6.20pm on Sunday, at the presidential wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja. Buhari has been away from the country for 10 days. In a press statement titled Can they now swallow their words? to announce the presidents arrival, Femi Adesina, his spokesman, said some reckless online media, irresponsible political opposition, and other bilious groups and individuals, had gone on overdrive since the president left the country on April 25, insinuating that he was going for hospitalization, and would not return after 10 days as stated. He said: In their vain imaginations, they even stated that fictive doctors have advised President Buhari to stay longer for more intensive care. Now that the President has returned, can these apostles of evil imaginings swallow their words? Can they retract their tendentious stories as well as press statements, and apologize to millions of Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora that they have fed with hogwash? (a) few days after the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, we daresay that this valuable freedom does not tantamount to liberty to mislead and hoodwink the populace through concocted and jejune publications. The Buhari administration will always respect and uphold press freedom, but the onus lies on those prone to passing off fiction as facts, to remember that freedom demands concomitant responsibility. Those who further share and disseminate falsehood are also encouraged to embrace responsible conduct. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has forwarded to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) documents providing some details regarding the names of contractors that allegedly collected money for electricity projects but failed to execute any project, and inviting SERAP to inspect a compendium of verified and paid/outstanding liabilities of contractors, kept at the offices of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited/GTE. This development was disclosed Sunday in a statement by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare. SERAP had in January issued a Freedom of Information request and sued Mr. Fashola following allegations by former Nigerias Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that contractors who were paid hundred percent upfront for power projects disappeared with public funds without carrying out any work. The Ministrys letter with reference number FMP/LU/R2K/2016/T/40 and signed on Mr Fasholas behalf by the Permanent Secretary (Power) Louis O.N. Edozien, was sent to SERAP last week. The letter reveals that: Pow Technologies Limited, an Abuja based company, was in 2014 awarded a contract for the supply and installation of test and maintenance equipment relays, etc to various NAPTIN regional training centers (RTCs) (LOT15), with the total contract sum of N87,763,302.40, out of which N79,404,892.66 was paid to Pow Technologies Limited. According to the Ministrys letter, although, the contract was awarded in 2014, only 13 of the 19 items have so far been supplied, with 6 items outstanding. The details of the 6 items that Pow Technologies Limited has allegedly failed to supply are not provided by the Ministry but the letter indicates some of the action the Ministry said it has taken to ensure: completion of the project, address criminal breach of contract and take remedial action. The Ministry said that while the contractors undertook to take remedial action, they have failed to complete the project for which funds have been released. The Ministry pointed out that it submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Abuja on 13th January 2016, and that the police instituted a case for the prosecution of Messrs Pow at the Upper Area Court. The Ministry also said it has sought and received legal advice to pursue a civil action at the FCT High Court while a report of criminal breach of contract has been made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). SERAP said: We welcome Mr. Fasholas latest response and the information regarding Pow Technologies Limited. But we need details of names of other contractors that have collected public funds yet failed to execute power projects. We will continue to push the Ministry and its agencies to reveal more details of alleged corrupt contractors and companies, as contained in our FOI request. We will continue to pursue our FOI suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos, before Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, a Professor of Law, who has granted an order for leave in the case. Mr. Fasholas latest letter to SERAP reads in part: I write with respect to the Ministrys letter regarding details of alleged corrupt contractors and to forward the attached responses from some of the Ministrys Agencies namely: National Bulk Electricity Trading Plc; National Power Training Institute of Nigeria and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited/GTE for your information. It would be recalled that Mr. Fashola had earlier said in response to SERAPs FOI request that: the Ministry has searched for the requested information on details of alleged contractors and companies that collected money for electricity projects and failed to executive any projects, but we could not find it from our records. However, SERAP disagreed with the response, saying: The public expectation is that government information, when in the hands of any public institutions and agencies, should be available to the public, as prescribed by the FOI Act. The FOI Act should always be used as an authority for disclosing information rather than withholding it. Mr. Fashola in a follow-up letter dated 4th March, 2019, to SERAPs reaction promised to: refer the request for details of alleged contractors and companies that collected money for electricity projects and failed to executive any projects to the Ministrys agencies for necessary action and appropriate response. There may be instances of part-payment against certification of commensurate value for materials and services in achieved contract milestone even though the entire contract is not 100% performed. Festus Keyamo, SAN, the Director of Strategic Communication of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organization, has reacted to a recent report ... Festus Keyamo, SAN, the Director of Strategic Communication of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organization, has reacted to a recent report where Yusuf Buhari, son of President Buhari was reported to have emerged as the fourth richest child of sitting presidents by Forbes. Keyamo accused the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of having invented the Forbes report, adding that the party, instead of doing a serious job of an opposition party, was now engaging in cheap propaganda. According to him, this was the main reason behind PDPs failure in 2019, adding that the party has started preparing to crash again in 2023. Posting the Forbes report on his Twitter handle, Keyamo, who also serves as a lawyer for the ruling party, wrote, This is the kind of shenanigan in which the minions of the opposition will engage for the next 4 years instead of getting serious about opposition, after which when theyre defeated again in 2023, they will come and say they kept one result in a server or this time, a refrigerator! See attachment Some gunmen attacked the residence of Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto, killing his security guard, Abdullahi Jijji. S... Some gunmen attacked the residence of Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto, killing his security guard, Abdullahi Jijji. Sulaiman Shinkafi, director-general of the Bafarawa Foundation, who confirmed the attack, said the bandits also abducted one Abdulrasheed Saidu, a 16-year-old boy said to be the ex-governors nephew. According to Shinkafi, the attack, first of its kind in Bafarawa village, occurred around 9pm on Friday. He said the attackers arrived the village in motorcycles, wielding AK47s. He added that they th reatened to wipe out two villages. They threatened to wipe out Bafarawa and Kamarawa villages in the Isa local government area of the state, Shinkafi said in a statement. This is the first time such an attack is happening in Bafarawa town, but the people of Kamarawa, a nearby village, have been experiencing killing, kidnapping and burning of their property. The attack happened a day after Bafarawa launched a foundation and announced that it was organising a security summit alongside other northern leaders to proffer solutions to the banditry and kidnapping in the region. Speaking during the launch, Bafarawa accused some governors of fueling insecurity across the region in a bit to inflate their security votes. Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had earlier made the same accusation. Unknown gunmen on Sunday abducted the Permanent Secretary in the Taraba State Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Susana Jonathan. M... Unknown gunmen on Sunday abducted the Permanent Secretary in the Taraba State Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Susana Jonathan. Mrs. Jonathan was kidnapped in her house around the ATC area of Jalingo at about 2:17am on Sunday, local residents told our correspondent. This is coming barely five days after the Deputy Registrar of the Taraba State University Jalingo, Mr. Sanusi Saad, was kidnapped in his house in the universitys quarters, a few meters away from the house of the abducted Permanent Secretary. Residents of the area said the gunmen who picked the Permanent Secretary stormed the house and shot fiercely in the air before taking her away to an unknown destination. Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP David Misal who confirmed the development to our correspondent said they were yet to get official reports from the family regarding the incident. From the intelligence report we have received, the woman is nowhere to be found, but we are yet to receive any official report regarding the incident. We want to call on the public not to be afraid of reporting any security threat promptly to security agencies to enable us take proactive measures, he said. The State Police Command had, on Wednesday, refuted the report that Jalingo was besieged by kidnappers, forcing residents of the city to desert the streets as early as 7:30pm daily due to fear of kidnappers. Kidnapping in Taraba, especially Jalingo, the state capital, is gradually becoming a daily occurrence. Controversial journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, seems to be in a good mood this Sunday morning, as she has come to the defence of Nollywood act... Controversial journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, seems to be in a good mood this Sunday morning, as she has come to the defence of Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, who disclosed that she didnt understand why people see her as being ugly. Kemi asserted that Eniola Badmus is not ugly, however, she remains concerned about her weight. Kemi Olunloyo advised the actress to watch her weight in order to be free from HBP, Diabetes or stroke. She wrote: Dear @eniola_badmus You once told me the world doesnt need me cos I called you fat and obese simply because of health reasons. I dont want you to slip into HBP, diabetes or a stroke. You definitely aint UGLY. You are definitely pretty. Your weight is my concern and you are not the first Im going to advise. Some of your fans cheering you up are gonna be the ones writing #RIP if these diseases afflict u and kill you God forbid. The truth is that people are dying daily from complications of obesity. I care about you. Sorry I fat shamed u in the past. Stay healthy. Recall that some months ago, Kemi had fired fresh shots at Eniola over her weight. She had written, FLASHBACK ON ENIOLA BADMUS HEALTH. No such thing as fat shaming when given health advise. The event is also expected to connect Vietnamese and Indonesian travel companies. In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Pham Vinh Quang said since Vietnam and Indonesia established diplomatic ties in 1955, progress has been made in the bilateral ties. A roadshow was held in Jakarta on May 3rd, aiming to promote the land, people, culture and tourism products of Vietnam to Indonesians. (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) In 2018, nearly 88,000 Indonesians visited Vietnam, up 8.5 percent year-on-year. However, the number has yet to match potential of both countries, the diplomat noted. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said the roadshow is set to lure more Indonesian tourists to Vietnam. Indonesia has been seen as a potential market for Vietnamese tourism, she said, adding that the number of Indonesian holidaymakers to Vietnam has increased sharply over the past time, hitting 36,500 in the first four months of this year, up 30 percent year-on-year. Lai Quoc Cuong, President of the Vietnam Travel Group and Vice President of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents, said the event has attracted the participation of many Indonesian travel companies. After Indonesia, the roadshow is expected to come to the Philippines./. The Ogun state government has concluded plans to obtain $350m loan from the World Bank. Ibikunle Amosun, governor of the state, ... The Ogun state government has concluded plans to obtain $350m loan from the World Bank. Ibikunle Amosun, governor of the state, disclosed this when he received a delegation of the bank in Abeokuta, the state capital. The loan, according to Amosun, would help create a system-driven environment for business, needed for better welfare of citizens and good governance. He said his administration would do everything possible to secure the loan, saying the incoming administration already had the support needed to enhance good governance. He urged the banks team to fast-track the process for its final approval. Kofi Nouve, leader of the delegation, said the loan would help the state government put in place necessary reforms and critical social investments that would help uplift the welfare of the populace. The team has got the final approval to proceed with the final design mission, Nouve said. It should be noted that the governor had appointed over 1,000 workers into the states civil service and promoted 5,000 government workers barely a month to the end of his tenure. The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye has warned single ladies to avoid marrying jo... The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye has warned single ladies to avoid marrying jobless men. Jobless men, he said, have the tendencies to use, dump and abandon such ladies. Adeboye spoke on Sunday at the May Special Prayer and Thanksgiving service by the RCCG Throne of Grace, National Headquarters Ebute Metta, Lagos. According to him, a woman should not marry a man that has no work if not you will be the work. He noted it is not sinful for a single lady to politely ask any man proposing marriage whether or not he has a job. Stating that women are conceived as helpmeets, Adeboye argued only somebody who has a job can be helped. Adeboye, who spoke through the Assistant General Overseer, (RCCG) Personnel and Administration Pastor Johnson Odesola, said the man is key and the woman has only come to help. The man is major director in the house, he stressed. Whatever the woman does is help.The man is major director in the house, he stressed. He stated taking care of the homes does not rest on the woman alone but the man and the woman who have come to help. Adeboye blamed lack of proper home training for most of the ills in the society. I still remember when I was young. My father will tell me that this name is the name of my father. Dont spoil the name. So I was scared to do wrong. I could not shake the hand of a lady until I was 23. Learning for any child should start from the home and parents should be their child first teachers. The wife and the husband are the main teachers who will teach and model godly character to their children, he stated. In his sermon, Adeboye, urged all Christians to strengthen their faith, saying there would always be storm in the lives of the believers. Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Otunba Gani Adams, who was at the service argued religion, is never the problem of Nigeria. According to him: It is sad many people believe religion is Nigerias problem, but in truth, leadership, not religion is Nigerias problem. RTHK: Israel vows to continue Gaza strikes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to continue "massive strikes" in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip as a deadly escalation entered a second day, sparking fears of wider violence. Gazan authorities reported six Palestinians killed, including at least two militants, by Israeli strikes in the latest round of fighting that began on Saturday as militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. But Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby, blaming errant Hamas fire. One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed overnight by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli police and medics said. "I instructed the (military) this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. He said he had also ordered "tanks, artillery and infantry forces" to reinforce troops already deployed near Gaza. The flare-up came as Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded enclave, sought further concessions from Israel under a fragile months-old ceasefire. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing 450 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli air defences intercepting more than 150. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn - Rama X (Photo: Washington Post) People in yellow gathered at areas around the palace in Bangkok to witness the historic coronation of the king, the first in Thailand in 69 years as the last to take place was that of King Bhumibol Adulyadej - Rama IX, on May 5th, 1950. The rituals, spanning three days from May 4-6, dated back to the reign of King Rama I. Speaking to correspondents of the Vietnam News Agency, Sirirut Rattanamongkolsak, an official at the Thai Government, said the day is a turning point for Thailand as the King officially comes to the throne. The coronation began on May 4th, including a purification bathing rite in which the King will take a ceremonial bath with a shower of consecrated water, and the royal anointment ceremony in which the King is anointed with coronation water. Water for the rites was collected from five major rivers of Thailand of Bang Pakong, Pasak, Chao Phraya, Ratchaburi, and Phetchaburi, along with four ancient ponds in Suphan Buri province, namely Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Sa Khongkha and Sa Yamuna. The process to gather water for ablution of the king took place in 107 important locations of all 76 provinces of Thailand and the Grand Palace. The king will change into his full regal vestments and be seated on an octagonal throne made of fig wood before switching to a new throne. Later on May 4th, the Assumption of the Royal Residence ceremony will be held. This ritual marks the King taking up residence at the Grand Palace. May 5 is said to be the peak day of the coronation ceremonies as about 800,000 people will flock to areas around the Grand Palace and along a royal procession which measures 7 km in length, from the Grand Palace to Wat Bovoranives, Wat Rajabopidh and Wat Phra Chetuphon. On May 6th, the last day of the ceremonies, the King will have an audience with the public in the Grand Palace to receive wishes from the people and with members of the diplomatic corps. Preparations for the three-day coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Rama X were launched in months ago under the management of a commission led by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha./. BANGKOK, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Thailand final round of 18th "Chinese Bridge", an annual Chinese language and culture proficiency competition for foreign college students, was held on Tuesday, while two Chinese enterprises were also invited there to offer internship opportunities for Thai students learning Chinese language. About a hundred of Thai students learning Chinese watched the competition on Tuesday, which was held in the Tio Chew (Chaozhou) Association of Thailand in Bangkok. A total of 20 students, who came out of 146 students, got on stage in turns to show their Chinese proficiency and talents. Natnaree Banluepaophong, a senior student from Chiang Mai University, won the first prize and the opportunity to further compete with participants from other countries. Chutikarn Saelee, a sophomore student from Mae Fah Luang University, won the opportunity to watch further competitions in China. This year, the Thailand final round competition was not just a competition as two Chinese companies, ICBC (Thai) Bank, China Southern Airline's Bangkok office, were invited to set booths to introduce themselves to Thai students and offered internship opportunities. "It's the first time that we invites enterprises to be here in the competition," said Wang Huichang, representative of the Confucius Institute Headquarters Thailand office. In recent years, there are more and more Chinese enterprises coming to invest in Thailand while there are more and more Thai products exported to China, which generate a great demand of Thais who can speak Chinese and thus they coordinated with the two Chinese enterprises to offer some 30 internships, Wang said. Zhao Yang, general manager of China Southern Airline's Bangkok office, told Xinhua that the competition is a rare chance for them to meet so many Thai students learning Chinese and they were waiting for Thai students who are interested in jobs related to airlines. Li Zhigang, chairman of the Board of Directors of ICBC (Thai) which also sponsored the competition on Tuesday, said 95 percent of their 1,200 employees are Thais and they want more Thai employees who can speak Chinese and understand China well for the growth of the bank in Thailand. "If any student is good in the internship, he or she can become part of our bank," he said. Thai student Chutikarn Saelee told Xinhua that she is glad that internships are offered at scene and she asked those Chinese enterprises to offer more opportunities to sophomore, junior students besides senior students. According to representative Wang Huichang, his office is to work together with Chinese-Thai Enterprises Association and Thai officials to launch a job fair to bridge Chinese enterprises in Thailand and Thai students learning Chinese. [ Editor: WPY ] A golden snub-nosed monkey holds its newborn at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 30, 2019. The Chimelong Safari Park greeted a newborn golden snub-nosed monkey on Monday. The golden snub-nosed monkey family here has grown to a father, three mothers and ten babies. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) 9 1 [ Editor: WPY ] GAZA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza Joint Chamber of Military Operations, which comprises various Palestinian factions, including Hamas movement, warned Israel on Saturday of escalating its aerial strikes on the Gaza Strip. The chamber of military operations said in a press statement that "the response of the factions will be bigger, larger and tougher in case the occupation (Israel) expands its assaults and aggression." "The armed wings of the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip will be the defensive shield for our people and our lands," said the statement, adding "the joint chamber of operations will keep an eye on the Zionist enemy's behavior on the ground." It claimed responsibility for launching dozens of projectiles and rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, adding "launching rockets was made in the frame of responding to the Zionist enemy's violations and shedding our people's blood." Tension between Israel and the Palestinian factions' militant groups has been flaring since Friday, leading five Palestinians killed, including two militants and three civilians and wounding 60 others. More rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, while Israeli warplanes and Israeli army artillery continued launching strikes on militants' facilities and posts all over the coastal enclave. Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli army spokesman announced that its warplanes destroyed an underground tunnel that belongs to the Islamic Jihad and goes from the town of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip into Israel. More than 30 military posts and training facilities that belong to various factions' armed wing were hit by Israeli warplanes missiles all over the Gaza Strip, while militants fired more than 200 projectiles into Israel. [ Editor: Liu Jiaming ] Writing in the condolence book, the minister extended his deepest sympathies to the Vietnamese people and the family of the deceased. The passing away of the former President on April 22 was a great loss for the Vietnamese people, he wrote, adding that the general will be remembered for his important role in Vietnams struggle for national liberation and development. On May 3-4, ambassadors of many countries in Laos, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and international friends paid tribute to the former Vietnamese leader at the embassy. On these two days, the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands also held a respect-paying ceremony and opened the funeral book for the former President. General Le Duc Anh, who served as President of Vietnam from September 1992 to December 1997, passed away on April 22 at the age of 99. Vietnam has declared two days of national mourning for him on May 3 and 4. A memorial service for former President General Le Duc Anh was held at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi at 10:45 am on May 3, and a burial service for him took place at 5pm the same day at Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery. The management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) says the incentive package released to staff of senior high schools (SHSs) and technical institutions is subject to 10 percent tax. It, therefore, directed all paying officers to withhold 10 percent of the amount payable to the beneficiaries to remit it to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The directive follows the release of a revised disbursement plan of the incentive package to staff of senior high and technical schools which had a component of 10 percent tax. The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, who issued the directive to all paying officers at the various SHSs, said it is expected that the disbursement plan will be strictly followed and all records properly kept. Amount disbursed The government recently disbursed GH52.6 million to SHSs and technical institutions for academic interventions and teacher motivation. The intervention covers activities such as extra classes organised by the teachers, group works for the students or any activity outside the normal classes hours aimed at improving learning outcomes. The amount will be paid to both teaching and non-teaching staff in the SHS and technical schools to serve as an incentive for extra work. Issuing the directive in an interview, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa explained that the release was in addition to the teacher motivation of GH20 per students already released to schools by the Free SHS Secretariat. The current GH50 per student in addition to the earlier GH20 brings the total amount per student for the teacher motivation to GH70. Guidelines Speaking on the revised disbursement guidelines, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said 80 per cent of the total amount would go to the teaching staff, while 20 percent goes to non-teaching staff. Prof. Opoku-Amankwa explained that the amount covered schools that met the guidelines such as the submission of the total number of students on roll in the school. He explained that the disbursement guidelines were drawn up and agreed on by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) and the various education unions. Disbursement Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said per the disbursement guidelines, 60 percent of the 80 percent of the total amount allocated to the teaching staff shall serve as base rate (equal amount) to all teachers in Form One, Form Two and Form Three. He explained that based on the guidelines, 20 percent of that 80 percent should be disbursed to the teachers based on the approved total instructional hours per week during the intervention programme, while the remaining 20 percent should be disbursed based on positions. He listed the positions in the guidelines to include headmasters/headmistresses, assistant headmasters/assistant headmistresses, heads of departments/senior housemasters/senior housemistresses and form masters/form mistresses. Non-teaching staff For the non-teaching staff, the guidelines, according to Prof. Opoku-Amankwa, were that 50 percent of the total amount of the 20 percent should serve as base rate (equal amount) to all non-teaching staff. The remaining 50 percent, he explained, should be disbursed to the non-teaching staff based on the approved staff schedule, giving priority to the kitchen staff. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja has warned Nigeria's leaders are making the country "uninhabitable", causing young people to migrate illegally to Europe. Cardinal John Onaiyekan said that if he were the president he would resign. He criticized officials for focusing only on their own lives - building mansions and travelling the world. The 75-year-old cleric said he felt ashamed when he saw trafficked Nigerian women soliciting on the streets of Rome and other Italian cities. Cardinal Onaiyekan was speaking to the media ahead of a church gathering to address migration, taking place in the Nigerian capital on Tuesday. In February, President Muhammadu Buhari won re-election in Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer where about a quarter of the working age population is unemployed. Many thousands of Nigerians have attempted the dangerous journey across the Sahara and over the Mediterranean to reach Europe in recent years. The figures have been declining - from 40,000 arriving in Italy by sea in 2016 to 1,250 last year, but this is partly because of tougher EU-backed measures to crack down on people smugglers. Many Nigerian migrants come from southern Edo state, which an established base for people smugglers. Women and girls are often trafficked out of the country after being promised a job opportunity - but many are forced into prostitution. "To tell you bluntly I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed - big cardinal from Abuja, I'm moving through the streets of Rome, Milan, Naples and I see my daughters on the street on sale," the cardinal told the BBC after the press conference. "I'm ashamed and I stop and even greet some of them - you can't even engage them in conversation because they were brought out of the village illiterates. All they learn and all they know on the streets of Italy is what they need for this business - I'm ashamed." The senior Catholic cleric hit out at Nigeria's politicians, saying if they had no vision on how to develop the country and provide adequate security they should not go into politics. He urged the government to "repair Nigeria" so that instead of young people emigrating, tourists would flock to the West African nation and Nigerians could travel with dignity. Nigeria is the continent's most populous nation - and a deeply religious society, with mainly Muslims living in the north and Christians predominately in the south. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The PM asked the Government Inspectorate to work with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the agencies concerned, before reporting back to him in April. Under the government leaders directive, a review will be conducted on the electricity price hikes, the price calculation method and the collection of bill payments in order to clarify if they are right or wrong. Since March 20, electricity prices in Vietnam have increased by an average 8.36%, meaning a kWh now costs around VND1,864.44. In recent days, consumers have complained about their abnormally high electricity bills for April, with some estimating that their bills are 30% or even 50% higher than the previous month, according to media reports. The state utility EVN attributed such increases to the hot weather, a longer calculation period for April and the progressive pricing method, under which the more electricity one uses the more one has to pay. A fatal road accident at Apam junction in the Central Region on Saturday morning has claimed the life of the Senior Manager for Sustainability at AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), Nana Ampofo Bekoe, Graphic Online has gathered. Bekoe was said to be on his way to Accra for an official meeting when his vehicle reportedly was involved in the accident on the Winneba-Apam stretch of the Accra - Cape Coast highway. He is the second high profile official from the mining firm to have died from an accident within the last three years after Communications strategist, John Owusu, was knocked down two years ago during an operation to clamp down on illegal mining (galamsey) within the concession of Anglogold Ashanti at Obuasi. Bekoe was said to have initially gone into a comma but gave up the ghost Saturday afternoon, some officials of Anglogold told Graphic Online's reporter in the Ashanti Region, Daniel Kenu. Said to be in his 40s, Bekoe left behind a wife, Rosemary who works at the AGA hospital, and two young male children between the ages of five and six years. Source: Graphic.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Kingdom of Brunei has said it will not enforce the death penalty for gay sex following a global backlash led by celebrities such as Elton John and George Clooney. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah reacted to the outcry which was sparked when he rolled out an interpretation of sharia law on April 3 to punish sodomy, adultery and rape with death. The small South East Asian country had consistently defended its right to implement the laws - elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and rolled out in phases since. However, in a rare response to criticism, the sultan said the punishment would not be imposed in the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). In a speech ahead of the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the sultan said: 'I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the SPCO. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident. As evident for more than two decades, we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO which provides a wider scope for remission.' 'Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country.' They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals.' The law's implementation, which the United Nations condemned, prompted celebrities and rights groups to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. LGBT protesters broke through a barricade outside the hotel as they rallied against the sultan on April 6. Around 500 people turned out to take part in the protest in Park Lane, central London. It came after the sultan had decided to start whipping or stoning gay people to death when strict new laws were to be introduced. Several multinational companies also put a ban on staff using the sultan's hotels, while some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination. Source: Reuters 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 new mobile network being rolled out across the globe could damage meteorologists ability to predict major storms. The 5G network could disrupt satellite instruments used to detect water vapour, they warned, possibly leading to faulty weather forecasts, poorer storm warnings and loss of life. Experts in the US have already reported problems, after the country sold the rights to frequencies near 23.8 gigahertz, the same frequency used to detect water vapour. Neils Bormann, from Reading-based European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, told The Observer the way 5G is being rolled out 'would compromise our ability to make accurate weather forecast'. 'Such data is critical to our ability to make forecasts. They are a unique natural resource, and if we lose this capability, weather forecasts will get significantly worse.' When water vapour is measured on 23.8 gigahertz, it is used to work out how a storm will develop. If 5G transmits on a similar frequency, appearing like the vapour in the atmosphere, it makes the data redundant. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made nearly $2billion when it sold 24.25 - 24.45 gigahertz and 24.75 - 25.25 gigahertz in April this year. NASA and research organisation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have already asked part of the government to protect frequencies used for Earth observations, reports Nature. But, the country may begin auctioning off those used for measuring precipitation, sea ice and clouds in December. Regulators from across the world are meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 28 to decide what frequencies will be used and what level of interference with forecasters is permissible. The range 36 - 37 gigahertz is used to detect rain and snow, while 50 gigahertz is used to find the atmospheric temperature, and 86 - 92 gigahertz is used to look out cloud cover and ice. The older network 4G is broadcast on 700 megahertz, 1700-2100 megahertz or 1900 megahertz. Cyclone Fani killed 12 people and injured 160 when it smashed into India's east coast yesterday with winds of 155mph, said local media. It is one of the biggest to hit India in several years. It is not clear if our ability to detect the major storm could be compromised by 5G. Source: dailymail 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 President Nana Akufo-Addo and his government have been heavily criticized for making Ghana lose its status as Africas best-ranked country in the World Press Freedom Index. Dr Clement Apaak, Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, who described the state of media freedom in Ghana as terrible, blamed Nana Akufo-Addo for the unfortunate development. Ghanas ranking on press freedom in Africa reduced to 3rd this year, from 1st last year. The country was also ranked 27th in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index report, as against 23rd last year. The report which was prepared by Reporters Without Borders cited the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale as a major blow to the countrys press freedom. Suale, a journalist with the Tiger Eye P.I, was shot dead earlier this year at Madina while on his way home. Prior to his gruesome murder, Suale was threatened by New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP Kennedy Agyapong. Other journalists who were assaulted and reported to the police in the last few years have not been served justice yet a situation some Ghanaians have described as a serious threat to press freedom. But commenting on press freedom in an interview with Kwame Minkah, host of Ete Sen on Radio XYZ, Dr Apaak blamed president Akufo-Addo for the recent slump in media freedom. Our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, is being extolled for repealing the criminal libel law [in 2001], but today hes not been able to protect journalists. Journalists are being abused but hes kept quiet, said Dr Apaak, a former media practitioner. Describing how press freedom has been under siege in the past few years under this government, Dr Apaak recounted how President Akufo-Addos spiritual father, Prophet Owusu- Bempah, angrily stormed the premises of Radio XYZ with macho men few months ago ostensibly to attack Mugabe Maase, a broadcaster of the East Legon-based radio station over some comments he [Owusu-Bempah] claimed were made to ridicule him. This man of God [Owusu-Bempah] is walking freely after taking the laws into his hands but a journalist (Mugabe Maase) is in court and being frustrated for doing his workthese are some of the issues that are wiping away the press freedom our journalists used to enjoy some years back, the former presidential staffer told host Kwame Minkah in Akan. Last week, the Bolgatanga residence of Edward Adeti, Starr FMs Upper East correspondent was broken into three days after his investigation led to the resignation of a Minister of State, Rockson Ayine Bukari. Adeti had reported about Mr. Bukaris attempt to get him to kill an investigative story about a Chinese mining company, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, and a senior judge in the Upper East region, Justice Jacob B. Boon. Mr Bukari resigned a few days after the journalist produced a voice clip implicating how he (Bukari) had tried to bribe him with GHS 5,000 and a motorcycle to drop the undercover report. But Dr Apaak, who hails from the region, said the journalists life was in danger for doing what was right yet the government had done nothing to protect Adetis life. He added that although president Akufo-Addo is responsible for the repeal of the criminal libel law he has done nothing to protect journalists in the country unlike during the tenure of the erstwhile NDC administration. Ghanas worst performance on press freedom was in 2013 when it ranked 30. The countrys best ranking was in 2015 when placed 22. In 2014 Ghana had 27 and made it to the 26 spot in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Source: XYZ 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 An upcoming Kumawood actor, Emmanuel Yeboah, has called on Government to invest money into the creative arts industry to prevent it from collapsing. His call comes on the back of the decline in patronage of local movies by Ghanaians. The standard of movies produced in Ghana is low and Emmanuel Yeboah popularly known as Cobby Jampar, believes the Government of Ghana has a role to play in reviving it and making it competitive. Speaking to Peacefmonline.com, he noted that the industry is dying as a result of lack of inadequate capital for producers. The actor who has featured in movies such as Perfect Love, Yaa Broni and Black Monkey continued that government should come to our aid by creating some fund or capital for us to invest in the film making so that all actors and actress can get something doing. Cobby Jampar explained that the state of Ghanas creative art industry is despicable forcing most of our celebrities to move to overseas to seek greener pasture. 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 You May Also Like 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 Spokesperson Hang said: We are glad that Vietnamese citizen Doan Thi Huong has been released and reunited with her family in Vietnam. This outcome was contributed by continuous efforts of the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant agencies and the Bar Federation of Vietnam as well as the Malaysian lawyers to protect Doan Thi Huong, she said. We also acknowledge positive actions toward this end taken by the Malaysian relevant authorities in the recent time, she added. Huong was set free on the morning of May 3. She took a flight from Kuala Lumpur Airport afterwards and arrived at Hanois Noi Bai airport the same day. Its been a long-standing truism that you could tell which guns were popular in the movies during summer action movie season by which ones were in demand at the local gun store. The phenomenon dates back to the popularity of westerns in the 50s and 60s driving the introduction of Rugers single action revolvers, although probably the most famous example from that time period would be Clint Eastwoods Dirty Harry movies keeping Smith & Wessons Model 29 on perpetual back order for years. In the Eighties and Nineties, the sales of Beretta 92s and Desert Eagles were buoyed by their recurring roles as supporting actors in Hollywood shoot-em-ups, and Tommy Lee Jones famous turn as a U.S. Marshall on the big screen was a tremendous boost for the popularity of the Austrian pistol. All this product placement was hardly ever overtly acknowledged for the advertising it was then, which is what made the most noticeable ad campaign of NRAAM 19 all the more noticeable because you couldnt swing a dog without knocking over an ad for John Wick III. Grayguns was touting the role played by their modified Sig Sauer P365 in the movie. At Glocks booth, there were a pair of display cases featuring the Taran Tactical-modded hardware that had studded the franchise thus far. Spotted at both the Safariland and Streamlight booths were fully-stocked replica storage lockers, with the full panoply of Hollywoods baddest rogue assassin nestled neatly inside. A contest at the Brownells booth went all this one better, promising a lucky winner the chance to be John Wick for a day. The prize package not only included a replica of Wicks carbine from the second movie and a tour of the Taran Tactical facility (including airfare there and back) but also a half-days training under the tutelage of Taran himself. Foreign leaders and friends have also sent of condolences to the Vietnamese Party, State and people and the bereaved family. The mourners expressed their respect to the former leader who had devoted his life to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. Representatives from general consulates of Laos, Cambodia, Russia, China, the US, Thailand, Germany, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Cuba, along with international friends in HCM City came to the Thong Nhat (Reunification) Conference Hall in the city to pay their last respects to the deceased. Memorial services for former President Le Duc Anh were also held by the Vietnamese Embassies in many countries around the world. General Le Duc Anh, who served as President of Vietnam from September 1992 to December 1997, passed away on April 22 at the age of 99. Vietnam has declared two days of national mourning for him on May 3 and 4. Prime Minister meets Saudi German Hospital Director to discuss heath role [05/May/2019] ANAA, May 5 (Saba) - Prime Minister Dr. Abdulaziz bin Habtoor met Satuday with Director of the Saudi German Hospital Dr. Abdullah al-Daari, who briefed him on the hospital's health and therapeutic activities and its most prominent medical services. Dr. Al-Daari explained the level of medical services provided by this health facility in the circumstances of US-saudi coalition aggression and siege, expressing hospital's keenness to continue its activities towards society. He pointed to the United Nations accreditation of the hospital as a medical evacuation center for its employees in Yemen according to a study carried out at the level of the various provincial hospitals in the Republic. He stressed that this strengthened the confidence of the medical staff working in the hospital, in addition to its vital reflection on its regional and international status. The Prime Minister praised the role of the hospital and noted the level of services and health care and treatment provided under the current exceptional circumstances and the continuation of its important activity in this difficult situation. He affirmed the support of the National Salvation Government for the hospital, its plans and development programs to enhance its positive presence and its important health services. AA Saba SEC to present effective options to political leadership to deter coalition-led economic war in week [05/May/2019] ANAA, May 5 (Saba) - The Supreme Economic Committee (SEC) on Saturday held an emergency meeting to discuss the escalation of the US-Saudi aggression coalition and their mercenaries in the economic war against the Yemeni people, as well as the policy of starvation and restrictions on citizens' livelihood as a tool of aggression. It affirmed that it studies the effective option to deter the UAE-saudi coalition economic aggression and war launched on country and will be submit the results to the political leadership in a week. The Committee issued the following statement: The Supreme Economic Committee stood before the continued escalation in the economic war by the countries of the coalition of aggression led by the US directly and the continuation of the forces of aggression on our people to use the economic paper as a tool of war against the people and the result is disastrous consequences on the life of the Yemeni citizen and continue deepening the suffering. "With the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, the enemy deliberately raises the range of its economic crimes, tightening the screws on the people and working on the crisis industry and the complexity of the access of food, medicine and fuel to the Republic of Yemen, affecting the Yemeni people in all parts of Yemen, ignoring all the responsible calls made by the Supreme Political Council and the Government of Salvation to neutralize the economy," read the statement. The committee added, "The most prominent manifestations of this economic war are the following: 1. Continuing to deprive the majority of the employees of the Yemeni state of salaries and refrain from paying them since the transfer of the management of the Central Bank of Yemen, disregarding all calls and initiatives calling for unification of the revenue sources in all province of Yemen and use them to pay salaries. 2. Continuing to prevent the entry of oil derivatives vessels and to increase arbitrary and unjust restrictions on importing commodities. 3. The continuous targeting of the banking sector in the Republic of Yemen and the recent serious escalation through the piracy against the bank's foreign exchange system (SWIFT) of the Cooperative Agricultural Credit Bank (CAC Bank), as was done with the Central Bank of Yemen. 4. Continued targeting of the telecommunications sector and the serious escalation of the attempt to disrupt the Yemeni company for international communications (Telemen) and the seizure of its assets." "As the enemy continues to escalate in this course and intensify its illegal practices against the capabilities of this people, it is imperative that national responsibility should be taken strongly, in addition to deterrent measures," the statement read. The statement added,"In this sense, the Supreme Economic Committee stresses the following: 1. The Supreme Economic Committee confirms that it is considering all options of response in an effective and disturbing manner to the forces of US-saudi aggression coalition and will submit a group of options available and appropriate to the political leadership within a week to implement what is necessary to achieve the best interests of the people of Yemen. 2. The Supreme Economic Commission bears the responsibility on the States of the coalition, especially the US and the international community, foremost among them the United Nations, for the responsibility, effects, repercussions and consequences of the responses or choices that will be taken after exhausting all the options that have been intransigently rejected. 3. The Supreme Economic Committee affirms that all the illegal actions of the enemy against the Yemeni economy were the main cause of the suffering of the Yemeni people, starvation, destruction of their resources and looting of their wealth and these actions have caused deep suffer to every Yemeni family throughout the country, although they don't were directed against a party or component but against all the people, so it is necessary to stand seriously to face the economic war as a strategic choice for the enemy, on which they depends on today after the failure of all military options. 4. We call on our Yemeni people to be ready and ready to support the options that will be taken in the context of confronting the economic war imposed on our country and the serious interaction with all the requirements of this battle. In this context also, the Supreme Economic Committee announces the opening of the door to receive the ideas, proposals, opinions and studies from all segments and categories of the people of experts, academics, economists, thinkers and others to support this path and propose ways to face the challenge and invites everyone to send them through the following addresses: 1. E-mail: S.E.C.Yemen@gmail.com< 2 - WhatsApp up number: 777798749." AA Saba Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the biggest problem for India in its relations with Pakistan is to find "who is running the country" and should be engaged for talks. In an interview to India TV's Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma in front of nearly 2,500 people at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, he said that he had made friendly gestures to both Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan but these were not reciprocated. Describing his sudden visit to Pakistan in 2015 while returning from Afghanistan, he said Sharif called him over to Lahore to meet him. Modi said that his visit was intended to send a message that India does "not bear any ill-will towards Pakistan". "I discussed with Sushmaji (External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj), she said 'you decide'. I talked to NSA, SPG. Everybody was worried, since the officials had no visas nor were there any security arrangements in place, neither did anybody knew about the layout (of the place). We will have to land straight. I said 'Come on, let's go, we'll see." He describe Sharif as a "genuine person". "They were being fed lies about India. The message went to them that India desires the well-being of the people of Pakistan. We returned, and within a week, Pathankot (attack) happened," he said, referring to the attack at the IAF airbase in the Punjab border town. Modi said that when Imran Khan became PM, they talked over phone. "I told him that both the countries have fought several wars, and every time Pakistan was defeated. Both of us as Prime Ministers should work towards eradication of poverty in the next five years," he said. However, then came incidents like Pulwama. "The biggest problem with Pakistan is that nobody knows who is running the country and whom we should talk to," he said, adding that his experience with Pakistan was not isolated but leaders from the US, China, Russia, the Gulf and Arab countries share the same views. Modi said he was told by several world leaders that he would not come to know whom to talk in Pakistan. "Whom will you talk to... with the Army, with the ISI? Or, with an elected body? The leaders told me, 'We ourselves don't know who runs that country'." "Let Pakistan resolve its problems first," he added. In an attempt to dent the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) vote bank, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, here on Saturday, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making false promises, like depositing Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of people and creating over 2 crore jobs. "In last Lok Sabha elections, Modi had promised to provide 2 crore jobs every year, deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of people and bring 'ache din'. What happened to them," he asked. Ridiculing Modi's claim on development, he said was the BJP responsible for growth of cities like Gurugram? "It's the people of the country who are responsible for this development," he said. He also raised the issue of Rafeal jet purchase deal, demonetisation and the goods and services tax GST fiasco. Gandhi was addressing an election rally in support of Congress candidate Ajay Singh Yadav. In his 30-minute speech, Gandhi said, "He is 'chowkidar' but not for the poor. He is the 'chowkidar' of his corporate friends, like Anil Ambani, Mehul Chowksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya." The Congress President also criticised the Modi government for helping Anil Ambani's company secure a deal with the France-based Dassault Aviation and the French government in the purchase of Rafale jets, ignoring Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. "The entire exercise was done to benefit Anil Ambani," he said. The Congress President said the NYAY scheme would definitely do justice to the people. WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday expressed "confidence" in an ultimate "deal" with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), despite reports that Pyongyang fired projectiles. Trump tweeted on Saturday morning that "anything in this very interesting world is possible...Deal will happen!" South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier that the DPRK has fired unidentified short-range projectiles off its east coast. In a short statement, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that "We will continue to monitor as necessary." For its part, South Korea's presidential Blue House has expressed great concern over the DPRK's firing of projectiles, saying they escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. State Department said on Friday that U.S. Special Representative for the DPRK Stephen Biegun "will travel to Tokyo May 7-8 and Seoul May 9-10 to meet with Japanese and R.O.K. officials to discuss efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea." The second summit between Trump and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un in late February failed to reach a deal on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Choe Son Hui, vice minister of the DPRK's Foreign Ministry, has said recently that Pyongyang's determination to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged if Washington takes a new stand in future negotiations. "When the time comes, we will put it into practice. But this is possible only under the condition that the U.S. changes their current method of calculation and formulates a new stand," Choe said. "We could wait until the end of this year to see whether the U.S. makes a courageous decision," Choe said. Congress has filed 10 complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Election Commission for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the party says it is the highest number of complaints faced by any Prime Minister in a Lok Sabha election. The Election Commission has given a decision on six of these complaints so far, giving a clean chit to the Prime Minister in all the cases. Sources said in two of these cases the decision was not unanimous with one of the two election commissioners registering his verbal dissent with the matter having been decided according to the opinion of the majority. The complaints, which cover a period from March 20 to April 30, relate to several speeches of Modi including those in Maharshtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. There is also a complaint about "illegal" roadshow in Gujarat on April 23. On Saturday the poll panel gave Modi clean chit on compliant concerning his election speech at Patan in Gujarat on April 21. Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza said Modi has made history in terms of complaints filed against him with the Election commission and no other prime minister from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru has "violated" the election norms in this manner. "No other prime minister has shown this disregard to constitutional authorities whether it is CBI, RBI or Election Commission. That shows his mindset. A Prime Minister should lead by example, should be a role model. But here we have a person who is acting worse than a commoner. If he had fulfilled one of his promises, he would not have needed to do this," she said. Varun K, Chopra, an advocate representing the party before the commission, said the poll panel has taken decision in some cases. "For the remaining indecision is also a decision. Being watchdog of free and fair elections in the country, ECI should prudently exercise parity and level-playing field," he said. He said only about 180 of 543 Lok Sabha seats are left to vote. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had on Saturday morning accused the poll panel of being "biased" against the opposition and said that "capturing" of institutions will have a negative effect in the future. "Where there are matters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Election Commission is on a straight line and on the matters of the opposition, it is completely biased," he said. He was responding to a question on the poll panel giving a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Varanasi speech on armed forces and dubbing Congress as sinking Titanic ship in Maharashtra's Nanded. "The style of functioning of Modi and the RSS is to hold the institutions. It is visible on the Supreme Court, Election Commission, Reserve Bank of India and every where else," Gandhi said. The Supreme Court had on Thursday directed the Election Commission to decide on the remaining complaints made by the Congress against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah for allegedly making hate speeches or violating the Model Code of Conduct. Smokes and flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, May 4, 2019. Israeli army warplanes, drones and artillery continued on Saturday afternoon striking on militants facilities in the Gaza Strip in response to firing barrages of rockets from the coastal enclave into Israel, Israeli and Palestinian media reported. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar) GAZA/RAMALLAH, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The death toll on Saturday increased to four and more than 20 others were wounded during the ongoing Israeli army airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Gaza Health Ministry Spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said that the attacks targeted military posts and facilities that belong to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He said that a 25-year-old Palestinian young man was killed by the shrapnel of an Israeli airstrike as he was driving a three-wheel motorcycle in northern Gaza Strip on Saturday night. A pregnant mother and her 14-month-old female toddler were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas military post which is close to their house in eastern Gaza city. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the escalating Israeli aerial attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA). According to the report, President Abbas called on the international community "to ensure an international protection of the Palestinian people." "The current silence toward the crimes of Israel and toward its violations of the international law is encouraging Israel to carry on committing more crimes against the children of the Palestinian people," said Abbas. Saeb Erekat, secretary general of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, called on Egypt and the United Nations to stop the assaults on the Gaza Strip and restore calm. He called on the international community to intervene immediately and halt the Israeli attacks, adding "the authority of the occupation should be accountable for committing crimes against our people." Gaza militant groups fired more rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Saturday night, while Israeli warplanes continued striking on military facilities and posts that belong to militant groups. The Gaza Joint Chamber of Military Operations, which comprises various Palestinian factions, including Hamas movement, warned Israel on Saturday of escalating its aerial strikes on the Gaza Strip. The chamber of military operations said in a press statement that "the response of the factions will be bigger, larger and tougher in case the occupation (Israel) expands its assaults and aggression." "The armed wings of the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip will be the defensive shield for our people and our lands," said the statement, adding "the joint chamber of operations will keep an eye on the Zionist enemy's behavior on the ground." It claimed responsibility for launching dozens of projectiles and rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, adding "launching rockets was made in the frame of responding to the Zionist enemy's violations and shedding our people's blood." Tension between Israel and the Palestinian factions' militant groups has been flaring since Friday. More rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, while Israeli warplanes and Israeli army artillery continued launching strikes on militants' facilities and posts all over the coastal enclave. Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli army spokesman announced that its warplanes destroyed an underground tunnel that belongs to the Islamic Jihad and goes from the town of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip into Israel. More than 30 military posts and training facilities that belong to various factions' armed wing were hit by Israeli warplanes missiles all over the Gaza Strip, while militants fired more than 200 projectiles into Israel. The Israeli cabinet decided on Saturday night to expand its strikes on militant groups in the Gaza Strip, while Gaza militants fired more rockets from the coastal enclave into Israel. Leaders of Islamic Hamas movement and Islamic Jihad are currently in Cairo holding talks with senior Egyptian security intelligence officials on defusing the growing tension in the Gaza Strip with Israel. Press Release May 5, 2019 ANGARA: PH NEEDS MORE MEDICAL STUDENTS TO SPECIALIZE IN TREATING ELDERLY Amid rising population of Filipino senior citizens and scarcity of specialists to treat them, reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara is urging medical students to pursue geriatric medicine, a specialty that focuses on the health care of elderly people. The number of Filipinos at or over age 60 almost doubled to 8 million from 4.6 million between 2000 and 2018, according to government data. But despite this staggering number, there are only over a hundred doctors who specialize in treating senior citizens. To address the shortage of geriatrics health care professionals, Angara said it was important to encourage aspiring doctors to "develop competence in caring for senior citizens or, at the very least, to learn the basics of geriatric medicine." "One solution to meet the health care needs of the growing number of Filipino senior citizens is to increase the number of doctors and nurses specializing in the medical care of elderly people," said Angara, a known champion for senior citizens in the Senate. "This is why we appeal to aspiring doctors to pursue geriatric medicine. In doing so, they can do an enormous amount of good for underserved senior citizens," the senator added. Angara earlier sounded the alarm over the scarcity of geriatricians or medical doctors who are specially trained to evaluate and manage the unique health care needs and treatment preferences of older people. As per the estimate of the Retirement and Healthcare Coalition, there are only 140 geriatric doctors operating in the country with no specialized geriatric nurses. "Assuming that there are around 8 million senior citizens in the country, a geriatric doctor is tasked to cater to the varied and immediate needs of around 57,000 elderlies," Angara said. "This means that if they wanted to attend to everyone, a doctor will have to see around 150 senior citizen patients for 365 days straight." Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the number of Filipino seniors is increasing rapidly, faster than growth in the total population. In 2000, there were 4.6 million senior citizens, representing about 6 percent of the total population. In one decade, this grew to 6.5 million older people or about 6.9 percent of the total population. As of 2018, there are more than 8 million Filipino citizens who constitute 8.2 percent of the country's total population. The government projects that by 2035, older people will make up around 11.5 percent of the total population. According to Angara, senior citizens need care and support since they are more vulnerable to degenerative and communicable diseases due to the ageing of the body's immune system. He noted that the leading causes of morbidity among senior citizens were infections, while visual impairment, difficulty in walking, chewing, hearing, osteoporosis, arthritis and incontinence were their other common health-related problems. Angara recently earned the endorsement of the Coalition of Services of the Elderly Inc. (COSE), an umbrella organization of 450 groups across the country dedicated to promoting the interest of senior citizens. In endorsing Angara's reelection bid, the COSE said that for many years, the senator has proven himself to be an "ally of the elderly" having produced meaningful measures for the benefit of millions of senior citizens. As a legislator, Angara has been attentive and responsive to the needs of senior citizens by pushing for legislation that would promote their welfare such as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2000, which included VAT exemption on particular goods and services and provided for a monthly stipend of P500 to all indigent senior citizens. Angara inherited his advocacy for the elderly from his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, who is responsible for the Senior Citizens Act of 1992, also known as the Angara Law. The younger Angara has also been fighting for the proposed Expanded Social Pension Act, which seeks to not only double the amount but also widen the scope to cover those without any form of pension. He also filed a bill that would put an end to any form of senior citizen abuse-whether physical, psychological, or even economical-by providing stiffer penalties and strengthening institutional support for elderly victims of abuse. Press Release May 5, 2019 De Lima elated after son passes Bar Exam Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima was very elated to learn the good news that her son, Vincent Joshua Bohol, has passed the 2018 Bar Examinations, saying that it was her happiest day even while in detention. A proud mother who is also a lawyer herself, De Lima extended her congratulations to her youngest son who followed in her footsteps. "Sweetest congratulations, dear Vincent! So very happy! My happiest day in more than two (2) years. Praise God!" she said in a handwritten note addressed to him. In a separate statement, the lady Senator from Bicol also thanked the Lord for guiding her son and blessing her family. "A most glorious day for me and our family," she said. "Glory to you, o Lord! Thank you... thank you... thank you." Vincent, who graduated from the law school of San Beda College Alabang in June 3 last year, is included in the list of 1,800 bar passers that the Supreme Court released on May 3. Roughly a month before Vincent's graduation in May 2018, De Lima asked the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branches 205 and 206 to grant her furlough to attend his graduation rites. "A family member's graduation is regarded as a milestone event in every Filipino family. To be personally present in such a special occasion is more than a compelling duty on the part of the accused De Lima as a mother," she said in her motion. Unfortunately, the court rejected the Senator's motion thereby preventing her from attending her son's graduation. The court sustained the prosecution's arguments that her presence would supposedly disrupt the commencement exercises and that the Senator is allegedly a "high flight risk." De Lima, an alumna of San Beda College of Law who placed 8th in the 1985 bar examinations, continues to issue statements in reaction to various issues, including personal matters, despite her continued detention on absurd drug charges. Press Release May 5, 2019 De Lima alarmed over latest killing of rights defender in Mindanao Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima once again expressed alarm over the rise of killings involving human rights defenders (HRDs), the latest of whom was a human rights investigator for the Bangsamoro region Archad Ayao who was killed last May 1. De Lima, a human rights and social justice champion, noted that Ayao is the second rights worker who was killed in the last two weeks after the slain of city councilor and rights advocate Bernardino Patigas last April 22. Ayao is the latest addition to the 134 human rights defenders (HRDs) recorded by rights group Karapatan who were killed since Mr. Duterte assumed presidency. "Mahigit isang linggo pa lang ang nakalipas mula nang paslangin ang konsehal at human rights advocate sa Negros Occidental na si Bernardino Patigas. Ngayon, isa na namang tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao ang biktima ng brutal na pagpatay sa Cotabato City ng hindi pa nakikilalang salarin," De Lima said. "Malinaw na pahiwatig ito sa matinding panganib sa buhay ng mga nagtatanggol ng karapatan ng ating mga kababayan. Dahil sa kawalan ng seryosong pagtutok at pagtugon dito ng gobyerno, lalo lamang nadadagdagan ang biktima ng walang habas na pamamaslang," she added. Ayao, a Human Rights Commission investigator for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and his driver were reportedly shot to death by motorcycle-riding assailants while aboard a hired motorcycle commonly known as habal-habal on Ramon Rabago Avenue, Cotabato City last May 1. While police officers were able to identify the plate number of the motorcycle that the assailants used, they could not confirm the direction where the suspects fled even as they reported that the motive of the killing was "still to be determined." "Maraming patayan na ang nangyayari sa bansa pero madalas ay nakakatakas ang may sala at hindi naibibigay ang hustisyang nararapat para sa mga biktima at kanilang mga pamilya. Hindi ito katanggap-tanggap!" said De Lima. De Lima, a former CHR Chairperson, pointed out that the unprecedented number of attacks against HRDs under the Duterte administration calls for the immediate approval of her bill that sought to protect human rights defenders. "With human rights defenders still under serious attack and perpetrators of crimes against them still roaming free, it is high time for the government to finally pass a measure protecting human rights defenders," said De Lima, referring to her Senate Bill (SB) No. 1699. Filed last year, SB No. 1699, also known as the "Human Rights Defenders Act of 2018," seeks to institutionalize and enforce state obligations for the protection of the rights of HRDs. Under the proposed measure, it is the responsibility of the government to conduct investigation "whenever there is reasonable ground to believe that a human rights defender has been killed, disappeared, tortured, ill-treated, arbitrarily detained, threatened or subject to a violation of any of the rights..." The lady Senator from Bicol also found it alarming that offenders do not fear accountability anymore because Mr. Duterte himself demonized human rights workers and tolerated culture of impunity in the country. "I call on my Senate colleagues to help protect human rights defenders and save them from the bad guys who make their work extremely dangerous by helping push for the immediate passage of SB No. 1699," she said. "Ayaw na natin ng marami pang patayan, lalo na kung ang target ay yung mga tao mismong nagsusulong ng karapatan ng kapwa nila. Sobra na," she added. In December 2017, De Lima filed proposed Senate Resolution No. 153 which called for a Senate investigation into the reported deaths of 17 women HRDs summarily, saying that the State has an obligation to protect human rights defenders, especially those who were abused as a consequence of their gender and activism. Government officials wrongly decided after a flying visit to his Timaru headquarters that financier Allan Hubbard had stolen money from Aorangi Securities, an investment scheme he had been running. And John Keys cabinet put him, his wife, Jean, and Aorangi into statutory management based on this false premise, in June 2010. That decision was effectively the nail in the coffin for Hubbards South Canterbury Finance which went into receivership in August 2010 and ended up costing taxpayers almost $1 billion and one group of stranded investors $120 million. These are key facts in financial advisor Chris Lees very readable self-published book, The Billion Dollar Bonfire, detailing how and why SCF collapsed. Lees portrayal of Hubbard makes no bones that he had deep flaws, including operating the same kind of Ponzi scheme that brought down famous fraudsters, New Zealands own David Ross and New Yorks Bernie Madoff, both of whom are still serving lengthy prison sentences. But Hubbards financial empire ran on one crucial difference: whereas Ross and Madoff used new investors money to pay off existing investors, Hubbard used his own money to make good any losses his investors suffered. For unlike those fraudsters, Hubbard was no thief. The losses investors suffered occurred after the government had wrested control of his affairs and came at the hands of managers, such as former SCF chief executive Sandy Maier, Trustees Executors, receivers McGrathNichol and inept Treasury officials. The profile Lee paints of Hubbard, who was born into poverty in Dunedin in 1928 and rose to control a billion dollar empire, only to see it fail catastrophically, doesnt gloss over Hubbards many warts and idiosyncrasies. And much of the way Hubbard wished to be perceived was untrue: He saw a brand value in being taciturn, thrifty, homely, religious and secretive while projecting wisdom, kindness, loyalty and extreme, although undefined, wealth, Lee writes. That image was bolstered by Hubbards apparently frugal habits. He drove a mustard-coloured Volkswagen Beetle he bought in 1973 right up until his death in September 2011. But Hubbard was actually a gambler and prone to excessive risk-taking while projecting an image of omniscience and infallibility. Hubbard had teamed up with well-known businessman Humphry Rolleston, who now chairs tourism operator ANZCRO New Zealand and sits on the Infratil and Property for Industry boards, in the early 1980s. Rolleston had sold Canterbury Finance to Hubbards Southbury, which owned SCF and other assets, in exchange for 23 percent of Southbury and effectively became the chief executive of the enlarged business. Rolleston grew it with outstanding success through to 2003 when he stepped down and sold out in 2004, Lee writes. He says the lending SCF did after that was "mostly clueless, and yet Hubbard helped so many people that he became revered. Hubbard was guilty of many illegalities, but theft of investor money was not one of them, as far as my research has revealed, Lee writes. If he had lived and had to face charges, he would have been lucky to avoid being convicted of fraud, Lee says. He was charged with about 50 fraud offences in July 2011. Yet I do not classify him as a thief. He behaved as though he was above the law, guided by a higher morality, and was genuinely committed to using his wealth to repay, with interest, every investor. But Hubbards sense that laws were to be obeyed by lesser men extended to refusing to wear a seat belt, as on the day he died in an accident as a passenger in Jeans Honda. Hubbard wasnt guilty of the fraud a team of Securities Commission and Companies Office officials had accused him of in June 2010, although that didnt become known until a court case in 2018. The statutory manager, Grant Thornton, which had been appointed on June 21, 2010, told the Companies Office on July 5, 2010 it had been mistaken. Nevertheless, Grant Thornton published a report on July 10 of that same year continuing to allege Hubbard owed Aorangi tens of millions of dollars. Then-Commerce Minister Simon Power continued to allege Hubbard had been confirmed as stealing from Aorangi in a letter to a Hubbard supporter. The revelation of the opposite came when former Aorangi director Duncan Brand successfully appealed the Companies Office action to bar him from acting as a director for four years. The officials had believed Hubbard had taken money from Aorangi to buy farms; he had actually done the opposite, tipping farms he owned into Aorangi, discounting their valuations by about a third, to bolster its assets and subordinating his own interests to those of the other investors. That was why by 2014, Grant Thornton was able to report that Aorangis investors had been repaid all their capital and that it had returned much of the $42 million Aorangi owed Hubbards estate, minus the roughly $23 million the statutory management had cost. Lee knew Hubbard for 30 years, both professionally and later as a friend, and his portrayal of the man, as well as the details of Hubbards business affairs, honour a notable Kiwi, a flawed and complex eccentric with good intentions and a man who left his stamp for both good and ill on the history of New Zealand business. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 24th December 2021 Morning Report 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 About 3,000 Canterbury residents who believe they were short-changed in their insurance settlements with Southern Response now have the backing of an Australian litigation funder for their roughly $300 million claim. Lawyer Grant Cameron says Claims Funding Australia, a subsidiary of law firm Maurice Blackburn, has agreed to fund a class action against Southern Response. We can now see this through to completion, no matter how long it might take, Cameron says. The best class action minds in the Southern Hemisphere have looked closely at this matter and theyve decided to support it, he says. This means that all those Southern Response policyholders who settled before Oct. 1, 2014 can now seek proper redress if they now come forward. On the information to hand, it seems there may be about 3,000 policyholders and there could be about $300 million in issue. Cameron filed the class action in the Christchurch High Court last year and said then that claims could total $150 million. Southern Response was created by the government after mutually-owned insurance company AMI failed in 2011 in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes. Maurice Blackburns website says it has won A$2.6 billion in settlements since 1998. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 24th December 2021 Morning Report 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 South Africa: IEC gets over 70 complaints online A month after the launch of a pilot project to combat digital disinformation, the Electoral Commission (IEC) has received more than 70 complaints via the online reporting platform www.Real411.org.za. Of the complaints received, 34 have been finalised and the remainder continue to be processed as they are received. To date no instances of deliberate disinformation have been found by the committee set up to assess complaints. A number of the complaints, while not disinformation, have related to the tone and content of messages by political parties and contestants, which have the ability to cause offence and/or undue political tension and rivalry. In these cases, the Electoral Commission is addressing these complaints with the relevant political parties. Several complaints refer to news articles or opinion pieces on news websites. Complainants have been referred to the Press Council where appropriate. It is important to note that journalists reporting on what politicians say is not disinformation. A free press is critical for free and fair elections, and encourages accountability and keeps the electorate informed. Another area of potential confusion relates to the nuances of satire. Satire has an important role to play in political commentary and the Electoral Commission is committed to ensuring that free speech is not undermined in this disinformation initiative, the IEC said. However, the IEC said, in using original images of political party material, there can be confusion as to what emanates from the political party and what does not, and publishers of satirical material would be well served to indicate content as satire to mitigate people reporting such to the online platform. The complaints received have served to highlight the challenges of combating disinformation and the continuing need for education regarding what constitutes disinformation. At the time, the number of complaints and interactions demonstrates that South Africans are taking the time to engage with political messages and reporting in digital media, said Janet Love, the Vice-Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa. William Bird, the Director of Media Monitoring Africa -- which is partnering with the IEC in the initiative -- applauded the IEC for launching this world-first mechanism for empowering the public and helping people combat disinformation. For a platform that is just in its infancy, we have seen already great interest and support for what we are trying to do, which can inspire us all as we build our democracy, said Bird. With just two days to go before the elections, the Electoral Commission and Media Monitoring Africa advised all South Africans to cast a critical eye on what they read and share online and to continue to report possible disinformation to www.real411.org.za. The IEC expressed gratitude for the support and initiatives undertaken by social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter to highlight the dangers of fake news and disinformation. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China saw a total of 195 million domestic tourist trips made during the four-day May Day holiday, up 13.7 percent from last year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Tourists visit the Changshou Mountain scenic spot in Zhulin Township of Gongyi, central China's Henan Province, May 3, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Feng Dapeng] Tourism revenue reached 117.67 billion yuan (about 17.48 billion U.S. dollars) during the holiday which lasts from Wednesday to Saturday, up 16.1 percent, according to the ministry. Statistics show that family trips have become the highlights of the tourism sector, boosting cultural, recreation and catering consumption. Tourists stay an average of 2.25 days at their destinations, according to the ministry. The people of Indian Held Kashmir have no trust and no confidence in the investigation agencies and even in the courts. by Ali Sukhanver Yes they proved it by murdering a Chemistry teacher that all is fair in love and war. His name was Rizwan Asad, age 28. He worked at a private school in Awantipora area of the Pulwama district, south Kashmir. The National Investigative Agency of India arrested this young teacher in the second week of March during a so-called crackdown on socio-political and religious organizations. According to media reports, Rizwan was kept at the dreaded anti-insurgency Special Operations Group head-quarter, commonly known as Cargo Camp, in Srinagar. He could not bear brutal violence there and died during the intervening night of 18th and 19th March. Commenting on the brutality committed in the name of investigation and inquiry, a top Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez said talking to media, There have been several thousand custodial killings and custodial disappearances by Indian forces in Kashmir. None of them has received any justice; it is because of the complete lack of accountability and total lawlessness. The people of Indian Held Kashmir have no trust and no confidence in the investigation agencies and even in the courts. The recent court-verdict in the Samjhauta Express burning case has added a lot of disbelief and suspicions to the self-claimed impartiality of the judicial system in India. According to media reports, a few days back, an Indian court after hearing the case for more than ten years, acquitted four people, including prime accused Swami Aseemanand, in the Samjhauta Express burning case. The court said it could not find any solid proof against the accused ones. It was February 18, 2007 when a train named Samjhauta Express was burnt to ashes along with it passengers when it was on its way to Lahore from New Delhi. More than 70 passengers were killed in that brutality; most of them were Pakistanis, most of them the Muslims. In short, the investigation agencies of India, the courts and above all the government authorities, all have lost peoples trust and confidence. Rizwan Asads brother, Zulqarnain has also expressed his distrust in the concerning authorities regarding investigation of his brothers murder. He said talking to the media-men, My brother has been killed in police custody in cold blood. We want an investigation of it but we know nothing is going to happen. We've all seen investigations for the last 20 years. The Al-Jazeera says, Rizwan's death adds to the more than 70,000 killings, more than 8,000 enforced disappearances, as well as thousands of torture and sexual violence cases in Indian-administered Kashmir over the past three decades. Custodial killings are no doubt a very horrible element making the lives of the helpless Kashmiris more painful and more agonizing. A report published in Greater Kashmir says, There is no record of custodial deaths for 1947-1975.The custodial killings became a routine in 90s. According to human rights defenders around 12000 custodial killings have been reported during the past twenty-six years. According to a data-report prepared by Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 95,265 innocent Kashmiris during the past 29 years. Of those martyred, 7,120 were killed by the troops in custody. As many as 145,504 people were arrested by Indian forces during the period. The troops destroyed 109,201 residential houses and other structures. The Indian forces personnel molested and gang raped 11,111 women during the period. The situation of atrocities particularly of custodial killings was the same even in 1995. Amnesty International said in a report published twenty-four years back, In the period 1990-1994 more than 715 detainees died in the custody of Indian security forces in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. They were tortured to death or shot outright. In areas where government forces are engaged in counter-insurgency operations against armed groups fighting for independence or for the state to join Pakistan, the entire civilian population is at risk of arbitrary detention, torture, even death. The report further said, Most of the victims are young men, detained during crackdown-operations to identify armed militants. Almost all those detained are tortured: many do not survive; others are left disabled or mutilated. Scores of women in Jammu and Kashmir claim to have been raped by security forces. Now after twenty four years, today in 2019, the situation regarding human rights violations in Indian Held Kashmir is still the same. Custodial killing of Rizwan Asad is the most recent and most horrible example in this context. This all is very much frightening and alarming too. The Kashmirwala said in an analysis recently published on 21st March, After the custodial killing of Awantipora based school principal, Rizwan Asad, his friend, Shahid Manzoor has picked up arms and joined armed-group Hizbul Mujaheddin, fearing physical and mental torture by government forces, as he states, Today, it was Rizwan, tomorrow it could be me. CHICAGO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Amid a global slowdown in auto sales, General Motors (GM), Ford, and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) have accelerated model changeover and restructured their joint ventures in China, the world's biggest auto market. In their recently released first quarter results, all the "Big Three" from U.S. auto industry hub Detroit reported decreased worldwide deliveries. Their volumes in China slid as well at a time when China's auto sales in the first quarter of 2019 were down 11.3 percent year over year. As the three leading U.S. automakers strive hard in their home market, they are wasting no time in rolling out new models in China, in a bid to revitalize their performance there. GM and its joint ventures in China delivered nearly 814,000 vehicles in China in Q1, down 17.45 percent from the same period of 2018. Under increasing pressure from fierce competition, GM has planned a major model changeover in China this year, with a pledge to continuously improve the fuel efficiency of its vehicles and broadly apply its global technologies on models built and sold locally. In the first quarter, GM's Chevrolet brand launched new Monza and Onix sedans in China. In April, 15 new or refreshed Chevrolet vehicles were shown at Auto Shanghai 2019, this year's leading automotive event in China. During the auto show, GM unveiled the all-new Chevrolet Trailblazer compact SUV and Tracker small SUV, as part of its effort to further strengthen the brand's presence in China. "Chevrolet is bringing to China world-class vehicles that leverage GM's global resources and target our customers' specific needs," said Scott Lawson, general director of Chevrolet for SAIC-GM, a joint venture between the U.S. automaker and its Shanghai-based partner. Cadillac, the luxury brand of GM, brought its six-seat SUV XT6 to the Shanghai auto show, the first time in Asia. It will also be the first localized global large luxury SUV in the market, said GM, and will be available later this year. Buick, another GM brand, debuted its all-new Encore and Encore GX, two small/compact SUVs at the Shanghai auto show. Buick also unveiled Velite 6, the brand's first all-electric vehicle, joining other global competitors in China's rapidly expanding new-energy vehicle market. Buick plans to introduce eight new and refreshed products this year and more than 20 new and refreshed models between 2019 and 2023 in China. Another leading U.S. automaker Ford has also announced that it will launch more than 30 new vehicles tailored to Chinese consumers in the next three years, in order to make a quick turnaround in China. During an April event in Shanghai, Ford said that among the new Ford and Lincoln vehicles to be introduced in China, at least 10 will be electric cars. More importantly, as part of "Ford China 2.0" strategy, Ford will set up four centers in China, focused on innovation, design, products and new energy vehicles respectively. "China is leading the world with smart vehicles, and is a key part of Ford's global vision for the future. We are excited about seeing more products developed in China, for China and from China," Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett was quoted as saying. "Ford is deeply committed to China, and with our new China leadership team and vision, we're investing in the future -- a future that starts today," he added. At the "Ford China 2.0" conference recently held in Shanghai, Ford launched SYNC+, a new in-vehicle infotainment system co-developed with China's IT giant Baidu for Chinese consumers. Since July, Ford has taken urgent measures to address underperformance in China after it suffered a sharp decline in overall profits in the second quarter of 2018. The sale of Ford-branded -- import and domestic -- vehicles totaled 74,651 in Q1 2019, down 48.4 percent year over year, a harsher reality Ford has to face in China than its Detroit peer GM. The blue oval now tries to improve cost competitiveness with aggressive fitness actions, localize more products in China, as well as recruit more local talent to key management positions. Fiat Chrysler, an Italian-American automaker, suffered a 47-percent-fall in its first quarter net profit amid decreased sales globally. Its combined shipments in Asia Pacific region were down 30 percent, primarily in China. FCA said on Friday that several steps were taken to strengthen its business in Q1, and underlined the progress towards a restructure of its joint ventures in China. FCA and GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group) have recently announced changes to the organizational structure of their joint ventures in China. They have agreed to merge GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Company and GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Sales Company into one, effective on May 1, 2019. The streamlined management "will accelerate the integration of industrial and commercial operations, more rapidly respond to changes in the Chinese market environment and enable delivery of even more competitive products and services to its customers," FCA said in a statement. Mike Manley, CEO of FCA, said that with such a deeper integration of the business between FCA and GAC, and the next steps in improving competitiveness in China, they will be able to "better react to the demands of the Chinese market." In a leaked urgent, confidential and top secret document, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confesses responsibility or at least relation to the terrorist attacks that hit Sri Lanka two weeks ago as Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, a Beirut based Alahednews has reported while quoting an alleged classified document issued the Saudi authority. . Obtained by al-Ahed, the paper, which carries the Hijri date of 11/8/1440, the day equivalent to April 16, 2019, some five days that preceded the massacre, was tailed by the Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim bin Abdul Aziz al-Assafs signature. It is a letter sent to Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Abdul Nasser al-Harethi. The document reads the following: Urgent Top Secret His Excellency Ambassador Abdul Nasser bin Hussein al-Harethi You should carry out the following measures immediately: First: You should delete all documents, computer data and latest correspondence with domestic and foreign members and groups, in addition to imposing a curfew for the embassy personnel unless it is necessary Second: You should inform all those related to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including counselors, security forces and intelligence during the three coming days, especially on the Christian Easter Day, to avoid presence in public and crowded places namely churches Third: You should send written news about the Sri Lankan authorities and their viewpoints regularly to this ministry Ibrahim bin Abdul Aziz al-Assaf Foreign Minister It was on April 21st, 2019 -coinciding Easter Sunday- that three Christian churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings. Later that day, there were smaller explosions at a housing complex in Dematagoda and a guest house in Dehiwala. 253 people were martyred, including at least 42 foreign nationals and three police officers, and at least 500 others were injured. Certainly, large section of Indians will rise and revolt, if Indian government were to be so unprincipled to approve the next Dalai Lama appointed by Chinese government. by N.S.Venkataraman His Holiness the Dalai Lama has clearly and categorically said that his successor , the next Dalai Lama , would be from a free country like India. This has irritated the Chinese government , which has reacted to say that the next Dalai Lama would be appointed and approved by the Chinese government. Chinese governments arrogant claim that the next Dalai Lama would be a person of Chinese governments choice has naturally caused great concern amongst the Tibetans living in Tibet and in exile and the Tibetans living as citizens in different countries. USA has indicated that it would not approve the Chinese government appointed Dalai Lama. However, India has, so far, remained silent on this potential issue and has not expressed its stand . Perhaps, Government of India thinks that there is no need to comment at this stage , when the Dalai Lama is hale and healthy and is leading Tibetans with dignity and characteristic compassion , reflecting the philosophy of Buddhism in true spirit. There is no doubt that most of the Indians have emotional attachment to the present Dalai Lama and welcomes him warmly with highest respect wherever he goes in India. His speeches are well listened with rapt attention by the people and publicized in the media. Certainly, Indians are proud that the Dalai Lama lives amongst them today and Indians have an ardent desire that Tibetans should get back the free Tibet , with the Dalai Lama at the helm. The question is as to whether India will approve the next Dalai Lama who may be appointed by the Chinese government or India would insist that nomination made by the present Dalai Lama should be accepted universally. As India is now going through the parliamentary election and there is huge expectation in India and abroad as to who would be the next Prime Minister, this question has received utmost importance . If Mr. Modi were to be the next Prime Minister, which most people believe would happen, there is absolutely no doubt that India would oppose appointment of the next Dalai Lama by the Chinese government. Certainly, a strong and principled Prime Minister like Mr. Narendra Modi will resist Chinas move in whatever way possible. This will have overwhelming support amongst the cross section of Indians. In the unlikely event of Mr. Modi not being the next Prime Minister and a coalition government would be formed in India with several regional parties joining together, Chinese government would play mischief, by influencing the political leaders in power of the weak government and would manipulate section of Indian media and create lobby in India to advocate support to Chinas move to appoint the next Dalai Lama China is now adopting the same strategy in the case of weak Pakistan in several ways and would try to get its appointment of the next Dalai Lama approved by India. Indias population is now constituted by more than 70% of Hindus and it is well known that the Hindus have an emotional attachment to Buddhism and its principles of peace and harmony. Lord Buddha was born in India and the Tibetans living in India today feel comfortable and do not face any animosity from the local population. Certainly, there would be no protest, if all the Tibetan refugees would be provided Indian citizenship. Certainly, large section of Indians will rise and revolt, if Indian government were to be so unprincipled to approve the next Dalai Lama appointed by Chinese government. In any case, it is vitally important that the Tibetans living in different parts of the world should remain alert and start a worldwide campaign against any Chinese governments move to appoint the next Dalai Lama. Tibetans living in Tibet at present cannot do much, as they are living in suppressed condition and with the news of any development being denied to them. They may not even know about Chinese governments announcement that the next Dalai Lama would be appointed by the Chinese government. However, Tibetans living elsewhere and the sympathisers of Tibetan cause around the world should take up the issue in right earnest and start a vigorous movement to counter the Chinese governments move. They should appeal to the Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka to take up the issue at the UNO, as it would infringe on the religious freedom of the Buddhists in Tibet. It is sad that Tibetans living in exile and in different countries around the world appear to be giving an impression that they are helpless and merely acting like observers of fast developing scenario. It would be good that if the respected the Dalai Lama would lead the world wide movement to protect Buddhism in Tibet and ensure that any move of Chinese government to appoint the next Dalai Lama would be rejected by the world. Indias support to ensure the holy character of the next Dalai Lama who should be nominated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is necessary. Tibetans living in India are yet to be heard in a big way in Indian media. There is no time to lose ,as the Chinese government is known to be a clever and self centred schemer and would plan its strategies and implement its decisions with characteristic ruthlessness. Tibetans should not allow themselves to be caught unaware. In 1950s when the Chinese occupied Tibet and massacred large number of protesting Tibetans , India under the Prime Ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru remained conspicuous by not reacting to the grave scenario. Many Indians protested at the attitude of Jawaharlal Nehru and bowing to public pressure, Nehru allowed the Dalai Lama and his disciples to enter India as refugees. This was all that peace loving Jawaharlal Nehru could do. Now, Chinese government, finding that it could not get the approval of the Tibetans living in Tibet and elsewhere to its atrocious aggression , is trying to consolidate the control over Tibet by appointing the next Dalai Lama, who would virtually be a prisoner under the control of Chinese government. At this juncture, India should not remain as spectator just as Jawaharlal Nehru did in 1950s. India should not repeat the historical mistake of allowing Chinese government to have its way and hopefully the next government under Mr. Narendra Modi would protect the Tibetan cause. Maduro rallies military as Venezuela opposition appeals to troops Caracas, May 4 (AFP) May 04, 2019 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged his troops Saturday to be "ready" for potential US military action, as a limited number of opposition supporters marched on military barracks in a bid to win the armed forces' support. The small turnout for the Saturday marches -- with participants in the hundreds, not the thousands -- is another setback for opposition leader Juan Guaido, following a failed military uprising earlier in the week. Maduro on Saturday instructed the military "to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this territory, this sacred earth." Underscoring the continued military support for his socialist regime, Maduro delivered his televised address from a base in northwestern Cojedes state -- where he appeared alongside his defense minister, Vladimir Padrino, and in the presence of more than 5,000 troops. The United States has refused to take the threat of military action off the table in its push to oust Maduro -- although it so far has limited its campaign to ramping up sanctions. Guaido's cause gained renewed support on Saturday from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a video address to the Venezuelan people, telling them: "The time for transition is now." "You can hold your institutions, your military and their leaders to the highest standards and demand a return to democracy," Pompeo said in the message. "The United States stands firmly with you in your quest." National Assembly head Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his controversial re-election last year, and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into a political crisis that deepened its already grave economic woes. But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of the powerful armed forces. "I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty... I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honor, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armed forces," the president said in his speech from the military base. - 'No confrontation or provocation' - On Twitter, Guaido -- recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's interim president -- urged his supporters to "mobilize in a civil and peaceful way" to their nearest military base, to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro and back a transitional government. In Barquisimeto in the northeast, the National Guard pushed back marchers with tear gas. "The goal is to carry our message without falling into confrontation or provocation," added Guaido. This protest came days after Guaido tried to incite a military insurrection that fizzled out, with a group of 25 rebel soldiers seeking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Caracas. The effort triggered two days of clashes between opposition supporters and government forces that left four people dead and hundreds injured. In an interview with The Washington Post, Guaido appeared to admit that he had overplayed his hand with the failed military uprising, saying that "we still need more soldiers to support it, to back the constitution." - 'Something bigger' will happen - "I don't think this will produce a military breakdown, but it will contribute to something bigger happening soon," Marcos Rodriguez, a 24-year-old lawyer, told AFP outside La Carlota air base, the scene of Tuesday's uprising. Small groups of protesters marched on four military bases in Caracas. In Barquisimeto, a group of women unsuccessfully attempted to pass on to National Guard troops a document containing Guaido's proclamation to the military to abandon Maduro. "We're asking the armed forces to help us end the usurpation and join the people," unemployed 53-year-old Dina Alonso told AFP. Jose Aparicio, a 67-year-old lawyer who said he had been to several events organized by Guaido, said that he would "continue to protest in the street until the end." Tensions in Venezuela have soared since Guaido invoked the constitution to declare himself acting president. As major world powers have been drawn in, the US has thrown its support behind Guaido and Russia and China have backed Maduro. Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, a regional ally of Venezuela's, said on Twitter he had spoken to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and "stressed the need for dialogue with President Maduro and respect for Venezuela's sovereignty and international rights without threats or outside intervention." While the United States insists Maduro's days are numbered, experts say its options are limited and that Washington may have overestimated Guaido's strength. N. Korea tested rocket launchers and 'tactical guided weapons' Seoul, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 North Korea's state media said Sunday that leader Kim Jong Un had overseen a rocket and tactical guided weapons test, after the drill Saturday had raised concerns Pyongyang was escalating provocations with US nuclear negotiations deadlocked. The North last carried out a missile test in November 2017, before a rapid diplomatic rapprochement saw tensions ease on the peninsula and a series of summits. A return to missile launches would be likely to infuriate US President Donald Trump, but the North's official KCNA news agency shied away from the term in its report, saying Kim had ordered a "strike drill" involving "long-range multiple rocket launchers" -- which are not targeted by UN sanctions resolutions -- and unspecified "tactical guided weapons". Seoul's military described the weapons as "projectiles" after it detected Saturday's firing. The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a Trump-Kim summit in February, when the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. But despite the latest sabre-rattling from Pyongyang, Trump insisted that a breakthrough was possible. "Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump tweeted. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" The US leader did not elaborate on Kim's promise. During Saturday's drill Kim urged his troops to remember "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength", KCNA said. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday carried 16 photos of the weapons test on its front page, including a picture of a grim-looking Kim clutching his binoculars in an observation post as well as several images of projectiles shooting skywards. - Broken promises? - Trump proclaimed that the North Korean nuclear threat was over after the two sides' historic first summit in Singapore in June, when Kim pledged to work towards "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". The two have since disagreed over what that means, but Trump has insisted the leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Vietnam broke up without a deal or even a joint statement, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests. But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US while staying below that threshold. The Saturday drill followed last month's test-firing of very short-range tactical weapons, and came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments during nuclear talks. Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington. "Kim wants to ensure the world knows it is upset with the US hardline stance on denuclearisation and will not bow to external pressure," said Scott Seaman of the Eurasia Group. - 'Unwanted outcome' - But Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles". Even so, a statement from Seoul's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year. On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief -- the issue at the centre of the Hanoi debacle. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. - Biegun visit - Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Last week, on the anniversary of the first Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises. The North Korean drill comes just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea for talks on Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. Venezuela military chopper crash kills seven officers Caracas, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 Seven Venezuelan military officers were killed Saturday when their helicopter crashed outside Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro said. The chopper had left the Venezuelan capital in the morning headed for San Carlos in the country's northwest when it went down in a mountainous area of the El Hatillo municipality, the defense ministry said in a statement. On Twitter, Maduro mourned the loss of "seven worthy officers of the country." They included two majors, three captains and two lieutenant colonels. The defense ministry was launching an investigation into the crash. Maduro was in San Carlos on Saturday, leading military exercises with top brass and more than 5,000 troops. It was a show of strength against opposition leader Juan Guaido, whose attempt to launch a military uprising earlier in the week had failed. Guaido was continuing his efforts to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro. mbj/axm/acb/qan This combo photo shows Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, posing for photos with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. They held the tenth round of China-U.S. high-level economic and trade consultations in Beijing from April 30, 2019 to May 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Hong, Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held the tenth round of China-U.S. high-level economic and trade consultations in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday. As planned, the two sides will hold the 11th round of high-level economic and trade consultations in Washington D.C. next week. Liu is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue. Maduro rallies military as Venezuela opposition appeals to troops Caracas, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged his troops Saturday to be "ready" for potential US military action, as a limited number of opposition supporters marched on military barracks in a bid to win the armed forces' support. The small turnout for the Saturday marches -- with participants in the hundreds, not the thousands -- is another setback for opposition leader Juan Guaido, following a failed military uprising earlier in the week. Maduro on Saturday instructed the military "to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this territory, this sacred earth." Underscoring the continued military support for his socialist regime, Maduro delivered his televised address from a base in northwestern Cojedes state -- where he appeared alongside his defense minister, Vladimir Padrino, and in the presence of more than 5,000 troops. The United States has refused to take the threat of military action off the table in its push to oust Maduro -- although it so far has limited its campaign to ramping up sanctions. Guaido's cause gained renewed support on Saturday from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a video address to the Venezuelan people, telling them: "The time for transition is now." "You can hold your institutions, your military and their leaders to the highest standards and demand a return to democracy," Pompeo said in the message. "The United States stands firmly with you in your quest." National Assembly head Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his controversial re-election last year, and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into a political crisis that deepened its already grave economic woes. But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of the powerful armed forces. "I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty... I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honor, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armed forces," the president said in his speech from the military base. Maduro also mourned the loss of "seven worthy officers of the country" who were killed in a helicopter crash while traveling to the base for military exercises seen as a show of strength against Guaido. - 'No confrontation or provocation' - On Twitter, Guaido -- recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's interim president -- urged his supporters to "mobilize in a civil and peaceful way" to their nearest military base, to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro and back a transitional government. In Barquisimeto in the northeast, the National Guard pushed back marchers with tear gas. "The goal is to carry our message without falling into confrontation or provocation," added Guaido. This protest came days after Guaido tried to incite a military insurrection that fizzled out, with a group of 25 rebel soldiers seeking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Caracas. The effort triggered two days of clashes between opposition supporters and government forces that left four people dead and hundreds injured. In an interview with The Washington Post, Guaido appeared to admit that he had overplayed his hand with the failed military uprising, saying that "we still need more soldiers to support it, to back the constitution." - 'Something bigger' will happen - "I don't think this will produce a military breakdown, but it will contribute to something bigger happening soon," Marcos Rodriguez, a 24-year-old lawyer, told AFP outside La Carlota air base, the scene of Tuesday's uprising. Small groups of protesters marched on four military bases in Caracas. In Barquisimeto, a group of women unsuccessfully attempted to pass on to National Guard troops a document containing Guaido's proclamation to the military to abandon Maduro. "We're asking the armed forces to help us end the usurpation and join the people," unemployed 53-year-old Dina Alonso told AFP. Jose Aparicio, a 67-year-old lawyer who said he had been to several events organized by Guaido, said that he would "continue to protest in the street until the end." Tensions in Venezuela have soared since Guaido invoked the constitution to declare himself acting president. As major world powers have been drawn in, the US has thrown its support behind Guaido and Russia and China have backed Maduro. Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, a regional ally of Venezuela's, said on Twitter he had spoken to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and "stressed the need for dialogue with President Maduro and respect for Venezuela's sovereignty and international rights without threats or outside intervention." While the United States insists Maduro's days are numbered, experts say its options are limited and that Washington may have overestimated Guaido's strength. Turkey to buy Russian missiles despite US 'threats' Istanbul, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 Turkey on Sunday dismissed US threats of sanctions if it went ahead with a Russian missile purchase, saying it would not renege on a pledge to Moscow. Washington has warned its NATO ally for months that Ankara's adoption of Russian S-400 missile technology alongside US F-35 fighters would pose a threat to the jets and endanger Western defence. The US has said it will halt a joint F-35 programme with Turkey if it acquires the Russian missile defence system. A US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies. "The US threats of sanctions shows that they don't know Turkey," Vice President Fuat Oktay told Kanal 7 television. "The decision on the S-400 has been taken. Once a pact has been signed, one's word given, Turkey respects it," he said. The S-400 purchase is one dispute fuelling tensions between two nations also at odds over US support for Syrian Kurdish militias which Ankara brands as terrorists and Turkish backing for US foe Venezuela. Ankara said the first deliveries of the S-400 are scheduled for June or July. Last month, after repeated warnings, the United States said Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 system was incompatible with it remaining part of the emblematic F-35 jet programme. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States. Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations with Turkey, and suggested Ankara might be able to obtain a US missile defence system if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. N. Korea tested rocket launchers and 'tactical guided weapons' Seoul, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 North Korean state media said Sunday that leader Kim Jong Un had overseen a rocket and tactical guided weapons test, after the drill Saturday raised concerns Pyongyang was escalating provocations with US nuclear negotiations deadlocked. But the United States seemed to seek a conciliatory tone in response, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that Washington still saw "a path forward" in the denuclearisation process. The North last carried out a missile test in November 2017, before a rapid diplomatic rapprochement saw tensions ease on the peninsula and a series of summits. A return to missile launches would be likely to infuriate US President Donald Trump, but the North's official KCNA news agency shied away from the term in its report, saying Kim had ordered a "strike drill" involving "long-range multiple rocket launchers" -- which are not targeted by UN sanctions resolutions -- and unspecified "tactical guided weapons". Seoul's defence ministry said Sunday an analysis of the launch indicated Pyongyang had tested "240-mm and 300-mm multiple rocket launchers and a new type of tactical guided weapons with a range of around 70 to 240 kilometres" (45 to 150 miles). The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a Trump-Kim summit in February, when the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. But despite the latest sabre-rattling from Pyongyang, Trump insisted that a breakthrough was possible. "Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump tweeted Saturday. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" The US leader did not elaborate on Kim's promise. Pompeo, speaking Sunday on ABC, said the rockets were relatively short range, had crossed no international boundary, had landed in waters east of North Korea "and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan." He called the situation serious and said the US always knew the road to denuclearization would be "bumpy and a long one." But, Pompeo added, "we still believe there's a path forward." The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday carried 16 photos of the weapons test on its front page, including a picture of a grim-looking Kim clutching his binoculars in an observation post as well as several images of projectiles shooting skywards. - Broken promises? - Trump proclaimed that the North Korean nuclear threat was over after the two sides' historic first summit in Singapore in June, when Kim pledged to work towards "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". The two have since disagreed over what that means, but Trump has insisted the leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Vietnam broke up without a deal or even a joint statement, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests. But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US while staying below that threshold. The Saturday drill followed last month's test-firing of very short-range tactical weapons, and came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments during nuclear talks. Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington. "Kim wants to ensure the world knows it is upset with the US hardline stance on denuclearisation and will not bow to external pressure," said Scott Seaman of the Eurasia Group. - 'Unwanted outcome' - But Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles". Even so, a statement from Seoul's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned", calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year. On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief -- the issue at the centre of the Hanoi debacle. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. - Biegun visit - Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Last week, on the anniversary of the first Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises. The North Korean drill comes just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea for talks on Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. Fourth person killed in Israel by strikes from Gaza: police Jerusalem, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 A fourth person was killed in Israel on Sunday by rocket and missile fire from the Gaza Strip, police and Israeli media said, as a violent escalation showed little sign of slowing. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld did not provide further details on the victim, including the nationality. Israeli media reported that a man died from his wounds from shrapnel from a rocket in the city of Ashdod. Air raids shut two hospitals in Syria's Idlib: monitor Hass, Syrie, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia on Sunday forced the closure of two hospitals in the jihadist-held Syrian province of Idlib, a war monitor said. It came on a day that eight civilians were killed in bombardment by the regime and Russia across the northwestern province, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Idlib and other adjacent territories of Syria held by jihadists have faced intensifying bombardment in the past month. On Sunday air strikes hit a hospital in Kafranbel and another located underground on the outskirts of Hass. The raids were blamed on Russia by the Observatory. An AFP cameraman filmed the two facilities hit by strikes. "The hospital in Kafranbel is out of order. The patients were transferred to other facilities in the region," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding one civilian was killed. In Hass, air strikes blamed on Russia halted services at an underground hospital, said Syria Relief and Development, a non-governmental organisation that runs the facility. "The hospital... is out of order because of the raids," said Ubaida Dandush, who works for the NGO. The facility had been evacuated shortly before the bombardments, he said, thanks to alerts from a warning system set up to analyse the flight paths of warplanes. Footage filmed by the AFP cameraman showed a white cloud rising over farmland where the hospital is located. The Observatory said the facility had been put "out of service" because of "bombing by Russian aircraft". The war monitor says it determines whose planes carried out strikes according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions. On Sunday, the official news agency SANA reported the death of a civilian in a rocket attack by "terrorist groups" on a regime-held town near Idlib province. A military source cited by SANA accused "terrorist organisations in Idlib of planning attacks" against government areas and army positions. Idlib is under the administrative control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is dominated by a faction previously known as the Al-Nusra Front, before it renounced ties to Al-Qaeda. Late last month the United Nations condemned attacks in northwestern Syria that damaged a medical centre and put two hospitals out of service. 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 HTS took full control of it in January. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it began with the bloody repression of anti-government protests in 2011. China Railway Corporation (CRC), the country's top railway operator, apologized on Saturday for allowing passengers who bought short-distance tickets to travel farther, which led to overloading in some of the trains during the May Day holiday, with some passengers who bought tickets unable to get on the trains. The national railway operator said it will open more trains in districts where there are transport capacity shortages during holidays while also working with relevant departments to include the behavior of "buying short and traveling long" into Chinese citizens' credit record. The comment comes after some netizens in Zibo, East China's Shandong Province and Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, complained on China's social media platforms that they had bought train tickets to their hometowns in advance but were told by railway employees that they could not board the trains because of overloading, as some passengers who bought short-distance tickets paid for replacement tickets after getting on the train. "The employee promised a full refund, but we have to cancel our travel plans," the China Central Television reported on Wednesday, quoting one of the netizens. "Why do people who abide by the rules suffer losses while those who break the regulation take advantage of the losses and get what they want? In no way should rule-followers be punished, and this should be the bottom line of our society," some netizens said on Weibo. As criticism mounted, CRC apologized on Saturday for the overloading problem in two trains which "caused trouble" for some passengers during the holiday. "We will arrange transportation work more scientifically and strengthen order controls to guide passengers to take trains in accordance with the tickets they bought," CRC said. CRC's response also generated heated discussions. On Weibo, the topic had been read 48.79 million times and discussed 2,023 times as of 6pm on Saturday. Some travelers could not buy a ticket to their destination during the peak travel season so they bought a ticket for a shorter distance and planned to disembark further and pay for it on board. A Weibo user named Mengliren said that passengers' practice of "buying short and traveling long" is the result of the improper scheduling of trains by CRC. "The measure is a good contingency plan for those who wished to change their destination at the last minute. But if you created a rule that allows replacement tickets and profited from it, you need to take responsibility for it rather than blame passengers." If we have anything to do now, it is building an active non-violent people's force to demand accountability from the government. by J. M. Joseph Jeyaseelan, CMF Among the responses I received for my initial write-up on Sri Lanka's Easter day crisis, published also in " Sri Lanka Guardian ", most of which were affirmative of what I wrote, a particular email provoked in me some reflections that I am going to share here. The entire email is not quoted here; but only the question that was raised. It can be paraphrased this way: On April 22nd you wrote that since we do not know the culprits and their motivations, we should not pit one (ethnic/religious) community against another from the guesses we can make and that we should refrain from taking the laws of the country into our hands. By now we have information about where the culprits come from and what their motivation was. What do you say now? Do you still have the same stand? A good question! Logical in its essence. And I understand the background and the cynicism of the question. In short, I still share the same position that I took on the 22nd. As I was writing the piece that I sent out on the 22nd evening, I was feeling deeply along with the Christian community that I am part of about the drama and the trauma of the Easter Sunday morning. I knew quite certainly that the target of the attacks was the Christian community as no temple, mosque or kovil was attacked in any part of the country around the same time the churches were being bombed. And there were hints already that a radicalized group linked to the Muslim community was the perpetrators. But at that point it was not fully confirmed as it is today. Why do I have the same perspective still after credible evidence has emerged about the perpetrators and their irrational goals? We are a country that has experienced "peace" as a result of a vigorous and violent military campaign. What we experienced is a kind of volatile or negative peace. Real peace is still a dream that we are chasing after. Even that negative peace has been severely disturbed by the events of the Resurrection Day (of the Christians). In this background if we take the laws of the country into our hands because we think we know whom to deal with and how exactly to do it, we are going to destroy our country further. The only people who will profit from that possible retaliation and vandalism will be the politicians who are looking for conflicts so that they can thrive on war money. If what has ended is an ethnic war what may be next if we give space for our instincts to run amok is a religious war. And we certainly don't want one of that kind. And as a country we can't afford it. We should not allow our children to see another war (ethnic or religious) in our country. If we have anything to do now, it is building an active non-violent people's force to demand accountability from the government. It was reported in the media that the Sri Lankan defense establishment was alerted as early as the 9th of April about the carnage that unfolded on the 21st. And possibly because of the internal tussle within the government, it did not act the way it should have to prevent this national crisis from tearing into tatters the fabric of the Sri Lankan polity. Now the buck is being passed and we know what to expect from all these games. The government has to be held responsible for non-action. I am not demeaning or underestimating the efforts that are being taken now to manage the crisis. It's quite sufficient. But that does not absolve the government from what it failed to do to protect its citizens. In any other decent democracy a failure of this magnitude would have forced the government to resign. Or its conscience would have forced it to step down. But not in a country like Sri Lanka. And it is only futile to expect that to happen, because we are a democracy in the Sri Lankan style. So, my contention is this: taking the laws of the country is not the solution. It can never be unless we are ready to pay a huge cost. Holding the government accountable and forcing it to take any action that would end this national crisis as early as possible is what we must look at and work towards as responsible citizens. For my Christian brethren, my appeal is this: Jesus did not accuse or curse those who were inflicting cruel pain on him. From the cross he only prayed that they may be forgiven for what they were doing. He knew that although the soldiers who were doing violence did represent a particular group or community, they were not representing an all-agreed agenda of a vast people who were members of that community. Jesus cursed neither that small group nor the community they hailed from. As Easter people, this is an important proposition that must guide our responses in the the aftermath of the suffering inflicted upon the body of Christ. Let us be imitators of Christ in these testing and tempting times. This is a difficult time. It is difficult to contain our emotions as the loss we are suffering is so huge and we don't know where to rest our heads for consolation and to find an answer to why what has happened has happened the way it happened. Where was God? Where was the Risen Christ on that Easter Sunday? Where was the miracle worker St. Anthony when Kochchikade was bombed? Where was the soldier-turned hero of the faith St. Sebastian when Katuwapitiya was bombed? These are questions that have no convincing answers. My position and contention may provoke anger in some people. Some may blame me or curse me as a heretic or an unrealistic pacifist. I understand all that. But we shall all pray that peace may return to our land. "Peace be with you!" was Jesus' message after his Resurrection. Unfortunately as they were hearing these same words gruesome violence was visited upon some Christians. But we should not lose hope that he can grant us peace even in the midst of this faith and national crisis, because he said the peace he gives is not the kind of peace the world gives! by Gary Leupp Sri Lanka has been a primarily Buddhist land since King Ashokas son Mahinda preached there in the third century BCE. At present 70% of the population is Buddhist, 13% Hindu, 10% Muslim and 7% Christian. (Surely there are secular people, atheists, Marxists, etc. but these are historical communities and identities.) It has been a site of horrific religious-based violence, mostly Buddhist-on-Hindu, although such violence ebbed over the last decade. You wouldnt think it a likely site for a Muslim attack on multiple Christian targets on an Easter Sunday. The group identified by Sri Lankan authorities as the author of these atrocities appears to be an established local Islamist organization, National Thowheeth Jamaath, hitherto known for hate speech against Buddhists but not for violent actions. Now there are reports that they have links to, or are inspired by, ISIL. We know that some Sri Lankans fought in Syria with ISIL. ISIL flags and propaganda have been found in raided sites in Sri Lanka since the attacks, and ISIL has indeed claimed responsibility. This is troubling, as is the announcement that the bombings were to avenge the mosque shootings in Christchurch in March. This seems a new level in the internationalization of religious tribalism. To avenge 50 Muslims (Indians, Bangladeshis, Jordanians, Palestinians) killed in New Zealand by an Australian Christian, Sri Lankan and Arab Muslims (in ISIL) combined to slaughter over 250 Christians in Sri Lankan churches. (These include citizens of the U.S., U.K., Bangladesh, China, India, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and Australia.) An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, all over the world until God makes one side win. This principle is found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus and the Quran. But it stems from a principle expressed earlier in the Code of Hammurabi, intended to limit the scope of private vendettas in ancient Babylonia. It was all about proportionality (remember that the next time the Israelis boast of a disproportionate response after a minor Palestinian attack); one should not overdo the revenge. But like the wheel follows the foot of the ox, as the classic Buddhist text the Dhammapada puts it, revenge produces revenge. When will we awaken to news of a retaliatory mosque attack in any random country? If ISIL international is behind this, the choice of Sri Lanka was particularly cruel. On this island in 29 BCE the first canon of Buddhist scriptures was compiled. The Buddhist belief system discourages the concept of revenge, and deploys the concept of karma to explain how one evil leads to another and how the point is not vengeance but to seek enlightenment by renouncing selfish desire. The Dhammapada opens with these verses: He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me. Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred. He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me. Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal. One could argue that, based on such premises as these, Buddhism has historically been a peaceful religion. There is nothing in the Buddhist tradition comparable to Muslim jihads, or Christian Crusades and colonial projects to forcibly convert natives to Christianity. Yes, there were the Shaolin monks in China, and the warrior-monk armies of Japan; but they did not target non-believers so much as protect monastic property and privilege from any opponents. During the second world war the Japanese Zen establishment shamefully embraced Japanese imperialism. And its true that in modern times we have seen horrific Buddhist violence in Sri Lanka, as well as Myanmar. Even Buddhist monks have shown themselves capable of savagery against Hindus and Muslims in those countries. The civil war in Sri Lanka ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil independence movement, pitting Hindus against Buddhists, following the deaths of 60,000 people. A Reconciliation Commission was appointed, and peace has been maintained between the Buddhist and Hindu communities. But that is an issue separate from the relations between Muslims and Christians in a country where both are minorities, and the ability of international terrorists to wreak havoc in an overwhelmingly Buddhist country. Buddhists have no tradition comparable to holy war, but Tibetan Buddhism (which is, one must admit, idiosyncratic) produced a text in the eighth century, the Kalachakra sastra, that alludes to the coming of the Muslims, and the destruction they inflict in Central Asia; it mentions Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, and predicts a future war of terrible destruction against the barbarians (and Buddhist victory). This is not a text popular in Sri Lanka, the Theravada Buddhism of which is a far cry from Lamaism; but it does pit the Buddhist world in general against Islam in an existential way. It could maybe be exploited (like the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, which predicts a final war between Christ and his enemies at the Apocalypse, has sometimes been) to mobilize and justify support for anti-Muslim violence. Islamic terrorism has of course long targeted Hindus in India. But it hasnt had much presence in Buddhist societies. (The Taliban shocked the world by pulverizing the magnificent buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, but that was a thousand years after Buddhism had vanished in Afghanistan. It was an assault on culture, and the feelings of the Hazzara people, who are now Shiites. It was not an attack on Buddhists as such.) In China, where Buddhism is enjoying a resurgence, and where over 240 million identify with the faith (such that half the worlds Buddhists are in China) the regime is promoting Buddhism as an ancient Chinese religion deserving of respect. Islam is viewed as foreign and threatening, and Uighurs in particular subject to considerable repression. But there have not been to my knowledge any Islamist strikes against Buddhist sites in China. Nor any strikes against Buddhist sites in Myanmar. But now ISIL-linked forces have declared war on the Buddhist-dominated Sri Lankan state, which has a very experienced military that has just received sweeping emergency police powers for the first time since the end of the civil war in 2009. There has been a wave of anti-Muslim nationalist sentiment in Sri Lanka, and anti-Muslim rioting by Buddhists in recent years. This sentiment perhaps infects the military. In some riots Buddhist monks rallied to protect Muslims, and there has been peaceful coexistence for the most part. But if in the inevitable army crackdown on National Thowheeth Jamaath overreaches and alienates Muslims in general, we might expect more cracks in the historical facade of Buddhist pacifism. Revenge rather than enlightenment is likely to prevail; it could mean attacks on Buddhist temples too, and the continued development of religious tribalism. *** Conservative commentators on RT and Fox News both condemn the U.S. left (meaning Democrats) for making a big deal about the New Zealand attack (killing Muslims) while downplaying the Sri Lanka one (killing Christians). The gist is that leftists think Christians are oppressors and Muslims victims. I think it more likely that racism is the main factor. If the story has been downplayed while the U.S. media feasts on the Mueller Report and the Democratic primary races, it is not because the victims were Christians (who do not lack for media support) but because they were dark skinned. *** April 28: It is reported that an army raid on a National Thowheeth Jamaath safe house in Sainthamaruthu,10 civilians including six children were killed. The port town of Sainthamaruthu (pop. 25,000) is almost entirely Muslim. If the Sinhalese state has killed Muslim children, there will surely be more blood. This is what ISIL no doubt wants. War against Buddhism has not been high on its list of priorities, but the Easter Sunday massacres pit it and its affiliates against the Sri Lankan state and its mainly Buddhist security apparatus. *** April 29: ISIL has released a video showing Zahran Hashim, an Islamic preacher and the alleged leader of the bombers, pledging allegiance with six other men to the self-declared ISIL caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. So yes, the worst is true: ISIL is now at war with a Buddhist state. April 30: al-Baghdadi resurfaces, and in a video takes responsibility for the Sri Lankan church attacks. Interestingly, he depicts them as vengeance for ISILs loss of Baghouz, in eastern Syria, to U.S.-led forcesnot to the Christchurch mosque massacre. I would not be surprised if some Sri Lankans are now studying the Kalachakra sastra. It describes Islam as a barbarian teaching (mleccha dharma), a violent teaching (himsa dharma) that produces savagery (raudra karman). It foretells the coming of a universal ruler (Chakravartin) at the end of this age, who will smite the barbarianson the entire surface of the earth. It is not mainstream Buddhism, but a Tibetan product produced in the eighth century in which Tibetan kings sometimes allied with Arabs against the Chinese, and sometimes fought Arab Muslims, but in the end concluded that the adherents of this religion were uniquely bad. In Sri Lanka the mainstream Muslim community has naturally condemned the church attacks. One assumes good will all around, in a peaceful country. But Islam deplores idolatry, and has traditionally condemned Buddhists as idolaters, while Buddhism deplores intolerance in general. Sri Lankas Buddhists have had a complicated relationship with Christianity, the religion of the Portuguese, Dutch and English colonizers. But they will be more sympathetic to the Christians, if this becomes an ongoing fight, and Osama bin Ladens vision of global jihad spreads into the Buddhist world. But when we look at the big picture of karmic cause and effect, we must observe that the U.S. invasion of Iraq produced ISIL, which met with U.S. wrath; ISIL responded with more wrath of its own, targeting a broad net of infidels including Shiites, Yezidis, Christians and infidel artifacts from the Temple of Baal in Palmyra to the Ninevah Wall. Now that its caliphate has fallen, as it shifts to a strategy of random localized actions to affirm its continued existence, it takes on new enemies thus further mining the human potential for tribal violence. Now I see that Sri Lanka has banned all forms of clothing that cover a persons face and prevents them from being identified, an order seen as being directed at Muslim womens dress. This will likely result in protests or worse as the global jihad launched by Osama bin Laden continues. Chen Wei (2nd R), charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, shakes hands with Brigadier General Md Sazzad Hussain (2nd L), director general of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense, during a handover ceremony of 1,000 firefighting motorcycles donated by the Chinese government in Purbachal, Bangladesh, May 2, 2019. China on Thursday donated 1,000 firefighting motorcycles to Bangladesh in a bid to help strengthen the operational capability of Bangladesh's fire service and civil defense. Chen Wei, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, handed over the motorcycles to the Bangladesh authorities at a ceremony at Purbachal, a new township on the eastern side of capital Dhaka. (Xinhua/Stringer) DHAKA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday donated 1,000 firefighting motorcycles to Bangladesh in a bid to help strengthen the operational capability of Bangladesh's fire service and civil defense. Chen Wei, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, handed over the motorcycles to the Bangladesh authorities at a ceremony at Purbachal, a new township on the eastern side of capital Dhaka. Brigadier General Md Sazzad Hussain, director general of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense, among others, attended the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Chen said these firefighting motorcycles have strong mobility which are very suitable for the traffic and road conditions of Bangladesh. "Both China and Bangladesh are developing countries and we all face the arduous task of developing economy and improving people's livelihood," Chen said. According to the diplomat, the Chinese government's foreign aid belongs to the scope of South-South cooperation which are mutual assistance among developing countries. The Chinese side will continue to provide assistance to Bangladesh to the best of its ability with an aim to reduce the people and economic losses caused by various disasters, promote Bangladesh's economic and social development, and enhance people's livelihood and well-being, he said. Director General Sazzad Hussain expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese government and its people for the contribution. "In 2013, when we experienced Rana Plaza building collapse incident (leaving over 1,130 people dead) the greatest man-made havoc of the world, the great people of China have extended their cooperation with the commitment to providing calamity rescue equipment to Bangladesh Fire Serivce and Civil Defense," he said, adding that "we are having 1,000 firefighting motorcycles as the part of the same commitment." Against this backdrop, Hussain said, "I have no hesitation to say that the operational capability of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense has been strengthened to a great extent with the addition of these calamity rescue equipment." A couple times each week well post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of buy, hold, or sell. The storied Henry Clay line started its 2.0 rebrand/relaunch with the 2015 limited Tattoo release, a collaboration with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars (an admitted longtime admirer of the Henry Clay mark). That was followed up with the 2016 regular production Henry Clay Stalk Cut, featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican binder, and three filler tobaccos: Dominican Piloto, Dominican Olor, and Nicaraguan Criollo. The box-pressed Robusto produces medium-bodied flavors with notes of roasted cocoa, espresso, almonds, and leather with an earthy finish. Its an above-average cigar at a not unreasonable price ($8.25). If youre just getting into Henry Clay, though, try the original (still produced, pre-rebrand) Henry Clay first. Verdict = Hold. Patrick S photo credit: Stogie Guys XIAMEN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese vaccine against the Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) has entered clinical trial in the United States after two U.S. volunteers were vaccinated on May 1 (local time), according to Xiamen University. The trial will be carried out in three phases. The phase 1 clinical trial is scheduled to enroll 25 U.S. volunteers, and Phase 2 and 3 FDA-approved trials of the vaccine are expected to be done in a third country. The vaccine, sold under the trade name Hecolin, was initially developed by a research team from Xiamen University in east China's Fujian Province and then transferred to and commercialized by the Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd. Hecolin has been used in China since 2012 for the prevention of hepatitis E. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enter a clinical trial in January. It is the first time that FDA has given a green light to a Chinese vaccine to enter a clinical trial in the United States, according to Zhang Jun, deputy director of National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases at Xiamen University. According to Zhang, the trial was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the primary agency of the U.S. government responsible for biomedical and public health research. Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by HEV, which is transmitted mainly through contaminated drinking water and food. Large outbreaks of the disease have been reported in at least 30 countries in Africa, Asia and North America. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2015, there are approximately 20 million HEV infections, 3.4 million symptomatic cases and 70,000 deaths globally every year. The disease is typically most life-threatening among pregnant women, with a fatality rate of 10 percent to 50 percent. People with pre-existing chronic liver disease are prone to develop severe hepatitis following HEV infection. The 2019 China-Britain AI Summit will be held in London on the 21 June 2019. The summit will showcase innovative British and Chinese machine and deep learning technologies and explore potential synergies and avenues of cooperation. It will present a platform dedicated to fostering opportunities between China and the UK in AI. The summit will present panel discussions covering the AI landscape in China and the UK, investment and opportunities, AI ethics and social implications, as well as the role of AI and smart technologies in China's Belt and Road Initiative. The demand for the summit has arisen from AI development in both China and the UK. Chinese investment interests are looking overseas to gain technical assets and expertise. Meanwhile, the UK's start-up ecosystem continues to flourish in comparison to its European counterparts and consequentially attracts the highest interest in terms of quality talent and investment. It is estimated that a new AI start-up has launched in the UK every week over the past four years, with a calculated total contribution of 654bn to the UK economy by 2035. Indeed, it is widely accepted that British technologies and talents in the AI space are global frontrunners, even compared to their US counterparts. Daley, Head of AI, techUK said, "The UK has a fast-paced and vibrant AI industry, built on an extended heritage of invention. From the work of Alan Turing in the past to today's world-leading companies, the UK is leading the charge in AI innovation." (Tianxing Bai) WELLINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish national shot in the March 15 mosques terrorist attack in Christchurch has died in hospital, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed early Friday morning. "My heartfelt condolences go to the family and community of this man who has died overnight in Christchurch Hospital," Ardern said in a statement. "This sad news will be felt across Turkey, as well as New Zealand," she said, adding this man has been in intensive care since the attack. "We have all been hoping for the best however he has now succumbed to the injuries sustained in the shooting at the Al Noor Mosque," the prime minister said. Ardern thanked all the medical staff who have cared for the 49 men, women and children who were shot and wounded in the attack and taken to hospital. Nine people shot in the terrorist attack remain in hospital, and all are in a stable condition, Ardern said, adding, "As a country we continue to send our hope for their speedy recovery." Crown Princess Michiko of Japan wears the familys diamond scroll wedding tiara with its coordinating necklace for a state banquet at the Imperial Palace in honor of President Lubke of the Federal Republic of Germany, November 1963; see closer views of the tiara over here! Geoffrey Garrett, dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, speaks to Xinhua during an exclusive interview in Philadelphia, the United States, April 19, 2019. Technology competition between the United States and China won't lead to so-called "decoupling" because the two economies are "tightly integrated," said Geoffrey Garrett. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin) PHILADELPHIA, the United States, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Technology competition between the United States and China won't lead to so-called "decoupling" because the two economies are "tightly integrated," said Geoffrey Garrett, dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. "DUAL-USE" CHALLENGE "There's going to be a lot of (U.S.-China technology) competition because the stakes are so high in a lot of these advanced technologies," Garrett told Xinhua in a recent interview. Noting the innovation in "dual-use" technologies, which means they have a commercial and also potentially a military application, Garrett said this makes the technology competition between the two countries "more challenging." In the last 20 or 30 years, the use of national security as a reason to stop free movement of goods has been very rare, Garrett said. However, in the past five years, "we've had much more use of national security justifications to restrict trade," he said, calling it "troubling." Citing the example of the Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs, Garrett said "that's a very extreme position that runs counter to the whole globalization ethos." "I would certainly hope over time that would go down, not go up," said Garrett, a reliance professor of management and private enterprise and professor of management at the Wharton School. Speaking of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, Garrett said that for many countries in the world, whether to use Huawei for 5G backbone is not actually a choice because the decision has already been made. "Huawei equipment is relatively cheap and good. So a lot of emerging markets have used it." COMPETITION DOESN'T MEAN DECOUPLING Despite concerns about growing U.S.-China technology competition, the dean, who is also professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, believes that the so-called "decoupling" between the two countries is "not going to happen." "The ties between U.S. and China are so tight. How could you actually decouple it?" Garrett said. "I don't want to be naive about this, but I think the economic incentives, the fact that these two economies are so tightly integrated and that because of that decoupling them would be economically disastrous." "It would be terrible for America, terrible for China, terrible for the world economy," Garrett said. "I think it's in everyone's interest to manage down the tension." In an earlier blog, the dean said it is clear that the two economies are "complementary" where innovation is concerned. "This makes cooperation so much better than conflict," Garrett said. His view was echoed by a group of experts in a discussion at the 2019 Penn Wharton China Summit held in April, who said that the two countries should utilize their respective advantages and enhance cooperation in technology. Garrett said that China has been rapidly turning ideas into outcomes at scale, and in that sense, China is certainly an innovation economy. Calling China a global leader in high-speed railway, mobile payment and electric vehicles, the dean said that China's innovation is "really impressive" and "very powerful." Garrett also highlighted Chinese companies' innovation in areas such as health care, insurance and autonomous vehicles, adding that he believes there is less regulation and "greater possibility" in innovation in China. "There is a real chance that autonomous vehicle development will be much faster in China than in the United States because of fewer regulatory restrictions on innovation," he said. Garrett, who became dean of the Wharton School in 2014, has seen stronger Wharton-China ties in the past few years. "I hope we have something to teach Chinese executives, but I know we've got a lot to learn from China too," Garrett said, stressing the importance of "two-way" information flow. "The best thing we can do is to have more exchanges, so we can... understand each other better," he said. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Mostly sunny. High -8C. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional snow showers overnight. Low -13C. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. sundayeditor@times.co.sz MBABANE As South Africans will be going to the polls this coming week, emaSwati must pray for just one thing - a strong win for President Cyril Ramaphosas ANC. Why? A win for the ANC will be a huge boost to Eswatinis ailing economy, as well as to the other members of Southern African Customs Union (SACU). SACU was formed by Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa in 1904, making it the oldest customs union in the world. Both local and South African analysts are in agreement that a support of 60 per cent would give Ramaphosa the political space to implement his modernisation agenda, including trying to effectively get the State-owned enterprises and a raft of economic reforms firmly in place. With South Africans scheduled to vote on May 8, opinion polls are suggesting the ruling ANC will win enough votes to remain in power. The margin of victory, however, is key to determining if Ramaphosa is able to deliver on pledges to revive flagging economic growth, bring rampant corruption under control and address a 27 per cent unemployment rate. Were the ANC to reach the 60 per cent mark: Then the market will be very bullish, a local economist who elected to remain anonymous said. The economist went on to say anything below that level would limit Ramaphosas ability to make the changes he wants. The economist further told the Times SUNDAY that a resounding win by the ANC will strengthen the Lilangeni/Rand against major currencies and that would be a huge relief for our government. Strengthening of the local unit is always a sigh of relief to government because it keeps the external low, but when it plummets, the debt balloons because government external liabilities are denominated in foreign currencies, said the economist. According to the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) annual monetary policy statement which indicates that for the period ending February 2019, total public debt stood at E16.1 billion, an equivalence of 26.2 per cent of GDP. The Bank said the increase in debt was mainly driven by the financing needs of government. Domestic debt increased by 60.5 per cent from E6.1 billion to E9.8 billion in the period under review. On the other hand, external debt increased by about 21 per cent from E5.2 billion to E6.3 billion. boost to Eswatini economy Detailing why he insists ANCs win would be a boost to the Eswatini economy, the economist said: The local unit opened the year at an average of E12.20 and it ended the year at an average of E14.20 to the US Dollar, following policy uncertainty in South Africa around the land policy and the slow pace, and weak political will in tackling corruption. The Central Bank noted that the local unit strengthened in the first quarter of 2018 against major currencies following a positive budget delivered in South Africa after a positive leadership in the ANC by Cyril Ramaphosa, hence the strong belief that a win would keep the Lilangeni/Rand strong. On the flipside, if the ANCs support falls to below 50 per cent, the country could soon be run by a coalition of political parties, forcing compromise on a number of key issues. And that might affect Eswatini as the local unit against major currencies can depreciate significantly. Lets put a hypothetical scenario: if the ANC can form a coalition with the EFF that can result into a paradigm shift altogether and that can result in the weakening of the Lilangeni/Rand, because the EFF is radical and is putting pressure on the ANC to expropriate land without compensation, he said. According to the economist, in the third quarter of 2018, the local unit depreciated, further taking pressure from mixed communication by the ANC on land policy scaring investors, that the Constitution will be changed to allow expropriation of land without compensation. It is therefore against this backdrop that the economy of the country can fall further, he said. KWALUSENI There was a brief uproar yesterday at a meeting for teachers to discuss the 2019/2020 budget, emanating from concerns over a sum of E1 million set aside to pay for the Boards allowances. Having started on the right footing, with positive budget outlooks that depicted a projected E40 million surplus to be realised at the end of the next financial year, the meeting turned to brouhaha when one teacher, in a high pitched voice, began to question financials. His name is Lot Vilakati from the Siteki branch of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Savings and Credit Co-operative. This was during the societys budget meeting held at the University of Eswatinis Emporium Hall. Vilakati caused the meeting to react angrily and suspiciously to the executive committee as the enthusiastic teachers whistled in support of his submission while jeering their leaders with taunts. Just after Thenjiwe Ngcamphalala, the Treasurer of the SNAT Savings and Credit Society had delivered what appeared to be the positive budget, Vilakati was given the microphone to address the meeting. He cleared his throat, and shouted political slogans such as VIVA before taking a swipe at the societys deputy chairperson for perceivably intimidating him by threatening to cut short his submission. He then criticised the executive committee for the travel and sitting allowances budget which stood at E728 000 and E381 600 respectively, totalling to E1 109 600 (E1.1 million). He said his calculations reflected E120 000 being paid to each of the members of the executive, alleging that more money appeared to be going to the leaders as opposed to the members. Based on the personal financial income, he alleged that the executive committee members would afford to buy houses at Dalriach in Mbabane. This submission received applause from the crowd. However, an explanation by the committee on how the money would be used received an almost equal round of applause. Nozipho Dlamini, the Chairperson of the society, said most of the committee members lived in the most far-flung corners of the country, and had to travel quite often to Manzini where the offices of the society were housed to decide on loan applications submitted by the members. She explained that they used their own vehicles, and just spent the allowance on fuel. She said they would sometimes drive in the night and hit stray animals. Dlamini urged members to be objective and unwarranted criticism might discourage the Board members from attending the meeting. The treasurer, Ngcamphalala, said it was not an accounting malpractice to separate the two items travel and sitting allowances. She explained that auditors wanted to know the actual amount spent on each facility. E40.8m surpluses On another note, the treasurer reported a projected surplus of E40.8 million against a total expenditure of E33.7 million for the 2019/2020 financial year. She said the budgeted income for the next financial year stood at E74.6 million. The closing balance was E114.6 million against the opening balance of E82.1 million. She reported that they had set aside E300 000 to pay for costs for the forensic audit to ascertain alleged fraudulent practice at SNAT Savings as it emerged last year that E1 million was withdrawn from the account under suspicious circumstances. The treasurer said E880 000 would be spent on hosting seminars and workshops for the members, with E535 000 to be utilised to educationally empower members, and E200 000 will be used to implement a performance management system for the society. It is projected that E38.5 million will be paid out to members. Despite this figure, she assured the surplus of E40.8 million would still be realised. She also disclosed that E260 726.34 would be spent on payment of gratuities to workers engaged by the society on contract. The society would also spend E266 886 on legal fees and E150 000 has been set aside to pay for pending cases, with E510 000 to be spent on marketing and advertising. Presenting her budget speech, the treasurer said E82 178.42 would cater for office fees, newspapers and other office related expenses. LUYENGO Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi contributed to his nephews lobola ceremony. The nephew to the president, Zwakele Hlanze yesterday paid lobola for Buhle Makhubu in a colourful ceremony held at the brides home situated in Luyengo. Seventeen cattle were presented to the Makhubu family 15 of which were the bride price and the remaining two were the ones exchanged by families known as lugege and insulamnyembeti. Throngs of people graced the event and President Masisi was accompanied by the First Lady Neo Masisi. Other big guns included Bantfwabenkhosi, the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini and former Deputy Prime Minister Paul Dlamini. In an interview with this publication, President Masisi and the first lady expressed to their Majesties how delighted they were for the warm reception they got upon arrival in the country. Masisi went on to say that it was exciting to be in a country that is known for preserving its culture and traditions. The president also explained that he was in the country for his nephews ceremony to play the role of an uncle following his sisters union with a liSwati hence the birth of his nephews. With such a relationship, I could never be wondering what was happening behind me when I hear a liSwati speaking and visa versa when they hear a Motswana speaking, narrated Mosisi. The first lady stated that they were excited to be in the country which has scenery of mountains which they did not have in Botswana. She continued to say she was even more excited to be outside Mbabane as the real beauty of Eswatini was out of the city. I always say in Africa, if you want to know where the people are, you must step out of the city, narrated the first lady. She ended by advising her nephew that as he was from Botswana where there were diamonds, his wife Buhle was his diamond going forward and he should forever treat her like one. Their Majesties presented the president with a cow and this was announced by Prince Masitsela during the proceedings of the ceremony. Chief Lembelele of Luyengo gave the president a goat as a gift. The overseer of the ceremony known as umyeni, Nhlanhla Nhlabatsi said the family was grateful to be uniting two people who preserved themselves to this point. He said he wished others would do the same as he said he viewed it as something good. Nhlabatsi further revealed that the president contributed two cattle in the bride price and that a wedding was expected later this year. MBABANE More dirt has come up on the company that was at the centre of the looting that took place at the Youth Enterprise Fund. The Times SUNDAY today exposes that Classic World Stationery allegedly leased a photocopying machine from a leading office automation company and went on to sell the equipment to the Fund. As confirmed by the office automation company, which has asked to remain anonymous due to its brands sensitivity, the machine was leased to Classic World on a five-year contract at a rental charge of E1 998 per month. This means that the machine was going to cost Classic World E119 880 over the 60 months lease period. However, Classic World allegedly sold the photocopier to the Fund for E226 508.72, which, according to the then Auditor General, Phestecia Nxumalo, was an exorbitant price. The price was E198 691.98 plus Value Added Tax of E27 816.74. Sources within the Fund said they had all along believed the photocopier belonged to the Fund, but were shocked out of their wits when the office automation company told them the machine was leased from it and should, therefore, be returned, because the period had since lapsed. Relating how they found out about the lease, the sources said all along they would go to Classic World whenever the machines toner cartridge needed to be replaced and the latter would provide it. However, Classic World later referred us to the office automation company whenever we wanted to have the toner cartridge replaced. This went on for a few times until the automation company refused to help us with the toner cartridge and told us that we should in fact bring back the machine because the lease period lapsed. This shocked us. When we told them that we had bought the machine from Classic World, we were told that Classic World had leased the machine from them, said an impeccable source within the Fund. The source said they later realised that when Classic World referred them to the office automation company for the toner cartridge, the lease period had ended and were therefore afraid of being caught out. According to the source, they told the office automation company that it had to deal with Classic World and not the Fund if it wanted its machine back. The Fund has receipts to prove that the machine was bought and not leased. So this machine belongs to the Fund, not anyone else, said the source. Photocopier worth E45 000 The source, who claimed that their own enquiry had ascertained that the machine was worth around E45 000 when it was leased from the office automation company, wondered why Classic World did not buy it outright once it received payment from the Fund. Classic World would have still made a huge profit because they sold the machine to the Fund at a highly inflated price, the source said. This publication understands that the automation company has received no response from Classic World when it tried to have the photocopier returned. As a result, a senior manager of the company said the client (Classic World) was handed over to legal and engaged lawyer to recover debt. The manager said Classic World had not fulfilled the terms and conditions of the lease agreement. Youth Fund CEO Bhekizwe Maziya said as far as he was concerned, the photocopying machine fully belonged to the Fund as they paid for it in full. I am aware that the office automation company says the machine was leased from it, but we also know that we bought the photocopying machine from Classic World and we are its owners. I cant speak of issues between the two companies because I dont have proof whether there is any dispute between them regarding the machine, he said. Efforts to get a response from Classic World have been futile. The Times SUNDAY started seeking responses from the companys director Lomasontfo Zwakele Mazibuko four weeks ago but to no avail. Each time Mazibuko was telephoned on her office number, we would be told she was out of the office. Ex-AGs investigations Investigations by Nxumalo, the then AG, indicated that on January 29, 2014, the Funds Board took a resolution to the effect that as an interim measure, since there were some challenges with resources, an option of renting the machine should be adopted. In this resolution the Board resolved that management should obtain quotations for both buying and renting options, for them to decide the best option in terms of value for money, Nxumalo wrote in her report. As it turned out, the option to rent was discarded in favour of buying the machine, but, as the then AG found, a lot went wrong when this was done. Nxumalo found that the Board approved the buying of the photocopying machine without scrutinising the three quotations that were submitted by suppliers. The other two quotations were for E243 960 and E213 481.18 both of which were inclusive of VAT. She also noted that the quotations were themselves incomparable because the machine that was eventually purchased produced 20 pages per minute yet the one of the other quoted machines produced 45 pages and the third one 50 pages per minute. Nxumalo said the three quotations had different specifications in terms of descriptions, features, size and capacity. She said the quotations were also not obtained from recognised dealers of photocopying machines and, therefore, the quotations were only meant to deceive the Board members and other stakeholders. A formal Board meeting was not convened, but the procurement request was approved by Board members individually through email, revealed the then AG. While Nxumalo, in her report, said an average market price for a machine with comparable capacity to the one that was sold to the Fund was quoted for E69 052.00, the office automation company from which the photocopier was leased told this publication that it was worth approximately E90 000. In her valuation, Nxumalo said a financial loss was made by the Fund to the tune of about E129 640 (E198 691 less E69 052), which was about 187 per cent above the average market price of E69 052. This exorbitant high price cannot be justified by any increase in the consumer price indices, she said. She stated that on top of this, government also lost an amount of E27 816.74 as a result of VAT evasion. The matter should be referred to the police, Swaziland Revenue Authority and the Anti-Corruption Unit for further investigation, the then AG recommended. Besides having sold the photocopying machine to the Fund, Classic World also supplied the government entity with other goods that included conference clusters, leather high back chairs, branded clock watches, an air conditioner, an HP machine and a steel cabinet. In total, Classic World was paid an amount of E339 859.45 by the Fund within a space of four months. This was the highest amount paid to a single company by the Fund and this raised a red flag with the then AG, who noted that there was an unusually close association between the Fund and Classic World. MBABANE The new team of politicians that recently assumed office for the next five years (November 2018 to November 2023) has inherited a huge financial risk. They have the Members of Parliament and Designated Office Bearers Pension Fund (MOPADO) Board of Trustees to thank for this. This is because MOPADO, which until Tuesday was chaired by the countrys longest serving MP Marwick Khumalo, invested E50 million with Eswatini Mobile despite being advised that the investment was risky. Other members of the Fund were former Senator David Dlamini, former Mkhiweni MP Rodgers Mamba, former MP Thulani Masuku, former Gege MP Mbongiseni Malinga, former Senator Thandi Shongwe, former Ludzidzini Council member Absalom Muntu Dlamini, former Chief Officer in the Kings Office Bheki Dlamini and Ministry of Finance representative Mxolisi Fakudze. warned against investing MOPADOs investment managers, Imbewu YeSive Investment PTY LTD, warned that investing this amount of money could result in a significant loss. This was a major difference from an amount of E10 million-worth of shareholding that Eswatini Mobile had offered to the Fund. Instead, Imbewu recommended that at least E15 million should be invested in Eswatini Mobile. The Times SUNDAY has seen the advice, which is dated February 28, 2018, that the investment managers wrote to MOPADO. Imbewu has been informed that the trustees wish to now consider investing E50 million of the MOPADO Pension Funds asset into Swazi Mobile (now Eswatini Mobile). There are a few pertinent issues that need to be discussed, debated and agreed when considering this proposal, Imbewu wrote. The first issue raised by the investment managers was that MOPADOs investment policy statement required that any investment into private equity should be done with full trustee approval, especially since the trustees were aware of only E10 million being invested into this project. The second issue was that from an equity perspective, the concentration risk of allocating in excess of 15 per cent of the Funds assets in a single entity is extreme, and there is no underlying security. Thirdly, the investment managers said from a debt perspective, the concentration risk of allocating in excess of 15 per cent of the Funds assets in a single entity is extreme, therefore a thorough analysis of the Swazi Mobile balance sheet is required and the requisite security needs to be pledged by them. distribution of assets Imbewu then raised a fourth concern, which was that the term of office of the then Parliament was coming to an end and the distribution of assets after the dissolution of Parliament could manifest in one of two possible scenarios. The first scenario was a massive disproportionate holding in Eswatini Mobile shares, where the remaining and new members (politicians) would take on this risk. The second scenario was the forced sale of Eswatini Mobile shares into a possibly illiquid market, which the investment managers said could be at a significant loss. An illiquid market, according to investopedia, is the state of a stock, bond, or other assets that cannot easily be sold or exchanged for cash without a substantial loss in value. It states that illiquid assets may also be hard to sell quickly because of a lack of ready and willing investors or speculators to purchase the asset. Additionally, investopedia says a company may be illiquid if it is unable to obtain the cash necessary to meet debt obligations. The business dictionary describes it as a market in which it is difficult to sell assets because of their expense, lacks interested buyers, or some other reason. An example of this is listed as including real estate, some stocks with low trading volume or collectibles. It is said that assets in illiquid markets still have value and, in many cases, very high value, but are simply hard to sell. Having outlined all these issues, Imbewu then wrote: The initial Swazi Mobile proposal was based on having strategic investors from within Swaziland (now Eswatini) as the key stakeholders. MOPADO had been approached by Swazi Mobile with an offer to take up E10 million shareholding that was available. This level was within the five per cent allocation that was envisaged per deal. Considering therefore the increased value of MOPADO, this could be increased to E15 million. The investment further advised: Imbewu would therefore recommend that, given the negotiated share price of E10 per share, the Fund invest E15 million and acquire the corresponding number of Swazi Mobile shares. We look forward to your further consideration in this regard. We welcome any alternative suggestion though and are available to assess the impact. The Times SUNDAY contacted Comfort Shabalala, who is MOPADOs Principal Officer, to find out the rationale of going against Imbewus advice and he said he could not comment because he was bereaved. I have lost my father and I am currently at home making preparations for the funeral. I cannot say anything at the moment, he said. He said as an Eswatini citizen, this reporter should understand that he could not speak because he was bereaved. Contact me on Monday, please, Shabalala said. He stated that there was no one that could speak on his behalf because even the MP Khumalo-led Board of Trustees had left office on Tuesday, April 30, 2018 following the lapse of their extended stay in office. initial five-year term The trustees initial five-year term was supposed to end on December 15, 2018 but Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg granted them an extension, something that irked most politicians as they felt the minister did not have such powers. Meanwhile, MP Khumalo said he could not comment because he was no longer part of the MOPADO Board following the lapse of their term of office. However, a former Board of Trustees member said they had no knowledge of the advice from Imbewu that was against investing E50 million in Eswatini Mobile. Such advice was never tabled before the Board and the person who wrote this advice is a mere office clerk who is not an advisor. Maybe the advice was given to Shabalala but it never reached the level of the Board, he said. The former trustee wondered why it was an issue that they had invested in Eswatini Mobile when other local pension schemes had also made similar investments with the mobile telecommunications company and even invested more money compared to MOPADO. In any case, we are answerable to the members of the fund who are the ones who should raise concerns if any and we will duly give responses, added the former trustee. seek clarity from khumalo On the other hand, a member of the Fund, who is a former Cabinet minister, spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity, and said they had confronted Khumalo to seek clarity on why his team ignored Imbewus advice. He told us that if they had invested E15 million, the Fund would not have qualified to have a representative in the Eswatini Mobile Board. He said the E50 million meant they were eligible to have one of them sitting in the board and in that way would be able to monitor the investment, the member said. He said Shabalala is the one who now sits as part of the Eswatini Mobile Board as a representative of MOPADO. Khumalo said they decided to have Shabalala represent the Fund in the Board because the term of office for the Funds trustees lapsed after five years yet the principal officer would always be there and would ensure continuity, stated the member. When Imbewu Yesive Investment PTY Ltd were contacted, they referred all comments to MOPADO, citing confidentiality. The Eswatini Mobile investment is the second deal that the MP Khumalo-led Board undertook, which is now public knowledge. The other one is the E12 million purchase of land that used to belong to Eswatini Mobile founder and businessman, the late Victor Mfana Gamedze. The land was sold to MOPADO by Gamedzes wife, Lungile Hotencia Gamedze, on August 23, 2018. The land, which measures 1.3480 hectares, is situated at Ezulwini near Corner Plaza and Cash Build Hardware on the stretch where Lungiles father, the late Prince Makhungu, has a homestead. The princess sold the property to MOPADO in her capacity as a trustee of Madlenya Trust, which belonged to her late husband. seeking direct investments According to Imbewu, MOPADO has been actively seeking direct investments in Eswatini following the legislated increase in the local allocation to 50 per cent of the value of the Fund. The Securities Act of 2010 compels pension funds to invest 50 per cent, as opposed to the previous 30 per cent, of their assets locally in an aim to release a substantial amount of pension fund assets invested offshore back to Eswatini to support the local economy. This then led to Imbewu carrying out an analysis to determine the appetite for these types of investments considering the returns achievable as well as the various risks inherent in them. One part was the membership analysis, which looked at the possible liquidity requirements of the Fund based on the members ages. From this analysis, we noted that about 43 per cent of the Fund assets are for members who could retire immediately. The balance of the assets is for members who are not eligible for retirement, however, they would still require a third in cash on exit from the Fund. Therefore, the Fund should aim to have about 60 per cent of the assets available immediately to accommodate exiting members, the investment managers said. The other part of the analysis was the option of allocating 20 per cent of the Funds assets in private equity. This, according to Imbewu, would then result in the immediate liquidity level of the Fund being at around 60 per cent. This would meet the needs of the Fund while also achieving the objective of having exposure to direct investments. The Fund would then consider three or four projects for direct investment of about five to 10 per cent each depending on the type of project and the risk and liquidity levels of each as the opportunities arose, stated Imbewu. Best world is where U.S., China both prosper: Buffett OMAHA, the United States, May 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. legendary investor Warren Buffett has said that while the United States and China are competing in many areas, they should recognize that the best world is one in which they both prosper. In a recorded interview broadcast at a forum on U.S.-China investment here Friday, Buffett told Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Andy Serwer that he believes Washington and Beijing "will always be competitors ... in business, ideas, and all kinds of ways. "We just have to make sure that competition doesn't get us to a point where we don't realize that the best world is one in which both the United States and China prosper," he said. The 88-year-old business magnate said the United States, China and Russia "all recognize the dangers of letting competition get out of control," adding that countries "can be competitors without being enemies." Asked whether Berkshire Hathaway, the multinational conglomerate of which Buffett is chairman and CEO, would "ever make a big acquisition in China," Buffett said "the answer is we would." Buffett said he knows the laws, the customs, the accounting and the people better in the United States than in other places in the world, which makes it easier for him to make a big acquisition in his home country. "I have to do more work if I'm looking beyond the borders, but I love the idea of doing it," Buffett said. Speaking of the Chinese economy, Buffett said he doesn't worry about the impact globally of slower economic growth in China to the tune of 6 to 6.5 percent a year. "China's going to grow a lot over time. When you think of what's happened since 1949, there's been nothing really like it," he said. "And they really hadn't remotely achieved their potential." Berkshire is holding its annual shareholders' meeting in Buffett's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. By Trend Azerbaijan has repeatedly proved its ability to determine a model of mutually beneficial cooperation, considering the interests of its partners, Hikmat Hajiyev, head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Trend News Agency during Interview with Sahil Karimli. He was commenting on the success formula of Azerbaijans foreign policy. He noted that in the most difficult and troubled times in the international arena, Azerbaijan managed to build mutually beneficial friendly relations both on a bilateral basis and on a multilateral one. He added that Azerbaijan is full of determination and in practice proved its ability to develop on a bilateral basis friendly relations with countries that have some contradictions with each other. Sometimes representatives of foreign media ask the question: what is the secret or what is the success formula of Azerbaijans foreign policy? Hajiyev said. First of all, in this sense, the personality of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev should be noted. A major role in establishing Azerbaijans relations with other countries belongs to the head of state, his political dialogue or friendly relations with the leaders of the countries. There are specific examples, he noted. Lets look at the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. In the development of these relations, the personalities of the leaders and the political dialogue between them are of great importance. To same extent, this can be said with regard to the relations of Azerbaijan with Iran and Belarus. These principles are one of the main criteria for the formation of a model for the success of Azerbaijans foreign policy and bilateral cooperation. He added that just like the Azerbaijani president said, Azerbaijan pursues an open, transparent foreign policy. The national interests of Azerbaijan lie at the core of this foreign policy, he said. This policy is predictable. The national interests of Azerbaijan include a complex set of approaches that contain the interests of every citizen. Our country has repeatedly proved the ability to determine, considering the interests of its partners, a model of mutually beneficial cooperation. That is why the number of countries willing to cooperate with Azerbaijan is growing. Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan demonstrates the ability to represent a successful model of cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral one, and this serves the mutual interests of the country and its partners. Lets take, for example, relations with neighboring Georgia, he said. Today, Azerbaijani companies are leading investors in Georgia. Tourists of Azerbaijan, visiting Georgia, contribute to the economic development of this country. He noted that in the political arena, Azerbaijan is always guided by the rule of international law. Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group (YBA Kanoo), one of the largest independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region, has signed a deal with Axa, one of the largest international insurers in the GCC, for its new real estate development in Bahrain Bay. Located on the main island, 6.8 km from Bahrain International Airport, Bahrain Bay is one of the kingdoms most ambitious real estate developments in recent years. Easily accessible, the new seven-storey Axa building will consist of over 6,000 sq m of commercial space. The new building is expected to open in late summer of 2019. Extensive work has been ongoing in the design, build and fit-out to craft not only a more comfortable work-environment for Axas Bahrain-based colleagues but also to provide a more customer-centric location, said a statement from YBA Kanoo. In addition, the building has been designed with sustainability in mind and will feature rooftop solar panels and automated lighting controls, it added. Commenting on the announcement, which comes just days after the King of Bahrain visited France to cement business relationships between the two countries, Nabeel Khalid Kanoo, a representative of YBA Kanoo, said: "Both parties are committed to supporting the kingdoms economic development and will continue to co-operate with the Economic Development Board of Bahrain." "This MoU is a testament to the two groups shared vision of collaboration and long-term business ventures, drawing on the strengths of their well-established partnership in Bahrain," he added. Axa Gulf CEO Cedric Charpentier said: "I am proud of our strong legacy with the Kanoo family spanning several decades and this building reflects not only the ambitious spirit of our partnership, but also strengthens our commitment to the kingdom and the region as a whole."-TradeArabia News Service Limak Insaat Kuwait, a fully-owned subsidiary of Limak Group of Companies established in Kuwait through the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), celebrated the graduation of the second batch of its university-level training program for aspiring female engineers, the Kuwaits Engineer Girls program during a commencement ceremony held on May 4. The internship and training program was successfully completed by 30 Kuwaiti female students currently enrolled in Kuwait Universitys undergraduate and graduate engineering programs. During the commencement ceremony held at the Chairmans Club, Kipco Tower, the graduates were awarded a Business Technology Education Council (BTEC) Management and Leadership certification recognised in over 100 countries, a certificate from Bogazici Lifelong Learning Center (BULLC), and a certificate of Field Training from Kuwait University. Launched in May 2017, the Kuwaits Engineer Girls is a program of Limak Insaat Kuwait implemented through a partnership with Kuwait University and Turkeys Bogazici University. The project-based learning program consists of 200 training hours divided into seven modules with an aim to empower students leadership and management skills and help them envision their future careers in engineering. Program activities undertaken include workshops, seminars, field training and site visits to Limaks projects in Kuwait and Turkey including the Kuwait International Airport Terminal 2 (T2) and IGA - Istanbul Airport. The first generation of graduates consisted of 30 young female engineers, 12 of which have accepted job offers at Limak since completing the program and receiving their certifications in March 2018, said a statement. More than 90 guests including parents attended the ceremony in honor of the graduates including the Limak Insaat Kuwait general manager, Kayihan Bagdatli, the active dean of the College of Engineering and Petroleum at Kuwait University Dr Raed Buresli, and the head of Engineering and Training Alumni Center at Kuwait University Dr Bader AlBusairi, who all spoke at the ceremony to commemorate the graduates achievements and the programs success. Limak is a strong and long-term advocate of the advancement of women in the engineering field in the countries it operates. Limaks support for female engineers in Kuwait is part of the companys greater regional efforts to add permanent value to Kuwaits society by supporting education and learning opportunities in the fields of construction, engineering, architecture, and project management. The Kuwait program is modelled after a successful program launched by Limak Insaat in Turkey in 2015, Turkeys Engineer Girls, said the statement. TradeArabia News Service Europes dominant position as the worlds biggest exporter of spare auto parts and accessories will be underlined by hundreds of European manufacturers presenting their latest innovations at Automechanika Dubai, to be held next month in Dubai, UAE. The event is the Middle Easts largest automotive aftermarket trade fair and will see more than 1,800 exhibitors from 60-plus countries participate in the event from June 10 to 12, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 350 companies from Europe will be showcasing their latest offerings at the event, said a statement from the organisers. Its estimated that global exports of auto parts totalled more than $400 billion in 2018, and according to Worlds Top Exports, an online data aggregator, European countries accounted for 48 percent of that value, or $195.6 billion. Auto parts and accessories are also the fourth most valuable export category in the European Union (EU), behind cars ($420.9 billion), and processed petroleum oils ($217 billion), making the automotive sector in particular one of highly strategic importance. This comes as EU aftermarket and original equipment manufacturers continue to make inroads into the wider Middle East and African (MEA) region, with Automechanika Dubai 2019 presenting a gateway to markets that have otherwise proven to be difficult to reach. Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, show director for Automechanika Dubai, said: We have for many years brought together the worlds leading manufacturers and suppliers with tens of thousands of trade visitors and buyers, over half of which come from outside of the UAE. Regional aftermarket buyers and distributors from the Middle East and Africa are seeking high-quality solutions and services that Europe is well-known for, and this year theyll be treated to the very best EU brands, he said. Seven of the 23 country pavilions at the fair will come from Europe, while therell be more than 25 European exhibiting countries along with eight supporting European trade associations, added Bilikozen. This is the only annual opportunity for regional aftermarket professionals to see the very best that Europe has to offer, all under one roof over three days in one of the worlds most dynamic cities, he added. According to Worlds Top Exports, European exports of auto components and accessories in 2018 grew by 7 per cent year-on-year, while eight of the worlds top 15 exporters come from the Old Continent. Topping the global list is Germany, with $67.1 billion worth of exports in 2018, comprising 17 percent of the total international value, and a 7 per cent increase over the previous year. France is the worlds seventh largest automotive parts exporter, with $15.7 billion worth shipped in 2018, followed by Italy ($15.3 billion, 8th largest), the Czech Republic ($14.6 billion, 9th), Poland ($14.3 billion, 10th), Spain ($11.7 billion, 11th), Romania ($7.6 billion, 14th), and the UK ($7 billion, 15th). These countries will also have a strong presence at Automechanika Dubai 2019, where national pavilions from Germany, Italy, UK, Belgium, Spain, France, and Poland will present the biggest names in the business. The Spanish presence for example has already grown by 50 per cent year-on-year in terms of exhibition space covered, and top companies confirmed to participate this year include the likes of Alkar, Air Fren, Cepsa, Gespasa, B CAR Auto Parts, and Cojali, a manufacturer of premium components for braking and cooling systems. Javier de la Guia, sales director at Cojali, said: In addition to braking and cooling systems components, our company produces advanced diagnostics solutions for commercial vehicles, and we are launching at the event the first and only telematics solution with real-time remote diagnostics. This solution links all different parties in the transportation field, including fleet managers, drivers, workshop owners and customers. We anticipate it will be hugely popular in this region, which has a large commercial road transportation network, he added, Air Fren is also eager to reach out to professionals in the commercial vehicle sector, and will present its 2019 portfolio of air brake systems for trucks, trailers, and buses. Jesus Velilla, chief executive officer and owner of Air Fren said large scale construction and a vast logistics network in the wider Middle East and Africa means demand for the companys aftermarket solutions will continue to grow. The massive construction and logistics operations ongoing in the Middle East and Africa means therere a lot of need for industrial vehicles to accomplish the many important projects in these areas, he said. This reflects on the aftermarket as well, and these two markets represent an important percentage of our business in foreign countries, Velilla added. Our main reason to exhibit at the event is to keep in contact with our existing regional customers, while expanding our business with new distributors, he concluded. Almost half of the entire European continent is covered this year at Automechanika Dubai 2019, with other exhibiting countries in addition to the national pavilions, coming from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine. The annual three-day event is organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, and covers the six product sections of parts and components; electronics and systems; accessories and customising; repair and maintenance; car wash, care and reconditioning; and tyres and batteries. The 2019 edition will feature four new sub-sections of agricultural parts and equipment; body and paint; motorcycle parts and components; and oils and lubricants. A key returning highlight is the Innovation Zone, a dedicated area at the centre of the show floor featuring presentations and product showcases that are steering the course for the regional and global automotive aftermarket. Other features include the Truck Competence initiative, where more than 1,250 exhibitors will showcase their products dedicated to the entire value chain in the truck sector, from truck parts and accessories, to workshop equipment, body repairs and care. The Automechanika Academy (AA) also returns, featuring key presentations such as Dubais auto parts and accessories trade in 2018 by the Dubai Customs, along with the findings of a survey exploring innovations in the Middle East automotive industry by global research company Explori. Other AA highlights include a series of sessions by AMENA and Tiqani, as well as AfriConnections, which explores rising opportunities in the African aftermarket, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Turkey-based Otokar, a leading land defence systems manufacturer and a Koc Group company, showcased its new military armoured vehicles and own design turret systems at the recent 14th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2019 in Turkey. The four-day event opened on April 30, at the Istanbul Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Centre. It was organised under the patronage of the Turkish Presidency and hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Defence. Otokar debuted the Tulpar Medium Tank; AKREP IIe - the first Turkish electric armoured vehicle; Cobra II Medical Evacuation Vehicle; and Ural SOV (special operations vehicle) among the new vehicles at the fair. Otokar general manager Serdar Gorguc said: As the most competent land systems company in Turkey with 32 years of experience in military vehicles, we strive to offer the best products and services to our clients in more than 50 countries worldwide. We reflect the experiences we gain in Turkey as well as in different climates and geographies around the world to our vehicle development activities. As an industry leader in land systems, we have introduced many firsts in Turkey and now we are taking our aspirations in defence industry to another dimension with our new generation armoured vehicle family and new product types, he said. The armoured vehicles we develop are built against present threats using next generation technologies, and we are expanding our position in Turkey as a vehicle manufacturer. Currently, more than 30,000 of our companys vehicles are being actively used in over 30 countries. During the exhibition, we will not only improve our cooperation with our existing clients but also promote our land systems capabilities to prospective new clients. Our goal is to continue our product innovations, R&D activities and expand technology transfer activities in global markets, he added. Cobra II Medical Evacuation Vehicle: Cobra II mine-protected armoured medical evacuation vehicle is a version of the modular Cobra II platform adaptable for different missions. It is designed to provide high terrain capabilities with mine and ballistic protection, and is intended to carry out all interventions expected from a standard medical evacuation vehicle. AKREP IIe: The new generation addition to the AKREP II 4x4 armoured vehicle family, has been developed by Otokar as an armoured reconnaissance and weapons platform. It is designed with a low silhouette to respond to stealthy reconnaissance and surveillance requirements of armed forces. In addition to mobility on all terrains and superior manoeuvrability and agility, the vehicle also comes with a construction that can be equipped with alternative powerplants (electric, diesel and hybrid). AKREP II integrates power generation and transmission systems, sensors, computers, communication and targeting systems all in one and offers a construction that will facilitate conversion to autonomous vehicles. Ural SOV: Is the new variant of the versatile modular Ural platform, a unique product of the companys innovative approach. It is designed to meet the need for 4x4 armoured or non-armoured tactical vehicles of different users with a versatile and modular solution. With its modular structure and dimensions, the Ural platform can be easily adapted to the equipment, weapon systems and configurations required by different missions and versions customised to client requests are currently used in numerous domestic and foreign missions. Tulpar Medium Tank: The tank stands out with its mobility, firepower and survivability features. Integrated with CMIs Cockerill 3105 type turret; the auto-loader 105 mm gun system is capable of firing all types of 105mm NATO ammunition and 105mm guided anti-tank missile. It offers effective solutions in missions that require high firing and destruction. With superior mobility, the medium tank can serve in all kinds of combat environments from urban, built-up areas and light bridges to woodlands and all terrains especially soft surfaces where main battle tanks are unable to operate due to their heavy weights. TradeArabia News Service Aramex, a leading global provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions, has reported a revenue of Dh1.234 billion ($335.96 million) for first quarter ended March 31, 2019, an increase of 4 per cent over Dh1.190 billion ($323.98 million) for the same period last year. Revenues would have grown by 8 per cent excluding the impact from currency fluctuations, mainly in the Libyan Dinar, South African Rand and Australian Dollar; and the companys strategic restructuring of its domestic operations in India, said a statement from Aramex. Net profit for the quarter rose by 4 per cent to reach Dh108 million ($29.40 million), compared to Dh103 million ($28.04 million) in Q1 2018, it said. Net profit was negatively impacted by the amount of Dh10.6 million ($2.89 million) due to the implementation of IFRS16 and currency fluctuations. However, Aramexs strategic restructuring of domestic operations in India delivered a positive contribution of Dh6.7 million ($1.82 million) to net income. Excluding those impacts, the bottom line would have grown by 8 per cent. Bashar Obeid, chief executive officer of Aramex, said: We continue to benefit from the healthy growth in global e-commerce volumes; however, we have started witnessing pressure on International Express margins due to lower and more competitive pricing. Our key priorities for this year are to continue to invest in upgrading our service level across all our core markets, while progressing aggressively in executing our digital transformation roadmap. This will help us boost operational efficiencies to cater for rapidly changing e-commerce business requirements, including faster shipping and delivery solutions at lower costs, he said. Our integrated logistics and supply chain management business had a great quarter, thanks to our efforts to mobilise assets and resources to capitalise on the increase in demand for those services, especially from regional retailers aiming to boost their online sales, he added. Iyad Kamal, chief operating officer at Aramex, said: In Q1 2019, we continued to improve operating efficiencies and accelerated our digital transformation efforts in order to enhance service levels, especially in the last-mile delivery. These initiatives will help us win in the long-term, as we will be able to handle more capacity more efficiently and at a lower cost. Another trend that positively impacted our business this quarter was the entrance of major Middle East retailers into the online sales space as part of an omni-channel approach, which is why we are investing in servicing this promising market, he said. We also launched our new, partially automated fulfilment centre at Dubai Logistics City, which has improved our logistics and supply chain management solutions and offering, he added. Our operating expenses have increased by 8 per cent in Q1 2019 following the expansion of our infrastructure in key markets like Saudi Arabia. Today, we have more than 150 pick-up points across Saudi Arabia with aggressive plans to further expand our presence, in an effort to make it as convenient as possible for customers to pick up their packages and ship with our company, Kamal concluded. Aramex's cross-border International Express business grew by 7 per cent to Dh533 million ($145.11 million). This performance is mainly attributed to the continuous growth in cross-border e-commerce, which registered double-digit growth across most of Aramexs markets, mainly Turkey, Asia and North America. Shipment volumes surged by 22 per cent in Q1 2019, yet lower margins prevailed. The Domestic Express business dropped by 3 per cent to Dh257 million ($69.97 million), due in large part to the strategic restructuring in India and fluctuations in foreign currency, mainly in the South African Rand and Australian Dollar. Excluding those factors, the business would have grown by 7 per cent. The e-commerce Domestic Express business performed very well in GCC markets, and registered double-digit growth especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Freight forwarding growth stabilised at 1 per cent to Dh287 million ($78.14 million), with oil and gas segment experiencing strong double-digit growth. The integrated logistics and supply chain solutions business experienced strong growth of 23 per cent to Dh85 million ($23.14 million), owed in large part to Aramexs efforts to service the major regional retailers strong appetite to tap into omni-channel sales model, which led to strong demand for warehousing, sorting, and last mile delivery solutions. Obeid continued: We continue to maintain a positive outlook for the remainder of the year. However, the fast-changing landscape means that we will have to grow market share by being more competitive with our pricing, more efficient with our offerings and exceling at the quality of our service. We will carry on investing in automation and other technologies as part of our digital transformation roadmap to improve our operations and enhance the overall customer experience, he said. Despite lower margins, we remain confident about our Freight Forwarding business, driven by our internal restructuring efforts, the introduction of new dedicated teams and our aggressive push into new verticals. We are also optimistic about the opportunity to expand our logistics and supply chain solutions in the region, concluded Obeid. TradeArabia News Service Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), a leading aluminium smelter, has successfully started an additional 106 pots in its Line 6, bringing 212 pots online, which is equivalent to 50 per cent of Line 6 capacity. Albas chairman of the board of directors Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa attended the ceremony to mark this milestone, which was held on April 30, in the presence of Alba chief executive officer Tim Murray, Alba executive management team, Line 6 Start-up team along with senior Bechtel officials, said a statement from the company. Shaikh Daij said: We are excited to have progressed the ramp-up of Line 6 pots ahead of plan by 12 days. With 50 per cent of Line 6 operational, we look forward to advance the safe commissioning of the remaining 212 pots on schedule and to move closer to full production by Q3 2019. The Potline 6 was commissioned on December 13, ahead of schedule, with the delivery of the First Hot Metal. Since then, there has been a gradual ramp-up of Potline 6 with the successful start of 106 pots achieved on March 26, he said. Our company is now looking at the full completion of Line 6 by early Q3 2019, he added. TradeArabia News Service Uber today announced a strategic partnership with Takamol Holding, which operates Wusool, a programme developed by Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), with the goal of enabling working women in Saudi Arabia overcome transportation challenges to and from the workplace. The programme provides affordable, subsidised transportation solutions to encourage womens contribution towards the countrys socio-economic progress, in line with the goals and objectives of the Kingdoms Vision 2030. Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, VP and regional general manager EMEA, Uber, said: Uber is a conscientious company that strives to uplift the communities it operates in. We are expanding exponentially within the Middle East and North Africa region, with Saudi Arabia being one of our fastest-growing markets. At Uber, we will continue supporting the governments focus on Saudization and the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to increase womens participation in the workforce. Through this partnership with Takamol Holding for Wusool, which is Ubers largest subsidised transport programme globally, we are able to provide women with the opportunity to achieve their professional ambitions, as well as strive to be catalysts for economic growth in the kingdom with their active contribution to the overall workforce, added Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty. Dr Ahmed Al Yamani, CEO Takamol, stated: We are delighted to announce our partnership with Uber, a leader in the ride-hailing industry. This partnership will provide Saudi women with access to transportation solutions to and from their workplace, which falls under one of the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, that aims to enable members of the community to enter the workforce and bolster it under the National Transformation Program. Approximately 25,000 women currently benefit from the programme and we aim for more to join them by the end of the year 2019. Saudi women between the ages of 18 and 65 can apply to the programme through Taqat - the national labour gateway managed by the HRDF -- based on the eligibility criteria to receive partially subsidised Wusool rides on the Uber application in the kingdom. Applicants must be working in the private sector and earning an income of up to a maximum of SR8,000 per month. In line with the kingdoms cultural and economical changes, and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the strategic partnership aims at increasing womens participation in the workforce by supporting them in overcoming the challenges associated with accessing reliable and convenient transportation to/from their workplace, as well as providing flexible economic opportunities. The partnership is aligned with Ubers Masaruky (your path in Arabic) initiative, which is committed to enhancing womens mobility in the kingdom. As part of the Masaruky initiative, Uber pledged SR1 million to support select women through driving schools. Most recently, Uber has announced the launch of a feature which enables women drivers on Uber to select a preference for women riders, a feature only available in Saudi Arabia and a global first for Uber. TradeArabia News Service Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), a major international company that develops and manufactures construction machines, has assembled a dedicated team to proactively support Volvo dealers in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for providing solutions to problems that can lead to reduced uptime. Located in Volvo CEs EMEA regional headquarters in Eskilstuna, Sweden, the new uptime centre will assist the entire Volvo dealer network in keeping customers machines up and running. It will serve as an IT nerve centre, monitoring data transmitted by connected machines through CareTrack and identifying areas where uptime and efficiency can be increased, said the statement from Volvo CE. The majority of problems we work with should be things that we detect before the dealer or customer does. Thats our goal to be proactive and provide solutions to problems before they happen, says Fredrik Gerhardsson, vice-president aftermarket within Volvo CE sales region EMEA. In a bid to become customers number one choice for uptime in EMEA, we have assembled a dedicated team to proactively support Volvo dealers in providing solutions to problems that can lead to reduced uptime, he added. Case handlers will alert dealers to machine errors codes and alarms so that they can take immediate action on behalf of their customers, reducing unplanned stops, spending on fuel and maintenance and preventing future problems. When I identify a problem, I make a complete report that I send to the dealer. The dealer goes to provide preventative maintenance, extra training or offer options that will ensure even better uptime or efficiency. A trained operator, for example, can save a lot of money on fuel and unplanned maintenance, says Leif Waad, one of the case handlers in the uptime centre. The centre is the outcome of a reorganisation of the product support department as effectively guiding dealers with preventative maintenance requires expertise from more than just the aftermarket. Involvement of all areas of the Volvo CE team help create a culture of uptime and bring customer service to the forefront of the business, says Robert Sundkvist, manager of the uptime centre. -TradeArabia News Service South Africa: President Ramaphosa extends condolences to Malema family This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the development and protection of a diverse and pluralistic media environment in South Africa. The agency made the undertaking when it joined the international community in celebrating World Press Freedom Day 2019 on Friday, 3 May. [read more: https:/... See more A locomotive exported to Australia by CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd. (Photo provided by CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd.) CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as CRRC hereinafter), which belongs to CRRC Corporation Limited, was established in 1966. It is mainly engaged in the manufacture of diesel and electric locomotives. In recent years, CRRC has firmly grasped the opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), actively expanding its international market. Until now, it has provided more than 800 diesel locomotives to 25 countries and regions, of which about 95 percent of locomotive products have been exported to countries along the Belt and Road. It gives the "domestic time-honored brand" new vitality. In 2010, the first AC drive diesel locomotive manufactured by CRRC was exported to Australia. This was also the first time that China had shipped a high-end diesel locomotive to a developed country. It indicated that CRRC had made progress in high-quality development. To date, CRRC has exported 18 diesel locomotives to Australia. SCT and QUBE, the top 10 logistics companies in Australia, purchased 12 and six locomotives respectively. To begin with, diesel locomotives from CRRC were mainly used to transport iron ore. With the decline of the Australian mining industry, the trains are now mainly used to transport containers, including food and daily necessities. Australian freight railways are privately owned and divided according to regions. CRRC locomotives need to pass the admission tests of many railway companies before they can be used on these railways. The road sections, scope, conditions and requirements tested by various railway companies are different. CRRC had to pass the American standards which are used for Australian locomotive certification - one of the highest standards in the world. To cope with the tests, CRRC sent a technical team to Australia before developing the locomotives. They inspected the Australian railway lines and communicated with the crews. They learned more about the locomotive's operating environment, consumer habits and admission standards. The inspection would help to assist the development of trains to comply with Australian market requirements. CRRC strictly adhered to more than 60 international standards to ensure that the locomotives had an excellent overall performance and quality. CRRC explored the possibility of high-quality BRI development, respecting the laws of the local markets, obeying international standards, working on technological innovation and contributing to local economic development. An SDA1 locomotive of SCT Logistics (Photo provided by CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd.) At the beginning of the project, a company called SCT logistics also sent a team to CRRC. The two parties adhered to the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration. They cooperated closely throughout the whole process of design, demonstration, manufacturing and testing. As a result, their products met the local requirements in Australia. Meng Yufa, deputy director of CRRC's R&D department, said that in the process of locomotive manufacturing and testing, each significant process had to be verified by the Australian side before they could enter the next stage. It took more than one year for the SDA1 locomotive to pass Australian testing and successfully launch. CRRC started certification testing in Australia in 2012. The tests covered more than 30 items including noise, braking, electromagnetic compatibility and traction performance. Among them, the traction performance test was the most challenging. This "big exam" was carried out on the Coober Pedy to Port Augusta section of South Australia. The train was required to pull goods with a total length of 1,300 meters, 87 carriages, and a total weight of 8,337 tons. With the world's most advanced technology, the CRRC locomotives passed the ARTC Railway Company certification tests. In 2016, in the case of changing the locomotive control mode and increasing technical difficulties, CRRC again passed the traction performance test. The test was carried out on railway from the Hawkesbury River to the Cowan Bank. The length of the railway is 8.58 km, of which 75 percent is a steep slope of more than 25 thousandths (the slope of the general railway does not exceed 20 thousandths). Moreover, it is a continuous S-shaped section. Due to its difficulty, the test is known as the "devil's corner." After the first test failed, the team, led by Meng Yufa, quickly discovered the problem and spent more than two months researching and fixing it. The second test was canceled due to a storm, but they managed to pass the certification test in the third trial. CCRC has proven the technical innovation and green development of diesel locomotives along the Belt and Road. The SDA1 train has low operating noise, less than 75 decibels inside and 87 decibels outside. Locomotive availability has reached 96 percent, which means that in addition to failure and maintenance time, the locomotive can run for more than 350 days a year. The locomotive can tow more than 8,000 tons and tops out at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. Paul Hewison, an engineer from SCT, said that the locomotives from CRRC are one of the world's best, which meet the high requirements of the Australian railway industry with the lowest emissions, the highest power in the same axle weight, and the most reliable structural locomotives. The introduction of CRRC's high-tech locomotives not only directly reduced the running costs for Australian logistics companies, but also injected competitive factors into the Australian locomotive market. After more than seven years of operation in Australia, CRRC has accumulated a large amount of data on locomotive operations and has a thorough understanding of the Australian market and standards. At the same time, it has also cultivated a business and technical team with global capabilities to help further explore the international market. The cooperation between Chinese and Australian enterprises on the locomotive project is a testimony to the fact that China and developed countries could have mutual benefits and win-win results under the Belt and Road Initiative. Saudi-based Acwa Power said a consortium led by the company has secured a major contract from the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) for the development of the largest utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project in the sultanate. The consortium, which includes Kuwait-based groups Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Alternative Energy Projects Company (AEPCo), has inked agreements for the development of Ibri-2 Independent Power Producer (IPP) with the Oman utility group. The project will be located around 300 km west of Muscat, and will contribute towards increasing power supplies in the sultanate, said a statement from Acwa Power. As per the deal, the Acwa-led consortium will be developing the project on a BOO (build, own, operate) basis, including the development, finance, construction, and operation of the 500 MWac solar PV power plant. Following an international competitive tendering process that included 12 qualified bidders, OPWP had awarded the project to the consortium for submitting the best economic tariff for the electricity that would be sold to the Omani utility firm, it added. Acwa Power is the lead investor in the project with a 50 per cent stake, whereas GIC will have a 40 per cent stake and AEPC will control the remaining 10 per cent. The project will be the first utility-scale solar power project in Oman and will utilise solar PV technology to yield 500MWac of power. The innovative design of the plant will ensure the highest efficiency, reliability and availability standards for any comparable plant in the world, said the statement. At peak generation capacity, the plant output will be enough to supply an estimated 33,000 homes with electricity and will offset 340,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. On the project win, Acwa Power oresident and CEO Paddy Padmanathan said: "We applaud the government of Oman for their ambitions related to renewable energy and diversifying the countrys power mix as evidenced by the scope of this project and its future potential in supporting the Sultanates economy." "It is an honour to have been trusted with the delivery and operation of the Ibri II Solar PV IPP based on our reputation for winning world-record power projects with thebest tariffs as well as our expanding renewable portfolio and we look forward to collaborating with our partners and Omani stakeholders to successfully complete this project," he stated. Rajit Nanda, the chief investment officer of Acwa Power, said: "Our winning bid for Ibri II Solar PV IPP is a continuation of the progress Acwa Power is making in developing and securing our clean energy footprint in the region." "Being awarded this project is a sign of intent which reaffirms our steadfast commitment to renewable energy and also to Oman," he added. Meshary Al Judaimi, the division head of financial services and utilities of GIC, said: "GIC is a successful co-developer of utilities projects in the GCC and with this project we are proud to develop alternative and clean utility-scale solar energy project in the GCC." "Winning Ibri-II project reinforces GIC role in supporting private sector participation in the development of the GCC economies," he noted. Dr Hassan Qassem from APECo said this project demonstrated the ability of GCC companies to compete with their international counterparts to provide competitive solution in renewable and sustainable energy. "This project also demonstrated Omans long term vision in sourcing renewable energy and encouraging investment in the sector," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Saudi low-cost carrier flynas has announced plans to launch new direct flights between Riyadh and New Delhi, the capital of India, starting from July 1. Flynas will operate five direct flights weekly between King Khalid International Airport and New Delhi India Gandhi International Airport, the carrier said in a statement. The adding of this new destination aims to meet the growing demand for flights between Riyadh and New Delhi, and is in support of flynas global expansion strategy. Passengers can now book their flights between Riyadh and New Delhi through all flynas booking platforms, including sales agents and the flynas website and mobile application, or by calling flynas 24/7 call centre. The carrier recently added destinations including Lahore, Islamabad, Algeria, Trabzon, Erbil, Baghdad, Sarajevo, Vienna, Batumi, Tbilisi and Baku. Moreover, the airline has also announced its expansion strategy for the next phase which seeks to add more destinations and contribute towards doubling its number of passengers, which reached 6.6 million passengers on 60,000 domestic and international flights last year. - TradeArabia News Service In an advanced step towards establishing Oman's leadership on the global tourism map, the Oman Ministry of Tourism has signed a series of strategic partnerships with a number of leading names in the world of tourism and travel, amidst remarkable interest in the competitive tourism elements that make the sultanate an attractive regional and international tourist destination. This came at the end of its successful participation at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, with the Oman pavilion witnessing strong turnout and interest from visitors who expressed their admiration in particular for the leisure opportunities in the sultanates diverse natural, geographical and historical sites; reflecting the heritage and authenticity of the Omani culture. The Ministry of Tourism, headed by Salem Adi Al Mamari, director general of Tourism Promotion, led a high-profile delegation along with 24 government entities, hotels and tourism service providers. The focus was to promote the industry and ultimately increase the number of regional and international visitors in line with Oman Tourism Strategy 2040, which aims to welcome 11 million domestic and global tourists. Speaking following the conclusion of the event, Al Mamari said: Our efforts at this years ATM effectively highlighted the touristic attractions within the sultanate, especially the areas with moderate temperatures during the summer that are a hub for tourists coming from the GCC countries. We were delighted with the high interest in visitors who were eager to explore what we had to offer. We attracted thousands of visitors to the Oman pavilion to detail the activities, programs and events designed for future tourists. The last few years have seen transformative progress in the Sultanate, and we look forward to the future with great anticipation. The Omani pavilion served as a major strategic platform to assist in networking and meetings between decision-makers, investors, businessmen and representatives of leading travel and tourism companies. The ministry targeted a variety of segments including areas with moderate temperatures during the summer such as Khareef season in Dhofar governorate and adventure tourism, cultural tourism, family tourism and business and corporate tourism due in part to the recent increase in tourism market-based representatives. In addition to the long-term objectives of Oman Tourism Strategy 2040, the ministry is also striving to increase direct flights to and from Oman in the near future and diversify tourism offerings to include culture, adventure, business, leisure, travel and Mice. The meetings discussed key opportunities for cooperation and explored the prospects of developing major tourism and hotel projects to further enhance the countrys attractiveness among regional and international audiences. The participation at ATM 2019 was marked by a strategic partnership with Wego to promote the sultanate as the ideal choice for travellers from the GCC. Both sides agreed to unified efforts to attract more visitors to the Sultanate, which enjoys a mild climate in the summer season that will enhance its position as a tourist destination throughout the year and increase the promotion of exceptional tourist sites including Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Khasab and Daqum. The new partnership will also focus on promoting awareness of Oman's natural, tourism, heritage, cultural and historical diversity. The ministry also signed a memorandum of understanding with flydubai, aimed at attracting travellers from the GCC and international markets through Dubai, as the two sides approved respective marketing campaigns. The ministry has partnered with Holiday Factory to launch an e-marketing campaign in the framework of its ongoing commitment to strengthening cooperation with the public and private sectors in various tourism fields, supporting the tourism development process and enhancing the sultanate's attractiveness and competitiveness among the tourist destinations during the summer. It includes discounts and packages for tickets and accommodation to encourage travellers from the GCC to explore cultural, historical and natural treasures in Oman. On the sidelines of ATM, a cooperation agreement was also signed with Air Arabia. Under the new agreement, the sultanate will be promoted across all target markets on Air Arabia flights, with the organisation of a variety of tours in Oman. The agreement with Musafir.com" marks the culmination of the new partnership portfolio, where it was agreed to launch an advertising campaign through social networks to marketing special tourist packages to visit Salalah during Khareef season. The Omani Pavilion participating in this years ATM had 24 entities from the sultanate that were involved, including The Sama Resort and Spa, Khimjis House of Travel, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, Grand Hyatt Muscat, Aitken Spence Resorts, Millennium Resort Mussanah, Outdoor Adventure Tourism, The Chedi Muscat, and many others. Observers watching Januarys total eclipse of the Moon saw a rare event, a short-lived flash as a meteorite hit the lunar surface. Spanish astronomers now think the space rock collided with the Moon at 61,000 km/h, excavating a crater 10 to 15 meters across. Prof. Jose Maria Madiedo of the University of Huelva, and Dr. Jose L. Ortiz of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, published their results in a new paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Total lunar eclipses take place when the Moon moves completely into the shadow of the Earth. The Moon takes on a red color the result of scattered sunlight refracted through the Earths atmosphere but is much darker than normal. These spectacular events are regularly observed by astronomers and the wider public alike. The most recent lunar eclipse took place on January 21, 2019, with observers in North and South America and western Europe enjoying the best view. At 0441 GMT, just after the total phase of the eclipse began, a flash was seen on the lunar surface. Widespread reports from amateur astronomers indicated the flash attributed to a meteorite impact was bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Madiedo and Ortiz operate the Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS), using eight telescopes in the south of Spain to monitor the lunar surface. Video footage from MIDAS recorded the moment of impact. The impact flash lasted 0.28 seconds and is the first ever filmed during a lunar eclipse, despite a number of earlier attempts. Madiedo, who was impressed when he observed the event, as it was brighter than most of the events regularly detected by the survey, said: Something inside of me told me that this time would be the time. Unlike the Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere to protect it and so even small rocks can hit its surface. Since these impacts take place at huge speeds, the rocks are instantaneously vaporized at the impact site, producing an expanding plume of debris whose glow can be detected from our planet as short-duration flashes. MIDAS telescopes observed the impact flash at multiple wavelengths (different colors of light), improving the analysis of the event. Madiedo and Ortiz conclude that the incoming rock had a mass of 45 kg, measured 30 to 60 cm across, and hit the surface at 61,000 km/h. The impact site is close to the crater Lagrange H, near the west-south-west portion of the lunar limb. The two scientists assess the impact energy as equivalent to 1.5 tonnes of TNT, enough to create a crater up to 15 meters across, or about the size of two double-decker buses side by side. The debris ejected is estimated to have reached a peak temperature of 5400C, roughly the same as the surface of the Sun. Madiedo said: It would be impossible to reproduce these high-speed collisions in a lab on Earth. Observing flashes is a great way to test our ideas on exactly what happens when a meteorite collides with the Moon. The team plans to continue monitoring meteorite impacts on the lunar surface, especially to understand the risk they present to astronauts set to return to the Moon in the next decade. Provided by: Royal Astronomical Society [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.] Like this article? 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The Commonwealth Honors Academy is a three-week-long program for academic, personal, and social development and is open to outstanding high school students during the summer after their junior year. Accepted students receive six hours of tuition-free university credit during the program, six additional tuition-free credit hours during their senior year of high school, and a guaranteed housing scholarship to Murray State University for $2,000 per year for four years. The academy is open both to students in Kentucky and to students in other states, and accepts only 120 participants each year. To be considered for a slot, applicants must have a 3.5 GPA and a composite ACT score of 25. Each year, the academy incorporates an overarching theme into the courses and activities offered that is meant to foster learning outside of the classroom by unifying academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular experiences. Attendees will participate in an interdisciplinary humanities and fine arts course and a separate elective course in an area of interest to them, both of which will incorporate elements of the years theme. Students also participate in small-group seminar sessions that allow them to contemplate a wide variety of topics. The Marshall County School District is proud of the hard work and dedication that these students have demonstrated to earn admittance to the Commonwealth Honors Academy, and we wish them continued success in all their future endeavors. Three Marshall County High School juniors have been selected to attend the Commonwealth Honors Academy at Murray State University. By WestKyStar & MCHS Staff May. 05, 2019 | 05:26 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY Congratulations are in order for the following students: Kaden Chiles, Emma Dittman, Megan Duzmal, Colby Edwards, William Houser, Loralei Samson, Abigail Stanger, and Luke Wyatt. The Governors Scholars Program is a five-week summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The Program originated in 1983 as a result of Kentucky leaders concern that the states best and brightest were leaving the Commonwealth to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere without fully understanding the potential of their talents at home. The Programs mission is to enhance Kentuckys next generation of civic and economic leaders. Students who are selected attend the Program without charge. Over 2,000 applications are received at the state level each year, with approximately 1,000 students selected to attend. In order to participate in the Program, students must be nominated by their districts to enter at the state level. Selection for the Program is highly competitive. In addition to an academic profile that includes difficulty of course load, GPA, and at least one standardized test score, the application requires an outline of all extracurricular activities, volunteer service, and employment history. A teacher recommendation, which includes both a quantitative evaluation and qualitative descriptions of the students performance and potential, is an additional component, along with a community recommendation, which shows how a student performs in a community setting beyond the high school. The final component of the application is an original writing entry. The Marshall County School District is thrilled to send a new class of participants to the Governors Scholars Program, and is proud of the effort and commitment that these students have displayed to earn this opportunity. We wish them all the best in all that they do. Eight Marshall County High School juniors have been selected to attend this years Governors Scholars Program. A male midwife has delivered over 600 babies in southwest China's Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children since he started working there in 2016. Li Yunlong, the 26-year-old midwife, became an ICU nurse in an affiliated hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine after graduating from college, but soon quit his job. "Back then, I dealt with critical patients every day. I was overwhelmed by death. That's why I decided to become a midwife, so I could welcome new lives," Li said. "Delivering babies is the happiest thing in my life," he added with a smile. Though refused by some prenatal women at first, Li has won recognition thanks to his sensitivity and humor. Some expectant mothers have even explicitly asked for Li's help. "It is energy-consuming during delivery as we may need to lift and transfer patients. Since men are stronger than women, we can be more efficient in this regard," said Li. As China has begun to implement the two-child policy, there is now a higher demand for midwives. The ratio of male midwives will continue to rise, said an official at Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children. (Photo/People's Daily Online) Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By WestKyStar & Baptist Health Staff May. 05, 2019 | 04:57 PM | PADUCAH The reception will take place at 3 pm on Tuesday, May 14 in the Larry Barton Atrium at Baptist Health Paducah. Baptist Health Wound Care in Paducah was the only center in the state and one of only 29 centers nationwide to receive the Presidents Circle Center of Excellence award from Healogics, the nation's largest provider of advanced wound care services. This award shows our commitment to our patients and to the quality of care we provide, said Jamie Ehling, Baptist Health Wound Care program director. Sharing our wound care expertise with every patient who would benefit by the best means available is our mission. Our clinicians and staff are always fully engaged and determined advocates for our patients. This produces award-winning treatment and excellent care. Baptist Health Wound Care is located at Suite 103, inside Baptist Health Paducah Medical Park 2, and can be reached by calling 270-575-2414. Baptist Health Wound Care plans to celebrate its recent designation as a Presidents Circle Center of Excellence with a reception honoring wound care providers and staff. New Year's Eve still on in Times Square, but with smaller crowd By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2019 | 10:24 AM | MAYFIELD Ingevity of Wickliffe recently donated $5,000 to the Family Resource and Youth Services Centers of the Graves County Schools.Of the $5,000, some $4,000 will go toward the operational needs of the centers. The remaining $1,000 is earmarked for the upcoming rodeo fundraiser.The United Livestock Commodities Rodeo Showdown is scheduled to take place at the Mayfield-Graves County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 11.Prior to the 7:30 pm rodeo, Rodney Nance will entertain the crowd with his music, starting at 6 pm. Admission prices are $10 each for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6-12, and free to ages 5 and younger.Ingevity also donates to other school districts throughout the area as part of their mission of giving back to their communities.Steve Baumgardner, Rodney Zimmer, and William Peck represented Ingevity, while presenting the check to the school districts central office.This is amazing, said Jean Ann Miller, director of the Graves County Middle School Youth Services Center. We have many projects to help students and families remove barriers to learning in Graves County and the need keeps getting larger every year. Without generous contributions like this, we would not be able to do nearly as much. We really do appreciate it. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2019 | MURRAY By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2019 | 03:10 PM | MURRAY Murray State University has named Morgan Pulliam and JT Payne as the Outstanding Seniors for spring 2019. Students recognized with this honor are known for going above and beyond what is expected of them academically and professionally. Pulliam is the daughter of James and Kelly Pulliam of Normal, Illinois. She will graduate this month with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration (international business focus). My experience at Murray State has opened my eyes to what is beyond my comfort zone, Pulliam said. I've always been a shy and quiet person but here, I felt comfortable to be myself. I forged lifelong friendships with people from various walks of life, explored the world and made countless memories. In my four years here, I have learned to embrace challenges, celebrate opportunities and take advantage of adventures. Pulliam, a Murray State University Presidential Fellow and Honors College student, has served in a variety of leadership roles in her collegiate career, including work as the head of the Delta Zeta sororitys standards board, as well as its parliamentarian and academic tutor. Pulliam has also served on the Honors Student Council and as an education abroad peer advisor and Murray State student ambassador. Pulliam spent fall 2016 studying abroad in Regensburg, Germany, where she excelled in German language and culture courses. She has presented research at the Kentucky Honors Roundtable and will defend her honors thesis, The Rhetoric of Contemporary Social Movements in the American Public, Private, and Technical Spheres, in May. Her accolades include being named a Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts French Outstanding Student and a finalist for Ms. Murray State University 2018. Payne is the son of Jimmy Payne and Penny Cowan, and is from Henderson County, Kentucky. He will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and agricultural education. "I am extremely humbled and grateful to receive this honor, Payne said. Throughout my collegiate experience, I have had an abundance of support from peers, faculty and family, each of whom I also consider to be outstanding. Without their encouragement and confidence in me, this certainly wouldn't have been possible." Payne, a Murray State University Presidential Fellow and Honors College student who has served as president of the Murray State University Student Government Association since March 2017, has acted as the Murray State Board of Regents student regent, advocating for all University students in financial, academic and cultural matters. In his time on the board, Payne has been part of several subcommittees, including the Murray State Presidential Search Committee, Presidents Budget Advisory Committee, Marketing Firm RFP Committee and more. His other leadership roles include serving as chairman of the Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents, a campaign coordinator in Kentucky Congressman James Comers 2018 re-election campaign, president of the Murray State College Republicans and youth chair of the Henderson County Republican Party Executive Committee. In addition to his Presidential Fellowship, Payne has been involved with numerous organizations, including Murray State Collegiate FFA and Henderson County FFA Alumni. Payne also serves as a Murray State agriculture student ambassador. Paynes work experience includes an agricultural fellowship in Congressman James Comers Washington, D.C. office, an internship with the Henderson County Cooperative Extension service, a Racer Academy TA position and student teaching at Calloway County High School. Upon graduation, Payne plans to eventually continue his education. He looks forward to the opportunity to return back to his hometown, starting his career and serving his community. The commencement ceremony will take place Saturday, May 11 at 9:00 am in the CFSB Center for graduates of the Bauernfeind College of Business, College of Humanities and Fine Arts and Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology, with a 2:00 pm ceremony planned for graduates of the College of Education and Human Services, Hutson School of Agriculture, School of Nursing and Health Professions and interdisciplinary studies (Associate of General Studies and BIS Degrees). Additional information about the ceremony and a live stream link are available at murraystate.edu/commencement. Advertisement By Jim Waters May. 05, 2019 | LEXINGTON By Jim Waters May. 05, 2019 | 09:04 AM | LEXINGTON The Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees grabbed the wheel two years ago this month and abruptly overcorrected a pension system whose tires had dropped off a steep shoulder on the side of a road winding toward a very uncertain future for the commonwealth's retirement plans and, by extension, its entire economy. By suddenly lowering the actuarial assumptions for the state employees' pension fund from 6.75 percent to 5.25 percent, the board with one move greatly increased the contribution agencies are required to pay. Casual observers may flippantly conclude that a 1.5 percent drop in actuarial assumptions is hardly consequential. They would find out how wrong they are by speaking with Magoffin County health director James Shepherd, who told reporters he's "very worried" whether his department which already has suffered dramatic budget and personnel cuts in their budget can continue providing services if forced to increase pension payments for each employee from the current 49 percent to 83 percent beginning in fiscal year 2020, which starts on July 1, 2019 and will happen if the legislature doesn't act soon. Who do you think will pay for the additional $7 million charge in next year's Western Kentucky University budget and the $13 million increase in Northern Kentucky University's pension payments caused by the KRS board's rapid and precipitous drop in actuarial assumptions? Deep-pocket donors to universities want to write checks for buildings they can put their names on, not public-pension bailouts. Students, however, will have little say about likely resulting tuition increases at least not until enough of them simply can't afford to enroll. How will 11 of Kentucky's 14 community health centers come up with the additional $31 million needed to both meet their increased pension obligations and continue providing badly needed services to clients? It's imperative, of course, that the Bevin administration and legislature come together in a special General Assembly session to at least pass legislation allowing regional universities, health departments, mental health centers and other quasi-governmental agencies more time to figure out how to meet the higher obligations. While the KRS board did in one day what it should have taken a few years to do, considering some agencies now are facing the possibility of bankruptcy without some reprieve, the fact is we didn't reach the current 49-percent contribution rate in a day, either. Employer contributions to Kentucky's public pension funds have risen from less than 6 percent to the current 49 percent in just 13 years. What opponents of spending reforms refuse to consider but which must be confronted is the fact that dramatic benefit increases of which there have been many throughout the history of Kentucky retirement systems require corresponding upsurges in revenues. One of the limited options for states in such predicaments is increased contributions by both employer agencies and beneficiaries. The KRS board may have overcorrected but failing to rein in pension spending will, indeed, catapult the car over the cliff. While the legislature must find a path to relief for these agencies in the short term, they must also "reform how they participate," Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, told reporters during this year's legislative session. "They'll either have to come up with a way to fund their full freight, or they'll have to come up with a way to quit accruing liabilities moving forward." In fact, quitting "accruing liabilities moving forward" sounds like a map for a better economic future for Kentucky and all of its pension systems. Jim Waters is president and CEO of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, Kentucky's free-market think tank. Read previous columns at www.bipps.org. He can be reached at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com and @bipps on Twitter. (Photo/Chinanews.com) "Hello, friends, can you peel crayfish really fast? Are you the kind of person who doesn't want to eat crayfish after peeling them? If you are interested, we're hiring" The recent recruitment information posted by Alibaba's Hema stores has quickly sparked interest among Chinese citizens, Beijing Youth Daily reported on May 5. In the middle of April, Alibaba's offline fresh food supermarket chain Hema Xiansheng began to recruit part-time employees for stores in Changsha, Wuhan, Beijing, and Shanghai, intending to hire people to peel the shells of crayfish for customers. Except for basic requirements like having a health certificate, the job also requires job applicants to be able to resist the temptation of eating the delicious crayfish. According to a credible source, there's a strict threshold for the job only those who can peel off the shells of 1.5 kilograms of crayfish within 30 minutes would get the job. Moreover, these part-time workers are asked to work at least 4 hours a day, with wages paid according to their hours, ranging from 150 (about $22.28) to 200 yuan a day. The "shell-peeling" service has been rolled out in some Hema stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Changsha, providing convenience for those who love eating crayfish but hate peeling the crustaceans, which is a notoriously messy business. In Beijing, some of the "shell peeling" service providers are young white-collar workers. "Some white-collar workers have enough spare time after they finish work, which enables them to work part-time in the evenings. Some people are not even doing this for the money, but for fun," said an executive of Hema Xiansheng. The Hema stores charge customers 10 yuan per kilogram of crayfish for the "shell-peeling" service, with a maximum of 50 yuan for the additional service. Between May and September is the peak season for enjoying crayfish in China. Statistics in 2018 revealed that Shanghai, which ranked first among the top 10 Chinese cities in terms of crayfish sales, consumed 1.7 million tonnes of crayfish in a single year. The boom in China's Internet-based industries has created other new jobs, including running errands for others, taking care of pets when their owners are away, accompanying or training runners, tasting food for others, and professional "hotel test sleepers". Ruan Meiyin instructs a worker at her garment factory in Ningde, Fujian Province. The entrepreneur has offered jobs to hundreds of needy mothers over the years. [For China Daily] Ruan Meiyin, the director of the Meixiang garment factory in Yangzhong town, Ningde city, Fujian province, says she hopes to help more poor mothers to enjoy a better life. Mothers who have no assets, no job, no knowledge or skills are welcome to work at her factory, says the 46-year-old entrepreneur. Ruan attended a ceremony in Beijing in late March as one of 100 rural representatives who had made significant contributions to the country's fight against poverty in 2018. Each employee is given a sewing machine, which they use to make a section or an item of clothing. And ski suits, gym wear and work suits produced by these rural women are exported to Europe and the United States. "Most of them (the women) face serious financial difficulties. And they cannot go far away, or even leave home to work, because they have to take care of their children, the elderly, or sick family members," says Ruan. "So we want to at least give them a stable income." In 2005 when the factory was founded, there were only six female workers and 10 machines. Now, Ruan's factory has expanded and has several branches, covering a total area of 1,100 square meters, which provides employment for mothers from about 100 poor families in four villages, at a monthly salary of around 3,000 to 4,000 yuan ($448 to $598). Ruan says she understands the difficulty of those mothers, given her own experience. "I hope more mothers like me (who find it difficult to balance work and family life) can have a flexible job," she says, adding that employees can choose to work either from home or in a factory. Ruan, who was born into a poor farming family, lived a hard life with her siblings. She left home in 1994 to work at a garment factory in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. At the age of 32, she decided to quit her job and start her own business in her hometown, so she could take care of her sick mother and her young child. By that time Ruan and her husband had about 80,000 yuan which was not enough to open a factory. Later, they received 30,000 yuan from the Happiness Project, a charity program which was launched in 1995 to help mothers escape poverty by the China Population Welfare Foundation, a nongovernmental organization. When Ruan set up her business, many of the workers didn't even know how to measure clothes, so Ruan taught them one by one. Once, when all the sizes were incorrect and the delivery time was approaching, Ruan found herself under pressure. "I cried, but I sorted things out throughout the night," says Ruan. "I'm a person who cannot be beaten down by difficulties." Ruan says the most difficult time she faced was when she ran out of capital. "For some reason, the client didn't pay on time, but we needed to pay the workers' salaries on time." Now, she produces clothing for companies in Taiwan, who sell the products overseas. Her monthly turnover is around 150,000 yuan. In 2013, the factory became a "poor mothers' entrepreneurship base", working with the local government to provide workers with a salary, dividends, money at festivals and a year-end bonus. Many workers have benefited from this. Yu Erqin, 38, who worked at the factory for two years, paid 10,000 yuan to become a shareholder. Last year, she opened her own garment factory. Huang Xihua, who lost her husband in a car accident and had a craniotomy, says she is grateful for Ruan's help in the factory. "Though I was not skilled, Ruan welcomed me. I'm happy I can learn and work here," Huang says. Wrexham man arrested in connection with death of woman in Cardiff released on bail This article is old - Published: Sunday, May 5th, 2019 A Wrexham man arrested in connection with the death of 21-year-old Lauren Griffiths in Cardiff has been released on police bail pending further investigations. Emergency services were called to Laurens flat in Glynrhondda Street in Cathays at around 6.10pm on Tuesday April 30th. The 22-year-old man, who police say was known to Lauren, was arrested connection with the incident on Thursday. South Wales Police confirmed last night that the man has been released on bail pending further investigation. Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with Laurens death. Detectives continue to appeal to anyone with information about the incident to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting occurrence 1900154230. Alternatively information can be submitted via the police major incident public reporting site here. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 00:09:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JUBA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The seventh batch of Chinese doctors arrived in South Sudan on Saturday to conduct a one-year medical assistance mission in the world's youngest country. The 15-member team, composed of 13 specialists and two support staff, will replace the outgoing 6th batch. Riek Gai Kok, South Sudan's health minister, hailed the contribution of the Chinese doctors to the country's health sector through provision of free medical services to citizens. Since 2013, Kok said, Chinese doctors have offered surgeries and capacity-building to South Sudanese health workers. "We thank you very much for that personal sacrifice you have made to come to South Sudan to serve your brothers," he said. "You have saved thousands of thousands of lives here." Hua Ning, Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, said the healthcare cooperation between Beijing and Juba has helped ease the disease burden afflicting civilians. He pledged to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, expressing the hope that as peace returns to South Sudan, the local people will enjoy better and more effective medical services. Sun Yaxi, head of the departing Chinese medical team, said that despite the difficult working environment in South Sudan, members enjoyed their stay in the east African nation. Sun said since their arrival to South Sudan in May 2018, the Chinese doctors conducted over 3,000 surgeries and hundreds of in-patient and out-patient consultations across the country. "We have lots of unforgettable memories about our work and life in South Sudan," Sun said. "It was indeed a great and fruitful year for us." "We transferred our skills, imparted our knowledge, shared our experience with local doctors and medical students," he said. Tang Youbin, head of the 7th batch, said his team is "prepared to do more and assist effectively." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 00:19:31|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close The picture taken from the Gaza Strip on May 4, 2019 shows missiles being launched toward Israel. Gaza militant groups fired rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Saturday night, while Israeli warplanes continued striking on military facilities and posts that belong to militant groups. (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih) GAZA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza Joint Chamber of Military Operations, which comprises various Palestinian factions, including Hamas movement, warned Israel on Saturday of escalating its aerial strikes on the Gaza Strip. The chamber of military operations said in a press statement that "the response of the factions will be bigger, larger and tougher in case the occupation (Israel) expands its assaults and aggression." "The armed wings of the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip will be the defensive shield for our people and our lands," said the statement, adding "the joint chamber of operations will keep an eye on the Zionist enemy's behavior on the ground." It claimed responsibility for launching dozens of projectiles and rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, adding "launching rockets was made in the frame of responding to the Zionist enemy's violations and shedding our people's blood." Tension between Israel and the Palestinian factions' militant groups has been flaring since Friday, leading five Palestinians killed, including two militants and three civilians and wounding 60 others. More rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, while Israeli warplanes and Israeli army artillery continued launching strikes on militants' facilities and posts all over the coastal enclave. Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli army spokesman announced that its warplanes destroyed an underground tunnel that belongs to the Islamic Jihad and goes from the town of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip into Israel. More than 30 military posts and training facilities that belong to various factions' armed wing were hit by Israeli warplanes missiles all over the Gaza Strip, while militants fired more than 200 projectiles into Israel. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 01:39:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NAIROBI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- While using her her smartphone to access the web, university student Hilda Atieno found that she has run out of internet bundles. Not keen on leaving the house to buy mobile airtime in cash from a nearby shop so that she can load it and purchase the internet bundles, Atieno reached for a service on her phone to borrow digital cash. In about a minute, Atieno borrowed 200 Kenyan shillings (about 2 U.S. dollars) which was wired into her phone; she used the money to buy internet bundles to continue with browsing. Atieno's experience is shared among thousands of other Kenyans as the convenience of digital borrowing slowly takes precedence over cash amid increased digitization of financial services. Many Kenyans are borrowing from digital platforms to carry out various transactions despite having cash in their pockets. This is because the mobile agents, where they can deposit the money in their phone accounts for them to access the services, may be far or out of reach at a particular time. Most Kenyans now pay for electricity and water bills, bus fare, hospital charges, shopping, parking and school fees digitally. The national and county governments, telecommunication companies, supermarkets, taxis and utility firms are some of the institutions that have digitized their services. While some of the institutions are accepting both cash and digital payments, most government departments only take cashless payments, making Kenyans borrow digitally to complete transactions that include payment for birth certificates, driving licences and taxes. On one Friday, Gilbert Wandera parked his vehicle in Nairobi's central business district, and as he reached his phone to pay for the space, he realized he had less money in his mobile account. "I had cash in my pocket but the parking fees services have been automated. I did not want to leave the car to go look for a mobile agent to deposit money since my car would have been clamped down, leading to more charges," recounted Wandera, a businessman. Left with no choice, he borrowed from a digital platform and completed the transaction before leaving the car for the office. Popular digital lenders in Kenya include Fuliza, KCB-Mpesa, Tala, Equitel, M-Shwari, Branch and Timiza, ran by banks and independent firms. "I am a big fan of Fuliza," said journalist Kenfrey Kiberenge. "It helps beat those evil City Council parking inspectors who can't allow you even a minute to load Mpesa." Fuliza, run by Kenya's leading telecoms firm Safaricom and launched in January, has become one of the most popular lenders in the east African nation. Safaricom said on Friday that it had lent out an equivalent of 450 million dollars in three months. Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), which runs KCB-MPesa in conjunction with Safaricom, said it lends out 3 million dollars daily, while Equity Bank's Equitel and Commercial Bank of Africa's M-Shwari also reported similar success. "Digital loans surge is certainly riding on two things -- convenience that comes with it and increased automation of services," said Bernard Mwaso of Edell IT Solution in Nairobi. Over 7 million Kenyans are digital borrowers, with more than half of them being repeat borrowers, a recent joint survey by the Central Bank of Kenya, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and FSD-Kenya shows. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 01:55:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel attacked about 70 military targets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations in the Palestinian Gaza Strip on Saturday, said a report by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israeli attack followed a barrage of more than 200 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel starting around 10 a.m. local time, wounding two people, of whom was an 80-year-old woman seriously injured in the city of Kiryat Gat. According to reports by the Israeli media, during the IDF attacks in Gaza Strip, a 14-month-old Palestinian infant was killed. The IDF announced that one of the destroyed Palestinian targets was an Islamic Jihad 20-meter-deep cross-border tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. In addition, other Islamic Jihad targets were struck, including military compounds and refugee camps. According to the IDF, five military compounds of Hamas in the city of Gaza were also attacked, which are used for training and weapon manufacturing. One of the compounds, according to the Israeli army, serves the Hamas Naval Force. A joint compound belonging to both organizations was also under attack in the city of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 06:06:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BERLIN, May 4 (Xinhua) -- A better understanding of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will bring benefits to Germany and everyone involved, said Dr. Michael Borchmann, an international affairs expert and former director general of the International Affairs Department in Hesse State. In a written interview with Xinhua recently, Borchmann called the BRI a "global program in a time shaken by wars and crises." Borchmann said the world economy is "so closely linked together" that the impact of U.S.-initiated trade disputes and rising protectionism can be felt in Germany. He called on China and Germany, both supporters of globalism and free trade, to work together more. Borchmann noted that German media recently has already been using pages to cover the BRI and shown much more interest in the initiative. However, the content sometimes tends to focus on the risks and dangers. "The public is showered with warnings about alleged dangers that would threaten the project," Borchmann said, adding that people should better understand the BRI and study much closer on its existing results. In his view, people can learn from how prosperity is achieved in some individual German municipalities, and one example is Germany's western city of Duisburg. "A city suffering greatly due to industrial structural change, but now the city can look into the future much more optimistically because of the new Silk Road," Borchmann explained. Lying at the heartland of Europe, Duisburg used to be a heavy industry center in the Ruhr region in its heyday, but had later struggled in economic terms. Nowadays, the China Railway Express (CRE) freight service runs regularly through the city. Duisburg is booming, with transport terminals in the place of steel mills, aspiring to become a major logistics hub in West Europe. Photo taken on May 2, 2019 shows creations during a Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, the United States. An ongoing Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition in the U.S. city of Costa Mesa in southern California showcases the heritage and innovation of an ancient Chinese craft. (Xinhua/Li Ying) by Julia Pierrepont III LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The intricately-carved orb of a magical pumpkin glows a vibrant green as if suffused with life, a crystalline baby sleeps curled in sweet repose, and a forest of ruby-red flower petals yearn skyward from illuminated stems. Riots of colors swirl and dance - from the pristinely transparent, to luminous white, to electric blues and sunny yellows - all captured in stunning Liuli (colored glaze) sculptures that draw admiring crowds and the whir of press cameras. It's all happening at an ongoing art exhibition in the U.S. city of Costa Mesa in southern California on Thursday, entitled "Goodbye Movies, Hello Liuli -- The Liuli Art of Loretta H. Yang and Chang Yi." The show that kicked off on Thursday and will last until May 12 at South Coast Plaza, the largest shopping center on the U.S. West Coast, coincided with the plaza's Asian heritage month festivities. Three blonde ladies who had gone through the exhibit together were enthralled. "It's beautiful!" said one. "So natural and spiritual," said the second. "It's one of the most amazing exhibits South Coast Plaza has ever had. Very Zen. Very special," said the third. Loretta H. Yang, an award-winning film actress from China's Taiwan, co-founded with her husband Chang Yi, a renowned film director, the first contemporary Liuli art studio in Asia in 1987. Yang is a two-time winner of the Best Leading Actress award at the Golden Horse Awards and winner of the Best Actress prize at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival. They were at the height of their film careers in the late 1980s when they gave it all up to answer the siren call of a very different artform: Liuli. The couple told media at the opening ceremony that they have been committed to the research and revival of the Liuli pate-de-verre technique that dates back to the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. "It was important to us both to convey the profound essence of the Chinese culture and celebrate their artistic expression through the rich medium of Liuli," Yang told Xinhua. "Our focus is not just pure artistic creation as modern artists. We want to connect more with the people by integrating traditional elements as well," added Chang. Chang told Xinhua, "We are happy to have this exhibit in California. We would like to share the love and the wisdom behind Liuli with American audiences too." Photo taken on May 2, 2019 shows creations during a Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, the United States. An ongoing Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition in the U.S. city of Costa Mesa in southern California showcases the heritage and innovation of an ancient Chinese craft. (Xinhua/Li Ying) The Shanghai and Taipei-based collaborators have exhibited their work in such prestigious institutions as the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the Bowers Museum in California, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. The entire display, including the curved wall enclosures and intricate pedestals and lighting effects were carefully designed by the artists themselves to an environment that does not just showcase the work, but becomes a holistic and integrated part of it. Carmela Spinelli, a fashion historian visiting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, was astounded by the intricate beauty of the exhibition. "I got chills walking through it," she told Xinhua. "The sense of tranquility, the exquisite glass sculptures, the videos, the matching Haiku poetry, the lighting, and even the bases the sculptures rest on are all finely conceived and integrated into an astoundingly complex, multi-faceted cohesive whole without a single jarring note. That makes your spirits soar." Photo taken on May 2, 2019 shows creations during a Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, the United States. An ongoing Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition in the U.S. city of Costa Mesa in southern California showcases the heritage and innovation of an ancient Chinese craft. (Xinhua/Li Ying) One of the centerpieces of the exhibit, "Delivered to Great Love," is a red, 70-inch glass flower resting on a base that weighs over a ton with a Buddha's eye closed in meditation. In a nod to China's deep belief in the power of the collective, they crafted the flower not as one large sculpture, but as 17 distinct, sculpted petals and stems, which, when clustered together, create a single flawless bloom. "This is a harmonious and mutually-beneficial relationship that does not focus on the self but on the greater good of everyone involved," explained the artists. The exhibit gives art-lovers a much-needed sense of tranquility and peace. Thomas, an American man whose wife had owned an art gallery near San Francisco for years, said of the work, "We gravitated to Liuli as an artform. It has a strong spiritual element." A visitor views a piece of artwork during a Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, the United States, May 2, 2019. An ongoing Liuli (colored glaze) art exhibition in the U.S. city of Costa Mesa in southern California showcases the heritage and innovation of an ancient Chinese craft. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Marilyn, an acupuncturist and U.S. delegate to the World Health Organization, said of the work, "It has revived a type of artwork in China that has been lost for many centuries. In Western glass, only Lalique and Baccarat still survive. Liuli is a magnificent style of art that is based on the Chinese culture, which has so many layers to it - philosophically, spiritually, Feng Shui...It's all there." Peter Keller, President of the Bowers Museum, told Xinhua, "We were the first museum to exhibit Loretta Yang in the United States. Now, you can see how far she's come and how well this work resonates with American audiences." Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has said that the military is only overseeing the implementation of the country's national development projects and that all companies working on such projects are civilian, addressing a recent topic of debate about the army's involvement in the economy. "The role of the army in such projects, if any, is a supervisory and management role," El-Sisi said Sunday in comments broadcast live on TV. The military, El-Sisi said, is mainly seeking to ensure commitment to deadlines set for key projects pursuant to the country's strategic development plans. "We wanted to have one supervisory authority to ensure [projects] are achieved by certain times." The militarys economic activities appear to have expanded over the past years, varying from supplying food commodities, producing various goods and carrying out construction projects. El-Sisi has raised the topic of the army's perceived influence over the economy several times before. He said last year that the military's economic activity makes up only around 2-3 percent of the country's gross domestic products, dismissing speculation that the armed forces control as much as half of the economy. El-Sisi was speaking Sunday as he sat among the audience attending a ceremony in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia to inaugurate a number of national development projects in the canal cities and the border Sinai region, including mega tunnels under the Suez Canal. Egypt hopes the projects will boost growth, offer job opportunities for youth and help combat militancy, mainly based in the northern part of the Sinai. El-Sisi said that security and stability are key for Egypt's development and that only "hard work and patience," not protests, can drive the country forward. "If protests could build Egypt, I would go down with Egyptians on the streets days and night," he told the gathering. He said that Egyptians have the awareness to weather tough economic reforms that the government has embarked on since 2016 and that they can endure further. The measures, which have strained the budgets of millions of Egyptians, include a sharp currency devaluation, deep cuts in energy subsidies and the introduction of a value-added tax. "As Egyptians brought change in January and on 30 June, they can bring change for a third and fourth time if they don't accept the current situation," El-Sisi said, refereing to the 2011 popular uprising and the June 2013 mass protests that led to the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. Speaking of what he referred to as a false image of Egypt's human rights record, El-Sisi said that real human rights are about offering Egyptians a decent life. "Rights are about allowing people to live, rights are about finding job opportunities for people and their kids, rights are about proper healthcare, rights are about quality education," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 07:21:54|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin delivers speech at awarding ceremony of 2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad in Houston, Texas, the United States, May 4, 2019 . Twenty-four Chinese students studying in the southern part of the United States on Saturday received an award that recognized their academic excellence at a ceremony held by the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, U.S. state of Texas. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei) HOUSTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-four Chinese students studying in the southern part of the United States on Saturday received an award that recognized their academic excellence at a ceremony held by the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, U.S. state of Texas. Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin presented the 2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad to the winners, saying the award aimed to encourage the self-financed students to study hard. Saturday also marked the centenary of the May Fourth Movement in China, which is widely considered a great patriotic and revolutionary campaign pioneered by advanced young intellectuals and joined by people from all walks of life to resolutely fight imperialism and feudalism. The movement has inspired the ambition and confidence of the Chinese people and nation to realize national rejuvenation. The Chinese consul general said that on this special day, it is of special significance to cherish the memory of the May Fourth Movement, to embrace and foster the spirit of the movement, and to keep in mind the mission of Chinese youths in the new era. "Young people are the future of the world and the Sino-U.S. relations. The Chinese Dream is the Chinese people's dream of happiness and is closely connected with the dreams of all peoples," he said. Li encouraged young Chinese students to help promote communication and cooperation between China and the United States and make greater efforts to promote global peace and prosperity. Wang Fen, a professor of medicine at Texas A&M University, has participated in the award's review process for five years. He said that as the popularity of this award continues to grow over the years, the number of applicants has increased and the competition has become increasingly fierce. "We have received more than 100 applications this year, with the academic backgrounds ranging from chemistry to medical science, architecture, engineering and some social science majors. All of the applicants are outstanding students," he said. "I hope they will work hard and make greater achievements in their careers." Tian Fei, a PhD student at the University of Houston, is one of the award winners. He told Xinhua that winning the award has given him greater confidence. "My past achievements have been recognized and I have thus become more confident. I feel that what I have done in the past are meaningful," he said. Zhang Youlang, a PhD student in political science at Texas A&M University, is the only award winner majoring in social science. He plans to return to China after graduation. "Now China's research environment and conditions are as good as those of foreign countries. Research conducted in China can also reach the world's top level. Therefore, young scholars are very motivated to go back to China," he noted. The Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad is a scholarship set up by the China Scholarship Council in 2003 to honor overseas Chinese students with outstanding academic accomplishments. According to official statistics, 500 Chinese students studying abroad received the scholarship in 2018. There are around 400,000 Chinese students studying in U.S. colleges and universities, about 60,000 of whom are in the southern region of the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 07:39:39|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Girls visit the Berlaymont building, the European Commission headquarters, during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 4, 2019. The Open Day is a unique opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 08:18:03|Editor: Liu Video Player Close People lay wreaths during the commemoration ceremony of Remembrance of the Dead in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, May 4, 2019. Remembrance of the Dead is held annually on May 4 in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II. (Xinhua/Sylvia Lederer) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 09:12:41|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close HARARE, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's biggest opposition party leader Nelson Chamisa on Saturday demanded exclusive dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ruling ZANU-PF party on how to get the country back on its feet. Chamisa, president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told thousands of people at a memorial service for his predecessor Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera, Manicaland Province, that talks between the country's two biggest political parties were the only way towards solutions to challenges bedevilling the country. Zimbabwe is in the midst of an economic crisis which many analysts believe can largely be solved politically following contested presidential elections won by Mnangagwa in 2018. Mnangagwa this year invited losing presidential candidates and some officials from their parties to dialogue, but Chamisa and his party snubbed the initiative. So far, a number of meetings have been held between ZANU-PF and 18 other political parties, but the MDC has said they would not yield anything because the parties did not command as much support as the MDC. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 09:27:44|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Photo taken on May 4, 2019 shows clocks and watches at the Irish Club in Australia's capital Canberra. A display of clocks and watches "Time And Space" was held on Saturday at Irish Club in Australia's capital Canberra. As an event at the 37th "Canberra Heritage Festival," the local members of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) brought various vintage pieces to share the concept of time. (Xinhua/Liu Changchang) CANBERRA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Birds flew up and down in the golden birdcage and chirped in turn after a woman gently wound it up. "This is amazing!" A little girl screamed out, curiously looking at other old items and clocks on the table. A display of clocks and watches "Time And Space" was held on Saturday at Irish Club in Australia's capital Canberra. As an event at the 37th "Canberra Heritage Festival," the local members of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) brought various vintage pieces to share the concept of time. "The clock which comes out of a church in England was made in 1790. It was in very poor conditions, and we restored it," Roger Little, the organizer of the event told Xinhua. A collection of all handmade clocks, small-character clocks, watch and famous clocks are on display. Some collectors even brought their entire set of works, microscopes, tweezers and alcohol lamps, to make parts with machines to show how to become a horologist. "If you bring your own treasured timepieces for assessment, we could give a description of the item including where and when they were made." Little said. Young people are rarely seen here where most of the members are elderly. Reuben Schoots likes mechanical things. He was obsessed with buying cars and making them faster until one day, a friend showed the inside of a watch to him. "It opened a new world for me. To see hundreds of little parts telling about time," Schoots said with passion. "I think it will be a shame for such a skilled art just lost because of modern technology. I am making watches and clocks now, doing something with my hands to be very meaningful. I like the idea of the journey and enjoy the process." Linda Roberts, the engagement and festival coordinator of The Canberra Heritage Festival, said there have been more than 200 different events held in Australian Capital Territory from April to May including talks, dinners, dances, tours, concerts, markets, etc. "Our festival is celebrating the theme of space. Space could be out of space, or the space of time. It raises awareness of the ongoing need to conserve our natural, historic an aboriginal heritage," Linda said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 10:08:01|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close by Yang Zhou, Guo Xinhui, Thana Nuntavoranut AYUTTHAYA, Thailand, May 5 (Xinhua) -- In order to develop talents, engineers for the China-Thailand cooperation and Thailand's future development, governments and educational institutes of the two countries cooperated to establish the first-ever Lu Ban Workshop in Thailand in 2016. Now the expanding workshop has already made some achievements. "Thanks for Lu Ban Workshop, I achieved a lot," said 21-year-old Thai student Nattawut Tusawut at the Lu Ban Workshop, a two-story building inside Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College in Ayutthaya province, some 80-km north of capital Bangkok. After a three-year study in Mandarin and mechatronics in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College and Tianjin International Chinese College, Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College of China, Nattawut has received three offers from China-invested companies in Thailand. "I studied mechatronics and my ability to speak Chinese matches the needs of many China-invested companies in Thailand," Nattawut explained the reason why he is competitive saying he has decided to join a Chinese company investing in Ayutthaya. Although he knows little about Lu Ban, he said he loved the workshop, especially a set of computer numerical control machine tools among other tools and equipment donated by China. Nattawut represents the latest batch of students educated at Lu Ban Workshop. On March 8, 2016, Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College of China set up the first Lu Ban Workshop outside China in the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College. The workshop is named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese craftsman that represents the Chinese tradition of craftsmanship spirit. There are different zones in the workshop, such as biomorphic robotics learning zone, automated production line teaching zone, teaching and exchange zone for Chinese and Thai teachers, Internet of Things lab. The workshop, equipped with remote education facilities, enable Thai students here to attend any course offered by the Chinese vocational college through a big screen. Jarun Youbrum, director of the Thai vocational school, is proud of the workshop and he still remembers clearly the date when the workshop was established. "Thanks to equipment in the Lu Ban workshop supported by our Chinese counterpart, we are the leading vocational college in Thailand," Jarun told Xinhua. He explained the operation of the workshop, such as a series of equipment explaining mechanical principles with descriptions in Thai and Chinese language. Bilingual interpretation helps students understand the mechanical principles more easily and more effectively than old teaching methods. Director Jarun noted that the Tianjin municipality offered full scholarships for students of his college to study in China and they would be granted certificates of both schools when they finished all the courses. Nattawut graduated on April 29 with both Thai and Chinese certificates. Director Jarun would not forget the day on July 20, 2018, which marks the establishment of Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College Center of the Lu Ban Workshop. The center, sponsored by Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College, covers the second floor of the Lu Ban Workshop. It is the first overseas training center for high-speed railway technical talents, providing degree education, training services, etc. According to Jarun and Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College, the center is conducted in two phases with the 4.8 million-yuan first phase completed in 2018 helping to develop two majors, High-Speed Railway EMU Maintenance Technology and High-Speed Railway Automatic Signaling Control, and four zones, being CRH380B Teaching Zone, CTCS Teaching Zone, Air Class Teaching Zone, and Skill Contest and Equipment Research & Development Zone. For the second phase, two other majors and more zones are now being prepared at the workshop. In the center, there is an attention-grabbing simulation driving training platform. "Now the train moves forward," Arthitaya Sapkum explained the operation of training platform while her classmates were operating the system. Arthitaya is a 20-year-old student from Ko Kha Industrial and Community Education College in the northern Thai province of Lampang. There is a screen simulating the window in the locomotive of a high-speed train, and a panel controlling the train for students to practice the skill of driving. Arthitaya and her friends, all from Ko Kha Industrial and Community Education College, were undertaking short-term training at the center of the Lu Ban Workshop. "Studying here is good, we can easily understand how a train system is formed and how train works," she told Xinhua. Her friend Raveeroj Sannarong is a big fan of the high-speed train. They both went to China for short-term training in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. "I want to design high-speed train for Thailand one day," Raveeroj said. Since there is no high-speed rail in Thailand, every teaching material, the equipment here in the center is provided by China, said Jarun, adding that those majors developed by the center are of great importance because they can generate talents and engineers for the future development of Thailand's high-speed rail. Lu Ban Workshop and the center currently benefit not only students of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College but also other colleges around the country as well, Director Jarun said. Thousands of teachers and students have undergone training courses or will come to visit here. In the past three years, Lu Ban Workshop has helped Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College to strengthen their teaching and establish new majors from new energy car, Internet of Things to high-speed rail related majors. Burawit, Natthaphum, Worawan and Onauma, aged around 18, are all admitted to study high-speed rail related major in China, during which they visited the Lu Ban Workshop. They hoped they can come back to contribute to Thailand-China cooperation and the development of High-speed rail in Thailand. "I think we should be a good example of Thailand-China cooperation on education and the implementation of Belt and Road Initiative in Thailand," Director Jarun said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 10:13:03|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close CARACAS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday stressed the unity of armed forces while supervising a training of military cadets amid tensions in the Latin American country escalated by a failed coup attempt last week. "We are a country with a powerful National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB), which must be more united, more cohesive and more loyal than ever before," Maduro said at the Jose Laurencio Silva military training center in the central state of Cojedes. The United States and its local allies, Maduro said, "have a conspiracy, with a lot of money, to weaken, to divide, to destroy the FANB from within using a group of traitors." Political unrest was haunting Venezuela as opposition leader Juan Guaido and President Nicolas Maduro were vying for power. On Tuesday, Guaido, who had proclaimed himself as the interim president, reportedly called on the Venezuelan people and military to take to the streets to overthrow Maduro. The attempted coup was later frustrated by security forces. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 10:53:14|Editor: Liu Video Player Close HAVANA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Cuba has witnessed a 7.2-percent increase of tourists in the first four months year-on-year, better than expected as the country plans to receive 5.1 million visitors in 2019, a senior official said Saturday. Cuba has received 1.8 million tourists since the beginning of this year "in spite of the complex situations facing the country," said Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero on local television. "This year began with some difficulties in the European zone. Although not only in Cuba, there is a decrease in visits by people from that region to the Caribbean for various reasons," Marrero said. He highlighted, however, that they managed to boost the number of visitors from Canada, the country's main source of tourists, as well as from other countries such as Russia. "All the necessary publicity and promotion measures have been taken" to increase the arrival of tourists in 2019, he added. The 39th International Tourism Fair of Cuba will open on Tuesday in Havana to mark the city's 500th anniversary. Havana plans to relaunch itself as a renovated tourism destination. During the fair there will be presentations of new tourism products and recreational programs in various areas. Tourism has become one of the main sources of income for Cuba, which brought in more than 3 billion U.S. dollars last year, an increase of 17.6 percent compared to that of 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 10:53:16|Editor: Liu Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The following are the takeaways of major economic decisions announced by the Chinese authorities in the past week: -- Updating negative list for foreign investment A shorter negative list for foreign investment will be released in the first half of the year to expand market access for foreign investors, Wang Shouwen, vice minister of Commerce and also deputy China International Trade Representative, told a press conference Monday. Efforts will be made to ensure the protection of the rights and interests of foreign intellectual property owners, to ban forced technical transfer and to enhance trade secrets protection, he noted. The Foreign Investment Law approved by the national legislature will take effect starting Jan. 1, 2020. -- Better facilitation for cross-border e-commerce settlement The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) issued a guideline Monday to facilitate the settlement for cross-border e-commerce. Payment institutions are allowed to offer market entities electronic payment services via banks under current accounts, according to the guideline, depending on relevant electronic transaction information. They can also provide Chinese residents with foreign exchange services for cross-border shopping, overseas education and tourism, the guideline said. -- Upskilling workforce to expand employment The State Council, China's cabinet, on Tuesday decided that China will finance vocational training with 100 billion yuan (about 14.8 billion U.S. dollars) from the country's unemployment insurance fund balance to upskill the workforce. A special capital account will be established to advance the task of vocational skills upgrading, according to the executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. Utilization of the fund will be tracked and relevant information will be disclosed to the public, while those who fake training to fraudulently obtain the fund will be punished in line with laws, the meeting noted. -- Further opening up financial markets China plans to unveil 12 new measures to further open up its financial markets to improve the sector's management and competitiveness, said Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), Wednesday. Detail in regulations for foreign banks and foreign insurance companies has been revised in accordance with the new rules and will soon be released, according to the CBIRC spokesperson Xiao Yuanqi. "Further opening up the banking and insurance sectors is not only essential for the development of Chinese economy and finance but also is conducive to enriching market entities and stimulate market vitality," Guo said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 10:58:18|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close YANGON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Ministry of Information has published the first three volumes of 100 Myanmar classic book series, according to the disclosure of a coordination meeting of the ministry held in Yangon late Saturday. The sale of Volumes I, II and III is in place and the publication of the next three volumes, which are IV, X and XI, is set for the end of June and 2020 respectively. The 100 Myanmar classic book series, published by the Sarpay Beikman (House of Literature), include a selection of novels, short stories, poetries, plays, essays and belles-lettres to help the younger generation develop a passion for Myanmar literature an culture. The novels are epics from past eras to date. The coordination meeting, attended by Information Minister Dr. Pe Myint, touched on the progress of re-publishing a new Myanmar Encyclopedia, the work of which has begun since February 2017. The plan of re-publication of the new Myanmar Encyclopedia came 64 years after the previous ones came into being in 1954. The meeting also focused on the matter of government's presentation of national literary awards to winning writers for 2018. In last December, the government presented such awards to 13 outstanding literati for 2017. Of them, two grabbed lifetime awards of its kind. Egypt has released 89 imprisoned debtors on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Monday, a presidential source said. "A number of debtors were released today, including all women debtors in Egyptian prisons," the source said without revealing the number of those released. The move followed a decree by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as part of the "Prisons Without Debtors" initiative, which was launched by El-Sisi in mid-2018. The Tahya Misr Fund, established by the president in 2014 to support social and economic projects, along with a number of civil society organisations, has settled the debts for many released prisoners. President El-Sisi often issues prisoner pardons several times a year, usually on major national and religious holidays. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 10:58:20|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, May 4 (Xinhua) -- A gun battle between police and an armed man in Mexico's eastern state of Veracruz has left two policemen killed and six other officers injured, local authorities said Saturday. Police responded to a report of gunfire at a bar in the city of Minatitlan midnight Friday and the officers shot back after the armed men fired at them from a nearby house, the Veracruz Secretary of Public Safety said in a statement. The armed man died in the gun battle, the statement said, adding that police arrested another suspect and seized four firearms. The injured officers have been sent to local hospitals. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 11:13:28|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's key technology news from the past week: LONG MARCH-11 CARRIER ROCKET China plans to launch a Long March-11 carrier rocket at sea this year, which is expected to lower the cost of entering space. The rocket has been named "CZ-11 WEY" under an agreement between the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China Space Foundation and a Chinese automobile producer. 3D TECHNOLOGY CONSERVATION Researchers are using 3D scanners to collect data about the size, color and structure of the Nanchan Temple on Wutai Mountain in northern China's Shanxi Province. They plan to create a digital archive for the temple, which is the oldest extant wooden building from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in China. CARDIAC PACEMAKER POWERED BY HEARTBEAT A research team has developed an implantable medical device that can harvest energy from heartbeats rather than batteries, according to a recent report published in the journal Nature Communications. The cardiac pacemaker was designed on the basis of an implantable triboelectric nanogenerator, which can achieve energy from heartbeats and convert the energy to electricity for powering pacing pulses. YUANWANG-7 SPACECRAFT TRACKING SHIP China's spacecraft tracking ship Yuanwang-7 is sailing to the Pacific Ocean, beginning its first maritime space monitoring mission this year. As a part of China's new generation of spacecraft tracking ships, Yuanwang-7 can perform tasks in the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean within 60 degrees north and south latitudes. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 11:38:34|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- More Chinese airlines are launching new flights connecting the country's third, fourth-tier cities, where they see more business opportunities in air traffic than in major cities, China Daily reported Sunday. Last year, passenger throughput growth of major cities' airports was less than 10 percent year on year, while the growth rates of third- and fourth-tier cities' airports were higher than 20 percent, the newspaper quoted data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China as saying. "Many domestic airlines would like to launch flights to major cities like Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou, but flight times available in first- and second-tier cities are quite tight," the paper quoted Li Xiaojin, a professor of aviation economics at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin. "By launching new flights at smaller cities, airlines may be able to realize net profits after two to three years of operations. In the beginning stage, there are usually some favorable policies in price and services. In the next few years, the flight times available at those smaller airports may become precious, as well." Spring Airlines, a Shanghai-based Chinese budget carrier, for instance, has established three strategic bases since 2017, including airports in Yangzhou, Ningbo and Shantou, in addition to its main hub airports in Shanghai. "For domestic flights, the newly added flight times at first-tier airports were quite scarce last year, and the scale expansion of second-tier airports was slowing down. Facing the bottlenecks of capacity increase, we need to build a more diverse and tridimensional flight network and hub structure," according to Zhang Wu'an, vice-president with Spring Airlines. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 12:03:38|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen killed a ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader inside his house in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Sunday. Locals said 70-year-old Ghulam Muhammad Mir was affiliated with BJP and was its vice-president for Anantnag district. Mir was fired upon by gunmen at village Nowgam-Verinag in Anantnag district, about 86 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Last night gunmen barged inside house of Mir in Verinag and fired upon him indiscriminately," a police official posted in Anantnag told Xinhua. "He was in critical condition and was immediately removed to a primary health center in the vicinity... However, he succumbed on the way." The police suspected that militants were involved in the killings. The militants in the region usually target families and individuals for their possible links with police and defense agencies. Even people having associations with pro-India political parties and police are targeted at times. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:18:58|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's official data showed that most of the means of production monitored by the government posted higher prices in late April compared with the previous 10 days. Of the 50 major goods monitored by the government, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer and some chemicals, 23 saw their prices rise during April 21 to 30, while 21 posted lower prices and six were unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Prices of live pigs went up 2.5 percent while liquefied natural gas dropped 2.5 percent. The reading, released every 10 days, is based on a survey of nearly 1,700 wholesalers and distributors in 24 provincial-level regions. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:29:04|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Winners of a regional qualifying contest for the 2019 "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competitions for college and high school students will be nominated for the upcoming competitions in China later this year. Paige Strokis, a student from University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and Christine Herbst, a nine-grader girl at Menlo-Atherton High School in Palo Alto, Santa Clara in Silicon Vally, on Saturday won the top prize in their respective groups. They are among 17 contestants of non-native Chinese speakers who participated in the 18th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for College Students and the concurrently-held 12th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students on the day. The two winners of Saturday's regional qualifying contest will head for the semi-finals of the competitions in China. Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Wang Donghua said the theme of the competition for college students, "One World and One Family", underscores the idea of traditional Chinese culture that advocates peace, good neighborliness and harmony. He said that more American students have gradually developed their love for and better understanding of Chinese language and culture through learning Chinese. David Dayton, one of the judges of Saturday's regional contest and manager of International Custom Program at University of California, Riverside, said that as a scholar working on China programs for many years, he was very impressed with the Chinese level and Chinese ability of the newer generations of the youth. "They (the students) understand a lot about Chinese culture and even kind of the country's contemporary social phenomenon and social issues, and they talk about WeChat, about social media in China," Dayton told Xinhua. Strokis, who double majors in History of Art and Economy at UC Berkeley, said the contest is more than a competition, instead it is "an opportunity of education." "I've never seen other kids try this hard learning Chinese, and here I feel like a sense of belonging and make a lot of new friends," she said. She said the title of her speech contest was "Chinese Is A Bridge," in which she wanted to express the idea of bridging the gap between different cultures. The annual event was organized by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in China, which has over the past 18 years served as a platform for college and secondary school students around the world to learn Chinese and understand China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:29:08|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- An asteroid named 99942 Apophis will fly towards the Earth in ten years, the U.S. space agency NASA said recently. The colossal asteroid, which named after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction, is expected to approach the Earth dangerously close on April 13, 2029, according to the latest data from NASA. But there is no need to worry as it will be about 19,000 miles (31,000 km) away from the surface of the Earth. NASA said it's relatively rare for such a large object to pass so close to Earth and it will be a great opportunity for asteroid scientists around the world to conduct a close-up study of the Apophis' size, shape, composition and possibly even its interior. "The Apophis close approach in 2029 will be an incredible opportunity for science," Marina Brozovic, a radar scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a NASA release. "We'll observe the asteroid with both optical and radar telescopes. With radar observations, we might be able to see surface details that are only a few meters in size," Brozovic said. Apophis was discovered in 2004 by the U.S. astronomers. Since its discovery, optical and radar telescopes have tracked Apophis as it continues on its orbit around the Sun, so scientists know well its future trajectory. Current calculations show that Apophis still has a small chance of impacting Earth, NASA said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:29:10|Editor: Liu Video Player Close KABUL, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 militants, including two local Taliban leaders, have been killed following Afghan army operations in restive eastern province of Ghazni, the country's Ministry of Defense said Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:39:12|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The following is a list of major shows, concerts, exhibitions and other events in China on May 6: -- Summer Night Folk Music Concert Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Beijing Concert Hall Focusing on the theme of "summer," musicians will bring Chinese folk music works with traditional instruments for "lixia," which literally means the beginning of summer according to the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Monday. -- King Lear Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: OmS Theater, Moe Town, Shanghai Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear," starring British actor Ian McKellen. Based on the legend of a power struggle in an ancient Celtic royal family, the plot reveals the dark side of humanity: greed, deception, betrayal and moral corruption. -- A Midsummer Night's Dream by TNT Theatre Britain Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Nanjing Poly Grand Theater Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is presented by the TNT Theatre Britain. Set in Athens, the romantic comedy portrays the adventure of four Athenian lovers in a forest, and their interaction with the fairies who inhabit it. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:39:14|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close KABUL, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 militants, including two local Taliban leaders, have been killed following Afghan army operations in the restive eastern province of Ghazni, the country's Ministry of Defense said Sunday. "Up to 52 Taliban terrorists have been killed following three separate Afghan National Army commando operations and airstrikes against Taliban positions in Ghazni since early Saturday," the ministry said in a statement. Those among the killed were two Taliban local group leaders named Abu Khalid and Qumandan Sarhadi, the statement said. The province, 125 km south of the country's capital Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes and fighting for long. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces remain in control of most of Afghanistan's population centers and all of 34 provincial capitals, but Taliban insurgents control large portions of rural areas, staging coordinated large-scale attacks against Afghan cities and districts. Warring sides in Afghanistan typically exaggerate the casualties of the opposite side and it is difficult to verify the figures by them with independent sources. The militant group has not made a comment on the report yet. President of the World Bank Group David Malbas and Egypt's Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali visited a social centre in the village of Kubanieh in Aswan Governorate on Sunday. Malbas and Wali toured projects that have been implemented by families benefiting from the Takaful (Solidarity) and Karama (Dignity) programme, which aims to support impoverished families. Takaful and Karama was launched in 2015 to support impoverished families with school-aged children, the elderly and people with special needs, mainly in Upper Egypt. Minister Wali said during the visit that Takaful and Karama has been a great success, benefiting 8.2 million people. Wali said that the programme has reached 1,704,391 families as well as 230,000 people with disabilities. The minister pointed out that according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, the number of families benefiting from the program Takaful increased by 8.4 percent compared to non-supported households. The program's impact assessment study showed that impoverished families used Takaful support to repay bills and debts, and that the Takaful programme has reduced the probability of households suffering from poverty by 11 percent, according to the global poverty line, and 8 percent according to the regional poverty line. Wali also pointed out that the Ministry of Social Solidarity pays great attention to the importance of women's economic empowerment. The ministry designed the conditional cash support programme to provide support to women through cash cards and in documenting official papers and marriage contracts in some border provinces. Wali said that the number of female exchange card holders was 1,738,964. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:54:17|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The following shows and exhibitions will be on in Guangzhou in the coming week: Teatro Carlo Felice: Rigoletto Date: May 8, 10, 12 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Guangzhou Opera House Introduction: This month, Guangzhou Opera House invites Teatro Carlo Felice, the principal opera house of Genova, Italy, to perform Giuseppe Verdi's renowned opera, "Rigoletto." Based on Victor Hugo's play "The King Amuses Himself," the opera tells a tragic story of accidental murder, and revolves around the Duke of Mantua, his hunchbacked court jester Rigoletto and Rigoletto's beautiful daughter, Gilda, who is seduced by the Duke. The opera is considered one of Verdi's best. Teatro Carlo Felice: Un Ballo in Maschera Date: May 9, 11 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Guangzhou Opera House Introduction: "Un Ballo in Mascheral" is one of Giuseppe Verdi's mature works. It premiered in Apollo Teatro in Rome in 1859. With dramatic conflict, superb artistic techniques and gorgeous singing, it has become one of Verdi's most famous operas. A Midsummer Night's Dream by TNT Theatre Britain Date: May 10-11 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Xinghai Concert Hall Introduction: Written in 1596, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" remains a timeless exploration of love in all its wonder and foolishness. In this popular play, Shakespeare mixes traditional English spirit with classical heroes and fantastic creatures. Combining music and dance, this energetic reproduction by Britain's TNT Theatre has been well-received. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 13:59:20|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close HANOI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Police of Vietnam's northern Son La province have detained three local people who traded and possessed nearly 1.5 kg of heroin and over 3,000 pills of lab-made drug. The detainees include a 19-year-old woman, and two men aged 26 and 29, all from Son La, Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 14:04:22|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close JUBA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) hailed Sunday the consensus reached between the country's warring parties to extend the period by six months to form a power-sharing government. David Shearer, head of UNMISS, said the unanimous decision to extend the pre-transitional period of a peace agreement leading to the formation of a new, unified government is a sign of goodwill between the parties to end the suffering of their people. "This united decision of the parties is important to reassure the people of South Sudan that the peace agreement is still alive," Shearer said in a statement issued in Juba. "It is a step towards ending the suffering caused by the conflict and gives millions of displaced families the confidence to return home and rebuild their lives," he added. The South Sudanese government and the oppositions signed a peace agreement in September last year, aiming to stipulate a transitional government before a deadline on May 12. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional bloc which is mediating the peace deal between the two parties, said Friday that the two sides agreed to extend the pre-transitional period by six months effective from May 12 to enable the execution of the critical pending tasks. The decision came after a two-day meeting in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa in which they reviewed the status of the pre-transitional tasks. Shearer said the responsibility lies with the parties to live up to their commitments, noting that key political leaders should meet regularly to ensure the agreement stays on track. He, however, regretted that a number of fundamental issues remain unresolved, including the formation of a unified security force and the issue of boundaries and states. "However, this six-month extension gives the parties more time to achieve the benchmarks agreed upon and make peace a reality," he added. Shearer acknowledged the progress made since September, including an overall reduction in political violence which has potentially saved thousands of lives. "The resulting ceasefire has also enabled government and opposition forces to build trust and confidence through the holding of over 100 peace meetings and rapprochements across the country, many of which were facilitated by UNMISS," he said. "UNMISS will be there as they work to secure lasting peace for the sake of their people," Shearer said. South Sudan descended into conflict in December 2013, killing tens of thousands and displacing about 4 million others. An earlier peace agreement, signed in 2015, collapsed after clashes erupted in July 2016 in Juba, forcing opposition leader Riek Machar to flee the capital. Under the 2018 peace deal, Machar will be reinstated as President Salva Kiir's deputy. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 14:29:22|Editor: Liu Video Player Close Participants pose for a group photo in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, May 4, 2019. The Chinese Proficiency Competition "Chinese Bridge" for school and college students was held in Vilnius on Saturday. Top two competitors will later represent Lithuania at the finals for foreign secondary school students in China. The Chinese Bridge competition series includes those for foreign secondary school students and foreign college students. Launched by China's Confucius Institute Headquarters in 2002 aiming to encourage foreign students to learn Chinese, the competition has drawn more than 300,000 contestants. (Xinhua/Stefanija Kilmanaite) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 14:24:28|Editor: Liu Video Player Close SHENZHEN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A direct flight was launched Sunday linking China's tech hub Shenzhen and Japan's Nagoya, local airport said. The route, operated by China's low-cost carrier Spring Airlines using an Airbus A320 aircraft, is the first direct flight linking the cities. Scheduled every day, the outbound flight leaves Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport at 5:55 a.m. and arrives at Nagoya's Central Japan International Airport at 10:10 a.m. local time. The return flight departs Nagoya at 10:40 p.m. local time and arrives in Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong Province, at 2 a.m. the next day. Last year, over 8 million Chinese tourists visited Japan, up 13.9 percent year on year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 15:04:44|Editor: zh Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in the United States opened to the public on Saturday, drawing thousands of visitors for a day of calligraphy, tea tasting, and traditional performances. "The overall stability of China-U.S. relations over the past four decades has been a blessing to not only our two countries, but the whole world," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said at the welcome ceremony. "And the essence of the 40-year story is amity between the people, which lays the foundation for and shapes the future of our relations," he added. Interactive displays inside the embassy included calligraphy, a tea ceremony, martial arts, and folk music and dance, among others. At the entrance area, scrumptious Chinese food was prepared, drawing long lines of those seeking a "bite of China." Jennifer Bibby-Gerth brought her 6-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son to the event. "Our daughter is from China, so I want her to gain a sense of Chinese culture," she told Xinhua. "I think they are both interested." The embassy also hosted an award ceremony for a story sharing competition, which invited Americans to present their contributions to the China-U.S. relationship by submitting their personal stories. The open house event, themed "A Developing China," also featured a photo exhibition of the 40-year diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and exhibitions detailing China-U.S. cooperation in technology and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese embassy joined 52 international embassies in Washington D.C. that opened their doors to the public on Saturday, as part of the annual Around the World Embassy Tour, a signature event organized by Cultural Tourism DC. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 15:34:54|Editor: ZX Video Player Close DAMASCUS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army said on Sunday that the rebels in and around the northwestern province of Idlib are preparing to launch attacks on the military sites in the neighboring provinces of Latakia and Hama, state news agency SANA reported. The rebel groups in Idlib are moving more weapons and a large number of militants for the attacks, SANA said. They are bringing in their reinforcements to the town of Morek in the northern countryside of Hama, it added. Meanwhile, the rebels fired rockets on the town of Jub Ramleh in the northern countryside of Hama. According to the state media, the Syrian army responds to attacks by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front in the countryside of Hama and Idlib almost on a daily basis. 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 frequently, as the extremist groups such as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) refused to withdraw from the zone. HTS has expanded and controlled the entire Idlib area, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The Syrian government has repeatedly said Idlib would inevitably return under the government control and the government's patience has limits. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 15:34:56|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's bulk commodity market continued to grow in April with stable expansion in supply and sales, industrial data showed. The China Bulk Merchandise Index (CBMI), a gauge of domestic bulk commodity market growth, stood above the boom-or-bust line of 100 percent to stand at 102.6 percent in April, down 0.9 percentage points compared with March, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP). This marked the second consecutive month of CBMI growth despite a slowdown in pace, pointing to stable market operation in the bulk commodity sector. The sub-indices for bulk commodity supply and sales expanded slower in April compared with the previous month, while the sub-index for stocks dropped in April. The CFLP predicted that the domestic bulk commodity market's stabilizing momentum might continue in May as previous pro-growth policies will keep driving up demand. Commodity prices are expected to go on rising while the sector might face increasing downward pressure on export, the CFLP added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 16:20:12|Editor: ZX Video Player Close The land-sea freight train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor heading for Indonesia waits to depart in southwest China's Chongqing, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) CHONGQING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Kebede Abera, consul of Ethiopia in China's Chongqing Municipality, believes western China will be the next main consumer of Ethiopian coffee. "With a population of nearly 400 million people, western China is a big pie for Ethiopia, the world's leading coffee producer," he said. The consumption of Ethiopian coffee has been maintaining a double-digit growth annually in western China. It first arrives in Chongqing before heading out into China's other western regions. Located in China's inland southwest, Chongqing is connected to the eastern seaboard thanks to the Yangtze, China's longest river, making it a transit hub for trading commodities in and outside China. But the long shipping distance on the Yangtze waterway was always a headache for businesses. More than 2,000 km from Chongqing to the east coast meant two or even three months of transportation. But all have changed. EASIER LOGISTICS Easier logistics through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China's regional development and opening up, is improving transportation due to the rising number of China-Europe freight trains since 2011. The trains helped slash travel from Chongqing to Europe to about 12 days, about one-third of ocean shipping time. A total of 1,442 freight trains traveled between Chongqing and Europe last year, compared with 100 in 2014. Southeast Asian countries also enjoy the dividends of the China-Europe freight trains, especially after Chongqing launched the China-Singapore rail-sea transit route in 2017. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage under the framework of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity. With Chongqing as the transportation hub, the new corridor uses ports in Guangxi's Beibu Gulf to reach ports in Singapore and other ASEAN countries and links China-Europe freight trains launched from other western Chinese cities before heading for Central Asia, South Asia and Europe. By the end of last year, freight trains had made 805 trips via the corridor, which links 155 ports in 71 countries and regions. Seven other Chinese provinces and autonomous regions -- Guangxi, Yunnan, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia -- have joined trade cooperation via the corridor. NEW FORTUNE China put forward the West Development strategy in 1999 to help the underdeveloped western region catch up with the more prosperous eastern areas. Since then, China's west has maintained steady and rapid economic development. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that the GDP of China's western region increased from 1.73 trillion yuan (257 billion U.S. dollars) in 2000 to 17.1 trillion yuan in 2017, annual growth of 11.6 percent. Between 2012 and 2017, the western region had sustained an average annual GDP growth of 8.9 percent, 1.8 percent higher than the national rate, suggesting an ever-shrinking development gap between the country's east and west. The fast development has attracted an increasing number of global businesses. Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has attracted more than 210 of the world's top 500 companies and those in Chongqing and Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, have all exceeded 280. "With vast land, large population and fast growing economy, western China has provided considerable opportunities for transnational corporations," said Shane Tedjarati, president of Honeywell Global High Growth Regions, which aims to be a leading software industrial company. So far, Honeywell has established several branches and manufacturing plants in western Chinese cities including Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an. Among the company's Asia Pacific markets, business in western China enjoys better growth. "I think now it's the right time to go westward to tap mid-segment market," Shane Tedjarati said. (Video reporters: Zhang Haizhou, Li Aibin, Li Jianchang, Zhao Yufei, Xu Xuzhong; video editor: Zhang Xinyi) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 16:55:37|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing said Saturday that it is offering technical assistance in an investigation into the crash of a U.S. commercial airplane in the state of Florida on Friday. "Boeing is providing technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as the agency conducts its investigation," the company said in a short statement. A Boeing 737-800 charter flight operated by Miami Air International skidded off a runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and crashed into the St. Johns River Friday evening. All 136 passengers and seven crew aboard the aircraft survived the impact, and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said in a tweet Friday that the plane was in "shallow water" and not "submerged." The NTSB sent a team of investigators Saturday to the crash site in northern Florida. The plane's flight data recorder was recovered on Saturday. The aircraft was a regular charter that runs weekly flights between the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. It is unclear yet if the cause of the incident was similar to those of two deadly Boeing 737 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in recent months. A local guide for two French tourists who went missing on safari in Benin last week has been found shot dead and their car burned out, a local official and a regional security source said. The fate of the tourists, who failed to return to camp on Wednesday in the Pendjari National Park in northern Benin, is unclear, the sources said. France 24 television on Sunday reported that they had been kidnapped, citing unnamed regional sources. France's foreign affairs ministry could not confirm the information on Sunday, though it has acknowledged that two nationals and their guide had been missing since Wednesday. Officials in Benin and neighbouring Burkina Faso, where the sources say the car was found, declined to comment. The French government had warned its citizens against travelling to parts of Benin near the Burkina Faso border where the park is located due to the risk of kidnapping. The country's military conducted anti-terrorism training exercises last year amid concern about militant activity in Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. Still, the disappearances and death mark a rare incident of violence in Benin, which is considered a pocket of calm in restive and impoverished West Africa where jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State have used local grievances to stoke violence and gain influence. The sources said the guide's car was found in eastern Burkina Faso, which this year has been overrun by jihadist attacks, forcing more than 100,000 residents to flee. The guide's body was riddled with bullets, the two sources said. It was not clear if he was found in Burkina or Benin. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:05:41|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close NANJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's spacecraft tracking ship Yuanwang-5 is sailing to the Indian Ocean from a port in eastern China's Jiangsu Province Sunday for a maritime space monitoring mission. Yuanwang tracking ships have completed four missions since January, with more than 140 days at sea, a record high in recent years. They are expected to carry out more missions this year, according to the China satellite maritime tracking and controlling authorities. China currently has four Yuanwang tracking ships. Four days ago, Yuanwang-7 sailed to the Pacific Ocean. Yuanwang-3 returned to port after finishing its latest monitoring mission for BeiDou-3 satellites, and Yuanwang-6 began its first overhaul at the end of April. In 2019, the country will have more than 30 space launches, and the Yuanwang fleet will operate for more than 700 days at sea. The mission members have made action plans and conducted rehearsals, preparing for future missions. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:05:43|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed in Israeli overnight attacks in the conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian military factions for the third day in a row, medic sources said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of Gaza Health Ministry, said in a press statement that Mahmoud Issa, 29, and Fawzi Bawadi, 24, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 10. More than 47 were wounded in the continuing Israeli airstrikes which targeted military posts and facilities belonging to Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement. Meanwhile, the Israeli media said Moshe Agadi, a 58-year-old Israeli man, was killed after a Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza hit his house in Ashkelon in southern Israel. A total of 18 Israelis were wounded by shrapnel of the rockets being continually fired Gaza, raising the number of injured Israelis to 30. The Palestinian factions have fired around 300 rockets toward Israeli cities, with 70 percent of them intercepted by the Dome Iron system. On Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had raided 60 targets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad throughout the Gaza Strip. According to an IDF statement, an Israeli jet attacked a Palestinian squad which was launching rockets in the northern Gaza Strip. In Gaza's northern city of Jabalia, Israel attacked a military site which includes a training camp and a concrete factory used for building a cross-border tunnel. In addition, a control-and-command room in a mosque and a training camp were bombed in the northern Al-Shati refugee camp. The IDF also reported an attack on a weapons depot, located in the residence of a Hamas member in Gaza City. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:15:48|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Several people were either killed or injured after a car bomb explosion and ensuing gunshots occurred outside provincial police station in Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan on Sunday, a witness said. "We heard a huge blast outside Baghlan Police Station roughly at 12:45 p.m. local time. Gunshots were also heard as suspected armed militants tried to enter the facility," witness Mohammad Jafar told Xinhua. Government troops cordoned off the area shortly after the blast, keeping people from gathering at the scene. A thick gray smoke was seen rise above the site. The blast is the latest in a string of bombings that have targeted dozens of military and security compounds across the country. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the incident. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:36:01|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close MANDERA, Kenya, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Al-Shabab militants on Saturday night attacked a Kenyan village in the border town of Mandera and escaped with food and a gun, a police officer confirmed on Sunday. The officer said the attack in Hareri Hosle, a village in Mandera Arabia road at the border of Kenya-Somalia started at around midnight when about 30 al-Shabab believed to have crossed from Somalia, roamed the village. The police officer who asked for anonymity said one Kenya Police Reservist official was shot in the chest and another had his head grazed. Top security agents visited the area as part of operation to restore normalcy. The latest attack came after the militants on April 12 abducted two Cuban doctors after killing one of their bodyguards. The doctors are yet to be rescued. Officials have among others, linked local business rivalry as the cause for the attack on the doctors. There has been a lull in terror attacks staged by the extremist group in Mandera due to various measures by local and national governments. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:41:04|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close CAIRO, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The recently announced intention of U.S. President Donald Trump to designate the Muslim Brotherhood group as a terrorist organization has raised debate among key players in the Middle East region. About three weeks after the visit of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to Washington and his talks with Trump, the White House said last week that the U.S. president is working to label the group as a terrorist organization. In response, the 90-year-old Islamist group said in a statement on its website that it will stick to its "moderate and peaceful" approach despite Trump's plan. The U.S. plan is surely welcomed by Egypt and its allies in the Gulf region including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which largely supported the Egyptian army's ouster of former Muslim Brotherhood-oriented President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. The Egyptian authorities blacklisted the group a few months after the army removed Morsi in response to mass protests against his one-year controversial rule, launching a massive security crackdown on the group's loyalists. Since then, Egypt has been facing a wave of terrorist activities that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians, while the Egyptian forces killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects in the country's anti-terror war declared by al-Sisi. Meanwhile, Cairo's ties with Washington improved under Trump after a rift during the time of former U.S. President Barack Obama whose administration rejected Morsi's popularly-backed military removal. "The anticipated move is a big change in the U.S. policy toward groups that the former U.S. government dealt with as political entities," said Samir Ragheb, head of the Cairo-based Arab Foundation for Development and Strategic Studies (AFDSS). The Egyptian expert referred to a state of "closer understanding" between the United States and Arab allies like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, which led to a change in the U.S. position in their favor. Most terror activities in Egypt over the past few years have been claimed by a Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State regional militant group. The Egyptian leadership considers the Muslim Brotherhood the source of all evil and terror while the group denies it. "If the U.S. decision is implemented, it will be considered a big victory for the Egyptian diplomacy," the AFDSS chief told Xinhua. It took Egypt a lot of diplomatic efforts to dissuade the U.S. Democrats who used to see the Muslim Brotherhood as part of the solution in fighting terrorism, Ragheb added. Meanwhile, regional players Iran and Turkey rejected the U.S. plan to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, arguing that Trump's move would undermine the region's stability and promote extremism. Ties between Egypt and Iran have been cut off for decades, since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Egypt is also at odds with Turkey and Qatar for hosting and sheltering fleeing Muslim Brotherhood members, accusing them of supporting terrorism and interfering in the Egyptian domestic affairs. The charges have been dismissed by both countries. The rift with Qatar led Egypt to join a Saudi-led blockade against Qatar in June 2017, cutting its diplomatic ties and economic cooperation with the oil-rich country to pressure it to give up its support for the Muslim Brotherhood. "Implementation of the U.S. decision is likely to face some difficulties, including Turkey's rejection whose ruling party is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood," Ragheb said. The expert pointed out that the required approval of decision by the U.S. Congress is among the challenges facing Trump's approach targeting Muslim Brotherhood. Notably, Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are longtime regional rivals, as Riyadh sees Tehran's regional expansion ambitions as a threat to its sovereignty. This also explains their conflicting positions on the controversial group which was founded in Egypt in 1928. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:41:07|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close JUBA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government has vowed to continue supporting the peace implementation process in South Sudan in the wake of the recent agreement by the former warring parties extending the pre-transitional period for another six months before forming the much-awaited transitional unity government by November. Taro Kono, Japanese foreign minister said on his maiden visit to Juba on Saturday after meeting South Sudanese President Salva Kiir that Tokyo will continue to support the ongoing peace process in the youngest nation which has suffered more than five years of conflict since December 2013. Japan in March donated 205 million pounds (3.2 million U.S. dollars) to the regional body Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) which mediated the peace deal signed in September 2018 in Ethiopia between Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar, the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army-in opposition (SPLM/A-IO). Kono also invited President Kiir to attend the upcoming Tokyo International Cooperation on African Development (TICAD) meeting in August which aims to boost trade and bilateral cooperation between Japan and African countries. South Sudanese foreign minister Nhial Deng Nhial hailed Japanese aid to South Sudan and the role Japan is playing in complementing peace implementation efforts. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:51:10|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The following shows and events are on in Beijing the coming week: International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 Beijing China Date: April 29-Oct. 7 Time: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Place: Beijing Expo, Yanqing District Introduction: Beijing Expo 2019, hosted by the Chinese government and Beijing Municipality, is a worldwide horticultural exposition. Themed "Live Green, Live Better," the expo covers 503 hectares. About 2,500 cultural activities, such as parades and performances of world ethnic cultures will be held throughout the expo, an average of 15 each day. Copenhagen Date: May 4-19 Time: 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Place: National Theatre of China Introduction: In Copenhagen, a fictional account of an actual event during World War II, two physicists exchange heated words and profound ideas. During the brief meeting, Danish physicist Niels Bohr and German atomic physicist Werner Heisenberg completely broke up. Their conversation caused a storm and many of the overarching themes remain relevant today. A Doll's House Date: May 7-12 Time: 7:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Place: Beijing Capital Theatre Introduction: Leading a perfect life and marriage, Nara seems to possess everything envied by other people. But she finally discovers that she is not an independent individual but an ignorant doll manipulated by her father and husband. Sinfonia Rotterdam Date: May 9 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Concert Hall, the National Centre for the Performing Arts Introduction: Synchronous to the energy and intensity to the large port city, Sinfonia Rotterdam brings the music of classical masters in dynamic, penetrating fashion. During performances in concert series in Rotterdam, the Hague, Amsterdam, and many national and international stages, Sinfonia Rotterdam, led by the conductor Conrad van Alphen, involves the audience in the musical experience. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 17:51:12|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close TUNIS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian security forces killed three terrorists late Saturday night in the Tunisian central province of Sidi Bouzid, a local radio station reported Sunday. "It was a preventive operation conducted by the National Guard and the anti-terrorism units which managed to eliminate three terrorists described as dangerous and seized weapons and ammunition," a security source told Mosaique FM. Special forces set a trap in the region of Sidi Ali Ben Aoun for the terrorists who had to descend from the mountain to refuel. The clash with terrorists led to the death of the brothers Mohamed and Hatem Basdouri. The security units took DNA samples to identify the third killed terrorist. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:01:38|Editor: zh Video Player Close by Julius Gale JUBA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese doctor working for the China medical team in South Sudan has received enormous praise from his local counterparts for his exceptional work in the conflict-torn east African country. Since coming to South Sudan a year ago, Zhu Ming, an anesthesiologist who is tasked with perioperative care of patients before and after surgery has won the hearts of many South Sudanese health workers because of his readiness to share knowledge and interact freely with locals. Nicknamed Dr. Peter by his colleagues at the Juba Teaching Hospital, Zhu has become a role model for many anesthetists in South Sudan. "As soon as Peter arrived from China, he has been a kind and very humble person and ready to do whatever is needed from him," said Felix Samuel, a South Sudanese anesthesiologist and close friend of Zhu. "I'm very proud to have worked with him because I have gained some experience now. His going back to China is sad to me," he added. Fredrick Khamis, president of the College of Surgeons and Physicians of South Sudan described the Chinese medic as a valuable asset that China has ever sent to South Sudan. Khamis said out of the 15-member China medical team in South Sudan, Zhu was particularly able to forge a special relationship with his South Sudanese counterparts, which helped him to win the trust of his coworkers and patients. "He (Zhu) has been very helping especially in the setup of the theater and doing operations. Not only that he has been very helpful in giving us lectures in the classrooms using the experiences that we have here, he has been a very wonderful asset in the school and the hospital," said Khamis. Khamis said during Zhu's one- year medical assistance mission in South Sudan, he was able to help in 380 surgeries and also conducted several lectures for medical students. "One of the important things is that always when he does his work, he tries to train the local staff on how things are done and it's actually a very impressive sort of thing. We hope with the subsequent teams coming around, then we could still get on the same track," Khamis added. Speaking at a reception ceremony for the 7th batch of the China medical team on Saturday, Issac Cleto, director of Juba Teaching Hospital, hailed Zhu's dedication to serve and impart his knowledge free of charge to the people of South Sudan. "In a special way, I want to thank Dr. Peter who made us very, very confident in doing major surgeries in our setup which is not up to date," said Cleto. "He made us to correct so many mistakes and all the challenges that we used to face because we and the Chinese work as a team," said Cleto. Since 2013, the Chinese doctors have helped with live-saving surgeries and offered capacity building to South Sudanese health workers. The seventh batch of the China medical team arrived in South Sudan on Saturday for a one-year medical assistance mission in the east African country. The 15-member team, composed of 13 specialist doctors and two support staffs will replace the outgoing 6th batch. In his farewell message to colleagues at Juba Teaching Hospital, Zhu appreciated the collaboration he had with the South Sudanese doctors. "In the past year, there are many operations and medical challenges that we faced together, but I have learned from the local doctors and they also learned from me," Zhu said. "I found that the local people are kind and very friendly to me, and they are also good people." Zhu said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:16:44|Editor: ZX Video Player Close PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Several people were killed and 45 others injured after Taliban attacked a provincial police station in Pul-e-Khumri, capital of Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan on Sunday, sources said. "At least seven Taliban were involved in the attack. Five of the assailants were killed as one bomber detonated a hijacked military vehicle outside Baghlan Police Station roughly at 12:45 p.m. local time, paving the way for second group of assailants to enter the building," a security official, Abbas Tawakoli, told Xinhua. Two attackers blew themselves up inside the station and two militants were shot and killed by security forces, he said. "The clashes were ongoing inside the facility as of afternoon as security forces were battling the remaining Taliban militants," he said. The blast is the latest in a string of bombings that have targeted dozens of military and security compounds across the country. Up to 45 injured, including women and children, were shifted to a main hospital in the city after the huge blast, according to Haleem Ghafari, a provincial health official. He said further details on casualties would be shared with media later in the day. The blast also damaged buildings, shops and several cars in the city, 160 km north of the country's capital, Kabul. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the incident. The Taliban-led insurgency has been on the rampage since early April when the militant group launched a yearly rebel offensive. A Sudanese protester has died from injuries suffered in clashes between security forces and demonstrators from a camp for displaced people in conflict-wracked Darfur, medics said on Sunday. Violence erupted Saturday when crowds of protesters from camp Attash clashed with soldiers and paramilitary forces in Nyala, the provincial capital of South Darfur state, the official SUNA news agency reported. "One person died from injuries suffered in the abdomen during the dispersal of protesters in Nyala by security forces," a doctors' committee that is part of the protest campaign against the country's military rulers said in a statement. A medic from a hospital in Darfur where the protester had been treated confirmed his death. Deadly clashes have rocked Sudan since December when protests broke out against the iron-fisted rule of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the army on April 11. Officials say at least 65 people have died in protest-related violence. On Saturday, SUNA reported that four members of the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force had been "critically wounded" in clashes with protesters from camp Attash, and that there were no casualties among the demonstrators. But the umbrella group leading the nationwide protests, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, gave a different version of Saturday's events, condemning what it said was an attack by the army on protesters. Darfur was torn by years of conflict that erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Khartoum's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation. The United Nations says about 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur since 2003 and another 2.5 million people displaced in the western region. Bashir himself is wanted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide in Darfur, which he denies. In recent years Darfur has seen an overall fall in violence, but on April 13 clashes were reported in the Kalma camp for displaced people that left 14 people dead, according to state media. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:21:46|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China recorded more than 8.4 million exits and entries across its border during the four-day May Day holiday starting May 1, said the National Immigration Administration (NIA) Sunday. The country saw an average of more than 1.07 million entries and 1.03 million exits per day during this period, up 14.2 percent and 4.5 percent year on year, respectively. A total of 367,700 transportation carriers were inspected at the border checkpoints across the country, with the average daily number rising 12.95 percent year on year, according to the NIA. The passenger volume at border check stations in major airports, including Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, increased steadily during the holiday, while the tourist flow across land border check sites near Hong Kong and Macao rose notably. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:21:48|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Convoy of the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths leaves the Sanaa International Airport after the envoy arrives in Sanaa, Yemen, May 5, 2019. The UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths arrived in the capital Sanaa on Sunday, in attempt to push the Houthi rebels to implement a peace agreement last year. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) SANAA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths arrived in the capital Sanaa on Sunday, in attempt to push the Houthi rebels to implement a peace agreement last year. Houthi TV al-Masirah reported that Griffiths would meet leaders of the rebel group to discuss the peace process. Journalists were not allowed to meet the envoy in Sanaa. Griffiths has been shuttling between the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Sanaa and the exiled Yemeni government in the Saudi capital Riyadh to end more than four years of civil war, which erupted after the rebels seized much of the country's north in late 2014. Griffiths' Sunday visit to Sanaa was the second in fewer than a month. Rebel-held territory, including Sanaa, has endured a regular blackout and severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel since 2015. A peace deal reached between Yemeni warring parties in December last year has hit a deadlock. The deal, first step toward a comprehensive political solution, focused on the port city of Hodeidah, the lifeline for Yemen's most commercial imports and humanitarian aid. Both warring parties have largely obeyed the cease-fire deal, but have failed to withdraw forces from the city. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:36:51|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SKOPJE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Citizens of North Macedonia voted on Sunday in the presidential election runoff where voters will choose the country's new president between the top two candidates of the first round held on April 21. Over 1.8 million eligible voters would head to more than 3,400 polling stations throughout the country from 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) up to 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). Stevo Pendarovski, the joint candidate of the governing coalition Social Democratic Union Party (SDSM) and Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) will face Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the candidate backed by the right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party. According to the results shown at the State Election Commission (SEC) website, in the first round Pendarovski got 42.8 percent of votes, while Siljanovska-Davkova came second with 42.2 percent. The elections will be valid if voters'turnout is at least 40 percent. If not, North Macedonia will hold fresh presidential elections. The turnout during the first round was 41.8 percent, according to the SEC. A total of 3,381 local observers and 520 foreign observers will monitor the elections. SEC has accredited 289 interpreters and 60 foreign journalists. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:36:55|Editor: ZX Video Player Close GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed on Sunday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on eastern Gaza City, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a press statement. Ashraf al-Qedra, the ministry spokesman, said in a press statement that the two killed Palestinians were identified as Bilal al-Banna and Abdu Allah Abu al-Tta. The death toll of Palestinians has risen to 12 since a new round of military escalation between Israel and Palestinian factions days ago, he added. According to a press statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), ICRC field crews had pulled out the bodies of the two Palestinians. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 19:47:01|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council made public a decree Sunday to regulate government investment behaviors. The decree signed by Premier Li Keqiang will take into effect on July 1. Prop, a sculpture made by British sculptor Antony Gormley in 2018, is seen on display on Delos island, Greece, May 3, 2019. An exhibition by Antony Gormley, one of Britain's best known sculptors, kicked off on the Delos island recently. (Xinhua/Li Xiaopeng) MYKONOS, Greece, May 5 (Xinhua) -- For the first time, a modern art exhibition is being held on Greece's 5,000-year-old archaeological site, the Delos island, once a flourishing trading center in the middle of the Aegean Sea near Mykonos. The site-specific exhibition by Antony Gormley, one of Britain's best known sculptors, is presented by the Greek nonprofit organization NEON in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, a regional service under the General Directorate of Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. This project, entitled SIGHT, exhibits 29 life-size iron body sculptures made by the artist during the last twenty years, including 5 specially commissioned new works, both at the periphery and integrated amongst Delos' archaeological sites. The sculptures are being placed in various parts of the island, with the visitors being invited to discover them with the help of printed material. Two sculptures stand in the sea close to the shore, while some are on the Kynthos hill, in the Agora of the Competaliasts, at the entrance of the Stadium, on the Stage of the Theater and in other monument. The exhibition, which will last until Oct. 31, also marks the first time a contemporary art installation has been unanimously approved by the Greek Archaeological Council to take place in Delos, a UNESCO world heritage site. The tiny island of Delos is revered in Greek mythology as the sacred birthplace of twins Apollo, god of light, and Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Nowadays, it is usually inhabited by just a handful of archaeologists and scientific researchers, with its ruins stand devoid of human presence. Gormley, an award-winning sculptor who is acclaimed for creating sculptures and installations that explore the relationship between the human body and space, told Xinhua it's an honor for him to exhibit his art works on the island. "It's a huge honor, a huge responsibility and a huge challenge, to be the first artist to touch the island in 2,000 years," Gormley told Xinhua Friday at the site of his exhibition. "I am hoping this exhibition will reanimate in a way that make people look differently with great alertness, think about the nature of the island, about its relations to the other islands, and maybe more generally about the human presence," he said. Gormley admitted Buddhism has an important influence on his art creations, which he studied in India in early 1970s, "it taught me the body itself is an extraordinary teacher." "We use the body as a machine, but in fact the body is a very sensitive receiver of not just information but feelings," he explained. Gormley's works have been on show in many countries worldwide and his recent show in China was in 2017, when his works "Critical Mass II" were exhibited in Shanghai and Changsha. He had been to China for many times since 1995 and told Xinhua that in his view, China is becoming more and more open-up. "China is changing, is doing a lot to promote the cultural exchanges between China and the West," he said. He recalled his exhibition in Changsha of China's Hunan Province as a show dealt with modern history as the city is a very important place for China's recent history, and for this current exhibition on Delos island, "it deals with ancient history." For Demetrios Athanasoulis, Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, the extensive ruins within the unspoilt natural beauty of uninhabited Delos offer the visitor an unique experience. "Antony Gormley's sculptures give the visitor the pleasure of wandering amid this Delian anasynthesis which is ideally suited to reflecting on our identity and exploring our cognitive and aesthetic ties with the past," he said in a press release. "This exhibition is an exceptional opportunity for a wide audience to engage with Gormley's work and be reminded how central art is to the human story. I hope visitors will leave Delos feeling that his contemporary sculpture and this site belong to us all," Elina Kountouri, Director of NEON, said in the press release. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:07:15|Editor: ZX Video Player Close by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- As hundreds of rockets fired by militants in the Gaza Strip landed in Israel over the weekend, analysts are divided on whether the violence between Israel and Hamas would further escalate. An Israeli man was killed early on Sunday morning by a rocket while eight Palestinian militants were killed by Israeli airstrikes throughout the weekend. The recent flare-up comes after a month of relative calm between the two sides. Jonathan Conricus, head of the International Media Branch at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Unit, said over 450 rockets were fired into Israeli territory by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement. The recent escalation is not the first since last year, leaving many Israelis impatient about solutions to bring long-lasting calm to the volatile border. "Seeing that Israel does not have a strategy about Gaza and the Hamas has clear goals, Hamas manages to dictate when the violence begins and when it ends," Ronnie Shaked of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said. The flare-up comes days before Israel marks its Independence Day and two weeks before the Eurovision song contest held in Tel Aviv. The contest is expected to draw thousands of tourists from abroad and Israel has invested large amounts of money in preparation. Israeli analysts speculated that Hamas may exploit this delicate time to gain advantages in Egypt-mediated cease-fire talks that have been going on for weeks. "I do not see any advantage that Hamas will gain because of the sensitive time," said Efraim Karsh, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. "Even if they manage to get concessions, the concessions will be cancelled immediately," Karsh added. Israel has been struggling with its policy toward Hamas which has been controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist. Because of an almost 12-year blockade by Israel, the Gaza Strip is seeing an increasingly dire economic situation and a growing humanitarian crisis. While Israel seems to be growing less tolerant to the increasing frequency of border flare-ups, it is not clear whether the Jewish state will intensify its response. "Israel will not topple Hamas because there is no alternative to their rule," Karsh said. The Israeli government has indicated that they do not see this as an option, he added, as there is fear for a more extreme entity to take over Gaza. However, in a briefing to reporters, Conricus said an armored brigade was being sent to the southern border "to be ready to undertake offensive missions ... in enemy terrain." Since the last war in 2014, Israel has refrained from putting boots on the ground in Gaza and has chosen to show force through massive airstrikes in times of escalating violence. "There is no chance for Israel to undertake a ground offensive at this point," Shaked told Xinhua. "Netanyahu does not want a war, especially in the coming weeks. This round will end once Hamas has determined it has hit Israel hard enough," Shaked said. For now, the Israeli military has retaliated with airstrikes on hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad military targets, including a cross-border tunnel meant to help militants carry out attacks within Israel. "Israel needs to decide what it wants," Karsh told Xinhua. "Hamas is rational. If it knows that violence and provocations might topple it, they might be quiet." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:07:17|Editor: zh Video Player Close COLOMBO, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Red Cross Society of China has donated an estimated 100,000 U.S. dollars to the Sri Lankan Red Cross to treat those injured in the Easter Sunday terror blasts in Sri Lanka, the Chinese embassy in Colombo said in a statement here Saturday. The cheque of Rs. 17.84 million (100,000 U.S. dollars) was handed over by Cheng Xueyuan, the ambassador of China to Sri Lanka, to Nimal Kumar, National Secretary of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS). Ambassador Cheng said that at this time of sorrow, the Chinese government and people stood firmly with the Sri Lankan people and resolutely supported Sri Lanka in safeguarding its national security and stability, and building a peaceful and prosperous country. Nimal Kumar highly appreciated the Red Cross Society of China for helping Sri Lanka during this difficult period and promised to use all the donation towards the treatment of the injured. Over 250 people were killed and 500 others injured in the Easter Sunday explosions which targeted churches and luxury hotels. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:32:23|Editor: ZX Video Player Close JAKARTA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Four miners were killed as mine slides struck inside a shaft of an illegal gold mine in South Kalimantan province of central Indonesia, a senior disaster agency said on Sunday. All the bodies have been retrieved after the collapse in an underground area of the unlicensed mine situated in Gunung Puncak of Kotabaru district at 13:30 p.m. local time Saturday, said Syafarudin Syukur, head of emergency unit at the provincial disaster agency. The collapses hit the underground area twice, when the first one happened, it burred one miner, then four others tried to rescue him, but, suddenly, another mine slide struck and buried three out of the four, he told Xinhua via phone from Kotabaru district. Search and rescue operation had been undertaken to retrieve the victims, Syafarudin said. Today (Sunday) all the four bodies have been pulled out from the underground area, he said. Dozens of miners mine gold at the traditional gold mine in Gunung Puncak, the official said. The Indonesian government has barred operation of illegal gold mine, which is common in small-scale size and situated in remote areas. With lacking of safety standard, such activities have often triggered mine incidents. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:32:25|Editor: ZX Video Player Close RAMALLAH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official on Sunday slammed Israeli attacks on "defenseless civilians," saying it is "a cynical attempt to inflict pain on Palestinians for political gains." "Israel has turned Gaza into the largest open-air prison in the world ... (through) indiscriminately bombarding heavily-populated areas," Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, said in an e-mailed statement. She urged the international community to "end the escalation and to protect the rights and lives of 2 million Palestinians." Meanwhile, Ahmad Majdalani, another member of PLO Executive Committee, confirmed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is holding talks on regional and international levels to "stop the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip." In addition, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of "continuing his hideous assault against the Gaza Strip." In a press statement, the ministry urged the International Criminal Court to promptly launch investigation into "Israeli crimes" in Gaza. Earlier in the day, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. All parties should "immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months," he said in a press statement. At least 12 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 50 others wounded during Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday evening. Recent fighting in southern Tripoli in Libya has killed 187 people and wounded 1,157, a spokesman for the ministry of health said on Saturday. The government has also transferred a number of wounded to Tunisia, Turkey, Italy and Ukraine for medical treatment, said Tarek al-Hamshiri, the head of the government forces' Field Medical Centre. The offensive launched by Libya National Army lead by Khalifa Haftar to take control of Tripoli is now in its fifth week. The U.N.-backed government of national accord (GNA) in Tripoli issued a statement earlier on Saturday recognising 710 fighters killed in Libya's civil war in 2014 as "martyrs", in a move a Tripoli government source said was aimed at winning the backing of forces in nearby Zintan in the fight against Haftar. "The GNA took this step in a bid to get support from the mountain town of Zintan to strengthen its forces in confronting the eastern forces deployed by military commander Khalifa Haftar," the government source said. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:37:27|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SUVA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Fiji Airways, the national carrier of the South Pacific island country, confirmed on Sunday that it has stopped the service of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft which was leased from Miami Air last month. The airline's decision came after a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Miami Air slid off the runway into a river after landing in Jacksonville, the U.S state of Florida during a thunderstorm on Friday night. A Fiji Airways spokesperson said that they are aware of the accident in Florida and is monitoring the situation closely. They will not operate the aircraft until they know more about the Florida accident, the spokesperson added. The airline stressed that the safety of their passengers is and always will be their top priority. In April, Fiji Airways leased a Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Miami Air to cover some of its schedules due to the temporary grounding of its two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in March this year after an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane crashed and killed 157 onboard. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:47:30|Editor: ZX Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Israel and the United States will establish a joint energy center at an initial investment of 40 million U.S. dollars, Israeli Ministry of Energy said Sunday. The energy ministries of both countries, along with the Israel Innovation Authority, have issued a call for proposals to set up the new center in 5 years. The center will deal with natural gas, cyber protection for energy and water facilities, water and energy interfaces as well as energy storage. The center's main target is to promote the energy security and economic development of Israel and the United States through cooperation between companies, research institutions and universities in research and development of innovative technologies. "The new center will expand the successful research and development cooperation of the energy ministries of the two countries and will be a source of creative partnerships," said Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:47:32|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China recorded more than 8.4 million exits and entries across its border during the four-day May Day holiday starting May 1, said the National Immigration Administration (NIA) Sunday. The average daily number of the overall inbound and outbound trips surged 9.26 percent compared with the same period last year. The country saw an average of more than 1.07 million entries and 1.03 million exits per day during this period, up 14.2 percent and 4.5 percent year on year, respectively. A total of 367,700 transportation carriers were inspected at the border checkpoints across the country, with the average daily number rising 12.95 percent year on year, according to the NIA. The passenger volume at border check stations in major airports, including Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, increased steadily during the holiday, while the tourist flow across land border check sites near Hong Kong and Macao rose notably, according to the NIA. The daily arrivals and departures via the Gongbei Port, which links the Chinese mainland and Macao, reached record highs on May 2, with the number climbing to 481,300, and among which, 362,700 trips were made by tourists from the mainland, up 22.45 percent compared to the previous peak period. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:52:34|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 countries from across the world are expected to participate in Karibu Kili Fair, an international tourism fair, to be held in Tanzania's safari capital of Arusha from June 7 to June 9, an official said on Sunday. Dominic Shoo, coordinator of the fair, said the participation of foreign countries in the fair will help promote the east African country's abundant tourism attractions. The official said more than 400 local exhibitors of tourism attractions will be joined by other participants from the 15 countries. "The tourism fair has the character of a business networking event for the tourism industry," Shoo told a news conference. Victor Kitansi, a marketing officer with the Tanzania National Parks, said the state-owned wildlife conservation organization will continue supporting the tourism fair for the benefit of the country. Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner of Tanzania, contributing an average of 2 billion U.S. dollars annually, which is equivalent to 25 percent of all exchange earnings, according to the government data. It also contributes to more than 17 percent of the national gross domestic product and creating more than 1.5 million jobs, 500,000 of which are direct. A report released in June 2017 rated Tanzania's tourism industry as one of the fastest growing sectors in the country with figures showing a surge on tourist arrivals. The 2016 International Visitors' Exit Survey Report indicated that the number of tourists who visited the country continued to rise. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:52:38|Editor: zh Video Player Close BRAGA, Portugal, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese regional contest for the 18th "Chinese Bridge," an annual language and culture proficiency competition for college students, concluded here Saturday, with the victor following in his twin brother's steps two years earlier. Under the theme of "One World and One Family," six students from Lisbon University, Minho University and Coimbra University participated in the contest, which included a talent show. The winner was Tomas Rodrigues Ilheu, a student from Lisbon University. He said that he started learning Chinese after his twin brother, Diogo Ilheu, got the second prize in the 2017 Chinese Bridge competition. The twin brothers gave themselves the Chinese names of Li Bai and Du Fu, two great Chinese poets in the Tang Dynasty. They said their family has set up a company to tap the new opportunities created by China's Belt and Road Initiative. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 20:57:45|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China will hold a tourism and culture promotion event titled "China Tourism and Culture Week," with a series of activities taking place worldwide, from May 15 to June 30. A total of 34 Chinese culture centers and 19 China national tourist offices in cities such as Madrid, Seoul and Copenhagen will hold over 200 promotion activities, according to a press conference for the event Sunday. The activities, including a photo exhibition of China's natural scenery as well as performances, lectures and forums, have different themes such as Chinese celadon (a type of pottery) and traditional Chinese medicine. An international tourism festival will also be held in Suzhou, a famous tourist city in east China's Jiangsu Province, between May 17 and 31, during which Chinese culture centers in countries including Hungary, Japan and Singapore will hold promotion activities to display Suzhou's cultural and tourism products. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 21:02:48|Editor: ZX Video Player Close NEW DELHI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Death toll of Cyclone Fani has risen to 33 in Indian eastern state of Odisha, local media reported Sunday. The extremely severe cyclone wreaked havoc in the coastal part of the state, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts due to uprooting of trees and electricity poles. "The death toll in the Cyclone Fani has risen to 33," local television channel India Today said on Sunday. According to local government officials, the worst affected is Puri town, 68 km south of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. Local media reports quoting state Chief Secretary A P Padhi said 21 deaths were registered in the pilgrim town of Puri alone. The cyclone made the landfall in the town on Friday, uprooting scores of trees, electric poles, damaging mobile towers and flattening fragile houses. The Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a relief package for those affected by the cyclone. "Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said all families in Puri and in those parts of Khurda, which had been severely affected in the storm, will get 50 kg of rice, 28 U.S. dollars in cash and polythene sheets, if covered under the Food Security Act (FSA)," a local government official said. Patnaik said government machinery has been pressed into service to restore electricity and water supply in the affected areas. Houses completely damaged in Cyclone Fani will be constructed under housing schemes and loss of agricultural, horticultural crops, animal resources and fisheries will be assessed and compensated accordingly, the chief minister said. The state-run broadcaster All India Radio quoting government officials as saying that around one million trees were uprooted in Bhubaneswar alone. Six village forests in Bhubaneswar area have been completely devastated under the impact of Fani. Flight operations at Bhubaneswar airport resumed on Saturday. Meanwhile, train services remained affected in the region. The storm is one of the strongest storms recorded in India. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 21:17:53|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) celebrated on Sunday publication of the first edition of the Kuwait Energy Outlook (KEO) report. As the first of its kind in the Gulf region, the report presents ground-breaking analysis to predict and plan for Kuwait's energy future, while giving recommendations to create a more sustainable, energy-efficient and diversified economy and society for the Gulf country. The KEO report highlights three main challenges Kuwait is facing in ensuring prosperity for future generations: the need to diversify the country's oil-dependent economy, stimulate efficient energy usage, and further develop renewable energy sources. Samira Omar, director general of KISR, said the Kuwait Energy Outlook will play an essential role in increasing collaboration between government entities on energy-related issues and upskilling Kuwait's energy professionals. Khaled Mahdi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD), said Kuwait is leading the region in mapping out a sustainable, diversified energy future based on an evidence-based analysis such as KEO. Adhering to the recommendations as set out in the report will further increase Kuwait's global competitiveness, he noted. Khaled Shahwan, deputy resident representative of the UN Development Program (UNDP), underscored the importance of the first energy outlook. Through the first Energy Outlook report in the region, Kuwait has taken a major step forward with regard to its socio-economic and environmental development plans, he said. The KEO report, which will be published every three years, will be presented at dedicated forums that will bring together international and domestic stakeholders to discuss Kuwait's energy future. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 21:53:04|Editor: zh Video Player Close Wang Yang (front C), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association delegation led by Hayashi Yoshimasa at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Sunday met with the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association delegation led by Hayashi Yoshimasa. Hailing the efforts that the association has made for bilateral ties, Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, called on the two sides to further strengthen political mutual trust, implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on the Belt and Road platform. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met several times last year, playing an important role of political guidance and helping China-Japan relations return to the right track with new development, Wang said. He called for learning from history, respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, properly dealing with differences, and promoting people-to-people exchanges, so as to advance the steady development of China-Japan relations. Hayashi told Wang that the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association has a tradition of maintaining friendship with China, and it would like to continuously make positive contributions to the development of bilateral ties. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 22:03:14|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran is ready to offer help to Iraq's defense system, a senior official of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was quoted as saying by Press TV on Sunday. The IRGC is prepared to provide the Iraqi defense forces with assistance and experience concerning the manufacture of various types of radars, command-and-control centers, ground-to-air missile systems, and electronic warfare equipment, said Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of IRGC's Aerospace Division. Hajizadeh hailed the cooperation of the military forces of Iran and Iraq in the fight against the terrorists in Iraq. Iran's support for Iraq during the fight against the Islamic State militants began at the earliest stage of the group's onslaught in response to Baghdad's request, Hajizadeh said. On Thursday, Iran's Defense Minister Amir Hatami urged closer military cooperation with Iraq. "Defense cooperation between Iran and Iraq will result in balance, peace, security and stability of the region," Hatami said. Sudanese mediators facilitating talks between the army rulers and protest leaders have proposed the country have two transition councils, with one led by generals overseeing security, a protest leader said Sunday. The mediators' apparent proposal comes as talks over forming an overall governing council remain deadlocked, with the existing military council and protest leaders offering differing visions, after president Omar al-Bashir was deposed last month. "There is a proposal (from the mediators) to have two councils, one led by civilians and the other by the military," said Omar al-Digeir, a senior opposition leader and member of the umbrella protest group the Alliance for Freedom and Change. "The (new) military council (which will also include civilian representatives) will be looking at issues concerning the security aspects of the country," he told AFP. The "exact job description" of both the councils has yet to be decided, he said. "No final decision has been taken yet." Thousands of protesters remain encamped outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, demanding the current 10-member army council that took power after the ouster of Bashir be replaced by a civilian administration. The current army council has so far resisted handing over power to civilians. It was still unclear whether both the sides would agree to the idea of having two councils, or if they would stick to the earlier proposal of one joint civilian-military ruling body. 'Parliamentary system' Differences emerged between the two sides initially over the composition of the joint council -- the generals demanded a majority of military figures, while protest leaders insisted the body be civilian led. Digeir said the mediators -- a group of businessmen, journalists and other prominent figures from Sudanese society -- have proposed an overall package that includes not just the proposed two councils, but also how an executive and legislative body would work in a post-Bashir era. A senior leader from the protest movement expressed his opposition to the proposal of having two councils. "We are completely against this idea. We only want a symbolic sovereign council with military representation," said Siddig Youssef, head of the Sudan Communist Party, which is part of the umbrella protest group. "We want a parliamentary system with the authority in the hands of parliament and the cabinet," he told AFP. "The military should be confined only to a body tasked with matters related to security and defence." Protesters initially gathered outside the military complex on April 6, demanding that the army oust Bashir. But since April 11 -- the day the army removed the president -- they have maintained their sit-in, to keep up the pressure for a civilian administration. No fuel, no cash Protests initially erupted on December 19 in response to a government decision to triple the price of bread. But soon they mushroomed into nationwide demonstrations against Bashir, with protesters accusing his then government of mismanaging the economy that has seen soaring of food prices and acute shortage of fuel and foreign currency. Even as the military rulers and protest leaders debate on the future of Sudan's new ruling body, the challenges facing them remain the same. On Sunday, on the eve of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, hundreds of people formed long queues outside fuel stations and bank machines in Khartoum, an AFP correspondent reported. "For more than a week now, there's been no cash even in the ATMs installed in our company premises," said an employee of a leading industrial corporation in the capital. A driver with a private tour operator said he got his car tank partially filled after waiting for an entire day at a Khartoum fuel station. "People at fuel stations are really angry. They have to wait for six to seven hours in this hot sun to get fuel," he said without giving his name. Last month, Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced three billion dollars (2.7 billion euros) in financial aid for Sudan, including providing food, medicine and petroleum products. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 22:03:18|Editor: zh Video Player Close Wang Yang (C, front row), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, meets with the 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu (5th L, front row) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang met with the 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu in Beijing Sunday. The Panchen Lama presented Wang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, with a hada scarf and reported his studies and life in recent years. Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, fully recognized the progress made by the Panchen Lama in terms of Buddhist attainments, cultural literacy, and religious influences. The Panchen Lama, as a leader of Tibetan Buddhism, shoulders a great responsibility of leading Tibetan Buddhism in the right direction, and safeguarding the unification of the motherland and the ethnic solidarity, said Wang. Wang said he hoped the Panchen Lama will take a firm political stand and lead the religious figures and believers in fighting against all separatist elements. The Panchen Lama was also called on to take the lead in interpreting religious doctrines to adapt them to China's socialism and improve his religious practice and study to earn support from believers. The Panchen Lama said he will make his contributions to safeguarding the unification of the motherland, ethnic solidarity, social stability, and religious harmony. He also said he will always remember the instructions given by CPC leaders and devote himself to religious studies and practices to serve his believers. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 22:13:22|Editor: ZX Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- With the end of U.S. waivers for Iran's major oil buyers, Tehran and its European partners pin hope on the implementation of an EU-designed payment channel to weather off U.S. sanction pressures on the Islamic republic. Last May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, namely the Iranian international nuclear deal signed in 2015. Following the withdrawal, Trump's administration returned the sanctions on Iran's oil exports in November, which had been lifted under the JCPOA, and allowed a number of major Iranian oil customers for a six-month deal with the Islamic republic. The waivers ended on Tuesday. On Saturday, Iran concluded the 24th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show 2019), according to Tehran Times daily report on Sunday. At the end of the four-day exhibition, a number of the European participants announced in an interview that the U.S. pressures for isolating Iran's economy would not stop them from collaborating with Iran's oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. "This year we are here with a delegation comprising 14 Italian companies and there are also companies which are attending as visitors," said Andrea Zucchini, president of I-Pars company that attended the exhibition. "There are many negotiations in progress (between Iran and the Italian firms), but Italian companies are very reserved at this point because of the U.S. sanctions," Zucchini, whose company develops business between Italy, Iran and the Middle East, said. "I think it is possible to work for Italian companies in Iran even during the U.S. sanctions," he said, adding that "the INSTEX system is a right solution." The Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), EU's special payment channel with Iran, was announced by the EU in January to secure trade with Iran and skirt U.S. anti-Iran sanctions after Washington pulled out of the 2015 landmark Iranian nuclear deal in May 2018. However, "it is still unclear how INSTEX can be used. It is therefore important for Europe to hurry and make this system operate. Our companies are waiting for it and I think it could give further confidence to all the traders with Iran," Zucchini said. "This year's fair went very well and I still think that Iran is a gold mine for Italian companies," he pointed out. In the meantime, Cecilio Castro Lopez, the representative of the Spain pavilion in the Iranian exhibition, said that "Spain has been here for many years, however, this year due to the U.S. sanctions only two companies are participating." "Right now, the situation is a little difficult and with INSTEX we hope that things get better," he said, adding that "Iran is a very good market and there are a lot of Spanish companies which are interested in collaborating in Iran's oil and gas industry." Although the Iranian officials have welcomed the establishment of the payment channel by the European states to help continue trade with Iran, they are critical of Europe's lingering to implement the channel and make it functional. Several meetings have been held between the sides to this end. Iran has vowed to try all the means available to bypass the U.S. sanctions and continue to export its oil and return the money. Iran also plans to design a mechanism akin to the INSTEX for financial transactions with its trade partners. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 22:43:34|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Midwives demonstrate how to help a mother deliver a baby in Mbarara district, Uganda, on May 5, 2019. Uganda joined the rest of the world on Sunday to commemorate the International Day of the Midwife. (Xinhua/Geoffrey Mutegeki) by Ronald Ssekandi MBARARA, Uganda, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Forty seven-year-old Trifonia Atukunda is living her dream. Since childhood, Atukunda always wanted to be a midwife and now she is one; practicing here at Bwizibwera Health Center IV in the western Ugandan district of Mbarara. As the world commemorates the International Midwives' Day on Sunday, it is people like Atukunda that are being celebrated for helping mothers deliver babies safely. "I like midwifery because I love babies, when a mother delivers, I feel happy," Atukunda told Xinhua in an interview on Sunday. Midwifery can be mentally, emotionally and physically draining especially in a country like Uganda where there are few midwifes compared to the increasing number of mothers giving birth in hospitals. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Uganda faces a national gap in midwifery staffing positions of about 36 percent. Midwifes, especially in remote areas where the service is limited, work under immense pressure. Atukunda's shift starts with a handover brief from an exhausted colleague. This involves a full run-down of each new mother, what kind of birth they had and what needs to be done for them that day. A memorable experience in Atukunda's 15 year career is when she helped seven mothers deliver in one night. She said on that day about three years ago, most of the mothers came in when they are in the second stage of labor. She lined them up, each on her bed, and whoever called on her was assisted to deliver. "I delivered seven of them and the eighth one after delivery we immediately referred because she developed complications," Atukunda said, noting that she had to call for assistance from her colleague who was off duty. Atukunda rarely takes breaks because if she does, the number of mothers from the labor ward keeps increasing. This however comes at the expense of the new mothers because they don't get enough care as needed. Some mothers have to be discharged before time because space has to be created for others who are in a more critical condition. At the end of her 12-hour shift, Atukunda is tired and simply wants to go and rest at her house, a few meters away from the maternity ward. Sometimes it is not a guarantee that she will rest because she is on call, just in case her colleague on the shift is overwhelmed. Ministry of health figures show that in Uganda, a midwife conducts between 350 and 500 deliveries per year; more than twice the 175 deliveries as recommend by World Health Organization. RAY OF HOPE According to UNFPA, midwives, supported by a functional health system, can avert up to 87 percent of all maternal and newborn deaths. Despite the staffing shortage, ministry of health figures show a positive trend of an increase in the number of women who deliver with assistance from a skilled provider, usually a midwife. About seven out of 10 women (74 percent) now deliver with assistance from a skilled birth attendant compared to 5 out of 10 women (58 percent) in 2011 and 4 out of 10 women (42 percent) in 2006. The 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey shows that maternal mortality ratio has reduced by 24 percent from 438 to 336 per 100,000 live births. There are both government and private efforts to increase the number of nursing and midwifery training institutes in the country. Miranda Tabifor, deputy representative of UNFPA said at the commemoration event that midwifery education and training is important in improving standards. Tabifor said with support from the Swedish government, since 2010, a total of 590 midwives have benefited from the Midwifery Training Bursary and Bonding Program. Over 450 have completed training, of which 306, about 68 percent, have been deployed across the country. "This has been one of the strategic interventions to address the midwifery deficit, especially in hard-to-reach areas like the Karamoja region," she said. Karamoja region is in semi-arid northeastern Uganda. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, minister of state for health in charge of primary health care said government is making plans of recruiting more midwives to increase the staffing levels. She urged the midwives to go for further training in order to build their capacity. The minister said that the government recently gave the midwives a salary enhancement to motivate them to work harder. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 22:48:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAKU, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed when a car overturned on Sunday in the southern Azerbaijani district of Bilasuvar, the country's emergency authorities said. The driver, identified as a 47-year-old man, and his passenger died on the spot after the driver lost control of his car. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident and to identify the second victim. In a similar accident in the neighboring Sabirabad district earlier on Sunday, a passenger car came off the road and overturned, killing one and injuring two people. The driver and two female passengers were taken to a local hospital where the driver later died of his injuries, health authorities said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:08:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The armed wing of Islamic Jihad movement al-Quds Brigades announced that its militants on Sunday launched a new kind of rockets with a big destructive power into southern Israel. The group quoted a senior military leader, who asked to remain anonymous, on its website as saying that launching the rockets came as a response to the Israeli targeting of civilians, children and civilian buildings in the Gaza Strip. "Israel is hiding this truth and doesn't show the places that were struck by our rockets," the Islamic Jihad militant said, adding that "we leave this fact for the coming days to be unveiled, mainly what happened in Ashkelon." He affirmed that his militant group "is ready to expand the circle of fire, in terms of quality and quantity ... We are still in the beginning of the battle." Meanwhile, the Islamic Jihad said in a press statement that "the Palestinian armed resistance is ready to get engaged in an open confrontation and is able to join a large front in order to defend our land and our people." The Israeli media reported earlier that the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have developed their arsenal and have now unique and special military abilities. Earlier on Sunday, the Joint Chamber of Military Operations, which comprises Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said in a statement that its militants fired rockets from the Gaza Strip into the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheba. The statement said that targeting large Israeli cities "is a response to (Israeli) targets of homes of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip." A new wave of tension broke out on Saturday morning when Gaza militants fired barrages of rockets into Israel in revenge for killing four Palestinians, including two demonstrators and two militants in the Gaza Strip on Friday. The Israeli army responded to rockets firing and killed 10 Palestinians, including four civilians and six militants. Its warplanes also destroyed several buildings as well as training facilities and posts that belong to militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:13:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 people were killed and 57 others injured in Taliban attack on a provincial police station in Pul-e-Khumri, capital of Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan, on Sunday, sources said. Those killed included five police officers, four civilians and seven assailants and those among the injured were more than 30 police officers, according to local sources. "Seven terrorists were involved in the attack. One terrorist detonated a hijacked military vehicle outside Baghlan Police headquarters at midday, allowing the second group of assailants to enter the facility," a security official, Abbas Tawakoli, told Xinhua. Two attackers blew their suicide jackets up inside the premise and the remaining terrorists were killed by security forces before the exchange of fire ended in the evening, he said. The injured were shifted to a hospital in the city, according to Haleem Ghafari, a provincial health official. He said details on casualties would be shared with media later in the day. The car bomb blast also damaged buildings, shops and several cars in the city, 160 km north of the country's capital Kabul. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the incident. The Taliban-led insurgency has been on the rampage since early April when the militant group launched a yearly rebel offensive. The attack came as negotiations have been continuing between a U.S. delegation and Taliban representatives in Doha, capital of Gulf state of Qatar. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:13:53|Editor: yan Video Player Close HONG KONG, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Passengers made over 4.24 million trips through control points in Hong Kong during the four-day Labor Day holiday, according to the Immigration Department of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government Sunday. From May 1 to May 4, statistics released by the Immigration Department show that Lo Wu was the busiest control point with over 1.08 million arrivals and departures through it. The passenger traffic at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line was also heavy, with more than 770,000 trips traveling through it. It was the first time for the Hong Kong Express Rail Link and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to welcome Labor Day holiday since the official opening. During the holiday, the two saw a passenger flow of 318,000 and 280,000 respectively. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:18:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief on Sunday called on youths on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to jointly shoulder the historic mission of national rejuvenation and contribute to cross-Strait integrated development. Liu Jieyi, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a summit on cross-Strait exchange and cooperation among the youths. Young people on the two sides of the Strait should value this great time, be responsible and do their share in safeguarding and building the common home of compatriots on the two sides of the Strait, Liu said. "Attempts by the 'Taiwan independence' forces to undermine cross-Strait peace and obstruct national development will never be allowed," he said. He also pledged to provide better conditions for youths from Taiwan to carry out exchanges, study, work and start businesses on the mainland. As Saturday marks the centenary of the May Fourth Movement, Liu called on the youths on both sides of the Strait to pass on the May Fourth spirit, which refers to patriotism, progress, democracy and science, with patriotism at the core. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:24:01|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and 12 others injured after their mini-bus overturned following a front tyre burst in Tanzania's western region of Kigoma, police said on Sunday. Martin Otieno, the Kigoma regional police commander, said the grisly accident occurred on Saturday night at Uvinza area in the region located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Otieno told a news conference that the driver of the mini-bus he identified as Rajabu John lost control after the tyre burst, adding that the tyre burst as the driver tried to overtake another vehicle. "Seven of the 10 victims died on the spot and three others died while receiving treatment at a regional hospital," he said. Otieno said the driver will appear in court charged with the murder of the 10 passengers after he had recovered. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:24:04|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police in the country's northern region of Kilimanjaro on the border with Kenya said on Sunday they were taking bold action aimed at curbing smuggling of goods across the border with the neighboring country. "We have resolved to conduct fierce patrols along the border with Kenya to control smuggling of goods," said Hamis Issa, the Kilimanjaro regional police commander. Issa said the curbing of smuggling of goods across the border was mainly aimed at restraining importation of counterfeit goods and at the same time ensuring that traders paid statutory taxes. "Police in Kilimanjaro region are working closely with the Tanzania Revenue Authority to bring to an end the tidal wave of smuggling of goods across the border with Kenya," Issa said. He warned traders who were importing or exporting goods through illegal border entry points to stop the malpractice before they faced the music. Issa said rogue traders were using the porous border to smuggle into the country contraband goods, which have significant impact on the economy and lives of Tanzanians. Mooresville Police Department(MOORESVILLE, N.C.) -- A police officer in North Carolina was shot and killed late Saturday during what authorities described as a routine traffic stop. Mooresville Police Department K-9 officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, was shot at about 10 p.m. after stopping a vehicle on West Plaza Drive, police said. Mooresville is about a half hour north of Charlotte. Sheldon was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. "We're hurt, we're angry," said Police Chief Damon Williams during a news conference Sunday, adding that his department was going through a "roller coaster of emotions." The suspect, Michael Aldana, 28, fled the scene after the shooting, but was tracked to a nearby apartment building, Mooresville police said. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after officers entered the person's home. Aldana was "known to the department," but did not have a history of violent crimes, Williams said. He added that the investigation was active. It was still not clear why Aldana was pulled over and what led to the shooting. Investigators were also poring over evidence, including bodycam video, Williams added. Sheldon had been with the department for six years. "This isn't just a number for us," said Mayor Miles Atkins during the news conference Sunday. "This is a real person." Sheldon's family is "distraught," Williams said. "They're our family," the chief added, "and we want to take care of them." Sheldon is the 16th police officer to be fatally shot in the country this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks police deaths. Mooresville is known as one of the hubs of NASCAR, with many prominent auto racing teams headquartered in the town, including Team Penske, MTJ Motorsports, Kasey Kahne Racing and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports. The now-retired Earnhardt lives in Mooresvile, which is also the location of a museum dedicated to his father. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Pope Francis starts a trip on Sunday to Bulgaria and North Macedonia where he will have to tread carefully because of sensitive relations with the dominant Eastern Orthodox Church in the two Balkan countries where Catholics are a tiny minority. Bulgaria, a country of 7.1 million people, is home to just 58,000 Catholics, while North Macedonia, with a population of 2 million, has just 15,000 Catholics, less than some single neighbourhood parishes in Rome. One purpose of the three-day trip is to improve relations with the Orthodox churches as part of the Vatican's push for eventual unity between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity that split in 1054. But that task is delicate because Orthodox churches in both countries are caught up in their own internal conflicts, which have spilled over into official relations with Catholics. Bulgarian Orthodox leaders have ordered clergy not to take part in prayers or services with the pope, saying its laws do not permit it. But the pope will meet Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte and visit an Orthodox cathedral in Sofia. "Receiving the pope but not praying with him is a contradiction in terms," said Tamara Grdzelidze, professor of Ecumenical Theology and visiting fellow at St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. She suggested that the choice was due to internal disputes among Bulgarians. A statement from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church last month explaining its position emphasised that the invitation for the pope's visit was made by state authorities, suggesting it had been given only a secondary role in the planning. Difficult Dialogue Bulgaria's Orthodox community is one of the most hardline in relations with the Catholic Church. It is the only Orthodox community that has boycotted the most recent meetings of the official Orthodox-Catholic dialogue and also boycotted the 2016 Pan-Orthodox Council, citing differences on preparatory texts. The Orthodox world considers North Macedonia's Church to be in a state of schism since it declared itself autocephalous, or independent, from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Apparently in an effort not to upset other Orthodox Churches, the pope will not be meeting privately with North Macedonian Orthodox Primate Stephen. It will be only the second visit by a pope to Bulgaria - Pope John Paul visited in 2002. It is the first by a pope to North Macedonia and comes just three months after its name was changed from Macedonia, ending a decades-old dispute with Greece and opening the way for the ex-Yugoslav republic to join the European Union and NATO. "It's a big political gesture on the part of the pope towards countries that have struggled to open themselves up both religiously and politically after the fall of communism and the Socialist bloc," Grdzelidze told Reuters. "It could also be an encouragement for the local Catholic churches, despite their size, to be more active in contributing to public life and introducing Western values while not being in contrast to the Orthodox," said Grdzelidze, a former Georgian ambassador to the Vatican. Francis is most eagerly awaited in Rakovski, Bulgaria's largest predominantly Roman Catholic town. "It is a great joy, a great spiritual experience, a feast of faith for the whole community here in Rakovski as well as for the whole country," said Sister Elka Staneva, a nun who has been preparing local children to receive their first communion from the pope. He will spend Tuesday in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, where the late Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in 1910 when it was still part of the Ottoman Empire. Known as the "saint of the gutters" for her work among the poor in India, she died in 1997 and was officially made a saint by Pope Francis in 2016. He is due to visit her memorial and meet poor people helped by the order of nuns founded by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:29:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday hailed efforts by Tanzania's Zanzibar archipelago in offering services to children including improving the health and education sectors. Maniza Zaman, outgoing UNICEF country Director to Tanzania made the remarks when she held talks with Zanzibar President, Ali Mohamed Shein. The UN official said the Zanzibar government has achieved various successes in taking care of children by ensuring that they get their basic rights including health and education. The outgoing UNICEF country chief said the agency will continue to support the Zanzibar government in its endeavors which include reducing maternal deaths. She hailed Shein and his government for the efforts to control Gender Based Violence and violation of children rights as well as fighting diseases such as malaria and cholera. Zaman added that UNICEF will continue with its various programs in Zanzibar including empowering children economically and many others. In his remarks, Zanzibar president said UNICEF has a big history in development issues with Zanzibar including improving the education and health sectors especially to women and children. Shein said Zanzibar will keep on working with various UN agencies including UNICEF by ensuring that they receive their basic rights such as education and health. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:54:26|Editor: yan Video Player Close TIRANA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Albanian leaders paid tribute to national heroes at the National Martyrs Cemetery here on Sunday to commemorate Martyrs' Day observed every year on May 5. Albanian President Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama laid wreaths to "Mother Albania" statue in honor to the martyrs who gave their lives for Albania's liberation during the Second World War. Albanian Defense Minister Olta Xhacka, Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj and other senior officials also attended the commemoration ceremony. Following the ceremony, Meta said that this is a special day to all Albanian people, it is the day commemorating Qemal Stafa and all the young man and women who made the sublime sacrifice to put Albania on the right side. Martyrs' Day in Albania commemorates Stafa, a founding member of the Albanian Communist Party who was killed on May 5, 1942, in a house at the outskirts of Tirana by Italian fascist forces that occupied Albania during the Second World War. It also commemorates those who gave their lives for Albania's liberation, especially the 28,000 people that perished during the Second World War. Meta also called for reflection through political dialogue as the only way towards the future. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:59:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed on Sunday afternoon in a fresh Israeli airstrike on al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, medics said, adding that death toll since Saturday has grown up to 12. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that Mohammad Abu Armanah, 30 years old and Mahmoud Abu Armanah, 27 years old, were killed in an Israeli warplanes airstrike in central Gaza Strip. Palestinian security sources said the two killed Palestinians are members of the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-Quds Brigades. Earlier on Sunday, five Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli army airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Jihad said that four of the five killed on Sunday are members in its armed wing. An Islamic Hamas movement member called Hammed al-Khoudari, 32 years old, was killed in Israeli strike while driving his car in central Gaza city. Israel accused al-Khoudari of conveying money from Iran to the militant groups in the Gaza Strip, mainly to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Health Ministry in Gaza said in a press statement that 12 Palestinians had been killed since Saturday, when a new wave of tension broke up between Israel and militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 00:19:46|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview aired on Sunday that the United States is "still evaluating the appropriate response" to the latest firing of projectiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Pompeo, in his interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," hinted at possible correlation between DPRK's firing of projectiles and its top leader Kim Jong Un's Russia visit. "You saw this happen too right after his visit to Russia. Right- right after he spoke with Vladimir Putin, he made the decision to take these actions," he said. "We're still evaluating the appropriate response." South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier this week that the DPRK had fired unidentified short-range projectiles off its east coast. "The toughest sanctions in the history of North Korea remain in place. That's probably what's putting some of the pressure on Chairman Kim today," Pompeo said, reacting to a question on whether the latest situation warrants more sanctions. However, he still invited the DPRK to negotiate with the U.S. side on denuclearization. "I want everyone in your audience to know we're going to exhaust every diplomatic opportunity there is," Pompeo said. "I continue to invite our counterparts for negotiations. We still believe there is a path forward where Chairman Kim can denuclearize without resort to anything beyond diplomacy. We're hopeful that we can achieve that." "We've made real progress between Singapore and Hanoi and we hope that progress can continue. It would be the best outcome for the world," Pompeo said. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday via twitter expressed "confidence" in an ultimate "deal" with Pyongyang. He tweeted that "anything in this very interesting world is possible...Deal will happen!" The DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday that Kim guided the strike drill of defense units in the East Sea of Korea on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 00:34:51|Editor: yan Video Player Close ISTANBUL, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkey would observe the U.S. sanctions against Iran despite its sharp criticism of Washington's unilateral moves as Ankara would not risk yet another confrontation with its NATO ally amid economic woes, analysts told Xinhua. "I expect Ankara to comply with the sanctions, because it cannot afford to oppose Washington on yet another front," said Hasan Koni, an international relations analyst. Turkey is highly displeased with Washington's decision to reimpose sanctions on its neighbor which has traditionally been a significant supplier of oil and natural gas to Ankara. "We do not accept unilateral sanctions and impositions about how we will establish relations with our neighbors," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on April 22, the day Washington announced the end of exemptions granted to Turkey and other buyers of Iranian crude oil. Given the bad shape the Turkish economy is in and all the other thorny issues between Ankara and Washington, it is difficult for Ankara to act otherwise, commented Koni who teaches at Istanbul Culture University. Amid signs of recession, Turkey needs roughly as much as 200 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, nearly 175 billion dollars of which is short-term debt, to run its economy. "I don't think Turkey could risk violating the U.S. sanctions on Iran," observed Celalettin Yavuz, a security and foreign policy analyst with Istanbul Ayvansaray University. "In case Turkey wouldn't observe the sanctions, the economy would seriously suffer as the country would then be directly targeted by the U.S," he said. Washington already threatened last month to economically punish Ankara if it would not scrap the deal over the Russian S-400 defense systems. Turkey suffered economically last summer, with its currency devalued by as much as 30 percent, after the U.S. imposed sanctions on its ally amid dispute over an American pastor. One of Turkey's state-owned banks, Halkbank, is facing hefty fine by Washington for alleged violations of previous U.S. sanctions against Iran between 2012 and 2015. In 2018, a U.S. court found Hakan Atilla, the deputy general manager of the bank, guilty of violating the Iranian sanctions while Turkey said the trial was politically motivated. The U.S. should review its decision on the sanctions, Cavusoglu said on May 2, the day the waivers granted to Turkey and others ended. "It does not look possible for us to diversify the sources of the imported oil within a short time," the minister said. Ankara-Washington ties are already rather strained due to, among others, Ankara's insistence on buying S-400 systems and Washington's military support to the Kurdish militia in Syria seen by Turkey as a terror group. "Ankara has kept signaling that it would not observe the sanctions, but its oil imports from Iran have significantly dropped since last year," said Necdet Pamir, the energy director of Sigma Turkey, an Ankara-based think tank. Iranian oil now makes up around 15 percent of Turkish oil imports while the rate was roughly 45 percent in 2017, noted Pamir. Given the current situation facing the Turkish economy and the other problems Turkey has with the U.S., it looks difficult for Ankara to go against the U.S. policy, commented Pamir. After unilaterally dropping in May last year out of a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran upon Iranian rejection of a renegotiation over the deal, Washington reintroduced sanctions last November on Iran's energy, banking, shipping and ship building industries. Ankara and Tehran have been working to put in place an alternative non-dollar payment mechanism in bilateral trade, like the one the EU and Iran have forged to circumvent the U.S. sanctions. Turkey should see what the EU and China are doing and seek to act in coordination with them, argued Yavuz. Using local currencies in bilateral trade with Iran is far from being an option for the moment, Minister Cavusoglu said on Thursday, but he added that he had taken up some issues regarding bartering goods with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The analysts expect Turkey to make up for the loss in Iranian oil by increasing imports mainly from Iraq and Russia, Turkey's two other leading oil suppliers. Since last year, Turkey's oil imports from Iraq have risen to around 30 percent of the total imports, said Pamir. Cavusoglu's visit to Iraq at the end of April may have mainly focused on buying more oil from the country, Koni said. Observing the Iranian sanctions will negatively affect the Turkish economy as the costs of oil import would increase, the analysts concluded. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 00:34:53|Editor: yan Video Player Close KATHMANDU, May 6 (Xinhua)-- China's successful reform and opening-up policy is exemplary to other countries including Nepal, a former prime minister said here on Sunday. Jhala Nath Khanal, who is also one of the senior leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, said "China's economic model based on the principle of socialism has proven highly successful in the past four decades. Other countries from around the world can learn from the Chinese experience." Addressing a program organized to mark the 201st birth anniversary of the Karl Marx, the 19th century German philosopher, in the Nepali capital on Sunday, the former prime minister hailed China's goal of achieving modernization by 2035. "Our northern neighbor China has made tremendous progress on the economic front in the past four decades," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 00:49:58|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 10 people were injured after an SSJ-100 passenger plane en route to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk caught fire during an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russian media reported on Sunday. "According to our data, more than 10 victims needed medical care," Tass news agency quoted a source in the medical services as saying. Earlier, the regional emergency services reported six victims. The plane reportedly took off from the Sheremetyevo airport at 18:00 local time (1500 GMT) and made an emergency landing after circling over the Moscow region for about 40 minutes. It was "engulfed in flames" before the emergency landing, Tass quoted a source as saying. Firefighter and ambulances have arrived at the scene for search and rescue operations. It was reported that the fire could be caused by lightening strike. Moscow's transport prosecution office is investigating into the incident and it will check if there were violations of the flight safety legislation, according to Sputnik news agency. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 01:00:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close VIENNA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Over 9,000 people gathered at the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial in northern Austria on Sunday to commemorate its liberation by U.S. forces on May 5, 1945. The annual event this year was held under the motto "Never a number, always human," the Austria Press Agency reported. Numerous Austrian dignitaries were present including Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, President of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka, former President Heinz Fischer and members of the Austrian Jewish community. Members from all major political parties other than the right-wing Freedom Party were present, with the organizers of the event being opposed to their involvement. Various dignitaries spoke out against racism and ostracism, and warned of the events that can unfold if these elements remain unchecked. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 01:10:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close RABAT, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's navy coast guards have rescued 151 illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan African nations in the Mediterranean, the Moroccan army said on Sunday. On the night of Saturday and early hours of Sunday, the royal navy units on patrol in the Mediterranean have assisted 16 inflatable boats in difficulty in the Strait of Gibraltar and rescued 151 migrants, the same source pointed out. The migrants were brought safely to port of the northern city of Tangier, the same source noted. According to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, a total of 88,761 migrants have been prevented from leaving Morocco in 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 01:45:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close NICOSIA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus issued a warning to those engaged in "illegal actions in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) " after Turkey announced that it sent a drill ship to conduct exploratory natural gas drilling off Cyprus's west shores, Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported on Sunday. The report said that Cyprus also directly issued a warning to the Turkish drill ship called "Fatih" (conqueror), which was last reported to be about 36 nautical miles (40 kilometers) west of Paphos, a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus. CNA reported the warning was sent though Cyprus Radio, a marine transmitter communicating information to sailors, demanding it to immediately cease its actions. "You are conducting illegal operations in the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus. Your actions are violating the international law and maritime safety procedures and you are committing serious criminal offences under the laws of the Republic of Cyprus," the message quoted by CNA said. The Cypriot message also addressed a warning that "any individuals and companies working and/or providing services, assisting and soliciting to support the illegal actions of 'Fatih' are violating the rights of the Republic of Cyprus, the international law and maritime safety procedures." The radio message warned both "Fatih" and any third parties involved that "they will face all consequences according to European and international law and an international arrest warrant will be issued against them." Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said in a statement on Saturday night that Cyprus and the European Union agreed to coordinate legal, political and economic actions in relation to the Turkish drilling, which will be announced after being taken. "This provocative action by Turkey constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus according to International and European Union Law," the statement said. Federica Mogherini, high representative of the the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, issued a statement on Saturday, expressing "grave concern over Turkey's announced intention to carry out drilling activities within the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus." In March 2018, Mogherini's statement read, the European Council strongly condemned Turkey's continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. "In this context, we urgently call on Turkey to show restraint, respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus in its exclusive economic zone and refrain from any such illegal action to which the European Union will respond appropriately and in full solidarity with Cyprus," it noted. Turkey rejected Mogherini's statement later on Saturday, saying "Turkey's hydrocarbon related activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region are based on its legitimate rights stemming from international law." "Having the longest coastal line in the region, we will protect our own rights and interests within our continental shelf, as well as those of the Turkish Cypriots around the Cyprus Island," said the Turkish Foreign Ministry. It blamed the Greek Cypriot Administration for not having abstained from "irresponsibly jeopardizing the security and stability" of the region, "by disregarding the inalienable rights of the Turkish Cypriots, who are co-owners of the Cyprus Island, on the natural resources, refusing every proposal of cooperation and insisting on its unilateral activities in the region despite all our warnings." Cyprus was split in 1974, when Turkey intervened militarily following a coup by Athens-backed Greek Cypriots. Numerous reunification talks between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots have failed. Egypts non-oil private-sector activity expanded for the first time in eight months in April, and saw its highest reading since August 2015, a survey showed on Sunday. The Emirates NBD Egypt Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the non-oil private sector strengthened to 50.8 in April from 49.9 in March, breaching the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction for the first time since August last year. The April reading was the highest in over three-and-a-half years, and only the sixth reading in positive territory since. Analysts linked the improved overall business conditions largely to greater market movement and an increase in demand, the PMI report said. A sub-index for output also returned to expansion, rising to 51.1 in April from 49.9 in March. The upswing came after last months significant rise of over three points, reaching its highest since August. The improvement from the first quarter the PMI index averaged just 48.9 over January to March was broad-based, with most of the indexs subcomponents returning positive 50-plus readings, said Daniel Richards, MENA economist at Emirates NBD. The output sub-index was positive for the first time since November 2017 as firms noticed stronger demand, and a positive reading for new orders for the second month in a row bodes well for this continuing over subsequent readings, Richards said. New exports orders remained in contractionary territory, though rose to 48.9 in April from 46.8 in March. It was the slowest contraction since December. Some firms noted a lack of new foreign contracts and a shift in focus towards domestic sales, the report said, while others saw higher demand from new markets such as Italy, Turkey and Japan. Future output sentiment improved from March, and saw its second-highest reading in 12 months. Companies said new projects, increased tourism and expansion into new foreign markets are likely to boost business activity, the report said. With input prices increasing at a faster rate than seen in March, firms margins will be squeezed by ongoing price discounting, Richards said. Nevertheless, they appear to be more confident with regards (to) future conditions. This greater optimism is reflected in their hiring, as employment returned a reading above 50.0 albeit marginally for the first time since 2015. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:00:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli imports from China rose by 12.4 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, according to an annual report published by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics on Sunday. According to import data by country of origin, Israeli imports from China totaled 11.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, compared with 10.5 billion U.S. dollars the year before. Israeli imports from China are the highest in comparison to Israeli imports from other countries, accounting for 15.4 percent of total Israeli imports in 2018. Next on the list are the Israeli imports from the U.S., totaled 10.23 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, a jump of 29 percent from 7.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2017. Israeli imports from China by country of purchase amounted to 9.04 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, compared with 8.44 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, an increase of 7.1 percent. Israeli imports from the U.S. by country of purchase increased by 20.8 percent, from 8.08 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 to 9.76 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. The total Israeli imports in 2018 amounted to 76.6 billion U.S. dollars, up 10.85 percent from 69.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:05:23|Editor: yan Video Player Close HOUSTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The world's largest oil and gas trade show, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), will start in the U.S. energy capital of Houston from Monday to Thursday with the participation of dozens of Chinese companies. Leading Chinese companies such as China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and some local companies from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chengdu, Jiangsu, Shandong, Fujian and Hebei will take part in the event. OTC 2019 will have an opening general session on Monday, under the theme "OTC's Golden Anniversary Opening Session: The Next 50 Years of Offshore Developments." Several senior industrial executives and scholars will give keynote speeches and share their thoughts during an executive panel discussion. The technical program of the four-day event covers a wide range of topics through a mixture of more than 80 technical sessions, industry breakfasts and topical luncheons. The technical content has expanded to include all aspects of marine renewables -- wind, hydrokinetic, and gas hydrates. The new program, Around the World Series at OTC 2019, will feature global industry leaders from Norway, Australia, Mexico, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ghana, and Guyana to discuss new licensing and business opportunities, as well as recently introduced technologies. Founded in 1969, OTC is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:05:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close SARAJEVO, May 5 (Xinhua) -- People in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo have chosen "Buick" car as the most beautiful one, during an international meeting of old-timer cars here on Sunday. Residents of Sarajevo and tourists enjoyed live music after which they chose the most beautiful, and the oldest car during the entertaining program. The Buick car was in the sedan of maroon color, with the representative feature of two big circle lights. Its roofing was made of the special material to handle all weather conditions and an interesting motor sound. The Buick car, which came from Hungary for old-timer meeting in Sarajevo, was produced in 1928, and contains six-cylinder machine, which is one of its main features. The oldest car of the meeting was of Ford brand which is produced in 1917, car owner Janos Suto told Xinhua, adding that the car was driven from Budapest, capital of Hungary. The black-colored Ford car is made for four persons, featuring two circle lights positioned in the lower part of the car, with a golden plate where the year of production is written. The two-day event brought together 50 cars from Hungary, Germany, Austria, North Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, organizer of the event and president of "Oldtimer" club Nedim Husic told Xinhua on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:05:26|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Eight Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Sunday during a major offensive launched by the Iraqi security forces to hunt down the extremist militants in the desert areas in western Iraq, the Iraqi military said. "The Iraqi army and paramilitary tribal units, backed by the Iraqi and international aircraft, launched in the morning a large-scale operation in western Iraq in coordination between the provincial operations commands of Anbar, Salahudin and Nineveh," Qassim al-Mohammedi, commander of al-Jazira Operations Command, told Xinhua. Al-Mohammedi, whose command is responsible for the security of western part of Anbar province and the borderline with Syria, said that the operation is designed to search for the hideouts of IS terrorists in the desert and destroy them, in order not to give the extremist militants a chance to regroup in the desert. So far, the troops managed to kill eight IS militants, destroy five hideouts and three of their vehicles, al-Mohammedi said. The operation came a few days after the top IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his first appearance in a video since 2014, in which he recognized the defeat of his militants in the town of al-Baghouz in eastern Syria. The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants late in 2017, and the Iraqi forces repeatedly carried out operations to control the whole border areas with Syria and nearby desert in western Iraq. However, small groups or individuals of IS militants frequently tried to infiltrate into Iraq from neighboring Syria through the roughly 600 km long border with Iraq with vast rugged areas and desert land in an attempt to regroup in Iraq again. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia believes an extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) should be prioritized, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Sunday. "I think that as a priority, we and our colleagues from the United States should focus on the extension of the New START signed in 2010," Ryabkov was quoted by Sputnik news agency as saying. "It is necessary to solve several problems related to the artificial removal from the (missile) count by Washington of a large part of its strategic carriers," Ryabkov said. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he would soon start talks about a new nuclear arms control deal with Russia. The New START agreement was signed between the United States and Russia in 2010 and went into effect the following year. It envisages the two countries halving the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers by Feb. 5, 2018. The treaty is expected to last until 2021 with a possible extension for another five years, something Moscow supports. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 05:51:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on May 5, 2019. At least 12 Palestinians have been killed during Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday evening. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar) JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Four Israeli civilians were killed on Sunday and more than 70 injured by rockets fired by the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The civilians killed are a 21-year-old man who was hit by shrapnel in the coastal city of Ashdod, a 58-year-old man hit by shrapnel as a rocket hit a house in the coastal city of Ashkelon, a 49-year-old worker hit by a rocket in a factory in Ashkelon, and a 60-year-old man whose car was directly hit by anti-tank fire near the settlement of Yad Mordechai, according to Israeli police. Among the wounded, 3 were seriously injured, 4 moderately and the rest lightly injured, the police said. More than 600 rockets were fired to southern Israel since Saturday morning, about 150 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system. More than 35 rockets hit populated areas. At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued its response in the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening, according to instructions by the Israeli security cabinet. Since Saturday, hundreds of targets have been bombed by the IDF in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli media reported that in Gaza City, Hamad Hadri, a 34-year-old money changer, was killed by an air strike while driving his car. According to the IDF, Hadri was responsible for large-scale cash transfers from Iran to Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations in the Gaza Strip. The pro-Kremlin militants have not used the Minks-banned weaponry today yet One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the Donbas conflict zone. The press service of the Ministry of Defense reported this. The Russian-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime, using mortars twice today. They shelled Novooleksandrivka and Lebedynske settlements. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense confirmed the information about 16 violations of the ceasefire regime over the last day, including three times the enemy used the Mink-banned weaponry. In Luhansk region, the pro-Kremlin militants opened fire four times in Zolote-4, Zaytseve, Luhanske, and Novooleksandrivka. The enemy conducted 12 attacks in the Donetsk region. The occupant fired at position of the Joint Forces operation near Avdiivka, Marinka, Novomykhaylivka, Kamyanka, Novotroitske, Talakivka, Chermalyk, and Pisky villages. Some settlements, which are being defended by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, were attacked several times over 24 hours. In particular, Lebedynske was attacked three times and Marinka settlement was attacked twice during the night. The Russia-backed militants used 24 shells of 120 mm and 82 mm calibers. Previously, Horkovenko worked as a head of the Main Department of Information Policy of the Presidential Administration President of Petro Poroshenko appointed Volodymyr Horkovenko as the member the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine. The order was published on the website of the President of Ukraine. According to the paragraph 13 of part one of Article 106 of the Constitution of Ukraine, Articles 4, 6 of the Law of Ukraine On the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, I order: to appoint Volodymyr V. Horkovenko as a member of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, the report said. Previously, Horkovenko worked as a head of the Main Department of Information Policy of the Presidential Administration. As we reported earlier, President of Petro Poroshenko dismissed Yuriy Artemenko from the post of the member the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine. The order was published on the website of the President of Ukraine. According to the paragraph 13 of the first part of Article 106 of the Constitution of Ukraine, I resolve: to dismiss ARTEMENKO Yuriy Anatoliyovych from the post of a member of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, the report said. The Wall Street Journal Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven does not believe that Russia is a direct military threat to his country. This is reported by Yle. We always wanted Sweden to have the best possible relations with Russia. Russia is a big country and our neighbor, said Lofven. According to the Swedish Prime Minister, Russian actions in Ukraine confirm that Moscow is a challenge to security in Europe. Before the meeting in April, the leaders of Russia and Sweden did not meet for a long period. However, according to Lofven, the April meeting does not mean that Sweden will tolerate unacceptable things. Such things, in his opinion, is the occupation of Crimea and the conflict in the east of Ukraine. Related: Murder of law enforcement officer in Kyiv region related to his professional activities - police The Russian Federation uses the same means of influence in Ukraine as it applied for Georgia as Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine reported citing Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality in Georgia. She discussed the situation occurred at the temporarily occupied territories due to the simplification of the issuance of Russian citizenship to Donbas people with Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories Vadym Chernysh. In fact, the president of Russia repeated in Ukraine things, which took place in 90s, the beginning of 2000s in Georgia: he started to issue the Russian passports to the people of temporary occupied part of Donbas. Unfortunately, it is very familiar scenario for us and we know to what it provides, the message said. According to Tsikhelashvili, it is very warning sign that Russia is not going to refuse from its policy and a signal to consolidate our efforts and efforts of our international partners to resist the policy of the Russian Federation. According to her, the Ukrainian partners also understand that Russia needs such template measures to justify other illegitimate actions under the pretext of the so-called protection of the interests of its citizens. Open source Ukraine hopes that the Council of Europe will adhere to its principles on the issue of Russian aggression against Ukraine and will not make concessions to the Kremlin. This is stated in the appeal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Council of Europe on the occasion of its 70th anniversary. "We must sadly state that by the 70th anniversary the organization came up in a crisis condition, which was caused primarily by the destructive actions of the Russian Federation, its aggression against Ukraine and direct financial blackmail of the Council of Europe in order to achieve its anti-democratic foreign policy goals. This crisis was a real challenge for the organization and put it before a choice: to adhere to its own values and principles, or to succumb to blackmail and threats and cast doubt on the trust and authority gained over 70 years. Ukraine hopes that over the decades of work, the Council of Europe has gained enough strength and common sense to continue to be an example of democracy, and not to celebrate its 70th anniversary in a dilapidated, compromised state because of groundless concessions in favor of the largest state violating its principles and norms," it notes. Egyptian telecoms company Etisalat Misr aims to invest heavily in modernizing its network this year and book a higher share of revenue from internet services as it works to offset the impact of a fall in its subscriber base, its CEO said. The firms parent company, UAE-based Etisalat, is targeting double-digit revenue growth for the business in 2019, Chief Executive Hazem Metwally also said in an interview with Reuters. Etisalat Misrs revenue rose about 16 percent in 2018 to around 13.6 billion Egyptian pounds ($795 million). Part of the growth target for this year involves increasing the proportion of internet services revenue to 35 percent from 30 percent, he said, and the business expected to pay a dividend on this years earnings as it also did in 2018, if there is no impact on the exchange rate that affects us. The Egyptian units net profit jumped nearly 40 percent in 2018 to 1.16 billion dirhams ($320 million), according to financial statements from the parent company, which is 60 percent owned by the UAEs sovereign wealth fund. Metwally, previously head of consumer marketing at Vodafone Egypt, said the 4G frequencies Etisalat Misr bought for $535.5 million in October 2016 were adequate. At the moment we do not need new frequencies immediately, but we may need them in the future, he said. Fourth generation (4G) services allow us to transfer more data and control our costs. The same year it also paid $11.3 million for an additional license for landline services. FIXED-LINE ROLLOUT Competition in Egypts mobile phone market is growing amid rising service penetration. Average mobile calling rates there are among the lowest in the Middle East. Metwally said the market was moving at a steady pace and ... there are no price wars, while provision of services and internet speeds were being stepped up. However, he said progress was being hampered by a fee of 50 Egyptian pounds that the government imposed in mid-2018 for each new mobile phone line. The companys number of customers has been greatly affected by the development fee, as have line sales, Metwally said, adding that Etisalat Misr has around 27 million customers compared with around 31 million at the end of 2018. Egyptian authorities are targeting around 1 billion pounds in revenue in fiscal year 2019/2020 from the fee. With the countrys three other operators - Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt and state-owned Telecom Egypt - also affected by the fee, Etisalat Misr was working to upgrade its services with investments of 4.5 billion pounds this year ... including more than 3 billion pounds to modernize the network. Its 2018 investments were also around 4.5 billion Egyptian pounds. Metwally said Etisalat Misr planned to roll out fixed-line services in less than two years and had already activated hundreds of lines experimentally. Telecom Egypt monopolized fixed-line telephone services until the end of 2016, when other telecom operators signed for licenses. Metwally said a five-year agreement to provide Telecom Egypt with 2G and 3G mobile services through Etisalat Misr would not impact its network. Search Keywords: Short link: Volodymyr Zelensky, the president elect Open source The president-elect of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that it was too early to talk about the possible dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada and the holding of early parliamentary elections. He focused on this after a meeting with the MPs, 112 Ukraine reported. Everyone wants to know: will we dissolve the Verkhovna Rada or not. Its too early to talk about that yet. I dont have authority yet. As soon as there is an authority, you will receive an answer, said Zelensky. As the co-chairman of the Vidrodzhennya MPs' group Viktor Bondar specified later, the issue of dissolving parliament was one of the most actual. "Most of the factions were most interested in a question of dissolution, whether the electoral system would be changed, whether the president has the desire and willingness to let the parliament work: to pass laws on impeachment, on canceling parliamentary immunity, on temporary investigation commissions. We didnt hear that a direct answer from Zelensky. He is trying to grope how the Rada will behave, "the Interfax-Ukraine quotes the MP. The next parliamentary elections in Ukraine should be held in October of this year. Earlier Zelensky said that the heads of parliamentary factions do not yet have a common opinion on the date of his inauguration. Most likely, it will become known after the May 14 Verkhovna Rada meeting. He stated this after a meeting with the deputies. "An acquaintance took place. We proposed our date, which I announced before this meeting - May 19... But we discussed different dates, MPs have different opinions, so we can understand the date, probably, only on May 14, at the Rada meeting," he said. After the incident, the Sheremetyevo airport operates in a limited mode - only one of the two runways is working. All flights were diverted to Domodedovo Airport, 10 airplanes are already there.Today, on May 5, an airliner took off from Sheremetyevo airport, which was supposed to land Murmansk. During the flight over the Moscow region, the plane suddenly began to lose altitude, the pilots requested an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo Airport. During the landing, the liner was already engulfed in flames, passengers and crew members were evacuated. A burning plane conducted an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport, Russia. This is reported by TASS news agency. The SSJ-100 aircraft took off from Sheremetyevo at 18:00 local time, it was heading for Murmansk. Over the Moscow region, it abruptly went down and the pilots requested an emergency landing, at 6:40 pm the burning plane landed at Sheremetyevo.Already at the time of landing the plane was completely engulfed in flames. The doctors and rescuers are working at the scene. All flights were suspended at the airport for some time, people were not allowed out of other planes.The emergency services suspect that the plane could catch fire as a result of lightning striking it. Doctors report that more than 10 people suffered. In total, there were 73 passengers and 5 crew members aboard.Witnesses filmed a burning plane landing and urgent evacuation. According to witnesses, all passengers and crew members were able to escape. Pope Francis invited the leaders of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for a meeting concerning the current situation in Ukraine. The Vatican News reported. In the delicate and complex situation in which Ukraine finds itself, the Holy Father Francis has decided to invite to Rome, July 5 to 6, 2019, the Major Archbishop, the members of the permanent Synod and the Metropolitans of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, the report said. Besides, according to the report, the Superiors of the competent Dicasteries of the Roman Curia responsible for the country will also join the meeting. With this meeting, the Holy Father wishes to give a sign of his closeness to the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church that carries out pastoral service both at home and in various places in the world. This meeting will also offer a further opportunity to deepen the analysis of the life and needs of Ukraine, with the aim of identifying the ways in which the Catholic Church, and in particular the Greek-Catholic Church, can dedicate itself ever more effectively to preaching the Gospel, contributing to the support of those who suffer and promoting peace, in agreement, as far as possible, with the Catholic Church of the Latin rite and with other Churches and Christian communities, the report said. In Donetsk region, a 32-year-old man died during the dismantling of the shell. The press service of the National police of Ukraine reported this. The police have received the message that a 32-year-old citizen of Velyka Novosilka was brought to the intensive care unit of the district hospital with many injuries of the head, the body, and the limbs, the report said. According to the report, the man found the explosive device on the river bank, and then he brought it home and tried to dismantle. As a result of such attempts, the thing exploded. The suffered man died from many injuries in the hospital. The criminal proceeding has been launched under article 115 (The Intentional murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with the mark Accident. Earlier today, May 5, night, Deputy Chief of Baryshivsky Police Department was killed. According to the report, the officer was shot in one local cafe, when he was out his duty. The bullet targeted his neck. The medical workers tried to save his life but without success. The law enforcer was shot in cafe when he was out his duty May 5, night, Deputy Chief of Baryshevsky Police Department was killed. This is reported by the press service of the State of Emergency Service in Kyiv region. According to the report, the officer was shot in one local cafe, when he was out his duty. The bullet targeted his neck. The medical workers tried to save his life but without success. Currently, operative and investigative measures are ongoing for finding and detaining of persons involved in this crime in the region. The criminal proceeding was launched under article 348 (Encroachment on the life of a law enforcement officer, a member of a public formation for the protection of public order and a state border or a serviceman) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The culprit faces from 9 to 15 years imprisonment or even life imprisonment. Earlier, a Ukrainian soldier committed suicide at the team site in Donetsk region. A soldier under contract shot himself not far from Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk district. He was born in 1988. He shot himself in the head with an AK-47 assault rifle. Runs through 05/18/2019. 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. Egypt said its Benban solar field in Aswan, set to be largest in the world upon completion at 1.8 GW total capacity, is set to operate at full capacity in 2019. The World Bank group's new president, who toured the solar field, praised the countrys reforms in energy. In a statement, Egypts investment ministry said that the WB group chief David Malbas visited the solar park with Investment Minister Sahar Nasr, Social Solidarity Minister Ghana Wali, and other WB officials. The reforms in energy made by Egypt have "opened a door for strong investments by the private sector," Malbas said during his first visit to Egypt as head of the group. Nasr said that the project comes as the country is taking unprecedented steps to create a modern legislative framework to attract foreign investments. The project was granted the best project award by the WB group last March, the first time Egypt won such an award. The WB's International Financial Corporation has provided $653 million for the construction of the installation. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is also providing financing for 16 projects in Benban as part of its $500 million framework for financing renewable energy in Egypt, the bank said in 2017. The Benban project was decreed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in 2015 and allocated a 37-square-kilometer plot. Egypt aims to increase its use of renewable energy to 22 percent of all domestically produced energy by 2020 and up to 42 percent by 2035. Search Keywords: Short link: YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, the PM's office reported. Honorable Mr. Secretary General, Seventy years ago, the Council of Europe was established with the vision of overcoming the devastating effects of World War II, building a peaceful future and implementing the universal ideals, which became the first pan-European structure and one of the foundations of modern European architecture. The Council of Europe, which today marks its seventieth anniversary, is a universal value system based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and an all-European legal framework for 840 million citizens. Eager to see the continued strengthening of Council of Europes exceptional role, Armenia stands ready to support the organization in its future reforms. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian people and myself, I wish the Council of Europe unshakable vitality to the benefit of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the European continent, and for the sake of Our rights, our freedoms and our Europe," Pashinyan said in the letter. John Neitz spent 16 years as an educator in PNG, rising to the rank of superintendent KEITH JACKSON | From Jason Nitz SOUTHPORT, QLD - John Desmond Neitz was born on 22 June 1934 at Torwood in Brisbane and spent his childhood in the Currumbin valley on dairy farms operated on a share basis by his parents. He was educated at The Beeches State School, Currumbin State School, Southport State High School and Brisbane State High School. After high school, John entered the teachers training college at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane and, in 1954-55, undertook a physical education diploma course at Queensland University. He was posted to Kragra, near Chinchilla in Queensland, and in 1957 to Palm Island off the Queensland coast near Townsville. Here he befriended triple certificate nurse Dell Jackson, but she moved to Melbourne and John decided to pursue his career in Papua New Guinea. But Dell was not to disappear and, on 16 December 1961, John was to marry her at St James Anglican Cathedral, Townsville. In the 16 years between 1958 and 1974, John was first a teacher and then an administrator in the PNG Education Department. He taught at Yangoru, Pagwi and Brandi Junior High School in the Sepik District, Malabunga Junior High near Rabaul and Milfordhaven Primary School in Lae. This was followed by various postings as an inspector of schools, district education officer and later to the high rank of superintendent. This is only one of PNGs mines. There are hundreds more that run from one end of the country to another. The population of PNG is only eight million, which given such wealth would suggest that its people lived enriched lives. But this is not the case. The Porgera mine is one of the worlds top 10 producers of gold, which makes it remarkably rich although the people who live near the mine have not shared in the spoils. The proven gold reserves of the Porgera mine are worth more than US$10 billion at todays gold prices. Those who do know about it know that it is one of the centres of international gold mining, with a major company with an innocuous name Porgera Joint Venture sucking out the enormous deposits of gold from its mountainous landscape. NEW DELHI - Few people outside Papua New Guinea know about Porgera. Porgera gold mine - removal of gold has left the Porgerans very poor and very angry Behind the name Porgera Joint Venture sits the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold and the Chinese mining company Zijin Mining. Both are making enormous profits from this mine and others. Barrick Gold, as a new briefing by the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, Ten Canadian Mining Companies: Financial Details and Violations, shows, is worth billions of dollars and has mining operations across the world. It has been the primary owner of the mine from 2006 to 2015. Zijin Mining is one of Chinas largest gold producers, which has gradually left Chinese shores to enter joint partnerships abroad. Last November, lawyers on behalf of the Justice Foundation for Porgera (landowners of the Special Mining Lease Area) filed a suit worth $13 billion against the PNG government. The contracts signed between Barrick Gold and the government prevent any third party from suing the company for anything (this is called a privity of contract in legal terms), so the Justice Foundation for Porgera could not directly sue the company. This is why the lawyers based in Australia have filed their claim in accord with the rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. It has taken the lawyers and the plaintiffs seven years to prepare this important suit. It has brought some attention to the situation in Papua New Guinea. The main human-rights group in Porgera, the Akali Tange Association, is not part of this lawsuit. The ATA is pushing Barrick Gold to establish a grievance mechanism that responds to the claims of the people. The locals have complained about a range of human-rights violations since 1989, just as the mine was being prepared to start production, but no one listened. In 2004, the ATA newly formed focused some attention on the mine and got various international groups to pay attention to the alleged violations of their land and their bodies. In 2005, the ATA released its first major report, The Shooting Fields of Porgera Joint Venture. It documented the killing of 14 people as well as torture and arbitrary arrests of people by the Porgera Joint Venture security guards. At that time, the mine was owned by the Canadian company Placer Dome. The report caught the attention of Mining Watch Canada, a group formed in 1999 to monitor the activities of Canadian mining companies around the world. Placer Dome did not deny the shootings. But little came of the outcry, largely because Placer Dome sold the mine to Barrick Gold the next year. Barrick, one of Canadas largest mining companies, did not provide respite to the population. Conversations with the activists of the ATA and the voluminous files that they have archived show that the violence and the impoverishment continued. Shootings at miners and at activists started almost as soon as Barrick took over. The PNG government conducted an investigation in 2006, in which it heard from witnesses, but no report was issued. McDiyan Robert Yapari, one of the leaders of the ATA, worked for a janitorial company that had a contract with the Porgera gold mine. He became active in the ATA after his brother, Jerry Yapari, was allegedly murdered by the mines guards, who threw rocks on him and crushed him to death. Jerrys death a decade ago was terrible, McDiyan tells me. It inspires his work now to fight for justice in Porgera. The ATA, McDiyan says, currently has a total of 940 human-rights allegations against the company. These have been filed with the companys own grievance mechanism. These allegations run from extrajudicial killings to gang rapes to chemical poisoning. Their calls, McDiyan says, have fallen on deaf ears. We have tried to reach for assistance to air our grievances for everyone to know what a Canadian mining company the Barrick Gold Corporation does to the indigenous communities here in Porgera, McDiyan tells me. After The Shooting Fields of Porgera Joint Venture, the ATA produced two more reports: Porgera Gross Human Rights Violations (2017) and Cost of Gold (2018). Reading these texts is painful. The first text provided the basis for the US-based non-governmental organisation BSR (Business for Social Responsibility) to develop its own report, In Search of Justice. The Akali Tange Association is working closely with BSR to push Barrick to accept its 10 very basic recommendations. Barrick responded with a media brush-off typical of multinationals, and it canceled a November 2018 meeting with the ATA. McDiyan says that Barrick has made no effort to dialogue with the ATA. Cost of Gold, carries the correspondence between ATA and various government authorities. It is a one-sided correspondence. The ATA writes into the void, asking for help but not getting much in the way of serious consideration. The descriptions of the violence are vivid and sincere. Women write of rape as an object to destroy their society, to humiliate the women and create social discord inside families. Routine violence is the order of things, they say. On 25 March 2017, security guards linked to the mine and the police allegedly burned down 150 homes near the mine, attacked the community and raped at least eight women. McDiyan reported on this case of forced eviction. He was arrested under the cybercrimes law of Papua New Guinea and detained for more than 30 hours. After his release, McDiyan with community support fought his case and prevailed. It is one of the few victories in Porgera. The fight for compensation is an old one. The people through the ATAs recommendations seek compensation not merely to heal their wounds but as a mechanism to assert their dignity. They have taken the toll of the mines and produced powerful demands, which press for a different kind of mining operation. They want to be taken seriously, to make sure that the miners and their families become partners in the production of the gold. They want to enforce environmental rules to prevent the dumping of harsh chemicals into the rivers. They want a hospital in the area to be tasked with dealing with mercury poisoning and the broad impact of the toxic soil produced by the mining techniques of Barrick Gold. Their demands are clear and reasonable. Neither Barrick/Zijin nor the government of PNG has taken them seriously. On 12 May, next Sunday, the Special Mining Lease for the Porgera mine will need to be renewed. Both the lawyers who filed the arbitration case against the government and the ATA, which pursues the reform of the grievance mechanism, are aware of this deadline. No one believes that the PNG government is going to drop Barrick. That is unlikely. In a position paper from last month, the ATA suggests that Barrick is ignorant and negligent. That may be so, but it is also very rich. And its removal of gold has left the Porgerans very poor, and very angry. Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. He has written more than 20 books and writes regularly for Frontline, The Hindu, Newsclick, AlterNet and BirGun Following the governments commitment to the United Nations Education for All push in the late 1980s and early 1990s there was disenchantment within the Department of Education over the large numbers of pupils whose educational opportunities were terminated at the end of Grades 6, 8 or 10. I have a number of thoughts on the causes of decline, perceived or real. The prime minister of Papua New Guinea recently attributed the decline in the quality of education to curriculum changes instituted 10 years ago. This was an important factor, but only one of many. VICTORIA POINT, QLD - Phil Fitzpatrick asked in PNG Attitude recently, Education is the key: does anyone know what happened to it? Despite building a small number of new classrooms in high schools, and an even smaller number of new high schools, transition from Grade 6 to Grade 7 was not improving. And transition from Grade 10 to Grade 11 was stuck at about 1,000 students a year in only four national high schools. An education sector study, funded by the World Bank but with minimal external input, was embarked upon to determine a way forward. At the same time there was an international call, echoed in PNG, for greater efforts to be made in the support of vernacular literacy for educational and cultural reasons. Some provinces, notably Milne Bay, Bougainville and East New Britain, had established vernacular preparatory/elementary schools supported strongly by their own communities who saw them as critical elements in the preservation of the local culture. The Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) provided critical professional support. But the communities view was not necessarily shared by the emerging vocal urban middle class. So, with the view of the majority in mind, the sector study resulted in a revolutionary proposal. Schooling should begin at age six in a three year elementary school using a language of instruction chosen by the community, usually the vernacular, but not necessarily so. Apart from its contribution to cultural retention, the use of a language spoken by the children would allow for their introduction to reading and writing using a language that they already knew, following a fundamental educational principle of moving from the known to the unknown. All elementary pupils would feed into six years of primary school from Grades 3 to 8 with the transition to English as the language of instruction in Grade 3. After primary, all pupils would feed into high/secondary schools offering Grades 9 to 10/12 and beyond, at least to Grade 10. To increase the number of students enrolling in Grades 11 and 12, a high school in most provinces would be converted to a secondary school by the addition of those grades. Exceptions were to be made in the case of Western Highlands and National Capital District where the numbers of students qualifying for selection to Grade 11 far exceeded the numbers anywhere else. These represented the structural changes in the national education plan. The principal curriculum changes were: (1) the possible introduction of languages other than English as the language of instruction; and (2) the teaching of reading and writing in the chosen language in Grades Prep, 1 and 2 (with transition to English as the language of instruction in Grade 3); and (3) modification to the science curriculum in upper primary (Grades 7 and 8) to remove the need for science laboratories. What happened Elementary Communities and their school boards of management were left almost entirely to their own devices in building classrooms for elementary schools. The regulation regarding the language of instruction, which provided for communities through their board of management to decide on the language, was, in some cases, misinterpreted as meaning a vernacular language must be used. Communities in rural and remote areas welcomed the use of vernacular as the language of instruction and for teaching reading and writing. The misinterpretation, however, brought immediate opposition from the emerging urban middle classes where there was no common vernacular language, with the possible exception of Tok Pisin or Hiri Motu or, in some cases, English. An innovative elementary teacher training system was devised and successfully implemented but it rapidly declined post project as the Department of Education had never institutionalised elementary teacher training with the same seriousness as it had done for primary and secondary teacher training. In most cases under-resourced elementary coordinators and inspectors in the provinces had to step in and provide whatever training they could, notwithstanding the fact that teacher education is a national function. Again, the urban middle classes - most of whom would have successfully completed their primary education thanks to the efforts of A Course teachers who had completed Grade 6 and one year of teacher training, B course teachers who had completed Form 2 (Grade 8) and two years of teacher training or C course teachers who had completed Form 4 (Grade 10) and two years of teacher training - complained bitterly about the enrolment of Grade 10 leavers in elementary teacher training as opposed to the upgraded requirement for Grade 12 for enrolment in primary teacher training. Very many communities in rural areas did not have Grade 12 leavers but were happy to have new employment opportunities open up for their school leavers and to have their children start school at age six. As has been the situation at all levels of the education system for decades, the availability of appropriate teaching and learning materials at the elementary level has been dire. It took some years for the Teaching Service Commission and the Department of Education to have all elementary teachers efficiently included on the government payroll. Treasury had been very opposed to the introduction of three years of elementary education, failing to understand that because of the lower salary of elementary teachers the cost of paying a teacher for three years at the elementary level would be no greater that paying a teacher for the two years of primary schooling which would be withdrawn from community/primary schools. Primary The addition of Grades 7 and 8 to primary (formerly community) schools presented most communities and their boards of management with numerous challenges. Apart from the initial six primary schools (four in Madang Province and two in West New Britain Province) which received K35,000 each and a small number around the country that benefited from AusAID and European Union support, the communities, boards and teachers had to fend for themselves. Little, if any, in-service training was provided for primary-trained teachers to teach Grades 7 and 8, or their inspectors. Teaching and learning materials were in little supply. And sanitation facilities to provide for the needs of adolescent girls were low on the list of infrastructure requirements. The failure of centralised supply of adequate teaching and learning materials, a national function, saw school boards and teachers buying and photocopying the necessary materials and the burden on rural and remote schools that had only difficult and expensive access to stationary shops and photocopying facilities was great. A study of the education budgets of five representative provinces over a five year period showed no provision of any infrastructure renovation or development at primary schools. The situation was no better in most other provinces. Secondary A lot of thought was put into the selection of the first two pilot secondary schools which were chosen because the Department was certain they would be successful. And successful they were, with one of them topping the national examinations in their first year with a Grade 12. These two schools had been provided with teaching and learning materials, in-service training and over K1 mllion each for infrastructure development like chemistry laboratories. Two subsequent interventions upset this happy state. First, a new government introduced, overnight, free education, leaving almost no money in the Departments budget for anything else. And then there was the general state of politics. Why was one of the early secondary schools located in a place in Southern Highlands that few people had ever heard of? (Because the governor-general at the time came from there.) Why was the first secondary school in New Ireland Province in Namatanai and not Kavieng? (Because the prime minister at the time was the local member.) And so it went, with virtually all decisions being political rather than based on any professional or economic considerations. Initially, the plan had provided for the staged introduction of the new system with one secondary school in each province. However, with the success of the first two, every member wanted one for their electorate. In a small number of cases, international aid donors, principally Australia and the European Union, provided support for new secondary schools but manystarted off with no additional support. Curriculum There was an obvious need for some modifications to the curriculum to support these developments and assistance was offered by Australia in the form of a curriculum development project. This turned out to be an unmitigated disaster It was, in effect, an attempt to introduce a whole new curriculum called outcomes based education (OBE), which many states in the US and one or two in Australia were already dumping. No provision had been made in the original project design for the massive in-service training challenge which it presented, or for supporting textbooks and materials. So, these issues may, at least in part, help to answer Phils question about what has happened to education in Papua New Guinea. The changes horrified the couple. Photo: mariefeandjakesnow A travel blogging couple have posted side by side photos showing how a stunning wonder of nature can be destroyed in just 12 months. Australian influencer Jake Snow and his German girlfriend Marie Fe, fell in love with the beauty of the pink sand and turquoise water of Indonesias Komodo National Park, and quickly dubbed it their favourite beach in the world. When the photogenic Instagram stars returned to the beach a year later, they were horrified to see the exact same spot on the beach covered in plastic litter. 2018 PINK BEACH to 2019 PLASTIC BEACH the caption reads on the account Marie Fe and Jake Snow. This is the couple's 'before' photo. Photo: mariefeandjakesnow And this is what they found on their return 12 months later. Photo: mariefeandjakesnow It is easy to stay quiet and hide the problem, it is hard to speak out and call for action, they said. This problem wont fix itself, we need to be brave, we need to demand better from ourselves and others. This isnt someone elses problem, this problem is all of ours! The side-by-side photos published on World Earth Day are frighteningly different, and the couple also encouraged other influencers to raise awareness. They called on their peers to not position or edit their photos in ways that hide litter, but rather show it like they have. Theyre also calling on their 16,000 followers to spread the word and have asked fellow travellers to use the hashtag #PlasticParadise to highlight similar spots that have been ravished by plastic pollution. Followers of the couple have also been shocked with one person writing, We don't deserve the beauty that is this Earth. So important, thank you for showing the reality, a fellow travel lover posted. This is so so sad. It breaks my heart. I want to help, another person added. The message seems to be working with more than 52,000 likes and almost 3,500 people using the hashtag. Kylie Minogue was 36 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. And reflecting on that time 14 years later, the Australian pop icon says the disease changed everything, including her chances of falling pregnant. "I don't want to dwell on it, obviously, but I wonder what that would have been like, she told Sunday Times Style, referencing the fact she never had children. Kylie accepts that she will likely not be a mother. Photo: Getty "Everyone will say there are options, but I don't know. I'm 50 now, and I'm more at ease with my life. "I can't say there are no regrets, but it would be very hard for me to move on if I classed that as a regret, so I just have to be as philosophical about it as I can." While she sometimes wonders what it would have been like to have children, she said, Youve got to accept where you are and get on with it. Kylie is currently in a loving relationship with British publisher Paul Solomons, and visited Sydney earlier this year to lead Mardi Gras celebrations. Kylie and boyfriend Paul Solomons. Photo: Getty Her last high-profile relationship with Joshua Sasse ended in 2016, with Kylie almost suffering a nervous breakdown due to stress. It was pretty much nervous breakdown time at the end of 2016, she told Stellar Magazine. I dont want to overdramatise it, but it actually was nervous breakdown time." "It ended up being not so much about heartbreak and more about stress. It was a stressful time." The fashion photographer was inspired by Kenya's aesthetic and captures it in her photo series A photography exhibition by fashion photographer Amina Zaher titled Kenya Aesthetics will open at Arcade gallery. Zaher's visit to Kenya inspired a series of photographs that capture the visual richness of Africa's colours. Her work is an interplay on Nairobi's urban aspects that exist in parallel with the Maasai tribes and their well-maintained traditions and culture, and how both realities correlate. "As I photographed the amazing people of the Maasai tribes, these elements fell in place so organically and with no real staging or deliberation," Zaher says of the works in the exhibition. "It was not staged fashion photography nor was it candid documentary photography, it was a mutual visual, aesthetic and intimate conversation," the photographer says in her statement. She captures the elegance of lines and sensual intimacy through her brightly coloured photos. Zaher is a fashion photographer based in Cairo. She studied at the New York Film Academy in 2014. Her work has been published in several international magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, LUCY's Magazine and Jute Magazine, among others. Programme: The show opens on Wednesday 15 May at 8pm and closes on 30 May Open from 12- 5pm and 8-11pm, except Friday by appointment Arcade gallery, 25 Orabi St., off Port Said, Maadi, Cairo 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: The three children of ASOS billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen who were killed in the Sri Lanka bombings have been farewelled in an emotional service. The business mogul and Denmarks richest man was pictured standing with his teary wife Anne at the service at Aarhus Cathedral on May 4. Alma, Agnes and Alfred tragically lost their lives in the Sri Lanka bombings. Source: Reuters The three coffins were covered with flowers, each a different colour. Australian-born Crown Princess Mary attended the funeral along with her children, who were visibly moved by the service. Mr Povlsen opened up about his loss in a text message read out by priest Arne Holst-Larsen during a separate memorial service for the children late last month. ASOS billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife Anne mourn the loss of their three children. Source: Reuters Crown Princess Mary attends the service with her three children. Source: Reuters The loss of our beloved children Alma, Agnes and Alfred is completely incomprehensible, the CEO of fashion company Bestseller wrote in the text. 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. The couples other child, daughter Astrid, survived the bombing. Astrid and Agnes pictured with Alfred just days before the bombings. Source: Instagram The family had been on holiday in Sri Lanka at the time with one of Mr Povlsens daughters, Alma, posting a photo to Instagram of her siblings on the island just days before the attack. Churches and luxury hotels were targeted in the Sri Lanka bombings on Easter Sunday, that left 253 dead and at least 500 injured. 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. A British backpacker who was kidnapped and raped in Queensland has told of the horrifying abuse she suffered at the hands of a drug-crazed gunman. Elisha Greer, 24, was held captive for days by a violent Marcus Martin, who she said beat her and held a gun to her head. She required hospital treatment for injuries including facial fractures after eventually being found by police near Mitchell, 400km west of Brisbane, in March 2017. In an interview with the Seven Network, Ms Greer said she had met Martin at a party in Cairns in the January of that year. "He just seemed like a nice guy," she told the Sunday Night program. Elisha Greer, 24, was held captive for days by a violent Marcus Martin, who she said beat her and held a gun to her head after they met in 2017. Source: Facebook/ Elisha Greer After the pair exchanged numbers, Martin moved into Ms Greer's hotel and began asking her for money. He then obtained a gun for protection and took her along with him to rob a drug dealer. "I was forced to drive the car with the gun to my head," she said. Ms Greer claimed Martin threw away her birth control pills to try and get me pregnant. "Maybe he thought that he could control me more if I was with his child, she said. This followed a drugged-up violent attack on the Ms Greer as she was hit, raped and choked until she passed out. "He turned around and he just started to hit me, hit me, hit me," she said. Martin, 24, of Cairns, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty in October last year. Source: Sunday Night/ Seven Network Despite apologising after each assault, Martin's controlling behaviour did not stop. The pair embarked on a 2500km road trip south of Cairns during which Martin's abusive behaviour continued. Contemplating killing Martin In one incident, he shoved Ms Greer on to the floor between the car door and seats, breaking her nose and turning her face "purple", she said. She became so desperate to escape that she even contemplated killing Martin, but was worried things would grow worse if an attempt went wrong. During one stop on their journey, she left an unanswered plea for help in a visitor's book. After five days of driving, the pair stopped for petrol at a service station in Mitchell and left without paying. The service station manager called police. Story continues Caltex Mitchell manager Beverley Page told reporters at the time it was clear the woman, crying and shaking, was in a bad way when she explained she couldn't pay for fuel because her ex-boyfriend had her wallet. Ms Greer's injuries. Source: Sunday Night/ Seven Network Broken nose, bite marks Officers pulled their 4WD over on the Warrego Highway and found Martin hiding in the back of the vehicle. Ms Greer described her litany of injuries left by Martin: "He broke my nose, split my eyebrow open, I had various amounts of bite marks all up and down my arms, I had bite marks on my face, he had stabbed me in the neck with the key, I had two black eyes, hand prints all over my body from bruises. So many bruises." Two years on from the harrowing experience, Ms Greer said Australia was "one of the nicest countries" she has visited and would "love" to live there. Martin, 24, of Cairns, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty in October last year and is due to be sentenced on May 28. 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 Council of Europe, a pan-continental rights watchdog, on Sunday marked its 70th anniversary at a time of mounting populism and a standoff with Russia as well as doubts over its own role in the modern world. "I didn't know about it at all, this is really completely new to me," admitted Zeinila, an 18-year-old student who was visiting the building hosting the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, in northeastern France, during an open day to mark its anniversary. The 70-year-old body suffers from being often confused with the European Union Council. But its 47-nation membership stretches far beyond the EU's reaches to include the likes of Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill was the first to suggest the creation the creation of such a body back in 1942, at the height of the war, when he expressed the hope that "the European family may act unitedly as one under a Council of Europe". The rights body was created through the treaty of London in May 1949. There were 10 initial signatories; Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, Their stated mission was to defend human rights, democracy and the rule of law, through international conventions and treaties. "The main success is that Europe today (the 47 member states) is a totally death penalty-free zone," Council of Europe Secretary General, Norwegian Thorbjorn Jagland told AFP. "If a member state wants to introduce the death penalty, it would have to leave immediately CoE within the session. These three articles -- no death penalty, no torture, no forced labour -- have in a way constituted the new civilised Europe," he added. - Human rights court - Perhaps better known than the council itself is its judical arm, the European Human Rights Court, which is itself celebrating its 60th birthday. It is a tribunal of final resort for those who feel their fundamental rights are being denied by a member state. Strasbourg -- a French city close to the German border -- was originally chosen to house the Council of Europe as a symbol of post-war Franco-German reconciliation. Germany joined the council in 1950, a year after it was created. From the Thirty Years War that began the 17th century to the mass destruction of the Second World War, the Alsatian city had been the focus of conflict and division. Now it is home to an organisation striving to bring harmony, safeguard the rule of law and to protect human rights. The rights court was also set up in Strasbourg. "We have in a way constituted the new civilised Europe after World War II" with the European Convention on Human RIghts (ECHR) going "much further than the universal declaration of human rights," said Jagland. On Monday he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, before France assumes the council's rotating presidency in Mid-May. - June, a crucial month - The host nation picks up the baton at a difficult time for the European Council. For years it has been in dispute with member Russia, which could reach the point of no return in June, notably with the election of Jagland's successor. After Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, the council's Parliamentary Assembly deprived the Russian delegation of its voting and other rights. In retaliation, Russia suspended its annual 33-million-euro ($37-million) payment to the Strasbourg-based council -- about seven percent of the body's total budget -- and has not participated in sessions of the council's Parliamentary Assembly. The assembly brings together 324 men and women from the parliaments of the Council of Europe's 47 member states. Moscow is threatening to quit altogether if its rights within the Council of Europe are not restored in time for it to participate in the election of the new secretary general. "The immediate consequence will be that we will get a new dividing line in Europe with most of European population living on one side and they have the right to go to the European court," Jagland told AFP. The "Ruxit" scenario -- a Russian exit of the Council -- remains a possibility. But the secretary general expressed optimism, speaking of "very good discussions" which give him hope of emerging from the crisis and into the next 70 years. Open day to mark the Council of Europe's 70th anniversary Man of Peace: Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican in January French National Assembly head Edouard Herriot and British Foreign minister Ernest Bevin surrounded by Italian, Luxembourg and other delegates at the first meeting of Council of Europe's Consultative Assembly in Strasbourg, August 1949 Two women who switched seats and drove off when their car rolled into another in a McDonalds car park have left people scratching their heads after footage of the incident emerged online. Dashcam footage of the collision in Nunawading, in Melbournes east, on Friday shows the womens gold sedan roll slowly towards a blue ute before bumping into the back of it. Seconds later, the driver and a female passenger jump out of the car before running around to the other sides and switching seats. The sedan rolls into the blue ute. Source: Facebook/ Dash Cam Owners Australia The new driver then reverses away from the crash site and drives off, braking heavily several times in the process. Hundreds of perplexed Facebook users who flocked to the video shared by Dash Cam Owners Australia speculated what led to the actions of the women. I'm still trying to figure out WTF they were trying to do... one person wrote. "Actually I'm a crap driver, you drive, another speculated how the conversation unfolded inside the car. The pair quickly switch seats. Source: Facebook/ Dash Cam Owners Australia I don't know if I should laugh or get really angry, one person said. Many speculated the latter driver was teaching the other to drive when the collision took place. By changing drivers, could be that one is unlicensed, one comment read. Some suggested neither had a licence judging by their incompetence behind the wheel. Victoria Police told Yahoo News Australia they have yet to receive a report regarding the incident. 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. Gaza City is a noisy place: street vendors holler and drivers blare their horns incessantly, but at the city?s port an unfamiliar sound can be heard -- the rumble, grind and clatter of skateboards. The ramps and ledges a few hundred metres (yards) from the sea may not look like much, but they make up the first and only full skate park in the Palestinian enclave. The young men that come most days say it provides them a rare opportunity for fun in Gaza, hemmed in physically by an Israeli blockade and mentally by a conservative culture. On a recent evening, around a dozen young men were rattling forwards and back, perfecting new tricks. Rajab Reefi, 23, appeared to be the team's leader. He is officially a builder, but there isn't much work around due to Gaza's stagnant economy. Wearing a cap and looking more skater-bro than Muslim Brotherhood, he said the park is an oasis from the stresses of Gazan life. "We love skateboarding but more than that we love to live," he told AFP. "We don't just want to play here, we want to go from this place to international competitions to show the Western world that Palestinians, and us in Gaza, don't live just war and destruction." "We live for freedom, even though we are under a blockade." - Closed off - Skateboarding is also growing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the other major part of the Palestinian territories, with a number of parks built with the support of SkatePal, a UK-based NGO. But Gaza is largely cut off from the outside world, with Israel maintaining a blockade on the strip for more than a decade. Egypt's border had also been mainly closed in recent years, though it reopened a year ago and has remained so most of the time since. Israel says that the blockade is necessary to isolate Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, with whom the Jewish state has fought three wars, and stop it from obtaining weapons or materials to make them. Critics say it amounts to collective punishment for Gaza's two million residents. Reefi said that even getting skateboards into the strip was tough, often resulting in two or three people having to share the same board. They rely heavily on YouTube videos to learn new tricks. Gaza has also become more conservative since Hamas seized control in 2007 and many supposedly Western pursuits are banned or frowned upon. To build the park, which was completed in January, the Italian Cultural Centre in Gaza jumped through Israeli administrative hoops to be able to bring in a few dozen skaters a year. On each visit they stayed several weeks, building the park and also training young people. "The coordination needed to get 30 people through Erez (Israeli checkpoint) is not easy, with all their applications etc.," Sami Abu Omar, from the cultural centre, said. Andre Lucat, an Italian who was part of a group which visited Gaza in January, said they worked all hours finishing the park. He said that they were shocked by the conditions under which Palestinians in Gaza live and wanted to bring a bit of joy to the young people. "(Skateboarding) can allow them to live children's lives, even for only a little bit. That's the most important lesson I learned over there." - Release - Yasser Massoud, 13, sold tea and coffee along Gaza's seafront for a few dollars a day until, one day, by chance he heard the skateboards rattling by. He clambered down to join in and hasn't looked back since. More than a year later, his family allowed him to stop working to focus on studies, and he now spends most of his free time at the park. "I used to come down every day and play a bit and then it became more and more," he said. "But my dream is to leave Gaza." A group of women in hijab Muslim head coverings leaned over a barrier from a nearby road to watch. Conservative attitudes mean that the skate team is male only. "Till now there are no girls but we try because we all should have the same life -- not merely me living and having fun and the girls not," Reefi told AFP. "But (it should be) in the right way that we were raised with." Lucat said that Hamas authorities had at times been sceptical of the project, seeing skateboarding as a Western concept, though such concerns have apparently eased. The park, Reefi pointed out, is busiest on Friday afternoons when people are off school and work. It provides bored young men an alternative to joining the weekly Hamas-backed protests along the Israeli border fence. At least 265 Gazans have been killed by Israeli forces since the protests and clashes began in March 2018. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Ezzedine Mashharawi, another underemployed member of the team, told AFP that skating was his only release. "Here in Gaza you have a blockade, a lack of work -- psychological pressures on young people," said the 24-year-old. "We get rid of all that negative energy through skateboarding." A skateboard park has opened in Gaza City, the first and only full skate park in the Palestinian enclave The young skaters who come most days say the park provides them a rare opportunity for fun in Gaza Israel's blockade of Gaza means that even getting skateboards into the strip is tough, skaters say To build the skateboard park, the Italian Cultural Centre in Gaza had to apply for permission to bring in skaters to build it and train young people A host of national and international medical experts discussed new and old problems of womens reproductive health in a two-day conference in Cairo Helping women over 42 to get pregnant and women in their 20s to have safer and more reliable contraceptives were two leading issues medical doctors examined in Cairo over two days of the annual Ain Shams University Conference for Obstetrics and Gynecologists, which opened in Cairo 24 April. The conference essentially looked at some of the traditional issues related to womens reproductive health, including those of fertility problems. But it also approached some of the issues that are now becoming more pressing for women in Egypt, including the pursuit of natural or assisted pregnancy for women over 42, said Ahmed Rashed, a leading obstetrician-gynecologist. Whether in public or private clinics, Rashed, former chair of the Ain Shams Gynecology-Obstetrics Department, said he is now seeing more women getting married at an age that would be "considered late from a medical point of view" for starting a process of getting pregnant. According to Rashed, already applied treatments have been successful in helping some women over 40 to get pregnant either through assisted natural conception or through IVF. However, he added, the focus of discussion of the two-day conference related to developing a treatment approach that would be specifically designed to help women in the last segment of their reproductive phase. I cannot say that we are there yet, but we are seeing more attention and more ideas coming up in this direction, Rashed said. Meanwhile, according to Khaled ElHoudaiby, another prominent gynecologist-obstetrician, part of the debate in the conference related to giving younger women better decision-making over their pregnancy choices. According to ElHoudaiby, offering women in earlier segments of their reproductive phase safe and dependable contraceptives is essential in this regard. We are now talking about new birth control pills that would have higher reliability and much less side effects for women who wish to have family planning options, he said. ElHoudabiy acknowledged that IUDs (intrauterine devices) are still the "generally preferred contraception of choice for many women given that it relieves them of the burden of worrying about the possible consequences of missing a pill or two. This said, he acknowledges there is a growing trend among women to fully take reproductive choices into their own hands. With the IUD, a woman needs a doctor to have it fitted, and a doctor to have it removed. But with the pill, it is an every night decision that a woman makes about wanting or not wanting to get pregnant. Clearly this gives women a lot more space to change their mind about what they want, he said. He added that the two-day conference allowed participants who come from a diverse range of practicing experience and access to get continued education and become better informed about new types of birth control pills with higher efficiency, less side effects and more tolerability. It is important to make sure that new treatments and techniques are available to women all over the country, and the way to do this is to make sure that doctors are informed and trained about what is there to offer, he said. According to ElHoudaiby, planning pregnancies is crucial for Egyptian women of almost all brackets." A founding member and former chair of the Ain Shams University IVF Unit and a practicing doctor for over 40 years, ElHoudaiby argued that over the years the ability of treatments to attend to the concerns of women have improved significantly. Of course, there is a lot more to be done and learned, but it is gratifying for us as doctors to be able to help a lot more women that we did before. And it is really getting better every year, he argued. Reducing maternal mortality rates is another area of success that the conference examined, Rashed said. We have made much progress since the launch of the national campaign to reduce maternal mortality rates, from 1988 to 1995. We went down from 84 per 100,000 pregnant woman to 32 per 100,000 pregnant women, Rashed said. He added that the commitment to pursue better training for doctors and higher awareness for the public is essential to serve the objective of taking this figure further down to developed countries' rate of under 20 per 100,000 pregnant women. Chairman of the conference Khaled Saiid Moussa argued that by allowing younger and less exposed doctors from all over the country to take part in this annual conference, the medical community in Egypt manages to pass on experience that is essential in helping doctors who might have to attend to emergency cases in less privileged clinics to save lives of pregnant women and to help them through safe delivery. Managing and spacing the number of pregnancies for women is an essential element in reducing the rates of maternal mortality, especially for women who start getting pregnant in their teens, Moussa said. And this is something for the national awareness campaigns to attend to, not just for doctors skills and advice, he added. Attending to the side effects of repeated pregnancies with very short intervals is not as pressing a concern for the conference as it used to be over a decade or two ago, Moussa said. According to Moussa, this might be a function of higher levels of education and better awareness of the hazards of excessive repeated pregnancies or a function of economic concerns that prompt couples to be serious about family planning. However, Rashed said that with a society that still has a segment of women who go through repeated pregnancies, willingly or unwillingly," the conference is still concerned with handling the side effects in question. This year, he said, the focus was on examining effective treatments to the impact of excessive repeated pregnancies on the control of bladder function, especially among women above 50. The impact of changing lifestyles among women on their reproductive health is a matter the conference examined in detail this year, said Moussa. Whether we are talking about delayed pregnancies, or safe natural delivery, or cutting down on increasing rates of caesarean sections, we are talking about matters related to managing a lack of physical fitness, unhealthy eating habits and harmful habits and practices, he said. Also on the agenda of this years conference, ElHoudaiby said, were issues related to treatment of fibroids and medical pregnancy care for mother and child. Search Keywords: Short link: Never mind the EU-funded roads and hospital. In the sleepy Hungarian town of Csorna, there is only one European Parliament election poster on billboards and bus-shelters: "Back Viktor Orban's programme, stop immigration!" Csorna is staunch pro-Orban territory, 150 kilometres (93 miles) west of Budapest on the flatlands near the Austrian border. At the last two general elections, Orban's ruling Fidesz party gained its biggest wins nationally in the town of 10,000, where many locals are proud of their combative prime minister. "Orban stopped the migrants, thank God, and stands up for Hungary against Brussels," Istvan Balassa, 49, said from the hatch of a fast-food van parked outside the town hall. "Europe has been too liberal with the migrants, it doesn't need any more Muslims," he said while doling out "langos", a popular Hungarian snack made of fried dough. - 'Stop Brussels' - Orban has framed May's vote as a fight for "Christian civilisation" and warns that "Brussels bureaucrats" want to "replace" Europe's population with immigrants. His seven-point programme calls for Brussels to stop issuing refugees with what Hungary calls "migrant visas", despite the European Commission insisting it has "zero plans" to introduce such permits. Budapest also rejects pre-paid "migrant bank cards" that it says could be used by terrorists to travel and stay in Europe. Locals attributed the apparent lack of migrants in Csorna to Orban's tough measures, including a border fence installed in 2015. "The (southern) border is well defended and keeps them out," kindergarten worker Borbely Ferencne told AFP. "Why should my taxes go to migrant visas or bank cards? Brussels is not handling the migration issue well," the 56-year-old said. Orban's programme is just the latest in a series of anti-EU and anti-immigration campaigns waged by Budapest. In 2017, it urged Hungarians to "Stop Brussels" over its alleged interference in national sovereignty. A nationwide billboard campaign this year targeted European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros for allegedly encouraging illegal immigration. The posters -- which the Atlatszo.hu investigative website says cost more than 30 million euros ($33.5 million) of taxpayer money -- led to Fidesz being suspended from the European People's Party (EPP), its own centre-right political grouping in the European Parliament. Csorna's former socialist mayor Jozsef Papp said he detected a growing ambivalence about the EU since Orban and Fidesz swept to power in 2010. "The campaigns scare people," the 59-year-old told AFP in the town's leafy Saint Stephen's Square. "They also deflect attention from people's real problems, like young people leaving for higher wages in Austria." Meanwhile, opposition parties' election campaigns are noticeably absent in Csorna. The cash-strapped parties complain that businesses owning advertising platforms only accept Fidesz posters, or charge them inflated prices, making it difficult to get their pro-EU messages out. Last month, opposition politicians also protested outside the public broadcaster's headquarters in Budapest to demand they receive more airtime on news programmes. "Around 70-80 percent of Hungarians only hear the messages produced by the government propaganda organs," protester Akos Hadhazy told AFP. - 'EU money is squandered' - Still, support among Hungarians for EU membership remains high, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey. More than 80 percent of participants said they would vote in favour of staying in the bloc in a referendum, mainly for practical benefits like freedom of movement and financial aid. Trucks en route to Austria no longer clog up Csorna town centre thanks to a new ring road, partly built with EU structural funding. A wing of the local hospital and the town's drainage system have also been revamped. "Hungary opened its markets to EU firms who take out huge profits, so deserves any money it gets in return," a cyclist on a new EU-funded lane said before speeding off without giving his name. But some locals voiced suspicions about rampant corruption. "The EU money is squandered on unnecessary overpriced investments, given to circles of friends, without any competition," bus driver Gyorgy Szabad, 54, told AFP. Last March, the EU's anti-fraud agency OLAF opened a probe into a solar panel plant project that received around six million euros of EU aid. A sun-faded board outside the still-shuttered factory says the investment -- whose cornerstone was laid in 2014 by Csorna native and current Hungarian president Janos Ader -- was scheduled for completion in 2015. The investigation is "ongoing", OLAF's press office told AFP this week, without giving further details. Both the Fidesz member of parliament for the Csorna area and the party's local head declined requests for interviews. In the sleepy Hungarian town of Csorna there is only one European Parliament election poster on billboards: 'Back Viktor Orban's programme, stop immigration!' Csorna is staunch pro-Orban territory,150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Budapest on the flatlands near the Austrian border Hungarian national and European flags flutter over the varoshaza or town hall in the border town of Csorna At the last two elections, Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party gained its biggest wins nationally in Csorna A mother is pregnant with her daughter's twin two years after giving birth to her sister. Jennie Hill, 42, experienced fertility problems for 16 years but it wasnt until her fifth miscarriage that she was diagnosed with a balanced translocation a condition which increases the risk of recurrent miscarriages. Ms Hill, a research investigator, who is from Georgia, US, and her husband John Hill, 42, have since spent over $80,000 on IVF to have their dream family. We did three rounds of IVF and managed to fertilise 47 eggs but only 13 embryos made it, during the five-day process there were a number of abnormalities and poor-quality eggs meaning only two survived, she revealed. The Hill family. Source: Caters It was a miracle, John and I were over the moon, both eggs were inseminated at the same time, so they are medical twins. Yet they were told there would be significant risk if she tried to have the children at the same time. The doctor then informed us about all the risks of IVF twins, and if you miscarry one embryo, the other is unlikely to survive too; this was something we werent prepared to go through with, she said. They made the decision to have one child and freeze the other egg for later use. After falling pregnant with their miracle daughter, Harper, and having her in January, the couple are over the moon to be expecting her twin this September. The couple following the birth of Harper in 2017. Source: Caters It is crazy to think I am carrying a baby that was fertilised at the exact same time as Harper in 2016, she said. The couple are over the moon for the fourth member to complete their dream family, after so much heartbreak during their fertility struggle. "I felt at peace when I was diagnosed because I was beginning to blame myself for the miscarriages, Ms Hill said. It was hard as friends announced pregnancies after pregnancy and I couldnt even have one. I found support groups online for other women like me, speaking to them made me feel less like I was the only one suffering. My mum Sarah, 63, who was 60 at the time, offered to be a surrogate for us but when I discovered I could carry the baby with IVF there was no need for surrogacy. Story continues She said she began doing part-time driving instructing while her husband took money out of his pension to cover the costs. Harper is due to meet her sibling in September, we cant wait to have another rainbow baby to complete our little family, she said. 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. North Macedonia's pro-West candidate announced a victory over his nationalist-backed rival in a tight presidential run-off Sunday, giving a boost to a government that had divided the public by changing the country's name. The ruling Social Democrats' candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, captured 51.75 percent of the vote, with nearly all the ballots counted according to the state electoral commission. His rival Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a law professor backed by the right-wing opposition, was around 60,000 votes behind with 44.65 percent, the commission website said. "I will be a president for all of the citizens, no matter who they voted for," Pendarovski told a crowd chanting "Stevo! Stevo!" at the ruling party's headquarters, where music and dance erupted after his win. A political science professor who is coordinating the country's efforts to join NATO, Pendarovski has been championing the government's name deal with Greece. The accord, which was finalised this year and added "North" to Macedonia, ended a decades-old identity dispute with Athens that was blocking Skopje's EU and NATO ambitions. But it angered segments of the public who felt the move sacrificed the Balkan state's identity. The opposition-backed candidate, Siljanovska-Davkova, was also critical of the deal. In a speech after the election she conceded the numbers were "pointing to a defeat". Pendarovski's win helps steady the course of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's government, who is hoping that the name change will be rewarded with the opening of EU accession talks in June. The government also breathed a sigh of relief Sunday to see turnout pass the 40 percent threshold required to make the poll valid. According to the electoral commission, around 46 percent of a 1.8 million electorate cast ballots. While the presidency is a largely ceremonial role, the office can exercise some veto powers. The outgoing president, opposition-backed Gjorge Ivanov, has been refusing to sign bills in protest at the name change finalised earlier this year. - Albanian vote - Pendarovki's win is a "firm forward for the European integrations," said Macedonia-based analyst Albert Musliu . But he said it should also give the government a push to "finally take seriously their own promises" on reforms, such as cleaning-up the bureaucracy and cracking down on corruption. Earlier on Sunday, after casting his own ballot, Pendarovski said he expected voters to rally around his call for a "unified North Macedonia, with all ethnic communities being equal to each other". The country is home a large ethnic Albanian population, who form up to a quarter of the population. Pendarovski performed well in Albanian districts Sunday after their candidate had fallen out of the race in the first round of voting last month. But despite calls for unification, the close race captured a deep fault line in the Balkan country. There is also a wide swathe of society that has been snubbing the polls, reflecting disillusionment with a governing class that has failed to turn around a stagnant economy. Low wages, high unemployment and widespread corruption have been gnawing away at public faith in politics for years. Huge numbers of young people have left the country in recent years, sowing concern of a "brain drain" crisis. North Macedonians have not shown huge interest in the presidential election Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova doesn't see eye-to-eye with the government on the name change deal Demonstrators camped outside Sudan's army headquarters may be baying for the military to hand over power, but Khartoum's key Arab allies are throwing their weight behind the generals, analysts say. Sudan's army ousted veteran president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 on the back of a popular uprising, and since then the military council that took power has resisted calls to transfer the reins to civilians. For weeks now, the 10-member council and protesters have failed to make a breakthrough at talks on forming an overall ruling joint civilian-military body. And while Western powers are backing protester demands for a transfer of power, Sudan's allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt seem to be angling for the generals to stay put. "There are clear signs that Egypt and Gulf Arab states have thrown their support to the military council, thereby emboldening the council," said Eric Reeves, a Sudan expert at Harvard University. Just days after Bashir's toppling, Saudi Arabia and the UAE voiced backing for the army council, calling for "stability". The regional powerhouses then offered a $3-billion aid package to Sudan, which is battling a worsening economic crisis -- the key factor that triggered nationwide protests against Bashir. Alongside the two Gulf countries is Egypt, analysts said, with Cairo appearing to use its diplomatic clout as the head of the African Union to extend a timeframe set by the regional body for Sudan to carry out a "democratic transition". "It certainly shows these countries find it necessary to keep the army in Sudan's ruling council," said Khaled Tijani, editor-in-chief of Sudanese economic weekly Elaff. - 'Dangerous example' - "One of the main interests of Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be in ensuring Sudan remains committed to its troop deployment in Yemen," said Willow Berridge, author of Civil Uprisings in Modern Sudan and lecturer in history at Newcastle University. Bashir deployed Sudanese troops to Yemen in 2015 as part of a major foreign policy shift that saw Khartoum break its decades-old ties with Shiite Iran and join a Saudi-led coalition fighting Huthi rebels. The chief of Sudan's ruling military council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Himeidti, have been the architects behind Sudan's troop deployment in Yemen, analysts and rights groups say. The Gulf countries "are likely to want to keep them in as powerful a position as possible", Berridge told AFP. It has remained unclear how many of Khartoum's soldiers are fighting in Yemen, but Sudanese media has reported that hundreds of soldiers and officers are deployed and have often suffered casualties, fanning popular ire against Bashir before he was ousted. Beyond conflict-torn Yemen the Arab powers may have a reason closer to home to back the generals -- a fear of the protests catching on. The crowds of Sudanese taking to the streets do not want the military -- who they see as a "copycat" of Bashir's regime -- to decide the fate of their country. For some authorities around the region, any chance of a repeat of the 2011 Arab Spring that roiled Egypt and the wider region is a frightening prospect. "Neither Egypt nor the Gulf states want a secular democracy in the region -- a dangerous example to their own people suffering under their repressive regimes," said Reeves. - 'Lot of hard feelings' - Neighbour Egypt also has its own special motives for wanting Sudan to remain in the grip of the generals. "Egypt's relations with Sudan are more complex than those with Gulf countries," said Tijani. The two countries have often had tense relations including over a border dispute and disagreements about the construction of a dam on the Nile by Ethiopia that Cairo says threatens its share of the water. Prior to Bashir's downfall, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had patched up ties with Khartoum, and analysts say the Egyptian leader sees the generals as his best bet to maintain that. The day Bashir was ousted, Cairo voiced its full belief in "the ability of the brotherly Sudanese people and their loyal national army to overcome the challenges of this critical stage". The manoeuvring by the Arab powers has not gone unnoticed on the streets of Khartoum. Protesters gathered outside Cairo's embassy in Khartoum last month, flashing "no to intervention" banners and calling on Sisi to "mind his own business". Demonstrators have also railed against Saudi Arabia and the UAE despite the aid package offered to support Sudan's weakening currency and provide food and fuel supplies. Many have carried placards reading "No to Saudi and Emirati aid" and "Leave us alone". Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE "are fighting hard on behalf of the military council, and in doing so are generating a lot of hard feelings on the part of the uprising", said Reeves. These feelings "will not go away if the uprising is successful", he cautioned. Sudanese protesters are pushing for the army to hand over power to civilians following the ouster of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi improved ties with Sudan's Omar al-Bashir before his ouster Sudanese demonstrators have expressed anger at Egypt, Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates over their backing for the country's new military leaders The owner of an empty canoe found drifting in Moreton Bay is still unknown after almost a full day of searching. Police and marine authorities scoured the land and sea around Bribie Island after the Canadian-style canoe was found drifting almost 2km away on Sunday morning. Fishing gear including a cast net, tackle box and crab dilly, a blue and maroon towel and a small, homemade anchor were found inside. The canoe (left) was found floating 2km from Bribie Island. Pictured right are some of the items found onboard the canoe - a cast net, tackle box and crab dilly. Source: Queensland Police It is unclear if the owner is missing, police say. A Queensland Police spokesman told Yahoo News Australia police will conduct a water search on Monday. Police say water drift patterns over the past 24 hours indicate the canoe may belong to someone either from, or who started from, Bribie Island, Sandstone Point, Deception Bay, Beachmere and Redcliffe areas. The owner of the canoe or anyone who may recognise it is urged to contact police. With AAP Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page. While 143 people managed to escape without major injury after their plane skidded off a runway into a river in Florida, the search for pets held in the aircrafts cargo has been called off. It is feared the pets, at least two cats and a dog, failed to survive the crash on Friday (local time), after the lower half of the plane where the animals were kept was filled with water. The Boeing 737 overshot the runway at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and ended up in the St Johns River during a treacherous thunderstorm. The plane overshot the runway on Friday. Source: AP After all passengers and crew had been safely removed from the aircraft, rescuers looked in the cargo area for the animals but saw no crates and heard no animal noises. When they returned later, they didnt see any pet carriers above water, the bases commanding officer Captain Michael Connor said. The Naval Air Station released a statement regarding the welfare of the animals on Saturday (local time). Unfortunately, they have not been retrieved yet due to safety issues with the aircraft. Our hearts and prayers go out to those pet owners during this terrible incident, the statement said. Passengers survival a miracle Authorities said all the people onboard emerged without critical injuries, lining up on the wings as they waited to be rescued. Only a three-month-old baby was hospitalised, and that was done out of an abundance of caution, officials said. I think it is a miracle, Captain Connor said. We could be talking about a different story this evening. Authorities say 22 people, including the hospitalised baby, sought medical attention following the incident but there were no major injuries. The plane crashed amid thunderstorms in Florida. Source: US Navy via AP Pets on the plane have not been found. Source: AP The passengers were a mix of military personnel and families, and a few civilians. While some were staying in the area, others planned to fly on to other parts of the country, Captain Connor said. Complex recovery It wasnt immediately clear what went wrong. Boeing said in a tweet Friday night that it was investigating. Story continues We are aware of an incident in Jacksonville, Fla., and are gathering information, it said. The plane had been expected to return to Cuba on Saturday to carry other members of the military, lawyers and others to Andrews after this weeks military commission hearings of people charged with war crimes. It wasnt immediately clear how long it would take to remove the plane from the river. Emergency crews work next to a Boeing 737 aircraft which slid off the runway at Naval Air Station at Jacksonville. Source: AP Captain Connor said the landing gear appeared to be resting on the riverbed, making it unlikely for the aircraft to float away. He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers safety. The smell of fuel and oil was pungent as AP journalists went by boat for a closer look. The bottom of the plane was under water, making it difficult to access the cargo hold. Were obviously very concerned about the environment and were doing everything we can to contain it, Captan Connor said about the fuel. Once we were assured that personnel were safe, our next priority effort was to ... contain any type of fuel. With Associated Press 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. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Sunday for Russia to get out of Venezuela, while his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, called on Washington to "abandon its irresponsible plans" in the crisis-wracked country. The push and shove set the stage for a Pompeo meeting with Lavrov in Finland this week, and belied the conciliatory tone taken by US President Donald Trump on Friday after what he said was "a very good conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The top level contacts follow the failure of a US-backed uprising on Tuesday aimed at ousting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, which Pompeo has blamed on Russia. Diosdado Cabello, the head of the Constituent Assembly, said the powerful pro-Maduro body would strip legislative immunity from opposition lawmakers who backed the uprising. Pompeo has said Maduro had been ready to flee to Havana but the Russians, who had flown military advisers to Caracas to shore up his socialist government, talked him out of it. "The Russians must get out," Pompeo told ABC television's "This Week." "I'm going to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov in recent days. It's very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out. It's very clear." Trump undercut Pompeo's position on Friday, telling reporters that Putin had assured him "he is not looking to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela." "And I feel the same way," Trump added. Asked about those comments, Pompeo said: "I didn't see the full context of those quotes." In Moscow, Lavrov met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and pushed back against Washington. "We call on the Americans, and all those supporting them, to abandon their irresponsible plans and to act exclusively within the boundaries of international law," Lavrov said. - 'Bumpy roads' - Washington has given full-throated backing to opposition leader Juan Guaido, who tried but ultimately failed to ignite the anti-Maduro military uprising. Guaido, who is recognized by more than 50 countries including the US as Venezuela's legitimate interim president, acknowledged that he fell short. "Maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution," Guaido told The Washington Post. "I think the variables are obvious at this point." He has tried to keep up the pressure with street protests, but his latest call for demonstrations Saturday drew only several hundred people. The attempted uprising set off two days of violent clashes between security forces and protesters that left four dead, dozens injured and more 150 people arrested. Opposition lawmakers who backed the effort now face retribution. "The prosecutor's office opened its file, all the requests to lift parliamentary immunity are coming to the Constituent Assembly, as it should be, and... we will certainly raise our hands to remove parliamentary immunity from all those who actively participated in that act," Cabello said. - Eyes peeled - Pompeo admitted to "bumpy roads" and said it could take "two weeks, four weeks" to remove Maduro. "But Maduro can't feel good. He's ruling for the moment but he can't govern," he said. "This is someone who cannot be part of Venezuela's future." Maduro, meanwhile, appeared at a military exercise on Saturday with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, who top US officials had said was in on the attempted uprising but backed out. "I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty," Maduro said in a speech to some 5,000 troops that was broadcast nationally on radio and television. "I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honor, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armed forces," he said. He also called on the troops to be "ready" for potential US military action. Pompeo said a "full range of options" are being prepared for Trump. So far, US efforts have focused on diplomatic and economic pressure on Caracas. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (C) poses with troops after a failed coup attempt against him US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is demanding that Russia get out of Venezuela Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza appear at a press conference in Moscow on May 5, 2019 A woman demonstrating against Maduro holds a sign urging the military to uphold the constitution While Africa's potential remains vast, most of it is left to waste, with the continent burdened by underdevelopment and dependency Before landing on the island of Malabo in the Atlantic Ocean, the scene from the plane was a magical blend made up of green and blue. Dense trees are rivalling the oceans waves. When I wandered on the capitals shores, the scene became most beautiful. I took pictures beside those fascinating trees while local inhabitants shook hands with their visitors with friendliness and appreciation. Equatorial Guinea lies in West Africa and its capital is located in that island in the east of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a newly rich country where oil was discovered several years ago. With the oil discovery, roads were paved and installations were built. A number of modern restaurants were opened and European-style promenades emerged. There is a modernist crust attempting to expand so as to remove the legacy of poverty and disease. I was a member in a delegation headed by Egyptian former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and it included another two prime ministers, Sherif Ismail, who took the post immediately after Mahlab, and Dr Mostafa Madbouly, the current prime minister. Relations between Cairo and Malabo grew closer and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met his Equatorial Guinean counterpart more than once. Both countries coordinate many missions in the African Union (AU). A journalist in Equatorial Guinea told me: I and you are standing here in our island. There is Africa on the right and Brazil on the left. Here you can take a look at the horizon engulfing the two continents suffering most in the world today; we and Latin America." The modern age in Europe led to the draining of the continents resources and Europe went out to colonise the world. The modern age in Asia also led to the draining of many resources of the continent and Asia went out to invest in the world. On 13 May 2000, The Economist cover bore the title The Hopeless Continent while on 2 May 2013 it bore A Hopeful Continent." Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), said: After 10 years, I wonder what will be the magazines cover title? The president of the AfDB meant to say that the next title will be better and that perhaps it would be The Continent of Hope or Rising Africa." However, matters dont seem to be going in this direction. More than 10 years have passed and nothing has changed in Africa. Many times, Africa seems to be the sunken continent Atlantis, unable to rise to the surface; breaking layers of water and the alliance of waves. In the Sunken Continent," there are still 20 conflicts and disputes ranging between ethnic, religious and tribal and secessionist movements, resource wars and foreign interventions. African fate continues to be of limited independence. About this political vassalage, African thinker Yash Tandon said: "Western countries buy some African officials and representatives during the management of international matters. They summon them in what is known as the green rooms. They enter these rooms refusing and come out accepting the compulsory suggestions of Western countries." One researcher commented by saying: "The green rooms resemble the rat rooms with which they scare children, and the rats here are the foreign aid." Ive pointed in my book Modernism and Politics to a number of the continents challenges amid a wider array of world challenges. I still see it as necessary that our continent is given much more attention from intellectual and research institutions in our country. In Africa, there is the food of the world. According to international economic institutions, 60 percent of arable land is unused, and in Democratic Congo alone there is 80 million hectares enough to feed two billion people. Those lands in Congo are sufficient to provide food for all the populations of Africa, Europe and Australia combined. In Africa also, there is a third of the worlds mineral reserves. According to Afrique Expansion magazine, published in France, Africa has 60 percent of the worlds cobalt, 61 percent of the worlds manganese, 81 percent of the worlds chrome, and 90 percent of the worlds platinum. It also has a fifth of the worlds gold, diamond and uranium reserves, as well as oil wealth found in 30 countries. Moreover, there is an intellectual elite, a rising middle class and prosperous urbanisation. The continent has 22 Nobel laureates and hundreds of millions of middle class members. According to McKinsey & Company, there is more than 300 million who belong to the African middle class. The Financial Times noted that there is a wide urbanisation process where the inhabitants of the city Bamako, Mali, are more than three million and the population of Tanzanias former capital Dar es Salaam is more than five million while the population of Lagos, Nigerias economic capital, exceeds 20 million. In Africa, the great and medium powers compete over the second wave of influence. According to the Land Matrix initiative concerned with land investments, several countries are buying lands in Africa. China and India are topping the list of countries buying lands in the continent, where India invests in 1.6 million hectares and China invests in about the same area while Japan invests in a million hectares of agricultural lands. Naturally, colonialism and investment cant possibly be confused or put in one basket. However, when the continents countries lack an investment vision and sustainable development strategy, opportunities for benefitting from foreign investment arent enough. Achieving real independence for the continent is a tough matter. The powerful North doesnt help. In the eyes of the wealthy of the planet, Africa is the source of enrichment through its raw materials and a nuisance regarding its human beings. The advanced world wants the nature without the people; wheat and uranium minus immigrants and refugees. All roads lead to Africa but Africa itself has no roads. Many times, Africa seems to me, as if it is a Second Atlantis, a continent soaked on the surface, or a remnant of a continent. Egypt is taking over the presidency of the AU while perceiving the volume of challenges and the areas of danger. There is no solution before Africa except its countries closing their ranks and the whole African club working as one team. Using the expression of Yash Tandon: "The globalisation tsunami is too violent and one lifeboat isnt enough. There should be more than one boat in the ocean." Search Keywords: Short link: Some Republican county chairs believe the state party needs new leadership. Others say Ed Cox, the state GOP chair since 2009, should continue as the party's leader. The race for New York Republican chair began last week after Nick Langworthy, chair of the Erie County Republican Committee, launched his campaign for the top job. Cox is seeking another term as GOP chair. The election will be held sometime this summer. There are many differences between Cox and Langworthy. Cox, 72, is a party elder. He grew up on Long Island and works as a corporate attorney. He is the son-in-law of former President Richard Nixon and served in President Ronald Reagan's administration. Langworthy, 38, was born in Jamestown and led the New York College Republicans while attending Niagara University. He worked for two members of Congress before being elected chair of the Erie County GOP. Cox and Langworthy couldn't be reached for this story, but their supporters made the case for why the longtime state GOP chair or the rising star should lead the party. When Cox campaigned for state Republican chair in 2009, he had a seven-point plan. He pledged to a full-time chair, win in local elections at the time, rebuild the state party's staff, rebuild the state party's credibility with the national GOP, boost fundraising, recruit GOP candidates to compete in federal, state and local races and win statewide elections in 2010. Even some of Langworthy's supporters will acknowledge Cox has been successful as chair. His fundraising ability is often mentioned as a strength. He received praise for his willingness to attend GOP events across the state. Andrea Catsimatidis and Mike Rendino, chairs of the New York and Bronx county Republican committees, highlighted Cox's efforts to register new voters and raise money for upcoming elections. "Moving forward, we need a chairman who has a proven ability to raise money, work with the national committees and support our efforts across New York, which is why we support Ed Cox for re-election," Catsimatidis and Rendino said. Other GOP county chairs, though, want new leadership. Cherl Heary, who has led the Cayuga County Republican Committee for parts of two decades, lauded Cox for his contributions to the party. She respects Cox and noted that he has visited Cayuga County to support the local GOP. However, Heary said last week that she supports Langworthy for state Republican chair. Langworthy, she continued, "has plenty of new ideas." "I think we're not going anywhere," she told The Citizen. "We haven't gone anywhere in 12 years. It's time for somebody else to take the reins." Much of the criticism of Cox stems from the 2018 election results. Republicans didn't win any statewide elections, lost control of the state Senate and three GOP members of Congress lost re-election. Cox's supporters argue that there's nothing he could've done alone to prevent the losses. With a Democratic wave across the country, Republicans were at a disadvantage. Langworthy's backers view the results as a wake-up call. They note that Republicans haven't won a statewide election since 2002 the year then-Gov. George Pataki won a third term. As he makes his pitch to Republican committee members, Langworthy highlights his success as chair in Erie County. There are nearly 135,000 more active Democratic voters than Republicans in Erie, but the GOP has won eight of the last 10 countywide elections under Langworthy's leadership. That success in a Democratic stronghold has appealed to several Republican county chairs. As of Saturday, Langworthy has been endorsed by 28 county chairs representing 35.32% of the weighted vote. Cox doesn't have as many endorsements as Langworthy he has the backing of 10 county chairs but he has 33.37 percent of the weighted vote, mostly due to support from Nassau and Suffolk counties. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 AUBURN Jordan Tabone believes he could make it as a music producer within two years. But it could happen sooner than that. It could be one year, one week. It could be tomorrow. After all, what brought Tabone to the verge of breaking out was a few guitar notes. That melody became the hook on "Desert," the latest single by Italian-American hip-hop star Sick Luke. So Tabone, who produces under the name Hund0, could mint his next hit at any time. And that's what he loves about music. "Every day you wake up, you don't know what you're going to make," he said Thursday. "And that could change your life, what you make in that day." On the web Follow Jordan Tabone on Instagram @hund0. For every golden melody like "Desert," however, Tabone makes hundreds that might not go anywhere. But he's been committed to the hustle of music production since he was a student at Auburn High School. Using the program Mixcraft, Tabone would play with random sounds, run them through effects and create loops of pop and R&B chords. "He liked the rap music," said Tabone's mother, Christina. "I'd be driving and we'd always argue about the radio station." Tabone, who graduated from Auburn High in 2014 and Cayuga Community College in 2016, eventually realized that it'd be helpful to learn piano. He did so despite not having played any instruments beforehand. Now he uses a Rhodes piano and the program FL Studio to make music whenever he's not working at Sysco in Syracuse, he said. Ideas come to Tabone at all times of the day, he said, but he makes his best material when he wakes up and when he's most focused on being productive. He also sticks to his strength melodies so he doesn't waste time adding drum tracks that artists will probably discard. Instead, he tinkers with his melodies relentlessly to get them right, he said. "It's endless what you can do," he said. "There's so many hidden frequencies and sounds that, if you're not on the right monitors, you could take it to your phone and it'll sound completely different." What distinguishes his melodies from those of other producers, Tabone said, is his use of effects. That's his "sauce," his intangible, the thing that makes his sound his. And that sauce drips from the delicate reverse guitar notes on "Desert." He first used Instagram to reach out to Sick Luke, a producer and rapper with more than 550,000 followers on the platform and Drake levels of fame in Italy, Tabone said. After not hearing back, he connected with artist Young Plug by offering him some of the vintage clothing Tabone sells on the side. They met in New York City, where Young Plug provided Sick Luke's email address. Tabone then sent the star a pack of 10 to 15 melodies. The last of them would become "Desert." Tabone's co-producing credit on the song, which has more than 180,000 views on YouTube, opens several doors for him, he said. In addition to the royalties he's receiving, Tabone is seeing his Instagram audience rise and his network of potential collaborators expand. He played Sick Luke another 30 melodies in Las Vegas last week, when Tabone met him in person for the first time. "What Jordan's really good at is building relationships," said his father, Lou. "He's never been afraid to talk to adults or work with other people. Even when he was 5 or 6, he was totally fearless." Tabone also recently produced a song on an album by Staten Island rapper Squidnice, and has one coming out with 6ix9ine affiliate TrifeDrew, he said. He made those connections through his friend Damma Beatz, a fellow producer in New York City, whom Tabone FaceTimes every day and sends melodies for feedback. As his credits pile up, Tabone hopes to record his first platinum song and debut on the Billboard charts soon, he said. If he does quit his job to make music full-time, he'd likely move to Los Angeles because that's where the most opportunities are, he said. But what won't change, Tabone continued, is his work ethic. "There are so many people out there willing to take your spot," he said. "Willing to work twice as hard." WATCH: Sick Luke, "Desert" Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox. Love 9 Funny 4 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're hearing a lot about taxpayers being greatly disappointed with their tax refunds this year. That's because most remember very well what President Trump said in February 2018 that his proposed tax plan will give Americans a Christmas present! (Not so!) And, when he said he'd make America wealthy again, he proved it by giving the wealthiest Americans this year the biggest reductions in the share of their income going to taxes. According to Steve Wamhoff, director of federal tax policy at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy the richest 1 percent are getting more than the bottom 60 percent of Americans. The fact that President Trump was born into a wealthy family and a recipient of millions of dollars from his parents, one might wonder why he continues to say he was dealt a lot of bad hands. (It's when he says he wouldn't mind a little bow. In Japan, they bow. I love it. I have to wonder if all that wealth he grew up with is what caused him to embrace this elitist attitude!) He continues to give himself an A+ score for his accomplishments. Yet there's little proof of any that actually benefits the typical American man, woman or child! Having spent countless hours in the law library, I might agree that this country has laws that need correcting and when President Trump says, we have the worst laws, a closer look at them indicates that they're mostly benefiting him and his family! I wholeheartedly agree with one thing he said about what a president should possess: A president should have tremendous intelligence, smarts, cunning, strength and stamina. Although he's implying he possesses those qualities, I truly don't see that he does. Read this quote and more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/donald_trump_733837 Perhaps the Mueller Report should be revealed in its entirety so those who understand the law can explain it to the majority in easy to understand English so we can better understand why there is reason to doubt this man who calls himself this Nation's Greatest President! Joyce Hackett Smith-Moore Auburn Love 4 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Every end of the school semester, Coconino Community Colleges fine art department hosts an exhibit on its Lone Tree campus showcasing exceptional student work. As well as displaying work from its students, the college often shines a light on its talented faculty with a separate exhibit. Last Friday, students and faculty shared a gallery floor during the Comet Art Gallery grand opening. The joint exhibit was special for many reasons. In addition to being the first time students were showcased alongside faculty, this is the first time the community college has had its own off-campus gallery. The space, previously occupied by a Charming Charlie store, is located at Aspen Place at the Sawmill, a RED Development Property. McKenzie Shaver, a marketing specialist with RED Development, said she reached out to the community college in December about a possible partnership. We were really wanting to involve community more, and we thought one of the best ways to do that is to include the local community college, Shaver said. We also want art and culture in our communities, and we really try to push for it. So when [the college] came back to us with turning the space into a really cool art show, we were all about it. Shaver also said this isnt the first time RED Development has partnered with a local institution for the benefit of art. At its CityScape location in downtown Phoenix, the group partnered with the Phoenix Art Museum for a two-month exhibit, PhxArt Project. This one [with CCC] is more amplified, its a bigger space and its more to work with. Were really excited, Shaver said. At 4,500 square-feet and with wall-high windows that bring in natural light, the location is fit for a gallery. Even with art lining the walls, two rows of wire displays and shelves holding ceramic works, theres still plenty of room in the location. Full-time art faculty Alan Petersen said the extra space could be used for workshops and tutorials during the summer. Shaver said cost to the college for the gallery is minimal. It pays only a flat rate for utilities to rent the space. Its generous and brilliant on their part because it gives a really great presence to an area thats been empty for a while and provides us an off-campus resource, Petersen said. Its a win-win. Its perfect in so many ways. Petersen said the community college will bring its Lunar Dreams exhibit to Comet Art Gallery in July with potential for more exhibits after that. The first exhibit, Peterson said, is one of the strongest student shows weve had in a long time, not just in terms of number but in terms of quality. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Andrea Green has made a career out of celebrating differences, both as a music therapist and as the creator of unifying musicals for children and teens like The Return of Halleys Comet produced by Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy last week. For me, it has always been about differences and I think thats because I struggled with it as a child. I was sensitive. A lot of times I felt there was something wrong with me because I was not as tough as other people, she said. Green wrote her first musical as a means to connect students with disabilities to other students at the Philadelphia school where she worked as a music therapist. I remember thinking to myself, I wonder if I wrote a musical, if that could provide a safe way for those diverse kids to come together, she said. Nearly 40 years later, Green has traveled to theaters across the world, now including Coconino Center for the Arts, to meet the unique student groups producing her musicals, all of which share the same messages of empathy, respect and communication, whether the characters are extraterrestrial creatures, fish or even fabrics. Green said the most rewarding part of her work is watching young people traverse their own emotional struggles, especially feelings of social alienation, by singing about it. Green is a consultant at the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy, Settlement Music School and the River Edge Nursing Home in Philadelphia. Her life was the subject of a Mid-Atlantic Emmy-award winning documentary, On the Other Side of the Fence, and she is the recipient of a 2019 Teacher as Hero Award from the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. Andrea has a generous soul; it shows in her writing and in her presence with my class, said Eric Walden, production director and musical theater teacher at FALA. Greens current successes started with a childhood love for the power of music and its appeal to diverse people, whom she aims to reach with each of her works. My father was a doctor and he used to take me with him on house calls. He would grab his doctors bag and tell me, Come along and bring your guitar with you, she said. I was an inhibited kid, but when I made music, I felt comfortable and it just opened me up. And then when I started to play music for my fathers patients and hear what they said and put it into lyrics, I felt so good doing that, and I knew, this is how I can connect to people with music. These musicals are not just about disability, theyre about differences and accepting others, as well as accepting ourselves. When we feel more accepting of ourselves, both our limitations and our strengths, then we become more accepting of others. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Students from Flagstaff Junior Academy poured into the county courthouse Friday, testing their legal skills in front of a judge to celebrate Law Day. Students from FJA, Mount Elden Middle School and Coconino High School studied for weeks leading up to their opening arguments. The students worked on cases that included the First Amendment. Sebastian Gonzalez-Moore, an eighth grader at FJA who worked on the plaintiffs case, said he was interested in becoming a lawyer one day, but chose to participate in the mock trial for one main reason. I like to be debate with people, to be honest. If I could do that for a living, thatd be great, Gonzalez-Moore said. The case Gonzalez-Moore and his peers chose to enact before Judge Ted Reed involved a man named Dave Smith, a social media coordinator, who argued that Facebook wrongly banned him from its platform for sharing his opinion, thus violating his right to speak freely. The defense argued that Facebook has a duty to its customers to protect them from threats on the platform. The case also centered around a law Congress passed that attempted to stop cyber-bullying. Every student in the courtroom was able to contribute during the trial. Multiple student lawyers questioned their peers, acting as witnesses for the case. Students also presented their opening statements and closing arguments to the jury. Objection! One of the eighth-grade lawyers said as the plaintiffs attempted to place evidence on the record that contained Facebooks terms and conditions. The defense objected to the attempt because it had not seen the document before trial. Reed allowed them to enter the terms and conditions into evidence after it was determined that the defense had the opportunity to view the evidence after all. Afterward, many students agreed the terms and conditions document was a critical piece of evidence to present to the judge and jury to help them understand the facts. Beatrice Heirigs, an eighth grader working for the defense, said the plaintiff kept bringing up first amendment rights in the civil case. Its like, 'hey, actually, we dont actually have to follow it because were a private company,' but they still kept on mentioning the first amendment, Heirigs said. Jason Bliss, an attorney for Flagstaff law firm Aspey, Watkins and Diesel, said he worked with the groups multiple times before Friday. Its really impressive to see eighth graders reach this level of preparation, Bliss said. I think they did great. At the conclusion of the trial, a jury of fellow eighth graders agreed with the plaintiffs that Facebook had no right to ban Smith, although Reed disagreed and sided with the defense. While Reed disagreed with the law Congress had passed restricting the ability to speak freely on the internet, he decided that, in light of the law, Facebook was right to enact the ban. He suggested that the first amendment argument might have more sway if they appealed his decision to a higher court. Ron Kuzara, the class's teacher, said the jurys decision in the case was not predetermined. Kuzara said he was proud of how prepared and composed the students were. The attorneys had to do a good job of composing reasonable points that were persuasive. I thought they did that, and thought the jury took that into account when they awarded the verdict to the prosecution, he said. Cassandra Reynolds, an eighth grader at FJA, said she wasnt sure if she wanted to participate because of her fear of public speaking, but ended up joining the event. Once I got closer, I thought being a lawyer would be really, really fun. It would help me learn more about [the profession.] Ive been leaning toward that way in college, Reynolds said. I love to argue with people and I love to prove my point, and my friends say you should be a lawyer. Scott Buffon can be reached at sbuffon@azdailysun.com, on Twitter @scottbuffon or by phone at (928) 556-2250. Love 6 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. PHOENIX Wildlife advocates say animals like the jaguar are at risk if President Donald Trump builds his planned border wall, with one group this week denouncing the administrations Jaguar Recovery Plan calling it inadequate. This so-called recovery plan wont do anything to help the jaguar, so the threats to its survival and recovery will still require urgent action, said Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement released Wednesday. The plan is a green light for Trump to build his wildlife-blocking border wall. Jaguars cant use Google maps to find tiny gaps in hundreds of miles of impermeable walls, the statement said of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife claim that leaving gaps in a wall would protect the animals. But jaguars and their advocates may have an unlikely ally the technology used in driverless cars. California-based Quanergy Systems claims it has developed a network of solar-powered LIDAR sensors that could be used to create a virtual border wall that they said would be more cost-effective than an actual wall. Quanergy announced the possibility of a LIDAR-driven security solution in a press release in September. LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges to the Earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Quanergy spokeswoman, Whitney Jencks, said in an email that the LIDAR system classifies objects and can distinguish between a human, vehicle or animal. Current technologies, like ground sensors, are unable to know what sets off a sensor and could end up sending resources unnecessarily if the sensor is triggered by an animal, Jencks said. Quanergys system significantly reduces the number of false alarms so that authorities are better able to allocate resources. Georgios Trichopoulos, an electrical, computer and energy engineering professor at Arizona State University, said Jencks assessment was mostly true. (Classification is) a software attribute, not necessarily a LIDAR attribute, Trichopoulos said. Radar and such dont have the resolution they couldnt give you enough information. You can see more details with LIDAR. Trichopoulos also affirmed the very valid possibility of using a LIDAR system for a virtual border wall. Robinson said a virtual wall is certainly preferable to a physical border wall. Jaguars cant climb the wall or go through the small gaps, in an actual wall, Robinson said. It could have massive effects on their natural habits. But other wildlife advocates fear any sort of construction on the border would have substantial impacts on the ecosystem. Laiken Jordahl, a borderlands campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, said there should at least be a continued effort to avoid building on the barren areas. A physical wall is obviously devastating to wildlife and a virtual one would be less environmentally damaging, Jordahl said. But, virtual walls have environmental effects too. He said construction and the introduction of new technology impacts wildlife immensely, like clearing out vegetation to get a better sight of the border can really mess with habitats. But, Quanergy said its system wouldnt be operating in open areas of the border, where most wildlife can usually be found. Director of Technical Sales William Muller said the system would be most effective at or near ports of entry because of its ability to distinguish between humans and other potential triggers. LIDAR technology is much better suited for a location thats densely populated, Muller said. Open, barren areas (of the border) are not suitable for LIDAR because theres not much happening. When a sensor is triggered, Muller said the LIDAR system would create a three-dimensional rendering of the surroundings and send that, along with GPS coordinates, to the nearest authorities in real time. There is some support for this unique proposal among law enforcement. Given the immense size of the U.S./Mexico border, it is impossible to know what is happening at all points along it at any given moment, Val Verde, Texas, County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez said in the press release. This virtual security system will create a force-multiplier effect by providing law enforcement with an unprecedented level of awareness and allowing us to quickly identify and deploy units to the exact location of a security breach. Jencks said the company has met with and presented a prototype system, housed in Del Rio, Texas, to officials from both sides of the aisle but at this time there is no contract. John Verrico, a spokesman for the Homeland Security Departments Science and Technology Directorate, confirmed in an email that the agency has not received, nor have we evaluated, a proposal for the use of LIDAR for a virtual border wall from Quanergy Systems, Inc. In 2005, Congress authorized a similar project, dubbed the Secure Border Initiative Network, or SBInet, which was contracted out to Boeing. Official Boeing literature said SBInet planned to employ a similar sensor system along the border, but using a mix of cameras, radars and ground sensors instead of LIDAR. Testing sites for the project were located at Border Patrol stations in Tucson and Ajo, Arizona. A 2010 report from the Government Accountability Office said the project was over budget and did not deliver promised system-capabilities in a timely matter. It was terminated in 2011. A Boeing official said no one from that project currently works at the company and referred requests for comment DHS, which referred those inquiries in turn to Customs and Border Protection. In an email, a CBP spokesperson called the project ambitious and unable to provide a single technological solution to border security. The statement said that as a result of a DHS Analysis of Alternatives, the SBInet project deviated from its original concept and involved a mix of technology options tailored to each area of the border and based on the operational judgment of the Border Patrol Agents in that area. The spokesperson said U.S. Border Patrol has not deployed the use of LiDAR technology. Jordahl thinks those proposing wall alternatives look like people trying to cash in on Trumps border hysteria. Both Jordahl and Robinson said their organization has not proposed or worked with any other organization on border wall alternatives to address wildlife issues. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 125 YEARS AGO 1894: On Friday and Saturday this area was treated to a fall of snow. Three inches fell here in town and to a depth of twelve inches in the mountains. It is of special interest to those in Boston that Mr. Percival Lowell, who has a well known personal interest in the planet Mars, will establish in Flagstaff, Arizona a large and well equipped observatory for the observation of the planet Mars. The observatory will be constructed and equipped for the sole purpose of securing observations under the best possible conditions. Using his own personnel funds, Mr. Lowell will set up this observatory at Flagstaff where he and his associates will spend the summer and fall months. The President of the Board of Trade has received a letter from Mr. Lowell thanking the citizens of Flagstaff for their friendly interest and the courtesy shown him by our citizens. The road to the observatory is in place and will be completed next week. It is now passable for light vehicles. The foundation is laid and the material is here and it only remains for it to be put in position to be ready for the instrument. The Saginaw Lumber Company expects to set their saw in motion in Williams next week and to continue operations through the summer months without setbacks. They have put several more teams into the woods to increase their supply of timber. C. A. Green an employee of the Arizona Lumber Company was struck in the head by a rock thrown by someone unknown and an ugly scalp wound is now being nursed by Mr. Green. C. R. Long, manager of the Bee Hive store in Nevada was here on Saturday looking after a lot of merchandise that was burglarized from his store several weeks ago. The goods were not found here. Post Master informs us that the new money order system will go into effect on July 1, by which both large and small sums can be transmitted by letter with absolute safety at a much lower rates than at present. It is rumored that excavations in the name of science will be undertaken in the crater near Canyon Diablo, where the meteoric stone containing diamonds was found some time ago. Geologists say that the pieces found are from a gigantic meteor that buried itself in the earth leaving a hole three quarters of a mile deep which since has partially filled itself. It is still one hundred feet deep with precipitous walls. The diamonds found are too small to be of any commercial value but are of important value in supporting the theory that there are other worlds than ours which are habitable. George and Fred Huchderffer have purchased the bakery of John Coates and will open a bakery in the building on the corner of Leroux and Aspen. Dr. Pentland, the Prescott dentist will be in town for a few days and can be found in the office recently occupied by Dr. Marshall. J. C. Muligan has completed the job of setting the new boilers at the Arizona Lumber Company this week. John W. Weatherford and bride came in from Los Angeles on Monday. They will make their home in Flagstaff. 100 YEARS AGO 1919: At the the flagstaff Business Men's Booster Club lunch held at the Confection Den Tuesday much enthusiasm for building a new large hotel was generated. The need to accommodate the summer visitors being need that needs to be filled. Severdiffernet ideas were discussed and enthudiaadm is high. For the past several days Kapanke has looked as if a dozen Germans had had hold of him with his head swathed in bandages and small portions of his head all bruised and and lacking flesh and skin. A car was out on Milton Road rolling along on his motor cycle when it hit something in the road. It skidded from under him, landing him on his face that he slid several feet before coming to a halt. Services of a doctor were required and Oscar is fortunate that there were no worse injuries considering his terrific fall. The Americanization classes are being held on Tuesday and Friday night from 8 to 10 oclock. The classes are free and are being offered by Prof. O. H. Richson who is not charging for his time. There are currently eight students working on the lessons and showing great progress in leaning English. The classes are open to anyone who is foreign born and is over the age of 16. With the weather warming up the soda fountains are opeing up. Browns News Stand and Kellers Confectionary have both started selling sodas after several months of inactivity. Brandlis Yaigues was arrested Saturday following an altercation with another man on the charge of drunk and disorderly. In the afternoon Officers Neil and Jackson searched his house on the other side of the tracks south of J.J. Britts. The search was rewarded in the finding of what appeared to be the equipment for a well organized gambling house. There are plenty of Bass in Lake Mary and Mormon Lake and we have the equipment that will catch them. Look us over for quality and price. W. H. Switzer. W. H. Morse has a force of men at work at Lake Mary painting and repairing, getting ready for the rush of summer visitors. Like others, he is finding it difficult to find competent men to do the work. His next job is the Commercial Hotel, then he plans to go on to Lee Harts house just west of the Catholic church where he expects to do a complete renovation. R. Gobble is waiting for the stone masons to finish their current work and expects to be able to begin the work on the new White Garage with them next week. In the meantime his men will finish their work on the Commercial Hotel. The Secretary of Agriculture has reached a cooperative agreement with Coconino County, covering the cut-off road project south of Flagstaff. The proposed project will start at Munds Park and go to the rim of Oak Creek Canyon near Pump House Wash. The natural contours of the land are more favorable than the current road. Just received a shipment of Studebaker Cars. Series 20, Model Big Six and Light Six Touring cars. Transmission amidship, Differential doubles the weight of those formerly placed in Studebaker cars. 75 YEARS AGO 1944: The Flagstaff Public library will print a Burning of the Books display between May 8 and May 18. In Germany on May 5, 1933 under the Straw Monument" of Joseph Gobbels as an act of propaganda thousands of books which were then, and are now, no longer allowed to be read in Nazi Germany were thrown into the flames. This event is symbolic of the Nazi foe with whom we are now engaged in a life and death struggle. The Burning of the books display will have some of the books now forbidden to German readers. This display is a promise that the freedom to read your books of choice will remain. Uncle Sam asks everyone to save as much electricity as possible. There is no shortage but it takes man power, fuel, vital materials and their transportation to create it. It cannot be stored or saved up. Any saving you can make from day to day will contribute to the saving of what it takes to make it which helps us to win this war. Frank Colcord, the famous Tonto Basin lion hunter and his hounds caught and killed their largest lion yet. It measures a full 10 feet from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. The lion was taken in the remote Matzels some of the wildest and most unspoiled country in the State of Arizona. 25 YEARS AGO 1994: "Christmas in April" will be in May. Last Saturdays event has been postponed until May 21st. The decision was made at an emergency meeting Wednesday evening. We felt that with all this snow that has fallen it would be impossible to get all the painting and renovation work planned work planned done on the five homes planned for renovations. This is a first-ever project here of a nationwide organization. Other cities have also found a need to change the date from April into May. About 400 volunteers will be working on the renovation projects and cleaning up outside in the Sunnyside area. You probably wouldnt run in front of an on coming tank nor run across an airport runway. Why do people challenge the freight trains coming toward one of our grade crossings? Trains cannot stop quickly. Two more men have died trying to outrun trains at the San Francisco crossing during this past week. Just think, about 80 times a day those 5,000 ton locomotives often going 70 miles per hour traverse our five grade crossings every day. The train whistles are loud and clear, then the gates come down. You can wait a few minutes and have the rest of your life. The City of Flagstaff has been awarded a $500,000 grant to build a bicycle path along Route 66. The two-lane path will go from Switzer Canyon Drive and pass along the south side of Route 66 to downtown. The grant comes from the Federal Inter-modal Surface Transportation Act, which provides grants for the preservation and re-use of old railroad corridors. A case of the plague has appeared in Tuba City re-arousing concerns about its spread in the area and its effects on business as well as the human toll. The Flagstaff Metro Narcotics unit reported 15 arrests on Friday. Sgt. Pascual Macais Unit Supervisor, said they are part of an eight month ongoing investigation and involved suspects on the east side of town. The arrests were issued by the Coconino County Supervisor Court following indictments handed down by the County Grand Jury. There are still several more suspects out there that are being sought. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former school bus driver who pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl will not receive any prison time, according to the sentence handed down by a New York State Supreme Court judge. The victim was 14 when she was she assaulted by Shane Piche on June 10, 2018, outside the upstate New York city of Watertown, Jefferson County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Dziuba told CNN Tuesday. Piche is 25, according to CNN affiliate WWNY. Piche waived indictment in February and was sentenced last Thursday to probation for 10 years. According to the certificate of disposition, he must register as a Level 1 sex offender and pay fees of $1,425. He pleaded guilty to third-degree rape. The New York sex offender website describes Level 1 as an offender with a "low risk of re-offense." Piche's address would not be listed on the registry, just his zip code. Piche met the victim as a school bus driver and "maintained communication" with her on social media, Dziuba said. That led to him inviting her to his home, plying her with alcohol, and then raping her, according to the prosecutor. Prosecutors originally asked for a "split to probation," which is a mix of jail time and up to 10 years' probation, Dziuba said. Although they could have asked for up to four years of prison, prosecutors wanted Piche to better learn how to control his urges and to learn proper boundaries, she said. Prosecutors were looking for treatment for Piche, according to Dziuba, who said Piche will receive sex offender counseling and treatment while on probation. The state also wanted to protect the victim from court proceedings, she added. Piche will have to report locally to the sheriff's department in the county where he lives, and he will not have access to children or live within a certain distance to children, the prosecutor said. The pre-sentencing report -- which considers the defendant's past, input from the victim and the victim's family, the facts of the case and other factors -- determined probation was the appropriate punishment, Dziuba said. The ultimate decision on the sentence rested with the judge, she said. Dziuba said the case was not a violent sexual assault but was prosecuted as third-degree rape because it is considered an age-based crime in New York. Third-degree rape also allows for unconditional discharge where a defendant is fined and sent on his way. Dziuba said she was not present for victim impact statements in court last week. Piche's attorney, Eric Swartz, said in a statement that his client "cannot be alone with anyone under the age of seventeen, with the exception of friends and relatives as reported and agreed by the probation department." "He'll be a felon for the rest of his life," Swartz said in an interview with WWNY. "He's on the sex offender registry for a long time. Maybe not the rest of his life because of the level, but this isn't something that didn't cause him pain, and this isn't something that didn't have consequences." Piche was employed as a bus driver for the Watertown City School District in Jefferson County. Watertown City Schools Superintendent Patti LaBarre told CNN, "The district cannot comment on personnel matters regarding outside contracted employees." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Did you see it? The tiny blurb a few Sundays ago in the Arizona Daily Sun: ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT: Earth is sick with multiple and worsening environmental ills killing millions of people yearly according to a new U.N. report. And again last Sunday: Climate Change: glaciers are losing 369 billion tons of snow and ice each year, 18% faster than an international panel of scientists calculated in 2013. Admittedly the Sun has run numerous articles about our climate change problems, but many fewer about solutions. We are hearing a lot about the Green New Deal, a resolution with a great vision, but not a specific policy to reduce emissions to meet the goals it sets. l was glad to see your recent Op-Ed on a detailed climate bill thats being considered in the House: HR 763 The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. There are at present 30 Bipartisan co-sponsors of this bill which will put a carbon fee on fossil fuels to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by over 40% in 12 years. Thats specific. It will also improve health and save lives by reducing pollution. The bill will create over 2.1 million jobs in 10 years while also vitalizing the free market creation of carbon reducing (green) industries. The fees collected will not be kept by the government, but instead will go into every single Americans pocket equally. Oh, and you did catch the part where it is being cosponsored by a Bipartisan group of Representatives -- 30 of them so far? Please support this bill HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act by writing to Rep. Tom OHalleran, and asking Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally to support similar legislation in the Senate. You can read the bill in its entirety and send messages to our representatives simply by visiting www.congress.gov. VALARIE BRYANT Flagstaff Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Cannon Beach Event: Did Francis Drake Land on Central Oregon Coast? Published 05/05/2019 at 5:13 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Cannon Beach, Oregon) Sir Francis Drake and his ship the Golden Hind made an historic voyage in 1579, in some ways discovering the west coast of the United States - or at least Californias shoreline. But did he make as far as the Oregon coast? Did he perhaps make landfall here? (Above: an historical photo of Whale Cove, Depoe Bay). A talk at the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum takes a look at that idea on Thursday, May 16 at 4 p.m. There are many questions about Sir Francis Drake and how far north he really came. Melissa Darby will endeavor to unravel the mysteries and misinformation surrounding Sir Francis Drake and his famous circumnavigation of the world. Darbys talk will focus on their forced landing in the summer of 1579 and information she has gathered while writing her book, Thunder Go North, The Hunt for Sir Francis Drake Fair and Good Bay. The Golden Hind was leaking, and Sir Francis Drake and his crew were in peril. They searched the coast and found what they called Fair and Good Bay with a protected beach so they could lay the ship completely on her sides to get to the leak. There are some theories this was the central Oregon coast at what is now Whale Cove at Depoe Bay. Darby will share compelling information about why she thinks this bay may indeed have been in Oregon. Darby is an anthropologist and an archaeologist with over thirty years experience in the field. She can speak on the ethnobiology of the people of the Lower Columbia, the theory relating to Sir Francis Drake landing in Oregon, architecture of the Northwest Coast People including Kalapuya, Oregon Coast and Chinookan peoples, and on a skillet possibly from the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Her presentations incorporate old photographs, maps, drawings and splendid animation. Seating and parking for this event is limited and thus the history advises to arrive early. Take advantage of this opportunity to visit the museum and check out their latest exhibits including an engaging exhibit on the shipwrecks of the Oregon coast. Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals has sponsored this event - a locally owned and operated property management company located just a block away from the museum. The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum hosts a series of off-season lectures on various topics from astrophysics to Sir Francis Drake even the occasional concert. The museum is located in mid-town Cannon Beach and is a private non-profit that doesnt receive city, federal or state funding. Admission to the museum is donation based because they believe history should be accessible to all, no matter financial status. The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum is open Wednesday through Monday, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum also features the history of Cannon Beach and Arch Cape, a longhouse replica, tide pool exhibit, and the cannon that Cannon Beach is named for. For more information visit www.cbhistory.org, on Facebook or call 503-436-9301. More on the museum and Cannon Beach below: Lodging in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours Oregon Beach Vacations. Literally over 260 homes available as vacation rentals all quite distinctive and carefully selected to be special. Available in Yachats, Waldport, Newport, Nye Beach, Otter Rock, Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach, Lincoln Beach, Lincoln City, Neskowin, Pacific City, Tierra Del Mar, Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, Cannon Beach, Seaside, Florence and Astoria. 1-800-723-2383 Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals. About 60 vacation homes to choose from: ocean view, oceanfront and very close to the beach, all in Cannon Beach or in Arch Cape. All are either oceanfront or very close. Homes sleep as many as 12. 164 Sunset. Cannon Beach, Oregon. 503-436-0940. 866-436-0940. www.visitcb.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 Judge Susan Floyd Susan Floyd attended Helena Vocational Technical School for Practical Nursing in 1979 and graduated from MSU Bozeman in 1985 with her BSN. She graduated from University of Wyoming in 2012 with an MS in Nursing Education. She has been a nurse for thirty nine years, starting her nursing career at Billings Clinic. She has worked in cardiology, orthopedics, neuro, and resource. Later on, she worked at SVH as a telemedicine nurse and relief at Internal Medicine Associates. In 1990 she started as a faculty member at MSUB and became the nursing director in 2011. In her various roles, she has had the opportunity to observe nurses in many settings and experiences of life. Nurses are truly caring, kind, hard working, dedicated professionals. It is awesome to help patients progress from low points in their lives to coming out on the other side healthier and more aware of how to stay healthy. It is impossible not to go to a medical facility in the Billings area and not encounter graduates from our program who are exemplary in their profession. She is proud to have been part of the committee reading about the wonderful things nurses in our community have accomplished. Susan Floyd MSN RN Zack Dunn, president of Yellowstone Banks Billings Downtown Branch, was recently named MoFis Montana Small Business Lender of the Year for 2018. MoFi presents the award annually to its most prolific commercial lender partner, an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to meeting the needs of business owners in their community. Dunn was recognized for helping connect Billings-area entrepreneurs with a flexible, responsible capital that sees them through short-term growth needs and prepares them for a longer-term bank loan. That assistance comes via MoFi, a nonprofit organization that provides consulting and financial services to entrepreneurs and small businesses that are not able to receive a traditional bank loan. Dunn has 16 years experience in the banking industry. He joined Yellowstone Bank in 2010 and was promoted to president of the downtown branch in 2012. As an active community member, Dunn is involved with Downtown Billings Rotary, East Billings Urban Renewal District, Downtown Billings Alliance, Downtown Billings Partnership and Burlington Central Little League. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Brian McGovern, owner of Allegra Marketing Print Mail, was recently acknowledged with an annual Sales Pinnacle Award by Alliance Franchise Brands network. The award recognizes outstanding sales performance in the international network of marketing and print services providers. McGovern also received a Circle of Excellence Award, in recognition of the company's superb customer support among the international network of marketing and print services providers. Allegra, at 2620 Overland Ave., is a full-service marketing communications provider with in-house capabilities including consultation, copywriting and graphic design services, advanced printing technologies including full-color printing, digital color signs, posters and banners, complete finishing services, mailing services, variable data capabilities, promotional products and print management solutions. Allegra can also help businesses with search engine optimization, pay-per-click campaigns and web-to-print solutions. For more information, call 248-6811, or go to allegrabillings.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Pat included the whole family as she volunteered for causes including social justice, civil rights and peace in Vietnam. (In the late 60s she was proud that the FBI agents watching her addressed her by name - Mrs. Lamdin.) Baltimore proved to be too small for the Lamdin family, and in the summer of 1971, they bought a ranch, sight unseen, on the Greybull River near Meeteetse, Wyoming. They loaded up kids, pets, and possessions into three old blue trucks and set out to redefine the pioneer experience. Two Cabin Ranch was a wreck when they found it, but with the help of champion neighbor Jim Slack, they turned it into the best kind of disaster. After they got the hang of irrigating fields, milking cows and goats, and checking the outhouse for rattlers, they opened a summer camp for kids from the East Coast. Upon arrival that first year the kids were delighted to learn that if they wanted to sleep in a lean-to or geodesic dome, they had to build it first. For the three summers the fun lasted, the campers adored everything about Pat and Bill, Two Cabin, and Wyoming. During those years Pat and Bill earned the moniker bestowed by our dear cousin John Sears: the matriarch and patriarch of Wyomings most dangerous (and exciting) family. And a bill called Looping in Native Communities, introduced by Republican Sen. Jason Small, of Busby, will create a grant-funded network to collect and share data on missing people within Montanas seven Indian reservations. It will also create a task force within the state Department of Justice to oversee the new program. Rep. Shane Morigeau, a Missoula Democrat and member of the Indian Caucus, praised Smalls bill in particular for its focus on the states indigenous communities. In Montana, Native residents make up a quarter of all missing-person reports, despite accounting for less than 7% of the population. It actually gets the tribal communities involved, and its more focused on just missing Native persons, in the Native communities where we have a higher number of people who go missing, Morigeau said. And another measure that has now made its way into law is Senate Bill 40, which requires the Office of Public Instruction to create and maintain an electronic repository of student photos. Those photos would be made available to law enforcement to help them and the public identify missing children. Small called the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, probably the best one in the whole bunch. "If they wind up at a homeless shelter and needing food assistance, in government-subsidized housing, at the ER from an elements-related injury, or any of several dozen other scenarios, the cost to taxpayers and the public could easily balloon into the thousands from any given small debt," Newman explained. Gernant told the Missoulian the new law will cause Missoula County to lose less than one-tenth of 1% of the total tax revenue the county collects, or about $150,000. So theres a huge bang for your buck here in terms of what youre getting and what youre losing, he said. This is also an important issue because these tend to be the folks most vulnerable to losing their homes." He also said the mobile home auction is one of the worst parts of his job. "Theres not pleasure in being the person who kicks someone out of their home," he said. "This happens almost every year. Every year theres a story about were kicking people out of their homes and in a state that has an affordable housing crisis, these are affordable homes for these folks. Diane Jones, MSN, NP Billings Clinic As a palliative care provider, Diane Jones is the embodiment of care and concern in the medical profession. Besides being present and engaged, she is the patients biggest supporter. Jones uses every opportunity to understand her patients by learning where they are coming from emotionally and spiritually. There is never a doubt a patients needs have been met if they were on nurse Jones watch. Jones is warm, friendly and puts patients at ease. She knows how to connect with the patient and make them feel comfortable. Patients appreciate the meaningful conversation and that its not another high-level specialist discussion. I come from a small town and enjoy visiting with people and building genuine emotional connections, Jones said. I have found it to be easy, in part, because of my husbands unfailing love for me and others . . . it makes it effortless to care for patients. Every two years Montanans fill in the ovals on our ballots and choose citizen legislators to represent our interests at the Capitol. At the end of a hurried 90 working days, the Legislature adjourns and many Montanans are left asking, what happened? If that sounds like you, youre not alone. Reflecting upon the last four months, I would say the 2019 Legislative Session was one of the most productive Montana has seen in awhile. Business climate, infrastructure, economic development, public safety, and health care were all policy areas garnering wins this session. For Montanans it means more business, increased economic development, addressing safety concerns for citizens, and continuing health care coverage for nearly 10% of our population. Unfortunately, Billings biggest priority, the 406 Impact District bill did not pass, but generated statewide bipartisan support throughout the process. As the suspect walked away, police saw him stumble in the middle of Broadway where a vehicle hit him and he challenged the driver to a fight. Only then could the officers book him because he was clearly a danger to himself and the public. It would have been better for police to have had the ability to arrest that man before he stumbled into the street. Regarding shoplifting, Montana retailers report that thieves are gaming the new law, stealing up to $1,500 in merchandise, knowing they cannot be jailed and that the maximum fine is $500. Emboldened thieves have escaped stores through emergency exits and loaded stolen goods into waiting vehicles, Brad Griffin, president of the Montana Retail Association told legislators in hearings this session. Some Billings stores have reported losing $10,000 to $20,000 per week to shoplifters, he said. Since possible penalties for shoplifting were reduced two years ago, more people are failing to appear on that charge in Billings Municipal Court, a deputy city attorney told The Gazette in April. HB421 would add back the potential for arrest and jail to misdemeanor theft in which the suspect uses an emergency exit. SB338 directs 80 percent of the new lodging tax revenue to the Historical Society project for five years, and 20 percent to a new grant program for other Montana museums. After five years, a much smaller portion of the 1% collections will go to the Historical Society for museum operations, the statewide grant program will continue and the balance will be used for tourism promotion. The Montana lodging association supported SB338, recognizing it as a smart investment in their industry. The 12 million out-of-staters who visit us each year will pay the bulk of the tax. "One beautiful thing about this bill is the historic preservation grant program," Whittenberg told The Gazette last week. "Other museums and historic sites will ultimately see far more investment than is made in construction of the Montana Heritage Center." Peete is grateful for the grant dedicated to the Moss Mansion. "I am so pleased the bill passed," Peete told The Gazette last week. "I am thrilled funds will be available to small museums." Getting a grant can make the difference between keeping the a museum's doors open another year or closing, she said. Thanks to the Billings folks who asked their representatives to support our museums. Thanks to the lawmakers who listened. As Peete said: "It took a whole lot of community engagement to make this happen." Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The recent announcement by Rep. Greg Gianforte that he is seriously considering another run for governor is problematic. He barely won against a gun-grabbing liberal entirely out of touch with Montana values. Now Gianforte wants to run for governor? Attorney General Tim Fox is an excellent candidate for governor, and Gianforte should be thinking about maintaining his seat in the House of Representatives. Gianforte should stay in the House of Representatives instead of crowding the Republican field of candidates and detracting from candidates with an actual shot at winning the general election for governor. Rumor is, Matt Rosendale is already committed to running for an open congressional seat if Gianforte makes another bid for governor. That is a mistake! Republicans cant afford to recycle losers. We need electable candidates. Rosendale had all the help in the world against a flawed candidate, but couldnt get it done. Despite President Trump and Vice President Pences visiting the state several times, Rosendale couldnt overcome the Maryland Matt moniker. Montana ranks second in the nation for its pollinator industry. Producing 15 million pounds of honey annually from 200,000 beehives puts $31 million into the state economy. However, with climate change and the increasing threat of pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, which are commonly used, I would like to call Gov. Bullock to action. Bullock has made strong commitments to keeping our public lands open and accessible as well as a legacy for clean air and clean water. Governor, why dont you set that same standard to neonicotinoids and ban the use of them in our state. Beekeepers report that they lose 30% of their bee colonies annually so I think Montana should join Maryland and Connecticut in banning neonicotinoids to preserve and protect our already thriving Bee economy. Sam Orr Missoula Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Abused Adult Resource Center (701-222-8370) Volunteers advocates needed to help answer the crisis calls in the evenings and on weekends. An advocates role is to listen, offer support and give options. Free training provided. AID Inc. (701-663-2122 or 701-663-1274) Adults to sort clothing, sort other donations, pricing, cashiering, cleaning, organizing, hanging clothes, sorting, testing and repairing electrical items and other various tasks. American Cancer Society (701-433-7582) Volunteer drivers for Road to Recovery Program. American Red Cross (701-223-6700) Seeks volunteers to aid in disaster response locally and nationwide, training provided. Adults and youth 16 and older. Arc of Bismarck (701-222-1854) Work in the thrift store. Augusta Place Prospera Community (701-323-3264) Assist residents with activities, bingo and Sunday visits. Baptist Health Care Center (701-223-3040) Assist residents with clinic appointments, activities, meals, chapel on Sunday and bingo. Bis-Man Mentor Squad (701-222-0797) Be a mentor for youth. Bismarck-Mandan Chapter of SCORE (701-328-5861) Volunteer management counselors to provide free and confidential mentoring and counseling for those who wish to start a small business. Call or stop by the office at the Bank of North Dakota building on Memorial Highway. Buckstop Junction/Missouri Valley Historical Society (701-250-8575) Conduct tours of historic buildings, help with The Shoppe, building or grounds maintenance, general office work, Corn Feed/Old Settlers Day, publicity or adopt a building. Burleigh County Senior Adult Program (701-255-4648) Deliver meals to homebound elderly individuals and assist as nutrition servers, gift shop attendants, Wii bowling scorekeeper and answering phones. Central Dakota Humane Society (701-667-2020) Provide companionship, exercise and socialization to the dogs and cats; assist with basic animal care; assist with special events. Charles Hall Youth Services (701-255-2773, ext. 303) Volunteer mentors needed to commit to supporting, guiding and mentoring at-risk youth. Mentors serve as positive role models, teaching youth healthy and safe ways to have fun and to meet positive academic, career and personal goals. Mentors must be minimum of 21 years of age. Training provided. CHI St. Alexius Health (701-530-7159) Deliver mail and flowers, escort patients, help with the gift shop. CHI St. Alexius Home Health & Hospice (701-530-4500) Share your time, energy and compassion while enriching your own life and lives of others. Help with a variety of activities such as companionship, errands, respite care, administrative and bereavement support. Volunteers who are a veteran, can play an instrument for music therapy and/or perform pet therapy are particularly needed. Community Action (701-258-2240) Help in the donation center and the food pantry. Cystic Fibrosis Association (701-222-3998) Help with mailings and fundraising events. Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch (701-223-7979) Help in thrift store and perform janitorial duties. Dakota Zoo (701-223-7543) Accepting applications for adult volunteers to provide animal conservation programs and animal handling for educational programs. Training provided. Also looking for general volunteers for light building and repair projects. Carpentry, mechanical and fencing skills are a plus but not needed. Furry Friends Rockin Rescue (701-222-8665) Fosters needed for kittens, puppies, dogs and cats. Volunteers for fundraising events, transporting animals, adoption events, cleaning kennels, socializing the cats and dogs, computer work and grant writing. Junior Achievement of Bismarck-Mandan (701-527-7416) Opportunities are flexible and rewarding. Commitment could vary from a single school day to a weekly one-hour visit for five to eight weeks. For more information, contact David Leingang at DavidL@jaum.org or visit www.jaum.org. Lutheran Social Services Senior Companions (701-838-7800) Seniors 55 and older who are healthy, active and interested in helping their older neighbors. Make-A-Wish (701-280-9474) Help with upcoming special events. Manchester House (701-223-5600) Be a mentor for youth. Must be at least 18. McLean Family Resource Center (701-462-8643) Assist with crisis line. Mental Health America of North Dakota (701-255-3692) Help with data entry, various office duties. Morton County Council on Aging (701-663-6528) Pick up prepared meals at Mandan Senior Center and deliver them to the homes of the elderly. Neighbors Network Program (701-323-4277) Volunteers with pickups to help move donated furniture items to clients homes. New Song Church (701-258-5683) Janitorial and light maintenance work. For details, email erickson.e.michael@gmail.com. North Dakota Operation Lifesaver (701-223-6372) Help spread the message about railroad safety. Pride Inc. (701-258-7838) Support people with disabilities in social and recreational activities, especially between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily, Monday-Friday, also evenings and weekends. Staff on site to assist at all times. Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve Corps/Medical Reserve Corps (701-328-1334) Accepting registration of volunteers to assist with public health emergencies. Medical and non-medical volunteers needed. Choose to help only in own county, in the surrounding counties, statewide or anywhere in the U.S. Register at www.ndhealth.gov/EPR/volunteer. Ronald McDonald House, (701-258-8551) Answering phones, checking families in and out, stocking kitchen pantry; four-hour shifts weekday evenings and weekends. Ruth Meiers House (701-222-2108) Baby Boutique Store, Joannes' Clinic receptionist, Panera Bread Donation Program and hair stylists. More information: www.ruthmeiers.org. St. Gabriels Community (701-751-5223) Visiting with guests, assisting with activities (manicures, crafts, socials); transferring guests to and from Mass; light clerical work such as stuffing envelopes, mailings and assisting with special events. St. Vincents Care Center (701-323-1974) Entertainers for background music for Sunday social events. Salvation Army (701-223-1889) Assist with meals, activities and tutoring in the youth program; stock food pantry shelves; light maintenance work. Sanford Health (701-323-6011) Greet and assist visitors in the surgical waiting room, deliver flowers, help in the gift shop and Coffee Corner and assist with special projects. Sanford Health Hospice (701-323-8400) Volunteers needed to assist terminally ill patients. Assistance commonly includes visiting, reading and taking walks; child care assistance; bereavement support; and administrative/clerical work. Orientation, training and support provided. Seeds of Hope store (701-222-8370) Greeters, price clothes, stock and straighten shelves, Diggers Delight and more. Creative people needed for designing gift baskets and store displays. Tracys Sanctuary House (701-258-5889) Perform daily housekeeping tasks, answer phones, stock kitchen and food pantry. Volunteer Care Givers for the Elderly (701-223-9290) Assist with transportation, yardwork, light housekeeping, respite care, errands and shopping and other companionship activities with the elderly. For these and other volunteer opportunities, call United Way at 701-255-3601 or go to www.volunteerbisman.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A recent court decision in Minnesota about water use from a popular suburban lake and ongoing issues about agricultural runoff in the Minnesota River basin illustrate the practical complexity of managing water use. Ideally, regulation would ensure fairness, preserve resources and foster economic efficiency. But the details are knotty. Among economists, the idea that it is important for a society to define property rights very clearly is not controversial. The problem is that identifying a set of specific property rights that will be optimal over long stretches of time isnt easy. Take the lake issue. White Bear Lake is one of the largest in the Twin Cities area, with 4 square miles of surface area and 13 miles of shoreline. It falls on the line between two counties and has hundreds of shoreline owners. Most are private homeowners, but there are many businesses related to recreational use of the lake, from boat rentals and fishing supplies to bars and restaurants overlooking the lake. Some have been in business for decades. In addition to the actual riparian owners, the value of hundreds more properties are affected by proximity to the lake and its condition. In short, there are many thousands of people with something at stake. Moreover, the rights and responsibilities of riparian owners were quite well defined. People have owned land along lakes and streams for millennia and British common law developed principles for resolving conflicts. In general, it was the old rule about being free to use ones property as one wished as long as such use did not harm others. When uses did conflict, there were rules and precedents over what was reasonable or allowable. U.S. water law was deeply rooted in this British common law. Similarly, we have developed law around the use of groundwater. This is much newer because it is only in the past century or two that technology existed to pump such large quantities of water from aquifers as to affect other users. As long as wells were hand-dug or drilled with primitive machinery for household and small farm use, the amount of water in most aquifers was ample relative to use. Only when large withdrawals for municipal, industrial or irrigation use became common was it necessary to develop laws and regulations. So as long as a water dispute is clearly limited to surface water, a lake or stream, or to groundwater, the law is quite well-defined. But geology and hydrology are complicated. Particularly in areas where ice-age glaciers existed, streams and lakes often are hydraulically connected to aquifers. There is a complication in that the largest withdrawals from the aquifers in question are not for irrigating crops or for some industrial use, but rather for water systems of growing municipalities. Supplying water to residences and businesses is economically important. Cities have invested tens of millions in wells and related infrastructure. And the citizens and governments of these jurisdictions have their own influence in the state legislature. The uncertainty is not just legal, but also political. Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources has responsibility for administering ground and surface water. Thus, it is in a crossfire between landowners and city governments hurt by declining water levels in White Bear Lake and the city governments and residents in the municipalities pumping water from the connected aquifer. Those hurt by falling levels had to spend years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to establish what was going on. Groundwater pumping was not the only cause. There was a period of decline in rainfall. Urbanization and road construction changed natural patterns both of drainage and aquifer recharge. The large municipal wells were not the only ones drawing from the aquifer, and so on. The upshot demonstrates that Minnesota is joining arid western states as ones where traditionally whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over. The landowners and municipal governments harmed by falling lake levels fought to get studies establishing what was happening and then sued the DNR to limit pumping. Last year, a Ramsey County judge issued a ruling against the DNR ordering the agency to curtail pumping. But the cities with wells have political clout. The legislature ordered a stay on the judges order until an appeal was heard and ruled on. Now the Minnesota Court of Appeals has reversed the earlier lower-court ruling and decided in favor of the DNR. The original plaintiffs in turn are appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The point of all this is not about who is right or wrong. It is that, while there may be an ideal of defining property rights so specifically that subsequent disputes are avoided, achieving such definition that is both clear and durable over time is extremely difficult. What might have been clearly defined in 1919 or 1969 no longer is in 2019. Land use practices that were not only legal, but laudable, 150 years ago now cause harm. The history of Minnesota agriculture is the history of land drainage. Draining useless wetlands to bring them into crop production was not bad, it was laudable. It constituted good stewardship of land. The legislature passed laws fostering the establishment of drainage ditches. Statutory and case law evolved to make sure drainage was accomplished with as little harm to third parties as possible. Draining any one farm or township is good for the landowner and perhaps society in general. Drain every acre of farmland in a major watershed and big problems are created. But there is a century and a half of legal and political precedent favoring drainage as a laudable practice. What was well-defined and seemingly economically efficient only a few decades ago is damaging now. St. Paul economist and writer Edward Lotterman can be reached at bismarck@edlotterman.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DAWSON -- As a long, tough winter melts into spring, no one is busier than Terry Harpole, 58, and his son, Landon, 22, and their Harpole Farm and Ranch in central Kidder County. The Harpoles have fewer than 1,000 acres for grain at the farm between Bismarck and Jamestown, but a lot of it is irrigated. Landon joined the farm full-time immediately after graduating in 2016 from Kidder County High School at Steele. Most of their crops are raised under three irrigation pivots. They raise corn, irrigated alfalfa, as well as non-irrigated alfalfa and soybeans or wheat for a cash crop. They raise sorghum and millet on smaller spots and have a deal with a neighbor to put wheat straw for cattle roughage. Livestock edge The Harpoles use much of the feed they raise for their 440-head beef cow-calf enterprise. Normally well background our calves into the following year, about 10 months of age, Terry says. They direct-sell replacement heifers, finding customers mostly through word-of-mouth or repeat sales. Some customers buy complete loads of about 70 head. The cows are a red Angus, Simmental and red Simmental cross. We do all the work: we give them all the shots, Bangs-vaccinate them, and offer them verified to be bred, Terry says. Separately, the Harpoles contract-sell steer calves. The Harpoles started calving heifers about March 1. The cows started calving April 1. On April 23, theyd just finished the end of their first heat cycle, with 50 calves dropped in three days. The winter was pleasant for the cow operation until Jan. 15, when the weather turned harsh, leaving the Harpoles shorter than expected on hay. The cattle consumed 35 pounds to 38 pounds of feed a day while running on corn stubble earlier in the winter, but bounced up to 55 pounds per day in the matter of a week. The cows have got to eat to keep body heat, theyve just got to eat -- cold weather and pregnancy, Terry says. Diversified x 4 In a period of lack-luster commodity prices, the Harpoles have the strength of diversification. In addition to the farm itself, Terrys wife, Barb, has an off-farm job as a hair stylist in nearby Steele. Landons fiance, Tiffany Simpson, is a registered nurse in Bismarck. (A wedding is set for Sept. 14.) Terry and Landon each have a truck for custom cattle hauling in the fall and winter. Within the operation, Landon started investing in the farm by purchasing a 2016-model Vermeer 605N round baler -- one of his first big purchases. Im hoping to get 10 to 15 years out of it, he says, Landon says, of the baler. At least until its paid for in five, or six years. Landon will start by baling some corn stover under an irrigator hes renting. Another new thing in 2019: he plans to plant teff grass -- a new variety crop to the farm. Its really good on protein and high on relative feed value. They call it a horse-lovers hay, he says, smiling. Its a bloat-free hay, compared to alfalfa. If all that isnt enough, Landon also works part-time in a honeybee operation, Simpson Apiaries at Tuttle, N.D., with honey production and occasionally helping in pollination work in California. Ethanol, potato effects Terry has seen a lot of changes, and is thankful for the high-value crop enterprises in his region that simply werent there when he was a kid growing up on a farm north of Steele. After studying welding and farm machine shop work at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, he initially farmed with his parents. By 1987, Terry and Barb went on their own. Terry put his first irrigation unit into production in 1999, rotating land with Mike Sitzmann of Dawson Farms. We trade land back and forth, a three-year rotation with potatoes, he says. Hed have a year and Id have two years. That rotation is working very well with me. Last years corn yields were good, averaging about 212 bushels per acre on his irrigated land. Much of it gets trucked to Red Trail Energy ethanol plant at Richardton, 125 miles to the west. In addition to corn for grain, the Harpoles plant about 40 acres for corn silage. Last year, they got a respectable 38 tons per acre for silage, and this year, Terry is shooting for 42 tons. The success in that area has a lot to do with natural fertilizer with manure from the cow-calf operation, he emphasizes. Corn in general does very well with manure, he says. The organic matter (content) is terrific when you get this natural fertilizer into the ground. He hopes the soil tests come back to indicate not much extra fertilizer is needed. If hes short of goals, he side-dresses with dry fertilizer at planting. He tissue-samples the crop during the growing season and can apply more in liquid form through the irrigator. Terry says hes enthused about farming, which he describes as a free-style, hardworking way of life. I enjoy the farming if its rewarding, Terry says, getting set to tackle another crop year. There are times that arent rewarding but you continue on. You take it all in stride. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 A movie star, politician and aviation pioneer will soon be doctors. Well, sort of. Actor and North Dakota native Josh Duhamel, former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Clay Lacy, founder of an aviation company that bears his name, will receive honorary degrees May 11 during the University of North Dakota general spring commencement at the Alerus Center. About 450 people with connections to the state have received the accolade from North Dakota public institutions, and the three to-be honorees will join the likes of President John F. Kennedy, Lawrence Welk and Peggy Lee. But what can one do with an honorary degree? Thats a good question, Gregg Halverson said. The president and board chairman of Black Gold Potatoes in Grand Forks received an honorary Doctor of Agriculture in 2012 from North Dakota State University. Some joke with the NDSU alumnus, saying he is a doctor. He assures them his wife, Dr. Yvonne Gomez Halverson, is the real doctor in the family, he said with a chuckle. As it is happening, you talk about it a little bit, he said. Then when it is all over with, you have some nice hardware to hang on the wall. The accolade may not come with any perks or official titles, but recipients are honored to step on the stages with North Dakota graduates to receive the award. The degree means something different for each person who receives it. Halverson, for example, said his degree represents the hard work his family and employees put in to make Black Gold Potatoes what it is today. Really, they are the ones that make it happen, he said. One person may stir the pot, but it takes a lot of people to pour in the ingredients." No perks, but a lot of pride UND has given out the most honorary degrees with 235 recipients, followed by NDSUs 163, according to figures from the universities. Other public institutions in North Dakota have given out no more than 10 each. Nothing prohibits a person from receiving an honorary degree from multiple institutions, said Billie Jo Lorius, director of communications for the North Dakota University System. They just need to meet qualifications set by each institution and then be approved by the State Board of Higher Education. For example, both UND and NDSU follow SBHE policies in awarding honorary degrees. They state, in part, a candidate must have an association to North Dakota and have achieved a level of distinction which would merit comparable recognition in his or her profession or area of excellence." The SBHE has not approved any other honorary degrees for other universities this year, Lorius said. That includes NDSU, which will hold its spring commencement May 11 at the Fargodome. Honorary degrees have a long history, with the first one given out as early as the 15th century in Europe, NDSU Registrar Rhonda Kitch said in an email. Citing literature she wrote for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, she called the award a "token of respect or honor." The designation recognizes life and career accomplishments, UND spokesperson David Dodds said. Recipients dont get specific perks because of it, he and Kitch said no reduced tuition for children, entry into alumni groups or free tickets to games. It also does not make them qualified for a particular field. The University of North Dakota does allow for use of the honorific title of Dr. in verbal and written references and correspondences between the honoree and the University, Dodds said. The title should not be used beyond such institutional usages. The accolade doesnt do much for the resume, said Former Gov. Ed Schafer, who received his honorary degree in 2008 when he was the U.S. secretary of agriculture. However, he said he was honored by the degree because it recognized the foundations that were built into him when he attended UND and how he used those building blocks to accomplish his achievements, he said. Almost 40 years after he graduated from the school with a bachelors degree, walking across the stage once again for the recognition left him in awe, he said. Its an emotional award, he said. Inspiring others Heitkamp is no stranger to UND. She double-majored at the school with undergraduate degrees in history and political science before she graduated in 1977. She said the honorary degree for her represents her time as a public servant she was the first woman elected by North Dakota voters to Congress. What you really hope will happen is it will inspire, in my case, students to pursue a career in public service, she said of the honorary degree. She will receive her honorary degree and speak during UNDs morning commencement ceremony, Dodds confirmed. Clay also will be at the morning ceremony. The two received approval from the SBHE for the degrees this year. Duhamel will make a brief speech and receive his honor during the afternoon events. The SBHE approved his honorary degree in 2017, but it was delayed due to scheduling conflicts. Efforts to reach Duhamel for an interview were unsuccessful. The State Board of Higher Education also approved a UND honorary degree for Harold Hamm, founder of oil and gas company Continental Resources, who donated $10 million toward the institution's geology school that bears his name. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 North Dakota is courting the petrochemical industry with a new tax incentive aimed at adding value to the states abundant natural gas supply. A bill approved in the recent legislative session adds a sales tax exemption for certain natural gas processing facilities. The goal is to produce a supply of ethane, propane and other products that could attract a plastics manufacturing plant to North Dakota. The jobs that this could create and the revenue it would generate is unbelievable potential, said Sen. Dwight Cook, R-Mandan, a co-sponsor of the legislation. North Dakota produces between 25,000 and 50,000 barrels per day of ethane at natural gas processing plants in Tioga and near Williston, said Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. The ethane is shipped by pipeline to Alberta, Canada, for plastics manufacturing, he said. The Department of Commerce has been working to attract a petrochemical plant to North Dakota to create a new industry and take advantage of growing natural gas volumes, said Shawn Kessel, deputy commerce commissioner. The state produced 2.6 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas in February, with about 20 percent burned off or flared due to inadequate processing capacity and other infrastructure. Some companies are having to reduce the amount of oil that theyre producing so they dont exceed flaring regulations, Kessel said. If we can find a company that can then utilize this gas and create a value-added product out of it, we win on multiple levels. Natural gas that is produced along with Bakken oil is considered to be rich gas, which means it has a high concentration of natural gas liquids. The new sales tax exemption approved by lawmakers aims to encourage further processing of the gas to produce ethane, propane, butane and lighter gases. The incentive applies to so-called straddle plants, or processing plants located on or near a natural gas transmission line. The plant removes excess natural gas liquids from the processed natural gas in the pipeline. The tax exemption also applies to a facility known as a deep cut fractionator that processes the natural gas liquids to produce ethane, propane, butane and other products. To qualify, the facility must produce at least 45,000 barrels per day of ethane. North Dakota already had a sales tax exemption for a petrochemical plant, but it has never been used. Sen. Jessica Unruh, R-Beulah, who advocated for the bill during the legislative session, said the state doesnt have enough infrastructure to process, transport and store products that could be used for plastics manufacturing. Its a big gap and a big obstacle to convincing petrochemical companies to locate here in the center of the United States, Unruh said during a Senate floor session. The sales tax exemption also applies to certain natural gas liquids pipelines, storage facilities, rail upgrades and roads developed in conjunction with a straddle plant or fractionator. The bill also extended the sales exemption for fertilizer and chemical processing plants through 2023. Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, was among House lawmakers who opposed the bill, calling it corporate welfare that picks winners and losers. I think its wrong to select industries to say you dont need to pay, Becker said during a House debate. If their endeavor is going to in the end be profitable, they will do it without subsidies. The legislation was approved, with a split vote in the House, and signed by Gov. Doug Burgum. The incentive takes effect July 1. Kessel said the Department of Commerce is working with players who plan to put the new sales tax exemption to work, but he said he could not discuss any specific proposals. A company called Bakken Midstream indicated in legislative testimony it is considering moving ahead with at least one opportunity. The companys website says it formed in 2019 to develop value-added natural gas infrastructure in North Dakota. Shane Goettle, a consultant for Bakken Midstream who listed the company as one of his lobbying clients, said it was too early to comment. The website for Bakken Midstream says the company believes conditions are right for North Dakota to develop petrochemical facilities similar to Albertas Industrial Heartland. Kessel said a petrochemical facility could mean a multibillion dollar investment, not including the associated infrastructure. Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger said a plant would likely manufacture plastic beads that could be shipped out of North Dakota by rail. Theres an opportunity in the long run for this to provide thousands of jobs, Rauschenberger said. So instead of shipping natural gas off to other places across the country, our goal is to have that value-added process occur right here and provide that economic opportunity in North Dakota. (Reach Amy Dalrymple at 701-250-8267 or Amy.Dalrymple@bismarcktribune.com) Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 4 WAHPETON Tom Knudsen, vice president of agriculture at Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative in Wahpeton, is retiring June 3 after 42 years with the company. He was one of the key decision-makers in agricultural matters, especially during harvest. Knudsen, known for lacing his announcements with wit and humor, will be replaced by Mike Metzger, who has been research agronomist at Minn-Dak since 2001. Metzer, in a story in Sugarbeet Grower magazine, said that Knudsen will be missed and described him as a walking encyclopedia of sugarbeet production and storage information, with an ability to find a clear purpose and direction after considering complex issues. Knudsen grew up at near Wahpeton at Abercrombie He went to North Dakota State University and received a degree in horticulture with an eye toward a career in crop and weed science. He was hired by Minn-Dak agriculture manager Gordon Rudolph and started as one of many agriculturists at Minn-Dak upon graduation in 1977. The co-op had started processing beets in 1974, growing to 50,000 acres and 250 shareholders. Knudsen succeeded Rudolph as vice president of agriculture in 1986. Today, Minn-Dak has about 490 shareholders and 100,000 acres of beets. Knudsen has seen some important changes. Significantly, in 1983 the company installed concrete in the piling grounds at Wahpeton at seven outside receiving stations and the factory. In 1993, Minn-Dak instituted electronic record-keeping for deliveries. In 1996, it started a three-year expansion, increasing the size of the factory. They added three large cold storage sheds in 1996 and 1997. In the 2000s, the company took over its rehaul fleet the drivers, trucks and trailers that moves beets from off-site piling stations into the factory. We are the only sugar beet company in the U.S. that has its own rehaul fleet in its entirety, he said. Circumstances in the factory extended the slice campaign of the 2017 beet crop to a record length, ending July 5, 2018. Though not initially planned, the slice went a month longer than anyone in the Red River Valley had ever processed beets. Knudsen joked that the co-op had processed beets in every month of the year and every legal holiday, a feat unlikely to be repeated, Knudsen received a Distinguished Service Award in 2015 from the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota. He was an officer and board member of the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota, the International Sugarbeet Institute Committee, and the Beet Sugar Development Foundation, and the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists. Knudsen declined to speculate on what his plans are for retirement, except that hell take a year off for quiet. He said he for sure wont watch the quotas, the temperatures, the rainfall or the factory slice of beets at harvest, and wont miss the need to make the perfect call every day on harvest and storage conditions. An internal co-op recognition will take place in late May. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 With 2,700 replies and counting, All On Medicare's tweet asking When did you become radicalized by the U.S. health care non-system? is now one of the most thorough (and thoroughly depressing) collections of evidence of the need for healthcare reform you're likely to encounter. The title story of my new book Radicalized is about angry men whose most cherished family members are condemned to slow, painful deaths after their insurers refuse to cover lifesaving treatments by classing them as "experimental." These men are radicalized on message boards where there's always someone standing by to welcome people who are suicidal in their grief by urging them on, saying "Do it! And take some of those fuckers with you." In the story, America is shaken by a wave of terrorist violence as angry, traumatized white dudes start to suicide-bomb health insurance companies and take shots at senators funded by them. These white guys are not classed as terrorists not at first, anyway because the color of their skin dictates that they be called "lone wolves" and the victims of their crimes are not the most charismatic people in America. Reading this thread took me back to the research I did on the story, looking through Gofundme pages for people who only wanted to die knowing that their death wouldn't impoverish their loved ones. American health care is the most broken system in the world. I grew up with Canadian socialised medicine, then lived with the UK NHS for 13 years and now I'm in the USA and insured by Cinga (insert anguished scream here), and I'm here to tell you that Americans suffer under a system that no one else in the rich world has to tolerate. When did you become radicalized by the U.S. health care non-system? All On Medicare (@AllOnMedicare) May 2, 2019 * "Watching my best friend's father go from serene acceptance of his lymphoma diagnosis to shame and despair on his deathbed two years later that his treatment had permanently impoverished his wife and son. When my father received his own diagnosis, he refused all treatment instead." (@sisyphusmyths) * "My father killed himself so he wouldn't bankrupt the family trying to treat his Parkinson's. He was my best friend. We did a Go Fund Me for his medical care and ended up using it for his funeral" (@ErinDeweyLennox) * "When my mother waited too long to go to the doctor when she found a breast lump. Being poor cost her life. If other advanced countries can do it, so can we. I'm sick of greedy fucking billionaires who've robbed America of a heart and soul." (@CelloLvr) * "My mother had a prolapsed uterus. She took to shoving it back in because her insurance wouldn't cover any of the treatments locally, and she would have had to go to a hospital a hundred miles away to be treated. The idea of just shoving your organs back inside your body" (@UrsulaV) * "Early elementary school after eavesdropping on my mom while she fought with the insurance company to get my insulin to keep me alive. High school when my dad had to ask for an advance on his paycheck for my med device supplies. College when I had to ration my insulin." (@msinsulindpndnt) * "When I realized that Anthem was sending employees on trips to Hawaii and giving bonuses that were greater than my family's combined yearly income and the people they were insuring were filing for bankruptcy over medical bills." (@pgrayove) Evil Clippy comes from Dutch security researchers Outflank: "a tool which assists red teamers and security testers in creating malicious MS Office documents. Amongst others, Evil Clippy can hide VBA macros, stomp VBA code (via p-code) and confuse popular macro analysis tools. It runs on Linux, OSX and Windows." Evil Clippy's magic depends in part on some awesomely terrible undocumented Office features, including "VBA Stomping": "if we know the version of MS Office of a target system (e.g. Office 2016, 32 bit), we can replace our malicious VBA source code with fake code, while the malicious code will still get executed via p-code. In the meantime, any tool analyzing the VBA source code (such as antivirus) is completely fooled." (via Eva) Intended as a discussion group, the blog has evolved to be more of a reading list of current issues affecting our county, its government and people. All reasonable comments and submissions welcomed. Email us at: bill.pysson@gmail.com REMEMBER: To view our sister blog for education issues: www.district100watchdog.blogspot.com